"The

42. He also declared, that that mercy which is to endure forever, is over all the works of God. Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalms cxlv. 9. God is the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever.

43. He also said, "all thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee." Psalms cxlv. 10. Can all God's works praise him, if a part are consigned to eternal fire?

44. He also said, "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy." Psalms cxlv. 8. Can endless misery be ordained by such a God as this?

45. He also said; "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger forever." Psalms ciii. 8, 9. This could not possibly be true, if God purposed to make any of his creatures forever miserable. If we allow that torment shall be endless, can we say, that "God will not always chide," nor keep his anger forever?"

46. Isaiah represented, that there was no sin which might not be pardoned. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. i. 18. The evident intent of this language is, that there was no sin so deep-dyed in the soul, that it could not be washed away. What is here said of Israel, is true of every individual.

47. It is said, that “all nations shall flow unto the mountain of the Lord's house," a figurative repre sentation of the covenant of the Gospel. Isa. ii. 2.

48. In this mountain, the Lord of Hosts hath made for all people a feast of fat things. "And in this mountain, shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees wellrefined." Isa. xxv. 6. By mountain," here, is meant the covenant of the Gospel; the place of the

establishment of the ark is made a metaphor, to signify the Gospel. Adam Clarke says, this feast is "salvation by Jesus Christ." Com. on the place. This salvation is prepared for all people; it is sufficient to supply the wants of all.

49. God will destroy, in this mountain, the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil, that is spread over all nations." Isa. xxv. 7. This salvation is not uselessly prepared. Unbelief shall be done away. The darkness of the nations shall be removed. The covering cast over all nations shall be destroyed ; they will then all see the truth.

50. "God will swallow up death in victory." Isa. xxv. 8. This is to take place at the resurrection of the dead, for Paul quotes these words, and applies them to the resurrection of the dead, in 1 Cor. xv. 54.

51. The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces " Isa. xxv. 8. The work of the Gospel will not be fully done, until tears shall be wiped away from all faces. Sorrow shall cease. Paul applies the subject to the resurrection of the dead.

52. Isaiah said, "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Isa. xl. 5. This is the declaration of Jehovah, for the prophet adds, "the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." If the Lord hath declared, that all flesh shall see his glory together, surely it must be done.

53. Isaiah represents the Gospel as being complete-' ly successful in accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent into the world; that, as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and return not thither, but water the earth, and cause it to bring forth and bud, so shall the word of God be, it shall not return void, but it shall accomplish the divine pleasure, and prosper in the thing for which God sent it. Isa. lv. 10, 11. Thus all who allow that God sent the Gospel to benefit all mankind, must here see, that that beneficent object will surely be accomplished. If any reject the Gospel,

and are lost forever, can it be said in truth, that God's word does not return unto him void?

54. Isaiah, speaking in the name of Jehovah, said, of Christ, "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." Isa. xlix. 6. In this verse, the prophet affirms, that the blessings of the Gospel should not be confined to the Jews. "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles; " for what purpose? Answer; "that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." This expression is intended to signify the greatest possible extension of the blessings of the Gospel. Is this consistent with the supposed fact, that countless millions of the human race shall never hear of the blessings of the Gospel?

55. Isaiah represented Jehovah as saying, "I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." Isa. lvii. 16. Is this declaration consistent with the doctrine of endless misery? According to that doctrine, will not God contend forever? will he not be always wroth?

56. Jehovah saith, by Jeremiah, concerning the covenant he made with the house of Israel, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. The spirit of this passage is universal grace. What God here saith be will do for the Jews, he will also do for the Gentiles. The former is a pledge of the latter. [See, for additional argument on this subject, section 88.]

57. Jeremiah bore testimony against the supposition, that God would inflict any punishment on his creatures which is not for their good. "THE LORD WILL

NOT CAST

OFF FOREVER. But, though he cause grief, yet will be have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies, for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." Lamen. iii. 31 – 33. O, what a precious declaration is this! Though God cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies, for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. This is the principle of the divine government. God does not afflict for the purpose of afflicting, but for the good of the sufferer. How, then, can endless torment be 'nflicted?

58. Daniel said, of the reign of Christ, "there was given him dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed." Dan. vii. 14. If all people, nations, and languages serve the Saviour, will they be endlessly miserable? Will they not be endlessly happy? This passage should be applied, undoubtedly, to all for whom the Saviour died. Jesus seems to have referred to the declaration of the prophet, in what he said after his resurrection, Matt. xxviii. 18.

59. Hosea said, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave (or Hell, sheol), I will be thy destruction." Hosea xiii. 14. Let the light of inspiration guide us. St. Paul applies these words to the resurrection of the dead, at the last day, 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55. At the resurrection of the dead, then, God will destroy sheol, HELL. He does not raise his creatures from the dead in order to punish them forever in sheol, for sheol shall then be destroyed.

60. Micah said, of Jehovah, "He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy." Micah vii. 18. A most precious assurance! altogether at variance with the doctrine of endless misery.

THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS.

61. Jesus, when on earth, preached in such a manner, that the people "wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth." Luke iv. 22. This could not have happened, had he threatened the people with endless misery. He preached salvation to sinful, guilty man; he preached the love of God to the whole world; and declared, that God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but, that the world, through him, might be saved. Well might the people wonder at his gracious words."

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62. Jesus inculcated the strongest confidence in God; and reasoned in the most tender and judicious manner with the people, to dissuade them from taking anxious thought for the future. Read Matt. vi. 25 −34. This is one of the most striking passages in the whole New Testament. The object of the Saviour was, to encourage, in the hearts of those whom he addressed, the most implicit confidence in God, for all future blessings. God is good; he is kind, even to the unthankful and to the evil; therefore said the Saviour, “take no anxious thought." Be not afraid; God will do thee good. He has already proved his beneficence to thee. He takes care of the lower orders of beings; why shouldst thou doubt? He clothes the flowers of the field with beauty; why shouldst thou despair? Take not anxious, painful thought for the future. Sufficient unto the present is the evil thereof. Such is the spirit of the passage, which is perfectly consistent with the doctrine of Universalism, but utterly inconsistent with the doctrine of endless misery.

63. Jesus warned the people against the doctrine of the Pharisees, who are well known to have believed in endless punishment. Matt. xvi. 6; compare verse 12. There is no doubt, that the doctrines of the Pharisees were of a partial nature. Jesus was impartial in his teachings. He was the friend of publicans and sinners, and for this, the Pharisees hated him. This was the