earth was filled with violence." "And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt; for all "flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth;"* and so it evidently continues to this day.—If men argue, that all the wickedness of the world results from education, habit, and example; we enquire how it came to pass, that bad education, bad habits, and bad examples, became so general, if the nature of man were not bad also? But the impossibility, in the ordinary course of things, of "bringing a clean thing out of an unclean,"† points out the real cause of the universal prevalence of vice and impiety.

It must be allowed by all observing and impartial persons, that men in general, in all parts of the earth, are very different, in their dispositions and conduct, from what the law of God requires them to be. It is also most certain, that they are liable to a vast variety of miseries and pains; that anxiety, vexation, disappointment, and dissatisfaction are inseparable from every earthly condition, pursuit, possession, and connexion; that life itself is short and uncertain; that the approach and stroke of death is almost always accompanied with grievous sufferings, if not with terror and dismay; that every earthly pursuit and enjoyment must shortly be terminated; and that the body however active, vigorous, comely, pampered, or decorated it may now be, must be consigned to the dark and noisome tomb, there to moulder to its original dust. All this would be very gloomy and dreary, even if it

* Gen. vi. 6-12. ↑ Job, xiv. 4. xv. 14.

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could be certainly known that nothing further was to be apprehended: but a future state of righteous retribution must exceedingly enhance the horror of the prospect, to such persons as are condemned at the bar of their own consciences. The expectation of a future state seems congenial to the human mind; and the arguments of various kinds, which have been urged in proof of the immortality of the soul, and other doctrines connected with it, are so cogent, as to evince such expectations to be the result of serious reflection, and not the offspring of credulity, superstition, or imposture: nay, facts manifestly show, that no ingenuity or efforts can wholly erase the idea, even from the minds of such persons as are most deeply interested, and most earnestly desirous, to find it a mere groundless imagination.

But this expectation of a future state is far too vague and confused for practical purposes. The ignorance of men in general concerning the perfections, commands, and government of God, united to the self-flattery of the human heart, preserves them in great measure from that terror, which the thoughts of a future judgment, if considered apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ, must inspire: so that the more men know of God and of themselves, the greater horror will be associated with the prospect of death and judg ment; except it be dispelled by "joy and peace in "believing."*

The immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the

*Rom. xv. 13.

body, a future judgment, and a state of righteous retribution, are doctrines most expressly revealed to us by "the sure testimony of God:" and so clear and explicit are the Scriptures on these topicks, that scarcely any thing, but the consciousness of such conduct as weakens the hope of eternal felicity, connected with reluctance to admit the dread of eternal misery, could be sufficient to induce men to deny or argue against the real eternity of that state, which commences at death, and shall be confirmed and completed at the day of judgment: whilst the absurdity of reasoning against the justice and goodness of what God has done, or declared he will do, seems the summit of man's pride, presumption, and folly.-The Greeks were a speculating people, and could not but have the idea of duration without end, which is all the idea of eternity that we can obtain. Now the strongest words in their very copious language are employed by the sacred writers on this subject; and I apprehend, that the expression, translated for ever and ever, always means eternal in the strictest sense of the word. If, however, any one should make the trial, he would scarcely find more energetick phrases, in the whole compass of the Greek language, as authorized by the example of ancient writers, to express the idea of eternal misery, than are to be found in the New Testament. The very words are used on this awful subject, by which the eternity of heavenly felicity, and the eternal existence of God, are expressed, and in the same manner: the repeated declarations concerning the wicked, that "their worm never dieth," (which must denote eternal consciousness and self

reflection,) that "their fire shall never be quenched;" with the words "eternal punishment," "the black"ness of darkness for ever," &c. most obviously imply this alarming doctrine.

It may hereafter be shown, that sinful creatures must continue guilty and polluted, yea, must increase in evil propensities, and multiply crimes to all eternity, whatever they suffer; unless they are changed by an exertion of almighty power, and pardoned by an act of free mercy. Not the most remote hint is given through the whole Scriptures, that mercy or grace will be vouchsafed to any who die in their sins, or that God will ever annihilate his rebellious creatures; but every thing warrants the opposite conclusion. It evidently answers the purpose of the enemies of our souls, and forwards their work of temptation and destruction, to persuade men that they will not be finally miserable, though they continue impenitent, and indulge their lusts till death: and the folly and madness of those, who profess to believe the Bible to be the word of God, yet sin on, in hopes of finding all the denunciations which it contains to this effect, false or unmeaning, and who buoy up their own and other men's presumption with vain reasonings and sophistical arguments, is great beyond expression!

Our sentiments will not alter the purposes of God: it is therefore as irrational as it is uncandid, to charge those with want of sensibility, compassion, or philan thropy, who explain such Scriptures in their most ob vious meaning; and who warn and persuade men by "the terror of the Lord," to repent and seek salvation. If several persons were fast asleep in a house on

fire, we should best express our kindness and com. passion, by alarming them speedily and even violently, and so, forwarding their escape; and not by leaving them to sleep on, lest they should be too much terrified. They who really believe that all impenitent and unbelieving sinners will be for ever miserable, suppose such men to be in a condition infinitely more tremendous than the persons above-mentioned; and they cannot but endeavour to convince them of their dan ger, before it be for ever too late: the more they love them, the greater will be their earnestness in "warning them to flee from the wrath to come:" and they often show their philanthropy, by spending their time in incessant labours, and by distributing their property, to relieve the miseries of mankind; and sometimes even by laying down their lives for their good.

We may also observe, that the Scriptures uniformly speak of two ways, two descriptions of men, and two places, to which they are removed at death; and never intimate a middle path, state, or character: nor do they mention any alteration, in the condition either of the righteous or the wicked; except as the resurrection will re unite their bodies to their souls, and display to the whole world the justice and mercy of God in his dealings with them. All purgatories therefore, whether before or after the day of judgment, are wholly unscriptural: and all reasonings on this subject are vain and presumptuous attempts to remove "the great gulph which God hath fixed;" and calcuated to take men off from preparing seriously for that