IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

IN TWO VOLUMES.

BY ALEXANDER MACWHORTER, D. D.

1803

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Reprint and digital July 16, 2004.

Alexander MacWhorter, D.D., ( 1734-1807 ) received schooling at the West-Nottingham Academy under Samuel Finley ( later President of Princeton College). Thereafter, MacWhorter at age 22 joined the junior class at the College of New Jersey with Rev. Aaron Burr, which later moved to Princeton, graduating in the first commencement there in 1757. Afterwards, he entered upon the study of Divinity, under the instruction of the Rev. William Tennent, the pious and justly celebrated minister of Freehold, in New Jersey. He was an active Pastor, and in 1772 was elected a Trustee of the College of New Jersey at Princeton. Yale honored him with a Doctorate of Divinity in 1776, which followed with his active involvement in the Revolutionary War, as an advisor to Washington, and as chaplain under General Knox at White Plains, where again he was a frequent guest of Washington's. The Newark Presbyterian Church extended a call to the pastorate to him in 1781, which was accepted.

"He was one of those great and good men, who, in 1788, had principal influence in settling The Confession of Faith, and framing the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States; and in transferring the authority, of the highest judicatory from the Synod to a General Assembly, which met first in May, 1789.—Ten years afterwards, when a board of trustees for the General Assembly was incorporated by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, at their session in the winter of 1798- 9, he was named in the charter as one, of the board, and continued to hold this trust, until the growing infirmities of age induced him, in 1803, to resign it."

The biographical summary is taken from Edward Dorr Griffin's Funeral Sermon for Dr. Macwhorter ( 1807). This title may be found at The Willison Center http://willisoncenter.com/

On the Princeton Page, Link 13. ---Willison Ed.

Alexander MacWorter published a two volume collection of sermons in 1803, from which the following title was selected.

Page numbers in the original are shown as: ( 474 )

The following begins the original text:

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S E R M O N XLI.

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Mat. 25, xlvi. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment.

THE eternity of the torments of hell, however plainly taught in the oracles of God, is, notwithstanding, denied by some and doubted of by many. There appears to be a growing disbelief of this article of our faith in these days of licentious principles and degenerate manners. It is a doctrine of great utility and high importance, and therefore to be contended for with earnestness, and not to be yielded to the enemies of truth as a matter of indifference or a thing of no moment. "Contend earnest]y for the faith once delivered to the saints," is an apostolic injunction. That this is an article to be held with firmness and stedfastness appears from its being so frequently inculcated in the word of God, from the use which is there made of it, to alarm sinners to attend to the concerns of their souls, and from its being the strongest natural motive to engage men to seek their salvation and to restrain them from open courses of vice. The doctrine of everlasting punishment.

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carries the business of natural motives to the highest possible degree of force.

It is true the effect produced by it upon mankind is far, very far from being answerable to the high nature of the argument. But, if this be the case under this mighty argument, what would be the consequence, if it were weaker? If the strongest possible motive that can be produced to excite men to seek their salvation proves ineffectual, surely were the motive weaker, the effect would be less in proportion. If a motive inconceivably strong and powerful in its own nature, which is now the case, has so little influence, it is plain an inferior motive, which would be the state of matters if the punishment of the wicked were only for a limited time; would have a very inconsiderable effect, if any at all. Were the sentiment to become common, it would remove in a great part the restraint upon men’s conscience, and they would be more abandoned to the world and their lusts than they now are. Were this opinion given up which never can be relinquished by the plain believers of the bible, the strongest considerations whereby the souls of men can be touched, must be surrendered also. I appeal to fact; only look into the places and societies, which hold the universal principle, is there not, I do not say of religion, but a manifest failure of common virtue and common morals The censure I grant is heavy, but it rests with them to exhibit the contrary.

All know and feel that fear is a powerful principle in the
human constitution, and those who renounce the eternity of hell’s
torments, reject the highest motive by which that principle can be moved or operated upon. These are some of the reasons which show the generally received doctrine to be important,
and that it is necessary at proper times to advance the evidences
whereon it depends. We shall endeavour to lay before you a

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few of the arguments from reason and revelation whereby it is supported.

As this discourse is intended to be of a practical nature, and aims at interesting the heart of every hearer, as well as administering light to the understanding and conviction to the judgement, I shall not go into the obstruse and more strict method of reasoning, which might be expedient upon a proper occasion, but confine myself to such easy and obvious observations as may render the doctrine plain to the unprejudiced and feeblest understanding. I know it is a fruitless attempt to combat a weak mind under strong prepossessions.

