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take him. The murderer, when he plunges his knife into the heart of his victim, wishes to forget the penalty of the law; and after he has committed the bloody deed, he would fain obliterate that memory of his, which constantly reminds him of the penalty of a violated law. It is the penalty of human law that lawless men hate. They would upturn the foundations of every prison-they would demolish every gallows-hang every executioner, break up every tribunal of human justice, and transport to Siberia every officer of the throne of equity. So it is with transgressors of the divine law. They would not care if the law of God were written on every pebble, on every blade of grass, on every rising wave, on the door of every dwelling-hung out from every star, and girdling every sun-if it had no adequate penalty. Because they could transgress it then without fear. But now, that "this sect" maintain that this law of the universe is armed with a penalty equal to its precept, therefore they are every where spoken against.

Again: "This sect," who hold this doctrine, are spoken against because of the views which their enemies maintain it gives to the character of God. "This sect," says one, "in holding the doctrine of future and endless punishment, represent God as creating men on purpose to damn them."

What jealousy the enemies of this sect would fain exhibit for the honour of God. At one time they will contend that God has no adequate law, and thus exhibit the moral Governor of the universe as shorn of all his power and goodness

and at another they will shed crocodile tears over what they deem a prostration of his mercy!

But "this sect," in holding to the doctrine of future punishment, do not represent God as creating men on purpose to damn them. What! shall we be told that when God creates men and places them under a law which alone can regulate their affections, command their wills, and encompass their immortality with its protecting influences and its exhaustless joys, that God creates men on purpose to damn them! What! shall we be told, that when we represent God as holding out the highest possible motives to secure obedience to such a blessed law, that we hold that he created men on purpose to damn them! What! shall we be told, that when man had broken this infinite law, and God had compassion upon him and sent his only-begot. ten and well-beloved Son into the world to die for his redemption, that we hold God created men on purpose to damn them!

What! shall we be told, that when man refuses to perform the conditions upon which this great salvation is suspended, and the third person in the eternal Godhead is sent down to renew and sanctify his heart, that God created men on purpose to damn them!

O what clear-headed men "this sect" have for their enemies! What profound wisdom do they manifest, and what delicate sensibility for the honour of our God!

In holding to the doctrine of future punishment, "this sect" hold to no such view of God's character

as this. We hold that God damns men only when he cannot consistently save them. That he punishes them only when they violate law. We hold, that the doctrine of future punishment, instead of exhibiting God as creating men on purpose to destroy them, shows the opposite fact. It shows that he does not wish them to be lost, and rather than have them lost will open perdition before them, and roll the thunders of damnation along their path.

The object which human legislators have in view in instituting civil government over men, is not to destroy them, but to prevent their destruction. Every penalty of every human law goes to preserve men, not to destroy men. Every penitentiary, with its mountain walls, and massy doors, and solitary cells, and its ceaseless toils, and its scanty allowance of bread and water, sends forth an influence upon the community, to prevent crime, and save men. Every prison, and every gibbet, is a monument of mercy as well as of justice. Hell itself, when viewed in its restraints upon man, and upon the creation of God, is one of the greatest monuments of mercy ever erected by the hand of Omnipotence. Next to the scene of crucifixion, it brings out the harmonious action of the perfections of Deity. Were there no hell, there would be no penalty for God's law. And a law without-a penalty would be no law. And without law, God could have no government in this or any other world. And without government, what would become of mind! Without law, what arm could control the great ocean of human depravity, or what

voice could speak the conflicting elements of misrule into a calm!

Again: "This sect" are spoken against, because, as their enemies say, the doctrine of future punishment, which they hold, represents God as an unmerciful being.

Yet these same enemies, who are so jealous for God's honour, will contend with all their might that God punishes men in this world! O what a jewel is consistency! If it is consistent for God to punish men in this world, which our enemies allow, is it not consistent for him to punish men in the future world? "But," say they, "Christ has suffered once in the sinner's stead, therefore it would be manifest injustice to punish the sinner in a future state, as in that case the penalty would be twice inflicted."

But if Christ has so suffered the penalty of the law as that that penalty is removed, independent of any action on the part of man, why does the sinner suffer that penalty in this world?—which our enemies maintain! Is not this a "two-fold infliction of the penalty," and therefore does it not militate as much against the mercy of God as the infliction of the penalty of the law in a future state? But we maintain that the two-fold infliction of the penalty, which our enemies speak of, is not unjust. As it is inflicted on the sinner, it is just, for he has rejected salvation-as it was inflicted on Christ, or that which was equivalent to it, it shows the desire and deep compassion of God for sinners. Thus, from this two-fold infliction of the penalty, a two

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fold exhibition of the justice and grace of God is made, and two kinds of influences are sent forth to control, bind and sanctify the universe of God. So Christ will not have died in vain, nor will the finally impenitent sinner suffer in vain. The very argument of our enemies on this point, like a twoedged sword, is thus plunged into their own bosoms!

But the enemies of "this sect" make a strong appeal to our sensibilities. What parent, they whiningly ask, would cast his children into unquenchable fire-and is not God greater in mercy than man? Verily he is, and for this reason he will punish the ungodly.

In the first place, no parent has a right, and no parent is called upon to cast his children into hell. 66 Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the

Lord."

But let us ask what parent is there who would of choice inflict upon his offspring that penalty of the law which our enemies say is suffered in this world? And yet is not God more merciful than man, who inflicts this penalty? What parent is there who would cause his children to perish by shipwreck, by pestilence, by earthquakes, by slavery, by war, and by the sword and fire of persecution? But because an earthly parent could not do these things, shall we contend that God does not? Will they, driven by the argument, deny the providential government of God in this world? Will they maintain, that he who numbers the hairs of the head, and watches the sparrow in its fall,

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