THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL, Commanded to be preached by JESUS CHRIST, JUDGE of the Living andDEAD^ UNTO AH Creatures^ Mark xVu ij.: CONCERNING ^ THE ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOUND OUT BY HiM;, Whereby Devil:, Sin^ Hell and Death:, {hall at laft be aboliflied, and the whole Creatioi and to he faved from the DeftruBion other wife waiting for them, 2. Thus he gave divers Preachers of Right eouf- nefs to the antediluvian World j and waited fidl an hundred and'twenty Fears for their Repentance. Before God executed the Judgment of the Affyrian andBdbylonim Captivity upon his People of liv^dy be did not only firft beftow upon them all manner of bodily Good^ but alfo fent them many of his faithful Servants and Prophet Sy who delivered un- to them many excellent Prophecies concerning the Reftorer of all Things, the Lord Meffiah. Fea-, Mon k pf^lfd tk next by far more dreadful 3 Judgment ( vi ) Judgment upon thuNation-i he fir ft fent them even his only ana 7mft beloved Sony difclofing unto them hy him moft perfeBly his infinite Love towards all Kis Creatures ; mhich alfo afterwards he did by the holy Apoftles. 3, Nowy Jiuce verily the future great and ter^^ rifle Day is nigh at hand-, wherein the Anger of the hitherto fo patient LAMB is to be kindled againft the prefent Antichriftian Worlds Rev.vi. 16 y 17. what Wonder li)eny that Gody who will not the Death of a Sinner ^ is opening at this Time all the Treafures of his everlafting fjyve towards all his Creatures? His Defign in fo doing iSy with refpect to the Wicked^ to try his utmofty and to fee whether by thefe means he may bring fome of them to Repentance^ fo that they may begin to love again that God who with his eternal Lmje and Mercy fo tenderly loves them^ and thus efcape the future terrible Judgment^ and be able to ft and before the Son of Man, But as to the little Flock of his Faithful^ or the Bride ofjefusy which is on her Pilgrimage in the Church militant here m Earth-, he is leading them now upon Mount Thabor-) there to let them fee their future Trans-^ figuration^ yeay the A by fs of his perfeBLovC:, there-- by powerfully to ftrengthen them againft their ap^^ proaching Sufferings^ becaufe they will foon be fed with their Bridegroom to Mount Golgathuy there to be crucified with him. For-, verily^ the perfeB Deliverance of the Children of God will not come till they have been fir ft put to the Teft in Laodi- cea^ a72d the Empire of Darknefs has exercifed its moft extreme Fury on them* 4* For 4, Notpf for the above-nnentimei Purpofe it iS that this fimple Teftimony of ^^^e everiafting and endlefsLove of GOD towavds all his CfeattireSf far recorded in this prefent little Book. IfthoUy be- loved Reader, makefl proper Ufe of it (to the End whereof I wijh thee the necejfary Light of the Holy Spirit) thou wilt reap Abundance of Benefit from it in Time and Eternity-, and not know hom to thank God-i the infinite Love-^ enough for it. 5. But if thou turneft into Lajcivioufnefs:, that tt>hicb is declared unto thee in order to bring thee to Repentance and true Amendment of Life-, and if thou doeft pervert it to fortify thy f elf in thy carnal Se^ curttyy then will-, 0 Man-^ thy Doom he ]ufi in the of judmenty nay-, even in this fForld; may thy outward State and Condition here he whatfo- . ever it wiUy Emperor-) King-, Prince-, Count-) Ba- ron-, Gentleman-) Citizen or Peafant-) rich or poor^ learned or unlearned. I and all the Chil- dren ofLoi^-, who by the enlivening Knowledge of the everlafiing and endlefs Love of God:, which is reprefented unto thee in this Treatife quite plain and without obfcure enigmatical or proverbial Say-* ings-) we-) I fay-) who are not made carelefs by fuch Love of God:, but daily more and more fanBified and mightily encouraged for our fpirituaL Combat againfi the Devil-) World, Sin, HeU, mid Deaths we will affifi in condemning thee. Fea, this little Book-) which now is given thee as a Means ofLifCy {hall then become thy Death, a Worm which wiU gnaw thee Day and Night, an unextinguifhable Fire. The Lord preferve tke from it^ if thou Je- ^eji to hpreferv^S, 6.Jf C viii ) 6. If any onejhouldundertah rajhly to contra^ iiB the eternal Truth fet forth In this Treatt^fe^ or to write againft it-^ he may do it at his Peril] hut then I would have him to know*, that the empty Pa- pours of the Gloffes of hisReafon wiU never be ahk to olfcure the hight Sun-heams of fo many clear Te ft monies of the holy Script ure'^ which treat of the everla fling Love of Goa towards all his Crea-^ ttires; (efpecially as they are exhibited in the Xllrh Chapter of this Treatife) and that I count him too feeble and unable to thruft that God from his Throne^ who is everlafting Love towards all his CreatureSy and to enthrone a ftrange God-^ who is to be woffhipped as endlefs Fury towards moji of his Creatures. 7. And if any body fhmdd go fofar as to ca- lumniate this Testimony of eternal Truthy and te perfecute my PerfoU:, as much as lies in his Power y he imift know that I wtU 'not be revenged on him in any other U^ay than by offering l^m up Day and Night to the endlefs and tender Love of God ^ together with all the reft of corrupt Creatures being Prif oners in the Center of Wrath to the End that they may every one of them-, by Chrift Jefus^ the . Son of eternal Love:) be brought back again into the Center of eternal Love-^ from whence they are fallen:^ and thus enjoy for ever and ever that God who is nothing elfe but Love J JTea^ Amen! fo be it^ Lord JeJuSy thou eternal and miverfal Saviour^ Amen/ CHAP' ( t ) C H A P T E R I GOD) in hh JVotd^ iefcnbet Htmfelf as the Everlasting Essential LO FE^ and the Refidt thereof^ 1 .^s&I^ONE can better defcribe GOD .g N ^^^^ God Himfelf, or tliat in the Q jg. holy Scriptures teftifying Spirit of *^qP*' God. JohnL ig* i Cor, ii. lOjii, II. The Holy Spirit defcribesGoD, or the Di- vine Being) thus, that he is a (a) Spirit; a (k) Light without Darknefs; the (c) Father of Lights^ from whom all good and all perfeB Gifts de/cend^ with whom is no FariahknefSy neither Shadow of turning; aid) confmning Fire. (a) John IN > 24. (b) I John I 5, (^) Jame4 i. 17. (d) Heb.xn.29. Deut. iv, 24* III. But all Defcriptions of the Pivine Beings that we find in the holy Scriptures^ together with all what may be believed^ thought, or ut-^ tered of God, center in this one Word Love^ which the Holy Ghoft attefts by St. Jokh j&y- ing, GOD is Love, i Johniv. 16. IV. If God is Love eflentially, and thai GOD and Love is one and the ftnie Thing, it foilowes inconteftably, that whatfbever God A xlodi> ( o doth) (though in our Eyes it fhould appear to be the moft terrible Affair) proceeds from Love, becaufeGod, who does it, is Love irfelf; as, on the contrary^ whatfoever Satan doth^ let it ap- pear never fo good and ufeful, proceeds from Hatred againft God and his Creatures. V. All Works, that are not Works of Love in their very Principle, or fpring from it, as their Center^ are not the Works of God: becaufe God, as the effential) everlafting, un- changeable Love, can do no other but Works of Love, As the Tree is, fo are alfo his Fruits. Matth. xil^^. VL AH Creatures, confidered in themfelves, without their coherent Corruption, are (^)Pro-. duftions of the eternal Love of God. There- fore, fince God cannot hate himfelf, he can- not hate his (^) Creamres neither, or thaf in them^ which his Hands have made. {a) Rom. xi. 3 6. Rev, iv. 1 1 . Q)) Wijl xi. 24, Vn. So that all whatfoever God, who is Love, doth and purpofeth with his Creatures, as noble Productions of his Love, both in this and the next World, muft proceed from Love, and thus, with relpeCl to the Creaaires, have ibmediing good and falutary for its laft- and ultimate End. .Ez^^r^.xxxiii. 11. Wifd/hi^. Vin. Now, as it is the Love of God that ! made the Creatures, that through Chrift re- deemed them from Sin and the Curfe, that; fandifierh and purgeth them from aliPiforder,' that protedts aad preferves them; and beftows 41 ( 3 ) all manner of Good upon them; even fo it is the fame Love of God^ which punifketh the (a) Crea-- turesj when they are found Rebels againift their Maker^ and not continue in that Order in which he firft created them. Hence are allPu-- nifhments wherewith God vifits his Crea!;ures, as far as they come from God (b):^ and are con- fidered according to their firft Principle, Works of divine Love. (a) Rev. iii. i^. (h) If a. xlv. 7. compared with Lev, xxvi. efpecially v. i8> 21,245285 4ij 425 feqq. IX. If all Punilhments determined by God for the Creamresj be they never fb dreadful^ when confidered according to their inmoft Cen- ter and Principle, are Works of divine Love> it neceffarily follows from hence, that even the moft dreadful Punilhments which God in th^ World to come will inflid: on bad Angels and Men, as far as they proceed from him, arq? grounded on no other Principle than that of Love; fince God, who condemneth and fen- tenceth the corrupt Creatures to foch Punifli-^ .ments, istheeffential, everlafting and unchange- able Love, and nothing elfe but pure Love, and will remain fiich unto all endlefs Eternities, and therefore all whatfbever comes from him, muft proceed from Love. If fuch Punilhments, on God's Side, had another Ground but Love, then would that God, who punifheth the Creamres from fiich a Ground, be no God, becaufe the true and only God, befides (a) whom none other is to be found, is nothing elfe but pure Love, and A ^ who (4) "who therefore can do nothing elfe but what Iprings from the Center of Love, and remrns into the fame. {a) If a. xYiw 6. i ^imiv, j6. ^ X. Hence now follows, without Contradict rion, that not one of thofe Punifliments which God has determined for the depraved Crea- tures, can, neither in this nor in the next World; be defigned merely for the NB. never-ceafing and endlefe Perdition and Torment of thofe di- vine Creatures that have their Origine from the unchangeable Love of God, but they muft needs aim at and be defigned for their final Preferva- tion. Melioration and Reftoration, letthern kft as long as they will ; becaufe the deepeft Ground of all Punilhments of God determined for the Creatures, Co far as they are his Doings, is liis in^ finite and unchangeable Love, and it is impoffible that Love fhould for ever and without End plague and torment that which it loves, but by all Pains and Torments feeks and can faek no- thing eife but the Amendment of its beloved Ob- je compared with Gen/h 31. III. The holy Scripau-e both declares, that the Creatures, to wit, bad Angels and Men, can oppofe and refift (a) God, as alfo, that no (i) Creature can refift the Will of God. This, though it feems to contradi£l one an- other, yet in Reality confifts very well to- gether; and here may be faid, Difiinguijh he- tween the Times-, and the Scriptures will agree. (a) Matth.xxiih 37. r.xxii. 3./^ff JBsyil 51. 0) y?o?/2. ix. 19. ^^r. xlix. 19. chA, 44. ^Judith xwl 16, Wtfd,x\. 22. Dan Ay. ^^2. IV. The Creatures may withftand the Will of their Creator; but this is not to be under- ftdod in fiich a manner, as if ther^ was an Abi- lity or Power in them whereby they might as it were repel and conquer the Power and Might of God that works in and upon them, ib that the fame could never get its laft End with fiich rebellious Creatures: For it is only by God'^s Permiilion, and long as ttupJ^s fop fhat C II ) the Creature is fufFered to withftand or re- Gft God, for good Reafons beft known to him, and to the End that the Creatures, who will not v^oluntarily chufe the Salvation and Well-being offered to them^ may tafte of the bitter Fruits of their Difobedience, and on themfelves learn to know the Difference between Good and Evil, which before they would nor believe when God in his Word did fet it before their Eyes; which, through the Wifdom and Mercy 3f God, will at laft have this good EtFeft upon :he malicious Creatures, that they will as con-: :juered give themfelves up to their Creator, [uftify the Puniftiment of their Tranfgreffion, md praife the moft holy Juftice of God mani- ■efted therein, and confequently humble them- ^Ives before the Supreme Being, which is Ga« pable of fubduing all, let it be as great, mighty> laughty and malicious as it will, and fo by God's jErace, which they v/ill embrace anew after they lave &ffered their Punilliment, be diveiled of heir Obftinacy. Of this only true and certain A^ay for the Reftoration of ftubborn and rebel- ious Creatores, God has lliewed us an In^ tance in the hardened People of Iftael:, but ifpecially vaNehuchadnexzar-i as a Pattern of all he refl: of obdurate Men and Creatures : The Ilonfeffion of which latter concerning the moft: ligh King of Heaven, after he had felt the A/^eight ot his punilhing Hand, will ever hold rue. He doeth according to his Will in the 4rmy of Heaven-^ and among the Inhabitants of k Earth: md mm am fiay Hs Hmd-, or fay unto him J What doeft thou? All his Wovh are Truth-) and his Ways Jud^nenty and thofe that Tvalk in Pride he is able to abafe (a). It is there- fore clear, that no Creature can refift the Crea- tor to all endlefs Eternity, or as long as GOD is to be GOD, but only to a certain Period of Time, may that now laft ftiort or long, lo, 100, I GOO, 10,000, 20,000 40,000, or more Years, yet at laft it muft come to an End. V. For if it was poffible for the Creamres to refift their Creator in fuch a manner as to repel and conquer his almightj/- and divine Power by die Power of their Iniquity, and confequently, without God's Permiffion and the Withdraw- ing of his Might, to withftandhim, and tox:on- rinue in Obffinacy, Bitternefs, Hatred and En- mity againft him, and what is more, to all end- lefs Eternity, and as long as GOD is to be GOD, (as is commonly taught) it would in- difputably follow, that the Creature, and that which is evil, is ftronger than, or at leaft as ftrong as GOD, and that which is good; or> that the Will of God is not in earneft, when he with fo many fblemnExprellions declares, that he heartily defires the Salvation of all Men ; that he is not pleafed with the eternal Deftrudtion of any of his Creatures, but rather earneftly re- quires that they ftiould repent and live ; and that g he will make all Things new. But neither can be | thought of God without the greateft Blafphemy, as it would entirely overthrow the whole di- vine Being, make of God no God, but an impotent Idol, pi: m Hypocrite j and confe- ^Uendy ( 13 ) quently quite open the Way to all Iniquity and atheiftical Mockery, (a) Dan/w. 35, 37^ CHAP. IV- A is impojffible that two contrary Things Jhould ie both of endlefs Duration. L I T is as impoflible that there jfhould be two without End contrary Things^ as that there fhould be two true contrary Deities^ a good Cpcod and a bad one, or two Sorts of contrary Creatures, both of truly divine Origine, fome being made good by God> and others bad. 11. For anabfolute and merely infinite Du- ration, which has neither Beginning nor End> is, accordihg to the Confeffion of all Divines^ yea, of every rea&nable Man, a Property (^) Eeculiar to the uncreated divine Being only. ^ ut &ch an infinite Duration, which, although it has a Beginning, yet has no End, can be a Property of the NB. truly divine Creatures only. For as tfiefe, according to the Language of tnC Scripture (^), are of divine Offspring, and there- fore are rooted in God, or his almighty creating Power, which has no Beginning, they can al^ be everlaftingv their Exiftence or Duration cait alfo be without End in {c} God. But whatfo- ever has not its eternal Root in God, or in hisf eternal creating Power, but is ffirung up in the Creature in this World, by its voluntary turn- (I4> ing away from God, and againft his holy Will, and confequently is an Abomination and Difolea- ftire to the Moft-high, and is only fiifFered by liim, fuch as Sin, and the Punifhment depend- ing thereon, thofe Things can impoffibly be of an abfolutely endlefs Exiftence and Duration, or remain io long as GOD is to be GOD, but muft of NeceYlity once ceafe and be anni- hilated. For as God is a Being to thofe Crea- tures which he created good, and which exift NB. through (d) his JVtll-y wherein they may flibfift and be preferved without End; fo he is, on the contrary, to Iniquity and Sin, which, NB. againft his TVilU is fp^rung up in and flicks to the Creatures, a confiiming {e) Fire^ where- by all Sin and Perverfity in the Creatures muft be at laft confiimed, annihilated, and feparated from them to the higheft Degree, in order to reftore them to their primitive Purity; in the feme manner as the Fire does not confume and ^deftroy the Gold, but only the Drofs and that iivhich is impure. {a) Pf. xc. 3. (h) Rom. xi. 36. compared with he original Text, {c) ABs^vii.2^. JV^d.li^., ck xi. 27. xii. I . (d) Rev. iv. 11. {e) Heh. xii. ^a^. DeutAy. 24. • III. Now, all thofe who pretend that the ^Degeneracy and Sin which is found in fallen Angels and Men, together with the Punifhmenr following it, are of an abfolutely endlefs Exiften- cy, and will continue fo long as GOD is to fee GOD, make Sin either ajGod, or a divine Creature ; but hpw flijigh j:hi§ y^fembles the H?i:?fy (15) Herefy imputed to the old. ManicheeS:, is left to their own Judgment: Or they deny, that God is an entirely confiiming Fire to SiU;, becaufe, according to their Pretence, he either can or will not defiroy it in moft of the Creaaires; an^ confequently reprefent him either en im- potent or fiich a God who takes Delight in Sin and the Puniflimenr of it. For what Man will ■fiifFer that continually before his' Eyes which is .loathfbme or an Abomination to him, if he has it in his Power to remove it : Since God, there- fore, has fo earneftly declared in his Word^ that all Sin is an Abomination unto him, and that he takes no Pleafure in the Puni/hment of it; yea, that his End, in fending his Son, pro- perly is, Utterly to deftroy Sin and Death, and efTenrially to reftore an eternal Righteoufnefs unto and in all Men, who all bothlinned and died in Adam:, fo that, as (a) by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemna- tion-, even fo by the Righteoufnefs of one^ the free Gift come upon all Men unto Juftification of Life ; it is .evident, that all thofe, who by their Te- nets hold, that God will fiiffer Sin and the Pu- nifhment of Death in ami on his Creatures to all endlefs Eternity, which by his almighty Power he can, will, and has folemnly promifeS to deftroy, make the moft true and holy God a Liar and Hypocrite, and, contrary to hisf own plain Words, accufe him of taldng Delight and Plea&re in Sin and the Puniftiment oi Death depending thereon, (a) Rom.v. i8. C H A P. ( ts ) CHAP- V. The Diaholical Form and Figure:, and that which makes of the fallen Angels D evils muft be well difthzguijhed from their angelical Nature in ' whicDthey were created'^ and the Refult thereof. ^ L TWO Things are to be confidered in all fallen and through Sin corrupt Creatures, FirfiyThot Nature in which God in the Begin- ning created them ; and^ feccndly-, The DegeneJ racy and Sin which has through the Creaaires own Fault intermixt with that Naaire. So is^ for Inftance, Soul and Body, with all their Facul- ties, to wit, the Faculty to underftand, to will or defirC) to love, to a£t, to fee, to hear, to ftnell, to feel, to tafte, ^c, the Nature of Man, in which God created him. But what is called Sin, Vice, and Degeneracy, and which coheres and is intermixed with the human Namre after the Fall, is this, That Man's Underftand- ing is darkened ; his Will, Defires and Affec- tions not fixed upon God and that which is cverlafting, but on the Creature, and Things rranfitory and vain; and that Man, accord- ing to his perverfe Will and Defires, and the Blmdnefs of his Mind and Underftanding, does not apply the reft of the Faculties of his Soul, and his Body with all its Limbs, for the Ufe of that which is agreeable unto God, but all for fiich Things as dilpleafe him. Sin, there- fore, confifts in notliing elfe but in mere DiC ( i? ) order and Abufe; wherefore it alfo e^ftreflej in the holy Scripture by the Greek Words, ataxtaih anomian-) that is^ Diforder-^ Luwlefsnefs (a). So that;> when a Man is converted^ and of a Sinner is made a godly and holy Man, he goes over from the Dilbrder and Abufe of his Na- ture to the true Ordet and right Ufe (b) of it. i^d) 2 lleff. i± II. I John iii. 4. (b) Rom. vi. 19. ckxih iy2. I L Now;, as Sin, which cleaves to the de- praved Creatures, is the only Thing which God (a) hates; fo it is, on the contrary, as impoffible for him to hate in itfelf the Being ot Namre of the Creatures, let them be never fo corrupt, as impolfible it is for him to hate liimfelf, but loves it, and will love it to all end- lefs (^) Eternity, becaufe fiich Being or Namre i5 the Production of his eternal unchangeable Love. (a) Pf. v. s. (J?) mfl xl 25. Rom. xi. 35, Rev.v. II. 1 1 1. Although thofe Creamres that are en- dowed by God with a free Will, may, through the Abufe of their free Will, fpoil themfelves> yet no Creature of itfelf can annihilate that Being or Namre which GOD gave it, or make fomething fo quite different of it that nothing at all is left of aCreamre of God. For^, as no Creamre can give itfelf a Being, fo ic cannot take away or annihilate its own Being: And; as it is only the Omnipotency of God which can produce fomething out of no- thing, fo it is aHb the fame Omnipotency of ( 18 ) God that is able to reduce to nothings and take away the Exiftency (b) of that which is fomething. {(i) Rom.iy. 17. {h) Pf, civ. 29530, IV. As long; therefore, as a Creature re- mains a Creature^ fo long remains there fome- thing in it which God as truly loves as he loves himfelf, namely, that Being which he gave it; fuppofe the fame to be never Co dis- ordered and corrupt V. Now all this is to be well confidered in the Point of the fallen Angels: For then we fliall be able to difcern the deepeft Ground for the Myftery of their Reftoration, and confe- quently the eafier comprehend it. V I. I mean, we muft learn well to diftin- gui/h between that angelical Nature in which - God created them, and the Iniquity and Sin which through their own Fault has intermixt with fiich Namre, the Source whereof is NB. their perverfe Self-mlL that made them leave the Center and Principle of Humility (wherein alone a Creature (a) can be happy) withdraw themfelves from their Obedience and Subjec- tion to God, and rely on themfelves, willing to live independent of God, nay, indeed, to be themfelves God : Forafinuch as fiich an In- dependency as knows of none Superiour, or where one needs not to be ruled by the WUl and Command of another, is and for ever will be an efTential Property of the great GOD and Creator of all Things alone, and belongs fcy no means to a Creature> nor cm be ceded ( 19 > to it by God, who will not give his Glory (b) ta another. Therefore feys the Scripture very emphatically^ that {c) they did not abide in the Truth; that (^) they kept not their Principality^ hut left their own Habitation. (a) Ifa. Ivil 15. iPet. v. 5. (p) Jfa. xlil g. ch. xlviii. 