aionas ton aionon, that is age of ages, or eternity of eternities. Rev. xiv. 14; chap. xix. 3; chap. xx. 10. Lord God preserve us from all this eternity! It will be too long to those that come into it, and we have no occasion, contrary to truth, to make it still longer than the Spirit of Truth hath made it. Some pretend, that the eternity of evil, and the eternal damnation depending thereon, must be an absolutely endless eternity, and last as long as the being of God himself, because it is in some places of Scripture, compared with the eternal happiness of the children of God, and its duration expressed in the same words; so that if the eternity of damnation was to cease, we must conclude that of eternal glory must have an end too. St. Matt. xxv. 46; Rev. xiv. 11; chap. xix. 3; chap. xx. 10, compared with chap. xi. 15; chap. xxii. 5. eternity of glory; he must know, that if this extension is not to be the same, as well backwards as forwards, it wants a great deal of being every way alike; and, if my adversary is obliged, to avoid falling into heresy, to shorten it one way, why should not I have liberty, for good and weighty reasons, to cut it short another way? I answer, secondly, that it is altogether false that the Scripture always, whenever it uses the words aion, aionios, or for ever, of two contrary things, thereby necessarily understands an equally long duration of both. I will here only allege three plain passages of Scripture which prove the contrary. Please to look into the Greek text of St. Matt. xii. 32; St. Luke xx. 34, 35; Ephes. i. 21. In these places this present world, and the future, or next world, are compared together, where it is said in the Greek, according to the Scripture style, en touto to aioni, oute en to mellonti; ton aionos toutou, ton aionos ekinou; en to aioni toutou, en to mellonti; that is, this eternity, or age, and the eternity, or age to come. But by this eternity, or age, nothing else is meant but this world, or the present period of time, which has begun with the fall of man, and will end with the coming of Christ; and by the next world is intended that period of Christ's future reign in his manifested glory. But if by the words aion, aionios, eternity, or eternal, we are always to understand an equally long duration, even when they are used of contrary things, it must necessarily follow from the above quoted texts of Scripture, that the future world, wherein Christ is to reign in his glory, is to last no longer than this present wicked world; for the periods of both worlds are expressed by the Holy Spirit, according to his usual way of speaking, by one and the same word, namely, aion, eternity, or age, as is also the duration of the future damnation and happiness, St. Matt. xxv. 46. But who of the opposers of the Restoration of all things will allow of this, especially as long as by the future world they understand an endless eternity, according to the common hypothesis? As plausible as this objection seems to be, so empty it is, if we go to the bottom thereof. We will at present answer to it, first, That all such as advance this objection against the eternal and universal redemption, turn their own weapon against themselves, and unknowingly participate of a great error, which they will never own themselves to be guilty of; for, let these people only consider, that if we are obliged to conclude, according to their opinion, that the eternity of pain and the eternity of glory must be of an exactly equal extent and length, because they are both compared together in the Scriptures, and their duration is expressed in the same words; then it must also necessarily follow, that the evil and punishment depending thereon, must have been from all eternity, and either without any beginning at all, or must at least have an endless root in God, and consequently be itself God, or his creature. This latter is the case with the eternal glory and happiness. For, although the creature's real enjoyment of the eternal happiness and glory begins here in time, yet the eternal happiness and glory, or the glorious kingdom of God itself, s without any beginning, and existed in and with God, ever since God himself has been, hat is, from all inconceivable eternity; and Thirdly and lastly, if our adversaries will nust therefore, certainly, exist so long as absolutely have it so, that the glorious reign fod himself, who is the only source of all of Christ with his elect, and the state of rue beatitude and glory, shall exist. See damnation and unhappiness of the poor creait. Matt. xxv. 34, compared with Ephes. i. 4. tures cast into the fiery lake, must be two If the eternity of the evil is in every respect equally long eternities, and we should even a answer to the extension of the eternity of grant them this too, they would gain nothing lory in and with God, then the extension of at all by it against the blessed doctrine of the he eternity of the evil, must be backwards Restoration. That