GOOD day to you, ſir, I was juſt paſſing by, and if you have a little time to ſpare, I ſhould be happy to have ſome farther diſcourſe with you, reſpecting your ſentiments; for although I cannot fall in with your views, yet I am convinced, that your mind is upright in the matter, and that you do not diſagree with your brethren for the ſake of differing, but for what you believe to be truth.

I have this to ſay, (and I can with truth declare it) that I never ſhould have diſſented from my brethren, had they only given me the liberty of enjoying that natural right of freely thinking for myſelf in matters of religion. I ſincerely wiſh to live and die in unity with all that love God and keep his commandments; and I ſhould never have troubled the world with my ſentiments, had not great pains been taken to repreſent me as a heretic, and my ſentiments dangerous to mankind: This was done to prevent people from hearing what I had to ſay in other matters. I was therefore, in a ſort, compelled to ſit down and anſwer all the objections that were brought againſt the truth I believed; which anſwers, drawn (as I truſt) fairly from the Scriptures, have ſatisfied many who have read what I then wrote upon the ſubject.

I never ſaw your anſwers to objections in print: but in our laſt converſation, you gave ſuch anſwers to many queſtions, as ſeemed to convince me that much more might be ſaid in favour of the general Reſtoration than I formerly imagined: But I have a number of objections remaining, which appear to me unanſwerable; and which I beg leave to ſtate you in the plaineſt manner.

Do, my dear friend; you will give me pleaſure by being free and open upon this ſubject; propoſe all your objections, in the ſtrongeſt manner poſſible, and I will give you ſuch anſwers as have ſatisfied me in the matter; and I beg leave to aſſure you, that no light, trifling, or forced anſwer, far leſs a manifeſt evaſion, would ſatisfy my mind upon this awful and intereſting ſubject; and if what I believe is not capable of a ſcriptural defence, I ſhall endeavour to quit the ground as ſpeedily as poſſible.

The words of our Saviour, recorded by St. Mark, chap. ix. 43—49, form a very ſerious, and to me an unanſwerable objection againſt the univerſal Reſtoration.

'And if thy hand offend thee (or cauſe thee to offend) cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell; into the fire that never ſhall be quenched (or that is unquenchable): where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, (or cauſe thee to offend) cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet, to be caſt into hell, into the fire that never ſhall be quenched (or that is unquenchable): where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, (or cauſe thee to offend) pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be caſt into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one ſhall be ſalted with fire, and every ſacrifice ſhall be ſalted with ſalt.'

Here our Lord repeats five times, that 'the fire is not, or never ſhall be quenched, or is unquenchable;' words of nearly ſimilar meaning: Three times he ſpeaks of hell, as a place where 'their worm dieth not:' and, to ſhew the perpetuity of the ſufferings of the miſerable, he ſays, 'For every one ſhall be ſalted with fire;' i. e. preſerved by the fire, as ſalt preſerves meat. Theſe are the objections from this paſſage, briefly ſtated: Are you able to anſwer them fairly, without any evaſion, from the authority of Scripture?

This is certainly a moſt terrible paſſage, and deſerves to be conſidered particularly.

There is no doubt but Jeſus Chriſt had his eye upon that paſſage in Iſaiah, lxvi. 24.—'And they ſhall go forth, and look upon the car • aſes of the men that have tranſgreſſed againſt me: for their worm ſhall not die, neither ſhall their fire be quenched; and they ſhall be an abhorring unto all fleſh.'

It will be of uſe to us to underſtand when this prophecy ſhall be fulfilled: It ſhall be when the Children of Iſrael ſhall return, and be ſettled in their own land; and their enemies ſhall come againſt them, and ſhall be deſtroyed, and their carcaſes ſhall fall upon the mountains of Iſrael, and ſhall be a prey to the fowls of heaven, and their fleſh ſhall be devoured by worms, which ſhall not die, till they have eaten and entirely deſtroyed their bodies.

'Thou ſhalt fall upon the mountains of Iſrael, thou and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee; I will give thee to the ravenous birds of every ſort, and to the beaſts of the field, to be devoured. Thou ſhalt fall upon the open field: for I have ſpoken it, ſaith Adona • JEHOVAH. And it ſhall come to paſs in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Iſrael, the valley of the paſſengers on the eaſt of the ſea: and it ſhall ſtop the noſes of the paſſengers; and there ſhall they bury Gog, and all his multitude: and they ſhall call it, The Valley of Hammon-Gog. And ſeven months ſhall the Houſe of Iſrael be burying of them, that they may cleanſe the land.' (See Ezek. xxxix. 4, 5, 11, 12.) 'And it ſhall come to paſs, that every one that is left of all the nations which came againſt Jeruſalem, ſhall even go up, from year to year, to worſhip the King, JEHOVAH, of Hoſts, and to keep the feaſt of tabernacles.' Zech. xiv. 16. 'And it ſhall come to paſs, that from one new moon to another, and from one ſabbath to another, ſhall all fleſh come to worſhip before me, ſaith JEHOVAH.' Iſaiah, lxvi. 21. And they that ſhall come up to Jeruſalem, to worſhip the Lord, during the time that theſe bodies ſhall lie in the open field, ſhall go forth, and behold them in a ſtate of putrefaction, a prey to worms; and all the nations of the earth ſhall ſee God's judgments executed upon thoſe who dare to rebel againſt: him, by making war againſt the Lamb, and againſt his army. Rev. xvii. 14. xix. 19.

It is alſo intimated by Ezekiel, that a fire ſhall be kindled, to burn their weapons of war, &c. which ſhall laſt for ſome time. Hear his words: 'And they that dwell in the cities of Iſrael ſhall go forth, and ſhall ſet on fire and burn the weapons, both the ſhields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the hand-ſtaves and the ſpears; and they ſhall burn them with fire ſeven years: ſo that they ſhall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the foreſts; for they ſhall burn the weapons with fire.' See Ezek. xxxix. 9, 10.

Thus have I endeavoured to give the plain ſenſe of the text to which our Lord alluded; and I have not the ſmalleſt doubt of its being hereafter literally fulfilled.

I will now endeavour to give what appears to me the meaning of the text before us:—Chri •• threatened that thoſe who would not deny themſelves, and cut off thoſe things that led them into ſin, ſhould hereafter ſuffer infinitely greater inconveniencies, by being caſt into hell fire. And, Oh! who can conceive how dreadful a portion is threatened to ſome tranſgreſſors! that they 'ſhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and ſhall be tormented with fire and brimſtone, in the preſence of the holy angels, and in the preſence of the Lamb: And the ſmoke of their torment aſcendeth up ages of ages; and they have no reſt, day nor night.' Rev. xiv. 10, 11.

Thus, as the enemies of God, who ſhall be deſtroyed near Jeruſalem, ſhall have their carcaſes expoſed, full of worms, and be an abhorring unto all that behold them; ſo thoſe who are caſt into the burning lake, ſhall be publicly expoſed to ſhame, and ſhall ſuffer openly for their crimes; and the ſmoke of their torment ſhall aſcend up continually, during thoſe ages that the lake of fire, or the ſecond death, ſhall continue.

But when I conſider that this terraqueous globe itſelf is probably to become the lake of fire, when the elements ſhall melt with fervent heat; and yet after that dreadful ſcene is paſt, the earth itſelf ſhall be renewed, and become the habitation of righteouſneſs; I can hardly have any doubts, but all the rational part of the creation, 'ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' See Rom. viii. 19, 20, 21, 22.

Thus, if the lake of fire, or ſecond death itſelf, ſhall be deſtroyed, ſhall ceaſe, and be no more; there is an end to tormenting pain; though, perhaps, ſuch inward reflections, ſhall continue for ſome time longer, (if not to eternity) which, though they ſhall tend exceedingly to increaſe the love of God in the ſouls thus delivered, ſhall fill them with ſhame, ſimilar, or perhaps more pungent than we feel here on earth, when we are melted under a deep ſenſe of our manifold tranſgreſſions, and of the pardoning love of God at the ſame time.—This ſeems to me to be the meaning of ſuch paſſages as theſe:

'O my God, make them like a wheel; as the ſtubble before the wind. As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame ſetteth the mountains on fire; ſo perſecute them with thy tempeſt, and make them afraid with thy ſtorm. Fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſeek thy name, O JEHOVAH. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to ſhame, and periſh: That —(our tranſlators have added the word men, but the ſenſe determines that the addition ſhould be)— 'they may know that thou whoſe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moſt High over all the earth,' Pſal. lxxxiii. 13—18.

'The wiſe ſhall inherit glory, but ſhame ſhall be the promotion of fools,' Prov. iii. 35.

'They ſhall be great •• , aſhamed, for they ſhall not proſper; their everlaſting confuſion ſhall never be forgotten,' Jer. xx. 11. xxxiii. 40.

'They ſhall be aſhamed, and alſo confounded, all of them: they ſhall go to confuſion together, that are makers of idols, ' Iſa. xlv. 16. 'And all are incenſed againſt him, (JEHOVAH) ſhall be aſhamed, ' verſe 24.

'For thus ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH; I will even deal with thee as thou haſt done, which haſt deſpiſed the oath in breaking the covenant. Nevertheleſs, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will eſtabliſh unto thee an everlaſting covenant. Then thou ſhalt remember thy ways, and be aſhamed, when thou ſhalt receive thy ſiſters, thine elder and thy younger (viz. Samaria and Sodom); and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. And I will eſtabliſh my covenant with thee, and thou ſhalt know that I am JEHOVAH: That thou mayeſt remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou haſt done, ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH,' Ezek. xvi. 59—63.

'Then ſhall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loathe yourſelves in your own ſight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your ſakes do I this, ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH, be it known unto you; be aſhamed and confounded, O houſe of Iſrael," Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32.

But the lake of fire ſhall go out, when all the purpoſes for which it ſhall be kindled are accompliſhed; and if ſo, then it follows of courſe, that intelligences ſhall be no longer tormented therein.

But when God ſays, that a fire ſhall not be quenched, does it not neceſſarily imply, that it ſhall never ceaſe burning?

By no means: for we read in ſeveral places of Scripture of fires that have ceaſed, ages ago, that were ſpoken of in as ſtrong terms as are uſed by Chriſt, reſpecting the fire of hell.

As for inſtance: In Lev. vi. 13. we read, 'The fire ſhall ever be burning upon the altar: it ſhall never go out.' This is a much ſtronger expreſſion than if it had been ſaid, 'It ſhall not be quenched;' for it is ſaid, 'It ſhall never go out:' But ſurely, it muſt be uſed with ſome limitation; for for we know that it hath ceaſed, ages ago: And we read, that Daniel propheſied of the Meſſiah, that he ſhould 'cauſe the ſacrifice and oblation to ceaſe,' Dan. ix. 27; but it would certainly have been a weak argument againſt Daniel's prophecy, that as Moſes had ſaid, The fire ſhould never go out upon the altar, therefore the Meſſiah could never cauſe the ſacrifice and oblation to ceaſe; but it would be juſt as good an argument againſt Daniel's prophecy, as the words of Chriſt are againſt Iſaiah's: 'For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the ſpirit ſhould fail before me, and the ſouls which I have made. I have ſworn by myſelf, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteouſneſs, and ſhall not return, That unto me every knee ſhall bow, every tongue ſhall ſwear. Surely ſhall ſay, In JEHOVAH have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength; to him ſhall come; and all that are incenſed againſt him ſhall be aſhamed,' Iſa. lvii. 16. xlv. 23, 24.

In Jer. xvii. 27. we read: 'But if you will not hearken unto me, &c. then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it ſhall devour the palaces of Jeruſalem, and it ſhall not be quenched.' See alſo chap. iv. 4, xxi. 12. Amos v. 6. 2 Kings xxii. 17.

Similar threatnings we find poſitively pronounced by Ezekiel, at the command of God: 'Moreover the word of JEHOVAH came unto me ſaying, Son of man, ſet thy face towards the ſouth, and drop thy words towards the ſouth, and propheſy againſt the foreſt of the ſouth field, and ſay to the foreſt of the ſouth, Hear the word of JEHOVAH; Thus ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH, Behold I will kindle a fire in thee, and it ſhall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame ſhall not be quenched, and all faces from the ſouth to the north, ſhall be burnt therein; and all fleſh ſhall ſee that I JEHOVAH have kindled it; it ſhall not be quenched.' Ezek. xx. 45, 46, 47, 48. See alſo Jer. vii. 20.

Now theſe threatnings were ſurely executed; for the people did not hearken to God: he did certainly kindle a fire, and it burnt, and was not quenched, but conſumed Jeruſalem and all her palaces; and the beautiful foreſts that were ſo much eſteemed, ſhared the ſame fate: But what perſon will argue, that the whole city and country muſt be now in flames; and muſt have been conſuming, from the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, becauſe of theſe expreſſions, 'The flaming flame ſhall not be quenched,' &c. ſince we know that Jeruſalem, and the country round about, have been ſince inhabited, and will be again, in a more glorious manner than ever?

Neither will it help the matter to ſay, that we muſt underſtand the fire figuratively, for the anger of God, &c. for he declares by Zechariah, after the ſeventy years captivity, that he was 'returned to Jeruſalem with mercies.' See Zech. i. 16. And though the preſent deſolation of that land is compared to the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, Deut. xxix. 23—28. And Ezekiel not only ſpeaks of it as deſolate and waſte, but as having been always ſo; though we know it was formerly filled with inhabitants: (See Ezek. xxxvi. 34, 35, xxxviii. 8.) Yet all the prophets ſpeak of a time to come, when it ſhall be much more flouriſhing than ever it hath been; and Iſaiah ſays, 'Whereas thou haſt been forſaken and hated, ſo that no man went through thee; I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou ſhalt no more be termed Forſaken; neither ſhall thy land be termed Deſolate; but thou ſhalt be called Hephzibah (my delight is in her) and thy land Beulah (married); for JEHOVAH delighteth in thee, and thy land ſhall be married,' Iſaiah lx. 15. lxii 4.

Thus we may ſee, by theſe and many other paſſages, that predictions apparently directly contrary one to the other, may be all fulfilled upon the ſame land, people and perſons; only allowing a proper time to each, without which we can never make ſenſe of many prophecies.

Iſaiah, ſpeaking of the land of Bozrah, ſays, 'And the ſtreams thereof ſhall be turned into pitch, and the duſt thereof into brimſtone: and the land thereof ſhall become burning pitch. It ſhall not be quenched, night nor day; the ſmoke thereof ſhall go up for ever: from generation to generation it ſhall lie waſte; none ſhall paſs through it, for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern ſhall poſſeſs it; the owl alſo, and the raven, ſhall dwell in it:' (birds that cannot live in fire, pitch, and brimſtone, any better than men.) 'And thorns ſhall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortreſſes thereof: and it ſhall be an habitation for dragons, and a court for owls. The wild beaſts of the deſart ſhall alſo meet with the wild beaſts of the iſland, and the ſatyr ſhall cry to his fellow: the ſcreech-owl alſo ſhall reſt there, and find for herſelf a place of reſt. There ſhall the great owl make her neſt, and lay and hatch, and gather under her ſhadow: there ſhall the vultures alſo be gathered, every one with his mate. Seek ye out of the book of JEHOVAH, and read: no one of theſe ſhall fail, none ſhall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his Spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath caſt the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they ſhall poſſeſs it for ever, from generation to generation ſhall they dwell therein,' Iſaiah xxxiv. 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

Now, in this paſſage, there are ſuch things ſpoken of as are impoſſible to be fulfilled at once, without as great a miracle as was wrought for the three children in the furnace; and which there is no reaſon to expect will be wrought in favour of cormorants, bitterns, owls, ravens, dragons, ſatyrs, wild beaſts, thorns, nettles, and brambles. In the 10th verſe we read of a period, called for ever, wherein this land is to be on fire and is not to be quenched, night nor day: and the ſmoke of it is to aſcend up for ever; but in the 17th verſe, it is ſaid, that the before-mentioned birds and beaſts ſhall poſſeſs it for ever, even from generation to generation ſhall they dwell therein. But one of theſe periods muſt end, before the other can begin; the fire muſt ceaſe to burn, and the ſmoke to aſcend, before beaſts can take up their conſtant dwelling there, and birds can lay and hatch, and gather their young ones under their ſhadow, and enjoy the ſociety of their mates. And thus the whole prophecy may be fulfilled; not in the ſame, but in different periods: And thus alſo, may all the threatenings, and all the promiſes, in the ſacred book, be accompliſhed; not at once, but each in their ſeaſon.

It appears evident, that our Lord, by alluding to a fi • e that ſhall burn on earth, and to worms that ſhall devour the fleſh of the ſlain, could not mean to prove the torments of men to be abſolutely endleſs; at leaſt, the expreſſions of the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched, do not neceſſarily imply it; which has been ſufficiently proved, by the paſſages where the ſame or ſimilar expreſſions are uſed, where yet the ſubject cannot intend endleſs duration; and this is all that can be neceſſary to prove at preſent.

As to the expreſſion of being ſalted with fire, as every ſacrifice was ſalted with ſalt; I am not ſo clear, what might have been our Saviour's intent in this expreſſion; but I think, in the firſt place, he intended to teach us, that they ſhould not be annihilated by the fire, but preſerved therein, to be tormented day and night, in the preſence of the holy angels, and in the preſence of the Lamb, during the ages of ages. I would alſo propoſe, whether our Lord did not mean to intimate, that even the fire itſelf ſhall be of uſe under his direction, to humble, ſubdue, and penetrate the ſtubborn and diſobedient rebels, that ſhall be caſt into it. Fire, as well as ſalt, is a great purifier; and preſerves and cleanſes thoſe things which are able to endure it; and is the great agent by which all metals are ſeparated from their droſs, and prepared for the uſe for which they were deſigned. Under the law, all unclean things, that could endure the fire, were ordered to be caſt into it, in order to their cleanſing.

What you have ſaid concerning the fires that are repreſented as unquenchable, in ſeveral paſſages of Scripture, is worthy of attention; but you ſhould conſider, that theſe fires were all on earth, and in time, and therefore muſt have an end, or ceaſe to burn; but the fire of hell is in eternity, and therefore muſt laſt as long as eternity ſhall endure. Pray, what can yon ſay to this?

Had thoſe unquenchable fires never gone out while earth endured, or while time laſted, there might have been ſome force in this argument; but ſince the continuance of the fire does not depend upon the ſeaſon in which it is kindled, but upon the combuſtibles that feed and ſupport it, this can be no objection: Therefore, ſince thoſe unquenchable fires that have been mentioned, were kindled on earth, and yet not burn while earth laſted, but have gone out long ago; there is no neceſſity of granting, (even though we ſhould admit your premiſes of the fire of hell being kindled in eternity) that the unquenchable fire of the burning lake muſt unavoidably burn to all eternity, merely becauſe it is ſuppoſed to belong to that ſtate: But if puniſhments only belong to thoſe ages of ages before Chriſt ſhall reſign the kingdom to the Father, and the lake of fire ſhall be this terraqueous globe, diſſolved, or melted, with fervent heat; then the ground is changed, and the whole objection vaniſhes of courſe.

As you have come over this objection better than I expected you could, I ſhall leave it for the preſent, and conſider more fully, when I am by myſelf, what you have ſaid upon this ſubject; and ſhall now propoſe the greateſt objection that can be brought againſt the Reſtoration of all men, from the Scriptures; and which, if you can fairly anſwer, I ſhall be almoſt perſuaded to believe with you: but I am perſuaded that you will be hard put to it.

Produce your cauſe, and bring forth your ſtrong reaſons, that we may hear them; and if I am ſilenced, I will not be aſhamed to acknowledge it with all my heart.

I ſhall bring my objection from the Scriptures, and ſtate it with the utmoſt preciſion that I am able:—It is the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, of which our Saviour ſpeaks in the moſt awful manner; ſaying, 'Wherefore I ſay unto you, all manner of ſin and blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven unto men: but the blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt ſhall not be forgiven unto men. And whoſoever ſpeaketh a word againſt the Son of man, it ſhall (or may) be forgiven him; but whoſoever ſpeaketh againſt the Holy Ghoſt, it ſhall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (or age) neither in the world (or age) to come. Verily, I ſay unto you, all ſins ſhall (or may) be forgiven unto the ſons of men, and blaſphemies wherewith ſoever they ſhall blaſpheme: but he that ſhall blaſpheme againſt the Holy Ghoſt, hath never forgiveneſs, (or hath not forgiveneſs to the age) but is in danger of eternal damnation,' St. Matth. xii. 31, 32. St. Mark, iii. 28, 29. This is ſuch a matter of importance, that three of the evangeliſts notice it. St. Luke hath it thus: 'And whoſoever ſhall ſpeak a word againſt the Son of man, it ſhall (or may) be forgiven him; but unto him that blaſphemeth againſt the Holy Ghoſt, it ſhall not be forgiven,' St. Luke, xii. 10. St. Matthew ſaith, this ſin ſhall not be forgiven in this world, nor in that to come; St. Mark, that ſuch an one hath never forgiveneſs, but is in danger of eternal damnation; and St. Luke poſitively ſaith, it ſhall not be forgiven: And, to confirm the matter ſtill more, if poſſible, St. Paul ſaith, 'For it is impoſſible for thoſe who were once enlightened, and have taſted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, and have taſted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they ſhall fall away, (or, and have fallen away) to renew them again to repentance; ſeeing they crucify to themſelves the Son of God afreſh, and put him to an open ſhame. For if we ſin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more ſacrifice for ſins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which ſhall devour the adverſaries. He that deſpiſed Moſes's law, died without mercy, by the mouth of two or three witneſſes: Of how much ſorer puniſhment, ſuppoſe ye, ſhall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was ſanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done deſpite unto the Spirit of grace?' Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6, x. 26, 27, 28, 29. And the ſame Apoſtle directs us, ſaying; 'Looking diligently, leſt any man fail of the grace of God; leſt any root of bitterneſs ſpringing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: Leſt there be any fornicator, or profane perſon, as Eſau, who for one morſel of meat ſold his birthright. For ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the bleſſing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he ſought it with tears.' Heb. xii. 15, 16, 17.

And St. John, the beloved diſciple, ſays; 'If any man ſee his brother ſin a ſin which is not unto death, he ſhall aſk, and he ſhall give him life for them that ſin not unto death. There is a ſin unto death: I do not ſay that he ſhall pray for it,' 1 John v. 16.

Now here is a ſin for which there is no forgiveneſs, neither in this world (or age) or in that to come; which ſhall not be forgiven at all; he that committeth it hath never forgiveneſs, is in danger of eternal damnation; he cannot be renewed again to repentance, becauſe he hath crucified Chriſt to himſelf afreſh, and hath put him to an open ſhame: having ſinned wilfully and maliciouſly, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, to ſuch no more ſacrifice for ſins remaineth; judgment and fiery indignation are his certain portion, he is an adverſary, and muſt be devoured: a ſorer puniſhment than death without mercy awaits him, of which he is worthy, for that he hath trodden under foot the Son of God, the only Saviour, and hath counted the precious blood of the covenant, wherewith he was ſanctified, and which alone is able to cleanſe from ſin, an unholy thing; and hath done deſpite to the Spirit of grace, which is only able to renew the heart, and therefore the caſe of ſuch muſt be deſperate; for if ſuch an one, like Eſau, ſhould wiſh to repent and gain what he had loſt, it could not be, for he would find no place for repentance, though he might ſeek it carefully with tears; for having committed the ſin unto death, for which no prayer is to be made, no interceſſion offered up, he is bound over to the ſecond death, the lake of fire and brimſtone, and muſt bear the puniſhment of his ſins for ever and ever!!!—What ſay you to this?

As when Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel his dream, he was aſtoniſhed for one hour at the greatneſs of the puniſhment which he ſaw would inevitably come upon the King; much more muſt all thoſe be, who read and conſider theſe dreadful threatenings, which muſt ſurely come upon all thoſe who have ſinned in the manner deſcribed! I ſhall make a few obſervations upon theſe moſt terrible paſſages of Scripture; partly to prevent feeble minds from falling into deſpair, that may ſee them collected in one ſtriking view; partly to cure proud minds of preſumption; and partly to ſhew that the doctrine of the Reſtoration may be defended, notwithſtanding. 1. We are ſure that the Scribes and Phariſees of our Saviour's time, who blaſphemouſly aſcribed his miracles to the power of the devil, did, in the moſt direct and undeniable manner, commit that ſin; and ſome are doubtful whether it can be committed by any in theſe days. 2. It is generally acknowledged, that the Hebrews were in danger of committing that ſin, by openly and wilfully apoſtatizing from Chriſtianity, and publicly renouncing Chriſt and his ſalvation, and blaſpheming againſt the Holy Ghoſt, after having been partakers of its extraordinary gifts. 3. It cannot be committed by ignorant perſons, nor without a conſiderable degree of malice prepenſe; light in the underſtanding, and malice in the heart, are neceſſary ingredients of this dreadful crime; and it appears to me, it muſt be committed openly, and that it cannot be committed in thought only. 4. Under the Levitical diſpenſation there were many unpardonable ſins—crimes that could not be forgiven or overlooked, and for which no atonement could be made, and which were puniſhed with death, without mercy; other crimes, unleſs ſacrifices were offered, and repentance took place, ſubjected the parties to death alſo; but, under the goſpel, there is but one crime that is properly unpardonable, and that abſolutely ſubjects the perſon guilty of it to the ſecond death; yet many other ſins are threatened with the ſame puniſhment conditionally, but they may be forgiven, and not puniſhed at all; but this one muſt as certainly be puniſhed with the ſecond death, as murder or any other crime, was by the law of Moſes puniſhed with the death of the body without mercy or forgiveneſs. Forgery is the unpardonable ſin of England: people frequently ſuffer death for other crimes, as well as this; but other offences are ſometimes forgiven, but this never; it is always puniſhed with death. This circumſtance may illuſtrate my meaning. The ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is an offence of that kind, that, either owing to its uncommon malignity (as is moſt likely,) or ſome other cauſe, expoſes the guilty perſon to the age of judgment, from which he cannot eſcape by repentance, pardon, and ſprinkling of the blood of Chriſt, as other ſinners may; neither can he be at preſent born of the Spirit, to which he hath done deſpite; nor can he be reclaimed by any poſſible means, in this age, or in the age that is to ſucceed this, but is inevitably bound over to ſuffer the inconceivable torments of the ſecond death, or lake of fire and brimſtone, after the day of judgment. 5. There is no kind of diſpute between us, reſpecting the certainty of the puniſhment of ſuch; in this we both agree: he that ſinneth againſt the Holy Ghoſt, is in danger of eternal damnation, or judgment, or the ſecond death:—The queſtion is, Shall there ever come a time, when the ſecond death, or lake of fire, ſhall no more exiſt? If this can be proved, the concluſion will be evident, viz. that not one ſhall remain under the power thereof to all eternity: Upon this, and this alone, depends the ſolution of this awful, intereſting, and moſt important queſtion: and I conſider all other anſwers as mere quibbles, compared with this. And if it cannot be proved that a time will come, when all that bears the name of death ſhall be deſtroyed, thoſe who commit the ſin unto death, muſt, at leaſt, be allowed to ſtand as exceptions to the general rule; and, I am apt to think, the rule itſelf will be overthrown. I ſhall therefore labour this point a little; and if I ſhould be ſo happy as to prove to your ſatisfaction the total deſtruction of death, it will anſwer many other objections as well as this. My only refuge is Scripture; if that fails me, I ſhall not preſume to purſue the ſubject farther.

Iſa. xxv. 8. 'He will ſwallow up Death in victory; and Adonai JEHOVAH will wipe away tears from off all faces.' Hoſ. xiii. 14. 'I will ranſom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death, O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, (or hell) I will be thy deſtruction: Repentance ſhall be hid from mine eyes.' 1 Cor. xv. 26. 'The laſt enemy that ſhall be deſtroyed is Death '—or rather, as the words may more properly be arranged, 'Death,' the laſt enemy, ſhall be deſtroyed.' The ſecond death is infinitely more the enemy of man than the firſt, and may therefore be conſidered as an enemy which God will deſtroy.—Now,

If the laſt enemy ſhall be deſtroyed, there will not be one left.

