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289.1
Paze

REMOTE STORAG
E

BOOKSTA
CKS OFFICE
 LIBRARY
OF THE
UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS

289.1
P221
REMOTE STORAGE

OKS TACKS OFFICE

The person charging this material is re-
sponsible for its return on or before the
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are reasons for disciplinary action and may
result in dismissal from the University.
University of Illinois Library

APR - 71969
 EX LIBRIS

‫וא‬

LVX ET VERIT
AS
ARTHUR E. BESTOR LTM
 LECTURES

ON

UNIVERSALISM :

BY JOEL PARKER,
PASTOR OF THE_FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW-YORK.

" BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT."

Second Edition.

NEW -YORK :

J. LEAVITT, 182 BROADWAY.

BOSTON ;-CROCKER AND BREWSTER,
47 Washington-street.

1832.
Northern District of New - York, ss.
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the 17th day of June,
in the 54th year of the Independence of the United States of
America, A. D. 1830, JOEL PARKER, of the said District, hath
deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he
elaims as author, in the words following, to wit:
"Lectures on Universalism ; by Joel Parker, Pastor of the Free
Presbyterian Church, New-York. Buy the truth, and sell it not." "
In conformity to an Act of the Congress of the United States, en-
titled "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing
the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and pro-
prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And
also to the Act, entitled " An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled
an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies
of Maps, Charts, and Books,to the authors and proprietors of such
copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the
benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching
historical and other Prints."
R. R. LANSING,
Clerk of the District Court
for the Northern District ofNew-York

G. F. Bunce, Printer.
 289.1
P221

CONTENTS .
Lodys
Dec
47
16

LECTURE I. Direct arguments from the Scriptures.

LECTURE II. Examination of Universalist Arguments:
LECTURE III. An argument from the Providences of
God towards the righteous and the wicked.
LECTURE IV. Arguments against Universalism, derived
from its moral influence.
LECTURE V. Consistency of eternal punishment with
perfectjustice.
LECTURE VI . The previous arguments reviewed and con-
Be

firmed, and an application of the subject.

8
00

4
24
 LECTURES ON UNIVERSALISM.

LECTURE I.

DIRECT ARGUMENTS FROM THE SCRIPTURES.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many I say

unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luke xiii. 24.

THE instructions of our Saviour were all of a

weightyand important character. Ifhe touched
upon the most common topics, it was not with
any common design. The glory of God, and
the ultimate happiness of menplainly engrossed
all his affections and controlled his whole con
duct. The purity and extent of the law, the
richness of Divine Mercy, the glory of Divine
Justice, and the eternal rewards of a future
state, were topics which mingled themselves
with his common discourse. In the words
just cited, he urges men to make a vigorous
effort to enter upon that course of life which
conducts the soul to heaven.
The word ' strive' in this text, is derived from
aword signifying a contest; its force therefore
is much like this-make an effort to enter upon
the way to heaven; an effort such as men do
when they meet at some disputed pass, and
1
 6

when with the shock of arms, and in the

struggle of a charge, they contend for honour,
and victory, and life. The motive by which
he enforces his exhortation is plainly this ;
many will ultimately fail of the blessing
to which he had directed their attention.
-
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many,
Isay unto you, will seek to enter in and shall
not be able.
With this brief explication of the text, Ipro-
pose to establish the truth of the following pro-
position:
SOME OF OUR RACE WILL ACTUALLY SUF-
FER ETERNAL PUNISHMENT .

Before entering upon our argument, however,

permit me to bespeak your attention to the im-
portance of the subject, and to the propriety of
a full and thorough investigation. The doc-
trine of punishment suited to the demerit of
crime, lies at the foundation ofall government,
by law. The moral rectitude of such govern-
ment, depends upon the proper apportionment of
penalties, and an impartial administration ;
but its power depends upon the degree of cer-
tainty with which the penalty is seen to follow
the infraction of the law. The principal rea-
son why human laws are so ineffectual, is not
found in any essential injustice in their requi-
sitions, nor in the want of appropriate penalties.
They are feeble in their operation, chiefly be-
cause they are not administered by a power,
which renders the penalty unavoidably sure.
 7

Thus you will find under every administration,

in proportion as the hope of impunity is indulg-
ed, in the same proportion is the power of the
law diminished.
Aman could not be induced by any motive to
murder one of his fellow-beings, if he believed
at the time, that his own life would certainly be
sacrificed in the process of a righteous retribu-
tion. In the commission of such a crime, the
offender either expects to escape the penalty al-
together, or the influence ofpassion has weak-
ened the present conviction of its unavoidable-
ness. Aman would scarcely wrong his neigh-
bour out of a shilling, if he were sure that in-
stead of gaining any thing by it, he should lose
precisely the same amount himself. Nor would
he pluck out the eye of his fellow, if he knew
with absolute certainty, and had a present full
conviction of the fact, that he should lose his
own as a consequence.
Indeed, it is not more sure that Haman would
not have erected a gallows for Mordecai, with
the certain knowledge that he should be hung
upon it himself, than it is that no man would vio-
late a law, with the full conviction that to use
a Scripture expression, his mischief should re-
turn upon his own head, and his violentdealing
should come down upon his own pate-that is,
that in every sin which he should commit, he
should bring the very evil which he intended
against others upon himself.
Itwillbe seen from these statements, that the
 8

doctrine of future punishment lies at the very

foundation of the Divine government. It is the
perfection of this government that absolute cer-
tainty characterizes all its operations; and we
think we shall be able to show that there is no-
thing in it to encourage the hope of impunity;
nothing to mitigate the doom of transgressors.
The penalty of the law of God is weighty as his
eternal curse, and sure as his ability to in-
flict it.
Nothing is wanting then, to render this go-
vernment effectual, but a full practical convic-
tion of the unavoidableness of its threaten-
ings against transgressors. On this account,
we deem it a matter of the last importance,
that the subject which we have proposed should
receive an ample discussion. This is deemed
the more important, because there is a numer-
ous class of people who hold the doctrine of
Universal Salvation, and we wish to lead them
to a careful revision of the subject. We are
aware that it is common to represent this class
of persons as beyond the reach of the Gospel;
as so attached to their peculiar doctrines, that
all reasoning with them will be vain. With
this sentiment however, I cannot agree. If
they be treated with kindness, and if sound
argument be presented, we may rationally ex-
pect that they will be induced to review the
subject, and decide the question with some de-
gree of candour and impartiality. But though
it be our direct object to disprove the doctrine
 9

of Universal Salvation, yet these Lectures are

not entered upon solely, nor chiefly for the sake
of that class of people. There are multitudes
who feel powerfully inclined to reject a doc-
trine of such overwhelming import as that of
future and eternal punishment ; and many
more still, who admit the doctrine, but who do
not possess a strong practical conviction of its
reality.
Now as we have said with respect to human
laws, that their power depends upon the cer-
tainty with which the penalty is seen to follow
transgression, so we say that the effect of the
doctrine of future punishment, depends upon
the certainty with which it is seen to be com-
ing upon every unreconciled sinner. Our
object therefore is not merely to establish your
minds in the speculative notion that some men
will be eternally miserable ; we would rather
present such an array of evidence, as shall set
the mind at rest not only, but which shall also
create a deep and abiding conviction of the
truth of the doctrine. Such a conviction, you
perceive, must at once clothe the divine law
with omnipotence, and impress upon the heart
the necessity of fleeing to the Lord Jesus
Christ, for pardon and salvation.
With these views, I feel myself more than
justified, in entering upon a somewhat extensive
investigation. The whole course will be com
prised in six Lectures. The subject of each, I
will first lay before you, that you may under-
1*
 10

stand, in thecommencement, the outline of my

plan.
I. The first will embrace direct arguments for
thedoctrine of future and eternal punishment,
drawn from four classes of scripture quotations.
II. The second will contain a refutation of the
principal arguments offered in favour of the
doctrine of Universal Salvation.
III. The third will be a single argument,
drawn from the providences of God, towards
the righteous and the wicked.
IV. The fourth will be an argument, drawn
from a comparison of the practical influence of
the two systems, which respectively embrace
and reject the doctrine of future and eternal
punishment.
V. The fifth will be a vindication of the jus-
tice of God, in the eternal punishment of the
wicked.
VI. The sixth will be a conclusion embrac-
ing a summary view of the whole argument,
and an application of the doctrine.
Your attention is invited this evening, to di-
rect reasonings drawn from the scriptures.
I. Our first source of argument, is the pro-
mises of the Gospel. These promises are pecu-
liar in two respects ; they refer to a peculiar
kind of blessings, and to a very peculiar cha-
racter.
Let me then invite your special attention to
theblessings promised in the Gospel.
The peculiar and distinguished blessings,
 11

promised in the Gospel, comprise a deliverance

from all sin, and the bestowment ofeternalhap-
piness.
Iwish this point to be clearly settled inyour
minds, before we proceed to another step.
For this purpose let us contemplate that class
oftexts, which bring to view the nature ofthe
gospel promises.
John says to his christian brethren, when
speaking of Christ, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is. Our Saviour says, with
respect to those who overcome, they shall walk
with me in white, for they are worthy. The re-
deemed are represented as before the throne of
God, and serving him day and night-that is,
constantly-in his temple. In anticipation of
this entire freedom from sin, John uttered the
following remarkable ascription of praise to the
Saviour; unto him that loved us, and washed
us from our sins in his own blood, and hath
made us kings and priests unto God, and his
Father, to him be glory and dominion, for ever
and ever. To show the absolute purity of
heaven, it is also said in the revelation, there
shall in no wise enter into the heavenly Jerusa-
lem, any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh an abomination, or maketh a lie; but
they which are written in the Lamb's book of
life. These quotations are sufficient to bring
beforeyour minds the fact, that one ofthegrand
objects of the Divine promises, is a deliverance
from all sin.
 12

The other peculiar blessing, included under

thepromises of the Gospel is eternal happiness.
Observe here, that we do not deny that there
are other and great blessings promised, but eter-
nal happiness is a peculiar and distinguished
blessing. Christ has brought life and immor-
tality to light, so that present peace is given to
the believer, not only, but it can also be said,
blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. God-
liness is profitable unto all things, having pro-
mise of the life that now is, and of that which is
to come. Thus christians are called heirs-
heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. This
proves that their inheritance shall be as endur-
ing as his-they are heirs of salvation-heirs
according to the hope of eternal life. Daniel
says, they that be wise, shall shine as the bright-
ness of the firmament, and they that turn many
to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.
And Matthew says, in a similar figure ofspeech,
the righteous shall shine forth as the sun, in the
kingdom of their father. One came and said
unto Jesus, good master, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life ? Jesus said unto him,
sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Again,
he that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth
fruit unto life eternal. To them, who by pa-
tient continuance in well doing, seek for glory,
honourand immortality, [God willgive] eternal
life. Being made free from sin, andbecome the
servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holi
 13

ness and the end everlasting life. Jesus said

unto them, I am the bread of life; hethat com-
eth to me, shall never hunger; and he thatbe-
lieveth on me, shall never thirst. Whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him,
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him, shall be in him a well of water,
springing up into everlasting life. He thatbe-
lieveth, shall be saved. The righteous shall go
into life eternal. These scriptures, with a great
variety of passages, going to establish the same
general truth, do not admit the shadow of a
adoubt, that perfect holiness and eternal hap-
piness are distinguished characteristics of the
promises of the Gospel.
These promises, however, as we have inti-
mated before, are made to a peculiar character.
They are not made to men generally and pro-
miscuously, as are the offers of mercy; but in
every instance in which the peculiar blessings,
perfect holiness and eternal happiness, are pro-
mised, the application is clearly and distinctly
restricted to a certain class of men-to a class
of men, whose character is accurately defined
in the scriptures. It is he that overcometh that
shall walk with the Saviour in white. The
dead that are blessed, are those who die in the
Lord. It is to godliness that the promise is
made, not only of this life, but also of that
which is to come. Those are called children
of God, in distinction from the world, that
shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with
 14

Christ. It is the wise that shall shine as the

firmament, and those who have turned many to
righteousness, that shall glow like the stars
for ever and ever. It is to them, who by pa-
tientcontinuance in well doing, seek for glory,
honour and immortality, that God will give
eternal life. They are those who become the
servants of God, that have their fruit unto holi-
ness and the end everlasting life. It is he that
believeth that shall be saved; and the righte-
ous that shall go into life eternal. Are not,
then, these two peculiarities of the Gospel pro-
mises, fully sustained by the Scriptures ?
1st. That perfect holiness and eternal happi-
ness are the blessings promised; and,
2ndly. That these are in their application
restricted wholly to a particular class of men,
termed the righteous, believers in Christ, chil-
dren of God, &c. If so, we think the inference
unavoidable, that all men will not be saved.
The very fact that Eternal Salvation is pro .
mised to a class of men particularly described,
plainly shows an intention to exclude others.
For an illustration of this point look at the
proposals made for receiving pupils into our
higher schools of learning. An acquaintance
with certain branches of science is required,
and particular testimonials with regard to mo-
ral character are demanded. Now does any one
doubt that it is one intention of these notices, to
exclude those who have not made such attain-
ments, and who do not possess such a charac
 15

ter? And can it be doubted, that those who

publish these proposals, take it for granted,
that the whole community are not, and will not
be fitted for these schools ? Do not the proffers
of such blessings, to such characters exclusive-
ly, plainly imply that all will not receive them ?
It is a regulation adopted in an extensive hos-
pital, to admit any well dressed stranger to
view the buildings, and the accommodations,
which public charity has provided for the unfor-
tunate. Now can any one doubt that it is the
intention of such a regulation to admit one cer-
tain class of the community, and exclude ano-
ther ? Would there be any force or pertinency
in the language, ifthe whole community were
well dressed, and all were expected to be admit-
ted ? But let us apply this illustration, particu-
larly to the case in hand. When it is said,
that to them, who by a patient continuance in
well doing, seek for glory, honour and immor-
tality, [God willgive] eternal life, who can help
seeing, that it is strongly and undeniably im-
plied, that all will not seek glory and honour
and immortality, and so eternal life will not be
given to all. The peculiar blessing, eternal life,
is proffered to a defined character, in all the
promises of the Gospel. From the very fact
that the character is defined, it is implied that
there are other characters, which do not fall
withinthe terms of that definition; and which,
consequently, will notreceive that peculiar bless-
ing. If I were to look around upon this as
 16

sembly, andgive out an invitation like this, all

the white people in this house, are invited to at-
tend Divine Service here, to-morrow evening,
you would immediately look around to see if
there were any coloured people present ; if
there were none, and it was evident that I knew
there were none present, you would see that my
language was destitute of all force and appro-
priateness. You would think me deranged.
But when it is said, blessed are the dead who
die in the Lord; ifall die in the Lord, and all
are ultimately blessed, this language has no
force, and the writer appears as much deranged
as I should appear in giving out such a notice.
When it is said the righteous shall go into life
eternal, it is plainly destitute of all meaning, if
all shall be righteous, and all shall go into
life eternal .
From the peculiar character of the Gospel
promises, as comprising perfect holiness and
eternal happiness, and from the fact that these
blessings are promised to a certain defined cha-
racter, it is evident that all will not receive eter-
nal happiness. Many will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able.
But ifthe souls of any are shut out of hea-
ven, and deprived of eternal happiness, they
must, of necessity, remain in a condition of un-
speakable misery. What overwhelming re-
flections, must possess the sinking spirit, in its
eternal abandonment of God, and exile from
heaven! The remembrances of mercies abused,
 17

entreaties slighted, and warnings despised,

haunt it like the shades of murdered benefac
tors. If it would escape from these, the most
direful bodings of the future, meet it in every
pass: If it would turn its contemplations back
upon itself, there it meets the foul stain of its
misdeeds, and conscience arises with the fury
and steadfast hate of a blood avenger, to com-
mence anew the work of retribution.
II. Our next argument is drawn from that
class of texts, which contrast the future destiny
of the righteous and the wicked.
In the prophecy of Daniel, we have this re-
markable declaration, with respect to the fu-
ture resurrection, and the subsequent state of
the friends and enemies of God. Many of
them that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt. Among the
last words of our Saviour, before he ascended
to heaven, he said, he that believeth, and is
baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth
not, shall be damned. In Romans, the apostle
declares, that the wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. We quote these texts only
as a sample of a large multitude of passages of
the same import. We have attempted to show
in our last argument that perfect holiness and
eternal happiness are promised to the righte-
ous; but here others are spoken of whose fu-
ture character and condition is represented in
2
 18

perfect contrast with the former. We can

scarcely select a more delightful representation
of the eternal happiness of heaven, than that
brief declaration of the prophet Daniel; many
of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake ; some to life everlasting-but
others are represented in perfect contrast-and
some to shame and everlasting contempt.
When our Saviour declares, he that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, we discover the
richness of his grace ; but when the expres-
sion turns, and he says but he that believeth
not shall be damned, how can we help disco-
vering that he intends to represent in perfect
contrast the future condition of the righteous
and the wicked ? In the twenty-fifth of Mat-
thew, where it is said, these shall go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into life eternal, we have another such con-
trast. No simple honest reader can pass over
this passage without catching the promise of
eternal happiness, nor do I see how any one
can avoid the conviction, that the first part is
intended to be a contrast with the last, and so
to teach the doctrine of eternal punishment.
These representations are not merely con-
vincing, they are overwhelming. By them
the light ofheaven renders visible the darkness
of hell. And O, how do those eternal states,
by being laid along beside each other, in the
scriptures, exert a reciprocal influence in show-
ing forth the glory and blessedness of the one,
 19

and the gloom and wretchedness of the other !

The companionship of saints and angels, is
rendered more manifestly pure and exalted, by
being contrasted with that society, where there
are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie, and the debased con-
dition of the inhabitants of the world of wo,
appears the more low and wretched, by being
set over against the pure society that sur-
rounds the throne of the Eternal. Songs of
redemption rise in higher notes, and mingle
with an heavenlier harmony, when contrasted
with the ceaseless wail and blasphemies of the
damned ; while on the other hand that same
wail of wo, appears the more dreadful from
the contrast which it forms with the undying
praises of heaven. The light of the New Je-
rusalem, seems to render more lurid and dark
the flames and smoke of the bottomless pit ;
while the same dark fires and columns of
smoke, render sweeter and softer the light of
the glory of God, which fills and overflows
the heavenly city. And who cannot see that
these contrasts are fully sustained by the pas-
sages cited under this head ? If he that be-
lieveth, shall be saved and the righteous shall
go into life eternal, it is not less certain that
those who possess the opposite character, shall
be subjected to a precisely opposite destiny.
He that believeth not shall be damned, and the
 20

wicked shall go away into everlasting punish-

ment.

III. A third class of passages, which afford

ground for a direct argument, isfound in those
which represent men as in danger of eternal
punishment.
On this argument, I quote but three pas-
sages. The first may be found in Mark iii.
29; but he that shall blaspheme against the
Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in
danger of eternal damnation. Now I ask,
how it is possible that any one should be in
danger of eternal damnation, if there be no
such thing ? Can men be in danger of evils
that do not exist ? In Hebrews, the Apostle
exhorts us to follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which, no man shall see
the Lord, looking diligently, lest any man fail
of the grace of God. It seems then, that it is
possible, that some should fail of the grace of
God. If they do however, they must fail of
heaven. There could be no occasion for such
warning, if none were in danger ; and none
could be in danger, if it were inconsistent with
the goodness of God, and the truths of his
word.

