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A. There are other ends to be met by punishment than the good of the offender. The object of punishment is to prevent crime. A kind father will seek the highest good of his children, and if one or more will rebel, and act wickedly, he will punish them, so that the others may not be injured. The goodness of God, therefore, requires him to punish the wicked, and to shut them for ever out from doing harm to his obedient children. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm ix. 17.

3. Because all men, of right, belong to God. "Behold, all souls are mine," saith the Lord. "As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine." Ezek. xviii. 4. God will not give up what belongeth to him, to the dominion of sin and Satan for ever.

A. Why, then, has he given up the wicked to the dominion of sin and Satan in this world? If he sees it right to do so even in this world, it cannot be wrong in the next, after men give themselves up to the dominion of the devil here. It is but a "peradventure that God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. If wicked men will not obey God, who is so good, in this world, but believe the devil before him, it is but right they should learn what sort of a master he is that they have chosen instead of God.

4. Because God hath given all things to Christ, as the moral ruler of the world. "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Psalms, ii. 8. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." John, iii. 35.

A. It is true, that God hath given all things to Christ, and put the wicked and finally impenitent into his hands, but this has been, that "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, it shall be taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thess. i. 7-9.

5. Because God gave all beings to Christ that he might save them. "Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." John, xvii. 2.

A. The Bible does not teach that God gave all mankind to Christ to the end that they should be universally, absolutely, and certainly saved. But it says, in the passage misquoted in the above argument, that God gave him power over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to as many as God hath given to him. John, xvii. 2. But that many were not all the world, for Christ says, "I pray not for the world; but for them which thou hast given me." John, xvii. 9.

6. Because it is certain that Christ will save all that the Father hath given him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out." John, vi. 37.

A. True: yet, Christ, himself being judge in the case, does not even venture to pray for all the world, but only for those whom God had given him out of the world. John, xvii. 6. If he would not even pray for all, he is not likely to save all. He indeed casts out none that come to him, but all do NOT come to him.

7. Because it is THE WILL of God that all men shall be saved. "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. ii. 4.

A. So is it the will of a good government, that all should be obedient and happy; but if they will not, they must reap the fruit of their doings, and be punished for the general safety and good of others. In like manner, God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter, iii. 9. This is his sincere desire, but he will not save them against their will, nor has he so willed their salvation, that if they do not believe and repent, they shall escape the damnation of hell." He that believeth not shall be damned." Mark, xvi. 16. This is his determination-his fixed and final will in every case where the sinner does not repent, however willing he may be to save all, provided they repent.

8. Because God inspires the hearts of the good to pray for the salvation of all men, and say, as Jesus said, " be done." Matt. vi. 10.

Thy will

A. But the prayer is, that the will of God may be done here. "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew, vi. 10. If Christ, by this petition, has inspired men to pray for the salvation of all men, and all men will therefore be saved-why are they not saved in this world? The prayer does not go beyond this earth. It is not, Thy will be done in hell, or any other world, where the wicked may be gathered, but Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; and so it will be, to a great degree, in the millennium, and after the judgment, when all the wicked shall be put out of the world, and the meek shall inherit the earth.

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9. Because Jesus came to do the will of God. is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John, iv. 34. "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” Heb.

X. 9.

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A. True: but it is the will of God that Christ render unto every one according to his deeds: and "Behold, he cometh, with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment (not to save) upon all." Jude, 15.

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10. Because the will of God cannot be resisted. doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" Dan. iv. 35.

A. And this is the reason why there shall be no escape for the wicked, for God hath said, "I will ease me of my adversaries, and revenge me of my enemies." Isaiah.

11. Because God has no other will besides the will to save all men. "He is in one mind, and who can turn him." Job,

xxiii. 13.

A. A palpable lie. God indeed has but one mind or purpose on any one subject: but one of his purposes is to save the righteous-another is to destroy the wicked. To say that he has no other mind and will than to save all men, is to deny the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

12. Because God is love, and love worketh no ill. "God is love." 1 John, iv. 8. "Love worketh no ill." Rom. xiii. 10.

A. It is because God is love, that he punishes the wicked. A benevolent government will always take care to prevent the wicked and vagabond population from injuring the property and prosperity of the peaceful and loyal citizens. There is nothing malignant or tyrannical in the divine dispensations. It is not ill done, but kind in God, to enforce the observance of his law; for that law is designed and adapted, in infinite benevolence, to promote the happiness of those who keep it. The violation of it will always produce misery, and, therefore, just as truly as God is love, and anxious to promote the happiness of his creatures, so certainly will he punish those who, by their disobedience, promote wretchedness. The higher the penalty he ordains for the violation of such a law, the more in earnest is he to promote the happiness of his creatures, by inducing them to obey it. Eternal perdition, as the punishment for rebellion, is the dictate of that love which prompts God to secure the greatest possible amount of happi

ness.

13. Because God loves all mankind. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," John,'iii. 16; and as Jesus died for all men, so God loves all men.

A. The gift of Christ to a fallen world, is intended, “that whosoever believeth shall be saved." "He that believeth not shall be damned." The sinner's condemnation in rejecting Christ shall be greater because he has died to render it possible for sinners believing and repenting to escape the damnation of hell.

14. Because God loves even his enemies. For he requires men to love their enemies, which he could not do, if he hated his. (Matt. v. 44.) And Jesus declared, "for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke, vi. 35.

A. The love which God extends to his enemies, is not the same that he does to his friends. He loves all, even his enemies, with the love of benevolence. His friends, who "keep

his commandments," he loves with complacential regard. He is morally bound to make a distinction.

15. Because God is wise; and it cannot be a dictate of wisdom to create beings, and then make their existence a curse by entailing endless suffering to it.

A. God does not entail endless suffering on the wicked, or create any to be lost, but they entail it on themselves, and he inflicts the penalty on the guilty, to prevent the spread of rebellion and misery-an arrangement becoming the wisdom and benevolence of God.

16. Because the wisdom of God is "full of mercy” and "without partiality." James, iii. 17.

A. And for that reason he will punish the wicked. To refuse to do so would prove him partial and unjust. The Lord has mercy for thousands of those that keep his commandments. "But on the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." Psalm, xi. 6.

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17. Because the pleasure of God is in favour of the salvation of all men; and, therefore, neither death, sin, nor pain can be the ultimate object of God in reference to man. I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

A. So the pleasure of a good and just judge is in favour of the happiness of the citizens. "Neither death, sin, nor pain," are his ultimate object in reference to them. Yet, with tears in his eyes, and tenderness in his heart, will he pronounce sentence of death on the murderer, according to law. It is the happiness and safety of the commonwealth that are his ultimate object in so doing. To refuse to punish, would betray weakness, and subject him, deservedly, to the execration of the community. God, therefore, dooms the wicked to death, because he finds pleasure in doing right and promoting happiness-not because he finds it in the death of the sinner.

18. Because God created all men expressly for his pleasure, and, therefore, not for ultimate death. "Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Rev. iv. 11.

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