But the firſt is true; therefore alſo the laſt. As,

Would it not be highly abſurd to ſay, that, Although the very laſt enemy ſhall be deſtroyed, yet, many millions ſhall remain to all eternity?

Verſe 56. 'The ſting of Death is ſin.' While ſin remains in exiſtence, death will be able to ſhew its ſting; but the time will come when death ſhall have no ſting to boaſt of; therefore ſin, and conſequently death of every kind, ſhall be deſtroyed. 1 John iii. 8. 'For this purpoſe the Son of God was manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the works of the devil.' Unleſs Chriſt finally deſtroys the works of the devil, even all ſin out of the univerſe, his purpoſe muſt be eternally fruſtrated:

But the laſt can never be; therefore the firſt is true.

Heb. ii. 14. 'Foraſmuch, then, as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame; that through death he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.'—Now what death has the devil power over? the death of the body? or that of the ſoul, which conſiſts in enmity againſt God, and ſeparation from him? 'To be carnally minded is death; but to be ſpiritually minded is life and peace. Becauſe the carnal mind is enmity againſt God; for it is not ſubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be,' Rom. viii. 6, 7. If this death, with the conſequence of it, is that which the devil hath the power of, then muſt this death be deſtroyed.

But, I think, the firſt is true; therefore alſo the laſt.

Rev. xxi. 4. we read, 'And God ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there ſhall be no more Death, neither ſorrow, nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more pain: for the former things are paſſed away.' Here is a ſtate ſpoken of beyond all death; a ſtate wherein, ſorrow, crying, and pain ſhall be no more. This ſtate is cotemporary with the new heaven and earth, after the lake of fire hath ceaſed.

We have always underſtood this paſſage to relate to the death of the body, and even to the death of the righteous only; but making this ſtate cotemporary with the new heavens and earth, ſeems to throw a new light upon the ſubject.

What do you think of the deplorable caſe of Eſau, 'who, for one morſel of meat, ſold his birthright; and afterwards, when he would have inherited the bleſſing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he ſought it carefully, with tears?'

He certainly loſt, or rather ſold, his birth-right; in conſequence of which, he loſt the bleſſing belonging to the firſt-born: But leſt any ſhould be led to conclude from this, that poor Eſau had no bleſſings at all, the ſame apoſtle informs us, that, 'By faith, Iſaac bleſſed Jacob and Eſau, concerning things to come," Heb. xi. 20. By this we find, he was bleſſed, as well as Jacob; but in a leſs degree.

Do we not read, 'Jacob have I loved; but Eſau have I hated?' Rom ix. 13. Mal. i. 2, 3.

Yes, moſt certainly: But then this love and hatred, ſo called, was manifeſted to their poſterity, and not to their perſons, in the manner deſcribed by the prophet: 'I have loved you, ſaith JEHOVAH: yet ye ſay, Wherein haſt thou loved us? Was not Eſau Jacob's brother? ſaith JEHOVAH: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Eſau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waſte, for the dragons of the wilderneſs.' This manifeſtation of hatred did not affect the eternal ſtate of their ſouls, but their condition in this world: God declared, that Jacob's ſeed ſhould exiſt: as a diſtinct people to the end of time, but that Eſau's ſhould not: and this difference is evident; for the remains of Eſau's ſeed were, in the days of the Maccabees, incorporated with the ſeed of Jacob, and exiſted no more for ever, as a nation by themſelves. From Jacob's race the Meſſiah was to come, and all nations were to be bleſſed in the ſeed of Iſrael. In all theſe inſtances, and in many others, there was a manifeſt preference of Jacob to Eſau; but nothing like poſitive hatred can be intended.

Chriſt ſays, (St. Luke, xiv. 26.) 'If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and ſiſters, yea, and his own life alſo, he cannot be my diſciple.' But we cannot ſuppoſe our Lord intended poſitive, but comparative hatred; according to St. Matth. x. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth ſon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.'

What you have ſaid upon this ſubject appears to have ſome weight, and I will conſider it more fully hereafter: but I muſt beg leave to aſk you, how you get over that great gulph which is placed between the regions of Paradiſe and Gehenna of which Abraham ſpeaks to the rich man; ſaying, 'And beſides all this, between us and you there is a great gulph fixed; ſo that they which would paſs from hence to you, cannot; neither can they paſs to us, that would come from thence.' Does not this imply the abſolute impoſſibility of the rich man's being ever reſtored?

You have aſked me many queſtions; give me leave to aſk you one.—Do you believe, that Jeſus of Nazareth was able to paſs that impaſſable gulph?

Indeed, that is a queſtion I never heard propoſed before; and which I am not prepared to anſwer, without farther conſideration. Pray, be ſo kind as to give an anſwer yourſelf, and tell me what you think of it.

I believe, that with man it is impoſſible; but with God all things are poſſible: And I believe, that Jeſus Chriſt was not only able to paſs, but that he actually did paſt that gulph, which was impaſſable to all men, but not to him: And he aſſures St. John, that he had paſſed it, and not only ſo, but that he had the keys of the ſame in his poſſeſſion; for he ſaith, 'Fear not, I am the firſt and the laſt; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.' And St. Peter informs us; that 'Chriſt once ſuffered for ſins, the juſt for the unjuſt, (that he might bring us unto God); being put to death in the fleſh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which alſo he went and preached to the ſpirits in priſon; who ſometime were diſobedient, when once the long ſuffering of God waited, in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,' And he alſo tells us, that we 'ſhall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For, for this cauſe was the goſpel preached alſo to them that are dead,' (in diſtinction from them that are quick) 'that they might be judged according to men in the fleſh, but live according to God in the ſpirit.' See Rev. i. 18. 1 Pet. iii. 18, 19, 20. iv. 5, 6.

You know, the common opinion is, that the Spirit of God, in Noah, preached unto the inhabitants of the old world; who, in St. Peter's time, were ſhut up in the priſon of hell: But I muſt confeſs, it appears to me a very dark text.

If you only obſerve how particular the expreſſions are in theſe texts, I think it will ſoon appear, that not the Spirit of God in Noah, but the ſpirit, or ſoul, of Chriſt, in its diſembodied ſtate, is here intended. His body was doubtleſs quickened, by his ſoul, or ſpirit coming into it again: Was it not?

It ſeems moſt reaſonable to believe it was.

Then obſerve the next words, he went; here the idea of a journey to a diſtant place is intimated, the original word being expreſſive of an actual paſſage from one place to another, and is the ſame that is uſed in ver. 22, for the aſcenſion of Chriſt into heaven, ſo that he appears to have gone into the priſon in the ſame proper ſenſe, as he afterwards went into heaven. He actually journeyed to the place of confinement, and p • eached to the ſpirits, &c. He preached the goſpel no doubt, not to men in the body, but to the ſpirits, to thoſe in a diſembodied ſtate; not only ſo, but to the ſpirits in priſon: Had they not been in the priſon, Chriſt would not have gone into the priſon to preach to them. But, who were theſe ſpirits? St. Peter informs us, that they are thoſe who were ſometime diſobedient; but this expreſſion intimates, that the time is perfectly paſt; as, 'Ye were the ſervants of ſin: for when ye were the ſervants of ſin, ye were free from righteouſneſs,' Rom. vi. 17, 20. St. Peter tells us when they were diſobedient; when once the long-ſuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing: Here he evidently diſtinguiſhes the two periods of their viſitation; one is called the preaching of Chriſt, by his ſpirit, after he was put to death in the fleſh; and the other is called the long-ſuffering of God, which waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing. The long-ſuffering of God waited upon them, before they were drowned, while the ark was building; but Chriſt preached to them when they were ſpirits in priſon. They were diſobedient to God's long-ſuffering; but it is not certain that they were ſo when Chriſt preached to them; but the contrary is intimated in theſe words: 'For, this cauſe was the goſpel preached alſo to them that are dead,' &c. This cannot intend thoſe that are ſpiritually dead only, but thoſe whoſe bodies are dead; becauſe we here find the dead ſet in oppoſition to the quick, or thoſe whoſe bodies are alive, and not thoſe that are ſpiritually alive; for we may obſerve, that whenever the words quick and dead occur, by quick, we always underſtand thoſe whoſe bodies are alive; and by dead, thoſe who have ceaſed to exiſt here.

Acts, x. 40, &c. St. Peter, in his ſermon to Cornelius and his family, informed them of Jeſus, who was ſlain, whom 'God raiſed from the dead, and ſhewed him openly: not to all the people, but unto witneſſes, choſen before of God; even to us, who did eat and drink with him, after he roſe from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to teſtify, that it is he, who was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead.' And St. Paul ſays to Timothy, I charge thee, therefore, before God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom; preach the word,' &c. See 2 Tim. iv. 1. So, in 1 Pet. iv. 5. the words quick and dead are uſed in the ſame manner; and then immediately, while the idea is warm in our minds, the apoſtle gives us the reaſons why the goſpel was preached to the dead, (or the ſpirits in priſon) of which he had before informed us, and now repeats again, and aſſures us, that it was, that they might be judged according to men, in the fleſh; or, as though they had heard it while they were alive in the fleſh: but alſo, that they might live according to God, in the ſpirit. The goſpel not only was, but is, preached to them that are dead, in a moral or ſpiritual ſenſe. It need not have been ſaid; For, for this cauſe was the goſpel preached ALSO to them that are dead, if only the ſpiritually dead are intended; for it is rarely preached to any other but ſuch. Why ſhould it be ſaid, that they might be judged according to men in the fleſh, if they were men in the fleſh at the time when it was preached to them?

This paſſage proves the exiſtence of the ſoul after the death of the body: for unleſs the ſouls of the antedeluvians exiſted after the drowning of their bodies, Chriſt could not have preached to them in priſon: But the dead being oppoſed to the quick in this paſſage, ſufficiently, and even inconteſtibly, determines the ſenſe.

With a little attention, we may eaſily be convinced, that Chriſt was not only deſigned to be a Covenant of the people, (meaning the Jews) and a Light to the Gentiles; which two deſcriptions comprehend all the living: but alſo, to bring out the priſoners from the priſon, and them that ſit in darkneſs out of the priſon-houſe; which (if it be not a repetition) muſt intend the dead, as all the living were mentioned before.

'And he ſaid, It is a light thing that thou ſhouldeſt be my ſervant, to raiſe up the tribes of Jacob, and to reſtore the preſerved of Iſrael: I will alſo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayeſt be my ſalvation unto the ends of the earth. Thus ſaith JEHOVAH, In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of ſalvation have I helped thee: and I will preſerve thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people, to eſtabliſh the earth, to cauſe to inherit the deſolate heritages.' Thus far the Redeemer's work ſeems limited to the earth, and reſpects the living: But the prophet goes much farther, and ſays, 'That thou mayeſt ſay to the priſoners, Go forth: to them that are in darkneſs, Shew yourſelves: they ſhall feed in the ways, and their paſtures ſhall be in all high places. They ſhall not hunger, nor thirſt neither ſhall the heat nor ſun ſmite them; for he that hath mercy upon them ſhall lead them, even by the ſprings of water ſhall he guide them.' See Iſaiah, xlii. 6, 7, xlix. 6, 8, 9, 10. Compared with Rev. vii. 14, 15, 16, 17. The work of the Saviour, as deſcribed by the elegant pen of Iſaiah, (chap. lxi. 1, 2, 3.) ſeems to comprehend a great variety of particulars; all which he hath performed already, or ſhall execute in due time.

'The Spirit of Adonai JEHOVAH is upon me; becauſe JEHOVAH hath anointed me, (1) to preach good tidings to the meek: (2) He hath ſent me to bind up the broken-hearted; (3) to proclaim liberty to the captives, (4) and the opening of the priſon to them that are bound: (5) To proclaim the acceptable year of JEHOVAH, (6) and the day of vengeance of our God: (7) To comfort all that mourn: (8) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them, Firſt, beauty for aſhes; Secondly, the oil of joy for mourning; Thirdly, the garment of praiſe for the ſpirit of heavineſs: that they might be called, Firſt, Trees of righteouſneſs; Secondly, The planting of JEHOVAH; (and ALL for this great end)—that he might be glorified.'

Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, by his proceſs, hath laid a foundation for the recovery of all men; 'For to this end Chriſt both died, roſe, and revived, that he might be Lord, both of the dead and living,' Rom. xiv. 9. He paſſed through all our ſtates, that he might redeem us. He came down from Heaven—he was conceived in the womb of Mary—he was born of her—he lived in the world unknown —he ſympathized with us in our ſorrows—he bare our ſins in his own body, on the tree—he was buried—he deſcended into Hades—He aroſe—aſcended —ſitteth at the right hand of God—and maketh continual interceſſion for us.

It ſeemed neceſſary, that our Saviour ſhould viſit men in all ſituations, that he might redeem them. The apoſtle informs us, ſaying, 'Foraſmuch as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame: that through death, he might deſtroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of death, were all their life-time ſubject to bondage,' Heb. ii. 14, 15. It was not only neceſſary that he ſhould die, to vanquiſh death, and to redeem us from its power; but it was equally needful for him to go into thoſe places, where ſpirits were confined in the regions of darkneſs, that he might gain univerſal dominion, ſpoil principalities, and redeem the captives whom he had bought with his blood, in order that he might aſcend up to Heaven, and open to his followers the gates of eternal life.

'Wherefore he ſaith, When he aſcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he aſcended, what is it but that he alſo deſcended firſt into the lower parts of the earth? He that deſcended, is the ſame alſo that aſcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things,' Epheſ. iv. 8, 9, 10. 'And having ſpoiled principalities and powers, he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it,' Col. ii. 15.

Thus our Saviour by his divine proceſs, hath obtained a right to open the priſon doors, and let the captives go free: and though the rich man was in torments, where he could not get a drop of water to cool his tongue, and had judgment without mercy, becauſe he had ſhewed no mercy; yet it is poſſible, that, by the blood of the covenant, he may be ſent forth out of the pit wherein is no water. See Zech. ix. 11. The Lord Jeſus is able to take the prey from the mighty, and to deliver the lawful captive, Iſa. xlix. 24.

'Such as ſit in darkneſs, and in the ſhadow of death, being bound in affliction, and iron; becauſe they rebelled againſt the words of God, and contemned the counſel of the Moſt High; therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.'— This evidently points out the deplorable, miſerable ſtate of ſinners, cut off in their ſins; having rebelled againſt God's words, and contemned his counſels; for which reaſon he hath ſhut them up in darkneſs, and in the ſhadow of death; in ſuch a ſituation, that no power but his own, can give them the leaſt help, much leſs releaſe. Such circumſtances ſeldom occur in this life; but theſe words are a lively and affecting deſcription of the miſeries of the future ſtate.

'Then they cried unto JEHOVAH in their trouble, and he ſaved them out of their diſtreſſes. He brought them out of darkneſs, and the ſhadow of death, and brake their bands in ſunder. O that men would praiſe JEHOVAH for his goodneſs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of braſs, and cut the bars of iron in ſunder,' Pſal. cvii. 10—16.

This amazing deliverance ſeems to be deſcribed in ſuch language, as correſponds much better with the deliverance of the ſpirits from their dreadful priſon, than with any temporal mercies that are beſtowed on mankind here on earth. 'The righteous ſhall ſee it, and rejoice; and all iniquity ſhall ſtop her mouth: Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things, even they ſhall underſtand the loving kindneſs of JEHOVAH,' ver. 42, 43.

Thoſe who are acquainted with the Divine character, and ſee his deſigns of mercy towards his creatures, ſhall rejoice in the ſame: They that are wiſe, ſhall obſerve theſe things, and ſhall underſtand his loving kindneſs; and that 'JEHOVAH is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works,' Pſal. cxlv. 9.

Thus, how impoſſible ſoever it might appear to us, that the rich man ſhould ever be delivered, we muſt remember, that 'with God nothing ſhall be impoſſible,' St. Luke i. 37. 'Is there any thing too hard for JEHOVAH?' Gen. xviii. 14. 'Behold (ſays he) I am JEHOVAH, the God of all fleſh: Is there any thing too hard for me?' Jer. xxxii. 27.

Our Saviour ſays, (St. Matt. xix. 24, St. Mark x. 25. St. Luke xviii. 25.) 'It is eaſier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.' Whether the word here uſed, intends a camel or a cable, it certainly implied the greateſt difficulty imaginable, even amounting in the view of his diſciples, to a natural impoſſibility, or they would not have been as the evangeliſt expreſſes it, exceedingly amazed, and aſtoniſhed out of meaſure at his words, ' ſaying among themſelves, Who then can be ſaved?' But, though Jeſus meant to repreſent the matter as in itſelf a kind of natural impoſſibility, and abſolutely impoſſible to men; yet he could not intend thereby, that it never ſhould be accompliſhed, becauſe he immediately adds, 'With men, this is impoſſible; but not with God: For with God all things are poſſible,' St. Mark x. 27. Therefore, though it was impoſſible for men to paſs the gulph between Paradiſe and Gehenna; yet, as we have ſeen, Chriſt was able, and therefore as we know not the ne plus ultra of his power to ſave, we cannot poſitively conclude againſt the Reſtoration, from this inſtance of the rich man, unleſs we could find ſome paſſages of Scripture, where God has promiſed never to reſtore, or to reconcile ſuch to himſelf, whom he hath once caſt off: the contrary to which, I think, may be proved: but I am at preſent conſidering, that, in the nature of things, it is not impoſſible for God to reſtore the rich man, if he ſo pleaſes; and, conſequently, others that are in the ſame ſituation.

Behold the rich man in another world!—He ſeems now to have much more true benevolence in him, than in his life-time; for when he could not obtain a drop of water for his tongue, he pleads much more earneſtly for Lazarus to be ſent to his five brethren, to teſtify to them, leſt they alſo ſhould come into the ſame place of torment with himſelf. Here he urges the matter moſt earneſtly, and does not ſeem willing to be denied. This ſhews him not to have been ſo loſt to virtue as Satan; ſince he and his angels, though miſerable themſelves, ſeek to make all men ſo too, though their torments are increaſed thereby.

Add to all this, that Abraham called the rich man, 'Son,' and bade him remember, that in his life-time he had his good things: and likewiſe Lazarus, evil things; and that therefore it was but reaſonable that the ſcene ſhould be changed: that Lazarus ſhould be comforted, and he tormented. And I think, nothing can be fairly argued from his caſe, in favour of endleſs damnation: For in caſe he was doomed to ſuffer while God exiſts, there could be no proportion between the ſufferings, torments, and evil things of Lazarus on earth, and thoſe which he endured in hell; whereas it is intimated in the Scriptures, that all things are determined by number, weight, and meaſure. Let us hear what our Lord has ſaid upon the ſubject. St. Luke xii. 47, 48. 'And that ſervant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with MANY ſtripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ſtripes, ſhall be beaten with FEW ſtripes: for unto whomſoever much is given, of him ſhall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will aſk the more.' But what difference, ſo much to be noticed, could there be, if both were to be beaten to all eternity? or how could either be ſaid to have FEW, if there never was to be an end? Impoſſible • Rev. xviii. 7. 'How much ſhe (Babylon) hath glorified herſelf, and lived deliciouſly; ſo much torment and ſorrow give her.' All this appears juſt and reaſonable: But to ſuppoſe a poor ignorant Heathen, or a child of ten years old, will remain in miſery as long as the moſt perſecuting Tyrant, or apoſtate Chriſtian, ſeems to contradict all the ideas we have of juſtice and equity, as well as of goodneſs; for in this caſe, who can ſuppoſe that each one is exactly rewarded according to his works? And eſpecially, can any think, that mercy has any hand in a reward, where there is ſeemingly no proportion? Whereas we read, (Pſalm lxii. 12.) 'Alſo unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou rendereſt to every man according to his work.'

Indeed, I could not have thought that ſo much could have been ſaid upon that ſide of the caſe; and though I am not yet wholly ſatisfied, I muſt confeſs, ſome of my great difficulties ſeem to be removed, from what you have ſaid; and yet there appears ſomething very dreadful in the account. Pray, do you underſtand it as a parable?

I am moſt inclined to think it is a piece of real hiſtory, known to our Saviour, who was well acquainted with what paſſed in the ſpiritual, as well as the natural world; and who intended thereby to give an awful warning to the Phariſees, (who were covetous) of the dreadful condition of wicked rich men in the next ſtate: and eſpecially, of thoſe who neglect or deſpiſe the poor.

I am inclined to think with you in this matter: and therefore, without any farther delay, I ſhall paſs to mention another ſtrong objection to the doctrine of the Reſtoration of all men; viz. the inſtance of J • das: of whom our Saviour ſays, 'The Son of man goeth, as it is written of him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed; it had been good for that man, if he had not been born, St. Matt. xxvi. 24. St. Mark, xiv. 21. If Judas ſhould ever be reſtored, how could the Saviour ſay, 'Good were it for that man, if he had never been born?' I think you wil find it difficult to remove this objection; for, if he is ever to be happy, (though after many ages) it will be good for him that he was born.

I cannot think that this is ſo ſtrong an argument againſt the general Reſtitution, as moſt that uſe it imagine. It was a common proverb among the Jews, when any great misfortune happened to a man, or his family, to ſay, 'Good were it for that man, if he had never been born.' And thus our Saviour uſed it with great propriety reſpecting Judas: for who, that thinks with any reaſon at all, would not have wiſhed that he had never been born, rather than to have betrayed the dear Redeemer?

But can any thing leſs than endleſs damnation be ſufficient to juſtify the expreſſion of 'Good were it for that man, that he had never been born?'

I muſt confeſs, I never before conſidered it poſſible to anſwer this objection; you have done much towards ſolving it: but you muſt conſider, that both Job and Jeremiah paſſionately exclaimed, and, through ſorrow, uttered ſuch raſh words, as, in their cooler moments, they repented of; and therefore, what they ſpake of themſelves cannot wholly ſet aſide the objection. Had they delivered thoſe expreſſions as general truths, and declared, that men had much better never have been born, than to have ſuffered ſuch degrees of worldly ſorrow, it would have more than anſwered the objection; but, when men under grief exclaim in ſuch a manner, we cannot ground a matter of ſuch importance upon what they ſay reſpecting themſelves; as their minds, being overwhelmed with trouble, and the immediate ſenſations of pain, are biaſſed, and cannot utter the calm dictates of ſober reaſon. But Chriſt, though under great ſorrows himſelf, ſaw the caſe of Judas ſo deplorable, that he expreſſed himſelf thus reſpecting him; which was the ſober truth, without exaggeration; and could this be ſaid of him, or of any other of the human race, upon the ſuppoſition that miſery is not abſolutely endleſs?

This is ſubject of great importance, and if you can maintain the ſyſtem you have eſpouſed, and anſwer the remaining objections that may be brought againſt it, it will moſt certainly give me pleaſure, and relieve my mind from great anxiety. I am a father of many children, and God knows the tears I have ſhed on their account, but could I receive your views with what pleaſure ſhould I look upon them!!! But I have many remaining difficulties and objections ſtill to propoſe; may God preſerve me from error and falſe doctrine, I wiſh to know what is really the truth in this matter, for above all things I dread deception.

I aſſure you my friend that I ſhould be as loth to deceive you, as you are to be deceived, and had I not the ſureſt confidence through the Lord of the truth and reality of this moſt glorious ſyſtem, and did I not find the higheſt ſatisfaction in it myſelf, I ſhould never preſume to hold it forth to others. But as I have an engagement that calls me elſewhere juſt now, I muſt beg you to excuſe me, hoping that in a little time I ſhall have another opportunity of hearing the remainder of your objections; and in the mean time I adviſe you to ſearch the ſcriptures, and pray God to lead you into all truth.

I AM glad to meet with you, to have ſome farther converſation upon the very important the intereſting ſubject of the final Reſtoration. Since I ſaw you laſt I have had opportunity of hearing ſome very capital objections made againſt this ſyſtem, which I beg leave to ſtate in the plaineſt and ſtrongeſt manner.

Your frankneſs is well pleaſing to me, and I am ready to hear whatever can be urged againſt my ſentiments, and will do my endeavour to anſwer all reaſonable objections; therefore propoſe them as ſoon as you think proper.

One grand objection that is very generally made againſt the doctrine of the Reſtoration • is, that it tends to licentiouſneſs; that it is the doctrine that the ſerpent preached to Eve; for we read, (Gen. iii. 4.) 'And the ſerpent ſaid unto the woman, Ye ſhall not ſurely die:' and that it is a doctrine calculated to give encouragement to the wicked to continue in their evil ways; that it is 'ſaying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace;' and that this doctrine is as dangerous as that of the wicked propheteſſes of Ezekiel's time, of whom GOD ſays, 'With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous ſad, whom I have not made ſad; and ſtrengthened the hands of the wicked, that he ſhould not return from his wicked way, by promiſing him life. They ſay unto them that deſpiſe me, JEHOVAH hath ſaid, Ye ſhall have peace; and they ſay unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil ſhall come upon you,' Jer. viii. 11. Ezek. xiii. 2 • . Jer. xxiii. 17.

It is ſaid, that it is the nature of God to lay the higheſt poſſible reſtraint upon ſin, and, therefore, he has threatened it with eternal, or endleſs puniſhment: and this is even found too weak to prevent the prevailing of iniquity. What a flood of impiety, therefore, would overflow the world, if it ſhould be generally believed, that after ſome ages of ſuffering, mankind ſhould be reſtored to ſome degree of happineſs? Would not the reſtraints be wholly taken off from the luſts and paſſions of the wicked, if once this doctrine ſhould become prevalent? Will you be ſo kind as to give a fair and candid reply to this objection?

This objection is ſtated with all poſſible force, I ſhall, therefore endeavour to anſwer it as well as I can; putting in this caveat, that if I ſhould not anſwer it to your ſatisfaction, do not imagine that no ſolid anſwer can be given; but impute it to my not being ſufficiently maſter of my ſubject, or not being able to expreſs my mind ſo clearly as I could wiſh. As this objection is frequently made, and often uſed, by people who mean well, but have not conſidered the ſubject thoroughly, I ſhall be as explicit as poſſibly I can upon it.

I would firſt obſerve, that the great truths, or firſt principles, upon which the Reſtoration is founded, and form which it is derived by natural and eaſy conſequences, are far from tending to licentiouſneſs: But, in order to make this evident, it will be proper here to ſet them down in their order.

Firſt Principles, upon which the Doctrine of the final and univerſal Reſtitution is founded.

1. GOD is the univerſal and only creator of all: contrary to the opinion of the Manichees of old, who believed the devil to be the creator of moſt, if not all viſible beings: The Mugglet • nians, of the laſt century, and the Buchanit • s lately, aſſert nearly the ſame ſentiments; contrary to Rev. iv. 11. Col. i. 16. Pſal. c. 3. Numb. xvi. 22. Iſai. lxiv. 8. Ezek. xviii. 4. Zech. xii. 1. and a vaſt number of other Scriptures.

Now, who can ſay, that this noble thought, which St. Paul enlarges upon ſo beautifully, (Acts, xvii. 24—30.) tends, in the leaſt, to make men wicked? Does it not tend to dignify and ennoble human nature, to be told, that GOD is our Father, Creator and Firſt Cauſe; and that we were made by his power, according to his will, and for his pleaſure; and that the chief end for which he made us, was, to glorify his name, and to enjoy him for ever?—as the Aſſembly's Catechiſm beautifully declares. This is one of the principles from which GOD himſelf deduces the certainty of the final end of wrath, as I have obſerved before:—'For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the ſpirit ſhould fail before me, and the ſouls which I have made,' Iſai. lvii. 16.—Thoſe who venture to contradict their Maker, and ſay, that he will contend for ever, and be always wroth; ought to be able, at leaſt, to give as good a reaſon why he will, as he has aſſigned why he will not; and conſequently prove, that he hath not made all ſouls; which is the true foundation upon which endleſs miſery muſt be founded, and the only doctrine which is perfectly conſiſtent with it.

