hard black clods of earth, all the gracefulness of those plants, the shady foliage of the trees, every flowery perfume, the lusciousness of the grape and the strawberry; and all the colors of the rainbow, those of the rose, the polyanthus, the daffodil, the daisy, the violet, and the acanthus, together with all the sweetness and the attractiveness of the whole scene. Three months sunshine and rain have fostered, out of dead earth, all this beauty and abundance ! But rain and sunshine, what are they, as agents compared with holy influences like those which the Father Almighty can exert upon the soul of man!"

Need we, then, when we see these wonders of renewal, in the natural world, wrought out by such simple agencies, need we doubt the final restoration of the soul to God? Can we doubt his resources, his power to renew it again in its first love, in the glory of its primeval state? Can we imagine a beauty of holiness, an excess of bliss, too great for the resurrection state? too great for the soul's glad summer to realize?

And when we see the simplicity of method and means by which God works in the natural world, and freshens the earth into beauty and abundance; shall we suffer any vain and blind philosophy to deceive us with the idle assertion that this doctrine makes the resurrection only a kind of moral chemistry, and the salvation of the soul a deliverance and purification as by miracle? In the presence of the great restoration of Nature in her spring-time, does a like renewal in the spiritual world, look impossible or unphilosophical? I do not say "unscriptural," because, as we have seen, the Gospel authoritatively announces

this glorious consummation as the eternal purpose of God, and the end, and the crowning triumph, of Christ's mission.

In the preceding chapters, we have presented the leading doctrines of the Theology of Universalism, in their natural and consequential relations. We have endeavored to show how they link into each other, and unite in a complete system; beginning in the original purpose and plan of God, embracing the argument from the Divine character and perfections, the object of the Saviour's mission, the nature of his Redemption, the office of the Holy Spirit, the New Birth of the soul, the glory and blessedness of the Immortal Life; and ending in the final restoration and exaltation to this life of all mankind through Jesus Christ.

These doctrines are coincident with the entire drift of Divine Revelation; they constitute the substance and meaning of the Gospel, and alone give to the mission of the Son of God, its true dignity and value. In themselves, they are a system of Divinity. They complete the argument in relation to human destiny, and the ultimate results of the government of God on earth; and establish the ever-blessed and beautiful truth, that the good of Man and the glory of God are one and inseparable.

But in conducting the inquiry thus far, we have avoided all side issues, all discussions of collateral doctrines, for the express purpose of carrying the argument forward, without interruption, from its starting point in the primal purpose of God, to its logical conclusion in the final restoration and perfection of

mankind. Consequently, we have omitted all polemical reference, not absolutely in the line of reasoning pursued, to the doctrines of Judgment, of Rewards and Punishments specially as such, of Repentance and Forgiveness, the Divine Law and its Penalties, Damnation, Everlasting Punishment, Hell, &c. ; reserving them for separate consideration, as collateral proofs, and illustrations of the main argument.

These subjects, which embrace a wide range of inquiry, and exposition, will receive attention in the chapters which follow. And the reader will not only find that the teachings of the Bible on these points, do not contravene the argument of the preceding chapters; but as intimated, it will be a pleasing surprise to him, if he has not investigated the subject before, to find how perfectly they harmonize with, and how thoroughly they confirm, the crowning doctrine of Universal Redemption. This will especially appear in the several expositions of the doctrines concerning Judgment, the Divine Law, Rewards and Punishments, &c. They will discover the manner in which all these great facts and principles of the Divine Government, converge upon the single point of the final abolition of all sin and suffering, and the everlasting reign of holiness and happiness throughout the universe. And at the close of the investigation, he will, perhaps, take up the saying of the ancient people, with a larger and more glorious meaning: "The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; he will save us." Isa. xxxiii.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF JUDGMENT.

The word Judgment is used with a variety of sig nifications in the sacred writings.

1. As descriptive of the Laws or Commandments of God to the Jews. After statutes and laws were given to the people, Moses said to them: "Wherefore, it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them," &c. Deut. vii. 2. As descriptive of Punishment. "My sword shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse to judgment." Isaiah xxxiv.

3. For Justice. "There is no judgment in their goings." Isa. lix. "Ye pay tithes of annis, cummin and mint, but have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith." Matt. xxiii. "Princes shall rule in judgment." Isaiah xxxii.

4. As descriptive of Government, or Rule over a people. "Then all the elders of Israel came to Samuel, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." 1 Sam. viii. “ "Sampon judged Israel twenty years." And Paul said to Felix (Acts xxiv. 10,) "Forasmuch as thou has been of many years, a judge of this nation," &c. Felix was governor of the Jews. In the same sense we find it used in Psalm lxvii. 4, applied to Jehovah. "O let the nations be glad, and

sing for joy! For thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth." We shall proceed to consider first, the subject of this quotation- God judging the earth.

GOD JUDGING THE WORLD UNDER THE OLD DISPENSATION.

Under the Old Dispensation, God is represented as judging the earth, or mankind, in this sense; as ruling and governing the world, rewarding and punishing, and possessing and exercising all the powers appertaining to a sovereign or ruler of a people. He is judging every day, continually employing his authority in encouraging the virtuous and obedient, and punishing the vicious and rebellious, all with the design of promoting the highest usefulness and happiness of those who are thus judged or governed.

"Thou satest in the throne judging right. The Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm ix. 2-10. The use of the words "govern," "reign," "throne," &c., show that the term "judg ment" is the synonym of "government."

Numerous are the passages which illustrate this important fact; such as Genesis xviii.: "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" Psalm lviii. : "Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." Jeremiah ix.: "I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness,