the damned; for "they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth' 37. Can Mr. Winchester assign any reason that is peculiar to faith, or any natural reason that is common to man, why Christ should be set forth for a sign that should be spoken against? Why he should be despised and rejected of men, the scorn of the world, and the stumblingblock of the wicked? and why they should be eternally blessed whosoever should not be offended in him? Why he should be called a deceiver, a fellow, yea, Beelzebub the devil; and his followers be hated of all men for his name's sake? and why they who resisted these enemies unto blood should be owned and honoured before the angels of God; while such as were awed by them, and became fearful of their rage, should be the first rank that should march to hell? Why the wicked should curse both their King and their God in the day of judgment, when their restoration is drawing so nigh; and at the same time this Saviour, who is their stumblingblock and rock of offence, against whom all their indignation is levelled, should be their only friend, their only saviour, and their universal restorer? Some impressions of the future punishments and promised rewards of God have ever been deeply stamped on the minds of the children of men, however left, bereft, rude, or uncultivated, they may have been. Hence we read, among the heathen writers, of the gulph of Tartarus, or hell; Orcus, or Hades; of Pluto's cave; of the infernal rivers, Cocytus, Acheron, Styx, and Phlegethon; of harpies, gorgons, hydras, and furies, intimating perhaps the horrors of a guilty mind; and the punishments of Ixion, Tantalus, Sysiphus, and others. We read also of the Elysian plains, the happy abodes of the just after death; and of a particular number ordained by fate for the enjoyment of them. So Virgil writes of 'a choice selected few,' and of the chosen few who gain Elysium.' But there is no reason to suppose that even the heathens believed in the restoration of all the condemned criminals in hell; such as Cacus, Sysiphus, Tantalus, Ixion, the Titans, the Belides, &c. We do not read of any purification by fire, wind, or water, passing, or to pass, upon these; that seems entirely confined to 'the chosen few,' to qualify them for Elysium. The idea of universal restoration was never by God implanted in nature, nor was it ever revealed by grace. Plato, the heathen philosopher, circulated this purgation by fire, and restoration from hell, three hundred years before Christ; and Origen, according to the account of the learned, was the first that brought it into the christian church. But then the heathens worshipped devils, not God; and these our Gentile fathers inherited lies, Jer. xvi. 19; and this is one; for "they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Nor can any reason be assigned why the devils should have such an inveterate hatred to Christ, if he is the great restorer of them; nor why Satan should from age to age tempt the children of Christ; as he did Job to blaspheme; Peter, and numbers more, to deny him: nor why he should stir up princes to oppose him and murder his children, and the pope and Mahomet to revile him; Simon Magus, and the judaizing teachers, atheists, deists, Socinians, Arians, and Arminians, to oppose and traduce him; to seduce and mislead his followers; to attempt to weaken his interest and destroy his kingdom. No reason can be assigned for all this malice of devils, if Christ is their great benefactor; nor can any reason be assigned why the devil should seek the death and destruction of Christ, from the manger to the cross, nor why he should tempt the Lord to selfmurder, and to worship him; nor why he should stir up the Jews to crucify him, and bring him under the curse of God. Had all their schemes succeeded, their restoration must have miscarried. In all these things Satan must be divided against himself; unless it can be supposed that Mr. Winchester, and none else, is in this secret. But the truth of the matter is, the devil's faith is firmly fixed in the everlasting curse and wrath of God; and therefore he asked Christ if he was' come to torment him before the time. In these things the devils believe, and tremble; and in this the devil is right, and Mr. Winchester wrong; for "they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." 39. In all other pits there is hope, but in this mentioned in my text there is none. There is hope in the horrible pit, for many have been brought out of that; and there is hope in the grave, the dust of the saints shall rest in hope; but in the bottomless pit there is none. The eternal existence of Christ, and the eternal chains of the devils, bear one and the same date. The everlasting state of the just, and that of the wicked in hell, bear one and the same date. And both are fixed by the word of God and by his inviolable oath; which are two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. "They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." 40. Mr. Winchester, in all his books, has not published one truth in defence of this restoration; nor has he produced, nor can he produce, one text in God's book to prove such a gaoldelivery; if he let him send that text out; and, by the help of God, I will try this apostle, and have no doubt but I shall find him a liar. can, 3 This doctrine of the restoration is denied by God the Father upon oath, Amos viii. 7; Heb. iii. 11. It is denied by Jesus Christ the judge of quick and dead, Mark ix. 44. It is denied by the Holy Ghost, and by the eternal decree of heaven, 2 Thes. ii. 11, 12. It is denied by every prophet and apostle that has mentioned the state of the damned, Isa. lxvi. 24; 2 Thes. i. 9; Jude 7; 2 Peter ii. 12. It is denied by the sanction of the ་ eternal law, Luke xvi. 17; by the awful sentence annexed to the everlasting gospel, Mark xvi. 16; by the angel Gabriel, Dan. xii. 2; by the experience of every child of God; and by the Spirit's witness and the truth of grace in all the saints. It is denied by Abraham the father of the faithful in heaven, and by the groans of the damned in hell, Luke xvi. 24-26. It is denied by the feelings of Cain, Esau, Judas, and every despairing sinner. It is denied by the law of nature; by the testimony of heathens, who only mention a chosen few;' and by the conduct of devils. It is denied by the internal monitor of every minister of Satan, and consequently by the conscience of Mr. Winchester himself, the worst of liars; "for they that go down into the pit" must not, shall not, yea "cannot hope for thy truth." END OF THE TWELFTH VOLUME. T. Bensley, Printer, |