The poor untutored Indians in America, argued (with a miſſionary that was ſent from Sweden to convert them) from the univerſal providence of GOD, that he, who was ſo kind a Father as to provide for their bodies all things needful, had not wholly neglected their ſouls: But this I do not inſiſt upon, though, I think, the argument has weight in it; and, certainly, the providential goodneſs of GOD, and his long-ſuffering, tends to lead men to repentance: Rom. ii. 4. 2 Pet. iii. 9.

2. The univerſal benevolence of the Deity, or the love of GOD to his creatures, is one of the firſt principles from which the general Reſtoration is deduced: and who can ſay, that this leads to licentiouſneſs? If thoſe who believe that GOD loves them, in particular, find that conſideration the ſtrongeſt obligation on them to love him again, and to obey his will; by the ſame rule, if all the individuals of the whole human race, were to believe that GOD loved each one of them, would not the ſame cauſe produce the ſame effect? And if ſo, can this be charged as a licentious doctrine, which is expreſsly grounded upon a cauſe which powerfully operates to produce holineſs? Is there any thing like argument in this reaſoning: I know that GOD loves me, and ſeeks to do me good; therefore, I muſt hate him. What ſhould we think of a woman who ſhould leave her huſband, and do all in her power againſt him, and ſhould be able to give no better reaſon for it than the following: My huſband loves me, and I know it, and he has always loved me, and always will; and, therefore, I am determined to hate, ridicule, deſpiſe, and contemn him, and have left him for this very cauſe, and am determined never to love or obey him more? Bad as human nature is, I queſtion whether ſuch inſtances often occur. We commonly ſay, that love begets love: 'We love him, becauſe he firſt loved as;' ſays the Apoſtle, 1 John, iv. 19. Therefore, the doctrine of GOD'S univerſal benevolence, cannot lead to licentiouſneſs, in any light in which it can be viewed; for, if he really loves us, he will do all in his power to bring us to love him again, and to be like him; and I am ſure, the conſideration of his love to us, goes as far as moral ſuaſion can go, to induce us to love him again, nay, the belief of it is acknowledged to be one of the ſtrongeſt motives to obedience; and the love of GOD, ſhed abroad in the heart, produces the beſt effects, and is the moſt powerful principle, and ſpring, of good and virtuous actions, that we are acquainted with. This being a firſt principle, from which the univerſal Reſtoration is concluded, we are happy to find, that 'GOD is love:' and that he 'ſo loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life: For, GOD ſent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world, through him, might be ſaved,' See 1 John, iv. 16. St. John, iii. 16, 17. But it is not ſo much my buſineſs now to ſhew, that the ſentiment is ſcriptural, as to ſhew that it is not of a dangerous tendency. The following words, however, are ſo beautiful, that I take the liberty to mention them:—'But thou haſt mercy upon all; for thou canſt do all things, and winkeſt at the ſins of men, becauſe they ſhould amend. For thou loveſt all the things that are, and abhorreſt nothing which thou haſt made: for never wouldeſt thou have made any thing, if thou hadſt hated it, And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will: or been preſerved, if not called by thee? But thou ſpareſt all; for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of ſouls. For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things: Therefore chaſteneſt thou them, by little and little, that offend, and warneſt them, by putting them in remembrance wherein they have offended, that leaving their wickedneſs, they may believe on thee, O LORD. For thy power is the beginning of righteouſneſs; and becauſe thou art the LORD of all, it maketh thee to be gracious unto all. But thou, O GOD, art gracious and true: long-ſuffering, and in mercy ordering all things. For if we ſin, we are thine, knowing thy power; but we will not ſin, knowing that we are counted thine:' Wiſdom of Solomon, xi. 23—26. xii. 1, 2, 16. xv. 1, 2. 'JEHOVAH is gracious and full of compaſſion, ſlow to anger, and of great mercy. JEHOVAH is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works ſhall praiſe thee, O JEHOVAH; and thy ſaints ſhall bleſs thee,' Pſal. cxlv. 8, 9, 10.

3. Another great principle, upon which the Reſtoration depends, is, that CHRIST died for all; 'We ſee Jeſus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the ſuffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he, by the grace of GOD, ſhould taſte death for every man • (or ALL) Heb. ii. 9. 'If any man ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt, the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our ſins; and not for ours only, but alſo for the ſins of the whole world,' 1 John, ii. 1, 2. 'For there is one GOD, and one Mediator between GOD and men, the Man CHRIST JESUS: who gave himſelf a ranſom for all to be teſtified in due time,' 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.

I need not multiply paſſages to prove that Chriſt died for all; for though the univerſality of his death is not expreſsly aſſerted, in every text where it is mentioned that he died, it muſt always be underſtood; becauſe it is never denied in any place, and is plainly, and pointedly declared in thoſe which I have quoted: And, beſides, it is evident that in the apoſtles time, the univerſality of the death of Chriſt was a firſt principle, univerſally acknowledged, and, therefore, St. Paul reaſons from it as ſuch; which it would have been highly prepoſterous for him to do, if that had not been the caſe: As, for example, 'For the love of Chriſt conſtraineth us; becauſe we thus judge, that if one died for all,' (which is not diſputed by any, and which we know to be a truth) 'then were all dead: And that he died for all; that they who live, ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto him that died for them, and roſe again,' 2 Cor. v. 14, 15.

But have you never heard it argued that Chriſt did not die for all, becauſe he did not pray for all?

I remember, when a lad, I was ſeat to a neighbour's houſe, and overheard the good man, the maſter of the family, read in a book, after this manner: 'Chriſt did not die for all, becauſe he did not pray for all: I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haſt given me, for they are thine,' St. John, xvii. 9. And I then thought the argument concluſive: But I am now at a loſs whether the author of that book meant to deceive his readers; or, whether he had never read the chapter through critically: for, had he read the 20th verſe, he would have found theſe words, which would have overthrown his hypotheſis:—'Neither pray I for theſe alone; but for them alſo, who ſhall believe on me through their word.' If Chriſt had prayed for all, in the 9th verſe, for whom he died, he could not have enlarged his prayer ſo much in the 20th verſe, as to take in not them only, but all that ſhould believe on him through the • word: Neither does he ſtop here, but goes on to pray for thoſe that believe, in theſe words: 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they alſo may be one in us:' And, why is all this unity prayed for among believers? Surely, it hath never been accompliſhed; but it ſhall be, for this great and admirable purpoſe viz. 'That the world may believe that thou haſt ſent me. And the glory which thou gaveſt me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me,' verſes 21, 22, 23.

But when ſhall the world believe, and know that Chriſt is the Sent of God?

When all that believe ſhall be one, as the Father and the Son are one: When the great marriage of the Lamb ſhall be celebrated, and his Bride ſhall be one, in the bond of univerſal love and fellowſhip, as the Father and Son now are: When the Church ſhall be perfected in one; ſhall dwell in love, and dwell in God, as the Father dwells in the Son, and the Son in the Father: When Zion's watchmen ſhall ſee eye to eye: When all believers ſhall ſpeak the ſame thing; when there ſhall be no more diviſions among them; when they ſhall be perfectly joined together in the ſame mind, and in the ſame judgment.

This was the ſtate that St. Paul beſought the Corinthians to preſs after, and wiſhed them to attain; but he had the mortification to ſee them fall ſhort of it, as all the Chriſtian churches have, from that day to this. But when Chriſt ſhall give that glory and honour to his Bride, which the Father gave to him, and ſhall thus unite her to himſelf, in an indiſſoluble union, and the ſeveral members of his body, the Church, ſhall be as much united one to another, as the members of the natural body are; or, to expreſs it in his own words, 'As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee;' When thus the Church ſhall be one, in ſpirit, love, deſign, judgment, &c. as the Father and Son are; then ſhall the world believe, and believing, have life; then ſhall the world know him, whom to know is life eternal: See verſes 2 and 3, But as this great cauſe has never yet exiſted, the effect has not yet followed; but when the firſt ſhall be, the laſt ſhall take place in conſequence.

The petitions in that moſt excellent prayer, that may, with great propriety, be called the LORD'S Prayer, may be divided into four claſſes: 1. For himſelf, verſes 1ſt and 5th: 2. For his apoſtles, 9—19: 3. For them that ſhould believe, through their word, verſes 20, 21, 22, 23: And, 4. for the world, verſes 21, 23; as I have juſt obſerved, and need not add any more upon ſo plain a matter.

Proceed, if you pleaſe, to ſhew, that the doctrine of the univerſality of the death of Chriſt does not lead to licentiouſneſs.

It is evident that it doth not; but, on the contrary, it is the ſtrongeſt motive to all who believe it, to love and live to him who died for them, and roſe again : We are not our own, but are bought with a price; therefore, we are exhorted not to be the ſervants of ſin, ſlaves to our paſſions, and ſervants to men: but to glorify GOD in our bodies and ſprits, which are his: and the apoſtle beſeeches us, by the mercies of GOD, to preſent our bodies a living ſacrifice, holy, acceptable unto GOD; which is our reaſonable ſervice. Foraſmuch, as we know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as ſilver and gold; but with the precious blood of Chriſt, as of a Lamb without blemiſh, and without ſpot; See 2 Cor. v. 15, Rom. vi. 12, 13. 1 Cor. vii. 23. vi. 19, 20. Rom. xii. 1. 1 Peter, i. 18, 19.

What a horrid thought would it be, that Chriſt ſhould be the miniſter of ſin, and that his blood-ſhedding ſhould cauſe wickedneſs to abound? The love of GOD, in giving his Son to die, is enough to move an heart of ſtone; 'For when we were yet without ſtrength, in due time, Chriſt died for the ungodly: for, ſcarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet, peradventure, for a good (kind, benevolent, generous) man, ſome would even dare to die. But GOD commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt died for us. Much more, being now juſtified through his blood, we ſhall be ſaved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to GOD by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we ſhall be ſaved by his life,' Rom. v. 6—10.

Here the death of the Lord Jeſus is laid as the ground, and the ſalvation of men inferred from it, with the greateſt poſſible certainty; yet, will any one ſay, that becauſe Chriſt hath died for him, therefore he will indulge himſelf in ſin? God forbid. Some ſay that if they believed this doctrine, they would live in ſin, and indulge themſelves in their luſts and paſſions: but then it may be obſerved, that thoſe who ſay ſo are its enemies, and thoſe who oppoſe the view, and not thoſe who receive it.

There is ſomething ſo brutiſh and unaccountable in ſuch diſpoſitions, as would lead men to hate their beſt friends, merely becauſe they are ſo; that would lead them to hate GOD, becauſe he loved them; and deſpiſe Chriſt, merely becauſe he died for them; that, for the honour of human nature, I would hope, theſe inſtances are rare. But to the point. I have converſed with many who believed that Chriſt died for them in particular; and yet I never heard them ſay, that they hated him for it; but, on the contrary, that they loved him exceedingly. Now, is not the ſame cauſe likely to produce the ſame effect? If a thouſand perſons, for inſtance, all believing that Chriſt died for them, find their hearts conſtrained to love him for it, would it not have the ſame effect upon ten thouſand, ten millions, or ten millions of millions? And if it would cauſe licentiouſneſs to abound in the world, to preach that Chriſt died for all, if it was univerſally believed; by the ſame rule it muſt cauſe it to prevail, in a leſſer degree, to preach that he died for a ſmall part, at leaſt, among thoſe who believe themſelves to be of the the number; and, therefore, it muſt not be preached at all, that he died for any? Who can deny the conſequence? It ſeems to be evident, that Chriſt has done and ſuffered too much for thoſe that he died for, to loſe them finally: and thus the univerſal Reſtoration ſtands connected neceſſarily with the univerſality of the death of Chriſt, and is deduced therefrom, in the eaſieſt manner; therefore, the doctrine of the former cannot tend to licentiouſneſs, as it ſtands upon the ground of the latter, which hath been demonſtrated to have no ſuch tendency.

4. Another principle upon which the univerſal doctrine depends, is, the unchangeableneſs of God: Whom he loves once, he always loves; he loved his creatures when he made them, as none can well deny; their ſins he never loved, nor ever will; he hath declared, that he loved us when ſinners, but never as ſinners. His eternal and conſtant hatred of all ſin, and his unchangeable love of all his creatures, are of the nature of primary truths; from which the doctrine of the general Reſtoration may be eaſily and plainly inferred. In this view we may underſtand thoſe many dreadful threatenings and gracious promiſes, made to the ſame people and perſons: Both ſhall be fulfilled; the firſt, while they continue as rebels, which are deſigned to humble and ſubdue them; the laſt, when they ſhall have accepted of the puniſhment of their iniquity; when their uncircumciſed hearts are humbled, when their ſtubborn knees ſhall bow to JEHOVAH, and their former rebellious tongues ſhall ſwear allegiance to him.

Does this idea lead to licentiouſneſs, that GOD hates ſin, and determines to purſue it to entire deſtruction, and never to put up his ſword, ſo long as there is a rebel in the univerſe; yet, at the ſame time, has no poſitive hatred to the ſouls which he has made, but only wiſhes them to return to order?—This idea appears to me, equally to check preſumption and deſpair; and tends to put an end to licentiouſneſs, rather than to encourage it: For, if rebels are aſſured that their rightful ſovereign hates them, and will never ſuffer them to be reconciled to him, it naturally cauſes them to fight with tenfold rage, as all warriors will teſtify; as, on the other hand, if they believe he is too weak, or undetermined, to conquer them, they will be preſumptuous, and continue the war. It cannot, therefore, be affirmed, by any perſons of reaſon, that the declaration that GOD will deſtroy ſin, tends to promote it; or, that his love of order, and hatred of evil, being compatible with his love to the creatures he has made, is a doctrine that encourages men to rebel; the contrary is evident: and yet theſe are the very grounds of the univerſal Reſtoration; which cannot, therefore, be licentious.

5. Another of the firſt principles of the Reſtoration, is, the immutability of GOD'S counſels; which he hath confirmed by an oath, 'That by two immutable things, (viz. his word and oath) in which it was impoſſible for GOD to lie, we might have a ſtrong conſolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope ſet before us,' Heb. vi. 17, 18. 'God hath abounded towards us in all wiſdom and prudence, having made known unto us the myſtery of his will, according to his good pleaſure, which he hath purpoſed in himſelf. That in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of times, he might gather together (or rehead) in one, all things in Chriſt, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth: even in him: in whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predeſtinated according to the purpoſe of him who worketh all things according to the counſel of his own WILL,' Epheſ. i. 8, 9, 10, 11. GOD is our Saviour, (or Soteros, Reſtorer) who will have all men to be ſaved, (ſothenai, reſtored) and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,' 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. This is the will and counſel of that GOD, who 'doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven, and and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can ſtay his hand, or ſay unto him, What doeſt thou?' Dan. iv. 35. He hath ſworn by himſelf, the word is gone out of his mouth in righteouſneſs, and ſhall not return, that unto him 'every knee ſhall bow, every tongue ſhall ſwear,' Iſai. xlv. 23. The counſel of GOD ſhall ſtand; he will perform his pleaſure, notwithſtanding all the oppoſition that men can make: 'GOD is not a man, that he ſhould lie, neither the ſon of man, that he ſhould repent: Hath he ſaid, and ſhall he not do it? or, hath he ſpoken, and ſhall he not make it good?' Numb, xxiii. 19. If GOD will have all men to be ſaved, or reſtored, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, if it is his good pleaſure, which he hath purpoſed in himſelf, in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of times, to rehead all things in Chriſt, both in heaven and on earth; if he hath ſworn, that unto him every knee ſhall bow, and every tongue ſhall ſwear; and if he worketh all things after the counſel of his own will, and is determined to perform all his pleaſure, which he is able to do; and with him nothing that he pleaſes is impoſſible: I ſay, if all theſe things are true, (as who, that believes the Scriptures, can deny?) then, is not the doctrine of the Reſtoration true? And who will venture to charge that with licentiouſneſs, which GOD, in the counſel of his will, hath purpoſed, and is determined to perform? We know, the will of GOD is a will to all goodneſs, and that he cannot do any thing unjuſt, or contrary to his holy nature, or inconſiſtent with his plan of moral government, or that ſhall tend to promote rebellion; therefore, if GOD had ſeen that this great work had been, in any reſpect, injurious to his perfections, character, government, &c. he would not have propoſed it; and if he had foreſeen that the knowledge of it would have been hurtful to mankind, he would not have revealed it: But ſince he hath done both, we may certainly argue, that it is not a licentious doctrine to declare, that GOD will finally make all his intelligent creatures happy; by making them all his ſubjects, by deſtroying their ſins, and making them holy, in a way perfectly conſiſtent with all his perfections and attributes; without doing the leaſt injury to his character, or rendering his moral government weak, or making any of his words void, whether threatenings or promiſes, or in the leaſt ſetting aſide the ſanctions of his law or goſpel, or a future ſtate of rewards and puniſhments; without derogating at all from the glory of the Mediator, but rather exalting it to the higheſt poſſible pitch; without ſaddening the hearts of the righteous, or diminiſhing, in the leaſt, from the happineſs of Heaven, but rather cauſing it to increaſe; for if there is joy in Heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, there muſt be more over many, in exact proportion; and as God will certainly give the greateſt poſſible joy to his choſen, and there is no doubt but it will receive addition from every one that is reſtored, or brought home to himſelf; therefore, it can only be brought to its higheſt poſſible pitch by the univerſal Reſtoration; which doctrine cannot, therefore, be licentious, as God has appointed and revealed it, and all holy beings (except ſome weak good men on earth) rejoice therein exceedingly.

6. Another of the principles on which the general Reſtoration is founded, is, that God hath given all things into the hand of Chriſt, who hath declared, that it is the Father's will, that of all that he gave him, he ſhould loſe nothing: and that power was given him over all, that he ſhould give the knowledge of God, even eternal life, to all that the Father had given him; and that all, without exception, whom the Father hath given, ſhall come in ſuch a manner, as not to be caſt out: But as all theſe Scriptures have been recited, and reaſoned upon before, I ſhall only now obſerve, that as GOD the FATHER hath given all things to CHRIST, and as he hath engaged to bring all back, without exception, and hath both will and power to perform this work, and came into the world on purpoſe to accompliſh it, it muſt, of conſequence, be finally performed; yet, it cannot tend to licentiouſneſs, or the God of Heaven, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, would never have planned it approved of it, or ſought to execute it.

Many more firſt principles, on which the doctrine of the Reſtoration is founded, might be mentioned, and ſhewn to be far from tending to licentiouſneſs: but I ſhall mention but one more; and that is—The Scriptures muſt be fulfilled; the Scriptures cannot be broken: None or the words of God can fail of being accompliſhed; and he hath not only denounced dreadful threatnings, but made many gracious promiſes to the ſame people: Theſe cannot be fulfilled together; and, if there is no truth in the Reſtoration, I cannot ſee how the latter will ever be fulfilled at all; and if ſins are not puniſhed in the perſons who commit them, I am equally at a loſs what ſenſe or truth there can be in the former. It would be a great taſk to collect all the texts which juſtify the remark, that threatenings and promiſes belong to the ſame people in different periods, ſome ſpecimens of which have been given in the courſe of theſe dialogues. Now, it cannot lead to licentiouſneſs, to ſuppoſe that the Scriptures ſhall all be fulfilled; but it muſt lead to infidelity, and all kinds of evil, to ſuppoſe the contrary.

Theſe are the firſt principles upon which the doctrine of the Reſtoration ſtands, and by which it is ſupported; and as theſe have all been conſidered, and proved to have no tendency to encourage ſin, ſeparately, much leſs can they have any ſuch tendency, jointly; and then it evidently follows, that a doctrine which ſeems neceſſarily deduced, or inferred by undeniable conſequences, from all theſe conſiderations united, cannot be falſe, or have any evil tendency.

But I ſhall next proceed to ſhew, that all true, experimental, and practical religion, ſeems ſo conſiſtent with the univerſal Reſtoration, that it may be reckoned a wonder, that all who have taſted that the Lord is gracious, and have diligently practiſed his commands, have not, in all ages, been fully convinced of the truth of it.

Is it poſſible that you can do this? If ſo, I hope your reaſoning will be attended to; and I muſt confeſs, that you have cleared your way ſo well, by conſidering the firſt principles of the doctrine, and ſhewing that they are very far from tending to licentiouſneſs, that I am half inclined to think you will be able to anſwer this objection, formidable as it has been conſidered hitherto.

As I truſt you have been made acquainted with experimental religion, I need only to appeal to your own experience, for the truth of what I advance; and I am apt to think, if you will anſwer me candidly, to a few queſtions, you muſt acknowledge either that the Reſtoration is true, or that your experience is falſe.

I am willing to give you as plain and candid anſwers as I can; for it will be of no uſe to deny what the Lord has done for my ſoul.

Let me then aſk you, in the firſt place, Did you not ſee yourſelf loſt and undone; and that you were vile before God, unworthy of his mercy, and totally unable to deliver yourſelf from your ſin and miſery?

I certainly did; and I was ſometimes ready to think there was hardly ſuch a ſinner on earth as myſelf, all circumſtances conſidered; for I had ſinned againſt ſuch light and love, that I thought all the world might be forgiven ſooner than myſelf.

And were you not brought by the power of God, to reſign yourſelf into his hands, without reſerve, to do with you, and diſpoſe of you, according to his will and pleaſure; being convinced, that he neither would nor could do you any injuſtice?

O yes; and then I found peace; my rebellion againſt God ceaſed; I looked upon him quite different from what I did before; I ſaw that he was wholly right and juſt, and that I was entirely to blame: my murmurings againſt him ceaſed; I viewed him as ſuch a holy, good, merciful, and yet righteous God, that I could truſt my ſoul in his hands, with the moſt entire ſatisfaction.

And when Chriſt was revealed to you as a Saviour, how did he appear?

As one able and mighty to ſave, even to the uttermoſt; and I thought there was not only a ſufficiency in him for me, the vileſt of all, but for the whole world, yea, for a thouſand worlds, had there been ſo many. His blood ſeemed to me ſo precious, his obedience and ſufferings ſo meritorious, his power ſo great, his love ſo rich, boundleſs, and free, that I was overcome with the tranſporting view: and as I ſaw in him a fulneſs for all, ſo I found in him 〈◊〉 infinite willingneſs to ſave all; for how could I think otherwiſe? I knew myſelf to be moſt unworthy, and that he had graciouſly pitied me: I beheld his love, like a river, flowing down to me as free as water: and I was amazed that I had not beheld it before, in the ſame light. I ſaw, that the love of God to me, did not now begin, but was now manifeſted to my ſoul. I ſaw that there was no change in God, but all in myſelf. Thoſe words were precious to my heart at that time: 'Yea, I have loved thee with an everlaſting love; therefore with loving kindneſs have I drawn thee,' Jer. xxxi. 3. As alſo theſe: 'Son be of good cheer: thy ſins be forgiven thee,' St. Matth. ix. 2.

You have brought my own experience to my mind:—It pleaſed GOD, by an incident too trifling to mention, to bring me to ſeek earneſtly for an unfading treaſure; and, by a train of circumſtances, fixed the concern deeply upon my mind; and I laboured night and day, but could obtain no reſt, till one morning—a time never to be forgotten!—as I was walking on a journey, under great diſtreſs, and when deliverance ſeemed farther from me than ever, all at once, I was brought to reſign my ſoul into the hands of GOD, and thus I expreſſed myſelf: 'Lord, here I am: a poor helpleſs ſinner: I reſign myſelf into thine hands; take me, and deal with me, juſt as thou pleaſeſt: I know thou canſt do me no injuſtice.' Immediately theſe words came into my mind, with great power and ſweetneſs: 'In an acceptable time have I heard thee; and in a day of ſalvation have I helped thee,' Iſai. xlix. 8. and I had then ſuch a view of CHRIST, as made me to cry out 'Glory to God in the higheſt! This is ſalvation; I know this is ſalvation!' Then thoſe paſſages which you have mentioned, came into my mind with great energy; and I ſaw the fulneſs, ſufficiency, and willingneſs of CHRIST to ſave me, and all men, in ſuch a manner as conſtrained me to venture my ſoul into his arms; and if I had had ten thouſand ſouls, I could have truſted them all in his hands. And, O how did I long, that every ſoul of Adam's race might come to know the love of God in CHRIST JESUS! And I thought, I could not be willing to live any longer on earth, unleſs it might pleaſe God to make me uſeful to my fellow-creatures. 'What peaceful hours I then enjoy'd! 'How ſweet their mem'ry ſtill! 'But they have left an aching void 'The world can never fill.'

This is a little abſtract of what God did then graciouſly teach me by his Spirit; but I had been brought up in the particular ſyſtem, and in the courſe of a few years came to be ſo firmly attached to it, as to refuſe in my preaching, to make general invitations to mankind at large; rightly reaſoning with myſelf, that if proviſion was only made for a ſmall part, I had no warrant to call or invite the whole to come and partake; and therefore only preſſed the duty on ſuch and ſuch characters, as hungry, thirſty, weary, heavy-laden, ſuch as were without money, ſenſible ſinners, &c. all of which I concluded to be of the elect, becauſe I judged the Spirit had begun to operate ſavingly upon their hearts; and that to theſe, and theſe only, the Scriptures directed invitations to be made; never conſidering that text—'Hearken unto me, ye ſtout-hearted, that are far from righteouſneſs. I bring near my righteouſneſs; and it ſhall not be far off, and my ſalvation ſhall not tarry,' Iſa. xlvi. 12, 13. During the time that I remained in this cloſe-hearted ſyſtem, labouring with all my might to maintain it, I chanced to come to a houſe, where, as far as I can judge, was a very ſenſible and pious young woman, whom I never ſaw before or ſince: She gave a very judicious account of the work of grace upon her heart: but when ſhe came to that part, where ſhe ſaid ſhe beheld an infinite fulneſs in CHRIST for ALL the world, I interrupted her, and told her, That could not be; for there was no proviſion made for all, and therefore it was impoſſible that ſhe could have any ſuch diſcoveries made to her by the Spirit of God. This I inſiſted upon, according to my ſyſtem, contrary to my experimental knowledge; (O the miſchiefs of bigotry, prejudice, and vain attachment to ſyſtem!) ſhe, on the contrary, maintained, that ſhe clearly viewed matters in that light; and that ſhe certainly was taught to believe, that in Chriſt there was a fulneſs and freeneſs for all: This I denied; and ſhe was thereby prevented from finiſhing what ſhe had begun. I can never forgive myſelf, for the oppoſition I made to what I knew to be truth by experience; and as I did not enquire the name of the perſon, I have had no opportunity of making a recantation by letter, as I ought to have done; and having never been in the place ſince, and it being highly improbable that ever I ſhall again, I feel myſelf extremely hurt, whenever I think of it.

I can but admire the agreement between us in matters of experience; for I found the ſame diſpoſitions of mind that you mentioned, when it pleaſed God to reveal his Son in me.

I never found an experienced Chriſtian in my life, but would give much the ſame account, provided that his ſyſtem was not in ſight; and I have found ſome, that though they were violently attached to the contrary ſyſtem, and knew my intention in aſking the queſtions; yet anſwered the following affirmatively.

Did you not ſee and feel yourſelves the vileſt of ſinners?

Did you not view the love of GOD infinitely full, free and unmerited?

Did you not behold in Chriſt an infinite fulneſs, ſufficiency, and willingneſs, to ſave all, without exception?

Did you not love all, and wiſh that all might come and partake of his grace?

Did you not earneſtly deſire the ſalvation of all, not only of your family, friends, neighbours, and nation; but alſo of your enemies, and of all mankind? Could you not embrace the whole human race in the arms of benevolence?

Did you not find it in your heart to pray for the ſalvation of all mankind, as for your own?

If you had as much power as good-will, would you not bring all to bow to the ſceptre of grace, and to be reconciled to God through Jeſus Chriſt?

I do not ſee how an experienced perſon can refuſe to ſay Yes, to all theſe queſtions; they are ſo agreeable to the very tempers of the newborn ſoul; and, I am ſure, I found them in my heart, at the very time when I firſt taſted of the love of God.

