' 4
4
'^.
■■■#■
DIVINE GOODNESS AND JUSTICE,
AS RETKALED IN
■H.-J. .
THE HOLY SCRI
n
rr
RES.
58866
M 3 5t-^
A TREATISE
ON THE
DIVINE GOODNESS AND JUSTICE,
AS RETEALED IN
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
BY
JOHN G. MARSHALL.
• • ■ * •••
* ■ ■ ' > • i .' • • J .
HALIFAX, N. S.
PRINTED BY WILLIAM MACNAB, PRiNCfi STREET,
1875.
• • • •
' • ■
ON DIVINE GOODNESS AND JUSTICE, ETC,
1. Ill one of our secular newspapers some time past, a brief essay
was published under the title, " The Goodness of God." It had no
signature shewing its author, but from its whole composition, it is
evident that the writer holds the doctrine which denies the punish-
ment of the wicked in the future state, as revealed in the ScripturcSi
Many of the expressions in the writing are boldly presumptuous, or
even profane. An answer to it will here be given, shewing its con-
trariety to the plain truth of iScripture, and that such future punish-
ment of those who die in an impenitent and guilty state, is perfectly
just, and quite consistent with the goodness of God towards all man-
kind during the ])resent life. The commencing and other principal
portions of the writing referred to, are as follows : — " There are only
three positions conceivable as the purpose and end of creating man-
kind, whatever the character or disposition of the Cx'eator. 1. The
final misery of all. 2. The final misery of a part, and the happi-
ness of the rest, 3. The happiness of all One of these must have
been the motive for creating, the end which God proposed to himself
on entering upon the work. The Jint would make him infinitely
malignant ; the second would make him a compound of good and
evil, capricious, partial, unjust, and cruel ; and the third only makes
him infinitely benevolent, and as the Bible declares, 'good unto all;'
and his wisdom 'full of mercy and good fruits, and without partiali-
ty.' It is idle to argue that God is infinitely good, and at the same
time affirm that he would create an immortal being, knowing at the
moment of doing it that the existence He was forcing upon him
would prove an endless curse to him.' " ♦ ♦ ♦ * If God deliberately
went to the work of creating millions of intelligent beings with the
certain knowledge, — wo will not say intention or purpose, — but with
the certain knowledge that they would, in any way, through any
agency or sin of their own, fall into a condition of endless wicked-
ness and torment, then He is not infinitely good, not good to them at
all, in any just sense of the word ? If the goodness of Trod does not
embrace the conversion, purification, and final welfare of his sinful
and rebellious children, how are we to interpret such teaching as the
following? — 'I say unto you, love your enemies, do good to them
who hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them who de-
spitefully use you. * ♦ • * l<'or if ye love them who love you,
what thanks have ye, for sinners also do the same ? But love your
enemies, and do good, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall
be the children of the Highest, for he is kind to the unthankful and to
the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is also merciful.'
Luke vi.
" Is it possible to believe thatJGod expects greater goodness and
mercy in us than he himself possesses ? Would he command us,
poor, frail, tempted mortals, to love our enemies, when he had not
moral courage to do it himself? Can any (.^hristian suppose, for a
moment, that God would, command us to bless and do good to those
who hate us, when he means eternally to curse and do evil to those
who hate him ? * * * * But why ask these questions ? His
infinite and everlasting goodness will reveal its power, in subduing
enmity, in purifying all hearts from sin, and restoring the whole
human family to holiness and happiness."
2. In proceeding to answer that erroneous and delusive production,
it may first be premised, as dictated by reason and propriety, that the
revelations contained in the inspired Scriptures afford the only true
and safe information and guide as to the subjects here treated of,
and of all other doctrines, as well as duties, of our divine religion.
These sacied records, therefore, will here be appealed to as the only
conclusive and binding authority. A few remarks, however, may
first be suitably oftered regarding human speculations and opinions
on religious subjects. All such speculations, or reasons on those
subjects, independent of Scripture, are presumptuous and dangerous,
and ever have been more or less erroneous. The world, by its own
wisdom, as Scripture declares, and as experience has always shown,
never knew the true character of God, or of the nature or design of
his dispensations towards mankind, or their true relations and re-
sponsibilities to Him as their Creator and Benefactor, their moral
Ruler and Judge. And further, under both systems of true religion,
especially the present, many, through the prido of unregenerate
nature, without searching Scripture, and comparing spiritual thing*
with spiritual, as scripturally directed, form schemes and notions of
their own on religious subjects, and hence have arlHcn most of the
heresies which have afflicted the true Church, impeded the progress
of divine truth, and in every age led vast multitudes astray and to
final ruin. If such self-sufhcient teachers, when preparing their
writings, look into the Scriptures to any considerable extent, they
select a I'ew of its passages, the nicaning of which they raisapprc-
hcnd, and consequently misapply them, and all the rest of their
compositions are merely their own speculations and notions
as to good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error, and their
opinions arc formed accordingly. The writer now being answered*
has evidently proceeded after this presumptuous and erroneous man-
ner. The Scriptures he has cited have no reference to the general
dispensations of God toward mankind, while in this life, or to future
judgment and punishment of the wicked, but they were given to
teach the conduct of men toward each other. He has taken no
notice, made no reference to the other attributes of the Divine Being,
bis wisdom, holiness, justice, and righteousness. Similar to this in-
stance has ever been the course of all who have been framers and
propagators of heretical or erroneous opinions on religious subjects.
Far be it from the thought of the present writer to attempt to
lower the scriptural standard of the goodness of God. He is indeed
good to all in this life ; makes his sun to shine " on the evil and the
good;" sends "his rain on the just and the unjust;" and has de-
clared and shown that " He has no pleasure in the death of the
wicked ;" but wills that all should repent and find mercy. But all
His gracious and beneficent dispensations in the {)resent probationary
state, are in perfect consistency \^ith his justice and other perfections,
and his determination most clearly and fully declared in his written
revelation, that he will finally judge all mankind, and eternally re-
ward the righteous, and eternally punisli those who have died in an
unrenewed and guilty state.
3. Designs of God in the Creation of Mankind.
The author of the writing under review has further shown his
reckless presumption in specifying, in most improper, or even pro-
6
fane terms, the supposed "ends" designed by Ood in the human
creation. Ife has not mentioned or alluded to anv Scripture on the
subject, but has net forth thrv alternatives of his own sjicculative
invention regarding it. There are many Scriptures which clearly
and satifactorily show the divine pur|)oses in that creation. Here
are a few of them ; — " I have created him for my glory." Isaiah
iv. 3 — 7. In Colossians i, 16, it is declared of the Lord Jesus
Christ — "All things were c-reated by him and for him." And
again, in lUvclations iv. 11 — "Thou art worthy, O liord, to re-
ceive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all
things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Other
Scriptures might be mentioned of the same import. There are also
:'iany solemn warnings and prohibitions as to mere human specula-
tions or supjiosjtions concerning the attributes and character of the
iioly and the gloriinis Creator and Kuler,or of his dispensations towards
his creatures, or any of his various arrangements or works. The
pious and devoted Job truly said — "Canst thou find out ^'^'e Almigh-
ty to perfection?'' In Deut. xxix. is the solenni caution — "The
sacred things belong unto the Fiord our God, but those things which
are revealed belong unto us ami to our children for ever, that we may
do all the words of this law.'' " Why dost strive against him? for
he giveth not account of any of his matters." " Wilt thou also (said
God himself) disannul my judgments ?"' Jle that repro\etb God,
let him answer it.'' — Job xxxiii. 40. Jn Kom. ix. — " man, who art
thou, that repliest against (jiod? Shall the tliir.g lormed say to him
that formed it, why hast tliou made lue thus?" Surely these inspired
warnings ought to be sullicient to restrain from all merely hinnan
suppositions or reasonings regarding the dispensations of an iniinitely
wise and just God towards his creatures. The author of the writing
under review must either not have known, or have not regarded
them. In either case he is justly blameable.
