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SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LATE REV. MR. HILL †. IATELY died at Tavistock, near Barnstaple, in Devonthire, the Rev. Mr. Hill, a pious clergyman of the eftablished church. This good man was a great debtor to divine grace. He did not occupy a place in the church for a morfel of bread, but was intent upon exhibiting to his hearers the bread of life; without which their fouls muft perifh. His object was, to enlighten the dark, to inftruct the ignorant, to reclaim the vicious, to convert finners from the error of their way, to bring back the wandering wretched prodigal to his God and Father, and to comfort and build up the Lord's people in their most holy faith.

This gentleman poffeffed a good church-living; but he knew how to apply it to proper ufes. To the rich he was kind and obliging; to the poor, humble and benevolent: they looked to him as their friend, loved him as their father, and revered him as their guide. He not only gave them the neat that perifheth, but was anxious to feed them with that which endureth to everlafting life, For when he was incapacitated, through infirmity, for labouring as he had done in public, he ftill endeavoured to carry on the main defign, by converfing familiarly, friendly, folemnly, and affectionately with his people and neighbours, as opportunities prefented themselves; and, like a true father in Chrift, he fed them by the hands of others, when he could no longer feed them himself; for he distributed fmall religious tracts in his parifh, that when the people of his charge could no longer hear his voice, they might behold the tokens of his love, and read his own fentiments and wishes in the words of fome other fervants of Jefus Chrift.

A parifh-prieft thus improving his time, his talents, his fortune, and his influence to the glory of God, and for the present and eternal welfare of men, is a truly honourable and highly refpectable character. May divine grace increase their number, that the churches may be filled with fuch burning and fhining lights! then fhall we fee better times, and become a happy people!

Mr. Hill had a daughter living with him, who now furvives to lament the lofs of a good father; and it is hoped that the poffeffes no fmall portion of his fpirit. R. T.

We prefume this is the gentleman mentioned vol. 8. p. 224 and 318; and fhould be much obliged to any of our correfpondents who can favour us with farther particulars refpecting him."

ON

ON THE ETERNITY OF FUTURE PUNISHMENTS.

ON

Na fubject of fuch importance, it certainly becomes us to fpeak with all reverence. When we enquire into futurity, we fhould do it cautiously-all is dark beyond the bounds of time. We fhall never be acquainted with the fecrets of eternity till we enter the eternal world. So far, however, as we follow Divine, Revelation, and make the Word of God our guide, we tread upon fafe ground. The eternity of future punishments is, I apprehend, expressly pointed out by thefe facred writings. Our divine Lord, when fpeaking of the wicked, fays, "Thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." It is faid that the original word (os) is to be taken in a limited fenfe; but the fame mode of reafoning would prove, that the happiness of the righteous is not eternal, fince the fame word is used in both cafes, and the one is defigned as a contraft to the other. The fame word is ufed alfo to exprefs the eternity of God himself; and will any prefume to fay that his existence is limited? The paffage to which I refer, is Rom. xvi. 26, where Deity is called the Everlasting God.

But the eternity of future punishments is farther confirmed by the exprefs words of our Lord: when speaking of hell, he calls it a place where the worm dieth not, and where the fire is not quenched." To render this ftill more forcible, in the Revelation, the expreffion is doubled; "and the fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever." This alfo exactly correfponds with that ftrength of language which the fame facred writer ufes when fpeaking "of our Lord, and of his Chrift:"-" and he fhall reign for ever and ever ‡. We have no right to limit the word in reference to future punishments, any more than we have to limit it in reference to future happines, or even the existence of God himself.

But it is faid to be inconfiftent with the mercy of God. Deity cannot be more merciful; than he is juft. A God all mercy is an unrighteous God, not the God we adore. To fuppofe that he is more merciful than juft, is to infult him.

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Rev. xi. 15. The original of both thefe paffages is the fame: the Πει, εἰς αιώνας αιώνων ; the latt, εἰς τὰς ἀἰῶνας τῶν αιώνων.

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It is also said to be inconfiftent with his juftice: but are not our fins infinite-rifing in guilt in proportion to the dignity of the Being against whom they are committed, and the obligation of the finner? Sin is committed against an infinite Being, and therefore deferves an infinite or eternal punishment. God farther clears his juftice, by forewarning finners of the extent of their future punishment.

It is impoffible that these debtors fhould be releafed from. their prifon till they have "paid the uttermoft farthing." But how is it to be paid? Are they able to pay it? Has Jefus promised to do it for them in another world? Certainly not. All his promifes of falvation are limited to this life. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of falvation. Work while it is day, for the night cometh, in which no man can work." I muft alfo refer to Prov. i. 24-31, where God is exprefsly reprefented as refufing thofe who had flighted his mercy. It is not poffible for them to fave themselves. There is not a fingle promife of falvation after this life; and we have no right to expect what is not promised.