Well then, my friend, let me aſk you, From whence did theſe tempers and diſpoſitions proceed?

To be candid, I think they were given me from above, and came down from the Father of lights, from whence every good and perfect gift cometh; and I am the more apt to think ſo, becauſe I found contrary diſpoſitions in my heart before; and the more I am ſenſible of the forgiving love of God, the more I find theſe affections which you have deſcribed, and theſe deſires for the good of others.

Then let me aſk you, Can a ſmall drop be larger than the unfathomed abyſs and ocean of Love? Have you more compaſſion towards your fellow-creatures than the God that made them? Can any effect be greater than its cauſe? Would you bring all to ſubmit to God, and be happy, if you could? and will not he, to whom nothing that he pleaſes to do is impoſſible, bring all his creatures to be reconciled to himſelf at laſt? He has infinitely more love to his creatures, than all the ſaints and angels in glory have; he is poſſeſſed of infinite power and wiſdom, as well as love; all means to accompliſh the work are known to him: he can do it in a way that ſhall cauſe his praiſe to abound exceedingly, in a way perfectly conſiſtent with all his perfections, and the whole of his glorious character; it is his will and purpoſe ſo to do, as has been proved at large; What, then, can hinder him from fulfilling it?

I am not able to gainſay this reaſoning; it ſeems almoſt undeniable: But can you ſhew that the doctrine of the Reſtoration ſtands connected with practical religion, or the keeping of the commandments of God?

I can very eaſily do that, in every inſtance; but ſhall only attend to the following, as a ſpecimen.

1. Our Lord has commanded us to love all mankind; not our brethren and friends only, but even our greateſt enemies; and all for this purpoſe, that we may be the children of our Father, who is in Heaven, whoſe love is univerſal, and whoſe tender mercies are over all his works: See St. Matth. v. 44—48. St. Luke, vi. 27—36. But if God doth not love all himſelf, Chriſt hath commanded us to be more perfect, in that reſpect, than our Father, who is in Heaven; which, to ſuppoſe, is highly abſurd. What ſhall we ſay to that doctrine that teaches us, that God hates, with a perfect hatred, many of thoſe whom he hath commanded us to love as ourſelves?

Therefore, there is nothing in the doctrine of the Reſtoration, contrary to the love of our neighbour; which on the contrary is promoted thereby.

2. We are commanded to do good to all men, as we have opportunity. This is recommended to us by the example of our heavenly Father, who maketh his ſun to riſe on the evil and on the good, and ſendeth rain on the juſt, and on the unjuſt;' and no perſon can ſay, that the belief of this doctrine tends, in the leaſt, to hinder us from doing good to all our fellow-creatures; but rather encourages us ſo to do, from the conſideration that God loves them all, and does good to all, and is determined to make them all the ſubjects of his kingdom at laſt.

3. We are commanded to forgive all men their treſpaſſes, and to pray; ſaying, 'Forgive us our (debts, or) treſpaſſes, as we forgive (our debtors, or) them that treſpaſs againſt us;' St. Matth. vi. 12. St. Luke, xi. 4. And our Lord ſays, 'For, if ye forgive men their treſpaſſes, your heavenly Father will alſo forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their treſpaſſes, neither will your Father forgive your treſpaſſes;' St. Matth. vi. 14, 15. See alſo, chap. xviii 21—35. St. Mark, xi. 25, 26. St. Luke, vi. 37.

Now, is it poſſible to ſuppoſe, with any degree of reaſon, that our Lord would command us, upon pain of his higheſt diſpleaſure, to forgive thoſe whom he hated, and determined to puniſh while he ſhould exiſt, without having the leaſt deſire or deſign to do them good? Has he promiſed us the greateſt bleſſings, if we will forgive all men; and will he never forgive them? He that can believe this, let him believe it. However, ſince forgiving all men is a plain command, which none can deny; I truſt, no one will venture to ſay, that believing the final Reſtoration of all men, at laſt, will have any tendency to make us break this precept of our Saviour's, upon which he lays ſo much ſtreſs; but, I think, the contrary is evident.

4. We are commanded to pray for all men: St. Paul ſays, 'I exhort, therefore, that, firſt of all, ſupplications, prayers, interceſſions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: For this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God, our Saviour, (or Reſtorer) who will have all men to be ſaved, (or reſtored) and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Chriſt Jeſus: who gave himſelf a ranſom for all, to be teſtified in due time.' This is the great doctrine of the Goſpel, the very foundation of Chriſtianity:— 'Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apoſtle; (I ſpeak the truth in Chriſt, and lie not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.' The apoſtle not only believed, but taught; not only taught, but commanded others to teach and preach this great doctrine, of God's being the Saviour, or Reſtorer, of all men: In this he gloried, ſaying, 'This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and ſuffer reproach, becauſe we truſt in the living God, who is the Saviour (or Reſtorer) of all men, ſpecially of thoſe that believe. Theſe things command and teach.'

Upon this grand foundation, St. Paul recommends prayer to all men; ſaying, 'I will therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting,' 1 Tim. ii. 1—8. iv. 9, 10, 11.

Obſerve, the apoſtle recommends prayer for all men: and wills, that men ſhould pray every where, at all times, and in all places, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. How nearly forgiving all men, and praying for all men, ſtand connected! and both are plainly and peremptorily recommended by our Lord; who ſays, 'Love your enemies, bleſs them that curſe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which deſpitefully uſe you, and perſecute you.'

We are commanded to pray for all men, becauſe it is the will of God that all men ſhould be ſaved; (or reſtored) and becauſe Chriſt hath given himſelf a ranſon for all: And we are bid to pray without doubting: O, what a word is this! May we, ought we, to pray for the ſalvation of all men, without doubting? Surely, God would never have commanded us to do this, unleſs it was his purpoſe to reſtore all men, in his own time; and no man can ſay, that the belief of the Reſtoration will prevent our praying for all men.

I was once on a journey, and called in at the houſe of one of my former good friends: Several religious perſons were there; and, after ſome time, my ſentiments came to be ſpoken of, and they ſeemed to wonder how I could embrace the opinion, that all men, finally, would be ſaved! I told them, however many might preach againſt it, that no perſon, under the influence of the Divine Spirit, could pray againſt it; but, on the contrary, we could pray for it in faith, nothing wavering, as God had commanded, and as his Spirit naturally inſpired: that no perſon could pray God not to ſave or reſtore all mankind, without being ſhocked at the blaſphemy and impiety of ſuch a prayer; but that our Lord had ſaid, that all things whatſoever we aſked in prayer, believing that we ſhould receive, ſhould be granted, let them be things ſeemingly ever ſo impoſſible; that if we aſked any thing according to his will, it ſhould be done; and that it was his poſitive and declared will, that all men ſhould be ſaved, (or reſtored) and come to the knowledge of the truth: that we were ordered to pray for it in faith, without doubting; and, therefore, it was as evident as the nature of things required, that it would be done; ſince God had never ordered us to pray for any thing that he was not able and willing to do. This, and much more, I ſaid, and they ſeemed exceedingly well ſatisfied; eſpecially, when I informed them, that it was through the blood of Chriſt, the blood of the covenant, that the priſoners ſhould be ſent forth out of the pit wherein is no water, and that all ſhould be reſtored through his mediation.

Then you hold that even the damned ſhall be finally reſtored and delivered by the power of Jeſus, and through his blood-ſhedding. I have heard it objected againſt your ſcheme, that it tended to ſet at nought the whole mediatorial plan, and to depreciate the blood of Jeſus, which he ſhed to purge our ſins away; though I never obſerved any thing like this in your diſcourſes, either in public or in private.

No: God forbid that I ſhould ever ſet aſide the blood that cleanſeth from all ſin; nor can I be charged with it, unleſs having a much higher idea of its merit than my oppoſers, may be looked upon as tending to depreciate it. They hold that it ſhall cleanſe a ſmall number from their ſins; I believe that it ſhall cleanſe, heal, and reſtore the whole human race. They believe that its virtue endures for a little ſeaſon; I maintain that it ſhall continue to all ages, until all evil ſhall be deſtroyed out of the univerſe.

I am ſatisfied that you do not mean to ſet at nought the powerful blood of the dear Redeemer, but on the contrary, you ſuppoſe that your views tend more to exalt it. Pray proceed in your diſcourſe.

I need not ſay much more upon this matter; Our Saviour has ſaid, 'If any man will do his (the Father's) will, he ſhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I ſpeak of myſelf,' St. John vii. 17. This is the ſureſt rule: practiſe religion; love, revere, and ſerve God; love all men, even your enemies; do good to all, forgive all, and pray for all; and then aſk, Is the doctrine of the final Reſtoration contrary to this manner of life? If it be, reject it; for theſe commands are plain: and if theſe principles are inconſiſtent with the obſervation of theſe precepts, then avoid them, as you would death and hell. But, I truſt, it has been ſhewn, that they have no ſuch tendency; but the contrary. For inſtance, Does this doctrine tend to make us hate God, and his character? Does it naturally fill our minds with ſelfiſhneſs, and prevent benevolence from ruling within us? Does it fill us with pride, and cauſe us to look down with contempt upon thoſe that are beneath us in life; and baniſh humility from our hearts? Does the belief of this, cauſe our breaſts to ſwell with pale envy, and rancorous malice, at the happineſs of others? Does it cauſe us to burn with helliſh rage, fury, and madneſs, againſt mankind? Does it tend to deſtroy meekneſs, and increaſe wrath? If theſe queſtions require (either from the nature of things, or from known facts) the anſwers to be in the affirmative; then I would abhor ſuch a ſyſtem, and wiſh it to be univerſally deteſted: But if, on the contrary, the candid enquirer muſt anſwer in the negative, and ſay, That the doctrine of the final Reſtoration does not tend to produce ſelfiſhneſs, envy, pride, or wrath; but, on the contrary, 'Glory to God in the higheſt, and on earth peace, good-will towards men;' that it cauſes benevolence, meekneſs, humility, forbearance, forgiveneſs, charity, and all goodneſs, to abound and increaſe; then it cannot be a licentious doctrine, and is not to be diſcarded on that account; for it is a maxim with St. John, that 'He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none occaſion of ſtumbling in him,' 1 John, ii. 10. That is, he cannot receive, hold, maintain, or do, any thing eſſentially or materially wrong; and, therefore, can give no juſt occaſion of offence: 'For, all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thyſelf. For he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, Thou ſhalt not kill, Thou ſhalt not ſteal, Thou ſhalt not bear falſe witneſs, Thou ſhalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this ſaying: Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thyſelf. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law,' Gal. v. 14. Rom. xiii. 8, 9, 10.

But it is not only from reaſoning, but from facts, that I am able to prove that the belief of the doctrine of the univerſal Reſtoration, does not lead men to ſin. The Tunkers, or German Baptiſts, in Pennſylvania, and the ſtates adjacent, who take the Scriptures as their only guide, in matters both of faith and practie, have always (as far as I know) received, and univerſally, at preſent, hold theſe ſentiments: But ſuch Chriſtians I have never ſeen as they are; ſo averſe are they to all ſin, and to many things that other Chriſtians eſteem lawful, that they not only refuſe to ſwear, go to war, &c. but are ſo afraid of doing any thing contrary to the commands of Chriſt, that no temptation would prevail upon them even to ſue any perſon at law, for either name, character, eſtate, or any debt, be it ever ſo juſt: They are induſtrious, ſober, temperate, kind, charitable people; envying not the great, nor deſpiſing the mean: They read much, they ſing and pray much, they are conſtant attendants upon the worſhip of God; their dwelling-houſes are all houſes of prayer: They walk in the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameleſs both in public and private: They bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; no noiſe of rudeneſs, ſhameleſs mirth, loud, vain laughter, is heard within their doors: The law of kindneſs is in their mouths: no ſourneſs, or moroſeneſs, diſgraces their religion; and whatſoever they believe their Saviour commands, they practiſe, without enquiring or regarding what others do.

I remember the Rev. Morgan Edwards, formerly miniſter of the Baptiſt Church in Philadelphia, once ſaid to me, 'GOD always will have a viſible people on earth; and theſe are his people at preſent, above any other in the world.' And in his Hiſtory of the Baptiſts in Pennſylvania, ſpeaking of theſe people, he ſays: 'General redemption they certainly held, and, withal, general ſalvation; which tenets (though wrong) are conſiſtent. In a word, they are meek and pious Chriſtians; and have juſtly acquired the character of The harmleſs Tunkers.'

Thus have I proved that this doctrine is not licentious; both from the firſt principles on which it is founded, from the nature of experimental and practical religion, and from fats. As to that part of the objection, which ſuppoſes this doctrine to be the ſame that the ſerpent preached to Eye, ſaying, 'Ye ſhall not ſurely die;' it ſeems almoſt unworthy of notice: But as it has been gloried in by ſome writers, as unanſwerable, merely becauſe it was paſſed over unnoticed, as being nothing to the purpoſe; I ſhall make a few remarks upon it. 1. I ſay, that Satan was a liar, and GOD was true▪ For man and woman did die, in a moral ſenſe, on the very day that they ſinned; they became dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; they loſt the divine life, and became earthly, ſenſual, deviliſh; darkneſs in their underſtandings, ſtubbornneſs in their wills, and diſorder in their affections, rendered them unfit, unable, and unworthy, to have fellowſhip with their God. But do they contradict JEHOVAH, and join with the ſerpent, who aſſert, that JESUS, the ſecond Adam, hath quickened, and is able to quicken, thoſe who were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins? If ſo, St. Paul joined with the ſerpent, in Epheſ. ii. 1. 2. The ſentence of death was pronounced upon man, even the death of the body, in thoſe words: 'In the ſweat of thy face ſhalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it waſt thou taken: for duſt thou art, and unto duſt thou ſhalt return,' Gen. iii. 19. But, would it be juſt and right for any one to ſay, that thoſe who believed the reſurrection of the body, contradicted God, and, joining with the ſerpent, declared, that men ſhould not die; merely, becauſe they aſſerted, according to the promiſes, that they ſhould riſe again? Would not thoſe who preach Jeſus, and the reſurrection, have a right to look upon it as a vile and wilful ſlander, if any one ſhould ſo miſrepreſent the matter? What! muſt I be accuſed of ſaying, that no man ever died, becauſe I believe and teach, that ſome have riſen, and that all ſhall be raiſed, at laſt: when even the very idea of a reſurrection, preſuppoſes a ſtate of death? 3. I confeſs, that God has threatened ſinners with the ſecond death: but do I ſay, that they ſhall never taſte of the ſecond death, becauſe I declare, that the time will come when it ſhall exiſt no more? This is curious reaſoning, indeed.

As well may I ſay, that no man ever lived on earth, becauſe ſo many have died; that no one ſleeps in the night, who wakes in the morning; or, that no fiſh was ever in the water, that was caught and taken out.

Did St. Paul join with the ſerpent, when he ſaid, 'For as in Adam all die, even ſo in CHRIST ſhall all be made alive?' 1 Cor. xv. 22. Will any ſuppoſe that we affirm, that the dreadful threatenings denounced by God, never were, nor ever will be executed, becauſe we declare, that his promiſes ſhall alſo be fulfilled? Can any reaſonable man ſuppoſe, becauſe Chriſt is the Saviour of men, that, therefore, they were not in a loſt condition? How abſurd! when he declares, that he came to ſeek and to ſave the loſt!

Thus, though mankind died a moral death, in the day wherein they ſinned; yet, CHRIST is able to quicken and raiſe them up from the ſame: and though their bodies die, in conſequence of the fall; yet ſhall he cauſe all that are in the graves, to hear his voice, and come forth: and, by the ſame rule of arguing, though many ſhall fall under the power of the ſecond death, which is threatened to ſinners; yet as he has promiſed to deſtroy all that bears the name of death, their Reſtoration may be fairly concluded, without either contradicting God, or joining with the ſerpent. Had the Scriptures, indeed, contained nothing but threatenings of death, without any promiſes of ſalvation, reſurrection, or reſtoration; it would have been preſumptuous for us to have entertained any hopes for the human race, or their deliverance, either from ſin, death, or hell: but, ſince promiſes are found, as well as threatenings, we muſt not, under pretence or colour of believing the latter, reject the former, leſt we are found contradictors and oppoſers of God; for it is as poſſible that we may make him a liar, in refuſing to believe the record he has given of his Son, and his intentions of grace and mercy towards mankind, as in diſregarding his threatenings, denounced againſt them becauſe of their ſins.

As for this doctrine making the hearts of the righteous ſad whom GOD would not have made ſad, nothing can be more contrary to fact; for if it be the will of God to reward and puniſh, and finally to reſtore mankind, none of the righteous will be ſorry, but, on the contrary, will greatly rejoice. It is not God's truth, but men's lies, of which the prophet ſpeaks; which made the hearts of the righteous ſad, and ſtrengthened the hands of the wicked, that he ſhould not return from his wicked way, by promiſing him life: But we are ſo far from ſtrengthening the hands of the wicked, and ſaying, that no evil ſhall come upon them; that we declare from the Scripture, that 'the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, againſt all ungodlineſs and unrighteouſneſs of men, who hold the truth in unrighteouſneſs; unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteouſneſs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguiſh, upon every ſoul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew firſt, and alſo of the Gentile,' Rom. i. 18. ii. 8, 9. And that 'there is no peace to the wicked,' Iſai. xlviii. 22. lvii. 20, 21. Therefore, they are called to repent, and turn to God; for in ſin they never can be happy: no unholy, or unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And ſo far are we from promiſing them life in their wicked ways, that we teſtify, from the Scripture, that 'He that believeth not the Son, ſhall not ſee life,' while he continues in that ſtate; 'but the wrath of God abideth on him,' St. John, iii. 36.

I had intended to propoſe that text as an objection to your ſyſtem; it is, indeed, one that Dr. WHITBY inſiſts much upon: But I ſee how you will anſwer it—that the unbeliever, as ſuch, and while he ſo continues, cannot ſee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him, while he remaineth in unbelief; but that God can take away the cauſe, in his own time, and then the effect ſhall ceaſe.

Certainly, this muſt be the meaning: for St. John only meant to deſcribe the difference between believers and unbelievers, as ſuch; but could not mean to intimate, that thoſe who were unbelievers, in his time, ſhould always continue ſo.

But I now paſs to conſider the latter part of this objection, upon which I have dwelt ſo long; viz. that it is the nature God to lay the higheſt poſſible reſtraint upon ſin, and, therefore he has threatened it with everlaſting damnation, which muſt intend endleſs miſery; and as this reſtraint is found too weak, wholly to prevent evil, what an amazing increaſe would there be, if this reſtraint ſhould be taken off, in any degree; as it muſt be, if it ſhould come to be known that puniſhments were only for certain ages or periods, and deſigned for the amendment of the ſufferers?

I once aſked a Reverend Divine, what was his ſtrongeſt argument in favour of endleſs puniſhment? and he told me, this which is mentioned above; and, therefore as it is of conſiderable importance, I ſhall give it a brief conſideration. 1. It is not quite clear to me, that it is the nature of God to lay the higheſt poſſible reſtraint upon ſin; and that he always doth ſo, in all his diſpenſations. He ſometimes has higher deſigns in view, than barely to reſtrain ſin: he ſometimes, perhaps, ſuffers it to prevail for a time, that his power might be more manifeſt in deſtroying it: hence we read, 'Moreover, the law entered'—not merely to reſtrain ſin, but—'that the offence might abound: but where ſin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as ſin hath reigned unto death, even ſo might grace reign, through righteouſneſs, unto eternal llfe, by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Wherefore, then, ſerveth the law? It was added becauſe of tranſgreſſions, till the ſeed ſhould come, to whom the promiſe was made,' Rom. v. 20, 21, Gal. iii. 19. St. Paul ſays; 'Sin, taking occaſion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiſcence; for, without the law, ſin was dead. Was, then, that which was good, made death unto me? God forbid: But ſin, that it might appear ſin, working death in me, by that which is good; that ſin, by the commandment, might become exceeding ſinful,' Rom. vii. 8, 13. Perhaps, if the puniſhment of ſins immediately followed the commiſſion of them, it would be a ſtronger and more effectual reſtraint than any threatenings of future miſery; yet God does not think it neceſſary to reſtrain ſin by that mean, though it is expreſsly aſſerted that, 'Becauſe ſentence againſt an evil work is not executed ſpeedily, therefore is the heart of the ſons of men fully ſet in them to do evil.' Eccleſ. viii. 11. There is no doubt but if the awful puniſhments of the future ſtate were made viſible to our ſenſes, by any means, they would prove a powerful reſtraint to ſin; yet God has not thought fit to reſtrain it by thoſe, and perhaps many other poſſible ways; Wherefore, I have a right to doubt the premiſes; for, if the ſtrongeſt poſſible reſtraints were laid upon ſin, it might not be ſo conſiſtent with a ſtate of probation, as thoſe reaſonable reſtraints which God hath thought fit to lay upon it. 2. But it may be queſtioned, whether there is not ſomething in the idea of limited, yet certain puniſhment, ſo juſt, equitable, reaſonable, and evident; that is much more calculated to produce belief, and conſequently more effectual to deſtroy falſe hopes of eſcaping it, and alſo to check that daring preſumption, which riſes out of the idea of endleſs miſery, than can be found in the contrary doctrine. Endleſs puniſhment ſeems to ſhock tender minds, at leaſt. I heard of a little boy, to whom his mother conſtantly kept preaching damnation without end, for every ſin; one day, after ſhe had been diſcourſing with him in that manner, he went to work, but ſoon returned back, ſuddenly opened the door, and with an air of ſurpriſe, cried out; 'Why, mother, the law ſays, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot; but you ſay, ten thouſand for one, and that puniſhment ſhall never end.' I have heard of numbers that had no better excuſe for ſinning greedily, than this, viz. that there was no hopes of their being ſaved; that, therefore, they were determined to ſin as much as poſſible, ſince it could make no difference. I have reaſon to ſay, from what I know of mankind, that more perſons refuſe to believe in Divine Revelation, becauſe it is commonly thought to contain the doctrine of endleſs miſery, than from any other cauſe: And numbers have embraced it immediately, upon being fairly convinced that it was not neceſſary to underſtand it in that light. And a very ſenſible Deiſt once ſaid to an acquaintance of mine, who believed and preached the univerſal doctrine; 'Had I been acquainted with your ſyſtem, thirty years ago, I ſhould have been a zealous Chriſtian; and as great a friend to Revelation, as I have been an enemy.' 'And, pray, why not now Doctor?'—'Becauſe I am aſhamed, having ſo long been fighting againſt, to receive it now.' 3. Though damnation has been commonly underſtood to be endleſs, for many ages; yet it has not (as far as we can judge) prevented evil at all, or very little: but I have mentioned before, how very ſtrict thoſe people live, who receive and hold the ſyſtem of limited puniſhments: whether it is, that endleſs damnation is too unnatural to be believed, and that limited puniſhments, being more reaſonable, ſeem more certain; or whether it be, that by conſidering they ſhall be puniſhed, either without end, or not at all; and every one thinking that endleſs puniſhment is more than they deſerve, but is only reſerved for ſome greater ſinners, and therefore they have nothing to fear from it, I ſhall not pretend to determine; but certain it is, that where the idea of endleſs miſery prevails, it has not prevented iniquity, in the meaſure that might have been expected, on the ſuppoſition of its being the truth of GOD. 4. The great number of Heathens, that die without ever being favoured with the light of the goſpel, and certainly without ever hearing of endleſs miſery; the many that die in a ſtate of infancy and childhood; together with the inſtances of ideots, and perſons born deaf; all convince me, more than any logical arguments, that God has many ways of inſtructing and reclaiming his creatures, in another ſtate, that we are at preſent unacquainted with. 5. It is not ſo much the intention of God, merely to reſtrain ſin, as to ſhew it in all its dreadful deformity, puniſh it according to its deſerts, and, finally, to ſhew the ſuper-abounding of his grace, in overcoming and totally deſtroying it out of his creation; which ſhall be accompliſhed when He that ſitteth upon the throne ſhall make all things new; 'And there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow, nor crying; neither ſhall there be any more pain; for the former things are paſſed away,' Rev. xxi. 4. 6. As the doctrine of the final Reſtoration, has been ſhewn in itſelf not to have the leaſt tendency to licentiouſneſs, but directly the reverſe; and, as far as I can learn, by hiſtory, or my own obſervation, thoſe who have believed it, in the manner here laid down, as perfectly conſiſtent with a future ſtate of rewards and puniſhments, have been particularly careful to depart from iniquity of every kind: yet if any ſhould be ſo loſt to all that is good, as to pervert this truth (revealed for contrary purpoſes) to their own deſtruction, they alone muſt bear the blame, the loſs, and the puniſhment. The Scriptures, of truth have been perverted; yet, that is no argument againſt Divine Revelation: The Goſpel of the Grace of GOD, has been abuſed; but ſhould it never be preached on that account? Some, in the apoſtles days, turned the Grace of GOD itſelf into wantonneſs or laſciviouſneſs, (See Jude 4); and others pretended that thoſe holy men encouraged ſin, by proclaiming ſalvation to ſinners, through grace, or faith in Chriſt; of which St. Paul complains, (Rom. iii. 8.) 'We be ſlanderouſly reported, and ſome affirm that we ſay, Let us do evil, that good may come: whoſe damnation is juſt'—The holy apoſtle abhorred, and conſtantly denied this horrid conſequence, which ſome perverſe minds pretended to draw from his doctrine; he declared that the damnation of ſuch was juſt, who did ſin that grace might abound, or who affirmed that the doctrine led thereto, or that the apoſtles taught or practiſed any ſuch things; nevertheleſs, (not as fools, but as wiſe) they did not think fit to lay the goſpel aſide, and refuſe to preach ſalvation through CHRIST any more on that account: The ſelf-ſame reaſoning applies to the preſent caſe.

I muſt confeſs that you have ſo far prevailed as to ſilence this great objection; for certainly the belief of the Reſtoration feems by your account of it conſiſtent with a ſtate of grace, and the knowledge and practice of religion. But though you have obviated ſeveral objections, there is one you have not yet touched, which is very conſiderable, and I am doubtful that it will be difficult if not impoſſible for you to anſwer fairly, it may be thus expreſſed, God has abounded towards us in all wiſdom: one inſtance is his hanging out the threatenings of the ſevereſt puniſhments to prevent his creatures from ſinning while in this world; but to tell them at the ſame time, that if they ſhould ſin he means to ſave them, is not prudent; becauſe that leſſens, if not deſtroys the force of his threatening. He told Adam that if he did eat, he ſhould ſurely die; but did not tell him (at the ſame time) that if he ſhould eat, his caſe would not be remedileſs; this were to take down with one hand what he had ſet up with the other. After the threatening failed of the effect, he told him ſo, and not before, this was prudently done; ſo after his threatenings fail of effect in this ſtate, is the time to reveal his deſign of ſaving daring ſinners. We may therefore be ſure that he has not done it yet, and that we miſconſtrue thoſe texts which ſeem to contain ſuch a revelation. The next ſtate is the only ſtate to preach the doctrine, and reveal the doctrine. If you preach it here, it will be unneceſſary to preach it in hell; for obſtinate ſinners will carry it in their heads thither.

As ſpecious and plauſible as this objection ſeems, I doubt not of being able to anſwer it fairly, without evading the natural force of it in the leaſt. The firſt thing that I ſhall notice in this objection, is the very different and contrary manner in which you apply thoſe words of the apoſtle from his firſt evident intention. He hath abounded towards us in all wiſdom and prudence, having made known unto us the myſtery of his will according to his good pleaſure, which he hath purpoſed in himſelf, that in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chriſt, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. Epheſ. i. 8, 9, 10. God hath judged it be the height of heavenly wiſdom and prudence to make known to his ſaints, his glorious purpoſe, finally to rehead all things in Chriſt; and we ought not to preſume to be more wiſe and prudent than he.

There is no doubt but God hath revealed this great truth more immediately to his ſaints and faithful ones for their conſolation, than for the benefit of the finally impenitent.