In further referring to the design and the goodness of God in the
creation of man, the first truth for notice is the declaration of inspired
Scripture that " God created man in his own image ; in the image of
God created he him ; male ami female created he them." That
image, in the human creatures, consists ' iefly in knowledge, holi-
ness, and righteousness ; wise in the niiuu, holy in the heart, and
righteovis in principles and conduct. Created by an infinitely wise
and holy Hciiifj, tl»cy could not have boon formod in any other man-
ner. Possessing those excellent (iiialitios, they couKl not but be
happy, for there can be no true and poruKiMont happiness where those
(jiuilities r.nd correspoiulinfj endowments are wautinj^. It is, there-
fore, evident that God created man with the desi<];n that ho should
be, and remain, in a state of holiness and happiness. But he was
formed as a free, moral, and responsible creature, with a will and
power either to remain in that happy condition, or by the sin of dis-
obedience to the divine command, lo forfeit and lose it. A test and
co'nmand, not at all difllcult as to his obedience and continuance of
happiness, wore made known to him, and a solemn warniug; especially
given, that in the day he disobeyed the command, he should "surely
die.'* lie wilfully disobeyed the warning and violated the command-
and thereby immediately lost his original spiritual life, enjoyments,
and blessijigs, and became subject to temporal afllictions, and natural
diseases, and death. Having thus fallen into a state of deprivation
of holijiess ami of propensity to sin. he was iiicaj)able of conveying to
his posterity any other than the like unholy and unhapj)y condition ;
and accordingly it is said of Adam in St-ripturc, after this he "begat
a son in his o\.ii likeness, after his image.'' All mankind have in-
herited ami shown the same natural state of alienation fnjm holiness
and righteousness, and propensity to evil in jirineiple and practice.
But the gracious Creator, in his wisdom and mercy, devised, and im-
mediately on that revolt and degradation of our first parents, intimated
to them the nnxle through which they might be restored to his image
and favor, by informing them that " the seed of the woman should
bruise the serpent's heaci," and by protracting their natural life, and
contiiniijig to them ninnerous temporal blessings.
The typical sacrifices of animals which immediately commenced?
and which [)refigured the future holy and atoning sacrifice, must in
some way have been intimated to them, though its meaning was not
clearly understood, for we see in Hcrii)ture that the otlering to the
IjOtiI by Abel, was "of the firstlings of his flock, and of the f-it there-
of. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his otrering," The
Scriptures also mention the burnt offering of Noah, on an altar, on
his leaving the ark ; the offering of a ram by Abraham instead of his
son ; and of several offerings of Jacob. We read in Exodus of the
institution of the passover, and the killing and sprinkling of the blood
of the pascal lamb, and the divine command for the continuance of
the institution with its prescribed sacrificial offerings ; and in that
book, and the three following booivs of the Pentateuch, numerous sacri-
ficial offerings are prescribed f(»r certain persons, and for the whole
nation of Israel. Such sacrificial offerings, with occasional interrup-
tions, were continued through the whole subsequent hir^tory of tlm
nation, down to the end of that legal dispensation, by the destruction
of Jerusalem, with its Temple, religious offerings, and services. All
the inspired prophets and others of the nation, spiritually eidightened
and truly pious, were aware that those offerings had a reference to
some holy being who should appear and explain, and fulfil the divine
[)urposes for which they were instituted. Moses, as we see in Deut.
xxxi., recorded them for their contimied remembrance and hope — "The
Lord thy (xod v\ill raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken."
Isaiah, in cha[)tor liii., foretold in most melting and also heart-re-
joicing terms, of a holy, suffering, and divine substitute for affording
a full propitiation and satisfaction for the sins of all mankind, and
opening a way for their eternal salvation. Daniel also, as we sec in
chapter ix, de^'lared — "Messiah]shall be cut off, but not for hiinsell'.''
[n Zachariah it is said of "Zion's King" — •' As for thee also, by the
blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit
wherein is no water.'' All these sacrificial offerings and inspir-
ed predictions, manifest not only the benevolence and goodness of
God towards mankind for their encouragement and hope, but also his
infinite holiness and justice, the enormous and dreadful nature of sin,
and the necessity of the renovation of man's spiritual character, in
order to his restoration to the favour of God, and to temporal and
eternal happiness.
The numerous divine promises in both the Old and New Testa-
ment Scriptures, oven more fully exhibit the goodness of God towards
mankind. Several hundred years after the deluge, and when nearly
the whole world had again become idolatrous and wicked, God in bis
continued forbearance and goodness, made himself known to Abratn,
and gave him repeated promises, not only as to his posterity being
put in possession of the land of Canaan, but declaring to him, " in
thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Tiie like pro-
mises were given to his desceudant-s, Isaac and Jacob. When the pos-
terity of these eminent patriarchs hsd become a very numerous
people, and by the Lord's power and goodness were marvelously de»
livered from Egyptian bondage, he gave them, in their journeyings
through the wilderness towa 'ds the promised land, most wise and
excellent institutions and laws for their observance, as to both their
religious and civil condition, when in posse'^sion of that land. These
institutions, and the numerous precepts for the regulation of their
conduct, as given through Moses, their inspired human leader, were
recorded by him, as commanded by God, and were carefully
secured, and by divine providential goodness have been preserved to
the present time, and are the same we now have in the Krst five
books of our sacred Scriptures. From time to time, through up-
wards of a thousand years, the gracious Lord raised up and sent
among those his chosen people, prophets and other inspired persons :
some to record their history, and others to warn, reprove, and in-
struct them, and make known to them gracious promises as to their
obedience, and sublime, and incouraging predictions concerning the
divine Teacher and Deliverer who was to come among them, and fur-
ther instruct them as to the predicted and more gracious system of
divine wisdom and mercy. Through a benign providence we now
possess all those early prophetical and other sacred books, as well as
all the inspired records of the present universal and more glo.ious
dispensation. In Heb., chap. 11, mention is made of a great num-
ber of those patriarchs and prophets, and other faithful servants of
God ; of their persecutions and cruel sufferings ; their firm belief in
the divine promises, and confidence as to their fulfilment. It is
there said of them — " These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pil-
grims on the «arth." The Israelitish nation, in divine mercy, was
evidently chosen and designed to serve for the instruction, and as an
example to all other people, in regard to the knowledge of the ojdy
true (Tod, his worship atul service, and their duties among themselves
in all the various relations of life. Had that nation been faithful and
obedient, they would indeed, to a great extent, have fullilled those
gracious divine purposes, and vast midtitudos of other nations would
have been proselyted to the true religion, and the knowledge and the
worship of God very far more extensively preserved in the earth*
10
But the Israelites — kings, priests, and people — with few exceptions,
fell into idolatry and wickedness in various forms, and thus on the
whole, in a very great degree hindered, and at times altogether pre-
vented the accoinplishnicnt of those divine purposes as to the rest of
mankind. Unhappily it may here be truly remarked, that with
greater light and much higher advantages and njotives, professedly
Christian nations have always, in greater or lesser degrees, exhibited
by their wars and numerous vices and crimes, a similar example of
ingratitude, and of disobedience to the plainly declared divine will
and design, as to the instruction and salvation of the n)illions of their
fellow creatures perishing in ignorance, idolatry, and their various
enormities. By the further goodness of God, and according to his
many gracious promises, the divine ISFcssiah, at the duo time, ap-
peared in Israel, and most fully taught divine and saving truth,
exhibited its sublime power and exan)ple, sufl'ored and died, and
thereby made, as divinely predicted and promised, the needed proj)iti-
ation and satisfaction to divine justice for the sins of the whole
world; and for obtaining their restoration to the divine image and
favour, and their present and eternal salvation and hap|)iness.
The New Testament Scriptures, with the other sacred records ; the
established Christian ministry, and ordinances, ami other divinely
ap|)ointed and providentially provided means for the religious in-
struction and salvation of all maidiind, and to the end of time, aiford
further ])roofs of the goodness of God, and his will and design that
all may be pardoned, regenerated, and be finally saved and happy.
All these manifestations of goodness, however, are in perfect accord-
ance with his holiness, justice, and all his other glorious attributes
and perfectisns.
Some Scripture truths and corresponding remarks may here be
given, by way of answer to the objection, by infidels and others,
against punishment in the future state, with reference to the opinion
or supposition that young children and persons destitute of divine
revelation, are liable to such punislnucnt. The Scriptures as to both
are surtleiently clear and satisfactory. Therein is repeatedly given
the joyous fact, that the compassionate Saviour took "the little child-
ren up into his arms, put his hands upon them, and essed them,"
saying, "of such is the kingdom of heaven.'' Of those destitute of
revelation, it is said in liomaus 2 — " For when the (^entiles which
11
have not the law, do, by nature, the things contained in the law ;
these having not the law, arc a law nnto themselves, which show the
work of the law written in their hearts ; their conscience also bear-
ing witness, and their thoughts, the meanwhile, accusing or else
excusing one another.'' They, like all the rest of mankind, have,
through the Eternal Word, the second person in the divine and glori-
ous Trinity, "that light" and life, which the Scripture declares,
"lighteth every man that comcth into the world." An eminent
Christian mitiister has of them truly spoken in such terms as these —
"That Eternal Light, which is Christ, is to them, as a principle of
redemption and salvation, if they act in conformity with that light of
reason and conscience with which they are endowed.'' And further of
them, as of all the rest of mankind, it is said in Scripture, (lod "left
not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain
from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and
gladness."
