14. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."

Those that love the brethren have passed from death unto life, others abide in death; no one that hateth his brother hath eternal life abiding in him: then can he bear Eternal Misery?

iv. 9. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.".

It was from God's love He sent His Son: God's love could injure no one.

14. “We have seen and do testify that the Father, sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." "e

From what from the condemnation that was in' the world, from death, from destruction, from perdition, from corruption, from that which was natural to all mankind; a

18. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment, He that feareth, is not made perfect in love."

Yet fear hath weighed heavy on the heart of many who desired to love God, and must, whilst he is thought to condemn the great majority of His creatures to Eternal Misery. The humble man will say, if them, why not me? I know more of my own sins than of any one's else. It is hard to understand how any can be made perfect in love, whilst this opinion prevails with them.

1. 1."Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. 11. And this is the record,

that God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in His Son. 12. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."

Here it is clearly declared that he only that hath the Son, hath life; and that he that hath not the Son, hath not life: hence plainly, all who have not the righteousness of faith are under one general condemnation from some cause; this must be their com mon nature: then, if Eternal Misery be the fate of any, it must be of all, "for the whole world lieth in wickedness."

16. "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17. All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death."

The sin unto death must be that which causes or implies the loss of spiritual life; and to pray for that must be in vain, because, having been born again, if we die there is no more sacrifice for sin, and no possibility, therefore, of having life restored, All unrighteousness is sin, but does not imply hatred, or the total extinction of the love of God; and, therefore, is not necessarily sin unto death.

19. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life,"

To be in him that is true, is eternal life; all else

is unto death.

Second Epistle of John. c. i. v. 9. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.”

Those that abide not in the doctrine of Christ, have not God; what have they then?-have they existence without Him?

Third Epistle of John. c. i. v. 11. “He that doeth good, is of God: but he that doeth evil, hath not seen God."

He that is not of God, must hold existence by a frail tenure,

2

Epistle of Jude, c. i. v. 1. "To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called."

To be sanctified, preserved, and called, is peculiar to the blessed; those who think God has given an immortal existence to the wicked, must forget that Christ has asked "do men put new wine into old bottles?" (See Luke, c. 5. v. 37, and 38.)

4. "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner

giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 10. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."

"I think it undeniable, that those who deny Jesus Christ are here compared, and that without any note of distinction, to those who in the old Testament are punished for disobedience, and said to be de stroyed; therefore the same condemnation awaits them: what that is, let the subsequent description of them declare.

Clouds without water.

Trees whose fruit withereth.
Twice dead.

Plucked up by the roots.

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame.

Wandering stars, to whom is' reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

If these are meant to imply eternal existence, the propriety of scripture imagery cannot be defended;

but if approaching extinction, then is it vindicated in this, as in every other instance. I remark that everlasting chains are said to be unto the judgment of the great day. May not this intimate, that when that day shall have found successors, that the angels who kept not their first estate may be dismissed from existence, when their immortality is more worthily bestowed? Sodom and Gomorrha are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Where are they set forth? in the old Testament, and how?-that God rained fire from heaven and destroyed them. Here then the Holy Spirit describes that as eternal fire which is em ployed to produce a temporal effect; a full authority for our understanding, in the same sense, our Saviour's words in describing the last judgment.

21. "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

Eternal life is from the mercy of Christ; it will not be given then, where it must be a curse.

22. "And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

All who are saved are pulled out of the fire; it is thereby they have life. It may be a peculiarity of the fallen angels, and that which is meant by immortality, that naturally they would live for ever, as man would had he eaten of the tree of life; and their organization being incorruptible, they retain existence until the separation of God's spirit, which is to be the business of the great day; and which appears to be deferred until the human race has supplied successors to the heaven