My Fourteenth Negative Argument, is that endless misery is not recognized in their devotional exercises, by any of the patriarchs, prophets, saints or righteous men, mentioned in the scriptures. If the doctrine is true, they must have been acquainted with it, and must have felt exposed to it. Yet in no instance in

the Bible, does any one pray that it may be true, or give thanks that it is true. Neither did they pray that endless woe might be inflicted on any human being! The prayers of David went as far in that direction as any recorded in the scriptures. But the most he did was to pray for the destruction of his enemies-by which he meant their temporal overthrow and death. Why did not the ancient prophets and saints pray that Endless Punishment might come upon the sinful? If it is a just and salutary doctrine, and God designs to inflict such a punishment, why did they not pray that it might overtake them?"

The scriptures are full of the confessions of the servants of God, in relation to their own sin and its punishment; but in no case do they confess that they were justly exposed to eternal woe, or exposed to it in any way or form!. Would they not have done so, had they believed in such a doctrine? Believers in it in these days, very frequently confess in their prayers, that it would have been just in God to have cut them off forever. (Do they believe a word of it, when they say so?) The saints never pray thus in the Bible! Why not? Neither do they give thanks that they have been rescued from endless suffering. This they would most naturally have done, had they believed they were exposed to it. The believers in that sentiment render such thanks in our days.

The ancient saints and righteous men, never prayed that themselves, or their friends, might be saved from endless woe. If they believed themselves exposed to it, why did they not put up such a petition? Nothing would be more proper, nothing more natural, than such prayers. The modern believers in that sentiment often pray in such, manner. Indeed petitions that they may not be cast into endless perdition, forms the great theme of most of the prayers of modern orthodox professors. No such petition ever escaped from the lips of those whose prayers are mentioned in the Bible. Christ in that beautiful prayer which he designed as a sample for the imitation of all christians, gives no direction to beseech God to be saved from interminable woe! His prayer is, "Deliver us from Evil," not deliver us from endless punishment, as it would have been on my brother's theory. The silence of all the prayers in the Bible on this subject, is most remarkable, on the supposition that the doctrine is true! That silence is strong proof that such a sentiment is false !— [Time expired.

[MR. HOLMES' EIGHTH SPEECH.]

Gent. Moderators:-Perhaps I cannot employ the first part of my present half hour to better advantage, than in answering one of the gentleman's recent objections to the doctrine of the final perdition of the ungodly, even though I shall be obliged to do it in an off-hand way. I refer to his twelfth argument, which is, that "endless punishment makes God dependent on the creature for the completion of his purposes." This rests first, upon an erroneous view of the purposes of God. I do not deny that God has purposes--eternal purposes, but they are not of a nature to control, absolutely and irresistibly, the moral conduct of men, or the results of that conduct, so as to make a given result absolutely and necessarily certain, in every case. Upon this assumed ground has Mr. Austin built all he has said on this subject. Hence, he has talked long and loud of the conflict between my views and the purpose-design-intention of God--that they "defeat his designs"" thwart his purposes"-" confuse his counsels," and So on. But all this is the merest stuff of declamation--it has not even the semblance of argument, when the nature of God's purposes is understood. What are God's eternal purposes? We

answer,

1. It is his purpose to maintain a moral government for the display of his glory, and the good of all holy and obedient subjects. This he will do, in spite of the opposition of rebels, or the cavils and objections of Universalists and Infidels. And this is his eternal purpose; and all his enemies will find it to be so, whatever the consequences to them may be.

2. As God foresaw the lapsed condition of the human race, it was his purpose to redeem them from that condition, and give them the advantages of a system of restoring mercy. This purpose, as to redemption, he executed in the gift and advent of his Divine Son, and as to the application of it to the wants of man, he is now executing it, in the agency of the Spirit, the dissemination of knowledge, and the proclamation of the gospel of salvation "to every creature."

3. As God made man at first, with power "sufficient to have stood though free to fall," that he might have a constitution adapted to the highest improvement and enjoyment, and hence made his continuance in holiness and happiness depend on his obedience and as the object of redemption, and the gospel, was to aid men in a lapsed state, in the work of returning to God and securing the high object of their existence; therefore it was the purpose of God that the saving benefits of the gospel should be received and enjoyed on conditions which the sinner has power to reject or comply with, and that the final result should be according to their choice. Hence, the Old Testament exhorts sinners to choose this day whom they will serve," and the New Testa

ment proclaims-"he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." This purpose, too, is as unchangeable as it is eternal.

