be testified, and acknowledged by all in due time; and we are confident that he will not leave the ransomed in the possession of the enemy.

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."t "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together, in one, all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in him."

Having proved that the souls of men are not the works of the devil, and consequently that they are not the works which Christ was manifested to destroy, I shall in the next place proceed to prove, that it cannot be actual transgression that is here intended, as no past action can possibly be destroyed or annihilated. A person might, with as much propriety, propose to destroy the darkness of a night which happened a month ago. A transgression may be forgiven, and the record of it blotted out or destroyed;

1 Tim. ii. 6. † Heb. ix. 12.

Ephes. i. 9, 10.

but a physical non-entity cannot be destroyed. The works of the devil which the Son of God was manifested to destroy, are evidently the evil propensities and vicious habits which mankind have acquired from the evil example of others, and yielding to the temptations which are suited to excite and influence those appetites and pas. sions which were implanted in us by the wise, benevolent author of our being, to answer the most necessary and important purposes, while they are confined within due bounds, and directed to proper ends or objects by the dictates of reason and a well-informed conscience. But being in youth extremely ignorant of the nature of things, and the consequences of our actions, and vast numbers being left without proper instructions respecting their duties to either God or man; thus with appetites and passions in full vigour, and devoid of an adequate degree of reason and experience, are they left to be impelled to action by motives that are aptly suited to gratify these propensities; and being frequently left to the freedom of their own will, but too often follow the evil example of people much older than themselves, they soon learn to copy their foibles, and by degrees begin to practice their vices. Thus ignorance and evil example begets vicious propensities and evil habits, which naturally and necessarily involve the sin

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ner in confusion and misery, not by the arbitrary infliction of punishment by the Deity, but by the immutable law of nature.

When the prodigal son squandered his finances in riotous living, and had, by his own misconduct, involved himself in misery and distress, what he suffered was not inflicted by the agency of his father, but was the natural consequence of his own profligacy.* It is as impossible that vice, by its own inherent qualities, should produce order, peace, and permanent happiness, as that darkness should produce light, or that tares sown on barren ground should produce a plentiful crop of good wheat. It is impossible that the man who has wasted his estate by gambling, and destroyed his reason by frequent intoxication, should be an happy person, or even permit others, over whom he has any power, to enjoy peace, order, or comfort. Such is the inherent nature of vice and vicious habits. It is therefore evident, that it is these sinful propensities, and pernicious habits, that the Son of God was manifested to destroy, which are properly denominated the works of the devil, and not the souls of mankind. These are the tares, and the chaff, which shall be burned with unquenchable

* Luke xv..

fire, when God shall gather his pure clean wheat into the garner. This is the dross from which the souls of mankind shall be refined, when the Lord shall bring "a third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call upon my name, and I will hear them; I will say it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God."*

These are the works that shall be burned, together with self-righteousness, spiritual pride, blind zeal, and the prejudices of an erroneous education, which qualifies each bigot in their own estimation, to judge and condemn others on hearsay evidence, without taking the pains to examine either their own tenets, or those of others, which they condemn.t

But the most formidable device which the devil has ever planed for the destruction of mankind, is, the successful attempt which he has made to traduce the moral character of the Deity. He knows it is impossible that any rational being can be happy while they continue to hate God....he has taken great pains by his emissaries in every nation, to represent the Deity to

Zech. xiii. 9.

1 Cor. iii, 13, 14, 15.

be the most cruel, partial, vindictive, inexorable being in existence....insinuating that he has brought millions of souls into being, out of a state of non-existence, in which condition they could neither offend him, nor suffer any inconvenience whatever....positively knowing, and intending, that they should be subjected to the dominion of the devil, and suffer throughout eternal ages the 'most excruciating torments in a lake of fire which he had prepared for the very purpose, long before they were created.

Opinions similar to these have been assidu◄ ously propagated amongst the people of almost every nation; and however they may have dif fered in their particular dogmas, they have all agreed in representing their Gods to be cruel, partial tyrants, who chose rather to be viewed and worshipped as objects to be dreaded and feared, than loved.

From this fatal misapprehension of the mor al character and adorable attributes of the benev olent parent of mankind, originated the horrid practice of parents sacrificing their favourite children to appease the wrath of these dreadful, malignant beings. The Roman Catholic be ing influenced by the same erroneous opinion of the disposition of the Deity, half starves him

.