at sin, and his wrath the full exhibition of justice against

sin.

man.

2. The Bible teaches that some men are punished less than their sins deserve, therefore they must be saved from punishment. They are either saved from deserved punishment, or else justice does not inflict on the guilty all the punishment adequate to their crime. Now, either position is death to Universalism, which professes to maintain, that every man must receive a full and adequate punishment for all his sins, and from it there is no salvation. We read in Job xi. 6. “Know, therefore, that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.". Ps. ciii. 10. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." The first passage has been replied to, that it was the language of Zophar, the Naamathite, therefore not credible as divine, for he was not a pious We would briefly say, that it matters but very little by whom spoken, if it but asserts the doctrine of God. That the sentiment is just and truthful, we have the Bible as a voucher. That is enough. The Psalmist corroborates the same principle, that men are in this world punished less than their iniquities deserve. If so, Universalism is false. Again, Ezra ix. 13. "And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this." Not only were the people of Israel punished for their sins; but they were punished far less than their iniquities deserved, and from all the punishment yet due them they were delivered. If all this does not teach salvation from deserved punishment, then language cannot convey just ideas of any doctrine. Were any of the doctrines of Universalism so directly taught in the Bible, think you, that it

would not be satisfactory proof? Why not the same, though it should nullify Universalism?

3. The Bible teaches that men are saved from the penalty of the law and deserved punishment. We have not only shown, that the children of men are and may be punished less than their iniquities deserve; but that they are saved from deserved punishment. Upon the latter point, we shall now enlarge by Scriptural quotations. 1 Thess. i. 10. "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." This passage teaches that punishment does not follow sin hand in hand, but that it is awaiting the wicked, as they are reserved to the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. It also declares that the saints of God who wait for Christ's descent from heaven, are delivered from this wrath. If this does not teach a remission of deserved punishment, what does? Matth. xviii. 27. "Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt." When the debt was canceled, the consequences, arrest and imprisonment, were withdrawn. So the Lord of heaven, when he pardons sins, remits all the punishment due for sin. Gal. iii. 13. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." The Savior came not only to save us from sin; but from the curse, or penalty of the law. It needs no argument to prove, that there is a difference between sin, and the curse of the lawthat the former incurs the latter; and that Christ has redeemed us from the penalty of the law, is plainly asserted, therefore the salvation of God includes the remission of deserved punishment. This is plain and decisive. Ps. cxxx. 3, 4. “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." Such passages teach, that

when the Lord shall mark iniquities, that he does not forgive-forgiveness of sins, and marking iniquities are opposites. All those against whom the Lord shall mark iniquities, shall not be able to stand; but shall fall and be consumed by the just punishment of sin; and those who receive forgiveness at the hand of God are delivered from the fearful account of sin and the consequent doom. How do these passages agree with the following declaration of A. C. Thomas, "We take the Scriptural ground, that both rewards and punishments are administered according to our works and that every work of every man, whether it be good or evil, shall be brought into judgment. But when we treat of salvation from unbelief and sin, and the blessedness of the justified state, we thankfully acknowledge that it is according to the grace and purpose of God." Aside from the promiscuous jumble of truth and error in the quotation, it flatly contradicts. the Psalmist, by whom we are informed, that forgiveness saves us from the punishment (or marking) of iniquities. Ez. xviii. 21, 22. "But if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him." That death is the penalty, of the law, needs no proof, and that all who turn from sin, and live justly and righteously, shall avoid the penalty of the law the text declares without equivocation; not even shall their transgressions be found recorded against them. How then shall they be fully punished for sin? This text is decisive. Jonah iii. 10. "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not." The people of Nineveh trampled on the au thority of God until their sins became heinous, and called

for divine wrath upon the place. They were warned of the approaching judgment by the prophet Jonah, the people believed the heavenly message, they repented in dust and sackcloth, turning away from their sins, and supplicated divine forgiveness. The Lord in mercy averted the gathering storm, and saved them from their doom. Thus we have an historical proof of salvation from deserved punishment, which completely nullifies the position of Universalism. Ps. lxxviii. 38. "But he being full of compassion, forgave their iniquities, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath." The people deserved destruction for their iniquity. Were they fully punished? The Psalmist declares that in consequence of the compassion of God they were not destroyed, but their iniquities were forgiven; he turned his anger away many a time, and did not exercise all his wrath. The people were thus released from the punishment and wrath their iniquities deserved. Ps. lxxxv. 2, 3. "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered. all their sin. Thou has taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger." The first passage teaches the doctrine of remission of sins, and the second, of remission of punishment. The two are so inseparably connected that when the one takes place the other must necessarily cease. The fierceness of anger and the wrath of God are removed from all such as receive the forgiveness of sin. This is evidently the Scriptural doctrine of salvation.

The question may occur to the mind of the reader, how shall we interpret such a passage as Ecc. xii. 14. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing," &c? If we rely upon such passages to prove the impossibility of escaping just and adequate punishment, we shall be overwhelmed with confusion, and be guilty of

a false exposition of the Scriptures. The above text does not assert, that any man shall be rewarded or punished; but only teaches that the characters we form here will be a matter of investigation hereafter; that we are accountable to God for all secret and public acts. Instead of deducing the doctrine of no remission of punishment from this passage, it would be more appropriate to deduce the doctrine of no forgiveness of sins, or evil works. This latter position would be no more in conflict with the whole tenor of Scripture than the former. The fact is, the law knows of no mercy or leniency; it calls for wrath upon every transgressor; but the gospel preaches mercy and pardon, and opens the way to attain the righteousness of the law by faith in Christ. In this way, sins may be forgiven, and salvation from deserved punishment may be realized. As Paul has said, "much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Rom. v. 9.

2. That Christ came to save us from sin, no orthodox theologian feels disposed to deny; yea, he rather exults in it, takes courage and praises God. But he also believes, as we have clearly proven, that this salvation includes all the consequences and punishments of sins, whether present or remote.. Christ does not merely save us from the love and commission of sin; but also opens a way to "escape the just recompense of reward." Those only who neglect salvation shall fall under the wrath of a sin-avenging God.

Now, we think that we have shown, that though punishment is sure and inevitable to the impenitent and incorrigible, yet that God by the blood of Christ has prepared a way whereby all who turn from and repent of sin, and believe in Christ, shall escape the just punishment of sin ast well as obtain forgiveness of transgression. It is only left for us to prove: