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« ut sttt-k a construction upon these ternis , **** & the omission df the doctrine in * h e undent ' creeds , shews that id was iiP original doctrine , or not thaaght essential ; and , indeed , the Romish doctrine ^ of purgatory seems to be the corruption of a genuine doctrine , held by the ancient Fathers concerning a pufifyiny fire . " *
Many-passases in the " Revelation " are now considered , by the best interpreters ^ as referring * to the concerns of the church in the present world , though others doubtless relate to futurity ; and we are as yet far from a comprehensive knowledge of this vvonderful book . One passage requires consideration , ch « xxii . 11 . This can be nothing more than a solemn warning at the close , as if the angelic messenger had said—If , after ajl the
extraordinary revelations unfolded to you , and which you are u not to seal up , " but to communicate to the world , any should still remain unpersuaded and unconvinced , there is no further
present remedy at hand ; obstinate transgressors must remain under the effects of their own wilful ignorance and blindness , and await the awful consequences . But " he that is righteous let him be righteous still : " the true believer can have now no reason
to repent of his choice ; he is delivered from all the permanent effects of the original curse ; for behold , saith the Judge , " I come quickly , and my reward is with me , to # ive to every man according- as his work shall be . "
There is one other text strangely introduced . upon this occasion , the handling of which , by the obscure author just quoted , is so peculiarly appropriate , that there needs no apology tor inserting * it ; and the severest critics admit of occasional quotations , provided they fit the place . Some conc lude the state of the damned to be eternal , from these words of Solomon , Eeeles . xi . 3 : " In the place where " ^ Uie tree faileth there it shall P » These must first prove that he w here speaking of the state of departed souls ; the contrary of which rather ap pears from the context and the
de-81 £ u of the Preacher . He is recomjnencliug charity , or alms-giving ' , which e illustrates by three similes , running M * Hartley on Man ' , Vol . II . 430 , &c . . 1749 .
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parallel to efieh other , and expressing the terms & quo and ad quern , or the giver and the receiver ; the uricertainty of the giveF , whether thq object of his charity be deserving or not , and yet its being accepted of God , and engaging for a return of the blessing . The first simile is of " bread cast
upon the waters / ' or among a multitude of people in general ; thp second , of " clouds full of rain , and emptying themselves upon the earth ; " the third , of ' * a tree laden with good fruit" and " falling" for relief of the needy , " either to the north or to the south /* " whether to obiecta reallv dpsouth whether to objects
reallde-, y serving the charity or not . Now , each of these similes has the same terms and reward ; in each is represented the good intent of the giver , the duty performed , the charity reaching its term or object , and the return of blessing to be expected . And here , to
break the natural and easy parallelism and make the north and the jout / i to signify the different states after this life , because an argument might thence be drawn for doing good while we have opportunity , appears to be forced and abrupt , and contrary to the present design of the wise Preacher . It should be added , in confirmation of
what has been said of * the tree falling" being a third simile , used in the same manner and to the same intent as the former , tlrat it is introduced in the same form and connected by the same particle , "if the clouds be full , " &c , and " */ the tree fall , " &c .
' * However , let it be granted , for argument ' s . sake , according to the other interpretation , that * as the tree falls so it lies ; ' or , that into whatever state the soul eaters after death , there it
continues ; it will by no means hence follow , that it must continue there for every in a strict sense ; or that the Preacher here undertakes to determine the point how long it is to continue , it being enough for the argument thence to be drawn , that the soul has
then no present opportunity of exercising this grace , but is gone into the state of receiving the award of its merits or demerits , without regard to the duration or degree of punishment in
the latter . But aa * a tree falling * has no power to raise itself , yet , if an artist , a carpenter , shall raise it , it may be prepared , fitted and adapted into a building , or serve to other good uses ;
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A " Long-Lost Truth . 665
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V . xx . -1 o
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1825, page 665, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2542/page/25/
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