formed the subject of his change of mind fifteen years before, when he was born anew, as it were, into the kingdom, and left the church of which his honored father had been pastor. It had engrossed his attention; it had won his heart; it had been the absorbing theme of his meditations. He had professed it because he had found it clearly taught in the word of God; and what should be more natural, then, than that he should give a large section of the book to the defence of it? Besides, any system of atonement was imperfect which did not secure the accomplishment of the object for which it was designed. In every respect, then, the doctrine of the final holiness and happiness of all men was of great value in the sight of Mr. Ballou. We do not propose, however, to describe at great length the evidences by which he sustained that doctrine.

In the first place, he answered the common objections which prevailed in his day. These objections were,— 1. That the greatest possible good of the universe required the endless damnation of a part of the human race. 2d. A God all mercy is a God unjust. 3d. Men are free agents; life and death are set before them, and salvation is uncertain. 4th. Punishment is expressly said in the Scriptures to be everlasting. 5th. Various passages of scripture, which have been used to prove the doctrine of endless misery, are explained, and showed not to teach that doctrine; as Mal. 4: 1, Matt. 3: 10, 12; 5: 29, 30; 12: 31, 32; 13: 30; the whole of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, 1 Thess. 7-9, and some other passages.

Having answered these objections, he comes to the

direct topic, the scriptural evidence of the salvation of all men. Among other passages, he quoted the promise to Abraham, Gal. 3: 8,-" And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall nations be blessed." On this promise he breaks forth as follows:

"What a glorious foundation for hope is here! How blessed was Abraham when he rejoiced in the day of Jesus! How blessed were the prophets of the Lord who saw these things, though afar off! The sight weaned their affections from all earthly things; they sought a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God. O, thanks be to my God, since I can call thee so; the belief of this, thy promise, produces as much heaven as I am able to bear while in the body!"— p. 181.

How strong the hold which the doctrine of Universalism had on his heart! It filled his soul with joy. His cup of bliss ran over. He had a strong faith; and the stronger his faith, the greater his joy. Some persons have supposed that Mr. Ballou was not capable of high devotional feeling, of ardent spiritual exercises, and of high love to God. How little have such known the man! They have regarded him as a man of cool head, of calm reasoning powers, but not capable of enthusiasm and spiritual exultation. That he possessed the cool head and the logical mind is not to be denied; but he possessed, also, the tender sensibilities of a Christian. Gratitude, love and joy, were almost constant exercises of his soul.

We will give one more passage on the evidences of Universalism.

6

"Let us pass to the prophecies of Isaiah; see chap. 25: 6, 7, 8,— ' And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall be taken away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.' No one will doubt that the provisions here spoken of are those which are provided in the gospel of salvation.

"In the first place, then, observe, it is made for all people; this proves that it was the intention of him who made the feast that all people should share of its divine benefits.

"2d. It is testified that the vail of darkness, which was over all people, should, finally, be taken away.

'3dly. That death is to be swallowed up in victory, and tears wiped off all faces. And,

Lastly. That the rebuke of God's people should be taken from off all the earth. And the evidence given to prove it would all be done is, the Lord hath spoken it.

"It is of no avail for any to pretend that, though the provisions of the gospel were provided for all people, yet all will not partake of them, let the reasons be what they may; for, if God wipes tears from off all faces, all must receive the benefits of gospel grace and peace. Compare this testimony with 1 Cor. 15: 54,So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.' Again, with Rev. 21: 4, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.' How can it be justly said that death is swallowed up in victory, when the fact is, death will reign as long as God exists? Or, how can it be said that God shall wipe all tears from the eyes of men, if millions are to mourn to an endless eternity? Or, why is it said, there

shall be no more sorrow, crying nor pain, if sorrow, crying and infinite pain, are never to cease? Isaiah 9: 6, 7, the Saviour is prophesied of as possessing a kingdom, the increase of which should have no end. To the same purpose, see also Daniel 7: 14,-. And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.'

6

“Observe, ‘All people, nations, and languages, shall serve him.' If a great part of the human race are to exist in endless rebellion against Christ and his kingdom, it seems that the prophet was not only ignorant of it, but believed the reverse. Isaiah 49: 6, And he said, it is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.' Verse 8, I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,' &c.

"For the strength of this covenant see Jer. 33: 20,-'Thus saith the Lord; if ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant,' &c.

“When men are possessed of sufficient agency to stop the wheels of time, to arrest the motion of the solar system, and to disannul God's covenant with day and night, then day and night will depend on the will of man. So, likewise, when he has agency to disannul that covenant which is ordered, and in all things sure, then his eternal salvation will depend on himself, and not on his God."-pp. 183-185.

Observe, how he links the Old Testament with the New. Isaiah had said, "He will swallow up death in victory, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces." This passage, as Mr. Ballou shows, was quoted by the apostle Paul, and applied to the immortal

state.

Whatever was the original sense of the passage as delivered by the prophet, Mr. Ballou saw that the apostle applied it to the state of incorruption and immortality. Observe, too, how careful he was to show that the covenant of God was sure. When men can break the covenant of the day and of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in proper season, then can they disannul the promise of our God. Mr. Ballou believed that man possessed no agency by which he could disannul God's covenant, or derange His plans.

Mr. Ballou had quoted the passage, 1 Cor. 15: 28,— "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son, also, himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." He reasons on this subject in the following manner :

"What must we understand by all things being subdued unto him? Will any one say, all that is meant by it is, Christ will then have power over all men, whereby he can reward the righteous and torment the wicked? When did he not possess this power? When were not all things in subjection to Christ, enough for those purposes? The subjection of all things to Christ must mean something, and it is reasonable to believe that it means the reconciliation of the heart to holiness. Can a soul in sin, employed in blaspheming the Incommunicable Name, be said to be in subjection to Christ in any way that answers to the text? I do not think any will contend for it.

"The only subjection which is acceptable to Christ is a broken and contrite heart, which he will not despise. The plan, then, of the gospel, is universal submission to Christ, in holiness an happiness.

"The delivery of the kingdom of Christ to the Father is declared in the last clause of the passage quoted, of which I have before taken notice in this work, in order to show the