The next and only testimony which I shall

adduce under this head, is found in Mat. x.
28. The text is decisive, and merits a very
particular examination. It reads thus-
And fear not them which kill the body, but
 21

are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear

him which is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell.
These words are a decision of Jesus Christ
with respect to the ground of all reasonable
fear. He admonishes us not to fear men, be-
cause in the utmost extent of their power,
they can do nothing which will affect our ul-
timate happiness ; they can only kill the body.
He then urges upon us the fear of God, be-
cause he holds our ultimate happiness at his
disposal, he is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell. From a brief analysis of this
passage, we learn two important truths.
I. That there is a hell, in which the wicked
will be punished.
II. That this punishment will be endless.
It is said that God is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell. This language plainly
cannot be true, or is void of all meaning, if
there be not such a place as hell. That it is
a place for the punishment of the wicked in a
future state, is manifest from the fact, that its
evils are represented as more terrible than
death itself. When our Saviour says of men,
that they can only kill the body, it is plain
that he represents death as the most terrible of
earthly calamities; but we are urged to fear
God; because he can inflict far greater suf-
ferings; that is, because he can inflict suffer-
ings after men have done all they can do-
after they have killed the body. Besides, in
2*
 22

the parallel passage in Luke, the punishment

here referred to, is expressly declared to be
subsequent to the death of the body. The
language there used is as follows : I say unto
you my friends, be not afraid ofthem that kill
the body, and 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.
That the punishment referred to, is eternal,
appears evident from two considerations. 1st.
It is called a destroying of the soul and body.
We take it for granted that the doctrine of
annihilation is not here taught. Then what
is the meaning? The soul cannot be said
to be destroyed while yet it shall flourish with
immortal beauty in heaven. It is an expres-
sion never used with respect to chastisement
merely. God never speaks of destroying the
soul and body of the righteous, although he
often threatens them with severe chastisement
for their sins. 2ndly. The destroying of the
soul is contrasted with the killing of the body,
in such a manner as plainly to imply that this
destruction is entire and remediless. The de-
sign of the antithesis can scarcely be mis-
apprehended. It is as much as if our Saviour
had said, men may cut off all your hopes of
earthly happiness. They may deprive you of
your wealth-they may blast your reputation
-they may poison your pleasures, and pour
 23

ing out their fury upon your earthly nature,

they may fill your soul with reproach, and
rend every tender sympathy of your heart, and
diffuse a slow burning vengeance upon every
fibre and every nerve of your body. But
there is a limit to the infliction of such torture.
When men have done all this, they have
only subjected you to the misery of which the
earthly constitution is susceptible, they have
only killed the body. But God can kill the
soul; he can as fully overwhelm that in its
future existence, and destroy all its hopes, and
ruin all its prospects, and leave it in sinking,
hopeless, dying agony, as men can the body.
Yea, when the soul and body shall be reunit-
ed, he is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.
IV. We shall close this direct testimony
from the scriptures, by citing one more class
of texts. I mean that class which represents
the punishment of some men as remediless.
In the second chapter of James, we are told,
with respect to him who shows no mercy, that
he shall have judgment without mercy. The
Lord often chastens men, in mercy to their
souls, but to give them judgment without mer-
cy, is a fearful chastisement, ifchastisement it
may be called ; a chastisement which has no
redeeming, sanctifying influence. In Mat. xii.
31, 32, our Saviour is represented as saying,
the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, shall
not be forgiven unto men. Whosoever speak
 24

eth against the Holy Ghost, it shall notbe for.

given him, neither in this world, neither in the
world to come. Mark iii. 29, it is said, He
that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost,
hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of
eternal damnation. And again in Luke xii. 10.
Unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy
Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. So long then
as forgiveness is the remedy for sinners, just so
long will these texts show that the punishment
of some is remediless. In Prov. xxix. 1, we are
told, that he that being often reproved, har-
deneth his neck, shall be suddenly destroyed,
and that without remedy. But if any be de-
stroyed without remedy, they are, certainly,
without any prospect of heaven. The Apostle
says, in his epistle to the Phil. iii. 18, 19, for
many walk, of whom I have told you often,
and now tell you even weeping, that they are
the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end
is destruction. Again, in Hebrews, with re-
gard to similar characters, he says, whose end
is to be burned. How then can they be final-
ly saved, if their end be destruction, and to
be burned ? If it should be said that these
texts do not mean the last end of the wicked,
the remark is without proof; as well might
we say that Rom. vi. 22, ye have your fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life,
means not the last end of the righteous.
We may now see why it is that such sacri-
fices and such efforts have been made to in
 25

troduce into our world, amethod ofsalvation,

and to sustain and propagate Christianity.
God gave his only begotten Son, that whoso-
ever believeth in him 'should not perish, but
have everlasting life. The apostles counted
not their own lives dear unto themselves, if
they might save some.
Finally, we may see from these arguments,
that the doctrines of the Gospel are presented
in the Scriptures in such a connexion, that it
is impossible to expunge one important doc-
trine, without destroying the whole. Just so
long as the promises of the Gospel comprise
perfect holiness and eternal happiness, the doc-
trine that some will fail of these must stand.
Just so long as the future happiness of the
righteous is set forth by contrasting it with the
future state of the wicked-so long the doc-
trine must stand, that the punishment of hell
will be as enduring as the happiness of hea-
ven. Just so long as men are urged to re-
pentance on the ground that they are hasten-
ing to a state of remediless punishment; and
just so long as they are exhorted to fear God
because he is able to destroy both soul and bo-
dy after men have killed the body; so long
must the doctrine of eternal punishment stand.
But if it be true, my friends, believe it, and
give yourselves up to its proper influence. If
it be true-Divine compassion has not bled
for nothing-Prophets and Apostles have not
been slain for nothing-The blood of martyrs
 26

has not flowed in vain. If it be true, the doc-

trine of Salvation by the Cross means some-
thing-means something which is of everlast-
ing and infinite moment to you.
Ye sinners seek his grace,
Whose wrath ye cannot bear-
Fly to the shelter ofhis cross,
And seek salvation there .
 LECTURE II .

EXAMINATION OF UNIVERSALIST ARGUMENTS.

The simple believeth every word : but the prudent

man looketh well to his going.
-PROVERBS xiv. 15.
SUPERSTITION and skepticism are common-
ly regarded as opposite extremes. Both, how-
ever, spring from the same principle-both are
founded in credulity. The superstitious rely
upon the authority of a corrupt Priesthood, and
are greatly influenced by the captivating show
of religious ceremony. The skeptical are driv-
en into error by a powerful prejudice against all
religion, or are swayed by the strong bias of
their own inclinations. They both agree, how-
ever, in this-their opinions on the subject ofre-
ligion are formed by feeling, rather than by sin-
cere, dispassionate, and thorough inquiry. ' Tis
true this feeling is of a very different cast in
these two classes-the one are influenced by a
complacency in their own moral character ; the
other by a high sense of their own wisdom.
The latter class assume the magisterial and
knowing air of Philosophy; while the former,
enveloped in mystery, throw around themselves
the specious garb, and put on the sanctimonious
 28

look of Pharisaism. It is needless to observe

that doubt and disbelief are the more common
ofthese evils, in a community like this. There
is so much independence of feeling among the
people, that no man or set of men can mould
the public mind on any subject, by the power
ofmere authority. This remark is most em-
phatically true in its application to religious be-
lief; Insomuch, that ifI were aiming to insult
the feelings of any individual in this house, I
could not do it more effectually than by prefer-
ring against him this charge-" You do pin
your faith upon a certain other man's sleeve."
I appeal to your hearts, if any ofyou could not
bear almost any thing betterthan_this ?
Now, with this spirit of independence we find
no fault; on the contrary, while you assert your
right to think for yourselves in matters of reli-
gion, I declare to you, as an ambassador for
Christ, that you have the right to think for
yourselves not only, but you are also solemnly
bound to take the sacred volume, and with pa-
tient, humble inquiry to learn its doctrines and
its precepts, and then to practise the one and
believe the other, according as your conscience
shall dictate.
It is lamentable however to observe, amidst
all this unrestricted freedom of opinion, so little
disposition to investigate thoroughly the most
important truths. There is sufficient freedom
of thought to unsettle multitudes with respect
 29

to every principal doctrine of christianity, but

not sufficient use of this freedom to bring the
mind to definite and sober views. We have
among us enough of pretension to free inquiry,
but very little of the bone, and sinew, and nerve
of exertion. This, I think will appear, in the
progress of this Lecture, to be the real source
of Universalism. Arguments are presented-
many learn to evince a good share of dexterity
in their use-but their reasonings are confined
to a very limited sphere, and they have never
seen them thoroughly examined.
In proceeding to this examination, I have
only one request to make of those that hear
me. It is, that you will cherish in your minds
a sincere desire to know the truth. The pru-
dent man looketh well to his going. It should
also be stated as a preliminary, that I do not
propose to answer all the objections which ever
have been made to the doctrine of future and
eternal punishment. My object, this evening,
is not a defence, but an attack; I shall there-
fore take up the time in examining the main ar-
guments adduced in favour of the doctrine of
Universal Salvation. These arguments are
drawn from four sources.
I. FROM THE JUSTICE OF GOD.
II . FROM THE UNIVERSAL GOODNESS OF
GOD.
III. FROM THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST.
IV. FROM DIRECT SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY.
1. In examining the argument drawn from
3
 30

divine justice, it is necessary that we obtain an .

accurate definition of the terms. *
The Chevalier Ramsey, one of the principal
advocates of Universalism, has given the fol-
lowing definition of the Divine Justice.
"Justice is that perfection of God, by which
he endeavours continually to make all intelli-
gences just ."
On this definition there is a popular argu-
ment raised in favour of Universal Salvation.
It is said " that the justice of God requires all
men to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly
-the justice of God seeks to render all men
just, and God will accomplish his purposes ;
therefore all men will ultimately be reduced to
subjection to God, and so will be saved." But
let us examine this definition ofjustice.
* The quotations from universalist writers in this Lec-
ture, are taken from Edwards against Chauncey. From
an early, and intimate acquaintance with that excellent
work, the author of these Lectures was led to a special ex-
amination of the doctrine of Universal Salvation. In this
second Lecture I have not scrupled to make a free use of
that book, clothing the ideas of Doctor Edwards, common-
ly, in my own language, and arranging the whole matter
in a form better adapted to common minds. After the
Lecture was completed, I found it difficult to discriminate
between the ideas, or even the expressions derived from
Doctor Edwards' work, and those derived from other
sources. Rather, therefore, than attempt to distinguish all
theextracts by quotation marks, I prefer to say, that I set
up no other claim in this examination of Universalist's
arguments, than that of having compressed the views of
a tedious, though valuable polemical book, into a small
compass, and, of having thrown it into the more inviting
form ofa popular lecture.
 31

"Justice is that perfection of God by which

he endeavours continually to make all intelli-
gencesjust."
Ifthis be correct, then mercy is not that per-
fection of God by which he shows mercy to
the miserable, but the perfection by which he
endeavours to make others show mercy to the
miserable. If justice in God, is an effort to
make others just, then a just man, is one who
endeavours to make others just and a just
judge, is one who simply endeavours to make
others just. On this definition, ajudge who
wrongs every man who is brought before him,
if he only endeavours to make others just, is a
just judge. The truth is, the exercise of jus-
tice has respect to our treatment of others, in
regard to their rights, and not to an endeavour
to lead to the exercise of justice.
This definition is sometimes varied or given
up, and the doctrine of Universal Salvation is
argued on the ground that all punishment is
merely disciplinary that is, that it is of the
nature of a chastisement intended to lead the
subject to repentance. The ground assumed
by Universalist writers and preachers on this
topic is, that the law requires no other punish-
ment: and that it would be cruel and unjust,
to punish men in any other sense than in that
of a kind father chastising his child, for the
simple purpose of reclaiming it from wrong.
I might here state arguments to this effect,
from various writers, but it is probably known
 32

by most of you as one of the strong grounds

on which the doctrine of Universal Salvation
is defended.
In answering this argument, I beg that all
other branches of this subject may be kept out
of view. My object in this place, is only to
show that justice requires something more than
amere discipline, intended for the good of the
offender.
1. Ifjustice requires just such a punishment
as will answer the ends of salutary chastise-
ment, and no more, then such chastisement is
the utmost curse of the divine law. It would
be cruel and unjust, to inflict any farther suf-
fering. Then all those passages of scripture,
which threaten a curse, and which speak of
deliverance from the curse of the law, must be
understood as speaking of chastisement merely.
But if all punishment is inflicted for this end,
and if this be its tendency, then punishment is
not on the whole, a real evil. For let it be kept
in mind, that it is alleged in this argument,
that all the punishment ever inflicted on the
sinner is necessary to his greatest happiness-
to his eternal well-being. This, we say, is
plainly no curse at all to the subject. It is
just such a portion as he, if he understood his
own interest, would choose for himself. Thus
all the threatenings of God's word, amount
simply to this if you sin thus and so, then
you shall be put under the best possible means
to reclaim and render you happy. If you
 33

trample upon the Divine authority, and trans-

gress the divine law, that authority and that
law doom you to the best means to restore you
to happiness. If you raise your arm in rebel-
lion against Omnipotence, that Omnipotence
shall immediately exert itself in the wisest pos-
sible manner to render you happy. Now I
appeal to every man who is acquainted with
propriety of language, to determine whether
such a threatening be a curse or a blessing.
From the fact therefore, that the divine law
pronounces a curse, taken in connexion with
the fact that salutary chastisement is not a
curse, it is clear that something more than dis-
ciplinary punishment is required by strict
justice.
2. It is manifest to all that are in the least
acquainted with divine revelation, that salva-
tion is every where spoken of in the Scriptures
as resulting from the grace of God-from his
special and infinite goodness. But there is
plainly no grace, or singular goodness in saving
one from farther punishment, after he has suf-
fered all that which the law demands. Ifjus-
tice requires only such a chastisement as leads
the offender to repentance, then, when that end
is attained, God himself cannot inflict any fur-
ther punishment without manifest injustice ;
and is there any special goodness to the sinner
in simply refusing to treat him with injustice ?
He has answered the demands of the law : he
has satisfied the justice of God: he must be
3*
 34

delivered from farther punishment, or else he

is oppressed and treated with cruelty. But is
this the doctrine of the bible ? Do all its pro-
mises of mercy and grace amount only to an
assurance that God will not treat his creatures
with injustice ? If salutary chastisement be all
the punishment due to sin, the offender, after
enduring this chastisement, cannot ask for de-
liverance and salvation as a favour, without de-
grading himself. If you were sentenced to a
three months' confinement in the county jail,
you would not, after your term of imprisonment
had expired, come to the keeper and beg your
release as a special favour. He has no more
right to keep you there another hour, than he
has to seize an innocent citizen in the street,
and to forcibly thrust him into the same gloomy
dwelling. You would demand your release,
and if it were not granted, the keeper would
become the criminal, and deserve to be put in
yourplace.
3. The scriptures teach that sinners are for-
given; but if they suffer the very punishment
which the law requires, forgiveness is plainly
impossible. Forgiveness implies that the sinner
forgiven is not punished in his own person ac-
cording to law and justice. But who would
think of telling aman who had just suffered for
crime the full sentence of the law, that he was
now forgiven ? This would be adding insult to
the rigour of justice.
4. Christ is abundantly represented in the
 35

scriptures as delivering men from the curse of

the law. But the argument which I am now
opposing, maintains that all will be saved, not
by Christ, but, by enduring the full curse ofthe
law. Here observe, I do not deny that Univer-
salists maintain the doctrine of the final salva-
tion of all men through Christ, but they do not
maintain that method of salvation in this argu-
ment. The argument which I am now oppos-
ing, asserts that all men will be saved, because
the curse of the law is only so much punish-
ment as will answer the purpose of a salutary
discipline, and lead the soul to repentance.-
Now how can Christ be said to deliver from this
curse ? Does he deliver men from a salutary
discipline ? that is declared to be the only curse
of the law, and the ground on which the final
salvation of all men is contended for. Does
Christ indeed deliver men from the very means
which God is using to bring them to repent-
ance? Do men need any deliverance from the
means of repentance ?
5. That the law threatens a much severer
punishment than any mere salutary discipline
is evident also from the very terms used. The
wicked are said to be accursed cursed with a
curse-cursed children, &c. and God is repre-
sented as inflicting upon them wrath, fiery in-
dignation-wrath without mixture-an anathe-
ma: and all the curses of the law. Can any
sober man imagine that these terms are used
for fatherly correction ? Would it be proper to
 36

call the wise and wholesome discipline of pa-

rents a curse, and fiery indignation, and wrath
without mixture ? Do any of you ever use such
terms in setting forth the discipline which you
are compelled to resort to in your families ?
Did you ever think of saying to your friends;
'Very difficult and trying duties have devolved
upon me of late; I have been under the neces-
sity of cursing my eldest son, and pouring out
upon him wrath without mixture-I have also
made my daughter an anathema, and have
come out against her in great fury and with
fiery indignation-they are cursed children ?'
If this be the language of parental tenderness
then we admit that the punishments spoken of
in scripture are nothing but a fatherly disci-
pline.
But while such language is used in regard to
the manner in which God treats one class of
men, the Scriptures hold an entirely different
language with respect to another class. Thus
Heb. xiii. 5, 9. Ye have forgotten the exhorta-
tion which speaketh to you as unto children,
my son, despise not thou the chastening of the
Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him :
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Ifye
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as
with sons; for what son is he whom the father
chaster.eth not. But if ye be without chastise-
mentwhereofall are partakers, then are ye bas-
tards and not sons. And againinthe Psalms,
 37

Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O

Lord, and teachest out ofthy law. These pas-
sages plainly show, that a salutary discipline is
restricted to a certain class of persons, and not
applied as the sole punishment of the wicked.
In concluding this part of our subject, let us
advert, for one moment, to a plausible argu-
mentoftenurged to show that all punishment is
intended for the good of the sufferer. It is of-
ten asked, would any kind parent doom his
child to a severe punishment, without aiming
thereby to reclaim him ? To this I reply, it is
sometimes necessary for kind parents to cast
off a child utterly and finally, for the good of
the family, and the maintenance of social order.
It has often been told as a high encomiumupon
the character of a ruler in theRoman Republic.
that when a companyofyoung menhadformed
a conspiracy against the liberties of their coun-
try, and two of the sons of this ruler were
found among the conspirators, the father first
asked his children several questions ; and when
the people were expecting him to interpose his
authority and save their lives, as he might have
done, the feelings of the patriot, controlled the
affections of the father, and he gave them up,
at once, to the sentence of the law, and to
death. Just so God is represented, as struggling
between compassion and justice, and as pro-
ceeding with reluctance to the execution oful-
timate
The and remediless
amount judgment.
of what we have said to show
 38

that the salvation of all men cannot be proved

from maintaining the doctrine of a disciplinary
punishment, may be summed up in a few
words.
I. In the first place it implies the following
absurdities and contradictions to admitted
truths.
1. That the curse of the divine law is not a
real curse, but a blessing, and the best thing
which God can give to one in the sinner's cir-
cumstances .
2. That there is, on this ground, no distin-
guished mercy in the salvation of sinners ; be-
cause theyhave a right to it on the ground of
law, and cannot be deprived of it without mani-
fest injustice.
3. It contradicts all idea of forgiveness, be-
cause the sinner needs no forgiveness after the
claims ofjustice are satisfied.
4. It implies, that if Christ delivers from the
curse of the law, then he delivers from the
means of repentance ; because, by the suppo-
sition, all that the law denounces against the
sinner is chastisement sufficient to lead him to
repentance.
II. There is yet another class of considera-
tions, which plainly and directly show, thatjus-
tice is not satisfied with a mere discipline in-
tended for the good of the sufferer.
1. The terms in which the penalty ofthe law
isannounced, are inconsistent with such an idea.
Wrath without mixture -curse ofthelaw-and
 39

fiery indignation cannot, by any stretch of ima

gination, be understood, by a plain common
sense English scholar, to mean fatherly correc
tion.
2. Such terms never are used among men, to
signify the chastisement which parents inflict
upon their children, for their good.
3. God often speaks of chastising that class
which are by way of distinction denominated
his children. They are told that their afflictions
shall work out for them a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory-and that tribula.
tion worketh patience, and patience experience,
and experience hope. But who ever thought of
damnation's working out an eternal weight of
glory ? This view was completed, by a brief
reply to the same argument when raised from
the consideration that God is represented as a
father. From all which we arrive at this con-
clusion; that on whatever other ground the doc-
trine of Universal Salvation may be sustained,
it certainly cannot be from considering justice
as requiring nothing but an wholesome disci-
pline.
We are now prepared to give a clear and
satisfactory definition ofjustice. The word jus-
tice is used inthree different senses. Commuta-
tivejustice has reference to commercial transac-
tions, and respects exchange and restitution
of property. In this sense a man is just who
pays his debts, and is fair and honourable in all
his dealings. General or publicjustice, respects
 40

