of redemption through the blood of the Lamb; and in reference to others,-to those unhappy sinners to whom our subject relates, it proves with equal intensity and clearness their awful though righteous doom. For since Christ hath died to atone for human guilt, and thus to make peace by the blood of the cross and bring us back to God, those who neglect the only Saviour, who reject his sacrifice for sins, doubly seal their own condemnation. Law pronounces the just, the awful sentence; that sentence the gospel can revoke; the plea that Christ the Mediator hath died stays the hand of justice, and secures the kiss of mercy. But what if that plea be not gratefully adopted? We call on men inspired to reply. Let Paul answer it.' He that despised Moses' law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?' The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Let John give evidence.— He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' Let us listen to Christ himself.— 'He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.'

We come then to a melancholy point. Law perpetually trampled under foot, and the very remedy-costly beyond compare-set at nought, a double seal is affixed to the sentence of condemnation. And when the violated majesty of law has brought the guilty to the bar, lo! the rejected Mediator is the Judge; he who called and they refused, who stretched out his hand, but no man regarded; and his lips pronounce the sentence, which the heights of heaven and the depths of hell must equally justify, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.'

Thus are we conducted to a point whence we look down, though with half averted eyes, into the terrible abyss where the finally impenitent are cast; and though the smoke of their torment riseth up in dark volumes, and though there be fearful weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, we cannot refrain from approving the sentence which divine

justice hath passed on the obstinate rejectors of mercy, who would not have it in God's own way. Mercy came to them with the tear of compassion in her eye, her voice was full of tenderness and tremulous with the anxiety of love, her hands bore the olive bough, and she held forth exultingly a pardon written by justice in crimson characters, and sealed at the foot of the Redeemer's cross; but she smiled, she wept, she besought in vain; in vain she sung of heaven, in vain she told the terrors of the Lord.' Day after day witnessed the sinner turning a deaf ear to the voice of the charmer, coolly neglecting Christ, and virtually saying, I shall live as I please, and if at last God will overlook whatever he has not approved, and make me happy in some bright world,-well; I expect it of him; and if notand so he turned again and again, after every renewed appeal, to this present evil world, trusting to God's mercy to save him after all, though he did not choose to have mercy in the way which God himself laid down.

;

Could we not then even now join in the song of Moses and the Lamb as given in the Apocalypse, when there come forth seven angels, having the seven last plagues, in which is filled up the wrath of God; "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.' And if any impenitent sinner read this page, one who has not fled for refuge from the wrath to come, to the Lamb of God who alone 'taketh away the sins of the world,' I do beseech him at once to hasten his escape from impending ruin, and while yet the day of salvation lasts, to seek God with his whole heart, in godly sorrow for sin, imploring mercy in the name of that 'great High Priest,' that Advocate with the Father, who is the propitiation for our sins,' and 'who is able to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by him.'

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59

CHAPTER THE FOURTH.

Future suffering, whether penal or corrective-Suggestions to the Orthodox-and to their opponents-Punishment, not Chastening -Idea of from nature of law-taught by scripture phraseologyby its general tone-no tendency in suffering to convert testimony of conscience-case of fallen angels-circumstances generally, bearing of-Conclusion.

HAVING recognised the indispensableness of punishment when law is violated, our next question is-Whether the punishment threatened to the sinner is intended in mercy to himself, designed to correct his faults and restore him to a right state of mind, so that ultimately he may be introduced into the society of the, blessed, and, being made perfect through suffering, may henceforth be happy for ever? or, Is the suffering to be proportioned to his guilt, and inflicted because deserved, without regard to his improvement, but as a token of God's displeasure against obstinate transgressors, and of his inflexible resolve to maintain at all costs the authority of law!

I trust the question is stated fairly. It might indeed be put more briefly thus,-Is it chastening, or punishment, (properly so called) that is threatened to the finally impenitent? The question, then, being understood, one or two preliminary remarks may not be impertinent. And,

1. The orthodox are not entitled to affirm that all the holders of the first opinion necessarily do away with the appeals to fear which the scriptures contain; nor that they arrogantly set up their own reason against the decision of revelation, and the authority of God;-nor that they cling to the fond belief because they love this present evil world, and wish to cheat themselves into a sense of safety while neglecting the higher interests of religion and of their souls. This may doubtless be affirmed too truly of some, perhaps of many, who have held the notion; but I must protest

against one sweeping sentence of condemnation passed on the moral character of men, however widely we may deem them to have strayed, and who differ greatly among themselves; and in bar of the conclusion so indiscriminately pronounced by some who, forgetful of the inspired injunction, presume to judge another man's servant,' suggest one or two reflections.

