that, consequently, the wicked in hell will survive their sufferings, and arrive at a period when they will have endured all the punishment that justice requires, so that they will be liberated as a matter of course. Upon this supposition we remarked, 1st, That nothing could make it credible but a positive declaration or promise from God: yet no such intimation from the supreme authority is even pretended on the contrary, the word of inspiration is not merely silent upon any such expectation, but it contains assertions which are directly contrary to it. 2dly, That this opinion proceeds upon the assumption that the future punishment of the wicked will be an arbitrary and external infliction of mechanical pain, whereas its essential nature and its principal source are the consciousness of guilt and a being given up to the unutterable horrors which are the natural effects of that consciousness. 3dly, That, upon this scheme, a most astonishing contrariety of state would finally be produced in the regions of blessedness: one party ascribing all their happiness to the infinite mercy and grace of God, through the boundless condescension of the Redeemer; and another party, owing nothing to divine goodness, not at all indebted to grace and mercy, receiving no favour, and having no acknowledgments to make. How far this is reconcilable with the uniform doctrine of the Bible, which every where teaches that the salvation and all the happiness of sinful men will be owing solely to the forgiving mercy and infinite love of God, is left for you to judge. Our second object of attention was the more generally received hypothesis, that the sufferings of the wicked, in the world to come, will not be of the nature of a punishment or penalty, but will be nothing else than a course of fatherly discipline, a

gracious, kind, and merciful chastisement, which will, in due time, have the effect of bringing all who have died wicked and impenitent back to a state of perfect virtue and happiness. Upon this doctrine we have offered to you our first remark; viz. that, most clearly and incontrovertibly, it represents the condition of those who die under the guilt and dominion of their sins, as a condition of mercy, an unspeakable good, a subjection to the greatest kindness, the highest and most valuable blessing that is possible under all the circumstances: for what is it, but a most benevolent and efficacious method of conferring upon them the greatest good, that good which all the means of divine grace and wisdom, in the present life, had been unable to attain? But evidence was adduced, from the infallible word of truth, to show that this undeniable inference from the sentiment under consideration is a most direct and daring contradiction to the plainest and strongest declaration of the Most High God.

We now pursue the train of considerations upon this solemn subject, by submitting to you a second remark:

ii. Throughout the whole word of God, whenever the pains and sufferings of any are referred to as chastisements or corrective dispensations, they are always described in a manner consistent with this intention: the language of kindness is intermingled with that of reproof, and intimations are continually given of support and encouragement, alleviation and comfort.

Such as the following, for instance, is the style of the Scriptures with regard to the heaviest afflictions by God's chastising rod. "The Lord will not cast off for ever; but, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies: for he doth not

afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Behold! happy is the man whom God correcteth. Therefore, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty; for he maketh sore, and he bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.-And, though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet-thine ears shall hear a word behind thee; he will be very gracious unto thee, at the voice of thy cry.-Though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dwell among scorpions, be not afraid. He stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east wind: by this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin.-He, being full of conipassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not,-and did not stir up all his wrath.-I am with thee, saith the Lord;-I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee wholly unpunished.—Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous, therefore, and repent."

Thus we see, that when God inflicts suffering as the means of chastisement, he always reveals his purpose of mercy; and, the more readily and effectually to answer that purpose, he annexes precepts, admonitions, invitations, encouragements, and precious promises, all declaring the gracious object to be," to humble thee, and to prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end." But, where do we find the slightest intimation of this kind, in the frequent, numerous, and copious denunciations of the divine vengeance against the ungodly in the future world? Is not that always conveyed in the language of unmixed, unmitigated, and absolutely hopeless perdition? INDEED IT IS: and never does

the faintest ray of mitigation, or of subserviency to a merciful intention, pierce this blackness of darkness. The scriptural descriptions of the unseen world of guilt and punishment are all in the very emphasis of misery and desperation. The passages which were quoted in the last essay, are full and decisive to this purport; and we could occupy all the remaining space allotted to this article, in the mere reciting of additional testimonies from the inspired volume. All combine to say, "Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him.-Is not destruction to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?" The distinction is, indeed, stated in the broadest terms : "The Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked, his soul hateth: upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." Those who persevere to the end of their lives in rebellion against the law and the grace of God, are constantly spoken of as abhorred, condemned, cursed, cast off, rejected for ever; as stubble, chaff, and dross, things which are thrown away as totally worthless, and without the smallest design of ever gathering them again. Our gracious, compassionate, and tender-hearted Redeemer, never once departs from this terrible style of speaking. He represents the finally impenitent as the vilest and most worthless part of a fisherman's draught, fit only to be cast away; as tares, as fruitless branches, as barren trees, mere cumberers of the ground, and which shall be cast into the fire. They shall be tormented in that flame which is unquenchable, and which knows not the smallest alleviation, not even that, beyond expression inconsiderable, of a drop of water to cool the burning tongue. The meek and lovely Jesus will himself

ledge, without some previous principles of communicated truth to work and build upon, than the eye, however perfect and well adapted as the organ of vision, could see without light.

