^;l 
 
*,  ■ 
 
 i-V 
 
 •Ir      * 
 
A 
 
 PROSPECT 
 
 0  F 
 
 FUTURITY, 
 
 1  N 
 
 FOUR     DISSERTATIONS 
 
 ON        THE 
 
 Nature  and  Circumstances 
 
 OF       THE 
 
 LIFE      TO      COME: 
 
 WITH 
 
 A  PRELIMINARY   DISCQURSTE 
 
 On  the  Natural  and  Moral  Evidenci^-s 
 of  a  Future  Stat  e  ; 
 
 AND 
 
 AN      APPENDIX 
 
 On    the  General   Conflagration,    of 
 Burning  of  the  World. 
 
 By  Thomas  Broughton,  A.M. 
 
 Prebendary  of  S  a  R  u  M,    and   Vicar  of  St.  Mary 
 Redcliffe  and  St.  Thomas  in  Bristol. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed  for  T.  C  a  dell  (SuccefTor  to  Air.  Millar) 
 in  the  Strand. 
 
 M.DCC.LXVIII. 
 
The     dissertations. 
 
 I.  The  State  of  the  Dead  between 
 Death  and  the  Resurrection. 
 
 II,  The  Resurrection. 
 
 III.  The  Judgment  of  Mankind  by 
 
 Jesus  Christ. 
 
 IV,  The  Final  State  OF  Retribution. 
 
 A  1 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page    73.  Note,  for  Introd.  r.  Prelim.  Disc. 
 
 94.  1.  12.  for  Luke  xxii.  28.,  r.  Ibid.  ver.  22. 
 138.  1.  20.  after  Parity  infcrt  of. 
 160.  1.  antepenult,  for  3.  r.  39. 
 176.  I.  14.  for  xi.  18 — -29.  r.  v.  28,  29. 
 1 8c.  1.  27.  for  thefe  r.  tho/e. 
 191.  1.  26.  for  Ckarity-Houfe  r.  Ckarter-Houfi. 
 207.  1.  1 5.  for  Czrcumjiances.  r.  Circumjiance. 
 232.  ].  9,  for  xjii.  r.  viii. 
 244.  I.  17.  for  Apfijiles  r.  Jpofile. 
 309.  Note  9.  for  18.  r.  8. 
 lb.  1.  ult.  for  TV/a   r.  2  Tim. 
 354.  1.  ult.  for  Jidicature  r.  Judicature. 
 
TO 
 THE     RIGHT    REVERENrJ 
 
 D\  THOMAS    NEWTON, 
 
 LORD  BISHOP  OF  BRISTOL, 
 
 My  Lord, 
 
 I  Should  not  have  prefumedi  with-- 
 out  Leave  firfl:  obtained,  to  ad- 
 drefs  the  following  Work  to  your 
 Lordfliip;  being  confcious  of  its 
 Defedls,  and  of  my  own  Inability 
 to  execute,  with  fufficient  Learninc^ 
 a^nd  Judgment,  fo  extenfive  and 
 difficult  an  Undertaking.  Such, 
 however,  as  the  Performance  is,  I 
 humbly  prefent  it  to  your  Lord/hip ; 
 perfuaded,"  that  your  Lordfhip's  Ac- 
 A3  ceptance 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 ceptance  of  it  will  create  a  Prepof- 
 feffion  in  its  Favour,  and  effedlually 
 recommend  it  to  the  Candor  and 
 Indulgence  of  the  Public. 
 
 That  your  Lordfhip  may  enjoy 
 Health,  and  live  to  confer  frefh  Ob- 
 ligations on  the  Chriftian  World,  al- 
 ready greatly  indebted  to  your  Lord- 
 fhip's  fuccefsful  Labours  in  the  Ser- 
 vice of  our  holy  Religion,  is  the  lin- 
 cere  Wifh  and  Prayer  of, 
 
 My  Lord, 
 
 Your  Lordfhip's 
 moft  obedient 
 and  obliged 
 
 humble  Servant, 
 
 Thomas  Broughton. 
 
[  vii  i 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 TH  E  Subjedls  of  the  following  Dif- 
 fer tat  io7is  are  treated  Theologi- 
 cally and  Critically*  The  Defign 
 of  the  theological  Parts,  is,  to  exhibit,  as 
 briefly  as  may  be,  a  clear  and  diftinft  View 
 of  the  Scripture-Dodtrine  on  the  Subjedl  of 
 each  Di/jertation>  The  Critical  Parts  are 
 employed  in  fettling  the  true  Meaning  and 
 Import  of  fuch  Scriptures,  as  are  of  doubt- 
 ful Interpretation,  or  attended  with  any 
 Degree  of  Difficulty  or  Obfcurity — in  ex- 
 amining the  Opinions  of  former  Writers^ 
 and  the  feveral  Reprefentations  they  have 
 given  lis  of  the  Nature  and  Circumjiances 
 of  a  Future  State — and  in  correBing  the 
 Mifapprehenfions  or  improper  Ideas  Chrif- 
 tians  are  apt  to  entertain  of  the  Life  to 
 comei  as  far  as  a  modeji  Exercife  of  Human 
 Reafon,  under  the  Guidance  of  Divi?ie  Re- 
 velation, .  will  permit. 
 
 A  4  If 
 
viii       PREFACE. 
 
 If  I  am  ailced.  Why,  in  treating  the 
 Dodtrine  of  a  Future  State,  I  have  confined 
 niyfelf  to  Theology  and  Criticifm,  and  have 
 entirely  omitted,  or  butflightly  mentioned. 
 Its  Fraclical  life  and  hnprovement,  though 
 confefledly  of  the  greateil  Importance  to 
 the  Chriftian  Reader  ;  My  anfwer  is : 
 There  are  ah-eady  fo  many  PraBicdl  Dif- 
 courfes  on  (what  are  ufually  called)  the 
 Four  last  Things  ',  that  I  faw  no 
 Want  of  another;  and  was  confcious,  I 
 could  add  nothing  to  the  Force  of  Reafon- 
 ing  and  Eloquence,  employed  by  the  pious 
 Authors  of  thofe  Difcourfes,  to  enforce 
 the  Duties  of  Religion  by  the  Motives  and 
 Sanations   of  the    Gofpel.     This,   I  pre- 
 
 *  Thefe  are.  Deaths  'Judgment,  Heaven,  and  Hell. 
 But,  Why  is  the  P.efurreci'ion  always  overlooked  in  Dif- 
 courres  on  the  Lajl  Things  ?  Is  it  becaufe  no  particular 
 PraSiicalUfe  or  Improvement  can  be  made  of  it  ?  It  may 
 be  fo.  Yet  fo  great  and  important  an  Event,  as  the  Re- 
 union of  ^oiil  and  Body,  iind  That  after  Death  and  before 
 ^Judgment,  cannot,  without  great  Impropriety,  be  left 
 out  of  the  Number  of  Lafl  Things ;  which  (if  Writers 
 choofe  to  retain  That  Number)  may  ftill  be  Four,  viz. 
 
 1.  Death,  3.  Judgment, 
 
 2.  Resurrection,  4.  Heaven  <?;- Hell. 
 
 fume. 
 
PREFACE.         ix 
 
 fume,  will  be  thought  a  fufficient  Apology 
 for  the  Omijjion  :  though  I  might  obferve, 
 that  the  PraBical  Improvement  of  the  Sub- 
 jedl  is  by  no  means  kept  out  of  Sight,  in 
 t\\t^o\\awmgDiJJerfatio?is',  it  being  impof- 
 fible,  the  ferious  and  attentive  Reader  fhould 
 contemplate  the  various  Scenes  of  Futu- 
 rity, paffing  in  Review,  as  it  were,  before 
 him,  without  refledling  on  his  own  parti- 
 cular Concern  in  them,  and  m^aking,  for 
 Himfelf,  the  Pradiical  life  of  a  Subjedt  fo 
 interefting  to  every  Chriftian  Man. 
 
 I  fhall  offer  no  Apology  for  the  Manner, 
 in  which  the  great  Dodirine  of  a  Future 
 State  is  handled  in  the  following  Dijferta- 
 tions.  God  has  given  us  Underftanding, 
 Reafon,  and  Judgment,  for  the  very  Pur- 
 pofe  of  acquiring  every  Kind  of  Knowledge 
 our  Minds  are  capable  of  receiving.  And, 
 if  it  fhall  appear,  in  the  Courfe  of  this  Un- 
 dertaking, that  it  is  in  our  Power,  by  join- 
 ing, with  the  exprefs  Notices  of  Divine 
 Revelation,  the  clear  DeduBions  of  unpre- 
 judiced Hmnan  Reafon,  to  acquire  ?nore 
 Knowledge  and  jufter  Ideas  of  the  Nature 
 and  Circumflances  of  the  Ijife  to  come, 
 2  than 
 
X  PREFACE. 
 
 than  Chriftians  ufually  attain  to  ;  it  will 
 follow,  that  it  is  our  Duty,  as  reafonable 
 Creatures,  to  employ  our  Thoughts  on  the 
 Study  of  Futurity,  and  go  on  improving 
 in  our  Knowledge  and  Ideas  of  'Yh.2X  future 
 Lifey  for  which  we  are  deligned,  to  the 
 utmoft  of  our  Abilities.  A  Duty,  more 
 efpecially  incumbent  on  Chriftians  of  fu- 
 perior  Senfe  and  Underflanding,  and,  in 
 fome  Degree,  obligatory  on  thofe  of  meaner 
 Capacities,  with  fuch  Help  and  Affiftance 
 in  their  Enquiries,  as,  I  flatter  myfelf,  the 
 following  Differ tations  will  afford  them. 
 
 But  it  may  not  be  improper  to  obviate 
 an  ObjeSlion,  which  may  be  made  to  the 
 following  Undertaking.  It  may  be  faid. 
 We  are  too  much  in  the  Dark,  even  with 
 the  Light  of  Divine  Revelation  jfhining  upon 
 us,  to  fee  fo  clearly  into  the  Things  of  the 
 next  Life,  as  to  form /w/?  and  adequate^o^  ^ 
 tions  of  them.  They  are  (an  Apoftle  him- 
 lelf  confeiTes)  fuch  Tubings  as  Rye  hath  not 
 Jeeriy  nor  Rar  hear'd,  neither  have  entered 
 into  the  Heart  of  Man  *.     They  are  madtf ." 
 
 =  I  Cor.  ii.  9. 
 
 jcnown 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 XI 
 
 known  to  us  in  Figwes  and  Allegories,  as 
 Things,  in  their  own  Nature,  above  the 
 Comprehenfion  of  the  Human  Underfland- 
 ing.  And  therefore  an  Attempt  to  cor- 
 redl  our  Ideas  of  thefe  Things  muil  be  vain 
 and  fruitlefs. 
 
 To  which  I  reply.  That,  though  we 
 muft  not  pretend  to  as  perfeSl  and  complete 
 a  Knowledge  of  the  Tubings  that  are  not 
 feeriy  as  we  have  of  the  Thi?2gs  that  are 
 feen  '  -,  yet  fome  Knowledge  of  them  God 
 certainly  intended  we  fhould  have.  Why 
 elfe  is  any  Revelation  of  them  made  to 
 us  ?  And,  that  we  have,  really,  more  Light 
 into  thefe  Things,  than  the  Objedion  fup- 
 pofes  we  can  have,  will  appear  in  the 
 Courfe  of  the  following  Dijfertations  -,  in 
 which,  from  a  Rational  Interpretation 
 of  the  Scripture  -  Language  concerning 
 them,  and  the  Knowledge  we  have  of  the 
 Nature  and  ^alities  of  the  Human  Soulf 
 we  arrive  at  fuch  Conclufions,  as  not  ob- 
 fcurely  intimate  to  us  the  very  Nature 
 and  Circumjiances  of  That  State  of  Being 
 
 8  2  Cor,  iv.  i8.    Heb.  xi.  i. 
 
 ^  we 
 
xii         PREFACE: 
 
 we  are  defigned  for  in  the  World  to  come. 
 To  which  is  added.  Another  Method  of 
 inveftigating  Truth  -,  and  That  is,  by  Je- 
 perating  from  the  particular  Objedt  of  our 
 Enquiry  every  Thing  manifeftly  yi?^,  or 
 not  belonging  to  it.  This  clears  the  Way 
 for  the  Succefs  of  our  Refearches  -,  jfince,  by 
 determining  what  a  Thing  is  noTj  we 
 form  a  fafer  and  furer  Judgment  of  what 
 it  IS. 
 
 I  am  fenfible,  that,  after  our  beft  En- 
 deavours to  come  at  the  'Truth,  our  Know- 
 ledge of  the  Nature  and  Circumftances  of 
 the   Life  to  come  will  Hill  be  very  imper- 
 feSty  in  Comparifon  with  That,  which  is 
 referved  for  our  happy  or  miferable  Expe- 
 rience :  For  now  we  fee  through  a  Glafs 
 darkly,   but  then  Face  to  Face  *.     Whence 
 it  is,   that  the  Evidence,   we  build  upon, 
 muft,  in  many  Particulars,  be  no  greater 
 than  That  of  High  Probability,   and   our 
 Knowledge   no  better  than  Rational  Con- 
 jeSlure,     For  which  Reafon,  I  have  jflu- 
 dioufly  avoided  all  Dog7natizing  on  the  Sub- 
 
 4-  i  Cor.  xiu.,12. 
 
 jeds 
 
PREFACE.        xiil 
 
 jeds  here  treated  of  j  and  never  pretend  to 
 Certainty i  where  nothing  more  than  Proba- 
 bility is  to  be  had.  Nor  will  this  be  thought 
 to  derogate  from  the  Utility  of  the  prefent 
 Undertaking,  when  it  is  confidered,  that,  in 
 many  Things  of  the  greatefl:  Importance  to 
 Human  Life,  an  high'  Degree  of  Probability 
 has  been  always  admitted  as  fufficient  to 
 determine  the  Judgment  of  reafonable  and 
 ingenuous  Minds ;  and  that,  in  the  prefent 
 Cafe,  the  Certainty  of  a  Future  State  be- 
 ing eftablifhed  on  the  Authority  of  holy 
 Scripture,  it  is  fufficient,  that  our  Ideas  of 
 the  Nature  and  Circumjlances  of  That  State 
 be  fuch  as  are  agreeable  to  Peafon  and  Pr^j- 
 b  ability. 
 
 Were  I  difpofed,  or  did  I  think  it  ne- 
 ceffary,  to  aim  at  prejudicing  the  Reader 
 in  Favour  of  the  following  Work,  I  mio-ht 
 recommend  it  on  Account,  not  only  of  its 
 Utility,  but  of  the  Novelty,  Variety,  and 
 ^'^^Xi  Entertainment,  it  pretends  to  afford. 
 
 Many  Notions,  therein  advanced,  are 
 riot  only  different  from  thofe  commonly 
 received  among  Chriilians,  but  (as  far 
 as    the  Author    knows)    altogether    new. 
 
 Then, 
 
xiv        P     R     F     E     A     C     E. 
 
 Then,  for  Variety,  no  Subjedl  can  well  be 
 fuller  of  it,  as  is  evident  from  a  bare  Pe- 
 rufal  of  its  Title  and  Contents. 
 
 Nor  will  thofe  Readers,  who  look  for 
 nothing  more  than  Entertainment  or  A- 
 mufementy  be  difappointed  in  turning  over 
 the  following  Pages,  The  Adventures 
 (if  I  may  be  allowed  the  Expreflion)  of  an 
 Human  Soul,  in  its  PafTage  from  Time 
 to  Eternity  —  its  Departure  from  its  cor~ 
 poreal  Habitation  —  its  intermediate  Rejl- 
 dence  in  Hades  or  the  invijible  Region  of 
 dijembodicd  Spirits  —  its  Re-union  with  its 
 former  Companion,  the  Body  —  its  Ap' 
 pearance  before  the  Tribunal  of  its  hea- 
 venly 'Judge  —  with  its  Arrival  at  the  de- 
 fined Place  of  its  final  Abode,  and  the 
 happy  or  miferable  End  of  its  Peregrina- 
 tion, in  the  World  to  come  —  may,  per- 
 haps, entertain  or  amufe  fuch  Readers,  al- 
 moji  as  much  as  the  Accidents  befalling 
 a  Traveller,  or  the  Adventures  defcribed 
 in  a  Novel  or  Romance. 
 
 I  ihall  only  add,  that,  in  Order  to  com- 
 plete o\xv  ProfpeB  of  Futurity,  I  have  pre- 
 fixed to  the  Differ  tat  ions  a  Difcourfe  on  the 
 
 Natural 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 XV 
 
 Natural  and  Moral  Evidences  of  a  Future 
 State  ;    Shewing,  upon  what  Grounds  of 
 Reafon  and  Nature  Mankind,  in   all  Ages 
 of  the  World,  have  expedied  another  Life 
 after  the  prefent,     I  have  likev/ife,  in  my 
 third  DiJjertatioHy    introduced  a  View  of 
 the  principal  of  thofe  great  Events,  both 
 in  the  Civil  and  Religious  World  (foretold 
 in  the  Apocalypfe,  or  Revelation  of  St.  John 
 the  Divine)  which  muft  come  to  pafs  be- 
 fore   the    Confummation    of    all    earthly- 
 Things,  at  the  Second  Advent  or  Coming 
 oiChrift  to  judge  the  World  j  thereby  en- 
 larging our  ProfpeBy   by   taking  in  That 
 Portion  of  'Timcy   which  lies  between  the 
 prefent  Hour  and  the  End  of  the  World, 
 where  our  Contemplation  of  E/^r;z/Vy  pro- 
 perly begins.     And,    becaufe  natural  Cu- 
 riofity  may  prompt  us  to  enquire  concern- 
 ing the  Fate  of  this  habitable  Globe,  after 
 the  Removal    of   Mankind    into   another 
 World,  I  have  fubjoined  an  Appendix,  On 
 the  General  Conflagration,   or  Burning  of 
 the  World',  That  Deftrudion  of  t\iQ Earth 
 by  Fire,  which  all  Antiquity  believed,  and 
 holy  Scripture  has  exprefly  revealed  to  us. 
 
 The 
 
xvi        PREFACE. 
 
 The  Helps  I  had,  in  compofing  the  pre-» 
 fent  Work,  are  very  few.  The  principal 
 (and,  indeed,  the  only  profelTed  Unde'r- 
 taking  of  the  Kind,  that  I  know  of)  is. 
 Dr.  T'h,  Burnet's  Latin  Treatife  De  Statu 
 Mortiiorum  et  Kefur gentium  -,  of  which  I 
 acknowledge  to  have  made  Jome  Ufe  (par- 
 ticularly in  the  Citations  from  the  antient 
 Chrijiian  Writers)  but  no  more  than  is 
 ftrid:ly  allowable  to  every  Writer,  who 
 undertakes  the  Improvement  of  a  Sub- 
 jed:  already  handled  by  others. 
 
 A  Pre- 
 
Preliiminary    Discourse 
 
 O  N    T  H  E 
 
 Natural  and  Moral  Evidences 
 
 O    F     A 
 
 FUTURE      STATE, 
 
 H 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 ^he  UNIVERSAL  Consent  of  Mankind  in  the  Be- 
 lief of  a  Future  State,  a  Jlrong  -prefumptive 
 Argument  for  the  Truth  and  Reality  of  fiich  a 
 State. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 'The  Union  of  an  immaterial  and  naturally- 
 immortal  Principle,  or  Soul,  ivith  the 
 Human  Body,   a  Proof  of  a  Future  State. 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 4  Future  State  not  only  probable,  but  demon- 
 strable, from  the  Circumstances  of  Hu- 
 man Life,  or  the  State  and  Condition  of  Man- 
 kind in  this  World. 
 
 B  2 
 
A 
 PRELIMINARY    DISCOURSE 
 
 O   N 
 
 The  natural  and  moral  Evidences 
 OF  A  Future  State. 
 
 AC  H  R I S 1 1 A  N,  poffefled  of  the  Orac/ei 
 of  God,  and  the  d'w'inc  PFords  of  Eternal 
 Life,  it  mnft  be  confefifed,  wants  no 
 other  Proof  of  a  Future  State,  than  the  Evidence 
 of  the  Chrijlian  Revelation.  And,  indeed,  to 
 contend  for  the  Necefiity  of  any  other  Evidence, 
 is  the  Abfurdity  of  fuppofing  the  feeble  Light 
 of  a  Taper  or  Candle  necefiary  to  direft  the"  Steps 
 of  a  Man  walking  in  the  full  Light  and  Splendor 
 of  the  Noon-day  Sun. 
 
 It  muft,  however,  be  granted,  that  it  is  pe- 
 culiarly pleafmg  and  fatisfa6lory  to  the  Human 
 Mind,  to  difcover  a  confentirtg  Harmony  and 
 Jgreement  between  Reafon  and  Revelation,  in 
 Matters  of  Importance  to  the  Nature  and  Con- 
 dition of  Man.  And  there  is  this  double  Ad- 
 vantage arifing  from  fuch  Difcovery,  that  ic 
 tends  greatly  to  confirm  our  Faith  in  the  Gofpel 
 
 B  3  of 
 
6  Prelimiuary  Difcotirfe.        Se£t.  i,' 
 
 of  Chriji  Jefus  -,  and,  at  the  fame  time,  by  ad- 
 dincr  new  StrentTth  and  Force  to  the  Conclufions 
 of  Reafon  and  Nature^  exalts  Probability  into  Be- 
 monjlration  itfelf. 
 
 For  which  Reafons,  and  to  render  our  Profpe5i 
 of  Futurity  more  complete,  I  have  thought  pro- 
 per to  introduce  the  following  Dijfertations  on  the 
 Life  to  come  with  a  fhort  View  of  the  natural 
 and  MORAL  Evidences  of  a  Future  State. 
 
 Which  Evidences  (or  as  much  of  them  as  is 
 necefiary  to  my  Purpofe)  may  be  reduced  under 
 the  three  following  general  Heads. 
 
 Firil,  The  universal  Consent  of  Mankind 
 in  the  Belief  of  a  Futm-e  State. 
 
 Secondly,  The  Union  of  an  immaterial  and 
 naturally-immortal  Princitle,  or  Soul, 
 with  the  Human  Body. 
 
 Thirdly,  The  Circumstances  of  Human 
 Life,  or  the  State  and  Condition  of  Mankind 
 in  this  World. 
 
 SEC 
 
Bed:.  I.         Preliminary  Difccurfe. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 The  UNIVERSAL  Consent  of  Mankmd  in  the  Be- 
 lief of  a  Future  State,  a  Jirong  prefiimpti-ve  Ar- 
 gument  for  the  Truth  and  Reality  of  ftich  a  State. 
 
 np  H  E  FcB   itfelf,  The  unherfal  ConferJ  of 
 Mankind  in  the  Belief  of  a  Future  State,  is 
 indifputable,  whether  we  confider  the  antient  or 
 prefent  State  of  the  World. 
 
 Religion,  of  whatever  Kind  it  be  in  othcf 
 Refpeds,  muft  carry  with  it  a  Perfuafion  of  fu- 
 ture Rewards  and  PunifJiments^  as  its  grand  Foun-' 
 dation  and  Support.  And  therefore  the  Univer- 
 fality  of  Religion  implies  the  Uni'VerfaUty  of  fuch 
 Perfuqfwn.  But  fuch  v;as  the  Prevalence  of  Re- 
 ligion all  over  tiie  Heathen  World,  that  Plutarch 
 tells  us,  "  there  might  be  found  Cities  unfor- 
 *'  tified,  without  Learnino;,  without  a  Kino-, 
 "  without  regular  Buildings,  without  Property 
 *'  and  the  Ule  of  Money,  unacquainted  with 
 *'  Theatres  and  Schools  ^  but  a  Ciry,  witliout 
 "  the  Knowledge  of  a  God  and  of  Religion,  with- 
 "  out  the  Uie  of  Prayers,  Oaths  and  Divina- 
 "  tions,  and  of  Sacrifices  and  Offerings,  for  ob- 
 **  taining  the  Favour  and  appeafmg  the  Anger 
 "  of  the  Gods,  no  Man  could  or  ever  would 
 "  find*."    And,  "  'io  antient"  (he  tells  us) 
 
 '   AJv.  Colotem. 
 
 B  4  ''  was 
 
8  Preliminary  Difcourfe,        Se(5l.  i, 
 
 "  was  the  Opinion,  that  good  Men  fhall  be  re- 
 *'  warded  after  Death,  that  he  could  not  go 
 "  back  to  the  Author  or  Original  of  it  ^'* 
 
 But  we  have  pofitivt  Evidence  of  the  general 
 Belief  of  a  Future  State,  in  the  bed  Writers  of 
 Antiquity.     For,     not   to  mention  the  antient 
 Greek  Poets,  Muf<£us,   Orpheus,  Homer,   and  He- 
 fiod,  who  All  reckon  the  Do6trine  of  a  Future 
 State  a  fundamental  Article   of  Belief,  among 
 the  Nations,  whofe  'Theology  they  defcribe  ;  He- 
 rodotus acquaints  us  %  that  "  the  antient  Egyp- 
 "  tians  exprefly  taught  the  Immortality  of  the 
 "  Soul  i "   and  Straho  *,    that   the  Indian  Brach^ 
 "  mans  confidered  this  Life  as  the  State  of  an 
 *'  Embryo    newly-conceived,    and    Death   as   a 
 "  Birth  to  a  real  and  happy  Life;"  and  Pompo^ 
 nius  Mela  *,  that   *'  among  the  Tbracians,  Ibme 
 *'  believed_,  that  the  Souls  of  the  dead  would 
 *'  return  ;    and  others,  that,  though   they  did 
 "  not  return,  they  would  not  ceafe  to  exift,  but 
 "  pafs  to  a  more  happy  State.'*     And  the  like 
 Hijlcrical  Evidence  might  be  produced,  in  Sup- 
 port of  the  fame  Faft,  with  Refpect  to  almoft 
 every  other  Nation  or  People,  of  whom  any  Me- 
 morials  are  handed  down    to  us  from    antient 
 ^imes.     They  All  appear  to  have  had  Religion,  of 
 fome  Kind  or  other,  and,  with  it,  the  Belief  of  z 
 future  State  of  Rewards  and  Puniflments. 
 
 ^  Confol.  ad  ApoUonium,  3    /«  Euterpe. 
 
 4    Geogr.  lib.  15.  •  ">  Be  Situ  Oilis,  lib.  2. 
 
 I  Hiall 
 
Se(5t.  I.        Prelminary  Dtfcourfe.  o 
 
 I  fliall  not  (with  a  great  modern  Writer)  al- 
 ledge  the  antient  Hebrews  or  Ifraelites^  as  an  Ex- 
 ception to  the  Univerfality  of  this  Belief ;  though 
 the  SanBions  of  their  Religion  were  purely  tem- 
 poral^ refpediing  only  the  good  and  evil  Thincrs 
 of  the  prefent  Life,  For  I  fee  no  neccfTary  or 
 natural  Connexion   between  thefe  two  Propofi- 
 
 tions Mofes,  in  his  Injlituies,  omitted    the 
 
 Dodlrine  of  a  Future  State — and — The  Hebrews 
 or  Ifraelites  had  not  the  Dodrine  of  a  Future 
 State  ^  There  were  wife  Reafons  for  the  Omif- 
 fwn-,  Reafons,  founded  in  the  peculiar  End  and 
 Defjgn  of  the  JewiJ?i  Difpenfation,  and  the  extra- 
 ordinary Nature  of  the  Jewijh  Government,  as  a 
 Theocrajy,  or  Government  adminiftered  imme- 
 diately by  God  himfelf.  But,  how  This  iliould 
 hinder  the  People,  in  Subjedion  to  That  Go- 
 vernment, from  acquiring  the  Knowledge  of  a 
 Future  State,  by  the  fame  Means  that  other  Na- 
 tions came  by  it,  no  good  Reafon,  I  think,  caa 
 be  affigned  :  They  had  the  Light  of  Reafon  and 
 Nature  in  common  with  the  reft  of  Mankind ; 
 and  we  learn  from  St.  Paul,  that  the  Go/pel  (con- 
 taining the  Dodrine  of  Life  and  Immortality)  was 
 preached  to  their  great  Anceftor  Abraham  (Gal.  iii. 
 8.>  from  whom  it  muft  naturally  have  been  de- 
 rived  to  his  Pofterity.     The  want  of  Evidence, 
 
 ^  See  The  Di-ome  Legation  of  Mnfes  dcmoyijiratedy  Vol.  11. 
 <        II.  BookV.    Sect.  V.  :.ndVI. 
 
 from 
 
10  Prelmimry  Difcourfe.        Sed.  i. 
 
 from  the  Jew't/h  Hijiory  and  JVritings,  of  That 
 People's  Acquaintance  with  the  Doftrine  of  a  Fu- 
 Hire  State,  is  far  from  proving  their  Ignorance  of 
 it  i  fince  their  zealous  Attachment  to  the  Law 
 of  Mofes,  by  which  they  were  fo  eminently  dif- 
 tinguifhed  from  all  other  Nations  of  the  Earth, 
 fufficiently  accounts  for  xhtw  feeming  to  be  unin- 
 fluenced by  the  Profpeifl  of  a  Future  State^  and 
 to  3(51  purely  upon  the  Motives  of  'Temporal  Re- 
 ward and  Funijliment.     But,  to  proceed. 
 
 In  later  Ages,  and  at  this  very  Day,  Religion, 
 of  fome  Kind  or  other,  or  the  Belief  of  a  Su- 
 preme Being,  and  of  future  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nifhments,  is  to  be  found  in  the  moft  ignorant 
 and  unenlightened  Countries  of  the  Globe  •,  as 
 might  be  proved  by  the  concurrent  Teilimony 
 of  the  moil  credible  Voyagers  and  Travellers. 
 I  fliall  cite  only  an  Author ',  who  lived  fome 
 Time  among  the  Canibals  of  Brafil,  and  fays  of 
 them  :  "  There  is  not  any  Nation  in  the  World 
 *'  more  remote  from  all  Religion  than  thefe 
 **  were  :  Yet  to  fhew,  that  there  is  fome  Light 
 "  in  the  midft  of  this  Darknefs,  I  can  truly  af- 
 "  firm,  that  they  have  not  only  fome  Appre- 
 "  henfion  of  the  Immortality  of  the  Soul,  but  a 
 *'  moft  confident  Perfuafion  of  it.  Their  Opi- 
 "  nion  is,  that  the  Souls  of  ftout  and  valiant 
 "  Men,  aiter  Death,  fly  beyond  the  higheji  Moiin- 
 
 ■J  Quoted  by  Abp.  Tillot/on»  Works'mYol.  Vol.  III.  p.  -•  z. 
 
 "  ta?hSj 
 
Sed.  I.        Preliminary   "Difcoiirfe.  1 1 
 
 "  tains^  and  there  are  gathered  to  their  Fathers 
 "  and  Grandfathers,  and  live  in  pleafant  Gar- 
 "  dens,  with  ail  Manner  of  Delights  ^ ;  but 
 "  the  Souls  of  flothful  and  unadive  Men,  and 
 "  thofe  who  do  nothing  for  their  Country,  are 
 "  carried  to  Agyman  (the  Devil)  and  live  with 
 *'  him  in  perpetual  Torments." 
 
 If  the  Belief  of  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and 
 Punifhments  has  ever  been  found  to  poflefs  the 
 Minds  of  the  mofl:  barbarous  and  favage  of  the 
 Human  Race,  we  have  good  Reafon  to  con- 
 clude, there  never  was  a  People  utterly  ignorant 
 of,  or  entire  Strangers  to.  That  common  Notion. 
 
 It  being  evident,  then,  that  there  has  been, 
 and  continues  to  be,  an  univerfal  Confent  of  Man- 
 
 «  This  Indian  Sentiment  is  prettily  expreffed  by  Mr. 
 "Pope,  in  the  following  Lines. 
 
 Lo  !  the  poor  Indian,  whofe  untutor'd  Mind 
 
 Sees  God  in  Clouds,  or  hears  him  in  the  Wind; 
 
 His  Soul  proud  Science  never  taught  to  ftray 
 
 Far  as  the  Solar  Walk,  or  milky  Way ; 
 
 Yet  fimple  Nature  to  his  Hope  has  giv'n 
 
 beyond  the  cloud-topt  Hill  an  humbler  Heaven, 
 
 Some  fafer  World,  in  Depths  of  Woods  embrac'd. 
 
 Some  happier  Ifland  in  the  vvatry  Wafle, 
 
 Where  Slaves  once  more  their  native  Land  behold. 
 
 No  Fiends  torment,  nor  Chrillians  thirlt  for  Gold  : 
 
 To  be  contents  his  natural  Defire  ; 
 
 He  alks  no  Angel's  Wing,  or  Seraph's  Fire  ; 
 
 But  thinks,  admitted  to  That  equal  Sky, 
 
 His  faithful  Dog  fhall  bear  him  Company. 
 
 JLJfay  on  Man,  Ep.  i.  v.  9-, 
 
 kind 
 
12  Preliminary  Difcoiirfc.        Sedl.  il 
 
 kind  in  the  Belief  of  a  Future  State^  let  us  cort- 
 fider  the  Force  of  the  Argument,  arifing  from 
 this  Harmony  of  Sentiment,  for  the  Truth  and 
 Reality  of  a  Life  to  come.  Here  this  Queftion 
 arifes  ;  From  what  Source  was  the  general  Belief 
 of  a  Future  State  originally  derived  ? 
 
 It  is  admitted,    that  the  Lawgivers,   Philofa- 
 phers,  and  Poets  of  Antiquity  were  greatly    in- 
 'ilru mental  in  fpreading  the  Belief  of  future  Re-"- 
 •wards  and  Punifhments  throughout   the  leverai 
 Nations  of  the  habitable  Earth. 
 
 That  the  Eflablifhrnent  of  Religion,  and  the 
 Belief  of  a  Future  State,  was,  in  Part  at  leaft, 
 the  Work  of  the  antient  Legiflators,  we  are  af- 
 fured  by  Plutarch,  who  informs  us  *,  that  "  in 
 "  all  Civil  Inftitutes,  the  firfl  and  moft  impor- 
 "  tant  Article  was,  the  Belief  of  the  Gods ;  by 
 ''  the  Means  of  which,  Lycurgus  planted  Reli- 
 "  sion  among  the  Lacedmnonians,  Numa  among 
 "■  the  Romans,  antient  Ion  among  the  Athenians^ 
 *'  and  Deucalion  among  the  Greeks  in  general ; 
 "  and  by  Hopes  afid  Fears  kept  up  among 
 *'  them  an  Awe  and  Reverence  of  Religion." 
 An  AfTertion  abundantly  confirmed  by  the  whole 
 Tenor  of  antient  Hiftory. 
 
 Philofophy  did  her  Part,  in  fpreading  the  Ee- 
 licf  of  a  Future  State.  The  Philofcphers,  indeed, 
 were  far  from  being  unanimous  in  teaching  That 
 
 9  In  his  Traft  Gdv.  Cclo'.em. 
 
 Doflrine. 
 
Se6t.  I.        Preliminary  Difcourfe.  13 
 
 Do6trine.  Whole  Sedts  of  them,  as  the  Pytha- 
 goreans^ Peripatetics^  Stoics^  and  Epicureans^  ex- 
 prefly  denied  a  Future  State.  And  even  thole, 
 who  adlually  taught  it,  did  not  invarially  pro- 
 fefs  their  Belief  of  it.  This  has  been  alledged  as 
 a  Proof,  that  they  did  not  really  believe  it  them- 
 felves,  but  taught  it  purely  v/ith  a  View  to  the 
 Good  of  Society  ^  A  Qucftion,  I  (hall  not 
 here  take  into  Confideration,  having  delivered 
 my  Sentiments  concerning  it  in  another  Place  *. 
 This  is  certain,  that  the  Arguments,  the  Philo- 
 fopbers  a.dv3inced,  in  Proof  of  the  Dc£lrine  of  a 
 Future  State^  mud  have  produced  the  intended 
 Effedt  in  their  Admirers  and  Followers,  and 
 have  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  general  Be- 
 lief of  a  Life  to  come.  Who  could  hear  the  Di- 
 vine Plato  afierting,  that  "  the  good  and  evil 
 *'  Things  of  this  Life  are  nothing,  as  to  Num- 
 **  ber  and  Greatnefs,  compared  with  the  Re- 
 **  wards  of  Virtue  and  Punifhments  of  Vice, 
 ^'  which  attend  Men  after  Death  j "  or  the 
 fame  great  Philofopher,  in  the  Perfon  of  Socrates^ 
 demonftrating  the  Immortality  of  the  Soul.,  and  a 
 Future  State.,  by  a  Variety  o^  convincing  Argu- 
 
 '  See  Bp.  Warhuriori  s D'fvine hegatiojt  of  Mnfes  demonjlrated., 
 ^ook  II.  Seft.  II  and  III.  alfo,  A  critical  Eniuiry  into  the  O- 
 finiojis  and  Pradices  of  the  antient  Philofophers,  Lond.  1747. 
 Ch.  I. 
 
 *  Defence  of  the  commovJy-rccdved  DoSlrine  of  the  Human 
 Soul,  p.  46-— 50. 
 
 ments : 
 
14  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Se(5t.  r. 
 
 merits  ' :  Who  could  hear  the  great  Roman  Ora- 
 tor and  Philofopher  profefiing,  in  the  Perfon  of 
 the  elder  Calo,  his  jBrm  Perfuafion,  "  that  Sci~ 
 "  pioy  L.<Iius,  and  other  eminent  Perlbns,  were 
 "  ilill  living,  and  living  the  Life,  which  alone 
 '*  deferves  to  be  called  Life ;"  and  exclaiming, 
 *'  O  glorious  Day,  when  I  fhall  leave  this  trou- 
 *'  bled  and  filthy  Scene  of  Things,  and  go  to 
 *'  join  the  divine  Council  and  Afiembly  of  Spi- 
 *'  rits !  — But,  if  I  err,  in. believing  the  Souls 
 **  of  Men,  to  be  immortal,  I  am  pleafed  with 
 ''*  my  Error,  nor  will  I  fnffer  it  to  be  extorted 
 *'  from  me  lb  long  as  I  live  ^  :"  Who,  I  fay,  could 
 barken  to  the  Voice  cf  thefe  Philofophical  Charmers 
 tharming  fo  wifely^  and  not  be  enchanted^  as  it 
 were,  into  a  full  Belief  and  Expedation  of  a  Life 
 to  ccme  ? 
 
 This  Belief  and  Expe6bation  of  a  Future  Slate 
 was  not  a  little  encouraged  and  kept  up  in  the 
 Minds  of  Men  by  the .  Inventions  of  Poetry. 
 The  Poets  did  more  than  teach  the  Doftrine  of 
 a  Life  to  come :  they  defcribed  That  Life.  The 
 Judges  of  the  dead  ;  the  Ely/mm^  or  Region  of 
 Blifs  for  the  good,  and  1'artarus^  or  Region  of 
 Mifcry,  for  the  bad  •,  were  of  Poetical  Original. 
 In  fnort,  the  Faith  of  the  Pagan  IVorld^  with 
 Refped  to  Futurity,  feems  to  have  owed  more 
 
 5   PHi^DON,  {\\z  de  Animo. 
 
 ^  Cute  ]}>Iajor,  five  de  ^ene^ute,  C.  21 ,  23. 
 
 to 
 
Sed.  I.       Freliminary  Difcourfe.  15 
 
 to  the  Fancies  and  Defcriptions  of  the  Poets,  than 
 to  the  Civil  Inftitutes  of  the  Legijlators,  or  the 
 refined  Argumentation  o£  xh^  Philofophers. 
 
 From  what  has  been  faid,  it  may  be  thought, 
 that  I  have  pointed  out  the  true  Source  and  On- 
 gin  of  the  general  Belief  of  a  Future  State,  and 
 that  it  was  the  Joint-work  of  the  Legijlators,  Phi- 
 lofcphers,  and  Poets  ;  or,  rather,  derived  from 
 the  Policy  of  the  Lazvgivers,  feconded  by  the 
 Reafonings  of  the  Phikfophers,  and  the  Fidions 
 of  the  Poets.  And,  accordingly,  Atheijiical  Men 
 have  objected  to  Religion,  as  being  a  mere  Crea- 
 ture of  Politics,  the  Offspring  of  State-craft,  de- 
 vifed  for  the  Sake  of  its  Utility,  or  Subferviency 
 to  the  public  Good. 
 
 But  the  Concluficn  is  faife,  and  the  Fad  quite 
 otherwiie.  For,  with  Refped  to  the  Lawgivers  -, 
 if  we  "  look  through  all  Greek,  Roman,  and  Bar- 
 "  barous  Antiquity"  (fays  the  learned  Bi/lwp  of 
 Glocefier)  "  it  will  appear,  that  not  one  fingle 
 "  Lawgiver  ever  found  a  People,  how  wild  or 
 "  unimproved  foever,  without  a  Religion,  when 
 "  he  undertook  to  civilize  them.  On  the  con- 
 "  trary,  we  fee  them  all,  even  to  the  Lawgivers 
 "  of  the  Thracians  and  Americans,  addrefling 
 *'  themfelves  to  the  favage  Tribes,  with  the  Cre- 
 "  dentials  of  That  God,  who  was  there  profef- 
 "  fedly  acknowledged  and  adored.'*  From 
 whence,  and  other  Confiderations,  drawn  from  the 
 Hijiory  of  the  Lawgivers^  the  Sayings  recorded  of 
 I  them. 
 
t6  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Scd.  i; 
 
 them,  and  the  Fragments  oi ihtw  Writings  yet  re- 
 maining, his  Lordn-iipjuftly  concludes,  "  They 
 "  FOUND  Religion,  and  did  not  make  it  ^" 
 
 As  to  the  Philofophers  and  Pocts^  let  Bp.  Sher- 
 lock determine  the  Point.  "  The  natural  Evi- 
 "  dence  of  Life  and  Immortality'*  (fays  his 
 Lordfiiip)  "  flands  equally  clear  of  the  Inven- 
 tions of  Poetry,  and  the  Subtilties  and  Re- 
 finements of  Philofophy  •,  and,  though  it  be 
 
 allied  to  Both,  yet  it  arofe  from  neither. 
 
 As  to  fuch  as  imagine,  that  the  Notion  of  a 
 future  Life  arofe  from  the  Defcriptions  and 
 Inventions  of  Poets,  they  may  even  as  well 
 fuppofe,  that  Eating  and  Drinking  had  the 
 fame  Original,  and  that  Men  had  never  thought 
 of  it  but  for  the  fine  Feails  and  Entertainments, 
 
 which  are  defcribed  in  fuch  Writers The 
 
 Poets  found  Men  in  PofTeffion  of  the  Do<5trine 
 of  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments 
 for  good  and  bad  Men.  Upon  this  Founda- 
 tion they  went  to  Work  ;  and  the  plain  Draught 
 of  Nature  was  almoft  hid  under  the  Shades 
 and  Colours,  with  which  they  endeavoured  to 
 
 beautify   and  adorn   it The  Philofophers 
 
 found  the  fame  Perfuafion  in  themfelves  and 
 others  j  and,  as  their  Profeflion  led  them,^ 
 fought  out  for  Phyfical  Reafons  to  fupport 
 the  Caufe- But  ftill  the  natural  Evidence  is 
 
 J  Divine  Legation  rf  Mo/cs,   Part  II,  Book  IU.    Sec- 
 tion VI. 
 
 5  "  p'ior 
 
Sefl.  I.       Preliminary  Difcotirfe.  ly 
 
 *'  prior  to  their  Enquiries,  and  ftands  upon  an- 
 -"  other  Foot,  the  common  Senfe  and  AppreT 
 *'  henfion  of  Mankind  *." 
 
 We  mud,  therefore,  look  a  little  farther,  than 
 to  the  Lawgivers,  Philofophers,  or  Poets,  for  the 
 Scurce  and  Origin  of  That  univerfal  Perfuajion  of 
 a  Future  State  we  find  to  have  prevailed  through- 
 out the  World.  And  where  can  we  find  it,  but 
 in  (what  Bp.  Sherlock  calls)  "  the  common  Senfe 
 "  and  Apprehenfion  of  Mankind?"  Impartial 
 Reafon  and  Nature  lead  to  the  Expeflation  of  a 
 Future  State,  by  prefenting  to  the  unprejudiced 
 Mind  fuch  Evidence  of  its  Truth  and  Reality, 
 as  is  not  to  be  refifted.  A  Detail  of  this  Evi- 
 dence is  not  my  prefent  Bufinefs.  It  is  fufficient 
 to  obferve,  that  the  Arguments  from  Reafon  ana 
 Nature,  in  Proof  of  a  Future  State,  abundantly 
 account  for  the  general  Reception  of  That  Doc- 
 trine, among  all  Nations  of  the  Earth. 
 
 And  can  there  be  a  {\.ronger  prefumptive  Ar- 
 gument for  the  Truth  of  any  Dodrine,  than  that 
 it  is  tlie  Di6late  of  Reafon  and  Nature,  and  uni- 
 verfally  embraced  as  fuch  ?  Ariflotle^  in  his  To- 
 pics, lays  it  down  as  a  Rule  of  judging  from  Au^ 
 thority,  that  what  fome  wife  Men  think  to  be 
 true,  is  in  fome  Degree  probable  \  what 
 is  believed  by  moft  wife  Men,  is  yet  more  pro- 
 bable ',  what  mofi  men,  both  wife  and  unv/ife, 
 aiTe nt  to,  has  a  ftill  higher  Degree  of  Probability  ; 
 i  Several  Difcourfes,  ^c  Vol.  I.  Difc.  VI. 
 
 C  bag 
 
i8  Preliminary  Difcourfe.       Sedl.  t^ 
 
 but  what  ALL  Men  have  generally  confented  to, 
 has  this  Evidence  in  the  higheji  polTible  Degree. 
 The  Force  of  this  Argument,  in  Proof  of  a  Fu- 
 ture Slaie,  is  acknowledged  both  by  Cicero  and 
 Seneca.  "  As  Nature  "  (fays  the  former)  teaches 
 ''  us  to  believe,  that  there  are  Gods — fo  the 
 "  Confent  of  all  Nations  induces  us  to  believe, 
 "  that  the  Soul  is  immortal  ^."  And  the  latter  : 
 "  When  we  treat  of  the  Soul's  Immortality,  we 
 *'  lay  no  fmall  Strefs  on  the  Confent  of  Man- 
 "  kind,  either  fearing  or  worfhipping  the  In- 
 "  fernals  7."  And  with  good  Reafon.  For,  the 
 Univerfality  of  an  Opinion  proves  it  to  be  the 
 Didlate  of  Reafon  and  Nature  •,  and  fuch  is  the 
 Connexion  between  Truth  and  the  Human  In- 
 telleU^  that,  as  what  is  true  will  generally  ap- 
 prove itfelf  to  the  Reafon  and  Underftanding  of 
 Mankind,  fo  whatever  the  Reafon  and  Under- 
 ftanding of  Mankind  univerfally  judge  to  be  true^ 
 has  a  juft  Claim  to  be  confidered  as  fuch. 
 
 The  Bijbelief  of  a  Future  State,  the  Effect  of 
 Atheifm  in  fome,  and  of  Immorality  in  others, 
 detrads  nothing  from  the  Force  of  this  Argu- 
 ment. The  Number  of  fuch  Unbelievers,  how 
 many  foever  there  may  have  been,  bears  no  Pro- 
 portion to  the  Generality  of  Mankind  •,  and  it  is 
 commonly  and  juftly  faid,  that  there  is  no  gene- 
 ral Rule  v/ithout  an  Exception.  Nor  is  the  mod 
 confirmed  Infidelity  any  Proof,  that  the  Belief  of 
 a  Future  State  is  not  natural  even  to  the  Mind 
 
 ^  Tufc.  Difp.  1.  1.  c.  16.  -^Ep.  117. 
 
 of 
 
h 
 
 Sed:.  I.       Preliminary  DifcoUrfe.  i^ 
 
 of  the  Infidel  himfelf,  fince  it  is  certain,  that 
 Men  may  over-rule  their  natural  Apprehenfions 
 of  thino-s,  debauch  their  Underftandings,  and 
 reafon  themfelves  (if  it  can  be  called  reafoning) 
 out  of  the  cleareft  Principles  and  Notions  im- 
 planted in  their  Minds. 
 
 The  Argument  for  the  Reality  of  a  Future 
 State,  taken  from  the  univerfal  Confent  of  Man- 
 kind in  the  Belief  of  fuch  a  State,  receives  addi- 
 tional Strength  from  That  Defire  and  Hope  of 
 Immortality,  and  thofe  Workings  of  Natural  Con- 
 fcience,  which  every  Man  experiences,  more  or 
 lefs,  in  his  own  Mind.  Thefe  not  only  tend  to 
 fhew,  that  the  Belief  of  a  Future  State  is  a  na- 
 tural, and,  confequently,  a  general  Perfuafion,. 
 but  afford  a  peculiar  Evidence  of  a  hife  to  come. 
 
 It  will  not  be  difputed,  that  there  exifts  in 
 
 the  Human  Mind  a  natural  Defire  and  Hop  of 
 
 Immortality.     "  Nature   herfelf"   (fays    Cicero) 
 
 "  doth  filently  declare  the  Immortality  of  the 
 
 *'  Soul — and  there  inheres  in  the  Minds  of  Men 
 
 '*  a  Kind  of  Prefage  or  Anticipation  of  Futu- 
 
 "  rity^"  Senfual  Minds  may,  perhaps,  feel  little 
 
 '*  or  nothing  of  this  natural  Hope  and  Defire 
 
 of  endlefs  Being.     But,   in   rational,  fober,    and 
 
 virtuous    Minds,    this   Anticipation   of  Futurity 
 
 fpontaneoufly  and  naturally  fprings  up  '.     Now, 
 
 from 
 sTufc.  Difp.  1.  I.  c.  14,  15. 
 
 9  "  Fancy  a  Man  "  (fays  the  ingenious   Mr.  Woolajlon) 
 
 **  walking  in  fome  retired  Field,  free  from  Noife,  and  free 
 
 C  2  <<  from 
 
20  Preliminary  Difcourfe,        Se<£l.  i^ 
 
 from  the  Generality  of  this  Difire  we  infer  the 
 Reality  of  its  Ohjcol.     Nature  has  plainly  given 
 
 us 
 
 **  from  Prejudice,  to  debate  this  Matter  with  himfelf :  and 
 *'  then  judge,  whether  fuch  Meditations  as  thefe  would  not 
 "  be  juil.  I  think,  I  may  be  fure,  that  neither  lifelefs  Mat^ 
 **  ter,  nor  the  'vegetati've  Trihe,  that  Stone,  that  Flower, 
 **  that  Tree,  have  any  reflex  Thoughts :  nor  do  i\iefenji(i-ve 
 *'  Animals.,  that  Sheep,  that  Ox,  feem  to  have  any  fuch 
 *'  Thing,  or  but  in  the  loweft  Degree,  and  in  refped  of  pre- 
 *'  fent  Objedls  only.  They  do  not  rea/oji,  nor  difcourfe.  I 
 **  may  therefore  certainly  pretend  to  be  fomething  much 
 **  abo've  all  thefe  things.  I  not  only  apprehend  and  confi- 
 **  der  thefe  external  ObjeSls  afting  at  prefent  upon  my 
 "  Nerves,  but  have  Ideas  raifed  within  myfelf  of  a  higher 
 **  Order,  and  many  :  I  can,  not  only  reprefent  to  myfelf 
 **  things,  that'izr^,  or  hwue  heen,  hnt.  deduce  m^-ny  others 
 ♦'  from  them,  make  Excurfions  into  FuUirity,  and  forefee 
 **  much  of  what  will  be,  or  at  leaft  may  be;  by  Uriel  think- 
 "  ing,  I  had  a) mod  faid,  get  into  ancther  World,  before- 
 *'  hand  :  and,  whether  I  fhall  live  in  feme  other  State  after 
 "  death,  or  not,  I  am  certainly  a  Being  capable  of  fuch  an 
 *•  ExpeSlation,  and  cannot  but  be  folicitous  about  it :  none 
 "  of  which  Things  can  be  faid  of  thefe  Clods,  or  thofe  Brutes. 
 *♦  Can  I  then  be  defigned  for  nothing  further,  than  jufi;  to 
 **  eat,  drink,  fleep,  walk  about,  and  aft  upon  this  Earth ; 
 "  that  is,  to  have  no  further  Being,  than  what  thefe  Brutes 
 •'  have,  fo  far  beneath  me  ?  Can  I  be  made  capable  of  fuch 
 **  great  ExpeJlations,  which  thofe  Animals  know  nothing  of 
 *,'  (happier  by  fai-  in  this  Regard  than  I  am,  if  we  mull  die 
 "  alike)  only  to  be  difappointed  at  lajl  ?  Thus  placed,  juft 
 **  upon  the  Confines  of  another  better  World,  and  fed  with 
 *'  Hopes  of  penetrating  into  it,  and  enjoying  it,  only  to 
 "  make  a  JJtiort  Appearance  here,  and  then  to  be  Jhut  outy 
 *'  and  totally  funk?  Muft  I,  then,  v.hen  I  bid  my  lall  Fare- 
 
 «'  well 
 
Se6t.  I.       Preliminary  Difcciirfe.  21 
 
 us  thefe  Hopes :  but  Ndttire^  we  are  fure,  does 
 nothing  in  vain.  Were  there  no  Future  State,  Na- 
 ture would  have  implanted  in  our  Minds  a  De- 
 fire,  which  can  never  be  fatisfied,  and  raifed  in 
 us  an  Expe5lation  of  what  can  never  come  to  pafs. 
 If  we  would  do  Juftice  to  the  Wifdom  of  our  al- 
 nmighty  Creator,  we  muft  confider  the  natural 
 Defire  and  Hope  of  Immortality  in  the  Mind  of 
 Man  as  an  Intimation  from  God  himfelf,  that  Man 
 is,  really,  immortal  *. 
 
 "  weil  to  thefe  Walks,  when  I  clofe  thefe  Lids,  and  yon- 
 *'  der  blue  Regions  and  all  this  Scene  darken  Upon  me  and 
 "  go  out,  muft  I  then  only  ferve  to  furnifli  Duft  to  be  ming- 
 •'  led  with  the  Alhes  of  thefe  Herds  and  Plants,  or  witfi 
 **  this  Dirt  under  my  Feet  ?    Have  I  been  fet  fo  far  abciie 
 
 *'  them  in  Life,  only  to  be  lenjelled  ivith  them  at  Death  ?  " 
 
 "  Are  fuch  Meditations  and  Refieftjons  as  thefe  well  found- 
 *'  ed,  or  not  ?  If  they  arc,  it  muft  be  reafcnable  to  think, 
 *•  that  God  will  fatisfy  a  rea/onable  Expe^atio?t."  Re/,  of 
 Nat.delin.   5th  Edit.  p.  209,  210. 
 
 »   This  Argument  is  finely  touched  by  Mr.  Addifon^  in  the 
 famous  Soliloquy  of  Cato, 
 
 It  muft  be  fo — Plato,  thou  reafon'ft  well • 
 
 Elfe  whence  this  pleafing  Hope,  this  fond  Deiire, 
 
 This  longing  after  Immortality  ? 
 
 Or  whence  this  fecret  Dread,  and  inward  Horror 
 
 Of  falling  into  nought  ?  Why  Ihrinks  the  Soul 
 
 Back  on  herfelf,  and  ftartles  at  DeftruAion  ? 
 
 'Tis  the  Divinity  that  ftirs  within  us  ; 
 
 'Tis  Heaven  itfelf  that  points  out  an  Hereafter, 
 
 And  intimates  Eternity  to  Man. 
 
 ActV.  5ceneI, 
 
 C  3  t  In 
 
22  Preliminary  Difcourfe.       Sed.  i. 
 
 In  like  Manner,  the  Workings  of  Natural 
 Cnnfcience  evince  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and 
 PuniJIiments.  This  Evidence  is  mod  clearly  feen 
 (or  rather  felt)  in  That  Remorfe  and  Compunc- 
 tion of  Mind,  That  Fear  and  Bread  of  God's, 
 avenging  Jujlice,  which,  in  Sinners  not  harden'd 
 beyond  all  SenfibiUty,  follows  clofe  upon  the 
 Heels  of  Guilt,  and  often  forces  the  guilty  to 
 feek  Relief  from  the  Pain  of  a  wounded  Spirit  in 
 an  open,  unreferved,  Confeffion  of  their  Crimes. 
 Were  there  no  future  Reckoning  to  be  expedted, 
 why  fhould  not  ihe  fecretly-wicked  fm  on  without 
 Remorfe  and  without  Fear  ?  Why  does  Confcience 
 play  the  Tyrant  in  their  Breads  ?  The  Truth  is, 
 Confcience  is  the  Subjiitute  of  the  Almighty,  paf- 
 fmg  immediate  Sentence  of  Approbation  or  Con- 
 demnation on  all  our  Aftions,  and  thereby  giv- 
 ing us  Warning  of  a  future  Account,  when  fuch 
 Sentence  fhall  be  ratified,  and  followed  by  fuit- 
 able  Reward  or  Punifliment  in  another  Life  *. 
 
 *  When  St.  Paul  reafoned,  before  the  Roman  Governor, 
 of  Righteoufnefs,  Temper aiice,  and 'Judgment  to  come,  Felix  (fays 
 the  Hiftorian )  trembled.  Afts  xxiv.  25.  Trembled!  At 
 what  ?  The  ApolHe  accufed  him  of  nothing  j  nor  was  he 
 going  to  be  called  to  an  Account  for  any  of  his  Aftions. 
 He  was  quite  fafe  in  That  Refpeft.  But  the  Profpeft,  fet 
 before  him,  of  a  Judgment  to  come,  a  Day  of  ftrift  Account 
 jbefore  God,  alarmed  his  Coti/cience,  and  put  him  in  Fear 
 of  That  Punifhment,  he  knew  he  well  deferved, 
 
 SEC- 
 
Sed.  2.        Prelimmnry  Difcourfe.  23 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 <ithe  Union  of  an  immaterial  and  naturally- 
 immortal  Principle,  or  Soul,  with  the 
 Human  Body,  a  Proof  of  a  Future  State. 
 
 ASECOND,  natural.  Evidence  of  a  Future 
 State  arifes  from  the  Nature  and  ^lalities 
 of  That  Part  of  the  Human  Compofition,  which 
 we  call  the  Soul.  For,  if  the  Soul  be,  naturally, 
 incapable  of  Corruption  or  Diffolution,  by  thofe 
 Caufes,  which  gradually  impair,  and  at  length 
 deftroy,  the  Bodily  Frame,  it  mull,  naturally,  fur- 
 vive  the  Death  of  the  Body,  and  continue  to  live 
 and  aft  in  a  State  of  Separation  from  it. 
 
 But  here  a  Stop  is  put  to  our  Conclufton,  by  a 
 Denial  of  the  Premifes.  It  is  affirmed,  that  there 
 is,  really,  no  fuch  Thing  as  an  immaterial  and 
 naturally 'immortal  Principle,  united  with  the  Hu- 
 man Body  ;  That  Death  is  the  entire  Deftruciion 
 of  the  Man,  and  that  our  future  Exifience  is  the 
 fole  Gift  of  God  through  Jefus  Chriji  by  the  Refur- 
 re^ion  of  the  Dead. 
 
 The  Ohje^iom  to  the  Union  of  an  immortal 
 Soul  with  the  mortal  Bodies  of  Men,  together  with 
 the  Arguments  from  Scripture,  by  which  the  Ne- 
 gative is  endeavoured  to  be  fupported,  I  have 
 C  4  already 
 
24  Preliminary  Difcourfe.       Sed.  2. 
 
 already  anfwered  ^  to  the  beft  of  my  Ability  ; 
 but  without  entering  upon  a  dire^  and  formal 
 Proof  of  an  immaterial  and  naturally  -  immortal 
 Principle  in  Man.  This  Evidence  of  inherent 
 Immortality  1  relerved  tor  this  Place,  and  Ihall 
 now  proceed  to  lay  before  the  Reader  a  Pbyjical 
 Proof  of  the  Immateriality  and  natural  Immortality 
 of  the  Human  Soul. 
 
 Now,  that  we  actually  have  a  Sottl,  an  imma- 
 terial or  fpiritual  Suhflance  united  with  our  Bodily 
 Frame ^  will  be  evident,  when  we  have  made  it 
 appear,  that  the  Faculties^  we  experience  in  our- 
 felves,  of  thinking,  underfianding,  reafoning,  j^^S' 
 ing,  and  the  like,  cannot  poflibly  be  relolved 
 into  any  corporeal  Principle,  or  be  confidered  as 
 Properties  of  mere  Matter.  This  will  clearly 
 evince  the  Immateriality  of  That  Principle  or 
 Subftance,  to  which  thofe  Spiritual  Powers  or 
 Faculties  belong. 
 
 We  cannot  be  more  certain  of  any  thing,  than 
 that  we  think  •,  and,  if  we  attend  to  the  Ad  of 
 thinking,  as  it  is  performed  within  us,  we  fhall 
 be  fenfible,  that  the  Head,  or  ftiperior  Region 
 of  the  Body,  is  the  Seat  of  Thought.  Were 
 thinking  the  Refult  of  our  Bodily  Frame,  no  Rea- 
 fon  can  be  afligned,  why  we  fhould  not  think 
 
 '  In  A  Defence  of  the  commonly-recei--ved  Doiirine  of  the  Hu- 
 man Soul,  as  ah  immaterial  a7id  naturally-immortal  Principle  in 
 Man,  againfi  the  Objeilions  of  fome  }nodern  Writers.  Bristol. 
 ForT.  Cadell,  1766. 
 
 all 
 
Sed.  2.       Preliminary  Difcourfe,  25 
 
 all  over  our  Bodies,  and  every  Part  of  us  be 
 equally  cogitative  :  for  why  fhould  the  Hand  or 
 the  Foot  be  excluded  from  a  Privilege,  which 
 belongs  to  the  Body  as  a  Syjlsm  or  Aggregate  of  , 
 material  Parts  or  Members  ?  But,  who  ever  ex- 
 perienced or  heard  of  a  thiiiking  Hand,  or 
 thinking  Foot  ?  As,  therefore,  the  Seat  of 
 thought  is  manifeflly  in  the  Head,  it  is  reafon- 
 able  to  conclude,  that  thinking  is  not  the  Re- 
 fult  of  our  Bodily  Frame  ;  and,  confequently, 
 that,  whatever  it  be  that  thi7iks  within  us,  it 
 mufb  be  fomething  different  or  dijlin^l  from  our 
 Bodies.  And  this  is  farther  evident  from  hence, 
 that  the  thinking  Faculty  within  us  fuffers  no  Di- 
 minution from  the  Lofs  of  a  Limb  or  Member 
 of  the  Body  ;  the  ^antity  of  Thought  (if  I  may 
 fo  fpeak)  remaining  the  fame,  though  the  ^an- 
 tity  of  Matter,  of  which  the  Body  is  compofed, 
 be  leffened. 
 
 Which  Argument  may  be  ftrengthened  by 
 the  Confideration  of  That  Oppofttion,  we  fo  often 
 experience,  between  Reafon,  or  the  Dictates  of 
 our  Minds,  and  Appetite,  or  the  Defires  of  our 
 Bodies;  plainly  fhewing,  that,  as  Reafon and  Jppe- 
 /i/^  often  draw  different  Ways,  fo  they  arife  from 
 different  Principles,  or  belong  to  different  Subjefts. 
 For,  were  Reafon  and.  Appetite  alike  the  Refultof 
 our  Bodily  Frame,  it  fhould  feem,  that  there  would 
 be  a  perfeft  Harmony  between  them,  and  that 
 the  Senfe  and  'Judgment  of  our  Minds  would  al- 
 ways 
 
26  Preliminary  Difcourfe,       Sed.  2. 
 
 ways  concur  with  the  Defires  and  Inclinations  of 
 our  Bodies. 
 
 But,  will  it.  follow,  that,  becaufe  the  Soul,  or 
 Principle  of  'thought  within  us,  muft  be  fome- 
 thing  different  from  the  Body,  it  muft  therefore 
 be  an,  immaterial,  ox  Jpritual  Suhjiance  ?  lanfwer: 
 If  it  can  be  proved,  that  the  Sotd,  fuch  as  we 
 experience  it  to  be,  cannot  pofTibly  be  a  mate- 
 rial, it  neceflarily  follows,  that  it  muft  be  an 
 immaterial,  Subjlance,  or  Spirit.  For  we  know  of 
 no  middle  Nature  between  material  and  immate- 
 rial. 
 
 Now,  upon  a  Suppofition,  that  the  Soul  is  mere 
 Matter,  One  or  other  of  thefe  three  things  muft 
 be  true.  Either,  firft,  Thinking  is  ejfential  to 
 Matter,  and,  confequently,  all  Matter  thinks ; 
 or,  fccondly,  Thought  is  the  Refult  of  certain 
 Combinations  or  Modifications  oi  Matter  -,  or,  third- 
 ly, God  has  fuperadded  a  Faculty  of  thinking  to 
 certain  Parcels  or  Syjlems  of  Matter.     But, 
 
 Firft,  It  is  certain,  that  all  Matter  does  not 
 think  ;  and,  confequently,  thinking  is  not  ejfential 
 to  Matter.  For,  either  our  Senfes  deceive  us  (to 
 fuppofe  which,  is  the  Abfurdity  of  fuppofing, 
 that  God  and  Nature  deceive  us)  or  the  Chair 
 we  fit  on,  the  Table  we  eat  at,  the  Bed  we  deep 
 on,  the  Coach  we  ride  in,  &:c.  &c.  &c.  are  not 
 thinking  Subftances.  They  difcover  no  Symptoms 
 of  Thought,  and  appear  to  be  utterly  void  of  all 
 fenfible  Perception.  ImprefTions  may  be  made  on 
 2  Stone, 
 
6e(5l.  2.       Freliminary  Difcourfe.  27 
 
 Stone^  Woody  Iron,  &c.  &c.  &c.  But  the  Stone, 
 "Wood,  Iron,  &c.  appear  to  be  altogether  flupid 
 and  unconfcious  of  thofe  Impreflions.  In  Ihort, 
 the  Faculty  of  thinking  makes  no  Part  of  our  na- 
 tural (and  therefore  the  true)  Idea  of  Matter ; 
 which  includes  in  it  no  other  effential  Properties, 
 than  thofe  of  Solidity,  Extenfton^  and  Impenetra- 
 bility. 
 
 Befides  :  The  Suppofition  of  thinking  being 
 ejfential  to  Matter  is  attended  with  one  of  the 
 greateft  Abfurdities  imaginable.  For,  if  all 
 Matter  thinks,  then  not  only  does  the  Human 
 Body  think  in  all  its  Parts,  (which  we  are  fen- 
 iible  is  not  the  Cafe)  but  we  muft  have  as  many 
 diJlinSl  Minds,  as  many  feparate  Self-confcioufnejfes, 
 as  there  are  Particles  of  Matter  in  our  Bodies  : 
 which,  confidering  the  prodigious  (not  to  fay 
 infinite )  Diviftbility  of  Matter,  would  multi- 
 ply the  Minds  or  Self-confcioufnejfes  of  every  Indi^ 
 vidual  Human  Creature  to  an  inconceivable 
 Number.  A  Suppofition,  too  extravagant  and 
 unreafonable  to  be  admitted  as  poflible  *. 
 
 Secondly, 
 
 4  This  Argument  is  ftrongly  urged  by  Dr.  S.  Clarke,  in 
 his  Letter  to  Mr.  DodivcIL  "  The  fame  Thing  "  (fays  he) 
 **  viz..  that  the  Soul  camiot  pojjihly  be  material,  is  moreover 
 ^'  demonftrable  from  the  Confideration  even  of  bare  Senfe 
 •'  and  Confcioufnefs  itfelf.  For,  Matter  being  a  divifible 
 *'  Subftance,  confilling  always  of  feparable,  nay  of  actually 
 "  feparate  and  diftindt  Parts  ;  it  is  plain,  unlefs  it  were 
 i^  effentially  confcious,    in  which  Cafe,  every  Particle  of 
 
 "  Matter 
 
28  Preliminary  Dij'courje.        Sedl.  2. 
 
 Secondly,  J'hinkijtg  cannot  be  the  Refult  of 
 certain  Comi^imiiions  or  Modifications  of  Matter. 
 Indeed,  how  fhould  it  ?  All  the  Changes^  we  fee 
 produced  in  Matter,  refpeft  its  Bulk,  its  Tex- 
 ture, its  Figure,  its  Pofition,  or  its  Motion.  But, 
 what  Connedlion  is  there  between  thinking  and 
 any  fuch  Changes  in  Matter  ?  Is  it  poflible,  a 
 fenfelefs,  inanimate.  Piece  of  Matter  fhould  ac- 
 quire a  Faculty  of  thinking  by  becoming  greater 
 or   lefs,  denfer   or  rarer,  than    it  was   before  ? 
 
 *'  Matter  muft  confift  of  innumerable  feparate  and  diflinft 
 *'  Confcioufneffes,    no  Syfcem  of  it   in    any   poffible  Com- 
 "  pofition  or  Divillon  can  be  an  individual  confcious  Being. 
 *'  For  fuppofe  three,  or  three  hundred.  Particles  of  Matter, 
 •'  at  a  Mile,  or  any  given  Diftance,  one  from  another ;  is 
 *'  it  poffible,  that  all  thofe  feparate  Parts  fhould  in  that  State 
 *'  be   one  individual   confcious  Being  ?   Suppofe   then   all 
 *'  thefe  Particles  brought  together  into  one  Syllem,  fo  as  to 
 *'  touch  one  another;  will  they  thereby,  or  by  any  Motion 
 "  or  Compoiition   whatfoever,   become  any  whit  lefs  truly 
 *'  diftindl  Beings,  than  they  were  at  the  greateft  Diftance  ? 
 **  How   then  can  their  being  difpofed  in  any  poffible  Sy- 
 "  ftem,  make  them  one  individual  confcious  Being  ?  If  you 
 "  fuppofe  God  by  his  infinite  Power  fuperadding  Confci- 
 *<  oufnefs   to   the   united   Particles,  yet  ftill  thofe  Particles, 
 "  being  really   and  necellarily  as  diiHnft  Beings  as  ever, 
 "  cannot  be  themfelves  the  Subjeft,  in  which  that  indivi- 
 «'  dual  Confcioufr.efs  inheres  ;  but  the  Confcjoufnefs  can  only 
 "  be  fuperadded  by  the  Addition  of  fomething,  v/hich,  in 
 ♦'  all   the   Particles,  mult  Hill   itfelf  be  but  one  individual 
 »'  Being.     The  Soul  therefore,  vvhofe  Power  of  thinking  is 
 •'  undeniably  one  individual  Confcioufnefs,  cannot  poffibly 
 "  be  a  Material  Subftance."     If  orb,  fol.  Vol.  III.  p.  730. 
 
 Shall 
 
Sed.  2.       Preliminary  Difcourfe.  29 
 
 Shall  it  be  void  of  all  Senfe  under  a  fquare  Fi- 
 o-ure,  and  become  fenfible  by  becoming  round  ? 
 Can  Matter  change  its  Nature,  or  acquire  new 
 Properties,  by  being  removed  from  one  Place 
 to  another,  or  being  carried  forward  with  a 
 greater  or  lefs  Degree  of  Velocity  ?  No,  certain- 
 ly. A  Mountain  is  as  thottghtkfs  and  unconfcious 
 as  a  Mok-hilh  a  Piece  of  Gold  as  a  Piece  of  CorK 
 a  Cube  as  a  Globe ^  a  Chair  in  the  Parlour  as  a  C^^/r 
 in  the  Dining-room^  and  a  5/£';z^  thrown  by  the 
 Hand  only  as  a  Ball  difcharged  from  the  Mouth 
 of  a  Canon. 
 
 Laftly,  We  cannot  juftly  fuppofe,  that  God 
 has  fuperadded  a  Faculty  of  thinking  to  certain 
 Parcels  or  Syjlems  of  Matter.  Mr.  Locke,  indeed, 
 fays  :  "  We  have  the  Ideas  of  Matter  and  1'hink- 
 *'  ing.,  but  poflibly  fhall  never  be  able  to  know, 
 "  whether  any  mere  material  Being  thinks,  or 
 "  no  i  it  being  impolTible  for  us,  by  the  Con- 
 *'  templation  of  our  own  Ideas,  without  Reve- 
 "  lation,  to  difcover,  whether  Omnipotency  has 
 "  not  given  to  fome  Syftems  of  Matter,  fitly 
 "  difpofed,  a  Power  to  perceive  and  think,  or 
 "  elfe  joined  and  fixed  to  Matter,  fo  difpofed,  a 
 "  thinking  immaterial  Subftance  :  it  being,  in 
 "  refped:  of  our  Notions,  not  much  more  re- 
 "  mote  from  our  Comprehenfion  to  conceive, 
 "  that  God  can,  if  he  pleafes,  fuperadd  toMat- 
 ^'  ter  a  Faculty  of  thinking  •,  fince  we  know  not 
 «^  wherein  Thinking  confifts,  nor  to  what  Sort 
 
 «  of 
 
Jo  'preliminary  T)iJcourfe.      Sed.  2- 
 
 "  of  Subflances  the  Almighty  has  been  pleafed 
 *'  to  give  that  Power,  which  cannot  be  in  any 
 "  created  Being,  but  merely  by  the  good  Plea- 
 *'  fure  and  Bounty  of  the  Creator*."  But  I 
 muft  take  the  Liberty  of  diflfenting  from  this 
 Opinion  of  our  great  EngUJIi  Philofopher.  We 
 know  enough  of  Thinking  and  Matter^  to  know 
 that  Thinking  is  not  among  the  natural  or  ejfen^ 
 tial  Properties  of  Matter.  Whence  it  clearly 
 follows,  that  Matter  cannot  be  miade  to  think^ 
 without  being  made  another  Kind  of  Subilance 
 than  what  it  is,  that  is,  ceafing  to  be  Matter, 
 Every  Faculty  implies  its  proper  Suhjlance^  in 
 which  it  inheres ;  and,  confequently,  if  a  Fa- 
 culty of  thinking  be  fuperadded  to  Matter,  Mat- 
 ter becomes  the  Suppofitum  of  Thought,  contrary 
 to  our  cleareft  Ideas  of  Matter,  gained  from  the 
 Report  of  all  our  Senfes. 
 
 But  farther :  The  feveral  Exercifes  or  Modes 
 of  Thi?jking  cannot  pofTibly  be  the  Effeds  of  mere 
 Matter.  To  inftance  in  Memory,  Will,  Reafon 
 and  Judgment. 
 
 Memory,  or  the  Power  of  recalling  pafl  Ideas, 
 cannot  belong  to  mere  Matter.  For,  our  Bodies 
 being  in  a  State  of  perpetual  Change,  old  Parts 
 palTing  away,  and  new  ones  fupplying  their 
 Place,  how  fhould   the  new  Particles  retain  any 
 
 J  EjlJay  concerning  Human  Under Jlandingi  Book  IV.  Ch.  III. 
 
 Senfe 
 
Se6t.  2.       Preliminary  Difcourfe.  ^  f 
 
 Senfe  of  the  Impreflions  made  on  thofe  gone 
 many  Years  ago  ? 
 
 Nor  can  ^z7/  (i.e.  Free-agency,  the  avn^wiovy 
 or  arbitrary  Principle  within  us,  whereby  we 
 command  the  Powers  of  the  Body,  and  give 
 them  what  Diredion  we  pleafe)  be  the  Refult 
 oi  mere  Matter  ;  which  is  wholly /»<2^w,  having 
 no  other  Power  or  Vis,  than  the  Vis  Inertia  or 
 Power  of  Rcfiftance.  The  Exercife  of  the  Will 
 depends  on  a  Variety  oi Motives  or  Inducements ; 
 none  of  which  can  arife  from  mere  Matter  and 
 Motion.  For,  who  can  conceive  Matter  to  be 
 influenced  by  Arguments,  or  ever  ranked  Syllo- 
 gifms  and  Demortfirations  with  the  Powers  of 
 Mechanifm  ?  We  are  put  upon  Adion  by  Rea- 
 fons  imparted  to  us  by  JVords  written  or  fpoken. 
 But  is  it  poffible,  that  a  Sound  in  the  Air,  or  a 
 few  Characters  on  Paper,  (hould,  by  any  mecha- 
 nical Influence,  caufe  us  to  move  in  a  deter- 
 minate Manner,  or  even  to  move  at  all  ?  Indeed, 
 nothing  can  be  more  abfurd,  than  to  aferibe  to 
 mere  Matter  a  Power  of  begimiing  Motion,  fince 
 That,  which  requires  {omQ  foreign  Impulfe  to  put 
 it  in  Motion,  can  never,  itfelf,  be  the  Caufe  of 
 Motion. 
 
 Laflly,  Reafon  and  Judgment  cannot  poflibly 
 be  accounted  for  by  mere  Matter  and  Motion. 
 For,  is  it  pofllble,  that  the  Power  of  ranging, 
 confidering,  and  comparing  together,  the  Ideas 
 of  Things,  as  they  lie  in  the  Human  Mind,  and 
 
 from 
 
22  Prelim'iJiary  Difcourfe.       Sedl.  2. 
 
 from  thence  drawing  Concliifions,  difcovering 
 Truths,  and  framing  Syftems  of  Knowledge 
 for  the  Ufe  of  Man,  fhould  belong  to  an  uncon- 
 fciouSf  unintelligent^  Subjlajice^  acting  by  the  Laws 
 of  Mechanifm  alone  ?  As  well  may  we  fuppofe 
 a  Pair  of  Scales  qualified  to  weigh  the  Force  of 
 an  Argument,  or  a  Pair  oi  Spe^lacles  to  fee  into 
 the  Truth  of  a  Propofition.  It  is  the  Bu- 
 finefs  of  Reafon  to  corred:  the  Errors  or  falfe 
 Reports  of  our  Senfes\  as  when  the  Sun  appears 
 to  us  no  bigger  than  a  Foot  in  Diameter,  or  any 
 diftant  Objetl  much  lefs  than  it  really  is.  But, 
 were  the  Soul  mere  Matter^  it  could  judge  of 
 Things  no  otherwife  than  by  the  Impreflions 
 they  make  on  our  Bodily  Senfes.  The  Soul,  there- 
 fore, cannot  be  mere  Matter. 
 
 From  what  has  been  faid,  it  is,  I  hope,  fuf- 
 ficiently  clear,  that  there  is,  and  muft  be,  in 
 Man,  an  immaterial  or  fpiritual  Suhftance,  the 
 Principle  of  'Thought,  Reafon,  and  the  other  in- 
 tellectual Faculties   within    him  ^.      And   from 
 
 hence 
 
 ^  That  curious  Philo/opher,  the  late  Lord  Bolingbroke,  who 
 would  perfuade  us,  that  the  Soul  is  not  a  Subjlance,  but  a 
 mere  ^ality  oi  Body,  produced  by  the  Configuration  of  its 
 Parts,  and  perifhing  with  That  Difpofition  (giving  to  the 
 oppoJite  Dodlrine  the  happy  Name  of  Pneumatical  Madnefs) 
 reprefents  the  Reafoning,  which  induced  Men  to  conclude 
 the  Soul  to  be  a  Subltance  diftind  from  the  Body,  thus : 
 "  Men  taking  it  for  granted,  that  they  knew  all  the  per- 
 <'  ceivable  Properties  of  Matter,  tliey  concluded  that  fuch 
 
 «'  Things 
 
Sedl.  2.       PreUm'mary  Dtfcourfe,  ^-^ 
 
 hence  it  is,  that  we  immediately  deduce  the  In- 
 corruplibility  and  Immortality  of  the  Soul,     For  a 
 
 fpiritiial 
 
 **  Things  as  could  not  be  accounted  for  by  thefe,  were  to 
 *'  be  accounted  for  by  the  Properties  of  fome  other  Sub- 
 "  ftance."  IVorks,  Vol.  III.  p.  502.  And  again  :  "  Va- 
 "  nity  andPrefumption  determine  Philofophers  to  conclude, 
 *'  that,  becaufe  they  cannot  account  for  the  Phjenomena  of 
 **  the  Mind  by  what  they  know  very  fuperiiciaily  of  folid 
 *'  extended  SubHance,  this  Mind  muft  be  fome  other  Sub- 
 "  ftance."     Uid.  p.  508-9. 
 
 The  right  reverend  Author  of  the  Vienv  of  Lord  Boling- 
 hrcke's  Philofophy  (in  which  he  has,  with  an  admirable  Mix- 
 ture of  Reafoning,  Wit,  and  Pleafantry,  expofed  his  Lord— 
 fliip's  I'hilofcphical  Notions  to  thejuft  Contempt  and  Derifion 
 of  all  Men  of  Senfe)  obferves  upon  the  foregoing  Words  as 
 follows  :  "  Such,  indeed,  was  the  State  of  the  Controverfy, 
 "  when  Locke  Ikimmed  over  the  Argument.  But  Clarke  and 
 "  Baxter  went  deeper.  They  draw  their  Conclufion,  not  on  the 
 "  Prefumption  that  they  knew  all  the  knowable  Qualities 
 *•  of  Matter,  and  that  between  thefe  and  Thought  there  was 
 •'  no  perceivable  Connexion  ;  but  from  this  clear  and  folid 
 "  Truth,  that,  from  the  little  we  do  know  of  Body,  we  fee 
 *'  a  Contraditlion  in  fuppofing  hitelligence  to  be  a  Quality 
 "  of  Matter.  For  thus  they  reafoned:  The'  v/e  know  not 
 •'  all  the  Powers  of  Matter,  yet  we  know  certainly  it  cannot 
 "  have  inconfijient  and  contradiclory  Powers.  It  is  allowed  to 
 *'  have  elTentially  a  Vis  Inertice,  or  that  it  rejijis  a  Change  of 
 "  its  State;  it  is  impoffible  therefore  that  it  fhould,  at  the 
 "  fame  Time,  have  fpontaneous  Motion,  or  eiie6t  a  Change 
 *•  cf  its  State.  If  this  be  the  Cafe  (and  to  deny  that  it  is 
 •'  the  Cafe,  is  confounding  all  the  principles  of  Human 
 *'  Knowledge)  then  it  is  impojjihle  the  Soul Jlniold he  material.^* 
 Vie-M  &c.  3d.  Ed.  i2mo.  p.  58. 
 
 D  Again ; 
 
34  Trelmlnary  Difcourfe.       Sed.  2, 
 
 fptritual  or  immaterial  Subjiance  cannot  be  liable  to 
 Decay  or  Diflblution  by  thofe  Caufes,  which  im- 
 pair and  deftroy  a  Material  Subjiance.  Whence 
 it  follows,  that  the  Soul  of  Man  will,  naturally,. 
 furvive  the  Deftru6lion  of  his  Bod)\  and  con- 
 tinue to  live  and  aft  in  difeparate  State. 
 
 Again  :  Lord  Bolingbroke  having  faid  "  They  are  un- 
 "  able  to  conceive  how  Body  can  ad  at  all,  and  there- 
 **  fore  they  fuppofe  the  immediate  Prefence  and  Aftion 
 "  of  an  incorporeal  Agent  in  every  Operation  of  cor- 
 "  poreal  Nature  (Vol.  IV.  p.  108.) ;"  the  Bilhop  replies  : 
 **  The  Truth  is,  they  fully  conceive,  from  the  Vis  Inertia 
 *'  of  Body  or  its  Refiflance  to  a  Change  of  its  State,  the  ab- 
 "  folute  ImpofTibility  that  it  fhould  adl  at  all,  and  from 
 *'  thence  fee  the  Necefiity  of  an  incorporeal  ^gent  in  e-very 
 "   Operation  of  corporeal  Nature.''''     Ubi/upra. '^.  ^g. 
 
 This  great  Writer's  An^viex  tol^or  6.  Bclinghrolte  may  ferve  as 
 a  fufficient  Reply  to  another  uiodavn  Philo/opher  (of  much  the 
 fame  Clafs,  in  this  Refpeft,  with  the  Peer)  who  pretends, 
 that  •'  all  Philofophical  Arguments,  drawn  from  our  Notions 
 *'  of  Matter,  and  urged  againft  the  PofTibility  of  "Life, 
 *'  Thought,  and  Agency  being  fo  connefted  with  fome 
 *^  Portions  of  it,  as  to  conftitute  a  compound  Being  or  Perfon,. 
 •*  are  merely  grounded  on  cmx'  Ignorance ',"  and  calls  upon 
 us  to  "  try  any  of  thofe  Arguments  (v.  g.  that  from  Ex- 
 **  tenfion,  Divifibility,  or  the  Fis  Inertia;)  and  fee,  whether 
 «'  the  fame  Qualities  or  Powers  may  not  be  in  fuch  a  Man- 
 "  ner  united  with  the  vital  ones,  as  to  influence  each  other 
 "  full  as  well  as  the  different  Subftances  or  Subjefts  of 
 *'  them."  Append,  to  Dr.  Lavj's  Confederations  on  the  Theory 
 of  Religion,  p.  415. 
 
 The  Argument  from  the  Vis  Incrtiee,  we  fee,  has  been 
 tried,  and  found  to  amount  to  no  lefs  than  Demonjiration  of 
 an  immaterial  Principle  or  incorporeal  Agent  in  Man. 
 
 Thefe 
 
Sc'5r.  2.        Preliminary  Difcctirfe.  ^r 
 
 Thefe  Arguments  for  the  Immortality  of  the 
 Soul.,  drawn  from  the  Confideration  of  its  ex- 
 cellent Nature  and  Properties .^  are  by  no  Means 
 the  Invention  of  late  Ages.  They  are  as  old  as 
 the  great  Roman  Orator  and  Philofopher,  Cicero. 
 For,  "  I  am  fully  perfuaded  "  (fays  he,  in  the 
 Perfon  of  Cato  the  elder)  "  that  the  Soul,  endued 
 "  with  fuch  Swiftnefs  of  Thought,  fuch  a  Re- 
 "  colledion  of  Things  paft,  and  Fortfight  of 
 "  Things  to  come,  and  the  Inventrcls  of  fo 
 "  many  Arts    and   Sciences,  cannot  be,  in  its 
 
 "  own  Nature,  mortal and  that  the  Soul, 
 
 "  being  of  a  Nature  fimple  and  uncompounded, 
 "  cannot  be  divided  or  diffolvcd,  and,  cotife- 
 "  quently,  cannot  die  7."  To  the  fame  Piir- 
 pofe  the  fame  great  Philofopher  :  "  The  Souls 
 *'  of  Men  are  not  derived  from  the  Earth :  for 
 "  they  have  no  Mixture  in  them  of  any  Thino- 
 "  earthly,  whether  it  be  Air,  Water,  or  Fire ; 
 "  fuch  Things  not  having  the  Power  of  Me- 
 *'  mory,  Underftanding,  and  Thought  \  of  re- 
 *'  taining  Things  paft,  forefeeing  Things  to 
 "  come,  and  comprehending  Things  prefent  ; 
 "  which  are  truly  divine  Powers  ;  nor  can  they 
 "  poffibly  be  derived  to  Man,  but  from  God 
 "  only :  ib  that  the  Nature  and  Powers  of  the 
 "  Soul  are  of  a  peculiar  Kind,  and  quite  diffe- 
 *'  rent  from  thofe  Natures  we  are  commonly  ac- 
 
 "   De  SeneB*  C.  2 1 . 
 
 D  2  "  quainted 
 
^6  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Se6t.  i, 
 
 "  acquainted  with.  Therefore,  whatever  That 
 "  be,  which  is  endowed  with  Underllanding, 
 "  Wifdom,  Freedom  of  Will,  and  Aftivity,  as 
 "  the  Soul  of  Man  is,  muft  be  of  an  heavenly 
 "  or  divine  Original,  and,  confequenrly,  eter- 
 "  nal  or  innmortal  *.'*  And  fo  llruck  was  Cicero 
 with  the  Force  and  Beauty  of  thefe  and  the  like 
 Arguments  for  the  Immateriality  and  Immortality 
 of  the  Human  Sottl^  that  he  declares,  "  though 
 "  all  the  vulgar  Philofophers  (for  fo  all  fuch  as 
 "  diflent  from  Plata  and  Socrates,  and  their  Fol- 
 "  lowers,  deferve  to  be  called)  fhould  unite 
 "  their  Endeavours,  they  would  never  explain- 
 "  any  Thing  in  fo  ingenious  a  Manner  '." 
 
 Tiius,  then,  we  have,  in  the  very  Frame  and 
 Conftitution- of  Human  Nature,  a  Detnonjlration 
 (I  had  almoft  faid)  of  a  Future  State.  We  have 
 within  us  a  Principle  of  Life,  which,  we  are  fure. 
 Death  itfelf  (the  Death  of  the  Body)  cannot  de- 
 ftroy.  And  hence  we  cannot  but  conclude, 
 that  our  almighty  Creator,  in  giving  us  an  im- 
 mortal Soul,  intended  us  for  another  State  of  Ex- 
 iftence,  after  that  Death  fhall  have  put  a  Period 
 ^  the  prefent. 
 
 This  Argument,  indeed,  goes  no  farther  than 
 to  prove  a  Future  State  offome  Sort  or  other.  The 
 Evidence  of  its  being  a  State  of  Rewards  and 
 Punifliments  arifes  from  other  Arguments.  To 
 proceed,  then  : 
 
 s  Tiifc.  Dijj^  1.  21.  c.  27.  9  Id.  c.  23. 
 
 S  E  C  T« 
 
Gedl.  3.         Preliminary  Difcourfe.  37 
 
 SECTION     III. 
 
 A  Future  State  not  only  probable,  but  demon- 
 strable, from  the  Circumstances  of  Hu- 
 man Life,  or  the  State  and  Condition  of  Man- 
 kind in  this  World. 
 
 ^T^  HIS  General  Head  refolves  itfelf  into  three 
 Particulars. 
 
 The  Firft  is.  The  great  Utility  and  Importance 
 (not  to  fay,  Necejfity)  of  the  Belief  of  a  future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Puni/Iiments  to  the  Support 
 and  Well-being  of  Society, 
 
 The  Second,  The  Brevity  or  Shortnefs  of  Hu- 
 man Life. 
 
 The  Third,  The  unequal  Vifribution  of  Good 
 and  Evil  in  this  World. 
 
 Of  thefe  three  Confiderations,  the  two  former 
 ferve  to  evince  the  high  Probability  of  a  future 
 State  of  Rewards  and  Punifhments ;  the  latter 
 affords  no  lefs  than  Moral  Demonjiration  of  fuch 
 a  State. 
 
 First,  then,  The  great  Utility  and  Impor- 
 tance (not  to  fay,  Neceffity)  of  the  Belief  of  a 
 future  State  o^  Rewards  znd  Puni/lim en ts  to  the 
 Support  and  Well-being  of  Society  evinces  the 
 high  Probability  of  fuch  a  State.  This  may  be 
 D  3  made 
 
38  Preliimnary  Difcourje.        Se(5t.  3, 
 
 made   appear    from   the    following   Confidera- 
 tions. 
 
 The  Firft  is,  That  Human  La'ws  reach    (and 
 can  reach)   no  farther,  than   to  the  reftraining 
 Men  from  open  TranfgrefTions   of  their  Duty; 
 it  being    impofiible,  the  Crcil  Magijirate  fliould 
 take  Cognifance  of  Offences  committed  under 
 the  impenetrable  Veil   of  Secrecy.     Secrecy   is   a 
 great  Encouragement  to  Wickednefs  of  all  Sorts ; 
 and,  when  Men  have  got  over  the  Senie  of  their 
 Duty,  and   the   Checks   of   their   Confciences, 
 they  have  no   Reilraint  on  the  Indulgence- of. 
 their  evil  Inclinations,   but  the  Fear  of  a  Difco- 
 'uery  j   and,  the  lefs  Danger  there  is  of  That, 
 the  more  freely  do  they  yield  to  the  Bent  of  their 
 wicked  Difpofitions.     This  is  excellently  repre- 
 fented  in  the  Book  of  Job.     The  Murderer  killeth 
 the  poor  and  needy ^    and  in  the  Night  is  as  a  Thief. 
 The  Eye  aljo  of  the  Adidterer  waiteth  for  the  Twi- 
 light^ faying.,  No  Eye  fJicdl  fee  me  ;   and  difguifeth 
 his  Face.    In   the  dark.,  they   dig  through  Houfes^ 
 which  they  had  marked  for  theinfelves  in  the  Day- 
 time :  they  know  not  the  Light.     For  the  IVlGrnijjg 
 is  to  them  even  as  the  Shadozv  of  Death :  if  one 
 know  them.,  they  are  in  the  Terrors  of  the  Shadow 
 of  Death.  Jobxxiv.  14 — 17. 
 
 Suppofe,  now,  the  Belief  of  a  Future  State  re- 
 moved from  Mankind  •,  and  is  it  not  certain, 
 that  there  would  be  many  more  Murderers, 
 Adulterers,  Thieves,  and   wicked    Men   of  all 
 
 §orts, 
 
Sedl.  3.        Preliminary  Difcourfe.  3^ 
 
 Sorts,  than  there  are  in  the  World  ?  A  Perfua- 
 fion,  that  God,  zvhofe  Eyes  are  ten  thoufand  Times 
 brighter  than  the  Sun,  beholding  all  the  JVays  of 
 Men,  and  confidering  the  mojl  fecret  Parts  (Ecclus. 
 xxiii.  18.)  is  privy  to  all  our  Anions,  and  will 
 certainly  punifh  us  for  our  Iniquities,  if  not  in 
 this  World,  in  That  which  is  to  come,  may  reftrain 
 (and,  no  Doubt,  often  has  reftrained)  from  the 
 Perpetration  of  a  bad  Adlion,  Men,  whom  the 
 Cover  oi  Secrecy,  and  a  Prefumption  c£  Impunity^ 
 would  have  led  to  be  guilty  of  it. 
 
 Here  we  fee,  how  neceflary  a  Supplement  to 
 Hwnan  La'u;s  the  Belief  of  a  Future  State  is,  and 
 how  much  Society  is  concerned  to  maintain  it. 
 For,  if,  with  this  Belief  univerfally  prevailing, 
 there  is  flill  fo  much  Wickednefs,  as  we  fee  there 
 is,  in  the  World,  what  mull  be  the  State  of  So- 
 ciety without  it  ?  Indeed,  there  could  hardly  be 
 fuch  a  Thing  as  Society.  Civil  Government  would 
 find  it  extremely  difficult,  if  not  impoffible,  to 
 fupport  itfelf  again  ft  the  Injuftice  and  Cruelty  of 
 wicked  Men,  unreftrained  by  the  Fear  of  Pu- 
 nifhment  both  in  this  World  and  the  next '°. 
 
 Secondly, 
 
 '°  To  this  Purpofe,  the  judicious  Hooker  exprefTes  himfelf 
 as  follows.  "  A  politique  Ufe  of  Religion  there  is.  Men, 
 *'  fearing  God,  are  thereby  a  great  deal  more,  than  by  pofi- 
 *'  tive  Laws,  reftrayned  from  doing  evil;  inafmuch  as  thofe 
 *'  Laws  have  no  farther  Power,  than  over  our  outward  Ac- 
 *'  tions  only  ;  whereas  unto  Men's  inward  Cogitations,  un- 
 
 D  4  «<  to 
 
40  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Sed.  3. 
 
 Secondly,  Human  Laws  cannot  oblige  to  fomc 
 of  the  moft  neceffary  and  important  Duties  of  So- 
 cial Life.  To  inllance  only  in  the  Duties  or  Vir- 
 tues of  Gratit.ude  towards  our  Benefadtors,  and 
 Charity  or  Liberality  to  thq  indigent  and  necef- 
 fitous.  Thefe  can  never  be  proper  Subje6ls  of 
 an  A^  of  Parliament  or  Penal  Statute  •,  the  right 
 Exercife  of  them  depending  on  a  Variety  of  Cir- 
 cumllances  not  cognifable  by  the  Legiflature. 
 "What,  but  my  own  Confcicnce  and  Knowledge, 
 iliall  determine,  how,  when,  and  in  what  Man- 
 ner, I  ought  to  repay  a  Benefit  conferred  on  me  ? 
 And,  VS^ho  {hall  (land  forth  in  a  Court  of  Judi- 
 cature, to  convidl  me  of  Ingratitude^  in  not  re- 
 paying it  ?  It  may  be  out  of  my  Power  to  make 
 an  adequate,  or  even  any,  Compenfation  ;  and 
 of  my  Ability  in  That  Refpeft  I  am  the  proper 
 Judge.  The  fame  may  be  faid  of  Charity  or  Li- 
 berality to  the  indigent  and  ncceffitous.  The 
 Laws  may  oblige  me  to  contribute  towards  the 
 
 *«  to  the  privie  Intents  and  Motions  of  their  Hearts,  Reli- 
 *'  gion  ferveth  for  a  Bridle.  What  more  favage,  wild  and 
 *'  cruel  than  Man,  if  he  fee  himfelf  able,  either  by  Fraud 
 **  to  over-reach,  or  by  Power  to  over-bear,  the  Laws, 
 *'  whereunio  he  Ihould  be  fubjetl  ?  Wherefore  in  fo  gr^^at 
 *'  Boldnefs  to  offend  it  behoveth  that  the  World  fnould  be 
 **  held  in  Awe,  not  by  a  vain  Surmife,  but  a  true  Appre- 
 *'  henfion,  of  fomewhat,  which  no  Man  may  think  him- 
 *'  felf  able  to  v/ithftand.  This  is  the  Politique  Ufe  of  Re- 
 *'  ligion."     Eccl.  Pol.  B.  5.  §.  2. 
 
 Suppor: 
 
Sedt.  3.        Preliminary  Difccurfe.  41 
 
 Support  of  thofe,  who  are  unable  to  fupport 
 themfelves.  But,  paying  the  Poor-tax  is  not 
 being  charitable.  Charity  to  the  Poor  is  a  volun- 
 tary Exercife  of  our  Liberality  ;  and  the  Choice 
 of  Objeds,  together  with  the  Circumllances  and 
 Meafure  of  our  Bounty,  muft  be  left  to  our  own 
 Judgment  and  Determination. 
 
 It  is  certain,  neverthelefs,  that  the  Duties  or 
 Virtues  of  Gratitude  towards  our  Benefactors* 
 and  oi  Charity  or  Liberality  to  the  indigent  and 
 neceflitous,  rightly  exercifed,  are  of  the  highell 
 Benefit  and  Advantage,  and  the  Negleft  of  them 
 extremely  prejudicial,  to  Society.  Ingratitude 
 is  a  great  Obftacle  in  the  Way  of  That  mutual 
 Intercourfe  of  good  Offices,  upon  which  the 
 Happinefs  of  Social  Life  fo  greatly  depends  ; 
 and  Want  of  Charity  keeps  back  the  proper  Re- 
 medy for  fome  of  the  moft  grievous  Afflidions 
 and  Diflrefles  of  Human  Life.  Thus  do  the 
 Vices  of  Ingratitude,  and  Uncharitahlenefs  diflblve 
 the  llrongeft  Bonds  of  Civil  Union  ;  and  defeat 
 the  chief  Ends,  for  which  Mankind  entered  intp 
 Society. 
 
 Now,  it  being  evident,  that  Men  may  be  un- 
 grateful and  uncharitable,  without  the  Breach  of 
 any  one  pofitive  Law  of  the  Community,  their 
 Obligation  to  the  Duties  or  Virtues  of  Gratitude 
 and  Charity  muft  arile  folely,  either  from  a  na- 
 tural Senfe  of  the  Beauty,  Excellency,  and  Uti- 
 lity of  thofe  Virtues,  or  from  a  Perfuafion,  that 
 
 God 
 
42  Preliminary  Difcourfe,        Sedt.  3, 
 
 God  will  reward  the  grateful  and  charitable,  and 
 •punijii  the  ungrateful  and  uncharitable,  either 
 Here  or  Hereafter.  But,  when  we  confider, 
 how  apt  Men  are  to  contrad:  their  Affedtions 
 within  the  narrow  Bounds  of  Self^  and  to  have 
 but  little  Inclination  to  promote  the  Happinefs 
 of  their  Fellow-creatures,  and,  at  the  fame  Time, 
 how  feldom  Ingratitude  and  Uncharitablenefs  meet 
 their  deferved  Punifhment  in  this  World  -,  we 
 fee,  how  neceffary  it  is  to  the  Welfare  of  Society, 
 that  Men  lliould  live  under  a  confident  Perfua- 
 fion,  that  God  will  finally  reward  the  grateful 
 and  charitable,  and  punifli  the  ungrateful  and  un- 
 charitable. 
 
 Thirdly,  Human  Laws  muft  of  Neceflity  be 
 deficient  in  providing  adequate  and  fuitable  Re- 
 wards of  Obediotcc.  By  Obedience  I  mean,  the 
 common  Obedience  of  the  Subjeft,  in  doing  every 
 'Thing  the  Laws  command,  and  refraining  from 
 every  Thing  they  forbid.  Extraordinary  Merits 
 of  any  Kind,  may  receive  its  juft  Recommence  of 
 Reward  in  the  Honours  and  Preferments  of  the 
 State.  But  comr.icn  Obedience  has  nothing  to  ex- 
 pedl  from  the  Civil  Magiftrate^  in  Return,  but 
 Prote£fion  and  Praife  "  at  the  moil.     Whence  it 
 
 '  '  For  Rulers  are  ?iet  a  Terror  to  good  Works,  but  tt  the 
 evil.  Wilt  thou  then  not  be  afraid  of  tkc  Pon>Jcr  ?  do  that 
 ixihich  is  good,  and  tbcu  Jkait  ha~je  Praife  of  the  fame.  Rom. 
 xaii.  3. 
 
 follows, 
 
Se(5V.  3,        Preliminary  Bifcotirfe.  4-7 
 
 follows,  that  the  Expedation  of  a  Life  to  come 
 a  State  ot  Retribution  in  another  World,  is  ne- 
 cefTary  to  eftablifh  the  Sanmon  of  Reward,  One 
 of  the  main  Hinges,  on  which  Government  ia 
 general  is  ufually  faid  to  turn.  And,  indeed* 
 the  more  effedLuJly  to  influence  Mankind  to  a 
 right  Condua  of  Life,  it  is  neceffary,  that  pro. 
 per  Motives  be  applied  to  the  Paffion  oi  Hope^ 
 as  well  as  to  That  of  Fear  ;  that  the  Expedla' 
 tion  oi^Reward  tray  co-operate  with  the  Profpefl 
 of  Punijlment,  and  Both  together  produce  That 
 right  Behaviour,  which  One  alone  might  be  too 
 weak  to  effefl. 
 
 Thefe  three  Confiderations  very  clearly  evince 
 the  great  Utility  and  Importance  (if  not  abfolute 
 Neceffity)  of  the  Belief  of  a  future  State  of  Re- 
 wards  and  Punif/iments  to  the  Support  and  Well- 
 being  of  Society.  It  would  be  extremely  diffi- 
 cult, if  not  impoffible,  to  keep  Mankind,  in 
 any  tolerable  Degree,  within  the  Bounds  of  Ci. 
 vil  and  Social  Duty,  and  effeaually  engage  them 
 in  the  Service  and  Advancement  of  the'^public 
 Good,  did  not  the  Profped  of  an  After-reckoning, 
 an  Account  to  be  given  to  their  Creator  him- 
 felf  of  their  Behaviour  in  this  World,  fupply 
 what  is  wanting  to  the  Power  and  Influence  of 
 Human  Laws. 
 
 And  hence  arifes  a  ftrong  Prcfumpticn,  that  the 
 Belief  of  a  future  State  oi  Rewards  and  PmiifJi. 
 mms  is  founded  in  rnUh  and  Reality.     For  we 
 
 can 
 
44  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Se(fl.  3.. 
 
 can  hardly  fuppofe  a  Doflrine  of  fuch  mighty- 
 Importance  to  the  Happinefs  of  Mankind, 
 even  in  this  Life,  to  have  no  Foundation  in 
 Nature^  but  to  be  a  mere  Creature  of  the  Fancy 
 or  Imagination.  On  the  contrary,  As  the  Utility 
 of  the  Doftrine  of  a  Future  State  arifes  from  a 
 Perfuafion  <)f  its  Truth,  fo  its  Truth  may  be  in- 
 ferred, with  an  high  Degree  of  Probability,  from 
 its  apparent  and  experienced  Utility  ". 
 
 Secondly 
 
 » '  Bi{hnp  I'p'ari>urtou,  who  urges  this  Argument  in  a  more 
 abftrafted  and  mctaphyfical  Way,  thinks  it  flriflly  conclu- 
 sive or  Demonftration  itfelf.  His  Words  are  :  "  Lawgivers 
 **  have  unanimoufly  concurred  in  propagating  Religion,  or 
 *'  the  Belief  of  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and  funifhments. 
 *'  7'his  could  be  only  from  a  Senfe  and  Experience  of  its 
 "  Utility  ;  in  which  they  could  not  be  deceived.  Religion 
 "  therefore  has  a  general  Utility.  We  defire  no  more  to 
 *'  eilablifh  its  7r«^^.  For  Truib  znA  general  Utility  necejfcu- 
 *'  rily  coincide.  That  is,  Truth  is  produBi've  of  Utility,  and 
 "  Utility  is  indicative  of  Truth.  That  Truth  is  produftive 
 "  of  Utility,  appears  from  the  Nature  of  the  Thing.  The 
 "  obferving  Truth,  is  afcing  as  Things  are  :  He,  who  a£ls 
 *'  as  Things  really  are,  mail  gain  his  proper  End  ;  all  Dif- 
 "  appointment  proceeding  from  afting  as  Things  are  not : 
 **  juft  as,  in  reafoning  from  true  or  falfe  Principles,  the 
 "  Conclufion  mull  be  neceffarily  right  or  wrong.  But 
 **  gaining  the  proper  End  of  afting,  is  Utility  or  Happinefs ; 
 "  Difappointment  of  That  End,  Hurt  or  Mifery.  If,  then, 
 **  Truth  produce  Utility,  the  other  Part  of  the  Proportion, 
 *'  that  Utility  indicates  Truth,  follows  neceiTarily.  For, 
 **  not  to  follow,  fuppofes  two  different  Kinds  of  general 
 **  Utility  relative  to  the  fame  Creature  ;  one  proceeding 
 *f  from  Truth,  the  other  from  Falfliood ;  which  is  impofli- 
 
 "  ble, 
 
Se(3:.  3»       Preliminary  Difcoin-fe.  ^^ 
 
 Secondly,  The  Brevity  or  Shortnefs  of  Human 
 Life  makes  it  reafonable  to  think,  Man  is  de- 
 figned  for  a  future  State  of  Exiflence,  after  the 
 prefent.  The  Force  of  which  Argument  arifes 
 from  a  Joint-confideration  of  the  Nature  and 
 Excellency  of  Man's  IntelieBual  and  Rational  Fa- 
 cultieSy  and  the  ^'ime  allowed  him  for  the  Ufe 
 and  Enjoyment  of  them  in  this  World. 
 
 I  need  not  enlarge  on  the  Excellency  and  Per- 
 fe8iom  of  the  Human  Underftanding,  Reafon, 
 Judgment,  and  the  like.  We  experience  them 
 in  ourfelves,  in  Proportion  to  That  Share  of 
 them,  God  and  Nature  have  beftowed  on  us  ^ 
 and  we  fee  them,  in  others  of  our  Fellow-crea- 
 tures,  in  their  beneficial  Effeds  and  Confe- 
 quences.  So  excellent,  indeed,  are  the  Mental 
 Abilities  of  the  Creature  Man^  that  they  mud 
 have  been  a  principal  Ground  of  That  Account 
 Mofes  gives  of  his  Creation  :  So  God  created  Man 
 in  his  own  Image  ;  in  the  Image  of  God  created  he 
 him.  Gen.  i.  27. 
 
 But,  alas !  how  fhort^  how  very  fiiorr,  a  27;;7« 
 has  the  Providence  of  God  allotted  us  for  the 
 Ufe  ar^d  Enjoyment  of  thefe  Godlike  Perfec- 
 tions !  The  Limiits  of  our  mortal  Duration,  Ex- 
 
 ♦'  ble,  becaufe  the  Natures  of  thofe  Utilities  maft  then  be 
 "  different ;  that  is,  one  of  them  muft,  at  the  fame  time,  be, 
 "  and  not  be,  Utility.  Wherever,  then,  we  lind  general  U~ 
 •'  tility,  we  may  certainly  know  it  for  the  Produce  of  Truth, 
 "  which  it  indicates."     Div.  Leg.  V.  2.  p.  247. 
 
 3  perience 
 
46  Freliminary  Difcoiirfe.        Sed.  ^. 
 
 perience  fnews  us,  may  be  fixed  at,  or  near, 
 the  Period  of  fotirfcore  2"enrs,  Multitudes,  in- 
 deed, never  arrive  at  That  Term,  and  Ibme 
 few  exceed  it.  However,  for  Argument's  fake, 
 we  will  fuppofe  a  Man,  at  the  Time  of  his  Death, 
 to  have  feen  four/core  annual  Revolutions  of  the 
 Sun.  Of  thefe  eighty  Yt^iVs,  One  Fourth,  atieaft, 
 pafles,  before  his  Reafon  and  Judgment  come  to 
 Maturity  ;  and  One  Thirds  before  he  has  ac- 
 quired a  competent  Knowledge  of  Hmifelf  and 
 the  World  about  him.  At  which  Period,  and 
 not  before,  he  begins,  properly  Ipeaking,  to 
 live  the  Life  of  a  Man,  an  intelligent,  reafoning, 
 Beino".  There  remain,  then,  not  more  than 
 about  fifty-three  Years,  during  which  he  can 
 fully  enjoy  the  glorious  and  delightful  Privilege 
 oi  Rationality  in  this  World.  Nor  can  we  allow 
 even  this  Advantage  to  All,  who  arrive  at  the 
 Age  of  fourfcore  Years.  For,  though,  in  fome 
 aged  Perfons,  the  Faculties  of  their  Minds  con- 
 tinue  ftron?  and  vio-orous  to  near  the  End  of 
 their  Lives  -,  in  many,  they  begin  to  decay  much 
 fooner,  and  terminate,  a  confiderable  Time  be- 
 fore Death,  in  great  intellerfual  IVeaknefs,  and, 
 fometimes,  a  fecond  Childhood  itfelf.  Which  re- 
 duces the  Rational  Life  of  fuch  Perfons  to  little 
 more  than  Half  the  Length  oi  l\\tv:  Animal  Life. 
 From  which,  if  we  dedu6l  One  Third,  or  there- 
 about, of  Man's  Life,  for  the  Hours  oi  Sleep, 
 in  which,   however  the  Faculty  of  Thinking  may 
 
 continue 
 
Se6l.  3.        Preliminary  Difcourfe.  aj 
 
 Gontinne  aftive  and  in  Motion,  thofe  of  Reafon 
 and  Judgment  (the  Faculties,  which  dillinguiOi 
 Man  from  the  reft  of  the  Animal  Creation)  are 
 fufpended  and  laid  afleep  with  the  Body ;  the 
 Remainder  we  fhall  find  to  be  lefs  than  thirty 
 Years.  However,  to  make  the  beft  of  our  Cal- 
 culation, let  us  fuppole  forty  Years  to  be  the 
 Meafure  of  our  Rational  Life  m  this  World. 
 
 And,  Is  this  fmall,  this  very  frnall,  Number 
 oi Tears  the  whole  Extent  of  Duration,  for  which 
 Man,  an  intelligent  and  rational  Being,  was 
 created  to  live  and  ad  as  fuch  ?  Are  the  noble, 
 the  Godlike,  Powers  of  Underftanding,  Reafon, 
 and  Judgment,  beftowed  o.n  him,  to  be  exercifed 
 (rightly  exercifed)  for  no  longer  a  Time  th^n  forty 
 annual  Revolutions  of  the  Sun  .?  How  immenfely 
 difproportionate  the  Shortnefs  of  this  Period  to 
 the  Excellency  of  thofe  Powers  !  We  have  fcarce 
 found  and  felt  ourfelves  to  be  reafonable  Crea- 
 tures, and  began  to  tafte  the  Delights,  and  reap 
 the  Advantages,  flowing  from  the  right  Ufc  of 
 our  Mental  Abilities,  before  we  are  come  within 
 Sight  (as  it  were)  of  That  Hour,  which  muft  put 
 a  Stop  to  all  farther  Ufe  of  them  in  this  World. 
 This,  were  there  no  future  State  of  Man's  Exif- 
 tence,  no  Life  to  come,  has  the  Appearance  of 
 being  fo  hard  a  Cafe,  and  fo  inconfiftent  with 
 our  Ideas  of  infinite  Wifdom  and  Goodnefs,  that 
 we  cannot  well  fuppofe  it  to  be  the  Cafe,  It  is 
 much  more  reafonable,  and  agreeable  to  our 
 3  Noticns 
 
48  Preliminary  Difcourfe.        Sedt.  3* 
 
 Notions  of  an  all-wife  and  good  Creator,  to  fup- 
 pofe,  that  the  Soul,  in  which  the  Powers  of  Un- 
 derftanding,  Reafon,  and  Judgment,  refide,  will 
 furvive  the  Death  of  the  Body,  and  continue  to 
 exercife  its  Spiritual  and  Intelledlual  Faculties, 
 for  a  Length  of  Time,  or  Extent  of  Duration, 
 fropcrtionate  to  their  Excellency  and  Perfedion. 
 
 This  Argument,  from  the  Shortnefs  of  Human 
 Life,  receives  additional  Strength,  when  confi- 
 dered  with  Refpecft  to  the  Acquifition  of  Science. 
 We  come  much  earlier  to  the  perfedt  Ufe  of  our 
 Mental  Faculties,  than  to  the  PoffefTion  of  That 
 Knowledge  we  acquire  by  them.  Whatever 
 Science  or  Sciences  be  the  Objefl  of  our  Pur- 
 fuit,  the  Acquifition  thereof  exhaufts  fo  much 
 of  our  Time,  as  to  leave  us  but  little  for  the 
 Enjoyment  of  our  acquired  Kiwwledge.  We  lliall 
 fee  the  Truth  of  this  Obfervation,  if  we  re- 
 colled,  how  many  Years  are  commonly  fpent  in 
 acquiring  a  competent  Skill  in  Jurifprudence, 
 Medicine,  'Theology,  Mathematics,  or  Natural  Phi- 
 lofophy — fo  many,  that  the  Student  is  ufually 
 pretty  far  advanced  in  Life,  by  the  Time  that 
 he  has  attained  to  the  Charader  of  an  able 
 Lawyer,  Phyfician,  Divine,  Mathematician,  or  Na- 
 turalijl.  And,  does  it  feem  reafonable,  that  our 
 Perfedion  in  fuch  Knowledge  and  the  End  of 
 our  Being  fhould  (I  had  almoft  faid  coincide,  but 
 may  truly  fay)  approach  lb  near  to  each  other, 
 that  the  finiJJiing  of  our  Studies  brings  us  almoil 
 
 to 
 
Sedl.  3.      Preliminary  Difcoiirfi.  49 
 
 the  Verge  of  our  Exijlence  ?  No.  We  cannot  but 
 conclude,  from  the  apparent  Marks  of  divine 
 Wifdom  in  every  P^rt  of  the  Creation,  that  God 
 has  provided  for  the  Soul  of  Man  another  State 
 of  Being,  in  which  the  Enjoyment  of  its  ac- 
 quired Knowledge  (particularly,  its  Infight  into 
 the  Ways  and  Works  of  God)  will  be  continued 
 to  it  for  Ages  to  come.  And  we  fhall  fee  the 
 greater  Reafon  for  this  Conclufion,  when  we 
 refleft,  that  the  Pkafure,  we  feel  in  the  Acqui- 
 fition  of  Knowledge^  encreafes  as  That  encreafes, 
 and  is  at  its  Height  when  That  is  fo  \  and  there- 
 fore, were  there  no  Future  State^  Man  muft  be 
 fuppofed  to  receive  moji  Pleafure  from  the  Pof- 
 feffion  of  Knowledge,  when  he  is  yiearejl  tht:; 
 Time  of  his  lofing  That  Knowledge  for  ever. 
 A  Suppofition,  not  very  confonant  to  Reafon, 
 and  our  Ideas  of  the  Divine  Wifdom  and  Good- 
 nefs. 
 
 To  flrengthen  this  Argument  (till  more,  let 
 me  add,  that  the  Mind  of  Man  is  undoubtedly 
 capable  of  vcjily  more  Knowledge^  than  ever  did,, 
 or  can,  fall  to  the  Share  of  the  moft  compre- 
 henfive  and  enlightened  Underifanding  upon 
 Earth.  The  Sciences^  in  particular,  v/hich  are 
 Gonverfant  about  Natural  and  Divijie  Things, 
 know  no  Bounds  ;  and  v/e  might  continue  our 
 Puriuit  of  them,  with  frefli  Improvement,  and 
 new  Difcoveries,  through  many  Ages.  And, 
 muft  we  iiop  fo  very  fiiort  in  the  Career  oi  Sci- 
 
 E  cnce  ? 
 
50  Preliminary  Difcourfe.      Secft.  ^, 
 
 ence  ?  Muft  the  SciiVs,  'vajl  Capacity  of  Knowledge 
 (little  inferior,  perhaps,  to  That  oi  Angels  them- 
 felves)  receive  no  niore  of  it,  than  That  fcanty 
 Meafure  fhe  is  able  to  acquire  in  this  World  ? 
 Shall  fne  never  emerge  from  thofe  Clouds  of 
 Doubt  and  Uncertainty,  which  obfcure  her  Pro- 
 fped,  and  retard  her  Progrefs  in  the  Knowledge 
 of  God  and  of  Nature  ?  Surely,  God,  who  made 
 nothing  in  vain,  muft  have  appointed  iomt  fu- 
 ture State ^  in  which  the  Soul  fhall  go  on  im- 
 proving in  Science,  till  fhe  arrives  at  all  That 
 Knowledge,  her  Faculties  are  capable  of  receiv- 
 ing. 
 
 Lastly,  A  future  State  oi  Rewards  z.nd.  Pu- 
 7i:f}iments  may  be  proved,  even  to  Demonjlration 
 itfelf,  from  That  unequal  Diftribution  of  Good  and 
 Evily  we  cannot  but  obferve  in  the  State  and 
 Condition  of  Mankind  in  this  World.  This 
 brings  under  our  Confideration  the  not-uncom- 
 mon Cafes  of  dijireffed  Virtue  and  profperous 
 IVickednefs, 
 
 When  bad  Men  fuffer  Affliction,  no  one  thinks 
 of  complaining,  or  of  appealing  to  the  Juftice 
 of  the  Almighty  in  their  Behalf.  They  are  con- 
 fidered  as  fufferingy^y?;^',  and  receiving  the  due 
 Reward  of  their  evil  Deeds.  But,  when  Af- 
 fliction falls  to  the  Lot  of  good  Men,  it  is  very  na- 
 tural to  intereft  the  Divine  Juftice  in  their  Fa- 
 vour, and  to  call  upon  That  righteous  Attribute 
 
 of 
 
^e6t.  3.      PreH?ninary  Difcoiirfe.  51 
 
 of  the  Deity  for  a  fuitable  Compenfation,  a  Re- 
 compence  of  Good  fufncient  to  overbalance  the 
 Evils  they  endure. 
 
 The  Sufferings  of  good  Men  are  among  the 
 moll  common  Occurrences  of  Pluinan  Life. 
 Hiftory  and  Experience  prefent  us  with  nuni- 
 berlefs  Examples  of  Innocence  dijirejfdd,  and  Virtue 
 labouring  under  the  word  of  Temporal  Evils, 
 in  this  Cafe,  it  is  plain  the  Sufferer  is  tindeferving 
 of  the  Afili6tion  he  endures.  For  Dijlrefs  can 
 never  be  the  proper  Recompence  of^Firine,  nor 
 ^ffii£Iion  the  fuitable  Reward  of  Innocence.  It 
 is  true,  we  can  fcarce  fuppofe  any  Man  fo  per- 
 fectly unbiameable  in  the  Condudl  of  his  Life, 
 as  to  deferve  no  Share  of  worldly  Evil.  But  we 
 may  eafily  fuppofe  a  Man  affiiftcd  beyond  his  De- 
 merits^ and  fuffenng  more  of  Worldly  Evil,  than 
 his  Moral  Chara6ler  renders  \i\iT\  yufily  obnoxious 
 to.  And  it  is  this  Cafe,  which  interefts  the  Di-; 
 vme  Jujiice  in  Favour  of  the  Sufferer,  and  calls 
 for  a  proper  and  fuiticient  Recompence  of  his 
 Suiferinss. 
 
 This  Exercife  of  the  Divine  Jujiice  does,  in- 
 deed, fomctimes,  take  Place  in  this  World.  We 
 fee  Inilances,  not  a  few,  of  good  Men  abun- 
 dantly rewarded  for  the  Evils  they  have  unde- 
 fervediy  fuffered  •,  emerging  from  the  dark  Cloud 
 of  Adverfity,  in  which  they  had  been  involved, 
 into  the  Sunfhine  of  greater  Profperity  than  they 
 E  2  '      had 
 
52  Prelimhiary  Difcourfe,      Sedl.  3. 
 
 had  ever  enjoyed  '.  In  which  Cafe,  the  Sufferer 
 has  evidently  no  Demand  on  the  Jujiice  of  the 
 Almighty  for  a  future  Recompence  in  another 
 Xiife,  on  the  Score  of  his  Sufferings^  having  al- 
 ready received  all  that  is  juftly  due  to  him  on 
 that  Account. 
 
 The  Demand  in  queflion  arifes  from  thofe  Suf- 
 ferings of  good  Men,  for  v/hich  they  receive  no 
 Recompence  in  this  Life.  In  which  Cafe,  were 
 there  710  Future  State^  fuch  Sufferers  would  re- 
 ceive no  Recompence  at  all ;  and,  confequently, 
 God  would  not  be  a  jull  and  righteous  Gover- 
 nor of  the  World.  An  impoffible  Suppofition  ! 
 I'he  Judge  of  all  the  Earth  cannot  but  do  right. 
 Gen.  xviii.  25.  And  therefore,  as  certainly  as 
 there  is  a  God  of  infinite  Juflice  and  Righteouf- 
 nefs,  fo  certainly  is  there  a  future  State  of  Re- 
 tribution ;  in  which  the  unmerited  Su?ie.nngs  of 
 o-ci'iMen  in  this  World  fiiall  be  more  than  com- 
 
 o 
 
 »  The  Cafe  of  Job  (fuppofing  it  a  FaSl^  and  not  a  Moral 
 FiSilon  only)  is  a  Cafe  in  Point.  For,  after  as  fevere  Trials, 
 as  ever  patient  Virtue  was  put  to,  we  find  That  good  Man 
 (That  perfect  and  upright  Man,  one  that  feared  God,  and 
 efchenved  E-vil)  delivered  iVom  cheni  all,  and  the  Lord  hlejfiig 
 his  latter  End  more  than  his  Beginning,  doubling  his  PofTelTi- 
 ons,  and  re/cring  his  Family  ■  after  which  he  lived  prof- 
 perous  and  happy,  an  hutidred  and  forty  Tears,  faiv  his  Sons 
 and  his  Son;  Sons,  ewn  four  Generations,  aiid  defcended  to  the 
 Grave  in  Peace,  being  old  and  full  of  Days.  Job  i.  8.  xlii  : 
 X.  17.  5 
 
 pcni^ued 
 
Sed:.  3.      Prelimmary  Difcourfe,  ^3 
 
 penfated  by  the  inexpreflible  Enjoyments  of  a 
 better. 
 
 In  this  Argument,   the   natural  Tendency  of 
 Virtue  to  produce  Happinefs  is  by  no  means  de- 
 nied.    We  allow   it  to  be  produflive  of  That 
 Happinefs,  which  arifes  from  Health  of  Body 
 and  Peace  of  Mind  -,  and,  confequently,  that  a 
 virtuous  and  good  Man,  be  his  worldly  Afflic- 
 tions   never  lb  great,   cannot  be  completely  mife- 
 rable.     But  we  reje(5l  with  Difdain  the  abfurd 
 Doflrine  of  the  Stoics  and  Epicureans^  tliat  "  no- 
 thing can  ever  difturb  the  Quiet  of  a  wife  or 
 good  Man,  who  governs  his  Paflions,  is  con- 
 llant  and  fearlefs,  without  Grief  or  Joy,  and 
 without  Defire  *  "  that  "  it  is  in  the  Power  of 
 the  Soul  to  maintain  her  own  Peace  and  Tran- 
 quillity, and  to  conceive  Pain  to  be  no  Evil ; 
 all  Judgment,    Intention,    Defire,  and  Aver- 
 fion,  being  izithin  the  Soul,  to  which  no  Evil 
 can  afcend  ^ ;"  nay  (which  is  ftill  more  flrange) 
 that  "  a  wife  or  good  Man  will  take  Pleafure  in 
 ^  being  burned  or  tortured,  and,   even  in  Pha- 
 '  /^m's  Bull,   cry  out,  how  fweet  this  is  !  how 
 '  unaffeded   I  am  with  it  ^  \ "  Were  this  really 
 
 ^  Cic.  Tufc.  Difp.  1.  5.  c.  16. 
 
 3  Marci  Antonini  Imperatoris  earum  qute  ad  fdpfum  Libri 
 yM.  Oxon.  1704.  1.  8.  c.  28. 
 
 4  Cic.  Tiifc.  Difp.  1.  2.  c.  7. 
 
 E  3  tl^? 
 
54  Freliminary  Difcaurfe.      Sed:.  3. 
 
 the  Cafe,  did  the  being  wife  and  virtuous  raife 
 us  above  all  Senfe  and  Feelinor  of  the  Miferies 
 of  Life  •,  no  Argument,  I  confefs,  could  be 
 drawn,  from  the  Sufferings  of  good  Men,  for  a 
 future  State  of  Recompence  •,  Virtue.,  in  this  Cafe, 
 being,  indeed,  its  civn  proper  and  fufiicient 
 Reward. 
 
 But  Nature  and  Common  Senfe  revolt  againft 
 this  Philofophy.  The  Stoic  or  Epicurean  Wife 
 Man  is  a  mere  Creature  of  the  Imagination. 
 There  never  exifted  in  the  World  a  Man  "  with- 
 ^''  out  Fear,  Grief,  Joy,  or  Defire ; "  nor  is 
 it  poffible  "  the  Soul  fhould  conceive  Pain 
 "  to  be  no  Evil,"  or  be  inacceffible  to  all  Kinds 
 of  Difquietude  and  Uneafmefs.  And,  as  to  the 
 Notion  of  a  wife  Man's  "  taking  Pleafure "  or 
 exulting  in  Pain  or  Mifery  of  any  Sort,  it  is  fa 
 repugnant  to  the  common  Feelings  of  Human 
 Nature,  it  muft  be  confidcred  as  an  extravagant 
 Rant,  or  the  Dictate  of  a  PhilGfopky  run  nmd. 
 No.  In  fpight  of  the  mofl;  confummate  Virtue, 
 v/e  muft  be  fenfible  of  Pain,  whether  of  Body  or 
 Mind.  Virtue  may,  indeed,  infpire  us  with  a 
 Degree  of  Patience.,  and  thereby  take  off  froni 
 the  Weight  of  Temporal  Evil.  But,  how  does 
 (he  produce  this  Effccl .?  Not  by  a  Difplay  of 
 her  ov/n  native  Charms,  but  by  fetting  before  us 
 the  Motives  oi  Religion,   the  Duty  of  Submif- 
 
 fio:-^ 
 
Se(5t.  3.      Preliminary  Difcourfe.  ^^ 
 
 fion  to   the  Will  of  God,  and  the  Profpeft  of 
 our  future  Reward  in  Heaven  ^ 
 
 Nor  does  this  RefpU  unto  the  Recompence  of 
 the  Reward  (Heb.  xi.  26.)  detract  in  the  lead 
 from  the  Merit  of  Virtue^  or  the  W^fdom  of  God 
 in  promifing  to  reward  it,  as  a  noble  IVriter  pre- 
 tends it  does  *.  For,  it  is  impoffible  to  en- 
 gage 
 
 i  St.  Paul,  who  perfetlly  underflood,  and  had  a  thorough 
 Contempt  for,  the  Greek  Philofophy,  declared,  concerning 
 Z/zOT/f^'an-dhisFellow-Chriftians,  that,  if  in  this  Life  ojzh  they 
 had  Hope  in  Chriji,  they  '^juere  of  all  Me?2  moft  miferable,  l  Cor. 
 XV.  19.  i.  e.  that,  without  the  Hope  or  Expeftation  g^  ^x  fu- 
 ture State  of  Happinefs,  the  poor  fulFering,  perfecuted, 
 Chriiiians  would  have  been   the  wretchedeft  of  all  Human 
 
 Beings plainly  enough    condemning  the   Stoical  Rant, 
 
 that  Virtue  is  its  ovm  Reivard, 
 
 •5  *'  I  have  known  a  Building"  (fays  Lord  Shaftfbiiry) 
 *'  which  by  the  Oflicioufnefs  of  the  Workmen  has  been  fo 
 *'  Jhored  a.ndfcreiucd  up,  on  the  Side  v/here  they  pretended  it 
 *•  had  a  Leaning,  that  it  has  at  lad:  been  turned  the 
 <*  contrary  Way,  and  overthrown.  There  has  fome- 
 ^'  thing,  perhaps,  of  this  Kind  happened  in  Mori^/f.  Men. 
 **  have  not  been  contented  to  {hew  the  natural  Advantages 
 **  of  Honefty  and  Virtue.  They  have  rather  leffened  thefe, 
 *'  the  better,  as  they  thought,  to  advance  another  Founda- 
 "  tion.  They  have  made  Virtue  io  mercenary  a  Thing,  and 
 ^'  have  talked  fo  much  of  its  Reujards,  that  one  can  hardly 
 *'  tell  what  there  is  in  it  after  all,  which  can  be  worth 
 *'  rewarding.  For  to  be  bribed  only  or  terrified  into  an 
 <'  honeft  Praftice,  befpeaks  little  of  real  Honeily  or  Worth. 
 •'  We  may  make,  it's  true,  v/hatever  Bargain  we  think  fit, 
 "  and  may  bellow  /;/  fi'vour  what  Overplus  we  will.  But 
 *'  there  can  be  no  Excellence  or  IVifdom  in  voluntarily  re- 
 E  4  "  warding 
 
56  Preliminary  Difcourfe.     Se6l'.  3. 
 
 gage  in  the  Prague  of  Virtue,  without  perceiv- 
 ing its  natural  Beauty  and  Excellence,  and  ac- 
 quiring That  Lew  of  itj^in  which  its  true  Merit 
 confifts  i  and  it  is  to  Virtue,  both  in  Habit  and 
 J5l^  that  the  Rewards  of  the  Gcypd"/ properly  be- 
 long. And,  can  there  be  a  greater  or  more  be- 
 neficial Exercife  of  the  Divine  JVifdom,  than  That 
 oi  Jlrengthening  the  natural  Obligations  to  Virtue 
 and  Religion  by  fuchSandlions  oi  Reward  and 
 Punifnment,  as  fhall  moft  effeftually  influence 
 Mankind  to  the  Pradice  of  Moral  and  Religious 
 Duties. 
 
 But,  to  proceed  :  As  the  Cafe  of  dijirejfed  Vir-. 
 tue  demonftrates  a  future  State  of  Reward^  fo 
 does  That  of  profperoiis  TVickednefs  a  future  State 
 of  Piinijliment.  This  latter  is  as  common  a  Cafe 
 as  the  former.  Vv'e  daily  fee  very  had  Men  blef- 
 fed  with  every  Circumilonce  of  Worldly  Profpe- 
 rity,  and  pafling  their  whole  Lives,  not  only 
 without  any  apparent  Marks  of  the  Divine  Dif- 
 pleafure  againft  them,  but  with  every  Token  of 
 the  Divine  Favour  extended  towards  them. 
 
 That  there  is  fomcthing,  in  this  Cafe,  upon 
 the  firft  Viev/  of  it,  a  little  fliocking  to  Human 
 Reafon,  and  feemingly  not  eafy  to  be  reconciled 
 
 «'  warding  vyhat  is  neither  ellimnble  nor  deferving.  And  if 
 "  Virtue  be  not  really  eftimable  in  itfelf,  I  can  fee  nothing 
 ♦■*  ellimablc  in  following  it  for  the  fake  of  a  Bargain.''^ 
 Charadcrijlics,  ScQ.  Ed.  1749.  Vol.  I.  p.  66. 
 
 with 
 
Sedl.  3.      Preliminary   'Difcowfe.  ^y 
 
 with   the  Jtijlice  of  God,    as   Governor  of  the 
 World,  is   evident   from    hence,    that   infpired 
 Writers  themfelves  have  not  only  complained  of 
 it,  but  expoftulated  with  Providence  concerning 
 it.     Wherefore  (fays  holy  Job)  do  the  ivtcked  live, 
 become  old,  yea  are  mighty  in  Power  ?  "Their  Seed  is 
 ejlablijiied  in  their  Sight  zvith  them.,  and  their  Off- 
 spring before  their  Eyes.     Their  Hotifes  are  fafe  from 
 Fear^  neither  is  the  Rod  of  God  upon  them.     Their 
 Bull  gender eth,  and  faileth  not  -,  their  Cow  calveth, 
 and  cajleth   not  her  Calf.     They  fend  forth  their 
 little  ones  like  a  Flock,  and  their  Children  dance. 
 They  take  the  Tiinbrel,  and  rejoice  at  the  Sound  of 
 the  Organ.     They  fpend  their  Days  in  Wealth,  and 
 in  a  Moment  go  down  to  the  Grave.  Job  xxi.  7 — 1 3. 
 The  Royal  Ffnhnift  fays  :  /  was  envious  at  the 
 foolifJi,  when  I  favj   the  Profperity  of  the  wicked. 
 For  there  are  no  Bands  in   their  Death,   but  their 
 Strength  is  frm.     They  are  not  in  Trouble  as  other 
 Men  j    neither  are  they  plagued  like  other  Men-— 
 Their  Eyes  fiand  out  with  Fatncfs  ;  they  have  more 
 than  Heart  could  wifJi  —  Behold^  thefe  are  the  Un- 
 godly, who  profper  in  the  World  ;   they  increafe  in 
 Riches.    Pfal.  Ixxiii.  3 — 12.    So  aifo  the  Prophet 
 J^r^w/^^5  with  great  Boldnefs  of  Speech  :  Righteous 
 (irt  thou,   O  Lord,  when  I  plead  with  thee  -,  yet  let 
 me  talk  with  thee  of  thy  Judgments.     Wherefore 
 doth  the  Way  of  the  wicked  profper  ?  Wherefore  are 
 fll  they  happy  that  deal  very  treacheroufy  ?  Thou 
 hr.fi  planted  them  ;  yea,    they  have  taken  Root  ; 
 
 they 
 
58  Frelminary  Difcourfe,      Sedl.  3. 
 
 they  grew  ;  yea,  they  bring  forth  Fruit.  Jer.  xii. 
 I,  2. 
 
 Thefe  lacred  Writers  have  delcribed  the  Cafe 
 of  profperous  PVickednefs  in  the  livelieit  Colours. 
 Bur,  how  do  they  remove  the  Difficulty  attend- 
 ing it  ?  How  do  they  vindicate  the  Jujiice  of 
 God  in  fuiFering  the  wicked  to  profper  ?  Only, 
 by  aliedging,  that  their  Prolperity  is  often  fol- 
 lowed by  Adverfity,  and  that  Divine  Vengeance 
 frequently  overtakes  them  in  this  World.  Thus 
 Job  :  Hozv  often  is  the  Candle  of  the  wicked  put  out, 
 end  how  oft  cometh  their  Defruclicn  upon  them  / 
 yob  xx\.  17.  And  the  Pfahmjl :  When  I  thought 
 to  knew  this,  it  was  too  painful  for  me  :  until  I 
 went  into  the  Sanctuary  of  God  •,  then  underflood  I 
 their  End  :  furely  thou  did/}  fet  them  in  flippery 
 Places  ;  thou  cafiedfi  them  down  into  Defiru^ion. 
 Pfal.  Ixxiii.  16 — 18.  And  Jeremiah,  by  Way  of 
 Call  upon  the  Juftice  of  the  Almiglity  :  Pull 
 them  out  like  Sheep  for  the  Slaughter,  and  prepare 
 ihemfor  the  Day  of  Slaughter.  Jer.  xii.  3.  But  this 
 is,  evidently,  no  Vindication  of  the  Divinejuftice, 
 •with  Refpeft  to  thole  Inftances  of  profperous 
 Wickednefs,  which  are  not  followed  by  the  Di- 
 vine Vengeance  in  this  World.  We  muft,  there- 
 fore, look  farther  for  fuch  Vindication  ^. 
 
 And 
 
 ■J   It  may  be  thought  {Irange,  that  ht/pirtd  Writers  Hiould 
 
 be  at  a  Lofs  for  the  true  Solution  of  a  Difficulty,  raifed  by 
 
 thcmfelves.     But  we  are  to  confider,  that  the  Penmen  of  the 
 
 QU  Tejlament  wrote  under  a  Difpenfa,tion  of  Religion,  whofe 
 
 5  Sanfi-ious. 
 
:Se6l.  3.      Preliminary  Difcoiirfe.  59 
 
 And,  Where  fhall  we  find  it,  but  in  the  Doc- 
 trine of  a  Life  to  come,  a  future  State  of  final 
 and  unalterable  Retribution  ?  There  the  Jiiflice 
 of  God  will  moft  certainly  take  Place,  ,  and  a 
 Punifiimcnt,  adequate  to  their  Guilt,  be  inflid- 
 ed  on  the  ■prcfpercus  Wicked-,  a  Punifhment, 
 which,  by  its  Intenfenefs  and  Duration,  will 
 more,  much  more,  than  compenfate  for  the 
 greateft  Worldly  Profperity,  and  the  longeft 
 Temporal  Impunity.  And  thus  will  the  Divine 
 Juftice  vindicate  itfelf  in  the  final  Punifnment  of 
 the  wicked  and  ungodly  in  the  World  to  come  ^ 
 
 Upon 
 
 Sanaions  of  Reward  and  PunKhment  were  merely  Tempcral, 
 And  this  naturally  led  them  to  c6nfider  the  Cafe  of  projpe- 
 reus  V/ichdncfs  with  a  View  only  to  the  State  of  Things  in 
 this  World.  In  which  Light,  it  mull  be  confeiTed,  it  is  no 
 eafy  Matter  to  reconcile  That  Cafe  with  the  Divine  Attribute 
 oi  Juftice.  Nor  are  we  to  wonder,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  did 
 not  direft  them  to  the  true  Solution  of  the  Difficulty,  fince 
 the  Time  was  not  yet  arrived  for  That  full,  clear,  and  ex- 
 prefs  Revelation  cf  a  future  State  of  Re-zvards  and  Pimijh- 
 ments,  which  was  to  be  the  diilinguilhing  Charaderiftic  of 
 the  Chrijlian  Difpeufaiion,  and  which  alone  clears  up  all 
 DifHcuky  in  the  preient  Cafe. 
 
