cious; for, to leave out of view the scripture testimony to the controversy, it is refutable on logical ground alone. If eternal life imply eternal death in a prospective sense, it also must in a retrospective; if, because life always shall be, death must always be also; then it follows that as life always has been, death also must always have been; but when life resided in God alone, in whom did death reside? Answer that, ye who contend for death's eternity, on the ground that life is eternal. Life has its wellspring in the nature of Jehovah; let the source be dried up, and the empire of death will be universal. Death results from mortal constitutions; when these have ceased, death must cease of course, and be "swallowed up in victory."

Hell is fated to the same end. God says by the prophet, "I will ransom them from the power of Sheol, (grave or hell) I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O Sheol, I will be thy destruction." (Hosea xiii. 14.) John's description, (highly figurative, unquestionably,) must refer to the same event. "And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death.” (Rev. xx. 16.) Here the destruction of death itself, is termed the second death. Poet,

As saith the

"And pains, and groans, and griefs, and fears,

And death itself shall die."

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Paul broadly intimates the destruction of Hades, in the triumphant challenge, "O Hades, where is thy victory ?" (1 Cor. xxvi.) It were victory enough to retain within its dark domain, unnumbered myriads of God's family; and if such is indeed to prove the case, the challenge of the apostle could, on the part of Hades, be triumphantly responded to. But this shall not prove the case, for God's word has gone out for its destruction, and the decree is past revocation, for saith God, "Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." Happy, glorious event! "O, thou enemy, destructions shall come to a perpetual end." Here, indeed, will be a triumph worthy of almighty grace, a triumph of triumphs! "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." (Psl. lxviii. 18.) 0, Hades! thy grim and direful reign must close, when almighty love comes to resume the sceptre of universal empire, and little

as the prospect of thy final discomfiture may be relished by those who fancy that to them are entrusted the keys of thy dreary portals, yet come it must at last, and thy grim associate, death, shall share in thine overthrow, as he shared in thy triumphs.

Alike doom awaits the devil, (which means an adversary, any adversary,) "Forasmuch, then, as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through the fear of death, were all their life-time subject to bondage.” (Heb. ii. 14-15) The devil, poor fellow! has had a hard fortune from the beginning; but here is a long good night to his troubles.

The works of the devil are also among the subjects doomed to eventual extinction. "For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John iii. 8.) That sin is a work of the devil, introduced by his instrumentality, will not be disputed; neither will it be doubted that misery of all kinds flows from sin. (I mean that by our opponents this will not be doubted-we believe that there is much misery which is not consequent of sin.) If, then, the works of the devil shall experience the fate decreed for them, it follows that all the misery consequent of sin shall cease. Error also is ascribed to the devil, (for he is called the father of lies, (John viii. 44.) and false doctrines, under the figure of tares, are called "the children of the wicked one," "the enemy that sowed them is the devil," (Mat. xiii. 39.) both the devil and his works are not infrequently personified in the scriptures,) error, therefore, must also in due time cease: the same thing is plainly intimated in the several predictions afore-quoted, that God will remove the face of the covering cast upon all people, and the veil spread over all nations, that all shall be brought to know the Lord, and to confess Christ to the glory of God the Father; then shall tears be wiped from all faces, and the divine glory be displayed to an universe of intelligences.

NINTH. The ultimate salvation of all men is obviously infer

able from numerous other scripture texts and circumstances. For example: the anger of God is alluded to as existing but for a moment; (Psl. xxx. 5. Isaiah liv. 8.) but, in full fifty instances, his mercy is said to endure forever, (1 Chro. xvi. 34. 2 Chro. v. 13. xvii. 3, 6. xx. 29. Psl. cvi. 1. cvii. 1. cxviii. 1, 2, 3. cxxxvi.1, 2, 3, etc.) but according to the opponent system this antithesis is false for in that case his anger endureth as long as his mercy: yea, more, for as regards the subjects of endless misery, the reverse of the antithesis is the fact; God's mercy toward them endureth only during their momentary stay on earth, and then commenceth the reign of his wrath, and it continueth forever!

Strictly speaking there is, there can be, no anger in the deity: "he is of one mind, and who can turn him ?" But in accommodation to our limited conceptions, the retributive dispensations of his providence are termed his anger, because they display the repugnance of his infinitely pure nature to all unholiness; these, however, are ever directed to the sinner's reformation as an ultimate object; they are therefore necessarily temporary, and, as compared with eternity, but for a moment; but the mercy which directs them, endureth, according to the most absolute sense of, the word, forever, while God himself endureth.

It is positively declared, “For the Lord WILL NOT cast off forever, but though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies, for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. .” (Lam. iii. 31, 32.) The same prophet also asks the important and self-answering question, “Will he reserve his anger forever? Will he keep it unto the end?" (Jer. iii. 5.) And the negative is boldly and explicitly settled by two other prophets. "For I WILL NOT contend forever, NEITHER WILL I be always wroth, for the spirits should fail before me, and the souls that I have made." (Isaiah lvii. 16.) "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; he WILL NOT always chide, NEITHER WILL HE retain his anger forever." (Psl. ciii. 8, 9.) And still another inquires, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? he RETAINETH NOT his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy; he will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; VOL. I.-L

No. 6.

and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea." (Mic. vii. 18, 19.) In regard to David God saith, and it is to be presumed that he deals with all men upon the same principle, "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes; But my loving-kindness WILL I NOT utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." (Psl. lxxxix. 30, 21, 32.) If the doctrine of endless misery were but half as explicitly affirmed in the scriptures as it is repeatedly here denied, it could with more show of truth claim our credence under the divine sanction; and it would then seem the height of presumption, to attempt the advocation of the opposite doctrine of the final salvation of a world. But what can be brought forward in its behalf, which will set aside this repeated and positive evidence of its falsity? And especially when to this are added all the evidences from God's attributes, relations, will, pleasure, promises, purpose, oath, his end in creation, redemption, providence, &c., one would think that to countervail all this, there should be direct testimony, so explicit, and so oft repeated, in various, yet always unequivocal forms, that common sense could not well mistake their purport. And even in that case the bible, by its contradictory testimonies relative to the same point, would nullify its own claims upon our respect and confidence. But how stands the fact? You will see, reader, ere we are done, that this dogma depends for support on some isolated allegories or other disjointed and hyperbolical portions of the scripture! A foundation so flimsy would stand small chance of availing it long, I ween, were it not for the too general ignorance, duplicity, and mystery-loving character of mankind.

TENTH. The same is also inferable from the nature of PRAYER, FAITH, and CHARITY. It has before been shown that we are directed to pray for all men, (1 Tim. ii. 1.) and also to pray in faith, because "whatsoever is not of faith is sin;" (Rom. xiv. 23.) to pray in faith for all men would not be proper, nor would it have been enjoined, if it were the fact that in regard to millions it would prove unavailing: the very injunction implies that the object of these petitions shall be finally fulfilled; more especially as they are in accordance with the divine mind, "who will have

all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim. ii. 4.) Christ has directed us to pray that the will of God should be done, (Mat. vi. 10.) and he himself has set the example of praying for the whole world. (John xvii. 21.) It is to be presumed that he knew whether his prayer would or would not avail: David often broke out into supplication for the whole human family, "Let all the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee!" (Psl. lxvi. 3.) “O let them give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever," (ibid. xxvii. 5.) and he also prays, "O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end!" (ibid. vii. 9.) "The Lord heareth the prayers of the righteous," it is said, (Prov. xv. 29.) and it is but reasonable to believe he does, and that he will answer them too, when they accord with his own will, and the example of his son.

All good men pray for the final salvation of the world; oh how fervently do they desire this great object! And yet, strange to say, how averse are many of them to believe that it will ever be brought to pass! They will argue against it, preach against it, write against it, and yet most fervently pray for it! And the doctrine which sets forth that their benevolent supplications are heard, and will in due time be fully answered, they denounce as a most gross and dangerous heresy !

FAITH. The scriptures intimately connect faith with salvation; but what must faith be in its nature, in order to be saving in its influence? This is a question of greater moment than is generally imagined, for except it give assurance to the subject of his own eventual happiness; yea, and of the eventual happiness of all in whom his affections are interested-it surely cannot savingly affect him: can any system of belief light up my mind with joy and confidence relative to the future world, which fails to assure me of my own future blessedness? And allowing it gives me this, which fails to assure me also of the future blessedness of my parents, my wife and children, my friends, and all in whose welfare my heart concerns itself? Now it is undeniable that neither of the several systems of unending punishment can do this. Supposing, for example, the doctrine of election true, can I certainly know that myself, and all these other objects of my love, are among the happy number elected to ceaseless bliss? None,