, but that they should be as gods, and live in a
future state of existence. 'When God himself hath declared, that there
is no future state of existence: that 'Dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return.' Who is it, then, that prefers believing in the Devil
rather than in God, but the believer?--And from whom is the hope of a
future state derived, but from the father of lies--the Devil? But if in
defiance of so positive a declaration of Almighty God, men will have it
that there is a future state of existence after death, who are they who
shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of Heaven,
but unbelievers, let them come from the north, from the south, from the
east, or from the west? And who are they that shall be cast out, but
believers, 'the children of the kingdom?' As St. Peter very charitably
calls them, 'cursed children.' 2 Peter ii. 14. That is, I suppose,
children with beards, children that never grew to sense enough to put
away childish things, but did in gawky manhood, like new-born babes,
desire the pure milk and lollipop of the gospel. 'For of such is the
kingdom of Heaven.' And who are they whom Christ will set upon his
right hand, and to whom he will say, 'Come ye blessed of my father!' but
unbelievers, who never troubled their minds about religion, and never
darkened the doors of a gospel shop? But who are they to whom he will
say, 'Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and
his angels,' but believers, every one of them believers, chapel-going
folks, Christ's blood men, and incorrigible bigots, that had been
bothering him all their days with their 'Lord! Lord!' to come off at
last with no better reward of their faith than that he will protest unto
them, I never knew ye.

"One text there is, and only one, against ten thousand of a contrary
significancy: which, being garbled and torn from its context, seems,
for a moment, to give the advantage to the believer; the celebrated 19th
chapter of Mark, v. 16:--'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be
saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.' But little will this
serve the deceitful hope of the Christian, for it is immediately added.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.' Can t