 8  This  may  ferve  as  a  full  Vindication  of  the  Divine 
 Juftice,  but  not  fo  of  tlie  Divine  Wijdom,  in  fullering  the 
 wicked  to  profper  and  go  unpunifhed  in  this  World.  For  it 
 may  ftill  be  aflced :  Vs^hy  does  God,  at  any  Time,  deal  thus 
 with  the  Wicked?  What  wife  Ends  of  his  Providence  are 
 anfwered  by  the  Impunity  and  Profperity  of  bad  Men  ?  This 
 Queflicn  receives  a  full  and  fatisfaftory  Anfwer  from  our- 
 Saviour's   well-kno^,vn   Parable  cf  the   Tares,    Mauh.  xiii. 
 
 For, 
 
^a.  Preliminary  T>ifcoiirfe»      Se<5l.  3. 
 
 Upon  the  whole,  and  to  bring  the  two  Cafes 
 of  dijlrejl  Virtue  and  prcfperous  Wickednefs  under 
 one  general  Argument : 
 
 That  God  is  the  Governor  of  the  Morale  as 
 well  as  the  NattirrJ,  World — That  the  Govern- 
 ment of  reafonable  Creatures  confifcs,  not  barely 
 in  giving  them  Laws  for  the  Diredion  of  their 
 Moral  Conduft,  but  in  fecuring,  as  far  as  may- 
 be, their  Obedience  to  thofe  Laws,  by  the  Sanc- 
 tion oi Rewards  and  Puni/Jnnents — That,  by  giving 
 us  Reafofij  or  a  Faculty  of  diftinguifning  between 
 
 For,  ibe  Ser-vanfs  of  the  HoufioUcr  having  propofed  to  extir- 
 pate That  noxious  Weed,  growing  in  the  fame  Field  with  a 
 Crop  of  Wheal,  the  Mafter  rejefts  their  Counfel,  for  this 
 Reafon,  leji  ivhih  they  gathered  up  theTares,  they  Ihoald  root 
 up  alfo  the  Wheat  ivith  them,  v.  28 — 30.  He  confidered,  that 
 the  Tares  could  not  eafily  be  difengaged  from  the  Wheat, 
 among  which  they  grew,  without  occafioning  theDeflruftion 
 of  the  latter  at  the  fame  Time.  Thus  good  and  bad  Men  live 
 together  in  this  World  ;  and  fuch  are  their  Social  Connexions, 
 that  it  is  hardly  poffible,  a  wicked  Man  fliould  be  diftreffed  or 
 ruined,  without  involving  fome  innocent  Perfon  or  Perfons  in 
 the  fame  Diilrefs  or  Ruin  with  himfelf.  This  is,  particu- 
 larly, the  Cafe  with  That  Connection,  v/hich  arifes  from  the 
 Tye  of  Blood.  A  wicked  Parent  cannot  fuffer  Adverfity  or 
 tlie  Lofs  of  this  Vv''orld's  Goods  (and  fuch  is  the  Te?nporal 
 Punijhment  cf  bad  Men,  pointed  out  by  the  Parable,  under 
 the  Image  of  rco//«'^  z^/^  without  greatly  diftrelTing  and  in- 
 juring the  worldly  Ellate  cf  his  guiltlefs  Children  and  De- 
 fcendents.  Here  we  fee  a  very  good  Reafon,  Why  the  Pro- 
 vidence cf  God  often  fpares  the  wicked  in  this  World.  It  is 
 for  the  fake  of  thofe,  who,  tho'  no  Sharers  with  them  in  their 
 Quilt,  muft  be  great  SalFerers  by  their  Pufujhrnent. 
 
 Fight; 
 
Se6l.  3.      Preliminary  Difcoiirfe.  %i 
 
 Right  and  Wrong,  Moral  Good  and  Moral  Evil, 
 God  has,  in  Effedl,  given  us  Laws  for  the  Go- 
 vernment of  our  Moral  Conduft  —  and.  That 
 the  Jullice  of  God  obliges  him,  by  fome  Mean? 
 or  other,  and  at  fome  Time  or  other,  to  reward 
 our  Obedience,  or  punifli  our  Difobedience,  to 
 the  Laws  of  Reafon  and  Nature — Thefe  are 
 unqueftionable  Truths  of  Natural  Religion,  or 
 That  Knowledge  of  God  and  our  Duty  we  may 
 acquire  by  the  due  Exercife  of  our  Rational 
 Faculties. 
 
 Now,  it  mufh  be  confefled,  that  w^e  difcover, 
 in  the  Moral  "World,  manifefl  Traces  of  a  go- 
 'verning  Providence^  exercifed  for  the  Rev/ard  of 
 Virtue  and  the  Punifliment  of  W^ickednefs. 
 When  all  Things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
 that  love  God  (Rom.  viii.  28.)  v/hen  good  Men 
 profper  in  the  World,  beyond  their  reaionable 
 Hopes  and  Expedlations  ;  do  we  not  plainly  fee 
 the  Hand  of  God,  interpofing  to  crown  their 
 Endeavours  with  Succefs  '^.  And,  when  all  Things 
 work  together  for  evil  to  them  that  difobey  God ; 
 Avhen  bad  Men  find  their  bell-laid  Schemes  for 
 the  Attainment  of  Worldly  Profperity  perpetu- 
 ally difappointed,  and  Calamity  overtaking  them 
 in  all  their  Ways  ;  do  we  not  as  clearly  fee  the 
 Interpoficion  of  an  avenging  Providence,  blaft- 
 ing  all  their  Defigns,  and  fixing  them  down  to 
 a  State  of  inevitable  Advcrfity  ?  With  Refpe6l 
 to  the  Punifliment  of  the  wicked  in  this  World  j 
 
 Providence 
 
62  preliminary  Difcoiirfe.      Sedt.  3. 
 
 Providence  feems  to  alarm  us  from  Time  to 
 Time,  and  demand  our  Attention  to  its  Work- 
 ings, by  luch  Inftances  of  Calamity  following 
 plofe  on  the  Pleels  of  Guilt,  as  leave  us  no 
 Room  to  afcribe  the  Evil  befalling  the  Guilty  to 
 any  Thing  but  the  Wrath  of  God,  and  an  im- 
 mediate Exercife  of  his  Divine  Jullice  towards 
 notorious  Sinners  '. 
 
 9  Such  an  Inftance  we  had,  a  few  Years  fince,  at  the  Town 
 ofDe'vizes  in  Wiltjhire  ;  where  a  Memorial  of  it,  written  on  a 
 Table,  is  placed  over  the  Door  of  the  Market-houfe.  The 
 Story  (if  I  remember  it  right)  is  this.  A  Country-woman, 
 beino-  called  upon  to  pay  for  a  Sack  of  Wheat  ilie  had  bar- 
 gained for,  affirmed  fhe  had  already  given  the  Money,  and, 
 to  confirm  the  Truth  of  what  flie  faid,  wiflied  flie  might  drop 
 down  dead  That  Moment,  if  (he  had  not.  And  no  fooner 
 were  the  Words  out  of  her  Mouth,  than  fiie  atlually  fell 
 down  dead  in  the  Prefence  of  many  Spedlators  j  and  the  Mo- 
 ney was  found  in  her  Pocket. 
 
 A  more  recent  Inftance  of  this  Kind  happened  at  Chalford 
 in  Gloucejlerfmre  ;  where  one  Richard  Parfons  playing  at 
 Whiji  with  three  others,  a  Difpute  arofs  about  the  State  of 
 the  Game.  Par/ons  fwore  he  and  his  Partner  wereyfjr^  which 
 the  others  denied  :  whereupon  he  wilhed,  "  Ke  might  never 
 "  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  that  his  Fielh 
 "  might  rot  upon  his  Bones,  if  they  were  not."  Accord- 
 ino-lv,  That  very  Evei.ing,  he  felt  an  unufual  Pain  in  hi^ 
 Leo-,  which  encreafed  till  a  Mortification  came  on,  which 
 fnread  over  his  whole  Body  ;  and  in  two  or  three  Days  he 
 died. 
 
 If  fuch  E?<araDles  as  thefc  do  not  prove  ?^  Special Prc"jid':.ncej 
 interpofing  to  punilh  notorious  Sinners  in  the  'very  ASl  of 
 Sin,  no  Proof  of  fuch  a  Providence  can  be  drawn  from  the 
 Face  of  Human  Affairs,  or  the  Occurrences  of  Human  Life. 
 
 But, 
 
Se6t.  3.      Preliminary  Difcourfe.  6t^ 
 
 But,  do  we  find  this  to  be  univerfally  the  Cafe  ? 
 Are  good  Men  always  happy,  and  bad  Men  al- 
 ways miferable,  in  this  Y/orld  ?  So  far  from  it,, 
 that  not  only  many  good  Men  go  unrewarded,  and 
 many  bad  unpuniihed,butR.eward and  PuniHiment 
 feem,  in  fome  Cafes,  to  be  quite  7ni [placed^  the 
 virtuous  appearing  to  be  punifned,  and  the  wick- 
 ed rewarded-  Now,  as  nothing  can  be  more 
 evident,  than  that  the  Exercife  of  Divine  Juilice 
 muft  be  fieady  and  conflant^  univerfal  and  impar- 
 tial^ it  follows,  that  every  good  Man  muft  be 
 properly  rev/arded,  and  every  bad  Man  properly 
 puniflied,  at  one  Tim.e  or  another. 
 
 Here,  then,  we  come  to  our  Concluf.on,  and 
 an  undeniable  one  it  is.  The  Divine  Jujlice,  m 
 the  Diftribution  of  Rewards  and  PuniHimcnrs  to 
 good  and  bad  Men,  in  this  World,  is  Jiot  ex- 
 crcifed  fleadily  and  conftantly,  univerfally  and 
 impartially.  There  mujl,  therefore,  be  another 
 life  after  the  prefent,  a  World  to  come,  in  which 
 the  unequal  Uifpenfation  of  Good  and  Evil  here 
 upon  Earth  (hall  be  abundantly  compenfated,  and 
 the  Divine  7///?rV^  fully  difplayed  in  the >;^/ and 
 unalterable  Reward  of  tlie  Righteous,  and  PmiJIi- 
 ment  of  the  Wicked. 
 
 I  am  aware,  that  Writers  hav^e  endeavoured  to 
 overthrow  this  great  Argument  for  a  Future  State^ 
 by  denying  the  FaB  of  an  unequal  Diftribution  of 
 Good  and  Evil  in  this  World.  This  is  the  View 
 of  the  Fourth  Book  of  Mr.  Pope's  celebrated  Ef 
 
64  Preliminary  Difcourfi.      Secfl.  3«' 
 
 fay  on  Man :  Of  which  the  late  Lord  Bolinghroke 
 Ipeaking,  in  a  Letter  to  Dr.  Swift,  fays :  "  It 
 
 *'  is  a  noble  Subjcd: :  he  pleads  the  Caufe  of  God 
 
 "  (I  ufe  Seneca's  ExprefTion)  againft  that  famous 
 
 *'  Charge,     which  Atheifcs    in    all  Ages    have 
 
 "  brought,  the  fuppofed  unequal  Dlfpenfations 
 
 "  of  Providence  ;    a  Charge,  which    I  cannot 
 
 *'  heartily  forgive  your  Divines   for  admitting^ 
 
 "  You  admit  it  indeed  for  an  extreme  good  Pur- 
 
 *'  pofe,  and  you    build  on  this  Admifiion  the 
 
 "  Ncceflity    of  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and 
 
 *'  PuniQiments.     But  what  if  you  fliould  find, 
 
 "  that   this    future  State  will  not  account  for 
 
 "  God's  Juftice  in  the  prcfent  State,  which  you 
 
 "  give  up,  in  Oppofition  to  the  Atheilts  ?  Would 
 
 "  it  not  have  been  better  to  defend  God's  Juftice 
 
 "  in  this  World,  againft  thefe  daring  Men,  by 
 
 *'  irrefragable  Reafons,    and  to  have  refted  the 
 
 "  other  Point  on   Revelation*?"     The  grand 
 
 Argument 
 
 •  Letters  n,vritten  hy  Jonathan  Swift,  D.  D.  &c.  5th  ed. 
 Vol.  111.  p.  41.  The  Reader  will  be  pleafed  with  the  fol- 
 lowing "Note  on  the  above  PafTage  of  Lord  Bolinghroke,  by  the 
 ingenious  Editor  of  the  Letters,  Dr.  Ha-jjkef^vorth.  "  To 
 "  prove,  that  the  Dlfpenfations  of  Pro\idence  in  the  pre- 
 *'  fent  State  are  not  unequal,  is  certainly  very  defirable  ; 
 «'  but  there  is  Reafon  to  fear,  that  thofe,  who  blame  Divines 
 "  for  admitting  an  Inequality,  have  notfuccceded  in  the  At- 
 "  tempt.  Philofophcrs,  antient  and  m.idern,  v/ho  have  en- 
 •«  dcavoured  to  juRify  the  Ways  of  Gcd  to  ?vlan,  by  provii.g, 
 «f  that  Happinefs  does  not  confift  in  E.xternals,  in  order  to 
 
 * '  fuew 
 
Secfl.  3.       Preliminary  Difiourfe.  6$ 
 
 Argument  againft  the  Suppofition  of  an  unequal 
 Providence,  with  Relped  to  the  particular  Cafes 
 of  diftrejfed  Virtue  and  triumphant  Wkkedncfs,  is 
 This:  That  we  are  incompetent  Judges  of  fuch 
 Cafes — That  the  Perfons,  whom  we  confider  as 
 undeferving  of  the  Evils  they  fufFer,  may  have 
 their /^fr^^  Vices  or  Immoralities,  for  which  they 
 thus  fuffer  at  the  Hand  of  God  ;  and  that  the 
 Wicked,  how  profperous  and  happy  foever  in 
 the  Eyes  of  the  World,  may  hefecretly  punifhed 
 with  Difquietudes  and  Affliftions,   unknown  to 
 
 "  fhew,  that  his  Difpenfations  are  equal,  have  yet  placed 
 "  Happinefs  in  Virtue  chiefly,  as  a  principle  of  adive  Be- 
 "  nevolence. 
 
 "  Happier  as  kinder  in  each  dueDegree> 
 
 "  And  Height  of  Blifs,  but  Height  cf  Charity." 
 
 "  Now  there  feems  to  be  an  Inconfillency  between  thefe 
 •'  two  Principles,  of  which  they  are  not  aware.  It  may 
 "  reafonably  be  afked,  what  Virtue,  as  a  Principle  of  Bene- 
 •'  volence,  has  to  beftow  ?  Can  it  beftow  upon  others  any 
 "  Thing  more  thari  Externals  ?  If  not,  it  cither  has  not  the 
 *'  Power  of  communicating  Happinefs,  or  Happinefs  is  to 
 *'  be  communicated  in  Externals.  If  it  has  not  the  Power 
 "  of  communicating  Happinefs,  it  is  indeed  a  mere  Name; 
 *'  the  Subjedl  receives  hothing,  the  Agent  gives  nothing. 
 "  The  Blifs  of  Charity  is  founded  on  a  Delufion ;  on  the 
 "  falfe  Suppofition  of  aBeneht  communicated  by  Externals, 
 *'  v^hich  Externals  cannot  communicate.  l£  Happinefs  can 
 "  be  communicated  by  Externals,  and  confequently  is  de- 
 "  pendent  upon  them,  and  thefe  Externals  are  ijnequally 
 •'  diftributed,  how  is  the  Difpenfation  of  Providence,  with/ 
 -*'  relpedt  to  Happinefs  in  the  prefsnt  State,  equal?" 
 
 F  the 
 
66  Preliminary  Difcoiirfe.       Se6l.  3. 
 
 the  World — In  which  Cafes,  the  Jiifllce  of  God 
 Hands  acquitted,  with  Refpedt  to  the  Temporal 
 Condition  of  BotTi.  —  It  cannot  be  denied,  that 
 this  may  fometimes  be  the  Cafe  with  what  we  are 
 apt  to  call  dijlrejl  Virtue  and  triumphant  Wicked- 
 nefs.  But,  if  it  be  not  always  the  Cafe  ;  if  there 
 be  Inftances,  how  few  foever,  of  Perfons  fliffer- 
 ing  unmerited  Evils,  or  more  of  Temporal  Evil 
 than  they  deferve,  and  leaving  the  World  with* 
 out  any  Recompence  of  their  Afflidtions  ;  if  there 
 be  any  wicked,  diftinguifhed  by  almoft  every 
 BlelTing  of  Providence,  without  any  confiderable 
 Alloy  of  Temporal  Evil  -,  if  there  be  fuch  Cafes 
 (and,  that  there  are,  no  one  converfant  with 
 their  Fellow-creatures  will  deny)  there  is  fuch 
 a  Thing  as  an  unequal  Dijirihution  of  Good  and 
 Evil  in  this  World,  and  the  Argument,  drawn 
 from  thence,  for  a  future  State  of  Rewards  and 
 PuniJIiments,  retains  its  full  Force. 
 
 This  Argument  for  a  future  State  of  Rewards 
 and  PunifJiments^  though  fupplied  by  the  Light 
 of  Reafon  and  Nature  alone,  is  fo  ftriftly  con- 
 clufive,  we  may  venture  to  fubfcribe  it,  as  the 
 Mathematicians  do  the  Proof  of  a  Geometrical 
 Propofitiony  with 
 
 Q^  .    E     .     D    . 
 
 I  fiiall  conclude  this  Difcourfe  with  obferving 
 the  additional  Strength,  which  the  Phyjical  Proof 
 of  an  i'mnatcrial  and  naturally-immortal  Principle  ov 
 
 Soul 
 
Sect.  3.       Prelimnary  Difcourfe,  67 
 
 Sout  in  Man,  and  the  Moral  Evidence  of  a  Future 
 State,  mutually  afford  each  other. 
 
 If  there  certainly  is  an  immaterial  and  natu- 
 rally-immortal Principle  or  Soul  in  Man,  That  Prin- 
 ciple or  Soul  mu^  furvive  the  Death  of  his  Body. 
 To  fuppofe,  it  will  not,  is  the  Abfurdity  of  fup- 
 pofing  the  Soul  to  be  immortal  and  mortal  at  the 
 fame  Time  ;  or  that  God  has  conferred  Immor- 
 tality on  the  Creature  Man,  with  a  Defign  to 
 take  it  from  him  again.  Bur,  if  there  be  a  Part 
 of  Man  (the  principal  Part)  \\\\\ch.  furvives  the 
 DifTolution  of  his  Bodily  Frame,  there  muft  be 
 a  Future  State  of  Man's  Exiftence,  or  a  Life  to 
 come  in  another  World. 
 
 On  the  other  Hand,  If  it  be  morally  certain^ 
 that  there  is  a  Future  State  of  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 nifhments,  prepared  for  Man  in  another  World, 
 he  muft  have  an  immaterial  and  naturally-immortal 
 Principle  or  Soul.  For,  Death  being  the  entire 
 Deftrudlion  of  the  Body,  and  neither  Nature  nor 
 Reafon  leading  us  to  expe<5l  any  Reftoration  of 
 laife  to  the  Dead,  a  Future  State,  without  an  im- 
 mortal Soul,  muft  appear,  to  the  Eye  of  Human 
 Reafon,  a  Phyfical  Impojfibility. 
 
 F  2  D I  S  S  E  R. 
 
DISSERTATION     I. 
 
 O  N    T  H  E 
 
 S  TATE    OF    THE    DEAD 
 
 BETWEEN 
 
 Peath  and  the  Resurrection, 
 
 F3 
 
CONTENTS. 
 SECTION     I. 
 
 A  N  Intermediate  State   of  the  Soul  he- 
 ^  -^  tween  Death  and  the  Refurre^ion,   a  general 
 Bo^rine  of  the  antient  Chriftian  Church. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 ^he  commonly-received  Opinion  of  the  Sours  imme- 
 diate Tranjlation  to  Heaven  or  Hell,  inconJifie?it 
 with  the  Scripture-do^rines  of  the  Jlefurred:ion 
 and  Judgment. 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 Other  Scripture-proofs  of  an  Intermediate  State. 
 
 SECTION     \V. 
 
 Scriptures,  which  feem  to  exclude  an  Intermediate 
 State,  con/idered. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 flow  the  antient  Do^rine  came  to  he  laid  afide» 
 
 SECTION     VI. 
 
 4n  Enquiry  Into  the  Place  of  departed  Souls. 
 
 F  4  SEC-- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION    VII. 
 
 An  Enquiry  into  the  State  of  the  departed  Soul, 
 with  RefpeB  to  Knowledge,  and  with  RefpeU 
 to  Happiness  or  Misery. 
 
 SECTION     VIII, 
 
 Objections  anfwered. 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 'ithe  DoBrine  of  an  Intermediate  State  maintained  hy 
 Writers  of  the  firji  Diftin^ion  in  the  Church  of 
 
 England. 
 
 D  I  S- 
 
DISSERTATION     I. 
 
 O   N 
 
 The   State    of    the  Dead   between 
 Death  and  the  Resurrection. 
 
 IT  being  demonftrable,  by  the  Light  of 
 Reafon  and  Nature  alone,  that  Man  is  a 
 Creature  compounded  of  two  diftindl  and  fepa- 
 rable  Parts,  a  Body  and  a  Soul ;  the  former  a 
 material^  the  latter  a  fpiritual  or  immaterial  Sub- 
 fiance  •,  and  that  the  Soul  naturally  furvives  the 
 Difiblution  or  Death  of  the  Body^  and  continues 
 to  exift,  a  livings  confcious^  Being,  in  another 
 State  * :  It  being  likewife  certain,  from  the  Chrif- 
 tian  Revelation^  that  a  Time  will  come,  when 
 the  Body  fhall  be  raifed  from  the  dead,  and  re- 
 united with  the  Soul,  in  order  to  conftitute  the 
 fame  individual  Creature  that  lived  upon  the 
 Earth  :  Hence  arifes  this  Queftion,  What  is  the 
 State  of  the  Dead,  during  the  Separation  between 
 the5oiy  and  the  Soul,  or  in  the  Interval  of  Time 
 between  Death  and  the  Refurre5lion  ? 
 
 It  is  univerfally  agreed,  that  the  Body,  durino- 
 the  whole  of  That  Pei:iod,  continues  in  a  StatQ 
 
 *    SeelNTROD.SECT.il, 
 
 of 
 
74  Dissertation   I.     Scd.  i, 
 
 of  a.h{o\me  InfenJiHlify  or  perfe^  Death:  nor  can 
 it  poffibly  be  otherwife,  when  its  Organs  of  Sen- 
 fation  are  entirely  deftroyed,  and  the  very  Mat- 
 ter^  of  which  it  is  compofed,  refolved  into  the 
 Mafs  of  Earth,  or  Dujl^  out  of  which  it  was  ta- 
 ken. Gen.  iii.  19.  The  Queftion,  therefore,  is 
 confined  to  the  5tate  of  the  ^ouly  after  its  Sepa- 
 ration from,  and  before  its  Re-union  with,  thq 
 Body, 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 An  INTERMEDIATE  State  of  the  Soul,  between 
 Death  and  the  RefurreBion,  a  general  Do^rine  of 
 the  antient  Chriftian  Church. 
 
 IT  appears,  both  from  the  Writings  and  the 
 common  Difcourfe  of  Chriflians,  that  the  ge- 
 neral Opinion  is.  That  the  Soul  of  Man,  upon 
 its  Separation  from  the  Body,  palTes  direUly  to 
 its  final  State  of  RetrihiUion^  in  Heaven  or  Hell. 
 In  mofb,  if  not  all,  of  the  praMical  Difcourfes  on 
 the  Subjed  oi  Death  and  a  Futurfi  State,  we  find 
 this  taken  for  granted  to  be  the  Cafe  with  our 
 Departure  out  of  this  World  ;  apd.,  when  we; 
 hear  of  the  Death  of  an  eminently  gopci,  or  no- 
 torioufly  wicked,  Perfon,  we  ufually  exprefs  our 
 Perfuafion,  that  he  is  gone  to  receive  the  juft 
 Recompence  of  his  good  or  evil  Deeds,  in  the 
 I  Place 
 
Sed.  I.         Btate  of  the  Dead,  75 
 
 Place  of  Happinefs  or  Mifer)\  prepared  for  his 
 everlajling  Reception. 
 
 Neverthelefs,    it  is  certain,  that  the   antient 
 Chriftian  Church,  for  fome  Centuries,  held  a  dif- 
 ferent Opinion  •,  and  taught,  that  the  Soul,  upon 
 its  Separation  from  the  Body,   is  not  tranflated 
 immediately  to  Hempen  or  Hell,   but  pafles  the  In- 
 terval between  Death  and  the  RefurreBion  in  fonic 
 intermediate  Place,  which  is  neither  Heaven  nor 
 Hell     This  I  fhall  fhew  from  the  Authority  of 
 four  of  the  moil  eminent  Fathers  of  the  fecond 
 and  third  Centuries. 
 
 According  to  Jujiin  Martyr,  "  They,  who  fay, 
 "  there  is  no  Refurreftion  of  the  dead,  but  that 
 "  their  Souls,  immediately  after  Death,  are  re- 
 "  ceived  into   Heaven,  are  not  to  be   looked 
 "  upon  as  Chriftians  '."     Jujiin  plainly  fuppofes 
 a  neceflary  Connexion  between  the  RefurreSlion 
 and  an  intermediate  State-,  and  it  is  certain,  that 
 all  the  Heretics,  who  denied  the  Refurre^ion,  de- 
 nied alfo  the  intermediate  State. 
 Jrenaus  reafons  from  the   Example  of  Chriji, 
 "  As  our  Lord  "  (fays  he)  "  after  his  Death, 
 ''  went  to  the  Place  of  departed  Souls,  then  rofe 
 "  bodily,  and  after  his  Refurredion  was  taken 
 "  up  into  Heaven  •,  fo  the  Souls  of  his  Difciples, 
 *'  for  whofe  fake  thefe  Things  were  done,  will 
 .^*  go  to  the  invifible  Place  prepared  for  them 
 
 3  Dial,  cum  Tryph.  p.  30^'. 
 
 «  by 
 
jb  Dissertation    I.      Sed.  i. 
 
 *'  by  God,  where  they  will  continue  till  the 
 "  Refurredion  ;  when,  receiving  again  their 
 "  Bodies,  and  perfedly,  that  is  bodily,  rifing 
 *'  from  the  dead,  as  our  Lord  did,  will  thus 
 *'  come  to  God  *." 
 
 Tertullmn  ufes  the  very  fame  Argument,  to 
 eftablifh  the  fame  Do6lrine  •,  and  adds  :  "  Hea- 
 **  ven  is  open  to  no  Man,  fo  long  as  this  World 
 "  lads  :  but  when  That  fhall  be  pafTed  away, 
 "  the  Gates  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  Ihall 
 "  be  unlocked  ^  *'  And  elfewhere  he  fays  : 
 "  When  we  fpeak  of  Paradife  as  the  delightful 
 "  Receptacle  of  the  Souls  of  the  righteous,  we 
 "  do  not  mean  by  it  Heaven  ^" 
 
 Lailly,  Origen  thus  exprefles  himfelf :  "  Even 
 **  the  Apoftles  themfelves  are  not  yet  com- 
 "  pletely  happy,  but  wait  till  even  I  am  quali- 
 "  fied  to  be  Partaker  of  their  Blifs."  Here  he 
 refers  to  the  Authority  of  St.  Paul ',  and  goes 
 on  :  "  You  fee  then,  that  Abraham  ftill  waits 
 *'  for  the  Attainment  of  what  is  perfed :  So 
 "  alfo  Ifaac  and  Jacob  and  ail  the  Prophets  wait 
 "  for  Us,  that  with  Us  they  may  receive  com- 
 "  plete  Happinefs  *.'* 
 
 4  Jdv.  Haret.  1.  i.  c.  31.  ^  De  Anima.  c.  55. 
 
 *   Jpologet.  c.  47. 
 
 7  God  having  pro-oided  fome  better  Thing  for  uSy   theft  thejt 
 tvoithotit  us  Jhould  not  be  made  perfeSi.  Heb.  xi.  40. 
 
 8  Homil.  in  Le^wit.  7*™. 
 
 I  No^iing 
 
Se(fl.  I.         State  of  the  Dead.  jj 
 
 Nothing  can  be  clearer  than  the  Senfe  of  thefe 
 antient  Fathers^  as  to  the  State  of  the  dead  be- 
 tween Death  and  the  RefiirreBion.  They  plainly 
 aflcrt,  that  the  Soul  is  not  received  into  Heaven  till 
 after  its  Re-union  with  the  Body.  Nor  was  this 
 Do6trine  confined  to  the  three  or  four  firll  Cen- 
 turies. The  Greek  and  Latin  Churches,  for  more 
 than  fourteen  hundred  Years,  unanimoufly  held, 
 that  "  the  Souls  of  the  Saints  were  in  ahditis  re- 
 "  ceptaculis,  or,  as  fome  of  them  expreffed  it, 
 "  in  exteriorihus  atriis,  where  .they  expefled  the 
 "  Refurredion  of  their  Bodies,  and  the  Glori- 
 *'  fication  of  their  Souls  •,  and  though  the  Fa- 
 "  thers  believed  all  of  them  to  be  happy,  yet 
 "  they  did  not  think  they  would  enjoy  the  Bea- 
 "  tific  Vifion  before  the  Refurrefbion  '." 
 
 It  will  be  proper  to  obferve  here,  that  this 
 antient  Doctrine  of  the  intermediate  State,  though 
 it  feems  to  refpefb  the  Souls  of  the  Righteous  orjly, 
 mull  be  extended  to  thofe  of  the  Wicked  like- 
 wife  i  becaufe  (as  we  Ihall  prefcntly  fee)  the  Rea- 
 fons,  upon  which  it  is  grounded,  fcrve  equally 
 to  prove,  that  the  latter  will  not  receive  i!ac  final 
 Recompence  of  their  evil  Deeds  till  after  the 
 Refurreofion. 
 
 How  the  Do6lrine  of  the  intermediate  Slats 
 came  to  be  laid  afide,  and  That  of  the  Soul's 
 immediate  Tranflation  to  Heaven  or  Hell  to  take- 
 
 "  Bp.  Taylor's  liber>v  of  Prophgcj.in*^'^.  \z^z. 
 
 itS' 
 
yS  Dissertation    I.       Sedt.^* 
 
 its  Place,  in  the  Chriftian  World,  -will  be  ac- 
 counted for  in  the  Sequel  of  this  Dijfertation.  In 
 the  mean  Time,  let  us  enquire  into  the  Grounds 
 and  Reafons  of  the  ant  lent  Do^rine.  An  En- 
 quiry, which,  I  am  perfuaded,  will  fatisfy  us^ 
 that  the  antient  Chrijiians^  in  believing  an  inter- 
 mediate State  of  the  Soul  between  Death  and  the 
 Refurred-ion,  had  both  Reafon  and  Scripture  on 
 their  Side* 
 
 SECTION     II. 
 
 I'he  commonly-received  Opinion  of  the  SouPs  imme- 
 diate 'Tranjlation  to  Heaven  or  Hell,  inconjijient 
 with  the  Scripture-do^rines  of  the  Refurreftion 
 and  Judgment. 
 
 FIRST,  then,  the  Suppofition  of  the  Soul's 
 immediate  Tranjlation  to  Heaven  or  Hdl  feems 
 to  be  inconfiftent  with  the  great  Chriftian  Doc- 
 trine of  the  Refurre^ion.  For,  if  That  Spiritual 
 Part  of  the  Man  be  already  placed  in  its  final 
 State  of  Retribution,  of  what  Ufe  is  its  Re-union 
 with  the  Body  ? 
 
 The  Reftirre^ion  of  the  Body  is  certainly  ap- 
 pointed for  fome  wife  Ends  of  Providence,  re- 
 fpcifting  the  future  State  of  Man.  What  thofc 
 Ends  are,  v/ill  be  one  Subject  of  our  Enquiry, 
 in  the  next  Dijjertation,     At  preient,  it  is  fuffi- 
 
 cient 
 
Sea:;.2.       State  of  the  Dead,  79 
 
 cient  to  obferve,  that  the  Re-union  of  the  Body 
 with  the  Soul    muft,    naturally,   produce   fome 
 Change   in   the  Condition  of  the  latter.     The 
 Souk  without  the  Body,    cannot  reafonably  be 
 fuppofed  to  exift,  enjoy,   or  fuffer,    in  the  very 
 fame  Manner,   as  in  Conjundion  with  it.     But 
 this  manifeftly  excludes  the  Suppofition  of  the 
 Soul's  immediate  Paflage  to  Heaven  or  Hell  ;   it 
 being  incapable,  in  its  difemlodied  State,  of  thoie 
 peculiar  Senfations  of  Pleafure  or  Pain,  Happi- 
 Tiefs  or  Mifery,  which   are  prepared  for  Man, 
 as  a  Being  compofed  both  of  Matter  and  Sprit. 
 This  we  fi^nd  to  have  been  the  Opinion  of  That 
 g-reat  Chriftian  Father  St.  Aujiin  ;  who  juftly  afl^s, 
 with  refpea  to  good  Men  ,  "  Of  what  Advan- 
 «  ta^e  is  it  to  Souls,  to  receive  again  their  Bo- 
 «dies  at  the  Refurreaion,  if  they  are  capal^le 
 «  of  enjoying  the  fupreme  Happinefs  of  Hea-  . 
 «  ven    even  without  their  Bodies  '  ?" 
 
 But',  may  we  not  fuppofe  the  Soul  received  up 
 into   Heaven,  and  yet  not  admitted  to  the  fu- 
 preme Happinefs  of  That  blcffed  Place  ?  May  we 
 not  fuppofe  it  aaually  placed  in  That  Region 
 of  Blifs,  though  not  yet  pofTeffed  of  That  parti- 
 cular &i  or  Degree  of  Happinefs,  which  will  tol- 
 low  upon  its  Re-union  with  the  Body  .^  This  is, 
 indeed,  the  Opinion  of  many,  who  contend  for 
 the  Soul's  immediate  "Tranflaticn  to  Heaven.    Thus 
 
 «   Gin.  ad  lit.  1.12. 
 
 the 
 
8o  Dissertation    I.       Sedl.  2. 
 
 the  learned  Witfius :  "  It  cannot  be  denied,  that 
 "  there  is  a  great  Difference  between  that  Mea- 
 "  lure  of  Happinefs,  which  the  Souls  of  Be- 
 *'  lie  vers  enjoy,  while  they  are  feparated  from 
 "  the  Body,  and  that  Confummation  of  Glo- 
 "  ry,  which  is  to  be  revealed  at  the  laft  Day ; 
 "  and  that  becaule  the  Happinefs  of  a  Part  is 
 "  not  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the  Whole  ; 
 "  fince  even  that  Part,  which  is  already  re^ 
 "  ceived  into  Heaven^  has  not  attained  to  that 
 "  Perfe6tion,  which  the  Gofpel  has  promifed, 
 *'  as  we  will  prefently  more  fully  Ihew."  Here 
 the  Profefibr  mentions  the  antient  Opinion,  par- 
 ticularly That  of  Chryfojtom^  who  calls  the  Place 
 of  departed  Souls  a  Porch^  and  Bernard,  who 
 calls  it  a  Hall  *  ;  and  adds  :  "  Which  how- 
 "  ever  is  to  be  underflood  with  Caution,  not 
 *'  that  the  Souls  of  Believers  are  out  cf  Heaven  •, 
 "  But  we  are  to  think,  that  then  they  will  ob- 
 *'  tain  their  mod  perfeft  Happinefs,  when  they 
 "  Ihall  be  re-united  to  their  Bodies  ^" 
 
 I  anfwer :  This  Suppofition  manifeilly  implies, 
 that  the  Reivard  of  the  Righteous,  though  not  pe?'- 
 fe^ed  till  after  t!ie  Refurreclion,  w  ill  yet  commence 
 immediately  after  their  Death.  But  this  will 
 prefently  appear  to  be  inconfiftent  with  another 
 important  Dodrine  of  holy  Scripture.     Befides 
 
 *  See  Citation  from  Bp.  Taylor,  ubi  fupra. 
 3   Qectnomy  of  the  Covenants,   &c..  Lor.d.   1763.  ?.   762^ 
 763. 
 
 that 
 
Sed.  2-.        State  of  the  Bead.  8i 
 
 that  it  feems  much  more  probable  (and  Probabi- 
 lity is  the  higheft  Degree  of  Evidence  we  can 
 pretend  to  in  this  Cafe)  that  two  fuch  different 
 States  of  Being,  as  thofe  of  the  Soul  in  and  out 
 of  the  Body,  (hould  pafs  in  two  different  Regions  of 
 the  Univerfe,  than  that  they  fliould  belong  to 
 one  and  the  fame  Region.  And  this,  I  think,  fuf- 
 ficiently  juftifies  the  ancient  Chriftians  in  fup- 
 pofing  the  Souls  of  the  Righteous  excluded  from 
 the  Enjoyment  of  Heaven  till  after  the  Refur- 
 re£iion. 
 
 But  this  antient  Opitiion  is  rendered  ftill  more 
 reafonable  and  probable  by  the  great  Chriftian 
 Doftrine  of  the  fittal  Judgment.  For,  at  That 
 folemn  Seafon  (the  Scriptures  tell  us)  the  Judge 
 of  Mankind  fhall  feparate  them  one  from  another^ 
 as  a  Shepherd  divideth  his  Sheep  from  the  Goats,  and 
 ffiall  fet  the  Sheep  on  his  right  Hand,  but  the  Goats 
 on  the  left ;  and  fliall  fay  to  the  Righteous,  Come, 
 ye  bleffed  of  my  Father'-,  inherit  the  Kingdom  prepared 
 for  you  from  the  Foundation  of  the  World ;  and  to 
 the  Wicked,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cur  fed,  into  ever- 
 lafling  Fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  Angels, 
 After  which,  Thefe  (the  Wicked)  fhall  go  away 
 into  everlajling  Funiflment,  but  the  Righteous  into 
 Life  eternal.  Matth.  xxv.  ^i.  ad  fin. 
 
 Now,  fuppofing  the  Souls  both  of  the  Righ- 
 teous and  the  Wicked  already  placed  in  a  State  of 
 Retribution  (and  fo  placed  they,  certainly,  are, 
 if  in  Heaven  or  Hell^  notwithftanding  any  Dif- 
 G  fcrence 
 
82  Dissertation    I.       Se(fl.  2", 
 
 ference  of  Degrees  in  the  Rewards  and  Pimijli- 
 ments  of  the  Life  to  come)  muft  not  the  Judgment 
 of  Mankind  appear  to  be,    at  lead,  a  fuperfluom 
 and  ufelefs  TranfaClion  ?  For,  Are  not  the  Righ- 
 teous and  the  Wicked  already  fufHciently  fepa- 
 rated  one  from  another  ?   Are  not  the  former  al- 
 ready in  PoIFvfllon    of  the  Kingdom  prepared  for 
 them  from  the  Foundation  of  the  JVorld  \  and  the 
 latter  ^/r^^xiy  plunged  in  the  everbfiing  Fire  pre- 
 pared for  the  Devil  ojid  his  Angels  ?   Of  what  Ufe^ 
 then,  is  the  Judgment  of  Mankind  by  Jefus  Chrijl  ? 
 "Why  are  the  Righteous  fentenced  to  a  Reward 
 already  (in  Part  at  leaft)  bellowed  on  them,  and 
 the  Wicked  to  a  Punilliment  already  (in  Part  at 
 leaft)  inBided  on  them  ?  What  is  this,  but  a5lmn 
 agere,  a  Repetition   of  what  is    already  done  ? 
 What  is  it,  but  to  fummon  Mankind  from  Hea- 
 'ven  and  llell^  with  no  other  View  than  That  of 
 fending  them  hack  again  to  the  Flace  from  whence 
 they  came  ?  Befides  that,   if  we  fuppofe  the  Soul 
 to  be  in  Heaven  or  Hell  before  the  Day  of  Judg- 
 ment, we  invert  the  natural  Order  of  thofe  twa 
 Things,  the  Decree  and  the  Execution  of  Jufiice : 
 We  fuppofe  fuch  an  u5"?gov  7rg6r?gcv,  as  would  dif- 
 arace  the  Adminiftration  even  of  Human  Gcvern- 
 ments,  and  much  lefs  can  (without  Blafphemy, 
 I  was  going  to  fay)    be  afcribed  to  the  God  of 
 all  Order  and  Regularity,  or  to  any  Exercife  of 
 his  Providence   in  the  Government  of  the  Uni- 
 verfe.    In  lliort,  if  Heaven  and  Hell  be  the  pro- 
 per. 
 
Sedl.  2.        State  of  the  Bead.  3 3 
 
 per,  refpeftive,  Seats  of  future  Reward  and  Fu- 
 mjliment^  the  Human  Soul  cannot,  confidently 
 with  the  profefied  Dengn  of  the  general  Judg- 
 ment, and  the  natural  Order  of  'Things,  be  fent 
 to  the  one  or  the  other,  'till  its  Re-union  v/ith 
 the  Bedy,  at  the  general  Refm're5iion  ;  at  which 
 Time,  and  not  before,  the  Judgment  of  Man- 
 kind, and  their  Deftination  to  Happmefs  or  Mi- 
 fery,   are  reprefented  as  taking  Place. 
 
 This  Argument,  indeed,  would  be  of  little 
 or  no  Weight,  were  there  any  Proof  of  (what 
 fome  fuppofe)  2i  private  ov  particular  Judgment  o£ 
 Individuals,  immediately  after  Death  •,  in  Confe- 
 quence  of  which,  they  are  fent  direSlly  to  Heaven 
 or  Hell,  the  refpeftive  Places  of  their  final  Re- 
 ward orPunilhment.  But  Dr.  Sherlock,  who  has 
 fully  confidered  this  Pretence,  is  fo  far  from 
 thinking  it  capable  of  any  Scripture-proof,  that 
 he  pronounces  it  irreconcileable  with  the  Scrip- 
 ture-dodrine  of  the  final  Judgment.  "  I  mud 
 "  confefs  "  (fays  that  pious  and  learned  Writer) 
 "  this  has  always  appeared  a  great  Difficulty  to 
 "  me  :  We  live  in  fuch  an  inquifitive  Age,  as 
 "  will  not  allow  us  to  affirm  what  we  cannot  prove 
 *'  —  for  my  Part,  I  muft  honeftly  profefs,  that 
 "  I  neither  dare  affirm  or  deny  this  particular 
 "  Ji^dgment,  in  the  Senfe  in  which  it  is  com- 
 *'  monly  underftood-,  for  there  are  fomePalTages 
 "  in  Scripture,  which  feem  to  look  both  Ways 
 *'  —The  Truth  is,  if  all  Men  have  a  final  Sen- 
 G  2  "  tence 
 
84  DiSSfeRTATlON     I.         Sed.  2. 
 
 *'  tence  paffed  on  them  as  foon  as  they  go  int6 
 "  the  other  World,  it  is  'very  iinac countable^  why 
 "  Chrift,  at  the  laft  Day,  fhall  come  with  fuch 
 "  a  terrible  Pomp  and  Solemnity  to  judge  and 
 "  condemn  thofe,  who  are  judged,  and  con- 
 "  demned,  and  executed  already,  as  much  as 
 "  ever  they  can  be  ^"  Now,  furely,  if  there  be 
 no  exprefs  Mention,  no  pofitive  Proof,  in  Scrip- 
 ture, oi  3.  particular  Judgment  oi  Individuals,  im- 
 mediately confequent  upon  Death,  and  the  Sup- 
 pofition  of  fuch  a  previous,  feparate.  Judgment 
 cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  Scripture-dodlrine 
 of  the  Jinal,  general.  Judgment  ;  we  may  venture 
 to  affirm,  without  Hefitation,  that  there  is  not, 
 there  cannot  be,  fuch  a  Judgment, 
 
 We  conclude,  therefore,  with  La5fantius,  that 
 "  Souls  are  not  judged  immediately  after  Death ; 
 "  but  are  All  detained  in  one  common  Reccp- 
 "  tacle,  till  the  Time  come,  when  the  great 
 "  Judge  fhall  enquire  into  their  feveral  Me- 
 '*  rits  ^"  And  therefore  the  Argument  from 
 the  Scripture -do6trine  of  the  final  Judgment, 
 againft  the  Doftrine  of  the  Soul's  immediate 
 Tranflation  to  Heaven  or  Hell,  remains  -  in  its 
 full  Force.  '"^- ^ 
 
 ♦  Pra^ical  Difour/e  concernht^  a  Future  Judgtnent,  &C. 
 Ch.  ii.  Se£t.  I. 
 
 i  Injl,  Di'V.  1.  7.  c.  21, 
 
 SEC- 
 
Sed.  3.         State  of  the  Bead.  85 
 
 SECTION     III. 
 
 Other  Scripture-proofs  of  an  Intermediate  State. 
 
 'Tp  H  E  antient  "Doctrine  of  the  Intermediate  State 
 •*•  is  farther  proved  by  thofe  Scriptures,  which 
 reprefent  the  Rewards  and  PunijJiments  oi  thtLife 
 to  come  as  dependent  on,  and  ftihfeqiient  to,  the  Re- 
 furreBion  and  Judgment.  For,  if  thofe  great  E- 
 vents  are  the  proper  jEra,  at  which  thofe  Re- 
 wards 2.nd  Puni/Iiments  commence, 'nothing  can 
 be  plainer,  than  that  the  Interval  between  Death 
 and  the  Refurre5lion  is  not  the  appointed  Seafon 
 of  final  Retribution  ;  and,  confcquently,  during 
 That  Interval,  the  Soul  is  not  an  Inhabitant  either 
 of  Heaven  or  Hell. 
 
 We  have  already  feen,  in  our  Saviour's  De- 
 fcription  of  the  Judgment^  that  the  folemn  Pro- 
 ceedings of  That  tremendous  AlTize  will  con- 
 clude with  the  Departure  of  the  Righteous  and 
 the  Wicked  to  their  refpedive  Stations  of  Re- 
 ward and  Punifliment :  Thefe  fJiall  go  a'way  into 
 everlafiing  Punifhment,  but  the  Righteous  itito  Life 
 eternal.  Matth.  xxv.  46.  And  with  refpeft  to 
 the  Refurre^lion,  we  fee  the  Reward  of  Chriflian 
 Faith  connefted  with  it  by  the  fame  divine 
 Teacher  :  This  is  the  Will  of  him  that  fent  me^ 
 that  every  one  which  feeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on 
 him^  may  have  everlafiing  Life  j  and  I  will  raife 
 G  3  him 
 
86  Dissertation   I.       Secft.  3, 
 
 him  tip  at  the  hjl  Day.  John  vi.  40.  Raife  him 
 up  I  For  what  ?  Evidently,  that  he  may  have 
 everlajting  Life,  as  the  Recompence  of  his  Belief 
 in  the  Son  of  God. 
 
 The  great  Apoftle  of  the  Gentiles  declares  the 
 Day  of  Jud.^ment  to  be  the  Time,  when  Himfelf 
 and  all  other  good  Chriftians  fhall  receive  the 
 Reward  prepared  for  them.  I  have  fought  a  good 
 Fight,  I  have  fini/I:ed  my  Courfe,  I  have  kept  the 
 Faith  :  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  Crown 
 of  Righteoufnefs,  which  the  Lord  the  righteous  Judge 
 fliall  give  me  at  That  Day,  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
 unto  all  them  alfo  that  love  his  appearing.  2  Tim.  iv. 
 7,  8..  And  the  fame  Apoftl-.^,  exhorting  the 
 *J^heffalonians  againft  immoderate  Grief  for  the 
 dead,  ufes  this  Argument :  I  would  not  have  you 
 he  ignorant.  Brethren,  concerning  them  which  are 
 eifLeep,  that  ye  forrow  not  even  as  others  which  have 
 no  Hope :  For  if  we  believe,  that  Jefus  died,  and 
 rofe  again,  even  fo  them  alfo  which  fleep  in  Jefus 
 will  God  bring  zvith  him  —  JVhcrefcre  comfort  one 
 another  zvith  thefe  Words,  i  ThelT.  iv.  13,  14,  iS. 
 "Would  the  Apoftle  have  fetched  his  'Topic  of  Con- 
 folation  from  the  Profpefl  of  the  Refiirre^ion, 
 had  the  Souls  of  the  deceafed  been  already  in 
 Pofteffion  of  That  Happinefs,  the  Confideration 
 of  which  was  to  moderate  the  Grief  of  their  fur- 
 viving  Friends  ?  Bcfides  that  the  Metaphor 
 of  Sleep,  here  ufcd  to  denote  the  State  of  de- 
 ccaftd  Chriftians  bcfcrc   the  Refurre^ion,   feems 
 
 not 
 
Sed:.  3.     '    Sfafe  of  the  Bead.  87 
 
 not  very  applicable  to  the  State  of  fuch  as  are 
 admitted  to  the  ftipreme  H^.ppinefs  of  Heaven  ;  in 
 the  Enjoyment  of  which  we  mud  fuppofe  them 
 to  be  tranfcendently  awake,  and  to  exert  all  the 
 Powers  of  Thought  and  Intelled  in  full  Perfec- 
 tion. 
 
 Again  :  Thofe  Words  of  Paul  to  Timolhy  — 
 looking  for  ^hat  hkjfed  Hope^  and  the  appearing  of 
 the  great  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jefus  Chrifi.  Tit. 
 ii.  13.''.  —  plainly  imply,  that  the  Chriflian's 
 Hope  or  Expedation  of  his  Reward  in  Heaven 
 will  not  be  crowned  with  Fruition  till  the  Com- 
 ing of  Chrijl.  And  (to  mentiqri  no  more)  the 
 fame  Apoftle  fixes  the  Time  of  a  Chriftian's 
 Glorification  or  Reception  into  Heaven  to  That 
 of  his  Saviour's  Return  to  judge  the  World,  in 
 That  Declaration  to  the  Colojfians^  When  Chrijl^ 
 who  is  our  Life^  Jliall  appear,  then  JJiall ye  alfo  ap" 
 pear  with  hira  in  Glory.  Col.  iii.  4. 
 
 Theie  few  Paflages  of  St.  Paulas  Epijlk.s,  feleded 
 from  many  more  to  the  fame  Purpofe,  may  fuf- 
 fice  to  fhew  That  Apofiie's  Senfe  of  the  Matter, 
 and  that  he  was  far  enough  from  fuppofing,  that 
 the  Soul,  immediately  on  its  Separation  from  the 
 Body,  pafies  to  its  final  State  of  Retribution.  On 
 the  contrary,  he  plainly  averts,  that  Chriftians 
 muft  wait  till  the  fecondJdvent  of  their  Redeemer, 
 
 ^  Hope,  IX'TriJ'a,  is  here  ufsd  to  tx^rc^s  the  Thing  hoped 
 for  ;  the  PafBon  itfelf  being  denoted  by  the  Word  '7T^o7S'i- 
 yjy.ivoi,  locking  far. 
 
 G  4  before 
 
88  Dissertation    I.      Sedl.  3. 
 
 before  they  are  put  in  Poireflion  of  That  con- 
 fummate  Glory  and  Happinefs^  he  has  prepared  in 
 Heaven  for  them. 
 
 I  am  aware,  that  thefe  and  the  like  Paffages 
 of  Scripture  are  ufed  as  an  Argument  againft  any 
 intermediate  State  oiLife  and  Confcioufnefs  between 
 Death  and  the  Refurreftion,  and,  confequently, 
 againft  the  very  Being  and  Immortality  of  the  Hu- 
 man Soul  7.  But  it  muft  be  obferved,  that,  in 
 the  Ufe  here  made  of  thefe  Scriptures,  the  Be- 
 ing and  Immortality  of  the  Soul  are  taken  for 
 granted,  as  antecedently  proved  ;  and,  upon 
 this  Foundation,  the  Scriptures  in  queftion 
 abundantly  prove  what  they  are  here  alledged  in 
 Proof  of. 
 
 This  Scripture-proof  of  an  Intermediate  State 
 may  be  corroborated  by  the  Accounts,  given  us 
 in  the  New  Tejlament^  of  Perfons  raifed  from  the 
 dead  by  the  Power  of  Chriji. 
 
 It  is  evident  from  the  facred  Narrative,  that 
 Lazarus  of  Bethany^  whom  our  Lord  reftored  to 
 Life,  after  having  been  dead  four  Days  (John 
 xi.  I.  &c.)  was  a  good  Man  :  Other  wife  Jefus 
 would  not  have  called  him  our  Friend  Lazarus. 
 Nor  is  there  any  thing  to  perfuade  us,  that  the 
 Widow  oi  Nain^s  Son  (Lukevii.  11.  &c. ),  or 
 Jairus's  Daughter  (  Luke  viii.  49.  &c. ),   Both 
 
 ■J  See  the  appendix  to  Dr.  Laiv's  Conjiderations  on  the  Theory 
 of  Religion,  &c.  p.  387 — 401.  See  alfo  my  Defence  of  the 
 commonly-received  Doiiritie  of  the  Human  Soul,  $cc,  Seft.  I\'. 
 
 raifec^ 
 
Sed.  3.         State  of  the  Dead.  89 
 
 raifed  from  the  dead  by  our  Saviour,  were  not 
 good  Perfons.     And,  if  fo,    according  to  the 
 vulgar  Notion,  they  were  in  PofTeffion  of  their 
 final  Reward.     But  is  it  reafonable  to  think,  the 
 henevolent  Jefus  would  call  them  back,  from  a 
 State  of  perfeSl  Felicity,   to  their  former  Condi- 
 tion in  this  World  ?   And,  for  What  ?   To  dry 
 the  Tears  of  their  afflidbed  Relations  and  Friends  ? 
 ^hat  a  little  Time  would  have  done,  without 
 the  Intervention  of  a  Miracle.     And,  fhould  it 
 be  alledged,  that  Miracles  were  neceflary  to  the 
 Proof  of  our  Saviour's  Divine  Miflion  and  Au- 
 thority, and  fuch  as  the  Rejloration  of  Life  to  the 
 dead  peculiarly  fit  to  be  wrought  by  Him,  who 
 was  Himfelf  the  Refurre£lion  and  the  Life  (  John 
 xi.  25.) ;   This  may  be  granted  ;  but  with  this 
 Referve,  that  the  Miracle  be  not  to  the  Hurt  or 
 Difadvantage  of  theFeri^onj  on  whom  it  is  wrought. 
 Such  Miracles  never  were,  nor  ever  could  be, 
 wrought  by  the  gracious  and  merciful  Saviour  of 
 the  World.     On  the  contrary,  befides  the  Evi- 
 dence arifmg  from  his  mighty  Works,  every  Mi- 
 racle,   our  Saviour  wrought  on   the  Perfons  of 
 Men,  redounded  to  their  great  Benefit  and  Ad- 
 vantage.     Witnefs    the    Miracles   of  reftoring 
 Health  to  the  fick.  Sight  to  the  blind.  Strength 
 to  the  impotent,  and  the  like.     But  the  Miracle 
 of  raiftng  the  dead  would  be  an  Exception  to  the 
 beneficial  Nature  and  Tendency  of  our  Saviour's 
 Ji'firaclesy  if  Lazarus  of  Bethany^  the  Widow  of 
 
 ISlain^z 
 
90  Dissertation    I.       Sed.  3. 
 
 Nain's  Son,  and  Jairus's  Daughter,  v/ere  reftored 
 to  Life  at  the  Expence  of  lofing,  for  a  Time,  a 
 State  of  Happinefs  infinitely  greater  than  any 
 this  World  can  afford.  It  follows,  therefore, 
 that,  at  the  Time  of  their  Reftoration  to  Life, 
 they  were  not  in  PofTefTion  of  their  final  Reward^ 
 but  exiftgd  in  fuch  an  intermediate  State  of  ini' 
 ferfe^  Happinefs,  as  might,  for  a  fhort  Time  at 
 leaft,  be  exchanged  for  their  former  Condition 
 in  this  World,  without  any  conGderable  Injury 
 done  them,  and  even  (the  Providence  of  God  fo 
 ordering  it)  with  ample  Amends  for  the  Difad- 
 vantage  of  the  Change. 
 
 The  fame  Uie  may  be  made  of  the  Firfi  Re- 
 JurreEiion,  prophecied  of  by  St.  Jchn  (Rev.  xx. 
 4 — 6.)  That  of  the  Martyrs,  who  fhall  live  and 
 reign  with  Chrifi  a  thoufand  Tears.  For,  how 
 great  foever  we  may  fuppofe  the  Glory  and  Hap- 
 pinefs of  Chrijl's  Millennial  Kingdom  will  be,  it 
 muft  fall  (hort  of  the  Glory  and  Happinefs  of 
 Heaven.  And  therefore,  to  call  the  Martyrs 
 from  Heaven,  to  partake  of  That  Kingdom  upon 
 Earth,  will  be  fo  far  from  being  (what  it  is  cer- 
 tainly intended  to  be)  a  Reward  of  their  Sufferings 
 for  the  fake  of  Chrifi,  that  it  muft  be  to  Them  an 
 adual  Punifiment,  by  depriving  them  of  the  fti" 
 preme  Felicity  of  Heaven,  and  That  for  the  long 
 Term  of  a  thoufand  Tears,  and  degrading  them 
 to  a  much  inferior  and  lefs  perfe£i  State  of  Hap- 
 pinefs. From  whence  it  is  reafonable  to  con- 
 clude. 
 
Seft.  4.         State  of  the  Dead.  91 
 
 elude,  that  the  Chrifticn  Martyrs  will  not  attain 
 to  their  great  and  glorious  Reward  in  Heaven 
 till  after  the  Millennium^  that  is,  till  after  the 
 Coming  of  Chrift,  at  the  End  of  the  World. 
 
 SECTION     ivr 
 
 Scriptures,  which  feem  to  exclixle  an  intermediata-- 
 State,  confidered. 
 
 BU  T,  What  fhall  we  fay  to  thofe  Scriptures, 
 which  feem  plainly  to  exclude  That  interme- 
 diate State  of  the  dead,  we  have  been  contending 
 for  •,  and  reprefent  the  Rewards  and  Puni/hments 
 oi  Futurity  as  immediately  confequent  upon  our 
 Departure  out  of  this  Life  ? 
 
 To-day  (faid  our  Saviour  to  the  penitent  Thief 
 on  the  Crofs)  thou  Jlialt  he  with  me  in  Paradife. 
 Luke  xxiii.  43.  Does  not  this  Promife  im- 
 ply the  Thief's  immediate  Reception  into  the 
 Manfions  of  the  bleffed  in  Heaven?  I  anfwer: 
 Our  Saviour  muft  be  fuppofed  to  have  exprefied 
 himfelf  fo  as  to  be  perfedlly  underftood  by  the 
 Robber  j  and  therefore  the  Meaning  of  the  Pro- 
 mife muft  be  determined  by  the  Senfe,  in  which 
 the  Jews  underftood  the  Word  Paradife,  Now 
 That  was,  not  Heaven,  or  the  Place  oi final  Re- 
 ward, but  an  intermediate  Place  or  Receptacle  of 
 
 Souls 
 
^2  Dissertation    I.       Se<S.  4. 
 
 Souls  before  the  Reftirre^ion  *.  Hence  Dr. 
 Clarke's  Paraphrafe :  "  This  Day  fhalt  thou  be 
 "  with  me  in  the  State  of  happy  Souls  departed.'* 
 I  might  obferve,  that  our  Saviour  hi mfelf  was 
 not  to  be  in  Heaven,  till  more  than  forty  Days 
 after  his  Crucifixion.  A6ts  i.  3.  And  therefore 
 the  Malejathr\  Soul  muft  have  waited  'till  our 
 Lord's  Afcenfion  into  Heaven^  or  above  fix  Weeks^ 
 before  it  could  be  with  Chrijl  in  That  Region 
 of  confummate  Happinefs.  This  Text,  there- 
 fore, is  fo  far  from  overthrowing,  that  it  tends 
 ilrongly  to  confirm,  the  Do6lrine  of  an  interme- 
 diate State  of  the  Soul  between  Death  and  the 
 Refurreftion  ', 
 
 The 
 
 *  See  Pole's  Synopjis,  in  Loc. 
 
 9  Dr.  La-iu,  who  undertakes  to  (hew,  that  the  Texts,  ufu- 
 dly  alledged  to  prove  the  Sur--ji-vorJhip  of  the  Soul  and  the 
 intermediate  State,  prove  no  fuch  Thing,  gives  us  the  follow- 
 ing Interpretation  of  our  Saviour's  Promife :  "  To-Day  thou  art 
 *'  certain  of  a  Place  with  me  in  Heaven  ;  'tis  a  Thing  done 
 "  and  determined  :  the  Words  7o-Z)^  being  conftantly  ufed 
 *'  of  any  Matter  then  fixed  and  fettled,  though  not  to  com- 
 "  mence  till  fome  Months  or  even  Years  after."  Which 
 Interpretation  the  leai'ned  Writer  confirms  by  feveral  Exam- 
 ples ;  as,  /;/  the  Day  t^at  thou  eatejt  thereof.,  thou  Jh  alt  fur  ely 
 die.  Gen.  ii.  17.  Hear  O  Ifrael,  thou  arc  to  pafs  over  Jordan 
 this  Day,  Deut.  ix.  i.  That  he  may  ejiablijh  thee  to-day yir 
 a.  People  unto  him.  xxix,  13.  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  T)z.y  hn--ue  I 
 begotten  thee.  Pf.  ii.  7.  ^^ppendix  to  Conf  derations  on  the  Theory 
 of  Religion,  p.  407.  But  let  me  aflc  Dr.  Laiv  ;  are  the  Words 
 To-Day  never  ufed  in  Scripture  to  denote  the  Time prefent  ?  If 
 they  are  fo  ufed  (as  they  certainly  are)  in  Paifages  innume- 
 rable. 
 
Sed:.  4         State  of  the  Dead.  9^ 
 
 The  Parahle  of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus  is 
 fuppofcd  to  exhibit  a  Reprefentation  of  the  State 
 both  of  righteous  and  wicked  Souls  immediately 
 after  their  Departure  out  of  the  Body.  But 
 there  we  read,  that  the  Beggar  died,  and  was  car- 
 ried by  Angels  into  Abraham'' s  Bofom  •,  that  the 
 rich  Man  alfo  died,  and  was  buried  ;  and  that  in 
 Hell  he  lift  up  his  Eyes  being  in  'Torment,  and  feetb 
 Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  Bofom.  Luke 
 xvi.  22,  23.     If  the  Rich  Man  paflfed  directly  to 
 
 rable,  why  not  in  our  Saviour's  Promife  to  the  Thief  on  the 
 Crofs  ?  Surely,  they  may.  And,  if  That  Promife  requires  this 
 Senfe  rather  than  the  other,  this  is  the  true  Senfe  of  that 
 Promife. 
 
 Dr.  Laijo  here  cites  Dr.  Taylor  oi Norivich,  as  propofing  an- 
 other Interpretation  of  our  Saviour's  Words,  by  changing 
 the  Place  of  the  Conma,  and,  and  inftead  oi  hiy<o  aoi,  c/i/xe- 
 fov  /wst'  €^.«  ^(Ti),  reading  it  Aiya  (roi  trw^tspof,  &c.  i.  e.  in- 
 ftead oi  I  fay  unto  thee.  To- Day  thou  fhalt  be  nvith  vie,  reading 
 it,  /  fay  unto  thee  to-day  (or,  To-Day  1  fay  unto  thee,)  thou 
 fhalt  be  njuith  me.  According  to  which  flight  Alteration,  Dr. 
 Taylor  thus  expreffes  the  Meaning  of  our  Saviour's  Promife : 
 *'  You  need  not  fufpend  your  Hopes  till  then"  (my  coming 
 into  ?nj  Kingdom :)  *'  even  at  prefent,  and  in  my  low  Circum- 
 *•  ilances,  I  have  Authority  to  affure  you  that  you  fliali  have 
 "  a  Place  with  me  in  Paradife."  At  firft,  I  took  this  Inter- 
 pretation to  be  Dr.  Taylor's  O'Ujn,  it  feeming  to  be  produ- 
 ced by  Dr.  Iaw  ^zj  y?^^^.  But,  upon  Enquiry,  I  find,  the 
 Emendation  of  the  Text  is  an  old  one,  and  long  fince  con- 
 demned by  the  beft  Commentators ;  the  common  Reading 
 having  the  Authority  of  all  the  Manufcripts  on  its  Side,  and 
 being  perfedlly  agreeable  to  the  antient  Manner  of  fpeak- 
 ing  ;  as  Hodie  apud  me  fn  volo,  Terent.  Nempe  tu  hodie  me- 
 (um  erii,  Plaut. 
 
 2  Hell, 
 
94  Dissertation    I.       Secft.  4* 
 
 Hell^  as  it'  is  here  LtlJ  he  did,  the  Beggar  cer- 
 tainly went  diredlly  to  Heaven  -,  and,  confe- 
 quently,  Sauls,  iaimediately  on  their  Separa- 
 tion from  the  Body,  are  received  into  Heaven  or 
 Hell.  But,  not  to  oblerve,  that  Parables  in  ge- 
 neral are  not  to  be  underftood  in  the  fcrift  literal 
 Senle  of  the  Story,  This  of  the  rich  a.nd  pcor 
 Man  is  plainly  adapted  to  the  Prejudices  and  in- 
 confiftent  Notions  of  the  vulgar.  For  the  rich 
 Man  is  reprefented  as  gone  to  Hell  both  in  Body 
 and  Soul :  Why  elfe  does  he  plead  for  a  Drop  of 
 IVater  to  cool  his  Tongue?  Lukexxii.28.  But, 
 at  the  fame  Time,  he  is  faid  to  be  buried :  con- 
 fequcntly,  his  Body  was  not  in  Hell,  but  in  the 
 Grave.  This  is  a  manifeft  Contradidtion.  We 
 muft,  therefore,  confider  this  Parable  as  nothing 
 more  than  a  Scenical  Defcription  of  a  future  State 
 of  Reward  and  Punifliment,  without  any  parti- 
 cular Reference  to  Time  or  Place. 
 
 There  are  fome  Expreffions,  ufed  by  St.  Paul, 
 which  are  thought  to  imply  an  immediate  Connec-^ 
 iion  between  the  good  Chriftian's  Death  and  his 
 Reward  in  Heaven.  As  where  he  fays  :  We  are 
 willing  rather  to  he  abfent  from  the  Body,  and  prefent 
 with  the  Lord.  1  Cor.  v.  8.  And  again  :  /  am 
 in  a  Strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  Deftre  to  depart 
 and  be  with  Chrifi,  which  is  far  better.  Phil.  i.  23. 
 But,  in  another  Paffage,  St.  Paul  evidently  con- 
 fiders  this  very  Circumftance  of  being  zvith  Chrifi 
 gr  with  the  Lord  as  conneded  with  the  fecond 
 2  Coming 
 
Se6t.  4.         State  of  the  Dead.  9^ 
 
 Coming  of  Chriji  at  the  End  of  the  World.  For, 
 fpeaking  of  That  great  Event,  he  fays  •,  Then  we 
 which  are  alive  and  remain  JJiall  he  caught  up  —  in 
 the  Clouds^  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  Air  •,  and  s  o 
 Piall  we  ever  he  with  the  Lord,  i  ThefT.  iv.  17. 
 And  therefore,  in  the  Paffage  juft  cited,  the  A- 
 poftle  might  be  fuppofed,  not  to  deny^  but  to 
 overlook^  the  State  of  the  Soul  between  Death  and 
 the  Refurre£tion^  as  of  fmall  Account  in  Com- 
 parifon  with  That  State  of  Glory  and  Happinefs, 
 it  will  enjoy  in  the  Prefence  of  God  and  of  Chriji. 
 But  the  Truth  is,  The  Prefence  of  Chriji  (as  I 
 ihall  have  Occafion  to  fhew)  with  the  Souls  of  the 
 Righteous,  after  Death,  is  to  be  confidered  as  a 
 Source  of  Happinefs  common  to  fuch  Souls,  both 
 in  their  intermediate  State,  and  their  State  of  Jinal 
 Retrihution.  And  this  reconciles  St.  Paul,  in 
 the  foregoing  Paflages,  with  himfelf ;  and  fliews, 
 he  might  juftly  reprefent  the  being  prejent  with 
 the  Lord  as  a  Confequence,  both  of  being  ahjent 
 from  the  Body,  and  of  meeting  the  Lord  in  the  Air., 
 that  is,  both  of  J^eath  and  the  Refurreclion. 
 
 Laftly,  Great  Strefs  is  laid  on  That  Pafiage 
 of  the  Apocalypfe ;  I  heard  a  Voice  fror/i  Heaven^ 
 faying  unto  me.  Write  :  Blejfed  are  the  dead  which 
 die  in  the  Lord  frcm  henceforth :  Tea,  faith  the 
 Spirit,  that  they  may  rejl  from  their  Labours.  Rev. 
 xiv.    13.  ^    It  is  pretended,  that   the  Adverb 
 
 a  TTuprt 
 
 '   This  PafTage  we  often   hear  repeated  In  our  Burial-Ser- 
 <»icei  where,  with  a  foiall  Variation,  it  Hands  thus :  I  heard  a 
 
 Voice 
 
^6  Dissertation    I.       Sed.  4* 
 
 a7rdpriy/rom benceforfb^implies,  that  thcBleffedne/s^ 
 the  Happinefs   or   Reward    in  Heaven,    of  the 
 dead  which  die  in  the  Lord,  takes  Place  from  the 
 Infi'ant  of  their  Departure  out   of  this  World. 
 But,  in  the  firft  Place,  the  Blejfednefs  of  the  dead, 
 here  fpoken  of,  appears,  from  the  Pafiage  itfelf, 
 to  be,  principally  if  not  folely,   That  of  rejling 
 from  their  Labours,  or  being  no  longer  expofed  to 
 any  Kind  of  Mifery  or  Trouble.  ABleJfednefs,  they 
 certainly  attain  to,  the  very  Moment  of  their  Re- 
 leafe  from  all  farther  Concern  with  this  tranfitory 
 Life.     But  this  is  a  mere  negative  Blejfednefs,  and 
 far  fhort  of  the  Happinefs  of  Heaven.     In  the 
 next  Place,  the  Adverb  d-Trdprt  is,  in   fome  Co- 
 pies, and  in  the  Margin  of  our  Englijh  Verfion, 
 joined  with  the  Words  immediately  following  it : 
 according  to  which  Reading,  the  Paffage  will 
 Hand  thus  :  Blejfed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the 
 Lord,  from   henceforth  faith    the   Spirit,    &c.  *. 
 Which  entirely  deftroys   the  Argument  drawn 
 from  the  Meaning  of  the  Word  aVa'prf.    But 
 we  may  retain  the  common  Reading,  and  para- 
 phrafe  the  Words  thus  :  "  I  heard  a  Voice  from 
 *'  Heaven,   directing  me  to  write  thefe  Words, 
 "  as  the  Didate  of  the  holy  Spirit ;  From  hence 
 "  forward  to  the  End  of  the  World,  happy  will 
 "  it  be  for  all  thofe,  who  die  in  the  Faith  and 
 
 Voice  from  Hea'ven,  faying  unto  me.  Write  :  From  henceforth 
 bleJJ'eJ  are  the  Dead  ^•jhich  die  in  the  Lord :  even  fo  faiti>  the 
 Spirit ;  for  they  reft  from  their  Labours. 
 
 *  MrtH*'p/o/  01   viK^n   \v  Ki/p<«  a'to9 :'Ji(Tjtej'TSf,    a.'Tra.frt 
 ^iyii;yd.U  TO  Uvivy-cti  Fid.  Curcellai  N.  T. 
 
 Obedience 
 
SedTi  4.         State  of  the   'Dead.  97 
 
 "  Obedience  of  Jefus  Chrift,  fince  Death  will 
 '*  place  them  out  of  the  Reach  of  all  Worldly 
 "  Evils,  and  of  thofe  Diftrefies,  to  which  their 
 "  Chriftian  Profeflion  muft  often  expofe  thenn." 
 
 If  it  be  objedled  to  this  Interpretation,  that 
 there  feems  to  be  no  Want  of  a  Voice  from  Hea- 
 ven to  eftablifh  fo  plain  a  Truth,  as  that  Death 
 puts  an  End  to  all  our  Troubles  -,  and  that  xho.  Bkf- 
 fednefs  of  them  which  die  in  the  Lord  cannot  be 
 fuppofed  to  commence  from  the  Date  of  this  Voice 
 from  Heaven^  rather  than  from  any  other  Period, 
 good  Chriftians  being  at  all  Times  and  in  all 
 Periods  equally  blefied  ;  we  may  have  Recourfe  to 
 the  Interpretation  given  us  by  the  very  learned 
 and  judicious  Bp.  Newton  \  who  is  of  Opinion, 
 that   "  the  Words  from  henceforth  relate  not  {o 
 "  much  to  the  Bleffednefs  of  the  dead^   which  is 
 *'  always  the  fame,  as  to  the  Writing  and  Pro- 
 *'  mulgation  of  this  Do6trine  byZz^/zJ'fr  and  the 
 "  Proteftant  Reformers  : "   from  which  Time, 
 *'  though  the  Bleffednefs  of  the  dead  which  die  in 
 "  the  Lord  hath  not  been  enlarged,  yet  it  hath 
 "  been  much  better  underftood,  more  clearly 
 "  written  and  promulgated  than  it  was  before, 
 "  and  the  contrary  Doftrine  of  Purgatory  hath 
 *'  been  exploded  and  baniihed  from  the  Belief 
 "  9f  all  reaibnable  Men  ».'*     Which  Senfe  o£ 
 the  apocalyptical  Words  removes  t\\tm  flill farther 
 
 3  Drfertatiorts  on  the  Pro^hecieSy  &C.  z"*  Ei.  Vol.  III.  p.  262 
 —265. 
 
 H  from 
 
98  Dissertation    I.       Secft.  5. 
 
 from  being  any  Argument  for  the  Soul's  imme- 
 diate Tranflation  to  its  filial  Slate  of  Reward  in 
 Heaven  *. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 How  the  antient  DoUrine  came  to  he  laid  afide. 
 
 WE  have  fcen,  upon  what  Evidence  of  Rea- 
 fon  and  holy  Scripture  the  antient  Doc- 
 trine of  an  intermediate  State  of  the  Soul^  between 
 Death  and  the  Refurre^ion^  ftands.  And,  per- 
 haps, the  Reader  may  now  be  induced  to  think, 
 it  has  Truth  on  its  Side  —  How  this,  which  was 
 the  current  Dodtrine  of  the  Catholic  Church,  till 
 within  little  more  than  300  Years  ago,  came  to 
 be  laid  afide,  and  That  of  the  Soul's  immediate 
 Tranjlation  to  Heaven  or  Hell  to  take  its  Place, 
 in  the  Chriilian  World,  I  am  here  to  account 
 for. 
 
 Now,  we  find  the  antient  Do6lrine  profcribed 
 by  public  Authority,  in  the  following  Cayion 
 of  the  Council  of  Florence,  held  under  Pope  Euge* 
 
 4  If  we  add  to  the  Text,  above  cited,  the  Words  imme- 
 diately following,  and  with  which  the  V^rfe  concludes — and 
 fhiir  JVorks  do  fotlo-w  them- — the  whole  PafTage  may  he  un- 
 derilood  to  afiert  the  Bk/jedne/s  of  the  dead  ivhich  die  in  ibt 
 Lord,  not  only  becaufe  they  rcji  from  their  Labours,  but  be- 
 caufe  they  are  Cure  to  receive  the  Reward  of  their  Faith  and 
 Obedience.  A  Declaration  worthy  of  a  Voice  from  Hewven  ! 
 ci^it  I  '  nius 
 
Sed.  5,         State  of  the   "Dead.  99 
 
 mus  IV.  A.D.  1439  ^.  "  If  the  truly  penitent  Ihall 
 "  depart  this  Life  in  the  Love  of  God,  before 
 "  they  have  made  fufficient  Satisfaction  for  their 
 "  Sins  of  Commifllon  and  Omiffion,  by  Fruits 
 *'  worthy  of  Repentance,  their  Souls  are  purg- 
 "  ed  by  the  Pains  of  Purgatory ;  and  the  Suf- 
 "  frages  of  the  living  are  profitable  for  the  re- 
 •'  lieving  them  from  the  Pains  of  Purgatory, 
 *'  namely,  by  Sacrifices  of  the  Mafs,  Prayers, 
 *'  and  Alms,  which,  according  to  the  Cliurch,  are 
 "  performed  by  the  faithful,  on  the  Behalf  of  the 
 "  faithful.  ButtheSoulsofthofe,  who,  after  Bap- 
 *'  tifm,  have  contrafted  no  Stain  of  Sin,  as  alFo 
 *'  thofe  Souls,  which,  having  contra<5led  the 
 "  Stain  of  Sin,  whether  in  their  Bodies  or  di- 
 "  vefted  of  their  Bodies,  have  been  purged  as 
 "  above-mentioned,  are  immediately  received  into 
 **  Heaven^  and  clearly  behold  the  triune  God  as  he 
 "  is  ;  but  fome  of  them  more  perfedlly  than 
 *'  others,  according  to  the  Difference  of  their 
 «'  Merits." 
 
 This  plain  KeceJJion  from  Antiquity^  as  Bp. 
 I'aylor  calls  it  ^,  was  evidently  made  to  fupport 
 the  very  kcraiive  Dodlrine  of  Purgatory.  For,  it 
 being  thought  abfurd  to  fuppofe,  that  Souls,  relieved 
 from  the  Pains  of  Purgatory  by  the  Prayers  of  the 
 
 s  See  the  Greek  Hijiory  of  this  Comicil,  publiflied  by  Crejgh' 
 /p«,   1660.  and  Caranza,  Sum,  Ccncil.  454..  f.  v. 
 ''  Ubi  fupra. 
 
 H  2  living. 
 
100  Dissertation    I.      Secfl.  5. 
 
 living,  Ihould  continue  any  longer  in  an  inter- 
 mediate  State,  there  was  a  Necefllty  of  fending 
 them,  fo  releafed,  direftly  to  Heaven  and  the  En- 
 joyment of  the  Beatific  Vifion.  And  we  fliall 
 prefently  fee  another  Reafon  for  this  Departure 
 from  the  antient  Doctrine  by  the  Chriftians  of 
 the  Romijh  Communion. 
 
 In  which  Recejfion  from  Antiquity,  we  find  the 
 Protejiants  univerfally  joining  with  the  Papijls  ^ ; 
 and  for  a  Reafon,  which  I  will  give  the  Rea- 
 der in  the  Words  of  the  celebrated  Ludovicus 
 Capellus ;  who,  having  proved  (againft  the  then 
 received  Opinion)  that  "  the  feparated  Soul  does 
 '*  not  go  immediately  to  Heaven  or  Hell,  but 
 *'  remains  in  a  State  of  iiA^/>^^^//o;z,"  fays:  "Some 
 *'  perhaps  may  wonder,  hQW  it  has  happened, 
 "  if  our  Opinion  be  the  more  probable,  that 
 *'  both  PrDteJiant  and  Popijh  Divines  have  agreed 
 *'  in  That  Opinion  which  we  oppofe.    I  anfwer, 
 
 ">  Luther,  indeed,  and  Calvin,  the  Fathers  of  the  Refor- 
 mation, Both  held  an  intermediate  State,  but  differed  toto  calo 
 in  their  Notions  of  it.  Luther  s  laft  and  fettled  Opinion  (for 
 Jhe  was  not  always  of  the  fame)  appears  to  have  been,  that 
 *'  the  Soul  lies  in  aprofoutid,  infcnfiblc.  Sleep,  and  contained 
 "  in  an  incorporeal  Sepulchre,  in  like  Manner  as  the  body  is 
 •'  contained  in  it's  Grave."  See  his  Comment  on  Eccl.  ix. 
 10.  Cal-uin,  on  the  contrary,  in  a  Tradl  intitled  Pfycopanny-' 
 (hia,  maintained  (as  the  Word  imports)  that  "  the  Soul 
 "  continues  avjake  throughout  the  ^i^hole  Night  of  Death, 
 "  with  all  the  Con/ciou/nefs  and  Senfthility  necefiary  to  the  En- 
 '<  joyment  of  Happlncfs." 
 
 4.  "  that 
 
Sedl.  5.  State  of  the  Dead.  loi 
 
 "  that  both  the  one  and  the  other  have  departed 
 "  from  the  primitive  Opinion  of  the  antient  Fa- 
 *'  thers  of  the  Chriftian  Church,  and  efpoufed 
 *'  this  other,  but  v/ith  different  Views.  The 
 "  Papijis^  in  Order  to  fupport  their  erroneous 
 "  Praftice  of  invocating  the  Saints^  thought  it 
 "  convenient,  that  the  Saints  fhould  be  ftation- 
 *'  ed,  before  the  Refurre^ion^  in  the  third  Hea- 
 "  njen,  where  the  bieifed  enjoy  the  beatinc  Vi- 
 *'  fion  of  God,  and  where,  in  their  fiftitious 
 "  Mirror  of  the  Divine  EfTence,  they  might  be- 
 "  hold  all  Things  which  are  tranfafled  upon 
 *'  Earth  :  and  that  being  by  this  Means  nearer, 
 "  and  confequently  more  like  unto  God,  they 
 "  might  feem  to  beproperer  Objedis  of  our  Pray- 
 "  ers.  Vows,  and  religious  Worfiiip.  It  was 
 "  therefore  the  Spirit  of  Superftition  and  Ido- 
 *'  latry,  which  drove  the  Papifts  into  this  Opi- 
 *'  nion.  But  the  Protejiants^  having  another 
 "  Popifh  Error  to  oppofe,  namely  Purgatory^ 
 *'  and  the  proper  Satisfaftion  for  Sin  there  to  be 
 "  made,  which  would  have  authorized  the  Pope's 
 "  Indulgences  %  were  afraid,  that,  if  they  Ihould 
 
 "  grant 
 
 S  The  Doftrine  of  Purgatory  authorizes  the  Pope's  Indul- 
 gences with  a  Witnefs.  For,  we  learn  from  Travellers,  par- 
 ticularly Kcyjler  (in  his  Trawls  thro'  Germany,  Bohemia,  &c. 
 Lond.  1760.  Vol,  II.)  that  fome  of  ihe  Churches  in  Rcman- 
 Catholic  Countries  have  the  Privilege  of  granting  Indulgences 
 for  many  thoufandi  of  Years.  Thus  at  the  Church  of  the  An- 
 H  3  nunciatiQu 
 
102  Dissertation    I.      Sed:.  5. 
 
 "  grant  that  there  was  a  third  Place  appointed 
 "  for  the  Souls  of  the  pious  and  holy  after  this 
 "  mortal  Life,  they  might  likewife  be  obliged 
 "  to  admit  this  fiflitious  Purgatory.  They  there- 
 "  fore  thought  it  fafer  abfolutely  to  deny  any 
 "  Middle  State,    than    to  expofe   themfelves  to 
 
 nunciaiion  at  Rome  may  be  had  Indulgences  for  tet:  thou/and 
 Years.  Upon  which  That  judicious  Traveller  gives  us  this 
 Remark.  "  Plere  I  cannot  but  obferve,  that  Proteftants  are 
 **  millaken  in  imagining  the  Term  of  Indulgences  to  relate 
 "  to  this  Life,  and,  confequently,  that  an  Indulgence  of  a 
 **  Year  authorizes  a  twelve-Months  Courfe  of  Sin.  The 
 *'  Idea  of  the  Roman-Catholicks  is  very  different ;  for  they 
 *'  believe  that  they  concern  only  the  future  State.  For  In- 
 *'  fiance,  they  imagine  that  a  Perfon,  who,  for  the  Puri- 
 *«  fication  of  his  Soul,  ought  to  remain  in  Purgatory  a  hun- 
 «•  dred  thoufand  Years,  fliall  be  difcharged  at  the  Expira- 
 •'  tion  often  thoufand,  if  he  has  taken  Care  in  his  Life- 
 *'  Time  to  provide  himfelf  wath  Indulgences  for  ninety 
 "  thoufand  Year?."  p.  244.  So  likewife  at  the  Church  of 
 J/.  Paul  nvithoict  the  Walls,  m.iy  be  purchafed  Lidulgaices  for 
 fix  thoufand  Tears.  Upon  which  our  Traveller  remarks : 
 *<  Indeed  to  me  it  is  fomething  of  a  Wonder,  that  any  Per- 
 "  fon,  who  is  really  perfuaded,  that  eternal  Happinefs  is 
 •'  to  be  obtained,  by  thofe  Indulgences  procured  by  vifiting 
 •'  Churches  and  Altars,  can  be  eafy  without  fpending  fome 
 •'  Time  at  Rsme ',  it  being  the  only  Place  in  the  World 
 "  where  That  BlefTednefs  may  be  fecured  with  fo  little 
 «'  Trouble,  as  Indulgences  for  twenty  thoufand  Years  may 
 "  be  acquired  in  half  a  Day,  by  vifiting  the  proper  Chur- 
 "  ches."  p.  245.  No  Wonder  this  monftrous  Abufe  of /;/- 
 iltiUences  ftirred  up  the  Spirit  of  Martin  Luther  to  declaim 
 publickly  againft  it,  and  thereby  gave  Birth  to  a  Refcrmixtion 
 of  Religion  in  m?.ny  Parts  of  the  Chriftian  World. 
 
 "  thp 
 
Sed:.  5.         State  of  the  Dead.  103 
 
 *'  the  Tricks  and  Subtilties  of  the  Paplfts  in 
 "  fupporting  their  Purgatory,  by  granting  fuch 
 '*  third  or  middle  State'." 
 
 Thus  far  this  learned  Proteftant ;  who  has,  I 
 believe,  afiigned  the  true  Reafons,  why  both 
 Papijls  and  Protefiants  thought  fit  to  depart  from 
 the  antient  Dodrine  of  the  Intermediate  State.  But 
 I  muft  confefs,  I  cannot  fee  the  NecefTity  the 
 Frcteftants  were  under  of  joining  with  the  Papifis 
 in  this  Recejfion  from  Antiquity.  The  Dodrine 
 of  Purgatory  is  fo  far  from  being  a  Confequence 
 of,  or  any  Way  conneded  with.  That  antient 
 Dodrine,  that  it  is  effe(5lually  fhut  out  by  it. 
 For,  according  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  they 
 that  die  in  venial  Sins  are  puniflied,  for  a  Time, 
 in  Purgatory^  till  God's  Juflice  be  fatisfied.  But, 
 according  to  the  antient  BooJrine,  the  Interme* 
 diate  State  is  a  State  of  nt'iihtv  a 5fual  Reward  nor 
 aHual  Puniflment,  but  (as  Capellus  expreffes  it) 
 of  Ey:pe£lation  only,  or  a  ProfpeB  of  Reward  or 
 Puniftiment.  So  that  the  Protejlants  might  have 
 continued  to  maintain  the  antient  Do£lrine,  and 
 ftill  have  had  it  in  their  Power  to  rejed:  and  dif- 
 prove  the  RomiJJi  Do<5trine  of  Purgatory. 
 
 The  Church  of  England  having  faid  nothing, 
 in  her  Articles,  as  they  Hand  at  prefent  %   of  the 
 
 State 
 
 9  Ludov.  Capell.  De  Homlnum  poft  Mortem  Statu  u/que  a4 
 ultimum  Jndicii  Diem.     Amil.  1689.  infijie. 
 
 >  In  K.  Edv.mrd\  Articles,  indeed,  the  fortieth  declares 
 againft  the   fuppofed  Death  or  Sleep  of  the  SouU  in  thefe 
 
 H  4  Words 
 
104  Dissertation    I.       Sed:.  ^^ 
 
 State  of  the  dead  between  Death  and  the  Refurrec- 
 t'wn^  her  Senfe  of  the  Matter  can  be  collefted 
 only  from  her  Liturgy,  and  particularly  the  Of- 
 fice for  the  Burial  of  the  dead.  There  fhe  pro- 
 fefTes  to  believe,  that  "  Almighty  God "  hath 
 "  taken  unto  himself  the  Soul  of"  the  deceafed  -, 
 that  "  the  Spirits  of  them  that  depart  hence  in 
 "  the  Lord  do  live  with  God  ",  and  that  "  the 
 *'  Souls  of  the  faithful,  after  they  are  delivered 
 "  from  the  Burden  of  the  Flefh,  are  in  Joy  and 
 *'  Felicity  •, "  but  that  "  we  "  lliall  not  "  have 
 *'  our  ■perfetl  Confummation  and  Bhfs,  both  in 
 "  Body  and  Soul,  in  "  God's  "  eternal  and  ever- 
 "  lafting  Glory,"  till  "  the  Number  of"  his 
 eled  "  be  "  accomplilhed,  and "  his  *^  King- 
 *'  dom  "  ad'ually  come. 
 
 The  Difference  between  this  and  the  antient 
 Do^rine  lies  in  the  Suppofition  of  the  Soul's 
 being  "  taken  unto  God  ",  and  "  living  with 
 *'  God  i "  which  ExpreiTions  feem  to  imply  its 
 immediate  1'ranjlaticn  to  Heaven.  And  it  is  more 
 than  probable,  the  Compilers  of  our  Liturgy 
 really  meant  to  exprefs  That  Do6trine.   But  they 
 
 Words  :  They,  ixiho  fay,  that  the  Souls  of  fuch  as  depart  hence 
 do  Jleep,  being  ivithout  Sen/c,  Feeling,  or  Penei'ving,  until  the 
 Day  of  'Juctg7nent ;  or  affirm,  that  the  Souls  die  •with  the  Bodies^ 
 find  at  the  laji  Day  Jhall  be  raifed  up  •Tvith  the  fame ;  do  utterly 
 difent  from  the  right  Belief  declared  to  us  in  the  holy  Scripture. 
 Collier's  Ecclef  Hijl.  Vol.  11.  Records,  N".  LXVI.  See  my 
 Defence  of  the  commonly-recei'ved  DoSlrine  of  the  human  Soul,  Sec. 
 
 Sea.  n, 
 
 agree 
 
Sed.  5.         State  of  the  Dead.  105 
 
 agree  with  the  antient  Fathers  in  fuppofing  the 
 Soul  excluded  from  the  fupreme  Happwefs  oi' Hea- 
 ven {tht  perfe^l  Confiimmation  andBIifs)  'till  its 
 Re-union  with  the  Body,  And,  when  we  con- 
 fider,  that  the  being  or  living  with  God  are  Ex^ 
 preffions  of  great  Latitude  (for  we  may  be  faid 
 to  be  zvith  or  without  God  even  in  this  Worlds 
 Eph.  ii.  12.)  we  may  ufe  the  Words  of  our 
 Church  in  a  Senfe  confiftent  with  the  antient 
 Dodrine  of  the  Intermediate  State.  We  may 
 fuppofe  the  Soul,  even  in  its  State  of  Exclufton 
 from  the  Local  Heaven^  enjoying  fuch  a  Meafure 
 of  the  Divine  Frefence  (for  God  is  cmniprefent) 
 as  to  be  in  a  State  of  great  Joy  and  Felicity.  But 
 of  this  more  hereafter. 
 
 In  the  mean  Time,  taking  it  for  proved,  by 
 the  Evidence  of  Reafon  and  Scripture  above  al- 
 ledged,  that  the  Soul  of  Man,  upon  its  Separa- 
 tion from  the  Body,  does  not  pafs  dire£lly  to  its 
 final  State  cf  Retribution  in  Heaven  or  Hell,  but 
 exifts  in  fome  intermediate  State  till  the  Refurrec- 
 iion  \  let  us  proceed  (as  far  as  an  humble  and 
 fubmiffive  Exercife  of  Human  Reafon,  aided  by 
 fuch  Light  as  can  be  procured  from  Divine  Re^ 
 velation,  will  enable  us)  to  fome  Enquiries  re- 
 lative to  That  fuppofed  State ;  and  let  us  begin 
 with  an  Enquiry  into  the  Place  of  the  Soul's 
 Reftdence,  during  its  Separation  from,  anc^  be« 
 fore  its  Re-union  with,  the  Body. 
 
 S  E  C- 
 
io6  Dissertation    I.      Sed:.  6. 
 
 SECTION     VI. 
 
 An  Enquiry  inio  the  Place   cf  departed  Souls. 
 
 HP  H  E  Antients  unanimoufly  call  the  Place 
 "■^  of  departed  Souls  by  the  Greek  Name  of 
 ("Ac/'«r)  Hades  or  the  inviftble  Region  *.  And  this 
 Word  they  borrowed  from  the  Scriptures^  in  which 
 Hades  (in  Hebrew  '7'i>iU;  Shed)  is  commonly  uicd 
 to  denote  the  Place  and  State  of  the  dead  *. 
 
 As 
 
 »  GAytLToi   fj.lv  yu^tVyXi  '\'^iyj\i  >y  ffc^ixaroi'  a<^Hi  ^:» 
 
 vfjibv  €J'7eC0if  iK^n fJMff a^  J^io^ofj.iv©'.  Andre,-e  et  Arethes 
 Comment,  in  Apccalypfin.  i.  e.  "  Death  is  the  Separation  of  the 
 "  Soul  from  the  Body.  Hades  is  a  Place,  invifible  and  un- 
 •■  perceivable  by  us,  into  which  our  departed  Souls  are  re- 
 *'   ceived." 
 
 3  In  cur  Engllp  Bible,  Sbeol  and  Hades  are  render'd  by  the 
 Vv''o5d  Hell,  derived  from  the  Saxon  Hit  to  hide,  or  its  Parti- 
 ciple helled,  hidden  or  co'vered ;  and  therefore  Hell  is  not  im- 
 j^roperly  ufed  to  denote  a  conceMed  or  invijible  Place.  Thut 
 His  (Chriji's)  Soul  ivas  7iot  left  in  Hell  («is  acf'y)  neither  his 
 TUfij  did  fee  Corruption.  Adls  ii.  31.  In  reading  the  Scrip- 
 tures, we  fitould  bear  in  Mind  this  original  Senfe  of  the 
 Word  Hell,  becaufe,  in  modern  Speech,  it  is  confined  to  the 
 Place  of  the  damned  in  the  World  to  come. 
 
 The  Je-ivs  diftinguilhed  Sheol  into  Superior  and  hfcrior  ; 
 the  former,  the  Place  of  good  Souls;  the  latter  of  bad, 
 From  whence,  probably,  the  Heathen  Poets  derived  their  Eh- 
 f,um  and  Tartarus,  Many  Interpreters  underftand  our  Savi- 
 our's 
 
Sedl.  6.         State  of  the  Dead.  107 
 
 As  the  Human  Soul  of  our  blefTed  Redeemer^ 
 at  its  Separation  from  his  Body^  is  univerfally 
 believed  to  have  pafled  into  the  fame  Place, 
 whither  the  Souls  of  all  Mankind  are  tranflated 
 at  Death  •,  I  fliall  lay  before  the  Reader  the  Doc- 
 trine of  Hades,  or  the  invijible  Region  of  departed 
 Spirits,  in  the  Words  of  two  of  our  mofl  emi- 
 nent EngliJliJDivmeSj  in  their  Comments  on  That 
 Article  of  the  Jpojiks  Creed,  He  defcended  into 
 Hell. 
 
 Bifliop  Pearfon,  after  examining  various  In- 
 terpretations of  That  Article,  exprefies  himfelf 
 thus  :  "  As  the  Souls,  at  the  Hour  of  Death, 
 *'  are  really  feparated  from  the  Bodies,  fo  the 
 "  Place,  where  they  are  in  Reft  or  Mifery,  is 
 "  certainly  dijlin5l  from  the  Place  in  which  they 
 *'  lived.  They  continue  not  v/here  they  were 
 "  at  That  Inftant  when  the  Body  was  left  with- 
 "  out  Life  :  they  do  not  go  together  with  the 
 "  Biody  to  the  Grave  ;  but,  as  the  Sepulchre  is 
 **  appointed  for  our  Flefh,  fo  there  is  another 
 "  Receptacle  or  Habitation  and  Manfion  for  our 
 
 our's  Parable  oit\iQ  Rich  Matt  and  Lazarus  to  be  an  Allufion 
 to  the  Superior  and  Inferior  Sheol  of  the  jfe-ivs.  It  may  be  fo. 
 But  it  is  not  to  be  underAoodo{  Hades,  according  to  Scrip- 
 ture, Reafon,  and  the  antient  Fathers  ;  becaufe  it  repre- 
 fents  the  State  of  Lazarus  as  a  State  of  ai^ual  RenvarJ,  and 
 That  of  the  Rich  Man  as  a  State  oi  aSlual Punijhment ;  neither 
 of  which  is  the  Cafe  with  the  intermediate  State  of  the  Soul, 
 ^ee  the  trwe  Senfe  of  That  Parable  in  Senior.  IV. 
 
 "  Spirits. 
 
io8  Dissertation    I.      Sedl.  6. 
 
 "  Spirits.  From  whence  it  followeth,  that  in 
 *'  Death  the  Soul  doth  certainly  pafs  by  a  real 
 "  Mcticn  from  That  Place,  where  it  did  inform 
 "  the  Body,  and  is  tranflated  to  That  Place,  and 
 *'  unto  That  Society,  which  God  of  his  Mercy 
 *'  or  Juilice  hath  allotted  it.  And — it  will  ap- 
 "  pear  to  have  been  the  general  Judgment  of 
 "  the  Church,  that  the  Soul  of  Chrift,  contra- 
 *'  diHinguifhcd  from  his  Body,  That  better  and 
 **  more  noble  Part  of  his  Humanity,  was  really 
 *'  and  truly  carried  to  thole  Parts,  where  the 
 "  Souls  of  Men  departed  were  detained  ;  and 
 "  that  by  fuch  a  real  Trantlation  of  his  Soul  he 
 *'  was  truly  faid  to  have  defcended  into  Hell^.^'* 
 
 Dr.  Ifaac  Barrow^  treating  the  fame  Subje6b, 
 has  thele  Words.  "  Seeing  it  is  a  moft  certain 
 *'  I'ruth,  that  our  Saviour's  Soul  did  imme- 
 **  diately  go  into  the  Place  appointed  to  re- 
 *'  ceive  happy  Souls,  after  their  Recefllon  from 
 "  the  Body,  and  Rtfignation  into  God's  Hands  \ 
 "  if  we  take  Hell  in  a  general  and  common 
 "  Senfe  for  the  Place  or  State  of  Souls  departed, 
 *'  2iw6.  def c ending  iox  faffing  thereinto  (by  a  falling 
 "  as  it  were  from  Life,  or  by  going  away  to- 
 *'  gether  with  the  Defcent  of  the  Body,  and 
 *'  thence  ftyled  defcending  •,  what  appeareth  vi- 
 "  fibly  happening  to  the  Body,  being  accom- 
 *'  modated  to  the  Soul)  if,  I  fay,  we  do  thus 
 
 *f  Expojition  of  the  Creedy  j^io,  lO^^^  p.  478. 
 ..  ..v,v^  "  interpret 
 
 J 
 
Sed.  6.         State  of  the  Dead.  109 
 
 **  interpret  our  Saviour's  Defcent  into  Hell  for 
 "  his  Soul's  going  into  the  common  Receptacle 
 "  and  Manfion  of  Souls ^  we  fhall  fo  doing  be  fure 
 "  not  fubflantially  to  miftake.  And  this  Senfe 
 "  I  conceive  to  be  very  proper  to  this  Place, 
 ^^  as  it  implies  the  perfe6t  Accomplifhment  of 
 "  of  Death,  for  the  Soul  to  have  deferted  the 
 "  Body,  and  to  have  been  tranflated  into  the 
 "  dJ^vvarov  acP^v  *  (as  the  Book  of  TVifdom  calls 
 "  it)  the  inviftble  Region  fo  far  diftant  hence  ^.'* 
 
 I  have  chofen  to  exprefs  the  Dodlrine  of  Hades 
 in  the  Words  of  Bp.  Pearfon  and  Dr.  Barrow, 
 becaufe  thofe  great  Divines  are  manifeft  Excep- 
 tions to  That  general  Departure  from  the  antient 
 Dodlrine  of  the  Intermediate  State,  in  which  the 
 Protejlants  fo  readily  followed  the  Example  of 
 the  Papijls.  For,  by  affigning  a  common  Recep- 
 tacle or  Manfion  of  Souls  after  Death,  they  plain* 
 ly  exclude  the  departed  Soul  from  an  immediate 
 Paflage  to  Heaven  or  Hell. 
 
 But  theQueftion  ftill  recurs,  Where  h  Hades  ? 
 What  Region  of  the  Univerfe  has  the  Almighty 
 marked  out  to  be  the  Common  Receptacle  or  ?dan- 
 fion  oi  Souls,  between  Death  and  the  R?furrec- 
 tion  ?  A  Queftion,  we  might  well  pafs  over,  as 
 of  little  or  no  Importance,  were  there  not  an 
 
 f  hevitahle  Hell.  Wifd.  xvH.  1 4. 
 *  Works  in  fol.  Liond.  1716.  Vol.  ii.  p.  301. 
 
 aniient 
 
no  Dissertation    I.      Se6l.  6. 
 
 antient  DoHrine  concerning  it,  which   defervei 
 our  Confideration. 
 
 It  appears  to  have  been  the  general  Opinion 
 of  the  primitive  Chrijlians,  arifing  from  thofe 
 Paflages  of  the  New  Tejiament^  on  which  is 
 founded  the  Article  of  Chrift's  Be/cent  into  Hell, 
 that  Hades  or  Hell  is  a  Subterraneous  Region  or 
 Place  under  Ground.  Let  Tertullian,  who  flourifli- 
 ed  about  the  latter  End  of  the  fecond  Century, 
 deliver  the  common  Sentiment.  "  Plato  "  (fays 
 That  Father)  "  in  his  Pbeedon,  defcribes  the 
 "  infernal  Regions  to  be  an  holkw  Bofom  of  the 
 "  Earth,  into  which  all  the  Filth  of  the  World 
 *'  flowing,  and  there  fettling,  is  from  thence 
 "  exhaled,  and  renders  the  Air  thick  and  un- 
 "  fit  for  Refpiration.  But  we  Chrijlians  be- 
 "  lieve  Hell  to  be,  not  a  mere  Cavity,  nor  any 
 "  open  Sink  of  the  World,  but  a  vaft  Place  in 
 '*'  the  Depth  and  Boivels  of  the  Earth  -,  fince  we 
 *'  read,  that  Chrifl  being  dead  was  three  Days 
 "  in  the  Heart  of  the  Earthy  that  is,  in  the  mofl 
 "  intimate  Recefles  of  ir,  covered  clofe  and 
 "  kept  fecret  by  the  Earth,  and  hollowed  with- 
 *^  in  it,  but  yet  built  and  founded  on  lower 
 "  Depths  and  Abyfles. "  And  again  :  "  If 
 "  Chrift,  though  God,  yet,  as  Man,  dying  and 
 *'  being  buried,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
 "  here  fatisfied  the  Law,  by  fuffering  the  pcr- 
 5*  fed  Form  of  Human  Death  to  pafs  upon  him 
 .'•..V.R-,  *'  in 
 
Sed.  6.         State  of  the  Dead,  1 1 1 
 
 .*'  in  Hell  •,  nor  did  afcend  into  the  higheft  Hea- 
 *'  vens  till  he  had  defcended  into  the  lower  Parts 
 "  of  the  Earth,  that  there  he  might  make  the 
 *'  Patriarchs  and  Prophets  Partakers  of  his  Me- 
 **  rits  ;  hence  you  have  fufficient  Ground  to  be- 
 •'  lieve,  that  there  is  a  fuhterraneous  Region  of 
 *'  Hell,  and  to  confute  thofe,  who  have  Pride, 
 *'  enouo-h  to  imagine  that  the  Souls  of  the  Faith- 
 "  ful  are  too  good  for  That  Place  7. 
 
 How  agreeable  foever  both  to  Scripture  and 
 Human  Reafon  the  antient  Do3lrine  of  an  Inters 
 mediate  State  in  general  may  be,  this  Branch  of 
 it,  A  Subterraneous  Hades  or  Under-ground  Recep- 
 tacle of  Souls,  is,  I  verily  think,  far  from  being 
 fo.     For, 
 
 In  the  firft  Place,  The  Texts,  referred  to  by 
 ^ertullian,  appear,  when  rightly  interpreted,  to 
 have  no  Concern  with  any  Kind  of  Hades  or  Re- 
 septacle   of  Souls  '.     The   firll   is.  That  of  Sc 
 
 1  Tertull.  De  Anima.   c.  55,    56. 
 
 8  It  will  not  follow  from  hence,  that  the  Dodlrine  of  ou? 
 Saviour's  Dejcent  into  Hades  or  Hell  has  no  Foundation  in  Scrip" 
 ture.  For,  tho'  it  be  no  where  formally  or  exprefsly  deliver- 
 ed in  the  Nenxj  Tejlament,  it  is  fufficiently  implied  in  thq 
 Hiftory  of  his  Death,  Burial,  and  Rsfurredicn.  It  is  agreed, 
 that  he  had  an  Human  Soul,  as  well  as  Body  ;  and  it  is  cer- 
 tain, that  his  Soul  was  feparated  from  his  Body  by  Death, 
 and  re-united  with  it  at  his  Refurre£lion.  And,  confs- 
 <juently,  fince  he  did  not  return  to  Heaven  till  after  his  Re- 
 JurreSiion,  it  follows,  that  his  Soul,  in  the  interim,  muft  h?.ve 
 paffed,  as  other  Human  Sou  Is  do,  into  Hades  or  the  Recep- 
 tacle of  Souls,  wherever  That  be. 
 
 4  Maitheii)-: 
 
112  Dissertation    I.      Secfl.  6. 
 
 Matthew  :  As  Jonas  was  three  Days  and  three 
 Nights  in  the  Whale's  Belly  ^fo  Jliall  the  Son  of  Man 
 he  three  Days  and  three  Nights  in  the  Heart  of  the 
 Earth.  Matth.  xii.  40.  But  the  beft  Interpre- 
 ters, Hammond,  Grotiiis,  Clarke,  &c.  underftand 
 thele  Words  only  of  our  Saviour's  Burial  and 
 Refurre^ion  on  the  third  Day.  Indeed,  the  Si- 
 militude,  ufed  by  our  Saviour  (of  Jonas  in  the 
 Whale'* s  Belly)  feems  to  point  to  this  Senfe  of  his 
 .Words. 
 
 The  fecond  and  principal  Text  is.  That  of  St. 
 Paul :  Noiv  that  he  afcended,  what  is  it  hut  that 
 he  defended  firji  into  the  lower  Parts  of  the  Earth  ? 
 Eph.  iv.  9.  But,  by  the  lower  Parts  of  the  Earth  ', 
 Bp.  Pearfon  '  and  Dr.  Hammond  underftand  the 
 Earth  itfelf,  as  diftinguifhed  from  the  Heaven ; 
 in  Refpedt  of  which,  it  may  juftly  be  ftyled  the 
 lower  Parts  of  the  World,  as  confifting  oi  Heaven 
 and  Earth.  Dr.  Hammond  (who  adds  to  this, 
 two  other  Senfes  of  the  Words  lower  Parts  of  the 
 Earth,  and  Both  different  from  the  Senfe,  in 
 .which  Tertul/ian  underftands  them)  paraphrafes 
 the  Text  thus  :  "  What  doth  this  his  Afcent  to 
 **  Heaven  fignify,  but  that  he  firft  defcended  to 
 
 9  KitTfi>Tspa  /t/spH  TWf  y7H.  In  fome  Manufcripts,  the 
 "Word  |UipH  (Parts)  is  abfent.  See  Curcell.  No'v.  Tefi.  This 
 Reading,  the  learned  in  Grammar  will  perceive,  is  ftill  more 
 favourable  to  the  Interpretation  here  contended  for. 
 
 »    Vhifupra.  p.  501—506. 
 
 «'  thefe 
 
Sed.  6.        State  of  the  Dead.  J13 
 
 "  thefe  lower  Parts  of  the  World,  called  the 
 "  Earth  •,  or,  to  the  Virgin's  Womb,  to  be  con- 
 "  ceived  there  in  Human  Flefli,  which  is  by 
 "  the  Pfalmifl  alfo  ftyled  ht\n^  fajiiiomd  hmeatb 
 "  in  the  Earth  ;  or  elfe  to  the  Grave,  called  the 
 "  lower  Parts  of  the  Earth  ?  '*  And  a  very 
 learned  Commentator  fays  :  "  The  Apoftle  does 
 "  not  compare  one  Part  of  the  Earth  with  an- 
 "  other,  but  the  whole  Earth  with  the  Hea- 
 "  ven*." 
 
 As  there  is  no  Foundation  in  Scripture,  fo  nei- 
 ther is  there  in  Reafon^  for  the  Notion  of  a  Sub- 
 terraneous Hiides,  We  fee  no  Propriety  or  fpe- 
 cial  Ufe  in  the  Appointment  of  fuch  a  Receptacle 
 of  Souls.  On  the  contrary,  it  may  be  objeded, 
 firft,  that  it  feems  moft  natural  to  fuppofe,  that 
 Spirit,  difengaged  from  Matter,  fhould  fly  off 
 from  the  Surface  of  this  Ten  cftrial  Abode,  than 
 that  it  fhould  ftnk  downwards,  and  penetrate  into 
 the  Bowels  of  the  Earth  ;  fecondly,  that  it  feems 
 a  little  incongruous  to  fuppofe,  that  two  fuch 
 different  Subflances,  as  Soul  and  Body,  fhould, 
 upon  their  Separation,  go  Both  the  fame  Way, 
 and  have  nearly  the  fame  Place  of  Abode  (the 
 Body  in  its  Grave  near  the  Surface,  and  the  Soul 
 in  an  Abyfs  fomewhat  deeper,  and  nearer  to  the 
 
 »  Non  hie  Comparationem  inftituit  Apoftolus  unius  Partis 
 Terrs  ad  aliam,  fed  totam  Terram  cuin  Ca,lo  confert.  Hcming. 
 Comment,  in  Epijl.  in  loc. 
 
 I  Centre 
 
114  Dissertation   I.       Sed.  6. 
 
 Centre  of  the  Earth)  during  their  feparate  Ex- 
 iftence  •,  and,  laftly,  that  the  gloomy,  difmal. 
 Caverns  in  the  Womb  of  the  Earth  feem  not  to 
 be  the  fittcil  Refidence  of  happy  Souls  (fuch  as 
 'Teriuliian  places  there)  the  Souls  of  Palriarcbs, 
 Prophets^  and  other  good  and  deferving  Perfons. 
 I  lay  no  great  Strefs  on  thefe  Arguments.  It  is 
 fuflicient,  that  Reafon  has  nothing  to  alledge, 
 that  can  n^ake  it  in  the  leafl  Degree  probable, 
 that  the  feparated  Soul  defcends  into  the  Bowels 
 of  the  Earth,  and  is  there  detained  till  the  Time 
 of  its  Re-union  with  the  Body. 
 
 But,  though  there  be  no  Ground  for  placing 
 the  departed  Soul  within  the  Bowels  of  the  Earth, 
 may  we  not  reafonably  fuppofe  it  to  have  its  Refi- 
 dence,during  the  Interval  between  Death  and  the 
 Refurredlion,  in  the  Air  or  Atmofphere  ?  The  na- 
 tural Tendency  of  Spirit  (as  has  been  obferved) 
 is  Upward,  or  from  off  the  Surface  of  the  Earth  ; 
 and  Tertiillian  takes  Notice  %  that  the  Platonijls 
 and  Sides  held,  that  wife  and  good  Souls  have 
 Seats  exalted  in  the  Air  or  Atmofphere,  and  thole 
 higher  or  lower  in  Proportion  to  their  Wifdom 
 and  Goodncfs  •,  but  that  foolifh  and  corrupt  Souls 
 are  deprejfed  towards  the  Earth,  and,  according 
 to  their  Foily  and  Corruption,  hover  at  a  greater 
 or  lefs  Diftance  from  its  Surface. 
 
 3  De  Jnima.  c.  2.. 
 
 Befides  : 
 
Sed:.  6.       State  of  the  Bead.*  115 
 
 Befides  :  If  it  be  reafonable  to  fuppofe,  that 
 no  confiderable  Portion  of  univerlal  Space  is  abr 
 folutely  void  of  all  intelligmt  Beings  why  may  we 
 not  believe,  that  the  Air  or  Jtmcfphere,  furround- 
 ing  this  Globe  of  Earth,  is  furnifhed  wiih  in- 
 telligent Beings,  thin,  light,  aerial,  or  fpiritual 
 Beings,  fuited  to  the  Nature  of  inch  an  Element  ? 
 It  IS  certain,  that  the  Affirmative  has  been  held 
 by  the  ableft  Philofophers,  both  antient  and  mo- 
 dern. And,  if  fo,  here  feems  to  be  a  fit  Habi- 
 tation, ready  at  Hand,  for  the  Reception  of  the 
 departed  Soul ;  a  Place,  where  it  will  dwell  and 
 converfe  with  other  created  Spirits^  of  a  Nature 
 limilar  to  its  own. 
 
 This  Hypothefis,  indeed,  is  much  more  pleaf- 
 ing  to  the  Imagination,  than  That  of  a  Subter- 
 raneous Hades.  Here  is  Liberty.,  and  an  extenfive 
 Range  for  the  difembodied  Spirit  to  expatiate  in, 
 Inflead  of  the  narrov/  Limits  of  a  Prifon.  Here 
 hz.lightfome  and  chearful  Habitation,  inftead  of  an 
 Abode  inveloped  with  perpetual  Gloom  and  un- 
 interruptedD^r/^?Z6y}.  Yet,  I  think,  even  this  Fly- 
 pothefis  is  not  to  be  admitted  ;  and  That  for 
 thefe  two  Reafons.  Firft,  Becaufe  the  Air  or 
 Atmofphere  cannot  properly  be  confidered  as  an 
 invifible  Region  or  Hades,  the  Term,  by  which 
 Scripture  and  the  antient  Fathers  dclcribe-  the 
 Place  or  Habitation  of  departed  Souls.  For, 
 though  the  Particles  of  Air  be  too  fmall  for  cor- 
 poreal Sight,  the  Region  itfelf  is  fufficiently  vijibk, 
 I  2  appearing 
 
ii6  Dissertation   I.       Sed.  6. 
 
 appearing  to  our  View  as  a  Kind  oi  Arch  or  Vault , 
 placed  over  the  Surface  of  the  Earth  (not  unlike 
 the  Chryfial  of  a  Watch)  and  illuminated  by  the 
 Solar  Rays  difperfed  every  Way  throughout  it. 
 Secondly,  Becaufe,  if  the  Ai'r  or  Atmofphere  of 
 this  terrefirial  Globe  be  the  prefent  Seat  or  Red- 
 dence  of  the  Devil  and  his  Angels,  as  we  have 
 good  Reafon  from  Scripture  to  believe  it  is  ♦  j 
 we  can  hardly  fuppofe  the  Souls  of  the  Righteous 
 configned  to  the  fame  Habitation  with  thofe  ac- 
 curfed  Spirits. 
 
 But,  if  we  cannot  find  a  proper  Place  for  the 
 departed  Soul,  either  in  or  about  this  Terrefirial 
 GlcbCy  we  muft  look  for  its  Habitation,  during 
 the  Interval  between  Death  and  the  ReJurre5iion, 
 fome where  elfe  in  the  vafl  Extent  oi  infinite  Space. 
 And,  accordingly,  the  learned  Grotins,  comment- 
 ing on  Luke  viii.  31.  fays :  "  If  there  be  Room 
 "  for  a  modeft  Conjedture,  I  fhould  rather  fup- 
 "  pofe  the  Abyfs  or  Deep,  as  alfo  the  Region  ot 
 *'  happy  Spirits,  to  be  without,  or  at  a  Dijlance 
 *'  from,  this  vifible  World,  than,  as  fome  do, 
 "  in  the  Centre  (or  Bowels)  of  the  Earth."  We 
 may,  therefore,  venture  to  define  Hades,  or 
 the  inviftble  Region  of  departed  Spirits,  to  be. 
 Some  circumscribed  Portion  of  universal 
 
 SpACii,    BEYOND    THE  LiMITS   OF  THIS  HABITA- 
 BLE Globe. 
 
 4  See  Dijert.  IV.  Sscl.  U. 
 
 Whether 
 
Sedt.  6.       State  of  the  Dead.  iij 
 
 Whether  this  Portion  of  Space  be  within  or 
 without  the  Orbit  of  the  Earthy  and  whether  near 
 or  at  a  confiderable  Dijiance  from  this  habitable 
 Globe  *  —  How  the  Soul,  on  its  Separation  from 
 the  Body,  pajfes  into  Hades^  whether  by  its  own 
 proper  Adlivity,  or  by  the  Affiftance  of  fome  mi- 
 
 nijlring  Spirit  of  the  Almighty -Whether  the 
 
 Inhabitants  of  Hades  dsveW  promifcuoujly  together, 
 or  (which  feems  the  more  reafonable  Suppofi- 
 tion)  in  feparate  Manfions  or  diftinul  Difiri5fs  of 
 That  invifihle  Region^  according  to  their  refpec- 
 tive  ClalTes,  as  diftinguiilied  by  their  feveral 
 Merits — Whether //^is'd'j  be  illuminated^  or  involv- 
 
 y  Dr.  Hodges,  late  Pro-voji  of  Oriel  College  in  Oxford, 
 who  follows  the  Jenxn/h  Notion  of  a  y5^/mor  and  inferior  Sheol 
 or  Hades,  propofes  it  to  be  confidered,  "  whether  that  Circle 
 *'  of  thick  Darknefs,  which  furrounds  the  fix  Days  Work  of 
 "  the  Creation,  and  was  poflibly  ordered  thither  upon  the 
 *'  firll  Creation  of  Light,  Gen.  i.  4.  or,  however,  after  the 
 **  fecond  Divifion  or  Expanfion,  mentioned  at  the  14th 
 "  Verfe,  and  when  the  Luminaries  were  formed,-  and  ap- 
 "  pointed  for  a  Divider  between  Day  and  Night,  as  well  as 
 "  for  other  great  Purpofes,  may  not  be  the  Inferior  SheoL 
 "  The  Phrafe  oi  outer  Darknefs,  made  Ufe  of  by  St.  Mai- 
 "  thenxj,  ch,  VIII,  XXII,  XXV,  feems  to  favour  fuch  a 
 *'  Suppofition."  Chrifian  Plan,  See.  2d  Ed.  Lond.  1765. 
 P-  303- 
 
 Alate learned  Writer  conjeftures,  that  "  Hades  is  within  the 
 *'  Earth's  Orbit,  and  fo,  according  to  the  Copernican  Syjiem, 
 "  under  the  Earth,  or  farther  retired  from  the  Heavens 
 «*  than  we  are."  Univerfal  Rejlitution  a  Scripture  DoSlrine. 
 1761.  p.  48. 
 
 I  3  ed 
 
ii8  Dissertation   I.       Se(fl:.  7. 
 
 ed  in  Darknefs  •,  if  the  former,  whether  the  whole 
 Region,  or  That  Part  only,  which  belongs  to 
 good  Souls,  enjoys  the  Benefit  of  Light ;  and 
 •whether  That  Light  proceeds  from  the  Rays  of 
 onr  Stm,  or  of  fome  other  heavenly  Body,  or  is  a 
 peculiar  Light  created  purpofely  for  the  Illumi- 
 
 nation  of  That   Rece-ptack   of  Souls  < Thefe 
 
 are  Queftions,  neither  neceffary  to  be  aiked, 
 nor  pofTible  to  be  anfvvered.  All  we  learn, 
 from  Reafcn  and  Scripture^  is,  in  general,  that 
 there  is  an  Hades  or  invifihle  Region  of  departed 
 Spirits  i  and  that  the  Soul,  divorced  from  its 
 Companion  the  Body,  mud,  fome  how  or  other, 
 pafs  into  That  diftant  Region^  and  be  there  de- 
 tained, till  the  Time  appointed  by  God  Al- 
 mighty for  its  Re-union  with  the  Body,  and 
 I'ranflation  to  \X.%  final  State  of  Reward  or  Punijlu 
 merit  in  Heaven  or  Hell. 
 
 SECTION      VII. 
 
 ji^n  Enquiry  into  the  State  of  the  departed  Soul, 
 with  RefpeU  to  Knowledge,  and  with  Refpe5t 
 to  Happinefs  or  Mifery. 
 
 FROM  enquiring  into  the  Flace  of  the  de- 
 parted Soul,  our Dijfertation  proceeds  to  con- 
 fider  the  intermediate  State  of  That  Spiritual  Part 
 of  the   Pluman  Compofition,  vv'ith   Refpe<5l  to 
 
 Knowledge, 
 
Sed.  7^       ^tate  of  the  Bead,  119 
 
 Knowledge,  and  with  Refped  to  Uafphufs  or  Mi- 
 fery.     And, 
 
 Firft,  With  Refpeft  to  Knowledge.  Now 
 The' Soul,  being,  by  Nature,  ^  thinking  Stih- 
 fiance  (that  is,  a  Subftance,  of  which  thinking 
 is  an  ejfentid  Property)  cannot  lole  the  Faculty 
 of  Cogkatif^n  or  ninking,  but  by  lofing  its  very 
 Being.  It  continues,  therefore,  to  think,  during 
 i-ts  Separation  from  the  Body.  Nor  can  we  fup-, 
 pofe  the  Soul  to  think,  without  fuppofing  it  to 
 exercife,  in  fome  Meafure  or  Degree,  the  feve- 
 ral  Modes  of  Thinking,  as  Recolkmon,  Reafoning, 
 Judgment,  and  the  like.  In  Order  to  which,  we 
 muft  neceffarily  fuppofe  it  poffefied  of  Ideas^ 
 thefe  being  the  proper  Materials  of  'Thinking  in 
 
 all  its  Modes. 
 
 But,  Whence  has  the  Soul  its  Ideas  in  Hades  ? 
 Does  it  carry  any  with  it  into  That  World  of 
 Spirits  ?  And  does  it  receive  any  new  ones  there  ? 
 I  anfwer :  It  mud  have  them  by  one  or  other 
 of  thefe  Means,  and  moft  probably  by  Both. 
 It  is  reafonable,  I  think,  to  fuppofe,  that  the 
 Dijfolution  of  the  Union  between  the  Soid  and  the 
 Body  does  not  deprive  the  former  of  all  the 
 Ideas  or  Imprejfwns  it  received  by  Means  of  That 
 Union.  The  Soul,  we  know  by  Experience,  re- 
 tains its  Ideas  during  the  Hours  of  Sleep.  For, 
 .of  what  elfe  are  Dreams  compounded  ?  And  we 
 know,  that,  at  That  Time,  the  Bodily  Senfes  are, 
 I  4  as 
 
I20  Dissertation   I.       fed.  7. 
 
 as  it  were,  locked  up,  and  the  Tye  or  Connection 
 between  Soul  and  Body  confiderably  loofened  or 
 relaxed.  Why,  then,  may  not  the  Soul  retain 
 its  Ideas,  or  Part  of  them,  when  the  Knot  is  quite 
 untied^  and  the  Body  lies  ajleep  in  Death  ? 
 
 We  fhall  the  more  readily  acquielce  in  this 
 Suppofition,  if  we  admit  the  (not  improbable) 
 Hypothefis  of  the  Soul's  Material  Vehicle^  as  it 
 is  called  :  By  which  is  to  be  underftood,  that 
 the  Soul,  even  during  her  Refidence  in  the  Body, 
 is  doathed  with  another  Body  (if  I  may  fo  fpeak) 
 compofed  of  mod  exquifitely  fine  Particles  of 
 Matter  ^,     For,    if  we   fuppofe,  that  the  Soul, 
 
 confined 
 
 ^  This  was  originally  a  Platonic  DoSirine,  and  is  thus  ex- 
 prefl'edby  the  learned  and  ingenious  Bifliop  Berkley.  *'  The 
 "  Platonifts  held,  thzt  IntelieSl  refided  in  Soul,  zxiASoulin 
 "  an  athereal  Vehicle :  and  that,  as  the  Soul  was  a  middle 
 *»  Nature  reqonuiing  Intelieft  with  ^ther;  fo  ^Ether  was 
 •'  another  middle  Nature,  v/hich  reconciled  and  connedled 
 
 "  the  Soul  with  groffer  Bodies." "  Plato'''  (adds  the 
 
 Bifliop)  "  fpeaketh  of  the  Mind  or  Soul  as  a  Dri'ver  that 
 "  guides  and  governs  a  Chariot,  which  is  not  unfitly  ftyled 
 "  au^cMtTs^  'c;v  h/^.-  ,  a  luciform  aethereal  Vehicle  ;  Terms  ex- 
 '«  prefiive  of  the  Purity,  Lightnefs,  Subtility,  and  Mobility 
 <'  of  That  fine  coeleftial  Nature,  in  which  the  Soul  imme- 
 «'  diately  refides  and  operates."  Chain  of  Philofopkical  Re- 
 feSlic.:  and  Inquiries,  t\f.  Lond.  1744.  p.  78,  79. 
 
 The  ingenious  Mr.  Woolajion  quotes  from  our  great  Eng- 
 lifh  Philofopher  Mr.  Locke  the  following  juft  Obfervation. 
 «<  It  is  worth  our  Coniideration,  whether  «^//i;f  Pow^r  be 
 **  not  the  proper  Attribute  of  Spirit,  and  pajji-ve  Poiuer  of 
 
 "  Matter. 
 
Sedl.  7*       State  of  the  Dead.  121 
 
 confined  within  the  Body,  receives  her  Intelli- 
 gence or  Ideas  of  Things  by  Means  of  Imprejfions 
 made  on  her  Material  Vehicle  ^  ;  and  that  this 
 Vehicle  or  Cloathing,  with  which  fhe  is  infepar- 
 ably  united,  departs  with  her  out  of  the  Body, 
 
 *^  Matter.  Hence  may  be  conjeflured,  that  created  Spirits 
 *'  are  not  totally  feparatedfrom  Matter,  becaufe  they  are  both 
 "  aftive  and  paffive.  Pure  Spirit,  viz.  God,  is  only  active  : 
 "  Pure  Matter  is  only  paffive.  Thofe  Beings,  that  are  both 
 *'  aftive  and  paffive,  we  judge  to  partake  of  Both."  Ac- 
 cordingly, Mr.  Woolafton  concludes,  that  the  Soul,  even 
 during  its  Refidence  in  the  Body,  is  "  intimately  united  with 
 "  fome  fine  Material  Vehicle ;"  that  "  thefe  aft  in  Con- 
 *<  junftion.  That,  which  afFeds  the  one,  afFeding  the  o- 
 ^^  ther ;"  that  "  the  Soul  is  detained  in  the  Body  (the  Head 
 f*  or  the  Brain)  by  fome  Sympathy  or  AttraSiion  between  That 
 "  and  It,  till  the  Habitation  is  fpoiled,  and  this  mutual 
 ^*  Tendency  interrupted  (and,  perhaps,  turned  into  an  A- 
 **  verfion,  which  makes  it  fly  off)  by  fome  Hurt  orDifeafe, 
 <*  or  by  the  Decays  and  Ruins  of  Old  Age,  or  the  like, 
 f*  happening  to  the  Body."  Religion  of  Nature  delineated, /i^to. 
 
 "   1731-  P-  J92.   193- 
 
 1  "  This  animated  Vehicle"  (Mr.  Woolajion  fuppofes) 
 *'  has  it's  Abode  in  the  Brain,  among  the  Heads  andBegin- 
 **  nings  of  the  Nerves ;"  and,  "  when  Impreffions  are  made 
 «'  on  the  Organs  or  Parts  of  the  Body,  the  Effefts  of  them 
 ^'  are  carried  by  the  Nerves  up  to  their  Fountain,  and  the 
 *'  Place  where  the  Soul  in  her  Vehicle  is ;  and  there  they 
 *'  communicate  their  feveral  Motions  or  Tremors  to  this 
 "  material  Vehicle  (or,  by  their  Motions,  or  Tendency  to 
 *'  Motion,  prefs  upon  it  \)  fo  that  the  Soul,  which  inha- 
 *•  bits  it  in  a  peculiar  Manner,  and  is  throughly  poflelTed  of 
 ."  it,  fhall  be  apprehenfxve  of  thefe  Motions  or  PrcfTures." 
 Vhi  fupra,  p.  197. 
 
 and 
 
122  Dissertation    I.       Se<3:.  7. 
 
 and  accompanies  her  into  Hades ;  we  can  eafily 
 conceive,  how  fhe  carries  Ideas  with  her  into 
 That  World  of  Spirits  ;  namely,  by  Impreflions 
 remaining  on  That  fine  Material  Subjlance  Ihe  is 
 cloathed  withal. 
 
 With  Refpedt  to  the  Things  of  this  Worlds  we 
 cannot  fnppofe  the  departed  Soul  to  have  any 
 other  Knowledge  of  them,  than  what  arifes  from 
 Memory  or  RecoUedlion.     By  contem-plating  the 
 Ideas  it  carries  with  it  into  the  World  of  Spirits, 
 it  may  have  a  prefent  Senfe  of  many  Things, 
 which  pafied  during  its  Abode  in  the  Fiefn.    It 
 may  preferve  a  Confcioufnefs  of  its  own  Opera- 
 tions in  the  Body,  and  of  the  principal  Adions 
 it  gave  Birth  to.     It  may  recolkd  the  chief  Cir- 
 cumftnnces  of  the  Man^  his  Situation   in  Life, 
 his  Civil  and  Social  Connexions,  his   Profperity 
 or  Adverfity,  and  the  hke.     But,  with  Refped 
 to  the  Tranfadions  of  this  World  after  the  Death 
 of  the  Man,  we  cannot  allow  the  Soul  any  Know- 
 ledge of  them,  unlefs  by  fpecial  Communication 
 from  God  himfelf.     For,  How  fhall  the  departed 
 Soul,  naturally^  acquire  any  Knowledge  of  what 
 piaffes  iti  this  W^orld  .?  It  received  its  Intelligence 
 of  Worldly  Things  by  Means  of  the  Bodily  Senfesl 
 But  this  Jnlet  of  Knowledge  is  loft  by  the  DifTo- 
 lution  of  the   Bodily  Frame.     And  the  Soul's 
 Diftame  from  the  Scene  of  Adion  excludes  it 
 from  all  Poflibility  of  receiving  any  Knowledge 
 of  what  paffes  in  this  World  by  new  Impreflions 
 
 on 
 
Sed.  7.       State  of  the  Dead,  123 
 
 on  its  Materkl  Vehicle.  Nor  is  It  probable,  God 
 fhould  acquaint  the  departed  Spirit  with  what 
 palTes  in  a  World,  with  which  it  has  no  further 
 Concern.  I  conclude,  then,  that  the  Soul,  in 
 its  State  of  Separaticn  from  tlie  Body,  remains  an 
 Utter  Stranger  to,  and  totally  ignorant  of,  every 
 Thing  tranfadled  on  the  Theatre  of  this  Worlds 
 from  the  Moment  of  That  Separation. 
 
 Here  I  cannot  but  take  Occafion  to  employ 
 the  Reafonino;  now  before  us  ao-ainft  the  com- 
 monly-received  Opinion  and  Belief  of  Appari- 
 tions (as  they  afe  called)  or  the  inftble  Appear- 
 ances of  Perfons  adually  dead  and  buried^  fo  as  to 
 be  known  to  the  living  by  their  Figure,  Coun- 
 tenance, Speech,  and  even-Drefs. 
 
 Now,  taking  it  for  granted,  that  the  Belief 
 of  Apparitions  iuppofes  the  Appearance  to  be 
 That  of  the  Scid  or  Spirit  of  the  deceafed,  and 
 hot  That  of  his  or  her  Body^  which,  at  That  very 
 Inftant,  lies  rotting  in  its  Grave  \  I  fliall  endea- 
 vour to  Hiew  the  high  Improbability  of  any  fuch 
 Appearance. 
 
 According  to  the  foregoing  Do6lrine  of  the 
 intermediate  State,  the  Soul,  immediately  upon 
 its  Separation  from  the  Body,  is  removed  to  a 
 Place  at  fome  Dijtance  from  this  habitable  Earth, 
 the  deftined  Scene  of  its  Exiftence  till  the  Re- 
 furre^ion.  And  it  is  moft  reafonable  to  fuppofe, 
 it  is  detained  there  by  the  Will  of  Providence, 
 without  Liberty  or  Power  to  make  Euturftons 
 
 from 
 
124  Dissertation    I.      Sed. /» 
 
 from  thence,  or  rrcifit  this  World,  before  the 
 Time  appointed  for  its  Re-union  with  the  Body. 
 For,  if  it  cannot  be  made  appear  (as  we  Ihall 
 prefently  fee  it  cannot)  that  the  Return  of  the 
 Soul  to  this  World  is  neceffary,  in  any  one  Re- 
 fpe6V,  to  the  Exercife  of  God's  Providence  in 
 the  Government  of  the  World,  we  may  juftly 
 conclude,  there  is  no  Return  of  ^ouls  from  their 
 appointed  Abode  in  Hades. 
 
 But  let  us  fuppofe  the  Soul  at  Liberty^  and 
 able  of  itfelf,  to  pafs  from  one  Region  of  the 
 Univerfe  to  another,  how  diftant  foever ;  ftill  it 
 may  be  alked,  How  fhall  it  afiume  the  vifible 
 Form  and  Appearance  of  an  Human  Body  ?  Its 
 Material  Vehicle  (if  it  has  one)  will  not  ferve  the 
 Purpofe.  For,  being,  probably,  of  a  Contexture 
 finer  than  Air  itfelf,  and  having  its  Refidence, 
 toc^ether  with  the  Soul,  in  the  Head  or  Brain 
 of  the  Man,  it  cannot,  naturally,  be  either  vifibk 
 or  of  an  Human  Shape.  And,  to  fuppofe  it  in 
 the  Power  of  the  Soul,  by  any  Modification  what- 
 ever, to  render  its  Vehicle  both  vifible  and  of  an 
 Human  Form,  is  to  fuppofe  it  endowed  with  a 
 Power  not  lefs  than  That,  which  formed  Man 
 out  of  the  Duft  of  the  Earth. 
 
 Befides :  Suppofing  the  Soul  aftually  cloathed 
 with  the  Phantom  or  Refemblance  of  a  Body,  and 
 arrived  at  this  Earthly  Scene  •,  what  could  it  do 
 Here  ?  It  could  have  no  Knowledge  of  what 
 pafies  in  this  World,  for  Want  of  thofe  Bodily 
 
 Organs^ 
 
Sedt.  7.       State  of  the  Dead.  125 
 
 Organs,  which  Nature  has  appointed  to  be  the 
 Means  of  conveying  fuch  Knowledge  to  it. 
 As  well  may  we  fuppofe  the  Fixture  of  a  Man 
 on  a  Piece  of  Canvas,  as  the  mere  Phantom  of  a 
 Body,  toy^^,  hear,  and  /peak.  And  therefore,  in 
 the  very  midft  of  the  Things  of  this  Worlds  the 
 unorganized  Apparition  would  be  as  utterly 
 ignorant  of  them,  as  the  lifehfs  Body  itfelf. 
 Here  is  an  infuperable  Bar  in  the  Way  of  all  In- 
 tercourfe  or  Communication  of  Intelligence  be- 
 tween the  dead  and  the  living.  I  need  not  ob- 
 ferve,  that  thefe  Arguments  refpeft  only  the  na- 
 tural Powers  of  the  Human  Soul,  or  what  it 
 may  be  fuppofed  able,  of  itfelf  alone,  to  effe6t. 
 
 But,  May  not  God,  for  wife  Ends  of  his  Pro- 
 vidence, fend  the  Soul  back  to  Earth,  cloathed 
 with  a  Sort  of  Body,  fo  as  to  be  viftble  to  mortal 
 Eyes,  and  enabled  to  hold  Converfation  with 
 the  living  ?  He  may,  no  Doubt.  But  our  Be- 
 lief of  fuch  a  Divine  Interpofition  muft  fland 
 upon  good  Grounds  of  Reafon,  and  be  fupported 
 by  indifputable  Fa^s. 
 
