curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you: (45), That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust ;"-conduct and motives perfectly irreconcileable with dooming to Eternal Misery poor weak, blind, perishing sinners, for preferring the gratification of the senses, which God hath given them, to spiritual joys, which at length they have not even faculties to discern.

The parable of the lost sheep describes the evil as loss only; and the rejoicing is at having found that which was lost. This contained in the same chapter with the threat of hell fire suggests to us that we may lose the protection of the Great Shepherd; not that we shall still go in and out, and find pasture for ever.

In the parables of the prodigal son,-the piece. of silver, the unjust judge, the unseasonable request for bread,-in all these, the motive is to obtain some good: and they are not urged as illustrating an infinitely greater evil that will come upon us, if we neglect the advice they suggest.-So Luke vi. 49. "But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an' house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great:" (and in Luke viii. 18.) "And whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

From this review of the parables, it will be seen that they all agree in excluding Eternal Sufferings. In that of the sower and the seed, that which is un

fruitful perishes.-In that of the wheat and the tares, the useless part is consumed by fire.—In the net cast into the sea were both good and bad, but the bad are thrown away as worthless.-The merciless servant is delivered to the tormentors, that he may pay all that debt, which he can only do by parting from existence. The wicked husbandmen shall be destroyed, and the vineyard given to others.-In that of the marriage of the king's son, he sent forth his army, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.-The foolish virgins are shut out from the marriage feast: and the talent is taken from him with whom it is unprofitable. The parable of the fig tree concludes, "If it bear not fruit, thou shalt cut it down." In all, the figures used concur to represent that uselessness brings on swift and total destruction: and it is derogating from the Divine Wisdom to suppose that they are meant to illustrate that doctrine which they completely negative.

All the incidental sayings of our Saviour, and those of St. John the Baptist, relating to this subject, in their plain and obvious meaning, express that destruction and extinction are the consequence of rejecting spiritual life, or regeneration.

Matt. iii. 7.-" O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" 10. "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." 11. "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with

fire." 12. "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

The application of the word fire, in the 11th verse, to the cloven tongues as of fire, mentioned as falling on the day of Pentecost, I think erroneous from several considerations. 1st. Because the sign is mentioned after the thing signified, although "when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." 2dly. Because that which seems to be said of all mankind, in all ages, is confined by this interpretation to those on whom the Holy Ghost came at the day of Pentecost and 3dly, since the next verse declares that by the Holy Ghost he will "gather his wheat into the garner:" the coherence of the passage requires us to understand the fire to be that "unquenchable fire wherewith he will burn up the chaff." To baptize is to save mankind from their sins; this Christ does in one case by the Holy Ghost, in the other by fire.

Here are indicated the means of deliverance to all, the Holy Ghost to the regenerate, fire to all others; "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" the next verse explains how; "He shall burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

St. Matthew, iv. 4. "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Then man is not essentially immortal; and Christ only hath the words of eternal life. Man, then, not gaining eternal life through Christ, dies eternally.

iv. 16.

"The people which sat in darkness saw

great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.”

All mankind were in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death, which state is only altered so far as light is sprung up. Then those who, having "eyes, see not," and those who are beyond the reach of this marvellous light (which the greater part of mankind always have been), are still in the region and shadow of death; they are still under the consequences of Adam's fall. Let the advocate of Eternal Misery shew that on his hypothesis God is kind to the unthankful aud to the evil.

v. 13. "Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men."

The salvation of some out of mankind was the only purpose for which the earth was preserved; when that purpose is answered, the refuse is—I cannot express it more strongly-" Cast out, and trodden under foot."

v. 22.

"But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

It is obvious there is no proportion in the climax, if hell fire is understood to mean Eternal Torments. v. 48. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

This passage should decide the question. "If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, then follow him." Remember, it was the priests of Baal that.

cut themselves with knives. God is over all his works."

"The mercy of our

vi. 21. "For where your treasure is, there will heart be also."

your

In heaven, or on earth; but can it be in hell? A single passage like this, remote as it may seem at first sight, is a tower of strength when it is considered as the word of God.

vi. 34. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Can this be believed by those who think that to each day of sin is added millions of years of torment?

vii. 1.

Judge not, that ye be not judged; 2. for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

Not infinite suffering for a momentary offence, but measure for measure.

vii. 19. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire.”

Ceasing to be a tree, and speedily annihilated. vii. 13. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Then if the rejection of the Gospel is the cause of Eternal Misery, the offer of it has been productive of infinitely more misery than happiness.

vii. 22. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then