3. That all who receive the punishment of sin fully and adequately cannot afterwards be saved. A. B. Grosh says, that the "sinner may be certainly and fully punished, and afterwards receive the peaceable fruits of righteousness in immortal bliss." We have already given a refutation of this position in the chapter on "Punishment for Sin;" we will add a few remarks and give an exposition of a couple of passages of the Bible.

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1. The Universalists say, it is evident, that the wicked receive a full and adequate punishment for sin in this life, and are afterwards saved; proved from Prov. xi. 31. “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." This passage, much harped upon by Universalists, is capable of two constructions, and either not very satisfactory to their scheme. Peter quotes the Septuagint translation of this passage, which shows that the Spirit of inspiration deemed the following language, expressive of the sentiment of the text, "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter iv. 18. This latter passage the Universalists commonly refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, but, evidently, without any propriety, as that in Proverbs clearly proves. The constructions which may be put upon this passage, are the following: 1. That it teaches the doctrine of punishments for error and sin. That if the righteous, with all their excellencies, do not escape the hand of chastisement and punishment for their errors and occasional stumbles and falls; how shall the wicked escape the just judgments of heaven for their waywardness, their stout and protracted rebellion against God? The wicked who defy the vengeance of the Almighty, shall at length reap the due reward of their impiety and sins. That the wicked are fully punished in the earth, is unsustained by matter of fact, or by the Scriptures. Many who have

corrupted their ways and have become loathsome in character, endure less suffering and pain than many of the righteous. This has even, at times, been a sore trouble to the pious; for they could not reconcile it with the justice of God, neither can it be, without admitting the doctrine of future rewards and punishments. The Psalmist almost stumbled in faith to his fall, when he looked upon "the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men," &c. Ps. lxxiii. 3-5.

2. The passage may teach the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked. If the righteous, who are wise in winning souls to the love and allegiance of God, and scatter a salutary influence abroad, receive the blessings of grace and holiness in this world, what may they not expect in the world to come, when all their suffering toil shall be over, and they shall enter fully upon the estate of eternal blessedness? And since the wicked are sometimes punished with severe judgments from heaven, in addition to the natural consequences of sin in this world, what will their doom be, after the close of life, when they shall fully realize the awful desert of transgression? "Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" If in glory and "immortal bliss," then their life of profligacy, impenitence and rebellion will be as salutary and glorious in its final results, as a life of piety and godliness. This is erroneous, for it is subversive of truth and sound morality. The next passage may be found recorded in Is. xl. 2. comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her appointed time is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." The Universalist contends that this passage teaches, that the children of Israel in their Babylonian captivity

"Speak ye

were fully and adequately punished for all their sins, and afterwards were pardoned and saved that this is the correct and uniform principle in the moral government of God in reference to punishment and pardon of sin. If we take the passage literally, it would teach that the people were punished just twice as much as they deserved, therefore it would reflect injustice on the administrations of God, and subvert the position of Universalism, that the wicked shall receive a just punishment for sin, for they reap twice the amount of the claim of justice. We must therefore interpret the phrase, "double for all her sins," as figurative language, and synonomous with rigid and severe punishment. That it means, that the people received but a just and adequate punishment, is entirely begging the question; on the contrary, it would seem from the circumstances, and the general teaching of the Scripture, that they were punished until they were cured of the sin of idolatry, and the remainder of punishment due them was remitted. Thus they were saved from sin and punishment too, which conclusion overthrows Universalism and establishes the doctrine for which we contend. That the prophet means by double," a great and severe abundance, is evident from Is. lxi. 7. "For your shame you shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them." They should have an abundance of

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reward after captivity.

2. Consistent reason teaches that the wicked cannot be punished for all their sins deserve, and afterwards be saved, therefore they must, if ever saved, be favored with the remission of deserved punishment. The Universalist declares that the wicked must first be punished and after justice is fully satisfied, they are pardoned and saved. The law of God demands supreme love of every intelligent crea

ture; whoever fails in this commits sin, for this sin they must be punished. No matter whether this sin be great or small, whether it deserves punishment more or less limited, for it, they, who are guilty, must be punished. Now, during the time of punishment for this sin, they must obey all the law of God and omit no duty, or else as soon as they have endured punishment for one sin, they must endure suffering for another, and thus after having failed but once they will be placed under an eternally successive necessity of punishment for sin. This would prove endless misery. The only escape from this conclusion is in the position, that the wicked may endure suffering for past offences and at the same time, obey perfectly all the law of God. This would prove the absurdity, that men can do just double, in a given space of time, what God requires-pay off the past. claims of justice and render perfect obedience at the same time; or else salvation and damnation may be realized by the same persons and at the same time they may be reformed and damned, saved and guilty, justified in one sense and condemned in another. The only consistent conclusion is, that the wicked must either be favored with a remission of deserved punishment, or else they must endure the misery of an endless hell; either is death to Universalism.

3. The Scriptural doctrine of forgiveness of sins includes the remission of punishment. The Scriptural idea of the forgiveness of sins comprises an exemption from the fear of the punishment consequent upon sin, and from the punishment of sin itself; and the bestowment of the blessings of everlasting life instead of deserved punishment. The Savior says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." In consequence of faith they receive the forgiveness of sins, and in this they are

delivered from destruction, and have bestowed upon them in its stead everlasting life. If men must first suffer the full amount of punishment due to their sins, before they can secure a pardon of sin, and the bestowment of the blessings of life, then they can never be the objects of Scriptural salvation. For salvation implies a deliverance from some evil, and when justice is satisfied for all the ill deserts of sin in the punishment of the wicked, then will no evils be left from which to be saved, and then they are upon the ground of right entitled to the perfection and glories of heaven, and the bestowment of the blessings of eternal life is no more of grace but of debt. They cannot be saved from the commission of sin, for they must first cease to commit sin and be punished for all their former sins, before they can be saved; then after they have ceased to sin, they need no such salvation. They cannot be saved from the love of sin, for this very love is sin itself and deserves punishment; this love must cease before the punishment of this sin shall close, or else the punishment would continue; but if they cease to sin before the close of punishment, then salvation must precede and not succeed punishment, as Universalists maintain; and if so, they must either be saved from deserved punishment, or else they must endure damnation and enjoy salvation at one and the same time. If these can meet and exist in the same persons and at the same time without destroying each other, then for aught we know, the saints in heaven, while enjoying everlasting life, may at the same time, endure everlasting punishment; and the damned in hell, wailing beneath the blasts of eternal vengeance, are still enjoying the inexpressible glories of salvation. Above all, the Savior uttered a gross untruth when he said, "He that believeth in him that sent me, shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." Reader, be not startled at these monstrous conclu