,transcriber's ,note4    ,apparent      
typographical errors have been          
corrected4    ,italics are indicated by 
underscores4 ,small capitals have been  
converted to full capitals4    ,in the  
list of the publisher's other books1 at 
the end of the work1 the  first line of 
each entry sometimes comprises only part
 of the title and  sometimes extends    
beyond the title4 ,the entire first line
 has been  italicised in the original4  
,in this version only the title has been
  italicised4           ,,the     ,,new 
,,eschatology4     ,,showing     ,,the  
,,indestructibility ,,of ,,the ,,earth  
,,and     ,,the ,,wide ,,difference     
,,between ,,the ,,letter ,,and          
,,spirit ,,of ,,holy ,,scripture4       
,,by ,j4 ,g4 ,,broughton ,,pegg4        
,illustration3 ,behold ,he ,cometh with 
,clouds2 ,the ,word     ,,philadelphia  
,j4 ,b4 ,,lippincott  ,,co4   #ahgb4    
,entered according to ,act of ,congress1
 in the year #ahga1 by   ,j4 ,b4        
,,lippincott  ,,co41   ,in the ,office  

of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at      
,washington4     ,,lippincott',s        
,,press1   ,,philadelphia4              
,,note4      ,this little work was      
published in ,england several years ago2
 but has  never before been republished 
in this country4 ,it deals with those   
texts  of ,scripture which have         
generally been supposed to foretell the 
destruction of the material universe2   
and shows conclusively that these       
passages have been entirely             
misunderstood by commentators2 and that1
  rightly interpreted1 they have no     
reference whatever to the outer realm   
of matter1 but to the inner realm of    
mind2 to the internal condition of  the 
church1 the loss or destruction of      
heavenly charity1 and the eclipse  of   
genuine faith1 which it was foreseen and
 foretold would occur at the  close of  
the first ,christian ,dispensation4     
,it is proper to add1 also1 that1       
although the name of ,swedenborg nowhere
  occurs in the book1 it is evident that

 the author was familiar with his       
teachings1 and viewed and treated his   
subject from the ,swedenborgian         
stand-point4 ,but with the lovers of    
spiritual truth and the seekers  after a
 ,spiritual ,christianity1 this         
fact--now that so many earnest          
inquirers are beginning to read the     
writings of the ,swedish seer--will     
rather add to than detract from the     
interest and value of the work4         
,,american ,,editor4   ,,philadelphia1  
,oct4 #cj1 #ahga4             ,,the     
,,new ,,eschatology4      ,for the first
 heaven and the first earth were passed 
away2 and there  was no more            
sea4--,,rev4 xxi4 #a4    ,while we blame
 the conduct of the ,jews in adhering   
only to the literal  sense of the       
,scriptures1 and by such adherence      
rejecting their ,messiah1  we possibly  
forget that the ,christian church has   
followed precisely the  same line of    
conduct2 and that to this we are        
indebted for the greater  part of those 

absurd dogmas1 which have so long       
exposed the ,gospel to  the derision of 
its enemies4 ,had men properly          
discriminated between  those parts of   
the ,sacred ,volume which are literally 
true1 and those  which are only         
apparently so1 we should never have     
heard of the  doctrines of              
transubstantiation and ,roman supremacy2
 nor of many other  equally absurd      
beliefs which the generality of         
,christians entertain4 ,we  should not  
have seen a fallible and weak mortal    
exalted as ,head over the  church of    
,god2 we should not have heard of a     
morsel of bread being  changed into the 
,lord's body2 we should not have seen   
the ,divine ,nature  divided among three
 separate and distinct ,persons2 nor    
should we have  heard of the doctrine   
which we are about to bring under       
consideration4    ,but do not mistake   
me4 ,when ,i assert that the ,scriptures
 in the literal  sense sometimes speak  
only apparent truth1 ,i by no means deny

 the divine  authority of the ,sacred   
,record4 ,the church whose doctrines ,i 
advocate1  most explicitly declares that
 the whole of the ,scriptures1--every   
chapter1--every verse1--every word1 nay1
 sometimes every letter--is  filled with
 the inbreathed wisdom of ,god4 ,but    
when ,i say that apparent  and not real 
truths are often laid down in the letter
 of the ,word1 ,i  affirm what every man
 who possesses any share of discernment 
will  readily admit4 ,the fact itself is
 too plain even to require proof4 ,thus 
we read that the sun rises1 moves1 and  
sets2 which is certainly true in        
appearance1 but not in reality4 ,again  
we are told that the ,,lord             
repents1--that ,he is weary1 and that   
,he turns away ,his face from man2      
which1 though correct as regards        
appearance1 has no foundation in        
literal fact2 for though the ,sun of    
,righteousness is said to rise upon  the
 soul1 and to set when the mind is given
 up to evil1 yet it is here  as in the  

case of the material sun4 ,in ,god there
 is no variableness  nor shadow of      
turning2--,he fainteth not1 neither is  
weary2--,he is  not a man that ,he      
should lie1 nor the son of man that ,he 
should repent2  but as the earth1 by    
turning to or from the sun1 causes the  
appearance  of motion in that body2 so  
the mind of man1 by turning to the      
,lord1 or  by departing from ,him1      
causes an appearance of change in ,god2 
yet it is  not ,he that changes1 but the
 mind itself4    ,and we may go still   
further4 ,there are numerous passages in
 the ,word of  ,god1 which in the       
literal sense only1 do not convey even  
apparent  truth4 ,among others the      
following1 ,thou ridest through them    
with thine  horses4 ,he rode upon a     
cherub and did fly2 ,he came flying upon
 the  wings of the wind4 ,he that eateth
 my flesh and drinketh my blood1        
dwelleth in me and ,i in him2 for my    
flesh is meat indeed1 and my blood  is  
drink indeed4 ,this 7bread7 is my body2 

this cup is the ,new  ,testament in my  
blood4 ,if thy right hand offend thee1  
cut it off and  cast it from thee4 ,i am
 the ,door of the sheep4 ,i am the true 
vine1  and my ,father is the            
,husbandman4 ,in all these passages1 and
 others  which will occur to every      
reader of the ,scripture1 the literal   
sense  conveys neither real nor apparent
 truth4 ,the ,lord does not really ride 
through the sea1 nor does he even appear
 to do so4 ,the flesh of the  ,saviour  
was not to be literally eaten4 ,the     
bread which ,he held was not  really his
 body1 nor did it even seem to be so4   
,and as in these and  similar instances1
 the outward letter of the ,word conveys
 not its true  meaning1 it is to be     
sought for in the law of correspondence2
 or in that  eternal connection which   
subsists between natural things and     
spiritual4    ,and upon this law of     
correspondence or analogy ,i must make a
 few  preliminary remarks4 ,it is what  
the world in general terms figure1 or   

metaphor2 but the ,new ,church makes a  
distinction1 and ,i will add1  a very   
just one1 betwixt figure 7properly so   
called7 and  correspondence4 ,figurative
 language is that in which a comparison 
is  drawn between one natural object and
 another2 the analogy between which     
exists only in the imagination1 and has1
 therefore1 no real existence3  but     
correspondence is the representation of 
spiritual things by natural2  and the   
resemblance is not merely imaginary but 
real1 consisting in the  proper         
dependence of the latter upon the       
former1 as an effect upon its  cause4   
,if we compare a mighty empire in its   
rise1 glory1 and decline1 to  an oak    
springing up1 flourishing for centuries1
 and then decaying1 we  use figurative  
language2 since both the empire and the 
oak are  natural objects1 which have no 
real connection with each other1 and    
between which the resemblance is only   
imaginary4 ,but when the ,creator is    
likened to the sun1 the language is no  

longer figurative but  correspondent4   
,it is not the comparison of earthly    
things with  earthly1 but of spiritual  
things with natural4 ,and the objects   
compared  have a real connection with   
each other1 since the material sun      
depends  on its ,creator as an effect   
upon its cause4 ,again1 when the church 
is  described as the ,lord's body1 the  
language is correspondent and the       
connection real2 for the rise and       
prosperity of the church depended upon  
the assumption of humanity by the       
,saviour2 and it still hangs upon it as 
the cause of its existence4    ,we      
further notice that all passages of the 
,word1 the historical as well  as the   
poetical1 bear within them such a       
correspondent or internal  sense4 ,this 
will be placed beyond a reasonable doubt
 if we consider1  first1 that all       
,scripture1 whether historical or       
prophetic1 is1  according to the        
,apostle1 inspired or ,god-breathed4    
,and as the breath  of ,god is the      

infinitude of his love and wisdom1 every
 portion of the  sacred ,volume must be 
filled with it4 ,not only every book in 
general1  but every verse and every     
sentence2--for if we can find a single  
sentence which does not contain within  
itself the infinite wisdom of  ,god1    
such sentence must either form no part  
of the ,scripture1 or the  assertion of 
,paul must be untrue4 ,and secondly1 the
 ,word of ,god from the  beginning to   
the end is intended to make us wise unto
 salvation4 ,this  is the design with   
which every part of it was written4 ,but
 we can only  become truly wise by being
 acquainted with our own state1 and with
 the  nature of the ,divine ,redeemer4  
,whatever part1 therefore1 does not     
relate  both to ,god and to ourselves1  
cannot communicate saving wisdom2 and   
consequently1 7if the ,apostle be       
correct17 cannot form any portion of    
the ,sacred ,volume4 ,now1 independently
 of the passages which we have  before  
quoted1 the greater part of what is     

called the historical ,word1  consists1 
in its mere outward form1 of the records
 of the ,jewish  nation1 their wars1 and
 their policy4 ,the prophecies          
themselves in their  literal and obvious
 meaning1 refer to the rise and decline 
of earthly  states1 and to the mutation 
of earthly empires4 ,either1 then1 such 
records and prophecies must have an     
internal and correspondent meaning1     
relating to spiritual and divine things1
 or if they have not1 they  cannot be   
fitted to communicate saving wisdom1 and
 so cannot be  accounted part of the    
,scriptures2 seeing that the ,scriptures
 in every  part1 are1 according to      
,paul1 filled with this wisdom4#a       
,if1 then1 there are parts of the ,word 
of ,god1 the true meaning of  which is  
not to be found in the literal sense2 if
 that ,word contains1  within the       
outward letter1 a spiritual and internal
 meaning2 and if we  are to resort to   
such meaning where the letter gives not 
the true one2  the next inquiry which   

arises is1 ,how are we to determine when
 a passage  is true in the literal      
sense1 or when it is only true in the   
corresponding one8 ,the answer is easy4 
,when the outward meaning of any        
passage asserts something at variance   
with reason1--or when it appears        
opposed to the known character of ,god1 
then such meaning must be  abandoned1   
and the truth sought in the internal    
sense4 ,this answer has  been admitted  
as correct by the ,protestant churches1 
in their contest  with their ,catholic  
neighbors4 ,the latter argue that the   
words of our  ,lord1 ,this is my body1  
are to be literally understood2 while   
the  former very justly answer that1    
since such an interpretation is opposed 
to reason and at variance with the      
nature of ,god as a ,god of truth1 it   
ought to be and must be rejected2 and   
the words considered as  figurative1 or 
as ,i have already termed it1           
correspondent4    ,i have now proved a  
few preliminary points3 ,first1 that    

there are some  portions of the ,word of
 ,god1 the true meaning of which is not 
to be  found in the letter4 ,second1    
that when the literal sense of a passage
  is opposed to fact and reason1 such   
literal sense is to be rejected4 ,and   
third1 that in such cases the           
interpretation must be sought in the    
correspondent or figurative meaning4    
,we turn now to what is commonly        
denominated the ,end of the ,world2 and 
on stating the generally received       
doctrine on this subject1 we shall      
quote the words of the celebrated ,john 
,wesley1 both on account of his  piety  
and learning1 and because the views     
which he maintains may be  fairly taken 
as those of the generality of           
,christians4 ,first he observes3        
,there shall be earthquakes1 not in     
divers places only1 but in all  places2 
not in one part only1 but in every part 
of the habitable world4  ,in one of     
these every island shall flee away1 and 
the mountains will not  be found4       

,meanwhile all the waters of the        
terraqueous globe will feel  the        
violence of these concussions4 ,the sea 
and the waves roaring1 with  such an    
agitation as had never been known before
 since the hour that  the fountains of  
the great deep were broken up' to       
destroy the earth1  which then stood    
'out of the water and in the water6'    
,the air will be  all storm and tempest1
 full of dark vapors1 and pillars of    
smoke  resounding with thunder from pole
 to pole1 and torn with ten thousand    
lightnings4 ,but the commotion will not 
stop in the region of the air3  the     
powers of heaven also shall be shaken4  
',there shall be signs in the  sun and  
in the moon1 and in the stars2' those   
fixed as well as those  that move round 
them4 ',the sun shall be turned into    
darkness1 and the  moon into blood1     
before the great and terrible day of the
 ,lord come4'  ',the stars shall        
withdraw their shining1' yea1 and 'fall 
from heaven1'  being thrown out of their

 orbits4 ,and then shall be heard the   
universal  shout from all the companies 
of heaven1 followed by the voice of the 
archangel1 proclaiming the approach of  
the ,son of ,god and man2 and the       
trumpet of ,god sounding an alarm to all
 that sleep in the dust of the  earth4  
,in consequence of this1 all the graves 
shall open and the bodies  of men arise4
    ,after the following judgment1      
7which ,mr4 ,wesley thinks must last    
several  thousand years1 considering the
 number of persons who are to be judged1
  and of actions which are to be        
inquired into17 he proceeds3    ,then   
the heavens will be shriveled up as a   
parchment scroll1 and pass  away with a 
great noise4 ,the very manner of their  
passing away is  disclosed to us by the 
apostle ,peter1 ',in the day of ,god1   
the heavens  being on fire shall be     
dissolved4' ,the whole beautiful fabric 
will be  overthrown by that raging      
element1 the connexion of all its parts 
destroyed1 and every atom torn asunder  

from the others4 ',by the same the      
earth also and the works that are       
therein1 shall be burnt up2' the        
enormous work of nature1 the everlasting
 hills1 mountains that have  defied the 
rage of time1 and stood unmoved so many 
thousand years1 will  sink down in fiery
 ruin4 ,how much less will the works of 
art1 though of  the most durable kind1  
the utmost efforts of human industry1   
tombs1  pillars1 triumphal arches1      
castles1 pyramids1 be able to withstand 
the  flaming ,conqueror6 ,all1 all will 
die1 perish1 vanish away1 like a dream  
when one awaketh4#b    ,such1 in        
substance1 is the doctrine of the       
,christian world2 and  certainly if fear
 and terror were sufficient to drive men
 into a  state of righteousness1 here   
are horrors enough to excite the fears  
even  of the most courageous4 ,but not  
the eloquence of man any more than his  
wrath1 worketh the righteousness of     
,god4 ,it is not sufficient that a      
doctrine be eloquently set forth2 it    

must also have truth for its            
foundation4 ,it is not enough that      
,scripture be quoted to support it2     
that ,scripture must also stand in its  
proper connexion1 and retain its  proper
 meaning2 for if this be not the case1  
however eloquent the  preacher and      
however numerous the apparent proofs1   
the tenet can only  rank with that wood1
 hay1 and stubble1--those unsubstantial 
and airy  doctrines1 which1 when tried  
by the fire of ,divine ,wisdom1 are     
consumed  and pass away4 ,and if we can 
prove1 ,first1 ,that the passages which 
are  quoted to support the doctrine     
before us1 are literally understood1    
while nevertheless such literal sense   
leads to absurdity2 ,second1 ,if  we can
 further make it appear that such a     
literal application of them  makes them 
inconsistent with each other as well as 
with many plain  portions of the ,bible2
 and again1 that1 even if we admit such 
outward  meaning to be correct1 it gives
 no countenance to the doctrine in      

dispute2 while at the same time that    
doctrine is opposed to the end of       
creation and the character of ,god2--if 
these propositions can be made  good1 ,i
 trust it will appear1 that the tenet   
itself has no countenance  from the     
,scriptures2 and that the true meaning  
of the passages adduced1  must be sought
 for in the internal or spiritual sense 
of the ,word4    ,the portions of       
,scripture on which the supposed        
destruction of the  universe is founded1
 are far from numerous4 ,some of them   
are already  quoted in the extract from 
,mr4 ,wesley2 and previous to entering  
upon the  consideration of our first    
proposition1 we shall point out a few of
 the  remainder4 ,immediately after the 
tribulation of those days1 the sun      
shall be darkened1 and the moon shall   
not give her light1 the stars  shall    
fall from heaven1 and the powers of     
heaven shall be shaken2 and  then shall 
appear the sign of the ,son of man in   
heaven2 and then shall  all the tribes  

of the earth mourn1 and they shall see  
the ,son of man  coming in the clouds of
 heaven with power and great glory4 ,and
 ,he shall  send his angels with a great
 sound of a trumpet1 and they shall     
gather  together his elect from the four
 winds1 from one end of heaven to the   
other4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #bi1 #cj1 #ca4 ,till
 heaven and earth pass1 one jot or  one 
tittle shall in no wise pass from the   
law1 until all be fulfilled4  ,matt4 v4 
#ah4 ,ye men of ,galilee1 why stand ye  
gazing up into heaven8  ,this same      
,jesus who is taken from you1 shall so  
come as ye have seen ,him  go into      
heaven4 ,acts i4 #aa4 ,then cometh the  
end1 when he shall have  delivered up   
the kingdom to ,god1 even the ,father4  
#a ,cor4 xv4 #bd4 ,the  ,lord ,jesus    
shall be revealed from heaven with his  
mighty angels in  flaming fire1 taking  
vengeance on them that know not ,god4 #b
 ,thess4 i4  #g1 #h4 ,the day of the    
,lord will come as a thief in the night1
 in which  the heavens shall pass away  

with a great noise1 and the elements    
shall  melt with fervent heat2 the earth
 also1 and the works that are therein   
shall be burned up4 #b ,peter iii4 #aj4 
,but it is from the book of ,revelation1
 that the principal part of the  proofs 
are drawn4 ,a book confessedly          
figurative in its language1 and  which  
the wisest and most learned men have in 
vain striven to interpret4  ,one could  
hardly commit or imagine a greater      
outrage upon the common  sense of       
mankind1 than that which the defenders  
of this doctrine have  committed1 by    
first confessing the ,book itself to be 
figurative and  inexplicable1 and then  
adducing its language literally1 in     
their  support1 as if they had all at   
once found out that it was no longer    
figurative but literal4 ,if the visions 
of the ,apostle are not literal1  but   
grand and representative images1 then   
ought they not to be  understood in a   
literal manner1 or if they are to be so 
understood1 then  as plain and literal  

narrative they may be easily explained2 
and the  complaint which the receivers  
of this doctrine have so often made1    
that  it cannot be understood1 is to the
 last degree frivolous and foolish4     
,and what makes the matter still worse  
is1 that the passages they have  adduced
 are among the most highly figurative in
 the ,apostle's  descriptions4 ,the     
following are among them3 ,behold ,he   
cometh with  clouds1 and every eye shall
 see ,him2 and they that pierced ,him2  
and all  the tribes of the earth shall  
wail because of ,him4 i4 #g4 ,and ,i    
beheld  when he had opened the sixth    
seal1 and lo1 there was a great         
earthquake2  and the sun became black as
 sackcloth of hair1 and the moon became 
as  blood1 and the stars of heaven fell 
unto the earth2 even as a fig-tree      
casteth her untimely figs when she is   
shaken of a mighty wind2 and the  heaven
 departed as a scroll1 when it is rolled
 together1 and every  mountain and      
island were moved out of their places4  

