you profess to take the apostles, the first missionaries to the heathen, as a pattern in your preaching and conduct? To this the missionary would without doubt reply in the affirmative. Give me leave, says he, then, to ask you, what heathen nation they ever went to and preached as you do to us, that they came to save them from a place called hell? To what sermon of theirs can you refer us, in which they even so much as mentioned the word hell, which is so often. upon your lips?-Were I this missionary, such questions would nonplus me. But to what could any missionary appeal, showing that those persons were all exposed to endless torments in hell? Not to his Bible, a book they know nothing about? Not to any thing he could point them to as an object of sight, feeling, or hearing. He could indeed refer them back to the old heathen fables about hell, from which source Dr. Campbell thinks the Jews derived this notion. But we are rather inclined to think, so far as our knowledge of present heathenism goes, that the heathen have forgotten the ancient fables about hell, and are obliged to Christians to revive this ancient doctrine of their fathers among them.

5th, Let us see which of the two doctrines accords best with the wishes, and feelings and prayers of every good man. What a good man wishes, and which is agreeable to his best feelings, for this he prays. Accordingly it is common with all Christians to pray for the salvation of all men; and we believe that they do this often with holy and ardent desires for its accomplishment. But, is there not a contradiction between their wishes, feelings, and prayers, and their professed creed? If they are confident all will never be saved, but only a small number elected to everlasting happiness, why pray for the salvation of all men? Their prayers ought to be restricted to the

elect. And we see not why they ought not to pray for the eternal misery of all the rest, seeing that it is the will, yea, the eternal decree of God that they should be forever miserable. All we request here, is, that every Christian would impartially and seriously examine, if my views may not be true, which are so much in unison with his wishes, his best feelings, and his prayers, when in the most solemn intercourse with his God. If I am in an error, it is strange that this error should have such a place in the desires, and feelings, and prayers of all Christians.

6th, How does my views and the opposite affect the eternal condition of men? According to my views, not one of the human race is to be punished forever in hell or Gehenna. This, if true, is certainly a pleasing thought, amidst all the guilt and wo in our world. But how does the contrary represent this? That a certain number, no better than others, are to be received into heaven to enjoy its happiness forever. All the rest of the human race are to be banished to hell torments forever. The husband, the parent, the brother, the sister, shall look down from heaven on their relations in hell, and so far from having any pity at seeing them in such unspeakable and eternal torment, the very sight shall enhance and increase their happiness. Now give me leave to ask, and let conscience speak, which of these two views is likely to be the truth. Unless every thing like Christian feeling is banished from heaven, can such a doctrine be true? Yea, I ask, if Christian feelings are known in this place? Is it possible that the happiness of the place could be enjoyed, while it is known, that a single individual of God's creatures was to be eternally miserable? If this be true, then, a believer does not better his situation, as to Christian feeling, by going to heaven. I once saw the idea highly extolled in an

account of missionary proceedings-" that a Christian could not feel happy so long as he knew that there was a single individual of the human race without the knowledge and belief of the gospel." This is like a Christian in this world. Heaven is then a change for the worse; for the eternal torment of innumerable beings in hell, is to afford an increase of joy to the inhabitants of heaven! For my own part, I must say, that with such feelings, I could not be happy in heaven. If my views, and feelings, and reasonings on this subject are wrong, I hold myself in readiness to be corrected by an appeal to the Scriptures, by any person in the universe of God.

THE END.

INDEX TO TEXTS QUOTED AND ILLUSTRATED.

GENESIS.

NUMBERS.

DEUTERONOMY.

JOSHUA.

I KINGS.

JOB 7: 9

11: 8

14: 13

17: 13-16

21: 13

24: 19

26: 6

30: 33