Christ, and the things of another world, as they had in this life; how much more impossible is it, when, added to this, they have had that infinitely greater and clearer knowledge and view of those things to be manifested at the day of judgment; when they shall see Christ in the glory of his Father, with all his holy angels; shall see his great majesty, shall see the truth of the things of the word of God, and know the truth of his promises and threatenings, by sight and experience; and shall see all those ineffable manifestations of the glory of Christ, of his power, omniscience, strict inflexible justice, infinite holiness and purity, truth and faithfulness, and infinite mercy to penitents; and the evidences of the dreadful consequences of rebellion and wickedness, and the infinitely happy and glorious consequences of the contrary; withal, even at this time, having the offers of mercy and deliverance from that dreadful misery, and the enjoyment of the favor of their great Judge, and participation of all the happiness and glory of the righteous which they shall see at his right hand, if then they will throw down the weapons of their rebellion, and repent, and comply with his will; and they still, from the greatness of their enmity and perverseness, obstinately and wilfully refuse, yea, and continue still thus refusing, even after they have actually felt the terrible wrath of God, and are cast into the lake of fire; yea, after they have continued there many ages, all the while under offers of mercy on repentance; I say, if it be impossible to renew them to repentance, after their rebelling against, and trampling on the light and knowledge, and means used with them in this world, so that it is not to be expected, because of the degree of hardness and guilt contracted by it; how much less is it to be expected at the day of judgment, after all this obstinacy manifested, and guilt contracted? If guilt be contracted by despising such means and advantages as the apostle has respect to in this life, that it may be compared to guilt that would be contracted by crucifying Christ afresh; how much more, when, added to this, they shall so openly have despised Christ, when appearing to them in all the terrors, and glories, and love, that shall be manifested at the day of judgment, in their immediate and most clear view, and all is offered to them, if they will but yield subjection to him; and their enmity shall have appeared so desperate as rather to choose that dreadful lake of fire, and shall have continued in their choice even after they have felt the severity of that torment without rest day or night for many ages?

§ 18. That all shall not be finally purified and saved, is manifest from Matt. xii. 31, 32: "Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."-Also, Mark iii. 28, 29: "Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and all blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."-And 1 John v. 16, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say he shall pray for it." From each of these places, it is manifest, that he that is guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, shall surely be damned, without any deliverance from his punishment, or end to it.

But the various expressions that are used, serve much to certify and fix the import of others. In Matt. xii. 31 it is said, "The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." The negative is general, and

equally respects all times. If this sin should be forgiven at a remote time, it would be as contrary to such a negative as this, as if it were forgiven him immediately. But, to determine us that Christ has respect to all times, even the remotest, and that he means to deny that he shall be forgiven at any time whatsoever, in Mark it is said, "he shall never be forgiven," or, "hath never forgiveness;" and, lest this never should be interpreted to mean, never as long as he lives, or never in this world, it is said in Matt. xii. 32, "It shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come." And lest it should be said, that, although he never is forgiven, yet that does not hinder but that there may be an end to his punishment; because he may suffer all he deserves in suffering a temporal punishment, or punishment of a limited, long duration; and he that is acquitted in paying all his debt, is not said to be forgiven his debt: another expression is used in Mark, which shows, that he shall ever suffer damnation, and never have deliverance from his misery, whether by forgiveness or without it-" Hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." And the forementioned expressions, "He shall never be forgiven;"" He hath never forgiveness;" "Shall not be forgiven in this world, nor the world to come," show the meaning of the word eternal here, to be such as absolutely excludes any period, any time of favor, wherein wrath, condemnation and punishment, shall have ceased. And what the apostle John says of those who commit the unpardonable sin, confirms the whole, and proves, that he that has committed this sin remains under no dispensation of mercy, and that no favor is ever to be hoped for from God for him; and therefore it is not our duty to pray for favor for such: "There is a sin unto death, I do not say he shall pray for it ;" or, I give you no direction to pray for them that sin this sin unto death.