 We  muft,  firft  of  all,  be  convinced,  that  there 
 are  Occaftons  worthy  of  fuch  a  Divine  Interpofi- 
 tion, and  which  feem  to  require  it  *.     The  Dif- 
 
 ^  Horace^  Rule  is  applicable  here  : 
 Nee  Deus  interfit,  nifi  dignus  Vindice  Nodus 
 Incident.  'Dq  Arte  Poet.  \.  \()\, 
 
 Ne'ver  prefume  to  make  a  God  appear. 
 But  for  a  Bujinefs  'worthy  of  a  God.  Rofcommon. 
 
 covcry 
 
126  Dissertation    I.       Se<fl.  7, 
 
 covery  of  hidden  Treafure,  or  the  Recommen- 
 dation of  a  particular  Book  9,  no  Man  of  Senfe, 
 I  prefnme,  will  reckon  among  fuch  Occafions. 
 But  the  Deletion  of  a  Murderer^  or  the  Reforma- 
 tion of  a  very  wicked  Man,  may  be  thought  a  fuf- 
 fieient  Call  upon  Providence  for  the  Intervention 
 of  a  Sprite  Ghofiy  or  Apparition  from  the  dead. 
 But, 
 
 With  Refpeft  to  the  firfl  of  thefe  Cafes :  When 
 we  confider,  how  many  natural  Ways  there  are, 
 in  which  the  Providence  of  God  can  hring  to 
 Light  the  moft  hidden  "Things  of  Barknefs  ( i  Cor. 
 iv.  5.)  and,  in  Fa6t,  how  many  Murders  have 
 been  difcovered  by  a  Concurrence  of  natural 
 Events,  under  a  Providential  Dire5lion,  we  fee  no 
 Neceflity  of  Information  from  the  dead,  for  the 
 Detection  of  a  Murderer,  how  fecretly  foever  he 
 may  have  committed  the  horrid  Fad.  And  it 
 feems  to  be  miftaking  the  Nature  and  Methods 
 of  God's  Providence,  to  fuppofe  he  has  Recourfe 
 to  Miracles  (for  an  Apparition  is  a  Miracle)  for 
 the  cffeding  his  Divine  Purpofes  in  the  Govern- 
 ment of  the  World,  when  the  C-ourfe  of  Nature 
 
 ■7  See  the  Preface  to  the  Englifh  Tranflation  of  Drelincourt 
 upon  Death ;  in  which  there  is  an  Account  of  the  Apparition 
 of  one  Mrs.  Vealto  her  Friend  Mrs.  Bargra^ve  ;  to  whom,  in 
 Converfatjon,  fte  recommends  the  Perufal  of  that  Work. 
 This  has  very  much  the  Air  of  a  Bookfeller's  Contrivance 
 to  promote  the  Sale  of  the  Book.  And  I  have  ht^n  told,  the 
 Trade  very  well  knew  that  it  was  To. 
 
 ftands 
 
Sed.  7.       State  of  the  Dead.  127 
 
 flands  ready  to  obey  his  Divine  Will,  and  pro^ 
 duce  the  intended  Effed  by  the  Operation  oi  Jt- 
 cond  Caufes, 
 
 As  to  the  Reformation  of  wicked  Men :  This 
 Cafe   is  ftatcd  and  determined,  by  our  Saviour 
 himfelf,  in  the  Parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and  La- 
 zarus.    Luke  xvi.  19 — 31.    The  former   is   re- 
 prefented  as  preferring  this  Petition  to  Abraham  : 
 I  fray  thee,  Father,  that  thou  wouldji  fend  Lazarus 
 to  my  Father's  Houfe  ;  for  I  have  five  Brethren ; 
 that  he  may  teflify  unto  them,  left  they  alfo  come  into 
 this  Place  of  Torment.    A  MefTage  from  the  dead, 
 *  he  concluded,   v^ould  be  an  effedlual  Means  of 
 working  the  Reformation    of  his  wicked   Bre- 
 thren.   Abraham  coldly  replies :  I'hey  have  Mofes 
 and  the  Prophets  ;   let  them  hear  them  :  Let  them 
 attend  to  thofe   Means  of  Inftrudion  God  has 
 afforded  them  in  his  revealed  Will,  and  read  there 
 the  Neceffity  of  their  Repentance  and  Amend- 
 ment of  Life.     But  the  Rich  Man,   who  knew 
 by  fad  Experience,  how  inefied:ual  the  ordinary 
 Means  of  Convidion  too    generally  are  for  the 
 Reformation  of  fuch  hardened  Sinners  as  himfelf 
 and  his  five  Brethren,   grows  importunate  with 
 the  Father  of  the  faithful  to  grant  hi.s  Requeft : 
 Nay,  Father  Abraham  ;  but  if  one  Tent  unto  them 
 frovA   the  dead,  they   will  repent :  However  they 
 may  turn  a  deaf  Ear  to  the  Calls  oi  Mofes  and  the 
 Prophets,   fo  <?xtraordinary  a  Method,    as   the 
 I  TcHimony 
 
128  Dissertation    I.       Sed.  7. 
 
 Teflimony  of  a  departed  Scul,  communicating  In- 
 telligence from  the  other  World,  and  declaring 
 the  final  Doom  of  the  Wicked,  cannot  fail  of 
 Succefs  in  bringing  them  to  Repentance.  So 
 the  Ricb  Man  judged.  But  the  Patriarch  thought 
 othcrwife.  For,  If  they  hear  not  Mofes  and  the 
 Prophets  (fays  Abraham)  neither  will  they  he  per- 
 fuadcd,  though  one  rofe  from  the  dead :  If  a  ftand- 
 ing  Revelation  of  God's  Difpleafure  againft  Sin, 
 and  the  Severity  of  its  Punifhment  in  the  World 
 to  come,  be  not  fufficient  for  the  Converfion 
 of  Sinners,  neither  will  an  Apparition  from  the 
 dead,  declaring  the  fame  Things,  prevail  with 
 them  to  repent  and  amend  their  Lives. 
 
 The  Ground  of  Abrahant's  final  Anfwer  to  the 
 Rich  Man*s  Requeft  feems  to  be  Tins :  That, 
 however  the  five  Brethren  might  be  feared  and 
 terrified,  by  the  ghaftly  Apparition  of  Lazarus, 
 into  a  prefent  Refolution  of  Amendment,  it  is 
 not  likely,  the  ImprefTion  made  on  them  Ihould 
 be  of  any  long  Continuance,  or  effeftual  to  their 
 Reform.ation.  The  Removal  of  the  Vifion  from 
 before  their  Eyes  would  prefently  leflen  the 
 Fright  it  had  put  them  in  •,  and  this  would  make 
 Way  for  Doubts  and  Sufpicions  as  to  the  Reality 
 of  it.  They  would  begin  to  diftruft  their  own 
 Senfes,  and  to  confider  the  horrid  Scene  as  a 
 mere  Deceptio  vifus,  or  Creature  of  the  Imagina- 
 tion. And  thus,  having  brought  themfelves  to 
 1  a  Dif- 
 
Sed:.  7.       State  of  the  Dead.  1 29 
 
 a  Diibelief  of  what  they  had  feen,  and  got  the 
 better  of  their    Fears,   their  Refolution  of  A- 
 mendment  would    vanifh  of  Coiirfe,    and  they 
 would  continue  as  hardened  and  impenitent  as 
 before  the  Apparition.      The  Probability  of  this 
 Confequence  is  confirmed  by  the  too  common 
 Behaviour  of  wicked  Men,  after  Recovery  from 
 dangerous  Sicknefs.     The  Fear  of  Death  may 
 bring  them  to   ftrong  Vows  and  Refolutions  of 
 leading  a  new  Life.   But,  with  returning  Health, 
 they  return  to  their  former  finful  Courfes,  like 
 the  Dog  to  his  Vomit ^  and  the  Sovj  that  was  waflied 
 to  her  wallowing  in  the  Mire.  2  Pet.  ii.  22*  And, 
 what  Reafon  is  there  to  exped,  that  the  terrible 
 Appearance  of  a  Meflenger  from  the  dead  Ihould 
 be  more  effeftual  to  the  Converfion  of  a  Sinner, 
 than  the   near  Approach  of  Death  himfelf,  the 
 King  of  Terrors  ?  From  whence  we  learn,  not  to 
 look  upon  the  Converfion  of  Sinners  as  a  proper 
 Call  upon  Providence  for  Apparitions  or  MiJJton- 
 aries  from  the  JVorld  of  Spirits ;  fince  we  may  be 
 very  fure,  the  Divine  Wifdom  rever  makes  Ufe 
 of  Means  inadequate  to  the  End  propofed. 
 
 But,  if,  in  neither  of  thefe  two  Cafes  ( the 
 Deteolion  of  a  Murderer^  or  the  Reformation  of  a 
 wicked  y\^n')  we  fee  any  NecelTity  of  a  Ghoji^ 
 Spirit^  or  Apparition^  to  eftect  the  Work  ;  and, 
 if,  with  Refped  to  the  latter  in  particular,  our 
 Saviour  himfelf  has  declared  the   Inefficacy  of 
 
 K  facU 
 
130  Dissertation    I.     Se6:.  7^. 
 
 fuch  a  Divine  Interpofition  -,  it  will  be  no  eafy 
 Matter  to  point  out  any  other  Cafe,  in  which  it  is 
 more  reafonable  to  expedl,  God  will  fo  Interpofe. 
 And,  coniequently,  we  have  good  Reafon  to  con- 
 clude, that  the  Divine  Providence  never  did^. 
 nor  ever  will,  in  any  Cafe,  have  Recourfe  to  Ap- 
 paritions from  the  dead  i'or  effecting  its  Defigns  oa 
 the  living. 
 
 But  we  are  prefled  with  Matters  of  Fa^  •,  and 
 it  is  pretended,  there  are  fo  many  well-attejled 
 Stories  of  Apparitions^  we  muft  be  unreafonably 
 fceptical  and  incredulous  to  reje6t  them  all  with- 
 out Exception.  I  fliall  not  take  upon  me  to 
 deny  what  it  is  not  in  my  Power  to  difprove,  nor 
 to  call  in  queftion  the  Veracity  of  Perfons,  whofe 
 Moral  Charader  I  am  unacquainted  with.  I 
 fhall  only  obferve,  that,  v/hen  we  confider,  how 
 many  fuppcfid  Apparitions  have  been  difcovered  to 
 be  counterfeit,  or  contrived  by  artful  Perfons,  to 
 terrify  others,  or  to  effed:  fome  wicked  Purpofe 
 — how  many  others  have  been  found  to  proceed 
 from  Alijlake,  or  an  E?'ror  of  the  Senfes  —  and 
 how  often  the  Belief  of  an  Apparition  may  juftly 
 be  afcribed  to  the  working  of  a  difiirbed  Imagi- 
 nation— When,  I  fay,  we  confider  thefe  Things, 
 and  join  with  them  the  Arguments  above  advan- 
 ced againil  the  Probability  of  the  Thing  itfelf,. 
 we  fee  abundant  Reafon,  not  barely  for  fufpend- 
 ing  our  Belief,  but  for  abfolutely  refufing  our 
 
 Affent 
 
 i 
 
Secfl.  7«       State  of  the  Dead.  131 
 
 AfTent  to  the  bejl  atttfted  Accounts  of  Ghofts  and 
 Apparitions  ^ 
 
 The 
 
 8  The  Credit  of  thefe  Stories  is  much  weakened  by  the 
 following  Confiderations. 
 
 Firft,  It  is  remarkable,  that  your  Ghojts  feldom  'walk  (as 
 the  Term  is)  in  Cities  or  large  Towns,  but  choofe  the  Re- 
 tirement of  the  Country  ;  where  they  trouble  old  Man/ion 
 Houfes,  are  feen  in  thick  and  gloomy  Groves  and  Forejis,  Sec. 
 For  which  no  other  Reafon  can  be  affigned,  than  that,  in 
 Cities  and  large  Towns,  People  have  fomething  elfe  to  do, 
 than  to  think  oi Ghojis  and  Apparitions;  while  the  Solitude 
 of  the  Country  is  apt  to  cherifli  a  melancholic  Difpofition  of 
 Mind,  and  fill  the  Imagination  with  groundlefs  Apprehen- 
 fions  and  Terrors. 
 
 Secondly,  No  Reafon  can  be  affigned,  why  Spirits  fhould  ap- 
 pear in  the  Night  rather  than  the  Day.  They  might  be  equally 
 vifible  at  one  Time  as  at  another ;  and  the  Bufinefs  they 
 come  upon  might  be  tranfacled  by  Day  as  well  as  by  Night. 
 And  yet  we  feldom  or  ever  hear  of  Apparitions  in  the  Morn- 
 ing, or  at  Noon  ;  but  always  late  in  the  E'vening,  or  in  the 
 dead  of  the  Night ;  when  (as  Shake/pear  in  Hamlet  finely  ex- 
 prefles  it)  they  re-vijtt  the  Glimp/es  of  the  Moon,  making  Night 
 hideous.  The  true  Reafon  of  which  is,  that  Darknefs  excites 
 Fears  and  Terrors  in  the  Mind,  which  naturally  leave  it  with 
 the  Return  of  Light. 
 
 Lauly,  What  one  would  think  Ihould  entirely  deftroy  the 
 Credit  of  thefe  Stories,  is,  the  Confideration,  that  the  Belief 
 q{  Apparitions  is  always  found  to  prevail  moft  in  Times  of  Ig- 
 norance, and  to  decline  in  Proportion  to  the  Advancement 
 of  Learni.ig  in  a  Nation,  Of  which  our  own  Country  affords 
 us  a  prefent  Example.  For,  in  this  Age  of /;,v/row^ Know- 
 ledge in  true  Religion  and  Philofophy,  we  hear  little  or 
 nothing  of  Ghojl;  and  Apparitions,  fa  common  in  the  Days  of 
 our  Fore-Faihers.  This  more  than  creates  a  Sufplclon,  it 
 K.  2  proves 
 
132  Dissertation    I.       Scdc.y, 
 
 The  Reader,  it  is  hoped,  will  excufe  the 
 Length  of  this  Digrcjficn  •,  from  which  I  now  re- 
 turn, to  obferve,  concerning  the  Slate  of  the  de- 
 parted Soul  with  Refpedl  to  Knowledge,  that,  tho' 
 it  be  necefliiiily  fhut  out  from  all  Intelligence  of 
 what  pafies  in  this  IVorld,  it  will,  probably,  have 
 abundant  Matter  for  Thought  and  Reflexion  m 
 the  World  of  Spirits.  A  Sleep  of  the  Soul,  fuch 
 as  Luther  fuppofed  9,  and  others  after  him  have 
 maintained,  is,  if  poflible,  more  abfurd,  than  the 
 Pofition,  maintained  by  fome  modern  Writers, 
 oino  Soul  at  all  *.  A  Spiritual  Being,  fuch  as  the 
 Soul  is,  cannot  be  fubjed;  to  That  LaJJitude  or 
 Wearinefs,  wliich  brings  on  the  Sleep  of  the  Body. 
 It  is  all  A^i'vity,  and,  unlefs  fupernaturally  laid 
 ajleep  by  the  Author  of  its  Being  (vvfhich  can 
 hardly  be  fuppofed)  will  continue  (according  to 
 Calvin)  awake  throughout  the  whole  Night  of 
 Death  *  •,  and  (it  is  reafonable  to  think)  will  ex- 
 exert  all  its  Fov;ers  and  Faculties  with  more  Free- 
 dom, and  in  greater  Perfedion,  than  when  it 
 a£lcd  in  Conjunftion  with  the  Body. 
 
 pro\  es  (I  verily  think)  that  the  Belief  of  Apparitions  has  no- 
 Foundation  in  Truth  and  Reality.  For,  were  there  really 
 fuch  a  Thing,  and  were  any  good  End  of  Providence  to  be- 
 anfwered  by  fuch  a  fupernatural  Interpofition,  no  Reafon 
 can  be  given  for  its  Ahatemsnt  or  D  if  continuance  among  us. 
 
 "^  See  Note,  p.  100. 
 
 »  See  my  Defcme  of  the  ceravionlj-received  Doclnne  af  the 
 Unman  Soul. 
 
 ^  See  No/«>,  p  100. 
 
 The 
 
Sedl.  7.       State  of  the  Dead.  133 
 
 The  OhjeSls  of  the  Soul's  Knowledge^  in  Hades, 
 will  be,  partly,  the  Circumftances  of  its  w^-ic;  State 
 of  Being.     It  will  be  perfeftly  fenfible  of  the 
 Difference  between  its  -paft  <2nd  prefent  Condition  j 
 and  beconie  as  well  acquainted  with  what  paffes 
 in  That  World  of  Spirits^  as    it   was  with   the 
 Tranfaftions  of  this  M^crld,  during  its  Union  with 
 the  Body.     And  we    may  realbnably  fuppofc. 
 That  new  Scene  of  Things  will  afford  as  ample 
 Materials  for  Thought  and  Reflc6lion,   as  the 
 prefent.     It  will  fare  with  the  Sou],  as  it  does 
 with  a  Traveller,  at   his   Arrival   in   a   foreign 
 Country  :  Every  Object  that  prefcnts  itfelf  will 
 engage  its  Attention,  its  Curiofity,  and  its  Ex- 
 amination.    To  which  mufl  be  added,  Its  Re- 
 colleSlion  of  Things  pafl,  as  far  as  the  Ideas  it  re- 
 tains of  them  will  permit  \  and  its  Frofpe^l  of 
 Futurity.,  or  That  everlafting  State  of  Being  it 
 will  be  placed  in,  upon  its  Re-union  with  the 
 Body.     A  Confideration,  which  fuggefts  to  us. 
 
 Secondly,  The  State  and  Condition  of  the  de- 
 parted Sold,  with  Keibed  to  Happinefs  or  Mifery. 
 Now, 
 
 In  the  firft  Place,  The  Souls  ox  gocd  Men  can- 
 not but,  immediately  on  their  Recels  from  the 
 Body,  enjoy  That  Pleafure  and  Delight,  which 
 mud  naturally  arife  from  the  Senfe  of  their  De- 
 liverance from  all  the  Cares  and  Anxieties,  the 
 Mifcries  and  Diftrefies,  of  this  Mortal  Life  •,  to- 
 gether with  their  Security  againil  all  future  At- 
 K  3  tacks 
 
134  Dissertation    I.       Sed.  7. 
 
 tacks  both  of  Natural  and  Moral  Evil.  Like 
 Mariners^  efcaped  to  Land  from  Storms  and 
 Tempefts,  they  will  look  back  to  the  troubled 
 Ocean  of  this  World,  and  congratulate  them- 
 felves  on  their  happy  Arrival  in  a  Port  of  Tran- 
 quillity  and  Safety. 
 
 One  eminent  Source   of  Happinefs  to   pious 
 Souls  in  Hades,  will  be,  their  Prefence  with  Chrifi. 
 This  is  pointed  out  by  St,  Paul,  in  thefe  Words  : 
 We  are  always  confident,  knowing,  that  whilji  we 
 are  at  home   in  the  Body,  we  are  ahfc7tt  from  the 
 Lord-^—We  are  confident,  I  fay,  and  willing  rather 
 to  he  abfent  from  the  Body,  and  prefent  with  the 
 Lord.  1  Cor.  v.  6,  8.     I  am  fenfible,  this  Text 
 may  be  alledged  as  a  Proof  of  the  Soul's  imme^ 
 diate  T'ranflation  to  Heaven,  whither  Chrifi:  is  al- 
 ready afcended.     But,  that  it  refpefts  the  interme- 
 diate State  of  the   Soul  between  Death  and  the 
 Refurreftion,    is  evident  from    hence,  that  the 
 Happinefs  of  being  prefent  zvith  Chrifi  is  repre- 
 fented  as  being  enjoyed  by  the  Good  during  their 
 Ahfence  from  the  Body.     Hence  we  mud  diflin- 
 guifh  this  Prefence  of  Chrifi  with  the  Souls  of  the 
 Good  in  Hades  from.  That  Beatific  Vifion,  or  Sight 
 and  Enjoyment  of  God  and  of  Chrifi  in  Heaven, 
 which  will  crown  the  Felicity  of  the  Bleiled,  after 
 their  Tranflation,  in  Body  and  Soul,  to  That  Re- 
 gion of  confummate  Glory  and  Happinefs  ^  And 
 
 3   See  DiJJirtation  \\\  Sed.  III. 
 
 we 
 
:Sed.  7,       State  of  the  Dead,  135 
 
 we  may  conceive  this  Source  of  Happinefs  to  con- 
 fift  in  a  certain  Manifeftation  of  the  Divine  Pre- 
 fence  of  the  Redeemer,  either  confiani  or  occpftonah 
 inferior,  indeed,  in  D^^n.,  to  That  of  his  Prefence 
 in  Heaven,  but  fufficient  to  infpire  the  Souls  ot 
 the  Righteous  with  inconceivable  Joy  and  De- 
 
 Jight. 
 
 In  neither  of  thefe  Kinds  of  Happinefs  can  the 
 •departed  Souls   of  the  Wicked  have  any  Share. 
 For,  Can  they  rejoice  in  their  Banilhment  from 
 a  World,  the  Scene   of  all  thofe  Senfual  Enjoy- 
 ments, which  coTiftituted  the   fupreme  Happinefs 
 of  their  Lives  ?   Or,   rather,  muft  they  not  ar- 
 dently wifh,  they  could  return  into  this  World, 
 not  to  repeat  thofe  Enjoyments,  but  to  lead  quite 
 ■different  Lives,  and,  by  the  Pradice  of  Religion 
 and  Virtue,  flee  from  the  Wrath  to  come,  and  work 
 mt  their  o'wn  Salvation?   As  to  the  Manifejlaiion 
 of  the  Redeemer's  Prefence ;  h  far  muft  it  be  from 
 affording  them  any  Comfort  and  Delight,  that  it 
 muft  fill  them  with  Shame  and  Confuiion,  Re- 
 morfe    and    Sorrow,    Fear   and  Dread,  at   the 
 Thought  of  having  fo  grievouQy  offended  him, 
 and  converted  a  merciful  Saviour  into  an  aveit^ii^g 
 Judge. 
 
 A  Confideration,  which  points  out  to  us  the 
 Principal  Source,  both  o{  Happinefs  to  the  Righ- 
 teous, and  of  Mifery   to  the  Wicked,  in  Hades.    I 
 mean,  The  Profpeff,  they  will  have  before  them, 
 K  4  of 
 
136  Dissertation    I.      Sed.  7. 
 
 of  the  Judgment  to  ccme,  and  x.\\q  final  State  of  Re.? 
 trihution.     They  will  anticipate  in  1  iicught  thp 
 approaching  Appearance  of  tlic-ir  heavenly  Judge,^ 
 the  Solemnities  of  the  great  Day,  and  their  re- 
 fpeftive  Sentences  to  Life   eternal  or  everlajling 
 Punifhment.    Matth.  xxv.  46.     This  mud  bring 
 into  their  View  the  Joys  of  Heaven  and  the  Pains 
 of  Hell;  the  confummate  Happinefs  of  the  5/^7^ 
 fed  in   the  Kingdom  prepared  for    them  from  the 
 Foundation  of  the  IVorld,  and  the  perfect  Mifery 
 of  the  Curfed  in  the  everlajiing  Fire  prepared  for 
 the  Devil  and  his  Angels.  lb.  ver.  34.  41.   T\\\s  An- 
 ticipation of  Futurity,  this  ProfpeB  of  Heaven  and 
 Hellj  is  alone  fufficient  to  render  the  departed 
 Soul,  in  a  very  high  Degree,  happy  or  miferabky 
 and  to  covert  its  intermediate  Abode  into  a  prefent 
 Heaven  or  Hell. 
 
 We  may  reafonably  fiippofe,  that  the  Soul  in 
 Hades  will  have  clearer  and  more  diftin6t  Con- 
 ceptions of  future  Rewards  and  Punifliments,  than 
 it  had  during  its  Abode  in  the  Flefh.  Heaven 
 and  Hell,  with  their  refpeftive  Joys  and  Pains, 
 will  be  nearer  in  View,  and,  confequently,  ftrike 
 more  forcibly  on  the  Imagination.  And,  what 
 will  add  greatly  to  the  EfFed  this  ProfpeB  will 
 have  on  the  Minds  both  of  the  Righteous  and 
 the  Wicked,  is,  that  they  will  now  be  under  no 
 Uncertainty  as  to  their  final  Doom.  Their  Hope  of 
 Reward,  or  Fear  of  Punifhment,  cannot  be  dif- 
 appointed.     For,   the  Seafon  of  Probation  being 
 
 3  0^^^^? 
 
Sedl.  8.       State  of  the  Bead.  137 
 
 over,  and  the  Moral  State  of  the  Soul  become 
 unalteraUe^  it  is  impoffible  the  Righteous  fhould 
 forfeit  their  Title  to  a  blefled  Immortality,  or  the 
 Wicked  ejcape  the  Damnation  of  Helt.  And  this 
 is  agreeable  to  the  Doftrine  of  St.  'Paul^  who  af- 
 fures  us,  that,  at  the  Day  oi  Judgment,  our  Sen- 
 tence to  Reward  or  Punifliment  will  be  deter- 
 mined, not  by  any  Thing  the  unbodied  Spirit  can 
 do,  but  by  the  'Things  done  in  the  Body  (2  Cor, 
 V.  10.  )j  the  Condud  of  our  Lives  during  our 
 Abode  in  this  World. 
 
 SECTION     VIII. 
 
 Objections   anfwered. 
 
 FROM  what  has  been  faid,  concerning  the 
 State  of  the  dead  between  Death  and  the  Refur- 
 re£lion,  the  Reader  is  enabled  to  determine,  whe- 
 ther the  learned  Majier  of  St.  Peter's  College  in 
 Cambridge  had  Reafon  to  fay,  that  "  we  are  forced 
 *'  to  reduce  it  all  to  a  State  of  Exiftence  fo  ex- 
 "  tremely  low  and  imperfed,  that  it  lies  in  the 
 '*  very  next  Degree  to  Non-cxiftence,  a  middle 
 "  State  between  Something  and  Nothing  *," 
 This  might  be  no  very  unfair  Reprefentation  of 
 the  Lutheran  Do6trine,  which  fuppofes  the  Soul 
 
 4  Pofifcript  to  Dr.  Laiv's  Confederations  on  th^  Theory  of  Re- 
 ligion,   Lond.  1759. 
 
 to 
 
138  Dissertation    I.     Se(5l,  S. 
 
 to  lie  in  a  profound  Sleeps  a  State  of  perfcd  In- 
 fenjibility  -,  but,  furely,  cannot  be  applied  to  That 
 Do6i:rine,  which  reprefents  the  Soul  as  perfeftly 
 {iivake^  exerting  all  its  Faculties  in  the  higheli 
 Perfedtion,  and  enjoying  great  Happinefs,  or  fuf- 
 fering  great  Mifery,  in  its  Separate  State. 
 
 Nor  is  there  more  Truth  or  Juftice  in  the 
 Charge,  brought  againft  the  Doftrine  of  the  In- 
 termediate State  by  another  (anonymous)  Writer; 
 who,  fpeaking  of  the  "  modern  Contenders  for 
 "  the  feparate  Exiftence  of  the  Soul,"  fays : 
 "  When  they  fpeak  of  the  Happinefs  of  feparate 
 *'  Souls,  they  make  a  tolerable  Cafe,  and  flou- 
 *'  rifh  on  the  fpiritual  Joys  of  a  thinking  Subjiance, 
 "  with  great  Edification  to  thofe,  who  are  in 
 "  Love  with  myftic  Rapture  and  Extafy.  But, 
 *'  when  they  come  to  difpofe  of  the  Souls  of  the 
 "  Wicked^  they  are  totally  at  a  Lofs.  Some  of 
 **  them  are  obliged  to  leave  them  afleep  [Steffe^ 
 "  &c.]  Others  talk  of  Punifhments  by  Parity 
 "  Reafon,  and  of  their  fuffering — nobody  knows 
 "  what  or  how  [Goddard,  &c.  *.  ]  "  I  have  no- 
 thing to  do  with  the  Hypothefes  ofSteffe,  Goddard,  or 
 any  other  Writer.  The  true  Doflrine  of  the  Inter- 
 mediate State,  as  above  reprefented,  is  as  little  at  a 
 Lofs  to  difpofe  of  the  Souls  of  the  fVicked,  as  the  Souls 
 of  the  Righteous.   It  places  them  both  in  a  State  of 
 
 J  Sfjort  Hijlcrical  Vienjj  of  the  Contro-ver/y  concerning  an  In- 
 termediate State,  &CC.  Lond.  1765,  p.  12. 
 
 3  Expectancy  •, 
 
Seft.  8       State  of  the  Dead,  139 
 
 ExpeSfancy ;  and,  as  it  fuppofes  the  Righteous  happy 
 in  the  Profpe5i  of  their  Reward  in  Heaven,  hy 
 Parity  of  Reafon  it  fuppofes  the  IVicked  miferabh 
 in  the  RrofpeB  of  their  Punifhment  in  Hell. 
 
 But  Dr.  Law  has  another  Quarrel  againfl  the 
 Intermediate  State,  which  may  be  thought  to  af- 
 fe6i;  even  That  Notion  of  it  I  have  endeavoured 
 to  eftablilh.  He  reprefents  it  as  being  "  to  all 
 "  Intents  and  Purpofes  fo  wholly  infignificant, 
 *'  as  to  leave  every  one  in  the  fame  Situation  in 
 "  which  it  found  him,  with  Regard  to  any  Kind 
 *'  of  Moral  Ufe  or  Spiritual  Improvement  v/hat- 
 "  ever  ^."  If,  by  Moral  Ufe  and  Spiritual  Im- 
 provement, the  learned  Writer  means  (as  I  fup- 
 pofe  he  does)  fuch  an  Improvement,  as  renders  the 
 Soul  more  deferving  in  the  Sight  of  God,  I  cannot 
 deny  the  Charge,  having  affirmed  as  much  my- 
 felf,  in  reprefenting  the  Moral  State  of  the  Soul, 
 in  Hades,  as  become  unalterable,  the  Seafon  of 
 ^rial  and  Probation  being  over.  But,  how  comes 
 this  Notion  of  the  Intermediate  State  to  be  an  Ar- 
 gument (as  the  learned  Writer  intends  it)  againfl: 
 the  Reality  of  fuch  State  .?  Will  it  not  conclude 
 equally  againil  the  Reality  of  Heaven  ?  For,  nei- 
 ther is  Heaven  a  Place  of  Trial  and  Probation  ; 
 but  its  Rewards  or  Degrees  of  Happinefs  will  be 
 adjufted  by  the  Degrees  oi Moral Perfe5!icn  the  Soul 
 carries  with  it  out  of  this  World.     So  that,  with 
 
 <5  Ubi  fupra. 
 
 "  Regard 
 
140  Dissertation    I.      Sed.  S. 
 
 *'  Regard  to  any  Kind  of  Moral  Ufe  or  Spiritual 
 "  Improvement,"  in  the  Senfe  of  improved  Merit, 
 Heaven  and  Hades  feem  to  be  equally  "  infigni- 
 ficant."  If  it  be  faid,  with  Refpedl  to  the  for- 
 mer, that  the  Souls  of  its  blefled  Inhabitants  may 
 well  be  fuppofed  to  go  on  increafing  or  improving 
 in  Spiritual  Excellency  and  PerfeHion,  I  fay  the 
 fame  of  the  Intermediate  State.  For,  if  the  Spi- 
 ritual Perfe^ions  of  the  Soul  will  admit  of  Increafe 
 or  Improvement  after  Death,  I  fee  no  Reafon,  why 
 fuch  Improvement  may  not  be  fuppofed  to  com- 
 mence immediately  after  its  Separation  from  the 
 Body ;  at  which  Time,  it  begins  to  exert  its  Fa- 
 culties with  more  Eafe  and  Freedom,  and  is  bet^ 
 ter  qualified  for  going  on  unto  PerfeBion.  If  this 
 be  the  Cafe  with  the  departed  Soul,  Dr.  Law'i 
 Objeftion  to  the  Intermediate  State^  that  "  it 
 "  leaves  every  one  in  the  fame  Situation  in  which 
 *'  it  found  him,  with  Regard  to  any  Moral  Ufe 
 ^'  or  Spiritual  Improvement  whatever  ",  is  quite 
 groundlefs. 
 
 But,  allowing  the  Doctor's  Premifes,  or,  that 
 the  Intermediate  State  ferves  to  no  Moral  Ufe  or 
 Spiritual  Improvement  whatever,  it  will  not  be  a 
 juft  Conclufion,  that  therefore  it  is  an  in'koily 
 infignijicant  or  ufdefs  State.  For,  admitting  its 
 Reality^  we  muft  confider  it  as  a  State  of  GW'j 
 own  Appointment,  and,  confequently,  as  ordained 
 for  fome  wl^e  and  good  Purpofe,  whether  we  can 
 difcovcr  Jhat  Purpofe  or  not.     But,   Why  7iot 
 
 difcover 
 
Sea.  8.        State  of  the  Bead.  141 
 
 difcover  it  ?  Do  we  not  fee  a  natural  Necejfity  of 
 the  Soul's  exifting  fomewhere  or  other,  2ind  feme- 
 how  or  other,  in  the  Interval  between  the  Time 
 of  its  Separation  from  the  Body^  and  That  ap- 
 pointed for  its  final  Reward  or  Puni/Jiment  ?  If 
 we  fee  this,  we  fee  enough  of  God's  Purpofe  in 
 the  Appointment  of  an  Hades  or  Receptacle  of 
 Souls  between  Death  and  the  Refurredtion  ;  and 
 we  cannot  doubt,  that  the  Manner  of  the  Soul's 
 Exiflence,  in  That  intermediate  State,  is  perfeftly 
 agreeable  to  the  Did:ates  of  infinite  TVifdom  and 
 Coodnefs. 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 ^he  Do5frine  of  an  intermediate  State  maintained 
 by  Writers  of  the  firjl  Diflin^iion  in  the  Church 
 ^England. 
 
 TH  E  Reader  will,  perhaps,  be  better  re- 
 conciled to  a  Dodrine,  fo  different,  as  the 
 foregoing  is,  from  the  commonly-received  Opinion 
 of  the  State  of  departed  Souls  between  Beath  and 
 the  Refurre^ion^  if  he  finds  That  Doclrine  main- 
 tained by  Writers  of  the  firll  Diftindion  in  the 
 Church  of  England.  I  fiiall,  therefore,  give  him 
 That  Satisfa6tion,  by  prelenting  him  with  a  few 
 F.xtrafts  from  three  fuch  Writers ;  viz.  Bifliop 
 Biill^  Dr.  Whitby,  and  Biihop  Smalrid^e. 
 
 The 
 
142  Dissertation   I.      Sed.  8. 
 
 The  firft  of  thefe  eminent  Writers,  having  prov- 
 ed, at  large,  in  Two  Sermons  concerning  the  State  of 
 the  Soul  on  its  immediate  Separation  from  the  Body  7, 
 firft,  that  the  Soul  of  Man  fuhjtfts  after  Death, 
 and.,  when  it  is  diflodged  from  the  Body.,  hath  a 
 Place  cf  Abode  provided  by  God  for  it,  till  the  Re' 
 furre^ion  of  the  Body ;  and,  fecondly,  that  the 
 Soul  of  every  Man,  prefently  after  Death,  hath  its 
 ■proper  Place  and  State,  allotted  by  God,  of  Happi^ 
 nefs  or  Mifery,  according  as  the  Man  hath  been  good 
 or  bad  in  his  paft  Life ;  fums  up  the  Whole  of 
 his  Doflrine  in  the  following  Words.  "  All 
 *'  good  Men  without  Exception  are,  in  the  whole 
 *'  Interval  between  their  Death  and  Refurreflion, 
 "  as  to  their  Souls,  in  a  very  happy  Condition  \ 
 "  but  after  the  Refurredlion,  they  fhall  be  yet 
 *'  more  happy,  receiving  then  their  full  Reward, 
 
 ■J  Re-publifhed  by  Leonard  Chappelovj,  B.  D.  Arabic  Pro- 
 fejfor  in  the  Univerfity  of  Cainbridgc.     Camb.   1765 
 
 The  Learned  Editor  fuggefts  to  us  "  the  Advantage  that 
 *'  may  poflibly  arife  from  thefe  Sermons,  by  giving  a  Check 
 **  to  the  fpreading  of  the  old  Herefy  of  a  Jleeping  Soul ; 
 "  which  C/ays  he)  I  am  informed  hath  taken  fome  Root 
 •'  in  one  of  our  famous  Univerfities."  Pref.  He  means  the 
 Univerfity  of  Cambridge  ;  where  the  old  Herefy  of  a  Jleeping 
 Soul,  as  he  calls  it,  or,  to  fpeak  more  properly,  of  no  Soul 
 at  ally  has  been  lately  revived.  See  the  Difccurfe  on  the 
 Nature  and  End  of  Death,  and  the  Pojifcript  fubjoine<l  to 
 V>r.  La'w''s  Conjlderations  on  the  Theory  of  Religion.  See  alfO' 
 my  Defence  of  the  cDtmnotdy-rcccivcd  Doilrine  of  the  Human 
 Soul. 
 
 "  their 
 
Sed.  8.       State  of  the  Dead.  143 
 
 "  their  prfeU  Confummation  of  Blifs,  both  in 
 "  Soul  and  Body,  the  moft  perfedl  Blifs  they  are 
 "  capable  of,  according  to  the  divers  Degrees  of 
 "  Virtues  through  the  Grace  of  God  on  their 
 "  Endeavours  attained  by  them  in  this  Life. 
 "  On  the  other  Side,  all  the  wicked^  as  foon  as 
 "  they  die,  are  very  miferable  as  to  their  Souls,, 
 "  and  fhall  be  yet  far  more  miferable  both  in  Soul 
 *'  and  Body,  after  the  Day  oi  Judgment,  propor- 
 "  tionably  to  the  Meafure  of  Sins  committed  by 
 "  them  here  on  Earth.  This  is  the  plain  Doc- 
 "  trine  of  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  of  the  Church  of 
 "  Chrijl,  in  its  firjl  and  bejl  Ages ;  and  this  we 
 "   may  truft  to  *." 
 
 This  learned  Prelate,  tho'  he  thinks  "  we 
 "  ought  not  to  trouble  or  perplex  ourfelves  a- 
 *'  bout  other  Enquiries,"  particularly  "  the  Places 
 "  of  feparace  Souls,  where  determinately  they 
 "  are  ftated  9,"  yet  exprefsly  afierts  That  Imper- 
 fe5lion  both  of  Happinefs  and  Mifery  during  the 
 Interval  between  Death  and  the  Refurreflion, 
 upon  which  is  built  the  antient  Dodrine  of  Ha- 
 des, or  the  invifihle  Region  (neither  Heaven  nor 
 HelV)  of  departed  Souls. 
 
 Dr.  Whitby  evidently  approves  the  Do6lrine, 
 which  excludes  the  Souls  of  the  good,  before  the 
 Refureftion,  from  the  fupreme  Happinefs  oi  Hea- 
 ven. For,  commenting  on  thofe  Words  of  St. 
 Paul,  tVe  are  confident,   and  willing  to  he  abfent 
 
 «  P.  67.  9  P.  63. 
 
 from 
 
144  Dissertation    I.      Sec^.  S. 
 
 from  the  Body,  and  prefent  with  the  Lord,  2  Cor. 
 V.  8.  which  he   thus   paraphrafes,    "  We  have 
 *'  Confidence  even  in  Death,  that  the'  it  render 
 "  us  abfent  from   the  Body,    it  will  bring   us 
 "  home  to  Chrift,    and  to  a  nearer  Fruition  of 
 "  him  •,'*  he  fays :  "  Only  here  note,   that,   ac- 
 "  cording  to  the  Dodtrine  of  all  the  antients,  the 
 "  Souls  of  pious  Men  are  720t  aflfumed  into  the 
 *'  higheji  Heavens^    or  the  immediate  Prefence  of 
 "  God  and  Chrijl^  inftantly  upon  their  Departure 
 "  hence  j  for  thus  only  fhall  we  be  ever  prefent 
 *'  with  the  Lord^   i  'Theff.  iv.  16,   17.  when  by 
 "  the  Power  of  God,  at  the  laft  Trump,    we 
 "  fhall  be  raifed  up  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  Air^ 
 "  his  Promife  being  at  his  fecond  coming  to  re- 
 *'  ceive  his  Difciples  to  himfelf,  that  where  he  is 
 "  they  may  be  alfo^  John  xiv.  3.     But  yet,  accor- 
 "  ding  to  all  Antiquity,  the  Souls  of  pious  Men„ 
 "  in  the  mean  time,  are  in  the  Place  appointed  for 
 "  them,  Trapa  tw  Ku^/cu,  with  the  Lord,  i.  e.  with 
 "  him  in  Paradife ;  where  they  enjoy  the  Sight 
 *'  and  Converfation  of  their  Saviour  by  way  of 
 "  Vifion.     For  Paul  and  the  reft  of  the  ApoftleSy 
 *'  faith  Poly  carp  *,  are  in  the  Place  appointed  for 
 *'  them  with  the  Lord.     Net  only  in  Heaven,  faith 
 "   Irenceus  *,  but  in  Paradife  alfo  our  Saviour  fliall 
 *'  be  feen,  as  Men  are  worthy  to  behold  him.     And 
 '*  this  doth  Pfeudo-Juftin  *  gather  from  this  very 
 
 •  Ep.  §.  9.  *  Lib.  V.  c.  36.         3  Qu.  &  Refp.  75. 
 
 «  Place, 
 
Se6t.  8.        State  of  the  Dead.  145 
 
 "  Place,  That  the  Souls  of  the  juji  go  to  Paradife, 
 "  and  converfe  there  with  Chrijl  by  Vifion. 
 
 Bifiiop  Smalridge,  in  a  Sermon  on  the  interme- 
 diate State  and  Condition  of  the  Souls  of  the  Righteous 
 from  their  Departure  out  of  this  Life  to  the  Refurrec- 
 tion^  gives  us,  firft,  the  generally-received  Opinion, 
 and,  next.  That,  which  he  thinks  much  more  con- 
 fonant  to  the  Word  of  God, 
 
 "  It  is  an  Opinion  generally  received,"  (fays 
 that  excellent  Prelate)  "  that  the  Souls  of  the 
 "  Saints,  after  their  Departure  out  of  the  Body, 
 "  are  immediately  by  the  holy  Angels  conveyed 
 **  into  the  highefi  Heavens^  and  are  there  admit- 
 "  ted  into  the  glorious  Prefence  of  God,  and 
 "  of  his  Son  Jefus  Chrift ;  and  that  they  do 
 *'  there  enjoy  the  fan\e  Happinefs  and  Glory, 
 *'  which  they  fhall  enjoy,  after  the  Refurreflion 
 **  of  the  Body ;  the  fajke^  not  only  in  Suhfiance^ 
 "  but  in  Degree^  barely  with  this  one  Difference, 
 "  that  their  Bodies  are  not  as  yet  Partakers  of 
 **  this  Glory,  becaufe  they  are  not  as  yet  raifed 
 *'  from  the  dead,  and  re-united  with  their 
 "  Souls.'*  The  generality  of  Chriftians,  I  be- 
 lieve, will  acknowledge  This  to  be  a  juft  Repre- 
 fentation  of  the  common  Opinion  or  Belief.  But, 
 fays  his  Lordfhip, 
 
 "  There  is  another  Opinion  fomewhat  difte- 
 "  rent  from  this,  lefs  generally  received,  than 
 "  it,  but,  I  think,  much  more  confonant  to  the 
 "  Word  of  God  J  that  the  Happinefs  of  departed 
 "  Souls  is,  in  the  Degree  of  it,  lefs  perfetl  before^ 
 L  "  than 
 
146  Dissertation    I.      Se(5lv  S* 
 
 "  than  it  fliall  be  after  the  Refurreflion  j  that 
 "  their  Happineis  before  the  Refurreftion  con- 
 "  fills  chiefly  in  this,  that  the  faithful  are  by 
 "  Death  freed  from  all  thofe  Cares,  Troubles, 
 "  Dangers,  &c.  with  which  they  are  perpetually 
 "  difturbed — in  this  mortal  Life ;  and  that,  as 
 "  foon  as  they  are  releafed  from  their  Bodies, 
 "  they  enjoy  a  perfedl  Quiet  and  Eafe  •,  in  re- 
 "  gard  of  which  Eafe  and  Freedom  from  all 
 "  Difquietude,  thofe  are  pronounced  hkffed  who 
 "  die  in  the  Lord^  becaufe  from  henceforth  they 
 "  refi  from  their  Labours — They  have  now  a  nearer 
 *'  and  diJlinBer  View  of  That  Glory  which  is  re- 
 "  ferved  for  them  till  the  laft  Day  •,  and  the  fure 
 "  and  certain  Profpe5i  of  this  doth  add  to  their 
 "  prefent  Joy  and  Satisfadlion.  For,  if  pious 
 "  and  faithful  Men  in  this  World  are  faid 
 "  by  St.  Peter  to  rejoice  with  Joy  unfpeakable  and 
 *'  full  of  Glory,  i.  8,  as  often  as  they  fix  their 
 "  Eyes  upon  that  dijlant  Reward  which  they 
 "  hope  for,  when  Chrift  fhallcome  in  Glory  to 
 "  lecompenfe  his  Saints  j  then  undoubtedly  the 
 "  Joy  which  this  *Profpe6l  will  afford  them, 
 *'  Vv^hen  it  is  by  Death  brought  nearer  to  them, 
 "  when  it  is  at  a  lefs  Diftance,  when  they  fee  it 
 "  more  clearly,  when  they  have  no  Doubts  of  com- 
 "  pafTing  it,  when  they  have  an  Earneft  and 
 "  Pledge  of  it,  in  that  Tranquillity  which  they 
 "  are  adually  pofiefled  of,  muft  be  flill  more 
 *'  ravilhing  and  unconceivable.  This  State  of 
 *'  departed  Souls,   though  it  be  much  fuperior 
 
 "  to 
 
Sed:.  8.       State  of  the   "Dead,  147 
 
 **  to  that  Happinefs,  which  thofe  who  are  moft 
 "  happy  in  this  World  do  enjoy,  doth  \ttfall 
 "  much  jJiort  of  that  Blifs,  which  the  fame  Souls 
 "  {hall  enjoy  ajter  the  Refurre^ion ;  is  as  much 
 *'  inferior  to  it,  as  the  Expectation  of  a  difiant  good 
 *'  is  to  the  prefent  Enjoyment  of  it  j  as  Hope  is  to 
 «  actual  Pojj'effionr 
 
 After  fliewing  the  Scripture  Ground  of  this 
 latter  Opinion,  Bp.  Smdridge  concludes  thus : 
 
 "  This  Doftrine,  which  I  have  advanced,  con- 
 "  cerning  the  Difference  between  the  State  of  de- 
 "  parted  Souls  befoi'e  and  after  the  Refurreftion, 
 *'  I  have  therefore  advanced,  becaufe  I  take  it 
 "  to  be  moft  confonant  to  the  Word  of  God;  moil 
 "  agreeable  to  the  Sentiments  of  thofe  Fathers^ 
 "  who  lived  in  the  firft  and  purefi  Ages  of  the 
 "  Church  ;  and  not  at  all  liable  to  fuch  Cavils 
 "  and  Exceptions,  as  bold  and  licentious  Men 
 "  would  be  apt  to  make  againft  the  Belief  of  a 
 *'  Refurre5Iion  and  an  unxwtY^diXJ udgtnent  to  come, 
 "  if  we  fhould  teach,  that  Men  firfi  receive  a 
 *'  full  Recompence  for  all  the  Adions  they  have 
 *'  done  in  the  Body,  and,  after  That,  they  are 
 "  judged,  in  Order  to  receive  That  z^ery  Recom- 
 "  pence. 
 
 "  It  feems  a  much  more  defenfible  and  con- 
 "  fiftent  Do6lrine,  to  maintain,  with  our  Church, 
 *'  that  the  Souls  of  the  faithful,  after  they  are  de- 
 *'  liver ed  from  the  Burden  of  the  Flefli,  are  in  Joy 
 "  and  Felicity  ;  and  yet  that  this  Joy  and  Feli- 
 L  2  "  city 
 
148  Dissertation  I.      Sed.^. 
 
 "  city  are  not  ibfull  and  complete,  but  that  there 
 "  is  ftill  Room  for  us  to  pray  to  God,  that  he 
 *'  would  accomplijii  the  Number  of  his  Ele5l,  and 
 "  hqften  his  Kingdom,  that  all  thofe  that  are  de- 
 "  parted  in  the  true  Faith  of  his  holy  Name,  may 
 *'  have  their  perfeft  Confummation  and  Blifs,  both 
 "  in  Body  and  Soul,  in  his  eternal  and  everlafting 
 "  Gloryr 
 
 See  alfo  in  Se5lion  VI.  the  Dodlrine  of  Hades, 
 or  the  invifible  Region  of  departed  Spirits,  in  the 
 Words  of  Bp,  Pearfon  and  Dr.  Ifaac  Barrow. 
 
 DISSER- 
 
DISSERTATION     II. 
 
 ON     THE 
 
 RESURRECTION. 
 
 L  3  CON- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 Objections  from  Reason  and  Nature  againji 
 a  Resurrection  of  theViODY. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 Proofs  of  the  Refurredlion  from  the  Prophecies  of 
 the  Old  Testament. 
 
 SECTION    III. 
 
 The  Gospel-Evidence  of  the  Refurre6lion. 
 
 SECTION     IV. 
 
 Various  Hypotheses  of  learned  Men,  for  folving 
 the  Difficulties  of  the  Refurredlion,  fJiewn  to  he 
 infufficient  for  That  Purpofe. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 A  new  Hypothesis  propofed, 
 
 S  E  C  T  I  O  N     VI. 
 
 St.  Paul's  Befcription  of  the  Resurrection- 
 Body  conftdered  and  explained, 
 
 L  4  S  E  C- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION    VII. 
 
 Of  the  Refurredtion  of  the  Wicked. 
 
 SECTION     VIII. 
 
 'i^he  'particular  Cafe  of  the  living  at  the  lime  of 
 the  RefurreSiion. 
 
 SECTION    IX. 
 
 What  appear^  from  Reafon  and  Scripture,  to  he 
 the  wife  Ends  and  Designs  of  Providence  iri 
 the  Appointment  of  the  Refurredion. 
 
 D  1  S- 
 
DISSERTATION      II, 
 
 O   N 
 
 The   resurrection. 
 
 ATfT"  E  have  followed  the  departed  Soul  into 
 '  ^  Hades,  or  the  invi/ii^le  Kegion,  appointed 
 by  the  Almighty  for  its  Reception,  during  the 
 Interval  between  Death  and  the  RefurreEiion ;  and 
 have  enquired,  not  only  where  That  Region  may 
 be  fuppofed  to  exift,  but  alfo  What  will,  pro- 
 bably, be  the  State  of  the  feparated  Soul,  with 
 Refped  to  Knowledge,  and  with  Refped  to  Hap- 
 pnefs  or  Mifery. 
 
 We  are  now  to  fuppofe  the  Time  of  That 
 wonderful  Event,  the  RefurreBion,  arrived  ;  the 
 Period,  1  fay,  when  the  Body  (hall  quit  its  earth- 
 ly Prifon  the  Grave,  and  the  Soul  emerge  from 
 her  Confinement  in  Hades  ;  that  Both  may  meet 
 again,  reunite,  and  once  more  conftitute  the 
 Individual  that  lived  and  died  an  Inhabitant  of 
 this  prefent  World, 
 
 SEC- 
 
154         Dissertation   II.     Sed.  i. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 Objections  fj-om  Reason  and  Nature  againjl 
 a  Resurrection  of  the  Body. 
 
 HAD  God  Almighty  made  no  Difcovery  of 
 his  Divine  Purpofe  to  raife  the  dead,  it  could 
 never  have  entered  into  the  Heart  or  Mind  of 
 Man  to  believe,  or  even  fufpedt,  fuch  a  Defign 
 of  his  Providence.  Nature  feems  to  declare 
 againft  a  Re-union  of  Soul  and  Body  ;  and  Rcafon 
 fees,  or  fancies  fhe  fees,  mfurmountable  Diffi- 
 culties in  the  Suppofition  of  a  Bodily  Refurre^ion, 
 For, 
 
 In  the  firil  Place,  it  may  well  be  afked  •,  Of  what 
 life  or  Advantage  is  a  Refurre^lion  of  the  Body  ? 
 Does  the  Soul  fland  in  need  of  a  Re-union  with 
 its  former  Companion,  in  Order  to  a  more  per- 
 fedl  Exercife  of  her  natural  Powers  ?  It  fhould 
 feem,  not.  On  the  contrary,  Matter,  united 
 with  Spirit,  muft  be  an  Incumbrance  on  it,  a 
 Reftraint  of  its  Adivity,  and  a  Diminution  of 
 ics  Forces.  Whence  the  wife  Man  long  ago  ob- 
 ferved,  that  the  corruptible  Body  prejfeth  down  the 
 Mind  that  mufeth  on  many  'Things  ;  and  hardly  do 
 we  guefs  aright  at  Things  that  are  upon  the  Earthy 
 and  with  Labour  do  we  find  the  Things  that  are  be- 
 fore us.  Wifd.  ix.  15,  16.  In  this  Light,  ?i  Re- 
 union 
 
Sedl,  I.  The  RefurreBion.  155 
 
 union  of  Soul  and  Body  feems  rather  to  be  incon- 
 venient and  hurtful,  than  beneficial  or  advan- 
 tageous, to  the  Creature  Man  •,  and  we  cannot 
 but  wifh,  that  the  Soul,  once  releafed  from  the 
 Prifon  of  the  Body,  may  never  return  into  Capti- 
 vity, but  continue  free,  and  at  Liberty  to  exert, 
 in  full  Perfeftion,  every  Faculty  and  Operation 
 proper  to  its  Spiritual  Nature. 
 
 In  the  next  Place,  Reafon  fees,  or  fancies  fhe 
 fees,  infurmountahle  Difficulties  in  the  Suppofition 
 of  a  Bodily  Refurre^ion  •,  arifing  from  the  State, 
 to  which  the  Body  is  reduced  by  Death,  and  the 
 natural  and  necelTary  Confequences  of  its  Sepa- 
 ration from  the  Soul. 
 
 In  Order  to  a  true  and  proper  Refurre^ion,  the 
 Body  raifed  mult  be  x\\c  fame,  with  Refpe6t  to  its 
 component  Parts,  with  the  Body  dead.  Otherwife 
 there  would  be  no  RefurreEiion.  For,  an  Union 
 of  the  Soul  with  any  new  Syjlem  of  Matter,  is  not 
 a  Refurre^ion,  but  a  New  Creation. 
 
 Now,  the  dead  Body,  we  know,  is  foon  entirely 
 diflblved,  fo  as  to  be  no  longer  a  Body  or  Syftem 
 of  Matter  ;  and  its  difunited  Parts  become  fo 
 mixed  and  blended  with  the  Earth,  in  which  it 
 is  laid,  as  to  be  no  longer  diftinguilhable  from 
 it.  Nor  is  this  All.  For  the  Parts  of  the  dif- 
 folved  Body  undergo  a  Variety  of  Changes  and 
 ^ran/mutations,  through  the  conftant  and  regu- 
 lar Circulation  of  Matter.  Some  are  exhaled  from 
 the  Earth  by  the  Heat  of  the  Sun  -,  and  thus,  in 
 
 the 
 
156  Dissertation  II.      Sed.  i, 
 
 the  Form  of  Vapours^  become  Parts  of  a  Cloudy 
 from  whence  they  defcend  in  Rain  to  water  the 
 Earth.  The  VVater^  afcending,  and  circulating  in 
 the  Bodies  oi  Vegetables^  promotes  their  Growth  ; 
 and  thus  fome  Parts  of  the  dead  Body  enter  into, 
 and  become  conflituent  Parts  of,  Grafs^  Flower s^ 
 and  Fruits.  Beafts  feed  upon  the  Grafs,  and  Men 
 upon  the  Fruits,  and  upon  fame  of  the  Beafts : 
 by  which  Means,  the  Parts  of  the  dead  Body, 
 which  afcended  in  Vapour,  defcended  in  Rain, 
 and  fubfifte^i  in  a  Plant,  are  now  ranged  among 
 the  component  Parts  of  another  Animal  Body, 
 either  Human  or  Beftial.  By  feveral  Repetitions 
 of  this  natural  Procefs^  a  large  Proportion  of  the 
 Body,  depofited  in  the  Grave,  is  drawn  from 
 thence,  and  its  Particles  difperfed,  and  removed 
 to  a  confiderable  Bijlance  from  each  other.  This 
 is  the  common  Lot  of  the  Human  Body  laid  in 
 its  Grave.  To  which  may  be  added,  the  extra- 
 ordinary Inftances  of  Perfons  devoured  by  wild 
 Beafts,  FiJJies,  or  Cannibals  — ;  (if  there  be  fuch 
 Monfters  of  the  Human  Species.)  In  which 
 Cafes,  the  Parts  of  the  devoured  Body  ferve  as 
 immediate  Nourilliment  to  That  of  tht  Devourer, 
 and  thereby  pafs  direftly  into  the  Compofition 
 of  another  Animal  Body. 
 
 It  cannot  be  denied,  indeed,  that  God  is  able 
 
 to  re-ajfembk  and  re-unite  the  diflblved  and  feat- 
 
 tered  Parts  of  the  dead  Body.     That  Almighty 
 
 Power,    which    difembroiled    the    Chaos,    and 
 
 4  brought 
 
Se6l.  I.  T^he  RefurreBion.  i^j 
 
 brought  Order  out  of  Confufion,  commanding 
 the  blended  Elements  to  feparate,  and  each  to 
 occupy  its  proper  Place  in  the  Syftem  of  the 
 Creation,  is,  furely,  more  than  equal  to  the  Taflv 
 of  recalling  2ifew  Particles  oi  Matter,  wherefo- 
 ever  difperfed,  or  under  whatfoever  Form  fub- 
 fifting,  and  re-placing  them  in  the  Syftem  of  an 
 Human  Body.  Nor  is  there  more  Difficulty  in 
 reftoring  Life,  than  in  originally  giving  it,  to 
 lifelefs,  inanimate,  Matter.  Which  Confidera- 
 tion  moved  St.  Paul  to  put  That  Queftion  to 
 King  Agrif'pa  \  Why  Jhould  it  he  thought  a  Thing 
 incredible  with  yeu,  that  God  jhould  raife  the  dead? 
 Ads  xxvi.  8. 
 
 The  Argument  is  ftriftly  conclulive,  with 
 Refpe(5l  to  the  Power  of  God.  He,  certainly,  can, 
 if  it  fo  pleafe  him,  re-unite  the  fcattered  Parts 
 of  a  dead  Body,  and  caufe  it  to  live  again.  But 
 the  Difficulty,  arifing  from  the  necefiary  Identity 
 of  the  raifed  Body,  is  not  hereby  removed.  The 
 Queftion,  put  by  the  Sadducees  to  our  Saviour, 
 concerning  the  Woman  married  fucceffively  to 
 feuen  Huft^ands,  Therefore  in  the  Refurre5lion, 
 whofe  Wife  fliall  fhe  be  of  the  feven  ?  for  they  all 
 had  her  (Matth.  xxii.  23 — 28)  is  applicable  to 
 our  prefent  Purpofe.  A  Particle  of  Matter,  be- 
 longing to  an  Human  Body  dead,  having  paf- 
 fed  fucceffively  into  the  Bodies  of  other  Men,  it 
 may  be  afked  -,  In  the  Refurre£lion,  To  which  of 
 thofe  Bodies  ftiall  it  be  reftored  ?  for  they  all  had 
 
 it. 
 
158  Dissertation    IL     Sefl.  r» 
 
 it.  If  it  be  given  (as  feems  moft  equitable)  to 
 the  firft  Owner,  all  the  reft  muft  go  without  it  j 
 and  the  fame  will  be  the  Cafe,  to  which  ever  it 
 be  allotted.  The  neceflary  Coniequence  of 
 which  is,  that  One  only  of  the  feveral  Bodies, 
 to  which  the  laid  Particle  fucceffively  belonged^ 
 can  be  perfectly  reftored,  that  is,  be  raifed  the 
 fame  numerical  Body.  This  Difficulty  increafes 
 upon  us,  if  we  fuppofe,  not  One  Particle  only, 
 but  (which  muft  be  the  Cafe  after  fome  Length 
 of  Time)  a  large  Portion  of  the  buried  Carcafs 
 to  be  thus  feparated  from  the  reft,  and  to  fub- 
 fift  under  various  Forms. 
 
 This,  then,  being  the  natural  and  neceflary 
 Condition  of  the  Human  Body  after  Death,  Rea- 
 fon,  left  to  herfelf,  cannot  but  pronounce  a  Re^ 
 furreSlion  of  the  fame  numerical  Body,  that  lived 
 and  died  upon  Earth,  to  be  both  an  incredible 
 and  a  phyfically-impoffMe  Thing :  Incredible,  be* 
 caufe,  did  God  really  intend  fuch  a  Refurredion, 
 it  is  reafonable  to  think,  that  the  Bodies  of  the 
 dead,  inftead  of  being  left  a  Prey  to  Worms  and 
 Corruption,  and  fubjed:  to  the  great  Changes 
 confequent  upon  their  DifTolution,  would  be, 
 in  fome  Way  or  other,  fupernattirally  preierved, 
 and  embalmed,  as  it  were,  for  their  Reftoration  to 
 Life — and  phyfically-impoffible,  becaufe  Omnipo- 
 tence itfelf  cannot  fo  order  it,  that  One  and  tlie 
 fame  Particle  or  Portion  of  Matter  Ihali  have  a 
 
 Place 
 
Sedl.  2.         T^he  RefurrreBlon,  t^^ 
 
 Place  in  two  or  more  different  Bodies^  at  one  and 
 l\\Q  fame  ^ime. 
 
 But,  G(7^  has  revealed  his  divine  Purpofe  to  raife 
 the  dead,  and  reftore  them  to  Life.  This  filences 
 all  Obje^ions  from  Reafon  and  Nature,  and  calls 
 for  our  Attention  to  thofe  Declarations  of  holy 
 Scripture,  upon  which  our  Faith  in  the  great  Chrif- 
 tian  Doftrine  of  the  Refurre5iion  is  founded — tho* 
 it  will  appear,  in  the  Courfe  of  this  Di/fertatmi, 
 that,  notwithftanding  the  Force  of  the  above 
 Obje(5tions,  a  Refurre^ion  of  the  fame  Body,  in  a 
 juftifiable  Senle  of  the  Word  fame,  may  be  ex- 
 plained upon  Principles  of  Reafon  and  Natural 
 Philofophy — But,  to  proceed. 
 
 SECTION     II. 
 
 Proofs  of  the  Refurredlion  from  the  Prophecies  of 
 the  Old  Teftament. 
 
 IT  might  be  thought,  that  the  Refurre^ion  of 
 the  Dead,  being  a  peculiar  Do6lrine  of  the 
 Chrijiian  Difpenfation,  or  ThatGofpel,  which  hath 
 hrought  Life  and  Immortality  to  Light,  (2  Tim.  i. 
 10.)  can  have  no  Foundation  in  the  Jewifli  Scrip- 
 tures or  the  Books  of  the  Old  Tejiament.  And, 
 indeed,  no  fuch  Doflrine  is  to  be  found  in  the 
 Law  of  Mofes  •,  the  San£lions  of  which  were  mere- 
 
 4  Jy 
 
i6o         DissfcRTAtibN    II.      Secft.  2; 
 
 \y  tempordy   confifling  of  Bleflings  and  Curfesj 
 refpedling  the  prefent  Life  only. 
 
 It  is  certain,  neverthelefs,  that  the  Jews,  long 
 before  our  Saviour's  Appearance  among  them, 
 believed  in  a  Refurre5lion  of  the  dead.  For,  in 
 the  Second  Book  of  the  Maccabees  (which, *tho'  not 
 C-tnonkal  Scripture,  is  univerfally  received  as  true 
 Hijiory)  we  find  That  Doctrine  delivered  in  the 
 remarkable  Story  of  a  Woman  and  her  feijen  Sons, 
 who,  refufing  to  comply  with  King  Antiochus'^ 
 Command  to  eat  Swine's  Flefli,  were  all  put  to 
 Death  with  the  cruelefl  Tortures :  Among 
 whom,  two  of  the  Brethren  made  open  Profef- 
 fion  of  their  Trufi;  in  God,  and  Expectation  of 
 a  Refurreflion.  'l^hou  (faid  the  fccond  of  the  fe- 
 ven  to  the  King)  like  a  Fury,  takeft  us  out  of  this 
 prefent  Life ;  but  the  King  oj  the  World  fliall  raife 
 us  up,  who  have  died  for  his  Laws,  unto  everlafiing 
 Life,  Ch.  vii.  v.  9.  And,  It  is  good,  (faid  the 
 fourth)  being  put  to  Death  by  Men,  to  look  up 
 for  Hope  from  God,  to  be  raifed  up  again  by  him: 
 as  for  thse,  thou  flialt  have  no  RefurreSlion  to  Life, 
 V.  14.  Tliis  fell  out  167  Years  before  Chrifi  \ 
 and  it  is  thought  St.  Faul  alludes  to  this  Story, 
 VN/here,  celebrating  the  Triumphs  of  Faith,  he 
 fays,  Others  were  tortured,  not  accepting  Deliverance, 
 that  they  might  obtain  a  better  RefurreSlion^  Heb. 
 xi.  3. 
 
 That  our  blefied  Redeemer  found  the  Bulk  of 
 the  Jewiffi  Nation  pofTefied  of  the  Belief  of  a  Re- 
 
 furre^ion. 
 
Sedt.  2.         The  RefurreSiion,  i6i 
 
 furre^ion,  is  clear  from  feveral  Pafiages  of  the 
 Gofpeh.  That  Queflion  (already  mentioned)  put 
 to  him  by  the  Sadd'jcees,  concerning  the  Woman 
 married  to  feven  Hufbands  {Therefore  in  the  Re- 
 furre^ion,  whofe  JVife /hall /}:e  be  of  the  feven?)  \s 
 a  Proof,  that  a  Refurreulion  of  the  dead  was  a  com- 
 mon Do6trine  among  the  Jews.  And  it  appears, 
 from  the  Account  of  5/.  Paiirs  Defence  of  him- 
 felf  before  the  Jewifli  Council^  that,  tho'  the  Sad- 
 ducees,  who  put  the  above  Queflion  to  our  Savi- 
 our, denied  the  Refurredtion,  yet  the  Pharifees^ 
 the  mod  prevailing  of  the  Jewi/Ii  Se5fs^  believed 
 and  maintained  it.  For,  IVhen  Paul  (fays  the 
 Hiftorian)  perceived,  that  the  one  Part  were  Sad- 
 ducees,  and  the  other  Pharifees,  he  cried  out  in  the 
 Council,  Mejt  and  Brethren,  I  am  a  Pharifee,  the 
 Son  of  a  Pharifee :  Of  the  Hope  and  Refiirre5lion  of 
 the  dead  1  am  called  in  ^eflion.  And  when  he  had 
 fofaid,  there  arofe  a  Diffention  between  the  Pharifees 
 and  Sadducees,  and  the  Multitude  was  divided.  For 
 the  Sadducees  fay,  there  is  no  RefurreBion,  neither 
 Angel,  nor  Spirit ;  but  the  Pharifees  confefs  both. 
 A6ts  xxiii.  6 — 8. 
 
 From  whence,  then,  had  the  Jews  the  Doc- 
 trine of  the  Refurre5lion  ?  From  the  Light  of  A^^- 
 iure  they  could  not  have  it  -,  and  it  is  certain, 
 they  had  it  not  from  the  Writings  of  Mofes.  It 
 muft,  therefore,  have  been  derived  to  them  from 
 fome  other  of  tht'ir  facred  Books.  For,  what  was 
 evidently  an  Article  of  the  Jewifi  Creed,  muft  be 
 M  fupported 
 
i62  Dissertation    II.     Secft.  2i 
 
 fupported  by  fome  Kind  of  Evidence  from  the 
 Jewi/h  Scriptures. 
 
 Now,  if  we  look  into  thofe  Scriptures,  we 
 fliall  find,  in  the  Books  of  the  Prophets^  fuchPr^- 
 di^ions  and  fuch  Defcripticns^  as  could  not  well 
 fail  of  leading  the  Jewi/Ji  People  to  the  Belief 
 af  a  Refurre5lion.  I  do  not  mean,  that  there  is 
 to  be  found,  in  the  prophetical  JVri tings,  any  po- 
 fitive  or  exprefs  Revelation  of  God's  Purpofe  to 
 raife  the  dead  ;  fuch  Revelation  being  unquefti- 
 onably  referved  for  the  Times  of  the  Gofpel^ 
 and  the  Teaching  oiChriJl  and  his  Apojiles, 
 
 The  Proof  of  the  RefiirreFiion,  from  t  he  Prophecies 
 of  the  Old  Tejiament,  arifes  from  the  Ufe  of  fuch 
 figurative  Language,  as,  at  the  fame  Time  that 
 it  is  prophetical  of  fome  other  Event,  is  ftrongly 
 defcriptive  of  a  Bodily  Rcfurre^ion.  Thus,  in 
 thofe  Prophecies,  which  relate  to 'Temporal  Delive- 
 rances of  particular  Perfons,  or  of  the  Jcwijh  Peo- 
 ple in  general,  the  ufual  Figure  or  Allegory,  em- 
 ployed by  the  Prophets  to  exprefs  fuch  Deliver- 
 ances, is,  'the  Refioration  of  a  dead  Body  to  Life. 
 A  figure,  extremely  applicable  to  the  Reftora- 
 tion  of  an  affli6led  Perfon  or  Nation  (a  Body  poli- 
 tic) to  a  State  of  Happinefs  and  Profperiry,  at 
 the  fame  Time  that  it  conveys  the  very  Idea  of 
 That  Reftoration  to  Life^  God  has  appointed  for 
 the  Bodies  of  all  Mankind. 
 
 The 
 
Sed.  2,  ^he  RefiirreBioii,      ,  163 
 
 The  Ufe  of  this  particular  Image ^  in  foretel- 
 ling TV»/por^/ Df/Zi^^r^wcfj,  we  miift  fuppofe  to 
 have  been  the  Diftate  of  That  holy  Spirit,  by 
 whom  the  Prophets  were  infpired.  By  which  I 
 mean,  not  that  the  holy  Ghoji  dilated  the  very 
 JVords  of  fuch  Prophecies  (or,  indeed,  of  any 
 other  Prophecies)  but  only  fuggefted  the  Images 
 or  Ideas,  he  intended  fliould  be  conveyed  by ' 
 them.  Nor  is  it  neceffary  we  fnould  fuppofe  the 
 Prophets  themfelves  to  have  had  any  Foreknow- 
 ledge of,  or  any  Intention  of  foretelling,  an  ac- 
 tual Refiirre^lion  of  the  dead.  They  might  have 
 nothing  farther  in  their  own  View,  than  the  Ac- 
 complifhment  of  the  ^^^t'X\Qiz^^  Deliverance,  at  the 
 fame  Time  that  the  Spirit  of  God  had  a  fecondary 
 View  to  the  great  Event  of  the  Refiirrebtion. 
 And  this  is  the  more  likely,  as  the  Accomplifh- 
 ment  of  That  Deliverance  would  be,  of  itfelf, 
 dnd  without  looking  any  farther,  a  full  and  fuf- 
 ficient  Completion  of  the  Prophecy.  In  which  Re- 
 fpe(ft,  this  Kind  of  Prophecy  (which,  I  think, 
 may,  not  unaptly,  be  dillinguifhed  by  the  pe- 
 culiar Appellation  of  Oblique  or  Indirect 
 Prophecy)  differs  from  the  Prophecies  of  the 
 Appearance  and  Circumftances  of  the  future 
 MeJJiah  :  In  which,  if  they  have  a  dotil>le  Scnfe, 
 a  primary  and  a  fecondary,  the  former  refpedb- 
 ing  fome  Event  near  at  Hand,  and  the  latter 
 the  more  remote  Times  of  the  Gofpel,  we  can- 
 not but  fuppofe  the  Prophets  intended  Both,  as 
 M  2  abfolutei/ 
 
164  Dissertation    II.     Sed.  2* 
 
 abfolutely  neceflary  to  the  complete  and  final  Ac- 
 compli/Iimeiit  of  their  Predi^ions. 
 
 Whether  the  Jews^  in  the  Time  of  the  Pro- 
 phets, underftood  the  Prophecies  in  queftion  as 
 Predidions  of  an  a5fual  Refurre^ion  of  the  dead, 
 is  not  material.  It  is  certain,  they  had  difco- 
 vered  this  ohliqtu  or  indire£l  Senfe  of  them,  a 
 confiderable  Time  before  the  Coining  of  Chrift. 
 And  it  is  probable,  the  Dodrine  of  the  Refur- 
 re5licn  might  begin  to  prevail  from  the  Time 
 when  the  Canon  of  the  Jeivi/Ii  Scriptures  was  per- 
 fected, and,  confequently,  the  facred  Code  more 
 generally  received  and  ftudied  by  the  Literati. 
 This  was  in  the  High-prirjlhocd  of  Simon  the  Jtift., 
 about  300  Years  before  Chrift  '. 
 
 I  fhall  confine  myfclf  to  a  few  of  the  more  re- 
 markable and  ftriking  of  thofe  Prcphccies  I  am 
 fpeaking  of;  and  fliall  begin  with  That  famous 
 and  much  controverted  FafTage  in  the  Book  of 
 *Joh :  J  know^  that  my  Redee?ner  liveth,  and  that 
 he  JJiall  Jiand  at  the  latter  Day  upon  the  Earth  -, 
 and  though  after  my  Skin  Worms  dcjiroy  this  Body^ 
 yet  in  my  FlffJi  fliall  I  fee  Gcd^  whom  I  fliall  fee  for 
 myfelf,  and  mine  Eyes  fliall  behold^  and  not  another, 
 though  my  Reins  be  confumed  within  me.  Chap.  xix. 
 25 — 27.  This  is  the  good  Arabian^s  ConfcfTion 
 of  his  Faith  and  Truft  in  God  for  the  future  Re- 
 •ward  of  his  prefent  Sufferings.     Let  us  enquire 
 
 •  Prideaux's  Conneiiioni  kc.  Vol.  II.  p.  478,  797. 
 
 into 
 
Sed:.  2.  ^he  Refiirreciion.  165 
 
 into  the  true  Meaning  and  Import  of  this  cele- 
 brated PaiTage. 
 
 Grotius  and  Le  Clerc  iinderftand  JoFs  Words 
 to  imply  nothing  more  than  his  Expeftation  of 
 a  Tempo7'al  Deliverance  from  the  Evils  he  fuf- 
 fered. 
 
 "  The  Hebrew  '*  (fays  the  former)  "  may  be 
 "  tranflated  thus:  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liv- 
 *'  eth,  and  that  he  /Jiall  at  laji  Jiand  in  the  Field. 
 "  Although  they  (to  wit,  Difeafes)  JJiould  confume 
 "  not  only  my  Skin,  hut  this  alfo  (to  wit  the  Fat 
 "  under  the  Skin)  yet  in  my  FleJhJJiall  I  fee  God^ 
 *'  i.  e.  fhall  find  him  propitious.  God  is  called 
 *'  the  Redeemer,  becaufe  he  delivers  good  Men 
 "  out  of  many  and  great  Evils.  To  Jiand  at  lafi 
 "  (or,  the  lafi)  in  the  Field  is  a  Mark  of  Vi6lory, 
 ^'  and  denotes,  that  God  would  fubdue  all7<5/''s 
 "  Enemies.  Nor  was  it  impoffible  for  God  to 
 *'  reftore  Joh^^  Body,  almoll  confumed,  to  its 
 *'  former  Condition-,  as  in  Fad  he  did  *.'* 
 
 That  Joh  does  not  fpeak  of  his  own  Refurrec- 
 tion,  M.  Le  Clerc  concludes  from  hence,  that 
 thej^iw,  who  prove  the  Dodrine  of  the Refmrec- 
 tion  from  other  Paffages,  never  attempt  to  do  it 
 from  this.  Befides  :  The  Argument  of  the  Book 
 (he  thinks)  fhews  it.  For,  had  Job  or  his  Friends 
 been  acquainted  with  the  Podrine  of  a  Refurrec- 
 tion  to  a  Future   State,  they  would  have   been 
 
 ^  Grot.  Jnnot.  in  loc. 
 
 M  3  at 
 
i66         Dissertation    II.      Sedl.  5« 
 
 at  no  Lofs  (as  they  plainly  were)  to  reconcile 
 the  Sufferings  of  good  Men  with  the  Juftice  of 
 God.  Nor  would  Gcd,  in  his  Speech  to  Job, 
 have  omitted  (as  he  does)  to  vindicate  his  own 
 Juftice,  by  putting  Job  in  Mind  of  That  mofl: 
 effeftual  Topic  of  Confolation  under  all  his  Af- 
 flidlions  K 
 
 Agreeable  to  the  Opinion  of  thefe  learned 
 Foreigners  is  Bp.  Palrickh  Paraphrafe  of  Job's 
 Words  :  *'  And,  though  the  Worms,  which 
 "  have  eaten  rny  Skin,  fhould  proceed  to  con- 
 "  fume  the  reft  of  this  wretched  Body,  yet  I 
 *'  feel  my  Soul  infpired  with  a  comfortable  Be- 
 "  lief,  that,  before  I  die,  I  ftiall  fee  myfelf  re- 
 "  ftored,  by  the  Mercy  of  God,  to  a  happy 
 "  State." 
 
 Bp.  Warburton,  in  Confirmation  of  this  Inter- 
 pretation, ailedges  *,  firft,  that  the  underftand- 
 ing  of  Job's  Words  of  a  Refurre£iion  is  repugnant 
 to  the  whole  Tenor  of  the  Argument.  For 
 ^'  The  Difputants"  (fays  his  Lordfhip)  "  are 
 "  all  equally  embarraffed  in  adjufting  the  Ways 
 "  of  Providence.  Job  affirms,  that  the  good 
 "  Man  is  fometimes  unhappy-— the  three  Friends 
 "  contend,  that  the  good  Man  can  never  be  un- 
 "  happy,  becaufe  fuch  a  Situation  would  reflect 
 "  Diflionour  on   Gcd*s  Attributes.    Now   the 
 
 '  Cleric,  in  loc. 
 
 \  Dlv.  Leg.  Edit.  1758.  Vol.  IV.  p.  296—304. 
 
 "  Do(5trin5. 
 
Sedt.  2.         T^he  Refurreclion.  167 
 
 "  Doftrine  of  a  Refurreflion,  fuppofed  to  be 
 ^'  here  urged  by  Joh^  cleared  up  all  this  Em- 
 "  barras.  If  therefore  his  Friends  thought  it 
 "  true,  it  ended  the  Difpute  -,  if  not,  it  lay  upon 
 *'  them  to  confute  it.  Yet  they  do  neither— — 
 "  But  what  is  ftrangeft  of  all,  when  each  Party 
 "  had  confounded  themfclves,  and  one  another 
 "  — the  fourth  Friend,  the  Moderator,  fteps  in, 
 *'  as  the  Precurfor  of  the  Almighty,  who  after- 
 "  appears  as  the  great  Decider  of  the  Cootro- 
 "  verfy.  Yet  neither  of  thefe  "  (Elihu  nor  God) 
 "  give  us  the  leaft  Hint  concerning  the  Refur- 
 "  reftion  *."  Secondly,  Bp.  Warhirton  abjefts, 
 that  "  the  underftanding  the  Words  of  a  Refur- 
 "  reflion  of  the  Body  contradifts  Joh\  plain 
 "  Declaration  againft  any  fuch  Hope,  in  the 
 "  following  Words :  As  the  Cloud  is  confumed  and 
 "  'uaniJJietb.  away^  fo  he  that  goeth  doivn  to  the 
 "  Grave  JJiall  come  up  no  more.  Chap.  vii.  ver.  9. 
 "  Again  :  Man  lieth  down^  and  rifeth  7iot  till  the. 
 *'  Heavens  be  no  more  ^  they  JJiall  not  aivake^  nor 
 "  he  raided  out  of  their  Sleep.  Chap.  xiv.  ver.  12. 
 "  And.  again  :  If  a  Man  die.,  fnall  he  live  again  ? 
 "  Ver.  14.  It  is  not  in.  Human  Language" 
 (fays  the  Bifhop)  "  t;o  exprefs  a  Denial  of  the 
 "  Reiurre<El;ion  of  the  Body  in  ftronger  or  plainer 
 "  Terms.'-' 
 
 5  The  Reader  cannot  but  obferve,  that  this  x^rgument  is 
 the  fame  with  M,  Lc  Chrc's. 
 
 M  4  Oa 
 
i68  Dissertation    II.     Bed:,  z. 
 
 On  the  other  Hand,  many  great  Divines  re- 
 je6b  this  Interpretation  of  the  PaiTage  before  ns, 
 and  contend  for  its  being  a  Prophecy  of  the  Re~ 
 furre^ion. 
 
 Dr.  Sherlock,  Dean  of  St.  Paurs,  thinks,  JoVs 
 Words  cannot  be  expounded,  as  a  Prophecy  of 
 That  happy  and  flourifhing  State,  he  fliould  be 
 reflored  to  in  this  World,  becaufe,  "  had  he 
 "  known  how  happy  and  profperous  God  in- 
 "  tended  to  make  him,  in  this  World,  This  miift 
 *'  have  filenced  all  his  Complaints,  even  with 
 "  Refped  to  his  prefent  hard  Ulage,  which  yet 
 "  in  this  very  Chapter  he  is  full  of;  which  makes 
 "  it  moft  likely,  that  he  knew  nothing  how 
 **  near  the  End  of  his  Troubles  and  his  fu- 
 "  ture  Felicity  was.  Nor  is  it  likely,  that  God 
 "  fhould  difcover  this  to  him  •,  becaufe  thefe 
 "  Afflictions  were  intended  as  a  Trial  of  hjs 
 "  Faith  and  Patience,  and  to  make  him  a  greater 
 <'  Example  of  Both  to  the  World  :  But,  had  he 
 "  certainly  knov/n  what  a  happy  End  his  Suf- 
 "  ferings  fhould  have,  even  in  this  Life,  his 
 *'  Patience  and  Submifiion  to  the  Will  of  God 
 "  had  not  been  fo  exemplary  and  wonderful, 
 "  For  I  believe  there  are  but  few  Men,  did  they 
 *'  know  it  before-hand,  but  would  be  contented 
 *'  to  endure  all  that  Job  did,  for  fo  fhort  a  Time 
 ^'  as  he  did,  to  enjoy  fo  great  and  fo  long  a  Pro- 
 
 '^  f|)e,ri^y 
 
Sedl.  2,         T^he  Refurrediion.  169 
 
 "  fperity   in    this  World    in    Recompence    of 
 "  it  ^" 
 
 That  excellent  Prelate  and  fine  Writer,  Bp. 
 Sherlock  ',  inclined  to  think  JoFs  Words  were 
 to  be  underilood  of  a  Temporal  Deliverance  only, 
 when  he  confidered,  "  that,  if  we  expound 
 *'  this  Paflage  of  a  future  Refurre<5lion,  it 
 "  contains  a  Degree  of  Knowledge  in  this  great 
 *'  Myftery,  beyond  the  Proportion  of  Light 
 "  communicated  to  the  Age  in  which  Job  liv- 
 "  ed.'*  But  this  Objedlion  his  Lordfhip  re- 
 moves by  obferving,  that  "  there  might  pofTibly 
 *'  be  among  the  few  faithful  in  the  World  a 
 "  traditionary  Expofition  of  the  Promifes  of 
 "  God,  grounded  upon  more  exprefs  Revela- 
 *'  tions,  made  either  before  or  foon  after  the 
 *'  Flood,  than  have  come  down  to  our  Times  5 
 "  or,  as  Job  was  tried  in  a  very  extraordinary 
 "  Manner,  he  might  have  as  extraordinary  a  De- 
 *'  gree  of  Light  to  fupport  and  maintain  hirr^ 
 "  in  the  Confiid."  And,  having  examined  the 
 PafTage  critically,  and  determined,  that  the //^f^r^w 
 Yeahharon  hal  haphar  jakouni  (which  our  Verfion 
 renders  and  /hall  fiand  at  the  latter  Day  upon  the 
 Earth)  means  rather,  that  the  Redeemer  /hall  at  the 
 la/i  Day  ari/e  with  Power  over  the  Du/l,  to  which 
 
 ^   ^  Di/cour/e  ccncerning  the  Happine/s  of  good  Men,  &C. 
 5th  edit.  p.  130. 
 J  Son  of  the  Dean  of  St.  PauVi,  before  quoted. 
 
170  Dissertation    II.     Sed.  2. 
 
 Job*s  Body  would  be  reduced,  this  ingenious 
 Writer  exprefles  the  Senfe  of  the  Text  and  Con- 
 text (0  that  my  Words  were  now  written  !  O 
 that  they  were  printed  in  a  Book  I  that  they  were 
 graven  with  an  Iron -pen  and  Lead,  in  the  Rock  for 
 ever  /  For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  Uveth,  &€.) 
 by  the  following  Words  :  "  I  find,  that  my  Com- 
 "  plaint  is  difregaitled  here,  that  Man  has  no 
 "  CompafTion  for  me  ;'  and  that  God  in  his  un- 
 "  fearchable  Wifdom  fuffers  the  innocent,  as 
 *'  well  as  the  guilty,  to  be  unfortunate  in  this 
 "  Life  :  But  the  Time  will  come,  when  my  Plea 
 •'  fhall  be  heard  ;  and  fo  fatisfied  am  I  in  the 
 "  Righteoufnefs  of  it,  that  I  would  have  it  re- 
 '*  main  as  my  Monument,  for  ever,  graven  in 
 *'  the  Rock  :  for,  though  I  myfelf  Ihall  loon  be 
 "  gone,  yet  my  Redeemer  lives,  and  will  at  the 
 *'  lafl  Day  call  me  from  the  Grave,  and  with  my 
 "  own  Eyes  fliall  I  fee  God  my  Saviour  *." 
 
 Such  are  the  different  Interpretations  of  this 
 famous  Paffage  of  Job.  But  how  eafy  is  it,  by 
 Means  of  the  above-propofed  Scheme  oi  oblique  or 
 indire£l  Prophecy,  to  reconcile  thefe  oppofite  In- 
 terpretations of  JoFs  Words  !  We  may  (and, 
 for  the  Reafons  alledged  by  Le  Clerc  and  Bp. 
 Warburton,  I  think,  we  muft)  admit,  that  Job, 
 or  rather  the  Author  of  the  Book  of  Job,  had 
 nothing  farther  in  View,  than  the  approaching 
 
 «  Vfe  and  It:te;tt  nf  Prvphcry,  .^-c.  3d.  edit.  p.  225,  &c. 
 
 ^"emporal 
 
Sccl.  2.         T^he  "RefurreBhn.  iji 
 
 "Temporal  Deliverance  of  That  good  Man  from 
 his  prefent  Mifery  and  Afflidion.  But,  at  the 
 fame  Time,  we  may  underftand  his  Words  as  an 
 oblique  or  indire5l  Prophecy  of  the  Refurreclion^  by 
 fuppofing,  that  the  holy  Spirit  fuggefted  to  the 
 Mind  of  the  infpired  Writer  the  Ideas  or  Images^ 
 under  which  he  fhould  exprefs  That  Deliverance, 
 And,  I  believe,  it  will  be  difficult  to  find,  even 
 in  the  New  Teftameni^  where  the  Dodlrine  of  the 
 Refurre5iion  is  exprejly  delivered,  Words  more 
 ftrongly  defcriptive  of  That  wonderful  Event, 
 than  thefe  in  the  Book  of  Job.  For,  do  they  not 
 {tt  before  us  the  DeJlru£iion  of  the  Body  by  Pu- 
 trefaction in  the  Grave,  the  Appearance  of  a 
 Redeemer  upon  the  Earth  at  the  laji  Day^  and  the 
 Reftoratiojj  of  the  Flej?i  or  dead  Body  to  Life 
 and  the  Powers  of  Senfation  ?  What  more  than 
 This  do  we  learn  from  the  Chrijlian  Revelation 
 itfelf? 
 
 But  to  proceed. 
 
 Let  us  take  into  Confideration  the  following 
 remarkable  Vifion  of  the  Prophet  Ezekiei 
 Chap,  xxxvii.  ver.  i — lo.  He  is  tranfported, 
 by  the  Hand  of  the  Lord.,  into  a  Valley  full  of  dry 
 Bones.  Here  God  afl^s  him,  Son  of  Man,  can  thefe 
 Bones  live  ?  The  Prophet,  with  a  modeft  Sub- 
 million  ito  infinite  Wifdom  and  Knowledge,  re- 
 plies i  0  Lord,  thou  kncwejl.  Then  God  com^ 
 mands  him  to  addrefs  himfelf  to  the  Bones,  and 
 promife  them  a  Return  to  Life.     Prefently,  the 
 
 ^ones 
 
172  Dissertation   II.     Sed.  2. 
 
 Bones  come  together,  and  refume  their  proper 
 State  and  Pofition  in  the  Syftem  of  an  Human 
 Body.  But,  there  being  as  yet  no  Breath  in  them^ 
 the  Prophet  is  commanded  to  invoke  the  Aflif- 
 tance  of  the  four  JVinds,  to  breathe  upon  thefi 
 Jlain^  that  they  might  live.  The  Winds  obey  ;  and 
 the  Breath  came  into  the  reftored  Bodies,  and  they 
 livedo  and  Jiocd  up  upon  their  Feet,  an  exceeding 
 great  Army. 
 
 We  have  here  another  very  Itriking  Inftance 
 of  an  oUique  or  indirect  Prophecy  of  the  general 
 Refurre^lion.  That  the  Prophet  himfelf  had  no 
 farther  View,  than  to  the  Reftoration  or  Return 
 of  the  Ifraelites  from  their  Captivity,  is  evident 
 from  the  Interpretation  he  gives  us  of  it,  as  from 
 God  himfelf.  Then  he  faid  unto  me^  Son  of  Man^ 
 thefe  Bones  are  the  whole  Ploufe  of  Ifrael :  behold 
 they  fay.  Our  Bones  are  dried,  and  our  Hope  is  lofiy 
 we  are  cut  off  for  our  Parts.  Therefore  prophefy^ 
 and  fay  unto  them.  Thus  faith  the  "Lord  God,  Be- 
 hold, O  my  People,  I  will  open  your  Graves,  and 
 caufe  you  to  come  up  out  of  your  Graves,  and  bring 
 you  into  the  Land  of  Ifrael.  Ver.  11,  12. 
 
 But,  can  we  think,  that  the  Holy  Qhofi,  under 
 whofe  Infpiration  the  Prophet  wrote,  had  no 
 farther  View  in  prefenting  this  Vif.&n  to  his  Mind, 
 than  to  the  Rejloraticn  of  Ifrael  ?  Were  a  Painter 
 to  fet  about  drawing  the  awful  and  glorious 
 Scene  of  the  general  Refurreciicn,  I  know  not  from 
 whence   he  could   furnifii  his  Imagination  with 
 
 iVonger 
 
Sed.  2.         ^he  RefurreSlmu  173 
 
 ftronger  or  more  lively  Ideas  of  it,  than  from 
 this  Prophecy  of  Ezekiel.  It  is  piBureJque  in  the 
 higheft  Degree.  The  Remains  of  the  dead  Bo- 
 dies, diflblved  by  Corruption  in  the  Grave  —  the 
 natural  Im.pofTibility  of  their  being  ever  re- 
 ilored  to  Life — The  adual  Purpofe  of  God  to 
 raife  the  dead — The  Bodies  of  the  dead  coming 
 up  from  their  Graves — The  Reftoration  of  Life 
 
 to  the  breathlefs  Carcaffes and  the  amazing 
 
 Scene  of  the  whole  Human  Race  coUeded  into 
 one  vaft  AfTembly  —  All  thefe  Particulars  are 
 exhibited  to  our  View  in  th^ prophetical  Tablet  or 
 Defcription. 
 
 There  are  other  Prophecies  of  the  Old  Tejia- 
 
 ment,  conveying  the  fame  Ideas,  or  pointing  to 
 
 the  fame  great  Event.     Such  is  That  of  Ifaiah  ♦, 
 
 Thy  dead  Men  flmll  live  •,  together  with  my  dead 
 
 Body  JJiall  they  arife  :   awake  andjing^  ye  that  dwell 
 
 in  the  Daft  -,  for  thy  Dew  is  as  the  Dew  of  Herbs ; 
 
 and  the  Earth  fJmll  caft  out  the  dead.  Ifa.  xxvi.  19. 
 
 That  of  Daniel ;   Many  (or,  the  Multitude)   of 
 
 them  thatfleep  in  the  Duft  of  the  Earth  fhall  awake^ 
 
 fome  to  everhifting  Life^  and  fome  to  Shame  and  ever-- 
 
 lafting  Contempt.  Dan.  xii.  2.    And,  lailly,  That 
 
 folemn  Declaration  by  the  Mouth  of  the  Prophet 
 
 Hofea  ',   I  will  ranfom  them  from  the  Power  of  the 
 
 Grave,  I  will  redeem  thejn  from  Death  ;  O  Death, 
 
 I  will  be  thy  Plagues ;    O  Grave ,  I  will  he  thy  De- 
 
 firu^ion.    Chap.  xiii.  ver.  14. 
 
 2  There 
 
374  Dissertation    II.     Se(fl:.  2; 
 
 There  is  no  reading  thefe  Paflages,  without 
 turning  our  Thoughts  to  the  Conterrpplation  of 
 That  important  Seafon,  when  all  Mankind  fhall 
 cwake  from  the  Sleep  of  Deaths  and  a  general  Re- 
 Jurre8ion  put  a  final  End  to  the  Reign  of  That 
 King  of  'Terrors.  And,  to  what  can  we  afcribe 
 this  Confent  of  tlie  'Prophets  in  the  Ufe  of  the 
 fame  figurative  Language,  in  foretelling  Temporal 
 "Deliverances,  but  to  That  common  Injpiration^ 
 which  breathed  in  them  all,  and  direfted  their 
 obedient  Pens  to  an  undefigned,  but  clear  and  in- 
 telligible, Predidlion  of  the  great  future  Delive- 
 rance of  Mankind  from  the  Power  of  Death  and 
 the  Grave  ? 
 
 Such  is  the  Evidence  or  Proof  of  the  great 
 Chrifiian  Do6lrine  of  the  Refurre^Hon,  arifing 
 from  the  JewiJIi  Scriptures  or  Books  of  the  Old 
 Tejiament.  And  from  hence  undoubtedly  it  was, 
 that  the  Pharifees  (of  which  Sedt  the  Bulk  of  the 
 Jewifii  People  was)  drew  their  charaBerifiic  Doc- 
 trine of  the  Refurrc5ficn ;  in  the  Denial  of  which 
 confifted  the  Herefy  of  their  Oppofites,  the  Sad- 
 ducees.  And  upon  This  (I  take  it)  is  founded 
 That  Appeal  of  our  Saviour's  to  the  JezviJJi  Scrip- 
 tures :  Search  the  Scriptures ;  for  in  them  ye  think 
 ye  have  eternal  Life  %  and  they  are  they  which  tejiify 
 cf  7ne.  John  v.  39.  As  if  he  had  laid  :  "  Exa- 
 "  mine  your  own  facred  Books,  from  vih  nee 
 *'  you  profefs  to  derive  the  Doftrine  of  a  Rejur- 
 
 "  reSlien 
 Z 
 
Se(^.  3.  l^he  KefurreUion,  int 
 
 "  region  to  eternal  Life ;  and  in  them  you  will 
 "  find  the  clearefl  Proofs  of  my  divine  Million 
 "  and  Authority." 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 ^he  Gofpel  Evidence  of  the  Refurredion* 
 
 T)  U  T,  let  us  attend  to  the  Gvfpl  Evidence  of 
 ^^  the  RefurreHicny  the  clear,  exprefs,  and  di- 
 u£i  Revelation  of  That  great  and  wonderful 
 Event. 
 
 Among  the  Declarations  of  .our  Saviour  him- 
 felf  concerning  it,  I  fhall  feledl  only  the  three 
 following.  In  a  Difcourfe  of  his  to  the  Multi- 
 tude that  followed  him,  are  thefe  Words  :  This 
 is  the  Will  of  him  that  fent  me^  that  every  one  'which 
 feeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  ever- 
 lafling  Life ;  and  I  will  raife  him  up  at  the  laji  Daw 
 John  vi.  40.  To  Martha,  the  Sifter  of  dead  La- 
 zarus^ who,  upon  his  telling  her,  her  Brother 
 fhould  rife  again,  acknowledged  her  Belief  of  the 
 Refurre6^ion  (I  know  that  hefliallrife  again  in  the 
 Refurre^ion  at  the  laft  Bay)  our  Lord  made  this 
 Declaration  :  /  am  the  Refurre^ion  a?id  the  Life ; 
 He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet 
 fhall  he  live  j  and  whofoever  liveth  and  believeth  in 
 
 me. 
 
I76  Dissertation   II.     Sedl.  3* 
 
 fne^  Piall  never  die.  John  xi.  23 — 26  9,  And, 
 laftly,  to  the  cavilling  and  perfecutingjfwj,  who 
 fought  to  kill  him^  becaufe  he  not  only  had  broken 
 the  Sabbathy  but  faid  cilfo  that  God  was  his  Father^ 
 making  himfelf  equal  with  God,  That  divine 
 Teacher,  having  aflerted  the  Power  of  all 
 Judgment  committed  unto  him  by  the  Father ,  ad- 
 drefies  thefe  Words :  Marvel  not  at  this  ;  for  the 
 Hour  is  coming,  when  all  that  are  in  the  Graves 
 fnall  hear  his  Voice  (the  Voice  of  the  Son  of  God) 
 and  fnall  come  forth  -,  they  that  have  done  good^ 
 unto  the  Refurrc5iion  of  Life  ;  ajid  they  that  have 
 done  evil,  unto  the  Refurre^ion  of  Damnation,  John 
 xi.  18 — 29. 
 
 From  thefe  Scriptures  we  learn,  not  only  the 
 Certainty  of  a  Refurre5iion  of  the  dead,  but  that, 
 though  our  Lord  feems  to  promife  it  as  a  Re^ 
 ward  of  Faith  or  Belief  in  him  (fuch  Promife 
 being  a  great  Encouragement  to  the  Faith  and 
 Obedience  of  his  Followers)  it  will  neverthelefs  be 
 univerfal,  extending  to  all  that  are  in  the  Graves ; 
 to  thofe  that  have  dene  evil,  as  well  as  to  thofi 
 that  have  done  good  •,  to  the  Wicked,  as  well  as 
 to  the  Righteous.  A  Remark,  which  we  lliall 
 find  of  confiderable  Ufe  in  the  Progrefs  of  our 
 Enquiries. 
 
 9  The  lall  Words,  Jhall  never  die,  fliould  rather  have  been 
 Jhall  not  die  for  e'ver  or  eternally :  the  Original  is,  »  /xh  cI'Tc 
 
 fl^tfJJ  iii  701'  CtlU^V£' 
 
 I  might 
 
Sed.  3.         Tbe  RefurreBion,  17^ 
 
 I  might  alledgc,  in  Confirmation  of  our  Faith 
 Or  Belief  in  a  Refurre^ion,  the  Inftances,  record- 
 ed in  the  New  'fejiametit,  of  Perfons  adlually 
 raifed  from  the  dead  by  the  Power  of  Chriji  j 
 particularly  Lazarus  of  Bethany.  John  xi.  38— 
 44.  the  Widow  of  Nain's  Son.  Luke  vii.  12 — 
 15.  and  yai}'Rs*s  Daughter.  Luke  viii.  49 — 
 55,  not  to  omit  That  moft  remarkable  Ex- 
 ample of  a  Refurre5iion,  which  accompa- 
 nied the  PafTion  of  our  bleffed  Redeemer  ; 
 at  which  Time^  among  other  Prodigies,  the 
 Graves  were  opened.,  and  many  Bodies  of  Saints, 
 which  Jlept,  arofe,  and  came  cut  of  the  Graves  af- 
 ter his  Refurre^ion^  and  went  into  the  holy  CitVi 
 and  appeared  unto  many.  Matth.  xxvii.  51-— 53  '. 
 
 But 
 
 »  There  feems  to  be  a  fmall  bifficulty  in  the  Account  St; 
 Matthevj  here  gives  us.  From  his  Narrative  one  would  con- 
 clude, that  this  Refurreahn  of  the  faints  was  immediately- 
 attendant  on  our  Saviour's  Death  :  And  fo  Grotins  fuppofes 
 it  to  have  been,  and  that  it  was  defigned  as  a  Proof,  that 
 through  Death  Chrift  had  aftually  dejlroyed  him  that  had  the 
 PoiverofDtath,  that  is,  the  De'vil,  Heb.  ii.  14.  But  the 
 Evangelift  tells  us^that  the  Jppearana  of  th/e  Saints  unto  many 
 in  the  holy  City  was  not  till  after  the  Refurredion  oi  Chriji. 
 Here  then  lies  the  Difficulty.  Our  Saviour's  Refurreaion 
 was  not  till  the  third  Day  after  his  Death  and  Burial.  Now, 
 \ix\\&  Graves  were  opened  immediately  upon  his yieUi fig  tip 
 the  Ghojl  (as  St.  Matthe-w's  Words  feem  to  imply)  it  may  be 
 afked.  Did  the  Bodies  come  out  of  the  Graves  at  That  inftant, 
 or  did  they  not.?  If  they  did,  what  became  of  them  during 
 thbfc  three  Days  ?  \i  they  did  not,    why  were  the  Gra'vei 
 
 N  opened 
 
lyB  Dissertation  IL     Se£t.  ^, 
 
 But  the  grand  Fa^  or  Incident  of  the  Gofi>el 
 Hijlory,  upon  which,  as  upon  a  Rock,  our  Hope 
 and  Expectation  of  a  general  ReJurre5lion  are  im- 
 moveably  built,  is,  The  Refurreolion  of  our  blefled 
 Redeeiner  himfelf.  St.  Paul  confiders  the  general 
 RefurreSlion  as  fo  clofely  connedled  with  That  of 
 Chrijl,  that  they  muft  Both  be  true,  or  Both 
 falfe.  If  Chriji  be  preached^  that  he  rofe  from  the 
 dead,  how  fay  fame  among  you,  that  there  is  no  Re" 
 fnrre£fion  of  the  dead  ?  But,  if  there  he  no  Refur- 
 re^ion  of  the  dead,  then  is  Chriji  not  rifen.  Andy 
 if  Chriji  be  not  rifen,  then  is  our  Preaching  vain^ 
 and  your  Faith  is  alfo  vain.  Tea,  and  we  are  found 
 falfe  Witneffes  of  God,  becaufe  we  have  tefiified  of 
 God,  that  he  raifed  up  Chriji,  whom  he  raifed  not 
 up,  if  fo  be  that  the  dead  rife  not.  For,  if  the  dead 
 rife  fwt,  then  is  not  Chriji  raifed:  And,  if  Chriji  be 
 not  raifed,  your  Faith  is  vain  ;  ye  are  yet  in  your 
 Sins.  Then  they  alfo,  which  are  fallen  ajleep  in 
 Chriji,  are  perifhed.  i  Cor.  xv.  12 — 18.  The 
 Apoftle,  then,  goes  on  to  afiert  the  Reality  of 
 our  Saviour^s  Refurre^ion,,  and,  confequently,  of 
 
 cpenefl  fo  much  fooner  than  was  needful  ?  The  View  of  this 
 Difficulty,  trifling  as  it  may  feem,  induces  me  to  be  of  Opi- 
 nion, with  Maldonahis  and  other  Commentators,  that  the 
 Opening  of  the  Graves  and  Refurreilion  of  the  Saints  were  co- 
 Hncident  with  the  RefurrcSiion  of  Chrijf,  and  that  they  are 
 here  related  by  St.  Matthe-iv  by  way  of  Anticipation,  this 
 being  the  Place  where  he  begins  the  Narrative  of  thpfe  Pro- 
 digieSi,  which  followed  upon  the  Death  of  Qbriji. 
 
 I  $Mr 
 
Bed:.  3.         T&e  RefiirnBion,  i'j() 
 
 our  own ;  reprefenting  the  former  as  an  Earnefi 
 of  the  latter,  in  like  Manner  as  the  Firft-fruits 
 of  the  Field  are  a  Pledge  of  the  approaching  Har- 
 veji.  But  now  is  Chr'ift  rijen  from  the  dend,  end 
 become  the  Firjl-fruiti  of  them  that  flept.  For  as 
 in  Adam  all  die,  even  fo  in  Chrift  fJiall  all  be 
 made  alive.  But  every  Man  in  his  own  Order: 
 Chrifi  the  Firfl-fruits  ;  afterward  they  that  ars 
 Chrifs  at  his  coming.    lb.  ver.  21 — 23. 
 
 Such  is  the  Evidence  of  a  general  Refurre5Iion 
 of  the  dead,  arifing  from  the  Fad:,  recorded  in 
 the  Gofpel  Hiftory,  of  our  Saviour's  own  Refur- 
 reElion  from  the  dead.  He  fliook  off  the  Bands 
 of  Death,  atid  redeemed  himfelf  from  the  Cap- 
 tivity of  the  Grave,  not  only  as  a  Proof  of  the 
 Divinity  inherent  in  him,  and  of  the  Truth  of 
 That  holy  Religion  he  came  down  from  Heaven 
 to  teach  Mankind,  but  that  he  might  give  all 
 Men  an  AfTurance  of  their  triumphing  in  like 
 Manner  over  the  King  of  Terrors,  and  their  Re- 
 fioration  to  Life,  and  a  He-union  of  their  Bodies 
 and  Souls. 
 
 The  great  Chriftian  Dofbrine  of  the  Jholition 
 of  Death,  and  of  Life  and  hnmortality  brought 
 to  Light  by  the  Gofpel  (2  Tim.  i.  10.)  though  it 
 may  likev^^ife  imply  \^i\(t  ^t2X.t  oi  Regeyier ation  ax 
 Spiritual  Life  in  this  World,  and  of  everlafting 
 Happinefs  in  the  next  *,  is,  I  think,  to  be  un- 
 
 *  See  my  Defence  of  the  commonJj-rcid'ved  Doilrlne  cf  the 
 tinman  Soul,  &c.  p.  94,  &c. 
 
 N  2  derftood^ 
 
iS^o  Dissertation  II.      Se£t.  ^l 
 
 derllood,  principally,  of  the  Refurre5lion  or  Re- 
 lloration  of  the  Body  to  a  State  o{ Life  and  Immor- 
 tality. For,  What  is  the  Abolition  oi  Death,  but 
 the  Reftoration  of  the  dead  to  an  endlefs  Life  ? 
 And,  that  the  Revelation  of  Life  and  Immortality 
 means  the  fame  Thing,  is  plnin  from  the  Ufe  of 
 the  Word  d^^a^&ia.,  which  we  tfanflate  Immor- 
 tality, but  fliould  rather  be  rendered  Incorrup- 
 tion ;  and  is  the  very  Word  ufed  by  St.  Paul,  in 
 defcribing  the  Refurrc5lion ;  (XTnlpirai  h  (pGopa, 
 iyiioiTai  h  a.(^^ccpala,  It  is  fown  in  Ccmtption,  rt 
 is  raifed  in  Incorrupticn.   i  Cor.  xv.  42. 
 
 But,  to  return  : 
 
 It  would  be  endlefs,  as  well  as  unneceflary, 
 to  produce  every  PafTage  of  the  New  Teflament, 
 in  which  the  Docflrine  of  the  Refurre5lion  is  con- 
 tained. I  fliall  therefore  clofe  the  Scripture  Evi- 
 dence of  Tha:  great  Truth  with  the  Tellimony  of 
 St.  John  the  Divine,  in  the  following  prophetical 
 Vificn  of  the  general  Refurre^ion  and  Judgment  of 
 Mankind.  I faiv  a  great  white  throne,  ayid  him 
 that  fat  on  it,  from  whcfe  Face  the  Earth  and  the 
 Heavens  fled  aivay,  and  there  was  found  no  Place 
 for  them.  And  I  faw  the  dead,  fmall  and  great, 
 fiand  before  God,  and  the  B^oks  were  opened  -,  and 
 another  Book  was  opened,  zvhich  is  the  Book  of 
 Life  •,  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  thefo  Things 
 which  were  written  in  the  Books,  according  to  their 
 IVorks.     And  the  Sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were 
 
 in. 
 
Se(fL  3.  l^he  RefurreBion,  j.Si 
 
 in  it ;  and  "Death  and  Hell  delivered  tip  the  dead 
 which  were  in  them  \  and  they  were  judged  every 
 Man  according  to  their  Works.  Rev.  xx.  11 — 13. 
 In  this  lively  and  afFefting  Vijion,  we  have  a  Re- 
 prefentation,  not  only  of  the  folemn  Apparatus 
 and  Proceedings  of  the  great  Day  of  Account, 
 but  of  That  wonderful  Event  attending  it,  the 
 Refurre^ion  or  Reftoration  of  the  dead  to  Life. 
 We  'fee  the  different  Elements  of  Water  and  Earth 
 giving  up  their  refpeftive  dead;  the  Sea,  thofe  that 
 were  drowned  and  buried  in  the  deep ;  the  Land, 
 thofe  that  were  lodged  in  the  Duft  of  the  Earth. 
 We  fee  Death  refigning  np  his    Captives,  and 
 the  invj/ihle  Region  pouring  forth  its  Inhabitants. 
 Whatever  of  Allegory  there   may  be  in  the  Cir- 
 cumftances   of  the  Judgment   (the  great   white 
 I'hrone^  the  Flight  of  the  Earth  and  the  Heavens, 
 and   the   Books  or  Regifters   of  Human   A6li- 
 ons)  there  is  none  in  thofe  of  the  Refurre5lion, 
 which  we  arc  authorized,  by  the  concurrent  Evi- 
 dence of  other  Scriptures,  to  underftand  in  the 
 itridb,  literal^  Senfe  of  the  Vifion. 
 
 N  3  S  I^  C- 
 
if2  Dissertation    II.     Sed.  4, 
 
 SECTION      IV. 
 
 Various  Hypothefes  of  learned  Men,  for  folving 
 the  Difiiculties  of  the  Refurre6tion,  /Iiewn  ta 
 he  infifficieni  for  Thai  Purpofe. 
 
 TH  E  BifficuJlies,  attending  the  Dodrine  of 
 the  RefurreSiion^  upon  the  Foot  of  Reafon 
 and  Nature^  have  put  Chriftians  upon  framing 
 various  Hypothefes,  for  the  Solution  of  thofe  Dif- 
 ficulties. I  ihall  mention  the  principal,  and  ihew 
 ^heir  Infufiiciency  for  That  Purpofe— confining 
 myfelf  to  a  few  modern  Writers  of  the  greateft 
 Kote  in  the  learned  World. 
 
 Firft,  then,  Mr.  Locke  has  effeftually  provided 
 againft  all  Difficulty  in  our  Conceptions  of  the 
 fLefurre^ion,  by  denying,  that  the  Scriptures, 
 in  fpeaking  of  the  general  RefurreBion  at  the  laft 
 Day,  any  where  exprefly  teach  a  Refiirre5lion  of 
 the  Body,  and  much  more  of  the  fame  Body  ' ;  the 
 Language,  in  v/hich  *'  the  Spirit  of  God"  fpeaks 
 of  the  general  Rcfurreflion,  being  always  That 
 of  "  raifing,  quickening,  rijing,  RefurreBion,  &c. 
 *'  of  the  DEAD,"  and  "  the  Body  "  being  never 
 "  mentioned  but  in  Anfwer  to  this  Queftion, 
 •^^  With  vohat  Bodies  fnall  thofe   dead  who  are 
 
 3  Second  Reply  to  the  Bijhop  pfWorceJler^  ap,  Works,  foL 
 2d.  Edit.  p.  484. 
 
 'f  raifed 
 
Sed.  4.  T^he  RefurreBion.  1^3 
 
 "  vdiikd  come  ?  fo  that"  (he  concludes)  "  by 
 "  the  dead  cannot  precifely  be  meant  the  dead 
 *'  Bodies-^."  It  is  true,  Mr.  Locke  makes  no 
 queftion,  "  that  the  dead  {hall  be  railed  with 
 **  Bodies  :  But,  in  Matters  of  Revelation,"  he 
 "  thinks  it  not  only  fafeft,  but  our  Duty,  as  far 
 *'  as  any  one  delivers  it  for  Revelation,  to  keep 
 *'  clofe  to  the  Words  of  the  Scripture  ^." 
 
 Now,  if  it  cannot  be  proved  from  Scripture, 
 that  the  dead  Bodies  of  Men  (thofe,  which  belong- 
 ed to  them  in  this  World)  will  be  raifed  at  the 
 Jaft  Day,  we  are  at  Liberty  to  fuppofe,  God  will 
 provide  other  Bodies  for  them  ;  and  then  all  Dif- 
 ficulty vanifhes.  There  will  be  no  Neceflity  of 
 re-ajfembling  the  fcattered  and  difperfed  Particles 
 of  a  dead  Body  :  There  will  be  Mailer  enough, 
 at  Hand,  out  of  which  God  may  create  new  Bodies^ 
 and  thofe  perfeft  and  entire,  with  the  like  Eafe 
 as  he  created  the  Body  of  the  firft  Man  out  of 
 the  Dull  of  the  Earth. 
 
 This  is  true.  But  I  muft  infift  upon  it,  that  a 
 Refiirre^ion  of  the  dead  can  be  no  other  than  a 
 RefurreBion  of  the  Body.  For,  What  is  it,  belong- 
 ing to  Man,  that  dies  ?  Is  it  not  his  Body  ?  What 
 clfe,  then,  can  be  raifed  at  the  laft  Day  ?  There 
 mull,  therefore,  be  a  Bodily  Refurre^lion^  or  no 
 RefurreBion  at  all.  Here  all  the  Difficulties, 
 arifing  from  the  State  of  the  dead  at  the  Time  of 
 
 +  lb.  p.  495.  J  lb.  p.  498. 
 
 N  4  the 
 
184         Dissertation    II.     Se<Sl.  4. 
 
 the  Refurre^lion,  return  upon  us  ;  and  the  fup- 
 pofed  Silence  of  the  Scriptures,  with  Refpedt  to 
 a  Bodily  Refiirre5iicn,  affords  us  no  Solution  of 
 them. 
 
 And,  that  the  Scriptures  exprefly  teach  a  Re- 
 JurreElion^  not  only  of  the  Body^  but  of  the  fame 
 Body,  may  be  proved  againft  Mr.  Locke  from  St. 
 Paulas  Doftrine  of  the  Refurre5iion  •,  which  is  fo 
 exprefled,  as  to  exclude  all  poflible  Suppofition, 
 that  the  Apoftle,  in  fpeaking  of  the  Body  raifed, 
 means  any  other  Body  (m  a  proper  Senfe)  than 
 That  which  died.  It  is /own  in  Corruption,  It  is 
 raifed  in  Incorruption,  &c.    i  Cor.  xv.  42. 
 
 Secondly,  Let  us  confider  Archbifhop  Tillot' 
 Jon's  Hypothecs,  for  avoiding  the  Difficulties 
 attending  the  RefurreSion  of  the  fame  Body. 
 "  The  Body  of  Man  "  (fays  That  great  Prelate) 
 ^'  is  not  a  conftant  and  permanent  Thing,  al- 
 "  ways  continuing  in  the  fame  State,  and  coH'- 
 "  filling  of  the  fame  Matter ;  but  a  fuccefllve 
 "  Thing,  which  is  continually  fpending,  and 
 *'  continually  renewing  itfelf  j  every  Day  lofing 
 "  fomething  of  the  Matter  which  it  had  before, 
 "  and  gaining  new ;  fo  that  moft  Men  have 
 "  new  Bodies  oftener  than  they  have  new 
 "  Cloaths ;  only  with  this  Difference,  that  we 
 "  change  our  Cloaths  commonly  at  once,  but 
 
 "  our  Bodies  by  Degrees". Now,   "  The 
 
 "  Body,  which  a  Man  hath  at  any  Time  of  his 
 *'  Life,  is  as  much  his  own  Body,  as  That  which 
 
Se<a,  4.         T'he  'RefiirreBion,  I  §5 
 
 "  he  hath  at  his  Death  -,  fo  that,  if  ihe  very  Mat- 
 ^'  ter  of  his  Body,  which  a  Man  had  any  Time 
 "  of  Life,  be  raifed,  it  is  as  much  his  own  and 
 "'  the  fame  Body,  as  That  which  he  had  at  his 
 "  Death,  and  commonly  much  more  perfect-, 
 ."  becaufe  they  who  die  of  lingering  Sicknefs, 
 "  or  old  Age,  are  ufualiy  mere  Skeletons  when 
 "  they  die  •,  fo  that  there  is  no  Reafon  to  fup- 
 **  pofe,  that  the  very  Matter,  of  which  our  Bo- 
 .*'  dies  confift  at  the  Time  of  our  Death,  fiiall 
 *'  be  That  which  Ihall  be  raifed  ;  That  being 
 •*'  commonly  the  worft  and  moft  imperfed:  Body 
 "  of  all  the  reft  ^" 
 
 This  Hypthejis^  it  muft  be  confeffed,  provides 
 for  xht  Identify  of  the  Body  raifed,  in  a  proper 
 Senfe  •,  but  not  in  the  Scripture  Senfe^  which 
 manifeftly  requires,  that  it  be,  in  a  juftifiable 
 Senfe,    the  fame   Body  that  died  :  All  that  are 
 
 In   the  Graves  /hall  come  forth The  Sea  gave 
 
 up  the  dead  which  were  in  it.  Befides,  How 
 are  the  Difficulties  of  the  Refurreuiim  removed,  or 
 even  lefTened,  by  the  Archbifhop's  Hypothefis  ? 
 The  Parts  of  the  preceding  Bodies  are  as  much 
 jdifperfed  and  fcattered,  as  thofe  of  the  lafi  can 
 be  fuppofed  to  be  •,  and  the  Difficulty  (if  there 
 be  any)  of  rallying  or  colledling  them  together 
 will  be  as  great  in  the  one  Cafe  as  in  the  other. 
 Nor  is  there  any  Difference,  with  Refpeft  to  the 
 CJp^f^g^s  arifing  from  the  conftant  Circulation  of 
 6  Worksy  fol.  Vol.  in.  p.  253. 
 
 Matter, 
 
t"86  Dissertation  II.     Sed;.  4. 
 
 Matter^  whether  the  Parts  of  our  Bodies  pafs  off 
 by  Perjpiralion,  or  are  drawn  up  from  the  Earth  in 
 Vapour  and  Exhalation.     A  Particle  of  Matter 
 loft  either  Way  is  equally  liable  to  become  a  con- 
 ftituent  Part  of  another  Body.     As  to  the  decayed 
 State  of  the  Body  depofited  in  the  Grave,  it  can 
 have  no  Weight,  when  we  confider  the  great 
 and  wonderful  Difference  there  will  be  between 
 the  Condition  of  the  dead  and  of  the  raifed  Body. 
 Thirdly,  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke,  having  obferved, 
 that  "  the  only  real  Difficulty  in  this  Dodrine  '* 
 (the  Refurreftion  of  the  fame  Body)  "  feems  to 
 '  arife  upon  putting  the  Suppofition  of  one  Bo- 
 '  dy*s  being  turned  into  the  Nourilhment,  and 
 '  becoming  Part  of  the  Subftance  of  another, 
 '  fo  as  that  the  fame  Parts  may  equally  belong 
 '  to  two  Bodies,  to  both   of  which  it  fhall  ne- 
 '  verthelefs   be  abfolutely   impoffible  that  the 
 '  fame  Parts  fliould  be  reftored ;"  and  having 
 pronounced  "  this  Objeftion,  as  great  and  prin- 
 cipal a  Difficulty  as  it  is  "  to  be  "  really  but 
 a  Trifie  j "   and  That  for  this  Reafon,  becaufe 
 there  does  not  at  all  appear  any  abfolute  Ne- 
 ceffity,    that,    to  conftitute  the   fame  Body, 
 there  muft  be  an  exaft  Reftitution  of  all  and 
 only  the  fame  Parts  i"  this  great  Writer,  I 
 fay,  propofes  two  Hypoihefes  j  according  to  either 
 of  which,   "  the  Refurreftion  of  xhtfame  Body^ 
 *'  properly   fpeaking,"  is  "  very   poffible,  and 
 *'  the  whole  Foundation  of  this,   and  all  other 
 
 "  Diffi^ 
 
Se£t.  4.         The  ReftirreLiion,  187 
 
 **  Difficulties  of  this  Kind,  concerning  the  Parts, 
 "  and  Forms,  and  Magnitudes,  and  Proportions 
 "  of  our  future  Bodies,"  is  "  entirely  taken 
 "  away  7." 
 
 "  F/r/?"  (fays  the  Doftor)  "  No  Man  can  fay 
 ^'  it  is  improbable  (and  they  who  have  been  moft 
 *'  and  bell  verfed  in  microfcopical  Obfervations, 
 *'  think  it  more  than  probable)  that   the  On- 
 "  ginal  Stamina,  which  contain   all   and   every 
 "  one  of  the  folid  Parts  and  Vefiels  of  the  Body, 
 "  not  excepting  even  the  minuteft  Nerves  and 
 "  Fibres,  are   themfelves  the  entire  Body  ;  and 
 **  that  all  the  extraneous  Matter,  which,  coming 
 "  in  by  Way  of  Nourilhment,  fills  up  and  ex- 
 ^'  tends  the   minute   and  infenfible  VefTels,  of 
 "  which  all  the  vifible  and  fenfible  VefTels  are 
 "  compofed,   is  not  ftridtly   and  properly  Part 
 "  of  the  Body.     Confequently,    while  all  this 
 '*  extraneous  Matter,  which  ferves  only  to  fwell 
 *'  the  Body  to  its  juft  Magnitude,  is  in  continual 
 "  Flux,  the  Original  Stamina  may  continue  un- 
 **  changed ;  and  fo  no  Confufion  of  Bodies  will 
 "  be  polTible  in  Nature.     There  may  be  made 
 "  many  confiderable  Obfervations,   concerning 
 ^'  the  determinate  Figure  into  which  every  refpec- 
 "  tive  Body  unfolds  itfelf  by  Growth  ;  concern- 
 ^'  ing  the  impoflibility  of  the  Body's  extending 
 
 "7  Ewdences  of  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,  ap.  TForks, 
 foL  VoL  II.  p.  6gQ, 
 
 "  itfelf 
 
i88  Dissertation  II.      Sed.  4. 
 
 "  itfelf,  by  any  Nourifhment  whatfoever,  be- 
 *'  yond  that  certain  Magnitude,  to  which  the  ori- 
 "  ginal  VefTels  are  capable  of  being  unfolded ; 
 *'  and  concerning  the  Impojfihility  of  reftoring  by 
 "  any  Nourifhment  any  the  fmalleft  Vefiel  or 
 "  folid  Part  of  the  Body,  that  has  at  any  Time 
 *'  happened  to  be  mutilated  by  any  Accident: 
 "  All  which  Obfervations,  often  and  carefully 
 "  made,  will  feem  very  much  to  favour  fome 
 "  fuch  Speculation  as  This  ^." 
 
 *'  Secondly,  It  may  alfo  be  fuppofed  other- 
 '"  wife,  not  without  good  Probability,  that,  in 
 "  like  Manner  as  in  every  Grain  of  Corn  there 
 "  is  contained  a  minute  infenfible  feminal  Prin- 
 *'  ciple,  which  is  itfelf  the  entire  future  Blade 
 "  and  Ear,  and  in  due  Seafon,  when  all  the  reft 
 *'  of  the  Grain  is  corrupted,  evolves  and  un- 
 "  folds  itfelf  vifibly  into  that  Form  ;  fo  our  pre- 
 "  fent  mortal  and  .corruptible  Body  may  be  but 
 "  the  Exuviae,  as  it  were,  of  fome  hidden  and 
 "  at  prefent  infenfible  Principle  (pofTibly  the 
 -"  prefent  Seat  of  the  Soul)  v/hich  at  the  Refur- 
 "  re6lion  fliali  difcover  itfelf  in  its  proper  Form. 
 "  This  Way  alfo  there  can  be  no  Confufion  of 
 "  Bodies,  polTible  in  Nature.  And  it  is  not 
 "  without  fome  Weight,  that  the  antienteft 
 ^'  Writers  of  the  Church   have   always  made 
 
 8  Ibid. 
 
 «Ufc 
 
Sedt.  4.         ne  RefurreBton.  i8q 
 
 "  Ufe  of  this  Similitude,  and  that  the  Apoftle 
 "  St.  Paul  himfelf  alledges  the  fame  Com- 
 "  parifon9.'» 
 
 Thefc  Hypothefes,  it  muft  be  confelTed,  are 
 very  plaufible,  as  they  are  built  on  a  philofophical 
 Infight  into  the  Methods  of  Nature  in  the  Pro- 
 dudlion  of  Animals  and  Plants.  And  it  muft  be 
 acknowledged,  that  they  ferve  to  fhcw  the  ma- 
 nifold Pojfibility  of  the  Do(5lrine  of  the  Refurrec- 
 tion  againft  the  Objections  of  thofe,  who  would 
 have  it  feem  contradt5lory  ^ T  But,  upon  Exa- 
 mination, I  cannot  think  Dr.  darkens  Hypothefes 
 fufficient  for  the  Purpofe  of  fhewing.  How  the 
 Body  is  aElually  raifed.  For,  with  Refpedt  to  the 
 Original  Stamina :  Though  it  may  be  admitted, 
 that  they  .  exift  in  the  Emhyrc,  or  in  femine 
 mafculino,  and  are  the  Rudiments  (as  they  may  be 
 called)  of  the  Creature  Man^  and  though  it  may 
 be  farther  allowed,  that  thcfe  Statmna  remain, 
 during  the  Life  of  Man,  in  an  unalterable  or 
 unchangeable  State  ;  it  will  not  follow,  that  they 
 continue  to  exift,  and  That  in  the  fame  State, 
 after  the  Death  and  Diflblution  of  the  Human 
 Body.  On  the  contrary,  as  thefe  Rudiments  of 
 Man  are,  themfeives,  formed  of  Matter.,  it  Ihould 
 feem,  that  they  are  liable,  no  lefs  than  the  ex- 
 traneous Matter  of  the  Body,  to  That  DifTolution 
 
 *  liiJ.  p.  69,1.  »  Ibid, 
 
 and 
 
jgo  Dissertation  II.      Se6t.  4; 
 
 and  Corruption,  which  follows  upon  the  Extinc- 
 tion of  Animal  Life.  And,  if  fo,  the  Rejioration 
 of  the  Body  cannot  be  fuppofed  to  take  its  Rife 
 from  its  Original  Stamina  or  Rudiments.  The 
 fame  Objedion  lies  againft  the  hidden  and  at  pre^ 
 fent  invifible  Principle ;  which,  however  k  may 
 exift  in  living  Man,  is,  moil  probably,  deftroyed 
 with  the  Life  of  Man.  As  to  the  Ufe  of  the 
 Similitude,  taken  from  the  Nature  of  a  Grain 
 of  Corn,  by  the  Fathers  and  by  St.  Paul  himfelf ; 
 it  is  employed  by  them  (the  Apqftle  at  leaft)  to 
 no  other  Purpofe,  than  to  illuftrate  the  exceeding 
 great  Difference^  in  Point  of  Excellency  and  Per- 
 fedlion,  between  the  dead  and  the  raifed  Body. 
 
 Fourthly,  As  the  paffing  of  fome  of  the  Parts 
 of  the  diflblved  Body  into  other  Bodies,  and 
 thereby  becoming  component  Parts  of  thofe  Bo- 
 dies (as,  particularly,  in  the  Cafe  of  Bodies  de- 
 voured by  wild  Beajis  or  Fi/Iies,  or  by  Canihals) 
 is  the  ftrongeft  Cbje6tion  to  the  Pojfibility  of  a 
 Refurre^lion  of  the  fame  Body  •,  the  learned  Gro- 
 tius  anfwers  it  *,  by  fuppofing,  that  God,  whofe 
 Providence  extends  to  the  Prefervation  of  the 
 feveral  5pfaVj  oi  Animals^  fothat  not  one  of  them 
 is  loft,  interpofes  miraculoujly  to  prevent  the  Parts 
 of  the  Body  paffmg  from  being  changed  into  the 
 Subftance  of  the  Body  they  pa[s  into  \   fo  that  a 
 
 *  Dt  Vtritau  Cfmjiima  RcUgionis,  Lib.  2  Seft.  10. 
 
 dead 
 
Sedl.  4.  ^^e  RefurreBion.  191 
 
 dead  Body,  devoured  by  a  li-ving  one,  does  not 
 ferve  for  Nourilhment  to  That  Body,  nor  incor- 
 porate with  it ;  but  pajfes  out  again  as  excrementi- 
 tious  Matter,  which  is  really  no  Part  of  the  Bo- 
 dy, And  thus  God  takes  Care  to  prevent  That 
 Confufton  of  Subjiances,  which  renders  a  Refurrec- 
 tion  of  the  fame  Body,  in  all  it's  Parts,  a  Phyfi- 
 cal  Jmpojfihility. 
 
 This  Hypothejis  is  built  upon  a  Suppofition, 
 juftly  rejedted  by  Dr.  Clarke  ',  that  every  Particle 
 of  the  Body  dead  mud  neceffarily  be  reftored  to 
 the  Body  raifed.  But  the  greateft  Objeftion  to 
 it,  is,  that  it  fends  us  to  a  Miracle  for  the  Soluti- 
 on of  the  Difficulty  in  Queftion.  This  is  to  cut^ 
 the  Knot,  inftead  of  untying  it.  Miracles  are  not 
 to  be  called  in  without  an  apparent  Neceflity, 
 and  when  a  Thing  cannot  be  otherwife  account- 
 ed for.  I  make  no  doubt,  that  a  Brute  or  a 
 Man,  devouring  a  Human  Body,  is  as  much 
 murijhed  by  it,  as  he  would  be  by  the  Flelh  of 
 any  other  Animal.  And  yet  1  hope  to  make  it 
 appear,  that  this  extraordinary  Cafe  is  no  Im- 
 pediment in  the  Way  of  a  Refurre^lion  of  the  fame 
 Body. 
 
 Laftly,  The  ingenbus  and  learned  Mafter  of 
 the  Charity-houfe  fuppofes  *,  that  the  Scriptures 
 contain  a  Double-doUrine,   or  l^wo  DoSlrines,  of 
 
 3  Ubi  fupra. 
 
 4  Di  Statu  mortiicrum  et  refitrgentium.  Edit.  2da.  p.  207, 
 
 2©8. 
 
 the 
 
t^2  Dissertation  IL     Sdd.  4^ 
 
 the  Refurre^Jon  -,  the  one  open  and  popular^  or 
 accommodated  to  the  Apprehenfions  of  t-h'"  Vul- 
 gar ;  the  other,  fecret  and  remote  froai  toinmori 
 Apprehenfion,  and  fuited  to  more  fpsadathe 
 Underftandings ;  in  two  Words,  a  Vulgar  and  a 
 Rational  Hypothefis  of  the  Refurre^ion.  The  ^z^/- 
 gar  Do6lrine  or  Hypothefis  Dr.  Burnet  takes  to' 
 be  That,  which  reprefents  the  dead  as  hearing  the 
 Voice  of  Cbrijl,  and  coming  forth  from  their  Graves, 
 &c.  the  Rational,  to  be  That,  which  fets  before 
 ns  the  Nature  of  \.\itReJurre5lion-hody,  and  the  ex- 
 ceeding Difference  between  That  and  our  prefenc 
 Bodies.  This  latter  he  fuppofes  to  be  the  true 
 Do6trine  of  the  Refurre5iion,  and  the  former  only 
 a  Cover^  under  which  it  is  exhibited  ad  Captum 
 Vulgi,  or  in  a  Way  more  intelligible  by  common 
 Underftandings. 
 
 The  learned  Writer  feems  to  have  had  in  his 
 Thoughts  the  Prafticc  of  the  antient  Philofophers, 
 in  the  Ufe  of  the  Doubk-doSfrine,  the  exoteric  and 
 efoteric ;  "  the  firft  openly  taught  to  all  ;  and 
 "  the  fecond  confined  to  a  feleft  Number,"  yet 
 "  not  different  Dodrines  or  Subjefts,  but  one 
 "  and  the  fame  handled  thus  differently  -,  viz. 
 **  popularly  and  fcientifically,  according  to  Opi- 
 "  nion  or  according  to  Truth  *."  But,  whethef 
 it  be  right  to  afcribe  fuch  Double-dealing  to  Chriji 
 and  his  Jpojiles,  may,  perhaps,  admit  of  a  Doubt. 
 
 S  Bp.  fVarl'urton's  Div.  Leg.  4th  Edit.  Vol.  II.  p.  92,  93. 
 
 I  With 
 
Secft.  4.         ^he  RefurreBion*  193 
 
 With  Refped  to  the  Doflrine  of  the  Refurre^ion^ 
 it  is  by  no  Means  a  Parable  or  Type,  by  which 
 one  Thing  is  exprelTed  and  another  meant ;  but 
 a  plain  literal  Revelation  of  a  Real  Event  j  and 
 therefore  mull  be  one,  uniform,  confident  Doc- 
 trine, in  whatever  Language  or  Words  it  be  con- 
 veyed to  us.  If  our  Saviour  affures  us,  that  all 
 that  are  in  the  Graves  ffiall  hear  his  'Voice,  and  JJiall 
 come  forth,  and  St.  John,  that  the  Sea  fnall  give  up 
 its  dead,  &:c.  we  may  be  fure,  this  will  really 
 come  to  pafs.  And,  if  St.  Paul  defcribes  the 
 Body  raifed  as  of  a  Nature  very  different  from 
 That  of  the  Body  dead,  we  may  depend  upon  it. 
 This  will  likewife  be  the  Cafe.  Both  Dodrines 
 muft  be  equally  true,  and  perfectly  confiftent 
 with  each  other. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 A  new  Hypothefis  propofed. 
 
 BU  T,  left  the  Infuffictency  of  the  feveral  Hy- 
 pothefes,  hitherto  advanced,  for  folving  the 
 Difficulties  attending  the  great  Chriltian  Do6lrine 
 of  the  Refurre5lion,  fliould  be  thought  to  ftrength- 
 en  the  Objedlions  of  Unbelievers  to  the  Truth 
 of  the  Chrijlian  Religion,  as  containing  Doflrines, 
 not  only  incredible,  but  phyfically-mpoffible  \  I  pro- 
 ceed, with  the  humblcft  Submiflioa  di  Human 
 O  Reafon 
 
194  Dissertation  II.     Sed.  5, 
 
 Reafon  to  the  Didates  of  Divine  Revelation,  and 
 all  due  Deference  to  the  Judgment  of  more 
 learned  and  better-informed  Chriftians,  to  pro- 
 pofe  another  Hypothefis  -,  which,  if  I  am  not  great- 
 ly miftaken,  is  liable  to  little  or  no  Objedtion, 
 and  not  only  affords  us  a  clear  and  intelligible 
 Account  of  That  wonderful  Event,  the  Refur- 
 re^ion  of  the  dead,  but  has  this  peculiar  Advan- 
 tage above  all  the  foregoing  HypcthefeSy  that  it 
 will  be  found  perfedly  agreeable  to,  and  help 
 us  to  underftand,  St.  Paul's  Defcription  of  the 
 Refurre5Iion-hody. 
 
 This  Hypothefis  ftands  upon  the  Foundation  of 
 the  three  following  Positions  : 
 
 Firft,  That,  after  all  the  Changes  undergone 
 by  the  dead  Body,  through  the  natural  and  ne- 
 celTary  Circulation  of  Matter,  it  is  reafonable  to- 
 think,  there  will  be  found,  at  the  Seafon  of  the 
 Refurre^licn,  fome  Fart  or  Farts  thereof  (either 
 naturally  or  providentially)  remaining  in  the 
 Grave,  or  Spot  of  Ground,  wherein  the  dead  Body 
 was  depofued. 
 
 Secondly,  That  a  Body,  formed  out  of  this 
 Refidue  of  the  dead  Body,  without  the  Admixture 
 of  any  foreign  Matter,  is,  to  all  Intents  and  Pur- 
 poles,  and  in  a  very  juftifiable  Senfe,  the  fame 
 Body.     And, 
 
 Thirdly, 
 
Secft.  5.         l^he  "RefurreBlon,  195 
 
 Thirdly,  That  it  is  in  the  Power  of  God,  out 
 of  any  given  ^lantity  of  Mailer,  how  fmall  foever, 
 to  form  a  Body,  of  any  given  Size  or  Dimenfwns, 
 and  endued  with  any  determinate  ^alities  or  Per- 
 fe^ions,  for  the  Reception  of  the  returning  Soul. 
 
 The  frjl  Pofttion  is,  That,  after  all  the  Changes 
 undergone  by  the  dead  Body,  through  the  natu- 
 ral and  neceflary  Circulation  of  Matter,  it  is 
 reafonable  to  think,  there  will  be  found,  at  the 
 Seafon  of  the  Refurre^ion,  fome  Part  or  Parts 
 thereof  (either  naturally  or  providentially)  re- 
 maining in  the  Grave,  or  Spot  of  Ground,  where- 
 in the  dead  Body  was  depofited. 
 
 This  cannot  be  thought  an  unreafonable  Sup- 
 pofition,  fince  it  will,  probably,  be  the  Cafe  with 
 the  Soil  itfelf,  or  Portion  of  Earth,  with  which 
 the  difiblved  Body  is  mixed;  Part  of  which,  not- 
 withftanding  fome  of  it  fliall  have  pafTed  away 
 in  Vapour  and  Exhalation,  may  continue  in  its 
 Place,  undiflurbed  and  unexhaled,  to  the  End 
 of  the  World.  The  longer,  indeed,  the  Body 
 lies  in  its  Grave,  and  the  more  complete  its  Dif- 
 folution  and  Corruption  in  the  Duft  of  the  Earth, 
 the  larger,  mod  probably,  will  be  the  Propor- 
 tion of  it  loji,  and  the  fmaller  the  Quantity  of  it 
 remaining  in  its  Grave.  But  we  fhall  prefently  fee, 
 that  This  will  be  no  Impediment  in  the  Way  of 
 the  Refurre5lion  -,  the  ^antity  of  the  remaining 
 Parts  being  of  no  Importance,  provided  there 
 
 O   2  b:? 
 
196  Dissertation    II.     Sed.  5. 
 
 be  fome  Remainder  or  Refidue  of  the  dead  Body  left 
 behind  in  the  Place  of  its  Interment.  If  it  be 
 thought,  that,  after  fome  Hundreds  of  Years,  the 
 Parts  of  the  Body  will,  probably,  be  quite  dif- 
 f.pated  and  entirely  loji  (which  muft  be  the  Cafe 
 v/ith  the  greateft  Part  of  Mankind  -,)  1  fee  no- 
 thing-unreafonable  in  the  Suppofition  of  a  Spe- 
 cial Pr-oviden^e^  interpofing  to  arreft  a  certain 
 Quantity  of  the  diffolved  Matter^  to  prevent  its 
 Flight,  and  confine  it  to  the  Spot  of  Ground  it 
 was  firft  laid  in. 
 
