The phrase the saved, was usually applied to the early Christians in the present tense, as in 1 Cor. i. 18, 'But unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.' So also in Acts ii. 47, the Lord added to the church daily (literally) the sa ved.' Again in Acts xxviii. 28, we are informed that salva. tion is sent to the Gentiles,' and in Luke xix. 9, 'this day is salvation come unto this house.' In these places a present salvation from sin and moral evil is undoubtedly meant. The purport of the query was then, probably, as follows: 'Are there few who will embrace the religion you teach, or ma ny?' Christ answers him, Strive to enter the strait gate.' The term gate was a common Jewish figure to represent 'that which lets or leads men into the sense and knowledge of any doctrine,' according to Bishop Pearce, and, in the text, means that door or gate which lets men into the Gospel or Kingdom of Christ. The taking up a profession of Christi anity, in the days of Christ, was aptly called entering a 'strait gate,' to portray the difficulties that were then to be encountered by Christians, on account of the prejudices and errors of the age, to all of which the religion of Jesus was opposed. On the contrary, the Scribes, Pharisees, High Priests and people were in the broad way to destruction.

Bishop Kenrick says, that believing in Christ is with propriety called being saved, because it was attended with temporal deliverance; whereas, unbelief produced inevitable destruction in the calamities which awaited the Jewish na. tion. Christ, therefore, in his answer to the question, exhorts the person who made it, and others who might hear it, to enter the strait gate, that is to embrace his religion, which was then attended with mary difficulties, and which might fitly be compared to entering a strait or narrow passage; and he enforces this exhortation by assuring them that the time would come, when many would seek an entrance into the kingdom of the Messiah, but would be refused admission!'

Dr. A. Clarke says: Enter in through this strait gatei. e. of doing to every one as you would he should do unto you; for this ALONE seeems to be the strait gate,' &c.

VIŅI.

SECTION

Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for that city. Mat. x. 15.

As paralell to this passage, may be cited Mathew, xi. 22 ; Mark vi. 11; Luke x. 12.—in all of which, the doctrine of a day of judgment, in eternity, is supposed to be inculcated. But Commentators, of celebrity, who were believers in that dogma, do not so understand the phrase in the text. Dr. Clarke says: "In the day of Judgment or punishment: Perhaps not meaning the day of general judgment, nor the day of the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans; but a day in which God should send punishment on that particular city, or that person, for their crimes: so the day of judg. ment of Sodom and Gomorrah, was the time in which the Lord destroyed them by fire and brimstone, out of heaven.' Bishop Pearce refers the passage to the destruction of the Jewish state, and says that the sense appears to be, that the punishment which befel Sodom and Gomorrah was more tolerable than what should befal Jerusalem. And this view of the subject is confirmed by what Christ says concerning the tribulation coming upon that city, 'such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.' Mat xxiv. 21.

SECTION XIX.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Mat. x. 28. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body but after that, have no more that they can do: but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him. Luke xii.

4. 5.

We have at length arrived at a text, which is confessedly, one of the most difficult in the Bible, to explain in such a manner, as will at once remove prejudice from the mind and introduce it into the light of truth. But we are not without hope, that even this gordian knot may be unloosed, and its mysterious entanglements clearly unravelled, without dishonor to the character of God, or reproach to the record of inspiration.

It is commonly supposed that the text teaches the notion that the Almighty is determined to destroy or torment the im mortal souls of the impenitent, as well as their bodies, in an endless hell. This sentiment is liable to the following objec. tions:

1. It is not clear that by the word him, in the text, Jeho vah was intended-because Christ was, on this very occasion, addressing his own beloved disciples, and instructing them to repose implicit confidence in the fatherly care and protection of the Almighty! He enjoined them to provide nothing for the mission on which they were about to depart, as the work. man was worthy of his meat. He also pointed out to them the trifling value of the two sparrows,' which were sold for a farthing-yet which could not fall to the ground without the notice of their Father; and then emphatically taught them that they were of more value than many sparrows,'that the hairs of their heads were all numbered,' and that they therefore should fear not.' If, then, this phrase, fear him,' in the text, refers to Deity, there is a palpable contradic tion in the language of Christ, in the space of three short verses of the same discourse!

