mon opinion on the subject and see if it have the resemblance of the spirit of Christ. The common opinion of our text is this; the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is a sin too great to ever be forgiven, and therefore the blasphemer must be punished in a most awful state of torment eternally; or as long as God exists. But let us ask, why is this sin so great? Why may it not be forgiven? Why should the Almighty become unkind to his children because they have cominitted this sin? Is the Almighty injured by this sin? No, God cannot be injured by his creatures. Was Jesus injured as much by this blasphemy as the common doctrine supposes those will be injured who committed it? No, it is allowed that Jesus rests in glory in heaven. Then the law that requires an eye for an eye does not require that the blasphemer should be punished world without end. But suppose the most awful punishment be inflicted to all eternity on those blasphemers, is this exactly according to the spirit of Jesus, who on the cross, prayed; "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do?" Jesus commanded his disciples to love their enemies, to pray for those that used them spitefully and persecuted them; is it according to this spirit and disposition, that he will torment his enemies eternally in the merciless flames of fire and brimstone? If it be safe to believe, that Jesus will always possess and exercise the same spirit of love and compassion, which so distinctly marked the character which he exhibited in the days of his flesh, we certainly have no more reason to believe that he will consign the blasphemous Jews to never ending torment, than we have to believe that every tender, fond mother in America will at the expiration of a short given time, commit her tenderest offspring to the flames. Let those who contend for the common unmerciful doctrine, to the support of which the text un

der consideration is usually applied, duly consider the words of Jesus, to those of his disciples, who manifested a disposition to command fire from heaven on the inhabitants of a village of Samaria; "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

The enemy of the spirit of God and of truth will say in reply to the foregoing arguments, if these things are all so, we may sin with impunity and blaspheme without fear; we may hate God, disregard his commandments, give no heed to the gospel and abuse the Saviour. Though we hope that none present are so blind, so hard hearted, so dead to the spirit of truth as to make these suggestions, yet it may be serviceable to guard against such insinuations, as we know the opposers of divine truth are continually making use of them against the doctrine of divine love. Come then, and let us reason together on this subject. Are you willing to step forth boldly and say to the world, that the more you believe in the goodness of God, the more you feel disposed to hate and disobey him? The more confident you are that the Saviour is your unchangeable friend, the more you feel disposed to abuse him? No, there is neither male nor female in the world so morally deranged as to talk in this way. How then will the opposer argue? He will say that it is his opinion that the doctrine contended for in this discourse is of dangerous tendency. But who does it dangerously influence? Certainly not the believer of it, for a belief in the divine goodness tends to fill the believer with love to God, and love to God is that alone which can lead us to obey him. Who then does this doctrine effect so dangerously? If any, it must be the unbeliever, the opposer. Here we Inust allow the argument, in a sense, for the preaching of Jesus himself tended to enrage his enemies, his miracles of mercy tended to open

their mouths in blasphemy. But would it have been better not to preach the truth because it sturred up the opposition? Would it have been better not to cast out devils because if he cast them out the Pharisees would blaspheme and say, that "this fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils?"

The opposer will say, perhaps, that he means this; if we believe in so much goodness it will tend to make us worse. But this is absurd; for every thing tends to its own, goodness to goodness, evil to evil, love to love, hatred to hatred, harmony to harmony, discord to discord, friendship to friendship, enmity to enmity.

But says the objector, according to this doctrine there is no punishment for sin, no, not even for this awful blasphemy. Here again is a mistake. For nearly eighteen hundred years the Jews, the descendants of him to whom the promise of the gospel was made, have wandered in "outer darkness," in consequence of this blasphemy, and how much longer they will continue in this unhappy situation none but our merciful Father in heaven knows. But the objector will say that these arguments do not suppose that the Pharisees who blasphemed in the days of Jesus on earth are now burning in fire and brimstone for that sin in the immortal world. No, we see no evidence of this. If people are possessed with devils in the eternal world, and if Jesus cast out devils in that world, and these old Pharisees there in that world believe and say that he casts out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils, then it is granted, that in the eternal world they must be punished for such unreasonable folly.

But, my brethren, let us learn wisdom by the ensamples furnished in the word of God, and remember that now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation; and that none but the willing and obedient eat the good of the land.

No. 10.

LECTURE SERMON,

DELIVERED AT THE

SECOND UNIVERSALIST MEETING, IN BOSTON,

DECEMBER 6, 1818.

BY HOSEA BALLOU, PASTOR.

Published Semi-Monthly by Henry Bowen, Devonshire-street.

ROMANS, xi. 7.

"What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

THE design in view which has led to the choice of this portion of divine truth, as a subject of our present lecture, is to investigate the scripture doctrine of election, to show the strict sovereignty of God in electing some and blinding others, the righteousness of God in the exercise of his sovereignty, and to disprove the common doctrine of election which supposes, that our heavenly Father, from eternity, elected some to everlasting life, and predestinated others to a state of endless misery.

Our subject is one in which every christian must feel deeply interested, as it essentially concerns the divine character, his revealed will concerning the final state of mankind, together with the ultimate object of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is therefore hoped that due attention and impartial candor will contribute to their utmost to a correct understanding of the weighty subject under considertion.

By the election" in our text the Apostle means a remnant of the house of Israel, who had obtained what the whole had sought for, but of which the greatest part had come short, being blinded. In the preceding chapters the Author had spoken of the failure of the house of Israel in their endeavors to attain to the law of righteousness, and of the more favorable condition of the Gentiles, who though they did not follow after righteousness, yet had "attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith." To the Gentiles he applies a prophecy of Esaias as follows; "I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest to them that asked not after me." But concerning the house of Israel he uses the following words: "But to Israel he saith, all day long, I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gain saying people." In the commencement of this chapter his attention seems to be directed to make it appear that, notwithstanding all which he had said, God had by no means, cast away the whole of his people, the Jews. The following is his reasoning on the jubject: "I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Isreal, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone and they seek my life? But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." That is, as in the days of Elijah it pleased God to reserve seven thousand of the Israelites to be true worshippers of himself, while the rest bow