THE

EVANGELIST'S MANUAL.

INTRODUCTORY SKETCHES.

SECTION I.

Scripture Testimonies in support of the Universal Doctrine. As we accept the saying of one of the eminent Apostles of CHRIST, that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD (2 Tim. iii. 16.) and of another, that "no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation: For the prophecy came not in old time, by the will of man; but Holy men of GoD spake as they were moved by the HOLY GHOST." (2 Peter, i. 20, 21.) as also in obedience of our Lord and Master, "search the Scriptures"-we shall in this section, introduce those prophecies and other passages of Scripture, which do most clearly and unequivocally testify of this doctrine as a Scripture doctrine; particularly if we reject the " private interpretation," of certain of those passages, in the creeds of certain sectarian Christians, we will therefore take the plain passages of the Prophets and Apostles, as recorded in our English version of the Bible, objecting only to such parts, às are admitted by the highest and most approved Christian authorities, to be either interpolations, or false, or dubious renderings; and for this liberty, we are sensible, we shall be applauded by every sincere reader.

I. MOSES. "So God created man in his own image: in the image of God created, he, him, male and female created he them. And God blessed them." (Genesis i. 27, 28.) "And the Lord God said unto the serpent: because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly

shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed, and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis ii. 14. 15.)

"And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the Heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Gen. xxii. 15, 18.) We find the same glorious promise renewed unto Isaac."I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of Heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (Gen. xxvi. 3, 4.)

These promises of God became the theme of Scripture prophecy, from David to Malachi; and as Moses and 'all the patriarchs believed in the eternal and immutable promises of God; for we read, that Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, &c. "all died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them"--and well they might, since "God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as ananchor sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that with in the vail, whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus made an High Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. (Heb. vi. 17, 20.) And these faithful witnesses, believing in the unalterable promises of God, and de

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EVANGELIST'S MANUAL.

claring them to mankind, must unquestionably have been Universalists.

II. DAVID. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." (Psalms ii. 8.)

"The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works; All thy works shall praise thee O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee." (cxlv. 9, 10.)

"All nations whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee O Lord, and shall glorify thy name.' (lxxxvi. 9.) Now, unless it can be proved that there is, or ever was, or will be, any nation whom God did not make, we contend, for the literal accomplishment of this prophecy in some future age or dispensation, in one or other, of the everlasting ages of some translators.

The Psalmist by the Spirit, speaking in his typical character, says, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." (Schoel, Hebrew-Hades, Greek) neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption." (xvi. 31.)

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee." (xxii. 27.)

"Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also and lift them up for ever (xxviii. 9.) But who are God's people? See Deut. vii. 6.—Rom. xv, 10, 12. Thus the posterity of Abraham will be seen to be the chosen people of God, and the Gentiles also, though not in the peculiar sense of the former people; yet, they are God's people. And what is the inheritance of our God? The Psalmist has answered this question, in his 2d Psalm, 8 v: "Lo, children, are an heritage of the Lord." (cxxvii. 3.) "O thou who hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come."

Thus, David believing in, and prophesying, from the same promises of God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as the above passages clearly prove, must have lived and died a faithful Universalist.

III. ISAIAH. Therefore, behold the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and

bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (or God, with us.)-Ch. vii. 14. "For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God! the Everlasting Father! the Prince of Peace!"-(ix. 6.) Thus, the name Immanuel is explained and identified with that of the Mighty God! the Everlasting Father, &c. who is God with us. "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it."-(xxv. 7, 8.)

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else: I have sworn by myself; the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow; every tongue shall swear."-(xiv. 22, 23.) The Ascetics, finding that they cannot contradict this, and similar passages favorable to the happy restoration of all the entire human family, grossly contort it, by admitting that every knee shall bow, and every tongue swear; but it shall be in torment, never-ending torment.

"For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought, and ye shall be redeemed without money." (iii. 3.)

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”—(liii. 5.) And concerning the Gentiles,

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children."-(liv. 13.) "In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."-(ib. id. 8.)

"The Lord hath made bare his holy arm, in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."-(lii. 10.)

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"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be ye strong, fear not; Behold your God will come with vengeance; even God, with a recompense; and he will come and save you."-(xxxv. 4.) Of the children of Israel he saith,

"I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”— (xliii. 25.)

"Because I know that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee, lest thou should say, Mine idol hath done these, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them."-(xlviii. 4, 5.) "For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it; For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.” (Verses 9 to 11.)

"I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”. (xlix. 6.)

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: But my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished."(li. 6. 6.)

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."-(lii. 6.) "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied."-(v. 11.)

To the Gentiles the Spirit hath said, "Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is