visions and offers of his grace. Those who do this, will be saved; and those who do it not, will perish. John iii: 36.

It is superfluous to remark, that the commands of God are no proof of a corresponding purpose; for the reverse of this proposition would imply, that, as the divine law has ever required perfect holiness of all rational creatures, there never has been a particle of sin in the world, or in the universe. Angels never fell! Adam never sinned! all mankind have always been perfect in holiness! Christ died in vain! and the whole Gospel is a mere farce! Such are the inferences, to which the principles of modern Universalism lead us. "my soul! come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united."

REASON CXVII.

Rev. xxi: 4. See V. 8.-2 Pet. 3: 13. See V 5, 7, 16, and read the whole chapter.

REASON CXVIII.

1 Cor. xv: 28. God will be "all in all" to the redeemed, or truly pious. Rea. 71.

REASON CXIX.

Luke xv: 7. Rev. v: 13.-The song of heaven will be the "song of Moses," as well as that of the Lamb. Rev. xv: 3. xiv: 10, 11. Exo. xv: 1—

21.

REASON CXX.

Acts iii: 21. "And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."

This, according to our author, is his "best of all reasons" for believing the doctrine of Universal Restoration. Let us, therefore, endeavor to ascertain the full force of this best reason.

The restoration of all things! what things? The "all things," spoken of by the prophets, and no more. But what do the prophets say? Read on a a little further, in the same chapter. "Moses truly said,-It shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet," even Christ, "shall be destroyed from among the people." V. 22, 25. Deut. xviii: 19. Not only Moses, but David, Asaph, Isaiah, and other prophets taught the destruction of the wicked. Ps. xxi: 8, 9. lxxiii: 27. Isa. xxxiii: 14. Jer. iv: 4. Dan. xii: 2. Hence, the "best of all reasons," is a reason which has no weight.

But there is, perhaps, in this argument for Universalism a still greater infelicity. Though I have in no case, in the preceding pages, proposed a new translation of any passage of Scripture, I shall propose one of vs. 19-21; put in italics the words, which

are different from the common version. As the verbs which are rendered in the future tense, might, to say the least, as well have been rendered in the past tense, I would read it as follows: Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, because the times of refreshing have come from the presence of the Lord; and he has sent Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; whom the heavens must have retained, until the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken, &c. If this be the correct rendering of the passage, "the restoration of all things," of which Peter spoke, had then taken place. The times of the restoration of all things, were the times of John the Baptist. "Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things," that is, John the Baptist restoreth all things. Mark ix: 12. Mat. xvii: 11

SECTION VI.

Brief Notice of six reasons for renouncing Endless Punishment. By S. C.

The writer of these reasons quotes, in part, or in full, the scriptures, to which I shall refer the reader. As these scriptures, or parallel passages, have been already explained, nothing more can be here necessary, than a reference to the Reasons where they may be found. He says

1. Endless punishment "is contrary to the oath of Jehovah;" Isa. xlv. 24, 25.—See Rea. 55.

2. "It is contrary to the revealed purpose of God." Eph. i. 9, 10.-Rea. 41, 42.

3. "It is contrary to the revealed will of God;" 1 Tim. ii. 1-6.-Rea. 80, 114.

4. "It is contrary to the promise of God," Gen. xviii. 18. xii. 3.-Rea. 23-31, and Sec. 4.

5. "It is contrary to the truth of God;" Col. i. 20. Isa. lxv. 24. Dan. ix. 24.-Rea. 55, 57, 71, 31. 6. "It is contrary to justice."-Sec. 1.

It is true, "Justice always observes a due proportion between crime and punishment." But it does not from hence follow, that " there is no proportion between the sins committed in this short and frail life, and an endless punishment." For what are the sins

of mankind, in respect of their nature and aggravation ? Job xxii. 5. "Is not thy wickedness great ? and thine iniquities infinite ?"

Our lives may be "short," and yet our guilt be infinite. In order to ascertain what punishment is proportionate to the guilt of theft, murder, or arson, who ever thought of asking the question, How long was the culprit in the act of transgression? Common sense would lead any person to view such a question as totally irrelevant and absurd. Hence the question of long life, or "short life," can determine nothing respecting the guilt and the deserts of the sinner.

No one doubts, that punishment may be propertionate to crime, and yet be of longer duration, than the act of transgression. But how much? In the solution of this question, the question of time, as long or short, has no place. The mind at once, as naturally as if by instinct, fixes upon the obligations violated, and the mischief done. And to determine the obligations violated, and the mischief done, we consider against whom the crime is committed; whether a king, a parent, an equal, or an inferior. Independent of such considerations, stealing the worth of a farthing from a servant, would be as great a sin, and deserve as great a punishment, as the murder of a parent, or the assassination of a king.

And here I would ask any reasonable person, whether in estimating the evil of sin against God