penalty. This law man has violated. No man has ever loved God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself. There is none that doeth good; no, not one-they are all gone out of the waythey are together become unprofitable.

But God has had compassion on man in his fallen state, and sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might have everlasting life. He has magnified the law, and made it honourable. He has become the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Now he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.

But men will not repent and believe on the Son of God. By their works they show that the love of Christ is not in them, and by their faith they often declare that eternal life is a matter of right, and not of grace, suspended upon the conditions of repentance and faith. But the Holy Spirit is sent down to renew and sanctify the heart, and make man willing in the day of God's power. But even the Holy Spirit is resisted and quenched. "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you." That truth which he inspired is resisted, and when he attends that truth he is resisted, so that God in many instances says in his wisdom and mercy too, My Spirit shall no longer strive with man. Many a God-forsaken, truth-forsaken, Spirit-forsaken sinner, no doubt lives now, monuments of God's wrath, as they did before the flood. Treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

These are the works of man, then, toward God. Man is a violater of his law, an invader of the interests of his limitless empire, and a despiser and rejecter of his Son. Man in his folly dares to set his foot on creation's law, on creation's Redeemer, and on (if it were possible) creation's Lord! He would fill the earth with ruin, uncrown the inhabitants of heaven, and exile the universe from its Father and Friend!

II. What recompense must their works receive at the hand of God? "Also, unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work."

What will God render to man for such works as fill our world, and send their story of guilt to the skies? What will he render to man for his violation of his law? Will he render to him pangs of conscience, as an appropriate penalty? True, the guilty soul has such pangs, and so fearful are they at times, as to almost induce the belief that they are the penalty of the law. But death is the penalty of the law, the "second death," not pangs of conscience. Will God render to the transgressor of his law, fear? True, fear is the offspring of guilt; and we have no doubt that many a transgressor is disturbed and harassed by his fears. But fear is not the declared penalty of the law. Death is the penalty of the law-that death spoken of in the 20th chapter of Revelation, and the 14th verse-that death which they are involved in who have no part in the first resurrection. Do and

live, neglect to do and die, is the alternative left to man. Neglect to do and die-not neglect to do and suffer the pains of an injured conscience-not neglect to do and be tormented by fear simply. But neglect to do, and die the second death-the death which takes place after the death of the body —after the resurrection—after the judgment day! The death which the soul will begin to die, when, from the judgment seat,—unforgiven, unanointed, unannealed,—it shall be sent down into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

"Also, unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work." Every man will get his due. Though men escape human tribunals, and pollute God's earth, and air, and creation, by their footsteps, and breath, and doctrines, yet there is one tribunal which men nor devils shall not escape. There they shall receive according to the deeds done in the body. Though there are motives of human action and principles of conduct dark, intricate, infernal—of which no human tribunal can take cognizance, no human law can reach-yet there is one who will judge · the secrets of men by that man whom he hath ordained.

“Also, unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work." According to his work. The degree of punishment will be in proportion to the degree of guilt. There will be no injustice. The atheist shall receive according to his work. The infidel will receive according to his work. The preacher

of false doctrines will receive according to his work. And a dreadful recompense will it be. Says Pollock:

"Among the accursed, who sought a hiding place
In vain from fierceness of Jehovah's rage,
And from the hot displeasure of the Lamb,
Most wretched, most contemptible, most vile,—
Stood the false priest, and in his conscience felt
The fellest gnaw of the undying worm-
And so he might, for he had on his hands
The blood of souls that would not wipe away.
Hear what he was. He swore, in sight of God
And man, to preach his master, Jesus Christ-
Yet preached himself: he swore the love of souls
Alone had drawn him to the church; yet strewed
The path that led to hell with tempting flowers,
And in the ear of sinners, as they took

The way of death, he whispered peace he swore
Away all love of lucre, all desire

Of earthly pomp; and yet a princely seat

He liked, and to the clink of Mammon's box

Gave most rapacious ear. His prophecies

He swore were from the Lord, and yet taught lies;
For gain with quackish ointment healed the wounds
And bruises of the soul, outside, but left,
Within, the pestilent matter unobserved,
To sap the moral constitution quite,
And soon to burst again, incurable.

He with untempered mortar daubed the walls
Of Zion, saying peace when there was none.
The man who came with thirsty soul to hear
Of Jesus, went away unsatisfied;

For he another gospel preached than Paul,
And one that had no Saviour in it.

Most guilty, villanous, dishonest man!
Wolf in the clothing of the gentle Lamb!

Dark traitor in Messiah's holy camp!
Leper in saintly garb !-assassin masked
In virtue's robe! vile hypocrite accursed!
I strive in vain to set his evil forth.

The word that should sufficiently accurse
And execrate such reprobate, had need
Come glowing from the lips of eldest-hell.
Among the saddest in the den of wo,
Thou saw'st him saddest; 'mong the damned most damned."*

The rejector of Christ will receive his recompense. He who apostatized from his Father's faith -the faith of the gospel, will receive according to his work. He who grieved the Holy Spirit, and blasphemed his holy work, shall have his recompense. The Sabbath-breaker, the false husband, the faithless wife, the wayward child, the vile hypocrite, the self-deceiver, the profane swearer, the debauchee, the drunkard, the idolater, the whoremonger, the false swearer, and all liars, shall receive a recompense according to their respective works. Sad recompense-to hear the sound, "depart." To commence an endless pilgrimage from the throne of God, mid darkness, fire, and pain. And in the lowest deeps of hell,

"Burning continually, yet unconsumed,
For ever wasting, yet enduring still;
Dying perpetually, yet never dead."

Suffering a punishment equal to his crime. By

* That Pollock is accounted as good authority, among the Universalists, is evident from their quotations from him. See the Rev. T. J. Sawyer's sermon at the installation of B. B. Hallock, &c., &c.