A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.Ballou, Hosea
Religion
A Series of Letters, in Defence of Divine Revelation: In Reply to Rev. Abner Kneeland's Serious Inquiry into the Authenticity of the Same. To Which is Added, a Religious Correspondence, Between the Rev. Hosea Ballou, and the Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster and Rev. Joseph Walton, Pastors of Congregational Churches in Portsmouth, N. H.
Ballou, Hosea
Revelation; Universalism -- Doctrines
As you did not say any thing about the resurrection of the dead in
either of your speeches, I began to query in my mind whether you
believed it or no. I think, yea, I know, it was preached by Christ,
and explained so as to confute the Sadducees. Our Lord says, "Marvel
not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their
graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done
good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of damnation." St. Paul in his defence before the
Roman governor when accused by an orator, whom the Jews employed, as
he was allowed to speak for himself, said, "they cannot prove the
thing, whereof they now accuse me; but this I confess after the way
which they call heresy; so worship I the God of my fathers, believing
all things which are written in the law and the prophets, and have
hope towards God, which they themselves also allow; that there shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and herein
do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence
toward God, and toward man." We may observe what an influence the
belief of a future state of rewards and punishments had on the blessed
apostle to excite him to live a godly and self-denying life. In 2 Cor.
v. 10, 11, speaking of a day of judgment, "when every one must give an
account for himself as the deeds have been done in the body, that
every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he
hath done whether it be good or bad;" and says, "knowing the terror of
the Lord, we persuade men." My friend, is there the least room for us
to believe from this scripture and many others, that the wicked who
have died impenitent and in a disbelief of the gospel or without the
true knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, whom God hath sent, have
eternal life, in the fruition and enjoyment of God? Heaven consists in
being made like God, and enjoying him: hence it is, that the pious
thirst for God, the living God, saying, when shall I come and appear
before him? Again, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none
upon earth I desire besides thee. My flesh and heart fail me, but God
is the strength of my heart and portion forever." These pious
breathings are the exercises of the children of God. O may they be
ours.
JOSEPH WALTON.
PORSTMOUTH, Nov. 19, 1810.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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