Thus it is evident, that all wicked men will not have an end to their damnation; but when it is said, they are in danger of eternal or everlasting damnation, the word eternal is to be understood in the strictest sense. The same terms are used concerning all impenitent sinners, all that die in their sins, that they shall be sentenced to eternal punishment, and shall go into everlasting punishment, &c.-That their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched; and they shall be tormented forever and ever; and such terms are used after this world comes to an end; and also when they that have committed the unpardonable sin, and others, shall be sentenced all together to an everlasting fire, in the same terms. It is unreasonable to suppose that the punishment of some will be everlasting, in an infinitely different sense from others jointly sentenced; and that the duration of the punishment of one shall be perfectly as nothing, compared with the duration of the punishment of the other, infinitely less than a second to a million of ages. And it is unreasonable to suppose such a difference, also on this account, that there cannot be such a difference in the demerit of them that commit the unpardonable sin, and the demerit of the sins of all other wicked men, some of whom are exceedingly, and almost inconceivably wicked. There cannot be a truly infinite difference in their guilt, as there must be a properly infinite difference between the dreadfulness of those torments that have an end, however long continued, and however great, and the torments of a truly and strictly everlasting fire.

§ 19. If the damned in hell shall all finally be saved, they shall be saved without Christ. It is in itself unreasonable to suppose, that, since God has done such great things for the salvation of mankind, things that are celebrated in such a manner in Scripture, in both Old Testament and New, expressed everywhere in such exalted terms: things that the prophet, and apostle from

him, says, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man from the beginning of the world;" I say, since God has done things so transcendently great for the salvation of sinners, to open a door for their escape from misery; it is unreasonable to imagine, when these joyful tidings are proclaimed to sinners, and this glorious Saviour and great salvation are offered to them, and they fail of being saved by Christ only through their wilful obstinacy and contempt, that, after all, God would put them into such a state that they should have salvation offered to them at any time, whenever they (being left to the freedom of their own wills) see cause to repent and subject themselves to God, without Christ, or any concern in that sacrifice he has offered up for sin. The Scripture teaches us, that there is no remission of sin, without sacrifice to atone for sin; that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. But since God has provided so great a sacrifice for sin as that of his only begotten Son, the Creator and Ruler, and great Judge of the universe; surely it is unreasonable to expect, that any other will be appointed in the room of this for sinners' salvation, because they obstinately reject this. Besides, that there is salvation in no other, and no other name is given under heaven by which men must be saved; and that he is the true light that lighteth every man that ever is enlightened; that life and happiness for men are in him and him only; that he only is the way to the Father, and that his one sacrifice is the only sacrifice for sin; is abundantly declared in the Scriptures. The Levitical priesthood lasted long, but finally gave place to that of Christ; but Christ gives place to no other; is not to be succeeded by another sacrifice, by which the damned that have rejected this, shall at last be saved. For by the oath of God he is a priest forever. He hath an everlasting priesthood. It is plainly implied in Hebrews viii. that God, finding fault with the ancient priesthood and sacrifices, removed them, as not making any thing perfect, not completing the design of God's holiness, wisdom and grace; to make way for the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ, which he finds no fault with, and by which perfection is arrived at, and which, therefore, God establishes with a design never to remove it, or introduce any other; but that this should continue forever, as an unchangeable priesthood: and there fore, Christ by the word of the oath is consecrated forevermore. In Heb. x. 26, 27, the apostle says, "If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries:" by which two things are manifest; (1,) that without a sacrifice for sin, there is no deliverance from punishment; and, (2,) that there is no other sacrifice for sin, by which sinners can be delivered, but that of Christ.

But now I come to observe, that the damned in hell will never be saved by Christ, or through his sacrifice. This is implied in Heb. ix. 27, 28: “As it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered;" intimating, that if after death there was not to be a final and decisive judgment, but still there was to be a door opened for sinners' salvation by Christ, there might be more reason to suppose it needful that he should be offered again; because Christ tabernacled with men in this world, was united to them, and conformed to them, only to save men in this world, or in this present mortal state. But the apostle's drift plainly supposes, that this will not be; but that final judgment will be passed after death; and no door opened for salvation any more; and so no occasion for any further sacrifice, or this sacrifice being offered again. And further, it is manifest, that Christ's saving work will be at an end at the day of judgment; inasmuch as

