tudes the many that were made sinners by the offence of one; i. e., THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE: for all have fallen; and for all that have sinned, and for all that have fallen, Jesus Christ died. The rabbim of the prophet answers to the hoi polloi of the apostle, Rom. v. 15, 19. As the polloi of the apostle means all that have sinned, so the rabbim of the Prophet means all those for whom Christ died; i. c., all that have sinned."

Very conclusive testimony most certainly; and we see not how the honest inquirer can evade its force or feel dissatisfied with the general result of the argument. It is presumable, however, that Mr. Hall has said the best things which others have said in opposition thereto, and by replying to what he has advanced, perchance we shall sweep away the last vestige of doubt from the minds of doubters. He objects:

1. "It is assumed that all Christ desired he should see accomplished, and thus be satisfied."

ANS: Not so. We assume no such thing. Our position is, He shall see the design of his labors accomplished; for God's good will and peasure shall prosper in his hand, and with the result he shall be satisfied.

2. "He desired the salvation of Jerusalem as a city, when he said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem; how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Christ was not satisfied in this case."

ANS: He may have desired the salvation of Jerusalem from the calamity which was impending over it, and he may have not. The Record does not inform us. From what follows, the text evidently refers not to physical, but to moral deliverance. The desire of the

Saviour in this, is certain to be accomplished; for he immediately adds: "Behold your house is left unto you desolate; For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that

cometh in the name of the Lord! Matt. xxiii. 39.

3. "Christ desires the salvation of all men in this life as much as he does in the next; but is he satisfied?"

ANS: Not so, in the highest sense of the term salvation: Otherwise he never has been, nor never can be satisfied in the remotest degree.-It was not the design of God to save all men from sin, mortality, and death, in the present life, nor is the work of the Saviour, nor the scheme of the Gospel directed to that end. Moreover, were the statement true to the letter, as before stated, we do not assume that all the desires of Jesus are certain to be accomplished, merely because they were or are his desires!-the thing is an absurdity. It is with

the travail of his soul, the result of his labors, that Christ shall be satisfied. Further than this we do not affirm!

4. "Christ however, is satisfied with what he has done in bringing about, and completing a plan of salvation; and in the out come, if but few are saved, the Saviour will be satisfied: because no blame can be reflected on him, and because those who are not saved, might have been, had they been disposed; and therefore their damnation is just."

ANS: What a tissue of ineffably shallow nonsense! Is that really the best Mr. Hall could say on the subject? If so, his case is certainly a desperate one !-Reader we will suppose a case:

From my window I behold my only son about precip

itating himself from a lofty precipice, and I know if the act be consummated his destruction is certain. In terror I rush out and implore him to desist. But regardless of my intreaties, he commits the act, and his life pays the forfeit. Instead of lamenting my loss, I am perfectly satisfied, because no blame can be attached to me; as my son might have saved his life had he been disposed, and therefore, his destruction is just !!!-"O shame where is thy blush !"-The intelligent reader will make his own application of this simile, and further comment is unnecessary.

SECTION X.

Isa. lv. 10, 11, For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it.

This is a most forcible and beautiful comparison, illustrative of the certainty of the accomplishment of the Divine pleasure and purpose. The imagery employed by the Prophet is very expressive, and most admirably calculated to render emphatic the idea which he wished to convey. The certain and independent agency of the word is the point of illustration, and tho' the thought is embodied in the poetic harmony of numbers, the language is not in the slightest degree metaphorical.

It was a popular method of instruction in the earliest times, to teach truth by the comparison and the parable.

David taught that God is good unto all by an appeal to his dealings with the children of men; and Christ instructed his hearers of the divine Paternity, by an illustration drawn from the love and care of an earthly Father for his children. So also in the text: God illustrates the certainty of his word accomplishing his purpose by the unvarying certainty of nature's opperations. The rain and the snow are certain to come down from heaven; and it is equally certain they will accomplish their mission in causing the earth to bring forth and bud. It is also certain the earth will give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: Just so certain as are these agencies in the natural world to accomplish their purpose, just as certain is God's word to accomplish its purpose, and prosper in the thing wherento it is sent. God has sworn by himself, the wORD is gone out of his mouth in righteousness and shall not return unto him void: That unto him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear, that in the Lord they have righteousness and strength! This is the WORD which shall PROSPER (see preceding section) this the divine pleasure which shall be accomplished. Even so, let it be !

Mr. Hall's view of the text is the usual one with writers of his caste, and hence presents nothing new or unusual. Divested slightly of its verbiage, it is as follows:

"This argument, like most others, has its foundation laid deep in sophistry. Look at the first word in the text: "So shall my word be." How? Read the preceding verse and it will tell: "For as the rain cometh down etc., (Then comes the text.) "So shall my word be." This solves the whole difficulty. The rain comes down and prepares the soil, that man may have seed to sow

and bread to eat; providing he attend to the ordinances of nature-the ordinances of plowing, sowing etc. But the rain brings bread to no man independent of his own exertions and co-operation. "So shall my word

be" says God; it shall bring the blessings of the gospel within the reach of man, and if, by attending to the means of grace, lay hold of the rich boon of eternal life, he will be blessed."

All this sort of thing is very easily answered. It will be seen at a glance, that the force of the objection depends on a supposed condition or contingency in the illustration. If it can be shown that no contingency or condition is possible, the objection, of course, fails entirely, and the Universalist view of the text must stand. Let us examine: 1. Is there any contingency in the falling of the rain and the snow ?-are they not certain to fall as originally designed, so long as the seasons continue or the word of God is true? Yes. 2. Are not the rain and snow certain to cause the earth to bring forth and bud? Yes. 3. Is it not certain to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater? Yes. Very well: Just as certain is God's word to accomplish his pleasure and purpose in the thin whereunto he sent it!

If it be replied, that in the latter particular man's agency is necessary in causing the earth to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: We answer, God's agency is also necessary in accomplishing his pleasure, and in causing the word to prosper in the thing whereunto he has sent it. Deny this and you deny the other: admit this and you admit the other also! for the contrast must be complete throughout, otherwise the consistency of the simile is destroyed!-Thus the Partialist view of the text is