vi4 #ab1 #ac1 #ad4  ,and ,i saw a great 
white throne1 and ,him that sat on it1  
from whose face  the earth and the      
heaven fled away1 and there was found no
 place for  them3 and ,i saw the dead1  
small and great1 stand before ,god4 xx4 
#aa1  #ab4 ,and ,i saw a new heaven and 
a new earth1 for the first heaven and   
the first earth were passed away1 and   
there was no more sea4 xxi4 #a4    ,such
 are the texts of ,scripture by which   
the doctrine before us is  supported2   
the greater part of which have clearly  
no reference to the  subject1 and the   
remainder being not the literal language
 of narrative1  but the correspondent   
and mysterious words of prophecy4 ,yet1 
even  viewing them in their outward     
meaning1 we can scarcely fail to be     
struck  with the wide difference which  
exists between them and the description 
of ,mr4 ,wesley4 ,there is nothing in   
them of an earthquake1 amidst some      
general concussion in which every island
 shall flee away3--nothing of  the air  

resounding with thunder from pole to    
pole1 and being torn with  ten thousand 
lightnings3--nothing of the connexion of
 every part being  destroyed1 and every 
atom torn asunder from the others4 ,we  
may therefore  fairly set these down as 
additional horrors1 supplied by the     
imagination  of the writer1 and         
unsupported by anything like ,scripture 
proof4 ,and  with regard to what        
remains1 we will now see how far that   
literal  sense upon which it rests1 will
 stand the criterion by which we are to 
determine the meaning of ,scripture4 ,if
 the outward meaning is reasonable  and 
consistent1 then it must be adhered to1 
and the doctrine is  established3 but   
if1 on the other hand1 such             
interpretation leads to  absurdity1     
then1 by the consent of every           
,protestant church1 that meaning  must  
be laid aside2 and with it1 too1 must be
 cast off the tenet of this  world's    
destruction4    ,but one cautionary     
remark must here be made4 ,we are by no 

means  authorized to mingle together    
literal and figurative language4 ,that  
is1  we have no right to interpret one  
part of a sentence literally1 and       
another as figure4 ,the passages before 
us are either literal1 or they  are not4
 ,if they are1 then every part of them  
must be literally  understood2 if they  
are not1 then no part of them can be    
literally  interpreted4 ,if1 then1 we   
adhere to the outward meaning1 we must  
carry  that adherence to every portion  
of the text2 for if we reject such      
meaning in any part1 we reject it in the
 whole2 and the doctrine which  depends 
for support upon it1 must fall to the   
ground4    ,keeping this in view our    
first proposition is1 that1 to affix a  
literal  sense to the passages before   
us1 is to give them a meaning at once   
absurd and unreasonable4 ,we might in   
proof of this1 go through every  word in
 every text4 ,it is declared in the     
letter that the ,lord shall  descend    
from heaven2 but heaven is not a place  

connected either by  height or distance 
with the material world4 ,could we rise 
far into the  regions of space1 and     
ascend for ever in the oceans of worlds1
 still1 as  regards distance1 we should 
be no nearer heaven than before4 ,where 
,god  manifests ,himself in the fullness
 of his love1 there is heaven2 but ,god 
being a ,spirit1 can only manifest      
,himself thus in a spiritual region2    
and such a region has no relation of    
space or distance with a world of       
matter4 ,hence1 therefore1 a descent    
from heaven is not a literal going  down
 from a higher place to one beneath1 and
 consequently must not be  literally    
understood4 ,here the literal meaning   
fails at the very  threshold4 ,at the   
first step we are obliged to seek for a 
figurative or  spiritual sense4    ,if  
we overcome this difficulty1 we have yet
 to encounter others4 ,it is  further   
said that ,he shall descend with a      
trumpet4 ,now modern  ,christians       
ridicule the idea of visible habitations

 and outward objects  in the spiritual  
world4 ,what then are we to make of the 
description  before us1--of this trumpet
 with which the ,lord is to descend8 ,is
 it  material1 or is it not8 ,if it is  
material1 then heaven1 in which  there  
are material objects1 must be a material
 place2 and the ,being  who uses this   
material trumpet1 must be a material    
,being2 consequently1  we must          
materialize both heaven and its         
inhabitants4 ,but if this trumpet  is   
not a material one1 then let the        
defenders of the literal meaning  tell  
us what is a spiritual trumpet8         
,whatever may be the answer1 one  thing 
is certain1--that which is spiritual is 
internal2 and if by the  words before us
 we are not to understand a literal     
trumpet1 but  something spiritual       
signified by it1 then the literal       
meaning of the  passage is not and      
cannot be the true one4    ,it is       
further declared that ,the ,lord shall  
come in the clouds of  heaven4 ,the     

question again arises3 ,what are we to  
understand by these8  ,the clouds       
literally mean those masses of vapor1   
which1 arising from the  earth1 are     
condensed and become visible in the     
atmosphere2 and which  surround the     
earth at the distance of a few miles4   
,if we keep to the  literal sense of the
 passage1 these must be understood4 ,but
 is it in  these that the ,lord is to   
descend8 ,is six or eight miles above   
the  surface of the globe1 heaven8 ,or  
can bodies which seldom rise beyond     
this elevation1 be properly called the  
clouds of heaven8 ,or is this the  glory
 with which the ,lord is to be          
invested--the vapors which rise from    
the material globe8    ,but this is not 
all4 ,with ,him the angels are also to  
descend4 ,now the  nature of angels is  
not material2 they exist not in space1  
nor are they  included in its           
boundaries4 ,how1 then1 we again ask1   
are spiritual  beings to descend in a   
material vapor8 ,it would degrade the   

subject to  carry these questions       
further2 but every person's discernment 
will  enable him to perceive that by no 
means can the literal clouds be         
understood2 and that these words must1  
like the former1 be acknowledged  as    
figurative4 ,here1 therefore1 at the    
very commencement we are  obliged to    
spiritualize both the descent1 the      
trumpet1 and the  clouds4 ,do what we   
will1 the literal sense is absurd4 ,and 
if we are  forced to allow that part of 
the description cannot be literally     
understood1 it is fair to conclude that 
the remainder has also an  internal     
meaning4    ,we shall soon perceive     
further proof of this4 ,after it is     
declared that  the ,lord shall come in  
the clouds of heaven1 it is added1 as a 
necessary consequence1 and then shall   
all the tribes of the earth  mourn1 when
 they see the ,son of ,man coming in the
 clouds4 ,in  agreement with this are   
the words of ,john1 ,behold1 ,he cometh 
with  clouds2 and every eye shall see   

,him4 ,if this be understood of an      
event which is literally to take place1 
we must again believe an  impossibility4
 ,this world is a round body2 and that  
which is visible  to the inhabitants of 
one hemisphere1 must be invisible to the
 dwellers  on the other4 ,those who live
 upon one part of its surface cannot1 by
 any  possibility1 see what is above the
 opposite part4 ,this is a circumstance 
of daily experience3--at twelve o'clock 
at midnight the sun is visible  to the  
inhabitants of the other side of this   
earth1 and with them it is  noon-day2   
but at that hour it is invisible to us2 
nor can we1 by any  possible means1     
obtain a sight of it4 ,if1 then1 it be  
true that an  object visible on one side
 of a globe1 is invisible on the        
opposite1 we  inquire1 ,in what         
situation must the ,lord appear1 that   
,he may be seen at  one and the same    
moment from every part of a round body8 
,where1 or in  what part of the         
atmosphere must ,he be placed that all  

the tribes of  the earth1 7those on its 
opposite sides17 may behold ,him at the 
same  time8 ,such a position is not only
 difficult1 but absolutely impossible1  
unless the figure of the globe were     
changed2 and to believe that such  will 
be the manner of our ,lord's coming1 is 
to involve ourselves in a  labyrinth of 
absurdities4    ,aware of this          
difficulty1 the writer whom ,i have     
already quoted supposes  that the       
inhabitants of this earth will be caught
 up in the air1 and  thus be enabled to 
behold our ,lord's descent4 ,perhaps1   
says he1 it  is more agreeable to our   
,lord's own account of his coming in the
 clouds1  to suppose it will be above   
the earth1 if not 'twice a planetary    
height2' and this supposition is not a  
little favored by what ,st4 ,paul       
writes to the ,thessalonians1 ',the dead
 in ,christ shall rise first4' ,then  we
 who remain alive shall be caught up    
together with them in the clouds  to    
meet the ,lord in the air4 ,so that it  

seems most probable1 the 'great  white  
throne' will be exalted high above the  
earth4 ,such a method of  explanation   
only shows the difficulties into which  
the mere literal  sense has thrown its  
followers4 ,independent of the total    
absence of all  ,scripture proof of     
these ideas1 it may be remarked that1   
twice a  planetary height1 that is1     
twice the distance of the farthest      
planet  from the earth1 is not the place
 of clouds2 in such case1 therefore1 the
  ,lord would not come in the clouds1   
but far above them4 ,nor could ,he  be  
said to descend from heaven2 for as     
heaven1 in the literal sense1  is the   
starry region1 if ,he remained          
stationary in that region1 it would  not
 be a descent from heaven1 but a descent
 in heaven4 ,and besides1  as the       
clouds1 literally1 are the vapors       
surrounding the earth1 by  interpreting 
them to mean twice a planetary height1  
the literal sense  is given up2 and if  
this be rejected1 the doctrine before us

 is  overthrown4    ,once more we turn  
to the texts4 ,another event which is   
said to accompany  the coming of the    
,lord1 is the falling of the stars from 
heaven to the  earth4 ,the stars shall  
fall from heaven1 and the powers of     
heaven shall  be shaken4 ,the stars of  
heaven fell unto the earth1 even as a   
fig-tree  casteth her untimely figs1    
when she is shaken of a mighty wind4    
,when1  in disputing with the ,romish   
church1 we contend that the ,lord's     
words  are not to be understood         
literally1 we think it sufficient to    
prove1  that so understood they involve 
an absurdity4 ,but fully as great an    
absurdity is involved in the literal    
interpretation of the words before  us4 
,the stars1 though to us they appear but
 as shining atoms1 are proved  beyond   
the possibility of doubt1 to be equal to
 our sun both in size and  splendor4    
,each one of them is1 in fact1 a sun1 as
 large and as  brilliant as that which  
enlightens our day4 ,now the sun exceeds

 our  earth nearly ten hundred thousand 
times in magnitude2 each star1          
therefore1 may be reasonably supposed to
 exceed the size of this globe  nearly a
 million times4 ,as well1 then1 may we  
talk of ten thousand  worlds falling    
upon an atom1 as of ten thousand suns1  
each of them a  million times larger    
than the globe1 falling upon this grain 
of earth3  it is in itself as impossible
 as for a piece of bread to become the  
body  of the ,lord4    ,but further2 the
 number of these bodies is beyond the   
power of human  calculation4 ,millions  
sink into nothing in computing          
it1--thousands of  millions are nothing4
 ,every part of the vault of heaven     
contains  myriads2 and clusters of them 
have been observed which contain1 within
  themselves1 myriads more4 ,could we   
penetrate into the depths of space1  as 
far as the eye could see--as far as     
thought could penetrate1 we  should find
 suns and worlds till the mind was lost 
in the idea of their  multitude3 and    

though we continued to move onward for  
ages1 we should  still find ourselves   
but on the threshold of creation4 ,these
 are not the  visions of speculation1   
but the facts of philosophy2--truths    
which  actual observation has placed    
beyond a doubt4 ,such are1 literally1   
the  stars of heaven3 myriads of myriads
 of suns1 surrounded by ten thousand    
times ten thousand worlds4 ,and let the 
common sense of mankind decide1  whether
 all these can fall upon the surface of 
a globe not equal to the  smallest of   
them in magnitude4    ,but we have not  
yet done with this subject4 ,let us     
imagine it possible  that these         
innumerable and enormous bodies were    
thrown out of their  stations1 and by   
the hand of ,god launched towards our   
little world4 ,what  would result if    
they only came within a short distance  
of it8 7to say  nothing of their falling
 upon its surface47 ,it is well known to
 all who  are acquainted with           
philosophy1 that each of the heavenly   

bodies  possesses a power called        
attraction1 by which it draws towards   
itself  any smaller body that comes     
within its sphere4 ,so powerful is this 
attractive force that the sun alone     
draws all the worlds which move  around 
it1 and keeps them from flying off1     
though some are at the  distance of     
eighteen hundred millions of miles6     
,each of the stars being  of the same   
nature with our sun1 possesses equally  
this attracting  power4 ,and were only a
 few of these bodies to be brought      
within a  certain distance of the earth1
 the force of their combined attraction 
acting in contrary directions1 would    
explode and scatter abroad1 not  only   
this earth but every earth in the       
system3 and long before they  could fall
 upon its surface1 there would be no    
world for them to fall  upon2 it would  
be dissolved1 and its atoms scattered   
through the  universe4    ,again1 the   
,apostle ,peter declares that ,the      
heavens shall pass away with  a great   

noise1 and the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat4 ,a  question1 therefore1  
once more arises1 what is meant by the  
elements8  ,literally1 they signify the 
most simple forms of matter1 fire1 air1 
earth1 and water4 ,but how can these    
melt1 or be melted8--,can fire melt     
with fervent heat8 ,it may be dispersed 
in its pure form1 that of heat or       
caloric2 but it is incapable of being   
melted4 ,can air1 then1 melt8 ,it  may  
be expanded1 but it will not melt1 in   
the literal meaning of the  word4 ,can  
water melt8 ,it may be raised in steam1 
and made to fly off in  vapor3 it may1  
by the application of heat1 be resolved 
into air1 its  first principle2 but it  
will not melt4 ,there is1 therefore1    
only one  element out of the four which 
is capable of being literally melted2   
earth may1 indeed1 be vitrified1 and    
rendered fluid4 ,but how can one        
element be denominated the elements8    
,and besides1 the apostle seems  to     
exclude the earth from the elements     

which are thus to melt2 for he  mentions
 its destruction1 as subsequent to that 
of the elements4 ,the  elements shall   
melt with fervent heat1 the earth also1 
that is1 in  addition to these1 the     
earth and the works that are therein1   
shall be  burned up4#c ,here again1 the 
literal sense fails4 ,we must either    
allow  what is not true1 namely1 that   
fire1 air1 and water1 can be melted  by 
fire1 or seek for an internal and       
figurative meaning4    ,i might pass    
thus through the whole of the language  
on which this tenet  is founded2 and it 
would be easy to show that the          
circumstances are as  impossible in     
their literal meaning1 as that a man    
should eat the flesh  of his own arm1 or
 that our ,lord should literally be a   
vine and a  door4    ,the very advocates
 of the doctrine are convinced of this4 
,hence they  have framed various and    
contradictory systems to explain the    
above  descriptions4 ,one has asserted  
that the earth will at that period be   

rolled out of her orbit1 and that this  
motion will cause an appearance  as if  
the heavens passed away4 ,another has   
enveloped the world in a  thick mist1 by
 which the light of the moon1 being     
changed1 will appear  of a red color4 ,a
 third has appointed a comet1 which in  
its passage to  or from the sun1 will   
approach this earth and involve it in   
flames4 ,all  have seen the             
difficulties1 and all have attempted to 
overcome them by  explanations2 yet1    
after all1 the task remains as arduous  
as ever4 ,if we  will1 in despite of    
reason1 found a doctrine on the literal 
meaning of  the texts1 we must adhere to
 that meaning2 for to depart from it1 is
 to  confess its insufficiency3 and if1 
on the other hand1 we resolve to  reject
 the literal sense in one part1 we then 
acknowledge that it is  not the true    
one1 and that another must be sought    
for4 ,if we are obliged  to give up a   
literal falling of stars to the earth1  
and a literal  appearance in the clouds 

of the air1 then we must give up also1 a
  literal burning and destruction of the
 universe2 for if one part of the       
sentence is to be understood            
figuratively1 so is the other4    ,and  
that such destruction is a spiritual    
event1 and not a natural one1  will     
appear still further from the following 
observation4 ,when two  prophecies are  
found1 couched in the same language1 and
 nearly in the  same words1 one of which
 prophecies has been fulfilled1 while   
the other  yet remains to be            
accomplished2 the manner in which the   
latter will be  fulfilled must be       
determined by the previous fulfillment  
of the former4    ,now it is a fact1    
although very seldom noticed1 that the  
prophecies  relating to the first coming
 of the ,lord1 are expressed in the very
  same language with those which relate 
to his second appearance4 ,we need  only
 turn to the writings of the prophets to
 be convinced of this4  ,behold1 says   
,malachi1 the day cometh that shall burn

 as an oven1  and all the proud1 yea1   
and all that do wickedly shall be as    
stubble1  and the day that cometh shall 
burn them up1 saith ,,jehovah ,,of      
,,hosts4 ,and1  behold1 ,i send you     
,elijah the prophet1 before the coming  
of the great  and terrible day of the   
,lord4 iv4 #a1 #e4 ,again1 ,isaiah3 ,all
 the host  of heaven shall be dissolved1
 and the heavens shall be rolled        
together  as a scroll1 and all their    
host shall fall down as a falling fig   
from  the fig-tree4#d ,every battle of  
the warrior is with confused noise1 and 
garments rolled in blood2 but this shall
 be with burning and fuel of  fire4 ,for
 unto us a child is born4 ix4 #e4 ,upon 
the servants and upon  the handmaids in 
those days ,i will pour out my spirit2  
and ,i will show  wonders in the heavens
 and in the earth1 blood1 and fire1 and 
vapor  of smoke4 ,the sun shall be      
turned into darkness and the moon into  
blood before the great and terrible day 
of the ,lord come4 ,joel ii4  #bi-ca4   