economy, therefore, and s well as forwards, and consequently has sort of government of Christ and his elect, een from all inconceivable eternity, and during which all enemies must be put under ver since God himself has existed; the hold-Christ's feet, and all rebellious creatures in g of which would resemble the heresy of te ancient Manichees, as much as one egg Des another. reality made subject unto God and Christ, after the abolition of death, and sin which is the sting of death; that economy, I say, will Again, if any one would say, that the equa- certainly have an end; namely, at that period ty of these two eternities, of the evil and of when Christ's aim is obtained, and the Son e good, is not backwards, but forwards, that himself shall be subject to Him that put all although the evil, to wit, sin and punish-things under his feet. But hereby is not ent depending thereon, was not without benning, as the eternal happiness, considered itself, and according to its nature was; yet at the eternity of the evil is without end; ad forwards, of the same extension with the meant that the kingdom of Christ shall cease, which, according to the word of God is to have no end. St. Luke i. 33. But it will rather through such subjection of Christ under God his Father, get an infinitely greater lustre. So that we must well distin-, in fear, anxiety and terror; and, in short, they guish between the particular government of Christ and his elect, and the kingdom of Christ and his believers as one with the kingdom of his heavenly Father. The first will certainly cease, and consequently the eternities of eternities, or ages of ages, appointed for it will end; but the latter is to last for evermore, or to all eternity. Now, as long as the said eternities or ages of the particular government of Christ are to last and succeed one another, so long will also last the eternities or ages of pain in the fiery lake: for as soon as all eternities are conquered, and every creature is brought to true obedience and subjection under God and Christ, he will deliver up the kingdom to the Father. Therefore both these eternities are of an exactly like long duration. ALL punishing justice, if it be worthy of the name of justice, requires that the punishment be in proportion and according to the nature of the sin, and the situation of the sinner. So we find that even in this world a righteous judge inflicts no greater punish ment on a malefactor than his crime deserves; nay, his severest punishments are usually mitigated, and mixed with some mercy. Now, since those men, who in their unaltered sinful condition are carried off into the other world, and after their departure abide under the wrath of God, (St. John iii. 36,) are not all alike wicked, but some have sinned a great deal more than others, and consequently, through the growth of their inward iniquity are become more conformable unto the devil than others; so it follows of itself, that the punishments which the Divine justice will inflict upon the depraved creatures in the next world, will be unequal, and in proportion to the heinousness and greatness of their crimes; some punishments being very severe and long, and others more tolerable and shorter. This the holy Scripture plainly evidences in several places. St. Matt. v. 22; chap. x. 15; chap. xi. 22, 24. St. Luke x. 12, 14; chap. xli. 47, 48. Wisdom, vi. 5-8. All punishments inflicted on the creatures for their sin, or whereby their sin is as it were rewarded, both in this, and in the next world, are comprehended in this one word, Death; as the Scripture says, The wages of sin is death. Rom. vi. 23. By this we may see the truth of the divine threatening, and how precisely it was fulfilled, and is daily fulfilled before our eyes, when God threatened our first parents, that in the self-same day, that they should eat of the forbidden fruit, they should surely die. Gen. ii. 17, compared with chap. iii. 6-10, &c. For, from the moment they sinned, they incurred God's wrath and displeasure, lost the Divine image, got an evil conscience, which put them brought upon themselves all sorts of spiritual and bodily plagues and torments. All this is called, in the language of the Holy Ghost, death, and is the wages of sin, or that where with sin pays those, who like soldiers, serve and obey it. St. John viii. 34. Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin.” So that if we take the word death in its most extensive and complete sense, the beginning of it is not only when we die bodily, and our souls are separated from their bodies; but it had its beginning with all men, in the very moment when sin entered into our nature; because death is as naturally in sin, as pain is in sickness. Rom. v. 