of the Mother. This Doctrine answers all the Difficulties which Men of all Ages have raised concerning the Creation of the World, the Origin of Evil, and the Formation of Man. Again, it declares, that unlefs we withstand the Temptations of the Devil, fhake off his Power, and difown his Supremacy, on the one hand; and learn Piety, Virtue and Holinefs, own and acknowledge the Godhead of God the Word, on the other, we fhall not gain Heaven. It likewife, gives a fatisfactory Realon for the Diver

fity

confidering the Shortnefs of human Life, it would be ridiculous, fuppofing a Man not to have confeffed his Sins to a Prieft, and received formal Abfolution from his facred Hands, that for his Impenitence in this Point, to be tormented by the Devil, fcorched and broiled in Hell-Flames to all Eternity, in God's Comprehenfion, or even in Man's. It is certain, that Sin, i. e. the Breach of the Laws of Humanity and Morality, defiles a Man, and retards his Soul or Angel, after its Dif-union with the Body from its celeftial Flight. But yet an Offence committed against thefe Laws may be retrieved, the Man may dele the Crime or Vice, by the Attainment of its oppofite virtuous Habit. For the Punishment of Sin, fays the Learned, is anfwerable to the Duration of the Fault or Offence, not only as it refpects the Act, but fo far alfo as it leaves on the Man's Soul its Blemish; but when the Man by forfaking his Sin, and acting contrary thereto, has washed away the Pollution, the Punishment ceases. Be fides, as I take this Place to be Hell, there is no Crime but what has its Punishment annexed to it, which as it relates to the Body, is temporary, but as it refpects the Soul, not only temporary, but of Futurity too. Thus we will fuppofe, that a. Man, by drinking, has brought on himself a Dropfy. The Punishment attends the Sin, it is plain, and perhaps caufes his Diffolution; his Body receives its Punishment, and there is no reason that it should be raised again to be tormented in eternal Fire. His Soul, which nothing material can hurt, is, during the Term of Probation, which Time will laft 'till this Globe becomes a Chaos, at full Liberty, either to take Flesh again, or let it alone. When he has taken Flesh, he, it may be, either mends that Fault, or contracts more; but yet it is in the Power of him to act Good or Bad.

He

fity of the Tempers and Difpofitions of Cain and Abel. But from whence, it may be faid, came this Diverfity? They both defcended from very good Parents, though one was good, and the other bad. Let me ask, How came it to pass, if Cain's Soul or Angel, which (according to Vulgar Notion) was created but a few Years, fhould be fo degenerate as to flay his Brother, for no other Reafon, but becaufe Abel's Sacrifice was accepted and not his. But here it has been faid, That this Degeneracy of Cain's proceeded from Adam through his Difobedience. To this it fhall be replied, by way of Question,

I

If

He fays, p. 38. "That God Almighty hath, under the Gofpel, pofitively determined a State of endless Mifery for = the Difobedient." Dele Endless, and it is true, that he hath determined a State of Mifery for the Difobedient. Which State of immaterial Mifery will begin when the Earth shall be again without form, and void, and laft an Age, or Time already decreed." And he laid hold on the Dragon, and bound "him for a thousand Years." During which time thofe apoftate Angels, who fhall not have been fo wife as to make. a good Ufe of this their Day of Probation, from the Formation of the World to its Deformation, and have not attained those Perfections which are pre-requifite to their Admittance into the Manfions of Blifs, will remain in this Globe, unimbodied, for the Space of one thousand Years. "But the Rest "of the Dead lived not again untill the Thousand Years were "finished." Perhaps this Globe, then a Chaos, will be beautifully formed a fecond Time, and a new, or fecond Means afforded them, as is plain from the Words; "The Reft of "the Dead lived not again untill the Thousand Years were "finished."

There is not one Text the Doctor has alledged, that proves his abfurd Doctrine of the Eternity of Hell-Torments: And I fay, there is not one to be found, to fupport fo wretched a Scheme of material endless Punishments from the Beginning of Genefis to the End of the Revelations. But this Preacher, left his Doctrine fhould not be heartily received by the Auditory, juft before he concludes, fays, We fhould not dare to argue about the Equity of God's revealed Will, or the Certainty of

what

If Cain received hs Sin from his Father Adam, from whom did Abel receive his Goodness whereby his Oblation became acceptable? It carot be faid he had it from his Parents: No, that will fpoil the Objection made in Behalf of Cain. It is plain therefore, that this Diversity of Tem'per and Difpofition in Cain and Abel, two Brethren in the firft Age of the World, could not arife from any other Caufe, befides that of Preexiftent Good and Evil. For from these two Examples, we may gather, that fome of thefe Angels or Stars, as the Revelations term them, [two of whom were cloathed in Flesh, distin