,this latter prophecy is expressly      
applied by ,peter to the commencement   
of ,christianity4 ,in defending his     
brethren from the charge of imposture   
brought against them by the ,jews on the
 day of ,pentecost1 he declares1  ,this 
7the extraordinary inspiration of the   
spirit7 is that which was  spoken by the
 prophet ,joel2 ,i will show wonders in 
the heaven above1 and  signs in the     
earth beneath1 blood1 and fire1 and     
vapor of smoke4 ,the sun  shall be      
turned into darkness1 and the moon into 
blood4 ,acts ii4 #af-bj4    ,once more1 
the prophet ,haggai1 speaking of the    
same period declares1  ,thus saith      
,jehovah of hosts4 ,yet once it is a    
little while and ,i will  shake the     
heavens and the earth and the sea and   
the dry land1 and ,i will  shake all    
nations and the desire of all nations   
shall come1 and ,i will  fill this house
 7the latter temple7 with glory1 saith  
,jehovah of hosts4  ,again1 the prophet 
,joel before quoted1 says1 ,multitudes1 

multitudes in  the valley of decision2  
for the day of the ,lord is near in the 
valley  of decision4 ,the sun and the   
moon shall be darkened1 and the stars   
shall withdraw their shining4 ,the      
,,lord also shall roar out of ,zion1 and
  utter his voice from ,jerusalem1 and  
the heavens and the earth shall  shake3 
but the ,lord will be the hope of his   
people4 ,so shall ye know  that ,i am   
the ,lord your ,god1 dwelling in ,zion1 
my holy mountain4 ,then  shall          
,jerusalem be holy4 iii4 #ad-ag4 ,but   
who 7says ,malachi17 may abide  the day 
of ,his coming1 or who shall stand when 
,he appeareth8 for ,he is  like a       
refiner's fire and like fullers' soap4  
,and to conclude this  magnificent      
imagery1 ,isaiah declares1 ,behold1 ,i  
create new heavens and  a new earth2 and
 the former shall not be remembered nor 
come to  mind2--they shall not hunger1  
nor thirst1 neither shall the heat of   
the  sun smite them2 but ,he that hath  
mercy upon them shall lead them1 even   

by the springs of water shall ,he guide 
them4    ,with such descriptions of the 
first ,advent of the ,messiah do the    
prophets abound4 ,let any one peruse    
with attention the writings of  ,isaiah1
 ,jeremiah1 ,zechariah1 ,joel1 ,haggai1 
and ,malachi1 and he will be  convinced 
of the truth of this remark4 ,we will   
now notice the agreement  which exists  
between these prophecies relating to his
 first appearance1  and those which     
refer to his second coming4 ,both       
periods are called  the day of the      
,lord2 and both are ushered in by       
darkness and  gloominess4 ,in both it is
 said that the sun shall be turned into 
darkness1 and the moon into blood2 and  
in both the heavens and the  earth are  
said to pass away4 ,in both of them the 
,lord is declared to  come in fire1 and 
the conclusion of both is a new heaven  
and a new  earth4    ,now one of these  
periods is past4 ,the first ,advent of  
the ,saviour to  which the above        
prophecies refer1 is accomplished4 ,and 

how were these  predictions fulfilled8  
,did the events literally take place8   
,let  history answer4 ,though the       
heavens and the earth were to be shaken 
and  pass away1 yet no commotion took   
place in the visible parts of nature4   
,the seasons ran their wonted course2   
the sun gave forth his usual light2  and
 the earth pursued without intermission 
her annual journey4 ,though  the moon   
was to be turned into blood1 yet no such
 disaster befell the  visible planet2   
her light shone as bright as ever4 ,one 
solitary meteor  alone over the plains  
of ,judea1 announced to the ,eastern    
sages the  coming of the ,saviour4      
,though his approach was to be in fire1 
yet no  material flames accompanied his 
,advent4 ,the fire of ,divine ,love     
alone  distinguished ,him4 ,not one of  
all these predictions had anything      
resembling a literal accomplishment4    
,and now let us look to the  conclusion4
 ,if1 when two prophecies are given1    
couched in the same  language1 one of   

which is fulfilled while the other      
remains to be  accomplished1 the        
interpretation of the second is to be   
judged of by the  fulfillment of the    
first1 the following argument at once   
arises3 ,since  the prophecies relating 
to the first ,advent of the ,saviour are
 expressed  by the very same terms1 and 
represented by the very same images as  
those  which refer to his second coming1
 the meaning of these latter must be    
similar to that of the others4 ,and     
since not one of those prophecies  ever 
received a literal fulfillment1 so      
neither are we to expect a  literal     
fulfillment of those before us4 ,in a   
word1 since the events  predicted at the
 ,lord's first coming were not natural1 
but  representative images of spiritual 
things--of states of the world and of   
the church2 so those foreshadowing his  
second coming are representative  of    
similar things1 belonging to the minds  
of men1 and will never receive  a       
literal accomplishment4    ,if1 however1

 it be still maintained in opposition to
 this remark1 that  they must be        
understood literally1 ,i will ask one   
question4 ,since the  words of the ,old 
,testament which describe the first     
appearance of the  ,redeemer1 are       
exactly similar to those of the ,new    
which predict his  second coming2 how is
 it that the former never received a    
literal  fulfillment8 ,if it be replied1
 that this was figurative language1     
while  the latter is literal            
description2 ,i again inquire1 ,by what 
authority or  according to what rule is 
this distinction made8 ,why is the first
 to be  resolved into figure1 while the 
latter is considered as literally true8 
,such distinction between the two cannot
 arise from the language2 this  is      
almost word for word the same4 ,it      
cannot be made because the literal      
sense is in one case reasonable1 while  
in the other it is not2 for in  both    
cases it involves numerous absurdities4 
,it cannot be because the  one is       

prophecy and the other narrative2 for   
both are the language of  prophetic     
declaration4 ,on what authority1 then1  
is the literal meaning  of the first    
rejected1 while in the other it is      
retained and believed8  ,why are not    
both to be understood alike1 since in   
both the descriptions  are similar8     
,there is no rule by which a distinction
 can be drawn4    ,i have now gone over 
the first proposition1 and have proved  
that a  literal interpretation of the   
passages adduced involves absurdities as
  great as that of transubstantiation2  
and that the absence of all literal     
fulfillment in the case of other        
prophecies exactly similar1 affords the 
strongest reason to expect that in this 
instance no literal  accomplishment will
 take place4 ,that the language itself  
is that of  correspondence1--the        
representation of spiritual things by   
natural2  and as such it will receive a 
spiritual and not a natural fulfillment4
    #b4 ,we now pass to the second      

point1 namely that the texts supposed to
  refer to the destruction of the       
material world are inconsistent with    
each other2 and are opposed to other    
clear and express declarations of       
,scripture4 ,in this case as in the     
former1 we shall note the words in the  
debated texts4 ,in the passages brought 
forward to support the doctrine1  there 
are four ways mentioned in which the    
destruction of the heavens  7or visible 
starry firmament7 is hereafter to take  
place4 ,first1 in one  passage of the   
,revelation1 they are described as being
 rolled away as a  scroll2 in another   
the stars are said to fall from heaven  
to the  earth4 ,in ,peter's ,epistle it 
is declared that they shall pass away   
with a great noise2 and in another place
 the same apostle says that  the heavens
 being on fire shall be dissolved4 ,now 
these four  descriptions considered     
literally1 contradict and destroy each  
other4 ,to  dissolve is to separate into
 particles1 and to return to their first

  elements4 ,but if the starry heavens  
are thus to be destroyed1 then  they can
 neither fall to the earth nor be rolled
 together as a scroll2  for that which  
is dissolved and reduced to its first   
elements1 can be  destroyed no further  
except by annihilation4 ,and if the     
heavenly bodies  are to be thus         
dissolved1 then no other kind of        
dissolution can affect  them4 ,again1 if
 we take the other passage1 they were   
rolled away as a  scroll1 we are placed 
in precisely the same dilemma4 ,by their
 being  rolled away as a scroll1 we must
 then understand that they will be      
driven from their stations1 thrown into 
confusion1 and hurried afar into  the   
depths of space4 ,but if they are thus  
rolled away they cannot  possibly fall  
to the earth1 for the two events stand  
in direct  opposition2 in the first     
instance they must be hurled into space1
 far  beyond the earth's orbit2 in the  
latter they must absolutely fall upon   
her surface4 ,and now we ask1 ,are the  

stars to be rolled away1 or are  they to
 fall upon the earth8 ,the literal sense
 of the ,scripture mentions  both       
events2 but if one occurs1 the other    
7consistently with the text7  can never 
take place4    ,suppose1 however1 we    
admit for the sake of argument1 that the
 rolling  away of the heavens is an     
event separate from the destruction of  
the  stars4 ,we again inquire whether   
this event will take place before such  
destruction1 or after it4 ,if before it1
 we come to the former  conclusion2 for 
then the stars must fly off with the    
heaven in which  they are fixed4 ,if    
after it1 then1 as there will be nothing
 but empty  space remaining1 we ask how 
such empty space can be called the      
heavens2 and how empty space without a  
single visible object1 can be  rolled   
away as a scroll6 ,in this instance1    
therefore1 if we abide by  the literal  
sense of one passage1 we must of        
necessity reject that of  the others4   
,but it is further said that all these  

events are to take place  previous to   
the appearance of the ,son of ,man4 ,the
 sun shall be  darkened1 and the moon   
shall not give her light1 and the stars 
shall  fall from heaven1 and the powers 
of the heavens shall be shaken4 ,and    
then 7immediately following these       
events7 shall appear the sign of the    
,son of ,man in heaven4 ,now this prior 
commotion includes the dissolution  of  
all the elements1 ,the heavens being on 
fire shall be dissolved1 and  the       
elements shall melt with fervent heat4  
,among the number of the  elements1 the 
air will of course be destroyed1 for it 
is included  among them2 and with the   
air those clouds which depend upon it   
for  their existence and visibility4    
,yet1 after this1 when the clouds have  
ceased to be1 and when the heavens are  
no more1 the ,son of ,man is to  appear 
in these very clouds and in the midst of
 this heaven6 ,here1  again1 is an      
inconsistency in the literal sense of   
the passage4 ,if the  heavens1 and with 

them the clouds are dissolved1 then it  
is impossible  that anything can appear 
in what has ceased to have an existence4
 ,or  if the ,son of ,man is to appear  
in the clouds1 then the heavens cannot  
be destroyed previous to that           
appearance4 ,which way soever we turn we
  are met by a difficulty4 ,if we       
receive one of the passages in the      
literal sense1 we must either reject or 
spiritualize the other4    ,again3 at   
the time of our ,lord's ascension1 the  
two angels who appeared  to the         
disciples declared1 this same ,jesus    
which is taken up from you  into heaven1
 shall so come in like manner1 as ye    
have seen him go into  heaven4 ,acts i4 
#aa4 ,it would therefore appear that1 if
 these angelic  messengers are worthy of
 credit1 the descent of our ,lord is to 
be  exactly similar in circumstance to  
his ascent4 ,now1 in his ascension  into
 heaven1 there are several things which 
require notice4 #ast3 ,it was  private4 
,he led his disciples from the city to  

the ,mount of ,olives4  #b;d3 ,it was   
seen by none but his followers4 ,the    
generality of the ,jewish  nations did  
not even know that such an event had    
taken place2 they  considered our ,lord 
as a dead man2 and hence when they      
accused ,paul  before ,festus1 one part 
of that accusation was that he affirmed 
one  ,jesus to be alive1 who was 7in    
their opinion7 dead4 ,acts xxv4 #ai4    
#c;d3  ,his ascension was a solitary    
one4 ,there is no account whatever that 
any persons were seen ascending with    
,him3--,he was taken up2 and a  cloud   
received ,him out of their sight4 ,and1 
#dth3 ,it was unattended  by any outward
 pomp4 ,the ,jews knew nothing of       
it2--there was no  alteration in the    
visible world2 and even those who       
witnessed the event1  beheld nothing    
save a bright cloud into which he passed
 and disappeared4  ,the ascension of the
 ,saviour was therefore to the world a  
private  occurrence1 so far as privacy  
consists in general ignorance respecting

  it4 ,it was seen by none but his      
disciples2 it was without pomp or show4 
,of those who afterwards heard of it1   
numbers gave no credit to the  story4   
,and the only visible proof that it had 
taken place1 was the  effect which      
followed--the extraordinary out-pouring 
of the divine  influence4    ,and if we 
keep to the literal sense of the words1 
this is to be his  descent from heaven3 
,he is to come in like manner as ,he    
went up4 ,if1  then1 this be the case1  
then such descent will be an occurrence 
unknown  to the generality of mankind1  
or only known by its following effects4 
,it  will be unaccompanied by any       
destruction1 and even by any commotion  
in  the realm of material nature4 ,and  
many of those who hear of it may be     
expected to deny it1 according to his   
own words3 ,when the ,son of ,man       
cometh shall ,he find faith on the      
earth8    ,such1 according to the       
passage before us must be the manner of 
his  ,second ,coming3 but let us1 if we 

can1 reconcile this with the former     
descriptions4 ,in the one case all      
nature is to be destroyed2 in the  other
 it is to remain unshaken4 ,in the      
former instance ,he is said to  descend 
with thousands of angels2 in the latter1
 to come unattended4 ,by  the first     
description1 ,he is to be seen visibly  
by all2 in the second1  ,he will be     
invisible to all except his followers4  
,the two accounts thus  stand in direct 
contradiction to each other4 ,if ,he    
comes again in the  same manner that ,he
 ascended1 then the former passages     
cannot be  literally understood3 or if  
,he comes literally in the manner they  
describe1 the passage before us cannot  
be true4    ,i might here1 as in the    
former case1 go through every passage1  
and show  that each of them contains    
within itself accounts which are        
inconsistent  with those of the others3 
in one it is said that the ,lord shall  
descend  from heaven in flaming fire3 in
 another1 in the clouds3 in a third1 on 

a  great white throne4 ,in one it is    
declared that1 before his face the      
earth and the heaven shall flee away1   
and their place be no more found3  in a 
second1 that after ,his coming the      
departed shall rise from the  earth1 and
 the grave and the sea give up their    
dead2 consequently1 if  the latter part 
be true1 the earth will not pass away at
 the time of ,his  descent4 ,in the     
whole there are inconsistencies which   
science1 according  to the literal      
meaning1 may disguise1 but can never    
reconcile4    ,we now turn to the       
consideration of other passages which1  
taken even in  their literal sense1     
militate strongly against the doctrine  
in dispute4  ,after the destruction of  
the antediluvian earth by the flood1    
,jehovah  affirmed1 ,i will not again   
curse the ground any more1 though the   
imagination of man's heart is evil from 
his youth2 neither will ,i again  smite 
any more every living thing as ,i have  
done4 ,this curse which  the ,lord is   

here inferred to have pronounced upon   
the former world1 in  whatever sense the
 terms be taken1 was accomplished in its
 destruction2  and the end of that world
 by a flood of waters1 completed its    
fulfillment4 ,the curse of the ,lord1   
therefore1 when pronounced upon the     
earth1 leads to its dissolution4 ,but   
,god ,himself affirms that ,he will  not
 thus curse the ground any more1--that  
,he will not again suffer it to  be     
destroyed1 neither will ,he again smite 
everything living4 ,the  declaration is 
absolute4 ,it is not said that ,he will 
refrain from it  during a limited       
period1 but that ,he will not do it any 
more--to all  eternity4 ,yet if the     
commonly received doctrine be correct1  
this  declaration of ,jehovah must be   
untrue4 ,if again everything living is  
to be smitten1--if again the earth is to
 be cursed with destruction as          
complete1 if not more so than the former
 one2 then it cannot be true  that every
 living thing is not again to be        

smitten1 nor the earth  again to be     
cursed4 ,in this instance the literal   
proofs clash with the  solemn           
declaration of ,god4    ,if1 however1 it
 be objected that these words refer not 
so much to the  destruction of the      
globe1 as to the mode of that event1 ,i 
reply that  no such qualifying language 
is found in the text4 ,the words are    
general2  they are not ,i will not again
 curse the earth with water1 but ,i will
  not curse the ground1--,i will not    
destroy the earth any more1 either  in  
this way or in any other4 ,i will not   
smite any more everything  living as ,i 
have now done1 by an universal          
destruction4 ,and1 in fact1  the promise
 that a flood should no more destroy the
 world1 would have  afforded little     
consolation to ,noah1 had he understood 
that another  destruction more awful    
than the former1 was approaching1 in    
which not  this world only1 but the     
whole universe would perish2 and when   
not the  greater part1 but all things   

living1 would be destroyed1 without the 
preservation even of a remnant4 ,the    
flood is certainly in the following     
chapter referred to particularly as the 
more recent danger1 and a  repetition of
 which would be most dreaded by the     
survivors2 but the very  same           
declaration of ,jehovah1 which          
interdicts a flood of waters1 equally   
interdicts any other entire             
destruction3--,i will not in any way    
curse  the ground any more4    ,there is
 another subject upon which ,i must     
touch1 but very briefly1  since the     
arguments arising out of it might be    
carried to a length far  exceeding my   
prescribed limits4 ,the prophetic       
writings abound with  descriptions of   
what is called the kingdom of ,david3--a
 kingdom which  was to arise in the     
latter day1 and upon which every        
blessing of heaven  was to descend4 ,in 
those days1 says the prophet ,amos1 ,i  
will raise up  the tabernacle of ,david 
that is fallen1 and close up the        

breaches  thereof2 and ,i will raise up 
his ruins1 and ,i will build it as in   
the  days of old4 ix4 ,and in the days  
of these kings 7that is1 literally1  in 
the latter times of the ,roman power17  
shall the ,god of heaven set up  a      
kingdom which shall never be destroyed1 
and the kingdom shall not be  left to   
other people2 but it shall break in     
pieces1 and consume all  these kingdoms1
 and it shall stand for ever4 ,dan4 ii4 
#dd4 ,again1 the  same prophet3 ,i saw  
in the night visions1 and behold one    
like unto the  ,son of ,man came with   
the clouds of heaven1 and came to the   
ancient of  days1 and they brought him  
near before him4 ,and there was given   
him  dominion and glory and a kingdom1  
that all people1 nations1 and  languages
 should serve him3 his dominion is an   
everlasting dominion1  which shall not  
pass away2 and his kingdom1 that which  
shall not be  destroyed4 ,that these    
descriptions refer to the ,redeemer1 is 
evident4  ,isaiah when predicting his   

approach1 and the establishment of his  
kingdom1 says1 ,of the increase of his  
government and peace there shall  be no 
end upon the throne of ,david1 and upon 
his kingdom to order it and  to         
establish it with judgment and with     
justice from henceforth even for  ever4 
ix4 #g4    ,now the question is1 to what
 authority or kingdom do these          
predictions  refer8 ,that it is not to  
the general government of ,god1 is      
clear1--this  had existed from eternity2
 but the dominion spoken of1 was to     
commence  at a definite period of       
time1--at that time1 and in the days of 
those  kings4 ,the general subjection of
 all things to the ,divine ,being1 is   
also something arising out of his very  
nature1 and is neither given nor        
acquired2 but this was something to be  
acquired4 ,the ,lord ,god shall  give   
unto him the throne of his father       
,david3--,the saints of the  ,most ,high
 shall take the kingdom4 ,nor can it    
refer to the kingdom of  the just in    

glory1 for the descriptions are such as 
can only apply to  the state of men on  
earth4 ,he shall feed his flock like a  
shepherd2 ,he  shall gather the lambs   
with ,his arm1 and carry them in ,his   
bosom4 ,isa4  xl4 #aa4 ,i will set up   
one shepherd over them1 and he shall    
feed them1  even my servant ,david4 ,if1
 therefore1 this kingdom be neither the 
general dominion over all1 nor the state
 of the righteous in eternity1  it can  
only relate to the kingdom of the church
 on earth4 ,and that it  does so1 is    
plain from the very terms used4 ,david  
is1 by almost all  professed            
,christians1 acknowledged to have been a
 type and  representative of the        
,messiah2 and the ,jewish nation over   
whom he  reigned1 most certainly        
prefigured the ,christian church3 the   
throne of  ,david is therefore the      
authority of the ,lord in his church on 
earth1 and  his kingdom is that church  
itself4 ,now this kingdom and this      
throne1--this church and authority are  

everlasting2 they shall never  be       
destroyed2 they shall not pass away2    
they shall stand for ever4  ,but if the 
earth on which this church exists1 is   
hereafter to dissolve  and pass away1   
the kingdom must pass away with it4 ,for
 though it is true  that the just in    
heaven would still constitute a kingdom 
of the ,lord1  yet that kingdom would no
 longer be the kingdom of ,david4 ,the  
very  declaration that the kingdom of   
the ,lord on earth will never be        
destroyed1 supposes as a necessary      
consequence1 that the earth on which  it
 is erected will also continue to exist4
    ,in agreement with this are the     
words heard by ,john2 ,there were great 
voices in heaven1 saying1 the kingdoms  
of this world are become the  kingdoms  
of our ,lord1 and of his ,christ1 and   
,he shall reign for ever  and ever4     
,rev4 xi4 #ae4 ,and over what is ,he    
thus to reign8 ,most  certainly over the
 kingdoms which ,he is here said to have
 obtained--the  kingdoms of this world2 

and over these ,he is to reign for ever 
and  ever4 ,but how is ,he to reign for 
ever over the kingdoms of the world1  if
 the world and its kingdoms are to be   
destroyed8 ,whenever the earth is       
dissolved1 the kingdoms of the world    
will be no more2 and he cannot  reign   
over that which has no existence6 ,if1  
then1 the world and its  kingdoms are to
 be destroyed1 ,he can never reign for  
ever over them3  or if ,he will thus    
reign for ever over the kingdoms of the 
world1 then  those kingdoms must exist  
for ever2 and if the kingdoms exist for 
ever1 the world on which they are       
founded must exist for ever with  them4 
,and exactly in accordance with this    
assertion are the words of the          
,psalmist3 ,he 7the ,lord7 built his    
sanctuary in high places1 like the      
earth which ,he hath established for    
ever4 ,and those of  ,solomon3--,one    
generation passeth away1 and another    
cometh1 but the  earth abideth for ever4
 ,the same is declared of the heavens3  

