courfe to God for defence, and exhorts the faints to a fimilar conduct under fimilar circumftances, ver. 5, 8. He then warns the wicked of the finfulness and vanity of their attempts against God's people, ver. 9, 10. And his own confidence, his exhortation to the faints, and his warning to the wicked, are all founded upon the next words: "God hath fpoken once; "twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto " God. Alfo unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: "for thou rendereft to every man according to his "work," ver. 11, 12. Upon the whole then we learn, that God has power to protect His faints, and to punish their enemies; and that the mercy which He keeps for His faints will induce Him to exercife His power in the way of judgment upon the wicked: He will render to them according to their works, as in the cafe of Pharaoh and his hoft, and thus deliver His people. Mr. Wright proceeds, "The future exiftence of "mankind is the confequence of the death and refur"rection of Chrift (John xi. 25. 1 Cor. 15, 22. 2 "Tim. i. 10.) but it is acknowledged that the death "and refurrection of Chrift are effects of divine love, "confequently, every thing arifing from his death and "refurrection must be an effect of love. The Son of "God will judge and punish the wicked: confeqently "his judging and punishing them will be mediatorial "acts, intended to bring them into fubjection, and "reconcile them to God." * If all the effects of a caufe are effects of Divine Love, because that caufe is an effect of that love, it will follow, that, fince the exiftence of man, as a free agent, is an effect of the love of God, every thing produced by man as a free agent, is an effect of it alfo, i. e. the fins of men are effects of the love of God! * Hints, p. 6, 7. Altho Altho' the death and refurrection of Chrift are effects of Divine love, this does not hinder but that the benefits, flowing from thefe gracious acts, may be propofed to mankind upon certain conditions, and that those who do not comply with the terms of the new covenant may be deprived of its bleffings. His Majefty inftead of executing the laws against an army of rebels makes proclamation, that all who will lay down their arms and return to their duty within a limited period, fhall be restored to the fame privileges with his other fubjects: but that if they do not cease from their unnatural rebellion within the term specified, they fhall be proceeded against as rebels and traitors. Does this gracious proclamation prevent his Majefty from punishing with death those who despise it? Yet, in Mr. W's. way of drawing confequences, it is eafy to prove, that those who continue in rebellion will be dealt with in mercy. Thus the prolonged exiftence "of thefe rebels is the effect of His Majefty's gracious "proclamation. It is acknowledged that His Ma66 jefty's proclamation is the effect of his love: confe "quently every thing arifing from this proclamation " is an effect of love. His Majefty will judge and "hang those who obftinately perfevere in rebellion: "confequently his judging and hanging them will be "gracious acts, intended to make them good mem"bers of civil fociety!" In fact, if we allow Mr. W's. confequences to be juft, it may be fhewn very readily, that when one act of mercy has paffed, nothing but mercy can follow. It is furely moft curious language to tell finners that it is an act of love and mercy in God to fend them to hell. Why should they be afraid of going to hell, if there be nothing but the love and mercy of God difplayed there? Is the contemplation of thefe Divine perfections calculated to infpire them with fear? Το To fhew the tendency of Mr. W's. doctrine, I will fuppofe the following converfation to take place between him and a perfon who is in the habit of attending his ministry, and of reading his productions from the prefs. Mr. W. You are far advanced in years Mr. F. what do you think about another world? Mr. F. I cannot fay, Sir, that I am prepared for heaven, but it is fome confolation to me that the horrible doctrine of everlasting damnation is not truc. W. Poor confolation indeed! You cannot tell how fevere future punishment may be, nor how long it may continue. Is it not the height of folly to run the hazard of enduring the moft extreme tortures for ages, merely to gratify your finful inclinations for a few days? F. If I were confcious of any fuch hazard, I would immediately fubfcribe to the folly of my conduct. But have you not informed the world, that "all punishments are connected with " and mercy ? alfo that "God cannot act toward any creature, at "any time, but from a principle of love?"* will a God of love and mercy inflict punishment greater in degree, or of longer duration than is neceffary to bring His creatures to virtue and happiness ? Now W. But for ought we know, extreme punishment, for a long time, may be neceffary to bring about thofe ends. F. The direct contrary is clearly deducible from your writings. You know that the above defcription is calculated to beget fear; whereas you have ob ferved, in reply to Dr. Ryland (p. 18.) that "the 66 government * Hints, p. 4. 66 government of God is not the reign of terror-that 66 men are not to be frightened into his love-that if they faw his lovelinefs, and perceived his love to them, they certainly would love and obey him.” I cannot poffibly fee how this reprefentation can accord with any punishment; much lefs with punishment that will be very fevere, and of long duration. W. It is not fuppofed by us, that the wicked <will be conquered and made virtuous by mere tor<ment, only that their fufferings may conduce to "their conviction of the evil and bitter nature of fin, in order to their being fitted to become recipients of divine mercy, by which they will be healed and reftored." ""* F. If a conviction of the evil and bitter nature of fin be all that is neceffary in order to become a recipient of Divine mercy, then I may hope to escape all future punishment, fince, if I die in my prefent ftate, I fhall go into the other world with this conviction. W. As God doth not afflict willingly, all the fufferings of the present ftate have a tendency to "bring men to reflection, that they may be humbled "before the Lord; and how will it be proved that the "fufferings of the wicked hereafter will not have the "fame tendency ?"* F. An advocate for the tremendous doctrine of endlefs torments would object, that you apply that text in too great a latitude, and ask you how the deftruction of the Sodomites had fo happy a tendency? with many other puzzling questions: but I entirely coincide with your views of the paffage. You have however furnished me with arguments, in the very next page, to remove all apprehenfions of any thing very dreadful; for you obferve," That fufferings in the prefent life * Examination, p. 46. † Ibid. p. 48. life have not always a good effect, may be accounted for by confidering that finuers do not, generally, view them as coming from the hand of God, nor confider fin as the caufe of them; no wonder, then, "that they are not humbled under the Divine hand; "but they must have very different ideas when under future punishment." You go on to fay, that 66 men in this life, however great their fufferings, find "many alleviations, many things to divert their at"tention and diffipate the thoughts; but none of "thefe circumftances can exift in the future ftate of "punishment." Now Sir, if the peculiarity of men's circumftances here be the reafon why the fufferings of this life do not always terminate in converfion, if those hindrances will not exist in another world, and if God do not afflict willingly, then it muft follow, that greater fufferings than thofe of the prefent life will not be neceffary to bring men to virtue in the life to come, and of courfe will not be inflicted. It would therefore be as abfurd to live in the fear of hell, as to torment myself with the thought I am fubject to bodily affliction and difeafe. In fhort Sir, fhould I find my fituation in the other world unpleafant, I have only to pray for qualifications for a better, and in anfwer to prayer I fhall obtain both. You will therefore excufe me if I fay, that there is nothing in the decifion of a future judgment of an alarming nature. Who does not fee that the jargon of this carnal profeffor is confiftent with the doctrine of Univerfal Reftitution. The Scriptures uniformly reprefent the day of Judgment as a moft dreadful feafon to the wicked, from the confideration that the Divine vengeance will be then displayed in its moft terrific forms; (3 Thefs. i. 8-10.) whereas the Universalists' account of it is only calculated to harden the lukewarm and carelefs, and to bolfter up the prefumptuous hypocrite. What a dreadful account will fuch minifters have to give when they undergo the ftrict fcrutiny of their 2 Judge! |