It is quite possible, for example, for individuals differently situated from ourselves, exposed from childhood to quite an opposite class of influences, to bring to the study of scripture the same amount of honesty as ourselves, and yet reach other conclusions on some subjects. The Calvinist and the Arminian (would to God such names were fallen into desuetude) must forbear thus much with each other on questions quite as important, and on which scripture says as much, and speaks quite as distinctly, as on our present subject. And we ought cheerfully to concede that a man who adopts the sentiment may be actuated by the purest motives, and may deem that he is more truthfully exhibiting the character of God, and more completely harmonising all scripture. And surely if it be possible to admit the existence and operation of a praiseworthy motive, this ought in common candour to be acknowledged. Moreover, is it not a fact that some of the most deeply thoughtful among the decidedly evangelical, and even Calvinistic, have, while of course freely using scripture phraseology, allowed in themselves a secret hope, and even belief, that the future may possibly reveal that we had somewhat misinterpreted the divine threatenings? Have not some of the most profoundly and piously thoughtful been the least confident of the doctrine of never-ending torment?* And further,

* Dr. Watts, in his preface to The World to Come,' referring to the manner in which he has treated the subject in the body of the work, after intimating that "though the light of nature and reason" would have led to other conclusions than those which he thought scripture to affirm, says, "If the blessed God should at any time, in a consistence with his glorious and incomprehensible perfections, release those wretched creatures from their acute pains and long imprisonment in hell, either with a design of the utter destruction of their beings by annihilation, or to put them into some unknown world upon a new foot of trial, I think I ought cheerfully and joyfully to accept this appointment of God for the good of millions of my fellow creatures, and add my joys and praises to all the songs and triumphs of the heavenly world in the day of such a divine and glorious release of these prisoners." After stating that he had not been able however to see in

would it not be more satisfactory to every benevolent mind, to entertain the idea, if it were' allowable, that ultimately the entire universe would be free from all sin and suffering, and be happy in everlasting allegiance to God? Surely we are none of us prepared to affirm that this would, per se, be an unworthy notion to entertain of that God who hath made us all of one blood, and whose resources are infinite.

And I may the more consistently intreat the adoption of a less objectionable tone, inasmuch as while I can in thought place myself on the standing-point of such as hold the opinion, and look at the subject from their point of view, and understand how they reach their conclusions (which if an opponent cannot do let him hush) I am nevertheless arguwhat way the difficulties could be overcome, he thus continues: "The ways indeed of the great God and his thoughts are above our thoughts and our ways, as the heavens are above the earth; yet I must rest and acquiesce where our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father's chief minister, both of his wrath and his love, has left me in the divine revelations of scripture; and I am constrained therefore to leave these unhappy creatures under the chains of everlasting darkness, into which they have cast themselves by their wilful iniquities, till the blessed God shall see fit to release them"

Professor Tholuck, the foremost champion of evangelical truth in his native land, who, according to the Biographical Sketch' of him by Professor Parks, has been disposed now to one view on our solemn subject, and now to another, has expressed himself thus; “If I remember right, my expressions at the time (1834) were these ;Dogmatically, i. e. as a theologian, I feel myself drawn toward this opinion (i. e. the doctrine of ultimate universal salvation) but Exegetically, i. e. as an interpreter, I do not know how to justify it."

And since one periodical at least in a review of that able and interesting pamphlet, What was the Fall?' mentioned the late John Foster as the writer of a most characteristic letter, a part of which is therein quoted, there can be no impropriety in my saying that that profound and mighty thinker, whose reverent attachment to evangelical religion none can question, utterly disbelieved and rejected the popular notion of an eternity of suffering; and without, I think, coming to a positive conclusion how their sufferings would terminate, rather inclined to the belief that ultimately all God's creatures would be restored to virtue and happiness.

And I may add my personal testimony to the fact that very many of both ministers and private christians, whose cordial and devout attachment to the general scheme of evangelical truth is indisputable, more than doubt the eternity of hell torments. If some of these have as yet no positive belief as to the final result, they are quite agreed that the popular doctrine is untenable. So far as I have had an opportunity of judging, I should say that there are comparatively few evangelical congregations in which will not be found some of the most intelligent and pious to disbelieve the common opinion. But the distinction between exoteric and esoteric is not yet forgotten.