Christ has a twofold office, that of the Saviour of the world, and the Judge of the world; so the business of the latter office properly succeeds the former; and it is not fit in the nature of things, that he should come into the world and appear openly in the character and work of universal Judge, to decide men's state, in consequence of the trial there has been for making their state better by salvation, till that trial is over and all its effects completed, when no more is to be hoped as to altering their state for the better by his salvation. Then is the proper season for him to clothe himself with, and to appear in his other character, that of a judge, and to decide and fix men's final and everlasting state. Therefore Christ, at his first coming, appeared to save men from condemnation and a sentence of eternal misery; and not to judge them, as he tells us, John xii. 47: "If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not: for I came, not to judge the world, but to save the world." See also chap. iii. 17, and viii. 15. But the great business he will come upon at his second coming, as is abundantly declared, is to judge the world. And it is also exceedingly plain, that Christ's saving work will be at an end at the day of judgment; because we read that all power was given him in heaven and earth, that he might give eternal life to as many as God had given him. was exalted at God's own right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour. He had a commission given him of the Father to govern the kingdom and manage the affairs of it by a universal dominion over heaven and earth, that he might order all in subservience to the great design of accomplishing the salvation of men. He was made head over all things to the church. But we read, 2 Cor. xv., that at the end of the world he will deliver up this kingdom; he will resign this commission: which proves, that the work of salvation, which is the design of it, will be at an end, when all his enemies, all that rejected him, and would not have him to rule over them, and so have failed of his salvation, shall be made his footstool, shall be condemned and destroyed. Instead of being the heirs of salvation, he shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, &c.-When he shall come to be glori fied in his saints, and admired in all them that believe, 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, 10.

He

§ 20, If the damned, after they have suffered a while, are to be delivered, and to have eternal life; then the present dispensation of grace and life to the fallen children of men, that was introduced by Christ and his apostles, after the ceasing of the old Mosaic dispensation, is not the last; but another is to be introduced after this ceases, and with regard to those with whom, through the flesh or through their sins and corruption, it has proved unprofit able and ineffectual. A new method must be entered upon of God's gracious dealings with sinners. And as we must suppose that God will proceed with them in this great affair, in a method agreeable to the intelligent, volitive and active nature he has given them, and will deal with them as moral agents, and as creatures whom he has made to love him, to be in subiection to him and to serve hun; so we must suppose, that there will be inade to them a new revelation of the designs of his wisdom, holiness and grace, with respect to their deliverance and being received to favor and the eternal happy fruits of it; concerning the way in which it is to be done; the qualifications or acts of theirs previously requisite; and that there must be some new treaty set a-foot, either while they are under their punishment, or afterwards, in some intermediate space between that and their being exalted to glory. Doubtless they themselves must have some active concern in the affair, in a way of repenting, seeking, obeying, or yielding subjection to God, and in some acknow VOL. I

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ledgment of him, some yielding of themselves to him. For God immediately to advance them from a state of great wickedness and misery in hell, to a state of perfection and confirmed eternal happiness, is neither agreeable to reason and the nature of things, nor to God's known method of dealing with intelligent creatures. It would be much farther from it, than it would have been for God immediately to have instated all angels and men in their confirmed state of life and eternal glory and blessedness, in the instant of their creation, without any terms, any previous concern or act of theirs in order to it.

But, that a new dispensation of grace should thus be introduced, because that which was brought in by Christ and his apostles, proves weak and unprofitable through men's corruption, and there appears to be need of one which shall be more effectual, is not agreeable to the Scripture. For this dispensation is spoken of as the last and most perfect, wherein perfection was reached : Heb. vii. 19, "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did." And chap. xi. 40, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." The ancient dispensation is spoken of as that which God found fault with, it proving ineffectual through the corruption of men; and so he introduced a new administration, that should not be liable to exception, and therefore should not wax old, or be ever liable to vanish away and give place to another; Heb. viii. 6

to the end.

So he speaks of the things of that ancient dispensation, as things which were liable to be shaken and removed; but of the things of the new dispensation that was then introduced, as those that could not be shaken, but should remain forever; Heb. xii. 25 to the end, and 2 Cor. iii. 11. The dispensation of the New Testament is often spoken of in the prophecies of the Old Testament as an everlasting dispensation; Jer. xxxi. 31, 32, chap. xxxii. 40 ; Isaiah Ixi. 8, Ezek. xxxvii. 26.

§21. To suppose that, after all the means of grace that are used in this world, Moses and the prophets, Christ and the gospel, the warnings of God's word, and the exhibitions of glorious gospel grace, have been despised and obstinately withstood, so as to make the case desperate as to their success, God has other means in reserve, to be used afterwards to make men holy, that will be more powerful, and shall be effectual; is not agreeable to Scripture. Particularly, that these are the best and last means that God will use with men, seems to be a thing that it was Christ's design to teach us, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 27 to the end: "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house: for 1 have five brethren, that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." But this is especially manifest, from Rev. xxii. 10 11, 12, "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. And behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his works shall be."

I think the meaning must either be this, The time is quickly coming, when every man's state will be fixed, inasmuch as I am quickly coming to judgment to fix every man's state unalterably, according as his work shall be; and after