 As  to  the  extraordinary  Cafe  of  Human  Bo- 
 dies, devoured  by  Brutes  or  Canibals,  or  acci- 
 dentally confumed  by  Fire  * ;  the  Bones,  at  lead, 
 
 remaining 
 
 *  The  Mention  of  Bodies  confumed  hy  fire  puts  me  upon 
 obferving  here,  that,  had  the  antient  Pradice  of  burning  the 
 dead,  and  preferving  their  AJhes  in  Sepulchral  Urns,  univer- 
 fally  prevailed,  and  been  continued  down  to  the'  prefent 
 Times,  there  would  have  been  few  or  no  Objedions  to  the 
 PoJJibiUtj  of  a  Bodily  Refurreaion  ;  as  That  Method  of  Burial 
 ctFedually  kept  together  the  difunited  Parts  of  the  dead  Body 
 (a  very  few  excepted,  which  may  be  fuppofed  to  pafs  ofFin 
 Smoke)  and  prevented  their  circulating,  and  becoming  conftitu- 
 ent  Parts  of  other  Bodies. 
 
 And  here  I  am  almofl:  tempted  to  turn  Advocate  for  the 
 Re'vival  oi  the.  antient  Prad^ce  {xho'  Pagan)  oi  burning  the 
 dead,  as  it  would  prevent  thofe  Indecencies  and  Iiicon-veniences 
 (to  fay  no  worfe)  which  attend  the  Cullom  oi  Interment.  I 
 mean,  the  opening  the  Graves  of  the  dead,  and  carting  out 
 the  Bones  and  Skulls,  to  be  (as  Hamlet  exprefTes  it)  knockt  a- 
 bout  the  Ma&zard  ^ivith  a    Sextoti's  Spade ;    and  the  letting 
 
 out 
 
Sed:.  5.  T^he  RefurreBion.  197 
 
 remaining  undevoiired  or  unconfumed,  will  find 
 themfelves  a  Grave,  by  becoming  difiblved,  and 
 incorporating  with  the  Earth,  on  which  they  lie. 
 And  this  Difpofition  of  the  Bofjes  provides  fuffi- 
 ciently"  for  a  proper  Remnant  of  fuch  Bodies, 
 whatever  becomes  of  the  reft  of  their  Parts  '^. 
 
 out  the  noxious  Efflwoia  from  the  putriF^ed  Bodies,  to  the 
 prejudice  of  the  Health  of  the  living.  There  is  a  Reve- 
 rence due  to  the  Remains  of  the  Dead,  which  is  notorioufiy 
 violated  by  the  Cuilom  of  Interment,  as  pradiced  among 
 Chriftians  ;  and  I  am  perfuaded,  that  many  perfons,  living  in 
 the  Neighbourhood  of  a  Church-Tard,  where  Graves  are 
 frequently  opened,  have  con tradtedDiforders  thereby,  without 
 fufpefting  the  real  Caufe  of  their  Indifpofition. 
 
 ThusDecency  and  thePrefervation  of  Health  confpire  to  re- 
 commendtheantientCuftomofW«i/?o-/;^^^tW.  And  this  Prac- 
 tice might  be  rendered  fubfervient  to  the  Interefts  o^  Religion 
 and  Virtue.  For,  if  the  Sepulchral  Urns,  containing  lik\Q  Jjhes 
 of  the  deceafed,  were  fo  placed  infome  con venientReceptacIe, 
 as  to  be  occafionally  <vijited  by  their  fprviving  Relations  and 
 Friends,  they  would  afford  fuch  a  Memento  Muri,  as  would 
 naturally  difpofe  their  Minds  for  ferious  Thought  and  Re- 
 fleftion,  and  thereby  have  a  powerful  Influence  on  the  Con- 
 dudt  of  their  Lives.  An  Advantage,  not  to  be  received 
 from  the  prefent  Method  of  burying  the  dead  ;  v/ho  are  no 
 fooner  laid  in  their  Graves,  than  they  begin  to  be  forgot- 
 ten by  the  living,  and  in  a  Ihort  Time  are  quite  out  of  Re- 
 membrance, or  remembered  without  any  particular  Feeling 
 or  Emotion  of  Mind. 
 
 N.  B.  A  proper  Burial-Ser'uict  might  be  performed  at  the 
 Funeral  of  a  Body  burnt,  as  well  as  of  one  laid  in  the  Ground. 
 
 7  The  Jenvs  believe,  that,  at  the  Refurredion,  the  whole 
 Body  will  fpring  from  a  little  Bone,  called  Liiz,  as  a  Plant 
 frorp  its  Seed.  Daffov.  de  Re/,  mart.  fee.  Juda^os. 
 
 O  3  The 
 
198  Dissertation  II.     Se<ft.  5, 
 
 The  Second  Pojition  is.  That  a  Bod)\  formed 
 out  of  the  Remainder  or  Reftdue  of  the  dead  Body^ 
 without  the  Admixture  of  any  foreign  Matter,  is, 
 to  all  Intents  and  Purpofes,  and  in  a  very  jufti- 
 fiable  Senfe,  the  fame  Body. 
 
 It  cannot  be  fuppofed,  that  the  Lofs  of  any 
 Part  or  Parts  of  the  Human  Body  will  difqualify 
 it  for  the  great  Purpofe  of  the  Refurre^ion-,  which 
 is,  The  Re- union  of  Soul  and  Body.  For,  if  it  be 
 true  Philofophy,  thzt  the  Soui^  in  its  prefent  State, 
 is  not  co-extended  with  the  Body,  or  eflentially 
 prefent  to  every  Part  of  it,  but  has  its  Refidence 
 in  the  Head  or  Brain  j  it  will  follow,  that  2.fmal- 
 Icr  Syfem  of  Matter,  than  the  Soul  at  prefent 
 informs,  may  be  fufficient  to  the  Purpofe  of  its 
 Re-union  with  a  Body.  The  Operations  of  the 
 Mind  have,  evidently,  no  Dependence  on  the 
 Size  or  Dimenftons  of  the  Body  it  inhabits,  fince, 
 in  Faft,  we  often  difcover  more  vigorous  Ex- 
 ertions of  the  Mental  Powers  in  Men  of  fmall 
 Stature  and  Bulk,  than  in  others  of  more  gi- 
 gantic Proportions.  So  that,  though  the  dead 
 Body  may  have  loft  a  confiderable  Part  of  the 
 Matter  it  was  compofed  of  at  the  Time  of  its 
 Death,  what  remains  of  it  may  be  abundantly 
 fufficient  for  the  Divine  Purpofe  of  framing  a  fit 
 Habitation  for  the  returning;  Soul. 
 
 Nor  is  there  any  Impropriety  in  calling  the 
 
 Refurre^ion-hody,  thus   framed,   the  fame  Body, 
 
 4  unlefs 
 
Sedl.  5.  7he  RefiirreBion.  199 
 
 unlefs  it  be  improper  to  fay,  that  a  Man,  who 
 has  loft  a  Leg  or  an  Arm,  or,  perhaps,  more  than 
 one  of  his  Limbs,  has  the  fame  Body  he  had 
 before  the  Mutilation.  The  proper  Identity  of 
 the  raifed  Body  will  confift,  not  in  its  being  nu- 
 merically the  fame,  or  having  every  Part  or  Par- 
 ticle of  Matter  that  belonged  to  it  at  the  Inftant 
 of  its  Death  -,  but  in  This,  that  no  other  Matter^ 
 than  what  adually  entered  into  the  Compofition 
 of  the  dead^  be  ufed  in  the  Formation  of  the  re- 
 lived Body. 
 
 The  1'hird  Pofttion  is,  That  it  is  in  the  Power 
 of  God,  out  of  any  given  ^tantity  o^ Matter,  how 
 fmall  foever,  to  form  a  Body  of  any  given  Size  or 
 Dimenjions,  and  endued  with  any  determinate 
 polities  or  Perfections,  for  the  Reception  of  the 
 returning  Soul. 
 
 It  has  been  already  obferved,  that  a  fmaller 
 Body  than  the  prefent  will  anfwer  the  great  Pur- 
 pofe  of  the  Re-union  oiSoul  and  Body.  But,  fup- 
 pofing  it  neceffary  or  expedient,  that  the  raifed 
 Body  be  of  equal  Size  and  Dimenfions  with  the 
 dead,  it  will  not  follow,  that  the  Matter,  of 
 which  it  is  compofed,  muft  be  of  the  fame  Den- 
 fity.  And,  confequently,  a  fmaller  Qiiantity  of 
 the  diflblved  Materials  will  be  fufficient  to  the 
 Conftrudlion  of  the  raifed  Body.  We  know  the 
 Effefts  of  Expanfion  or  RarefaClion  ;  that,  by 
 Means  thereof,  a  very  fmall  Quantity  oi  Matter 
 fliall  take  up  as  much  or  more  Room  than  a 
 O  4  much 
 
200         Dissertation    II.      SeA.  5. 
 
 much  larger.  This  we  experience  particularly 
 in  the  Cafe  of  Air  or  Water  rarefied  by  Heat. 
 Whence  it  follows,  that  a  Body,  of  the  fame 
 Size  and  Dimenfions  with  another,  may  not  con- 
 fift  of  a  tijuentieth,  an  hundredth,  or  a  thoufandth 
 Part  of  the  Quantity  of  Matter  contained  in  That 
 other.  And,  therefore,  we  cannot  deny,  that  it 
 is  in  the  Power  of  God,  out  of  a  very  fmall  Re- 
 mainder of  the  dead  Body,  to  form,  by  Dilata- 
 tion, Expanjion,  or  RarefaBion,  a  Body  of  equal 
 Si2,e  and  Dimenfions,  though  not  of  equal  Denfity, 
 v/ith  That,  which  was  laid  in  the  Grave.  And, 
 as  the  ^lalities  or  Perfeulions  of  a  Bcdy  have  no 
 Dependence  on  it  Size  or  Dimenfions,  or  the 
 Quantity  oi Matter  contained  in  it,  thofe  of  the 
 new-formed  Body  may  be  juft  fuch,  as  the  Al- 
 mio-hty  Plastes,  in  his  infinite  Wifdom,  judges 
 to  be  moft  proper  and  convenient  for  it. 
 
 Thefe  three  Pofttions,  admitted,  point  out  the 
 Way,  in  which  the  great  Work  of  the  Refur- 
 re^ion  will,  probably,  be  performed.  Every 
 Grave  or  Receptacle  of  the  dead  will  fupply  Ma- 
 terials, at  Pland  and  upon  the  Spot  ;  and  the 
 plajiic  Power  of  the  Almighty  will  fafhion  them 
 into  Bodies  for  the  Reception  of  their  refpedlive 
 Sotds.  Thus  there  will  be  no  Neceffity  of  re- 
 aflembling  All  the  fcattered  Parts  of  the  dead 
 Body,  fome  of  which,  through  the  conftant  Cir- 
 culation of  Matter,  may  be  feparated  from  the 
 reft  at  the  Diftance   of  Half  the  Globe.     And 
 
 thus 
 
Se£t.  5.         The  RefurreEllon.  201 
 
 thus  the  Refurre5iion-hody  will  be,  at  once,  at- 
 terum  et  idem,  another  yet  the  fame  -,  another, 
 with  Refpeft  to  the  ^antity  and  Benfity  of  the 
 Matter,  of  which  it  is  compofed  j  and  the  fame, 
 with  Refpedl  to  the  Excliifion  of  all  foreign  Mat- 
 ter  from  a  Share  in  its  Compofition. 
 
 We  Ihall  the  more  eafily  acquiefce  in  this  Hy~ 
 pothefis  of  the  Refurre^ion,  when  we  confider, 
 that,  notwithftanding  the  Infinitude  of  the  Di- 
 vine Power,  All  the  Works  of  God  (as  far  as  we 
 can  judge)  are  performed  in  a  Way,  thtjimplefl, 
 readiefl,  and  (feemingly)  the  leafi  cperofe.  As, 
 therefore,  the  Copernican  Syjiem,  by  avoiding  the 
 Perplexities  and  Difficulties  of  the  Ptolemaic  and 
 Tyconic,  and  explaining  the  Phenomena  of  the 
 Heavenly  Bodies  upon  the  moft  eafy  and  obvious 
 Principles,  bids  the  faireft  to  be  the  true  Syfiem 
 of  the  JVorld  -,  fo  the  foregoing  Hypothefis,  by 
 which  the  greateft  Dificulties,  attending  the  Doc- 
 trine of  the  RefurreBion,  are  clearly  folved,  and 
 a  plain  and  intelligible  Account  is  given  of  That 
 wonderful  Event,  may,  to  impartial  Minds,  ap- 
 pear to  bear  the  neareft  Reiemblance  to  Truth, 
 and  to  be  the  moft  probable  Hypothefts  of  the  Re- 
 furre£lion  hitherto  advanced. 
 
 S  ^  C- 
 
202         Dissertation   II.     Sed:.  6. 
 
 SECTION    VI. 
 
 St.  PauVs  Dsfcription  of  the  Refurre6tion-body 
 confidered  and  explained. 
 
 BUT,  whal  will,  perhaps,  moft  effeftually 
 recommend  this  new  Hypothejis  of  the  Re- 
 furre5lion,  is,  that  it  has  the  peculiar  Advantage 
 of  being  perfeftly  agreeable  to,  and  helping  us 
 the  better  to  underfland,  St.  Paufs  Dodrine  of 
 the  Refurre£lio7i-hody  i  Cor.  xv.  ^c^ — 50. ;  to  the 
 Confideration  of  which  I  now  proceed. 
 
 But  it  muft  be  premifed,  that  the  RefurreBion 
 if  the  dead,  treated  of  by  St.  Paul,  is  not  the 
 Refurrculion  of  Mankind  in  general,  but  only 
 That  of  xhcjufl  or  good  Chriftians.  This  is  evi- 
 dent from  the  whole  Tenor  of  it.  Not  that  the 
 Apoftle  confines  the  great  Event  of  the  Refur- 
 re^ficn  to  good  Chriftians  only.  For  he  ex- 
 prcfly  tells  the  Corinthians^  that.  As  in  Adam  All 
 die,  even  fo  in  Chrifi  Jliall  All  he  made  alive.  lb. 
 ver.  22.  And  elfewhere  he  declares  his  Perllia- 
 fion,  that  there  f hall  he  a  Refurre^ion  of  the  dead, 
 hih  of  the  Juft  and  Unjuft.  A6ls  xxiv.  15. 
 
 It  is  likewife  obfervable,  that  St.  Paul  eftab- 
 lifhes  a  Kind  of  Suhordination  in  the  great  Event 
 of  the  Refurrrecliony  with  Refpeft  to  the  Perfons 
 raifed.     Every  Man  in  his  own  Order  ;  Chrifi  the 
 
 Firfl- 
 
Se6t.  6.  ^he  "RefurreSlion.  207 
 
 Firft-fruits  •,  afterward  they  that  are  Chriji's  at  his 
 Coming.    I  Cor.  xv.   23.     That  is,  Firft  of  all 
 Chrift  rofe,   and  next  in  order  the  Saints  will  be 
 raifed  •,  and,  confequently,  the  Refurre£iion  of  the 
 Wicked  will  be  the  lafl:  of  all.    From  which  Doc- 
 trine That  excellent  Commentator    Mr.  Locke 
 concludes,  that  the  Refurre^ion  "  fhall  not  be  all 
 "  at  once,  but  at  feveral  Diftances  of  Time  ^  j'* 
 that  is,   that  there  will  be  an  Interval  of  fome 
 Time  between  the  RefurreEiion  of  the  Righteous 
 and  That  of  the  Wicked.     The  Point  is  not  very- 
 material.     But  it  feems  moft  reafonable  to  think, 
 that  the  Refurre5lion  of  the  Wicked^  though  pof- 
 terior  with  Refped  to  Order,  will  yet  follow  fo 
 clofe  upon  the  ReJurre5lion  of  the  Righteous,  that 
 the  whole  fhall  be  but  One  continued  Tranfa5iion ; 
 and  for  this  Reafon,   becaufe,   it  being  certain, 
 that   the   Righteous   and  the  Wicked   will  be 
 Both  judged  at  the  fame  "Time,  it  feems  probable, 
 that  they  will  be  Both  raifed  at  the  fame  Time. 
 The    Reafon,    why  St.   Paul   omitted    fayino- 
 any  Thing   of  the  third  and  laft  Order  of  the 
 Refurre5iion,  might  be,   becaufe  it  was  nothing 
 to  his  prefent  Purpofe  ;  which  was  to  afTure  the 
 Corinthians,  from  the  Confideration  of  their  Sa- 
 viour's Refurre^ion,  of  an  happy  Refurre£iion  of 
 all  true  Believers,  and  thereby  encourage  them 
 
 8  Paraphrafe  and  Notes  on  St.  Patd's  EpiJiUs,  Note  on  i  Cor. 
 XV.  42. 
 
 to 
 
^04  Dissertation    II.     Sed:,  6, 
 
 to  Perfeverance  in  the  Profefiion  and  Pra6lice  of 
 the  Chriftian  Religion.  Therefore,  my  beloved 
 Brethren,  be  ye  Jiedfajl,  unvioveahle,  akvays  a- 
 bounding  in  the  Work  of  the  Lord,  forafmuch  as  ye 
 knozv,  that  your  Labour  is  not  in  vain  in  the>  Lord, 
 I  Cor.  XV.  58. 
 
 To  proceed : 
 
 The  Apoftle  propofes  the  Queflion,  concern- 
 ing the  Refum^lion-bGdy,  or  rather  fuppofes  it 
 to  be  propofed  by  one  or  other  of  the  pretended 
 Philcfophical  Teachers  among  the  Corinthians,  in 
 the  following  Words ;  How  are  the  dead  raifed 
 up  ?  And  with  'what  Body  do  they  come  ?  lb.  ver. 
 2S-  Where  there  are,  properly  fpeaking,  two 
 Qiieftions  ;  tjie  firft  refpedting  the  Poffibility  of 
 the  Refurre6Ilon  -,  the  fecond,  the  Nature  of  the 
 Body  raifed.  How  are  the  dead  raifed  up  ?  "  Is  it 
 *'  polTible,  the  diffolved  and  fcattered  Materials 
 "  of  the  Human  Body,  dead,  Iliould  be  re- 
 •'  afiembled,  re-united,  and  reflored  to  Life  .'"' 
 And,  fuppoiing  this  poflible,  JVith  what  Body  da 
 they  come  ?  "  What  Sort  of  Bodies  fhall  we  have 
 "  at  the  Refurredion  ?  Will  they  be  the  fame, 
 "  or  different  from  thofe  we  have  at  prefent  ?" 
 
 The  Apoftle's  Anfwer  (lb.  ver.  36 — 38,)  fets 
 out  \nxks.  a  fevere  Rebuke  of  the  Enquirer : 
 1'hou  Fool.  Where  the  Reproof  feems  direfted 
 againll  the  firil  of  the  two  Qucftions,  the  latter  ^ 
 being  manifeftly  treated  by  St.  Baul  as  a  Ibber 
 and  rational  Enquiry.  Thou  Fool.  "  You  a  Phj:- 
 
 "  lofopher. 
 
Sed.  6.         The  ReftirreBion,  205 
 
 "  lofopher,  and  difpute  the  Poffibility  of  aThing, 
 "  which  the  common  Appearances  of  Nature 
 "  may  enable  you  to  account  for  ! "  'That  which 
 thou  fowefi  is  not  quickened  except  it  die.  "  The 
 *'•  Grain  you  fow  in  the  Earth  is  foon  rotten  and 
 ■*'  putrified  •,  and  yet  it  afterwards  fp rings  up, 
 *'  anti  produces  perfe6t  Corn."  And  'That  zvhich 
 thou  fowejlj  thou  foweft  not  that  Body  that  Jhall  he, 
 f?ut  hare  Grain,  it  may  chance  of  Wheat  or  of  fome 
 other  Grain  :  But  God  giveth  it  a  Body,  as  it  hath 
 pleafed  him ;  and  to  every  feed  his  own  Body.  "  You 
 "  throw  into  the  Ground  nothing  but  naked 
 •*'  Grain,  fuppofe  Wheat  or  Barley.  But  out  of 
 ^*  That  very  corrupted  little  Mafs  the  divine 
 "  Pov/er  produces  full-grown  Corn,  with  Stalk, 
 "  and  Ear,  and  Seeds  -,  and  fo,  from  every  Seed,  a 
 "  Plant  in  its  proper  Size  and  Figure."  By  this 
 Similitude,  the  Apoftle  not  only  afferts,  but  illuf- 
 trates,  the  wonderful  Event  of  the  RefurreBion. 
 As  the  Corn  fprings  from  the  Seed  rotted  in  the 
 Ground,  fo  the  Refurre5fion-hody  fprings  from 
 the  Body  rotted  in  the  Grave.  And,  as  the 
 Ear  of  Corn  or  Plant  is  the  fame,  in  Refpefl  of 
 its  Effence,  with  the  Seed  it  fprung  from,  though 
 different  in  every  other  Refpeft  j  fo  will  the  Body 
 raifed  be  ihtfame  with  the  Body  dead,  in  Refped 
 of  the  Matter  it  is  compofed  of,  though  extremely 
 different  from  it  in  Point  of  ^.v^f/Z^^^r^y  an vi  P(?r- 
 feSfion. 
 
 To   ihew  farther,   that  Bodies,  compofed  of 
 
 ^t  fame  Matter ^  may  differ  greatly  in  all  other 
 
 4  Refpedts, 
 
2c6  Dissertation  It,     Sed.  6* 
 
 Refpeds,  St.  Paul  iaftances  in  the  Bodies  of  ^w- 
 mals,  and  in  the  heavenly  Bodies,  compared  with 
 the  earthly,  and  with  one  another.  All  Flejh  is 
 mt  the  fame  Flejh :  hui  there  is  one  Kind  of  Flejh  of 
 Men,  another  Flefli  of  Beafis,  another  of  Fifhes,  and 
 another  of  Birds.  There  are  alfo  ccelejtial  Bodies,  and 
 Bodies  terrefirial :  but  the  Glory  of  the  caieflialis  one^ 
 and  the  Glory  of  the  terrejirial  is  another.  There 
 is  one  Glory  of  the  Sun,  and  another  Glory  of  the 
 Moon,  and  another  Glory  of  the  Stars :  for  one  Star 
 differeth  from  another  Star  in  Glory.  lb.  ver.  39 — 
 41.  "  There  is  a  vaft  Variety  in  the  Frame 
 and  Contexture  of  the  Bodies  of  Men,  Beafts, 
 Fifties,  and  Birds.  The  heavenly  or  coe- 
 leftial  Bodies,  the  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars,  are 
 vaftly  more  excellent  than  terreftrial  or  earthly 
 Bodies,  Stones,  Trees,  &c.  Nay,  there  is 
 a  great  Difference,  in  Point  of  Luftre  and  Ra- 
 diancy, between  the  heavenly  Bodies  them- 
 felves,  fome  being  vaftly  more  bright  and 
 fhining  than  others.  And  yet  God  hath  com- 
 pofed  all  thefe  Bodies,  Animal,  Coeleftial, 
 and  Terreftrial,  out  of  one  and  the  fame  Ori- 
 ginal Matter." 
 Thefe  Obfervations  the  Apoftle  applies  to  the 
 Fa6l  of  the  Refurre^ion  (of  the  Bodies  of  the  Juji^ 
 or  good  Chriftians)  in  the  following  Words.  So 
 alfo  is  the  Refurre^ion  of  the  dead.  It  (the  Body) 
 is  fozvn  in  Corruption,  it  is  raifed  in  Incorruption : 
 It  is  fown  in  BifJionour,  it  is  raifed  in  Glory :  It  is 
 
 fown 
 
Sed.  6.         ^he  RefurreSiion.  207 
 
 [own  in  JVeaknefs^  it  is  raifed  in  Power  :  It  is  foion 
 a  natural  Body,  it  is  raifed  a  fpiritual  Body.  lb. 
 ver.  42 — 44.  Where  I  miift  take  the  Liberty 
 of  diflenting  from  Mr.  Locke.,  who  underftands, 
 by  being  fown,  not  the  dead  Body's  being  put  in 
 the  Grave,  but  the  State  of  Man's  Body  during 
 his  Life  in  this  World ;  and  That  for  this  Reafon, 
 Becaufe  "  dead  Things  are  not  fown  ;  Seeds 
 "  are  fown  being  alive,  and  die  not  till  af- 
 "  ter  they  are  fown  9."  This  is  very  true. 
 But  I  would  obferve,  that  it  is  not  neceflary,  a 
 Comparifon  fhould  run  upon  all  fours  (as  they  fay) 
 or  hold  good  in  every  Circumftance.  St.  Paul 
 here  evidently  compares  the  Refurre^ion  of  the 
 Body  to  the  Produdtion  of  a  Plant  from  its  Seed, 
 But  the  Circumftances  of  the  Seed's  being  fown 
 alive  feems  to  have  been  no  Part  of  the  Apoflle's 
 Defign  in  the  Comparifon,  which  turns  wholly 
 upon  That  of  its  h&m^  fo'wn  or  put  in  the  Ground, 
 as  is  the  Cafe  with  the  Bodies  of  the  dead.  And 
 I  might  appeal  to  any  indifferent  Perfon,  who 
 reads  the  Paflage,  whether  St.  Paul's  Words  do 
 not  immediately  fuggeft  to  his  Mind  the  Idea  of 
 the  Body's  Interment,  or  being  laid  in  its  Grave. 
 
 A  particular  Confideration  of  the  foregoing 
 Apoftolical  Defcription  of  the  Difference  between 
 the  Body  dead  and  the  Body  raifed  deferves  our 
 moil  ferious  Attention.      But,  before  I  enter 
 
 9  Paraphra/e,  &c.  in  loc. 
 
 upon 
 
268  Dissertation  tl.      Secft.  6j 
 
 upon  it,  it  will  be  proper  to  confider  tv/o  ^ioms 
 (as  they  may  be  called)  upon  which  the  Apoftle 
 evidently  builds  his  Doftrine.  The  firft  im\ne- 
 diately  follows  the  Delcription,  in  thefe  Words  ; 
 There  is  a  natural  Body^  and  there  is  a  ffiritual 
 Body.  The  latter  is  found  in  the  Sequel  of  the 
 Apoftle's  Difcourfe,  and  is  This  ;  Fk/Ji  and  Blood 
 cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God ;  neither  doth 
 Corruption  inherit  Incorruption.   i  Cor.  xv.  50. 
 
 Firft,  then,  St.  Paul  aflerts,  that  there  is  a  na- 
 tural Body  %  and  there  is  a  fpiritual  Body.  By 
 which  he  denotes  one  Circumftance  of  Difference 
 between  the  Bodies  we  now  have,  and  thofe  wc 
 fhall  have  at  the  RefurreSlion. 
 
 What  Kind  of  Body  a  natural  or  animal  Body 
 is,  we  very  well  know.  It  is  a  Compages  or 
 Syftem  of  organized  Matter.  But,  What  are  we 
 to  undcrftand  by  a  fpiritual  Body  ?  Matter  and 
 Spirit^  according  to  our  Ideas  of  thofe  twoThings, 
 are  the  Reverie  of  eacl;  other  ;  and  therefore  a 
 fpiritual  Body.,  at  the  firft  Mention  of  it,  might 
 feem  to  be  a  Contradi<5lion  in  Terms. 
 
 Thus  far  we  may  venture  to  pronounce  con- 
 cerning St.  PauPs  Spiritual  Body,  that,  being  a 
 Body,  it  cannot  be  a  puj^e  Spirit,  and,  being  a 
 Spiritual  Body,  it  cannot  be  grofs  Matter.     And 
 
 »  Or,  Anifnat  Body,  -^i/pf /ko<,  AnimaVu,  Gl.  V.  See  He- 
 derici  Lexic.  But  St.  Paul's  Meaning  is  tjie  fame,  whichever 
 Rendering  we  prefer. 
 
 this, 
 
Sed.  6.         "the  RefurreBkn,  209 
 
 this,  I  think,  leads  us  to  the  true  Solution  of 
 the  Difficulty  ;  which  can  be  no  otlier  than 
 this,  that  the  Matter^  of  which  the  Spiritual  Body 
 will  confift,  will  be  fo  far  refined  and  purihed 
 from  the  F^ces  or  Dregs  of  Matter^  as  to  be  al- 
 mofli  or  next  in  Degree  to,  pure  Spirit. 
 
 How  fuitable  to  this  Notion  of  z.fpiritual  Body 
 Our  Hypvthejis  of  the  Refurre5lion-body  is^  1  fcarce 
 need  obferve,  A  Body,  fafhioned  out  of  a  few 
 remaining  Particles  of  the  dead  Body,  and,  by 
 Expanjion,  fo  far  attenuated  or  rarefied,  as  to  be 
 of  no  greater  Denfity  than  Air  or  Mther  itfelf, 
 is  not  very  difixsreht  from  Spirit.  And  it  cannot 
 be  doubted,  that  the  component  Materials  of 
 fuch  a  Body  will  admit  of  the  utmoll  Refinement 
 from  the  Dregs  of  Matter,  that  Omnipotence  it- 
 felf can  give  it. 
 
 Secondly,  St.  Paul  afiures  us,  that  FleJJi  and 
 Blood  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God,  neither 
 doth  Corruption  inherit  Incorruption.  The  Reafon 
 of  which  is  very  plain  and  obvious.  Flejh  and 
 Blood  is  naturally  iubjed  to  Decay  and  Difiblu- 
 tion,  and  therefore  can  have  no  Part  in  the  Com- 
 pofition  of  the  Jpiritual  Body,  Heaven  is  the  Re- 
 fidence  of  zwwcr/^/ Beings  ;  Beings,  which,  tho' 
 they  had  a  Beginning,  will  never  have  an  End. 
 Such  Beings,  therefore*  whatever  be  their  Com- 
 pofition,  can  have  nothing  in  them  that  is  na- 
 ^  F  turally 
 
'2IO  Dissertation    II.     Sedt.  0, 
 
 turally  corruptible,  as  Fiefii  and  Blocd  manifeflly 
 is  *. 
 
 Here  again  Our  Hypothefis  of  the  Refurrec- 
 iicn-bcdy  is  perfectly  agreeable  to  St.  PauPs  Doc- 
 trine, as  it  gives  us  the  Idea  of  a  Body,  as  dif- 
 ferent from  one  of  Fle//i  and  Blood,  as  an  aerial 
 OF  ^etherial  Body  naturally  is. 
 
 This  Foundation  laid,  1  proceed  to  a  diflin6t 
 Confideration  of  the  Particulars  contained  in  St. 
 Paulas  Defcription  of  the  Difference  between  the 
 dead  and  the  raifed  Body.     Thcle  are  four,  viz. 
 
 The   Body 
 is  /own  is  raifed 
 
 in  Corruption  in  Incorruption 
 Dijlwnour  Glory 
 
 IVeaknefs  Power 
 
 arid  and 
 
 a  natural  Body  a  fpiritual  Body 
 
 Firft,  //  is  /own  in  Corruption  ;  it  is  raifed  in 
 Incorruption.  "  The  Body  carries  with  it  to  the 
 '*  Grave  thofe   Principles  of  Corruption,  which 
 
 ^  Some  Interpreters,  unwilling  to  deny  Fhjh  and  Blood, 
 or  fuch  Bodies  as  we  now  have,  the  Privilege  of  being  im- 
 mortalized,  underftand  St.  Paul's  Words,  in  a  figurative  Senfe, 
 to  denote  the  It 'oris  of  the  Flejh  or  Moral  Corraptkn  and  Im- 
 purity, whieh  certainly  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
 But  this  Senfe,  how  true  foever,  is  quite  wide  of  the  Apoflle's 
 Defign,  which  evidently  was  to  give  us  a  literal  and  phyfical 
 Account  of  our  bodilj  Re/u-rre^ion. 
 
 "   ai'e.' 
 
Sed:.  6.  The  Refurrediion,  215 
 
 "  are  inherent  in  Fle^i  and  Bloody  and,  in  a  fliort 
 "  Time,  diffolve  the  material  Frame,  and  reduce 
 "  it  to  Duft  and  Afhes.  But  it  comes  forth  an 
 "  incorruptible^  indiffokble.  Body,  and,  confequent- 
 "  ly,  no  longer  a  Body  of  FleJIi  and  Blood." 
 
 How,  from  the  Remains  of  a  Body  of  FleJJi 
 and  Blood,  there  may  arife  a  Body  not  of  Flefli  and 
 Blood,  Our  Hyptbefts  has  fliewn.  But,  will  it 
 follow,  that  fuch  a  Body  muft  be  naturally  in- 
 corruptihk?  Is  not  Matter,  how  refined  and  pu- 
 rified foever,  ////  Matter  ?  And  is  not  all  Matter 
 liable,  in  a  greater  or  lefs  Degree,  to  Corruption 
 or  Putrefaction  ?  We  find  this  to  be  the  Cafe  with 
 ^ir  itfelf  And  therefore  an  aerial  Body,  fuch  as 
 the  Refurrefiion-hody  may  be  fuppofed  to  be,  will 
 Hill  be  a  corruptible  Body. 
 
 To  which  I  anfwer.  That,  thdugh  Air  may  be 
 liable  to  Putrefaftion,  Mthcr  may  not :  for  it 
 can  never  be  proved,  but  that  Matter,  continu- 
 ing fuch,  may  be  fo  far  refined  and  purified,  as 
 to  be  entirely  defecated,  or  purged  from  its  na- 
 tive Principles  of  Corruption.  And  if  ib,  the  Par- 
 ticles of  an  Human  Body,  expanded  or  rarefied 
 till  they  become  pure  jEther,  may  conftitute  an 
 incorruptible  Body, 
 
 But  there  is  no  Neceflity  for  any  fuch  Suppo- 
 fition.  Let  Incorruption  and  hmnortality  be  the  free 
 Gift  of  God  bellowed  on  the  revived  Body.  It 
 will  ftill  be  true,  that  //  is  raifed  in  Incorruption, 
 as  the  Gift  will  be  immediately  attendant  on  its 
 P  2  RcfurreLJion 
 
212  Dissertation  II.      Sed.  6. 
 
 RefurreSIion.  And  let  me  obfcrve,  \.\\2lX.  Matter  Jpi' 
 ritualized  ox  highly  refined,  as  it  approaches  vailly 
 nearer  to  a  State  of  natural  Incorrnption^  is,  con- 
 fequently,-  a  fitter  Subjed  for  the  Gift  oi Incorrupt 
 tion  and  hnmcrtnlity  %  the  Tranfition  in  this  Cafe, 
 from  mortal  to  immortal^  being  more  eafy  and  na-* 
 tural,  and  the  Order,  Regularity,  and  Beauty 
 of  the  divine  Procedure  more  evident  and  con- 
 fpicuous. 
 
 Secondly,  //  is  fuwn  in  Di/Jicnour  ^  it  is  raifed 
 in  Glory.  "  The  Body  defcends  to  the  Grave  a 
 "  vile  and  worthlefs  Thing  "  (fo  very  vile,  that, 
 whatever  Honours  may  feem  to  be  paid  it  at  its 
 Interment,  its  Burial  is,  in  Reality,  the  Removal 
 oi 2.  Nuifa'nce  ;)'■''  but  is  raifed  again  invefted  with 
 *"'  high  Dignity  and  Glory ^ 
 
 To  underlland  which  Doctrine,  we  muft  con- 
 fider  what  St.  Faul  fays  fartlier  concerning  the 
 Reftirre5lion-bcdy^  in  this  Chapter,  and  elfev,/ here. 
 In  this  Chapter,  he  fays  :  The  jirft  Man  is  of  the 
 Earthy  earthy  •,  the  fecond  Man  is  the  Lord  from 
 Heaven.  As  is  the  earthy^  fuch  are  they  alfo  that 
 are  earthy  ^  and  as  is  the  heavenly.,  fuch  are  they 
 alfo  that  are  heavenly.  And^.  as  we  have  home  the 
 Image  of  the  earthy.,  we  fhall  alfo  hear  the  Image  6f 
 the  heavenly,  i  Cor.  xv.  47 — 49.  And elfe where:' 
 Our  Converfation  is  in  Heaven  ;  from 'whence  alfd 
 we  look  for  the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jefiis  Chrifl  : 
 who  //tall  change  our  vile  Body,  that  it  mayhefa- 
 pdoned  like  unto  his  glorious  Body,  according  to  the 
 mighty  Working,  wherehy  be  is  able  even  to  fubdue 
 
 alt 
 
Se(5t,  6.  The  Refiir region,  21:5 
 
 all  things  unto  himf elf .  Phil.  iii.  20,  21.  From 
 which  Paflages  we  learn,  that,  as  our  Bodies,  be- 
 fore Death,  refembkd  the  earthy  Body  of  our 
 Fore-father  4dam,  fo,  at  the  Refurrc^iion^  they 
 will  be  like  the  heavenly  or  glorious  Body  of  our 
 jBleffed  Saviour  Jefus  Chriji. 
 
 But,  What  are  we  to  underfland  by  the  ^/(j- 
 rious  Body  of  Chrifl  ?  Wherein  does  the  Glory 
 (the  vifihle  Glory)  of  That  divine  Perfon's  bca- 
 wenly  Body  confift  ?  It  muft  be  Rich  a  Gkry^  as 
 our  own  Bodies^  in  a  fuitable  Degree,  are  ca- 
 pable of.  Otherwife,  there  could  be  no  Re- 
 femblance  between  the  Bodies  of  Chr'ifiians  and 
 That  of  Chr'ifi, 
 
 If  we  confult  our  own  Minds,  we  fhall  find, 
 that  our  Idea  oi  Glory,  as  predicated  of  Body,  and 
 an  Objeft  of  Sight,  can  be  no  other  than  That 
 of  Light  or  Shining,  Brightnefs  or  RadidJicy.  And, 
 that  in  This  confifirs  the  Glory  of  our  Saviour's 
 divine  Body,  may  reafonably  be  inferred  from 
 the  FFiilory  of  his  'Transfiguration ;  whereby  he 
 gave  three  of  his  Difciples  a  Glimpfe  or  traiifient 
 View  of  the  Glory,  he  was  to  be  invefced  with, 
 after  his  Refurre5lion  and  Afcenfion  i n  to  Heaven.  For 
 St.  Matthew  tells  us,  his  Face  didfldne  as  the  Sun^ 
 and  his  Raiment  was  white  as  the  Light.  Matth. 
 xvii.  2.  i  and.  St.  Mark,  that  his  Raiment  becams 
 Jliiningy  exceeding  white,  fo  as  no  Fuller  on  Earth 
 can  white  them.  Mark  ix.  3.  Where  though  the 
 Brightnefs  of  our  Saviour's  Appearance  feems 
 P  3  afcribeci. 
 
214  Dissertation    II.     Sedt.  6, 
 
 afcribed  by  the  Evangelifts  to  his  E.aiment  no  lefs 
 than  his  Face^  we  mnft  fuppofe  the  whole  to  pro- 
 ceed from  the  Glory  of  his  dhine  Body^  difcover- 
 ing  itfelf  through  the  ^ranfparency  of  his  Vefhure 
 — if,  in  Reality,  he  had  any  at  that  Time,  and 
 not  rather  the  Phantom  or  Appearance  of  Rai- 
 ment only.  Agreeable  to  which  Reprefentation 
 of  our  Saviour's  glorious  Appearance  to  his  Dif- 
 ciples  on  the  Mount,  is  That  vifionary  Defcrip- 
 tion  of  him  by  St.  John  the  Divme :  His  Head 
 end  his  Hairs  '■^ere  white  like  JVcol^  as  white  as 
 Snow ;  a7id  his  Byes  were  as  a  Flame  of  Fire  -,  and 
 his  Feet  like  unto  fine  Brafs,  as  if  they  burned  in  a 
 Furnace.  |lev.  i.  14,  15.  And,  perhaps.  That 
 Fight  from  Heaven^  which  fliined  round  about  St. 
 Paul^  at  the  Time  of  his  Convcrfion,  and  fo 
 dazzled  his  Eyes,  as  to  deprive  him  of  Sight 
 (A6ts  ix.  3 — 8.)  might  proceed  from  the  glo- 
 rious Body  of  our  Saviour,  v/ho  then  appeared  to 
 
 him  ^ 
 
 From 
 
 3  It  is  not  to  be  fuppofed,  that  St.  Faui  (or  rather  ^aul  of 
 Tar/us)  actually ./^•xt'  our  SaviourV  Body,  any  more  than  the 
 Men  nvhich  journied  ivith  him,  who  Jiood  /pee chiefs,  hearhtg  a 
 Voice,  hut  feeing  no  Man,  ver.  7.  It  is  impoflible  mortal  Eyes 
 fliould  be  able  to  diiHnguifli  Objefts,  when  llruck  with  a 
 Light  abo'vc  the  Brightnefs  of  the  Sun,  as  St.  Paul  himfelf  de- 
 fcribes  it  to  have  been,  Acis  xxvi.  13.  with  refpeft  to  whom, 
 its  immediate  Eifeft  was,  Deprivation  of  Sight.  But,  tho' 
 neither  Saul  nor  his  Companions  knew  fron»  whence  That 
 
 intcnfe  Light  proceeded,  anv  farther  than  that  it  fcemed  to 
 
 bG 
 
Se(5l.  6.         T'he  RefiirreBmi.  215 
 
 From  thefe  Scriptures,  I  think,  v/e  may  rca- 
 fonably  conclude,  that  xhc  Glory  oi  Thzt  Body ^ 
 wherewith  our  Saviour  continues  in  veiled  even 
 in  Heaven^  confifls  in  its  being  a  JJilmng  or  lumi- 
 nous Body  ;  a  Body,  endued  with  a  Luftre  or 
 Brightncfs,  not  derived  by  Rejleflion  from  fome 
 other  luminous  Body,  but  inherent  or  refulting 
 from  its  own  glorious  Conftitution  *. 
 
 he  from  Heaven,  it  is  not  improbable,  that  it  came  direftly 
 from  the  glorified  Body  ofjefus,  defcended  to  a  fraall  Diflance 
 from  the  Surface  of  the  Earth. 
 
 ■♦  It  is  a  Mifiake,  to  fuppofe,  that  Ligh  is  nothing  bat 
 an  Emanation  from  the  5//w,  or  the  Rays  of  that  glorious 
 Luminary  diffufed  thro'  the  Planetary  Svfiem,  It  is  evident 
 from  the  Mo/aicnl  lll^ory  of  the  Creation,  that  Light  e-ii\&.cA 
 three  Days  before  the  Sun{Gtn.  i.  3,)  and,  canfequently,  was 
 a  .a'ifiinSl  Ehtnent,  or,  rather,  a  natural  EfFeft  of  the  Element 
 Gi Fire;  which,  being  the  lighteft  and  moft  adive  of  all  the 
 Elements,  would  naturally  difengage  itfelf  from  the  reft, 
 and,  mounting  to  the  Top  of  the  Chaos,  fpread  Light  over 
 the  whole  Mafs.  Afterward,  indeed,  a  great  Part  of  the 
 Element  of  Fire  feems  tp  have  been  collefted  together,  and 
 placed  in  the  Body  of  the  Sun,  to  be  there  a  Source  of  Light., 
 as  well  as  Heat,  to  the  furrounding  Worlds ;  while  the  reft 
 was  to  continue  diffufed  thro'  the  whole  Syftem,  impercepti- 
 ble by  the  Eye,  till  a  fufficient  Quantity  of  it,  coileded  by 
 Art  (as  in  Ele.^ricnl  Experiments)  renders  it  'vijihle.  Nor 
 can  it  be  denied,  that  a  Body  may  be  formed  out  of  this  Ele- 
 ment, or  have  fo  much  of  it  in  its  Compofition,  as  to  become 
 thereby  ?i  pining  or  Itminons  Body.  How  far  this  Account  of 
 Light  and  Fire  will  help  us  to  form  a  reafonable  and  proper 
 Idea  of  our  SavlourV  glorious  B^dy,  is  fubmitted  to  GoRfider- 
 ^fition. 
 
 P  4  It 
 
2i6  Dissertation  II.     Se(5l.  6. 
 
 It  may  be  objeded,  that  it  is  certain,  our  Sa- 
 viour rofe  from  the  dead,  cloathed  with  That 
 very  Body,  in  which  he  lived  and  died.  For, 
 when,  upon  his  Appearance  to  his  Difciples, 
 after  his  Refurredlion,  they  were  terrified  and 
 affrighted,  and  fuppofed  that  they  had  feen  a  Spi- 
 rit,  he  undeceived  them  by  faying,  Behold  my 
 Hands  and  my  Feet,  that  it  is  I  myfelf :  handle  me^ 
 end  fee  -,  for  a  Spirit  hath  not  FlefJi  and  Bones,  as 
 ye  fee  me  have.  Lukexxiv.  -^y — '^().  Nor  is  there 
 tlie  leaft  Intimation,  that  any  Change  was  wrought 
 in  our  Saviour's  Body,  before  his  Afcenfion. 
 "Whence  it  fhould  feem,  that  our  Redeemer 
 continues  invefted  with  xht  fame  Body  {oi  Flefii 
 and  Blood)  he  rofe  with  from  the  Grave. 
 
 This  Conclufion  the  Roman-catholics  ftrenu- 
 ouHy  maintain,  as  a  neccffary  Support  of  their 
 Doftrine  of  'Tranftibflantiation  ;  according  to 
 which,  the  very  Body  and  Blood  of  Chriil  are 
 really  and  eflentially  prefeni  in  the  Eiicharifi.  And 
 it  muft  be  confefTed,  that  the  antient  Writers 
 of  the  Chriftian  Church  were  very  much  divided 
 about  this  Queftion,  Utrum  nunc  Corpus  Domini 
 Offa  et  Sanguinem  habeat,  aut  reliqua  Carnis  Linea- 
 menta  f  "  Whether  our  Lord's  Body  does  now 
 **  confifl:  of  Bones  and  Blood,  and  other  flefhly 
 **  Parts  ? "  St.  Aufiin  returns  it  a  very  doubtful 
 Anfwer,  but  feems  rather  inclined  to  the  Af- 
 firmative K     The  Followers  of  Origen  are  unani- 
 
 ?   Aug.  Ep.  46.     Ad  Confe7itium, 
 
 moufly 
 
Se<fl.  6,         ^he  Refurre5iion»  217 
 
 moufly  for  the  Negative  •,  and  the  feco7id  Council 
 of  Nice  affirms,  that  "  Chrift  will  return  to  judge 
 '*  the  World,  tjjc  in  /xev  cdpy-ct  s;^c«)v,  »)t  c?o-&]- 
 "  /jiaTov  c/^l,  not  with  a  Body  of  Fiejh,  nor  yet 
 ^*  without  any  Body  at  all  •,  that  they  may  fee 
 ^'  him  by  whom  he  was  pierced,  and  he  may 
 ^'  remain  God,  unencumbered  with  the  Groflhefs 
 "  of  Flelh  ^."  Where  That  CEcumenical  Coun- 
 cil plainly  declares  for  our  Saviour's  having  a 
 Body,  but  not  a  Body  of  Fle/Ji  and  Blood. 
 
 And,  that  this  is  really  the  Cafe  with  our  Sa- 
 viour's divine  Body  in  Heaven,  is  demonftrable 
 from  That  general  Axiom  laid  down  by  St.  Paul^ 
 that  Flejh  and  Blood  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of 
 God,  For  it  cannot  belbppofed,  that  the  Bodies 
 of  Chrijiians,  which  will  certainly  be  like  unto 
 or  refemble  fehe  Body  of  their  heavenly  Mafter, 
 ihall  be  Spiritual  Bodies,  and  yet  His  Body,  whofe 
 Image  they  bear,  be  no  better  than  a  Carnal 
 BodyK 
 
 At  what  Time,  after  his  RefurreHion,  the 
 Change  of  our  Lord's  Body,  from  Carnal  to  Spi- 
 ritiial,  was  produced,  is  a  Queftion  I  am  not 
 
 «  Labbe,  Cone.  Nic.  U.  Aa  VI. 
 
 1  From  the  foregoing  Account  of  our  SaviourV  glorious 
 Body,  the  Reader  will  determine,  with  how  much  Truth  the 
 Author  oi Critical  Notes  on  fome  Fajfages  of  Scripture,  (liOnd. 
 1747.  P'  87O  charges  the  Protejiant  Doiiors  (as  he  calls  them) 
 with  teaching,  that  our  Lord  has  the  <very  fame  Body,  Flejh, 
 and  Bones,  ncn.v  in  Heaven,  in  ivhich  he  fuffered  on  Earth.  A 
 finall  Miftake  of  Protefants  for  Papif. 
 
 %  concerned 
 
2i8  Dissertation    II.     Scd:.  6. 
 
 concerned  to  determine  •,  though,  when  we  come 
 to  confider  the  Cafe  of  thofe,  who  fhall  be  found 
 alive  tit  the  Coming  of  Chriji^  and  the  Change  of 
 their  Bodies,  from  corruptible  to  incorruptible, 
 we  fliall  lee  Reafon  to  believe,  that  our  Saviour 
 fliook  off  his  natural  and  affumed  his  heaz'enly 
 Body,  during  the  very  A(5l  of  his  Afceiifion  into 
 Heaven,  and  at  the  Inftaht  of  the  Cloud" s  receiving 
 him  cut  of  \\\t  Sight  (Afts  i.  9.)  of  his  aftoniflied 
 Difciples. 
 
 Having  thus  determined  (as  far  as  Human 
 Reafon  enables  us  to  determine)  that  the  Glory 
 of  our  'SiV^'xowt's  divine  Body  in  Heaven  confifts 
 in  Light,  Brightnefs,  or  Radiancy,  and  being 
 affured,  that  thefe  vik  Bodies  of  ours  fhall  be  To 
 clianged,  as  to  become//;^!?  unto  his  glorious  Body^ 
 v.'e  underftand  what  St.  Paul  means  by  affirming 
 of  the  Human  Body  dead,  that  it  is  fcwn  in  Dif- 
 honoury  -it  is  rnifed  in  Glory.  It  will  be  a  luminous, 
 bright,  or  radiant  Body ;  fhining  with  the  fame 
 Kind  of  Luflre,  though  in  an  inferior  Degree, 
 as  That  of  its  Redeemer.  And,  perhaps,  our 
 Saviour  had  in  View  this  glorious  Change  in  the 
 Bodies  of  good  Chriftians,  when  he  declared, 
 that  the  Righteous  Jliall  fliins  forth  as  the  Sun  in  the 
 Kingdom  of  their  Father.  Matth.  xiii.  4'^.  And 
 the  fame  may  be  prophetically  intended  in  thofc 
 "Words  of  Daniel,  T'hcy  that  le  wife  JJiall  fliine  as 
 the  Firmainent,  and  they  that  turn  many  to  Righ- 
 tcG'fnefs  as  the  Stars  for  rjcr  and  ever.  Dan.  xii.  :j. 
 1  I  fcarcc 
 
Se(ft.  6.         ^he  RefurreBion,  219 
 
 I  fcarce  need  obferve,  that  fucli  aerial  or  athcri 
 rial  Bodies,  as  Our  Hypothejis  fuppofes,  are  pecu- 
 liarly fitted  for  the  Reception  of  That  GIor\\ 
 which  Z/^i'/ bellows  on  Bodies.  ltistrue,thei^«/^7? 
 and  moft  opaque  Bodies  reflect  the  greateft  Quantity 
 oi extraneous  Light  falling  on  their  Surfaces.  But 
 it  muft  be  an  extremely  fine  or  thin  Body,  which 
 can  be  thoroughly  imbued,  and  (if  I  may  fo 
 fpeak)  faturated  with  the  Element  of  Light,  and, 
 by  admitting  it  to  an  intimate  Union  with  its 
 own  Subftance,  become,  Itfelf,  a  Body  of  Li^ht, 
 To  proceed. 
 
 Thirdly,  //  /;  foinn  in  JVeaknefs  ;  it  is  raifed  in 
 Fewer.  "  The  Body  defcends  to  the  Grave  void 
 *'  of  all  Energy  or  Capacity  of  Aftion  5  but 
 "  rifes  from  it  endued  with  an  high  Degree  of 
 **  Vigour  3nd  A^ivity.'* 
 
 The  Powers  of  the  Human  Body,  in  this  Life, 
 are  fo  limited  and  confined,  as  to  be,  in  many 
 Refpeds,  little  anfwerable  to  the  Capacities  of 
 the  Human  Soul  or  Mind,  and  frequently  to  fail 
 in  accomplifhing  its  Willies  and  Defires.  This  is 
 owing  to  the  necelfary  Slownefs  of  its  Motions, 
 and  the  Difficulties  of  its  PalTage  from  Place  to 
 Place,  occafioned  by  the  Bulk  and  Weight  of  the 
 Matter  it  is  compofed  of,  and  the  many  external 
 Objlru^ions  in  the  Way  of  its  Activity. 
 
 But  the  Powers  of  the  Refurre ^ion-body  will 
 be  vaftly  fuperior  to  thole  of  the  moft  powerful 
 €(irthly  Bodies.     The  extreme  Finenefs  and  Sub- 
 
 tility 
 
Z20  Dissertation    II.     Sedt.  6. 
 
 tility  of  its  Contexture,  together  with  That  Mix- 
 ture ofXzg-/&/ or  F;?>^  it  will  have  in  its  Compofition, 
 will  give  it  an  inconceivable  Degree  of  A^ivity, 
 fo  as,  perhaps,  to  be  little  lefs  a6tive  than  Light 
 or  Fire  itfelf.  And  hence  it  may  be  enabled, 
 with  prodigious  Rapidity  and  Swiftnefs  of  Mo- 
 tion, to  dart  itfelf  through  the  cceleftial  Re- 
 gions, and  traverfe  immenfe  Extents  of  Space 
 in  a  very  (hort  Time.  What  great  Things  may 
 be  effefted,  and  what  noble  Purpofes  aniwered, 
 by  the  Inftrumentality  of  fo  powerful  a  Body, 
 in  Conjundion  with  an  immortal  Scul^  improved 
 in  Knowledge,  and  in  the  Exercife  of  every  men- 
 tal Faculty,  I  leave  to  the  Reader's  Imagination 
 to  conceive. 
 
 Laftly,  It  is  fown  a  natural  Body  •,  //  is  raifed  a 
 fpiritual  Body.  The  proper  Difference  between 
 the  Natural  and  the  Spiritual  Body  has  been  fuffi- 
 ciently  explained.  I  fhall,  therefore,  only  add 
 here,  that  the  antient  Chrijiian  Writers^  conceiv- 
 ing the  Refurre5fion-hody  to  be  like  thofe  they 
 fuppofed  the  holy  Angels  to  have  ^,  fpoke  of  it 
 
 .-«  This  Notion  the  Second  Ccuncil  of  Nice  thus  expreffes. 
 w  The  Opinion  of  the  Catholic  Church  concerning  Angels 
 **  and  Archangels  is  this  :  That  they  are  intelligent  Beings, 
 ♦'  but  not  altogether  void  of  Body  and  invifible,  as  the 
 *'  Gentiles  pretend;  but  endowed  with  a  fine  Body  of  Air 
 *'  or  Fire;  according  as  it  is  written,  He  maketh  his  Angels 
 **  Spirits  t  and  his  Mifiijiers  a  flaming  Fire.  -This  we  know  to 
 *♦  have  been  the  Opinion  of  the  holy  Fathers,  as  Bafll  the 
 *«  great,  Athanafius^  Mcthcdiust  and  others." 
 
 under 
 
Sed:.  6.         l^he  RefurreBion,  22  r 
 
 under  the  Appellations  and  Defcriptions  of  Cor- 
 pus  Angelicum,  "  an  Angelic  Body ;"  Cdrnem  an- 
 gelijicatam,  angelized  Flcfh ;  Demiitationem  in 
 Siihftantiam  angelicam,  "  a  Change  into  angelic 
 Subflancci"  and  Transformatlonem  in  Similitudi' 
 nem  Angelvnim^  "  a  Transformation  into  the 
 Likenefs  of  the  Angels." 
 
 Such  is  ^t.  PauVs  Do^rine  (In  his  fublimeDif- 
 courfe  on  the  RefurrcHion)  in  Anfwer  to  That 
 Queftion,  How  are  the  dmd  raifed  up  ?  And  with 
 what  Body  do  they  come  ?  They  are  raifed  up  by 
 the  mighty  Power  of  God^  out  of  the  putrid  Re- 
 mains of  the  Body  depofited  in  the  Earth.  And 
 they  come  wonderfully  changed  in  Nature  and 
 Excellency  ;  no  longer  Bodies  of  FUpi  and  Blood, 
 fubjed  to  Decay  and  Diflblution,  vile  and  con- 
 temptible, weak  and  of  little  Power  j  but  5/>/n- 
 tual  Bodies,  incorruptible,  glorious,  and  exceed- 
 ingly powerful  J  fuch,  in  lliort,  as  Chriji  himfelf 
 condefcends  to  wear,  and  will  appear  in  at  his 
 Return  to  judge  the  World :  Bodies,  neverthe- 
 lefs,  in  a  very  jufcifiable  Senfe,  the /?/;?<?;  as  the 
 dead  Body  fupplies  the  Materials,  of  which  the  re- 
 vived Body  is  compofed.  Whether  this  new 
 Cloathing  pf  the  Human  Soul  will  refemble  the 
 prefent  in  Form  or  Shape,  in  diftind  Parts  or 
 Members,  and  in  the  various  Powers  of  Scafation^ 
 we  need  not  enquire.  Its  almighty  Creator,  wc 
 may  be  fure,  will  falhion  it  fo,  as  to  be  a  //  In- 
 Jlrument  for  the  Operations  of  its  Companion  the 
 
 Soul, 
 
fi22  Dissertation  IT.      Se&:.  fi 
 
 Soul,  and  properly  adapted  to  the  Enjoyment  of 
 That  compound  Hap-pinefs,  which  will  refult  from 
 the  Re-union  of  Soul  and  Body. 
 
 SECTION    vir. 
 
 Of  the  Refurredion  of  the  Wicked. 
 
 "Ty  U  T  St.  PauPs  Defcription  reaching  no  far- 
 -*^  ther  than  to  the  Bodies  of  the  Righteous  or 
 good  Men ;  and  it  being,  neverthelefs,  certain, 
 that  there  will  be  a  general  Refur re 5iion  of  the 
 dead,  of  thofe  who  have  done  evil,  as  well  as  of 
 ihofe  who  have  done  good  (John  v.  2  8.)  of  the  unjujl 
 as  well  as  oi  the  jufl  (Ads  xxiv.  15.)  it  ftill  re- 
 mains a  Queltion,  How  are  the  Wicked  or  bad 
 Men  raifed  up?  And  with  what  Body  do  they  come  ? 
 Will  they  be  raifed  up  in  the  fame  Way  with  the 
 Righteous  ?  And  will  they  have  the  fame  Kind  of 
 Bodies  ?  Or,  Will  they  be  diftinguifhed  from  the 
 Righteous,  as  much  by  the  Manner  of  their  Re- 
 furre5lion^  and  the  jS^^zVj  they  fliall  then  have,  as  by- 
 their  Moral  Character,  and  the  Doom  that  \vill  at- 
 tend them  ? 
 
 The  Scriptures  are  quite  filent  as  to  this  Quef- 
 tion ;  and  therefore  it  may  be  thought  a  needlefs 
 or  an  improper  Queftion.  But  let  it  be  confider- 
 ed,  that,  without  fome  Difcuffion  of  it,  our  I'heo- 
 ry  of  the  Refurre^ion  will  be  lefs  perfed,  than  we 
 
 could 
 
Scdt.  7.         T/je  RefiirreBion.  2 2' 3 
 
 could  wifh  it  to  be  •,  and,  befidcs,  that  we  have 
 fuch  good  Grounds  of  Reafon  to  go  upon,    we 
 cannot  widely  err  from  the  Truth. 
 To  proceed,  then,  to  our  Enquiry  : 
 It  is  certain,  that  the  dead  Bodies  of  the  Righ- 
 teous and  the  Wicked  are  equally  fubje6t  to  thofe 
 Changes  and  Alterations,    which  are  caufcd  by 
 PutreffMion  and  the  Circulation  of  Matter-,    and, 
 confequently,    at  the  Refurre5Iion,  will  Both  be 
 found  in  the  fame  natural  State.     Whence  it  is 
 reafonable  to  conclude,    that  the  Bodies  of  the 
 Righteous  and  the  JVicked  will  be  railed  up  in  one 
 and  the  fame  Way,  and  be  Both  the  fam.e  Kind 
 of  Bodies,  with  refped:  to  the  Matter,  of  which 
 they  are  compofed. 
 
 We  may,  likewife,  conclude,  that  the  Bodies 
 of  the  Wicked,  as  well  as  of  the  Righteous,  will  be 
 fpiritual  and  incorruptiI;le  Bodies ;  and  That,  in  Or- 
 der to  prevent  their  Deftru6lion  (contrary  to  the 
 Defign  of  Providence)  by  the  Violence  of  thofe 
 torments  they  muft  endure,  and  which  Bodies  of 
 Fle/Ji  and  Bloed  are  naturally  incapable  of  fubfill- 
 ing  under,  for  any  confiderable  Length  of  Time. 
 To  alledge,  that  Omnipotence  can  preferve  even 
 fuch  Bodies  as  we  now  have  from  being  deftroy- 
 ed  by  the  mofl  exquifite  Torments,  and  That  for 
 infinite  Ages,  is,  indeed,  faying  what  is  very  true; 
 but  is,  at  the  fame  Time,  having  Recourfe  to, 
 what  we  ought  never  to  take  Refuge  in,  an  un- 
 necejfary  (landing)  Miracle  -,  the  Prefervation  of 
 
 the 
 
224        Dissertation   II.     Sed:.  ^i 
 
 the  Wicked,  amidft  the  Torments  of  Hell-fire^ 
 being  mod  rationally,  and  agreeably  to  the 
 known  Methods  of  Divine  Providence,  account- 
 ed for  by  the  Suppcfition  of  their  RefurreSlion- 
 hodies  being  (like  thofe  of  the  Righteous)  immor- 
 talized, by  the  Hand  of  the  Creator,  in  the  A6t  of 
 their  Formation. 
 
 But  there  is  a  Chara6ler  of  St.  Paulh  Refur- 
 reSi'ion-body,  which  we  cannot  reafonably  fuppofe 
 will  belong  to  the  Bodies  of  the  iVicked.  They 
 are,  indeed,  in  the  moil  emphatical  Senfe,  fcwn 
 in  Di/Iioncur :  They  go  down  to  the  Grave  co- 
 vered with  Infamy  and  Difgrace.  But,  will 
 they  be  raifed  in  Glory  ?  No,  furely.  In  what- 
 ever Senfe,  we  underftand  the  Word  Glory^  it 
 mud  be  the  peculiar  Privilege  of  thofe,  who  de- 
 ferve  to  be  glorified.  Nor  is  it  fuppofeable,  that 
 the  Bodies  of  thofe,  who,  in  this  Life,  bore  no 
 Marks  of  the  Lord  Jefus  (Gal.  vi.  17.)  fhould,  in 
 the  next,  h^  fafldoned  like  unto  his  glorious  Body, 
 Phil.  iii.  21.  This  is  an  Honour,  from  which 
 the  Wicked^  by  all  the  Laws  of  Reafon  and  Na- 
 ture, ftand  defervedly  excluded. 
 
 Now,  if  the  Bodies  of  the  Righteous  will  be 
 glorious,  in  the  Senfe  of  being  luminous  ox  fliiningi 
 mtift  not  thofe  of  the  Wicked  be  inglorious,  in 
 the  Senfe  of  being  gloomy^  opaque,  or  dark  Bo- 
 dies ?  Muft  not  their  Compofition  be  wholly 
 deflitute  of  That  native,  inherent.  Light,  which 
 conftitutes  the  Bodily  Glory  of  the  Saints  ?  For^ 
 
 is 
 
Sed:.  7.  Thi  RefurreBion,  2  2| 
 
 Is  not  Darknefs  the  very  Reverfe  0^  Light  ?  As 
 the  Bodies  of  the  Righteous  will  refemble  That 
 of  the  blefled  Jefus,  with  whom  they  will  live 
 and  dwell  in  Heaven ;  is  it  not  more  than  pro- 
 bable, the  Bodies  of  the  Wicked  will  be  like 
 thofe  of  Satan  and  his  accurfed  Affociates,  with 
 whom  they  muft  take  up  their  difmal  Abode  in 
 Hell  ?  What  Kind  of  Bodies  the  Devil  and  his 
 jingels  havCj  may  be  inferred  from  St.  Paul's  tel- 
 ling us,  that  Satan  is  (fometimes)  tra?isformed  into 
 an  Angel  of  Light  ;  plainly  enough  implying, 
 that,  in  his  own  proper  Nature,  he  is  an  Angel 
 of  Darknefs;  of  Darknefs  ^  with  Refped,  not  only 
 to  the  Horrors  of  his  infernal  Habitation,  but 
 to  the  Gloominefs  and  Obfcurity  of  his  Material 
 Form. 
 
 SECTION     VIII. 
 
 ^he  particular  Cafe  of  the  living  at  the  'Time  of  the 
 Refurre^ion. 
 
 'T^HEkE  remains   a  Queftion   concerning 
 -^     thofe  of  the  Human  Race,  who  Hiall  be 
 found  alive^    at  the  Coming  of  Chriji,   and  the 
 Time  of  the  Refurre5lion. 
 
 That  there  will  be  an  uninterrupted  SuccefjioH 
 of  Mankind,  Generation  following  Generation,  toi 
 the  End  of  the  World,  we  cannot  doubt.     And 
 Q^  therefore- 
 
226  Dissertation    II.     Se(5t.  8f. 
 
 therefore  Chriji,  when  he  comes  to  judge  the 
 World,  will  find  it  replete  with  Inhabitants,  and 
 a  whole  Generation  adually  in  being.  Now,  the 
 Men  of  that  Generation  will  be  exempt  from  the 
 common  Lot  of  Mortality,  and  undergo  no  Dif- 
 folution  of  their  bodily  Frame.  Whence  arifes 
 this  Queftion ;  With  what  Bodies  will  their  Souls 
 be  united  in  the  World  to  come  ?  The  Bodies, 
 they  fhall  be  found  alive  in,  will  be  Bodies  of 
 Fle/Ii  and  Blood.  But  Flejh  and  Blood  cannot  inherit 
 the  Kingdom  cf  God. 
 
 St.  Paid  has  fpoken  to  this  extraordinary  Cafe, 
 and  fatisfied  every  Enquiry  concerning  it.  Be- 
 hold (fays  he)  /  Jliew  you  a  My  fiery  :  We  Jliall  not 
 cllfiee-p^  hut  we  fnall  all  be  changed^  in  a  Moment, 
 in  the  twinkling  of  an  Eye,  at  the  lafi  Trump  (for  the 
 Trumpet  Jliall  found)  and  the  dead  fhall  be  raifed  in- 
 corruptible,  and  we  fhall  be  changed,  i  Cor.  xv. 
 51,  52.  He  befpeaks  our  Attention,  as  to  a 
 moft  wonderful  Thing  :  Behold,  I  fJiew  you  a 
 Myfiery  I  He  affirms,  that  fome  will  be  found 
 alive,  at  the  Refiirre5iion  :  V/e  fJiall  not  All  fleep. 
 But  the  Bodies  of  the  living,  he  tells  us,  will 
 undergo  the  fame  Alteration  with  thofe  of  the 
 dead  :  We  fhall  All  be  changed.  And  he  adds, 
 that  the  Change,  produced  in  the  Bodies  of  the. 
 living,  will  not  be  gradual,  or  the  Work  of  any 
 Time,  but  infiantaneous,  the  Work  of  a  Moment, 
 and  effedted  by  an  Operation  as  quick  and  as 
 
 foon  over  as  the  twinkling  of  an  Eye, 
 
 There 
 
Se<5t.  8.         T!he  Refurreoiion,  2^j 
 
 There  is  another  Paflage  of  St.  Paul^  which 
 includes  the  particular  Cafe  of  the  livijig.  For 
 this  we  fay  unto  you  hy  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  thai 
 we  which  are  alive  and  remain  unto  the  Coming  of 
 the  Lord,  fJiall  not  prevent  them  zvhich  are  afleep. 
 For  —  the  dead  in  Chrijl  fJiall  rife  firjl :  then  we 
 which  are  alive  and  remain  fliall  be  caught  up  to- 
 gether with  them  in  the  Clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord 
 in  the  Air.  i  Theff.  iv.  15 — 17.  Whence  we 
 learn  two  particular  Circumftances  of  the  Refur^ 
 region. 
 
 The  firft  is.  The  Order  of  That  wonderful 
 Event,  with  Refpe£t  to  the  dead  and  the  living. 
 The  Change,  to  be  produced  in  the  Bodies  of 
 all  Mankind,  fhould,  one  would  think,  be  firft 
 produced  in  thofe  of  the  living,  as  the  Tranfition 
 from  one  State  of  Life  to  another  feems  to  be 
 fhorter  and  more  readily  efieded,  than  That 
 from  a  State  of  Death  to  a  State  of  Life.  But 
 the  Reverfe  of  this  will  be  the  Cafe.  The 
 Change  of  the  living  //lall  not  prevent  or  pre- 
 cede That  of  the  fleeping  or  dead  ;  but,  on  the 
 contrary,  the  dead  in  Chrijl  *  JJiall  rife  firft  : 
 The  Refurreoficn  of  the  dead  fhall  be  efteded 
 before  the  Change  of  the  living. 
 
 The  other  Circumftance  is,  The  Rapture  (as 
 It  may  be  called)  both  of  the  dead  raifed  and  the 
 
 4  Not  as  oppofed  to  Unbelie-vers  or  the  dead  iKnthout  Chrijij 
 but  in  Contradiftinftion  to  the  ali^jc  in  Chrijl  or  li^jing  Chri' 
 jilans. 
 
 Q_  2  living 
 
228  Dissertation    II.     Se6l.  ^. 
 
 living  changed:  they  fhall  be  caught  up  together  in 
 the  Clouds^  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  Air  \  fhall  af" 
 cend,  wrapped  in  Clouds,  from  the  Surface  of 
 the  Eafth,  to  meet  their  heavenly  Judge,  de- 
 fcending  from  Heaven  into  its  Atmofphere.  A 
 Flight !  for  which  the  Refurre ^ion-body,  accord- 
 ing to  Our  Hypothejis^  will  be  peculiarly  fitted. 
 For  Spiritual  or  yEthereal  Bodies,  being  fpecifi- 
 cally  lighter  than  Air  itfelf,  will  naturally  rife  in 
 it-  And,  perhaps,  the  A^iion  of  the  Clouds,  m 
 which  they  fhall  be  caught  up,  being  formed  of 
 condenfed  Vapour,  and,  confequentiy,  more  fub- 
 flantial  than  the  Element  they  fwim  in,  may  fa- 
 cilitate the  Afcent  of  the  Refurre£lion-body,  and 
 help  to  kipport  it  in  its  proper  Station. 
 
 But  it  muft  be  obferved,  here,  that  St.  Paul 
 feems  to  confine  this  Circumllance  to  the  Righ- 
 teous or  good  Chriftians  only.  For  none  but 
 fuch  can,  properly,  be  faid  to  be  dead  in  Chriji : 
 None  but  fuch  deferve  the  Honour  of  going  out 
 (as  it  were)  to  meet  their  heavenly  Judge  in  his 
 Way  to  xht great  AJfize.  And,  indeed,  I  think, 
 the  Apoflle's  Doftrine  mufl  be  underflood  with 
 this  Reftridion.  And  we  learn  from  it,  that 
 the  general  Refurre£lion  will  begin  with  That  of 
 Chrijiians,  and,  among  thefe,  with  That  oi  good 
 Chrtjlians  ;  and  be  followed  by  That  of  the  Reft 
 of  Mankind,  according  to  St.  Paul's  Rule,  be- 
 fore laid  down.  Every  Man   in  his  own  Order. 
 
 I  Cor.  XV.  23. 
 
 L  would 
 
Scd:.  9.         T/je  Refurrectwn.  229 
 
 I  would  obferve  likewife,  that,  as  the  Coming 
 of  Chriji  and   the  R&furre8ion  appear  to  be  co- 
 incident Events,  and  the  Change  of  the  living  to 
 be  the  Work  of  a  Moment  \  it  isreafonable  to 
 think,  that  the  Change  of  thofe,  who  fliall  be 
 caught  up  in  the  Clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  Ait\ 
 will  be  effefted  at  the  Inftant  of,  or  during  their 
 Rapture.     The  natural  Bodies^    they  had   at  the 
 Sound  of  the  Trmnp^  wilJ  become  Spiritual  Bodies 
 by  the  Time  of  their  Junftion  with  the  glorious 
 Retinue  of  their  defcending  Redeemer.     And 
 this  confirms  the  Opinion  above  advanced,  that 
 the  Change  of  our  Saviour\  mortal   Body   took 
 Place  in  the  very  Aft  of  his  Afcenfwn  into  Hea- 
 ven, when  a  Cloud  received  him  out  of  Sight, 
 
 SECTION    IX. 
 
 What  appear.,  from  Reafon  and  Scripture.,  to  he  the 
 wife  Ends  and  Defigns  of  Providence^  in  the 
 Appointment  of  the  Refurreftion, 
 
 EFORE  I  conclude  thh  Differtation^  it  will 
 be  proper  that  I  lay  before  the  Reader  what,, 
 upon  a  caretal  Enquiry  into  the  Reafon  and 
 Nature  of  Things,  and  the  Doftrines  of  holy 
 Scripture^  appear  to  be  the  wife  Ends  and  Defigns 
 of  God's  Providence  in  the  Appointment  of  That 
 ^yonderfui  Event,  The  Refurre^ion  of  the  dead, 
 0^3  Innnice 
 
23Q  Dissertation   II.     Se<fl.  9. 
 
 Infinite  Power  docs  nothing  without  the  Di- 
 redion  of  infinite  Wifdom  ;  and  therefore,  if  we 
 are  afllired,  that  God  will  raife  the  dead,  we  arjc 
 equally  certain,  that  the  Rejurretlion  is  ordained 
 to  anfwer  the  wifeft  Purpofes. 
 
 That  God  can  reward  or  funijh  the  Soul,  and 
 That  in  a  Way  agreeable  both  to  his  Wifdom 
 and  his  Juftice,  in  a.  State  oi perpetual  Separation 
 from  the  Body,  is  not  to  be  denied;  and  there- 
 fore we  cannot  afiign  Reward  and  PmiiJIiment  in 
 general  as  the  grand  Objed  of  the  Refurre^ion. 
 Why,  then,  has  infinite  Wifdom  decreed  the  Re- 
 union  of  the  Soul  with  the  Body  ? 
 
 The  principal  Anfwer  to  this  Queftion  is, 
 That  the  ReJurreUion  of  the  Body  is  the  only  Way, 
 in  which  the  Providence  of  God  can  rettore  to 
 fallen  Man  ^hat  Immortality,  for  which  he  \yas 
 created,  and  which  was  unhappily  forfeited  by 
 the  Tranlgrelnon  of  our  firft  Parents.  It  is  evi- 
 dent from  That  Part  of  the  Sentence,  pronounced 
 on  Adam  in  Confequence  of  his  Fall,  Duft  thou 
 art,  and  unto  Duji  /halt  thou  return,  (Gen.  iii.  19.) 
 that,  had  he  not  fallen,  he  would  never  have  re- 
 turned to  DuJi,  or  become  mortal;  and,  confe- 
 ,quently,  that  the  chief  of  thofe  immenfe  Lofles, 
 Human  Nature  fuflained  by  the  Fall,  v/as.  That 
 oi  Bodily  Immortality.  Innocence  and  Integrity 
 prefcrved  would  have  fecured  Man  againll  any 
 Separation  between  his  Scitl  and  his  Body,  and 
 hdve  exempted  him  from  all  Subjed;ion  to  the 
 c,  Power 
 
Se6l.  9.         ^he  Refurreclion,  231 
 
 Power  of  Death  *.  For  (as  the  isjife  Man  ob- 
 ferves)  God  made  not  Death  ;  neither  hath  he  Pka- 
 iure  in  the  DeJlrttBicn  of  the  living.  For  he  created 
 all  Things  that  they  might  have  their  Being :  and 
 the  Generations  of  the  World  were  healthful ;  and 
 there  is  no  Poifon  of  Deflru^ion  in  them,  nor  the 
 Kingdom  of  Death  upon  the  Earth.  For  Righte- 
 oufnefs  is  immortal.  But  ungodly  Men  with  their 
 Works  and  Words  called  it  to  them  :  for  when  they 
 thought  to  have  it  their  Friend^  they  confumed  to 
 naught,  and  made  a  Covenant  with  it.,  hecaiife  they 
 are  worthy  to  take  Part  with  it.  Wifd.  i.  13 — 16. 
 Now,  it  being  the  gracious  Defign  of  the 
 Chrifiian  Difpenfation  to  repair  the  Evils,  and 
 make  good  the  Lofies,  occafioned  by  the  Fall,  it 
 is  natural  to  exped,  that  Adam  and  his  Pofterity 
 Ihould,  fome  Time  or  other,  be  releafcd  from 
 the  Captivity  of  Death,  and  recover  That  very 
 Immortality  they  had  forfeited.  And  accordingly 
 we  find  a  Reftoration  of  That  Immortality  pro- 
 mifed  to  fallen  Man  in  the  great  Chriftian  Doc- 
 trine of  the  Refurre5iion.     Hence  St.  Paul^  having 
 
 «  Whether  Jdam  and  his  Poflerity,  had  they  not  fallen, 
 would  have  lived  for  ever  in  this  World,  or,  after  a  certain 
 period  of  their  lixiftence,  been  tranllated,  as  Enoch  was 
 (Gen.  V.  24.)  to  another,  is  a  quei^ion  of  no  Importance. 
 The  latter  feems  the  more  probable  Suppofition,  as  the  Mui- 
 tiplkation  of  Mankind,  after  fome  Agesy  muO;  otherwife  have 
 repkniped  the  Earth  beyond  its  Ability  to  fvpfsK,  or  even 
 coiitain,  its  Inhabitants. 
 
 0^4  •  alTerted, 
 
2,^z  Dissertation  II.      Secfl.  9, 
 
 afierted,  that  Cbrijl  is  rifenfrom  the  deady  and  become 
 ike  Firfi-fruiis  cf  them  that  Jlept,  adds,  For  ftnce 
 by  Man  came  Death,  by  Man  came  alfo  the  Refur- 
 re^ion  of  the  dead  :  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even 
 fo  in  Cbrijt  fliall  aH  he  made  akve^  i  Cor.  xv. 
 20 — 22.  And  I  incline  to  think,  that  the  fame 
 i\poftle,  by  That  Redemption  of  our  Body,  he 
 fpeaks  of  as  an  Objeft  of  a  Chriftian's  moft 
 pafTionate  Wifli  and  Defire,  (Rom.  xiii.  23.) 
 means  the  Deliverance  (aVcXuTpwa-if)  of  our 
 JBodies  from  the  Power  of  Death,  rather  than  (as 
 he  is  commonly  underflood  to  mean)  our  own 
 Deliverance  from  thefe  mortal,  burthenfome, 
 Bodies  ^. 
 
 By  the  Way,  it  feems  not  unreafonable  to 
 think,  that  Mam's  Body,  as  it  came  out  of  the 
 Hands  of  its  Creator, «  was  a  glorious  Body,  and, 
 perhaps,  fuch  an  one  as  the  Refurre^ion-body, 
 defcribed  by  St.  Paul  For,  if  the  Reftoration 
 of  Bodily  hnmortality  be  the  principal  End  of  the 
 Refurre^ion  itfelf,  it  feems  confonant  to  Reafon 
 and  Nature,  that  the  fame  Kind  cf  ^ody  fhoulc} 
 belong  to  Man,  both  before  his  Fall  and  after 
 his  RefurreBion  from  the  dead.  And  from  hence 
 it  will  follow,  that  the  Bodies  of  om-  firfl  Parents 
 mufl:  have  undergone  a  confiderabie  Change  thro' 
 ^e  IntroducStion  of  Sin  and  Death,  and  from 
 St)irituai  have  degenerated  into  Natural  Bodies, 
 
 ^  See  Pylc'j  Paratraff. 
 
 fuch 
 
Sed:.  9.         T^he  Refurrediion.  25^ 
 
 fuch  as  have  belonged  to  their  Poflerity  ever 
 fince  the  Fall. 
 
 Secondly,  If  we  fuppofe  (as  the  Nature  of  the 
 Chrijlian  (Economy  leads  us  to  fuppofe)   that  the 
 Happinefs  of  the  Life  to  come  is  That  very  Kind 
 of  Happinefs,  God  intended  for  his  Creatures  of 
 the  Humar>  Race,  had  they  never  fallen ;  we 
 fee  more  than  the  Propriety,  we  difcover  the  Ne- 
 cejjity  of  a   Bodily  RefurreBion.     The  Happinefs, 
 prepared  for  Man  in  a  State  of  Innocence,  mud 
 have  been  fuch  a  Kind  of  Happinefs  as  fuch  a 
 Kind  of  Creature  is  naturally  capable  of  enjoy- 
 ing.    Whence  it  follows,  that,  as  Jdam  and  his 
 Pofterity,  continuing  innoceiU,  would  have  been 
 tranflated  to  Heaven  both  in  Body  and  Soul,  the 
 Union  of  a  Body  with  the  Soul  of  Man  is  neceflary 
 to  his  Enjoyment  of  Heavenly  Blifs.    This  feems 
 to  be  the  Ground  of  That  Queftion  put  by  St. 
 Aufiin  :  "  Of  what  Advantage  is  it  to  Souls,  to 
 *'  receive  again  their  Bodies  at  the  Refurredlion, 
 "  if  they  are  capable  of  enjoying  the  fupreme 
 "  Felicity  of  Heaven  even   without  their  Bo- 
 "  dies'?"  According   to   this   great  Chriftian 
 Writer,  the  Reward  of  the  Righteous  in  Heaven 
 is  of  fuch  a  Nature,  as  to  require  a  Conjunflion 
 of  the  Soul  with  Matter,  or  a  Body  of  fome  Kind 
 or  other. 
 
 Laftly,  By  the  RefurreHion  of  the  dead,  God 
 has  provided  for   the  Rejloration  of  Individuals^ 
 
 7  Ge}t.  ad  Lit.  I.  12.  c.  35. 
 
 I  or 
 
234  Dissertation   II.      Se6l.  9. 
 
 or  the  fame  Perfons  that  lived  and  a£ted  in  this 
 World  -,  and  has  thereby  removed  the  principal 
 Difficulty,  attending  the  Dodlrine  of  Immortality, 
 upon  the  Foot  of  mere  Reafon  and  Nature. 
 As  this  Ufe  of  the  Refiirre^ion  is  excellently  re- 
 prefented  by  That  incomparable  Writer  Bifhop 
 Sherlock,  I  Ihall  give  it  the  Reader  in  his  Lord- 
 Ihip's  own  Words. 
 
 "  All  Men  had  a  natural  Senfe  and  Expecfla- 
 •'  tion  of  a  future  Life.  The  Difficulty  was  to 
 *'  account  how  the  fame  Individuals,  which  lived 
 '*  and  died  in  this  World,  and  one  Part  of  which 
 *'  evidently  went  to  Decay,  fhould  live  again 
 •*  in  another  World.  The  Vulgar,  who  had 
 **  no  other  Notion  of  a  Man  but  what  came 
 "  in  by  their  Eyes,  fuppofed  that  juft  fuch  Men 
 •'  as  lived  in  this  World  fhould  live  in  the  next; 
 *'  overlooking  the  Difficulties  which  lay  in  their 
 "  Way,  whilft  they  ran  haftily  to  embrace  the 
 *'  Sentiments  of  Nature.  This  Advantage  they 
 *'  had  however,  that  their  Opinion  prcferved 
 '*  the  Identity  oi  Individuals,  and  they  conceived 
 *'  themfelves  to  be  the  very  fame  with  refpe6l 
 "  to  the  Life  to  come,  as  they  found  themfelves 
 *'  to  be  in  regard  to  the  Life  prefent.  But  then, 
 *'  had  they  been  preifed,  they  could  not  have 
 *'  flood  the  Difficulties  arifing  from  the  DifTolu- 
 "  tion  of  the  Body,  the  Lofs  of  which,  in  their 
 "  Way  of  thinking,  was  the  Lpfs  of  the  Indi- 
 
 f  vidua!:' 
 
 "  The 
 
iSed:.  9.         The  Refurrediion,  i^r 
 
 "  The  learned,  who  could  i^ot  but  fee  and 
 ^'  feel  this  Difficulty,  to  avoid  it,  fliut  out  the 
 *'  Body  from  being  any  Part  of  the  Man,  and 
 "  made  the  Soul  alone  to  be  the  perfed  Indi- 
 f^  vidmm  '.  This  engaged  tliem  in  endlefs  Dif- 
 ^'  putes  upon  the  Nature  of  the  Soul ;  and  this 
 •"  grand  Article  of  Natural  Religion  by  this 
 *'  Means  was  made  to  hang  by  the  (lender 
 "  Threads  of  Philofophy  ;  and  the  whole  was 
 /.'  entirely  lofl,  if  their  firil  Pofition  proved 
 "  falfe.  That  the  Soul  is  the  whole  Man  :  And 
 "  it  is  an  Affertion,  which  will  not  perhaps  (land 
 '"  the  Examination." 
 
 After  fhewing  This,  and  obferving,  that  the 
 Notion  of  the  learned  was  too  refined  for  the 
 Generality  of  Mankind,  the  Bifhop  proceeds 
 thus :  "  It  may  be  worth  enquiring,  how  Nature 
 '^  comes  to  be  thus  defedive  in  this  material 
 
 "  Point. The  Account  of  this  we  can- 
 
 "  not  learn  from  Realbn  or  Nature  j  but  in  the 
 "  facred  Hiftory  the  Fadl  is  cleared  beyond  Dif- 
 "  pute.     The  Abfurdity  upon  the  common  No- 
 
 «  So  Cicero  :  Tu  haheto,  te  non  efe  mortalem,  fed  Corpus  : 
 nee  enim  is  es,  quern  Forma  ifta  declcrat ;  fed  Mens  cujufque  is  eft 
 qufque.     "  Be  affured,  that  it  is  not  you  yourfelf,  but  your 
 
 Body,  that  is  mortal  :  nor  are  you  what  you  appear  to  be  ; 
 "  for  it  is  the  Mind  that  conftitutes  the  Man."  Agreeable 
 to  which  an tient Notion  is  Mr.  Locke' sTio&nne  oi'perfcnal 
 Identity,  which  he  places,  not  in  the  Identity  of  Subjiance, 
 but  in  the  Identity  of  Covfcioifnef,  Hum.  Und.  B.  2.  ch.  27.    ' 
 
 "  tion 
 
236  Dissertation  II.     Scd.  9. 
 
 "  tion  of  Immortality  arifesfrom  the  DifTolution 
 *'  of  the  Body  at  Death  •,  and  the  great  Difficulty 
 "  upon  the  Foot  of  Nature  is  how  to  preferve 
 *'  the  Individuals  for  Judgment,  which  are  evi- 
 *'  dently  deftroyed  by  Death." 
 
 The  Removal  of  this  Difficulty  (his  Lordihip 
 obferves)  "  was  the  proper  work  of  Revelation," 
 and  is  effeftually  done  by  our  Saviour,  who  "  has 
 "  fhewn  us,  that  the  Body  may  and  Ihall  be 
 "  united  to  the  Spirit  in  the  Day  of  the  Lord,  fo 
 "  that  the  complete  Man  fhall  ftand  before  the 
 •*  great  Tribunal,  to  receive  the  juft  Recom- 
 "  pence  of  Reward  for  the  Things  done  in  the 
 
 *'  Body This  Evidence  of  the  Gofpel  has  re- 
 
 ♦*  inflated  Nature  in  all  her  Hopes,  confirmed 
 •*  her  Right  to  Immortality,  and  taught  her  to 
 *'  triumph  over  Death  and  the  Grave,  which 
 "  feemed  before  to  be  unmoveable  Bars  to  all 
 *'  her  Expectations '." 
 
 9  Several  Difcour/a,  &c.  Vol.  I.  Difc.  VL 
 
 D  I  S  S  E  R- 
 
DISSERTATION     III. 
 
 ON       THE 
 
 JUDGMENT  OF  MANKIND 
 
 B  y 
 
 JESUS       CHRIST. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 The  Do^lr'im  of  the  Judgment  ejlahliflied  upon  fh€ 
 Authority  of  holy  Scripture. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 Of  the  Time  of  the  Judgment,  with  a  View  of 
 the  great  preceding  Events  ;  viz. 
 
 1.  The  Downfall  of  the  Ottoman  or  Turkish 
 Empire. 
 
 2.  The  Downfall  of  Vop'E.KY,  Or,  The  DeflruElion 
 of  the'^A^A-L  Power  and  Religion. 
 
 3.  The  universal  Establishment  <?/ Chris* 
 TiANiTY,  Or,  the  Converfton  of  all  Mankind  to 
 the  Chriftian  Religion,  together  with  the  Re- 
 storation of  the  Jews  to  their  native  hand. 
 
 4.  The  Millennium,  Or,  Thoufand  Years  Reign 
 c/ Christ  with  the  Chrifiian  Martyrs,  raifed 
 from  the  dead. 
 
 §.  The  War  of  Goo  and  Magog. 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 Of  the  Signs,  or  Indications  of  the  approaching 
 Judgment,  faid  to  be  given  us  in  holy  Scripture. 
 
 S  E  c- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION     IV. 
 
 Of  the  Person  and  Ai»pearance  of  our  heaventj 
 Judge. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 Of  the  Objects  of  the  future  Judgment. 
 
 SECTION     VI. 
 
 An  Enquiry  into  the  Gkovuds  or  Reasons  of  the 
 ■  refpe^ive  Sentences  of  Reward  and  Pu- 
 nishment, which  fhall  he  paffed  on  the  Righte- 
 ous and  the  Wicked  ;  Or,  What  Things  Man- 
 kind will  he  accountahle  for  at  the  Day  of  Judg- 
 ment. 
 
 SECTION    VII. 
 
 Whether  there  will  he  any  formal  Process,  Exa- 
 mination or  Enquiry  into  the paft  Anions  of 
 Mankind,  at  the  Day  of  Judgment. 
 
 SECTION     VIII. 
 
 Of  the  Duration  of  //&^  Judgment  ;  Or,  What 
 Length  of  Time,  we  may  reafonahly  fuppofe^ 
 will  he  employed  therein. 
 
 SECTION    IX. 
 
 Of  the  End  <?/ Christ's  Kingdom. 
 
 DISSER- 
 
DISSERTATION     IIL 
 
 O   N 
 
 The  Judgment  of  Mankind  by 
 Jesus  CnRisTi 
 
 TH  E  Refurre^lion  of  the  dead  being  accbm- 
 pliflied  by  the  mighty  Power  of  God,  the 
 living  changed,  and  the  Righteous  carried  up,  by 
 an  irrefiltible  Impulfe,  from  the  Surface  of  the 
 Earth,  to  meet  the  Son  of  Cod  defcending  inta 
 its  Atmofphere  •,  thefe  wonderful  Events  will  b^ 
 immediately  followed  by  the  general  Judgment : 
 A  moft  awful,  afFeding,  and  aftonifhing  Scene ; 
 the  Certainty,  Circumftances,  and  Confequences 
 of  which  are  of  the  utmoft  Importance  to  us,  as 
 Obje^ls  of  That  divine  and  folemn  Judicature.  I 
 proceed,  therefore,  to  confider  the  great  Scrip' 
 ture-Do5lrine  of  ^he  Judgment  of  Mankind  by  Jefus 
 Ghrijl,  v/ith  fuch  Subjed:s  of  Enquiry,  as  natu- 
 rally arife  out  of  it. 
 
 The  natural  and  moral  Evidences  of  a  future 
 State  *  are  fo  far  Proofs  of  a  Judgment  to  come,  as 
 they  evince  a  Diftribution  of  Rewards  and  Pu- 
 niJJiments  in  the  next  Life ;  an  A61  of  the  divine 
 
 '    See  the  Prelitninary  Difcourfe. 
 
 R  7#Vf, 
 
242         Dissertation   III.     Sed.  i* 
 
 Jujlice^  which  fuppofes  the  Almighty  to  have 
 judged,  or  eftimated,  the  feveral  Merits  and  De- 
 merits of  his  rational  Creatures.  But  no  Proof 
 arifes  from  hence  of  a  general,  puhlic,  and  vi/ible 
 Judgment  of  Mankind,  in  order  to  the  pafTincr  a 
 folemn,  verbal.  Sentence  of  Reward  or  Punifh- 
 ment  on  them.  It  is  true,  Nature  feems  to  have 
 led  the  Heathen  World  to  the  Expedation  of 
 fome  fuch  Kind  of  Judgment,  as  appears  from  the 
 Poetical  Fable  of  the  infernal  Judges,  Minos,  Ma- 
 ciis,  and  Rhadamanthus  *.  But,  however  natural 
 fuch  an  Expedation  may  be,  it  will  not  prove 
 the  Reality  of  the  Thing  expeded  ;  fince  all  the 
 Ends  and  Purpofes  of  a  Judgment  are  anfwered 
 by  the  Omnifcience  of  God,  who  wants  no  for- 
 mal Inquifition  into  the  Deferts  of  his  Creatures, 
 to  determine  the  Exercife  of  his  Jufiice  towards 
 them.  Hence  the  Dodtrine  of  a  future,  a^ual, 
 formal.  Judgment  of  Mankind  is  by  no  means  to 
 be  confidcred  as  belonging  to  the  Religion  of  Na- 
 ture, but  is  to  be  ranked  among  the  pecuhar 
 Dodtrines  of  the  Chrijtian  Revelation.  The  firft 
 thino-,  therefore,  to  be  done,  is,  to  eftablilli  this 
 Dodcrine  upon  the  Authority  of  holy  Scriptmr.     ' 
 
 =  See  particularly  VirgiVzJixtb  jEneid. 
 
 SEC- 
 
Sed.  I.    'The  "Judgment  of  Mankind.      243' 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 T^he  DocJrine  of  the  Judgment  eJlahliJJied  upon  the 
 Authority  of  holy  Scripture. 
 
 T  N  doing  which,  I  fhall  have  no  Recourfe  to 
 -*-  the  Scriptures  of  the  old  'Tefiament^  becaufe 
 the  Do6lrine  of  a  future  State^  with  which  Thac 
 of  a  future  Judgment  is  infeparably  conne6led, 
 was  (for  Reafons  not  now  to  be  confidered)  en- 
 tirely omitted  by  the  JewifJi  Law-giver  in  h.s  In-' 
 Jlitutes  ;  the  Sandions  of  the  Mofaical  Law  being 
 purely  temporal^  refpeding  the  good  and  evil 
 Things  of  the  prefent  Life  only  •,  and  becaufe,  tho* 
 the  Dodlrine  of  a  future  State  began,  during  the 
 Jewifh  Difpenfation,  to  be  revealed  to  Mankind, 
 it  was  yet  but  imperfe6lly  and  obfcurely  tauo-ht 
 by  the  Prophets^  after  the  Return  of  the  Jews 
 from  their  Captivity  ^ 
 
 The 
 
 3  St.  Jude  has  recorded  a  Prophecy,  which  he  applies 
 to  fome  Apofiates  of  his  own  Time,  and  which  is  couched 
 in  fuch  Terms,  as  feem  to  point  to  the  judgmetit  of  Man- 
 hind  by  'J ejus  Chr'ijl.  His  Words  are  :  And  Enochs  )  he /event  b 
 fi-cm  Adam,  prophecied  of  thefe,  fnying.  Behold,  the  Lord  comet h 
 i\jith  ten  thoufands  of  his  Saints,  to  execute  fudgment  upon  all, 
 and  to  connjince  all  that  are  ungodly  among  them  of  all  their 
 ungodly  Deeds  tvhich  they  have  ungodly  cojnfnitted,  and  of  all 
 their  hard  Speeches  nvhich  ungodly  Sinners  have  fpoken  againfl 
 him.  Ver.  1 4,  15.     This  Prophecy  is  not  recorded  by  Mofs, 
 
 R  2  .  and 
 
244-  Dissertation  III.  Sed;  n 
 The  Scriptures  of  the  New  Tejlamenl  abound 
 with  Notices  of  a  future  Judgment  -,  fome 
 di redly  and  exprefsly  ajferting  That  great  Event, 
 and  others  infinuating  or  plainly  implying  it. 
 
 To  fay  nothing  at  prefent  of  our  Saviour's  own 
 Defcription  of  the  great  Day,  the  Confideration 
 of  which  will  be  the  Subjedt  of  fome  following 
 Sedions  •  St.  Paul,  in  his  Difcourfe  to  the  ^ihe- 
 manSy  tells  them  that  God,  who  winked  at  the 
 Times  of  Ignorance,  now  commandeth  all  Men  every 
 where  to  repent  •,  becaufe  he  hath  appointed  a  Day^ 
 in  the  -which  he  will  judge  the  fVorld  in  Righteouf- 
 nefs  by  'That  Man  zvhom  he  hath  ordained ;  whereof 
 be  hath  given  Affurance  unto  all  Men,  in  that  he 
 hath  raifed  him  from  the  dead.  Ads  xvii.  30,  31. 
 And  to  the  Corinthian  Chriftians  the  fame  Apof- 
 tles  fays :  We  mujl  all  appear  before  the  Judgment - 
 Seat  of  Chriji,  that  every  one  may  receive  the  Things 
 done  in  his  Body,  according  to  that  he  hath  done^  whe^ 
 ther  it  he  good  or  had,  2  Cor.  v.  10.  *.     To  which 
 
 Paflages 
 
 and  feems  to  be  copied  from  fome  antient  Book  oi  Je-vjijh 
 Traditions  (fince  loft)  and  containing  fome  Prophecies  of 
 Enoch.  It  is,  probably,  a  Prophecy  of  the  approaching  De- 
 Itruftion  of  the  World  by  the  Deluge,  That  fignal  Judgment 
 of  God.  on  the  Sins  of  the  old  World  ;  though  fo  expreffed 
 as  to  admit  of  an  Application  to  the  final  Judgment. 
 
 ♦  The  Words  recei-ve  the  Things  done  in  the  Body  are  hardly 
 Senfe.  We  may  receiveyor,  or  a  Recompence  of,  Things  done 
 in  the  Bod^,  but  not  the  Things  them/elves.  The  Original, 
 as  it  ftands  in  the  common  Editions  of  the  Greek  Tefiamcnty 
 is  This:  iV<*  xo/xitf->iT<ti   'e;csc5"©-  T«t   <^/*^  Ta  fftci/.ttr^. 
 
Sea.  I.     The  Judgment  of  ManBnd,     245 
 
 PafTages  may  be  added  St.  John's  Vifi on  oUh^ 
 Judgment  -,  in  which  (looking  forward,  with  the 
 Spirit  of  Prophecy,  to  the  Confummation  of  all 
 earthly  Things)  he>ia  a  great  v-^hite  Throne,  and 
 
 Him  that  fat  on  it the  dead,  fmall  and  great, 
 
 Jianding  before  God- the  Books  opened and  the 
 
 dead  judged  out  of  thofe  Things  which  were  written 
 in  the  Books,  according  to  their  Works,  Rev.  xx. 
 
 10,  ir. 
 
 As  thefe  (and  many  other)  Scriptures  are  fo 
 many  direft  Affertions  of  a  fqture  Judgment,  fo  is 
 the  fame  Doftrine  manifeftly  implied  in  feveral  of 
 our  Saviour's  Parables  :  Particularly,  That  of  t\\e 
 Man  travelling  into  afar  Country,  who  left  behind 
 
 ^p'f  1  IvpaPiv,  5iT5  A-yMv,  UTi  KAKov.    CunelUus  gives 
 us  this  various  Reading,  £  S^ li  t«  a^iicnQt  U^A^.y.    And 
 we  learn  from  Pole's  Sjnopfa,   that  fome  of  the  beft  antient 
 Manu/cripts,  and   many  of  the  Fathers,  inftead  of  t^  J^:^) 
 T«    <re.Vct7©-,    read  rd  \S^tA  T«   trJ/^tfT©-,     i.   e.  propria, 
 Corporis,  tht  Things  belonging,    Or,   rather,   due,   to  the  Body. 
 Both  thefe  Readings  mend  the  Senfe  of  the  Paflage.     But, 
 were  it  permitted  me  to  take  the  fame  Liberty  with  the  z^- 
 credTexf,  as  with  a  PafTage  of  a  ClaJ^c  Juthor,  I  would  re- 
 tain the  Reading,  J'ld  tb  fTce^fxcnQ-,  and  fuppofe  a  Difloca- 
 tion  of  the  Words,  throug}^  the  Negligence  of  Tranfcrib- 
 ers  ;   reading   the  PafTage   thus  :  h^  K.uU^rcti  ?..r^. 
 
 ^P^f     A      i^^Al^V      J^iA    T«       <T«>^T©-,     iln     Aya^h;     SITS 
 
 xaKoi',  1.  e.  That  every  one  may  receive  (according  to  the  Things 
 he   hath  done  in  the  Body  J  either  good  or  evil,  i.  e.  either  Re- 
 ward or  Panifhment ;  referring  the  ,Vt.  ay^U  {Ir.  \,^^,, 
 npt  to  the  Things  done  ;;;  the  Body,  but  to  the  Recompense  of 
 the  Doer. 
 
 R 
 
 3  him. 
 
246         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  i. 
 
 him,  in  the  Hands  of  his  Servants^  his  Goods 
 or  Eftate,  to  be  by  them  improved,  during  his 
 Abience,  in  the  way  of  Trade  •,  and,  at  his  Rcr 
 turn,  demanded  an  Account  of  the  expeded  Im- 
 provement, and  punilhed  the  wicked  Servant  for 
 negleding  his  Truft,  Matth.  XXV.  14 — 30.  That 
 of  the  rich  Man,  who  required  of  his  Steward^ 
 accufed  of  wafiing  his  Goods,  an  Account  of  his 
 Stcivardjliip,  Luke  xvi.  i,  2.  That  of  the  La- 
 bourers in  the  Vineyard,  who,  at  the  Clofe  of  the 
 Day,  received  the  Wages  allotted  them  by  the 
 Houfeholder,  Matth.  xx.  i — 10.  That  of  the 
 Kinp-,  who  made  a  Marriage  for  his  Son,  and  fe- 
 Verely  puniflied  thofe,  who  refufed  his  Royal  In- 
 vitation, and  maltreated  his  Servants  j  as  alfo  the 
 Gueft,  who  prefumed  to  appear  at  the  Royal 
 Yt2L^mx.\ioyM2iTVedding-garment,  Id.  xxii.  i — 13. 
 That  of  the  Tares  growing  among  the  Wheat, 
 and,  in  the  Time  of  Harveji,  feparated  from  it, 
 and  deftroyed  by  Fire,  Id.  xiii.  24 — 30.  and  That 
 of  the  Net  cafi  into  the  Sea;  which  being  drawn 
 to  Shore,  full  of  all  kinds  of  Fifh,  the  good  are 
 gathered  into  Veffeh,  and  the  had  cafi  away,  lb.  47, 
 48.  Thefe  Similitudes  plainly  enough  im-ply, 
 that  we  are  accountable  to  God  for  the  Condud:  of 
 our  Lives,  and  fnall  aufually  be  called  to  our  Ac- 
 count ;  and  that  God  will  diftinguiih  between 
 good  and  bad  Men,  by  fuitable  Rewards  and 
 Puniflimems.     The  two  lait,  in  particular,  are 
 
 inter- 
 
Sed.  2.    T^he  "Judgment  of  Mankind.       247 
 
 interpreted  by  our  Saviour  himfelf  in  this  Senfe, 
 and  applied  to  the  Office  of  the  Angels  in  feperat- 
 ing  between  the  proper  Objedls  of  Reward  and 
 Punifhment,  at  the  End  of  the  Worlds  lb.  40 — 43. 
 49,  50.  Thus  the  Dodrine  of  a  future  Judg- 
 ment  of  Mankind^  and  That  hy  Jefiis  Chrifl  himfelf, 
 appears  to  be  one  of  the  cleareft  and  moll  explicit 
 Dodlrines  of  the  Gofpel. 
 
 SECTION     II. 
 
 Of  the  Time  of  the  Judgment,  with  a  View  of 
 the  great  preceding  Events. 
 
 BEFORE  we  proceed  to  confider  this  great 
 and  important  Event,  and  view  it  in  its  tre- 
 mendous Circumftances  and  momentous  Confe- 
 quences,  it  is  natural  to  enquire,  whether  God 
 has  made  any  Revelation  of  his  divine  Will,  re- 
 fpefling  the  Time  or  Seafon  of  the  Judgement  of 
 Mankind  hy  Jefus  Chrijl ;  whether,  I  fay,  the 
 Gofpel  affords  us  any  Ground  for  determining,  to 
 any  Degree  oi Nearnefs,  at  v/hat  Dijlancs  We,  of 
 the  prefent  Generation,  ftand  from  That  Confum- 
 mation  of  all  earthly  Things. 
 
 Our  Curiofity  as  to  this  Point  fcems,  indeed, 
 to  be  reftrained,  and  even  forbidden,  by  our  Sa- 
 viour himfelf,  where,  fpeaking  of  his  owny^^W 
 Advent^  he  fays.  Of  that  Day  and  that  Hour  know- 
 R  4  eih 
 
248 
 
 Dissertation  III.     Scdt.  2, 
 
 eth  no  Man,  no  not  the  Angels,  which  are  in  Heaven^ 
 neither  the   Son,  but  the  Father,  Mark  xiii.  32.  ^ 
 
 If 
 
 ?  I  quote  St.  Marky  rather  than  St.  Matihenv^  becaufe 
 our  Saviour's  Declaration  is  more  ftrongly  exprelTed  by 
 the  former  than  by  the  latter.  The  parallel  Place  of  St. 
 Matthenv  ftands  thus  :  Qf  that  Day  and  Hour  knonueth  no  Man^ 
 no  not  the  Angels  of  Hewven,  but  my  Father  only,  xxiv.  3^. 
 Where  there  is  no  Mention  of  the  Son's  Ignorance  of  the 
 Time  of  his  owa  fecond  Ad'vent.  It  is  true,  the  words  aJ^g  9 
 o'/o<,  neither  the  Son,  are  omitted  in  feme  Copies  of  St.  Mark, 
 and  inferted  in  fome  Copies  of  St.  Matthenv.  But,  as  Bp. 
 Ne^vton  obferves  {DiJJert.  on  the  Proph.  V.  2.  p.  343-)  there  is 
 no  fufficient  Authority  for  the  Omiffion  in  St.  Mark,  aii/ 
 more  than  for  the  Infertion  in  St.  Mattheiv.  ErafniHs  (in 
 loc.J  is  of  Opinion,  the  Words  were  omitted  in  the  Text 
 of  St.  Matthenv,  to  prevent  their  being  urged  by  tjie 
 Ariam  as  a  Proof,  that  the  Son  is  inferior  to  the  Fa(- 
 ther-,  and  St.  Amhrofe  (de  Fide,  1.  5.  c.  8.)  affirms,  that 
 they  were  inferted  in  the  Text  of  St.  Mark  by  the  Arians. 
 But  they  muft  have  been  either  omitted  in  both,  to  anfwer 
 the  Defign  of  the  Orthodox,  or  inferted  in  both,  to  ferve  the 
 Purpofe  of  the  Arians.  That  the  Words  in  queftion  are  a 
 Part  of  the  genuine  Text  of  St.  Mark,  is  evident  from  hence, 
 that  the  moft  antient  Copies  and  Tranflations  retain  them, 
 and  the  moft  antient  Fathers  quote  and  comment  on  them. 
 The  Difdnftion  between  the  Di'vine  and  Human  Natures  of 
 Chriji  removes  all  Difficulty.  This  Diftindion  is  well  ex-r 
 prefled  by  the  learned  Pj elite  above  referred  to.  "  As  he" 
 (Chriji)  "■  was  the  great  Teacher  and  Revealer  of  his  Father's 
 Will,  he   might  know  more  than  the  Angels,  and  yet 
 
 he  might  not  know  all  Things. He  increafed  in  V/if- 
 
 dom  (Luke  ii.  52.)  and  confequently  in  l^is  Human  Nature 
 he  was  not  omnifcient.  In  his  Human  Nature,  he  was 
 the  Son  of  Da'vid :  In  his  Divine  Nature,  he  was  the  Lord 
 of  David.     In  his  Human  Nature,  he  was  upon  Earth  : 
 
 "  hi 
 
Se<fl.  2.     ^he  Judgment  of  Mankind,     249 
 
 If  the  '^tme  of  ChriJV s  fecond  Coming  was  kept  fe- 
 cret  from  the  Angels^  and  even  from  our  Saviour 
 himfelf  in  his  Human  Nature^  and  is  known  unto 
 God  only ;  is  it  not  Prefumption  in  any  Man  fo 
 much  as  to  enquire  after  it,  and  much  more  to 
 pretend  to  any  Determination  concerning  it  ? 
 
 I  anfwer  :  The  Ignorance  of  the  holy  Angels, 
 and  of  Chrijl  himfelf,  as  to  the  Time  of  his  fecond 
 Coming  (whether  we  underftand,  by  That  Advent^ 
 the  Dejlruofion  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Jewijli  Na- 
 tion, or  the  End  of  the  World,  or  both)  is,  indeed, 
 a  very  good  Reafon  againft  all  Enquiry  after  the 
 precife  Time,  the  Tear  of  Chriji,  or  of  the  World, 
 together  with  the  Month  of  the  Year,  the  Day  of 
 the  Month,  and  the  ii'<?«r  of  the  Day,  vjhQnChri/i 
 ihall  come  to  judge  the  World,  and  put  an  End 
 to  this  earthly  Scene. 
 
 But,  though  this  Knov^ledge  be  evidently  un- 
 attainable, we  may  venture  to  enquire,  whether 
 the  World  be  not  fill  at  fome  confiderable  Dif- 
 tance  from  its  End,  and,  whether  there  be  not  a 
 certain  Length  of  Time,  before  which  That  End 
 cannot  come.  To  this  Enquiry  we  are  invited 
 by  the  Scriptures  themfelves,  v/hich  afford  us 
 
 *'  In  his  Divine  Nature,  he  was  in  Hea've7t  (Joh.  iii.  13.) 
 "  even  while  upon  Earth.  In  like  Manner,  tho'  as  God  he 
 *^  might  know  all  Things,  yet  he  might  be  ignorant  of  fome 
 "  Things  as  Man.  And  of  this  particular  the  Meffiah 
 '^  might  be  ignorant,  becaufe  it  was  no  Part  of  his  Office  or 
 ♦f  Commiflion  to  reveal  it."  p.  545. 
 
 great 
 
250         Dissertation  III.     Sedl.  2. 
 
 great  AfTiftance  in  making  it.  For,  if  it  ap- 
 pears from  Divine  Revelation^  that  certain  great 
 Events,  foretold  therein,  muft  take  Place  before 
 the  Coming  of  Chrijl  and  of  the  End  of  the  Worlds 
 we  are  fo  far  advanced  in  our  Enquiry,  as  to  know 
 for  certain,  that  Chrijl  will  not  come,  nor  the 
 World  have  an  End,  till  thofe  Events  are  come  to 
 pafs.  And,  if  thofe  Events  are  not  yet  arrived, 
 but  are  evidently  at  fome  Diftance  in  the  Womb 
 of  Time,  we  are  equally  fure,  the  World  itfelf 
 is  at  fome  Bijlance  from  its  appointed  End.  Nor 
 is  this  the  utmoft  Limit  of  our  Knowledge  in  this 
 Matter.  For,  if  the  Scriptures  have  given  us 
 fuch  chronological  Marks  and  Chara6t:ers  oi  future 
 Events,  as  (rightly  underllood)  determine  the  exadt 
 Duration  of  fuch  Events,  we  are  enabled  to  pro- 
 nouncCj  that  fo  many  Tears,  at  leaft,  as  belong 
 to  thofe  Events,  muft  elapfe  before  the  Coming  of 
 Chrijl  and  the  End  of  the  World.  Upon  this 
 Ground  our  Enquiry  will  proceed. 
 
 And  Here  our  principal  Guide  will  be.  The 
 Apocalypfe  or  Revelation  of  St.  John  the  Divine  ; 
 who,  as  he  was  the  lajl,  fo  was  he  manifeftly  (af- 
 ter Chrijl)  the  greatejl  Prophet  of  the  Chrijlian 
 Difpenfation  •,  having  comprehended  and  pointed 
 out,  in  That  wonderful  Book,  the  moft  memor- 
 able £^'^;z/J•  and  Revolutions  of  the  Chrijlian  Church, 
 from  the  Days  of  the  Apofiks  to  the  End  of  the 
 V/orld.  The  Authority  of  this  Prophecy,  or  Series 
 5  .  ^^ 
 
 i 
 
Sed:.  2.     The  judgment  of  Mankind.     251 
 
 ai Prophecies,  though  formerly  called  in  queftion 
 by  fome  Chriftians,  is  now  eftabliOied  beyond 
 all  Doubt  ^  J  and  the  SuhjeU-matter  of  the  Re- 
 
 'Delation 
 
 ^  Sir  Ifaac  Newton  has  propounded  an  Argument,  for  de- 
 jtermining  the  Time  when  the  Apocalypfe  was  written,  which 
 may  be  urged  with  equal  Force  in  Confirmation  of  its  Au- 
 thority. "  The  Jpocalyp/e"  (fays  That  great  Man) 
 '^  feems  to  be  alluded  to  in  the  Epifiles  of  Peter  and  That 
 *•  to  the  Hehrc^jjs,  and  therefore  to  have  been  written  before 
 **  them :"  of  which  Sir  Ifaac  produces  feveral  Inflances. 
 Ohfer-vatlons  upon  the  Prophecies  o/"  Daniel  and  the  Apocalypfe, 
 4to.  p.  239—243. 
 
 This  Hint,  thrown  out  by  That  Prodigy  of  Science,  has 
 bcenpurfued  (as  we  are  informed  by  Bp.  Nenvton,  in  his  Dif- 
 Jertations  en  thf  Prophecies,  &c.  Vol.  3.  p.  367.)  by  the  learn- 
 ed Bp.  oi  Glocejler  (Dr.  Warhurton)  and  the  Truth  of  it  fully 
 proved  in  fome  Difcourfes,  which  have  not  yet  feen  the  Light. 
 It  is  hoped,  the  great  Writer  will  not  grudge  the  Public  the 
 Ufe  of  fo  important  a  Di/conjery.  I  call  it  a  Difcovery. 
 For,  had  it  been  known,  that  St,  Peter,  by  the  fure  Word 
 of  Prophecy  (ii.  1,  19,)  meant  the  Reruelation  of  St.  John,  Bp. 
 Sherlock  (in  his  U/e  and  Intent  of  Prophecy,  which  is  a  Com- 
 mentary on  thofe  very  Words  of  St.  Peter,  and  in  his  Difer- 
 tation  on  the  Authority  of  the  zd.  Epifile  of  St.  Peter)  would 
 certainly  have  taken  fome  Notice  of  it;  which  yet  he  has  not 
 done  ;  but  fuppofes,  that  St.  Peter  refers  to  Prophecy  in  gene- 
 ral: tho'  I  cannot  butobferve,  how  near  this  excellent  V/ri- 
 ter  was  to  the  Truth,  when  he  faid,  "  The  7nore  fure  Word 
 "  of  Prophecy  is  not  to  be  underllood  meerly  of  the  Prophecies 
 "  of  the  Old  Tellament ;  for  it  may  refer  to  the  Prophecies 
 *'  of  the  New,  and  probably  does ;  as  appears  by  St.  Peter  % 
 f'  appealing,  not  only  to  the  anticnt  Prophets,  but  alfo  to 
 •"  the  Prerxhers  of  the  Gofpel."  Ufe  and  Intent,  kc.  2d. 
 edit.  p.  54—67. 
 
 The 
 
252  Dissertation  III.     Sed*.  2. 
 
 velation^  though  once  deemed  fo  ohfcure  and  un- 
 intelligible, as  to  be  of  little  or  no  Ufe,  is  now, 
 by  the  Labours  of  the  learned,  rendered  as  clear, 
 and  as  eafy  to  be  underftood,  as  any  other  Pro- 
 phecies of  holy  Scripture '. 
 
 The  great  Events  (predicted  by  St.  John) 
 which  are  already  pajfed,  and  with  which  our 
 prefent  Enquiry  is  unconcerned,  are  the  follow- 
 ing. 
 
 The  Ufe  of  this  Di/ccvery,  in  eftabliftiing  the  Authority  of 
 the  Apocalypfe,  is  very  evident.  For  we  cannot  fuppofe  St. 
 Teter  and  St.  Paul,  in  delivering  the  Chriftian  Dotlrines, 
 would  have  made  any  Ufe  of  That  Boo.k,  had  they  not  be- 
 lieved the  Author  of  it  to  have  been  equally  infpired  with 
 themfelves. 
 
 "  Any  one  may  be  fatisfied  of  this,  who  will  perufe  the 
 Analyjts  of  the  Ret'elation,  or  third  Volume  of  Biftiop  Ne^Mtons 
 Differtations  on  the  Prophecies,  'vjhich  ha^ve  remarkably  been  fid- 
 fUcdy  and  at  this  Time  are  fulfilling  in  the  World.  A  work 
 above  all  Praife  ! — Indeed  the  Chriilians  of  later  Ages  have 
 had  confiderable  Advantages  over  thofe  of  the  more  early 
 Times,  towards  a  right  Underllanding  of  the  Apocalypfe :  I 
 {hall  mention  only  the  following.  It  mull  be  allowed,  that 
 the  partial  Acccmplifliment  of  a  Prophecy  or  Series  of  Pro- 
 phecies is  a  good  Key  to  the  true  Interpretation  of  what  re- 
 mains to  be  fulfilled,  by  letting  us  into  the  Nature  and  Ge- 
 nius of  the  Prophetical  Language,  and  difcovering  to  us  the 
 general  Meaning  and  Import  of  the  kveraX  Figuratii'e  zr\<i 
 Jlle<roricalExpren{ons,  in  which  the  Prophecies  are  delivered. 
 Now  this  Advantage,  which  the  primitive  Chriftians 
 wanted,  we  of  the  prefent  Times  enjoy  ;  many  of  the  apoca- 
 Ixptical  Prophecies  having  unquelHonably  received  their  Ac- 
 complifliment  in  fome  or  other  of  the  preceding  Ages  of  the 
 Chiuch. 
 
 I .  The 
 
Sedl.  2.     ^he  'Judgment  of  Mankind.     253 
 
 I..  The  Conqueft  of  Judea,  and  the  Dejiru^ion  of 
 the  Jewilh  State,  by  the  Romans. 
 
 2.  The  Perfecutions  of  the  Chriftian-Church  hy 
 the  Roman  Emperors. 
 
 3.  The  Converjion  of  the  Roman  Empire  to 
 Chriftianity. 
 
 4.  The  Defiru5iion  of  the  Roman  Empire  hy  the 
 Goths,  Vandals,  and  other  barbarous  Nations. 
 
 5.  The  Rife  and  Progrefs  of  the  Saracen  Empire, 
 and  of  the  Mohammedan  {^or  Mahometan)  Re- 
 ligion. 
 
 6.  The  Origin,  andEflahliflment,  of  the  Turkidi 
 or  Ottoman  Empire,  on  the  Ruins  of  the  Greek 
 and  Saracen  Empires. 
 
 7.  The  Rife  and  Eflabliffment  of  the  Papal 
 Power,  <2»Jo///&<?  Romifh  Religion. 
 
 8.  The  Beginning  and  Progrefs  of  the  Refor- 
 mation. 
 
 Thus  far  the  Apocalypfe^  from  being  a  Prophecy 
 of  Things  to  come,  is  grown  into  an  Hijlory  of 
 the  World,  both  Civil  and  Ecckfiafiical,  for  up- 
 wards of  fifteen  Hundred  Tears,  from  the  fetting 
 out  of  the  Chriflian  Religion,  down  to  about  two 
 Centuries  before  the  prefent  Times  '. 
 
 8  Luther  began  to  preach  publicly  againft  the  Pope's  In- 
 dulgences in  the  Year  15  17,  which  is  ufually  reckoned  the 
 jSra  of  the  Reformation.  And  we  nnd  the  Reformation  eftab- 
 lifhed  in  England  foon  after  the  Commencement  of  the  Reign 
 oi ^een  Elizabetbf  which  began  A.  D.  1558. 
 
 1  But 
 
254         Dissertation  III.      Sed:.  2^ 
 
 But  our  Bufinefs  is  with  That  Part  of  St.  JohrCs 
 Vlfiom^  which  are  ftill  prophetical  of  future  E- 
 vents,  pointing  out  ftill  farther  Changes  and  Re- 
 volutions  in  the  State  of  the  World  in  general, 
 and  of  the  Chrifiian  Church  in  particular.  Thefe 
 Events  muft  all  take  Place,  fucceffively,  and  in 
 their  proper  Order,  before  the  Dawning  of  That 
 great  Bay,  which  will  bring  upon  the  Stage  of 
 this  World  its  laft,  concluding.  Scene,  the  Judg- 
 ment of  Mankind  by  J  ejus  Chriji.  The  Confider- 
 ation  of  thefe  Events,  as  they  lie  in  the  Apoca- 
 lypfe  in  an  allegorical  Drefs,  will  fatisfy  us,  that 
 the  World  is  ftill  at  the  Diftance  of  many  Centu- 
 ries from  its  End ;  and  ferve  to  guard  us  againft 
 any  future  Attempts  oi  falfe  Prophets  to  perfuade 
 us  of  its  nearly  approaching  Diflblution  9. 
 
 But,  in  this  Review,  I  ftiall  confine  myfelf  to 
 the  greater  and  more  interejling  of  thefe  Events, 
 and  ftiall  beg-in  with 
 
 1.  Hhe  Downfall  of  the  Ottoman,  or  Tur- 
 kish Empire  '. 
 
 This 
 
 9  Mr.  Whijlon,  between  thirty  and  forty  Years  ago,  alarm- 
 ed the  Public  with  a  Prediflion  of  the  approaching  End  of 
 the  World,  by  Means  of  a  Cornet^  which  was  to  fet  it  on  Fire, 
 and  would  appear  in  a  few  Days.  Of  which  Prediftion,  and 
 the  EfFeds  it  was  fuppofed  to  have  had  on  all  Ranks  and 
 Degrees  of  People,  we  have  a  very  humorous  and  droll  Nar- 
 ratinje  in  the  Third  Volume  of  Mtfcellanies  (by  Pope  and  ^nvi/ij 
 printed  in  1732. 
 
 •  In  the  Explication  of  this  and  the  fucceeding  Event, 
 I  follow  the  Analyfis  of  St.  John's  Prophecies,  given  us  by 
 
 the 
 
Se<£l.  2.    T^he 'Judgment  of  Mankind,       255 
 
 This  great  Revolution  is  fignified  to  us  by  the 
 Condufton  of  the  Second  Woe^  Rev.  xi.  14.  To 
 imderftand  which,  we  mull  know  what  is  meant 
 by  the  Woe  itfelf.  Now,  This,  being  called  the 
 Second  Woty  plainly  implies  a  Firft  Woe\  and  ac- 
 cordingly, we  find  Both  prophecied  of  (lb.  ch. 
 ix.)  as  in  immediate  Succeffion.  The  Firft  Woe, 
 pointed  out  by  the  Vifton  of  the  Locujls  (Rev.  ix. 
 1 — 12.)  prefigures  the  Rife  and  Eftabiiihment 
 of  the  Saracen  Empire,  and  of  the  Mohar/imedan 
 (or  Mahometan)  Religion,  But  this  Event  being 
 paft,  and  the  Saracen  Empire  (tho*  not  the  Ma- 
 hometan Religion)  being  at  an  End  ;  our  prefent 
 Enquiry  has  for  its  Object  the  Second  Woe,  or  the 
 Rife  and  Eftablifhment  of  the  Ottoman  or  TurkiJJi 
 Empire,  whofe  Downfall  is  properly  exprefled  by 
 the  End  or  Conclufion  of  That  Woe. 
 
 The  Rife  of  this  great  Empire,  which  flili 
 -fubfiRs  in  the  World,  is  fhadowed  out  to  us  (lb. 
 xiii.  ad  fin,)  by  the  Releafe  of  the  four  Angels, 
 which  were  bound  in  the  great  River  Euphrates. 
 Thefe  four  Angels  reprefent  the  four  Sultanies  or 
 Kingdoms  of  the  Turks,  bordering  on  the  River 
 Euphrates,  Thofe  oi  Bagdad,  Damafcus,  Aleppo, 
 and  Iconium.  Their  being  hound  implies.  That 
 ihGTurks  were  reftrained,  for  fome  Time,  by  the 
 
 the  learned  and  judicious  Author  referred  to  above  ;  whofe 
 Comtmnt  on  the  Revelation,  as  it  is  the  lafi:,  fo  it  is  by  far  the 
 bell:  of  any  hitherto  extant. 
 
 Provi- 
 
256  Dissertation  III.     Sedt.  2* 
 
 Providence  of  God  and  natural  Caufes,  from  ex- 
 tending their  Conquefls  beyond  the  Countries 
 adjoining  to  the  Euphrates.  And  the  Releafe  of 
 the  Angels  as  naturally  expreffes  the  Removal  of 
 this  Reftraint,  whereby  the  Turks^  being  at  Li- 
 berty to  make  farther  Conquefls,  were  enabled 
 to  found  a  new  Empire,  towards  the  Clofe  of  the 
 thirteenth  Century,  under  Othman,  the  Son  of  Or- 
 togruJ, 
 
 The  Defcription  of  the  Euphratean  HorfemeUj 
 or  rather  of  their  Horfes,  bears  a  ftrong  Refem* 
 blance  to  the  TurkiJJi  Armies.  The  Number  of  the 
 Army  of  the  Horfemen  was  two  hundred  thoufand 
 thotifand.  And  the  l^urks  are  remarkable,  in 
 Hiflory,  for  bringing  very  numerous  Armies 
 into  the  Field,  confifting  principally  of  Cavalry 
 or  Horfe.  The  Horfes  had  Breafl-plates  of  Fire^ 
 of  Jacin^  and  of  Brimjlone.  The  Colour  of  Fire 
 is  red,  of  Jacindl  or  Hyacinth  blue,  and  of  Brim^ 
 ^ont  yellow.  And  it  is  very  remarkable,  that 
 the  Turks  have  always  affefted  a  Mixture  of  thefe 
 Colours  in  their  military  Habiliments.  The  Heads 
 cf  the  Horfes  were  as  the  Heads  of  Liens.  This 
 plainly  denotes  the  Strength,  Courage,  and 
 Fiercenefs  of  the  TurkifJi  Cavalry.  And  out  of 
 their  Mouths  iffued  Eire  and  Smoke  and  Brim/lone* 
 Which,  probably,  alludes  to  the  formidable. 
 Artillery,  ufed  by  the  Turks.  The  Power  of  the 
 Horfes  was  in  their  Mouth  and  in  their  Tails :  for 
 their  Tails  were  like  unto  Serpents,  and  had  Heads  •, 
 
 and 
 
S e(fl .  2 .     ^he  judgment  of  Mankind.      2^y 
 
 md  with  them  they  did  Hurt.  In  this  they  refem- 
 ble  the  Locujls  *.  And  the  Turks,  we  know, 
 profefled  and  propagated  the  fame  falfe  Rdigioji 
 as  the  Saracens. 
 
 But,  what  ■  fully  juftifies  our  Application  of 
 this  Prophecy  to  the  Empire  of  the  l^urks^  is  its 
 remarkable  Agreement  with  the  Hijiory  of  That 
 People,  in  Point  of  Chronology.  The  four  Angels^ 
 which  were  loofed,  were  prepared  for  an  Hour^ 
 and  a  Day^  and  a  Month.,  and  a  Tear.,  that  is  (in 
 the  Language  oi  Prophecy)  for  391  Tears  znd  15 
 Days.  So  long  their  Power  to  do  hurt  v/ould  laft. 
 Now,  it  appears  from  Hiftory,  that  the  firft  Con- 
 queft  of  the  Othmans  over  the  Chrifiians  was  in 
 the  Year  of  C^rz/?  1281,  and  the  laft  in  1672, 
 the  Interval  between  which  Periods  is  exaftly 
 391  Years;  fince  which  Time,  xh.o'  x.\\q 'Turks 
 have  had  Wars,  they  have  made  no  Conquejls  j 
 nor,  indeed,  feem  inclined,  or  able  to  make  any 
 more  •,  their  utmofl:  Effort  being;  not  more  than 
 fufficient  for  the  Support  of  their  Empire,  in 
 its  prefent  Extent. 
 
 This  vaft  Empire,  which  Hill  occupies  a  very 
 confiderable  Part  of  Europe,  Afia,  and  Africa, 
 is  threatned,  by  the  apocalyptical  Prophet,  with 
 approaching  Deftrudion.  The  Prophecy,  in- 
 deed,   fixes  no  Time  for  the  Duration  of  the 
 
 *  And  they  had  Tails  like  unto  Scorpions,  and  there  ivcre 
 Stings  in  their  Tails.  Rev.  ix.    10.  -- 
 
 S  ,  Turkifli 
 
258         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  i, 
 
 ^urki/Ji  Empire.  But,  as  its  Ruin  muft  precede 
 That  of  the  Papal  Power  (of  which  prefently) 
 we  have  Reafon  to  conclude,  its  Downfall  is  at 
 no  great  Diftance  from  the  prefent  Time. 
 
 By  what  Natural  Means,  under  the  Work- 
 ing of  God's  Providence,  the  Overthrow  of 
 the  Ottoman  or  'Turki/h  Empire  will  be  effed- 
 ed,  we  have  not  the  lead  Intimation  in  the 
 Prophecy,  which  exprefTes  its  Deftrudlion  in 
 thefe  few  words  only.  The  Second  Woe  is  paft. 
 But  we  can  point  to  certain  European  Powers, 
 which  may,  not  improbably,  be  Inftruments  in 
 the  Hand  of  Providence,  for  the  Subverilon  of 
 That  Empire.  The  Houfe  of  Auflria,  as  Sove- 
 reign of  Hungary,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Poland, 
 may,  feparately  or  jointly,  effed  the  Conqueft  of 
 Turkey  in  Europe.  And,  at  the  fame  Time,  the 
 Countries  of  Afia  and  Africa,  now  tributary  or 
 fubjedl  to  the  Grand  Seignor,  may  throw  off  the 
 Ottoman  Toke,  and  affert  their  Liberty  and  Inde- 
 pendency. 
 
 But  the  Pov.'cr  I  have  chiefly  in  View,  is  the 
 Ruffian  Empire,  as  the  Place,  where  the  Religion 
 of  the  Greek  Church  is  principally  embraced.  It 
 is  certain,  there  are  great  Numbers  of  Chriftians 
 of  That  Communion  fubfifling  in  the  Turki/h  Do- 
 minions, notwithftanding  they  are  made  to  fuffer 
 fuch  hard  Ufage,  as  muft,  naturally,  have,  long 
 ago,  driven  all  Chrijiians  out  of  Turkey,  or  have 
 cxtinguifl:ied  their  very  Name,  were  they  not, 
 
 as 
 
Sed.  2.     T^he  'Judgment  of  Mankind,     259 
 
 as  Bp.  Newton  obferves  %  "  preferved  to  anfwer 
 "  fome   great  and    myfterious  End   of  Provi- 
 "  dence."    And,  what  End  of  Providence  more 
 likely  to  be  anfwered  by  their  Prefervation,  than 
 the  Downfall  of  the  ^urki/h  Empire  ?  The  Griev- 
 ances of  the  Chriftians   in  Turkey  may  produce 
 ah  Interpofition   of  their  Fellow-Chriftians   in 
 Rtijfia,    for  their  Redrefs.     This   refufed,   may 
 kindle  a  U^ar  between   the  Ruffians  and  'Turks. 
 On  which  Occafion,  it  is  natural  to  fuppofe,  the 
 Greek  Chriftians  of  Turkey   will  flock,  from   all 
 Parts,  to  the  Standard  of  Rujfia.     And  this  may- 
 add  fuch  Strength  to  the  Rujjian  Armies^  as  lliall 
 give  them  an  irreflftible  Superiority  over  their 
 Enemies,  and  enable  them  to  carry  their  vidtori- 
 ous  Arms  to  the  very  Gates  of  Conftantinople. 
 By  fome  fuch  Means  as  thefe,  we  may  humbly 
 conceive,  the^  Providence  of  God  will  interpofe 
 to  bring  about  the  Conclufton  of  the  Second  Woe  in 
 the  Ruin  of  the  Ottoman  or  TurkiJJi  Empire. 
 ■  This  great  event  will  be  almoft  immediately 
 followed  by   another  of  the  utmoft  Importance. 
 For  the  Prophecy  fays,  The  Second  Woe  is  pqji ; 
 heholdy  the  third  Woe  cometh  quickly.     Rev.  xi.  14. 
 And,  what  is  this  Third  Woe  ?  No  lefs,  Chriftian 
 Reader,  than 
 
 2 .  The  Downfall  of  Popery,  or^  The  Deftru^ion 
 of  the  Papal  Power  and  Religion. 
 
 5  Ubi  fupra,  p.  1 24. 
 
 S    2  I 
 
26o         Dissertation  III.     Seft.  2» 
 
 .  I  {hall  not  fpend  any  Time  in  proving,  what 
 has  been  fo  often  and  clearly  made  out  by  many 
 learned  Proteftants  *,  that  the  Pope  (or  Succejfwn 
 of  Popes)  or  the  Papal  Power,  is  the  true  Anti- 
 christ, fo  much  fpoken  of  by  the  antient  Chrif* 
 tian  Writers,  as  a  corrupt  and  idolatrous  Per/on 
 or  Power,  who  lliould  be  revealed,  or  make  his 
 Appearance,  in  Ibme  future  Age  of  the  Church  * : 
 
 That 
 
 4  See,  particularly,  Bp.  Nenvton^s  excellent  Di/Zeriations  on 
 the  Prophecies,  &c.  Vol.  I.  Dif  14.  Vol.  II.  Dif  22,  23. 
 Vol.  III.  on  Re'v.  Chap.  xiii.  xvii.  xviii.  xix. 
 
 J  Many  of  the  Fathers  entertained  flrange  wild  Notions 
 concerning  Antkhrijl ;  as,  that  he  fhould  be  a  Je-w^  and  de- 
 fcend  from  the  Tribe  of  Dan  ;  that  he  Ihould  come  from 
 Babylon,  and  fix  his  Refidcnce  in  the  Temple  dXjerufalem', 
 and  that  he  fhould  firfl  fubdue  Egypt,  and  afterwards  Lybia 
 and  Ethiopia.  See  particularly  Iren.  1.  5.  c.  25,  30.  Cyril, 
 Hierof.  Cateth.  15.  c.  7.  Hieron.  Comment,  p.  1 101,  1128, 
 1132.     Augiifiin.  ^eeji,  in  Jofeph.   Qu.  22. 
 
 Thefe  Notions  were  the  common  Belief  of  the  Chriflian 
 World  in  the  xiith  Century  ;  as  we  lejrn  from  an  Englijh 
 Hiftorian  of  thofe  Times,  who  adds  many  other,  equally 
 wild  and  extravagant.  Notions  o^  Antichriji  \  as,  that  his 
 Mother  would  be  under  PofTefnon  of  the  Devil  all  the  Time 
 of  her  being  with  Child  of  him  ;  that  he  was  to  have  his 
 Education  among  Wizzards  and  Necromajicers,  who  fliould 
 form  him  to  all  Manner  of  Wickednefs  ;  that  he  would  al- 
 ways be  attended  with  evil  Spirits  ;  that  he  was  to  march 
 at  the  Head  of  his  Forces  to  Jerufalem,  and  murder  every 
 ChrilHan  refufing  to  be  perverted  by  him  ;  that  he  would 
 attempt  to  reilore  the  Je<wip  Religion  and  rebuild  the 
 Temple  oi  Solomon  ;  that  he  fhould  perform  furprizing  M- 
 raclest  command  Fire  from  Heaven,   raife   Storms  at  Sea, 
 
 metamor- 
 
Sedl.  2.     The  'Judgment  of  Mankind,      261 
 
 That  his  Holinefs^  in  quality  of  z  fovereign  Prince, 
 is  the  liUle  Horn  of  the  Fourth  Beajl,  in  Daniel's 
 Vifion  of  the  four  Beajls    (ch.    7.)    which  little 
 
 metamorphofe  Animals,  flop  the  Courfe  of  Rivers,  and  raife 
 the  dead  ;  that  he  would  propagate  his  Delufions  various 
 Ways,  bribing  fome,  terrifying  others,  and  torturing  the 
 obftinate  ;  and  that  the  Perfecution  would  reach  all  Parts 
 of  ChriJIendom,  and  laft  three  Years  and  a  Half.  As  to  the 
 Time  of  his  Appearance,  it  was  immediately  to  follow  the 
 Reign  of  a  certain  King  of  the  Franks,  who,  after  conquer- 
 ing the  whole  Roman  Empire,  fliould  go  to  Jerufalem,  and 
 there  refign  his  Kingdom,  leaving  his  Crown  and  Scepter 
 upon  Mount  Olivet.  See  Rog.  Ho'veden.  ap.  Collier^s  Ecclef. 
 Biji.  Vol.  I.  p.  401. 
 
