sessed, and that with a common portion of that divine grace which is needful for all, learning, ability, experience, and industry, should never be set at nought by those who, so far from being distinguished by such properties, have them in a very imperfect measure, or have them not at all.

SERMON XI.

SAME SUBJECT..

ONE great recommendation of the doctrine of universal pardon, is said to be, that it glorifies God far more than the common notions on this matter do, by investing him, in the very highest degree, with the character of love. Let us examine this idea somewhat closely.

1. In the first place, though it were admitted that the tendency of a doctrine to glorify God is not merely a recommendation of its excellence, but an evidence also of its truth-still, before we receive it, we must be satisfied that the tendency of the doctrine under consideration is really such, as has been asserted. Now, if it is said that the doctrine of universal pardon goes to promote God's glory, we deny the proposition, and affirm

that it goes to do the very contrary. Here then is human opinion opposed to human opinion. And how is the contest to be settled? Why, by an appeal to the Scriptures, which are the only rule to direct us how we are to glorify God. But do the Scriptures say, that the doctrine of universal pardon glorifies God? They say no such thing. Do the Scriptures contain the doctrine itself as revealed to our faith? We have proved that it has no sanction from them-that it is utterly repugnant to them. Do the Scriptures warrant us to glorify God according to our own conceptions of things? No; they give us no such licence or liberty, but plainly require us to regard him just as he has made himself known to us, and to believe concerning him, and to act towards him, in conformity to the disclosures. of his will which he has given us in the Bible. The argument we are speaking of proceeds on the principle of will-worship, which is unwarranted, sinful, dangerous. And it behoves our opponents to take special care that, in the present instance, while they flatter themselves that they are glorifying God, they are not, in fact, dishonouring him, by misrepresenting his perfect character, and bringing contempt on his moral administration.

2. In the second place, there is a fallacy in the

view that is taken of the connexion between the doctrine of universal pardon, and the transcend. ant love of God, and in the reasoning founded upon it, which must be pointed out and attended to. We are sometimes told, that God's being love is deducible from his bestowal of universal pardon, and at other times we are told, that the doctrine of universal pardon is deducible from the fact that God is love. Now let us not be de ceived by such sophistry. If both statements are found in the word of God, then they are both true, and may be taken as mutually connected, and mutually illustrative of each other; but the truth of the former does not prove the truth of the latter, nor does the truth of the latter prove the truth of the former. And, therefore, we are again driven to the Scriptures, where both subjects are treated, and where alone the truth of each can be ascertained. But we have already disproved the doctrine of universal pardon by refer ence to Scripture testimony; and we now go on to dispose of the other point by reference to the same conclusive and divine authority.

13. We have to observe, in the third place, that God is not merely love, according to the Scripture statement, but that he has other attributes as essential and as precious to him, as the attribute of love. Our opponents may theorise as much as they please about the amiableness of the divine

nature and labour to simplify our views of it by considering it as one undivided essence-and speculate as they will on the necessity of clothing it with "unlimited mercy," in order that our intercourse with Him to whom it belongs may be comfortable and confident. And they may mistify the subject by telling us that “ pardon is just another word for the compassion of God," and talk, in incomprehensible phrase, of such a thing as the "holy love of God against sin.”* And they may even astound us by discovering in the general deluge, and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a manifestation of God's mercy to the very victims of these awful judgments, to the world that, being "overflowed with water, perished," and to the cities of the plain that are "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." But after listening to such things with wonder and with pity, we just appeal to the manifold declarations and most intelligible language of that inspired book which God has put into our hand for giving us all the information respecting himself, which we are either capable of receiving, or which it is necessary for us to possess. And there we find, if our senses have not failed us, and if our understanding is not altogether in fault, that while goodness, mercy, compassion, love, are ascribed to God, holiness, justice, purity, are as

See Note Y.