day of mercy to the wicked, or of any redemption from their doom, is confuted, as it respects the antediluvians, by a plain and direct declaration that the gospel has been preached to their imprisoned spirits for the purpose of their living according to God in the spirit; and unless redeemed from their doom they could not live according to God.

We will next enquire whether there be any redemption for the Sodomites.

When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them. Ezek. 16: 53. In this prediction the literal meaning of Samaria is not disputed, neither would any dispute the literal meaning of Sodom, were it not, to allow it, would prove there was a day of mercy for them after death. Those who never decide upon the meaning of God's word unil they, by consulting their own faith, have found a rule to help them to determine whether the sense be literal or figurative, have pronounced "Sodom and her daughters" to be figurative expressions, and have objected to the literal signification.

Objection 1st. Say they there are figures in the chapter which contains the prediction ; therefore it may mean the return of the captivity of some other nation, or nations; perhaps Moab and Ammon was intended, they being the descendants of Lot who once sojourned there.

By the same rule it may be said that Samaria and her daughters ought not to be understood literally; nor any other representation in the whole chapter. The Egyptians, Philistines, and Assyrians, may as consistently be called figures, representing other nations rather than the identical ones spoken of. But there being figures thrown into the chapter will not influ ence the intelligent part of community; for all who are well read allow that figures thrown in the midst of literal description abound in all languages; and are the usages of all ages.

This objection is calculated to dupe the ignorant, and credu. lous part of mankind. A critic by examining the bible will, frequently, find figures among literal representations. There are figures in the account given of the rich man and Lazarus. - See Luke, 16: 19, 31. In hell he lifted up his eyes being in torments. The lifting up the eyes is figurative; for noth. ing but his spirit was in hell. Does that prove "hell and tor. ments" to be figures? We may understand the "rich man," "Lazarus," "death," and "burial," literally, although "Abraham's bosom," and a "drop of water on the tip of the finger" are figures. In this parable, limitarians select from among figures all that can be called literal, and take them to build up their faith. But in the prophecy of the return of Sodom's captivity, they take "Sodom and her daughters" from the midst of literal representations, and call them figurative to keep them from overthrowing their faith, when they appear to be literal as much as "Samaria and her daughters." But "Samaria" would also be called figurative, was it in the way of their faith.

If fairness was used by limitarians, they would reject the threatenings as well as the promises on account of figures being thrown in among them. But instead of that, they take the figurative expression of a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell to prevent the good and bad spirits from passing to and from; and even maintain that to all eternity, it will keep the righteous and wicked apart, when on the same mode of reasoning by which the literal meaning of "Sodom and her daughters" is rejected, the literal meaning of the whole parable should by them be rejected, and quite a number more of the threatenings ought to be by them styled figures to represent something which is to take place in this life. Those who give it as their opinion that Moab and Ammon was meant by the fictitious name of Sodom, do not pretend to prove it. I have searched the scriptures, but find no proofs of it. The

return of their captivity is predicted by their real names: viz. -Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Jer. 48: 47. And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord. But it shall come to pass in the latter days that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord. — Jer. 49 : 6, 39.

It is as scriptural to say that the return of Elam's captivity is again promised by the name of Samaria, as that Moab's or Ammon's were intended by Sodom's. Seeing that there is no proof that Sodom meant any other than the one whom the Lord totally destroyed, if we depart from the literal signifi. cation, we may as well call it one nation as another. If it does not mean that Sodom, it is not a prophecy, because it does not foretel anything; for if it is a figure nothing short of a new revelation to explain upon it, can teach us what nation was meant, for the return of their captivity will throw no light up on the prediction unless it means that Sodom whose overthrow was occasioned by fire and brimstone.

That figures and types are sometimes used in prophecies, I will not deny; yet will maintain that enough is always spoken literally to clearly point out the person, family, tribe or nation, spoken of, and also shew plainly whether blessings or curses are pronounced upon them. That some individuals or a whole nation have been called Sodomites on account of com. mitting like sins, we will not deny. And their dead bodies (the two witnesses) shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. -- Rev. 11: 8. "Where also our Lord was crucified," proves beyond a doubt that Jerusalem was the city that was denominated "Sodom and Egypt." But it tells plainly that they were figurative expressions; for it says the city was "spiritually" called so.

Objection 2d. This is taken from the 46th verse of the 16th

of Ezek. viz:- And thy younger sister that dwelleth at thy right hand is Sodom and her daughters. They contend that the nation, of whom Ezekiel spoke, then lived at the right hand of Judea but they did not; for he said they were haughty and committed abomination before the Lord, and that he had taken them away as he saw good.- Ezek. 16: 50. So it may as well be understood to mean ancient Sodom as any other that had been taken away ere that time for the nation was not there at the time of the prediction ; were to be brought there when their captivity should be returned. So we see the fallacy of the second objection, brought to disprove the literal meaning of the term "Sodom."

but they

Objection 3d. This is found in the 49th verse, 16th chapter of Ezek. viz: - Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, was in her, and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Here they stop, and proclaim - This does not comprehend the sins of which ancient Sodom was guilty. And to prove their assertion, refer to Jude, 7th verse, viz:- Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. But the 50th verse confutes this objection by representing the very sins which Sodom, that was burnt, committed, even saying that the Lord took them away as he saw good. For example-And they the (Sodomites) were haughty, and committed abomination before me : therefore I took them away as I saw good. — Ezek. 16: 50. The fornication, and going after strange flesh, of which Jude said Sodom was guilty, was abomination; and abomination includes all the sins of which Jude said they were guilty. Fornication is a scripture term to express idol worship. Idols and idolatry are an abomination in the sight of the Lord. Therefore this third objection by being examined, vanishes like

dew before the sun. But every stratagem must be employed to prevent people's believing in the return of ancient Sodom's captivity, lest they should believe in a probationary state af ter death. So another objection is made,

Objection 4th. This arises from the 53d verse of Ezekiel :When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sod, om and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them.

The objection is built upon the words "when" and "then." Some who believe that the Sodom which was burnt with fire and brimstone, will have their captivity returned, perhaps, think it inconsistent to have it returned when Jerusalem and Samaria shall have theirs. But if those departed spirits are ever to be released, why not as soon as they? And it is as reasonable that they should have their captivity returned, as that the Jews should theirs; for they were not so wicked a people. In the 16th Chap. of Ezek. it is written that the Jews were corrupted in all their ways more than Sodom and her daughters, and committed sins that were more abominable, being more unrighteous than they. In the 11th Chap. of Mat, our Saviour, when speaking of Capernaum's being exalted to heaven (in point of religious privileges) said, if the mighty works that were done in Capernaum, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until that day and said it should be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for them. The Lord had manifested himself to the children of Israel and promised to send them a Saviour. We do not read of his thus making himself known to the Sodom. ites. He continued his instructions to the children of Israel, "but they despised his words." And the Lord God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending.-2. Chron. 36, 15. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers; in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and pro,