Verse 33. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [Gehenna.]

Luke 20: 47. Which [Scribes] devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Mark 12: 40. Which devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Mark 3: 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

John 5: 29. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Rom. 3: 8. And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Rom. 13: 2. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation. 1 Cor. 11: 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Having damnation, because they have cast off their first

1 Tim. 5: 12.

faith.

2 Peter 2: 3. And through covetousness shall they [false teachers], with feigned words, make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

DAMNED.-Mark 16: 16. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Rom. 14: 23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.

2 Thess. 2: 11, 12. And for this cause [rejecting the truth] God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

CONDEMNATION.-John 3: 16-19. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 5: 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Rom. 5: 16. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation; but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Verse 18. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom. 8: 1-3. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law

of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

1 Cor. 11: 32-34. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

2 Cor. 3: 9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

1 Tim. 3: 6. Not a novice, lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

James 3: 1. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

James 5 12. But let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Jude 1: 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 6: 37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.

John 8: 10, 11. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Titus 3: 10, 11. A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

2 Peter 2: 6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.

SECTION III.

Remarks on the Bible doctrine of Salvation and Damnation.

These remarks are designed to show the contrast between the opinions of men on this subject, and the plain teachings of the Bible. 1. We will speak of salvation. 2. Of damnation.

I. OF SALVATION.-The common opinion on this subject is, first, That Jesus Christ came to this world to save mankind in another; second, That the salvation of the Gospel consists in being saved from the penalty of God's law; from deserved punishment; and from an endless hell, or place of misery, in a future state of existence. to all of these opinions we oppose the following objections, viz. 1. It is nowhere said, in the Bible, that Jesus Christ came to this world to save mankind in another. On the contrary, he him

But

self says, that he came "to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19: 10; Matt. 18: 11. Not that which was in danger of being lost, nor that which was liable to be lost, but that which was already lost. In Luke 4: 18, 19, he tells us that he came to 'preach the Gospel to the poor; to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.' He also affirms that he came to do the will of God, John 6: 38; and to bear witness to the truth, John 18: 37. But he nowhere informs us that he came to save any man from any danger to which he was exposed in another world.

2. The Bible nowhere informs us that salvation consists in being saved from the penalty of God's law, nor from deserved punishment, nor from a place of endless misery. On the contrary, the salvation of the gospel consists in being saved from darkness, from unbelief, from sin and all its attendant evil consequences. John 12: 46, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Gal. 1: 4, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Titus 2: 14, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Matt. 1: 21, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins."

As mankind have mistaken the nature of salvation, so they have been mistaken in regard to the means by which it is effected. It has been supposed that this salvation is effected by Christ's suffering the penalty due to the sinner, and bearing in his own person the punishment which the guilty only were deserving of. But where could mankind learn such opinions? Certainly not from the Bible; for that nowhere informs us that Jesus suffered the penalty of any law of God whatever; nor that he suffered any punishment which was due to our sins. That Jesus suffered in consequence of our sins is undoubtedly true. But how this could exonerate us from blame, or clear us from guilt, is more than any rational man can possibly understand, How, then, is this salvation effected? Answer, by simply believing the truth. Mankind, in consequence of sin, have become "alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance which is in them" Eph. 4: 18. They are lost in the labyrinths of

sin and transgression. Luke 19: 10. They are ignorant of.God, of his character, and of his purposes concerning the final destiny of the human race. 1 Cor. 1: 21. Jesus came with a message of love, of grace, and of salvation. He came to reveal the true character of God, and to make known his purposes. He came to bear witness to the truth. By believing this truth we exercise a faith which "works by love and purifies the heart," Gal. 5: 6; and we have a hope imparted to us, which enables us to "purify ourselves, even as God is pure." 1 John 3: 3. By believing this truth we come into the possession of a true knowledge of God, "whom to know is life eternal." John 17: 3. Jesus came to preach the Gospel, and those who believe this Gospel find it to be the “power of God unto silvation." Rom. 1: 16. To be saved, is to be redeemed from the bondage of sin, to be born again, and to be made free. All this is effected by the moral power and influence of divine truth. Hence, says our Saviour, John 8: 32, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Hence, Jesus prayed for his disciples, John 17: 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17: 19, "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." We learn from this that even sanctification is produced by the influence of truth upon the hearts and minds of the children of men. 1 Peter 1: 22, 23, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another, with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." 1 John 5: 1, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."

As mankind have been mistaken in regard to the nature of salvation, and in relation to the means by which it is effected, so they have been mistaken in regard to its extent. It has been generally supposed that this salvation will be confined to a very few. But the Bible informs us that Jesus came to save the world, John 3: 17; and he is repeatedly and expressly called the "Saviour of the world." Of God it is said, 1 Tim. 4: 10, "Who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." And it is said of him, 1 Tim. 2: 4, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." We have seen that there is a moral power in truth, which renders it capable of saving all who believe it. When,

therefore, God's will is accomplished, and all men are brought to the knowledge of the truth, all men will be saved. Jesus says, in John 6: 45, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." When all are taught of God, all will be taught the truth; even that truth which maketh free; and all will be saved by its mighty power.

But, although God is the prospective Saviour of all men, yet he is the special Saviour of those that believe now. The difference between the believer and the unbeliever is simply this: the believer is saved; the unbeliever is to be saved. God is the special Saviour of believers because believers are saved now. They enjoy a salvation which the unbelievers know not of. Hence, they are spoken of in the Bible as being already saved. Luke 7: 50,. "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Rom. 8: 24, For we are saved by hope." 1 Cor. 1: 18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." 1 Cor. 15: 2, "By which [the Gospel] also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you." 2 Cor. 2: 15, "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish." Eph. 2:5, “By grace ye are saved." Eph. 2: 8, "For by grace are ye saved." Titus 3: 5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." 2 Tim. 1:9, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling." Eph. 1: 11, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance," &c. Eph. 1: 3, "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Eph. 2: 1, "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2: 6, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Rev. 21: 24, "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it" [the holy city, by which is signified the Gospel dispensation]. 1 Peter 1: 9, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Gal. 3: 9, They which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." Heb. 4: 3, "We which have believed do enter into rest." In John 5: 24, believers are said to be in the possession of everlasting life; and in Rom. 8: 1, it is said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." In Rom. 8:2, believers are said