T^l'tk^rd M/^iq^

I

AN

ABRIDGEMENT

OF

FIVE DISCOURSES,
™,IALE ADVERSITY LIBRARY.
ON-265TFERENT SUBJECTS;
INTENDED
TO OBVIATE SEVERAL OBJECTIONS
WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE DOCTRINE
^¦*v'.
€&e ramfcetgal Hegstorsttom
AND CALCULATED
TO ANSWER OTHER IMPORTANT PURPOSES.

BY RICHARD WRIGHT.

PRINTED AND SOLD BY JOHN WHITE,
SOLD ALSO BY TEULON, NO. 100, HOUNDSDITCH, LONDON:
GREGORY, CAMBRIDGE; ANSIS, NORWICH}
AND TURNER, LYNN.
-*>©«-
(PRICE EIGHTEENPENCE.) 1798.

ADVERTISEMENT.

TH E Difcourfes, of which the following pages are an
Abridgement, were preached without the flighted in
tention of any part of them being publifhed ; but the
Author finding, afterward, that feveral judicious Friends
¦tvifhed that at leaft the fubftance of them might be made
public, he endeavoured to recollect the principal obferva-
tions, and put them together on paper. He has endea
voured to make the abridgment as complete an epitome of
the original difcourfes, as his memory and judgement ren
dered practicable.
The Reader is not to expect, in this fmall performance,
a regular and formal defence of the doctrine of the Univer-
fal Reftoration, as the writer's defign was fimply to eftablifh
a few grounds of argument in its favour, and to obviate
fome of the objections which he has heard urged againft it.
The inveteracy of human depravity has been frequently
urged as an infurmountable obftacle to the univerfal refto
ration, and as a reafon why the paffages of fcripture which
feem to exprefs that doctrine, ought not to be underftood in
their plain and literal fenfe ; but if it be proved that no
obftacle is too great for God to furmount in carrying his
defignsinto effect, which is what the firft of thefe difcourfes
is intended to prove, it will follow that all the arguments
againft that doctrine, founded upon the inveteracy of fin,
&c. mult fall to the ground. As It

iv ADVERTISEMENT.
It has been argued that if the doctrine of the univerfal
reftoration were true, there could be no need for a Saviour,
as finners would in time expiate their fin by fuffering its
demerit, and fo be reftored on the ground of mere juftice ;
but I know of no advocate for that doctrine who has fup-
pofed that fin could be expiated by the fuffering of the fin-
ner : on the contrary, it is maintained that the reftoration
will talce place on the grou-nd of the death and refurrection
of Chrift, and be effected by his mediation : and it is
hoped that this view of the fubject is confpicuous in the
following difcourfes.
Some perfons have ridiculed the doctrine of the refto
ration, as calculated to footh the minds of thofe who are
deftitute of piety, and as having a general tendency to
licentioulnefs, the writer trufts that every charge of this
kind is difproved in the following pages,

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE I.

3«eM«e»

LUKE I. 37.
For with GOD ndthing Jhall be impoffikle.

**o*~

IN former ages God revealed the events of
futurity to his faithful fervants ; he promifed
to do fuch things as were altogether above the
power of nature to efFe&, to bring to pafs
what might then have been deemed morally
impoffible. This, owing to the blindnefs
and incredulity of creatures, was the ocqafion
of much infidelity. Abraham, though the friend
of God, found it very difficult to believe that
-Sarah, who had paflea the flower of her days
childjefs, fhould in her old age bring forth
a fon: and Sarah thought it fo improbable
that fhe laughed at the idea of fuch an event.
B The

6
The Ifraelites knew not how to believe that
they fhould be faved from impending de-
ftruttion, when hemmed in by the armies of
the Egyptians, between the mountains and the
fea: or that Jehovah could preferve them
from perifhing in the wildernefs, where no
liiftenance was to be found, nothing to fatisfy
their hunger or to allay their thirft : or that
they fhould be enabled to fubdue the flrong
cities, and warlike nations of Canaan, in order
to their pofTeffing the land which God had
promifed to give them for an inheritance:
they were the fubjefts of much unbelief re-
fpecling thefe things, becaufe they could not
fee how they were to be effected ; yet all the
above events took place.
Many parts of facred prophecy flill remain
to be fulfilled ; many great and precious pro-
mifes, contained in the lively oracles, have not
yet received their accomplifhment, many won
derful events foretold in the fcriptures have
not yet taken place. Among the prophetic
events which have yet to take place, we may
reckon the return of the Jews to their own
land— the things which fhall befal them there — -
the coming of Chrift — the aflonifhing fcenes
which fhall attend his coming— the glorious
eftablifliment of the kingdom of Chrift upon
earth, during the Millenium — the general re-
furre&ion and judgement of the great day—
the age of rewards and punifhments — the
univerfal reftoration — and Chrift's delivering uo

up the kingdom to the Father. As the events
I have mentioned are altogether future, and
men cannot fee how they are to be effefted,
much unbelief prevails refpefting them, many
are ready to afk how can fuch things ever take
place ? and becaufe they fee not how fuch great
things will be brought to pafs, they attempt to
explain away the plain declarations of God
refpefting them; but this is unwife, for if
" witb God nothing fhall be impofhble," he
will moft certainly be able to effeft every thing
which he hath fpoken.
To guard the text, and what may be faid
upon it, from abufe, I will notice certain ex ¦
ceptions, which are always implied when fuch
words occur in fcripture, and endeavour to
afcertain their true defign.
I. When it is faid " with God nothing
fhall be impoffible," it muft be underftood, as
an exception, that God cannot aft unwifely,
for he is the only wife God, all his works are
performed in wifdom, nor can it ever be
poffible for any thing to be more wifely done,
than he doth it.
II. When fuch words occur in fcripture,
they muft always be taken with this exception,
that God cannot aft unjuftly. Shall not the
judge of all the earth do right? Is there un-
rigMeoufnefs with God? God, forbid, for then
how fhould God judge the world ? He will render
B 2 unto

8
unto man his tighteoufnefs. He is the holy Lord
God, righteous m all his works and ways. Are not
my ways equal, (i. e.) perfeftly juft, faith
Jehovah. Of courfe it muft be lmpoflible for
God ever to aft unjuftly.
III. God is love, therefore when it is
declared that nothing fhall be impofllble to him,
et is neceffarily implied, as an exception, that it
never can be poffible for him to aft contrary
to love : for him to aft contrary to love, would
be to aft unlike himfelf, contrary to his own
immutable nature, which cannot be fuppofed
without manifeft abfurdity. God cannot pof-
fibly ceafe to be good, merciful, and gracious,
for then his charafter would ceafe to be what
himfelf hath declared it to be, The Lord
merciful and gracious, abundant in goodnefs and
truth —then the pofitive declarations of his
word would fall to the ground, for it is
pofitively declared that he is good unto all, and
his tender mercies are over all nis works, and that
his mercy endurethfor ever.
IV. God that cannot lie ; though we betievt
not, he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himfelf
the. Scriptures cannot be broken. Such declarations
of the facred penmen eftablifh another ex
ception, (i. e.) that it is impoffible for God ever
to falfify his own declarations, by afting contrary
to them; ever to give the lie to his own avowed
defigns, by failing to carry them into effeft';
or ever to fufFer the fcripture to be broken, by
permitting

9
permitting any part thereof to remain eternally
unfulfilled On the whole, it muft be taken for granted,
that it never can be poffible for God to change
his nature, or his eternal counfel and defigns,
as declared to us in the fcriptures; feeing
he is in one mind, and who can turn him ? with
him is no variablenefs, neither fiadow of turning;
he changeth not; his cow f el fiall /land, and he
will do all his pleafure: therefore when the
angel faid, " for with God nothing fhall be im-
poffible," we muft underftand him to mean
that God would make it evident that nothing
which he had defigned to do, or fpoken of by
his fervants in the fcriptures, fhould be im-
poffible for him to effeft.
I will next glance at the general arguments
which may be brought to prove that nothing
can be impoffible to God, which is not contrary
to his charafter and defigns.
I. The confideration of the abfolute in
finite perfections of the Mofl High, muft make
every thing appear poffible to him, which it is
his fovereigh good pleafure to effeft. Can he,
who is infinite in wifdom, ever be at a lofs to
find means to aecompltfh his defigns ? Can he,
who is Almighty, ever want power to ufe the
means diftated by his wifdom, or to make them
truly effeftive ? Can he, who is holy and true,
good and gracious, ever fail to employ all the
refources

IO
refources of infinite wifdorri and almighty
power, to difplay his perfeft juftice, to verify
the truth of his word by its accomplifhment,
and to carry into effeft all his gracious defigns?
II. A view of the fupreme and univerfal
government of God, that his throne is high above
the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all, that
not a fparrow falleth to the ground without him,
even the very hairs of our head are all numbered,
that he doth according to his own will in the armies
of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth%
muft lead us to conclude, that he hath fuch do
minion over all creatures and circumftances,
that nothing can be impoffible to him.
III. Several exprefs declarations of fcrip
ture go direftly to the fame point as the words
of our text, fuch as Shall any thing be too hard
for the Lord? Whatfo ever his foul defireth even
that he doth. I know thou canfl do every thing,
and no thought, (i e.) nothing which thou thinkeft
to do, fhall be witholden from thee. My counfel
fiiall fiand, I will do all my pleasure, I will work
and who fhall let it, with God all things are poffible.
Do we with all our hearts believe thefe de
clarations ? *
IV. What God hath alreadydone, in creation,
providence, and grace, ought to convince us
that nothing fhall be impoffible to him. Survey
the amazing fyftem of the univerfe, and then
Fay what can be impoffible to him who made all

il
all thefe things, who meafured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and meted out
the heavens with thefpan, and comprehended the
dufl of the earth in a meafure, and weighed the
mountains in fcales, and the hills in a balance ?
What cannot he do who is the everlafling God,
the LORD, the creator of the ends of the earth,
w/io fainteth not neither is weary? Think of his
infinite greatnefs, before whom all nations are as
the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the fmall
dufl of a balance, who taketh up the ifles as a very
little thing, before whom all natia/is are as nothing,
and are counted to him lefs than nothing and
vanity, and then fay if any thing can be too
hard for the Lord. Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold, who hath created thefe things, that
bringeth out their hofi by number; he callpth them
all by names, by the greatnefs of his nlight, for
that he isfirong in power, not onefailei/i. Thus
review the fyftems of nature and providence,
and then fay what God cannot do.
Confider what Jehovah hath done in the
greatnefs of his love, in giving his fon to die
for finners, in opening the way of falvation,
and difplaying the riches of his grace, before
mankind in the gofpel ; alfo what he hath done,
for thofe who have believed on his fon, and by
the gofpel in the world; confider all thef'e
things, and then fay what his love cannot effeft,
V. There can no difficulties arife to
obftruft the accomplifhment of the divine
defigns, of a different nature to thofe which he
hath