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." See Wherefore the holy Scripture speaks very emphatically of such men as are converted to God in this time of grace, that they have passed from death unto life, St. John v. 24; Ephes. ii. 1. "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." also ver. 5, and Col. ii. 13. Consequently they must have been really in death before their conversion, when they were the servants of sin. "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. viii. 6. Now as death has begun in man with sin, so the more sin increases in man, the more the power and violence of death increases also in the same manner as the pain and corruption of the body increaseth with the sickness. "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." Rom. vii. 5. And if men take sin with them out of this world into the next, they likewise carry death with them. If they come to the highest de gree of sin and wickedness, (which in the Scripture is called the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and the sin unto death. See St. Matt. xii. 31, 32; St. Mark iii. 28, 29; St Luke xii. 10; 1 John v. 16,) and thereby take upon themselves the perfect resemblance of the devil, who seduced them to sin, then they will be banished with him into the outermost regions of darkness and death; that is, precipitated into the lowest hell, or the lake burning with fire and brimstone. St. Matt viii. 12; chap. xxii. 13; chap. xxv. 30; Deut xxxii. 22, compared with Rev. xx. 10; ver. 15, chap. xxi. 8. If I was to give a general and scriptural description of death, which is the wages of sin. that is, of all that which the Holy Ghost means by death, both in this and the other world, it would be as follows: 66 'Death, as the wages of sin, is nothing else but the miserable and wretched condition of creatures lying under the dominion of sin, and consequently under the wrath of God, eating of the fruit of their own way, Prov. i. 31, and of the flesh, to which they sowed, reaping corruption, Gal. vi. 8, that is, feeling and ex periencing through God's just judgment, both in this and the next wortd, all sorts of spiritual and bodily plagues, flowing quite naturally from their sin and wickedness, and being in proportion and according to the nature thereof; in order that they may be thus convinced, how bad and abominable that is which they have chosen for themselves against the will of God: and so at last, to the everlasting praise and glory of God's justice and mercy, made by these rough and severe means truly subject to God the Father of all spirits, and to his most beloved and only begotten Son Jesus Christ, whom he has appointed Lord over all things, both in this age, and that which is to come." See 1 Cor. xv. 25, 28, compared with Psal. cxlv. 8-10; Psal. cl. 6; Rev. v. 13; Ephes. i. 20-22; Phil. ii. 9-11; Heb. ii. 8. This description takes in all the different kinds of death which divines generally distinguish by bodily, spiritual, and eternal death: since the painful separation of soul and body, with all foregoing bodily afflictions, (which is usually called natural death;) then the want and loss of the divine image and the grace of God, (being called the spiritual death;) and lastly, 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 completest sense. | The first death, therefore, is nothing else but that miserable and painful condition both of soul and body, which men are in while they are under the dominion of sin, and at the same time under the wrath of God; which wretched state began the moment they fell into sin, and if they are not redeemed from it in this present time of grace, it will continue after the separation of body and soul, under many dreadful punishments and torments, and will grow worse and worse, till at the last judgment, they are either delivered from it through the endless mercies of God, being sufficiently humbled, and so found written in the Book of Life. Rev. xx. 12, 15; 1 Pet. iii. 19; compared with chap. iv. 6; Hosea xiii. 14. Or, if the Divine Justice finds it adequate to their iniquity, they are from the first death committed to the second, to receive the full measure of the wrath of God burning over them. Rev. xx. 14, 15; chap. xxi. 8. This first death, if represented by the figure of a tyrant, has as it were, two chief provinces and regions where it bears sway, and exercises its power, viz., First, the province of this present wicked world, and the time before the separation of the soul and body, where mea in this world are under the dominion of sin and the power of death. And secondly, the Concerning the bodily or natural death in woful rendezvous, or place of torment of particular, whereby the soul and body of man the impure souls of the deceased, and the are separated, it may be justly called accord-time after the separation of soul and body, ing to Scripture, first, with respect to believers, a passage from death into the true eternal life, a putting off all mortality, or a perfect deliverance from the body of death, which in this world they were obliged to bear, and carry about them as an heavy burden. And in this view the natural death is so far from being terrible to the righteous, that it is desirable. See 