guished

what he hath declared fhall be, but reft in a firm Belief, that whatfoever he hath determined is unexceptionably juft and equitable, because he hath determined it.' Which is as much as to fay, Brethren, I have indeed, in the Difcourfe which I have now delivered unto you, advanced a Doctrine which our Reasons cannot think juft and equitable; I mean that we should, Soul and Body, after Death, for a fhort and tranfitory Scene · of evil Action be fentenced to eternal endless Punishments, in a Lake of Fire, enhanced with Brimftone, agitated and enlivened by the Wrath of God, and heightened by the Power of the -Devil, yet, tho' we cannot comprehend this great Mystery, this (to your Apprehenfions) unreafonable Act of God's, is, I declare to you, as I am an Ambaffador of Chrift, Equity in God, and agreeable to thofe Sacred Writings, which we have fubfcribed to fupport and to teach, and which our Fathers (the Ambaffadors of Chrift) who are gone before us, put together, and told us were Truth; therefore ye ought not, you should not dare, or be fo bold and impudent as to queftion the Verity of what we and thefe Writings fay, but be content with what is told you, and reft in the implicit Belief thereof: For I affure you, Brethren, that I understand the Nature of God, which fome of you do not, and I fware to what you yourselves do not know, that what God hath determined in this Point, which you do not, nor ought not to comprehend, is unexceptionably juft and equitable; and I tell you, upon the Word of a Prieft, that he will, if you do not adhere to our Scheme of Doctrine, inflict thefe endless Torments upon you all.

guifhed by the Appellations of Cain and Abel wer: undoubtedly forry that they had offended God, of fuch was Abel; while others were obftinate in their Treafon against God, of fuch was Cain.

7. Hence it appears, that the fallen Angels are in Prison, that is, imbodied: So that Man is an apoftate Angel and a Body. Now if the Soul or active Principle in Man, was made and created to actuate his Body, then it is plain, that the Soul is made for the Body, and not the Body for the Soul. Which is as ridiculous as it would be to affert, that Men are made for Houses, and not Houses for Men. Again, if our Souls were made for our Bodies, it could not be said, that they were Prisons, but if the Body was made for the Reception of the Soul, as appears from this Hypothefis, then is it in a proper Sense a Prifon. The Souls of Men, i.e. the fallen Angels are in Prifon driven from the Prefence of God into this Gaol, this Hell, this Earth. Here are we confined within certain Limitations, fettered and chained with Clay.

8. This Doctrine farther afferts, that the Globe we now inhabit, is Hell, i. e. the Place inferior to the Heaven, that this Hell was made for the Reception of the Rebellious Angels, and that no new Order of Beings was created on Purpose to people it. It plainly fhews, that the apoftate Angels are not by God damned for their Offence to all Eternity, and that this Idea of God is agreeable to fuch Expreffions as thefe:1 God is flow to Anger, merciful, long fuffering, and of great Goodness, ready to forgive all who return unto him with an hearty and fincere Repentance. When the Wicked turneth away from the Sin be bath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, he fhall fave his Soul alive. And does not God do all Things with the exacteft Juftice and Į 2 Mercy,

Mercy, and fhall we fuppofe him to be wanting herein towards these unhappy Angels, judge ye and confider.

And now upon the Whole, I think it is undeniably and indifputably plain, from the Doctrine advanced, that we are the very fallen Angels cloathed in Flesh, and that the Place we now inhabit, is Hell, and no other Place.

Before I conclude this General Head, I beg your Patience, whilft I offer fomething by way of Exhortation.

As Humility is the Foundation of all Virtue, fo to be meek and lowly would be the genuine Effects of this Doctrine when received in the Soul; for let a Man but reflect that he offended God in his own Perfon in Company with Lucifer in Heaven, and he will fee Caufe enough to efchew all Haughtiness and Supercilioufnefs of Speech and Behaviour. If a Man confiders, that all Men are equally Sinners before God, what a Source for Humility and Meeknefs will here be; he cannot think too highly of himself. What mean and humble Thoughts of himself and his own Actions will always be the Refult of his Mind. Could this Doctrine take place, Humility and Meeknefs would be the conftant Attendants of Society. Chriftianity like the Tree in Nebuchadnezzar's Dream would fill the Earth. O how many preffing and weighty Arguments for true Humility doth this Doctrine afford. Have I been an Angel in Heaven, how ought the Confideration of it to affect me with humble and lowly Thoughts of mine own Worth. Did I rebell against God in Heaven, deny the Godhead of the Eternal Word, and difown hist Power and Supremacy over me, how ought this to affect me with the deepest Senfe of Humiliation, and lead me on to Repentance, to the Owning