ing any subject, and let your opinion and judgment be formed, when you have heard what may be offered. I will suggest a method which may contribute to assist you in the course we may pur

sue.

I will, in the first place, lay before you the common meaning attached to this subject.

In the second place I will attempt to disprove that meaning, and to show, that such a construction cannot be admitted.

I shall in the third place I trust, by God's help, show the genuine signification.

I shall say but little on the first head, because that is well understood. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Hell, in this sentence, is understood, by most people, to be a state beyond this state of mor-` tality that God has prepared and constituted with all the necessary ingredients of misery and torment, a place, wherein to render the wicked indescribably wretched, and wretched forever and ever, This sentiment is the common sentiment of the Christian church, and almost all denominations make use of this text in this way. Preachers from the pulpit declare this sentiment either from the scripture under consideration or from other passages of the same sort, which they apply in the same way; and they are in the constant habit of threatening their hearers, with terrible destruction, with an eternity of misery as I have just noticed. Take your families and go to the house of God for the purpose of worship. You feel grateful for the blessings of providence. In going to the sanctuary for the purpose of paying homage to the Deity, in room of having God's grace manifested and revealed, through Jesus Christ, the awful denuncia

tions and curses of everlasting wrath and vengeance are poured out upon you and your children. People are rendered wretched, and they go home with the impression that very few of them can escape this everlasting torment. I will appeal to the good sense of this congregation to bear me witness that I have not attempted to give the sense of these words any color not belonging to them. I have not displayed the least ingenuity to harrow up your feelings. I have said nothing as to what is going to take place hereafter. I have said nothing about tearing companion from companion, child from father and mother, brother from sister, or sister from brother; I have said nothing about cutting asunder those sweet ligaments that bind society together. I have by no means attempted to excite your feelings with such a description of the meaning of these words as I have already mentioned. Let those do these things who believe the doctrine; but as to us the task would be too painful. It belongs to us to disprove this construction of scripture, and to show that the passage under consideration means no such thing. And here, you will indulge me in making a few additional remarks by way of preface. I humbly ask you this question, If this sentiment to which this passage of Scripture has been applied, be not the true construction, then I ask is it not what we owe to God, to make this manifest?

For us to answer this question, it is necessary to see the merit of it. Here it is pretended by the professors and teachers of divinity, that Almighty God has appointed mankind to all these torments in the eternal world. But suppose on the other hand that this is not the case, then I ask, has not the character of God been greatly injured by such a

representation? I will make this perfectly clear to your minds by this simile. Suppose I should tell your children they were in danger of receiving destruction at your hands, and that if they did not please you, you would torment them in the most. awful manner, as long as you could. Suppose this be not the truth, is it not due to your character to undeceive your children, and let them know you are not as you were represented to be? Yes certainly. Look at this subject and observe' another question. Is it not due to your poor miserable children to give them a proper idea of your virtue, and to dissuade them from such a sentiment with respect to your character? They do not know whither to turn, to the right or to the left. They have a fear that they will be tormented unless they are made different from what they are; and though they are not capable of making themselves different, unless they are changed, they will certainly be liable to destruction. Unless they obey their parents, they will be destroyed; and being told they are incapable of obeying them, they are filled with perplexity; expecting every moment to be called to an account, and sentenced to interminable destruction. Is it not due to the parent to undeceive the children, and is it not due to the children to be undeceived? Most certainly. Let this case be applied. If this passage be misconstrued in representing God as unmercifully cruel towards mankind, is it not due to the character of God, to clear it of its reproach, and that mankind should be undeceived? And is it not due to mankind to undeceive them with respect to the character of their heavenly Father? Certainly.

One remark more, before we proceed. What is distressing more than any thing, is this fact; name

ly, that the horrible doctrine to which this passage has been applied, operates most cruelly upon the most tender and innocent port of society. It operates chiefly on those tender mothers, and feeble sisters, who cannot repel these things, with the steadiness that others can do. Here we see the mother weeping over her children-we see our dear sisters lamenting the probability of their eternal torment; and perpetually praying that they may be delivered from such a state-perpetually harrassing their souls with the most awful apprehensions. Such a doctrine, I say, operates severely upon the most innocent and affable part of society-that part we ought to protect and comfort. But in the room of this, we find ministers busying themselves, with the female part of society, and pouring into their ears, as the serpent did into the ear of Eve, the most mischievous doctrines, and tormenting their souls with the agony that this doctrine must inspire.

I have perhaps been too long on this subject. However, I will now proceed to disprove this construction of the words under consideration. My first argument, my friends, is the text itself, as it reads; and allowing this construction to be truc, it proves more than the opponent will allow; and this is good ground of argument. Now hear the words, and bear me record, that I give them no turn; but allow them to be understood according to their natural signification. "The wicked shall

be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." The text does not intimate that they may possibly be turned into hell There is no conditionality. There is no alternative. It is stated as a positive fact. Some may bring in an objection and say, that it implies a conditionality, and means that they shall be turned into hell unless they repent.

Read the scriptures; and my friendly hearers, let me ask you, if it be right to make any addition to the word of God? Is it warrantable to say that the text means what it says nothing about? No, the text says the wicked shall be turned into hell. It does not say they shall be turned into hell unless they repent and believe. It has no reference to repentance. Repentence is a New Testament doctrine. These words have no reference to believing--there is no conditionality about them. The testimony is, that the wicked shall be turned into hell. It shall take place. It cannot be prevented.

Now, if you allow it can be prevented, the subject is perverted, and I have no more to say to it: such a construction would destroy the text; but we will not allow this. We will not allow a condition, when a condition is not in the text; but we will contend for the authority of these words directly. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God." But here is another particular point. Does it mean that all, or only part of the wicked, shall be turned into Hell? The reading of the text decides the question. It decides that all the wicked shall be turned into hell. It says "The wicked, and all nations that forget God, shall be turned into hell." This is the sober meaning. It means nothing short of it. It means nothing more. The method which I proposed for the consideration of this subject, was, that I would show what it says; and then show, that if it has been applied right, it proves more than they allow, who make this use of it. One question more arises: how many of the human family do the scriptures declare have forgotten God? I will not extend my inquiry to the whole population of the world; I will go directly to the author of the text. How