First, that the punishment of souls in hell will be everlasting or eternal is evident from this that from the nature of sin and their own nature, they everlasting punishment. If they merit such a punishment, justice requires it should be inflicted. If sinners ought to be punished according to their desert, the rules of law and Justice oblige it to be done. We are assured from the word of God, that he will do in all cases that which is just and perfectly right, therefore if finally impenitent sinners deserve eternal punishment, it will be inflicted upon them. All that remains to render this argument unanswerable is to show that sinners do justly deserve an eternal punishment. This appears from the nature of sin continuing to be unrepented of, that it is an exceedingly ill deserving thing. Every sin deserves the wrath and curse of God, or else it deserves no punishment at all, and it would be wrong to inflict any punishment on the sinner either in this world or in the next. To suppose or suggest that in deserves no punishment at all, is to surmise that sin is no fault, nor blame worthy. But this would be an express contradiction, and saying, that sin is not sin. For the very notion and nature of sin is, that it is an evil, faulty thing, and worthy of blame. To say it is blame worthy is the same as to say it is worthy of punishment. If it deserves no punishment, it is not an evil. The very nature of a morally

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evil action is that it merits punishment. If it be allowed there is any punishment inflicted on men either here or hereafter, it is either just, or unjust; the latter would be to impute unrighteousness to God,. therefore the former is established.

The reason why sin deserves any punishment is because of its evil, or faultiness, hence it deserves punishment in that degree in which it is evil or faulty. To say, that the reason of its desert of punishment is the evil and faultiness of it, and yet to deny it deserves it in that degree in. which it is evil or faulty, would be a palpable contradiction.. As the faultiness of sin is the reason of its desert of punishment, hence it must merit it exactly according to the degree of its faultiness. Therefore an act which has one degree of blameableness in it; must have one degree of punishment; that which has two degrees must for the same reason merit two degrees of punishment, and thus it will proceed to infinity, and if there be any evil which contains a infinite degree of faultiness, then such evil deserves a proportionable punishment or none at all. Because if a crime of a high degree of faultiness do not deserve a high degree of punishment, then surely a crime with only one or a small degree of faultiness can deserve no punishment at all, or next to none. Which amounts to the same as to say it is no crime, or the fruitiness of an action is not the reason of its desert of punishment. The consequence of this is there would be no such thing as sin, law, justice, or evil in the universe. And thus we are got to the end of all government and religion, virtue; and vice, right and wrong at once.

Moreover the degree of the evil of an action will always be in proportion to the worthiness and excellency of the object against which it is committed ; but as God is an object of infinite excellency and worthiness, hence every sin as committed against him is an exceeding great evil, therefore in strict justice deserves the highest possible punishment. Sin considered exclusively

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as committed against mankind, or a mere transgression of the laws of human society, is always finite in its nature, and. can never arise higher however heinous the crime may be, and therefore it never does, nor can receive more than a finite punishment. The punishment of man for offences committed against man are always of this nature. But as it is against God and the degree of its faultiness is according to the infinite dignity of the divine nature, hence the punishment must be the greatest possible, it must be in the highest degree and of the most unlimited duration.

The sin or faultiness of an action raises from and consists in the violation of some obligation the person is under. If a person be under no obligation he can commit no fault; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Now if sin consists in and arises from the violation of an obligation, and if the obligation violated be infinite, then the act itself contains in its very nature an inconceivab1e degree of evil or faultiness; but God is a being to whom all rational creatures are under the highest possible obligation, therefore every sin against him is an evil beyond created conception and hence it must receive the greatest measure of punishment, and the justice of God, requires that the same should be inflicted. Therefore the torments of hell will surely be eternal. For God will deal with every one strictly according to his works ; and finite creatures can in no other way be the subjects of the greatest possible punishment, or a punishment adequate to their demerit, but by suffering to the utmost extent of their capacities throughout the whole of their interminable existence.

Secondly, it is evident the future sufferings of the wicked will be everlasting or eternal from the nature of that state into which they pass at death. it is a stare of the most perfect misery. It is designed of God for this very purpose, therefore all who were sentenced to that place must necessarily be miserable. Many have gone from our world to these

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abodes of woe, and many are still going thither from year to year. And they are as full of misery as their souls can hold, and as long as they continue in that state they must be miserable from the very nature of it. If there be no other state to which they can pass, if this be the final and last condition of the wicked and there remains no further change or removal during their existence, and they must spend their existence here, and their existence will be eternal, then it is plain their punishment or misery must be eternal also.

It is evident from the scriptures that there are but two apartments in the eternal world, which arc the receptacles of soul that go from this, to wit, heaven and hell. The latter is represented as the final state of those who die impenitent, unpardoned and in their fins. There is not the least hint of any other state, nor any reason or necessity to suppose another, these two answering to the two characters among mankind, the righteous and the wicked, therefore a third state would be wholly superfluous. And however this is believed in popish countries, it is altogether unfounded both in reason and revelation. Now as this is the care, that the state into which the wicked pass at death is their final condition, and there is no future change to take place, therefore their misery will be eternal.