4. Divine Plan and Means by which all mankind may obtain
salvation and eternal happiness, are clearly revealed.
In the sublime and beautiful I'salms revelations are given of the
glorious attributes and perfections of (xod, of his goodness towards all
mankind, especially to those who love and obey him ; his gracious
promises to these of numerous blessings, and of their fulfilment, both
here and forever; also warnings, reproofs, exhortations, and threaten-
ings, to the ungodly and unrighteous, to alarm and reclaim them.
Through the whole of the prophetical books are similar announce-
ments and promises, with exhortations to repentance, faith, and
obedience ; and threatenings against acts and course-, of wickedness,
both as to individuals and nations, more especially Israel, and facts
are therein given, as to the fulfilment of those awful threatenings
The sublime and eloquent tsaiah has recorded these words of the
Lord to his chosen people — " Put away the evil of your doings, from
mine eyes ; cease to do evil, learn to do well. If ye be willing and
obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land ; but if ye refuse and re-
bel, ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it." "Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with
him. ♦ • ♦ Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for
the reward of his hands shall be given him."' Later in the history of
Israel, we see in the book of the persecuted and mourning but faith-
12
ful Jeremiah, the following passages — " If thou wilt return, O Israel,
saith the Lord, ret"rn unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine
abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove." * ♦ •
'• O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest
be saved.'' Hear also the prophet Hosea — " Israel, return unto
the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with
you words, and t "n to the Lord." Again, in Amos — ".Seek good and
not evil, that ye may live ; and so the Lord the God of hosts shall be
with you as ye have spoken." In addition to these warnings against
sin, and exhortations to righteousness, they were by several of their
inspired prophets and teachers, sought to be allured and encouraged
to faith, love, and obedience, by numerous predictions of the appear-
ance of the promised and glorious Messiah among them, and by the
numerous divine promises of the rich and manifold blessings, both
temporal and spiritual, with which he would rejoice and exalt them.
In the sublime 72nd Psalm are these beautiful and heart-cheering
promises — " The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the
little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor ot the people,
he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the
oppressor. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth ; the poor
also, and him that hath no helper. He shall redeem their soul from
deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight."
By the highly-inspired Isaiah were given these gracious promises
concerning the divine Messiah and Redeemer — " Behold I have given
him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
* * * He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather
the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall
gently lead (those that are with young — a bruised reed shall he not
break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench ; he shall bring forth
judgment unto truth." In the four first books of the new covenant
revelation, are recorded the birth and teachings of the divine Messiah
and Redeemer, his rejection, persecution, sufterings, and crucifixion
by that ungrateful and atrociously impious and wicked people, whom
primarily, as well as the rest of mankind, he came to " seek and
save," and make happy both in time and eternity. The succeeding
book, — the " Acts of the Apostles," contains numerous facts and
narratives, relative to the teaching and spread of Christianity, its
divine support, the performance of miracles, the peraecutions and
18
various events which befel its first and chief teachers, especially the
xealous, intrepid and highly gifted Paul ; the establishment of many
churches in different countries, and numerous particulars, as to the
reception as well as the rejection of Christianity ; and the endeavours
by the Jewish and other rulers to suppress it. The twenty-one
Epistles which follow, give more fully than in the previous books,
the various doctrines of Christianity, and the duties of every descrip-
tion, 'jf all who profess this sacred and consoling religion. The last book
of this new and most gracious canon of truth and righteousness,
contains warnings to the churches, and numerous most sublime
and symbolical representations, and predictions, as to the future
history of the church to the end of time, and lastly, regarding the
new Heavens and Earth which the holy and righteous God haa
promised to create for the perpetual residence and enjoyment of his
faithful and glorified people.
Throughout these new Covenant Scriptures, the divine plan and
methods are fully and clearly revealed, by which the whole of pullut-
ed and guilty humanity may be restored to the divine image and
favour, and secure salvation and happiness both as to time and eter-
nity. The four first books of these inspired records, contain the doc-
trinal and other teachings of our Lord and Saviour himself. He gives
the sublime announcement, " God is a Spirit, and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Also the joyful
intelligence, that " God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but
have everlasting life ;" and " sent not his Son to condemn the
world, but that the world, through him, might be saved." Jv'so the
alarming truth, that " Except a man be born again." * ♦ * Bom
of water, and of the spirit, ho cannot enter into the Kingdom of
God." He therefore called upon men to repent, and believe the
Gospel, meaning the new divine system of religiou, he came to pro-
claim, for securing the salvation, and present and eternal happiness
of all mankind. In his sublime instructive and comprehensive
sermon on the mount, said during the whole of his sacred ministry
on the earth, he taught and enforced numerous doctrines and duties
of the new divine system of religion He was introducing, com-
manded the forsaking and avoidance of all sin, and enjoining the
fear, love, an^ worship of God ; and faith in his mercy and goodness.
14
the love and forgiveness of enemies, praying for them, and doing
them good — prohibiting the judging of others, and laying up worldly
treasures, and fordidding the resistance of evil, or returning it ;
directing as to prayer, bestowing alms, manner of speech, and cau-
tioning as to worldly cares and anxieties. He gave warnings for all
his disciples and followers, that unless their righteousness should
" exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees," they should
" in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ;"' and commanding,
" let your light (example) so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven ;" and
that " all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and the prophets." He
graciously declared that he came "to seek and to save that which was
lost ;" that be was " the bread of life ;" " the light of the world ;"
the Good shepherd who would give "his life for the sheep." He has
invited all the " weary and heavy laden " to come to him, and that
he will give them rest ;" and " the water of life " freely ; that none
who come to him will he " cast out ;" and saying for the encourage-
ment and consolation of all his faithful people. " If ye abide in me,
and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be
done unto you ;" ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full.
He that loveth me, shall be loved of my father, and I will love him,
and will manifest mysef to him. But that love and enjoyment of
his favour depends as he has shown on their abiding obedience, for
he has said : — " Not every one has saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven," but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in Heaven." •* If ye keep my commandments
ye shall abide in my love." And further, in no part of the scriptuies
are there more severe and awful threatening against the finally
impenitent and wicked and predictions of their future and eternal
punishment, than have been declared by the compassionate Saviour
himself. All ye who deny the punishment, or disregard the threats
concerning it, hear the following, as only a few of his awful announce-
ments on the subject : — " If thy hand offend thee cut it off, and cast
it from thee ; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than
having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be
quenched ; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
The like warnings and threathenings he twice repeated : again, " at
16
the end of the world, the angels shall come forth and sever the
the kicked from among the j ust, and shall cast them into the furnace
of fire, there shall be waiHng and gnashing of teeth." In describing
his final judgments, at the end of the world he declares : — " Before
him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he
shall set the sheep on the right hand, and the goats on the left.'' *
* * Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, — depart
from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels. * * • And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
In view of all the before-mentioned divine institutions, and laws,
doctrinal and preceptive teachings, and instruction, warnings, and ex-
hortations, promises and threateniugs, and the refusal or neglect of
such vast numbers to accept the promised salvation, the words of
God regarding the people of Israel, whom he had delivered from
Egyptian bondage, and established in the promised land under such
happy circumstances, may well be applied to all under the present
gospel dispensation. " Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and jny vine-
yard, what could have been done more to my vineyard that J have not
done to it ; wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth
grapes, brought it forth wild grapes.'' But the words of the prophet —
" Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?'' cannot be
employed, for there are both, for affording instant and full relief.
The true cause that the great salvation so richly provided and freely
offered, is not universally obtained, is precisely this — that
5. The Wicked and Ungodly refuse and neglect to seek that "al-
vation as it is 8cripturally proposed.
