ion of Pluto. They fuppofe it abounds with all kinds of pleasures and delights, and is called the Elyfium, because the fouls of the good refort there, after they are loofed from the chains of the body, and have been purged from the light offences which they have committed in this world. The people believe that this place abounds with all the delights that the most pleafant plains afford, having verdant fields, fhady groves, and the most tempe

rate air.

In the pagans' hell there is a river called Lethe, because it caufes fogetfulness. Of this water they drink to forget trouble or comfort which is past. This is a fhort defcription of what the idolatrous nations call hell. Every thinking perfon must be convinced that fuch an hell as this is imagination; there is no fuch thing. See Took's Pantheon, p. 219.

2. I am to describe the hell, Mahomet has told of ir his Alcoran.

The Alcoran fpeaks of the laft judgment, where the righteous and wicked will be judged according to their works. "The trial being over, and the affembly diffolved, those who are to be admitted into paradise, will take the right hand way; and those who are destined to hell-fire, the left; but both of them muft pafs the bridge, called in Arabic, Al Sirat, which is laid over the middle of hell, and is defcribed to be finer than a hair, and sharper than the edge of a fword. The wicked will miss their footing, and fall headlong into hell.

In the Koran, it is faid that hell has feven gates; the firft, for the Muffulmen; the fecond, for Chriftians; the third, for the Jews; the fourth, for the Sabians; the fifth, for the Magicians; the fixth, for Pagans; the fev enth, and worst of all, for the hypocrites of all relig ions. The inhabitants of hell will fuffer a variety of torments which will be of eternal duration, except with thofe, who have embraced the true religion, who will be delivered thence, after they have expiated their crimes by their sufferings." See Adams' view of Religions, p. 322.

3. The Roman Catholics' hell.

Their idea of hell is this; a place of eternal mifery in fire; where the wicked who die out of the church will forever remain. They hold to a place of purgation by fire called purgatory; this was taken from the Pagans, and is the fame thing with another name. Mofheim fays, vol. II. p. 38. "The famous Pagan doctrine, concerning the purification of departed fouls, by means of a certain kind of fire, was more amply explained and confirmed now than it had formerly been." In the tenth century, the people dreaded the fire of purgatory, more than they did the fire of hell; for they fuppofed that by being enriched with the prayers of the clergy when they were dying, they fhould certainly efcape hell; but they were taught, that if they went to purgatory it was a matter of doubt whether they would ever be delivered from that dreadful place.

4. I am to defcribe the hell which thofe called Christians believe in.

The Pagans, Mahometans, and Papifts hold to a hell which has a place to purify those who go into it, so that they may come out and be happy. There is but one denomination who call themselves Chriftians who hold to this part of paganism that I know of. Thofe are one? fect of the Univerfalifts. This they are indebted to the Heathens for. The different denominations called Chrif tians, fuch as Epifcopalians, Prefbyterians, Congregationalifts, Baptifts, Methodists, Freewillers, &c. all hold to a hell dif ferent from thofe which have been mentioned. They believe that there is a place of mifery, that the fouls of all who die in their fins will go there, until the day of judgment; that at the day of judgment, the bodies of the wicked will be raised immortal, and foul and body being united, will be caft into a fire which will burn' them without confuming, and that without the leaft de-5 gree of eafe or profpect of relief, they will exift eternally in this mifery; that God will uphold them in existence, giving them a continued existence, to give them continual mifery. Some of them fay they will exift in this eternal mifery, becaufe they were not prediflinated to life. That God made them to difplay his vindictive justice

in their eternal mifery, and that he is a fovereign, and has a right to treat them in this manner. Some hold that the wicked will be placed in this awful fituation, for not improving the abilities God gave them; and fome because they lived and died in unbelief. This is but a fhort description of the hells different people believe in. 5. I am to describe the hell mentioned in the fcrip

tures.

Whenever there are a variety of opinions concerning any matter, there is always fome truth at the bottom. All these different notions concerning hell, is an evidence that there is fomething true about it: that truth is in the fcriptures.

It appears from the fcriptures, that by hell is meant a place of confinement and torment before the day of judg-. ment, and after that, a place in which the foul and body will be deftroyed.

