LETTER V.

The Lord faid, their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; therefore the wisdom of their avise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men fhall be hid—But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.-Ceale ye from min, whose breath is in his noflri's ; for* wherein is he to be accounted of ?—Thus fa th the Lord, Curfed be the man that trufleth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whofe heart departeth from the Lord: For he fhall be like the heath in the defert, and shail not see when good cometh —lía. xxix. 13, 14. Mat. xv. 9. Ifa. ii. 22. Jer. xvii. 5, 6.

DEAR SIR,

THERE is nothing more apt to prevent our feeing the good word of God, when it cometh in its own native purity and fimplicity, than the undue influence of human wisdom and authority. This made the difcourfes of our Lord and his apoftles to prove to the Jews a ftumbling block, and to appear to the learned Greeks foolishness. The fame caufe produces fimilar effects to this day. With many, it would weigh much more in favour of the restoration, could you produce the opinion of fuch and fuch a learned and pious man, whom they have been accustomed to revere, in fupport of it, than if you were to bring twenty authorities from the writings of Paul, and his brother apoftles. Let us, however, be content to appeal to the law and teftimony.

It remains to be proved, that the vifion in the 21ft of the Revelation has a retrofpect to events that took place long before, and not to any thing to be accomplished after the laft judgment, as the progreffive order of events in that book would naturally lead us to expect. The 20th chapter contains an account of the first and last refurrection; the millennium, the deftruction of the vaft army of Gog and Magog; the laft judgment; and the execution of the final fentence. Then may we fuppofe Christ shall afcend to heaven, and prefent before his Father's throne the firft fruits of the univerfal harveft, or the whole church of the fift-born, in their complete glorified persons, like a chafte virgin, without fpot, wrinkle, or any fuch thing. How long the folemn period between the latt judgment and the manifeftation of the fons of God, at the defcent of the New Jerufalem, may be, none can determine. During this confolatory period to the righteous, but awful one to the wicked, the gates of the infernal prifon thall remain fhut, and every hope in the bofom of the prifoners, if they fhall have any, fhall entirely give up the ghoft. Perhaps the apostle has in his eye the punishment to be then endured, when he fpeaks of the doctrine of eternal judgment, which he fubjoins to that of the refurrection of the dead, Heb. vi. 12. The term rendered judgment denotes alfo the execution of judgment, or of the fentence; and the phrafe might be literally rendered the pu nishment or damnation of the age, or the age-lafting damnation or pinishment. During this awful age, the conflagration of the earth is going on, which, in its liquidated flate, fome fuppofe to be the lake which fhall burn with fire and brimstone, which is the fecond death. At the defcent of the

Let. V. New Jerufalem, with which a new vifion opens in the 21ft chapter, John faw a new heaven and a new earth, which God will create from the refined matter of the old; thefe, as to their form and grofs fubftance, having paffed away, and the whole watery element being abforbed by the devouring flames, whence he faw no more fea, Ifa. lxv. 17, 18. & lxvi. 22. 2 Pet. iii. 13.

'Intense as the devouring flames of the general conflagration must be, the deftruction of all the grofs matter of the earth will, in all probability, be a work of very confiderable duration. We know the conflagration will fucceed the laft judgment, yet mult precede the creation of the new heavens and the new earth, in which righteoufaefs fhall dwell. This clearly fixes the era of the defcent of the New Jerufalem, and refutes the common notions refpecting it; because John saw the new heaven and the new earth already formed from the remains of the old, before he faw that great city, the holy Jerufalem, defcending out of heaven from God, in a perfect and glorified flate! Rev. xxi. 1, 2, 10. This naturally, and indeed neceffarily, leads to place the things fortold to be then accomplished in a period of time long after the last judgment, which our translation calls for ever, and fometimes for ever and ever, literally for the age, and for the age of ages, the prepofition also signifying to, during, or throughout. That period may be called the age of ages, or fometimes, by way of eminence, the age, for the fame reason that the book of Canticles is called the Song of Songs, or the most excellent of all fongs. The New Jerufalem period, after its descent from above, may with propriety be called the moft excellent of all the ages, both in refpect of its duration, and also of the glorious work to be accomplished during its continuance, the restoration of all things. In the book of Pfalms, all lands, and all the earth, or mankind of all deferiptions, are exhorted, as in the original, to keep a jubilee to the Lord, with univerfal joy and praife. If we exclude the final restoration of all things, and the New Jerufalem ftate on earth, in which it is to be accomplished, we can find no period under the Meffiah's reign to correfpond to the jubilee under the law.

