But is there not one passage of Scripture relating to the resurrection on which the hopes of orthodoxy may be sus pended, and from which it may "infer" the mild and peacegiving doctrine of endless hell torments? Yes there is one; one that has been quoted on this point time out of mind. "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation." John v. 28, 29. For a full and satisfactory exposition of this passage,

beg leave to refer to a Sermon on the subject by Rev. Sylvanus Cobb. Still as you indulge in a somewhat protracted examination of this favorite text, I must be permitted to follow you with a few remarks.

You assume that the Savior here speaks of a literal resurrection; "for who," you say, "ever heard of a spiritual resurrection to damnation?" You also assert that no less than three resurrections are spoken of in this chapter: 1, a spiritual one, verse 24; 2, a literal one, applied to individuals whom our Lord miraculously raised from the dead, but who were subject to death again, verse 25; 3, the resurrection of all that have died, verse 29. This may pass for assertion, for you present no evidence of its truth, and I think no evidence is to be had. There is something extremely improbable in the supposition that in the space of four short verses, our Lord should speak of three kinds of resurrection! I must have a safer interpreter than I can regard yourself, before adopting so crude a fancy.

In examining the text before us, one inquiry is very impor tant, viz., Was our Savior here speaking of the resurrection of the dead to a state of life and immortality? The Greek scholar knows that as the article is here omitted, the simplest and probably the true translation of the passage would be, "they that have done good to a resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to a resurrection of damnation." By rendering as they have done, and inserting the article, the translators of our common version, have given a speciality to the meaning of the word resurrection, which the original does not

justify. This remark will be entitled to the more considera. tion when it is remembered that the word anastasis has a vastly greater latitude of meaning than our word resurrection, by which it is generally rendered. In the primitive import of the word anastasis, says Dr. Campbell, "it denotes simply being raised from inactivity to action, or from obscurity to eminence, or a return to such a state after an interruption. Agreeably, therefore, to the original import, rising from a seat is properly termed anastasis; so is awaking out of sleep, or promotion from an inferior condition."

At verse 24 our Lord said, "He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Here let it be remarked that our Savior employs much the same terms as we find in the text. Life in verse 29, corresponds with everlasting life in verse 24; and damnation in verse 29, is the same word in the original as condemnation in verse 24. Are these words in verse 24 to be taken in a spiritual, and in verse 29 in a literal sense? Where then is the proof? Verse 25 is explanatory of verse 24. At verse 27 another important idea is introduced, one at which the Jews were astonished and offended, viz., that authority is given to the Son of man to execute judgment also. In verses 28 and 29 the nature of this judgment is set forth, and the extent of the office of the Son of man. It was not a few individuals who were to hear his voice, and so attend to it as to live; but all that people, good and bad, believers and unbelievers, were to hear and come forth, some to life and peace, and some to punishment and suffering. A great change was to take place in their condition; a change happy on the one hand and unhappy on the other.

This interpretation was maintained long ago by Deusing, was admitted by Dr. Lightfoot, and explained at large more recently by Rev. Newcome Cappe, a pupil of Dr. Doddridge. After giving the common exposition, Lightfoot says, "These words might also be applied to a spiritual resurrection as were the former, and (so coming out of the graves meaneth Ezek. xxxvii. 12,) the words of the verse following being only trans

Iated and glossed thus-And they shall come forth, they that have done good, after they hear his voice in the gospel, to the [a] resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, after they hear the gospel, unto the [a] resurrection of damnation." For Mr. Cappe's paraphrase, I must refer to his works or to Paige's "Selections."

With due respect, I am yours, &c.

THOMAS J. SAWYER.

LETTER XVI.

Dear Sir-"The endless punishment of the wicked," you tell us in the ninth place, "is certain-from the circumstances under which they will be placed at the judgment of the great day. For then they will have no Savior. Jesus Christ now sustains the character of the Savior, but in that day, he will cease to retain this relation to the human family, and be the 'judge of the quick and the dead.'”

