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who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Now as no one believes that this beast will exist in the immortal world, so the punishment cannot be applied to that world.

The figures employed in the above passage, are such as are customarily applied by the sacred writers to punishment in this life, such as the "wine, of God's wrath," and the "cup of his indignation." The judgments of God are here represented as a bitter draught that wicked men and false worshippers must drink ; and it requires but a slight examination of the Scriptures to see, that the sacred writers constantly insist, that God pours out his indignation upon wicked men in this world.

But it may perhaps be inquired, whether the wicked are ever tormented with "fire and brimstone" in this world? We answer in the affirmative. Were not Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven? Have we not shown repeatedly, in these pages, that fire is one of the most common figures which the sacred writers employ to represent the judgments of God in this life? Nothing is susceptible of clearer proof than this. See Numbers xxi. 8; compare Jer. xlviii. 45; Psalms lxvi. 12; lxxxiii. 14; xcvii. 3; Isa. ix. 19; xlvii. 14; lxvi. 15, 16; Jer. iv. 4; xxi. 12; Lam. ii. 3,4; Ezek. xxi. 31 ; xxii. 18-22, and a host of others, that we have not room to quote.

But it is supposed by many, that fire and brimstone must surely belong to the future state. Their visions of hell in the immortal state, are always associated with "fire and brimstope." But let such examine the following passages, and they will see, that "fire and brimstone" are terms frequently employed to describe the judgments of God in the present life. Gen. xix, 24; Deut. xxix. 23; Job xviii. 15; Psalm xi. 6; Isaiah xxx. 33; xxxiv. 9, 10; Ezek. xxxviii. 22; Luke xvii. 29.

But it may be said, the punishment spoken of in the

passages at the head of this section, must be in the immortal state, because it is said to endure forever, and forever and ever. We reply, that these words, of themselves, furnish no proof of strictly endless duration ; they are, in the Scriptures, applied again and again to temporal punishments. We will adduce a few passages. "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book; that it may be for the time to come, forever and ever." Isaiah xxx. 8. The destruction of Idumea is thus described: "It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever." Isaiah xxxiv. 8-10. There can be no doubt, that the punishments here described were temporal punishments; and yet they are described in almost the precise terms that occur, Rev. xiv. 10, 11. Let the reader also consult Jer. vii. 1-7. The 7th verse is, "Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever." See also Jer. xxv. 5. “Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you, and to your fathers forever and ever.”

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XCIII. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. xx. 12-15.

Although we have quoted at the head of this section, but four verses of this chapter, we think it will not be

unprofitable to take a general view of the chapter, and to that we shall now invite the reader's attention.

It appears to me, then, that we may determine with safety, that the scene of the events described in this chapter is laid upon the earth, and does not appertain to another state of being. The angel mentioned in the first verse came down from heaven. He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and satan; him of course the angel found here after he came down from heaven; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, which is also represented as being on earth; for it is not said, that he carried him away anywhere else to cast him into the bottomless pit. Hence the scene is evidently laid on the earth. What is said of verse 4, of the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, Dr. Whitby understood, not of men literally raised from the dead, but of the church, flourishing gloriously for a thousand years after the conversion of the Jews, and the flowing in of all nations to them thus converted to the Christian faith. This thousand years, and all the events of that time, are to transpire while men live upon the earth, for it is said, verses, 7, 8, " And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."

Verse 11. "I saw a great white throne," &c. It is not certain this is to take place after the thousand years are finished. This throne was seen at the same time with what is recorded, verses 1 and 4. Verse 1, he says, "I saw an angel," &c. Verse 4, "I saw thrones." "I saw a great white throne." I suppose the revelator intended to represent all these things as being present in his vision at the same time, so

that we are not to put the events mentioned verse 11, after the thousand years. "I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." May not this be parallel to Matt. xxv. 31? "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations," &c. We may not improperly.term this his mediatorial throne; and that his followers are to reign with him on this throne, seems evident from his words, "ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. xix. 28. In this way those who suffer with him, live and reign with him.

But it may be asked, did the earth and heaven flee away from before the face of the Son of man, when he sat upon the throne of his glory? Certainly, the first heaven and the first earth passed away, to give room. for the new heaven and the new earth. See Rev. xxi. 1, 2. This first heaven and first earth were the religion of the Jews, which passed away at the very time the Son of God ascended the mediatorial throne. Jesus declared, that when the city and religion of the Jews should be destroyed, then the kingdom of God should come with power, and mankind should be rewarded according to their works.

This agrees with verse 12. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." This is precisely what is said in other parts of the Bible, to have taken place, at the time the Jews were destroyed, and the kingdom of God came with power. Then, as is said by Matthew, the Son of man came in the glory of his Father, and rewarded every man according to his works, xvi. 27, 28.

Should it be inquired whether all men, small and great, stood before God at that time, we reply, that they did in the same sense in which all nations were gathered before him, as is mentioned in the parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt. xxv. 32). It is not intended, we apprehend, that all nations stood before God, in the outward and literal sense of that expression; there is no necessity of our understanding the passage in that way. Moses said to the children of Israel; "Ye stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel." Again; "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but him, that standeth here with us this day, before the Lord our God.” Deut. xxix. 10, 14, 15. See also Exodus xviii. 12; Joshua xxiv. 1, and many other places. It was a favorite mode of speech with the Hebrew writers, when any thing was done as a solemn duty, or by divine appointment, to say that it was done before God. It was said of Zacharias and Elizabeth, "that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Luke i. 6. And Paul charged Timothy, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach the word. 2 Tim. iv. 1.

What is said of the books which were opened, and of the book of life, I see no reason to understand literally; the expressions are a part of the imagery of the passage. If the dead were judged according to the principles of the gospel of Christ, the books which were opened, and out of which they were judged, may be the books containing that gospel; and the book of life may be the roll of Christian believers, in which, if a man's name was not found, he was cast into the lake of fire.

Ver. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Death and the state of immortality may at that time be said to have been destroyed, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and by the certain establishment of his Gospel in

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