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the ftorm of fire overthrew the cities, the plains, the inbabitants of the cities, and all which grew upon the ground. This eternal fire did it all. Thefe cities remain in a barren ftate to this day. The overthrow of thofe cities was meant to be an enfample of the last day. Lot was never vexed any more with the filthy converfation of the wicked; for they were all burnt up. So will it be at the laft day; after they are burnt up, there will not be a finner in existence any more. Peter fays, 2 Pet. ii. 6, "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into afhes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an enfample unto thofe that after should live ungodly." Jude 7, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after ftrange flesh, are fet forth for an EXAMPLE, fuffering the vengence of eternal fire." Luke xvii. 29, "But the fame day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimflone from heaven and deftroyed them all." We are told in the New-Teftament, that the overthrow of Sodom was an enfample to the ungodly; that they are fet forth for an example, and that they were deftroyed by fire; and that the Lord Jefus fhall at laft be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, and that he will punifh the wicked with everlafting deftruction, from the presence of the Lord; that they fhall be burnt up like chaff, like tares, like dry trees, and that they fhall utterly perish. Can all this be, and yet the wicked be restored; or eternally exist in mifery? It cannot be. We may as well prove a purgatory, as either of thefe. After the wicked are caft into hell at the last day, they will be as completely destroyed both foul and body, as the bodies of the people of Sodom were with their cities. If eternal fire means one that burns eternally, and yet does not confume what it burns, then the judgment is to laft eternaliy; for it is called eternal judgment. Heb. vi. 2, "And of refurrection of the dead and ETERNAL JUDGMENT." What does eternal judgment mean? It means a final fentence; nothing more beyond that can take place. Every man will be rewarded according to his works. The

wicked will go away into everlasting punishment, which Paul fays, means everlafting deftruction, and the righteous into life eternal. Eternal judgment, eternal fire, and eternal damnation, all have the fame meaning; it means that which will decide every thing, and the wicked deftroyed then will be no more.

"GROUND TO POWDER;" is an expreffion ufed by Chrift to defcribe the ftate of his enemies at laft. Matt. xx 44, "And whofoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomfoever it fhall fall. it fhall grind him to powder." This is meant to defcribe the state of the wicked at the last day, and is the fame as Christ's,put ting all his enemies, under his feet. Chrift mentions that his enemies fhall be broken like a potter's veffel, which is a ftriking defcription of the laft end of the wicked. When a potter's veffel is broken it cannot be restored again, nor ever be made whole. The laft expreffion I shall mention is that of Chrift's ordering his enemies to be flain before him. Luke xix. 27, "But thofe mine enemies, which would not that I fhould reign over them, bring hither, and SLAY THEM BEFORE ME." This is mentioned as what will take place when Chrift returns, having received a kingdom. Then thofe who oppofed his reign, will be flain in every fenfe of the word. Soul and body will then be killed, being deftroyed in hell. After they are flain, they cannot live forever in mifery.

I fhall now mention the fcriptures which are brought to prove that the wicked will exift eternally in a state of mifery. Rev. xiv. 9, 10, 11, "And the third angel followed them, faying, with a loud voice, If any man worship the bea ft and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the fame fhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimftone in the prefence of the holy angels, and in the prefence of the Lamb, and the fmoke of their torment afcendeth up forever and ever; and they have no reft day nor night who worship the beaft and his image, and whofoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rey. xix. 20, "Thefe both were caft a

live into a lake of fire burning with brimftone." Chap. XX. 10, "And the devil that deceived them was caft into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beaft and the falfe prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."

