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have brought forward but a fmall part of that fcripture proof of univerfal falvation, which hath been used both by the ancients and moderns.

Indeed, the difficulty does not lie in finding and making out the proof of the eternal falvation of all mankind; this is an eafy tafk. The principal difficulty is, to clear this doctrine of divine benevolence from those objections which feem to lie against it from the reprefentations of fcripture, of the ftate and defi nation of the wicked at the day of general judgment;

the perpetuity of their mifery ;-and how to account for their restoration to virtue and happiness. No rational, confiftent perfon, of any fect or denomination of chriftians, ever yet fupposed that any rational creature could be happy, in any period of his exiftence, without virtue and holinefs. And as it is undeniably evident from our Saviour's account of the general judgment, and from various declarations of his apostles, that a great part of mankind will then be found vicious and unholy, and be fentenced to a place of mifery and torment; if this be their final sentence, and the wicked be then fixed in a ftate of fin and mifery, that will not, cannot be altered by their repentance and converfion; the point must be given up; all men will not be happy. But if there are fubftantial reasons to think, that the ftate in which the wicked will be left by the fentence of the judge, will prove to them a ftate of falutary difcipline, they may eventually become penitent, humbl: tafarmed, virtuous, and happy.

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As the greatest part of the fcriptures Mr. S. has adduced, afford no objection against the eventual falvation of all men, but what originates from the hypothefis, that the transactions of the day of general judgment will be final with regard to all men ; Ι fhall endeavor, early in the third part, to show that this hypothefis is mistaken; and that mankind will enjoy a ftate, or states, of probation and difcipline after the day of general judgment.

But, as it properly belongs to this 2d. part, to inquire whether it be God's gracious and benevolent defign, that all men fhall eventually be virtuous, I shall endeavor to offer fome evidence of this, be fore I proceed to the 3d. part.

1 Thef. iv. 3. "For this is the will of God, even your fanctification." St. Paul affirmed, in his 1ft. epiftle to Timothy, that it is the will of God our Saviour, that all men fhould be faved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Thef. ii. 13. "But we are bound to give thanks to God alway for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to falvation, through fanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth."

These fcriptures are fufficient to fhow, that the fanctification and holiness of all men is agreeable to the will of God. And it is worthy of remark, that, in the last cited text, it is declared to have been the original defign and plan of God, that men should be made meet for falvation, by the influences of the

fpirit,

fpirit, and the operations of his word. And in that text in Timothy, the fame idea is contained, that God our Saviour will have all men come to the knowl edge of the truth, as a mean of their preparation for falvation and happiness.

That in the operation of the benevolent mediato rial plan of God, all men will, in fact, be made virtuous and holy, is very evident from many fcriptures. There is one that is fo plain and exprefs to this purpose, that it must firike conviction into every confid erate, unbiaffed mind. It is in St. Paul's first epiftle to the Corinthians, the xv. chap. 24-28, inclufively.

1

Then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he fhall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The laft enemy that fhall be deftroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he faith, All things are put under him, it is manifeft that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when alļ things fhall be fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himself be fubject unto him that did put all things under him, that God may be all in all."?

Paraphrafed thus, "Then cometh the end of the mediatorial difpenfation, when Jefus the mediator fhall deliver up his kingdom to God the Father; which event shall take place, when the mediator fhall have effectually fubdued all oppofing rule, authority, and power. For the eternal defign of the Father,

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in raifing his Son to the mediatorial throne, was, that he fhould fit there, till he had brought every enemy to his moral government, into voluntary and cheerful fubmiffion. The laft enemy, death, the effect of moral evil, or enmity agaiaft God's moral government, fhall also be deftroyed. For God the Father committed to the authority and government of his Son, the Mediator, all things. God the Father only, who gave all this authority and power to the Son, is excepted, and not fubjected to the Son, as is perfectly. natural and reasonable. And when every moral and natural enemy fhall be thus fubdued unto the Son, then shall he also be fubject to the Father, who gave him all this mediatorial authority and power; that God the Father may, thenceforth, be the conductor of the government, and difpenfer of happiness to all his creatures."

It is carefully to be obferved, that the apofile, in the 22d. and 23d. verfes, fpeaks of the refurrection of the virtuous, in their proper rank and order, after Chrift, the captain of their falvation, and the first fruits of the great harveft. "Then," fays the apoftie, "cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father." But the meaning is not, that Chrift, at the refurrection and general judgment, fhall deliver up the mediatorial kingdom to the Father; as is plain from this confideration, that the mediatorial work will not then be completed. It is the univerfal opinion, almoft, that, at the conclufion of the general judgment, the right

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eous will go into life eternal, and that the wicked fhall go away into everlafting punishment. And this is the opinion which I adopt, as thinking it the most agreeable to the analogy of fcripture. Allowing this opinion to be true, fin and death, the only enemies we have ever yet heard of in the univerfe, will fill remain. Sin, the great enemy of God's moral government; and death, the enemy of man's happiness, are left in perfect vigor, and in the full exercife of their authority and power, against the government of God, and the happiness of man. Does this confift with St. Paul's express declaration, that," he must reign sill be bath put all enemies under his feet?" What! fhall Chrift, who affumed mediatorial authority, and all power in heaven and earth, for the exprefs purpose of destroying the works of the devil, fin and death, return the kingdom to the Father, leaving one half. the human race under the power of the devil, and of the second death? We may not entertain an idea fo reproachful to God, fo derogatory to the honor and merits of the Mediator, and fo gratifying to the devil. Never will the Mediator deliver up his kingdom, till he hath deftroyed the laft enemy, death.

St. Paul was not of Mr. S.'s opinion, that fin and death must be kept in the univerfe, to produce the greatest glory and bleffedness of God, and of his holy intelligent kingdom.

That fin is an enemy, both to God and man, no one, except it be those who are of Mr. S.'s opinion, will deny. That death is an enemy, St. Paul affirms,

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