sinners, that he has not revealed in his word but must stand opposed to that divine economy of grace which is revealed in the gospel.

If all men are saved, God must save some of those who die in impenitence and unbelief; which would be in opposition to his revealed will, and a tacit reflection on the wisdom, and veracity of his word. This doctrine makes void the law of God, and turns the grace of God into licentiousness; and it represents the Deity as being equally the patron of the wicked and righteous. But how shall we reconcile the doctrine of Universal Salvation with those words of our Saviour when speaking of the day of Judgment, he says, "he (Christ) shall render to every man according to his works, whether they be good or evil."We leave it to the candour of the Universalian to say, if eternal glory be a suitable reward for sin or transgression?Our good works, though not the procur

cause of our salvation, yet are they

the evidences of our moral character; and will be the rule and measure by which God will distribute rewards and punishments in the last day.

We shall be known to have been righteous or unrighteous, according as our works are found to have been good or evil; and on these evidences, we shall be condemned or acquitted, according to these words, "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." But Universalism says, the wicked shall have the same reward with the righteous; and confounds all distinctions between grace and justice; and covers over with an impenetrable cloud, one of the brightest attributes of Deity. This doctrine represents sin as a harmless inoffensive thing, it annihilates the justice of God; destroys the free moral agency of creatures; and exhibits the Judge of all the earth in the most despicable point of view, in rewarding rebellious sinners, with everlasting happiness.

The Universalian principle, is altogether hypothetical, and to maintain their thesis they must destroy the free moral agency of creatures, and with it man's responsibility, and of consequence the moral government of God. Their doctrine is bottomed on necessity. If no man can be lost, then there is an absolute necessity for all to be saved, and of what avail is free or moral agency. If they are destined for one particular end, and that end cannot be avoided; necessity governs all their actions, so long as all must issue in one single end. The laws which governs matter and directs all its motions to one particular end, produce no greater necessity in the final result, than those laws which govern the actions of men, so long as necessity determines them to a single end. Hence, it follows, that all the commands of God, enjoining on us repentance, faith, &c. are as useless, and unmeaning, as to command a stone to lie still, or to command the sun to shine; for whether the stone lies still, or

is put in motion, it remains a stone; it retains all the properties of matter, and necessity governs it. The same is the case with the sinner, whether he repents or not, the same effects result to him, he is saved, that is, his end is fixed, and he cannot alter, or avoid it: he will arrive to Heaven, that is his destiny, the sun will shine to-morrow; necessity governs both events.

It may be objected the sinner must repent and believe in order to be saved; God will not save us in our sins. Admitted, but as the end is determined, so are the means, and if the end is certain and necessary, the means are not less so, and why should we trouble ourselves about that which we cannot avoid, especially if the result is to be for our advantage. To command us therefore to repent, &c. when we cannot avoid it; is as absurd and ridiculous, as to command the sun to rise every morning, with the promise if he obeys, he shall have the

privilege of giving light, so long as he remains in the centre of the solar system.

What a ridiculous and senseless farce do the ministers of the gospel exhibit, according to the above principle. They come clothed with divine authority, to proclaim salvation to them only, who repent and believe. At the same time they threaten with eternal misery all those who will not accept of grace, and be saved through the merits of the Redeemer. But in the conclusion, the minister informs his auditors, that God has decreed to save all and every man, whether they repent and believe the gospel in this world or not: whether he prays or blasphemes, whether he keeps, or breaks the commandments of God, his final destiny is fixed, and his works cannot alter it; it is not in the creature's power to avoid happiness in the world to come. In such a case, would not an inquisitive mind be ready to inquire, if such is the fact, that all men must be saved, of what utility is your preaching, so long as you cannot