1 10 He fhall not return again to his houfe ; In the anguifh of my spirit I will speak; 10 Ne'er to return: his houfe no more will own 11 O tort'ring thought! I will not now controul Give, give, my tongue, th'unruly paffion vent, 12 Am 12 Am Chap. vii. 9. As the cloud is confumed and vanifheth away, fo he that goeth down to the grave (Sheol) fhall come up no more, Job defired earnestly to be there Chap. xiv. 13. O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, (Sheol) &c. The wicked alfo go down thither Chap. xxi. 13. In a moment they go down to the grave (Sheol). xxiv. 19. Drought and heat confume the fnow waters, fo fhould the grave (Sheol) thofe which have finned., III. This region of difembodied fouls feems to be placed in the bowels of the earth, under the great abyss. Chap. xxvi. 5, 6. The rephaim are in anguish under the waters, together with their families. Hell (Sheol) is naked before him, &c. I apprehend that this paffage not only determines the fituation of Sheol, but alfo implies, that wicked fouls are in a ftate of fuffering there, and con fequently are separated from the good, whose residence, therefore, is fuppofed to be in a different part of this fubterraneous region. Thus Virgil, in the fixth book of the Æneid, placeth the Elyfian fields and Tartarus in the bowels of the earth, but allotteth to each a separate fituation. Thus likewife the Chaldee Paraphrase (Job, xxviii. 6.) divides Sheol into Gehenna and Paradife, and reprefenteth both to be under ground. It feems to have been a very ancient opinion among the Hebrews, that the dwelling of unbodied fouls is within the earth; for in Sam. xxviii. 13. the witch of Endor fays to Saul, I faw the judge (Samuel, ver. 14.) afcending out of the earth. IV. It appears to me doubtful whether Job and his friends believed good fouls in Sheol to be in a state of consciousness and enjoyment. The contrary feems implied in chap. xiv. 13. O that thou wouldst hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldst keep me fecret, until thy wrath be paft, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me! The famous paffage, however, chap. xix. 25, 26. leads one to imagine that they expected fome future period when the fouls of good men will be removed out of Sheol into a more happy fituation. It is not my bufinefs to impugn or defend thefe notions, but only to trace out the ideas affixed to the word Sheol in my author. If the reader delires a more enlarged view of the Hebrew notions of the state of the dead, he will meet 12 Am I waters? verily am I a ferpent 13 That thou fhouldeft appoint a guard over me? If I fay to my mat "Me thou shalt comfort," In my laying down he will trouble my couch, 14 For thou diímayeft me with dreams, 12 And with vifions thou terrifieft me. Am I a flood, or furious beaft, whofe rage Thy mounds muft humble, and thy terrors cage? 13 Ah! whenfoe'er my aching eyes I clofe, And hope the anodyne of fweet repofe; 14 Dream, on thy errand fent, dire forms uprears, And shakes my foul with vifionary fears: 15 Then 15 Death, meet with full fatisfaction in the ingenious Mr. Peters's Critical Differtation on the Book of Job. And if he would be entertained with an account of the conformity between the Sheol of the Hebrews and the Hades of the Greeks, let him perufe Windet's learned treatise De Vita Functorum Staru. V. The fepulchral grot, being a part of the world of death, is fometimes called Sheol. I think Sheol is rightly rendered the grave in chap. xvi. 13— 16. and that this is the land of darkness described with fuch folemn horror, chap. x. 21, 22. 21. The foregoing account of the fituation of the manfion of departed fouls, may perhaps be thought inconfiftent with what Solomon fays in Ecclefiaft, iii. "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" But thefe words, 1 apprehend, relate not at all to the habitation of departed fouls; but either (1) to their existence after death---Who confiders the great difference between a human fpirit, and that of a beast? the former is immortal, the latter perifheth with the body.--Or (2) the expreffions relate to the accou tableness of human fouls to God--Who confiders that the fpirit of man returneth to God who gave it, to render account of the deeds done in the body? whereas beafts are not free agents, not therefore under moral government, nor fubjects either of reward or punishment, Job's poignant reflections upon his fituation begin to work his mind to a state of diftraction-his argument feems to have in it a boldness bordering upon phrenzy-In the bitterness of my life I will complain. Am I waters, &c.-Do I rage like a tempeft? or am I as unruly as the crocodile? Mult the fevereft afflictions reftrain me within the bounds of justice, and keep me from spreading deftruction amidst mankind? referring, probably, to the overflowing of the Nile, which, if it rifes beyond a certain height, becomes an inundation, fweeps away its banks, pours deftruction upon the towns and villages, and, not retiring in time to fow the corn, leaves behind it famine and defolation. 14 Thou difmayeft. me with dreams-These were a natural confequence of his inflainmatory diftemper. 15 Then would my body chufe ftrangling, Death rather than life. 16 I abhor it---I would not live to the concealed period. Forbear from me, for my days are a vapour. 17 What is wretched man, that thou wouldst make him illuftrious? And that thou wouldft place thine heart upon him? 18 And 15 Death, even by the ftrangling cord, were bliss, To breathing in a skeleton like this. 16 Behold my putrid frame; it was not cast A fubftance through whole centuries to laft: 18 As 16 Unknown time.) by an hidden or concealed, but certain period, though bid. I think our Lord's comment upon this word the belt imaginable, Matt. xxiv. 36. "Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only." The day of the coming of the fon of God, when he fhall come to reward his fervants according to their works. As much ftreis has been laid upon this word, it may be profitable to examine it, particularly as the friendly advocates for xternal damnation object to the word aion as a fubftitute. I. The word fignifies fomething hidden or concealed. 