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that condemnation mentioned by Paul..." He that doubteth is condemned." If what I have written is the truth, and calculated to do good, I fhall rejoice; but if I should be mistaken, I I fhall efteem that man my friend that will endeavour to convince me of my error.

December 17, 1798.

S. THOMPSON.

SIR,

TH

LETTER

To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY.

HERE is nothing gives me more real fatisfaction than to hear of eminent men having noble and exalted views of their great Creator; and I think nobler views of him none have than those who profefs the doctrine of the Univerfal Reftoration. But I cannot fay that I was not fomewhat surprised that your correfpondent J. H. Prince (fee vol. ii. p. 370.) fhould fo readily acquiefce with Dr. Edwards in placing the Author of the Whole Duty of Man in the number of its votaries, merely on account of an expreffion in a prayer contained in that work. The words of the prayer are--" Vouchsafe to caft thy countenance on thy well-beloved spouse the church; but let it be that amiable and merciful countenance whereby thou pacifieft all things in heaven and in earth, and whatsoever is above heaven and under the earth." I am apt to think, if the words are attended to, they will be found to contain an idea which Univerfalifts are ftrangers to: they can go with the author as far as he prays that the countenance of Christ may be to the church that whereby he pacifieth all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, for fo far the Scriptures go; but the Scriptures fay nothing of his pacifying "whatsoever is ABOVE HEAVEN," and therefore Univerfalifts have no idea of fuch things.

Now, if we conclude, from the feeming universal benevolence contained in this fentence of the prayer, that its author was therefore an Univerfalift, we must conclude likewise, that moft, if not all, the preachers in London are of this sentiment; for it is very feldom, that the moft rigid Calvinift talks of the love of God, but he speaks of it as free, unbounded, and held out for the acceptance of all; the reafon of which is, in my opinion, because it is a truth contained in the Scriptures, and whoever preaches from the Scriptures, muft, in fome degree, preach the

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doctrine of Univerfal Love. Again, if it be inferred from the before cited expreffion that its author was an Universalist, the followers of Swedenbourg may as reasonable imagine him to be of their fentiment, for the whole of his prayer is addreffed to Chrift, as are all the prayers of that sectary.

But that the Author of the Whole Duty of Man did not believe the doctrine of the Univerfal Reftoration, we have his own words in the very book alluded to, as well as in other of his writings. In the Preface to the above mentioned work, concerning the Neceffity of caring for the Soul, § 7. fpeaking of lofing the foul, he fay s---" In a word, we may lofe them in hell, whence there is NO FETCHING THEM BACK, and fo they are loft for ever."----" Think with yourselves, how will you be able to endure everlasting burnings. If a small spark of fire, lighting on the leaft part of your body, be fo intolerable, what will it be to have the whole caft into the hottest flames? So that when you have spent MANY THOUSANDS of years in that unspeakable torment, you fhall be NO NEARER coming out of it, than you were the first day you went in.'

Again, the fame author, in his treatise on the Caufes of the Decay of Chriftian Piety, confidering that one caufe is having wrong notions of the justice of the Deity, fays---" It would be more long than useful to recite the feveral errors that have fprung from this one. That of Origen, that the devil fhould finally be faved, is a noted and pregnant inftance; which could be derived from nothing but the unequal apprehenfion of God's juftice and mercy; and befides alb, other ancient, we have many branches of a later growth, that spring from the fame root---a fet of plaufible falfities, which would quench the unquenchable fire, and kill the never-dying worm; I mean thofe allaying foftening descriptions fome of this age have made of hell, fome changing the kind, others abating the intenseness, or at least the duration of thefe torments; each fubftracting fo much from this Tophet, that they have left atheism an easy task to take away the reft; and may give fufpicion they mean to vifit that place, which they are fo induftrious to make eafy. But whatever they do themselves, it is fure this is the way to fend others thither."

After thefe quotations there remains very little to fay to prove that Dr. Edwards and J. H. Prince are in an error in their judgment concerning the Author of the Whole Duty of Man; and I think, had they read the work they quote from, they would have different ideas of the fentiments of its author. As to the expreffion in the prayer, it feems one of thofe incoherent

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and inconfiftent phrases which the authors of them do not un derftand; and may be parallelled by one ufed by a Calvinist who wrote about the fame time, viz. "If there were any of the Lora's people in hell, the blood of Chrift would bring them out.'

I should not have taken up this fubject were it not that I know your love of truth and fair representation; and that I feared fome of your readers might be led into an error, and that others, who believe not the glorious doctrine your Mifcellany diffeminates, might be led to think it wanted the tef.. timony of eminent men, and therefore preffed them to that fervice. But, I think, that doctrine, like the great luminary of heaven, wants not a taper to augment its glory.

-W. BURTON.

WE

SELECT SENTENCES.

E fhould take a prudent care for the future, but fo as to enjoy the prefent. It is no part of wisdom to be miferable to-day because we may poffibly be fo to-morrow.

