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    Christ wUl finish and crown his earthly dispensation by raising up all mankiiui from the grave and bringing * tile state of rewards and punishments ; that the righteous will enjoy their 0 * 9 ihised happiness , and the wicked endure their threatened and deserved

    Misery , In whatever it may consist , for an age or definite period to follow , which will be the final age of the Messiah ; that after this , the object of his mission being accomplished , he will deliver up the kingdom to God , even the Father ? Of the succeeding state

    it may not have been designed that jmy thing * should be revealed ; but there can be no doubt that the righteous will continue to be happy and growing in happiness ; and the most benevolent heart may be satisfied to leave the rest of the human race lo

    the uncovenanted mercies of God . Ser . XV . ( from Ainos iv . 12 ) is on " The Duty of preparing to meet ouir God- ' This is a very serious devotiooal and practical sermon . The preacher urges the duty of meeting God in the course of his providence ,

    in the ordinances of his worship , at death , and at his final tribunal . The pleasing subject of the XVIth Sermon ( from 1 Thess . iv . 17 ) is ' The Future Life of the Righteous

    a Social State . " The proposition is briefly proved and then amplified- A glowing * description is given of the heavenly society . Mr . Belsharn finds a place in this happv state for all virtuous men , even though they may have been unbelievers , and of the

    most daring kind ( pp . 376 , 376 ) . The following passage is painfully interesting , not excepting the close of it , which contains a conjecture that not a few would eagerly oppose : ** One cloud , one dark cloud , appears % o overshadow the glorious prospect ,

    and , partially at least , to deform iis beauties . Some will be missing from that happy assembly who were once most intimately connected in the bonds of nature and affection . And the thought of

    the bliss which they have lost , and still utore , of the bitter suffering to which they are condemned , must , one mi ^ ht imfigin ? , cast a cloud upon the &cene , a& 4 Mfcfiict a pang upon the bosom of the ibles&ed .

    •* * l <> alleviate this great apparent cUitf culty let ft be considered , ' *! . ' That the instinctive affections , Ivhatfever be thfh * jpresent intensity or

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    utility , havuo £ answered die purple fpr Which they w £ re j ^ Aaptg ^ TO" pr 6 W btyriiaW ? no existemse iir 'a ^ W&fe ^^ . ' " 2 . That f ^ e ^ tistfe afad wUdbfii , and even the benevoletiee of i ! fci £ Dteiiie proceedings towards the Sufe ^ rs -lh ^ tHselves , will probably be so a |^ pareiit , tod the will of the righteous will ? be so absorbed in , and identified with 5 the

    governing will of God * that few t or bo painful feelings will be < excited ^ account of those vthq , for , , a Untied period , will suffer for their crimes ; except ]> erhaps a generous pity , in which the sense of pain is in a preat measure absorbed in the feeling of benevolence .

    " 3 . That probably the state of future punishment will bear wo resemblance to those gross conceptions which = maby entertain , from the literal interpretation which they give to the figurative language of scripture . The state of punishment to which the wicked will be

    consigned , will no doubt be miserable , and even insupportable . It will probably consist chiefly in suffering tKe natural consequences of their own vicious and exorbitant passions , which will of tHeiiiselves terminate in shame and misery And by this salutary , but painful process , they may perhaps ultimately be reclaim ed to virtue , amd -res $ 0 ited $ & oeace * In

    the mean time , while " tibiae , s ^ tt ^ es ^ pt agony remain in the l » -e ^ s ^ ' l&e pkwe where they "will exist is . of little iuameijt All places are alike to a woui ^ e 4 ^ int . A celestial paradise would to ^ aph aii one be a place of torment . To Xde ,

    therefore , the conjecture appears licit improbable > that in the life tto cori ^ e the place . in which -the unrighteotts will wi'dergo tlieir penal sentence , may be ^ ifte same with thatin which the i % li ^ e 6 t »» will enjoy their promised lewaiid * * And ta

    may we not be pi ^ ni , cpnjectui ^ * that some pprtion at Jeayt lo-t . the hapfiiness of the righteous ^ o \ ay arise fm » generous and gia ^ aalJy ^ ucce . sftful exer - tions to reclaim their fa&fot and uohapp ) fellow-creatures ? Thi $ supposition is at least as rational , and it Is far less

    painful , than the vulgar creed concerning the torments of hell . And 1 aim con fident , that it i « not less constettf tit with the doctrine of the New TestaineDt /' - * - Pp . 581—384- i '

    Ser . XVIL ( from Pda . exxxix . 3 ) is entitled 44 The Presence of God iri Heaven and Hell . " By the last word the preacher means not the place of punishment , but , as he maintains it ^ used hi the Old Testanient , the grave , or the great repository c > t th < 3 M ^ In ihq popular sense , however , ' lie asserts the presence of God itikell , aiw

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    422 Review - ~ - > Bel $ hairi * Doetrinal £ Ad * Pr , ( W $ fcyl < -Pisi \ 9 MT&Gte

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1826, page 422, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2550/page/42/