15. "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16. For, if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and, if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19. Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20. Well: because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear. 21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed, lest He also spare not thee. 22. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God, on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23. And they also, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

The Apostle speaks of the Jews and Gentiles under the similitude of good and wild olive trees, and says it is only by being grafted into the chosen tree, that they can partake of its root and fatness. Now this, being of grace, cannot make those criminal who are wild by nature; but it sufficiently accounts for their not sharing the root and fatness of the good olive tree, unless grafted into it. Of the wild olive tree,

Christ's words dispose-" Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?"

36. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

The wicked, after death, are neither of Him, nor through Him, nor to Him; then they are nothing.

xii. 1. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

St. Paul entreats we would present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, that we may prove what is that good and perfect will of God. The will of God must be good and perfect: the difference will be, that we shall not arrive at the proof; and why? because the body is dead by reason of sin.

20. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for, in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

This motive must be so understood as to agree with that injunction that bids us "desire to be like our Father which is in heaven;" it must not be primarily for the destruction of our enemy, but to melt him to love and charity; and when all other means of rescuing him fail, we may wish God's will should be done, and that existence, having ceased to be a blessing, it too may cease.

xiii. 4. "But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil,"

He that beareth the sword, hath power of life and death, is "a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." What is death at his hand?-A privation of life and all its blessings. Now, he is the minister of God.

xiv. 7. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord: and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."

Christ is Lord only of the dead and living by having subdued all opposition to his authority. Eternal Torments must cause eternal hatred to their author; the subjects of them then are not subdued.

15. "Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 20. For meat destroy not the work of God."

To destroy is the opposite of to create; therefore not possible whilst existence continues.

23. "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Now is eating meat offered to idols, doubtfully, to cause Eternal Misery?-exclude from eternal happiness it may, because that is the consequence only of faith, which is inconsistent with doubt. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, and the wages of sin is death, but it cannot be Eternal Misery.

First Epistle to the Corinthians, c. 1. v. 30. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 31. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.”

I refer to this passage to shew, (if I may so express myself,) the ingredients of immortality, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; and their opposites will illustrate the nature of its opposite: thus folly, disobedience, corruption, and loss, indicate conduct sure to be fruitless.

ii. 7. "But we speak the wisdom of God, in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory. 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory."

This is in conformity to our Saviour's words, "forgive them, for they know not what they do." If the sin of crucifying the Lord of Glory even be infinite, it must be an infinite ignorance, which I imagine must be very like an infinite nothing, or nothing infinite.

11. "Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The Apostle declares, that the natural man cannot discern the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually, discerned. Now here is the nature of Adam and Christ, "the first is of the earth, earthy; the second, is the Lord from Heaven: as is the earthy, so shall they be that are earthy: as is the heavenly, so shall they be that are heavenly;" the first was mortal, the second eternal.

iii. 11. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward; 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

There is absolutely no other foundation than Christ Jesus; and works built thereon will endure in proportion to their materials, for the fire shall try every man's work. Gold, silver, precious stones, will prove incorruptible-wood, hay, stubble, although built on this foundation, shall be burnt, and he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, having built on Christ. Thus if the actions of believers, the objects of which are only temporary, shall perish like wood, hay, stubble, things useful in their place, but perishable in their nature; how shall the worst actions of the most brutalized of mankind, which have no foundation, support their claim to existence through the countless ages of eternity?

16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy."

To destroy a temple because irretrievably defiled, cannot mean to supply all the support and repairs necessary to its enduring for ever. Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. (vi. 19.) Here it is