batical

The millennium is the antitype or fubftance of the fabbatical year; and the Jaft age of Chrift's reign the antitype of the jubilee, which contained seven sabyears, or 49 years exclufive. fand natural years, then the age of ages will confift of feven thoufand; but if the millennium confifts of prophetical years, as fome contend, taking a day for a year, then the age of ages will extend to the very long period of two millions five hundred and fifty five thousand years, leven times the length of the millennium, if made up of prophetical years. Which of thefe periods is the right one I pretend not to determine, for both fides have their advocates, and much may be urged on either. Tho' the release of prisoners may commence at the beginning of this grand year of releafe, yet it appears from fcripture that fome will remain fhut up in mifery till toward the clofe; for the fmoke of their torment is faid to afcend up for ever and ever, or for the age of ages. Should any of our zealous advocates for the common doctrine get this time of it, will they think it enough? or will they be disposed to say, with one of their brethren whom I had occafion lately to converfe with on the fubject, "I could give my

If the millennium be no more than a thou.

vote that those who die in their fins under the gofpel, fhould be eternally tormented in hell, though I myfelf were among the number?"-fwelling words of vanity! This heroic fpeech was furely no proof that he had paffed from death. to life, elfe he would love even miferable brethren with a love of compaffion; for the elect of God put on bowels of mercy. Those who most need mercy are leaft difpofed to extend it to others. Many, in their furious zeal, which they fubftitute for godliness, know not what they fay, or whereof they affirm.

Our bleffed Lord exprefsly declares, That the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; and hath given him authority to execute judgment alfo, because he is the Son of man, John v. 22, 27. If the judging of the wicked, and the executing judgment upon them, implies their punishment, as it doubtless does; and if that be continued after Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, the question naturally occure, Who fhall then judge them, or execute judgment upon them? We are affured the Father will not do it, having committed all judgment to the Son, who, cannot, however, be fuppofed to do it after he delivers up his whole mediatory adminiftration to his Father, of which punishment or correction made, all along, a confpicuous and neceffary part. This argument is neither dark nor forced: But how to reconcile our Lord's affertion to the common doctrine I know not. Let thofe reconcile it who are obliged, upon their principles, to maintain that Chrift will continue to execute judgment on the wicked after he delivers up his kingdom, even to all eternity, which is inconfiftent with delivering it up; or they must prove that the Father will then begin to execute judgment upon them, contrary to our Lord's declaration, that he hath committed all judgment to the Son; a comTM miffion, we may rest satisfied, not to be retracted while there is occafion for executing judgment. How fhall they get over this dilemma? But wifdom will be justified of her children, and will juftify them in return.

The Apostle John twice tells us, within the compafs of a few verfes, God is love, 1 John iv. 8. 16. But does not the common doctrine fay, that God is not fo effentially love, as not to banish love entirely from his heart in his dealings with the far greater part of his intelligent creatures, punishing them with relentlefs and vindictive vengeance while he and they exift, without glory to his justice, pleasure to himself, or to his faints and holy angels; and as for profit to the poor punished culprits, the very idea is deemed herefy of the worst kind? Do fathers on earth fo punish their children? and yet the very best of them are evil when compared to God, who afflicts none willingly. Their paternal affection, contrafted with his love, bears not the proportion of a drop to the ocean, What evil have we or our fathers found in him, that we should ascribe to him a paternal adminiftration fo very defective, and so awfully vindictive? Admit for a moment that the common docrine is not true, and the affecting of it is not only an impious calumny, but daring blafphemy; what cannot be said of the other doctrine, though it fhould prove unfounded. This is furely enough to fecure it the juice due to every felon, that of a fair trial, before it be condemned. The Judge is at the door, with the balance and the fword.

Many profeffors, inftead of being inclined to the fide of mercy, in their fearch

for truth, after the example of our Father in heaven, who is merciful, like Jonah, they feem more concerned for the honour of their own fyftems, than for their Maker's honour, and the felicity of their fellow fianers. Jonah was evi dently more interefted for his own honour as a 'prophet, than for the defired fuccefs of his meffage, and happinefs of his own fpecies. He thought he did. well to be angry even to the death, becaufe God fhewed them mercy contrary to his opinion and wishes; and had the prefumption to avow the impious thought in his Maker's prefence. His attempt to juftify his difobedience, reflected difgrace upon himself, but glory on that God who is love, and whofe tender mercies are over all his works; as every fuch attempt must always do. "I knew that thou art a gracious God, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteft thee of the evil," Jon, iv. 2. Many think they do well to be angry at every attempt to make this truth known, and at every perfon who would declare it. The Lord himself speaks the fame truth by the prophet Joel"Therefore also now, faith the Lard, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fafting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil," Joel ii. 12, 13. When will this ceafe to be his character and memorial? "Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord," faid the Pfalmift, Pfal. cxix. 156. Great are his tender mercies, and he is great and highly exalted in exercifing them, and will not deny himself this honour to gratify friends or enemies. O to refemble him who is goodness itself! If the throne of an earthly king is upheld by mercy, as the royal proverbialift tells us, Prov. xx. 23. will mercy forfake the throne of the King of kings, while the far greater part of his offspring is in mifery, and leave them in that place without end? Shall mercy remain always hid from his eyes, however much the exercife of it might redound to his glory, and the happiness of others? Lst who will tread in Jonah's fteps, may it be our ambition and attainment to copy fo divine an example, though this should procure ua oppofition and reproach!" The Lord make us to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men," Theff. iii. 12.

