"nify," he says, "in scripture." This too would give English readers a juster notion of the proper dura

Doxologies which ascribe life, glory, &c. to God,

1 Tim. vi. 16. τιμὴ καὶ κράτος

N. B. Some of these doxologies are to God, some to Christ, and some jointly to both. Besides these, there are others which differ in words from each of the forms above. Eph. iii. 21. els náσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. αἰώνιον. 2 Peter iii. 18. εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος. Jude 25. εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας. So again, with regard to the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Christ, these phrases are used promiscuously; or rather, the stronger expressions denote what Mr. W. thinks will be of the shorter duration; as appears from the texts following:

N. B. As some of these appear to include the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Christ too, so others plainly include the kingdom of Christ and his saints; and declare that this kingdom shall endure is toùs aiŵvas tãy alwvwv; Dan. vii. 18. Rev. xxii. 5. The same phrase is applied by St. John to the duration of the punishments of the wicked; Rev. xiv. 11. xix. 3. xx. 10. The other New Testament writers generally, I think, use the word alávios, Οι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ; which denotes the same duration that the other does in St. John, and the sanie, as far as appears, in both cases, as applied either to rewards or punishments.

"come up to the terrible descriptions and representa"tions of what is certainly alwvía kóλaois, or a long "and lasting punishment." In return to which, he would have us consider "the doleful condition the "wicked are in, during the entire intermediate state "in hades; reaching from death to the day of judg"ment; in general, of many hundreds, or several thou"sands of years." But if these years were ten thousand times ten thousand, what is that to the purpose? This doleful condition in hades before the day of judgment is no part of the αἰωνία κόλασις, into which they go after it; and therefore, with regard to the terrible descriptions and representations of that everlasting punishment, is not to be taken into consideration at all.

Num. XXIII.

Matt. xxvi. 24. -woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Mr. Whiston says, "It appears by this assertion "of our Saviour's, that some men's wickedness may "be so great, that their punishment in the other "world will exceed all the happiness they had en"joyed in this life." Very tender! The punishment of such wretches as Judas will be so great, that their existence will be worse than non-existence; it will be a curse to them, and they will have reason to wish that they had never been born. But he proceeds; "Which implies thus much also, that such "men's sins shall never be forgiven, even in the "world, or age to come: as we have been already "assured by our Saviour some sins may be." May

be, what? Forgiven in the world to come? We firmly believe, upon the authority of our Saviour and his apostles, that not only some sins, but all sins sincerely repented of in this world will be forgiven in the world to come. But our Saviour no where assures us, that some sins, not repented of, and consequently not forgiven, in this world, will be forgiven in the world to come. This is only a precarious inference, drawn from an expression of our Saviour's, which probably means no such thing; especially since it appears to be contrary to the plain doctrine of the New Testament in other places, as well as to the whole turn and tenor of it: (compare Num. XI.) Mr. W: goes on; "Utter destruction, or "what we should call annihilation, must therefore be "the utmost expectation of such enormous sinners : "unless the intimation the prophet" (that is, the apocryphal) "Esdras has given us of a resurrection "after the second death is over, may afford them "some glimpse of comfort, after the several ages of "their torments are over, though not till those "torments have more than outbalanced all the en"joyments of their whole sinful life." That they may soon do. What were the enjoyments, for instance, of Judas's sinful life? Such as have been outbalanced, in all probability, ten thousand times over already, by his doleful condition in hades: yet his punishment, properly so called, in gehenna, will not commence till the day of judgment. But this by the bye: it is not worth while to inquire, what expectations of annihilation, or what glimpses of comfort, with regard to another resurrection, these enormous sinners may have; or what conjectures, mere conjectures, other persons may make concern

ing them. The cause must be determined by evidence. And according to the evidence arising from the constitution of nature, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, there appears to me no reason to expect either of these things. Particularly with regard to the text before us; he that can infer from these words of our Saviour, either utter destruction of being, or restoration to happiness, is endued with a faculty of inferring, which I have no desire to be master of. Because the words certainly may point out (and naturally seem to do so, rather than otherwise) a third state, distinct from the other two; and more agreeable than either of them to other testimonies of scripture.

Num. XXIV.

Mark iii. 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. See above, Num. XI.

If he hath never forgiveness, as it appears from Matt. xii. 31, 32. he hath not, his damnation must be eternal. Consequently the word aivos, and the phrase eis Tov aiva, here denote eternity. Whether this eternal damnation will be eternal destruction of being, or something else, we must learn from other texts.

Num. XXV.

Mark iv. 25. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

He that hath, (viz. any increase or improvement,) to him shall more be given; and he that hath not made any such use and improvement of his original moral endowments, from him, by the appointment

of God, even in the natural consequences of things, they shall be taken away. This is a truth, which in part, and as far as this world is concerned, lies open to our experience. The seeds of virtue, if not cultivated, decay; the moral sense, and, in short, the whole sum of our moral powers, if not improved, are impaired; vicious acts gradually weaken virtuous principles and sentiments, and inveterate vicious habits almost wholly destroy them. This we see; and therefore, if agreeably to our Lord's declarations relating to this matter, such neglect and abuse of our moral powers should at last be punished with an entire deprivation of them; it is no more than the complete execution of that plan of Providence in another state, which we see begun, and imperfectly carried on in the present. Compare Num. XXI.

Num. XXVI.

Mark ix. 43-48. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

It is hard to say how any doctrine can be taught more plainly, than the eternity of future punishment is, in this passage. Suppose it to be true, and that it was our Lord's design to teach it; how could he have done it in plainer words, or in a more empha