or intended to accomplish, such as, that he would finish transgression and make an end of sins....that he would destroy the works of the devil....that he would destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil, John i. 29. John proclaims him to be the lamb of God, who should take [or bear away] the sin of the world. 1 John iv. 14. he says, And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John ii. 2. It is affirmed, that he is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Eph. i. 9. Paul says, Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed to himself. 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather into one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. Col. i. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell. 20. And having made peace by the blood of his cross, and by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things on earth or things in Heaven. It is declared, 1 Tim. ii. 6. That Christ gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. And St. Paul tells the Hebrews, Heb. ii. 9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, by the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour,

that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. But the most important promise is made by Christ himself, John xii. 32. saying, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33. This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Now, if all this be false, or even doubtful, what have we that we can repose confidence in, or depend upon? For it is evidently impossible that Christ should ever finish transgression, or make an end of sins, if it be true, as the Partialists affirm, that vast numbers of unreclaimed transgressors, and the most flagitious sinners shall be eternally transgressing and sinning in hell!

But their best and indeed only plea is, that all these promises must be construed synechdocally, and will be but partially fulfilled, so that, when it is promised that the Messiah should finish transgression, and make an end of sins, it only signifies, that he will finish the trangressions, and make an end of the sins of a few individuals; that he will destroy the works of the devil in the elect only. And where it is said that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, it only means the world of believers. All, in their vocabulary, means some; and every

S

man means a few, or an indefinite number of

men.

These people must surely esteem it a most invaluable privilege to have a precedent established by almost universal consent, whereby (with the improper application of a few rhetorical figures and tropes) they can explain away the literal and grammatical sense of the plainest texts and passages of scripture, and construe them to support the most absurd tenets; for their preconceived opinions are the standard to which the scriptures must comply.

I

The unpardonable sin.

It is common for the Partialists, when their other resources fail to support their favourite doctrine, to grasp with avidity at this denunciaation as an irrefragable evidence to prove, that some individuals will be eternally damned, because it is asserted in Mark iii. 28, 29. Verily, say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. And it is said in Matthew xii. 32. That whosoever speaketh a word against the son of

man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. All this may be absolutely true, and yet the blasphemer against the Holy Ghost escape eternal damnation; for God has promised, by the mouth of the prophet Daniel, that the Messiah should finish trans gression, and make an end of all kinds of sin, which is a sufficient evidence to prove, that even the sin against the Holy Ghost is not an infinite evil; as it is an impossibility in the nature of things, to bring any thing which is infinite, to an end.

If there were but one infinite sin in the universe, it could neither be forgiven nor terminated; and the only method by which transgression can be finished, is to destroy or change the evil habits and propensities in every intelligent agent; or, in other words, to destroy the works of the devil, which will be effectually accom. plished. Now if retributive punishment be admissible in the divine government, there must - certainly be in the scale of unerring justice, an exact proportion established between the various crimes that may be committed, and the punishments to be inflicted for each particular transgression, taking into consideration the op

portunities of improvement, mental powers and capacities of the individuals who are to be judged; for the statement given in the above texts prove, incontestibly, that there are different degrees of criminality; because it is asserted that some crimes shall be forgiven, and this one in particular excepted, which shall not, either in this world, nor in that which is to come..... The blasphemer may therefore receive a severe chastisement adequate to his crime, and after. wards be restored to the favour of his gracious Creator.

And here we must observe, that these texts are so far from establishing the doctrine of eternal damnation, even in this particular case, that they militate against it in this and every other case. Mark says positively, That all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies, wherewithsoever they shall blaspheme. And Matthew says, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

If this be true that all sins and blasphemies shall be finally forgiven unto men, except the sin against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come,