For the purpose of maintaining the opinion that vice will continue after natural death, the Dr. queries as follows, on page 223.

'Lop off the criminal's hands; does the disposition to do mischief vanish with them? When the feet mortify, do we see a corresponding mortification of the will to go astray? The loss of sight or hearing is a partial death; but is a single vice plucked from the mind, or one of its strong passions palsied, by the destruction of its chief corporeal instruments?'

If we allow these queries the force which the Dr. gives them, we must believe that all the strong passions which here evidently arise from our fleshly constitutions, will continue when flesh and blood are no more. But will he abide this conclusion? will he contend that all the most faithful, the most exemplary christians, who have, with much good success, conflicted with those lusts, which have too often triumphed over others of our frail race, will be obliged to meet and contend with the same lusts, and strong passions, in the future world? Then what assurance have we that those who have here maintained a good conflict, may not hereafter yield to foes which will triumph over the dissolution of flesh and blood, and attack them hereafter, with all the vigor they ever have possessed. It is not so rare an instance of human weakness as we could wish it was, that those, who for many years have been esteemed for sobriety and their many virtues, have fallen unhappy victims to some lust or passion which triumphed over their fortitude; and served as an admonition to those who think they stand, to take heed lest they fall. If such instances are lamented in this world, have we not reason to fear they will be deplored in the next, if the Dr's. argument be

allowed?

And how do we know that St. Paul has not

been for ages a miserable slave to that law in his members, which he said, warred against the law of his mind? Rom. 7: 23.

Part of what has been quoted from page 222, in which the Dr. disallows so great a change at death as he ascribes to the doctrine he opposes, may be examined in connection with the change of character which was effected in Paul at his conversion to christianity. Surely it does not become the moral philosopher, who is a minister of the divine word of reconciliation, to contend that at death, or at any other time, it is not consistent with the wisdom of God and the laws of the human mind, to effect as great a change as we are informed in scripture, has been effected for the holy purposes for which St. Paul was converted. When Paul was on his way to Damascus, exceedingly mad, and breathing out threatenings against the defenceless disciples of Jesus, he was, that moment, just what the past had made him. But how suddenly were his views, his feelings, and his desires as totally changed as it would be necessary to change any sinner to a saint! Will the Dr. allow that any violence was done to St. Paul's free agency? If not, then so great a change may be effected as suddenly in any other man, without destroying his free agency.

If he takes the other ground, and says that this was a miracle, in which the laws of the human mind were suspended, then he furnishes data to allow that such a miracle may be performed at death or at any other time. Suppose, reader, that it had so happened that some one poor miserable degraded sinner had, as it were by mere

accident, dropped into the Dr's. meeting, and heard the sermon now under examination; and suppose it had the very effect on his mind, which the preacher would most heartily desire, would this man not have gone away with views, desires, and feelings as different from those which his mind possessed when he entered the house, as we can easily imagine? Why then is there such an alarm taken at the suggestion that possibly no sin will exist in the future state? Those who seem distressed with apprehensions at this suggestion, would put a stop to all sin this very day, if it were in their power. Let us inquire how our good, pious christians would conduct themselves, if they were persuaded to believe, that after the expiration of twelve months, there would not be, in this world, nor in the universe a single soul who should possess one sinful thought or desire, and that all moral beings would be as holy as the angels of God? Would they lament that all restraint was removed and nothing remained to prevent indulgence in sin? Would they say, we must now improve our time in the pleasures of hating God and one another; for we must soon be deprived of this privilege, and be obliged to love our Father in heaven and each other forever?

As it respects the subject of a religious, or moral change, and the necessary time which is required in which to effect it, it seems reasonable that we should not limit the power of the divine spirit. There are, in scripture two extreme characters set forth. The self righteous pharisee, who has undoubting confidence in his high moral attainments, and looks down on others with what he thinks is a holy scorn, and thanks God

that he is not as other men; and the irreligious, impious and profane, who heeds not the commandments of either God or man, and indulges his fleshly appetites without restraint. Now, as it respects the time necessary to be occupied, by the power of that spirit, by which the change must be made, in order to complete the work, it certainly does not become us to set any limits. With God all things are possible. Jesus could, in the same given time, cast seven devils out of Mary, and bring Saul, the pharisee, to say, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?' When we hear the professed disciples of him who was meek and lowly in spirit, dwell with much complacency, on the vast advantages, which such as have here acquired, what they call, high moral attainments, will enjoy hereafter over their fellow creatures, who fall short of those immense heights, it calls to our recollection the estimation, in which the pharisees of our Saviour's time held themselves, and the habitual scorn and contempt which they manifested towards. others, whom they called sinners. They certainly manifest the same spirit, and as great darkness of understanding as did those of old, who said; Have any of the rulers, or of the pharisees believed on him? But this people, who knoweth not the law are cursed.' To such Jesus said; The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.' Nothing can be more inconsistent with the sentiments and feelings of that grateful heart, which enjoys the forgiveness of sin, than this breathing out of divine retributions, of unmerciful punishments on sinners.

The Dr. thinks it irrational to suppose that death can

effect so great a change in man, as to discontinue sin or wrong-doing. But does he not rely on death to effect as great a change in those whom he would call religious people? Why does he labor to dissuade people from the commission of sin? Is it not for the love he feels for them? Is it not, that he may if possible be the means of preventing their suffering such severe and rigorous retributions, in the world to come, as he has so eloquently described? And in all this is he not a true and fair representative of all those divines who are engaged in the same holy work? And to this company of lovers of sinners may we not add the whole vast community of the faithful on earth? Are they not, all their life long in possession of the spirit of our high priest, who has compassion on the ignorant, and on such as are out of the way? And as these disciples of him, who gave himself a ransom for all men, who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, draw near the close of their earthly pilgrimage, does not their ardor increase, their pity for sinners deepen, and their love of souls grow stronger? Now as all these questions must be answered in the affirmative, I ask the Dr. if death must not so change this innumerable company of saints, as to deliver them forever from this spirit of Jesus, and from its holy desires? If they, after death, retain this spirit, if in the future world they are exercised with this love and pity, what must be their condition? Happy? No: for what they here fear and dread with horror, will then be realized. Parents will see their children separated from God and themselves, enduring the dire retributions, from which they so anx