Fine fenfe and exalted fenfe are not half fo valuable as common fense. There are forty men of wit for one of sense: and he that carries nothing about him but gold, will be every day at a loss for ready change.

It has been obferved by many, that the hours we pass with happy profpects in view are more pleafing than thofe crowned with fruition in the firft cafe we cook the difh to our own appetites, in the latter nature cooks it for us.

He that is in bed all a fummer's morning, lofes the chief pleasure of the day; he that gives up his youth to indolence undergoes a lofs of the fame kind.

Economy is no difgrace; 'tis better living on a little, than out-living a great deal.

Let reafon go before every enterprize, and counsel before every action.

ANSWER TO QUESTION ON PSALM XLIX. `9.

SIR,

ON

(See vol. ii. p. 369.)

C.

N reading the paffage referred to by T. K. in the laft Mifcellany, that perfon's alarm became my own. I examined feveral verfions without any fatisfaction; I referred

then

then to the Hebrew and Latin Pfalter of Pagninus---his Latin verfion afforded a glimmering ray, but it was like the will-o'whisp, only to deceive; the latter part of it runs thus--

"Qui ufque in feculum non videbunt lumen."

"Who until the age fhall not fee light."

The word feculum, age, gave me fome idea that the Hebrew of which that is a tranflation was by gnolam; but on referring to it, I found it to be my T gnad netzech. Now, had the Pfalmift's idea been the fame as his tranflator's, as above, it is more than likely that he would have used the former of thofe words to exprefs himself by. As for the latter expreffion, (that which is used in the paffage under notice) it does not neceffarily convey the idea of eternity or eternal, in any place in which it occurs, that I can recollect. The word gnad, is not always to be understood as conveying that idea, when used as an adjective; for in Hab. iii. 6. where we read of "the everlafting mountains," it is plain it cannot mean that they wereeternal, for those very mountains are faid to be feattered, which ill agrees with the idea of eternity; for when a mountain is fcattered, it ceafes to be a mountain: but when this word occurs as a prepofition, it fignifies until, as in Gen. xxxii. 4. The word n netzech, conveys the idea of fubduction, or being over-ruled, fee 2 Chron. ii. 2. From thefe obfervations we conclude, then, that the words пgnad netzech, may, with greater propriety than otherwife, be rendered until fubdued.--The verfe, which will then be found to contain nothing against the doctrine of the Reftoration, but much for it, will read thus--

"He fhall go to the generation of his fathers;
Until fubdued they fhall not fee light;"

And contains the following important truths, which are corroborated by the Scriptures here referred to, viz.--

1. That the spirits of wicked men are confined in darkness. See Jude, ver. 6.

2. That it is for the fubduction of them who are confined in it. Pfalm lxxxiii. 17, 18.

3. That when they are fubdued they fhall be emancipated. Pfalm cvii. 10---15.

There is a paffage in the book of Job (chap. xxxiv. 36.) where this phrase п gnad netzech, alfo occurs; and which, were it rendered otherwife than by the propofed tranflation,

VOL. III.

D.

would

Elihu fays, (ver. 35.) " Job and his words were without

would convey no idea at all. hath spoken without knowledge, wisdom. My defire is, that Job may be tried unto the end, because of his anfwers for wicked men. For he addeth rebellion unto his fin; he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God." What END is here meant is a hard matter to determine: but if we tranflate the expreffion as above proposed we fhall find the whole paffage intelligible, and the good ufe of trials and afflictions plainly pointed out--"My defire is, that Job may be tried until fubdued;" Elihu then gives his reasons for his wifh---" because of his answers for wicked men ;" and again, "For he addeth rebellion unto his fin; he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God;" which he certainly would not do (and which was actually the cafe) when fubdued by the hand of his Maker.

Let it not be imagined that this is a new idea attached to the foregoing Hebrew phrafe; for the paffage quoted from Job is tranflated, in the French Bible, juft as it is here propofed. And the Jefuit Senault evidently understands it fo in his Paraphrafe fur Job. See alfo Bythner, Parkhurst, &c.

Let us apply the obfervations on the word gnad, to the 16th verfe of Pfalm x. which runs thus in the Hebrew:

יהוה מלך עולם

וער אבוד גוים מארצו:

"Jehovah reigneth to a hidden period,

Even till the heathen are perished from his land."

On the word П netzech, I have one more remark-The lexicographers Buxtorf, Bythner, &c. on this word, fay, it means "eternity, becaufe by eternity all things are SUBDUED;"now if all things will be fubdued by it, then, confequently, SIN. That there is a period in eternity in which all things will be fubdued, I readily grant; but the time or eternity beyond that period cannot be called ny netzech, or the fubduer, because there will not remain any thing to fubdue.

Thus, we fee that this glorious doctrine of the Univerfal and finally efficacious Love of the Deity is contained in more paffages of fcripture than is commonly imagined, and, generally, moft in those which are thought to be against it. Leaving those things for yours and your correfpondent's confideration, I remain, Your's in the bond of Chrift,

W. BURTON.

QUERIES.

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