We are told that Meffiah fhall inherit all nations, Pfal. lxxxii. 8.—that he is heir of the world, Rom. iv. 13—and that God hath appointed him heir of all things, Heb. i. 2.-told that the heathen, or nations, fhall be given him at his requeft, as his inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion, without reftricting the grant to any one age, Pfal. ii. 8. But fhall he never enjoy thefe as his inheritance and poffeffion? According to the prevailing faith on this point, he never fhall, the far greater part of the very nobleft of them being doomed to remain for ever in fuch a ftate, that he can have no connection with them, or derive due glory from them. That faith maintains, that he will never fubdue his whole inheritance to himfelf, or receive from the greater part of it any voluntary revenue; though we are affured, that by reason of the greatnefs of his power, his enemies fhall fubmit themselves to him, and that he must reign until he hath fubdued all things to himself.

The end or clofe of his adminiftration will not come, till "he fhall have put wn all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign till he hath

put all enemies under his feet," 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25. Death, the very laft of these enemies in existence, shall be deftroyed; whence no enemy can furvive the date of his reign and exiftence. It is one of the greateft of mysteries, or rather a direct impoffibility, that all rule, and all authority, and power should be put down by our Lord, whofe work is perfect, and that he should destroy death as the very last enemy that should exift, and yet that fin, Satan, and death should exist and reign without end, and as many enemies as there fhall be devils and wicked men in hell.

To me it appears impoffible to prove from fcripture, that the fecond death is not intended by the laft enemy, that being the only death in existence at the period to which the Spirit feems to refer, 1 Cor. xv. 26. Rev. xxi. 4. Natural death cannot be called an enemy, in any fenfe, to the righteous; for it is only then they begin to live, the day of their death being better than the day of their birth. But admit it to be their enemy in that cafe, it cannot be called the last, even with regard to them; for the grave follows, which would then be an ene my too. How very different does Paul teach us to think of both? Addreffing himself to real Chriftians, he faith, "All things are yours; whether life, or death," &c. 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22. Their death is called a fleep, and the grave agreeably a bed of reft. That which terminates their fate of finning, forrow, and conflict, and opens for them the gates of immortality, tranflating them fafely to the poffeffion of 'everlasting manfions in their heavenly Father's house, cannot with any propriety be called their enemy.

The wicked are out of the question; for natural death is neither their last nor greatest enemy. To them there is a death beyond it, towhich the character of the king of terrors properly belongs. I think it is evident to a demonftration, that the firft death cannot be intended, as applied either to the righteous or the wicked. We muft, therefore, extend the period when it fhall be destroyed, far beyond the day of judgment, even towards the clofe of the New Jerufalem ftate, or deny that any fhall be punished after that day. And we must admit, that the enemies, of whom it fhall be the laft, must refer to fuch as fhall be found then in existence, and not to any that annoy the righteous in this life. The fe cond death then must be that laft enemy, whofe deftruction is threatened and foretold. This one point established, and let who can difprove it, sufficient to overturn the whole fabric of endless mifery, which is built on the common fyftem. The common, and indeed only evafion is, that it is natural death which the apoftle intends, and that with regard to the elect, when raifed from the grave at the last day. That this cannot be the fenfe of the apostle's declaration, read without the fupplement, "The laft enemy death fhall be deftroyed," is evinced above, it is hoped, to the fatisfaction of the candid.

Does it not reflect on Chrift to fuppofe, that millions of beings, given him out of love by his Father as his inheritance, fhould notwithstanding, always remain the prey of fin and mifery, and the degraded wretched vaffals of Satan ? Will the far greater part of his inheritance remain for ever, like the garden of the fluggard, all overgrown with briars, and thorns, and noxious weeds, and the fence of it broken down? Will he thus violate his Father's appointment, and