what are called the rights of the community,

and is the same with general benevolence. The
word is used in this sense where the apostle re .
presents that the propitiation of Christ has ex-
erted such an influence that God can be just
and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus ;
i. e. he can pardon the believer, without injur-
ing his government. Distributivejustice is the
equal distribution of rewards and punishments ;
and it respects the personal rights and demerits
ofthe individual rewarded or punished. It is
in this last view of justice, that we come
now to inquire, whether it can be proved from
the justice of God, that all men will be saved.
For a clear understanding of this subject, let
it be observed, that transgression deserves pu-
nishment chiefly because it relaxes the power of
the laws, and opens the way for a general pre-
valence of crime. Thus, the murderer deserves
to be punished, not because a real injury has
been sustained by his victim or his friends: for
there are cases in which the murdered indivi-
dual suffers no real disadvantage by being put
todeath ; and in which there are no friends to
be afflicted. But the murderer deserves just as
much punishment. The lawhas been broken,
and unless the transgressor be made an example
of, that one unnoticed breach of the law which
protects our lives, may sharpen the knives, and
nerve the arms, and raise the daring of a thou-
sand assassins to similar deeds. It is for such
areason that the transgressor of the divine law
 41

deserves punishment. This view of justice is

commonly admitted by those who have written
in favour of Universal Salvation ; but they
deny that the sins of men deserve eternal pu-
nishment. I shall answer their arguments on
this point very briefly, as I design to devote an
entire lecture to the consideration of the justice
of God, in future and eternal punishment.
1. It is said that there is not sufficient differ-
ence between the most imperfect character of
the righteous, and the best character of the
wicked, to make it reasonable to doom one to
eternal punishment, and not the other.
This argument is destitute of force, ifboth de-
serve eternal punishment, and one is forgiven,
and the other falls under the sentence of the
law. The argument, as you see, is a merebeg-
ging of the question ; as it takes for granted
the very thing in dispute, viz. that the sinner
does not deserve eternal punishment.
2. Again it is argued, that life is too short
for any man to contract guilt enough to de-
serve an eternal punishment.
My answer to this is, that length of time has
no necessary connexion with the enormity or
the smallness of the sinner's guilt. Aman can
commit a crime which shall lead to an imprison-
ment for a life offifty years, in the same time in
which he could commit one that should cause
him to be fined one dollar: and he can com-
mit a crime that shall render him deserving
of capital punishment, in the same length of
4
 42

time. The atrocity of a crime depends upon

the importance of the law, and the sacredness
of the authority, which is violated; and not at
all on the length of time occupied in its perpe-
tration. How long must a man refuse to ac-
cept of God's eternal favour, offered gratuitous-
ly, to deserve to lose it ? If he gives up the ever-
lasting favour of his Maker for one moment
(andnone will deny that this is offered to him
in the gospel,) it cannot be proved that he de-
serves ever to receive it.
3. It is alleged that the creature is finite, and
therefore cannot deserve an endless punishment.
To this I reply, that his powers of sinning, are
not more limited than are his susceptibilities of
suffering-hence there is no more reason why
his punishment should not be endless, than there
wouldbe, ifhis powers were indefinitely increas-
ed. He can now resist infinite authority.
Besides, God cannot certainly be under any
obligation in justice to reclaim a sinner. We
have seenmen in this world living in sin, sixty,
eighty, and ninety years; when instead of be-
ing reclaimed, they have been growing more
wicked and more miserable. We never think
it inconsistent with thejustice of God, that he
does not reclaim them. Neither can we con-
ceive that it would be inconsistent with justice
that they should remain sinners another centu-
ry, and another, and another-in short, God
 43

cannot be under any obligation ever to reclaim

them from sin-there is no injustice in leaving
them to live in sin and miseryto all eternity.
To conclude this topic, I remark, that the
same objections arise against men's being sav-
ed on the ground, that it is not just that they
should be eternally punished, as were raised
against the last argument. If they are saved
because justice requires it, then there is no spe-
cial favour in their salvation, and no forgive-
ness ; and no deliverance from the curse of the
law through Christ. From all this, is it not evi-
dent that if the doctrine of Universal Salvation
can be sustained at all, it must be sustained on
other grounds than by reasoning from the
claims ofjustice ?
II. We come now to consider the argument
drawn from the universal goodness of God.
Doctor Chauncey, one of the advocates of
Universal Salvation, states his argument (ifar-
gument itmaybe called) in the following words
-" It is high time that some generally received
doctrines should be renounced, and others em-
braced in their room that are more honourable
to the Father of Mercies, and comfortable to
creatures whom his hands have formed. I
doubt not, says he, it has been a perplexing
difficulty to most persons, (I am sure it has
been such to me,) how to reconcile the doctrine
which dooms so great a number of the human
race to éternal flames, with the essential abso-
lute perfection of the Deity."
 44

Mr. Whiston, in speaking on the same sub-

ject, says, "this doctrine, (that is, the doctrine
ofeternal punishment,) supposes God to delight
in cruelty."
All who have heard our modern Universalist
preachers, know that this is also a principal ar-
gument with them. They represent that God
cannot be good, unless he saves the whole hu-
man race, and we have often heard their fol-
lowers express themselves in these words-
when speaking with those who hold the doc-
trine of eternal punishment, "your God is my
Devil." This is in fact, taking the same
ground assumed in the last noticed argument,
that it would be unjust, ultimately to cast off
any of the human race.
For an answer to this view, we refer you to
the reasonings just gone through with. But if
it be said that though men deserve in strict
justice, to be eternally punished, yet, because
God is infinitely good, and because his compas-
sion is boundless, all will be saved ; then we re-
ply; if this ground be taken, it is clearly ad-
mitted, that pure, strict justice would doom
some men to endless misery. Then the eternal
misery of some is consistent with the good-
ness of God; for justice is certainly consistent
with goodness. But it is said if God is good
we cannot conceive that he will leave any to
eternal suffering. We may just as well say, if
God is good, that we cannot conceive he will
permit any real suffering in the universe; for if
 45

he can admit it for a day, a year, a life, he may

on the same principle, an hundred years after
death, and then another, and so on without end.
So, in fact, ifdivine goodness require that suf-
feringshould cease, it requires just as really and
certainly, that it ought never to have been ad-
mitted into the system.
But it is said that the eternal misery of any
part of the human race cannot be for the good
of the Universe.
This is the very thing to beproved by univer-
salists. Let them show that the moral govern-
ment of God will be better sustained without an
eternal exhibition of divine justice, and the ar-
gument from divine goodness will amount to
something.
There is another branch of this argument,
which those who believe in Universal Salva-
tion seem to me to be determined never to re-
linquish, though it may be answered to a per-
fect demonstration. It is this-it would not be
acting like a father on earth, if God were to
doom sinners to endless torment.
Let me reply by asking, and is it like a
father on earth, to inflict the temporal cala-
mities which God often brings upon the chil-
dren of men ? Would a father on earth con-
sign his children to poverty, shame, sickness,
loss of reason, and death, attended with the
most afflicting circumstances ? Would a fa-
ther on earth choose to plunge his children in
the ocean, and leave them to the mercy of the
4*
 46

tempest ? Would he set a child's house on fire,

while he was buried in soft slumbers, and con-
sume him in the flames ? What would you
think of me, if I should present such a strain of
declamation, to prove to you that God never
does bring such calamities upon men ? Yet
the argument would be just as good for the
purpose, as it is to prove that God will not
inflict eternal punishment upon some part of
mankind. Do you say that these earthly са-
lamities result from our own folly and impro-
vidence, and the general laws of creation ?
So, for ought that can be shown, does eternal
punishment result from the same things. It
is not necessary to dwell upon this argument,
as what we have said on the justice of God
is a reply to most of the arguments drawn
from divine goodness.
III. We come now to inquire whether the
atonement of Christ affords a solid ground of
argument, in favour of the universal salvation
ofmankind,
On this point it is readily conceded that
Christ has, by his death on the cross, made an
atonement for all men. John said of him, as
he saw him coming, Behold the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin of the world. Paul
says, We see Jesus who was made a little
lower than the angels, for the suffering of
death crowned with glory and honour ; that
he, by the grace of God, should taste death for
everyman and again, There is one God, and
 47

one Mediator between God and man, the man

Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for
all. And the apostle John said, if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the father, Je-
sus Christ the righteous. And he is the pro-
pitiation for our sins, and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.-
These passages plainly show that Christ died
for all men without exception for Judas as
well as for Paul-for the hardened reprobate
as well as for the humble penitent. The
question before us is, does this universal atone-
ment secure the salvation of all mankind ?
Those who hold the doctrine of Universal Sal-
vation say it does. Their argument is, Christ
died to deliver all men from the curse of the
law, and consequently all will be delivered.
Before proceeding to examine this argument,
I beg that you will take notice of this one
thing-the argument gives up the ground that
a salutary discipline is the whole of the curse
of the law, and that men will be saved by en-
during that curse. It also relinquishes the
notion that sinners may suffer all that the law
requires in a limited time, and so may be saved
on that account. It also gives up the idea,
that God would not be good if any be lost, be-
-cause it pleads for salvation as something not
deserved, coming to all as a purchased par-
don, and a deliverance from deserved punish-
ment.
In reply to the whole argument drawn from
 48

the death of Christ, I will show you in few

words, that the atonement was made, not to
pardon and save men irrespective of their cha-
racter, but rather to render it consistent to
forgive sinners when they become believers.
Christ has become the propitiation of our
sins, that God might be just and the justifier
ofhim that believeth in Jesus. Always, where
the atonement of Christ is spoken of as bene-
ficial, it is represented as having become so
through the faith of the believer. Thus our
Saviour tells us, As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man
be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him
might not perish, but have everlasting life. It
is plain from this passage, that the atonement
is a sufficient remedy for the sinner ; and yet
that it cannot procure his relief unless it be
accepted; and this acceptance is not rendered
certain by any thing in the nature of the atone-
ment. "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God
abideth on him."
Paul says to the Galatians, If ye be circum-
cised, Christ shall profit you nothing. So we
see, it is possible that Christ's atonement may
be ofno avail for some: but if it may, then the
nature of the atonement does not secure the sal-
vation of all men.
Again in Corinthians, the apostle exhorts
his brethren to be careful, lest through their
 49

example the weak brother should perish, for

whom Christ died. So we see that Christ may
have died for individuals, and those very indi-
viduals may perish. Yea, the apostle Paul
has said expressly, If any man love not the
Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema mara-
natha-accursed when the Lord shall come.
Let me now invite your attention for a few
moments to the direct testimony adduced from
the scriptures, to prove the final salvation of all
men.
Much has been said to show that the words
eternal, everlasting, for ever, for ever and ever,
&c. when applied to the punishment of the
wicked, do not mean endless. To this reason-
ing I shall not oppose a criticisin on the Greek
words, as our Universalist preachers, who
scarcely know the Greek alphabet, are in the
habit of doing. All that is necessary to be said
on this point, may be said in a few words. If
these expressions do not prove the endless pu-
nishment of the wicked, then we cannot prove
from the bible that the happiness of the righte-
ous, or the existence of God, are endless. There
are no other words of higher import applied to
them. Another criticism perhaps should re-
ceive the notice of a passing remark. It is
frequently alleged that the words rendered hell,
mean only the grave, and the valley of Hin-
nom, because the same words were primarily
used in these senses. We reply to this only by
saying, that every scholar knows perfectly,
 50

that all terms descriptive ofa future state, must

of necessity be borrowed from earthly scenes.
The most common terms used to describe the
dwelling place of the blest, signify nothing
more, primarily, than the atmosphere, and the
region above the clouds ; yet who doubts that
these words are so used in the New Testament,
as to have acquired a far more extensive signifi-
cation.
The first text to which I invite your atten-
tion, is Rom. v. 18. The words are as fol-
lows: Therefore, asby the offence of one, judg-
ment came upon all men to condemnation ;
even so by the righteousness of one, the free
gift came upon all men untojustification of life.
For as by one man's offence many were made
sinners ; so by the obedience of one, many shall
be made righteous.
The argument founded upon this passage is
this-That Adam and Christ are here repre-
sented as the respective opposite sources of
death and life to all men universally, or that
Christ is the source of life to all men without
exception, as Adam was the source of death to
all men without exception. Let it be observed,
however, that the whole chapter is taken up
with a discussion of the method by which be-
lievers are justified. The chapter commences
with this declaration-Therefore being jus-
tified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. This could
be said of none but Christians. Accordingly
 51

in the 17th verse all that is said about salva-

tion is clearly restricted to believers. That
verse reads thus: For if by one man's offence
death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Here the reigning in life is restricted
to them which receive abundance of grace :
But the 18th verse is an inference from this,
and there is no sense in the apostle's reason-
ing unless the term all here be understood as
limited in the same manner. All that the pas-
sage can be made to mean, without a total
disregard to the connexion, is simply this: In
the 17th verse it is declared that they who
have received abundance of grace that is,
true believers-shall reign by one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore as by the offence of one, Adam, all of
his seed came into condemnation, even so, by
the righteousness of one, Christ, all of his seed
shall receive the justification of life. The
whole design of the apostle is to show that
Christ as effectually secures the salvation ofall
who are united to him, as the fall of Adam
did the fall and condemnation of all that were
united to him.
The next passage is found in Col. i. 19, 20.
For it pleased the Father that in him should
all fulness dwell; and having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to re-
concile all things to himself; by him, I say,
whether they be things in earth, or things in

LA OF IL LIB.
 52

heaven. It is argued from this passage, that

as Christ will reconcile all things to himself,
all the human family must be included, and
so must be saved. But how does it appear
that all men are here included ? The phrase
all things must certainly have some limita-
tion; if it be considered as a bold personifica-
tion, then the mountains and waves and
clouds of heaven will become reconciled to him
in the sense of the passage, and sinners may
in the same manner be made the involuntary
instruments of advancing the purposes and the
glorious reign of Christ. If all things be used
literally, it must admit of such a limitation, as
is manifest, when it is said that all Judea and
all the region round about Jordan were baptiz-
ed of John ; and all men counted John as a
prophet ; and all men came to Christ. Cer-
tainly there is nothing here that clearly teaches
the salvation of all men.
Again, Eph. i. 10, is quoted by an eminent
Universalist writer, in proof of the final salva-
tion of all men. It reads thus-That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times, he might
gather in one, all things in Christ, both which
are in heaven and which are on earth . This
same writer* gives us the following exposition
of the text. " By means of the lapse, and what
has been consequent thereupon, all things in
heaven and on earth, were got into a broken,
disjointed and disorderly state; and the good
pleasure of God to reduce them into one duly
* Dr. Chauncey.
 53

subjected and well subordinated whole, may

very fitly be signified by the phrase, to gather
together in one, all things." The exposition
is sound, but what does it prove ? We think
all things will be well subordinated, when the
judgment shall have passed, and the saints
shall sit down with Christ upon his throne, and
sinners shall be shut up in their eternal prison.
Again, 1 Tim. ii. 4, is quoted, where it is
said that God will have all men to be saved,
and come to the knowledge of the truth. Το
this, I reply, God is often said to will things
which never come to pass. God does not will-
ingly afflict nor grieve the children of men,
yet he does afflict them. Christ willed to ga-
ther the children of Jerusalem under his kind
protecting care, but they would not : In the
same sense he willed the salvation of all men ;
and it does not appear from this text, or its con-
nexion, that he willed it in any other sense.
The 16th verse, ofthe 15th chapter of 1st of
Corinthians, is often quoted as a proof of the
doctrine of Universal Salvation. For as in
Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made
alive. This whole chapter is taken up with an
argument for the resurrection of Christ's disci-
ples, drawn from the resurrection of the Sav-
iour himself. Neither the salvation of saints
or sinners is hinted at in the text-the text
plainly speaks of the resurrection of the body,
and nothing else. Time will not permit us to
protract these examinations. The few pas-
5
 54

sages which we have noticed, are some of the

most prominent of those which are adduced in
support of the doctrine of Universal Salvation.
These are sufficient to show that the reasonings
of Universalists, so far as founded upon direct
scripture testimony, are at least obscure and
unsatisfactory ; and this is all we wish to show,
for the present.
In conclusion, my friends, let me call your
attention to one strong mark of error which
characterizes every defence of Universalism.
It is this all the main arguments clash with
one another. For instance, we are told that no
man will be eternally punished, because no man
deserves any more punishment than a salutary
discipline; thatthis is thewh
the whole curse of the
law; and that it would be cruel to inflict any
farther punishment. Then again, we are told
with the same breath, or on the same page,
that no man can be lost, because Christ will
deliver him from the curse. Show the same
man that justice requires something more than
mere discipline that it requires punishment
for sustaining the power of the injured law,
and then he takes the ground that this punish-
ment cannot be eternal, because it is greater
than the sinner deserves.-Show him that it
may possibly be true, that the sinner deserves
an eternal punishment-then he tells you that
the tender mercy, and infinite compassion of
God, will reclaim and save the soul. Show
him that the exercise of such compassion im
 55

plies that all his reasoning aboutjustice, is good

for nothing, as he now admits that the sinner
does not deserve salvation, but receives it
through infinite mercy; yet he is not at all
daunted. Show him that goodness may be
consistent with infflicting the very penalty of
the law, and then he betakes himself to the
atonement of Christ, and pleads that the very
men will be forgiven, of whom he denied just
before, that they needed forgiveness.
And is this the system, my dying friends,
upon which any of you are resting your hopes
for eternity ? Permit me, as one who loves
your souls, to entreat you to re-consider the sub-
ject; Self-deception can profit you nothing.
The prudent man looketh well to his going.
The scriptures are able to make you wise
unto salvation; but they must be read with the
docility of a little child, and not with a desire
to support a vain theory. Go to the Bible with
humble prayer, and in the spirit of sincere in-
quiry, and it can point you to the heavenly
city. It will tell you, it is true, of a fiery law
-a law which made the holy Moses to fear
and quake : It willtell you of its endless curse :
It will open before you, the pit of hell, and
show you the quenchless flame, and the undy-
ing worm. But it will also point you to the
New Jerusalem, and show you its gate wide
open. It will point you to the blood which
can cleanse from all sin: In accents of love,
it will speak of a compassionate Saviour, and
 56

tell you, to " go to his bleeding feet, and learn

how freely Jesus can forgive."
Seek then, sincerely to know the truth;-
but remember that God has said, of those who
love not the truth, they shall be given up to
strong delusion to believe a lie,that they might
be damned, because they believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
 LECTURE III.

AN ARGUMENT FROM THE PROVIDENCES OF GOD TO-

WARDS THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED .

For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the

year ofmy redeemed is come.-ISAIAH Ixiii. 4.
The character of Jesus Christ receives no
small portion of its interest from the strong and
impressive contrasts which it exhibits. It is
made up of infinite dignity, and unparalleled
condescension. There is discoverable in it, a
perfect superiority to the world, and, at the
same time, an attention to its minutest con-
cerns. He mingles the richest mercy with the
most unbending justice. He forgives the vilest
sinner without one reproachful word, only ten-
derly exhorting him to sin no more ; while at
the same time he assures the most unexсер-
tionable moralist, who is yet destitute of true
piety, that he cannot escape the damnation
ofhell.
The Prophet Isaiah has set forth in the
words of our text, one of the most interesting
contrasts in this wonderful character ; his mer-
cy, and his justice. In the chapter next pre-
ceding that from which the text is taken, he
had been speaking of the provisions ofthe gos-
pel, andofthe unlimited extent of its invitations ;
5*
 58

but he stops not to dwell upon the richness of

its blessings, nor yet upon the freeness with
which they are proffered :-he casts his eye
still further into the future, and looks for the
success of that cause which had brought the
Son ofGodfrom heaven. Upon this he catches
a vision of the Messiah, under the character of
a mighty Prince returning in triumph from
the conquest of his enemies. Being struck with
the majestic appearance of this personage, he
represents himself as holding a conversation
with him respecting his character and the nature
ofhis undertaking. The dialogue possesses all
the wrapt elevation of prophetic poetry. The
Prophet commences with this inquiry-Who
is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed
garments from Bozrah ; this that is glorious
in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of
his strength ! The conqueror replies, I that
speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
The land of Edom and Bozrah the chief
city of Edom, must here be understood mystic-
ally, for the enemies of the church, as the
Edomites were the enemies of Israel. The
terms are so used in the 34th chapter of this
Prophecy. Besides, the word Edom signifies
red, (as blood is) and Bozrah a vintage, which
in the prophetical idiom denotes God's ven-
geance upon the wicked. Thus this conquest
is generally thought to allude either to the re-
formation, or to some great revolution yet to
come, antecedently to the latter-day glory of
 59

the church. Be this as it may, however, the

Prophet seeks to know more of the manner in
which this conqueror displays his power as one
mighty to save, and makes the farther inquiry
-Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and
thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine
fat ? To this the Messiah answers-I have
trodden the wine press alone, and of the people
there was none with me; for I will tread them
in mine anger, and trample them in my fury,
and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my
garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
The reason for his exhibiting such severity
injudgment, and of his determination to do so
intime to come, is then expressed in the words
of our text :
For the day of vengeance is in mine heart,
and the year of my redeemed is come.
The whole dialogue plainly sets forth the
Lord Jesus Christ as successfully prosecuting
his mediatorial work ; in doing which, he does
at the same time, redeem his friends and over-
throw his enemies. Our text suggests a very
interesting and general principle of the Divine
government. It teaches us that :
WHEN CHRIST BESTOWS SIGNAL BLESSINGS
UPON HIS CHURCH, HE DOES AT THE SAME
TIME EXECUTE SIGNAL JUDGMENTS UPON HIS
ENEMIES .