,his name  shall endure for ever2 ,his  
name shall be continued as long as the  
sun4 ,psalm lxxii4 #ag4 ,his seed shall 
endure for ever1 and his  throne as the 
sun before me2 it shall be established  
for ever as the  moon1 and as a faithful
 witness in heaven4 lxxxix4 #cf4        
,nothing can be more directly opposed to
 the common opinion than these  explicit
 declarations of the ,bible4 ,it is     
certain that these passages  refer to   
the visible earth and to the material   
heaven2 and these it is  expressly      
declared are to continue not for a      
limited time1 but for ever3  while in   
the passages adduced to prove the       
opposite1 we are left to  struggle among
 difficulties1 without any certainty    
that the visible  earth is at all       
intended1 since even those commentators 
who believe the  tenet are compelled1 in
 most instances1 to abandon the proofs  
of it4    ,i have now established1 as   
far as is necessary1 my second          
proposition4 ,i  have shown that the    

literal sense of the passages brought   
forward to  confirm the doctrine of the 
earth's destruction1 are inconsistent   
with  each other1 as well as with other 
parts of the ,sacred ,volume2 and       
therefore1 that such literal meaning    
cannot be the true one4 ,i have  shown  
that the words of ,jehovah assert that  
the world shall not be  smitten any     
more4 ,i have further shown that the    
duration of the kingdom  of ,god1 runs  
parallel with that of the visible world1
 and that therefore  both must endure   
for ever4 ,and lastly1 that the sacred  
writers declare  in explicit language   
the endless duration both of the earth  
and the  heavens4    #c4 ,i now proceed 
to consider the third part of the       
subject3 that the  passages brought     
forward1 when taken in their proper     
connexion1 give no  countenance to the  
popular doctrine1 but on the contrary1  
afford evident  proofs that they have no
 reference to it4 ,in doing this1 ,i    
shall adduce  them one by one in the    

order they are laid down4 ,and first1   
the passage  in the ,gospel of ,matthew3
 ,immediately after the tribulation of  
those  days the sun shall be darkened1  
and the moon shall not give her light1  
and the stars shall fall from heaven1   
and the powers of the heavens  shall be 
shaken4 ,and then shall appear the sign 
of the ,son of ,man coming  in the      
clouds of heaven2 and then shall all the
 tribes of the earth  mourn when they   
see the ,son of ,man coming in the      
clouds of heaven with  power and great  
glory4    ,i have already noticed the   
inconsistencies which arise from        
adopting the  literal meaning of the    
passage2 and ,i now remark further1 that
 in their  literal and obvious          
application1 the words refer not to any 
destruction  of the world in general1   
but to the approaching overthrow of the 
,jewish  nation and polity4 ,i admit    
that they have a spiritual reference to 
the  state of the ,christian church of  
which the ,jews were a type2 but of this

  we shall speak hereafter4 ,it is with 
the literal meaning we have now to  do1 
since on the literal meaning the        
doctrine is founded4#e    ,our ,lord had
 been addressing the multitude in the   
temple2 and in that  address ,he had    
solemnly warned them of their           
approaching danger4 ,on his  departure1 
his followers pointed to its stately and
 magnificent  buildings2 and ,he again  
seized the opportunity to repeat to them
 the  prediction of its final           
destruction4 ,naturally anxious to learn
 the fate  of their country1 and1       
perhaps1 too uneasy on their own        
account1 they  came to ,him privately   
and asked1 ,when shall these things be8 
and what  shall be the sign of thy      
coming1 and of the consummation of the  
age8#f--that is1 the period of the      
,jewish government and religion4 ,in    
reply1 ,he delivered the splendid       
prophecy before us2 first warning them  
against those pretenders to             
,messiahship1 who1 soon after ,his      

ascension1  overrun the land of ,judea2 
and then going on to describe the       
miseries  which were coming upon the    
,jews1 and the final overthrow of their 
temple  and city2--,he delivers to them 
this prediction1 not in the common      
language of narrative1 but1 in the      
magnificent figures of the ancient      
prophecy4 ,a method of speaking which1  
while it pointed out the mutation  of   
earthly things1 had a further reference 
to things spiritual4 ,and thus  while   
,he pointed out the overthrow of the    
,jewish power1 ,he referred  likewise to
 the degraded state and corruption of   
the ,christian  church1--the spiritual  
,jerusalem1--when1 having lost its love 
or  charity1 it sunk down into a state  
of formal observance as lifeless as  the
 departed spirit of ,judaism4    ,in    
neither of these senses1 however1 does  
the passage point to any  destruction of
 the visible universe4 ,if we take it in
 its outward  reference to the ,jewish  
nation1 then the darkening of the sun   

and the  withdrawing of the moon1       
together with the other parts of the    
description1 can only be representative 
images of their multiplied  distresses4 
,this view of the subject is taken by   
most of those who have  commented on the
 words4 ,the sun shall be darkened1 that
 is1 7says  one17 all their glory and   
excellency shall be eclipsed2 all their 
wealth  and prosperity shall be laid    
waste2--the whole government1 civil and 
ecclesiastical1 shall be destroyed2 and 
such marks of misery found upon  them1  
as never were seen upon a people4#g ,but
 among the believers of  the tenet in   
dispute1 we presume there is not one    
more highly celebrated  for learning    
than ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke2 yet he1 in     
commenting upon this  passage1 gives up 
all idea of a literal destruction4 ,the 
following is  the doctor's explanation3 
',immediately after the                 
tribulation4'--,commentators generally  
understand  this and what follows1 of   
the end of the world and ,christ's      

coming to  judgment4 ,but the word      
immediately shows that our ,lord is not 
speaking  of any distant event1 but of  
something immediately consequent on     
calamities already predicted2 and that  
must be the destruction of  ,jerusalem4 
,the ,jewish heaven shall perish and the
 sun and moon of  its glory and         
happiness shall be darkened1--brought to
 nothing4 ,the sun  is the religion of  
the church2 the moon the government of  
the state2  and the stars are the judges
 and doctors of both4 ,in the prophetic 
language1 great commotions upon earth   
are often represented under the  notion 
of commotions and changes in the        
heavens4 ,the fall of ,babylon is  thus 
represented by the constellations of    
heaven withdrawing their  light1 and the
 sun and the moon being darkened3--the  
destruction of  ,egypt by the heaven    
being covered1 the sun enveloped with a 
cloud1 and  the moon withholding her    
light3 the destruction of the ,jews by  
,antiochus  ,epiphanes1 is represented  

by casting down some of the host of     
heaven  and the stars to the ground4    
,and this very destruction of ,jerusalem
 is  represented by the prophet ,joel1  
by showing wonders in heaven and in     
earth1--darkening the sun1 and turning  
the moon into blood4 ,this  general mode
 of describing these judgments1 leaves  
no room to doubt the  propriety of its  
application in the present case4        
7,commentary on  ,matthew47    ,thus1 in
 the hands of one of the most learned   
advocates of the doctrine1  does one of 
its principal proofs vanish into air4   
,according to his  showing1 there is    
nothing in the whole passage referring  
at all either  to the material earth1 or
 the visible heavens2 and the whole is a
  figurative account of the overthrow of
 the religion and government of  the    
,jews1--the sun and moon of the ,jewish 
heaven4 ,we might  follow the doctor    
through the whole chapter1 and show that
 in almost  every point he confirms what
 has been formerly advanced4 ,the sign  

of  the ,son of ,man was1 7he says17 the
 signal manifestation of ,christ's      
power and glory1 in the destruction of  
,jerusalem4 ,the angels sent  forth to  
gather the elect1 the apostles and their
 successors in the  ,christian ministry4
 ,the sound of a trumpet1 the earnest   
affectionate  call of the ,gospel3 and  
the elect1 the ,gentiles who were now   
chosen or elected1 in place of the      
rebellious obstinate ,jews4 ,in the     
same manner he explains the whole of    
this and the following chapter2 and  in 
the latter declares that the whole of   
the accounts up to the  thirty-first    
verse1 may be properly applied to the   
destruction of  ,jerusalem4 ,and here we
 may leave him2 for if there is nothing 
from the  first verse of the            
twenty-fourth chapter1 to the           
thirty-first verse of  the twenty-fifth1
 which relates to the destruction of the
 world1 surely  nothing respecting it   
will be found in the remainder4    ,thus
 does this passage1 so often brought    

forward to add to the terror of  the    
world's dissolution1 which has been     
sounded forth from pulpits and          
re-echoed from the press1 when calmly   
examined1 prove to have no  connexion   
with the subject3 but to refer to an    
event as different from  the general    
conflagration1 as light from darkness4  
,but some may be ready to say1 ,although
 it has not this reference in its       
outward meaning1 yet you have already   
confessed that it relates to            
,christianity and the church2 and is not
 the doctrine contained in this         
internal application8 ,i answer1 no6    
,the doctrine only stands upon the      
supposition that the heavens and the    
earth referred to in the passage1  are  
the literal and visible portions of     
nature4 ,we have seen that in its       
relation to the ,jews1 no such things   
are intended2 still less1  therefore1   
can it point to these in its internal   
meaning4 ,as the sun  and moon in the   
literal application are1 7to use the    

words of ,dr4  ,clarke17 the sun and    
moon of the ,jewish heaven or state1 so 
in  spiritual reference1 they are the   
sun and moon of the ,christian  heaven1 
or state of the church2 and1 as pointing
 to spiritual principles  and spiritual 
states1 have nothing to do with the     
outward machinery of  nature4 ,as no    
destruction of the world1 then1 can be  
found in the  internal sense of the     
prophecy1 it is confessed1 even by the  
advocates  of the doctrine1 that there  
is nothing respecting it in the outward 
sense4 ,and if nothing is found relating
 to it either in the spiritual  or      
literal meaning of the words1 then it is
 not there at all2 and  the passage as a
 proof of the dissolution of all things1
 must be  abandoned for ever4#h    ,the 
next passage which claims attention1 is 
that in the sixth chapter of  the       
,revelation2 for the words in the first 
chapter being those of the  apostle     
previous to his prophetic visions1 may  
be classed among the  apostolic passages

 of which we shall speak hereafter4 ,the
 text before us  reads3 ,and ,i beheld  
when he had opened the sixth seal1 and  
lo1 there  was a great earthquake2 and  
the sun became black as sackcloth of    
hair1  and the moon became as blood1 and
 the stars of heaven fell unto the      
earth1 even as a fig-tree casteth her   
untimely figs1 when she is shaken  of a 
mighty wind3 and the heaven departed as 
a scroll when it is rolled  together1   
and every mountain and island were moved
 out of their places4  ,in this part of 
the subject ,i say nothing of the       
evidently figurative  nature of the     
passage1 nor of the absurdities before  
alluded to1 as  existing in the sense of
 the letter2 but ,i shall make one      
remark obvious  to the minds of all1 and
 borne out by the connexion of the words
  themselves4 ,the vision of the seals  
7as well as that of the vials17 is  one 
continued prophecy1 which is not        
concluded until the breaking of the     
seventh seal in the eighth chapter4 ,now

 the events above described1  whether   
representative or literal1 happen under 
the sixth seal2 yet  the descriptions of
 the seventh as well as those of the    
others1 refer  to events which were to  
occur in the church and on this visible 
earth4  ,the sealing of the hundred and 
forty-four thousand1--the prohibition of
  the wind to blow on the earth1--the   
seven trumpets and their  consequences1 
evidently relate to states of the church
 in this world2  yet all these things   
which were to be transacted in the      
visible world1  happen after the        
description above quoted4    ,if1 then1 
various and multiplied events are       
described as occurring on  the earth1   
after the heavens had departed like a   
scroll1 and the  islands were moved out 
of their places1 nothing can be more    
clear than  that the destruction of the 
earth is not here alluded to2 for if the
  world is to be destroyed under the    
sixth seal1 then no events can  happen  
upon it under the seventh1 since it will

 then have no  existence2 but as such   
events are described as passing in the  
world  under the seventh seal1 then that
 world cannot previously be destroyed   
under the sixth seal4    ,and in this   
opinion we are1 as before1 supported by 
the advocates of the  doctrine          
themselves4 ,the sealing of the tribes  
is almost universally  acknowledged to  
signify the preservation of the church1 
under those  heavy and forthcoming      
calamities represented by the effects of
 the seven  trumpets4 ,and as this      
preservation1 and these calamities1     
occur after  the darkening of the sun1  
and the falling of the stars1 the latter
 event  is generally supposed to        
prefigure 7not the destruction of       
visible  nature1 but7 some great change 
in the political or religious           
constitution of the world4 ,the precise 
period to which this change is to  be   
referred1 has1 however1 divided the     
opinions of the learned4 ,some  apply it
 altogether to the ,jews1 and suppose   

that their destruction in  ,judea and at
 ,jerusalem was so dismal that it was   
represented to ,john as  the darkening  
of the sun1 and the moon looking like   
blood1 and the stars  falling4 ,others  
apply it to the overthrow of ,paganism  
and the  destruction of the heathen     
emperors2 and accordingly by the earth  
quaking1--the sun becoming black1--the  
moon becoming blood1 and the  stars     
falling from heaven to earth1 is to be  
understood the great  changes that were 
made in the ,roman empire by the        
overturning of the  ,pagan state4       
,others again apply it to the great and 
horrible confusion  of the ,christian   
world under ,antichrist1 when ,christ   
the ,sun of  ,righteousness began to be 
obscured2 that is1 his doctrine         
darkened1--the  moon or church turned   
into blood1--the stars or pastors fallen
 from  heavenly offices1 the            
,scriptures1 like the heavens rolled up1
 forbidden  to be read1 the mountains1  
7king and princes7 in jeopardy1--and the

  islands brought under ,antichrist's   
yoke and tyranny4 ,very few venture  to 
apply it to what is commonly called the 
end of the world2 and none  can do it   
without charging the apostle with       
inconsistency1 by affirming  that it    
shall take place at a definite period of
 time2 and then speaking  of events that
 are to occur in the world after that   
time1 that is1  after the world shall   
have been destroyed6    ,on this passage
 the commentator whom we have already   
quoted observes1    ,a great earthquake1
 that is1 a most stupendous change in   
the civil  and religious constitution of
 the world4 ,the sun--the ancient ,pagan
  government of the ,roman empire1 was  
totally darkened2 and like a  black hair
 sackcloth1 was degraded and humbled to 
the dust4 ,the  moon--the ecclesiastical
 state of the same empire1 become as    
blood1  was totally ruined2 their sacred
 rites abrogated2 their priests and     
religious institutions desecrated2 their
 altars cast down2 their temples        

destroyed1 or turned into places of     
,christian worship4 ,the stars of       
heaven--the gods and goddesses1         
demi-gods and deified heroes1 of their  
poetical and mythological heaven1       
prostrated indiscriminately1 and lay  as
 useless as the figs or fruit of a tree 
shaken down before ripe by a            
tempestuous wind4 ,and the heaven       
departed as a scroll4 ,the whole  system
 of ,pagan and idolatrous worship1 with 
all its spiritual1 secular1  and        
superstitious influence1 blasted1       
shriveled up1 and rendered null  and    
void as a parchment scroll when exposed 
to the action of a strong  fire4 ,and   
every mountain--all the props1 supports1
 and dependencies of  the empire2       
whether regal allies1 tributary kings1  
dependent colonies1  or mercenary       
troops1 were all moved out of their     
places1 so as to stand  no longer in the
 same relation to that empire and its   
worship1 support1  and maintenance1 as  
they formerly did4 ,and island3--,the   

heathen  temples1 with their precincts  
and inclosures1 cut off from the common 
people1 may be here represented by      
islands4#i    ,like the former passage1 
therefore1 this is rendered nugatory as 
a proof  of the dissolution of the      
universe2 and rendered so1 too1 by the  
admission of its friends4 ,as that      
referred to the ,jewish heaven which    
passed away at the destruction of the   
city of ,jerusalem1 so this is  affirmed
 to apply to the mythological heaven of 
the ,pagans1 which was  dissolved at the
 conversion of ,constantine to          
,christianity2 and to have  no allusion 
to the system of material nature4 ,here 
are two of the  strongest passages      
thrown aside as useless in the          
controversy2 and we  shall quickly      
perceive that1 when closely examined1   
the advocates of the  doctrine equally  
cast off1 if not the whole1 at least the
 greater part1  of the remainder4       
,indeed1 as ,i have already remarked1   
the connexion of the passage is such  as

 will by no means admit of any literal  
burning of the earth2 so that1  even    
though its inapplicability to the       
subject had not been allowed1  yet would
 the inconsistency attendant on such a  
meaning1 have pleaded  loudly for its   
rejection4    ,we pass now to consider  
the next proof1 which occurs in the     
twentieth  chapter of the same book3    
,and ,i saw a great white throne and    
,him that  sat on it1 from whose face   
the earth and the heaven fled away1 and 
there  was found no place for them4 ,and
 ,i saw the dead small and great stand  
before ,god2 and the books were opened1 
etc4 ,in connection with this  stands   
the first verse of the twenty-first     
chapter3 ,and ,i saw a new  heaven and a
 new earth2 for the first heaven and the
 first earth were  passed away1 and     
there was no more sea4    ,upon this    
passage we may repeat the remark which  
we applied to the  foregoing3 that the  
events which follow this descent of the 
,saviour1 and  which are stated as its  