2 Cor. v. 1-9; Phil. i. 23; Rev. xiv. 13; Isaiah Ivii. 1, 2; Wisdom iii. 1-4. But, secondly, with respect to the wicked and unbelievers, we may rightly call it, a passage out of one miserable land of death into another which is much more miserable and terrible. See St. Luke xvi. 22, 23. But the most proper division of death is to distinguish it according to the Scripture, by the first and second death. It is true that we do not find the name of first death in Scripture, but the denomination of second death implies it. For if there is a second death, there must necessarily be a first death, which is antece. dent to the second; because, without it, the hame of second death would be without any meaning. But as the term second death, is four times mentioned in Scripture, (see Rev. ii. 11; chap. xx. ver. 6, 14; chap xxi. 8.) it is certainly used with design, and implies a first death. Knowing from what has been said above, that death inseparably hangs together with sin, and as naturally follows upon it, as the wages follow any service, and that sin and death are as much onnected as pain and sickness; besides, the holy Scriptures having given us a precise definition of the second death, viz. that it is a lake burning with fire and brimstone, (see Rev. xx. 14; chap, xxi, 8,) we may easily comprehend what is meant by the first death. until the great day of judgment, where men, going out of this world in an unconverted condition, must remain under the wrath of God and in death, not seeing life. That not only the unhappy state of men after their decease, but also their sinful condition by nature in this world, where they are servants to sin, is a part of death, the Scripture tells us in plain words, calling such a state, darkness and the shadow of death, St Luke i. 79. Yea, representing them as dead who live in sin, St. Luke xv. 24, 32; Ephes. ii. 1-5; Col. ii. 13; 1 John iii. 14: and that such who live in sensual pleasure are dead while they live. 1 Tim. v. 6. They are called living because they enjoy as yet a natural life, common with brutes: but they are dead, because they want the spiritual life, (Ephes. iv. 18.) which properly distinguishes men from brutes, and makes them truly men, that is, creatures in the image of God. The doleful regions of the first death, into which unbelievers are banished after their dissolution, have many denominations in holy Scripture. They are, for instance, called, The lower parts of the earth, Psal. Ixiii. 9. The nether parts of the earth, Ezek. xxxi. 14-18; chap. xxxii. 18-32. The pit wherein is no water, Zech. ix. 11. The grare, or hell and death, Psal. xlix. 14, 15; Hosea xiii. 14. The sides of the pit, Isaiah xiv. 15, compared with verse 9 and 19. The darkness and deep, Psal. Ixxxviii. 6, compared with P-ai. ixxi. 20, Darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, St. Maut, vil. 12; chap. xxIL 13: chap xxv. 30. Darkness and the shadire of death, where such have rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the mont High, sit bound in affliction and iron. levil 10, 11. The prison, 1 Pet in. 19. Pa 1 lasting periods of time, which although they exist already, with respect to Christ and his saints, received by him into glory, yet the full manifestation thereof is to succeed the period of this present wicked world, and will only begin with the coming of Christ, and the commencement of his glorious kingdom, Rev. xi. 15-18; chap. xii. 10, compared with Dan. vii. 14, 26, 27; and will reach to that point of time when both the first and second death will be entirely abolished, and the Son of God, after all things have been put in subjection under him, (nothing excepted, but his heavenly Father) shall deliver up the kingdom, or the whole restored creation, (which shall until then be under his government,) to God his Father, and himself be subject unto him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Heb. ii. 8; 1 Cor. xv. 24-28. In all these periods of time, the Good, namely, Christ, with his first born brethren, as kings and priests, will for ever and without interruption, rule over the bad, as his and their enemies, and effect the entire restoration of all things; that is, he will subdue and reconcile all things unto himself and his heavenly Father, and bring them into that harmony and order, wherein every thing was created in the beginning. See Rev. xi. 15; chap. v. 10; chap. xxii. 5; Dan. vii. 18, 27; 1 Cor. xv. 28; Phil. ii. 10, 11; Col. i 20; Acts iii. 21; Gen. i. 31. that true order as is most agreeable to him, there will be no more sensible knowledge nor hearing of that which is called Devil, Sin, Death, Wrath, or Hell, than there was when all creatures were yet hid in the eternal creating power of the everlasting God, or when in the beginning of the creation, they were yet altogether very good. Because every thing that is diabolical, namely, sin, and the first and second death following it, will in the most consummate manner be destroyed, and swallowed up in victory, and the whole crea tion shall be most perfectly delivered from all evil; and the kingdom, power, and glory shall be given to him to whom it belongs for ever and ever, Amen. See Isaiah Ivii. 15; 1 Cor. xv. 24-28; ver. 54-56 compared with ver. 26. See also Rom. viii. 19-23, compared with Gen. i. 31; Job xxxviii. 