rant of us, (faith the prophet) and Ifrael acknowledge us not doubtless thou art our father: we all are the works of thy hands." The apostle likewise afferts that we are the offspring of the Divinity. And Christ himself has commanded, "When ye pray fay Our Father," &c.

All true Theifts are agreed that the world is governed by the Providence of God, and that he diftributes rewards and punishments to those who are the proper fubjects of them. Let us then enquire what is the defign of punishment in human governments. All wife and good men will fay, it cannot be revenge; and I believe they will fay further, that at least one end is the prevention of crimes. But will they not also allow, that, if a government were perfect, its objects would be, not merely the prevention of crimes, but the reformation of the criminal? Now, who that believes in God will dispute the perfection of his government? And if not, what is the natural inference ?

If we confider the Deity under the character of a parent, must we not own, that one man is as truly his offspring as another? And what may one reafonably fook for at the hands of a good parent? Will not that parent naturally provide fuch an education for his child as fhall fecure (if poffible) the child's improvement and happiness? And is not this a thing very poffible with the heavenly Father to do in behalf of all his human offspring? With regard to those that love God, we are told, "all things work together for their good:" if, then, it please God, why may not all things work together for the good of all? Is there any thing abfurd or unnatural in the fuppofition? Or, on the other hand, doth it not very well correfpond with the Divine character, fuch as we have collected it from reason and revelation? Doth it, moreover, correfpond at all with that Character to create beings for mifery? But if we allow, that any are finally miferable, can we avoid allowing that they were made for that very purpose, unless we grant that the Divine intentions have been fruftrated? And if this be admitted, where is the perfection of the Deity? We remember, however, to have been told, "The counfel of the Lord ftandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." If any should think that the goodness of God intending, and, in his own time, effecting Univerfal happiness, encourages them to licen ciousness, instead of leading them to repent---it is poffible, that their repentance may be the result of a fevere difcipline; how fevere God only knows---Enough for us to know, that no unneceffary

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neceffary severity fhall ever take place under the Divine adminiftration; and that even they who fuffer moft, fhall, in the end, confess it was good for them to have been afflicted. I rejoice to find the following expreffions drop from the pen of Dr. Stennet.--"God is love. His moral perfections are all of them fo many modifications of love." I rejoice, because they fo well express what I apprehend to be the truest and most perfect idea of God. And from hence it follows, that the most gloomy difpenfations of Providence proceed from the most benevolent intentions, as will appear in due time. The light in which we fhould view all the calamities of the world, and all calamity whatever, is fo happily represented in the Epistle to the Hebrews, that I cannot forbear transcribing the paffage---"We have had fathers of our flesh, who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: fhall we not much rather be in fubjection to the Father of fpirits, and live? For they verily for a few days, chaftened us after their own pleafure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holinefs."

By the law of nature, (which is God's law) it is ordained, that he who believes and confides in the fatherly goodness of his Maker, fhall have peace in the midft of calamity; but he that atheistically cenfures and quarrels with the Divine government, muft inevitably be miferable, till he become better minded.

How amiable that complacency in the mind of him who devoutly worships the Everlasting Father, and rejoices to imitate that Good Being whom he worships!

How fhocking the gloomy and violent paffions that agitate and torment the mind of a Werter! and how different the exit of fuch characters from the ftage of this mortal life!" Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace!"

THEOPHILUS.

N. B. The Sorrows of Werter is one of thofe poisonous novels, of which the prefent age has produced fo great a number, to injure the minds of unthinking youth. It has a tendency to beget a diftruft of the wifdom and goodness of Providence---a total denial of providence is the natural refult of this---fuicide is often the end of both. The providence of God appears evident in many points of light, but in none is it fo gloriously confpicuous as in the doctrine of the Univerfal Reftoration. The writer of the above article did wifely in oppofing

oppofing the bickerings of atheism by the fublime view of providence which the Univerfal Doctrine affords.

EDITOR.

ON THE ILL EFFECTS

Likely to be produced by the Miffionaries lately fent abroad preaching the Doctrine of

A

ENDLESS PUNISHMENT.

Ta time when the religious of almost all denominations are fending miffionaries into various parts of the world to convert the heathen to the knowledge of Christianity, it is natural for a thinking mind to reflect on the probable confequence of fuch miffions, and the tendency they may have to produce the effect for which they are defigned.

