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everlasting life" and provoke the Holy One of Israel to swear in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest.” 5. They, who will not comply with the Gospel-conditions but contemptuously and determinedly refuse God's Inercy, must" die in their sins."

6. That inen may "die in their sins," leave this world in a slate of guilt and condemnation, is evident from Scripture, John viii. 21. 24, and the experience of thousands.

7. They, who "die in their sins," are not saved in this world; and the "will of God," respecting their present, spiritual salvation, is not accomplished.

8. The "will of God," relative to their salvation, if accomplished at all, must be accomplished in the future, invisible world -the burden of proving which, by scriptural declarations and legitimate arguments therefrom, lies with the Universalists.

9. Ir this cannot be done-if the will of God, respecting future, eternal salvation, as well as present, actual salvation, may be defeated; if, indeed, the promise of heaven is given only to them, who, in this life, by performing the annexed conditions, are personally saved ;—the undeniable conclusion, is, that tho' God sincerely “wills all inen to be saved," they who are not here saved-who live and die in a state of impenitence and unbelief, will not, cannot, at any future period, however distant, or whatever sufferings they may endure, be sAVED from the torments of Hell into the glories and felicities of Heaven-they "shall not" at any, the most remote period in the future world, see," enjoy "life," the fruition of heaven, “but the wrath of God" throughout eternity, "abideth on them.” John iii. 96.

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CHAPTER V.

PRELIMINARIES WHICH THE RESTORATIONISTS

MUST

FIRST ESTABLISH BEFORE THEY CAN DERIVE AD-
VANTAGE FROM CRITICISM ON DISPUTED TERMS -

ABSURDITIES INVOLVED IN THEIR BELIEF.

In endeavouring to establish their doctrines, the Restorationists lay great stress upon the Greek words aiōn, aiōnios, &c; and because these words are sometimes used in an accommodated sense to point out a limited period,they very illogically conclude, that these terms, when applied to future punishment, never imply strict eternity, but are employed, and are invariably to be understood, in their limited meaning. But all the passages, in which these terms are used, might be surrendered, and yet the doctrine of the eternity of future punishment shown to be perfectly scriptural :-its truth depends not upon the controverted meaning of one or two words, but is interwoven with the very texture of the Scriptures, and placed before us in numerous and various forms of expression and illustration, which, in the estimation of all candid persons, exclude the very possibility of controversy. These passages shall be adduced in their proper place.

In the meantime, let it be observed, that, in our argumentation with the Restorationists, no advantage can be taken of any mere verbal criticism of the disputed terms,

in which we believe the eternal duration of future punishment is stated, until they establish certain preliminary doctrines.

One of these preliminary doctrines is, that the future state of punishment is disciplinary, or probationary. The reason why the future state of punishment must be proved to be disciplinary before any advantage can be taken of verbal criticism, allowing, for the sake of argument, that this could be done, is evident. Suppose that aiōnios is capable of a limited meaning, yet, before it can be assumed that on the cessation of punishment, reward or salvation must necessarily follow, it must be previously established that the state of punishment is one which admits of a moral change in the sufferers, and will be certainly succeeded by reward. For, on the supposition of a limited punishment, it may be, unless there be satisfactory assurances to the contrary, that the soul is either entirely annihilated, or reduced to a state of torpor or unconsciousness. Hence arises the necessity of proving the proposition, that the future state of suffering is probationary; for unless this be done, the final restoration of condemned sinners to heaven does not follow as a necessary consequence of limited punishment, were the truth of it granted.

The appeal, in this instance, must be to SCRIPTURE only; for Reason, exclusive of the word of God, can find no data, no principles, on which to exercise its powers, as the future world is spiritual and invisible and not subject to the inspection of mortals; and as the mind of God on the subject cannot be known without a revelation. "For who hath known the mind of the Lord ?" Rom. xi. 34.

If Scripture be adduced, the passages quoted, must state the doctrine contended for either expressly or in words which admit of it by fair implication. But if Scripture be silent, as to the future state of misery being

disciplinary, we can obtain information from no other quarter; and its silence will afford a strong presumption against the Universalist-supposition :-in fact, it will have the force of a positive denial or contradiction; for, it cannot, for a moment, be imagined, that, in a Book professedly revealing the will of God to man on all articles of faith, and especially respecting the plan of salvation, and man's future and everlasting destiny, silence would be maintained on a subject so important in itself—so influential on human hopes and human conduct—and on which information is so much required. Indeed, if Hell cannot be proved to be a state of dis

line, it must be punitive; for the Scriptures represent it as a state of punishment; Matt. xxv. 46. and it is acknowledged by that part of the Universalists themselves, called RESTORATIONISTS, that punishment is inflicted; and on such a ground, its punitive character excludes all possibility of a moral change in the sufferers and of subsequent reward.

In the same manner-from the WORD OF GOD, the advocates of future restoration, must prove, in what this discipline consists; what are the means, if any, to be employed in restoring the souls of the "damned"-whether the immediate punishment itself, or some other means, extraneous to the punishment, and used whilst the suffering is actually endured:-in fact, that Christ is offered to the "damned" as a sacrifice for sin, available to their pardon and sanctification-for it is the solemn declaration of Christ himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me"-John xiv. 6. a declaration equally true of both worlds-no man, any period of this life, or in any period of the future state, can come to, approach the Father, be united to Him, and obtain his favour and love, but by Christ,— "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved;" Acts iv. 12. and

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that, among other things, provision is made for the operation, the awakening and regenerating influence, of the Holy Ghost in the future state of punishment,-for except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”—John iii. 5. a truth this, as applicable to the future as to the present world.

These points must be stated plainly and unequivocally; and the portions of the Word of God, on which they are founded, or by which they are attempted to be proved, must be likewise clearly exhibited,--so that we may have an opportunity of judging whether or not the doctrines in question be either expressly or impliedly contained in the Holy Scriptures; the reasoning if any, be correct; and the inferences drawn from the premises be legitimate. For it must be evident to every reflecting mind, that, if the propositions, above mentioned, be not thus substantiated by the express or fairly implied, unsophisticated Word of God, Universalism must totter to its base and sink in ruins.

Nor must it be forgotten, that the Restorationists are required furthermore to prove, in the manner previously specified, that the means employed, if any, for the purposes of discipline, are so employed, with a certain design of rescuing the souls of the "damned" from their place of torment and elevating them to the enjoyment of ineffable happiness in heaven; and that in every instance the means used will be unfailingly efficacious in accomplishing their design. Without these points, also, are satisfactorily established and confirmed by the unerring decisions of the revealed will of God as contained in the Bible, Universalism cannot stand-its "cloven foot" discovers itself, and “THE MARK OF THE BEAST" appears on its fore-front in glaring characters with this inscription-" MY FEET GO DOWN TO DEATH MY STEPS TAKE HOLD ON HELL." There are, then, four things for the Restorationists to prove, in order to substantiate their doctrine:-1. That

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