being limited, they bear no proportion to the glory which is to His existence on the whole, would therefore be to

follow.

him immeasurably advantageous.

men feel and regard to the

By persons,

It would be easy to accumulate passages of Scripture, similar in their import, to those which have been adduced. It is believed, however, that the evidence already exhibited is sufficient to prove, that the punishment of the wicked has no end. But to prove a doctrine, is one thing; to make live as if it were true, is another. The latter, in doctrine now discussed, is far the more difficult. who entertain a holy confidence in the government of God, the subject may, perhaps, be contemplated without agitation, thought not without the most profound and awful solemnity. But, that persons who make no pretensions to piety, who have scarcely considered what is implied in the term, and would even be ashamed to be numbered among its votaries-that such persons should without anxiety, and the highest degree of terror, reflect on the doctrine of eternal punishment, as either true or probable, is a fact, of which no account can be given, without resorting to that deep depravity in the human heart, which perverts all the powers of man from their proper use, and renders him insensible to his acknowledged interest. That you may consider what is comprehended in the doctrine, now proved, I borrow the representation of an eloquent French writer. "When I endeavor to represent eternity, said he, I avail myself of whatever I can conceive most firm and durable. I heap imagination on imagination, conjecture on conjecture. I go from our age to the time of publishing the Gospel, thence to the publication of the law, and from the law to the flood, and from the flood to the creation. I join this epoch to the present time, and I imagine Adam yet living. Had Adam lived till now, and had he lived in misery, had he passed all his time in a fire, or on a rack, what idea must we form of his condition? At what price would we agree to expose ourselves to miseries so great? What imperial glory would appear glorious, were it followed by

so much woe? Yet this is not eternity; all this is nothing in comparison of eternity!

"I go further still. I proceed from imagination to imagination, from one supposition to another. I take the greatest number of years that can be imagined. I add ages to ages, millions of ages to millions of ages. I form of all these one fixed number, and I stay my imagination. After this I suppose God to create a world like this which we inhabit. I suppose him creating it by forming one atom after another, and employing in the production of each atom, the time fixed in my calculation, just now mentioned. What numberless ages would the production of such a world, in such a manner require! Then I suppose the Creator to arrange these atoms, and to pursue the same plan of arranging them as of creating them. What numberless ages would such an arrangement require. Finally, I suppose him to dissolve and annibilate the whole, observing the same method in the dissolution, as he observed in the creation and disposition of the whole. What an immense duration would be consumed! Yet this is not eternity. All this is only a point in comparison of eternity.

"My God," exclaimed the agitated preacher, "one night, passed in a burning fever, or in struggling among the waves of the sea, between life and death, appears of an immense length! It seems to the sufferer, as if the sun had forgot his course, and as if all the laws of nature itself were subverted. What then will be the state of those miserable victims to divine displeasure, who, after they shall have passed through the ages, which we have been describing, will be obliged to make this overwhelming reflection: All this is but an atom of our misery! What will their despair be, when they shall be forced to say to themselves Again we must revolve through these enormous periods; again we must suffer the privation of celestial happiness : devouring flames again; cruel remorse again; crimes and blasphemies over and over again; Forever, forever! Ah, how severe is this word, even in this life! How great is a misfortune, when it is incapable of relief! How insupportable when we

are obliged to add forever to it! These irons forever! These chains forever! This prison forever! This universal contempt forever! Poor mortals, how short sighted are you, to call sorrows eternal which end with your lives! What, this life; this life, which passeth with the rapidity of This life, which vanisheth like a sleep; is this what you call forever? Ah, absorbing periods of eternity, accumulated myriads of ages; these, if I may be allowed to speak so, these will be the forever of the damned!"

a weaver's shuttle!

In view of this painting, so vivid and so terrific, you perhaps exclaim, the doctrine must be false. Then I will make but one request: it is, that you would abandon every immorality, all profane language, all contempt of the Lord's day, all dissipation; and exhibit the feelings of rational beings and Christians, till you can prove the doctrine false or even incredible. Do this, and I am silent forever.

LECTURE L.

ON DEMONIACS.

AMONG the miracles wrought by our Saviour, and recorded by the evangelists, the recovery of persons, apparently under the influence of evil spirits, holds a conspicuous place.

The common opinion, among Christians, has been, that the accounts of these miraculous cures, are to be literally understood; and of course, that evil spirits had such possession of the afflicted persons, as to produce disorder in body or mind, or perhaps in both.

Another opinion has been embraced by no inconsiderable number; viz. that the persons said to be possessed, were under the influence of natural disorders;-but disorders of such a kind as had been by heathens and Jews, especially the former, attributed to the influence of evil spirits, and that the common language was retained by Christ and the evangelists, though neither of them designed to countenance belief in real possession.

Our present design is to make an inquiry into this subject.

Lest there should be any misconception, I would observe, that both sides are agreed, that whatever may have been the origin of these disorders, the cure was miraculous. So that whatever may be our ideas as to the inferences which might be made from either of these opinions, we are not to charge those, who hold either the one or the other, as doubting the divine authority of Christ or the integrity of the evangelists. Although a very great majority of Christians have believed in the doctrine of real possessions, the other has been defended by men of no

less reputation, than Drs. Joseph and Richard Mead, Dr. Sykes, Dr. Lardner, and Mr. Hugh Farmer.

I begin by observing, that the existence of evil spirits, whether denominated satan, devils, or demons, is by no means inconsistent with reason.

So far as we are able to examine the works of God, there is a striking and regular gradation. The lowest effort of creative power appears to be dull, unorganized matter. Stones and metals seem entitled to a superior rank. These, however, as proof of divine wisdom, are not to be placed on a level with vegetables. In vegetables there is great diversity. But the lowest may be considered as higher than any individuals in the mineral kingdom. The sensitive plant seems to approximate to animal life. Among brute animals, the series may be traced from the most sluggish, to those which display the greatest sagacity and sprightliness. From the latter, to the least intelligent of our own race, the chasm seems not to be very wide. From these the gradation is continued, till we arrive at those rare geniuses, which, to the rest of men, are objects of admiration.

Now, as the series may be traced thus far, is its greater extent improbable? Will any person pretend to be confident that man is the highest effect of creative wisdom? that there is not, in the universe, any race of dependent beings superior to our own? On this subject, without revelation, no certainty could be ascertained; but surely it is not difficult to ascertain on which side there is most probability. Revelation enables us to decide in favor of that which was before probable.

But if there are creatures of rank, superior to man, analogy will justify the supposition, that they either are, or have been in a state of probation. The very idea of probation supposes, that they who are tried, may conduct amiss. Human beings have thus conducted, and are depraved. No person, I think, will assert, that there is the least shadow of incredibility in the supposition, that some among superior intelligences have done. the same. If they have, their character corresponds, in gen