consequences1 are such as apply only to 
the  church of ,god on earth2 and that1 
therefore1 the words before us cannot   
point to any dissolution of the         
universe4 ,the immediate effects of the 
passing away of the heaven and the      
earth1 are the formation of a new       
heaven and a new earth1 and the descent 
of the holy city ,new  ,jerusalem4 ,this
 latter event the celebrated ,dr4       
,hammond declares cannot  refer to the  
state of glorified saints in heaven1 but
 must signify some  peculiar benefit    
bestowed upon the church on earth4 ,the 
expression  descending out of heaven    
from ,god1 at once determines its       
reference to  a state of things below2  
and it no doubt relates to the          
restoration of  ,christianity to its    
primitive purity4 ,in the very same     
manner does ,dr4  ,clarke explain the   
passage1 though he evidently betrays a  
wish to find  within it a proof of the  
dissolution of all things4 ,the ,new    
,jerusalem1  says he1 doubtless means   

the ,christian church in a state of     
great  prosperity and purity3 and       
alluding to the description given of    
her1 he  observes1 that it has been most
 injudiciously applied to heaven4  ,if1 
then1 the consequence of the passing    
away of the first heaven is to  usher in
 7not eternal glory1 but7 a prosperous  
state of the church on  earth1 it must  
follow in course that such a passing    
away of the heavens  must refer to a    
change and alteration in the church1 and
 not in the  natural world2--to the     
conclusion and departure of a state of  
darkness1  and the commencement of a new
 state of light and affection4 ,as the  
former ,jewish heaven of types and      
shadows departed at the first coming  of
 the ,,son ,,of ,,god1 and as the       
mythological heaven of ,paganism was    
shriveled up at the triumph of the      
,gospel1 so must the modern  ,christian 
heaven of ignorance and evil pass away  
at the ,second ,coming  of the ,,son    
,,of ,,man2 and to it will succeed a new

 heaven of purity and  peace4    ,in    
this application of the passage1 we are 
supported by the explanation  of the    
above commentators4 ,they agree in      
defining heaven and earth  figuratively1
 to mean the state of the world and of  
the church2--of the  ,jewish world1 when
 applied to the ,jews2--of the ,pagan   
world1 when  applied to the ,heathen3   
and by the self-same mode of            
interpretation1 we  are justified in    
applying it to the ,christian world in  
its reference  to ,christians4 ,in no   
case can it be explained of the visible 
world of  matter2 for the passages being
 acknowledged to be figurative1 it must1
  as in the other instances1 bear the   
figurative meaning4    ,having thus     
noticed the only two texts in the       
,revelations1 which seem1  in the least1
 to bear upon the subject1 ,i may be    
allowed again to repeat  my surprise1   
that persons should be found attempting 
to support a  doctrine by the literal   
sense of this book4 ,those among the    

advocates of  the popular belief1 who   
have most carefully studied the         
prophecy1  protest their ignorance of   
its meaning and application4 ,i cannot  
pretend to explain the book1 says the   
writer above quoted2 ,i do not          
understand it4 ,i repeat it1 ,i do not  
understand the book2 and ,i am          
satisfied1 that not one who has written 
on the subject1 knows anything  more of 
it than myself4--,what the prophecies   
mean1 and when and how  they are to be  
fulfilled1 ,god in heaven alone knows4  
,it is termed a  ,revelation2 but it is 
a revelation of symbols2--an exhibition 
of  enigmas1 to which no particular     
solution is given2 and to which ,god    
alone can give the solution4 ,to pretend
 to say1 7observes ,calmet17  what this 
new heaven and new earth mean1 and what 
are their ornaments  and qualities1 is1 
in my opinion1 the greatest of all      
presumptions4  ,yet1 into this          
presumption do the generality of        
,christians fall1 who1  amidst this     

candid confession of learned ignorance1 
bring forth with the  greatest          
confidence the literal sense of the     
book1 to support a doctrine  which      
length of time has seemed to render     
sacred4    ,the words of the apostles   
now demand our attention2 and with      
respect to  these we notice a fact which
 is necessary to the proper             
understanding of  their ideas2 that is1 
that the apostles were themselves       
ignorant both of  the time when1 and the
 manner how1 the second coming of the   
,lord would  be accomplished2 and that  
they have1 therefore1 when speaking upon
 this  subject1 carefully abstained from
 giving any opinion of their own1       
confining themselves entirely to the    
words of the ,saviour1 or  paraphrasing 
them without altering the symbolic      
images4    ,this circumstance in no     
degree detracts from that extraordinary 
illumination with which the apostles    
were endowed4 ,they were men raised  up 
by ,god1 and filled with the ,divine    

influence1 in order that they  might    
propagate in the world1 and among all   
nations1 the religion of  ,christ2 but  
it does not appear that among the       
supernatural gifts which  they received1
 the gift of prophecy was included1     
except in the case  of the apostle      
,john4 ,yet1 even if we allow1 for the  
sake of argument1  that they did possess
 this gift1 it would by no means follow 
that they  perfectly understood their   
own predictions4 ,it is the peculiar    
nature of  prophecy1 that its proper    
meaning is not known until the time of  
its  fulfillment2 and this was          
especially the case with the ,jewish    
writers  who foretold the first advent  
of the ,saviour4 ,although their        
predictions  seem now so clear and      
strong1 yet both the prophets themselves
 and their  followers1 were at the time 
ignorant of their precise meaning2 and  
hence  arose the absurd notions which   
the ,jews entertained of a temporal     
salvation and an earthly ,saviour4 ,the 

gift of prophecy was1 therefore1  except
 in very rare instances1 accompanied by 
entire ignorance of the  manner of its  
fulfillment4 ,it does not1 however1     
appear that this gift  was bestowed in  
general upon the apostles2 their        
knowledge of the second  coming of the  
,saviour was derived entirely from the  
words of the  ,saviour2 and of the      
express meaning of these words1 as      
referring to a  future event1 they were 
completely ignorant4 ,in quoting his    
prediction  they1 therefore1 seem to    
have held a persuasion that this second 
coming  was very speedily to be         
accomplished4 ,thus they speak of the   
day of the  ,lord as at hand1--of the   
,judge standing at the door3 and ,paul1 
in  particular1 seems to have believed  
that some of the ,christians of that    
day1 if not himself among them1 would   
live to see its approach4    ,whether   
this latter opinion be true or not1     
certain it is that the words  of the    
apostles had such an effect upon the    

first ,christians1 that they  were in   
momentary expectation of the appearance 
of the ,lord4 ,during the  first nine   
centuries after his ascension1 a general
 idea prevailed that  his second coming 
would speedily take place2 and when1    
after waiting  nine hundred years1 they 
found their expectations disappointed1  
they  still looked to the one thousandth
 year to usher in this great event2  and
 so powerfully did this opinion operate 
upon the world1 that rich and  poor     
flocked in great numbers to the ,holy   
,land1 there to await his  appearance4  
,the wealthy sold their possessions1 or 
gave them away to  charitable           
institutions2 kings quitted their       
thrones1 and subjects their  employment1
 under the impression that the end of   
all things was at  hand1 and that the   
world was of no further value4 ,such1   
then1 was the  effect of a              
misapplication of prophetic language2   
and though nearly  nineteen hundred     
years have gone by1 yet are the         

,christian churches  still following in 
the steps of their predecessors1 holding
 the literal  sense of the ,word in     
defiance of reason1 and looking for the 
,lord's  personal appearance in the     
clouds of heaven1 though common sense   
proclaims its improbability4    ,but to 
return4 ,from a comparison of the       
descriptions of the apostles  with the  
predictions of the ,lord1 it is easy to 
perceive whence they  quoted4 ,in many  
instances the two accounts are almost   
word for word the  same2 in others they 
are enlarged2 but in none is the        
connexion of  events1 or the prophetic  
symbols1 disturbed4 ,the day of the     
,lord 7says  ,peter17 shall come as a   
thief in the night1 in which the heavens
 shall  pass away with a great noise4   
,here it is easy to perceive whence the 
words of the apostle were drawn2 for we 
have only to compare them with  those of
 our ,lord1 to be convinced that it was 
from these the  description is taken4   
,heaven and earth 7says the ,saviour7   

shall pass  away1 but my words shall not
 pass away4 ,know this1 that if the good
  man of the house had known at what    
hour the thief would come1 he would     
have watched1 and not have suffered his 
house to be broken through4  ,again1    
,paul declares1 ,the ,lord ,himself     
shall descend from heaven with a  shout1
 with the voice of the archangel and the
 trump of ,god2 and the  dead in ,christ
 shall rise first4 ,here1 too1 the      
prophecy is quoted from  the ,saviour's 
declaration3 ,he shall send his angels  
with a great  sound of a trumpet1 and   
they shall gather together his elect    
from the  four winds1 from one end of   
heaven to the other4 ,once more the     
,apostle  ,john says3 ,behold1 he cometh
 with clouds2 and every eye shall see   
him1 even they that pierced ,him2 and   
all the tribes of the earth shall  wail 
because of ,him3 where the allusion is  
to these words3 ,then shall  appear the 
sign of the coming of the ,son of ,man  
in heaven2 and then  shall all the      

tribes of the earth mourn1 when they see
 the ,son of  ,man coming in the clouds 
of heaven1 with power and great glory4  
,behold1 7says the ,lord7 ,i stand at   
the door and knock2 ,behold1  says the  
apostle1 echoing the ,saviour's words1  
the ,judge standeth at  the door4    ,it
 would exceed my present limits to enter
 fully into this subject4  ,suffice to  
say1 that in most passages the reference
 to our ,lord's  predictions may be     
plainly discerned2 and in all the       
prophetic  representatives are retained3
 ,the sun1--the moon1--the stars1--the  
earth1--the heavens1 darkness1          
dissolution1 and fire--the very images  
which are used by the ,saviour1 are     
likewise used by the apostles1 and      
used1 too1 with a reference to the same 
period--the last days of the  ,christian
 church4 ,if these images1 when used by 
the prophets and by the  ,redeemer1 are 
figurative1 then1 as the same images    
applied to the  same period1 they are   
figurative when employed by the         

apostles4 ,or1 if  the dissolution and  
burning of the earth described by the   
latter are  literal facts1 then the     
burning of the earth and its dissolution
  described by the former1 are literal  
facts likewise2 for the same  images    
applied to the same period1 must have   
the same meaning4    ,if1 then1 these   
observations be correct1 and ,i see not 
how they can be  fairly                 
controverted2--if the apostles did not1 
except in one instance1  possess the    
power of foretelling future events1 and 
if their  descriptions of the second    
coming of the ,lord are gathered from   
his own  words1 or from the prophetic   
writings1 then we must judge of their   
meaning by that of the prophecies whence
 they are derived4 ,this is a  plain and
 self-evident conclusion4 ,if ,i quote  
the words of any writer1  the meaning of
 the quotation must be gathered from the
 works of that  writer2 and more        
especially if ,i quote for a similar    
purpose1 and  profess myself one of his 

disciples and admirers4 ,the passages1  
therefore1 which occur in the apostolic 
writings1 are by no means  decisive     
proofs of the doctrine in debate4 ,as   
quotations and paraphrases  of the      
,lord's words and those of the prophets1
 they must1 by every rule  of fair      
criticism1 have a similar meaning4 ,we  
have seen that the former  are1 by the  
acknowledgment of the most learned      
writers1 figurative and  correspondent2 
the just inference therefore is1 that   
the latter1 as  quotations and          
paraphrases of them1 must be figurative 
also4    #d4 ,the last part of our      
proposition comes now before us1 namely3
 that  the doctrine of the destruction  
of the universe is opposed to the end of
  creation1 and to the character of ,god
 as a ,being of unbounded love and      
infinite wisdom4 ,i may here be told of 
the tendency of matter to  dissolution2 
of its mutability and constant change2  
of the elements of  destruction which   
nature herself engenders2 and of all    

those by which  reason and science have 
sought to gloss over the popular tenet4 
,but the  mutability of nature is no    
proof of final dissolution4 ,mutability 
is  liability to change1 or a continual 
tendency to remove from one state to    
another4 ,whatever is changeable1 or    
whatever can experience alteration1  is1
 therefore1 mutable4 ,but this          
mutability attaches not to material     
nature alone1 but to all creation2 the  
highest archangel in the highest        
heaven1 as well as every spirit embodied
 on earth1 is a mutable  creature4 ,the 
state of glory in the eternal world1 as 
well as the state  of man below1 is a   
state of mutability1--a state in which  
there are  continual changes either for 
the better or the worse4 ,this will     
appear  plain if we consider that1      
whatever is immutable cannot be acted   
upon by  any higher power2 for the      
action of such a superior cause supposes
 a  corresponding effect and that effect
 supposes a change in the object  acted 

upon1 in one way or another2 and1       
consequently1 any object upon  which an 
effect can be produced1 must be a       
mutable or changeable object4  ,now1 in 
the case of angelic beings1 ,god1 the   
,first ,cause of their  existence1 is   
continually acting upon them by his love
 and wisdom1 and  thus raising them     
eternally in the scale of blessedness3  
such alteration  of their state from    
glory to glory is a change1--an effect  
produced upon  them by an ,almighty     
,cause2 and this effect is at once a    
proof that  angels themselves are       
mutable creatures1 or liable to change4 
,the same  may be said of the state of  
blessedness2 it is continually receiving
  fresh supplies of glory from the      
,fountain of life1 and is thus          
changing--becoming more and more        
blessed3 and it equally applies to  the 
spirit of man4 ,this1 like the mind1 is 
never at one stay2 nor1  perhaps1 does  
the state of the mind remain precisely  
the same for two  hours together4 ,the  

angels of heaven1 the state of the      
blessed1 the  spirit of man1 are all    
changeable4 ,god is the only immutable  
,being2  for ,he alone cannot be acted  
upon or changed by any higher power2 and
  hence it is one of his exclusive      
prerogatives to be without  variableness
 or shadow of turning4 ,if1 then1 the   
angelic hosts1 as well  as heaven       
itself1 are mutable1 while yet they     
endure for ever1 the  mutability of     
nature is no proof at all that she1 any 
more than the  former1 is approaching   
dissolution4    ,nature herself1 as one 
well observes1 effects her renovation   
from her  decay4 ,matter1 though        
decomposed and subjected to ten thousand
 changes1  loses none of its essential  
properties2 but continually assuming new
  forms1 gives variety to the world1    
without being at all altered from its   
original nature4 ,indeed1 it has been   
strongly asserted that there has  not   
been a particle of matter lost from the 
creation to the present  moment2 changed

 every particle may have been1 but still
 there is not one  wanting2 and if this 
be the case1 such continual change is no
 proof of  approaching destruction4     
,we are accustomed to look upon ,god as 
a ,being of infinite ,love2 and1        
perhaps1 at this stage of the subject it
 may be well to inquire1 what  motive   
induced the ,lord first to create the   
visible universe2 and what  was the end 
proposed in its creation4 ,in the breast
 of the ,divine ,being  there could     
exist but one motive from which creation
 could spring2 and  this was ,love4 ,but
 the ,love of ,god being infinite1 could
 only have  respect to an eternal work2 
hence the end of creation was to make as
  many beings as possible happy1 and    
this to all eternity4 ,in order to      
accomplish this1 infinite ,love clothing
 or embodying itself in  wisdom1 made   
the worlds4 ,according to the words of  
the apostle1 ,by  the ,word 7or the     
wisdom of ,god17 were the heavens made2 
intending these  as the habitations of  

rational beings1 who after having passed
 through a  short state of probation1   
might finally enter upon a spiritual    
state and  enjoy perfect happiness4 ,the
 wisdom of ,god1 being the manifestation
 of  his love1 in completing this work1 
arranged everything in the most  perfect
 order2 and accordingly every part of   
the universe is formed in  the manner   
best fitted to promote the end of its   
existence1--the  everlasting happiness  
of man4 ,in our own world1 where evil   
has produced  a corresponding change in 
outward things1 even that change itself 
is  good1 since1 while it reminds man of
 his corruption1 it leads him to  seek a
 better habitation4    ,thus far our    
assertions are easy of proof4 ,,god ,,is
 ,,love2--not merely  loving1 but       
,,love1 the ,spring and ,fountain of all
 derived existence4  ,and love1 even in 
its derivative form in the bosom of man1
 is an active  passion1 continually     
seeking for objects on whom to bestow   
its  affection4 ,as is the stream1 then1

 so is the fountain3 ,god being ,love in
  its ,infinite ,essence1 must ever have
 sought to form creatures capable of    
being rendered eternally happy2 and     
hence the motive that led to  creation4 
,but love always manifests itself in the
 understanding or  thought2 and by the  
thought is brought into outward action4 
,it is the  thought or wisdom of man in 
which his love first takes a definite   
form2  this serves it for a guide1 and  
directs its operations3 and so again is 
it with the ,being in whose image we are
 formed4 ,the manifestation of  infinite
 ,love1 is infinite ,wisdom2 and this   
brings the power into  outward act3 by  
infinite ,wisdom1 therefore1 as the     
acting form of  infinite ,love1 were    
rational beings and their varied        
habitations  created4 ,but this perfect 
wisdom can never produce anything unlike
  itself2 for1 as is the cause1 so is   
the effect2 hence the frame of  nature  
which that wisdom calls into being1 must
 be like itself1 the most  perfect and  

complete that could possibly exist4 ,the
 motive1 therefore1  which led to       
creation was ,love2 its cause1 ,wisdom2 
its end1  continued and eternal         
happiness4    ,and further1 as the love 
and wisdom of ,god once operated in     
bringing the  universe into existence1  
so from that period have they been      
unceasingly  employed in preserving the 
creatures which they formed2 for1 as the
  end of creation was the bringing of   
many souls into glory1 so1 to  the      
present1 has that end been answered by  
the constant exercise of the  ,divine   
protection over the universe of matter  
and its rational  inhabitants2 that the 
one might continue a fit habitation for 
the  creatures of ,god2 and that by the 
constant procreation of the human  race1
 a succession of men might be brought   
into being as candidates for            
everlasting glory4 ,but the expected    
dissolution of the universe1 and the    
end of human succession1 will at once   
put a stop to this infinite  design4    

,if1 after a certain number of persons  
have been born into the  world1 the     
procreation of man must end1 then the   
purpose of creation  cannot be infinite2
 for that which has reference to a      
certain number  and a definite period of
 time1 is not an infinite purpose2 and  
that  which is not an infinite purpose1 
is not the off-spring of infinite  love4
 ,or1 if the purpose of ,god in creation
 did spring from infinite  love1 then it
 must be an infinite purpose2 and if the
 purpose of  creation be infinite1 then 
it is not bounded by a few thousand     
years1  nor will it end with a few      
generations4    ,nor is the popular     
doctrine more consistent with the       
character of ,god  than with the        
infinity of his designs4 ,we have seen  
that love was the  cause of the world's 
creation2 but what motive1 ,i ask1 can  
lead to its  destruction8 ,there is     
nothing in the ,almighty contrary to    
love2  therefore1 if it is destroyed at 
all1 love must be still the motive4     

