It was world having been the world selected. further supposed to be in one of the most frail, most feeble, most polluted natures, that could be selected from out the vast infinitude of worlds revolving in our heavens, that the vindication of God's honour was effected; which supposition of course supposes a distinction in moral evil to exist among the fallen orders of probationary beings resident in our heavens. By contemplating the fallen probationaries inhabiting our earth, we perceive them exhibiting various shades and degrees of deviation from moral rectitude; for one who evinces very flagrant depravity, thousands exist who are utterly incapable of committing acts of gross atrocity. It may therefore be most reasonably inferred, that a similar distinction exists among the fallen orders of probationaries inhabiting our heavens, as individually exists among the fallen inhabitants of our globe. Many may be the worlds whose inhabitants have lost their innocence, and yet not contain one individual being whose nature has been so impregnated with evil, as is perhaps that of the most virtuous of mankind; and probably, very few may be the number of worlds where vice does weigh so heavy in the scale of moral turpitude as it does upon our earth; indeed, it may in none-which would exclusively render our world suited for the purposes in question. This, if it be the fact, is to us a most humiliating reflection; though it does at the same time entirely do away the astonishment produced by our world having been the world selected. Fur thermore, had not the great Atoner vindicated his almighty Father's honour in one of, or in the most degraded nature resident in our heavens, He could not have glorified the great and good Creator's honour in an infinite extent; and both the triumph and effect of the redemption procured through Christ's death, would have remained incomplete. For if any order of fallen probationaries evinced more depravity than what mankind displayed, the vindication elicited by Christ would not reach their case; the Redeemer's merits would not for them procure atonement; they, like the fallen angels, would remain in an unredeemed state. Besides, if the perfect Son of God had not demonstrated perfection in the most frail, most feeble, most polluted nature existing in our heavens, the triumph was incomplete. We must likewise keep in mind, that the amazing purpose of Almighty God, was ordained to be accomplished in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Now, by the dispensation of the fulness of times, we conceive is meant, during the dispensation of time allotted for the duration of the present visible creation for when we reflect, that the eternal Father has ever worked with his eternal Son, creations o'er creations must have eternally succeeded one another in infinite procession, long antecedent to the word which called into existence the glorious hosts which at this time occupy that portion of infinite space, our lower starry heavens; and the phraseology in which this communication is given demands our most particular attention, and does, we think, clearly prove the justness of our comment: for the dispensation of the fulness of times, must mean an epoch in eternity succeeding creations, whose duration has been limited to a given period of time; and that like as our's will ultimately be, have been already destroyed by one abortive crash. Immediately preceding the dissolution of all things in the heavens we inhabit, an angelic herald is, we know, ordained to lift his hand to heaven, and swear by him that liveth for ever and ever, that there should be time no longer. (Rev. x. 6.) And by this application of the word time, concurring to prove that the dispensation of the fulness of times determined on by Deity for the accomplishment of that astonishing purpose whereby He was to gather together in one all things in Christ, must mean that epoch in eternity during which our present visible creation occupy these first and lowest heavens. And by this astonishing purpose having been ordained to be fulfilled at one determined, fixed period, it again subtracts from the wonder of our world having been the world selected. We should moreover remember, that we have, throughout our survey of this wondrous subject, uniformly found that great event, the death of Christ, most intimately and almost exclusively connected with the invisible world; and that it was the express purpose and intention of Almighty God thereby to demonstrate unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, the manifold wisdom of God. From the high eminence whereon these heavenly hierarchs - no bend down to view the transactions passing in these our nether heavens; the selection of our globe for the theatre on which the highest nature was, in the lowest to demonstrate perfection; the selection of our globe for the high altar in the universe, on which the universal propitiation was ordained to be laid, may excite no more surprise than what we feel at Judea being the country selected on our earth; more surprise that our small world should be the little Bethlehem in the universe, and human nature the nature determined on by Deity for the fulfilment of his purpose, than what we feel at Bethlehem being the village, and Mary the woman, determined on by God. And an obvious observation here very palpably occurs, namely, that wheresoever this wonder was effected, this wonder would attach. It might be objected to the foregoing doctrine, that by the Son of God illustrating perfection in our nature, and upon our earth, that we do by his example, being thus brought home so particularly to mankind, thereby exclusively receive a benefit that could not apply to the probationary habitants of any other worlds. And as God's ways are equal to all intelligents, it is not probable that human nature, above all others, should have been so very peculiarly favoured. The fact, however, stands most clearly proved from reason and from Scripture. And if human nature is one of the most degraded, or the most degraded nature existing in our heavens, it accounts for this distinguished favour being con ferred upon mankind; as none could so much need it, mortifying unto us as is this consideration. And let us here reflect how many worthies on our earth, without the enjoyment of the benefit in question, have been saved through performance of the rites enjoined by the typical religion; and that the advantage which we Christians now enjoy from Christ's most perfect example, is alone derived from the perusal of it as portrayed in the ever-blessed gospel. This gospel styles itself the everlasting gospel. For in the Revelation of St. John he thus recites: "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth." And are not the precepts of the everlasting gospel, like to its everlasting Author, everlasting and eternal? For is not the first and great commandment of the law and gospel, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;" and also the second, which our divine Instructor declares is like unto the first, namely, "Thou shalt love thy fellows as thyself;" and on which two commandments, He himself proclaims, pends all the law and prophets. Commandments as indispensably necessary to be preached unto every intelligent throughout the boundless universe as they are to us. For in the performance of the first consists the happiness of every virtuous being; and the performance of the second is essential to the production of general felicity. Does not the precept which enjoins probationary beings "not to be overcome of evil, but to over |