confirmation of the truth of the Christian religion; and that Matthew has quoted and applied it with the utmost propriety.

I shall now endeavor to express my sense of this famous prophecy, in the following paraphrase: Although thou, O Ahaz, through thy obstinacy, dost refuse to ask for any sign that may remove thy fears; yet the Lord, in mercy to his church and people, will grant them a sign, which shall be an infallible proof that those confederate kings shall not destroy them; for behold a pure virgin, that has ever been concealed from, and is an entire stranger to, the embraces of a man, shall conceive and bear a son, and thou, O virgin, shalt call his name Immanuel, that is, God with us; for he shall be a Divine person, in whom shall dwell all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, being the brightness of his Father's glory, the express and visible image of the invisible Deity. But though he shall be so glorious and Divine a personage, yet he shall not make his entrance into the world with any peculiar pomp or splendor to distinguish him from others;-so far from this, during his infancy, he shall be nourished with the same common food that is given to other children; for butter and honey shall he eat, until he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, and shall arrive at the age of discretion. And for your further consolation, behold this typical child, whose name was given him for a sign that you should not be utterly destroyed, but that a remnant shall be saved and shall return to the Lord. Yea, further, let me assure you, that before this little child, which I hold in my arms, shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.'

Thus, dear Sir, in compliance with your request, I have endeavored to give you the best solution of the difficulties you have proposed, that I am capable of. How far I have succeeded, must be left to your Honor's judgement. I have advanced nothing but what clearly appears to me to be the truth. The New Testament phrase, That it might be fulfilled,' does generally, and I rather think, always, mean the accomplishment of predictions of future events; but there are some very learned gentlemen, that discover an amazing genius in expounding many parts of Scripture, who blunder most wretchedly whenever they meddle with the prophecies. Whether this be owing to their having too great a fondness for certain pre-conceived opinions, or whether there is a particular genius necessary for the interpreting of prophecies, I know not. However, thus much may be learned from this case, that we ought not to pay a blind obedience to the authority of any man, however wise or learned he may be, because the best of men have many imperfections.

I am far from supposing that our common Hebrew Bibles are entirely free from all errors; yet I believe that whoever will compare the Hebrew Bible with the translation of the Seventy, and

with the ancient Targums of the Chaldee interpreters, will find reason to conclude, that the Bible, as we now have it, is perfect enough to be appealed to as a standard by which to examine the Christian religion. I very much doubt whether the apostles ever took the liberty to shift the points and letters of the text in their quotations from the Old Testament, notwithstanding the insinuations of your learned Dutchman.

I shall transmit this letter to our mutual friend, Mr. Eliot. If your Honor should be pleased to send me any more questions to solve, I shall receive them with a vast deal of satisfaction; and if I find myself unable to remove your objections, I shall be very ready to own my ignorance. I hope your candor will forgive the inaccuracies of a very hasty performance. I should have taken more time, had I not been afraid, that if I let slip the present opportunity of sending it, it would be a great while before I should have another.

I am, dear Sir,

Your most affectionate friend,
and humble servant,

Hon. James Sullivan.

SAMUEL WEST.

ETERNAL DEATH.

THE kinds of death spoken of in the Scriptures are commonly reckoned to be three, viz: death temporal, spiritual, and eternal. Death temporal is the separation of soul and body. Death spiritual is a uniform and confirmed course of transgression; in other words, it is to be dead in trespasses and sins.' And death eternal is that future and everlasting punishment which every sinner deserves. Under one or another of these three classes, it is believed every passage of Scripture, in which the word death is used, may be fairly ranked; if we except perhaps a very few, in which it is used in an obviously and highly figurative sense.

Some have considered this enumeration of the different kinds of death unsatisfactory, especially as it includes eternal death. They have denied that any such kind of death is spoken of in the Scriptures, or will ever be realized by any portion of our race. The candid and dispassionate, who entertain this view of the subject (for others it is useless to attempt convincing) are invited to a consideration of the following classes of Scriptures in which the word death is used. And,

1. Those, in which a certain kind of death is contrasted with eternal life. As sin hath reigned unto death, even so grace might reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. The end of those things' (sinful practices) is death; but now, being made free from sin, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.'The death spoken of in these passages is set, in every instance, in close and immediate contrast with eternal life. Consequently it must be the opposite of eternal life; that is, it must be eternal death.

2. Eternal death is intended in those passages, in which the wicked are represented as exposed to a certain kind of death, to which the righteous are not exposed. As a specimen of the numerous passages in which this representation is made, I may refer the reader to the 18th and 33d chapters of Ezekiel. God here urges repeatedly, and in every form of expression, that those who persevere in holiness shall live; while those who decline to the paths of sin, and persist in them, shall die. But what is the death here intended? What kind of death is it, to which the wicked are exposed; but from which the righteous are exempt? Not temporal death, surely for to this, both the righteous and the wicked are exposed alike. Neither is it spiritual death for to this the wicked are not exposed-they are already involved in it. They are already dead in trespasses and sins." What death then is it, so frequently mentioned, in the chapters to which I have referred? To this question, the ingenuity of man can furnish but one answer -it is eternal death-that death spoken of by the apostle, as the proper wages and desert of sin.

