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firey." "In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn "."

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels in heaven, but the Father only;" "it is not for us to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power b;" but "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

Of the nature and degree of that happiness which is prepared for those who are saved, we cannot form any notion: “ eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him";" they shall be

as the angels which are in heaven;" "He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them; they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light upon them, nor any heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and GOD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes f." "There shall be no more death, neither sorrow

y Matt. iii. 12.

z Matt. xiii. 30. See Joel,

iii. 13. Rev. xiv. 14-20.

a Matt. xxiv. 36.

c 1 Thess. v. 2.

d 1 Cor. ii. 9.

• Mark, xii. 25.

f Rev, vii. 15-17.

nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain 5." "The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father"," they "shall shine as the brightness of the firmamenti.” They shall see the face of God," and they shall reign for ever and ever," "and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads "."

Neither can we form any notion of the nature and degree of that punishment which shall be the portion of the wicked. It is described, as "outer darkness-where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ";" as "Gehenna," where is "fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not°;" as "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone P;"" and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night." This place of punishment is spoken of by Isaiah, under the title of " Tophet," which was " in the valley of the children of Hinnom [or Gehinnom]TM,” and was dedicated to the idol Molech, it being the place where the people made their children" to pass through the fire to Molech ";"

8 Rev. xxi. 4. Isaiah, xxv. 7, 8.

h Matt. xiii. 43.

¡ Dan. xii. 3.

Rev. xxii. 4.

Rev. xxii. 5.

m Isaiah, xxxv. 10.

n Matt. viii. 12; xxiv. 51.
Mark, ix. 45, 46.
Rev. xxi. 8.

9 Rev. xiv. 11.

* 2 Kings, xxiii. 10. Lev. xviii. 21. Deut. xviii. 2. Ezek. xxiii. 87, 39.

2

this seat of profane worship being adopted as a figure of the place of torment prepared for the wicked: "Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king is it prepared; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it."

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PART V.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHEME OF SALVATION.

THUS it has been seen, that Christ by His Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension, fulfilled all the law and the Prophets, and purchased for mankind that salvation, of which "the Prophets have inquired and searched diligently;-searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow b." "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of GoD spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." "The Lord GOD spake by the mouth of His holy Prophets which have been since the world began";" He spake by His Spirit in His Prophetse.

Thus we find it asserted, that the Prophets were inspired, by GoD, by the Spirit of GOD, by the Spirit of Christ, by the Holy Ghost. "The

a Matt. v. 17. Luke, xvi. 31; xxiv. 44. John, i. 45; v. 46. Acts, iii. 18, 24. 2 Cor. iii. 13-15.

b

1 Peter, i. 10, 11. c 2 Peter, i. 21.

d Luke, i, 68, 70.

Nehem. ix. 30. Isaiah, lxi. 1.

99

Holy Ghost," then, is "the Spirit of God," and "the Spirit of Christ," God and Christ being one; as Christ declared, "I and my Father are oneh." The Holy Spirit is called "The Holy One;" Christ is also called " The Holy One;' and the Lord GOD styles Himself "The Holy One1;" therefore, as God the Father is one, as Christ is one, as the Holy Ghost is one; as the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of GOD, and the Spirit of Christ; and as God the Father and Christ are one; it follows, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, constitute ONE GOD. Accordingly we find, that Christ, promising to send the Spirit of truth, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to His disciples, says, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth";" and, He adds, "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make OUR abode with him ";" so that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are to abide with and in him who loves Christ and keeps His commandments". Christ said, "When

John, iii. 34. Rom. viii.

9. 1 Cor. iii. 16.

k Acts, iii. 14.

n

1 Ezek. xxxix. 7. Isaiah,

8 Rom. viii. 9. Gal. iv. 6. xl. 25; lvii. 15.

Philip. i. 19.

" John, x. 30.

m John, xiv. 16, 17.

n

John, xiv. 23.

T

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