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LEONARD C. BOWLES, 147 WASHINGTON STREET.
MAY, 1836.

Price 3 Cents.

1. R. BUTTS, PRINTER, SCHOOL ST.

THE

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

OF

RETRIBUTION.

It is the uniform doctrine of the new Testament, established by the declarations of him, whose words shall never pass away, and inculcated by the Apostles of his religion, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; that our condition in the world beyond the grave depends upon our character and conduct in this. They that have done good, says Jesus, shall come forth to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation. We shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, says St. Paul, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, says the Apocalypse, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things, which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire; or consigned to the punishment which he deserved.

I

might multiply passages teaching and enforcing the same great truth of an awful retribution in the future world for the deeds which are performed in this, to an indefinite extent. I might show, too, that all the happiness which is promised by Christ and his apostles, is promised on conditions, which man must perform in order to secure it, or in other words, to those who possess certain characters-those who, in the language of scripture, "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man can see the Lord." I would as soon undertake to prove from the Scriptures that there is no God, as to prove from the same writings, that there is no punishment beyond the grave for those who die in their sins.

God has communicated to us his desire that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But he has communicated to us his determination to bestow happiness only through the medium of holiness. He has made us free agents, capable of abusing our powers, capable of bringing misery upon ourselves, as well as happiness. It is evidently the plan of the Deity, as represented in the Scriptures, not to force the volitions of his creatures. He is represented as setting before us the path of holiness and the path of wickedness, the way of life and the way of death, the crown of glory and the abyss of ruin, and as leaving us at liberty to choose the one or the other. However much he desires it, he will not make us happy against our will. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." What is the consequence of his having no pleasure in the death of the wicked? Is it, that the wicked will not die, or suffer punishment? Is it, that he will directly inter

fere to prevent the consequences of the course, which the sinner chooses? Oh, no. The only consequence is, that God intreats the sinner to return, and by the exercise of his own freewill to avoid the evil consequences of a sinful course. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he should turn from his ways and live. Turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die."

Having given the children of men a rational nature, moral powers, and freedom of will, he deals with them according to that nature. He places before them motives, reasons, persuasions, such as are suited to influence rational and free agents. He treats them neither as machines nor as brutes. He will not force any of his creatures to be good. He will not compel them to go in the right way. This in fact would be a contradiction. He can only invite them to it, and show them whither the way of holiness leads; and whither the way of wickedness leads. He places the fountain of life, and the cup of indignation before them, and allows them to drink which they please. No one will go to the world of woe, who does not choose to go thither, and no one will fail of heaven, who strives to enter the straight gate that leads to it. If we choose holiness, heaven is our portion. If we choose wickedness, misery is our portion. For without holiness, no man can see the Lord, but glory, honor, and immortality to every soul that doeth good.

But, perhaps some may ask, how then is eternal life a free gift, if it depends upon the choice, or the Christian character of those who receive it? The Scriptures represent eternal life as the gift of God through Jesus Christ VOL. IX.- No. 106. 1*

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