ley, Chautauque co. (N. Y.) where he found among his hearers a universalist drunkard-he had been a preacher ! But he was a constant attendant on the preaching. He extolled it he praised the glorious sentiment, till we preached directly against drunkeness; and then he fled-we have never seen him since.-His name was Winslow. He liked the doctrine; but to hear a universalist preacher condemn drunkenness so pointedly, was more than he could bear.So it is with the wicked generally; they love the doctrine, and love their sins both at once. How often do we hear men and boys talking of the "unbounded love of God" with a profane oath in almost every sentence! The most abandoned swearers, and most abominable characters, through the States, are frequently found advocating, amidst shocking oaths and drunken revelry, the "liberal sentiment"!

We should be sorry to state such things, if we thought it possible to be mistaken about them. But we cannot be, unless our very senses have deceived us. We know there would be just to

are some good universalists. And as we all, we will state, that Messrs. Th. Whittemore, S. Skinner, S. R. Smith, and most other universalist preachers of distinction, abating their sectarian animosities, and anti-christian opposition to all that come in their way, are doubtless good moralists and amiable men; but they have seen and learned enough to make them so, without being indebted to universalism for their goodness.

How could we expect the doctrine to exert any general restraint upon the passionate and vicious? Suppose a man whose passions, interest, or appetite, urge him to murder a neighbour. Hear him as a universalist engaged in the following soliloquy. "If I murder this man, I shall remove a great obstacle to my happiness; and it will be nothing more than what God has appointed for my good. The murder will certainly be overruled for my good, and that is just what I want. And as for him, it will certainly be over

ruled for his best good too. Therefore, I need not shrink at all from the deed. If I am punished for it, which I must be some way or other, that punishment will certainly be overruled for my good, therefore, I need nor borrow any trouble about it, any how. I am certain that God loves me and all men, with an unbounded and everlasting love, and therefore will overrule whatever 1 may do for my best good and that of all men. Whether I murder or do not murder, it must come out for my best good, and I cannot do any thing, which will not be overruled for my good. Therefore, it is no matter what I do, or whether I do any thing; my best good must come out at last. And although all actions or none at all, would be alike overruled for my good, yet it is rather easiest to follow my present feelings, therefore, I will kill the man!" The very essence and foundation of universalism, is, that the highest, fullest, and most perfect happiness, of all mankind is unalterably secured in the unchanging attributes of God. And hence it follows, that man has nothing to hope and nothing to fear but the highest, fullest, and most perfect happiness; and nothing to do but to go where his passions lead! We think it is not possible, for all the ingenuity of universalist teachers, to evade these conclusions, only to relinquish the whole ground upon which their doctrine stands. Indeed, I have sometimes heard loose fellows justifying their wickedness upon these very principles.

10. Universalist teachers often boast of being advocates for the honour of God. They often compare him to a good earthly parent. A good earthly parent will make his son as good and happy as he can; but so far from representing God to be like one, they represent him as appointing all the sin and misery in the universe! What should we think of an earthly father, who should tell his children, that he had appointed and decreed all their vices, and was just as well pleased with their vices as with their virtues. And that he would cause all their vices and punishments, as well as their

virtues to result in their best good? Would this be an hoaourable character?

Universalism represents God as determining that men should commit all the sins they commit; then commanding them not to commit them; sending Christ to stop them, and punishing them to reclaim them; when, in his ornnipotence, he could just as easily have prevented it all at first! Commanding men not to do, what he determined they should do; and what would be overruled for their good and for the good of all. Verily, if God's honour depended on the advocacy of men, we should think, (with reverence be it spoken) he would see the necessity of employing more successful advocates than universalist preachers! But a very great part of universalist professors, seem not very tenacions of God's honour, if we may judge from the profane and impious language, which is known to be used among them. Would it be much for the honour of God, to foreordain all the present sin and misery of man-the final salvation of all, reveal it in the Bible, and so that most men should not believe it. That one should renounce the doctrine; that others should persecute him for it: that some should spend their days in advocating universalism, and others in opposing it: that some should preach the gospel, and others write for infidelity: that universalists should compass sea and land to make proselytes without reforming them; and yet overrule the belief in endless punishment for the good of all, as well as universalism, and every thing else. If every thing must be overruled for the best good of all, why may we not as well do or believe one thing as another? Why all the pains to teach universal salvation, as all other beliefs would be equally overruled for the best good of all? What perfectly useless beings universalist preachers must be upon their own principles! Since under the shelter of "unbounded love," men cannot fail of the greatest possible good; and every thing will promote it, according to universalism, why may not all men believe any way, and do any way, or no way, as passion leads?

SECTION III.

An examination of the passages in the Old Testament, whisk universalists suppose to teach their doctrine.

1. We have briefly proved, or given our reasons for thinking that Reason or Philosophy does not prove that all will be saved. We now come to see whether the Scriptures teach it, taking them in their most probable sense.And let it be remembered, that it is not what passages may possibly mean, that we seek, but what they most probably do mean, when viewed in reference to their phraseology, and the circumstances under which they were composed. Our limits in this volume, will not admit of noticing all the passagess that may be thought to relate to the question; nor as full a notice of any as might be useful. But we hope to notice the most prominent passages, and such as are most confided in for proof on both sides.

2. We will begin with Psalms 11, 8. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

This passage might mean, that all the heathen, and others would belong to Christ's spiritual kingdom; or it might mean, that he should possess certain power and authority over them. If it were a plain clear Scriptural doctrine, that all men would be saved, then we should think such a passage might possibly refer to it, but without that evidance, we should think it most probable, that it alludes to the power and authority which Christ should exercise over all nations. As "all power was given him in Heaven and earth," the whole passage would be literally fulfilled in that. And that sense is rendered most probable from the next verse; "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”. This language does not imply a very comfortable salvation.

But, 2d. The passage might be fulfilled in a Millenium, when all the nations that shall then be on earth shall be evangelized, and all that then live on earth, be more or less under the influence of the christian religion. That such a time will come, the Scriptures abundantly teach, as well as many features of this age seem to indicate it. "He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgement. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass; as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The Kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring presents. The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all Kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper."-Psalms LXXII: 2-12. This whole 'passage, no doubt describes the reign and progress and millenial consummation of christianity on earth. Not universal salvation in a future state. For we expect no mountains, sun, moon, generations, sea, rivers, nor wilderness in heaven. Neither do we expect enemies there to be broken in pieces, or to lick the dust; nor any Kings to bring presents. Neither any poor there to cry or need a helper.

3. "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O, Lord; and shall glorify thy name." Psalms LXXXVI: 9. This also teaches that the christian religion shall prevail, and Christ shall be honoured in all the nations or regions of the earth which God has made.—