them all into the fea, is, in my humble opinion, a fpecies of wickedness. He, who was kind and full of love to all his creatures, and who taught a fpirit of meekness, and charity, very different even from the most moral and fublime philofophers, that ever appeared before or after him, I fay that divine Being, who took our nature upon him, and fuffered for our iniquities, amply proved to us, that true religion ought to confift in univerfal love and charity, not only to men, but even for every creature that breaths.

It is faid in one part of ancient Scripture-And they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rub those. that robbed them. This is nothing like, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who defpitefully use you, and perfecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven; for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fendeth his rain on the just, and on the unjust.

It is faid in the sense of the letter, that the Lord bardened the beart of Pharoah, and then Smote him and his people, with fore plagues.-I can compare this to nothing but to the inhuman conduct of Nere, who ordered a certain of his officers' eyes to be taken out, and then had him punished for not feeing. What a strange idea, man must have of the divine Being, ever to fuppofe that this is literally true? He never tempted, neither can he be tempted. He is as far from revenge, or temptation, and ever will continue fo, as the eaft is from the west. He, according to the best authority, is love in its greatest putrity; charity in its utmost fplendour, and univerfal Goodness without limitation!

WHEN it is faid in fcripture that the Lord is angry with the wicked, and that he is revengeful, and cafts into Hell, we are to understand, that it is man who is angry with God, and brings punishment on himself and cafts himself into Hell; for when it is faid, that the fun rifes or fets, it is only an ap parent truth, because the genuine truth is, that the earth revolves round it's own axes and caufes

that appearance: Yet there is no impropriety in fpeaking according to appearances; appearances; nay, it would be a manifeft abfurdity, in the above inftance, to fpeak in common converfation according to the genuine truth; but it is alfo as great an abfurdity to think, or judge of things according to the mode of expreffion. The Moon encreafes and decreases, is not a real, but an apparent truth, and the Lord's faying, that he would establish his bow in the clouds, as a teftimony, that the waters fhould no more cover the face of earth, does not literally fignify fuch thing, for the rain-bow is as natural as the cloud itself, and always has, and ever will appear when the fun and clouds are in a certain position: though ignorant people many deem it a miracle; as they once condemned a poor mathematician as a forcerer!

SEC

SECTION V.

JOB

OB fays that though worms deftroy this body, yet my flesh fhall I fee God.-Here again our tranflators are wrong; for according to the true idiom of the Hebrew language, the paffage ought to be englished thus: Though worms destroy this flesh, yet in my body fhall I fee God. Doubtlefs, Job here means his fpiritual, and not his material. body; for according to the Apostle Paul, and even our reafon, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

THE meaning of the Greek word anaftafis, which we have translated refurrection, fignifies alfo, and indeed more properly, a refufcitation, or a liberation of the foul from the body, which enables or fits it, to pafs from one world to another: For St. Paul tells us, that there is a natural body, and

there is a Spiritual body; that we shall not all Sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment,

in the twinkling of an eye: that is, when the lungs and the heart cease their refpiratory and contractile motions, and when the body is no longer able to perform its natural functions, corresponding to the thoughts and affections of the spirit, which are derived to it, from the fpiritual world, then Shall we fee as we are feen, and this mortal fhall put on immortality!

NEITHER anaftafis or egerfis means refurrection, farther than the movement of an exifting Body from one place to another :-It does not mean that a body interred fhall be reanimated, and raised the very fame body; for let man only reafon with himself, and fuppofe, that one has loft a leg in AMERICA, an arm at BELGRADE, or an ear in the PILLORY, and dies in DUBLIN, where are these component parts to affemble? At which of the places muft his refurrection be affected? I fhould imagine at Dublin! as the greatest part of the Body had been depofited there, but who is to

bring