nite, and happiness is unchanging and immortal. Nothing can disturb his steady confidence. In the most awful moment of his earthly existence, his feeling is sublime as his destiny is glorious. Even while he is partially subdued by death, and dragged to the confines of the tomb-while he is sinking, into it, and it closes over him, he can exclaim in triumph, O, death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God who giveth me the victory, through Jesus Christ, my Lord!'

of these sublime and cheering truths would have on the mind, by the feeling of which he who has made this humble attempt to illustrate and establish them has been conscious while engaged in the pleasing task, with sincerity he might say, that it would be highly favourable to benevolence and to happiness. A more ardent love of the Supreme Being, a purer and warmer attachment to his fellowcreatures, a more anxious desire to promote the attainment of genuine excellence, both in himself and others, has glowed in his heart, Such are the effects of an enlightened and while meditating on these delightful subjects. scriptural view of the perfections and govern- Uniformly has he seemed to himself to rise ment of God, and the nature and destiny of from the contemplation more deeply affected man. Indeed, a firm persuasion, that our than before with the emotions of piety and beCreator is possessed of every possible excel- nevolence. May the perusal of these pages lence, that he is our constant and best Friend, produce the same happy effect on the mind of that we are entirely at his merciful disposal, the reader. May it inspire him with a fervent that he is conducting us, and all our brethren love of God. May it cherish in his bosom an of mankind, by the wisest means, to the high- ardent and generous attachment to the whole est happiness, and that the natural and moral family of mankind. May it enable him to disorders which afflict us are the instruments enjoy with a more reasonable, pure, and soby which he will eventually establish the uni- cia! satisfaction, the blessings of existence, versal and eternal reign of purity and bliss, and to sustain, in a manner worthy of a man cannot but tend to expand the heart, to cherish and a Christian, the affliction which may the benevolent affections, to soften the man- await him. May it continually cheer him with ners, and to unite the whole human race in the most glorious hopes, and fit him to realthe tenderest bands of friendship and affection. ize them. And may the anticipation of the Were it right to judge of the general effect universal and everlasting reign of Purity and which the frequent and serious contemplation | Happiness hasten his own attainment of both!

248

THE END.

"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is CHRIST." 1 Cor. xii. 12.

PHILADELPHIA:

GIHON, FAIRCHILD & Co.

THE first edition of the "Union" appeared in 1759. In the preface, Mr. Relly acknowledges that he "was for a long season, after being satisfied of the redemption which is in Christ, very uneasy at times concerning the equity thereof;" and this uneasiness was resolved into a positive difficulty by the hints of a friend. “He asked me,” says Mr. Relly, "wherein was the justice and equity of one man's suffering death, yea, even the torments of hell, for another-so contrary to reason, and also to the scripture, which often declares that the righteous shall not suffer for the wicked, but that every man's sin shall be charged upon his own head."

Our author confesses that he "was not prepared for such a question as this, and was therefore involved in a difficulty." The consequent inquiry and labour of thought resulted in a solution, satisfactory to his own mind. To the proof and elucidation of the basis of that solution, the following work is devoted.

It will be perceived that Mr. Relly adopts and establishes the abstract hint of his friend, namely, the injustice of punishing one man for the sins of another; but instead of inquiring whether the scriptures really teach that CHRIST was thus punished, he takes this for granted, and seeks to prove the justice of the procedure by proving such a Union between the Messiah and mankind as would equitably bring upon the former the judgments deserved by the latter.

The position which Mr. Relly assumes, namely, that Christ was punished in our behalf, is entirely without foundation in truthas may be shown by a few considerations.

For Christ ALSO hath once suffered for sins," &c. And in this sense, men may suffer for righteousness' sake," and be blessed therein. 1 Peter iii. 14. If vicarious punishment be not implied in the one case, neither is it in the other."

Notwithstanding the error which, in our judgment, is thus confuted, Mr. Relly's treatise is a valuable one. The doctrine of Union is his principal theme: and this he abundantly establishes by "express warrant of holy scripture"-and this, too, without necessarily involving the error referred to. To ADAM, as the image of the earthly constitution, we are all united; and hence, in Adam all die. To CHRIST, as the image of the heavenly constitution, we are all united by the purpose of God; and hence in Christ, shall all be made alive. One of the sublime results of Paul's reasonin 1 Cor. xv. is stated in ver. 49: "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Christ is the head of every man, 1 Cor. xi. 3; and tasted death for every man. Heb. ii. 9. As the head is glorified in the immortal resurrection state, so also shall be the body of universal hu manity, which is marching onward to its union with God.

The

Besides the intrinsic merit of this Treatise, its instrumentality in the conversion of JOHN MURRAY Commends it to the regard of every Universalist. Mr. Murray was deputed by the Whitefield convention, to which he belonged, to visit a young lady who was suspected of a leaning to "Rellyism," with a view to withdraw her from the dangerous snare. conversation, which may be found in Murray's Life, Chap. IV., is one of the most brilliant religious anecdotes on record. It is subjoined. He was staggered and confounded, but not convinced, by the young lady's reasoning; and "from this period," says he, “I carefully avoided every Universalist, and most cordially did I hate them. My ear was open to the public calumniator, to the secret whisperer, and I yielded credence to every scandalous report, however improbable. My informers were good people: I had no doubt of their veracity; and I believed it would be difficult to paint Relly and his connexions in colours too black."

1. There is a marked distinction and difference between suffering and punishment. Both imply pain endured-but the latter also implies guilt and the consciousness of guilt, which the former does not. "Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." 1 Pet. iii. 18. But to say that he was punished for sins, is quite another matter. He was not guilty, and therefore cannot be said with propriety, to have endured punishment. 2. Nor can this conclusion be evaded on the score of imputation-for, to impute guilt or sinfulness to an innocent, yea, righteous person, is a violation of both truth and equity. Besides Holy Writ never treats of imputing the actions of one man to another; but every man's actions are spoken of in relation to himself, individually. "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him, for righteousness." Rom. iv. 22. Not to impute sin, signines not to upbraid or reproach the transgres-all. An intimacy with Mr. Relly, of the most sor for his former iniquities. But it is in every instance a personal matter.

Some time afterwards, a Mr. Mason, who had attempted a reply to Relly's Union, submitted the manuscript to Mr. Murray's inspection. It was not satisfactory-and a copy of the Union falling providentially in his way, Mr. Murray was led, step by step, to unwavering trust in God as the Saviour of

tender and endearing character, ensued. He however resisted all importunity to become 8. The sufferings of the primitive disciples a public advocate of " the faith once delivered were of the same kind as the sufferings of to the saints." But in 1770 he landed in Christ. In the connexion of a passage above America, and became a messenger of good quoted, the apostle says, "For it is better, if tidings to all people. His memory is embalmthe will of God be so, that ye suffer for [or ined in the recollection of all our Churches. the cause of] well-doing than for evil-doing. A. C. THOMAS.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE ANECDOTE REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING PREFACE.