on the other hand, generally become more moral and pious when they abandon universalism and embrace the doctrine of endless punishment. This cannot be denied.

4. Some who have committed crime, have afterwards confessed that a belief in universalism led them to perpetrate the deed, but no one ever made a contrary confession. It is perfectly easy to conceive that men may, through temptation, be led to commit sin because they think they shall not be punished endlessly for it; but it is not possible to conceive that a belief in the doctrine of endless punishment could, under any circumstances, be an incentive to crime. But it may be said that universalism teaches, that if men sin they must be punished for it, and that there is no way of escaping it. To this we reply, that while universalism teaches that there is no way of escaping the punishment of sin after it is committed, it has never told the sinner what his punishment must be, but that it is endured in some way here as he passes along through life. Taking this view, the sinner can have no cause much to fear a universalist hell, for he is taught that he has been in it ever since he began to sin; and having found it quite supportable, and most of the time quite comfortable, he can have but little to fear for the future. We think the above array of facts most clearly proves that universalism is demoralizing.

IV. Universalism is not especially comforting to the truly pious, but administers consolation to none but the ungodly. The godly have every assurance of salvation whether it be true or false; hence, their own hope of salvation does not depend upon the truth of universalism, but upon a knowledge of their present acceptance with God, being justified by faith and already in the way to heaven. Should it prove true that those who live and die in sin will be forever lost, it would not endanger the salvation of those who fear God and keep his commandments. Taking this view, we see that so far as relates to personal hope and comfort, universalism can administer nothing to the truly pious which they may not enjoy without it, or which they might not enjoy knowing it to be false. But while universalism administers nothing to the personal comfort of the pious, it really administers to the comfort and hope of the wicked of every description, so

far as they believe it. It says to them that sin cannot endanger their final salvation. Universalism says to the drunkard that though he must suffer here in the loss of property, character, and the aching of a feverish brain, yet drunkenness cannot endanger his final salvation; that just in proportion as he shortens his life by intemperance he will hasten his flight to heaven; and if at any time he shall drink so much as to destroy life, or if he meet with some fatal accident in a defenceless hour of intoxication, for such last drunken-fit he will have no after pain, but will awake in heaven and find himself shouting among the angels and redeemed spirits. Universalism says to the murderer, that though he must be somewhat disturbed with the horror of a guilty conscience, and be hanged by the neck if he be detected, yet all the murders he can commit cannot shut him out of heaven at last; that should he be called to expiate his crimes upon the gallows, yet it will be but a momentary pang, from whence he will make a precipitate retreat to heaven where he will meet the victim for whose murder he was hanged, and will have the opportunity of congratulating him on their premature arrival in glory.

Universalism says to the man who may be tired of contending with the ills of the present life, that suicide is a shorter way to heaven; that though it looks like a harsh work to take one's own life, yet he must die at last, and probably suffer more in dying than he will by an act which will end his life and suffering together in an instant. From this view it must be seen that universalism administers no special comfort to the devoted, praying christian; gives no special encouragement to virtue; but absolutely comforts the wicked in their sin, and strengthens the hands of the workers of iniquity.

V. Universalism is unsafe. It makes salvation depend upon a disputed point; disputed too by the voice of the church, and by the principal writers and commentators of every age. How unsafe then must it be, to hang our immortal hopes upon the truth of a point so generally and ably contested? There are many no doubt, whose only hope of heaven depends upon the truth of universalism, and should it fail, which it may do, their prospects are blasted in eternal night. Unless univer

salists pretend to popish infallibility, they must admit that they may be mistaken, and if mistaken, all who depend upon it for salvation will be ruined forever. But this is not the case with those who hold the opposite doctrine.

Should those who believe in the doctrine of endless punishment, and are living, watching and praying in view of it, after all find themselves mistaken, it will be attended by no lasting evil-they will still be saved. If there be no hell, our believing that there is one, cannot be the cause of our going to hell, and if there be no eternal damnation, we cannot be eternally damned; and if the doctrine of endless punishment be false, our believing it to be true will not render us liable to be punished endlessly. An old and just proverb says, "there can be no harm in keeping upon the safe side." "Their rock is not as our rock, our enemies themselves being judges."

THE END.