66 a lack or want of their contrary virtues; the same as dark66 ness is nothing more than the absence or want of light. "Hence ignorance, folly, injustice, hatred, cruelty, &c. are only the want of knowledge, wisdom, justice, love, mercy, "&c. and therefore these are the sovereign remedies for the “mind. Yea, all the remedies for the moral maladies and "vices of the human heart, are to be sought for in their contrary virtues." Take notice, he declares that all sin is negative; and not only so, but it is "merely negative;" that is, there is nothing positive about it: and he applies this remark to such sins as " injustice, hatred, cruelty, &c." Now is it true that a man may lie, and cheat his neighbour and pollute his family and incur no positive guilt? Is there nothing more than a mere negation in swearing, gaming, sabbath-breaking, and intemperance? Does my opponent give this view of sin when he is speaking of the real or supposed offences of orthodox christians? What is it that gives such exquisite interest to the case of St. Augustine and his paramour, the case of John Knox and Cardinal Beatoun, and especially that of Calvin and Servetus? At the very mention of these subjects in an heretical circle, animation fills every heart, and eloquence moves every tongue. Every toad in the company thinks himself a pattern of purity and a giant of greatness. When they turn the conversation from characters of such transcendant talents, piety and usefulness, and contemplate the real faults of inferior men, their criminal code is revised and corrected; sin is not quite so odious: and by the time they are at the bottom of the scale, among Universalists and Unitarians, Atheists and Libertines, sin becomes a mere negation. In a character of this description, deliberate murder would only be a want of love! "Fools "make a mock at sin :" and the necessary tendency of universalism towards this folly, shows its opposition to the Bible. In that sacred volume we are taught that sin banished angels of light into eternal darkness. It was sin which removed Adam from the happy garden, and brought misery and death upon all his race. It was sin which destroyed the old world by water, and the fertile plain of Sodom by fire and brimstone. On account of sin, these elements shall melt with fervent heat; and for sin, he who made the world, and wields these elements, was made a whole burnt offering. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because be laid down his life for us." So odious is sin that it must be fully puna Lectures, p. 195. Prov. xiv. 9. c 1 John, iii. 16. ished even when found imputed to the Holy Jesus. So hateful is it, beyond a parallel, that the Apostle, for the want of a worse description, called sin "exceeding sinful," a because there was nothing else as bad as itself. The purity of heaven cannot receive it; for "there shall in no wise enter "into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh "abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written "in the Lamb's book of life.'b The holiness of God cannot bear it. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and "canst not look on iniquity." He requires holiness in all his glorified subjects. "Follow peace with all men, and "holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."a His justice requires the punishment even of those sins which are committed while undergoing the punishment of former offences. "Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a "just recompense of reward."e Thus does the scriptural account of sin, in connexion with the inspired account of God's holiness and justice, infer the eternal punishment of the finally impenitent. V. We infer the same doctrine from what the Bible says of the helplessness of sinners. Here I shall undertake to speak but little of a distinction which some affect between natural and moral inability, whereby they would prove that a man who can do nothing without Christ, can do every thing without him. My sentiments on this subject, are those of the reformation; those which Luther advocated in opposition to Erasmus; those which the Westminster Assembly adopted; those which the Presbyterians of Scotland and America have received; those which the General Assembly of our church have ratified by a judicial decision; and those which are found in the oracles of God. I believe sincerely, as I professed to believe, when consenting to the Confession of Faith in my ordination, that "man, by his fall into a state "of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual "good accompanying salvation: so as a natural man being "altogether averse from that which is good, and dead in sin, "is not able by his own strength, to convert himself, or to "prepare himself thereunto;" that sinners "are utterly indisposed, disabled and made opposite to all good, and whol"ly inclined to all evil;" that "their ability to do good 66 "works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spi"rit of Christ."a These declarations describe our condition in a state of nature, while unconnected with an Almighty Redeemer; and let it be remembered that Mr. Winchester admits that some are "eternally deprived of the glories and honours of the "kingdom of Christ." According to the Scriptures, some of these characters owe five hundred pence, and others fifty, and they have "nothing to pay." Joshua says, "ye cannot serve the Lord." Our Saviour says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Paul says, "the carnal mind is enmity against God; "for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. "So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God." "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, shall strive to enter in, and shall not be able." "Then "said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall "seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye can"not come.' "For the grave cannot praise thee, death can"not celebrate thee. They that go down into the pit, cannot "hope for thy truth." Thus there are many who are without Christ forever;-But without Christ they have nothing to pay their debt; they can do nothing; they cannot serve God; they cannot submit to his law; they cannot please him by faith in his gospel, for (" without faith it is impossible to please him;") they are not able to enter in at the strait gate; they cannot come to him in Heaven; they cannot hope in him when dying, nor praise nor celebrate him among the redeemed beyond the grave.