BOW. I beg to assure you and him that the representation was unintentional on my part. I would much rather minimise than exaggerate any difference there is between us, and I am glad to find that it is really so much less than I had thought it. Mr. Constable does not, I find, "deny the continued living existence of Paul's spirit in the intermediate state." What he does deny is that this "spirit" though in "continued living existence" is an "entity or person." I did not say it was a person," nor do I now deny that it is. But I confess I cannot understand how a human spirit or anything else in "living existence" can fail to be an "entity" at any rate. Paul's 66 spirit though an "entity" was not a separate entity while he was in the body, but has certainly been if in "living existence" a separate entity ever since. In 2 Cor. v. 1-8 he speaks of something he called himself -I or we as being now in the tabernacle dwelling or clothing of the mortal body; of being unclothed of it for a time; and being, at a future time that has not come yet, clothed upon with his house from heaven and no longer naked. What is it that he speaks of as now in this tabernacle, as unclothed in death, as clothed upon in resurrection? Surely Mr. Constable will agree with me that it is his spirit as distinct from his body. And yet Paul speaks of it as himself all through. So Peter (in 2 Pet. i. 13, 14) says that he must shortly put off his tabernacle" in the death by which his Lord had told him he should glorify God. Clearly he speaks then of his soul or spirit as himself distinct from the tabernacle body he was to put off. He leads us on irresistibly to think of himself as having put off his tabernacle-as being unclothed of that dwelling-like a tenant turned out of his tent, and like a man stripped naked of his vile raiment but not having yet put on his goodly apparel instead. If this is not to speak of his disembodied spirit as not only in " continued living existence but as a "living entity," I protest I know not the meaning or the force of plain words. I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, LITERATURE. Is Eternal Punishment Endless? By an Orthodox Minister of the Gospel. Boston (U.S.): Lockwood, Brooks, & Co. AN able and learned book, in which the philological argument is used, fairly and conclusively, against the "endless" horror. The Second Coming of the Lord, considered in Relation to the views promulgated by the Ply mouth Brethren, and so-called It is no business of ours to vindicate the views" promulgated by the Plymouth Brethren " respecting the Second Advent, but certainly they are far more in harmony with Scripture than "the views promulgated" by Mr. John Laing. When a man says, "We see good reason to hold fast by the faith delivered to the saints in past ages, and as handed down by our fathers in the Westminster Standards," we feel it useless to say another word, as he assumes unity of testimony between witnesses that notoriously disagree. On the ground of Scripture we are prepared to meet any man; but as even over the theology of the land of Knox the "Standards "will not float much longer, Mr. Laing's wisdom would be to put them aside, and examine the doctrine of the second coming under the guidance of Paul and John, ay, and let us add, of the blessed Master himself. And why the unworthy sneer called Evangelists ?" Has not the Lord owned them ? The words are not only destitute of charity, but of manliness. The Yale Lectures on Preaching. By Rev. Philip Brooks, Trinity Episcopal Church, Boston, U. S. London: R. D. Dickenson. HERE are some well expressed counsels about the qualifications and work of the preacher; but happy the preacher who does not need them! All this sort of thing is so artificial, savours so much of the wisdom of man, that we dislike it heartily. You can't make preachers by rule, no more than you can make poets. A Lecture to the Working Men's Club, Maidstone. By H. D. H. Burnell. MR. BURNELL'S counsels to working men are admirable. Sobriety, intelligence, integrity, and true manliness would result from the adoption of these counsels. Against intemperance, the dire effects of which he has seen in connection with our Metropolitan prisons, Mr. Burnell speaks most earnestly, both in rhyme and reason. We wish him great success in his present benevolent work-that of obtaining employment for discharged prisoners. He has suffered long for the doctrines of this journal. Our friends might purchase his lecture for circulation among working men. He will send a dozen copies, post free for two shillings. Address, 5, Scott Street, Maidstone, Kent. By The Keys of the Apocalypse. Ir is well to be modest; but a teacher who habitually uses such phrases as, "I think "-"It may be"-"Iimagine"-"It may mean' "I am much inclined to think so," and the like, really teaches nothing. Mr. Morgan's object is praiseworthy, but we are obliged to say that he has not shed fresh light on the Apocalypse. Three Worlds, or Plan of Redemption. By N. H. Barbour. Rochester, N.Y.: C. F. Russell. THE idea of this work is in 2 Pet. iii. the world before the flood, that which now is, and the new earth which is promised. Mr. Barbour is entitled to honour for the care and labour he has bestowed on this deeply interesting subject; but his book contains, amidst much truth, not a few doctrines and statements which are not only erroneous but mischievous. The incurable tendency of our American brethren to fix dates for the advent and the resurrection is fatally exhibited in this pamphlet. We say fatally, for it would be death to a book of far greater power than this to say that Christ left the holy place on Oct. 22nd, 1874;" and that "the resurrection began in the spring of 1875," adding the gross absurdity that "the great mass of mankind are to be raised in the flesh, with the animal body." No one can believe these statements, no one should believe them, as they are simply incredible. We are thankful to any brother who teaches that the Saviour's coming will be pre-millennial, but we would have that divine truth kept clear from notions that have no foundation in Scripture. The Devil and Satan; A Critical Examination of all the Texts in which the words Diabolos and Satan are found in Holy Scripture. By T. W. Good. London : Elliot Stock. His WE sincerely believe that Mr. Good thought he was serving the cause of truth whilst writing his pamphlet; but we as sincerely regret that his ability, time, and labour were not devoted to an object more in harmony with Scripture. attempt to prove that there is no "personal devil" is, of necessity, a failure. The arguments he uses, if valid, would prove that there is no God, a conclusion from which we are sure that Mr. Good's intelligence would shrink with indignation. Christians should not aid the delusions of Satan by teaching that he has no existence. Endless Sufferings the Doctrine of Scripture. By F. J. B. Hooper, B.A. London: Elliot Stock. WE are surprised and sorry to see Mr. Hooper's name on a pamphlet with this awful title. He should know better. It has been proved over and over again that Scripture contains no such terrible doctrine as that of "endless sufferings." The names of our honoured brethren Minton and White appear very often in the publication, but they are quite able to take care of themselves. All we need say on the subject is-Endless sufferings not the doctrine of Scripture. The Two Spirits; or, Truth and Error. Being a comparison of the teachings of Rome with the words of Jehovah. By Arthur Gardiner Butler, and Montague Russell Butler. London: Elliot Stock. EXCELLENT! Protestants should circulate this by the myriad. Rome and the Bible are placed in parallel columns, and a sorry figure the former makes. She speaks for herself, and out of her own mouth she is condemned as an impudent and abominable impostor. For the preparation of this book the Messrs. Butler deserve hearty thanks. It is but a small thing, but it is an instrument of tremendous power. The Preacher's Analyst. A Monthly Homiletical Magazine. 