صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

as such, are commanded to "flee to the strong hold, "That they are the objects of divine benev olence, and the subjects of a glorious promise; in which is embraced the sure mercies of David." The new and better covenant, like the good Samaritan, embraces man in the most deplorable state to which sin has reduced him: It administers the oil and wine of consolation to his wounded spirit, and salutes him with the welcome sound of glad tidings; even "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." It points him to "the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!" To "the blood-that cleanseth from all sin!" It brings life and immortality to light,-kindles the latent spark of hope, and fans them to the flame of assurance! In short; man, as he stands in relation to the gospel, is "freely justified through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." Rom iii. 24. He is the heir of a divine inheritance, according to the promise of Him that cannot lie; even the inheritance that is "incorruptable and undefiled, that fadeth not away." In this relation, he is subjected in hope of deliverance from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

I would still pursue this inquiry, but lest we should be led to anticipate too fully our last proposition, I shall suspend farther labors upon this important section, and pass to the

5th and last division of our subject, and invite your impartial attention to the decision of the grand question, "what is man," as he stands in relation to a fixed, final, and endless state? In relation to an endless state, man is either the subject of endless misery, the subject of annihilation, or the subject of salvation. And first, we shall lead to the interesting inquiry, whether man is, or is not the subject of endless condemnation. We have before shown that the gospel was designed to disclose the inheritance of man according to the promise: That it was addressed to every creature; and signified

good news or glad tidings. That it relates to man, the destinies of a future state, cannot be denied, since "life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel." 2nd Tim. i. 10..

Let us be careful here, not to mistake: The gospel is glad tidings, or good news; it is addressed to all men, and makes known the destinies of the future existence. Now if endless misery be the destiny of any portion of the human race in the future existence; could the gospel, which makes them acquainted with their doom, be good news to them? Is it possible for any rational creature to suppose that this is the "good tidings of great joy" which the angel proclaimed to all people?Your speaker is satisfied that no one, who will candidly reflect on this subject, will decide in favor of interminable misery's being good news to any man; much less to the unfortunate victims of its merciless pains! Again: We are commanded in the gospel to love our enemies, and to pray for them: Now suppose that all our enemies were the subjects of never-ending punishment; would our love to them, which is enjoined by the gospel, lead us to rejoice in their misery? Or can love delight in the misery of its object? We will bring this to the strictest trial: God is love." Now if it can be proved that God delights in the misery of his creatures, it will appear consistent for us to rejoice in their misery also. But we have the fullest evidence in Ezekiel, 18th chapter, that he hath "no pleas ure in the death of him that dieth :" And in Lam. iii. 33. that he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." No man can, therefore, rejoice in the misery of his fellow-creatures until he ceases to love them; for love implies a disposition to communicate happiness.

Having as I trust shown that the doctrine of interminable suffering, is not an article imposed by the gospel for the faith of the creature, I shall now consider some of the evidences on which its advo

eates place their principle dependance, for the support of this system. The word everlasting, applied to punishment, in Matt. 25th chapter, last paragraph, is urged as substantial proof. The paragraph in which the word stands connected with punishment, as here quoted, confines the reward there mentioned, to the time of the Saviour's coming, which he taught his disciples was at hand.— "When the Son of man shall come, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations," &c. To ascertain` the particular time when this event should take place, the hearer is refered to the 16th chapter, two last verses: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingnom.”

Nothing can be more evident, than that the time of the Saviour's coming, was confined to the apostolic age; and that the reward mentioned in these passages, was to be administered when he came. By carefully reading the 24th chapter, you will find the same truth set forth, and clearly explained by the Saviour himself. Hence we learn, that the punishment here spoken of, was to take place on the earth; and in the days of the generation in which he lived. The word everlasting is of the same import with the word forever; and in the original, is derived from it. It signifie's lasting for ever, or for an age: It is thus rendered by Grecian Lexicographers: An age, a, dispensation, one's age, a man's life, the world, &c.

We will now cite a few examples from scripture, shewing the use of this word. "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, the earth with her bars was about me forever." Jonah ii. 6. Here the word is used to denote the space of three days, and three nights. The land of Canaan was given to

the children of Israel, for an everlasting possession. Gen. xvii 8. and xlviii. 4. This could have no reference to a future existence; nor even to the whole duration of their continuance upon earth; for they have long since been deprived of that inheritance. Again: The priesthood of Aaron and his sons, was denominated an everlasting priesthood. Exodus xl. 15. Num. xxv. 13. The covenant of circumcision was called an everlasting covenant. Gen. xvii. 13. Numerous other examples might be quoted, such as the everlasting doors, bills, and mountains; but it is presumed that these are sufficient, to satisfy the candid hearer, that the doctrine of unlimited punishment cannot be supported from the use of the word everlasting.

Perhaps it may be urged by some, that the happiness of the righteous stands or falls upon the same foundation; being supported by the same word: But this is a mistake- We read in Isa. 45th chapter, that they "shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end." We also read of an endless life. Heb. vii. 16. No expressions like these are applied to sin or misery in any part of the scriptures: And if it were a truth, imposed as an article of the christian faith, it is but reasonable to suppose that it would have been expressed in terms unequivocal. I have fully shewn under our 3rd division of this subject, that sin is finite, and therefore could not be productive of infinite consequences; and it must be obvious, that no finite cause can produce an effect which is infinite in any sense.

We come now to consider some of the positive evidences, to disprove the doctrine against which we are contending. In Psalms xxxvii. 10. we find these words: "Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Again: "Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them

up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. iv. 1. Here we are instructed that the wicked shall not be, that they shall be burned up, root and branch: Yea, all the the wicked. Now if these testimonies are to be relied on, the doctrine of endless misery must fall to the ground: If they are not to be received as evidence, the Bible may be rejected at once: For we have no better evidence, to believe that other passages in scripture are true, than we have that these are true. The doctrine of endless, unmerciful torments must therefore be given up, or these scriptures must be rejected.

With regard to the doctrine of annihilation, the passage last quoted, from Malachi, is considered as one of its strongest proofs. In this passage,

[ocr errors]

all the proud, yea, all that do wickedly," are equally threatened with destruction. But who are these wicked characters ? Answer: "All have sinned, there is none that doeth good,-there is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." If this, therefore, be urged in proof of annihilation, it equally proves the annihilation of the whole human family; which the advocates of this doctrine will by no means admit. That the destruction of the man of sin; the body of sin and death; and the destruction of the old man with his deeds, and a preparation by divine fire, for the putting on of the new man, which after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness, is intended by this passage, I readily admit, and fully believe. In my labors under the 2nd proposition, I save shown from scripture, that man possesses a divine principle or spirit, which is from God; consequently immortal; of which God is the Father; and which utterly excludes the possibility of annihilation.

I shall now hasten to lay before you a few of the many positive scripture proofs in support of the doctrine of impartial salvation by grace. "All the

« السابقةمتابعة »