1 1 . (c) John viii. 44. (^) Jud. ver. 6. V 1 1. N0W5 this perverfe Selftwill in the fallen AngelS) together with all the Iniquity that is in it and produced thereby, is the proper Z)^- holical Fornij or that which makes of the fallen Angels Devils and Enemies of God: And this alone is the Thing which is an Abomina- tion to the moft holy God, and what he hates in: them. VII L But that angelical Nature in itfelf, in which God firft created the fallen Angels, and to which the mentioned Iniquity, Degeneracy and Perverfenefs flicks, or rather has quite pe-. netrated through and moft clofely intermixed with it, that, I %, is no Devil, but, according to theConfeilion of all Divines, and reafonable Men, a good Creature of God, a Production of his eternal Love, which God as truly loves as hejbves the Being and Nature of Men, nay, as hidfclf, and will love it to all endlels Eter« nity, and confequently, by Virme of fuch his eyei'lafting, unchangeable and almighty Love, will of Neceffity bring it once into the right Order again. For, asbyCHHisT he created (a) all umgs^ that are in Heaven-^ atid that are in Earthy vifible and invi/ihlej &c. (to which like- wife indifputably belong all Men Angels) even B z fa ( 20 ) fo it has alfo heen the good Pleafure of God to re- concile NB. all thofe Things (which were created by Chrift) unto himfelf whether they he Things in Eanh-i or Things NB. in Heaven; that is^ by the Power of his Blood ftied for the Sins of the whole World, to make them fit and ca- pable of being reftored from their Diforder to their firft right and true Order, (though every one in his own Time) fo that at laft not only the Wrath of God may be turned away from the Creamres, but alfo the Enmity amongft the Creatures themfelves, ceafe, and the Sor- row which the oood and holy Creatures of God really feel aboUt the Fall of their corrupt (b) Fellow-Creatures, may be no more, but univerfal Joy and everlafting Praifes of God be caufed and raifed in the (r) whole Crea- tion. The Words of God, that in the (aid manner he (d) will make all Things new again-, are true Words, whether Men believe it or not ; their Unbelief will not make void God's Belief. For, as there was no Knowledge of the Devil, Sin, or Hell, in the Creation, when it is faid : {e) God faw every thing that he had made-f and behold y it was very good; fo will no mgpi be found for any thing diabolical, or |R and Hell, amongft the Creatures, at that Period when the Word of eternal Truth, Behold^ I make all Things newj will be moft compleatly fulfilled. {a) Col 1.1 6-20. Eph. I lo. (h) Lukexv. lo, jRom. viii. 19, 20, 21, 22. (c) Rev. y. 13, Pf. cl. 6. id) Hev.xid. 5. (e) Gen.l 31* IX. All ( > IX. All Men, who rafhly dare exclude one of the fallen Creatures^ be it never fo corrupt^ from the endlefs Mercy and all-renewing Love of God, e{pecially when they are taught better^ are not yet grounded inthn Love (a) to theEne-* miesj which is fo highly recommended to us by the univerfal Saviour of the World, and which alone diftingxiifties Chriftians from In- fidels, and is the fiireft Sign of true Faith and of our being Children of God. They are not yet grounded in true Humility, becaufe they have not that deep Senfe of their own Mifery and moft abominable Condition by Nature, they ought to have ; and confequently cannot duly pity other corrupt Creatures, as far as they are God's Creatures, as fliould be. They are Relpefters of Perfons, and fo not at all, or not entirely made Partakers of the divine Na- ture; fince with GOD, who is everlafting Love towards all his Creatures as fiich, no Refpefl: of Perfons (J;) finds Place. They da not know yet what it means, that (c) God hath concluded them all in Unbelief:, that he might have Mercy upon all; and, indeed, not only upon all Men, but alfo in general, according to the plain Teftimony (J) of the Word of eter- nal Truth, upon NB. all his Worh^ to which indifoutably the fallen Angels belong, who in the Beginning were even fome of the moft glorious and chief Works of God, the Holy Ghoft himfelf calling them in the Scripture Frinces-i Fowers-y and Rulers (e), Thofe Men do not underftand how necel%y that Know- B 3 ledge ledge is which St. Paid wi/hes all Believers (f), namely^ to comprehend with NB, all Saint Sy what is the Breadth-^ and Len§h-^ and Depths and^ Heigth of the Love of God; and to hiow the Love ofChrifty which pajfeth Knowledge; (or, as the Original alfo expreffes it, to know that the Love of Chvifl NB. farfurpafeth ^\\ Knowledge) that they might he fitted with all the Ftdnefs of God From whence follws, that thofe cannot be filled with all the Fulnefs of God, as God defires (g) rfiey ihould be, who will not com- prehend, with ail Saints, what is the Breadth, and Length, and Depth, and Heigth of the Love of God, in fiich a manner as to extend itfelf over the whole Creation and every in- dividual Creature ; and that it is broader, longer, deeper and higher than all Sin that is to be found in the Creatures, with the Cor- ruption depending thereon; yea, who will not know, that the tove of Chrift infinitely fur- paffeth all Knowledge of Men and Angels, but dare prefiimpmously confine it within the nar- row Limits of their own Knowledge, and Te- fliort, thofe againft'the Goodneis of the heavenly Father of the Family murmuring Men, who complain of his everlafting Love and Mercy, (according to which he runs to meet even the vilefl: Wretches . if they mm back and humble themfelves before him;> falls on their Necks, embraces and kiffes them, and with the -greateft DemoniLradons of -Joy re- ceives them ' anew into his Grace) find both nets their ( ^3 ) tlieir Piftures drawn and their Leffons giveft them;, Mafth.xx. lo^ ii; i2> 13? 14, 15, 16. Luke XV. 2 8? 29, 30;> 3 1? 32. (/z) Matth.w. 44> 45, 46^5 47? 48. (^) X. 34. Rom 11, (c) Rom,xl^2, (d) Pfalm cxlv. 9. (0 vl 1 2. (/) jB^/&. iii. 1 8> i9> 20. () accurfed by him for it {a) Coll. 16-20. (b) MattkxKn.14. ck vih 13, 14. Ic) Hek xii. 16, 17. compared with Gen. xxvii. 3 5 , feqq. {d) Mark xvi. 15. (e) Col. i. 23. (/) I Pet. iii. 19, 20. compared with ck iv. 6. (g) Rom.'h 16. (h) Gal. I 8, 9. XL Therefore will all fiich, of every Se£t andRdigiousParty inChriftendom, as will not foffer fufFer the trae ancient Gofpel of Chrift to be preached, which, according to our Saviour's plain Words (to all Eternity not to be darkened by the Vapours of human Comments) is de- figned for every Creature-^ but with all their Might endeavour to fiipprefs it^ in order to eflaolifh the new-invented^ partial, and muti- lated Gofpel, which does not extend itfelf even to a Million-thoufandfl Part of God's Creatures, all fuch, I fay, will have great Reafbn to be afraid of the afore-mentioned Curfe of the ApofUeP/?^//. Thofe Men difcover a terrible envious '{a) Spirit, and an intoUerable diabolical Pride, by grudginoj mofl Creatures the endlefi Mercy of God, and endeavouring totally to de- prive them of it; but let them take care that ihereby they do not incur the Danger of being themfelves for a long Period excluded rrom the real Enjoyment of^ it. This is certain, that in fb doing they commit a Sin which deferves filch a Puniftiment. For in the fame manner as they behave towards their Fellow-Creatures, that before God are as good as themfelves, even fb will God behave himfelf towards (J) them ; and with the fame Measure that they mete their Felloip-CreatureSy it Shall be ineafured to them; yea, NB. good Meafurey prejjed down-, fl]aken together^ and running over^ jhall be given into their Bofom (d). Let them refleft upon the terrible and juft Threatning which GOD has annexed as a Conclufion (e) to the Book wherein he fb plainly declares, that (f) every Creature which is in ffmvm} and on th Earthy ( 27 ) and under the Earth-, and fuch as are in the Sea, jhall once again praife God; and that he mil make all (g) Things nem; there he fays^ If any Man jhall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophecjy God jhall take away his Part out of the Book of Life-, and out of the holy City-) and from the Things which are written in this Book, O how eagerly will all thofe upon whom this terrible Judgment lights^ wifli, that it may be true what has been teftified unto them of the everlafting Riches of God's Love; and thatj on the other Hand, all oppofite Dogms, which convert the everlafting Love of God into end- lefs Fury and Wrath, though propagated by themfelves in this World, maybe falfe! But, for their juftPuniftiment, they will have nofiill Aflurance, and confequently no (h) Comfort of it in their Hearts, during all that terrible long Period wherein God will entirely hide his Face from them. (a) Wifd. il 24. (b) Matth. xii. 32. (c) Mattk xviii. 335 34) 35. (d) Luke vi. 3g. (e) Rev. xxii. 19- (/) Ch.w. 13. (g) Ckxxi. 5. (/;) Prov.l 24,25,25,27, feqq. Xn. If we well ponder our own namral Wretchednefs, and the Condition we are in under the Fall, itlhould, methinks, bring pretty low, nay, deftroy, that Pride and Envy of ourSj which makes us endeavour rafhly to exclude from the everlafting Mercy of God fo many Millions of angelical and human Creatures: For we are, without the eternal Mercy of God, not only not one whir better than the moft wicked Wretch ( 28 ) Wretch in the Univerfe; but we are alfb no- thing battel' than the Devil himfelfj than LiicU fer with his Angels. Nay^ one may in Truth fay; that Man, in fbme meafiire, has difcovered a greater Wickednefs againft God's moft holy Majefty than the Devils themfelves. For the evil Spirits have never yet oppofed God in endeavouring to work out tneir own Salva^ tion, becaufe theOeconomy and proper Period for it is not yet come, and confequently they have had no Opportunity of committing this moft heinous Sin of all Sins, though they have oppofed God and ftill oppofe him in his En- deavours to deliver Mankind from their Power and to tranfplant them into the Kingdom of his beloved Son, but this is hardly to be won- dered at, confidering the moft depraved State they are in: But Men, on the contrary, moft vehemently refift (a) the Holy Ghoft in the Work of tneir own Salvation, from their Youth, not only in Ignorance, but too often knowing- ly and wilfully. Not to mention, that Things cannot go worie among the Devils in their dark infernal Regions, than they go among Men of this wicked World: Ah what Difcord is there among them! How do they plague and toiment one another! What Contentions, QuaiTels, Seditions, Vexation and Supprelfion of the Poor and Needy, what Wars andBlood- Ihed, do we not continually hear of! But that this is not the Cafe with the Devils, (of which Men ought to be aftiamed) and that it is impoC fible for thera to difagree aniong themfelves, our (^9) our Saviour himfelf {b) declares^ alledging at the feme time the Reafon for it;> becaufe then their Kingdom would not ftand. So it appears clear- ly, that in many Cafes the Iniquity of Men &r- paffes that of the Devils themfelves. A truly penitenty affli£ted and contrite Heart would in- fallibly deipair at this terrible Sight of human Wickednejfe;, when it comes to have a full View thereof as well in itfelf as others^, if the uni- verfel and moft impartial Mercy of God in Je- fiis Chrift, our eternal Redeemer, and through his all-&fficient Merits, was not its Comfort. In fiich a State Men learn to fet the true Va- lue upon the precious Pearl of this evangelical Truth, and begin to conceive that the Origine of all railing againft and contradifting of this bleftMyftery, is either that grofs or fiibtilPha- rifaical Spirit in Mankind, that cannot fo eafily be rooted out even in Difciples of Chrift, accord- ing to which Men do not know and are not willing to acknowledge that more than diaboli- cal Wickednefs which lies in our corrupt Na- ture, and confequently can neither underftand nor duly efteem that adequate and grand Re- medy defig-ned by God for the curing and ta-^ kinp' away of this great Evil. So far, indeed, I allow a Preference to fallen Mankind before the apoftate Angels, that God offers his Mer- cies firft to the former, fmce liis Juftice requires that the Deceived Ihould be reftored before the Deceiver: But the Ground for this Preference does not lie in ourfelves, but in the endlefs i^ercy and moft holy Juftic^ pf Qgd. For in our V (30) t>ur own under the Fall lying corrapt Nanire and Depravity we need not imagine ourfelves ro be one whit better than the fallen Angels, or to deferve the leaft Preference before them/ That which makes them Devils and an Abomi- nation in God's Eyes, namely, thdv perverfe Self-mlly which will not bow under God, but be entirely independent, not tied to any Law, and confequently be itfelf God; that fame^^r- verfe Self-will is the Thing in us which renders us as abominable and abhorrent to God as Lu- cifer and his Angels. This perverfe Self-will is the true Devil in all fallen finful Creamres, be- iides which there is no other Devil to be found, but all good Crearures of God. Hence it is, that iiichMen as follow their perverfe Self-will, (which may infinuate itfelf even into the moft holy Things) and fufFer it to reign in themfelves in Spite of* their Creator, are by the HolyGhoft in Scripmre called with the fame bad Names which are given to evil Angels ; they are, for Inftance, cmlod ^dverfaries (c)^ oxSatanSj which means the fame ; yea, Diaboli (d ), that is, DevilSy or Calumniators^ &c. In fuch a manner now are all fallen Men, as far as they are under the Dominion of Sin, or their perverfe Self-will, nothing elfe than Diaboli incarnati-, or incarnate Devils. Whofoever will not know this, nor own himfelf by Namre to be as bad as the De- vil bimfelf, fuch a one does not know yet his finful State as he ought to do 5 he is fav from being righriy grounded in true Humility, and there is as yet a greiw 9f tk^ abOipinable (31 ) Seed of i^irimal Pride in his Hearty let him think never fo much of his Holinefs and Hu« miliiy. He has never yet begun truly and in Reality to praftife the earneft Command of his Saviour;, to hate {e) himfelfy or his own Life-) (to witj in his corrupt Nature^ which deferves as much to be hated as the Devil himfelf ) and therefore does not know to efteem high enough the everlafting Mercy of God; and the precious Blood of our univerfal Redeemer. For if he did both know the Abhorrency of his ovfn Na- turcv and duly to efteem the endlefs Mercies of God and all-fiifficient Merits of Chrift^ he would really^not grudge one of die fallen Crea- tures the endlefs Love of God and that from Hell delivering Grace of Jefiis, but wifh them all to partake of it as freely as he has obtained itj if even there was not a Word of it mentioned in the^ Bible ; whereas this throughout aims at it, as its proper End, and the whole Creation declares it to us as it were with living Voices, if we would but hear it. {a) ABsvvL. 5 1. Q?) Mattk xii. 16. (c) Ck xy i. 23.1 Tim. y. 4. (d) i Tim, iii. 6y 7. (e) Luke xiv. 26. XIIL Now our ever-loving God> who has beoiin to have Mercy on fallen Men, who, in their finful Nature, are incavnatc Devils and has already made great {a) Numbers of them, namely, all the Firft-born for Salvation, holy Children of God, refembling (^) the. Angels in Heaven, and will continue fo to do; tlie fame ever-lgving God, I fay, will, in his own Time, have have alfo Pity not only on the reft of Mankind, who in this Life have forfeited their (piritual Birth-righr, but even on the fallen Angels themfelves, when they will begin to humble themfelves truly before God) and then it will be as eafy for him to make them holy Angels again as eafy as it was to make angeUike Men and Children of God of fb many thoufends of fallen Men^ or incarnate Devils. And that this Mdll certainly come to pafs in theFulnefs of the Ages or Periods of Time appointed for it either in this or the next World/ will admit of no Doubt) if we well confider the above-mentioned Promife of God) that he will make all Things new-i and that he has prepared all Things-) that are in Heaven and on Earthy for this Renova- tion, by reconciling them unto himfelfy by the Power of the Blood of Chrift, whereby he has found out an eternal Redemption. To conclude, let us further confider, that it will be as eafy a matter for the everlafting Mercy of God to forgive the fallen Angels their Sins, whenever they will begin to humble themfelves before him, as it is for him to forgive us ours : For let their Sins be never fb great, never fo many, and never fo grievous, yet both have but one Source, that is, as above faid, Self-will '^indi Pride. Ajid as the Nature of Things does not allow of another Devil ; fb there is no other God but he who himfelf is Mercy and Love. (d) Rev.v'^. 4,9; IP; feqq. (b) Lukexx. ^6. CHAP. C 33 ) CHAP. VI. Of the everlafting Validity and Efficacy of tk Merits of Christ^ and the eternal Re^ dQxn^mn found out hy Him; and that the fame is infinitely more powerful than all Sin and Corruption fpringing from Sin. L NONE, it is to be hoped^ who clainis the Name of a Chriftian among all Religious Parties of Chriftendom^ let them otherwife be never & much divided^ will deny Christ, our Redeemer, to be ftronger and powerfuller than the Devil; and the Grace of Redemptioa and Salvation purchafed by Him through his Merits and SufFerings^ to be infinitely more efficacious than all Sin> together with the Cor^ ruprion and Mifery fpringing from it: For whofbever would deny tliis/ would not only declare himfelf an Infidel, but even a Biafphe- mer againft Chrift. Befides, the Namre of the Thing requires it that a Saviour or Deliverer be ftronger than the Enemy whofe Prifoners he is to take away by Force; and the plain Word of God declares Jefus Chrift to be fiich a Saviour and Deliverer, Jfa. xlix. 25, 26. Hof. xiil 14. Luke xi. 21, 22. John xiv. 30. i John iv. 4. Rom.y, 20. ^'^.vi 14. II. But herewith that Doftrine is entirely inconfiftentj according to which People pre- tend, That^ although Chrift has redeemed allMeny or;, through his Blood bought and rmmUedthem (34) mifo God-f yet none really partake of his Re^ demption hut thofe who in this Life helieve in Him-f and in Faith efiduve to the ]End; and that all the reft of Mankind-) who do not come to believe in Chviji here in this Life^ hit continue in Unbelief to the End of their Days-i will not only be tetriUy punifked by God in the next ff })rldy (which is true) but that they willy moreover ^ ivith all evil Angels-, be feparated from God to all endlefs Eter- nity-, and fo long as God will be Gody and never really flmre in the Redemption of Chrift. in. How is itpoffiblenow, Ipray, according to this Doftrine;, that Chrift Ihould be ftronger thari the Devil? How can the Grace procured and purchafed by his Merits> Sufferings and Death:, be more efficacious than Sin and ail Corruption and Mifery fpringing from it : Foi* our ' Saviour himfelf declares in plain Terms, and daily Experience confirms it 5 that the finalleft Number {a) of Men find here in their Life-time the narrow Way of Repentance and Faith, and through the ftrait Gate go into eter- nal Life ; but that, on the contrary, moft of them go the broad Way of Perdition, and be- come a Prey to the Jaws of Hell. Ah ! if no more Men are really made Partakers of the Redemption of Chrift, than thofe who in their Life-rime come to be united with Him, He will hardly be an actual Saviour to the Mil- lion-rhoufandft Part of Mankind; and Satan will, according to his Wiih and Pleafure, keep the greatefi: Number Captives ia his Em- pire to all endiefs Eternity- And how can C 35 ) thuS) I fay^ Chrift be faid to be ftronger than his Enemy^ the Devil? But you will, {)erhaps> reply, that the Strength o£ Chrift manifefts it- felf, and may be known by his really deliver- ing and fiiatching out of the Claws of Satan the few Elea. But, pray, is Chrift to be a Sa- viour of the Eleft only? Is he not become a real Propitiation for tne Sins of the whole (^) World? Has he not alfo bought with his Blood thofe that are (c) loft, and m to Hell? If a Man was to give out of himfelt againft his Enemy, who had led captive a Million of his People, that he Was ftronger than fuch an. Enemy, and that he would beat and fpoil him of all his Prifoners, becaufe he heartily pitied the poor Souls j and coming thereupon to the Battle, was to deliver of a Million of Prifoners about three, or at moft ten, leaving all the reft in Slavery, becaufe the Enemy had too well fecured them; pray, would you believe fuch a one to be much flxonger than his Enemy, fmce of a Million of Prifoners he had aftually delivered about three or ten? Would not you fay, that he had boafted much more of him- felf than he was really able to perform, and juftly conclude, that he muft want eithet Strength and Power to overcome the Enemy, or Mercy and Compaflion towards the poor Captives? Now, fuch a bragging, yea, ur>- merciful or infirm Man do v/e generally make of Chrift, by teaching and acknowledging^ him, on the one hand, to be a univerfal Re- deemer, but; on the other hand, perverfely C 2f pretepd> ( 3^ ) pretendj that but the finalleft Number of Men, viz. the few Eled: (who, compared to the great Multitude of ^ the reft of Mankind, are hardly as three or ten is to a Million) in Rea- lity partake of his Redemption, and that all the relidue of fallen Men and other Ci'eamreSj is to be excluded from it to all endlefs Eternity. Certainly, if Chrift is no other than fuch a Sa- viour to us, I fay again, the Devil, who, ac- cording to the common Opinion, will for ever, World without End, and as long as Chrift is to be Chrift, keep in his Power and under his Dominion by far the greateft Part of Men, of whom we at the fame time own that Chrift has an earneft Defire to redeem them, muft be mmy thoufand times mightier than he. Ve- rily^ if this was the Cafe with our Redeemer, he muft either fall Ihort of Power to conquer rhe Devil, or want Pity and Compailion to- wards thofe poor Souls that are kept Prifbners by the Devil. (a) Matth.vii. 14. Luke xiii. 24. Mattk xxil. 14. (h) I John ii. 2, (c) 2 Pet. ii. i. IV. It may be you will make me another Obje£tion, and i&y, That Chrift neither wants for Force to conquer his Enemy, nor Mercy towards the Captives; but that the Reafon, why fb few Men are really delivered by him, is> becaufe they refift his Grace, and fponta- neously defire to remain the infernal Tyrant's Slaves: To this I anfxver. But what is then filch Refiftence and Obftinacy in moft Men againft the Grace of Tefus Cbrift offered them ? (37) What is the Blindnefs and Hardnefs of their Hearts, according; to which they themfelves chufe to continue in the Service of the Devil? Are they not altogether the Worldngs of Sa- tan? Are they not all Chains and Snares where- with he has bound and entangled poor Men? Now ifChrift, who is to be a univerfal Saviour of Manldnd, will in moft Men never, to all endlefs Eternity, and as long as God is to re- main God, deitroy fiich Works of the Devil; if he never will break and untie the Chains and Fetters wherewith Satan has bound the greateft Part of Men; it ftill follows, thatChrift muft be either unmerciful, and not willing to do it, or that he is not able to do it. But how ab- fiird, nay, how great a Blafphemy it is, to make the Devil and that which is Evil ftronger than Chrift and that which is Good, and Sin more powerful than the Grace of God, is not only to be feen from the Texts of Scripmre quoted at the End of the firft Paragraph of this Chapter, but has alfo been fiifficiently {htwn in the foregoing ITId and IVth Chapter of this Trearife. V. Thanks be to God, therefore, that in Christ we have fiich a Redeemer, who, al- though he is a fpecial Saviour (a) of thofe that believe^ becaufe He will grant them to fit with him upon his (b) Throne, and make them Partakers of all his Glories, to which Dignity and high Degree of Salvation never none of thofe will attain who muft be humbled and brought to Chrift by the Judgments of the C 3 n^xt ( 38 ) next World; but who alfo^ and aeverthelefs, is not a mere titular^ but a real Saviour of all che reft Men; who^ alfo hy the Blood (e) of i)is Covenant fendeth forth the rr if oners out of the Pit wherein is no Water (of Comfort) that is, out of the moft defperate Condition of Hell ; who; having the Keys id) of Hell andDeathy and being confequently able to caft into and diC- charge