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will never fee death swallowed up in victory; but the fecond death will fwallow them up in victory.

This notion that there is life in the foul of the wicked, or a principle that cannot die, was taken from the platonic philofophers, and was introduced as fcripture doctrine in the third century, and is exactly contrary to what Chrift preached.

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Dr. Motheim fays, vol. I. p. 267, "Its first promoters proceeded from that known doctrine of the Platonic ichool, which also was adopted by Origen, and his difciples, viz. that the divine nature was diffused through all bu man fouls, or in other words, that the faculty of reafon, from which proceeds the health and vigor of the mind, was an emanation from God into the human foul, and comprehended in it the principles and elements of all truth, human and divine.. Here is the very doctrine now believed as truth. This originated from that philosophy which was in fashion in the days of Chrift and the apostles; of which Paul fays, Col. ii. 8, "Beware left any man spoil you through PHLOSOPHY and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

This doctrine, that the foul is immortal, a part of God, and cannot die, is exactly oppofite to what Chrift and the apoftles preached. John vi. 53, "Then Jefus faid unto them, verily, verily, I fay unto you, except ye eat the flefh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have No LIFE in you." In this verfe Jefus has faid, with a verily, verily, that those who do not eat his flesh and drink his blood, have no life in them. Verse 58, "He that eateth of this bread shall live forever." This eating his flesh means believing on him. See verfe 40,," And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one which feeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raife him up at the last day." Verfe 47, 50, 51,"Verily, verily, I fay unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which

I will give for the life of the world." What can be plainer than this? Chrift fays thofe who do not eat his flesh, that is, believe his words, have no life in them; he that eateth his flesh fhall never die, hath eternal life, &c. I know not how to prove that there is a principle of eternal life in an unbeliever, when Chrift fays they have no life in them; unless I prove it from philofophy. This, that the unbeliever has no life in him, is declared by the fervants of Chrift. John fays, iii. 36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." If a perfon exifts he must have life, though he may be deftitute of happiness; but this place fays he fhall not fee life.

1 John, v. 11, 12, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." Every believer has life in himself; that life is Chrift; Gal. ii. 20, "I am crucified with Chrift: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." All the life an unbeliever has is in God, "Who giveth to all life and being." When God ceaseth to give them life, they muft die. Jefus Chrift has not only declared that the unbeliever has no life in him; but he has told us of the deftruction of the foul and body in hell. Matth. x. 28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the foul but rather fear him which is able to deftroy both foul and body in hell." Here the death of the foul is mentioned, as well as the death of the body. Some may fay that though God is able to kill the foul; yet that is not a proof that he will. The fcripture declares the death of the foul. Ezekiel xviii. 4, "Behold, all fouls are mine; as the foul of the father fo alfo the foul of the fon is mine: the foul that finneth, it fhall DIE." Ver. 20, "The foul that finneth, it fhall DIE." Prov. viii. 36, "But he that finneth against me wrongeth his own foul all they that hate me love DEATH." This

means the death of the foul as well as the body. Jefus fpeaks upon this same subject, in Matt. xvi. 25, 26, 27, "For whofoever will fave his life fhall lofe it; and whofoever will lofe his life for my fake, fhall find it: For, what is a man profited, if he fhall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul? Or, what fhall a man give in exchange for his foul? For the Son of Man fhall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then fhall he reward every man according to his works." It is plain that this account of lofing the foul refers to fomething which is to take place at the day of judgment.

Having proved from the New-Teftament that there is no eternal life in the foul nor body of an unbeliever;, I now proceed to a further defcription of that DEATH, which is the wages of fin.

Paul fays, Rom. vi. 23, "For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord." In this verfe eternal life is fet in oppofition to death. This death means what is called in another

place, the SECOND DEATH." The first life is temporal; in this, all men share. The first death is temporal; in this all men will share, except thofe who are tranflated, and those who will be alive when Christ comes the fecond time. The fecond death is without end; the foul and body will die to live no more. The fecond life is without end, the foul and body of the believer will live to die None will fhare in the SECOND DEATH, but unnone will share in the fecond life, but believ

no more.

believers

ers in Christ. The wicked are faid in the New-Teftament to be dead; the meaning is that they are under the fentence of death for unbelief; or for difobeying the voice of God, which is heard in all nations, either in his works or word, or both. The words DEATH and condemnation mean the fame thing. Chrift fays, John v. 24, "Verily, verily, I fay unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting life, and fhall not come into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life." Condemnation means declaring a perfon guilty; fo does death. Every unbeliever is in a ftate of death, or condemnation, because he hath not be

lieved in the name of the only begotten Son of God, and not because Adam finned, or because he does not keep the law; but because he has not believed the gospel. Every condemned perfon is confidered a dead man, because he must die if juftice takes place. The SECOND DEATH, which is the wages of fin, will not take place till after the refurrection; the fentence against an evil work will then be executed. Men are confidered as dead men in the fcriptures, when they do that which expofes them to death. The Lord once faid to Abimelech," Behold, thou art but a dead man." Gen. xx. 3. Exod. xii..3 ..33 "And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might fend them out of the land in hafte; for they faid, we be all DEAD MEN." It is plain that they meant their fituation was fuch that they must experience certain death, unless fomething was done to prevent it. This is what the fcriptures mean by calling unbelievers dead in trefpaffes and fins. They are in such a state of condemnation for their own fins, that unless they are forgiven, they muft certainly experience the end of their wickednefs, which will be the death of the foul and body. Paul fays, Rom. vi. 21, "What fruit had ye in thofe things whereof ye are now afhamed? for the end of thofe things is death."

I shall now mention the places which fpeak of the SECOND DEATH, and the character of thofe who will share in it. As this is the last thing the wicked will have, it is mentioned in the last part of the Bible. The first time the term "SECOND DEATH" is mentioned, is in Rev. ii. II, "He that overcometh fhall not be hurt of the SECOND DEATH." Rev. xx. 6. "Bleffed and holy is he that hath part in the firft refurrection: on fuch the SECOND DEATH hath no power." Chap. xx. 14. "And death and hell were caft into the lake of fire. This is the SECOND DEATH." Chap xxi. 8, " But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and all lars, fhall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and. brimstone; which is the SECOND DEATH." These are all

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the places I can find, where the expreffion SECOND DEATH is mentioned.

A few words on those places must fuffice.

1. The time when this second death will take place. This will be immediately after the wicked are raised out of their graves and judged according to their works. John fays, Rev. xx. 12, 13, 14, 15, "And I faw the dead fmall 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 fea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were caft into the lake of fire. This is the SECOND DEATH. And whofoever was not found written in the book of life, was caft into the lake of fire." This account makes it plain, that the SECOND DEATH Will not take place till the people are judged according to their works. The bodies of the wick ed are confined in their graves, and their spirits in prifon, where they are tormented until the great day. There they will have their trial, and then they will be punished with the SECOND DEATH; which will be their end.

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body in the lake of fire. caft into the lake of fire. The first time the wicked

2. What is this fecond death? It is a death of foul and "And death and hell were This is the SECOND DEATH." died, it was in the air, water, or fire; but here it is a lake of fire. Will this be real fire? It will. It will be this earth, which at that day will all be melted with fervent heat. 2 Peter, iii. 7, "But the heavens and earth, which are now by the fame word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.".

3. Who will fhare in this fecond death?

We are told in general, and in particular. In general, whofoever is not found written in the book of life; death and hell were caft into the lake of fire. The particular account of those who shall share in the SECOND DEATH IS

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