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pleasure in unrighteousness." Had they not believed a lie they would not have been damned. Now christian hearers, when and where can this damnation exist? The answer is plain; it being the consequence of believing a lie, of being deluded, it exists in this time and state of unbelief and delusion. If this delusion, if this lie shall exist in the mind of the deluded to all eternity, then might this condemnation exist as long. But if the cause be ever removed, then must the consequence come to an end. It may be asked whether this damnation can be endured in this mortal state? It must exist where and when the delusion exists, for it depends on it.

We have noticed that the words damned, condemned, &c., have been traditionally made to apply to a future, eternal state, but Jesus himself speaks as follows: "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” St. Paul speaks to Timothy of some as "having damnation," in the present tense. To the Romans he says: "He that doubteth is damned if he eat." St. Péter speaks of some "whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their. damnation slumbereth not." All this reads in this world where unbelief and sin are, and where their consequences are.

Let us notice the condemnation which the labourers suffered, who were told by the householder that he would give unto the last even as unto them. This was a plain declaration of impartial truth and equal goodness. And this testimony was that which condemned them. Hear the condemnation of the brother of the prodigal, which was indicated by the following reply of the father, "Son, thou art ever

with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found." Here we see that impartial and equal goodness of the father, the love of which this elder brother did not receive, but had pleasure in the unrighteous expectation of the final exclusion of his brother from the favour and bounty of the father. It was this impartial goodness which condemned him who loved not his brother.

Let us here inquire if it were possible for the benevolent and bountiful father of these two sons to be equally and impartially good to them, without condemning the son who did not love his brother? No, this you all know was impossible. Then let us ask for the nature and utility of this condemnation. At once it is seen, that this condemnation was designed to bring the condemned to a sense of truth and to the love of the same, that he might be delivered from the partiality and cruelty of his wicked heart, love his brother and rejoice in the father's impartial favour. But if the condemnation is extended beyond this object, and executed on the transgressor in a way to prevent this return to filial duty and brotherly love, it thereby sets up this very wicked principle which it condemned. Therefore it is clear that the damnation mentioned in our text is designed to aid the cause of universal, impartial goodness:

To conclude:-How divinely amiable does our Father in heaven appear, when seen through the medium of these self-evident arguments. On the one hand he is inviting the profligate and profane from their prodigality and wretchedness, to his bounty and love; while on the other, he speaks to the superstitious and partial, who are the subjects of this strong delusion, in the melting language of parental affection, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all I have is thine; it was meet that we should make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

SERMON IX.

THE END OF THE WORLD.

DELIVERED IN BOSTON ON THE FOURTH SABBATH IN FEB. 1820.

ST. MATTHEW XIII. 47-50.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is ke unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind;-Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just.-And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

CHRISTIAN friends, the passage now read in your hearing claims your most serious and candid attention, for the following reasons:

I. It was spoken by the great and good teacher, who was sent of God, as the way, the truth, and the life; and therefore treats of nothing but what we are all deeply interested to know.

II. It is one of the many passages which are usually employed in support of the doctrine of an eternal state of indescribable tortures, in which the wicked are to suffer in the future state; and therefore is a passage which is necessarily called up for investigation in the great controversy which now occupies the public mind, on the subject of doctrine. We say, the controversy which now occupies the public mind; for notwithstanding all the caution used by the clergy to prevent the free discussion of the question, whether all men are embraced in the benevolent designs of our Saviour's grace, or only a part, it is very evident that no question in divinity excites at this time so much interest and attention as this. For many years

after the doctrine of unlimited salvation was preached in this country, by a few faithful ambassadors of our divine master, the orthodox clergy very frequently sought opportunities to investigate this great question, and to refute the doctrine for which these few contended. But these affairs now wear a very different aspect. In room of à desire to meet this weighty subject before the world, and contend against it, only where they expect to be answered, constant prudence is employed to direct the public mind to other topics, and never even to think of this, only as a subject embracing such dangerous tenets as to render it unsafe to inquire into them, or listen for one moment to any arguments in their support. By these means, the wisdom of this world is endeavouring to make the best of the superstition and credulity of the people, that is possible. To serve this interest by these means, the passage now before us is often recited to the following purport: The Saviour has informed us concerning the awful condition of sinners in the future state, by the application of the parable of the net that was cast into the sea. This net gathered of every kind, good and bad; but when it was drawn on shore, they sat down and made a separation, gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. Of this the following solemn and awful application is made. "So shall it be at the

end of the world; the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." And here the speaker will add; no comment is necessary; the words of the Saviour are too explicit to need explanation; this is the closing scene, it is so to be done at the end of the world. Such observations and remarks are made in a most solemn tone of voice, accompanied with a studied horror of countenance which as it were, petrifies the hearer into a gloomy despair. In such cases it is left entirely to tradition to say what is meant by the end of the

world, and by the furnace of fire; for should the question be allowed to exist in the mind, what our Saviour meant by the end of the world, and this furnace of fire, and should we allow ourselves to search the scriptures to ascertain these facts, it would be seen at once, that they have no relation to a future state of existence.

III. It is what we all owe to the cause of truth and to ourselves, to lay prejudice aside, and to investigate this subject with all the impartiality and honesty of mind of which we are capable. To do otherwise, and retain our early errors and prejudices in opposition to reason and divine revelation, is the same kind of conduct as that of the Jews, who, being destitute of candor, and averse to reason, said that Jesus was a Samaritan and had a devil.

In our endeavours to obtain a correct view of what our Saviour meant, when he delivered the words of our text, the following particular questions will be duly noticed.

1. What is meant by the kingdom of heaven, and by its being, like a net that was cast into the sea which gathered of every kind?

2. What is meant by the end of the world, and the separation of the wicked from among the just? And,

3. What is meant by the furnace of fire into which the wicked are said to be cast?

As it is of the first importance to obtain a correct idea of the time to which our text alludes, the hearer is requested to be looking after this partic ular through the whole of these inquiries.

When we read of the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven, in the New Testament, if we are at all careful to observe the connexion, or the similes by which it is represented, we shall at once see that a future, immortal state is not the subject. When Jesus said to the pharisees, in reply to their blasphemy; "But if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you,"

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