life; by what principle then are we eternal for : misery?

15. "That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life. (3) 16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (4) 31. He that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth."

It is out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.-Whence hath he immortality again I ask?

iii. 36. "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (5)

Let us enquire what is meant by the wrath of God? First-What it is not. It is not that passion which in men transports them beyond the justice of the case.

It includes in it no desire of revenge, or of causing evil to its object, as a gratification.

. It must be consistent with perfect goodness; and, therefore, must be capable of being justified, as between God and the individual-because perfection must be perfect in all its parts: it cannot, therefore, consist in continuing one in misery, for the benefit of others. That would be doing evil, that good might come of it.-It must be something, then, that is in opposition to His general dealing with us; the characteristic of which is love, and which exhibits itself, by imparting pleasurable existence.

The opposite to this, is the wrath of God, which will be seen in His withdrawing the existence He has

given, when it is perverted from the end for which it was bestowed.-The wrath of God, then, cannot lead Him to inflict Eternal Misery.

iv. 14. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (6) 36. And he that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal. (7)

v. 17. "But Jesus answered them, my Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth; and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. (8) 22. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; 23. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him. 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, (9) and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25. Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of

the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. (10) 26. For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; 27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. 28. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, 29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; (11) and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

These beautifully instructive words of our blessed Saviour seem to me utterly to exclude the belief of an eternal existence in misery; and this I think to prove by the following considerations. First.-He uses the words quick and dead in plain opposition to each other, v. 21.-Therefore, whatever kind of life they have reference to, the one as much excludes, as the other implies it. When He says, the hour now is that the dead shall hear His voice, and they that hear shall live-it must mean the life mentioned

in the preceding verse. "He that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." Then the dead had not spiritual life-but it is spiritual life alone that can endure for ever. Then those who do not hear and believe, are still in the state of death-they are not passed from death unto life. But to be able to hear and believe, some kind of life is necessary; that must be the natural life which is common to all mankind: then since mankind do not naturally possess everlasting life, or spiritual life, they cannot exist eternally in misery.

Our Saviour says, what He seeth the Father do,

ye

He doeth-that the Father sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth-and that He will shew Him greater works than these, i. e. than those that now see me do-that ye may marvel. He then says that the hour now is that the dead shall hear and live. But "marvel not at this," that those who being spiritually dead, the Son of God shall quicken; because, as they possess a kind of life, the transition is not such as will excite wonder in your minds: therefore, "marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and come forth."

Now it is clear that a distinction is intended be tween "those that are dead" and "those that are in the graves," and to have been spiritually dead is common to all; whilst those only, who in this mortal life hear and believe, will rise to life:-the rest, when they come to judgment, are dead already, not having passed from death unto life. Then it follows, that none have eternal life, in any sense, but those whom Christ quickens; all others, as the children of Adam, being under the original curse, "Thou shalt surely die."

v. 39. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (12) 40. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (13)

vi. 27. "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed." (14)

33. "For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (15) 34. Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give

us this bread. 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life." (16)

40. "That every one which believeth on the Son, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (17)

.44. "No man can come to me, except the Father. which hath sent me, draw him and I will raise him up at the last day."

47. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, hath everlasting life." (18)

48. "I am that bread of life.” (19)

50. "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die." (20)

51. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; (21) and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (22)

53. "Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (23) 54. Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (24)

57." As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, he shall live by me." (25)

58. "This is the bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall live for. ever." (26)

63. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (27)