,but love never works except for the    
good of its creatures2 therefore1 if    
the universe is dissolved1 it must be   
because such dissolution will  confer a 
benefit upon mankind4 ,and the question 
then arises3 ,what  benefit can mankind 
derive from the destruction of this     
material world8  ,the answer of some    
will be ready4 ,the world they tell us1 
has been  changed by sin1 and it will be
 dissolved in order that it may be      
restored to its pristine glory and      
beauty2--that a new heaven and a new    
earth may spring from its ashes4 ,but   
does the change here supposed in  the   
constitution of the world1 require its  
dissolution8 ,when sin entered  into the
 universe1 and the mind of man was      
contaminated1 an immediate  and         
corresponding effect was produced upon  
the world of matter2 but the  production
 of that effect was not accompanied by a
 dissolution of the  material system2 it
 operated surely indeed1 but slowly1 and
 without any  outward destruction4 ,why1

 then1 should not the change from evil  
to good1  be effected in like manner as 
the change from good to evil8 ,when the 
earth is filled with the knowledge of   
the ,lord1--when all shall              
experimentally know ,him from the least 
even unto the greatest1--when  man is   
again restored to his former state of   
peace and purity1 a  corresponding      
change must once more take place in his 
material  habitation2 but that change   
requires no destruction of the world to 
effect it4 ,similar causes produce      
similar effects2 and as a change in  man
 from good to evil1 produced an         
alteration in the system of the  world1 
but without any dissolution1 so a change
 in the souls of men from  evil to good1
 must likewise produce an alteration in 
the earth1 but  without dissolution4    
,but this destruction1 it is said1 is to
 usher in a new heaven and new  earth4  
,we are1 therefore1 justified in asking1
 for what purpose is this  new material 
system created8 ,since it is believed   

that the succession of  man will cease  
with this earth1 why should another     
earth be formed8  ,is another race of   
men to be created8 ,this1 the strongest 
advocates of  the doctrine do not even  
suppose4 ,is it1 then1 to be the        
habitation of  the righteous of the     
present earth8 ,this1 it cannot be1 for 
the bodies  of the departed will no     
longer be material1 but spiritual2 and  
to  assert that a spiritual substance   
can dwell and walk on a material  earth1
 however pure that earth may be1 is to  
assert what every one sees  to be       
preposterous4 ,since1 then1 it will not 
suit the departed  righteous1 and       
another race is not to be formed1 why1  
we continue to  ask1 will this new earth
 be created8 ,here we are left          
completely in the  dark2 nor amidst all 
the reasoning of the advocates of the   
popular  doctrine1 can we find a single 
clue to direct us to an answer4    ,and 
here the former inquiry properly comes  
in4 ,since there is nothing in  the     

nature of ,god contrary to love1 and    
since that love only works for  the     
temporal or everlasting benefit of man1 
what motive can induce the  ,almighty to
 destroy this visible universe8 ,we have
 seen that the state  of mankind in time
 will not be improved by it2 for a      
change in the  constitution of the earth
 has been already1 and may again be1    
effected  without it3 and1 besides1     
whenever such an event takes place1 time
 and  the temporal existence of man will
 be no more3 and the eternal happiness  
of the blessed can in no degree be      
increased by an overthrow of material   
nature2 for when the spirit has left    
this sphere1 it has done with  matter1  
and no longer depends upon it for its   
feelings or its pleasures4  ,if1 then1  
such a dissolution of the earth as      
,christians in general look  for1 will  
neither benefit mankind in time nor in  
eternity1 then it is  contrary to the   
character of ,god that ,he should bring 
such an event to  pass2 for ,he never   

operates unless to effect some          
benevolent purpose2  and this will      
effect none1 either here or hereafter4  
,the same reasons which induced the     
,almighty to call the universe into     
existence1 will therefore induce ,him to
 continue its existence4 ,the  desire   
which ,he felt to make as many rational 
beings as possible happy1  led to       
creation4 ,the same feeling has         
preserved the world in existence  to the
 present moment4 ,and as ,god is        
unchangeable1 that desire must  operate 
as powerfully ten thousand ages hence1  
as it does now2 and the  operation of   
that desire must1 as a necessary        
consequence1 lead to the  preservation  
of this earth1 from which a succession  
of rational  creatures is to spring4    
,if1 then1 at a future period the world 
is  destroyed1 and the multiplication of
 the human race ceases1 it must be      
either because the ,lord is unable to   
save more1 or is unwilling to do  it4   
,the first supposition is impious1 and  

the other supposes a change in  the     
,almighty2 for then that desire which   
led to creation must have  ceased to    
exist in the ,divine bosom2 the infinite
 love of ,god must have  ceased to      
operate2 and of consequence1 the ,lord  
,himself must have  changed both his    
desires and his operations4 ,the        
destruction of the  world is1 therefore1
 opposed to the character of ,god1 as a 
,being of  infinite ,love and unbounded 
power4    ,we may now sum up the        
arguments which have been adduced4      
#a4 ,when the literal sense of a passage
 of ,scripture is opposed to common     
sense and reason1 such literal sense    
must be laid aside1 as not  containing  
the true meaning4 ,but the literal sense
 of those passages  which speak of a    
destruction of the earth1 is both absurd
 and  unreasonable4 ,therefore the      
literal sense of these passages must be 
abandoned1 and does not contain the     
proper interpretation4 ,again3 when  two
 prophecies are found couched in the    

same language1 and referring to  a      
similar event1 one of which is fulfilled
 while the other remains                
unaccomplished2 the manner in which the 
latter will be fulfilled1 must  be      
judged of by the previous fulfillment of
 the former4 ,but the first  prophecies 
relating to the first coming of the     
,lord1 are exactly similar  to those    
which refer to ,his second coming2 yet  
they never were  literally fulfilled3   
therefore we have no just reason to look
 for a  literal fulfillment of the      
latter4 #b4 ,when any text of ,scripture
 is1 in  the letter1 inconsistent with  
itself1 or with other plain and express 
passages of the ,word1 the              
interpretation must be sought for in the
  spiritual meaning of the words4 ,but  
the proofs of this earth's  destruction 
are inconsistent with themselves1 and   
are opposed to other  plain and direct  
portions of the ,word of ,god2 therefore
 the meaning of  those alleged proofs   
must be found1 not in the literal sense1

 but in  their spirit4 #c4 ,in the      
explanation of every part of the ,sacred
  ,scriptures1 a due regard must be had 
to the connexion in which it  stands2   
and any mode of explanation which tends 
to break such connexion1  or is at      
variance with it1 may be beautiful but  
cannot be true4 ,but  the connexion in  
which the passages referred to are      
found1 is completely  at variance with  
the doctrine derived from them2 nor can 
they in any way  support that doctrine  
until severed from this connexion4      
,therefore that  explanation which the  
generality of ,christians gives them1   
cannot be  correct4 #d4 ,and1 lastly1   
whatever doctrine is opposed to the     
character  of ,god1 as a ,god of        
unbounded love and infinite wisdom1 is  
not a  doctrine of the ,bible4 ,but the 
doctrine before us is thus opposed both 
to his nature and perfections2 therefore
 it cannot be true4    ,the arguments   
arising out of these propositions might 
be carried to a  great extent4 ,if1     

however1 they have been supported by    
reason as well as  ,scripture1--if we   
have no right to expect a literal       
fulfillment of the  prophecy relating to
 the ,lord's second coming2 and if the  
literal sense  of the passages must be  
abandoned2 then we have no reason to    
look for an  overthrow of the universe1 
and the improbability of such a         
destruction  has been fairly            
established4    ,having thus gone       
through the principal part of the       
subject1 and having  shown that the     
common interpretation1 against which so 
many and serious  objections lie1 cannot
 be the true meaning2 ,i proceed1 as a  
necessary  conclusion1 to notice briefly
 the spiritual meaning of the prophetic 
symbols used in the passages that we    
have noticed1 and their connexion  with 
each other4 ,that the whole of these    
passages relate to the  ,christian      
church1 we have already stated2 and that
 they are of  importance to us1 may be  
fairly inferred from their being found  

in the  ,sacred ,volume4 ,it is1        
therefore1 scarcely possible to conceive
 that even  learned and pious men have  
been able to perceive nothing within    
them but  earthly concerns1--mere       
temporal events2 the destruction of     
,jerusalem2  the conversion 7whether    
real or pretended7 of ,constantine2 wars
 in  ,italy2 the irruption of the       
,goths2 and the famine of the           
,antonines2 as  if these events were    
either able1 or likely1 to give that    
saving wisdom  which it is the object of
 ,god by his ,word to bestow4           
,everything in the  ,sacred ,volume is  
intended to contribute to our salvation2
 but  transactions like these do not    
tend to make us wiser or better4 ,it is 
to  the ,christian church1 and to its   
principles and practice1 therefore1     
that these descriptions refer2 and as   
they relate to the general body1  they  
apply to every individual of which that 
body is composed1 and thus  demand our  
most serious attention4    ,the         

principal symbol used in these          
prophecies is1 the sun2 and this is     
said to become black1 and to be turned  
into darkness4 ,our first  inquiry1     
therefore1 is1 what principle in the    
spiritual world of  ,christianity1      
corresponds with this luminary in the   
world of matter4 ,and  in this inquiry  
we shall be aided1 if we consider the   
functions it  performs4 ,the sun is the 
source of all natural heat and splendor2
 and  without his influence1 the worlds 
in the solar system1 now glowing in     
light and beauty1 would be dead and     
unattractive masses of matter4 ,he is   
the cause of all vegetable and animal   
life3 deprived of his beams1  vegetation
 would decay1 and the animal kingdom    
sink in death4 ,he is the  principal    
agent in the production of sight2 the   
eye without him1 would  be a useless    
organ4 ,in a word1 if we were called    
upon to name the most  important agent  
in the material world1 our thoughts     
would turn at once  to the sun4 ,now1 in

 the spiritual world1 including both the
 church of  ,god and the individual     
spirit of man1 what is that which       
produces the  same effects as the       
natural sun does in the system of       
matter8 ,what is  the source of love and
 wisdom1 spiritual heat and spiritual   
light8--,what  is it that produces in   
the mind those fruits of righteousness  
which are  the characteristics of true  
religion8 ,what gives to reason 7the eye
 of  the mind7 its power of discerning  
spiritual things8 and invests the  soul1
 naturally dark and lifeless1 with      
spiritual life and glory8 ,it is        
,divine ,love that does this4 ,this is  
the ,sun of the spiritual               
universe1--the ,fountain of all heavenly
 light and life1--the ,cause of  every  
good word and work4 ,and in giving this 
meaning to the natural  image1 we are   
supported throughout by the ,sacred     
,scripture4 ,the ,lord is  called the   
,sun1 and1 the ,sun of ,righteousness4  
,he is said to rise  upon the mind1 when

 the spirit turns itself toward ,him2   
and to turn  away from man1 when he     
departs from his ,maker4 ,in the same   
manner1  whenever the prophets or       
apostles were favored with a visible    
representation of the ,divine ,majesty1 
they describe the face of ,god as       
shining like the sun4 ,now the face of  
,god is his ,love4 ,hence the  ,psalmist
 says1 ,lift upon us the light of thy   
countenance1 and cause  thy face to     
shine upon us4 ,and this love of ,god is
 described as the  sun1 rising1 shining1
 and giving light4 ,thus1 too1 in the   
visions of  ,john1 when the apostle     
beheld an image of the pure church of   
,christ1 he  describes her as a woman   
clothed with the sun2 or encompassed on 
every side by the ,divine ,love4 ,by the
 sun1 then1 in the internal sense  of   
prophecy1 we understand the infinite and
 unbounded love of the  ,almighty1 which
 alone is the cause of life and light2  
and which gives  strength1 support1 and 
beauty1 to the spiritual system of man4 

,having obtained the meaning of this    
principal symbol1 we shall be at no     
loss to determine that of the other4    
,the moon1 as regards apparent          
splendor1 is the second great luminary  
in the visible heavens4 ,in  herself1   
however1 she is a dark body1 and        
possesses no power of  communicating    
light except by the reflection of the   
sun's beams4 ,in this  case1 therefore1 
we have to seek a second principle in   
the heaven of the  church1 corresponding
 with this second light in the heaven of
 matter2 a  principle which1 though it  
enlightens and cheers the soul1 has no  
brightness in itself2 but derives all   
its usefulness and beauty from a        
conjunction with ,,love4 ,and this      
principle we find in ,,faith2 that faith
  which springs from charity4 ,as the   
moon derives all her light from the     
sun1 so does true faith draw all its    
glory from love4 ,as the moon  separated
 from the sun's influence1 is dark and  
lifeless1 so is faith  without love1    

dead and useless4 ,and as the light     
proceeding from the  moon is but the    
rays of the sun reflected from her      
surface1 so is the  faith that springs  
from a modification of the love of ,god1
 a reflection  of his infinite          
benevolence4    ,and here1 again1 the   
apostle confirms this idea4 ,while he   
represents the  church of ,god as being 
clothed with the ,sun1 he also describes
 her as  standing upon the moon1 or     
having the moon under her               
feet3--pointing  out the love with which
 she is continually encompassed1 and the
 faith  upon which she is securely      
founded4 ,thus ,paul1 speaking of the   
universal  church of ,christ1 declares  
that it is built upon the foundation of 
the apostles and prophets3--that is1    
upon their doctrines1 and upon the      
truth which they made known2 ,jesus     
,christ ,himself1 as ,,the ,,truth      
,itself1 being the chief corner stone4  
,eph4 ii4 #bj4 ,with this1 too1  agrees 
the sublime prophecy of ,isaiah4 ,when  

speaking of the church  restored to its 
full perfection and glory1 he says1 ,thy
 sun shall no  more go down1 neither    
shall thy moon withdraw herself2 for    
,,jehovah  shall be thine ,,everlasting 
,,light and the days of thy mourning    
shall be  ended4 ix4 #bj4 ,that is3 ,thy
 love shall no more depart1 neither     
shall  thy faith and charity decay2 for 
,god shall dwell in every soul by his   
love1 and his beams shall be reflected  
from every bosom4    ,we might go       
through the whole of those predictions  
which relate to this  subject2 and in   
all cases we should find that this      
interpretation of the  figures not only 
makes a complete and consistent sense1  
but that the  passages so interpreted   
would stand in the most complete        
agreement with  the general tenor of the
 ,scriptures1 and with the hopes of the 
best and  wisest among men4    ,the     
third symbolic figure is1 the stars3 and
 these1 as regards the  quantity of     
light transmitted to the earth1 are     

secondary luminaries in  the visible    
system4 ,they shine not with any        
borrowed radiance1 but with  their own  
native splendor4 ,and here1 again1 we   
must repeat the inquiry1  what are those
 luminaries in the mental heaven1 which 
hold a secondary  place in the concern  
of salvation1 to love and faith2 yet    
shine1 not  with reflected light1 but   
with the real brightness of the ,divine 
,glory8  ,the answer is easy3 ,they are 
the doctrines of religion or the        
knowledges of truth2--those portions of 
the eternal reason1 which ,,the         
,,manifested ,,truth has ,himself       
revealed4 ,but some may be ready to     
observe1  that these are already        
included in the ,faith of which ,i have 
just  spoken4 ,a single remark1 however1
 will obviate this objection4 ,that     
,,faith and the knowledge of truth      
generally go together1 is certainly     
true1--even as the moon and stars shine 
at the same time4 ,but to know  the     
truth is one thing1 and to have faith in

 ,god is another and widely  different  
thing2 as different as the light of the 
stars is from that of  the moon4 ,and as
 the stars frequently shine when the    
moon is not seen1  so does the knowledge
 of truth frequently exist in the mind  
when true  faith has no existence4 ,i   
am1 therefore1 consistent in declaring  
that  the light of the stars1--the      
knowledge of doctrines1 though a        
valuable  acquisition1 is secondary in  
importance both to ,christian faith and 
to  ,divine ,love4 ,yet the doctrines or
 truths which are the objects of this   
knowledge1 are not derived from any     
source lower than divinity itself2  they
 are1 as just observed1 portions of     
eternal wisdom designed for the         
guidance of the church of ,god2 and     
derived from the ,father of lights1     
from whom proceeds every good and every 
perfect gift4    ,in thus mentioning    
doctrines1 7or the term which ,i have   
used as  synonymous1 truths1 for pure   
doctrines are but truths embodied7 ,i by

  no means refer to the tenets of a sect
 or party1 but to the eternal  wisdom of
 the ,almighty1 as revealed in his word3
 and with respect to  this1 the parallel
 between it and the natural image may be
 carried  through all its parts4 ,as the
 stars are of the same nature with the  
sun1  and like him shine with their     
native and proper light1 so is the      
wisdom  of ,god of the same nature with 
his love2 both being essential          
attributes  of ,divinity4 ,as the stars1
 however1 though in themselves splendid 
bodies1 communicate no heat to the      
earth1 and are but of secondary         
importance in comparison with the sun   
and moon1 so does the mere  knowledge of
 truths1 7although the truths in        
themselves possess the  nature of       
divinity17 leave the soul as cold and   
lifeless as before2 and  is of far less 
importance in the spiritual system than 
the love of ,god1  or faith1 its        
reflection on the soul4 ,carry the      
comparison as far as we  may1 still the 

stars of the natural heaven correspond  
exactly to the  truths of the church2   
and the light which they emit1 to the   
knowledge of that truth4    ,and this   
interpretation of the symbol agrees1    
too1 with the vision of  the apostle4   
,the church clothed with the ,sun of    
love1 and standing upon  faith2 the     
symbolic moon had upon her head 7the    
seat of intelligence  and wisdom7 a     
crown of twelve stars2--denoting the    
knowledges of pure  truth which should  
ornament that church in her last state  
of peace and  holiness4 ,so the great   
red dragon1 who is described as fighting
 with  ,michael and his angels1 is said 
to have drawn the third part of the     
stars from heaven2--pointing out the    
almost total extinction of real  truth  
in the corrupted ,christian churches4   
,we might again trace this  meaning in  
every passage where the natural image   
occurs1 and we should  still find that  
the sense it gives to each of them is   
consistent both  with the ,word of ,god1

 as referring to the great concern of   
salvation1  and with the connexion in   
which the passages are found4    ,in    
these symbolic representations we1      
therefore1 perceive the three  sources  
of light in the ,christian heaven1 love1
 faith1 and knowledge4  ,the first being
 the diffused affection of the ,father  
of spirits2 the  second1 its reflection 
in the soul of man2 the third1 the      
truths of  doctrine which enliven and   
ornament the church1 proceeding         
immediately  from the ,source of all    
,wisdom4 ,the glory of each is the same 
in  substance1 as the light of the sun1 
moon1 and stars1 is the same in  nature2
 but it differs in degree1 as the       
luminary whence it springs is  of more  
or less importance to the eternal       
happiness of man4 ,knowledge is  the    
least important2 of itself merely1 it   
produces nothing4 ,faith rises  above   
knowledge2 yet even faith by itself is  
useless4 ,love is the chief2  this      
quickens1 animates1 and renders         