It is my purpose to illustrate this principle,

and to construct upon it, the following argu-
ment. God is now acting upon a principle,
 60

which exhibits alike, an intention to show mer-

cy to some, and to punish others. This princi-
ple, we have reason to believe, will exist in the
Divine government for ever, and therefore the
Providence of God, so far as it goes, confirms
the doctrine of future and eternal punishment.
That you may be prepared rightly to appreci-
ate this argument, let me invite your attention
to some brief statements relative to the nature
of the Divine government.
The ultimate design of God, in all his works,
is the promotion of happiness. This object is
accomplished by the exhibition of his holy per-
fections: and these perfections are exhibited
by the establishment and support of a govern-
ment under the administration of laws. To
this end he has created moral beings, giving
them laws to place them under responsibility,
and following this with a strict inquest upon
their conduct, and with an allotment of happi-
ness or misery corresponding thereto. Now,
though this government is constituted in a cer-
tain order, and its features are to be exhibited
with greater clearness ; yet it is one perfect
system, and all its principles are constantly
acting out before our eyes.
It is essential to the very nature of a moral
government, that there should be first a moral
constitution of creatures, rendering them fit
subjects of government; then, laws adapted to
this constitution; and, last of all, a righteous
distribution of rewards and punishments.
 61

These three great principles of the divine go-

vernment are all before usat once. We are con-
scious of a moral constitution ; the law of God,
by its very announcement, is imprinted upon
our hearts; and conscience gives us premo-
nitions of a judgment, and the righteous pro-
vidence of God, brings it home to our very sense
and feelings. Now, we say, a moral govern-
ment cannot exist without these three princi-
ples; indeed these principles are the very ele-
ments of which government is composed. If
we were destitute of a moral constitution, like
the brutes, we could never be subjected to laws,
nor exposed to punishment. If we were desti-
tute of all perceived moral relations, and moral
precepts, we could never possess the least idea
of authority, or obligation, or ill desert. And
though we possessed a nature suited to obliga-
tion and were placed under laws, yet obligation
would not be felt, nor laws become efficacious,
only in so far as their penal sanctions were ap-
prehended as fixed and absolutely certain. The
whole force of the Divine government, there-
fore, depends upon the visible certainty of re-
wards and punishments. But how is the
absolute certainty of rewards and punishments
to be fixed in the minds of men ? An examina-
tion of the Providence of God will answer the
inquiry. It is by an actual display of mercy
andjustice.
We look to the plain teachings of the scrip-
tures as the only positive and clear proof of the
 62

doctrine of future and eternal punishment, but

the Providences of God towards the righteous
and the wicked, have, unquestionably, contribut-
ed greatly to impress this doctrine upon the
minds of men.
Let it be understood, then, that we do not re-
ly upon an argument drawn from Divine Provi-
dence to prove the doctrine of eternal punish-
ment-we produce it only to confirm a doctrine
which we have shown in our first Lecture is
taught with great explicitness in the scriptures.
Before proceeding to our argument, let it be
observed, once more, that the government of
God, so far as it is exhibited in this world, is in-
complete;-that is, strict justice is not here ren-
dered to individuals. Nations and communities,
and public characters, are in most instances,
treated according to their conduct; yet this
course is not so fully pursued in regard to pri-
vate persons. Hence you find in the scriptures,
numerous threatenings of temporal calamities
against nations, and churches, and kings, while
private persons in general, are warned of a
general judgment. Egypt and Sodom, Baby-
lon and Nineveh, and Tyre, and Sidon, and
Jerusalem, fell under deserved judgments. So
the kings and rulers of different nations
were at different times punished for their public
crimes. Individuals in a private capacity how-
ever, have flourished like the green bay tree,
while living in sin. With respect to the condi-
tion of such, David could see no consistency in
 63

the divine government, till he saw their end-

Solomon also, was led to expect a future judg-
ment from the fact that wickedness was not
always punished in this life. I saw under the
sun, says he, the place of judgment that wick-
edness was there, and the place of righteous-
ness that iniquity was there: I said in mine
heart, God shall judge the righteous and the
wicked.
From these last statements, it is evident, that
whatever we learn about the nature of the di-
vine government from the providence of God,
must be learned from those dispensations which
respect the general interests of his church, and
the conduct of communities, or of individuals in
a public capacity. In such dispensations, the
Messiah appears travelling in the greatness
ofhis strength, mighty to save. It is then, that
he tramples his enemies in his fury ; their blood
is sprinkled upon his garments, and he stains all
his raiment, for the day of vengeance is in his
heart, and the year of his redeemed is come.-
Let us return now to our first position.
When Christ bestows signal blessings upon
his church, he does at the same time, execute
signal judgment upon his enemies.
When the promise of redemption was made to
our first parents, giving assurance that an incar-
nate Saviour should bruise the head of our ad-
versary, though it was a promise upon which
rested all the sweetness of divine mercy, yet it
came accompanied with curses, and a flam-
 64

ing sword. This first intimation of the na

ture ofthe Divine government, might teach us
to expect that justice and mercy should hereaf-
ter be set over against each other.
No sooner had our race multiplied sufficiently
to exhibit a community of a mixed character,
than God appeared and made a distinction be-
tween the precious and the vile; smiling upon
the sacrifice of Abel, and crowning his saint
with the glory ofmartyrdom; and, at the same
time, branding the first enemy of God among
men, the first persecutor of piety with an abid-
ing curse. This very distinction certainly ac-
cords with the notion, that it is a principle of
the Divine government, to make a difference
continually between the righteous and the wick-
ed. Hence the Apostle Jude, applies an admo-
nition from this very history in his day, to those
who rejected the gospel and perished in their
sins. His language is-Wo unto them ! for
they have gone into the way of Cain, and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,
and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
The same principle was brought out more
fully in the first great deliverance of the church.
When the world had become populous, it be-
came corrupt also before God, and the earth
was filled with violence. But the Lord raised
upa preacher of righteousness; and when he
had thus warned an ungodly world, he prepar-
ed for thedeliverance of his people;-But how
was this deliverance effected ? The fountains
 65

of the great deep were broken up: the flood.

gates of heaven were opened; and the ungodly
were ingulfed in the very billows which safely
buoyed up the little remnant of the church,
andpurified her earthly habitation. The day of
vengeance was in his heart and the year of his
redeemed had come. The whole transaction
accords with a general principle of the divine
government ; a principle, according to which,
whenever God bestows signal blessings upon
the church, he executes also, signal judgments
upon his enemies. Hence we read, in the 24th
of Matthew, As the days of Noah were, so shall
the coming of the Son of Man be, for as in the
days that were before the flood, they were eat-
ing and drinking, marrying and giving in mar-
riage, until the day that Noah entered into the
ark, and knew not till the flood came and took
them all away, so shall also the coming of the
Son of Man be.

The next signal interposition in behalf of the

church is characterized by the same course
of treatment towards the ungodly. When the
people of God were reduced to a very small
number, and the righteous Lot had been long
vexed with the filthy conversation of the wick-
ed, angels of mercy appeared for his deliver-
ance, and a flame of wrath came down from the
throne of Judgment, overwhelming the cities
oftheplain, and setting forth the guilty inhabit-
ants thereof as an ensample suffering the ven-
geanceofeternal fire. Now weplead that these
6
 66

dispensations, so numerous and so similar, go

to establish it as a principle that belongs to the
very nature of the divine government, that the
wicked shall have judgments, when the right-
eous have blessings and, of consequence, that
mercy and justice shall eternally be set over
against each other. Hence the Apostle Peter,
in speaking of some who denied the Lord that
bought them, whose judgment of a long time
lingered not, and whose damnation slumbered
not, adduces a train of the very facts which we
have now dwelt upon, and infers fromthem the
final salvation of the righteous, and the final
punishment of the wicked. For, says he, if
God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast
them down to hell, and delivered them into
chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judg-
ment; and spared not the old world, but saved
Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righte-
ousness, bringing in the flood upon the world
ofthe ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them
with an overthrow, making then an ensample
to them that after should live ungodly, and de-
livered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversa-
tion of the wicked: For, that righteous man
dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing,
vexed his righteous soul from day to day with
their unlawful deeds. But what is the infer-
ence from all this history of the Divine dispen-
sations-hear it in the words which the Holy
Spirit dictated-The Lord knoweth how to
 67

deliver the godly out of temptation, and to re-

serve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to
be punished. Of these same persons he de-
clares also, in the subsequent verses, that they
shall utterly perish in their own corruption; that
they are cursed children, and that to them is
reserved the mist of darkness for ever.
But let us pass to a still more striking illus-
tration of our principle, in the deliverance of the-
church from Egyptian bondage. Ihave seen,
saith God-I have seen the affliction of my
people which is in Egypt, and have heard their
groaning, and am come down to deliver them.
But why does he announce his purpose from the
midst of a quenchless flame, and assure the al-
ready heart-stricken Moses that in communing
with his Maker on such a subject he stands pe-
culiarly on holy ground? It is because he is
about to show himself mighty to save, and to
display, in awful contrast, his redeeming mercy
and vindictive justice. The day of vengeance
is in his heart, and the year of his redeemed is
come .

As he multiplies the promises of deliverance

to his afflicted people, and gives them fresh and
frequent tokens of his gracious interposition, he
spreads a dark cloud over the heads of their
oppressors ; and when the salvation of Israel
goeth forth as the steady flame of a lamp that
burneth, flashes of judgment, ever and anon,
fall upon the Egyptians, till they are allured to
the spot where God will show his redeeming
 68

love, and make his power known on the ves-

sels of wrath fitted to destruction .
The church was here placed in a condition
in which it was most honourable for God to in-
terpose. The Red Sea was before them, and
their enemies behind. Thus when all hopes
of deliverance by human power were cut off,
Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand
still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he
will show to you to-day; for the Egyptians
whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them
again no more for ever. The sea was miracu-
lously divided ; the armies went forward; and
while the Egyptians were overwhelmed in the
returning waters, the church of God came
forth with songs of deliverance, saying, I will
sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed glo-
riously ; the horse and his rider hath he thrown
into the sea: The Lord is my strength and
song, and he is become my salvation: he is my
God and I will prepare him an habitation ; my
father's God and I will exalt him. Thy right
hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power ;
thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces
the enemy ; who is like unto thee, O Lord,
among the Gods ? Who is like thee, glorious
in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders ?
Now observe the character of this song of
Moses. It is a manifest celebration both of
the Divine mercy in delivering his people, and
of the Divine justice in punishing their ene-
mies. It is the exhibition of a principle which
 69

will prevail co-existent with the moral govern-

ment of God. Thus the apostle John repre-
sents to us, that the same kind of scene will be
acted over again with a far deeper interest.
He tells us that he saw the victorious Church,
standing upon a sea of glass, having the harps
of God, and they sing the song of Moses and
the song of the Lamb ; that is, the song of re-
deeming mercy and vindictive justice ; saying,
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou
king of saints-who shall not fear thee, O
Lord, and glorify thy name ? for thou only art-
holy.
A similar exhibition of mercy and judgment
characterized the Providence of God when the
children of Israel came into the land of Ca-
naan. The church was here blessed with civil
and religious freedom. The ordinances ofGod
were established, and temporal mercies flowed
like rivers of milk and honey through their
peaceful possessions. But the Lord bestowed
these signal blessings upon his people by the
very means of inflicting judgment upon his
enemies. Hear the description which the pro-
phet Habakkuk has given of that wonderful
train of providences, by which God went forth
for the salvation of his people : Thy bow was
made quite naked according to the oaths of the
tribes, even thy word. Thou didst cleave the
rivers of the earth : the mountains saw thee,
and they trembled: the overflowings of the wa-
6*
 70

ters passed by: the deep uttered his voice and

lifted up his hands on high. The sun and
moon stood still in their habitation : at the
light of thine arrows they went, and at the
shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst
march through the land in indignation, thou
didst thresh the heathen in thine anger; Thou
wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
even for salvation with thine anointed : thou
woundedst the head out of the house of the
wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the
neck. Thus did God bestow signal blessings
upon his church by bringing them into Canaan,
while, at the same time, he executed judgment
upon the inhabitants of the land, for the day of
vengeance was in his heart, and the year of
his redeemed had come.
We might adduce many more striking in-
stances of favour to the church, from the vari-
ous deliverances by the judges, and the restora-
tions of Israel from captivity ; and in all of
them you should see the same exhibition ofjus-
tice executed upon the enemies of God. But
the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and
of Barak, and of Sampson, and ofJephtha, of
David also, who through faith subdued king-
doms, bringing prosperity to the church and
dismay upon her enemies.
Passing by all those striking displays of the
mercy and thejustice of God which were made
from the settlement of Israel in Canaan to the
coming of Christ, let us inquire if the same
 71

principle prevails in the government of God,

under the Christian dispensation. The coming
of the incarnate Saviour was itself the richest
blessing which the church had then ever en-
joyed. But the Prophet spake of him as acting
upon the same principle, bringing blessings for
his friends and judgments for his enemies.
Isaiah says, speaking in the name of the Mes-
siah, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord hath anointed me to preach
good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives, and the opening of the prison
to them that are bound; to proclaim the ac-
ceptable year of the Lord, and the day of ven-
geance of our God. And God speaking by
Malachi, says: Behold I will send my messen-
ger, and he shall prepare the way before me,
and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the
covenant whom ye delight in; behold he shall
come, saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may
abide the day of his coming ? and who shall
stand when he appeareth ? for he is like a re-
finer's fire, and like fuller's soap. These pro-
phecies plainly show that the same principle
was to exist under the Christian dispensation;
that the wicked were to be punished whenever
the righteous were blest. Thus when John the
Baptist made his appearance he testified of a
Saviour who should distinguish between the
precious and the vile, and redeem his people
 72

with judgment. His language is, And now

also the axe is laid at the root of the tree ;
every tree, therefore, which bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
He repeats the same thought under another
similitude. I indeed baptize you with water,
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I,
whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall
baptize you with the HolyGhost and with fire ;
that is, he shall baptize his friends with the
Holy Ghost and his enemies with fire. He
continues the same thought under another illus-
tration still. Whose fan is in his hand, and he
will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his
wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the
chaff with unquenchable fire. In accordance
with these representations we find that when
Christ came, he acted upon the principle which
had always characterized the Divine govern-
ment. When he granted signal favours to his
church, he executed signal judgment upon his
enemies. ' Tis true that while he stood forth in
the form of a servant, and as an example for
his followers, he did not strive nor cry, neither
did any man hear his voice in the streets : A
bruised reed he did not break, and the smoking
flax he did not quench, till he sent forth judg-
ment unto victory. But no sooner is that sacri-
fice, upon which the hopes of the church are
suspended, offered up, than the signs of mercy
and ofjudgment fill both the friends and the
enemies of God with anxious expectation.
 73

The veil of the temple is rent in twain from

the top to the bottom; and the earth quakes,
and the rocks rend, and many of the sleeping
saints burst from their tombs, and go into the
holy city, and appear unto many. The Lord
Jesus has finished his work of humiliation,
and has ascended on high leading captivity
captive, and giving gifts to men. But no
sooner is the Saviour seated upon the media-
torial throne, than you perceive the same prin-
ciple that we have traced all along through
the history of the former dispensation. In his
first remarkable interposition in behalf of his
church, when multitudes were converted and
induced to pledge their entire possessions and
their lives for the honour of their Saviour ;
even then he made a remarkable public exhi-
bition of his justice in the sudden destruction of
Ananias and Sapphira. It was also at the
precise time when the word of God grew and
was multiplied under the ministrations of the
apostles, that the Angel of the Lord smote the
ungodly Herod and he was eaten of worms
and gave up the Ghost.
But these were only a prelude to more strik-
ing Providences which were now at hand.
The partition walls between Jews and Gen-
tiles, were breaking down ; the swift messen-
gers of God were proclaiming the everlasting
gospel to the ends of the world: and a holy in-
fluence giving efficacy to its blessed principles
was spreading like leaven through the nations,
 74

But these blessings came not alone; the day of

vengeance was in the heart of the Saviour,
and the year of his redeemed had come.
When the gospel of the kingdom had been
preached in all the world for a testimony to
all nations, then appeared the abomination of
desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet,
standing in the holy place. Earthquakes and
direful prodigies announce the coming of the
Son of Man; an infuriate soldiery fill Jerusa-
lem; unhallowed feet enter the holy place ;
and a scene of carnage and devastation occurs
which might chill the hearts of barbarians
themselves. Our Lord, in predicting this event,
declares that then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the
world, no, nor ever shall be.
There are several more striking manifesta-
tions ofmercy to the church, from the first rapid
spread of Christianity, to the present time, and
in all of them there is the same impressive ex-
hibition of Divine justice.
We notice only the Reformation, and some
of the events of our own time. Martin Luther
was raised up as an angel which should fly
through the midst of heaven, having the ever-
lasting gospel to preach. But by him the Lord
sent not peace, but a sword ; and, although he
brake the chains of ecclesiastical despotism,
and dethroned the man ofsin, yet the self-same
sound, which proclaimed a jubilee to the
church, was a war-blast, and the voice of God's
 75

indignation against his enemies. The nations

were shaken : Messiah was going forth for the
salvation of his people, for the day of vengeance
was in his heart, and the year of his redeemed
had come.
In exact accordance with this principle are
the Providences of our own day. The Lord is
appropriating the silver and gold, and the mo-
ral energies of his people to the enlargement of
Zion. The Bible Societies are spreading the
word of life; the missionaries of the cross are
publishing the gospel to all lands ; nor are
these efforts without abundant success. In
Tahiti a nation has been born in a day : The
Sandwich Islands have thrown their idols to
the moles and to the bats: The spirit has been
shed forth upon Ceylon: India has received
the word of life: The western wilds have be-
gun to bud and blossom like the rose: A re-
deeming spirit has gone forth in behalf of Afri-
ca, and Ethiopia is at this moment stretching
forth her hands unto God. In addition to this,
a free and disenthralling spirit is diffusing it-
self through the political world, and allied
wickedness is dissolving through its influence.
But are there no judgments abroad in the
earth, in the midst of all these signal interposi-
tions in behalf of the church ? Yes, if Chris-
tians of Great Britain and America have been
excited to deeds of charity, and if their efforts,
crowned with abundant success, have with an
immense reaction, multiplied their blessings,
 76

yet it is not long since France rang with blas

phemy and was drenched with blood.
Ifthe Messiah has made a rich conquest over
some of the Islands of the sea, he has, at the
same time trampled upon South America, and
Mexico, and Greece, inhis anger. Their blood
is sprinkled upon his garments, and he has
stained all his raiment because the day of ven-
geance is in his heart, and the year of his re-
deened is come.
If we contemplate the Providences of God
among ourselves, we shall find them strongly
characterized both by mercies and judgments.
The Lord is refreshing his churches with the
dews of divine grace, but his enemies, ingreat
numbers, seem to be given up to strong delu-
sions to believe a lie, that they might be
damned. Nay, they are not suffered to enjoy
the poor comforts of stupidity, but are, very
often, filled with a fearful looking for of fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversary.
A few years ago, and there was no signal
display of mercy to the churches in this land.-
There was no general refreshing from the influ-
ences of the spirit ; there was no mustering of
the hosts of the Lord for the Missionary enter-
prise. The church depended in a great mea-
sure, upon her Sabbath-day morality, and the
world rested quietly, in an external obedience
and in the false promises of a graceless, half-
way covenant. But since God has appeared
tobless his people, judgment is also poured out
 77

