nor in that to come; St. Mark, that such an one hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation; and St. Luke positively saith, it shall not be forgiven: And, to confirm the matter still more, if possible, St. Paul saith, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, (or, and have fallen away) to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses's law, died without mercy, by the mouth of two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose, ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. x. 26, 27, 28, 29, And the same Apostle directs us, saying; "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane persons, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears." Hebrews xii. 15, 16,

17.

And St. John the beloved disciple, says; "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." 1 John v. 16.

Now here is a sin for which there is no forgiveness, neither in this world (or age) or in that to come; which shall not be forgiven at all; he that committeth it hath never forgiveness, is in danger of eternal dam nation; he cannot be renewed again to repentance, because he hath crucified Christ to himself afresh,& hath put him to an open shame; having sinned wilfully and maliciously, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, to such no more sacrifice for sins remaineth judgment and fiery indignation are his certain portion, he is an adversary, and must be devoured; a sorer punishment than death without mercy awaits him, of which he is worthy, for that he hath trodden under foot the Son of God, the only Saviour, and hath counted the precious blood of the covenant, where with he was sanctified, and which alone is able to cleanse from sin, an unholy thing; and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace, which is only able to renew the heart, and therefore the case of such must be desperate; for if such an one like Esau, should wish to repent and gain what he had lost, it could not be, for he would find no place for repentance, though he might seek it carefully with tears; for having com mitted the sin unto death, for which no prayer is to be made, no intercession offered up, he is bound over to the second death, the lake of fire and brimstone, and must bear the punishment of his sins for ever and ever!! 1 What say you to this?

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Minister. As when Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel his dream, he was astonished for one hour at the greatness of the punishment which he saw would inevita bly come upon the King; much more must all those be, who read and consider these dreadful threatenings which must surely come upon all those who have sinned in the manner described! I shall make a few observations upon these most terrible passages of Scripture; partly to prevent feeble minds from falling into despair, that may see them collected in one striking view; partly to cure proud minds of presumption;

partly to shew that the doctrine of the Restoration may be defended, notwithstanding.

1. We are sure that the scribes and Pharisees of our Saviour's time, who blasphemously ascribed his miracles to the power of the devil, did, in the most direct and undeniable maner, commit that sin ; & some are doubtful whether it can be committed by any in these days.

2. It is generally acknowled, that the Hebrews were in danger of committing that sin, by openly and wilfully apostatizing from Christianity, and publicly renouncing Christ and his salvation, and blaspheming against the Holy Ghost after having been partakers of its extraordinary gifts.

3. It cannot be committed by ignorant persons, nor without a considerable degree of malice prepense; light in the understanding, and malice in the heart, are necessary ingredients of this dreadful crime; & it ap pears to me, it must be committed openly, and that it cannot be committed in thought only.

4. Under the Levitical dispensation there were many unpardonable sins-crimes that could not be forgiven or over looked, and for which no atonement could be made, and which were punished with death, without mercy; other crimes, unless sacrifices were offered, and repentance took place, subjected the parties to death also: but, under the gospel there is but one crime that is properly unpardonable, and that absolately subjects the person guilty of it to the second death; yet many other sins are threatened with the same punishment conditionally, but they may be for given, and not punished at all; but this one must as certainly be punished with the second death, as murder or any other crime, was by the law of Moses punished with the death of the body without mercy of forgiveness. Forgery is the unpardonable sin of England; people frequently suffer death for other crimes, as well as this; but other offences are sometimes forgiven, but this never; it is always punished with death. This circumstance may illustrate my

meaning. The sin against the Holy Ghost is an of fence of that kind, that, either owing to its uncommon malignity (as is most likely) or some other cause, exposes the guilty person to the age of judgment, from which he cannot escape by repentance, pardon, and sprinkling of the blood of Christ as other sinners may neither can he be at present born of the Spirit, to which he hath done despite; nor can he be reclaimed by any possible means, in this age, or in the age that is to succeed this, but is inevitably bound over to suffer the inconceivable torments of the second death, or lake of fire and brimstone after the day of judg

ment.

5. There is no kind of dispute between us, respect ing the certainty of the punishment of such; in this we both agree: He that sinneth against the Holy Ghost, is in danger of eternal damnation, or judgment, or the second death 2- -The question is, Shall there ever come a time, when the second death, or lake of fire, shall no more exist? If this can be proved, the conclusion will be evident, viz. that not one shall res main under the power thereof to all eternity: Upon this, and this alone, depends the solution of this awful, interesting, and most important question; and I consider all other answers as mere quibbles, compared with this. And if it cannot be proved that a time will come, when all that bears the name of death shall be destroyed, those who commit the sin unto deathy must, at least be allowed to stand as exceptions to the general rule; and, I am apt to think, the rule itself will be overthrown. I shall therefore labor this point a little; and if I should be so happy as to prove to your satisfaction the total destruction of death, it will answer many other objections as well as this. My only refuge is scripture; If that fails me, I shall not presume to pursue the subject farther.

Isa. xxv. 8. "He will swallow up Death in victory; and Adonai JEHOVAH will wipe away tears from of all faces." Hos. xiii.-14. "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from

death, O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, (or =hell) I will be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." 1 Cor. xv. 26. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death"-or rather, as the words may more properly be arranged, "Death," the last enemy shall be destroyed." The second death is infinitely more the enemy of man than the first, and may therefore be considered as an enemy which God will destroy.-Now,

If the last enemy shall be destroyed, there will not be one left.

But the first is true; therefore also the last. As, Would it not be highly absurd to say, that, Altho' the very last enemy shall be destroyed, yet, many millions shall remain to all eternity?

While sin

Verse 56. "The sting of Death is sin." remains in existence, death will be able to shew its sting; but the time will come when death shall have no sting to boast of; therefore sin, and consequently death of every kind, shall be destroyed. 1 John iii. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Unless Christ finally destroys the works of the devil, even all sin out of the universe, his purpose must be eternally frustrated:

3.

But the last can never be; therefore the first is true. Heb. ii, 14. "Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil."-Now what death has the devil power over? The death of the body? Or that of the soul, which consists in enmity against God, and separation from him?"To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," Rom. viii. 6, 7. If this death, with the consequence of it, is that which the devil hath the power of, then must this death be destroyed.