the righteous." Eccl. viii. 14. "No man knoweth either love or hatred (of God) by all that is before them." by his providential arrangements. "All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean. As is the good so is the sinner." Ib. ix. 1 2. "For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. v. 45.

As it regards the agonies of conscience, said to be endured by the wicked in this life, as a punishment of their sins, we would observe that the Scriptures represent even some of the greatest offenders as having a conscience void of all sensibility and consequently of remorse. "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2. So far from suffering remorse of conscience, the wicked cry to themselves "peace and safety," tho' “sudden destruction cometh upon them"; from which "they shall not escape." 1 Thess. v. 3. Instead, also, of representing the wicked of his day, as suffering for their sins the agonies of conscience, Jeremiah represents them as being happy, which, at least implies the absence of mental pain. "Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?" "Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?" Jer. xii. 1. The Scriptures describe sin as being of a deceitful and hardening nature; and consequently the longer a person lives in the practice of sin, his heart becomes the more hardened, his moral sensibilities are the more benumbed, and his conscience is the less susceptible of pain. "Exhort one other daily, while it is to day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Heb. iii. 13. Hence we are informed of some, "who being past feeling have given themselves over unto

lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." Eph. iv. 19.

Whilst such passages as these, are on the sacred page, we cannot embrace the unfounded dogma, that remorse of conscience in this world, constitutes the punishment of sinners; for remorse of conscience is not a punishment at all, at least not one proceeding directly from God;remorse of conscience implies the commission of sin, and the reception of divine light; without this light conscience could not discover sin and be sensible of pain. An awakened or alarmed conscience in this world, proves the existence of divine influence instead of the presence of punishment. Hence this remorse of conscience exists more or less in every penitent; and, in nine cases out of ten, it is this state of mind, produced by the Divine Spirit, that leads persons to enquire "What must we do to be saved?"-It cannot therefore be a punishment.

But this tenderness of conscience may be slighted; the Spirit that produced it may be grieved; the light may be withdrawn; and the heart may lose its moral feeling, and be rendered increasingly obdurate by long habits, and continual practice, of sin.

Hence we reject the above dogma, as being unscriptural, as it leaves the punishment of the offender in his own hands, and not in God's. If remorse is awakened, by sin he may immediately allay it; he has the remedy in his own power, and may escape the alledged punishment altogether. Nor must it be forgotten that, on this principle the greatest offender is oftentimes the least sufferer, and the punishment is proportioned not to the greatness but to the smallness of the crimes. For the smallest offender oftentimes from the tenderness of his conscience suffers more anguish of mind than the greatest adept in wickedness, who has been long hackneyed in the ways of vice. Now the scriptures represent the punishment as coming from GOD, and that men are punished "according to

their deeds," not indeed in this world, but in the world The Universalist dogma is therefore unscrip

to come.

tural.

Experience, also, is as fatal to the doctrine now condemned as the Scriptures are.

That the righteous do not receive their reward here, or even that they are not always free from suffering and enjoy uninterrupted prosperity, is a fact attested by the experience of almost every, if not every, saint who has ever lived. Reference to individuals is not necessary :the knowledge of the reader can supply innumerable instances in proof of our assertion.

Experience is equally against the supposition that sinners receive their full punishment here, or, as the verse in question is supposed to imply, that the Providential government of God invariably indicates the Divine displeasure against the wicked. Admit that some particular crimes or indulgences may be productive of bodily suffering; yet that all sins are not thus visited is a matter of daily observation. Are there now no affluent sinners free from bodily disease and pain?-Are there none basking in the beams of an external prosperity, surrounded by every thing that can minister to their gratification, who are strangers to God, and enemies of the Cross? Are all prosperous persons pious persons, those who "fear God and work righteousness"? Let experience decide.

Nor will the actual state of the world sustain the assertion that sinners receive their punishment in the agonies of their consciences. Where, we ask, are our PHARISEES, who while they pay tithe of mint, annise and cummin, neglect the weightier matters of the law," and so far from suffering distress of mind on this account, enjoy a high degree of self-approval and think they are doing God service? Hear St. Paul:-"Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Acts xxiii. 1. But he "was a blasphemer and a per

secutor," during a great part of the time he possessed this good conscience! Where was his punishment for these offences?—Not in his body, for he did not then appear to labour under any particular bodily indisposition:-but is it not strange, that he suffered many afflictions in his person after he had embraced the religion of Christ?—Not in his conscience, for his conscience accused him not; yea, he imagined he was materially serving the cause of God! Where also are our SADDUCEES, our EPICUREANS, Our INFIDELS, who believe not in the immateriality or immortality of the soul? Who, so far from enduring the remorse of an accusing conscience, think all their business is to "eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow they die !"-We suppose DAVID HUME will be held up as a victim of the excruciating torments of a guilty conscience! Where likewise is that part of our MODERN UNIVERSALISTS themselves, whose amusements are the card-table the ball room-who take God's name in vain by common swearing-who desecrate the Holy Sabbath by parties of pleasure, by business, by the ordinary occupations of the week -who drown their intellects in the intoxicating cup and riot in forbidden pleasures? What is their present punishment, and where is it sustained? Do they suffer in conscience? Let them answer. Yes! we call upon the very persons, who so stoutly aver that remorse of conscience constitutes the punishment of sinners, to declare if they suffer in this way any thing in proportion to the demerit of their sins-whether in fact they have ever hereby lost their appetite, been rendered unfit for business, deprived of an hour's sleep, or for a moment nauseated the pleasures of the world. If they have any conscience at all, their answer, we are persuaded, will be in the negative. And, indeed, why should they suffer? Do they not ridicule the very idea of fearing God? Do they not declare there is no hell-no future punishment whatever-that the moment they die, whatever have been their characters, whe

ther murderers, or thieves, fornicators or drunkards, swearers or sabbath breakers, contemners of Christ or despisers of religion, they will enter the abodes of purity and blessedness? If all this be true, of what then should these persons be afraid? Of what use is conscience? For what should it mourn? Or on what account should it suffer? All they have to do is, to go on as smoothly as they can-to enjoy as much of carnal delights as possibleand silence the voice of conscience;-then heaven will recompence their crimes!-Before we swallow this camel, let us read with prayerful attention the following words; "And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven." Deut. xxix. 19, 20.