It is of amazing, I had almoſt ſaid of infinite uſe to the people of God, to have this divine counſel declared to them in the preſent time. The knowledge of this truth entirely removes all hard thoughts of God from the minds of thoſe who receive it, as I can teſtify by experience; for ſince I have believed in the doctrine of the univerſal Reſtoration, I have never had one hard thought of God abiding for one minute in my mind, that I remember, and never expect to have any more while I continue to believe it firmly.

The belief of the Reſtoration is of great uſe in ſupporting good people under their ſorrows and trials here; the idea that evil ſhall be deſtroyed, and all things reſtored to their primitive glory is the moſt conſolatory of all other ideas. As this doctrine tends to remove the greateſt difficulties from the plan of Providence, and alſo from divine Revelation, it is evident that the knowledge of it muſt be of the greateſt uſe to all that love their great Creator. And therefore if the revelation of it anſwered no other purpoſe in this life, but for the happineſs, joy, and ſatisfaction of ſuch as love God, we might be ſure that he hath made it known, and that we rightly underſtand thoſe paſſages that hold it forth; for ſince 'the ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will ſhew them his covenant,' Pſal. xxv. 14. and 'The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his ſecret unto his ſervants the prophets,' Amos iii. 7. there is all the reaſon to conclude, that if God ever intended to reſtore mankind hereafter, he would not fail to reveal it to his choſen and faithful ſervants. And this he hath done, if I can underſtand the meaning of words.

It is true that God did not inform our firſt parents before they ſinned that he had provided a remedy; but not long did he delay after the fall to reveal to them, that the ſeed of the woman ſhould bruiſe the ſerpent's head, Gen. iii. 15. and this one text contains in miniature all that I believe reſpecting the Reſtoration of mankind; for if the Serpent's head is finally to be bruiſed, his power and influence over mankind, muſt be entirely deſtroyed; and then what ſhall prevent their return to God?

Beſides, it is impoſſible to read the Scriptures attentively, and not perceive that God very frequently mixes promiſes of mercies among his ſevereſt threatenings of judgment; and yet he doth not throw down with one hand, what he builds up with the other.

Your object ſeems to ſuppoſe that the doctrine of the Reſtoration ſuperſedes and ſets aſide thoſe puniſhments which God has threatened to inflict upon the impenitent; or elſe how does the preaching of this doctrine weaken the force of the threatenings? But this is a very falſe idea; for we acknowledge that the threatenings ſhall be fulfilled, and not that the diſobedient ſhall eſcape unpunſhed. There is a great deal of difference between theſe two ideas, though you would intimate them to be the ſame, and that we contradict God by aſſuring the wicked that they ſhall eſcape the juſt judgment of God. But we only declare that an end ſhall finally come to their puniſhment, and that when they ſhall be ſufficiently humbled a diſpenſation of mercy ſhall ſucceed that of judgment. Let me aſk you, Has not God threatened mankind with death on the account of ſin? 'Duſt thou art, and unto duſt thou ſhalt return.' Gen. iii. 19. Well, tell me, is this threatening either weakened or deſtroyed by the knowledge of the great doctrine of the reſurrection of the dead? Did not God threaten the children of Iſrael with dreadful judgments to prevent their ſinning, and that they ſhould be diſperſed among all nations? but will you ſay that he either weakened or diſtroyed the force of his threatenings, becauſe he promiſed them at the ſame time that at laſt he would return their captivity, and reſtore them as at the firſt, and do better unto them, than at their beginning.

The laws of this country condemn criminals to death: would it be thought that I ſhould weaken or deſtroy the force of the penal ſtatutes, by ſaying, that the execution of the law could only be felt for a certain time, beyond which it could not endure? Is not every malefactor under the ſentence of death ſuppoſed to know this? and yet will any preſume to ſay, that theſe laws are entirely weakened, and their force deſtroyed becauſe they do not condemn tranſgreſſors to endleſs puniſhments? But, if it be allowed that torments, which are but momentary, have a conſiderable influence in reſtraining many vices, there cannot be the ſmalleſt reaſon to fear that the doctrine of juſt retribution according to the deeds done in the body, will open the door to vice and immorality, but on the contrary. But this objection is ſo near a kin to the laſt which you propoſed, that it hardly deſerves a diſtinct conſideration; for if the doctrine of the Reſtoration does not lead men to commit ſin, (as I am ſure it has no ſuch tendency) then no harm can be apprehended from its being known in this ſtate. And whereas you argue, that as it would not be proper for the preſent ſtate, we may be ſure that God hath not revealed it; and therefore is highly proper for men to know in the preſent ſtate. You will pleaſe therefore to notice that the univerſal doctrine, ſo far from tending to render the divine threatenings uſeleſs or vain, weakening their force, or ſetting them aſide, operates in the direct contrary manner. I as much believe as you or any other man can do, that all the threatenings will be fulfilled upon the finally impenitent; but dare not carry the matter ſo far as to ſet aſide the gracious promiſes of God, with which the Scriptures appear to me to abound, in favour of the final recovery of all at laſt.

It muſt I think be confeſſed that if the doctrine of the Reſtoration be true, it would be matter of great joy and comfort for good men to know it, for they have often great trouble and anxiety of mind on the account of their families, friends, neighbours, acquaintance, and mankind in general; which ſorrow would be greatly relieved, could they have an idea of the Reſtoration of all things in the manner you hold it. But however true this may be, it ſeems not to be plainly revealed in the Scripture, otherwiſe it would not be hidden from the eyes of ſo many great and good men.

It is poſſible, that a ſubject may be revealed in the plaineſt manner, and yet the beſt of men may remain ignorant of it. For inſtance, were not the ſufferings, death, and reſurrection of our Lord plainly revealed in the Scriptures of the old Teſtament? And yet we know that the apoſtles of our Saviour did not underſtand one of thoſe prophecies. Nay, when Jeſus told them openly and expreſsly that he muſt be delivered into the hands of men, and that they ſhould mock, ſcourge, and crucify him, and that the third day he ſhould riſe again, they did not comprehend his meaning; although he ſpoke to them frequently and very plainly upon the ſubject, and ſaid, 'Let theſe ſayings ſink down into your ears: for the Son of man ſhall be delivered into the hands of men. But they underſtood not this ſaying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not; and they feared to aſk him of that ſaying.' St. Luke ix. 44, 45. And in another place we read, 'For he taught his diſciples, and ſaid unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they ſhall kill him: and after that he is killed, he ſhall riſe the third day.' It is impoſſible that words ſhould be more expreſs, or leſs liable to be miſunderſtood. 'But (as the evangeliſt immediately informs us) 'they underſtood not that ſaying, and were afraid to aſk him.' St. Mark ix. 31, 32. And in the ſame chapter we find, that after our Lord Jeſus was transfigured upon the mount, in the preſence of Peter, James, and John, 'As they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they ſhould tell no man what things they had ſeen, till the Son of man were riſen from the dead. And they kept that ſaying with themſelves, queſtioning one with another what the riſing from the dead ſhould mean.' Ver. 9, 10. This was what Chriſt taught them not only plainly, but alſo frequently. See St. Matt. xvi. 21. xvii. 9, 22, 23. xx. 17, 18, 19. xxvi. 31, 32. St. Mark viii. 31. ix. 9, 10, 31, 32. X. 32, 33, 34. xiv. 27, 28. St. Luke ix. 21, 22, 44, 45. xviii. 31, 32, 33, 34.

Yet notwithſtanding the plainneſs and frequency of theſe predictions, and the pains which Chriſt took to inſtil theſe ideas into them, they never underſtood them at all until ſometime after they were fulfilled. For when they ſaw him taken and delivered into the hands of men, and treated exactly according to his own words often repeated, they were entirely diſappointed, and all their hopes ſeemed to die within them. And when he was riſen from the dead, they would not believe the teſtimony of thoſe who had ſeen him, and would hardly truſt their own ſenſes, ſo ignorant were they of what he had told them.

St. John was the firſt of the diſciples who believed that he was riſen, for thus he writes 'Then went in alſo that other diſciple, who came firſt to the ſepulchre, and he ſaw and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture that he muſt riſe again from the dead.' Sr. John xx. 8, 9. This inſtance is ſo much to my purpoſe, and proves ſo evidently that a thing may be plainly revealed, and expreſſed in the cleareſt manner, and yet not be underſtood; that I hardly need mention any more. But I will mention another, and that is, the calling of the Gentiles. This was ſpoken of by the prophets, in the cleareſt language; and Jeſus after his reſurrection gave a full commiſſion to his apoſtles, which one would think it was impoſſible for them to miſunderſtand.

'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, Go ye therefore and teach all nations,' &c. St. Matt. xxviii. 18, 19. 'Go ye unto all the world, and preach the goſpel to every creature.' St. Mark xvi. 15.

'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Chriſt to ſuffer, and to riſe from the dead on the third day: and that repentance and remiſſion of ſins ſhould be preached among all nations, beginning at Jeruſalem. And ye are witneſſes of theſe things.' St. Luke xxiv. 46, 47, 48. 'Ye ſhall receive power after that the Holy Ghoſt is come upon you: and ye ſhall be witneſſes unto me both in Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermoſt part of the earth.' Acts i. 8. But the apoſtles themſelves, even after the miraculous deſcent of the Holy Ghoſt upon them, were without underſtanding, reſpecting the calling of the Gentiles, until St. Peter was taught it by a viſion from heaven. See Acts x.

And St. Paul ſpeaks of this ſubject as a myſtery that was hid from ages and generations, and particularly revealed to him, and to the ſaints in that day. See Epheſ. iii. 1—11. Col. i. 25, 26, 27.

Wherefore, when I conſider that the apoſtles themſelves could not for a time ſee thoſe things to be revealed, which yet were moſt plainly, fully, and frequently told them, I cannot wonder that many great and good men now ſhould not ſee the general Redemption and final Reſtoration of all things plainly revealed in the Scriptures, though to me ſcarce any ſubject appears more evident. It gives me now but little concern to hear many ſay, that they cannot ſee the matter plainly declared in the Bible, ſince I know that things have been there that wiſe and good men could not ſee; and what has happened in times paſt may take place now: and if I can ſee for myſelf, this great truth made known, it is enough for me. I am not to enquire, What does this man believe? Or, What ſhall the other do? I muſt believe what the Scripture appears to me to teach, and do what I am there commanded, let others believe or do as they may.

But I have heard ſome ſay of you, 'How comes this man to know more than all the world? Have there not been many great, wiſe, and good men in all ages, that have never thought of theſe things? If this doctrine of the final Reſtoration of all things had been true, ſurely our wiſe, good, and learned miniſters would have diſcovered it, and proclaimed it long ago. But the doctrine of endleſs miſery is a point in which they ſeem generally to agree, however they differ in other matters, and therefore it muſt be true, and this doctrine of the general Reſtoration, which this man holds up, almoſt alone, muſt be falſe.'

I am very far from pretending to be wiſer than any that have gone before me; and as for this doctrine of the Reſtoration it was not only believed and preached by the apoſtles, but many of the ancient fathers who liveth in the firſt ages of Chriſtianity, were bold witneſſes for this glorious truth. It is true that when the Church of Rome roſe to ſupreme power, the Popes and Councils endeavoured to extirpate the merciful doctors (as thoſe who believed the general Reſtoration, were called in deriſion) and their adherents, but it was not until near the cloſe of the ſeventh century, that they were able to ſilence the witneſſes for this truth. This, (as well as many other precious truths) then lay hid until the reformation, when it began a little to revive, and hath gradually increaſed ever ſince. Several great authors have written upon it; many hundreds, and even thouſands have believed it, and found comfort and joy therein. Nay, there are many miniſters who believe it now as firmly as I do, but do not chuſe to confeſs or preach it, for various reaſons; and great numbers of private chriſtians enjoy the comfort and happineſs of believing it ſecretly. But put the caſe that I ſtood alone in this teſtimony, yet if upon a fair examination, the Scriptures hold forth this idea, and if all objections againſt it may be fully anſwered; why ſhould my teſtimony be refuſed on the account of its ſingularity? God has an abſolute right to uſe what means or inſtruments he pleaſes, to manifeſt his truth, and to fulfil his purpoſes; and though I am nothing, and in his ſight am leſs than nothing, yet he is able by the things that are not, to confound and bring to nought the things that are, that no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence. 1 Cor. i. 28, 29.

I acknowledge that the generality of miniſters in the preſent day profeſs to believe endleſs miſery, though they diſagree in other points; and indeed one reaſon why they fall out ſo much about other doctrines, is, becauſe they receive this as a firſt principle, as is very obvious; for were thoſe who believe that Chriſt died only for a part of mankind, once to give up the idea of endleſs miſery, they would acknowledge the univerſality of the love of God, and confeſs that Jeſus died for all in the fulleſt ſenſe. And on the other hand, if thoſe who believe in general redemption, were not ſo exceedingly tenacious of the doctrine of endleſs miſery, they would not oppoſe the doctrine of election, nor hold that the will of God might be finally fruſtrated, and that the death of Chriſt ſhall be in vain, with reſpect to many, and that many objects of the divine love ſhall finally periſh to all eternity. Theſe inconſiſtencies in their ſentiments, and the conteſts between them and thoſe who hold partial redemption and ſalvation, are therefore chiefly, if not wholly owing to both parties being agreed in this moſt dreadful doctrine of endleſs miſery.

It is beautiful to obſerve the progreſſion of the glorious goſpel, from its opening to our firſt parents in the garden down to the preſent day. I have ſometimes mentioned, in public, that the more the goſpel is known and revealed, the larger and richer it appears.

It firſt ſeemed confined to one family or nation, but later diſcoveries ſhewed that all nations had a part therein, and all ſorts of people were deſigned to ſhare in its bleſſings: now the glorious news begins to be publiſhed abroad, not only that all nations, and all ſorts of people, but all perſons and individuals, without exception, not only may partake of its benefits, but ſhall in due time enjoy great advantages thereby.

God always adapts his remedies to the evils that prevail in the world; and therefore he hath opened his counſels to men according to their different capacities, needs, and circumſtances. Chriſtianity might, formerly, have been received and ſincerely practiſed, without being inveſtigated at all; but when infidelity riſes up and attacks it, as it does in this our age, it becomes the duty of its friends to defend it, by enquiring into its meaning; and laying all prejudices aſide, to receive as truth thoſe things which God hath revealed, and the ſame to vindicate before the world.

It might not formerly have been neceſſary to underſtand all the prophecies; and yet now, as the time of their fulfilment draws nigh, they may become more important, be more ſtudied, and better underſtood; and for this purpoſe, God may actually illuminate the minds of ſome, to ſet them forth in a more national, ſcriptural, conſiſtent manner than they have appeared in hitherto. And if it ſhould pleaſe God to make any uſe of my tongue or pen for this great purpoſe, the glory ſhall be all aſcribed to his name, to whom alone it is due; I ſhall have nothing to glory or boaſt of, foraſmuch as I can only communicate what I receive; and I hope none will refuſe to receive the truth, however weak or unworthy the inſtrument by which God may pleaſe to ſend it.

If this is the truth which you hold forth, however contrary to the commonly received opinions of the age, I ſee no reaſon why men ſhould refuſe to hear what you have to ſay; but I have heard many exclaim againſt you in the ſevereſt manner: and declare that they would not hear you, nor read your writings on any account: and others have ſaid, that they could confute and overthrow your whole ſyſtem in ten minutes, but whether they would be able to make their words good if they ſhould enter the liſts with you is another matter, and cannot be determined till a fair trial.

I can aſſure yon my friend that I ſhould not have the leaſt objection to their making the attempt; for though I am conſcious that neither my natural nor acquired abilities, are worthy to be compared to thoſe of many excellent characters who hold the contrary ſentiments: yet the goodneſs of the cauſe in which I am engaged, inſpires me with courage to attempt its vindication, let who will enter the liſts with me. For when the evidence of this moſt glorious truth firſt began to appear to my mind, I was determined never to believe or profeſs it, until I could anſwer every objection that could be brought from the Scriptures againſt it, fairly, and without any torturing or twiſting the words of truth; and it pleaſed God ſo to open matters to my view, as to take every objection out of my mind, and to clear up every doubt, in ſuch a manner, that I have full ſatisfaction: And I can ſafely ſay, in the fear of God, that I am ſo far from being offended with thoſe who queſtion me upon the matter, and thereby give me an opportunity of anſwering for myſelf, that I take it as an act of kindneſs; and as I ſtand ready to be reproved wherein I am out of the way, ſo I ſhall thank the perſon who, in the ſpirit of love, convinces me of error: 'Let the righteous ſmite me; it ſhall be a kindneſs: and let them reprove me; it ſhall be an excellent oil, which ſhall not break my head.' But let not the man who would write, dip his pen in gall; nor he that would converſe, make his tongue as a ſharp ſword: but 'Let all bitterneſs, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-ſpeaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Chriſt's ſake, hath forgiven you. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindneſs, humbleneſs of mind, meekneſs, long-ſuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel againſt any; even as Chriſt forgave you, ſo alſo do ye. And, above all things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectneſs, And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.' Theſe are the tempers of mind we ought always to poſſeſs; and eſpecially, when we diſcourſe upon the great things of the kingdom of God.

I have the ſame deſires that you expreſs; and I think it is to the ſhame of human nature, and a reproach to the innocent cauſe of Chriſtianity, that religious diſputes have been carried on with ſuch amazing bitterneſs and acrimony. Men ſeem frequently to forget that they are brethren; and that they muſt all ſtand before the judgment-ſeat of Chriſt. If they remembered theſe things, as they ought, they would not revile, cenſure, judge, and condemn each other, as they do: From which evil practices may the good Lord preſerve us, while we debate this very important ſubject; for though I am determined to urge every thing that I can with propriety, in the ſtrongeſt manner that I am able, yet I am willing to ſtipulate on my part, that if I ſhould uſe any reproachful or cenſorious language in the remainder of the debate, I will give you leave to conſider it as totally giving up the cauſe in which I am engaged.

And I hereby promiſe the ſame: for I am determined never to write a page of controverſy, unleſs it can be written in the very ſpirit of love and true benevolence, with a ſincere deſire to find and embrace the truth.

The want of this in moſt controverſial writers, has made ſerious people ſo weary of controverſy, that they will neither read nor hear it on any account: nor can I wonder at it, for ſuch bitterneſs tends entirely to root out the ſpirit of true religion.

I hope we ſhall ſhew an example to mankind, how diſputes ought to be carried on: in love, and in the fear of God, and for the purpoſe of mutual edification. But as our preſent diſcourſe has been long and very important, I will take my leave of you for this time, hoping at a future opportunity to have more converſation with you on this ſo intereſting a ſubject.

I AM happy to have another opportunity of diſcourſing with you, concerning that point in which you differ from your brethren, the final Reſtoration of all things. I have thought much of the ſubject ſince I ſaw you; and though I muſt acknowledge, that you have anſwered, as far as I can ſee, ſome of the greateſt objections that I have found in the Scriptures; yet a conſiderable number remain to be anſwered, before I can venture to receive as a truth, what I have hitherto looked upon as a dangerous hereſy; and as I have many queſtions to propoſe, I wiſh to make the beſt uſe of my time.

Propoſe your objections, as freely as you pleaſe; and I will endeavour to anſwer them as briefly, and at the ſame time as plainly as poſſible.

CHRIST threatens the Jews with an eternal excluſion from his preſence: 'Ye ſhall ſeek me, and ſhall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come,' St. John vii. 34. 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 cannot come. Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye are of this world, I am not of this world. I ſaid therefore unto you, That ye ſhall die in your ſins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye ſhall die in your ſins,' St. John viii. 21, 23, 24.

Do you recollect that our LORD uſes words nearly ſimilar to ſome of theſe, to his own diſciples?

No, indeed; I do not remember any ſuch like expreſſions uſed to them: Can you ſhew them to me?

If I do, will you acknowledge the force of the objection to be removed?

Certainly, I muſt.

Then read St. John xiii. 33. 'Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye ſhall ſeek me, and, as I ſaid unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; ſo now I ſay unto you.'

I am ſurprized that I ſhould never have obſerved this before—Let me read the paſſage— Oh! but ſtop—it is explained in the 36th verſe: 'Simon Peter ſaid unto him, LORD, whither goeſt thou? JESUS anſwered him, Whither I go, thou canſt not follow me now; but thou ſhalt follow me afterwards.' But nothing of the kind is intimated reſpecting the Jews.

Not in that text, I confeſs; but in many others it is more than intimated, that they ſhall come to know and love him, yea, and to behold him as their friend. I think, it is intimated in thoſe words which our Saviour uſed, in the cloſe of his threatenings to Jeruſalem:—'Behold, your houſe is left unto you deſolate: and verily I ſay unto you, Ye ſhall not ſee me henceforth, until the time come when ye ſhall ſay, Bleſſed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD,' St. Matth. xxiii. 38, 39. St. Luke xiii. 35. It is more than intimated in theſe words—'And ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved. For GOD hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all,' Rom. xi. 26, 32. 'In JEHOVAH ſhall all the ſeed of Iſrael be juſtified, and ſhall glory,' Iſai. xlv. 25. 'I will call them My people, who were not my people; and her Beloved, that was not beloved. And it ſhall come to paſs, that in the place where it was ſaid unto them, Ye are not my people, there ſhall they be called, The children of the living God,' Rom. ix. 25, 26. 'Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole houſe of Iſrael: I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them,' Ezek. xxxix. 25, 28. 'And I will multiply men upon you, (the mountains of Iſrael) all the Houſe of Iſrael even all of it,' xxxvi. 10. 'Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cauſe you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Iſrael. And ye ſhall know that I am JEHOVAH, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and ſhall put my Spirit in you, and ye ſhall live, and I ſhall place you in your own land: then ſhall ye know that I, JEHOVAH, have ſpoken it, and performed it, ſaith JEHOVAH,' chap. xxxvii. 12, 13, 14.

But this returning from captivity, can only reſpect ſuch as are alive at that period, when the LORD ſhall ſet his hand the ſecond time to recover the remnant of his people from Aſſyria, &c.

That is more than any one can prove: as the expreſſion is ſometimes uſed evidently for the Reſtoration of ſuch whoſe bodies are deſtroyed, beyond diſpute; as, in the caſe of Sodom and her daughters, who were taken away, by fire and brimſtone from heaven, whoſe captivity GOD promiſes to return, together with the captivity of Samaria, and her daughters, at the ſame time that he will bring again the captivity of Jeruſalem, and her daughters, in the midſt of them. See Ezek. xvi. 44—63; eſpecially, verſes 53, 55, 61.

But Mr. POOLE'S Continuators, as well as many other eminent divines, tell us, that theſe which you take to be promiſes, are only dreadful threatenings; and their meaning is this:—I never will bring again the captivity of Samaria, and her daughters; nor the captivity of Sodom, and her daughters; neither will I ever bring again the captivity of thy captives, in the midſt of them: when Sodom and her daughters ſhall return to their former eſtate, (which is impoſſible) and Samaria and her daughters ſhall return to their former eſtate, (which ſhall never be) then thou and thy daughters ſhall return to your former eſtate: but that time ſhall never come.

I know, ſuch is their interpretation, which proves nothing more than the weakneſs of their cauſe; for in all this, they expreſsly contradict GOD, who, from the 60th verſe to the end of the chapter, promiſes bleſſings to Jeruſalem in the moſt abſolute manner; That he will remember the covenant made with her in the days of her youth, and will eſtabliſh unto her an everlaſting covenant; that ſhe ſhall receive her ſiſters, Samaria and Sodom, (called her elder and her younger ſiſters); and he promiſes to give them to her, for daughters; not by the firſt covenant, indeed, but by the new and everlaſting covenant, which he will make in thoſe days; then ſhall the covenant be firmly eſtabliſhed with her; ſhe ſhall know JEHOVAH; ſhall remember, and be confounded; and never ſhall open her mouth in pride any more, becauſe of her former ſin and ſhame, when GOD ſhall be pacified toward her, for all that ſhe hath done.

How many promiſes has GOD made to Jeruſalem, in the prophecies, of not only bringing her captivity, and returning her to her former eſtate; but even cauſing greater bleſſings than ever to come to her, and of doing better to her than in her beginning, making her an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations, &c.

It is therefore very ſurpriſing, that men profeſſing to believe the Bible, ſhould dare be ſo bold as to deny theſe promiſes, and declare, that GOD will never bring Jeruſalem to her former eſtate! They might, indeed, ſafely ſay, that the promiſes have not yet been fulfilled; but it is too bold to aſſert, That therefore they will never be accompliſhed. Were there no other text to prove the Reſtoration of the Jews who died in their ſins, and indeed of the whole fallen race of Adam, I ſhould judge this ſufficient;—'All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out. For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that ſent me. And this is the Father's will, which hath ſent me, that of all which he hath given me, I ſhould loſe nothing; but ſhould raiſe it up again at the laſt day,' St. John vi. 37, 38, 30. Here we find that Chriſt, our Lord, declares, not only that all that the Father giveth him ſhall come to him; but alſo, that they ſhall come in ſuch a manner, as in no wiſe to be coſt out; and that ſuch is the Father's will, that nothing of all which he hath given to the Son, ſhould be loſt, or miſſing, at that great day when he ſhall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, who did put all things under him; and as this is the will of that God who worketh all things after the counſel of his own will; and as Chriſt has undertaken the accompliſhment of this will of the Father, it concludes abſolutely and forcibly againſt the doctrine of endleſs miſery, and annihilation.

It certainly does, with reſpect to all thoſe whom the Father giveth, or hath given, to the Son; but to none elſe.

That is all that I contend for: I ground the univerſal Reſtoration of all things, upon theſe two premiſes, which I call the major and the minor, 1. That all things are given to the Son, without exception: 2. That all that are given him, ſhall come to him, in ſuch a manner as not to be caſt out; and that none ſhall be miſſing, loſt, or wholly deſtroyed, but ſhall be forth-coming, in that great day when Chriſt ſhall give up the kingdom to the Father.

But can you prove your major? I am ſenſible that the minor has been the great foundation upon which particular redemption, &c. has been ſupported; but if the major can be proved, it will ſet the ſtrongeſt weapons of thoſe who hold partial decrees, &c. directly againſt them, and will give another turn, to the argument.

I can prove the major by the ſame poſitive expreſſions as the minor, and by more paſſages of Scripture; and you ſhall judge for yourſelf, whether I quote them fairly, and whether they can be invalidated by any arguments which will not, at the ſame time, invalidate the minor. I will ſet down the ſeveral texts at large, as they are of great importance.

St. Matth. x • . 27. 'All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, ſave the Son, and he to whomſoever the Son will reveal him.' The very ſame words are mentioned by St. Luke: See chap. x. 22.

But the moſt ſtriking paſſages of this kind, are found in the goſpel of St. John, chap. iii. 35. and xiii. 3. 'The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands. Jeſus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God, &c.'

God hath moreover ſaid to his Son, 'Aſk of me, and I ſhall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the earth for thy poſſeſſion,' Pſal. ii. 8.

Thus, all things are given to Chriſt, without exception. The major and minor being both proved from Scripture, we may venture to draw this concluſion:

If all things are given into the hands of Chriſt, by the Father; and all that the Father giveth, or hath given, ſhall come to Chriſt, in ſuch a manner as not to be caſt out; then ſhall all men be reſtored.

Here the whole Chriſtian world may unite, without either party being obliged to give up their favourite tenets: and while ſome ſtrongly contend, and prove from Scripture, that all things are delivered into the hands of Jeſus▪ let the others go on to prove, that all that the Father giveth, ſhall come in ſuch a manner as no • to be caſt out: Thus ſhall the truth be promoted mutually and equally, by thoſe who ſeem to contradict each other; but neither ſhall, in that caſe, contradict what our Lord hath ſaid.