The situation and circumstances of those not possessing the sacred
Scriptures have been treated of, in a previous section, therefore what
will here be offered is not intended to relate, and will not be applica-
ble to their case. Those who posssess those Scriptures, or have the
means of obtaining them, or a knowledge of their contents, are the
persons whose conduct, as to divine revelation, and true religion, will
here be considered. In all countries /here that revelation and re-
ligion have been known, there have always been vast numbers, who
have either rejected, or constantly disregarded both. There are many
such persons in tiie present day, in all lands who do or may poasesf^
16
al! the inspired records. Such characters are wilfully content to
live utterly ignorant of the truths contained in the scriptures, and
in the indulgence of all their base and wicked propensities and pas-
sions, and impious and flagitious courses. They have readily within
their reach, not only the scriptures, but numerous other means, to
show them the way of life and salvation ; but they wilfully despise or
utterly disregard the whole of those divine blessings, as well as con-
science and reason, and live many of them to fifty, sixty, or more
years, in the same vile and wicked habits, and die in their sins and
guiltiness. Surely, all these are without the least excuse, as to not
obtaining the gospel salvation and future happiness ; and are justly
deserving of that indignation and punishment, from a holy and
righteous God, which he has so explicitly and repeatedly declared he
will, at last, inflict on all such characters.
In all countries which have possessed the divine records, there has
always been another and very numerous class of the ungodly, and of
wilful sinners, neglecters of a spiritual salvation, and careless as to fu-
ture happiness or misery, whose conduct and character, and final des-
tiny and circumstances, must bo here brought under special considera-
tion. They are not openly wicked and immoral persons, such as those
previously described. They are outwardly what are generally called
honest, moral, and respectable characters, discharging the ordinary
duties of civil life in an average and useful manner. They make no
profession of spiritual or experimental religion, but attend regidarly,
on its public services ; many of them, indeed, are members of
churches. All of them have the Sacred Scriptures in their houses,
but large numbers seldom or ever look into them, except on the Lord's
day, when some small portions of them will be read, and the book
will bo carefully laid aside in some safe place, until the return of thai
day. Yet this is a book, in which the great and glorious God who
has their present good or un happiness, and future bliss or misery
entirely in his power, has clearly and fully informed them that he is
hohf, juM, and ri</htfous, as well as merciful ; and that they are " by
nature" and practice, sinful creatures, "all under sin, none righteous,
no, not one ;" and while remaining in that state, they "are justly
exposed to his indignation and wrath," and to "everlasting punish-
ment ;''— that in order to bo reheved from that dreadful condition,
and be restored to his favour, and secure present and eternal happi-
17
»e88, they must "be born" of his Spirit, "repent of their sina," and
"bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" "cease to do evil, learn to
do well ;" " believe on ihe Lord Jesua Christ" — the divine Saviour
provided for their " ransom,' " redemption," and present and eter-
nal salvation ; — " watch and pray,'' — search the scriptures, and
" meditate" on them ; — " seek and strive, in prayer and supplica-
tion," to obtain constant supplies of the " spirit of truth and life,"
the " Holy Spirit," to sanctify and make them holy, as commanded
by God, who says " be ye holy, for I am holy — and without holiness
no man shall see the Lord." They must " show their faith by their
works," walking in obedience to the commands of God, as given in
the Scriptures, being as therein enjoined — "doers of the word, and not
hearers only," " abhorring that which is evil, and cleaving to that
which is good;" giving all diligence to make their calling and elec-
tion sure, and have " an abundant entrance administered unto them
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,"
— in that day when God, by Him, " will judge the world in righte-
ousness," and will, as scripturally declared, " render to every man
recording to his deeds : to them by patient continuance in well doing,
seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life ; but unto
them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey un-
righteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon
every soul of man that doeth evil." » * ♦ « gy^ glory, honour,
and peace, to every man that worketh good."
The younger persons in this careless and disobedient class dislike,
and refrain from the perusal of the divine book, and the private
exercises of religion, thereby manifesting that they consider such
employments dull and unsaiisfaotory. They are lovers of worldly
pleasures ; they desire and delight in the ball, theatrical, and other
amusing scenes, the novel, personal adornments, the gossip of com-
panionship, and all the other varieties and forms of vain, sensual
gratification. Many of them, while thus indulging in folly and
vanity, are called away unsaved, and " lie down in sorrow."
The elder male members of that careless and neglecting class are
even more culpable than the young, in failing to seek and obtain the
gospel salvation ; but the causes of that failure arc, in many particu-
lars, different. They are so deeply absorbed in worldly pursuits and
^airs ; in the acquisition of gain, or of honour and distinction in
18
society, — or in the indulgence of the lusts of the flesh, and the eye,
and the pride of life, that they have no desire or time to spare for
affording the attention, or employing tlie means towards obtaining
personal salvation. They fully come under the description given by our
Lord of those invited to the wedding feast, "who made light of it," and
"went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandize." In
addition to business, and other peculiar pursuits, most of these care-
less and disobedient persons, have wives and children, to whom as
they may say the rest of their time must be given, and, therefore
they '• cannot come " to the iveddin<j. But none of these excuses
can be admitted, for there are no persons who, as divinely commanded,
are more "diligent in business," and also attentive to the welfare of
their families than true spiritual christians ; and yet they find time
for the discharge of all their religious exercises and duties ; and for
seeking and obtaining present and eternal salvation, as well as for
imparting religious instructions to their children, one of the most
important duties they are bound to fulfil, not only as to them, but
in reference to the future condition of society. Now, here, a few
remarks may fairly be made as to the female heads of families, who
are ueglecters of personal salvation, and alas they abound — though
generally are not so numerous as the male delinquents. Those family
defaulters are so inordinately and constantly engaged in the anxie-
ties, cares, and employments of the household, in keeping furniture,
decorations, and ornaments, whether few or many, in the most care-
ful preservation, and most attractive arrangement, making and
receiving visits, and obtaining and imparting a great variety of what
they seem to consider interesting, though really very needless and
trifling, and at times injurious information. These will assuredly
be wanting in duty, as to the religious and moral instruction and
teaching of their children ; and will also neglect the means towards
acquiring religious knowledge and personal salvation, and therefore
must inevitably fail to secure these inestimable blessings. Very
many, everywhere, nominally as Christians, on the rolls of the
churches, and vast multitudes outside of them, are in those perilous
circumstances, and when dying in them, according to the word of
God, must inevitably fiiil of future and eternal happiness, and find
the agonizing and enduring reverse.
19
6. The Pains, Afflictions, and Death of the Righteous, as well as
of the Wicked, manifest the Holiness and Justice of God, his hatred
of Sin, and the necessity of a Future and Final Judgment.
The whole history of mankind has indubitably proved that nearly
the whole of the bodily diseases and pains are common to both those
classes. In certain cases, however, the wicked do bring diseases and
other temporal afflictions on themselves by their sensual and
reckless courses and habits, which afflictions the righteous, by
their opposite conduct, do not experience. In regard to public calami-
ties, it is said by God, in Ezek., ch. xxi., to the whole land of Israel
— " I will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut oil'
from thee the righteous and the wicked," Also in Amos, ch. iii. —
•' Shall there be evil (calamity) in a city, and the Lord hath not
done it ?" In all prevalent diseases, pestilences, famines, tornadoes,
earthquakes, shipwrecks, railway collisions, in wars and other nation-
al calamities, the righteous and little children, as well as the wicked
sutfer, and are taken away. Infants, who have never actually sinned,
yet, like all others, suffer pains, and often in severe degrees, in dying.
These, with many other temporal afflictions, manifest the holiness of
God, and the enormously evil consequences of the first transgres-
sion ; and also show the necessity of a future and distinguishing
judgment.
7. The Desvjns of God as to the Temporal Prosperity and Afflic-
tions of the Wiclced, and of the Righteous.
There is, indeed, a general sameness, or equality, in the temporal
advantages and blessings of the righteous and of the wicked ; but in
very many instances the latter have far more worldly prosperity and
enjoyments than the former. The patriarch Job was at 15rst amazed
and disheartened on viewing that superior prosperity, and employed
the following seemingly dissatisfied language — " Wherefore do the
wicked live, become old ; yea, are mighty in power. Their seed is
established in their sight, with them, and their offspring l^fore their
eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rf)d of God
upon them. * * * Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children
dance. They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of
the organ. They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go
down to the grave. Therefore they say unto God, depart from us.
