which being taken away, there is no sufficient inducement left to come to God in any religious act at all. Well, but he "shews himself now throughly "convinced of that pernicious error." Which is as small an argument of his virtue, as his infidelity before was an extenuation of his guilt: The devils also believe, and tremble. And who can persist in an error, of which his very existence is a confutation? But he is also "become very compassionate to "his own five brethren; which is so far from a cha"racter of infernal obstinacy and savage cruelty, such "as that of the incurably wicked may be supposed to "be, that it looks liker a preliminary to true Chris“tian charity, and to a real repentance for his barbarity towards Lazarus before." There is nothing

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• Some have imagined that this compassion to his brethren was at bottom only compassion to himself. He had contributed, by his example and influence, to make them wicked, as they were; and was therefore afraid, that if they came into that place of torment, they might possibly prove his tormentors. But there is no need of any reason, but the reason of the parable. It being evidently our Lord's design, in this part of it, to shew, that men have already sufficient evidence and inducements to believe in God, and to obey him, and that therefore unreasonable expectations in religion would not be gratified; this, I say, being his design, it becomes necessary that the rich man should make this extraordinary request, and that Abraham should reject it. But his real compassion to his brethren is no more an inference from this request, than Abraham's want of benevolence is from his refusal to comply with it. I have taken no notice of Mr. W.'s conjecture, that "the most terrible part of this description" was taken by our Saviour out of the fourth book of Esdras. The best critics allow, and it is evident to any one that reads it with attention, that it is later than our Saviour's time. The learned Dr. Chapman sets it a hundred years after Christ at least; (Eusebius, vol. ii. p. 88.) and Du Pin, after he has observed that it is full of visions

in this, that I can see, more than is necessary to answer the design of the parable: he must entreat Abraham in behalf of his brethren; and the more heartily he does this, the more reason have we to conclude, from his being refused, that no importunities will prevail for extraordinary favours, when the ordinary stated methods of Providence, which were in themselves sufficient, have been neglected. To say all in a word; the whole series of the reasoning we have been here amused with, amounts to just nothing. From a phrase, or circumstance of a parable, all rational men agree, no consequence is to be drawn beyond the scope and design of it. But Mr. W. seems to have taken the quite contrary way. He has overlooked the design of this parable, which is to teach us, that according to our good or ill behaviour in this life will be our condition in the other, and that, as far as appears, without alteration and without end; and, instead thereof, has entertained us with some precarious inferences from the little circumstances and incidental parts of the parable; from which nothing, with any certainty, can be concluded at all. As to what he adds about the gospel's being preached to the rich man in hades, and his being brought by that, and his severe punishment, to true repentance; it is a point, I conceive, considered merely in itself, of very little concern to any man living. The person and the preaching being both perhaps imaginary, they are, in that respect, exactly suited to one another. But it is of the last importance to every man not to suffer himand dreams, and several errors, says, it is doubtless a converted Jew who penned it. History of the Canon of the Old Testament, p. 26. English edit.

self to be deceived with vain words, or vain reasonings, so as to incur the danger of coming into such place of torment, upon the vain presumption of being delivered out of it. Compare Theophylact. in loc.

Numb. XL.

Luke xvii. 34-37. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. See Numb. XVIII. Many refer these words to the destruction of Jerusalem. If they relate to the end of the world, they shew the righteous distinction which will then be made, agreeably to the whole tenor of the New Testament. And our Lord's answer, in the 37th verse, which is a proverbial speech, and has no relation to the eagles in the Roman standards, as some have imagined, shews the universality of the case; and that every where, wheresoever circumstances are the same, the event will be the same likewise.

Num. XLI.

Luke xix. 26. For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. See Numbers XXI. XXV. XXXI.

P Sententia proverbialis sumpta ex Jobo, 39. in fine cap. Vid. Tremell. in Matt. xxiv. 28. See also Dr. Wall on the same place; and Dr. Clarke's Sermon on the text, in his Eighteen Sermons, p. 36.

Num. XLII.

John iii. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John v. 28, 29.

Num. XLIII.

the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Life, in St. John's language, denotes that eternal life which God hath given to us in his Son; not merely existence, but existence in a state of supreme felicity. And agreeably to this, death means, with him, not nonexistence, or destruction of being, but a state opposite to that of happiness, a state of misery and condemnation. A wicked infidelity brings us into this state of condemnation in the present life, He that believeth not is condemned already, ch. iii. 18. As on the contrary, He that heareth my word, says our Lord, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life, ch. v. 24. They who die in their infidelity and their sins, die, as they lived, in a state of condemnation; and there is no alteration of this in hades, that I can find, in St. John's doctrine; (for then cometh the night, when no man can work ;) so that when they come forth out of their graves, it is unto the resurrection of damnation; a state of condemnation as before, only made more sensibly so by greater degrees of punishment. This appears to me to be a short account of St. John's doctrine upon this subject; who, if he has little directly concerning the

duration of future punishments, seems every where to suppose that there is no change of state, as to the nature and kind of it, after death; and drops no intimations either of utter destruction of being, or restoration to happiness.

Num. XLIV.

John viii. 21. Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come¶.

The same declaration, Whither I go, ye cannot come, is afterwards repeated to the disciples, chap. xiii. 33; but then it is explained to Peter, at the 36th verse of the same chapter; Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. But there is no such limitation with regard to the pharisees in the text before us; of them it is said, that they should die in their sins, and not come whither Christ is gone, either now or afterwards. Which implies that all others, who die, like them, in their sins, shall be excluded from the presence of Christ.

Num. XLV.

John ix. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

The night here means, in all probability, the night of death; and then this declaration of our Lord's will be of the same kind with that of Solomon, Eccl. ix. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, (in hades,)

4 John x. 26. viii. 21, 24. Ye are none of my sheep, ye shall die in your sins: which is the same as to say, Ye will never be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Dr. Clarke's Sermon of the sin against the Holy Ghost, vol. vi. p. 25.