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tion, as here laid down; which, being plainly the means of the Offender's Salvation, and therefore of his Converfion, must neceffarily be what he fuffer'd before Death; which is ftill more clear from 1 Tim. i. 20. Of whom is Hymeneus and * Alexander, whom I have deliver'd unto Satan, that they may Learn not to Blafpheme. Another proof, and a very convincing one, that Deftruction does fometimes in Holy Scripture fignify Mifery alone, may be taken from Mar. i. 24. ἦλθες ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς; art thou come to deftroy us? Where 'tis not to be imagined, that by Destroying, Annihilation of the Devils is to be understood, or any thing but Mifery to be inflicted on them, as is abundantly evident from a Parallel text, Mat. viii. 29. What have we to do with thee, Jefus thou Son of God? art though come hither to Torment us before the time?

That the Annihilation of the Wicked is not to be expected our Saviour. does plainly intimate, where he thus affirms of him who must suffer the punishment of

* Για παιδευθώσι μὴ βλασφημείτα

the

the world to come, * Good were it for that man, if he had never been born: For fuppofing the Annihilation of the Wicked, this folemn Affeveration of our Saviour fignifies nothing at all; because, with refpect to Happiness and Misery, 'tis the very fame thing to be Annihilated, as never to have had a Being: Both cafes are equally exclufive of Mifery; for that which Suffers muft Be. And therefore the difference here affigned by our bleffed Saviour is neceffarily and plainly this, That as the Wicked, if they had never been born, had never known Happiness, fo they had never known Mifery; whereas they must, as the case is now, fuffer Misery for evermore.

And that this is ftrictly our Saviour's meaning in the very text objected is certain from Luke xii. 5. where that Evangelift hath recorded the very fame paffage, which we thus read Matt. x. 28. Fear him which is able to deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell, and hath thus expreffed it, Fear him which, after he bath

Mar. xiv. 21.

CW

killed,

killed, hath power to caft into Hell. So that if it be the fafeft and beft method of explaining the Scriptures, as doubtlefs it is, to interpret one text by another, and especially in this cafe, where we have feveral relations of the very fame paffage, 'tis undenyable, that Perishing and Deftruction, when applied to the difpofal of Wicked men after Death, do always fignify their being configned to a state of Misery.

It is alfo certain, that this is the only thing meant by the second Death, another expreffion objected under this Argument. For this is the account we have Rev. xx. 14. Death and Hell were caft into the lake of Fire; this is the se- · cond Death; that is, after the general Refurrection and general Judgment mention'd at the 12th and 13th verfes, Death fhall be destroyed, as St. * Paul expreffes it; There fhall be no more Death, no Extinction, no future Diffolution; that lake of Fire, that State of Mifery is the only fecond Death; Which is further

*

I Cor. xv. 26.

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confirmed.

confirmed, and that beyond all Contradiction and Evafion, Rev. xxi. 8. The Fearful and Unbelieving, and Abominable, and Murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyars fhall have their part in that lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone; which is the fecond Death.

But after all; though the Scripture Testimonies, upon which this Article is built, be thus clear and evident, yet some men have been fo Profanely and Blafphemously bold, as to question the Equity of God's purposes thus plainly revealed. But here, if ever, Solomon's observation is remarkably verified, that * the Inftruction of fools is folly. For if we must be Reasoning about these Divine difpenfations, the Confiftency and Equity of them cannot but be difcerned and owned even by Reason it self, fo far at least, as to be more evident and convincing than any thing that can be urged in oppofition to them. For

Ift, As hath been obferved, our Sins render us liable to Eternal Punishment,

Prov. xvi. 22.

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because

because the Majesty of God, against whom they are committed, is Infinite. For even in Humane Societies, an offence against a Magistrate is of a higher nature, and attended with more fevere Punishment, than crimes committed against private Perfons: And fo as the Magiftrate is more Eminent and Honourable, the Injuries or Indignities offer'd to him are ftill efteemed more Heinous, and have greater punishments annexed to them, in proportion to the Eminency and Honour of the Perfon offended. And therefore, fince our Sins are Rebellion against God, who is infinite in Glory, and Power and all Perfection, the Guilt of them feems to be infinite; and upon this Account, fince we are incapable of undergoing Punishment infinite in Degree, the infinite Duration of it is no more than proportionate to our Guilt.

2ly, Those who die in a State of Impenitence would be actually disobedient and rebellious against God for evermore, if they were not removed out of this Life, the Scene of Action, and by that means rendred incapable of actual Difobedience,

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