kingdom of God?" And ought we not to "reprove and rebuke with all long suffering and doctrine?"" To warn every man, and teach every man, in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus?" And should we not be "instant in season and out of season" in this "labour of love" to our fellow creatures? But our opponents have found out a way to make all these things of little or no importance, by denying the conditions of salvation, and by asserting that, let men live as they please in this world, they shall all pass into glory as soon as they die. And to smooth the passage of sinners through this world, and as though they would lull their consciences into a more fatal stupidity than that which is natural, they teach that all their actions are "necessary," that they are "precisely what God chooses they should be," and that they are in "accordance with his will." And where is the need of regeneration in this life, if these things are true?

If we have succeeded in showing that this doctrine is without foundation in truth and in the word of God, then it follows that man is a free agent, that there are conditions in salvation, and that these conditions must be performed in this world, or he who neglects them is lost for ever. May God, for Christ's sake, give us all understanding in these things. And now we commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to enlighten and renew your souls, to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified;

which we wish you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

Dec. 30, 1827.

APPENDIX TO ANSWER IV.

In my opponent's reply of November 23, 1827, were a few things worthy of notice, which on account of the length of my answer, were omitted. These I shall notice in this place. The first of the following articles I appended to my discourse on "necessity," and delivered it with that; but now assign it a more proper place in this appendix.

My opponent contends that we suffer in our own persons the whole punishment of sin, while sin itself is pardoned. I maintain that this is absurd, false, and impossible;-that if our sins are pardoned, we are released from punishment. If I succeed in maintaining my position, one of the main pillars of Universalism is removed, and the whole building must fall to the ground.

In my last answer on this subject, I said, "A sinner is pardoned just so far as his punishment is remitted, and no farther." My opponent overlooking this, goes on to represent me as holding that a sinner is fully pardoned by

God, and yet is held to suffer a part of the penalty of the law, in that disciplinary punishment which he inflicts upon his own children in this life, and under cover of this mistake, endeavours to bring off his own absurd doctrine of suffering the whole punishment due to sin, while the sinner is fully pardoned. In reply to this I remark,

1. That discipline and punishment, properly so called, are essentially different in their character, the one being a blessing, the other a curse. Discipline, as far as it is painful, may be referred to the sentence of the law; but being less than the desert of sin, and being administered on principles of mercy, and with a view to the reformation and salvation of the sinner, is changed into a blessing. My opponent gives us the same view of the difference between disciplinary and full punishment, when, in his last reply, speaking of the latter, he repeatedly asks, "Is this a blessing, or is it a curse?" We agree with him that it is a curse;" and herein it is distinguished from disciplinary punishment, which is a blessing. The Christian, therefore, does not suffer any proper punishment at all.

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2. The sinner is not absolutely and fully, but conditionally pardoned in this life."We are made partakers of Christ," says the apostle, "if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end." And our Saviour has given us an illustration of this subject in the 18th chapter of Matthew. Here we read of

one who had a debt of ten thousand talents forgiven by God, who, nevertheless, because he would not forgive a fellow servant, forfeited his own pardon, and was cast into prison till he should pay all that he owed. On this ground I say the sinner is pardoned, so far, and no farther than his punishment is remitted. If his pardon were absolute and full, his release from punishment would be so too.

But this is not the case with my opponent. He holds that the sinner is absolutely and fully pardoned, and yet that he is held to suffer the whole punishment of his sins. This we pronounce absurd in the highest degree. The remission of punishment enters into the very idea of pardon. I can have no other idea of pardon. You, my respected hearers, can have no other idea of pardon. My opponent himself, after all that he has said, can have no other idea of pardon than that which implies remission of punishment. If he has, let him now bring it forth and tell us how a sinner can be fully pardoned, and yet be held to suffer the whole punishment of his sins. But I tell you beforehand that he will not attempt this. He may "submit" this point also "to the audience," or he may attempt to point out some defect in my arguments, or he may attempt something else. But he will never attempt to show, by explanation, or illustration, how a sinner can be fully pardoned, and yet fully punished for all his sins. If he could do this, he might, for ought I know, make a hundred Universalists this evening; but

if he cannot do this he ought to be deserted by every one who has joined his standard.*

But do not the Scriptures promise pardon, and threaten punishment to the same person at the same time? To this I say no, not in this order; but they first threaten punishment, and then offer pardon, or remission of punishment, upon condition of repentance and faith in Christ. My opponent has often quoted this phrase from Ezek. xviii, 20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," with others of like character, to show, that though we be pardoned, yet we must suffer the punishment of our sins. To "die" in this place. he takes, as I do, to be the punishment of sin. But then I say that this text, with the context, clearly proves that when sin is pardoned, punishment is remitted." The soul that sinneth, it shall die ;" but if he turn from his sins he shall live," he shall be pardoned, he shall not die,"

-that is, he shall not be punished. And in the same manner we are to understand all the passages he has brought forward to prove the certainty of punishment with pardon. We shall certainly be punished as our sins deserve, if we do not repent and believe in Christ; but we shall as certainly escape punishment if we do repent and believe: because Christ has made

*This was said, if possible, to "provoke" my opponent to give an illustration of this article of his faith, believing that nothing I could say would so effectually expose its absurdity. But he knew too well the weakness of his cause to attempt this. And yet he does not give it up.-"Lord, what is man!"