Allow me to ask one or two questions. If, as you say, Christ now sustains the character of SAVIOR to the human family, and is to sustain this character till the day of judgment, how happens it that the human family is not or will not be saved? Is Christ the Savior of those who are never to be saved? Does he now sustain such a character or relation towards them? These are questions which my Methodist friends have never answered. Again, if there is to be such a total change in the character and relations of Jesus Christ at the day of judgment, will you permit me to inquire what the apostle means when he speaks of him as "the same yesterday, to-day and forever?" I have sometimes heard it said, that Jesus Christ is now the Lamb of God, but at the judgment day, he will become a Lion. Perhaps so, but where is the thus saith the Lord?

There is another difficulty. You quote from somebody who

says, "Christ is now our Mediator, and as such administers a mediatorial government, **** but then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father! 1 Cor. xv. 24. Then he will descend from the mediatorial throne, and the benefits of his atonement will be no longer available. To suppose that Christ can act as the sinner's judge, and sentence him to hell, and at the same time be the sinner's Mediator and advocate to procure his deliverance from hell, is palpably absurd."

That Christ is now our Mediator, and administers a mediatorial government, is one of the clearest truths of revelation; and that he is ultimately to deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, is also true. But it is not true that there is to be a judgment, or that he is to act as a judge, after he descends from the mediatorial throne. The moment he leaves that throne, "shall the Son also himself be subject to the Father." But I wish you to observe, that there is one condition to be fulfilled by Christ, before he can surrender the mediatorial kingdom; that condition is the perfect accomplishment of the purpose for which he was appointed Mediator. There is not a particle of evidence either in the Bible or to be derived from the nature of the subject, that there is to be a general judgment, or any judgment, after the close of Christ's mediatorial reign. His office terminates with this event; but his office terminates only with the accomplishment of his divine mission; only when he has seen of the travail of his soul and is satisfied, Isa. liii. 11,-only " when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power; for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. *** And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that did put all things under him, that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL."

This is the result of Christ's mediatorial government, as revealed in the Scriptures. If you know of any judgment or of any suffering in the moral universe, after this event, it becomes you to announce it to the world. St. Paul and other inspired writers leave us precisely here; all things subject to the Son; the Son himself subject to the Father; and God the Father, all

in all! But perhaps you are ready to reply, that all shall indeed be subject to the Son, as Dr. Scott says, " some in one way and some in another;" that a part of the human race will joyfully acknowledge him in heaven as their friend and Savior, and that others will confess his power and "vindictive justice" in hell. This has been said before: but I beg you to observe, that there are two kinds of enemies, if may be allowed the expression, here spoken of by the apostle. The first, embracing "all rule, and all authority and power," and "death, the last enemy," are to be put down and destroyed. The latter embracing what are called "all enemies," "all things" are to be subdued, put under the feet, and subjected to Christ. Some doubt has been entertained by the commentators with respect to the meaning of the terms “all rule and all authority and power." Some have supposed them to mean the empires and kingdoms of this world; but others, as Archbishop Newcome and Dr. Bloomfield take them of those adverse powers which hinder the consummation of the felicity obtained for us by Christ, and are a hindrance to the divine counsel for the completion of man's restoration to the favor of God; namely, the kingdom of Satan, sin, misery and death. See Bloomfield's New Testament. These enemies, remember, are to be abolished, destroyed. "But death," says Dr. Clarke, “cannot be destroyed, by there simply being no farther death; death can only be destroyed and annihilated by a general resurrection; if there is no general resurrection, it is most evident that death will still retain his empire." The same may be said of sin and misery, for sin is the sting of death, and misery is the consequence of sin. And all these are "the works of the devil," which the Son of God was manifested to destroy. 1 John iii. 8.

But for the other class of enemies there is reserved a different fortune. They are denominated by the apostle, "all things," which term undoubtedly means the whole creation, or all created rational beings, all men. Christ's kingdom is a moral kingdom, and power was given him over all flesh. All human beings belong to him, they are not their own, they are bought with a price; they are placed under his govern