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It has been faid, that if it were taught in the New Teftament, it would be improper to make it generally known, because it would be abused by the ill-difpofed to encourage the practice of vice.

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But can it be wrong to unfold and declare any doctrine which God thinks proper to reveal to his creatures? If the merciful proceedings of our heavenly Father have been veiled in clouds and darkness by mifconceptions of his word, muft fuch obftructions to the light of truth never be removed?" Can any Scripture be profitable, except it be understood? "And if not rightly understood, may not the per"verfion of it be proportionably dangerous? Or is "it nothing to deprive the people of that edification "which they might have received, had a fair and "just exposition been substituted instead of a false "one? Do we not know the advantage that is com"monly taken by the enemies of revelation, of tri"umphing in objections plaufibly raised against the "divine word upon the bafis of an unfound text, or wrong tranflation?" Blayney's Prelim. Difc. to Jeremiah, p. 10.

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"Now, though we are not to give up any of the "genuine doctrines of revelation, merely on account "of groundless prejudices conceived against them;

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yet certainly we fhould be very cautious not to "create just prejudices against revelation, by our mis"representations of it.

"With respect to Christians, I fee no reason why "they should be alarmed at an attempt to fhew that

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"the New Teftament doth not countenance the doc"trine of" eternal punishment, either by annihilation, or by endless death or mifery. "Can it overturn any article of their faith, that they themselves could "wish to be true? May it not free them from many

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groundless terrors, and give them more honour"able ideas of the divine government? May it not "fhew the evidence of Chriftianity to great advan66 tage, as well as refcue it from the fcorn of unbe. lievers?" Farmer on Demoniacs, Intr. p. 5 to 9. Can we think that the pureft notions of the attributes and moral government of the Most High are more dangerous to virtue, than debafing ideas of them? All think it right to vindicate the ways of God to man in this life. With ftill greater reafon, then, fhould the ways of God to man in the world to come be vindicated; for to thefe alone we look for the complete folution of every difficulty that now occurs respecting the perfect equity and kindness of the divine government. Since experience proves that too harsh ideas of the future recompenfe of finners are ineffectual to their reformation, is it not neceffary to recur to the gracious and merciful truths which Jefus reveals, to promote this valuable purpose. Truth and virtue never clafh or difagree. They are infeparable friends, and are the beft affiftants of each other to advance their mutual progrefs in the world. Nor let it be forgotten, that the doctrine of the final re

* The words in italics are substituted inftead of "real possessions,” in order to apply the argument to the fubject of which we are treating.

formation and falvation of finners includes every degree of painful punishment that a righteous, holy, and merciful God can inflict upon his offending creatures. Vice of every kind, we are affured, fhall meet with its merited recompenfe at the great day of retribution. No finner fhall find protection from the righteous indignation of heaven. Every wilful tranfgreffor of the divine commands fhall endure fuch agony as shall fully convince him of his folly, and make him regret with bitter anguish that he ever forfook laws by which alone he could fecure peace in life, have affurance in death, and efcape the mifery of the world to come.

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Though mankind have been long used to contemplate the kind Parent of the univerfe as a wrathful and avenging governor, fhall it be fufpected that the milder glories in which he condefcends to manifeft himself in the gospel, will relax the ties of moral and religious obligation, and lead his earthly offspring to maintain less reverence of their heavenly Father, and lefs fear of offending him? As favour and mercy abound, fhall fin much more abound? Shall men fin, because they are not under a law that denounces eternal death or misery upon the tranfgreffor, but under a covenant of favour and mercy? By no means. Rom. vi. 15; comp. iii. 19, 20. Shall they despise the riches of the goodness, and forbearance, and longfuffering of God, not knowing that his kindness should lead them to repentance? Shall they, by hardness and impenitence of heart, treasure up to themselves

wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God? Rom. ii. 4, 5. Would not the mind that is too callous and perverfe to be awed by goodness, be ftill more hardened by confidering the great Ruler of the universe as an arbitrary and unrelenting tyrant, who can look with complacence on the fufferings of those whom he himself has created, which anfwer no purpose but that of fatisfying rigorous and vindictive juftice? Will not the tender mercy of the Moft High naturally lead his únful creatures to adore and reverence that compaflion which deigns to bring them back to obedience, though by the difcipline of pain and anguish, rather than after having condemned them to exquifite fuffering, to put no period to their tortures, or to close them with eternal death, or deprivation of exiftence for ever? Will it not naturally lead the transgreffor of the divine laws to fear the Lord and his goodness, to ftand in awe of him, and to fin no more, left a worse thing come unto him, left a forer method of correction become neceffary to meliorate his mind, and prepare it for that pure felicity which his habits have rendered him incapable of enjoying till they are reformed. If, however, the doctrine of final univerfal falvation fhould fail of producing fuch happy effects; yet this would only correspond with what now takes place, notwithstanding the prevalent idea of the eternal punishment of the wicked: for what multitudes indulge in finful gratification, even though they believe it is at the hazard of endless torment!

CHAPTER II.

Expreffions relating to the Duration of the Future Happiness of the Righteous.

SECTION 1. Αιων and Αιωνιος.

BOTH thefe words are applied, in the New Testa

ment, to the happiness of the righteous in the world to come, as well as to the punishment of the wicked. The fubftantive, we have fhewn, is more frequently used for limited than for unlimited duration, though the subject, in a few inftances, may require it to be understood in the latter fenfe. The adjective avios is fifty times, out of the feventy in which it is used in the New Teftament, applied to the future state of the righteous; and is then, except in a few cafes, joined with (wn, life, which, among the Hebrews, figuratively denoted happinefs alfo. This implies continued exiftence, and favours the idea of proper eternity. On the contrary, as it is never joined with life, or continued being, when it is applied to the wicked, this leads us to understand it, in fuch inftances, as denoting limited duration. Words that admit of different fenfes, muft, of course, be explained by clear and decifive expreffions, and by the nature of the subject in connection with which they are in

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