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Being; the complete restoration of all the perversions of nature from its original beneficent design; and the introduction, and establishment of universal perfection and happiness through all the works of God. This is an issue that may justly be called the REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS This is a destination truly worthy of the Eternal Heir of Omnipotence.

A DIGRESSION.

When this work was first published, it was meant but as a Sketch of a more extensive view of the subject. As that view has not been, nor ever can now be exhibited by the Author, it may be necessary here to give some explanation of a point in which it may be thought the writer has not been sufficiently explicit.

It may be asked, how does the Author dispose of the finally wicked, and of all those places of Scripture where such are expressly destined to everlasting punishment? Or-Does he understand, by the Restitution of all Things, that the most desperately wicked, as well as the most pious and good, shall equally be restored? He answers No! But he cannot here discuss such an intricate subject at length. Onlyhe most certainly believes that "surely destruction shall be to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity"—but what shall be the nature, or extent, of that punishment,

he does not, he dare not, say. Destruction, properly means dissolution, entire extinction. And that, he thinks, may be the meaning of the word here. Everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord, may with perfect propriety mean extinction, entire annihilation: that punishment may surely be said to be everlasting, which shall never end in restoration, or relief. What cannot be restored, may be extinguished from the creation of God: And that extinction may itself be part of the Universal Restoration: the extinction of evil may be the restoration of the good interrupted.

Or, durst I venture a step beyond what, I believe, was ever trode by Divines, Heterodox, or Orthodox, I would suggest something like the following in behalf even of the most reprobate part of the species.

From what we here see of the works and ways of God, we may justly conclude that they are Infinite, and Eternal. And though no intimation of it is given to us; as entirely beyond our world and its present destination-yet in the eternal, and infinite ways of God, may there not be room for repentance, respite, recovery, and Restitution even of the Damned!!! This suggestion, however extravagant, may appear at least more admissible to those who maintain the necessary eternity, and essentially indissoluble Nature of the human soul. But I am aware I am now got beyond either my own depth or that of my readers. Thus-though "we can

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reason only from what we know"-we can, and often do, both speak and write abundantly of that of which we know nothing.-As witness, further, all that ever was spoken, or written upon the Personality of the Deity, or upon Predestination, and the nature of the eternal conceptions of God, and a thousand other points. of artificial Theology,-by which,-in the language in which the Omnipotent challengeth Job -we darken counsel by words, without knowledge. I shall therefore only add, on the subject that every one in the least acquainted with the original language of the Scriptures must be sensible in what various, and indefinite meanings the words which we have translated Eternal, and from which we infer the eternity of future puinshment, are used in the Sacred Writings, both in the Old and New Testament. The words most

עולם עוד commonly used in the Hebrew, are

in the Greek, as, aw, avis-the indefinite meanlel, ing of all which, none who are acquainted with the language to which they belong will dispute.

That any being should be sustained in endless existence for the sole purpose of suffering misery and pain, is surely irreconcilable with every idea we can form of a good and wise God.

It just occurs to the Writer, that from the above and other such considerations, Dr Newton, the late Bishop of Bristol, infers the probability that the devil himself may be restored.

As the narrow and partial representations generally given by Theologians of the great Counsel of Omnipotence for the redemption of the world, with the artificial creeds and systems by which they affect to define, and bound it,-are the principal foundation of the most plausible objections against it, and the most fruitful source of infidelity, deism, and atheism-it must be of great moment to suggest, and diffuse, more enlarged, and worthy conceptions of this important design, thus Meydans Beans, this great Counsel of God Almighty; and to shew that such conceptions are founded in the natural character and attributes of God; as acknowledged both by deists and Christians, and supported both by Reason and Revelation; and accordant with the general history of Religion from the earliest ages of the world, as shall be shown more at length in the sequel.

From many places of Scripture it appears that there is delegated by the Father to the Eternal Son a Mediatorial Office and Character, in consequence of which, the whole divine economy and government of the world, the whole agency and operations of Omnipotence with respect to finite and created beings are conferred upon him; and the opening and unfolding of all the divine counsels and designs, the accomplishing of all the divine purposes and works, through every region of Being, are committed unto this

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Μεγάλης Βέλης Αγγελος this Messenger, Minister, or Executor, of the great design.

This important destination is briefly expressed in the sentence prefixed to this Essay from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament-Kaλstas το όνομα άντε μεγάλης Βέλης Αγγελος his Name shall be called The Messenger of the Great Counsel the Minister of the Important Purpose-the Great Design. This is perhaps the most concise, and comprehensive designation of the Office and Character of the Universal Mediator between the Infinite and Finite Beings that is to be found in the whole of Sacred Writ. And the following Essay will consist chiefly in an attempt to delineate more particularly what is implied in this designation: with some observations on the concomitant characteristics ascribed to the Messiah in the common English translation of that part of Scripture.*

The whole of the passage alluded to, inserting the above expression, will stand thus:-For

* In our common version of the Scriptures the designation implied in the words above quoted is entirely omitted: nor do I find in Commentators any satisfactory account of this omission. But as the words are to be found, not only in all copies of the Septuagint; but also in several other ancient versions of the Old Testament made immediately from the Original— as in Walton's Polyglot, in the Caldean, Arabic, Syriac, &c., &c. This, together with their being perfectly conformable to the idea of the Mediator's Destination, as represented in other parts of Scripture, is certainly sufficient to justify the recourse had to them here.

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