without injury. And his laugh is idle, unphilosophical, absurd, unless he can afford to sport with all the laws of his present being. And if such a scoffer be at all capable of anything better than scoffing (if he be capable, for example, of pursuing a train of thought, and of perceiving when an argument is fairly constructed); and if he have any portion of manly honesty remaining, (for a habit of ridicule makes sad havoc among the better parts of our nature,) I think that the doctrine of future punishment (or the sentiment that suffering will follow the infraction of God's law,) may be shown to be as rational, as beneficial, as desirable, as the indisputable fact that the laws which relate to our present organization cannot be violated without harm ensuing.

Though these may be sufficient reasons for entering upon this subject, I have yet another, viz.-An humble but earnest wish, if the Father of Lights will condescend to vouchsafe his aid and blessing,—to justify the ways of God to man. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' 'His work is perfect; all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.' It does not indeed follow that all his ways must necessarily appear right to all his creatures, at all times, and under all circumstances. We can easily conceive of many things which would prevent men from forming a proper estimate of the great Governor; and to some of these we may subsequently refer. When I speak, then, of justifying the ways of God to man, I have neither the idea that every reader will be made to feel a perfect satisfaction in the awful fact of future punishment, nor the preposterous notion of being able to clear up all the difficulties connected with the subject. Still it appears to me that difficulties (over and above those which necessarily grow out of our present position of partial enlightenment) have been created, and artificially attached to the subject, which is confessedly difficult enough, even when we have embraced all the aids that are accessible.

It appears to me that by availing ourselves of the help which God has placed within our reach, some of the difficulties may be removed, and that we may attain to a position from which we can look down into the world of punishment—not without sorrow it is true, deepest sorrow— but still without one feeling of doubt as to the perfect wisdom of God, and the propriety of his dealings. It is

surely possible to view the future sufferings of the impenitent, through the medium of principles so obviously sound, that we shall be ready to exclaim with the company in the Apocalypse, when the seven angels appear, having the seven last plagues, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.'

But it may be permitted me to suggest one or two cautionary considerations. There should not, for example, be an impatience of suspense, and a determination to have some positive opinion or definite view one way or another. And this remark applies to all our enquiries after truth. Is it not indeed every way better to remain in suspense for a time, though painful, and to keep the judgment in abeyance, than hastily to take up with conclusions that after all may be wrong, rather than endure a longer state of uncertainty?

This

And when scripture has purposely left any matter somewhat undefined and indistinct, keeping, for wise reasons, the veil still partially drawn around it, is it for us to lift that veil, or to decide with certainty as to what is concealed? On many subjects we see as through a glass, obscurely ;' we have all the light that is necessary for our practical guidance, but not in the present state much more. is true as to the structure of revelation generally. Its object is entirely practical, and suited to a probationary state. What scripture leaves in comparative twilight it is not for us to present in clearly defined outline. It will not surprise therefore, if, on some points that will have to be touched, I shall observe my own rule, and avoid the glare of demonstration, contenting myself with that measure of light which God may have seen fit to afford. What I find doubtful I certainly shall not undertake to decide. And probably I may feel bound to place in this region of dim twilight, some things which many have taken for granted as indisputable, only for want of a closer acquaintance with the difficulties which surround the subject.

But let me briefly indicate the course we are to pursue. Punishment implies crime; Crime implies law; Law implies a certain relation in which we stand towards one who has a right to enact law, and to call to account; this leads us to consider the nature of our relationship to God, and the nature and wisdom of a moral system;

and this, again, may almost compel us to think of the great root of all our mystery and difficulty, the permission (or rather non-prevention) of evil, in a universe that was created, and is still presided over, by perfect wisdom, goodness, and power.

These are topics which we cannot altogether avoid. For punishment is not an isolated act of the divine government; and considered alone, apart from all other truths with which it stands connected, we must necessarily form erroneous ideas about it; and very erroneous ones concerning the God in whose dominions it has a place. We ought not then to treat of future punishment, awful as the scriptures state it to be, as an independent and isolated fact, since it is not such. The only point of view whence we can safely bear to look into the world of the finally lost, is that from which we can also see the other parts of the system wherewith it is connected.

