equally certain their characters making no difference at all, as to that matter. Now according to that sentiment, a hope of heaven after death, can be no reason why a man should be virtuous here, and suffer for virtue's cause; as that happy state after death, can neither be put in jeopardy, nor made surer on any such account, and is not looked to as a result of a well spent life, according to Universalists.

But we are sure this sentiment is contrary to Bible truth; which we prove by the following quotations. (2d Tim. iv. 8.) "Henceforth," says St. Paul, "there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not me only, but unto all them also, that love his appearing." Now as St. Paul was in prison at Rome, when he wrote this Epistle, out of which this quotation is taken, and was shortly after put to death by the order of Nero, we are sure that this crown of righteousnesss, of which he speaks, and says was laid up, or was in readiness for him, was not in this life, but awaited him after death. Could Voltaire have said as much, and rejoiced at his death, as did St. Paul, who when in hourly expectation of being put to death, said triumphantly, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of rightcousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." Of Voltaire, it is said that he died in horrors unutterable; but of Paul, that he rejoiced exceedingly. What made the difference? We answer their different expectations after death made the difference. What else could? What a pity some wise Universalist had not stood by St. Paul to have checked a little the exuberance of his joy, by just stating to him that his goodness, his virtue, nor his having kept the faith, nor his having fought a good fight, could possibly make any difference with him after death; as heaven, and heavenly joys, were not made surer by any thing a man, by the grace of God, can do in this life; and that there is no such thing as rewards in heaven for the righteous, more than for the wicked. What a pity some wise Universalists had not stood by the raving Voltaire, as he lay on his dying pillow, to have comforted him with assurances of happiness after death; and that his wicked life, which had been spent in opposition to Jesus Christ, in ridicule of his name, of his birth, and of his Gospel,-calling him an illegitimate, and his mother a prostitute, could make no possible difference in another world, as God has arranged matters in such a way, that a man's character cannot disqualify him for the enjoyments of happiness in heaven.

From St. Paul's peculiar manner of speaking about the crown which he expected to receive, we perceive that he had it not at the time in which he was writing about it to Timothy, but was to

receive it at a certain time, or day; as he says "which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day." But, says a Universalist, I can tell you what day he meant easily enough! Well, we wish to know! Why, it was, no doubt, the day on which he was to be put to death; and the crown, was the crown of martyrdom. Well done! Was that the crown which was laid up for him by the righteous Judge? O yes; most certainly! Well then, who was this Judge, who adjudged him to die a martyr? Was it God,-or Nero, the cruel and wicked Emperor? If you say it was God,-why then, the murder of St. Paul was right, as God can do nothing wrong? But if it was Nero, we then arrive at a certainty, that the Judge who was to give Paul his crown, was God, and that Nero was a wicked judge; because he says: which God, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and proves that day, was not the day of his death, nor that crown, the crown of martyrdom; as the putting to death of Paul, for the sake of his religion, could never be called a righteous act; and therefore, if martyrdom be called a crown, yet it was not that crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge had in reversion for Paul; and of necessity, extends the matter beyond this life, to arrive at the crown spoken of; and therefore amounts to a reward, which is the favor of God, to be bestowed in heaven, on account of the merits of Christ.

But St. Paul says that such a crown was to be given, not to him only, but to all them also, that love Christ's appearing. Now if the crown there spoken of, which was promised to all the disciples of Christ, was a crown of martyrdom, it then follows that all disciples must die violent deaths, or must die martyrs, which is by no means the fact; and if this is not a fact, then is St. Paul mistaken; unless this crown of righteousness is to be had after death, and is to be given them in consequence of loving Jesus Christ, and looking for his appearing at that day-the day of final and general judgment. And that there is to be such a day, we further prove from Acts, xvii. 31--" Because he (God) hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained." But what man was that, who was thus ordained to judge the world in righteousness? Was it Titus, the Roman emperor, and was that world Jerusalem, which was to be thus judged? We think not; because St. Paul says that God hath given assurance of this thing, the judgment, unto all men, in that he hath raised him, Christ from the dead. Therefore it was not Titus; as he was never raised from the dead: and if Titus was not the man who was ordained to judge the world, then it was not Jerusalem which is alluded to in the text of Acts, xvii. 31; as it was Titus who destroyed that city and nation: but Jesus Christ who shall judge the world in righteousness at the last day. That there is to be a last day, we show from what Martha said to the Saviour

on the occasion of the death of her brother Lazarus. John xi. 24. "Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again, in the resurrection, at the last day." Also John, xii. 48.-"He that rejecteth me, (Jesus Christ) and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day." John vi. 39, it is said: “And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up at the last day. Also in the same chapter, verses 40 and 44, the same thing is repeated;-"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

From these examples of Scripture on the subject of a last day, we conclude that this last day is the one on which St. Paul says God would give him a crown of righteousness, namely, at the time of the general and final judgment after the resurrection of the just, or time of the first resurrection, which idea—that of a first resurrection—is taught by St. Paul himself: (1 Cor. iv. 16.) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." And if any one wishes to know how long first, our answer is: a thousand years; during which period will be the millenium. And if they wish the proof of this, please look at Rev. xx. 4, 5: "And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had receieved his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." But the rest of the dead, (the wicked dead,) lived not again until the thousand years were finished." That will be the day, the time, and the moment after the first resurrection, when Paul will receive that crown of righteousness, with all them that love, and look for the appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, or, as Universalists will have it a mere man; (Titus ii. 13,) which will not be in this life, but that which is to come.

