they despised and hated, when in this world, will excite their envy and malice to a high degree; which are tormenting paffions, in proportion to the ftrength of their exercise.

4

Their company will add to their mifery. They will not find a friend among them; but all will be full of hatred, rage, and malice. The fight and presence of the devil and his angels, who have had a great hand in their ruin, and who will continue their ill will, and torment them in all the ways their cunning and malice can invent, will be very dreadful. dreadful. And whatever intercourse they may have with those of mankind, who are fuffering with them, it will give them no relief, but add to their misery. those who have had the greatest connexion with each other in this life, will be most unhappy together; who have injured each other, or been the means of their eternal ruin. And those companions and supposed friends, who have tempted and feduced each other into the pract tice of vice, and way to ruin, will, by their mutual accufations and curfes, be a vexation and torment to each other. +

And

idea which paffes in their Reflections on what they (and they must think and

And all their attempts to get relief, which may be many and conftant, will be in vain, and only add to their mifery. Every thought and mind, will be a painful one. paffed through in this world, reflec) on the favours and comforts they had, and the advantages they were under to obtain falvation, and the happy opportunities which they abused; and the counfels, warnings, and admonitions which they had, &c. will but increase their mifery. And when they look forward, the affurance they will have, that nothing better is to come; but if there be any change, it will be against them; and they must be misferable without end, and without hope; will fill their minds with the infupportable

portable gloom, anguish and horror, of absolute despair; and fink eternally without any poffible comfort or support.

This is a short sketch, and fome of the outlines of the punishment and fufferings of the wicked. But Oh! How little can be told; how short are all our conceptions, and imaginations, of the truth and real greatness of this infinite evil! It will take an eternity to tell! And none but the Infinite Mind, does comprehend it.

It must be observed, however, that though the punishment of every one of these, will be endless, and great in degree beyond all present conception, and perhaps will increase without end; yet fome will fuffer a much greater degree of mifery, than others; and there will be a great difference between them, in this refpect, according to their different advantages and capacities, while in this world; to the light and conviction they had; according to the number of their fins, and the different degrees of criminality of them, &c. The omniscient, almighty, and just judge, will be able and disposed to weigh and adjust the crimes and guilt of every one in exact and juft balances, and proportion the degree of punishment, exactly to the criminality or ill defert of each one, by ordering every circumstance perfectly agreeable to it.— From Chrift the judge, "Every one fhall receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."* Agreeable to this, Chrift fays, It fhall be more tolerable, at the day of judgment, for Sodom and Gomorra, than for those who reject the gofpel, preached by him, or his difciples. "And that

fervant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten with many stripes. But he who knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him shall be much required."+

VOL. II.

#2 Cor.

S

+ Luke viti

IMPROVEMENT.

IMPROVE ME N T.

I. FROM the brief and imperfect view which has now been given of Death, a Separate State, Judgment, Heaven and Hell, we may reasonably be led to reflect, upon the infinitely grand, important, and interesting scenes that are before us, in which every one of the human race will have a part. A realizing view of thefe, will make all the things and concerns of time and fenfe, which are temporal, and relate to this ftate only, appear in their true littleness and vanity; and to be of no worth and importance, any farther than they relate to these future scenes, and may put us under advantage to be prepared for them. How reasonable and important is it, that we fhould, with the Apostles, and primitive chriftians, conftantly look, aim at, and pursue the things which are not feen, and are eternal !*

II. How infinitely dreadful is the end of the wicked! In what an unspeakably dangerous ftate, is he in this world? His feet ftand on flippery places, exposed to fall every moment into endlefs deftruction, into which he will foon plunge, if he continue impenitent while in the body. "After his hard and impenitent heart, he is treasuring up, unto himself, in this life, wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judg ment of God."+

How great is the deliverance, when any one finner is plucked as a brand from this eternal, infinitely dreadful fire! This gives joy in heaven. How happy is he who is the inftrument of turning any from fin, to righteouf nefs; of saving immortal fouls from endless burnings! What can be more defirable and pleafing, to a benevo + Rom. ii. S.

Cor. iv. 18.

lent

lent mind! He shall have an unfpeakable reward, and fhine as the ftars, forever and ever.

III. How great, how glorious and happy is the Redeemer in being able to fave, and actually faving multitudes of finners, from fuch infinite mifery, and raising them to fuch high and endless happiness and glory! How worthy is he to be trufted, loved and honoured. The inhabitants of heaven, will be eternally fenfible of. this, and fay," Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing; for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and haft made us unto our God, kings and priefts.”*

What infinite wickedness and folly is that of which they are guilty, who reject him, or caft the leaft flight upon him, and do not fly to him, without delay, as a refuge from the wrath to come; and for eternal happinefs! Bleffed are all they who truft in him. Surely he is infinitely precious, to all them who believe.

Rev. v. 9, 10, 12.

S 2

CHAP. V.

THE HE word in the original, ixxλnoía, generally tranflated Church, is found above an hundred times in the New Teftament; and fignifies an affembly of men, called and collected together, for fome fpecial purpose. It is used in the fcripture, except in a few inftances, in an appropriated fenfe, for believers in Chrift, or the redeemed, as a collective body, or society, united in, or under him as their head.

By the Church of Chrift, is sometimes meant the redeemed; all who have been, or fhall be faved by Christ, who shall at last be collected into one general affembly, fociety and kingdom. This is called the invifible church, being at present hid, and out of our fight, as those in heaven are not seen by us, while in this life, and true believers, who are on earth, cannot be certainly diftinguifhed from others, who are not such.

The church of Chrift on earth, confifts of those who are united together as professed friends to Christ, and believers in him, and are under explicit engagements to ferve him, and attend upon all his inftitutions and ordinances, and to watch over, and affift each other; including both parents and their children. This is called the visible