we shall next proceed to an examination and an illustration of such particulars as may be deemed proper on the present very important and joyful occasion. And,

1st. Let us enquire concerning those things which may be shaken; show that these are things which men have made; and contemplate their removal.

Though it is not deemed proper on this occasion, to dwell much on the iniquitous schemes and oppressive rule of despotic governments, by which the great mass of mankind has been kept in slavery, yet as such government is, without question, one of those things which may, and must be shaken and finally removed, that the permanent rights of man, which are established in the law of our common nature, may remain, we may safely calculate on the final and entire demolition of all such power and authority, so that wherever law and government shall exist, the people at large shall contemplate them as their dearest rights, their safe defence, and not as their oppressors. Past events and our country's experience have furnished sufficient proof that the whole creed of monarchical doctrine is the wicked offspring of that wisdom which an inspired Apostle calls earthly, sensual, devilish; and recent events in the political world have shown that the example which has been furnished by these United States, has had the effect already to shake the throne of despotism in other sections of the earth. Nor shall all the powers of earth combined, be able to withstand the majesty of truth and the light of reason until their glorious march shall have franchised the world.

Our labours may more particularly be directed to examine the elements which compose the erroneous creeds of Antichrist, and show that they are things which men have made, things that may be shaken and removed. But here we find ourselves presented with a mass of rubbish, whose incoherence produces confusion, in comparison with

which, the confusion of languages at Babel might seem like harmony.

A God of infinite wisdom, power and goodness, is supposed to have ordained from all eternity, the everlasting happiness of a few of the human race, and the eternal misery of all the rest. Then in order to hide such abominable partiality and cruelty, the just and good Creator is represented as furnishing a tempter, whose business was to se duce our first parents, in the garden, and lead them to the commission of one crime, which should justly condemn them and the whole human race to the pains of hell for ever. And in order that the original scheme of everlasting condemnation might find ample defence in the conduct of men, Almighty God gave them a sinful, depraved nature, and charged the account to Adam's transgression.

Here let us pause: Let us examine these elements of doctrine. Who invented the notion that our Creator ordained, from all eternity, some to everlasting life, and others to endless condemnation and death? Is this proposition found in any part of divine Revelation? When God made promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, which promise certainly constituted the patriarchal faith, and is the divine monument which exhibits the wisdom, power and goodness of our heavenly Father, and is the foundation on which the New Testament builds the New-Jerusalem, the City of the living God, the promise was, that in them and in their seed, which is Christ, all the nations and all the families of the earth should be blessed. My christian friends, can any thing be more certain, than that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob never decreed that any portion of the human family should be for ever unblessed, for ever miserable? When the Lord was about to destroy Sodom, he said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" If

the Lord would not destroy Sodom, with a temporal destruction, without first acquainting his friend with his intention, is it reasonable to believe that he would not only hide from him his decree to destroy, eternally, far the greatest portion of mankind, but make him a promise to bless all mankind in him and in his seed, which is Christ? It is very true that Abraham would have had no occasion, in case the Lord had informed him of his eternal purpose to destroy for ever, the most of the human race, to ask the Lord whether he would "destroy the righteous with the wicked" for such a purpose could have had no reference to any foresight of good or bad works in men.

To close this particular, we may safely conclude, that if God made the promise which we have noticed, to the fathers, men must have made this decree of election and reprobation, for the one is in direct opposition to the other; and it is very certain, that if the promise can neither be shaken nor removed, this doctrine, invented by man, will soon "pass away with a great noise." In fact, this partial notion, which consigns millions to endless wrath, has been so shaken already, as to admonish the clergy, that this child of their's will soon forsake them.

But suppose we admit this partial decree from all eternity, is there any sense in supposing that divine wisdom would have contrived a scheme to lead men into sin, in order to hold out the appearance of justice, in sending them to a state of misery, and at the same time communicate the knowledge of the whole affair to the clergy, for them to make it known to the whole world? I acknowledge, my friends, that it shocks my nerves, only to look at the abominable impiety of men's inventions; and I feel that we ought to be on our guard, that the uncleanness of the dead body might not adhere to ourselves. But let us not shrink from our researchi There is one more abomination, which, for daring impiety, seems to distance every thing else...

mean the notion, that our Creator, by an act of his almighty power, gave us a totally depraved nature, laid the blame of it to Adam, and is determined to punish us everlastingly for the same! We are not

endeavouring to give these things any false colour to represent them as odious; no, any false colour would serve to hide their native deformity, and would give them a grace which they do not possess.

When we come to consider that such doctrines as have been noticed, have, for ages, been venerated as the true system of godliness, and that the Christian Church has been fed and nursed with such food, we cannot wonder at the blackness of her crimes, the wickedness of her frauds, or the murderous dispositions manifested by the parties into which these jargons have divided her.

There are many other inventions of men, which, if we had time, we might notice; but we must soon take our leave of this dark scene; not, however, without mentioning the mystery of an invented Trinity, which has been the means of sore contentions and bitter animosities in the Church. This self-contradictory doctrine of three infinite persons in but one infinite Being, has been so thoroughly shaken, that its warmest friends would now give it up, if they were not obliged to use this absurdity to maintain another; I mean the absurdity of an infinite, vicarious atonement. It is thought to be absolutely necessary that the sufferings of Christ should be considered as infinite, otherwise the notion of the infinite misery of any must be given up, which would ruin the kingdom of Satan at once!

Look, my friends, at this doctrine. God, from all eternity, determined who should be for ever happy, and who should be for ever miserable; and yet it is necessary that an infinite sacrifice should reconsile him to save any! And as if the more ab surdities were multiplied, the better, it is maintain. ed that those whom the Creator predestinated from all eternity, to misery, are to suffer this unspeakable condemnation for not believing what the

clergy have told them concerning the infinite atonement! And to complete the climax, it is contended that the everlasting salvation of those who were elected from all eternity, now depends on their being regenerated in this world, and having an entire new nature given them, which is ordinarily brought about by the highly necessary labours of learned ministers!

These, my friends, are a few of the things which men have made. They are things which will be shaken and removed, as fast as men come to use their reason assisted by divine Revelation. Many more injurious errors have been invented by the wisdom of this world, but those which have been mentioned, seem to form the main pillars on which the Temple of Antichrist has been built, and with which it must fall to ruins.

Taking our leave of those things which are to be removed, we may, in the next place, enter upon an inquiry infinitely more pleasing, and which will lead to discoveries calculated to fulfil the desire of every benevolent heart. The theme is "the desire of all nations." This is promised in our text: "The desire of all nations shall come.'

But let us ask how this is possible? The nations are so opposed to each other, their religious superstitions so repugnant one to another, and such being the animosities which different creeds have engendered, can it be possible that their desires can all be concentrated in one point, and become satisfied with one thing? This is promised, and it is not too hard for the Lord to accomplish.

What do all nations mostly desire? Answer, LIGHT." And God said, let there be light, and there was light." Jesus is "the light of the world, the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Will any object and say, that men put darkness for light, and light for darkness? This proves two things in favour of my argument: 1st, it shows that the desire is so strong for light, that even when darkness is mistaken for it, the