12
hath already triumphed over. I blufh while
I think of the incredulity of mortals, which
renders it neceffary for me to talk of difficulties,
when treating of the defigns of the Omnipotent*
for it is only to creatures that things are hard
and difficult, nothing can be fo to God; but
as it feems neceffary to notice difficulties, while
fpeaking of the great things which he hath en*
gaged to accomplifh, I obferve that the greateft
which can be fuppofed may be claffed under
two heads, (i. e.) either what men call natural
impoffibilities, or what they call moral im
poffibilities ; nor can we conceive of any
obftacle to God's doing all his pleafure, too
great to be comprifed under either the one
or the other of thefe heads : and if it can be
proved that the Mofi High, in accomplifhing
his own defigns, hath already triumphed over
both the one and the other, it will follow, as
a confequence, that he can do it again : and if
neither what are deemed natural impoffibilkieSi,
nOr what are deemed moral impoffibilities, be
impoffibilities to God, it muft follow, that
with him nothing can be impoffible, God
promifed that Sarah fhould have a fon, when
fhe was arrived at fuch an age as rendered
that event naturally impoffible, yet he fulfilled
his promife. It was a natural impoffibility for
the Ifraelites to pafs through the fea, as on dry
land ; for them to find bread and water in the
defart, for forty years; yet God effefted both
thefe events. It was foretold that a virgin
fhould conceive and bear a fon, this being what is

is called a natural . impoffibility, had men
reafaned about this event before it took place/
as many have r done finGe about the future
accbmplifhment of prophecy, they might have
faid it muft be taken in a figurative fenfe, it
fe impoffible. it fliould ever be literally fulfilled,
jet it was fifierally fulfilled. The virgin herfelf
at firft exprefled'fome doubt, how fiiall this thing
be? but die angel affured her that with Gop
nothing fhould be jmpoffible. Chiift told his
difciples that it, was eafier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God, in
doing which he ftated the ftrongeft moral im
poffibility; yet he immediately declared $k$
it was poffible with God, though impoffible
with men: and we read in the fcriptures of
rich men who were faved. Hence it is evident,
from undeniable fafts, that God hath carried
his defigns into effeft, when oppofed by natural
and moral impoffibilities, it follows, that neitheir
the one. nor the other can be |n infurmountable
pfaftaek to the fccQoatapljfr^aaent of his defign§
in future. A rjb: -.¦i >>.. ^.JVi
Gon hath in v^wbittfinftances snade the
wrath of naan to praffe him, and overruled
the evil paffiohs &fad worft actions of men, fa
as to make them terminate in has glory, and
promote W great defigns. An inftance of this
we have in tfeoafe of Jofeph's brethren, they
weire influenced by toe worft paffions, envy
and hatred, then eon^uS was altogether unjuft
# C and

14
and cruel, yet God overruled it for his own
purpofes. Another inftance we have in the
cafe of the Jews, who crucified the Lord of
Glory, their defigns and aftions were altogether
murderous, yet their defigns and aftions were
no obftruftion to God's plan of grace and
falvation, which he would exhibit to the world
at large ; on the contrary, his all-direfting hand
made them fubfervient thereto. Why then
fhould it be thought a thing impoffible for God
to make all the wrath of creatures ultimately
praifehim? I will now particularize upon the fubjeft
before us in a more direft praftical way.
I. There is not the leaft reafon for us to
fuppofe that it is impoffible for God to punifh
the ftouteft hearted finners, the moft rebellious
of his creatures,in fuch a manner as fhall make
them feel what an evil and bitter thing it is to
fin againft him. This may be illuftrated by the
cafe of that fon of pride, Nebuchadnezzer,
king of Babylon. Elated with pride he afcribed
all his power, greatnefs, ftrength, riches, and
dominion folely to himfelf, as if he had been
independent of God, and above the reach of
the divine hand; but the Moft High found
means to humble him, and to bring him to
extol and praife his name : herein we have an
example of his ability to humble the moft
Eroud and obdurate of his creatures, and to
ring them to willing fubjeftion. Know, O ye
hardeneel

*5
hardened rebels, againft the divine majefty»
your fins fhall find you out, you fhall be
humbled af the divine footftool, and feel what
a bitter thing it is to fin againft God.
II. Let it no longer be thought impoffible
for God to fave the moft guilty, depraved, and
wretched of his creatures. He hath manifefted
his love to thern, and made provifion for their
falvation in Chrift. He hath difplayed the
greatnefs of his mercy in the falvation of the
chief of finners, as in the cafe of Saul of Tarfus,
who was a blafphemer, a perfecutor, and in
jurious, who ftiles himfelf the chief of finners ;
but who, notwithftanding, obtained mercy, and
is fet forth as a pattern of the long fuffering of
God to them who fhall hereafter believe unto
life eternal. Let no guilty rebel defpair of
forgivenefs, the fceptre of mercy is held out to
him, grace and falvation are exhibited before
him in the gofpel, Chrift is able to fave unto
the uttermoft all them that come unto God
by him : if the finner feeks for falvation he is
lure to find it,
III. The poffibility of God's making all
things work together for good, to them that
love him, ought no longer to be doubted.
A combination of circumftances may feem to
be againft us, to be working for our hurt; this
was the cafe with good old Jacob; Jofeph he
fuppofed was killed, Simeon he fuppofed was
no more, and Benjamin, the fon of nis old age,
* * - ' C 2 was

16 ,
was about to be taken from him, aft thefe things
appeared to be againft him; but they were all
working together for-his good. How wonderful
are the ways of providence! ye have heard of
the patience of Job, and have feen the end of
the Lord, that he is very pitiful, aind of tender
mercy. Let us then learn to leave ourfelves, and
all our concerns, in the hands of out God, and
prefer ve our minds in peace, by a fettled truft
and confidence in him.
IV. If nothing fhall be impoffible to God,
k ought no longer to be thought impoffible for
him to accomplifh all the great things foretold
in his word, even for him to fubdue all things
to himfelf, to gather together in one all things
in Chrift, to reconcile all things unto himfelf
by Jefus Chrift.
I will conclude this difcourfe with afking
whether we can deny that all things are poffible
to God, without committing the feme fin as
Ifrael of old did, when they limited the holy
one of Ifrael ?

DISCOURSE

*7

, .— •nsx-kUMIWWIMW'W

DISCOURSE II.

ACTS X. 36.
Jefus Chrifi he is Lord of all.
JESUS Chrift is the principal fubjecl treated
of in the gofpel, which is on that account
ftiled the record which God gave of his fon.
He is the fubftance of all evangelical preaching.
Paul's afiertions concerning what himfelf, and
the reft of the apoftles preached, fhew that he
and they viewed the fubjeft in this light. —
We preach Chrifi crucified. Whom we preach*
I determined not to know any thing among you,
fave Jefus Chrifi, and him crucified. We preach
not ourfelves but Chriji Jefus the Lord. We may
Jearn from thefe paffages how much the apoftles
dwelt upoo this topic. Let it not be fuppofed that

i8
that the minifter of the gofpel has but a
narrow field to range in, that his matter muft
foon be exhaufted, becaufe he hath only this
fubjeft to dwell upon, the Lord Jefus Chrifi,
for this is a fubjeft too copious to be exhaufted,
fo extenfive and delightful that we may con
tinually expatiate upon it, and ever find fome-
thing new. Delightful talk ! to defcribe the
glories of Immanuel — the tranfcendant ex
cellencies of the perfon of Chrift — his various
offices and relations as the anointed of the
Father — his fuitablenefs and allfufficiency as
a faviour — the great fafts recorded concerning
him in the new teftament— the perfeftion of
his work — the depth of his humiliation and
fufferings — the height of his exaltation and , ,
glory — his authority and dominion as lord of
all — the various parts of his mediatorial reign,
and the bleffings of his kingdom — his love
which paffeth knowledge! upon thefe things
we may ever dwell with increafing delight, and
find our fouls edified, comforted, and fanftified.
The part of this fubjeft to which I no\f
call your attention is the fordfhip or dominion
of Chrift, which is a matter of the greateft
importance to all men every where; for his
government is altogether mediatorial, and hath
for its objeft the bringing of finners to God.
He is the mediator between God and men;
as fuck he gave himfelf a ranfom for all,
as fuch he is exalted to be a prince and a faviour,
to give repentance and remiffion of fins, as fuch all

*9
all creatures are put under his authority, and
muft give an account of themfelves to him;
us fuch he. is exhibited in the gofpel to be the
falvation of God to the ends of the earth,
neither is there falvation in any other. Divine
revelation relates principally to the lordfhip
and reign of Chrift as mediator : with the con-
clufion of his mediatorial reign, when he fhall
have delivered up the kingdom to the Father,
the aftonifhing fcenes laid open in the fcriptures
will terminate : and we have no knowledge of
any thing beyond that period, fave that God
fhall be all in all, confequently that throughout
the creation there fhall be complete purity and
happinefs. The fubjeft before us is a never
foiling fource of enjoyment to real chriftians;
their prefent fafety, peace, and felicity, all their
hopes of immortal life and glory, are imme
diately connefted with it. Thefe confide rations
may ferve to imprefs your minds with the
great importance of the fubjeft I have to
difcufs at this time.
When fpeaking of the lordfhip of Jefus
Chrift the mediator, I wifh to place before you
the grounds of his mediatorial authority, the
foundation on which his throne is eftablifhed,
and his ability to fway the fceptre, and guide
the wheels of the mediatorial government.
I. The authority of Jefus Chrift as me
diator is founded upon the appointment of the
Father. Jehovah fpake in vifion to his holy one,

20
feme, and faid, I have laid help upon one that is
migkty: I have exalted one chqfen aut of the
peoplel-~Alfo I zuill make him firfi-horn., higher
than the kings of the earth, In defpite of the
rage of the heathen, &c. the divine appointment
ftands firm; he who fitteth in the: heavens,
laugheth at all the feeble efforts of an infuriated
world to annul the authority of his holy one,
and faith, in contempt of all their rage, Yet havk
I fet my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Tc his
only begotten he faith, afk of me, and I will give
thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermofi parts of the earth for thy pofifeffion.
Chrift faith, all things are delivered unto me of
my Father. The Father hath given him power
over allfiefh. God hath highly exalted him, made.
him both Lord and Chrifi, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things. He hath feated him at his
own right hand, and laid unto him, Sit thou on
my right hand, until thy foes be made thyfo&tfiocl.
He is fet down with the Father in his . throne*
Thus the lordfhip of Chrift is founded in the
infinite perfection, immutable counfel, fupreme
appointment, and divine good pleafure of
Jehovah; and he, the mediator, firmly placed
in the throne of the Father.
II. The foundation of the mediatorial
throne of Chrift is laid in blood ; not in the
blood of innocent viftims, flain by a daring
ufurper; not in the blood of -guilty rebels,
flaughtered by a vengeful fword; hut in his
own moft precious blood, who offered hinfelf

21
as a lamb without fpot to God, in the blood of
the jufi one, who died for the unjufl, that he
might bring them to God. Sin, like a mighty
conqueror, had extended his empire over the
whole world: death had feized upon human
nature, and all mankind were deftined to be
come his prey: the empire of Chrift was to,
be eftablifhed upon the ruins of the empire of
fin and death, that as fin hath reigned -unto death,
even fo might grace reign through righteounefs
unto eternal life, by Jefus Chrifi our Lord.
Hence Chrifi hath appeared to put away fin by
the facrifice of himfelf ; that he might abolifh
death, and bring life and immortality to light:
he humbled himfelf, and became obedient to death,
even the death of the crofs. Wherefore God alfo hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name zvhich
is above every name : that at the name of Jefus
every kneefiwuld bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; and
that every tongue fhould confefs, that Jefus Chrifi
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
III. The mediatorial throne of Chrift is
eftablifhed by his near relation to, and intimate
•union with, the Father. Jehovah hath faid
unto him, Thou art my Jon, and upon this
ground hath promifed him unlimited dominion.
He hath alfo feid, / will be to him a Father,
and he- fhall be to me a fon (i. e.) I will aft the
part of a Father in inverting him with fuch
glory and dominion as become the fon of the
higheft. He is the only begotten of the Father,
D of

