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lasting gospel," Rev. 14: 6. The "gospel of the grace of God," Acts 20: 24. The "gospel of peace," Eph. 6: 15. The “gospel of God," Rom. 1: 1. The "glorious gospel," 1 Tim. 1: 11. And, the "gospel of our salvation," Eph. 1: 13. It is called the new covenant," Heb. 8: 8. Said to be "better than the old,' Heb. 8 6. To be founded on better promises, Heb. 8: 6. Said to be "the ministration, not of condemnation and death, but of life and peace," 2 Cor. 3: 6-11. If this is a correct representation of the Gospel, certainly such a glorious system could not reveal nor contain the doctrine of unmerciful wrath and never-ending cruelty.

13. From the character, conduct and teachings, of Jesus Christ. He was the great founder of the Christian religion. He was benevolent, and even mindful of the physical wants of man, Mark 8: 1-9. He was tender-hearted and sympathizing. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, John 11: 35; raised the widow's son, Luke 7. 12-15; healed the physical maladies of men, Matt. 12: 10—13; and mourned and wept over Jerusalem, Matt. 23: 37-39, and Luke 19: 41. He was mild, forgiving and forbearing-to Peter, who denied him, Luke 22: 61, 62; to Thomas, who would not believe him, John 20: 24-29; to the woman taken in adultery, John 8: 3-11. He taught that we must love and forgive our enemies, Matt. 5: 44, and 6: 14, 15. He taught that we must forgive, not seven times only, but seventy times seven, Matt. 18: 21, 22. He prayed for his enemies and murderers, Luke 23: 34. And, at last, he freely offered up his life as a sacrifice on the altar of humanity. The whole conduct, and character, and disposition, and teachings, of Jesus was in accordance with the spirit of universal love and benevolence. He was actuated by none of the spirit of revenge, wrath or cruelty. How, then, can it be supposed that he believed and taught the cruel and unmerciful doctrine of endless hell torments?

14. From the influence which the Gospel exerts upon the character, conduct and feelings, of its recipients. What a mighty and an astonishing change it wrought in Paul! His partial and exclusive sentiments and feelings were exchanged for the utmost liberality of opinion and feeling. The Gospel changed his enmity to love, his bigotry to charity, and his Partialism to Universalism. It wrought the same happy change in all who received its truths into

good and honest hearts. A belief in the Partialist God, and in the Partialist doctrine, could never have produced such effects. Hence, Partialism is not the doctrine of the Gospel.

And how can he be a lovely unending pain upon his own Again, how can we love our

15. From the nature of God's law and its requirements of man. It is the great law of love. It requires that we love God with all our soul, might, mind and strength, and our fellow-men as ourselves, Matt. 22: 36-40. But how can we love God in the manner required, unless he is a lovely being? being, and at the same time inflict helpless and dependent offspring? fellow-men as ourselves, if we believe God hates a portion of them? We are bound to imitate God. We are commanded to imitate him as dear children, Eph. 5: 1. If, therefore, God hates a part of mankind, we are bound to do so likewise. The very fact, then, that we are required to love our fellow-men, universally, proves that God loves all, and will do good to all.

16. From the effects which the Gospel produced on those who believed it. They were saved, Rom. 8: 24, and 1 Cor. 1: 18, they were blessed, Gal. 3:9; they had peace and joy in believing, Rom. 15: 13; they were enabled to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Peter 1: 8; their joy was full, John 15: 11; and they entered into rest, Heb. 4: 3. A belief in a partial God and in a partial salvation could not produce such effects Nothing short of a belief in God as the Father, Friend and Saviour, of all mankind, could do it.

17. From what the Scriptures teach respecting faith. It is the substance of things hoped for, Heb. 11: 1; and it works by love, and purifies the heart, Gal. 5: 6. But no man can hope for endless misery to be true; and, hence, that doctrine is not the substance of things hoped for. Therefore, a faith in that is not the faith of the Gospel. All hope for the truth of Universalism; hence, Universalism is the substance of things hoped for, and, therefore, a faith in Universalism is the faith of the Gospel. Again, Partialism, or a faith in the doctrine of endless misery, does not work by love, but by fear; hence, it is not Gospel faith. But Universalism does work by love, and not by fear; therefore, to believe in Universalism is to believe the Gospel. Once more; a belief in Partialism does not purify the heart, but serves rather to harden it and to blunt the finer feelings of human nature; hence, it is not the true faith.

