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shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, and cast the bad (sapra dead, or rotten) away." On these words I remark: 1. The sea may signify the world. 2. The fish mankind. 3. The net the gospel. 4. The fishers the ministers of Christ. 5. The good and bad fish, saints and sinners; the former are to be gathered into churches, and the latter to be cast away. So shall it be, said our Saviour, at the end of the world; the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. Our Lord's explanation of this parable is extremely hostile to the doc. trine of Universalism.

6. The parable of the wheat and the tares recorded in Matth. vIII. 24, 30., and explained in Matth. XIII. 36-43., affords a very formidable bulwark, against the innovations of Universalism. Let us see the particulars of this parable. 1. The field is the world. 2. The good seed are the children of God. 3. The tares are the children of the devil. 4. The tares and the wheat, or the righteous and the wicked, are to remain together till the harvest. 5. The harvest is the end of the world, (not the end of the Jewish age, for the tares are still among the wheat.) 6. The reapers are the angels, who shall gather up the tares, and burn them in the fire. Thus it shall be, at the end of the world; for, the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. I cannot see how the tares, after being burned, shall become

wheat; which must be the case if Universalism be true. I wish to see a consistent exposition of this parable; and yet in accordance with the principles of Universalism: but this is utterly impossible.

7. The parable of the ten virgins, Matth. xxv. 1-12, presents a difficulty of some considerable magnitude, to the reception of the doctrine of Universalism. This parable, in general, represents the state of the church in this world. The five wise virgins who took oil in their vessels to recruit their lamps, represent true christians, that obtain the grace of God, which will serve to sustain them in the hour of death, and at the day of judgment. The five foolish virgins, represent formal professors, who are blameless in the eyes of the world, have a lamp of outward profession, but make no provision for eternity by seeking the regeneration of the heart. The coming of the bridegroom may signify Christ's coming to judgment at the last day. The admission of the wise virgins to the wedding, may indicate the introduction of the saints into the kingdom of glory. While the rejection of the foolish may, as forcibly, point out the final rejection of the wicked, at the last day. The leading features of this parable, present a very strong objection, to the final salvation of all men.

8. The parable of the talents, Matth. xxv. 14, 30, is utterly irreconcielable with the doctrine of the Universalists. Let us review some of the leading features of this parable. 1. The travelling man may represent the Almighty God. 2. The servants signify all

mankind. 3. The goods or talents, which were distributed, signify the spiritual and temporal gifts, ecclesiastical ordinances, and all the other means of improvement that a beneficent Creator has given us. 4. The return of the Lord, or time of reckoning with the servants, means the day of judgment. 5. He that was admitted to the confidence and joy of his master, as a reward for improving the five talents, may signify such christians as suffered most in their master's cause, and done most for his honour in this world. 6. Those who were honoured for improving on the two talents, may signify such christians as had not many opportunities of doing good, but improved the opportunities which they had. 7. He that had the one talent taken from him, and given to him that had the five, may represent those sinners, at the last day, who never made any improvement on the opportunities and means of doing good, which God had given them. This man was called a "wicked," "slothful," "unprofitable servant," and was cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; all which, in the most striking manner, point out the utter destruction of ungodly men, at the last day.

9. The parable of the feast, Luke xiv. 15, 24, presents an insuperable objection to the final salvation of all men. Let us examine the principal features of the parable, and see how it stands. The certain man is the Almighty God. The supper is the blessings and benefits of the gospel. Those that were bidden were the Jews, who, when they were

invited to attend the feast, preferred their lands, their oxen, &c. to the benefits of the gospel. This dispieased the ruler of the feast. The "poor, the maimed, the half" and "the blind" that were invited to come in, from "the streets, lanes, highways" and "hedges," were the Gentiles, who have ever since enjoyed the privileges of the gospel of our Saviour. Now what I wish to note here particularly is this: when the master of the feast heard that those who were bidden, made light of the invitation, he was angry, and among other things said, "that none of those men that were bidden should taste of the supper." If this teaches any thing, it is this: those who absolutely refuse to comply with the invitations of the gospel, during their probationary state, shall finally be excluded from any part or share in its blessings and invaluable benefits.

10. The parable or history of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 18, 31, is utterly irreconcilable with Universalism. We have no intimation, in any part of the chapter, that this is a parable. Our Lord introduces the subject as a history, by saying, "there was a certain rich man," &c. To say it is not a history, but a parable, is the same as to say there was no such rich man, and therefore directly contradict our Lord. There is a proper name (Lazarus) in this passage, which is never the case with any parable. However, whether it be a parable or a history, the general features in it, are the same. But let us see what they are. In the character of the rich man and Lazarus, we have represented in general the character of the righteous and

the wicked, both in this world, and in that which is to come. They both lived in this world a certain time, which points out the probationary state of man. They both died and were buried, and their spirits entered into the invisible world; as shall be the case with all mankind. The rich man was in a state of misery, as is manifest from the metaphorical language used on that occasion; while the beggar was in a state of felicity, which is also manifest by the metaphorical expression, "Abraham's bosom,' a phrase understood among the Jews, to mean the state of celestial bliss. Between the states of these two men, is placed, what is called, “a great gulph." Now whatever the great gulph may mean, it is certain that no one can pass over it, from one condition to the other. This was affirmed by Abraham. It is probable that the "great gulph" means, simply, the unchangable decree of the immutable and incomprehensible Jehovah, who has fixed unalterably, the states of departed spirits. How the doctrine of Universalism can be reconciled, with the doctrine of this passage, I know not.

11. The parable or metaphor of the vine and its branches, presents a strong objection to the doctrine of the Universalists, John xv. 5, 6. A very few remarks, will illustrate this parable. God is the husbandman. Christ is the vine. His disciples, or believers in general, are the branches. To abide in the vine, is to continue in the faith of the gospel; the consequence of which is, much fruit shall be brought forth. Those apostates, or branches that do not abide in him, are "taken away,"

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