But as all things or all men, without exception, are given to Jeſus, that he might reſtore, or bring them back to God, in his own way and time; ſo is he inveſted with all power, that he might be able to accompliſh ſo great a work. Jeſus ſpake, ſaying, 'All power is given unto me, in Heaven and in earth,' St. Matth. xxviii. 18, 'For as the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath he given to the Son to have life in himſelf; and hath given him authority to execute judgment alſo, becauſe he is the Son of man,' St. John v. 26, 27. Jeſus, or Lord, has power to quicken ſouls who are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; See Epheſ. ii. 1. He himſelf ſaith; 'Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear, ſhall live, St. John v. 25. He hath power to raiſe all the dead that are in their graves; for he ſaith, 'Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves ſhall hear his voice, and ſhall come forth: they that have done good, to the reſurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the reſurrection of damnation,' verſe 29. But he has not only power to raiſe the • ead, and quicken whom he will; to give rewards to them that love him, and to paſs ſentence of judgment and condemnation upon his foes, and they 〈◊〉 have done evil; but has alſo power to ſubdue 〈◊〉 things unto himſelf, to reconcile all things, and 〈◊〉 rehead all things in himſelf: And whatever me •• ods he may uſe towards mankind, and whatever •• ſeries he may ſuffer them to feel for their ſins, •• d how long ſoever the dreadful age of judge • ent and fiery indignation may laſt, Chriſt has gi • en us to underſtand, in his prayer to the Father, • hat the power which he hath, was given with a • eſign far ſuperior to this, (though judgment is included)—he ſaith, (in that addreſs which, for its grandeur, beauty, ſimplicity, and majeſty, never was equalled); 'As thou haſt given him power over all fleſh, that he ſhould give eternal life to as many (pan, ALL) as thou haſt given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent,' St. John xvii. 2, 3. Here we ſee that his power over all fleſh was given him for this grand purpoſe, that ultimately he might give eternal life; not only endleſs exiſtence, but the knowledge of God and his Chriſt, to all that the Father hath given him; which are all without exception.—This is the will of God, that of all which he hath given the Son, he ſhould loſe nothing; but ſhould give eternal life, even the knowledge of God, which he alone can give, to all, without reſerve, whom the Father hath given him; this is the will which Chriſt came to do, and this he hath power to perform.—Now, if he came purpoſely to do the will of God; and if it is the will of God, that of all that the Father hath given to the Son, he ſhould loſe nothing; but ſhould bring all to himſelf, in ſuch a manner as that they ſhould not be caſt out, and give them all eternal life; and if all, without reſerve, are given to him, and univerſal power and dominion are his, for this very purpoſe; if all theſe premiſes are true—as who can deny?—then nothing can be more evident than this concluſion, viz. that All ſhall be at laſt reſtored.

'It is written in the prophets, (ſaith Jeſus)—And they ſhall all be taught of God. Every man therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me,' St. John vi. 45.—If all ſhall be taught of God; and all that are taught, ſhall come to Chriſt; and none that come to him ſhall be caſt out or rejected; if all theſe premiſes are true (and, I think, they are fully proved); how very naturally the concluſion follows, viz. that all ſhall be finally brought home to God, before Chriſt ſhall reſign the kingdom to the Father.

Our bleſſed Lord is inveſted with power ſufficient to perform this work: It is the will of God that it ſhould be done; Chriſt came into the world on purpoſe to begin, and lay a foundation for the ſame; he hath laid a ſufficient foundation, by taſting death for all; one died for all; he gave himſelf a ranſom for all, to be teſtified in due time; and he ſeemed confident that he ſhould be able to accompliſh this will of the Father, when he ſaid, 'And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me,' St. John xii. 32. He was lifted up from the earth, and therefore the IF is now no more; he will certainly draw all unto himſelf, and give eternal life, or the knowledge of God to all. He ſhall ſee of the travail of his ſoul, and be ſatisfied: And who can conceive how much it will take to ſatisfy the capacious ſoul of the Son of God, and eſpecially after having borne ſuch deadly pains for all? Theſe paſſages, my friend, eſtabliſh my mind in the belief of the final univerſal Reſtitution, beyond all heſitation; nevertheleſe, I would not wiſh to force your aſſent, were it in my power, but only to lay before you that evidence which has wrought upon me, and has brought me over, notwithſtanding my education, prejudices, former ſentiments, cuſtom, the multitude, my intereſt, my honour, and connections, were all againſt it.

I ſuppoſe you know the expoſitions that are given by the generality of expoſitors upon all theſe texts: and it is a fact that thouſands and millions of great and good men have read them, many have preached from them, and yet never ſaw any thing like the univerſal Reſtoration contained in them; but if the doctrine be true, and be at all intended to be ſet forth in the Scriptures, I muſt ſuppoſe that the paſſages you have mentioned, may allude to it; but I have many objections yet to propoſe, which muſt be fairly anſwered before I can receive it.

I would chooſe you ſhould propoſe every objection that you can, eſpecially thoſe that may be brought from the ſacred page; not only for your own ſatisfaction, but leſt any ſhould be led to ſuppoſe that objections of the greateſt force are purpoſely kept back, becauſe no ſolid anſwers could be found; whereas I am deſirous of hearing whatever can be fairly urged from the Scriptures againſt this view, and make no doubt of being able to ſhew, that all may be fully anſwered.

What do you think of thoſe paſſages, where GOD is repreſented as ſwearing in his wrath that unbelievers ſhall not enter into his reſt, which are found in Pſal. xcv. 11. Heb. iii. 11, 18, 19. Chap. iv. 3, 6, compared with Numb. xiv. Do they not ſeem to cut off all hopes of the reſtoration of thoſe who die in their ſins?

By the reſt that was promiſed to the children of Iſreal, which they forfeited by their unbelief, we muſt underſtand the land of Canaan, and not the final ſtate of happineſs. For who can ſuppoſe, that out of more than ſix hundred thouſand men, beſides women, only two will be ſaved?—and that even Moſes and Aaron, thoſe • aints of the Lord, will be loſt among the reſt? For they, as well as others, entered not in; becauſe they believed not God, to ſanctify him before the congregation: (See Numb. xx. 12.) Only C • l • b and Joſhua entered into that reſt, for they followed the Lord fully: and they are typical of thoſe who ſhall follow the Lamb in all ages, ſo as to obtain a part in the firſt reſurrection, over whom the ſecond death ſhall have no power: they who are called, and choſen, and faithful, and are overcomers, ſhall reign with Chriſt on earth during the Millenium, which is the reſt that was pointed out by the land of Canaan.

Is it, indeed? We have commonly underſtood that reſt which the children of Iſrael had in the promiſed land, as typical of Heaven and eternal felicity.

This cannot be; ſince it is evident that mighty wars were waged, and dreadful battles fought, thirty-one kings and kingdoms were conquered and ſubdued by Joſhua and the Iſraelites, after they paſſed over Jordan; it was not a perfect reſt, but only a type of that keeping of the ſabbath which remains for the people of GOD, into which we are exhorted to enter; which is the time when our Lord, after having conquered the nations of the earth, ſhall reign for a thouſand years, before the ſecond reſurrection; but as many of the Iſraelites may be ſaved in the day of the Lord, whoſe carcaſes fell in the wilderneſs; ſo, likewiſe, ſhall the names of many be found in the book of life, at the general judgment, when the dead, ſmall and great, ſhall ſtand before GOD, who were not worthy to have a part in the firſt reſurrection. Theſe paſſages, therefore, conclude ſtrongly againſt thoſe having a a part in the firſt reſurrection; but nothing againſt the final Reſtoration, which is a ſtate far beyond, and belongs to another diſpenſation.

This is quite a different comment from what I have ever heard before; but allowing this objection to be anſwered, I have another in my mind, that appears very difficult, and I ſhould be glad to know what you can ſay upon it; it is drawn from Iſaiah xxvii. 11. 'For it is a people of no underſtanding; therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will ſhew them no favour.' How can they ever be reſtored, if GOD will not have mercy upon them, nor ſhew them any favour?

If we did not underſtand theſe words with ſome limitation, it would be as difficult to reconcile them with other paſſages of Scripture, as with the doctrine of the Reſtoration; but if we only limit the time, all is eaſy; 'He ſhall have judgment without mercy, that hath ſhewed no mercy;' nevertheleſs it is added, 'but mercy rejoiceth againſt judgment,' James ii. 13. The way I anſwer all theſe threatenings, and ſhew them to be conſiſtent with that boundleſs mercy of GOD, that is over all his works, is, to ſhew, that both wrath and mercy have their ſeaſon; that anger endureth but a moment, but that mercy endureth for ever; which glorious declaration is expreſſed more than forty times in the Scripture; and that God frequently threatens the greateſt judgments, and promiſeth the greateſt mercies, to the ſame people and perſons. 'Thus ſaith JEHOVAH, Thy bruiſe is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cauſe, that thou mayeſt be bound up: thou haſt no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee: they ſeek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chaſtiſement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; becauſe thy ſins were increaſed. Why crieſt thou for thine affliction? Thy ſorrow is incurable, for the multitude of thine iniquity: becauſe thy ſins were increaſed, I have done theſe things unto thee.' Now, who would not think, from reading theſe words, that theſe people were in a moſt hopeleſs ſtate, beyond the reach of mercy; and that it was in vain for them even to ſeek it?—And yet the very next words ſpeak a language directly contrary. 'Therefore all they that devour thee, ſhall be devoured, &c. For I will reſtore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, ſaith JEHOVAH; becauſe they called thee an Outcaſt, ſaying, This is Zion, whom no man ſeeketh after.' See Jer. xxx. 12—17. I could juſtify this obſervation by hundreds of paſſages wherein GOD threatens his people with judgments the moſt ſevere, and declares—that his eye ſhall not pity, nor his arm ſave; that he will viſit their tranſgreſſions upon them, will utterly caſt them off, and will not have compaſſion on them at all; and then ſuch promiſes of mercy break out as are ſufficient to aſtoniſh every one with their greatneſs. But time would fail to quote them at large. GOD, by Hoſea, ſays, 'I will no more have mercy upon the houſe of Iſrael; but I will utterly take them away. For ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.' And then immediately ſays, ſpeaking of a time to come, 'And it ſhall come to paſs, that in the place where it was ſaid unto them, Ye are not my people, there it ſhall be ſaid unto them, 'Ye are the ſons of the living GOD.' See Hoſea, i. 6, 9, 10.

The whole prophecy, indeed, ſeems of a piece with this ſpecimen. In the ſecond chapter it is ſaid, 'Plead with your mother, plead: for ſhe is not my wife, neither am I her huſband; and I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.' Then he goes on to pronounce many dreadful threatenings; but the chapter cloſes with the moſt amazing promiſes of mercies to the ſame people, under the ſimilitude of a wife that had been rejected, and after a long time received again. 'And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteouſneſs, and in judgment, and in loving-kindneſs, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſs, and thou ſhalt know the Lord. And I will ſow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will ſay to them who were not my people, Thou art my people; and they ſhall ſay, Thou art my GOD;' See Hoſ. ii. 2, 4, 19, 20, 23. Thus the objection admits of a fair and rational anſwer; and I have been the larger upon it, becauſe I judged it of great importance to clear it up thoroughly: but more paſſages upon this ſubject are needleſs, or I could eaſily produce great numbers, that ſpeak to the ſame purpoſe.

You have ſeemed to come over this objection rather better than I could have expected, but I muſt beg leave to aſk you, What you do with that paſſage: (Pſalms x •• x. 19.) 'He ſhall go to the generation of his fathers; they ſhall never ſee light?'

I render the words gnad natzah, 'until ſubdued and overcome, they ſhall not ſee the light; or, 'until the age, or a certain period, they ſhall not ſee the light.' The ſame words are uſed in Job xxxiv. 36, where they are rendered 'unto the end.' 'My deſire is, that Job may be tried unto the end. How would it ſeem to render the words thus—'My deſire is, that Job may be tried never; or, may never be tried?' This would be quite inconſiſtent with the nature of things, as well as a contradiction in the words themſelves; For firſt to ſay, 'My deſire is, that Job may be tried,' and then to add words that mean never, is quite ridiculous even to ſuppoſe; but render the words, unto a time or period,' or as they will bear, 'until he be ſubdued or overcome,' and the meaning is both plain and benevolent: but to wiſh him tried for ever, world without end, would be a moſt malevolent wiſh, —and to wiſh him tried never, would be nonſenſe.

This tranſlation is very different from that which we commonly read, in which this text appears a very formidable objection indeed: for if they ſhall never ſee the light, they cannot be reſtored.

The word never is ſometimes uſed in our tranſlation, in ſuch a manner as to oblige us to underſtand 〈◊〉 in a limited ſenſe, as has been proved before; Lev. vi. 13. 'The fire ſhall ever be burning upon the altar, it ſhall never go out; and in ſeveral other place.

I muſt allow that the words you mention ſeem very ſtrong and abſolute, but the very reaſon of things obliges us to limit their meaning to a period or age; but where no ſuch neceſſity appears we muſt underſtand ſuch words in the moſt abſolute and unlimited ſenſe.

I think there is as abundant reaſon from Scripture to limit the time of puniſhment as any thing whatever; as I truſt will appear in the courſe of our converſation, for which purpoſe I ſhall be glad to hear all that you are able to urge againſt the doctrine of the Reſtoration.

The next objection I ſhall bring is from Job xxxvi. 18. 'Becauſe there is wrath, beware left he take thee away with his ſtroke; then a great ranſom cannot deliver thee.' By which we underſtand, that after death there is no deliverance, no, not even by that great ranſom the blood of Chriſt.

This would be one of the ſtrongeſt objections that you have yet advanced, if the words a great ranſom, had any alluſion to the blood of the dear Redeemer, and if it could be fairly demonſtrated, that it can have no power over the dead; but I apprehend, when you read and conſider the text, context, and ſimilar paſſages, you will ſee that no ſuch thing is intended.

Job had frequently wiſhed for death in his trouble and anguiſh, (as many perſons fooliſhly and wickedly do, that have never felt the tenth part of his afflictions) for which Elihu juſtly reproves him, in theſe words; 'Becauſe there is wrath, beware leſt he take thee away with his ſtroke; then a great ranſom cannot deliver thee,' from death and the grave; from being cut off by the hand of Heaven, juſtly provoked by thy raſhneſs: 'Will he eſteem thy riches?' Will he account thy great riches a ranſom for thy life? 'No not gold, nor all the forces of ſtrength:' Wouldeſt thou give ever ſo much of the precious ore to ranſom thy life, it would be unavailable; or, ſhouldeſt thou truſt in thy ſtrength of body or mind; ſhouldeſt thou plead the readineſs of thy wit, the ſtrength and greatneſs of thy judgment, memory, and other faculties; thy benevolence of diſpoſition; thy uſefulneſs in life, thy numerous connections, the great honours that await thee; wert thou a monarch, and couldeſt thou command armies and valiant hoſts, ſtrong and mighty; all theſe things would be totally diſregarded by God, if he, provoked by thy raſhneſs, ſhould give thee thy wiſh, and iſſue the death warrant againſt thy life: therefore, conſidering theſe things, 'Deſire not the night (of death and eſpecially ſudden death) when people are cut off in their place,' and there is no remedy, no ranſom, no diſcharge in that war; from which neither power, wiſdom, might, riches, honours, wickedneſs, nor even virtue, can deliver. 'Take heed, regard not iniquity;' do not ſin in any wiſe, and eſpecially do not raſhly wiſh for death; which is very preſumptuous and heaven daring; 'for this thou haſt choſen, rather than affliction:' See Job xxxvi. 18, 19, 20, 21. This is evidently the plain meaning of the text, and is confirmed by Pſal. xlix. 6, 7, 8, 9. 'They that truſt in their wealth, and boaſt themſelves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ranſom for him: (For the redemption of their ſoul is precious, and it ceaſeth for ever.) That he ſhould ſtill live for ever, and not ſee corruption.' But, though the power of wealth, wiſdom, and ſtrength, are not ſufficient to buy a ſhort reprieve from death; yet the power of GOD is able to ranſom therefrom, and to redeem from the grave, or hell, as I have noticed before; and which is expreſſed in the laſt-mentioned Pſalm, in the following terms; 'But GOD will redeem my ſoul from the power of the grave; for he ſhall receive me,' ver. 15. And by the ſame parity of reaſoning, that the power of the HIGHEST is able alſo to redeem or ranſom, the bodies of men from the grave, after they have periſhed there: he is able alſo to redeem ſouls from ſin and miſery, if it be his pleaſure; and, by the blood of the MESSIAH'S, covenant, to ſend ſorth his priſoners out of the pit wherein is no water, not even a drop to cool the tongues of thoſe who are tormented there. I have therefore no doubt, but, the blood of Chriſt is able to redeem to the uttermoſt, and is ſufficient to deſtroy the power of ſin, death, and hell. Nothing in the text on which your objection is founded, can depreciate the merit of that cleanſing, all-powerful blood, by proving that it cannot be effectual to loſt ſouls.

But have you forgot that the Scripture ſays, 'Whatſoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wiſdom, in the grave, whither thou goeſt. And if the tree fall toward the ſouth, or toward the north; in the place where the tree fall • th, there it ſhall be?' Eccleſ. ix. 10. xi. 3.

I have nothing to object to what you have ſaid upon the text; it appears natural. I formerly thought it intended, that as perſons were laid in the grave, ſo they ſhould riſe, and that there could be no change after death; but I am fully convinced, that this belongs not to the ſubject. But there is another paſſage, in the book of Eccleſiaſtes, (chap, ix. 4, 5, 6.) that I ſhould be glad to hear your opinion of:—'For to him that is joined to all the living, there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know, that they muſt die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Alſo, their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now periſhed: neither have they any more a portion for ever, in any thing that is done under the ſun.'

It is evident that the wiſe man, in this and many other of his obſervations, only conſidered things with reſpect to the preſent life, without any regard to a future ſtate. In this view, his declarations are conſiſtent with truth; but in no other. Let the following ſerve as a ſpecimen:—'No man knoweth either love or hatred, by all that is before them. All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that ſacrificeth, and to him that ſacrificeth not; as is the good, ſo is the ſinner; and he that ſweareth, as he that feareth an oath,' ver. 1, 2.—Nothing could poſſibly be more falſe than theſe obſervations, applied to a future ſtate, though they are generally true in this life; for if there are no future rewards and puniſhments, no ſtate of retribution hereafter, there is an end to all religion. But he does not finally leave the matter ſo; but makes a moſt excellent concluſion to this book; ſaying—

'Let us hear the concluſion of the whole matter: Fear (or revere) GOD, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For GOD ſhall bring every work into judgment, with every ſecret thing; whether it be good, or whether it be evil, chap. xii. 13, 14.

Thus, it is plain, that a living dog is better (more uſeful in this world) than a dead lion; which is no longer capable of doing good or evil; that a man, when he dies, loſes all hopes of enjoyment in this life, and is rendered incapable of exerciſing the functions of it any longer; has no more a portion in any thing belonging thereto. Thus, in fine, all the obſervations that can be fairly made, upon this and ſimilar paſſages, belong entirely to the preſent ſtate of things; and, therefore do not at all affect the argument, either one way or the other.

This is ſo plain, that nothing can be more ſo; but our Saviour's words (St. John ix, 4.) deſerve a particular conſideration:—'I muſt work the works of him that ſent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work:'—which is explained commonly of the night of death, when no more works can he wrought.

Our Lord was diligent in his labour; he conſtantly went about doing good; he was never idle; he was in haſte, till he had finiſhed the work which his father had given him to do. In this he was—as in every thing elſe—a glorious pattern and example for us! And, O that we might follow him!—Now we may feed the hungry, give drink to the thirſty, clothe the naked, be eyes to the blind, feet to the lame; may take in the ſtranger, • elieve the diſtreſſed, viſit the ſick, the fatherleſs, widows, and priſoners in their affliction; may bury the dead,—and conſtantly perform works of benevolence and mercy, while we remain in this ſtate of our exiſtence; which if we here neglect, we never can perform at all, and of conſequence, never obtain the rewards which are promiſed to the obedient: but as it is not the ſtate of rewards and puniſhments that we are now diſcourſing about, but a ſtate beyond— even the Reſtoration of all things; neither is the diſpute about what men can do after this life, but what GOD can do, or what he has purpoſed to do with and for them, in the ages to come, after the dreadful ſentence is paſt; whether they ſhall be left under the ſame, while God exiſts; or whether they ſhall ever be reſtored; or whether they ſhall be annihilated: this, you know, is the ſtate of the queſtion: ſome hold the firſt, and others the laſt: but I am apt to think both theſe opinions are extremes, and therefore judge it ſafeſt to maintain the ſecond, which I take to be the medium here.

Indeed I am convinced, that no circumſtance preceding the general judgment, can affect the argument; becauſe we are informed, that the condemnation of the wicked ſhall be at that day; then GOD will render to them according to their deeds, and will ſay to them, Depart from me, &c.—But the following texts of Scripture form a ſtrong objection to the univerſal Reſtoration, which I would wiſh you well to conſider.

'The expectation of the wicked ſhall periſh; and the hypocrite's hope ſhall periſh: Whoſe hope ſhall be cut off, and whoſe truſt ſhall be a ſpider's web. He ſhall lean upon his houſe, but it ſhall not ſtand; he ſhall hold it faſt, but it ſhall not endure. The heaven ſhall reveal his iniquity, and the earth ſhall riſe up againſt him. The eyes of the wicked ſhall fail, and they ſhall not eſcape; and their hope ſhall be as the giving up of the ghoſt. His confidence, ſhall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it ſhall bring him to the king of ter • ors. For what is the hope of the wicked, though he hath gained, when GOD taketh away his ſoul? Will GOD hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him? He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, ſhall ſuddenly be deſtroyed, and that without remedy. When a wicked man dieth, his expectation ſhall periſh; and the hope of unjuſt men periſheth. Becauſe I have called, and ye have refuſed; I have ſtretched out my hand, and no man regarded: But ye have ſet at nought all my counſel, and would none of my reproof: I alſo will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as deſolation, and your deſtruction cometh as a whirlwind; when diſtreſs and anguiſh come upon you: Then ſhall they call upon me, but I will not anſwer; they ſhall ſeek me early, but they ſhall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not chooſe the fear of JEHOVAH. They would none of my counſel: they deſpiſed all my reproof. Therefore ſhall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.' Prov. x. 28. Job viii. 13, 14, 15 xx. 27. xi. 20. xviii. 14. xxvii. 8, 9. Prov. xxix. 1. xi. 7. i. 24—31.

Theſe, and abundance of other ſimilar paſſages, declare the future ſtate of the wicked to be deſperate, without hope; they and their hopes periſh together, as the ſpider's web; they have no hopes or proſpect of being redeemed; they can look for nothing but judgment and fiery indignation, which ſhall devour them as ſtubble fully dry, and as thorns cut up ſhall they be burned in the fire. Solomon ſays, 'The expectation of the wicked is wrath,' Prov, xi. 23. 'As he loved curſing, ſo ſhall it come unto him: as he delighted not in bleſſing, ſo ſhall it be far from him. As he cloathed himſelf with curſing, like as with his garment; ſo ſhall it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones,' Pſal. cix. 17, 18. Indeed he can have no hopes, when he conſiders that he hath neglected ſo great a ſalvation all his life; that he hath ſet at nought GOD'S counſels, deſpiſed his reproofs: that when his CREATOR called to him to turn, he had no ears to hear his voice; and therefore, when ſorrow ſhall overtake, though he may cry, he ſhall not be regarded of God; and though he may ſeek, he ſhall not find: the Maſter of the houſe having riſen up, and ſhut to the door, all knocking for entrance is in vain, even though ſuch were to plead for admittance in the moſt earneſt manner, ſaying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us;' he ſhall anſwer, 'I know you not whence you are;' and though they may reiterate, and expoſtulate, ſaying, 'We have eaten and drank in thy preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets;' he ſhall not be moved, but ſhall ſay to them, 'I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There ſhall be weeping, and gnaſhing of teeth, when they ſhall ſee Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and they themſelves thruſt out.' St. Luke xiii. 25, 26, 27, 28. See alſo, St. Matth. vii. 21, 22, 23, xxv. 11, 12.

Theſe are awful warnings, indeed; and were they attended to as they ought to be, would be ſufficient, one would think, to deter men from their evil ways: I am glad that you have ſtated them in this moſt ſtriking point of light; for though they form no real objection to my views of GOD'S dealing with men, as I underſtand the Scriptures, they are an inſuperable bar to the opinions of thoſe who deny a future ſtate of retribution, which I think impoſſible for them to anſwer fairly. I ſhall, however, notice briefly, ſome things in this collection of Scriptures, in order that my ſentiments may appear in their true light.

1. All the hopes of the wicked, ungodly, and hypocrites, ſhall periſh at their death.

Perhaps they hoped to have lived long, to have enjoyed health, wealth, pleaſure, and all worldly good, for many years; to have ſeen their children for many generations, flouriſhing for a long time on earth; but death deſtroys theſe hopes.

The hypocrites might have hoped that they ſhould have been accepted with GOD, on the account of their birth, parentage, profeſſion, rank among the people of GOD, obſervation of the externals of religion, &c. &c. all of which vain hopes do certainly periſh at death.

The profane and wicked infidel, and practical atheiſt, might have hoped, either to have ceaſed to exiſt, or to have found ſome way of eſcaping the threatened puniſhment; but death deſtroys theſe hopes alſo.

2. Whatever may be the final intention of GOD towards theſe miſerable creatures, it is evident they are ſhut up in a ſtate of keen tormenting deſpair, or dreadful ſuſpenſe, and may be fully perſuaded that they ſhall never be releaſed, of which it is likely they may not have even the moſt diſtant hope, or the leaſt degree of knowledge—but, on the contrary, be in fearful expectation of more terrible puniſhment hereafter.

3. As they have lived and died in ſin, their deſtruction, or miſery, is certain—and there is no remedy, that can prevent their experiencing the conſequences of their crimes, and ſuffering the juſt puniſhment which ſhall be inflicted on them, according to their different deſerts.

4. They who live and die in rebellion againſt GOD, will be eternally deprived of the glories and honours of the kingdom of Chriſt, which otherwiſe they might have poſſeſſed; will be excluded from a ſhare in the firſt reſurrection, and will be expoſed to ſuffer the torments of the ſecond death; which all muſt inevitably ſuffer, who remain incorrigible till the great day of judgment.

5. As God hath called, and they have refuſed, it is but reaſonable to ſuppoſe, that they, in their turn, ſhall cry in vain: yet nevertheleſs, though he may long delay, he may hear their cries, and deliver them at laſt. See Pſal. cvii. 13, 14, 15, 16.

David, in Pſalm xxxivth ſays, 'The face of JEHOVAH is againſt them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.' Our tranſlators not underſtanding, or not entertaining an idea of the future Reſtoration, add, 'The righteous cry, and JEHOVAH heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.' Whereas the Holy Ghoſt has put no ſuch words as the righteous into the text there; but after ſaying, that the face of JEHOVAH is againſt them that do evil, to deſtroy them out of the world, and to make them forgotten, and their names to ceaſe upon the earth, it adds a word that ſignifies crying, and then ſays, 'And JEHOVAH heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles:' See ver. 16, 17. This ſeems, indeed, like the doctrine of the Bible, which elſewhere ſays, ſpeaking of the notoriouſly wicked; 'O my God, make them like a wheel: as the ſtubble before the wind. As the fire burneth the wood, and as the flame ſetteth the mountains on fire; ſo perſecute them with thy tempeſt, and make them afraid with thy ſtorm. Fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſeek thy name, O JEHOVAH. Let them be confounded, and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to ſhame, and periſh. And they ſhall know (as the Hebrew word ſignifies, and as it is rendered in the old tranſlation) 'that thou, whoſe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moſt High over all the earth,' Pſal. lxxxiii. 13—18.—Here we ſee, in a beautiful and clear manner, that one grand deſign of God in bringing judgments, and even what is called utter deſtruction, upon men, is that they may know that he is JEHOVAH, the true God: and there are but few intelligent Chriſtians, but muſt, in ſome meaſure, be able to conceive hopes concerning all thoſe to whom the knowledge of God is promiſed.

Though the threatenings in the prophecy of Ezekiel, both againſt the Jews and other nations, are uncommonly ſevere; yet they frequently cloſe with this gracious promiſe—'And they ſhall know that I am JEHOVAH'—or ſomething ſimilar; as will evidently appear to thoſe who will be at the pains of examining the following paſſages in that book.