7; Rev. xxi. 1-5; St. Matt. vi. 13. The divine subjection of the Son of God, following upon the next world, and belonging to the still eternity, will by no means lessen the glory of Christ and his saints, but will rather be an occasion of something much more excellent and glorious than his former blessed reign, during the thousand years, and in the succeeding eternities of eternities. For as long as these ages last, so long will sin, or at least imperfection, be in many creatures; which at this time will not be fit in general to be ruled immediately by God, and therefore Now, to those periods of time of the holy must be governed by mediators. But when and righteous world to come, and its mani- the Son of God shall deliver up the kingdom festation, belong, first, the thousand years of to the Father, and himself be subject to him Christ's marriage day; the age commonly that put all things under him, then will neither called the Millenium or Sabbath of Rest, when sin nor imperfection any more be found in Satan shall be bound and confined in the bot- any of God's creatures; but they will be as tomless pit for a thousand years, the first re-immediately governed by God himself, as the surrection shall take place, and the first born saints shall reign with Christ on the earth a thousand years. See Rev. xx. 1-6; compared with chap. v. 10, and chap. ii. 26, 27; chap. iii. 21. Also, secondly, to the next world, particularly belong all the other aionos ton aionon, or many long lasting periods of time, which are to succeed the above mentioned thousand years; during which periods all things will be subdued and restored, and at the close of which, Christ will resign the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all. By the still or absolutely endless eternity, wherein God dwelleth, is meant in holy Scripture, that eternal and endless duration of the uncreated and Divine Being, and the most perfect and unvariable beatitude which he possesses. Which, with respect to God, has been without beginning, from all inconceivable eternity, and still is going through all created eternities both of this and the next world, and is their very source and principle, but with respect to the creatures, it will not manifest itself in the most perfect manner, till at that point of the created eternities, when Christ after the entire restoration of all things, will give up the kingdom to his heavenly Father, and be subject to him who put all things under him, that God may be ALL IN ALL. In this still eternity which will then be manifested to the creatures, and which will, as it were, swallow up the future world, and wherein God is to reign in humanity of Jesus Christ is governed by the Godhead, every one according to his nature; and therefore there will be no farther need of government by the mediatorial economy, the design whereof had been merely that all things might be subdued unto Christ, and under him to God. 1. Cor. xv. 24, 25, &c.; Phil. ii. 10, 11. Now, when this design shall be completely obtained, then will also cease the means ordered for the obtaining it; namely, the particular sort of government of Christ and his saints, during the thousand years, and the ages of ages following; but the glory of Christ and of his saints in the future universal subjection in the still eternity, will be without end. Whosoever rightly looks into, and well understands this mystery of the difference between this world, the next world, and the still, or absolutely endless eternity, to him the centre of the holy Scripture, and of all the prophecies contained therein are open: because they are partly fulfilled in this world, partly in the future world, and all the rest will be accomplished in the still eternity, in so far as there is a difference between it and the world to come. From this principle we may also very easily and with the greatest importance an swer the objection that is made against the general restoration, from St. Matt. xii. 31, 32. It is indeed true, that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; those all its contents aim is this, That in the beginwho are guilty of that sin shall have no for-ning God created every thing very good; and giveness neither in this world or age, nor in that by Christ, who is the wisdom and power of the world or age to come, but are in danger of God, by whom all things were made at first, all eternal damnation, according to St. Mark iii. 29. whatsoever is corrrupted through sin, must at = By the world or age to come, in the first last be made good again: so may any one =mentioned place, without doubt is meant the whose eyes are opened to see clearly into this