when they realize the dreadful anticipation, that their pangs, not unlike those of "burning fire" and " gnawing worms," will endure forever! e) The torments of the accursed will probably consist in part of raging desires and lusts,1 forever denied gratification. f) Probably too, they may have a glance at the blissful scenes of heaven, as had the rich man at Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, and feel the more deeply the extent of their loss. g) Much of their misery will arise from their confinement with devils, and other malicious, damned spirits; whose very depravity makes them seek a fiendlike pleasure in tormenting each other! h) But the certainty of their wretchedness is placed beyond all doubt, because they will be shut out in regions of outer darkness, far from the presence of God and the glory of his power. What more terrific horrors can be imagined than must result from the dread combination of all these sources! Yet all these are the natural fruits of sin, independently of any positive punishment, which a righteous God may see fit to inflict !

III. The duration of these torments is beyond all doubt represented as eternal.

The eternity of future blessedness is not disputed, although that of future punishment has been; yet they rest on precisely the same evidence. Happiness has no more tendency to confer eternity, than misery to take it away. Both rest on the testimony of God's word. a) Express and literal passages are found teaching, that the pains of the accursed are "eternal," 3

1 Rev. 22: 11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy still.

2 Matth. 25: 45. 46. Then shall he say to them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

3 Mark 3: 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but in danger of eternal damnation.

are "

everlasting," and continue "for ever and ever.” 2 b) The same doctrine is conveyed in figurative language of various and unequivocal import, teaching the eternity of future punishment. It is termed "the unquenchable fire," "the worm that dieth not," and the lake of fire and brimstone, in which Satan and his angels are " tormented day and night, forever and ever. "4 There is moreover reason to believe that the accursed will forever remain enemies of God; and, therefore, eternally deserve, and receive punishment. The scriptures never even intimate, that the flames of hell will be purgative, sanative or remedial in their influence, but always describe them as penal and retributive. Nor is it inconsistent with the love of God to punish sinners eternally for they had a fair term of probation, were often entreated to be reconciled to God, and would not. The good of the moral universe therefore requires, that the penalty of the law be inflicted on them, that others may fear and not fall into like condemnation. c) The devils in hell did not regard their torments as temporary, or express the least hope of deliverance. d) Nor did the rich man cherish any such expectation.

The penalties of the divine government, like those of good

1 Matth. 25: 46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Dan. 12: 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life; and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 2 Thess. 1: 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

2 Rev. 14: 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image.

3 Mark 9: 43. 44. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched.

4 Rev. 20: 10. And the devil that deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever.

civil polities on earth, are appointed not to satisfy the vengeance of the lawgiver, but by preventing transgression, and promoting virtue, to secure the highest happiness of the moral universe. Would any man, when passing some prison of our land, infer from it the cruelty of our lawgivers? Or if you beheld a murderer on the gallows, writhing in the agonies of death, would you believe that our rulers are tyrants, that some reckless impulses of vengeance had erected the instrument of torture? No, we all know, that the attachment of just penalties to laws, is a necessary part of a good government, and tends to ensure security of person and property: yea, that it is not only consistent with true benevolence, but actually dictated by it, in order to secure the highest good of the moral universe, and also of the criminal himself. As long as there was any hope for the sinner, these very penalties exerted a salutary influence on him, by retarding his career of iniquity and ruin.

That the punishments of the divine government will be found just, we must necessarily infer from the infinite perfection of God who appointed them.

Of their real magnitude, or of what justice would in any case demand, we are totally incompetent judges, because of our very inadequate views of the evil of sin in the divine government.

It is found that even the dread of eternal punishment, cannot prevent the mass of mankind from frequent transgression of the divine law how entirely inefficient would milder punishments have been? The legitimate effect of a disbelief of future punishment is witnessed in the beastly and inhuman scenes of revolutionary France.

It should moreover ever be remembered, that if sin were not so great an evil, as to merit and require the severe punishments threatened in God's word; its existence could not be so highly detrimental to the happiness of the universe, nor its prevention an object of such great importance as to require the menace of

such dread penalties, even if God were "man that he could lie," and did not intend to execute them.

Rather let us receive the declarations of our heavenly Father, on this as on all other subjects, with submission and holy awe; confidently believing that all "his judgments are just and righteous," and striving by an immediate surrender of our hearts to him, or if we are his true children, by a daily renewal of our dedication to his service, to escape his righteous displeasure, and through the merits of our crucified Redeemer, secure his favour which is life, and his loving kindness which is better than life.

ARTICLE XVIII.

Of Free Will.

Concerning free will our churches teach, that the human will possesses some liberty for the performance of civil duties, and for the choice of those things lying within the controul of reason. But it does not possess the power, without the influence of the Holy Spirit, of being just before God, or yielding spiritual obedience: for the natural man receiveth not the things which are of the Spirit of God: but this is accomplished in the heart, when the Holy Spirit is received through the word.

The subject of this Article, which with more propriety might have been entitled the Inability of man to fulfil the divine law without the aid of the Holy Spirit, has received some attention in the discussion of Art. IV and V.

The additional clause of this article, containing a reference to Augustine's works and exemplifications of the doctrine above stated, is omitted in this, as it is in many other versions; as also the clause rejecting dissentient opinions.

ARTICLE XIX.

Of the Author of Sin.

On this subject they teach, that although God is the creator and preserver of universal nature; the cause of sin must be sought in the depraved will of the devil and wicked men, which when destitute of divine aid, turns itself away from God: agreeably to the declaration of Christ, When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own. John 8: 44.

The subject of this article also, was anticipated in Proposition IV. of Decrees and Providence of God.

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