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Divine Being will constantly pardon every sinner who returns to him, by a sincere repentance.

Such are the three immutable rules, which divine justice observes in dispensing sufferings; which I shall not recapitulate, because they are founded in reason, and positively proved from scripture: but I shall observe, that if these declarations are indeed the words of God, the second proof of the sublime proposition I mean to establish, must be true also; viz. That all the punishments, which will be inflicted on the wicked, in a future state, are designed for their conversion; so that they are real corrections.

Thirdly, and lastly, I shall shew, by a variety of passages from scripture, the absolute impossibility of the eternal duration of sufferings, because, those passages are incompatible with such a signification. I shall reduce them under three classes, to avoid confusion.

The first class comprehends all such texts as compare the duration of divine severity, with that of divine favour. The psalmist says, speaking of God, "his anger endureth but for a moment, in his favour is life;" and the reason of this, evidently is, that his anger is exercised for a time, that he may display the effects of his favour, throughout all eternity. His anger is a transient mean; his favour, an established end. Were it otherwise, alas! And were the sufferings of the wicked to last forever, we should be obliged to reverse the text: for this mortal life, the only period in which they could enjoy any portion of divine favour, is surely but a moment, compared with an eternal duration! But thanks be to God, his word every where contradicts this dreadful supposition; and it is not less true now, than when he declared to his ancient people, " in a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee."

I proceed next to another class of passages, if possible, more decisive than the former; which expressly declare, that, "the Lord will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever." And we do not speak the same language with the psalmist, when we Inaintain, that future suffering, which is the wrath to come, will not last eternally, because, he will not keep his anger for ever? The contest which is to destroy sin, will be long and painful to sinners, but as they are not stronger than God, he must at length prevail, for he will not always chide. How comforting is it to the soul oppressed and terrified almost to despair, by the weight of her sins, and the horrid apprehension of eternal sufferings, to taste this good word of the Lord, which our Saviour has assured us, shall never pass away, though heaven and earth should be removed.

How delightful to find in it, those comforting words of the prophet Jeremiah: "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."

I come now to the third class, which comprehend all those passages, describing the Supreme Being as our Creator. And these, like all the former, are proofs founded on the highest authority, that of God himself; and yet this is not all, for as his word is an address to our reason, so he condescends to reason with us, that he may convey light and conviction to our souls; which is evident in all those texts, representing the Divine Being as our Maker. Creation, is our primeval title to divine love and beneficence: the gift of existence is the first, and fundamental blessing; the seal, and token, of every other. We know from thence, that he is good, and full of love to us; because, when he had no need of us, he created us; and in conferring existence upon us, we, and our happiness, are become his care. By that act of wisdom, goodness, and power, the Creator has undertaken the charge of our happiness: and, had he not certainly known he could accomplish it, he would never have given us being. But let us attend to those inspired words of the psalmist, which speak the language of confidence and assurance: "the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever; forsake not the work of thine own hands. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." And what is that concern so interesting to me? What, but my happiness! the utmost happiness of which my nature is capable? Now, from the first moment of my being, to the present, he has not ceased to conduct me towards, and to prepare me for, that celestial happiness: and had I constantly adhered to the salutary dictates of his providence and grace, and not turned aside to do mine own will; I should, doubtless, have made a far greater progress in the career of happiness. But how remote soever I may yet be from this desirable attainment, yet I know that the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; and, that whatever means my moral state may require, will be made use of to elevate me to perfection and felicity. But how do I know it? because his mercy endureth forever. This is the solid basis on which my everlasting hopes repose. This mercy is inexhaustible, can never be tired, nor fail of the time requisite for the execution of its designs; because, to him a thousand years are as one day, and, eternity is his. Thus, whatever the freedom of my will has resisted here, will be accomplished hereafter, where I shall be chastised, and saved from those sins that place an obstacle between me and my happiness; where Divine Goodness will, if necessary, employ the most rigorous and terrible means, to bring me to supreme felicity; for he will not forsake the work of his hands. So long, therefore, as it shall be

true, that I am his work; so long will it be true also, that he cannot abandon me; and these admirable words of David, which I apply to myself, relate equally to all my brethren, to every son of Adam.

