subject: As a traveller, whose strength and spirits are exhausted by fatigue, after the dangers of a dark and stormy night reposes in the first friendly hut which offers him shelter; so it appears that those who have been agitated by the thought that the greater part of their fellow creatures will endure eternal misery, can find a temporary rest in the contemplation of their being blotted out of existence. My friends, after you are recovered from your fatigue, I wish you to exert yourselves once more to reach the end of your journey, as a Celestial Guide will point out to you a place of better accommodations, in a fairer clime and in a brighter region.

Without any farther interruption I proceed now to state the arguments in favour of the doctrine of Annihilation.

The texts which are brought in support of this opinion are numerous, but

same.

their meaning seems to be nearly the It would far exceed the limits of this discourse to lay them all before you, with a particular answer to them. The labour would be great, but the difficulty small. I shall recite some of them as they are arranged by Mr. Clark under the heads Punishment, Death, Second Death, Loss of Life, Destruction and Perdition, Hell, Gehenna or the Valley of Hinnom, and a Furnace or Lake of Fire. Thus Matt. xxv. 46, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment," (opposed to the happiness of the Righteous,)" but the righteous into life eternal." This punishment, it is asserted, will be executed by fire, as appears from the 41st verse," Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels." 2 Thess. i. 9. "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, or from his glorious power." Jude 7.

"Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire;" and in Peter" they are said to be turned into ashes."

Eternal life is attributed exclusively to the Righteous, as in John iii. 36. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." Ch. viii. 51. "If a man keep my sayings he shall never see death." x. 10. "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Rom. i. They who do such things are worthy of death." vi. 23. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eter nal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Observe by the way, it is not said Eternal death in opposition to Eternal life, and I apprehend the literal translation is this, "the wages of sin is a death,

32. 66

but

but the gift of God is a life which continueth, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Matt. x. 28. "God is able to destroy both soul or life and body in Hell, or in the valley of Hinnom." Heb. x. 39. "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul, or life.' Rev. xx. 15. "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into a lake of fire." Rev. ii. 11. "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." And again, Rev. xx. 6: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power,"

Great stress is laid on the opposition of the state of the Righteous and the Wicked, as John iii. 15. "Whoso believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life:" and in the fifth chapter and 29th verse, "unto the resurrection of life and a resurrection of condemna

tion." And John x. 28. "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish." It is said our Lord expressly speaks of the future state of the wicked as a state of destruction, as in Matt. vii. 13. "Broad is the gate that leadeth to destruction ;" and he opposes this destruction to life, "Narrow is the way that leadeth to the life." James iv. 12. "There is one lawgiver who is able both to save and to destroy." Rom. ii. 12. "As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law." I could certainly bring forward many more texts, which are supposed to assert or allude to this doctrine, but I apprehend those which have already been adduced convey the sense of all.

Now the first inquiry is, What is meant by Death? which, after the doctrine of the Eternity of Hell-torments has been abandoned, is certainly the strongest word which is used in Scripture to

express