If flames could have purged away fin; or if divine juftice could have been fatisfied with less than eternal torments, there could have been no caufe for the death of Chrift, fince, without it, all would have been eventually happy. Is not punishment more calculated to harden than to foften? Will it not rather make them hate, than love God? Befides, the men who finned as long as they were able, would have finned for ever, had they been fpared. In short, I fee nothing in punishment to change the heart; and we know that the man muft be made a new creature before he can enter the kingdom of God.

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Could it be fatisfactorily proved that future punishments are not eternal, what dreadful confequences would enfue! Who would fear to fuffer for a time? Scarcely can the fear of eternal punishments reftrain men. We fee fome hardy enough to rufh uncalled into the prefence of God!to put a period to their exiftence by fuicide! although God has exprefsly faid, "Thou fhalt do no murder." What then would be the confequence, could it be proved that future punishments are not eternal? Juftice would be violated; -men, at all,rifques, would ferve their lufts; -they would let loose the rein to every tumultuous paffion; the whole world would become an "Aceldama." Unrestrained by the dread of eternal punishments, men would give way to their fenfual criminal defires; they would live as they pleased, knowing that at a future period

(however

;

however diftant) they should be releafed from punishment and made happy. Every tender tie would be diffolved the bonds of fociety and friendship would be broken every vice, in every fhape, would exalt its head;-religion would be wounded, infulted, defpifed, and driven from among men: we fhould behold nothing but scenes of deftruction and mifery.

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Thus, I conceive, that the eternity of future punishments is confiftent with the word,-the mercy,--and the juftice of God; that if punishments be not eternal, but atonements for fin, Chrift need not have died: and that the idea of limited punishments is inconfiftent with the Scriptures, and, could it be eftablished, would prove a fource of innumerable and unfpeakable evils.

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STRENGTH

C.

PROPORTIONED TO THE BELIEVER'S DAY.

MAN'S

AN's primitive ftate was very different from what his ftate is at prefent. When he first became a living foul, as he perfectly knew his Creator's will, fo he had power to perform it. He could be placed in no circumftances to which his ftrength was not accommodated: but now, being fallen, the powers and faculties of his mind are deprived of that ftrength which they originally poffeffed; and how to perform that which is good, without divine affiftance, he

knows not.

"As thy days, fo fhall thy ftrength be," is the promise of God, in his word, to each of his people upon earth. This promife may refer either to the number of the believer's days, or to the various events which may attend the days of his prefent existence.

It may refer to the number of his days; and the meaning of the promife may be this :-" As long, O believer, as the days of the years of thy life are multiplied upon earth, thou shalt never be left deftitute of divine firength; whilft thou haft any remains of fin to fight againft, any temptations from the world and Satan to oppofe, any afflictions, whether of body or mind, whether perfonal or relative to endure,-He who giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might increafeth firength, will not fail to communicate ftrength to thee. Having thus far ftrengthened thee on thy journey to the kingdom of Heaven,

* Deut. xxxiii. a5.

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he will continue to ftrengthen thee all thy journey through; for, thus faith the Lord, to every individual believer, in every period of time, "Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not afraid, for I am thy God: I will ftrengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteoufnefs; and as thy days, fo fhall thy ftrength be."

This promife may likewife refer to the various events which fhall attend the days of the believer's existence upon earth and the promife viewed in this fenfe, which is perhaps the true meaning of it, declares this encouraging, this confolatory truth, viz. that the believer's ftrength fhould be proportioned to his circumftances, accommodated to his different fituations in life, and anfwerable to all his feafons of duty and trial, as a probationer for a better and an eternal world.

Doft thou complain, O believer, of thy own weakness and infufficiency to fubdue the prevalence of indwelling fin, to overcome the fnares and allurements of the world, to refift the fiery darts of the Devil? Art thou called to the performance of fevere and painful duties? or visited in providence with great and heavy afflictions? Remember, for thy encouragement, that" as thy days, fo fhall thy ftrength be." Plead this promife before God at his throne; and pray to witnefs more of its accomplishment, and to feel more of the comfort of it in thy own experience.

Does any reader who has tafted that the Lord is gracious, enquire what are the grounds upon which this promife ftands?"Upon what foundation may I reft my confidence of its veracity?"

Confider in what relation you ftand to God, and God to you. Is he not, in a peculiar fenfe, your Father?" And if earthly parents, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto their children, how much more fhall your Father in Heaven give his Holy Spirit to help the infirmities of his children."

Call to mind the various and exprefs promifes of Divine Revelation. Befides the faffage on which the prefent remarks are grounded §, reflect on God's almighty power, connected with his infinite love: as his power qualifies him, fo his love difpofes him to ftrengthen his people in a

*Ifa. xli. 1o. Luke xi. 13. § Pfa. xxix. 11.-lxviii. 35-lxxxiv. Ifa. xl. 29, 30, 31.-xli. 10. Zech. xii. 10. Matth. xii. 20.

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