22
of courfe the right of inheritance devolves
upon him. The union between the Father
and the fon is fo intimate and perfeft that Chrift
could declare, / and the Father are one. He that
hath feen me hath feen the Father. The Father that
dwelleth in me he doeth the works. What things
foever he doeth, thefe alfo doeth the fon likewye.
Thus the mediatorial government is eftablifhed,
and carried on, by the divine perfections,
operating by the man whom Jehovah hath
made flrong for himfelf, his own fon.
IV- The ability of Chrift to fway the
fceptre, and direft all the wheels of the me
diatorial government, appears, from the con-
fideration of his character, of the fulnefs which
dwells in him, and of what he has already done.
His name is Immanuel, God with us. The mighty
God, The everlafling Father, The prince of peace,
Thefecond man is the Lord from heaven. Itpleafed
the, Father that in him fhould all fulnefs dwell.
In him dwelleth all the fulnefs of the Godhead
bodily. The moft confummate wifdom muft be
neceffary in condufting the affairs of fuch an
extenfive government as that of Chrift is, and
he is the wifdom of God, in him are hid all the*
treafures of wifdom and knowledge; therefore he
can never be at a lofs ; but muft know on every
occafion how to proceed, what meafures to
choofe, and how to arrange them for the beft,
during the whole of his miniftrations. Great
power muft be neceffary in order to the carrying
into effeft all the meafures of the mediatorial
government,

23
government, and Chrift is the power of God.
All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth.
His harbinger declared that God giveth not the
fpirit by meafure unto him. Ifaiah, when pro-
phefying of Chrift, faid, The fpirit of Jehovah
fhall refl upon him, the fpirit of wifdom and
under flanding, the fpirit of counf el and. might, the
fpirit of knowledge, and of the fear of Jehovah..
Confequently the meafures of his government
cannot fail for want of his poffeffing fufficient
ability to carry them into effeft. Great ex
perience muft be requifite in managing the
affairs of the mediatorial kingdom, that expe
rience Chrift hath had, for he was made perfect
through f uff er ings — he was tempted in all points
as we are, yet without fin — it behoved him to be
made in all things like unto his brethren — that
he might be a mere ful and faithful high priefi
in things pertaining to God. The mediator hath
paffed through fuch a variety of circumftances
that he knoweth how to aft with the utmoft
prudence and tendernefs towards all his fubjefts.
The bruifedreed he will not break, and thefmoking
fiax he will not quench. He can be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities. Chrift hath
already wrought fuch wonders, and given fuch
unequivocal proofs of his matchlefs prowefs,
that no room is left for us to doubt his ability
to perform whatever remains for him to do as
mediator. He by whom all things were created
that are in heaven, and that are in-£arth, vifible
and mvifible, whether they be thrones, or do
minions, or principalities, or powers; what can
D 2 be

24
be too great for him to effeft ? What cannot
he atchieve, who by his invincible ftrength
triumphed in the dreadful conteft with all the
powers of darknefs; who by his matchlefs
prowefs burft the bands of death, and the bars
of the grave afunder; who by his puiffance
vanquifhed the powers of earth and hell, and
trod down the ftrength of the enemy ? Hath
not the Lord by his undaunted courage, his
matchlefs power, and unrivalled exploits,
fhown himfelf worthy of, and able to manage,
the whole of the mediatorial government.
I will next attempt to defcribe the extent
of the lordfhip of Jefus Chrift.
I. The mediator is lord over all creatures.
The apoftle was convinced by his being fent
to preach the gofpel to Cornelius and his family,
who were mere Gentiles, and by the bleffings
thereof being extended to them, that the lord
fhip of Chrift was not reftrifted to the Jews.
Under the former difpenfation, the Mofiac
ceconomy was like a wall which feparated the
Jews from the reft of the world, and re
ftrifted to the former the peculiar bleffings of
revelation ; but now the middle wall of par
tition is broken down, Chrifi having reconciled
both unto himfelf in one body, by the crofs, that of
twain he might make one new man, fo making
peace. Paul afked, Is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not of the Gentiles alfo? and anfwered, Yes,
of the Gentiles alfo. The gofpel, with all its
bleffings,

25
bleffings, is fent to Gentiles, and the mediatorial
authority of Chrift extends over all nations.
The mediatorial authority of the fon of
God extends over all ranks and orders of men,
on the whole face of the earth. He is made
higher than the kings of the earth. He is king of
kings, and lord of lords. Kings of the earth are
exhorted to be wife, and all the judges of the
earth to be inflrufted, by the gofpel, to embrace
the fon of God, left they incur his difpleafure,
and perifli from the way. Chrift died for all
mankind, confequently they belong to him;
and, having received power over all flefh,
hath fent his gofpel to be preached to every
creature. As all things were created by him,
and for him, as he is heir of all things, as all
things are delivered to him of his Father, as he
is before all things, and by him they confift,
it follows, that as mediator he is lord of all.
To enlarge the above pofition I obferve,
II. Jefus Chrifi is lord over all creatures,
in all places. All power in earth is given to
him, it follows that he is lord over all creatures
on earth; nor does his authority flop here,
To this end he both died, and rofe, and revived,
that he might be lord both of the dead and of the
living : confequently his dominion extends over
all who have died, as well as over thofe who
now remain on earth. Death doth not limit
the power of Chrift, nor divide empire with
him; he hath conquered and obtained dominion over

26
over death, and the regions of the dead : death
doth not remove men beyond the boundaries
of the mediator's kingdom, they are ftill under
his jurisdiction. As all power in heaven is given to the
faviour, it follows that he is lord over every
creature in heaven. All the angels of God
are commanded to worfhip him, under his
direftion they go forth as miniftering fpirits,
to miniflerjor them who fiiall be heirs of falvation.
Departed faints are with Chrift, the fpirits of
juft men are made perfeft by him, and he is
at the head of the general afTembly and church
of the firft-born.
Hell itfelf is not beyond the limits of
Chrift's dominion, thither his authority extends,
for he hath the keys of hell and death. He went
and preached to the fpirits in prifon, which Jome-
times were dif obedient, namely, while the ark was
preparing, which proves that his miniftrations
as mediator extend even to that place. Hell fhall
deliver up all its prifoners to be judged by
Chrift, therefore his authority mull reach to
the place of their confinement.
III. The faviour is lord over all creatures,
in all places, in reference to all things. Creation
is afcribed to him. Chrift is not only the
brightnefs of the Father's glory, and his exprefs
image, but the upholding of all things by the
word of his power, by him all things confifi,
therefore

27
therefore the whole ceconomy of divine pro
vidence is under his management. His lordfhip
extends over every thing which relates to
grace and falvation. Grace and truth came by
Jefus Chrifi. There is falvation in none other,
lie is able to fave unto the uttermofi them that
come unto God by him : he is the difpenfer of
all the bleffings of the gofpel. The Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement
to the Son, hath given him power to execute
judgement, becaufe he is the fon of man, hath
appointed a day in which he will judge the world
in righteoufnefs, by him: confequently it s is a
part of the mediatorial work of Chrift to
judge, reward, and punilh every man, according
to his works. All things relative to the ac-
complifhment of the divine promifes and pro
phecies, and the fulfilling of the divine counfel,
that God may be all in all, are under the
direftion of Jefus Chrift.
IV. The redeemer is lord over all creatures,
in all places, in reference to all things, throughout
all periods. The lordfhip of Chrift extends
through all the changing fcenes of the
prefent ftate unto his fecond coming. He hath
received the book fealed with feven feals, from
the right hand of him that fat upon the throne';
he hath unloofed the feals thereof, and hath
carried, is carrying, and will carry, into effeft
the wonderful concatenation of events therein
defcribed. So far as the events relate to the
period which mult elapfe before his appearing, he

28
he will carry them into effeft by his unfeen
influence and authority. Then he will reign
upon earth, and eftablifh his kingdom from
fhore to fhore, unto the ends thereof, until all
the great events which fall within that period
fhall have taken place. Nor will the lordfhip
of Chrift terminate with the laft judgement;
but continue through the aims, or ages to come
afterwards, through the long periods of rewards
and punifhments, until he fhall have wiped
away tears from all faces, and put an end to
all pain, forrow, crying, and death. For he mufi
reign until all eneniie? are put under his feet.
When all things are fubdued unto him, and not
before, he will give up his commiffion to him
from whom he received it, having firft executed.
every part thereof, that God may be- all' in all.
I next call your attention to the great ends
which are to be anfwered by the lordfhip. of
Jefus Chrift.
The moft high God never can aft without
defign, or without having an end in view, nor
can he ever propofe an end that is not infinitely
wife and benevolent, becaufe he cannot aft
contrary to himfelf; but if God muft neceffarily
have fome wife and benevolent end in view in
every thing which he does, it muft follow, that
he had a defign infinitely wife and benevolent,
which he would carry into effeft by Jefus
Chrift^ when he raifed him to his mediatorial
throne, and delivered all things into his hands :
it

it alfo follows that this defign muft be com-
-pletely effefted, or God himfelf will be difap-
-pointed, and Chrift fail of accomplifhing the
-whole of his mediatorial work. When we con
fider that God is declared to be the very God of
peace, and obferve what diforder and con
fufion prevails every where through fin, what
appears fo likely to be the defign of God, fo
confiftent with his infinite wifdom and good-
nefs in raifing up a mediator, as the reftoration
of univerfal peace, by the removal of fin and
its effefts ? This is rendered more than likely,
when we confider that he on whofe fhoulder
the government is laid, is called the prince of
peace : for if he was to confign to endlefs mi-
fery, or to annihilation, millions of creatures,
and fo render enmity, or deftruftion eternal,
might not he be called the prince of confufion
and deftruftion, as well as the prince of peace ?
Seeing, if he reftored fome to peace, in that
cafe, he would fix others in confufion and de-
"ftruftion to all eternity : certainly it muft be
much more confiftent with his charafter ulti
mately to reftore all to peace. The end of
Chrift's dying was to make peace ; the gofpel is
a meffage of peace to all mankind, which proves
that the defign of God is to effeft univerfal
peace by him. Thofe who believe the gofpel
have joy and peace through believing, the fruit
of the Spirit is peace, and when the kingdom
of Meffiah fhall prevail throughout the world,
there will be univerfal peace from one end of
E the

3°
the earth to the other. We have exprefs and
pofitive evidence in the fcriptures, that, the de
fign of God is to reconcile all things unto him
felf by Jefus Chrifi, to gather together, or rehead,
all things in one in him, I think, it follows from
the foregoing premifes, that the mediation of
Chrift is intended to effeft univerfal peace in
the creation, by deftroying all the enmity which
exifts in the minds of creatures.
As the throne of Chrift is eftablifhed in righ»
teoufnefs, as righteoufnefs fiiall be the girdle of
his loins, and faithfulnefs the girdle of his reins,
as he fiiall not fail, nor be dijcouragcd, until he
hath fet truth in the earth, and as he is able tit
fubdue all things to himfelf, we may be affured
he will not fail to accomplifh all the ends for
which he is raifed to the mediatorial throne,
John had a vifion of the accomplifhment of
thefe things, when he heard every creature which
is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
garth, andjuch as are in thefea, and all that are
in them, afcribe bleffing, and honour, and glory4
and power, unto him that fitteth upon the throne^
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
I (hall conclude this difcourfe with a few
practical remarks.
We, who have believed on the Son of God,
who have profefied ourfelves his fervants, hav£
avowed our allegiance to him, as our Lord ;
are

3i
are we found obedient to his commands ? Re
member, it is not our calling him Lord ; but
our doing thofe things which he hath com
manded, that will fit us for his kingdom of re
wards. We are not our own, we are . bought
with a price; let us therefore glorify the Lord
in our bodies and fpirits, which are the Lord's.
He is the mafter of our faith, let us acknow
ledge none other. He is the Lord of our con-
fciences, let us pay a confcientious regard to
all his fayings. He hath all bleffings to bellow,
and is capable of doing all things for us; let us
therefore put an entire confidence in him. He
has an Unlimited authority over us, let us yield
him unlimited fubjeftion.