therefrom whomfoever he pleafes, will alfo aftually ranfoin from (e) the Power of the Grave (or Helt^ as Luther has it) and redeem frofii Death; yea, in fuch a manner/ as to be a Plague to Death:, and DeftruBion to the Grave (or Hell) that is, who will fo long con- tinue to redeem from Hell, till not one Pri-- foner more be left in its Jaws and the Power of the Devil, and Death and all the Power of Satan itfelf be entirely f/)deftroyed and anni- hilated; fo that may be compleatly fulfilled what is (g) written, Death is ppallowed up in ViBory? Deaths where is tJjySting^ Grave (Hell) where is thy FiBory? ne Sting of Death is Sin; and the Strength of Sin is the Law, But Thanks he to Gody who has given us the ViBory through tur Lord Jefus Chlrift, . ,^(^) I Tun. iv. ic. (h) Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17, 2^5 2^7, 28. C/;.iii, 5, 12, 20, 21. {c) Zach, ix. ri. (dyRevXi^. (e) i/^xiii. 14. (/) iCor.xv. 26, {g) Ibid. -j^r. 54, 55, 56,57. VL If but one Soul was to remain in the Power of the Devil, Death, or Hell, to all end- left Eternity, as long as God is to be God, xhm the Devil; Death; and Hqlt, would for ever • C 39 ) ever have {omething to boaft of againft God, and to upbraid him with not being able really to ^il them of all their Prifbners^ to the very laft, but that he was obliged to leave them fomething, and confequently give up the Con- queft to them. And thus Death would not be entirely fwallowed up in Viftory to all endlefi Eternity:, but always keep fomething of his Sting; and Hell would in this manner not quite lofe the Field of Batde^ but be for ever- more able to make a Scorn of thofe who would fay, HeU-i where is thy ViElory? For it might at leaft produce one Soul of which Chrift could not deprive it, though he had flied his Blood for it. With how much more Right, now, could not the Devil, Death, and Hell, mock Chrift ^ and his Believers, if they were to afk them, Death-i where is thy Sting? HeU-j where is tlry Victory? in cafe thefe Enemies could (according to the common Pretence, whereof the Scripture knows nothing) keep at Pleafiire the greateft Part of Mankind for t|ieir Pri- foners as long as God is to be God? VII. But even this, that by Chrift, the uni- verfal Redeemer, all captivated Men are to be aflually fiiatched out of the Power of the De^ vil and his Angels, will, when it is fully ac- compliftied, be an Occafion to oblige alfo Lu- cifer and his Angels to humble themfelves entirely before Christ, which (except the Incarnation of God our Saviour, and what he has done and fiiffered on Earth to work out the Salvation of his Creatmes) will be the C 4 greassft (40) waateft Wonder that ever was wrought in the Creation: And this the holy Scripture clearly foretelSj when itfaySj that dfo (a) all Thmgs under theEarth-i that is^ not only damned Men> but even the fallen Spirits (as that Text can never be explained otherwife) fliall at laft how their Knees before Chrift> and be obliged to acknowledge from the inmoft of their Spirits, that HE (and not Satan) is LORD-, to the Glory of God the Father; yea, that they, together with all the reit of Creatures, will (//) praife him with a great Hallelujah and inexpreffible Joy. For, when now the whole (c) Armour of this ftrong Man, wherein he trufted, ftiall be taken from him, and all his Spoils divided, that is, all Men who were made a Prey of by him, reftored to God and brought again to die Company of his Saints, and Satan be thus entirely conquered by Ghrift, and reduced to a Sovereign without either Dominions or Sub^ je£fe, what then will he do elfe, but, after the manner of an utterly routed Enemy, be ob- liged to proftrate before his Conqueror, and pray for Mercy ? (a) Phil ii. lo, 1 1, (h) Rev. v- 1 3. compared with Pf. cxiv. 9, 1 o, 1 1 . Pf.d. 6. (c) Lttke xi. 2 2. VIIL And this will make Way for the Re- ftoration of Lucifer and his Angels. Fdr, as the moft high God could not have Mercy upon them and deliver them out of their moft wretched Condition, as long as through Pride they wanted to be like or even above Him ; fc may they eafily be helped^ when now all (41 ) the Stays of their Pride are confumed and re- duced to Afhes in the Lake of Fire and Brim- ftone^ and of proud and haughty Devils they are become humbled Spirits, that bow down in the Duft before God and Chriftj praying for Mercy : For God refifteth only the Proud, and, without the leaft refpeft of Perfbn, giveth Grace to all humble Creatures > i^Pet.v, 5. J/Jjr. Ivii. 15. Rmi/ii. 11. IX. Although the Offer of God's' Grace in the faid manner will be very acceptable News to Lucifer and his Angels at the Time of their deepefl: Abafement and Humiliation byChrift: (which doubtlefe will require many thoufend Years yet) neverthelefs theDo£trine of hisRe^ ftoration, and the Means for it, is in his pre- fent Situation not at all agreeable to him, but a moft dreadful Tiding and Prophecy : For as he is a proud and haughty Spirit to the higheft Degree, who by no means will be fiibjecfc to God, but his equal, or rather above him, who with all his Might oppoies, and, if poflible, would dethrone the Moft-high, therefore it is intolerable for him to be foretold, according to divine Truth, that by Chrift all his Power, his whole Empire, and all his Subjects, not one excepted, will be taken from him, and he him- felf brought down fb low as to lie before Chrift in the Duft like a vile Worm and to worftiip him; which at prefent he would reckon his greataft Shame, and rather have that Chrift (^) and his Followers, together with all the reft of Mankind? Ihould worlhip him, or ( 4^ } or take his Will for their Law. Therefore is this Gofpel a moft frightful Lefture to himj to hear that once he will be entirely thrown down from his high Places, and brought again into the right Order of God's Creatures, which is Humility (Z*) and Subje£lion under God and Chrift. (//) Matth. iv. 9. Rev, xiii. 3, 4. (b) Eph, 1 10. X. That the Doftrine that Chrift will en- tirely vanquifh the Devil, is intolerable to him^ the following Parable may ferve to illuftrate : Suppofe, a poor, miferable, naked Beggar Man was to be preftnted to a grand, proud, and tyrannical Monarch in the World, who was in PoffefEon of a vaft Empire^ having many Mil- lions of Subjects, and it was foretold him^ by divine Authority, that this in his Eyes worth- lefs Man would one Day or another conquer his whole Empire, and ftrip liim of all hisSub- jefts, fo that at laft he would be obliged to fall down naked at his Feet, to acknowledge him his Lord, and depend on his Mercy : Can any one imagine this would be an agreeable Pro- phecy to the faid grand, proud and tyrannical Monarch? Would he not rather fret and flime, and as Mutineers and Rebels in the moft bar- barous manner treat thoft who were to foretel him fuch a Revolution ? Aninftance of this we fee in (a)HeroJy He only iiippoling in a fooliih manner, that Jefus the new-born King of the ^em would be prejudicial to his Scepter^ what cruel Means did he not make ufe of to prevent this wnagiiiary lyUf^hi^f. Now; die Doctrine (43) pf the Reftoration of all Creatures^ is a thou- fand times more terrible News to the Devil? when thereby he is foretold ^ that Je&s, the (b) moft defpifed and rejeBed ofMeity whom here- tofore^ when he dwelt on Earthy Satan through his Inftruments did in the moft tenible man- ner revile, mock, fpit on, perfecute and tor- ment, and ftill continues and will continue to treat him fo in his Members; that He will at laft conquer the whole Empire of the Devil, i^oil him of all his Subjects, and oblige him to fall at his Fe.et, who once was {c) numhred with the TranfgrejforS:, and worlhip him in the hum- bleft manner. In ihort, this Doftrine tends utterly to deftroy the Kingdom of the Devil, and ail that is diabolical, fuch as Fury, Envy, and Pride; and therefore the hearing of it muft be the greateft Mortification to Satan. (a) Mattkil^yie. (li) If a. liil^. (c) Fer. 12. XI. From what has been faid it may be eafily concluded, that it is no Wonder if Satan is en- raged againft this holy Go^el, and endeavours with all his Power to fiipprefs it, uling efpe- cially for his Inftruments the hypocritical Pha- rifees of this Age, falfe Theologers, and the na- turally and legally pious People, and fiich as are but half converted, whofe Minds are not yet free from Wrath, and who look upon God as an endlefs furious Being towards all his Creatures, becaufe their Souls had never yet a due Senfe of his infinite Love and Mercy to- wards all his Works. Nay, I am afraid, that even m^y otherwife weli-meaning Soi^ls will be ( 44 ) be ftirrediip to fight againft this holyDo£lrine, particularly thofe that hold the Traditions of their Fathers for indifputably divine Truths, which they have been obliged to (wear to, and call them the Hedge about the Lord's Vineyard'^ for finding fbme of them diametrically oppo- fite to this blefled Gofoel of the univerfal and impartial Love of God, they will perhaps be enticed to declare it to be Fanaticifm, and a long condemned Herefy, which they think themfelves obliged to guard againft. But if the whole World, ana all thofe that are reckoned the wifeft and moft pious, were to rife up againft it, this holy Truth will never- thelefe make its Way through all Oppofitions, and be applauded by the Children of Truth. Ye that ftigmatize in the World the Propaga- ters of this Doftrine, confider but what is re-- prefented thereby! it is (ji) the moft tender and at the fame time moft juft Mercy of our God-^ rpherehy the Day-fpring from on high hath vifited nSf in order to give alfo at laft Light to them that fit in Darknefs and in the Shadow of Deathy and to guide our Feet into the Way of Peace/ Pray, what harm does this ? You may proteft againft it as much as you pleafe, the Words of Solomon's (F) Song-y on our Side, defcribing the Majefty of the Love of God, will neverthelefe be tulfilled, viz. Love is ftrong as Deaths ^ealoujy is cruel (or hard) as the Grave^ (or Hell, to give it Battle, and carry the Day) the Coals thereof are Coals of Fire which hath a moft vehement Flame. Many Waters cannot quench Love^ nei-^ (45 ) ther can the Floods drown it: If a Man would give all the Sub fiance of, his Houfe for Love:, it would utterly he contemned. (a) Lukely%:,jS' iV) SongofSolym.6yy. XIL N0W5 as the Reprefenrarion of God's univerfal and eyerlafting LoVe muft needs^ for the above-mentioned feeafbns, be hateful to the malevolent and haughty Devil ; fe:, on the contrary, that Do£lrine cannot but veiy much pleafe him> which teaches, that he will keep tor his Slaves and Subje£fe, to all endlefi Eter- nity, and as long as God is to remain God, and Chrifl: is to be Chrift, the far greareft Part of Mankind, though pui'chafed by the Blood of (^) God our Saviour, and confequently;, ac- cording to his Wiflti and Pleafure, in gene- ral, and very near entirely, fet at nought the Intent of Chrift's Redemption, and the divine Love and Mercy manifefted thereby; without being ever brought down in trae Humility to wormip God and Chrift, viz, in Truth (h) and in Spirit-, for God will have no other Subjefta and Worlhippers than &ch. (/?) A£is XX. 28. {b) John iv. 23. CHAP. vn. Of the Word Eternity, and the different Eter- nities mentioned in the Scriptures. Tl. HE Words Eternal or Eternity^ exprefled in the Hebrew Language by Nezach^ Tarn-- me^ Ady Aly Olam; and in the Greek by aibuy aimios^ (4^) momoSf aetj aenn/ioSy diapantbs^ Sec. have not always the fame but different Significations in the holy Scriptures, as is well known to the Learned. II. We may fay^ that in general thereby is meant every efpecially long and unchajigeably coherent Duration and Continuance of Things; be this now finals or of fiich a Nature, that, as it is not without Beginning rooted in the ever- lafting and incorruptible Being of God and his creating Power, but has had its Beginning without God from the Creature, and fo muft of Necellity once ceafe and have an End; or infinite^ that is, of fiich a Naaire, that, as it has had no Beginning, either in refpeft to the real Exiftence or Being of the Thing itfelf, or in regard to its Root and Oripin, fo neceffanly has no End, or may at leaff be without End or Cealing. III. Therefore, whenever we find the Words Eternal or Eternity in the holy Scriptures, we are not immediately to conclude that of NeceC fity thereby every-where muft be underftood an abfolutely endlefs Duration ; but we ought fiirft of all to look upon the NB. Nature and Property of the Things that are faid to be Eter- 77aly or of Eternity J and confider whether their Nature will admit of an endlefs or of 2i final Du- rafion, and explain the Word Eternal or Eter- mty accordingly. IV. That this is a true and irrefutable Rule, to be obferved in all Explanations and Expofi- tions, we are taught as School-Boys, by the Canon of Logic, %ingj Praedmta infefligenda funf (477 ftint fecundum fuhftratam Materiam ; Or, Talia funt Praedicatay qualia permittuntur efje a fui§ SithjeSiis; rhat is, That whatis faid of aTbing " muft be underftood in fuch a manner as the " Nature of the Thing will allow of" Such is, for Inftance, the Term {a) hyperechoufa exou- Sia-, or the Power lodged in one Perfbn to command or rule others : For as this Power is not the fame in all Perfons that have any Com- mand or Government ; it being of another Na- ture in an abfolute Emperor or King, and of another in a Prince, of another in a Count, and of another again in a Baron or Gentleman, it is of another Nature in a Mayor and Magiftrate of a City than in a Juftice of the Peace or Bur- gefs in Town or Country; fo it is with refpe£t to the Word Eternity. All Things to which the Holy Ghoft in the Scripture attributes an Eternity, are really eternal, that is, they have filch an Exiftence and Duration as is grounded on their Namre, and efpecially on the Will of God. For this the Word Eternity really iigni- fies and nothing elfe, as lhall be /hewn incon- teftably in the Sequel : For the Word Eternity is of a quite different Extent when it is to fig- nify the Duration of the everlafting Being of God ; and of another Extent and Namre when the Holy Ghoft attributes it to the Crea^ tures that have their Being of God, and to the Good which is derived from him ; and agaki of another Nature when an Eternity^ is attri- buted to Sin and the Evil of Punifhment de- pending thereon, as coming from the Creamre alone C 48 ) alone, without God* Now, if 1%, that the Word Eternal-) or Eternity-^ when the Scripture ufes it in {peaking of God^ fignifies an abfo- lutely endlefi Duration, becaufe, God having no Beginning) can have no End; and that, when it is ufed of the Creatures that have their Bein^ of God, as alio of their good and bleffed Condition they derive from him, it then figni- fies fiich an eternal Duration, which, as to the real Exiftence or Being of Things, has had its Beginning, but is, or may be without End, be- caufe God, in whofe incorruptible creating Power fiich Things are rooted, has neither Beginning nor End ; and it would be from hence inferred, that the Word Eternaly or Eternity-^ muft alfo fignify an abfolutely endlefs Duration when it is ufed. to exprefs the Continuance of Sin and the Evil of Punifliment depending thereon in this and the next World ; fiich a Conception would be as abfiird as to imagine the Power of a Country Jufl:ice of the Peace to be the fame with that or an abfblute Emperor or King. ^ (a) Rom. xiiL i. V, Therefore, to form a true and difl:inft Idea of the Words Eternal and Etevnity-^ where-ever they ocoir in Scripmre, we have to obferve, that all Eternities mentioned there, are chiefly divided into three Sorts, and may be difl:in- guiflied accordingly; as in fome meafiire ap- pears from the preceding Paragraph, and is well known to People of Underuanding. VL The (49) VI. The firft Sort of Eternirie^ mentioned in Scripture, may be called, /Eter?iitas ahfoiutu mfinita a parte aitte et pofi^ that is. An abfo- liitely endiefs Eternity; or fiich a Duration as has neither Beginning nor End. This is al- ways the Meaning of the Word Eternal or Eternity^ when it is ufed of the {a) Divine Being and its Attributes : Since G O D is JEHOVAH, or, That fitpreme fel&exiftent Being, which, as it never had no Be^innina, but has been in and of itfelf from Everlaftino^, giving all other Things their Exiftence an^ Being; fo can, confequently, never have no End. (a) Gen, ^yi. 35. 2 Chron. v. 13. Pf. xlv. 6. Pf. xc. 2. Rev iv. 9. &c. VII. The fecond Sort of Emnities the holy Scripture (peaks of, we may call, ^ternitas in-^ finita a parte poft, that is, Such an endleis Eter-^ nity, or Duration, v/hich, although it has a Beginning, yet will never have no End. This is always the Signification of the Word f^^r;^/?/, or Etevmty, when it is Hied of the X5 mentioned in the holy Scriptures, may be called, ^tmit- tas periodica^ that is, Such an Eternity, or Du- ration of Things, which is limited within a cer- tain either longer or fhorter Period of Time^ that has its certain Beginning and End; fince the Things to which fiich an Eternity is afcribed, are, according to the Will of God, not to laft for ever. Thus there are Eternities of •50, of 100, of 1000, 2Cbo, 3000, 4000, JOOOj 6000, and more Years. In this Senfe the Words Eternal and Eternity are very frequent- ly taken in the holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Teftament. Here we will only al- ledge fome of the plaineft and chiefeft Places : So does, for Inftance, the Holy Ghoft call an Eternity-y Firft, A Man's Life-time here on Earth, Lev. XXV. 30. ExGd.xxxil 13.. Deut. xv. 17. I Sam. i. 22. 2 jYings v. 27. PInlem. ver. 15. Mark iv. 19. Secondly, The Levitical Priefi-- hood and divine Worjlnp of the Old leftamenty which was inftituted by God only for a certain Time, viz. mitil the T'mie of Reformation^ as the Ho|y Ghoft expreffes it, Heh. ix. 10. that is, umii the Coming of Chrift, who is the End of the Lawj Exod. xii. 145 17, Ch. xxvii. 21. Ch.xxVm C 51) Ck xxvnl 43. Ck xxix. 9, ag. Ck xxx. C/;. xxxi. 17. C&.xl 15. Lev. iii. 17. vL 13) 18. 6'/?^. vii. 345 3(?. Ck x. 15. xvi. 29, 31. CA xvii. 7.. Ck xxiii. 21, A^//m^. xv. C/;. xviii. 8. 19? 23. Ckxxv, 13. Dent, xviil Thirdly; The Time hefore^ Chrift's Incurnationy and before the Preaching of the Gofpei by the Apoftles in the whole VVorld;^ Rom,xwl 25. Hek ix. 25. (See the Oreek Text) Fourthly, In general) and in a complex Senfe^ The Pe-^ riods of Time:, or the Ages') both ofthk prefent and the next U^orld-^ which in fome meafiire both fubfift together and fucceed oneanother^ being linked like one Chain; and reach even unto that Eternity^; when the Son of God; after the Cort-. fommation of all Jps Works; fliall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father; and himfelf; though without the leaft Diminution of his Glory; Se fubjeft to Him who put all Things under him> that God may be all in all; in that only endle4 and ftill Eternity of G O D; into which at laft all limited or Periodical Eternities lhall be changed, or in the (weeteft manner return; as into the 'Head-Spring from which they flowed. Heh. xi. 3.comparedwithjE^i?a.2i. CZ^.ii.7. iCbr.xv. •25-28. Rev,x\,\%. Fifthly; In particular; Thk prefent wicked Wmld-^ which is to have an End ar the Coming of Chrift to Judgment Mattk xii. 32. Cij. xiii. 40. Ck xxiv. 3. Luke xx. 34. Gal i. 4. Eph. i. 21. Ch. ii. 2. i Tim, vi. 17, 7}>. ii. 12; &c. N. B. In all thefe laft Places of Scripture the En§i^) Bible has the Word' World'y but in the Gveek Origin^ it is aio7}. ( 52 ) Biernity^ Age^ whereby^ as I have faid, notbing eKe can be underftood but the Duration or Continuance of Time of this prefent wicked World, which is to reach to tlie Cdniing of Ghrist* C H A P. VIII. To which Sort of Eternities the Eternity of the Evil) and the Punifloment^ depending thereon^ or eternal Dainnation> as h is calkd^ belongs. A L S footi as the Evil, or Sin, is fevered from the Greamres, the Puni(hment thereof alfo ceafes. ForSm is the (a) Sting of Death : Now, when this Sting comes to lie deftroyed, then difoonrinues the Wounding and Pain of Death too; as a Fire muft go out as Ibon as it wants Combuftibles. {a) I Corinth, xv. $6. II. On the contrary, fo long as the Evil, or Sin, fubfifts in the Creamres, either within and witliout, or at leaft within, fo long will alfb laft on them the Paoiihment of Sin both in this and the next World; fo long is the Wrath or God (a) to abide upon them : For his Indigna- tion {h) refterh upon Sinners, folong as they continue in Sin. {a) John iii. 3 5. {h) Ecclef.v, 6. III. Now, fince many thoufend times thou- fands of the fallen Creatures do not only go on in Wickednefs to the End of their Days in this World; but will alfo be wicked in the World £0 ( 53 ) tQ come, fb it follows, that not only in this, but particularly in the next World, as under the fevere Government of God's avenging Juftice, ^ they muft be puniftied. IV. Many and terrible are the Plagues and Punifliments wliich God often in this World infli£ts on wicked Creatures, but they are no- thing to thofe Punifliments and Torments that will come upon them in the next World. The Scripmre fpeaks of it in the moft dread- ful (/z). Terms and Phrafes, which would make one's Hair ftand at an End: But, ah! how hor- rid and infiipportable will be the Thing itfelf! (a) Ifa, xxx. 33. ChAxv. 13, 14, 15. iy^xlix. 15. Mattkiih 12, Cb. X. 28. CL xjcv. 3a Rev. XX. 10, Ck xxi. 8. Ch. xxii. 15. Luke xvi. 23, 24, feqq. ^c, V. But the Puniftiments of wicked Creatures in the fumre World will not only be terribly great, but they will alfb, according to many plain (a) Teftimonies of the holy Scriptures, laft eternally:, that is, they will be of a true Eter- nity or aiona:, agreeable to their Namre. There- fore, fo hncerely as I belieye an eternal Happi- ^nefs, fo fmcerely do I alfo believe an eternal Damnation, that is, a future juft Condemna- tion of the Wicked to thofe PuniJQhiments of the next World, which, accordinJfe the Dialed of the Holy Ghoft, may be juffiy called eter- nal So that in Truth no body can accufe me of denying eternal Damnation, wherewith God in his Word has threatened the Wicked, with- out finrung agajoft the ninth Commandment; >D 3 vvhich^ C54) which, if anyone does^ I pray God heartily to forgive him. (a} Matth, iii. 12. Ck xviii. 8- Ch. xxv. 4I5 4^. Mark iii. 29. Ch. ix. 43. 