But, must I now compare these luminous and exhilarating truths, with the gloomy, and discomforting opinion I am combating Alas! were the torments of the wicked of infinite duration, these sublime truths would not be such for the reprobate; it would not be true for them, that the Lord would perfect that which concerneth them! It would not be true for them, that the mercy of the Lord endureth forever! Nor would it be true, that he doth not forsake the work of his hands! Forsake did I say, Ah! shall I have the courage to follow this dreadful system through all its revolting consequences? Happy were it for them, did he forsake them; did he utterly abandon, and leave them a prey to death and the grave, where annihilation might swallow them up forever. No; his almighty power must be displayed in their resurrection; in creating them, as it were, a second time, in giving them an immortal existence, to the end, that the fierce anger, the implacable terrors of the Lord, may be discharged upon them throughout all eternity. And is this the Father of mercies? The Parent of the human race? No; it is the phantom of error. Gracious God! By what prodigy of blindness, art thou thus misrepresented, in the midst of those very sinners, for whom thou gavest thy wellbeloved Son, that he might perfect that which

concerneth them.

true, that all men were created for happiness; but on the contrary, that two very opposite destinations were assigned them; some to felicity, others to infinite misery. Such, however, is not the language of the divine word: "God our Saviour will have all men to be saved ;” he is the Saviour of all men: and in order to announce this grand truth, as a thing that will infallibly take place, and which will be equally certain and universal as our condemnation to mortality on earth: we are told, "that as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, (to death) even so, by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Thus we see, how expressly the word of God declares the universal salvation of mankind to be his will and purpose; and what will assuredly take place.

Now, if it be true, that scripture agrees with itself, and with reason, it is evident that we must understand every dispensation of the almighty, as corresponding with the great end he has in view; the universal salvation of his creatures. The pain and sufferings of the world to come, cannot, without doing violence to reason and scripture, be separated from this great scheme, which almighty wis dom has planned; and must therefore be means of salvation to the reprobate; real chastisements, inflicted for their conversion and amendment: consequently by the word eternal, we are not to understand an infinite, but a limited, though probably to some, a very long duration.

But I turn from this terrifying aspect, to The ancient covenant made with Abraham finish my third class of texts, with those com- and his posterity, was peculiar to the Jewish forting and restoring words in Isaiah; where nation, and excluded every other. It was to we shall hear our merciful Creator declare serve as the foundation of that new, and betthat he doth not punish or reject forever. ter covenant, which the divine Being design"For thus saith the high and lofty One, that ed of universal extent; and to which it was inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy; I to give place. This new and universal covedwell in the high and holy place; with him nant, with all nations, by which the gentiles also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to should be called, and the heathen become an revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive inheritance; is repeatedly foretold in the prothe heart of the contrite ones;" (that is, such phetic books. It is therefore a truth, founded as my chastisements have humbled and con- on the records of that ancient covenant, that verted.) For I will not contend forever, its duration was intended only for a season, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit and that it should give place to another. It should fail before me, and the souls which I is nevertheless, together with its rites, and have made." What a declaration is here! ceremonies, repeatedly called eternal: and if He will not contend forever, but till the heart an infinite duration, is to be understood by of the sinner is become humble and contrite. that term, the Old and New Testament are in Then will the High and Holy One, receive opposition to each other; nay, the former is him into his presence, and revive his spirit: in a state of disagreement with itself. How and he will act thus, for the eternal reason therefore do divines in every communion of himself declares, lest the souls to whom he Christians, adjust this difficulty? They hath given existence, should fail before him. agree to take reason for their guide, and very Now will not the same reason subsist at the justly, and rationally decide, that the word great day of accounts? Will it not be equal-eternal only implies a long, but limited duraly true then, as now; that he is the maker of our souls?

The passages which come under the fourth head, express the universal destination of men, to salvation, happiness, and life eternal: and are so many declarations absolutely incompatible with the eternal duration of sufferings? Were it otherwise, it would not be

tion; and that nothing more was meant, than the continuance of the ancient covenant, till it had answered the important purposes for which it was established, of preparing the way for another, and universal covenant, by which it was to be abrogated.