fruitful1 the church of ,god1 and  the  
soul of each individual member4    ,i   
press this interpretation on no one2 yet
 ,i may say1 without breaking  the      
bounds of ,christian liberty1 that it   
carries probability on its very  face4  
,the parallel between the natural image 
and its spiritual  correspondent1 is    
complete throughout2 but this can by no 
means be said  of the various           
constructions which have generally been 
put upon them4  ,the sun1 it is said1 is
 the civil government of a state2 and   
the moon1  its ecclesiastical policy4   
,but in vain shall we attempt to draw a 
comparison here between the natural     
figure and the object said to be        
signified by it4 ,the civil government  
of an empire is not the source of  all  
wisdom1 love1 and prosperity1 as the sun
 is of heat1 light1 and  fruitfulness4  
,it does not give to the ecclesiastical 
all its power1  glory1 and beauty1 as   
the sun does to the moon2 nor would the 
church  become dead and lifeless if     

separated from the state1 as the moon   
would  if severed from the sun4 ,the    
pastors of the church1 which it is      
affirmed  are the stars1 do not1 like   
the stars1 shine with their own native  
splendor4 ,the comparison1 therefore1   
does not in any degree hold good3  while
 in the meaning we have given above1    
consistency both with  ,scripture and   
reason1 as well as with the best        
interests of man1 is  preserved         
throughout4    ,now if this             
signification of the sun1 moon1 and     
stars1 be correct1 we  need not employ  
much time in fixing the meaning of the  
terms heaven1  and earth1 when applied  
to the church of ,god4 ,heaven1 or the  
atmosphere1 is that in which the sun1   
moon1 and stars appear2 and by  means of
 which they produce their effects4 ,it  
is the grand reservoir of  those        
particles1 which1 acted upon by the sun1
 and thus set in motion1  cause heat2   
and preserve on the earth1 life and     
vegetation4 ,and the  earth is that     

body1 on the surface of which vegetation
 flourishes and  life appears4 ,this at 
once points out the figures as applying 
to the  inward feelings and outward life
 of an individual2 or1 to the  internal 
state of the church and its outward     
forms and ceremonies4 ,it is  in what   
the apostle calls the inward man1 that  
love1 faith1 and  knowledge produce     
their first effects2 and by operating   
upon the  feelings and affections of the
 mind1 cause spiritual light and        
heat--true wisdom and divine love4 ,and 
these produce a corresponding  effect in
 the outward conduct1 bringing forth    
fruits meet for  repentance1--the living
 forms and witnesses of religion4 ,as   
the sun  shines in the atmosphere and   
produces fruit on the earth1 so love    
shines  in the soul and brings forth    
effects in the conduct1 either in the   
case  of an individual1 or of the church
 as an assembly of individuals4 ,by the 
same rule of analogy we may perceive    
what is meant by the clouds4  ,these in 

the natural world1 are vapors exhaled   
from the earth by the  heat of the sun2 
and which condensed into form in the    
atmosphere1 serve  to perform their     
important functions4 ,they temper and   
lessen in some  degree the heat of the  
sun2 they serve to beautify the         
appearance of the  heavens2 they are the
 great depository of rain1 and the      
principal agents  in the production of  
tempests4 ,that which corresponds to    
them must1  therefore1 be something     
springing from the outward state of man1
 which  is the grand depository of truth
 7spiritual water71 behind which the    
glory of the ,divine ,love and ,wisdom  
is seen1 and which accommodates this    
wisdom to the capacity of mankind4 ,and 
this we find in the outward  letter of  
the ,word of ,god4 ,the historical      
narratives1 the figures of  prophecy1   
the parables of the ,saviour1 are all   
images rising from the  world and the   
temporal state of mankind2 and thus1    
like the clouds1  they have their origin

 from the earth4 ,within this outward   
body of image  and narrative are        
contained the treasures of wisdom and   
knowledge2 it is  the grand source from 
which truth must be drawn4 ,and the     
glory of ,god  shines through the whole1
 imparting to every natural form the    
splendor  of divinity4 ,and as the      
material images of the ,bible serve to  
accommodate the wisdom of ,god to the   
capacity of his creatures1 so have  they
 often been the cause of those          
convulsions in the church1 which  seemed
 even to threaten her existence4 ,the   
letter has often killed1  when          
unaccompanied in the mind with the      
spirit which giveth life4 ,we  cannot1  
therefore1 find in the figure before us 
anything which so  completely accords   
with its origin and design1 as the      
outward letter of  the ,word of         
,god--the clouds of the ,christian      
heaven4    ,the meaning of the principal
 symbols being thus stated1 we pass to  
the  connexion which they bear to each  

other in the predictions of the         
,saviour4 ,we have already noted that   
the prophecy contained in ,matthew1  and
 recorded by the other ,evangelists1    
refers in its primary application  to   
the destruction of ,jerusalem by the    
,roman armies2 but in its more          
extensive meaning it points to the state
 of the ,christian church in her  period
 of decline and corruption1 of which    
,jerusalem in her last days  was a      
fitting type4 ,with respect to this it  
is declared the sun shall  be           
darkened--the ,divine ,love obscured and
 lost2 and the moon shall not  give her 
light--faith and charity shall sink in  
darkness2 and the  stars--the knowledge 
of truth shall fall from heaven1--no    
longer  exist in the minds of her       
members2 and the powers of heaven--the  
whole  internal state of the church     
shall be shaken--shall be thrown into   
complete disorder and confusion4 ,this  
meaning1 to which we are led by  the    
connexion and correspondence of the     

natural symbols1 points to a  time 7not 
when the universe shall be destroyed1   
but7 when true religion  shall have     
ceased to exist in the church3--when the
 love of many shall  wax cold3 when true
 faith will no longer be found2 and when
  knowledge--the knowledge of genuine   
spiritual truth--shall have passed      
away4 ,the same things are described in 
the vision of the apostle4 ,there  was a
 great earthquake--a shaking and        
disorder in the state of the  church2   
and the sun became black as sackcloth of
 hair1 and the moon  became as blood1   
and the stars of heaven fell to the     
earth1--the  knowledge of truth which   
once shone in the mind1 sunk into mere  
outward creeds and confessions of faith2
 and the heaven departed as a  scroll   
when it is rolled together--the whole   
internal state of the  church was thrown
 into confusion1 and every inward       
feeling of religion  perished4    ,the  
event immediately following is the      
appearance of the ,son of ,man in  the  

clouds1 with a trumpet2 and since it is 
confessed that a trumpet  signifies the 
call of the ,gospel1 or as ,i would     
express it1 the  manifestation of truth2
 and as the clouds correspond to the    
outward  form of the ,word1 the         
appearance of the ,lord in the clouds   
and attended  by trumpets1 must signify 
the manifestation of spiritual love and 
truth  in the letter of ,scripture3 and 
this is supported by what is afterwards 
said to be the consequence2 a new heaven
 and a new earth1--a new state  of the  
church both internal and external1 both 
as regards inward  feelings and outward 
conduct4    ,that this interpretation is
 true1 ,i call upon no one to believe2  
but  that it is probable will1 ,i think1
 be confessed by all2 and that it is  in
 perfect harmony with the infinite      
designs of ,god toward his rational     
creatures1 as well as with his character
 as a ,being of infinite ,love1  will be
 equally acknowledged4 ,whether there   
has been a period in the  ,christian    

church 7as there certainly was in the   
,jewish7 when the above  description was
 applicable to her2 when religion had   
sunk into mere  formality2 when bigotry 
and intolerance both in priests and     
people1 cut  up charity by the roots2   
when faith was a mere body from which   
the  spirit had departed2 when the      
clergy were mere formalists1 and the    
people were sensualized2 when sacred    
knowledge was neglected by the one  and 
unknown to the other3 whether1 ,i say1  
such a period has yet  arrived1 and if  
so1 whether it was eighty years ago1 or 
eight hundred1  it is not my province   
now to inquire4 ,my object is to show   
that the  images used by the sacred     
penmen have reference to such a state1  
and to  a subsequent restoration2 and   
this ,i have shown by the rule or law of
  analogy existing between spiritual and
 natural things1 as well as by the      
grand design of the ,word of ,god in    
which those images occur4    ,and if it 
be probable that such is really the     

fact1 then the design with  which ,i    
commenced my task is completed4 ,if the 
natural sense of the  words of          
,scripture is absurd--if the best       
commentators themselves admit  that in  
their outward application the words have
 no reference to the  destruction of the
 natural world--and if1 considered in   
their internal  meaning1 they relate to 
the church1 its decline1 and            
restoration2 then  there is no proof in 
the ,scriptures of the dissolution of   
the visible  universe2 but strong       
evidence that it will never take place4 
,let us1 however1 before leaving the    
subject1 take a hasty glance at the  two
 doctrines which have been presented4   
,the first declares that after  creating
 the universe1 and endowing it with life
 and beauty2 after  forming man as a    
candidate for eternal glory1 and after  
raising up a  church which it is said   
was to endure for ever1 ,god will at a  
future  time 7for what reason1 or to    
answer what purpose1 is unknown17       

destroy  the fabric he has created2     
throw the whole universe into confusion 
and  reduce it to ashes4 ,that ,he will1
 for some reason equally unknown1 put   
an end to the human race1 and no more   
bring rational creatures to  eternal    
happiness2 that heaven will be closed1  
and not another candidate  admitted2 and
 that the church will then cease on     
earth1 and never again  be restored4    
,and this supposition is founded on     
vague and mysterious  texts of          
,scripture1 and on a literal            
interpretation of figures which the     
most learned confess they cannot        
comprehend4    ,the other doctrine      
maintains that ,god1 having created the 
world and  peopled it with inhabitants1 
will continue it in existence2 and that 
though religion will in the latter ages 
decline1 yet at length the  ,lord will  
appear in the brightness of his glory1  
will destroy evil and  false-hood among 
men1--restore the world to its first    
state of purity2  and that it shall then

 for ever become one vast temple1 from  
which a  ceaseless song of praise shall 
continually arise2 while its            
inhabitants1  prepared and preparing for
 a higher state1 shall pass in          
succession into  the eternal rest of    
,god2 and that the earth shall therefore
 be a nursery  for glory1--a place of   
trial for a continual race of candidates
 for  heaven4    ,this is a consummation
 worthy of the ,creator1--worthy of the 
infinity of  his nature and             
perfections1--worthy of the plan of     
redemption which ,he  became incarnate  
to effect4 ,it is agreeable to the      
dictates of the  soundest reason1 and in
 accordance with the hopes and wishes of
 every  man who has not bowed down his  
reason to the idol of popular opinion4  
,while the opposite tenet sets reason at
 defiance1 makes the ,bible teach  what 
is practically absurd1 and stands in    
opposition to the opinion of  some of   
the most learned among its own          
advocates4    ,we cannot conclude this  

little treatise more appropriately than 
in the  words of a writer often quoted  
in these pages4    ,the doctrines or    
principles which ,i have stated and     
defended in this  work1 ,i believe to be
 the truths of ,god4 ,those against     
which ,i have  argued1 ,i believe to be 
either false or unproved4 ,the doctrine 
which  cannot stand the test of rational
 investigation1 cannot be true4 ,we have
  gone too far when we have said 'such  
and such doctrines should not be        
subjected to rational investigation1    
being doctrines of pure  revelation4' ,i
 know no such doctrine in the ,bible4   
,the doctrines of the  ,scripture are   
doctrines of eternal reason2 and they   
are revealed  because they are such4    
,human reason could not have found them 
out2 but  when revealed1 reason can both
 apprehend and comprehend them4 ,it sees
  their perfect harmony among           
themselves1 their agreement with the    
perfections of the ,divine ,nature1 and 
their sovereign suitableness to  the    

nature and state of man3 thus reason    
approves and applauds4 ,some men  cannot
 reason1 and therefore they declaim     
against reason1 and proscribe  it in the
 examination of religious truth4    ,men
 may incorporate their doctrines in     
creeds1 or articles of faith1  and sing 
them in hymns2 and this may be both     
useful and edifying if  the doctrines be
 true4 ,but in every question which     
involves the  eternal interests of man1 
the ,holy ,scriptures must be appealed  
to in  union with reason their great    
commentator4 ,he who forms his creed or 
confession of faith without these1 may  
believe anything or nothing1 as  the    
cunning of others or his own caprice may
 dictate4 ,human creeds and  confessions
 have been often put in the place of the
 ,bible1 to the  dishonor both of       
revelation and reason4 ,let those go    
away1 let these  be retained1 whatever  
be the consequence4    #a ,see on this  
subject1 ,the ,plenary ,inspiration of  
the ,scriptures  asserted1 by ,rev4 ,s4 

,noble3--a work well worthy the perusal 
of  every ,christian1 and which deserves
 a place in every library4    #b ,see   
,wesley's ,sermons4 ,sermon xv4 preached
 before the ,hon4  ,sir ,edward ,clive1 
one of the judges of his ,majesty's     
court of common  pleas1 in ,st4 ,paul's 
,church1 ,bedford1 on ,friday1 ,march   
#aj1 #ageh4    #c ,dr4 ,clarke has a    
very curious note on this passage4 ,he  
supposes  that the noise will be        
occasioned by the action of electric    
fire1 on  the watery particles of the   
atmosphere4 ,these1 being divided into  
their two component gases1 the one will 
ascend into the higher regions1  and the
 other float on the earth's surface4    
,thus1 he says1 the  account of the     
apostle is philosophically correct4     
,whether this  be the apostle1 or       
whether such account is correct in any  
degree1 let  common sense judge4    #d  
,this passage in its mere outward       
application1 refers to a  temporal      
overthrow in the land of ,idumea2 it has

 also1 however1 an  acknowledged        
relation to the triumphs of the ,gospel1
 and the overthrow  of its enemies4     
,still1 it makes little difference in   
the strength  of the argument1 to which 
event it is referred4 ,such descriptions
 have  been given1 they have been       
fulfilled1 yet in no case literally4    
,this is  all that need be proved4    #e
 ,see ,sir ,isaac                       
,newton1--,locke1--,dr4 ,a4             
,clarke1--,burkitt1 etc4    #f ,see ,dr4
 ,adam ,clarke's remark upon this       
passage4    #g ,birkitt's ,notes on the 
,new ,testament4    #h ,for further     
remarks on this text1 see ,noble's      
,plenary ,inspiration  of the           
,scriptures4    #i ,dr4 ,a4 ,clarke1 in 
loc4    ,,the ,,end4           ,,list   
,,of ,,publications   ,,of   ,j ,b4     
,,lippincott  ,,co4   ,,philadelphia4   
,will be sent by mail1 post paid1 on    
receipt of the price4      ,the ,albert 
,n',yanza4 ,great ,basin of the ,nile1  
and ,explorations of the  ,nile         

,sources4 ,by ,,sir ,,samuel ,,white    
,,baker1 ,m4 ,a41 ,f4 ,r4 ,g4 ,s41 c4   
,with  ,maps and numerous               
,illustrations1 from sketches by ,mr4   
,baker4 ,new  edition4 ,crown #hvo4     
,extra cloth1 #c4    ,it is one of the  
most interesting and instructive books  
of travel ever  issued2 and this        
edition1 at a reduced price1 will bring 
it within the  reach of many who have   
not before seen it4--,boston ,journal4  
,one of the most fascinating1 and       
certainly not the least important1      
books of travel published during the    
century4--,boston ,eve4 ,transcript4    
,the ,nile ,tributaries of ,abyssinia1  
and the ,sword-,hunters of the ,hamran  
,arabs4 ,by ,,sir ,,samuel ,,white      
,,baker1 ,m4 ,a41 ,f4 ,r4 ,g4 ,s41 c4   
,with ,maps and  numerous               
,illustrations1 from original sketches  
by the ,author4 ,new  edition4 ,crown   
#hvo4 ,extra cloth1 #b4ge4    ,we have  
rarely met with a descriptive work so   
well conceived and so  attractively     

written as ,baker's ,abyssinia1 and we  
cordially recommend it  to public       
patronage4444 ,it is beautifully        
illustrated4--,n4 ,o4 ,times4           
,eight ,years' ,wandering in ,ceylon4   
,by ,sir ,,samuel ,,white ,,baker1 ,m4  
,a41 ,f4  ,r4 ,g4 ,s41 c4 ,with         
,illustrations4 #afmo4 ,extra cloth1    
#a4ej4    ,mr4 ,baker's description of  
life in ,ceylon1 of sport1 of the       
cultivation  of the soil1 of its birds  
and beasts and insects and reptiles1 of 
its  wild forests and dense jungles1 of 
its palm trees and its betel nuts and   
intoxicating drugs1 will be found very  
interesting4 ,the book is well  written 
and beautifully printed4--,balt4        
,gazette4    ,notwithstanding the volume
 abounds with sporting accounts1 the    
natural  history of ,ceylon is well and 
carefully described1 and the curiosities
  of the famed island are not neglected4
 ,it is a valuable addition to the      
works on the ,east ,indies4--,phila4    
,lutheran ,observer4      ,hints for    

,six ,months in ,europe4 ,being the     
,programme of a ,tour through  parts of 
,france1 ,italy1 ,austria1 ,saxony1     
,prussia1 the ,tyrol1  ,switzerland1    
,holland1 ,belgium1 ,england and        
,scotland1 in the ,summer of  #ahfh4 ,by
 ,,john ,h4 ,b4 ,,latrobe4 #abmo4 ,toned
 paper4 ,extra cloth1 #a4ej4    ,it has 
many of the best advantages of a regular
 guide-book1 with the  additional       
excellence of being reliable as to facts
 and trustworthy as  to the opinions it 
utters4--,new ,york ,christian          
,advocate4    ,mr4 ,latrobe had some    
capital qualifications for producing a  
good book  about ,europe4444 ,the result
 is a highly satisfactory volume1 which 
we  commend and recommend to travelers1 
whether they go abroad or stay at       
home4--,the ,philadelphia ,press4    ,is
 a genuine treasure-book for every new  
,european traveler4444 ,and if  this    
programme should be carefully studied by
 one about to start on a  summer tour in
 ,europe1 and be substantially followed 

by the tourist1 he  would secure for    
himself manifold more enjoyment1 and    
save himself from  countless            
disappointments and vexations which he  
would be sure otherwise  to             
experience4--,boston ,evening ,traveler4
      ,lippincott's ,treasuries of      
,literary ,gems4 ,miniature #dto4       
,choicely  printed on the finest toned  
paper and beautifully bound in extra    
cloth1  gilt and gilt edges4 #ge cts4   
each2 as follows3    ,i4 ,a ,treasury of
 ,table ,talk4 ,,ii4 ,epigrams and      
,literary ,follies4 ,,iii4 ,a  ,treasury
 of ,poetic ,gems4 ,,iv4 ,the ,table    
,talk of ,samuel ,johnson1 ,,ll4 ,d4 ,v4
  ,gleanings from the ,comedies of      
,shakspeare4 ,,vi4 ,beauties of the     
,british  ,dramatists4 ,the six volumes 
in neat box1 #d4ej4    ,a charming      
little series1 well edited and printed4 
,more thoroughly  readable little books 
it would be hard to find3 there is no   
padding in  them3 all is epigram1 point1
 poetry or sound common sense4--,london 