Universalism does purify the heart and beget a principle there of universal benevolence and philanthropy to man; therefore it is the true faith.

18. From what the Scriptures teach respecting hope. It enables its possessor to purify himself even as God is pure. 1 John 3: 3. It is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Heb. 6: 19 On the purifying nature of this hope the remarks made above on faith will apply equally as well here. They need not, therefore, be repeated. This hope is called "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast." But how could it be so if the thing hoped for depended on the fickleness of man? Man is too frail, and erring, and helpless a being to found such a hope upon. And nothing short of a belief in God as the Saviour of all, and the absolute certainty of the accomplishment of the thing hoped for, could impart a hope to man which would be as an anchor to his soul, both sure and steadfast.

19. From what the Bible teaches respecting the confidence which we ought to repose in God. We are repeatedly commanded to trust in God. To do so, is enjoined upon us as a sacred and imperious duty. Prov. 3: 5, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart." Ps. 62: 8, "Trust in him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." Ps. 40: 4, "Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust." Prov. 29: 25, "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." Isa. 26: 4, "Trust ye in the Lord forever." Ps. 9: 10, "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee." Job 13: 15, "Though he slay me yet will I trust in him." In Job 22: 21, we are required to "make ourselves acquainted with God, and be at peace." Jesus enjoins upon us to repose the most unlimited trust in God, and to take no anxious thought for the future. Matt. 6: 25–34. But if God is as he is sometimes represented to be by the believers in endless misery, how could we trust in him? And if that doctrine is true, how could we help being anxious in regard to the future? The fact is, nothing but a belief in the universal paternity of God, and that he is the Friend of all, will enable us to repose that trust in him which he requires at our hands.

20. From what the Scriptures teach respecting prayer. We are commanded to pray for all men, 1 Tim. 2: 1; to pray for our enemies, even for those who despitefully use us, and persecute us, Matt.

5: 44 to pray in faith; for we are told that whatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom. 14: 23; to lift up holy hands and pray without wrath and doubting, 1 Tim. 2: 8. But how can we pray in faith for the salvation of all men, unless we believe that all will be saved? And why pray for all men if God has determined that some shall not be saved, or if we believe that all will not be saved? The fact that we are required to pray for all men, and to do so in faith, nothing doubting, is a strong proof of the doctrine for the truth of which we are contending.

21. Finally, we infer the truth of this doctrine from the fact that it is in accordance with the highest and holiest desires and expectations of all benevolently disposed and good men ; and that the opposite doctrine does violence to the intellectual powers of man, and is repugnant to the better feelings of his nature. Just in proportion as the feelings of mankind become refined and elevated, and as their intellectual powers are cultivated, and light and knowledge increase, just in that proportion will this doctrine spread and prevail.

CHAPTER XXI

OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF ENDLESS MISERY.

1. It makes God the author of an infinite evil. Misery is evil. The idea of misery infinite in duration presupposes the idea of infinite evil. No finite being can be the cause of an infinite evil. God is the only infinite being in the universe. If, therefore, infinite evil does actually exist, its existence must be referred to God. But to suppose God to be the author of an infinite evil, is to suppose that he is infinitely evil himself.

2. It impeaches some of the most glorious attributes of the Deity. If it be said that this evil is something which God did not foresee, wish, will, desire, appoint, permit, intend nor purpose, then his wisdom, foreknowledge and omniscience, are expressly denied. If it be said that he foresaw this evil, but could not prevent it, this impeaches his power, his goodness, justice, mercy and benevolence; because, to all those whom he created, knowing that their existence would be an endless curse, he is neither good, just, merciful nor benevolent. If it be said that this evil is something which he did actually will, wish, desire, purpose and appoint, this not only impeaches his goodness, justice, mercy and benevolence, but it makes him as malignant as malignity itself; a perfect monster in cruelty, and as much worse than a Caligula or a Nero, or even the fabled god of hell, as he possesses more power than they to do mischief, to inflict pain and misery.