2 Theff, i. 9. s^^r. 7. i?ez;. xix. 3. C6. xiv. 11. ck xx. 10, VI. But fmee the very fame Spirit of Truth, which fo very earneftly threatens the Devils and all hardened Sinners with eternal Damna- tiouj doth alfoj on the other hand, in holy Writ, with great Ernphafis teftify of God's eyerlafting and unbounded Love towards all his Creatures; of the eternal and general Re- demption of our Saviour, and, in lliort, of the final Renovation and Reftoration of all corrupt Creamres, and conftquenriy of their univer^l and happy Subjeftion in the Kingdom of God and Chrift, where every Thing is to praife God ] as has been already jfhewn, and /hall be moft clearly demonftrated in the following ^'^Ilrh Cihsptei ; you muft needs think, that, as a fimple Scholar of heavenly Wifdom, T am ob~ liged to take both for divine and confiftent Truths, and therefore reckon the Eternity of the Evilj and the Pff?7iflyjne72t depending thereon^ neither to the firft nor fecond, but to the third Sort of Eternities, defcribcd in the fixth, fe- venth and ej^irii Paragraphs of the preceding Chapter; t^MTe iiich Evil, and the Punifh- ment thereoff^as no everlafting Root in God, as the Creatures themfelves, and the Good that is imparted to them by God, have, but is of the Creatures, and during the created Ages fpruiig up in them againft God's Will. vn. It ( 55 ; VII. It may be fome will iay, that the Pro- teftations that I believe an eternal Damnation, are nothing bur a mere Pretence and Play- work, fince my maintaining the Reftoration of all Things obliges me to believe that fiich eter- nal Damnation muft once have an End, and that confequently my pretended true Eternity of Punijhinents in the next World, is no Eter- nity at all : To this I an{wer, That no Man, let him be whofoever he will? muft pretend to fet up for a Reformer of the Language of the eter-. nal Wifdom of God, which calls Olamimy aio- naSy or Eternities') not only the abfolutely end- lefe Duration of the Divine Being itfelf, and of thofe Things which may without End flibfift in God, but alfo the final and iiich Durations of Things as are bounded within certain Pe- riods of Time, as has bem proved above ia the eighth Paragraph of the preceding Chapter: by more than thirty Places of Scripture, to which fo many more might be added, if it was needful, and the Thing itfelf not fo clear as Day-light. Can the Spirit of Truth juftly call a Man's Life-time on Earth an aiona^ or Eter- nity y which very often falls ftiort of Fifty Years^ with how much more Juftice cannot* he call an Eternity that terribly long Period of Time in the next World wherein the evil Angels and Men lhall, by a juft Judgment, be baniflied from the Prefence of God ; which, doubtlefsj will<:ontain our Ihort Life-time many hundred times multiplied: For which Reafon alfo this frightful long but juft Period of ths manifefted . D 4 Wrailj (5^) ^ Wrath of God is called in &me Places (a) of Scripmie not merely aimiy ot Eternity, hut is expreiFed hy aionas ton amnmiy that is, Eternu f^s.^i^ iLtemitm..- Lord God, preferve us all kmsL this-Ki^mky! It will be too long to rhofe^ that: .Qirnii iaro-iCj aad we have no occafion, 03nrrary fo rrrato to make it ftill longer than the Spirit i£ Truth makes it {ai Rev. XIV; • 1 1 . Cb. xix. 5. Ck xx. i o. VHl. Some pretend, itar the Eternity of Evil, and the ercfnal Damimrion depending thereon, muit be an abfolately endlefs Eternity, and laft p long as the Being* of God itfelf, becaufe it is in fome Places (a) of Scripture compared Avith the eternal Happinefe of the Children of God, and its Duration expreiTed in the iame Words; fo that if the Eternity of ]3amnation was to ceafe, we muft conclude, that of eternal Glory maft have an End too. Qi) Mattkxx\h^6. Rev.Tw.ii. C7;.xix. 3. Clh XX. 10. compared with Cb. xi. 1 5. Ck xxii. 5, IX. As plaulibie as this Objeftion feems to be, fo empty is it if we go 10 the Bottom thereof. We will at prefent anfwer to it, Firjly That allflich as advance this Gbje£lion againft thd eternal and univerfal Redemption, turn their own Weapon againft themlelves, and unknowingly participate of a great Error, which they will never o¥/n themfelves to be guilty of For, let thefe People only conftder, that if we are obliged to conclude, according to their Opinion, iKat the Eternity of Pain and the Eterairy Gbry muft be N. B. of a com- pletely ( 57 ) p}etely equal Extent and Length, hecanfe they are both compared together in the Scriptures-^ and their Duration is exprejfed in the fame Words; then muft alfb neceiTarily follow, that the Evil and Punilliment depending thereon muft have been from aH Eternit}^, and either with- out aq|^ Beginning at all, or muft at leaft have an endlefs Root in God, and confequeorly be itfelf God, or his Creature. This latter is the Cafe with the eternal Glory and Happinefs. For, although the Creatures real Enjoyment of the eternal Happinefi and Glory begins here in Time, yet the eternal Happinefs and Glory, or the glorious Kingdom otGod itfelf, is with- out any Beginning, and has exifted in and with God ever lince God himielf has been, that is, from {a) all inconceivable Eternity, and muft therefore certainly exift fo long as God him- felf, who i$ the only Source or all true Beati- tude and Glory, is to exift. If the Eternity of the Evil is in every re4)e£l to anfwer to the Exten- fion of the Eternity of Glory^ in and with God, then the Extenfion of the Eternity of the Evil muft be as well backwards as forwards, and confequently from all inconceivable Eternity, and ever fince God himftlf has been; the hold- ing of which would fo much refemble the He- refy of the ancient Manichees as one Egg does another. Again, If any one would fay, that the Equality of thefe two Eternities of tne Evil and of the Good, was not backwards but only forwards,* that is. Although the Evil, to wit, Sin and the Punilhment depending thereon, was ( 58 ) was not without Beginnings as the eternal Hap- pinefS) conlidered in itfelf and according to its Namrcj was; that yet the Eternity of the Evil is without Endj ancl forwards of the fame Ex-- tenfion with the Eternity (^f Glory; he muft know, that if this Extenfion is not to be the feme as well backwards as forwards, it wants a great deal of being every way alike ; and if my Adverfy}is obliged, to avoid falling into He- refy, to fliorten it one way, why fliould not I have Liberty, for good and weighty ReafonS) to cut it ihort another way ? 1 anYwer, fecondlyy That it is altogether falfe, that the Scripmre al- ways, whenever it ufes the Words olaniy aibii^ mbnioS:, that is, EteYJjity^ of two contrary Things, thereby neceffarily uiidcrftands an equally long Duration of both. I will here only alledge three plain Places of Scripture, which prove the contrary. Pleafe to look into the Greek Text of Mattk xii. 32. Luke xx. 34, 35. Ephef. i. 21. In thefe Places this pvefent U^orld and the future or next World are compared to- gether, where it is faid in the Greek:, according to the Scripaire-Stile, otitos 0 aiofiy and, 0 aibn melibn-) or ekeinos-, that is, t/jis Eternity^ and t/je future or next Eternity^ whereby, as is men- tioned in the preceding Chapter, nothing elfe is meant but this Wond-y or the prefent Period of Time-, which has chiefly begun with the Fall of Man, and will end with the Coming of Chrift ; and the next fFbrld^ or Period of Jefus Chrift's future Reign in his manifefted Glory. Now; if by the Words aibu: aimioS) Efernityy or ( 59 ) or Eternal-, we are always to underftand an equally long Duration, even when they are ufed of contrary ThingS:> it muft neceffarily follow fi'om the above quoted Texts of Scrip- ture, that the future World wherein Ch^ift is to reign in his Glory will laft no longer than the Period of Time of this prefent wicked World : For the Periods of both Worlds are expreffed by the Holy Spirit:> according to his ufiial Way of fpealdngj by one and the famd Word; namely, atduy or Eternity^ as is alfb Matth. XXV. 4(?. the Duration of the fiiture Damnation and Happinefi. But who of the Oppofers of the Reftoration of all Things will allow of this, efpecially as long as by the future World they underftand an endlefs Eternity, agreeable to the common Hypothefis? Laftly and thirdly:, If our Adverfaries will abfolutely have it fo, that the glorious Reign of Chrift with his Elect, and the State of Damnation and Unhappinefs of the poor Creatures caft into the fiery Lake, muft be two equally long Eter- nities, we will even very freely grant them this too; but they will gain nothing at all by it againft the blefled Doftrine of lleftorarion. That Oeconomy, therefore, and Sort of Go- vernment of Chrift and hisEleft, during which all Enemies muft be put under Chriffs'Feet, and all rebellious Creamres in Truth made fiibje£l unto God and Chrift, after the Aboli- tion of Death and Sin, which is the Sting of Death, that Oeconomy, I fay, will certainly have an End) namely, at that Period when Chrift's (6o) Chrift's Aim is obtained, and the Son himfelf will be fubjeft to Him that put all Things un- der him.. But hereby is not meant that the Kingdom of Chrift itlelf ihould ceafe, which^ according to tlje Word of God^ is 0) to have no End, but it will rather through fiich Sub- jeftion of Chrift under God his Father, get an infinitely greater Luftre : So that we mult well diftinguifti between the particular Government of Chrift and hisEleB-, and the Kingdom of Chrift and his Believers as one with the Kingdom of his heavenly Father. The firft will certainly ceafe, and confequenriy the Eternities of Eter- nities appointed for it; but the latter is to laft for evermore. Now, as long as the faid Eter- nities of the particular Government of Chrift are to laft and fiicceed one another, fo long will alfo laft the Eternities of Pain in the fiery Lake; for as fbon as all Enemies are conqueredf, and every Creature is brought to true Obe- dience and Subjeftion under God and Chrift, He will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father, llierefore are both thefe Eternities of an exaft- ly like long Duration. {a) Matth. xxv. 34. compared with Eph. l ^ (h) Luke i. 33. CHAR ( 61} C H A P. IX. Of the different Sorts or Degrees of Damnation ; that isy of the firft and fecond Deaths or of the Prifons of the Sea, Deaths and Hellj and of the fiery Lake. L ALL Punifhing Juftice, if by rights ir Hiall be called Juftice, requires that the Punifh- ment be in Proportion and according to the Nature of the Sin^ and theSimation of the Sin- ner. So we find that even in this World a righteous Judge inflifts no greater Punifhment on a Malemftor than his Crime deferves, nay, his feverefl: Puniftiments are ufiially mitigated and mixed with ibme Mercy. IL Now, finae thofe Men, who in their un- altered finful Condition are carried off into the other World, and after their Depamire out of this Life abide {a') under the fame Wrath of God which with their finful (h) Birth they brought with them into the World, are not au alilce wicked, but feme have finned a great deal more than others, and confequently, through the Growth of their inward Iniquity, are be- come more conformable unto the Devil than others ; fo it follows of itfelf, that alfo th€ Pu- niftiments determined by the divine Jufiice for the depraved and finful Creamres in the next World, will be unequal, and in Proportion or according to the Heinoufnefs and Greatneis of ^e Crimes of thofe uuder the WratJi of God lying r( 6a ) lying Creatures, fbme Punifliments being very fevere and long, and others more tolerable and iliorter. This the holy Scripture plainly evi- i dences in (c) feveral Places. 1 (a) John in. 36. (b) PfAl 5. EpkfAl 3. ^ (c) Mattk v. 22. Ck X. 15. Ch.xi. 22, 24. Ltike X. 14. Ck xii. 47, 48. tFtfd,yi. ^5 7. in. All Puni(hments inflifted on the Crea- tures for their Sin, or whereby their Sin is as it were rewarded^ both in this and the next World, are comprehended in this one Word, Death ; as the Scripture (a) {ays, The Wages of Sin is Deatk (a) i?o;//.vi. 23. compared with x. 17. IV. By this we may fee the Truth of the divine Threatning, and how precifely it was fill filled, and is daily fulfilled before our Eyes, when God threatened {a) our firft Parents, that N.B. in the f elf-fame Day (not many hun- dred Years afterwards) they Jfhould eat of the forbidden Tree, they Ihould die: For from that Moment they finned they did incur God's Wrath and Di&leafiire, lofl: the divine Image, f)t a bad Confeience, which put them in Fear, nxiety, and Terror; and, in fliort, they j brought upon themfelves all Sorts of ^irimal | and bodily Plagues and Torments. All this together is called in the Language of the Holy Ghoft: Death') and is the Wages of Sin, or that wherewith Sin pays thofe who like Soldiers (b) ferve it. (a) Gen. ii. 17. compared with Ck iii. 6, 7, ^, 10; feqq. ib) Joi/u vul 34* V. §Q ( 53 ) V. So that) if we take the Word Death m its moft extenfive and completeft Senfe;, the Beginning of it is not only then when we die bodily 5 and, our Souls are feparated from their Bodies ; but it has had its Begin- ning with , all Men in the very fame Moment when (d) Sin entered into them ; becaufe it is fo naturally in Sin as Pain is in Sicknefs. (a) Rom. V. 12. VL Therefore fays the holy Scripture very emphatically of fuch Men as are converted from Sin to God, in this Time of Grace^ that they have p off ed from (a) Death unto Life: Con- fequently they muft have been really (^) in Death before their ConverfioU; when tKey were the Servants of Sin. {a) John V. 24. Q!) Ephef ii. 5. VII. N0W5 as Death has begun in Man with Sin; fb;, the more Sin increafes in Man the more grows with Sin the (a) Power and Vio- lence of Death ; in the fame manner as the Pain and Coniiption of the Body increafes with the Sicknefs. And if Men do carry Sin along with them out of this World into the next, they likewife take Death with them : Do they come to the highefl Degree of Sin and Wickednefs; (which in the Scripmre is called the Sin againfl (^) the Holy Ghoft) and there- by perfeftly take on themfelves the Namre and Refemblance of the Devil) who feduced them to Sin, then they v^^ill be banillied with Jhim into the ) uttermofi Regions of Dark- nefs and Peath? th^ isp precipitated ijito the ioweft (^4) loweft (d) HeII> or the Lake burning with Fire and Brimftone- . {a) Rom. vih 5. (b) Mattk xii. 31, 32. (c) Matth.wm.. 12. C&.xxii. 13. compared with the Original, (d) Deut. xxxii. 22. compared with Rev. xxi. 8- Vin. If I was to give a general and fcrip- rural Definicioh and Defcription of Death, which is the Wages of Sin, that is, of all that what the Holy Gnoft means by Death both in this and the other World, it would be as fok lowS) Death:, as the linages of SiUj is nothing elfe hilt the miferahle and wretched Condition of the Creatures lying under the Dominion of Sin-, and confeqitently under the Wrath of God-, enjoying the Prmt (a) of their own DoingSy and reaputg that (h) which they have fowed to the Flejh; that is-, feeling and experiencing', through Gods jufi Judgment J both in this and the next World-, all Sorts of fpirttual and bodily PlagueSy flowing mite naturally from their Wickednefs and Sin, and be- ing in Proportion and according to the Naturt thereof'., in order to he thus convinced how lad and abominable that is what they have chofenfor them-^ f elves, againftthe Will of GOD; and fo, to the everiafting Praife and Glory of Gods Juftice and Mercy y to he at laji by thefe r ough and fever e Mmns made tr^dy (c) fufje^t to God, the Father of all SpiritSj and to his moft beloved and o?ily begotten Son Jefus Chrift, whom he has appointed LORD {d) over all Things both in this World md that which is to come. (4) Jer* xxi. 14. Prov. i. 31. {b) Gal.vl 8. (c) I Con ( ) (c) 1 Cor. XV. 25-28. compared with i^! cxlv- 2y9y 10. Pf,cl 6, jRev.v, i2j i3> 14. (d) Epk h 20y 2I5 22. Philipp, ii. II. IX. This Defcription takes in all the difFe- " rcHC Kinds of Dearhs> which Divines general- ly diftinguilh by hdily:^ fpirittialy waa eternal fiieath : Since the painful Separation of Soul and Body, with all foregoing bodily Affliftions; (which is ufiially called the bodily Death) then the Want and Lofs of the divine Image and the Grace of God 5 (being called the fpiritml Deatby and laftly the woful Condition of the Damned in Hell) either in Soul alone, or both in Soul and Body; (which generally goes by the Name of eternal Death) are in a manner but Parts of Death, if we take the Word in its completeft Senfe. X. Concerning xh^ bodily Death in particular, whereby the Soul and Body of Man are fepa- rated, it may be juftly called, according to Scripmre, Firft-i with re{pe£t to Believers, A Pajfage (a) from Death unto the true and really eternal Life; a Putting-off of all Mortality or a perfeB Deliverance (b) from the Body of Deatby which in this World they were obliged CQ carry about them like a heavy Burden : But> fecondlyy with refpeft to the Wicked andUnbe^ lievers, we may by rights call it, A P^Jf^g^ out of one miferable Lam of Death into another which is much more {c) miferable and terrible. (a) John v. 24. John xvi. 5. (b) Rom. vii 24, Rev. xiv. 13. IFifd. iii. i, 2; 3. {() Luh ^vi. 22, 23. E 3a. Bm ( ^5 ) XL But the propereft Divifion of Death is, ro diftinguifli it, according toScripture^ by th^ fifft and fecond Death. Tis ttue, we do not find the Name of firjl Death in Scripture, but the Denomination of (a) fecond Death implies it : For if there is a fecond Death-) there iBuft necefFarily be ^ firft Death-^ which ante- cedes the fecona ; becaufe without it the Name fecond Death would have no Meaning. {a) Rev. ii. ii. Ch. xx. 14. Ch, xxi. 8- XII. Knowing from what has been faid above, that Death infeparably hangs together with Siuy and as namrally follows upon it as the Wages follow the Service done to a Mafter ; and that Sin and Death are fo intimate as Pain andSicknefs; beiides, the holy Scripture giving us a precife Definition of the {a) fecond Deathy viz.' that it is a Lake hurning with Fire and 'Bvimftone; fb we may eafily comprehend what is meant by the firft-) and what by the fecond Death. (a) Rev. xx. 14. Ch. xxi. 8- XIII. The firft Deaths therefore, is nothing elfe but that both bodily and ipiritually mife- rable and painful Condition of Men lying un- der the Dominion of Sin and at the fame time under the Wrath of God; which M^retched State began the Moment they fell into Sin, and, If they are not redeemed from it in this prefent Time of Grace, will not only, under many and dreadful Punilhments and Torments, continue after the Separation of Body and Soul, but ^*ow worfe and worfe, till at the laft Judg- ment they are either through the endlefs Mer- (67) des ofGod (4 delivered from i^' ^^i^g f^^' Sfn^v humbled; or, if the it adequate to their Iniquity, tJ^yj^^J^^'.^ mi^. 6. Hof.Miu 14. (^) ^ This ^r^ D..^/-, if reprefented by the^ FiJi-e of a TyrU has, as it were, two chieC kvinces mi ^-^ons^ ^^h^^.t^^^^^^ cnc\ exercifes its Pov/er, vtz. Invliy I be rro before the Separation of Bop and Soul, where E in this World are under the Domimon of Sin and the Power of Death: And, fecondly, neZoMMendez-vous or Place of Torment 0^ the deceafed impure Sotds, and the Tme SparatL of hdy and Soul, -^^^^ ^^X'ti^hl of Judgment, where Men, going out of t^s wiidln an unconverted Condmon, muft ie^ main under the Wrath of God and m Death, S fedng Life. That not only the unhappy Smte o len after their Deceafe, but alfo theu. finfol Condition by Nature in this W«rld where they are Servants to Sin, s.a Fart ot ' dS, theiripture tells us (.) inplamWords^ and therefore calls fuch as are ^ncom^ncd m this Life, People that are (h) dead while they t : They J called Jr.i.g, becaufe they en. joy as yet a naturalLife, common wid Bnttes , U th'ey are dead, be^aufe they want (^^e Mmal Ofey wfiich propei-Iy diffingiiiHies Mfen from Brutes; and makes rhem Men, that is, Creatures in the Image of God. ^ (a) Luke i. 79. Cl>. xv. 32. Eph. ii. 5. Heh. ii. 15. I John III. 1/^. Q) i Tm.Y.6. (c) Ephef. IV. 18. ■ XV. The doleful Regions of the j%? Deaths into which Unbelievers are bani/lied after their Diffolution, have many Denominations in holy Scnpmre. They are, for Inftance, called the (a) nether Parts of the Earth; the (by Pit where- in IS no Water; the {c) Grave, (or Hell) and Death; ^(d) Sides of tJjePtt; the (e) Darhiefs and Deep; the (/) Darknefs arid the Shadow of Death; the (g) Darknefs wime fkall he mepim* and gnajhng of Teeth, where the unhappv Souls lie in a manner fettered ^ the (h) Prifon,' Vvhhre even the uttermoft Farthing muft be paid; HeU (z), or the Place of Torment, where the Souls are tormented in Flames of Fire, without being able to come at the leaft 'Drop of Water to quench their Thiift, which Place isfeparated from the delightful Manfions of rheBleffed by a great Gulf To thefe Names may be added that of the {k) bcttonlfs Pit, wherein Satan will be kept Prifoner during the bleffed thoiifand rears oi Christ's future Reign in Glory. VVhich different Denominations fhew plainly enough that the woful Regions of the firft Death muft contain feverai Prifons: And in a certain Place (/) of Scripture they are exprefely divided into three Head-Quarters, viz. the Seay Death (fb called in a particular manner) and ( ^9 ) and Hell And the Difference of thefe Places of Confinement defigned for the Wicked after their Departure out of this World (one being doubt- lefs worfe than the other) is grounded on the different Degrees of their Iniquity, where every Convi£l will be ordered by the righteous Judge of ailFleih to aPrifon of Death proportionable to his Crime : This is exemplified to us in the Conduft of worldly MagiftrateS) by their not committing all Prifbners to the fame Place of Confinement, but every one to a Jail or Part thereof fiiitable to his Offence. N. B. But as the Scripture hy Death and Hell (in a particular Senfe) means certain Prifons and Jails of the firfl: Death, into which thofe that die in Unbelief are caft after their Deceafe; fo are alfo by thefe Denominations fometimes meant the Angels of Darknefs (in) themfelves, which as Jailers are fet over thefe dark Habitations. {a) Ezek. xxxl 14-18. (^) Zaekix. 11. (c) Pf, xlix. 15, i^. Hof. xiii. 14. (d) Ifa.xiy. 15. compared with ver, 9, 19. (e) Pf Ixxxviii. 6. compared with Pf, Ixxi. 20. (/) Luke i. 79. compared with i Pet. iii. 1 9 . Ch. iv. 6, ( ^) Matth. viii. 12. xxii. 13. {h) Matth. 2$:, 26. Luke xii. 58? 59. compared with 1 Pet. iil 19. (i) Lukexvl 23-28. (k) Rev. xx. i, 2. (/) Rev. XX. 13. (m) Rev. vi. 8- Ch. xx. 14. compared with Matth. V. 25. Ckxviii. 34. Ltikexn. 58. XVI. The fecond Death:, following the firft, ^ is that mofl wretched, mofl woful and moft unhappy Condition of evil Men and Angels lying under the Dominion of Sin md the Wrath E 3 (70) of God, in the (a} fiery Lake, whom no fore^ going Judgments of the firft Death have been able to tame, and who therefore, according to their laft Doom, muft receive the full MeMure of their well deferved Punifliments, be abfo: Jutely excluded from all Grace and Mercy of God during all that very temble long Eternity wherem the Anger of theMoft-highls to burn over them, be as unclean 0) Dogs caft out of the Palace of Heaven's King, and entirely for- laken of God and all Creatures, as Ghrift was on the Crofs. So great will be God's Wrath uoon thofe that are ientenced to the fecond Death) that even the Saints of the Lord will not be permitted to (c) intercede for them, namely^ not till they have felt the Wrath of God in its higheft Degree, whereof we have Inftaiicfes m fome wicked and obdurate Men in thi^ World. - ■ (a) Rev. xix. 20. C^.xx. 10, 14. Ck xxi. 8- Ck XIV. ro, II. Mattk iii. 12. Ckxxv. 