,publishers' ,circular4      ,mizpah4   
,friends at ,prayer4 ,containing a      
,prayer or ,meditation for each  day in 
the ,year4 ,by ,,lafayette ,c4 ,,loomis4
 #abmo4 ,beautifully printed on         
superfine tinted paper within red lines4
 ,fine cloth1 #b4 ,extra cloth1  gilt   
edges4 #b4ej4    ,this work proposes    
,morning and ,evening ,scripture        
,readings1 and an  ,evening ,meditation4
 ,the ,morning ,readings embrace the    
,psalms twice1  and the evening1 the    
,new ,testament entire1 during the year4
 ,the  ,meditations are not expositions 
of the text1 but rather devotional      
reflections--generally upon the ,evening
 ,reading--and intended to follow  the  
,scripture and precede prayer4      ,the
 ,wife's ,messengers3 ,a ,novel4 ,by    
,mrs4 ,m4 ,b4 ,,horton4 #abmo4 ,tinted  
paper4 ,extra cloth1 #a4ge4    ,the     
writer has produced a capital           
contribution to the cause of  domestic  
truth1 and one which will be read with  
delight in many a  household4--,ohio    

,statesman4    ,this story is pervaded  
by a strong religious feeling4 ,the     
story is well  worth reading on its own 
merits1 and some portions of it are     
written  with a real power that cannot  
fail to command attention4--,philada4   
,evening ,telegraph4      ,our ,own     
,birds of the ,united ,states4 ,a       
,familiar ,natural ,history of the      
,birds of the ,united ,states4 ,by      
,,william ,l4 ,,baily4 ,revised and     
,edited by  ,edward ,d4 ,cope1 ,member  
of the ,academy of ,natural ,sciences4  
,with numerous  ,illustrations4 #afmo4  
,toned paper4 ,extra cloth1 #a4ej4      
,the text is all the more acceptable to 
the general reader because the  birds   
are called by their popular names1 and  
not by the scientific  titles of the    
cyclopdias1 and we know them at once as 
old friends and  companions4 ,we commend
 this unpretending little book to the   
public as  possessing an interest wider 
in its range but similar in kind to that
  which belongs to ,gilbert ,white's    

,natural ,history of ,selborne4--,n4,y4 
,even4 ,post4    ,the whole book is     
attractive1 supplying much              
pleasantly-conveyed  information for    
young readers1 and embodying an         
arrangement and system  that will often 
make it a helpful work of reference for 
older  naturalists4--,philada4 ,even4   
,bulletin4    ,to the youthful1 ',our   
,own ,birds' is likely to prove a       
bountiful source  of pleasure1 and      
cannot fail to make them thoroughly     
acquainted with the  birds of the       
,united ,states4 ,as a science there is 
none more agreeable to  study than      
ornithology4 ,we therefore feel no      
hesitation in commending  this book to  
the public4 ,it is neatly printed and   
bound1 and is  profusely                
illustrated4--,new ,york ,herald4       
,a ,few ,friends1 and ,how ,they ,amused
 ,themselves4 ,a ,tale in ,nine         
,chapters1 containing descriptions of   
,twenty ,pastimes and ,games1 and a     
,fancy-,dress ,party4 ,by ,m4 ,e4       

,,dodge1 author of ,hans ,brinker1 c4   
#abmo4  ,toned paper4 ,extra cloth1     
#a4be4    ,this convenient little       
encyclopdia strikes the proper moment   
most  fitly4 ,the evenings have         
lengthened2 and until they again become 
short  parties will be gathered         
everywhere and social intercourse will  
be  general4 ,but though it is          
comparatively easy to assemble those who
 would  be amused1 the amusement is     
sometimes replaced by its opposite1 and 
more  resembles a religious meeting than
 the juicy entertainment intended4 ,the 
',few ,friends' describes some twenty   
pastimes1 all more or less              
intellectual1 all provident of mirth1   
requiring no preparation1 and  capable  
of enlisting the largest or passing off 
with the smallest  numbers4 ,the        
description is conveyed by examples that
 are themselves 'as  good as a play4'   
,the book deserves a wide circulation1  
as it is the  missionary of much social 
pleasure1 and demands no more costly    

apparatus  than ready wit and genial    
disposition4--,philada4 ,north          
,american4      ,cameos from ,english   
,history4 ,by the author of ,the ,heir  
of ,redclyffe1  c4 ,with marginal       
,index4 #abmo4 ,tinted paper4 ,cloth1   
#a4be2 extra cloth1  #a4ge4    ,history 
is presented in a very attractive and   
interesting form for  young folks in    
this work4--,pittsburg ,gazette4    ,an 
excellent design happily                
executed4--,n4,y4 ,times4      ,the     
,diamond ,edition of the ,poetical      
,works of ,robert ,burns4 ,edited by    
,,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,willmott4 ,new edition4
 ,with numerous additions4 #ahmo4       
,tinted  paper4 ,fine cloth1 #a4        
,this small1 square1 compact volume is  
printed in clear type1 and  contains1 in
 three hundred pages1 the whole of      
,burns' poems1 with a  glossary and     
index4 ,it is cheap1 elegant and        
convenient1 bringing the  works of one  
of the most popular of ,british poets   
within the means of  every              

reader4--,boston ,even4 ,transcript4    
,cottage ,piety ,exemplified4 ,by the   
author of ,union to ,christ1 ,love  to  
,god1 etc4 #afmo4 ,extra cloth4 #a4be4  
,a very interesting sketch4--,n4 ,y4    
,observer4      ,stories for ,sundays1  
,illustrating the ,catechism4 ,by the   
author of  ,little ,henry and his       
,bearer4 ,revised and edited by ,a4     
,,cleveland ,,coxe1  ,bishop of ,western
 ,new ,york1 and author of ,thoughts on 
the ,services1  etc4 #abmo4             
,illustrated4 ,tinted paper4 ,extra     
cloth4 #a4ge4 ,,fine ,,edition4         
,printed within red lines4 ,extra cloth1
 gilt edges4 #b4ej4    ,we are glad to  
see this charming book in such a        
handsome dress4 ,this  was one of our   
few ,sunday books when we were a        
school-boy4 ,sunday books  are more     
plentiful now1 but we doubt whether     
there is any improvement on  ,mrs4      
,sherwood's sterling stories for the    
young4--,lutheran ,observer4    ,the    
typography is attractive1 and the       

stories illustrated by pictures  which  
render them yet more likely to interest 
the young people for whose  religious   
improvement they are designed4--,n4 ,y4 
,evening ,post4      ,an ,index to the  
,principal ,works in ,every ,department 
of ,religious  ,literature4 ,embracing  
nearly ,seventy ,thousand ,citations1   
,alphabetically  ,arranged under ,two   
,thousand ,heads4 ,by ,,howard ,,malcom1
 ,d4 ,d41 ,,ll4 ,d4  ,,second ,,edition4
 ,with ,addenda to #ahgj4 #hvo4 ,extra  
cloth4 #d4    ,a work of immense labor1 
such as no one could prepare who had not
 the  years allotted to the lifetime of 
man4 ,we know of no work of the kind    
which can compare with it in            
value4--,portland ,zion's ,advocate4    
,the value of such a book can hardly be 
overestimated4 ,it is a noble           
contribution to literature4 ,it meets an
 urgent need1 and long after ,dr4       
,malcom shall have left the world many  
an earnest pen-worker will thank  him1  
with heartfelt benedictions on his name1

 for help and service                   
rendered4--,boston ,watchman and        
,reflector4      ,the ,geological       
,evidences of the ,antiquity of ,man1   
with ,remarks on the  ,origin of        
,species by ,variation4 ,by ,,sir       
,,charles ,,lyell1 ,f4 ,r4 ,s41 author  
of ,principles of ,geology1 etc4        
,illustrated by wood-cuts4 ,second      
,american1 from the latest ,london1     
,edition4 #hvo4 ,extra cloth4 #c4       
,this work treats of one of the most    
interesting scientific subjects of  the 
day1 and will be examined with interest1
 as well by those who favor  its        
deductions as by those who condemn them4
      ,the ,student's ,manual of        
,oriental ,history4 ,a ,manual of the   
,ancient  ,history of the ,east1 to the 
,commencement of the ,median ,wars4 ,by 
,,francois  ,,lenormant1 ,sub-,librarian
 of the ,imperial ,institute of ,france1
 and ,e4  ,,chevallier1 ,member of the  
,royal ,asiatic ,society1 ,london4 #b   
vols4 #abmo4  ,fine cloth4 #e4ej4       

,the best proof of the immense results  
accomplished in the various  departments
 of philology is to be found in ,m4     
,francois ,lenormant's  admirable       
,handbook of ,ancient ,history4--,london
 ,athenum4      ,words in ,season4 ,a   
,manual of ,instruction1 ,comfort and   
,devotion for  ,family ,reading and     
,private ,use4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,henry ,b4   
,,browning1 ,m4 ,a4 #afmo4  ,toned      
paper4 ,extra cloth4 #a4    ,words in   
,season is the title of a beautiful     
little volume of  practical religious   
counsels of instruction1 comfort and    
devotion for  family reading and private
 use4 ,it appears to be truly           
evangelical1 and  to be calculated1 in  
style and spirit1 to do the good at     
which it  aims4--,boston                
,congregationalist4    ,words in        
,season1 a thoughtful1 sweet-toned      
manual for family reading  and hours of 
devotion1 prepared by an ,english       
minister of the  ,established ,church4  
,spiritual souls will read it with      

comfort and  strengthening4--,chicago   
,advance4    ,a very good book4--,n4 ,y4
 ,liberal ,christian4      ,the         
,scriptural ,doctrine of ,hades4        
,comprising an ,inquiry into the ,state 
of the ,righteous and ,wicked ,dead     
between ,death and the ,general         
,judgment1  and demonstrating from the  
,bible that the ,atonement was neither  
made on  the ,cross nor yet in this     
,world4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,george ,,bartle1   
,d4 ,d41 ,principal  of ,walton         
,college1 ,liverpool4 #abmo4 ,cloth4    
#a4ej4    ,appears to be to demonstrate 
that ,christ actually descended into    
hell  after death3 that the time        
intervening between his death and his   
resurrection was spent there not in     
preaching to the lost spirits1 but  in  
actually suffering their punishment3 and
 that this actual and literal  suffering
 of the 'second death' was necessary to 
complete the atonement  and to make him 
a true and sufficient substitute for    
sinners4 ,we shall  not attempt to      

follow the elaborate argument by which  
the author  endeavors to sustain this   
most extraordinary position4444 ,giving 
to the  author credit for very          
considerable research and no little     
ingenuity in  the construction of his   
argument1 we must1 nevertheless1 rank   
his book  as among the 'curiosities of  
literature4'--,n4 ,y4 ,independent4     
,our ,children in ,heaven4 ,by ,,william
 ,h4 ,,holcombe1 ,m4 ,d41 author of ,the
  ,sexes1 etc4 #abmo4 ,tinted paper4    
,extra cloth4 #a4ge4    ,its sweet      
pathos and comforting sympathy at once  
warm and interest  us4--,albany         
,journal4    ,it is written in the most 
devout spirit1 and will interest even   
those  who reject its                   
doctrines4--,buffalo ,express4      ,the
 ,sexes3 ,here and ,hereafter4 ,by      
,,william ,h4 ,,holcombe1 ,m4 ,d41      
author  of ,our ,children in ,heaven1   
etc4 #abmo4 ,tinted paper4 ,extra cloth4
  #a4ej4    ,whatever one may think of  
the doctrines of the book1 it would be  

impossible to deny that it breaths a    
pure and elevated spirit1 and has  many 
thoughts which will commend themselves  
sympathetically to the  followers of all
 ,christian faiths4--,the ,independent1 
,n4,y4      ,in ,both ,worlds4 ,by ,wm4 
,h4 ,holcombe1 ,m4 ,d41 author of ,our  
,children in  ,heaven1 ,the ,sexes3     
,here and ,hereafter1 etc41 etc4 #abmo4 
,tinted paper4  ,extra cloth4 #a4ge4    
,while likely to prove of the deepest   
and most thrilling interest to all      
whose minds are elevated above          
materiality and the grosser elements of 
nature1 it is in no sense               
irreverent4--,boston ,evening ,traveler4
      ,mistaken2 or1 ,the ,seeming and  
the ,real4 ,by ,,lydia ,,fuller4 #abmo4 
,fine  cloth1 #a4ej4      ,moody ,mike2 
or1 ,the ,power of ,love4 ,a ,christmas 
,story4 ,by ,,frank ,,sewall4           
,illustrated4 #afmo4 ,extra cloth1 #a4  
,talks with a ,philosopher on the ,ways 
of ,god to ,man4 ,by the author of      
,talks with a ,child on the ,beatitudes4

 #afmo4 ,cloth4      ,lessons from      
,daily ,life4 ,by ,emily ,e4 ,hildreth4 
#abmo4 ,tinted paper4  ,extra cloth1 #a4
      ,the ,other ,life4 ,by ,dr4 ,w4   
,h4 ,holcombe1 author of ,the ,sexes1   
,in ,both  ,worlds1 etc4 #abmo4 ,cloth4 
,who was ,swedenborg8 ,by ,o4 ,p4       
,hiller4 #afmo4 ,paper cover1 #be cents4
  ,cloth1 #ej cents4      ,letters to a 
,man of the ,world4 ,by ,j4 ,f4 ,e4 ,,le
 ,,boys ,,des ,,guays1 ex-sous  ,prefect
 in ,department du cher4 ,revised       
edition4 #afmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ej4          
,doctrine of ,life for the ,new         
,jerusalem2 from the ,commandments of   
the  ,decalogue4 ,by ,,emanuel          
,,swedenborg4 #bdmo4 ,extra cloth1 gilt1
 #ge cents4      ,heroism4 ,by ,horace  
,field4 #abmo4 ,extra cloth1 #a4ej4     
,thoughts in my ,garden4 ,by ,mary ,g4  
,ware1 author of ,elements of           
,character1 etc4 #afmo4 ,cloth1 #a4be4  
,death and ,life4 ,by ,mary ,g4 ,ware1  
author of ,thoughts in my ,garden1  etc4
 #afmo4 ,cloth1 #a4be4      ,lectures on

 the ,new ,dispensation signified by the
 ,new ,jerusalem2  designed to unfold   
and elucidate the leading doctrines of  
the ,new  ,church4 ,by ,rev4 ,b4 ,f4    
,,barrett4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ej4        
,letters on the ,divine ,trinity1       
addressed to ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,by 
,rev4 ,b4 ,f4 ,,barrett4 ,new and       
enlarged edition4 #abmo4 ,extra cloth1  
#a4be4      ,the ,divine ,attributes4   
,including also the ,divine ,trinity4 ,a
 ,treatise  on the ,divine ,love and    
,divine ,wisdom1 and ,correspondence4   
,from the  ,apocalypse ,explained of    
,emanuel ,swedenborg4 #abmo4 ,extra     
cloth1 #b4      ,angelic ,wisdom        
,concerning the ,divine ,love and       
,wisdom4 ,by ,,emanuel  ,,swedenborg4   
,from the original ,latin as edited by  
,dr4 ,j4 ,f4 ,i4 ,tafel4  ,translated by
 ,r4 ,n4 ,foster4 ,demi #hvo4 ,extra    
cloth1 #b4      ,heaven and its         
,wonders1 and ,hell4 ,from ,things      
,heard and ,seen4 ,by  ,,emanuel        
,,swedenborg4 ,from the ,latin edition  

of ,dr4 ,j4 ,f4 ,i4 ,tafel4  ,translated
 by ,b4 ,f4 ,barrett4 ,demi #hvo4 ,extra
 cloth1 #b4ej4      ,angelic ,wisdom    
,concerning the ,divine ,providence4 ,by
 ,,emanuel  ,,swedenborg4 ,from the     
original ,latin as edited by ,dr4 ,j4   
,f4 ,i4 ,tafel4  ,translated by ,r4     
,norman ,foster4 ,demi #hvo4 ,tinted    
paper4 ,extra cloth1  #b4be4      ,true 
,christian ,religion4 ,containing the   
entire ,theology of the ,new  ,church1  
foretold by the ,lord in ,dan vii4 #ac1 
#ad and ,rev4 xxi4 #a1 #b4 ,by          
,,emanuel ,,swedenborg4 ,from the ,latin
 edition of ,dr4 ,j4 ,f4 ,i4 ,tafel4    
,translated by ,r4 ,norman ,foster4 #b  
vols4 demi #hvo4 ,tinted paper4 ,extra  
cloth1 #e4      ,life and ,works of     
,emanuel ,swedenborg4 ,by ,w4 ,,white4  
,with ,four ,steel  ,plates4 #hvo4      
,extra cloth1 #e4      ,life of ,emanuel
 ,swedenborg1 with a ,synopsis of his   
,writings4 ,by ,w4  ,,white4 ,with an   
,introduction by ,rev4 ,b4 ,f4 ,barrett4
 #abmo4 ,extra cloth1  #a4ej4           

,life3 ,its ,nature1 ,varieties and     
,phenomena4 ,by ,,leo ,h4 ,,grindon1    
author  of ,emblems1 ,figurative        
,language1 etc4 ,first ,american        
,edition4 #abmo4  ,extra cloth1 #b4be4  
,talks with a ,child on the ,beatitudes4
 ,by the author of ,talks with a        
,philosopher4 #afmo4 ,fine cloth1 #ge   
cents4 ,cloth1 flexible1 #ej cents4     
,a volume written in a sweet1 devout1   
simple and tender spirit1 and           
calculated to edify the old as well as  
the young4--,boston ,ev4  ,transcript4  
,a charming little volume to place in   
the hands of young  people4--,boston    
,journal4      ,deus ,homo3 ,god-,man4  
,by ,theophilus ,parsons4 ,crown #hvo4  
,extra cloth1  #b4ej4    ,perhaps no    
book has appeared from the scholars of  
the ,new ,church that  has promised more
 light to the inquirer or bestowed more 
satisfaction  upon the                  
reader4--,historical ,magazine4         
,emanuel ,swedenborg as a ,philosopher  
and a ,man of ,science4 ,by ,r4 ,l4     

,,tafel4 ,crown #hvo4 ,extra cloth1     
#b4be4    ,we invite our readers to     
peruse ,prof4 ,tafel's book4 ,its       
reading will  acquaint them with one of 
the greatest thinkers and one of the    
purest  characters that ever            
lived4--,st4 ,louis ,paper4             
,elements of ,character4 ,by ,mary ,g4  
,ware1 author of ,death and ,life1  etc4
 #afmo4 ,cloth1 #a4be4    ,this work is 
entitled to a place among the higher    
productions of  ,american female        
literature4--,harper's ,magazine4       
,observations on the ,growth of the     
,mind4 ,by ,,samson ,,reed4 ,seventh    
edition4 #afmo4 ,extra cloth1 #a4       
,the title of the work expresses its    
character4 ,it is an attempt to show    
how the mind grows1 and after defining  
the essential character of the  mind the
 author points out1 in a most           
interesting and original manner1  the   
actual development required4--,boston   
,transcript4      ,observations on the  
,authenticity of the ,gospels4 ,by a    

,layman4 ,second  edition4 #afmo4 ,extra
 cloth1 #a4    ,a work that should be in
 everybody's library1 and especially    
ought  steps to be immediately taken to 
place it in the hands of every          
theological student in our              
land4--,religious ,magazine4    ,the    
author writes with vigor and            
clearness4--,north ,american ,review4   
,sermons on the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,by    
,henry ,a4 ,,worcester4 #abmo4 ,cloth1  
#a4be4