E 2 DISCOURSE

32

MtWMVWW^'nu

DISCOURSE III.

>tsCM«»

i JOHN IV. 16.
He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and
God in him.

»»©*-

IT cannot well be denied that thofe who be
lieve the doftrine of the univerfal reftoration
of all creatures to purity and happinefs, have
more enlarged views of the love of God than
any other defcription of profeflbrs of the gof
pel : for they conceive the divine love to all
his works to be unchangeable and eternal ;
whereas others fuppofe, fome, that the love of
God extends only to a part of mankind, that to
them it is inextinguifhable and perpetual ; but
that the reft of the human race have no intereft
in it ; fome, that God loves all his creatures
conditionally,

33
conditionally, but that their not performing the
conditions will for ever extinguifh the love of
God to them ; bolh the one and the other limits
the divine love in fome fenfe, and none but the
univerfalift allows it to be unlimited in every
fenfe. The advocate for the univerfal reftora
tion fuppofes that God always remains in a dif-
pofition of love to all his creatures, therefore
he confiders abiding in God and abiding in
love, in the moft unbounded fenfe, to be one
and the fame thing. Whether fuch a view of
the divine love be calculated to have a good or
bad moral effeft, is what we have now to
examine, *r.
The praftical tendency of religious fy Items,
their effeft upon the heart, and upon the life of
thofe who profefs them, the great importance
of integrity of foul, of uprightncfs of conduct,
of love and benevolence, and of moral excel
lence in general, are things which have been
too generally overlooked. Formerly, if a man
did but agree to a particular creed, written or
underftood, if he could but efpoufe the dogmas
of a party, and fubmit to the performances of
a religious kind carried on among them, unlefs
there was fomething very flagitious in his con-
duft, he paffed for a very good chriftian with
thofe of his own fraternity ; but if he had inte
grity enough to exprefs his diffent, when he did
not perceive a thing to be true ; uprightnefs
enough to fpurn at dogmas, which did not
appear to him confiftent with the fcriptures ; he
>:•,"-*,.. was

34
was deemed a heretic, and his moral excellence
flood for nothing at all. Alas ! too much of this
old leaven ftill remains among the profeftbrs of
the gofpel. Happily the attention of many, irt
the prefent age, is turned to the examination of
the praftical tendency of different fyftems ; the
maxim, that no religious tenets can be ufeful
any further than they improve the heart, and
influence to virtuous and benevolent aftions, is
gaining ground ; the terms heterodox and here*
tic ceafe to affrighten men out of their integrity,
as they once did ; and moral excellence is rifing
into higher eftimation among the ferious pro*
feffors of chriftianity.
The doftrine of the univerfal reftoration of
lapfed intelligences to happinefs, has been fre*
quently charged with having a licentious ten*
deflcy. Either this charge is, or it is not, well
founded ; if it be well founded, it muft be ca*
pable of being fubftantiated by clear and un*
deniable proofs ; if no fuch proofs can be pro*
duced, it muft fall to the ground. The above
is a very ferious and heavy charge ; it ought
hot to be lightly brought forward againft any
doftrine, thofe who advance it ought to have
proofs at hand to make it good : for he who
advances charges without proofs, defames. I
feel no reluftance to engage in defending the
univerfal doftrine from the charge of licen*
tiousnefs, being fully perfuaded that it is not
only free from the leaft immoral tendency, but
alfo calculated to produce fuperior moral
effefts,

35
efl-efts, to thofe doctrines which are founded
upon a lefs extended view of the love of God.
Both thefe points, I undertake to prove.
Perfons of different defcriptions have fup»
pofed the doftrine of the reftoration to have an
immoral tendency, I will glance at their differ
rent characters. There are many men who will
not attend to calm impartial inveftigation, and
clofely examine evidence upon this fubjeft;
they are either too indolent, or too much pre-
poffeffed by prejudice and bigotry to do this ;
either they cannot, or they will not come for
ward with fair and rational arguments ; but con
tent themfelves with charging the doftrine with
an immoral tendency, and then conclude, on
the ground of their own unfounded charge,
that it muft be falfe. We might retort upon
thefe men their own charge with far greater
propriety ; but it will be better for us to refute
jt by evidence. Many men of real piety, not
having properly confidered the - fubjeft, and
being zealoufly concerned for the interefts of
holinefs, oppofe the doftrine of the reftoration,
from a ferious apprehenfion that the belief of
jt would weaken the ties of duty, and injure
the caufe of virtue and piety, I wifh to con
vince fuch perfons that their apprehenfions are
unfounded, and that the doftrine we maintain
is calculated to promote holinefs. There is a
danger of thofe who profefs the univerfal
doftrine holding the truth in un righteoufnefs-^-
©f thofe wfio believe it not fufficiently confider ing
the

tile practical tendency of their own fenti ments--
of their not having always prefent with them
the motives to obedience which the doftrine
furnifhes — of their not fufficiently exemplifying
in their lives its tendency to holinefs : for the
fake of thefe its praftical tendency is to be
infilled on. The foregoing are my reafons for
entering upon this fubjeft.
I. / will firfi attempt to prove that the
doctrine of the univerfal reftoration has no ten
dency to licentioufnefs.
All the doftrines of divine revelation have
a direct tendency to produce love to God, and
love to man, to promote holinefs of heart and life;
therefore if the doftrine of the reftoration can
be proved to be a doftrine of fcripture, it will
follow that it can have no evil, but muft have
a good tendency. Many flrong evidences of
its truth have been repeatedly brought from the
fcriptures, and a number of forcible arguments
advanced in fupport of it, which have not
been anfwered, and I believe never can : hence
I conclude that it is unfair to charge this doftrine
with an immoral tendency, it would be more
confiftent for its opponents to attempt a re
futation of what are deemed its evidences. ' "j
If a doftrine could be proved falfe merely
on the ground of its being charged with a licen
tious tendency, what religious do6trine is there
that might not be proved falfe ; for this charge has

37
has%een brought againft every doftrine in turn,
confequently it can do nothing towards proving
any doftrine falfe : for if one doftrine could be
proved falfe, merely by a vague charge of im
moral tendency, every doftrine might be prov
ed falfe in the fame way, and it would follow,
that there is no fuch thing as religious truth in
the world. The charge of immoral tendency
was brought againft Pauls doftrine of falvation
by grace, yet the apoftle's doftrine was true.
The charge of immoral tendency can be no ar
gument againft the truth of the univerfal doc
trine, becaufe it proves abundantly too much,
and therefore proves nothing, unlefs it be the
weaknefs of thofe who apply it as an argument.
Can it be faid, with any degree of fairnefs,
that a doftrine which has for its Objeft the total
extirpation of fin from the whole creation,
tends to promote fin ? Can fuch a doftrine be
lef& calculated to promote holinefs, than the op-
pofite, which fuppofes that fin muft endlefsly
remain in millions of creatures; that evil muft be
as permanent as good; that enmity and rebellion
muft remain as long as God himfelf exifts ?
Can that doftrine have an evil tendency, which
fuppofes that all the difpenfations, dealings, and
operations of God, are calculated and defigned
to recover all his creatures from fin and its ef-
fefts ? Can the fuppofition that all the bleffings
which the Moft High bellows upon individuals
are intended to make them a bleffing to others,
F and

. 3«
and to promote the ends of univerfal benevo
lence, have a licentious tendency ?
Can that doftrine which fuppofes that God
is love, that every thing which proceeds from
God proceeds from love, that every thing which
he does is done in love, which brings the foul
to dwell in love as its proper element, and
which fuppofes love to be the only genuine
principle of aftion in a chriftian, fail to furnifh
powerful motives to obedience ?
Can that doftrine have a licentious tendency,
which makes fin and mifery infeparable, holi
nefs and happinefs Hand connected together
with the niceft proportion ? furely not.
Should our opponents be able to produce
inftances of perfons, who profefs to believe the
doftrine of the reftoration, leading immoral
lives, this would by no means prove the charge
of immoral tendency againft the doftrine itfelf;
for if the evil conduft of thofe who profefs to
believe a doftrine, could prove the doftrine
profeffed by them falfe, the doftrine of Chrift
had been proved falfe by the evil conduft of
Judas, and chriftianity itfelf might be proved
a fyftem of falfehood by the immoral conduft
of its profeffors.
The profeffed belief of the univerfal reftora
tion has never been attended with immoral ef •
fefts, which bear any comparifon to thofe which have

39
have appeared among the profeffors of the op-
pofite doftrine. Have not all the perfecuting
popes, bloody inquifitors, all the tyrants and
deftroyers of mankind, under the chriftian
name, profeffed to believe the doftrine of end-
lefs punifhment ? Do not the openly profane
and profligate, in this land, believe the doftrine
of endlefs mifery, if they believe any thing at
all about future punifhment ? What good ef-
fefts have the doftrine of endlefs punifhment
produced among the bulk of its profeffors ?
Have they been reftrained from the greateft
cruelties and impieties, by the fear of endlefs
torment? How would our opponents like to
have all the crimes which have been committed
by thofe who have maintained the doftrine of
endlefs punifhment, charged upon that doftrine ?
Let them firft examine the praftical effefts which
Jiave followed, where the doftrine of eternal
torments has been maintained, before they
attempt to explode the univerfal doftrine, on
the fuppofition of its licentious tendency.
The above charge will be more completely
refuted by the remainder of this difcourfe.
II. I fhall attempt to prove, that the belief of the
doftrine of the univerfal reftoration, has a fu-
perior practical tendency to every otherfyfiem, built
upon the more limited views of the love of God.
The belief that future punifhment will be
limited and correftive, is the beft calculated of
any view of future punifhment, which I have
F 2 ever

4o
ever heard of, to reftrain men from adding fin
to fin, and multiplying their tranfgreflions
againft God: becaufe it fuppofes punifhment to
be proportioned to the number and magnitude
of the crimes committed by the punifhed, and
the inveteracy of their rebellion of heart. If a
man who goes on the highway to rob, &c. knew
that whether he committed one, or five hun
dred robberies ; whether he flole one {billing,
or ten thoufand pounds ; whether he limply
robbed a man, or in addition to the robbery
maimed, bruifed, or even murdered him; whether
he perpetrated one, or five hundred murders,
he fhould, if detefted, fuffer the fame degree of
punifhment ; that he fhould be hanged for the
leaft, and only hanged for the greateft of the
above crimes, however often repeated. Would
fuch views of punifhment be calculated, after
fie had Committed one crime, to deter him from
repeating it, and adding thereto others far more
atrocious ? Would he not feel that he could ex-
pofe himfelf to no greater punifhment than that
which he had already expo fed himfelf to ? Ap
ply this to the fubjeft before us. Endlefs mi-;
fery is endlefs mifery, annihilation is annihila
tion, and if one fin expofes to either of thefe
punifhments, millions of fins, however aggra
vated in their circumftances, can do no more :
it follows, that upon the .hypotfiefis of finners
being punifhed in the future ftate, either with
endlefs mifery, or annihilation, all proportion
between crimes and punifhments is totally loft
fight of; for all who are found in their fins at
the

