therein to the end of his life, he afterwards becomes an angel of heaven.(3)

1. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God: they are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good; no, not one. Ps. xiv. 2, 3. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Jer. xvii. 9.

2. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again; not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. 1 Pet i. 22.23.

3. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Mat. xix. 28.

Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship GoD. Rev. xxii. 9. See Rom. ii. 6, 7, 10.

Quest. 53. Can man fall away from a state of regeneration?

Ans. Yes: for in every man there is much evil,(1) the abode of wicked spirits; and if the Lord did not continually protect him, they would take full possession of his heart, and carry him away like a flood.(2) Man, therefore, ought to watch continually, and oppose every evil desire and thought, looking to the Lord alone for strength to resist them; for should he again sink under temptation, the good which he had acquired would thereby be profaned, and deeper condemnation would follow-"The last state of that man would be worse than the first.”(3)

1. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John i. 8. See also proof 1 to Question 52; also Rom. vii. 14 to 23.

2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say, yet they have not prevailed against me. The Lord is righteous, he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Ps. cxxix. 1 to 4. (See Quest. 37, proof 2, for texts more

in point.) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; for we wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph. vi. 11, 12. 3. No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke ix. 62. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Matth. xii, 43, 44, 45. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6.

Quest. 54. Can those who have lived a life of evil until the hour of death, be regenerated and saved?

Ans. Those who have confirmed themselves in a life of evil, and have obstinately refused to co-operate with the influences of the Holy Spirit, until the hour of death, cannot then be regenerated, and consequently cannot be saved:(1) the Lord alone, however, knows the hearts of men;(2) let all, therefore, put their trust and confidence in him,(3) for his love is infinite,(4) and his mercy endureth forever.(5)

1. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Ps. ix. 17. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was a hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. --Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me: and these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life

eternal. Matth. xxv. 41 to 46. And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man. Gen. vi. 3. Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thess. v. 19. The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Rom. viii. 26. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph. iv. 30. But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit; therefore He was turned to be their enemy. Is. lxiii. 10. See also Heb. x. 29, and Rom. ii. 1 to 9.

2. And all the churches shall know, that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Rev. ii. 23.

3. We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. 1 Tim. iv. 10. As for God, his way is perfect: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Ps. xviii. 30.

4. God is Love. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation of our sins. 1 John iv. 8, 10.

5. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. Ps. ciii. 8, 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them. Is. lxiii. 9. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever; who remembered us in our low estate, and hath redeemed us from our enemies--for his mercy endureth forever. Ps. cxxxvi. 1, 23, 24, 26. Note I. I.

Quest. 55. What will become of you at death?

Ans. Immediately on the death of this material body, (which will never be reunited to the soul,) I shall rise in the spiritual world, in a spiritual body, and there continue to exist in a perfect human form; and thus I shall find that death is only a continuation of life.(1)

1. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke xvi. 22, 23, 24. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Luke xxiii. 43. And behold there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias. Luke ix. 30. And they

entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus: and it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them, in shining garments; and they said unto them, &c. Luke xxiv. 4, 5. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them, in white apparel; who also said, &c. Acts i. 10, 11. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God. Rev. xxii. 8, 9. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. --Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. xv. 44, 50. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.--For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. 2 Cor. v. 1, 2. Note KK.

Quest. 56. What will be your state in the spiritual world?

Ans. If I have lived a good life, I will be received into heaven by the Lord, and be forever happy with the angels; but if I have lived wickedly, I shall be turned into hell, the abode of evil spirits, and there be miserable to all eternity.(1)

1. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.--And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. Matth. xxv. 34, 41, 46. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulph fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Luke xvi. 25, 26. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. v. 10. See also Rom. iì. 5 to 16. Note LL

OF THE SECOND ADVENT.

Quest. 57. What are you taught to believe concerning the Second Advent, or Second Coming of our Lord?

Ans. I am taught to believe that the second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ is a coming, not in person, but in the power and glory of the spiritual sense of his Word, which is Himself; and that then the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, will descend from God out of heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband,(1) as described in the Revelation.

1. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man, in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass until all these things be fullfilled. Matth. xxiv. 29, 30, 34. And I saw a new Heaven, and a new Earth; for the first heaven, and the first earth, were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.--And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this Book, for the time is at hand. Rev. xxi. 1, 2, 3; xxii. 10.

Quest. 58. What is meant by the New Jerusalem?

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Ans. It means a new Church, which has now commenced, in which the spiritual sense of the Holy Word, and the Divine good and truth therein contained, are more fully explained and unfolded than heretofore, whereby mankind can be better instructed in the way of life, and more closely conjoined to the Lord, if they keep his commandments.(1)

1. And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Dan. xii. 9.