 It  may  not  be  improper  to  be  obferved,  that  feveral  ex- 
 traordinary Perfonages  of  former  Times  have  been  miftaken 
 for  Antichrift.     Thus  the  primitive  Chriftians  (as  it  was  very 
 natural  they  Ihould)    confidering  their  Perfecutors  as  anti- 
 chrijiian  Perfons  or  Powers,  applied  the  Charafter  of  Jnti- 
 chrijl  fucceflively  to  the  Roma7i  Emperors  Claudius,  Nero,  Do- 
 mitian,  &c.   In  after  Times,  when  thePerJlans  under  Cho/roes, 
 and   after  them   the  Saracens,  but  efpecially  the  Turks,   be- 
 came fo  powerful,  as  to  get  Pofleffion  of  the  holy  Land,  the 
 Eyes  of  the   Chriftian  World  were  turned  That  Way,   to 
 look  for  Antichrift  ;  and  many  Expofitors  applied  the  apoca- 
 lyptical Prophecies  to  thofe  Tranfaclions,   and  particularly  to 
 the  Impoilor  Mohammed  or  Mahomet.     And  fo  nearly  did  the 
 Opinion  of  the  Chriftian  World  approach  to  the  Truth,  that, 
 in   the   nth  Century,  the  Charader  and  Title  of  ^///•/V/:^;}? 
 were  fucceffively  given  to  the  Popes  Benedia  IX.  and  Hilde- 
 brand  or  Gregory  VII.  Both  Po7itiffs  remarkable  for  the  moll 
 extravagant  and  fcandalous  Actions  and  Behaviour.     See 
 Bengelius's  Inircduiiion  to  his  Expojttion  of  the  Apocalypfe,   &c. 
 p.  286 — 297. 
 
 S  3  Horn 
 
262  Dissertation  III.     Sed:.  2, 
 
 Horn  had  a  Mouth  fpeaking  very  great  'things,  and 
 a  Look  more  flout  than  his  Fellows ;  and  which  was 
 to  /peak  great  fVords  againft  the  mofl  high,  to  wear 
 cut  the  Saints  of  the  mcft  high,  and  to  change  'Times 
 and  Laws:  That  the  Pope,  as  //tWof  the  Rom- 
 ijli  Church,  is  St.  PauVs  Man  of  Sin,  or  Son  of  Per- 
 dition (2  Their,  ii.  3 — 10.)  whofe  Coming  was  to 
 be  after  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  Power  and 
 lying  TFcnders,  and  with  all  Deceivablenefs  of  Un- 
 rightecufnefs,  and  who  is  defcribed  as  oppofing, 
 and  exalting  hirnfelf  above  all  that  is  called  God,  cr 
 that  is  worfhipped,  fo  that  he  as  Godfitteth  in  the 
 Temple  of  God,fhewing  himfef  that  he  is  God:  That 
 \\z\s>tht  apocalyptical  Beaft  rifmg  out  of  the  Sea  (Rev. 
 xiii.  I — 8.)  10  whom  the  Dragon  gives  his  Power ^ 
 and  his  Seat,  and  great  Authority  -,  who  opens  his 
 Mouth  in  Blcifphemy  againft  God,  and  whom  all 
 that  dwell  on  the  Earth  fnculd  worfJiip  ;  alfo  the 
 apocalyptical  Harlot,  cr  great  Whore,  thatfitteth  upon 
 rnany  Waters  (Rev.  xvii.  i — 5.)  with  whom  the 
 Ki??gs  of  the  Earth  have  committed  Fornication,  and 
 the  hihahiters  of  the  Earth  have  been  made  drunk 
 with  the  Wine  of  her  Fornication  -,  and  who  is  de- 
 Icribed  as  arrayed  in  Purple  and  fcarlet  Cloth,  and 
 decked  with  Gold,  and  precious  Stones,  and  Pearls  ; 
 and  upon  whofe  Forehead  was  a  Name  written^ 
 Mystery,  Babylon  the  great,  the  Mo- 
 ther OF  Harlots,  and  Abominations  of 
 THE  Earth. 
 
 Under 
 
Sed.  2.     The  'Judgment  of  Mankmd,     263 
 
 Under  thefe  feveral  allegorical  Reprefentations, 
 Antichrift^  or  the  Pafd  Pozun\  is  threatened  with 
 Deftrudlon.  The  Jtidgtmnt  Jliall  fit^  and  they 
 /hall  take  away  bis  Dcmimon  (the  Dominion  of  the 
 liule  Horn)  to  cojijume^  and  to  dejiroy  it,  unta  the 
 End.  Dan.  vii.  26.  The  Man  cf  Sin  will  be 
 confumed  with  the  Breath  of  the  Lord's  Mouth,  and 
 be  deftroyed  with  the  Brightnefs  cf  his  Coming. 
 1  ThefT.  ii.  8.  And  St.  John,  in  his  Vifion  of 
 the  Woman  arrayed  in  Purple  and  Scarlet,  is  in- 
 vited by  the  Angel  to  be  a  Witnefs  of  her  De- 
 ftru6lion  ;  Come  hither,  I  will  Jliew  thee  the  'Judg- 
 ment of  the  great  Whore.  Rev.  xvii.  i. 
 
 The  BeftruSlion  of  the  Papacy,  according  to 
 the  Prophecies  concerning  it,  will  be  the  Work 
 of  fucceffive  Judgments  from  Heaven.  The  Firft 
 will  be,  A  bloody  War,  predicted  by  St.  John's 
 Virion  of  the  Harveji  and  Vintage  (Rev.  xiv. 
 14  —  20.)  in  which  it  is  reprefented  by  the 
 Wine-prefs  being  trodden  without  the  City,  and' 
 Blood  coming  out  of  the  IVine-prefs,  even  tmto 
 the  Horfe-bridles,  for  the  Space  of  a  thonfand 
 and  fix  hundred  Furlongs.  This  determines  the 
 'Theatre  of  the  War  to  be.  The  Pope'*s>  Temporal 
 Dominions  in  Italy.  For  the  City  can  be  no  other 
 than  That  of  Rome  ;  and  it  is  very  remarkable, 
 that  Jixteen  hundred  Furlongs  or  Stadia,  making 
 two  hundred  Italian  Miles,  is  the  Mcafure  of  his 
 HolinelTs's  Territories,  the  Stato  ddla  Ckiefa  or 
 S  4    .  Ecckjicifiical 
 
264  DiSS-ERTAT  ION     III.       Sed.  2. 
 
 Ecclefmftical  State,  reaching   from   the  Walls  of 
 Rome  to  the  Mouth  of  the  River  Po  ^. 
 
 What  Power  the  Providence  of  God  will  arm 
 againft  the  Popedom  \  whether  fome  foreign 
 Prince  will  invade  St.  Peter's  Patrimony,  or  O- 
 z'il  Difcord  txche  the  People  againft  each  other, 
 or  unite  them  in  Rebellion  againft  his  Holinefs ; 
 we  muft  not  pretend  fo  much  as  to  hazard  a 
 Conjefture,  having  no  Light  from  the  Prophecy 
 to  affift  us.  But  we  cannot  doubt,  xh^tio  bloody 
 a  f'Far,  however  it  may  end,  will  greatly  weaken 
 the  'Temporal  Power  of  the  See  of  Rome  j  and  we 
 may  jufdy  confider  it  as  an  Alarm  from  Heaven, 
 and  a  Prelude  to  That  complete  Dejiru^lion,  the 
 Hand  of  i^rovidence  will  fpeedily  bring  upon  it. 
 
 The  Defolation,  occafioned  by  this  War,  will 
 be  followed  by  feven  fucceflive  Plagues,  denoted 
 by  \.\iQ  pouring  out  o^  feven  Vials  hy  feven  Angels  -, 
 the  firft  upon  the  Earth,  the  fecond  upon  the 
 Sea,  the  third  upon  the  Rivers  and  Fountains, 
 the  fourth  upon  the  Sun,  the  fifth  upon  the  Seat 
 of  the  Beaji,  i.  e.  Rome,  the  fixth  upon  the  Ri- 
 ver Euphrates,  i.  e.  the  Tyber,  and  the  feventh 
 into  the  Air.  Rev.  Chap.  xvi.  Pefiilence,  Famine, 
 Slaughter,  and  every  'National  Calatnity,  are  the 
 dreadful  Contents  of  thefe  feven  Vials  of  God's 
 Wrath  and  Indignation  againft  the  Papacy.  And 
 they  feem.  to  complete  its  Deftrudtion  :  For,  no 
 
 *  Mcde'^  Ccmmait.  Apocal.  P.  2.  ap.  Works,   fol.  p  522.   ' 
 
 fooncr 
 
Sed.  2.     "Tihe  'judgment  of  Mankind.     265 
 
 fooner  is  the  feventh  Vial  emptied,  than  a  great 
 Voice  from  Heaven  proclaims,  It  is  done. 
 
 This  great  and  important  Revolution  in  the 
 Chrijlian  World  is  more  circumftantially  foretold 
 and  defcribed  in  the  three  fucceeding  Chapters 
 of  the  Revelation,  to  which  I  muft  refer  the  Rea- 
 der. All  I  fhall  obferve  farther  is,  that,  accord- 
 ing to  thefe  Prophecies,  the  Kingdoms,  adhering 
 to  the  Church  of  Rome,  will  join  with  the  Pope  in 
 one  grand  Effort  for  the  Support  of  his  Power 
 and  Dominion  •,  that  the  Religious  fVar,  occa- 
 fioned  hereby,  will  end  in  a  complete  Viftory 
 over  the  Pope  and  his  Adherents  ;  and  that  the 
 vidorioLis  Enemy  fhall  lay  wafle  his  Holinefs's 
 Territories  with  Fire  and  Sword,  and  reduce  his 
 Capital  City  to  an  Heap  of  Afhes.  For,  the  ten 
 Horns  or  Kings— JIi all  give  their  Power  and  Strength 
 unto  the  Beajl :  T'hefe  /hall  make  War  with  theLamh 
 (the  true  Church  of  Chrifi)  and  the  Lamb  JJiall 
 overcome  them — And  the  ten  Horns  or  Kings,  for- 
 merly her  Friends  and  Allies,  but  now  become 
 her  Enemies,  Jhall  hate  the  Whore,  and  /hall  make 
 her  defolate,  and  naked,  and/Jiall  eat  her  Fle/Ji,  and 
 burn  her  with  Fire.  lb.  xvii.  12 — 16.  A  Cataf- 
 trophe,  announced  to  St.  John,  with  great  So- 
 lemnity, by  a  refplendent  Mcffenger  from  Hea- 
 ven, crying  mightily  with  a/irong  Voice,  ?Lnd /ay ing, 
 Babylon  the  Great  is  /alien,  is  /alien.  lb.  xviii. 
 1,2. 
 
 It 
 
j66        Dissertation    III.     Secfr.  2, 
 
 It  cannot  be  fuppoled,  that  the  Religion  of 
 Rome  will  furvive  the  Ruin  of  its  only  Support, 
 the  Papal  Power.  And,  indeed,  we  find  its  De- 
 ftrud:ion  foretold  by  St.  John  -,  who,  enlarging 
 upon,  and  explaining,  the  Vidory  of  the  Lamb 
 over  the  Beaji  and  his  Adherents,  tells  us,  that 
 the  Beafi  ivcs  taken ^  end  ivitk  him  the  falfe  Prophet^ 
 and  that  thefe  were  caji  alive  into  a  Lake  of  Fire ^ 
 burning  with  Brimjione.  lb.  xix.  20,  As  the  BeaJ} 
 and  the  falfe  Prophet  arejuftly  interpreted  to  mean 
 the  whole  Roman  Hierarchy,  the  Pope  znd  his  Cler- 
 gy, here  is  an  exprefs  and  formal  Prophecy  of 
 the  Downfall  and  utter  Extindion  of  Popery  m 
 the  Chrillian  World. 
 
 Nor  has  the  Spirit  of  Prophecy  left  us  in  the 
 dark,  with  Refped  to  the  Time,  when  this 
 great  and  important  Event  (hall  come  to  pafs. 
 "We  have  already  fcen,  that  Daniel's  little  Horn 
 is  a  Type  of  Antichriji,  or  the  Papal  Power  and 
 Relinon.  Now,  in  the  Account  of  this  Horrty 
 the  Duration  of  its  Power  is  exprelly  limited  to  a 
 Time,  and  Times,  and  the  dividing  of  Time,  or  half  a 
 Time  (Dan.  vii.  25.)  that  is,  to  three  prophetical  Tears 
 and  a  Half,  or  1260  common  Tears.  St.  John,  like- 
 wife,  prophecies,  that  the  holy  City  fliall  he  trodden 
 under  Foot  by  the  Gentiles  forty  and  two  Months  (Rev. 
 xi.  2.)  and  that  the  Woman,  driven  into  the  Wilder- 
 nefs,  is  to  be  nourijlied  there  for  a  Titne^  and  Times, 
 and  half  aTimeQb.  xii.  14.);  that  is  (as  Both  Pro- 
 phecies are  to  be  underflood)  that  the  true  Church 
 
 of 
 
S  e  dl .  2 .     T^he  'Judgment  of  Mankind.      267 
 
 of  Chriji  Ihall  be  opprefled  and  perfecuted  bv  the 
 antichrijiian  Church,  during  the  Space  of  1260 
 Years. 
 
 This  remarkable  Concurrence  of  the  Prophe- 
 cies points  out  That  Number  of  Years  for  the 
 Duration  of  the  Pafal  Power  and  Religion.  So 
 that,  if  tht  Beginning  of  thefe  1260  Years  can 
 be  determined,  the  "time  of  the  Fall  oi  Antichrifi 
 or  the  Papacy  is  determined  with  it.  Now,  it 
 feems  moft  reafonable  to  date  the  Commencement 
 of  the  Reign  of  Antichrift  from  the  Time  when 
 the  Pope  became  an  Horn  or  Temporal  Prince, 
 This  appears  to  have  fallen  out  in  the  viiith  Cen- 
 tury. For,  in  727,  i\it  Pope  got  Poffeffion  of 
 the  Dukedom  of  Rome,  and,  in  ^c^e^,  of  the  Ex- 
 q.rchate  oi  Ravenna  :  from  which  Time,  the  Popes, 
 being  now  become  Temporal  Princes,  no  Icncer 
 dated  their  Epijiles  and  Bulls  by  the  Years  of  t^he 
 r,eigning  Emperor,  but  by  thofe  of  their  own 
 Advancement  to  the  Papal  Chair  7.  Now,  if 
 we  reckon  1260  Years  from  the  Year  727,  we 
 fhall  reach  the  Year  of  Chrift  1987  ;  or,  from 
 755->  we  lliall  come  down  to  2015.  In  one 
 or  other  of  thefe  Years,  or,  perhaps,  in  the  Mid- 
 dle between  Both,  that  is,  about  the  Tear  of 
 ChriJI  2000,  or  of  the  World  6000,  the  Reign 
 of  Antichrifi  will  be  at  an  End  '.     A  Period,  at 
 
 no 
 
 "7   Signonias,  dc  Regno  Ital,  lib.  3,  4. 
 8  The  antientjc-zw  divided  the  whole  Time  of  thz  World's 
 DjiraiioM  ifiio  three  equal  Parts,  viz.  20C0  Years  before  the 
 
268        Dissertation   IIL     Sedl.  2. 
 
 no  great  Diftance  from  us,  and  which  a  very  few 
 Generations  of  Men  will  quite  exhaufl:  ^. 
 
 We  cannot  view  the  pajl  and  preferii  State  of 
 the  Papal  Power  in  Europe,  without  plainly  fee- 
 ing, that  the  Prophecies  of  its  Deftruflion  have 
 been  for  fome  Time,  and  are,  at  this  Day,  re- 
 markably fulfilling  in  the  World.  The  Refor- 
 mation, which  began  with  Luiher^s>  preaching 
 againil  the  Pope's  Indulgences,  in  1557,  has,  in 
 its  Progrefs,  difmembered  whole  Khigdoms  and 
 States  from  the  Communion  of  the  Church  of 
 Rome  5  and  fome  of  thofe,  which  are  fliil  in  Com- 
 munion with  her,  have  fet  much  narrower  Bounds, 
 than  formerly,  to  her  Power  and  Authority  over 
 them.  The  late  Expulfion  of  the  Jefuits  (the 
 chief  Supporters  of  the  Papal  'Throne)  from  the 
 
 King- 
 
 La^m,  2000  ujuler  the  Lant:,  and  2000  under  the  MeJJtah. 
 And  it  is  remarkable,  that  the  Prophetical  Reckoning  of  the 
 F all  of  Antichriji  is  fo  far  agreeable  to  this  Jeivip  Notion, 
 as  it  places  That  Event  in  the  Tear  of  Chriji  2000. 
 
 9  The  learned  Bengelius  (a  moll  exaft  Calculator)  places 
 the  Origin  of  the  Beaji,  or  his  rijlng  out  of  the  Sea,  to  Friday 
 September  I,  1077,  when  Hildehrand  or  Gregory  NM  (a. 
 moft  arbitrary  and  tyrannical  Pope)  was  advanced  to  St. 
 Peter'' s  Chair ;  at  which  Time,  he  tells  us,  there  was  a  ge- 
 neral Expedlation  of  Antichrijl.  And  he  places  the  Dejiruc- 
 tion  of  the  5m/  to  Sunday,  June  18,  1 836.  Confequently, 
 the  Duration  of  the  BeaJi  is  no  more  than  959  Years,  and 
 his  DeJiruSiion  at  the  Dil'cancc  of  but  6^  Years  from  the  pre- 
 fent  Year  of  Chriji  1  ^6-], 
 
 This' 
 
Se<ft.  2.     "The  Judgment  of  Mankind.      269 
 
 Kingdoms  of  France^  Spain  and  Portugal  %  has 
 greatly  weakened  the  Influence  of  the  Papacy  in 
 ihofe  Countries,  and  feems  to  portend  their  to- 
 tal 
 
 This  Author  ufes  a  Chrenohgy,  or  Computation  of  the 
 4ipocalyptical .Times,  very  different  from  That  of  the  Tear-day, 
 or  a  Day  Handing  for  a  Tear.  He  multiplies  666,  the  Nicjk' 
 her  of  the  Beajl,  by  42,  the  Number  oi Months  he  is  to  con- 
 tinue ;  and  thence  determines,  that  a  Day,  in  the  Prophe-^ 
 tical  Language,  is  to  be  reckoned  as  no  more  than  about 
 Half  of  a  common  Tear.  See  IntroduSlion  to  Bengelius's  Ex-^ 
 pojttioti  of  the  Apocalypfe,  p.  158 — 174.  250,  25  I,  296. 
 
 »  The  following  Charadler  of  the  Jefuits,  and  Prophecy 
 of  their  Expul/iGii,  is  taken  from  a  Sermon  preached  by  Dr. 
 George  Broivn,  Archbifhop  olDuhUa,  in  the  Reign  o^  Edward 
 VI.  "  Jefus  came  to  fulfil  the  Law,  and  not  to  aboliih  the 
 "  Law.  But  there  are  a  new  Fraternity  of  late  fprung  up, 
 "  who  call  themfelves  Jefuits  ;  which  will  decei've  many; 
 "  who  are  much  after  the  Scribes  and  Pharifees  Manner. 
 "  Amongft  the  Jews,  they  Ihall  ftrive  to  aboliih  the  Truth, 
 *•  and  fhall  come  very  near  to  do  it  j  for  thefe  Sorts  will 
 *'  turn  themfd-ves  into  federal  Forms  ;  with  the  Heathen  an 
 **  Heathenift,  with  Atheiits  an  Atheift,  with  the  Jews  a 
 **  Jew,  and  with  the  Reformers  a  Reformed  ;  purpofely  to 
 *'  Anoau  your  Intentions,  your  Hearts,  and  your  Inclina- 
 "  tions,  and  thereby  bring  ycu  at  laft  to  be  like  the  Fool, 
 "  that  faid  in  his  Heart  there  was  no  God.  Thefe  fliall 
 *'  fpread  O'ver  the  nvhole  World,  (hall  be  admitted  into  the  Coiut- 
 *'  cils  of  Princes,  and  they  never  the  wifer ;  charming  of  them, 
 **  nay,  making  your  Princes  reveal  their  Hearts,  and  theSe- 
 **  crets  therein  unto  them,  and  yet  they  not  perceive  it;  which 
 "  will  happen  from  falling  from  the  Law  of  God,  by  Ne- 
 *'  glea  of  fulfilling  the  Law  of  God,  and  by  winking  at  their 
 *«  Sins  :  Yet  in  the  End,  God,  to  juftify  his  Law,  fhall 
 *'  Juddenly  cut  off  this  Society,  even   by  the  Hands  of  thofe, 
 
 "  v/ho 
 
ijb  Dissertation  III.      Se6f.  2<; 
 
 tal  Defedion  from  the  See  of  Rome  *.  Thus  the 
 Papal  Power  and  Religion  appear  to  be  verging 
 apace  to  That  total  Overthrow  and  Dejlruoliony 
 which  the  Providence  of  God  has  in  Store  for 
 them,  and  which  will  make  Way  for 
 
 3.  77:?^ UNIVERSAL  Establishment  <j/Chris- 
 TiANiTY,  or  the  Converfwn  of  all  Mankind  to  the 
 Chriftian  Religion  ;  together  with  the  Kestoka- 
 Tiou  of  the  ]ews  to  their  native  Land. 
 
 The  itiimediate  Confequence  of  the  Fall  of 
 Antichriji^  or  the  Ruin  of  the  Papacy^  if  we  right- 
 ly interpret  St.  Johi\  Prophecies,  will  be,  A  Ge~ 
 
 *'  who  have  moftyaf roare^/ them,  an4  made  V/e  of  them,  fo  that 
 *'  at  the  End  they  fhall  become  odious  to  all  Nations,  they 
 *'  fliall  be  worfe  than  Jews,  having  no  rejiing  Place  upon 
 "  the  Earth,  and  then  fhall  a  JenJj  have  more  Favour 
 *'  than  a  Jefuit."  It  is  fomevvhat  extraordinary,  that  this 
 Prelate,  more  than  two  hundred  Years  agone,  and  when 
 the  Order  of  Jefuits  had  not  been  long  inftituted,  fhould 
 foretel  the  very  ConduSi  thofe  Fathers  would  purfue,  and 
 their  future  Expidjion  from  thofe  very  States,  where  they 
 were  moft  favoured,  and  bore  the  greateft  fvvay. 
 
 *  As  the  Power  of  his  HoUnefs  is  much  leiTened,  fo  has 
 he  learned  to  treat  the  Princes  of  his  Communion  with 
 more  Decency  and  Humility.  He  no  longer  expedls,  they 
 Ihould  proftrate  themfelves  before  him,  kifs  his  Toe,  hold 
 his  Stirrup,  or  wait  bare-headed  at  his  Gate,  as  Gregory  VII 
 obliged  the  Emperor  Hc7iry  IV  to  do  ;  nor  does  he  pre- 
 fume  to  tread  upon  their  Necks,  and  kick,  off  their  Crowas 
 with  his  Foot,  as  Alexander  lH  ferved  Fnderic  I,  and  Ca- 
 lefii'ii  Henry  VI. 
 
 neral 
 
SecSt.  2.     The  Judgment  of  Mankind.      271 
 
 neral  Reformation  of  the  Chrijlian  World,  a  clofef 
 Union  of  Chr:Jiia72s  wiihChrijl  their  Head,  and  a 
 greater  Purity  of  Faith  and  Manners  in  the  Profef- 
 Ibrs  of  the  Gofpel.  For  'J'he  Marriage  of  the  Lamb 
 (fays  the  Prophet)  is  cofTte,  and  his  Wife  hath  made 
 herfelf  ready :  And  to  her  was  granted,  that  fhe  fJiczdd 
 be  arrayed  in  fine  Linnen,  clean  and  white :  for  the 
 fine  Linnen  is  (or,  reprefents)  the  Right eoufnefs  of 
 Saints.  Rev.  xix.  7,  8.  What  a  Difference  does 
 this  Prophecy  exhibit  between  the  reformed  Church 
 of  Chrijl,  and  the  corrupt  Church  of  Antichrifi  t 
 How  ftriking  is  the  Contrail  between  the  great 
 JVbore  arrayed  in  Purple  and  Scarlet-colour,  and 
 the  chafte  Wife  of  the  Lamb  arrayed  in  fine  Lin- 
 nen, clean  and  White  /In  fhort,  the  Chrifiian  Church 
 will  then  be  (as  St.  Paul  defcribes  it)  a  glorious 
 Church  indeed,  not  having  Spot  or  Wrinkle,  or  any 
 ftich  Thing,  but  be  holy  and  without  Blemi/Ji.  Eph. 
 V.  27. 
 
 This  more  perfeft  State  of  the  Church  of  Chrifi 
 will  be,  in  fome  Meafure,  a  natural  Confequence 
 of  the  Downfall  of  Popery.  For,  all  Power  and 
 Influence  of  the  See  oi  Rome  being  at  an  End, 
 there  will  naturally  follow  a  Reformation  of  the 
 Roman  Catholic  Churches  from  the  Errors  and 
 Corruptions  of  Popery.  The  Ruin  of  the  Papacy 
 will  clearly  point  it  out  as  an  Objed:  of  the  di- 
 vine Vengeance,  and  open  the  Eyes  of  its  mod 
 zealous  Devotees  to  fee  and  deteft  its  Idolatries 
 and  Superfiiticns.  This  will  produce  an  Agree- 
 4  ment 
 
t'jz  Dissertation  III.     Secft.  2* 
 
 ment  in  Faith  and  Worfliip  between  the  C^- 
 t'holics  and  Frotejiants^  and  unite  them  into  one 
 Church.  And  this  Coalition  will  have  a  natural 
 Tendency  towards  bringing  over  the  Greek  Church 
 to  the  Unity  of  the  Faith.  Thus  all  Chrijlendcm 
 will  become  One  Fold  under  One  Shepherd.  John 
 X.  1 6.  Here  will  be  an  End  of  all  Religious 
 Difputes  and  Religious  Wars  -,  the  Multitude  of 
 Believers  (like  thofe  of  the  primitive  Times)  be- 
 ing all  of  one  Hearty  and  of  one  Soul.  A6ls  iv.  42. 
 
 As  nothing  tends  more  effeflually  to  pre- 
 vent the  Converfion  of  Unbelievers  to  Faith 
 in  Chrijl,  than  the  many  IDivifions  and  Dif- 
 ferences of  Opinion  among  Chriftians,  together 
 with  the  immoral  Lives  of  too  many  among  them; 
 fo  nothing  will  tend  more  ftrongly  to  bring  about 
 an  univerfal  Reception  of  the  Gofpel  in  all  Nations 
 of  the  World,  than  That  blefled  Union  and 
 Harmony  among  Chriftians,  and  That  Purity  of 
 Manners  and  irreproachable  Conduft  of  Life, 
 which  will  be  the  Glory  of  the  Chriftian  World, 
 after  the  Deftrudlion  of  Popery.  And  this  will 
 be  a  natural  Means,  under  the  Workings  of 
 God's  Providence^  of  extending  the  Kingdom  of 
 Chriji  to  all  Parts  of  the  habitable  Globe. 
 
 This  great  and  ynonditxiuX  Revolution  in  t\it Re- 
 ligious World  is  exprefly  foretold  by  St.  John ; 
 who,  at  the  Sounding  of  the  feventh  Trumpet^ 
 hears  great  Voices  in  Heaven.,  f^-y^^^g-i  'fhe  Kingdoms 
 of  this  World  are  become  the  Kingdoms  of  our  Lord 
 4  and 
 
Sed.  2.     T^he 'Judgment  of  Mankind.       273 
 
 and  of  his  Chriji .  Rev.  xi.   15.  ^     The  Kingdom^ 
 of  this  World  can  in  no  other  Senfe  become  the 
 Kingdoms  ofChriJl^  but  in  That  of  embracing  his 
 holy  Religion.     And,  that  no  Exception  is  im- 
 plied, but  an  Univerfality  affirmed,  is  plain  from 
 a  parallel  Prophecy  of  St.  PauVs  :  who,  fpeaking 
 of  the  Reje5fion  of  the  Je'ws^  fays  to  the  Roman 
 Chriflians ;  /  ivoidd  not.  Brethren,  that  ye  JJicidd 
 he  ignorant  of  this  Myjlery — that  Blindnefs  in  Part 
 is  happened  to  Ifrael,  until  the  Fidnefs  of  the  Gentiles 
 he  come  in  -,  and  fo  all  Jfrael  fJiall  he  faved.    Rom. 
 xi.  25,  26.    By  the  coming  in  of  the  Fidnefs  cf  the 
 Gentiles,  muil  be  underftood  the  Converfion  of 
 the  whole  Gentile  IVorld ;  and,   by  the  Sahation  of* 
 all  Jfrael,   connected  therewith,  nothing  lefs  can 
 be  meant,  than  the  Converfion  oi  K^C'.fujholeJ'VW' 
 ifli  People.     But,  in  St.  Paul's  Time,  the  two  De- 
 nominations of  Jews  and  Gentiles  comprehended 
 the  whole  World,     The  whole  IVorldy  therefore, 
 will  be  converted  to  Faith  in  Chrifi. 
 
 This  univerfal  Efiahliflimtnt  of  the  Chrifian 
 Religion  is  the  Subjcdt  of  many  Prophecies  of  the 
 Old  Tejlament.     God  pron>iied  Abraham,  that  lU 
 
 5  It  is  proper  to  be  obferved,  that  this  Prophecy  is 
 delivered  by  Way  of  Anticipation,  For  this  and  the  three 
 following  Fer/es  of  the  ih-veitth  Chapter  conx.?iin  s.SMmmdirY 
 of  Particulars,  to  be  enlarged  upon  in  the  followin^^  Chaf>- 
 ters.  And  this  Prophecy  evidently  belongs  to  Thut  Stats 
 of  the  Church,  which  will  fuccccd  th-i  Di'firuition  of  t!ie 
 Meaji  and  the  falj'e  Prophet. 
 
 T      -  Him 
 
274         Dissertation   III.     Sed.  2. 
 
 Him  and  in  his  Seed  Iliould  all  the  Families  or  Na^ 
 tions  of  the  Earth  he  blejfed.  Gen.  xii.  3.  xviii.  18. 
 xxii.  18.   xxvi.  4.     The    Royal  Pfalmiji    intro- 
 duces God  making   Promife  to  his  Son  of  the 
 Heathen  for  his  Inheritance,  and  the  utiermoji  Parts 
 of  the  Earth  for  his  Poffeffon.    Pfal.  ii.  8.     And 
 the  Evangelical  Prophet   foretells,  that,  in  the 
 lafi  Days,  all  Nations  fhall  flow  unto  the  Mountain 
 of  the  hordes  Hoiife  (Ifa.  ii.  2.)-,    and  that  God 
 will  give  the  Mefliah  for  a  Eight  unto  the  Gentiles, 
 that  he  may  he  God's  Salvation  to  the  End  of  the 
 Earth.  lb.  xlix.  6.  It  cannot  juftly  be  pretended, 
 that  thefe,    and  innumerable  other  Prophecies  of 
 the  like  Import,  have  as  yet  received  their  full 
 and  final  Accomplif/ment.      For,    how   extenfive 
 foever  the  Propagation  of  the  Gofpel  may   have 
 been,  it  has  never  yet  been  imiverfal.     This  blef- 
 fed  Univerfality   is   referved   for   That   glorious 
 JEra,  when  the  Kingdoms  of  this  IVorld  fhall  All 
 become  the  Kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Chrifl. 
 As  the  prefent  State  of  the  Jews,  in  their  Dif- 
 perfion  over  the  Face  of  the  whole  Earth,  was 
 exprefly  foretold  by  their  great  Lawgiver  him- 
 felf  (Dcut.  xxviii.  25,  6'^,  64.)  and  afterwards 
 by  xht  Saviour  of  the  World  (Lukexxi.  24.); 
 fo  is  their  future  Refloration  to  their  native  Land 
 no  lefs  exprefly  predicted  in  the  Writings  of  the 
 Old  'Teflament.     The  Prophecies  are  too  nume- 
 rous to  be  recited,  but  may  be  fummed  up  in 
 the  following  Words  of  Ezekiel :  "Thus  faith  the 
 
 Lord 
 
Se<Sl.  2.     The  Judgment  of  Mankind.     275 
 
 Lord  God ;  Behold^  I  will  take  the  Children  of 
 Ifrael  from  among  the  Heathen^  whither  they  he  gone, 
 and  will  gather  them  on  every  Side,  and  bring  them 
 into  their  own  Land:  And  they  JJiall  dwell  in  the 
 Land  that  I  have  given  unto  Jacob  my  Servant, 
 wherein  your  Fathers  have  dwelt,  and  they  fnoll 
 dwell  therein,  they  and  their  Children,  and  their 
 Childrens  Children  for  ever.  Ezek.  xxxvii.  21.  25. 
 
 By  what  Human  Means,  under  the  Diredion  of 
 God's  fpecial  Providence,  the  Rejtoration  of  the 
 Jews  will  be  effected,  the  Jews  and  all  the  World 
 will  know,  when  the  Time  of  That  happy  Re- 
 floration  is  come.  God,  who  brought  them  out 
 of  the  Land  of  Egypt,  and  gave  them  the  Land 
 of  Canaan  for  a  Poffeffion,  can  with  equal  Eafe, 
 and  by  fimilar  Means,  bring  them  out  of  All 
 Lands,  and  reinftate  them  in  the  fame  Country. 
 All  we  can  pretend  to  fay  of  the  Matter  is,  that 
 the  DeJiru5iion  of  the  Ottoman  Empire  will  natu- 
 rally facilitate  the  Pafiage  of  the  Jews  into  the 
 Holy  Land,  as  That  Country  will  then  be  no 
 longer  under  the  Dominion  of  the  T'urks. 
 
 Thus,  then,  the  difperfed  and  fcatttred  Na- 
 tion of  the  Jews  will  be  re-united  into  One  Body 
 Politic,  znd  re-poffeis  the  Land  of  Promife — but 
 no  longer  Jews  in  any  other  Senfe,  than  That  of 
 being  Inhabitants  of  Judea;  their  Converfion  to 
 Faith  in  That  Meffiah  and  Saviour,  whom  till 
 now  they  had  rejefted,  rendering  them  no  longer 
 Members  of  the  Synagogue,  and  in  Subjeaion  to 
 T  2  the 
 
ijb         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  2, 
 
 the  Laws  of  Mofes,  but  Members  ofChriJi's  holy 
 Calbolic  Church,  and  fubjed:  to  the  Laws  of  hi? 
 holy  Religion. 
 
 Whether  the  I'ime  between  the  Fall  of  Anti- 
 cbriji,  and  the  psrfe^  EJlabliJIment  of  ChriJIianiiy 
 in  all  Parts  of  the  World,  fhould  be  confidcred 
 as  a  dijiin^  Period,  or  Interval  between  the  Dcwn- 
 fnll  of  Popery,  and  the  Millennial  Kingdom  of  Chriji^ 
 or,  rather,  as  the  Commencement  of  That  glorious 
 Kingdom ;  is  a  Queftion  not  to  be  determined, 
 and,  indeed,  a  Queftion  of  little  Importance  j 
 fince,  how  much  Time  foever  the  great  Bufineis 
 of  converting  all  Mankind  to  Faith  in  Chriji 
 may  be  fuppofed  to  require  in  a  natural  Way, 
 yet,  the  Providence  of  Grod,  and  the  all-powerful 
 Influence  of  his  holy  Spirit,  fupernaturally  inter- 
 pofing,  the  Work  may  proceed  with  fuch  Ra- 
 pidity, as  to  be  completed  in  a  few  Tears,  per- 
 haps a  few  Months,  or  even  Days.  I  incline, 
 however,  to  place  this  Ihort  Period  within  the 
 Millennium,  and  to  fuppofe  the  perfect  EftahliJJi- 
 tnent  of  the  Chrijlian  Religion  to  be  the  Work  o{ 
 Ibme  few  of  its  firft  Months  or  Tears  -,  chiefly^ 
 becaufe  the  firft  Circumftance  of  St.  John*^s  Pro- 
 phecy concerning  it  points  to  an  Event,  pcculi- 
 arly  calculated  for  the  more  fpeedy  Enlarge- 
 ment of  Chrijl's  Kingdom,  and  the  univerfal  Re- 
 ception of  his  holy  Religion  in  the  World. 
 
 Which  biings  me  to  the  Confidcration  of, 
 
 4,  Thi 
 
Sed.  2.    The  Judgment  of  Mankind.       277 
 
 4.  7*/^/?  Millennium,  or  Thoufand  Tears  Reign 
 <?/"  Christ,  with  the  ChriJiianl\lAi^'T\R%^  raifcd 
 from  the  dead. 
 
 The  Prophecy  ♦  opens  with  a  very  ftriking 
 Allegory.  An  Angel  comes  dozion  from  Heaven^  hav- 
 ing the  Key  of  the  bottomkfs  Pit.,  and  a  great  Chain 
 in  his  Hand.  This  heavenly  Meffenger  lays  hold 
 en  the  Dragon.,  Tthat  old  Serpent,  which  is  the  Devil 
 and  Satan,  and  hinds  him  a  thoufand  Tears  \  and  cafls 
 him  into  the  bottomlefsPit,  andflmts  him  up,  and  fets 
 a  Seal  upon  him  \  that  he  fJiould  deceive  the  Nations 
 no  more,  till  the  thoufand  Tears  fJiould  be  fulfilled  -, 
 after  which,  he  mufi  be  loofed  a  Utile  Seafon.  Here 
 we  fee  a  Reftraint  of  a  thoufand  Tears  laid  by 
 Providence  on  the  Power  of  the  Devil,  that  he 
 Ihall,  during  That  Period,  entirely  ceafe  from 
 tempting  and  feducing  Mankind  into  Sin  and 
 Wickednefs.  A  proper  (indeed,  a  necelTary)  In- 
 troduftion  to  d.  Reign  o^  Righteoufnefs,  and  (as 
 I  juft  now  obferved)  a  Circumftance  peculiarly 
 fit  to  promote  the  univerfal  Efablifl.ment  of  the 
 Chrijiian  Religion. 
 
 Satan  thus  imprifoned,  the  Millennial  Kingdom 
 takes  Place.  Ifaw  (fays  St.  John)  'Thrones,  and 
 they  fat  upon  them,  and  Judgment  was  given  unto 
 them:  and  I  fa-w  the  Souls  of  them  that  were  be- 
 headed for  the  V/itnefs  of  Jefus,  and  for  tJje  M^ord 
 
 4  It  is  contained  in  ^zftxfirfl  Verfa  of  the  xxth  Chapter 
 of  the  Rt'velation. 
 
 T  3  ^/ 
 
278  Dissertation  III.      Sedt.  2. 
 
 of  God,  and  which  had  not  wcr/Jiipped  the  Beajl, 
 neither  his  Image,  7teither  had  received  his  Mark  in 
 their  Foreheads,  or  in  their  Hands  ;  and  they  lived 
 and  reigned  with  Chrifi  a  thoufand  Tears.  But  the 
 reji  of  the  dead  lived  not  until  the  thoufand  I'ears 
 iJoere  finifhed.  This  is  the  Firji  Refurremon.  In 
 this  Vifion,  St.  John  fees  the  Chrifiian  Martyrs 
 of  all  Ages,  with  all  thofe  faithful  Witneffes  of  the 
 Truth,  who,  at  the  Hazard  of  their  Lives,  have 
 borne  their  Teftimony  againft  the  Errors  and 
 Corruptions,  the  Tyranny  and  Ufurpations,  of 
 the  Church  of  Rome,  All  raifed  from  the  dead, 
 and  partaking,  with  their  blefled  Mafter,  in  the 
 Glories  and  Felicities  of  a  thoufand  7'ears  Reign  of 
 Rightecifnefs  upon  the  Earth  *. 
 
 That  this  Vifion  is  to  be  iinderllood  in  the//- 
 tcral,  r^nd  not  in  an  allegorical  Senfe,  is  evident 
 from  St.  Johns  calling  the  RefurreBion  of  the 
 Martyrs  the  frfl  Refurre^ion,  to  diftinguifh  it 
 from  the  General  Refurre^ion,  after  the  Conclu- 
 fion  of  the  Millennium.     For,  Both  RefurreBions 
 
 s  Herefeems  to  be  the  Accomplifhment  of  That  Promife 
 our  Saviour  gave  his  Difciples  ;   Verily.,  I  fay  unto  you,  that 
 
 ye  luhich  have  follonjjed  me,  in  the  Regeneration,  nvhen  the  Son 
 of  Man  foall  fit  in  the  Throne  of  his  Glory,  ye  alfo  Jhallfit 
 upon  t--welve  Thront:s,  judging  the  t-wel've  Tribes  ofjfrael  (Matth. 
 xix.  28.)  ;  it  being  certain,  that  moft  of  thofe  immediate 
 FoUov/ers  of  CZr//?  were  among  the  fir^  Chrijlian  Martyrs, 
 ViVi6.  beheaded,  or  put  to  feme  other  Kind  of  Death, /ir /^g 
 Teftimony  of  fefus,  and  for  the  Word  of  God.. 
 
 /^  being 
 
Sed.  2.     The  "Judgment  of  Mankmd.      279 
 
 being  fpoken  of  in  one  and  the  fame  Verfe,  if 
 the  General  Refurre5iion  will  be  a  Reality  (as  we 
 are  fure  it  will  be)  the  firft  Refurre5Iion  muft  be 
 fo  likewife.  And,  if  one  Circumjiance  of  the  Mil- 
 lennial Kingdom  muft  be  underftood  in  the  literal 
 Senfe,  the  whole  muft  be  underftood  in  the  fame 
 Senfe  *. 
 
 The  Prophet  concludes :  Blejfed  and  holy  is  He 
 that  hath  Part  in  the  firft  Refurre£lion :  on  fucb 
 the  Second  Death  hath  no  Power  ;  but  they  fliall  be 
 Priefts  of  God  and  of  Chrift^  and  /hall  reign  with 
 him  a  thoufand  Tears.  Where  St.  John  feems  to 
 affirm  of  the  Martyrs,  that  they  fhall  not  die  a 
 fecond  Time  ^,  but  be  found  among  thofe  that  are 
 alive  and  remain  unto  the  Coming  ofChrift  (i  ThefT. 
 iv.  15.)  and  that  they  fhall  be  invefted  with  a 
 double  CharaBer,  like  That  of  Melchifedec  ',  com- 
 pounded of  the  Regal  and  Sacerdotal ;  exercifing 
 
 ^  See  Differtation  I.  Se£tion  III.  where  this  RefurreBion  ot" 
 the  Martyrs  is  alledged  as  one  Scripture-proof  of  an  hiter- 
 inediate  State  of  the  Soul  betiveen  Death  and  the  Refurreti'ion. 
 
 "1  The  Second  Death,  indeed,  is  a  'Jc=wijh  Phrafe  for  the 
 Punijhment  of  the  Wicked  after  Death,  and  is  twice  ufed  by 
 St.  John  himfelf  in  this  Senfe.  Re-v.  xx.  14.  xxi.  8.  But 
 it  feems  to  be  adding  very  little  to  the  SubjciEl,  or  rathar 
 quite  needlefs,  to  tell  us,  that  holy  Men,  fuch  as  the  Marfyn, 
 will  not  ii>c'jr  the  Punifliment  of  the  Wicked.  I  have, 
 therefore,  given  the  Words  another  Senfe,  fuch  as  they  will 
 very  well  bear,  and  importing  a  Circumliance,  which  feems 
 to  be  a  natural  Confequencp  of  th?  FirJ}  RefiirreSiion. 
 
 s  K-ing  of  Salem  zxA_Pr:aft  cf  ths  mojl  High  God.  Keb.  vii.  i. 
 
 T  4  Temporal 
 
JSSO  DlSSERTATlGN     III.       Secfl.   2. 
 
 'Temporal  Dominion  as  Kings^  and  miniftering  in 
 SphiiuaU  as  High  Priefts  or  Hc\ids  of  the  Church, 
 This  blefied  Kingdom  of  the  Redeemer  is  glan- 
 ced at  in  many  other  PalTages  of  the  Apocalypfe^ 
 particlarly  Rev.  i.  5,  6.  v.  8 — 10.  xi,  15.  xix.  6. 
 Indeed  this  great  Doftrine  feems  to  be  the  Soul 
 that  animates  the  whole  Body  of  the  Prophecies^ 
 from  the  Beginning  to  the  End  of  That  vyonder-r 
 ful  Book 
 
 But  St.  John  is  not  the  only  Prophet  of  the 
 ^ilknniurA^  though  the  only  one,  who  has  deter- 
 mined the  exad  Length  or  Duration  of  That 
 glorious  Ki-ngdcm  of  the  Redeemer.  This  King- 
 dom is  the  Subje6l  of  numberlefs  Prophecies  of 
 the  OUi  Tejtament ;  which  are  exprefled  in  fuch 
 Terms,  that,  though  they  may  juftly  be  inter- 
 preted, in  Part^  of  our  Saviour's  jirft  Appear- 
 ance in  the  Flefn,  and  the  fiiccefsful  Propagation 
 of  his  blefled  Gofpel,  cannot  poflibly  be  confi- 
 dered  as  having  received  their  full  and  final 
 Accompltjlrment  \  but  will  receive  it  in  the  Eftab- 
 lifrxPnent  of  Chriji's  Millennial  Kingdom.  I  refer 
 the  Reader  to  IfaiaFs  Prophecies  concerning  the 
 Kingdom  of  Chrift^  in  general ;  and,  particularly, 
 to  Daniefs  Prophecies  of  the  Kingdom  that  Jliali 
 pever  be  destroyed  (Dan.  ii.  44.)  \  the  Kingdom 
 given  by  the  Antient  of  Days  to  the  Son  of  Man  (16. 
 vii,  13.)-,  and  the  Kingdom  p'-ffejfed  by^  ox  given 
 to^  the  S^Jnts  of  th?  moft  High.   lb.  21,  22. 
 
 I  have 
 
 ~\ 
 
Sedl.  2.     T^he 'Judgment  of  Mankind,     '281 
 
 I  have  already   obferved,  that  our  Saviour's 
 Promife  to  his  Difciples,  that,  when  He  himfelf 
 fnould  fit  in  the  Throne  of  his  Glory,  they  alfo 
 fhould  Jit  upon  twelve  'Thrones^  i^%^"^'^  ^^^^  twelve 
 bribes  of  Jfrf.el,    is  to  be  referred  to  his  own  fu- 
 ture Millennial  Kingdom.     And  the  fame  may  be 
 faid  of  That  Beaiilude,  Bleffed  are  the   meek,  for 
 they  fJiall  inhe-rit  the  Earth.  Matth.  v.  5.     For, 
 When  have  the  meek  inherited  the  Earth,  as  the 
 Reward  of  their   Meeknefs  ?    Never,    fince   the 
 Foundation  of  the  World.     Meeknefs  is  rather 
 an  Obflacle  in   the  Way  of  a  Man's  acquiring 
 large  PoflefTions.     But  this  promifed  Reward  of 
 Meeknefs  will  be  eminently  verified,  when  the 
 meek  and  patient  Martyrs  fhall  be  raifed  to  the 
 PoiTeffion  of  an  earthly  Kingdom,  with  Chrift  their 
 Head.     Nor  is  it  any  Objeftion  to  this  Interpre- 
 tation of  our  Saviour's  Words,  that  he  himfelf 
 has  declared.  His  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  World. 
 John  xviii.  36.     For  That  declaration  may  be 
 underftood  to  mean,  either  that  Chrift\  Kingdom 
 will  be,    in  no  Refpeds,   like  the  Kingdoms  of 
 this  World,  or,  that  it  would  not  take  Place  in 
 the  then  prefent  State  of  the  World. 
 
 The  Do6lrine  of  the  Millennium  or  thoiifand 
 Tears  Reign  of  Chrift,  with  the  Martyrs,  raifed 
 from  the  dead,  was  univerfally  received  by  the 
 Chriftian  Church,  from  the  Time  oi  thtApoftles, 
 down  to  the  Second  Council  of  Nice,  in  the  Year 
 of  Chrift  ^2^  ;   as   appea,rs  from  many  Teftimo- 
 
 nies 
 
282         Dissertation   III.     Se<fl.  2. 
 
 nies  of  the  earlieft  Chriftian  Writers  ^.  Upon 
 •which  Teftimonies  (particularly  That  oijuftin 
 Martyr)  the  learned  Mr.  Mede  makes  the  fol- 
 lowing Obfervation  :  "  If  we  except  the  pri- 
 *'  mary  and  fundamental  Articles  of  our  Faith, 
 "  perhaps  all  Antiquity  does  not  furnifh  us 
 "  with  a  flronger  Teltimony  to  the  Truth  of 
 *'  any  Chriftian  Dodrine.  What  a  prefumptive 
 "  Argument  have  we  here  in  Favour  of  its  be- 
 "  ing  Apoftolical,  in  that  it  was  received  by  all 
 *'  orthodox  Men  at  a  Time  fo  near  the  Apoftles, 
 "  when  it  is  highly  credible,  that  many  were 
 *'  then  living  who  heard  the  Do6lrine  from  their 
 *'  own  Mouths  ^"  It  was  this  Belief  of  the 
 Millennium  (as  a  learned  Writer  judicioufly  ob- 
 ierves)  that  infpircd  fo  many  of  xhzfirfi  Chrijlians 
 with  an  ardent  Defire  of  Martyrdom  ;  it  appear- 
 ing from  the  Prophecies,  that  the  Martyrs  v/ill 
 rife  from  the  dead,  and  have  the  principal  Share 
 in  the  Glories  and  Happinefs  of  Chrift's  King- 
 Kingdom  *. 
 
 In  fucceeding  Agts^  indeed,  this  Do6lrine  grew 
 intoDifrepute,  and  v/aseven  cenfured  as  heretical 
 by  many  Chriftian  Writers  j  particularly,  Jerom 
 
 9  See,  particularly,  Iren.  1.  5.  c.  28,  30,  33.  Juft.  Mart.  , 
 Dial.  cum.  Tryph.    P.  zda.    TertulL  ad-v.   Marc.  1.  3.    C.  24* 
 Laftant.  Inft.  Diiy.A-  J.   c.  14,  24,  26. 
 
 '    Mede's  Works,  fol.  p.  534.  in  l^ot. 
 
 »  Differt.   Cyprian.  Xll.  De  Martyr .  Seft.  20,    21, 
 
 and 
 
Se£t.  2.     ne  Judgment  of  Mankind.     283 
 
 and  Eufebius ' :  the  latter  of  whom  goes  fo  far  as 
 to  call  in  queftion  the  Authenticity  of  the  Apoca- 
 lypfe,  afcribing  it  to  the  Arch-heretic  Cerinthus, 
 and  flyling  the  Viftons,  contained  in  it,  ripoLroKo- 
 y'la^,  monftrous  Stories :  though  it  is  obfervable, 
 that  Jerom  feems  almoft  afraid  to  cenfure  the 
 Dodrine ;  for,  fpeaking  of  it,  he  fays,  "  Which 
 "  Things,  though  we  do  not  follow,  we  muit 
 "  not  wholly  condemn,  feeing  many  of  our  Di- 
 "  vines  and  Martyrs  have  affirmed  them.** 
 
 It  is  no  difficult  Matter  to  account  for  this 
 Change  of  Sentiment  in  the  Chriftian  World,  with 
 Refpe<5t  to  the  Doflrine  of  the  Millennium.  Some 
 Writers  had  debafed  it  with  fuch  a  Mixture  of 
 Fables  *,  as  juftly  expofed  it  to  Contempt  and 
 Ridicule ;  and,   perhaps,  it  had  already  began 
 
 3  D.  Hieron.  Pronuntiata  de  Dogmate  Millenariorum.  ap. 
 Mede,  p.  897.     Eufeb.  Hift.  Ecckf,  1.  3.  c.  32. 
 
 ■+  "  In  receiving  this  as  an  ApoitoUc  Doftrine,  it  is  not 
 *'  neceflary"  (fays  Dr.  Gregory  Sharpe)  "  to  admit  the  fen- 
 "  iual  P/ea/ures  o£  Cerinthus,  nor  the  many  fi range  Notions 
 *f  tliat  the  Chiliafis  have  added  to  the  Account  of  the  firft 
 *'  and  fecond  Refurredlion.  It  was  not  the  Doftrine  of  the 
 "  Millennium,  or  the  Belief  that  the  Juft  fhall  reign  with 
 **  Chrift  a  tlioufand  Years  before  the  fecond  Refurredlion, 
 •*  that  difgraced  the  Millenaries,  but  the  Delights  and  En- 
 "  joyments  they  connedled  with  it ;  which,  according  to  fome, 
 -*'  were  {o  fenfual,  that  there  could  be  no  good  Authority  for 
 *'  them."  An  Argument  in  Defence  of  Chriftianity,  &c.  Lond, 
 1765.  p.  141. 
 
 Concerning  Cerinthus""^  Millennium,  fee  Eufeb.  Hijl.  Eccl. 
 lib.  3.  c.  28.  and  Jttyg,  de  H^-ref  Differt,  cap.  5.  fedl.  y, 
 
 to 
 
284  Dissertation   III.     Se£l.  2. 
 
 to  be  abufed,  as  it  has  been  often  fince  ^,  to  the 
 Piirpofes  of  Fat^icn  and  Sedition.  Befides  that 
 •the  Authority  of  St.  John's  Revelation^  in  which 
 the  Dodrine  is  principally  contained,  was  not  fo 
 fully  eftabliflied  in  thofe  early  Ages,  as  it  has 
 been  in  later  Times. 
 
 But,  with  the  Reformation^  the  Doftrine  of 
 Chriji's  Millemiid  Kingdom  revived,  and  was 
 generally  embraced  by  the  Proteftant  Reformers. 
 And,  that  Thofe  of  our  own  Country  held  That 
 Do6lrine,  is  evident  from  the  Latin  Catechifm^ 
 publifhed  by  Royal  Authority,  in  the  laft  Year 
 of  Edward  VI,  with  the  Approbation  of  feveral 
 Billiops  and  other  learned  Men  :  In  which  Ca- 
 techifm,  the  fecond  Petition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer 
 is  thus  explained  :  "  Here  we  pray,  that  his 
 **  Kingdom  may  come  ;  for  as  yet  we  fee  not  all 
 "  Things  brought  under  Subjedion  to  Chriji : 
 "  We  fee  nor,  hcvy  the  Stone,  cut  cut  of  the 
 -"  Mountain  vnihcut  Hands,  hath  broken  in 
 *'  Pieces  tlie  Image  defcribed  by  Daniel^  that  fo 
 *'  the  Stone,  become  a  Mountain  (by  which 
 **  ChriJl  is  figniHed)  may  take  and  polTefs  the 
 *'  Kingdom  of  the  ivhok  World  by  the  Grant  of 
 "  the  Father  :  Nor  is  Amichrifi  deftroyed  as  yet. 
 
 J  V/itnefs  the  turbuient  Beliaviour  of  the  Anabaptifts  of 
 Munjier  in  Germany ,  foon  after  the  P^efori>  .ttlon^  and  of  the 
 Fifth'Itlcnarch^  Men  in  England,  in  1660.  Z^t  H^rejhgraphyy 
 Lone.  1647.  p.  J 1.  it  136.  and  Collier's  Ecclef.  WJi.  V.  2. 
 p.  876. 
 
 I  "  And 
 
Sedl.  2.    T^he  Judgment  of.  Mankind,      285 
 
 "  And  therefore  in  this  Petition  we  pray,  that 
 **  thefe  Things  may  be  fulfilled,  that  fo  Chrifi 
 *'  alone  may  have  the  Dominion,  and  reign  with 
 "  his  Saints^  according  to  the  Divine  Promifes, 
 *'  and  that  the  Government  of  the  World  may 
 "  be  adminiftred  in  Equity,  according  to  the 
 "  pure  and  perfe6^:  Difpenfaxion  of  the  holy  Gof- 
 "  pel,  and  not  according  to  the  Cuftoms  and 
 "Laws  of  Men,  and  the  arbitrary  Pleafure  of 
 "  the  Tyrants  of  the  Earth." 
 
 As  this  future  glorious  Kimdom  of  drift  is  cx- 
 prefly  foretold  in   the  Scriprures  of  Both  Tefta- 
 ments,  fo  is  the  Blcjfednefs  ov  Felicity  of  it  the  Sub- 
 ject of  feveral  Prophecies,     ^be  Wolf  (fays  the 
 Evangelical  Prop":et,  fpeaking  cf  the  peaceable 
 Kingdom  of  the  Mcffah)  "jChe  Wclf  alfo  jJiall  dzvell 
 with  the  Lamh^  and  the  Leopard  fludl  lie  down  with 
 the  Kid\  and  the  Calf  and  the  young  Lion,  and  the 
 Fatling  together,  and  a  little  Child  fJiall  lead  them. 
 And  the  Cow  and  the  Bear  jJiall  feed,  and  their  young 
 ones  fnall  lie  down  together  ;  and  the  JJcn  fliall  eat 
 Straw  like  the  Ox.     And  the  fucking  Child  fnall  play 
 on  the  Hole  of  the  Afp,  and  the  weafted  Child fhall  put 
 his  Hand  on  the  Cocatrice-Den.     'They  fliall  not  hurt 
 nor  deftroy  in  all  my  holy  Mountain  ;  for  the  Earth 
 fliall  be  full  of  the  Knowledge  cf  the  Lord,  as  the 
 Waters  cover  the  Sea.  Ifa.  xi.  6 — 9.     The  Lan- 
 guage of  this  Prophecy  is  highly  figurative  (as, 
 indeed,  it  is  the  Qtx\\\^^  oi  \X\'^  Scripture-Prophe- 
 (ies,  in  general,  to  be  fo)  and  niuft,  I  think,  be 
 
 iinderftood 
 
286         Dissertation   III.     Sedl.  2, 
 
 underftood  to  mean,  that,  in  the  Kingdom  of 
 Chrift,  the  Efficacy  of  Chriftian  Principles,  and 
 of  Divine  Grace,  will  be  fuch,  as  to  foften  the 
 hardeft  Hearts,  fubdue  the  moft  ftubborn  Difpo- 
 fitions,  and  humanize  the  mofty^i;^^^  and  brutal 
 of  Mankind ;  infomuch  thatlnjuflice  and  Cruelty, 
 Violence  and  Oppreflion,  (hall  generally  ceafe, 
 and  the  whole  Human  Race  confpire  in  the  Ex- 
 ercife  of  every  Social  Virtue,  flowing  from  the 
 great  Chriftian  Principle  of  Charity,  or  the  Love 
 of  our  Neighbour  ^. 
 
 ^  The  MlUetiary  Writers,  in  general,  underftand  Ifaiah\ 
 Prophecy  in  a  literal  Senfe  ;  and  fuppofe  a  Change  of  Nature 
 in  the  Brute  Animals,  from  wild  to  tame,  from  hurtful  to 
 harmlefs.  Thus  Dr.  Burnet :  *'  AH  evil  and  mifchievous 
 •'  Paffions  fhall  be  extinguilhed ;  and  That  not  in  Men  only, 
 *'  but  even  in  Brute  Creatures."  SacredTheory  of  the  Earth, 
 B.  4.  ch,  7.  And  Mr.  Hartley :  "  All  Fiercenefs  and  noxi- 
 <•  ous  Qualities  will  be  removed  from  the  Brute  Creatures, 
 *'  and  the  abfolute  Dominien  over  them  reftored  to  Man." 
 Varadife  rejlored,  or  a  Tejiimony  to  the  Dodrine  of  the  hleffed 
 Millennium,  Lond.  1764.  p.  102.  This,  and  many  other  fan- 
 ciful Reprefentations  of  ^&  Millennial  Kingdom,  are  founded 
 in  a  Suppofition,  that  the  Earth  will  be  reflored  to  its  origi- 
 nal Paradifal  State.  I  fliall  not  enqure  into  the  Grounds  of 
 this  Hypothefis ;  but  only  obferve,  that  All  the  Prophecies 
 concerning  the  Kingdom  oi  Chrif,  which  feem  to  point  out 
 fome  Change  or  Improvement  in  the  Natural  World,  may  fair- 
 ly be  underftood  (like  That  o^  Ifaiah,  juft  quoted)  to  denote 
 figuratively  fome  or  other  of  thofe  Spiritual  Bcnefts  and  Ad- 
 vantages to  Mankind,  which  are  the  grand  Objeds  of  the 
 Chrijiian  Difpenfatitn. 
 
 Again  : 
 
$e6l.  2.     ne  "judgment  of  Mankind,     287 
 
 Again  :  Speaking  of  Chrlffs  Kingdom^  the  Pro- 
 phet fays  ;  He  JJiall  judge  among  the  NaticnS"^ 
 and  they  Jliall  beat  their  Swords  into  Plow-JJiareSy 
 and  their  Spears  into  Pruning-hooks  '.  Nation  Jliall 
 not  lift  up  Sword  againft  Nation,  Jieither  JJiall  they 
 ham  War  any  more.  Ifa.  ii.  4.  That  is,  An  iini- 
 lierjal  Peace  fhall  be  eftablifhed  throughout  the 
 Earth  :  The  Ambition  of  Princes  Ihali  no  more 
 
 "^  This  Circumftance  of  the  Prophecy  is  very  unfavourable 
 to  the  Hypothefis  of  a  Paradifal  World,  "  attended"  (accor- 
 to  Dr.  Burnet)  "  with  a  fpontaneous  Fertility  of  the  Earth, 
 *'  proceeding  partly  from  the  Richnefs  of  the  Soil,  and 
 **  partly  from  a  conftant  Spring,  and  Benignity  of  the  Hea- 
 **  yens."  Sacred  Theory,  B.  2.  Ch.  3.  or  (as  Mr.  Hartley  ex- 
 prefTes  it)  where  "  there  will  be  no  more  Diftemperature  of 
 "  the  Earth,  Elements,  or  Seafons  ;  the  Fruits  of  the  Earth 
 "  will  be  excellent,  and  not  liable  to  Corruption  ;  the 
 *'  Ground  fliall  not  fail  to  give  her  Increafe,  nor  the  Hea- 
 «'  yens  their  Dew."  Paradi/e  rejiored,  p.  i^.,  lo,  102.  For 
 J/aiah's  Prophecy  evidently  fuppofes  the  Ufe  oi  Agriculture 
 or  Tillage  of  the  Ground,  during  the  Kingdom  of  Chrift. 
 But  there  was  no  Want  of  Hujlandry  in  Paradife,  where  the 
 Earth  brought  forth  her  Fruits  fpontaneoufly.  A  Pruning- 
 Hook  might  be  of  Ufe,  to  corredt  the  luxuriant  Growth  of 
 the  Trees  and  Shrubs  :  But  there  was  no  Want  of  a  Plovj- 
 Jhare,  till  Adam  was  driven  out  o^  Paradife,  and  fent  from  the 
 Garden  of  Eden,  to  till  the  Ground  from  <vohence  he  nxias  taken. 
 Gen.  iii.  23.  Whether  men  will,  really,  convert  the  In- 
 flruments  of  War  into  Tools  of  Hufbandry,  is  not  material. 
 The  Image,  conveyed  to  us  by  the  Prophet's  Words,  plain- 
 ly fhews,  that  he  had  no  Idea  of  a  Paradifal  World,  but  had 
 in  view  fuch  a  World  as  ^h&frefcut,  in  which  Agriculture  is 
 "kbfolutely  neceiTary  to  the  Nourilhment  and  Support  of  its 
 Inhabitants. 
 
 diftmrb 
 
288  Dissertation  III.     Sed-.  2. 
 
 diilurb  the  Repofe  of  the  World,  but  an  entire 
 Stop  be  put  to  the  Ravages  and  Devailations  of 
 JVar^  during  the  Time  of  the  Kingdom.  This" 
 is  farther  intimated  in  That  other  Prophecy  : 
 Behold^  a  King  Jliall  reign  in  RighteoufnefSy  and 
 Princes  /Jmll  rule  in  Judgment.   Id.  xxxii.  i. 
 
 I  am  aware,  that  thefe  and  the  Hke  Prophecies 
 are,  by  the  bed  Interpreters,  applied  to  ihcfirfs 
 Coming  of  Chrift,  as  Prediftions  of  That  Righ- 
 teoufnefs  and  Peace,  which  the  Chriftian  Religion 
 would  tend  to  produce  in  the  World.  And,  as 
 far  as  thefe  Blefiings  have  adlually  flowed  from 
 the  Religion  of  Chrift,  fo  far  have  thefe  Prophecies 
 received  their  Accomplifliment.  But,  how  very 
 Ihort  of  their  full  Import  thefe  Blefiings  of  Chrif-' 
 tianity  have  'hitherto  fallen,  let  Eccleftaftical  and 
 Cinjil  Hiftory,  with  the  prefent  State  of  the  Chrif^ 
 iian  TVorld,  declare.  Either,  therefore,  thefe 
 Prophecies  will  never  be  perfectly  fulfilled,  or 
 their  Completion  is  referved  for  {omt  future  Age 
 or  y^ges  of  the  World.  And,  where,  in  holy 
 Scripture,  do  we  find  any  Notice  of  fuch  a  Pe- 
 riod, but  in  St.  Joh?!^  Vifion  of  the  Millennium^ 
 or  thou/and  Tears  Kingdom  of  Chrift,  when  they 
 may,  and  certainly  will,  be  finally  and  fully  ac- 
 compliflied  ? 
 
 This  View  of  the  general  Nature  of  our  Sa- 
 viour's Millennial  Kingdom,  as  a  Kingdom  of  uni-- 
 verfal  Righteoufnefs  and  Peace,  fufficiently  fhews 
 the  Millake  of  fuppofing  it  to  be  already  paft. 
 
 This 
 
Sed:.  2.     7/je  'Judgmejit  of  Mankind.      289 
 
 This  Miftake  arifes  from  afTigning  a  wrong  Be- 
 ginning to  the  thoufand  Tears.  Thus  many  of  the 
 antient  Fathers  dated  the  MilUnnimn  from  the 
 Birth  or  Death  of  Chrift  •,  imagining,  that  Satan 
 was  then  bound,  in  Order  to  prevent  his  ob- 
 ftrufting  the  Progrcfs  of  the  Gofpel  ^.  And 
 later  Writers,  particularly  the  learned  Grotius, 
 fuppofe,  the  Millennium  began  with  the  Reign  of 
 Conftantine  the  Great  (about  A.  D.  309)  v/hen  the 
 Converfion  of  That  Emperor  to  Chriftianity  re- 
 itored  Peace  and  Profperity  to  the  afflidled  and 
 perfecuted  Church  of  Chrift  '. 
 
 But  neither  of  thefe  Epcchas,  nor  any  other  of 
 of  the  paft  Times,  will  ferve  the  Purpofe  j  it  be- 
 ing impoflible  to  affign,  any  where  in  the  Ages 
 fince  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  a  Period 
 of  a  thoufand  Tears,  wherein  Righteoujnefs  and 
 Feace  have  universally  prevailed.  On  the  con- 
 trary, the  Church  of  Qhrift  has  all  along  abound- 
 ed with  immoral  and  wicked  Chriftians,  and  its 
 Peace  been  broken  in  upon,  from  Time  to  Time, 
 by  Herejies,  Schifms,  and  Perfecuticns.  Befides 
 that  the  Order  of  Events,  laid  down  in  the  Jpo- 
 calypfe,  oblige  us  to  refer  the  Millennimn  to  fome 
 future  Timic.  For  (as  we  have  already  feen)  it 
 will  not  take  Place  till  after  the  Dcjlru^ion  of 
 Jntichriji.    But  Antichriji  is  not  yet  deftroyed  : 
 
 8  IntroduSlon  to  Bengelius'j  Bxpofition  of  the  Jpocalypfe,  p» 
 291. 
 ♦  Poll  Sympfis,  in  Jlpoc,  c.  20. 
 
 U  He 
 
29^  I^ISSERTAt  ION    III.      Se6t.  2. 
 
 He  dill  fits  on  his  Throne,  in  (myjiic  Babylon) 
 the  great  City  of  Rome^  though  with  faded  Ma- 
 jeflyj  and  diminifhed  Power. 
 
 I  muft  not  pafs  by,  without  Notice,  Dr.  Bur- 
 tieih  Hypothefis  of  the  Time  and  Pla€e  of  the 
 Millennium.  That  learned  and  ingenious  Writer 
 fuppofes,  that  the  Conflagration  or  Burning  of  the 
 TVorld  will  begin  with  the  Coming  of  Ckrift  to 
 judge  the  World  ;  and  that  One  Effed  of  the 
 Conflagration  will  be,  The  BeftruBion  of  Anti- 
 cbri/l  '  i  building  on  thofe  Texts  of  St.  Pauly 
 JVhen  the  Lord  Jefui  Jliall  he  revealed  from  Heaven^ 
 in  flaming  Fire  taking  Vengeance  on  them  that  know 
 Tiot  God^  and  that  obey  not  the  Gofpel  of  our  Lord 
 Jefus  Chrijf,  and,  Then  fJiall  That  'wicked  be  re- 
 I'ealed,  whom  the  Lord  Jliall  confume  with  the  Spirit 
 cf  his  Mouth,  and  fJiall  deflroy  with  the  Brightnefs 
 bf  his  Coming.  2  TheiT,  i.  7,  8.  ii.  8. — That,  out 
 of  the  Ruins  of  this  prefent  World,  deltroyed  by 
 Fire.^  will  arife  a  neiv  World  \  and  that  this  new 
 World,  the  fame  with  St.  Johi's  new  Heaven  and 
 7iew Earth  (Rev.  xxi.  i .)  will  be  the  Seat  oiChrifth 
 Millennial  Kingdom  *■  ;  agreeably  to  That  of  St. 
 Peter,  The  Heavens  and  the  Earth  which  are  now 
 
 —  are  kept  in  Store,  referved  unto  Fire  againft  the 
 Day  of  Judgment,   and  Perdition  of  ungodly  Men 
 
 —  looking  for  and  hafting  unto  the  Coming  of  the 
 
 *   Sacred  Theory  of  the  Earth,  B.  3.  ch.  10. 
 J*  B.  4.  ch.  3.  &  8,» 
 
 Da;^ 
 
Sedl.  2.     The  Judgment  of  Mankmd.     391 
 
 Day  of  God,  'wherein  the  Heavens  being  onFireJhall 
 be  dijfohed^  and  the  Elements  JJiall  melt  with  fervent 
 Heat.  Neverthelefs  we,  according  to  his  Promife, 
 look  for  new  Heavens  and  a  new  Earth,  wherein  dwel- 
 leth Right eoufnefs  (2  Pet.  iii.  7,  12,  13.)  i.  e.  righ- 
 teous Perfons.  In  which  Hypothefis^  it  muft 
 be  confeffed,  the  learned  Theoriji  has  on  his  Side 
 the  Authority  of  the  antient  Millenaries,  who  ge- 
 i;ierally  fuppofe  the  New  Jerufalem,  which  St. 
 yohn  faw  coming  doivn  from  God  out  of  Heaven  into 
 the  new  Heaven  and  new  Earth  (Rev.  xxi,  2.)  to 
 be  the  proper  Refidence  of  the  Millennial  Saints, 
 
 But,  how  plaufible  and  fcriptural  foever  Dr, 
 Burnetts  Hypothecs  may  appear  at  the  firit  View, 
 it  will  not,  I  think,  bear  the  Tell  of  a  Critical 
 Examination.     For^ 
 
 In  the  firft  Place,  The  PalTages  of  St.  Paul, 
 alledged  to  prove  the  Coincidence  of  the  Coming 
 of  Chrijl  and  of  the  Conflagration,  have,  really, 
 nothing  to  do  with  either  of  thofe  great  Events. 
 They  refpeft  Temporal  Judgments  only  ^,  particu- 
 larly thofe  on  Antichrifl  (St.  Paul*s  Man  of  Sin) 
 who  is  repreferlted,  by  St.  John,  as  cafl  aliv$ 
 into  a  Lake  of  Fire,  burning  with  Brimftone.  Rev. 
 xix.  20. 
 
 5  The  Coming  of  Chrift,  in  the  Language  of  the  A^if-iv  Tefia' 
 went,  is  often  ufed  to  denote  fome  fignal  Vifitation  of  the  Di- 
 vine Vengeance  on  notorious  Sinners;  as,  particularly,  in  the 
 Gafe  of  the  Punilhment  of  the  Je-iuijb  People  and  Nation  by 
 their  utter  Deilru^ion  as  fuch. 
 
 u  2  ift 
 
292  Dissertation  in.     Se6i:.  2/ 
 
 In  the  next  Place,  Neither  in  our  Saviour^s 
 own  Defcription  of  the  Judgment  (Matth.  xxv.) 
 nor  in  That  of  St.  John  (Rev.  xx.  11 — 13.)  is 
 there  the  leaft  Hint  of  a  Conflagration  attending 
 the  Appearance  of  the  Judge  *.  A  Circumftance, 
 which,  furely,  would  not  have  been  omitted, 
 had  it  really  belonged  to  the  Solemnity  of  the 
 great  Day.  Indeed,  a  World  on  Fire  ieems  to 
 Human  Reafon  a  very  unfit  Scene  for  the  Tranf- 
 aclions  of  That  grand  Afiize  ;  which  fecms  ra- 
 ther to  require  a  perfefl  Calm  in  the  Elements  of 
 this  lower  World,  a  general  HufJi  or  Silence  of  all 
 Nature,  And  I  cannot  but  think  it  moft  reafon- 
 able  to  fuppofe,  that  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Eartb 
 will  be  gone  away  (Matth  xxv.  46.)  to  their  re- 
 IpecStive  Places  of  final  Retribution,  in  the  next 
 World,  before  the  Deftrudlion  of  the  Earth  itfelf 
 as  an  habitable  Globe. 
 
 Laftly,  The  new  Uea'vens  and  new. Earthy  pro- 
 phecied  of  by  St.  Feter  and  St.  John^  cannot  be 
 the  Seat  of  the  Millennium  •,  bccaufe  there  is  mani- 
 feftly  an  Interval  of  Time  between  the  Expira- 
 tion of  the  Thoufand  Tears  and  the  Siacceflion  of 
 the  ne^j!)  Heavens  and  Earth.    Rev.  xx.  7,  &c. 
 
 4  It  is  faid,  indeed,  that  the  Earth  and  the  Heavens fied 
 away  from  the  Face  of  Him  that  fat  on  the  -white  Throne, '  vcr. 
 II,  But  this  I  take  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  figurative 
 Expreflion,  to  denote  the  Fears  and  Apprehenfions  of  Na- 
 ture, and  her  Jhrinking  back  (as  it  were)  from  the  Approach 
 of  her  Creator  and  Judge. 
 
 2  This* 
 
Sed.  2,     'The  'Judgment  of  Mankind.     293 
 
 This  Interval  ftands  as  an  impafiable  Barrier  be- 
 tween the  Millennium  and  the  new  World,  for  bid- 
 din  o-  their  mutual  Approach  and  Conjunction. 
 Nor  will  the  Doftrine  of  Synchronifm  '  do  the  Bu" 
 finels.  For,  fuppofing  the  Mtllennium  and  the 
 new  World  to  begin  and  go  on  together,  it  will 
 follow,  either  that  they  will  end  together,  or  that 
 the  new  World  will  lurvive  ti:e  thoufand  Tears^ 
 and  laft  to  the  general  Rcfurre<5tion.  But  nei- 
 ther of  thefe  Suppofitions  will  bear  the  Teft.  For, 
 it  is  abfurd  to  fuppole,  that  God  will  create  a  ne-w 
 World  to  be  the  Habitation  of  his  Saints^  and  put 
 an  End  to  it  before  the  Confummation  of  all 
 Things  \  and,  that  it  will  not  exift  after  the  Millen- 
 muniy  is  evident  from  the  wicked  Attempt  of 
 Gog  and  Magog  (Rev.  xx.  8,  9.)  who  cannot  be 
 confidered  as  Inhabitants  of  That  Earth,  into 
 which  there  fJiall  in  no  wife  enter  a72y  Thing  that 
 defleth  or  worketh  Abomination.     Rev.  xxi.  27. 
 
 Thus,  I  think.  Dr.  Burnett  Hypothefisof  the 
 Time  and  Place  of  the  Millennium  falls  to  the 
 Ground.  I  am  clearly  of  Opinion,  with  the 
 learned  Bengelius,  that  "  the  new  Fleaven  and 
 "  the  new  Earth,  together  with  the  new  Jeru- 
 
 f  One  Fi^on  is  faid  to  fynchrenize  with  another,  when  Both, 
 tho'  related  in  different  PafTages  of  the  Apocalypfe,  are  to  be 
 iinderftood  as  contemporary  Prophecies,  or  Prediflions  oFThings 
 or  Events,  which  (houl4  fall  out  at  one  and  the  fame  Time, 
 or  within  one  and  the  fame  Period.  See  Mede's  Works,  p. 
 419—430' 
 
 U  3  "  faiem. 
 
^94        Dissertation    III.     Sedl.  2. 
 
 "  falem,  belong  to  Eternity  * ;"  the  two  laft 
 Chapters  of  the  Revelation  containing  an  highly 
 figurative  and  allegorical  Defcription  of  Heaven^ 
 the  happy  City  orRefidence  of  the  Blefled.  Con- 
 fequently,  if  St.  Peter's  new  Heaven  and  new  Earth 
 (2  Pet.  iii.  13.)  be  the  fame  with  St.  John's,  they 
 muft  be  iinderftood  in  the  fame  Senfe,  however 
 the  Apoftle's  Words  may  feem  to  denote  a  Re- 
 novation of  this  prefent  World. 
 
 In  fhort,  this  prefent  World,  this  terreftrial 
 Globe  we  inhabit,  without  any  Change  wrought 
 in  it  by  Fire,  is  the  proper  Scene  of  Chrifi's  Mil- 
 lennial Kingdom.  And  this  feems  to  be  implied 
 in  That  Proclamation,  at  the  Sounding  of  the 
 feventb  Trumpet,  The  Kingdoms  of  this  World  are 
 become  the  Kingdoms  of  our  "Lord  and  of  his  Chrijl. 
 Rev.  xi.  15.  For,  whenever  this  World  (hall  be 
 deftroyed  by  Fire,  its  Kingdoms  will  be  effeftually 
 deftroyed  with  it  -,  and  then,  with  what  Propriety 
 can  it  be  faid,  that  Kingdoms  not  in  Being  are 
 hecome  Kingdoms  of  Chrifi  ?  They  muft  fubjijl,  at 
 the  Time  of  their  fubmitting  to  the  Power  and 
 Dominion  of  the  Redeemer. 
 
 I  deny  not,  I  rather  fuppofe,  and  really  be- 
 lieve, that  the  World,  during  the  Millennium., 
 will  be  both  a  fafer  and  a  more  delightful  Habi- 
 tation of  Mankind,  than  it  is  at  prefent.  I  think 
 it  highly  probable,   that  God  will  interpofe,  by 
 
 £  htrod.  &c.  Marg.  Note  on  Ch.  xxi.  i.  xxii.  5. 
 
 ^  "        '  a  special 
 
Seel.  2.     The  'Judgment  of  Mankind.     295 
 
 a  Special  Providence^  to  rcftrain  the  Incurfions  of 
 Natural^  as  well  as  Morale  Evil.,  and  to  order  a 
 greater  Benignity  of  the  Heavens,  more  regular 
 and  temperate  Seafotis,  and  a  more  conftant  Fer- 
 tility oi  t.\\G  Earth,  than  we  at  prefent  experi- 
 ence. This  happy  Change  (effefted  without  any 
 Infringement  of  the  eftabliflied  Laws  of  Nature) 
 will  greatly  tend,  not  only  to  the  Convenience 
 and  Pleafure,  but  to  the  Health  and  Long  Life, 
 of  Mankind.  But  let  it  be  obferved,  that  1  mean 
 not  fuch  a  State  of  the  natural  World,  as  excludes 
 every  Kind  and  Degree  of  Temporal  Evil,  and 
 implies  every  poflible  Circumftance  of  worldly 
 Felicity.  Were  this  the  Cafe,  the  Saints  of  the 
 Millennium,  I  conceive,  would  defire  to  (lay  where 
 they  were,  and  wifh  for  no  TranOation  to  any 
 jDther  Scene  of  Things.  It  is  rrioft  realbnable  to 
 fuppofe,  that  the  Happinefs  of  the  Millennium 
 will  be  preparatory  to  That  of  Heaven,  and  hold 
 the  middle  Place  between  the  very  imperfetJ  Fe- 
 licity of  the  prefent  State  and  the  abfolutely 
 perfeB  Happinefs  of  Eternity  •,  being  itfelf  as 
 much  fuperior  to  the  former,  as  inferior  to  the 
 latter. 
 
 In  what  Way,  the  Government  of  the  Millen- 
 nial Kingdom  will  be  adminiftred  by  Chrifi  and 
 the  Martyrs  reigning  isoith  him,  is  a  Queftion  we 
 have  no  Light  into  from  the  Prophecies  concern- 
 ing it.     But  we  may  reafonably  conclude,  that 
 
 U  4  our 
 
296  Dissertation  III.     Sed.  2. 
 
 our  Saviour  will  not  govern  his  Kingdom  propria 
 Perfona^  or  by  a  vifible,  corporeal,  Refidence 
 upon  Earth  ^ ;  fince  the  Scriptures  fpeak  o:  but 
 two  Perfonal  Jdveras  of  Chriji ;  the  firft  (pajl} 
 when  he  came  into  the  World  to  redeem  :■ ,  the 
 
 -  5 
 
 1  The  antlent  Millaiaries  univerfally  fuppofe  a  Di'vim 
 Pre/ence  with  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Millennium  ;  building 
 chiefly  on  That  of  St.  John :  And  I  heard  a  great  Voice  out  of 
 Hea'ven,  faying.  Behold,  the  Tabernacle  of  God  is  nvith  Men,  and 
 he  'VJill  d%vell  ivith  them,  and  they  Jhall  be  his  People  ;  attd  God 
 himfelf  Jhall  he  ivith  them,  and  be  their  God,  Rev.  xxi.  3. 
 Thus  LaSianiius,  one  of  the  moft  copious  on  this  Subjeft  a- 
 jnong  the  Latin  Fathers,  fays  :  "  When  the  Son  of  God 
 **  fliall  have  deRroyed  Injuftice,  and  fliall  have  reftored  the 
 *♦  Juft  to  Life,  he  (hall  be  converfant  among  Men  (i-ntcr  ho- 
 *'  mines  njerfabitur)  a  thoufand  Years,  and  fljall  rule  them 
 *'  with  moH:  juft  Government."  Di'v.  Lift.  c.  14.  But  St. 
 "John's  Words,  being  a  Part  of  his  Vifon  of  the  nenv  Hea^ven 
 and  Earth,  can  be  no  Proof  of  a  Di'vine  Prefence  in  the  Millen- 
 «/»«,  with  which  That  Vifion  (wehavefeen)  has  no  Concern. 
 
 Dr.  Burnet,  the  chief  of  the  modern  Millenaries,  affirming, 
 on  the  Authority  of  St.  John,  that  the  Millennium  will  be 
 •'  a  State  under  a  peculiar  Divine  Prefence  and  Conduft," 
 fuppofes,  that  "  there  will  be  a  Bhekijiah  (i.  e.  a  vifthle 
 '«  Glory,  manifeiling  a  Di'vine  PrefcficeY^  tho',  "  as  to  the 
 "  Mode  of  it"  (fays  he)  "  I  am  willing  to  confefs  my  Igno- 
 *«  ranee."  Sacred  Thecry,  B.  4.  ch.  7.  I  have  no  other  Ob- 
 jeftion  to  this  Plypothefis,  than  that  it  has  no  fure  Founda- 
 tion in  the  Scripture-Prophecies.  It  is  certain,  that  a  She- 
 kinab,  or  vifible  rvlanifeftation  of  the  Divine  Prefence,  was  a 
 conftant  Attendant  on  the  Jc^.vip  Theocracy  ;  and  therefore 
 there  is  nothing  abfurd  or  improbable  in  the  Suppofition  of 
 its  being  revived,  on  particular  Off/7/Jc«/,  and  in  particular 
 Places,  under  the  Chrifian  Millennium, 
 
 fecond 
 
Sed.  2.     The  "Judgment  of  Mankind.      297 
 
 fecond    (future)  when  he   will  return  into  the 
 World  to  iudge  it  -,  and  fince  St.  John  has  placed 
 the  Judgment,  not  only  after  the  Millennium,  but 
 with  an  Interval  of  Time  between  them.     As 
 this  prefent  World  is  the  deftined  Scene  of  the 
 Millennium,  and  as  there  has  been  for  fome  Ages, 
 and  is   ftill,  a  Kingdom  of  Chrifl  fubfifting  in  the 
 World  •,  I  would  humbly  iuppofe,  that  the  Govern- 
 ment of  the  Millennial  Kingdom  will  not  be  alto- 
 gether different  from  That  of  the  Anti-millennid 
 or  prefent  Kingdom  of  Chriji  -,  but  be  adrniniftred 
 by  fimilar  Powers,  under  the  Superintendency  of 
 the  glorious  Martyrs  -,  who,  as  Kings  and  Priejls, 
 may  have  a  commanding  Influence   in  Affairs 
 both  Civil  and  EccleMical,    and,    particularly, 
 prefide,  with  the  higheft  Degree  of  Patriarchal 
 Power  and  Authority,  over  all  Ranks  and  Orders 
 of. the   Chriflian  Hierarchy.     Thus,  it  is  highly 
 probable,  Chriji  will  reign  (though  not  in  Per/on, 
 yet)  by  his  immediate  Vice-gerents,   the  Chriftian 
 Martyrs,  and  2l  fub ordinate  Mmijhy,  for  a  then- 
 fand  Tears,  in  ^Kingdom  oiuniverfal  Righteoufnefs 
 and  Pedce,  and  over  a  whole  World  of  true  and 
 faithful  Difciples  and  Subjeds. 
 
 I  {liall  only  obferve  farther,  that  the  fecuUar 
 State  and  Condition  of  the  Aiartyrs  muft  render 
 them,  not  only  m.oft  worthy  of,  but  tranfcen- 
 dently  qualified  for  the  fupreme  Rank  and  high 
 Office  they  will  bear  in  the  Kingdom  and  Church 
 of  Qhriji.    As  they  will  have  already  tafted  Death, 
 
 they 
 
298        Dissertation   III.     Secft.  2. 
 
 they  will  die  no  more  *,  but  live  on  to  the  End 
 of  Time,  converfing  with  the  ^uccs^^tGenerations 
 of  Mankind,  from  the  Date  of  their  own  Refur-^ 
 retiion.  As  they  have  been  raifed  from  the  dead^ 
 and  no  Reafon  can  be  affigned,  why  there  fhould 
 be  any  Difference  in  the  Nature  of  Their  Refur^ 
 re^tion  and  That  of  other  Men,  they  will  appear 
 upon  Earth,  not  cloathed  with  FleJJi  and  Blood, 
 like  the  reft  of  their  Fellow-creatures,  but  in^ 
 vefted  with  their  proper  RefurreBion-bodies  ',  in- 
 corruptible, glorious,  and  fpiritual  Bodies,  i  Cor. 
 XV.  42 — 44.  Thefe  Circumftances,  as  they  will 
 excite  the  Wonder  and  Admiration,  {o  will  they 
 command  the  hove  and  Efteem,  the  Feneration^ 
 and  almoft  Adoration,  of  the  delighted  World, 
 «)wards  thofe  glorious  and  happy  Immortals. 
 
 Such  appears  to  me  to  be  the  true  Scripture- 
 do^lrine  of  the  Millennium,  or,  Thoufand  Tears 
 Reign  of  Cbrijl,  with  the  Martyrs  raifed  from  the 
 dead.  It  differs,  indeed,  greatly  from  the  Mil-, 
 lennial  Do^rine  of  all  other  Writers,  both  antient 
 and  modern.  For,  by  feparating  the  new  Hea- 
 vens and  Earth,  with  the  new  Jerufalem,  prophe- 
 cied  of  by  St.  Peter  and  St.  John,  from  the  Mil- 
 lennial Kingdom  oiChrifl,  we  deftroy  all  thofe  vi- 
 fionary  and  romantic  Scenes,    with  which  thd 
 
 8  It  is  appointed  unto  Men  once  to  did  Heb.  ix,  27.  i.  e. 
 once,  and  no  oftener, 
 
 »  See  Dijfert.  H.  Seft.  V.  and  VI. 
 
 2  Millenaries 
 
Scd.  2.    The  Judgment  of  Mankind,       299 
 
 Millenaries  have  furniflied  That  Kingdom :  We 
 dcmolifh  the  fine  Fabric  of  the  new  Paradifal 
 World,  or  Paradife  rejlored  *.  But,  at  the  fame 
 Time,  we  provide  fuificiently  for  the  Glory  and 
 Happinefs  of  That  future  Kingdom  of  the  Re- 
 deemer, and  give  fuch  a  Reprefentation  of  it,  as 
 (I  verily  think)  comes  up  to  the  higheft  Ideas, 
 we  can  reafonably  entertain,  from  a  juft  and  pro- 
 per Interpretation  of  the  Scripture  Prophecies 
 concerning  it. 
 
 The  Ufes,  to  which  the  Dodrine  of  the  Millen- 
 pium  may  be  applied,  are  too  great  and  impor- 
 tant, to  be  entirely  omitted.  I  fhall,  thereforCj 
 juft  mention  them. 
 
 Firft,  then,  this  Dodlrine  is  a  Key  to  the  full 
 Meaning  and  Import  of  thofe  antient  Prophecies^ 
 which  defcribe  the  Nature  of  the  Mejftah's  future 
 Kingdom.  Many  of  thefe  Predidions  repr^fent 
 That  Kingdom  under  fuch  lofty  and  magnificent 
 Images,  as  cannot  well  be  applied  to  any  State 
 
 *  I  think  it  pretty  evident,  that  the  World  never  was  in 
 fuch  a  Paradifal  State^  as  I>r.  Burnet  and  others  have  ima- 
 gined. For,  when  Jdam  and  Eve  were  turned  out  of  Para- 
 dife, as  a  Punifhment  of  their  Difobedience,  they  certainly 
 found  the  Reft  of  the  Earth  in  a  much  worfe  State  than  the 
 Garden  of  Eden  :  Otherwife,  their  Exile  from  it  would  have 
 been  no  Punifhment.  To  fuppofe,  that  the  Earth  loji  its  Pa- 
 radifal State,  immediately  upon,  and  in  Confequence  of,  the 
 Fall,  is  an  Hypothefis  iuitable  enough  to  a  Philofophical  or 
 Poetical  Romance,  but  deftitute  of  all  Foundation  in  the 
 Scripture  Hillory  of  the  Fall  and  Lofs  of  Paradife. 
 
 of 
 
^oo         Dissertation  III.     Sedt.  2, 
 
 of  the  Chriftian  World,  hitherto  fubfifting.  But, 
 in  their  Application  to  the  Millennium,  we  fee  a 
 full  and  complete  Accomplilhment  of  all  the  Pro^ 
 phecies,  refpedling  the  Grandeur  and  Glory  of 
 Chrijfs  Kingdom . 
 
 Secondly,  In  the  Doflrine  of  the  Afillemiium, 
 we  fee  the  great  and  glorious  Plan  of  the  Cbrrf- 
 iian  Redemption^  as  it  refpedls  the  Condition  of 
 Mankind  in  this  TForld,  carried  into  full  Execu- 
 tion, by  the  Extenfion  of  Chriji^s  Kingdom  to  every 
 Part  of  the  habitable  Earth,  and  That  State  of 
 univerfal  Righteoufnefs  and  Peace  it  will  be  the 
 happy  Means  of  introducing  into  the  World. 
 God's  Purpofes,  in  the  Chrijiian  Bifpenfation, 
 whether  refpeding  this  World  or  the  next,  muft 
 have  their  Accomplilliment  at  one  Time  or  anr 
 other.  In  this  World,  the  gracious  Defign  of 
 the  Gofpel  feems,  hitherto,  to  have  been,  in  a 
 great  Degree,  frujirated  and  defeated.  There  re- 
 mains, therefore,  fome  future  Age  of  the  World, 
 in  which  Chrijlianity  will  fully  anfwer  all  the 
 Ends  of  its  Revelation  to  Mankind.  And  this 
 Age  is  plainly  pointed  out  to  us  by  St.  John,  m 
 his  Prophecy  of  the  Millennial  Kingdom  of  Chriji. 
 
 Laflly,  The  Do6lrine  of  the  Millennium  ferves 
 toafcertain,  as  nearly  as  pofTible,  the  Z.<?/7^/i' of 
 Time  between  the  cui  rent  Year  and  xht  Coining  of 
 Chriji  to  judge  the  World.  We  have  already 
 feen,  that  the  Fall  of  Antichriff,  which  muft  pre- 
 cede 
 
Sedl.  2.     The  Judgment  of  Mankind.     30! 
 cede  the  Millennium,  is  (according  to  Prophetical 
 Chronology)  at  the  Diftance  of  about  233  Years 
 from  the  prefent  Time,  and  that  the  Millennium 
 will  commence   immediately    after   the  Fall  of 
 Antichrift.    This  Period,  therefore,  being  added    ■ 
 to  the  233  Years,  conftitutes  a  Period  of  1233 
 Years,  before  which  Chriji  will  not  come  to>^^^ 
 the  World.     This  Computation  mufl  be  right, 
 if  our  Interpretation  of  the  Prophetical  Chronology 
 be  right,  and  the  Millennium  be  to  be  underftood 
 of  a  "^tholifand  common  or  Schr  Years  *.     And  this 
 perfeaiy  agrees  with  the  antient  Do6i:rine  (both 
 JewiJJi   and   Chrijlian)  of  a  Seventh  Millenary  of 
 the  World  ;  that  is,  that,  as  God  created  the 
 
 -  Mr.  Hartley  makes  it  a  Queftion,  "  Whether  this  Term 
 "  of  Years  (the  Millennium)  is  to  be  underftood  of  common 
 "  Solar  Years,  or  of  S^^^^^/zV^^  Years,  making  7000,  or  of 
 "  Years   of  Jubilee,    amounting  to    50,000 ;    or,    whether 
 «  Thou/and,    being  the  moft  perfed  Number,  may  fignify 
 «  any  indefinite  Progreffion  of  Centuries."  Paradi/e  Reftor- 
 ed,  p.  140.     But,    by  this  Gentleman's  Leave,    Sahbatical 
 Tears  and  Jubilee  Tears  are  ftiU  common  or  Solar  Tears,  dif- 
 fering from  others,  not  in  their  Length,  but  in  the  Times  of 
 t\iQiT^ Returns ',  the  former  being  Qvtxy  feventh  Tear,  the  lat- 
 ter every  fiftieth,  or,  rather,  every  forty-ninth.     As^  to  the 
 true  Length  of  the  Millennial  Tears,  the  Learned  agree  in  fup- 
 pofmg  them  to  be   Solar  Tears,  of  365  Days  each.     For,  to 
 fuppofe  them  Prophetical  Tears  (according  to  the  Hypothefis 
 of  the  Tear-day)  would  extend   the  Term  of  the  Millennium 
 beyond  all  reafonable  Proportion  with  the  antecedent  6000 
 Years  of  the  World's  Duration,  making  them  amount  to  no 
 
 fewer  than  365,000  Years. 
 
 World 
 
^^02  DISSERTATION    III.      Scdl;  2i 
 
 World  in  ^x  Days,  and  refted  from  his  Work  on 
 thtfeventh,  fo  the  World  will  endure  7000  Years^ 
 the  laft  1000  of  which  fhall  be  a  Kind  oi  Sabbath 
 or  State  of  Repofe  and  Happinefs. 
 
 But  the  World  will  not  end  with  the  Millen*- 
 7tium.  For,  according  to  St.  John's  Prophecy, 
 there  will  be  a  JJiort  Interval  of  Time  between 
 the  Conclufion  of  the  thoufand  Tears  and  the  ge- 
 neral Refurre^lion  and  Judgment ;  the  principal 
 Event  of  which  Period  will  be, 
 
 5.  I'he  War  of  Gog  and  Magog. 
 
 The  Prophetical  Account  of  this  War  is  as 
 follows  :  When  the  thoufand  Tears  are  expired,  Sa- 
 t an  fhall  be  loofed  out  of  his  Prifon,  andfliall  go  out 
 to  deceive  the  Nations  which  are  in  the  four  garters 
 of  the  Earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  to- 
 gether to  Battle :  the  Number  of  whom  is  as  the  Sand 
 of  the  Sea.  And  they  went  up  on  the  Breadth  of 
 the  Earth,  and  compaffed  the  Camp  of  the  Saints 
 about,  and  the  beloved  City.  Rev.  xx.  7 — 9.  From 
 whence  we  learn,  that,  at  the  Expiration  of  the 
 Millennium^  the  Devil,  being  now  releafed  from 
 his  Imprifonment,  will  inftigate  certain  Nations^ 
 inhabiting  the  Extremities  of  the  Earth  (Eaft, 
 Weft,  North,  and  South)  to  take  up  Arms  againft 
 the  Saints,  and  befiege  them  in  their  Camp  or  C<z- 
 pital  City.  Here  will  be  a  War  of  a  very  extra- 
 ordinary Kind  i  a  War  between  the  Righteous 
 
 and 
 
Sed.  1.    'The  Judgment  of  Mankind,       303 
 
 and  the  JVicked;  the  former  befieged  by,  and  de- 
 fending themfelves  againft,  the  combined  Forces 
 of  the  latter. 
 
 But  this  JVar  will  be  of  very  J/iort  Continuance^ 
 and  fcarce  begun  before  it  is  at  an  End.  For 
 the  Divine  Providence  will  miraculoufly  inter- 
 pofe,  and,  hy  X2immg  dov^n  Fire  from  Heaven  on 
 the  wicked  Befiegers,  deftroy  them  all  on  the 
 Spot  (lb.  ver.  9.)  and  thus  fave  the  favourite 
 City  and  its  righteous  Inhabitans.  Nor  will  the 
 Divine  Vengeance  be  fatisfied  with  the  Punifh- 
 ment  of  Gog  and  Magog  :  It  will  reach  to  their 
 jbeceiver  the  Devil;  who  will  immediately  be 
 cafi  into  the  Lake  of  Fire  and  Brimftone,  where  the 
 Beaft  and  the  falfe  Prophet  are,  and  Jliall  be  tor^ 
 mented  Day  and  Night  for  ever  and  ever.  lb.  ver. 
 10.  And  thus  will  Tranquillity  be  reftored,  and 
 the  hleffed  Kingdom  re-fettled  in  That  Peace,  it 
 had  uninterruptedly  enjoyed  during  a  thoufand 
 Tears. 
 
 The  Explication  of  this  Prophecy  is  attended 
 with  fome  Difficulty.  It  is  not  eafy  to  afcertain, 
 What  Nations  are  here  defigned,  under  the 
 general  Appellation  of  G<7^  and  Magog.  Mr.  Mede 
 conjedures,  that  they  will  be  the  Nations  of  Ame- 
 rica, which  are,  probably.  Colonies  or  Defcen- 
 dants  of  the  antient  Scythians,  that  is,  of  Gog  and 
 Magog,  this  being  the  antient  Name  of  all  the 
 Northern  Nations  of  Europe  '.    But  this  Opinion, 
 
 3  X)f  GogQ  e(  Mago£Q>  ap.  Mede's  Wgrh,  p.  574. 
 
 I  think, 
 
^04  DiSSERTAtlON    lit.        Sedl.   2* 
 
 I  think,  does  not  come  up  to  St.  John's  Account 
 of  their  Situation.  He  places  them  {h  rah 
 T^oj-ccpcrt  ymiais  rriV  ynr)  Jn  the  four  Corners  or 
 Angles  of  the  Earth  -,  and,  therefore,  they  will 
 be,  not  only  Northern  or  IVefiern^  but  E^flcrn 
 and  Southern,  Nations,  lying  very  remote  from 
 each  other,  and  inclofing,  as  it  were,  the  in- 
 terjacent Nations  of  the  four  Continents.  We 
 iTiuft,  therefore,  join,  v/ith  the  Americans  (if  they 
 are  to  be  confidered  as  included  in  the  Appel- 
 lation of  Gog  and  Magog)  the  Laplanders  of  the 
 Nor  thy  the  Japanefe  of  the  Eafi,  and  the  Hotten- 
 tots of  the  South,  or  fome  other  Nations  inhabit- 
 ing thofe  Corners  of  the  Earth. 
 
 But  the  principal  Difficulty  refpedls  the  Cha- 
 fa^er  and  Anions  of  Gog  and  Magog.  How  fliall 
 we  account  for  the  Exiftence  of  fo  many  wicked 
 and  hoftile  Nations  (numerous  as  the  Sand  of  the 
 Sea)  after  the  Converfion  of  all  Mankind  to 
 Faith  in  Chrifi,  and  the  univerfal  Eftablilhment 
 of  Right eotifnefs  and  Peace  ? 
 
 Dr.  Burnet  was  fo  embarrafled  with  this  Quef- 
 tion,  he  was  forced  to  have  Recourfe  to  a  mod 
 ridiculous  and  abfurd  Hypothefis.  He  fuppofes, 
 that,  in  his  new  JVorld,  "  there  will  be  a  double 
 "  Race  of  Mankind,  very  different  one  from 
 "  another,  both  as  to  their  Temper  and  Difpo- 
 "  fition,  and  as  to  their  Origin  :  The  One  born 
 "  from  Heaven,  Sons  of  God  and  of  the  Refur- 
 "  region,  who  are  the  true  Saints  and  Heirs  of 
 
 *'  the 
 
Sedti  2.     T^he  "Judgment  of  Mankind,      305 
 
 "  the  Millennium  :  The  Other  born  of  the  Earth, 
 "  Sons  of  the  Earth,  generated  from  the  Slime  of 
 *'  the  Ground,  and  the  Heat  of  the  Sun^  as  Brute 
 *'  Creatures  were  at  firft  '^."  What  ftrange  Ab- 
 furdities  are  not  Writers  fometimes  forced  to 
 maintain,  in  Support  of  a  pre-conceived  Hypo- 
 thefis  !  Dr.  Burnetts  Account  of  the  Rife  of  Gog 
 and  Magog  is  a  Fable  much  fitter  for  Ovid's  Me- 
 tamorphofes^  than  a  Sacred  'Theory  of  the  Earth. 
 Not  to  mention,'  that,  according  to  St.  John 
 (Rev.  xxi.  23.)  the  new  World  will  have  no  Sun 
 or  Moon  to  enlighten  it,  nor,  confequently,  to  im- 
 pregnate the  Slime  of  the  Ground. 
 
 A  Writer  ^  cited  by  Mr.  Hartley  ^^  fuppofes, 
 that,  "  As  a  great  Part  of  Mankind  never  heard 
 *'  of  Chrift,  and  yet  theGoipel  of  the  Kingdom 
 "  was  to  be  preached  in  all  the  World  for  i 
 *'  Witnefs  to  all  Nations  j  fo  fuch  of  them  as 
 "  have  died  in  Ignorance  of  the  Chriftian  Dif- 
 "  penfationj  will  be  railed  from  the  dead,  to  have 
 "  a  Time  of  Probation  allowed  them  m  the 
 "  utcermolt  Parts  of  the  Earth,  in  a  Conditioa 
 "  fuited  to  their  State  j  and  (hall  have  the  Gof- 
 "  pel  preached  to  them  by  Emifiaries  from  the 
 "  Kingdom  :  That  many  of  them  will  be  con- 
 
 4   Sacred  Theory,  B.  4.  ch.  10. 
 
 y  The  Rev.  Mr.  Johnfoni  Vicar  of  Great  Torrittgton  in  De- 
 ^onjhire,  in  i\i<i  Preface  to  his  Sermons  in  two  Volumes, 
 Lond.  1740. 
 
 ^  Paradife  ReJIored,  p.  255* 
 
 X  "  verted 
 
306         Dissertation   III.     Sedt.  2. 
 
 "  verted  and  eftabliflied  in  Grace,  and  have  their 
 "  Portion  with  the  Ele<5t  -,  but  that  a  great  Num- 
 "  ber  of  them  will  be  feduced  by  Satan,  on  his 
 *'  Enlargement  at  the  End  of  the  thoufand  Years-, 
 **  will  invade  the  Kingdom,  and  be  deftroyed  by 
 *'  Fire,  as  mentioned  in  the  Revelations."  Upon 
 which  Hypothefis,  I  Ihall  only  obferve,  that  it 
 has  not  the  lead  Foundation  in  Scripture-prophecy ^ 
 which  points  out  no  other  Refurre5iio?i^  before 
 That  of  all  Mankind,  but  That  oitht  Martyrs. 
 
 The  moft  probable  Solution  of  the  Difficulty 
 before  us  feems  to  me  to  be  This.  The  NationSy 
 denoted  by  the  general  Name  of  G*?^  and  Miigog^ 
 will  be,  not  a  new  Race  of  Men,  but  a  Part  of 
 the  Human  Species  long  fince  in  Being,  but  of 
 a  greater  Barbarity  of  Manners,  and  naturally 
 more  inclined  to  Wickedneis,  than  the  more  in- 
 land People  of  the  Earth.  They  will  have  em- 
 braced Chriftianity,  in  common  with  the  reft  of 
 the  Heathen  Nations,  and  have  continued  Clirif- 
 tians,  in  Profefiion  at  leaft,  during  the  whole 
 Time  of  the  Millennium.  But,  Satan  being  now 
 at  Liberty,  and  thefe  Nations  the  moft  promifing 
 Objefts  of  his  Infernal  Delufions,  he  will  aftault 
 them,  and  prevail  •,  leducing  them  into  Apofiafy 
 from  the  Chriftian  Faith,  and  a  wicked  Attempt 
 to  deftroy  the  Kingdom  of  the  Saints. 
 
 There  are  no  Chronological  CharaBers  belong- 
 ing to  this  Part  oiSt.Johi"^  Prophecy,  by  which 
 we  can  determine  any  thing  certain,  as  to  the 
 
 Duration 
 
Sei^i  2.     T!he  judgment  of  Mankind.      307 
 
 Duration  of  this  Period;  We  are  only  told,  it 
 will  be  a  lliort  one,  a  little  Seafon.  Rev.  xx.  ^. 
 And,  indeed,  the  JVar  of  G'cig'  and  Magog  will 
 be,  perhaps,  one  of  the  fliortejl  Wars  that  ever 
 happened  in  the  World  ;  employing  no  more 
 Time,  than  will  be  neceflary  for  the  aflcmbling 
 together  of  the  confederate  Forces^  their  March, 
 and  the  fetting  of  the  Battle  in  Array  againft 
 the  beloved  City.  A  Tfanfadiion,  for  which  a 
 few  Months,  perhaps,  will  be  fufEcient. 
 
 As,  therefore,  this  brief  Interval  will  add  little 
 or  nothing  to  the  Smn  of  the  Times  (already  de- 
 termined) between  the  prefent  and  the  Conclu- 
 fion  of  the  Millennium ;  we  may  reckon  (ac- 
 cording to  the  moft  probable  Interpretation  of 
 Prophetical  Chronology)  fomcwhat  more  thart 
 TWELVE  Centuries,  from  the  Age  we  live  in, 
 down  to  the  Confummation  of  all  earthly  Thino-s, 
 All  the  great  Events^  here  treated  of  and  explain- 
 ed, muft  come  to  pafs  before  the  End  of  the  World. 
 The  TurkiJJi  Empire  muft  fall,  the  Church  of  Rome 
 be  deftroyed,  and  Chrifiianity  be  the  Religion  of 
 all  Mankind  for  a  thotff and  Tears ^  before  the  World 
 can  have  any  Reafon  to  look  for  or  exped:  the 
 Second  Advent  of  its  Saviour  and  Judge, 
 
 X  a  SEC 
 
3o8        Dissertation   III.     Scdt.  ^^ 
 
 SECTION     III. 
 
 Of  the   Signs   or   Indications    of  the  approacbiffg 
 Judgment,  faid  to  be  given  us  in  holy  Scripture. 
 
 WE  are  now  arrived  at  the  fnal  Prophecy  of 
 St.  Johny  refpefting  this  earthly  Scene. 
 We  are  come  within  Sight  of  the  great  IVhite 
 Throne  and  the  divine  Person ^t ting  on  it ;  and  we 
 fee  the  dead,  fmall  and  great,  flanding  before  God, 
 and  judged' — according  to  their  Works.  Rev.  xx. 
 11—13. 
 
 But,  before  we  take  into  Confideration  the 
 Particulars  or  Circumftances  of  the  great  Day  of 
 Account  and  Retribution,  let  us  attend  a  little  to 
 thofe  Signs  or  Indications  of  the  approaching 
 Judgment,  faid  to  be  given  us  in  holy  Scripture  : 
 Signs,  by  which  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth  will 
 afluredly  know,  that  the  End  of  all  Things  is  at 
 Hand,  and  their  Saviour  ready  to  defcend  from 
 Heaven  to  judge  the  quick  and  dead. 
 
 The  principal  of  thefe  Signs  are  thofe  hid 
 down  by  our  Saviour  himfelf,  in  Anfwer  to  That 
 Queftion,  put  to  him  by  his  Difciples,  Tell  us, 
 Whenfliall  thefe  Things  be  ?  (meaning  the  Deftruc- 
 tion  of  the  Temple,  of  which  he  had  juft  given 
 them  Warning)  and.  What  Jhall  be  the  Sign  of 
 tfy  Coming,  and  of  the  End  cf  the  World  ^  ?  The 
 
 7  Or,  T7iX\\cr,ThcEndoftheAge,  ffvVTihiiai  tv  ut^vo<^ 
 
 Aniwcr 
 
Sed.  3.    ^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.      309 
 
 Anfwer  to  which  Queftion,  as  it  ftands  in  St. 
 Matthew,  and  in  the  parallel  Paffages  of  St.  Mark 
 and  St.  Luke  (Matth.  xxiv.  3—30.    Mark  xiii. 
 ^ 26.  Luke  xxi.  7 — 27.)   includes  the  follow- 
 ing Particulars,  viz.  That  there  fhall  be,  i.  Falfe 
 Chrifis,  or  Impoftors  pretending  to  be  Prophets 
 fentfrom  God.    2.  Terrible  Calamities,  as  IVars^ 
 Pejiilences,  and  Earthquakes.     3.  Fearful  Sights  or 
 Prodigies.  4.  Falfe  Teachers,  infefling  the  Church, 
 and  feducing  many  from  the  Chriftian  Faith. 
 5.  Cruel  Perfecutions  of  the  Chriftians.     6.  An 
 Obfcuration  of  the  Sun  and  Mo€7j,   a  Falling  of 
 the  Stars,  a  Roaring  of  the  5^^,  and  a  general 
 Concujfion  of  the  Heavens.     7.  The  Appearance  of 
 the  5ow  0/  M^«  in  //^^z^^w — To  which  muft  be 
 added,  from  other  Paflages  of  Scripture,  i.  The 
 Mlfion  of  Elijah  the  Prc/)^^/  *.  2.  The  utter  £'.v- 
 tinmon   of  the   ar//?frt«  F^z/Z? '.    3.  A  general 
 Corruption  and  Depravity  of  Manners  '. 
 
 8  5^/^ J^,  /  >«<s'  «»?o  ^yo«  jE'/y^^  ^^f  Prophet,  before  the 
 coming  of  the  great  and  terrible  Day  of  the  Lord  ;  and  he  f?all 
 turn  the  Heart  of  the  Fathers  to  the  Children,  and  the  Heart  of 
 the  Children  to  their  Fathers,  Mai.  iv.  5,  6. 
 
 9  When  the  Sen  ofU(in  cometh,  fhall  he  find  Faith  on  the 
 £flr/;&.?  Lukexviii.  18. 
 
 I  This  knowo,  that  in  thelaft  Days  perilous  Times  pall  cD?m  : 
 Tor  Men  pall  be  Lovers  of  their  onunf elves,  covetous,  Boafers, 
 proud,  Blafphemers,  difobedient  to  Parents,  unthankful,  unholy, 
 c^uithout  natural  Afedion,  Truce- breakers,  falfe  Accufers,  in- 
 continent, fierce,  Dcfpifrs  of  thofe  that  are  good,  Traitors, 
 heady,  high  minded,  Lo-vers  ofPleafnres  more  than  Lovers  of  God. 
 
 Tim.  iii.  1—4.  _,..  , 
 
 X  3  ^^^^ 
 
3IO        Dissertation    III.     Se<5l.  3, 
 
 With  Refpeft  to  the  Signs  laid  down  by  oUr 
 Saviour,  as  Fore-runners  of  his  Coming-^  it  is  cer*. 
 tain,  they  received  their  Accomplifhment  (fome 
 in  a  literal,  and  fome  in  2.  figurative  Senfe)  in  the 
 Definition  of  Jerufaleijt,  and  the  Jewifii  Nation. 
 For  a  Proof  of  which,  I  refer  the  Reader  to  the 
 large  Dedu6tion  of  Particulars,  given  us  by  the 
 learned  Bifliop  Newton  *. 
 
 Expofitors,  indeed,  are  pretty  generally  agree4 
 in  referring  either  the  JVhole,  or  fome  Parts  of, 
 our  Saviour's  Prophecy,  in  a  fecondary  Senfe,  tQ 
 his  future  Coming  to  judge  the  World.  Thus, 
 with  Refpecl  to  the  Defiruvlion  of  Jerufakni,  the 
 learned  Prelate,  juft  now  cited  :  "  It  is  ufual 
 ^'  for  the  Prophets  to  frame  and  exprefs  their 
 *'  Prophecies  {o^  as  that  they  fhall  comprehend 
 "  more  than  one  Event,  and  have  their  feveral 
 *'  Periods  of  Completion — and  this  I  conceive 
 **  to  be  the  Cafe  here,  and  the  Defiru^ion  of  Je- 
 "  rufalejn  to  be  typical  of  the  End  of  the  World, 
 *'  The  Peftru6Vion  of  a  great  City^is  a  lively 
 *:'■  Type  and  Image  of  the  End  of  the  World  i 
 "  and  we  may  obferve,  that  our  Saviour  no 
 ^^  fooner  begins  to  fpeak  of  the  Befiru^ion  of 
 "  Jerufakm^  tlian  his  Figures  are  raifed,  his  Lan- 
 ■'  guage  is  fwelled,  and  he  expreffes  himfelf  in 
 *'  fuch  Terms,  as  in  a  lower  Senfe,  indeed,  are 
 ^*  applicable  to  the  Deftru6lion   of  Jerufalem, 
 
 *  DiJ/iitatiom  on  the  Proph^ies,  Vol.  2.  p.  234 — 3 1 6. 
 
 "  but 
 
Se6t.  3 .     T^he  'Judgment  of  Mankind,     3 1 1 
 
 **  but  defcribe  fomething  higher  in  their  proper 
 "  and  genuine  Signification  :  'The  Sun  JJiall  he 
 "  darkened^  &c. — All  the  fubiequent  Difcourfe 
 "  too,  we  may  obferve,  doth  not  relate  To  pro- 
 *'  perly  to  the  Deftruftion  of  Jerulalem,  as  to 
 "  the  End  of  the  World.  Our  Saviour  loofeth 
 *'  Sight  as  it  were  of  his  former  Subjed:,  and 
 "  adapts  his  Difcourfe  more  to  the  latter  ^" 
 
 Bp.  IVarhurton,  on  the  other  Hand,,  confines 
 the  Whole  of  our  Saviour's  Prophecy  to  the  De* 
 firu^ion  oijerufalem  and  the  Jewi/Ji  Polity.  "  This 
 "  Prophecy  '*  (fays  his  Lordfliip)  "  doth  not 
 "  refpeft  Chrifl's  lecond  Coming  to  Judgment, 
 "  but  his  firft,  in  the  Abolition  of  the  Jewifli 
 "  Polity,  and  the  Eftablilliment  of  the  Chrif- 
 *'  tian  :  That  Kingdom  of  Chrill,  which  com- 
 "  menced  on  the  total  ceafing  of  the  Theocracy. 
 "  — This  therefore  being  ofje  of  the  moft  im- 
 "  portant  ^^ras  in  the  CEconomy  of  Grace,  and 
 "  the  moll  awful  Revolution  in  all  God's  Dif- 
 "  penfations,  we  fee  the  Elegance  and  Propriety 
 •'  of  the  Terms  in  queflion,  to  denote  fo  great 
 "  an  Event,  together  with  the  Deflrudlion  of 
 "  Jerufalem,  by  which  it  was  effeded.  For,  in 
 "  the  old  Prephetic  Language,  the  Change  and 
 *'  Fall  of  Principalities  and  Powers,  whether 
 "  Spiritual  or  Civil,  are  fignified  by  the  fhak- 
 ♦'  ing  Heaven  and  Earth,  the  darkening  the  Sun 
 
 »  lb.  p.  346—348. 
 
 X  4  "  and 
 
^12  Dissertation   III.     8661.3. 
 
 "  and  Moon,  and  the  Falling  of  the  Stars ;  as 
 "  the  Rife  and  Eftablilhment  of  new  ones  are 
 "  by  ProcefTions  in  the  Clouds  of  Heaven,  by 
 "  the  Sound  of  Trumpets,  and  the  aflfembling 
 "  together  of  Hofts  and  Congregations  *." 
 
 I  entirely  agree  with  this  learned  Prelate,  in 
 reftraining  the  whole  of  our  Saviour's  Prophecy 
 to  the  Dejiru^ion  of  Jerufakm  and  the  JewifJi  Po- 
 lity •,  partly,  for  the  Reafons  affigned  by  his 
 Lordfliip  (to  which  may  be  added,  that  our  Sa- 
 viour himfelf  feems  plainly  to  reftrain  the  Ac- 
 complifhment  of  the  Prophecy  to  thofe  Events, 
 in  faying.  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  this  Generation 
 jjiall  not  pafs^  till  all  thefe  Thifigs  be  fulfilled)  •,  and, 
 partly,  becaufe,  among  the  Signs,  laid  down  by 
 our  Saviour,  there  are  fome,  which,  not  only 
 have  been  already  fulfilled,  but  are,  really,  in- 
 comfatible  with  the  State  of  the  JVorld,  at  the  Time 
 of  his  coming  to  Judgment, 
 
 The  Millennial  Kingdoin  ofChrifi  (we  have  feen) 
 will  be  a  Kingdom  of  univerfal  Righteoufiefs  and 
 Peace,  all  the  Nations  of  the  Earth  being  Chrif- 
 tian  both  in  Faith  and  Practice.  It  is  true,  the 
 wicked  Attempt  of  Gcg  and  Magcg  will  be  fome 
 Interruption  of  this  blefled  State.  But,  Gog  and 
 Magog  deflroyed,  uni'verfal  Right  eon fnefs  and  Peace 
 will  again  prevail,  and  fubfifl:  at  the  Time  of 
 ChrifVs  coming  to  Judgment.     But,  in  fuch  a  State 
 
 *<   Julian  2d.  ed.  p.  2  2—2).. 
 
 of 
 
Se(5t.  3.     T^he  judgment  of  Mankind.      313 
 
 of  the  World  as  this,  there  can  be  no  falfe  Chrijls 
 ov  falfe  Prophets^  nor  the  Evils  of  War  or  Perfe- 
 aition.  Thele,  therefore,  are  necefiarily  exckided 
 from  htm^Fore-runners  of  the  approaching  J^^i^^- 
 ment. 
 
 As  to  the  Evils  of  Famine,  Pejlilence,  and  Earth- 
 quakes, together  with  fearful  Sights  and  Prodi- 
 gies in  the  Heavens  and  on  the  Earth  •,  Thefe 
 may  be  proper  and  fuitable  Alarms  to  a  wicked 
 World  i  and  ungodly  Men's  Hearts  might  well 
 fail  them  for  Fear,  and  for  looking  after  thofe  Things 
 ivhich  are  coming  on  the  Earth.  Luke  xxi.  26. 
 But  the  ungodly  are  all  perifhed  and  gone,  and 
 none  left  upon  the  Earth  but  true  and  faithful 
 Difciples  of  the  R^de^mer ;  who  (we  cannot  but 
 think)  willexpeft,  with  Tranfports  of  Joy,  That 
 J)ay  of  the  Lord,  when  their  heavenly  Judge9i-\2X\ 
 invite  them  to  inherit  another  and  a  ftill  better 
 Kingdom,  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  Heaven,  pre- 
 pared for  them  from  the  Foundation  of  the  IForld. 
 Matth.  XXV.  34. 
 
 I  fcarce  need  to  add,  that,  in  a  Kingdom  of 
 Righteoufnefs,  there  can  be  no  Place  for  That 
 Want  of  Faith  foretold  by  our  Sa-viour,  or  That 
 Corruption  of  Manners  prophefied  of  by  St.  PnuL 
 Apd,  as  to  the  MifTion  of  Elijah  or  Elias,  the 
 Prophecy  concerning  it  (if  we  will  believe  our 
 Saviour)  received  its  Accomplifliment  in  the 
 Appearance  and  Preaching  of  John  the  Baptijl. 
 Matth.  xvii,  10 — 13.  Nor  will  there  be  any 
 5  Want 
 
314         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  4. 
 
 Want  of  an  extraordinary  Teacher  or  Prophet, 
 to  reftore  Parental  and  Filial  Affe5iion  among  Men, 
 when  every  Heart  will  glow  with  the  divine  Prin- 
 ciple of  Chrifiian  Love  and  Charity. 
 
 In  fhort,  the  World,  without  any  other  Sign 
 or  Signs,  will  be  fufficiently  warned  and  convin- 
 ced of  its  approaching  End  by  the  fignal  Execu- 
 tion of  God's  Vengeance  on  the  rebellious  Na- 
 tions from  the  four  ^iarters  of  the  Earth  -,  the  Pro- 
 phecy of  their  Deftrudion  being  the  lajl,  before 
 That  of  the  general  Refurre^ion  and  Judgment.^ 
 recorded  by  St.  John. 
 
 SECTION      IV. 
 
 Of  the  Person  and  Appearance  of  our  heavenly 
 Judge. 
 
 TH  E  Way  thus  prepared,  I  go  on  to  con- 
 fider  the  great  Scripture -Do£lrine  of  the 
 fudgment  of  Mankind  by  Jefus  Chrifi  -,  and  begin 
 with  the  Person  and  Appearance  of  That 
 heavenly  Judge  :  When  the  Son  of  Manfliall  come 
 in  his  Glory,  and  all  the  holy  Angels  with  him,  then 
 fhall  he  fit  upon  the  Throne  of  his  Glory.  Matth. 
 XXV.  gi. 
 
 That  God  will^W^^  the  World,  will  take  Cog- 
 aifance  of  our  Behaviour  in  this  Life,  in  Order 
 
 to 
 
Sea.  4.     "The  Judgment  of  Mankind.      3 1 5 
 
 to  reward  or  punijh  us  in  another,  is  a  plain  Dic- 
 tate of  Reafon  and  Nature,  founded  in  the  Con- 
 fideration  of  Man  as  a  reafonahle  and  accountable 
 Creature  ' —  an  accouni^ible,  becaufe  a   reafonable^ 
 Creature.    But,  that  Gpd  will  exercife  Judgment 
 by  fome  appointed  Minifier  of  Divine  Juftice,  a 
 delegated  Judge,  and  That  in  the  Way  oi^folemn 
 Procefs,  is  a  Truth,  which  nothing  but  an  exprefs 
 Revelation  from  Heaven  could  have  difcovered 
 -    to  us  •,  fuch  a  Method  of  divine  Judgment  appear^- 
 ing,  to  the  Eye  of  Human  Reafon,  to  intrench 
 on  an  incommunicable  Prerogative  of  the  Almighty. 
 This,  however,    is  the  very  Method  of  Judg-^ 
 ment^  God  has   appointed  for  his  Creatures  of 
 the  Human  Race.     For  we  have  already  feen  *, 
 that  God  will  judge  the  World  in  the  Perfon  of 
 Jefus  Chrijl.     And,  when  we  confider,  that  this 
 fjigh  Commijfwner  of  the  Almighty,    this  Judgi 
 4elegate^  is  That  divine  Logos  or  Word,   which, 
 in  the  Beginnings  '^)as  with  God,  and  was  God  (John 
 i.  I.)  •,  That  Chriji,  in  whom  divelleth  all  the FuU 
 fiefs  of  the  Godhead  (Col.  ii.  9.)  \  and  That  Son  of 
 God,  who  is  the  Brighinefs  of  his  Father's  Glory^ 
 and  the  exprefs  Image  of  his  Perfon  (Heb.  i.  3.)  i 
 all  Prejudice  againft   thi^  Method  of  judging 
 the  World  muft  vanifh  from  our  Minds.     The 
 Prerogative  of  God  is  fecured  by  the  Divinity  of 
 Qhrijt :   For,  whether  the  World  be  judged  by 
 
 J  In  Sea,  II. 
 
 Go4 
 
3i6         Dissertation   III.     Scdl.  4. 
 
 God  the  Father,  or  God  the  Son,  ftill  it  is  God  thzt 
 judgeth.  And,  indeed,  the  Revelation  of  God*s 
 Purpofe  to  judge  the  World  by  the  Miniftry  of 
 his  beloved  Son  feems  to  have  been  made,  partly, 
 for  the  fake  of  declaring  his  Divinity.  For  St. 
 John  tells  us,  The  Father  judgeth  no  Man,  hut  hath 
 committed  all  Judgment  to  the  Son,  that  all  Men  fliould 
 honour  the  Son,  even  as  they  honour  the  Father.  John 
 V.  22,  23.  Which  Declaration,  as  it  refpefls 
 the  Duty  of  paying  the  fame  divine  fVorfliip  to 
 the  Son  as  to  the  Father,  contains  a  very  good 
 Reafon,  why  God  has  made  known  to  us  the 
 Appointment  oijefus  Chriji  to  be  xht  Judge  oi 
 the  World  ;  but  leaves  us  ftill  unacquainted 
 with  the  Grounds  and  Reafons  of  That  Appoint- 
 ment. 
 
 Mod  Writers  on  the  Subje6t  contend  for  the 
 abfolute  Necejfity  of  Chrijl*s  being  our  Judge, 
 Take  this  Dodlrine  in  the  Words  of  Dean  Sher- 
 lock. "  It  is  very  fitting  and  necejfary,  that  the 
 "  Saviour  of  Mankind  Oiould  be  their  Judge — 
 "  He  only  is  a  complete  and  perfed  Saviour, 
 "  who  has  the  Authority  to  judge,  to  pardon, 
 "  and  to  reward — He,  who  finally  pardons,  and 
 "  beftows  Heaven  on  us,  is  our  Saviour.  Chrifl: 
 "  might  have  been  our  Prophet,  our  Prieft,  and 
 "  our  Sacrifice,  without  being  our  Judge  -,  but 
 ♦*  he  could  not  have  been  our  Saviour  without 
 ♦*  it  —  The  Saviour  of  Sinners  muft  be  their 
 
 "  Judge, 
 
Std.  4-    ^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.      317 
 
 *'  Judge,  becaiife  we  are  not  aftually  faved,  till 
 *'  we  are  finally  judged  *.'* 
 
 But,  with  all  due  Deference  to  the  Sentiments 
 of  this  pious  Writer,  I  muft  confefs,  I  Tee  not 
 any  necejfary  Connexion  between  the  Charafters  of 
 a  Saviour  and  a  Judge  of  Mankind.  The  Ci^rif- 
 tian  Salvation  is  founded  in  the  Merits  of  Chrijl^ 
 or  the  great  expiatory  Sacrifice  of  his  Death  upon 
 the  Crofs.  The  Judgment  is  only  declarative  of 
 That  Salvation  to  the  Righteous,  and  of  the 
 Lofs  or  Forfeiture  of  it  to  the  Wicked.  And, 
 furely,  whether  God  judge  the  World  with^  or 
 without^  the  Miniltry  of  his  beloved  Son  ;  whether 
 we  fhall  be  judged  in  the  Way  of  a  public,  formal 
 Procefs,  or  the  Decrees  of  God's  Jiiftice  be  made 
 known  to  us  in  the  Execution  of  them  only  ;  the 
 Value  of  the  great  Cbrifiian  Sacrifice  mufl  be 
 equally  the  fame,  and  operate  with  equal  Efficacy 
 to  the  Salvation  of  good  Chriftians.  In  fhort, 
 He  is  a  complete  and  perfect  Saviour,  who  fupplies 
 us  (as  Jefus  Chrifi  has  done)  with  all  the  aecef- 
 fary  Means. of  intitling  ourfelves  to  the  Happi- 
 nefs  of  the  Life  to  come. 
 
 And,  as  the  Appointment  ofjtfus  Chrifi  to  the 
 high  Office  o{ judging  the  JVorld  does  not  appear 
 to  be  founded  in  Neceffity,  fo  neither  is  it  (I  think) 
 to  be  confidered  as  the  Rezvard  of  That  Divine 
 
 ^  PraSical  DifcQurfe  on  a  future  Judgment,  13  th  ed.  Glafg. 
 175  I.  p.  203—205. 
 
 Perfon's 
 
3iB         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  4i 
 
 Perfon's  Humiliation  and  Sufferings.  Yet  in  thi$ 
 Light  it  is  confidered  by  moft  Writers  on  the 
 Subjedt.  Thus  the  pious  Bp.  Greene:  "  What 
 could  be  a  more  proper  Reward  to  the  cru- 
 cified Jefus,  for  the  Infamy  and  Death  which 
 he  underwent,  than  that  He,  who  was  him- 
 felf  judged  and  condemned  by  Sinners,  and 
 with  bitter  infulring  Scorn  nailed  upon  JtCrofs 
 between  two  Thieves,  fhould  have  full  Au- 
 thority given  him  to  fummon  all,  both  great 
 and  fmall,  to  appear  at  his  Bar,  and  receive 
 their  Sentence  at  his  Mouth  -,  than  that  his 
 Judge  and  Accufers,  and  all  the  Enemies  and 
 and  Defpifers  of  his  Crofs,  fhould  ftand  tremb- 
 ling before  him,  while  he  fits  upon  the  Throne 
 of  his  Glory  j  that  fo  the  Ignorniny  of  th^ 
 Crofs  fhould  be  removed  and  done  away  by 
 the  Glory  and  Triumph  of  the  laft  Judg- 
 ment '  ? "  It  is  true,  the  Judicial  Office  of  Cbriji 
 mult  be  confidered  as  a  Part  of  That  Exaltation^ 
 God  beftowed  on  him,  in  Confequence  of  his  Hu- 
 rmliation  and  Sufferings  *.  But  Exaltation  and  Re- 
 ward 
 
 "7  Four  Di/cour/es  en  the  four  laft  Things,  Lond.  1765.  p. 
 67.     See  alio  Dean  ^erlock^  ubi  Aipra,  p.  209 — 212. 
 
 8  Who,  being  in  the  Form  of  God,  thottght  it  not  Robbery  to  hi 
 equal  ■■u.-ith  God  :  But  made  him/elf  of  no  Reputatioft,  and  took 
 upon  him  the  Form  of  a  Servant,  and  'vjas  made  in  the  Likenefs 
 of  Men  :  And  being  found  in  fapion  as  a  Man,  he  huhibled 
 himfelf,  and  became  obedient  unto  Death,  even  the  Lkath  of  the 
 
 Crofs. 
 
Sed.  4*     ihe  Judgment  of  Mankind,      31^ 
 
 ward  are  not  the  fame  Thing,  nor  is  the  latter  al- 
 ways implied  in  the  former.  By  Re-ward^  muft  be 
 underftood  Something,  for  which  the  Being  re- 
 warded is  the  letter  or  the  happier  •,  and,  in  the 
 particular  Cafe  of  the  Son  of  God,  can  imply 
 nothing  lefs  than  additmrnl  Glory,  or  higher  Per- 
 fection of  Nature.  But,  what  Glory  can  exceed 
 That  Glory,  which  Chriji  had  with  his  Father  before 
 the  World  was  (John  xvii.  5.)  and  (fincc  his  Af- 
 cenfion  into  Heaven)  will  continue  to  have  thro' 
 all  Eternity  ?  What  greater  Perfection  of  Nature 
 can  belong  to  any  Being,  than  belongs  to  the 
 Son  of  God,  Himfelf  G(jJf'  In  a  Word,  infinitely 
 glorious,  perfeft,  and  happy  in  himfelf,  our 
 blefied  Redeemer  cannot  be  made  more  fo,  nor, 
 confequently,  be  rewarded,  by  any  nezv  Charrafter 
 or  Office,  how  great  and  glorious  foevtr,  re- 
 fpefling  the  Concerns  of  Human  Nature. 
 
 The  true  Grounds  or  Reefons  of  our  Lord's  Ap- 
 pointment to  the  high  Office  of  judging  ihe  World 
 feem  to  be  thefe  two  :  Firft,  The  feveral  Rela- 
 tions, he  Hands  in  to  Mankind,  as  their  Creator, 
 their  Redeemer,  and  their  Spiritual  Head  or  Ki,ng  : 
 Secondly,  His  Incarnation,  or  the  Union  of  the 
 
 Crofs.  Wherefore  God  al/o  hath  highly  txdXte^  him i  and 
 gi'ven  him  a  Name  <vjhich  is  aho've  e-very  Name  :  That  at  the 
 Naine  of  Jefus  euery  Knee  Jhould  homo,  of  Things,  in  Hea'ven, 
 and  Things  in  Earth,  and  Things  under  the  Earth  ;  and  that 
 every  Tongue  Jhould  confefs,  that  Jefus  Chriji  is  Lsrd,  to  the 
 Clorj  of  God  the  Father,  Phil.  ii.  6—11. 
 
 5  Divine- 
 
320  t)lSSERTATlON     IIL       Se6tj  4', 
 
 Divine  and  Human  Natures  in  his  Perfon  :  Which 
 two  Reafons  conflitute  (not  the  abfolute  Necrjfiiy^ 
 but)  the  extreme  Fitnefs  or  Propriety  of  the  Infti- 
 tution. 
 
 Firft,  It  is  highly ////»^  and  proper,  that  Chrift 
 lliould  be  our  Judge,  becaufe  of  the  feveral  Re- 
 lations he  {lands  in  to  Mankind,  as  their  Creator, 
 their  Redeemer^  and  their  Spiritual  Head  or  King. 
 He  was  the  appointed  Agent  of  the  Almighty, 
 in  the   Creation  of  the  Univerfe  :  For,   By  Him 
 (fays  St.  Raul)  were  all  'Things  created,  that  are  in 
 Heaven,  and  that  are  in  Earth,  vifible  and  invifible 
 — all  'Things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him.  Col. 
 i.  i6.     By  taking  upon  him  the  gracious  Office 
 of  Mediator  between  God  and  (fallen)  Men  (i  Tim. 
 ii.  5.)  he  became  the  Author  of  eternal  Salvation 
 to  all  them  that  obey  him.  Heb.  v.  9.     And,  in 
 Confequence  of  his   being  the  Creator  and  the 
 Redeemer  of  Mankind,  God  hath  put  all  Things 
 under  his  Feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  the  Head  over 
 all  Things  to  the  Church,  which  is  his  Body.  Eph. 
 i.  22,  23. 
 
 And,  Is  it  not,  in  the  higheft  Degree,  fitting 
 ■and  proper,  that  He,  who  gave  us  Being,  deliver- 
 ed us  from  Sin  and  Mifery,  and  rules  us  by  the 
 Ivaws  of  his  bleOed  Gofpel,  fhould  judge  us  lot 
 our  Obedience  or  Difobedience  to  his  Divine 
 Will?  The  Connexion  between  thefe  feveral 
 Offices  of  Chrijl  Jefus,  tho'  not  neceffcry,  has  its 
 Foundation  in  Nature.     It  was  natural^  that  the 
 
 Creator 
 
S€(5l.  4-     ^he 'Judgment  of  Mankind,     321 
 
 Creator  of  Mankind  fhould  interpofe,  xo  fave  his 
 Creatures  from  everlafting  Deftrudion.  It  was 
 natural^  that  the  Redeemer  fhould  acquire  fu- 
 preme  Authority  over  (his  proper  Purchafe) 
 the  redeemed.  Nor  is  it  lefs  natural,  that  the 
 Powers  of  Creation  and  Redemption  fhould  termi- 
 nate in  That  oi  Judgment.  Thus  we  fee  the  feve- 
 ral  Relations  of  the  Son  of  God  to  the  Sons  of  Men 
 fucceeding  each  other,  v/ith  admirable  Order  and 
 Propriety,  thro'  a  Series  of  Ages,  from  the  Be- 
 ginning to  the  End  of  Time. 
 
 Secondly,  It  is  highly  fitting  and  proper,  that 
 Chrijl  fhould  be  our  Judge,  on  Account  of  his 
 Incarnation,  or  the  Union  of  the  Divine  and  Hu^ 
 man  Natures  in  his  Perfon.  This  he  himfelf  di- 
 redtly  afTerts.  For,  The  Father  (fays  he)  has 
 given  Authority  to  the  Son  to  execute  Judgment,  he- 
 caufe  he  is  the  fon  of  Man,  John  v.  26,  27.  And 
 hence  it  is,  that,  wherever,  in  Scripture,  he  is 
 fpoken  of  as  Judge  of  the  world,  he  is  ufually 
 ftiled  Alan,  or  the  Son  of  Man ;  as,  He  hath  ap- 
 pointed a  Day,  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the  World 
 in  Righteoufnefs  by  That  Man,  whom  he  hath  or- 
 dained, &c.  (A(Sts  xvii.  31.)  and,  When  the  Son 
 of  Man  fJiall  come  in  his  Glory,  and  all  the  holy 
 Angels  with  him,  then  fhall  he  fj  upon  the  Throne 
 of  his  Glory.  Matth.  xxv.  32. 
 
 The  Propriety  (I  had  almoft  faid,  the  Neceffity) 
 
 of  our  being  judged  by  the  Son  of  Man  (as  well  as 
 
 ef  God)  is  founded,  chiefly,  in  the  Nature  of  the 
 
 Y  Chrijlian 
 
322  Dissertation  III.      Se6t.  4, 
 
 Chriftian  Difpenfation^  confidered  as  a  Difpenfa- 
 tion  of  Mercy ^  a  Relaxation  of  the  Divine  Juftice 
 (if  I  may  fo  fpeak)  in  favour  of  God's  finful  Crea- 
 tures. This  Mercy  God  was  pleafed  to  convey 
 to  Mankind  by  Means  of  an  Incarnate  Saviour^ 
 and  therefore  has  appointed  That  Redeemer 
 (made  FleJIi)  to  make  the  final  Declaration  of 
 That  Mercy  to  they^T;^^  of  Mankind,  in  Quality 
 of  their  incarnate  Judge. 
 
