Year: 1870

ness will be exactly in proportion to
their obedience. Tell them that God is
not angry with them but loves them
more than any human parent ever can
that He does not punish them for dis
obedience, but that disobedienee results
in suffering as surely as obedience re-
suits in happiness. Tell them that no
! one can be truly happy, either in time
or in eternity, except by conforming to
the divine laws revealed to US in the
Bible. Tell them that while it is our
work to conform to these laws, God
graciously gives every man the neces-
saFy ability to do the work. Tell them
that the sooner they commence obeying
these laws, the sooner their happiness
viii commence-that the more perfectly
they obey them, the more perfect will
be their happiness. Tell them that
every 5yilfuy violation Of the divine law
makes it the more difficult for them to
obey the law in the future, and that by
persisting in this wilfuI violation they
will become confirmed in the love OF
evil, and win be unable to ever love
God or obey His laws, and, consequent
i1y, neYerwiH be truly happy. OfoOuTse,
such personswIl have a certain kind Of
enjoyment, at times they will not be
continually suffering intense agonies-
| if they should be, they would be entire
ly unable to engage in those ldiabolieal
works which we are informed that evil
spirits are continually carrying on, But
the enjoyments Of such persons, on spir-
its, must be of a very low and beastial
character. Their condition win be the
best that it is possible for them to live
Iin-they may think and say that they
are in heaven, and that the. Universalists
are right, that all are finally. saved.
/ Well, there is no doubt that every in
diyiduaI of the human family will
have just the position he is best fitted
for, in the eternal world -just the place
where he will suffer the least and enjoy
the most that is possible for him. An
evil spirit would suffer less in hell than
inzheaven, and in mercy to him God
permits him to abide in hell-it is more
heaven to him than heaven itself would
be; and if this kind of a heaven suits
any one, let him choose it, and delight
| himself in it as best he can. f.--


But the great truth remains, that true
happiness results only from the love Of
and obedience to the divine laws; and
this love must be UOZla1tayy-obedienc,
may be forced, compelled, but lore can
not, God Himself, Il say it reverently
eanaOt compel rs to love Him or Hi
laws. Ifmen hate God and violate Hi
laws during their abode here on Earth
what reason can there be for suppOsinl
that they will cuer love Him or His law
in the future world? There is certain
Ely, no good reason for, indulging an.
such hope. Ifa1sre obedience would dc
then there would be no difficulty in tn


way, for God can compel men to ont
tUard obedience; and He does cOmpe
the evil spirits to outward obedience
but their lore of evil He cannot change
and, no doubt, their suffering chiefly
arise from the non-gratifcation of thei
evil desires, from the qualification 0
which they are restrained by the fear o
the suffering which they know vii
surely follow. .. 3D..


J


If God could compel US to lore HIN G,lC
HIS lars, then the doctrine of Universal
salvation would have a solid foundation
for God certainly would save US all il
heaven if it were at all possible for hin.
to do so. Salvation consists in ZOU0ls
God and His laws and hating and shun.
ming everything thatis evil; and in or
der for the Universalists to make out
their case, they must show that all men
l0tE, after death, freely and Uoz,Entari5
tore God and His lars and hate sin and
iniguity. .'


Now as I said in the previous COM
munieation would be glad to be assur-
ed, on good authority, that such de-
sirable result is beyond all doubt. Ger
tainly, every body would rejoice to
know that all men will finally ''ced8e d
do euH and learn to do aUeU." But il
they don't commence this work in this
life, there is scarceIyaa possibility that
they ever will commence it. Mr.. Carl
ton is right in saying that God, being
an iDfiOitnIxy v-ico o,d ooOd Eo thor will
do everything IN HIS po1ger to render
His children happy. OF course He will;
but their happiness depends on their
own free and UoyuntdTy lore Of WRdt is
good and true; and this is something
God. cannot do for them; if He could, no
doubt He would. But right here is the
difficulty; something is necessary to be
done that God cannot do; and if men
do not do it, it will forerer remain un-
done. JUSTICE.