.. 20
for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almignty
that we should serve him ? and what profit should we have if we
pray unto him ? " The pious Asaph also, in Psalm Ixxiii., employs
somewhat similar language concerning the wicked — " Their eyes
stand out with fatness : they have more than heart could wish. • * ♦
They set thoir mouth agairist the heavens, and their tongue walketh
through the earth. * • * And they say, how doth God know ?
and is there knowledge in the Most High ? Behold these are the
vngodly who prosper in the world ; they increase in riches. Verily
I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in in-
nocency." But he soon checked himself, and said — '• When I
thought to know this, it was too painful for me, until I went into
the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end." David also, in
Psalm xvii. speaks of " men of the world, who have their portion in
this life, whose belly thou 611est with thy hidden treasure : they are
full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes."
Throughout all ages, and in all countries, there have been very
numerous instances of the greater temporal prosperity and advantages
of the wicked than of the righteous. It is from the arrangements of
an overruling Divine Providence that it is so, and it is quite consis-
tent with the universal goodness of God, and his gracious will and
designs as to the real pre?^nt welfare and eternal happiness of both
classes. We can obtain nc real or satisfactory information, or con-
clusions, as to the designs of God in relation to his dispensations
towards the righteous and the wicked in regard to their temporal
prosperity or otherwise, except from his own Scripture revelations.
All mere human suppositions or reasonings on these subjects are not
only unsatisfactory and useless, but often lead to impiety and pro-
fanity. But in the sacred records we find explicit and full informa-
tion concerning those dispensations. In Proverbs is the inspired
command — " Labour not to be rich." In Isaiah is the simple promise
to the righteous man for his life — " Bread shall be given him : his
water shall be sure." Our Lord has commanded — " Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth." Again there are the divine in-
junctions — " Set your affections on things above, not on things on
the earth ;'' " Mind not high things ;" " Having food and raiment,
let us be therewith content ; but they that will be rich, fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish lusts, which drown
21
men in destruction and perdition." In these two last passages we
see the gracious reason why the Lord almost universally withholds
from his people great temporal prosperity and worldly possessions.
The jnous Agur, as we see in Proverbs, presented the wise and hum-
ble prayer — '' Give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food
convenient for me, lest I bo full and d.ny thee, and say who is the
Lord ? or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in
vain." The goodness of God is displayed towards the wicked in tem-
poral tilings, that they may, by that goodness, be constrained and
allured to forsake their sins, and turn unto him, and seek and find
the present and eternal blessings of his salvation. Accordingly it is
said in Scripture, and experience has always proved, that "he is," in
those blessings, "good to all ;" that "his tender mercies are over all
his works ;" "makes his sun to rise on the evil and the gjod, and
sendcth rain on the just and on the unjust ;" gives to the wicked as
well as the righteous "fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food
and gladness." In Rom. ii. it is said to the wicked and unpenitent
man — " Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance,
not knowii'g that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ?"
The upright and benevolent conduct and good example of the righte-
ous, are also divinely intended to contribute towards the reformation
of the ungodly and unrighteous, as well as for good to others. Ac-
cordingly our Lord has commanded — "Lot your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who
is in heaven." Also further, in 1 Pet. ii. 12 — "having your conversa-
tion honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation."
There are divine chastisements also inflicted, both on the wicked
and the righteous, and in the goodness of God are designed for their
benefit. The Scriptures here also declare the divine intentions by
those chastisements. Of the former it is said in Psalm xciv. — " He
that chastiseth the heathen shall not he correct;" and in Lam. iii, —
" 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 ;" and in Heb. xii. it is expressly declared
that it is for their benefit, that they might be partakers of his holi-
ness. But unhappily, to vast numbers, these words in Job precisely
33
apply — " Tho hypocrites in heart heap up wrath ; they cry not when
lie bindeth them." The gracious Lord also manifests his Goodness in
chastening the righteous — his own people — of whom he says in Zech-
xiii. — " I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine
them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried : they
shall call upon ray name, and I shall hear them." The Saviour has said
of his Father — "every branch" in me '"that beareth fruit he purgeth it,
that it may bring forth more fruit;" and further, in Rev. iii. — "As many
as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent."
In Prov. iii. is the exhortation — " My son despise not the chastening
of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction ; for whom the Lord
lovcth he correcteth, even a father the son in ivhom he delightoth."
And in the following passages in Psalm xciv. is shown the gracious
purpose of all the diWne chastisements — "Blessed is the man whom
thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law, that thou
mayest give him rest from the days of adversity." All the chasten-
ings and tribulations of tne righteous are, in wisdom and grace,
designed by God to contribute, and if rightly received and endured,
will certaiidy operate towards producing patience, resignation, and
diligence, and that holiness which is the essential requisite for ad-
mission into the eternal kingdom of purity, glory, and happiness.
Thus God will be glorified for his wisdom and goodness, and his
designs in the creation of man be fully accomplished.
8. The Wicked being permitted to persecute and afflict the
Righteous manifests the necessity of a future and discriminating
Judgment as to both.
Not only Scripture, but all other history and universal experience,
have shown that such unrighteous conduct has been permitted by
God, but always with his deep displeasure and severe condemnation.
Looking into Scripture, we find from the first, and throughout all
nges, multitudes of instances of such persecutions and afflictions,
r'ain was not divinely prevented from slaying his brother Abel :
Joseph's brethren were not restrained from selling him into cap-
tivity ; but God ultimately made it available towards ])reserving all
tho rest of the family from perishing by famine. Pharaoh was not
hindered from causing the Hebrew male children to be drowned.
The envious and malicious Saul was not prevented from grievously
persecuting David through many years ; nor was tho atrocious Doeg,
23
the Edomite, withheld from slaving eighty-five priests of the Lord.
The wicked people of Ju(iah, at the command of their impious and
cruel king, stoned to death the faithful Zachariah, the son of the good
priest Jehoiada. The haughty and cruel princes of Judah were not
prevented from easting the zealous and faithful Jeremiah into the
stocks and the miry dungeon ; but they were not permitted to take
his life. The impious and cruel Herod caused all the children under
two years in and arou.id Bethlehem to be slain, some of whom doubt-
less belonged to pious parents. Another wicked Herod imprisoned
and put to death the faithful John the Baptist. Another Herod
slew James the Just, and imprisoned Peter. The faithful Stephen
was stoned to death by a furious and cruel mob. The bigoted but
zealous 8aul was for a time suft'ered to persecute unto imprisovunent
and death many of the first Christians ; and we see in the book of
Acts many other instances of their persecutions, imprisonments, and
deaths by ungodly rulers and raging mobs. Paul, in his second
epistle to the Corinthians, says — " Of the Jews five times received I
forty stripes save one ; thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I
stoned.'' Innumerable instances of the like persecutions, in all ages,
since the close of revelation, are given in church as well as sceular
history. During the three first centuries of Christianity idolatrous
and wicked rulers caused millions of Christians to be tortured in
various forms, or put to death, banished, or otherwise persecuted and
afiiicted. Vast numbers also of the faithful were persecuted and af-
flicted by imprisonment, banishment, and in various other forms, and
many put to death, during the long period of the heretical Arian
power and rule in the churches. Through hundreds of subsequent
years, and down to the time of the extensive establishment of the
Protestant Reformation, many millions, in all, of the true people of
God, under the names of Albigenses, Waldensis, WicklifHtes, Hus-
sites, Lollards, Hugonites, and other designations given to them by
their enimies, were persecuted by those enemies in high ecclesiastical
and secular ride, by destruction of their property, by banishment,
long and severe imprisonment, tortures, and death by the atrocious
Inquisition, and others slaiu by the sword of military violence.
These dreadful persecutions, tortures, and dcstruc*-ons of life, took
place in nearly all the professedly Christian countries of Europe, vast
numbers of them in England, even as late as the reign of her who ia
24
rightly designated hloodij Ma^ y ; and many later still, under the first
hypocritical Charles, as also under the second of that name, hoth a
hypocrite and a profligate ; and later, in the reign of the bigotted
and cruel James.
Now the deeply-important question arises, how are all those mur-
ders, and other atrocities and persecutions, inflicted on the righteous,
by the wicked, to bo reconciled with the power of prevention by God,
and with the attributes of mercy, goodness, and justice. They can
only be so reconciled by concluding, as is true, that he has created
and continued man a moral ?.gent, with a will and power either to
commit or refrain from sin, and that he will not destroy that will, and
compel man to refrain from transgression, and to design and act
righteously. Man is, therefore, in a state of responsibility to God,
and accountability to him hereafter, for his conduct in this life. It
is true that God does often so overrule as to prevent the wicked from
committing all the crime and evil work they desire to accomplish.
