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happened. All men were then already subjected to his power, though not in a willing submission. Christ himself said: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."-Matt. xxviii. 18. "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him."-John xvii. 2. This is proof positive; and leaves no other submission necessary or possible, afterwards, but a voluntary one. 4. All of whom Paul spoke, including all enemies, except death which is to be destroyed, are to be "subdued unto him," in one and the same way. There is only one kind of conquest or subjection referred to here. All are to be subdued in one way, with only one exception; and that is "him who put all things under him." As this one exception is named, it proves that there is no other exception; that the writer intended to be understood in the most universal sense of his language. 5. The language implies, that in the same sense, that all were to be subdued or become subjected to Christ, he himself would then be subject to God, that put all things under him. 6. And last. This subjugation of all to Christ, and him to God, is to be accomplished, in order that God may be "all in all." Now good reader, if you can find any other rational sense to this passage, whoever you be, you will accomplish what the learning and ingenuity of all christendom, has never yet been able to do. I myself have not one doubt, that the Apostle intended to teach the ultimate reconciliation of all men. Can there be a devil -a hell-millions of enemies-when the last enemy is destroyed-all subdued to Christ; and he, with his whole empire resigned to God-and God all in all? If you can still think so, prejudice must have more power over your mind than divine revelation. I will however, refer to another declaration of similar import. "Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, (in his mediatorial kingdom) and given him a name, which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth. And that ey

ery tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."*-Phil. ii. 9.

None would ever suppose this to denote an unwilling subjection, or aught less than universal spiritual worship, unless he was extremely anxious to avoid the conclusion, which I have not a doubt, was the doctrine of Paul and of the primitive church for several centuriesa moral conquest of the universe-a consummation of the vast designs of infinite love-the assimilation of all to God.t

4. From the above view, it appears, that the scene of the Saviour's operations, is not confined to the living, as many suppose; but embraces both the visible and the invisible; "heaven and earth and under the earth;" and all human beings are given over to his discipline, judgment,

*I have not given this text exactly as in our common version; but have endeavored to give the more exact sense of the original, according to learned critics. But the reader will perceive, it is no more favorable to my theory than even the bungling version given by royal authority.

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+ There is a text in John xii. 47, which would seem at first view to forbid the idea that Jesus came to be a Judge as well as a saviour It reads thus: "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I Judge him not: for I came not to judge the world; but to save the world." This difficulty originates in the vagueness of language. It may be made clear, by considering that the original term for judge has different meanings. Butterworth says, it sometimes means in the Bible, rashly to censure. Give it this sense here, and it reads "I rashly censure him not." Or the word condemn might express the sense here. And the same original is often rendered condemn in the New Testament. "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I condemn him not; for I came not to condemn the world; but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that condemneth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall condemn him in the last day," (or dispensation.) This sense is necessary to make these texts harmonize with the declaration of the saviour, as quoted in this chapter.

and moral training. His kingdom is seen to rise on the dark earth-its scintillations enlighten our minds and warm our hearts-it reaches beyond sublunary bounds -trains departed millions to its principles-and, in the glorious progress of its mighty energy, renovates and exalts our race. The work of redemption, salvation, judgment, justice, and mercy, is not perfected here, but must progress, till all shall be judged, disciplined, and saved. Till "all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations, shall worship before him.”—Psa. xxii. 27.

ONE OBJECT does ail means embrace,
All centre in one vast design,

All Judgment, Justice, Love, and Grace,
In perfect GOOD, divinely shine.

CHAPTER XI.

OF FUTURE EXISTENCE THE RESURRECTION-AND FUTURE RETRIBUTION.

AMONG Universalists, some believe all Retribution to be in the present state of being; others believe christian discipline not perfected or finished in this state; and this stato, not a purgatorial state, but the present mental and moral state, modified by different circumstances, is to be continued on beyond this life. That the very

moral and intellectual condition of the soul at death, is to be the condition in which every one begins after death. That after death, the spiritual nature of man, freed from animal influences, will possess the general laws of existence, moral agency and accountability; and subject to motive influences and the operation of circumstances, as now; only that the circumstances of that mode of being will be much more favorable to the developement and perfection of his being than the present.— That although christian discipline is experienced imperfectly by some here, it is to be more abundantly experienced hereafter; and that those who die in infancy, all heathen, and all men are finally to attain an enlarged and exalted growth, in all the moral clements of christianity. That all are to become imbued with christian feeling, more fully; but by a process of training similar in its nature to that by which men are now inducted into Christ. Both these classes are Universalists, because both believe in final universal salvation from sin and misery. A perfect union of feeling and fellowship exists generally, and ought to exist universally, between

the advocates of these conflicting opinions. And it is hoped this spirit will continue, because we are not sectarians, and think there should be but one test of christian fellowship in this world; and that test should be, Faith in Christ, and a good life. While all should have perfect liberty to investigate and judge for themselves, on all subordinate matters; without censure and without reproach. This anti-sectarian spirit results naturally from that great point of christian faith, which distinguishes us from others. On both sides of this question, there are able, amiable, and worthy advocates. And we agree in general fundamental principles, and only differ in the time and manner of carrying them into effect. It is not my intention to seek a controversy on this question, nor to go into a full argument in relation to future existence and retribution; but only to give, in this connexion, a brief sketch of my own ideas on this subject. In the heat of controversy, it appears to me, on the question of endless misery, some of our friends have inadvertently gone into an opposite extreme. And upon "a second sober thought," I think they will finally come back to a middle ground, to which their opponents are rapidly advancing; and where at last, it is hoped, there will be a happy meeting of the parties; and a termination of this long protracted controversy on endless misery. There, "the lion and the lamb may lie down together." That orthodox christendom is gradually approximating to this point, is known to all observing men.

I. My first object is to show, that the present life is a kind of infancy to a progressive higher and endless

existence.

Surely so far as nature sheds light upon the future, the British poet was about right:

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"Heaven from all creatures, hides the book of fate, All but the page prescribed, the present state, And it is true that the writers of the Old Testament had very little knowledge of the future, And probably

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