Thirdly, it is certain that the torments of the wicked will be everlasting from their temper and character.. Their tempers and dispositions are inch that they can never be brought into a reconciliation to God, but by almighty power and divine grace creating in them a new heart. And it is absolutely certain God will never erect his gracious power, to any such purpose ; there is not the least intimation of any such thing in his word, but there are abundant declarations of a contrary nature,. He has utterly abandoned them to their enmity, malice, and all the corruptions of their hearts. Their enmity and wickedness is the reason of their condemnation at first, and as long as the fame temper and disposition continues, so long it is

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perfectly proper they should be held under punishment. For the reason that makes any conduct on the part of God, or any sufferings on the part of sinners just and righteous at any time, will render them so at all times while the reason continues on which they are grounded. If therefore the damnation of the wicked was right, when they were first turned into hell, it must remain equally so to all eternity; because the reason and ground of it will always be the same, even perfect, increasing and invincible enmity to God and all goodness. Natural evil will never cure moral evil; nothing can effect this but the gracious operations of the Spirit of God. Hence if it was right to condemn them to hell, it will be equally right they should be kept there forever. The damned who have been there from the beginning have not grown better, but worse; therefore there can be no possible motive for their release. They continually employ themselves in new acts, exertions, and exercises of hatred, malice and enmity to all that is good, hereby their guilt will be continually encreasing, and their desert of punishment in quality and weight as their moments do in number. Thus, according to all rules of justice and propriety, the torments of hell instead of abating, must increase, and never come to an end.

Fourthly, the sufferings of the damned can by no means make any atonement for sin. Two things are essentially necessary in making an atonement; that all the sufferings be borne which the penalty of the law threatens and requires; and that they be borne from principles of perfect obedience to the law, and from love and duty to the lawgiver. If either of these conditions be wanting, the sufferings can contain nothing of the nature of atonement. He may suffer myriads of ages, and these myriads multiplied into themselves myriads of times, the case will still be the same, there will not be the least atoning efficacy in his sufferings. The certainty of these requisites in the atonement for sin, is capable of the strictest demonstration. To

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suffer the penalty which the law requires in order to satisfy its demands is self-evident, and the necessity of these sufferings being performed from love and obedience, seems equally clear and striking. An atonement must imply something in it acceptable to the lawgiver, and all acceptableness to God arises from obedience, and none will pretend there is either love or obedience in the sufferings of hell; therefore their punishment, however long endured, can make no atonement for sin. All the sufferings in that world are from invincible constraint and necessary. They are bound down under them by the almighty power of God against their wills, They would break out of hell, destroy God, usurp his throne, and murder all his faithful subjects were it in their power. But all the devils and damned in the infernal regions, in the most violent exertions of their rage and malice, are as nothing in the hands of the Most High; they have such an awful sense and assurance hereof as fills them with distraction and despair. All these things serve to demonstrate there can be no period to their sufferings, but that they must be everlasting. This doctrine might be strongly argued from the consideration of the ends of divine government in the infliction of punishments,—and from the nature and infinitely valuable offerings of Christ for the redemption of men,—and from the qualities, virtues and principles contained in his atonement for sin; but these arguments are too extensive and solemn to treat in a short and desultory way, in which the nature of a contracted pulpit discourse obliges me to consider things.

Wherefore I proceed to the

Last argument I propose at present to offer in support of our doctrine. And it is a consideration not only conclusive and decisive in itself, but it gives additional weight and ratifying force to all, the preceding. It is this:

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terms, declare and affirms, that the punishment of the wicked in hell will be eternal. The first passage I would produce from the prophecy of Isaiah— " And-they, that is the saved of the Lord, shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me ; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." No words can be more express than these in asserting the perfect, compleat and everlasting destruction of transgressors; nor any declaration of this doctrine be plainer in prophetic language; is the genius of the prophetic stile to express spiritual and eternal things in bold figures, and by sensible and material images. Daniel affords another authority in point :—"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life; and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Here the assertion is explicit, that the shame and contempt of some who shall be raised at the last day will be everlasting or eternal. The next authority is in Malachi:—Behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble ; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.’’ -- The declaration here is descriptive and long. It exhibits the greatness of God's just indignation against the proud and all that do wickedly. God will bring total and absolute destruction upon them. They shall be burnt up root and branch. Their ruin shall be perfect and complete as of that which is wholly consumed. Now contemplate the nature of this ruin, root and branch, and the subjects of it, who are designed for a eternal duration, and it affords an undeniable proof of the doctrine, that the miseries of the damned will be unmixed and everlasting.