By his merciful and beneficent providence he has so overruled in all
civilized countries, during the last two or three centuries, as to nearly
altogether prevent the commission of any such dreadful persecutions
and atrocities as have just been mentioned ; but still, in various lesser
modes, the wicked are permitted to afflict the righteous. All those
cruelties and persecutions inflicted on the righteous are made by God
to serve for the purification and real good of his church, and each and
all of his people, as he has previously told them in his word. Such
persecutions show the necessity for a future discriminating judgment,
and for rewards to the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked.
If it were not so, the Almighty Ruler could not be said to be just and
righteous. But verily such is his invariable and glorious character ;
and he surely will, as repeatedly declared in his infallible word, bring
at last " every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether
it be good, or whether it be evil,'* and will render to all according to
their works. To them who patiently " continued in well doing,'' he
will render " glory, honor, and everlasting life ;" but to the wicked,
" indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish," and " everlasting
punishment," " in the fire that never shall be quenched : where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'' These last awful
words are by the compassionate Saviour himself.
9. On a Future and Final Divine Judgment.
No doctrine, in any system of religious belief, has been more uni-
versally held than this, — of the future Judgment of all mankind, as
to the good and evil of their conduct, while in this life. Not only by
the professors of the true religion, under its several dispensations,
has it been the invariable belief, but also among heathen and idola-
trous nations, it has been the general supposition or sentiment.
Among buch of these last as were the most advanced in civilization,
arts, and other branches of knowledge, this belief has appeared in all
their systems of theology, — in the writings of their poets, — the
speeches of their orators, — the systems of their philosophers, and in
common transactions, and modes of conduct. The faculty, or in-
herent attribute, called conscience, which dwells in every man, in a
greater or lesser degree of perception and activity, informs liim as to
the moral good or evil of his feelings, motives, and actions ; in the
wicked, always to their annoyance ; in some with tormenting power.
In Divine mercy, it has lieen implanted, not only, in general, to
direct and inform us what we ought to do, and what to avoid, but
also checks or encourages, ac-cording as to what we are about to do, or
have done is <jood or evil. Unless in the case of those who are tho-
roughly hardened in iniquity, the action of conscience will become
more powerful, as the sinner approaches death. On the con-
trary, all those who have sincerely loved and served their God and
Saviour, when about to pass into the eternal world, will experience
the supporting and consoling witness of the Divine Spirit, and can
also add in the words of Scripture : — " we have the testimony of our
conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with- fleshly
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we had our conversation in the
world."
In looking into the affairs of this world, with reference to virtue
and vice, prosperity and adversiti/, enjoipiu-nt and sufferinff, wo do not
see the signs of an exact divine jmtic.' and (joodness regarding those
affairs. In numerous instances, the best men are the most deficient,
and in very many others, the ungodly, and the wicked, are the most
abounding in the possessions and advantage-* of this life. As we
know that God is a Jmt and Oood Being, and considering this dis-
parity of circumstances, it might, even independently of Scripture
declarations on the subject, reasonably bo inferred andHKluded, that
He would ordain and execute a future Judgment : in which all the
uncertain and irregular dispensations of His Providence, — as they
appear to us, — shall be cleared and adjusted, and the righteous and
the sinner receive, respectively, the just recompense of what their
works in this world have deserved.
But far beyond all merely human thoughts and conclusions on the
subject, we have the positive and infallible word of the Just and
Holy Judge Himself, that He will, hereafter, " bring every work
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whe-
ther it be evil," (Ecc. xii.) and " will render to every man according
to his deeds," (Eom. ii.) The whole intelligent creation will then, as
the prophet Malachi has declared, " discern between him that served
God, and him that served Him not." At that infallibly just Tribu-
nal, Princes and Nobles, and others the most exalted of the earth,
will, like the poorest and meanest, be judged according to their re-
ligious and moral conduct. To employ, concerning that Judgment,
the eloquent and beautiful language of Pollock, that pious and emi-
nent poet:
" It ^as a congregation vast of men,
Of unappendaged and unvarnished men,
Of pliuii unceremonious human beings ;
Of all but moral character bereaved.
His vice or virtue now to each remained alone ;
All else with their grave clothes, men
Had put off, as badges worn by mortal, not
Immortal man ; alloy that could not pass
The Scrutiny of Death's refining fires."
The poor also will have to give an account as to the manner in
which they bore their poverty ; whether they bore it with humility,
and were patient in privation and suffering ; and submitted to the
will of God, without murmuring or repining. The Lord has also
informed us of the Kulo by which he will proceed, as to inequalities
in mental power and capacity, and the means of attaining useful
knoMlodge, especially of a religious nature. Ho hath said : " That
servant that knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither
did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes; but he
that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be
beaten with few stripes ; for uuto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall be much required."
2t
The universality of the judgment will extend not only to all persons,
but to all things, for the scriptures declare, that God "will bring every
work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good, or
whether it be evil." — Ecc. xii. The motives of the deeds will be
judged. He that did benovoleut acts to gain popular applause and
favour, or other selfish motives, if he succeeds in his desire will thus
be fully rewarded, and get no further recompense. But he that did
them from pious and benevolent or other good motives, will have at
that judgment a happy and enduring compensation. Further, we are
clearly informed in several parts of scripture, that we shall be judged
for our words as well as our works. The Epistle of James declares,
that "the tongue defileth the whole body, and settcth on fire the course
of nature, and it is set on fire of hell." By its taitlinr/ and hach-
bitiiuj, it produces disturbances and alienations in family circles, and
various evils in society. They are generally deceived who make little
account of their words, and think that their violent imprecations —
their impious or other corrupting language — their profane or foolish
jests — their quarrelsome and libusive words — their private slanders
and calumnies ; and their tattling and vain gossip shall not come
under review, and a righteous judgment be passed on them. Our
Lord has plainly declared the contrary, by saying, " that every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof, in the
day of judgment, for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by
thy words thou shall be condemned."
Not only will persons be brought into judgment for their own
words and works, but also, to some extent, they will be held account-
able for the conduct of others, in cases where they have by perverting
and corrupting the Divine Word, teaching them unscriptural and
false doctrines, and principles, led them astray from the Scripture
standard of religious truth and plan of salvation, and thereby pro-
vented them from seeking and obtaining that real and only conversion
and sjilvation described in the inspired and infallible Scriptures. In
the second epistle of Peter, mention is made of some who would
"bring in damnable heresies,'' and that "many would follow their
pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of Truth would bo evil
spoken of." It is further declared of such characters, that "their
judgment now of long time lingereth not, and their damnation slum-
boreth not." These awful declarations fully apply to all teachers of
28
unscriptural and false doctrines and principles cf every description ;
to all such as have a tendency to relax the obligations of the divine
laws, and the motives to obedience, by denying the future punish-
ment of the wicked ; or that it is not so tormenting as the Spirit of
God in bis word has declared it to be, and that no future punishment
is of eternal duration. All teachers of a course of discipline and cor-
rection in a future state, for purification and of exemption from
punishment, and final admission to happiness, belong to this class of
deluding and corrupting characters, and therefore all who teach such
profane and pernicious doctrines, largely partake of the guilt of those
whom they have seduced into the belief of such false and de-
structive doctrines, and will, therefore, meet with similar punish-
ment. The appearance of all the righteous and the wicked for
judgment, at the same time as the Lord of judgment has de-
clared, is perfectly appropriate, not only in vindication of the
jtistice and impartiality of Grod, but for the greater manifesta-
tion of tbo faithfulness of the righteous, and his approval of them
and for the confusion of the wicked. These faithful characters who
had patiently laboured, suffered and endured in their God and
Saviour's cause, will be placed by him at his right had, and with
rapturous delight they will await the announcement of his righteous
approbation, and the gracious and glorious rewards of their faithful-
ness. On his left hand, the judge will arrange and place the count-
less myriads of the ungodly and wicked of every class and degree,
who had over lived on ihe earth. The malicious murderer, the
vindictive oppressor, and profligate and cruel seducer will prominently
appear, laden with guilt, and distorted with horror and despair. In
vast numbers will be seen the various classes of the dishonest and
unrighteous ; from the secret speculator in high and low places, the
adulteratimj trajjice.rs, the scheming and perjured insolvent debtors,
and through all the countless modes of fraud and hiavery, and down
to the secret thief, and daring and violent robber. There also will
be the backbiting slanderer, now dumb with terror ; the sabbath
violator, and the various other classes of the impious imA irrofane , and
the lying jester, who was the delight of his companions in scenes of
dissipation, rivalry, and folly. In that guilty assembly will be pre-
sent the vast myriads of selfish worldlings, whose whole powers
and lives had been anxiously and insatiably dovotad to purposes and
29
cflorts, to obtain earthly distinctions and honours, or to acquire
sordid gain, which as scripture declares, " taketh away the life of the
owners thereof," or else in the various scenes and modes of merely
sensual and frivolous indulgence. There will be seen the multitudo
who by their gluttonous habits, shortened their days on the earth,
and made, in the words of scripture, "a God of the belly." In suit-
able companionship with these, but most probably in far greater
numbers will be the victims of the intoxicating draught ; and in fit
association, but ev^cn in greater guilt, will be those who through the
lust of gain, and in the face of the denounced woe of the righteous
judge, freely supplied the poisonotis and maddening drink, which de-
stroyed the bodies and souls of the others, and made the lieaHs and
lives of xvidoivs and orphans afflicted and desolate. There will be
seen the numbers who have secured the larger portions of this world's
possessions, often by extortion and unrighteousness, and instead of
humanely considering the wants and claims of their suffering fellow
creatures, as divinely commanded, and ministering to the relief of
their destitution and wretchedness, lavished their siiperjluous wealth,
in the gratification of ' the lust of the flesh," and *' the eye," and
" the pride of life," in the accumulation of sumptuous and luxurious
furniture and decorations for their dwellings; in jetvels and trinJcets
for personal adornment ; in rare and costly gems ; in pictures and
statuary, and in the various other modes and exhibitions of pride and
vanity .