whole time from the beginning of the Mil-point, find a great many testimonies of this lenium to the last judgment. For within this time not only many millions will be converted to God, and receive forgiveness of their sins, but also many of those that have been lying in the sea, in death, and in hell, as miserable prisoners of the first death, will at last, at the opening of the books of judgment, be found written in the book of life, and thus obtain remission of their sins, and be delivered from the full power of the second death. See Rev. xx. 12, 13, 15, compared with Hosea xiii. 14; Zech. ix. 11; 1 Cor. iii. 15. eternal truth both in the books of the Old and New Testament. But we will for our present purpose, only allege some of the plainest sentences. First, some very plain texts of Scripture, treating of the final restoration of all corrupt men. Rom. v. 18-21. "Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made (or represented) sinners; so by the obedience of one shall (the same) many be made (or represented) righteous. Moreover, 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 so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. xi. 32. "For God hath concluded them all (or shut them up together) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” But the blasphemers against the Holy Ghost, and all such who have committed the sin unto death, for whom we are commanded not to pray; I John v. 16; and such who have sinned wilfully after having received the knowledge of the truth; Heb. x. 26-29; such who have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; Heb. vi. 6; the professed enemies of Christ and his believers, and among those particularly the blaspheming beast, and false prophet, who in this world have so long and continually been afflicting and persecuting Christ and his followers, will then, in virtue of God's most holy justice, be treated in the very same manner as they have treated the servants of Christ here: they will be rejected, esteemed These texts of Scripture most evidently accursed, and will be cast into the lake of fire show and foretel us, that as really as sin and and brimstone, which is the second death, condemnation came upon and entered into all partly before and partly after the thousand men, even so really and certainly will rightyears, without any grace or mercy; and con-eousness anb life come again into all corrupt sequently will obtain no forgiveness of their sins, but be obliged to suffer what their deeds deserve, as the Scripture plainly testifies. See St. Matt. xxv. 41, 46 ; Rev. xix. 20; chap. xx. 15; chap. xxi. 8; chap. xiv. 9-11. 1 Cor. xv. 22, 23. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own (or in his particular) order." men by Jesus Christ: even that true life of God, which alone is the real life of men: and that they shall at last altogether actually enjoy the mercy of God as truly and really as they have felt the power of sin, and have But it does by no means follow from hence been concluded under unbelief. In short, that these sinners can never be cleansed from That as sin hath reigned in and unto death, their sins, and made truly subject unto Christ even so shall grace reign through righteousness and God, before or at the expiration of those unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. ages of ages which shall succeed the thousand Now, sin hath reigned in such a manner, that years, or the age to come, when such sinners, it has actually made all men its subjects, and together with all other rebellious creatures, brought death upon them; therefore, without shall have been sufficiently punished for their contradiction, grace must also reign in such wickedness in the burning lake. Then, in- a manner as to bring all men again to its stead of contradicting Christ in a presump-obedience, and consequently restore in them tuous manner, as they did not only in this righteousness and eternal life. And, indeed, world, but even in the day of judgment, (see so much the more, because it is expressly St. Matt. xxv. 44; chap. vii. 22;) they shall said, that grace is not only to abound as most humbly bow their knees before him, much as sin, but even to abound much more and become heartily subject unto him, and than sin. through him be reconciled unto God. See Phil. ii. 10, 11; 1 Cor. xv. 24-28; Col. i. 20. CHAPTER XII. Containing the clearest Sentences of the Holy Scriptures which treat of the General Restoration of all Men and corrupt Creatures. As the centre of the whole Bible, whereat But how can grace be said to abound much more than sin, if, according to the common hypothesis we avow on the one hand, that it is able to justify and save all men, but on the other hand deny that it will actually justify and save all men? For sin was not only able to make all men unrighteous, and to bring death upon them, but it has actually made them all in general unrighteous, and brought death upon them. 1 Tim. iv. 10. "We trust in the living |