Now this method of reasoning, so just and satisfactory, is not more natural in this in

stance, than in its application to future punishments. For since the word of God, which brings to man the glad tidings of eternal salvation, at the same time calls future sufferings eternal; it is clear, that by a parity of reason, with that already quoted, we are not to understand that word in its absolute sense; as it would thereby be in manifest contradiction with the revealed will of our Maker; but that we are to take it in a sense agreeable to the word of God, to what we know of his nature, and to the powers and faculties which he has given us for our direction: and this we shall do, if we admit that it implies a permaLence, and perpetuity; till such time, as by the destruction of sin, and conversion of the sinner, the paternal views of our Creator shall be fulfilled.

properly prepared to experience the efficacy of divine redemption; that power of God, whereby the Son was sent to be the Saviour of the world, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man; not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

If then the sufferings of a future state, are so dreadful by their duration, they are no less so by their nature. Let us not infer from the word chastisement, made use of by our Saviour, that the torments of hell will bear any resemblance to the corrections of the present world; otherwise than as both are intended to promote the same salutary end, for in every other respect, both of degree, and duration, they will be so entirely different, that in the original language of the New Testament, they do not even bear the same names. Scripture describing the chastisements of this life, in the epistle to the Hebrews, makes use of the Greek word wadia which signifies the cor

There remains lastly, and under the fifth head, yet, one very remarkable text, where our Lord Jesus Christ himself, gives the name of chastisement to future suffering: these, says he, speaking of the wicked, "shirection of a child, which is inflicted with the go away into everlasting punishment." Now, though the word punishment is made use of in our versions; in the original Greek the word x, is peculiarly applicable to the pruning of trees, which therefore implies correction, or chastisement; and was in use to express that correction, by which men were made better, like to trees, who have undergone the operation of pruning, or lopping off the dead, or unfruitful branches.

In my preliminary discourse I promised to cite no human authorities, in proof of what I should advance; hitherto I have adhered to reason, and scripture; but, as in this particular instance, I cannot quote the latter in the vulgar tongue, I am obliged to have recourse to the original, and to prove to my reader, by such authorities as cannot be suspected, that the Greek word is signifies chastisement. And these authorities so respectable, are two learned divines; one, the illustrions Grotius, in his rights of war and peace; the other, the celebrated Wyttenbach, in his Essay on doctrinal theology. Grotius says expressly, that the kind of punishment which tends to the improvement of the criminal; is what the philosophers called among other things as or chastisement;* and Wyttenbach, who writes this passage from Grotius, says, that “God, in the infliction of sufferings, has three ends in view; the first of which, is the correction of the offender, in order to his future amendment. And that the Greeks frequently gave to such sufferings the name κόλασις.

Thus we see from unquestionable evidence, that the Son of God himself, calls future punishment chastisement: now a never ending hastisement, is a contradiction in terms. The word eternal must therefore, in that connection, signify a long and dreadful correction, which will never cease, till sin is subdued, and the heart of the sinner disposed, and

* Droit de la Guerre et de la paix, de la traduction de Barbeyrac. Liv. 11. chap. 20. § 7.

rod. "Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth, (or strikes with the rod) every son whom he receiveth." But the great and terrible chastisements of a future state are expressed by another word; and one that denotes, as I have already said, a long and severe chastisement with a two-edged sword, which will cut to the quick, in order to sever, and lop off every dead and corrupted branch.

Such are some of the principal declarations of scripture, which contain the third proof of this great truth; that the punishments which the Divine Being inflicts on the wicked hereafter, are so many corrections to bring about their conversion, and are real chastisements. Each of these respectable declarations taken independent of the rest, as they proceed from the God of all truth, ought to be of sufficient weight for our conviction. But what transcendent light must result from their union! Let us endeavour to collect their scattered rays into one focus, and let that focus be our heart, that by their lively ardour, each of us may be animated by divine love!

Oh Eternal Father of us all! Thine anger then endures but for a moment, because thy severity is only one of the means, by which thine infinite wisdom leads us to thee; but in thy favour is life, an eternity of life, to the end that thou mightest have mercy upon all. It is for this reason that thou wilt not always chide, nor reject for ever, because of the souls thou hast made, lest they should fail before thee; for thou wilt not abandon the work of thine hands. Conformable then to the immutable designs of thine all-powerful will, thou wilt perfect that which concerns us, so as in the end, to be the Saviour of all without exception: yes; even the Saviour of those who are now the slaves of sin, and hardened so as to resist every gentle method, which thy grace employs for their sanctification. For such, thou hast prepared a last and terrible expedient, to be exercised only, if

need be, a rigorous, an eternal, in a word, a just chastisement, proportioned, both in degree and duration, to the resistance and obduracy of the unhappy sinners who have incurred it. But to preserve us from incurring this tremendous punishment, thou hast given thy well beloved Son, and hast constituted him our king, and our judge; that he may reduce to thine empire, such, among us, as resist thee; may break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel; and when, by these means, their hearts are broken and humbled; then will this Saviour, this high priest, this king, bring them all to dwell with thee in thy high and holy place: and thus, having finished the work which thou gavest him to do, he will surrender at thy feet the sceptre, which, for this important purpose, thou hast given him, and will deliver up the kingdom to thee, that thou mayest be all in all.

