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this laft Fire would be the Fire that would purge the World. And then he adds, Not only the World, but, in all probability, every individual Soul that should have Occafion for it, either for a Remedy, or for a Punishment; burning and not confuming those, in whom this Fire finds no Matter to work upon and to confume; but both burning and confuming thofe who build the figurative Edifice of their Actions, Words, and Thoughts, of Wood, and Hay, and Straw. And in the Sequel he further adds, This Doctrine, therefore, promifes that they only fhall be untouched by this Conflagration, and this punishment, whom it finds pure and cleanfed, both with Regard to their Doctrines, their Manners, and their Actions. But for them who are unlike these, and who deferve to undergo this Fiery, and this penal Difpenfation, 'tis necessary that for a certain Time the Punishment should be inflicted on them, which God thinks fit to inflict on them, who being formed after the Image of the divine Nature, have yet the Will of God in Contempt, and do not endeavour to make their Lives anfwerable to that divine Image. But as this Doctrine of the Tryal of Souls by the last Fire, cannot be demonstrated by the Light of Nature, its Champions declare that 'tis founded on the facred Writings, and chiefly, as we faid above, on the forefaid Difcourfe of St. Paul to the Corin

thians;

thians; which we fhall therefore propofe to be examined as fuccinctly as may be.

NUMEROUS Difputes have arifen concerning that Paffage of the Apostle. But as for the Business that we have with it, the whole Controverfy depends upon two Words, and the Interpretation of them, viz what the Apostle understood by the Word Day, or that Day, and what he understood by Fire. Some Perfons here understand a metaphorical Fire, Tribulation and Affliction: But we, that real and natural Fire, which will destroy the World: And by Day, they likewise mean the Day of Temptation; but we the Day of Judgment, or the Day of the Lord. And as this is the common, and moft fimple Interpretation, it may several Ways be proved to be the true one: As, First, by parallel Places, in which we meet with the fame Word Day, and where it has the fame Force, and the fame Signification, which we have given it here, as in 1 Theff. v. 4. But ye Brethren, are not in Dark- ǹ ʼn μépa. v ness, that that Day should overtake you as a Thief. Here the Day of the Lord is understood, as is evident from the fecond Verfe. But what that Day of the Lord is, which comes as a Thief in the Night, St. Peter explains, when he fays, 'tis the fame in which the World is to be destroyed by Fire: But the Day of the Lord will come as 2 Ep. iii. Thief in the Night, in the which the Hea- 10. vens fhall pass away with a great Noife,

and

ἡμέρα.

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10.

and the Elements fhall melt with fervent Heat ; the Earth alfo, and the Works that are therein, fall be burnt up. And the Word Day is ufed in the fame Senfe by the Apoftle in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, when he says, Chap. x. 25. That they fhould exhort one another, and fo much the more as they fee the Day approachμga. ing. Where the Word Day, plainly denotes the Day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment, and of the Conflagration, as is apparent from ver. 27. Befides, the Word Day, emphatically spoken, is the fame Thing with

2 Theff. i. Ixeivn, the Day of the Lord: But 'tis fuffi2 Tim. i. ciently known, that in the facred Writings, 12, & 18. that Expreffion always fignifies, the Day of the Lord, or the Day of Judgment.

iv. S.

SECONDLY, The Word Day, mentioned first by the Apoftle without Limitation, is afterwards limited and determined by the Words that immediately follow; 'tis a Day that is revealed in Fire, ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπε TETar a fiery Day in the Revelation of the Lord, ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει το κυρίες ἐν πυρὶ phoyos; as the fame Apoftle fays afterwards 2 Ep. i. 7. to the Theffalonians: Nor is there the least Room to doubt but that these two Paffages regard the fame Time, and the famé Thing, whether the Word Revealed, donaúra, relates to Day, or the Lord, or the Work itself. Indeed the Coming of the Lord, in the facred Writings is wont to be called doxánufis, or Revelation, and

is mark'd and fhewn by Fire, as every one knows; and therefore is both Ways answerable to this Place, Befides, another Mark and Characteristick of this Day is, that 'tis ἡμέρα δηλωτική, viz. a Day of Manifeftation; by which Expreffion is meant no lefs the Day of the Lord, or the Day of Judgment, according to what follows in the next Chapter; Therefore judge nothing be 1Cor.iv.5. fore the Time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to Light the bidden Things of Darkness, and will make manifeft the Counfels of the Hearts; and then shall every Man have praife of God. And the fame Thing is faid to the Romans, Chap. ii. 16.

You may add to thefe Proofs, if you pleafe, the Interpretations of the Fathers, and of feveral others. Theodoret upon the Place, after he has explain'd the divers Species of Matter, as Gold, Silver, Wood, Hay, Stubble, fubjoins, Tv ' Two shar διαφορὰν ἐχ ὁ παρών βίβ, ἀλλ' ὁ μέλλων, ἐλέγξει τότο γὰρ εἶπεν [ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει] ἀντὶ τδ, ἡ τῆς κρίσεως. But 'tis not the prefent, but the Life to come that will diftinguish and make known the feveral Species of Matter; for the Apostle faid the Day will declare it, instead of the Day of Judgment will declare it: Then he adds upon the following Verfe; Κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἐπιφανείας το σωτῆρος ἡμέραν, βάσανος ἐςι, καὶ ἐξέτασις ακριβής καὶ τὸς μὲν ἐυξηβιωκότας, καθάπερ κρύ

σόν

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σὸν καὶ ἀργυρον, τὸ πῦρ λαμπροτέρος ἀποφανεί
τὰς δὲ τῆς κακίας ἐργάτας, δίκην ξύλων, και
χόριε, και καλάμης, καταναλώσει. In the Day
of the glorious Appearance of the Lord,
there will be an Examination and a strict
Enquiry; and the Fire will render them
who have lived righteously, like Silver and
Gold, more bright, but will confume those
who have been Workers of Iniquity, like
Wood, and Hay, and Stubble. And Theo-
phylact upon the Paffage fays the very fame
Thing, Ἡμέραν μὲν τὴν τῆς κρίσεως φησιν ἐν
πυρὶ δὲ λέγει τὰ ἔργα ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι, τετέςι,
φανερά γίνεσθαι ὁποῖα τὴν φύσιν ἐςίν· ἄρα χρυ
σός, ἆρα τεναντίον. By the Day the Apoftle
means the Day of Judgment:
He Jays
that the Works of Men will be revealed by
Fire, that is, the Fire will make it evi-
dent of what Nature they are; whether
they are of Gold, or of what other kind.
St. Bafil, Nazianzen, and Nyffen, St. Jerom,
and generally all the Fathers, especially the
Greek Fathers, explain the Word Day after
the fame Manner. Laftly, the Latin Ver-
fion following either the Fathers, or fome
old Manufcript, has the Word Lord exprefly
here.

THUS far concerning the Word nie, Day. The other Word upon which the Explication of this Paffage depends, is wg, or Fire: But if we agree upon the Signification of the firft Word nie, Day, and take it to be evident that in this Place it denotes the Day

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