1. As a verb, Lament. iii. 56. byn "hide not thine ear at my breathing." Again, 2 Sam. xii. 3. Of whofe hand have I received a bribe, that I should make blind mine eyes therewith?" Lev. xx. 4. "And if the people of the land do any ways by hide their eyes." 2. As a noun adjective, Pf. xc. 8. "Thou halt fet our iniquities before thee, by our fecret iniquities in the light of thy countenance." II. The application of this word in Scripture is determinate with regard to the thing--indeterminate with regard to the time; but is peculiarly applicable to the fecond coming of Chrift, and is used in the fame fenfe as the Greek alovicy, in the New Teftament. Dan. xii. 2. "And many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, these, " to the lives phy of the concealed period; bæ and thefe on to the reproach, and 1775 to the abhorrence of the concealed period" Taking the whole of both chapters in connection, compare this with Matt. xxv. 46. " And thefe fhall go away into w αIWVICY, concealed period of correction; but the righteous into way ay, the concealed period of life. the From this view of the word, two things are evident. 1. That Job had no idea of the poffibility of an eternal exiftence of this world and its inhabitants. 2. That he had an idea of very great changes taking place at fome pe riod, which to him was unknown; changes which, if we compare his prefent fituation with his celebrated faying of, I know that my redeemer liveth, &c. fully justify the idea that he expected at this concealed period to stand at the bar of the promifed feed, and to receive a reward according to his works. 18 And that thou wouldst vifit him every morning? Wilt thou not relax until I swallow my fpittle? 20 I have finned! What fhall I perform for thee, O thou ob ferver of men? Wherefore placeft thou me before thee for a mark? 21 And why wilt thou not take away my tranfgreffion, For now in the duft I fhall lay down, 18 As to pursue him with a jealous eye, Vifit each morning, and each moment try? 19 How long ere thou refrain? Awhile refrain, And yield me a fhort breathing paufe from pain. 20 That I have finn'd, all-watching Pow'r, I own; But can my fins alarm th'eternal throne? Why am I made the object to employ Thy fhafts? the nuifance which thou must deftroy? 20 I am made to be a burden upon myself.It appears to have been in the ori ginal from which the Septuagint was taken by a burden upon thee, and this agrees better with the foregoing line, and the fentiment feems to be, I am indeed guilty of failures inseparable from imperfection; but what crime havé I committed that I am become fo offensive to thee, as to be fingled out for a peculiar object of thy displeasure. 21 And why wilt thou not, &c.---This concluding plea is a very pathetic addrefs to the Divine mercy. I LETTERS TO MR. ANDREW FULLER, DEAR SIR, LETTER I. AM glad to fee you come forward to an open difcuffion of this very interefting fubject; but I am forry that you have the appearance of difappointment and anger with you. You fay I have done yeu justice in inferting your letter of June 5, VOL. III. $799, 1799, and yet you are not fatisfied. This feems a little unrea fonable, and implies that you wifh for fomething beyond juftice. As this is the fecond time of your addreffing the public upon this matter, I will just ftate what our Birmingham correspondent faid, and what you have faid, and leave the reader to fee whether there be fuch a vaft difference as to make it worth while to give the Editor fo serious a rebuke. CORRESPONDENT. "The most pungent reflections of the damned in hell were and would be to remember that Chrift died for them.' MR. FULLER. "I might very poffibly affert that the moft pungent reflections of the damned were and would be that they had rejected the gofpel way of falvation." Perhaps your readers will wonder how the damned in hell will feel the most pungent reflections from the confideration that they had rejected the gofpel way of falvation, unless it be included that Chrift died for THEM in particular. I should be very glad for you to handle this curious fubject more at large, if you keep it diftinct from the univerfal doctrine. The Uni verfalift's Mifcellany is open to you, and you, will have it in your power to fhew to the public how juft it is for God to condemn finners to endure the most pungent reflections end.. lefsly in hell for rejecting a falvation which was never provided for them. Your statement of the publication of your letter and mire, &c. is juft; but it was no fecret by your own confeffion. I did not mention this to criminate, but to fhew my reasons for addreffing you by name, as it was understood pretty generally that Gaius was Mr. F., and the minister who had not anfwered his letter was myself. By your mentioning the Birmingham correfpondent a third. time, it feems you are very fore upon that bufinefs, yet I cannot fee why. I think I have equal reason of complaint of you in making a private letter public, having first of all inftructed several perfons in the hiftory of it: yet I complain not, nor fhould now notice it, but juft to fhew that you do not begin the prefent controverfy in fo friendly a temper as might be wished, or as the cause of truth demands. As for my hopes that my letters had made fome impreffion on your mind, though I never expreffed fuch a fentiment as this, yet I am ready to confefs that I both had and ftill have fuch a hope: nor do I think that I hereby either difhonour you or compliment myself. It seems to me that an honeft man can' but |