upon his enemies. They are no longer in quiet-

ness. And while the church in our country
never appeared so much like one coming up
out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved,
the enemies of religion clearly have never suf-
fered so much in their minds, as they do at this
present time.
We have now finished our survey of the Pro-
vidences of God.
Permit me, in conclusion, to call your atten-
tion to a few remarks, for the purpose of show-
ing the bearing ofthe principle illustrated, upon
the case in hand. We have seen that it is a
general principle in the divine government, so
far as this government is seen in the dispensa-
tions of Providence, to inflict judgments upon
the wicked at the same time in which blessings
are bestowed upon the righteous. Here ob-
serve, that in all these temporal judgments,
there is not the least intimation that they are
intended as disciplinary-or that they were in-
flicted to promote the good of the sufferers. On
the contrary, they are all along represented as
dispensations of mercy to God's people, and of
justice upon his enemies. God often chastens
his children ; yea, whomsoever he loveth he
chasteneth. But in these dispensations, instead
of fatherly correction, there is wrath, and in-
stead of chastisement, there is judgment. Take
in connexion with this, another truth-God is
unchangeable-A principle of action which is
at one time consistent with him, is eternally
7
 78

consistent. He did once destroy his enemies

by a flood; he sent a fire upon Sodom in his an-
ger: he punished the unbelieving Jews for re-
jecting Christ; he has established his charac-
ter as a God of judgment, and he will for ever
maintain it.
So far, therefore, as his Providential govern-
ment goes to make any impression respecting
the future, it confirms the doctrine that Justice
will be exhibited as long as the moral govern-
ment exists ; that is, some will be punished for
ever. Did God distinguish between Cain and
Abel, and shall he not still judge the righteous
and the wicked? Did he show his power and
make his wrath known in an universal deluge
in the days of Noah ? But as the days of Noah
were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man
be. Was it essential to the honour and glory
of God, that he should execute judgment upon
thecities ofthe plain ? And shall sinners now
expect to escape, when Sodom and Gomorrah,
and the cities about them are set forth expressly
for an example, suffering the vengeance of eter-
nal fire ? When God interposed for the deli-
verance of his people from Egyptian bondage,
did he make a signal display of mercy to his
friends, and of wrath upon his enemies ? And
will there be no marks of his avenging justice
when he shall bring his friends to the full en-
joyment of heavenly blessings ? Must such a
judgment as that which was poured out upon
Jerusalem, be inflictedupon the enemies ofGod
 79

when he appears to extend the borders of his

earthly Zion ? And when this same Saviour
shall complete the work of redemption, and be-
stow a blessing upon his church, compared with
which all her former blessings are but as a star-
light to the sun, will there be no marks of his
avenging justice upon his enemies ?
Suppose the doctrine of Universal Salvation
true, and what meaning can be attached to all
these tremendous judgments ? Is it to be cre-
dited for a moment, that the flood was a merci-
ful dispensation to remove the inhabitants ofthe
old world to heaven ? Was the burning of So-
dom designed just to purify its inhabitants, and
save their souls eternally ? Was the overthrow
of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, an act that
would impress us favourably with the notion
that God is determined on the salvation of all
men ? Does the death of Ananias and Sap-
phira, and the suicide of Judas, appear like a
translation to a state of heavenly blessedness ?
Can it be supposed that the simple dissolution
of the body, changes the whole aspect of the
Divine government, or shall we not rather con-
clude that after death we shall find the same
principles in the Divine government-changed
only in this respect, that they shall be exhibited
more clearly, so that mercy and justice shall
appear in the condition of communities and
public characters not only, but also in the final
allotmentofall the sons and daughters ofAdam.
The Providences which we have been contem
 80

plating, have probably been the great means of

keeping alive in men's bosoms the expectations
of a future retribution.
Myfriends, the Day of Judgment, like the
coming of the flood, will be a day of wrath to
all who have not betaken themselves to Christ,
the ark of safety. It will convince all that are
ungodly, of their ungodly deeds. It will chase
away every delusion of earth, and break every
charm of self-deception. Yes, the darkness of
error shall flee away, and the light of eternity
shall manifest to every soul that that very holi-
ness which beams from the countenance of the
Judge, giving light and joy to the righteous,
shall fall upon the ungodly as a consuming fire.
You cannot ask then, with the scoffers of old,
Where is the promise of his coming-without
doing violence to your own conscience, and de-
nying palpable facts. You have the history of
God's dispensations before you. If any thing
can prove it, these providences do prove, that
the Lord is a God ofjudgment. Yea, have you
not seen his rich mercy and his avengingjustice
with your own eyes ? Have you not seen it ex.
hibited in such a manner as has touched your
heart and led you to pause over your condition ?
Have you never seen a child of God, borne
peacefully along through the dark valley of the
shadow of Death ? Have you not watched
the kindling triumph upon his countenance, till
the cry, Come Lord Jesus, seemed to be chang-
ing to the song, Now unto him that loved us,
 81

and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

to him be glory and dominion for ever. But
you have seen no such sustaining hope; no
such triumphs, from any source, in those who
have rejected the precious Saviour, and relied
upon the justice or goodness of God, without
faith in Christ. On the contrary, when death
appears, you know they are commonly in com-
fortless stupidity, or in speechless agony, or are
exclaiming in broken accents, not prepared-
too late,-O, for one hour for repentance--hell
is already kindled in my bosom-I am lost for
ever

Deceive not yourselves the Providence of

God may teach you, that another flood is com-
ing upon the ungodly-a flood of wrath, and
billows of fire. But the ark is prepared for any
that choose to escape. Does the judgment
seem severe ?-then get into the ark. Do the
thoughts of its mighty and endless swellings
seem too dreadful to be endured ?--then get into
the ark. Are there great difficulties in the way ?
get into the ark;-get into the ark, and you are
safe.

7*
 LECTURE IV.

ARGUMENT AGAINST UNIVERSALISM, DERIVED FROM ITS

MORAL INFLUENCE.

Even SO every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but

acorrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
MATTHEW vii. 17.

A DIFFERENCE of religious opinions has oc

casioned much perplexity in the minds of seri-
ous inquirers after truth. Men look abroad and
discover a great diversity of religious princi-
ples supported by plausible reasoning. Every
sect has seemed to them to support their views
either by reasoning which cannot be resisted,
or by an ingenuity which they cannot meet,
and by a sophistry which they cannot detect
and expose. Hence they are ready to conclude
that one religious system is very nearly as well
sustained as another, and that none are attended
with an amount of proof which is absolutely
satisfactory. This difficulty-which is a great
one with many-results from overlooking the
simple principles of the gospel, rather than
from any doubtfulness about the principles
themselves. Common sense and the word of
God, and not refined speculation, are the means
bywhich we become acquainted with religious
 83

truth . Discussions of the most refined and

philosophical cast, it is true, may be useful ;
and indeed they are to a degree necessary, in
order that the advocates of error may not be
able to say that we have refused to meet them
-and to meet them fairly on their own ground.
After all, we rely more for the defence of truth
upon those plain simple reasons which children
can understand, than upon all the philosophy
which the schools have ever taught. How
do we determine whether an individual be hu-
mane ? Certainly notby some elegant expres-
sions on the subject. One may speak to us of
sufferings which he has witnessed in terms of
deep commiseration. He may weep, and be-
fore we are aware, operate upon our hearts
with all the charm of the finest tragical effect;
but such an exhibition with all its appearance
of superior tenderness, will not produce upon a
well balanced mind half the conviction in
favour of the humanity ofthe individual, as if
you had seen him denying himself one half of
his dinner that he might impart it to an unfor-
tunate fellow creature. On the same princi-
ple we judge a man to be truly religious, when
we find that his views of religion are with him
living principles of action. And we judge
that religious system most accordant with
truth and sound principles, which produces
the best practical effect upon those who em-
brace it,
 84

The text which we have just read in your

hearing, is a fine specimen of the simple and
practical method by which our Saviour was
wont to illustrate his doctrines. He had just
been speaking of false teachers. He repre-
sented them as possessing the most plausible
appearance, while their influence was of the
most baleful and disastrous character. Be-
ware, says he, of false prophets, who come to
you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by
their fruits-do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit.
The principle is this the characters of men
are known by their conduct, or by their influ-
ence upon the community. We have no other
means of judging of the characters of indi-
viduals. Just so we say there is no other cri-
terion by which we may test religious systems,
than by their effect upon those who embrace
them. It is by this test that we propose to
examine the doctrine of Universal Salvation.
Here are two systems of religion before us, both
claiming to be founded upon the Scriptures.
The one holds to the doctrine of the eternal
punishment of a part of mankind-the other
asserts that all will be saved. The one em-
braces the Presbyterians, Congregationalists,
Reformed Dutch Church, Baptists, Methodists,
 85

and Episcopalians, and some other denomina-

tions. The other system is held by the Univer-
salists. Both of these systems cannot be true.
We propose to contrast their practical influ-
ence, and see which has the best claims to be
considered the true religion.
Previously, however, to our entering upon
this contrast, it is necessary to make a few
preliminary statements .
It cannot be inferred that a system of reli-
gion is false, because some who pretend to em-
brace it are immoral in their lives. We shall
not urge it as an argument against Universal-
ism, that some individuals who have embraced
and advocated the system, have been men of
profligate and vicious lives. On the other
hand, we are ready to admit that there are as
bad men within the pale of orthodox churches,
as can be found in the world. Men are ope-
rated upon by example, and early impressions,
and by various causes, which, as the case may
be, either fall in with, or check the influence of
their religious systems. Hence we find indi-
viduals who embrace the most transforming
and purifying system of faith, over whom their
religious creed has little influence-such may
be immoral in spite of the purifying tendency
of their religious belief. On the other hand,
we find individuals who embrace the most de-
basing principles, but who are restrained from
vicious indulgence by the example of others,
or the institutions of society, or a regard to
 86

their own reputation. These are regular in

their lives, in spite of the unhappy influence of
their religious belief. Yet it is perfectly mani-
fest that religious systems exert an immense
influence upon the great body of their respect-
ive adherents, and this influence is purifying or
corrupting-happy or disastrous, according to
the nature of the system embraced.
To show you the manner in which we mean
to conduct this argument, let us suppose that
our business this evening is an investigation of
the respective claims of Mahomedanism and
Christianity. The advocates of Mahomedan-
ism are present, and we are all agreed that
one of these systems is the true religion, and
the other is false. We farther agree that as
the tree is known by its fruit, so that system is
the true one which produces the best effect.
Now in contrasting the moral influence of the
two systems, it is evident we could come to no
definite results, if Christians on the one hand
were selecting the worst Mahomedans which
the world has produced, and contrasting their
characters with the worst characters which the
Mahomedans can specify in the Christian
Church. We might possess no measure by
which we could determine the precise amount
of guilt of this selected refuse of both parties.
But if we can show that Christianity has
erected hospitals and almshouses, and innume-
rable other foundations of charity; and that
such a thing was never seen in Mahomedan
 87

countries; if we can prove, by an induction of

facts, that Christianity has, in many instances,
tamed the ferocity ofthe blood-thirsty savage ;
and that Mahomedanism has in every instance
increased the thirst for blood. If we can show
that Christianity has elevated the female sex,
and promoted chastity, and purity of manners ;
and that Mahomedanism has made the woman
a slave, and has uniformly led to unbridled
lust, and to the greatest dissoluteness of man-
ners: I say if we can show that these strong
and impressive contrasts exist between the
moral influences of the two religions, the ar-
gument becomes a moral demonstration that
Christianity has far the highest claim to be
considered the true religion.
In the same manner we shall proceed to
contrast the moral influence of Universalism
with the moral influence of that system which
maintains the doctrine of eternal punishment.
I feel myself in a difficulty in entering upon
this subject, lest I should not be able to per-
suade all of you to look at the argument with
an unbiassed mind. You will perceive as we
go along, that it is impossible to treat this kind
of argument in such a manner, that no one's
feelings may be injured by it. On this ac-
count I must beg of those present who may
have heretofore held the doctrine of Universal
Salvation, that they will consider my state-
ments as having no reference to their individual
conduct and experience. If what I shall say
 88

shall seem like a severe rebuke, yet I beg it

may be considered simply in the light of an
argument against the system opposed in these
Lectures.
All the particulars of the whole contrast
may be comprised under this one proposition :
UNIVERSALISM DOES NOT PRODUCE A RE-
LIGIOUS LIFE, WHILE THE SYSTEM OPPOSED
TO IT DOES PRODUCE GENUINE PRACTICAL
PIETY.

To illustrate and establish this position, let

it be observed,
I. That the system which holds the doctrine of
eternal punishment, leads many persons to come
out from the world by an open and public pro-
fession of their faith in Christ ; but Universal-
ism does not.
It is an undoubted requisition of Christianity
that men should unite themselves in a distinct
body, known as the church. The Apostles
and early Christians did thus unite themselves
together. They received the ordinances of
Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They had
elders appointed to rule, and individuals were
publicly excommunicated from the body of be-
lievers, when they departed from the faith, or
habitually violated the precepts of religion.
Always, from that day to this, wherever reli-
gion has prospered, there has been a public
profession of faith, and a regular organization
of Churches. During the most bitter persecu-
tions, the friends of Christ have felt themselves
 89

called upon publicly to profess their attach-

ment to his cause. At the present time that
system which holds the doctrines of eternal
punishment leads multitudes to come out from
the world and profess religion. Nor does it
produce this result in those places merely
where this system is already popular. Itgoes
to the ignorant and uncultivated, and even to
those portions of the community which are
prejudiced against it, and plants a little church
in the midst of opposition and reproach ; and
yet in a few years we see houses of worship
erected, and large numbers of those who once
hated the very forms of religion coming out
publicly, and enduring reproach for the sake
of Jesus Christ. But Universalism does not
produce such results. The more extensively it
prevails, the less there is of religious profession
of any sort. Although Universalists believe
in Church organization, and religious profes-
sion, and Sacraments, yet how seldom do we
see any thing of the kind among them. In a
neighbouring town a Universalist minister has
been supported for a considerable portion of the
time during several successive years. A large
portion of the inhabitants are Universalists,
and yet they have no church members, no
sacraments, no deacons, no discipline ; and I
appeal to all who are in the least acquainted
with the state of Universalism in the country,
if the other strong holds of this doctrine are
not, for the most part, in a similar condition.
8
 90

It is not more than three years since the Uni-

versalist congregation in this place was much
larger than the Third Presbyterian Congrega-
tion of Rochester. This church has been or-
ganized here, and more than two hundred
members collected : But where are the pro-
fessors of religion in the Universalist church !
Have they any Deacons, any Sacraments, any
discipline ?
Look the country over, and you find very
few Universalists who have been led by their
system to come out from the world and profess
religion. When Paul went to a given place
and preached, many believed and were bap-
tized. He organized a church, ordained elders,
and went to another place, and the same results
generally followed. It is so still, in very many
places where those ministers preach who hold
the doctrine of eternal punishment. But it is
generally far otherwise where Universalists
preach. On the contrary, you willcommonly
find that where Universalism prevails most,
there are the fewest persons that profess reli-
gion.
Can Universalism be the true religion ?
II. That system which holds the doctrine of
eternal punishment, leads to a life of prayer ;
but Universalism does not.
There is scarcely any one duty which is more
frequently insisted on, and more powerfully en-
forced, in the New Testament, than the duty
of prayer. Our Saviour enjoined it in a great
 91

variety of instances, and enforced it by his own

example. The Apostle Paul instructed his
fellow christians to pray always; and the Dis-
ciples are frequently represented as convened
together for a prayer meeting. Social prayer
in families has also been common in every age
of the church. Indeed, we have no dispute
with universalists with respectto public,family,
and secret prayer's being a duty plainly en-
joined upon all. So far are they from disagree-
ing with us with regard to an obligation to
perform the duty, that they generally pray in
public, when they deliver public discourses, and
some of them pray in their families. Now ob-
serve the fact that very many of those who
believe in the doctrine of eternal punishment
do actually pray in their families morning and
evening, and in the social circle, and also
maintain secret devotion. But how seldom do
you find universalists maintaining regularly
family worship. I have resided more than
once in the midst of a community where the
mass ofthe people were universalists, and never
knew of but two instances where family prayer
was observed ; and in both of these cases the
duty was performed but a short time, and then
relinquished. I do not deny that there have
been instances in which prayer has been regu-
larly maintained in the family of a universal-
ist, but certainly, the instances are sufficiently
rare to justify the assertion that universalism
 92

does not, like the opposite system, lead to a life

ofprayer.
And who ever heard of a universalist prayer
meeting ? When Peter was in prison, the
disciples assembled for prayer. Christians in
every age have frequently convened together for
the purpose ofprayer. But on what occasions
do the universalists hold a prayer meeting ?
Will it be said their numbers are small, and
therefore it is not to be expected that such meet-
ings will occur so frequently as in other deno-
minations ! But their numbers are not small .
We can point you to whole townships where
universalism has a complete ascendancy, and
yet you shall not hear of one single meeting for
years among them, the object of which shall
be principally to supplicate blessings for them-
selves, and to intercede for others. Besides, if
their numbers were ever so inconsiderable, this
furnishes no reason why they should not meet
together, and spend an hour in seeking the
blessing of God, by calling upon him in prayer.
When other denominations of Christians who
hold the opposite doctrine, are few and feeble,
they seem to meet the more frequently for this
purpose. Besides all this, you will seldom, if
ever, find an individual, who is a universalist,
that daily retires to his closet, for the purpose of
enjoying a season of private devotion. I have
asked a large number of universalists if they
observed daily seasons of retirement for prayer,
 93

and never yet found one who would pretend

to the discharge of that duty. Now, can it
be, when we have two systems of religious
belief before us, of such a character, that one
is the precise converse of the other, and only
one of which is true can it be, that while one
leads, in a great many instances, to a life of
prayer, and the other does not, that that sys-
tem, which does not lead to prayer, is the true
religion ? By their fruits ye shall know them.
Is neglect of prayer a fruit of right views of the
gospel ?
III. That system which holds the doctrine of
eternal punishment leads men to active exertion,
to send the gospel to the destitute ; but Univer-
salism does not.
It will not be denied that our Saviour felt
great compassion for the souls of men. A re-
gard for their spiritual interests led him to leave
the bosom of his father, and to visit our world,
and take upon himselfthe vestments of human-
ity, and move among us in the form of a ser-
vant. At one time, when our Lord looked
upon the multitudes, we are told He was moved
with compassion on them, because they fainted
and were scattered abroad as sheep having no
shepherd; then saith he unto his disciples, The
harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are
few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the har-
vest, that he will send forth labourers into his
harvest. It was the same spirit which led the
compassionate Redeemer of men to submit to
8*
 94

be buffeted, and spit upon, and crowned with

thorns, and nailed to the cross. O yes, his
compassion was of such a practical character,
that he was willing to endure the agonies of a
cruel death not only, but also to suffer that
darkness and distress of mind which led him to
cry out, My God, My God, why hast thou for-
saken me ? After he had arisen from the dead,
the same compassionate regard for the spriritual
interests of men evidently reigned in his bosom.
When he was just ready to ascend up to hea-
ven-when he stood between his sepulchre and
his throne, he left this one injunction: Go ye
into all the world, and preach the Gospel to
every creature. The Apostles obeyed. They
were persecutedfrom city to city, yet they ceased
not to preach Jesus and the resurrection.-
They went to the heathen: They endured perils
by land, and perils by sea, and perils among
false brethren; and so zealous were they in the
cause, and so indefatigable in the prosecution
oftheir work, that the Gospel was preached to
the great part of the habitable world within the
life time of the Apostles. They counted not
their lives dear unto themselves, if they might
finish their course with joy, in testifying of the
gospel of the grace of God. And Paul tells us
that he became all things to all men, if by any
means he might save some.
Now the same spirit prevails in some degree
among those who hold the doctrine of eternal
punishment ; some, like early christians, have
 95

given of their goods; others have relinquished

fortunes, and friends, and country, and have
exposed themselves to a life of suffering, for the
sake of carrying the gospel to the destitute.-
But universalists do not make any such sacri-
fices to send the gospel to the destitute. I know
it is said, that those who go, do it that theymay
receive the praise of men: But universalists, it
will not be denied, love the praise of men as
well as others, and why cannot some one be
found, that shall, even for that motive, expose
his health and life, and leave his friends and
home to carry the Gospel to the destitute.-
Which has the best claim to be considered as
actuated by the spirit of Christ and of Paul-
the denominations who are planting their mis-
sions all over the heathen world, or that one
which stays at home, and opposes this work ?
In connexion with this part of our subject, it
ought also to be remarked, that almost every
other denomination,who call themselves Chris-
tians, have erected various foundations of cha-
rity. They have their associations for the re-
lief of the poor, their charity schools, and their
seminaries of learning. But where is there a
foundation of charity got up and established by
universalists ? Where are their societies for
the relief of the poor ? Where has any thing
been done by a body of universalists, which
shows that their system has exerted an in-
fluence to render them benevolent. Can uni-
versalism be the true religion ?
 96

