whining, interested, self-complacent ministers and heads of departments would fain make you believe; but the word is variously used. as I will show. First, then, the word hang is used in reference to the Jews, in their dispersion among the heathen. And thy life shall hang in doubt,' says Moses, Deut. xxviii, 66. Here it can mean nothing more than that their life should be uncertain. And you are not concerned in this, since it refers to the Jews; but if it were otherwise, you are no more concerned in it than all mankind are, whose lives are uncertain in times of public calamity. Again the same word hang is used in Solomon's Song iv, 4, 'Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.' This is spoken in the way of commendation of the beauty and strength of the spouse; and you, my friends, are of that number; for is it not said, 'I am married unto thee?' and again, 'Thy Maker is thy husband.' And beside, it clearly appears from the number of 'bucklers' which hang upon you, that you are completely covered and shielded from all harm. This word is used in a little different sense in Acts xxviii, 4, ' And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand they said,' &c. But you have nothing to fear here; for it is said that Paul 'shook off the beast, and felt no harm.' And this is to show you that whatever appearances may be against you on account of any penalties of the law, there is

very little for you to fear. But whatever inconvenience you may suffer in this world, the result shall be glorious; for I find the word hang used in this sense, Isa. xxii, 24, 'And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to all vessels of flagons,' i. e. poeple of all ages, characters, and capacities. Here Eliakim is the person spoken of, and he represents Christ, and the 'offspring,' which are to be hung upon him, are all mankind; for it is written, 'We are all his offspring." And this offspring, however sinful now, shall then be purged from every spot; because they are to be the glory of his Father's house.' And does not this prove that all rebels shall escape the gallows?

"To conclude. It is true, we read in the Old Testament of men who were hung: as Pharaoh's chief baker, Haman, the seven sons of Saul by the Gibeonites, the heads of the people who transgressed in the matter of BaalPeor, by Moses. But then we are not to suppose that these men were literally hung; but that this was spoken by way of metonymy (a well known figure in rhetoric,) by which one thing is put for another. Some figurative or symbolical actions were performed, which were called the hanging of men; as Jeremiah's making and sending yokes to the surrounding nations, was called his rooting out those nations. And thus if those men were hung in effigy, it was all sufficient to justify the inspired penmen saying that the men themselves were hung.

"And this is still more evident when we come into the New Testament. There it is said, in reference to Jesus Christ, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.' Now we are not to suppose that Jesus Christ was ever 'hung upon a tree.' The justice of God, and much more his delight in his own Son, forbid the horrid supposition. The thing intended when it is said that Christ was crucified for us,' that he was hung on a tree,' &c., is his own action in taking the 'hand writing of ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us, and nailing IT to his cross.' This "hand writing,' you must observe, my brethren, represented Jesus Christ; and therefore when he nailed that to his cross,' it was said that he was 'hung upon the tree.'--And farther: the cross is called his cross; not to intimate that he was hung upon it, but to show that it was his property. And probably, as he was a carpenter, he made this cross himself, for this very purpose of crucifying the hand writing of ordinances. And that this is the meaning of all the passages which speak of his being crucified, may be as easily proved as that the Greek word anthropois, translated men in Heb. ix, 27, means the high priests: and it has been demonstrated to you that that passage ought to have been translated thus, 'It is appointed unto the high priests once to die in their sacrifices; but after this the holy place.' Thus you see, my brethren, that there is no danger of the gallows, or

of any punishment beyond what you now suffer."

Last of all comes up my opponent and says, "The word 'believeth' in the president's proclamation must be understood as having allusion to the future time; and if so, our brother's criticism, which was designed to show that it must be taken in the present tense avails nothing; and we may safely say that no man who believeth not in the present time shall be hung, but only he who shall not believe. If this word has not reference to the future, then it must be rigidly confined to the time present when the proclamation was issued: in which case all who did not believe at that moment must be hung, and there is no remedy for them. From which we may infer that the verb 'believeth not' must be taken as implying the same time with the verb 'shall be hung,' and hence we conclude that there is no difference between being condemned and being hung. These words, both in English and Greek, are of the same nature; and we may read John iii, 18, thus: 'He that believeth is not hung; but he that believeth not is hung already.'”

I acknowledge the affinity of the words condemned and damned; but contend that there is a vast difference, call it by what name you will, between passing sentence of condemnation, and executing that sentence. And this difference is still more visible when the execution of the sentence is deferred, that the condemned person may have opportunity to obtain pardon by

repentance. This may be seen by reference to the above illustration, where the rebels are already condemned by the law, but a space is given them for repentance, that they may obtain pardon. But if they do not repent during the space allowed for this purpose, the sentence of the law must be executed upon them. They must be hung. And thus in the case between God and sinners. While in unbelief they are condemned; but a space is allowed them for repentance, and to obtain pardon. If they repent, the sentence passed upon their crimes is remitted; but if they do not repent, it shall be executed upon them. And this is properly their damnation. This is the doctrine of the Bible, and this is what we believe. And he, whosoever he be, that persuades sinners that there is no difference between damnation and condemnation, and that they are "already damned," is as truly a deceiver of men (whether he designs it or not) as he who persuades rebels that there is no difference between condemnation and hanging. And thus easily do we avoid the dilemna which my opponent prepared when he told us that "if the verb believeth not have not reference to the future, it must be rigidly confined to the time present when these words were spoken; in which case all who did not believe at that moment must be damned endlessly." Not so. They may repent at any time while the space allowed them for repentance continues..

I now return to the case of St. Paul, whose