TWENTY-FOURTH REASON.

We reject Universalism, because many have rejected it on their dying beds, whereas not one was ever known to reject the opposite system under similar circumstances. Who ever heard of a Christian's renouncing his sentiments on his death-bed? Who ever heard of a man who had repented of his sins, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and lived a life of holiness and prayer, when he came to die, renounce his system of faith? Who ever heard of such a man, who had made ample provision against future punishment by fleeing to Christ, renouncing his belief of future punishment in his last moments? There never was such an instance. We challenge the whole world to produce one. The Christian never has done it, and even the impenitent sinner, who only had a speculative faith, has never done it. But as death has advanced nearer and nearer to them, we find them believing more and more firmly the great doctrine of future retribution and punishment. How much does this speak? Men are honest on their dying beds. They believe only what they have the best evidence to suppose is true. They have nothing to gain by believing error, but every thing to lose. Deathbed testimony, then, is the best testimony in the world.

But how many, who have maintained the doctrine of no future punishment for the wicked,

have renounced that doctrine on their dying-beds? Many, yes, many. We have their names and their places of residence, to show, if it is necessary. Men who were firm believers in the doctrine of no future punishment for the wicked, and had been so for years-when they came to die, abandoned their system, and warned their surviving friends to beware of it. Death was near, and they no longer had any motive for believing in their system, but some chance of escaping by renouncing it. Such testimony, my friends, is almost as good as if some should come from the pit to-day, and forewarn us of the wrath of God. There can be no mistake in such testimony. We instinctively rely upon it. It would indeed be considered a circumstance which could not be reconciled with reason or revelation, to see a Christian renouncing his sentiments in regard to future punishment, on his dying bed-but when a Universalist renounces his system of no punishment, it is just what we expect. No one is surprised. No one is shocked. No one exclaims-"Why, is it possible? Are you certain that was the case?" But the question is often asked, in regard to the death of Universalists -Did he hold out in his faith to the last? Did he not seem to be afraid that all would not be well with his wretched soul? Did he die calmly? Did he not warn his surviving friends to beware of his faith? These questions are often asked. And when our Universalist friends can say that some of their number have so fortified their fears, and wrecked conscience from her moorings, as to die calmly,

they think it is a great triumph for their doctrine. If they can close the eyes of one of their number, without his wailing and shuddering at the prospect before him, they are right glad of it. They say, "He held out well, and now what will the orthodox say against our doctrine, as not calculated to bless in death?"

But let one of our number die, and we are never asked such questions as-"Did he hold out to the last? Was there no shrinking from his faith? Was there no renunciation of his belief in future punishment? Was he calm? Did he sing in death?”

When a Christian dies, he uniformly dies calmly -dies singing and shouting often. As death deals his awful blows, he grasps with a firmer grasp the great truths of revelation, and sings, on the borders of eternity-"O grave, where is thy victory? death, where is thy sting?" All is serenity. All is sunshine. All is triumphant joy and ecstatic bliss.

This is the end of the righteous man. Balaam envied this death. "Let me," he says, "die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." But what an awful sight it would be to behold a Christian renouncing his views of the great doctrines of the Bible on his dying bed! It would be so contrary to reason and revelation, that every one would say "he lost his reason." But let a Universalist renounce his view of the great doctrines of the Bible, and the exclamation would be, "I thought he would not hold out when he came to die. Poor fellow, he used to boast of his courage,

and of his sincerity, but he found a death-bed a trying place. He found his system would do better to live by than to die by."

Many, then, of the Universalists, have renounced their system on a dying bed-but never an instance was there known, where a Christian renounced his belief in future punishment for the wicked, on a dying bed. What testimony is this against the doctrine of Universal Salvation, and in favour of the opposite belief? Will we not hear men when they speak to us from the borders of the grave? Will we not listen, when they speak on the confines of eternity? Will we not be convinced, when the Christian testifies on the very threshold of paradise, and when the deceased sinner sends back his dying wail from the pit of perdition into which he is falling?

TWENTY-FIFTH REASON.

We reject Universalism, because those who have been converted from that system, and who now believe the opposite system, are more holy and more prayerful now than formerly. There are individuals in this city, and I have their names and their places of residence, who were once Universalists. When they were Universalists, they tell me they were impenitent and prayerless. They were given to vice. They lived without any communion with God, and with no real love for Jesus

Christ. They felt no concern for the prosperity of religion in the earth. They dreaded, and never performed, secret prayer, or family prayer. They never read the Bible, to learn their duty, and hold converse with God-but only to glean from it something that would quiet their fears, and uphold their system. But what kind of a system of religious faith is that, which will not make a man more holy who professes to believe in it? What kind of a system is that, which will not lead a man to break off from his vices? What kind of a religious system is that, which will not prompt a man to the performance of daily, secret, and family prayer? What kind of a system is that, which will give a man no concern for the prosperity of religion in the earth? What kind of religion is that, which will not beget in man a love for the. Holy Bible, whether its doctrines justify him or condemn him?

But now, there are some persons who have been converted from Universalism, tell us that there is nothing they love so much as daily, secret, and family prayer. Nothing they love so much as the Holy Bible, whether its truths are for them or against them. Now, they say there is nothing which they so much rejoice in as revivals of religion, and the conversion of sinners, from sin to holiness. Now, they do not covet the scenes of mirth, and intemperance, and lewdness. Now, their conduct and character is irreproachable. But what kind of doctrines are those which have produced all this change? Not the doctrines of Uni