has an actual accomplishment, in our Lord's fenfe of falvation being come to his house. compare, Luke ii. 30. where Simeon fais, mine eyes have feen thy falvation. chap. i. 69. Act. xxviii. 28. The falvation of God is fent to the Gentiles. compare chap. xi. 11. 2 Cor. vi. 2. Behold now is the day of falvation. It is therefore no other than a nugatory, trifling attempt to ferve an hypothefis, to fay, but the actual accomplishment of falvation, is nothing less than the actual possession and prefent enjoyment of eternal life.

This laft mentioned defender of Soulfleeping, will lend us yet more affiftance against his own interpretation. For he adds, whereas the propriety of this conftruction arifeth from hence; that the penitent thief having defired to be remembered when our Saviour fhould come into his kingdom; Jefus gives him to understand, that he was remembered at that inftant, and fo effectually remembered, that whenever Jefus himself should be in paradife, the thief might be fure of being there with him. Which is to own full as much, as the advocate for a continued consciousness could with, or reasonably afk. and will, by no

means, exclude the thief, for any remote feafon, from the bleffedness of his kingdom.

Another facred teftimony to the continued consciousness of the future ftate, is furely tampered with, I should imagine, by the Soulfleepers. Matth. x. 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and body in hell. Because we say, that the doctrine of this text, is, the Soul will fubfift and live after its feparation by death from the body. which methinks, does not appear to be any far fetched conclufion; but pretty natural and enforced. Notwithstanding, this question is put upon it; and does not our Lord as plainly declare in the latter part of the verse, that the body will fubfift and live after its feparation by death from the Soul?

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The learned writer of the last cited pamphlet, will allow me to differ from him in my interpretation; for this his fenfe does not at all appear, unless he is able to prove, that an ability to destroy both Soul and body in hell, is the very fame thing with the body's living after its feparation from the Soul. or, that the resurrection-body, is this fame body. I should more readily conclude, from the ftrucS

ture

thofe who had professed a faith in Jefus, and had died in that faith. Thefe have a fixed abode with him, they lodge under the roof of his care. As the pious of old, who continued to dwell in the fecret place of the most high, had the promise of lodging under the shadow of the Almighty. Pfal. xci. 1.

Nothing is more familiar, than with us, to fay, fuch, or fuch a one, has been laid in bis grave for fo many years, when we have no defign to convey any kind of idea of the condition of the departed; only that their bodies were committed to the duft. Sq when we say, they are gone to reft, or fallen afleep; few of us ever imagine, that they are fleeping or inconfcious. and fewer yet, think them refting in the grave, fleeping there. The popular opinion, is, they are in a ftate of happiness.

If any fhould fay, that this is to take great liberty or licence in interpreting fuch phrases, as thefe, of being in the grave, fleeping in the duft, awaking, &c. it would be extremely eafy to reply, that interpreters are wont to take the fame liberty always, when the scriptures fpeak of God as having hands and feet, and an arm, eyes and noftrils. all allow them

to

to be terms, that may beft convey fome idea of his power, fuperiority, ftrength, wisdom, and quick discernment of all the decorums or indecencies of human action. Nothing is more common in all languages, than to borrow images from fenfible things, when moral existence or action is to be represented.

N. B. For a folution of the difficulties raifed about the Soul, and its future existence, from the various ufe of the terms, in the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and French languages, any one may find fatisfaction, who will confult the former of the reverend Mr. JOHN STEFFE's two letters on the intermediate state. published, 1758.

The various fenfes of the word, Soul and Spirit, from which Doctor Coward, or Doctor Law, or others, would conclude so very much, in the argument for the foul's materiality; has nothing of weight or force in it. e. g. Would a Frenchman, who useth the word, L'ame, for the conscious fpirit, and alfo for the little fticks in a faggot, and for the mouth of a gun, have any fimilitude in his idea or conception, in this different usage of the term? Or would the Latins, who

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ufe

• Confult Boyer's Dictionary,

ufe the word, Spiritus, for air, breath, smell,' vapour, found, and noife, retain any likenefs of idea in the different application? No more can be concluded from the terms, fleep and death. Sleep has been applied to the indolent and carelefs, to those at ease and in fecurity, to the thoughtless in the fecular bufy life, as well as to those in the bed of rest and retirement. And the term, death, is as applicable to the perverfion of the faculties, as to the ceffation of the animal functions. we frequently speak of men, as dead, or as having no life, who do not manage their affairs with spirit and vigour.-But it will, by no means, be hence inferible, that there is an utter difability, and an abfolute ceffation of the active powers. So when any are removed to a great distance, and we have no ore communication with them, they are fidered as dead unto us.

All that are in their graves, cannot then be erally understood either of the pious or of the npious being there; if it be a truth, that the New Teftament does not teach a refurrection of the fame body, the grave can only be the receptacle of the natural, not of the spis tural body.

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