41,46. Jfa.xxx. 33. (/;) Rev.xxxx. 15. Matth xxiv. 51. Ck ym. 13. Prov. i. 24, 25, 25, 27, 28, feqq. IJa. Ixv. 1 3, 14. Mattk xii. 31,32. (c) i John V. 16. compared with ^^r.vii. 1 5. Ckxi. 14. Ckxiv. II. / XVII. Though not all Men, dying in an un- fanftified Condition of Soul, and being there- tore after their Deceafe fenrenced to the Pri- fons of the firfi Death in the next World, will become a Prey to the fecond Death, but fome, and without Doubt flich as are not wicked to the fame {a) high Degree, nor have had fo many ( 71 ) many Means of Grace towards their Salvation here on Earth, as others, will be through the endlefi Mercies of God preferved from it, as the holy Scripture (h) plainly ftiews, after having received a Efficient Number of Stripes (c) for their Sins, and being under fiichPunilh- ment cleanfed by the Power of the Blood of Jefiis Chriit, which even penetrates into the Pit wherein is no Water; yet all thofe that get into the Prifons of the fir ft Death will be tormented enough through Fear of the fecond Death; in the fame manner as all confined Ma- lefaftors who deferve to die, muft always be in Expeftation of the Punifliment of Death, though fome of them, inConfideration of cer- tain Circumftances, and through the Interceffionr of compaffionatePerfons, may not fiifFer Death, but be fentenced to a more tolerable Punifli- ment. For the being entirely free from all tormenting Fear of the fecond Death, is a pe- culiar (d) Privilege of the faithful Conquerors, who during their Life-time here have been united with Chrift, and have fiiffered him con- tinually to deftroy in them the Dominion of the Devil and Sin : Such, dying in the {e) Lord, are thenceforth Meffedy come into no Judgment, and therefore into no Prifon of the firft Death in the next^ World, and, confequently, can- not be hurt by the fecond Death; (when even the Thoughts thereof are a Torment to the Prifoners of the firft Death) for they are perfectly paffed (/) from Death unto Life, When, in the Judgment of Men; they m faid E 4 ta ( 72 ) to4ie, they themfelves die not, but it is Death- which quite dies in and on them, to wit, the of Death, the old Man, to whom they wilh no better than entire Deftruftion. / « Mattk X. 1 5. Ck xi. 22. (/;) ^ev. xx. 15? tfet. lu. 19. compared with Ck iv. 5. i Co*'/ ifl^Mj. Luke xvi. 9^. r Qcf Luke xil 47, 48. ffi ^^"-'^^^- Ckxx. 6. (e) Jtev.xiv. 13. (J) John V. 24. C/;. viii. 51. X ' ^Vnr. From this we may fee, that the un- happy State of Men leaving this World in Unbelief, which we commonly exprefs by the Word Hell or Damnation-, implies a orea't deal: Namely, as Chrift fays of the (^) rfoufe ©f his Father, the Dwelling-place of the bleffed Deceafed, which is generally called by one Word Heaven, that there are many Manftons: 10 It is with the Habitation of Satan and all un- Clean Spirits in the other World, or the Abode of unhappy deceafed Men, there is not only one but feveral Jails and Prifons, where every Man dying in WickedneCs will be fent to a Pri- fon adapted to his Degree of Iniquity, there to continue folong, till, according to the true Say- ing {b) of our Saviour, he has paid even the ut- termoft Faithing, that is, fuffered his due Pu- nilhment, which is to extend itfelf to every idle (f) Word. And this is the Meaninp- of the Words, He {d) that helteveth not, jhall be%mned', that IS, by the divine Juftice, grounded on God's -eternal Love, be condemned to fuch a Punilh- ment in the next World as is adequate to the Meaim-e of his Iniquity, of which he would not (73 ) not fiifFer himfelf to be freed in this Time of Grace. {a) Johnxiyk2. (p) Mattkv. 26. C&.xviil 24. (c) Matth. xii. 36. {d) Mark xvi. 16. XIX. We may very well exprefs by the^ Words Heaven and Hell^ if t^en in their full Senfej the happy and unhappy State of Men deceafed either in Faith or inUnlief, and need not {iiperftitiously interpofe a Purgatory, fince the ultimate End of all Puniihments, which . God, who is LovC:, and whofe Anger is grounded onLove, infli£ls on the apoftate Creamres botb in this and the next World, is, to bring them at laft to filch a Pafs - that by the Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ, fhed for the Re-- conciliation of the whole World, Sin may be^ deftroyed in ^indi purged out of them: fa which Senfe all Punilhments of GOD both! here and in the other World may be called Purgatories; and we have no Reafbn to look for Purgatory only in the World to come, we may find too much of it in this prefent World under all Sorts of Punilhments and Affli£tions. But if we will not be made good in this gentle Purgatory here, then God, wlio has beftowed fo much on his Creatures, and therefore cannot let them be irrecoverably lofi:, muft neceffarily after our Deceafe caft us into one which will burn to the loweft Hell, and be able to foften and tame the moft wicked Wretches, if they were as bad as the Devil himfelf: God vnll hold it out with them ; let them tvy^ if they will not believe it. But the Lord preferve through (74) his infinite Love all thofe that will take Warn- ing, from fuch Hardnefs of Heart, and grant that we may much rather chufi the Affiiftions of this Life and the Reproach of Chrift for our Purgatory, which are temporal and light, and will procure us a far {a) more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory, from which all others that muft be drawn to God by the Judgments of the next World alone, will be excluded for evermore, although, to the Praife of God's endlefs Mercy, they will obtain fome Grace, after they have been fufFiciently humbled. {a) 2 Corinth, iv. 17. CHAP. X. * Of the different Degrees of eternal Glory ; or^ oft he Firft-birth and After-birth to Salvation. L /i S there are many Degrees of Damnation X 1 and Unhappinefs in the other V/orld; fo there are alfo {a) many Degrees of Happinefs and Glory, o ^""Kn^"^^'- ^^' ^4^ 39o AOy 4h 42. Song of Sol VI. 7, 8. Pfxh. 15, IL The feveral Degrees of Happinefs in the other World do not only confift, as is moft commonly thought, in the Difference of the heavenly and divine Brighmefs in which the glorified Bodies of the BlefTed will hereafter lliine; but it goes much farther, as ihall be fliewn immediately, III All C 75 ) All Difference of Glory in the next World confifts chiefly in xht Firft-lnrth and After-Unh unt?> Salvation. And confequently there are Firft-born and After-horn in the State of Salvation. -IV. The Firft-born unto Salvation^, to whom belongs the heavenly Birth-right;, are no other than fiich Men among the "fallen Grearures (which muft needs be regenerated and created anew, if they will come again to God) who fuffer themfelves to be regenerated firft, md through Faith to be united v/ith Chrilt hre in this Time of Grace, fo called in the propereft Senfe. V. Thefe are therefore exprefsly called in the holy Scriptures the (a) Firft-born ; the (//) Firft-fruits of God's Creatures; liich as have re- ceived (c) the Firft-fniits of the Spirit. Befides many more glorious Names which they have to Ihew their Pre-eminency above all the reft of Mankind, who will atlaft be {aved too by our univerfal Redeemer: They are, for In- ftance, called the (d) Bride of Chrift; the {e) Friends of Chrift; Chrift' s {f) Brethren; the (^) Spirits of jiift Men made perfeB:, and ib forth. But the Scripture (h) ^eaks aifo pretty plain of a Difference betwixt thefe Firft-born unto Salvation; dividing them efpecially in one Place (i) into threetlafTes, viz. the Servants of God:, or tliQ Prophets ; the Saints; mdthofethat fear the Name of the Lord; which again are &b- divided into fmall and great. This Difference is doubtlefs^roundedj partly^, on the different -^'^ • ' Degrees (7^) Degrees of San£lifieation to which they attain here; partly on the difFerent Meafure of the adorned and favoured by GOD through Chrift. ^ y (a) Heb.xih 23. (h) "^amesl 18. (c) Rom. viii. 23. {d) Pf, xlv. 10. Song of Sol iv. 9, II. Ckv. I, Rev. XIX. y. Ch.xxi.2,^,,Ch.xx}i, ^7- (e) John xv. 14, 15. (/) Rom. viii. 29. Matth^xw. 40. Ch. xxviil 10. (^) xii. 23. ih) i?m vii. 45 9^ 10, £frV. compared with Ch. xiv. 1 5 2; 3, 4^ 5 . (^) igrj. xi. 1 8 . compared with /torn. xii. 3) 4, 5 , 6. i Cor. xii. 4^ feqq. to 31. VI. 'Tis to thQkFirft-krn alone that belongs Chnft's Promife (^) of the celeftial Kingdom and Priefthood in the future World) with all the un- fpeakable Prerogatives and Glories which God in his Word promifes to thofe that are converted to him here on Earth, love him with all their Hearts, and are conftant Followers of his moft beloved Son Jefus Chrift: Whereof efpecially the Book of the Revelations of St. John (b) is {a) Matth.xxv.^^. Rev.v. 10. Ch.xx.^y$^6. Ck xxii. 5. (b) Rev. ii. 7, II, 17, 26, 27, 28. O. m. 5,12, 20,21. C&.vii. 15,16,17. Clxiv. 13. C^.xxi. 7. Ch. xxii. 3, 4, 5, 14. VII. l^his was reprefented in theOldTefta- ment by ihQfirJi^orn Children of the holy Pa- triarchs, who, by Virtue of their Biith-right, were entitled to the Sovereignty or Dominion, as alfo to the Priefthood, over the reft of their Brethren and the whole (a) Family; in whofe Place (77) Place God afterwards amongft the Children ol' Ifrael adopted (b) the Levites-^ and the whole Tribe of Lev^ who^ inftead of the Firft-born in Ifrael were intrafted with the Oracles of God and the Sacerdotal Office; as the Govern- iTieht of the State or Royalty was transferred upon the (c) Tribe of Judah. Nay, we find the high Prerogative of the fpiriUial Binh-Yight prefigured iti the Old Teftament in general by all the Firji-hrn znd Firfi-fmits botii of clean Beafts and of the Fruits of the Earthy v/hich God would have fanftified (d) unto him in a foecial manner, as we find it in many Places of the Pentateuck ' (a) Gen.xYix: '^, compared with Ck xxv. 31, 52, 33, 34. O'. xxvii. 19/28, 29, 33v feqq. (h) Numk ill 41 4$. C&.viilig. (c) Gen,xlix. 8,9,10. (d) Exod.xm.2. A^/^m^. iii. 1 3. Exod. xxiii. 19. Ck xxxiv. 2(5, &c. VIIL The Firft-born to Salvation are thofe few who in their Life-time find the (a) narrom Way to eternal Life, and penetrate thorough the fir ait Gate; whereas fiich as go the broad Way of the Fle/h leading to Perdition^ are many-) yea the greateft Number. The Firfh-- born are the (b)feip Ele&y compared with the many who are called:, but, on account of their Unbelief, after the Example of (0 jBA?//, rejeSed from the Enjoyment of the inexprellible Pri« vileges and Glories of the heavenly Birth-righn (a) Mattkvil 13, 14. Z^/^^xiii. 24. (b) MattL xxii. 14. Lukexiv. 24. (r) Heb, xil i^, 17. com- pared with Gen. xvii. 33, 34^ feqq, IX. By (78 5 - By the Jfier-hom toSalv&tion arechiefltf meant all the reft of Mankind, who in the^ Life-time neglea Repentance and the Purifi- cation of their Souls, felling, like Efau, their Birth-nghc for a Pottage of LentUes, that is, giymo- it in Exchange for the Vanities of this WorM, and muft therefore, after their Depart ture hence, remain under God's Wrath, arid by the long-lafting and terrible Judgments of the next World be humbled and made fit tor the Participation of fome Enjoyment of the endlefs Mercies of God, through Chrift, the univerfal Saviour and Reconciler of all fallen Creatures, and thus, in their Way, be regk i^ated unto Life afier the already o-loriffed m-bom Children of God. To the Ajter-barn belonff too, as a Supplement, the fallen Angels, as we have lliewn above. N.B. Although the Fhraie After-horn to Salvation is not literally to be met with in the Bible; yet the Thino it- ielt is grounded therein. For, if it be true, that at the very laft Judgment many of the Dead that are given up by the Sea, Death. and Hell, as Prifons of the firft^Death, will be found written in the Book of Life, and be de- Jiv™ from the fbll Power of the fecond Death; (between whom and tht Firft-born, that have Part in the firft Refurreaion, and are to reign with Chrift during the blefl'ed thoufand \ ears, or the Day of his glorious Marriage, the Scripture (b) exprefsly diftinguifties) yea, if it be true, that at laft will follow a univerfal Re- Itoration of all apoftatized Creatures through a gene- (79) a general (t) Subjeaion, folemnly promifecl iri Scripture 5 then this muft be true too, that all thefe together may be juftly called After-horn unto Salvation:^ becaufe they are not of the Number of tht Ftrft-hrny butwill, a long Time after the Glorification of thefe, be made truly fobjeftunto God and Christ, and in their Way be born again unto Life eternal (a} Rev. XX. 135 15. compared with iPet. in. 19. Cih iv. 9. (F) Rev. xx. 5. compared with ver. i2ri35 15. . (c) i Cor. xv. 25-28. PM. il JO. Rev.v. 1^. X. N0W5 of thefe Ajier-horn to Salvation ^ there are chiefly two Sorts. For fome are After-born out of the fir ft Death; and others Afier-horn out of the fecond Death. .XL The After-born out of the firft Death are, ^ as aforefaid, thofe Deceafed, who, after the blet fed thoufand Years of Chrift's Marriage, at the very lail judgment, will be given up by the Sea-i Death and HeU-^ be found written {ci) in the Book of Life, and fo through the end- lefs Mercy of God be faved from the fecond Death, and from its full Power over them, though the Ideas thereof have been Torment enough to them in the Prifons of the firft Deatfi: The Fore-runners of thefe After-born were the Spirits unto whom Chrift at his Def- cenfion to Hell (b) preached theGofpel of their Redemption. {a) Rev. XX. 15. compared with Hofxm. i4« ZacLix. n. {b) iPetSn. 19. Cb.W.G. Pfalm Jxviii. 18* Xli The ( 80 ) / ^ItTli^ ^fi^^ fecond Ekath are all the reft of Mankind, and the fallen An- gels, who, under all the foregoing dreadful Judgments of the firft Death did continue in their Wickednefs, and therefore muft be hum- bled in the fiery Lake, by the moft horrible and con&mmate Judgments of the fecond Death, to bow at laft every one of them their Knees before {a) Chrift, and fo have their Share too in the eternal (b) Redemption found out by him. (a) Phil. ii. lo. compared with Rev. v. 1 3. (F) HebAx. 12. XIII. That there may be a Difference again between thefe After-born out of the fecond Deaths as to the Time of their Reftoration, feems very probable by what is MdiRev. xx, 10. compared with ver.i$. as alfo Ch.xxl 8. For in the firft Place it is faid of fome that are caft into the fiery Lake, that with the Devil they lhall be tormented therein for ever and ever : But in the other two Places, which likewife fpeak of fiich as will be caft into the Lake burning with Fire and Brimftone, we do not find this , Addition, but It is only ikid there, that they are cafi into the fiery Lake, and that they fhall ha\ e N. B. their Part therein. This has^ with- out Doubt, a particular Signification, fince the Holy Ghoft in the Scriptures neither inferts ^nor omits any Thing that is to no Purpofe. XIV. The very laft of all that will be re- ftored are the (a) Sinners againft the Holy Ghofly mrd the Seducers of the whole Race of Man, to wir, Lticifer (b) mtb his Angels: Thefe wiU be ( 81 ) be obliged to remain Prifoners under the di^ vineWrarh, without Remiffion of Sin, during the whole Eternity or Age of Chrift's Reign with his Own in the World to come, and, through God's juft Judgment, fliall not be re- ftored than at that Point of Time, or juft be- fore it, k^hm the future World is to be changed into that ftili or filent Eternity, wherein GOD is to be (r) all in ally after every Thing, in its Order and Harmony, has been fiibdued unto Him by Christ. (a) Mattkxils2. (h) Rev.xx. lo. com-^ pared with Ch. xl 15. G6. xxii. 5. (r) iCor. XV. 28. , . XV. x\lthough ihtik After-born to Salvanon, . who, in due Seafon, by Chrift, the univerfai Saviour, will be delivered both from the ftrft and fecond Death, will alfo, after fiichRedemp-r tion, receive a BlefEng with {a) EfaUy and par- take of fome Beatitude, which the Scripture de- fcribes in this manner, that tky mil bow their Knees (h) before Chrifi; be fubjeB unto (c) Chrifi and God; and praife (d) him; yet they will be excluded to all endlefs Eternity from the abovefaid Glories, peculiar to the Firfl-borny namely, from the Reigning with Chrifty and the celefiial (e) Prieflhoody both during the aforefaid bleffed thoufand Fears and all the fucceeding Eternities of Eternities; and thus, in fome mea- flire, undergo an abfolutely endlefs Punifti- ment, that is, they will fuffer Poenani Damni^ or fuftain the Lofs of the quite particular Pre^ rogatives annexed to the Jpiritml Birth-right: ( 82 ) However fo, that at having fufficiently regretted their irrepairable Lofs, they will be very well content with that Share ot Salvation which the infinite Grace of God, for Jefus Chrift's, our univerfal Redeemer's fake, will give them; rejoice at the far more exceeding Weight of Glory of the Fivft-hovn, an| to the utmoft humble themfelves both before them and their Head (/) Jesus Christ. Now, this entire Deprivation of the Birth-right, to-< gether with all the inexpreffible Pains which they have fiifFered for their Sins, both in the firft and fecond Death, will be Puniflimem enough for them: From which eternal Dam- nation moft graciously keep us, sood Lord GOD! J ^ B (a) Heh xii. i 1 7. compared with Gen. xxvii, 34-40. {]?) Philipp. ii. 10. (r) i Cov. xv. 28. id) Rev. V. 13. {e) Luke xiv. 24, (/) Rev. iii. 5>. C H A P. XL What the Scripture meaneth hy this prefent World, the World to come, and the ftill, or filent Eternity. TL HE holy Scripture here and there makes Mention of {a) this or the prefent J^orld; the (F) World to come; and the {c) ftill or that Eternity which God (d) inhaUteth. (a) Matth. xii. 32. Ch. xiii. 40 Luke xx. 34. Gal i. 4. Eph, i. 21. ^ Ch/± 2. CLwl 12. Tit. 'ii. 12. (h) Matth^m, 3a. Lukxx. 35. Epkl 21. (83) ffekihs. C/i.vLy. (c) Ifa.XKxn.iy. (J) Jfa. Ivii. 15. compared with the Original. II. By this IVorld the Scripture means no- thing elfe but this prefent aiona:, or Period of Time J which, in fo far as it is called the wicked World, had its Beginning with the Apoftafy of the Creatures, elpecially the Fall ot our firft Parents, whereby Sin and Death were intro- duced into the World; and wiiriaft to the Coming of Chrift to judge the Antichriftiaa Race both of the Living {a) and Dead. In this Period of Time : f hat which is Evil always had the Sway and Superiority over that wnich is Good, and will have it to the Coming (^) of Chrift ; fo that we muft not expecl conftantly better Times, but Things will rather grow worfe (r) and worfe the more the Coming of the Lord approaches : Howbeit, I will noc deny hereby, that before the End of this wicked NVorld^ there may not be made a good Begin- ning and Preparation towards a downright Re- formation in God's Church, through the Power of the Gofpel of the Kingdom of God and Chrift to be preached throughout the whole World; (though under many Tribulations and Perfecutions) for which, indeed, many plaia Prophecies in id) Scripture afford its good Hopes. But this is certain, that there win not be a thorough Reformation before the Coming of the Son of Man: And the Reafon for it is this, Becaufe the Devil is the God or PrincQ of this {e) World, and confequendy worketh. ia the (/) Children of DifohQdienQQ/ who al- F Of ways (84) ways were the moft numerous in the World, and will be fb until the Day of the Lord) but then, and not before, the Power of the Devil) and the Antichriftian Kingdom of the Beaft and "the falfe Prophet) will have anEnd, according to the plain Teftimonies of (g) Scripture. A^. S. This aid?2y or Period of Time, is again ftibdivided by the holy Scripture into two fpecial aiSnaSy or fVovUs; viz. into the wicked fFovld before the Floodj or into the old ff^orldy and into the (i) prefent wicked fForldy or the Age of the I World after the Floods under the four Empires |i reprefented by the four Beafts in Daniel's Pro- ! phecy, which began fbon after the Deluge, and Mdll, as aforefaid, end at the (k) Coming ofClirift. {a) Dan.vii. 26^, 27. 2 Theff ii. 8- compared , with Rev, xix. 1 1 , 20, 2 1 . Mattk xiii. 4O5 4I) 42. j] Q) Rev, xiii. 6y feqq. (c) Matth.xyiw. Tj-, 385 ij i 39. It. 21) (eqq. Rev. iii. 10. vi. 11. 27. {e) i Cbr.xv. 28. Philipp. ii. 10, II. ^&iiL 21. (/) Gen, i. 31. (^) Rev. XX. 4) 556. compared with Ck xix. 7, (h) Rev, XX. 8. (0 Dan vii. 27. (^) i2^z;. xx- i> 2, 3. (/) lb, ver, 9. £z£^. xxxviii. 22. (m) Rev. xxi. I5 feqq. (n) Rev. xi. 18. Ch. xix. 2O5 21. Matth.xm, 41 , ^/r. IV. By the ftilly or abfolutely ^/^^^/^ jE/^r- ?7/Vj5 wherein God (tf) dwelleth, is meant in holy Scripture that abfolutely endlefs and eter- nal Duration of the uncreated Divim Beingy and the moft perfect and unvariahle Beatitude that is therein: Which, with re{pe£l to God, has been t^^ithout Beginning, from all inconceivable Eter- nity, and ftill is, going thorough all created Eternities, both of this and the next World, yea, being their Source and Principle; but> with refpeft to the Creatures, it Will not mani- felt itfelf in the perfefteft manner till at that Point of the created Eternities, when Chrift, after the entire Reftoration of all Things, will give up the Kingdom to his heavenly (j?) Fa- ther, and befiibjeft to Him who put all Things under him^ that Qod may be
neither in this World, nor in the World to come, but are in Danger of eter- nal Damnation, according to (d) St. Mark By - the World to come is in the firft mentioned Place without Doubt meant the Beginning of the next World, or the Time from the Commencement of the thoufand Years to the very laft Judgment: For within this Time not only many thoufand Millions of wicked Men will be converted to God, and receive Forgive- nefs of their Sins; but alfo many (i^) of thofe that have been lying in the Sea:, in Deathy and in Hell-i as miftrable Prifons of the firft Death, will at laft, at the Opening of the Books of Judgment, be found written in the Book of Life, and thus obtain Remiffion of their Sins, and be delivered from the full Power of the fecond Death; fo that the Friends of God, whom perhaps they have obliged here in this World through many Benefa£lions, will, ac- cording to our Saviour's {c) true Words, receive them into their everJafting HahitationSy after they have been as unjuft Stewards put - out ( 91 ) out of theii' Office, mdhzve failed a long Time; but the Sinners againft the Holy Ghoft) that is, the profeffed Enemies of Chrift and his Be- lievers, and among thofe particularly the blat pheming Beaji and falfe Prophet^ who in this World have been for ever afflifting Ghrift and his Own, will then, in Virtue of Gods moft holy Juftice, be treated in the very fame man- ner as they have treated Chrift and his Believers here, that is, they will, as accurfed, be caft in- to the fiilphureous Lake of eternal Hell-Fire, partly before and partly after the thoufand Years, without any Grace or Mercy; and con- fequenriy will obtain no Forgivenefs of their Sins, but be obliged fully to fiiffer what their Deeds deftrve, as the Scripture (i) plainly tefti- fies. But it does by no means follow^ from hence, that therefore thefe Sinners cannot ob~ tain Remiffion of their Sins, nor be at laft alfb cleanfed from them, and thus in Truth made fubjeft unto Christ and GOD, after the Expiration of the Eternities of Eternities fuc- ceeding the thoufand Years and belonging to the future World, \vhen fuch Sinners, together with all other rebellious Greamres, have been fufficiently punifliedfor their Wickedneis in the infernal Lake of Fire arid Brirnftone, and now, inftead of conradifting Chrift in a prefiimp-^ tuous (^) manner, as they did not only in this World but even in the Day of Judgment, moft humbly bow their (/) Knees before him. See, concerning this, the XlVth Paragraph of the preceediiig Chapter. (a) Mark (92) • (a) Mark iii, 29. (h) Rev. xx. 13, 15. com- pared with Hof. xii. 14. Zach. ix. 11. i CbnWj. au. 15. (c) Luke xvi. 9. {d) Matth. xxv. 41, leqq. Rev. xix. 20. xx. ij. Ch. xxi. g. (f) Matth. xxv. 44. C&.vii. 22. (/) Phil. ii. 10, II. I Cor. XV. 25-28. CHAP. XII. ■ Containing the cleareft Sentences of the holy Scrip- ture which treat of the general Reftmation of all Men and corrupt Creatures. A I. A S the Center of the whole Bible, where- in A at all its Contents aim, is this, That hy GOD in the Beginning every thing teas created very good; and that hy CHRIST, the heavenly JVifdom, through whom all Things were created, all whatfoever is corrupted through Sin, muft at laft be made good again; fo may any one whofe Eyes are opened to fee clearly into this Point, find a great many Teftimonies of this eternal Truth both in the Books of the Old and New Teftament. But we will for our prefent Pur- pofe only alledge fome of the plaineft Sen- tences, viz. FjRST, Sonie very plain Texts of Scripture treating of the final Reftoration of all cortupt Men. Rom. V. 18,19320,21. Therefore as hy the Offence of one Judmem fame upon all Men to Condemnation: evm fo hy the ( 93 ) the Righteoufnefs of one, the free Gift came upon all Men unto Jufttficntion of Life, For as hy ont Matfs Difohedience many mremade(orrepre'- fenteJ) Sinners: fo by the Obedience o/'one {the fame) tmny be made {or veprefented) righteous. Moreover J the Law entered:, that