just made perfect, his frown is the hell of those who are banished from him.

Note 25. Page 54, line 16.---Gnaw to all eternity.---The eternal duration of future punishments is as clearly expressed in Scripture, as the eternity of that happiness which is reserved for the righteous. Those arguments, therefore, which are usually derived from the limited signification of the terms eternal," and " for ever," when used in some connexions, are just as much calculated to prove, that there will be a period to the latter, as to the former,---the duration of both being equally signified by the same words. To suppose, as some have done, that offending souls are capable of being reclaimed by punishment, as a kind of moral discipline, intended for that purpose, is to overlook both the demerit of sin, and the nature of that turpitude, which must be removed before the sufferer can possibly be reclaimed. So long as any moral defect continues, punishment must remain, as the due reward of accumulated guilt. And who can imagine, that mere suffering should ever take away the depravity of the mind? Was punishment ever known to remove a disposition to offend? On the contrary, we read of those who blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains, and repented not of their deeds. Until we are able, then, to discover how punishment is adapted to produce a moral change in the disposition of the unhappy sufferer, we have no reason to believe that a single soul will ever be reclaimed from the regions of woe. Perhaps there is not any thing on this subject, in the whole circle of modern divinity, that can be compared with a Note of the late Dr. Edward Williams, in his edition of Doddridge's Lectures. Doddridge's Whole Works, vol. v. p. 385.

Note 26. Page 57, line 2.---To be renew'd again, expire.---This D d

supposed renovation of the globe, seems to have originated in a mistaken view of Rev. xxi. 1., where the apostle says, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." Some have supposed, that the earth will not be entirely consumed by the general conflagration, but only purified, and made to resemble what it was in the paradisiacal state; that the earth, thus restored, will be prepared for the Millennium, under which, those who attain to the first resurrection shall enjoy a state of peculiar happiness with Christ for six thousand years; and that, at the conclusion of this period, the general judgment will take place, and be succeeded by an eternal state of perfect felicity. But, as it is generally observed, there is one invincible objection to this hypothesis in the coming of the Gog and Magog army against the saints; for as the conflagration must have destroyed the ungodly, whence could such an army come? To meet this difficulty, Dr. Burnet is driven to the wretched expedient of supposing a race of earth-born men to spring like mushrooms out of the ground! ---Others, while they conceive that the millennial state will precede the fire of the last day, conceive that the earth will be so purified by means of it, and so renewed, as to become the future abode of the blessed. "Whatever is meant," says Mr. Faller, by the glorious state here described, the earth, as purified by the conflagration, is the scene of it. The whole of what is said, instead of describing the heaven of heavens, represents the glory of that state as coming down upon the earth. The truth appears to me to be this: It is a representation of heavenly glory in so far as that glory relates to the state of the earth on which we dwell. The generations of a corrupt race of creatures having terminated, it will become the perfect and perpetual abode of righteousness. The creation has long been subjected to the varity of supplying its creator's enemies with the means of carrying on their rebellion against him. Under this bond

age of corruption it has groaned and travailed, as it were, in pain, longing to be delivered. And now the period is arrived. The liberation of the sons of God from the power of the grave shall be the signal of deliverance to the whole creation." The great objection to all this, is the gross and material character which it gives of the heavenly state. It seems at variance with what is said of the first earth, as having "passed away." The action of fire on the matter of which the globe is composed, would probably turn it all into glass; which was the opinion of one who perfectly understood the manner in which glass is made, and who often used to say, that his trade would be the last. It may also be questioned, whether this earth, in the state supposed, would be sufficiently large to contain the myriads of human beings who shall enjoy a blessed immortality. Besides, the heavenly mansions seem invariably repsesented as distant from our world, while earth is always opposed to heaven. It seems, then, that what John saw coming down to the earth, was only a vision---a hieroglyphical city, which presented itself to his view; and that the " new heaven and earth" denote a new state of things, in which there will be no sea of trouble---no tumult or confusion,---but perfect peace and unsullied happiness.

Note 27. Page 57, line 22---More short for his own people's sake. ---This line contains an allusion to Mat. xxiv. 22. It must be acknowledged, that many things spoken by our Lord respecting the destruction of Jerusalem and the whole state of the Jews, have a further respect to the end of the world; but this passage so distinctly applies to the period of the Jewish Wars, as to render it questionable whether it has any further meaning. During those wars, which were to end in the destruction of Judea, it would have been impossible for any of the Jews to have been saved; but lest the whole nation should be utterly exterminated, God had determined to shorten those days of

vengeance and death, that he might thas preserve a chosen remnant, in whom his gracious purposes should afterwards be accomplished. The only remaining passage which seems to bear on the subject, is Rom. ix. 28. "The Lord is finishing and cutting short his account in righteousness; for the Lord will make a short account upon the earth." But this passage, quoted from Isa. x. 22, 23., seems to refer to the consumption of the Jewish people, at different times, so that there should be but a small number of them left. This prophecy, then, was particularly fulfilled under Titus and Vespasian; while the apostle considers it as being further fulfilled in the rejection of the Jews through their unbelief, and the small number of the elect found among them. As to the end of the world, nothing can be clearer, than that it will be preceded by the Millennium; and such is the representation of the power and universality of religion, during that period, that we have little reason to believe, from the present state of the world, that its commencement has yet taken place, though some are of a contrary opinion. Popery and Mahometanism still remain to be destroyed--the Jews, as a people, are not converted to Christ --the nations are not yet disposed to "learn war no more"---and "the kingdoms of this world" have not yet "become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ;"---all which events, according to prophecy, are to happen at the commencement of the Saviour's universal reign. If the calculations usually made, be tolerably accurate, the end of the world may not take place before the year 2900; or, perhaps, says Mr. Brown, about 150 years later. Chronological Index to the Self-interpreting Bible.

Note 28. Page 59, line 14.---A pestilence has ravag'd almost every state.---This probably refers to the dreadful plague which raged in the year 1350. It first discovered itself in the north of Asia, made its progress from one end of Europe to the other, and sensibly depopu

lated every state through which it passed. It was doubtless more fatal in great cities than in the country; and hence about 50,000 persons are said to have perished in London alone. At subsequent periods the plague had been very destructive, particularly in the metropolis of this country; but the calamity does not appear to have been so general as to answer the representation given by the Vicar of its extensive ravages.

BOOK II.

Note 1. Page 68, line 26.--- Who fails in this shall be undone.---This is obviously implied in the language of the Apostle: "Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee." Hence we justly infer, that the undutiful behaviour of children towards their parents, will incur the divine displeasure, and thus render their situation the reverse of what is well." Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out." Many examples of judgment and retribution have accordingly appeared in the world. Mr. Flavel mentions the case of a son, who being displeased with his father, expressed an impious wish, that the house might be burned down upon him; soon after which, the house was actually set on fire, when this wicked son was

He also mentions a man,

the only one who perished in the flames! who used to drag his father about the house, and who was afterwards treated in the same manner by his own son; when he became sensible of his guilt, and begged to remain at a certain place, saying, "I dragged my father no further than this!"- Unkind and wicked children cause their parents to complain, like the tree in the fable, of