-If they can do none of these things, can they be saved? Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel, that "when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly;" that, when we were helpless, God "laid help upon One that is Mighty;" and that although Christ has said “no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him," yet he has also said, "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." Although, as a punishment of sin, we are justly doomed to spiritual death, a state of powerless corruption and misery, yet it is promised, "thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." As. ours is a guilty helplessness, it does not release us from the obligations of the law or of the gospel, the spirit says, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling :" and to encourage sinners to look for divine assistance, it is added, "for it a Confession of Faith, chap. 9. sect. 3. Chap. 6, sect. 3. Chap. 16. sect. 3. Y is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure."a VI. In connexion with the helpless condition of sinners, we proposed inferring the doctrine of their eternal punishment, from the character, influence, and dominion of that society to which the curse has exposed and subjected them. It is a very plain, though involuntary acknowledgment of the strength of this argument, when universalists, in order to elude its force, deny the very existence of fallen angels. This is evidently done through the suggestion of the devil, and to serve his purposes. When an army approaches unobserved, within cannon shot of our camp, while we believe that they are not in existence, this is as they would have it : and that traitor who had lulled us into this fatal repose, in opposition to many faithful warnings, would be considered their humble servant. When this deceit of satan and his servants takes effect, it is no wonder that sinners are "taken .6 captive by him at his will." "When any one heareth the "word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then "cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was < sown in his heart." "The tares are the children of the "wicked one. The enemy that soweth them is the devil." "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in "whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of "them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel ❝ of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." "He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth "from the beginning." "Ye do the deeds of your father." "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning, and "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is 66 a liar and the father of it." "O full of all subtlely "and all mischief: thou child of the devil! thou ene66 my of all righteousness! wilt thou not cease to pervert "the right ways of the Lord ?" "If I, with the finger of "God, cast out devils, no doubt, the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed, keepeth his palace, "his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall o come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him 66 a Matt. xviii, 24. Luke vii, 41, 42. John xv, 5, Josh. xxiv, 19. Rom. viiis all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.", Although the Divine Saviour, this stronger man, has delivered many captives, there are still many, who, according to Mr. Winchester's own acknowledgment, "will be eternally deprived of the glories and honours of the kingdom of Christ." According to the above Scriptures, the devil is a strong man, and these lost and blinded sinners are his captives; the devil is a father, and they are his children. As might be expected, they resemble each other. He perverted the right ways of the Lord, and so do they; he is a sinner, an enemy of all righteousness, a liar and a murderer, and so are they. As Christ is the only deliverer, and as these sinners have, to their own eternal destruction, renounced any dependance upon him, they must continue forever, under the instruction and example, dominion and oppression, of this more than Egyptian tyrant. An aggravation of their hopeless case is, that they must still continue to be rational and responsible beings. Their corruption and guilt must forever increase, and conséquently, to all eternity, the cloud of vengeance must thicken over them, and the pit of their suffering shall be without bot tom. SECOND ORTHODOX ARGUMENT. IMPLICATION. This argument is inexhaustible: for every commandment of the law implies a sanction; every promise of the gospel implies a threat against gospel despisers; and every expression of approbation to those who repent, believe, or obey, who are justified, adopted, or sanctified, implies the condemnation of the contrary character. A few passages of Scripture, which come under the form of insinuation, supposition, and interrogation, shall serve as specimens of implication. 1. Insinuation. Is not our Saviour's declaration against hypocrites, that "they have their reward," an insinuation that they have only a temporal reward? Is not the Psalmist's declaration concerning "men of the world, who have "their portion in this life," an insinuation that they have no portion in another life? When the Apostle Paul said "god"liness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the "life that now is, and of that which is to come,” did he not insinuate that the ungodly were without the blessing of heaven here and hereafter? When our Saviour said, "he that a 2 Tim. u. 26. Matt. xiii 19, 38-43. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. 1 John iii. 8, 10. John viii 41 24. Acts. xiii. 10. Luke xi. 20-22. AA |