On the left hand will also appear, in utter dismay and terror, a vast
multitude of self-deceived Antinomians, who had blindly presumed
on possessing a truly religious character and fitness for an acceptable
and happ}! appearance in the eternal world, and in suitable association
M'ith these will be seen no inconsiderable number of the professed but
unfaithful stewards of Sacred Truth, who either had neglected to in-
form themselves aright as to the Scriptural plan of salvation, and the
divine will and purposes concerning souls, so as duly to iiastruct and
warn, exhort and rebuke, and render to all, as commanded, a portion
of the Divine Word in proper season ; or else, knowing their respon-
sibility and duty, and having under their notice from week to week
the plain and public exhibitions of the worldliness and vanities, and
divinely forbidden conformities and customs of those among whom
they ministered, had, through the " fear of man," or desire oi popular
favour, proved cowardly and recreant to the truth of him they called
Master, and his express command, and had failed to warn and ad-
monish such unfaithful professors and others living in ungodliness
and wickedness ; although peremptorily charged by their Lord to "cry
aloud, and spare not ; " to *• lift up their voices like trumpets," and
show to all their " transgressions and sins." On all such will then
be fulfilled the predicted righteous judgment, of which they had been
plainly forewarned, that they who so neglected their duty should have
"their portion with unbelievers," and " be beaten with many stripes."
On the left will also stand the youth of both sexes of accountable and
responsible years, most prominently those in Christian lands, who
thought or cared for little else than fashions, and the varied and vain
displays of dress and oniameutal appendages, to attract notice, and
gratify the ruling vanity within ; also there will appear the vast
multitudes of the votaries of dissipation, of vain and frivolous amuse-
ments, ana the various other modes and scenes of reckless folly; also
those who wasted such large portions of their time in weakening
and depraving, still more, their shallow minds, with tales of fiction
and corrupting tendency ; and in their immediate Company, as we may
well suppose, w'xW fitly stand those, who, by a base and guilty perversion
of the intellectual powers with which heaven had endowed them,
furnished the moans for the mental and moral debasement and the
eternal misery of the others. Ther^ also will be the weak and guilty
parents, who, instead of training their children " in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord," as divinely commanded, and endeavouring
kindly to cJieck and restrain their rising tendencies and impulses of van-
ity and folly, and striving rightly to direct their reasoning powers, and
to store and fortify their minds with useful knowledge manifested
towards some of them, an earnest care and solicitude for their appear-
ance in public, as well as in the social circle, in gay and ornamental
apparel, thereby encouraging the native vanity; and as to others of
them, aifordod promptings and instructions, for creating and stimulat-
ing ardent desires and efforts to acquire and accumulate ^yorWZy pos-
sessions, thereby assisting to implant a covetous and sordid spirit
adverse to the claims oi Religion and Benevolence. No further classified
description of the innumerable multitudes of the guilty and eternally
ruined need here be given. No language, indeed, could fully exhibit
the vast variety of forms of profanity, unrighteousness, and wicked-
91
ness, which will then be made manifest, or depict their deadly and
hateful atrocity and guilt, as they will be made clearly apparent,
under that application and review of Eternal Truth.
10. On the Piiture and Everlasting Happiness of the Righteous.
The following are only a few of the passages of Scripture, which
set forth and describe this gracious and heart-inspiring subject, which
to the mind and feelings of the true christian, is ever most attractive
and joyous : — Ps, xvi. — "In thy presence is fulness of joy : at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore." Ps. Ixxiii. " Thou shalt guide
me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory ;" — Matt. v.
" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ; " — Matt. xiii.
" The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father :" — Rom. ii " Glory, honour and peace to every man that
worketh go'jd : " — 1 Cor. ii. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nei-
ther have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that loA'e Him : — Rom. vi. " The gift of God is
eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord :" — Rev. ii. " Be thou
faithful unto death, and 1 will give thee a crown of life :" — Rev vii.
"He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them. They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more : For the Lamb which
is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters :" — Rev. xxii. "There shall be no
night there, * * ♦ for the Lord God giveth them light, and
they shall reign for ever and ever."
These passages of Scripture, with many others of the like import,
reveal, in the most explicit terms, the cheering and joyous truth of
the future and eternal glory and happiness of the righteous, with all
the particulars concerning their enjoyments, of which, while here we
need not be informed. We may sulticiently learn from the Scripture,
that the Place of future happiness is far beyond these visible heavens,
and is that tranecendantly glorious region, where the holy aud gra-
cious God, and our Divine SaVour, more immediately dwell, and
manifest their Majesty and Glory. The Scriptural Christian is fully
warranted in taking, in their literal sense, thesewords of our Lord, —
"In my Father's house are many mansions. * * * I go to pre-
pare a Place for you. * ♦ * And I will come again, and receive
you unto myself, that where I am, ye may be also." As regards the
nature of the happiness of the righteous, in the future state, and a
82
knowledge of the particulars wherein it consists, these can only be
rightly ascertained from such declarations as God has been pleased to
make, for our encouragement and support, while passing througfi our
earthly course. One of their modes of happiness will consist in
the expansion and free and unwearying exercise of their rational
faculties. In this life, such exercises, and the pleasures derived from
them, are being constantly suspended or impaired, by the intense and
continued exertion of the mental powers, and the weariness and lan-
gour of the body. But the inhabitants of the heavenly place will be
entirely free from all such impediments. There they will be at the
very fountain of Truth and Knowledge, and will be able to fulfil
their desires with the ready discoveries of the glorious attributes of
the Almighty and infinitely Wise Creator, as manifested in His won-
derful works of Creation and Providence, and more especially in the
designs and exhibitions of His Grace.
We learn from our Lord's words that the highest enjoyment of
"the pure in heart" will be, that "they will see God;" not as is
said in another place, as we see here " through a glass darkly," but
then " face to face," and " shall know," even as we are " known."
There will also be an equally perfect and happy change in the bodies
of the righteous. These, as Scripture declares, will be made like unto
their Saviour's " glorious body." They will never feel any wants or
infirmities, any uneasy importunity of appetite, and weariness, pains,
or bickness, feebleness or decay. In further addition to their happi-
ness, they will be united in endeared and everlasting companionship
with patriarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs ; an innumerable
company of angels ; the general assembly and church of the first
born ; with the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus their
beloved Saviour and King, whom they shall see in all " his beauty "
and "glory." His blessed presence and the ardent thoughts and
feelings, of what he had done and suffered, to purchase for them such
inestimable enjoyments, ^vill constantly inspire them, in ascribing in
grateful and rapturous strains — " blessing, and honor, and glory, and
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb
for ever and ever." These sublime and cheering sbujects may here be
closed, with the beautiful descriptive lines of a true and evangelical
Poet ; ■•.,,■ ^ ; ^
S3
**FHr froii) a world of frriof ami sin,
, With God eternally sliut in,
TliPii will tliev sw* and lu'iir and know,
All tliey desired and loved below,
And all their powers find sweet employ,
In that eternal world of joy."