It is, I believe, admitted by the beft judges of human nature that the most powerful principles in man are thofe of HOPE and FEAR---these are the main fprings of action in every individual, and they must be confulted in all appeals to the human fpecies. The all-wife Creator, who beft understands the compofition of man," who knoweth, (to ufe the language of infpiration) whereof we are made," has fufficiently convinced us of this by his frequent addreffes to our hopes and our fears throughout the Sacred Writings. The joys of heaven and the horrors of hell are painted in glowing colours---the brightest promises and the moft awful denunciations are alternately used to awaken in our breafts the keenest sensations of happiness and mifery. The beft writers, the greatest orators, the wifeft legiflators have availed themselves of thefe principles in man. We find the apoftle Paul (the beft fkilled in oratory of any of the difciples) fometimes ufing gentle perfuafion, fetting forth the goodness of God, in order to lead men to repentance---at other times awakening their fears by the example of God's judgments on the difobedient Jews and others---" knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord (fays he) we perfuade men. But the misfortune is, mankind have pushed the doctrines arifing from a confideration of the goodness and juftice of God too far. The antinomian has fuppofed that, because God is good, he will not punish at all; and the reft of the religious world, with a very small exception, not content with threatening finners with fuch punishment as the Scripture warrants---thinking that the fears of men cannot be too much excited---

have reprefented the Deity as the moft implacable, inexorable Being towards the difobedient---a Being, who will punish them" without mercy, and without end."

I do not know whether it has ever been ascertained which of those principles, namely, hope or fear, is the most predominant in man; if one is more fo than the other, of course he is to be addressed with the greater fervency on that fide which preponderates. But if he is alike fufceptible of impreffion on either fide, I fee no reason why his hopes or his fears should be excited one more than the other; but I think there is a greater ́ danger in working upon the latter to too high a pitch than the former.

David (who is faid to be a man after God's own heart, or mind, and who, confequently, must be supposed to have nearly the fame judgment in this cafe as the Almighty himself) seems to think, that setting forth the mercy of God is better calculated to inspire man with a proper fear, than threatening him with endless punishment; addreffing God, he fays, " With thee there is MERCY, therefore fhalt thou be feared." And the apostle Paul tells us, (Rom. ii. 4.) that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. It should feem, therefore, that of the two ways of addreffing men, this is the most likely to fucceed with them.

Let it be obferved, that it is the untutored favage (fo called), the uninformed mind of the Indian, the man of nature, that the miffionary has to do with; who, though he has not the advantages refulting from education, is happily free from its prejudices. Thefe men, however abject they may appear to Europeans, are poffeffed of common fenfe, and are able to detect palpable contradictions. They all have fome idol which they worship as their God: the miffionary has, therefore, first, to convince them that their idol is not worthy of worship, and then to fet before the eyes of their understanding a God who is, in every respect, intitled to and deferving of their love, their fear, and complete adoration. What fort of a being, think you, is likely to meet with the approbation of this child of nature?---A being of infinite wisdom, love, and power, whose every difpenfation, from first to laft, is founded in mercy, who defigns the good of his creatures in the fevereft of his chaftisements ---or a being of inexorable justice, when once his displeasure is completely provoked, that then cries and entreaties will never avail---he will never forgive---never be reconciled--no, never, to all endless eternity? Will not the untutored mind of the pagan fhrink back with horror at such

portrait

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portrait of Deity? Will he not prefer his idol, which he will be led to look upon as a model of perfection, when compared with that exhibited by the miffionary? Yes! nature shudders at the thought! and I will be bold to fay, that neither the Jews under the Old Teftament difpenfation, believed in the doctrine of endless punishment, (if they believed in any future punishment at all, which some have denied) nor the reft of the world, who were pagans. No! it was left for the Christian schoolmen to disfigure revealed religion, and make it speak fuch language as uninformed nature would blush to bear.

As I obferved before, if the favage has not the advantages of education, he is free from its prejudices---he has likewife common fenfe enough to detect palpable contradiction---and he will foon have occafion to exercife that faculty in hearing the miffionary defcant on the nature and attributes of God. What muft he think when he hears him, in one breath, declare that God was fo compaffionate as to give his only fon to die for mankind, and, in the next that he is fo cruel as to punish, without mercy and without end those who do not immediately fall in with his method of falvation. I am confident, that if the miffionaries fent out do not hide this feature in the character of their Deity, they will have no fuccefs in preaching to those who are free from the fhackles of prejudice---fuch doctrine being contrary to plain common fenfe. And I am not afraid to hazard an opinion, (however I may be deemed dogmatical for fo doing) that if the Univerfalifts were able to fend out miffionaries, they would with the ordinary affiftance of the Holy Spirit, do much more good than their brethren, owing to the benevolence of their scheme, and the amiable views it presents of the Almighty.

The doctrine of endless mifery has been the means of converting more Chriftians (I mean nominal ones) from Chriftianity to atheism, than pagans from paganifm to Christianity : for, as Mr. Weaver obferves *, men of deep thinking naturally infer---If there be a God, he must be a being of infinite goodness, wisdom, and power: but being told by divines, that revelation informs us, he will punish without mercy and without end, they inftantly reject all Chriftianity---and then revelation itfelf---and, perhaps, the being of a God; fupposing it better to believe there is no God, than adopt fuch dishonourable views as to apprehend, that the Supreme Being can be pof. feffed of infinite cruelty. It is therefore evident, that the man

* Endless Mifery overthrown, p. 2.

who