4. As it was the purpose of God that the human race should maintain their original state, only on condition of obedience-and as their only way of escape is through Jesus Christ and his gospel, therefore it is the unchangeable and eternal purpose of God, that those who willfully reject the gospel of Christ, and the blessings of redemption, shall not share the final results of this system of restoring mercy, but experience, in their future and endless condition, the legitimate results of their sinful career. Hence the word of God exhorts sinners, "now is the accepted time-now is the day of salvation;" and in announcing the final consequence of unbelief and impiety, it solemnly declares, "he that is unholy, let him be unholy still."

5. As God foresaw there would be much unbelief in the world, notwithstanding the plainness of his revelation, and the proofs of his goodness, wisdom and justice-that there would not be wanting men who would "choose darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil"-would deny the authority of his word and "reject the counsel of God against their souls"-that even men professing to be Christians, and wearing the garb of gospel ministers, would stand up to arraign his wisdom and justice, and deny his right to institute and maintain a government which would hold its moral subjects responsible in their ultimate condition, for a voluntary course of rebellion and impiety-God, foreseeing all this, determined-it was, and is, his purpose-to institute a day of General Judgment, the proceedings of which shall result in a perfect vindication of his character from the foul aspersions cast upon it by his enemies-and a justification of his gov ernment, in the endless banishment of those who "choose death in the error of their ways"--while every man shall receive "according to his deeds, whether they be good or whether they be evil" and a shout of approbation from all holy beings shall proclaim to an assembled universe, the equity of the Divine Throne, saying "Alleluia: salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments." −(Rev. xix. 1.) These are the main features in the divine "plans and purposes," so far as he has revealed them to us. And God needs no assistance from men to maintain these fundamental purposes, nor can any thing that men can do, prevent their final completion.

And now let me ask, with which of these purposes does the doctrine of endless punishment conflict? Where is the incongruity? I know it disagrees with Mr. Austin's notion of the divine purposes, which is assumed without authority from the word of of God. But I confess, it is an instance of singular modesty, for an opponent to assume the very point in dispute, and then proceed

of men, and unconditional for another, enjoying the same light and privileges; salvation is conditional to the same man at one period of his existence, and unconditional at another. Moreover, if the constitution of the gospel be changeless, then to make salvation conditional to one man and unconditional to another, would be a subversion of its constitution. If conditionality agrees with the nature of the gospel, unconditionality must contravene

its nature.

3. The notion that those who die in sin are unconditionally saved in heaven, has not one particle of evidence to support it, either in reason or revelation. Give me an argument from reason to support this notion, and it shall be considered. Give me one clear passage from God's word, affirming that those who reject the gospel and die in sin and unbelief, shall be saved with the felicities of heaven, and I have nothing more to say.

4. But so far from this being true, the Bible abounds with proofs of the conditionality of future salvation. What I have to say on this point, may be briefly summed up under the three following heads:

1. Not a single promise of spiritual salvation to be enjoyed either in this world or the world to come, is made to the sinner, unconnected with conditions expressed or implied. If there be such a promise, Mr. Austin knows where to find it. If he will produce it, I will give it my special attention.

2. All the promises of future salvation, either in this world or the future state, are made to the righteous, or those who become so by repentance, faith and obedience. To support this, I could cite you a hundred passages, but a few must suffice as specimens of the rest. (Matt. v. 8.) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (xxv. 21.)-" Well done, good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (1 John ii. 25.)--"And this is the promise that he hath promised us, [those who abide in Christ,] even eternal life." (Ps. cxii. 6.) "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." Also (Ps. i.) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly," &c. Verse 3d, "His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

3. Finally, the promise of future and endless salvation is uniformly hung upon conditions which imply a moral fitness for heaven, acquired in this life. (Rom. ii. 6-8.)-"Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honor, and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath," &c. (Gal. vi. 8, 9.)" He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (1 John v.