3. Eternal death is intended in all those Scriptures, in which sinners are exhorted to rescue themselves from their exposure to death. I have set before you, this day, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that thou and thy seed may live. Make ye a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?' 'Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways, O house of Israel; for why will ye die ?'-But what is the death here intended, to which sinners are exposed, and from which they are exhorted to save themselves by repentance and reformation? Not temporal death: for from this, repentance will not save them. Neither is it spiritual death: for to this the wicked are not exposed-they have already fallen under its power. In regard to this kind of death, there would be no propriety in saying to them, Why will ye die?' for they are already dead in trespasses and sins. The inference therefore is unavoidable-the death here intended, which the wicked are exposed to suffer for their sins, and from which they can be saved only by repentance and reformation, is eternal death.

4. Eternal death is intended in those passages, which speak of a sin as unto death-which is never to be forgiven-and for the forgiveness of which the people of God are not required to pray. 'If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. And there is a sin not unto death.' The distinguishing mark of the sin here spoken of is, that it is unto death;' or that it must inevitably terminate in a certain kind of death. But what kind of death is intended? What death is it, in which the dreadful sin here spoken of is sure to terminate, and which renders those who have committed it no longer the proper subjects of prayer? It cannot be temporal death: for this is a fruit of all sin; and it is no reason why persons should not be prayed for, that they are exposed, in this sense, to die. Neither can it be spiritual death for this is the state of all persons, previous to repentance; and if none may be prayed for, who are in this state, then no impenitent sinner is entitled to the prayers of God's people. The death intended then must be eternal death. In this, the sin spoken of is sure to terminate-it hath no forgiveness-and consequently prayer for those who have committed it must be vain. I observe again,

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5. Eternal death is intended in those passages of the Revelation which speak of the second death. He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death.' 'Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power.' It might be shown conclusively, from the passages themselves, that the death, here spoken of, is not temporal, or spiritual, but eternal death. But on this point we are not left to mere inference. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. THIS is the second death.'-' But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone-which is the second death.' From these passages, we know, that the second death is eternal death. It is that fearful and eternal punishment, which is reserved for the finally impenitent beyond the grave.

There are many other passages of Scripture, besides those here referred to, in which mention is made of eternal death. But these are such as will not admit of any other interpretation. They speak, not only a language which can be understood, but which, it should seem, cannot be misunderstood. And they assure us, on the highest authority on earth or in heaven, that impenitent, incorrigible sinners must suffer the pains of eternal death.

W.

REVIEWS.

LECTURES TO YOUNG PEOPLE. By William B. Sprague, D. D., Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Albany: with an Introductory Essay, by Samuel Miller, D. D., Professor in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N. J. 12mo. NewYork: John P. Haven.

MORAL Science is among the earliest subjects of human speculation. So soon as men begin to think at all upon abstract subjects, they turn their thoughts to the nature and tendency of their actions, considered as right or wrong, and as beneficial or hurtful to others. Such contemplations may be followed by the mind without intercepting the ordinary engagements of life. The hunter, the peasant, and the shepherd, may each pursue them without injury to his business. No laboratory is wanted for the purpose, but that of a sound head and an honest heart. Hence it is, that rude nations abound with apothegms and proverbs, which manifest a deep knowledge of the human heart, and of the tendencies of human conduct. Hence some of the earliest efforts of public teaching have been to regulate the moral actions; and there is no doubt that Pythagoras, and perhaps others before him, were preachers of what they considered to be virtue. Even among the Pagan inhabitants of our own woods, there is much of moral inculcation. We have heard with our own ears an aged chief giving to the young lessons of patience, mutual forbearance and discretion, which could hardly have been expected from a savage.

In that country whence nearly all the literature and much of the science of modern times took their origin, the discussion of moral subjects occupied, for many ages, a great share of public attention. Centuries before the time of Christ, different schools and sects were formed, which sought to rival each other in public favor, and to gain proselytes. This fact may show how strong a hold they had upon public attention; and, in passing, we may be allowed to suggest to the learned, that a consideration of the manner and degree in which the schools of Greece tended to prepare the minds of men for the preaching and hearing of a code founded upon better promises,' would well repay the labor of an investigation, which we think it has never yet received.

Up to the age before Christ, we know all that the unassisted wisdom of man had discovered concerning virtue. We are enabled to know this with certainty, from the work of Tully upon moral duties. We had been revising the studies of former years, and were led into a train of reflections upon the comparison of heathen and Christian ethics by a new perusal of that immortal