11. Oil the future and everlfistin{» punishnient of the wicked.
The aniioiincGuients on this awful .subject, in ao many parts of the
sacred volume, are so very express" and free of ambiguity or uncer-
tainty of meaning, that it is not too much to say, that there is no
spiritual truth, moie positively and pointedly dechired. Those tliere-
fore, who deny tliat there will be such a punishment are not entitled
to be considered as true believers, in any other portion of the sacred
word, and in the (llvitw vi'racltif. There are numerous express passages
declaring that punishment, in many of the books of the scriptures. The
following are only a portion of those passages : — " Upon the wicked
he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, this
rihall be the portion of their cu[).'' — Ps. xi, 0. " Her guests are in
the depths of hell." Prov. xl, 9, 18. " As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world.
The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they sliall gather out
of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity,
and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth." — Math, xiii, 40.' "It is better for thee to enter
into life maimed than having two hands, to be cast into hell, into
the fire that never can be quenched, where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched." — Mark ix, 4:',i. (These same words —
as to the e-ije^ and the feet^ were at the same time repeated by our Lord.)
" And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments." — Luke xvi.
13. — V. 41. " I am tormented in this flame." " And before him
shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them, one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he
shall set the sheep on the right hand, but the goats on the lefti
* * ♦ Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, depart
from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels. * * « And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment." Matt. xxv. — " But the fearful and mibelieving, and
the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
8
34
hwmcth with fire and lirimstonc ; wliieh is the second death.'' — iic'\'.
sxi, 8.
In all countries and ages in which the Holy Scriptures have heen
in use, all the versions of them in tlie respective languages of those
countries, have contained words of the same meaning as those just
cited, with all others of Himilar import seen in om' present English
standard version. Now will any person professing to be a christian,
or to know anything of the Scriptures, or of Christianity, assert that
the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and all the other inspired
writers of the books which contain the passages just cited foiyi'U and
interpolated those passages ; or that they wore forijed and inserted by
others, in any following age, or ages, and in all the versions, in the
diflfcrent languages of the countries in which the Scriptures have been
held and used? Any such numerous and continued /o/v/me» and
insertions, early or later, are utterly beyond any rational belief or even
the sli<|litest supposition, and it is altogether impossible that they
could have been successfully accomplished. The attempt to prove
anything of the kind on that broad scale, has never been made. iSor
with all the infidelity, or scepticism of the present age, will any one
now be so bold as to make the attempt. Not a shadow of proof
could be found to support it. The same words are contaiiied in the
Scriptures used by the unitarians^ universalists, and most, if not all
tithers who hold unscriptural doctrines. All the passages on this
subject of the tormenting and everlasting punishment of the wicked,
arc as clearly and explicitly inspired truth, as all the other portions
of the Sacred oracles, and their true meaning cannot be uiisunder-
stood.
We are not scvipturally informed of the ])artieular locality of thi"*
place of punishment, and therefore any speculations or conjectures on
the point would be worse than useless. All who believe that there is
a (iod who created all things, will readily conclude that he will be at
no loss to find a place for the infliction and endurance of such puiiish-
ment. There is not the slightest intimation in any part of the
Scriptures that the passages declaring that punishment are employed
in a merely nutaphoncal or Jiyurative sense. In truth, there is no
Scripture doctrine or fact declared in plainer terms, or more adapted
to be readily understood. There are, however, some objectors who
say, that if the lire employed in that punishment be material fire.
^5
"Sucli as WTD liave in this world, it would inevitably con^vme tlie bodice
K'o.^i into it. How then did it happen that the three Hebrews men-
tioned in the Book of Daniel were not coiinintied in the raging fire
into whicli they were thrown, while it 'fill destroy those who cast
them therein ; but on the faithful three it had no effect, not even, as
Hcripture declares, "the smell of fire passed on themT' In Jleb. i.\.
their faith is referred to as having "tjucnched the violence of fire.''
Siu'cly the Almighty T3eing who created fire can prevent or allow its
usual effect, according to his own will. Even in this world there is
one sub><lanco, if not more, which fire will not conmmc or impair.
The Linum AsheMum^ or incombustible flaX: is of that nature. A
towel or other fabric composed oi' thin (one of the kind being in the
British ]\fuseum) may be thrown into the hottest Jlre, and when taken
out will not, on the nicest experiment, be found to have lost one
</raiii of its weiyht. Another class of objectors say, that the word
rverlastimj is, in Hcripture, frequently applied to things of oidy tem-
poral duration, as for instance, the Scripture expression — "the
everlasting hills'' of this earth. The word is here employed with
suflicient propriety, because the hills luill remain, and can remain onhj
as long as the ivorld, of which they are a part, shall continue, and
Ihis, we are scripturally informed, will be destroyed. In this in-
stance, and all others regarding thintjs or suhjeds evidently of only
tc-iiiporal duration, the word iverlastln'j is used merely in an aecommo'
dated sense, and can only be understood to apply as long as the thimjs
concerning which it is used, remain in existence. But the case is
entirely different when the word "everlasting'' is used regarding
persons or thinijs in the future or eternal world. The words of Scrip-
ture — " everlasting lire " — " everlasting burning " ~ " everlasting
destruction" — "•cverlat^thig punishment" — "eternal damnation" —
"the fire is not fj^iWhehjeiJ'' — " ^laCckncs^ and (jarki^tfss forever" — "the
smoke of thei,r , to?:ment asceiidd;h up*«f(jfr.*'0\iei' iijid ever," all relate
and apply to pe\'s!)ir^ 'ai'^d ihiji<i\m the etprjial^ *VOi;ld, and, therefore
all these expressions* iJiu^t ha>1) ^"iiib, .{jppli^ati(i)ti and meaning of
endless duration.
The punishment will not in d'tjree be the same to all, for the Jiord
Jesus, the appointed and righteous Judge, has declared that "then
he will reward every man aceordintj to his works ;" and Psalms
xcviii., 9, declares — " With righteousness shall he judge the v\orld,
36
and the people ^^•ith equity.'' There would be good reason to con-
clude that the punishment of the wicked in the other world would be
everlastiiKj, even if the Scriptures had not been so express in declar-
ing it, by reason that they will then be continually under the power
and influence of the base, furious, and other evil passions which
possessed theip while here, but in a far greater degree, and doubtless
will be continually blaspheming the being who is punishing them ;
and as none can be admitted to a state of glory without having first
become endued with the love of God, and goodness, and a principle
of holiness ; and as their time of (/race and probation, as scripturally
shown, has for ever passed away ; and the endurance of such tor-
menting punishment can never beget love to the being by whom it is
inflicted, it must follow that their unholy and blaspheming condition
will still remain, and consequently their puidshment must eternally
endure.
12. Seeing then, that the eternal glories and happiness of the
righteous, and the everlasting punishment of the wicked, as plaiidy
declared in the Scriptures, are most solemn realities, it will be the
highest wisdom for all, — not only the unconverted, — but those who
ha\G found and those who are seekiny present salvation, to think fre-
quently of the views and a2>2)rehensions which will fill their minds, on
that day of Final Retribution ; and on its Awful Solemnities, when
they will have a clear view of the indescribable happiness, and the
horrible miseries of anotlier world; when, in short, Heaven, with all
its glories, shall be open before them ; and, as expressed in the Book
of Job, — '* Hell shall bo naked before us, and Destruction have ni»
covering." Eeflecting on these awful Truths, may all, as Seriptiirally
connnanded, " give all diligence to make their calling and election
sure,'' so that when " the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven
with His Mighty Angels., in' Flanling Fini,'' taking vengeance on
His enemies, their portion shall' iiot'be w ith thbse '^ iit the left hand,''
who " shall be punished with cver],astiug do'«*:rui'ti'oii from the pre-
sence of the Lord, andlVo'n the "Glfcrv of Hii PoN^er," but shall be
among those at His lii<jht Hand, to whom He will say, — " Come ye
Blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from
the fouudatiou of the World."