and punishment of angels, awful from the very association in which inspiration has placed it, as well as from the description given of it. Now we ask what this event was, if the commonly received notion of the fall of angels is not true? That some rational accountable beings are intended by "the angels that sinned," no one can doubt, for none but rational accountable beings can sin and become subjects of punishment; and as we have no account of any order or race of beings, save angels and men, there can be no doubt but one or the other of these is intended. If then it is clear that by "the angels that sinned," we are to understand apostate angels, according to the commonly received doctrine, or men of some particular class, character or office, here called angels, it only remains to show that the latter cannot be true, and the former will appear to be the true sense of the text. We will then show from the text itself, that to suppose men are intended by "the angels that sinned," is utterly inconsistent with universalism, and must prove it to be false. The Apostle says, Jude 6. "The angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." On this we remark:

1. The expression, "the angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation," clearly describes an action in past time, and shows that the sin of the angels, or beings here spoken of, was committed at some period prior to the time of the Apostle's writing.

2. The expression, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness," clearly marks an event past, yet extending to the present time; showing that the angels or beings referred to were then, at the time the Apostle wrote, in confinement held in reserve.

3. The expression, "unto the judgment of the great day," connected with the last, thus: "he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day," clearly points out a future event as the object of their confinement; their judgment and punishment at some future day of retribution, here called "the judgment of the great day." Note then, that if men are intended by the angels that sinned, the apostle here speaks of men who had sin

ned in past time, who were then in chains under darkness for their crimes, and who were to be reserved in these chains to be judged and punished at some future day; which must forever refute the notion that men receive their full punishment as they pass through life, and establish the doctrine of future punishment as clearly as it can be made out in form of words. We say then, as angels or men must be intended by the apostle, and as universalists cannot, consistently with their theory, admit the latter, they must subscribe to the former; and that this is really the doctrine of the text, is clear from the fact that the term angel is the one which the scriptures uniformly employ to designate the inhabitants of the invisible world. The united testimony of these two apostles, speaking on the same subject, we think sufficient to settle the question concerning the fall of angels; but still we will add a few more quotations from the scriptures, which we think refer to the same event. 1 John iii. 8. "He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning." Here the devil is represented as being the first sinner, with whom moral evil originated. John viii. 44. "Ye are of your father the devil, he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth." This text clearly proves that the devil is a fallen being, for it says "he abode not in the truth;" now, he must have once been in the truth to justify such an expression. Luke x. 18. "And he said unto them I beheld satan as lightning fall from heaven." If this does not teach the doctrine of satan's fall it must be hard to conceive in what language it could be taught. Job iv. 18, 19. "Behold he put no trust in his servants and his angels he charged with folly, how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust." Here is an allusion to the fall of angels too plain to be overlooked. The text says expressly that "he charged his angels with folly ;" and what clearly proves that the inhabitants of the world of spirits is meant by angels is, the comparison which is instituted between these angels and men, whom the writer distinguishes by the expression, "them that dwell in houses of clay." The meaning appears to be this. If he put no trust in his servants, the angels, who are disembodied, but charged them with folly, how much less shall he put confidence in men. who are embodied or dwell in houses of clay.

II. It has been objected to the common doctrine of satanic influence or temptation, that if the devil is chained in hell as represented in the preceding quotations and remarks, then he cannot be about in this world as the tempter of the human family. This objection we recollect to have seen very gravely stated in a universalist periodical. Now, to reply to this, it is only necessary to enquire what is meant by the fallen angels' being chained. It is presumed that no one supposes that the devil is chained literally, with a material chain, as we hand-cuff a criminal, and chain him down to the floor of his prison; such a notion, when applied to spirits, is too absurd to be indulged by the most superstitious and vulgar. What then is meant by the fallen angels' being chained? Their chains may signify their hopeless despair, there being with them no hope or prospect of ever escaping from their wretched condition. Or their being chained may denote that they are so held in on all sides, by the divine power as not to be able to go beyond certain limits in their work of malevolence, temptation and ruin. Had not satan his chain in this respect beyond the length of which he cannot go, we should no doub see other marks of his goings than those that now appear Now, what is there in all this contrary to the common belie in satanic influence in this world. Should it be thought ab surd to suppose that God can lay any restraint upon satan and yet not confine him entirely, so as altogether to preven his evil influence in this world, a sufficient answer will be found in the reply to the following objection.