IV. That system, which maintains the doc-

trine of eternal punishment, often reclaims men
from vicious habits, and from a life of sin ; but
Universalism does not .
The Methodist missionaries among the In-
dians in Canada, inform us, that of an exten-
sive tribe, where drunkenness prevailed uni-
versally, almost the whole of the people have
been led, through the influence of the Gospel,
to abandon altogether the use of intoxicating
liquors. This change has been produced within
a few years; but has universalism one such tro-
phy by which it can be shown to have exerted
ahappy moral influence ? The missionaries at
the Sandwich Islands found the habit of intox-
ication universal ; infanticide was common,
and the most shameless prostitution prevailed.
Within a few years, intoxication has nearly
ceased, laws have been enacted against the
vices above referred to, and a large share of the
inhabitants are actually becoming acquainted
with the rudiments of a Christian education.
-
In our own country, it is not uncommon for
the Gospel to exert such an influence upon a
village or town as to change its whole charac-
ter for the better, within a few years. Butwho
ever saw a neighbourhood, or village, or town,
improved in its moral character, by the intro-
duction of universalism ?
We have also often seen individuals, who
have been zealous Universalists, converted to
the belief of the opposite system, and on this
 97

change taking place, we have seen a happy

change intheir lives.
It is not a strange thing to see a man re-
nounce Universalism, and commence a life of
prayer at the same time. Probably we have
all seen some of the fairest characters among
Universalists plainly improved by renouncing
their own, and heartily embracing the opposite
system. But the reverse of this I will venture
to assert, never takes place. You cannot find
an instance, in which a devout and humble
Presbyterian, or Baptist, or Methodist, has be-
come more pious and heavenly minded by be-
coming a Universalist. On the contrary you
may observe, in most cases, where professors of
religion of these denominations become Uni-
versalists, they abandon their habits of piety,
as a preparation for Universalism .
The process is commonly something like
this, first they give up secret prayer, then
family prayer, then leave the communion table,
then fall into some vices, and then become Uni-
versalists. I appeal to the slightest observers
ofthe changes that take place in moral charac-
ter if this process is not perfectly common ?
Are not very many of those who once made a
credible profession of piety, but who have since
apostatized, are not very many of them avow-
edly Universalists ? But where do you find
the same process in the change from Univer-
salism to the opposite system ? You cannot
find one instance where a man was evidently
 98

pious, while a Universalist, but where he first

forsook his closet of devotion, and then aban-
doned family prayer, and then left the com-
munion of the church, and then fell into vice,
and then became a Presbyterian, and continued
vicious. You will often hear it said of an in-
dividual that a few years ago it was thought
he experienced religion. He prayed and ex-
horted others, and joined the church; but since
then he has become vicious, and has been ex
communicated from the church, and now he is
aUniversalist. Butyou never hear the reverse
of this, with respect to any one. You never
hear it said ofany individual, that a few years
ago it was thought he experienced religion-he
prayed and exhorted others, and appeared very
devout, and joined the Universalist church;
but since then he has become vicious, and been
excommunicated from the Universalist church,
and has finally fallen into Presbyterianism .
The amount of the contrast is this : When
men change their religious belief from Univer-
salism to the opposite system, it is not uncom-
mon that their whole moral and religious cha-
racter is at once changed for the better; but
the moral and religious characters of men are
never improved by the contrary change, that is,
bygiving up a beliefin eternal punishment, and
embracing the doctrine of universal salvation.
Again, men often fall into Universalism, as
the last step in a process of moral defection ;
but they never fall into the opposite system by
 99

the same process. Can there be any doubt

which is the true religion after looking at the
contrast of these facts ?
V. That system which holds the doctrine of eter-
nal punishment, never occasions distress in a dy-
ing hour ; but Universalism frequently leads to
the most distressing apprehensions on a death-bed.
That you may see clearly the points of con-
trast on this topic, which bear on the case,just
observe, that it is not denied, that universalists
may sometimes die in peace. Men who have
been ardently attached to a theory like those
who are attached to their country, may die
bravely in its defence; and the universalist
may have strong hopes even upon a death-bed.
Nor is it pretended, that all who embrace the
opposite system, die happily.
The point to which I wish to call your atten-
tion especially, is this. When the universalist
dies unhappily, he charges his distressing ap-
prehensions upon the character of his religious
system; but when the believer in the opposite
system dies unhappily, he charges his distress-
ing apprehensions, not to the character of his
religious system, but to a want of conformity
to its principles. Thus, you may often find a
universalist, upon his death-bed crying out, in
bitter lamentations; declaring that he is going
to hell, and warning his friends not to embrace
the system which has ruined his soul. In such
cases you will find a distinct disavowal of the
doctrine, with the repeated declaration, that it
 100

cannot, that it will not abide the trials of a

dying hour. Turn now from this scene, to the
death-bed of one who has acknowledged his
desert of eternal punishment and fled to the
Lord Jesus Christ, as the refuge of his soul.
See the sweet, the heavenly peace that rests
upon his countenance, in the prospect of death.
But now a cloud passes over his mind. His
Saviour is concealed from his view; he seems
ready to pass through the swellings of Jordan
alone; the promises of God minister no conso-
lation ; despair settles upon his countenance;
he is forsaken, as his Master once was, while
passing through a similar struggle. He, too,
like the universalist, is led to exclaim, I am
going to hell. But does he disavow the doc-
trines which he formerly embraced ? Does he
say, This false and dangerous system has
ruined my soul ? No such thing. He only
complains that his life has not been conformed
to his principles.
Thus if both die alike unhappily, this differ-
ence always exists. In the honesty of a dying
hour, the Universalist, who dies unhappily,
confesses that his system has effected his ruin ;
while the believer in the opposite system,
though he be left to what he supposes a fore-
taste of the pangs ofdamnation, testifies with
his dying breath, that his system of faith has
done him no harm-that his speculative views
have been right, and that he has only failed
through insincerityand want offaithfulness.
 101

It is awell known fact, that while Christians

ofdifferent denominations for the most part, die
peaceably and triumphantly, Universalists of
TEN lament that they ever knew that doctrine.
I have attended the death-bed of several Chris-
tians of the Presbyterian Church in the course
of my ministry. I have heard them say, “ I
long to depart." One said, in view of immedi-
ate death, " Don't call this dying ; it is but just
beginning to live. My Saviour is near-Jesus
can make a dying bed feel soft as downy pil-
lows are." I have also attended the death-bed
of four avowed Universalists. Two of them,
though greatly distressed about their future
state, did not relinquish their former sentiments,
till within a short time of their death. One im-
mediately on becoming dangerously ill, denied
that he had ever really believed the doctrine of
Universal Salvation ; and the fourth seemed
altogether insensible to the subject. Now ifthe
tree is known by its fruit, can it be that Univer-
salism is the true religion. It leads not even
to the profession of piety. It silences the
voice of prayer. It refuses to send the bread
of life to the destitute. It reclaims not the
vicious from their sins. It generally leaves
the soul to fearful forebodings on the bed of
death. Surely this cannot be the religion for
which Jesus Christ shed his blood, and with
which he blest our race.
In conclusion permit me to call your atten-
tion to one inference from our subject.
9
 102

It follows from what has been said, that

your belief touching the doctrine under dis-
cussion is of immense practical importance.
The influence of the two systems, which we
have been contrasting, is of a perfectly oppo-
site character. The doctrine of Universal Sal-
vation blights the prospects of this present
life. As was said of the heresy of Hymeneus
and Philetus, so may it be said of Universal-
ism; It will eat as doth a canker. But give
heed to it a little, and it is like admitting poi-
son into the blood. It may be agreeable to
one who would, for the present, quiet his ap-
prehensions about the future, but at the last,
it stingeth like an adder. Like a mercenary
friend, who will fawn around you in prosperi-
ty, and yet be among the first to forsake you
when adversity comes-so this system of faith
will seem to befriend you while danger is not
near; but when death approaches its day-
dreams vanish. God appears to executejudg-
ment:

"Hope withering flies,

And Mercy sighs farewell."

Avoid this doctrine then, my friends, as

you would the snares of death. If you have
friends that believe it, endeavour, by every ten-
der and faithful persuasion, to induce them to
think-to reflect to revise the subject.
 LECTURE V.

CONSISTENCY OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT WITH PERFECT

JUSTICE .

Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right ?

GENESIS xviii. 25.

We receive it as an axiom in religion, that

God is just. And since we have proved, from
several unanswerable arguments, that God
will punish some men eternally, we may
infer with perfect safety, that eternal punish-
ment is strictly and properly just. We are
not satisfied, however, that you should be well
assured of the fact merely; we wish you also
to see how it is, that the eternal punishment
of the wicked consists with the perfect justice
of God. The accomplishment of this object,
though not at all necessary for the establish-
ment of the truth itself, is nevertheless of great
consequence when we consider the practical
efficacy of the doctrine in question.
You may have seen an individual in great
affliction, where calamity has followed cala-
mity: his estate has taken wings, his children
and wife have been snatched from his em-
brace, and suffering has been added to suffer-
ing, till nature seemed ready to sink under
complicated distresses ;-you may have seen
 104

such an one distinctly admitting that God is

good in all these dark and distressing provi-
dences ; but still the simple admission of the
doctrine exerts very little practical influence ;
he believes the general truth, but he does not
distinctly perceive its application to his own
individual circumstances. Let him now see
that his property has been a snare to his soul;
that the child which was taken from him had
led him into idolatry, and that the compa-
nionship of his wife had cloistered him up in
his own dwelling, when duty called him to
public action, and a widely extended chris-
tian influence: Let him see that these bless-
ings individually belonged to God and not to
himself. I say, let him be brought to dwell
on these considerations, and he will believe
the doctrine that God is good and gracious
while inflicting the severest chastisement not
only, but he will also perceive the application
of the doctrine to himself; and what was be-
fore an admitted fact, merely, will become a
most important and practical truth. Such,
precisely, is the difference between a simple
belief of the fact, that the eternal punishment
ofthe wicked is just, and a perception of those
truths which evince the agreement of such pu-
nishment with the principles of perfectjustice.
It is not our object, therefore, in this Lec-
ture, to prove that God is just in the eternal
punishment of the wicked. We have before
proved that he will inflict it, and we take it
 105

for granted that the Judge of all the earth will

do right.
MY OBJECT IS TO SHOW YOU, AS FAR AS I
AM ABLE, THE CONSISTENCY OF ETERNAL PU-
NISHMENT WITH PERFECT JUSTICE .

Let it be understood, then, that the truth of

the doctrine under consideration, does not at
all depend upon the soundness of our argu-
ment. If we fail altogether, it is still a fact
that God will punish the wicked eternally,
and still a fact that God is just. When
Abraham went out to offer up his son as a sa-
crifice according to the commandment of God,
he believed the divine promise that by means
of that same son he should have a numerous
posterity. Accordingly, he framed a theory
by which he expected the commandment
would appear to be consistent with the pro-
mise. He counted, as we are told, that God
was able to raise him from the dead. Abra-
ham's theory was a mistaken one ; it was not
by a resurrection of Isaac that God fulfilled his
promise ; yet he did fulfil that promise. Just
so we reason with respect to the justice ofeter-
nal punishment; if our theory should not be
perfectly satisfactory, yet the threatenings of
God will be executed, and the justice of his
proceedings will finally be made manifest. We
make these remarks, because we think it diffi-
cult for such limited powers as men possess,
to reason conclusively from the nature ofjus-
tice in the abstract. For the same reason,
9*
 106

therefore, that we rebuke the rashness ofthose

who would reason from the justice of God
against the punishment which he has declared
he will inflict,-for the same reason we would
be cautious about resting any important prin-
ciple upon reasonings drawn from the same
source in favour of the truth.
Before attempting to evince the justice of
eternal punishment, it is necessary that we
have some definite view ofthe nature ofjustice,
or of what it is that constitutes a punishment
properlyjust.
All punishment is designed to support the
authority of a violated law. Every transgres-
sion tends to diminish the power of that law.
In order that a punishment should be just,
therefore, it must correspond with the import-
ance of the law, or, it must be sufficient to
support its authority. In other words, every
transgression of the law tends to diminish the
sense of moral obligation in the community,
and thus to open the way for the general pre-
valence of crime. Now, one of two things
must take place as a consequence of that trans-
gression; either the community must suffer
from this general relaxation of the laws, or
the evil must be so turned upon the trans-
gressor, that his punishment shall exert a coun-
ter influence against the influence of his crime.
In short, justice requires that the evil, re-
sulting from an individual's transgressing the
law, should not come upon the community,
 107

bnt should come back upon the head of the

transgressor himself. Thus, we have laws
enacted against various crimes, with penalties
differing from one another ; and we call them
just laws, because we conceive the several pe-
nalties to be adapted to the importance of the
precepts and prohibitions which they were in-
tended to sanction. That we may obtain as
clear views as possible on this subject, I com-
mence with remarking,
I. That there are good reasons for thinking
that no other penalty to the divine law could
produce so much holiness and happiness in the
universe, as eternal punishment.
There is something in the thought ofpunish-
ment's being final and remediless, which gives
it more influence over the mind than all other
considerations put together. Threaten an indi-
vidual with the severest tortures ever conceiv-
ed of by men, yet if they are temporary, the
mind can be made up to endure them. Protract
these tortures to never so great a length oftime,
yet if they are to yield to joy everlasting they
are light. Let the frown of God rest upon the
sinner, and the darkness ofspiritual death come
over him, and a storm of almighty wrath beat
upon his head, yet if it be temporary, he sees a
smile beneath that frown; abeam ofhope shoots
athwart the gloom that surrounds him, and the
bow of promise spans its majestic arch across
the cloud which hangs over him. The dread
of such a punishment is comparatively small.
 108

But let that punishment be rendered endless,

and it at once furnishes the most powerful mo-
tive ofthe kind. Like the motives drawn from
theunchanging goodness, and the unspeakable
mercy ofGod, the motive drawn from his jus-
tice, in such a case, becomes infinite.
We know something of its influence upon
those to whom offers of pardon have been made.
We said in our last lecture, that this doctrine, in
connexion with other parts of the system to
which it belongs, does exert a most powerful
and direct influence in favour of the holiness
and happiness of man. It leads many to re-
nounce the wor'd and stand forth as the pro-
fessed friends of Christ, and that too, very often
in the midst of scorn and reproach, and bitter
persecution. It has led multitudes to a life of
prayer. It has reclaimed the vicious, and in-
duced many to hope in divine mercy, and sing
for joy, while passing through the very gates of
death; while the system which excludes the
doctrine of eternal punishment, produces none
of these effects .
From this view, alone, we should be led to
doubt, whether it were possible, in the nature of
things, to reclaim one sinner from his wander-
ings, unless he had been condemned to endless
punishment. Ifthe penalty ofthe law had been,
that sinners shall be punished until they repent,
it certainly cannot be shown that one soul would
ever repent, under the influence of such a pe-
nalty. The same disposition which now pre
 109

vents those who hold to a limited punishment,

from repenting at the present time, might al-
ways operate to prevent repentance. In such a
case, though the penalty of the law would not
require the endless punishment of men, yet the
constitution of sinners, connected with the fee-
bleness ofmotives, drawn from apenalty, which
they can be delivered from at any moment
might for ever prevent their salvation. So that
instead of a part of our race falling under the
sentence of eternal punishment, for sins com-
mitted in this life, all should be subjected to
everlasting misery, from guilt, momentarily
incurred and never repented of.
Besides, we know not how important this
penalty of eternal punishment may be, in pre-
venting the fall ofother intelligences. We are
informed by revelation, that the people of God
will never fall into a rebellion after they have
once reached heaven. Yet it cannot be that
they will be kept by physical force. It is ne-
cessary, to the very principles of their being,
that they should be kept, if at all, by the power
of moral means ;-by motives, drawn from the
character of God, and the nature of his govern-
ment. We know not, but gratitude for their
deliverance will be made the chief means by
which they shall be rendered more secure
than were the angels that sinned. Yet it is
by no means certain that they could be secured,
unless this gratitude arose from a deliverance
from eternalpunishment, and unless this grati
 110

tude were kept alive by a constant example of

some who were justly suffering the vengeance
of eternal fire. We know not the comparative
magnitude of the prison of hell. It may bear
aproportion to all the moral intelligences of
Jehovah's empire, not unlike a country jail to
the inhabitants of the world, at the present
time. And if so, it might be difficult to prove
that any other penalty, than that of eternal pu-
nishment, should admit of so small an amount
of suffering, as the present system. To illus-
trate this idea a little more fully, suppose that
our present law against murder required that
the murderer should suffer the loss of his right
hand, instead of his life. It cannot be shown
that the increase in the number of sufferers
would not more than make up the amount of
punishment which is endured from the crime
of murder, under the present law; while the
dangers and sufferings of the innocent might
be increased a thousand fold. Thus, for ought
that can be shown, to the contrary, the making
the penalty of the divine law to be eternal,
saves more suffering, prevents more sin, and
promotes more holiness, than any other penalty
could possibly do.
II. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the
guilt of sinners deserves eternal punishment,
when we consider the nature of sin .
We do not pretend to be competent to pre-
scribe the amount of suffering, which a viola-
tion of the law of God deserves, but the doo-
 111

trine of the bible, which teaches us that it de

serves eternal punishment, does not seem un
reasonable. Here, let us keep in mind the de-
finition of sin. It is not a breach of the rules
of decorum, nor a violation of the civil law
merely, but sin is a transgression of the law of
God. This law is the great instrument of go-
vernment and happiness to the kingdom of Jes
hovah. Its design is to maintain subjection to
the Ruler of the Universe, and thus to diffuse
and sustain a perfect harmony through all the
relations of created intelligences. What then
is the guilt of sin ? It despises all this good.
It is its known tendency to pour contempt upon
the law of God. It holds out the principle
that dependence of the Divine government is to
be denied. It says, in the strong language of
public example, let every intelligent being seek
his own inpreference to the glory of God. In
short, it attempts to introduce universal anar-
chyand misrule, and to " roll the blighting vo-
lume of its desolation through the empire of the
Eternal." And is it strange that sin is de-
clared to deserve eternal punishment ?
Take another view of the nature of sin. It
is committed against infinite authority. Should
a child point you to your duty, you would be
bound to follow its direction, but if an elder
brother had urged you to the same course,
your obligation would be increased ; if your
father commanded it, your obligation would be
still farther increased; but ifthat same Father
 112

were clothedwith the power ofthe ChiefMagis-

trate of the nation, and should command it on
the authority ofthe laws, by which the good
order of the nation is secured, how manifestly
would your obligation be heightened. Let the
act, which you are required to perform, be the
same, yet, what a wide difference is there be-
tween the guilt of refusing to do it, when di-
rected by the child, and when comınanded by
the authority of the Chief Magistrate. Guilt
bears some proportion to the character and au-
thority of the individual from whom the law
emanates. The greater and better the indivi-
dual commanding, the greater the obligation to
obedience, and the greater the guilt of trans-
gression. Now apply this rule of measuring
unworthy conduct, to the relation of man to his
Maker. The command is uttered by one who
has a propriety in us, such as no created being
has in any other. His goodness is boundless ;
his authority is infinite. Conceive then, of the
greatness of the guilt of violating such autho-
rity-an authority, which led the pious Eli to
exclaim, If one man sin against another, the
Judge shall judge him; but if a man sin
against the Lord, who shall entreat for him ?
It is not unreasonable to suppose that the vio-
lation of infinite authority, should deserve an
endless punishment.
In connexion with this part of our subject, it
ought also to be remarked, that sin is a rejec-
iton of God's eternal favour. If a man offered
 113

to befriend you in any case ofdifficulty, and

you rejected his friendly aid with disdain, you
certainly cannot complain, if that rejected aid
were withheld. The principle would remain
the same, whatever your circumstances or ne-
cessities might be. If one proffered assistance
to the amount of ten dollars, and another of-
fered tobequeath you an estate, and you should
reject them both, you would as really deserve
to lose the one as the other; the estate as the
ten dollars.
Ifone offered to relieve you from a month's
imprisonment and you rejected it; if another
afterwards offered gratuitously to save you
from imprisonment for life, and you rejected it;
and if a third offered to deliver you from imme-
diate death and you rejected it; I say, in such
a case, it is plain that you have justly forfeited
the proffered assistance in all three of these in-
stances. It is just as clear that you deserve
not the assistance which would save you from
immediate death, as it is that you deserve not
tobe saved from a month's imprisonment when
offered assistance is rejected. However great
the blessing rejected maybe, if it be gratuitously
and kindly offered, and is rejected, you deserve
to lose it. But God does offer to sinners his
continued and everlasting favour. By sin-
ning against him they indulge a preference for
something else: they give up the favour oftheir
Maker: and where is the impropriety or the
injustice of leaving them
10
for ever without it ?
 114

He sets life and death before them, and intreats

them to choose life ? but ifthey give up volun-
tarily eternal life, where is the injusticc of leav-
ing them without it ?
III. Another thing, which clearly evinces
the consistency of eternal punishment with per-
fect justice, is the fact, that sinners, when they
are convinced of sin, feel that they deserve eter.
nal punishment.
Far the greater share of those who pretend to
be disciples of Christ, acknowledge that they
deserve an endless punishment. You can sel-
dom find an individual who pretends to live a
life of prayer, and to hope for salvation through
Christ, who will not at the same time acknow-
ledge that he deserves to be cast offfrom the fa-
vour of God for ever. Nor does this conviction
belong to Christians alone. When the most
self-righteous sinners are led to a survey of the
motives which have governed them; and to a
serious and honest inquiry into their own cha-
racter, they confess the same thing. When
such confession does not take place before, it
frequently does take place on the death-bed of
the hitherto thoughtless sinner.
These facts can scarcely be accounted for on
any other supposition than that such punish-
ment is really deserved. It is the nature of sin
to blind the eyes of the perpetrator, and to ren-
der him insensible to the enormity of his guilt.
But we never heard it reckoned among the
weaknesses ofhuman nature, that men account
 115

themselves more guilty than they really are.

