The cavils and cunning devices of men are futile, by which they endeavor to evade the force and power of the doctrine, which holds men accountable under the moral government of God, and probationers for eternal rewards. Just as cer

tain as men form for themselves characters in this life, they must pass the ordeal of the judgment, and meets its decisions and rewards. On the broad field' of this life we scatter the seed of character and future destiny, neither lapse of time, calamity, death, nor the cold damps and darkness of the grave and charnel-house, shall blast the ripening crop. Every seed shall have vegetated and brought to full maturity its quantum of fruit. Every word, deed, magnanimous action, or contemptible conduct, every widespreading influence shall be gathered up, justly measured, and equitably rewarded. No evasion, visor mask, petty excuses and special pleading shall avail to change character, or mitigate the eternal rectitude of the proceedings of the Great Day of Retribution. Who shall adopt the principles of righteousness and sternly adhere to their teaching, if guilty and fallen man should not? Who should be governed by godly fear, truth, and religion, and lay up a treasure in heaven against the day to come, if needy and dependent man should not? O, that men were wise and would consider their latter end! That they would prepare by the efficacious influence of grace, to meet and receive the retributions of the coming world, and join their anthem of exulting praise with the cheering songs of the heavenly hosts, during the annals of eternity!

CHAPTER XI.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

"But some will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?" 1 Cor. xv. 35.

The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is not quite so unreasonable, and in stern conflict with the analogy of nature, as sceptical men have repeatedly asserted. That it is, however, a subject of profound depth and of awful magnitude, every student of theology and nature, must acquiesce in and acknowledge. The difficulties attending the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, in its proofs and objections, the process and the power of effecting it, and the awful consequences resulting from the same, have had conflicting influences upon the minds of men, and have had a tendency to startle the profligate, and drive them to oppose the doctrine with all manner of sceptical prevarications. Willingly would many believe, that no such event will ever occur, and raise the captious inquiry, "how are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?"

In this section of our investigation, it will not constitute our main object, to prove the reality of the resurrection, for a resurrection is allowed and professed by Universalists; but it will be requisite to inquire, whether their views of the resurrection of the dead are Scriptural, and safe to be believed. The doctrine itself is of momentous importance and has a powerful influence upon the formation of the christian's character and his hopes of heaven; and a mistake, gross and perverting, may prove fatal and result in

endless ill-consequences. It constitutes one of the main pillars of christianity; prove this false, and you sweep away with the besom of destruction all the antecedent doctrines of religion, and render void all the means of grace, and ineffectual, the faith and hope of christians. The dark mantle of infidelity will inclose the human family and the dismal apprehensions of annihilation, in defiance of truth, will haunt the souls of men.

The theme of the resurrection of the dead, is not unfrequently announced from the pulpit, and at funerals, in pompous style and verbose language, by the preachers of Universalism. It apparently is considered by them, the alpha and omego, of their hope and assurance of the final holiness and happiness of the human race. When all other things shall fail of reconciling to God the rational world; the death of Christ, the preaching of the gospel, the force of truth, the attractions of virtue, and the dismal influence of vice; then shall the Omnipotent influence of the resurrection quicken, renew, emancipate and adequately adorn the children of men to walk forth in the resplendent morning of endless. day, and roam eternally the plains of Paradise, enjoying its beatific visions. The resurrection possesses the magic power and transforming efficacy, in the opinion of Universalists, to redeem all mankind and constitute them the sons of God and heirs of eternal life. It comprises the all-sufficient energy and efficacy to clothe the rational world in the beauty and holiness of immortality.

However, the uniformity of opinion in the fact, and power, and efficiency of the resurrection, relates more to the reality of the doctrine than to their exegetical views. As soon as they speak of the time when the resurrection shall take place; the bodies which shall be raised, and the change it will effect in the entire man, on soul, or body, or on both, they are either unsettled in opinion, or deem these

points of minor importance, or they conflict with each other. The resurrection as such, Universalists declaim and glorify, and assure the community that all shall equally be partakers of it, and that it will be the ordeal of purification and ceaseless felicity; but upon the elemental principles they wish not to dwell. Indeed, there seems to be a tendency among them to deny the literal resurrection of the dead, and that there will be an identity of the human body; they are rather inclined to affirm that the resurrection will be a spiritual affair, a resuscitation of the souls which were rocked in unconscious sleep during the intermediate state. The body which died and was imprisoned in the grave or charnel-house will not rise again, or any part of it; there will be no personal identity. Indeed, their views would conform better with the theory of a new creation than with the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.

The views of Universalists relative to the resurrection, and the proofs they present, we will now record, so far as we have been able to learn them from different authors. The difficulty to learn their precise opinion on the subject, arises from the fact, that there is much indefiniteness, and an apparent change among them in relation to the resurrection of the dead, as to the body, the manner, the time when, &c., but they unequivocally assert, that the whole human race will be raised, and will be equal in character, in purity, and all without distinction will be the children of God and heirs of unceasing glory.

THE OPINIONS THEY ENTERTAIN AND THEIR PROOFS.

Mr. Cobb, who stands forth as an expositor of the truth and word of God, in speaking of the resurrection and the time when it shall take place, holds the following language and sentiment. As he speaks for the denomination and expresses without hesitation the sentiment as generally

entertained, we presume that his declaration is founded on fact and truth. "Universalism involves the resurrection of the human race from the state of death into a state immor-. tal, where they shall all at length know, and love, and enjoy God. But whether the resurrection instantly succeeds the death of the body, or whether it is a progressive work in the hands of God, performed upon different individuals at different times, as he shall be pleased to raise them, or whether it is to take place with all simultaneously, at some future time, Universalism, as such, does not decide. · Different individuals have their different opinions on this question." If the above writer expresses the opinion of Universalists correctly, then they have not as yet decided from the teaching of the Bible, or their philosophy, in relation to the time of the resurrection, or whether it will be simultaneous, or take place during all time immediately after the death of the body. If the latter be true, then, either there are no dead bodies in the graves and vaults, which contradicts matter of fact, or else many of the denomination deny the literal resurrection of the dead.

Mr. Walter Balfour, who is known and acknowledged as a materialist, speaks on this wise, "We may with equal truth believe in pre-existent spirits, as in disembodied spirits. In short, we may as well assert the pre-existence of bodies and spirits before God created them, as assert the separate existence of either after death. Both return to their original condition." If this writer's opinions prove true, then the future world will be inhabited, if at all, by a race of intelligences distinct from the human family upon the earth. For the notion is too crude, to admit a doubt in its favor, that the rational world may be reduced to its original nonentity, both body and soul, and then eventually brought into existence again, the same conscious and