Moreover, we feel it to be a duty to state, that in room of straining particular passages, which speak of the punishment of the wicked, so as to favour the idea of unlimited punishment, we should feel justified in restraining any passage, could such be found, that should seem to favour an opinion so dishonourable to God, and so revolting to our best feelings.

It surely should not require so much direct testimony from the scripture to prove that God will have mercy on all men, as to prove that he will not; for if we judge the divine Being by his conduct to men in this life, the evidence of his universal goodness is perfectly ample. And David says "the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works."

If what the scriptures assert on this subject be true, and if we may credit the testimony of divine providence we must conclude, that the doctrine that teaches uninerciful, never ending punishment is a direct impeachment of the divine Being; and is the greatest specimen of ingratitude that is to be found in all the world.

This ungrateful doctrine is now held up to be the guardian of morality! In order to be moral we must solemnly and heartily accuse the kind Father of our spirits, who loves sinners and sent his Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, of having predestinated millions of human beings to a state of endless woe, before the creation of the world! If religion and morality begin with such ingratitude, what will be their gress? and what will be their end?

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There is one more argument which the opposer may think ought to be noticed, which is the following; As Jesus says, in our text; "it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two

hands, to be cast into hell &c.; as entering into life means entering into a state of eternal felicity, hereafter, so being cast into hell, being the opposite of entering into life, seems to favor the opinion that this hell is in the future, eternal world.

In replying to this argument, we shall bring the principal design of the text before the hearer, and introduce the argument of the Saviour for the purpose for which he used it.

And here the hearer is called on to observe that the objection to which we are now about to reply is, in fact, founded on a mistake. By entering into life, we have no evidence to believe, that the Saviour had any allusion to entering into a state of complete happiness, in the eternal, immortal state; but we have evidence to the contrary of this, even in the text itself. Observe the words; "it is better for thee to enter into life maimed," &c. He surely did not mean, that men were to enter into a state of immortality in the eternal world maimed.

John Baptist, says; "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." St. John says, "we know that we have passed from death unto life, because' we love the brethren." St. Paul says, "there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the laws of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." To the Ephesians he says; "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ." This is that life into which those who believe and obey the gospel enter maimed.

But the immortal state is represented glorious and complete.

We shall now solicit the attention of the audience to the consideration of what is meant by being

maimed, in our text, and to an illustration of the proper object of the Saviour's argument. Observe the introduction of our subject. "And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee cut it off; for it is better for thee to enter into life maimed," &c.

The evident meaning of the Saviour seems to be this; if one of your nearest connections in the world, even if one as dear to you as a hand, should oppose your yielding obedience to the gospel, part with this dear connection rather than part with divine truth. And though you thereby feel as one who has lost a hand, yet what you gain is more than what you lose. In this connection, Jesus mentions the cutting off of a foot, and the plucking out of an eye for the same cause as the cuting off of the hand; and it is very evident that this recommendation was given on account of the opposition that was constantly in exercise against the cause of truth, and which he knew would increase unto grevious persecution.

Jesus said; "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be' they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his . life for my sake shall find it."

It was hard indeed for the disciples of Jesus to part with such tender connections, and they, no doubt, felt, in some respect, as people do, who have lost a hand, a foot, or an eye; but then on the other hand, they had Jesus who is worth more than all they lost.

St. Paul was called, to enter into life at the expense of all that he held dear, of a worldy nature. Brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, educated a Pharasee, in high esteem among his people, and in the confidence of the high Priest of his nation ; in his youth when his prospects were exceedingly flattering, and at a moment when he was engaged in rendering all possible service to the interest of those authorities, which were hostile to the cause and disciples of Christ, he is called to embrace the Saviour, and to part with all his connections and friends on earth. He entered into life maimed. He felt like one who has lost a hand, a foot, and an eye, but thereby saved his life. How often would such a person think of the members gone. How often would he say, O that my hand, my foot, and my eye could, again be restored. So it was with St. Paul. He says; "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accused from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." And again, he says; "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." But there he saw them, devoted to the worm and fire, discribed by the prophet Isaiah.They were the Apostle's "kinsmen according to the flesh." They were to him like lost members of his body, for whom he exercised great and continual concern.

Will the advocate for endless punishment say, that St. Paul's concern for his brethren was because he believed they would never obtain mercy? Will any pretend that Paul was heavy-hearted, because he believed as many do now, that they were consigned over to endless woe?

Such a supposition is in direct opposition to the clear and luminous arguments which this Apostle has left recorded in his epistles, particularly in the 11th of Romans, where he fully explains the occasion of the blindness of the Jews, and largely vindicates their final readmission to favour. Speaking to the Gentile believers, he says; "For as ye in times past have not believed God, but have now obtained mercy through their unbelief, even so have these now not believed that through your mercy, they also may obtain mercy." And as has been before noticed, he says; "All Israel shall be

sa ved."

It surely would be very contrary to the prospects of the christian hope, to suppose that St. Paul, or any other Saint would spend an eternity in the maimed condition that he was in, in consequence of leaving his brethren in darkness and unbelief.

Many professed Christians in our times, and indeed many professed preachers of the gospel, feel or affect to feel great concern for fear the souls of their fellow creatures will be finally sentenced to everlasting tortures in the eternal world. This is a maimedness, which St. Paul has informed us nothing of. But those who now believe the truth as it is in Jesus and yield obedience to its requirements enter into life maimed. They are called to part with dear connections, which are near to them as the members of their bodies.

The false religion of anti-christ, like the doctrines of the Pharisees and the Sadducees of old, has so established itself by the power of tradition, is