he will free them from corruption, from death, and clothe them with glory and immortality; so that this vile body shall be rendered conformable to the glorious body of the Son of God, and shall shine as the sun. So God will not altogether destroy the world, and abolish its substance, but he will rectify all its imperfections, and add to it a greater glory. If it be lawful for me to discover here all my thoughts, I must say, that I put a greater difference between heaven and earth; for the earth is altogether corrupt, and spoiled with sin; it is the earth chiefly that groans under the burden of so many iniquities, which reign in it; but if heaven is guilty of any crime, it is because it hath given light to such as have been rebels against the Divine Majesty, and assisted the cursed earth by its favourable influences. Because of this great difference, it is my opinion, that the earth shall be destroyed by fire; and that all its beautiful buildings, and proud palaces, shall be turned into ashes. But the change which shall happen in heaven, shall only be to make it more beautiful and brighter, that the children of God may have there a more glorious palace. This seems to have been typified in the ceremonial law; for as we have already observed, speaking of that which shall happen to the soul and body, that when an earthen vessel was defiled, it was to be broken to pieces; but such vessels as were of a more precious metal, as of brass, or of silver, or of gold, were to be purified with fire; likewise the earth, with all its works, shall pass through the flames, so that it shall lose its present shape and qualities. But heaven, that is as brass, or rather as fine silver, shall only be purified by the fire of the last judgment. If you remove the cause, you take away also the effect; if you remove away sin, you also remove its punishment. Now it is because of man's sin, that the world hath and shall see so great a change. Therefore as God, by his infinite mercy, hath forgiven man's sin, it is also to be expected from the same mercy, that he will not totally destroy the world, but that he will rather free it from corruption, unto which our sin hath made it subject.

Unless

Unless God deals in this manner, our joy and comfort seems not complete, and God appears not perfectly satisfied and reconciled. While a subject continues in rebellion, and in the displeasure of his prince, not only his person is pursued and punished, but all that belongs to him bear the marks of wrath and indignation of the prince whom he hath offended. His dwelling-house is commonly pulled down, his woods are cut and mangled, and his inheritance is destroyed. But when he has made his peace, his house is built up again, all signs of the king's displeasure are taken away, and every thing appears with a more pleasant countenance. Thus because of our rebellion, and our treason against God, he hath punished the world for our sakes, and hath made it sensible of his wrath. But now that our peace is made, or rather, God having made peace by the blood of his Son, we may justly expect that he will remove all signs of his displeasure and revenge. I remember, upon this subject, what David said to God, when he saw the angel destroying Jerusalem; "I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done?" 2 Sam. xxiv. In the same manner every believer may say to God, Lo, I have sinned, O Lord; I and my brethren have done wickedly: but these inanimate creatures, what have they done? Our sins have defiled the earth: and all that may be objected against heaven, is, to have yielded light and assistance to us rebels. Since therefore thou didst blot out our sins, and pardon our rebellions, spare these harmless creatures, which cannot be punished for our

sakes.

At present we may, without difficulty, understand the forementioned passages of holy scripture, and such as tend to the same purpose. For when David and St. Paul assures us, "That the heavens shall perish, and they shall be changed as a garment;" I answer, That they shall perish in respect of their qualities, but not of their substance; and that the change shall not be as when one garment is cast off, and another

taken;

taken; but as when the spots and blemishes of an old garment are taken away, and it becomes a fresher. When your clothing is grown old, and worn out, if it were in your power to make it become new again, and as beautiful as ever it was, you would never think of seeking for new stuff. "That which is impossible to men, is possible with God," Luke vi. And when our Saviour, in St. Matthew's Gospel, saith, "That the heavens and the earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away;" I might affirm that these words are to be understood comparatively, that is to say, that the heavens and the earth shall pass away, rather than that the words of God should fail of an accomplishment. Our Saviour confirms this interpretation, when he saith, in St. Luke's Gospel, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than that one tittle of the law should not be fulfilled." The holy scripture is full of such kind of expressions; but I would rather stick to the answers which I have already given in the former text, and say, that the heavens and the earth shall pass away, not in regard of their substance, but only in regard of their qualities and accidents that belong to them.

In St. Peter's expressions, I find a double comparison or allusion; the one relates to the tents that are pulled down when the pieces are taken asunder. This comparison is very proper; for this world is like a great tabernacle, a glorious pavilion. God shall pull off the coverings, he shall cut the cords, and separate every piece. But he will one day raise it up again, gather every piece, and make it à royal tabernacle, full of splendour and glory.

The other comparison is borrowed from goldsmiths, who cast the gold and metals into pots, and then melt them in the fire. Now as they destroy not by this means the gold and the silver, but they cleanse them from the dross and the froth, causethem to appear in all their brightness and beauty, 3 S

13.

and

and give them a new shape and form; so the fire of the last judgment shall not consume the heavens and the earth, but shall only give them a new form and beauty.

The strongest objection, in my opinion, is occasioned by the words of St. Peter, "The earth, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt." But I answer to this, That there is a great difference between burning, and being totally consumed and abolished. If it were in the power of a man, whose house is consumed to the ground, to raise it up again from its ruins, and to make it more beautiful and glorious than before, by his word alone, he would never seek for other materials. Now shall I say again, that what is impossible with men is possible with God? He hath already created the world with his word, and he is able to restore it again by the same word. Art hath found means to make beautiful vessels of melting ashes; and shall not God's hand, unto which all the skill of art and the strength of nature cannot be compared, be able to gather up the ashes of the earth, and to make of it a body full of glory and light?

From hence you may perceive, how we are to understand that there shall be new heavens, and a new earth; they shall not be new in regard of their substance and matter, which shall have been from the beginning of the world, but they shall be new in regard of those noble qualities which God shall give them. When a debauched fellow leaves his wicked life, and applies himself to the practice of piety and virtue, we commonly say, That he is not the same, but that he is become another man. Besides, when a man hath cast off his old rags, and put on a magnificent garment, we are wont to say, that he is another man. We shall have much more cause to declare, that the heavens and the earth shall be new, when God shall have renewed them. In short, he shall enrich the world with so many wonderful beauties, he shall

fill it full of so much glory and excellency, he shall cause it to be so perfect, that we shall have just reason to look upon it as upon a new world, and to say with the apostle, "The old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." I would not have you think, Christians, that this opinion is grounded only upon human reason. It is drawn from the words of St. Paul, who, speaking of the earthly and insensible creatures, as may appear by his design, he saith not only, "that they are subject to vanity, not willingly, but because of him who hath subjected them;" he understands man, who by his sin and rebellion hath spoiled the world, and corrupted nature; but he adds immediately after, "That they hope to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, to be in the glorious liberty of the children of God;" afterwards he saith, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now;" and before he saith, "That the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the Son of God." In which words, pray take notice, that St. Paul saith not, that these creatures shall be abolished, and totally destroyed; but only that they shall be delivered from vanity, and from the bondage of corruption, unto which the sin of man hath made them subject; and that this blessed deliverance shall be brought to pass at the day of the redemption of our bodies, that is to say, at that day when God shall redeem our bodies from their graves, and raise them up to the highest glory and happiness, which hath been prepared for us from the creation of the world.

Then shall happen that which is wont to be seen at the marriage of a great king, or at a coronation, or a triumph. For not only the prince and his spouse, and all the court, appear in their richest and most glorious attire, and loaden with their most precious jewels, and the usual pomp of triumphs is as extraordinary and glorious as can be contrived; but on such occasions, the prince's palace is adorned with the richest,