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bones, of which we have an account, Ezek. xxxvii. has a primary reference to the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem from the Babylonish captivity. But in this the figure of a resur rection is represented in quite as strong terms, as in the passage under consideration. "Thus saith the Lord God, behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you out of your graves." Under a similar figure Isaiah prophesies deliverance to Israel.

Thy dead men shall live, to gether with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs." Turning from sin to God is frequently represented by this figure, Éph. v. 14; Col. iii. 1. The same kind of resurrection is intended by our blessed Lord, John v. 25. John the Baptist is also called Elias, not because he was the identical person of Elias, risen again, but because he went before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, and was therefore, in a figurative sense, Elias risen again. The reception of the Jews into the church of Christ, when in the latter day they shall turn unto the Lord, is also spoken of under the same figure, Rom.

same cause, and possessing the same spirit. Egypt and Babylon, the ancient enemies and oppres◄ sors of God's people, do after the same manner revive and live again, during the reign of the antichristian beast; Rome being called Egypt and Babylon, because in idolatry, wickedness, oppression, and persecution of God's people, she is the successor, and actuated by the same spirit with these ancient cities.

The description of particular events in language, borrowed from others, to which they bear some striking resemblance, is a very natural figure, and one very frequently used by the sacred penmen. Thus our Lord describes that dreadful catastrophe, the destruction of Jerusalem, in figures, borrowed from the consummation of all things; and the terror of the pagan enemies and persecutors of the church, upon the downfall of paganism and the elevation of Christianity to the imperial throne, is described in figures, borrowed from the terror of the wicked at Christ's second coming to judgment. Rev. vi. 1317.

Scripture is universally allowed to be the best interpreter of Scripture. In the application of this rule of interpretation, the best method is to explain dark and obscure passages by such, as are plain. We have several very plain accounts of the resurrection and general judgment in the New Testament, to which it will be very difficult, if not imThe resurrection of the wit- possible, to reconcile the doctrine nesses, at the end of the three of a literal resurrection of the days and a half, was not a literal saints, or even of the martyrs at resurrection of the same identical the commencement of the milpersons, but the resurrection of lennium. The most particular a race of men engaged in the account, which Christ himself

xi. 15.

gives of this solemn event, is in Matt. xxv. 31, to the end.

This account is plainly inconsistent with the idea of a literal resurrection and a personal reign of the saints with Christ, so many years before the consum mation of all things.

According to Paul's account of the resurrection, 1 Cor. xv. they that are Christ's will be raised at his second coming to judgment, and not before. At the sound of the same trumpet, by which the dead shall be raised, the saints then living will in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, be changed, and become incorruptible, like the newly raised saints. But is not this account of the resurrection totally inconsistent with the opinion, that vast numbers, even all the martyrs at least, will be raised at the beginning of the millennium, and made equal with the angels, and reign with Christ in glory; while all the saints living at that time, as well as the vast multitudes, who will be born and converted, during the thousand years of unexampled spiritual prosperity, are to die and remain in their graves until the end of the world. An account of similar import, and equally inconsistent with a literal resurrection and personal reign, we have 1 Thess. iv.

From these considerations and others which might be mentioned, it appears both more rational and more scriptural, and even the most obvious sense of the text, to understand the first resurrection in a figurative sense, and that the millennium will be a spiritual, and not a personal reign of Christ upon earth.

T.

ON SELF-ACQUAINTANCE.

THE knowledge of ourselves is important, because without it, we shall never take our proper places, nor gain a sight of our obligations. This knowledge is always a fruit of solemnly calling ourselves to an account, and of carefully watching the exercises of our minds. Who does

not know, that two persons may for many years live in the same neighbourhood, and yet be so inattentive to each other, as never to form a particular acquaintance? They may readily recognize each other's features and voices; and at the same time, in an important sense, remain strangers. Equally supposable is it, that a person may live, in this world, a very great stranger to himself. He may be busily employed, all his days, and may even distinguish himself for his exertions to obtain certain ends, which the world may call laudable; and yet never cultivate an acquaintance with his own heart. With all his fame for worldly wisdom, he may have neglected to call himself to an account, as a candidate for eternity; and, of course, when summoned to appear before his God, he may find himself awfully deficient in that kind of knowledge, which is the most important.

It is manifest, that they who view themselves, as they ought, find time, notwithstanding all the cares of this busy and ensnaring world, to call home their wandering thoughts, and to commune with their own hearts. In this way, the faithful in every age have obtained a sight of their own vileness. Their seasons of retirement and meditation per

sons of this description have highly regarded. If, through unfaithfulness, they have neglected these seasons, the consequences have always been painful. They have become, as it were, afraid of themselves. They have felt that kind of em, barrassment, in renewing an acquaintance with their own hearts, which is felt by two persons, who, for a great length of time, have neglected each other. Conscious of having become strangers, they know not how, at first, to use freedom,

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To observe seasons of retire ment is a compliance with the duty, enjoined by our divine Teacher, of "entering into the closet and of shutting the door. The object of such retirement is meditation, prayer and self-acquaintance; a privilege which has been sought by the true friends of God in every age of the world. Of the patriarch Isaac we read, that " he went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide." Jacob, under his troubles, was alone, all night, wrestling in prayer. David, as appears from his writings, was often employed in thinking on his own ways; or in reviewing his life and examining his heart. To such precious seasons he alluded, when he penned the following words, in the 77th Psalm "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled : I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Thou holdest my eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient

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times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart; and my spirit made diligent search." And in another Psalm : "I thought on my ways,and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not, to keep thy commandments.' Had not this pious man, amidst all his cares, reserved some time to commune with his own heart, he would have lived and died, like most other men, a stranger to himself. At the close of an active and laborious life, he might have taken up the sad lamentation, They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not

kept.