These places have reference to fomething before the day of judgment, or else they are a contradiction of the rest of the fcripture. The torment mentioned in chap. xiv. is faid to come on those who worship the beaft, and his image, and receive his mark in their foreheads and right hands. There are thousands and millions who will be hurt with the SECOND DEATH, who never worshipped the beast and his image, (which is the old Roman government and the religion of the clergy, which is the very image of that beaft,) and who never received his mark. Thefe are faid to be tormented day and night. This must be before the day of judgment; for after that, the wicked will not have day and night, but utter darkness. Those who worshipped the beast are said to be tormented in the prefence of the holy angels, and in the prefence of the Lamb. This must be before the laft day. At the day of judgment, the wicked will be punished with everJafting deftruction, from the prefence of God, and the glory of his power. As long as men continue in exiftence, they will be in the prefence of the angels and the Lamb. "Where fhall I go from thy prefence.?" When they are deftroyed or burnt up, they will be from the prefence of the Lamb; this will be at last. This text means either the ftate of torment which the popifh worshippers are in on earth, while they fee their caufe falling by the reign of the Lamb and his fervants, or the state of fuch fouls in hell before the day of judgment. The fpirits of wicked men are now in prifon, referved unto the day of judgment to be punished. The rich man was tormented in hell, in the prefence of Abraham, and certainly in the prefence of the LAMB. This agrees with what is faid in this text; these are faid to be tormented, not punished. Their punishment will be when they are brought forth to the day of wrath. Their being tormented forever and ever, means without any hope of deliverance; for after

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their torment, they will be brought forth and flain. In the other place it is faid, that the beaft and the falfe prophet were caft alive into the lake of fire burning with brimftone. This does not tell of their being tormented, but caft alive into the lake of fire. This has no reference to the punishment of the wicked at the last day, but to the destruction of the old Roman government, which is called a beaft, which is now on fire, on account of the increase of knowledge and liberty in the world. The falfe prophets are the pope and his clergy, who are now in a confumption; choaking to death in the air, like fish, who cannot bear heat and air. In Revelation xx. 10, it is faid, "And the devil that deceived them, was caft into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." This means the fame as the other. At this time the devil will deceive the nations no more. All this is to take place before the refurrection, and is not the laft ftate of wicked men, nor the devil; for it is faid in the four last verses of this chapter, that the dead fmall and great, stood before God; that they were judged out of the books; that the fea gave up the dead; that death and hell gave up their dead; death means the graves, which gave up the bodies in them. Hell gave up the fouls, and then they were judged; and after this, the fame death and hell were caft into the lake of fire. This is called the SECOND DEATH. Here is no mention of day and night; no mention of being tormented in the prefence of the Lamb; no mention of their mifery; for in fire they are all deftroyed, and none to be found again forever.

When this fecond death takes place, there will not be a finner in existence. The devil and his angels are to be deftroyed, as well as wicked men. Jefus tells us what he will fay to the wicked, at the last day. Matt. xxv. 41, "Then fhall he fay to them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”* "And the angels which kept not their firft eftate, but left their own habitation, he hath referved in everlasting chains under darknefs, unto

the judgment of the great day." The angels, as well as wicked men, are referved unto the day of judgment. Wicked angels and wicked men are all to be brought forth at the judgment, and all are then to be deftroyed. The fallen angels expect to be destroyed.

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have told of it. Mark i. 23, 24, "And there was in their fynagogue, a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, faying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jefus of Nazareth? Art thou come to DESTROY US?" It is plain that they expect to be def troyed. That the devil will be destroyed, is plain from what Paul has faid, Heb. ii. 14, "Forafmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he alfo himself likewife took part of the fame,that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil." It is plain from this that the devil will be destroyed. He is not now deftroyed, he is caft out; but he now works in the children of disobedience, and is worfhipped to this day, as the god of this world; but the Lord will bruife Satan fhortly under the feet of his children. This will be at the day of judgment, not before. This is plain from the fcriptures; though it is very different from what we have been taught by our minifters and from the primer.

We are told in the fcriptures that Chrift is to reign until he has put down all rule, all authority, and all power, and till he has put all his enemies under his feet, and fubdued all things unto himself. I Cor. xv. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, "Then cometh the end, when he fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed. is death. For he hath put all things under his feet; but when he faith, All things are put under him, it is manifeft that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

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