2. The beloved disciples were not in danger of an endless hell. They were Christian believers, and of course were known to Christ as the heirs of eternal life and glory. How then was it probable that they should thus be threatened with the doom of endless woe!

3. If it is admitted that Jehovah was alluded to, it will not prove that he will destroy both soul and body in hell, for the language is fear him who is able to destroy,' &c. God is able, out of the stones of the street to raise up children unto Abraham, (Math. iii. 9,) but did he do it? He was able also to send to the aid of Christ more than twelve legions of angels,' (Math. xxvi. 53.) but he did not do it. We are certified, moreover, that God's will is entirely the reverse of such destruction. He has willed that all men shall be sav. ed,' not destroyed. He hath willed that "all should be gathered together in Christ" their head, and not that they shall eternally perish.

4. If we allow God will punish guilty men in an endless hell, the text does not prove the doctrine, because it reads, 'who is able to destroy both soul and body,' &c. Now, if soul and body are both destroyed, the individual is annihilated, not tormented forever! And all the ingenuity of men cannot make it appear, that a being can be totally destroyed, yet live forever, in unutterable torments.

5. The word rendered soul, in the text, does not mean the spirit, or immortal part of man, in any instance. This word is psuche, and is elsewhere translated life, as in the 39th verse: He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life, for my sake, shall find it.' Also, in John xiii. 37, where Peter's language to Christ is recorded: 'I will lay down my life for thy sake.' In these cases it will appear certain that the word soul, in its present acceptation, would not have been a correct rendering, for that would indicate, that he who found his immortal soul should lose it,' and Peter would be made to say, that he would lay down his im. mortal soul' for Christ, and Paul, that he did not count his immortal soul dear unto himself,' Acts xx. 24, and Christ, that he came to give his immortal soul a ransom for many.' 6. The text speaks of destroying both soul and body in the self-same place, to wit: in hell. Now, we all know where the bodies of men will be destroyed. 'Dust thou art,

and unto dust thou shalt return,' is the doom of man; and if the soul is to be destroyed in the same place with the body, this destruction was to take place in the grave, not in a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone !

7. The word Hell, in the text, is Gehenna in the Greek, which we have already seen, means, primarily, the valley of Hinnom,' near Jerusalem, and figuratively, the sore judg ments coming upon the rebellious Jews, in time, not in eternity.

So much, then, as to what the passage does not mean. Now, a few thoughts as to what it does mean. The whole design of the Saviour's discourse appears to have been that of warning to the disciples against the cruelty and malice of

the Jews. In the 16th verse of the same chapter, he says unto them, 'Behold I send you forth, as sheep in the midst of wolves,' &c. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues,' 17. This advice was accompanied with the assurance, that notwithstanding the persecutions they should suffer, their Heavenly Father would sustain them in all their trials. Taking this fact into consideration, we may arrive at the fair conclusion, that the ruling power among the Jewish people, at this juncture, was the enemy alluded to in the phrase fear him.' By a reference to John xviii. 31, we find that the power of putting to death,' did not remain in the hands of the Jews-It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,' said they to Pilate. About forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem, this power was taken from the Jews and lodged in the hands of the Roman Emperor. They had power, however, to scourge,' or torture, which is one meaning of the Greek word rendered kill in the text, accord. ing to DONNEGAN'S Greek and English Lexicon. SCHLEUS. NER, another respectable authority, gives the meaning of said word, to make miserable or unhappy,' according to which definition the text may be paraphrased as follows:

And fear not them so much who only scourge or torture the body, but are not able to take the life, as him (or that power) which is able to destroy both life and body in Gehenna,'-or, as Luke has it, Fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into Gehenna.' xii. 4, 5. The fact that 600,000 dead bodies were actually cast out into this valley of Hinnom,' during the siege and destruction of Je. rusalem, by the Roman army, and the additional truth that the early Christians were exposed to the calamities coming upon the house of Israel, and only escaped the impending doom, by heeding the signs given to them and escaping to the mountains, would seem to be sufficient evidence, on which to rest our convictions, that Christ had no reference whatever to the retributions which the Almighty meant to inflict in eternity.