A. It does not follow, that because God has created all things for his pleasure, therefore he is as well pleased with the vices as the virtues of men. The wicked run counter to

his will, and grieve him at his heart. If God is well pleased with all that happens, then as the wicked suffer and are punished in this life, so God must find pleasure in it, and if he finds pleasure in it in this world, it will not be different in the

next.

19. Because the pleasure of God shall prosper in the hand of Christ. "The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." Isaiah, liii. 10.

20. Because God's pleasure shall surely be accomplished. "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah, lv. 11. "I will do all my pleasure." xlvi.

10.

A. The pleasure of the Lord is to promote the greatest amount of happiness among his creatures. "It pleased the Lord to bruise" Jesus Christ, because by his sacrifice he might secure salvation to many of the guilty race of men. But if it pleased him to bruise his innocent Son, that he might bring many sons and daughters to God, it certainly cannot be less pleasing to him to punish the wicked, and by sacrificing them to the justice of his law, promote and confirm the obedience of the righteous.

21. Because God hath purposed the salvation of all men. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." Eph. i. 9, 10. It is evident, from this passage, that God hath purposed to gather together all things in Christ.

A. Because God hath purposed to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, it does not follow, that, therefore, the wicked will be saved. It is God's design to establish the dominion of Christ over the universe; and one proof that he is head over all things

to the church, will be the eternal imprisonment of the wicked in hell, that they may no longer seduce by their temptations, and corrupt by their example. The unity of a government, and the strength of that unity, are not incompatible with an efficient penitentiary.

22. Because the purpose of God cannot fail: it must certainly be accomplished. "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand." Isaiah, xiv. 24. "For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" 27. "I have purposed it, I will also do it." xlvi. 11.

A. And, therefore, the wicked shall utterly be destroyed, for God has said, "When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of heaven: I will chastise them as their congregation have heard. Wo unto them! for they have fled from me. DESTRUCTION unto them, because they have transgressed against me." Hosea, vi. 4, 5.

23. Because God promised Abraham, his servant, that he would bless all mankind, in his seed. "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xii. 3. "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." xxii. 18.

24. Because God made the same promise to Isaac. "I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father, and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. xxvi. 3, 4.

25. Because the same promise was repeated to Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. "And in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xxviii. 14.

A. These promises all have respect, to the ultimate triumph of the gospel in this world-the day of millennial glory, which is yet destined to bless this earth, and not to the state of things beyond the grave.

26. Because Peter, the apostle, understood this promise as referring to the salvation of men from sin, by Jesus Christ. "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and

in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first, God, having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." Acts, iii. 25, 26.

A. Peter rightly understood the promise as referring to salvation from sin by Jesus Christ. And he taught, that Christ came to bless men, but that that blessing was to be communicated by turning them away from their sins. Peter meant to be understood that this blessing was to be had in this world, and in this world only, and that if they did not hearken to his voice, and turn away from their iniquities in this world, every soul should be destroyed from among the people." Peter must have been a fool, to have tried to frighten men by the threat of destruction, and yet hold out to them the certain prospect of salvation at death!

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27. Because the apostle Paul calls this promise, which was made to Abraham, THE GOSPEL. "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed." Gal. iii. 8.

A. The GOSPEL means glad news. It is glad news that there is a Saviour, and that salvation is freely offered to all. But this does not render it certain that all will be saved; because the fact is that all do not accept it. All nations shall be blessed by the gospel; but this does not imply that all the individuals who compose those nations shall be saved. The conclusion is far too wide for the premises. A schoolboy would smile at such logic. Read it, and blush for the cause that employs it. "Peter calls the promise made to Abraham the gospel.”—Here is the major. "The promise made to Abraham, is that in him should all NATIONS be blessed.". Here is the minor. Ergo. "Every soul shall be eternally saved!" Whew! What an argument!

28. Because there is no threatening of any kind whatsoever in the Scriptures, no law, no penalty, no punishment denounced, which, when rightly understood, does not harmonize with this promise, for the law is not against the promises of God. "Is the law, then, against the promises of God? God forbid." Gal. iii. 21.

A. And this is no better. It is bold assertion, that the promise made to Abraham, was that all shall be saved. Prove it, Mr. Whittemore. The first verse of Genesis is just as much in point as Gal. iii. 21. Surely you have more respect for the reader's intelligence than to trifle with him at this

rate!

29. Because God hath confirmed his promise by an oath. See Gen. xxii. 16-18. Heb. vi. 13. But the most striking passage, perhaps, is this-"I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear, surely shall say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." Isaiah xlv. 23, 24.

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A. Every knee shall Bow, and every tongue shall confess to God: but this does not prove that all will be saved. Paul understood that this would be verified in every one of us having to give an account of himself to God. Rom. xiv. 12. It is one thing to bow in terror, and another in love: one thing to do it voluntarily, and another by constraint. The idea is not involved in Isaiah xlv. 24, that every wicked, impenitent man shall say, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness, and strength," as though he were or would be justified. For "unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do, to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my coVENANT in thy mouth?" Psalm 1. 16. In this world, the wicked may lay hold on Christ, and He will save them, if they believe and repent. But if not, the Spirit of God has proclaimed, "As smoke is driven away, so drive them away, as the wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." Psalm lxviii. 2.

30. Because God is almighty: nothing can resist his will; nothing can defeat his purpose; nothing can prevent the fulfilment of his promise. "What he had promised he was.able also to perform." Rom. iv. 21.

* I have here omitted the word one, supplied by the translators, as it evidently annihilates the whole sense of the passage, which is clear and beautiful without it.

A. But he has not purposed to save those that die in their sins; nor has he promised to save any one who will not repent. "What he had promised he is able also to perform." Rom. iv. 21. And, therefore, the wicked shall perish, for he has promised, that "the transgressors shall be destroyed together, and the end of the wicked shall be cut off." Psalm xxxvii. 38.

31. Because God not only wills the salvation of all men; not only hath purposed to save them all; not only hath promised it; not only hath confirmed that promise by an oath; but also hath provided the means, in the death of Christ, for the salvation of all men. Jesus died for all. "He gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." I Tim. ii. 6. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man." Heb. ii. 9. "And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John, ii. 2.

A. Christ has indeed died for all men, so that it is now consistent and proper for God to forgive and save all who will truly repent of their sins, and cease from their rebellion: but he has not so died for all, that they are in no danger of perdition for the Spirit of God urges professors of religion to walk charitably, that they "destroy not him for whom Christ died.” Rom. xiv. 15.

32. Because the labour of Christ will be efficacious for all for whom he died. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." Isaiah, liii. 11. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John, xii. 32.

A. The travail of Christ's soul, are those for whom he prayed, and those only. He prayed not for the world, but for those whom God had given him OUT OF THe world. When Christ said, if he should be lifted up from the earth, he would draw all unto him, he had particular reference to the Greeks, who desired to see him, (see John, xii. 20,) and meant not that every man in the world would be drawn to him, for the word "men" was not used by Christ, but that all, viz. all sorts of people, whether Jews or Gentiles, should be influenced by his