EZEKIEL, vi. 7, 10, 13, 14. vii. 4, 9, 27. xi. 10, 12. xii. 15, 16, 20. xiii. 9, 14, 21, 23. xiv. 8. xv. 7. xvi. 62. xx. 12, 20, 26, 38, 42, 44. xxii. 16. xxiii. 49. xxiv. 24, 27. xxv. 5, 7, 11, 17. xxvi. 6. xxviii. 22, 23, 24, 26. xxix. 6, 9, 16, 21. xxx. 8, 19, 25, 26. xxxii. 15. xxxiii. 29. xxxiv. 27. xxxv. 4, 9, 12, 15. xxxvi. 11, 23, 38. xxxvii. 6, 13. xxxviii. 23. xxxix. 6, 7, 22, 28.

But does not puniſhment harden and inflame offenders, inſtead of ſoftening and humbling them? As we read, Iſa. viii. 21. 'They ſhall curſe their King and their GOD, and look upward:' and, in Rev. xvi. 9, 10, 11. 'And men were ſcorched with great heat, and blaſphemed the name of GOD, which hath power over theſe plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blaſphemed the GOD of Heaven, becauſe of their pains and their ſores; and repented not of their deeds.'

Puniſhment, to a certain degree, inflames and enrages, in a moſt amaſing manner; but continued longer, and heavier, produces a contrary effect—ſoftens, humbles, and ſubdues. When Ephraim, of old, bemoaned himſelf, he ſaid thus:—'Thou haſt chaſtiſed me, and I was chaſtiſed, as a bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned; for thou art JEHOVAH, my GOD,' Jer. xxxi. 18. The metaphor here uſed, expreſſes, in a moſt lively manner, the different effects of the ſame diſcipline, in its beginning, progreſs, and end. When a bullock firſt has the yoke laid on his neck, he frets, toſſes, and rages exceedingly; but, by a continuance of the diſcipline, he is ſubdued, brought down, humbled, and tamed, ſo as to become the moſt uſeful and gentle of animals. The ſons of Zion are repreſented as lying 'at the head of all the ſtreets, as a wild bull in a net; full of the fury of JEHOVAH, the rebuke of GOD,' Iſai. li. 20. A wild bull, in a net, muſt be a furious creature; ſo are men, when firſt they are brought under the Divine correction. But GOD knows how to correct men, in ſuch a manner as to bring them to ſubmit to him, in due time; and though ſome are ſo ſunk in ſin as not to be reformed, by any means, in this life; yet that is no argument, that GOD is not able to ſubdue and bring down the proud and moſt rebellious, in another ſtate, by means that may be uſed effectually there, though they could not be uſed here. GOD ſays, by the prophet to Iſrael. 'Becauſe I have purged thee, and thou waſt not purged, thou ſhalt not be purged from thy filthineſs any more till I have cauſed my fury to reſt upon thee. So will I make my fury towards thee to reſt, and my jealouſy ſhall depart from thee; and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry,' Ezek. xxiv. 13. xvi. 42. Some ſins are ſo daring and preſumptuous, as to provoke GOD to threaten, that they ſhall not be purged away in this life; and, perhaps, their malignancy may be ſo great, that nothing that can be uſed here, is able to ſubdue them: Thus, when GOD threatened his people, of old, with deſtruction, they turned his threatenings into ridicule: inſtead of weeping, mourning, baldneſs, and girding with ſackcloth, to which God called them; there was nothing but 'joy and gladneſs, ſlaying oxen, and killing ſheep, eating fleſh, and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. And it was revealed in mine ears, by JEHOVAH of Hoſts, Surely, this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you till ye die, ſaith JEHOVAH, God of Iſrael,' Iſai. xxii. 12, 13, 14.

Thus, puniſhments are deſigned for the humbling of the proud: but if they fail of anſwering that purpoſe, as adminiſtered in the preſent ſtate, they will be continued and increaſed in future periods, to ſuch a degree, as ſhall bring all down in due time. Thoſe pains which produced that rage and blaſphemy which you mentioned, were all poured out on hardened ſinners in the preſent life; and were ſo terrible and ſevere as to produce thoſe fearful effects, but not ſufficiently ſo as to produce the contrary.

That puniſhment, to a certain degree, produces rage, but to a certain degree beyond, produces ſubmiſſion; may be illuſtrated by the following fact, as well as many others, of the ſame nature.

In the former war between England and France, there was one Mr. —, of Virginia, who was waggon-maſter-general in the army of the Provincials. He was guilty of abuſing his power, by frequently ſtriking the ſoldiers with his waggon-whip. Complaint being made, a court-martial was held, and he was ſentenced to receive five hundred laſhes; which ſentence was executed upon him. When firſt he began to feel the laſh, he was exceedingly enraged, and curſed thoſe who had thus ſentenced him; ſwearing, that if he lived to be releaſed, he would kill them all, if poſſible; for that he valued not his life, in the leaſt, but would revenge this diſgrace, by killing them, wherever he found them; and much more, to the ſame purpoſe. But, before he had received half his puniſhment, he declared, that he had not the leaſt diſpoſition to lift his hand againſt them; he ſaw clearly that they had acted right; that he had been entirely to blame; and that his puniſhment was juſt. After his correction was over, he was led quietly away, entirely cured of all his rage; from which he was as much freed by his puniſhment, as ever an effect was produced by a cauſe. He was healed of his wounds, and, I think, reſtored to his poſt.—Some time after the war was over, he was paſſing one day over thoſe mountains in Virginia, commonly called The Blue Ridge; and there he met alone one of the men who had condemned him, in the court-martial, to ſuch a puniſhment. He put him in mind of it; and told him, that it was now in his power to retaliate upon him. The other acknowledged that he was in his power; but added, 'M—, you know you did wrong, and deſerved the puniſhment you received; and if you kill me, I declare, that we did right in ſentencing you to be whipped; I ſhould do the ſame, were it to do again; and ſo would you have done, had you been in my place.' Mr. M—acknowledged the truth of it; and was ſo far from fulfilling his threatenings, that he ſuffered him to go in peace, highly commending him for his conduct. Mr. M— may be ſtill living: he was a general in the American army during the late war, and acquired great honour, for his valour and good conduct.

This I think is an argument ad hominem. I have often obſerved inſtances of the ſame nature, in a leſs degree; and I think it muſt be admitted, that although a certain degree of puniſhment will en flame, harden, and enrage; yet, farther degrees produce quite contrary effects. Nor is puniſhment the only thing in nature that produces contrary effects, according to the quantity uſed; almoſt all things do the ſame. Thus, water, with a little ſalt in it, will cauſe pu • refaction, much ſooner than perfectly freſh water; but let it be ſaturated with ſalt, and it will preſerve bodies that are caſt therein. A little ſalt caſt on the earth is good manure, and cauſes fruitfulneſs; but a greater quantity produces the contrary effect, by cauſing barrenneſs. A little wine refreſhes, cheers, invigorates; but, taken to exceſs, ſtupifies and intoxic • es. And, to mention no more inſtances, a little ſmattering of knowledge puffs up the mind; but a greater degree, humbles and brings it down: From whence, 'Drink • eep, or never taſte the ſpring.'

But let me aſk you: When you view the miſerable ſtate of fallen men, the inveterate obſtinacy of their wills, the total averſion that many have to God and goodneſs, their confirmed habits of evil, their amazing love of vice, their oppoſition to every method taken to reclaim them, and a thouſand other dreadful circumſtances, which you muſt have obſerved; are you not ready to deſpair of their recovery? not for any want of goodneſs in God, but through their total incapacity of ever being made better.

I muſt confeſs, this objection has great weight; and I have often been ready to give up my own ſalvation, on account of the evils of my own heart, which ſometimes riſe, and prevail in ſuch a manner, as almoſt drives me to deſpair: and I can find no relief, but by flying to Jeſus, as my only refuge, and truſting in his promiſes: And the caſe is the ſame with reſpect to the Reſtoration of all men. My weak reaſon tells me, that it cannot be; that it is absolutely impoſſible, that ſuch hardened rebels can be ſo changed to eternity, as to become willing and obedient ſubjects: but when faith prevails, it informs me, that the things which are impoſſible with men, are poſſible with GOD; that nothing is too hard for JEHOVAH; and that he hath ſaid—'Behold, I am JEHOVAH, the the GOD of all fleſh: is there any thing too hard for me?' Jer. xxxii. 27. And the example of Abraham has often proved a great ſupport to me in this caſe; 'who, againſt hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was ſpoken, So ſhall thy ſeed be: and being not weak in faith, he conſidered not" the impediments, which, to the eye of reaſon, rendered the accompliſhment of the promiſes improbable, if not impoſſible. 'He ſtaggered not at the promiſe of GOD, through unbelief; but was ſtrong in faith, giving glory to GOD: And being fully perſuaded that what he had promiſed, he was able alſo to perform,' Rom. iv. 18, 19, 20, 21.

This is the only way I anſwer this objection to my own ſatisfaction—GOD hath ſworn, that to him every knee ſhall bow, every tongue ſhall ſwear, Iſai. xlv. 23.—That in the name of Jeſus, every knee ſhall bow, of things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue ſhall confeſs, that Jeſus Chriſt is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, Phil. ii. 10, 11. That it is the myſtery of his will, according to his good pleaſure, which he hath purpoſed in himſelf, in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of the times, to gather together, or rehead, in one, all things in Chriſt; both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him, Epheſ. i. 9, 10,—And having made peace through the blood of his croſs, he is determined to reconcile all things unto himſelf; whether things in heaven, or things on earth, Col. i. 20.—That he worketh all things after the counſel of his own will, Epheſ. i. 11.—That he will have all men to be ſaved, or reſtored, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. ii. 6.—That the Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands, St. John iii. 35.—And that Chriſt hath ſaid, 'All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come unto me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out,' St. John vi. 37.—When I conſider theſe, and many ſuch like promiſes, which I find in the Scriptures; and that he that hath promiſed, is able to perform; hath wiſdom, power, and goodneſs, ſufficient to accompliſh all his words, how difficult or impoſſible ſoever the matter may ſeem, to our carnal, vain, and weak reaſoning; I caſt the whole of my concern upon him; judging, that he is faithful who hath promiſed, and that, in his own time, he will fulfil all his purpoſes, and all his promiſes. But I confeſs to you, that it requires a faith, if poſſible, more ſtrong than that of Abraham, to believe the doctrine of the Reſtoration ſtedfaſtly, in the midſt of ſo much evil as prevails in the world, and which ſeems to render it impoſſible: But my only hope is in GOD.

But, to encourage us the more, there are not only promiſes of what GOD will do, but examples of what he hath done, recorded in Scripture, as the caſes of Manaſſeh, Nebuchadnezzar, Mary Magdalen, Saul, and many of the murderers of our Lord, prieſts, and even Phariſees, are left on record, as patterns of GOD'S long-ſuffering, power, mercy, and love.—And I would adviſe thoſe Chriſtians that doubt of the univerſal Reconciliation of all things, to remember St. Paul's words to the Coloſſians, on this ſubject, chap. i. 21. 'And you that were ſome time alienated, and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled;' as a proof and example of his power to reconcile all things. Let all remember their own ſtubbornneſs; and then, inſtead of reviling and deriding a truth which GOD has revealed, they will adore him, of whom, through whom, and to whom, are all things; who 'doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can ſtay his hand, or ſay unto him, What doeſt thou?' Rom. xi. 36. Dan. iv. 35.

But allowing that God has power to change the hearts of the vileſt of men, is not the exerciſe of that power evidently limited? for I find it written in Rev. xxii. 11.—'He that is unjuſt, let him be unjuſt ſtill; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ſtill; and he that is holy, let him be holy ſtill.' By theſe words it ſeems to be intimated, that the characters of both the wicked and the righteous, ſhall at ſome period be ſo confirmed and fixed, as to admit of no change or alteration.

This appears to be a conſiderable difficulty, but can by no means overthrow the ſyſtem of the Reſtoration, which ſeems eſtabliſhed upon many gracious promiſes. The words ſeem to refer to a particular period, even when the Lord ſhall come, and ſhew that his coming will not, (as ſome ſuppoſe) change the characters of men; but that all ſhall continue, for a certain time, in the ſame character as before. But, though 'he that is unjuſt, ſhall be unjuſt ſtill; and he that is filthy, ſhall be filthy ſtill'—during the age of judgment; and ſhall have the dreadful curſe pronounced upon him; for, 'If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be anathema, Maranatha: that is, Accurſed, the Lord cometh: 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Yet I truſt that I have proved, that the vileſt ſhall be finally changed; and conſequently, that theſe words muſt be underſtood with ſome limitation. And thus though this text is plainly contrary to the opinion of thoſe who ſuppoſe that all the human race ſhall be admitted into the kingdom of heaven at the day of judgment, yet it may be well reconciled to the ſyſtem laid down in theſe Dialogues; eſpecially if it can be proved that ſimilar expreſſions are uſed, where a limitation is ſuppoſed, or neceſſarily implied.

Yes; if you can find ſimilar expreſſions uſed for limited times, it will be ſatisfactory.

St. Paul ſays, 1 Cor. xiv. 38. 'But if any man be ignorant, let him him be ignorant:' But we can hardly ſuppoſe that he meant without limitation. So we read of the Jews, that 'GOD hath given them the ſpirit of ſlumber; eyes that they ſhould not ſee, and ears that they ſhould not hear, unto this day.' And David ſaith;—'Let their table be made a ſnare, and a trap, and a ſtumbling-block, and a recompence unto them. Let their eyes be darkened that they ſhould not ſee, and bow down their back ALWAY,' Rom. xi, 8, 9, 10. Theſe expreſſions of their remaining in a blinded, hardened, and reprobate ſtate, are ſtronger than thoſe—'He that is unjuſt let him be unjuſt ſtill, &c. for, inſtead of ſtill, the word alway is uſed; and yet we are informed, that this 'blindneſs in part has (only) happened to Iſrael, until the fulneſs of the Gentiles be come in: And ſo all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved.' And that 'GOD hath concluded them all (or, ſhut them up together) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all,' even all whom he had ſhut up, or concluded in unbelief. And, as I obſerved before, David ſays; 'Fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſeek thy name, O JEHOVAH. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put ſhame, and periſh; That they may know that thou whoſe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moſt High over all the earth,' Pſal. lxxxiii. 16, 17, 18. Many other ſimilar paſſages might be mentioned; but theſe may ſuffice, to ſhew, that often where the words Let it, or Let them be, in ſuch-and-ſuch a ſtate, they only intend a certain period, until another diſpenſation takes place. As for righteouſneſs, holineſs, and happineſs, they have quite a different foundation from ſin and impurity, as I have ſhewn before; and therefore, no arguments uſed in favour of the total deſtruction of evil, can, in the leaſt, prove, that goodneſs, which is the Divine eſſence, ſhall ceaſe; but the contrary: and thoſe who are firmly joined to the LORD, and have continued with him through the ſtate of temptation, ſhall never ceaſe to be righteous, nor be ſeparated from their Head, from whom they ſhall derive eternal life: for CHRIST hath ſaid, 'Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo.' St. John xiv. 19.

CHRIST, at his coming, will bring every hidden thing to light, and ſhall take off all diſguiſes; ſo that he that is unjuſt, ſhall appear unjuſt; and he that is filthy, ſhall be diſcovered: hypocriſy ſhall be no more. 'The vile perſon ſhall be no more called liberal, nor the churl ſaid to be bountiful,' Iſai xxxii. 5. 'Then ſhall ye return, and diſcern between the righteous and the wicked; and between him that ſerveth God, and him that ſerveth him not,' Mal. iii. 18. The judgment of God is according to truth, and is deſigned to make an entire diſcovery of all perſons, and all ſecret things, 'that every mouth may be ſtopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,' Rom. iii. 19. But though judgment has its great uſe in diſcovering, laying open, convincing, and condemning; and puniſhment, in deſtroying, ſubduing, and humbling; yet the powerful, ſaving grace of GOD, and the operation of the divine Spirit, muſt have the glory of reſtoring, or creating men anew; and the blood of JESUS muſt cleanſe their ſouls from the guilt and pollution of ſin. Evil muſt be deſtroyed out of them: this is done by afflictions; and goodneſs muſt be reſtored; this is done by God's renewing power and grace.

But the objection may be anſwered another way, without any of this reaſoning, by conſidering the ſubject comparatively. Thus: As God only is holy; as none are good but he, in an abſolute ſenſe; as he putteth no truſt in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his ſight, and his angels he charged with folly; (See Job xv. 15. iv. 18.) and as all intelligences, compared with him, are unjuſt and unclean; ſo, thoſe who have lived and died in rebellion againſt God, and in the pollution of ſin, may remain unjuſt and filthy, compared with the ſaints, thoſe veſſels of honour and glory, who have purged themſelves. 'But in a great houſe there are not only veſſels of gold and ſilver, but alſo of wood, and of earth; and ſome to honour and ſome to diſhonour. If a man, therefore, purge himſelf from theſe (ſins), he ſhall be a veſſel of honour, ſanctified and meet for the maſter's uſe, and prepared unto every good work,' 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21. Here we may obſerve, that in our Lord's great houſe there ſhall be divers veſſels of various kinds, yet all uſeful, but ſome more highly ſo than others; that honour and diſhonour are comparative terms; and that the way to become veſſels of the higheſt honour at laſt, is to purge ourſelves from iniquity while on earth, by obeying the truth. For it muſt appear evident, from the nature of things, that there will always be an immenſe difference between thoſe who ſhall be kings and prieſts to God, and thoſe who ſhall be ſubdued in the ages to come, ſo as to be ſubjects, but who ſhall not attain to that honour and glory, which they ſhall have who ſuffer with Chriſt here, and ſhall be glorified with him hereafter.

Since I have converſed with you I muſt acknowledge that many things have appeared in a different light from what they did before; and if I do not wholly embrace the doctrine of the Reſtoration, I muſt allow that there is much more to be ſaid for it than I could have imagined. But I have ſtill ſome difficulties that I wiſh to propoſe. There is a terrible threatening, which is indeed the laſt in the Bible, that I ſhould be glad to hear your thoughts upon, which is thus expreſſed, (Rev. xxii. 18. 19.) 'For teſtify unto every man, that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book; If any man ſhall add unto theſe things, GOD ſhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man ſhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GOD ſhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book:' But I can almoſt foreſee how you will anſwer this; that though the plagues that are written in this book, ſhall be added, yet mercy ſhall finally rejoice againſt judgment; and though a man's part may be taken out of the book of life, and he, in conſequence, ſuffer the torments of the ſecond death: yet, as the time will come, when there ſhall be no more death of any kind, neither ſorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain; his Reſtoration may be certainly inferred; and though his part in the heavenly city may be forfeited, ſo that he may never become one of thoſe who ſhall reign therein, nor yet have a conſtant dwelling there; he may, nevertheleſs, enter as a worſhipper, and a ſubject of the great King; and may drink of the water of life; feed on the fruits of the tree of life, and be healed by its leaves; and be one of the happy inhabitants of the new earth, which God will create.

Yes, my friend: But though this Scripture may be eaſily reconciled to the plan laid down in theſe dialogues; it contains ſuch threatenings as are very terrible indeed; and ſhould m •• e us exceeding careful not to contradict what God hath here revealed, by adding vain interpretations of our own, contrary to the ſenſe of the text; nor in any wiſe to explain away, or weaken, the force of either the threatenings or promiſes, ſet forth in this wondrous book. The amazing torments which they ſhall feel that have theſe plagues added to them, and the dreadful loſs which they ſhall ſuſtain that have their part taken out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, cannot be even conceived: And it being poſſible to forfeit this glorious portion entirely, and for ever, made St. Paul warn the Hebrews in ſuch a ſolemn manner as he doth throughout the whole epiſtle—Oh, what affecting advice is the following!—'Looking diligently, leſt any man fail of the grace of God; leſt any root of bitterneſs, ſpringing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: Leſt there be any fornicator, or profane perſon, as Eſau; who, for one morſel of meat, ſold his birthwright. For ye know, how that afterward, when he would have inherited the bleſſing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he ſought it carefully, with tears,' Heb. xii. 15, 16, 17.

Thus, though Eſau, as well as Jacob, was bleſſed concerning things to come; (See Heb. xi. • o) yet the birthright, and the particular bleſſings connected therewith, he loſt for ever: And ſo it is poſſible that we may loſe our parts in the holy city, or • o ſuch threatenings would ever have been made. For it is a maxim with me—That God never warns, where there is no danger to fear; and never encourages us to hope, where there is no poſſibility of obtaining.

As the glorious and univerſal deliverance of all men from the bondage of ſin, and their obtaining an inheritance in the new earth, was clearly pointed out by the great year of Jubilee, under the law; in which every ſervant went out free, and every man returned to his poſſeſſion, and to his family; (See Lev. xxv. 10.) So, the poſſibility of being • ut off from the holy city, for ever, was pointed out by that notable exception, ver. 29, 30.—'And if a man ſell a dwelling-houſe in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is ſold; within a full year, may he redeem it. And if it be not redeemed within the ſpace of a full year, then the houſe that is in the walled city ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever to him that bought it, throughout his generations: it ſhall not go out in the Jubilee.'

Something ſimilar to this may be found in Rev. iii. 11.—'Behold, I come quickly; hold that faſt which thou haſt, that no man take thy crown:' And the 5th verſe is alſo worthy of conſideration—'He that overcometh, the ſame ſhall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life; but I will confeſs his name before my Father, and before his angels.'— O, what promiſes are made to overcomers! That they ſhall eat of the tree of life, which is in the midſt of the Paradiſe of GOD; ſhall have a crown of life; and ſhall not be hurt of the ſecond death; ſhall eat of the hidden manna; ſhall have a white ſtone, and a new name, which no man knoweth, ſaving he that receiveth it; ſhall have power over the nations, &c. even as Chriſt received of the Father: ſhall walk with him in white; ſhall be eſteemed worthy to be companions and friends of God; ſhall be clothed in white; ſhall have their names enrolled among the followers of the Lamb, as called, choſen, and faithful; ſhall be confeſſed by the Son of God, before his Father, and the holy angels; ſhall be made pillars in the temple of God, and ſhall go no more out; ſhall have the name of GOD written upon their foreheads, and the name of the holy city, New Jeruſalem, and Chriſt's new, heavenly name; ſhall ſit with him upon his throne, even as he overcame, and is ſet down with the Father, upon his throne; ſhall inherit all things; ſhall be called the ſons of God: See Rev. ii. 7, 10, 11, 17, 26, 27. iii. 4, 5, 12, 21. xvii. 14. xxi. 7.

The apoſtle aſſures us, that 'If (we are) children, then (are we) heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chriſt; if ſo be that we ſuffer with him, that we may be alſo glorified together.' And then adds—'For I reckon that the ſufferings of the preſent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which ſhall be revealed in us,' Rom. viii. 17, 18. 'When Chriſt, who is our life, ſhall appear; then ſhall ye (his ſaints) alſo appear with him in glory,' Col. iii. 4, 'We know, that when he ſhall appear, we ſhall be like him; for we ſhall ſee him as he is,' 1 John iii. 2. But let none of thoſe who believe themſelves the heirs of this kingdom, &c. dare to indulge themſelves in ſin, under a notion that God can never caſt them off; as ſome do.

A Preacher whom I once knew, encouraged this wickedly preſumptuous diſpoſition ſo far, as, openly, to ſay: 'God cannot damn me: He can as ſoon ceaſe to be God, as he can caſt me off: even though I ſhould ſin ever ſo much. If I ſhould kill a man, he could not damn me; nay, if I ſhould kill all the men in the world, he cannot damn me.'—This man was rigid in trifles, religiouſly ſcrupulous in frivolous things, ſuch as dreſs, &c. yet he made traffick of the human kind, engaged in war, and performed acts of cruelty and outrage with as little tenderneſs as may be imagined▪ He long bloated himſelf with the notion of God's peculiar favour—but, near the cloſe of his life, the diſpleaſure of the Almighty coming viſibly upon him, the rhapſodiſt changed his tone, and exclaimed, that God had forſaken him!

I would adviſe all men, of that bold, preſuming, ſelf-confident ſpirit, to read and conſider well thoſe words, in Jer. xxii. 24. 'As I live, ſaith JEHOVAH, though Coniah, the ſon of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the ſignet upon my right hand; yet would I pluck thee thence.'

Conſider, firſt, who ſpeaks, JEHOVAH: He not only ſpeaks, but he confirms his threatening with an oath; and, becauſe he could ſwear by no greater, he ſware by himſelf, by his own life; 'As I live, ſaith JEHOVAH, though Coniah, the ſon of Jehoiakim, king of Judah;' though he is of the family of David, with whom I have made an evarlaſting covenant, ordered in all things, and ſure; and though he is anointed king over my people; I will not ſpare him: yea, though he 'were the ſignet upon my right hand; yet would I pluck thee thence.' Signets, upon the hands of ancient Perſian monarchs, were thoſe ſeals with which their decrees were ſealed and confirmed: ſo that no man could reverſe them. Now, God declares, that if this man was ever ſo dear, and as neceſſary, to him, as the ſignet on the right hand of a king is to its owner; that though he was not able to govern his kingdom without his aſſiſtance; though he had been the deareſt and moſt uſeful thing: he would entirely caſt him off, for his tranſgreſſions. And how much more ſo, if it be conſidered, that no man is neceſſary to God; that man cannot be profitable to him; that neither our wickedneſs can hurt him, nor our righteouſneſs benefit him: (See Job xxii. 2, 3. xxxv. 6, 7, 8. Pſal. xvi. 2, 3.) And that he threatens to puniſh the only family that he had known on earth, for all their iniquities; Amos iii. 2. What have not thoſe to fear, who have been placed in high ſtations, entruſted with precious treaſures, great abilities, opportunities, &c. and have abuſed them!—Let ſuch read, and ſeriouſly conſider, St. Luke xii. 42—48. St. Matth. xxiv. 45—51. 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, 22.

Theſe conſiderations are, on one hand, glorious and ſublime, beyond conception; and, on the other, terrible, beyond deſcription. But ſome ſay, That if they are only admitted into the kingdom of God, and are not caſt into the lake of fire, it is the higheſt of their ambition: that they never aſpire to be kings and prieſts; nor to obtain a crown, throne, ſceptre, &c. And others ſay, That if they are ever, to all eternity, to be delivered from their miſery, that it is a matter of little conſequence to them whether they are followers of Chriſt here, or not.

Theſe kind of reflections are frequently thrown out by the enemies of the Reſtoration, to caſt an odium upon the doctrine: But if they were to hear a man ſay; 'If I am juſt ſuffered to enter into this kingdom, and am not condemned as a rebel, it is all I wiſh; I deſire neither the riches, honours, pleaſures, conveniencies, nor even the neceſſaries, that many of the inhabitants enjoy: all I aſk is to be exempted from the pain and ſhame of public puniſhment:' And another was to add—'I can ſee little or no difference between being made heir apparent to the crown, poſſeſſing all the privileges, honours, dignities, &c. of a prince of the blood; and being hanged, drawn, and quartered, for high treaſon; ſince even that puniſhment, painful and ſhameful as it is, muſt come to an end:' I aſk, Would they not eſteem both theſe men in a ſtate of inſanity, or worſe; entirely devoid of all ſenſe and reaſon? Yet, this unreaſonable language, is not worthy to be named in the ſame day with that which you mentioned. The difference is ſo great, I cannot find language to expreſs it. I therefore conſider all ſuch perſons as madmen, with whom it is not worth while to reaſon; who underſtand not what they ſay, nor whereof they affirm.