The case before us is one which relates to the moral government of God, and his will and purposes with respect to accountable beings in the invisible state. Here, then, we can derive no information from nature, or the facts and appearances of the sensible world. The things of eternity are not cognizable by our senses; nor can they be subjected to the discovery or experiments of men: we can know them only by faith, i. e. receiving the authenticated testimony of HIM who is alone competent to make such a communication, the GOD of knowledge and truth. That testimony God has given to us. The first work of our reasoning faculties is to obtain the knowledge of that testimony; and the highest and best dictate of our reason is to receive that testimony as infallible and eternal truth. Thus we are brought to the principles which were laid down in the last paper, that God only is "competent to determine what punishment is due to sin, and that his testimony, in his own word, is our only ground of knowledge on this great point.

But our opponents exclaim, Is not an everlasting punishment by far too severe for the sins of a short life? and is it consistent with the benevolence of God to inflict sufferings so unspeakably terrible upon any of his creatures? In asking these very questions, (with the spirit and design which obviously accompanies them,) reason is travelling out of her province: for we shall ever firmly hold to our principles, that the all-wise and holy Sovereign is the sole Judge of the question, and that his declaration settles it. Yet

we are willing to meet these objections upon their own ground.

With regard to the first, we would ask in rejoinder, Is the length of time occupied in the commission of an offence, the proper measure of its desert of punishment? Even upon the narrow scale of human affairs in the present life, is it not the fact that crimes the most dreadful, which excite the greatest horror in only hearing of them, and which produce consequences of the deepest, the most widely spread, and the most permanent injury to individuals and to communities, may be perpetrated in a very short space of time? What, then, is the true and just desert of sin? We could say much upon this question, fetching our arguments from the infinite glory, excellency, and amiableness of HIM against whom sin is committed; and from the motives and extent of a rational creature's obligations to love and obey its divine Lord: but we waive this train of reasoning, and adhere to our principle that the word of God shall decide; and we are assured that the decision cannot but be the wisest, the most equitable, the most worthy of infinite perfection.

The second objection insinuates that it would be a reflection upon the divine benevolence, if the Author of nature were to permit any of his creatures to be eternally miserable. But who is qualified to make this assertion? or who is a fit judge upon this question, except the glorious Jehovah himself? It is always looked upon as contrary to reason and equity for a man to be judge in his own case, especially if it be a criminal case, and he be the guilty party. We are the criminals, found guilty, condemned, and without excuse before God. Are we the persons to arraign his justice, find fault with his decisions, and in effect summon him

to our tribunal? O what impiety and infatuation do, we betray! O how much wiser and better would it be for us to admit (what is TRUE, whether we believe it or no) that sin DESERVES all that God has threatened, and then to act sincerely upon this admission, by falling before his righteous throne, confessing our wickedness with a broken heart, and supplicating for that mercy which HE never will refuse to those who seek it in the way which He has prescribed! It becomes us to consider that God is not merely the author of nature, and the kind supporter and benefactor of his creatures, but that he is also the supreme ruler of the universe; that intelligent and accountable beings form the most important part of his empire; that it is infinitely proper and becoming in him to maintain inviolate the honours of his righteous government; that the Deity has other perfections besides his benevolence, even his glorious holiness, justice, wisdom, and veracity; that the exercise of these perfections cannot but be, from their very nature, constant and invariable, but that the exercises of grace and mercy must, from their very nature too, be optional and sovereign; and that HE alone is competent to determine what laws and rules, and what measures of administration, are necessary for supporting the moral order of the universe, for maintaining the claims and interests of rectitude united with benevolence, and for shewing forth the grand and lovely perfections of Him" of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things; to whom be glory for ever!" We confess that the permission of evil is the great and awful problem of the universe, and that we are not capable of resolving it. We see and deplore (in a very different way,

we trust, from that of those who think sin a little evil, easily dispensed with, or, in reality, no evil at all,) the dreadful reign of wickedness and misery. But we think that no help is brought to the case by framing theories, pleasing and flattering to the pride and other criminal principles of men's hearts, but inconsistent with facts, and daringly at variance with the word of God. On the contrary, we are perfectly certain, that true benevolence can be gratified, and all the exercises of piety and humility called forth in the most beneficial manner, IN NO OTHER WAY than by an implicit and affectionate submission of our minds to the decisions of the divine oracles. There we find solid footing. He who builds faithfully upon this rock, makes the best use of his reason, and lays a secure foundation for his happiness; but whosoever deserts the word of God, not only courts danger, but desperately throws himself into it. "Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God? He will be justified when he speaketh. He will be clear when he is judged. Let God be true, though every man be found a liar." Who has the most humanity and tenderness? He who believes the declarations of Jehovah, in their plain and obvious meaning, and who, therefore, beseeches you to flee from the wrath to come? or, he who lulls you asleep, and says, that you need not entertain such terrible apprehensions of the consequences of your sins?

Sin brings guilt, that is, the consciousness of wrong and of illdeserving; and guilt is the parent of misery. If you enter eternity under the power and pollution of sin, you carry with you that guilty consciousness, which will be a viper in your bosom, a vulture at your heart. We have before shown, that the primary source