If God has so constituted men that they do in
numerous instances feel that they deserve eter-
nal punishment, it affords a strong presumption,
that such punishment is really deserved. If it
be said that there are more who deny their de-
sert of eternal punishment, than there are that
acknowledge it, yet this denial, if it exist,
proves nothing against it. If twenty men were
accused of murder and found guilty and con-
demned to suffer death for the same crime, and
if eight of this number confessed that they de-
served death, and twelve denied it, the confes-
sion of the eight would afford satisfactory evi-
dence that the penalty of the law was not too
severe, while the denial ofthe twelve would fur-
nish no proof on the subject. The confession
would be rightly considered an estimation of
ill-desert made with reluctance-made against
all the natural biases and dispositions of the
heart; while the denial would be only a decla-
ration of the guilty made in their own favour,
and would, on that account, be considered as
without weight. If there were many more
than there are, who could sayupon theirdeath-
bed that they do not deserve eternal punish-
ment, and we believe that number is already
small in a gospel land) it would not prove
that they do not really know that they de-
serve it.
Aman offair and unblemished reputation in
England, was accused ofmurder. The alleged
 116

crime had been committed some years before

the indictment took place, and the prisoner had
in the mean time exhibited the character of a
peaceable and unoffending citizen. What
added still to the circumstances in his favour
was, that he had long been a successful teacher
of youth, and a good guardian oftheir morals.
When accused, he refused to employ an attor-
ney, but came forward with the calm and com-
posed air of conscious innocence to defend his
own cause. He confessed his ignorance ofju-
dicial proceedings, but went forward with a
lucid statement of some general principles of
human nature founded upon his character, to
show that he could not be guilty of the crime
with which he stood accused. He went through
the pleading with the utmost self-possession
and with great ability-but after all, evidence
was such that he was condemned. No sooner
hadthe sentence passed, than the blush of guilt
spread over his countenance; his eye lost its
appearance of fixed comp
composure, and the trem-
bling guilty criminal confessed that he had
committed the murder, and that he deserved to
die according to the sentence of the law. Now
can any one doubt whether he deserved that
punishment ? And while he refused to own
the crime, and gave credit to his denial by a
composed, and able, and deliberate plea, and a
look ofinnocence, was that denial, and that ap-
parent consciousness that he did not deserve
the punishment of death any proof that he did
 117

not? Thus it is that sinners, in amultitude of

instances may maintain such views of them-
selves as to deny that they deserve eternal pu-
nishment, when the first moment after they
shall hear the awful sentence, Depart ye cursed
into everlasting fire, they shall be overwhelmed
with a sense of guilt, and depart from that bar
of judgment, upbraiding themselves, and feel-
ing within their bosoms the gnawings of the
deathless worm, and the burnings of the un-
quenchable flame.
That you may look with a single glance up-
on the arguments here suggested to evince the
justice of God in eternal punishment, permit
me to lay before you a brief analysis of the
whole.
I. There is good reason for thinking that no
other penalty to the divine law could produce
so much holiness and happiness in the universe
as eternal punishment.
The motive drawn from such punishment, is
like those drawn from goodness and mercy in-
finite. It is the only view ofpunishment which
is in fact effectual in this world : and we have
no evidence that any sinner could possibly be
reclaimed without it. It may also, for aught
we know be necessary for securing the saints
against falling in a future state, and the amount
of suffering may be less under such a penalty,
thanunder any other of milder character ; so
that this penalty may save more suffering, pre-
10*
 118

vent more sin, and produce more holiness than

any other penalty could possibly do.
II. It is not unreasonable to suppose, that
theguilt ofsinners deserves eternal punishment,
when we consider the nature of sin.
Sin in its tendency would destroy all the
good which the divine law is adapted to secure.
It is a violation of infinite authority. It is also
a voluntary rejection of God's eternal favour.
III. The consistency of eternal punishment
with perfect justice is inferred from the fact
that men when they are convinced of sin, con-
fess themselves that they deserve it.
This we consider as an admission of the
guilty which would not take place on any
other supposition than that of a real desert of
endless punishment.
From our subject thus illustrated, we may see
why the Saints will be satisfied with the divine
conduct, in the eternal punishment of the
wicked.
They are represented in the Scriptures as
looking upon the sufferings of the lost, and as
praisingGod and shouting Alleluia asthe smoke
of their torment ascends up before them for
everand ever. Theyrejoice not in the sufferings
of the damned, but in thejustice of God. They
discover thatthis is a part of the most merciful
dispensation, and that more good arises out of
this system of government than could be
brought out of any other-they discover in it
 119

aproper expression of the evil ofsin as tending

to destroy the moral government of God, and
as implying a contempt of infinite authority.
They discover a moral fitness in the sinner's
being brought to eat of the fruit of his own do-
ings. They perceive the glory of God in so con-
ducting the affairs of his moral administration,
that the punished themselves shall see, and feel,
and confess, that they deserve all that has come
upon them; and that all their sufferings are
nothing else than their violent dealings coming
down upon their own head.
Look at a scene like that presented by the
book of Esther in the court of Ahasuerus. See,
the ambitious and resentful nobleman seeking
the destruction of the whole Jewish people, and
erecting a gallows for the execution of an in-
nocent man; follow the developements of Pro-
vidence till the guilty perpetrator of these
crimes is taken in his own net, and executed
upon the very gallows which he had erected
for Mordecai ; and as you see the result you
cannot suppress the emotion which would lead
you to say it is just, and to rejoice that the evil
consequences of the plan had fallen upon him-
self rather than upon others. Such, and so
clear may we suppose will be thejustice of God
in the punishment of the wicked, that it will
be impossible that any should refrain from
heartily approving ofthe sentence which dooms
themto endless punishment.
Again-We may see from our subject, that
 120

the perfect and manifest justice of God will give

an awful emphasis to the punishment of sinners
in a future state.
They will see that there is just as much for-
bearance and kindness introduced into the di-
vine government, as can at all consist with a
regard for the greatest good. If the sinner
should attempt to open his mouth, we might
suppose justice would reply, Where is the least
ground for complaining ? The windows of Hea
ven have been opened, and a flood of blessings
have been shed down uponyou; their swelling
tide has borne you upwards to the very Mercy
seat of God ; On this elevation you have view-
ed yourself enveloped, amid the displays of the
divine holiness; Mercy and forbearance have
sustained you there ; The example of Christ
has addressed you with warnings, with entrea-
ties, and with keen rebukes: The bleeding
compassion of the Son of God has struck upon
your heart, while the attending voice of the
spirit has whispered in accents as mild as the
breath of the morning, and as overwhelming as
the rushing of waters, saying in the name of
the Saviour, if a man believe in me, though he
were dead yet shall he live again : Yea you
have sometimes stood like Moses on the Mount,
and trembled under the displays of the good-
ness and severity of God: You have had the
book of Providence opened before you-You
have seen some reclaimed from the depths of
sin, and now ready to be exalted at God's right
 121

hand. Others you have seen making their way

downwards to the prison-house of justice.-
Hell itself has appeared to be moved, to meet
them at their coming; and the providence of
God has seemed to uncover to your very senses
the place of their abode, and the instruments
of their torment; the level lake that burneth,
the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not
quenched. Yet you have voluntarily givenup
the everlasting favour of your Maker; you
have heard multitudes confess that they de-
served to lose their souls. Where then is your
plea ? Can you show reason why sentence of
eternal punishment should not be pronounced
against you ? The sinner is dumb:-And so
will be every one ofyou, my friends, unless you
look away to the Cross of Christ as your
refuge.
Go ye that rest upon the law,
And toil and seek salvation there ;
Look to the flames that Moses saw,
And shrink, and tremble, and despair.
But I'll retire beneath the Cross;
Saviour at thy dear feet I'll lie-
Then, the keen sword that justice draws,
Flaming and red shall pass me by.
 LECTURE VI.

CONCLUSION .

Prove all things: hold fast that which is good.

THESSALONIANS, V. 21.

THE Bible lays a broad foundation for free

inquiry. Comparatively disregarding all other
distinctions among men, it exhibits their moral
character with great clearness. It places the
whole race upon one level. It abases them
all, before the infinite majesty. By this disclo-
sure of man's moral nature, it shows that no
man has a right to dictate another's belief, not
only, but also, that every individual is solemnly
bound to investigate and understand the truth
for himself. The Bible also exhibits a system
of doctrines, which is, in the highest degree,
adapted to promote the same end. There is
something in the scheme of revealed religion,
which is so elevated, and so far off from the or-
dinary track of human thought, that no man
can look at it, without feeling his faculties
aroused, nor dwell long upon it, with an unbi-
assed mind, without desiring an extended and
accurate acquaintance with its principles. In
addition to all this, the bible challenges in-
quiry. It declares the connexion between faith
and practice, to be indissoluble. It gives no
 123

countenance to thoughtlessness, by making re-

ligious doctrines a matter of indifference. On
the contrary, it holds you accountable for your
every opinion, and whether you cherish a sys-
tem which reflects the light of heaven, or one
which adumbrates the darkness ofhell, it points
to the infallible sources of knowledge, and
commands you with authority, to seek for wis-
dom as for hid treasure. It introduces you di-
rectly to that Saviour who is the light of the
world; and if you are not charmed by the law
of kindness that dwells upon his lips, nor led to
reflection by the simplicity and pathos of his
instructions, you see him bidding you farewell,
as he weeps over your unwillingness to think
for yourself, and exclaims, O that thou hadst
known in this, thy day, the things that belong
to thy peace ! but now, they are hid from thine
eyes.
In the prosecution of these lectures, it has
been no small part of my object, to convince
those who are inquiring for the truth, that
the doctrines of the scriptures open an extend-
ed, and by no means uncertain field of inqui-
ry; and that they must, if they would be
established in the truths of Christianity, take
the trouble to examine them for themselves.
It is true, if you approach the word of God,
with the simple desire of relieving your moral
necessities, you will find it like coming to a
fountain of living waters, which can at once
slake your thirst, and give to your spirit the
 124

very refreshment ofheaven: but if you come

to prove the doctrines of the Bible if you
come to confront the theories of men with the
divine testimony, you have undertaken an-
other, and a far different work. Superficial
investigations are sufficient to array all the ob-
jections against an important doctrine, and to
agitate the mind with doubts, while clear dis-
crimination, and laborious study are necessary
to settle the mind upon the firm foundation of
truth. On the subject of speculative inquiry
intothe doctrines of religion, not less than in
scientific and literary researches, the saying of
the great English Bard is verified:

"There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,

Butdrinking largely, sobers us again."

It is with these views, that I have invited

so much of your attention to the discussion of
a single doctrine. I wished to feel that my
hearers were fully persuaded on this subject,
and perfectly guarded against the ingenious
sophistry with which the truth is often as-
sailed.
In concluding this course, it is my design
I. TO PLACE BEFORE YOU A SUMMARY VIEW
OF THE ARGUMENTS BEFORE ADDUCED.
II. TO CONFIRM THE POSITION TAKEN, BY
DISPLAYING THE CONNEXION AND DEPEND-
ANCE OF THE TRUTHS UPON WHICH OUR REA-
SONINGS ARE FOUNDED. AND
 125

III. TO MAKE AN APPLICATION OF THE

SUBJECT.

Our first Lecture embraced direct arguments

drawn from four classes of scripture quota-
tions.
I. The promises of the gospel ; respecting
which we established these two positions :
1. That they chiefly refer to these peculiar
blessings, perfect holiness, and eternal hap-
piness.
2. That these blessings are, by all the pro-
mises of the Gospel, clearly and distinctly re-
stricted to a certain class of men to a class
ofmen whose character is accurately defined
in the scriptures.
These positions having been clearly esta-
blished, we went on to show, that from the
fact that eternal life is promised to a defined
character, it is undeniably implied, that there
are other characters which do not fall within
the terms of that definition, and who are con-
sequently excluded from a participation of the
promised blessings. It would manifestly be
as idle and senseless to promise eternal happi-
ness to the righteous, while all are subjects
of the promise, as it would be to promise that
the sun shall arise, or the rains shall descend
upon the righteous, while these blessings are
continually bestowed alike upon the evil and
the good. And it would be as absurd to re-
strict the promises of eternal happiness to the
righteous, if all are 11
to be considered such, as
 126

it would be for a civil government to make a

legal provision in behalf of all the white po-
pulation, when there were not, and never
could be any other in it.
We next adduced a class of passages which
plainly teach that there shall be a contrast be-
tween the future state of the righteous, and
the wicked; and that, consequently, the tor-
ments of hell are as certain, and as enduring
as the bliss of heaven.
We adduced a third class of passages which
represent men as in danger of eternal punish-
ment, showing, that he, who blasphemes
against the Holy Ghost, has never forgiveness,
but is in danger of eternal damnation ; and
that professors of religion are admonished, lest
they should fail of the grace of life; and that
it was urged by our Saviour, as a reasonable
ground of fear, that after the body is killed,
God candestroy both soul and body in hell.
We then concluded our direct testimony
from the scriptures, by citing a class of texts
which teach that the punishment of some men
is remediless-Passages representing them as
subjected to judgment without mercy-as ne-
ver having forgiveness, and as being destroyed
without remedy.
Our next Lecture was wholly taken up with
a refutation of the four principal arguments
offered in favour of the doctrine of Universal
Salvation.
That you may take a comprehensive view
 127

of this, I will lay before you a very brief

analysis of the whole Lecture. The argu-
ments considered, were drawn from four
sources .

1. From the justice of God.

2. From the universal goodness of God.
3. From the atonement of Christ.
4. From direct Scripture testimony.
We first considered the doctrine of punish-
ment's being merely disciplinary ; and showed
that it contained the following absurdities,
and contradictions to admitted truths.
1. According to this doctrine, the curse of
the Divine law is not a real curse, but a bless-
ing; and the best thing which God can give
to one in the sinner's circumstances.
2. There is no distinguished mercy in the
salvation of sinners, because they have a right
to it on the ground of law, and cannot be de-
prived of it without manifest injustice.
3. It contradicts all idea of forgiveness, be-
cause the sinner needs no forgiveness after the
claims ofjustice are satisfied.
4. It implies that if Christ delivers from the
curse of the law, then he delivers from the
means of repentance ; because, by the suppo-
sition, all that the law denounces against the
transgressor, is chastisement sufficient to lead
him to repentance.
In the second place, we adduced another
class of considerations, which plainly and di-
rectly show, that justice is not satisfied with
 128

amere discipline, intended for the good of the

sufferers.
1. The terms in which the penalty of the
law are announced, are inconsistent with such
an idea. The terms, " wrath without mix-
ture," " curse," " curse of the law," and " fiery
indignation," cannot, by any stretch of imagi-
nation, be understood to mean salutary chas-
tisement.
2. Such terms never are used among men
to signify the chastisement which parents in-
flict upon children for their good. They never
speak of cursing them, or pouring out their
fury upon them, for their good.
3. God often speaks of chastising that class
ofpeople, who are, byway ofdistinction, called
the children of God, and their afflictions are
said to work out for them an eternal weight of
glory; but damnation is never said to produce
the same effect.
From this, we proceeded to answer several
arguments, which are often adduced, to show
that it would be cruel and unjust to punish
men eternally.
It is said that there is not sufficient differ-
ence between the most imperfect character of
the righteous, and the best character of the
wicked, to make it reasonable to doom one to
eternal punishment, and not the other.
This argument is a begging of the ques
 129

tion, because we maintain that both deserve

it, and that one is delivered from it by forgive-
ness, while the other suffers what he deserves.
2. It is argued that life is too short to con-
tract guilt enough to deserve eternal punish-
ment.
Our answer is, that the length of time in
which a crime is committed, has no necessary
connexion with the degree of guilt which at-
taches to the offender. A man may commit
murder, and subject himself to capital punish-
ment, in a moment: And a man may reject
the everlasting favour of his Maker in the
same time.
Again; it is alleged that the creature is
finite, and therefore, cannot deserve an endless
punishment. To this I reply,
1. That his powers of sinning are not more
limited than are his susceptibilities of suffer-
ing ; hence, there is no more reason why his
sufferings should not be endless, than there
would be if his powers were indefinitely in-
creased.
2. God is under no obligation to reclaim the
sinner ; he does not always do it in this life,
and he is no more bound to do it in the life
to come. Most of the same objections, also, as
were raised against disciplinary punishment,
may be made with equal force, against every
argument drawn from the justice ofGod, in fa-
vour of Universal Salvation. The arguments
drawn from the goodness of God, are, for the
11*
 130

most part, of the same type with those profes-

sedly drawn from Divine justice, and are an-
swered in the same manner. A few distinct
particulars shall be briefly noticed.
1. It is said, that, though men do, in strict
justice, deserve eternal punishment, yet, the
boundless compassion of God will save all
men.

