ances and restrains vice: the annexation of inward felicity in all cases, (and outward in all those instances in which the result depends upon the conduct of the individual,) to holy habits and acts, recommends and sanctions them, and allures to the use of those means which God has provided for enabling us to form and practise them. No other final causes, it would appear, can be assigned for the peculiar manner in which we are governed in the present life: and if the deterring and correcting severity on the one hand, and the alluring and instructive kindness on the other, which mark the Divine administration, continue throughout life; if, in every period of his life here, man is capable, by the use of the prescribed means, of forming new habits and renouncing old ones, and thus of accomplishing the purposes of the moral discipline under which he is placed; then is he in a state of trial throughout life; and if so, he is accountable for the whole course of his life, and his ultimate reward or punishment must be in a state subsequent to the present. (8)

The certainty of future punishment is rendered indubitable by the positive declarations of Scripture. To prove this proposition it is not necessary to adduce all the passages which teach this important truth: a few are sufficient for our purpose.

"And do ye not know their tokens, that the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." Job. xxi. 29, 30.

The testimony of Job, on this subject, is worthy of especial regard, as he was contending against the very doctrine we are opposing, that is, that sinners receive their punishment in this life. His friends supposed he had been guilty of some aggravated crimes otherwise the DeIty had never suffered him to be so afflicted; and endeavoured to convince him of the truth of their accusations

(8) Watson's Institutes, Vol. 1. 228-230.

by a reference to the Providential government of God, which they contended invariably punishes the guilty in this world. Job repelled the charge and alleged, that the righteous were not always prosperous, nor the wicked in a state of adversity; but that whilst the former were to look forward to another state for their reward, the latter, though now in prosperity, were reserved to the day of destruction, and should, in a future state, receive the punishment of their sins.

"And these" (the wicked) "shall go away into everlasting punishment." Matt. xxv. 46.

We lay no stress, in our present argument, on the adjective "everlasting"; but quote the passage to show that the wicked after the " Judgment day", "go away into punishment," consequently into future punishment.

"The rich man also died, and was buried, and in hell, he lift up his eyes, being in torments." Luke xvi. 22, 23, This passage is very express:-it was not until he had died, that his soul was turned into hell, and was tormented. His enjoyments in this life,and his sufferings in the future world, are also contrasted in the 25th verse:so as to exclude all idea of his having been punished in this world for his sins.

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasur est up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render" (in the day of judgment) "to every man according to his deeds."-Rom. ii. 5. 6.

The scene of this day of wrath, and rendering unto men according to their conduct, is removed beyond the period of this life; and the punishment of the wicked must therefore be future.

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust until the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Pet. ii. 9.

"But these shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness: to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever." Ib. 12, 13, 17.

Wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." Jude 13.

Those passages need no comment. We would however observe that the future happiness of the pious is spoken of as being "reserved" for them, which shows in what sense we are to take the term in the above quotations,that it refers entirely, to the future world. See Peter, i. 3-5.

"When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, &c. who shall be punished," &c.-1 Thess. i. 7--10. No man, in his senses, can refer the sublime scene referred to in these verses, to any other period than that of Christ's coming in visible majesty and glory to “judge the world in righteousness,” and reward his friends and punish his enemies.

There is then a future punishment of the wicked; but whether or not that punishment is eternal is a question for subsequent consideration.

To this conclusion the Modern Universalists demur, and to show that the "wicked” receive all their punishment in this world, they quote Prov. xi. S1, "Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner."

But we ask, does this verse contain the rule, which the Deity invariably observes in his conduct to men? Is it a rule from which there is no exception? Are the “righte ous always recompensed in the earth"? Are the "wicked and the sinner" always punished during the present life? Or does the "wise man"here only intend to say,that sometimes the righteous shall receive in this world especial tokens of Providential good, and the wicked and the sinner on the other hand, shall not always escape with im

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punity from Providential calamities, but shall sometimes receive in this world particular demonstrations of the Divine displeasure;—not at all, however, in either case, superseding the future reward of the one and the future punishment of the other? The latter is doubtless the true meaning of the passage, harmonizing with other parts of Scripture, the actual providences of God, and the experi enee of mankind.

If the former meaning be contended for as the true one, then this verse proves too much, and therefore proves nothing at all. The verse must be taken as a whole, and on the assumed principle of the Universalists, it proves, that the righteous receive all their recompence of reward in this life, and have no interest in any future inheritance, as much as it proves, that the wicked and the sinner receive all their recompence of punishment in this life, and have no future sufferings to endure. They must take the verse with all its consequences: or give up their principle of interpretation as being fulse, or this verse fails to serve the cause for the support of which, it is adduced.

Let us test the Universalist construction of this passage by Scripture and experience.

We first observe, that if there be any meaning in this view of it, this verse proves that the righteous are, in this world, free from all kinds of sufferings and distress; that God, in his providence, always smiles upon them; that they are continually prosperous, and have at all times, the advantage of the wicked: all this, and much more, enters into the idea of their being "recompensed in the earth.”

On the contrary, this verse, on the principle of construction above assumed, proves, if it prove, what it is called to do, that the wicked are always in suffering and distress; that God in his providence, always frowns upon them; that they are continually in adversity; that their circumstances are always inferior to those of the righ

teous; and that they ever suffer, while life lasts, extreme agonies of mind, by reason of a guilty, and condemning conscience: all this at least, is included in the idea of their being "much more recompensed in the earth"-for it must be acknowledged, that being "wicked", unrenewed, they sin continually, and deserve punishment continually, and, that, wherever inflicted, "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doeth evil."

Let us then bring this doctrine to the test of the Scriptures. The question is, do the Scriptures teach it? Do` they give us such account of the righteous and the wicked? By no means.

They give us other views of the present state of the righteous:-"The Lord trieth the righteous,"

Ps. xi. 5. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Ps. xxxiv. 19. In the world ye shall have tribulation." John xvi. 33. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts xiv. 22. "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor. xv. 19.

The Scriptures give us other views of the present state of the wicked. "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them." Job xxi 7,9. "I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. They have more than heart could wish. Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world, they increase in riches." Ps. lxxii. 3-12.

The following passages bear also upon the argument. "There be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked: again there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of