that the earth should be burnt up with fire. So Ovid has expressed himself. Meta. lib. iv. 256. 66 Remembering in the fates a time, when fire "Minucius Felix tells us, xxxiv. 2 Dryden, that it was a common opinion of the Stoics, that the moisture of the earth being consumed, the whole world would catch fire. The Epicureans held the same sentiment; and indeed it appears in various authors, which proves that a tradition of this kind has pretty generally prevailed in the world. But it is remarkable that none have fancied that it will be destroyed by water. The tradition, founded on the declaration of God, was against this therefore it was not received." Clark. Dr. "Thunder and earthquake are the sons of fire, and we know nothing in all nature more impetuous, or more irresistibly destructive than these two; and accordingly in this last war of the elements, we may be sure they will bear their parts, and do great execution in the several regions of the earth. Earthquakes and subterraneous eruptions, will tear the body and bowels of the earth, and thunders and convulsive motions of the air, the skies. The waters of the sea will boil and struggle with streams of lava that run into them, which will make them fume, and smoke, and roar, beyond all storms and tempests, and these noises of the sea will be answered again from the land by falling rocks and mountains." Sinner! this is your house, your future home-it is the wages of your sins-it is the palace of devils-the repository of all that is badthe great cauldron of eternal death-and is soon to be thrown from its orb into its congenial hell of fire and brimstone, prepared for the devil and his angels. "Here are lakes of fire, rivers of melted glowing matter, ten thousand volcanos vomiting flames all at once, thick darkness, and pillars of smoke, twisted about with wreaths of flame like fiery snakes-mountains of earth thrown into the air, and the heavens dropping down in lumps of fire. "But now the storm subsides; for the fire has subdued all bodies, all combustibles, to itself; and those tall flames which pierced the skies, are fallen to an even surface, and present the earth as a molten sea of fire; for when the exterior region of the earth is melted into a liquid state, it will, according to the nature of all other fluids, fill all vacuities and depressions, and fall into a regular surface at an equal distance every where from its centre. In this condition, the earth, with all its sinners, who have persevered to the end in evil doings, shall be thrown from its orb, to where a hell of fire, in the deep recess of eternal night, hath its place” -which is that very lake of fire into which the devil, who decieved all sinners, shall finally with them be thrown, together with the earth, at the judgment day; for thus saith the Lord, (see Rev. 20, 10.) And the devil that decieved them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Such shall be the end of this poor world—the god of millions-the place where death now reigns over the body, and the hell, wherein now are confined the departed spirits of the ungodly; but these shall be cast, together with the earth, into a lake of fire; for it is written, Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Rev. 20, 14. But, reader, you may escape it-the way is open and plain-cease to do evil, and learn to do wellhave faith in the Son of God, working by love, and persevere in this to the end; so you shall be happy, shall be honourable, shall be glorious, shall be immortal, shall be as the angels of God at the resurrection of the just; for such is the promise of Him who was dead; but, behold! he is alive for ever more! Gg* FOURTEENTH DIVISION, Embraces a view of the new creation, which is to succeed the destruction of this system, in which I shall contend that a new creation shall be the result, but not a modulation of the former matter which is to be destroyed by fire, but a new creation out of nothing, as it was in the beginning. From the great vault, where flies in open sight, To which no tempter foul, with blasting breath, That there shall be a new creation brought into being, after the destruction of the heavens and earth, is established by the Scriptures; for it is written, And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. Rev. 21, 5. Here the spirit evidently lays important stress upon the great and sublime work of a new creation, by say ing, These words are true and faithful. Therefore, they shall certainly be accomplished. This very thing was expected by the ancient Jews, as constituting much of the bliss of a future state; for thus they understood their prophet Isaiah to mean, when he says, For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isa. 65, 17. Now if the new creation is to be made out of the old one, how, then, can it with any propriety be said by Isaiah, that it shall not come into mind, when the remembrance must necessarily continue, that out of the old system's materials the new creation was made? But respecting the time when this shall be accomplished: The ancient Jews believed that God would bring into being this new creation at the end of seven thousand years. This opinion of theirs, I consider both interesting and singular, and goes to establish the sentiment, that they considered the age of this world limited to seven thousand years, which agrees with the opinions advanced in the Seventh Division. Some who are learned, of our own times, have strangely hesitated upon the subject of this new creation, and have considered it vastly presumptuous to venture a thought definitely upon it, or pretending to say what is meant by it, and in what it shall consist. But in order to pass clear of the charge of presumption, I shall here introduce St. John, as qualifying the nature of its consistency. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. Rev. 21, If the first earth and first heaven are properly so |