4i
the day of judgment will be call into the fame
lake of fire. How can fuch views of future
punifhment be calculated to reftrain finners
from adding to the number, and increafing the
magnitude of their fins ; feeing all appre
henfion of increafing their punifhment muft be
thereby removed? If, on the contrary, the
robber mentioned above was convinced that his
punifhment, when detefted, would be exaftly
proportioned to his crimes, would not that con-
viftion be calculated to reftrain him from ad
ding murder to fimple robbery, or one robbery
and murder to another? So, for finners to know
that the punifhment of fin in a future ftate will
be more or lefs limited, in proportion to the
number and nature of their fins ; and that by
increafing the number and magnitude of their
fins, they will increafe the punifhment which
awaits them in a future ftate, is, I conceive,
better calculated to reftrain the fmner from
heaping up wrath againft the day of wrath, than
any other view of future punifhment.
The univerfal doftrine places the divine cha
racter before the finner, who is under deep
eonviftion of fin, and feels the greateft diftrefs
on account of his tranfgreffions, in that light
which is belt calculated to excite him to hope in
the divine mercy, and truft in God for his fal
vation. The great obftacle which prevents fen-
fible finners looking to God for deliverance, is
their fuppofing that their fins have extinguifhed
his love to them, and that he is full of wrath and

42
and fury againft them. If, in fuch a ftate of
mind, they hear that the fins of creatures are
capable of quite extinguifhing the divine love
to them, and of kindling in God implacable
wrath, unrelenting revenge, and endlefs fury
againft them, it will be natural for them to fup
pofe that this is the cafe with refpeft to them-
fefves, which fuppofition is calculated to extin-
guifh all hope in their breafts* and drive them
to defpair ; but if they be affured, that nothing
can extinguifh the love of God to his creatures ;
that his wrath proceeds from love ; that all the
punifhments inflifted by him are intended for
the good of creatures, to bring them to proper
reflection ; that as a proof of his love to finners
mdifcriminately, he gave his fon to die for
them ; that their fins have made no change in
God, only in themfelves ; that confequently
nothing is neceffary but for them to be brought
to a proper ftate of mind, in order to their re
ceiving the divine mercy and grace ; fuch
views of things will be calculated to remove
their doubts of the poffibility of their falvation,
and bring them totruft in the name of the Lord:
for they that know his name will put their
truft in him. The reafon why finners do not
truft in God is becaufe they continue ftrangers
to his love, as revealed in the fcriptures ; but
the views entertained of the divine charafter
by univerfalifts, are calculated to affure finners
univerfally of the unchangeable love of the
Moft High to them, confequently to bring them
to truft in bim. As

43
As we cannot love any objeft any farther
than that objeft appears lovely in our eyes, I
conceive the univerfal doftrine is calculated to
infpire the chriftian with more love to God
than the oppofite view of fubjefts, as it makes
his character appear in the moft amiable light.
As it is declared that we love him becaufe hefirfi
loved us ; as his love is the caufe of our love to
him, and as caufes operate, in a moral fenfe, no
further than they are perceived and felt, it can
not be fuppofed that we can love God any fur
ther than we have a perception of his love : if
our views of his love be narrowed, our love to
him will be narrowed in proportion. If our
views of his love be enlarged, our love to him
will be enlarged likewife. The reafon why
men do not obey God, is becaufe they do not
love him ; the reafon why they do not love him,
is becaufe they do not believe that he loves
them'; hence I infer, that the univerfal doftrine
is calculated to make all men obedient to God,
becaufe its direft tendency is to make them
love him, by convincing them that he loves
them. The views of the love of God to his creatures
univerfally, to which the doftrine of the refto
ration leads, are calculated to infpire our minds
with love to all men, even to the moft vicious,
to our greateft enemies ; for it fuppofes that
God loves all men, even his greateft enemies ;
that he loves finners notwithftanding all their
fins, and that therefore we are to do the fame; We

44
We are to hate their evil doings, not their per
fons. Becaufe God loves his enemies, he hath
commanded us to love our enemies. He will
overcome all evil in his creatures by his un*
bounded goodnefs, therefore he hath com*
manded us to overcome evil with good. Thofe
who deny the doftrine of the reftoration feem
fo think that God hath called upon us to be
more perfeft in our love to others, than him
felf is.
As love is the principle of all obedience, that
view of fubjefts which is moft calculated to in
fpire us with love to God and man, muft have
the moft tendency to render us fruitful in all
obedience. There can be no obedience with
out love, it is the fulfilling of the law, the end
of the gofpel declaration, the germe of all fecial
and relative duties ; it can work no ill, but pro-
duceth only good to others. If God did not
love all his creatures, upon what foundation
could he command us to love them ? If he was
not continually aiming at their happinefs, how
could he call upon us to be doing fo ? If his
love to them could ever be extinguifhed, how
could ours be kept up ?
The univerfal doftrine is calculated to ftifle
all perfonal refentments, revenge, retaliation,
&c. becaufe it ftiews that fuch principles can
have no place in God, confequently that they
ought to have no place in us ; on the contrary,
that every thing which he does proceeds from love

45
love to his creatures, and is done with a view
to their happinefs, and that fo it ought to be
with us. If you take away the doftrine of the
reftoration, and the light in which it places the
divine charafter before us, I know of no prin
ciples or motives, which will remain, fufficient
to render practicable the maxims inculcated by
Chrift and his apoftles ; but admit that doftrine
and every thing has a principle and motive fuf
ficient to carry it into effeft.
The doftrine for which I am pleading teaches
us, that whatever bleffings we receive, what
ever abilities we poffefs, are to be all employed
for the good of others. It is calculated to keep
the mind in the greateft aftivity, and to produce
the greateft liberality of fentiment and conduft.
It opens before us a boundlefs field for invefti-
gation refpefting God and his infinite perfec
tions, his defigns of unbounded benevolence,,
and the ages to come in which thofe defigns
will be carried into effeft. It teaches us, that
thofe who are in error are ftill to be objefts of
our love, and that fooner or later they will be
convinced of, and acknowledge their error.
Univerfal love is calculated to root out bigotry,
prejudice, rancor, &c. thofe foes to liberality.
If Calvinifts and Arminians were to receive
the univerfal doftrine, they might ftill retain all
that is valuable in their different fyftems. The
Calvinift might ftill maintain the unchangeable
nature of divine love, the immutability of the
G divine

46
divine defigns, the certainty of all thofe being
made happy for whom Chrift died. The Armi-
nian might ftill maintain the univerfality of di
vine love, of the benevolent defigns of the Moft
High, and of the death of Chrift. They might
both agree to bury all their differences, em
brace each other with chriflian affeftion, and
aft together with entire harmony : and I fee
not how thefe contending parties can be firmly
united but upon the univerfal plan.
The doftrine of the univerfal reftoration fets
afide the moft formidable arguments of Deifts
againft divine revelation, as their arguments
fuppofe the fcriptures to contain doftrines in-
confiftent with the infinite wifdom, power, and
goodnefs of the Creator of the univerfe ; but if
the doftrine of the reftoration be eftablifhed,
fuch fuppofitioriS are evidently groundlefs.
It remains for us to exemplify thefe things by
our fpirit and conduft.

DISCOURSE

47

MW&'^'MtKSKi^VW^'tite

DISCOURSE IV.

•¦99O*5"08'

JAMES I. 18.
That we fihoidd be a kind of firfi fruits of his
creatures.

-»0-s-

IT has been fometimes objefted to the doc
trine of the reftoration of all mankind to
purity and happinefs, that it has a tendency to
make finners think lightly of the gofpel, of be
lieving in Chrift, and of obedience to him in
the prefent ftate; feeing, if that doftrine be
true, they are fure to be reconciled and made
happy in the end. My defign in this difcourfe
is to obviate the above objeftion, by fhewing
the great importance of an attention to the gof
pel in this life, of believing in Chrift, and being
obedient to him in the prefent ltate, the very
great advantages to be enjoycu both here and
'- G 2 hereafter

4»
hereafter by thofe who receive the glad tidings
and follow Chrift now ; which advantages will
not be enjoyed by thofe who die in their fins,
though they be ultimately reftored to purity
and happinefs.
l. Let us enquire who are the firft-fruits.
fpoken of in the words before us.
I expeft the apoftle alludes, in the text, to
the firft-fruits among the people of Ifrael, which
were to be prefented to the Lord. Among
them the firft-born of man and of beaft, as well
as the firft-fruits of the earth, were confidered
as belonging to God. The tribe of Levi was
taken for priefts and minifters of the fanftuary,
inftead of the firft-born of every family. Chrift
is the firft-fruit of the Father's love. It is to
divine love we are indebted for him, and all
the favors and bleffings we receive through
him : ' it is through this precious fruit of Je ho-
vah's love we are faved, and made partakers
of all the riches of his goodnefs. Jefus is the
firft-born of every creature, the firft begotten
from the dead, the firft-fruits of them that flept,
that, in all things, he might have the pre
eminence ; the right! of inheritance, of prieft-
hood, and of government, which in ancient
times belonged to the firft-born, all attach to
him in the fulleft fenfe. Chrift Jefus, there
fore, is the firft-fruit in the higheft poffible
fenfe. The

49
The apoftles were the firft-fruits of Chrift's
miniftry; they were given to him as fuch by
the Father : yet the apoftles were to bring
forth fruit in their miniftry, who are alfo called
firft-fruits.. We read of the firft fruits in
Achaia, &c. in reference to the effefts pro
duced, by the apoflolic miniftry. The Lord
chofe his immediate followers, and ordained
them, that they fhould go forth, and bring
forth much fruit, and that their fruit fhould re
main, ( i. e. ) that they fhould preach the gofpel
in the world, and thereby bring forth many
finners from a ftate of ignorance and rebellion,
as fruits unto God and trie Lamb, and that the
effefts of their miniftry fhould be permanent.
That not only the apoftles and firft chriftians,
but all who believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift in
the prefent ftate, are firft-fruits, in the fenfe in
which the expreffion is ufed in the text, I think
is evident. The apoftle fpeaks of all thofe
whom God hath begotten of his own will by
the word of truth, as being a kind of firft-fruits
of his creatures ; but all who believe on the
name of Chrift are born of the will of God^
it follows that all fuch are included in the firft-
fruits. He ftates their being a kind of firft-
fruits of the creatures, as the end which God
had in view in begetting them of his own will
by the word of truth, how then can it be fup
pofed that God hath not this end in view when
ever a finner is begotten by him to newnefs of
life, by the word of truth. Is not the general
affembly of the faints called the church of the
firft-

50
firft-born? Do we not find a vaft multitude
called in the Apocalypfe the firft-fruits unto
God and the Lamb ? It is evident the apoftles
and firft chriftians could not be all the firft-*
fruits, for it does not appear that their number
was .o exceedingly great, and the paflage al
luded to in the Apocalypfe refers to a much
later period. Therefore I conclude, that all
who are begotten by the word of truth, ( i. e. )
all -the faints, aire firft-fruits.
2. I will point out feveral things implied in
the faints being called firft-fruits.
When the faints are fpoken of as fruits,
does it not imply that they are intended to be a
bleffing to others ? When the earth teems with
plenty, when the luxuriant branches of the
trees are covered with fruit, what is the defign
of God ? Is it merely that the fruitful fields
and trees fhould prefent an agreeable fcene to
the eye ? Is it not, rather, that his creatures
may be fed and nourifhed thereby, that their
lives may be preferved, and diey made happy ?
Why fhould we hefitate at admitting that the
faints alfo, as fruits, are intended to be a blef
fing to the creation ? Is not the light and truth
of the gofpel, the fpirit and precepts of Jefus
Chrift, calculated to make them fuch ? Is nod
Chrift, the fruit of the father's love, exhibited
as a univerfal bleffing? Were not the apoftles,
the fruits of Chrift's, perfonal miniftry, fent
forth into the world, that, they might be a blef fing