So they appear to me. But the ſyſtem you have laid down, appears equally calculated to check preſumption and deſpair, and to cure all ſuch ſpiritual madneſs; provided that they will attend to it.—But, what will you ſay to the doctrine of annihilation? that may not be liable to the ſame objections as endleſs damnation; and ſo the wicked may be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction, and deſtroyed, ſoul and body, in hell; and yet, at laſt, all beings that are in exiſtence may be made happy. The Scripture ſeems, in many places, to favour this idea; and the works of nature ſeem to confirm it. For inſtance; many fruits and animals periſh, before they arrive at perfection; and why may it not be ſo with the ſouls and bodies of men? they are no where ſaid to be raiſed to incorruption, or immortality; but to be deſtroyed, to be caſt into the lake of fire, to be burnt up, root and branch: to be conſumed, devoured, burnt up as chaff, thorns, &c. I need not mention particular texts; becauſe the general part of the threatenings in the Scriptures run in that ſtile. And I have ſometimes of late reaſoned with myſelf, that the ſecond death muſt end either in the reſtoration or annihilation of thoſe who were caſt therein; for there ſeemed ſomething in endleſs miſery, that ſurpaſſed my belief, at times. But I could not ſatisfy myſelf, whether the wicked would be finally reſtored to ſome degree of happineſs, or totally deſtroyed; and was apt to think the latter, as it ſeemed a ſtrange figure of ſpeech to call deſtruction, Reſtoration.—Pray, have you ever thought upon this matter?

There are but three poſſible things that can befal thoſe who are caſt into the ſecond death; either endleſs miſery, total annihilation, or Reſtoration: a fourth cannot be thought upon; and but one of theſe can be true. Now, where there are only three poſſibilities, of which only one can be true, and one muſt be true; there are theſe two ways of diſcovering the truth: Firſt, if two of the propoſitions are proved to be abſurd, the third muſt ſtand: 2dly, if one be proved true, the others muſt fall to the ground of conſequence. I have taken the ſecond method; and having ſhewed that the doctrine of the Reſtoration is not abſurd, and therefore that it is true; conſequently, the others are falſe.—But, beſides this way of arguing, there are three circumſtances which prove to my ſatisfaction, • at annihilation is not a truth. 1. That at the very time that the wicked are deſtroyed, they are ſaid to be tormented with fire and brimſtone: and that they have no reſt, day nor night; and the continuance of this is for no ſhort time, (as would probably be the caſe, if the intention of God was only to deſtroy them out of being) but for the age of ages. Rev. xiv. 10. 11. 2. They are put to ſhame, and periſh, that they may know the Lord; as I have noticed before: See Pſal. xxxiv. 16, 17. lxxxiii. 16, 17, 18.—and the obſervations I have made upon theſe paſſages in the dialogues. 3. But that on which I dare venture the whole cauſe, is, that God hath abſolutely promiſed to reſtore and bring again thoſe whom he hath utterly deſtroyed.

Can you prove that? For if you can, it will ſettle the whole controverſy.

I truſt I can, in many inſtances: But I will fix upon one that is full to the purpoſe, and unexceptionable; and that is, the caſe of Sodom, and her daughters, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, who, 'giving themſelves over to fornication, and going after ſtrange fleſh, are ſet forth for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire,' Jude 7.

As they are ſet forth for an example in their puniſhment, ſo alſo in their reſtoration: For we may certainly argue, that if any of the human race ſhall be annihilated, the inhabitants of Sodom, Gomorrah, &c. will be; as they were condemned with an overthrow, and made an example to thoſe who ſhould after live ungodly, 2 Pet. ii. 6. But theſe wicked nations ſhall have their captivity returned; ſhall return to their former eſtate; and ſhall be received by Jeruſalem, as daughters, in the everlaſting covenant: Jeruſalem and her daughters, more wicked themſelves, than Sodom and her daughters, ſhall be reſtored at the ſame time; ſhall remember their ways, and be aſhamed; ſhall never open mouth any more to glory over the meaneſt of mankind; when the great JEHOVAH ſhall be pacified towards Jeruſalem, for all that ſhe has done, and towards Sodom and Samaria, for all that they have done alſo, inaſmuch as they ſhall return from their long captivity, and be given to Jeruſalem for daughters; See Ezek. xvi. 53, 55, 61, 63.

Now, by Sodom and her daughters being returned from their long and dreadful captivity, we muſt underſtand one of three things: either, firſt, the return of their deſcendants; or, ſecondly, the reſtoration of the land whereon the cities ſtood; or, laſtly, the reſtoration of thoſe very perſons who were deſtroyed.

It cannot be the firſt; for there are none of their deſcendants remaining on earth: all were deſtroyed by fire and brimſtone: none of the inhabitants eſcaped, Lot and his daughters excepted: who were only ſojourners, and were deſcendants of Terah, and relations to Abraham.

As it cannot be the firſt, let us try the ſecond. A very ingenious gentleman ſuppoſes, that in the time of the Millenium, the Dead Sea ſhall be turned into land, and ſhall again become a beautiful, well-watered plain, and be given to the poſterity of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob: For he argues, and ſeemingly very juſtly, that as God promiſed Abraham all the land which he could ſee from the place where he then ſtood; (See Gen. xiii. 14, 15, 16, 17.) and as the plain of Sodom was in ſight, it was included in the grant: and, though the Dead Sea now occupies the place where thoſe cities ſtood; yet God's promiſe cannot fail: and, therefore, in the Millenium, the Dead Sea ſhall be ſwallowed up, and the place ſhall become a fruitful plain. But whoever will read Ezek. xlvii. 8, 9, 10, 11. may plainly ſee, that the waters that ſhall iſſue out from under the threſhold of the holy houſe, ſhall be brought into the Dead Sea; and ſhall ſo heal thoſe deadly waters, that they ſhall become fruitful, and bring forth fiſh in great abundance; exceeding many, like the great ſea, which is now called the Mediterranean; which fiſh ſhall be more uſeful for food, to the innumerable inhabitants that ſhall then be in that happy country, than all the vegetables that would grow there, even though the whole place was turned into a fruitful garden.

But are you certain, that by the ſea, is meant the Dead Sea, or Lake of Sodom?

But as it is the ſecond death, after the day of judgment, that is to deſtroy the bodies and ſouls of the wicked in hell; perhaps, the inhabitants of Sodom, Samaria, and Jeruſalem, may be reſtored before that period, and may not be caſt into the lake of fire.

It is evident by our Saviour's words, (for we muſt not contradict any part of the Scriptures) that this will not be the caſe: for he ſaith, That it ſhall be more tolerable for the land (that is, the inhabitants) of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for the cities where his goſpel was preached, and his miracles wrought, and yet the inhabitants remained impenitent: See St. Matth. xi. 24. x. 15. St. Mark, vi. 11. St. Luke, x. 12. From all which paſſages it is evident, that the inhabitants of Sodom will be condemned in the day of judgment, and puniſhed in the lake of fire; and though their miſery will not be ſo great as that of the inhabitants of the cities where our Saviour preached, and performed his mighty works; yet they will be miſerable in that day: and, conſequently, the return of their captivity is not to be expected, till after the creation of the new earth. Therefore, it is plain, that the lake of fire is not deſigned to annihilate thoſe who are caſt therein; ſince all that are not found written in the book of life, at the day of judgment, will be caſt into the lake of fire. They whoſe names are in the book of life, will be happy. The inhabitants of Sodom will be miſerable, in ſome degree; therefore, will not be found written in the book of life; conſequently, will be caſt into the lake of fire. They will be reſtored; their captivity ſhall be returned: therefore the lake of fire ſhall not annihilate them. They are ſet forth for an example in their puniſhment; and conſequently, in their Reſtoration.—I need not purſue this argument farther: It appears evident to me; and, till it be fairly anſwered, I ſhall add nothing more.

I lately read a ſermon written by one Mr. B—, in which the writer brings many ſtrong reaſons for the eternity of Hell torments, moſt of which have already been mentioned and anſwered in theſe Dialogues; but he makes uſe of one which has not yet been brought under our conſideration, which is, That the damned are under the neceſſity of conſtantly committing freſh ſin, and therefore as they will always continue to ſin againſt God, ſo of neceſſity their puniſhment can never ceaſe. Have you ever thought of this?

Yes, I have frequently heard it mentioned, but as it appears totally void of all foundation in the Scripture, it hardly deſerves any notice. The objections that I feel myſelf concerned to treat with ſeriouſneſs and reſpect, and candidly to anſwer, are thoſe which appear to be drawn from the book of divine Revelation; but if I muſt attend to all thoſe which the ingenuity of men might raiſe againſt the doctrine of the Reſtoration, I ſhould not only have a very hard taſk, but ſhould never know when I had done, and beſides the diſcourſe would dwindle into trifling and conjectures, very unſuitable to the nature and importance of ſuch an awful ſerious ſubject. I muſt obſerve, that this objection is nothing but a raſh ungrounded aſſertion, or bold conjecture, without the leaſt foundation either in Scripture or reaſon, and if I was to aſſert juſt the contrary, I cannot ſee why my aſſertion would not be a ſufficient anſwer. Nevertheleſs, leſt it ſhould be thought that any objection can be raiſed, that cannot be fairly anſwered, and that I knowing the ſtrength of this, would willingly evade it, I will ſay a few words upon it. The Scriptures univerſally hold forth the idea, that men will be judged, condemned, and puniſhed according to the deeds done in the body. God will render to every man according to his deeds,' Rom. ii. 6. 'For we muſt all appear before the judgment ſeat of Chriſt, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad,' 2 Cor. v. 10.

'And that ſervant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himſelf, neither did according to his will, ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes: but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ſtripes, ſhall be beaten with few ſtripes,' St. Luke, xii. 47, 48. Theſe, and all the paſſages that ſpeak of future puniſhment, conſtantly hold it forth as a juſt retribution for the evil deeds done in this life; but never intimate any thing of what this objection holds forth, of puniſhment being continued ad infinitum for crimes committed hereafter. Beſides, it is plain that puniſhments or corrections are intended to ſtop men from ſinning, and under the divine agency to take away their ſins. 'By this therefore ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his ſin,' Iſai. xxvii. 9. This is univerſally allowed to be the deſign of troubles and ſorrows in the preſent life, and why not in the next ſtate alſo? the Scripture ſays nothing to forbid this idea, but much to encourage it; particularly that awful paſſage where the prophet ſays, 'And it was revealed in mine ears by JEHOVAH of Hoſts, Surely this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you, TILL YE DIE, ſaith the Lord God of hoſts,' Iſai. xxii. 14. If then iniquity ſhall be purged away after death, it is certain that men ſhall not always continue to ſin in a future ſtate, for they muſt ceaſe to commit iniquity, before it can be purged away. And though their puniſhments may at firſt cauſe them to rage, (as we ſee is frequently the caſe in this world) yet ſhall they continue un •• • he moſt ſtubborn ſhall be entirely ſubdued and humbled.

As this argument is often urged, as of the greateſt weight, and as you have ſtated it in its greateſt poſſible force, I ſhall endeavour to anſwer it fairly, and particularly.

If ſin is infinite, then we muſt aſcribe to it one of the perfections of the Deity, which ſtrikes me as ſomething abſurd, if not ſomething worſe: ſin, a privation, an act of a worm, infinite? Actions must, in my opinion take their denomination from the actors, and not from the objects. Infinite actions, or actions of infinite magnitude require infinite power to perform them. If ſin is of infinite magnitude, goodneſs it more ſo, as deriving a power from God to the performance of it. But if you grant that David ſpoke in the name of the Mediator in Pſalm xvi. you may be at once furniſhed with a proof, that even goodneſs, in the higheſt ſtate in which it ever was exhibited in the world, was not conſidered as of infinite magnitude by the great performer. 'Thou haſt ſaid unto Jehovah, Thou art my Lord: my goodneſs extendeth not to thee. But to the ſaints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight,' Ver. 2, 3. If acts of goodneſs were of infinite magnitude they muſt extend to God, but the ſpeaker, in theſe words, be he who he may, David or Chriſt, was careful to let us know that he did not conceive his acts of goodneſs infinite. And if acts of goodneſs are not infinite, it would be highly abſurd to call evil actions infinite, which proceed wholly from the creature.

I grant indeed that there is a paſſage of Scripture which mentions the word infinite as belonging to ſin and iniquity, but then it is mentioned in ſuch a connection as ſhews it to be uſed as Joſephus frequently mentions it, for a very great multitude. And t • us it is uſed by many good authors, who certainly do not mean to uſe it in the firſt and proper ſenſe of the word. The Sacred Writer, in the paſſage alluded to, takes particular care to guard us againſt any ſuch idea, as though ſin was of infinite magnitude, or even virtuous and righteous actions, which approach far nearer to infinity, as having their ſource from the fountain of infinite goodneſs. For Eliphaz ſays, 'Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wiſe may be profitable unto himſelf? Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him that thou makeſt thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedneſs great? and thine iniquities infinite?' Job xxii. 2—5. And language very ſimilar to the above is uſed by Elihu, 'If thou ſinneſt, what doeſt thou againſt him? or if thy tranſgreſſions be multiplied, what doſt thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what giveſt thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy wickedneſs may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteouſneſs may profit the ſon of man,' Job xxxv. 6, 7, 8.

Theſe expreſſions, if they teach any thing, I ſhould think expreſsly declare, that no actions of men can by any means be of infinite magnitude, in the ſenſe in which we commonly underſtand that word; though their numbers and magnitudes may be ſo great as to be ſtiled infinite, as the word is ſometimes uſed.

You aſſert, in conſequence of your ideas of infinite ſin, that every offence againſt God demerits infinite puniſhment. If the caſe be ſo, does it not tend entirely to take away the diſtinction which God hath made between ſins of infirmity and ſins of malice, ſins of ignorance and ſins of wilfulneſs, leſſer and greater ſins? All ſins are offences againſt God, and if every offence againſt God is of infinite magnitude, how can any be greater? and thus the diſtinctions are entirely deſtroyed, and, all ſins will be eſteemed equal, contrary to the whole tenor of the Scriptures.

If every offence againſt God demerits infinite puniſhment, then it will follow, that God cannot render to any according to their ways, nor puniſh them as their iniquities deſerve, unleſs they are doomed to endleſs miſery; what then will become of all thoſe threatenings where God threatens to puniſh people for all their iniquities, and yet to ſhew favour to them afterwards? This is impoſſible upon your plan, for none can ever receive all the puniſhment due to their ſins during numberleſs ages. Yet if the word of God be true, he can deal with tranſgreſſors as they have done, and yet be gracious to them afterwards, 'For thus ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH, I will even deal with thee as thou haſt done, which haſt deſpiſed the oath in breaking the covenant. Nevertheleſs, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will eſtabliſh unto thee an everlaſting covenant.—That thou mayeſt remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou haſt done, ſaith Adonai JEHOVAH,' Ezek. xvi. 59, 60, 63.

Here is an inſtance to the purpoſe, of thoſe whoſe ſins were of the deepeſt die, and to whom God threatens to deal as they had done, and to puniſh them for all their numerous and aggravated tranſgreſſions, and yet to remember mercy for them afterwards, and to be pacified towards them for all that they had done. All which things would be abſolutely impoſſible, according to your ideas. In many other parts of Scripture God promiſes to render to tranſgreſſors according to their works and ways, and ye • to be afterwards gracious unto them. And in one place, at leaſt, where God is declaring the great mercies which he will manifeſt unto the children of Iſrael, in returning them to their own land, and cauſing them to dwell ſafely therein, he ſays, 'And firſt, I will recompenſe their iniquity, and their ſin double: becauſe they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcaſes of their deteſtable and abominable things,' Jer. xvi. 18. What do you think of this? If every offence is of infinite magnitude, and deſerves infinite puniſhment, which can never be fully executed, then how can God puniſh a people for all their iniquiti • s, and do to the greateſt ſinners as they have done, yea, and recompence their iniquity, and their ſin double firſt, and then be gracious to them, and love them, and be pacified towards them afterwards? And the prophet Iſaiah ſays, 'Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, ſaith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jeruſalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accompliſhed, that her iniquity is pardoned; for ſhe hath received of the LORD'S hand DOUBLE FOR ALL HER SINS,' Iſai. xl. 1, 2. Here a fact is ſaid to be accompliſhed, which upon your ſcheme can never be done to all eternity; for if every offence againſt God is of infinite magnitude, and deſerves infinite puniſhment, none can ever have received ſingle for one of their ſins, far leſs DOUBLE for ALL.

And therefore nothing can poſſibly be more evidently contrary to Scripture than your trite and common argument, that as, every ſin is of infinite magnitude, ſo it juſtly demerits infinite puniſhment, which as no mere creature can bear, muſt neceſſarily ſubject all who are recompenſed according to their own doings to endleſs miſery.

Beſides, If I was to grant you, contrary to Scripture, reaſon, and common ſenſe, that every offence is of infinite magnitude, and naturally deſerves infinite puniſhment: How would you prove from that the certainty of endleſs miſery? Do you make nothing of the reconciliation which our Lord Jeſus has made for all ſinners, and for all ſins?

Let me aſk you ſeriouſly, Did not Chriſt make a full and complete offering and propitiation for the ſins of the whole world? Is it not certain that his merits were far greater than the demerits of all mankind? Is he not the Lamb of God, who taketh away the ſin of the world? If Chriſt died for all men, without exception, as you grant, and removed all their iniquities, and bore them away, and reconciled all to God by his death while they were enemies: much more as he has paid ſo great a price for their ranſom, he will recover them out of their loſt eſtate, and ſave them by his life. 'Where ſin abounded, grace did (or ſhall) much more abound. That as ſin hath reigned unto death, even ſo might grace reign through righteouſneſs unto eternal life, by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord,' Rom. v. 20, 21.

I conclude, that let ſin be ever ſo great, the grace of God is greater: and if you will have it that ſin is of infinite magnitude, I hope you will not deny the propitiation of Jeſus Chriſt, which he made for all ſins, the ſame character. Therefore if you magnify ſin, and inſiſt upon the greatneſs of its demerit, I will endeavour to magnify the all powerful Redeemer above it, and ſpeak of his power to redeem all the human race, for whom he ſhed his blood. And then you will gain nothing in favour of the doctrine of endleſs damnation, by all your arguments founded upon the infinity of ſin: Chriſt being far more infinite to ſave, than ſin can be to deſtroy: and as he has undertaken to redeem and bring back thoſe who were loſt, there is no danger of his failing to perform it.

I muſt confeſs that what you have ſaid on this head entirely convinces me, that we cannot found the eternity of puniſhment, upon the infinity of ſin; and you have given me more ſatisfaction upon many points in theſe converſations than I ever expected to receive. I am indeed at length almoſt perſuaded to receive your ſentiments, though I once thought that it was impoſſible to anſwer all my objections, yet you have gone far towards it. Nay, I cannot at preſent recollect any thing material, but what you have anſwered. I would not however be too haſty in adopting this ſyſtem, but after your example conſider it well. But there is certainly ſomething more grand, beautiful, and harmonious in this view than can be found in any other ſcheme; for both the other ſyſtems end in darkneſs and black night, one in endleſs damnation, and the other in gloomy annihilation. But on your plan light riſes out or obſcurity, and a glorious day ſucceeds the darkeſt ſcenes. This view of things ſets the Book of divine Revelation in the moſt pleaſing light, and appears, for aught any thing that I can ſee, conſiſtent with the Divine perfections. But why, ſince you believe the univerſal Reſtoration, do you not mention it more freely and fully, in your public diſcourſes?

On the other hand, ſome aſk me, Why do you ever mention it at all in your ſermons; ſince it is not eſſential to ſalvation to believe it? To them I give theſe anſwers. 1. St. Paul declared to Timothy, that this univerſal Goſpel of God's being the Saviour, or Reſtorer, of all men, but eſpecially of thoſe that believe, was a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation; and that they laboured and ſuffered reproach, becauſe they truſted in God, as the univerſal Saviour. But he was so far from being aſhamed of this belief, that he ſaid to Timothy, 'Theſe things command and teach,' 1 Tim. iv. 9, 10, 11. And ſo am I determined to do, at proper opportunities; notwithſtanding the reproach and contempt awaiting me for ſo doing. 2. Though it is frequently ſaid to be a matter of little or no conſequence, if true; yet, if it be any part of the record God hath given of his Son, (as I think I have proved) we are in danger of making him a liar, if we believe it not: See 1 John v. 9, 10, 11. 3. Though you may be Chriſtians, and not believe it; yet I cannot; though once I could alſo: But now the evidences of its truth appear ſo plain to my mind, that it would be criminal in me not to believe it; and ſince I do believe it, would it not be highly diſhoneſt in me to deny it? I have never done ſo yet, when aſked; and God forbid, that I ſhould be aſhamed to publiſh, what he has commanded to be made known. 4. I have commonly acted merely on the defenſive, and I never ſhould, that I know of, have preached it in public, or but rarely, far leſs have written upon the ſubject, had it not been repreſented as a dangerous and deſtructive hereſy; and people been cautioned againſt hearing me, on that account. 5. I have been frequently deſired to preach upon the ſubject, expreſsly; and could not well refuſe, without betraying a cowardly diſpoſition. 6. I aſk, Who is the beſt man; he who preaches the truth contrary to his judgment, for intereſt, or to gain applauſe; or he that fairly ſpeaks as he thinks, without diſguiſe; although he knows that it will diſpleaſe his beſt friends on earth; even upon the ſuppoſition that he errs, in many points? If there be an heretic in the world, it is the man, who, for the love of money or applauſe, or through the fear of man, preaches that to others which he himſelf doth not believe. 'He that is ſuch, is ſubverted, and ſinneth; being condemned of himſelf,' Tit. iii. 11. 7. If we are to hold forth nothing to mankind, but what all are agreed in, we muſt diſcourse upon very few ſubjects: for I do not recollect ſo much as one, but what people either diſagree about the thing itſelf, or the manner of explaining and holding it: No! not even the being and perfections of God: nor any point of doctrinal, experimental, or even practical religion. 8. We are to endeavour to teach mankind what they know not, as well as to confirm them in what they are already taught; ſhould keep back nothing that may be profitable to them; ſhould give meat to ſtrong men, as well as milk to babes, and ſhould not ſhun to declare the whole counſel of God. We ought to juſtify the ways of God to men, to ſhew the neceſſity and harmony of Divine Revelation, and take pains to convert infidels; all which things are more promoted by this view than any other.

As to your queſtion, why I do not dwell more upon it? I anſwer: 1. There are a thouſand other ſubjects in the Bible, beſides this; and all deſerve conſideration, according to their weight and importance. 2. I have an utter averſion to going always in the ſame round of matter or manner; and, therefore I frequently vary in both. 3. There are many other ſubjects of more preſent importance than the belief of this; ſuch as, repentance, faith, hope, love, obedience, &c. and therefore ought to be more frequently inſiſted on, in proportion to their preſent uſe. 4. There are many ſcenes of providence and grace to take place in the univerſe, before the general Reſtoration; ſuch as the Millenium, the calling of the Jews, the univerſal ſpread of the goſpel through the earth, &c. Theſe things are much nearer, and therefore the Scripture ſpeaks more of them; and what God moſt ſpeaks of, in his word, we ſhould diſcourſe of moſt to the people. 5. This doctrine, though it may have its uſe in converting men; and certainly enables thoſe who believe it, to ſet forth the terrors of the Lord, and his mercies, in a more ſtriking manner than otherwiſe they could; yet it is chiefly uſeful in comforting the people of God, and, in part, relieving them from that bitter anguiſh which their tender minds feel, from the conſideration of the vaſt numbers that periſh; and, therefore, may not be ſo proper for a popular audience as many other ſubjects. 6. The plan of this grand Reſtoration is ſo vaſt, includes ſo many different and ſeemingly contradictory diſpenſations, that it cannot be fairly ſtated, and fully defended, in one ſermon, and eſpecially the objections anſwered; and many perſons are not capable of taking in and digeſting at once, ſo many ſubjects as are neceſſary to the underſtanding of this matter, and have not patience to attend to a long ſeries of demonſtrations, arguments, and proofs; and, therefore, this doctrine ſhould not be introduced by any man, in any place, unleſs he has opportunity to give it a fair inveſtigation; and, therefore, I never mention it at all, at my firſt preaching in any place; nor unleſs I have ſufficient opportunities to diſcuſs it. 7. Chriſt ſays to his diſciples—'I have yet many things to ſay unto you; but ye cannot bear them now,' St. John xvi. 12. And St. Paul ſays—'And I, brethren, could not ſpeak unto you as unto ſpiritual, but as unto carnal; even as unto babes in Chriſt: I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it; neither yet now are ye able,' 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. 'Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age; even thoſe who, by reaſon of uſe, have their ſenſes exerciſed, to diſcern both good and evil,' Heb. v. 14. Therefore, as the Saviour and his apoſtles adapted their ſubjects and diſcourſes to the circumſtances of their hearers, and treated them in a gentle manner; ſo ſhould we. Prudence, patience, and care, ſhould always be uſed in diſcourſing on a doctrine ſo deep and awful as this; and, eſpecially, as it hath been ſo little known of late ages. 8. I would wiſh to eſtabliſh well the firſt principles of Chriſtianity, before I meddle with any thing elſe: and as to the doctrine of the Reſtoration, I would rather that it ſhould ſeem to be naturally inferred from truths already known, than delivered as an independent ſyſtem: I, therefore, ſeldom or ever make it a leading point in my diſcourſes; but ſometimes lead to it, as a natural conſequence of what has been ſaid. After all, I would chuſe that men ſhould diſcover it themſelves, by carefully reading the Scriptures, without prejudice, believing them to be ſtrictly true: by living in love towards God and man; by walking in humility, often reflecting on their former eſtate; and conſtantly viewing the ſufficiency of Chriſt, and the boundleſs love of their great Creator: rather than to learn it of any man, far leſs ſtill, of ſuch an unworthy worm as I am. 9. As far as I know my own heart, truth, in love, is my conſtant aim. I am unconnected with any party; and am not ſo prejudiced in favour of any thing that I hold, but that I would willingly be convinced in any thing, by proper evidence; and when ſo convinced, I am ready to retract publickly: As, therefore, I do not feel myſelf perſonally intereſted to ſupport the ſyſtem, right or wrong; I have, therefore, dwelt much leſs upon it, than moſt preachers do upon their particular ſentiments. 10. When I firſt embraced theſe views, I was obliged to give ſome account of my reaſons; and I choſe rather to do it by writing than preaching: Accordingly, I publiſhed my ſentiments, and anſwers to many objections; which publications being in the hands of thoſe to whom I preached, made it leſs neceſſary for me to diſcourſe upon thoſe matters in public, or even in private, as I could refer to what I had written: and with the ſame view, I am inclined to publiſh theſe familiar diſcourſes, which we have had together; after which it will be leſs neceſſary than ever for me to preach the Reſtoration publicly; yet, I will not wholly avoid it, at convenient times, and in proper circumſtances. 11. Laſtly, as I know ſo much of the nature of man, as to be ſenſible that he turns, with diſguſt and loathing, from what is perpetually crammed down his throat; but reliſhes that which he falls upon, as it were accidentally, and comes into by little and little: I have always made it a rule never to introduce it, in public or private, unleſs where it was earneſtly deſired, nor ever to continue it long together; and, above all, never to queſtion people upon the ſubject, after diſcourſing upon it: aſking them, ſaying, Do you believe it? &c. Nor would I ever wiſh to preſs them with the arguments at once, and oblige them immediately to yield; as this kind of conduct, ſo far from anſwering any good purpoſes, commonly ſets them againſt what is thus intruded upon them. It is the beſt way to give time and leiſure to perſons, whom you would wiſh to convince; and let them exerciſe their own faculties.

I muſt confeſs that what you have advanced is highly ſatisfactory to me, and I truſt will be ſo to many others, who may read theſe converſations, which I hope to have the pleaſure of ſeeing in print before long; and in the mean time, I wiſh for a bleſſing to attend your labours, and that you may be an inſtrument of much good to mankind in your day and generation, and that you may obtain a crown of life from the Lord the righteous Judge, in the day of his appearing.

I thank you moſt kindly for your benevolent wiſhes, I heartily wiſh the ſame bleſſing may come to yourſelf. And if I have been an inſtrument of giving you any ſatisfaction, let all the glory be to God, but let me have an intereſt in your prayers.