the Offence might abound : But where Sin abounded^, Grace did much more abound ; that-, as Sin hath reigned unto Death-, even fo might Grace reign through Righteoufnefs unto eternal Life^ by Jefus Chrtjl our Lord. In the fame Epiftle, Ch. xi. 32. God hath concluded them all {viz. Men, or, fhut them all up together) in Unbelief that he might have Mercy upon all, viz. Men. I Cor. XV. 22, 23. As in Adam all die-) even fo in Chrift fhall all he made alive. But every Man in his own {or -in his particular) Order. Thefe Texts of Scripture moft evidently ftiew and foretel us, that as really as Sin and Condemnation is come upon and entered into all Men, even fo really and certainly will alfo by Chrift conie again into all coiTupt Men Righteoufnefs and Life, viz. that true Life of God-, which alone is the real Life of Men; and that they /hall altogether at laft even fo a£hially enjoy tne Mercy of God, as afhially and truly as they have been every one of them con- cluded under Sin and Unbelief In fliort. That as Sin hath reigned in and unto Death ; even fo ftiall Grace reign through Righteoufnefs unto eternal Life;> by Jefus Chrift. Now, Sin has ^ ■• reioiied (94) reigned in fuch a manner, that it has aftually made all Men its Subjeas, and brought Death upon them, howbeit the one in a greater De- gree than the other: Therefore muft, without Contradi(aion, Grace alfo reign in inch a man- ner as to bring all Men again to its Obedience, and confequently to reftore in them Rioht- eoufnefs and eternal Life. And, indeed," fo much the more, becaufe it is exprefsly faid, that Grace is not only to abound as much as Sin, but even to abound much more than Sin. But how can Grace be faid to abound much more than Sin, if, according to the common Hypothefis, we avow on the one hand, that it is able to juftify and five all Men, but on the other hand deny that it will aftually juftify and fave all Men? For Sin was not only able to nialce allMm unrighteous, and to bring Death upon them, but it has adually made tiiem all m general unrighteous, and brouo-ht Death upon them. ° 1 Tim. iv. lo. God is a Saviour of all Men, fpecialh ofthofe Uathelieve. J J J As really, now, as the Believers are deli- vered from Sin and Death by this univerfal Sa- viour; fo really and certainly muft alfo all the reft of Mankind finally be delivered therefrom, fince ofherwife God and Chrift would be but a timlar and no tnie and adxial Saviour of all the reft of Men: Since it is not only re- quifite that a Saviour and Redeemer pay the Ranfom for the Prifoners, but that he alfo (95 ) iet them aiSually free from their Imprifbn- ment. See of the Vlth Chapter the third and following Paragraphs. John xiL 31^ 32. compared with ver. 285 29:, 30. Nozp is the Judgment of this World: (or^ now Sentence pajfetb on this Worlds and it is as it were condemned together with its Prince) nom jhaU the Prince of this World be caft our. And I, if I he lifted up front the Earthy will draw all Men unto me. ^ Here again is inconteftably /hewn, that a Ettle before our Saviour's Palhon, it had been firmly decreed in Heaven by an irrevocable Sentence paffed upon this World , that the &re Fruits and Effetts of the SufFerino's and Death ofChriftftiould be t|is, ThatSafan, or the Prince of this World, fliould be entirely diverted and caft out of his pretended uno odly Sovereignty over Mankind; and that, on the contrary, Ghrift lifted-up or crucified /hould at laft aaually draw all Men, who before had been fubjea to the Devil, unto himfelf and thus of Neceffity bring them again into their rishc Order and Subjeftion under God. Luke xxiii. 34, Jefus faidy Father, forgive them; for the^ know not what they do. John xi. 41, 42. Father, I thank thee, that thou haft hem^d me ; m I how thaiihQXi heareft me always. ( ) In the firft of thefe Sentences Chrift prays for the worft of Villains under the Sun^ name- ly for his Perfecutors and thofe that crucified him, and confequently for all fiich too as have crucified him in his faithful Members from the Beginning of the World, ftill arucify and per« fecute him, and will continue fo to do to the End of this World, of which Sort are like wife, and indeed moft particularly, all Sinners againft the Holy Ghoft, of whom there were many amongft the Enemies of Chrift at the Time of his perfonal Crucifixion. Now, his Prayer is this, that the heavenly Father will really for- give them their Sins, or, that he will once again bring them into the right Order of Re- pentance and Faith, wherein their Sins may be forgiven them, ^id that this Prayer and In- terceffion of Chrift, as well as all others which he ever made and ftill does make, muft at laft be fully heard and granted, our dear Saviour once for all affures us in the fecond Sen- tence taken from ^ohn xi. Matth. vi. 13. Deliver us from Evil. For thine is the King- Jomj and the PoxpeVy and the Gloryy for eveu Amen. Among the moft evident Proofs of the bleffed general Reftoration of all Mankind, we may alfo with very good Reafon reckon the myfteriousPrayer ofour Lord, efpecially the juft now mentioned laft Petition of it. For this is indifputably true, that the Lord has obliged us to pray therein for all Men> wiihoui; ( 97 ) without the leaft Exception. But what is it that we are to defire for them? That his Name may be fanaified by them; his King- dom come into them; arid his Will be done by and through them, and fo forth; bur efpecialiy, that he may delivet every one of them/m?2 Evil, that is/aftually free them from Sin and the Power of the Devil, or from all Pain and Wo following upon Sin both in this and the next World: In Ihort, that God may, through Jefus Chrift, the univerfal Saviour, in general convert, juftify, and fave them. And, indeed, all for this Rcafon, as the ConI clufion fhews, becaufe the Kingdom, or So- vereignty over all Mankind, belongs by no means to the Devil, but folely to our dear Lord God; and fince he alone has the Power and IS able aftually to perform this; and, laftlv, becaufe to him alone, and to no other Being, will be for ever given and attributed the Glory and Honour for the Execution of this greaE Work, fo that all Creamres Will blefs and praifq him for it to all Eterniry. See Pf. cxlv. lo, 1 1. fj. cl. 6. Rev. V. 1 3. You will fay, It is true enough that in the Lord's Prayer we pray that God may convert and fave all Men, withouc any Exception at all, but that does not argue that with refpea to all Men this will be retlly done, becaufe the greateft Part of them fruftrate on themfelves theEfFeft of this Prayer by their own conftanr Impenitence. But hear, ye that make this Objeaion, Pray, what then is the Meaning of the Word ^/h^/;;, which, as a Seal, G ' we (98) we are obliged to pur to this moll: excellent sprayer? Is it not fo much to fay as^ Fenly^ Jo he it! And muft not therefore all the Feti- aons of the Lord's Prayer^ but efpecially the laftj with refpeft to' every individual Man, at laft be certainly granted^ as forely as the Children of God pray for and defire the good Things expreffed therein according to the earneft Will of GOD) and as they can- not pray in vain; which, that by no means we may doubt of it, Chrift has likewife more than once moftfolemnly aiTured us of ail the Prayers of his faithful Chriftians agreeing with this Prayer of their Lord, 5^0/7/; xi v. 13, 14. Ch.xyi. 23. compared with i 'J'ohn v. 14, 15- From whence infallibly follows, that, although many thoufands of Men hinder the Efficacy of this Prayer on themfelves in this World, and be- come a Prey to the jaws of Hell, yet they will not be able to hinder it forever and to all end- lefs Eternity. That what is Good will at laft fiirely conquer that what is Evil. God will at laft know to make thofe a Will who at pre- fent are unwilling to be converted to him, fo that fuch prodigal Sons through God's Grace will be glad to return to their Father's Houfe, after they have long enough tafted the Hu(ks of the fiery Lake; if it be never fo long be- fore it is brought about. But if this was an unqueftionable^Truth, that moft Men will re- main diftant from God, and fruftrate on them- felves the grantino; of this Prayer, to all endlefs Ettrnitv, as our Adverfarie^ pretend; then Chrift would ( s»s> ) Would have taught us to pray not only wavef- ma or double-minded, but even in Unbelief and lying, and confequently fuch a Kind of" Pray;^r which the Spirit of Chrift abfolutely rejects and condemns, Raines 1 6,y. compared with I Tim. ii. g. Namely, he would have earneftiy commanded us to pray for all Men, without Exception, that God might at laft con- vert and fave them, and always toadd^/w«/ K) the End that we might by no means doubt but that this our Prayer of univerfal Love would be heard, (which univerfal Love, that is to extend itfelf even to the worft of Enemies, and from which this Prayer is to flow, our Sa- viour inculcates a little before the InflnKftion m the Duty of Prayer, viz. Mattb.v. 44, feqq.) though neverthelefs it was already decreed by God from all Eternity, and we were alfo ob- liged to believe it as a Truth, that the greateft Fait of Men, of whom he had forefeen that durmg^this /hort Lifetime they would remain m Unbelief, and hinder on themfelves the Eificacy of this Prayer, /hould therefcre not only be greatly punilhed \xx the next World (which IS true) but that thev alfo fliould for ever and without End remain in the Power of Sm and the Devil, and never be converted. }t Believers to impute fuch a bJafphemy to their Redeemer, to have taftc^hc them with a feigned Faith to pray for Thinag which they think can never be done, and whicti at the Bottom they do not believe. May the Lord rebuke thee, Satan, for epdeayourjng to ^ % majis ( 100 ) make God's Children believe flich a Calumny figainft their gracious GOD and dear Re- deemer. ^ M B. To the Texts of Scripmre) which prove the Reftoration of all fallen MeU) may be very realbnably reckoned too thofe that treat of God's mtiverfal Love towards ^11 Men, of his earnefi JVill to have them faved in ge^ neral, aud without the leaft Exception; as alfb thofe that fpeak of univerfal Redemptiouy &c. for Inftance, Ezeh xviii. 23. Clh xxxiii. 11. Matth. xviii. 11. Johni. 1^. Ch. iii.^ 16^ 17. I Tim, ii. 45 5 5 6. 2 Pet, ii. i. Ch Aih 9. i John ii. 2y gfrV. Since from thefe important Articles of Faith we may for certain infer the actual Reftoration of all loft Men; becaufe it is im- poffible for God to will any thing in vain to all endlefs Eternity ; and it is abfolutely falfe, and the utmoft Derogation of Chrift's Re- dem.ption, to pretend, that he Ihould have Ihed his moft precious divine Blood quite in vain and without the leaft bleffed EtFeft for but on^ of his Creatures. See above Chap. III. and IV. Not to mention, that God has alfb moft plainly foretold, that the Condition of Salvation, viz, Righteoufiiefs flowing from Re- pentance and Faith, unto which Salvation is infallibly annexed, ihall at laft be fulfilled with refjieft to all Men^ who 'by Adam's Sin are be- come unrighteous, as has been iliewn above from Rom, v. i^^ feili]. To the Arguments for the Reftoration of all fallen Men, belong alfo, with good Realou; the Places of Scripture that treat ( loi ) treat either of a paft or future Deliverance of form Souls out of a middle State of Fain, which is owned by many who oppofe the entire and general Reftoration, for Inftance, \Pet.m. 15). Ch. iv. 6. Eph. iv. 8, 9. Pf Ixviii. ig. i Cor. iii. 15. Luke xvi. s». Rev. xx. 13, ij. compared with Hof xiii. 14. Zach. ix. 11. 2 Sam. ii. 6. Rev. i. 18, &c. For thofe who underftand the juft now quoted Texts of a Deliverance from a middle State, which they allow of, as afore- ^id, when at the fame time they deny the entire Reftoration of all Men out of the fiery Lake, thofe People, I fay, muft at leaft grant us fo much, that from the Redemption out of a niiddling painful State, we may with fome Pro- bability conclude the Redemption of fuch as are caft into the fiery Lake, or loweft Hell. But whofoever pondereth, that with God there IS no Refpea of Perfons, will eafily conceive, that our Conclufion is not only probable, but moft true and juft: For why IhouldGod, who IS no Refpefter of Perfons, neither in the Exe- cution of his Juftice nor in that of his Mercy, by Christ deliver fome from a painful Condinon, and not others at laft too? It is enough that he puni/hes fome feverer and longer than others, which muft be, on account of his moft holy Juftice; becaufe fome have finned more than others. Second.- ( ) Secondly, Plain Texts of Scripture:^ treating of the final Re- Jloration of all corrupt Creatures-) and confe- quently notonlyofMen^ but likemfe of the fallen Angels, (aiming at leaft plainly at the latter) which in the Beginning were_ of the Number of the principal Creatures of God. Pfalm qxlv. 9. The LORD is good to all, afid his tender Mercies are over all his Worlcs. Wifd.xi. 24, 25. Ch.xii. i. Thou haji Mercy upon all; for thou €anfl do all ThinSSy and winkeft at the Sins of Men: hecauft they ]hould amend. For thou loveft all Things^ that are, and abhorreft nothing which thou haft made : for never wouldft thou have made any thing, if thou hadft hated it. Far thine iacorruptible Spirit is in all Things. Rev. iv. II. Thou art worthy, 0 Lord-, to receive Glory^ and Honour^ and rower : for thou haft created all Tlnngs-^ and for thy Pieafure they are, and were created. In thefe PafFages we are plainly told, that the Mercy of God, or his tender Love, does not only extend itfelf to Men, but univerfally to- wards all divine Creatures, that through the Will of God have their Being, and want that Mercy be had on them, and confequently alfo towards the fallen A^ngels, as far as they are Creatures of God ; which tender Love of God liiuft neceffarily effe£l at laft the Reftoration of all ( m ) all coniipt Creamresj for it is no faint but an almighty Love. Rom. xi. 3^. Out of Hmi:, (God) and through Hh% and intp Hirn^ are all Things : to Him he Glory for ever. Amen. Thus this important .^ext may be very well rendered. Now, if Things (to which indi^u- tably belong as well all fallen Angels as corrupt Men) that are come forth out otG OD> who is Love effentially, or out of his everlafting creating Power, and are upheld by him, lliall return into the fame God of Love, or be per- vaded and quite ftvallowed up by his loving Spirit, what, then, will become of Sin, which in fome meafure feparates God and the Crea- ture, and the Unhappineft hanging together with it? Will it not ofNecellity by this return- ing or Reflux of theCreamres into God (how- ever without derogating of the true Difference between the Being of the Creator and that of the Creatures) be loft and entirely aboliflied? By him (Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God) were all Things created that are in Heaven ajid that are in Earth, vifible andinvi^ fible-, whether they be Thrones or Dominions:, or Principalities or Powers: all Things were created by him and for him. And he is before all TfnngSy and by him all Things confift. And he is the ftingy the Firft-lorn from the Dead; that in all Things he might have the Pre-miimnc^* For it Col. i. 16-20. C 4 tlhafed C 104 > pleafed the Fat kn that in him Jhould all Fulnefs dwell. And {having made Peace through the Blood of his Crofs) by him to reconcile all Things unto himfelf, by him^ I fay^ whether they be Things in Earth, or Things in Heaven, This Paffage teaches us the Extent of the Reconciliation made \^ Chrift, namely, that it extends itfelf over the whole Creation. There^ fore the fallen Angels nmufi alfo neceffarily have their Share in it, for they do inconteftably be^ long to die invifible. Things created by Chrift, and confequently to aU Things^ or the Things tn Heaven reconciled by him. And though it is true, that this Reconciliation chiefly con- cerns corrupt Men and Angels, that through Sin are feparated from GOD, neverthelefs all the reft of the Creatures partake of and are benefitted by it: It aflx)rds, for Infta.nce, Matter of much J oy to the lioly Angels, when, by Virme of this Reconciliation, the apofta-- fized Creatures are converted to God, and thereby anew received into the Communion and Friend /hip of thefe holy Spirits, Luke xv. 3 p. I Pet. i. 12. Hek xii. 22. It will alfo be by the Energy of this Reconciliation that in Tinie to come the Curfe, which through Sin was brought upon the Creation, and has mixed itfelf with it, (Gen/iih iy. Rom.wm. 20,21,22.) will be entirely removed from all the reft of the Grearares. Ephef L 9, 10. God has made knoivn unto its the Myfiery of his Will-) according to bis good Pleafure:^ rvhich he hatb ( 105 ) hath purpofed in himfelf: that in the Difpenfation of the Fulnefs of Times-i he might gather together all Things in Chrifty both which are in Heaven, (or in the Heavens) and which are on Earth : even tn him, ' ' This is another plain, Teftimony of the ble/1 fed Reftoration of all through Sin corrapt and rebellious Creatures, under Chrift their true and lawful Head ; and by the Things in Heaven, which are to be gathered together in Chrifty or fubdued again under hira, as their Chief, no other Creatures than the fallen Angels can be meant, which alfo in feveral other Places in the holy Scriptures are exprefsly reckoned amongft the Things in the Hemens^ Rev. xii. 7. EphM. 12. ChAh2. fince they were not only formerly celeftial Creatures, but have even to this Day their Seat in a certain Part of the Heavens, i?/^. in theAii'; which Place they will not lofe till juft before the bleffed Millenary, when they will be thrown down from Heaven to the Earth, from thence into the bottomlefe Pit, and finally into the fiery Lake. See Rev. xn. 7, 8, 9. compared with Ephef ii. 2. Revel XX. 3, 10. . Heb. xi. 8. In that he (God) put all in Suhjeciion under him, (Chrilt) he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we fee not yet all Things Out under him, I Cor. XV. 2$-2^, For he (Chrift ) muft reign, tili he hath put ali Enenjies under his Feet, ^The Jaft Enemy that ^ fhaU ( 10^ ) ihall fee deflroyed is Dearh. For he (God the Father) hath put all Things Under his Feet; hu$ when he faithy all Things are put under hrm^ it is mamfejlj that he is excepted wtkchdidputall Things mder him. And when all Things lhall be fob- dued unto him, then jhall the ^on alfo himfelf be {iibjeft unto Him that fmt all Things under himy that God may be all in all. Here we have two more unexceptionable Evidences, that all Things ihat were created by Chrift, lhall be made (ubjeft unto him, and in-^ deed fo fubjeft, that all Things will be put un- der him in that true Order in which God in the Beginning created them: For this is the that is by no ftieans the true Order of the Crea- tures to live in Sin, which is altogether ataxia-^ or Diforder^ and confequently to lie under the Wrath of God, and in the fiery Lake, or (e- cond Death. In Ihort, it is to be fiich a Sub- jeftion, wherewith Death (as is exprefsly added) that is, all what may be called by that Name, and therefore not only the firji but in particu- lar the fecond Death or fiery Laksy and confe- quently Sin, as the Sting of Death (i Cor.xv. 54, 5 5, 56.) will be mtivQly ahlifhedy deftroyed, and fwallowedup in Victory; fiich a Subjection as will be that of Chrift's Humanity, with his Saints, under God; yea, ftich a Subjeftion, according to which, God, who is to be all in all Things^ may be all too in thofe Creatures that before had been Enemies ofChrift and ly- ing in the fiery Lake; becaufe theExprelEon of ^- Qod's Import of the original Word ( I07 ) God's king ail in tkCreafureSy neceflarily implies a perfeaHappinefs, and fliews, that the whole Being of rhe Creatures made fiibjea unto God and Chrift, will be thus pervaded hy God's Spirit, and, as one might fay, deiHed, that God with them, and they with God, in a manner mil be ha one Spirit^ as the holy Scripaire ex- prefsly fiith of iiich as are joined unto the LorJ^ or are fubjeft unto him in Truth, i Cor.vi. 17. compared with John xvil 21, 22, 23. But this can impoilibly be as long as the Creatures re- main in Sin and Death; for all that Time they are forfaken of God, and feparatedfrom him. Which will be the higheft Degree of Punifl)- ment in Hell. Now, if it is true, that all Creamres, and confequently alfo the Enemies of Chrift that are caft into the fiery Lake, will be brought to the juft now defcribed Subjec- tion wherein God will be all in all; then is and remaineth alfo this true, that Sin and all Pam following it, which is found in the Crea- tures, and of Courfe the fiery Lake too, muft at M be altogether annihilated, becaufe with- out fiich an Annihilation God cannot be all in all. If any one would objea here, that the Pf e^ent forced SuhjeBion of the Devils under Chrift and his People, mentioned Luke x. 17, 20. is likewife expreffed by the Word npo- meftbai) or to he fuhordinate', and that from hence appears, that, according to the Holy Ghoft's Judgment, this is rtie right Sub- jedrion and Subordination of evil Spirits and damned Men, and that ccmfequently there is no (108) no Occafiori to interpret the Places Hek ii. and I Cor. XV. ^$"2%, of a different Sort ofSubje£lion of the Damned : To this I anfwer. That we muft make a Diftin<9:ion between the commenced and the accomplished or perfeB Subjedion of the apoftatized Creatures. It is indeed in fome meafiire already the right Subjeftion or Sub> ordination of evil Spirits and Men when they are in fiich a manner overcome by the Power of the Spirit of Chrift and his Believers^ that they are obliged to begin outwardly to bow under them, and to fhew them a forced Obe- dience. But it is falfe that this fliould be that perfeB Subjeftion which God requires of his Creatures, of which they are indi^utably too ; fince it is only b. commenced Suhjcdiion', and will make Way for that finally perfeB and accom^ plifhed Subordination, which, according to our Saviour's own Words, is this, when the Crea- rures iporfhip God in Spirit and in Truth:, and fb are not fiibje£t unto him in a forced and at fe£led manner, but willingly and gladly: For fiich and no other Worfliippers and Subjefts Godfeeketh, J'ol)niv.2^. compared with M/f/yS'. iv. ID. It is evident, now, that Luke x. 17, 20. theQueftion is only of a commenced Subjeftion, which piakes that which is Evil begin to bow a little under that which is Good, though at the feme time the Evil in itfelf continues to be Evil; whereas Hekii. 