12 pp., 2d. London: Elliot Stock. SKILFUL analyses, with thoughtful and useful hints for preachers on a variety of topics. One of the most valuable features of this new serial is its reference to books on the subjects under notice. This guide both to modern books and standard works on theology will be of great service to many. What the Gospels teach on the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ. By A Layman. London Elliot Stock. It is only common honesty that books sent for notice should be noticed, although sometimes, as in this case, a book comes to hand so incredibly crude and foolish that it would be charity to throw it aside without a word. We meant to point out a few of the mistakes of this little book, but finding at its close that the writer is " eightyfive," criticism is of course disarmed. We wish the good old man blessings from a higher source, for his authorship will bring him neither gold nor fame. NOTICES. "S. A. J," sending for copies of "the Ministry of Evil," says, "It is a grand paper, and is well worth circulating." There is no price put upon this tract, and it is not "published," but any friends wishing to circulate it will be supplied with copies on sending a note to the editor's private address, with a few stamps to pay postage. "The Rich Man and Lazarus," third thousand, price 2d. ; and "The Scripture Doctrine of a Future Life," third thousand, price 4d, by the editor, may be had of Mr. Elliot Stock, through any bookseller, or direct by post to any address. "M. W. S." (inter alia) says, By the way, I really wish Mr. Deacon would take a hint about David's relation to the 109th Psalm. It is too bad to continue to blame him for our own blunders." "ABIJAH.”—Ever onwards to higher and nobler issues the Lord's purpose tends. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but the Ego, the personal life that is hid with Christ in God, will be clothed upon with the house from heaven, the spiritual body of resurrection; so that there will be delightful mutual recognition, in the new age, of saints who have toiled and wept and prayed together in the wilderness journey. This is so clearly taught in Scripture that one wonders how the gross absurdity of the resurrection of the physical man, the same body that dies "dust to dust ever crept into theology. But, after all, we need not wonder; for it is only one of the many errors which have settled upon Divine truth, like clouds of fog hiding the beauty of a charming landscape. But the Lord will instruct his faithful witnesses as the time of test and testimony approaches; and that time has now most surely come! "A CITY MISSIONARY" thanks the Lord for the light which we have been honoured to shed upon the sublime doctrine of immortality only in Christ, but mourns over the bondage in which he and his brother missionaries are held. They must be "orthodox" or nothing! We respectfully suggest to the Directors of the London City Mission that it is time to revise both their rules and their creed. Indeed we render a truly Christian service by making the same suggestion to the directors of all our missionary societies, both home and foreign. With all respect for the good and honourable men who have the control of these great organisations, we must warn them that they will speedily lose their constituents by thousands if they impose fetters upon the Christian freedom of their missionaries, or even by implication expect them to teach the falsehoods of natural immortality and the endless torment of the lost. "ASTERISK."-That "star differeth from star in glory" is an obvious fact, which the apostle selects as an illustration of his sublime theme. The children of the first resurrection will all be children of light, but there will be great variety in their lustre. As the sun, moon, and stars are the gems which crown creation, the world's coronal of beauty; so the raised saints will be the crown of salvation, the coronal of the LifeGiver's work. THE RAINBOW: 3 Magazine of Christian Literature, with Special Reference to the Revealed Future of the Church and the World. AUGUST, 1877. THE DISTURBED THESSALONIANS. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in the faith, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."-2 THESS. ii. 1, 2. THE HE Christians at Thessalonica seem to have constituted the model church of apostolic times. They certainly enlisted Paul's regard and commendation beyond any other congregation assembled by his labours. We may therefore safely look to them for a truthful and complete exemplification of what true Christianity is. And when we come to inquire narrowly into the nature of their experiences and character, we find their Christianity summed up in two grand articles. In his first letter to them, the inspired apostle says: "Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God;' -this is the first article ;" and to wait for his Son from heaven (i. 9, 10);—this is the second article. And this was the whole of their Christianity. From this, then, it appears that the earnest and confident expectancy of the coming of the Lord Jesus from the heavens, was as much and as vitally a part of primitive, practical, and experimental Christianity, as conversion itself; nay, that it was one of the very elements of the early conversions, and one of the great and leading things to which apostolic conversions were made. And it would verily seem from this Scripture, that those who have not been brought practically to take in the doctrine of the Second Advent, are only about half converted. They have turned from serving idols to serve the living God; and so far, their religion may be true and genuine, but, until they have added the other item of waiting for his Son, Jesus Christ, from the heavens, they have only gone half the length of these Thessalonians, and are so far short of being complete Christians. It is a sorrowful statement, and one which bears disastrously upon the claims of much that passes for Ꮓ |