And do Thou who art the sole fountain of intelligence, as of being, the Father of Lights, from whom alike cometh the feebler ray that guides the insect through its little hour, and the noonday brightness in which cherubim and seraphim continually do dwell, vouchsafe to us all needful grace; that our understanding may be light in the Lord, our judgment sound, our imagination the sober handmaid of reason, and our affections in perfect harmony with all thy holy will. For since thou art the Author of the human mind, and canst lay thy all-governing hand at will on all its faculties and secret springs, thou canst, as we now beseech in the name of thy beloved Son, give unto us wise and understanding hearts, so that, discerning through the clouds and darkness which surround thy majestic throne, how gloriously righteousness and judgment have hewn the seven pillars thereof, we may reverently admire the counsels of thy wisdom, and for ever magnify thy holy name!

17

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

Relation God sustains, what-The paternal suggested-examined --some modification necessary-The rectoral character suggestedexamined-Result-Whence the true idea of sin-and propriety of

punishment.

In entering on the solemn subject we have undertaken, there is one question in particular which meets us at the very threshold of our inquiry, viz. What is the true nature of the relation in which we stand to God? or in other words, What is the character which God sustains toward us?

Nor is this an unimportant question. It lies at the very foundation of the notions we form, not only on our present subject, but on numerous others of thrilling and everlasting interest. From this point men go off in various directions, and the farther they proceed, each one in his own several course, the farther do they separate from each other; till men who had commenced their enquiries together, starting from some common point, find themselves eventually wide as the poles asunder. Thus we come at once, in our proposed journey, to a place where numerous cross roads branch off in all possible directions: we anxiously ask which we ought to take, for if we take a wrong path, the farther we go the more thoroughly wrong do we get. There cannot arise, in the whole course of our inquiry, a more important question than the present one; for it is not too much to say that the most momentous doctrines of religion hinge upon the question; and our own interpretation of the peculiar doctrines of christianity (so far as dogmatic rather than exegetical theology is concerned, at all events,) will depend on the answer we give to the question,What is the relationship subsisting between God and his intelligent creatures?

Thus, for example, our ideas as to the nature of sin have their essential rise here; and then, by necessary consequence, our notions as to the proper remedy, if remedy can be admitted; and then, being only one step farther, our opinion as to the result of sin, if there be no remedy, or if it be neglected.

I feel it right to state thus distinctly the fact that our subsequent views will necessarily take their color, to a very great extent, from the decision we come to on this point. Let a man decide this question, either one way or another, and then his ultimate conclusions, if he reason soundly, cannot be avoided. If the premises be false, the more accurate the reasoning, the more certainly will the conclusions be false too: so that to re-examine the argument will only confirm such a one in his error, all the while the premises are assumed to be sound. Let us therefore give our best attention to this question concerning the relation that subsists between man and his Maker.

§ Let me suppose myself to be thinking aloud on this all-important subject, so as to be overheard by several persons, who eagerly volunteer to satisfy my mind; each hoping to make me a proselyte, and attach me to his party. Anxious to decide, I thankfully accept the offer, and listen to the various opinions which they confidently proclaim.

The First tells me that my true relation to God is that of theclay in the hands of the potter:' that as a creature, I have no rights whatever, absolutely none; and that God may therefore do what he pleases with me, (without regard to my character;) that as a potter may, if he please, break into a thousand shivers the vessel that he has formed, just so may God devote me to wretchedness or destruction, without injustice, for that I have no rights; and that as everything depends on the mere will of God, he may deal with me as an absolute and irresponsible master with his slave. I shudder at the picture; but the speaker draws forth a bible, and quotes chapter and verse. I think, however, to ask him whether he has quoted the book correctly; and whether those views are really exhibited there, or whether he may not have taken some few expressions in an extreme sense, and independently of the connection.

A Second assures me that the first speaker is quite correct in his assertion, but quite wrong in his conclusion