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vation; to the plan of restoration, after a limited future punishment; and also to the belief of an everlasting anni hilation. In these various ways, guilty men are endeaVoring to obtain a present and momentary peace. But God solemnly declares, that "though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished." Proverbs 11. 21. "Justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne; mercy and truth shall go before His face." Ps. 89. 14. "He is in one mind; and who can turn Him ?" Job 23. 13. Every obstinate sinner hates to have justice take place in his own case. But we should remember, that our wicked feelings can make no alteration in divine truth. What that is, it will eternally remain to be, without any regard to our unreconciled wishes. To contend with God, because his doctrines are unpleasant to us, is the very height of foolishness. If we are blind to the glory of God in the displays of His justice, He is not. In that case, He proclaims, "As I live, all the earth shall be filled with my glory." Every one of the sinner's subterfuges must ultimately fail him; and no one of them is more delusive than that of annihilation. But the things that have been mentioned, are, undoubtedly, reasons on which the delusive scheme is founded; but they are as volatile as airunsolid as the slippery sand. But,

3. Some equivocal passages of Scripture are pressed into the support of this dangerous doctrine. The very text which we are now investigating, is considered as one of their strong holds. It must be acknowledged, that its phraseology is strong; but it is certainly capable of more than one construction. It is said in this passage, that God will burn up the wicked; and that He will leave them neither root nor branch. Annihilation, is one sense which may be put upon the text which we are now considering. But it is highly figurative; and therefore, it should be construed with

great care and modesty; comparing it with passages which are more plain, and relate to the same subject. It may only mean, that all the hopes of sinners shall be disappointed, and every vestige of their happiness destroyed, as completely as if they were burned up. The words certainly convey the idea of the entire ruin of the wicked-but that may be perfectly consistent with the doctrine of their endless punishment. But if there were no other passages more clear, the annihilation of sinners might be argued with some degree of plausibility, but not with absolute certainty. There are some other texts, however, on which they appear to rely, that may now be mentioned. One is, 1 Thess. 1. 7-10. It reads thus-"When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." This passage is, like the text that has been chosen for our theme, equivocal-capable of a double construction. In accordance with this, are the following passages, "The ungodly are like the chaff, which the wind driveth away-the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment-the way of the ungodly shall perish." Ps. 1.4-6. Another sacred writer says, "I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.―Thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction.-They are brought into desolation, as in a moment.-They are utterly consumed with terror. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image." Ps. 73. 17-20. "The transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut

off." Ps. 37. 38. Many such passages might be collected; but to multiply them is unnecessary. The general arguments for the doctrine of annihilation, have now been exhibited; at least, as far as I have a knowledge of them. The remarks which have been made, apply to all these passages, in respect to their import.

To resort to such

parts of the Scriptures, in support of the theory of annihilation, is a manifestation that the cause is in distress.

In conformity to my promise, I shall proceed,

II. To confute the scheme by Scriptural arguments. It is, certainly, the general belief of the Christian world, that the existence of sinners is to be eternal, as well as the existence of the saints. Their faith, in this respect, is founded on the following reasons:

1. There is no express declaration in the Bible, that sinners are to be annihilated. The passages on which reliance is placed, by the advocates of that plan, are all ambiguous-capable of another explication. A doctrine of such magnitude, certainly, requires express testimony in its favor. Without this, it is highly presumptuous, either to believe, or advocate it. It is deluding ourselves, and ruining the souls of others. If the doctrine were believed, it would be a powerful inducement to the wicked to pursue their sinful courses, without any thought of repenting, or reforming their lives. It is, therefore, a dangerous and vain expectation.

of

2. It is very unreasonable to suppose, that an intelligent being should cease to exist. The Psalmist says man, "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet." Ps. 8. 5, 6. God, therefore, must have a higher end to answer by the existence of man, than merely to display his power in his

creation and subsequent annihilation. The Bible assures us, that He "hath made all things for himself." Prov. 16. 4. But if annihilation would be a display of the power and justice of God, in relation to sinners, surely, their eternal punishment will be a much brighter illustration of these infinite perfections. In this case, the universe will eternally behold the unlimited evil of sin-the infinite opposition of God to it; and see the glory of His vindictive justice displayed on the guilty. Sinners are said to be "vessels of wrath;" but this expression would have very little meaning, if they were to be annihilated. The power and justice of God, will be far more conspicuous in supporting their existence in a state of punishment, than they would be in reducing them to their primitive non-entity. Annihilation is but a faint manifestation of the evil of sinning'against God, when compared with endless sufferings. There is no need of taking away the being of sinners; for if no good end could be answered by their eternal misery, God could easily renew their minds, pardon their transgressions, and fit them for endless glory. Some of the greatest sinners have been saved by the power and grace of God. Such were Manasseh, the thief on the cross, and others who could be mentioned. Thus we see that one of these great sinners was regenerated and pardoned in his last moments, and in his dying agonies. Men were not created to be annihilated, but to display the justice and mercy of God. If it were inconsistent with unlimited goodness to punish sinners eternally, God would, undoubtedly, display the glory of His mercy in their everlasting salvation. Justice, however, is a divine perfection as well as mercy; and it is as proper that the one should shine forever as the other. If all the enemies of JEHOVAH should be annihilated at the judgment day, it would not set the evil of

sin in such a striking light, in the view of the intelligent universe, as in beholding them constantly and forever suffering the due reward of their iniquity. The conception is too trifling to be cherished for a moment, that God should form intelligent agents to be the mere creatures of a day-to flutter like an atom in the beams of the sun, and then eternally disappear!

3. The painful anticipations which sinners have in relation to futurity, are in direct opposition to the belief of their annihilation. We know that their fears, on this account, are very great and distressing. It is inconsistent to suppose that God, whose benevolence is unlimited, would suffer His rational creatures to be constantly tortured with needless fears. Surely, there is not a hint in all the Scriptures, that the fears of sinners are disproportioned to their danger; unless it be in having them in too small a degree. But, after all that is said on the pleasing theories of universal salvation; the future restoration of all men to holiness and happiness; and on the eternal annihilation of the wicked; such teachers find it difficult wholly to remove their own fears, or to remove the painful apprehensions of their hearers, "The Holy Scriptures cannot be broken," which expressly declare, that the wicked "have a certain fearful looking-for of judgment, and fiery indig nation, which shall devour the adversaries." Heb. 10. 27, Men may reason fallaciously in their own favor; but conscience, at certain times, will make them feel. In opposing the doctrine of eternal punishment, such preachers address the passions and prejudices of their hearers; but those men who vindicate it, appeal to the conscience, the understanding, and the heart. They are far more vulnerable to truth, than the passions and prejudices of men, It is said of the inspired preachers, that they commended themselves. "to every man's conscience in the sight of

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