and, consequently, to exert an influence incalculably deleterious to social order and happiness. In fact, we should be loth to repose the least confidence in a man who holds, that every human being passes, at death, into a condition of high and interminable enjoyment. A judicious moralist is reported to have once said to a lady who was speaking of the infidel principles entertained by a certain person with whom she was on intimate terms-"Madam, if your friend has no belief in a future state, I can only advise you, when he leaves you, to count your spoons. How much more appropriate would be this advice, in relation to one who professes to believe, not that thieves, as well as adulterers and murderers, are to be annihilated when they die but that thieves, as well as adulterers and murderers, are to be unspeakably and eternally blessed beyond the grave!

Brethren, we feel as if we had not yet spoken in terms sufficiently strong, of the fatal consequences likely to result from this doctrine. We have never heard, nor can we conceive, of any sentiment half so dangerous. Its general prevalence, as an article of the popular creed, would at once tear up society by the roots. The infidel scheme of annihilation, which wrought such horrors during the French revolution, is not near so bad. You had better tell men that the soul perishes with the body, than that future felicity shall be the certain and immediate portion of all who die. Yes, it were far safer to label upon the tomb, "Death is an eternal sleep," than to write over it, "Death is the broad gate to heaven." There is something in the thought of utter extinction repugnant to the feelings even of the most depraved, and they embrace it only as a less disagreeable alternative than the idea of future misery. The soul "shrinks back upon itself, and startles at destruction." But the promise of

instant and interminable happiness, addresses itself to all the instinctive sympathies of the human being, and is therefore calculated to become the most fatal instrument that diabolical ingenuity ever devised for the ruin of our erring race. We rejoice that there is a native and an unconquerable energy in conscience, which, in most cases, will impair the influence of this pestilent doctrine—that every man carries that within his bosom, which will sometimes compel him, in the midst of business and of pleasure, to fear the retributive judgments of his Maker. And we thank God, that he has taught us with so much perspicuity in his word, that he will not fail to distinguish, after death, between them that serve him, and them that serve him not-that it will be far from him, as the Judge of all the earth, to confound the righteous and the wicked.

The second modification of the doctrine of universal salvation, is by far the more plausible, and we are utterly astonished that any should have abandoned it for the one which we have just mentioned. According to this scheme, the wicked are to endure some punishment in the future world, but punishment limited in duration, and designed to prepare them for ultimate felicity.-Let us next inquire how far such a view of the subject is sustained by the dictates of reason, and the representations of Scripture.

The asserters of universal salvation, have invariably founded their system on mistaken notions relative to the divine benevolence. They have entirely lost sight of the justice of Deity-an attribute certainly not less essential to the perfection of his nature than goodness. Now, there is one remarkable passage in the Bible, which, had it been duly attended to, would have been enough to prevent any fallacious conceptions with regard to a subject of such vast importance. When Jehovah passed before

Moses on Sinai, he proclaimed himself "the Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin"-but, lest this detail of the lovely attributes of God should induce us to imagine that he is a Being whose administration is carried on irrespective of justice, it is added in the very same sentence" and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation." Hence we learn that mercy can never be extended, on the part of God, to the violators of his law, in a manner derogatory to the sacred and imperious claims of justice. Those claims must, in every instance, be fully and rigidly satisfied. The great Ruler of the universe cannot do other than right. The individual who founds his expectations of future felicity, on vague notions of the divine benevolence, trusts to an unstable and a treacherous basis, which may one day sink from beneath him, like the sudden and tremendous fall of an Alpine avalanche.

In contending for the perpetuity of future suffering, we shall not take the ground which many have taken, that sin is an infinite evil, and therefore deserves infinite punishment. Indeed, it appears to us rather unfortunate, that such a ground should ever have been assumed by those who have combated the doctrine of universal salvation. We shall not, however, detain you with a discussion of this intricate subject. We are afraid that we could not enter on a discussion of this kind, without neglecting the counsel of the apostle, who would have us to "avoid foolish questions."

The advocates of universal salvation, who admit that any punishment awaits the wicked in a future state, contend that such punishment will be wholly of a corrective

kind—that is, designed gradually to ameliorate the condemned sinner, and lead him to repentance and to happiness. But the Scriptures, in our apprehension, exhibit a different view of this subject. They seem to us to represent the sufferings of the finally impenitent as the effect of the divine displeasure against transgression-a display of justice on the part of the august Sovereign of the universe. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." In another passage, Jehovah exclaims, "If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and reward them that hate me." Now, we would inquire, whether these, and similar passages in which we read of God's pouring out his fury on his adversaries, do not clearly imply, that the infliction of vindictive punishment is by no means inconsistent with the benignity of the divine perfections?

But more than this.-We cannot conceive, that there is any thing in the nature of punishment which has a tendency to lead its subject to sincere and effectual penitence. We can easily imagine, that torments may cause the sinner to dread and to hate the Being from, whose hand they procced. But we see not how they can beget in his soul genuine and pungent contrition for his offences. This kind of repentance is described in the inspired record as resulting from the goodness, not the vengeance, of the Lord. What human father ever reclaimed an erring son by penal discipline alone? Kindness and severity judiciously combined, may have a salutary effect. But mere and unmitigated chastisement will only tend to break down the spirit of a child, to extinguish the sense of shame in his bosom, and thus to promote his ruin, instead of his reform. And so, in the future world, the malignity and exasperation of the sufferer must increase in a direct ratio with the amount and intensity of the woes which are heaped upon him.

The universalist contends, that a portion of our race are to be recovered from sin and misery, through the instrumentality of penal discipline in the future world. Now, it is at least remarkable, that the language of the New Testament in reference to human salvation, seems to be wholly unaccommodated to the peculiar circumstances of such individuals. Thus, we read, "By grace are ye saved through faith;" but, if our memory serves us, there is no passage which says, "By severity are ye saved through suffering." Again, the apostle writes, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us;" but he no where writes, unless we are much mistaken, "Christ hath imposed on us the curse of the law, intending to cast us down to hell for a season when we die." The same apostle thus expresses himself, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;" but he does not exclaim, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will curse us with all spiritual cursings in infernal places in Christ, that we may at last be happy." Those who shall be elevated to honour and felicity, without passing through the ordeal of hell, may properly sing, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, be glory and dominion for ever and ever." But the ransomed prisoners of Tophet will have to raise a very different song throughout eternity. Their strains, we should suppose-for the Scriptures really leave us to conjecture on the subject-will be somewhat in this style: "Unto him that damned us, and purified us from our sins, in the devouring fire of the infernal pit, be glory and dominion for ever and ever."-Brethren, we leave you to pursue this argument for yourselves, and we venture to predict, that the farther you advance, the more