 One  principal  Ground  of  this  whole  CEconomy 
 feems  to  be  pointed  out  by  the  Apoftle  to  the  He- 
 brews, in  thofe  Words :  We  have  not  an  High- 
 friejl^  which  cannot  be  touched  with  the  Feeling  of 
 our  Infirmities  ;  but  was  in  all  Points  tempted  like  as 
 ive  are,  yet  zvithout  Sin.  Let  us  therefore  come  bold- 
 ly to  the  'Throne  of  Grace,  that  we  may  obtain  Mer- 
 cy, and  find  Grace  to  help  in  'Time  of  Need ^  Heb.  iv. 
 15,  16.  The  Apoftle  builds  our  Truft  and 
 Confidence  in  the  divine  Goodnefs,  for  the  Re- 
 lief of  our  NecefTities,  on  That  Feeling  of  our  In- 
 firmities^ That  fympaihelic  Senfe  of  our  Weak- 
 nefles  and  our  Wants,  which  the  Son  of  God  ac- 
 quired, by  taking  upon  him  our  Nature,  with  all 
 it's  Infirmities,  Sin  only,  or  our  Pronenefs  to 
 Moral  Evil,  excepted.  Now,  as  a  Fellow -Feeling 
 of  Want  or  Infirmity  of  any  Kind  is  a  natural 
 Source  of  Pity  and  Compaffion  in  the  Human 
 Mind,  it  muft  produce  the  fame  Efi^efb  in  the 
 Mindof  Chrifl,  as  the  Son  of  Man.  And,  as  Pity 
 and  Compaffion  ftrongly  incline  Men  to  afford 
 
 Help 
 
Se(5l.  4.     ^he  judgment  of  Mankind,     323 
 Help  or  Affiftance  to  their  Fellow- Creatures,  in 
 their  DiftrelTes  or  'time  of  Need-,  our  compaffionate 
 Higb-prieji,  we  may  be  fure,  wants  no  Inclination 
 to  fuccour  us  in  our  Spiritual  Diftreflfes,  the  Times 
 of  our  ai-ezit&iNsed.  And  from  this  Confideration 
 St.  P^z// encourages  Chrillians  to  come  boldly  to  the 
 throne  of  Grace,  to  offer  up  their  Prayers  to  God  and 
 Chrifi^  in  full  Affurance  oi obtaining  That  Mercy,  and 
 findiiig  That  Grace,  they  ftand  fo  much  in  need  of. 
 Here,  then,  we  fee  an  admirable  Connedion 
 between  the  Appointment  of  an  incarnate  Judge 
 and  the  great  End  of  the  Chriftian  Difpenfation, 
 the  Salvation  of  Sinners.     Jefus  Chrift  will  come 
 to  judge  the  IVorld  cloathed  with  That  Body  he 
 carried  with    him   into   Heaven  •,    and,    confe- 
 quently,  will  bring  with  him  That  Feeling  of  our 
 Infirmities  he  contrafted  by  aifuming  our  Nature 
 upon  Earth.     Hence  he  will//  upon  the  throne  of 
 his  Glory  a  compcffionate,    as  well  as  a  righteous 
 fudge  •,  tempering  the  Rigors  of  extreme  Juflice 
 with    the    Softenings  of  relenting  Mercy.      Nor 
 fhall  we  think  fuch  Exercife  of  M^r^'  towards 
 Sinners  inconfiftent  with  the  (tricteft  Demands  of 
 Jufiice,  when  we  confider,  that  our  heavenly  Judge 
 himfelf,  thro'  whom  we  receive  Mercy,  has  pro- 
 vided a  fufficient  Jtonetnent  for  Original  Sin  or 
 our   natural   Depravity,    and  an  Equivalent   for 
 (what  is  irrecoverably  loft)  perfe^  hnocence  and 
 iinfinning  Obedience. 
 
 ■    Before  I  proceed,  it  may  not  be  im,proper  to 
 
 .take  Notice,  here,  of  the  Reafons,  afngned  by  Dr. 
 
 y  2  Sherlock^ 
 
334         Dissertation    III.     Sed.  4, 
 
 Sherlock^  for  the  V'lfihility  of  the  future  Judgment 
 or  the  vifihle  Apparance  of  Chrijiy  as  the  Judge 
 of  Mankind.  "  It  is  very  fitting"  (fays  that  pi- 
 ous "Writer)  "  that  the  World  Hiould  be  vifibly 
 "  judged;  for  without  this,  all  the  Pomp  and 
 "  Triumph  of  the  Judgment,  nay,  fome  of  the 
 "  principal  Ends  of  Judgment,  are  loft.  God 
 "  judges  the  World  in  fo  public  a  Manner,  to 
 "  convince  the  World  of  his  Power,  andjuftice, 
 "  and  Goodnefs,  in  the  final  Deftruction  of  all 
 "  bad  Men,  and  in  the  final  Rewards  of  Virtue. 
 
 "  Bad  Men  muft  know  for  what  they  are 
 
 "  judged,  and  fee  the  Hand  that  executes  Ven- 
 "  geance  on  them.  •,  or,  for  ought  I  know,  they 
 "  might  go  Atheifts  and  Infidels  to  Hell,  and 
 "  fee  no  more  of  God  in  a  fired  World,  than 
 "  they  do  in  Plague,  or  Sword,  or  Famine,  or 
 "  fuch  other  Judgments  as  God  fends  upon  the 
 
 ^'  Earth So  that  it  is  necelTary  that  the  laft 
 
 "  Judgment  fhould  be  executed  by  a  viftbk 
 "  Judge^  that  it  may  not  be  thought  the  Effedt 
 "  of  Chance  and  Accident,  or  Fate,  but  the  Re- 
 "  fult  of  the  divine  Wifdom  and  Council  '.** 
 Thefe  Reafons,  I  cannot  but  fay,  appear  to  me 
 to  be  no  Reafons  at  all.  For,  when  God  rewards 
 the  Righteous  in  Heaven,  or  punifhes  the  Wrick- 
 ed in  Hell,  whether  he  does  h  in  Confequencc 
 of  a  'uiftble  or  invifible  Judgment^  it  is  impoflible, 
 his  Rational  Creatures  fhould  not  be  "  convin- 
 "  ced  of  his  Power,  and  Juftice,  and  Goodnefs." 
 
 9  Prad'ual  Di/ccur/et  &c.  p.  216—218. 
 
 And, 
 
Scdl.  4.     The  Judgment  of  Mankind.     325 
 
 And,  as  to  the  Wicked  in  particular,  their  Con- 
 fciences  will  tell  them  "  for  what  they  are  judg- 
 "  ed  "  and  condemned  ;  and  they  will  "  fee 
 "  enough  of  God,"  in  the  Severity  of  their  Pu- 
 nifhment,  to  cure  them  of  Atheifm  and  Infidelity, 
 and  fatisfy  them,  it  is  not  "  Accident  and  Chance, 
 *'  or  Fate,"  but  the  "  Hand'*  of  an  angry  God, 
 "  that  executes  Vengeance  on  them." 
 
 But,  to  proceed  : 
 
 The  Appearance  of  our  heavenly  Judge  will  be 
 inexprefTibly  grand  and  magnificent.  His  Defcent 
 from  Heaven,  attended  with  the  whole  calefiial 
 Hierarchy  oi  Angels  and  Archangels  \  and  his  ^t^- 
 fion  on  the  Throne  of  his  Glory  or  his  glorious 
 Throne  -,  will  furnifh  out  a  Spedlacle  beyond  the 
 Power  of  the  warmeft  Imagination  to  form  any 
 juft  Conception  of. 
 
 The  Perfi)nal  Glory  of  Chrijl  will  arife,  chiefly, 
 from  the  Splendor  of  his  own  glbrious  Body  ;  a 
 Body  exceedingly  luminous  and  radiant,  even  be- 
 yond the  Brightnefs  of  the  Sun  itfelf  \  Such 
 Splendor,  indeed,  would  be  too  dazzlino-  for 
 mortal  Eyes.,  fuch  as  we  now  fee  with  ;  but  not 
 for  the  Powers  of  Sight  belonging  to  our  Spiritual 
 Refurre^ion-Bodies.  To  thefe  the  vaft  Effulgence 
 of  our  Redeemer's  glorious  Body  will  be,  not  only 
 fufferable,  but,  if  we  have  Caufe  to  love  his  Ap- 
 pearing (2  Tim.  iv.  8.),  exceedingly  delightful. 
 
 '   See  Diferi.  II.  Se£i.  VI. 
 
 Y3  To 
 
326         Dissertation   III.     Sed.  4. 
 
 To  which  muft  be  added,  the  fplendid  Appear- 
 ance of  the  Angelic  Hojl,  whole  radiant  Forms 
 will  ftrike  the  Spedator's  Eye  with  a  Glory  infe- 
 rior only  to  That  of  their  heavenly  Leader. 
 
 Thefe  illuftrious  Attejidants   of  the  heavenly 
 Judge,  it  is  reafonable  to  think,  will  fervc,  not 
 barely  to  form  his  'Train,  and  augment  the  Splen' 
 dor  of  his  Appearance,  but  to  carry  on  the  Pro- 
 ceedings of  the  great  Day.     1  hey  are  minijlring 
 Spirits  (Heb.  i.  I4.)5  Meffengers  and  Agents  of 
 the  Almighty  •,  and  we  find  them,  in  the  Scrip- 
 tures of  Both  lejiaments,  employed  on  a  Variety 
 of  Bulinefs,  refpefting  God's   Providential  Go- 
 vernment of  the  VN^orld.    And  (hall  they  be  idle  on 
 this  great  Occafion  ?  No,  furely.     There  will  be 
 Employment  for  them  ;  and  our  Saviour  him- 
 felf  feems  to  have  pointed  it  out,  in  applying  the 
 Parable  of  the  Net  caji  into  the  Sea  :  So  //mil  it  he 
 at  the  End  of  the  World  ^  the  Angels  fliall  come  forth, 
 and  fe'uer  the  wicked  from  among  thejiifi  •,  and  f hall 
 cafl  them  into  the  Furnace   of  Fire  -,    there  fliall 
 he  wailmg  and  gnafliing  of  Teeth.  Matth.  xiii.  49, 
 p^o.     Thele  Spiritual  Miniflers  of  God  and  of  Chrifl 
 will  be  employed,  at  the  laft  Day,  in  marfJmlling 
 the  vaft  AiTembly  of  iVIankind,  dividing  them 
 into  thofe  on  the  right  Hand^  and  thofe  on  the  left 
 (lb.  XXV.  32.),  of  their  heavenly  Judge;  and,  after 
 Sentence  paffed,  in  conduoling  the  Righteous  and 
 the  Wicked  feverally  to  their  refpedive  Manfions 
 of  Reward  and  Punilhment. 
 
 One 
 
Sed.  4.     ^he  "Judgment  of  Mafikind.     327 
 
 One  Circumftance  of  our  Saviour's  Ghry^  at 
 the  laft  Day,  will  be,  his  Throne  :  He  Jhalljit  upon 
 the  Throne  of  his  Glory.  But,  What  Throne  ?  Not 
 improbably,  a  Throne  of  Clouds.  As  thefe  natu- 
 rally float  in  the  Jir  or  Atmofphere,  into  which 
 Chrijl  will  defend^  and  where  he  will  be  met  by 
 his  faithful  Difdples,  partly  raifed  from  the  dead, 
 and  partly  living  at  That  Time,  and  caught  up 
 in  the  Clouds  for  That  Purpofe  ( i  ThelT.  iv.  1 6, 
 17.);  the  Clouds^  I  fay,  feem  to  be  Materials 
 ready  at  Hand,  for  compofing  the  Throne  or 
 Judgment-Seat  of  Chriji;  which,  illumined  by  the 
 tranfcendent  Radiancy  of  his  glorious  Body,  fitting 
 or  reclining  on  it,  will  be  (what  the  Evangeliil 
 calls  it)  the  Throne  of  his  Glory  or  his  glorious 
 Throne.  And  we  fliall  the  more  readily  admit 
 of  fuch  a  Throne,  when  we  confider,  that  all  the 
 vifible  Appearances  of  theLcr^^,  recorded  in  the 
 Old  Tejlament,  were  in  a  Cloud.  Thus,  The  Chil- 
 dren of  Ifrael  looked  toward  the  IVildernefs,  and  be- 
 hold, the  Glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the  Cloud. 
 Exod.  xvi.  10.     A  Cloud  covered  the  Mount,  and 
 
 r 
 
 the  Glory  of  the  Lord  abode  upon  Mount  Sinai  — ■ 
 and  he  called  unto  Mofes  out  of  the  midfi  of  the  Cloud, 
 lb.  xxiv.  15,  1 6.  And  he  defended  in  the  Cloudy 
 sndjiocd  with  him  there.  lb.  xxxiv.  5. 
 
 Y  4  SEC 
 
328         Dissertation   III.     Se(fl.  5^ 
 
 * 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 Of  the  Objects  of  the  future  Judgment, 
 
 FROM  confidering  the  Perfon  and  Appearance 
 of  our  heavenly  Judge  (That  divine  Perfon, 
 who  became  Man  to  redeem  us,  and,  as  Man, 
 will  ftt  in  Judgment  on  us)  let  us  beftow  a  little 
 Attention  on  the  OhjeSls  of  the  future  Judgment. 
 "Before  him  fhall  he  gathered  all  Nations  •,  and  l)e 
 fhall  feparate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  Shepherd 
 divide th  his  Sheep  from  the  Goats  :  And  he  ffiall  fet 
 the  Sheep  on  his  right  Hand,  hut  the  Goats  on  the 
 left.  Matth.  xxy.  32,  33. 
 
 That,  by  All  Nations,  our  Saviour  muft  be 
 underllood  to  mean,  'The  whole  Race  of  Mankind, 
 from  the  Beginning  to  the  End  of  Time  (All 
 that  ever  lived,  as  well  as  All  that  fhall  be  then 
 living,  upon  the  Face  of  the  Earth)  is  evident 
 from  other  Declarations  of  holy  Scripture  -,  fuch 
 as.  All  that  are  in  the  Graves  fliall  hear  his  Voice ^ 
 and  JJiall  come  forth.  John  v,  28. — We  muft  All 
 ft  and  hefore  the  Judgment-Seat  ofChriJl.  2  Cor.  v. 
 10. — I  faw  the  dead,  fniall  and  great,  ft  and  hefore 
 God.  Rev.  XX.  12.  Nor  is  it  lefs  clear,  from  the 
 Reafon  and  Nature  of  Things,  that  the  Judgment 
 mult  be  univerfal.  For  Men  have  been,  at  aU 
 Times  -and  in  all  Placeg,  reafcnahle,  and,  confe- 
 
 quently. 
 
Sedt.  5-  The  Judgment  of  Mankind,  329 
 quently,  accountaUe^  Creatures,  and  will  be  fo 
 to  the  End  of  the  World  ;  and  are  All,  there- 
 fore,  equally  obnoxious  to  the  Juftice  and  Judg- 
 ment of  God.  Nor  is  any  Man  too  high  or  too 
 low,  too  rich  or  too  poor,  too  young  or  too  old, 
 to  Jiand  before  the  Judgment-Seat  of  Chrijl. 
 
 It  is,  true,  indeed,  the  Proceedings  of  the  Day 
 
 of  Judgment,  as  defcribed  by  our  Saviour,  feem 
 
 to   concern   Chrijlians  only  -,  the  refpedive  Sen^ 
 
 fences  of  Reward  and  Punifhment  being  repre- 
 
 fented   as   depending   on    the   Performance   or 
 
 Omiffion  oi  good  Works,  or  Acts  of  Kindnefs  and 
 
 Mercy  towards  the  indigent  and  neceflltous  Bre^ 
 
 thren  of  Chrift  :   Inafmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
 
 one  of  the  leafl  of  thefe  my  Brethren,  ye  have  done  it 
 
 unto  me  •,   and,  Inafmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of 
 
 the  leafl  of  thefe,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.   Matth.  xxv. 
 
 40,  45.     A  Circumftance,  which  cannot  belong 
 
 to  the  good  Works  of  an  Heathen  Man,  or  one 
 
 that  never  heard  of  Chrijl  -,   fuch  Perfons   (and 
 
 there  will  have  been  many  Millions  of  them  in 
 
 the  World)   having  never  had  it  in  their  Power 
 
 to  difcharge  the  Offices  of  Humanity  with  any 
 
 Reference   to   the  Saviour  of  the  World.     This, 
 
 therefore,  may  be  thought  an  Objeftion  to  th? 
 
 Univerfality  of  the  Judgment  of  Mankind  by  Jefus 
 
 Chrijl. 
 
 But  the  Objedion  is  of  no  Force,  being  ob- 
 viated by  our  Saviour  himfelf,  in  aiTuring  us, 
 that  before  him  flicill  be  gathered  all  Nations.   And, 
 
 in 
 
530         Dissertation   III.     Secffc.  5. 
 
 in  other  PafTages  of  Scripture  refpetSting  the  Judg- 
 fiient^  the  Reader  muft  have  obferved,  that  the 
 Rewards  and  Punifhments  of  the  Life  to  come 
 are  annexed  to  the  good  and  bad  Behaviour  of 
 thejud^cd,  without  any  Reilriclion  of  the  Judgment 
 to  the  Clafs  of  Believers  in  Chriji,  All  that  can 
 be  inferred  from  the  Ground  of  the  Objedion, 
 as  it  refpedls  the  Obje^s  of  the  Judgment^  is,  that 
 cur  Saviour's  Dcfcription  of  it  is  fo  far  imperfe^^ 
 as  it  gives  us  no  Account,  How  God  will  deal 
 with  Unbelievers  at  the  laft  Day.  Nor  was  it  ne- 
 ceilliry  or  expedient  that  it  fhould.  The  Reve- 
 lation of  God's  Purpofe  to  Judge  the  PForld  is 
 piade  to  Chrifiians,  and  the  Dcfcription  of  it  an- 
 fwers  all  the  Ends  of  the  Revelation.  Had  it 
 been  never  fo  complete^  it  could  have  been  of  no 
 Ufe  to  thofe  that  never  heard  of  ChriJI  :  and,  in- 
 tompkte  as  it  is,  it  is  fulticiently  ufeful  to  Cbrif- 
 tians,  as  they  learn  from  it.  How  they  them- 
 felves  fhall  be  dealt  with  by  the  Judge  of  all  thf 
 Earth,  But  the  Cafe  of  Unbelievers^  as  Obje^s 
 of  the  General  Judgment^  will  be  particularly  con- 
 fidercd  under  the  following  Section. 
 
 It  is  clear,  then,  that  the  Judgnunt  of  Man- 
 kind  by  Jefus  Chriji  will  be  Univerfal,  or  have  for 
 its  ObJeSls  the  whole  Human  Species^  of  every  Age, 
 and  of  £  very  Nation  and  Country,  of  the  World. 
 
 There  is  no  DifBcuky  in  conceiving.  How 
 ■the  Whole  Human  Species  may  be  colk^ed  to- 
 .<!:ether,    from  the  various  Parts  of  the  Earth, 
 
 where 
 
Sed,  5-     The  Judgment  of  Mankind,      331 
 
 where  they  Ihall  be  raifed  from  the  dead.  The 
 Miniftry  of  the  attendant  Angels  is  abundantly  ; 
 fufficient  for  this  Purpofe.  But,  how  iliall  fuch 
 an  immenfe  Multitude 7?^;?^,  All  at  one  Time, 
 before  the  Judgment-Scat  of  Cbrifl,  fo  as  to  be  fe- 
 parated  into  two  Divijions,  the  one  on  the  right 
 Hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left,  of  their  heav^enly 
 Judcre  ?  Where  fhall  we  find  a  commodious  Place 
 for  the  Reception  of  fo  vaji  an  JJfembly?  Is  there 
 any  Ridge  of  Mountains  long  enough,  any  Val- 
 ley or  Plain  extenfive  enough,  any  R'gion  of  the 
 Earth  fpacious  enough,  oris  the  £^r/^  itfelf  large 
 enough,  to  contain  the  many  Millions^  of  which 
 a  general  Affemhly  of  Mankind  muft  confifl  ? 
 
 I  anfwer :  If,  upon  a  juft  Eftimate  of  the  Num- 
 hers  of  Mankind,  from  the  Beginning  to  the  End 
 of  the  World  (fuppofing  7000  Years  to  be  the 
 Term  of  the  World's  Duration)  and  of  the  Di- 
 menfions  of  the  Earth,  or  the  Number  of  fqiiare 
 Tards  contained  in  its  Area  or  Superficies,  it  ap- 
 pears, that  One  Thoufandth  Part  of  the  Surface  of 
 this  T'erreflrial  Globe  is  fufficient  to  contain  all 
 the  Human  Creatures  that  ever  lived  and  died 
 upon  it,  allowing  "each  Individual  a  Tard  fquare 
 to  ftand  upon  *  i  the  Difficulty  vaniflies :  There 
 
 is 
 
 ^  Computing  by  an  Eillaiatc  of  ihe  A'«/«^^rj  of  M^a^/W 
 that  may  reafonably  be  fuppofed  to  be  living  at  one  time 
 upon  the  Face  of  the  Earth,  and  of  the  Number  of  Generations 
 at  a  Medium  during  a  Cov.rfe  of  7000  Years  (the  Particulars 
 
 of 
 
332  Dissertation  III.      Sedl.  5.' 
 
 is  Room  and  to  fpare,  in  One  of  the  EariFs  He- 
 mfpberes,  for  a  vaftly  larger  AfTembly,  than  That 
 of  ^il  Mankind.     But,  to  proceed  : 
 
 The  Circumftance  of  our  Saviour's  feparaling 
 the  Nations  one  from  another^  as  a  Shepherd  dividetb 
 his  Sheep  from  the  Goats,  and  fetting  the  Sheep  on 
 his  right  Hand,  but  the  Goats  on  the  left,  calls  for 
 our  Attention  and  Confideration.  Mankind,  at 
 the  laft:  Day,  will  be  diftinguifhed  into  two  (and 
 but  two)  Claffes,  Thofe  of  the  Righteous  and  the 
 Wicked  •,  and  ranged,  accordingly,  on  the  one  or 
 the  other  Side  of  the  Throne  of  Chriji.  A  Dif- 
 iin^ion,  which  the  Hopes  of  the  Righteous,  and 
 the  Fears  of  the  Wicked,  will  naturally  interpret 
 as  a  previous  Notice  of  That  Sentence  of  Reward 
 and  Punifhment,  which  will  be  refpedively  pro- 
 nounced on  each. 
 
 Bur,  may  we  not  afk  :  Are  there,  then,  but 
 two  Sorts  of  Men  in  the  World  ?  Is  every  Man 
 either  a  Righteous  or  a  Wicked  Man  ?  Surely, 
 there  are  Multitudes  of  the  Human  Race,  who, 
 
 of  which  Computation  I  have  not  Room  to  fet  down)  I  find, 
 that  the  Sum  Total  of  the  Human  Species  may  be  eftimated, 
 in  the  Grofs,  at  (16,000,000,000)  Jjxteen  thoiifatid  Milliuns  \ 
 and  it  being  mathematically  certain,  that  the  Area  or  Superficies- 
 of  the  Globe  contains  nearly  (16,000,000,000,000)  Jixtctn 
 Millions  of  Millions  of  fquare  Yards ;  it  is  evident  from 
 thence,  that  the  Numbers  oi  Mankind  w'lW  be,  to  the  Numhcr 
 fi'i  fquare  Yards  on  the  Surface  of  the  Earth,  as  One  to  a  Thou- 
 fand. 
 
 ftri(5tiy 
 
Sea.  5 .  "the  Judgment  of  Mankind,  333 
 ftriaiy  Ipeaking,  belong  to  neither  of  thefe  Divi- 
 fions  ;  Perfons,  not  good  enough  to  be  claffed 
 with  the  Righteous,  nor  had  enough  to  be  ranked 
 with  the  Wicked;  Perfons,  whofe  Virtues  on  the  one 
 Hand  lofe  much  of  their  Merit  through  their  Vices 
 on  the  other,  or  whofe  Vices  on  the  one  Hand 
 are  not  a  little  compenfated  by  their  Virtues  on 
 the  other.     For  Inftance  : 
 
 A  Man  is  of  a  benevolent  and  charitable  Dif- 
 pofition,  and  employs  a  confiderable  Share  of 
 the  good  Things  God  has  given  him  in  feeding 
 the  hungry,  cloathing  the  naked,  vifiting  the 
 fick,  and  other  Afts  of  Kindnefs  and  Liberality 
 to  the  Poor.  According  to  the  Defcription  of  the 
 Judgment,  this  Man  is  One  of  the  Righteous. 
 But  fhall  we  think  him  properly  dajfed,  if  we  find, 
 that  he  is  much  addicted  to  Intemperance  an4 
 Leudnefs,  that  he  is  a  Drunkard  and  a  Whore- 
 mafter  ?  The  ftrongeft  Propenfity  to  thefe  Vices 
 is  fo  far  from  being  inconfiftent  with  the  moft 
 friendly  and  charitable  Difpofition,  that  it  is  often 
 found  in  Company  with  it.  But  Right eoufnefs, 
 in  the  flria  Senle  of  the  Word,  excludes  all  de- 
 liberate,  habitual,  Violations  of  God's  Laws. 
 Again  : 
 
 A  Man  is  of  a  felfilh,  ungenerous.  Temper, 
 feldom  or  ever  imparting  of  his  Subftance  for 
 the  Relief  of  the  indigent  and  neceffitous.  This 
 is  the  very  Charafter  of  the  IVicked,  in  the  De- 
 fcripticn  of  the  Judgment.     But  let  the  Man  be 
 
 \  ftridly 
 
334         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  5. 
 
 ftridtly  juft  and  boncji  in  all  his  Dealings,  a  Friend 
 where  his  Purfc  is  not  concerned,  and  addifted 
 to  none  of  the  grofler  Vices  and  Immoralities  •, 
 and  is  he  juftly  ranked  with  the  Wicked  ?  IVicked- 
 fiefs  implies,  not  only  the  Want  of  almoft  every 
 Kind  and  Degree  of  Moral  Virtue  and  Goodnefs, 
 but  a  general  Depravity  of  Manners,  and  a  Per- 
 petration of  the  moft  atrocious  Crimes  or  Offen- 
 ces again  ft  the  Laws  both  of  God  and  Man. 
 
 In  ihort,  theTermsi2f^^/(fcz//;?^/}and  Wickednefs, 
 m  Strictnefs  of  Speech,  exprefs  the  two  Extremes 
 of  Good  and  Evil  in  the  Moral  Charaolers  of  Men  : 
 Between  which  (Experience  fhews  us)  there  are 
 many  intermediate  Degrees  of  Both.  And  there- 
 fore there  are,  properly  fpeaking,  as  many  di- 
 ftin(5l  Clajfes  of  Mankind,  as  there  are  Degrees  of 
 Moral  Goodnefs  and  the  Want  of  it. 
 
 This  is  very  true  ;  and  it  is  certain,  that  Per*- 
 fons  of  every  Charader,  as  Moral  Beings,  will 
 fiand  before  the  Judgment-Seat  of  Chrijl ;  for,  all 
 Nations  fliall  be  gathered  before  him.  And,  when 
 we  confider,  that  there  will  be  Degrees  of  Reward 
 in  Heaven,  and  of  Puniffiment  in  Hell,  propor- 
 tioned to  the  different  Deferts  of  the  rewarded 
 and  punifiied  ',  we  fee  no  Impropriety  in  the 
 Diftribution  of  Mankind  into  but  two  Claffes^ 
 Thofe  of  the  Righteous  and  tiie  Wicked.  The 
 two  Extremes  may  very  well  imply  the  interme- 
 diate Degrees  \  and,  as  there  will  be  but  two  Places 
 
 3   See  Dijfertation  IV.  SeSilun  V. 
 
 of 
 
Sed.  5-    T^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.      335 
 
 of  final  Retribution^  Heaven  and  Hell,  there  are, 
 with  Refped  to  their  Place  of  Defiination,  hit  tii-o 
 Qajfes  of  Mankind  •,  Thofe,  whofe  Virtues,  out- 
 weio-hinp-  their  Vices,  will  entitle  them  to  the 
 Joys  of  Heaven  ;  and  thofe  v/hofe  Vices,  out- 
 weighing their  Virtues,  will  be  their  Condenrina- 
 tion  to  the  Pains  of  Hell. 
 
 Among  the  ObjeSs  of  the  General  Judgment^ 
 we  muft  not  omit  the  Devil  and  his  Angels.     For 
 St.  Peter  tells  us,  God  /pared  not  the  Angels  that 
 finned^  hut  caji  them  dozvn  to  Hell^  and  delivered 
 them  171  to  Chains  of  Darknefs,  to  be  referved  unto 
 Judgment.  2  Pet.  ii.  4.     And  St.  Jude  :  The  An- 
 gels., which  kept  not  their  firft  Efiate.,  but  left  their 
 own  Habitation.,    he   hath   refrved  in  everlafting 
 Chains  under  Darknefs^  unto  the  Judgment  of  the 
 great  Day.  Jude  6.     It  is  true,  St.  Peter  and  St. 
 Jude  are  fuppofed,  by  a  very  judicious  Writer*, 
 to  have  borrowed  this  Doftrine  from  an  antient 
 Hebrew  Book.,  then  in  Being.     But,  by  deliver- 
 ing it  as  their  own,  they  have  made  it  Matter  of 
 Chriftian  Revelation.     And,  indeed,  it  is  fo  conlb- 
 nant  to  Reafon,  that  xht  Arch-Rebel  againil  God, 
 with  his  wicked  AJfociates,  lliould  be  obnoxious 
 to  the  divine  Judgment  and  Jufiice,  that  the  Doc- 
 trine will  hardly  be  difputed. 
 
 But,  for  the  better  underllanding  it,    it  mud 
 be  obferved,  that,  though  the  Apoilles  rep.^efent 
 
 ♦  Bp.  Sherlock,  in  his  Dfjfertalion  on  the  Authoritj  of  the 
 2d  Ep.  of  St.  PetS7-,  fubjoined  to  his  Ufe  and  Intent  of  Prophecy 
 in  all  Agss  of  the  V/orld,  3d  Ed.  p.  188.  &c, 
 
 4  the 
 
336        Dissertation    III.     St^.  ^j 
 
 the  fallen  Angels  as  cafi  down  to  Hell^  and  delivered 
 into  Chains  ofDarknefs^  they  do  not  mean,  that 
 thofe  apoji ate  Spirits  have  already  taken  Pofleffion 
 of  thtiv  final ^  difmal^  Ahode^  or  are  already  plung- 
 ed into  the  Fire  prepared  for  their  Reception ; 
 becaufe  it  is  exprefly  faid,  that  they  are  referved 
 unto  the  Judgment  of  the  great  Lay :  whence  it  un- 
 deniably follows,  that  the  Devil  and  his  Angels 
 are  not  not  yet  judged,  nor  finally  puniflied;  it 
 being  contrary  to  the  Order  of  Nature,  that  Pu- 
 nifiiment  Ihould  precede,  or  take  place  before, 
 Judgment.  The  Greek  Word  laprapcotra?,  which 
 we  tranflate  cafi  down  to  Hell,  may  juftly  be  ren- 
 dered cafl  down  to  fome  infernal  or  inferior  Re- 
 gion of  the  Univerfe  -,  and,  by  Chains  of  Dark- 
 7ief,  may  be  underftood  the  Confinement  of  the 
 Devils  to  That  lower  and  dark  Region  {lower  and 
 dark,  compared  with  thofe  fupernal  Regions 
 of  Light  and  Glory,  from  which  they  fell)  fo  as 
 to  preclude  all  Hope  or  PofTibility  of  their  Ef- 
 cape  from  the  divine  Vengeance  hanging  over 
 them  *. 
 
 Nor  are  we  at  any  Lofs  to  determine  the  Place 
 of  their  prefent  Abode.  St.  Paul  calls  the  Devil 
 the  Prince  of  the  Power  of  the  Air^  the  Spirit  that 
 
 J  yir •  Mede  t\\mks,  that  TstprrfpfcVrff,  which  we  tranflate 
 caji  donx:n  to  Hell,  Ihould  rather  be  rendered  adjudged  to  Hel- 
 liflj  Torments ',  and  that  o-«/p«7f  ^o^y,  which  we  render  ijf 
 Chains  of  Darknefs,  Ihould  be  tran Hated  for  Chains  of  Datk- 
 ne/s.  Works,  fol.  Lond.  1672.  p.  23,  24. 
 
 now 
 
Sed:.  5*    The  Judgment  of  Mankind.       337 
 
 mw  worketh  in  the  Children  of  Difobedience.  Eph. 
 ii.  2.  And  St.  Peier  tells  us,  Our  Adverfary  the 
 Devil,  as  a  roaring  Lion,  walketh  about,  feeking 
 whom  he  may  devour.  1  Pet.  v.  8.  *Thefe  Apoftles 
 evidently  confider  the  Devil  and  his  Angels  as  re- 
 fiding,  for  the  prefent,  in  the  Air,  or  Atmofphere^ 
 and  upon  the  Surface,  of  the  Terreftrial  Globe ; 
 On  which  Account,  and  becaufe  of  their  mif- 
 chievous  Power  over  Mankind  7,  they  are  flyled, 
 by  ^x..  Paul,  the  Rulers  of  the  Darknefs  of  this  I^Vorld, 
 and  fpiritual  Wickednefs  (or,  wicked  Spirits)  in  high 
 (i.  e.  heavenly,  or  aerial)  Places.  Eph.  vi.  12. 
 
 But  the  Time  approaches,  when  thofe  De- 
 ceivers fliall  hQ  judged  in  common  with  the  Worldy 
 they  have  deceived.  Rev,  xii.  9.  and  receive  the 
 juft  Recompence  of  their  enormous  Guilt  in  the 
 
 ^  So,  in  the  Book  o^  Job  (i.  7.)  Satan  is  reprefented  as 
 going  io  and  fro  in  the  Earth,  and  nvalking  up  and  donvn  in  it, 
 
 7  The  following  Paffage  of  the  Re-velation,  fuppofing  it  to 
 allude,  backwards,  to  the  Rebellion  and  Fall  of  the  apojiate 
 Angels,  points  out  this  Earth  as  the  Place  of  their  prefent 
 Abode,  and  the  Scene  of  their  malicious  Attempts  againll 
 the  Human  P^ace.  There  nvas  JVar  in  Heaven  :  Michael  atid 
 his  Angels  fought  againji  the  Dragon,  and  the  Dragon  fought 
 and  his  Angels  ;  and  prenjailed  not,  neither  ivas  their  Place 
 found  any  more  in  Heaven.  And  the  great  Dragon  nxms  caji 
 out,  that  old  Serpent,  called  the  Devil  and  Satan,  'vuhich  de- 
 ceiveth  the  nvhole  ivorld :  He  ■zvas  caj?  into  the  Earth,  and  his 
 
 Angels  ^:ere  caji  out  nuith  him: PFo  to  the  Inhabit  ers  of  the 
 
 Earth  and  of  the  ^ea  ;  for  the  Devil  is  come  dovjn  unto  you, 
 hamng  great  Wrath,  becaufe  he  knov:eth  that  he  hath  hut  a  Jhort 
 Time,  Rev.  xii.  7—12. 
 
 Z  Fire 
 
33^         Dissertation  III.     Sed:.  6. 
 
 Fire  prepared  for  their  Reception  and  Punifhment, 
 Matth.  XXV.  41.  Whether  the  Judgment  of  the 
 Devil  and  his  Angels  will  precede  or  follow  That 
 of  Mankind^  is  a  Queftion  of  no  Importance  : 
 though  St.  John  the  Divine  feems  to  have  deter- 
 mined it,  v.'here,  having  related  the  Deftrudlion 
 of  Gog  and  Magog  (after  the  Conclufion  of  the 
 Millennium)  he  goes  on  to  declare  the  Punifh- 
 ment of  the  Devil  that  deceived  them  :  Who  is  caji 
 into  the  Lane  of  Fire  and  Brijnjlone,  where  theBeaJi 
 and  the  fafe  Prophet  are^  and  is  there  tormented 
 Diiy  and  Night  for  ever  and  ever.  After  which 
 immediately  follows  the  Vijion  of  the  lajl  Judg- 
 ment :  And  I faw  a  great  white  'Throne^  &c.  Rev. 
 XX.  10,  II.  From  whence  it  feems  not  impro- 
 bable, that  the  Devils  will  be  judged,  and  caft 
 into  the  Fire  of  Hell,  immediately  l^efore  the  Judg- 
 ment of  Mankind  ^     And,  indeed,  it  feems  but 
 
 p  It  may  be  objected  to  the  Ufe  I  here  make  of  St.  Johris 
 Vifioriy  that  the  Words,  n.i:here  the  Beaji  and  the  falfe  Prophet 
 are,  fcem  plainly  to  declare,  that  the  Beajl  and  the  falfe  Pro- 
 phet (the  Romijh  Hierarchy)  will  be  frf  cail  into  the  Lake  of 
 Fire,  and  the  Denjil  be  thrown  in  after  them.  But  th« 
 Reader  will  be  pleafed  to  obferve,  that  the  Word  are  is  print- 
 ed in  Italicks,  to  fhew,  that  there  is  no  Word  in  the  Origi- 
 nal toanfwer  it.  The  Greek  is  It'o  to  Qiioloi'  K)  o  ■^zuJ^O'Tr^o- 
 pi'm?;  where  the  Verb  is  underflood,  and  may  as  well  be 
 fupplied  by  one  in  the  future,  as  in  the  prefect  Tenfe  :  io  that 
 the  Greek  may  be  englijhed  by,  nvbere  the  Beafi  and  the  falf  Pro- 
 phet Jhall  be.  Which  entirely  removes  the  Objedlion  to  mj 
 Argument  from  the  Order  of  the  Vificm. 
 
 5  fitting, 
 
Se^ft.  6.     I'he  Judgfnent  of  Mankmd.     3^9 
 
 fitting,  that  thofe  wicked  Spirits^  for  whom  That 
 Fire  will  have  been  originally  prepared^  (liould 
 be  its  firjl  Occupants^  and  in  Pofieffion  of  their 
 curled  Inheritance,  before  the  Arrival  of  thofe 
 wicked  Meriy  who  fhall  be  fentenced  to  the  fame 
 Place  of  Torment, 
 
 SECTION     VI. 
 
 An  Enquiry  into  the  Grounds  or  Reasons  cf 
 the  Refpe8ive  Sentences  of  Reward  and 
 Punishment,  which  fhall  hepaffed  on  the  Righ- 
 teous and  the  Wicked  ;  Or^  what  Things 
 Mankind  will  be  accountabU  for  at  the  Day  of 
 judgment, 
 
 WERE  thisQueftion  to  be  determined  onl/ 
 by  our  Saviour's  Befcription  of  the  Judg- 
 ment^ we  mud  conclude,  that  we  are  anfwerable 
 to  God  for  nothing  but  the  Exercife  or  Negle5l  of 
 Charity^  in  the  Senfe  of  feeding  the  hungry, 
 cloathing  the  naked,  and  vifiting  the  fick  and 
 imprifoned.  For,  no  other  Mm/,  than  That  of 
 having  performed  thefe  kind  Offices^  is,  There, 
 imputed  to  the  Righteous  \  no  other  Demerit^ 
 than  That  of  having  omitted  them,  is  laid  to  the 
 Charge  of  the  Wicked.  Come^  ye  hkffed  of  my 
 Z  '2  Father^ 
 
340  Dissertation  III.     Se6l.  6, 
 
 Father^  &c.  for  I  was  an  htingred,  and  ye  gave  me 
 Meat^  &c. — Depart  from  me,  ye  curfed,  &c.  for  I 
 was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no  Meat.  &c.  But 
 Here,  as  well  as  with  Refpedt  to  the  Ohje^s  of 
 the  general  Judgment,  our  Saviour's  Defcription 
 is  manifeftly  (and,  no  Doubt,  defignedly)  im- 
 pcrfe^. 
 
 For,  What  is  it,  that  makes  us  anfwerable  to 
 God  for  any  One  A6lion  of  our  Lives  ?  Is  it  not 
 That  Reafon  and  Liberty,  which  conltitute  us 
 Moral  Beings?  And  are  not  Reafon  and  Liberty 
 concerned  in  every  Moral  A6lion  we  perform  ? 
 Every  Moral  Adion,  therefore,  is  cognifable  by 
 the  Author  of  our  Being.  We  cannot  reafon - 
 ably  fuppofe,  that  God  has  annexed  the  Rewards 
 of  Futurity  to  One  Virtue,  and  its  Punifliments  to 
 One  Sin,  with  Exclufion  to  all  the  reft.  No,  Rea- 
 fon tells  us,  that  not  one  Part  only,  but  the 
 Whole,  of  our  Moral  ConduU  will  be  the  Ground 
 of  our  Sentence  to  Life  eternal  or  everlafting  Pu- 
 nifhment. 
 
 And  This  is,  evidently,  the  Doflrine  of  the 
 Gofpel.  When  our  Saviour  tells  us,  that  All  that 
 are  in  the  Graves  fJiall  hear  his  Voice,  and  fliall  come 
 forth,  they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  RefurreElion 
 of  Life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  Re- 
 furreBion  of  Damnation  (John  v.  28,  29.);  and  St. 
 Paul,  that  We  mufi  all  appear  before  the  Judgment- 
 Seat  of  Chrijl,  that  every  one  may  receive  the  1'hings 
 
 done 
 
Sed.  6.     T^he  'Judgment  of  Mankind,     341 
 
 done  in  his  Body,  according  to  Thai  he  hath  done^ 
 whether  it  be  good  or  bad  (2  Cor.  v.  10.) ;   neither 
 Chriji  nor  his  Apojile  refer  to  any  particular  Ac- 
 tion, or  Species  of  Adion,  but  to  the  Condud 
 of  Human  Life  in  general.     Agreeable  to  which 
 is  the  Dodrine  of  the  Royal  Preacher  :  God  JJiall 
 bring  every  Work  into  Judgment,  with  every  fecret 
 Thing,  whether   it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil, 
 Eccl.  xii.  14.  The  Parable  (Matth.  xxv.  1—30.) 
 of  the  Talents  (which  immediately  precedes  the 
 Defcription  of  the  Judgment,  and  was,  perhaps, 
 defignedly  placed  there,  to  throw  Light  upon 
 That  Defcription,  and  prevent  the  Miftake  of 
 concluding,  that  our  Sentence  will  depend  on  thq 
 Difcharge  or  Negled  of  any  c»^  particular  Duty) 
 plainly  teaches  us,  that  we  are  anfwerable  to  God 
 for  the  Ufe  and  Improvement,  the  Negled  and 
 Abufe,   of  all  thofe  Abilities,  Faculties,  and  Jd- 
 vantages,  whether  of  Nature  or  Grace,   he  has 
 thought  fit  to  beftow  on  us.   God  (fays  St.  Paul) 
 fliall  judge  the  Secrets  of  Men  by  Jefus  ChriJl,  ac- 
 cording to  my  Go/pel  Rom.  ii.  16.  The  Judgment 
 of  God   will    reach,    not   only   our  open   and 
 public  Adions,  fuch  as  are  vifible  to  the  World 
 about  us,  but  our  mo?^  fecret  and  private  Deeds, 
 fuch  as  lie  hid  under  the  Cover  of  Darknefs  or 
 Retirement,  not  excepting  the  very  Thoughts  and 
 Intents  of  ouv  Hearts   (Heb.  iv.  12.)  the  fecret 
 Inclinations  and  Purpofes  of  our  Minds.    Nay, 
 Z  3  we 
 
342  Dissertation   III.     Sed.  6, 
 
 we  are  aflured  by  our  Saviour,  that  every  idle 
 Word  that  Men  Jliall  fpeak^  they  Jliall  give  Jc- 
 count  thereof  in  the  Day  of  Judgment :  For  hy  thy 
 Words  (adds  that  divine  Teacher)  thou  flialt  he 
 j'-ijlified^  and  by  thy  Words  thou  Jlialt  be  condemned. 
 Match,  xii.  36,  37. 
 
 It  appearing,  then,  by  the  concurrent  Evidence 
 of  thcle  Scriptures,  that  we  are  accountable  to 
 our  heavenly  Judge  for  every  7'hought  we  con- 
 ceive, every  Word  we  utter,  and  every  A^  we 
 perform,  in  fhort,  for  the  Whole  of  our  Moral 
 Condii^  in  this  World  ;  it  may  well  be  afked  : 
 How  comes  it,  that  our  blefied  Redeemer  has 
 fmgled  out  One  Virtue  of  the  Chriftian  Life  only, 
 as  the  Hinge,  upon  which  our  Sentence  to  Re- 
 v/ard  or  Punifhment  will  turn,  at  the  laft  Day  ? 
 And,  Why  is  That  dJJlinguiJJied  Virtue,  The  Vir- 
 tue of  Charity  or  Liberality  to  the  Poor  ? 
 
 To  the  former  Fart  of  this  Queftion  I  reply  : 
 We  may  fuppofe  an  EUipJis,  or  the  Supprefllon  of 
 a  few  Words  in  the  facred  Narrative,  and  fupply 
 k  thus  :  Coine^  ye  blejfed  of  my  Father,  &c.  For 
 (among  other  Inftances  of  your  Chriftian  Obe- 
 dience) /  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  meat^ 
 &"c.  And,  Depart  from  we,  ye  ciirfed,  &c.  For 
 (among  other  Inftances  of  your  Difobedience  to 
 my  Laws)  /  was  an  hungrcd,  and  ye  gave  me  no 
 Meat,  &:c.  Thus  one  eminent  Virtue  of  the 
 Chriftian  L^c  may  ftjand  the  K^frefentative  of 
 
 Ch-rijlian 
 
Sed.  6.     T^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.     343 
 
 Chrijlian  Obedience  in  general,  and  the  Want  of 
 it  imply  a  Life  of  QcnerdlDrfokdience  to  the  Laws 
 of  the  Gofpel. 
 
 But,  Why  is  the  Virtue,  which  fhall  thus  be 
 diJtingui/Jied  by  the  Judge  of  Mankind,  That  of 
 Beneficence  or  Liberality  to  the  Poor  ?  Is  there  no 
 other,  in  the  whole  Catalogue  of  Chriflian  Vir- 
 tues^ fo  fit  for  his  Purpofe,  as  This  ?  Might  he 
 not  inftance  in  the  Love  of  God,  in  Piely,  in  Pu- 
 riiy,  and,  particularly,  in  Faith,  which  is  every 
 where  reprefented  as  the  great  Principle  of  the 
 Chrijlian  Life,  and  not  feldom  put  for  the  IVhole 
 oi Chriftianity  itfelf  ? — This  Part  of  the  Qiieftion 
 engages  me  in  a  particular  Enquiry  into  That 
 fuperior  Excellency  of  Chrijlian  Charity,  which  will 
 entitle  it  to  fo  glorious  a  Mark  of  Diftindion  in 
 the  Day,  when  God  JJiall  judge  the  World  in  Rigb- 
 teoufnefs  by  'That  Man  whom  he  hath  ordained. 
 A6ls  xvii.  31. 
 
 Firft,  then,  The  Principle,  upon  which  we  feed 
 the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  and  vifit  the  fick, 
 is,  of  all  the  Principles  of  Moral  and  Social  Duty, 
 the  mod  comprehenftve.  It  is,  The  Love  of  our 
 Neighbour ;  the  fecond  of  tiiofe  t-wo  great  Com- 
 mandments, on  which,  our  Saviour  afllired  the 
 enquiring  Lawyer,  hv.ng  all  the  Law  and  the  Pro^ 
 phets  (Matth.  xxii.  ^5 — 40.)  j  and  Obedience  to 
 which  is,  therefore,  no  lels  than  One  Half  of 
 Z  4  Religion, 
 
344         Dissertation  III.      Sed.  6. 
 
 Religion,  as  That  Term  includes  our  Duty  both 
 to  God  and  Man. 
 
 Secondly,  Of  all  the  Social  Duties  of  Life, 
 That  of  Charity  to  the  Poor  is  the  moft  extenfively 
 ufeftil.  It  reaches,  beyond  the  Good  of  Indivi- 
 duals, to  That  of  the  Community  itfelf.  For,  by 
 giving  Meat  to  the  hungry,  and  Drink  to  the 
 thirfty,  we  fupply  them  with  frelli  Strength  and 
 Vigour:  by  cloathing  the  naked,  we  defend 
 them  againfl  the  Inclemencies  of  the  Weather  ; 
 and,  by  vifiting  the  fick  and  imprifoned,  we  af- 
 ford them  the  Means  of  Health  and  Liberty. 
 Thus  we  reftore  to  the  Body  Politic  fo  many 
 tijeful  Members,  and  the  Public  recovers  the  Ser- 
 vice of  thofe  Hands  it  flands  fo  much  in  need 
 of. 
 
 Thirdly,  There  is  a  peculiar  Propriety  in  our 
 Saviour's  diftinguifhing  the  Virtue  of  Charity  by 
 fo  particular  a  Mention  of  it.  He  has  made  it 
 the  great  charaElerijiic  Virtue  of  a  Chrijlian  Man; 
 That,  which  points  him  out  as  a  Difciple  of  the 
 benevolent  and  merciful  Jefus:  By  this  Jliall  all 
 Men  know  that  ye  are  my  Dijciflcs,  if  ye  have  hove 
 one  to  another.  John  xiii.  0)5'  Here  Lo^'f  nccef- 
 farily  implies  its  Overt-aHs,  or  vifible-EjfeSs ; 
 without  which  it  can  be  no  Evidence,  to  the 
 World  about  us,  of  our  Chriflian  Difciplelliip. 
 Now  it  is  this  Vifihility  or  public  Notoriety  of  the 
 Virtue,  that  peculiarly  fits  it  to  be  the  diftin- 
 guifhing 
 
Sedl.  6.     ne  Judgment  of  Mankind.     345 
 
 guilhing  Mark  or  Badge  of  our  Chriftian  Pro- 
 fefTion.  Few  can  know,  whether  we  have  the 
 Virtues  of  Faith^  Hope,  Piety,  Contentment,  Pa- 
 tience, and  the  like.  But  all  Men  may  know, 
 that  we  feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked, 
 and  vifit  the  Tick  and  imprifoned.  It  is  by 
 thefe  A6ts  of  Liberality  and  Kindnefs  to 
 the  poor  and  needy,  we  pay  a  proper  Obedi- 
 ence to  the  great  Evangelical ,  Precept  of  letting 
 our  Light  fo  JJiine  before  Men,  that  they  may  fee  our 
 good  JVorh,  and  glorify  our  Father  which  is  in  Hea- 
 ven. Matth.  V.  16.  And,  can  any  Chrifiian 
 Grace  or  Virtue  more  fitly  reprefent  all  the  reft, 
 than  That,  which  Chrifl  himfelf  has  declared  to 
 be  the  proper  Evidence,  to  the  World,  of  a 
 Chriftian's  Faith  in  Him,  and  Obedience  to  the 
 Laws  of  his  bleffed  Gofpel  ? 
 
 Fourthly,  Our  Saviour,  in  declaring  the  Re- 
 ward of  the  Righteous,  and  the  Punifhment  of  the 
 Wicked,  confiders  the  Ad  of  feeding  the  hungry, 
 cloathing  the  naked,  and  vifiting  the  fick,  and 
 the  OmifTion  or  Negle6l  of  them,  as  having  a  pe- 
 culiar Reference  to  Himfelf,  or  as  if  he  himfelf  was 
 the  necefTitous  Perfon  relieved,  or  negledted  to 
 be  relieved.  For,  to  the  Righteous  he  fays,  / 
 was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  Meat,  &c.  and, 
 inafmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  leafi  of 
 thefe  my  Brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.  And 
 to  the  Wicked,  I  zvas  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me 
 no  Meat,  &c.  and  Inafw.uch  as  ye  did  it  not  te  one 
 
 of 
 
3^6  Dissertation  III.     Sed.  6, 
 
 of  the  leaji  of  thefe,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.    Matth. 
 XXV.  35 — 45.     This  eminently  diftinguifhes  the 
 Virtue  of  Liberality  to  the  Poor  from  all  others, 
 whicl)  have  no  fuch  Reference  to  the  Saviour  of 
 the  World.     This  fets  it  far  above  the  common 
 Offices  of  Humanity,    or  That  mutual   Inter- 
 courfe  of  Friendfhip  and  Affiftance,  whereby  the 
 general  State  of  the  World  is  maintained.     The 
 Poor  of  Mankind  iland  in  a  very  confpicuous  and 
 fingular  Point  of  View.     Mean  and  low  as  is 
 their  Condition  in  Life,  their  Redeemer  conde- 
 fcends  to  acknowledge  a  clofe  Relation  between 
 Them  and  Himfelf,    and  is  not  afJiamed  to  call 
 them  Brethren^  Heb.  ii.  11.     Nay,   he  has  con- 
 llituted  the  Poor  his  Reprefentatives  on  Earth, 
 and  given  them   a  Title  to  That  Miniftration 
 and  Service,    which   were  due  to  himfelf  in  his 
 State  of  Humiliation  and   Sufferings :  For,  Te 
 have  the  -poor  (fays  he)  always  with  you,  and  when^ 
 foeverye  will,  ye  may  do  them  good :  but  me  ye  have 
 fiot  always.  Mark  xiv.  7.     Hence  in  the  com- 
 paflionate  Afts  of  feeding  the  hungry,  cloathing 
 the  naked,    and  vifiting  the  fick,    the  Duty  of 
 Charity  has  a  much  higher  Objedt  than  the  Dif- 
 trefies  of  a  Fellow-Creature :    It    is,    in   Effedl, 
 miniftring  to  the  Wants  of  our  diilrefled  Ma- 
 fier  himfelf,    in  the  Perfons  of  his  Brethren  and 
 Reprefentatives  in  this  World,     A  Circumftance, 
 which  greatly  flrengthens  its  Title  to  That  high 
 /:  Mark 
 
Scd:.  6.     'Thg  Judgment  of  Mankind.      347 
 
 Mark  oi  Bifiin5lmt  xht  Judge  of  Mankind  will  fet 
 upon  it  at  the  great  Day  of  Account. 
 
 Lailly,  Charity  to  the  Poor  is  a  dired  Copy  of 
 the  divine  Goodnefs  itfelf.  We  are  indebted  to  a 
 conftant  Interpofition  of  God*s  Providence  for 
 the  Supply  of  all  our  natural  Wants.  It  is  God, 
 who,  by  upholding  the  eftabliflied  Courfe  of 
 Nature,  gives  Food  to  the  hungry,  Drink  to 
 the  thirfty,  Raiment  to  the  naked,  and  Me- 
 dicine to  the  fick.  Hence  the  benevolent  Chrif- 
 tian,  who  performs  thefe  charitable  Offices  to 
 the  poor  and  needy,  {lands  in  the  Place  of  God 
 himfelf,  and  is,  in  a  qualified  Senfe,  perfeEl  even 
 as  his  Father  which  is  in  Heaven  is  -perfect.  Mattho 
 V.  48. 
 
 It  mufl;  be  fuppofed,  that  the  charitable  A51 
 of  relieving  the  Diftrefies  of  the  Poor  proceeds 
 from  a  fuitable  Hahit  and  Bifpojition  of  Mind. 
 For  (according  to  St.  Paul)  we  may  befiow  all 
 cur  Goods  to  feed  the  poor ^  and  yet  have  no  Charity  : 
 That  is,  we  may  do  good  out  of  a  Principle  of 
 Vanity  and  OJlentation^  and  not  of  real  Benevo- 
 lence or  a  Love  of  our  Fellow-Creatures.  But 
 this  is,  evidently,  not  l/hat  Chrijtian  Charily^ 
 which  is  fo  highly  diftinguifhed  by  our  blefll-d 
 Saviour  •,  and  upon  which  St.  Paul  bellows  fo 
 rioble  and  exalted  an  Encomium  •,  giving  the 
 Preference  to  this  Grace  or  Habit  of  the  Mind 
 (including  both  the  Love  of  G(7i  and  the  Love  of 
 
 our 
 
348         Dissertation  III.     Sed.  6. 
 
 our  Neighbour)  above  all  other  Spiritual  Gifts 
 and  Graces  of  the  Chriftian  Life.  Though  I  {peak 
 with  the  'Tongues  of  Men  and  of  Angels^  and  have 
 Kot  Charity,  I  a?n  become  as  founding  Brafs  or  a 
 tinkling  Cymbal.  And  though  I  have  the  Gift  of 
 prophecy^  and  underjland  all  Myjleries,  and  all 
 Knowledge  %  and  though  I  have  all  Faith,  fo  that  I 
 eould  remove  Mountains^  and  have  no  Charity,  I  am 
 nothing.  And  though  I  befiow  all  my  Goods  to  feed 
 the  poor,  and  though  I  give  my  Body  to  he  burned, 
 and  have  not  Charity,  it  profiteth  me  nothing — And 
 now  abideth  Faith,  Hope,  Charity,  thefe  three  ;  but 
 the  great ejl  of  thefe  is  Charity,   i  Cor;  xiii.  i — 3. 
 
 13- 
 By  the  Way,  The  Light,   in  which  Charity  is 
 
 placed  by  Chrijl  and  St.  Paul,  fhould  (one  would 
 think)  recommend  GcodJVorks,  the  genuine  Fruits 
 of  a  charitable  Difpofition,  to  a  little  better  Treat- 
 ment, than  they  have  generally  met  with  from 
 Fanatics  and  Enthufiafis  -,  who  love  to  fpeak  flight- 
 ingly  and  contemptuoufly  of  the  Moral  and  So- 
 cial Duties  of  Life,  and  to  magnify  Faith  at  the 
 Expence  of  Virtue  :  not  confidering,  that  the 
 Faith,  they  fo  highly  extol,  is  pafled  over  in  Si- 
 lence, by  our  Saviour,  in  his  Defcription  of  the 
 Judgment,  and  the  Works,  they  fo  much  depre- 
 tiate,  fingled  out,  as  the  Chri{lian*s  beflr,  if  not 
 only.  Title  to  the  Joys  of  a  blefTed  Immortality  ; 
 nor  remembring,  that  the  Chriftian  Graces  of 
 
 Faith  and  Hope  are,  according  to  St.  Paul,  Virtues 
 
 I* 
 or 
 
Sea.  6.     "the  'Judgment  of  Mankind.     349  " 
 
 of  an  Inferior  Clafs,  and  kfs  excellent  than  Cha- 
 rity^ or  the  Love  of  God  and  of  our  Neighbour. 
 
 To  conclude  this  Se5iion  :  We  have  feen  the 
 Grounds  or  Reafons  of  the  refpeftive  Sentences  of 
 Rezvard  and  Puni/Jiment,  which  will  be  pronoun- 
 ced on  the  Righteous  and   the  Wicked,    Or, 
 What  Things  Chrijlians  will  be  accountable  for, 
 at  the  Day  of  Judgment.     As  to  the  Reft  of 
 Mankind,  or  thofe,  unto  whom  the  Light  of  the 
 glorious  Gofpel  of  Chrifi  hath  ntvtx  /hone  (2  Cor. 
 iv.  4.)  •,  They  will  undoubtedly  be  judged  as 
 Rational CreztUYCS,  though  not  as  Chrijlians  ;  and, 
 confequently,    be  chargeable  with  the  Ufe  or 
 Abufe  of  That  natural  Reafon  and  Underjianding 
 God  has  imparted  to  all  Mankind.     They  will 
 be  judged  by  the  Laws  of  Reafon  and  Nature^ 
 though  not  by  thofe  of  the  Gofpel ;  and  be  re- 
 warded or  punifhed  according  as  they  have  ad> 
 ed   agreeably,  or  contrary,  to  That  Knowledge 
 of  God  and  T'hemfelves,  they  could  not  but  derive 
 from  a  due  Exercife  of  their  Rational  Faculties. 
 Nor  is  it  unreafonable  to  fuppofe,  that  the  Judg- 
 ment of  Unbelievers  will  be  fimilar  to  That  of  Be- 
 '  lievers,  in  this  Refpeft  likewife,  That  the  Sen- 
 tences of  Reward  or  Punifhment,  which  fhall  be 
 paired  on  them,  will  be  declared,  by  their  hea- 
 venly  Judge,  to  be  founded,  principally,  on  their 
 Difcharge  or  Negleft  of  the  kind  Offices  of  Hu- 
 manity, Friendship,   and  Benevolence.     Charity 
 holds  the  fame  Rank  in  the  Catalogue  of  Virtues, 
 ^  whether 
 
350  Dissertation  III.    Sed.  7, 
 
 whether  exercifed  upon  the  Principles  of  Nature^ 
 or  thofe  of  the  Go/pel.  An  Heathen  Man  cannot^ 
 indeed,  be  charitable,  with  any  Reference  to  Chriji^ 
 of  whom  he  never  heard.  But  he  may  feed  the 
 hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  and  vifit  the  fick, 
 for  God*s,  though  not  for  Chriji^s,  Sake.  And 
 this  Reference  of  his  Charity  may  conllitute  its 
 proper  Value  in  the  Sight  of  God,  fo  as  to 
 render  it  the  principal  Ground  of  his  Title  to  a 
 Share  in  the  Happinefs  of  the  Life  to  come  ;  as 
 the  Want  of  Charity  may  be  the  principal  Ground 
 of  his  Sentence  to  a  State  of  Punifhment  and  Mi- 
 fery. 
 
 SECTION      VII. 
 
 JFhethcr  there  will  he  any  formal  Process,  Ex- 
 amination, or  Enquiry  into  the  paft  A5liQrls 
 of  Mankind  at  the  Day  of  Judgment. 
 
 '  I  ""HE  Idea  of  a  Judgment  implies  an  Exami' 
 nation  or  Enquiry  into  the  Cafe  of  the  Per- 
 fons  to  be  judged.  So  it  is  in  Courts  of  Human 
 Judicature.  A  Caiife  is  determined  by  the  Force 
 or  Failure  of  the  Evidence  produced  in  Support  of 
 Fads  alledged.  When  a  Criminal  is  arraigned, 
 the  Proofs  of  his  Guilt  are  examined  and  admit- 
 ted, before  Sentence  of  Condemnation  pafTes  on 
 him.  Will  any  thing  like  this  be  the  Cafe  with 
 the  Judgment  of  Mankind  hy  Jefus  Chrifl  ?  Will 
 there  be  any  formal  Procefs^  any  Scrutiny  or  En- 
 quiry into  the  rcfpeclive  Merits  and  Demerits  qf 
 
 Indi- 
 
Se£l.  7»    'Hhe 'Judgment  of  Mankind,       351 
 
 Individuals  ?  If  it  be  reafonable  to  think  there 
 will,  How,  may  we  fuppofe,  fuch  Procefs  will 
 be  carried  on,  and  fuch  Scrutiny  or  Enquiry 
 made  ? 
 
 Many  of  the  antient  Fathers »,  building  on  an 
 obfcure  Paffage  of  St.  Paul^  held,  that  the  Trial 
 of  Mankind,  at  the  Day  of  Judgment,  will  be 
 by  Fire.  The  Paffage  is  this.  Every  Man*s 
 WorkJJiall  he  madt  manifeji.  For  the  Day  /liall  de- 
 clare it ',  hecaufe  it  /hail  be  revealed  by  Fire ;  and 
 the  Fire  /hall  try  every  Man's  PFork,  of  what  Sort 
 it  is.  If  any  Man^s  Work  abide  which  he  hath 
 built  thereupon.,  he  fliall  receive  a  Reward.  If  atiy 
 Man^s  Work  fliall  be  burnt,  he  fhall  fuffer  Lcfs  ; 
 hut  he  himfelf  fnall  befaved,  yet  fo  as  by  Fire.  1  Cor. 
 iii.  13 — 15.  By  the  Day  thefe  Writers  under- 
 ftand  the  Day  of  Judgment  ;  and  by  the  Fire, 
 the  Conflagration  or  Burning  of  the  World.  In 
 this  Fire,  they  fuppofe  the  Souls  of  all  Mankind 
 will  be  involved-,  and,  in  Proportion  to  their 
 Purity  or  Impurity,  will  fuffer  more  or  lefs  Da- 
 mage, or  even  no  Damtige  at  all  '. 
 
 But 
 
 9  See  particularly  Orig.  contra  Celf.  1.  5.  Laftant.  Injr. 
 Di-i).  1.  7.  \:.  21.  Hilar,  in  Pf.  cxviii.  Ambrof.  inPf.  xxxvi. 
 Bafil  itz  Ifa.  iv.  4.  Greg.  NyfT.  De  Anima  ct  RefurreSlione. 
 Greg.  Naz.    Qrat.  39,  40.  Hieron.  Comment,  in  If.  fuh.  Jin. 
 
 »  Dr.  Burnet  (de  Statu  mort.  et  refurg,  p.  125—^143.)  has 
 endeavoured  to  eftablifh  this  antient  Notion  of  a  tt' f  k-jl- 
 ^a^iTiQV,  a  trying  or  cleanfing  F  re  at  the  Day  of  Judgment ; 
 but  very  inconfiftently  with  his  own  Doctrine  (Sacred  Theory y 
 liU  B.  III.  and  IV.)  concerning  the  ^-Wo/'/i'e //V/^'.     For, 
 
352         Dissertation   III.     Sed.  7. 
 
 But  (not  to  obferve  the  Abfurdity  of  fuppof- 
 ing  the  Element  of  Fire  applied  to  the  Examina- 
 tion of  Souls^  and  the  Trial  of  Moral  Purity  or 
 Impurity)  it  is  certain,  St.  Paul  is  not  fpeaking  of 
 A5lions,  but  of  DoHrines^  built  on  the  Founda- 
 tion of  Chriftianity.  Other  Foundation  can  no 
 Man  lay,  than  'That  is  laid,  which  is  Jefus  Chrift, 
 Now,  if  any  Man  build  upon  this  Foundation  Gold, 
 Silver,  pretious  Stones,  Wood,  Hay,  Stubble,  every 
 Man's  Work  JJiall  be  made  manifejl,  &c.  As  Gold 
 and  Silver  come  out  more  pure  from  the  Refiner's 
 Fire,  and  pretious  Stones  {Diamond  or  Adamant) 
 refift  the  ftrongeft  Heat ;  fo  true  Do5irines  will 
 ftand  the  Teft,  and  bear  the  ftri<5left  Examina- 
 tion :  And,  as  Wood  is  very  foon,  and  Hay  and 
 Stubble  immediately,  confumed  by  Fire  ;  fo  falfe 
 DoBrines,  when  examined,  are  prefently  detected 
 and  found  to  be  fuch.  And  this,  the  Apoflle 
 foretels,  would  be  the  Cafe  with  the  Doftrines 
 he  had  in  View  :  A  Day  would  come,  when  they 
 fhould  undergo  a  fevere  and  rigorous  Exami- 
 nation, and  their  Truth  or  Fallhood  be  made 
 manifeft  to  the  Chriftian  World  '. 
 
 The. 
 
 if,  as  he  fuppofes,  the  Coriflagration  will  be  followed  by  a 
 Reno'vation  of  the  Earth  and  the  Millennial  Kingdom  of  Chriji^ 
 and  thefe  by  the  RefurreSlion  and  Judgment ;  how  can  a  Firet 
 kindled  and  extinft  a  thonfandYears  before,  be  the  appointed 
 Trial  at  the  Day  of  Judgment  ? 
 
 »  By  the  laft  Words,  He  him/elf  Jhall  be  fa-ocd,  yet  fo  as  by 
 Firey  the  Apoftle  feems  to  mean,  that  the  Teachers  of  falfe 
 
 Do^rinefi, 
 
Sea.  7.     "The  Judgment  of  Mankind,      353 
 
 The  Scriptures  are  wholly  filent,  as  to  ariy 
 fuch  Ch-cumftance  of  the  Judgment,  as  an  Exa- 
 mination  or  £»j«/ry  into  the  Defervings  of  Man- 
 kind. In  our  Saviour's  Defcription  of  That  great 
 Event,  where  we  might  molt  reafonabiy  exped: 
 to  find  fome  Account  thereof,  it  is  remarkable, 
 that  the  Separation  of  Mankind  into  the  two 
 Gaffes  of  the  Righteous  and  the  Wicked  is  not 
 reprefented  as  the  Co?tfequence  of  any  previous  Ex- 
 cimination  or  Enquiry,  nor  zs  followed  by  any  fuch 
 Thing,  but  only  by  the  refpeftive  Sentences  pro- 
 nounced on  Each.  We  find,  indeed,  a  Kind  of 
 ExpQp.lation  both  of  the  Righteous  and  the 
 Wicked  with  their  heavenly  Judge :  But  it  is  af- 
 ter Sentence  paffed,  when  Examination  or  Enquiry 
 would  come  a  little  too  late.  Whence  arifes  a- 
 ftrong  Frcfumption,  that  there  will  be  no  fuch 
 Thing  as  any  Kind  oi  Judicial  Proceedings,  any 
 Inqui^tion  ox  Trial oiM2iX\^\nd,  in  Order  to  deter- 
 mine their  Title  to  Reward  or  Punifhment. 
 
 Dodrines,  if  they  do  it  ""through  Igmrance  or  Mijiake,  fliatl' 
 efcape,  though  not  withciit  Difficulty,  the  Punifhment  due 
 to  falfe  Teachers.  The  Expreffion  is  proverbial,  and  to  be 
 found  in  other  Scriptures.  Thus  the  Prophet  Amosi  Ye  -were 
 as  a  Fire- Brcvtd plucked  out  of  the  Burning.  IV.  1 1.  And  Ze- 
 chariah.  Is  not  this  a  Brand  plucked  out  of  the  Fire?  III.  2. 
 So  alio  St.  Jiide,  Others  J'a<ve  njoith  Fear,  plucking  them  out  of 
 the  Fire,  ver.  23.  We  find  the  fame  proverbial  Expreffion 
 ia  profane  Authors,  as  in.  Theocritus,  i-J  //-«  ^'i-jT'.?^  £JC 
 •5Ttp9-  jUsvv  fecuntCo  tu  ex  flarnma  m:  eripuijii.  Idyll,  ii.  ver. 
 
 A  a  Indeed, 
 
354        Dissertation  III.     SecfV.  7. 
 
 Indeed,  Why  fhould  there  be  any  fuch  Thing 
 in  the  Court  of  an  omnifcient  Judge-,  a  Judge, 
 who  knows  what  is-  in  Man,  and  needs  not  that  any 
 /hould  tejlify  of  Man,  John  ii.  25.  and  unto  whofe 
 Eyes  all  Things  are  naked  and  opened,  Heb.  iv.  13. 
 Such  a  Judge  muft  come  preacquainted  with  every 
 Thought,  Word,  and  Deed  of  the  Perfons  to  be 
 judged ;  and  therefore  can  want  no  Proofs,  no 
 Evidence,  of  their  Innocence  or  Guilt,  their  Me- 
 rits or  Demerits,  to  determine  his  Judgment. 
 
 It  is  true,  the  Judgment  of  Mankind  by  Jefus 
 Chrifi  is,  in  other  Paflagcs  of  Scripture,  repre- 
 fented  under  the  Idea  oi  giving  or  taking  Account, 
 Thus,  Every  idle  Word  that  Men  fJiall  fpeak,  they 
 jhall  give  Account  thereof  at  the  Day  of  Judgment y 
 Matth.  xii.  36.  JVho  fliall  give  Account  to  him 
 that  is  ready  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  i  Pet. 
 iv.  5.  I^he  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  likened  unto 
 a  certain  King,  which  would  take  Account  of 
 his  Servants,  Matth,  xviii.  23.  Thefe  Repre- 
 fentations  fcem  to  imply,  at  leaft,  that  we  fhall 
 be  interrogated,  and  obliged  to  anfwer  fuch  ^ef- 
 tions,  as  fhall  be  put  to  us  concerning  our  paft 
 Condu6t.  And  this  amounts  to  a  kind  of  2"m/, 
 tho'  no  ether  Evidence  of  our  good  or  evil  Deeds 
 be  required  than  our  own  ConfeJfion  and  Ac- 
 knowledgment. 
 
 I  anfwer  :  The  facred  writers  fpeak  after  the 
 Manner  of  Men,  borrowing  an  Idea  from  the 
 Proceedings   in  Courts  of  Human  Jndicature,  in 
 
 which 
 
Sedl.  7«    The  ynJg?ne}Jt  of  Mankind.       35^ 
 
 which  fome  Accctint  of  ASlmn  mufl:  be  ghen  or 
 taken^  before  Judgment  can  pafs;  But  the  ExpreP 
 fion,  as  ufed  by  the  facred  Writers,  may  very  well 
 denote  nothing  more  than  the  being  accountable^ 
 in  the  Senfe  of  being  Uable  to  reward  or  Punilh- 
 ment.  He,  who  incurs  the  Sentence  of  Condem- 
 nation at  the  laft  Day,  may,  properly  enough,  bd 
 faid  to  be  called  to  a  fevere  Account  for  the  Mif- 
 condud:  of  his  paft  Life. 
 
 I  conclude,  then,  that  xki^Judgmmt  of  Mankind^ 
 at  the  laft  Day,  will  confiftyo/^/y  in  an  open^  public^ 
 Declaration,  from  the  Mouth  of  ChriJ}^  of  the  D;-» 
 'Vine  Decrees,  refpedling  the  Reward  of  the  Rigb- 
 teous,  and  the  Puni/Jment  of  the  IVkked,  in  thd 
 Life  to  come.  This,  it  may  be  faid,  is  reducing 
 the  Bufinefs  of  the  great-  and  terrible  Day  of  thd 
 Lord  to  a  Matter  of  meer  Form  and  Ceremonjy 
 fuch  as  pronouncing  Sentence,  in  Courts  of  Hu- 
 man Judicature,  manifeftly  is.  It  may  be  fo. 
 But  it  is  a  Ceremony  of  God's  own  Appointment, 
 and  appears,  from  our  Saviour's  Defcription  of 
 it,  to  comprehend  the  whole  Dejign  of  the  kji 
 Judgment.  A  Defign,  fo  far  from  being  ufelefi 
 or  infignificant ,  that  we  muft  acknowledge  it  to 
 be  worthy  of  infinite  Wifdom  itfelf,  when  we 
 confider,  that,  as  the  Judgment  of  Mankind  by  Je- 
 Jus  Chriji  will  be  the  laji,  concluding.  Scene  of  the 
 Cbrijlian  Difpenfation,  a  more  glorious  Conclu- 
 fion  thereof  cannot  well  be  conceived,  than  the 
 augu^  Ceremony  of  the  Redeemer's  own  Perfonat 
 A  a  2  Appearand^ 
 
35-6         Dissertation    HI.     Sed.  S. 
 
 Appearance^  attended  with  the  whole  ccelejiial 
 Hierarchy^  and  a  generai  Aflembly  of  the  whole 
 Human  Race. 
 
 SECTION     VIII. 
 
 Of  the  Duration  of  the  Judgment,  or  W^hat 
 Length  ^/Time,  we  may  reafonably  fuppofe,  will 
 be  employed  therein. 
 
 WE  have  ah'eady  enquired  into  the  the  I'ime 
 o^  xht generaljudgment  ^•,  and  have  found, 
 that,  according  to  the  Order  of  Apocalyptical 
 Events  not  yet  fulfilled,  and  the  moft  probable 
 Interpretation  of  Prophetical  Chronology^  the  .S*^- 
 cond  Advent  of  Chrijl,  or  his  Coming  to  judg^ 
 the  Worlds  is  at  the  Diftance  of  fomewhat  more 
 than  twelve  Centuries  from  the  Time  we  live  in  *. 
 
 We 
 
 3  See  Section  II. 
 
 4  Tlie  learned  Mr.  M^<?V  pretends,  that  "  the  Millennium  of 
 *'  the  Reign  of  Chrift  is  That  which  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
 *'  antient  Jervs,  call  the  Day  of  Judgment  "  —  and  which 
 «'  begins  with  the  feventh  Trumpet  "  —  that  the  "  Procefs 
 *'  of  this  wonderful  Day"  confifts  of  "  a  two-fold  Judg- 
 ♦•  ment,  and  the  glorious  Reign  of  the  Saints  between  them  ; 
 *'  the  Morning- J udg?ne/it  being  of  Antichrifl:  and  all  his  Par- 
 "  takers,  whom  Chrif.  Ihall  deftroy  at  the  Appearing  of  his 
 **  Coming.  2  Thefl".  ii.  8.  —  the  E-vening- Judgment  being 
 *'  upon  the  Remainder  of  the  living  Enemies  of  Chrift,  Gog 
 *'  and  Magog,  and  concluding  with  the  laft  and  univerfal 
 ♦'  RefuneCtiou  of  the  dead."     Works  in  fol.  p.  892.     Sec 
 
 alfo 
 
6ecl.  8.     ne  judgment  of  Mankind.      357 
 
 We  have  deterrnined  likewife,  from  the  Cir- 
 cumftance  of  the  Rapture  of  the  Saints^  or  their 
 beino-  caught  up  in  the  Clouds  to  meet  the  hard  in 
 the  Alt  *,  that  the  Air  or  Atmofphere  will  be  the 
 Place  of  the  Judgment^  or  the  Place  where  Cbi'i^ 
 will  fit  upon  the  'throne  of  his  Glory  ^. 
 
 It  remains  only,  that  we  conHder  the  Dura- 
 tion of  the  Judgment,  or,  what  Length  of  'J'ime, 
 we  may  reafonably  fuppofe,  will  be  neceffary 
 and  fufiicient  for  the  Bufinefs  of  That  grent  AJfize. 
 A  Queftion,  of  little  or  no  Moment,  indeed, 
 yet  not  altogether  unworthy  of  a  Minute's  At- 
 tention, as  it  naturally  prefents  itfelf  to  our 
 Thoughts  in  this  Place,  and  ferves  to  complete 
 the  Subjed  of  the  prefent  Biffertation. 
 
 The  Duration  of  tht  Judgment  is  exprefled,  in 
 Scripture,  by  the  Word  Day  —  the  Day  of  Judg- 
 
 alfo  p.  531.  —  -According  to  this  Notion,  the  Day  of  Judg- 
 ment is  at  no  greater  Diflance  from  the  prefent  Time,  than 
 the  Fall  of  Antichrili,  or  the  Deftruaion  of  the  Papal  Power 
 and  Religion,  that  is,  no  farther  off  than  between  fwo  and 
 thrte  Hundred  Years.  But  I  mud  obferve,  that  Mr.  Mede*^ 
 Day  cf  Judgment  cannot  be  That  Day  of  Judgment,  which  is 
 dcfcribed  by  our  Sa^viour  and  St.  John  the  Di'vine,  for  this 
 Reafon  in  particular,  beCaufe  St.  John  has  placed  the  latter, 
 fifter  the  Expiration  of  the  Millennium,  and  the  Pun-Jhmsnt  of 
 Gog  and  Magog,  as  a  diftinft  Event,  and  the  Qonclufton  (not 
 the  Beginning  J  o^  the  feventij  Trumpet . 
 
 5   See  Dissert.  II.  Sea.  IX. 
 
 <s  See  Sett.  IV.  of  this  Dissert- 
 
 A  a  3  ment  % 
 
^^$         Dissertation    III.     Scd.  S, 
 
 P2e7:l  7 .  ^^hich  feems  to  confine  it  within  the 
 Compafs  of  a  natural  Day,  or  twejtty-fcur  Hours. 
 But  the  Word  Day,  in  Scripture-Language,  is 
 often  ufed,  indefinitely,  for  a  particular  Time  or 
 Scnfon,  Thus :  Thefe  are  the  Generations  of  the 
 Heavens  and  of  the  Earth,  when  they  were  created^ 
 in  the  Day  that  the  Lord  God  made  the  Earth 
 (ind  the  Heavens.  Gen.  ii.  4.  Where  the  Word 
 Day  flands  for  the  whole  Time  God  employed  in 
 creating  the  World,  that  is,  fix  Days.  So  alfo, 
 by  the  Day  of  Temptation  in  the  Wilder nefs  (Heb. 
 iii.  8.)  we  are  to  underftand  no  lefs  than  the  Space 
 oi  forty  Tears.  In  like  Manner,  as  St.  Auftin 
 pbferves  *,  the  Day  of  Judgment  means  nothing 
 more  than  the  Time  of  Judgment. 
 
 The  true  Length  of  the  Day,  Time,  or  Seafon, 
 of  the  Judgment,  we  fay,  with  the  fame  Father, 
 is  not  made  known  to  us.  But,  if  (as  has  been, 
 fhewn  to  be  highly  probable)  there  will  be  no 
 formal  Trial  of  Mankind,  no  Scrutiny,  Exami- 
 nation, or  Enquiry  into  the  particular  Defervings 
 of  Individuals  (fuch  a  Procedure  being  of  no 
 Ufe  to  an  alUknowing  Judge)  \  but  Chriji  will 
 jdtfcend  from  Heaven  for  th?  fingle  Purpofe  of 
 gaffing  Sentence  of  Reward  or  Punifhmerit  on  the 
 Human  Race,  by  openly  and  publicly  declaring, 
 before  the  general  AITembly  of  Angels  and  Men, 
 
 •J  Matth.  X.    15.    xi.  22.  xii.  36.     2  Pet.  ii.    9.  "iii.  7. 
 ^  John  iv,  17. 
 S  J)e  Ci'vit.  Dei,  1.  20.  c.  l. 
 
 the 
 
Se6t.  9.     The  Judgment  of  Mankind.     359 
 
 the  refpeftive  Dooms  of  the  Righteous  and  the 
 "Wicked  ;  and  That  by  two  general  Sentences  only, 
 pronounced  feverally  on  the  tivo  general  Clajfes, 
 into  which  Mankind  will  be  divided  t  If  this, 
 I  fay,  will  be  the  Cafe  at  the  Day  of  Judgment ; 
 That  tremendous  Event  feems  to  require  but  a 
 /hort  Time,  for  its  Accomplifhment ;  and  fo  far 
 from  being  the  Wod<.  of  Tears  (as  many  have 
 fuppofed)  will,  probably,  be  finifhed  within  the 
 Space  of  one  diurnal  Revolution  of  the  Sun. 
 
 SECTION      IX. 
 
 Of  the  End  <?/ Christ's  Kingdom. 
 
 BEFORE  I  conclude  this  DiJJertation,  it  will 
 be  proper  to  obferve,  that  the  Judgment  of 
 Mankind  by  Jefus  Chrifi  will  be  the  laji  Regal  A£f 
 of  That  Spiritual  King ;  and,  confequently,  that 
 Here  will,  naturally,  be  an  Efid  of  That  Kingdom,. 
 Dominion,  or  Power,  he  received  from  God  the 
 Father,  and  which  commenced  at  his  Refurre5lion 
 from  the  dead  ?, 
 
 It 
 
 9  It  was  not  till  after  his  RefurreSiion,  that  our  Lord  de- 
 clared to  his  Difciples,  All  Povjer  is  ginjen  unto  vie  in  Heaven 
 and  in  Earth.  Matth.  xxviii.  i8.  This  is  That  Kingdom, 
 which  St.  Paul  reprefents  as  a  Confequence,  and  even  as  a  Re- 
 compence,  of  ChrijVi  Sufferings  and  Death.  Who,  being  in  the 
 Form  of  God y  thought  it  not  Robbery  to  be  equal  ivith  God  :  but 
 tnade  him/elf  of  no  Reputation,  and  took   upon   him  the  Form 
 
 A  a  4  of 
 
i6o  DlSSERTATIOPf    III.       Se(^.  ^, 
 
 It  is  true,  the  Prophecies  concerning  the  King-r 
 dom  of  Chrift  feem  to  prove,  that  it  will  be  endiefi, 
 
 or 
 
 of  a  Servant,  and  nxas  made  in  the  Liktnefs  of  Men :  And, 
 heing  found  in  Fajhicn  as  a  Man,  he  humbled  himfelf,  and  became 
 obedient  unto  Death,  emm  the  Death  of  the  Crofs.  Where- 
 fore God  alfo  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  gi-ven  him  a  Name 
 nvhich  is  above  every  Name  ;  That,  at  the  Name  ofjefus.,  every 
 Knee  Jkould  bciv,  of  Things  in  Heaven,  and  Things  in  Earthy 
 and  Things  under  the  Earth  ;  and  that  every  Tongue  Jhould  con- 
 fefs,  that  Jefus  Chrift  is  Lord,  to  the  Glory  of  God  the  Father. 
 Phil.  ii.  6— IT. 
 
 At  the  f.rll  Mention  of  our  Saviour's  Exaltation  {God 
 hath  highly  exalted  him)  it  is  natural  to  aflc  :  Could  He,  who, 
 before  his  Incarnation,  was  in  the  Form  of  God,  and  eoual 
 rvoith  God,  nor  could  poffibly  for^it  his  Divinity  by  any 
 Thing  he  did  or  fuflered  for  us  Men  and  for  our  Salvation  ; 
 Could  He  be  raifed  to  an  higher  Degree  of  Power  and  Pre- 
 eniinence,  of  Dignity  and  Glory,  than  were  inherent  in, 
 and  infeparable  from,  his  Divine  Nature  ?  It  is  upon  the 
 Foot  of  this  fetming  DiSculty,  that  the  Socinians  alledge 
 our  Saviour's  Exaltation,  confequent  upon  his  Death  and 
 Refurreftlon,  as  an  Argument  againft  his  7:atural  and  pro- 
 per Divinity.  For,  fay  they  (ihrewdly  enough)  If  Cbri/i 
 was  Himfelf  Gcd,  how  could  he  be  exalted?  If  he  was  exalted^ 
 how  could  he  be  Himfdf  Gcd ? 
 
 But  the  Difficulty  is  eafily  removed.  Chrift  was  exalted, 
 not  as  God,  but  as  Gad -Man.  The  Spiritual  Kingdom  was 
 conferred,  not  on  the  mere  Divinity,  biit  on  the  Hypoftatical 
 Union  of  the  Divine  and  Human  Natures  ill  the  Perfon  of 
 Chrift.  —  6ut  let  the  excellent  Bilhop  Sherlock  urge  this  Ar- 
 gument againft  the  Socinians  in  its  full  Force.  "  From 
 "  hence  "  (vii.  from  the  Doftrine  of  Chrift' s  Exaltation) 
 "  it  is,  that  fome  Men  think  it  a  fufficient  Anfwer  to  all 
 ^'  Arguments  drawn  from  the  Attributes  of  Power,  Know- 
 •*  ledge,  and  the  like,  to  prove  the  Eternity  and  Di- 
 "  yinity  oi  the  Ji.ogos,  to  fay,  "that  Chrift  received  his  Glory 
 
 *'  at 
 
3t€t,  9»     ^he  Judgment  of  Mankhid.      361 
 
 pr   commenfiirate   with   Eternity   itfelf.      Thus 
 Ifaiah  :    Of  the  Increafe  of  his  Government  there 
 JJiall  he  no  E?id,  npon  the  throne  of  David  and  upon 
 bis  Kingdoms^  to  order  it,  and  to  ejlahlijii  it,  with 
 Judgment  and  tvith  Juflice,  from  henceforth,   even 
 for  ever.  Ila.  Ix.  7.     So  alfo  the  Prophet  Daniel: 
 fiis  Dominion  is  an  everlafling  Dominion,   and  his 
 Kingdom    That    ivhich    fhall    not     he    deftroyed, 
 pan.  vii.  14.  And  with  thefe  Prediftions  agrees 
 That  Declaration  ©f  our  Lord's  Power  and  Great- 
 nefs,  made  by  the  Angel  to  his  Mother,  at  the 
 Time  of  his  Conception :  He  fliall  he  great,  and  fliall 
 he  called  the  Son  of  the  Higheft ;  and  the  Lord  Ood 
 fhall  give  unto  him  the  Throne  of  his  Father  David : 
 and  he  fliall  reign  over  the  Houfe  of  Jacoh  for  ever ; 
 and  of  his  Kingdom  there  fliall  he  no  End.  Luke  i. 
 
 But  it  is  evident,  that  thefe  Prophecies  are  not 
 to  be  underftood  of  an  ahfokte  Eternity  or  hound- 
 lefs  Duration  of  Chrift's  Kingdom,   but  only  (ac- 
 
 «'  at  his  Refurreftlon,  and  was  made  perfeft  thro'  Sufferings ; 
 *'  and  therefore  the  Glory  and  Power,  which  are  any  where 
 "  afcribedtohim,  are  not  his  natural  Perfedions,  but  his 
 *'  acquired  Honours,  and  of  no  antienter  a  Date  than  the 
 *'  Redemption.  But  this  is  not  to  anfwer  the  Arguments, 
 *'  but  to  confound  the  diftind  States  of  Glory  which  belong 
 *'  to  Chrill;  the  Glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  be- 
 *'  fore  the  Worlds,  and  the  Glory  which  he  received  from 
 "  the  Father  at  the  Redemption  :  One,  the  Glory  of  Na- 
 **  tare;  the  Other,  the  Glory  of  Office  :  One,  the  Glory  of  the 
 **  eternal  Logos  ;  the  Other,  the  Gktfy  of  tbe  Son  of  Man.** 
 Di/cour/es,   &C.   Vol.  IV.  p.  8. 
 
 5  cording 
 
362        Dissertation   III.     Scd.  9. 
 
 cording  to  the  ufual  Import  of  the  Terms  everlaji- 
 ing,  for  ever,  &c.  in  Scripture)  of  its  uninter- 
 rupted Continuance  during  the  Period  afTigned  it 
 by  the  divine  Providence  ;  becaufe  St.  Paul  ex- 
 prefly  alTures  us,  the  Kingdom  of  Chriji  fliall  have 
 an  End,  and  has  pointed  out  to  us  the  very  'Time 
 of  its  Expiration.  For,  having,  in  his  fublime 
 Difcourfe  on  the  Refurre5iion,  told  us,  that,  as  in 
 Adam  all  die,  even  fo  in  Cbrijl  fiall  all  he  made 
 dive,  he  goes  on :  Then  cometh  the  End,  when  he 
 /hall  have  delivered  up  the  Kingdom  to  God,  even  the 
 Father. — For  he  muji  reign  till  he  hath  put  all  Ene- 
 mies under  his  Feet :  the  lajl  Enemy  that  fliall  be  de~ 
 ftroyed  is  Death. — And  when  all  Things  Jliall  be  fub- 
 duedunto  him,  then  fliall  the  Son  alfo  himfelf  be  fub- 
 jeSl  unto  him  that  put  all  Things  under  him  -,  that 
 God  may  be  All  in  All,  i  Cor.  xv.  22 — 28.  The 
 plain  Import  of  which  Words  is  this  :  Chriji  fhall 
 continue  inverted  with  That  Sovereignty  over  all 
 Things,  he  has  received  from  his  heavenly  Father, 
 till  his  final  Viflory  over  Death  by  the  Refurrec- 
 tion  of  all  Mankind  from  the  Grave :  Which  Pe- 
 riod being  arrived,  and  the  Judgment  over.  That 
 Spiritual  King  will  ceafe  to  be  fuch,  by  refigning 
 lip  the  Kingdom  into  the  Hands  of  Him  who  gave 
 it  -,  That,  from  thenceforward  to  all  Eternity, 
 God  may  be  the  sole  King  and  Governor  of 
 the  Universe.  And,  indeed,  when  That  Dtf- 
 penjation  of  Providence,  which  has  for  its  Objed: 
 the  Salvation  of  Mankind,  fhall  be  at  an  End  (as 
 
 it 
 
Sed.  9.     ^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.^    363 
 
 it  muft  be,  when  the  laft  Judgment  {hall  be  fi- 
 ll iflied)  the  Spiritual  Kingdom,  founded  in  That 
 T)ifpenfation,  mull,  naturally,  have  an  End  like- 
 wife. 
 
 Interpreters,  indeed,  would  reconcile  the  End 
 of  Cbrijl^s  Kingdom,  declared  by  St.  Paul,  with 
 the  Eternity  of  it,  foretold  by  the  Prophets,  by 
 fuppofing,  he  will  continue  to  reign,  in  fome 
 Senfe,  even  after  he  ^lall  have  delivered  up  the 
 Kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father.  Thus  Mr, 
 Pyleh  Paraphrafe :  "  He  will  refign  the  Power 
 he  was  invefted  with  to  God  the  Father :  Who 
 fhall  then  either  Himfelf  be  for  ever  the  imme- 
 diate Governor  of  all  Things ;  or  elfe  continue 
 Chrijt,  his  Son,  the  glorious  and  triumphant 
 Lord  over  thofe  he  has  fo  gracioufly  redeemed, 
 tho'  ftill  in  Subordination  to  himfelf,  the  Su- 
 preme Father,  who  firft  committed  all  Power 
 unto  him."  A  late  anonymous  Writer  expref- 
 fes  himfelf  thus :  "  The  End  of  the  Meffiah's 
 Reign,  as  Mefiiah,  or  anointed  one,  will  be 
 the  Beginning  of  his  Reign  as  God.  As  the 
 Spirit  covenanting  with  God,  as  the  fent  of 
 God,  the  anointed  one,  his  Prieft,  and  media- 
 torial Agent  with  his  Creatures — himfelf  the 
 MefTiah  will  be  fubordinated  to  the  Father, 
 and  all  Creatures  with  him.  But,  when  the 
 Father's  Purpofe  in  his  Son's  vicarial  Govern- 
 ment is  anfwered,  this  very  MefTiah,  as  equal 
 with  the  Father — will  inherit  the  then  reftor- 
 5  "  ed 
 
364         DisSEAfAtiOM   III.     Sed;.  gf. 
 
 "  ed  Creatures  ih  fonlfr  imtilutable,  and,  perhaps 
 **  j5ui*eiy  divine,  Manner,  tranfcending  all  that 
 '*  we  can  (!:'6nc"eive  of  it  infinitely  '.** 
 
 This  Gentleman's  AfTertion,  that  "  the  End 
 *'  of  the  Me/Tiah's  Reign,  as  MefTiah,  will  be  the 
 **  jfeeginning  of  his  Reign  asGbd,"  i§,  evidently, 
 i  moft  egregious  Blunder.  For  tlie  Reign  of 
 Chriji,  as  Gdd^  can  have  ho  Beginning  either  paft 
 or  future,  as  it  mufl:  have  fubfifted,  and  will 
 continue  to  fubfift,  immutably  the  fame,  from 
 Eternity  to  Eternity.  Nor  does  his  Afiertion 
 receive  any  Countenance  from  St.  Paul's  Doc- 
 trine; which  has  plainly  no  Concern  with  the 
 ]Ere6ti6ri  or  Eftablifhment  of  any  new  Kingdom^ 
 tffilefs  the  Revival  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  the  Fa- 
 ther^ by  his  Refumption  of  That  Sovereignity  over 
 the  Creatures,  he  had  conferred  on  the  Son,  may 
 be  called  a  new  Kingdom. 
 
 As  to  any  future  fubordinate  Kingdom  of  Chrijl, 
 t  fee  riot  the  Iea:ft  Ground  or  Foundation  the 
 Suppofition  of  it  has  in  Reafon  or  Nature,  or  in 
 holy  Scripture.  Chrijl,  as  God^  or  One  ivith  the 
 Pather\  will  enjoy  fupreme  Dominion,  and  want  no 
 Addition  to  his  Power  and  Glory  ;  will  "  inherit 
 *'  the  then  rcftored  Creatures  in  the  divinefl: 
 "  Manner,"  as  their  God,  and  receive  the  high- 
 dft  Satisfa6lion  and  Delig;ht  infinite  Goodnefs  can 
 feel  in  the  Contemplation  of  their  Recovery.     In- 
 
 ?  Vnlver/al  ReJIituilon  a  Scripturc-Doi^rine,  kc.  p.  3I>  32- 
 
 deed 
 
Seel.  9.     T^he  Judgment  of  Mankind.      365 
 
 deed  nothing  lefs  than  a  Revacation  of  all  delegated 
 Tower,  an  Extindtion  of  all  fubordinate  Sovereign^ 
 ty^  feems  to  be  implied  in  That  ftrong  ExpreP 
 fion  (big  with  the  fublimeft  Myjieries  of  Natural 
 and  Chrijlian  I'heology)  that  God  may  be  (TA 
 nANTA  EN  nA2I)  All  in  All. 
 
 One  Confequence  of  the  End  or  Conclufion  of 
 Chrijl^sfpiritual  Kingdom^  2.%  Redeemer  of  the  World, 
 may,  not  improbably,  be,  A  Dijfolution  of  the 
 Hypojlatical  Union  of  the  Divine  and  Human  Na^ 
 tures  in  the  Perfon  of  Chriji.  He  aflumed  the 
 latter  into  the  former,  for  the  Redemption  of 
 Mankind ;  and  retains  it  ftill  in  Heaven,  in  order 
 to  his  Return,  as  God-Man,  to  judge  the  "World. 
 But,  the  Redemption  and  the  Judgment  finifhed, 
 the  Ground  of  our  Saviour's  Incarnation,  and  all 
 Ufeof  his  ^rt^tnl  glorious  Body,  will  be  taken  a- 
 way ;  and  therefore  we  cannot  well  fuppofe,  he 
 \srill  continue  invefted  with  a  Body,  how  glorious 
 foever;  but  may  reafonably  conclude,  he  will 
 fefume  That  State  of  unclouded  Majejly  and  Glory ^ 
 of  pure  unmixed  Divinity,  he  had  with  the  Father 
 before  the  JVarU  was,  John  xvii.  5. 
 
 D I  S  S  E  R- 
 
DISSERTATION     IV, 
 
 ON      THE 
 
 FINAL    STATE 
 
 O   F 
 
 RETRIBUTION. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 Of  the  Place  <?/ Heaven. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 Of  the  Place  of  Hell,  and  the  various  Hypo- 
 theses concerning  it. 
 
 SECTION     III. 
 
 Of  future  Rewards,  or  the  Happiness  of  the 
 BLESSED  in  Heaven. 
 
 SECTION     IV. 
 
 Of  future  Punishments,  ^r /^^  Misery  of  the 
 
 DAMNED  wHeLL. 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 ^hat  there  will  be  X^egk^ev.^' of  Reward  and  Pu- 
 nifliment  in  the  next  Life. 
 
 SECTION     VI. 
 
 0/ /^f  Duration  or  Continuance  of  future  Re- 
 wards and  Punifliments. 
 
 SECTION    VII. 
 
 Of  the  Duration  of  future  Punishment. 
 
 Bb  DISSER- 
 
DISSERTATION     IV. 
 
 O    N 
 
 The  Final  State  of  Retribution. 
 
 TH  E  Judgment  of  Mankind  hy  Jefus  Chrift 
 being  the  lafl  Tranfaftion  of  any  Concern 
 to  us,  as  Inhabitants  of  this  lower  World ;  when 
 That  Ihall  be  finifhed,  and  our  heavenly  Judge 
 re-afcended  from  Earth  to  Heaven,  nothing  will 
 remain  to  be  done,  refpe^ling  the  Human  Race, 
 but  the  carrying  into  Execution  the  Sentences 
 pronounced  on  the  Righteous  and  the  Wicked. 
 For,  l^hefe  (the  Wicked)  flmll  go  away  into  ever- 
 lafting  Puni/fmenty  hut  the  Righteous  into  Life  eter- 
 nal.   Matth.  XXV.  46. 
 
 Here,  then,  we  turn  our  Backs  on  this  habi- 
 table Globe  -,  leaving  it  to  its  approaching  Fate 
 (perhaps,  already  begun)  Its  Deflru6lion  by  Fire, 
 in  That  Day  of  the  Lord,  in  the  which  the  Heavens 
 fhall  pafs  away  with  a  great  Noife,  and  the  Elements 
 fliall  melt  with  fervent  Heat ;  the  Earth  alfo  and 
 the  Works  that  are  therein  fliall  be  burnt  up.  2  Pet. 
 iii.  10. 
 
 Leaving,  I  fay,  a  Worlds  no  longer  the  Ha- 
 bitation of  Mankind,  and  upon  the  Brink  of  its 
 B  b  2  Deftruftion 
 
372         Dissertation  IV.     Se£t.  i, 
 
 Deftruftion  as  a  World,  we  look  forward  to  the 
 future  State  of  Mankind  in  Another^  their  final 
 State  of  Retribution.  Here  the  Objedts  of  our 
 Contemplation  and  Enquiry,  will  be,  thefe  three 
 general  Heads,  including  many  Particulars,  The 
 Place,  the  Nature,  and  the  Duration,  of 
 the  Rewards  and  PunifJiments  of  Futurity  or  the 
 Life  to  come. 
 
 SECTION     I. 
 
 Of  the  F  LAC  E  of  Heave  n. 
 
 OUR  firft  Enquiry  is,  into  the  Place  of  fu- 
 ture Rewards  and  Punifliments. 
 
 Every  real  Being  muft  have  its  proper  Place 
 oi Exijience.  And  therefore,  \f  Man  be  defigned 
 for  a  Future  State.,  and  this  World,  his  prefent 
 Habitation,  will  be  deflroyed,  there  mufl  be 
 fome  other  Place  prepared  for  him,  fome  Part  or 
 Portion  of  univerfal  Space,  in  which  he  will  re- 
 fide  and  continue  to  exift  as  one  of  God*s  Crea- 
 tures. 
 
 This  other  Place,  This  future  World,  being 
 That,  wherein  Mankind,  after  Judgment,  will 
 receive  the  due  Recompence  of  their  good  or 
 evil  Deeds,  muft  be  diftinguifhed  into  two  dif- 
 ferent Parts  or  Regions,  a  Place  of  Happinefs  and 
 a  Place  of  Mifery  j  Happinefs  and  Reward,  Mi- 
 
 fery 
 
Sedt.  I .  T^he  Final  ^t ate  of  Retribution.    373 
 
 Icry  and  Punifhment,  in  this  Cafe,  being  fynoni- 
 mous  Terms.  I  fay,  The  Seat  of  future  Re- 
 wards and  the  Scat  of  future  Punifhments  muft 
 be  difiinB  Regions  of  the  Univerfe  ;  becaufe  we 
 cannot  fuppole  a  ^tate  of  final  Retribution  to  be, 
 like  a  State  of  Probation  (fuch  as  the  prefent  is) 
 a  promifcuous  Scene  of  Good  and  Evil  •,  wherein 
 the  befi:  of  Men  partake  of  the  evil  Things,  and 
 the  ijscrfi  are  Sharers  in  the  good  Things,  of  the 
 World. 
 
 To  proceed,  then,  to  our  Enquiry  into  the 
 PLACEs'of  Heaven  and  Hell  (the  Names,  by 
 which,  in  common  Speech,  we  diftinguifh  the 
 Regions  of  future  Reward  and  Puni/Jnnent)  arid 
 to  begin  with  the  Place  of  Heaven  : 
 
 The  Word  Heaven  or  Heavens  (in  Hebrew 
 D^Dt:?,  in  Greek  Ou3^v(^,  in  Latin  Caelum)  is 
 generally  ufed,  in  Scripture,  to  denote  the  whole 
 fuperior  Region,  encompafTing  this  Globe  of 
 Earth,  and  extended  on  all  Sides  to  an  immenfe 
 Diftance  :  That  Region,  in  which  not  only  the 
 Heavenly  Bodies  perform  their  Revolutions,  but 
 thofe  Spiritual  Beings,  the  J;:gelsy  have  their 
 proper  Habitation  '.  So  St.  Pattl^  fpeaking  of 
 the  Son  of  God,  fays  -,  By  him  were  all  "Things 
 created^  that  are  in  Heaven^  and  that  are  in  Earthy 
 vifible  and  invifihle^  whether  they  be  Thrones^  or 
 ]Domimons,  or  Principalities,  or  Powers  \  all  Things 
 
 '  \'^tov  o]KtiTvpiiy.    Jude  6, 
 
 B  b  3  were 
 
374  Dissertation  IV.     Sed.  i. 
 
 were  created  by  him^  and  for  him.  ColofT.  i.  i6. 
 It  may  not  be  improper  to  obferve  here,  that  the 
 School-men  divide  the  vaft  Expanfe  around  us 
 into  feveral  concentric  Heavens,  rifing  one  above 
 another ;  the  higheft  and  mod  glorious  of  which 
 they  call  C(xlum  empyreum^  the  Heaven  oi  Fire. 
 And,  indeed,  we  read  of  the  Heaven  of  Heavens 
 (i  Kings  viii.  27.)  and  of  St.  Paul's  being  caught 
 up  to  the  third  Heaven.  1  Cor.  xii.  2.  But,  that 
 there  is  no  fuch  real  Divifion  of  the  ccelejlial  Re- 
 gions, is  evident  from  AJironomical  Difcoveries  ; 
 and,  as  to  St.  Paul's  Rapture,  it  could  be  nothing 
 more  than  a  Vifion  or  Extafy,  raifed  in  his  Mind 
 by  the  holy  Spirit  of  God,  and  exprefled  in  Lan- 
 guage borrowed  from  the  Philofophy  of  the 
 Hebrews,  who  divided  Heaven  into  three  Regions, 
 That  of  the  Clouds,  That  of  the  Stars,  and  That 
 of  tht  Jngels  *. 
 
 But,  tho'  the  Words  Heaven  and  the  Heavens 
 are  ufed,  in  Scripture,  to  denote,  in  general,  the 
 immenfe  Extent  of  Space  encompaffing  this  ter- 
 reftrial  Globe,  the  ftngular  Word  Heaven  is  par- 
 ticularly ufed  to  exprefs  the  proper  Reftdence  of 
 God  and  of  Chrijl.  Thus,  Hear  thou  in  Heaven, 
 thy  Dwellijig-placie,  i  Kings  viii.  30. — The  Heaven 
 is  my  Throne,  and  the  Earth  is  my  Foot-Jlocl,  Ifa. 
 Ixvi.  I. — The  Lord's  Throne  is  in  Heaven,  Pfal.  xi. 
 ^.-—God  is  in  Heaven,  and  thou  upon  Earth,  Eccl. 
 
 '  See  Pole's  Synopjist  in  loc. 
 
 V.  2. 
 
 \ 
 
S e(5l.  I .  T^he  Fhtal  State  of  Retributhfi .    375 
 
 V.  2. — Our  Father^  which  art  in  Heaven^  Matth. 
 vi.  9. — The  Son  of  Man  ^  which  is  in  Heaven,  John 
 iii.  13. — And,  that  the  Heaven  or  Refidence  of  God 
 and  of  our  Saviour  is  the  Heaven  or  Place  of  Hap- 
 pinefs,  prepared  for  the  Righteous,  is  evident  from 
 various  Scriptures.     Thus,  The  Pfalmiji  fays  to 
 God,  In  thy  Prefence  is  Fulnefs  of  Joy,  at  thy  right 
 Hand  there  are  Pleafures  for  evermore.  Pfal.xvi.  11. 
 Our  Saviour  faid  to  his  Difciples,  1  go  to  prepare 
 a  Place  for  you  -,   and  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  Place 
 for  you,  I  zvill  come  again,  and  receive  you  to  myfelfy 
 that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  alfo.  Joiin  xiv. 
 2,  3.  and  again,  addrefling  himfelf  to  God,  Fa- 
 ther^  I  will,  that  they  alfo  whom  thou  hafl  given 
 me,  be  with  me  where  I  am  ;  that  they  may  behold 
 my  Glory  which  thou  haft  given  me.   John  xvii.  24. 
 Accordingly,  St.  Paul  to  the  Hebrews  joins  to- 
 gether the  Prefence  of  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and 
 oijefus  the  Mediator  of  the  new  Covenant,  as  pe- 
 culiarly belonging  to  That  City  of  the  living  God, 
 the  heavenly  Jerufalem,  which    even  now  is  the 
 Habitation  of  an  innumerable  Company  of  Angels, 
 and  is  the  deftined  Refidence  of  the  Spirits  of  jufl 
 Men  made  perfect.    Heb.  xii.  22^ — 24. 
 
 God,  indeed,  is  omniprefent  ox  prefent  every  where. 
 The  Heaven  and  the  Heaven  of  Heavens  cannot  con- 
 tain him.  I  Kings  viii.  27.  He  is  a  God  at  Pland, 
 as  well  as  a  God  afar  off :  He  fills  both  Heaven 
 and  Earth.  Jer.  xxiii.  23,  24.  The  Confidera- 
 tion  of  which  Immenfity  of  the  Godhead  drew  from 
 B  b  4  the 
 
376        Dissertation   IV.     Sedt.  i,' 
 
 the  Royal  Pfalmijl  That  beautiful  Apoftrophe  to 
 God:  Whither  Jhall  I  go  from  thy  Spirit^  or  whither 
 Jhall  I  flee  from  thy  Prefence  ?   If  I  afcend  up  into 
 Heaven,  thou  art  there :  if  I  make  my  Bed  in  Hell, 
 hehold  thou  art  there.     If  I  take  the  Wings  of  the 
 Morning,  and  dwell  in  the  uttermofi  Parts  of  the 
 Sea ;  even  there  fliall  thy  Hand  lead  me,  and  thy 
 right  Hand  fhall  hold  me.    If  I  fay,   furely  the 
 Darknefs  fliall  cover  me  •,    even   the  Night    fliall 
 be  Light    about   me  :  yea,    the   Darknefs    hideth 
 not  from  thee  ;  but  the  Night  fliineth  as  the  Day : 
 the  Darknefs  and  the  Light  are  both  alike  to  thee. 
 Pl'al.  cxxxix.  7 — 12.     From    this   divine  Attri- 
 bute o{  Immenftty  it  feems  to  follow,  that  no  par- 
 ticular  Part  or  Portion  of  the  Univerfe  has  a 
 Claim  to  be  confidered  as  the  Refidence  of  the 
 Almighty,  in  Preference  to  any  other.     And  yet 
 there  may  be,  confiftently  with  the  divine  Omni- 
 prefence,  fome  particular  Place  of  the  Univerfe, 
 where  the  Creator  of  all  Things  is  more  efpecially 
 prefent,  by  fome  peculiar  and  vifible  Manifeftation 
 of  his  Glory  ;   fome  Place   in   the  fuperior  Re- 
 gions, which    may  not  unfitly  be  confidered  as 
 the  Palace  of  the  Kirig  of  Kings,  or  Prefence-cham- 
 Z'^r  of  the  Almighty  ;  where  t\\t  Angels,  his  Mi- 
 nifcers,  attend,  to  receive  his  high  Commands, 
 and  where  the  Saints,  togetiier  with  the  Angels, 
 will  hereafter  enjoy  the  Beatific  Vifion  or  Sight  of 
 God.     Which  laft  Circumftance  evinces  the  Re- 
 ality of  fuch  a  Place,  it  being  impofTible  other- 
 
ScO:.  2 .  T/je  Final  State  of  Retribution .    377 
 
 wife,  that  any  of  God*s  Creatures  fhould  behold 
 or  haVe  a  Sight  of  their  great  and  glorious  Cre- 
 ator. 
 
 This  glorious  Place,  the  peculiar  Refidence 
 of  God  and  of  Chriji^  of  the  holy  Angels  and  of 
 good  Men,  we  may  venture  to  place,  not  only 
 above  the  Orb  of  the  Moon,  and  even  of  the 
 whole  Planetary  Syjlem,  but  beyond  the  uttermoft 
 Limits  of  the  vifihle  Creation,  deep  in  the  Bofom 
 of  infinite  Space,  where  no  Shadow  of  a  revolving 
 Body  intervenes,  at  any  Time,  to  eclipfe  the 
 Glories,  or  diminifh  the  Splendors,  with  which 
 it  is  invefted. 
 
 SECTION     11. 
 
 0/  the  Fl ACE  of  Hell,  and  the  various  Hypo- 
 thecs concerning  it. 
 
 FROM  enquiring  into  the  Place  of  Heaven, 
 I  proceed  to  confider  That  of  Hell — not 
 the  Hades  (a«/^»iO  or  invifible  Region  of  departed 
 Souls,  into  which  they  pafs  immediately  on  their 
 Separation  from  the  Body,  and  which  is  often 
 denoted,  in  Scripture,  by  the  Word  Hell » — but 
 the  Place  of  Torment,  the  Refidence  of  the  damned, 
 the  deftined  Region  of  Pimifliment  in  the  World 
 to  come. 
 
 3   See  Dijfcrt.  I.  SeSl.  VL 
 
 The 
 
378        Dissertation    IV.     Se6t.  2. 
 
 The  antient  Opfnion,  that  Hades,  or  the  Place 
 of  departed  Spirits,  is  in  the  Bowels  of  the  Earth, 
 and  the  ambiguous  Ufe  of  the  Word  Hell,  feem 
 to  have  given  Rife  to  an  Opinion,  that  Hell,  or 
 the  Place  of  future  Punifhment,  is  within  the 
 Earth,  and  at,  or  about,  its  Centre.  The  Main- 
 tainers  of  which  Opinion,  taking  it  for  granted, 
 that  the  Fire  of  Hell  is  a  real,  not  a  metaphorical. 
 Fire  (a  Queftion,  not  now  before  us)  have  Re- 
 courfe  to  the  Suppofition  of  a  Central  Fire,  or  a 
 CoUedlion  of  That  Element  at  or  about  the  Cen- 
 ter of  the  Earth.  In  Confirmation  of  which  Hy- 
 pothefis,  they  appeal  to  the  Vulcanos,  or  burning 
 Mountains,  as  Mtna,  Vefuvius,  Hecla,  and  others  ; 
 which  they  confidcr  as  fo  many  Breathing-holes, 
 Vents,  or  Difcharges,  o?  tht  Central  Fire ;  from 
 whence  they  have  been  vulgarly  called  'The  Mouths 
 ofHelL 
 
 But,  Vulcanos  are  no  Proofs  of  a  Fire  at  the 
 Center  of  the  Earth.  Indeed,  were  they  to  throw 
 out  nothing  but  pure  Flame,  conftantly  bright 
 and  clear,  there  might  be  fome  Ground  for  con- 
 fidering  them  as  Outlets  of  fuch  a  fubterraneous 
 Fire,  as  the  Central  is  fuppofed  to  be.  But, 
 when  we  confider,  that  the  Eruptions  from  thefe 
 burning  Mountains  confift,  not  only  oi  Flame, 
 but  of  bituminous  Matter,  Stones,  A/lies,  and  the 
 like  •,  we  lliall  have  Reafon  to  think,  they  are 
 only  particular  Fires  of  Nature's  kindling,  in 
 fome  of  the  extreme  Parts  of  the  Earth  near  its 
 
 Surface, 
 
Sed.  2.  ^he  Final  State  of  Retribution.    379 
 
 Surface,  and  not  Effeds  of  a  general  Colleftion 
 of  Fire  about  its  Center. 
 
 But  I  go  farther,  and  aflert,  that  the  Hypo- 
 thefis  of  a  Central  Fire  is  quite  unphilofophical, 
 as  being  inconfiilent  with  the  Nature  of  Fire 
 itfelf,  and  with  the  Conflitution  and  Compofi- 
 tion  of  the  Terraqueous  Globe. 
 
 It  is  inconfiftent  with  the  Nature  of  Fire  itfelf. 
 Fire  requires  both  Fuel  to  feed  it,  and  Air  to 
 fuftain  and  preferve  it  ;   neither  of  which  can 
 reafonably  be   fuppofed  to  be   found  near  the 
 Center  of  the  Earth.     We  find,   indeed,  large 
 Quantities  of  oleaginous,  fulphureous,  and  other 
 inflammable  Matter,  lodged  in  the  Bowels  of  the 
 Earth,  at  different  Diftances  below  its  Surface. 
 But,  that  there  is  any  fuch  Matter  at  or  near  the 
 Center  of  the  Earth,  can  never  be  proved.     On 
 the  contrary,  as  moil  of,  if  not  all,  the  mineral 
 and/^/Subftances,  we  have  any  Knowledge  of, 
 feem  defigned  for  the  Ufe  of  Man,  it  is  moft 
 probable,   there  are  no  fuch  Subilances  at  any 
 Depth  beyond  the  Reach  of  Man  ;   but  that  the 
 Globe,  from  below  a  certain  Depth  down  to  its 
 very    Center,   confifts  of  one,  homogeneous,  folid, 
 Subftance,  containing  nothing  of  a  fiery  or  in- 
 flammable Nature. 
 
 But,  fuppofing  we  could  afllgn  a  proper  Pa^ 
 hiilum  or  Fuel  enougii  to  feed  the  Central  Fire, 
 what  fhould  we  do  for  a  fufficient  Quantity  of 
 Air  to  preferve  and  keep  it  alive  ?  Were  the 
 
 Earth 
 
3^o        Dissertation   IV.     Sed.  2. 
 
 Earth  lefs  folid  and  fubftantial  than  it  is,  the 
 Diftance  between  its  Center  and  Surface  is  fo  vaflly 
 great,  we  can  hardly  fuppofe  it  pervious  or  pene- 
 trable by  the  external  Air  to  a  Depth  fufficient 
 for  the  Purpofe.  Nor  have  we,  I  think,  fuffi- 
 cient Ground  for  fuppofing  a  natural  Generation 
 o^  Air,  within  the  Globe,  and  at  the  Diftance 
 of  more  than  three  thoufand  Miles  from  the  Bot- 
 tom of  its  furrounding  Atmofphere. 
 
 To  pretend,  that  God  may  fupernaturally  or 
 miraculoujly  keep  up  fuch  2iFire,  is  an  unjuftifi- 
 ab!e  Way  of  arguing.  Had  Divine  Revelation 
 declared  the  ad:ual  Exiftence  of  a  Central  Fire^ 
 and  we  could  find  no  natural  Means  for  its  Sup- 
 port, we  might  juftly  have  Recourfe  to  a  mira- 
 culous  interpofition.  But  no  Logic  will  allow  us 
 to  fuppofe  fuch  a  Fire  without  any  Proof,  and 
 then  introduce  a  Miracle^  to  get  rid  of  the  Dif- 
 ficulties attending  the  Suppofition. 
 
 And,  as  the  Suppofition  of  a  Central  Fire  is 
 inconfiftent  v/ith  the  Nature  of  Fire  itfelf,  fo  is 
 it  with  the  Conftitution  or  Compofition  of  the 
 Terraqueous  Globe  -,  which  (as  its  Name  declares) 
 is  formed  of  Earth  and  IVater.  It  is  true,  there 
 are  both  Fire  and  Air  in  the  Body  of  the  Earth  j 
 but  only  by  Accident,  as  it  were,  and,  like  Prt- 
 fonersy  detained  there  by  Force,  and  again  ft  the 
 violent  Bent  and  Inclination  of  their  Natures. 
 Firc^  in  particular,  is  of  a  mounting  or  [oaring 
 Nature,  contrary   to  That  of  Water  and  Earti\ 
 
 which 
 
SeiSl.  2.  I'he  Final  State  of  Retribution.    381 
 
 which  love  to  defcend,  and  occupy  the  lowefl 
 Place.  It  fcems,  therefore,  a  great  Violence  of- 
 fered to  the  Nature  both  of  Fire  and  of  Earth, 
 to  confine  fo  large  a  Quantity  of  the  former  to  a 
 Place  it  naturally  abhors,  and  to  with-hold  the 
 latter  from  its  proper  Center  of  Quiefcence  and 
 Reft.  If  we  muft  fuppofe  any  Thing  but  Earth 
 to  lie  at  the  Center  of  the  Earth,  it  is  moft  rea- 
 fonable  to  place  tVater  there;  which,  though 
 much  lefs  folid  and  of  a  lighter  Conftitution  than 
 Earth,  has  an  equal  Tendency  downwards,  and 
 is  often  found  to  fink  through  and  lie  at  the  Bot- 
 tom of  Earth  ^. 
 
 But,  admitting  the  Exijlence  of  Fire  at  the 
 Center  of  the  Earth,  can  we  fuppofe  the  Region, 
 it  occupies,  to  be  capacious  or  large  enough  to 
 ferve  as  a  Prifon  of  the  damned  ? 
 
 Dr.  Burnet,  who  favours  the  Opinion  ofaCentral 
 Fire,  allows  but  a  twentieth  Part  of  the  Earth*3 
 Semidiametcr  for  That  of  the  Region  in  queftion  ; 
 the  other  ?iineteen  Parts  being  (he  fuppofes)  ne- 
 cefiary  to  fecure  the  Globe  from  being  confumed 
 by  the  Fire  at  its  Center  K  This  Eftimate 
 makes  the  Central  Region  to  be  a  Sphere,  whofe 
 Circumference    is    525   Miles  ^.     Drexelius,  who 
 
 eftimates 
 
 4  See  Dr.  Nichols's  Ccmference  'with  a  Theift.  P.  ii.  p.  204. 
 
 «  Sacred  Theory  of  the  Earth.  B.  iii.    Chap.  vi. 
 
 *  The  Diameter  of  the  Earth  is  about  7000  Miles  ;  con- 
 
 fequently,  its  Setnidiameter  is  3500,  and  the  20th  Part  of  its 
 
 4  Semi- 
 
^^2  Dissertation  IV.     Secfl.  2. 
 
 cftimates  the  Number  of  the  damned  at  One 
 hundred  thoufand  Millions^  makes  Hell  to  be  a  Place 
 a  GermanMile  fquare  ;  which,  he  pretends,  is  ca- 
 pable of  receiving  fuch  a  Number  of  Perfons  7. 
 
 I  pretend  not,  with  the  laft-mentioned  Au- 
 thor, to  compute  the  Number  of  the  damned. 
 That  it  will  be  very  great,  we  have  but  too 
 much  Reafon  to  believe,  when  we  confider,  not 
 only  the  great  Wickednefs  of  Mankind  in  all 
 Ages  of  the  World,  but  that  the  fallen  Angels  will 
 be  fhut  up  in  the  fame  Prifon  with  the  wicked  of 
 the  Human  Race  ^,  the  Fire  of  Hell  being  ori- 
 ginally prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  Angels. 
 Matth.  XXV.  41.  And,  when  we  confider  far- 
 ther, that  the  damned,  both  Devils  and  Men, 
 will  not  be  pure,  unmixed.  Spirits,  but  Spirits 
 cloathed  with  a  Material  Vehicle  or  Body  ^,  and, 
 
 Scmidiameter  175  Miles.  Now  the  Diameter  of  a.  Circle  be- 
 ing in  Proportion  to  its  Circumference  nearly  as  i  to  3,  175 
 multiplied  by  3  gives  525,  the  Circumference  in  Miles  oi  i\ic 
 Central  Region. 
 
 7  De  damnatorum  Car  cere  et  Rogo.   P.  2.   C.  8. 
 
 8  The  Cotnpany  of  Angels  is  faid  to  be  innumerable,  or  many 
 Myriads.  Heb.  xii.  22.  Now,  if  St.  John  the  Di'vine,  in  his 
 Vifion  of  the  great  red  Dragon,  whofe  Tail  dreiv  the  third 
 Part  of  the  Stars  of  Hea'ven,  and  did  cajl  them  upon  the  Earth 
 (Rev.  xii.  3,  4.)  may  be  fuppofed  to  have  had  a  retrofpeSii-ve 
 View  to  the  Fall  of  Satan  and  his  Angels,  as  well  as  a  Pro- 
 fpeft  of  Something  future,  This  will  determine  the  Number 
 of  thofe  Apoftaie  Spirits  to  have  been  One  Third  of  the  hea- 
 venly Hoft. 
 
 »    See  Differt.  I.  Seft.  VII. 
 
 4  confequently. 
 
Sed.  2.  T^ he  Final  State  of  Retribution.  383 
 
 confequently,  muft  occupy,  each  for  himfelf,  a 
 Portion  of  Space  of  at  leaft  equal  Dimenfions 
 with  themfelves  •,  we  fhall  fee  good  Reafon  to 
 doubt,  whether  the  Central  Region  of  the  Earth, 
 according  to  Dr.  Burnetts  or  Drexelm's  Eftimate 
 of  its  Extent,  be  capacious  or  large  enough  for 
 the  Reception  of  All  the  miferable  Viftims  of  the 
 Divine  Juftice  and  Vengeance. 
 
 If  this  Glok  of  Earth,  we  inhabit,  muft,   in 
 fome  Part  or  other  of  it,  be  the  Place  of  future 
 PuniJJment  for  Men  and  Devils^  I  fhould  rather 
 fall  in  with  the  Opinion  of  the  learned  Dr.  Henry 
 Mere ;  who  tells  us  %  that  "  At  the  Conflagra- 
 "  tion  of  the  Earth,  the  great  Channel  of  the 
 "  Sea  fhall  be  left  dry,    and  all  the  Rivers  Ihall 
 "  be  turned  into  Smoke  and  Vapor  -,  fo  that 
 *'  the  whole  Earth  fhall  be  inveloped  in  one  en- 
 "  tire  Cloud  of  unfpeakable  Thicknefs,  which 
 "  fhall  caufe  more  than  an  Egyptian  Darknefs, 
 "  clammy  and  palpable  to  be  felt  •,  which,  ad- 
 "  ded   to  this  choaking  Heat  or  Stench,   will 
 "  complete  this  external  Hell,  a  Place  of  Torment, 
 "  appointed  not  only  for  the    profane  Atheift 
 "  and  Hypocrite,  but  alfo  for  the  Devil  and  his 
 "  Angels."     Or,  if  we  fuppofe,  with  Dr.  Bur- 
 net *,  that  the  Conflagration  will  reduce  the  ex- 
 terior Part  of  the  Earth,  to  a  confiderable  Depth, 
 
 »  Grand  Mypry  ofGodlinefs.  B.  VI.  Chap.  IX. 
 *  Sacred  Theory  of  the  Earth.  B.  III.  Chap.  IX. 
 
 into 
 
384  Dissertation   IV.     Sed.  2. 
 
 into  a  Mafs  or  Sea  of  liquid  Fire,  Here  will  be  a 
 Place  of  Torment,  an  Hell  indeed,  and  capable 
 of  receiving  incredible  Numbers  of  wicked  Be- 
 ings. But  the  Misfortune  of  thefe  Hypothefes  is, 
 that  they  muft  fuppofe  the  Fire  of  the  Confla- 
 gration to  laft  as  long  as  there  are  wicked  Beings 
 doomed  to  fufFer  in  the  Fire  that  is  not  quenched 
 (Mark  ix.  44.)  whereas  it  is  moft  reafonable  to 
 think,  it  will  continue  to  burn  no  longer  than 
 till  it  has  anfwered  the  Divine  Purpofe  of  de^ 
 Jlroying  the  Earth,  with  all  its  Furniture  and 
 Appendages,  fo  as  no  longer  to  be  an  habitable 
 World. 
 
 I  muft  not  here  omit  an  odd  Conjefture  of 
 Mr.  Whiflonh  ;  who  fuppofes,  that,  by  Means 
 of  the  "  general  Conflagration- — our  Earth  fhall 
 *'  be  turned  from  a  Planet  into  a  Comet  ;  and 
 *'  the  Devil  and  his  Angels  and  Daemons,  to- 
 "  gether  with  the  incurably  wicked  among  Man- 
 "  kind,  fhall  be  thrown  into  its  burning  Atmof- 
 "  phere,  till  they  are  utterly  deftroyed,  and  the 
 *'  Smoke  of  their  'Torments  afcends  up  for  Jges  of 
 "  -^ges,  or  for  many  of  its  Revolutions  about 
 «  the  Sun,  in  the  Tail  of  that  Comet  ^"  But 
 to  proceed  : 
 
 A  learned  and  ingenious  modern  Writer,  hav- 
 ing fhewn,  that  the  Fire  of  Hell  is  not  metapho- 
 
 3  Eternity  of  Hell-torments  conjidered.  2d  Edit.  Lond.  1752. 
 p.  105,  ^ 
 
 rtcaly 
 
Sedl.  2 .  T^he  Final  State  of  Retribution »  3  8  f 
 
 rical,  but  real;  and  the  Improbability  of  That 
 Fire's  being  in  or  about  the  Center  of  the  Earth  ; 
 proceeds  to  advance  a  very  new  and  extraordi- 
 nary Hypothefis,  viz.  That  the  Body  of  the  Suii 
 is  the  Local  Hell*.  His  Reafons  forfo  novel, 
 and  feemingly  ftrange,  a  Do6trine  are  Jix.  I 
 fhall  abridge  them,  for  the  Reader's  Amufement; 
 fubjoining  to  each  a  (liort  Obfervation,  lufficient 
 to  fhew,  how  precarious  (not  to  fay  improbable) 
 aSuppofition  this  Gentleman  undertook  to  main- 
 tain. 
 
 Firft,  then,  the  Body  of  the  Sun  is  real,  cor- 
 poreal. Fire,  abundantly  fupplied  with  Fuel,  and 
 always  burning  with  an  equally  intenfe  Heat ;  a 
 Fire,  in  fhort,  fufficient,  as  fuch,  to  the  Purpofe 
 of  a  Real  Hell,  or  Place  of  'J'orment  by  Fire  *.  Obf. 
 There  may  be  in  Nature  (though  not  perceivable 
 by  Us)  fome  other  Mafs  of  Fire  (already  kindled, 
 or  to  be  hereafter  kindled)  equally  fit,  or  more 
 fo,  for  That  Purpofe. 
 
 Secondly,  The  Body  of  the  Siin,  according  to 
 Aftronomical  Computation,  being  more  than  a 
 Million  of  Times  bigger  than  That  of  the  Earthy 
 is  abundantly  capable  of  receiving  an  innumer- 
 able Company  of  Devils  and  wicked  M^n  ^.  Obf. 
 I'he   Magnitude  of  the  Sun  beins;  as  nothino;, 
 
 /^    S  ?e  jilii  Enquiry  into  the  Nature  and  Place  of  Hell,  by 
 *Tobia5  Swindcn,  M.  A.   Lond.  1727.   2d  Edit. 
 
 J    P.    132 — 137.  •*  P.  137r-142. 
 
 C  c  compared 
 
386         Dissertation   IV.     Se<!t.  2. 
 
 compared  with  infinite  Space,  Providence  can 
 be  at  no  Lofs  for  a  Place  large  enough  to  receive 
 the  largeft  poffible  Nuir.ber  of  the  damned. 
 
 Thirdly,  The  Sun  being  in  the  Center  of  our 
 Syftem,  and,  confcquently,  of  all  the  heavenly 
 Bodies,  at  the  greateft  Diftance  from  the  Ccelum 
 Empyreu?n^  which  encompafles  the  Syftem  •,  if 
 we  liippofe  the  Empyrean  to  be  Heaven  or  the 
 Region  of  the  biciTed,  we  may  juftly  fuppofe  the 
 Sun  to  be  Hdl,  or  the  Receptacle  of  the  dam- 
 ned ;  it  being  reafonable  to  think,  tliat  Heaven 
 and  Hell  are  as  oppofite  in  Situation^  as  in  evxry 
 thing  elfe  7.  Ohf.  Though  the  Sun  be  in  the 
 Onter  of  our  Syftem,  ytt,  if  there  be  (as  it  is 
 highly  probable  there  are)  many  more  like  Sy- 
 llems  of  Smu  and  Platiets^  it  can  never  be  proved, 
 that  Our  Sun  is  in  tlie  Center  of  the  Univerfe^  nor» 
 confequently,  that  it  is  at  the  grcatefl  Diftance 
 from  the  Empyrean.  Not  to  obfervc,  that  the 
 Ccelum  Empyreum  is  a  mere  Ajlroncmical  F'lcllon. 
 
 Fourthly,  The  Sun  is  mmoveahly  fixed  in  the 
 Center  of  the  Syftem,  from  which  it  is  fuppofed 
 never  to  have  deviated  at  any  Time.  But,  of 
 all  the  Affcoiions  of  Place^  hmnchility  befi;  fuitcih 
 with  Eternity  ^.  Ohf.  I  fee  no  Connection  in 
 Nature  between  the  5««'s  beinG;  immoveablv 
 fixed  in  the  Center^  and  its  being  created  to  laft 
 for  ever.  What  Portion  foever  of  univerfal  Space, 
 
 -7     P.   142—169.  S     p.    165—1--. 
 
 Ccd 
 
Sed.  2.  T!he  Final  State  of  Retribution.   387 
 
 God  is  pleafed  to  mark  out  for  the  Place  of  the 
 damned.  That  Place  will  be  immoveahle,  and  more 
 ib  than  the  Sun^  which,  notwithftanding  the  Im- 
 mobility of  its  Station,  has  a  conftant  Motion 
 or  Revolution  about  its  own  Axis. 
 
 Fifthly,  We  cannot  well  iuppofe  Hell  to  have 
 been  created  or  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his 
 Angels  before  their  Revolt,  fince  the  Knowledge 
 of  fuch  a  Place  in  Being  mull  have  deterred  them 
 from   offending.     Now,    according   to  the  Mo- 
 fakalHiftory  (rightly  underftood)  the  Sun  appears 
 to  have  been  the/r/  created  of  all  the  heavenly 
 Bodies.     Hence  it  may  reafonably  be  fuppofed 
 to  have  been  defigned  both  as  a  Place  of  Tor- 
 ment for  the  Apoftate  Angels^    and   a  Source  of 
 Light  to  the  whole  new  Creation  •,  the  Almighty 
 at  once  laying  the  amazing  Scene  ot  their  Pu- 
 nifhment  and  of  his  own  Glory  '.     Ohf.   The 
 Sun's  being  created  after  the  Fall  of  the  apoftate 
 Angels  is  no  more  a  Reafon  for  fuppofing  it  to 
 be  the  Vlace  of  Hell^  than  the  ftiU  later  Creation 
 of  the  Earthy  or  any  other  of  the  Planets,  is ;  nor  is 
 there  the  leaft  Connexion  between  the  Stm\  be- 
 ing created  the  firfi  of  the  heavenly  Bodies,  and 
 its  being  the  Place  of  Hell,  Hnce  it  would  have 
 anfwered  That  Purpofe  as  well,  had  it  been  the 
 lafl  created. 
 
 9  P.  176.— 183. 
 
 Qq  1  '  Sixthly 
 
388         Dissertation  IV.     Sed.  2* 
 
 Sixthly  and  laftly,  The  Idolatry  of  the  Sun,  or 
 the  paying  religious  IVor/Iiip  to  That  great  Lu- 
 minary, appears  to  have  prevailed  all  over  the 
 Heathen  World.  And,  if  the  Devil  be  the  Au- 
 thor of  Idolatry,  what  more  reafonable,  than  to 
 fuppofe  him  feducing  Mankind,  not  only  to 
 deny  God  above,  but  to  worfhip  the  Seat  of  his 
 own  Empire  below  '.  Ohf.  The  Idolatry  of  the 
 Sun  is  fufficiently  accounted  for  (even  allowing 
 the  Devil  to  be  the  Author  of  Idolatry)  by  the 
 Glory  of  its  Appearance  in  the  Heavens,  and 
 the  beneficial  Effects  Mankind  derives  from  its 
 Lio-ht  and  Heat. 
 
 o 
 
 It  appearing,  then,  that  neither  the  Tlanet 
 we  inhabit,  nor  the  Body  of  the  Sun,  can  rea- 
 fonably  be  affigned  as  the  Place  of  Hell-,  we  mufl 
 look  farther  into  the  vaft  Abyfs  of  infinite  Space^ 
 if  we  would  form  a  tolerable  Conjedlure  as  to  the 
 Situation  of  That  doleful  Region  of  the  damned. 
 
 Now,  if  Heaven  and  Hell  be  the  Reverfe  of 
 each  other  in  every  other  Refpeft,  it  is  reafon- 
 able to  think,  they  are  fo  in  Refpefb  of  Place 
 or  Situation  likewife.  Now,  we  have  ventured 
 to  place  Heaven  or  the  Region  of  the  blefied, 
 not  only  beyond  the  Orb  of  the  Moon,  and  even 
 of  our  own  Planetary  Syftem,  but  beyond  the  ut- 
 termoft  Limits  of  the  vifible  Creation.  To  whicfi 
 1  here  add,  that  there  is  no  Necefiity  of  fuppof- 
 
 '  P.  1B3--188. 
 
 init 
 
Se  d .  2 .  T!he  Final  State  of  Retribution .   389 
 
 ino-  That  glorious  Region  to  furround  the  Syjiem 
 of  IVorlds^  as  the  imaginary  Coslum  Empyreum  is 
 iiippoled  to  do.  There  is  Room  enough,  in  the 
 Bofom  of  infinite  Space,  for  the  moil  extenfive 
 Heaven^  fuppofing  it  (if  I  may  fo  fpeak)  to  lie  on 
 ene  Side  of  the  Creation.  Let  us  fuppofe,  then, 
 a  Line  drawn  from  That  Extremity  of  Heaven^ 
 which  lies  neareft  to  the  Syftem  of  JVorlds^  thro* 
 the  Center,  to  the  o-ppfite  Side  of  the  Syftem  ; 
 and,  at  a  proper  Diftance  from  the  Point  of  the 
 Circle  where  the  Line  emerges,  its  End  will  touch 
 the  Extremity  of  That  Portion  of  Space,  which 
 I  would  aflign  as  the  Place  of  Hell.  I  offer  this 
 Hypothefis  as  a  mere  Conjedure,  upon  which 
 the  Reader  will  lay  juft  as  much  Strefs,  and  no 
 more  than  he  thinks  it  deferves. 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 Of  future  Rewards,  or  the  Happiness  of  the 
 BLESSED  in  Heaven. 
 
 OUR  Second  general  Head  of  Enquiry  is,  into 
 the  Nature  of  the  Rewards  and  Ptmtfliments 
 of  the  World  to  come,  or.  What  Kind  oi  Happi- 
 mfs  is  prepared  for  the  Righteous  in  Heaven,  and 
 of  Mifery  for  the  Wicked  in  Hell. 
 
 To  begin  with  the  Reward  or  Happinefs  of  the 
 
 Jiighteous  in  Heaven. 
 
 C  c  3  St. 
 