5i
fing to mankind? When Jehovah bleffed
Abraham and his feed, was it not that he might
make them a bleffing to others, and that all fa
milies of the earth might be bleffed in them ?
Are not all who believe the gofpel children of
Abraham, according to the promife ? Are not
all chriftians called the lights of the world, and
the fait of the earth ? Lights are not intended
to illuminate • themfelves, but to give light to
all around : and the faints, as lights, are in
tended to enlighten the world. Salt is not in
tended to feafon itfelf, but fomething elfe to
which it is applied : and the faints, as fait, are
intended to feafon the earth. Therefore when
the faints are called fruits, we may fafely con
clude, that, as fuch, they are intended to be a
Jbleffing to mankind.
The term firft-fruits evidently implies that
there are other fruits to be collefted in due
feafon, fo men generally underftand it, except
in one cafe, I mean when it implies the univer
fal reftoration ; but why an exception fhould
be made in this cafe, more than any other, I
know not. Does any man fuppofe, that it
would be difhonourable to God, to make all
his creatures ultimately pure and happy ? If
fo, was it not difhonourable for him to create
them pure and happy at firft ? Does any one
fuppofe, that if the whole creation be made
happy, his enjoyment will be thereby di-
minifhed ? He ought rather to think the con
trary, if his prefent happinefs aafes from feel ings

52
ings of love. The firft-fruits among the Jews
were not the whole harveft, but a part thereof,
which was prefented to the Lord; and, when
accepted by him, an earneft of his bleffing
upon the whole. When the firft-fruits were
eollefted, the Ifraelites did not fet fire to their
fields, and totally confume all the remainder :
no, they eollefted the remainder afterwards.
When Chrift is called the firft-fruits of them
that flept, no one imagines that none but Chrift
fhall rife from the dead ; but, on the contrary,
it is generally fuppofed that his refurreftion is
an earneft of the refurreftion of all the dead.
Why then, when the faints are called firft-
fruits, fhould it be fuppofed that they are the
only fruits of the love of God, of the death,
refurreftion, and mediation of Jefus Chrift,
which fhall ever be gathered in ; and that when
the firft-fruits are eollefted, the reft of the har
veft of creatures fhall be endlefsly caft away ?
Do not the numerous firft-fruits evidently im-
Ely that there will be a much more numerous
arveft ? Is not he who gathers in the firft-
fruits, capable of gathering in the whole har
veft ?I will mention a few things more which
will corroborate the foregoing reafoning. We
read oF the faints having the firft-fruits of
the fpirit, this implies that there are other fruits
of the fpirit to be bellowed ; but what other
fruits of the fpirit can we conceive of, unlefs
we take the words, And it fiiall come to pafs
after-

53
afterward, that I will pour out my fpirit upon
allfiejh, in their plain and literal fenfe, and be
lieve that God will, fooner or later, pour out
his fpirit upon all mankind ? The faints are
made kings and priefts unto God, and fhall
reign as fuch on the earth ; but how can this
be, unlefs we fuppofe there are other creatures
to whom they will then minifter, as kings and
priefts ? The earnefi expectation of the creature
waitethfor the manfefiation of the f ons of God.
Becaufe the creature itfelf alfo fhall be delivered
from ¦ the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of G,od. But how can
this be, if no manifeftation of God, if no deli
verance is to be afforded through the medium
of the faints, to thofe who have not been de
livered in the prefent ftate ? Paul mentions the
prefent reconciliation of thofe who believe, as
a fample and an earneft of the reconciliation of
all things to God. Col. i. 21. Therefore I con
clude that the world at large will be after-fruits
to God, through the miniftry of the firft-fruits.
3. I proceed to ftate the advantages which
are, and will be, enjoyed by the firft-fruits, and
which will not be enjoyed by the reft of man
kind. Here I think it neceffary to point out where
in I conceive forgivenefs, falvation, and accept
ance, as ftated in the New Teftament, to differ
from the future reftoration of the wicked. For
givenefs includes a remiffion of punifhment ;
H but

54
but thofe who are not forgiven, through the
gofpel, muft be punifhed in a future ftate, ac
cording to what they have done. Salvation, as
enjoyed through the gofpel, includes deliver
ance from the wrath to come ; but thofe who
rejeft and dif obey the gofpel will not efcape the
wrath to come. Acceptance, in an evangelical
fenfe, comprehends the being taken into the
relation of fons and daughters to the Lord
Almighty, the being made joint-heirs with
Chrift, a kind of firft-fruits of the creatures,
kings and priefts unto God and the Lamb ; but
none of thefe honours and advantages belong
to thofe who rejeft the gofpel, and die in their
fins. Thefe I think are not merely ideal, but
real and important diftinftions.
The benefits arifing from believing the gof
pel, and following -Chrift, are very great in the
prefent life. The knowledge of forgivenefs of
fins is an ineftimable blefnng, and is enjoyed
by all who believe. View the man who is
under fin, and fenfible of his fituation : — his
confcience is full of guilt and remorfe — his
mind is the feat of condemnation — his bofbm
is agitated with a thoufand tormenting fears,
gloomy forebodings, and difmal apprehenfions
of death, judgment, future punifhment — the
dreadful confequences of his living in rebellion
againft God, and of his neglefting the gofpel
of Chrift. Is fuch a man's ftate enviable ? It
muft neceffarily be wretched to an extreme,
and however men may ftupify their confidences for

55
for a feafon, they will fooner or later feel
themlelves the fubjefts of this wretched-
nefs. What happinefs can earthly enjoyments
afford to perfons in fuch a fituation ? Having
the wrath of God abiding on them, they can
enjoy no real felicity. What an unfpeakable
bleffing it muft be to be delivered from fuch a
Hate — to be juftified by faith, and have peace
with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift — to
have our fins forgiven for his name's fake - to
have our confidences freed from guilt and con
demnation— to have flavifh tormenting fear
call out, and our minds filled with joy and
peace through believing — to exchange our
gloomy apprehenfions and difmal forebodings,
for a hope full of immortality, which is as an
anchor to the foul, fare and fleadfaft, reaching
unto that within the veil. The former is the
alarming ftate of thofe who rejeft the gofpel ;
the latter the enviable fituation of thofe who
believe on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and tread in
his fteps.
There is no peace faith my God to the wicked.
The wicked are like the troubled fea, whofe waters
cafi up mire cmd dirt. Men can never be hap
py wbile living in enmity, hateful and hating
one another. The very nature of fin is fuch
that k cannot fail, fo far as we are under its in
fluence and dominion, to deftroy our peace
and make us miferable. What advantage did
you ever derive from fin? Have you not
fby&fii that its whole tendency is to make you
H 2 miferable

56
miferable ? What advantage then can you ex
pect from a continuance therein ? God is the
only fource of happinefs, but your fins fepa-
rate between you and your God, confequently
between you and the only fource of happinefs :
where then can you look for enjoyment ? The
baneful paffions of envy, hatred, malice, &c.
deftroy all focial felicity. Every finful pro-
penfity you indulge, every finful aftion you
commit, is a blow at your peace, a dagger
pointed againft your enjoyment. How then
can you fail to be miferable while you continue
in fin ? Seeing this is the cafe, of what great
importance it muft be to your prefent happi
nefs, for you to attend to the gofpel, to re
ceive the falvation of God, and be thereby de
livered from that which has been the bane of
your peace, and the fource of incalculable mif-
chief to you. How great muft be the advan
tage of becoming obedient to the faith — of
being made holy, becaufe it is the only way to
become happy !
Behold what manner of love the Father hath
befiowed upon us, that we fhould be called thefons
of God. What an honour, what an inexpref-
fible bleffing, it is to be accepted in the be
loved — -to have free accefs unto God, through
JefusChrift — to come with boldnefs to the
throne of grace — to receive the fpirit of adop
tion, crying Abba, Father— to have fo many
great and precious promifes to fupport our
minds, to enjoy God in his word and ordinances, and

57
and participate in all the riches of his grace. What
privileges are thefe ! yet thofe who continue in,
¦ fin, and rejeft the gofpel of Chrift, remain
flrangers to all thefe privileges.
View the guilty creature who remains igno
rant of the gofpel, and in a ftate of rebellion
againft God, when brought into a ftate of
heavy trial and affliftion, he knows not where
to fly for help and refuge — his mind finks in
defpondency — he murmurs, repines, and feels
extreme wretchednefs. View the real chriflian
in fimilar circumftances ; he knows he has a
Father poffeffed of infinite perfection, whofe
bofom is full of tendernefs, to whom he can
fly and pour out all his complaints — he knows
that the everlafting arms of his God are ready
to fupport him, and that , he has an high prieft
who is touched with the feeling of all his in
firmities — he calls himfelf upon the divine pro
tection, and his mind is foothed to peace — he
knows that all things work together for good,
to them that love God, and he glories in tribu
lation. Such are the advantages, in this life, of
receiving and enjoying Chrift.
Contemplate the fituation of the unbeliever
in the -hour of death — what pleafure can he
then derive from the retrofpeft of his pall con
duft — the remembrance that his days have
been fpent in vanity and folly — his life wafted
m rebellion againft his maker — the recoUeftion
that he has all along neglefted the great falva tion

5*
tion ? It cannot be a pleafant, but muft be a
very bitter recoUeftion. If his thoughts be car*
ried forward to a future ftate, all is blacknefs
and darknefs. To meet the Saviour in the tre
mendous charafter of fupreme Judge, and re
ceive at his hands according to the deeds done
in the body, muft be an alarming idea to the
man who is juft leaving the world in his fins*
Hell and the lake of fire muft be moft terrific
objefts to him What can his fame and repu
tation, his riches and fenfual gratifications, his
finful companions, or his deareft friends, do
for him when going to his laft account, with all
his fins upon his head ? Alas ! thefe will then
be found miferable comforters. On the ©their
hand, contemplate. the dying faint, who knows
in whom he hath believed, and that his God is
with him in the valley of the fhadow of death,
that confequently he hath no evil to fear when
palling through it, the man who hath been juf-
tified and fanftified, whofe fludy hath been to
pleafe God, he falls afleep in Jefus, rejoicing
in the profpeft of being for ever with the Lord.
Contemplate thefe things, and then fay, if pre
fent faith and holinefs be not of the greateft
importance, though the doftrine of the refto
ration be fully admitted.
If the advantages of faith and obedience be
fo great, and the effefts of unbelief and dif-
0bedience be fo painful, in the prefent ftate,
what muft both the one and the other be here
after ! When Chrift fhall defcend from heaven* with

59
with the voice of the Archangel and the trump
of God, them tbat fleep in Jefus, will Goo
bring with him — when be, their life, fhall ap
pear, then fhall they alfo appear with him in
glory, and fhall reign with him on the earth ;
but the wicked fhall then be fhut up in black-
ftefs of darknefs, in all the horrors of the pit
When Chrift fhall appear on the throne of
judgment, the righteous will be placed on his
right hand ; but the wicked on his left : the for
mer he will pronounce the bleffed of his Father,
and welcome them to the kingdom prepared for
them from the foundation of the world ; but
the latter the Saviour himfelf, in the awful cha
racter of judge, will pronounce accurfed, and
Command them to depart from him into the
age-lafting fire, prepared for the Devil and his
angels : they will be call into the lake of fire
which is the fecond death. How great will the
difference appear between the righteous and the
wicked, when thefe things take place.
Thofe who overcome through the blood of
the Lamb, and the teftimony of God, will not
be hurt of the fecond death. Bleffed and holy
is he who hath part in the firft refurreftion, on
fuch the fecond death fhall have no power ;
but the cowardly, and unbelieving, &c. muft
have their portion in the lake which burnetii
with fire and brimftone : they muft fuffer the
pains and horrors, the torments and miferies
of the fecond death. During the time the
wicked are in a ftate of punifhment, the righ
teous

