and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." See also Psal. 1. 22. Heb. xii. 29. Luke xii. 45.-Rev. xiv. 10, "Shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation." Therefore in the punishment of the wicked there will be no mixture of mercy or forgiveness.

It is of no importance, that in some of the texts now quoted, a reference is not had to the punishments of the future world, but to those of this life. If God can consistently with bis perfections inflict a partial vengeance, why not the whole of that which is justly due? If he can and does inflict vengeance in this life, why not in the future too, provided, as is now granted, it be just?

That the passages now quoted, do indeed speak of a punishment more than merely disciplinary, is manifest by the very terms of the passages themselves. To say that vengeance, wrath, fury, indignation, fiery indignation, wrath without mixture, mean a mere wholesome, fatherly discipline, designed for the good only of the subjects, is to say that the inspired writers were grossly ignorant of the proper and common use of language; and particularly that they were wholly ignorant of that important distinction between vindictive and disciplinary punishment, on which Dr. C. and other writers of his class so much insist. If vengeance mean fatherly discipline, what is proper vengeance? If it be proper to call fatherly chastisement, vengeance, wrath, fury, fiery indignation, wrath without mixture; by what name is it proper to call a punishment really vindictive?

6. The same may be argued from various other passages of scripture, some of which I shall now cite. 1 Cor. xvi. 22, "If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha." It is absurd to suppose, that this curse means a discipline designed for the good only of the patients. Such a discipline is so

far from a curse, that it is a very great blessing.-Deut. xxvii. 26, compared with Gal. iii. 10, " Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law, to do them." Deut. xxix. 19, "And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. The Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book, shall lie upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil, out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant, that are written in this book of the law."-This text seems to be in several respects inconsistent with the idea, that the future punishment of the sinner is merely disciplinary. It declares, that "the Lord will not spare him." But to inflict that punishment only, which is far less than the sinner deserves, and which is not at all vindictive, but wholly conducive to his good, is very greatly to spare him. It is further said, that the "anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against him :" which is not an expression properly and naturally representing the discipline, which proceeds from parental affection seeking the good only of the child. The same may be observed of this expression, "The Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." It is added, "All the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him"-" And the Lord shall separate him unto evil-according to all the curses of the covenant, which are written in this book of the law." These last expressions seem to be very determinate. Curses are not blessings: but that discipline which is subservient to the good of the subject is a blessing. The curses here mentioned are all the curses written in this book of Moses, or the book of the Law.

Therefore some men will suffer the curse of the law, even the whole curse of the law, or all the curses mentioned in the law; which, by what has come up to our view in the last chapter, appears to be more than a discipline promoting the good of the subject.

Again; Deut. xi. 26—29, “Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if ye will obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.”—Prov. iii. 33, "The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the just.”—Job xxiv. 18, "Their portion is cursed in the earth.”—Psal. xxxvii. 22, "They that be cursed of him, shall be cut off.”—Psal. cxix. 21, "Thou hast rebuked the proud, that are accursed.”—Jer. xi. 3, "Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant." Ibid. chap. xvii. 5,“ Cursed, be the man, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." Mal. i. 14, "Cursed be the deceiver," &c. Chap. iii. 9, "Ye are cursed with a curse." 2 Pet. ii. 14,

"Cursed children."

By all these texts it appears, that some men do or shall suffer the curse of God. Whether all these texts refer to a curse to be inflicted after death, does not for reasons already given materially affect the present argument. A curse is undoubtedly a punishment which does not promote the good of the subject: otherwise a curse and a blessing are perfectly confounded.

If it shall still be insisted, that the curse so often mertioned, means that punishment only, which is conducive to the good of the subject: it may be answered, then there would be no impropriety in calling the present afflictions of the real disciples of Christ, by the name of a curse. Why then are they not so called in scripture? Why are not the real children of God, even the most

virtuous and pious of them, said to be cursed by God, &c.? And why are not the curses of the wicked, as well as the afflictions of the righteous, said to work together for their good, and to work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory? Dr. C. loves to illustrate the punishment of hell by the discipline inflicted by fathers on earth with a sole view to the good of their children. But would it be proper to call the necessary, wise and wholesome discipline of earthly parents, by the name of a curse? or is it ever so called, either by God or man ?-Equally absurd is it, to call the punishment of hell by that name, if it be designed for the good only of the patients.

I beseech the reader to consider what a contrast there is between the texts, which have now been quoted, and those in which a punishment really disciplinary is mentioned and described. In the former the punishment is called by the names of vengeance, fury, wrath, smoaking wrath, fiery indignation, wrath without mixture, a curse, an anathema, all the curses of the law, &c. Whereas the real discipline of God's children is called a chastisement; "If ye be without chastisement, then are ye bastards and not sons:" a correction; "I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." This correction is said to be mingled with pity. "Like as a father pitieth his children; so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." "I will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him." But where in all the scriptures is the punishment of the future state represented to be designed for the good of the subjects? Where is it in scripture called a fatherly chastisement, correction or discipline, or by any other appellation of the like import? What right then have we to consider it as a mere chastisement? Is not this an

idea formed in the fond imagination of those who would fain support a favourite system?

7. If future punishment be merely disciplinary, the discipline will produce its proper effect on some, sooner than on others. Some who shall in this life have contracted a less degree of depravity and hardness of heart, will be more easily and speedily brought to repentance, than others. This on the hypothesis now made, is both agreeable to the dictates of reason, and is the very doctrine expressly and abundantly taught by Dr. C. But. how is this to be reconciled with the account of scripture? That informs us, that all those on the left hand of the judge are to be sentenced to everlasting fire, and shall go away into everlasting punishment. The sentence denounced on all is in the same terms, and not the least intimation is given, that some of them shall be punished longer than others; much less that only some shall be punished for ages of ages; others released, in a much shorter time. Dr. C. and other writers of his class suppose, that in hell the wicked are put under those means of grace, which are vastly more advantageous, powerful and conducive to the effect of repentance, than those means which are enjoyed in this life. But the same writers will allow, that in many instances, even the means which are enjoyed in this life are followed with the desired effect of repentance, and this within so short a term as threescore years and ten. Therefore we may reasonably conclude that within the like term, many more will be brought to repentance by the vastly more powerful means to be used with the damned: and so on through every successive period of seventy years. I think then an answer to two questions may justly be demanded of any one in Dr. C's scheme.

(1) With what truth or propriety can a sentence of everlasting punishment be pronounced on the whole