The New Testament abounds with authorities to the same purpose. How particular is our Lord's affirmation in this matter. Three times he repeatedly declares, "The worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." He stiles them

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torment unquenchable fire, and describes their anguish by weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. And the final sentence be pronounces on the wicked is, "Depart from me ye cursed "into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." To which may be added the solemn reflection he makes in our text, "and these shall go away into everlasting punishment." Can any words more expressly hold forth the codicil duration of the miseries of the finally impenitent.

Various are the objections brought forward against this doctrine, such as that God is too good and merciful a being to punish his creatures with eternal misery. Such persons may be asked, is not God too good and merciful to punish his creatures at all? Is it not cruel to afflict them with pain, misery and death? This we see constantly before our eyes-; and there is certainly no cruelty in the one case more than in the other. Cruelty cannot be attributed to God. All the punishment which he inflicts is both in this world and the next is perfectly just. Justice and cruelty never dwell together. Therefore there can be no injustice with God in the everlasting sufferings of the wicked.—But it is also objected that the word everlasting is used to express a limited duration, as also the words forever and ever, &c. This is true, but in all those places, it is obvious to the feeblest mind, that the nature of the subjects spoken of evident1y show that they are temporary, changeable, and their continuance ‘limited. But is this the case in any one instance when they are used to express matters of an unlimited duration? Surely not. Is this the case, when they are employed to express the duration of God, his perfections, government, dominion, heaven and the happiness thereof? If not, why should they be limited when applied to the duration of hell and its torments? If they express a limited duration in the latter instances so likewise in the former?. If hell be temporary so also is heaven and the divine evidence itself, for the very same terms are used to express the one as the other. And they are often

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contrasted and the one set over against the other, to teach us the equal duration of both., This verse containing our text is an instance of this contrast as well as many others. "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" Here the word everlasting and eternal is precisely the same in the origina1 ; and its evident intention is to instruct us in the equal duration as both. If the one be eternal so also is the other. These things show us that the eternity of hell is as absolutely certain as the eternity of heaven. Wherefore let all beware how they believe and depend upon the dangerous principle, that the sufferings of the future state will come to an end.

But to the authorities already mentioned, it might be easy to adduce a multitude of others; as, "They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, "and the glory of his power, They shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And the smoke of their torment shall ascend forever and ever," &c. Let what has been said suffice for the present. If these things will not convince the serious and attentive mind, there is reason to fear their conviction will come too late.— The subject shall be finished in a few reflections.

First, we are here taught to magnify the love and grace of God displayed by Jesus Christ in contriving, and executing a plan of salvation, whereby guilty sinners may thro’ faith in the blood of thee lamb, escape from all this endless woe. This doctrine sets the mercy of God and the compassion of the Saviour in a most conspicuous light. Oh, let us praise the Lord for the offers of eterna1 life in the gospel. Let the love of God the Father and the Son constrain us to relinquish the old apostacy, to forsake our sins, and turn Unto him with our whole heart, so that we may life and not perish.

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Secondly, we here learn the preciousness and ineffable of the immortal soul. It is capable of and designed for an eternal existence. The body must soon drop into the dust, and all the beauties and glories of the world will be no more. But then the soul enters into an everlasting and unchangeable state of happiness or misery. If penitent and united to Christ, it enters into that grand apartment in eternity, called heaven. Here is the throne of’ God and the lam., This whole region is perfect light, love, grace and glory, and the soul entering into its capacity will be compleately filled with the most consummate felicity. Blessed and happy are all they who have entered in. to the state of glory, for heaven will never come to an end. This works up the pleasure to extacy that it will be everlasting.—But on the other handy if the soul be unconverted, impenitent, and unrighteous at death, as— soon as it is dislodged from the body, it plunges into that gloomy and tormenting division of eternity, where it is instantly filled in every part and faculty with all the fulness of the wrath of Jehovah. Here they will blaspheme God, and rend and tear one another, and foam and gnash their teeth, and bound thro' the burning surges for ever and ever. Whose heart does not tremble at the thought ? Let the horrors of, the scene be wrought up by the strongest imagination, they fall infinitely short of what every unholy persons liable to every moment. You stand, O sinners, on slippery places, and all beneath is hell. Let these things sound an alarm to the heart of every unconverted sinner, and awake him out of his deep security before it be forever too late. O sinners, awake to repentance and flee from the wrath that is to come; lay-hold on the hope which is now offered in the gospel, that you may escape this direful misery, and be introduced into the joys of Paradise, And that this may be the glorious habitation of us all throughout the unwasting ages of eternity, may God in his infinite mercy grant, through Jesus Christ our Lord,, to whom be all glory, honor, dominion and praise, forever and ever. Amen and amen,