Answer: this argument gives up the whole

of the reasoning from divine justice, and ad-
mits that some men will be eternally misera-
ble, if goodness can suffer perfect justice to
takeplace.
2. It is alleged that we cannot conceive that
so good a being as God will leave any to eter-
nalpunishment.
We reply, It isjust as easy to conceive that
he will leave some to eternal suffering, as to
conceive that he will leave them to sufferings
of a day, a year, or a life time: so in fact, if
Divine goodness require that suffering should
cease, it requires just as much that it should
cease at once, or that it should never have
been admitted into the moral system.
3. It is confidently asserted, that the eternal
misery of any part of the human race, cannot
be for the good of the Universe.
This is the thing which ought to be proved,
but which Ihave never known attempted ; and
assertion is not evidence.
We next considered the argument drawn
from the universality of the atonement, and .
n..
 131

showed, that the atonement, in its nature, does

not secure the salvation of any individual, but
that faith and repentance are indispensable to
its application. We then concluded with an
examination of some of the principal passages
of scripture, adduced to support the doctrine of
universal salvation.
The next branch of our argument, with
which the whole of our third Lecture was taken
up, was drawn from the Providence of God,
and was intended as a confirmation of the di-
rect reasonings employed in the first Lecture.
By following the history of the church, we
found it to be a universalprinciple ofthe Divine
government, That when God bestows signal
blessings upon his Church, he does, at the same
time, execute signal judgments upon his ene-
mies. This he did, in his treatment of Noah,
and the old world-in the deliverance of Lot,
and the destruction of Sodom in the deliver-
ance of the Israelites, and the overthrow of the
Egyptians in the deliverances by thejudges-
in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the en-
largement of the church; and in the shaking
of the nations, by Luther and his coadjutors ;
and this he is doing by his Providences at the
present day. From this principle, we inferred
that the final triumph of the church, and the
final overthrow of her enemies will take place
at the same time; that God is now acting out
the eternal principles of his moral Government
before our eyes; and that, therefore, we may
 132

expect that there will be a difference between

the righteous and the wicked, to all eternity.
In our fourth Lecture, we took it for granted
that either the system embracing the doctrine
of eternal punishment, was the true religion, or
else the doctrine of universal salvation had the
superior claim to be considered the Gospel of
Christ.
We then attempted to test the two systems,
by contrasting their moral influence. We com-
menced our contrast with this general propo-
sition.
Universalism does not produce a religious
life ; while the system opposed to it, does pro-
duce genuine practical piety.
This proposition we illustrated under the
five following particulars.
I. The system which holds the doctrine
of eternal punishment, leads many persons to
come out from the world, and profess religion ;
but universalism does not.
II. That system which holds the doctrine
of eternal punishment, leads to a life of pray-
er; but universalism does not.
III. That system which holds the doctrine
of eternal punishment, leads men to active ex-
ertions, to send the gospel to the destitute ; but
universalism does not.
IV. That system, which maintains the doc-
trine of eternal punishment, often reclaims
men from vicious habits, and from a life of
sin; but universalism does not.
 133

V. That system, which holds the doctrine

of eternal punishment, never occasions distress
in a dying hour ; but universalism frequently
causes the most distressing apprehensions on
a death-bed.
From this contrast, we inferred, that univer-
salism cannot be the true religion. It leads
not even to the profession of piety; it silences
the voice of prayer; it refuses to send the
bread of life to the destitute ; it reclaims not
the vicious from their sins; and it often leaves
the soul to fearful forebodings on the bed of
death.
After all this, we were aware that thefeel-
ings of many who hold the doctrine of univer-
sal salvation, might remain unsatisfied. An
impression might still remain, that eternal pu-
nishment ismore than strictjustice can require.
Accordingly, we endeavoured, in our fifth Lec-
ture, to evince the justice of God, in dooming
the wicked to endless misery. For this pur-
pose, we drew out and exhibited three argu-
ments. Our first argument was this :
I. There is good reason for thinking, that
no other penalty to the divine law could pro-
duce so much holiness and happiness in the
universe, as eternal punishment. The motives
drawn from such punishment, are, like the mo-
tives drawn from goodness and mercy, infi-
nite. It is the only view ofpunishment which
is, in fact, effectual, in this world, and we
have no evidence that any sinner could possi
 134

bly be reclaimed without it. It may, also,

for ought we know, be necessary for securing
the saints against falling, in a future state,
and the amount of suffering may be less, un-
der such a penalty, than under any of a milder
character ; so that this penalty may save more
suffering, prevent more sin, and produce more
holiness and happiness, than any other penalty
could possibly do.
II. It is not unreasonable to suppose, that
sinners deserve eternal punishment, when we
consider the nature of sin. Sin, in its tenden-
cy, would destroy all the good which the di-
vine law is adapted to secure. It is a violation
of infinite authority. It is, also, a voluntary
rejection of God's eternal favour.
The consistency of eternal punishment with
perfect justice, is inferred from the fact, that
inen, when they are convinced ofsin, confess,
themselves, that they deserve it. This we
consider as an admission of the guilty, which
could not take place on any other supposition,
than that of a real desert of endless punish-
ment.
We have now gone through with a brief
summary view of the principal arguments
presented in these Lectures. In the first we
have four direct arguments, each one of which
proves that the doctrine of eternal punishment
is contained in the Scriptures. The second
contains a refutation of the chief arguments
adduced in favour of universal salvation. The
 135

third confirms the doctrine of eternal punish-

ment, by a view of the providential govern-
ment of God. The fourth shows that that
system which maintains the doctrine of eter-
nal punishment, has a higher claim to be
considered the true religion than universalism,
inasmuch as its moral influence is of a far
happier character. And the fifth evinces the
consistency of eternal punishment with the ab-
solute and perfect justice ofGod.
To this body of evidence we add one argu-
ment drawn from the connexion of some of
the principal truths before dwelt upon. For
the sake of an ample illustration of our pro-
posed argument, let me suppose you carried
beyond the precincts of this little world, and
set down upon one of those superior planets,
which conceals its history and its condition
from our minds. Suppose, now, that you find
it at once to be a scene of deeper interest
than you had ever been conversant with. You
see before you, rising in anhundred fold great-
er grandeur than this earth is wont to exhi-
bit, the mountain turbaned with snow, and
mantled in the mist ofby-gone centuries. You
see the cataract whose deafening roar and
whose ocean-like volume seems to tumble from
the very heavens, and to overwhelm your spi-
rit with a pleasing awfulness. The cascades
are more playful, and the fountains gush and
sparkle with the very life that belongs to the
living waters ofheaven. The sun sinks in a
 136

purer field ofglory, and the western cloud of

evening throws back a richer and more chas-
tenedhue than earthly scenes have ever exhi-
bited. The landscape presents a more de-
lightful carpet of green, interspersed with
flowers of unfading beauty. The forests also
breathe a richer fragrance, and resound with
aheavenlier melody. You cast your eyes
also upon its wide expanse ofpurifying waters,
compared with which our oceans dwindle into
insignificance. The canopy over your head is
like a splendid roof ofsilver. The stars have
such a magnitude and such a lustre, that their
clusters seem like immense chandeliers hung
from the ceiling above, and that world assumes
the appearance of a magnificent temple of
God, decorated and lighted up for devotion.
You look upon its inhabitants, and there
you find the same superiority. Its institutions
are more happy and permanent. Its laws
possess more majesty in the eyes of the people,
and virtue seems to possess greater charms
with them, than with any community on
earth. You examine its government, and you
find that it is administered with the most con-
summate skill. Yet you find transgression
there, and you are told that the government
will in a few years call every offender to ac-
count, and that a part will be pardoned and a
part will suffer capital punishment for their of-
fences. Your interest is awakened tothe most
intense degree, and you are resolved to inquire
 137

to your satisfaction, whether such a good and

happy government can punish any of its sub-
jects with death. You resort to the statute
book, and you find a large class of passages
interspersed through it, which promise to cer-
tain defined characters,that their crimes shall
be pardoned, and that they shall not suffer ca-
pital punishment. By this information, you
are brought, at once, to the conclusion, thatthe
government will, in some instances, at least,
inflict capital punishment. But you proceed
with your investigations. You next find a nu-
merous class ofpassages, in which a distinct
contrast is exhibited, between the future con-
dition of that class, who shall not be punished
capitally, and others. You find these, also,
scattered through the statute book, in a pro-
miscuous manner. Now, this last class will
not only bring to your mind a striking evi-
dence of the existence of a law, which inflicts
such punishment, but you will also discover
the most convincing of all evidence, in the con-
currence of the two classes of passages when
they are both found incidentally scattered
through the book of laws. You pursue your
reading, and your attention is next arrested
with a class of allusions to the dangers in
which certain persons are, of falling under the
stroke of death from the arm of publicjustice.
You then find still other declarations setting
forth the condition of some as utterly hopeless
-as about to suffer the punishment of death
12
 138

without mercy, and as precluded for ever from

the hope of forgiveness. Would not the in-
cidental co-existence of these facts make a
chain of evidence which no rational mind
could resist ?
Suppose now you leave the statute book, and
travel through that immense and wonderful
empire. You discover no actual executions,
but you find strong buildings, in which miser-
able wretches are confined. You see them
through their prison gates-their character is
not improved they bite their chains, and rave
around their place of confinement, and curse
the government that placed them there. Hope
has fled from their countenances, and their
eyes bespeak an expectation of a more dreadful
punishment. You never see any punished
capitally; but you see punishment inflicted
without any reference to reclaiming the of-
fender-you see the most terrible exhibitions
of public justice, evidently inflicted with the
simple design of inspiring others with the fear
ofoffending, and maintaining the majesty of
the laws. You see some hurried away in the
most vengeful manner into a dark prison, which
no spectator may enter and return in peace. -
With these facts in your mind you resort again
to the statute book, and find it declared there,
that these incomplete judgments were intended
to give premonitions of the great day of trial,
and that those who have been torn away from
society and incarcerated in an inaccessible
 139

dungeon, are set forth for an example that

others might be warned. You again turn to
an actual inspection ofthe state ofsociety, and
you find a division in the community with re-
gard to the very question which you are dis-
cussing. Some affirm that the government
will punish capitally, when the great day of
trial shall arrive ; while others deny it. But
you observe this one peculiarity with regard to
the two parties, that when the virtuous become
vicious, and especially when their moral defec-
tion becomes great, then such often embrace
the notion that capital punishment is unjust,
and that it will never take place. On the other
hand, when any are reclaimed from a life of
transgression, they uniformly hold to the opin-
ion that such punishment is just, and they
themselves expect to escape in no other way
than by means of a pardon. You find, in
short, that those who believe in capital punish-
ment often fall into a disbelief of the doctrine at
the last end of a long series of moral defections :
but you never find one who believes in an uni-
versal exemption from death, falling into the
belief of capital punishment at the last end of
a long series of crimes. You find in short, that
the doctrine of universal exemption from death
is most agreeable to those who have not re-
pented and sought the pardon of their offences.
Under such circumstances, you can scarcely
keep from your mind the old adage-
 140

"Noneever felt the halter draw,

With good opinion ofthe law."
Now, viewing the connexion of these facts
with the passages before found in the statute
book, could it any longer be a doubt in your
mind, whether that government would punish
some of its subjects with death or not ? Would
notthe incidental agreement of all these truths
furnish an argument ofmore weight if possible,
than the whole body ofdirect testimony ? The
promises of deliverance from death to some,
wouldprove the fact that others must be pun-
ished capitally. The contrast between the
condition ofthose who aredelivered and others,
wouldprove it. The warnings of danger would
prove it. The threatenings of death without
deliverance; of wrath without mercy, would
prove it. The actual existence of vindictive
punishment, would confirm it. And the moral
influence of a belief in capital punishment, con-
trasted with the moral influence ofdenying the
doctrine, would show beyond all doubt, that if
thatgovernment were wise and disinterested ;
ifit sought the bestgood ofits subjects, it must
maintain, by a practical execution, the doctrine
of capital punishment. Yet, I say this whole
body of evidence does not possess more weight
thanthe connexion-the incidental agreement
-of these facts possesses.
Now, we have these very facts, and this inci-
dental agreement oftruths in the case before us.
 141

We live in a province of Jehovah's empire.

We find in the statute book which he has given
us, these promises of eternal happiness to a de-
fined character: we find this contrast between
the condition of those who shall be eternally
happy and others: we find these warnings of
the danger of losing the soul, and positive
threatenings of remediless punishment. We
look abroad upon the beginnings of his govern-
ment here, and we see abundant evidence that
God is now acting upon the very principle of
setting mercy and justice over against each
other, and we are confirmed in the belief, that
he will act on that principle for ever. We look
at the moral influence of the system which
holds to eternal punishment ; we contrast it
with the moral influence of the opposite system,
and find them as opposite as light and dark-
ness.
Take one more brief illustration of our argu-
ment. Suppose it should be matter of dispute,
whether I have intended to maintain in these
Lectures, the doctrine of endless punishment.
You might first quote numerous declarations
and classes of expressions, to show that such
was my design; and then you might raise a
still stronger argument by displaying the inci-
dental agreement of the several parts of the
course, and the leading principles which were
aimed to be supported throughout. When these
passages were quoted, and the facts that uni-
versalism exists, and that many such are in
12*
 142

this community, were sustained, and the agree-

ment between these passages and these facts,
and the connexion in the course of Lectures
were fully displayed, scarcely any one could
doubt that these Lectures were designed to sus-
tain the doctrine of eternal punishment. And
yet I fancy that no candid and rational mind
can look at the connexion and agreement of the
truths that appear in the Bible, and in provi-
dence and feel any more doubt that God has
intended by these truths to teach the doctrine of
eternal punishment, than that I have intended
by these Lectures to maintain the same senti-
ment.
In application of this subject, permit me to
remark,
I. That the instructions of the Scriptures,
on the subject offuture punishment, ought to be
regarded with deep and solemn interest.
This momentous doctrine is set forth with
great clearness in the sacred volume. It is
mingled with all the proffers of mercy, and
breathes through all the promises of the gospel.
It is one of those great cardinal truths, ofwhich
it seems as if the whole sacred volume was
written to defend it. And yet there is scarcely
any doctrine which so disobliges a large class
ofhearers, as this very truth. If the minister
of Christ sets it forth plainly, he is often heard
with impatience. Yet why should it be so ?
Wouldhe appear like a more disinterested friend
f he told you that you should have peace
 143

though you walked after the imagination of

your own heart ? would he have a better claim
upon your kind feelings if he seldom approach-
ed the subject, and then presented it in a slight
and easy manner ? on the contrary, does he not
really deserve best at your hands who regards
your interest more than your good graces, and
who never keeps back the most unwelcome
truths for the sake of your favour ? O it is cruel
as the grave, it is requiting evil for good, when
men complain of the severity of a faithful and
affectionate preacher of the gospel, as if he in-
dulged himself in a malignant pleasure in set-
ting forth their danger. But all this were no-
thing, if it were not at the same time requiting
the blessed Saviour evil for his good, and hatred
for his love. He taught the doctrine of eternal
punishment with frequency, and with amazing
earnestness. He came down from heaven and
abased himself to the condition ofa servant, that
he might show men their danger, and provide
for them a remedy. He bore testimony to his
earnestness by dying upon the cross, and pro-
posing eternal deliverance through his blood.
Is it not then the highest ingratitude to com-
plain of the very revelation which we never
should have known, till told by the undying
torments of hell, unless that Saviour had reveal-
ed it to give efficacy to his purposes of grace ?
But who of you my friends would be will-
ing that yourselves and others should be
free from the influence of the truth defended in
 144

these Lectures ? Would you like to see the

whole community freed from the fear of God,
and of eternal punishment ? Would you like to
be freed from the influence of this truth upon
yourselves ? Its motives to fear, and its disclo-
sures ofthe nature of sin, are indeed overwhelm-
ing, but do not therefore cast it from you ;
rather ponder upon the solemn import of eter.
nal punishment ask yourselves what it is to
be destroyed without remedy, and to suffer the
destruction of both soul and body in hell ? In-
quire if it be not a real fact, that you have set
at nought the favour of your Maker ? Ask
yourselves if you do not deserve to lose that
favour, and if you ought not to be sensible of
your exposure to eternal punishment, that you
may seek a timely deliverance ?
II. In view of the truth maintained in these
Lectures, we see that many of you are in actual
danger of eternal punishment.
It is one of the first principles of the gospel,
that sinners are condemned already, and the
wrath of God abideth on them. It is for this
very reason that Christ has died for them; it is
for this very reason that he now offers them
forgiveness. If you are yet unreconciled to
your Maker, you ought to regard yourselves as
on the way to execution. Think not that all
the kindnesses which you are receiving at the
hands of God are any pledge for your deliver-
ance.
He gives you these, that he may urge
upon you, with more tenderness and effect, the
 145

offers of a free pardon of all your offences. But

he will not relax in the least the rigour of his
law. He will not diminish in the least its eter-
nal and tremendous penalty. For you there
are but two possible conditions. You must re-
turn to the bosom of your God, on the ground
of a gracious pardon, or you must sink under
the unmitigated curse of that law, which says
nothing except " the soul that sinneth it shall
die." The language of the Saviour to you is,
agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou
art in the way with him, lest he deliver thee to
thejudge, and the judge deliver thee to the offi-
cer, and thou be cast into prison." I know that
there is a Saviour provided: that his grace is
offered freely, and the door of heaven is set
open before you as wide as the gates of the
morning-but still, I proclaim it, you are in
danger of eternal damnation.
The mere possibility of reconciliation does
not prevent this danger from being real and
great. Suppose it were a fact, tested by suffi-
cient observation, that ofthat unhappy portion
of the community who make an excessive use of
ardent spirits, not one in five is ever reclaimed;
four of them die through intemperance while
one is saved from it. Do you not see that in
such a case every intemperate man is in ex-
treme danger. There is, as we should say, but
one chance in five that he will ever be reclaim-
ed. Yet there are no physical hindrances in
the way of any; any one may turn from his
 146

evil habit. But danger is proportioned to the

strength of the habit, and to its delusive influ-
ence.
And this danger is fairly estimated by
the proportion of such persons as die unre-
claimed. Just such is the danger that arises
from the power of sin. The possibility, the
perfect practicability of becoming reconciled to
God, does not prevent it, so long as in a great
majorityofinstances men do not turn fromtheir
sins, and become the heirs of eternal life. Of
all the impenitent that are here this evening, it
would be strange if one in five should die a
Christian. There is no impossibility-no phy-
sical hindrance to prevent any one ofyou from
turning toGod immediately-but I say itwould
be singular as a matter of fact in this commu-
nity, and in this age, if one infive of the impeni-
tent in such an assembly, should depart this
life in the faith of the gospel. Then I sayyour
danger is extreme. Sin possesses a delusive, a
destructive influence. The greater part of those
under its power go unreclaimed to their graves,
and to the judgment bar. Think of the impen-
itent men that have died in this place within the
last three years; how few of them left any more
evidence ofbeing Christians, than you would if
called away this moment. Yet are you not
pursuing the same course ? Manyofthem heard,
reflected, and were half resolved at different
times, to become Christians. I have sometimes
wished, my friends, that I could present to
your view the images of wo that are found
 147

"where hell and horror reigns." O if you

could see the look of undying agony; the des-
pairing, wretched aspect; the impatient blas-
pheming spirit ; if you could dwell upon his
company and his employment; if you could
see the quenchless fires, and the deathless
worm, if you could comprehend the amount
of accumulating and unending misery, and
see all the eternal horrors that hang around the
second death, it might produce the most salu-
tary effect. But no, I am mistaken, for I re-
member that there was one, who rose up from
the bed of fire, in which he was weltering, and
seeing Abraham afar off, begged, that a poor
beggar that was, might be sent with one drop
of water to cool his burning tongue ; it was de-
nied-he had his good things of this life.-
Then he begged again that Lazarus might be
sent to his father's house to warn five thought-
less brethren. Abraham declared to him that
they had Moses and the Prophets; and, said he,
let them hear them. Nav, Father Abraham,
said the sufferer, but ifone went from the dead,
they will repent ; but Abraham replied, if they
hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the
dead. It is so ; we need not wish the motives
to repentance to be increased. It is idle, it is
presumptuous to indulge such a wish. God
feels an infinitely deeper compassion for impen-
itent sinners, than we do. He has done all he
can, in providing motives. Here is the pure
 148

and perfect law. There lies its sentence of

eternal punishment. Here stands the bleeding
sacrifice, the Son of God, showing the hands
that were nailed to the wood, and his wounded
side. Here is the offer of a gratuitous pardon.
Yonder is the New-Jerusalem, with its gates of
pearl thrown open before you. Below it is the
pit of Hell, sending up the smoke of the tor-
ment of its inhabitants. With all these scenes
revealed, poor sinner, you are yet unconverted !
And what can God do more ? Justice has
raised his sword ; I heard him cry, "Cut it
down-why cumbereth it the ground ?" Sin-
ner, your insulted Saviour rushes between you
and the stroke, and pleads, spare it a little long-
er-spare it this year also: if it bear fruit, well
-if not, after that, thou shalt cut it down.
Will you turn to that merciful Saviour ? He
that believeth, shall be saved ; but he that believ-
eth not, shall be damned.

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