8- and particularly i Cor. XV. 25-28. it is fpoke not of a merely begun but confummate Subje£tion or Subordination of till Creatures, and therefore aifi> of the fallen Angeis ( 109 ) Angels and damned Men, as I have fhewit above from the Import of the Phrafe of God's hing all in the Creatures. Phil. ii. 9, 10, II. God hath highly exalted Him., (Chrift) and given him a Name which is aheve every Name^ that at the Name of Jefus every Knee fliould bow, of Things in Heaven, and Thmss in Eaith, and N.B. Things under the Earrh. And that every Tongue Ihould confefs, that TefuS Chnft is LORD, to the Glory of GO I) the Father. Rev. v. 1 3. Jnd every Creature ivhich is in Heaven, and on Earth, and N.B. under the Earth, andfuch as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard /, faying, Blefpng, and Honour, and Glory, and Power, be unto him that fitteth upon the Throney and unto the Laml, for ever and ever. Pfalm cxiv. 10. All thy Works Aall praife thee, 0 Lord, and thy Saints jhall blefs thee. Pfalm cl. 6. Let every thing that hath Breath, praife the Lord, {or properly. Everything that hath Breath, will praife the Lord) HaUelujah. Thefe Sentences again afford us a fine Ex- planation of the above defcribed general Sub- jeftion of all Creatures, according to which every Creature, or Work of God, and confe- quendy alfo Lticifer with all his Angels, Ihall acknowledge Chrift for their Lord, and blefs Godj and praife hinij which cannot be as long as t "6 ) m the Creatures are in i State of Condemm- tion, wicked, and Enemies of God* I Johii iii. 8. For this Purpofe the Son of God was rnanifeftedy thm he might defbroy the Works of the Devil. Whatfoever) therefore, is a Work of the Devil, and belongs to the Serpent's Head, or to that by him through Self-will eftablifhed Government, in Oppohtion to the Kingdom of God, muft aftually be deftroyed by the Son of God : For that is his Office. Now is Sin in all Creamres, as well in Lucifer himfelf and his Angels, as in Man feduced by him, not a Work of God, but of the Devil, (and belongs to the hellifh Serpent's Head) wYiich Lucifer-^ by the aiming away of his Will from God, and thus becoming a Devil, has firft brought int(» himfelf arid the reft of the rebellious Angels, and afterwards alfo in Man: Therefore muft Chrift at laft in all Creamres, as well apoftate Angels as fallen Men, deftroy and entirely an- nihilate Sin, together with Death, and all Un» happinefs, as its Reward. For if he was not to do^ this in all fallen Creamres, he would not de- ftroy all the Works of the Devil, but leave many fatanical Works undeftroyed, and confe- quently he would not completely execute his Office; but be it far from us to think thus of him. For Chrift muft, as above faid, bruife the Sei'penfs Head-, Gen. iii. 15. and in an unlimited mmnQV aholijh or undo Sin, for which Purpofe he did make a Sacrifice of himfelf, according to Hek ix, 26. After which Bruifing of tbcS Serpent's Serpents Head, and Aboli&ing of Sin, nodther bur aliogerher holy Angels ana righteous Meii will remain, in whom God be alL Rev. xxi. 5. And he that fat upon the Throne:, faidy Behold^ I make ail Things new. And he faid unto mcy Write : for thefe Words are faithful mid true. This Promife is adapted to^ what we read Gen/h^i. and Ihews againj that we have no Right to except one individual Creature of all thofe that are fallen into Sin and lie under the Curfe, from the Renovation and final Re^ ftoration, becaufe it fays abfolutely, ally or all Things. Mark xvi. if. And he (Jefiis) Jaid unto tbem^ (his Difciples) Go ye into all the Worlds and preach the Gofpel to every Creamre. That is. Go ye forth into all the World, and proclaim, where-ever ye come, the glad Tiding, that filch a Saviour is come, who both can, and really will, in diat by God for fuch Purpofe appointed Order of Repentance and Faith, take away Sin and all Wretchednefs hanging to- gerher with it, from all Greaaires labouring under it. And that the Apoftles have preached no other but this all Creatures concerning Go- fpel, St, declares inplainTenns, Co/.T. 23. II. Now, by what has been faid, let all pious Chriftians, nay, all reafonable Men in the World, judge, which Party fimpler, and without ^lefs Gioffes of bliadReafon, underftands the above dted ( 112 ) cired dear Teftimonies, whether that which from thence hopes for a general Reftoration of all Things ; or that which in a rafli manner ex- cludes from the aaually pitying Love of God, the univerfal Reconciliatibn of Chrift) and the final Renovation (which in the faid Texts are extended ift an unlimited manner over God's whole Creation) many Million Thouiands of Creamres? III. Agreeable to thefe plain Teftimonies, therefore, all Texts of Scripture^ which treat of Damnation, for Inftance, Pf.xl 15. IfaAxVu 24. Markix.44. Ecclef.v^'j. Mattkm,i2. John iii. 365 &c. muft be underftood and explained, namely, in fuch a manner, that indeed all what is faid therein^ may remain true in its right Or- der, but by no means be repugnant to that fb often declared general Reftoration of all Things, as has been Ihewn above in the eighth Para- graph of Ghap. VIL and in the fifth, fixth, feventh, eighth and ninth Paragraphs of the Vlllth Chapter. IV- Of the Places alledged from holy Scrip- ture againft the Reftoration of all Things, and to difprove efpecially the Poffibility of the fal- len Angels being ever reftored, iS reckoned none of the leaft confiderable that which we find Heh^ ii. 1 6. and which in the common Eng* lijh Translation nms thus. For verily he (Clirift) took not on him the Nature of Angels: but he tooh^ on him the Seed of Ahrahmn. From whicH Words the Inference is drawn, that fince Chi'ift has nos taken on him the Namre ef Angek, ( m ) Angels, he coiifequently cannot have redeemed and reconciled thofe otthem that did not keep their Principalities, but rebelled againft their Maker, incurring thereby his Indignation ; and that therefore, thev being not redeemed nor reconciled by Chrift) can never be faved and re- ftored by him. But let me have never fb much Regard for the Translators of the Bible, yet I muft own that the rendering of thefe Words in the aforefiid manner, does not at all exprefe the Meaning of the Original; which better agrees with the following various Reading in the Margin of fome Bibles, For verilyy he (Chrift) t/iketh not holdofAngelS:, butoftheSee4 of Abraham he taketh hold. V. Now, Chrift's not taking hold of Angeh does no more fignify his not taking the Nature of Angels on him^ than his taki77g hold of the Seed of Abraham fignifies his taking human Na-- ture on km: But when it is faid of Chrift in this Place, that he taketh hold of the Seed of Abraham:, it naturally means, that he chufeth^ appropriateth unto himfelf, and regardeth as his Own, and his peculiar People, the fpiritual Seed oi Abraham, (GW.iii.29.) that is, all Be- lievers from among the Jem and Gentiles, and that he taketh hold of them as fomething extraordinary and very precious; that he doe$ not only hold them faft himfelf, but has alfo recommended them to the particular Care of his heavenly Father, out of whofe Hands none is able to pluck them, ^ote x. 29. Yea, that he taketh hold of them by receiving them intj H his ( n4 ) Ms moft intimate Communion and Fellowfhip, even his fpiritiial Confanguinity, and taking them for his Brethren^ according to the foregoing 1I5 and following 17th Verfes; in making them Joint-Heirs with him^ Partakers of his Glory^ Kings andPriefts in the World to come, which God hath not put in Subjeftion unto the Angels:, as we read but unto his Son and his firft-born Brethren; who are alfo called Gois EM, the Bride ofChrifi. In fliort, Chriji's taking hold of the Seed of Abraham, proves the Prerogiitive of the Faithftil above all the reft of God's Creatures both in Heaven and on Earth. VI. And what is^Airther the Purport of riie^ Words ; He taketh not hold of Angels? This we may eafily conceive from what has been faid. It* is not, as aforcfaid, Chrift's not taking upon him an angelical Nature:^ but it means briefly, that Chrift has not chofen the Angels for fiich high Degrees of Glory as thcfe who among Men believe in him; that they are not of Chrift's Brethren, nor to have a Share in the Government and Priefthood of the World to come, being only Minifters of the Heirs of Salvation. _ VI L Another very ftrong Aa-gtiment, that : this is the moft namral and urKonffrained Senfe \ of the above cited Text of Scripture, is, be- ^ catife we do not find fo much as one Place in the w^hole Bible v;here by the Seed of Ahaham is underftood the hmian Nature or whole Race of Men m genc-raJ? And why ftiodd Angels here : ( n$ ) here be rmmt the Natun of the Angeh cbrifi-^ dered in itfeif ? VIIL What has been faid, Ithink, is fiiffi- cient> to ftiew evidently, that it is not pollible that from the Text in Queftion there can bQ the leaft Objeftion raifed againft the fallen An- gels being at laft reftored by Chrift: And I am of Opinionj that, on the contrary, there is rather hid in it a Proof for their final Reftora- * tion. For to that exceeding great and more than angelical Glory of Chrift's Eleft in the next World, belongs indij[putably too, that they jhall judge Angels^ i Cor. vi. 3. Which Words Divines commonly underftand of the Tudgments arid Punilhments unto which the Eleft will help to condemn the evil Spirits; and which is the true Senfe of that Place, but whether it be the entire one of it, is another Queftion* Now the Aim of all Punifliments in the World to come, unto which Chrift and his Bride will fentence all Creatures that have rebelled againft him, is this, that they may humble themfelves before him, and thus be put in a Condition, that at laft through the rower of his Blood, Ihed for the whole World> and confequently for all Creatures in which is Sin, thev may be cleanfed thereof, and the dia- bolical Image deftroyed in them, aud io be made fiibjed unto God in Truth, as has been fhewn pretty largely through thi.s whole Trea- tife. Yea, as fore 'as God is GOD, that is,, effentially and unvariably Lrrue towards all his Cr^atvires, and is to remain fetch to ail endlef^ H % ■ Eternity^ Eternity, & furely can all his Judgments have no other Aim but the juft now mentioned; let People fay againft it what they will. And when this Scope of th^ divine Judgments upon the fallen Angels (after the Example of the proud but afterwards humbled King of Bdy^ lonj pan. iv. 31, 32, 33, 34. compared with Ifa. xii 145 feqq.) will be obtained^ as certainly one Day or another it muft, according to the plain Teffimony of the Word of God, which fays PM.il 10,11. that even all Things under the Earth (i e. damned Angels and Men, as all Divines underftand it) Jhall hon> their Knees he- fore Jefus Chrift, and confefs that he is Lord:, to the Glory of God the Father ; when, I fay, this will be accompliflied, then the fallen Angels will be no longer proud Devils, but humbled Spirits, and truly in fuch a Condition, that God by the Son of his eternal Love (by whom both the vifible and invilible Things were created, Coll 16.) can fave them from their Perdition. For God's Maxim, which necef. farily flows from his Being, is once for all, rhat GOD refifteth the proud Creatures only, and giveth Grace to theHmnhlej i Pet. v. 5. and indeed without Re{pe{hqq. Prov.l26.CQqq. Lukexiv.24. ijohn v. i^. II. But by helievin^'and teaching, that all corrupt Creatures (hall at laft be made good again, and all what is called Sin, Death, Devil, •or Hell, entirely annihilated, we do no more make Men carelefs, than Chrift and liisApoftles made ( 119 ) made them carelefs, who taught and com^ manded to teach {d) the lame, as in the pre- ceeding Chapter of this little Book has been fiifficiently ihewn from plain Teftimonies of God's Word. (/z) Mark xvi. 15. compared with Co/.i. 23. C?///. 1.8,9. III. If the terrible Judgments of the next World) wherewith God threatens all obdurate Sinners, were but to laft fb long as this ftiort Life-time, it would be a Motive more than ftrong enough to keep all difcreet and prudent People from all carnal Security. For what difcreet Perfon, who has but a little Honefty left, would chufe to commit for 20, 30, 40, or 50 Years all imaginable Wickednefe, if he knew he was at laft to die an ignominious Death for it, that he was to be hanged, broke on the Wheel, or burnt? Now, can the Fear of fiich a lliortPu- niihment, the Lafting whereof is altogether difproportionable to the Lafting of the Sin^ in a difcreet Perfon overcome the Inclination to fm, or at leaft in fbme meaiure check hint in it; how Ihould it ftifFen a Man in his Incli- nation to fin, when, according to Truth, we teach, that a Man, if he does not repent from all his Heart in this Time of Grace, and earneft- ly follows Chrift in Self-Denial and Regenera- tion, will in the World to come not only be excluded to all endlefs Eternity from all the inexprelfible Glories annexed to the fpiritual Birth-right, but that moreover he will be ob- liged to remain ^ terribly long PejiQclical Eter^ H 4 TO ( 120 ) nity, or perhaps all thofe entire Periods of Time of the next World; that is, many thou- tend Years, in the moft horrid and intolerable Pain, though at laft, being humbled in a dread- ful manner, he may and will, through the endlefs Mercy of God, obtain fome Grace yet. IV. An undeniable Inftance of this afford us the Sinners that periihed by the Deluge of the firft World, who were obliged to hold out about two thoufand and five hundred Years in the woful Prifon of the firft Death, before the Gofpel (a) of God^s Grace was anew preached to them by Chrift. Ah! think but what they muft have fiiffered during all that terribly long Time? I dare fay, it has made them lofe the Appetite to fin. Now, fince the Pains of the firft Death are fo terrible and laft- ing, how horrid and of what Continuance will not be the Pain of the fecond Death, viz. that of the fiery Lake, which (^) waits for all fuch as under the new Covenant turn the Grace of God into Lafcivioufnefs, and make the clear light of the Gofpel, which did not /hine fo bright to Sinners in Time of the Old Tefta- ment as it does to us, fiibfervient to their car- dial Carelefnefs, and to fortify themfelves there- by in their Works of Darknefs and all manner of Iniquity? I Pet. iii. 19. compared with Ch. iv. 6. (h) Heh. X. 26, 27, 28^ 29. V. But whofoever is of Opinion, that, in or- der to preferve People from all Carelefnefs, it is neceiTary to threaten them with fiich painful Puniflx- ( l^l ) Punilhmenrs as are abfolutely endlefs, and to laft fo long as God himfelf, fuch a one thinks wrong: For that would not be proferring the Truth, (fee above the I, II, III, and IVth Chapter> gfrV.) and the Untruth will convert no Man to all Eternity. GOD frnBifieth us only (a) through his Truth. If Chrift had be- lieved fuch abfolutely endlefs Puniftiments, he would certainly have preached them to the im- Eenitent Sinners: But we find no where that e has done it. With eternal Puniiliments, in- deed, he has threatened them, but what is un~ derftood by the Word eternal, he beft explains himfelf (Z') 'faying, Ferily^Ifaymtothee:, Thou jhalt hy no means come out thence-^ (namely, out of the infernal Jail) tiU thou haft paid the utter- moft Farthing: Now this does not mean, as long as God is to remain God, but fnews in- conteftably a certain Term or End of the Con-^ finement in the infernal Prifon, which End will be when the Payment of the laft Farthing ox {c) Mite is made, that is, upon the compleat fufFering of all well deferved Puniftiments for every Sin, of which Men do not repent in this Time of Grace, even idle Words and (d) bad Thoughts not excepted. {a) John xvii. 17. (h) Mattk v. 26. (c) Luke xii. 5859. compared with ver. 47, 48. (^) Matth^ xii. 3(5. I Cor. iv. 5. IV. Therefore it remains true, that this^holy Doftrine of the final Reftoration of all Things, is rather the moft effeftual Remedy againft all Carelefaefs, and whofoever looks rightly into this C I" ) this Truth; it will moft powerfully incite him to Repentance and Sanftification. For, in the firft Place, It demonftr^ites the abfolute Necellity of Sanaj.fication with the greateft Emphaiis, See above the IXth Chap- ter, and efpecially the 4, 5, 6, and 7th Para- graphs of it. Secondly^ It fhews the unutterably .great Pre- eminence in Glory, which thofe tSat fuffer themfelves to be fanaified and cleanfed from all Sin in their Life-time here, will enjoy in the next World above all the reft who in this Time have neglefted their Sanftification. Concern^ ing which, read the Xth Chapter. Thirdly, It opens moft perfectly the fole Source and Spring of all Power to attain unto true San£tification, by reprefenting according to its Breadth, Height, Depth, and Length, the immenfe Love of God grounded on the everlafting and eternally efficacious Merits of Chrift, from which alone jflows all Power for the mortifying of Sin and the making of Men godly; and confequently enables Men by this enlivening Knowledge of the infinite Love of God, to be filled with all the Fulnefs of God, Epk iii. i8> 19. Fourthly, It baniihes from the Heart all fer- vile or painful Fear, which ver>^ much hinders a Man'sProgrefs in Chriftianity, {RQm.vm. 15. I J? Oy///riir/^x about. Purgatory : For it fhews thcTrurh or rheP^m-. fication of the Souls after the Deceajc-^ in its Purity, without ( ) without the leaft Prejudice to the Do£lrine 6f Chrift's Merits, or any other important Article of Faith. (See above Chap. IX. and X.) The Truth of the Purification of the Souls in the nextWorld, as far as it isgrounded in the holy Scripture, we muft necefiarily grant the Roman Catholicks-i if we will convince them of the reft of their Errors with refpeft to Purgatory; for this we ihall never be able to do as long as we deny what the Scripture confirms of it. This Dr. Luther-) of blefled Memory, did very well obferve. For although he had not a perfe£fc Infight into the Truth of thePurificatioii of the Souls after Death, yet he did not abfolutely de- ny it: (as many of his Followers have taken upon them to do) Since in a certain Place (a) of his Works, after having rejefted the Popish Purgatory, he fays exprefsly, that in the mean while he does not think it impoffible, that God jhouU affliB fome Souls after their Depar^ ture out of this Body^ (namely for their Pu- rification, according to the Import of the Con- text.) It is likewife known in what manner in the (h) Apology of the Augsburg Confeffion againft the Papifis^ is contained that the ^van-^ f clicks (Lutherans) do by no means rejeB the \ayer for the Dead-^ and in this Point do not at all fide with the old SeBarian Aerius. Now> if they do not rejeft the Prayer for the Dead> they cannot rejeft the Purification of the Souls after Death, becaufe it is thereon that fiich Prayer is grounded. (a) Lufher. Tom. %en. Tom. III. f 512. 6. (130) 0) » Jpolog. Aug, Conf. SeB. Xlll de Fot/^ hulis Mijfacy uhi p. m. haec Verha hmntiir^ Quod vero aUegantvldverfafiiPatres de (M)latione pro Movtuis-^ Jcimtis-^ Feteres locjui de Oratiof^ pro Mortuisy quam nos non prohihemuS') fed plicationem Coenae Domini pro Mormis'^ex Opeh operato improbamus. That is:> But as to the Ad- Verfaries alledging the Fathers concerning the Sacrifice for the Dead, we know that the An- cients fpeak of the Prayer for the Dead^, which toe do not forUd^ but only difapprove of the Lord's vSiipper being made life of as a merito- rious Work for the Dead. Again^ P. 27 j , Ept^ phanim tejiatur A 'eriuni fenfiff^y quod Orationes pro Mortuis fint inutiles. Id reprehendit. Neque nos Aerio patrccwamur. That is, Epiphamus declares, that Aerius thought the Prayer for the Dead to be ufelefs. For that he does re- prove him. Neither are we for Aerius, X. The contrary Doctrine, which is diame- trically cppofire to the bleffed Reftoration of all Things, I call chiefly that, according to which People pretend, that hut the fnmlleftNum-^ her: and perhaps not fo much as the MiUion-thou- f and ft Part of the fallen Creatures wiU he reaUy brought againto God by the umverfal Redemption of Chnft-, and that the greateft Part muft remain in everlafting DeJiruSlion fo long as God will he God. Bur be ir far from me to impute this Doftrine to all Proteftants in general: For I am per- foaded, that, on the contrary, there is not a Ihiall Number emong them, who either en- tirely approve of the bieffeclDp^anne of Refto- ( ) ration; or, if for the prefent they have not a perfe endlefs Damnation and Torment/ is no trae Motive for Saniftification, fo it is likewife void of all Comfort: For if a Man's Confcience be- gins to waken^ efpecially af the End of his Life, when the Devil tries all his Power to bring a Soul to the utmoftDefpairj and it begins to fee that it is not only as bad as the moil wicked of Men, but as the Devil himfelf, nay, worfe, on account of its having fo long reftfted God in his working out of us own Salvation ; and that therefore it cannot be faved, except the Devil himfelf was to be faved; (and that really there is in fome meafiire a more than diaboli- cal Iniquity in Man, has been ftiewn in another Place of this Treatife ; for which Reafon alfo fome Men, viz. the Beaft and falfe Prophet, will be caft a thoufand Years fooner into the fiery Lake than the Devil himfelf, according to Rev. xix. 20. compared with Ch. xx. 10.) what can the Enemies of the Reftoration at that Time fay to fuch a Soul? Will their Doftrine be able to fave it from Defpair? I fay. No: Is it not the blelTed Doftrine of the Reftoration which alone is able to comfort the poor Crea- ture, by reprefenting in the moft lively man- ner the Everlaftingnefs of God's Mercy, and praifing moft gloriously the infinite Power of the Merits of Chrift, as far fiirpaffing all the Might of Sin, Ihewing plainly at the fame time the proper End of all God's Judgments both in this and the next World to be no other than the Deftru£tion of Sin and the final and gene- ral Well-being of all Creatures, md by declaring I ^ mQit ( 134 ) moff comfortably what great an Advantage it will be to tlieSools to fubmit here in this Time under God's holy Juftice^ and to jfiiffer them- felves here to be condemned and judged, ac- cording to their DefertSj but then at once tofmk down into the Abyfs of the everlaftirig Mercy of God and the ever efEcacious Merits of Chrift? All which can impollibly be effeded by the common Do&ine of the partial Mercy of God, limited only within the Time of this World, which Doctrine alfo reprefents the Punifliing Juftice of God as having for its ultimate End the everlaftingPainof the wicked Creature, Laftly, let me afk, whether the Doftrine opS pofite to that of the blefTed Reftoration, does not give Occafion to atheiftical Minds to. that curfed Mockery they make of the Scrips tures, nay, to an entire Denying of the Deity? Since ind.eed, on the one hand, it (peaks of a great many glorious Things in God ; of his uni^ verfelLove, Mercy, Omnipotence, Truth, ^c. but, on the other hand, mixes fiichDogms with it which in a great meafiire contradict all the former good and glorious Things that were fpoke in Praife of the Godhead, and reprefent God, confequently, under fiich a Chara£ler as is impoffible for any reafonable Man to con- ceive to be becoming the Deity, and which may eafily make Men fall entirely into Atheifin, For Inftance, it praifes in God, Firjij That he has made many glorious Pro- mifes in his Word, and that he is to perform great Matters, fpr Example^ that h? will make wiiling to convert all Men to hitnfelfy and to fave them-i as alfo, that he will deftroy the whole King- dom of the Devil-) &c. But at lait all the great Things that God is to doj means nothing elfe, accoraing to this Doftrine, than that God in-- deed has promifed to do all this, but that in Reality but the leaft Part of it can be fulfilled* See Chap. XII5 and the third and fourth Para- graphs of the Vlth Chapter. Secondly J The Doftrine of endlefs Damnation makes alio many fine Words of God's compaC- fionate Hearty and of his univerfel Love and Mercy; but if one comes to examine the Affair clofely; it amounts to this^ that in Reality God is not fo merciful and compafponate as a finful Man, For Inftance> David^ who was a Man as we are, had fo much Compaffion with his Son Ahfciloni:, that he wifhed to have died for him, becaufe Ahfalom died in his Sins, and doubtlefs did not go to a very good Place; i2 5^7772. xviii. 