demands of justice, then could not God have been just and the justifier of him who was sufficiently punished as well without the death and sufferings of Christ as with them? Once more: If Christ suffered and died for the sins of men, and if men have to suffer for their own sins all the punishment they deserve before they can be forgiven, then does it not follow that either Christ or the sinner suffers unjustly? But finally: If the Scriptures do teach that Christ suffered and died on account of our sins, does it not follow that when we accept of the merits of Christ we are thereby released from suffering the punishment due on account of our sins because of the sufferings of our surety? If not, then in the name of reason what benefit do we derive from the sufferings of Christ? Just none at all. From this it is indisputably evident, if Universalism be true, that Christ might as well have saved himself the trouble (I speak with reverenc‹ ) of coming down into this sinful world, and suffering the shameful and ignominious death of the cross for the sins of men, since all his prayers and groans, and sweat and blood, are of no avail, and have no tendency whatever toward bettering the sinner's condition or shielding him from any punishment to which he might be exposed! For, according to this hard-hearted system, God had decreed by his immutable counsel that no reprieve,- -no sacrifice,-no atonement,— no mediation,—no pardon,—no justification,—no repentance, nor any nor all other things combined, could tend to mitigate the sinner's punishment! No, reader, nothing does this system of relentless cruelty hold forth, as the "glad tidings of great joy" to the sinner, let him be never so penitent, but the bitter cup of sufferings which he is compelled to drink to the very dregs, before the scepter of pardon can be extended! "If such the sweetness of the stream, What must the fountain be ?" 66 Paul affirms that Christ died to save sinners;" but what from? Not from sin, for punishment does that.-Not from punishment, for this they are compelled to suffer. The penalty of the broken law must in all cases be inflicted, and never, until this is done, can the sinner become righteous and thus it is demonstrated, if this view be correct, that righteousness comes by the law; and hence we are compelled to come to the same conclusion that the apostle did : It righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." [Gal. 2. 21.] But as righteousness does not come in this manner, we are bound still to believe with Paul, how muchsoever it may confict with Universalism, that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." [Gal. 3. 13.] 66 Universalists mildly tell us that Christ died to commend the love of God to man, and quote the apostle to prove it: "But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." [Rom. 5. 8.] This, however, is a fatal text to Universalism for if God commended his love toward us, in giving Christ to suffer and die; then it is certain that we must derive some benefit from his death and sufferings which, we have discovered cannot be the case according to Universalism! Had Paul believed the absurd assumption of Universalism, he would have expressed himself differently: "But God commendeth his cruelty towards us in that whilst we were yet sinners, in great need of assistance, he sent his only begotten Son to suffer and die the shameful death of the cross for nothing at all; as every sinner has to suffer just as much exactly as though Christ had not died." If this is commending the love of God to man, then love and wrath, mercy and cruelty are synonymous terms ! Some of the orthodox may have gone to extremes the other way, and Universalists have taken advantage of this and made it a pre. text for denying in toto the doctrine of vicarious atonement. It is true, that one extreme naturally begets another; but still there is no reason, because some may have abused the doctrine, that Universalists should deny it altogether. It is urged by some that Christ absolutely paid off the debt of sin to God, and suffered in his own person all the punishment due for all the sins of Adam's race. Then, Universalists ask, do the sins of men deserve endless damnation? If so, did Christ suffer endless damnation or its equivalent? If so then he is suffering still, and will continue to suffer. This difficulty cannot be met according to the above position. Another objection urged against this view of the subject is, that if Christ paid off the whole debt and suffered all that our sins deserved, then no thanks to God for our salvation, for the glory and gratitude are all due to Christ. alone. But a third objection urged against this doctrine of pay-up is, that it makes it absolutely necessary for each individual to commit just so much sin, if not, there would be a danger of Christ's paying too much or else not enough. But all these difficulties can be easily and satisfactorily disposed of if we look at the object of Christ's sufferings in the true light of revelation. Although Christ suffered in our stead and bore our sins in his own body, yet it does not follow from this that Christ must necessarily have suffered all the punishment our sins deserve. The true doctrine is this, as the scriptures clearly and abundantly teach, that Christ as a daysman, suffered only enough to make a reconciliation possible and make it just for God to forgive the sinner, and thus shield him from his deserved punishment. The apostle declares: "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness [or obedience in suffering upon the cross,] that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." [Rom. 3. 25, 26.]