more manifeft, barefaced delufion than their doctrine is? One instance more upon the doctrine of reftitution. Natural death is a great destruction---it is universal to mankind; but restitution is defigned. It is included in the firft promife after the apoftacy, before the fentence was paffed. And the doctrine of the refurrection runs through the revelations of God. We know the period of death's reign and of the commencement of the refurrection is fixed. When the last trumpet fhall found, the great day of the refurrection fhall commence. We know the most important circumstances of the refurrection, both of the juft and unjuft. The bodies of the righteous fhall arise fpiritual, powerful, glorious, immortal in an everlasting life : but the wicked shall arise to everlasting shame, contempt and damnation. These are inftances and illustrations of the true fcripture doctrine of reftitution. Is their's like it? In no instance, in no one important circumftance. It is no more like it than the delufions of fatan commonly are to the truths of God. If therefore we make the scripture doctrine of restitution our rule in judging upon the subject, (and we have none other, their doctrine being oppofite to the method in which the true doctrine is conftantly revealed, there being no hope of fuch reftitution accompanying or annexed to any one defcription of the future punishment, and not a single description of it, much lefs with a clearnefs, repetition, folemnity and energy anfwerable to its importance) we muft judge it an incredible and moft pernicious delufion. And we fhall fee it every way excluded, confuted, and reprobated in fcripture before we have done with the fubject.

Wherefore, in as much as the future punishment is commonly represented in terms oppofite and exclufive of life and bleffedness, and in every description of it without limitation or end, by the conftruction of reafon---the exprefs rule of the apostle, and the fcripture doctrine of reftitution itself; it is ftrongly imported, to be without end, without hope and eternal.

It is to be remembered, that this punishment is not only thus strongly imported, in every description, but it is alfo purposely, exprefsly, repeatedly, literally taught and afferted to be eternal; in terms, words and phrafes emphatically expreffive of eternity. Thus we are taught, that the wicked" fhall be de

ftroyed

ftroyed forever:" fhall arife to fhame and everlasting contempt." And it is afferted, "that they fhall go away into everlasting punishment:" and " fhall be punished with an everlasting deftruction." And in our text, " that they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." In these and parallel rexts we are defignedly taught the duration of their pu nifhment in a literal description of it. It is "forever,”« everlafting," "and forever and ever ;" and this last phrafe " forever and ever" is emphatically expreffive of eternity as appli ed to God, to denote and defcribe the eternity of his existence, of his attributes, of his throne and kingdom, &c. and as defcriptive of his faints everlafting happiness: and no less emphatical as defcriptive of the endless punishment of the wicked: it being never applied to deftruction but to denote it perpetual, as exclufive of all idea and hope of deliverance or restoration, as before noted. Can there be a more certain rule to fix the meaning of a phrafe, than the perpetual, unvaried ufe of it throughout infpiration? If this will not do it, it seems impoffible to be done. And it is obfervable, that the very fame words and phrafeology is ufed to exprefs the perpetual, uncealing and eternal duration of the glory and happiness of the righteous and of the punishment of the wicked: as in the fentence of the laft judgment, and the phrafeology in the text day and night forever and ever." This is the highest, ftrongeft, and most emphatic, literal defcription given us of the eternity of the one, and the other, and of both alike. And can this be without defign? Now when the duration of this future punishment, is thus exprefsly, defignedly and literally taught us and afferted to be eternal, in words, terms and phrafes emphatically expreffive of eternity, to fay the duration of it is not determinately and decifively fixed, appears prefumptuous and impious.

Moreover, the figurative defcriptions of this punishment are equally ftrong, emphatical and decifive of it as hopeless of reftitution and of endless duration. What figurative' defcriptions can exhibit a state hopeless of reftitution with stronger force and beyond that of putrid bad fish, caft away for putrefaction; is there any hope of their recovery for ufe? or that of a criminal, merciless * Pfalm 92. 7. + Daniel 12. 2. Mat. 25. ult. 2 Thef. 1.9. See Mat. 25. Rev. 7. 15, 16, 17. and Rev. 22. 5.

merciless debtor, who owes ten thoufand talents, and has nothing to pay; caft into prison, and his imprisonment to continue until he hath paid the last farthing, the laft mite? or that of a man not having on the wedding garment, bound hand and foot and caft out of the kingdom of God, into outer darkness ? must not his cafe be abfolutely defperate thus deprived of all means, "caft out of the kingdom and bound hand and foot too?" Thefe are figurative defcriptions of their hopeless state, given by our Lord himself. Alike strong are those others given by infpiration, of their being configned to the blackness of darknefs forever---of their being caft by the juftice and power of God for punishment, into a lake of fire and brimftone. Every defcription moft pointedly fhewing it, hopeless of deliverance and reftitution, because infinitely above and beyond the reach of means and power in all the creation. And the figurative descriptions are equally emphatical and decifive of the endless duration of it. It is fet forth by devouring fire, that fhall devour the adverfaries---by eternal fire---everlasting burnings; emphatically the everlafting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And if poffible yet more ftrongly, by unquenchable fire, that in the principle of it cannot be quenched, a fire that fhall never be quenched"---" a worm that dieth not, and a fire that is not quenched." Our Lord has taught us in the 25th of Matthew, what he means by this fire, the fire of hell. In the 41ft verfe he tells us, the wicked fhall depart into everlafting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And in the last verse he tells us his meaning without a figure, literally," they fhall go away into everlasting punishment." By this key therefore, by unquenchable fire he must mean literally "endless punishment"---" by the worm that dieth not, and a fire that is not quenched, a fire that fhall never be quenched,' he muft mean a punishment that hath not and never shall have an end. It is fet forth by fire, to denote the extremity of it; and by unquenchable, that is not quenched, fhall never be quenched, most strongly to denote the eternity of it. The figurative terms in which it is expreffed, will admit of no other confiftent, literal construction, according to the key which he hath given us. And it is obfervable, that our Lord teacheth this endless punishinent with great folemnity, over and over Aagain

