much as to say, if I am lifted above the earthly covenant to a heavenly and spiritual priesthood, then will I draw both Jews and Gentiles even all men unto me, by virtue of my exaltation. Hence, we must conclude that judgment he alluded to, decided between the two covenants, by disannuling the first and establishing the sec ond. Which judgment then given was after executed on the priesthood of Aaron in the destruction of their consecrated temple at Jerusalem. When the sun or glory of the first heaven was darkened, and the stars, i. e. priests of the Jewish church fell from their heaven of self-exaltation. Then the Jewish moon or church was turned to blood. To the many particular incidents relative to that great event, all our Lord's parables bad allusion. And from the time when Christ was crucified, died and rose again, i. e. from the time when judgment was given against that wicked world of Jews, unto the time when this judgment should be or was to be executed on Jerusalem, the house of Israel appear to have been peculiarly blinded, and in the most exemplary manner, were strangely infatuated with a frantic zeal without knowledge. So that the Angels of the first covenant, i. e. the Jewish priests, who kept not their first estate as commanded by Moses, these rebel priests or angels, were reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the time of the executing of judgment on Jerusalem at the great day of Jewish calamity. To this awful period of national calamity on the Jews, the holy apostles and first christians looked forward, warning every man of its approach; so that of that day, they frequently speak in their exhortations, exhorting one another to remain stedfast in faith, unto the end. And says one of them, "As ye see the day approaching." And again, "for we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." And St. Paul says, "You that are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," &c. Thus Christ was to be revealed at that day as a true prophet

from heaven, by what he had before predicted being fulfilled, through the instrumentality of the mighty Roman messengers of vengeance, called his mighty angels. For the word angel, signifies a messenger. Now we must observe that the whole of that outward day of judgment on the Jewish world, was a figure of a spiritual, gospel day of judgment, which was to follow, and to last during the gospel dispensation, which I shall next explain.

The reader will do well to recollect, that John the revelator saw an angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to all people, exhorting all to fear and worship God, for this reason, as he testifies. "For the hour of his judgment is come." And not that the day of judgment will come, but is come. This vision of an angel could signify no particular man or personal messenger, but the nature and power of gospel truth, flying in the midst of the new heaven, which is the gospel church set up under the new dispensation of grace, which is the hour of God's judgment already come. So that he who preaches gospel truth, will say worship God for the hour of his judgment is come, hence the idea that the day of God's judgment has not yet come, but has got to come, can not belong to the gospel ministry, but is a fallacious idea.

Observe, this gospel to be preached to all people, is called "the everlasting gospel," because the preaching of it is to last as long as the hour of God's judgment shall last. Now in this dispensation of grace, Christ not only reigns as Saviour of all mankind, but also the judge of all both dead and living, or in other words, judge of quick and dead. Hence every individual of the human family must, each in his own turn, stand before the judgment seat of Christ; for all the books must be opened, and every man must be judged out of those books or things recorded in every heart. And then the book of life will be opened to every man's joy. I have before observed that to give judgment, is to decide a subject in question, or to decide a matter in dispute between two contending parties. Now the nature of this spiritual day or hour of God's judgment, of which we

speak, is this. It respects the salvation of the whole world of mankind, and decides in every heart the only true way and source of man's salvation; hence whenever an individual is awakened to conviction, his works are tried by the gospel fire, as that fire shall try every man's works of what sort they are, and no man will find his own works sufficiently meritorious to save him, when weighed in the balance, but will be found wanting; his case will appear gloomy at this crisis, while as an indi vidual standing in judgment. However, as soon as the book of life is opened to the understanding, he will find to his great joy his fate there decided by grace. And no eternal justification by creature works; hence every man will find sooner or later, judgment given in favour of his own eternal salvation by grace, and not by works least any man should boast. Although the day of judg ment, of which we now speak, will last through the whole gospel dispensation, yet one individual after another is brought to judgment, until the whole world shall have been judged. Some men's sins are manifested before temporal death, going before to judgment, while other men's sins follow after death, to be manifested by coming to judgment in the spiritual world. Therefore, St. Peter says, "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but liye according to God in the spirit." This St. Peter says with reference to what he had before said on Christ going by the spirit, and preaching to spirits in prison who had been drowned by a flood, while yet in their sins; therefore were preached to that they might be judged in the same sense, as men are judged in the flesh, but with a design also, that they should live like God in the spirit, i. e. be reconciled to God. Here I would observe, that there is no greater difference between that part of the day of judgment, which belongs to this world, and that part of it which extends into the world to come, than there is in a common calender day between the morning and evening or forenoon and the afternoon. For says St. Paul, "To this end Christ both died, rose and revived, that he might

Now let me

be Lord both of the dead and the living." ask, is Christ less the Lord of the dead, than he is of those in this world? Is he not equally Lord of both, and consequently judge and saviour in both states? He surely is a saviour wherever he reigns Lord, and there by his spirit the gospel is taught, and souls are judged. Hence the whole gospel dispensation is the day of judg ment including both this world and the world to come.

CHAPTER 8.

FUTURE PUNISHMENT FOR SIN.

Heb. 10. 28. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." Verse 29. "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace." Verse 30. "For we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompence, saith the Lord. And again. The Lord shall judge his people." 2nd Pet. 2. 9. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judg ment to be punished." Prov. 11. 21. "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." Distress inflicted out of revenge, as a retaliation proceeding from malice, or from a spirit of hatred towards the victim, would be unworthy of the name of punishment. For proper punishment is designed to correct faults, and not merely to torment without any profitable effect in the pun shed. God chastises the guilty out of love to his own glory, and for their best good. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth-if ye are without chastisement then are ye bastards and not sons." "God so loved the world that he gave his own son," &c. And he says he will punish the world for their iniquity. This is the same world, the object of God's love, who changeth not, nor alters his purpose of love.

Future punishment presupposes chastisement to be inflicted after the crime is committed by the culprit. So that present wickedness exposes the guilty to future punishment, which may instantly commence after the act of sin; or it may be reserved to be inflicted after a