Here is the force of truth! and the glory of truth. Who could think that such an exposition of this Scripture, and such an exclamation, would proceed from a Partialist believer in the endless perpetuity of sin and misery! Yet so it is, that truth, which is powerful, will sometimes apparently make men forget their creeds, and exult in the salvation of the world. Verily, the good Doctor, when he penned this language, must have felt, not merely that he was bound for the kingdom of love himself, and would ask all others, "Will you go to glory with me?" but by the eye of faith he was enjoying a rich foretaste of that blissful period, when not only he, but all the sons and daughters of humanity, should have arrived at the kingdom of glory.

3d. We pass to the Epistle to the Corinthians. We have already noticed part of this testimony; but there is still another passage which, with its connection asserts the universality of final blessedness: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1. Cor. xv. 22.) If the word in the first instance conveys the idea of universality, so also must it in the second. To be made alive in Christ is to be raised to a state of immortality, in opposition to the mortality of those who die iu Adam. But is this all? Is it only to be raised to immortality? We say, that it is to be raised to immortality and glory. For the apostle goes on to state the order of the resurrection, (order of time,) and in the three orders which he mentionsChrist the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ's at his coming, then the end, when all enemies shall be subdued unto him, that God may be all in all - in these three orders or successions, all mankind are not only included in the resurrection of immortality, but in the resurrection of glory; for as before shown, they are to be subjected unto Christ as he is to the Father! And, further, no man has ever yet shown, or ever can show, that in this account of the resurrection to immortality, there is any limitation in number, even to the 42d verse, where we are instructed that "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory." And, further yet, (to the 49th verse,) "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." And so on till

verse 51: "We shall all be changed," and " Death," (verse 54,) to every son and daughter of Adam, "is swallowed up in victory," and the apostle renders thanks for all, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We say no man has ever yet shown, or can show, that there is any limitation in numbers, from the all that die in Adam, to the number who shall be raised in glory and bear the image of the heavenly. No, the chapter is a glorious one-yea, we may say the best one in the Bible and which alone would render the Bible a Universalist Book. The ultimate and universal prevalence of immortality, virtue, and happiness is thus plainly disclosed, and asserted with all the energy and dignity worthy of the exalted theme. Let any person look it over and see if we are not correct. It avails nothing to say that this Epistle was addressed to "the church of God." We know this: still, in that Epistle, the apostle speaks of mankind at large, and asserts, most plainly, their resurrection to immortality and glory.

We forbear introducing more passages of direct scripture testimony; not to be sure, because there are none others, for there are those we would be glad to present, particularly from the Epistles to the Phillipians, Colossians and Timothy; - but because we should go beyond the limits allotted us this evening. We have given a part only of what might be given; but we have aimed to present a few undoubted passages; not parables, but plain testimony, and trust the argument to them. We have given under our second division what to our minds would be sufficient, without any further scriptural array. "That is a pillar of everlasting truth. For ourself we could do with the very PURPOSE of the Almighty; but when we see that purpose put in execution when we see Jesus sent by the Father, and coming to accomplish his unalterable will- and when we see the END described, the grand consummation of the divine government emphatically declared to embrace the whole in a resurrection of immortality and glory, we are more than doubly assured that this is Christianity- this is truth.

Brethren and friends, permit me to exhort you to give heed to the inquiry of our text; "What saith the scripture?" search

the scriptures" to see whether these things are so;” “ prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." Having found the truth, openly profess it and faithfully practice it, and you will receive the end of your faith, the salvation of your soul."

AMEN.

DISCUSSION,

PART II. No. II.

IN THE METHODIST CHURCH, APRIL 11, 1843.

BY F. YATES.

"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him."

PROV. XVIII. 17.

I HAVE chosen this text as a suitable motto for my reply to the discourse to which you have just listened. My opponent speaks of his situation as being an unpleasant one to his feelings on the previous evenings of the discussion. He may be assured that it was no pleasing task to his opponent to be under the necessity of presenting arguments a second time, which were deemed as conclusive proof of the question at issue, and have them passed by, with complaints about language used and the spirit manifested, — unnoticed.

I hope to be able to pursue a more honorable course in my attempts to reply to his arguments. They shall stand before the audience as he presents them, and when I am unable to meet them by fair reasoning, I will yield the point. I contend not for victory over an opponent, but for the defence of truth. I am happy to confess that on this occasion my opponent has taken a manly course, and his sentiments are plainly and distinctly set forth. And I respectfully solicit the candid attention

of every individual, while I undertake to show you that his proof texts do not sustain his position.

He remarks that as he is "wholly confined to the scriptures," he is "obliged to omit the thousand arguments" he "might derive from reason, from the workings of God's spirit on the renewed heart, and from God's teachings in nature." If the scriptures teach this doctrine, and if he can make this appear, this will be enough. All we ask is, "What saith the scripture?" Let him produce one declaration from the word of God that "all mankind will be finally holy and happy," and we will close the controversy, and strike hands as brethren of the same faith. We believe God's word, and what that declares we will rejoice to acknowledge. "To the law, and to the testimony."

I. He first introduces testimony from the Old Testament, as he says, to prove the "doctrine of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began;" Acts iii. 21. My opponent regards this text as amounting to the same as the expression that "all mankind will be finally holy and happy," and therefore has introduced it here instead of the question under discussion. But is it so? Let us read commencing with the 18th v. "But those things which God before had showed, by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath fulfilled. Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Now, if the "restitution of all things" in this text refers to "the final holiness and happiness of all mankind," the text, of course, must relate to the future state. It cannot serve his purpose unless it is applied there. But the very moment this is