But is this Scripture, as above presented and argued, the only one which proves the doctrine of rewards for the righteous in eternity? We believe not. See Matth. v. 12: "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Also in Luke vi. 23: "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for behold your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." See Collossians, iii. 24: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto

men: knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance." Now what inheritance is this spoken of here? We answer: it is heaven; as the Christians at that time had all they could have on earth of religious happiness, because of their faith in Christ. But as the Apostle speaks of an inheritance which was future, and which he called a reward, it follows of necessity that the reward alluded to, was not to be arrived at till after death, in the kingdom of heaven. This hope of future reward, was all that upheld the Christian church at that, or any other age: but especially at that period of distress and persecution. Without this hope,-who, in those ages, would have embraced Christianity, when they knew that with it, they must embrace shame, contempt, poverty, persecution and death? But had they have known the advantages of Universalist opinions, namely, that heaven, and the rewards of heaven, were just as sure to the wicked, and to their persecutors, as to themselves, they would have spurned it as a useless system, upon the great whole, and never would have embraced it at all. Where is the man now to be found among the Universalist ranks, who would go to the fiery stake for his opinions,-looking to the recompense of reward after death? Such a character cannot be found; because they believe that both the good and the bad are to be happy alike, in another world, independent of character.

St. Paul in his book to the Hebrews, chap. x. 34, 35, has taught the same doctrine, that of rewards in Jesus Christ, in heaven after death, as follows: "For ye had compassion of me, in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing ye have in heaven, a better, and an enduring substance. Cast not away, therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward" (in heaven.)

Now if there is no such thing as rewarding religious virtue in heaven, where then, was those disciples who had been despoiled of all their earthly goods, to receive this great recompense of reward, of which St. Paul speaks, by way of comforting them in the midst of their sorrows? If it be said- -as Universalists will say--why it was in their own minds, just at that very time, then it will follow, that the Apostle's opinion, expressed as follows, was of little worth: "For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." If they were every instant receiving that recompense, then at that very time, why have need of patience, as if something more was in expectation, called a reward, or recompense?

This sentiment is taught by St. John, the Revelator, chap. xi. 18. "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great: and should destroy them which destroyed the earth."

In this verse, all the prophets who were dead hundreds of years before the time of St. John, with all the saints in their times, as well as the times of the apostles themselves, and thereafter to the time of the general resurrection or last day, are here shown to be in expectation of that reward. It is impossible to interpret this verse in any other way than that of a reward to be given, not claimed as of debt, at the resurrection of the just, on account of the ancient prophets being named among the rest, who were then dead; and that the time to reward them in the view of the Revelator was in prospect, and yet to come. The same Apostle, in another place, gives the same idea, though in different words -chap. xxii. 12" Behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Now, as St. John the Revelator, did not write his book of Revelations till about twenty six years after the destruction of the city, and temple, and nation of the Jews, which took place August 10, in the year of our Lord 70-it follows that all he has said of a day and time of judgment, besides the text we are now considering, that it is impossible to interpret that text of the destruction of Jerusalem, the favorite day of judgment of the Universalits, unless he prophesied backwards. And even could it be shown that the book of Revelation was written before the overthrow of that city, yet the text could have no allusion to that catastrophe; because the dead did not rise then, nor were the dead judged, nor were the prophets rewarded, nor the saints, and all them that fear God, both small and great, who had suffered and been put to death for the truth's sake, before St. John's time, as well as after; for his form of speech in this verse comprehends all time, the whole age of the earth till the end. The same doctrine is taught, as we apprehend, by our Lord, in Matth. xvi. 27, though strongly contended to the contrary by Universalists. The text reads thus: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Now what is the glory of the father, in that text? was it the pomp and martial array of a man; Titus, the Roman emperor, and his fellow worms, his soldiery, accompanied with somewhat of a noise, which possibly might have been heard two miles at the farthest? Was every man then rewarded according to his works? There is no evidence that any were so rewarded, in the moral sense of the word; nor is there any evidence that even one of the angels of the Father was seen at the siege of Jerusalem. Or if we say those angels may have meant the Apostles, and first preachers of the cross, yet none of these were there, as they were all dead except St. John the Revelator, and he extremely old, and far away from the environs of that city at the time of its investment by the Romans; so that in no sense perceivable, can it be said, that the destruction of Jerusalem was the time meant by our Saviour in