gos

saved?" had his mind upon temporal-salvation-and our Saviour's answer was adapted to the condition of the inquirer's mind. The meaning of Christ's reply appears to be in substance as follows: Strive to enter into the gospel dispensation; for at a particular time, many Jews will seek to enter in, and shall not be able, because they strive to enter through the Mosaic law. When I shall have risen from the dead, the legal dispensation shall be abolished, the door of the Mosaic law effectually shut, and ye (the Jews) rejected as workers of iniquity, though I have taught in your streets. Then shall the Gentiles, (with respect to spiritual privileges) take the place of the Jews, and come from every direction, and sit down in the kingdom of God, or dispensation of pel grace, while you, (the Jews) shall be thrust out -the last shall be first, and the first last. This view of the subject is confirmed by the language of Paul, "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved" &c. Rom. chap. 11. The explanation we have given the text, not only appears consistent, but comports with the opinions of some who believe in eternal misery. Joseph Emerson, formerly Pastor of a church in Beverly Mass. writing of the Millennium says, "I am strongly inclined to the opinion of Dr. Hopkins, that of the whole human race, thousands will be saved, to one that is lost." For evidence that the phrases "kingdom of heaven" and "kingdom of God," mean the gospel dispensation, see Math. 3. 2.-4. 17.-12. 28.-21. 43.-23. 13. Luke 4. 43.—16. 16.-17. 20. 21. and many other passages.

:

tablish is, "some of our race will actually suffer eternal punishment." We agree with him respecting "the importance of the subject, and the propriety of a thorough investigation." He says, "the doctrine of punishment suited to the demerit of crime, lies at the foundation of all government by law. The moral rectitude of such government, depends upon the proper apportionment of penalties, and an impartial administration: but its power depends upon the degree of certainty, with which the penalty is seen to follow the infraction of the law." In all this, we agree with him, but we think he has laid a sure foundation for his own destruction. After referring to instances illustrative of the statements we have quoted, he says, "It will be seen from these statements, that the doctrine of future punishment lies at the very foundation of the Divine government." Why so? If government is founded on the doctrine of punishment suited to the demerit of crime-if an impartial administration and a proper apportionment of penalties constitutes its moral rectitude-if its power depends on the degree of certainty, with which the penalty is seen to follow the infraction of the law -how does it follow that future punishment, i. e. endless misery, lies at the very foundation of the divine government? Surely it does not thus follow, unless endless misery be the punishment, suited to the demerit of crime. This our author has not attempted to prove. To assume it, was to beg the question in dispute. Mr. P. says, "It is the perfection of this" (the divine) "government that absolute certainty characterizes all its operations, and we think we shall be able to show that there is noth

ing in it to encourage the hope of impunity; nothing to mitigate the doom of transgressors. 'The penalty of the law of God is weighty as his eternal curse, and sure as his ability to inflict it." He has furnished no evidence that the penalty of the law of God is weighty as his eternal curse. If he had had any evidence to confirm his statement, he probably would not have left a matter so weighty to rest on his testimony alone. But suppose we admit what he has said. Suppose the penalty of the law of God to be an eternal curse-that absolute certainty characterizes all the operations of the divine government -that there is nothing to mitigate the doom of transgressors that the penalty of his law will be inflicted n all transgressors, unless his power fail-suppose we also consider that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," and what will necessarily follow? UNIVERSAL DAMNATION! When Mr. P. can extricate himself from his own reasoning, we think there will be some chance for other sinners also. True he says on another page, "the effect of the doctrine of future punishment, depends upon the certainty with which it is seen to be coming upon every unrecoiled sinner."

But this forms no exception to what he had previously laid down; because every sinner has been unreconciledunless therefore the penalty of endless misery be inflicted, the divine government is powerless by his own showing!

Mr. P. candidly admits that there is a numerous class of people who hold the doctrine of Universal salvation." There are probably hundreds of thousands of Universalists in the U. S. and they are rap❤

tablish is, "some of our race will actually suffer eternal punishment." We agree with him respecting "the importance of the subject, and the propriety of a thorough investigation." He says, "the "doctrine of punishment suited to the demerit of crime, lies at the foundation of all government by law. The moral rectitude of such government, depends upon the proper apportionment of penalties, and an impartial administration: but its power depends upon the degree of certainty, with which the penalty is seen to follow the infraction of the law." In all this, we agree with him, but we think he has laid a sure foundation for his own destruction. After referring to instances illustrative of the statements we have quoted, he says, "It will be seen from these statements, that the doctrine of future punishment lies at the very foundation of the Divine government." Why so? If government is founded on the doctrine of punishment suited to the demerit of crime-if an impartial administration and a proper apportionment of penalties constitutes its moral rectitude-if its power depends on the degree of certainty, with which the penalty is seen to follow the infraction of the law -how does it follow that future punishment, i. e. endless misery, lies at the very foundation of the divine government? Surely it does not thus follow, unless endless misery be the punishment, suited to the demerit of crime. This our author has not attempted to prove. To assume it, was to beg the question in dispute. Mr. P. says, "It is the perfection of this" (the divine) "government that absolute certainty characterizes all its operations, and we think we shall be able to show that there is noth

ing in it to encourage the hope of impunity; nothing to mitigate the doom of transgressors. The penalty of the law of God is weighty as his eternal curse, and sure as his ability to inflict it." He has furnished no evidence that the penalty of the law of God is weighty as his eternal curse. If he had had any evidence to confirm his statement, he probably would not have left a matter so weighty to rest on his testimony alone. But suppose we admit what he has said. Suppose the penalty of the law of God to be an eternal curse-that absolute certainty characterizes all the operations of the divine government

that there is nothing to mitigate the doom of transgressors that the penalty of his law will be inflicted n all transgressors, unless his power fail-suppose we also consider that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," and what will necessarily follow? UNIVERSAL DAMNATION! When Mr. P. can extricate himself from his own reasoning, we think there will be some chance for other sinners also. True he says on another page, "the effect of the doctrine of future punishment, depends upon the certainty with which it is seen to be coming upon every unrecoiled sinner." But this forms no exception to what he had previously laid down; because ever sinner has been unreconciledunless therefore the penalty of endless misery be inflicted, the divine government is powerless by his own showing!

Mr. P. candidly admits that there is a numerous class of people who hold the doctrine of Universal There are probably hundreds of thousands of Universalists in the U. S. and they are rap

salvation."