H

ftroyed forever:"* fhall arife to fhame and everlafting contempt." And it is afferted, " that they fhall go away into everlasting punishment:" and " fhall be punished with an everlafting deftruction." And in our text, " that they shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." In these and parallel rexts we are defignedly taught the duration of their punifhment in a literal defcription of it. It is "forever," "everlafting," "and forever and ever ;" and this laft phrafe " forever and ever" is emphatically expreffive of eternity as applied to God, to denote and defcribe the eternity of his existence, of his attributes, of his throne and kingdom, &c. and as defcriptive of his faints everlasting happiness: and no less emphatical as defcriptive of the endless punishment of the wicked: it being never applied to deftruction but to denote it perpetual, as exclufive of all idea and hope of deliverance or reftoration, as before noted. Can there be a more certain rule to fix the meaning of a phrafe, than the perpetual, unvaried ufe of it throughout infpiration? If this will not do it, it feems impoffible to be done. And it is obfervable, that the very fame words and phrafeology is ufed to exprefs the perpetual, unceafing and eternal duration of the glory and happiness of the righteous and of the punishment of the wicked: as in the fentence of the laft judgment, and the phrafeology in the text day and night forever and ever." This is the highest, ftrongeft, and most emphatic, literal description given us of the eternity of the one, and the other, and of both alike. And can this be without defign? Now when the duration of this future punishment, is thus exprefsly, defignedly and literally taught us and afferted to be eternal, in words, terms and phrafes emphatically expreffive of eternity, to fay the duration of it is not determinately and decifively fixed, appears prefumptuous and impious.

Moreover, the figurative defcriptions of this punishment are equally ftrong, emphatical and decifive of it as hopeless of reftitution and of endless duration. What figurative defcriptions can exhibit a ftate hopeless of reftitution with stronger force and beyond that of putrid bad fish, caft away for putrefaction; is there any hope of their recovery for use? or that of a criminal, merciless

* Pfalm 92. 7. † Daniel 12. 2. Mat. 25. ult. || 2 Thef. 1. 9. § See Mat. 25. Rev. 7. 15, 16, 17. and Rev. 22. 5.

merciless debtor, who owes ten thousand talents, and has nothing to pay; caft into prison, and his imprisonment to continue until he hath paid the laft farthing, the laft mite? or that of a man not having on the wedding garment, bound hand and foot and caft out of the kingdom of God, into outer darkness ? must not his cafe be abfolutely defperate thus deprived of all means, "caft out of the kingdom and bound hand and foot too?" These are figurative defcriptions of their hopeless state, given by our Lord himself. Alike strong are those others given by inspiration, of their being configned to the blackness of darknefs forever---of their being caft by the juftice and power of God for punishment, into a lake of fire and brimftone. Every description moft pointedly fhewing it, hopeless of deliverance and reftitution, because infinitely above and beyond the reach of means and power in all the creation. And the figurative descriptions are equally emphatical and decifive of the endlefs duration of it. It is fet forth by devouring fire, that fhall devour the adverfaries---by eternal fire---everlasting burnings; emphatically the everlafting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And if poffible yet more ftrongly, by unquenchable fire, that in the principle of it cannot be quenched; "a fire that fhall never be quenched"---" a worm that dieth not, and a fire that is not quenched." Our Lord has taught us in the 25th of Matthew, what he means by this fire, the fire of hell. In the 41ft verfe he tells us, the wicked fhall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And in the last verse he tells us his meaning without a figure, literally," they fhall go away into everlasting punishment." By this key therefore, by unquenchable fire he must mean literally "endless punishment"---" by the worm that dieth not, and a fire that is not quenched, a fire that shall never be quenched," he muft mean a punishment that hath not and never shall have an end. It is fet forth by fire, to denote the extremity of it; and by unquenchable, that is not quenched, fhall never be quenched, most strongly to denote the eternity of it. The figurative terms in which it is expreffed, will admit of no other confiftent, literal conftruction, according to the key which he hath given us. And it is obfervable, that our Lord teacheth this endless punishment with great folemnity, over and over H

again