33. but of our God, who is Love and Mercy itfelf effentially, People would have us believe that with the Hour of Death all his But JefusChrift himfelf^ the eternal Truth, and — — _ — . — ^ — _ „^ — — quite different Conclufion, Matth^vil 11. which aifo follows from what the great God declares concerning himfelf, Jon.iv. 10, ii. Thirdly^Th^ before-mentioned Doftrine does likewife {peak in Praife of God, that indeed he hates nothing in his Creatures but only what i$ ( ) evil, to wit) Sill) but loves very much theCtea* ture itfelf, or that which is goodj i Ttm, iv, 4. wherefoire it is faid, that alfoDialoks entitative honusy or the Devil himfelfj according to his Being) is good) and in fo far fomething that is not excluded from the Love of God; but then, if it is truC) wiiat this Doctrine adds> that GOD by punifhing of his wicked Creatures has not for his ultimate End and Aim the Recovery and ReftoratioU) but the endlefs Torment of theCreature) then no natural Man, who is acute, can poffibly make any other Con- clufion) than that God does not only abhor the Evily but even that which is good) namely the Creature) or the Work of his Hands; and is it not an eafy Matter for fiich a Man by fb many one another contradifting DogmS) which are altogether given out for true and ialutary Words of God) to fall away fo far as to be- lieve nothing at all for the future of the Word of God ? But eternal Glory be to the Moft- high for having given us to know and to tatte with great Certainty) from his Word, by the Revelation of his good Spirit, his majeftic, moft holy, and alone adorable Being of Love^ out of which) through which) and to which are all Things ) whereby we may be moft powerfully preftrved from all Wickednefs an4 Atheifm of thefe latter abominable Times: Yea, Honour, Glory and Praift be to Him fur ever and ever, Amen! Halleluja! m END. POSTSCRIPT " Of a difFerent AUTHOR: * Shewing, from phyfical Experiments, in what man* ner the Love and Wrath of GOD art confident together. Beloved Reader, IF hitherto, and perhaps for many Years, thou haft attended the Preaching of a Gofoel the Validity whereof is only to laft fo long as Men live in this JVorld, and which concerns Mankind alone; and now comeft to read in the foregoing Treatife of an everlaftingGofpel, which is to con- tinue to Eternities, yea, and /hall be preached to ^ery Creature; ?inA, indeed, from this Ground, lecaufe C?(5Z) w Love; and thou canft in Truth make no Objeftion againft it, but only this, that at the fame time Juftice and m-ath are afcribed to God; which, if thou canft not reconcile, hum- ble thyfelf before God, and believe, that thy Underftanding is not fufficiently enlightened for It, or that thou art prejudiced againft the Re- conciling of thefe feeming Inconfiftencies by the Dodtrine wherein thy Teachers have in- ftruaed thee, and which outofComplaifance for them thou haft received as a divine Truth, with- out ever fearchin^ to the Bottom thereof; but be for the fiiture tjy no means fo uncharitable as to rob God of his Love and Mercy, which, though thou art yet unacquainted with it, he has perhaps mamfefted to others, who therefore love him K with Ci38) with a greater and purer Love ; or, who partly have comprehended which is the Length, and the Breath, and the Depth, and the Height of the exceeding great Love of Chrift. Now, though all what has been faid in this little Book, has for Tendency that God mav be highly glorijSed, and, as pure and everlafting Love, bleffed and praifed for evermore, and thou poffibly be moved to a muaial Love of God, and tfiat thou mayeft not look upon him as a Tyrant, or one that is too weak and not able to take the ftrong Man's Spoil from him; never- thelefs if may be that thou canft not rightly comprehend yet what that means, God is Love; God is a Light without Darknefs: Therefore ob- ferve the following Parable, The Sun is a created Light, and a fweet, comfortable, foft and lovely Being; now when in Summer-time the Heat of the Sun is very great, and thou perceiveft the Grafs to wither, the Earth to parch, the Wa- ters to dry up, and Stones and Iron to be made fo hot, that no Man can hold them in his Hand, that like wife, through a good large Mirror, not only Tinder, Wood, and other Combuftibles, are fet a-^burning, but even Metals and Jewels may be melted and pardy confiimed in tne Fo^ €us or concentrated Point of the Sun-beams; it will make thee think that the Sun is a Firey but thou art miftaken; do but go to the Top of a high Mountain, and thou wilt find that the i^me Sun which is fo hot on the low Ground, cannot melt the Snow there. And if thou WOT 10 go with thy Mirror to the Top of Mount Pico in Ttwrif, one of the Canary hhnds, thott wouldeft find it impoffible to light Tinder with It there, and confequently be convinced that the Siin IS a moft agreeable Light, and no Fire, and that the grofs terreftriai Vapotirs, which are contrary to the Light, are the Caufe of the iFire. Thus IS the Grofeefs andDarknefs, the Earthly- mmdednefs, Impurity and Turning-away from GOD, the Caufe of the Torment and Pain iii the lower Regions of Eternity. For, fiip- pofe thou takeft the fame Mirror which ferved thee to melt Metal, and if it was as big as a Calf's Wheel, and holdeft a clean white Paper, Linen or Cotton in the very feme FocuS) it ^ will not fo much as warm the Paper, ^c. much i lefs light or burn it; which may ferve thee foe " an Illuftfation in what manner GOD « Zow, md at the fame time called a confuming Fire*. Therefore haften to meet God the eternal Love* when he manifefts himfelf within thee, with hearty mutual Love, and continue to draw nearer and nearer to him, then v/ill the everlaftinff Love of God in Chrift wafh and cleanfe thee in the Blood of Je/iis, under the Crbfs, in fuch a manner that no Condemnation nor Unclean- nefs more be found in thee, becaufe then thcui wilt not walk after the Fie A, but after the Spirit* Rmn,Vm. ^ Another Parable, Go to the Refinef, and he will inform thee that the Gold Oar firft grows m the Bofom of the Earth, from whence if ig digged up, burnt, pounded, made into Powdeif and ground with Mercury, whereby die Gold K s ts ( HO ) is feparated from the Duft, and then firnelted in the Fire, when yet a great deal of Impurity flicks to it: But now behold how the Gold is perfe£tly purified by melting with it twelve rimes the Weight of ordinary Lead, making an ugly Lump of it, which by Degrees is put to the'Teft, and fired upon from above, under- neath and all Sides, and left in the Fire till all Impurity is confiimed; after which it is fopure, that if it was to ftand ten Years in this Fire, it would fiiffer no further Lofs, and looks finer in the Fire than our of it,, and all the Wafhing, Poundings Smelting and Glowing has made it lofe nothing but its Impurity and Drofs. Here thou may eft learn what St. Paul means by fay« ing. If any Man huild upon Jefiis Chrift fVood^ .Hay and Stuhble-, his U'^orks jhali he hurnt : hut he, Jbimfelf Shall he faved^yet fo as hyFire; to the End that he may be pure for evermore. When thou readeft of the Lake burning with Fire and Brimftone, and what Davi^ fays j^cxxxix. If I make my Bed in Hello heholdythou nvt there; the Meaning is, that the eternal Love is bringing about the Purification of fome of its Creatures there. Does this feem ftrange to thee, take a Barrel, or Tub, put Fire and Brimftone into it, that the Smoke thereof may afcend, hang a right black Hat into it, or fomething elfe of a dark Colour, cover it, that the fulphureous Smoke may remain in the Veflel, and continue for fome Time, and thou wilt fee that the black Hat, or whatfoever it is, will become as white as Sax)w. Learft from this, that alfo the Lake burning (HI) burning with Fire and Brimftone is prepared for this Purpofe, that the Devil and his Angels, to- gether with all rebellious Souls, may be puri^ fied therein by him who fays, I make all Thingi new. We read of the rich Man in St. Luke, that after the Departure of his Soul from the Body, he was in Hell and Torment, but we do not find how long he was to continue therein:. But obferve, it does not fay that was a Murderer, or Whoremonger, or a Thief, or Liar, that he was guilty of Coveteoufnefs (which is Idolatry) or that he was given to Curling and i Swearing, or a Drunkard, but only that he fared i fumpniously every Day, was cloathed in Purple, | (broad Cloth) and fine Linen; he loved the fine i Things of this World: It may be thou loveft | likewife the earthly Finery, perhaps thou alfo i entertaineft yet fbme Luft of the Eyes, or liveft I in Luxury, and art not content with the com- | mon Neceffaries of Life, or art not free from 1 the Luft of the Flefti; perhaps art thou not yet I perfea as the Father in Heaven is perfeft; or | it may be there is fomething wanting yet of thy I SanB:ificamn, without which none Jball fee the | Lord; or perhaps thou haft fome fuch Brethrea I or F riends, who, though they are no Murderers, I Whoremongers, Thiefs, not coveteous, no Drun- I kards, grofs Liars, Curfers or Swearers, yet may I love the Riches of this World, and take Delight ia i earthly Things, who are not yet dead to divers I Pleafures of the Luft of theEyes, theLuft of the I Flefti; and the Pride of Life ; and thou wouldefl: I K 3 not I ( ) not be willing that thyfelf or they Ihould re- main without End in the Pit wherein is no Water. And certainly, if a Soul has not in its life-time here attained to Perfeftion and Sanftifi^ cation, it is impollible it (hoiild do fiich a Leap as that is between this World and the Throne of God, with its adherent fpiritual Impurities and Self-will. For as the Tree falls, & it will lie, let it fall, now, towards the South or North, till the Carpenter comes and cuts off the ufelefi Branches, {quares and faws it, and makes fome^ thing of it for the Houfe of the Owner. But how long fiich a rich Man, or one who loved the temporal Things, muft thirft and languifh, till the Blood of the Covenant is to refreln and deliver his thirfty and languilhing Soul, that no body knows : For, indeed, it is written. Thou fendeft forth through the Blood of the Covenant thy Pnf oners out of the Pit xpherein is no JVatev; but how long they are to abide there till he fets them at Liberty, we are not told. This we know that the luxurious Inhabitants of the firft World, who in Noah's Time did eat and drink, buy and fell, marry and were married, till the Flood fwept them all away, were, as a Tree fal- len towards the Noith, obliged to lie 2500 Years waiting till Chrift came in the Spirit to preach them the glad Tiding of their Deliverance, (but not everlafting Damnation, as fome think, for they were damned before) i Pet. m. 19, 20 Therefore be not fb uncharitable in thy Judg-. inent againft the rich People of this World, and ^1 liich ar^ mx P'^Aft as the Father in (H3) Heaven is perfefl:, or have attained to an entife Sanftification, in fiich a manner as to be able to ftand before the eternal Love and Light as a clean Linen before a Mirror : For if thou art not perfeftly purified from all Pollution of the Flefti and Spirit) as he is ptin^ (i John iil 3.) by the Blood of Jefiis, which his Love prefled him to Ihed for us ; and believeft no Purification and Deliverance through the Blood of the Covenant i7i Eternity^ and it is neverthelefs certain that Tpithout SajiBification none is to fee the LORDy then wilt thou have but a very ill-grounded Hope for thyfelf and many of thy Brethren and Friends, It is a divine Truth) that Chrift Jefus is come into the World to fave poor Sinners y and he really calls all j)oor, penitent, contrite Hearts, and all fuch as find a Burden in their Sins, unto him^ and pardons their Sins; and NB. if they abide in him-, then the Blood ofGhriftr/^^/j/^^/Z^ them from all Pollution of the Flefh and Spirit; but who- foever ahideth not in him, but begins anew to love the World and himfelf, becomes difobe- dient to the Word and Calling of God, fiich^a one (having forgot theForgivenefs of his former Sins) would be difobedient and fin in Paradife as well as Adam and Eve did, if it was polfible for him to be placed therein. Therefore God will not leave off cleanfing through Jefiis Chrift his Creatures, rill all are re- ftored to their primitive Purity: For thefe our impure Spirit, Soul and Body are at prefent but an iXiMkx^m Image of God; and the reft of the K 4 Creation ( 144 ) Creation will likewife be delivered from the Curfe: For the Ground is curfed for the fake of Man's Sin, and the Heavens are not pure be- fore him ; therefore he will make new Heavens and a new Earth, yea, all Things new. I muft obferve, before I conclude, that from the Doftrine of a Temporary Gofpely as it is preached by thofe who do not know God as Love, necellarily follows, that, though all Things are of Chrift, and created by him, yet all Things are not mto and for him, but that Satan per- haps gets a thoufand Souls created by Chrift before one falls to Chrift's Shkre; and that God is daily, yea, every Hour and Minute, producing Men and other Creamres for Satan, to make him choufend times a greater God and Sovereign than he the living and true God himfelf is; and that the vaft fetanical Empire is to endure fo long as God and Chrift are to live and reign in their petty Kingdom : Which to think woUld be abo- minable, and much more fo to ftate and teach it as a Principle of Religion. Now, fo foreign as the Doftrine of an Ever-- lafting Go/pel is in our Days, efpecially to the En^lijh Nation, fo true is it. Notwithftanding which we believe that Thoufands enjoy eternal Felicity, and many more will enjoy it, who ne^ Ver could comprehend this bleffed Myftery while living here, but nom rejoice at it that God is altogether Love. Whereas perhaps many have believed it in this World, but not applying it for their Salvation, are j2oxp ignorant of it, and per- haps will be fo for a long Time, being none yec of th^^^ PrifQiiersof Hope^ ZecLiK. iz^ ( •« ) Copy of a LETTER From R. P^-d to the Rev. Mr. K-ey Concerning Predestination and Reprobation^ Reverend SIR, I HAVE confidered, with mature Deliberation, upon the late Controverfy we had on New- Years Day: And I muft humbly profefs (notwithftanding you are fuch a mighty profound Reafoner) that I can't be wil- ling to be reafon'd out of my Reafon, or to put out mine own Eyes, in hopes to fee better by the Help of another; Man's. And in this Cafe the quoting the Opinion of the moft auguft Councils (or Aflemblies of the Learned) that ever were known, is of no Weight with me : For, 'tis well known that whole Councils have erred, and are liable to err; and therefore unfit to be made a Rule of Faith, as our Weftminjier Confeff. Art. 31. Seft. 4, evinceth. But I have a far better Counfeller to go to in all fuch Cafes, who tells me he has hid thefe Things from the Wife and Prudent, (notwithftanding all thieir Learning) and revealed them unto Babes , for which we poor Babes have abundant Reafen to be thankful; yea, much more than to the beft of our hired Minifters, who, having receiv'd their Knowledge from Men, can only teach us accordingly. I think (if I miftake not) our chief Arguments were in Relation to theDo&ine of Predeftination ; which arofe from my frankly declaring, that I did not hold with our Catechifm, or Confefiion of Faith, in that one Point ; viz. That GOD had fore-ordain'd whatfoever comes to pafs, efpecially Men to Deftru6Hon. The which you under* took to vindicates and in fo doing was pleas'd to affirm, „ That 1 fi liTtYtiftfiiii ( I4« > SiP?) Sm came into th« World, ^i^f.** J f^J^Wd it could not come into the World ao^ft his Will ; but onhf, as I faid fof all that was evil, br fmfuh It was by his Permisfive Will. But, Idiink, by your logical Way of Reafoning, y Deftrudtiopu Such ( i48 ) Such Blafphemy this, as, one would think, miVht make the Ears of any Chriftian to tingle. And juft as this Doarine honours the Son, fo it ho- nours the Father: It deftroys aU his Attributes at once; It overturns his Juftice, Mercy and Truth; yea. reprefents the holy Godhead as worfe than the Devil; as more falfe, more cruel and more unjuft. More falfe, becaufe the Devil, Liar as he is, hath ne- ver faid that he willeth all Men to be faved/ More un- mft becaufe the Devil cannot, if he would, be guilty of luch Unjuftice as you afcribe to God, when you fay that Cxod condemned Millions of Souls to everlafting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, for continuing in bin ; which for want of that Grace He will not gFve them, they cannot avoid. This Doarine makes God more ^uel than the Devil, becaufe this unhappy Spirit feiketh Reft and findeth none^ fo that his own reftlefs Mifery is a Kind of Temptation to him to tempt others ; but God refteth in his high and holy Place, fo that to fuppofe him of his own mere Motion, of his pure Will and Pleafure, happy as he is, to doom his Creatures, whether they will or no, to endlefs Mifery, is to impute fuch Cruelty to him as we can't impute even to the great Enemy of God and Man. ^ And this is the Blafphemy clearly contained in this hor- rible Doarine oiPredeJilnation or Reprobation; it repre- fents the mofthigh GOD 2smore cruel, more falfe and unjufi than the DeviL And thus. Sir, I have made bold (with Submiffion) to gnd You my Thoughts on this Matter, which was the Foundation of our Difpute at Mr. F—xe's ; and if I am any ways wrong, I am willing and ready to be convinced. _But I muft conclude at prefent, defiring an Jntereft in Your Prayers, and wifliing that God may grant a Blef- fing on Your Adminiftrations, and make You Inftrumen- tal of much Good to many Souls ; and fo remaining From my School in ^^^^ unworthy Servant, An ( 149 ) An APPENDIX To the preceding Letter; fliewing theCaufe of its appearing in publick. Candid Reader, TH E foregoing Letter was written and fent to Mr K-e; but I was inJformed Mr. F-x did not fee fit to give it him, but on reading (or hearing of it read) condemned it to the Flames, and fent me a cenforious reviling Letter, in ftead of an Anfwer, accufmg me^with Blafphemy againft Christ and the Mmifters of the Gofpel &c. Which I took the Pains to anfwer, not- withMing he was fo unfair as to forbid its coming into mv Hands, and ordered another (hould read it to me; but finding nothing but Heat and Contention enfue, 1 readily dropt it, taking the firft Opportumty to call and fee Mr. F-x, in order to (hew I did not bear any Kelenc- ment in the leaft againft him. . , r And now I began to think it was entirely forgotten, and out of Mind ; but behold, about three Months after, the fame Mr. K'-e came to fupply for another Sabbath, and I doubt not but Mr. F-x laid me out to hini in the worft of Colours: For, to my great Surprife he had the Affurance to inform the whole Affembly that 1 was a Man of corrupt Principles, without ever mentionuig ift the leaft wherein my Principles were fo greatly corrupted. I can't but imagine the young Gentleman would have aaed more like a Minifter of the Gofpel (the vindicating of whofe Power and Prerogative he feems to be tond ot) had he took an Opportunity of convincing me of my Y.r- rors in private, in the Spirit of Love, Meeknels and Gentlenefs, rather than thus to ftrive to affront me iri the Face of a whole Congregation. . , r l However, I think nothing of being ufed with fuch Treatment, in regard of my perfonal Self, I fay, m re- sard of my owaName or Charaaer, but am freejy wil- fins; it (hould go to the Ground for the fake of the Truth : But, Qft the ether hand, I know no R^^ifon wh^ tl^ ( m ) Swk"'''!^''^ ^"ff ♦ ""^^ efpecially by beMgijiadz'd wth the odious Names of corrupt Errors ancpBlafpheiny. ^fphemy IS fo heinous and horrible aSin, that the La4 of Man have juftly provided againft it, by afflidling due Funi/hment on the Perfon fo ofFending. And, as the ApoftJe faid, if I (am guilty hereof, or) have done any thing worthy of Death, or of Bonds, I re^ fuffer or die: And for this very Reafon I have puWifhed my Sentiments to the Eyes of the World. t^IuK'T^ appear to open View wherein my corrupt and^Wafphemous Principles (as, they have been called) do Is it becaufe I will not hold to that horrible Doarine fct Keprobafton from Eternity, which moft of the Seft I have been brought up among, and belong to, hold with? W-fe^n' God,^ by an eternal, Ta t^I fore-ordain'd the greateft Part of Mankind to everlafting Deftruftion, {J. to Hell and Damnation ? But on die other hand affirm, that he wil- leth not the Death of a Sinner; but has fent his beloved bon to feek and to fave thofe that were loft ; tb^t as in ^dam alhhed, fo mChrtfi aU might be wade alive. Is it becaufe I affirm the Deftruftion of Sinners to be of them- felves, and not from God? For he never decreed it, or ordamed them to it; but they reprobated themfelves by ?-n "^Ted Lord Jefus Chrift WiDeA all Men to be faved, but if they wilfnot come to oftiiemrei*7 Deftruffion is ^ Yes, I frankly acknowledge thefe are the Sentiments of my Heart and Soul ; the Principles I defire to live and die 2' *^\>onceptions of the divine Majefty, which, through his Grace, I would always keep and maintain. And now here will I fet my Foot, and join Iflue with all my Oppofers ; let any or all the Predefiinarians con- ' t^ll ^'"^ Principles, if they can, without a forced Interpretation of feme few Texts of Scripture, in the reft?*"" ^^ ^^""^ ^ *^ ^^^^ "^eno; of (151 ) And further, let any reafonable, underftandihg Perfon lud^e if this Doarine can be of God, which has already Lne fo muchMilchief in the World, by terrifying Men'* Confciences with fuch dreadful Apprehenfions of God ; and thereby driving therri to Defperation andDifca^^^ 'Tis true, this Doarine is included m the W ejtmtnjtet ConfefTion/which our Presbyterians hold to; but yet it is obfervable that our modern Presbyter tarn do entirely wave it both in their Writings and Preaching, from a Senfe of the dangerous Confequences thereof. To conclude, I can truly fay I am heartily forry that there ftould happen fuch Contention between us : Yet, I may be allowed to contend earneftly for the Truth; though in the mean time I wifb it had not been oppofed ; (bv a Candidate for the Miniftry) for then the Grounds or Caufe hereof would have been wanting. However, I can truly fay (God being my Witnefs) that though I abominate this Principle of Reprobation from Eternity, yet I can and have the fame Love for any one's Perfon on whom is the ieaft Appearance of the Imao-e of Chrift, though he holds ftiffly to it. And I humbly conceive that 'tis beft to let fuch deep Things alone, left wefliould darken the Council of God by Words without Knowledge. I know of no Call we have to dive into the fecret De- crees and Councils of the Almighty, to find out a certain Number of theEka, which God has never made known to any. No 5 Secret Things belong to God, and re- vealed Things to us; and, bieffed be God, there is fuffi- cient revealed for Faith and Salvation j then let us be therewith content. 7, , » I am fully of Dr. More's Mmd, th^t it would do much more good in the Worlds if dl Parties^ injiead of fever e Cenfure^ were ready to find out and commend what is good in the Doarine and W^orfhip of thfe that differ from them ; that this would incline them to liften to Admce for Reformation^ and keep up the Credit of the cornmmTxMlh% and Duties of Religion ; when tki^ en-jious Snarlmg at all that Qth$n do. tmd$ to brin^ Mankind to Meifm, and bmifh hanljh an Reverence of Religion, together with ChriJIian Charity, from the Earth. u • ii/r . O that the God of Peace and Love would m Mercy grant to us all fuch a pacifictemper, that we may earneftly endeavour to cement the Breaches among us, which others, widen and keep open! then fhould we fall m with t^lH excellent Maxim, In necefariis Unitas, m nen necefaffmfl Lihertas, in omnibus Charitas ; that is, In Fundamentals Unity, in Circumftantials Liberty, and m aU Thmgs ^Thc^ bleffed Lord Jefus caufe it univerfally to obtain ^^Anl when we have Love, Charity, and Chriftian Unity one with another, we fhall evidence ourfelves to be th^ Children of the God of Peace and Love, and of his dea|p Son, our loving Redeemer, who, being lifted t^, tvt^ draw all Men after him, i. e. by the Magnet of his dying Love for them, allure their Love to him*