church-the judgments which should be executed upon its oppo-; sers and corruptors-particularly those impending over the Jewish church and nation, are the prominent subjects of the book. These judgments are sometimes expressed under the phrase "second death;" a death which some have persisted in representing as interminable, in the face of the declarations that death is to be destroyed-be no more-be swallowed up in victory-and that in its extinction the last enemy shall be extinguished! Undoubtedly the several passages in this book which speak of these events, are to be understood as implying that under the benign government of Messiah, all evils, both physical and moral, shall come to an ultimate end; no more tears-no more night-no more death-no more sin-no more sickness, nor sor"for the former things shall be done away"— -no farther need of sun, nor moon, for the quenchless and unsetting glory of Jehovah shall be the future light of all intelligences forever “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels roundabout the throne, and the beasts, and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Rev. v. 11—13.)

row,

What now remains in proof of a judgment after death? I truly know of nothing, either on scriptural or philosophical ground; my opponent, it is true, supposes that Christ's question relative to the advantage to be derived from gaining all the world, and losing one's soul, has a bearing in favor of that doctrine, "especially," quoth he, "as this question was propounded in immediate connexion with the account of his coming to reward men according to their works." It was so, I grant; but then what is said in the same instance as to the time of said coming? It was to take place in the life-time of some that heard him speak; and consequently, instead of favoring my friend's position, it makes against it-for if God rewards men according to their works in this world, he certainly does not defer that business until the end of time.

T

A judgment eighteen hundred years ago, is rather too far back, I fancy, for the purpose of my opponent. Moreover, the word soul, in the passage under consideration, should have been life even the orthodox Dr. Clarke admits this, and expresses his astonishment at the translator's having rendered it as it now stands. To the mere English scholar it is manifest, from the grammatical connexion of the passage, that it was the life of which Christ was speaking, not the soul; and it is indeed quite surprising that the same Greek term should have been twice rendered life in one verse, and twice soul in the verse next following, and yet an unbroken connexion (both in language and subject) uniting the two verses! "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his psuche shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his psuche for my sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own psuche? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his psuche ?" (Matt. xvi. 24-26.) When the rules of interpretation are thus grossly violated, one cannot help suspecting that truth has been purposely sacrificed to the interests of a creed. To perversions of this kind the popular dogmas in theology are mostly indebted for the scriptural countenance they claim. The dangers of losing the soul! How many a thrilling and terrifying peal has been rung upon this theme! And men in their ignorance have not doubted that their aroused alarm on this head had good bible warrant.*

I cannot be persuaded, my hearers, that the doctrine of a judgment after death has been productive of any benefit to mankind; whatever tends to encourage the impression that the retributions of guilt are distant-and uncertain as distant-must necessarily be pernicious in its influences; and without doubt, the common notion of a general judgment has this tendency. We have inspired testimony to this effect. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men

"What shall sing the dirge of a soul that is lost ?" exclaimed the late eloquent and amiable Summerfield. What celebrate the obsequies of an entombed spirit? If the sun should hide his face behind a darkening gust-if the stars should fall from heaven-if the heavens were veiled in sack-cloth-if earth were convulsed throughout her whole circumference, and from mountain-top to mountain-top burst forth the yell of horror and desolation; all would not be adequate to express the event of a lost and damned soul!" Very eloquent this, it is true; but eloquence often lends its gorgeous coloring to paint the face of error.

is fully set in them to do evil." (Eccles. viii. 11.) Still the writer of this text did not suppose that punishment was deferred until after death; on the contrary, he positively asserts that the days of the wicked shall not be prolonged; but the mere circumstance of a delay in the execution of punishment he saw to be of injurious consequence on the hearts of men. How much more so, to tell them that they may possibly escape with entire impunity, how guilty soever they might be? And what must men think of the wisdom and goodness of Jehovah, as our moral governor, if he does indeed deal with us upon principles which himself has declared pernicious? It is nowise probable that in the above passage there is allusion to a tardiness in the retributions of heaven; I think that the reference is to human punishments, which are often delayed, (and even omitted altogether,) and men are apt to be emboldened to repeat their transgressions by this delay and uncertainty. In Solomon's time, nothing was known of a judg ment after death; it was a settled point with the people of that day, that sooner or later the judgments of heaven overtook the guilty in life; although then, as now, they were apt to be deceived into false conclusions, from the external appearances of prosperity on the part of wicked men, and from the fact that "there be just men unto whom it happeneth, according to the work of the wicked;" as if the operations of nature, and the contingent events of life must each moment be interfered with, and shaped to suit the ever-changing moral conditions of mankind! Christ himself has told us, that "God causeth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain upon the just and the unjust." But these circumstances do not conflict with the express testimony of the scriptures on the other hand. "Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner." (Prov. xi. 31.)

The sum of my argument, then, is as follows: 1st. That there is no express nor fairly implied scripture warrant for a general judgment after death. 2d. That on the contrary, all the texts which speak of a judgment, or of judgments in particular, are clearly, (so far as they can be understood,) applicable to time, not to eternity. 3d. Both God the Father, and Christ the Messiah, are expressly and repeatedly represented as exercising the judicial branch of their moral government in the earth. 4th. The

bible (as well as civil history) abounds with instances of divine judgment upon the guilty, both individuals and communities. 5th. Hence I infer that, except the righteous Judge of all the earth tries and punishes the same parties twice for the one cause, that a judgment after death is unnecessary. 6th. It were a mockery also, for the cases to be tried are clearly known to the infinite and omniscient arbiter, in their origin, and consequences, direct and remote; in his mind, therefore, they are prejudged. How vain, then, and absurd, were the forms of trial under such circumstances! Finally, if a general judgment, in any form, shall take place after this life, it does not follow that punishment (much less endless punishment) must necessarily be any part of its consequences. It were far more probable-far more in agreement with what is disclosed to us in nature and revelation of the boundlessness of the divine mercy--that the object of such judgment will be to bring the purity and grace of God into greater contrast to our perceptions, with our wickedness and ingratitude; and thus, whilst at the same time that we shall obtain the deeper conviction of our unworthiness, we shall also be the more constrained to adore that almighty love which shall consent to "cast our sins into the depths of the sea." (Mic. vii. 19.) We are not without ample bible warrant for this idea of a general judgment and its objects. See amongst other instances to this point the following: "And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ: Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound: but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin had reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. v. 16-21.)

I have before observed, that the verb to judge, is most usually employed in the scriptures to express the same thing as the verb

to govern. Christ is considered as the King of the New Testament state, or gospel kingdom; and as such he is represented as exercising the judicial functions of government. His judgment shall last while his reign lasts, and he shall only "reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet;" "then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that hath put all things under him, that God may be all in all." Now it is most strange, on the part of our opponents, that they make the exercise of his judicial authority to begin just where the scriptures make his regal authority to end ! And notwithstanding the plain and repeated declarations of the bible, that he "shall execute judgment and justice in the earth," they will have it that he judges men for their good and evil actions, not in time, but in eternity.

MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED

OBJECTION I

There are two texts of scripture which speak expressly of punishment after death-yea, more, after the resurrection! How will universalism stand before these? The one is Daniel xii. 2. "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." The other is St. John v. 28, 29. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." These passages are parallel in their reference and signification. Universalists, I know, attempt to give them a figurative application. But we ought ever to reject figurative expositions of scripture, except expressly warranted by the context, or except a passage be such in its nature as to expressly require a departure from the rules of literal interpretation.

ANSWER.

It is granted that the above texts are parallel, but this very admission is fatal to the objection; for Christ has fixed the time of