I think we may now conclude that we have established a fundamental principle whence to form consistent ideas of the justice, and severity of God; who punishes the wicked that he might bless them, by turning them every one from their iniquities. How different from that implacable severity, which under the specious title of justice, would be insatiable vengeance, infinite cruelty, incompatible with goodness!

ty of God, which, far from being contrary to, is entirely founded upon goodness.

This authority consists in the absolute, and unlimited right which the Supreme Being has of disposing of us, and of our actions. By the first of these rights, he can deal with us as he pleases; and by the second, has an undoubted right to our obedience in whatever he commands. In virtue of this double right, which constitutes his supreme authority, he is our sovereign Lord, and our absolute master. Such is the infinite authority of God, than which it is not possible to conceive any greater.

To these two rights on the part of God, two obligations follow on ours. The first is our humble and entire acquiescence in every thing he sees fit to dispense: and the second, our faithful and willing obedience to all his commands; which obligation is as extensive, and as unlimited, on our part, as the authority of God itself. In virtue of this obligation, we are his servants, his slaves; whose only lot must ever be, submission and obedience. Such is our entire dependance with respect to God in virtue of his authority, that, it is impossible to conceive a stronger obligation.

Let us now examine the foundation of this authority; for the divine authority as it is real, must be established on some good reason, If we allow that severity is a branch of as its incontestable proof and title. All augoodness, it will set that amiable attribute in thority destitute of such foundation, is chimeits true light, and prevent us from falling rical, and the unjust claim of usurpation. into the dangerous illusion, of expecting no- Reason and scripture agree in making the thing from divine love, but mercies and fa- act of creation the foundation of this divine vours. We should not only consider the end, prerogative. Reason tells us that to God bebut the means of conducting us to felicity; longs, and on his good pleasure must depend, which will be severe, "upon every soul of every thing he has made; and that the Creaman that doeth evil." The goodness of the tor of the universe must be its Lord. ScripDeity is as enlightened as it is infinite; it is ture informs us that the most high God, is the a goodness inseparable from wisdom, and possessor of heaven and earth; that the earth consequently firm, and exempt from such is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and in false compassion as arises from weakness: Ezekiel, behold, all souls are mine. Thus, an inflexible, and inexorable goodness, which in the hundredth Psalm, the inhabitants of the without being influenced by our cries and sup-earth are called upon to rejoice, "because that plications, will complete its designs; in a word, a just and real goodness, which will treat us in a way suitable to our moral state, and by which the sufferings that are to elevate us to supreme happiness, are as certain as the infinite goodness of God itself.

But, if divine justice is so formidable a branch of goodness, it is not less comfortable to be assured, that we can never be called to endure any suffering which is not dispensed by the paternal goodness of the Lord; that our fruit will be unto holiness, and the end everlasting life; and that a time will come, when we shall bless and praise him for our chastisements, as for the most real and salutary favours. Let us therefore conclude this long paragraph with the proposition with which we entered upon it; that the infinite justice of God far from opposing his goodness, is in itself, a branch, formidable indeed, but nevertheless, an important and interesting branch of divine goodness.

I come next to consider, the infinite authori

the Lord has made them, and not they themselves." And lastly to shew, that creation is the title of this authority: scripture farther represents it under the image of a potter, who fashions the clay according to his will. We find in Jeremiah a remarkable parable to this purpose. God having sent the prophet to go down to the potter's house, where the ves sel that he had made being marred in his hand, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good unto him; upon which the prophet was commanded to speak to the people, saying, “O house of Israel! cannot I do with you as this potter? Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel!" It is impossible to express, more strongly, the absolute authority of our Maker, in consequence of our being the work of his hands.