6o
teous will be free from all pain and fuffering,
entered into the joy of their Lord, glorified
with Chrift, bafking in the unbounded ocean
of love and felicity. I conceive, that, during
the ages of punifhment, the knowledge of the
faints will be ftill encreafing, their enjoyment
enlarging, all their virtues growing, and every
thing which relates to them carried to ftill
higher perfection; but the fufferers in the lake
of fire, will have to begin their courfe of virtue
and happinefs, when their punifhment is ended:
therefore a great difparity muft remain between
the righteous and the wicked, the latter muft
be incalculable lofers by their unbelief and
rebellion. They willlofe all the enjoyments
of chriftianity in the prefent ftate ; the honours,
peculiar enjoyments, and high felicities of the
firft-fruits, will not attach to them, They will
fuffer the age of pain, mifery, &c. in the lake
of fire, while the faints are with Chrift in glory.
Their happinefs will begin after ages of im
provement and enjoyment have rolled over the
faints. They will entirely lofe the great re
wards which Chrift will bellow upon his faith
ful fervants. Hence I conclude, that thofe who
fuppofe, if the doftrine of the univerfal refto
ration be true, it is of no confequence whether
men attend to the gofpel or not in the prefent
ftate, ought to prove that there are no advan
tages of confequence connefted with believing
now, that it is of no confequence whether men
efcape or fuffer the fecond death, which never
can be proved The

6i
The fubjeft we are attending to is of the
freateft praftical utility. God hath manifefted
is love to us guilty perifhing creatures, by
giving his only begotten Son to die for us ; he
hath fent the gofpel of his grace to make
known unto us his great falvation, therein he
calls us to repentance, and to receive the for-
givenefs of our fins. The gofpel contains every
thing we Hand in need of as finners — we are in
darknefs, it exhibits the true light, and is fent
to open our eyes, to bring us from darknefs to
light — we are in a ftate of condemnation, it ex
hibits free pardon — we are in a ftate of enmity,
it is the word of reconciliation, intended to re
concile us to God — we are depraved and pol
luted, therein the blood of Chrift is fet forth as
fufficient to cleanfe us from all fin— whatever
can be neceffary to make us happy it contains.
But replete as the gofpel is with all the bleffings
of divine grace, fuited as it is to our capacities
and fituations, we can receive its benefits no
further than we believe it, and aft under its in
fluence : hence the great neceffity, the vaft im
portance of attending to, believing and obey
ing the gofpel of Chrift. Awful threatnings are
expreffed, dreadful punifhments fet forth in the
book of God, which we cannot efcape, if we
turn away from him who fpeaketh from hea
ven. Precious promifes are given, and great
rewards held forth, in the fcriptures ; but we
can neither enjoy the promifes, nor be prepared
for the rewards, while we are neglefting the
great falvation, What need I add more to con-
I vine,

62
vince you how much it is your intereft to em
brace the gofpel, and walk under its influence ?
There is no other way in which you can be
made happy, no other way in which you can
efcape the wrath to come. Without faith it is
impoffible topleafe God. Follow peace with all
men, and holinefs, without which no man fhall
fee the Lord.

DISCOURSE

uwnUNWMMVM*

DISCOURSE V.

tlHMti

ROMANS II. 6.
Who' will render to every man according to his
deeds. »*©«•
THOUGH, without a divine revelation, we
could have no certain knowledge of a
future ftate of rewards and punifhments, the
belief of fuch a ftate when revealed is altoge
ther reafonable. Virtue is not always rewarded,
nor vice always punifhed, in this world ; the
righteous are frequently trodden do\Vn as the
mire in the ftreets, and the wicked fuffered to
triumph in their iniquities; but if there be a
God of juftice; who made and governs the
WOrld, it is quite rational to fuppofe that he
will, fooher or later, regard the one, and pu
nilh ,the other; and if there wiH be a ftate of
1 2 rewards

64
rewards and punifhments. what can be more
equitable, than for every man to receive accor
ding to his deeds. It is the fubjeft of future
punifhment, which I fiiall endeavour to in-
veftigate at this time.
The doftrine of future punifhment is clearly
a doftrine of fcripture. If the wicked were not
to be punifhed hereafter, it would be impoffible
to reconcile prefent appearances with the divine
charafter and perfections, as fet forth in the
lively oracles. Would it be confiftent with the
moral government of infinite wifdom, power,
juftice, and goodnefs, to let fin go unpunifhed?
Could it be reconciled with the equity of the
divine proceedings, with God's being no re-
fpefter of perfons? Certainly it could not.
It is of fuch great importance to the moral
fyftem, that I fee not how that fyftem could be
maintained if fin was fuffered always to remain
unpunifhed. Future punifhment is fo clearly
expreffed in the facred writings, that I know
not how any man can ferioufly examine them
without feeing it ; a future judgment would be
a mere farce, if a ftate of rewards and punifh
ments were not to follow it. The certainty of
a future judgment is urged as a reafon why all
men every where fhould repent, as a reafon
why we fhould not judge one another now, and
as a reafon why we fhould always labour to be
approved of God. Our text, viewed in its
connection, evidently refers to what God "will
do in a future ftate. 1. I will

65
i. I will attempt to fiate the caufe of future
punifiiment. The caufe of God's punifhing finners in a
future ftate, will not be the extinction of his
love to the unhappy fubjefts of that punifh
ment. The love of God can no more be ex-
tinguifhed than his nature can change, for he is
love : confequently he could as foon ceafe to
be God, as ceafe to be love. Tender parents
do not punifh their children becaufe they have
ceafed to love them ; on the contrary, they pu-*-
nifh them from a principle of love ; but no
parent can be fo tender and affeftionate as the
Parent of the Univerfe, the Father of Spirits,
whofe offspring we all are. What would be
our thoughts of that parent, who, fuffering
every parental feeling to be extinguifhed in his
breaft, fhould punifh his offspring merely from
a vindictive difpofition ? Should we not think
him a very bad charafter ? Shall we fuppofe
the God of love to be fuch a charafter? Far
be it from us.
The reafon of God's punifhing finners here
after, will not be that his tender mercies will
then be clean paffed over, that his compaffion
will then utterly fail, for his mercy endured for
ever, his compaffion fails not, he is good unto all,
and his tender mercies are over all his works :
and as goodnefs is effential to the Moft High,
as his mercy endureth for ever, this muft con
tinue to be the cafe fo long as any objefts of
mercy

66
mercy, (i. e.) creatures in a ftate of mifery, are
to be found. His mercy will have to do even
with his rendering unto every man according
to his works. Pfalm lxii. 12.
Sin is evidently the caufe of all punifhment—
of all the pains and fufferings of the prefent
ftate, and of the wrath to come. It is fin that
feparates finners from God, that fubjefts them
to the awful difpleafure of the Moft High. The
iniquity of the wicked fhall take them away,
and they fhall be holden in the cords of their
fins. In particular unbelief, the rejeftion of
the faviour, and what is confequent thereupon,
will be the caufe of future damnation. Chrift
himfelf declared, he that believeth not fhall be
damned. This is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world, but 'men loved darknefs, and
would not come unto the light. The wifdom of
God faith, becaufe I have called, and ye refufed ;
I have firetched out my hand and no man re
garded ; but ye have- fet at nought all my counfeV,
and would none of my reproof: I alfo will laugh
at your calamity, &c. It muft appear wife and
good, as well as juft; to fubjeft to the wrath to
come thofe who will not bend their ears to the
voice of mercy, who will not come unto Chrift,
that they might have life, who remain incor
rigible in their unbelief, and impenitent in their'
fins : Seeing nothing fhort of future punifh
ment can bring them to a fenfe of their wretch
ed ftate, and convince them of the evil of their
doings. It

67
It is worthy of ferious enquiry, Whether any
of the human race will fuffer the punifhment,
"which will be inflifted after the laft judgment,
without having been previoufly favoured with
an opportunity of becoming acquainted with
Chrift and his falvation. Do we not read of
Chrift's preaching to the fpirits in prifon, who
were difobedient in the days of Noah ? When
Peter fpeaks of Chrift judging the quick and
dead, does he not add, For, for this caufe was
the gofpel preached alfo to them that are dead,
that they might be judged according to men in the
fiefh, but live according to God in the fpirit ?
Do not fuch words convey the idea, that it was
Decenary for the gofpel to be made known to
thofe who had died without an opportunity of
being acquainted therewith, in order to their
being judged by Chrift ? However this may
be, it is an incontrovertible faft, that if you do
not efcape the wrath to come, your punifhment
will be the fruit of wilful unbelief and difobe-
dience. The Lord defireth not the death of a
finner ; but had rather the wicked fhould turn
from his evil ways and live : he hath made pro-
vifion for the falvation of you all ; but if you
will rejeft his gofpel, if you will not attend to
the things which belong to your peace, before
they be hid from your eyes, you muft reap the
bitter effefts.
2. / will endeavour to point out the nature of
future punifhment. Som

68
Some have fuppofed, that the future punifh
ment of the wicked will be nothing more than
the guilt and wrath which they will be the
fubjefts of in their own minds ; now, though
I by no means think this will be their proper
punifhment, after the laft judgement, yet guilt
and wrath are effefts of fin which will remain
upon them, while in a ftate of punifhment, and
no doubt add to their mifery. Guilt is a con-
fcioufnefs of fin ; wrath, as it relates to the
mind, a fenfe of the difpleafure of God againft
fin; both thefe the wicked muft be the fubjefts
of in the ful left fenfe after the judgement day,
for after every thing is laid open they can no
longer remain ignorant of any thing they have
done, they muft have a complete confcioufnefs
of all their iniquities, they Will know what they
are punifhed for, nor can they avoid, being
deeply fenfible of the divine difpleafure againft
fin, when they experience the dreadful effefts
thereof. Solomon fays, a zoounded fpirit who.
can bear ; but of all wounded fpirits, a fpirit
wounded with guilt, with a deep fenfe of the
difpleafure of God, is the moft unbearable :
if it be fo now, what muft it be in the future
ftate, when there will be nothing to alleviate
the pain, or to divert the attention ! There will
then be indignation and wrath, tribulation and
anguijh, upon every foul of man that doeth evil,
when they fhall all be convinced of all their
ungodly deeds, &c.
That the wicked may receive their due
punifhment, they will be banifhed from Chrift. He

69
He who died for them on the crofs, who now
invites them to himfelf by the gofpel, will then
with awful majefty, fay, depart from me ye
curfed. They have faid depart from us, we
defire not the knowledge of thy ways ; he will
then fay depart from me. They loved curling,
it fhall then come upon them. They rejefted
all the bleffings of the gofpel, therefore the
Lord Jefus Chrift, in the charafter of judge,
will pronounce them accurfed. Ye who are
defpiiers of the Saviour, prepare to meet him
as your judge. Ye who refufe his grace and
falvation, prepare to hear him denounce a
dreadful curfe upon your guilty heads. Ye
who now fly from the friend of finners, look
for banifhment from him in the great day of
accounts. When the ungodly are fentenced to depart
from the Lord, into the lake of fire, they will
be deeply fenfible of the lofs incurred by their
tranfgreffions. After feeing Chrift on the throne
of his glory, and the righteous at his right hand
—after hearing him blefs them in the name of
his Father, ana invite them to inherit the king
dom prepared for them — for the wicked to hear
the judge pronounce them accurfed, with the
fame lips with which he bleffed the juft, to find
themfelves doomed to fuffer in the fiery lake,
while the righteous are reigning with Chrift,
muft furely convince them, that the lofs they
fuftain in confequence of their having rejefted
the faviour, anjd refufed to bow to his eafy
jp yoke*