. Hence, God could not, without violating his justice, have pardoned the sins of one of Adam's race had not Christ suffered for our sins-the just for the unjust. Thus Christ having suffered enough and only enough to bring man within the reach of God's mercy that he might be just and at the same time deliver the sinner from the punishment which his sins justly deserved, upon the condition of submitting to the terms of pardon, makes the debt of gratitude for this great salvation due from the sinner equally to God and to Christ. God was willing to save the sinner from the punishment due on account of his sins provided the sinner was willing to be saved, yet he could not do it without violating his immutable justice, unless Christ, as an infinite sin-offering, should voluntarily suffer in our stead enough that mercy might reach us and the justice of God be sustained. This must be regarded as sound scriptural doctrine. Universalists, however, laugh at this idea, but in doing so they are only laughing at the Apostle Paul and unvailing the infidelity which always laughs at any doctrine which holds forth the real character and heinousness of sin. We shall now close this chapter by presenting the manifest contrast between Universalism and the Bible, with reference to the sufferings of Christ: Bible: "Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." [Rom. 3. 24.] Universalism: Being justified out of pure necessity through the virtue there is in punishment. Bible: "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." [Is. 53. 4.] Universalism: Surely we shall bear our own griefs and carry our own sorrows; and therefore, Isaiah, surely you are mistaken! Bible: "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities." [Verse 5.] Universalism: We must all be wounded for our own transgressions and bruised for our own iniquities just as much as though Christ had not been bruised at all! Bible: "The chastisement of our peace was upon him." [Ibid.] Universalism: The chastisement of our peace must be upon our own heads notwithstanding! Bible: "With his stripes we are healed." [Ibid.] Universalism: With our own stripes we are healed and not until we receive the very last one! Bible: "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." [Verse 6.] Universalism: The Lord hath laid on us all our own iniquity and there is no possible way for us to escape the penalty any more than if Christ had never died! Bible: "For the transgression of my people was he stricken.” [Verse 8.] Universalism: The people shall be stricken for their own transgressions and the sufferings of Christ cannot help them in the least! Bible: "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.” [Verse 11.] Universalism: By the virtue there is in punishment shall my righteous servant justify many, for they shall all bear their own iniquities ! Bible: "Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." [Eph. 4. 32.] Universalism: Forgive one another even as God for the sake of punishment forgives every one that is forgiven ! Bible: "Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." [Acts 3. 19.] Universalism: Wait patiently until you are punished as much as your sins deserve and they shall then all be blotted out as a matter of course, and you need not expect it before! Bible: "For Christ hath suffered for sins the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." [1 Pet. 18.] Universalism: Every unjust man must suffer for his own sins until they are paid up, and thus punishment will make him just and bring him to God independent of the sufferings of Christ! Bible: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." [Gal. 3. 13.] Universalism: We must redeem ourselves from the curse of the law by suffering all the penalty which the law demands and hence Christ suffered the curse for nothing! Bible: "Who his ownself bear our sins in his own bcdy on the tree." [1 Pet. 2. 24.] Universalism: We our ownselves are compelled to bear our own sins in our own bodies until we have suffered all the punishment which justice demands; and hence the death of Christ is of no more avail than the death of Nero ! Reader, can you believe Universalism and at the same time believe the Bible? If so, may the Lord open your eyes. CHAPTER VII. COMPUNCTIONS OF CONSCIENCE. “Speaking lies in Hypocrisy, having their Conscience seared with a hot iron."-1 Tim. 4. 2. Universalism confines all punishment for sin to this life; and as it is a stubborn fact, which Universalists as well as others are compelled to admit that wicked men, as a general thing in point of worldly prosperity, are equally successful with the righteous, and many times more so, hence, it is claimed that the punishment which God invariably inflicts upon the sinner is mental anguish or remorse of conscience. Universalists have been allowed to say and write almost any thing upon this subject without being formally opposed; and some have even yielded the whole ground as being too metaphysical and abstruse to fathom, whilst others have conceded enough by admitting that God does sometimes punish men for their sins with the upbraidings of a guilty conscience, to give Universalism a good claim to correctness upon this subject. It is true that this subject has been casually noticed in works opposed to Universalism, and occasionally perhaps a difficulty presented in opposition to the doctrine; but ncarly always concessions enough in the same connection, not only to strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees of Universalism, but also to nullify the force of the very arguments that had been presented. For this reason I have concluded to devote a chapter to the consideration of this question. It will be admitted by all that the punishment which God inflicts for sin must be dealt out upon the principles of equality and justice, that is, the man who is the greatest sinner should suffer the severest penalty. This will not be disputed. But is such the real state of the case admitting the truth of the assumption that remorse of conscience is the only divine punishment now to be inflicted for sin? Let us see. The apostle declares in the text quoted at the head of this chapter that certain characters had become so depraved that their consciences were seared with a hot iron. In another place he gives us to understand what he means by this phrase: "Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness." [Eph. 4. 19.] Now as certain as the apostle has spoken it, wicked men can become so debased and their consciences may become seared to such extent that they get past feeling, and |