Mankind are generally agreed on this subject, yet they strangely pervert the truth, by opposing this authority to infinite goodness For in the divine authority they discover rea

son to justify the infinite misery of the repro- | find a constant thirst after supreme happiness: bate; and maintain, that as the authority of I see the folly and extravagance of ever comGod is infinite and unlimited, he has a right plaining of the dispensations or laws of an to inflict on them never-ending torments. And infinitely wise Being: the presumption in a in order to silence every expostulation, the weak and ignorant creature of deciding on the words of St. Paul are applied to this subject: means by which its happiness is to be prowho art thou, O man! that repliest against cured. "Wo unto him that striveth with his God? Shall the thing formed, say to him Maker: let the potsherds strive with the potsthat formed it, why hast thou made me thus ?" herds of the earth. But shall the clay say Thus does a truth ill-understood, lead to the to him that fashioned it, what makest thou? most absurd consequences! Or thy work; he hath no hands? Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel; ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me."

It is therefore of the last importance to shew that the barbarous right, attributed to the Almighty, of rendering his creatures infinitely wretched, is a right absolutely impossible, in its very nature; and consequently, that we do not lessen the divine authority, by excluding from it this pretended, this horrible right; as I hope to prove, upon farther examination.

If then the authority of God arises from the act of creation, let us consider what there can be in this act that may serve as a just foundation of this infinite authority. In the act of creation I can distinguish but two things: the almighty power, which formed us; and the will, which led him to create us. The divine authority must be the result of one or the other of these. Now it is evident that power alone, considered in itself, can never be the foundation of divine authority. The idea of power and strength, and that of authority and right, have no natural connection. A being may have sufficient strength and power to subject me to his pleasure, but this alone can never give him any right; if therefore he has any real authority over me, it must be derived from some other source, for power alone is the pretended right of a usurper; similar to that of the beasts of the forest. This is a proposition so clear, that all demonstration would tend to obscure it; no one will ever dispute it; I may therefore propose it as an axiom, that the reason of superior strength is no reason at all, or that power alone can confer no just right of authority.

It is therefore in the will we are to seek for the foundation of that supreme authority which the Divine Being possesses over his creatures. Now that will, which from nothing caused us to be, was the first act of infinite goodness, and arose from the pure principle of benevolence and love. It is that which has constituted the Creator the tender Parent of all, and is the pledge of that happiness, which, issuing from him, must, in the end, fill with felicity every intellectual nature. Ah! when I contemplate the Being of beings, under the interesting point of view, in which creation places him; when I view him as a faithful Creator, as an eternal and gracious Father, who gave me existence that he might give me happiness, I am not at a loss to discern the foundation of his infinite authority; I see that it is the right of rendering me happy in the way best suited to my nature, and by the means best adapted to the end. I then perceive the strongest and most intimate obligation on my part, to submit blindly, and without reserve, to this authority; because, in my nature

Since then the infinite authority of God over his creatures, is his unlimited right of conferring happiness in his own way, let us never ascribe to that prerogative, the right of rendering them forever miserable. Whatever frail mortals may pretend, this right is absolutely impossible in itself, because revolting from nature. Creation, which is an act of goodness, could not confer it; for to create for the purpose of infinite misery, would be an act so unjust, so cruel, and tyrannical, that we cannot conceive a being capable of it; it would be contrary to that very nature of which God himself is the Author; and in a word, is absolutely impossible. It is not on any such principle that our heavenly Father reasons with us, concerning that authority founded on creation, since he alleges that very act, as the reason why he will not contend forever, nor be always wroth," as I have already shown, in quoting that text.

From what has been said, therefore, we may discern the nature of that authority which the Divine Being possesses over us, as our Creator; a right, not properly the offspring of power, but of infinite and unmerited love. By this act of paternal goodness, he has given us the pledge, the sure and certain pledge of its eternal exercise; directed by that wisdom, and attended by that power, which are alone capable of employing the means necessary for securing our perfection and felicity; and if our natural desire of happiness leads us to accept existence as a precious benefit, the same nature lays us under the strongest obligation to acknowledge this infinite authority, by receiving all its dispensations and laws, with the most cheerful and profound submis sion. Since the infinite authority of our Creator, far from being contrary to infinite goodness, is entirely founded upon it.

Our next consideration, relates to the infinite majesty of the Supreme Being, which far from being contrary to, is built upon goodness, as its firm, and eternal foundation.

When we consider the Divine Being in himself, and independent of any will to his creatures, he presents himself to our astonished imagination, in the infinite grandeur of supreme majesty. What then is this divine majesty? It is the splendour arising from the union of all the divine perfections, as the first, the intelligent and powerful cause of the universe.

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