But, we have a brighter example than that of David, or of the patriarchs. The Saviour of the world had his seasons of withdrawing from the multitude, who thronged around him to hear his instructions, and even from the disciples who composed his particular family, that he might commune with God and his own heart. This he viewed an important part of his duty, and, by his example, he has enjoined the same on all his friends.

The hours of retirement and self-examination, which have now been represented to be so important, will, however, fail of being important to those who observe them, unless they are rightly improved. At such seasons, we must have God's holy law in our view. Can we weigh our characters, without having recourse to some standard? The great standard, or test of character, is the divine law. Every character is viewed by the

Searcher of hearts to be bad or good, according to this standard. This, therefore, we ought to carry with us to our closets, and places of retirement. Into this we ought carefully to look, as in to a glass, that we may know what manner of persons we are. The law, in all its strictness and purity, should be imprinted on our minds. How expressive of a strong attachment to the divine law are the following words of David. "O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day." It appears that the law was his delight, not because he expected to obtain salvation by it, but because he saw it to be holy. He loved its perfection and purity. Though by this standard, he stood condemned, yet he was inclined to weigh himself by it; and the more faithfully he attended to this, the greater sense he had of his own imperfection and vileness. He saw the commandment to be exceedingly broad. With all this the experience of the apostle Paul perfectly corresponds. "I had not known sin (said he) but by the law for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."

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From the united testimony of these inspired men, David and Paul, we learn that all, who have been brought to see themselves to be sinners, have gained this knowledge by looking into looking into God's holy law. Many, doubt less, have their seasons of re

tirement and meditation, who remain exceedingly ignorant of themselves, because when they have entered their closets, they have always neglected to take the

divine law with them, Were they now to do this, and to be faithful in com. paring themselves with this standard, their imagined attain. ments in religion might possibly vanish like the morning dew, before the rising sun; and they might tremble as king Josiah did, when he heard the words of the book of the law, which had long been lost, While men suffer themselves to be ignorant of the law, they feel very whole, and practically say, that they stand in no need of a physician.

To obtain a knowledge of our selves, we must also carefully compare our feelings and prac tice with the requirements of the gospel. The gospel, it is true, is good news to sinners. But, does it promise any good to sinners, who remain impenitent ? Does it countenance men in their sins? No; the requirements of the gospel are strict, and, like the law, which we have been considering, they try the hearts of men. The language of the gospel is, "He that believeth shall be saved." An infinite favour is here promised, on a certain condition. The condition is, that we renounce all dependence on our own strength, acknowledge ourselves to be in a helpless and hopeless condition, and that we embrace, with our hearts, the all-perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Without that faith, which implies all this, what benefit are we to expect from the gospel? None at all; for the gospel, considered

as an overture of God to fallen men, threatens as well as promises. Therefore it is added, " he that believeth not shall be damned." A preached gospel, misimproved, will leave men in a state an hundred fold more to be dreaded than that of the heathen.

Besides; the gospel presents to us many crosses, which we must daily take up, or lose our souls. Speaking on this subject, our divine Saviour said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his eross, and follow me. For who soever will save his life shall lose st, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

With these views of the gospel we should enter our closets, and solemnly ask ourselves, as in the presence of God, whether we have complied with the conditions. If, on examination, we find that our faith is not of that kind, which leads to purity of life, and which influences us to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, what does it profit? If we find, that our religion does not consist in self-denial; if it does not make us feel interested in the honour and glory of the divine Redeemer; if it does not make us prize the worship of God in his house, in our families and in our closets; what important end do we expect will be answered by it? The gospel is represented by its divine Author to be a test of character. Men are to know themselves by

coming into the light of it Therefore it is written, "Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But, he that doeth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

If the wicked obtain any conviction of their ruined state, it must take place in consequence of comparing themselves with the pure oracles of God, with the law and the gospel. And if Christians are brought to have any just sight of their many imperfections, to lie low before God, and to feel the necessity of struggling against sin, they will attain to this, by retiring from the world, and studying the word of God with self-application, and with particular reference to the state of their own souls. Convicted of the greatness of their danger, and of the magnitude of their wants, they are constrained to cry for help, as the publican did; not mentioning their own good deeds, but saying, "God be merciful to us sinners." No longer do they say in their hearts, that their farms, their flocks, their merchandize and their earthly com panions call so loudly for their attention, that God must be put off, and eternal concerns dispensed with; no longer do they say, "To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant ;” but, they make haste, and delay not, to keep the divine com. mandments.

H.

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