talking over the tranfactions in which we were concerned in this world; when all the labours, fatigues, and fufferings, which we underwent, in the caufe of virtue and christianity, will, like the recollection of all difficulties furmounted in a good caufe at prefent, be the fource of great joy and exultation.

That all the virtuous will not be admitted to the fame degree of honour and happiness hereafter, is agreeable both to reason, and to the scriptures, which teach us, that every man fhall receive" according to his works;" that he who "foweth bountifully, shall reap alfo

bountifully; but he that foweth sparingly, "fhall reap fparingly." 2 Cor. ix. 6.

On the other hand, the punishment of the wicked is defcribed in the scriptures, in fuch a manner, as, if the representation be at all attended to, cannot but alarm our fears to the utmost. But ftill the terms are general, and leave us to expect fome very terrible, but unknown fuffering, and of very long,

but uncertain duration.

Not

Not unfrequently, the anguish of the mind, which is to be the portion of the wicked after death, is reprefented as derived, in a great degree, from a fenfe of their exclufion from the happiness, to which they fee the virtuous, who had been the objects of their contempt and abufe, advanced; and this circumstance muft neceffarily be a very great aggravation of the punishment of hell, which is the term by which the place of future punishment is fometimes denominated in the fcriptures. Thus, when the good and virtuous are reprefented as going to a marriage fupper, the wicked are faid to be fhut out, and to remain in "outer dark"nefs, where fhall be weeping and gnashing "of teeth." Matt. xxii. 13. This, also, is faid to be the fate of the unprofitable fervant, who had neglected to improve his talent, Matt. xxv. 30. and of the five foolish virgins it is likewife faid, that, coming too late, they found the door fhut, and admisfion refufed to them.

But other accounts of the future ftate of the wicked, lead us to expect very fevere po

fitive fufferings, as 2 Theff. i. 7. "In that

day fhall the Lord Jesus be revealed from "heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that "know not God, and that obey not the

gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrift: who "shall be punished with everlasting deftruc"tion from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."

In feveral paffages of the fcripture, the ftate of the wicked after death is defcribed, as has been hinted before, as a state of shame and difgrace, than which nothing is generally more dreaded by mankind; while the righteous are faid "not to be ashamed be"fore Christ at his coming." I John ii. 28. And certainly the extreme folly of their conduct must appear in a ftriking and tormenting light to the wicked and profligate, when they fhall fee how fhamefully they have mifapplied their time and talents. And this fituation will more especially affect those who are used to pride themselves in their cunning and forefight, when they shall fee how miferably narrow and fhort-fighted

all

all their boafted fchemes were. Alfo, how muft the fenfe of their own folly be aggravated, by feeing thofe whom they had despised inheriting the rewards of true wifdem, as well as of virtue, and in knowing that all their base views, and low unworthy purfuits, are no longer concealed within their own breasts, but laid open to the perfect knowledge of all thofe to whofe cenfure they are the most sensible.

Very many of thofe expreffions, by which the fate of the wicked is defcribed in the fcriptures, taken in their literal fenfe, denote utter deftruction, or extinction of being. Thus, the apostle Peter says, 2 Pet. iii. 7. that "the earth is referved unto fire,

66

against the day of judgment, and per"dition of ungodly men;" and in the pasfage quoted above from the Epiftle of Paul to the Theffalonians, the punishment of the wicked is called " everlafting deftruc"tion." If this should actually be the fate of the wicked, their punishment may more properly be faid to be eternal, than upon

the

the former fuppofition, there being no re verfion of the fentence, or remiffion of the rigour of it.

SECTION III.

Of the duration of future punishment.

HE duration of future punishment,

TH

according to the fcriptures, as I obferved before, will be very long, but uncertain; which is the general meaning of that word which we render everlasting; being applied to many things which are exprefly faid to be of limited duration, as the priesthood of Aaron, and the kingdom in the family of David. For, even if we confider Chrift as intended by the feed of David, and that the duration of his dominion was foretold in the prophecies, still his kingdom, we are affured, will have an end, as we learn, I Cor. xv. 24. " Then cometh "the