7°
yoke; is incalculably great. It will not theh
appear a light thing, to have neglefted the gof
pel — to have trifled with our own fouls — to
nave fquandered away our precious time in
Vanity and folly— to have flighted opportunities
of attending to the things which belong to our
peace— to have been afhamed of Chrift and his
followers — to have omitted the praftice of bene
volence and mercy - — to have expofed ourfelves
to the lake of fire, by preferring the pleafures
of fin, to fuffering reproach with the people of
God : no, the remembrance of thefe things,
will then fill the minds of finners with deadly
flings. The proper punifhment of the wicked will
be the fufferings inflifted upon them in the
lake of fire. However dreadful the feelings of
guilt and wrath in their confciences may be —
however heavy the words of the judge, depart
from me ye curfed, may hang upon their minds
- — however keen their fenfe of lofs — the pofitive
punifhment of the lake of fire will be the moft
dreadful of all. But fome may afk, will the
wicked be caft into a lake of real fire ? What
fay the fcriptures ? There we read, in the
moft plain and pofitive terms, of the wicked
being caft into a real lake of fire. Was it real
fire by which Sodom and Gomorrah were de-
ftroyed? Was the earth deftroyed by real
water in the days of Noah ? Is it not as plainly
declared, that the heavens and earth which are
now, are referved unto fire againft the day of
judgment

7i
judgement and perdition, of ungodly men, as it
is that" Sodom was deftroyed by fire, and the
old world by water? If we are.not to underftand
the fcriptures according to the plain import of
the words therein ufed, there can be no certain
mode of judging of their meaning : and if we
admit the plain .meaning of fcripture, -there can
be no doubt but the wicked will be literally caft
into a real lake of fire. If the phrafe lake of fire
was only a metaphor, to reprefent the burning
wrath of their own minds as -preying upon the
.wicked, how could the judge bid them depart
* into itr^-how could they be faid to be caft into
;it-— when, according to that hypothefis, they
a would have it in them, and carry it along with
them ? It appears that as this globe hath been
the theatre of their crimes — the rock on which
• they have built their happinefs — --here they will
be judged, and here they will meet their punifh
ment. It is declared the prefent heavens, or
atmofphere, and earth, are referved unto fire,
againft the day of judgement and perdition of
ungodly men, it. follows, that, after the judge
ment, the earth will, by the conflagration, be
-turned into a lake of fire, into which the wicked
will be caft. How dreadful muft the idea be
of being plunged into liquid fire, there to re-
i main,. Under all *the pangs and; horrors of the
jffecond death* for an undefined period !
'J - $.' I proceed to fome remarks on the duration
^of future punifhment. , .*, ,,
•'""•'¦ ji_ ¦••'¦*,,
'io ."--i. . K.2 There

72
There are perfons who will not admit that
future punifhment can be fufficiently alarming,
unlefs it be fuppofed to endure to all eternity;
but furely what we have noticed under the
preceding head muft be fufficient, if properly
confidered, to alarm the flouteft hearted finner:
be this as it may, I am well convinced that
punifhment will not be abfolutely endlefs.
The punifhment of each individual will be in
exaft proportion to his crimes. We are told
fome fhall be beaten with many, fome with few,
ftripes, which words naturally convey the idea
of fome being punifhed longer than others;
but this cannot be the cafe if the punifhment of
all be endlefs. God will render unto every man
according to his deeds, every one fhall receive the
deeds done in his body, according to that which he
hath done. But can we find any two finners
whofe crimes are in nature and number exaftly
the fame? yet all who are found in their fins,
in the great day of accounts, will be caft into
one and the fame lake of fire. How then can
their punifhment be proportioned to their crimes
if they be either annihilated, or endlefsly con
fined there ?
The whole mafs of punifhment which will
be inflifted on the ungodly will not be endlefs.
There is not a fingle paffage of fcripture which,
if carefully examined, and compared with other
parts of the facred writings, will convey the idea
of endlefs punifhment. The Greek adjeftive
eeonian does not neceffarily convey the idea of
endlefs

73
endlefs duration"; aion> the noun from which it
is derived, cannot mean abfolute eternity,
becaufe it is frequently ufed in the plural, and
is alfo applied to different periods which
fucceed each other, for no one will admit the
idea of a plurality or fucceffion of abfolute
eternities; but it cannot well be fuppofed that
any adjeftive can be moreextenfive in its import
than, the noun from which it is derived. The
proper rendering of aion is age, confequently of
aconian agical, or age-lafting, (i. e.) what relates
to the age or ages where the word occurs, not
everlafting* : it follows that future punifhment
being called aeonian, by no means proves that
punifhment will be endlefs. You may fatisfy
y ourfelves, if you carefully examine, that the
word everlafting, &c. as it occurs in the national
tranflation of the fcriptures, muft frequently be
taken in a limited fenfe. If a Jew were to con
tend that the priefthood and ordinances of the
Jewifh difpenfation were intended to remain in
force to all eternity, becaufe in the Englifh
bible both the one and the other are faid to he
everlafting, &c. that confequently chriftianity
muft be falfe ; as it is eftablifhed by the abro
gation of the former difpenfation, would yoU
not reply that the words everlafting, for ever, &c.
could not mean endlefs, when connefted with
thofe things which belonged only to the former
difpenfation, becaufe that difpenfation was to
give place to a more perfect fyftem ? If a man
* See the Notes at the end of Scarlet's Teftament, tinder the
words ages and seonian.
were

74
were to affirm that Chrift will continue tominifter
as a prieft to all eternity, that he never will
"deliver up the kingdom to the Father, but reign
as mediator to all eternity, becaufe his prieft
hood is faid to be everlafting, and his throne
to be for ever and ever, would you not reply
that Chrift will ceafe to aft as prieft when all
the ends of his priefthood fhalrbe completely
anfwered, and that his mediatorial kingdom
muft terminate when he fhall have delivered up
the kingdom to the Father ? by fuch replies you
would admit that the word everlafting, &c.
both in the Old and New Teftament is fometimes
ufed in a limited fenfe, why then not admit that
it is ufed in a limited fenfe when applied to
future punifhment, feeing there are other great
events which muft fucceed that punifhment,
fuch as the reconciling of all things, God's being
all in all, &c.? if it be objefted' that we, read of
fome who. (hall never be forgiven, neither in
this world, nor in the world to come, I anfwer
that nothing more can be proved by the cafe
referred to, than, that thole who blafpheme
againft the Holy rGhoft fhall not have their
punifhment remitted, either in the prefent or
in the future flate^ ^uutit by no means follows
that their punifhment ^ill be endlefs*. If it be
urged that the Lord faid it had been good for
Judas that he had not been born, but that if he
fhould ever be made happy fuch language will
not then be applicable to him ; I reply, to me it
appears a fufficient reafon for the Lord's ufing
* See a letter in the Univerfal id's Mifcellany, vol. 2.
page 269, in anfwer to Mr, Wood's-Query. fuch

75
fuch language concerning Judas, if applicable to
hi^n at the time when he betrayed his matter, if
in the anguifh of his mind which followed, his
being born appeared to him to be a curfe ; but
however this cafe may be explained, I think it
cannot with truth be faid, it had been good for
Judas never to have exifted, for God faw it
good to give him exiftence, and furely no one
will fay it had been good for God to have
afted otherwife*.
All the punifhment to be inflifted upon
the ungodly will be inflifted by Chrift, in his
mediatorial capacity, confequently muft ter-
s minate before the termination of his me
diatorial reign. If the earth be turned into a
lake of fire, and that lake of fire be the place
where the wicked will be be punifhed, it follows,
that the punifhment muft be limited becaufe
the earth itfelf is to be formed anew, con**
fequently the lake of fire muft have an end
before the new earth can be fully brought
forth. We read of a period when there fhall
be no more death, but that period cannot arrive
while any creature remains under either the
firft or fecond death. Punifhment, as pro
ceeding from the God of infinite goodnefs, and
miniftered by the mediator, muft be intended
to anfwer fome end, for God cannot aft without
having an end in view worthy of himfelf; but
what end worthy of God oould be effefted by
* See the Univerfalift's Mifcellany, vol, 2, pages 51, 52. 53,
remarks on the cafe of Judas by J. Cue.
-> either

y6
either annihilation or endlefs mifery ? endlefs
punifhment would make the wrath of Gpd
eternal, and bis mercy a fpan.
4. / will endeavour tofiate the end which Goo
liath in view, when "he puniffies finners.
God doth not punifh finners to glut a prin
ciple of revenge, from a vindictive, malevolent
difpofition, for no fuch difpofition can exift in
him. He faith, fury is not in me; it follows
that he doth not punifh from the impulfe of
furious paffions. God is love, confequently
when he inflifts punifhment, it muft be from
a principle of love.
He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the
children of men; it follows that he cannot do it
from caprice or ill humour, that as he hath no
pleafure in the fufferings of his creatures, he
cannot punifh them but in fubfervience to an
end infinitely wife, juft and benevolent.
The end which God hath in view in punifh
ing finners, appears to be the general good of
the creation, and the particular good of the
punifhed. Though men cannot always com
bine the good of the public with the good of
the individual punifhed, the God of infinite
wifdom, power and goodnefs can. That God
hath the good of his creatures in view when he
punifhes them in the prefent ftate, few men, if
any, will deny. This hath all along been the
cafe

77
cafe with refpeft to the Jews ; all the punifh
ment which God hath laid upon them, hath
been that they might fear that glorious and fear
ful name the Lord their God. This was the cafe
with Nebuchadnezzer, &c. God is always the
fame, therefore he cannot punifh from different
motives, and to a different end, hereafter, to
what he doth now. He will never aft unworthy
the charafter of a Father in his conduft towards
his rational offspring. Which of you who is a
father would think of punifhing his children
with any other view than to effeft their refor
mation ? Are you better than God ? How can
we reconcile with the fpirit, which all who fear
God are fuppofed to poffefs, the inftances men
tioned in the fcriptures of their praying for, and
rejoicing in the punifhment of the wicked, unlefs
we fuppofe they confidered • fuch punifhment
as neceffary for their reformation? Confiftently
with that idea we can rejoice in the execution
of the moft terrible judgements of God, without
departing from the fpirit of chriftianity. The
pfalmift prayed that Jehovah would perfecute
,the wicked as the fire burneth the wood, that
they might feek his name ; that they might perifh,
in order that they might know that he was
Moft High over all the earth (Pfalm lxxxiii. 14
to 18) May we improve all the judgements
of God to his glory and our own good.

CONTENTS.

PAtE
DISCOURSE I.
An attempt to prove that nothing is impoffible
with God g
DISCOURSE II.
The Lordfhip of Jefus Chrifi, as Mediator,
offer ted - - • - 17
DISCOURSE III.
The practical tendency of the Univerfal
Doctrine examined - - 32
DISCOURSE IV.
Obfervations concerning the firfi-fruits of
the creatures . - - - 47
DISCOURSE V.
The caufe, nature, extent, and defign of future
punifhment - - - - 63

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