these passing evils, are sometimes too keen for the enjoyment of his life. Let these painful sensations be augmented in proportion to the difference between time and eternity, and then let us judge of the state of his mind.

Even that degree of horror which seizes the mind, when it deeply reflects upon the subject, renders the majority of those Divines who reject not the tenet, reluctant to expatiate upon it. They either omit it altogether in their discourses, or it is mentioned in a cursory and uninfluential Nay, they are disposed to censure such preachers as have more zeal and less sensibility, through an apprehension that they are acting contrary to the mild and gracious spirit of the gospel.

manner.

There are but two ways in which such a subject can be practically treated; these are the perpetual, but indefinite denunciation of eternal woe and misery, without being explicit concerning the nature of this woe; or to stretch the imagination, in order to find out degrees and diversities of torments, which shall be adapted to the different classes of sinners, during the endless ages of eternity. This is an exertion at which humanity revolts. But without such a detail, the doctrine sinks into all the inertness of a mere speculative opinion. We are so constituted that we require some degree

of amplification, respecting the calamities of this sublunary world, which are not within the reach of our observation. We can hear and read of a large mass of horror, concerning which the information is conveyed in general terms, without very painful emotions. The imprisonment or the captivity of thousands, and the slaughter of tens of thousands of our fellow creatures, with whom we have no personal connection, makes notan impression upon our feelings, equal to a minute description of the distresses which are suffered by a single individual. The mind is only affected by what it can grasp, and it must distinctly explore the component parts of misery to be duly affected by it. Each circumstance contributing its distinct effect, will finally produce a powerful aggregate. It was upon this principle that the divine lawgiver did not confine himself to the general declaration, that the Israelites should enjoy worldly prosperity, or suffer national calamity, according to their conduct, in the land of which they were about to take possession. But he enters into a most encouraging, and a most alarming detail of the circumstances which will constitute their happiness or misery. "And it shall come

to pass

if thou hearken diligently unto the voice

of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all

his commandments, which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God shall set the on high, above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field: blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy wine, and the flocks of thy sheep, &c. &c. &c.

"But it shall come to pass that, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, &c. cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field: The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, the Lord shall make pestilence cleave unto thee; the Lord shall smite the with consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew," &c. &c. &c. &c.*

The impressions made by these denunciations must have been, at the period, inexpressibly great upon the whole body of the people, far exceeding the denunciations of eternal misery in the present day.

* See Deut. ch. xxviii.

We endeavoured, upon a former occasion, to prove the necessity of terror to awaken the guilty and impenitent. It is in vain to expatiate upon the beauty of virtue, before those who are strangers to every other beauty but the gratification of their inordinate passions. Nor is the covenant of grace itself destitute of those terrors which are calculated to alarm the ungod ly. The inspired reformers of the world, assure them that they are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgments of God; that misery is in all their ways; that those who offend against the light of the gospel, deserve and shall receive sorer punishment than those who despised the law of Moses; and that it shall be more tolerable for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of judgment than for them. By these indefinite expressions they leave the imagination to work; and they alarm within the boundaries of reason and justice. The conscience of every wicked man admits, that he deserves not the recompense of the righteous, nor the peace of innocence. He knows that he deserves punishment; but he revolts at the thoughts of a punishment beyond measure, and beyond bounds, for finite offences. The absolute certainty that an offender cannot possibly escape some unknown punishment, will

produce a deeper and more lasting impression, than exaggerated threatenings, which excite his doubts. But a persuasion that the punishment is strictly just, that it will not exceed the consciousness of guilt, will greatly contribute to the removal of all doubts. In this case, the mind can no longer take refuge in those honourable sentiments which it is willing to entertain and to pervert, concerning the divine justice. The assurance that the future punishments, however great and terrible they may be, are no other than the necessary, but salutary chastisements of the heavenly father; will destroy every false expectation; and instruct the offender to measure the enormity of his crimes, by the severity of these requisite chastisements, inflicted by him who wills the salvation of all men.

Although to expatiate upon the eternal tortures of the impenitent wicked is too horrid to be borne, yet many are the subjects connected with future punishments, which demand the minutest consideration. The imagination may enlarge upon many tremendous circumstances, without exceeding the bounds of probability; and the imagination thus employed, may give a favourable check to those vain