39©         Dissertation   IV.     Secft.  3, 
 
 St.  Paul,  indeed  (quoting  the  Prophet  Ifaiah) 
 tells  us,  that  Eye  hath  not  feen,  nor  Ear  hear^dy 
 neither  have  etitered  into  the  Heart  of  Man,  the 
 Things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love 
 him.  I  Cor.  ii.  9. :  and  St.  John,  that  //  doth  not 
 yet  appear  what  we  fiall  bp.  i  John  iii.  2.  A/z^-» 
 ture  State  of  Glory  and  Happinefs  is  neither  an 
 Objed  of  our  Bod.ly  Scnfes,  nor  comprehenfible 
 by  our  finite  Underftandings.  And  hence  it  if, 
 that  the  infpired  Writers  fpeak  of  Heaven  and 
 heavenly  Blifs  \n  figurative  ExprefTions,  borrovved 
 from  terreflrial  Objeds  and  Enjoyments  *.  Thus 
 
 (to 
 
 *  Lord  Bolin^hrcke  having  objected  (as  of  Difadvantage 
 to  Relii:^ion)  that  the  "  future  Puni{hments,  taught  by 
 "  Chriftianity,"  are  "  reprefented  in  Terms"  more  parti- 
 cular and  *'  defcriptive"  than  the  "  future  Rewards  {VVorks 
 "  Vol.  V.  p.  542)  ;"  Bifhop  Warburton  returns  the  Ob- 
 jc6lion  this  Anfvver.  "  To  grow  particular  and  d-'fcripti've^ 
 "  whether  of  future  Rev/ards  or  future  Punifliments,  the 
 "  Speaker  mult  borrow  his  Images  from  material  and  cor- 
 *'  toreal  things,  becaufe  the  Hearer  has  no  Faculties  of  Sen« 
 "  fation  proper  to  comprehend  Ideas  taken  from  Things 
 ♦'  fpiritual.  Now,  when  a  follower  of  Chrift  is  fo  far  ad- 
 *'  vanced  as  to  have  his  Faith  work  by  Hope,  his  Ideas  puri- 
 *•  fy,  and  he  is  rifingapace'towards  That  Pcrfeftion,  which 
 •'  the  Gofpel  encourages  him  to  afpire  after.  Bat,  while 
 "  Fear  ff  Punijhmenf,  chiefly,  operates  upon  him,  he  is  yet 
 "  in  the  loweft  State  of  Probation  ;  his  Iruagination  is  grofs^ 
 *'  and  his  Appetites  feufual.  Is  it  not  evident,  then,  that 
 **  a  defcripti-'je  Heaven  of  Delights  would  be  ill  fuited  to 
 "  Ttiac  Purity  and  Elevation  of  Mind,  folely  fixed  by ///j/^r 
 *♦  on  HiTppiuef'^  ;  and  as   evident,  that   a  general  undefv.cd. 
 
 f*  Denunciation 
 
Sedl.  3 .  l^he  Final  State  of  Retribution.    :^  9  !• 
 
 (to  mention  no  more)  our  Saviour  tells  us,  thar 
 in  the  End  of  this  Worlds  the  Righteous  JJiall  Jhine  .. 
 forth  as  the  Sun  in  the  FJngdom  of  their  Father. 
 Matth.  xiii.  40 — 43.  And  the  Apoilles  PW, 
 James^  and  Peter  defcribe  the  Reward  of  good 
 Men  under  the  Image  of  a  Crozvn  of  Righteouf 
 nefs^  Life^  2in(\  Glory.  2.  Tim.  iv.  8.  Jam.  i.  12. 
 I  Pet.  V.  4.  But  it  belongs  to  the  Province  of 
 Reafon^  in  ftudying  the  holy  Scriptures,  to  dif- 
 tinguifh  between  Figures  and  Realities^  and,  in 
 fuch  Reprefentations  as  tiiefe,  to  look,  beyond 
 the  Letter.,  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Text.  To  pro- 
 ceed, then,  in  our  Enquiry  ;  in  which  we  Hiai! 
 find  ourfelves  not  left  wholly  to  the  Guidance  of 
 Human  Reafon^  the  Chrijiian  Reielntion  having- 
 plainly  enough  intimated  to  us  the  principal 
 Sources  of  That  Happinefs,  we  fi:iail  enjoy  in 
 Heaven. 
 
 Now,  though  the  blefied  in  Heaven  v*iil  be 
 Creatures  compounded  of  Both  Natures,  a  Body 
 
 *'  Denunciation  of  Hell  would  not  have  Force  enough  to, 
 "  make  the  necefTary  imprefiion  on  a  fenrvial  Fancy  agitatea  ^ 
 "  by  Fear?  Fiew  of  herd  BuUnghroki  i   Pbilojlphy.    Lend. 
 1756.  izmo.  p.  35—37. 
 
 The  Anfwer  is  fine,  and  freaks  a  deep  Jnfght  into  thj; 
 Paflions  of  the  human  Mind.  But  the  Misfortune  is,  that 
 Both  the  Objection  and  AnAver  proceed  upon  a  fake  Ground. 
 The  Scripture-Reprefentations  ol  future  Rewards  arc  no  lefs 
 parficulnr  and  defcripti've  than  thofe  o{  fulnre  Pi'.nijtjincntit  a^ 
 great  a  Variety  of  ftrong  and  expreffive  Figures  and  Irnac^es 
 baing  employed  to  fet  forch  the  Nature  of  the  one,  ar>  of  the 
 other. 
 
 C  c  4  and 
 
59^         Dissertation   IV.     Sed,  3, 
 
 and  a  Soul^  we  cannot  fuppofe  Senfiial  Delights 
 to  make  any  Part  of  the  Happinefs  they  will  there 
 enjoy.  Senfual  Delights  are  of  a  Nature  unfit  to 
 have  any  Share  in  the  BlefTednefs  of  the  Life  to 
 ccme.  The  Joys  of  Senfe  are  irrational,  fugitive, 
 and  unworthy  the  Attention  of  wife  Beings.  The 
 "^oy?,  of  Heaven  muft  be  rational,  permanent,  and 
 defireable  by  the  wifeft  Beings.  Nor,  indeed, 
 will  the  Refurre5Iion-Body  (That  Body,  which  the 
 Saints  will  carry  with  them  to  Heaven)  be  form- 
 ed for  the  Enjoyment  of  Senfual  Pleafures. 
 
 The  Happinefs  of  Heaven  may  be  confidered 
 both  as  Negative  and  Pofttive ;  Negative,  as  con- 
 fifting  in  the  Ahfence  of  all  Evil -^  and  Pofitive, 
 as  confining  in  the  Prefence  of  all  Good. 
 
 The  Negative  Happinefs  of  Heaven  will  confifl 
 in  the  Ahfence  of  all  Evil. 
 
 With  Refped  to  the  Bodies  of  the  Saints  in 
 Heaven  :  As  they  will  not  be  Bodies  oiFlefh  and 
 Bloody  but  (as  St.  Paul  fl:yles  them)  Spiritual  Bo- 
 dies (i  Cor.  XV.  44,  50,) ;  they  rcufl:  be  entirely- 
 free  from  thofe  Principles  of  Corruption  and  De- 
 cay, which  bring  upon  thefe  natural  Bodies  In- 
 firmity and  Weaknefs,  Difeafes  and  Pain.  In 
 Heaven^  there  will  be  no  external  Violence  to 
 maim  or  diforder  the  Bodily  Frame  •,  nor  will 
 infinite  Ages  impair  or  deftrcy  its  Healih  and 
 Vigour.  Defigned  for  an  Eternity  of  Exiftence, 
 it  will  continue  in  the  fame  State  for  ever,  a 
 Stranger  to  all  thofe  Mutations,  and  all  thofe 
 5  Evils, 
 
6  e(5t .  3  •  ^^^  Final  State  of  Retribution .    393 
 
 Evils,  which  befal  our  mortal  Bodies  in  this  World, 
 I  place  the  Enjoyment  of  uninterrupted  Health 
 and  Vigour  to  the  Account  o^  Negative  Happinefs^ 
 as  it  arriles  from  the  Abfence  of  Pain  and  Sick- 
 nefs,  and  has,  indeed,  no  other  Title  to  be  rank- 
 ed vv^ith  the  Pofitive  Blejfings  of  Life,  than  as  a 
 Jine  qua  non^  a  necelTary  Qualification  for  the  En- 
 joyment of  fuch  Bleflings. 
 
 With  Refped  to  the  Souls  of  the  blefled  in 
 Heaven  ;  Their  negative  Happinefs  will,  undoubt- 
 e.dly,  confift  in  a  Freedom  from  allDifquietude  and 
 Uneafinefs,  Anxiety  and  Fear,  Grief  and  Sorrow. 
 Indeed,  thefe  Perturbations  of  Mind  can  have 
 no  Place,  where  there  are  no  crofs  Accidents  to 
 difappoint  our  Hopes  and  Expectations,  no  Dan- 
 gers to  terrify  and  affright  us,  no  Lofles  of 
 Things  dear  and  valuable  to  us  to  counter- 
 balance our  Enjoyments,  or  fpoil  our  Relifh  for 
 them.  Hence  will  arife  a  fettled  'Tranquillity  of 
 Mind,  ever  calm  and  ferene,  unruffled  by  any 
 Breath  of  Care,  and  undifturbed  by  any  Storm 
 of  Adverfity. 
 
 But  the  chief  Obje<5t  of  our  prefent  Enquiry 
 is,  The  Pofitive  Happinefs  of  the  Saints  in  Heaven, 
 arifing  from  the  Prefence  of  every  Good,  of  every 
 ^leffing,  God  is  able  to  beftow,  and  the  Saints 
 capable  of  receiving. 
 
 Indeed,  We  can  have  but  a  very  imperfedl, 
 if  any,  Idea  of  the  ahjlracl  Nature  of  heavenly 
 Blifs,  or  thofe  exquifite  Senfations   of  Joy  and 
 
 Delight, 
 
394         Dissertation  IV.     Sed:.  3. 
 
 Delight,  which  will  penetrate  the  very  Efifence, 
 and  occupy  every  Faculty,  of  the  Soul.  The 
 Knowledge  of  this  muft  be  left  to  the  happy 
 Experience  of  the  blefied.  But  we  may  frame 
 to  ourfelves  a  very  fatisfaftory  Notion  of  the 
 Sources  or  Springs  of  That  Happinefs.,  we  fliall  en- 
 joy in  Heaven.  And  we  fiiall  find  our  Enquiry 
 proceed  upon  the  concurrent  Evidence  ofRe^fon 
 and  Revelation. 
 
 Firft,  then,  the  Happinefs  oi  Heaven  will  arife 
 from  the  Mind's  vaft  Improvement  in  Knowledge. 
 This  is  di redly  afferted  by  St.  Paul.,  in  thofe 
 "Words  :  Now  we  fee  through  a  Glafs  darkly  ' ; 
 hut  then  Face  to  Face :  now  T  know  in  Part  ;  hut 
 then /hall  I  know.,  even  as  al jo  lam  known,  i  Cor. 
 jiiii.  12.  The  Meaning  of  which  Scripture  can- 
 pot  be  better  expreffed,  than  in  the  Words  of 
 Mr,  Locked  Paraphrafe  :  "  Now  we  fee  but  by 
 "  RePxedtion  the  dim  and  as  it  were  enigmatical 
 '*  Reprefentation  of  Things :  but  then  we  fhall 
 ''  fee  Things  direftly,  and  as  they  are  in  them- 
 ■'  felves,  as  a  Man  fees  another  when  they  are 
 "  Face  to  Face.  Now  I  have  but  a  fuperficiaj 
 '*  partial  Knowledge  of  Things  ;  but  then  I  fhall 
 "  have  an  intuitive  com  pre  hen  five  Knowledge 
 ♦'  of  them,    as   1   myfelf  am  known,    and  lie 
 
 5  A«  «(ToTTp8  \v  dniyiJ.cf.7i.  The  \v  eLtviyiJ-ATi  is  want- 
 ing in  fome  manufcripts,  and,  indeed,  is  not  necefTary  to 
 the  Senfe  of  the  Paflage. 
 
 5  "  open 
 
Seift.  3-  ^be  Final  State  of  RetributtGn.  395 
 
 *'  open  to  the  View  of  fuperior  Seraphic  Beings, 
 *'  not  by  the  obfcure  and  imperfeft  Way  of  De- 
 *'  dudions  and  Reafoning.'*  Here  we  fee  the 
 Difference  between  the  Manner  and  Perfedion 
 of  our  acquiring  Knowkdge  in  this  World  and  in 
 the  next.  H&re,  our  Knowledge  of  moll  Things 
 arifes  from  what  Mr.  Locke  calls  'Deductions  and 
 l^eafoning.  We  draw  Confeqimices  from  Premifes, 
 and  build  Condujtons  on  rational  Inferences.  And 
 hence  our  Knowledge  of  Things  muft  of  Neceflity 
 be  very  partial  and  imperfed  *.  But,  in  the 
 Life  to  comc^  we  fhall  acquire  Knotdedge  by  Intuir 
 tion.  Caifes  and  Effects  will  be  equally  prefenc 
 to  our  View  :  we  fhall  comprehend  the  very 
 Effences  of  Things,  and  have  as  clear  and  perfed 
 ^n  Infight  into  their  Natures  and  Properties,  as 
 Angels  have  into  the  Natures  and  Qualities  of 
 inferior  Beings. 
 
 This  Diiference  arifes  from  the  Nature  of  Man. 
 For,  as  Solomon  long  ago  obferved,  the  corruptible 
 Body  prejfetb  down  the  Soul,  and  the  earthly  Ta- 
 bernacle weigheth  down  the  Mind  that  mufeth  upon 
 many  'Things  ;  and  hardly  do  we  guefs  aright  at  Things 
 that  are  upon  Earthy  and  with  Lahcur  do  we  find 
 the  Things  that  are  before  us  :  but  the  Things  that 
 are  in  Heaven  who  hath  fearched  out  ?  Wifd.  ix. 
 15,  16.     Our  prefent  Bodies  are  an  Incumbrance 
 
 +  The  Syriac,  tranflated  by  Tremelliusy  renders  yiidinca 
 ix.  //4pa?  more  ftrongly  by  cngnafco  paruin  ex  muho,  Iknovj  but 
 little  Old  of  much. 
 
 on 
 
396  Dissertation  IV.     Sed.  3. 
 
 on  the  intelle^lual  and  rational  Faculties  of  our 
 Souls^  and  render  the  Acquifition  of  Knowledge 
 both  difficult   and   precarious  ^     infomuch   that 
 (comparatively   fpeaking)    we  know  but   little 
 even  of  the  Things  that  are  the  immediate  Ob- 
 je6Vs  of  our  Bodily  Senfes;     Thus  we  fee  as  thro* 
 a  Qlafs  darkly^  and  know  in  Fart   only.     But, 
 when  this  corruptible  fJiall  have  put  on  Incorruption, 
 and  this  mortal  fliall  have  put  on  Immortality  (i  Cor. 
 XV.  54.),  the  Soul^  difencumbered  of  its  Natural, 
 and  cloathed  with  its  Spiritual  Body  (lb.  ver.  44.), 
 will  be  at  Liberty   to  exert  its  Faculties   to  the 
 utmoft  ;  and,  as  its  Capacity  will  be  much  g-reater, 
 fo  will  it  be  prepared  for  the  Reception  of  much 
 greater  Knowledge.    And  thus  (hall  we  fee  as  it 
 were  Face  to  Face,  and  knozv  even  as  we  are  known. 
 And,  What  a  Source  of  Happinefs  will  this  be 
 to  the  curious  and  inquifitive  Mind  !   We  feel 
 the  Pleafure  of  Improvement  in  Knowledge  even  in 
 this  Life.    The  Inveftigation  of  Truths  how  dif- 
 ficult and  laborious  foever,  is  delightful  to  the 
 Enquirer  j   who  receives  additional  Satisfaftion 
 from  every  fuccefsful  Step  he  takes  towards  ar- 
 riving at  the  Objeft  of  his  Refearches.     But, 
 how  much  greater  muft  be  the  Pleafure  of  an 
 injiant  and   immediate   Perception   of  I'mth,  at- 
 tended with  no  painful  Exertion  of  Thought, 
 and  free  from  all  Doubt  and  Uncertainty !  What 
 jnfinite  Delight,   to  contemplate  That  glorious 
 
 Objed 
 
Sedl.  3^  The  Final  State  of  Retribmion.    397 
 
 Objeft  of  the  Human  Intelleft,  fhining  on  us 
 with  perfe6l  Luftre  and  unclouded  Brightnefs ! 
 
 But  we  muft  confider  the  Happinefs,  arifing 
 from  our  Improvement  in  Knowledge^  as  bearing 
 a  Proportion  to  the  Excellency  of  its  Ohje^s. 
 Thefe,  we  may  reafonably  liippofe,  will  be,  the 
 Divine  Nature  and  Attributes,  the  Nature  and 
 Properties  of  Angels,  with  the  TForks  of  Creation, 
 Providence,  and  Redemption.  The  two  former 
 of  thefe  belong  more  properly  to  other  Sources 
 of  heavenly  Blifs.  The  three  latter  are  here  to 
 be  confidered. 
 
 Firft,  then.  With  Refpeft  to  the  JVorks  of  the 
 Creation  :  What  furprizing  and  pleafing  Scenes 
 wiU  ariie  to  our  View,  when  we  fliall  be  enabled 
 to  trace  the  Wifdom  and  Power  of  the  Almighty 
 in  the  Frame  and  Contrivance  of  the  Univerfe  ! 
 Probably,  we  fhall  be  able,  at  one  Glance  of 
 Sight,  to  take  in  a  whole  Syjiem,  or  feveral  Syf- 
 tems,  oilVorlds.  How  glorious,  how  aftonifh- 
 ing,  a  Profped !  How  will  the  Magnificence  of 
 fuch  a  Scene  affecl  us  with  Wonder  and  Delight ! 
 How  (liall  we  be  loft  in  Admiration  of  the  Di- 
 vine Mafter-Buiider*s  Skill  and  Ability  difplayed 
 in  the  amazing  Fabric  !  Pofiibly,  the  A^ivily 
 of  the  Soul  may  enable  it,  and  the  Will  of  the 
 Almighty  permit  it,  to  make  the  Tcur  of  the  JForlds, 
 to  journey  from  S}Jiem  to  Syfle^n,  and  vifit  the  re- 
 moteft  Corners  of  the  Univerfe.  The  Idea  of 
 fuch  a  Voyage  is    fo  extremely   pleafing  to   the 
 
 Mind 
 
398         Dissertation    IV.     Sed.  3. 
 
 Mind  of  a  thinking  Man,  he  cannot  but  wifh  it 
 may  be  one  Part  of  the  Soul's  Employment  and 
 Entertainment  in  the  Life  io  come.  For,  with 
 what  Raptures,  what  Tranfports,  mull  not  the 
 happy  Traveller  furvey  and  contemplate  the  in- 
 finite Variety,  Beauty,  and  Excellency  of  God's 
 Works !  Befides  :  Our  improved  Knowledge  of  the 
 inftble  Creation  may  reach  flill  farther,  and  take 
 in  a  clear  and  perfed  Infight  into  what  are  cal- 
 led the  Laws  of  Nature^  or  thole  Laws,  prefcribed 
 by  the  almighty  Creator,  which  govern  the  va- 
 rious Phenomena  of  the  material  World.  We  may, 
 perhaps,  fee  the  very  Operation  of  thofe  natural 
 Caiifes^  by  which  the  Planets  conftantly  revolve 
 about  their  own  Axes.,  and  round  the  Sun  \  by 
 which  Light  darts  with  incredible  Swiftnefs  from 
 tlie  Center  to  the  Circumference  of  the  Solar 
 Syjiejn  -,  by  which  every  Particle  of  Matter  has  a 
 natural  Tendency  or  Gravitation  tov;ards  all 
 others ;  and  from  which  the  Growth  of  Animal, 
 Vegetable,  Mineral,  and  all  other  Subftances,  is 
 meckafiically  produced.  Such  Knowledge^  though 
 unattainable  in  this  mortal  Life,  may  be  the 
 happy  Portion  of  the  blefied  in  Heaven.  And, 
 what  extreme  Pleafure  they  mud  receive  from 
 it,  I  leave  to  be  imagined  by  the  learned  in 
 Mathematics  and  Natural  Philofophy. 
 
 Secondly,  We  fhall  be  happy  in  contemplating 
 the  U^orks  of  God's  Providence.  We  fliall  be  able 
 to  trace  the  Divine  Wifdoni  and  Goodnefs   in 
 
 the 
 
Sed.  3-  I'he  Final  State  of  Retributio?t.   399 
 
 the  Government  both  of  the  JSatural  and  Moral 
 IVorld.     We  fhall  know  to  diftinguilh  between 
 God*&  general  and  -particular  or  fpecial  Providence, 
 and   to  determine  with  Certainty,  what  Events 
 are  the  EfFefts    of  mere  Natural  Caufes,  left  to 
 their  own  Operation,  and  what  are  produced  by 
 cccafional  Interpofitions  of  almighty  Power,  over- 
 ruling the  Courfe  of  Nature.     We  Ihall  fee  into 
 the  Reaibns   of   thofe  Providential  Difpenfations, 
 which  at  prefent  are  impenetrable  by  us  •,  and 
 be  convinced,  from  a  more  perfed  Infight  into 
 the  Ways  of  God,   that,   in  every  Difpenfation 
 of  his  Providence,   whether  it  be  of  Good,  or  of 
 Evil,  the  Judge  of  all  the  Earth  cannot  but  do 
 right.  Gen.  xviii.  25.     Great  Pleafure  m.uft  arife 
 from  the  Recolleftion  of  thofe  many  Events  of 
 this  lower  World,  which  bore  evident  Marks  and 
 Characters  of  a  dire^ing  Providence,  fuch  as,  ex- 
 traordinary Plenty  or  Scarcity  of  the  Fruits  of 
 the  Earth,  the  wonderful  Prefervation  of  good 
 Men  from  impending  Danger,  unexpeded  Pro- 
 fperity  or  Adverfity,  the  fudden  Rife  and  Fall 
 of  Kingdoms  and  States,   and  many   oth-rrs  ;   as 
 we  (hall  be  acquainted  with  thofe  very  Methods 
 and  Proceedings  of  Divine  Providence,  by  v^hich 
 fuch  Events  are  brought  to  pafs.     But, 
 
 Thirdly,  The  moft  pleafing  Objcd:  of  our 
 Examination  and  Enquiry,  in  thofe  blifsful  Re- 
 gions, will  be,  That  Myflery  of  Godlinefs  (i  Tim. 
 iii.  16.),  which  the  A^igels  themfelves  defrre  to  look 
 
 into 
 
400  Dissertation  IV.      ScCt.  j. 
 
 inlo  (i  Pet.  i.  i2.)»  the  Redemption  of  Mankind 
 by  Jefus  Chrijl.  We  fhall  Then  (and  not  till 
 Then)  be  able  fully  to  comprehend,  what  is  the 
 Breadth,  and  Length,  and  Depth,  and  Height,  and 
 to  know  the  Love  of  Chrijl,  which  pajfeth  Know- 
 ledge (Eph.  iii.  i8.)j  the  Knowledge  of  fuch  im- 
 perfedt  Creatures  as  we  now  arc.  We  fhall  per- 
 fe6tly  underftand  the  whole  CEconomy  of  the 
 Chriftian  Salvation,  and  fully  difcover  the  admi- 
 rable Propriety  of  the  Means  employed  by  the 
 Divine  Wifdom  for  the  Recovery  of  fallen  Hu- 
 man Nature.  We  fhall  fee,  with  the  moft  flrik- 
 ing  Convidion,  the  Neceflity  of  a  Mediator  and 
 a  Sacrifice  -,  the  Mediator  no  lefs  a  Perfon  than 
 the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Sacrifice  no  lefs  than  That 
 of  Himfelf  on  the  Crofs.  Our  Knowledge  of  the 
 Nature  and  Operations  of  Divine  Grace  will  re- 
 ceive the  higheft  Improvement.  We  fhall  per- 
 fedly  comprehend  (what  at  prefent  is  but  little 
 underftood  by  the  moil  pious  Minds)  how  the 
 holy  Spirit  of  God  affefts  the  Human  IntelleSf  and 
 Will,  enlightening  the  former,  and  inclining  the 
 latter.  The  Delight,  the  Tranfports,  we  fhall 
 feel  in  contemplating  the  wonderful  IVork  of 
 J^an^s  Redemption  through  Chrijl  Jefus  will  be 
 greatly  encreafed  by  the  Confideration,  that  wc 
 ourfelves  are  the  Objeds  of  That  Redemption^ 
 and  are  adlually  enjoying  its  bleffed  EfFeds  in 
 cur  prefent  State  oi  ccnfmnmate  Happinefs. 
 
 A  Second 
 
Se  dl.  3 .  The  Final  State  of  Retribution,  40 1 
 
 A  Second  Source  of  Happinefs  to  the  Saints  in 
 Heaven  will,  not  improbably,  be,  The  Society 
 they  will  then  be  engaged  in,  the  Society  of  their 
 Fellow-Beings,  Angels,  and  the  Spirits  cf  jufi  Men 
 made  perfect.  Heb.  xii.  23.  A  good  Man,  even 
 in  this  World,  receives  great  Pleafure  from  the 
 Company  and  Converfation  of  the  good.  Hov/ 
 much  greater  mud  he  receive,  in  the  next,  from 
 converfing  with  thofe  glorious  Spirits,  v/hich  fell 
 not,  hutkept  their  firji  Ejlate  (Jude6.),  and  Vv-ith 
 the  wife  and  good  of  all  Ages,  Patriarchs,  Pro- 
 phets, and  Apoftles,  Martyrs,  ConfeiTors,  and 
 Saints  ! 
 
 The  Pleafure  of  Converfation,  to  a  reafonable 
 Mind,  arifes  chiefly  from  the  Subject -Matter  of  it. 
 It  is  notorious,  that  Converfation,  in  this  World, 
 turns  much  more  upon  Trifles  or  Things  of  no 
 Importance,  upon  the  A*^^'k;5  of  the  Day,  or  the 
 i2MQ\^K\K.^  Amufements  and  Diver/ions  of  the  Times, 
 than  upon  Subjedls  oiUfeful  Knowledge,  or  Things 
 of  Confequence  to  the  Well-being  of  Man.     But 
 fuch  Chit-chat  (the  beft  Name  it  deferves)  can 
 have  no  Place  in  the  Society  of  Saints  and  Angels. 
 If  fooli/Ii  'J'alking  and  Jefting  be  declared  by  an 
 Apoftle  to  be  not  convenient  for  a  Chriftian  Man 
 in  this  World  (Eph^.  v.  4.),  much  lefs  fuitable  is 
 it  to  the  State  of  the  blefled  in  Heaven.     Let  it 
 not  be  faid,  that  the  beft  and  wifeft  of  Men  find 
 a  Pleafure  in  tmbending  their  Minds  from  ferious 
 Thought  and  Refietfcion,  and  fuflering  a  little 
 D  d  innocent 
 
402  ■  Dissertation  iV.     Seci.  3. 
 
 innocent  Mirth  to  engage  their  Attention  for  a 
 ihort  Seafon.  This  may  be  the  Cafe  in  this 
 troublefome  World.  But  no  fuch  Relaxation  can 
 be  necefiary  in  a  State,  where  there  are  no  Cares, 
 Anxieties,  or  Bufinefs,  to  fatigue  and  weary  the 
 Mind.  If  the  Saints  and  Jngeh  communicate 
 xht'w'I'boughts  to  each  other  ^  (as  there  is  good 
 Reaibn  to  believe  they  will)  they  mull  be 
 Thoughts,  which  have  for  their  Objefts  Things 
 of  a  divine  and  heavenly  Nature.  Thefe  are  in- 
 exhauftible  and  infinitely  delightful  Subjedts  of 
 Difcourfe,  and  not  to  be  exchanged  for  any  other, 
 without  debafing  the  Excellency,  and  lefieiiing 
 tlie  Pleafure,  of  our  Converfation  in  Heaven.  Whe- 
 ther any  thing  like  this  will,  really,  be  a  Source 
 of  Happinefs  to  the  blefled  in  Heaven,  we  have 
 no  V/arrant  from  Scripture  to  affirm.  But  vv'e 
 may  affirm,  that  fuch  a  Social  Inter coiirfe  muft  be 
 produdive  of  great  Satisfaction  and  Delight, 
 and  (as  far  as  we  can  judge)  not  unfit  for 
 Heaven  itfelf. 
 
 5  "  Separate  Spirits"  (fuys  Dr.  Watts)  "■  become  con- 
 "  fcious  of  one  another's  I'houghts  and  Volitions,  by  fome 
 "  unknown  Way  that  God  has  appointed" — And  again  : 
 "  Doubtlefs  there  is  a  Way,  which  God,  the  Creator  Spirit 
 «'  has  ordained,  whereby  created  Spirits,  which  are  fecial 
 *'  Beings,  Ihall  maintain  Society,  and  friendly  Communion, 
 "  when  they  are  in  their  native  State,  feparate  from  their 
 "  material  Engines."  Philofupbkal  Efiliys,  8vo.  Lond.  1733. 
 p.  176. 
 
 This 
 
Sedt.  3'  The  Final  State  ofRetribution.  40-^ 
 
 This  Confideration  leads  to  another,  which 
 feems  to  have  a  natural  Connedlion  with  it.  It 
 may  be  afked,  Shall  we  know  one  another  in 
 Heaven,  as  we  did  upon  Earth  ?  Shall  we  diilin- 
 guifh  our  particular  Relaticns^  Friends,  and  jIc- 
 quaintance,  from  the  reft  of  our  Fellow-Saints  ? 
 Will  Parents  be  known  to  their  Children^  and 
 Children  to  their  Parents,  as  fuch  ?  Will  the 
 Hujhand  recoc-nize  his  Wife,  and  the  Wife  her 
 Hufl'and,  each  recollefting  the  near  and  intimate 
 Union  between  them  in  their  State  of  Mortality- ? 
 Will  Friendfliip,  interrupted  by  Death,  be  re- 
 vived in  Heaven  ;  and  fliall  we,  in  thofe  Man- 
 fions  of  Blifs,  renew  the  Acquaintance  we  con- 
 tra<5led,  in  this  World,  with  our  Neighbours 
 and  others  of  our  Species  ? 
 
 Moft  Writers  on  the  Happincfs  of  Heaven  de- 
 clare for  This  being  a  Part  of  That  Happinefs  ^ ; 
 
 and 
 
 '  Bp.  Greenes  Di/cour/e  on  the  four  lajl  Things,  lying  by  me 
 and  affording  an  Inftance  of  this,  I  fhail  content  nlyfelf  with 
 the  following  Extradl  from  That  pious  Writer's  Di/cour/e  up- 
 on Hea-uen.  "  There  we  Ihall  meet  with  many  of  our  righteous 
 **  Acquaintance  and  Friends,  and  perhaps  with  many  of 
 *'  our  Enemies,  to  whom  we  fliall  then  be  perfeftly  recon- 
 *'  oiled.  There  we  fliall  again  meet,  and  behold  with  un- 
 *'  fpeakable  Joy  ourtlufbands,  our  Children,  our  Brethren, 
 *'  our  Sifters,  our  Relations  that  died  in  the  Fear  of  God, 
 *'  for  whom  we  Ihed  many  a  Tear,  and  v/hofe  Lofs  was  fo 
 *'  grievous  to  us.  All  thofe  good  perfons  whom  we  loved, 
 *'  and  whofe  Company  was  ever  dear  to  us,  while  they  liv- 
 *'  ed,  Ihall  then  again  be  reftored  to  us,  or  rather  we  to 
 D  d  z  "  them; 
 
404  D  I  S  S  E  R T  AT  1  O  N     IV^        Secfl,    ^. 
 
 and  the  Confideration  of  in  is  ufually  urged  as  a 
 Topic  oi Confolai'ion  to  Mourners  under  the  Lois 
 of  their  deccafzd  Relations  and  Friends.  And, 
 indeed,  when  we  confider  the  great  Pleafure  we 
 cannot  but  receive  from  meeting;  again  with 
 thoie  we  loved  on  Earth,  and  whofe  Death 
 we  deplored,  we  are  naturally  led  to  believe  we 
 fhall  enjoy  this  Pleafure  in  Heaven.  But  againil 
 this  Perfuafion  may  it  not  be  allcdged,  that,  in 
 diftinguifhing  our  Relaticns  and  Friends^  we  may 
 unhappily  mifs  fome  one  or  more  of  them,  whofe 
 Abfence  will  fadly  aflilireus  of  their  Condemnation 
 to  the  Place  of  Torment  ?  And  muft  not  this  Dif- 
 covery  take  off,  in  a  great  Meafure,  from  the 
 Pleafure  of  meetino;  a^ain  thofe  dear  Perfons, 
 whofe  Virtues  have  raifed  them  to  aShare  of  That 
 llappinefs  we  ourfclves  are  poffeiTed  of?  It  may, 
 indeed,  be  replied,  that  the  Happinefs  of  Hea- 
 ven will,  mofb  probably,  be  of  fuch  a  Nature, 
 as  to  admit  of  no  Interruption  from  any  Confide- 
 ration whatever  ;  or,  fuppofing  there  may  be 
 Room  in  the  Minds  of  the  bleffed  for  a  Senti- 
 ment of  Grief  or  Conifcjjion  towards  the  unhappy 
 of  their  Species,  fuch  Senfation  may  be  fuppofed 
 to  be  fo   very   fhort  and  tranfient,   as  to  be  no 
 
 "  them ;  and  fo  reftored,  as  r.ever  to  be  feparated  any  more 
 *'  from  us ;  but  we  fhall  dwell  together  in  perfedl  Peace  and 
 *'  Joy,  to  enjoy  one  another  to  all  Eternity,  without  Fear, 
 "  without  Care,  v\ithout  Envy,  and  Jealoufy,  or  any  other 
 *'  Perturbation."    P.  164,   165.  i^mo.  Loud.  1765. 
 
 reai 
 
S  c  d .  3  •  ^-^'^  -^''  ^'^^^^  ^tate  of  Retribution .  40  5 
 real  Diminution  of  the  Pleafure  we  receive  from 
 the  Society  of  our  Companions  in  Blifs.  The 
 Anfwer  is  juil  and  reafonable,  and  may  ferve  to 
 confirm  our  Hope  of  being  reRored  to  the  Com- 
 pany and  Converfation  of  our  deceafed  Friends  — 
 unlefs  it  be  thought  more  reafonable  to  fuppofe, 
 that,  the  Tics  of  Blood  and  Kindred^  of  Friendj7:ip 
 and  Neighbourhood^  with  every  other  Social  Con- 
 ne£iion^  being  entirely  diiTob/ed  and  at  an  End, 
 All  Partial  Aflcclion  and  Love  of  Partiadars 
 will  ceafe,  and  be  loH  in  Univerfal  Charity  and 
 Benevolence  towards  Gocf  s  rational  Creatures. 
 
 We  muft  not  forget  here  That  Improveiveni  in 
 the  Knowledge  oi Spiritual  Beings^  \wc  fhall  acquire 
 by  our  Converfation  in  Hea'ven.  Our  prefent  Idea 
 of  Spirit  is  little  more  than  negative,  or  an  Idea 
 of  what  //  is  not.  But,  in  Heaven,  we  fnall  know 
 as  much  of  Spiritual.,  as  we  do  now  of  Material., 
 Beings.  The  Nature  of  our  own  Souls.,  of  which, 
 at  prefent,  we  know  nothing,  but  from  fuch 
 Properties  and  Qualities,  as,  we  are  fure.  Body 
 alone  is  incapable  of,  will  then,  when  we  are 
 become  almoft  All  Soul,  be  as  intelligible  to  us, 
 as  the  Nature  of  our  Bodies  now  is.  And,  as 
 we  fhall  be  {l^dyy^Xci)  equal  to  the  Angels  (Luke 
 :xx.  36.),  we  fiiall  be  as  perfectly  acquainted 
 with  the  Nature  of  thofe  glorious  Spirits,  as  we 
 are  with  That  of  our  own  Souls.  We  fhall  be 
 able  to  difcinguiih  thofe  exquifitely  line,  ethereal., 
 D  d  3  Bodies, 
 
4c6  Dissertation  IV.     Se£l.  3. 
 
 Bodies^  with  which,    it  is   highly  probable,  all 
 created  Spirit  is  naturally  chathedT. 
 
 Thirdly,  Wc  may  reckon,  among  the  Sources 
 of  Heavenly  Blifs,  the  conftant  Employment  of  the 
 Saints  and  Angels  in  Fleavcn,  That  of  Devo- 
 tion, or  paying  to  God  the  Tribute  of  Adoration 
 and  Worfliip,  Praife  and  Thankfgiving.  That 
 fuch  Devctional  Exercifes  will  be  no  inconfide- 
 rable  Part  of  their  Buftnefs  (if  I  may  fo  fpeak) 
 in  the  Regions  of  Blifs,  may  be  gathered  from 
 feveral  Paflages  of  St.  John  the  Divine.  Thus, 
 in  his  Vifion  of  the  Throne  of  God,  he  defcribes 
 the  four  and  twenty  Elders  as  falling  down  before 
 him  that  fat  on  the  Throne,  and  worfJiipping  him 
 that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever  — faying,  Thcu  art 
 worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  Glory,  and  Honour, 
 and  Power :  for  thcu  hajl  created  all  Things,  and 
 for  thy  Pleafure  they  are  and  were  created.  Rev. 
 iv.  10,  1 1.  In  another  Place,  he  prefents  us  with 
 the  like  Scene.  I  beheld  (fays  he)  and  lo  a  great 
 Multitude,  which  no  Man  could  number,  of  all  Na- 
 tions, and  Kindreds,  and  People,  and  Tongues,  flood 
 before  the  Throne,  and  before  the  Lamb — and  cried 
 with  a  loud  Voice,  faying.  Salvation  to  our  God 
 which  fitteth  upon  the  Throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb, 
 And  all  the  Angels  flood  round  about  the  Throne  — 
 and  fell  before  the  Throne  on  their  Faces,  and  wor- 
 Jhipped  God,  faying.  Amen  :  Bleffing,  and  Glory,  and 
 
 7  Sec  Difert.  I.  Sect.  Vll. 
 
 Wifdcni^ 
 
Seel.  3-   The  Firial Stale  of  PMrihution.  407 
 mfdom,  andnankfgiving,  and  Honour,  ar.d Power, 
 and  Might,    he  unto   cur  God  for   ever  and  ever. 
 Amen.  Rev.  vii.  9- ^^^-     ThelW/^^^^,  though 
 to  be  nnderllood  as  Prophecies  of  what  fhould 
 come  to  pafs  in  the  Church  of  Ctri^  exhibit  to 
 us  a  View  of  what  pafles  in  Heaven.     For,  as,  m 
 other  Paflages  of  holy  Scripture,  the  Things  of 
 Heaven  are  repreftnted  under  Figures  borrowed 
 from  the  Things  of  this  PP^crld,  fo  here  the  in- 
 fpircd  Writer  exprefles  "Temporal  Events   by  Fi- 
 gures borrowed  from  the  Tranfaftions  oi Heaven. 
 "^  There   is  fuch  a  natural  Connexion  between 
 the  Enjoyment  of  the  Bivim  Prefence,  and  a  De- 
 fire   to   adore  and  praife  the  Divine  Majejiy,   we 
 cannot  but   fuppofe  This  will  be  one,  conftant, 
 Employment  of  the  Saints  and  Angels  in  Hea- 
 ven.   And,   whoever  has  a  proper  Relilh  for  the 
 genuine    Pleafures   of  true  Devotion,  when   the 
 Heart,   penetrated  with  a  deep  Senle  of  the  di- 
 vine Goodnefs,   is  lifted    up  to   God,   and  the 
 Mind,  abftraaed   from    earthly  Thoughts,^  has 
 fixed  its  whole  Attention  on  heavenly  Things, 
 will  have  no  very  imperfeft  Idea  of  the  Happi- 
 nefs  derived  to  the  bleffed  in  Heaven  from  their 
 Devotional  Employment  \  And  thus  Religion,  which 
 *  .w^-^-V-  conduas 
 
 8  Here  it  mav  not  be  improper  to  obferve,  that  tl^e  P/.a- 
 
 r,rcs  of  Dea^othn  neither  are,  nor  can  be,  taRed  by  the  Mind 
 
 of  everv  goc^  Chripan,  in  the  fame  Degree.     Of  two  fuch, 
 
 •   ^  D  d  4  addreffing 
 
4oS  Dissertation   IV.     Sed.  3. 
 
 conducts  us  toHeai-en^  will  accompany  iis  there- 
 in, and  make  a  Part  of  our  Reward  in  That  Seat 
 of  confummate  Glory  and  Happincfs. 
 
 Laflly,  Our  Happinefs  in  Heaven  will  be  per- 
 feUed  by  what  the  School-Men  call  'The  Beatific 
 Vifion^  or  Sight  and  Enjoyment  of  God. 
 
 The  Sight  of  Godj  as  a  Source  of  Happinefs, 
 is  promifed  to  good  Chriftians,  by  our  Saviour 
 himfelf,  in  That  Beatitude^  Bkjfed  are  the  pure 
 in  Heart,  for  they  fnall  fee  God.  Matth.  v.  8.  i 
 and  is  intimated  by  St.  Paul,  in  That  Compa- 
 rifon  between  our  Knowledge  in  this  World  and 
 in  the  next,  Nozu  'uje  fee  through  a  Glafs  darkly, 
 hut  then  Face  to  Face,   i  Cor.  xiii.  12. 
 
 But,  Wow  fee  God  ?  Is  he  not  the  invifihle  God; 
 duelling  in  the  Light,  which  no  Man  can  approach 
 unto  :  zvhord  no  Man  hath  feen,  nor  can  fee?  Col. 
 i.  15.    I  Tim.  vi.  16.     This  is,  certainly,   true, 
 
 addreffing  themfelves  to  God  with  equal  Serioufnefs  and  At- 
 tention, the  Pviind  of  the  one  fhall  be  calm  and  jindifiurbcd, 
 while  That  of  the  other  is  all  Fire  and  Flame.  This  Diffe- 
 rence is  purely  conftitutional,  arifing  from  the  different  De- 
 grees of  natural  Warmth  and  Enthujiafm  in  different  Minds. 
 Nor  does  it  affeft  the  Merits  or  Efficacy  of  our  Prayers,  or 
 Praifes.  A  calm  and  undijlurbed  Addr^fs  of  the  Soul  to  God, 
 if  perfeclly  fincere,  and  accompanied  with  a  due  Senfe  of  our 
 own  Unworthinefs  and  the  infinite  Goodnefs  ofGo^and  our 
 Saviour  Jefus  Chrijl,  we  have  Reafon  to  think,  is  as  accept- 
 able in  the  Sight  of  God,  as  the  moll:  rapturous  Sallies  and 
 Flights  t)f  De'votion.  Rapture  is  by  no  means  effential  to 
 Prayer,  nor  Enthuiiafiji  a  neceffary  Concomitant  cf  true  De- 
 mot  ici:. 
 
 with 
 
Sed.  3«  I'he  Final  State  of  Retribution.   409 
 
 with  Rcfpeft  to  mortal  Eyes^  which  are  naturally 
 incapable  of  receiving  any  Impreffion  or  Image 
 of  a  purely  fpiritud  Being.     But  it  cannot  be 
 denied,  that  the  Powers  of  Sights  in  the  Saints 
 and  Angels,  may  be  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  Re- 
 ception  of  fuch  an  Objeft.     On  the  contrary,  it 
 being   exprefly   revealed,   that  the  pure  in  Heart 
 jhall  fee  Gcd^  we  may  be  very  fure,  they  are  ca- 
 pable   of  the  Beatific  Vifion.     In  Confirmation 
 whereof,   our    Saviour,    in   cautioning  his  Dif- 
 ciples  againfl:  dejpifing  Children  or  little  ones   (i.  c- 
 meek  and   lowly  Perfons)   tells   them,  that,   in 
 Heaven,  their  Angels   (Guardian  Angels)  do  al- 
 ways beheld  the  Face  of  his  Father  which  is  in  Hea- 
 ven.  Matth.  xviii.  10. 
 
 It  is  certain,  that  God,  though,  in  his  Nature 
 and  Effence,  inviftble  by  all  created  Beings,  may 
 yet  exhibit  fenfible  and  even  vifible  Manifefia- 
 tions  of  his  Divine  Prefence.  He  did  fo,  when 
 he  appeared  unto  Mofes  in  a  Flame  of  Fire  out  of  the 
 pidfl  of  a  BufJi  (Exod.  iii.  2.)^*,  when  his  Glcry 
 appeared  in  a  Cloud  to  the  Ifraelites  in  the  IVilder- 
 nefs  (Exod.  xvi.  10.)  •,  when  he  defended  upon 
 Mount  Sinai  in  Fire  (Exod.  xix.  18.)  •,  and  when, 
 at  the  Dedication  of  Solomon's  Temple,  the  Glory 
 of  the  Lord  filled  the  Houfe  of  the  Lord,    i  Kings 
 
 9  It  is  faid,  indeed,  that  the  Angel  of  the  Lord  bppeared  unto 
 I>lnfes.  But  this  Angel  of  the  Lord  was  God  himfelf.  For  we 
 are  told,  ver.  4.   tn^ii  God  called  itnto  Mofes  out  of  the  midji  of 
 
 theBujh. 
 
 viii. 
 
4IO         Dissertation    IV.     Sect.  3, 
 
 viii.  II.  Surely,  then,  we  may  conceive  the 
 Almighty  to  be  vifible^  under  fome  Appearance 
 or  other,  in  the  Regions  of  the  blefled.  And, 
 perhaps,  That  very  highly  in  which  he  is  faid  to 
 dwells  and  which  no  mortal  Man  can  approach  unto, 
 may  be  the  proper  Shekinah  of  his  Divine  Pre- 
 fence  with  the  Saints  and  Angels  in  Heaven. 
 
 Hov/  auguft,  how  magnificent,  how  glorious, 
 a  Vifion  !  If  the  Senfe  of  Sights  even  in  this  World, 
 affords  us  no  finall  Pleafure,  in  the  Contempla- 
 tion of  Things  beautiful,  harmonious,  and  per- 
 fect, how  exquifitely  v/ill  this  Senfe  be  gratified 
 with  the  Sight  of  That  infinite  Being,  who  is  the 
 Author  of  all  Beauty,  Harmony,  and  Perfeftion ! 
 With  what  Rapture  Ihall  we  behold  the  Foun- 
 tain of  all  Being,  the  firfl  Caufe  and  Origin  of 
 all  the  Good  and  Happinefs  of  the  Creation  ? 
 This  is  truly  a  Beatific  Vifion  ;  a  Vifion,  not  to  be 
 enjoyed  without  the  higheft  pofTible  Degree  of 
 Pleafure  and  Delight.  This  is  fuch  an  Enjoy- 
 ment of  God,  as  is  a  more  than  adequate  Reward 
 of  the  ftricleft  Obedience  to  the  Divine  Will. 
 
 But  the  Fruition  or  Enjoyment  of  God  will  con- 
 lifl,  not  barely  in  the  Sight  of  That  great  and 
 glorious  Being,  but  in  the  EfFe6t  his  Divine 
 Prefence  will  have  on  the  Intelle^  and  Affc^ions 
 of  the  enraptured  Spe6tator.  It  is  not  to  be 
 doubted,  that  our  Knowledge  of  the  Divine  Na- 
 ture and  Attributes  will  be  greatly  improved  ;  that 
 we  ihall  have  clearer  Ideas  of  the  Eternity,  Im- 
 
 menfity. 
 
Secft.  3-  l^he  Final  State  of  ^efributioji.  411 
 
 menfity,  and  Omnipotence,  the  Wifdom  •  Juftice, 
 and  Goodnefs  oi  God.  As  thefe  are  the  highelt 
 natural  and  moral  Perfections  we  can  poffibly  con- 
 ceive, our  enlarged  Apprehenfion  of  them  mufl 
 be  a  proportionate  Source  of  Pleafure  and  De- 
 light. 
 
 This  Circumftance  of  heavenly   Blifs  will  be 
 attended  with  another.  The  Pleafures,  the  Rap- 
 tures rather,    of  Divine  Love.,   the  Love  of  Gcd. 
 This  Love,  Jlied  abroad  in  the  Heart.,  (Rom.  v. 
 5.)  of  a   Chriftian,  is  a  Source  of  inexpreffible 
 Satisfadlion  and  Joy,  even  in  this  World.  What, 
 then,  mud  it  be  in  the  next,  when  we  fhall  be- 
 hold, as  it  were,  Face  to  Face,  the  moft  lovely  and 
 amiable  of  all  Beings  ?  How  muft  our  Affe5lions 
 be  railed,  and  our  Souls  inflamed,  by  the  tranf- 
 porting  View  ?  The  Rccolleftion  of  God's  paft 
 Loving-kindnefTes  and  Mercies  towards  us,  and 
 our  prefent,    ftill  deeper,    Senfe  of  his  infinite 
 Goodnefs  towards  the  Univerfe  of  Rational  Crea- 
 tures,   cannot  but  exalt  our  Love  to  the  very 
 higheft  Pitch  of  That  noble  and  generous.  That 
 pleafmg  and  delightful,  PafTion.     In   fliort,  we 
 fhall  feel  extatic  Joy,  be  Enthufiajls  in  Lcve,  and 
 fulfil,  in  the   utmoft  poflible  Extent  of  the  Pre- 
 cept, That/r/?  and  great  Csmmandment,  Thou /l/alt 
 Jove  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  Heart,  and  with 
 all  thy  Underjlanding,  and  with  all  thy  Soul,  and  with 
 all  thy  pdlnd,  and  with  all  thy  Strength,  Matth. 
 xxii.  ^'],  38.    Mark  xii.  30 — ^^Z-     Here  Happi- 
 vefs  reaches   its  dy-^xn-,  its  Summit,  and  can  rife 
 
 no 
 
412         Dissertation    IV.     Secft.  4. 
 
 no  higher ;  there  being  no  greater  Blifs  in  Store, 
 no  luperior  Joys  in  the  Treafures  of  Heaven, 
 for  God  to  beftow,  or  Man  receive. 
 
 SECTION      IV. 
 
 Of  future  Punishment,  or  the  Misery   cf  the 
 damned  in  Hell. 
 
 T  is  with  Relu£lance  I  change  the  Scene,  and 
 
 call  off  the  Reader's  Attention  from  the  pleaf- 
 ing  Contemplation  of  That  great  and  glorious  Re' 
 ward.  That  confummate  Happinefs,  God  has  pre- 
 pared for  the  Righteous  in  Heaven,  to  a  Spedtacle 
 of  Horror,  a  Scene  of  the  moft  perfeCl  Wretch- 
 ednefs,  the  PunifJiment  and  Mifery  of  the  Wicked 
 in  Hell. 
 
 The  Punifhment  of  the  Wicked,  in  the  Life  to 
 come,  like  the  Reward  of  the  Righteous,  may  be 
 confidered  as  diftinguiihed  into  Negative  and  Po- 
 fitive. 
 
 It  will  prefently  be  determined,  that  the  Ne- 
 gative RiinifJment  of  the  damned  muft  confiil  in  the 
 Zuofs,  not  only -of  every  BlefTing,  every  Enjoy- 
 ment, every  Comfort,  that  can  attend  the  Life 
 of  an  intelligent  and  rational  Agent,  but  in  the 
 greateft,  infinitely  the  greateft,  of  all  Loffes,  the 
 luofs  of  Heaven  and  everlajling  Happinefs.  This 
 Eofs  is  ftrongly  implied  in  the  firfl  Words  of  the 
 2  Sentence, 
 
Seel.  4.  The  Final  State  of  Retribution.  41 3 
 
 Sentence,  pronounced  on  the  Wicked  by  their 
 heavenly  Judge,  Depart  frcm  me,  Matth.  xxv, 
 41.  For,  what  is  departing  from  ChrW,  in  the 
 next  World,  but  being  excluded  from  his  Pre- 
 fence,  and  from  the  Man/tons  of  his  Father's 
 Houfe,  (John  xiv.  2.)  the  PvCgion  of  cceleftial 
 Glory  and  Happinefs  ?  And,  can  the  Soul  refied: 
 on  fo  immenfe  a  Lofs,  can  it  confider  itfelf  as 
 fhut  out  for  ever  from  the  Joys  of  a  bleiTed  Im- 
 mortality, without  fuffering  the  fliarpeil  Pangs 
 of  Grief  and  Anguifh,  and  being  as  miferable, 
 as  the  Pafllon  of  Sorrow,  raifed  to  its  higheflPitch, 
 can  render  a  fenfible  Being  ? 
 
 If  we  fuppofe  the  imprifoned  Soul,  like  the 
 Rich  Man  in  the  Parable  \  to  have  feme  Prof- 
 ped,  a  Glimpfe,  of  thofe  Joys  and  That  Hap- 
 pinefs it  has  forfeited  thro'  Sin,  how  muft  the 
 Senfe  of  its  Lofs  be  aggravated  by  the  Compari- 
 fon  it  is  enabled  to  make  between  its  own  wretch- 
 ed Condition  and  the  happy  State  of  the  blefled  [ 
 And,  when  it  takes  a  View  of  That  ^r^^/  Gulph*, 
 That  vaft  extent  of  Space,  lying  between  Hea- 
 ven and  Hell  ^   which  cuts  off  all  Intercourfe 
 
 «  Jnd  i?z  Hell  he  lift  up  his  Eyes,  being  in  Torments,  and 
 feeih  Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  Bofom.  Luke 
 xvi.  23. 
 
 *  Befdes  all  this,  betn/oeen  us  and  you  there  is  a  great  Gidph 
 fixed,  fo  that  they  ijuho  tvould  pafs  from  hence  to  you,  cannot  ; 
 neither  can  they  pafs  to  us,  that  --would  came  from  thence.  lb. 
 ver.  26. 
 
 3  See  the  Place  of  Hell,  in  Se«fl.  I.  of  this  Differtation. 
 
 between 
 
414         Dissertation    IV.     Seel.  4. 
 
 between  the  refpeftive  Inhabitants  of  each  *, 
 This  mufl  deftroy  ali  Piofpeft,  all  Flope,  of  ever 
 pafling  the  Confines  oi  Hell,  or  arriving  at  thofe 
 of  Heaien.  And,  how  terrible  mull  be  the 
 Diflradtion  of  Thought  arjfing  from  a  Senfe  of 
 the  Lofs  of  Heaven  and  Happmefs^  and  an  abfolute 
 Defpair  of  ever  recovering  That  Lois ! 
 
 Among  the  Circumftances  of  PofJive  Ptinijli- 
 ment  in  Hell,  the  firll  I  fhall  take  Notice  of,  is. 
 The  Reproaches  of  Confcience^  a  felf-accufing, 
 felf-condemning,  Confcience.  This  is  univer- 
 fally  fuppofed  to  be  intended  by  our  Saviour  in 
 the  {m2im^Qi!t\y)  figurative  Exprefllon  of  the  f^orm 
 that  dieth  not,  joined  with  the  Fire  that  is  not 
 quenched.  Mark  ix.  44.  And,  indeed,  no  Figure 
 can  more  ftrongly  denote  That  inccjfant  Gnawi^ig, 
 That  perpetual  Remorfe  and  Anguifh,  which  a 
 Senfeof  their  Guilt  mud  produce  in  the  Minds  of 
 the  Wicked.  This  Punifhm.ent  guilty  Creatures 
 often  experience  even  in  this  World;  though  the 
 Wicked,  in  general,  find  the  Means,  in  an  eager 
 Purfuit  of  fmfulPleafures,  to  drown  x.hefiill,foft. 
 Voice  of  Confcience,  and  quiet  its  Reproaches,  for 
 
 4  It  may  be  thought,  that  this  Siippofidon  is  a  little  too 
 extravagant,  as  it  makes  the  Power  of  Sight' inihh  damned 
 extend,  from  the  Confines  of  Hell,  quite  through  the  in- 
 terjacent Syilems  of  Worlds,  to  the  Confines  of  Heaven. 
 But,  when  we  confider  the  immenfe  Ditterence  between  the 
 J\^atural  and  the  Spiritual  Boi/j,  we  fhall  not  think  it  an  ini- 
 pofiible,  or  very  improbable,  Siippofition. 
 
 a  Seafon 
 
Seel.  4 •  ^he  Final  State  of  Retribution.  415 
 
 a  Seafon.  But,  in  Hell^  Confdence  will  take  its 
 full  Revenge  on  them.  There  they  will  find  no 
 Amufements,  no  Diverfions,  no  Pieafures,  to 
 call  off  the  Mind  from  attending  to  its  own  Sug- 
 o-eflions.  The  damned  will  have  abundant  Lei- 
 fure  for  uninterrupted  Reflexion  on  their  own 
 Guilt.  And  let  thofe,  who  have  felt  its  Pains 
 in  this  Life,  acquaint  us,  how  miferable  a 
 Thing  it  is  to  labour  under  the  Burden  of  a 
 wounded  Spirit.  Prov.  xviii.  14. 
 
 Indeed,  It  cannot  be,  but  that  wicked  Souls 
 mufl  fuffer  the  crueleft  Stings  and  Ladies  of 
 Confdence.  For,  being  feparated  from  their  Bo- 
 dies of  Flejli  and  Bloody  and,  confequently,  no 
 longer  retaining  thofe  flejhly  Lufis^  which  arofe 
 from  their  Union  with  fuch  Bodies,  their  Reafon 
 will  be  at  full  Liberty  to  pafs  a  juft  Sentence  on 
 the  Condud  of  their  pad  Lives.  No  fmful  De- 
 fires  will,  then,  obftruft  or  byals  the  Exercife  of 
 their  Judgment^  which  will  naturally  concur  with 
 the  Judgment  of  God^  and  ratify  the  Sentence  of 
 Condemnation  pronounced  on  them.  When 
 they  confider  the  Enormity  of  their  Guilt,  in  de- 
 facing by  Sin  That  Image  of  God  in  which  they 
 were  created  (Gen.  i.  27.),  in  breaking  through 
 the  facred  Laws  of  Realbn  and  Nature,  and  wil- 
 fully rebelling  againft  the  gracious  Author  of 
 their  Being,  they  muft  deteft  and  abhor,  they 
 muft  hate  themfelves  with  a  Hatred  the  mod 
 
 painful  and  tormenting  imaginable. 
 
 9  I  am 
 
4i6         Dissertation    IV.     Sed:.  4. 
 
 I  am  fenfible,  I  differ  here  from  mod  of  our 
 Divines,  who  think  it  not  improbable,  that  we 
 fhall  carry  with  us   into  the  other  World  thofe 
 Senfual  Lujls  we  have  too  much  indulged  in  this ; 
 and  that  the  Want  of  their  proper  Gratification 
 muft  render  the  Senftialifi  unhappy  even  in  Hea- 
 ven.    Take  this  Do6lrine   more  at  large  in  the 
 Words   of  the   firft  Writer  that   occurs  to  me. 
 "  And  (hall  we  then"  (fays  Dr.  Sherlock)^'-  grow 
 "  fo  fond  of  this  World,  which  we   muft  only 
 *'  pafs  through,  where  we  have  no  abiding  City, 
 *'  as  to  enflave  ourfelves  to  the  Lulls  and  Plea- 
 "  lures  of  it,  and   to  carry  out  of  this  World 
 "  fuch  a  Pafilon  for  it,  as  fhall  make  us  mifcr- 
 *'  able  in  the  next  ?   For,  though  Death  will  fe~ 
 "  parate  us  from  this  World,  we  are  not  fure  it 
 "  will  cure  us  of  our  earthly  Paffions :  We  may 
 "  ftill  find  the  Torment  of  Senfual  Appetites, 
 "  when  all  Senfual  Objeds  are  removed.     This 
 "  was   all   the  Purgatory-fire  St.  Aujlin  could 
 "  think  of,  that  thofc,  who  loved  this   World 
 *'  too   much    here,    though  othcrwife  innocent 
 "  and  virtuous  Men,  fhould  be  punillied  with 
 *'  fruitlefs  Defires    and    Hankerings  after   this 
 "  World  in  the  next ;  which  is  a  mixed  Tor- 
 "  ment  of  Defire  and  Defpair.     For  though  in- 
 *'  deed  it  is  only  living  in  thefe   Bodies,  which 
 *'  betrays  the  Soul  to  fuch  earthly  Affedions ; 
 *'  yet  when  the  Impreflion  is  once  made,  and  is 
 
 "  ftronn: 
 
Se<rt.  4.  ^loe  Vhial  Slate  of  Reffikition.  417 
 
 *'  Urong  and  vigorous,  we  are  not  lure  that 
 "  meerly  putting  ofF  theie  Bodies  will  cure  it  5 
 "  as  we  fte  Age  itfclf  in  old  Sinners  does  not 
 "^  cure  the  Wantonnefs  of  Defire,  when  the 
 **  Body  is  eftete  and  languid."  And  again: 
 '*'  A  man,  who  is  wholly  funk  into  Flefli  and 
 "  Senfe,  and  reliflies  no  other  Pleafurcs,  is  not 
 "  capable  of  living  happily  out  of  his  Body  ; 
 "  unlefs  you  could  find  out  a  new  Scene  of  ma- 
 "  terial  and  fenfible  Pleafures  to  entertain  him. 
 "'  For,  tho'  the  particular  Appetites  and  Incli- 
 '"  nations  of  the  Body  may  ceafe,  yet  his  very 
 "  Soul  is  fenfualized  j  and  therefore  is  incapa- 
 *'  ble  of  the  Pleafures  of  a  Spiritual  Life  '. 
 
 It  is  obferveable,  that  this  Opinion  is  propofed 
 ^s  probkmatical  (IVe  are  not  Jure  \)  and,  indeed, 
 the  Qiieftion  is  incapable  of  Demonilration  on 
 either  Side.  For  my  own  Part,  I  think  it  moft 
 reafonable  to  fuppofe,  that  tht  Dijfoiation  o(  ovs 
 Bodies  v/ill  be  the  Dej?n'Mion  of  our  "  earthly  Fof- 
 "  fwm"  and  that  the  feparated  Soul  can  have 
 no  "  Defires  and  Hankerings"  after  Pleafures 
 altogether  joij^al.  The  P  lee  fares  of  the  Body 
 tind  thofd  or  the  Mind  or  Soul  of  Man  are,  na* 
 turally,,  as  different  and  diifincSt  from  each  other 
 as  Matter  and  Spirit  are.  During  their  Union, 
 indeed,  the  Pleafures  of  the  Body  may  fo  far  gee 
 
 *  FraBical  Difcour/s  comer ning  Death,  27th  Edit.   Load. 
 >75I.p.  8,  9.  45,  .46. 
 
 E  e  the 
 
4i8         Dissertation  IV".     Sed.  4<f 
 
 the  Alcendant,  as  to  engrois  the  Attention  of 
 the  I^'lind^  and  render  its  Operations  ahiioll  whol- 
 ly iubfervient  to  their  Gratification.  In  which 
 Cafe,  the  Scul  may  properly  enough,  in  a  figu- 
 rative Senfe,  be  faid  to  be  "  lenfualized.*'  But, 
 the  Union  diffolved,  the  Soul^  I  verily  think, 
 can  have  no  Relifh  for  Enjoyments  improper  to 
 its  Spiritual  Nature,  or  the  lead  Inclination  to 
 the  Purfuit  of  thofe  Pleafures  it  concurred  in 
 with  its  Companion  the  Body.  It  leaves  behind  it 
 its  acquired  Senfuality^  and  carries  with  it  into  the 
 nex:t  World  only  Spiritual  Defires  and  Inclinations^ 
 So  that  I  cannot  fee,  but  that  the  Souls  of  the 
 Wicked  are,  naturally^  as  capable  of  being  happy 
 in  Heaven  (tho'  unhappily  difqualified  for  the 
 Trial)  as  the  Souls  of  the  Righteous. 
 
 Secondly,  As  the  bleffed  in  Heaven  are  happy 
 in  the  Company  and  Converfation  of  the  Angels  and 
 of  their  Fellow -Saints^  To  one  Part  of  the  Mifery 
 of  the  damned  will  arife  from  the  Society  of  the 
 D^'ils  and  of  their  Fellow-Sufferers  in  the  Place  of 
 Torment. 
 
 They  mujl  aflbciate  and  convcrfe  with  infernal 
 Spirits  :  for  they  are  fentenced  to  the  very  Place 
 the  divine  Juftice  has  prepared  for  the  Devil  and 
 his  Jngels,  Matth.  xxv.  41.  The  very  Prefence 
 of  thofe  evil  Spirits  muft  add  to  the  Mifery  of 
 tlie  damned  and  the  Horrors  of  their  infernal 
 Abode.     And,  when  we  confider,  that  the  Fall 
 
 of 
 
Sed:.  4-  TBe  Final  State  of  Retribution,  419 
 
 ■oi  Man  was  the  Work  of  the  Devils  and  effect- 
 ed (no  Doubt)  with  the  View  of  involving  our 
 firft  PareniSt  znd  their  whole  degenerate  Pojkrityy 
 in  the  fame  Condemnation  with  himfelf  and  his 
 curfed  Affociates  •,  we  have  Reafon  to  think,  the 
 Devil  and  his  Angels  will  exult  and  triumph  in 
 the  Succefs  of  their  Endeavours  to  compafs  the 
 Ruin  of  Man^  and  exprefs  their  Joy  in  malicious 
 Infults,  and  cruel  Mockwgs  of  the  damned.  If  it 
 be  grievous  to  fuffer  the  Infults  of  wicked  Men 
 upon  Earthy  how  vadly  more  fo  mufl  it  be,  to 
 be  infulted  by  Devils  in  Hell^  and  reproached  for 
 our  evil  Deeds  by  thole  very  Seducers,  who  had 
 lb  great  a  Share  in  betraying  us  into  them  ! 
 
 It  is  pretended,  that  the  Company  oi  Fellcw-fuf- 
 ferers  tends  to  leffen  the  Weight  of  any  common 
 Affliction.  And  therefore  the  damned  may  be 
 fuppofed  to  receive  fome  Conjolation  from  find- 
 ing Numbers  of  their  Fellow-creatures  involved 
 in  the  fame  fad  Doom  with  themfelves.'  There  may 
 be  fome  Truth  in  the  Obfervation,  with  Refped 
 to  'temporal  Jffl'^^l^otis.  But,  with  Refpeft  to  the 
 Pumjhments  of  Futurity^  the  Cafe  feems  to  be  very 
 different.  The  Sight  of  a  Mitltitude  of  wretched 
 Beings,  entirely  and  eternally  loft  to  God  and 
 Happinefs,  -nnift  affe6t  each  htdivi dual  With  the 
 iWpeil  Pangs  of  Grief.  As  no  Ill-will,  no  Ma- 
 lice or  Hatred  towards  each  other  (Paffions,  ex- 
 cited by  merely  Temporal  Confiderations)  will 
 then  prevail,  the  damned  will  feel,  net  only  their 
 E  e  2  own 
 
420         Dissertation  tV.     Se^f!,'  4,. 
 
 own  Pains,  but,  by  Force  of  Sympathy^  the  ac- 
 cumulated Miferies  of  all  the  reft.  If  to  this 
 we  add,  that,  as  among  our  Fellow-Sufferers, 
 we  may  meet  with  fome,  whofe  Damnation  we 
 ourfelves  have  been  the  wicked  Inftruments  of, 
 by  the  Influence  of  our  hid  Example,  or  by  a6b- 
 ing  the  Devil's  Part  in  feducing  them  from  their 
 Innocence  and  Virtue,  this  miift  be  an  additional 
 Caufe  of  Grief,  and  greatly  aggravate  the  Con- 
 cern we  cannot  but  feel  for  their  fuffering  in 
 Company  with  us  ^. 
 
 Thirdly,  The  Prefence  of  Gody  That  God, 
 who  is  every  where,  in  Hell  ^  as  well  as  in  Heaven, 
 it  is  reafonable  to  think,  will  be  one  Circum- 
 ftance  of  Puni/Jnner.t  in  That  Region  of  the  Dam- 
 ned. For,  though  it  may  be  thought,  that  the 
 Divine  Prefence^  which  is  the  principal  Source  of 
 
 <5  This  is  fo  natoral,  that  oar  great  Poet  Milion  make? 
 Satan  himfeli'"  weep  at  the  Sight  of  his  infernal  Companions. 
 
 He  now  prepar'd 
 To  fpeak ;  whereat  their  doubled  Ranks  they  bend 
 From  Wing  to  Wing,  and  half  inclufe  him  round 
 With  all  his  Peers ;  Attention  held  them  mute. 
 Thrice  he  aflay'd,  and  thrice,  in  fpite  of  Scorn, 
 Tearr,  fuch  as  Angels  weep,  burll  forth  ;  at  hit. 
 Words  interwove  witli  Sighs  found  out  their  Way. 
 
 Paradlfe  Lojl,  B.  I.  v.  6 1:;. 
 
 •7  //"  /  afccrj  up  into  Uca-jm  (fays  the  Pfahtujl  to  God)  thox 
 irt  there  :  if  I  make  my  Bed  in  BAl,  heboid  thou  art  there. 
 Pf.  cxxxix.  S,     This  is  true  in  every  Senfc  of  the  Word 
 
 IticlL  . 
 
 Uappi- 
 
Se6t.  4.  The  Yinal  State  of  Retribution.  421 
 
 Jlappinefs  to  the  blefTed,  will  rather  lerve  to  af- 
 fiiage  the  Pains,  and  dart  ibmc  Rays  of  Comfort 
 into  the  Souls  of  the  damned  ;  ycr,  when  we 
 confider,  that  God  may  manlfeit  himfelf  in  An- 
 ger^ and  not  in  hove^  and,  inllead  of  being 
 cloathed  with  the  amiable  Attributes  of  Goodnefs 
 ;and  Mtrcy^  appear  armed  with  all  die  Terrors 
 of  avenging  Jajlice  %  we  fhaii  eafjly  conceive, 
 how  the  Prefence  of  their  offended  God  will  ferve 
 to  enhance  the  Punifiiment  of  wicked  Souls  in 
 flelL  If  it  be  irkfome  and  grievous  to  us,  to  be 
 prefent  with  one  of  our  Fellovz-Creatures,  whom 
 v/e  have  heinoufly  offended ;  liQw  inexpreffibly 
 more  fo  muft  it  be,  to  be  ever  prefent  with  That 
 almighty  Being,  whofe  Laws  we  have  trampled 
 under  Foot,  and  fet  his  j?.Qwer  at  Defiance ! 
 How  fliall  we  be  aballied  and  confounded,  how 
 fliall  we  tremble  at  his  Prefence  \  Shame  and 
 Indignation  againfl:  ourfelves,  for  having  fo  grie- 
 voully  offended  God,  v/ill  perpetually  torment 
 us.  And,  when  we  have  nothing  of  the  Deity 
 before  our  Eyes  but  the  Terror^  of  his  Juflice, 
 muft  we  not  fear,  leaft  we  have  not  yet  experi- 
 enced the  utmoft  Effeds  of  hjs  V/rath,  but  are 
 referved  for  fome  greater  and  more  dreadful  Con- 
 demnation ?  Thus,  as  there  is  a  Beatific  Vifton 
 or  delightful  Sight  of  God  in  Heaven^  fo  is  there 
 what  may  with  equal  Propriety  be  called  a  TVr- 
 Xifc  Vifion  or  dreadful  Sight  of  him  in  Hell. 
 
 E  e  3  Fourthly, 
 
422         Dissertation  IV.     Sed.  4, 
 
 Fourthly,  As  the  blefled  in  Heaven  will  be  em-^ 
 ployed  in  the  devotional  Exerciies  of  Adoration 
 snd  Praife,  the  aamncd  in  Ihll  will  fpend  their 
 Time  in  weepings  wailing  and  gnaJJiing  of  Teeth. 
 Matth.  viii.  12.  xiii.  42,  50.  incellant  Cries 
 and  Groans,  Lamentations  and  Complaints,  the 
 Czjf^yd'J  of  the /FM^ion  themfelves,  and  perhaps 
 the  Bhfphemy  of  the  Devih  againft  God,  will 
 echo  through  the  Vault  of  the  Infernal  Frifon. 
 Such  an  Occupation  is  fo  natural  to  the  State  of 
 the  damned,  both  Men  and  Devils^  that  our  Sa- 
 viour's Words,  if  they  refer  to  the  Punifhment 
 of  the  Wicked  in  Hell  (as  they  may  be  under- 
 flood  to  do  in  a  fecondary  Senfe  at  leaft)  mud 
 be  taken  in  a  literal^  and  not  in  a  figurati'de 
 Senfe.  In  this  World,  indeed,  we  find  fome 
 ■Relief,  under  Afflidion,  from  Tears  and  Com- 
 plaints. They  give  Vent  to  our  Sorrows,  and 
 take  off  from  That  Burthen  of  Grief,  which 
 oppreffcs  us.  And  this  Efllxc  may  eafily  enough 
 be  produced  in  Minds  which  have  not  call  off  all 
 Hope^  and  loft  all  Profpedl,  of  a  Releafe  from 
 Mifery.  But  Defpair  admits  of  no  Relief,  no 
 Cure.  And  fuch  is  the  Grief  of  the  damned. 
 And  indeed,  fo  far  v/iil  they  be  from  finding 
 any  Eafe  or  Comfort  in  iveeping  and  "Ji'aling.,  that 
 their  Grief  will  rather  be  increafed  by  the  ming- 
 led Groans  and  Lamentations  of  the  whole 
 "wretched  Affembly. 
 
 Fifthly^ 
 
Se6l.  4-   The  Fmal State  of  Refnbutio7t,  423 
 
 Fifthly,  The  laft  Circumftance  oi't  future  T 11- 
 mfliment  to  be  confidered,  is,  That  Fire  of  Hell^ 
 to  which  the  Wicked  will  be  fentenced  at  the 
 Day  of  Judgment  •,  Depart  from  me^ye  atrfedy  into 
 everlajling  Fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  An^ 
 gels.     Matth.  xxv.  41. 
 
 Concerning  this  Fire,  it  has  ever  been  a  Quef- 
 tion  among  Chriftians,  Whether  we  are  to  under- 
 ftand  by  it  a  metaphorical  or  a  real  Fire.  It  is 
 certain,  that,  in  another  Place,  it  is  joined  with 
 a  Circumilance  confeiTedly  metaphorical  %  Where 
 their  Worm  dieth  not,  and  the  Fire  is  not  quenched, 
 Mark  ix.  44.  And,  if  one  of  the  two  Circum- 
 fiances  of  Punifliment,  here  defcribed,  be  urj^ 
 queftionably  metaphorical,  is  not  this  a  good  Rea- 
 Ibn  for  fuppofing  the  other  to  be  fo  likewife  ? 
 Hence  St,  Anjlin  tells  us  *,  that  many  in  hi$ 
 Pays  underftood  the  Fire  of  Hell  in  a  figurative 
 Senfe  ;  and  the  Reformer  Cahin  ^  and  his  Fol- 
 lowers adopted  the  fame  Opinion.  Our  great 
 Archbifliop,  though  he  does  not  decide  the  Qiief- 
 tion,  inclines  rather  to  the  metaphorical  Senfe  of 
 the  Word  Fire.  "  The  Scripture  "  (fays  That 
 excellent  Prelate)  "  loves  to  make  Ufe  of  fenfi- 
 "  ble  Reprefentations,  to  fet  forth  to  us  the 
 ♦'  Happinefs  and  Mifery  of  the  next  Life;  part- 
 *'  ly,  by  Way  of  Condefcenfion  to  our  Under- 
 <'  {landings,  and,  partly,  to  work  more  power- 
 
 5  De  Ci'vit.  Da,  1.  21.  c.  lo.  9  /«  Efai.  66. 
 
 E  e  4  *'  fully 
 
424  DiSSEKTATION   IV.      Sedt.  4, 
 
 *'  fully  on  our  AfFeftions.     For,  whilft  we  are 
 '*  in  the  Body,  and  imn^erfed  in  Senfe,   we  arq 
 "  mcft  apt  to  be  moved  by  fuch  Dcfcriptions 
 *'  of  Thinors  as  are  fenfible.     And  thrrclore  the 
 "  Torments  of  wicked  Men  in  Hell  are  u'ually 
 !'*f  in  Scripture   defcribed  to   us    by  one  of  the 
 *'  Iharpeil  Pains  that  Human  Nature  is  ordina- 
 "  rily    acquainted   withal,  namely,  the  Pain  of 
 "  Burning ;  Fire  being  the   moll  a6live  Thing 
 *'  in  Nature,  and  therefore  capable  of  caufing 
 "  the  fliarpefl  Pains.     But  we  cannot  from  thefe 
 "  and  the  like  ExprefTions  of  Scripture  certainly 
 *'  determine,    that  this  is  the  true  and  proper 
 *'  Pain  of  Hell.  All  that  we  can  infer  from  thefe 
 "  Defcriptions  is   This,  that  the  Sufferings  of 
 "  wicked  Men  in  the  other  World  fhall  be  very 
 *'  terrible,  and  as  great,  and  probably  greater 
 *'  than  can   pofTibly  be  defcribed  to  us  by  any 
 *'  Thing  we  are  now  acquainted  withal  '." 
 
 The  Advocates  for  the  metaphorical  Senfe  of 
 the  Word  Fire  underftand  by  it  That  grievous 
 Burning  or  Anxiety  of  Mind,  which  torments  the 
 wicked  in  Hell,  occafioned  by  a  Senfe  of  their 
 Sins  and  their  Lofs  of  Heaven  *.  But  this  is 
 the  very  Punilhment  intended  by  the  IVorm  thai 
 dieth  not  ^  and  therefore  we  mufl  fuppofe  the  un- 
 qiienchrJjk  Fire  to  mean  fomething  of  a  different; 
 Kind. 
 
 '  Tillotfon's  Works  in  Fol.  Vol.  z.  p.  471. 
 ^  St.  Aullin  ami  Calvin,  uhi  J'upra> 
 
 Now, 
 
5 ed.  4 .  ^he  Final  State  of  Retribution .    425 
 
 Now,  we  find  moll  of  the  antient  Fathers  af- 
 ferting  a  real^  material^  Fire  of  Hdl.     Jufthi  Mar- 
 tyr fays,   "  the  Devils  fliall   fuffer  Bunifhment, 
 *'  fhut  up  in  everlafting  Fire  ^."   When  the  Prc-^ 
 confiil  threatned  Polycarp,    that  he   would  caufc 
 him  to  be  devoured  by  Fire^  the  Martyr  replied ; 
 *'  Thou    threatneft  me  with  Fire,  which  burns 
 "  for  an  Hour,  and  then   is  cxtinguifhed  ;   buc 
 "  knowefl  not  the  Fire  of  the  future  Judgment, 
 "  and  of  That  eternal  Punifhment,  which  is  re- 
 "  ferved  for  the  ungodly  *."     St.  Cyprian  tells 
 us,  "  The  Fires  fhall  live,    and  the  unquench- 
 "  able  Flames  fhall  lick  the  naked  Body  5."  And 
 (to  mention  no   more)  St.  Jerom  feverely  cen- 
 fures  Origen    and   others  for   maintaining,   that 
 ♦'  there  fhall  be  no  external  Punifliments  for  Sin, 
 *'  nor  torments  outwardly  inflidled,   but  that  Sin 
 "  itfelf,  and  the  Conference  thereof,   is  inftead 
 "  of  a  Punifhment  ;  whilft  the   PForm  in  the 
 "  Heart  dieth  not,  and  a  Fire  is  kindled  in  the 
 **  Soul ;  after  the  Manner  or  Likenefs  of  a  Fe-* 
 "  ver,  which  doth  not  outwardly  torment  the 
 *'  fick,  but  feizing  the  Body  vexeth  it,  without 
 ♦'  any  foreign  infli(5ling  of  Pain  *." 
 
 3  'E;/   aicov'iu  rru(ii  lyK\ii-5-iv7i{'    jipologia  Prima. 
 
 4  Eufeb.  //■//?.  Eccl.  I.  4.  c.  15.     See  alfo  Genuine  Epifiles 
 ffthe  Jpojiolical Fathers,  Sec.  Lond.  1710.  p.  145,  146. 
 
 i  Orat.  de  Afcenfu  Chrijii,  ^  Hieron.  in  Eph.  v. 
 
 %  Among 
 
426         Dissertation  IV.      Sect.  4, 
 
 Among  the  Writers  of  our  own  Country,  I 
 Iball  cite  only  Bifliop  EHfon  and  Dr.  Barrow,  not 
 as  giving  us  ihtjujlefi  Ideas  of  the  future  Punifh- 
 ment  of  the  Wicked  (in  which  Refpedt  I  think 
 them  faulty)  but  merely  as  Affertors  of  the  Doc-r 
 trine  of  a  red,  corporeal.  Fire  of  Hell. 
 
 The  Bifliop,  in  Anfwer  to  one  who  afks,  whe- 
 ther there  be  not  true  Brimjione  as  well  as  true 
 Fire  in  Hell,  fays :   "  Touching  Brimftone,  yon 
 *^'  may  jell  at  St.  John  if  you  lift,  who  faith  of 
 *■  the  wicked,  'They  Jhall  he  tormented  with  Fir^ 
 *■'  and  Brimjione,  Apoc.  xiv.  10.   and  likewife  of 
 *'  the  Devil,  that  he  was  cajl  into  a  Lake  of  F'ire 
 "  and  Brimfione,  xx.  iQ.     Or,  if  youpleafe,  you 
 *'  may  oppofeGoJ  himfclf,  and  ^fk,  whether  ma- 
 *'  terial  Brimfione  were   mixed  with  the    Fire 
 "  which   he  rained  on  Sodom  and   Gomorrah, 
 ^'  and   why  he  poured  them  both  on  the  Heads 
 *'  of  thofe  wicked  ones,   as  if  Fire  alone  were 
 *■''  not  fufficicnt  to  deftroy  them  whp  are  fet  forth 
 *^  for  an  Enfample,  fuffering  the  Vengeance  of  eter- 
 *'  nal  Fire.  Ep.  Jud.     But,  however  you  pre- 
 ^'  fume  to  alter  or  new  frame  the  Judgments  of 
 **  God    after  your  Fancies,  when  I  read,  that 
 *'  God  rained  Fire  and  Brimjtone  upon  Sodom  and 
 "  the   Cities   adjoining.  Gen.  xix.  24.   and  \vill 
 *♦  rain  Fire  and  Briinjlone  upon  the  wicked.^  Pfal.  xi. 
 "  6.  I  dare  not  allegorize  either  of  them ;   be- 
 *'  caufe  I  reverence  the  Word  of  God  which  h 
 *■'  hi§  Will,  and  by  no  Means  diftruft  his  Power, 
 
 "  For, 
 
S e(ft .  4  •  ^he  Final  State  of  Retribution .  427 
 
 "  For,  if  God  will  have  Brimftone  mixed  with 
 "  Hell-fire,  to  make  it  burn  not  only  the  darker 
 "  and  iliarper,  but  alio  the  loathfomer,  and  fo  to 
 "  grieve  the  Sight,  Smell,  and  Tafte  of  the 
 "  wicked,  which  have  here  furfeited  with  lb 
 *'  many  vain  Pleafures  ;  what  have  you  or  any 
 *'  Man  living  to  fay  againft  it  ?  Yea,  rather, 
 "  why  teach  you  not  Men  to  tremble  at  the 
 *'  Terror  of  God's  Judgments,  who  can  an^ 
 "  will  fo  fully  punifh  all  the  Powers  and  Parts 
 '*  of  Body  and  Soul,  with  one  and  the  fame 
 "  Fire  in  Hell  7.^' 
 
 Dr.  Barrow  gives  his  Opinion  in  thefe  Words.: 
 '*  In  the  State  of  everlafting  Death,  our  Bodies 
 "  fhall  be  afflidted  continually  by  a  fulphure- 
 "  ous  Flame,  not  only  fcorching  the  Skin, 
 *'  but  piercing  the  inmoft  Sinews ;  and  our 
 "  5ouls  ihall  incefiantly  be  gnawed  upon  by  a 
 *'  Worm  (the  Worm  of  bitter  Remorfe  for  our 
 "  wretched  Perverfenefs  and  Folly,  the  Worm 
 "  of  horrid  Defpair  ever  to  get  out  of  that  fad 
 ^'  Eftate)  under  which  inexpreffible  Vexations, 
 "  always  enduring  Pangs  of  Death,  always  in 
 *'  Senfe  and  Defire  dying,  we  fhall  never  be  able 
 «'  to  die  »." 
 
 The  Fault  I  find  with  thefe  Reprefentations  of 
 //(?//  and  its  Punijhments  is,  that  they  manifeftly 
 
 '  Survey  of  the  Sufferings  of  Chriji,  p.  47. 
 8  Works  in  Fol.  Vol.  2.  p.  381, 
 
 fuppof^ 
 
428        Dissertation    IV.     Sed.  4, 
 
 fuppofe  the  Bodies  of  the  damned  to  be  the  very 
 fams  Kind  of  Bodies  the  Wicked  had  in  this 
 World ;  afcribing  to  them  the  fame  Senfes  of 
 Sight,  Smell,  and  Tafte,  and  the  fame  bodily 
 Parts^  as  Skin,  and  Sinews.  In  which  the  learn- 
 ed Writers  ieem  to  have  paid  no  Regard  to  St. 
 Paul's  Diftinclion  between  the  natural  and  the 
 Spiritual  Body  (i  Cor.  xv.  42 — 44.)  which,  for 
 the  Rcafons  offered  in  my  Second  Dijj'ertation  s, 
 muft  be  extended  to  the  Refurre51ic?i-Bodies  of 
 the  JVicked^  as  well  as  of  the  Righteous.  How  • 
 ever,  the  general  Dodrine,  maintained  by  thefe 
 and  many  other  Writers,  of  a  ?W,  corporeal^ 
 Hcllfire^  I  take  to  be  the  true  Scripture-doctrine  \, 
 and  That  for  the  following;  Reaibns. 
 
 Firft,  It  is  an  eftabiifhed  Rule  of  Interpreta- 
 tion, not  to  depart  from  tlie  Letter  of  the  Scrip- 
 ture, without  an  apparent  NecefTity  of  fo  doing. 
 But  no  iuch  NecefTity  appears  in  the  prefent 
 Cafe  ;  there  being  nothing  manifeftly  falfe, 
 abfurd,  or  contradi6lory  in  the  Notion  of  a  ma- 
 ieridl  Hell-fire,  Indeed,  were  there  to  be  no  Re- 
 union  of  Soul  and  Body^  but  the  Soul  alone  was  toi 
 conftitute  the  Man^  in  the  World  to  come,  it 
 might  be  objefted  to  the  Notion,  that  Spirit 
 (fuch  as  the  Soul  is)  feems  to  be  incapable  of 
 fuffering  by  the  Aftion  of  Fire  -,  though,  even 
 Vpon    this    Suppofition,    the    Doctrine   of  the 
 
 9  Seaions  VII.  and  ^^^, 
 
 Soul*s 
 
Se£l.  4.  T^he  Tinal  State  of  Retribution,    4^9 
 
 Sours  Material  Vehicle  *  would  greatly  invalidate, 
 if  not  entirely  deftroy,  tiie  Force  of  the  Objec- 
 tion. But  the  certain  Knowledge  v/e  have,  that 
 the  Soul  will  be  cloathed  with  a  Body,  in  the 
 Life  to  come^  removes  all  Difficulty,  arifing  from 
 the  Conlideration  of  its  Spirituality  -,  fince,  how- 
 ever refined  and  even  fpiriiualized  the  Refurrec- 
 tion-Bcdy  may  be,  being  ftill  Matter^  it  mud 
 be  liable  to  be  afted  upon  by  the  Force  of  a 
 material  or  corporeal  Fire. 
 
 Again :  Were  it  neceflary  to  fuppofe  the  Fire 
 o^  Hell  to  be,  in  every  Refpe(5l,  of  the  fame  Na- 
 ture and  Qualities  with  That  elementary  Fire  we 
 are  here  acquainted  with,  it  might  be  objedled, 
 that  nothing  but  a  conftant  Miracle  could  pre- 
 ferve  the  Bodies  of  the  damned  from  being  foon 
 entirely  dcfiroyed  by  it ;  and  that  we  ought  not 
 to  charge  the  Power  of  God  with  an  iinnecejfary 
 Miracle.,  Omnipotence  being  certainly  able  to 
 punifh  the  Bodies,  as  well  as  the  Sculs,  of  the 
 "Wicked,  in  the  World  to  come,  without  the 
 Ufe  Oi  aj^y  Fire  at  all.  To  which  it  may  be  re- 
 plied, firft.  That  the  Suppofition  of  a  ftanding 
 Miracle,  for  the  Prefervation  of  the  Bodies  of  the 
 damned,  carries  with  it  no  Repugnancy  to  the 
 jufteft  Ideas  v/e  can  form  of  the  divine  WifJooi 
 in  the  Government  of  the  Univerfe  •,  the  Support 
 and  Maintenance  of  which,  in  its  proper  State,  is 
 
 »   See  Diffmation  I.  Sea.  VII. 
 
 nothing 
 
4^6         Dissertation  IV.     Sfe(fl.  4, 
 
 tiothing  lefs  than  a  continued  Series  of  Miracles  : 
 but,  fecondly,  That  there  is  no  Neceflity  of 
 having  Recourfe  to  a  miraculous  Interpofition,  in 
 the  prefent  Cafe  ;  fince  we  may  not  unreafonably 
 fuppofe,  either  that  the  Spiritual  Bodies^  we  fhall 
 receive  at  the  Refurre£tion,  will  be,  naturally, 
 incombujlible  or  unconfumeable  by  Fire;  or,  with 
 Tertuilian  *,  that  the  Fire  of  Hell  differs  from 
 our  common  elementary  Fire  in  This,  that,  though 
 it  has  all  the  offenfive  Pain-giving  Qualities  of 
 the  latter^  it  wants  the  Power  of  confuming  or 
 deftroying  the  Matter  it  preys  upon^ 
 
 Secondly,  There  are  feveral  Scriptures  aflert- 
 ing  the  Punifliment  of  the  Wicked  in  Hell  by 
 Fire^  in  which  the  Fire  fpoken  of  cannot  be 
 nndcrftood  of  a  metaphorical,  but  muft  denote  a 
 real,  material.  Fire.  This  is  the  Cafe  with  our 
 Saviour's  Explanation  of  the  Parable  of  the  'Tares  \ 
 which  he  thus  concludes :  As  therefore  the  Tares 
 are  gathered  and  burnt  in  the  Fire,  fo  JJiall  it  he  in 
 the  End  of  the  World :  the  Son  of  Man  fliall  fend 
 forth  his  Angeh,  and  they  fliall  gather  cut  of  his 
 Kingdom  all  Things  that  offend.,  and  them  zvhich  do 
 Iniquity,  and  fliall  co.fi  them  into  a  Furnace  of  Fire  ; 
 there  fliall  be  wailing  and  gnafJiing  of  Teeth.  Matth. 
 xiii.  40 — 42.  Now,  as  our  Saviour  could  have 
 no  other  View  in  explaining  the  Parable  of  the 
 Tares,  than  to  deliver  the  Doftrine  contained,  un- 
 
 »  Jh  Apologet* 
 2  der 
 
S e'6t .  4 •  ^be  Final  State  of  Retribution .    4  3  j 
 
 der  it,  in  plain,  intelligible,  and  unambiguous 
 Terms,  fo  as  that  his  Difciples  might  pcrfcdiiy 
 underftand  it,  and  be  in  no  Danger  of  miftaking 
 its  true  Meaning  and  Import  •,  v.'e  are  obliged  to 
 underftand  his  Interpretation  of  it  in  its  iiterat^ 
 and  not  in  a  figurative^  Senfe.  And,  indeed, 
 we  may  as  well  allegorize  the  Angels,  the  End 
 cf  the  PForld,  and  every  other  Part  of  the  Expo- 
 fition,  as  the  Fire,  into  which  the  Doers  cf  Ini- 
 quity fliall  be  caft. 
 
 Nor  will  the  everlajiing  Fire,  to  which  the 
 Wicked  will  be  fentenced  at  the  laft  Day,  admit 
 G^z  Parabolical  Interpretation.  The  Sentence  of  a 
 Judge  cannot  be  fuppofed  to  be  wrapt  up  in  Fi- 
 gures and  Pardbles ;  and  efpecially  at  a  Time, 
 when  there  fliall  be  no  more  JEnigmas  %  when 
 Allegories  fhall  ctafe,  and  every  thing  fpoken  and 
 done  be  perfedly  intelligible  to  the  whole  Uni- 
 Verfe  of  rational  Beings. 
 
 I  might  add  thofe  Words  of  St.  Johz  the  D/- 
 vine,  in  his  Vifton  of  the  laft  Judgment,  Whofo- 
 ever  was  not  found  written  in  the  Book  of  Life,  was 
 taft  into  .the  Lake  of  Fire,  (Rev.  xx.  15.)  and 
 thofe  other,  The  fearful  and  unbelieving,  and  the 
 abominable,  and  Murderers,  and  IVho'remotigers, 
 and  Sorcerers,  and  Idolaters,  and  all  Liars,  fJiall 
 have  their  Part  in  the  Lake  ^jjhich  himieth  with 
 
 5   AViy  nvt  fee  (b  (tmyiictTt)    a-nigmatically,  or  darkly^ 
 but  then  Fact  to  Face,     I  Cor.  xiii.  1 2 . 
 
 Fire 
 
4^2  Dissertation   IV.     Se(5l.  4* 
 
 Fire  and  BrimJIone,    lb.  xxi.  8.     What  can  we 
 
 underftand,  by  a  Lake  of  Fire,  but  a.  Lake  of 
 Fire  ?  If  Fire  alone  may  be  figuratively  ufed  to 
 denote  Burning  or  Anguifh  of  Mind,  a  Lake  of 
 Fire  cannot,  with  any  juftnefs  or  Propriety,  be 
 ih  applied.  I  conclude,  then,  that,  by  the 
 Lake  of  Fire,  St.  John  means  a  Body  or  Collec- 
 tion of  real  Fire ;  and,  confequently,  that  one 
 Part  of  the  Punijliment  of  the  damned  will  confift 
 in  being  tormented  by  fuch  a  Fire. 
 
 And,  how  dreadful  a  Punifliment  mull  this 
 be  ?  We  experience,  even  in  thefe  Bodies,  the 
 Pain  of  Burning,  through  too  intenfe  and  violent 
 an  A6t:ion  of  the  elemeritary  Fire  on  them.  And 
 we  mull  fuppofe  the  Fire  (the  real  Fire)  of  Hell 
 TO  be  kindled  for  the  very  Purpofe  of  infliding 
 this  Kind  of  Pain  on  the  Refurre^ion- Bodies  of 
 the  damned.  And,  if  the  fine,  rt?//^^rf^/,  Texture  of 
 thofe  Bodies  (hall  render  them  more  fufceptiblc 
 of  Pain,  from  the  Force  of  external  Impreflions, 
 than  our  prefent  grofler  and  denfer  Bodies,  this 
 will  enhance  the  Punifhment  of  lufFering  in  the 
 Fire  of  Hell.  In  fhort,  a  Fire,  which  (to  ufe  the 
 Prophet's  fublime  Expreflion)  ^be  Breath  of  the 
 Lord,  like  a  Stream  of  Br imjl one,  hath  kindled  (Ifa» 
 XXX.  33.)  for  the  Puniiliment  of  Sinners,  muft 
 affed:  their  Bodies  with  the  fliarpell  Senfe  of  Pain 
 we  can  fuppofe  them  capable  of  enduring. 
 
 From  the  Account,  I  have  endeavoured  to 
 give,  of  the  Torments  prepared  for  the  wicked 
 
 in 
 
Sed:.4*  ^he  Finnl  Stute  of 'Retribution.    433 
 
 in  Helly  it  appears,  that,  as  the  Reward  of  the 
 blefled  will  be  the  greatefl  infinite  Goodnefs  can 
 bellow,  the  Punifliment  of  the  damned  will  be  the 
 greatefl  infinite  Jujiice  can  inflidl.  For,  exclufive 
 of  That  greatefl  and  dreadfulefl  of  all  Lojfes^  the 
 Lofs  of  Heaven  and  everlading  Happinefs,  what 
 Circumftance  of  Mifery  can  we  conceive,  that  is 
 not  included  in  the  Pains  oi Hell — the  Stings  and 
 Lafhes,  the  fevere  Reproaches,  of  a  felf-accuf- 
 ing,  felf-condemning,  Conference — the  Taunts  and 
 Infults  of  wicked  Spirits^  rejoicing  in  the  Dam- 
 nation of  thofe  they  have  been  Inflruments  of 
 feducing — the  Prefence  o{  3.n  indignant  God,  ftrik- 
 ing  Terror  into  the  Minds  of  the  damned — the 
 fad  Employment  of  exprefTing  the  Senfations  of 
 Grief  and  Defpair  in  Cries  and  Groans^  Lamenta- 
 tions and  Complaints  —  with  the  exquifite  Pains 
 and  Agonies  of  a  Body  tormented  in  Flames  ?  — 
 and  thefe  accumulated  Woes  endured  in  a  Place, 
 of  which  our  great  Epic  Poet  has,  perhaps,  given 
 us  a  jufl  Idea,  in  the  following  flriking  Defcrip- 
 tion  : 
 
 A  Dungeon  horrible,  on  all  Sides  round. 
 
 As  one  great  Furnace  flam'd  :  yet  from  thofe  Flames 
 
 No  Light,  but  rather  Darknefs  vifible, 
 
 Serv'd  only  to  difcover  Sights  of  Woe, 
 
 Re2:ions  of  Sorrow  !  doleful  Shades  !  where  Peace 
 
 And  Refl  can  never  dwell !  Hope  never  comes. 
 
 That  comes  to  all  :  but  Torture  without  End 
 
 Still  urges,  and  a  fiery  Deluge,  fed 
 
 F  f  With 
 
434         Dissertation    IV.     Sedl.  5* 
 
 With  ever-burning  Sulphur  uncoiifum'd  ! 
 
 Such  Place  eternal  Juftice  had  prepar'd 
 
 ;For  thofe  rebellious ;  here  their  Piilbu  ordaln'd. 
 
 In  utter  Daiknefs,  and  their  Portion  fct. 
 
 As  far  remov'd  froiTi  God,  and  Light  of  Heaven, 
 
 As  from  the  Center  thrice  to  th'  utmoft  Pole. 
 
 O  how  unlike  the  Place  from  whence  they  fell  !  * 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 I'hat  there  will  ^i?  Degrees  of  Reward  and  Pu" 
 
 wjhmcyit  in  the  next  Life, 
 
 SUCH,  then,  being  the  Nature  of  the  Rewards 
 and  J^umjhm£7its  of  the  Life  to  ccme,  I  Ihould 
 now  proceed  to  confider  their  Duration.  But  there 
 is  a  Queilion,  refpecling  them,  which  mufl  firfl 
 receive  an  Anfwerj  and  it  is  This  :  Will  all  the 
 bleffed  Inhabitants  of  Heaven  enjoy  every  Cir- 
 cumftance  of  ca:lejiial  Blifs,  and  all  the  wretched 
 Inmates  of  H^/Zfuffer  every  Kind  of  infernal  Tor- 
 ment, in  their  full  Weight  and  Mcafure  ?  That 
 is.  Will  all  the  blelTed  be  equally  happy,  and  all 
 the  damned  equally  miferahle  ?  Or,  Will  there  be 
 Degrees  of  Happinefs  and  Milery  in  the  next 
 W^orld  ;  feme  in  Heaven  more  or  lefs  happy,  and 
 fome  in  Hell  more  or  lefs  miferable,  than  others  j 
 
 -»  Milton'/  Parad'ife  lofi.  B.  I.  vcr.  6i. 
 
 and 
 
Sea.  ^.  "The  Final  State  of  Retribution.  435 
 and  That  in  exad  Proportion  to  their  refpeftlve 
 Defervings  in  the  Sight  of  God  ? 
 
 I  fay*  in  exaft  Proportion  to  their  refpeaive 
 Defervings.  For,  that  there  are  different  De- 
 grees of  Merit  ^  and  Demerit,  in  the  Moral  Cha- 
 rafters  of  Men  ;  among  the  good  and  virtuous, 
 fome  more  and  fome  lefs  fo,  and,  among  the  wick- 
 ed and  ungodly,  fome  more  and  fome  lefs  fo,  than 
 others  •,  no  one  acquainted  with  Human  Na- 
 ture will  deny.  And  is  it  not  a  plain  Didate 
 of  natural  Juftice  and  Eqtcity,  that  the  beft  Men 
 (hould  be  rewarded,  and  the  worft  punifhed,  in 
 the  higheft  Degree,  and  all  the  intermediate  Degrees 
 of  Merit  and  Demerit  receive  intermediate  Pro- 
 portions  of  Reward  or  Punifhment  ? 
 
 With  Refped  to  the  Happinefs  o^  Heaven  -,  it 
 is  alledged,  by  the  Contenders  for  an  Equality  of 
 Rewards,  that,  the  ?neritoricus  Cauf  ofzhcChrif 
 Han  Redemption  (viz.  the  Righteoufnefs  and  Suf- 
 ferings of  Chrijl)  being  the  fame  to  all  the  re- 
 deemed, and  of  fumcient  Value  to  purchafe  for 
 them  the  highefc  Degrees  of  Glory  and  Felicity  5 
 
 5  In  the  ftrift  Senfs  of  the  Word  Merit,  there  is  no  fuch 
 Thing  in  the  Sight  of  God.  For,  fays  our  blefied  Mailer* 
 When  ye  ha^ve  done  all  thofe  Things  ^vhich  are  commaiuled yout 
 fay,  -tve  are  unprcfitahh  Servants  ',  ^e  haw  dane  That  it^hich 
 'nvas  our  Dutrto  do.  Luke  xvii.  id.  But,  in  a  lefs  reRrained 
 Senfe>  we  may  ufe  the  Word  Merit,  to  denote  That  Moral 
 Character,  upon  which,  m  a  great  Meafure,  depends  our 
 Title  to  Re',s'ard  at  the  Hand  of  God4 
 
 F  f  2  there 
 
43  <^         D I  s  s  E  R  T  A  r  I  o  N    I V".     Scd:,  c^# 
 
 there  Is  no  Reaibn  for  fuppofing  any  Difference 
 of  Degrees  in  the  Effccl.  Which  Argument 
 they  confirm  by  the  Parable  of  the  Labourers  in 
 the  Vineyard  ;  who  are  reprefented  as  receiving 
 the  very  fame  Pay  or  Wages  (viz.  a  Penny),  whe- 
 ther they  had  ivrought  twelve,,  nine,  fix,  three,  or 
 hwi  &ne  Hour,  of  the  Day.  Matth.  xx.  i — 16. 
 
 B-ut  the  Argument  is  fallacious,  and  the  Pa- 
 rable is  nothing  to  the  Purpofe.  For,  befides 
 the  Merits  of  the  Redeemer,  there  are  ^talifica- 
 tions,  in  the  Objects  of  the  Chriitian  Redemption, 
 rccefTary  to  their  partaking  of  it.  Thefe  are. 
 Faith  Tiud  Obedience.  Now,  it  being  certain,  that 
 there  are  Degrees  oi'  Faith  and  Obedience  (a  ftronger 
 and  a  weaker  Faith,  a  more  or  lefs  perfed  Obe- 
 dience) why  may  there  not  be  Degrees  of  That 
 Glory  and  Felicity,  which  are  the  promifed  Re-' 
 ward  of  Faith  and  Obedience  ?  As  to  the  Pa- 
 rable of  the  Labourers,  it  has  nothing  to  do  with 
 Chriflian  Faith  or  Obedience,  but  relates  folely 
 to  the  Admiffion  of  tlie  Gentiles  into  the  Chrif- 
 tian  Covenant-,  which,  whether  it  be  fooner  or 
 later,  intitles  them  to  all  the  Privileges  and  Ad- 
 vantages of  That  Covenant. 
 
 But,  W^hat  fay  the  Oracles  o^ God  to  the  Qiief- 
 tion  now  before  us  ?  Tiiey  ilrongly  and  re- 
 peatedly declare  for  Degrees  of  Reward  and  Pu- 
 mfiimem,  proportioned  to  the  Defervir/gs  of  the 
 Creature.  BleJJ'ed  are  ye  (lays  our  Saviour  to  his 
 Difciples)    when  Men  jhall  revile  you,  and  per- 
 
 fecute 
 
Sed.5.  The  Final  State  of  Rctnhutw7t.   437 
 
 f^cute  you,  and  /peak  all  Manner  of  evil  againjl  you 
 falfely,  for  my  Name's  fake  :  rejoice,  and  he  exceed- 
 jjig  glads   for  great  is  your  Reward  in  Heaven. 
 Matth.  V.  II,  12.     But,  why  Hiould  Chriilians 
 take  Delight  in  being  perfecuted  for  the  fake  of 
 Chriji,    if  their  Reward  will  be  no  greater  than 
 That  of  common  Chriilians  ?   In  this  Cafe,  their 
 .  Condition  would  be  much  worfe  in  this  World, 
 and  not  a  whit  better  in  the  next,  than  That  of 
 the  unperfecuted.     A  poor  Reafon  for  rejoicing 
 and  king  exceeding  glad  !  —He  thai  receiveth  a  Pro- 
 phet (fays  the  fame  divine  Teacher)  in  the  Name 
 of  a  Prophet,  fJiall  receive  a  Prophet^ s  Rczvard  i 
 end  he  that  receiveth  a  righteous  Man  in  the  Name 
 cf  a  righteous  Man,  fJiall  receive  a  righteous  Man's 
 Reward.  Matth.  x.  41.  where  our  Saviour  plain- 
 ly diftinguifhes  between  the  Reward  due  to  a 
 Prophet,    and    the  Reward  due   to  a   righteous 
 Man  ;  and  feems  to  affirm,  that  a  Preacher  of 
 Righteoufnefs,  Himfelf  a  righteous  Man,  is  intit- 
 led  to  a  greater  Reward,  than  a  righteous  Man, 
 
 who  is  -not    a  Preacher  of  Righteoufnefs. 
 
 In  the  Parable  of  the  falents,  under  which  our 
 Saviour  fliadows  out  his  own  Coming  to  Judg- 
 ment, and  the  fnal  State  of  Retribution,  we  fee, 
 that  the  Rewards  of  Futurity  will  be  diftributed 
 according  to  the  fever^l  Improvements  Men  have 
 made  of  the  Abilities  and  Opportunities  God  has 
 afforded  them.  For,  He  that  had  gained  five 
 founds  was  made  Ruler  over  five  Cities  ;  and  He 
 F  f  3  that 
 
43 S         Dissertation  I V.     Sed:.  5. 
 
 that  had  gnined  ten  Founds,  Ruhr  over  ten  Cities^ 
 Luke  xix.  12-— 19. 
 
 St.  Paul  teaches  the  fame  Dodrine,  where 
 he  fays,  Our  light  Jffii^iion,  ichicb  is  but  for  a 
 Ivlomefit,  tJDorketh  for  us  a  far  more  tt<acdlng 
 and  eternal  V/eight  of  Glory.  2  Cor.  \v.  17. 
 For,  if  no  additional  Reward  arifes  to  the  good 
 Chriftian  from  the  Virtue  of  Patience  in  bearing 
 the  Evils  of  Life,  how  can  /Affliction  be  faid  to 
 voo'rk  for  us  any  Part  of  That  Weight  of  Glory, 
 which  is  (Sut  to  Chrillian  Faith  and  Obedience  ? 
 And  the  fame  Apoftie,  exhorting  the  Corinthian 
 Chriftians  to  a  hberal  Contribution  for  the  Rehef 
 of  their  poor  Brethren,  tells  them,  that  he  which 
 fovjeth  fparingly^  fl:all  reap  c.lfo  fparingly  •,  and  he 
 which  foivetb  bountifully^  jhall  reap  alfo  bountifully, 
 lb.  ix.  6.  The  Reward  of  Liberality  to  the  Poor 
 will  be  proportioned  to  theMeafure  of  ourBoun^ 
 ty,  in  like  Manner  as  the  Harieji  or  Produfts 
 of  the  Field  are  anfwerabie  to  the  Quantity  of 
 iVc-ifown  in  it. 
 
 I'he  Cafe  appears  to  be  the  fame  with  the  Pu- 
 niflnnents  of  Futurity,  They  will  be  proportionate 
 to  the  Guilt  of  the  Sufferers.  IVoe  unto  thee^ 
 Choraxin  (fays  our  blefl'ed  Saviour)  IVoe  unto  thee^ 
 Bethfnda  :  for^  if  the  '(nighty  Works,  which  were 
 done  in  you,  had  been  done  in  'Tyre  and  Sidon,  they 
 would  have  repented  long  ago  in  Sackcloth  and  AfJies^ 
 But   F  fay  unto  you^  it  fJiall  be  more  tolerable  f&r 
 
 Ty^4 
 
Sed:.  5*  T^hc  Final  ^t ate  of  RctrllniUon.  439 
 
 Tyre  and  Sidon,  at  the  Day  of  Judgment,  than  for 
 you.  And  thou,  Capernaum.,  which  are  exalted  to 
 Heaven,  fJialt  he  brought  do-ivn  to  Hell :  for,  if  the 
 mighty  Works,  which  have  been  done  in  thee,  had 
 been  done  hi  Sodom,  it  woidd  have  remained  until 
 this  Day.  But  1  fay  unto  you,  that  it  fJiall  be  more 
 tolerable  for  the  hand  of  Sodom,  in  the  Day  ofjud- 
 ment,  than  for  thee.  Matth.  xi.  2J — 24.  Whence 
 we  learn,  that  Perfcverance  in  a  finful  Courfc  of 
 Life,  with  the  Advantage  of  a  fufficient  Call  to 
 Repentance,  will  be  more  feverely  puniOied  in 
 the  next  World,  than  the  greateft  Wickednefs 
 without  fuch  Advantage  — -  'That  Servant,  which 
 knew  his  hordes  PFill,  and  prepared  not  himfelfy 
 neither  did  according  to  his  Will,  fhall  be  beaten  with 
 many  Stripes :  But  he  that  knezv  not,  and  did  com-- 
 mit  Things  worthy  of  Stripes,  fhall  be  beaten  with 
 few  Stripes.  For  unto  whomfoever  much  is  given., 
 of  him  fliall  be  much  required  -,  and  to  whom  Men 
 have  committed  much,  of  him  they  will  ajk  the  more, 
 Luke  xii.  47,  48.  Here  our  Saviour  declares, 
 that,  according  to  the  Degree  of  Light  and 
 Knowledge  Men  fin  againft,  will  be  the  Severity 
 of  their  Punifhment  %  it  being  the  Dictate  of 
 natural  Juftice,  that  Men  (hall  be  accountable 
 for  the  Improvement  or  Negle<5t  of  the  Light 
 and  Knowledo;e  afforded  them.  — When  the  evil 
 Servant  (in  the  Parable)  is  fentenced  to  be  cut 
 cfunder,  and  to  have  his  Portion  with  the  Hypo- 
 F  f  4  £riki 
 
440        Dissertation    IV.      Sed:.  5, 
 
 criies  (Matth.  xxiv.  ^i.)^    is   not  this    a  plain 
 Intimation,   that   the  Punifliment   of  Hypocrijy 
 (fuch  as  our  Saviour  had  in  View)  will  be  much 
 greater  than  That  of  many  other  Sins,  even  the 
 greateft  of  all  Punifhments  ? 
 
 So  the  Apoftle  to  the  Hebrews  allures  us,  that 
 Jpcjlates  from  the  Religion  of  Ckrijl  will  be  more 
 feverely  punifhed,  than  TranfgrelTors  of  the  Mo- 
 fciical  Law.  He  that  defp'/fed  Mofe^^s  Law  died 
 zvithout  Mercy.,  under  two  or  three  Witnejfes  :  Of 
 how  much  forer  Punifnment  fuppofe  ye.,  that  he  JJiall 
 he  thought  vjorthy.,  who  hath  trodden  under  Foot 
 the  Son  of  God.,  and  hath  counted  the  Blood  of  the 
 Covenant.,  wherewith  he  was  fanuiified.,  an  unholy 
 Thing.,  and  hath  done  Defpite  unto  the  Spirit  of  Grace! 
 Ileb.  X.  28,  29. 
 
 Thefe,  among  many  other  PafTages  of  the  like 
 Import,  may  ferve  to  evince,  that  the  Sentence 
 of  Reward  or  Punifliment.,  pafled  on  every  one  at 
 the  Bay  of  Judgment.,  will  determine  his  Lot  fo,r 
 fuch  a  State  of  Happincfs  or  Mifery,  as  fhall 
 bear  an  equitable  Proportion  to  his  particular  De- 
 fer-ving  at  the  Hand  of  God  •,  and,  confequently, 
 that,  though  there  arc,  really,  but  One  Heaven^ 
 and  One  Hell,  the  relpeclive  Habitations  of  the 
 Righteous  and  the  Wicked,  there  mull  be  different 
 States,  or  diflind  Manfions  of  Happinefs  in  Hea- 
 ven, and  of  IVIifery  in  Hell,  appropriated  to  the 
 fcveral  Claffes,  into  which  the  Righteous  and  the 
 
 Wicked 
 
Setft.  5-  The  Final  State  of  Rctrihutlon.  441 
 
 Wicked  may  hz  fiihdivided^  with  Refped  to  their 
 feveral  Degrees  of  Merit  or  Demerit  ^. 
 
 But,  What  (hall  we  fay  to  the  (not  uncom- 
 mon) Cafe  of  thofe,  who  appear,  to  the  Eye  of 
 Human  Reafon,  to  deferve  both  Reivard  and  Fu- 
 mjliment  ?  Such  are  they  who  are,  at  once,  both 
 good  and  had,  virtuous  andvitious.  Men.  Such, 
 for  Inftance,  is  the  Chriltian,  in  whom  is  found, 
 in  an  eminent  Degree,  the  Virtue  of  Charity  or 
 Liberality  to  the  Poor,  united  with  the  Vices  of 
 Lewdnefs  and  Intemperance  "^ ,  It  is  certain,  from 
 our  Saviour's  Defcription  of  the  Judgment  (Matth. 
 XXV.  34 — 46.),  that  eternal  Life  and  Flappinefs 
 is  the  promifed  Reward  of  Bounty  to  the  Foor ; 
 
 <5  It  isitot  eafy  to  find  a  Wronger  Proof  of  Ignorance  and 
 Malice  toward  Chriftianity,  than  the  following  Paffage  of  a 
 late  noble  Writer.  "  The  Juftice  "  (of  the  great  Day)  *«  if 
 "  it  may  be  called  Ju/1  ice,  moft  certainly  requires,  that  Re- 
 '*  wards  and  Punilhraents  fhould  be  meafured  out,  in  every 
 "  particular  Cafe,  in  Proportion  to  the  Merit  and  Demerit 
 "  of  each  Individual.  But,  inftead  of  this,  it  is  afiumed, 
 "  conformably  to  the  Dodrine  of  P/^/ij,  that  the  Righteous 
 ^'  are  fet  on  the  right  Hand  of  the  Judge,  and  the  Wicked 
 ^'  on  the  left,  from  whence  they  are  tranfported  into  Hea- 
 *'  ven,  or  pli^nged  into  Hell.  They  are  tried  individually  ; 
 "  \}^zj  feem  to  be  rewarded  or  punifhed  colleSiively,  without 
 *'  any  Z)//?//;(i?zo«  of  the  particular  Cafes,  which  have  been 
 *'  fo  folemnly  determined,  and  without  any  Proportion  oh- 
 •*  ferved  between  the  various  Degrees  of  Merit  and  Demerit, 
 <'  Innocence  and  Guilt,  in  the  Application  of  thefe  Re- 
 *'  wards  and  Punifhments."  Lord  Bolingbroke's  Works, 
 Vol.  v.  p-495. 
 
 7  See  Dijfert.  III.  Sed.  V. 
 
442  DiSSEKTATION    IV.      Sedl.  5, 
 
 and  from  other  PaiTagcs  of  Scripture  (i  Cor.  vi. 
 10,    Eph.  V.  5.),  that  Whoring  and  Drunkennefs 
 will  exclude  Men  from  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 
 Here,  then,    with  the  utmoft  Submiilion  of 
 Human  Reafon  to  Divine  Wifdom,  may  we  be 
 permitted  to  alk,  How  will  the  Divine  Juftice 
 deal  with  Perfons  of  this  Character  .''  Will  Cha- 
 rity cover  the  Sins  (i  Pet.  iv.  8.)  oi  Lcmdnefs  and 
 Intempera7ice^  fo   as  to  exempt  the  Sinner  from 
 the  Punifliment  due  -to  thofe  Sins,  and  thereby 
 leave  him  a  clear  Title  to  the  Reward  ox  Charily  ? 
 Or,  will  the  Vices  of  Li?w<i//^y}  d^nd  Intemperance 
 vacate  all    the  Merit  of  his  Rouniy  to  the  PooVy 
 and  leave  him  expolcd  to  the  Punifliment  de- 
 nounced againft  thofe  Vices  ?   If  neither  of  thefe 
 will  be   the  Caje  ;    if  neither  the  Aierit  of  the 
 Virtue   will  be  taken  away  by  the  Guih  of  the 
 FitTJ,  nor  the  Guilt  of  "Thofe  by  the  Merit  of  That  -y 
 Hov/  will  the  proper  Dijiin^ion  be  made  between 
 them  ?  How  will  the  Man  be,  at  once,  bothr^- 
 warded  and  punilhed  "^   He  cannot  be  fentenced 
 hth  to  Heavm  and  Hell.     If  he  goes  to  tJeaven,. 
 he  enjoys  the  Reward  of  the  Righteous  ;  if  to 
 HelJ,  he  fuffers  the  Punifhment  of  the  Wicked. 
 
 We  may  fafely  truft  this  Caie  v/ith  the  Wif-. 
 dom,  Juftice,  and  Goodnefs  of  almighty  God  ; 
 being  fare,  from  the  Co^fideration  of  thofe  di- 
 vine Perfeclions,  that  the  'Judge  of  all  the  Earth 
 cannot  hwtdo  right.  Gen.  xviii.  25.     L.et  us  try, 
 
 however^ 
 
Sed.  5-  'The" Final  State  of  Rctributhn.  44.3 
 
 however,  v/hether  Reafon  will  not  enable  us  to 
 adjuil  it. 
 
 We  have  feen,  that  there  will  be  Degrees  of 
 Reward  and  Puni/Iiment^  in  the  next  Life,  pro- 
 portionate to  the  Defervings  of  Mankind.  Now, 
 a  lozver  Degree  of  Rezvard^  than  we  might  have 
 enjoyed,  is  a^iial  PuniJJiment  j  and  a  k^wer 
 JDegree  of  Punijhnent  than  we  might  have 
 fuffered,  h^ttual  Re%vard:  Hence,  if  the  Re- 
 ward of  Virtue  be  lefTened  by  its  Union  with 
 Vice,  or  the  PuniOiment  of  Vice  diminillied  by 
 its  Conjunction  with  Virtue,  the  Individual,  in 
 whom  Virtue  and  Vice  lie  blended  and  mixed 
 together,  will  be,  at  once,  rezvarded  and  pimjlied ; 
 rCi^aj'ded,  by  being  lefs  miferahle^  than  his  Vices, 
 of  themfelves,  would  have  rendered  him  •,  and 
 punijliedy  by  being  lefs  happy^  than  his  Virtues,  of 
 themfelves,  would  have  intitled  him  to  be. 
 
 But,  What  fliall  determine  the  Place  or  Scene 
 ot  Retribution^  in  this  Cafe  }  What,  but  the  Ed- 
 lance  between  our  Virtues  and  Vices,  or  the  Ex- 
 cefs  of  the  one  above  the  other  ?  If  our  Virtues 
 outweigh  our  Vices,  we  may  reafonably  fuppofe, 
 Ueaven  will  be  our  Portion ;  if  our  Vices  pre- 
 ponderate. Hell  will  be  our  Doom  :  Only,  in 
 Heaven  we  fliall  be  lefs  happy,  and  in  Hell  Jefs 
 miferable,  than  a  more  perfeft  Virtue  would  have 
 inade  us  in  the  former,  or  more  complete  Wick' 
 ednefs  have  rendered  qs  in  the  latter. 
 
 If  we  look  back  to  the  View  we  have  taken  of 
 cdejiial  Happinefs  and  infernal  Mifery^  we  Ihall 
 
 be. 
 
444         Dissertation    IV.     Se<ft.  5, 
 
 be  able  to  form  fome  Judgment  of  the  different 
 Deg7-ee5  of  future  Rr^'ards  and  Punijliments^  and 
 wherein  fuch  Difference  will  confift.  The  Joys 
 of  Heaveity  and  the  Paius  of  Hell^  as  above  de- 
 fcribed,  are  manifeflly  the  Extremes  of  future 
 Reward  and  Punifliment,  or  the  highejl  Degree  of 
 That  Happinefs  God  has  prepared  for  the  Righ- 
 teous, and  of  That  Mifery  he  has  refeVved  for 
 the  Wicked.  Which y?^/)r^?;?<?  Happinefs  and  Mi- 
 lery  will  certainly  be  the  refpedive  Portions  of  the 
 mojt  Righteous  and  the  moji  IVicked.  But  we  mufl 
 fuppofe  QGYXMn  Abatements  in  the  Joys  of  Heaven 
 and  the  Pains  of  Hell,  in  Order  to  That  Pro- 
 fortion,  which  both  Reafon  and  Scripture  tell  us, 
 muft  fubfift  between  the  Defervings  of  Mankind 
 and  their  future  Recompence. 
 
 I  would  not  fuppofe  any  Difference  in  the  Con- 
 dition of  the  BkJJed^  with  Refpeft  to  the  mga- 
 tive  Happinefs  of  Heaven.  A  Freedom  from  all 
 Evil,  both  of  Mind  and  Body,  mufl  be  the  com- 
 jTion  Privilege  of  all.  Nor  will  I  fuppofe  the 
 ieafl  Degree  of  Uneafmefs  or  Difquietude  of 
 Mind  to  arife  from  a  Confcicufnefs  oi  hferierity^ 
 or  Envy  at  the  ftpe-ricr  H('ppin^fs  of  others  ;  fince 
 the  lowcft  Degree  of  coeleftial  Blifs  will  be  far 
 above  the  natural  Hopes  and  Expeftations  of  the 
 Human  Soul,  and  all  Ground  of  Difcontent  and 
 Difiiitisfailion  muft  be  loll  in  a  perfect  Refigna- 
 tion  to   the    righteous  Judgments  of  almighty 
 
 The 
 
Sed'.  5.  The  Final  State  of  Retribution.    44^ 
 
 The  Difference  in  queftion  may  be  conceived 
 to  arife  from  a  larger  or  fmaller  Proportion  of 
 That  Happinefs,  which  will  be  derived  from 
 Knowledge,  Society,  and  the  Beatific  Vifion.  The 
 le[s  Righteous  may  have  a  lefs  ^\\2XG.  oilinowledge ; 
 may  not  fee  fo  far  into  the  Wonders  of  Creation, 
 Providence,  and  Redemption  ;  though  ftill  Know- 
 ledge enough  to  afford  them  inexprefiible  Plea- 
 fure  and  DeHght.  They  may  be  excluded  from 
 the  Company  and  Converfation  of  their  Superiors, 
 the  more  Righteous  ;  and  yet  receive  extreme  Sa- 
 tisfadion  from  the  Society  of  their  Equals.  They 
 may  have  a  lefs  glorious  Manifeilation  of  the  Di- 
 'vine  Prefence  with  them,  yet  ftill  glorious  enough 
 to  fill  their  Minds  with  Raptures  and  Tranfports 
 of  Delight. 
 
 With  Refped  to  the  Mifery  of  Hell  ^  it  is  not 
 difficult  to  conceive,  how  the  lefs  ivicked  may 
 have  a  lefs  Share  in  the  Torments  of  That  dif- 
 mal  Place.  They  will  naturally  feel  lefs  Pain 
 from  the  Stings  and  Reproaches  of  a  guilty  Con- 
 fcience,  as  having  lefs  oi  Guilt  upon  their  Minds. 
 Nor  will  the  Devils  have  fo  much  Caufe  to  infult 
 and  triumph  over  their  Miferies,  as  over  thofe  of 
 the  more  wicked,  who  have  received  greater  Da?n- 
 nation  (Matth.  xxiii.  14.)*  even  as  great  as  their 
 own.  The  Darkmfs  may  be  Jefs  grofs  and  pal- 
 pable, in  the  Abodes  of  the  lefs  wicked.  The 
 Fire  of  Hell  may  be  lefs  hot  and  intenfe,  its  hot- 
 tejl  Flmnes  being  referved  for  the   'rnojl  wicked. 
 
 And 
 
44^         Dissertation   IV.     Sei5t.  ^4 
 
 And  we  may  not  nnreafonably  fuppofe,  with  re- 
 fpedto  x.\it  leajl  wicked  of  thole,  who  fhall  be  caft 
 into  Hell,  that  the  Divine  Prefence  will  not  only- 
 be  kfs  terrible  to  them,  but  even  afFord  them 
 fome  Degree  of  Eaie  and  Comfort. 
 
 It  may  be  thought^  that,  as,  in  this  World, 
 the  lovjejl  Degrees  of  Virtue  and  Vice  approach  fo 
 near  to  each  other,  that  it  is  not  eafy  to  deter^ 
 mine  their  exaft  Limits  (jtift  as,  in  a  Pi^ure^ 
 the  Boundaries  o(  Light  and  Shade,  or  of  different 
 CoiourSy  feem  to  run  into,  and  be  confounded 
 with,  each  other)  it  may  be  thought,  I  fay,  that 
 there  will  be  no  great  Difparity  between  the 
 Conditions  of  the  leaji  happy  and  the  lea  ft  mife- 
 rable,  in  tlie  World  to  come.  For,  if  there  be 
 hut  little  Difference  between  their  refpe^tive  Z)^- 
 fervij?gs.  Why  lliould  there  be  a  great  Difference 
 between  their  reipe6live  Reconrpences  ?  If  the  Pre- 
 ponderancy  .of  the  Scale,  in  their  Favour  orDlf- 
 favGur,  be  but  fmall.  Why  fhould  not  the  lowrft 
 Station  in  Heaven  and  the  highcjl  (if  I  may  io 
 fpeak)  in  Hell  almoft  meet^  and  the  leafl:  mife- 
 rable  in  the  latter  be  near  upon  a  Par  with  the 
 leafc  happy  in  the  former  ? 
 
 This  Reafoning,  I  think,  will  not  hold  good, 
 with  Refped:  to  the  Rewards  and  PuniJJiments  of 
 Futurity,  Between  Heaven  and  Hell  there  is  a 
 great  Culph  (Luke  xvi.  26.)-,  and,  as  their  Dif^ 
 tance  from  each  other  is  immenfe,  fo  inufc  the 
 State  of  All  their    Inhabitants  be  :  The  lead 
 
 happy 
 
Sed".  6.  The  F mat  State  of  RclrihtitiGn.  447 
 
 happy  in  Heaven  mufl  be  ^jcry  happy,  and  the 
 ieaft  miferable  in  Hell  ve-i-y  miferable.  Nor  is 
 this  inconfiflent  with  the  ftridleft  Execution  of 
 Divine  Jnjlice.  For,  if  no  one  will  be  puniflied 
 beyond  his  Deferts,  no  one  will  have  Caufe  to 
 complain  of  Injuftice  done  him  •,  and,  if  the 
 lowefi  Degree  of  c<xle{tial  Happinefs  will  vaftly 
 exceed  what  the  very  bed  of  us  can  deferve,  there 
 will  be  no  Room  left  for  any  Complaint,  that 
 we  are  not  fuitably  or  fufficiently  rewarded. 
 
 SECTION      VL 
 
 bj  the  Duration   ct  Continuance  of  future  Re- 
 wards-and  Punifhments, 
 
 A  V  I  N  G  determined,  as  far  as'  Reafon^ 
 guided  by  Revelation,  enables  us  to  de- 
 termine, xht  Places,  or  diftind  Regions,  oi Hea- 
 ven and  Hell,  and  confidered  the  Nature  or  Kmd, 
 together  with  the  Degrees  of  That  Happinefs  and 
 That  Mifery,  which  will  be  the  refpedive  Reivard 
 and  PuniJJitnent  of  the  Righteous  and  of  the  Wicked, 
 in  the  Life  to  come  \  I  proceed  to  enquire,  thirdly, 
 into  the  Duration  or  Continuance  oi  future  Re- 
 wards and  Puni/Iments. 
 
 As  the  holy  Scriptures  m.ull  of  NecelTity  be  our 
 principal  Guide  in  this  Enquiry,  let  us  fee  what 
 
 thofe 
 
44^  Dissertation  IV.      Sed.  6* 
 
 thofe  divine  Oracles  teach  us  concerning  the 
 Duration  or  Permanency  of  the  Rewards  and 
 Pimifhments  of  the  next  Life.  Now  the  infpired 
 Writers  exprefs  this  Duration  by  fuch  Words, 
 in  the  original  Languages^  as  all  Tranflators 
 of  the  Bible  have  hitherto  underftood  to  imply 
 an  ahfolute  Eternity  of  Reward  and  FunijJiment, 
 Whence  our  own  Verfion  renders  them  by  the- 
 W^ords  eternal^  cverlafting^   and  the  like. 
 
 With  Refpedt  to  the  Happinefs  of  Heaven^  the 
 great  Object  of  our  Chrijlian  Redemption  :  Befides 
 that  it  is  conftantly  cxprefled,  in  the  New  Tejla- 
 vdent,  by  the  Terms  eternal  or  everlajiing  Life  *, 
 and  defcribed  under  the  Image  of  an  Inheritance 
 incorruptible  and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  net  away 
 (i  Pet.  i.  3,  4.)  -,  there  are  not  wanting  Argu- 
 ments, from  Reafon  and  Nature^  to  confirm  us  in 
 the  Belief  of  its  abfolute  Eternity^  or  that  the  Re- 
 v/ard  of  the  Righteous  in  Heaven  will  be  ever- 
 lajiing  or  without  End.     For, 
 
 Firfi,  an  immortal  Soul^  as  the  very  Term  im- 
 mortal fignifies,  muft  live  for  ever^  unlefs  annihi- 
 
 S  God  fo  lo-veJ  the  Worlds  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Sot:, 
 that  ^vho/oever  helie'veth  in  him  Jhould  not  perijh,  but  hav: 
 everlajiing  Life.  John  iii.  l6.  Lord.,  to  --uhom  foall  <Txe  go  ? 
 Thou  haji  the  Words  of  eternal  Life.  lb.  \i.  68.  This  is  Life 
 eternal,  that  they  might  knovj  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  fefus 
 Chr:fn.vhom  thou  h aft  fenl .  lb.  xvii.  5.  T'hefe  pall  go  aivay 
 into  everlafting  Punijhment,  but  the  Righteous  into  Life  eter- 
 nal. Matth.  XXV.  46. 
 
 2  lated 
 
Se(fl.  $.  I'he  Final  State  of  Retribution.  449 
 
 lated  by  its  almighty  Creator.  But,  fecondly,  no 
 Reafon  can  be  afTigned,  why  God  iliould  ever 
 annihilate  the  Souls  of  the  blefled,  when  it  is  no 
 longer  in  their  Power  (as,  certainly,  it  will  not  be) 
 to  forfeit  their  Title  to  Th^t  Happinefs  God  has 
 beftowed  on  them.  Therefore,  thirdly,  an  in- 
 finitely JLift  and  good  God  will  not  deprive  them 
 of  That  Happinefs,  by  revoking  the  Gift  of  hi- 
 mortality,  or  an  Eternity  of  Exiftence.  Add  to 
 this,  that  the  prefent  Happinefs  of  Heaven  would 
 be  greatly  diminiflied  and  impaired  by  a  Profpeot^ 
 how  remote  foever,  of  its  Difcontinuance.  It 
 would  give  us  Pain  in  Heaven  itfelf,  to  think, 
 that  a  Time  will  come  (though  not  till  many 
 Millions  of  Ages  are  pad  and  gone)  when  we 
 ihall  no  longer  enjoy  the  Glory  and  Happinefs 
 of  That  blifsful  Region  ;  no  longer  contemplate 
 the  Wonders  of  Creation  and  Providence,  con- 
 rerfe  with  Saints  and  Angels,  and  enjoy  the 
 beatific  Vijion  of  the  Almighty.-  This  Refleftion 
 "would  imbitter  and  fpoil  the  fweetefc,  pureft, 
 and  moft  exalted  Pleafures  of  Heaven.  Nothing 
 fhort  of  Eternity  can  fatisfy  the  Defires  of  a  na- 
 turally-immortal Soul.  Nothing,  not  even  the  En- 
 joyments of  an  Archangel.,  can  be  a  fufficient  Ba- 
 lance for  the  difagreeable  Profpedl  of  Jnnihila' 
 tion  ;  of  being  (Iript,  not  only  of  Happinefs.,  buc. 
 of  Exijlence  itfelf,  and  fent\back  again  to  our  ori^ 
 ginal  Nothing.  Thele  Confiderations,  joined  v»'ith 
 the  Scripture -Doflrine  of  Life  and  ^mortality, 
 G  g  fufficiently 
 
450  Dissertation  IV.      Sedl.  7. 
 
 fufficiently  prove,  that  the  Reward  of  the  Righ- 
 teous^ the  Joys  of  HeavetJ,  will  be,  in  the  ftriftcft 
 Senfe,  everlajling,  or  co- eternal ^mth  G^^himfelf  ^. 
 
 SECTION     VII. 
 
 Of  the  Duration   of  future  Punishment. 
 
 '  j  ^  H  E  fame  Terms,  that  are  ufed  by  the  fa- 
 crcd  Writers  to  exprefs  the  Duration  of 
 future  Reward,  arc  employed  by  them  to  denote 
 Th^Lt  oHuzurc  Pumj7:ment ;  which  they  reprefent, 
 chiefly^  under  the  Image  oi everlafling  or  unquench- 
 able Fire  '.     Whence  it  feems  to  follow,  by  ne- 
 
 9  Mr.  IVhlfion  cannot  digeft  tliis  Doftrlne.  "  This  Con- 
 *«  tinuance  in  Being"  (fays  he)  "  as  long  as  God  our  Crea- 
 *'  tor  is  to  do  fo,  this  Co-eternity  with  God,  has  long  feem- 
 "  ed  to  me  too  vaft  and  immenfe  a  Thing  to  be  expecled, 
 *'  not  only  by  Us,  poor,  imperfed,  finful  mortals ;  per- 
 **  haps,  the  very  loweft  of  all  rational  Beings  in  the  whole 
 *'  Scale  of  Creation,  but  by  any  finite  and  fubordinate  Crea- 
 "  tures  whatfoever."  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments  conjidered., 
 2d.  Edit.  p.  60.  And  again :  "  As  to  any  Creature's  Co' 
 *■*  eternity  with  God  himfelf,  I  am  not  fatisfied,  that  it  ever 
 **  came  direftly  into  the  Notions  of  fober  Men,  till  fome 
 "  Time  after  the  Days  of  this  Author  *,  what  Opinion  fo- 
 '*  ever  modern  philofophical  Men  may  have  entertained  of 
 *•  fuch  an  nmazing  Co-eternity."     lb.  p.  70. 
 
 '    See  Sea.  IV.  of  this  Dijfertation. 
 
 *  An 'anonymous  Author,  by  whom  Jujiln  Martyt-  was  converted  to 
 Chriftianity. 
 
 ccflary 
 
.Sedl.  7.  The  Final  State  of  Retribution.  4  j;  1 
 
 ceflary  Confequence,  that,  if  the  Reward  will  be 
 everlqftmg,  in  the  Senfe  of  an  ahfclitte  Eternity  of 
 Happinefs^  the  Piini/Jiment  v/ill  be  fo  likewife,  iri 
 the  Senfe  of  an  ablblute  Eternity  of  Mifery. 
 
 But  this  Senfe  of  the  original  Words  (Heb. 
 ^b'\V  and  D^IJ?"?,  Holam  and  Leholam  ;  Gr.  aH'^^} 
 and    «icovi©-)    which  we  render  by  the  Words 
 everlajiing  or  eternal,  is  difputcd  with  us.    It  is  al- 
 ledged  (and,  indeed,  with  Truth)  that  thefe  Words 
 are,  very  feldom,  if  ever,  ufed  to  denote  an  ab- 
 folute  and  proper  Eternity,   but  only  a  long,  in- 
 definite. Term    of  Years,    or   Duration.     Thus 
 God  fays  to  Abraham,  All  the  Land  which  thou 
 feeji,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  Seed  [iuit 
 rQ  ajwv©')  for   ever.    Gen.  xiii.    15.     And  the 
 Laws  of  Mofes  are  repeatedly  ftyled  .^/^////fj/^?/ 
 ever,  everlajiing  Ordinances  *.     But  tiie  PoffefTioii 
 of  the  promifed  Land  has  been  long  fince  taken 
 from  the  Poflerity  of  Jhaham  ;  and  the  Jewijk 
 Law  was  defigned   by  God  himfelf  to  be  abo- 
 lifhed    by   the  Eftablifhment  of  the  Ckrijiian, 
 The  Cities  of  Sodora  and  Gomorrah  are  faid  to  be 
 [et  forth  for  an  Example,  fitffering  the  Vengeance  of 
 eternal  Fire,  ttvpc;  aictini<.  Jude  7.     But  the  Fire^ 
 that  confumed  thofe   wicked  Places,   lailed  no 
 longer   than    until    their  Deftrudion  was  com- 
 pleted. .  The  proper  Signification  of  c^iy  and 
 £/,Twv  is.  An  Age  or  Period  ot  Time,  of  an  inde- 
 
 -    Fxod.  \\vil.    21.   xxviii.   43.    Levit.   x.   15.   xvi.   34. 
 Nuviib.  xvili.  II. 
 
 G  o;  2  terminate 
 
452  Dissertation    IV.      ScOi.y, 
 
 terminate  Length  •,  and  the  Words  are,  accord- 
 ingly, uled  to  exprei's  the  feveral  Difpenfations 
 ^f  God's  Providence  (fome  of  longer,  and  others 
 of  ihorter,  Continuance)  from  the  Creation  to  the 
 Confummation  of  all  Things.  According  to 
 which  Senfe  of  the  Words,  we  muft  underftand, 
 by  everlajling  Puni/liment  {xoXda-is  afcovj^)  and 
 Life  eternal  {^m  aUvi(0')  no  more  than  the  Pu- 
 ni/liment  and  the  Life  of  the  IForld  to  ccme^  or  of 
 the  Age  allotted  for  the  Difpenfation  oi  final  Re- 
 wards and  PunifJiments.  And,  confequently,  the 
 Ufe  of  the  Word  atcj^vj©',  in  Conjundion  with 
 (y.oXao-jf  and  {cun )  Punijhment  and  Life^  determines 
 nothing  concerning  the  Length  or  Duration  of 
 either*. 
 