III. It has sometimes been objected that it is inconsisten with the divine power and goodness that such a satanic majes ty, as the devil is supposed to be, should exist and be permit ted to roam with such destroying influence through the worl and church of God. This argument is sometimes stated thus God has power to destroy or controul the devil, or he ha not; if he has not the power, he cannot be omnipotent, and the devil becomes a kind of omnipotent being, at least equa with God; and if God has power to destroy or controul th devil, and will not do it, he becomes accessary to his deeds and can be but little better than the devil himself. That thi argument is fallacious is evident from the circumstance that i may be applied to disprove what is plain matter of fact. I

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proves just as much against the existence of wicked men, as it does against the existence of devils. It is said, Prov. ix. 18. "One sinner destroyeth much good." Now, God has. power to destroy or controul this sinner, so as to prevent his destroying much good, or he has not. If God cannot destroy or control the sinner he cannot be omnipotent, and the sinner becomes a kind of omnipotent being, at least equal with God; and if God can destroy or control the sinner, so as to prevent his destroying much good, and will not, he becomes accessary to his deeds and can be but little better than the sinner himself. We see then that this argument proves just as much against the existence of wicked men as it does against the existence of devils; and the existence and evil influence of wicked men it can never disprove, since these are plain matters of fact; therefore it can never disprove the existence of devils. What God has power to do, and what he may see it proper to do, are two things quite distinct from each other. We know not but God may have power to annihilate the devil by one look from off his throne; but if it be so it cannot prove that it is consistent for him so to do. That God's peculiar people are sometimes tempted and led astray by wicked men, is a fact too plain to be denied, and it can detract, no more from the power or goodness of God to suppose that a similar evil influence is exerted by the devil.

IV. It has been objected to the doctrine of satanic influence, that if the devil tempts men as generally, and in all parts of the world as is believed, he must be capable of being in many places at the same time, or he must be omnipresent, which can never be ceded to any created being. The fallacy of this objection consists in supposing that absolute ubiquity is essential to satanic influence as generally believed. On this subject we beg leave to remark,

1. That every created being has his own sphere of being, which he is capable of filling; more than which he cannot fill, beyond which he cannot go, and out of which he cannot fact: as no being can act where he is not. Some beings however may fill a larger sphere than others.

2. Spiritual or disembodied beings may, no doubt, conwey themselves from one place to another with great facility, which unquestionably is the case with the devil. We

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know not but he can pass around the globe quick as the mo tion of light. The movements of disembodied spirits, aught we can know, are as easy as our thoughts which pass to the most distant orb in the smallest imaginable period of time.

3. To the above we would add, that there may be more devils than there are men in the world. The apostle informs us that angels sinned; but how many sinned and fell we are not told. We also read of the devil and his angels; while we are informed that seven devils were cast out of one individual and a legion out of another. These circumstances render it more than probable that devils are more numerous than human beings, and that where we read of the devil, reference is had to the chief, prince, or leader of the infernal host; hence, to him so much wickedness is attributed, though he has myriads under his command in its accomplishment.

We trust we have now proved the existence of devils, who are subjects of punishment in the invisible world, and have also removed the principal objections urged against our theory on this head. Now we say that the punishment of wicked men is connected, both in point of time and place, with the punishment of the devils, who inhabit the invisible world. Matt. xxv. 41. " Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Now, as there are devils that inhabit the world of spirits, and as wicked men are to be punished with them, it clearly follows that wicked men will be punished in the future world.

XII. The scriptures teach that the good works of the righteous performed in this life, will be rewarded in a future state, and if so, it not only follows that the non-performance of these works on the part of the wicked, will affect them in the same proportion, they losing what the righteous gain ; but in addition to their loss, they will receive at the same time, in positive punishment, the reward which is due for the nonperformance of duty as well as for sins they may have committed. Those who deny future punishment, we believe, always limit the effect of human actions to this state of existence; denying that virtue or vice affect their votaries after the close of this transient life. If then it can be shown that a virtuous life, will receive a reward in a future state, it