I. It is described as a place of confinement, and torment. 2 Pet. ii. 4, "For if God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be referved unto judg ment." In this place, hell is confidered a place of con finement to the angels that finned, where they are refer ved unto the judgment of the great day. Peter conveys the fame idea concerning the old world that finned, as it respects their spirits. Peter iii. 19, " By which alfo he went and preached to the spirits in prison." Thefe fpirits were not in prifon when Chrift by his fpirit preached to them. They were preached to in the days of Noah. Ver. 20, "Which fometime were disobedient, when once the long-fuffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” This agrees with what is faid in chap. iv. 6, "For, for this caufe was the gofpel preached alfo to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the Alefh, but live according to God in the fpirit." The gospel was preached to them that are dead. When they were alive, the gofpel was preached to them by Noah. Hell is defcribed as a place of torment before the last day. Luke xvi. 22, 23, "The rich man also died, and was buried; and in HILL he lifted up his eyes, being

2.

R

in torments." This plainly fhews that hell means a place of confinement and torment. It appears to me that what is meant by hell in the bible, is the earth and air : Satan is called the prince of the power of the air. This means wicked spirits in the air; and though it is faid the angels are referved in chains, yet it is certain that Satan walked to and fro upon the earth, that the devil came to Jefus and tempted him: the devils were caft out of many, and he now worketh in the children of difobedience. These things are all plain in the fcriptures.

3. Hell is defcribed as a place where the fouls and bodies of the wicked will be destroyed, and where the angels which finned will be deftroyed with them. Matt. x. 28, "And fear not them which kill the body; but cannot kill the foul; but rather fear him which is able to defroy both foul and body in HELL." Luke xii. 5, "But I will forewarn you whom ye fhall fear: him, which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I fay unto you, fear him.”

fear

Thefe places fpeak plainly of the foul and body being deftroyed in hell. Allowing that hell means the earth and air, we may fee the propriety of what Peter faid. 2 Pet. iii. 7, "But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the fame word are kept in ftore, referved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungod. ly men." Perdition here means deftruction; the fame as deftroying both foul and body in hell. It is evident that at the last day, this earth will be diffolved or melted; this will make this whole globe a lake of fire. Here men and devils will be deftroyed. This fire is prepared for the devil and his angels, and for ungodly men. Matt. XXV. 41, "Then fhall he fay to them on his left hand, depart from me ye curfed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." In this verfe, the devil and his angels, and the wicked of all nations are sentenced together, to depart into everlasting fire, which will make and end of them. This agrees with what is faid in Rev. "And death and hell were caft into the This is the SECOND DEATH. And whofoever was not found written in the book of life, was caft

XX. 14, 15,

lake of fire.

into the lake of fire." What is called hell in one place, is called a lake of fire in another. In one place it is faid the earth is referved unto fire against the day of judg ment and perdition of ungodly men. Another place tells of being caft into the lake of fire. Another place tells of being caft into hell-fire. Another, of the foul and body beingdestroyed in hell. Thefe must all mean one thing, or elfe there are contradictions in the fcriptures. This is the hell mentioned in the fcriptures. This being the meaning of hell, we may fee the meaning of many places in the fcriptures, fuch as thefe. Matt. v. 22, "But whofoever fhall fay thou fool, fhall be in danger of hell-fire." Chap, xi. 23, "And thou, Capernawhich art exalted to heaven, fhall be brought down 'to hell." Deut. xxxii. 22, "For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and fhall burn unto the lowest hell, and fhall confume the earth with her increase, and fhall fet on fire the foundations of the mountains." Pfal. xix. 17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Thefe places all agree to prove the final deftruction of all the wicked in hell.

um,

How different is this description of hell, from the other four which have been mentioned. The heathens' hell is wholly a fiction. The Mahometans' is taken from their's, and coloured with fcripture; but is evidently of the fame nature. The Roman Catholics' hell, is the Pagans', revifed and named from the fcriptures. All these mention a place of purgation by fire. This, fome of the Univerfalifts hold to, proving it from the fcriptures as the Papifts do; from places which fay nothing about it. The fourth hell defcribed which people in general believe in, is contrary to all the word of God. It is the fame in nature with the other three, as to the punishment being eternal existence..

And it is taken from the Pagan mythology, not from the word of God.

If the wicked exift forever in mifery, they must have both life and immortality; for they cannot exift without this in heaven, much more in hell. Life and immortali ty are bleffings brought to light in the gospel, which