 And,  as  the  Senfe  of  the  Hebrew  dVij?  and  the 
 Creek  at'wv  is  thus  difputed  with  us,  fo  is  the 
 Meaning  of  That  Text,  by  which  (thrice  re- 
 peated) our  Saviour  exprefles  the  Punifhment 
 of  being  cafl  {zU  t«v  ykmav)  into  Hell;  viz.  Where 
 
 3    See  particularly  Dr.  Bttrnet''s  De  Statu  tmniiorum  et  re- 
 fur  gentium  t  Cap.  lo.     Mr.  JVhiJion^s  Eternity  of  Hell-torment  s 
 confidered,  p.  zi.  &c.    and   Uni'verfal  Rejiitution  a   Scripture 
 Doilriiie.  Letter  I. 
 
 N.  B.  If  Ali'<yi',  fingly  taken,  is  not  to  be  underllood  o? 
 an  abfolutc  Eternity^  neither  are  the  Phrafes  ct'iav  et/foVfer, 
 «J  aiuvii  TMV  ttiuvcov,  nor  even  St.  Paul's  itaS'  t/T5f/3cAJi«' 
 ♦If  iJ'3-jf^oAMi'  Aidvtov  (2  Cor.  iv.  17.)  to  be  fo  underftood ; 
 but  only  as  meaning  a  vaft,  inconceivable.  Number  oi  Ages  ; 
 which  yet  mull  fall  fliort  oi  Eternity ^  whofe  E.x.tentis  beyond 
 the  Reach  of  all  Computation. 
 
 their 
 
Sed.  7-  The  Final  State  of  Retribut'mn,   453 
 
 their  Worm  dieth  not,  and  the  Fiu  is  not  quenthed, 
 Mark  ix.  43 — 48.     It  is  alledged,  that  our  Sa- 
 vioUFy  in  all  his  Difcourfes  to  the  Jews,  made 
 Ufe   of  Tuch  Exprefiions,  as  were  familiar   to, 
 and    commonly   ufed    by,    That    People  j   and 
 chiefly  fetched  them  from  the  Law,  the  Prophets^ 
 or  vulgar  Tradition.     Thus,  in  fpeaking  of  Ge- 
 henna (the  Word,  by  which  the  Jews  exprcffed 
 the  Place  of  future  Punifhment)  he  borrows  the 
 very  Words  of  the  Prophet  Ifaiah  :  They  fliall go 
 forth,  and  look  upon  the  Carcajfcs  of  the  Men  that 
 have  tranfgreffed  againft  me :  for  their  IVonnfliall 
 not  die,  neither  Jhall  their  Fire  he  quenched.  I  fa;  Ixvi. 
 24.     Which  Words  of  the  Prophet  relate  to  no- 
 thing elfe  but  the  utter  Dcilrudion  of  the  Ene- 
 mies of  God's  Church ;  whofe  Carcades  fhould 
 be  devoured  by  IForms,  or  burnt  by  Fire ;  neither 
 fhould  the  Worms  ceafe  to  devour,  nor  the  Fire 
 to  burn,   till  their  Carcafies  fhould  be  utterly 
 con  fumed  "♦•.    I  leave  it  to  the  Reader  to  confider, 
 whether  the  Prophet's  Words,  though  meanin<y 
 only  temporal  Vunifliment,  may  not,  when  applied 
 to  the  Punifhment  of  Gehenna  or  Hell,  be  under- 
 ftood  as  importing  much  more,  even  endlefs  Pu- 
 nifliment ',  it  being  abfurd  to  fuppofe,  that  the 
 Torments  of  Hell  will  be  of  no  longer  Continuance 
 than  the  Deftrudion  of  an  Human  Carcafs  by 
 Worms  or  by  Fire. 
 
 4  Burnet,  ubi  fupra.    Whifton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  25. 
 
 G  g  3  Thef^ 
 
454  Dissertation   IV.     Sed.  7. 
 
 Thefe  critical  Interpretations  of  Scripture-Lan-^ 
 guage  have  induced  Chriftians,  of  unqueftionable 
 Piety  and  Learning,  to  rejeft  the  Dodrine  of 
 ipfinite  FuniJIiment^  and  fubftitute  That  of  inde- 
 finite in  its  Place  -,  to  fuppofe,  (I  fay)  that  the 
 Duration  of  Hell-'Torments  will  be  prodigionfly 
 and  inconceivably  great  -,  but  that,  after  the  Re- 
 volution of  a  determinate  Period  or  Number  of 
 Jges^^  they  will  have  an  End,  and  the  damned  be 
 rckafed  from  the  Miferies  they  have  endured. 
 
 The 
 
 5  The  learned  Bengelius  (for  Reafons  too  long  to  be  pro- 
 duced here)  fuppofes  an  Aim.,  jEon,  or  Jge  is  equal  to 
 22, 22|  Years  ;  confequently,  the  5^a«reof  this  Number,  or  an 
 Kmv  A}<DVcyi,  an  Age  oi  Ages,  will  amount  to  4,938,271,605 
 Years  ;  and  the  Square  of  This,  or  ol  K'lavii  ruv  A'tiivuvt 
 the  Ages  o^ Ages,  to  24,386,526,444,749,276,025  Years, 
 i.  e.  to  more  than  Billions  oi  Millions  of  Years.  See  his  Ordo 
 Temporum,  p,  325.  Stutg.  1741.  According  to  which  Cal- 
 culation, if  the  laft  Produft  be  divided  by  the  World's  Age 
 (fuppofing  That  to  be  6000  Years)  it  will  be  found,  that  oi 
 eitk'Vii  Tuv  d.idvwv,  the  Ages  of  Ages,  will  endure,  at  leaft, 
 j[c6^  Million,  421  'Thcufand,  and  74  Times  as  long  as  the 
 Age  of  the  World,  when  it  fliali  have  arrived  at  6000  Years  of 
 Age. 
 
 But  let  us  fuppofe  an  Age  to  coniifl  of  no  more  than  1000 
 Years,  grounding  our  Suppofition  on  That  of  St.  Pettr,  One 
 Day  is  'vjith  the  Lord  as  a  thou/and  Tears,  and  a  thou/and  Tears 
 as  one  Day  (2  Pet.  iii.  8.)  i.  e.  A  Day  and  an  Age  are  the 
 fame  Thing,  compared  with  Eternity.  The  Computation, 
 then,  will  iUnd  thus : 
 
 An  Age  rz  1000,  a  thou/and  Tears. 
 
 An  Age  oi  Ages  —  1000,000,  a  Million  of  Tears. 
 
 Ages 
 
Bed:.  7.  T/je  Final  State  of  Retribution.  455 
 
 The  famous  Origen,  a  mofl  learned  Prejhyter 
 and  Caiecbiji,  m  tht  Church  of  Jlcxandria,  about 
 the  Middle  of  the  third  Century^  leems  to  have 
 been  the  firft,  who  called  in  queftion  the  Eternity 
 of  Hell-Torments.  He  taught  (not  dogmatically, 
 but  problematically)  that  "  wicked  Men,  and 
 "  even  the  Devils  themfelves,  after  they  have 
 "  fuffered  a  fharp  and  long  Punifhment  of  their 
 "  Sins,  Ihall,  fome  at  one  Time,  and  fome  at 
 "  another,  fooner  or  later,  according  to  their 
 "  greater  or  lefs  guilt,  be  reconciled  to  God,  and 
 "  finally  faved  ^"  This  Hypothefis  of  Origen's 
 ftands  upon  a  very  weak  Foundation.  He  fup- 
 pofes,  that  the  damned.,  both  Devils  and  Men, 
 are  flill  endowed  mih  Free-will  or  Liberty  of 
 Choice  •,  that  Rewards  and  Punidiments  in  the 
 next  Life  will  be  difpenfed,  not  only  according  to 
 paft  J5lions,  but  agreeably  to  the  Behaviour  of 
 the  Devils  or  Men  in  That/^/«r^  State ;  and  that, 
 
 •  Jges  of  Jges  zz  lOOO, 000,000, OCO,  a  Million  of  Millions  of 
 Tears. 
 Now,  if  the  koKa<71?  etiuvio^,  the  e-uerlajling  Punip7Jient  (as 
 we  tranflate  it)  of  the  Wicked  in  Hell  fliall  lall  e,i  raf  cudva.1; 
 tSv  aleomv,  to  the  Jges  oiJges,  its  Duration  will  be  not  lefs 
 than  a  Million  of  Millions  of  Years,  or  166  Millions  666 
 thoiifand,  666  times  as  long  as  the  Age  of  the  World.  An 
 amazing  Period  1  A  Duration  too  big  for  Human  Compre- 
 henfion  !  What,  then,  is  it,  if  we  follow  Bengelius's  Cal- 
 culation, and  more  than  double  the  Length  of  an  KloVf 
 ^on,  f  r  Jge  ! 
 
 ^   lli{i ''  hi^yji\'.  I.  I.e.  6.  Interprete  Rufino. 
 
 G  ff  A  the 
 
45^        Dissertation    IV.     Seft.  7, 
 
 the  great  End  of  Punifhment  being  the  Amend- 
 ment of  the  Offenders,  this  Effedl  will,  fooner  or 
 later,  be  produced  in  the  damned  by  thePunifliT 
 ment  they  will  fuffer  in  Hell. 
 
 But  (to  fay  nothing  at  prefent  of  the  Devils^  or 
 of  the  ir^^-w/// of  the  damned,  or  of  the  natural 
 Effe^ls  oi  FumfJmcni)  I  fhall  only  obferve,  in  Op- 
 pofition  to  Origen\  Hypothefis,  that,  according 
 to  holy  Scripture,  the  Punifhment  of  the  wicked 
 after  Death  will  be  determined  foUly  by  their 
 Offences  in  this  World;  the  evil  things  done  in 
 thtiv  Bodies  (2  Cor.  v.  10.)  •,  and  that  the  Refcr- 
 tnation  of  Offenders  is  not,  in  all  Cafes,  the  fole 
 End  and  Defign  of  Punifhment  •,  as  is  evident  iq 
 the  Cafe  o'i  Cafital  'Punijhment^  which,  by  cutting 
 off  the  Offender,  precludes  all  Poffibility  of  his 
 Amendment,  and  is  inflifted  for  the  fingle  Pur- 
 pofe  of  deterring  others  from  being  guilty  of  the 
 like  Offences.  However,  St.  Aujlin,  mentioning 
 Origen's  Opinion,  gives  it  the  Praife  of  being  a 
 ffiuch  more  merciful  one,  than  the  contrary  ^.  And 
 we  Ihall  prefently  fee  it  revived,  and  much  better 
 fupported,  by  a  modern  Writer. 
 
 Others  of  the  antient  Fathers^  tho*  they  do  not 
 exprefly  condemn  the  Doftrine  oi  infinite  or  eternal 
 Fiiniflment^  yet  feem  rather  to  favour  That  of  inde- 
 finite Puni/liment.  Thus  Jufiin  Martyr :  "  The 
 "  Souls  of  the  righteous,  being  found  worthy  of 
 "  God,  flialldieno  more  ;  but  thofeof  the  wick- 
 
 *    De  Ci-vit  Dei,  \.  21.  C.  1 7.  ''""'^  •'■'  ^'^     ■ 
 
Seil.  7«  The  Pinal  State  of  Retribution,  457 
 
 *''  ed  fhall  be  punijlied  as  long  as  God  wills  their 
 *'  Exiftence  and  Pimilhment  ^  i  '*  Good  Juftin 
 plainly  fiippofes,  a  Time  may  come,  when  GocJ 
 will  put  an  End  to  the  Miferies  and  the  very  Be- 
 ing of  the  damned.  Jerom  affirms,  that  "  Hu- 
 ''  man  Weaknefs  cannot  know  the  Judgment  of 
 "  God,  nor  determine  concerning  the  Magni- 
 "  tude  or  Meafure  of  Puniiliments,  which  mijft 
 ^'  be  left  to  his  Determination  '.'*  Would  Jerom 
 have  faid  this,  had  he  believed  the  Eternity  of 
 HeU-'To7inents  ?  Qregory  of  Nazianzum,  having 
 fpoken  of  eternal  Punifhments  according  to  the 
 vulgar  Notion,  feems  to  hefitate,  and  corredb 
 himfelf,  by  adding,  "  unlefs  any  one  choofes  to 
 *'  underftand  them  in  a  Senfe  more  mild  with 
 >"  Refpe6b  to  Men,  and  wortliy  of  God  the  Pu- 
 "  nilher  ^ ;"  plainly  intimating,  that  eternal  Pu- 
 p^iments  may  be  thought  unworthy  of  God.  Gre-* 
 gory  oi  Nyjfa  fuppofes,  that  "  the  incurable  in 
 "  this  Life,  will  be  Cured  in  the  next,  by  Iharper 
 *'  and  bitterer  Remedies  ;  "  and  expreQy  treats 
 of  univerfal  Purgation  and  Refiitution '.  In  which 
 Opinion  many  of  the  Fathers  agreed  ;  as  is  evi- 
 dent from  their  calling  the  Fire  of  Hell  a  ^rup 
 jtaOa'pcrtcv  as  well  as  KoKas-ngJov,  z purging  as  well 
 as  a  puni/Jiing  Fire^. 
 
 ^   Dial  cum  Tryph.  '   Comment  in  If.  '   Orat.  40. 
 
 *   Orat,  Caiechet.  C  8.  and  De  Ani/na  et  Re/ur.  p.  229. 
 
 J  This  purging  Fire  is  very  different  from  the  Romijh  Pur- 
 gatory.  For  That  is  fuppofed  t6  precede  the  Day  o^Jftdgment^ 
 This  to  come  after  if.  ,» 
 
 Put, 
 
458         Dissertation    IV.     Setfl.  7. 
 
 But,  to  come  down  to  the  more  modern  Ad- 
 vocates for  indefinite  PuntfJifnent,  in  Oppofition 
 to  infinite.  Here  I  fliall  confine  myfelf  to  Wri- 
 ters of  our  own  Country. 
 
 At  the  Head  of  thefe,  I  think,  I  may  place 
 Archbilhop  T'illotfon  \  who,  though  he  under- 
 takes to  prove,  that  "  the  eternal  Punifhmentof 
 "  wicked  Men  in  another  World  is  plainly  tbreat- 
 "  jjed  in  Scripture,"  and  that  "  this  is  not  in- 
 "  confident  with  the  Juftice  or  the  Goodnefs  of 
 *'  God,"  yet  effedlually  deflroy  s  all  Proof  of  eternal 
 Puni/lment,  by  fuppofing  it  poflible,  that  God  may 
 not  execute  his  Threatning,  or  a5lually  inflidl  fuch 
 Punifliment  on  the  wicked.  For  it  is  impofllble 
 to  prove,  that  God  will  do  what,  at  the  fame  Time, 
 it  is  pofnble  he  may  not  do.  But  let  us  produce  his 
 Grace's  Argument.  "  After  all,  he  that  threatens 
 *'  hath  ftill  the  Power  of  Execution  in  his  own 
 "  Hands.  For  there  is  this  remarkable  Diffe- 
 *'  rence  between  Promifes  and  Threatnings,  that 
 *'  he  who  promifeth  pafieth  over  a  Right  to  an- 
 *'  other,  and  thereby  flands  obliged  to  him  in 
 "  Juftice  and  Faithfulnefs  to  make  good  his  Pro- 
 *'  mife  •,  and  if  he  do  not,  the  Party,  to  whom 
 "  thePromife  is  made,  is  not  only  difappointed, 
 *'  but  injurioufly  dealt  withal.  But  in  Threat^; 
 "  nings  it  is  quite  otherwife.  He  that  threatens, 
 "  keeps  the  Right  of  punifhing  in  his  own  Hands, 
 "  and  is  not  obliQ-ed  to  execute  what  he  hath 
 ^'  threatned,  any  farther  than  the  Reafons  and 
 
 "  Ends 
 
Se£t.  7*  The  Final  State  of  Retribution^  459 
 
 Ends  of  Government  do  require  ;  and  he  may, 
 without  any  Injury  to  the  Party  threatned, 
 remit  and  abate  as  much  as  he  pleafeth  of  the 
 Punifhment  he  hath  threatned  ;  becaufe  in  fo 
 doing  he  is  not  worfe  but  better  than  his 
 Word,  no  Body  can  find  fault  or  complain  of 
 any  Wrong  or  Injuftice  thereby  done  him. 
 Nor  is  this  any  Impeachment  of  God's  Truth 
 or  Faithfulnefs,  any  more  than  it  is  efteemed 
 among  Men  a  Piece  of  Falfhood  not  to  do 
 what  they  have  threatned.  God  did  abfo- 
 lutely  threaten  the  Deftruflion  of  the  City  of 
 Nineveh,  and  his  peevifh  Prophet  did  under- 
 fland  the  Threatening  to  be  abfolute,  and  was 
 very  angry  with  God  for  employing  him  in  a 
 MelTao-e  which  was  not  made  g-ood.  But 
 God  underftood  his  own  Right,  and  did  what 
 he  pleafed,  notwithftanding  the  Threatening 
 he  had  denounced,  and  for  all  Jonah  was  fo 
 touched  in  Honour,  that  he  had  rather  have 
 died  himfelf,  than  that  Nineveh  Ihould  not  have 
 been  deftroyed,  only  to  have  verified  his  Mef- 
 fage  *."  This  Doctrine  of  the  Archbifhop's 
 has  been  generally  cenfured,  and,  I  think,  very  • 
 juftiy.  The  Veracity  of  God  is  equally  concerned 
 to  fee  his  Threat enings  executed,  as  his  Promifes 
 performed.  And,  therefore,  v/hoever  incurs  the 
 Severity  of  God's  Wrath,  will,  certainly,  be  pu- 
 
 *  Archbifliop  Tillotfon's  Works,  Fol.  Vol.  I.  Sem.  XXXV. 
 ^  niilied 
 
460        Dissertation   IV.     Se<a.  7* 
 
 niflied  in  That  very  Way,  and  with  That  very 
 fame  Punifhment,  both  as  to  Kind  and  Degree, 
 God  has  threatned  he  will  inflid.  It  is,  indeed, 
 in  the  Sinner's  Power,  by  Repentance  and  Amend- 
 ment of  Life,  to  avoid  the  threatned  Punifhment. 
 And  "this  was  the  very  Cafe  with  the  NineviteSj 
 They  repented  at  the  Preaching  of  Jonah^  and 
 the  divine  Wrath  was  appeafed.  But,  had  they 
 not  repented,  they  muft  have  fuffered  That  very 
 T)ejiru^ion  God  had  threatned  them  with.  The 
 Cafe  muft  be  the  very  fame  in  the  next  World. 
 If  we  die  in  our  Sins,  we  cannot  but  fuffer 
 ^hat  very  Puni/Jment,  God  has  declared,  in  the 
 Gofpel  of  his  beloved  Son,  he  will  inflifl  on  ob- 
 ftinate,  unrepenting.  Sinners. 
 
 But,   to  proceed : 
 
 It  is  objected  to  the  Do6lrine  of  infinite  or  eter- 
 nal Pmifliment^  that  it  is  not  only  without  Foun- 
 dation in  Scripture,  but,  really,  tnconftjient  with 
 the  Wifdom^  Jafiice,  and  Goodnefs  of  almighty 
 God.  A  Charge,  which,  if  it  can  be  made  good, 
 cffedlually  confutes  That  Doftrine,  and  obliges 
 us  to  interpret  thofe  Scriptures,  which  feem  to 
 .threaten  everlafiing  PuniJIiment,  in  fuch  a  r^ftrain- 
 ed  and  qualified  Senfe,  as  fhall  render  them  per- 
 feftly  confiftent  with  thofe  demonftrable  Attri- 
 butes of  the  Godhead.  This  Objeflion  is  urged, 
 in  its  full  Force,  by  the  learned  and  ingenious 
 Dr.  Thomas  gurnet  * ;  whofe  Words  I  fhall  not  cite, 
 
 J  In  his  Latin  Treatife,  lie  Stfitn  Mortuorum  et  Re/urgen- 
 iium.  Cap,  X» 
 
 but 
 
Se(5l.  7.  l^he  Final  State  of  Retrihutlon,  46 1 
 
 but  prefent  the  Reader  with  the  Subftance  of  his 
 Arguments  as  follows. 
 
 Firft,  Eternal  PuniJIment  is  inconfiftent  with 
 the  Wifdom  of  God.     For  a  State  of  everlafling 
 and  unchangeable  Mifery  is  ufelefs  to  all  the  /»- 
 tents  and  Purpofes  of  Puni/Jiment^    anfwering  no 
 good  End  either  to  God  or  Man^  as  leaving  no 
 Room  for  the  Repentance  and  Amendment  of 
 the  Sufferer  ^.     To  pretend,   that  the  damned 
 are  incurably  Wicked,  and  therefore  deferve  to 
 be  punilhed  everlajtingly,  is  a  Refledtion  on  thie 
 Wifdom  of  God  j  who  cannot  be  fuppofed  to  have 
 created  any  Rational  Beings  capable  of  degenerat- 
 ing into  a  State  of  unalterable  Depravity.     And, 
 if  the  Suppofition  be  admitted,  it  is  moll  rea- 
 fonable  to  conclude,  that  God  will  annihilate^  or 
 entirely  deftroy,  fuch  Beings,  the  Moment  they 
 are  arrived  at  the  State  of  defperate  or  incurable 
 Wickednefs.     Add  to  thefe  Confiderations,  that, 
 all  the  Incitements  to  Wickednefs  in  this  Life, 
 proceeding  from  internal  Concupifcence  or  ex- 
 ternal Temptation,  being  removed  in  the  next, 
 
 *  Another  End  of  Punifliment  (not  mentioned  by  onr  Au- 
 thor) h.  Example,  or  its  Ufe  in  deterring  others  from  ofFend- 
 ing.  But,  How  is  this  End  anfwered  by  the  Punifnment  of 
 the  damned  in  Hell  ?  Who  are  to  be  influenced  by  it  ?  Surely, 
 not  the  holy  Angels,  nor  the  blejjid  in  Heaven.  And,  as  to 
 any  other  Beings,  who  may  ftand  in  need  of  fome  fuch  Ex- 
 ample of  Divine  Vengeance  to  keep  them  from  falling;  as 
 we  know  of  none,  we  can  fay  nothing  about  them. 
 
 the 
 
462         Dissertation   IV.     Sed.  7. 
 
 the  damned  will  no  longer  retain  an  Inclination 
 to  Sin,  but  be  naturally  brought  to  That  Change 
 of  Mind  and  Difpofition,  which  is  the  proper 
 Ground- Work  of  Reformation  and  Amend- 
 ment. 
 
 Secondly,  Eternal  Puni/hment  is  inconfiftent 
 with  the  Jiiftice  of  God.  It  is  confefTedly  one 
 Part  oi  difiributiue  Juftice  to  proportion  the  Degrees 
 of  Punifhment  to  the  Degrees  of  Guilt.  But  there 
 is  no  Proportion  between  temporal  Offences  and  eter- 
 nal Puni/Iiment.  If  there  be,  it  can  arife  only 
 from  hence,  that  every  Sin  carries  with  it  an  in- 
 finite Guilty  as  being  committed  againfl:  an  infi.- 
 mte  Being.  But,  to  fay  this,  is  the  Abfurdity 
 of  aflerting,  that  all  Sins  are  equally  heinous^  and 
 confequently  deferving  of  equal  Punijlment  7. 
 
 Laftly,  It  is  pretended,  that  the  Goodnefs  of 
 God  will  not  fuffer  him  to  inflift  everlajling  Pu- 
 niJJiment  on  any  of  his  Creatures.  Summum  Jus 
 fumma  eft  Injuria :  Extreme  Juftice  is  often  ex- 
 treme Cruelty.  Eternal  Puni/lment,  however 
 juft,    is  the   greateft  Cruelty  imaginable;    and 
 
 1  To  this  may  be  added,  that  theSuppofition  o? proportionate 
 Degrees  of  Pain  and  Mifery  in  Hell  will  not  remove  the  Ob- 
 '  jedlion.  For,  make  them  as  light  as  you  pleafe  ;  by  adding 
 Eterjiiiy  to  them,  you  carry  them  beyond  the  Proportion  of 
 the  higheft  Guilt,  and  much  more  of  inferior  Offences  > 
 which,  though  they  may  deferve  Punilhraent  in  the  World 
 to  come,  can  never  deferve  it  to  all  Eternity. 
 
 therefore 
 
Sed.  7-  'The  Final  State  of  Retribution.  463 
 
 therefore  abfolutely  inconfiftent  with  the  infinite 
 Goodnefs  and  Mercy  of  almighty  God.     Upon  this 
 Topic  our  Author  exerts  all  That  Force  of  Elo- 
 quence, he  is  fo  great  a  matter  of,  in  reprefenting 
 the  Horrors  oi  eternal  TormenU  in  Hell.     "  We 
 "  have  read"  (fays  he)  "of  the  Torments  in- 
 "  fli6ted  on  the  primitive  Chriftians,  and  of  thofe 
 "  invented  by  the  Sicilian  and  other  Tyrants. 
 *'  But  thefe  were  light  and  trifling  compared 
 "  with  the  Pains  of  Hell ;  and  not  only  fo,  but 
 "  of  the  fhorteft  Continuance.      Suppofe  only 
 "  a  burning  Fever,  or  a  violent  Fit  of  the  Stone, 
 "  to  laft  for  feven  Years :  who  could  endure 
 "  fuch  Mifery  ?   But,   if,  inftead  of  feven,  you 
 *'  fuppofe   a   thoufand   Years-,    no   one   would 
 "  choofe,    or  could  poflibly   bear,  a  millennial 
 "  Exiftence,   on  fuch  a  Condition  :  how   much 
 "  lefs,  then,  an  Eternity  of  fuch  Mifery  ?*'  A- 
 c-ain,  fpeaking  of  the  divine  Goodnefs  and  Mer- 
 cy, he  fays :  "  To  Mankind  it  is  difficult  to  put 
 "  off  their  Humanity,    but  much  more  fo  to 
 "  God  to  lay  afide  his  Mercy.     It  was  ufual  to 
 "  beat  Drums  in  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  to  hin- 
 "  der  the  Parents  and  People  from  hearing  the 
 "  Cries  of  their  Infants  from  amidft  the  Flames, 
 "  offered  to  their  wooden  Idol.     But,  though 
 "  you  make  the  Air  ring  with  continued  Thun- 
 "  der,    you  cannot  prevent  the  Lamentations 
 "  and  \Vailings  of  the  damned  from  afcendingup 
 *'  to  the  Ears  of  Jehovah  the  Father  of  Mer- 
 
 '*  cics." 
 
464  Dissertation  IV.    Se(5t.  7, 
 
 '*  cies."  And  again,  addrefling  himfelf  to  an 
 Advocate  for  the  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments, 
 *'  What  a  fine  Spedlacle"  (fays  he)  "  what  a  d&- 
 *'  lightful  Theatre  of  Providence  doft  thou  pce- 
 "  fent  us  with,  much  the  greater  Part  of  Man- 
 "  kind  fweltering  in  Flames  to  all  Eternity  I 
 "  A  fit  Scene,  indeed,  for  God  and  Angels  to 
 "  be  Spedlators  of!  And,  how  truly  divine  the 
 "  Harmony  of  a  wretched  Multitude  filling 
 "  Heaven  and  Earth  with  their  Cries  and  How- 
 **  lings !  How  does  it  grieve  me^  to  think,  that 
 *'  fo  large  a  Part  of  the  Rational  Creation  Ihould 
 *'  by  this  Means  be  made  ufelefs,  altogether  loft 
 *'  and  rejedled,  and  thrown  away  like  Salt  with- 
 "  out  Savour,  or  vapid  Wine  !  " 
 
 From  thefe  Confiderations  Dr.  Burnet  in* 
 fers  the  NecefTity  of  interpreting  the  Words 
 aim,  aiciivi©',  &c.  when  applied  to  the  FumJIi- 
 menti  of  the  World  to  come,  as  denoting,  not  a 
 ftridtly  eternal,  but  (as  they  frequently  import) 
 an  indefinite  Duration. 
 
 W^e  fhall  prefently  fee,  how  the  Doftrine  of 
 infinite  or  eternal  Puni/Iiment  (fuppofing  fuch  Pu- 
 nifhment  aftually  revealed  in  holy  Scripture)  may 
 be  reconciled  with  our  Notions  of  the  divine  Juf- 
 tice  and  Mercy.  In  the  mean  Time,  to  rebate 
 fomewhat  of  the  Force  of  Dr.  Burnet'^  Argu- 
 ments, I  offer  the  following  Confiderations. 
 Firft,  That,  though  we  cannot  fee  the  Utility  of 
 iverlafiing  Puni/liment,  we  ought   not,  therefore, 
 
 5  W. 
 
Sed:.  7-  Ihe  Final  State  of  Retrihiitlon.  465 
 to  pronounce  it  ufchfs  •,  fince  there  may  be  other 
 'Wife  Ends  of  Providence,  befides  thole  of  Refor- 
 mation and  Example,  to  be  anfwered  by  fuch  a 
 Difpenfation.     Secondly,  That  we  cannot  judge 
 (as  we  do  in  the  Cafe  of  Offences  againft  the 
 Laivs  of  Man)   what  Mer.fure  of  PuniHiment  a 
 wilful,    deliberate,    and    conftant   Violation    of 
 Cod's  Lazvs  may,   really,  deferve ;  the  Jg^rava- 
 iions  of  Guilt,  in  this  Cafe,  being  vafdy  greater, 
 than  in  That  of  breaking  the  Laws  of  our  Coun- 
 try.    And,  lailly.  That,  however  extreme  Jufiice 
 amono-  Men  may  be  real  Cruelty,  extreme  Jujlice 
 with  God  cannot  pofilbly  be  fo  j  there  being  this 
 material  Difference  between  the  Divine  and  Hu- 
 man Jufiice,  that  the  latter  may  decree  Puniih- 
 ments  too  fevere,  but  the  former  (under  the  Di- 
 redion  of  infinite  Wifdom  and  Knowledge)  can- 
 not do  fo  •,  and  farther,  that  Mercy,  or  Pity  and 
 Companion,  in  the  Mi7^d  of  Gcd,  is  not,  like  the 
 fame  Affedion  of  the  Human  Mind,  a  fympathetic 
 Feeiing,  a  melting  Tenden^efs  towards  the  unhappy 
 (a  Weaknefs  This,    though,    indeed,  an  amiable 
 one)  but  Juftice  itfelf  in  another  Form,  That  of 
 refcuing  from  Mifery  the  deferving  of  fuch  Fa-  ' 
 vour-,   and  therefore  is  not  to  be  influenced  by 
 the  bittereft   Cries    and   Lamentations   of  the 
 damned. 
 
 I  mull  not  pafs  by  a  late  Oppofition  to  the 
 
 Dodrine  of  eternal  Puni/liment,  or  the  Eternity  of 
 
 Hell-torments,  by  an  anonymous  Writer,  of  con- 
 
 H  h  fiderablc 
 
466         Dissertation    IV.     Sed:.  7. 
 
 fiderable  Learning  and  Abilities  •,  who  not  only 
 rejefts  the  commonly-rec'eived  Opinion,  as  built 
 on  a  falfe  Tranflation  and  Interpretation  of  Scrip- 
 ture, but  has  taken  great  Pains  to  flievv,  that, 
 by  Means  of  the  Chiijlian  Redemption,  there  will 
 be  an  univerfal  Rejiitution  or  Rejloration  of  all 
 God's  rational  Creatures,  fallen  Angels,  z.r\i\  fallen 
 Men,  to  the  Favour  of  God,  and  That  State  of 
 Happinefs,  for  which  they  were  created  */'  'I 
 have  not  Room  to  do  more  than  lay  before  the 
 Reader  a  few  of  thole  PalTages  of  Scripture,  upon 
 which  his  Hypothefis  is  built ;  premifmg,  that 
 the  Greek  Words  a-w^w,  crwrjjg,  o-wrxipia,  &c.  ac- 
 bording  to  this  Writer,  are  improperly  rendered 
 by  the  Englifh  Words  Save,  Saviour,  Salvation, 
 &c.  and  fliould  be  tranflated  Reft  ore,  Rejlorer, 
 Refloration,  &c.  ^. 
 
 The  Paflages  are  thefe.  ^his  is  good  and  accep- 
 table to  God  our  Saviour,  who  will  have  all  Men 
 to  be  (reftored)  faved.  2  Tim.  ii.  3,  4.  IVe  trufi 
 in  the  living  God,  who  is  the  (Refborer)  Saviour  of 
 ALL  Men.  I  Tim.  iv.  10.  All  Flesh  //iall  fee 
 the  (Reftoration)  Salvation  of  God.  Luke  iii.  6. 
 S'he  Grace  of  God.,  that  hringeth  (Reftoration)  Sal- 
 
 8  See  Uiii-ver/al  ReJlitiUioyi,  a  Scripture-Do^irine :  This 
 pr&'ved  in  fe-verul  Letters  ivrote  en  the  Nature  and  Extent  of 
 Chriji^s  Kingdom  :  Wherein  the  Scriptiire-P ajjages ,  falfely  al- 
 Udged  in  f  roof  of  the  Eternity  of  Hell-%ermcnti,  are  truly  tranf- 
 lated and  expla  hied.      1 7  6 1 . 
 
 9  P.  13b.  Note. 
 
 vation^ 
 
Se6lj.  7^   The  Final  State  of  Retribution.  467 
 
 vation  to  all  Men,  hath  appeared.  Tit.  ii.  11. 
 jThe  Lord  is  long-fuffering^  not  willing  that  any 
 JJiould perijh^  hut  that  all  JJiould  come  to  Repentance 
 2  Pet.  iii.  9.  Who  gave  himfelf  a  Ranfom  for  all, 
 to  he  tejlified  in  due  Time,  i  Tim.  ii.  6.  He  is  a 
 Propitiation  for  our  Sins^  zind  not  for  ours  onl)\  hut 
 ctlfo  for  the  Sins  of  the  whole  World,  i  John 
 ii.  2.  By  him  (Chrift)  to  reconcile  all  Thi.vgs 
 to  himfelf.  Col.  i.  20. 
 
 Our  Author's  Doftrine  of  univerfal  Refiitution 
 or  Rejloration  does  by  no  Means  exclude  the  fu- 
 ture PunifJment  of  the  Wicked  in  Hell.  On  the 
 contrary,  "  Reftoration"  (he  tells  us)  "  implies 
 "  fome  Mifery  or  Misfortune  already  incurred, 
 *'  fome  diftreifed  Circuirftances  befallen  the  Pcr- 
 "  fons  to  be  reftored  or  delivered  out  of  them  'j^* 
 and  he  ackhowledges,  that  Men  "  may,  for  very 
 *'  good  Reafons,  be  damned  or  accurfed  to  cer- 
 *'  tain  Pains  and  Penalties  due  to  a  damned  and 
 ''  accurfed  Creature  '."  In  fliort,  he  admits  of 
 aonian  (as  he  calls  it),  but  not  of  eternal^  Pu- 
 nifJiment,  in  the  World  to  come. 
 
 Nor  does  our  Author's  Do-flrine  of  Refiitution 
 exclude  even  the  Devils  themfeives  from  a  Share 
 in  it.  For,  after  drawing  a  Parallel,  in  feveral 
 Refpe6ts,  between  the  Condition  of  fallen  Men 
 and  fallen  Spirits,  he  concludes  thus  :  "  Since 
 *'  the  Parallel  between  wicked  Men  and  wicked 
 
 »  P.  160.  *  p.  209. 
 
 H  h  2  «  Spirits 
 
463         Dissertation  IV.     Sed.  7. 
 
 ""  Spirits  anfwers  through  all  the  Accounts  we 
 *'  have  of  the  Lord's  Difpenfation  towards  them  •, 
 "  what  can  we  conclude,  but  that  one  indefati- 
 "  gable  Love  purfues  Both,  and  that  Hades, 
 "  and  the  Abyfs,  and  the  Lake  of  Fire,  exift 
 *'  all  by  the  Providence  of  God  -,  and  for  this 
 "  divine  Reafon,  namely,  becaufe  God  will  be 
 "  all  in  all,  will  "have  all  intelleflual  Creatures 
 "  coUeded  into  himfelf  churchwife  ;  will  quicken 
 ''  all  A'fen,  will  refiore  all  '^Things,  will  be  the 
 ^'  Head  of  all,  will  have  every  Knee  how  to  him, 
 "  and  every  Tongue  confefs  him,  to  the  Glory  of  God 
 "  the  Father  K" 
 
 I  fhall  only  add  the  follov/ing  remarkable 
 PaOage  of  a  late  pious  Writer,  a  zealous  Ad- 
 vocate for  the  A4yjlics :  "  Perhaps,  the  very 
 "  Angels  ilretch  not  farther  into  the  valt  Abyls 
 "  of  Love,  than  feme  of  thefe  "  fthe  Myfiics) 
 "'  have  done  ,  for  they  love  with  the  Love  of 
 "  Chriji  which  pa'feth  Knowledge  ;  and  there- 
 "  fore  they  love  all  God's  Creatures  in  Heaven 
 "  and  in  Earth  :  And,  as  Charity  hcpeth  all  Things, 
 "  fo,  as  far  as  Hope  can  go,  they  love  •,  now 
 "  Hope  can  reach  to  the  loweil  Pit  of  Hell,  and 
 '*  hope  Jcfus  ChrijI  (whofe  Love  lure  equals 
 •'  our  Hope)  will,  in  fome  remote  Age  of  Eter- 
 *'  nity  (by  an  omnipotent  A(5t  of  his  Love)  caui,e 
 "  Mercy  to  triumph  over  Judgment  i  reverfe  the 
 
 **  Sentence, 
 
Sed.  7'  T^he  Final  ^tate  of  Retribution,    469 
 
 "  Sentence,  v;hich  llri£t  Jultice  hath  pafled  on 
 "  fallen  Mm  and  fallen  Angels  \  give  to  them 
 "  Both  Power  for  Repentance ;  add  to  their  Re- 
 "  pentance  Faith,  and  to  their  Faith  Charity  ; 
 *'  that  fo,  blefTed  again  with  the  Renewal  of  the 
 "  divine  Image,  by  the  redeeming  Mercy  of  him 
 "  whofe  Power  created  them,  they  may  rife  from 
 "  their  Beds  of  penal,  long-enduring,  Fire,  to 
 "  join  the  heavenly  Hoft,  in  Praifes  to  tlie  eter- 
 "  nalKing,  and  to  the  Lamb  of  God  ;  no  longer 
 "  peccable  as  before  ;  but  {landing  firm  on  the 
 "  fure  Bafis  of  never  ceafino;,  ever  p-rateful, 
 "  Love.     Amen  '^." 
 
 Every  goodChriftian,  I  perfuade  myfelf,  would 
 rejoice  to  find  fufficient  Ground  in  holy  Scripture 
 for  fo  good-natured,  pious,  and  charitable  a  Hop. 
 Univerfdl  Redemption,  as  it  is  the  higheft  conceiv- 
 able Difplay  of  the  divine  Gocdnefs  and  Mercy.,  fo 
 is  it  devoutly  to  be  wifhed  for  by  every  true 
 Difciple  of  the  benevolent  Jefus.  But,  whether  it  be, 
 really,  a  Scripture-Doctrine,  cannot  be  determined 
 by  the  Arguments  of  Dr.  Burnet,  or  any  other 
 Writers,  in  its  Favour,  without  firfb  confidering 
 what  may  be,  and  has  been,  laid  in  Defence  of 
 the  commonly-received  Doilrine  of  everbjling 
 Pumfliment,  or  the  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments. 
 
 4   See  A  ft-} or t  Defence  of  the  Myfiical  Writers,  &c.  annexed 
 to  Paradife  Rejiored,    cr  c  Teftimony  to  the  DsSrine  cf  the  bhf- 
 fed  Millennium,    Sec.    by  Thomas  Hartley,  A.  M.  Reftor  of 
 Winvvick  in  Northampton  Oi  ire,  p.  uk. 
 
 H  h  5  I  have 
 
470  Dissertation  IV.     Seft.  7, 
 
 I  have  already  {hewn,  that  the  facrcd  Writers 
 life  the  fame  Terms,  to  exprefs  the  Duration 
 both  of  Reward  and  Puni/Jiment  in  the  World  to 
 come.  This  is  infifted  on  as  a  peremptory  Decifion 
 of  the  Point  •,  becaufe,  if  there  were  any  Diffe- 
 rence between  the  two  States,  in  Refpeft  of  Du- 
 ration, thofe  Writers  would  hardly  have  employ- 
 ed the  fame  Language,  to  denote  That  of  Both. 
 But  tht  E.ewards  oi Futurity  are  confefledly^/^rw^/; 
 therefore  fo  are  the  Punifhments :  ^hefe  jliall  go 
 cdvay  (e-!?  Y.'o\a.<yi^)  afalviov)  into  everlajiing  Puni/Ji- 
 ment ;  hut  the  Righteous  (a?  ^co>]v  al(iiViQ^)  into  Life 
 eternal,  j^atth.  xxv.  46.  And,  to  fhew,  that  the 
 Terms  cu'^^j  and  cawvt©',  though  they  fometimes 
 fignify  an  indefinite  Duration,  do  likewife  denote 
 an  infinite,  the  Contenders  for  everlafting  PuniJJi- 
 ment  alledge  St.  John\  Vifion  of  the  Beafis,  who 
 are  faid  to  give  Glory  and  Honour  and  1'hanks  to 
 him  that  fat  on  the  Throne  (i.  e.  to  God)  u'ho  liveth 
 (e-i?  T^r  cawva?  Toly  aJcJvwv)  for  ever  and  ever.  Rev. 
 iv.  9.  So  likewife  (as  has  been  already  hinted) 
 it  m.ay  be  faid  of  the  never-dying  Worm,  and  un- 
 qiicnchahle  Fire  of  Hell,  that,  though,  in  Jfaiahy 
 whence  they  are  quoted,  they  denote  only  Tern- 
 poral  Deftri'Mion,  in  our  Saviour's  Application  of 
 them,  they  may  well  fignify  eternal  Torments. 
 
 This  Doftrine  of  eternal  Tonncnis,  prepared  for 
 ihe  Wicked  in  Hell,  as  it  has  been  very  generally 
 received  in  all  A^ges  of  the  Chriflian  Church,  io 
 \s  it  fupported  by  innumerable  Authorities    of 
 
 the 
 
5 ed .  7  •   T"'^^  Ti7ial  State  of  Rctrihiitton .  47 1 
 
 the  .anti.ent  Fathers.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  par- 
 ticularly the  famous  Origen  (we  have  feen)  main- 
 tained the  contrary  Do6trine  ;  and  fome  of  them 
 ipeak  doubtfully  of  the  Queftion.  But  the  Ge- 
 nerality of  the  fathers  affert  the  Eternity  of  HtllT 
 torments  in  the  plaineil  and  mod  exprefs  Terms, 
 
 "  We  Chriftians"  (fays  I'ertuUian)  "  affirm, 
 *'  that  the  Soul  remaineth  after  this  Life,  and 
 "  that  it  expedeth  the  Day  of  Judgment ;  and 
 '*  that,  according  to  its  Deferts,  it  is  deftined 
 "  either  to  Torments  or  to  Blifs,  and  Both  of 
 "  them  everlafting  *."  And  again :  "  Who 
 "  will  adjudge  his  Worfhippers  to  the  Reward 
 "  of  eternal  Life,  but  the  profane  unto  Fire, 
 *'  and  That  equally  perpetual  and  everlafting  *." 
 "  The  true  Punifhment  of  a  burning  Hell** 
 (fays  St.  Cyprian)  "  fliall  always  torture  the  dam- 
 *'  ned  with  living  Flames  :  nor  Ihall  their  Tor- 
 "  ments  have  any  IntermifTion  or  End  :  Fo»  Both 
 '•'•  their  Souls  and  Bodies  fhall  be  preferved  and 
 "  kept  to  fuffer  eternal  Pains'.*'  And  again: 
 *'  There  remaineth  to  them  afterwards,  the  e- 
 *'  ternal  Prifon,  the  everlafting  Fire,  the  per- 
 *'  petual  Punifhment  ^.*'  And  (to  mention  no 
 more)  St.  Auflin  wrote  a  whole  Book,  to  prove 
 the  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments^  againft  the  Epicu- 
 reans., Peripatetics^  Platonijts^  Origenifisy  and  others, 
 
 5    T>e  Anima.  "  Ibid, 
 
 ■3  Epijl.  adDenutriatium,  S  Jbid. 
 
 H  h  4  who 
 
472         Dissertation  IV,     Scd.  7. 
 
 who  denied  it ;  concluding  with  thispofitive  Affer- 
 tion,  that  "  Their  Opinion  is  falfe,  who  fay,  that 
 "  the  Punifhment  of  Devils  and  damned  Men 
 "  fhall  not  be  perpetual  and  without  End  9." 
 It  is  to  be  fuppofed,  that  thefe  Fathers  (who  all 
 flourifhed  within  the  firfl:  four  Centuries)  have 
 delivered  the  catholic  Do^rine  of  the  Church  con- 
 cernins:  the  Punifhment  of  the  Wicked  after 
 Death,  as  it  came  down  to  them  from  the  earlieft, 
 Chriftians  in  the  Days  of  the  Apojiks  \  and,  con- 
 fequently,  that  the  earlieft  Chriftians  underftood 
 That  Punifhment  to  be  flridiy  and  abfolutely 
 eternal. 
 
 If  we  are  once  perfuaded,  that  this  is  the  true 
 Scripure-'Do^rine  of  future  Ptmi/Iiment,  we  Ihall 
 want  no  Arguments  to  reconcile  it  wuaxhtJFifdom^ 
 Juftice^  and  Gocdnefs  of  God ;  being  fure  a  priori^ 
 that  every  Difpenfation  of  his  Providence  mud 
 be  the  Refult  of  infinite  Vv^ifdom,  Juilice,  and 
 Goodnefs.  However,  as  the  fuppofed  Incon- 
 fiftency  of  eternal  Puni/Jmunt  with  thefe  divine 
 Perfedions  is  the  Ground,  upon  which  Chriftians 
 have  reje6tcd  That  Dodrine,  let  us  fee,  by  what 
 Arguments  others  have  endeavoured  to  recon- 
 cile it  with  the  Juilice  and  Goodnefs  of  the  Al- 
 mighty. 
 
 Two  have  been  already  mentioned,  and  juflly 
 objeded  to   as    groundlefs  and   infullicient.     I 
 
 9  Pe  Civit.  Dei,  1.  21. 
 2  mean  J 
 
Sed:.  7»  The  Final  State  of  Ret nbiition.  47^ 
 
 mean,  the  fuppofed  infinite  Malignity  ox  Guilt  oiiyiny 
 as  committed  againft  an  infinite  Being  •,  and,  the 
 luppofcd  defperate  and  incurable  IVickednefs  of  th? 
 damned  j  Both  rendering  the  unhappy  Victims 
 of  divine  Juftice  deferving  o^  endlefs  PuniJJimcnt. 
 
 Nor  is  there  much  Strength  in  the  followino- 
 Argument,  viz.  God  has  given  us  our  Choice  of 
 everlajling  Hcppinefs   or   everlafiing  Mijery.     I'he 
 Reward  on  the  one  Hand  bears  an  exaft  Propor' 
 tion  to  the  PuniJ/.ment  on  the  other.     So  that  it  is 
 not  neceffary  there  lliould  be  an  exad  Proportion 
 between  Offences  and  their  Punijhment^  confidercd 
 in  itfelf,  and  without Refped  had  to  the  Reivard ; 
 becaufe  the  Reward^  being  eternal,  anfwers  the 
 oppofite  Punijliment.     The  befl:  of  Men  as  little 
 deferve  an  Eternity  of  Happinefs,  as  the  word 
 do  an  Eternity  of  Mifery.     God  has  fet  Both  be- 
 fore us,  and  left  the  Choice  to  our  own  Deter- 
 mination •,  and  therefore,  if  we  choofe  the  latter, 
 the  Blame  is  all  our  own,  and  the  divine  Jujlicc 
 flands  acquitted  in  dealing  with  us  according  to 
 our  Choice  ^     This  Argument  Archbjiliop   '^il- 
 lot/on,  who  mentions  it,  allows,  is  "  enough  to 
 "  filence  the  Sinner,    and  make  him  acknow- 
 "  ledge,  that  hi.s  Deftrudion  is  of  himfelf  i" 
 but  thinks,  it    "  does  not  fo  clearly  fatisfy  the 
 "  Objection    from    the   Difproportion   between 
 *'  the  Fault  and  the  Punifhment  ;    becaufe,  tho' 
 
 »  Jenk'n's  Reafonablenefs  and  Certainty  of  the  Chrijlian  Re- 
 ligion, Vol.  II.  p.  267 — 269. 
 
 ^'  it 
 
474         Dis  SEliTAT  ION   IV.     Sed.  7, 
 
 "  it  be  not  contrary  to  Juftice  to  exceed  in  Re- 
 "  ward,  That  being  Matter  of  meer  Favour,  yet 
 "  it  may  be  fo  to  exceed  in  Punifhrnent  *." 
 
 In  Order  to  vindicate,  upon  the  Principles  of 
 Human  Reafon^  the  Wijdom  and  Goodnefs  of  God 
 in  threaining  the  wicked  with  everlajling  Puni/hr 
 ment,  the  beft  Argument  we  can  ufe  is  this  — 
 The  juft  Meafure  of  Penalties^  annexed  to  the 
 Violation  of  Laws,  is  to  be  taken,  not  from  the 
 Quality,  Degree,  or  Duration  of  Offences^  but 
 from  the  Reafons  or  Ends  of  Government.  That 
 is,  the  Penalties  muft  be  fuch,  as  are  beft  fitted 
 to  fecure  Obedience  to  the  Law,  and  deter  Men 
 from  the  Breach  of  it.  And  therefore  the  an- 
 nexing of  Penalties  to  Crimes  is  not  fo  properly 
 an  A6t  of  the  Lawgiver'' s  Jufiice,  as  of  his  IVif- 
 dcm.  Whence  it  appears,  that  a  Difproportion 
 between  Crimes  and  their  Punifament^  if  ne- 
 cefTary  to  the  Ends  of  Government,  is  fo  far 
 from  being  a  Reproach  on  the  Jufiice  of  the 
 Governor,  that  it  is  an  eminent  Inftance  of  his 
 JFifdom  and  Bifcretion.  We  fee  the  Force  of  this 
 Argument  in  the  Cafe  of  Human  Laws.  In  our 
 own  Country,  'I'heft  and  Robbery^  or  a  Violation 
 of  Property,  is,  in  many  Cafes,  punifhed  with 
 Death.  But  what  Proportion  is  there  between 
 fhe  Crime  of  fcealing  t-zventy  Shillings  or  twenty; 
 Pounds  (which,  perhaps,  the  Lofer  can  very  v/eli 
 fparc)  and  its  Punijhnent  by  Lofs  oi  Life  <*  And 
 ^  Ubl  fupra. 
 
 2  yet, 
 
Sed.  7-  ^heFmal  State  of  Retribiitm.  475 
 
 yet,  Who  does  not  fee  the  Neceffity  of  this  ex- 
 treme Rigour  to  the  Security  of  Property  ?  The 
 Severity  of  the  Penalty  is  wifely  ordained  for 
 the  Prevention  of  the  Crime  \  and  there  is  no 
 Doubt,  that  it  is  attendedwith  the  defired  Effcd: 
 for,  though  there  are  many  Thieves  and  Rob- 
 bers, there  would  be  many  more,  were  the  Pu- 
 nifhment  lefs  fevere,  or  proportioned  to  the  Cir- 
 cumftances  of  the  Crime. 
 
 To  apply  this  Reafoning  :  God  has  thought 
 fit  to  annex  eternal Ptmijhment  to  the  Violation  of 
 his  Divine  Laws^  with  the  wife  View  of  moft  ef- 
 feftually  fecuring  Obedience  to  them  by  his 
 Creatures  and  Subjects.  A  lefs  fevere  San5Iion 
 mull  neceffarily  have  been  lefs  effe5lual  to  this 
 wife  Purpofe  of  God's  Moral  Government.  It  is 
 true,  indeed,  that  too  many  of  Mankind  are  un- 
 moved even  by  the  Threatening  of  eternal  'tor- 
 ments. But  this  is  no  Argument  againfc  the 
 Sanation  itfelf.  It  only  proves,  that,  if  any  Thing 
 more  terrible  than  eternal  Vengeance  could  have 
 been  devifed  by  infinite  Wifdom,  it  might  juftly 
 have  been  threatned.  Though  the  Profpeft  of 
 Ptinifhment  everUfiing  fails  of  its  due  Influence  on 
 Multitudes  of  Sinners,  we  cannot  fuppofe  this 
 to  be  the  Cafe  with  All.  Many,  no  Doubt,  are 
 reftrained  from  being  wicked,  or,  at  leail,  from 
 being  fo  exceedingly  wicked  as  they  would  other- 
 wife  have  been,  by  the  Dread  of  ^/^r;?*^/ P«;^(/7iT 
 This  Argument  may  be  ftrengthened  by 
 
 cor4fideria^ 
 
476  Dissertation   IV.     ScOr.  y, 
 
 confidering  what  muft  have  been  the  Confe- 
 quence  of  God's  threatening  Sinners  with  a  Pu- 
 nifhment,  which  v;ill,  after  fome  Length  of  Time, 
 have  an  End.  This  would  greatly  have  weaken- 
 ed the  Sanation  of  future  Punifliment,  by  leiTen- 
 ing  the  Terrors  of  divine  Vengeance.  1  he  Pro- 
 fped  of  a  Rel&afe  from  Mifery,  at  how  great  a 
 Diftance  foever,  would  have  emboldened  Men  to 
 tafte  more  freely  of  the  prefent  Pleafures  of  Sin. 
 And,  when  we  confider  farther,  that,  upon  the 
 Suppofition  oi  fimte  TuniPiment^  its  Duration.^  as 
 well  as  its  Intenfenefs^  may  reafonably  be  fuppofed 
 to  bear  a  Proposition  to  the  Demerit  of  the  Offen- 
 der, we  fhall  fee,  how  greatly  the  Suppofition 
 tends  to  confirm  Men  in  the  Evil  of  their  Ways. 
 For  molt  Sinners  would  judge  fo  favourably  of 
 their  own  Cafe,  as  to  perfuade  themfelves,  they 
 are  in  no  Danger  oi"  a  very  fevere  or  a  very  long 
 Puniihment.  Thus,  then,  the  JVifdom  of  God  is 
 ittn  in  the  Denunciation  of  eternal  Funifliment ; 
 and  no  Imputation  lies  againft  his  Jujiice  for 
 threatening  That,  which  it  is  in  every  Man's 
 Power  to  avoid  '. 
 
 In  this  Liglit,  the  Sanftion  of  eternal  PtiniJIi- 
 mcnt  appears  to  be  an  Inftance,  not  only  of  the 
 highell  Wifdom,  but  of  the  greateft" Mercy  and 
 Goodnefs  in  God  towiards  his  finful  Creatures. 
 St.   Chryfojlom  obfervcs,    that  "  there  is  Mercy 
 
 ?  Tulotfon,  ubi  fupra,  Jenkm,  ubi  funra.  p,  ^o,  271, 
 
 •J  l.-vfji'  "     £.U-i-,v     ■ 
 
 "  even 
 
Se6l.  7 .  ^h^  'Final  State  of  Retribution .    47  7 
 
 *'  even  in  the  Threats  of  eternal  Vengeance,  be- 
 *•  caufe  nothing  .lefs  could  have  brought  many 
 •'  Men  to  Heaven  '^  i"  and  that,  "  thou<yh 
 "  Heaven  and  Hell  be  contrary  to  each  other, 
 "  yet  they  both  aim  at  the  fame  End,  the  Sal- 
 "  vation  of  Mankind  •,  the  Joys  of  Heaven  in- 
 "  viting  Men  to  it ;  and  the  Fear  of  Hell  fore- 
 "  ing  thofe  to  Heaven,  who  otherwife  would  be 
 "  regardlefs  of  their  own  Happinefs  5."  Hence 
 the  Sinner's  Appeal  from  the  J^^'^/V^  of  God  to  his 
 Mercy ^  againft  the  Sentence  of  everlajling  Pimifli- 
 ment^  appears  to  be  unreafonable,  fince  That 
 Sentence  is  equally  founded  in  the  Mcrcy^  as  in 
 the  Jiijiice^  of  the  Almighty  ^. 
 
 The  Reader  has  now  before  him  the  Arsfu- 
 ments  on  Both  Sides  of  the  Queftion,  whether  the 
 Duration  of  future  Puni/Iinmit  will  be,  ftridily 
 fpeaking,  infinite,  or  indefinite  only.  And  I  have 
 endeavoured  to  reprefent  them  in  their  fuU 
 Strength,  and  with  the  utmoft  Impartiality.  I 
 know,  it  may  be,  and  has  been,  faid,  that  no 
 Arguments  againji  the  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments 
 ought  to  be  made  public,  as  they  tend  to  weaken 
 the  San^ion,  by  lejj'ening  the  Terror,  of  future 
 Punifirment ;  and  that,  all  Things  confidered, 
 it  is  much  better  Chriftians  lliould  be  left  under 
 
 4  Ad.  Stagir.  1.  i.  Tom.  6.  Edit.  Sav. 
 
 5  Ad.  Pop.  Antioch.  de  Statiiis.     Horn.  7. 
 
 *  Tillotfon,  ubi  fupra,  Jenkin,  ubi  fupra.  p.  276 — 278. 
 
 the 
 
478         Dissertation  IV;     Sed:v  7. 
 
 the  Mijldke  (if  it  be  one)  of  believing  the  Eternity 
 of  Hell-Torments^  than  be  undeceived  into  a  Per- 
 iuafion  (how  well  grounded foever)  that  the  Puni/h^ 
 ments  o^ Futurity  will,  Ibine  Time  or  other,  have  an 
 End.  I  find  myfelf,  therefore,  under  a  NecelTi- 
 ty  of  offering  the  following  Apology  for  having 
 produced  the  Oojedions  to  the  commonly-re- 
 ceived Doctrine. 
 
 In  the  firft  Place,  The  Arguments  agninjl 
 the  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments  are  already  in  the 
 Hands  of  the  Public  •,  and  nothing  is  here  ad- 
 ded to  render  them  more  convincing,  than  they 
 are,  as  urged,  by  Dr.  Burnet^  Mr.  Whijlon^  or 
 any  other  Writer.  In  the  next  Place,  thefe  Ar- 
 guments are  immediately  followed  by  thofe  in  De- 
 fence of  the  catholic  DoElrine  i  fo  that  the  Poifon 
 (if  it  be  fuch)  is  not  without  its  Antidote,  and 
 That  near  at  Hand.  Thirdly,  It  is  an  Injury  to 
 Truth,  to  difiemble  or  fupprefs  any  Objedions 
 to  any  Do6lrine  of  Importance,  as  it  looks  like 
 having  fome  Diftruft  of  the  Doctrine,  and  being 
 afraid  of  fubmittingr  it  to  a  free  Examination. 
 
 Fourthly,  The  Eternity  of  Hell-Torments  has 
 proved  a  Stumbling-Block  to  Chrijlians  them- 
 felves,  and  furniflied  Unbelievers  with  an  Objec- 
 tion to  the  Truth  of  the  Chriftian  Religion. 
 And  therefore,  to  remove  this  Rock  of  Offence,  and 
 filence  the  Objection,  it  is  of  great  Ufe,  to  fhew, 
 that  there  have  been  very  learned,  fincere  and  pi- 
 ous 
 
Sed.  7«  ^ke  "Final  State  of  Retribution.  479 
 
 ous  Chriftians,  who  have  thought  the  Do6lrine 
 of  eternal  'torments  not  defenfible  either  by  Rea- 
 fon  or  Revelation.  This  leaves  the  Objectors  at 
 Liberty  to  conclude,  that  Eternal  'torments  is  not 
 a  Scripture-Dodlrine,  and,  confequently,  difarms 
 them  of  the  Objedion.  And,  furely,  it  is  much 
 better  Men  fhould  be  Origenijls,  and  believe,  that 
 the  Dm/ himfelf  will  at  laft  be  faved,  than  to  take 
 fuch  Offence  at  the  Gofpel,  as  entirely  to  reject 
 it ;  and  efpecially  fincc  their  Error  (if  it  be  one) 
 is  fo  far  from  being  impious  or  irreligious,  that 
 it  proceeds  from  the  highefl  Conceptions  of  the 
 Divine  Goodnefs  and  Mercy. 
 
 Laftly,  The  Doctrine  of  indefinite,  rather  than 
 infinite,  Mifery  in  Hell  (rightly  underilood)  does 
 not  in  the  leaft  weaken  the  Sancton  of  future 
 Punifiiment.  For,  Wherein  does  the  proper  Ef- 
 ficacy of  a  San^ion  confift  ?  In  its  being  perfectly 
 calculated  to  anfwer  the  End  of  its  Appoint- 
 ment. The  End  of  ail  the  divine  Threatenings, 
 confidered  as  Sandions  of  the  divine  Laws,  is, 
 the  Prevention  of  Sin.  If,  therefore,  God  threatens 
 Sinners  with  fuch  Punifnmenr,  23  is  fufhcient 
 (duly  confidered)  to  deter  them  from  Sin,  he  has 
 provided  a  fufficient  Sandlion  of  liis  divine  Laws, 
 as  far  as  the  Fear  of  Punifhmcnt  is  neceflary 
 thereto.  Now,  finite  or  indefinite  Pimijhnejit  may 
 be  fo  extremely  fevere,  and  of  fo  very  long  "Dura- 
 tion^  as  to  be  vaftly  (I  was  going  to-fay,  infinitely} 
 
 an 
 
480  Dissertation  IV.  SetTt.  7. 
 an  Over-balance  for    tlie  hifrheft  and  moft  ex- 
 
 O 
 
 quifite  Pleafures  of  Sin  in  this  World.  Suppofe 
 a  wicked  Man  to  fuffer  the  Punifhment  of  Hell- 
 Torments  for  a  thoufand  T^ears  only.  Muft  he 
 not  condemn  himfelfof  the  moft  egregious  Folly, 
 or  rather  Madnefs  itfelf,  for  having  purchafed 
 the  fhort-lived  Pleafures  of  Sin  in  this  World  at 
 fo  vaft  a  Price,  as  That  of  fuffering  the  Pains  of 
 Hell  for  a  Length  of  Time  more  xhanfourteenT'rmes 
 longer  than  the  ufual  Age  of  Man  ?  But,  why  do 
 I  fay,  a  thoufand  Tears  only  ?  God  may  (and,  moft 
 probably,  will)  extend  the  Puniftiment  of  the 
 wicked  to  Thoufands  of  ^hotifands^  or  Millions  of 
 Millions^  of  Tears  7,  and  yet  its  Duration  be  in- 
 finitely ftiort  of  Eternity.  Here  our  very  Ideas 
 oi  Duration  begin  to  fail  us,  and  we  perceive 
 little  or  no  Difference  between  indefinite  and  in- 
 finite. Tlais  we  may  be  very  fure  of,  that  the 
 Puniiliment  of  Sinners  in  the  next  Life  will  be 
 fo  exceedingly  great,  both  as  to  its  Nature  and 
 Duration^  as  to  render  the  Enjoyment  of  finful 
 Pleafures  in  this  World  a  dear,  a  very  very  dear, 
 Purchafe.  Here  nothing  feems  wanting  to  give 
 the  Sanftion  oi future  Punifiiment  its  due  Weight 
 and  Influence,   even  fuppofing  it  not  ahfolutely 
 
 '  Accoxainv  to Btngelius^s  Compulation  (See  Note,  p.  454)  the 
 aimH  T6~i/  etixvav  (Ages  of  Ages )  are  equal  to  one  Million  of 
 Million:  oiYzTiXi.  If  this  be  ihc  Durtrtio:  of  future  Pun  j^- 
 rnenf,  its  Continuance  will  bs  nearly  thirteen  thoufand  Millioni 
 of  Tinies  as  long  as  the  ufual  Age  of  Man  in  this  World. 
 
 eUrnaU 
 
Sedi.  7.    T/5f  Fi/?a/  State  of  Ketributlon.  48 1 
 
 eternal.  For,  if ^i^d-j  <?/yI^a  of  exquifite  Torment 
 will  not  deter  Men  from  finning  againft  God, 
 'Eternity  itll-lf  will  not,  as  is  evident  from  Ex- 
 perience. So  that,  witii  Refpeil  to  inccrrigiUe 
 Sinners,  it  matters  not,  whether  their  Punifh- 
 iTient  be  determined  to  be  indcfimts  or  infinite  ; 
 and  as  to  others,  not  yet  entered  upon  a  fmful 
 Cburfe  of  Life,  or  not  hardened  in  it,  the  Profpe6t 
 of  an  extremely  y^wr^  and  lo^/ig  Punifiiment,  tho' 
 not  everlajiing^  is  abundantly  lafHcient  to  deter 
 them  from  it. 
 
 This  is  my  Apology  for  not  diflembling  or 
 fuppreffing,  but  fairly  producing,  the  Objeoiions 
 that  have  been  made  to  the  Catholic  or  com- 
 monly-received Dodtrine  of  everlcijiing  Punijlment 
 in  the  V/orld  to  come. 
 
 Before  I  quit  the  Subjed  oi  future  Piini/Jimenty 
 I  hope  to  be  excufed,  if  I  leave  with  the  Reader 
 an  Hypothefts^  Vvfhich  I  defire  may  be  confidered, 
 not  as  a  Decifion  of  the  Qiieftion,  but  merely  as 
 a  VroUem  or  §^U£ry. 
 
 It  is  admitted  on  both  Sides,  that  the  Greek 
 Word  ai'ojvjl^,  which  v/e  tranflate  by  the  Words 
 everlajiing  or  eternal,  doQS,  fometimes  mean  only  a 
 temporary  'Duration.  Itis,  therefore,  a  Word  of 
 ambiguous  Signification.  Why,  then,  may  we 
 not  fuppofe,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  made  Choice 
 of  an  ambiguous  Term,  with  this  wife  View,  that 
 Men  might  live  in  fear  of  everlajiing  Vunifiment^ 
 I  i  becaufe 
 
482  DiSSERTATIOiN    iV.       Sed.  7. 
 
 becaufe  it  is  pofTible  it  may  be  everJaJiing  -,  and, 
 at  the  fame  Time,  God  be  at  Liberty  (if  I  m.ay 
 fo  fpeak)  without  Impeachment  of  his  Faithful- 
 nefs  and  Truth,  to  inflidt  either  finite  or  infinite 
 Punifliment,  as  his  divine  Wifdom,  Juftice,  and 
 Goodnefs  fliall  direft — at  Liberty,  I  fay,  to  pro- 
 portion the  Length  of  Punifliment  to  the  Demerits 
 of  the  guilty  -,  to  difcharge  feme  from  their  Tor- 
 ments fooner,  and  fome  later ;  and  to  inflidl  eter- 
 nal Punijlimmt  (in  the  ftrifleft  Senfe  of  the  Word 
 eternal)  on  the  mod  wicked,  or  fuch  as,  through 
 the  monftrous  Enormity  of  their  Crimes^  have 
 finned  themfelves  beyond  the  Reach  of  Mercy. 
 
 This  Hypothefis  preferves  the  Veracity  of  God 
 inviolate,  detradls  nothing  from  the  San^ions  of 
 theGofpel,  makes  Way  for  the  Exercife  of  Mercy 
 in  the  midft  of  Judgment^  and,  by  admitting 
 both  finite  and  infinite  PiiniJJiments  in  the  next 
 Life,  is  (I  think)  the  only  one  that  can  reconcile 
 the  different  Interpretations  of  the  divine  Threat- 
 nings  contained  in  holy  Scripture  — But  1  only 
 propofe  it,  and  leave  it  to  be  confidered  by  better 
 Judges. 
 
 A  P  P  E  N 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ON     THE 
 
 GENERAL  CONFLAGRATION, 
 
 O  R 
 
 BURNING    OF    THE    WORLD. 
 
 li  \ 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTION     I. 
 
 V'hat  the  World  is  not  only  fprtned  of  pevKhahle 
 Materials,  but  will  hereafter  a^fually  perish, 
 declared  in  holy  Scripture. 
 
 SECTION     II. 
 
 That  the  World  will  he  deftroyed  by  Fire,  umverfally 
 believed  by  the  Antients. 
 
 SECTION      III. 
 
 The  Scripture-Doctrine  of  the  Conflagra-^ 
 TiON,  or  Burning  of  the  World* 
 
 SECTION    IV. 
 
 Of  the  Causes  of  the  Conflagration'.' 
 
 SECTION     V. 
 
 Of  the  Effects  ^//^^  Conflagration,' 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ON      THE 
 
 General  Conflagration,  or  Burn- 
 ing OF  THE  World. 
 
 WHEN  v/e  confider  the  immediate  Con- 
 fequence  of  the  final  Judgment^  The  'De- 
 parture of  Mankind  from  this  World  into  another 
 (Thefe  JJiall  go  away  into  cverlafihig  Puni/Iiment, 
 hit  the  Righteous  into  Life  eternal)  it  is  natural  to 
 aflv.  What  will  become  of  this  ierreftrial  Glohe^ 
 forfaken  of  all  its  Rational  Inhabitants  ?  It  is, 
 indeed,  of  no  Importance  to  Us,  what  becomes 
 of  this  World,  when  we  have  bid  a  final  Adieu 
 to  it.  Neverthelefs,  we  cannot  but  be  curious 
 and  fomewhat  folicitous  to  know  the  Fate  of  a 
 V/orld^  which  gave  us  Birth,  was  the  Scene  of 
 all  our  A6lions  in  Life,  and  from  which  (under 
 God's  Providence)  we  derived  all  our  Temporal 
 Blcflings  and  Enjoyments.  Will,  then,  this  ha- 
 hitahle  Earth  retain  its  prefent  Form,  and  its  pre- 
 fent  Ufes  vv'ith  Refpe6t  to  the  reft  of  its  Animals  -, 
 Its  Air  continuing  an  Habitation  of  Birds^  its 
 JVaiers  of  FiJ/ies,  and  lis,  Land  oi  Be ajls  \  only  its 
 Surface  lying  uncultivated,  and  yielding  nothing 
 I  i  4  but 
 
488  APPENDIX.      Secl.-i. 
 
 but  the  fpontaneous  Growths  of  a  Defart?  Or 
 will  it  be  re-pecpled  with  another  Race  of  Hu- 
 man Creatures,  a  new  Set  of  Rational  Inhabi- 
 tants, like  Ourfelves,  and  fucceeding  us  as  Lords 
 of  this  inferior  World  ?  Or,  will  this  ftupendous 
 Work  of  GoA^  this  Planetary  Orl/^  with  all  its 
 jippendages^  be  entirely  difTolved,  deftroyed,  and 
 annihilated,  as  having  anfwered  all  the  Ends  of 
 its  Creation,  and  now  become  of  no  further  Ufe 
 or  Service  in  the  Syftem  of  the  Univerfe  ?  This 
 Enquiry  is  the  more  reafonable,  as  it  admits  of 
 an  Anlwer,  in  Fart  at  lead,  from  Divine  Reve- 
 lalion.     To  proceed,  then. 
 
 SECTION      I. 
 
 That  the  World  is  not  only  formed  c/periiliable 
 Materials^  hut  -ivill  hereafter  aBiially  perish, 
 declared  in  holy  Scripture. 
 
 'Tp  H  E  former  Part  of  the  Aflertion,  'viz.  that, 
 -^  the  World  we  inhabit  is  compofcd  of  pe" 
 riflw.hle  Materials,  wants  no  Proof  from  Reve- 
 lation, being  fufHciently  clear,  from  daily  Expe- 
 rience-y  which  convinces  us,  that  Af^//<?r,  or  the 
 Subilance  of  this  terrefrial  Globe,  is  fabjed,  (not 
 to  Annihilaticn,  unlefs  by  the  fpecial  Power  of 
 God,  but)  to  Diffoliition  and  Change  of  For7n, 
 And  fo  liable  are  the  component  Parts  of  this 
 
 World 
 
Se6t.  li     ^he  Gemral  Confiagration,       4^9 
 
 World  to  peri/Ji^  in  the  Senfe  of  being  dijfolved 
 or  changed  as  to  Fa/Jiion  or  Forv.t^  that,  if  left  to 
 itfelf,  and  without  the  Intervention  of  a  fuftain- 
 ing  Providence,  the  Earth  muft,  fooner  or  later, 
 ceafe  to  be  an  habitable  World. 
 
 The  Scriptures  of  Both  Teftaments  declare 
 the  Corruptibility^  and  future  Dejlnt^iion  of  this 
 habitable  Globe.  Of  eld  (fays  the  Pfalmift  to 
 God)  hafi  thou  laid  the  Foundation  of  the  Earth, 
 mtd  the  Heavens  are  the  Work  of  thy  Hands.  'They 
 f/iall  pen{h,  but  thou /Jiall  endure :  yea.,  all  of  theni 
 fJiall  'wax  old  like  a  Garment ;  as  a  Vefltire  fJialt 
 thou  change  them.,  and  they  fliall  be  changed.  But 
 thou  art  the  fame ^  and  thy  Tears  fliall  have  no  End, 
 Pfal.  cii.  25 — 27.  And  to  the  fame  Purpofe  the 
 Prophet  Ifaiah  :  Lift  up  your  Eyes  to  the  Heavens, 
 and  look  upon  the  Earth  beneath  -,  For  the  Heavens 
 f}iall  vanifJi  away  like  Smoke,  and  the  Earth  fJiall 
 'jDax  old  like  a  Garment.  Ila.  11.  6,  Agreeably  to 
 which  Doftrine,  the  Writers  of  the  GUI  'Tefia- 
 went  ufe  a  Variety  of  Exprefnons,  denoting  the 
 perifliable  Nature  of  the  World.  God  is  repre- 
 fented  as  removing  the  Mountains,  and  overturn- 
 ing them  in  his  Anger  •,  as  fJwling  the  Earth  out  of 
 her  Place,  and  makin'^  the  Pillars  thereof  tremble. 
 Job  ix.  5,  6.  The  Hills  are  laid  to  melt  like  Wax 
 at  the  Prefence  of  the  Lord.  Ifa.  xcvii.  5.  And 
 the  Earth  is  defcribed  as  utterly  broken  dozvn,  clean 
 dijfolved,  and  moved  exceedingly.  Ifa.  xxiv.  lo; 
 It  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  Prophets  often  nfe 
 
 fuch 
 
490         APPENDIX.       Sed.  r. 
 
 Juch  Exprefiions  as  thefe,  in  a  figurative  Sen fc, 
 to  denote  violent  Covimctions  and  Revolutions  n\ 
 Kingdoms  and  States.  But,  as  Figures  are  taken 
 from  Realities,  thefe  are  evidently  borrowed  from 
 the  perijliahle  Nature,  and  the  future  adual  D<r- 
 fini5iicn,  of  this  habitable  World. 
 
 Our  Saviour  himfelf  fays,  Heaven  and  Earth  jliall 
 pafs  away,  but  my  JVcrds  Jliall  not  pafs  away .  Matt  h . 
 xxiv.  25'  and  St.  Paul:  The  Fafhion  of  this  World 
 pajfeth  away,  i  Cor.  vii.  31,  And  we  fliall  pre- 
 fently  fee,  that  not  only  the  adlual  Deftruftiony 
 but  the  Means  of  That  Dellrudion,  are  clearly 
 foretold  in  holy  Scripture. 
 
 It  is  obfervable,  that,  in  mod  of  the  above- 
 cited  Paffages,  Heaven  or  the  Heavens  are  repre- 
 fcnred  as  involved  in  the  fame  Deflruclion  with 
 the  Earth.  By  which  we  are  not  to  underftand, 
 that  the  Ruin  of  this  terraqueous  Globe  will  any 
 Way  aftecSl  the  IVorld  o^  Spirits,  or  the  Syftem  of 
 Tlanets  v^ud  fixed  Stars,  and  much  lefs  be  attended 
 with  the  Defi:ru6lion  of  the  Heavenly  Regions  ox 
 the  Heavenly  Bodies.  They  are  out  of  the  Reach 
 of  every  Thing  that  can  befaU  this  lower  World  '. 
 By  the  Heavens,  therefore,  we  muft  underftand 
 i\\t  fuperior  Regions  of  this  World,  its  Air  or  At- 
 
 '  We  muft,  perhaps,  except  the  Mo^«,  which,  being  /e- 
 cmdan  to,  and  attendant  upon,  our  Earthy  cannot,  one 
 would  think,  be  wholly  unalFeAed  by  the  Dcltruclion  of  its 
 Primayy ;  but,  hoiv  affefted,  we  muft  not  pretend  to  de- 
 termine. 
 
 2  mofphere^ 
 
Se(5l.  2.     ne  General  Conflagration,       49 t 
 
 mofphere,  or  That  concave  Surface  over  our  Heads, 
 irradiated  by  the  Light  of  the  Sun,  Moon,  and 
 SiarSy  in  which  thofe  heavenly  Bodies  appear  to 
 our  Sight  to  be  All  placed,  though  fome,  in 
 Reality,  Millions  of  Miles  farther  off  us  than 
 others.  Nov/,  as  the  Air  or  Atmofphere  of  the 
 Earth  will  moft  certainly  perifh  with  the  Earth 
 itfelf,  the  Heavens,  in  this  Senfe  of  the  Phrafe, 
 muft  fliare  in  the  Deftruftion  of  the  Earth. 
 
 SECTION      II. 
 
 i:'hat  the  World  will  he  dejlroyed  by  ¥  ike,  tmiverfally 
 believed  by  the  Antients. 
 
 THIS  appears  to  have  been  a  commonly- 
 received  Dodlrine  of  the  Heathen  World, 
 many  Ages  before  the  Chrifiian  7Era.  The 
 Egyptians  feem  to  have  had  a  Notion  both  of  the 
 Deluge  and  Conflagration  :  For  Plato  tells  us  *, 
 they  held,  that  the  World  is  liable  to  Deftruc- 
 tion  both  by  Fire  and  Water.  The  Perfians  were 
 taught  by  their  Magi,  that  Fire,  which  they 
 adored  as  a  God,  will  at  length  confume  all 
 Things  that  are  capable  of  being  confumed  ^ 
 And  the  Chald.^ans  not  only  taught  a  Conflagra- 
 tion or  Burning  of  the  World,  but  pretended  to 
 calculate  the  very  Time  of  it,  fixing  it  to  a  cer- 
 
 f  Jin  Tima?o.  3  Jufiitt  Apol.  2. 
 
 tarn 
 
492         APPENDIX.       Sea.  2. 
 
 tain  Period,  when  there  fliould  be  an  extraordi- 
 nary ConJLindtion  of  the  Planets  in  Cancer  ♦. 
 Dr.  Burnet  ^  thinks,  he  difcovers  the  Opinion  of 
 the  Arabians^  Indians^  and  other  Eajiern  Nations, 
 as  to  this  Point,  in  the  celebrated  Story,  or  ra- 
 ther Fable,  of  the  Phcenix  \  which  he  confiders 
 as  an  Apologue,  intended  to  reprefent  the  Confla- 
 gration   and  Renovation   of    the  World  ^,     The 
 
 fame 
 
 ■*  Berofus,  in  82 nee.  Nat.  ^(sjl.  3.  c,  29. 
 
 ^  Sacred  Theory  of  the  Earth ,  B.  3.  c.  3. 
 
 *  The  anticnt  Chrijlian  Writers  make  a  diiFerent  Ufe  of 
 this  Fable  :  They  confider  it  as  an  hnage  or  Type  of  the  Re- 
 /u-rrcSiion.  Thus  St.  Clement,  in  his  Epijlle  to  t^je  Corintki- 
 ans :  "  Let  lis  confider  That  wonderful  Type  of  the  Re/ur- 
 *'  reSIion,  which  is  feen  in  the  Eaftern  Countries,  that  is  to 
 "  iiiy,  in  /v  ana.  There  is  a  certain  Bird,  called  a  Phcenix  : 
 **  Ofthis  there  is  never  bat  Oae  at  a  Time;  and  That  lives 
 *'  five  hundred  Years.  And  when  the  Time  of  its  Diilb- 
 "  lution  draws  near,  that  it  mull  die  ;  it  makes  icfelf  a 
 *•  Nell  of  Frankincenfe,  and  Myrrhe,  and  other  Spices  ;  in- 
 •'  to  which,  when  its  Time  is  fulfilledj  it  enters  and  dies. 
 **  Biit  it's  FlePn  putrifying  breeds  a  certain  Worm,  which 
 •'  being  nouriflied  with  the  Juice  of  the  dead  Bird  brings 
 "  forth  Feathers  ;  and  when  it  is  giown  to  a  perfeft  State, 
 "  it  takes  up  the  Nell,  in  which  the  Bones  of  its  Parent  lie, 
 "  and  carries  it  from  Arabia  into  Egypt,  to  a  City  called 
 **  Jieliopolis :  And,  Hying  in  open  Day  in  the  Sight  of  all 
 "  Men,  lays  it  upon  the  Altar  of  the  Sun,  and  fo  returns 
 "  frori  whence  it  came.  The  Priefts  then  fearch  into  the 
 •'  Records  of  the  Time,  and  find  that  it  returned  precifely 
 '•  at  the  End  of  five  hundred  Years.  And  fhall  we  think  it 
 "  to  be  any  very  great  and  ftrange  thing,  for  the  Lord  of 
 "  all  to  ralfe  up  thofe  that  rcligioudy  ferve  him  in  the  Af- 
 2  "  Airance 
 
Sea.  2.     "The  General  Conflagration.       493 
 
 fame  Do£trine  prevailed  among  the  Northern  and 
 JVefieim  Barbarians.  The  Scytkiaus,  contending 
 with  the  Egyptians  for  Antiquity,  pretended,  the 
 world  had  been  already  deftroyed  either  by  Fire 
 or  JVater,  And  the  Druiih  of  Gaul  and  Brittain 
 afcribed  a  Kind  of  Immortality  to  the  World, 
 by  repeated  Bsfirucfions  and  Renovations,  fuppoi- 
 ing  the  Defiru5iion5  to  be  always  by  Fire  or  IVa- 
 
 ter  ^. 
 
 The  Greeks,  who  derived  their  Philofophy 
 chiefly  from  the  Eaftern  Nations,  received  from 
 them  the  Doftrine  of  the  Confiagration.  This 
 Doftrine  was  fo  particularly  maintained  and 
 taup-ht  by  the  Stoics,  as  to  be  almoft  the  cbarac- 
 ter^ic  Tenet  of  That  Seft.  They  held,  that 
 the  firft  Thing  created  was  Fire,  that  the  reft  of 
 the  Elements  were  produced  from  Fire  -,  that  all 
 mixed  bodies  were  compounded  of  the  Elements  3, 
 
 «  furanceofagood  Faith,  when  even  by  a  Bird  he  (hews 
 ^'  us  the  Greatnefs  of  his  Power  to  fulfil  his  Promife  ?"  Jp. 
 Genuine  Epipes  of  the  Apoftolkal  Fathers,  Sec.  p.  23.  See 
 Junu  Not^  in  Clem.  p.  H-  where  the  following  Fathers  are 
 mentioned  as  making  Ufe  of  the  fame  Inilance,  in  Proof  of 
 the  fame  Point.  v\z.  Tertullian,  Origen,  Cyril  oi  Jem falem, 
 Eufebius,  Gregory  Nazianzen,  Epiphanius,  SyneJIus,  Hierony- 
 mus,  LaSlantius,  &c.  But  it  is  certain,  the  Inventor  of  the 
 Story  of  the  Phoenix  (which  is  generally  allowed  to  be  t^ 
 vteer  Fable)  could  have  no  View  to  the  Dodrine  of  the^.- 
 furreaion,  That  Dodrine  being  utterly  unknown  to  tne  Hea- 
 fhen  World. 
 
 2  Strabo,  Geogr.  I.  4,  ^^^ 
 
494         APPENDIX.      Sed.  2. 
 
 and  that,  as  all  Things  took  their  rife  from  Fire^ 
 fo  they  will  finally  be  deftroyed  by  That  Ele- 
 mcni  '. 
 
 The  Roman  Authors,  both  Philofophers  and 
 Poets,  give  us  the  Do6lrine  of  the  Conflagration 
 or  Burning  of  the  World.  Cicero,  in  his  Scipid's. 
 Dream,  introduces  That  antient  Roman,  conver- 
 fing  with  his  Nephew  Africaniis,  and  pointing 
 from  the  Clouds  to  this  Spot  of  Earth  where  we 
 live  •,  telling  him,  that,  "  notwithftanding  our 
 *'  utmoft  Endeavours  to  perpetuate  the  Memo- 
 "  ry  and  Praifes  of  our  Anceftors,  there  is  no 
 •'  Room  for  any  lading  Glory  in  this  World, 
 *'  which  is  itfelf  fubjedt  to  Deftruftion  by  fuc- 
 *'  ceflive  Deluges  and  Conflagrations  '."  Seneca 
 was  a  profefled  Stoic  ;  and  therefore  it  is  no 
 Wonder  we  find  him  defcribing  the  End  of  the 
 World  by  "  Stars  encountering  Stars,  and  one 
 "  univerfal  Conflagration  fetting  all  Things  on 
 *'  Fire*."  O'Vid  represents  Jupiter  as  reftrained 
 from  deftroying  the  World  by  Thunder  and 
 Lightning,  for  the  extreme  Wickednefs  of  Man- 
 kind, partly  by  recollc6ting  it's  future  Dejiruc- 
 iion  by  Fire : 
 
 EfTe  quoq;  in  Fatis  reminifcitur,  adfore  Tempus^ 
 Quo  mare,  quo  tellus,  correptaque  Regia  Coeli 
 Ardeat,  et  Mundi  Moles  operofa  laboret. 
 
 Metam.  Lib.  i.  v.  256. 
 
 «  Diog.  Laert.  in  Zenone.  Plut.  de  Plac.  Philof.  1.  1. 
 9  $omn>  S(iJ>.  c.  7.  *   Con/oh  ad  Marc,  in  fine. 
 
 Remembring 
 
Se£l.  ±.      The  General  Conflagration.      495 
 
 Remembiing  in  the  Fates  a  Time,  when  Fire 
 Shou'd  to  the  Battlements  of  Heaven  afpirc. 
 And  all  his  blazing  Worlds  above  fliould  burn, 
 And  all  th'  inferior  Globe  to  Cinders  turn. 
 
 Drydej^, 
 
 It  is  natural  to  afk,  from  what  Source  the 
 Heathens  drew  their  Doftrine  of  the  Conflagration 
 or  Deflru6tion  of  the  World  by  Fire.  It  does 
 not  feem  to  be  a  Dictate  of  Reafon  and  Nature. 
 For,  though  the  Stoics  argued,  that,  "  as  all 
 "  Things  took  their  Rife  from  Fire,  fo  they  will 
 "  finally  be  confumed  by  That  Element,"  the 
 latter  Afiertion  is  neither  a  necefiary  nor  a  na- 
 tural Confequence  of  the  former.  It  is  moft  pro- 
 bable, that  the  Heathens  received  the  Doflrine, 
 by  Traditiojj,  from  Noah  and  his  Family,  of  whom 
 was  the  whole  Earth  overfpread  (Gen.  ix.  19.), 
 and  They  from  the  Antediluviaji  Patriarchs,  and 
 They  from  Adam  himfelf,  to  whom  God  might 
 reveal  this  final  Cataftrophe  of  the  Material 
 World  \ 
 
 *  Jofephus  relates,  that  Adam  foretold  two  Deftruflions  of 
 the  World,  the  one  by  Water,  and  the  other  by  Fire  ;  and 
 that,  in  Confequence  of  this  Prediftion,  the  Sons  of  Seth, 
 who  addifted  themfelves  much  to  the  Study  of  AJIronomy,.  e- 
 refted  two  Pillars,  the  one  of  Brick,  and  the  other  of  Stone, 
 infcribed  with  the  Aftronomical  Difcoveries  they  had  made  ; 
 with  a  View  of  preferving,  by  this  Means,  the  Knowledge 
 they  had  acquired,  againfi:  the  Violence  of  the  two  deftruftive 
 Elements.  Which  Pillars  (the  Hiftorian  tells  us)  were  ftill 
 to  be  feen  in  the  Land  ofSirias.    Antiqu.  Jmi.  1,  i .  c.  2.  S.  3 . 
 
 c>H..  --  SEC- 
 
496         APPENDIX.       Sed:.  3. 
 
 SECTION     in. 
 
 •TA^  Scripture -DocTRi_NE  of  //J'c' Conflagra- 
 tion cr  Burning  of  the  World. 
 
 THE  Deilruaion  of  the  World  by  Fire,  fo 
 generally  believed  by  all  NatiOhs  (however 
 they  came  by  the  Dodlrine)  appears  to  be  a  clear 
 and  express  Dp6lrine  of  the  Chriftian  Revelation. 
 
 We  meet  with  frequent  Allufwns  to,  if  not  di- 
 rect Prophecies  of,  fuch  a  Catailrophe  of  Nature, 
 in  the  Books  of  the  Old  Tejiaraent.  Mofes,  in  hi^ 
 Song,  feems  to  defcribe  it  in  vei-y  lively  Expref- 
 fions  :  A  Fire  is  kindled  in  mine  Anger .^  and  Jhall 
 hum  unto  the  kivejl  Hell,  and  JJiall  confume  the  Earth 
 -with  her  Increafe,  and  jet  on  Fire  the  Foundations, 
 of  the  Mountains.  Deut.  xxxii.  22.  The  Pfahniji 
 fays.  Our  God  Jliall  come,  andjiiall  not  keep  Silence  ; 
 a  Fire  jhall  devour  before  him,  and  it  jJiall  be  veryt 
 tempejlucus  round  about  him.  Pfal.  1.  iii.  So  alfa 
 the  Prophet  Ijaiah  :  Behold,  the  Lord  will  come 
 with  Fire,  and  with  his  Chariots  like  alVhirlwind^ 
 to  render  his  Anger  with  Fury,  and  his  Rebuke 
 with  Flames  of  Fire.  Ifa.  Ixvi.  15.  And  Afalachi,  the 
 lafi:  of  the  Prophets  :  Behold,  the  Day  comcth,  that 
 jhall  burn  as  an  Oven ;  and  all  the  proud,  yea  all 
 that  do  wickedly,  jJiall  he  as  Stubble ;  and  the  Day 
 that  Cometh  jliall  hum  them  up,  jaith  the  Lord'4j 
 
 Hofis, 
 
Sed.  3-  Tibe  General  Conflagration.  497 
 Hofts^  that  it  Jhall  leave  them  neither  Root  nor  Branch, 
 Mai.  iv.  I. 
 
 I  call  thefe  Paffages  of  the  Old  tefiament  AU 
 lujiom  to,  and  not  Prophecies  of,  a  general  Con- 
 flagrationy  becaule,  in  their  primary  Senfe,  they 
 muft  undoubtedly  be  underftood  of  temporal 
 Judgments,  to  be  inflided  on  the  wicked  and  un- 
 godly. And  this  I  take  to  be  the  ftngle  View 
 of  the  Prophets  in  delivering  thefe  Predictions. 
 But  it  pleafed  the  divine  Spirit,  which  influenced 
 their  Minds,  and  guided  their  Pens,  to  dired 
 them  to  the  Ufe  of  fuch  Language,  as  is  plainly 
 applicable  to  a  Bejini^ion  of  the  World  by  Fire  : 
 In  like  Manner  as  the  Language,  by  which  the 
 Prophets  exprefs  the  future  Rejloration  of  the 
 Jewijli  People,  is  fuch  as  clearly  points  out  the 
 general  Refurre^ion  of  Mankind  from  the  dead  ^ 
 
 The  fame  Obfervation  is  applicable  to  fuch 
 Paffages  of  the  New  Teflament  as  the  following* 
 IVhen  the  Lord  Jefus  fliall  be  revealed  from  Heaven 
 with  his  mighty  Angels,  in  flaming  Fire,  taking  Ven- 
 geance on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey 
 not  the  Gofpel  of  our  Lord  Jefiis  Chrijl.  2  Theff.  i: 
 7,  8.  There  remaineth  no  tnore  Sacrifice  for  Sins, 
 but  a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  Judgment  and 
 fiery  Indignation,  which  fimll  devour  the  Adverfaries. 
 
 3  Here  we  have  another  Inftance  of  That  Species  of  Pro- 
 phecy., which  I  have  chofen  to  dilHnguiih  by  the  Name  of 
 Oblique  or  Inciirea  Prophecy.  See  Dissertation  II.  Sec- 
 tion 11. 
 
 K  k  Heb. 
 
498        ^A  P  P  E  N  D  I  X.      Sed.  p 
 
 Heb.  X.  26,  27.  And,  Our  God  is  a  confuming 
 Fire.  Hcb.  xii.  29.  The  Idea  of  Fire^  repre- 
 fented,  in  thefe  Scriptures,  as  accompanying  the 
 Execution  of  the  Divine  Vengeance  on  Sinners, 
 is  evidently  borrowed  from  That  DeJiru5lion  of 
 the  Material  JVorid  by  Fire,  which  we  Ihall  find 
 clearly  and  expreOy  revealed  in  the  Second  of  St. 
 Peter's  Epijlles.     For 
 
 Speaking  of  the   Scoffers,    v/ho  objefted  the 
 Delay  of  Chriil*s  Coming  as  an  Argument  againft 
 the  Promife  oFiiy  the  Apoftle  iays :  For  this  they 
 •willingly  are  ignorant  of,  that,  by  the  Word  of  God, 
 the  Heavens  iioere  of  old,  and  the  Earth  Jlanding  out 
 of  the  Water,  and  in  the  Water  :  whereby  the  World 
 that  then  was,  being  overflowed  with  Water,  "periflied. 
 But  the  Heavens  and  the  Earth  which  are  now  by  the 
 fame  Word  are  kept  in  Store,  referved  unto  Fire,  againji 
 the  Day  of  Judgment,  and  Perdition  of  ungodly  Men. 
 Then,  having  replied  to  the  Scoffers'  Objeftion, 
 by  alledging,  that  One  Day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a 
 ihoufand  Tears,  and  a  thoufand  Tears  as  one  Day  *, 
 and  that  the  Lord  is  not  Jlack  concerning  his  Promife^ 
 f.s  fome  Men  comit  Slacknefs,  he  goes  on  thus  :  The 
 pay  of  the  Lord  zuill  come  as  a  Thief  in  the  Night', 
 in  the  which  the  Heavens  fliallpafs  away  with  a  great 
 'Noife,    and  the  Elements  fhall  melt  with  fervent 
 Heat ',  the  Earth  alfo,  and  the  Works  that  are  there- 
 in, fliall  be  burnt  up.  Which  Doftrine  the  Apoftle 
 repeats,  in  almoft  the  fame  Words ;  ufing  it  as 
 an  Argument  for  a  virtuous  and  religious  Life  ;. 
 
 Seeing 
 
S6<fl.  3.     ^he  General  Conflagration.       499 
 
 Seeing  then,  that  all  thefe  Things  Jliall  be  dijjolved, 
 what  Manner  of  Perfons  ought  ye  to  be,  in  all  holy 
 Converfation  andGodlinefs  •,  looking  for  andhajling  to 
 the  cor/ting  of  the  Day  of  God,  wherein  the  Heavens 
 being  on  Fire  fliall  he  diffolved,  and  the  Elements  fliall 
 melt  with  fervent  Heat.  2  Pet.  iii.  5 — 12. 
 
 I  will  not  deny,  nay,  I  am  of  Opinion,  with 
 the  Generality  of  Commentators,  that  the  Apoftle 
 had  in  View  the  Deftra^lion  of  Jerufalem  and  the 
 JewifJi  Polity.  The  Circumftances  and  the  Lan- 
 guage of  the  Prophecy  declare  as  much.  The 
 Corning  of  Chrifi  is  an  ufual  Phrafe,  to  denote 
 the  Vengeance  of  God  hanging  over  the  Jewijh 
 Nation.  The  Objeftion  of  the  Scoffers  evidently 
 implies,  that  the  Preachers  of  the  Gofpel  had 
 endeavoured  to  perfuade  the  Jews  of  the  near 
 Approach  of  That  Vengeance.  The  Apoflle's 
 ufing  the  Doftrine  as  a  Motive  to  a  good  Life 
 fliews,  that  he  fpeaks  of  an  Evil,  which  was  to 
 befall  the  prefent  Generation.  Befides  that  it  is 
 the  Genius  of  Scripture  Prophecy  to  reprefent  the 
 great  Changes  and  Revolutions  in  the  Civil  and 
 Religious  World  by  violent  Diforders  and  Com- 
 motions in  the  Natural  World,  the  Heavens  and 
 the  Earth.  Which  Interpretation  of  St.  Peter^s 
 Words  may  be  confirmed  by  thofe  immediately 
 following  ;  Neverthelefs,  We,  according  to  his  Pro- 
 mife,  look  for  new  Heavens  and  a  new  Earth, 
 wherein  dipelleth  Righteoufnefs :  Which  may  fairly 
 be  underftood  of  That  new  Difpenfation  of  Righ- 
 K  k  2  teoufmfs. 
 
500         APPEND!  X.      StCz.  3. 
 
 leoufmfs^  which   was  to   fiicceed,  and   be  built 
 upon  the  Ruins  of,  the  Jewijh. 
 
 But,  at  the  lame  Time  that  St.  Peter  foretells 
 the  Dejlruclion  oijerufalem  and  the  Jewijh  Polity^ 
 he  certainly  foretells  the  Conflagration  or  Burning 
 of  the  JVorld.     This  is  evident  from  the  Mention 
 he   makes   of  the  Deluge.     'J'he  World  that  then 
 was   (fays  he)  being  overflowed  with  JVater^  pe- 
 rijhed :  But  the  Heavens  and  the  Earth  which  are 
 now — are  kept  in  Store^  referved  unto  Fire.     Now 
 (to  preferve  the  Coherence  orConfiftency  of  the 
 Apo(lle*s   Difcourfe)    we   muft  underftand,   by 
 the  World  that  then  was^  and  the  Heavens  and  the 
 Earth  which  are  now.,  One  and  the  fame  Worldj 
 namely.  That  World  we  at  prefent  inhabit.    If, 
 therefore,  the  Hiilory  of  the  Deluge  be  the  Hif- 
 tory  of  a  Reality j  the  Prophecy  of  the  Conflagra- 
 tion muft  be  the  Prophecy  of  a  Reality :  If  the 
 prefent  material  World  once  actually  perilhed  by 
 Water,  it  will  hereafter  adtualiy  perifh  by  Fire, 
 Both  Cataftrophes  muft  be  underftood  in  a  figu* 
 rative  Senfe,  or  Both  in  the  literal  Senfe.     And 
 can  there  be  a  more  lively  or  pifturefque  De- 
 fcription  of  a  general  Conflagration  or  Burning  of 
 the  World,  than  this   before  us  ?  — The  Heavens 
 on  Fire,  the  Atmofphere  in  Flames  !  —  the  Ele- 
 ments melting  with  fervent  Heat,  the  component 
 Parts  of  the  Globe  difunited  by  the  Violence  of 
 Fire,  and  refolved  into  a  fecond  Chaos  or  Confu- 
 fion  of  Matter  l-^the  Earth  and  the  Works  thai 
 4  are 
 
$0(^,3"     T^he  General  Conflagration.       50  j 
 
 m'e  therein  burnt  up,  the  habitable  World,  its 
 Hills  and  Vallies,  its  Seas  and  Rivers,  its  Towns 
 ^nd  Cities,  with  all  the  Prodii6lions  of  Nature 
 and  of  Art,  confumed  and  reduced  to  an  Heap 
 of  Afhes !  —  and  this  Diflfolution  of  the  material 
 World  attended  with  a  great  Noife,  the  dreadful 
 Sound  of  a  World  falling  to  Pieces,  the  Groans 
 of  expiring  Nature ! 
 
 We  might  expedt  to  find,  among  the  Apoca- 
 lyptical  Prophecies  (which  evidently  reach  to  the 
 Confummation  of  all  Earthly  mugs,  and  into  eter- 
 nity itfelf)  a  Prophecy  of  the  Conflagration  or  Bur- 
 ning of  the  World.  It  is  true,  indeed,  we  find  no 
 fuch  exprefs  Prophecy.  But  the  Beftru5fion  of 
 this  habitable  World,  as  fuch,  is  plainly  enough 
 foretold  in  St.  John's  Vifion  of  the  Refurre^ion 
 and  Judgment.  For,  I  faw  (fays  he)  a  great  white 
 Throne,  and  him  that  fat  on  it ;  from  whofe  Face  the 
 Earth  and  the  Heavens  fled  away,  and  there  was  found 
 no  Place  for  them.  Rev.  xx,  11.  It  is,  at  leaft,  evi- 
 dent from  this  Prophecy,  that  the  World  we  in- 
 habit will  undergoe  fome  great  Change  at  the 
 Day  of  Judgment.  It  is  reprefented  as  terrified  at 
 the  Approach  of  its  heavenly  Judge,  and  endea- 
 vouring, by  Flight,  to  conceal  itfelf  from  his 
 Prefence.  This  Idea  fufficiently  implies  its  De- 
 ftru^ion  as  an  hahitahle  JVorld,  though  the  Pro- 
 phet is  filent  as  to  any  natural  Caufe  of  That  Dc- 
 itruflion, 
 
 Kk  q  S  E  G- 
 
502         APPENDIX.      Se6t.  4. 
 
 SECTION     IV. 
 
 Of  the  Causes  of  the  Conflagratiok. 
 
 np  HIS  Enquiry  aims  at  a  Difcovery  of  the 
 Source  or  Origin  of  That  Fire^  which  will  con- 
 fume  the  World.     Now, 
 
 When  we  confider  the  natural  Frame  and 
 Conftitution  of  this  habitable  Globe  •,  that  more 
 than  Half  of  its  Surface  is  covered  with  Water^ 
 the  natural  Enemy  of  Fire  •,  that  the  reft  is  de- 
 fended againft  the  Fury  of  That  Element  by  folid 
 Kcch  and  Mountains^  and  various  un-inflammabk 
 Soils  J  and  that  there  are  vaft  Refervoirs  or  Col- 
 le6lions  of  Water  within  the  Bowels  of  the  Earth  ; 
 it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how  the  World  flioulc^ 
 be  fet  on  Fire,  and  a  general  Confagration  prevail 
 to  its  Deftrudtion  as  a  W'orld.  It  feems,  natu- 
 rally, in  much  more  Danger  of  being  drowned 
 than  burned,  of  another  Deluge  than  of  a  Confla- 
 gration. 
 
 It  is  true,  the  Power  of  God  taken  into  the 
 Qiieftion,  all  Difficulty  vaniffies.  He,  who 
 made  the  World,  can  moft  certainly  deftroy  it  i 
 and  That  by  Means  the  moft  unlikely  to  effed: 
 its  Deftruftion.  I'ke  Lord  (we  know)  rained  upon 
 Sodom  and  Gcrr,orrah  Briwflone  and  Fire  from  the 
 Lord  out  of  Heaven  •,  and  thereby  overthrezv  ihofi 
 
 Cities^ 
 
Sed.  4.      T^hc  General  CojiflagrattQn.       503 
 
 Cities^  and  all  the  Plam,  and  all  the  Inhabitants  of 
 the  Cities y  and  that  u'hich  grew  upon  the  Ground, 
 Gen.  xix.  24,  25.  And  it  is  but  fuppofing  a 
 like  miraculous  Shoiver  of  pire,  extended  over  the 
 Face  of  the  whole  Earth,  and  continued  long 
 enough  to  melt  the  hardeft  and  leaft  inflammable 
 Bodies,  and  dry  up  all  the  Springs,  Rivers,  and 
 Seas,  and  we  have  a  Caufe  adequate  to  the  ftu- 
 pendous  Effe^  of  burning  a  World. 
 
 This   is  fufficient  to  remove  all  Doubt,  as  to 
 the  Pcjfibility  of  the  Conflagration.     But  Philofo- 
 phers  are  not  fo  eafily   fatisfied.     They  fee  clear- 
 ly, that  the  Providence  of  God,  in  his  greateft 
 and  mod  important  Difpcnfations,  ads  by  the 
 Inftrumentality    of  Natural   Caufes-,    and   holy 
 Scripture  afTures  us,  that  fuch  Caufes  were  em- 
 ployed in  producing  the  Deluge  or  Deftru6lion  of 
 the  World  by  Water ;  in  Order  to  which,  all  the 
 Fountains  of  the  great  Deep  (or  Abyfs)  were  broken 
 Upy  and  the  Windows  (or.  Flood- Gates)  of  Heaven 
 '^ere  opened.  Gen.  vii.  11.  that  is,  the  whole  Coir 
 ledion  of  Waters,  above  and  below,  within  and 
 without  the  Earth,  were  let  loofe  at  once,  and 
 commanded  to  drown  the  World.     Hence  Nar 
 turalijis  have  fought  diligently,  and  ranfacked  all 
 Nature,  to  difcover  fuch  Stores  or  Magazines  of 
 ready-made  Fire.,  as  are  fufficient  for  the  Deltruc- 
 tion  of  the  World  by  the  Force  of  That  devour^ 
 ing  Element, 
 
 K  k  4  The 
 
504         APPENDIX.      Sect.  4. 
 
 The  Fire,  of  which  die  Body  of  the  Sun  is  com- 
 pofed,  is  vaftly  more  than  fufficient  for  the  Burn- 
 ing of  the  World,  were  it  near  enough  for  That 
 Purpofe.  But  we  cannot  fuppofe,  the  Smt 
 will  ever  quit  its  Central  Tcfition,  and  come 
 nearer  to  the  Earth,  fince  a  Change  of  That 
 Luminary's  Place  muft  greatly  incommode,  if 
 not  deftroy,  the  reft  of  the  Planetary  Syjlem,  by 
 altering  the  eftabliOied  Diftribution  of  Light  and 
 Heat,  and  breaking  in  upon  the  fettled  Laws 
 of  Attraftion  and  Gravitation.  Nor  can  we  well 
 fuppofe  th?  Conjfagration  to  be  effeded  by  a 
 nearer  Approach  of  the  Earth  to  the  Sun  ;  becaufe, 
 if  fuch  Approach  be  fuppofed  gradual  (as  in  Rea- 
 fon  we  ought  to  fuppofe  it)  we  muft  (confider- 
 ing  how  m.uch  of  the  Earth's  Duration  is  already 
 expired)  have  found  ourfelves,  by  this  Time, 
 confiderably  nearer  to  the  Sun,  than  in  former 
 Ages.  But,  by  the  niceft  AJlronomical  Obferva- 
 tions  a-nd  Calculations,  as  well  as  our  own  Ex- 
 perience of  the  Solar  Powers,  the  Earth  appears 
 to  be  in  the  very  fame  Pofition,  with  Refpeft  to 
 the  Stin,  as  at  the  Beginning  of  Time. 
 
 As  to  an  Eruption  of  the  Central  Fire  {ov.  Body 
 of  Fire,  fuppofed  to  lie  at  the  Center  of  the  Earth) 
 as  an  auxiliary  Caiife  of  the  Conflagration,  it  will 
 be  Time  enough,  when  the  Exiftence  of  fuch  a 
 Fire  is  indifputably  proved  *,  to  confider,  how 
 
 4  See  the  Notion  of  a  Central  Fire  difproved,  in  Disser- 
 tation IV,  Section  II. 
 
Se£t.  4.     The  General  Conflagration.      505 
 
 it  can  make  its  Way  through  fuch  a  prodigious 
 Thicknels  of  Earth  5,  and  what  Effefts  it  would 
 naturally  produce  on  thus  breaking  loofe  from 
 its  Prifon. 
 
 But,  leaving  thefe  imaginary  Caufes  of  the  Con- 
 fagration,  1  fhall  lay  before  the  Reader  three,  more 
 plaufible,  Ilypotbefes,  Thofe  of  Dr.  Burnet^  Mr. 
 Whijion,  and  Mr.  TVall. 
 
 The  firft  of  thefe  learned  and  ingenious  Wri- 
 ters afligns,  as  the  principal  Cattfe  of  the  Confla- 
 gration, the  Burning  Mountains  or  Volcanos  of  the 
 Earth,  fuch  as  Mount  jEtna  in  Sicily,  and  Ve- 
 fuvius  in  the  Kingdom  of  Naples  ^. 
 
 There  is  nothing  in  Nature  more  terrible  than 
 the  Phenomena  of  Volcanos.  The  Mountain  roars 
 and  bellows — The  Earth  trembles  to  a  confider- 
 able  Diftancc  —  the  Sun  withdraws  its  Light,  or 
 appears  with  a  pale,  dufl^y,  or  bloody  Counte- 
 nance— The  Top  or  Jaws  of  the  Mountain  open 
 — Clouds  of  Smoke,  Flames  of  Fire,  hot  Stones, 
 Lumps  of  Metal,  half-diflblved  Minerals,  and 
 Bery  Afhes  burft  forth,  and  fall  in  Showers  on 
 the  Sides  of  the  Mountain  and  the  adjacent 
 Country  •,  and  fometimes,  by  the  Force  of  the 
 
 »  If  we  fuppofe  the  Central  Fire  to  occupy  a  Sphere  of 
 gne  twentieth  Part  of  the  Earth's  Semidiameter,  on  either 
 Side  the  Center,  it  will  have,  at  leall,  three  ihou/and  Miles 
 of  Earth  to  break  through. 
 
 ^  See  Dr.  Burnet'^  Sacrsd  Theory  of  the  Earth.    Book  III. 
 
 Chapter  VII, 
 '    ■  ■  '  .rA'plofion 
 
5o6         APPENDIX.      Sed.  4, 
 
 Explofion  and  ilrong  Winds,  are  carried  through 
 the  Air  into  far  diftant  Countries.  The  ^antity 
 of  Fire^  thrown  out  from  the  Apertures  of  thefe 
 hurtling  Mountains,  is  prodigious,  and  almoft  in- 
 credible. Alphonfo  Borelliy  a  learned  Mathema- 
 tician of  Pifay  who  went  into  Sicily  to  view  the 
 EfFeds  of  the  great  Eruption  of  Mount  jEtna  in 
 1669,  eftimated  the  Quantity  of  difcharged  Mat- *" 
 ter  at  93  Millions,  838  Thoufand,  750  Cubical 
 Faces  -,  which,  if  it  had  been  extended  in  Length 
 •upon  the  Surface  of  the  Earth,  would  have  reach- 
 ed farther  than  93  Millions  of  Paces,  which  is 
 more  than  four  Times  the  Circuit  of  the  whole 
 Globe.  This  prodigious  Torrent  or  River  of 
 Fire  was,  according  to  Borelli,  tv/o  Miles  broad 
 in  fome  Places,  but,  according  to  others,  not 
 lefs  than  fix  or  feven  ;  and  fometimes  ten  or 
 fifteen  Fathom  deep  ;  and  forced  its  Way  jnto 
 the  Sea  near  a  Mile  in  Length,  without  being 
 cxtinguiOied  by  the  Waters. 
 
 Thefe  burning  Mountains  demonftrate,  that  the 
 Earth,  in  many  Places,  is  undermined  with  Fire^ 
 or  fuch  combuflible  Materials,  as,  from  Time 
 to  Time,  are  kindled  in  its  Bowels,  and  break 
 out  in  Smoke  and  Flame.  And,  if  we  add  the 
 Ph^enomena  of  Earthquakes,  which  are  juftly  fup- 
 pofed  to  proceed  from  Air  (hut  up  in  the  Bowels 
 of  the  Earth,  and  rarefied  by  fuhterraneous  Fire, 
 and  which  are  felt  more  or  lefs  in  every  Pare  of 
 the  Globe,  we  fee  good  Reafon  for  concluding, 
 
 that 
 
Se«5t.  4.  "The  General  Confagration.  s^7 
 that  the  whole  Surface  of  the  Earth  is  under- 
 mined, in  a  greater  or  lefs  Degree,  by  That 
 devouring  Element. 
 
 Now,  in  Order  to  effed  a  general  Conflagration 
 of  this  habitable   World,   Dr.  Burnei  fuppofes, 
 that,  through   a  fpecial  Interpofition  of  divine 
 Providence,  M  the  prelent  Volcanos  of  the  Earth 
 will  rage  at  once  with  their  utmoft  Fury,  and  a 
 Multitude  of  nev)  Volcanos  break  forth  in  other 
 Parts  of  the  Globe,  and  at  proper  Diftances  from 
 each  other.     Here  is  an  effedual  Caufe  of  a  ge- 
 neral Conflagration  and  Deftru6lion  of  this  habi- 
 table Earth.     For,    What   Refiftance   could   it 
 make  againft  Thoufands  of  burning  Rivers,  crof- 
 fing   it  in  all  Direftions,  uniting  their   feveral 
 Streams,  and  involving  its  Surface  in  one  grand 
 Inundation  of  Fire? 
 
 As  Auxiliaries  to  this  principal  Caufe  of  the 
 Conflagration,  the  learned  T'heorifl  introduces  the 
 Lakes  of  Pitch,  Brimftone,  and  oily  Liquors, 
 difperfed  in  feveral  Parts  of  the  Earth  ;  together 
 with  thofe  inflammable  Materials,  which  lie  con- 
 cealed in  the  Veins  of  the  Earth  -,  as,  Sulphur, 
 Salts,  Coal,  and  other  Foflils.  Thefe  will  help 
 the  exterior  Fire  to  penetrate  the  folid  Earth, 
 and  burn  it  up  to  a  confiderable  Depth.  At  the 
 fame  Time,  the  Atr  or  Atmofphere  may  be  l^jp- 
 pofed  fo  replete  and  overcharged  with  thofe 
 fiery  Meteors  and  Exhalations,  which  are  na- 
 turally engendered  in  it,  as  to  pour  them  down 
 
 in 
 
5o8         APPENDIX.      Sed:.  4. 
 
 in  Showers  of  Fire  upon  the  Earth.  Thefe  Caufes 
 will  operate  the  more  powerfully  and  efFedually, 
 if  they  be  preceded  (as  we  may  fuppofe  them  to 
 be)  by  a  great  and  long  Drought ;  fuch  as  will 
 dry  up  the  Fountains  and  Rivers,  parch  the 
 Ground,  and  render  its  Woods  and  Forells,  and 
 other  Vegetable  Produdions,  ready  Fuel  for  the 
 devouring  Flames. 
 
 Such  is  Dr.  Burnet's  Hypothefis,  abridged. 
 And,  indeed,  fo  powerful,  and  fo  deftrudlive, 
 are  the  Caufes  afiigned  by  That  learned  and  in- 
 genious Writer,  that  one  can  hardly  contemplate 
 them,  without  wondering,  as  PltJiy  the  Naturaliji 
 did ',  that  a  fingle  Day  pafTes  without  the  World's 
 being  fet  on  Fire  by  them. 
 
 The  next  Hypoihcfis  is  That  of  the  celebrated 
 Mr.  Whijion  ;  v/ho  fuppofes,  the  Conflagration  Qr 
 Burning  of  the  World  will  be  effedled  by  the  near 
 Approach  of  a  Cornet^  in  its  Afcent  from  the  Sun  *. 
 
 As  this  Author,  with  Dr.  Woodward^  fuppofes 
 a  Central  Fire  in  the  Bowels  of  the  Earth  fuffici- 
 cnt  of  itfelf  to  burn  up  and  difTolve  the  Upper 
 Earth,  were  it  not  prevented  from  fo  doing  by 
 the  Waters  of  tlie  Seas  and  Ocean,  and  the 
 Coidnefs  of  the  middle  region  of  the  Air  ; 
 if  thefe  Obftruftions  were  removed,  the  Central 
 Fire  alone   would  do  the  Bufinefs.     Now  this 
 
 7  Hiji.  Nat.  I.  2.  c.  106. 
 
 «  Ne--jJ!^  The^ary  of  the.  Eartht  6i\\  Edit.  p.  443 — 445. 
 
 Purpofe 
 
Se61.  4.     I'he  General  Confiagration.       509 
 
 Piirpofe  would  be  anfwered  by  the  pafTing  by  of 
 a  Cornet^  in  its  Afcent  from  the  Sun.  For,  in  the 
 firfl  Place,  the  Comet  would  attrad:  the  Earth  lb 
 ftrongly,  as  to  caufe  a  vaft  ^ide  in  the  Ahyfs  of 
 Waters  under  the  Earth ;  the  Confequence  of 
 which  would  be,  large  Breaches  or  FiiTures  in 
 the  fuperincumbent  Cruft  of  the  Earth,  fuffici- 
 ent  to  fwallow  up  the  main  Mafs  or  Bulk  of 
 Waters  upon  the  Face  of  the  Ground.  In  the 
 next  Place,  the  Vapours  of  the  Comeths  Atmofphere^ 
 through  which  the  Earth  muil  be  fuppofed  to 
 pals,  being  rendered  exceedingly  hot  and  fiery 
 by  its  late  near  Approach  to  the  Sun,  would 
 communicate  this  Effed  to  the  Air  or  Atmofphere 
 of  the  Earth,  and  render  That  fufficiently  hoc 
 and  fcorching.  To  which  may  be  added,  that 
 vaft  Quantities  o^ fiery  Matter.,  derived  from  the 
 Comeths  Atmofphere,  would  run  down  the  FifTures 
 or  Openings  into  the  Bowels  of  the  Earth,  and, 
 by  joining  the  central  hot  Steams  already  there, 
 invigorate  them,  and  accelerate  the  direful  In- 
 flammation: which  prevailing  Heat  would  be 
 not  a  little  increafed  by  fiery  Corpufdes,  fent  out 
 by  the  Central  Body  itfelf. 
 
 The  Third  is  the  Hypothejis  of  the  learned 
 Mr.  William  WalU  Author  of  the  Hifiory  of  In- 
 fant-Baptifm.     This  Gentleman  9,  having  obfer- 
 
 »  Pofi/cript  to  Mr.  S'xintitn*^  Enquiry  vitv  the  Nature  and 
 Place  of  Hell, 
 
 ved, 
 
^lo         A  P  P  EN  D  I  X.      Sed.  4^ 
 
 ved,    that   in    is    very    probable,    "    there   are 
 "  belonging   to  the   Sun  a  great  many   more 
 "  Planets  than  what  we  fee,  fome  perhaps  with- 
 *'  in  the  Orb  of  Mercury^  never  feen  nor  to  be 
 "  feen  by  us,  but  a  great  Number  imthout  or 
 *'  beyond  the  Orb  of  Saturn^  which  we  can  ne- 
 "  ver  fee,"    gives   it    as    his   Opinion,     that, 
 "  When  any  Planet  comes,  by  Force  of  God's 
 *'  Providence  and  Decree  to  be  deftroyed,  the 
 "  ordinary  Way  of  its  Deflruftion  is,  by  falling 
 "  inio  the  Sun,  or  fo  near  the  Flames  thereof,  as 
 "  to  be  burnt  up  •,"  and  that  "  we  ourfelves  have 
 *'  iz^n  many  of  thefe  Funeral  Fires ;  I  mean," 
 (fays  he)  "  that  ail  Comets  are  fuch."  For,  "  The 
 "  plain  Phcenomenon  of  a  Comet  is,  that  it  is  a 
 "  fplid  Body,  about  the  Bignefs  of  the  Earth, 
 "  (fomething  more  or  lefs)  all  on  Fire  ;  and  the 
 *'  late  Aftronomers  (Sir  Ifaac  Newton^  Mr.  Hal- 
 "  ley^    Mr.  Flamfiead)  have  obferved  that  they 
 "  always  have  their  Line  of  Motion,  falling  to- 
 "  ward  the  Sun.     One  or  more  of  them,  after 
 "  they  have  feemed  to  have  fallen  quite  into  the 
 "  Sun,  have  been  feen  afterward  to  emero-e  ag;ain 
 "  out  of  that  Flame,  and  mount  again  from  him 
 *'  fafter  than  ever  they  fell,    and  fo  go  back 
 *'  quite  out  of  our  Sight.     Their  Elements  in 
 *'  the  mean  Time  (fuch  Elements  as  they  have, 
 "  that  are  evaporable)   being  turned   into  Va- 
 "  pour  and  Smoke,   do  (both  in  their  Defcent, 
 "  and  in  their  Afcent,  if  they  have  any)  make 
 
 "  That 
 
Sedl.  4»     ^he  Genera!  Co-nfagration.       511 
 
 "  That  Tail  or  Hair  of  the  Comet  which  we 
 "  fee."  This  Hypothecs  the  learned  Writer 
 applies  to  the  general  Confiagration  or  Burning  of 
 the  IVorld^  in  thefe  Words :  "  When  our  bleffed 
 *'  Saviour  Ihall  come  in  the  Clouds,  &c.  and, 
 "  the  dead  in  Chrift  being  firft  raifed,  the  righ- 
 "  teous  then  living  fhall  (being  changed)  be 
 "  caught  up  together  with  them  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 "  the  Air^  never  to  be  parted  from  him ;  then 
 "  the  Earthy  being  now  forfaken  of  God,  and 
 *'  of  all  that  was  good  in  it,  will  be  left  (toge^ 
 "  ther  with  the  Moon)  to  fall  into  That  horrid 
 "  Flame  :  in  which  Defcent  (before  it  ever 
 *'  come  to  the  Fire  itfelf)  not  only  the  wicked 
 *'  Men,  with  all  that  is  on  the  Surface,  will  be 
 "  burnt  up  -,  but  alfo  the  Heavens,  i.  e.  the 
 *'  Sky  about  the  Earth,  will  be  diflblved,  and 
 *'  the  Elements  (of  Air,  Water,  &c.)  be  eva- 
 "  porated,  or  melt  with  fervent  Heat,  and  the 
 "  Body  of  the  Earth  burnt  to  a  Coal." 
 
 Such  are  the  Caufes  of  the  general  Conflagration 
 or  Burning  of  the  World,  affigned  by  thefe 
 learned  and  philofophical  Writers.  It  is,  in- 
 deed, impoflible  we  Ihould  determine  this  Quef- 
 tion  with  Certainty,  God  having  made  no  Reve- 
 lation of  his  divine  Will,  refpe6ling  the  Source 
 and  Origin  of  That  Fire  he  will  employ  as  his 
 Agent  in  the  Deflruclion  of  the  World.  But,. 
 of  the  three  Hypothefes,  I  cannot  but  give  the 
 Preference  to  Dr.  Burnett.  The  Fire  he  points 
 4.  out 
 
512  APPENDIX.      Sea.  4. 
 
 out  is  vifible  and  well  known  in  many  Parts  of 
 the  habitable  Earth.  There  appears  to  be  a 
 Quantity  of  it  fufficient  for  the  dreadful  Purpofe 
 of  burning  up  the  Earth  and  the  Works  that  are 
 therein.  2  Pet.  iii.  10.  And  we  cannot  well  con- 
 ceive, to  what  End  fo  vaft  a  Magazine  of  That 
 devouring  Element  is  lodged  at  fo  fmall  a  Dif- 
 tance  below  the  Surface  of  the  Earth,  if  not  to  be 
 the  immediate  Inftrument,  in  the  Hand  of  Pro- 
 vidence, of  effecting  the  threatned  Deftrudion  of 
 this  Terraqueous  Globe. 
 
 There  is  another  Provijion  of  Fire  in  the  Con- 
 ftitution  of  the  Natural  World,  of  which  Dr. 
 Burnet  was  not  aware,  and  which,  probably, 
 will  have  its  Share  in  producing  the  Conflagration. 
 I  mQ2Ln,Thzt Elementary  Fire,  which,  Philofophers 
 are  now  generally  agreed,  is  difperfed  through- 
 out all  Nature,  and  with  which  our  Atmofphere 
 is  replete.  This  Fire,  though  invifible  and  un- 
 perceivable,  while  equally  difperfed,  yet,  by 
 artificial  Colledions  of  it,  becomes  an  Objed: 
 both  of  Sight  and  Feeling  ;  as  is  evident  from 
 Experiments  in  Ele5lricity.  This  Elementary  Fire 
 may,  by  the  mighty  Power  of  God,  be  colleded 
 together,  and  poured  down  in  fiery  Torrents  on 
 the  Earth.  And  thus  there  will  be  a  remark- 
 able Analogy  between  the  Manner  of  the  Deluge 
 and  That  of  the  Conflagration ;  the  former  effe(51:- 
 ed  by  fukerraneous  and  fuper7ial  Waters,  the  lat- 
 ter by  fubterrancous  and  fuperna I  Fires. 
 
 Dr. 
 
Sdifl.  4»     ^he  General  Conflagration,      51^ 
 
 Dr.  Burnet  introduces  Angels  into  the  Scene  of 
 the  Cor.flagration  *.  Their  Power  is  unqueftion- 
 ably  very  great  i  and,  as  they  fecm  to  have  been 
 preferit  and  aflifting  in  the  Work  of  the  Creation^ 
 (Job  xxxviii.  7.)  it  is  not  unlikely  they  will  be 
 prefent  and  concerned  in  the  DeJiru£iion  of  the 
 World.  It  is  certain,  they  will  defcend  with  our 
 Saviour,  Vv'hen  he  comes  to  judge  the  World 
 (Matth.  XXV.  31.)  and  we  have  already  *  ventur- 
 ed to  allign  them  the  Offices  of  marflialling 
 Mankind,  on  That  folemn  Occafion,  and,  after 
 Sentence  pafled,  conducing  the  Righteous  and 
 the  Wicked  to  their  refpedive  Places  of  Happinefs 
 and  Mifery.  Why,  then,  may  we  not  fuppofe  a 
 Number  of  them  employed,  under  the  Provi- 
 dence of  God,  in  ordering  and  direfling  the  O- 
 peration  of  thofe  Natural  Caufes,  which  will  fet 
 the  World  on  Fire^  and  accomplifh  its  Dellruc- 
 tion  ? 
 
 S  E  C  T  I  O  N     V. 
 
 0/  the  Effects  of  the  Conflagration. 
 
 "^Xr  E  have  already  feen,  that  the  grand  Effect 
 
 ^  ^     of  the  Conflagration  will  be,  the  Deftrut* 
 
 tion  of  this  World,  as  an  habitable  World  :  Tht 
 
 Earthy   and  the  Works  that  are  therein,  Jliall  U 
 
 •   Sacred  Theory,  &c.  Book  HI.  Chap,  VIII. 
 -    »  Dissert.  III.  Sbct.  IV. 
 
 L  1  ^urnf 
 
514         A  P  P  E  N  D  I  X.       Sea.  5. 
 
 lurnt  up^  2  V^x..  \(\,  10.  This  terraqueous  Globe 
 fliall  be  reduced,  by  the  laft  Fire,  to  fo  ruinous  a 
 Condition,  as  to  be  no  longer  a  fit  Dwelling- 
 Place  for  Raticnaly  or  even  Brule ,  Animals. 
 
 But  here  it  has  been  Matter  of  Enquiry,  whe- 
 ther the  whole  Siibjlanee  of  the  Earthy  down  to  its 
 very  Center^  or  only  its  exterior  Form  and  prefent 
 Slaii^  will  be  dellroycd  by  the  lafl  Fire. 
 
 Now,  the  Scriptures  reprefent  the  Deflrudlion 
 of  the  World  in  Terms,  which  feem  to  exprefs 
 a  total  Deftrudion  of  it.  It  will  perifli^  (Pf  ciL 
 26.)  be  diffshed,  (2  Pet.  iii.  11.)  and  pafs  away^ 
 Rev.  xxi.  I.  &c.  But  it  is  certain,  that  the 
 {Irongeft  of  thefe  Expreflions,  That  oi perijhing^ 
 is  applied,  by  St.  Feter^  to  the  Deftruftion  of  the 
 World  by  the  Waters  of  the  Deluge :  the  World 
 that  then  was,  being  overfiirwed  with  Water,  perijli- 
 ed,  2  Pet-  iii.  6.  A  Deftruftion,  which,  we 
 know  by  Experience,  reached  no  farther  than  to 
 the  exterior  Form  of  the  Earth. 
 
 If  it  be  faid,  that  the  World  and  all  Things 
 therein  being  created  for  the  Ufe  of  Man,  and 
 Man  having  no  farther  Concern  with  this  World, 
 after  his  Removal  to  another,  it  is  reafonable  to 
 think,  that  this  Material  Frame,  as  of  no  far- 
 ther Ufe  in  the  Creation,  will  be  entirely  de- 
 firoyed,  and  blotted  out  from  among  the  Works 
 bf  God ;  it  may  be  replied.  That  the  Works  of 
 the  Creation  may  ferve  to  many  other  Ends,  than 
 are  difcoverable  by  Human  Reafon,  and  that 
 I  this 
 
Sedl.  5'     ne  General  Conjlagraf ion,       515 
 
 this  may  be  the  Cafe  with  this  habitaWe  Globe ; 
 which  may  be  continued  in  being  for  ibmc  ether 
 wife^Parpoles  of  God's  Providence,  after  it  has 
 ceafed  "tb^be  an  Halkaticm  of  Mankind. 
 
 lo  Hiort,  neither  the  I^anguage  of  Scriptore, 
 nor  the  macifcib  Design  of  G'>.i  in  creating  this 
 World,  oblige  us  to  conclude,  that  the  gsmt-d 
 Ccvjhgraiixm  will  end.  m  the  utl:ir  Dejij'u^ims  and 
 Annibilatim  of  this  Earthly  Scene. 
 
 On  the  other  Hand,  the  great ,  ii;/^;/ of  the 
 Ccnjlagnrlwn^  the  Deftrudion  of  this  habitable 
 World  f.s  JucX\  will  be  fofficiently  anfwered  by 
 the  Rqin  of  its  exterior  Ffln/7,  a  Dijfoluiion  oiLi- 
 quef anion  of  its  Suhflarice  to  a  confuierable  Depth 
 below  its  Surface,  And  there  is  the  greater ReaioQ 
 for  fuppofing  iMs.  will  be  the  Cafe,  as  the  Sup- 
 pofuion  preferves  the  Analagy  (already  menti- 
 oned) between  the  Dduge  and  the  Canfiagratim. 
 The  former  deilrc^^ed  the  Earth  by  diilblvino- 
 a^d  reducing  its  upper  Parts  to  a  State  of  Fm- 
 dhy  J  the  latter  isiH  do  the  iarne,  by  difiblvirfg 
 and  reducins^  the  f^me  Parts  to  a  Cba^s  or  Sea  of 
 Uqtiid  Fire^ 
 
 But  what  will  become  of  this  ruimd  Plasui^ 
 sfter  the  Extinftion  of  the  laft  Fire?  Will  it 
 maintain  its  Station  in  the  Heaveos,  and  conti- 
 nue its  Revolutions  about  the  Sun  ?  Or,  will  it 
 be  call  out,  and  thrown  aQde^  as  ttfdefs  LtmlcT^ 
 into  fome  remote  and  obfciire  Corner  of  the  Uni- 
 verfe,  tliere  gradually  to  decay,  fall  to  Pieces, 
 L  1  2  and. 
 
5i6         APPENDIX.      Sea.  5, 
 
 and,  at  Length,  relapfe  of  itfelf  into  its  original^ 
 Nothing  ? 
 
 Dr.  Burnet^  we  know,  has  provided,  for  this 
 habitable  Earth,  another,  and  a  much  more  glo- 
 rious. State,  after  its  Defolation  by  the  laft  Fire. 
 He  has  built  a  new  IVorld^  new  Heavens  and  a 
 new  Earthy  out  of  the  Ruins  of  the  old,  and 
 peopled  it  with  the  Sons  of  the  firji  Refurre^liony 
 the  Heirs  of  the  Millennium  *.  But,  if  the  Mil- 
 lennial Kingdom  of  Chrifi  belongs  to  the  World  in 
 its  prefent  natural  State,  and  will  precede  the 
 judgment  of  Mankind  and  the  Conflagration^  as 
 we  have  fhewn  ♦  it  will,  Dr.  Burnetts  Hypothefis 
 falls  to  the  Ground,  and  muft  be  confidered  as 
 a  Creature  of  his.  own  Imagination,  a  mere  Cajik 
 in  the  Air. 
 
 But,  admitting  Dr.  Burnett  'Theory  for  true,  it 
 iiill  remains  a  Queftion,  what  will  become  of  the 
 renovated  Earthy  the  new  Worlds  after  the  Exr 
 piration  of  the  Millennium  ?  In  Anfwer  to  which, 
 the  'Theorijl  delivers  it  as  his  Opinion,  that  it  will 
 be  "  changed  into  the  Nature  of  a  Sun  or  fixed 
 ''  Star,  and  fhine  like  them  in  the  Firmament; 
 "  being  all  m.eked  dov/n  into  a  Mafs  of  asthereal 
 "  Matter,  and  enlightening  a  Sphere  or  Orb 
 "  round  about  it  *.**     As  the  learned   Writer 
 
 ^   Sacred  Theory  of  the  Earth t  Book  III. 
 ♦  Dissertation  III.  Section  II.    5. 
 i  Ubi  furpa,  Chap.  X. 
 
 pretends 
 
Scvit.  5-     The  General  Confagratiofi,      517 
 
 pretends  to  no  Proof  of  this  Opinion,  it  requires 
 no  Remark. 
 
 Mr.  IVhiftcn  contents  himfelf  with  faying,  that 
 *'  at  the  Conclufion  of  the  Millennium^  the  final 
 *'  Judgment.^  and  Confummaticn  of  all  Things,  the 
 "  Earth  will  defert  it  prefent  Seat  and  Station 
 "  in  the  World,  and  be  no  longer  found  among 
 "  the  Planetary  Chorus  *."  In  Proof  of  which, 
 he  refers  to  Rev.  xx.  11.  where  St.  John  fays, 
 Ifaw  a  great  white  Throne^  and  him  that  fat  there- 
 en  5  from  whofe  Face  the  Earth  and  the  Heavens 
 fled  away,  and  there  was  found  no  Place  for  them. 
 
 Mr.  fVall,  fuppofing  (as  we  haye  feen)  that 
 the  Comets  are  fo  many  Planets,  that  hsive  fallen 
 into  the  Sun  and  been  burnt  up,  and  that  their 
 Elements,  turned  into  Vapour  and  Smoke,  make  the 
 'Tail  or  Hair  of  the  Comet,  adds  :  "  Which  Tail 
 "  or  Hair  may  (if  the  Comet  get  up  again  far 
 *'  enough  out  of  the  Heat)  fettle  again  upon 
 "  that  Nucleus  or  Coal  of  the  Comet's  Body, 
 "  and  perhaps  become  a  much  more  glorious 
 *'  Planet  or  Earth,  than  it  was  before."  Then, 
 reprefenting  this  our  Earth  as  fallen  into  the  Sun, 
 and  its  Body  burnt  to  a  Coal,  he  fays  :  **  But, 
 *'  whether  this  Coal  will  (like  a  Nut-Shell  let 
 "  fall  into  a  great  Flame)  be  toffed  out  again, 
 "  and  carried  to  a  new  and  better  Place  in  the 
 "  Firmament,  and  become  a  new  Earth  in  a 
 
 *  fle-w  Theory,  &(;,  p.  291, 
 
 "  new 
 
^1^        APPENDIX.      Sea  ^: 
 
 '*  new  Heaven  or  Sky,  znd  there  be  the  Scene 
 **  of  the  Millennial  State,  I  at  prefcnt  forbear 
 "  to  eonfider  7.'* 
 
 Mr.  Wbijion  feems  to  me  to  have  gone  as  far, 
 in  determining  the  Fate  of  this  earthly  Globe, 
 after  the  Confiagratmiy  as  can  be  warranted  by 
 Reafon  or  Scripture.  In  the  ruinous  Condition, 
 to  which  it  win  tfren  be  reduced  fforfaken  of  all 
 i^s  Inhabitants,  and  its  eixtcrior  Form,  to  a  con- 
 flderable  Depih,  melted  « -own  into  a  Sm  of  /£- 
 qNtd  Fire)  it  feems  to  be  a  very  unfit  Compankn 
 for  the  reft  of  its  Fellow  Planets,  as  well  as  dif- 
 qualified  for  the  Rank  it  Iield  in  the  Syftem  of 
 the  Univerfe.  Nor  is  the  Lofs  of  fiich  a  Wor^d 
 as  this  of  any  Confequence  in  the  Syfiem  of  the 
 Univerfe.  For,  of  how  great  Cbnfideration  and 
 Importance  foever  it  may  appear  to  Us  its  Inha- 
 bitants 5  \n  theSight  of  God  it  is  as.  nothing,  bear-^ 
 in'g  Hctle  or  no  Proportion  to  the  Multitude,, 
 Magnitude,  and  Immenfity  of  God*s  Works  ; 
 infomuch  that  the  Eye  of  an  Angel  or  Jrehangel^ 
 furveying  the  numberlefs  Syftcm-s  of  Worlds, 
 wotild  hardly  perceive  the  Ablence  of  this  little, 
 isiconfidcrable.  Globe.  And,  as  to  any  little  ir>- 
 convenience  or  Dillutbance  that  may  arife  to  the 
 S^lar  S-yfism  from  the  Lofs  of  a  conftituent  Mem- 
 ber, it  is,  fu-rely,  in  the  Power  of  God  to  apply 
 
 '  UbI  fupra. 
 
 an 
 
Sed;.  5*     T^he  General  Confiagration.       519 
 
 an  immediate  Remedy,  £nd  etfedually  remove 
 iuch  Inconvenience  or  Difturbance. 
 
 For  which  Reaibns  we  ;.nay  very  juftly  un- 
 derftarsd  the  PalTage  of  St.  Johi^  quoted  by 
 Mn  IVhiJion^  as  importing,  no:  only  (as  has  been 
 already  obferved)  the  Deftrufiion  of  this  habitable 
 World,  but  its  Expulsion  likewife,  or  Banish- 
 ment, from  the  Planetary  System.  What 
 will  becoaie  of  the  ruined  Fabric^  after  its  Place 
 1^  the  Heavens  (hall  be  no  longer/cfe'^J,  we  tnuft 
 kave  to  the  Decermioation  of  the  wife  Majler- 
 bidlder.  who  eredled  it. 
 
 THE     END. 
 
'f',*. 
 
m 
 
 \