speak, is this. It respects the salvation of the whole world of mankind, and decides in every heart the only true way and source of man's salvation; hence whenerer an individual is awakened to conviction, his works are tried by the gospel fire, as that fire shall try every man's works of what sort they are, and no man will find his own works sufficiently meritorious to save him, when weighed in the balance, but will be found wanting; his case will appear gloomy at this crisis, while as an individual standing in judgment. However, as soon as the book of life is opened to the understanding, he will find to his great joy his fate there decided by grace. And no eternal justification by creature works; hence every man will find sooner or later, judgment given in favour of his own eternal salvation by grace, and not by works least any man should boast. Although the day of judg ment, of which we now speak, will last through the whole gospel dispensation, yet one individual after another is brought to judgment, until the whole world shall have been judged. Some men's sins are manifested before temporal death, going before to judgment, while other men's sins follow after death, to be manifested by coming to judgment in the spiritual world. Therefore, St. Peter says, "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." This St. Peter says with reference to what he had before said on Christ going by the spirit, and preaching to spirits in prison who had been drowned by a flood, while yet in their sins; therefore were preached to that they might be judged in the same sense, ag men are judged in the flesh, but with a design also, that they should live like God in the spirit, i. e. be reconciled to God. Here I would observe, that there is no greater difference between that part of the day of judgment, which belongs to this world, and that part of it which extends into the world to come, than there is in a common calender day between the morning and evening or forenoon and the afternoon. For says St. Paul, "To this end Christ both died, rose and revived, that he might

be Lord both of the dead and the living." Now let me ask, is Christ less the Lord of the dead, than he is of those in this world? Is he not equally Lord of both, and consequently judge and saviour in both states? He surely is a saviour wherever he reigns Lord, and there by his spirit the gospel is taught, and souls are judged, Hence the whole gospel dispensation is the day of judg ment including both this world and the world to come.

CHAPTER 8.

FUTURE PUNISHMENT FOR SIN.

Heb. 10. 28. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." Verse 29. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace." Verse 30. "For we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompence, saith the Lord. And again. The Lord shall judge his people." 2nd Pet. 2. 9. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judg. ment to be punished." Prov. 1. 21. "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." Distress inflicted out of revenge, as a retaliation proceed. ing from malice, or from a spirit of hatred towards the. victim, would be unworthy of the name of punishment. For proper punishment is designed to correct faults, and not merely to torment without any profitable effect in the punished. God chastises the guilty out of love to his own glory, and for their best good. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth-if ye are without chastise ment then are ye bastards and not sons." "God so lov

ed the world that he gave his own son," &c. And he says he will punish the world for their iniquity. This is the same world, the object of God's love, who changeth not, nor alters his purpose of love.

Future punishment presupposes chastisement to be inflicted after the crime is committed by the culprit. So that present wickedness exposes the guilty to future punishment, which may instantly commence after the act of sin; or it may be reserved to be inflicted after a

lapse of time. In either case it must be called future punishment, whether inflicted on the sinner in this life or in the world to come, as it is future to the commission of crime. "God knows how to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished." "Tho' hand join in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished."

To say this punishment is present in the commission of crime, would be to blend the act of God and the act of sin together, which would be absurd. Hence we must conclude, that all the chastisements God inflicts on sinners is future punishinent, whether inflicted in this life or in the world of spirits. Now having, as I think, established my premises thus far, I will proceed farther, by explaining more fully the nature of this future punishment for sin, as inflicted by the hand of God. The holy scriptures teach us that God rewards men according to their works; and that the judge of all the earth docs right; and of course punishes every man according to his deserts. Hence we must conclude, that future chastisement must be exactly according to the nature of the sin punished; if it should be greater or less than the crime, in such case it would not be according to it, and might be thought by some, equally as unjust as to not punish sin at all, or as to punish the innocent: as a breach in justice in only one point, would spoil the whole attribute. However this may be, let the reader reflect on what St. Paul says, after observing that he who despised Moses' law died without mercy, for says he, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the son of God," &c. Notice, a much sorer punishment than that of temporal death without mercy, awaits the unbeliever who denies the son of God, i. e. if he receives what he is worthy of, or in other words, if the impenitent unbeliever receives his deserts, he will receive a much greater punishment than that of being put to a temporal death, that no reprieve could prevent.

Now suffer me to ask the candid reader this question. Suppose a man should die an impenitent unbeliever, can you reasonably suppose that no punishment

awaits his unbelieving soul? You must remember that the apostle thought such an one worthy of a sorer punishment than that of natural death, or even of being executed without mercy. Can you suppose the unbeliever will be reprieved from deserved punishment while St. Paul's words look you in the face? I hope not.

It has already been plainly shown, that all punishment for sin is future, and that no sin deserving chastisement can go unpunished eternally; but must sooner or later be brought into judgment. And here I would observe, that when God inflicts future punishment in this life, no purgatory is to be understood as the located place of chastisement, nor can we suppose a purgatory in the world of spirits, notwithstanding some die worthy of sorer punishment than any torturing death of the body, and can not be unpunished, according to their deserts. I think I can assure the reader, that Christ will never receive those who die in the exercise of sin and unbelief, only through the medium of chastisement; for the Apostle says, Heb. 12. 6, 8, 10. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. "But he for our profit (chastises us) that we might be partakers of his holiness." From this quota-tion, in connection with what has been before adduced, we may fairly infer that if any should die in sin, and in the world of spirits eternally go without chastisement, i. e. without any punishment, then Christ could never receive them; for whom he receiveth he chasteneth and Scourgeth. And if any who leave this world in their sins, should go entirely unpunished in the future world, then would they be bastards and not sons. "For if ye be without chastisement then are ye bastards and not sons." And again, if any leave this world unholy in mind, they can never partake of Christ's holiness in the world of spirits; if they are never punished according to their latest sins which they had died in, nor could they enjoy the profitable fruits of righteousness. For chastisement is a medium through which we are made: