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his promife, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs."

I think it is evident that the new heavens and earth will be made of the heavens and earth that now is; like a new veffel of filver or gold made of an old one after it is diffolved or melted.

I fhall make a few remarks on the words, HEAVEN, and EARTH, as they are used in the fcriptures, concerning the present and a future ftate.

1. The word HEAVEN.

We are told of a new heaven and a new earth, and that the first heaven and earth fhall pass away.

Many people think that the word heaven, always means a place at fome great distance from the earth; or where Chrift, angels, and faints are, this is fometimes the meaning of the word, but when the fcriptures fpeak of the heavens paffing away, being on fire, waxing old as a garment, and the heavens being rolled together, and of fighs in the heaven and earth, we are to understand the Atmosphere which furrounds the earth. By the Atmofphere is meant, "the whole mafs of fluid confifting of air, aqueous and other vapours, electric, fluid, &c. furrounding the earth to a confiderable height."

That the word heaven, sometimes means the air, is plain from the fcriptures. Pfalm civ. 12, "By themfhall the fowls of HEAVEN have their habitation which fing among the branches," What is here called heaven, is in Matth. called the air. Matth. viii. 20, "And Jefus faid unto him,-the birds of the AIR have nests." In one place we are told of war in heaven, in another, mention is made of the prince of the power of the AIR, which means the fame as heaven.

It is fuppofed that not more than one fourth part of our Atmosphere is pure AIR; but in the new heavens, all the air will be pure, every thing which is now in the air, when the elements are melted, will be taken away.

The word heaven fometimes fignifies the sUN, MOON, and STARS. Chrift fays, Luke xxi. 11, "And fearful fights and great figns from heaven." In this verfe, he tells of figns from heaven; in verfe 25 he fays, "And

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there fhall be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the stars." This I understand to mean the fame as heaven. When it is faid that Chrift was taken up into heaven, I think it means to the fun,, moon, or ftar. It appears to me from all these things, that Chrift is now in the fun, where John faw an angel ftanding. It is certain that Chrift was in fight, when Stephen was ftoned, and that Paul faw him after he afcended. These things I leave to the confideration of the readers.

The present fituation of the heavens, or air,is very different from what it will be when even the air is made new, as is recorded in the fcriptures. In the prefent ftate of the heavens, we feel cold, heat, fnow, hail, rain, wind, blafts, mildew, poifonous vapours, thunder, and lightning; and difeafes of various kinds are in the air, darkness and light are here, with the various feasons of the year, in the new heavens all these things will be done away forever.

From the experiments made concerning the AIR, all thefe things are poffible; and as it is declared in the fcriptures that these things which we know are poffible fhall take place, we may reft affured that the Lord will haften it in his time.

From all we can fee in the fun and ftars, they appear to be finished; but the earth, and moon, and air, appear to be in an unfinished state. Surely the air is not perfect, if it was we fhould feel no inconvenience in it. If the earth and air were perfectly finished, there would be no ficknefs, pain, nor death, in this world, for in the new heavens and earth which are to be created, there will be no ficknefs, forrow, pain, death, nor crying, for the former things will be done away. Thefe remarks muft fuffice concerning the heaven.

2. We will notice the EARTH.

The greater part of this globe, (called by people in general, the earth) is water. According to the most ac curate account of this globe, about two thirds of it is water. The account of it in the fcriptures gives us this idea. Mofes mentions that the waters under the firmament covered the earth, after the waters were divided

by the firmament. It is faid, Gen. i. 9, 10, " And God faid, let the waters under the firmament be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was fo. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters called he feas; and God faw that it was good."

At the time of the flood,this earth was all covered with water again for a confiderable time, and it is likely that the flood made a great change in the appearance of it. The apostle Peter fays, that the earth which then food out of the water and in the water perifhed, and that the heavens and earth which are now, by the fame word, are kept in store, referved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men; and that the elements fhall melt with fervent heat. We confider four elements; fire, water, earth, and air. The three laft must be the elements to be melted.

There is proof in abundance that this earth is reserved unto fire, befides what is mentioned in the fcriptures. The abundance of combuftible matter in and on the earth is one proof, and the amazing fires, continually burning. in the bowels of the earth which often breaks out from the tops of mountains, in different parts of the earth, are awful evidences that this earth will ere long be on fire. And instead of thinking it impoffible that any fuch thing will ever take place, whoever has a small knowledge of the fituation of the fire in the earth, must wonder why it has not been on fire long ago.

What an amazing fire that must be at the last day, into which the wicked will be caft, which fhall not only burn up all the wicked, and all the works on the earth; all the buildings by land and fea, and every thing which fhall grow out of the ground; but which will melt the earth, and even the water and every thing in the air, and make of the earth one pure, folid,glorious body, without any fea! O what an amazing thought is this! Language fails to defcribe the important event!

When the old world was overflown by water, the wick. ed were all swept away, fo fhall it be at the last day. Noah and his family were preferved above the earth,and

defcended from his ark, with his family to repossess the earth wherein dwelt righteoufnefs. So fhall it be at the last day, the faints being raised above all this terror, will after this,inherit the new earth forever.

This earth is capable of being brought into a most glorious state by fire. This is evident from what is done with parts of it now. How many precious ftones are there? Confider the coral, the pearl, the gold, filver, and brafs, &c. which are brought to an aftonishing ftate by fire. What is all our glass but earth brought to that ftate by fire. If men do all these things by fire, what will the creator do? These things are facts, and when I find thefe glorious things mentioned in the fcriptures to be poffible, and read that they fhall take place, I am conftrained to believe they will certainly come to pass.

It is faid of the new earth that there fhall be no more fea. Rev. xxi. 1, "And I faw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the firft earth were paffed away; and there was no more fea." This fhews that after the elements are melted, it will be all earth, and all pure both the earth and air. I think that after the elements are melted, the earth will be a tranfparant body, and on this account there will be no night. Now the earth being a dark body, the fun is prevented from fhining upon the earth a part of the time in every twenty four hours in fome parts; and in others the fun is hid for a long time in one part of the year. Being pure it will be all light. The inhabitants of this earth are mortal, and this earth is exactly fuited to their mortal state. When the redeemed of the Lord are immortal, at the refurrection of all that are in their graves, this earth will be made as fuitable for thofe who are immortal, as it is now for those who are mortal. We all know what is meant by making things new, it is making them over again, or bring them into another form. In this world men are made new creatures; are created in knowledge and holiness. While we fee fuch things take place, can we think it strange that this earth fhould be made new as will as its inhabitants? Efpecially when God has faid, "behold I create all things new." These

things are proved before our eyes, not only in the fcrip

tures but in creation too.

Some fuppofe that this new heaven and earth are to be in the time when Chrift reigns on earth a thousand years; but I think that this is certainly a mistake, which every perfon may fee if he confiders the following things;

1. Chrift's reign upon the earth before the laft judgment, is to be only one thousand years,at which time,fatan is to be bound, and the dead faints are to rife to reign in that time with Chift; while the reft of the dead are to remain in their graves till after the thoufand years; but in the new earth which is to be created after the first is paffed away; those who are faved, are to reign with Chrift forever and ever.

2. In the thousand years of Chrift's reign upon earth, there is to be fea as well as earth; but in the new earth,, there will be no more fea. Rev. xxi. 1.

3. The thousand years will end before the fecond refurrection, at which time the fea will give up its dead, of course this must take place before the new earth where there will be no fea.

4. In the thousand years Jerufalcm is to be built, and called Jehovah Shammi ; in which will be a temple or houfe, far exceeding that built by Solomon, where the nations of the earth fhall refort to worship. See Ezek. xliii. xlviii.-In the new earth, the new Jerufalem is to come down from God out of heaven. This city is to be twelve thousand furlongs fquare, or fifteen hundred miles fquare, which is fix thousand miles in circumference; Rev. xxi 16. In this city in the new earth, there will be no temple; while in the city in the thoufand years there will be a temple about one mile fquare. Rev. xxi.. 22,"And I faw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, are the temple of it."

5. In the thousand years they will need the light of the fun, and moon, and stars, for there will be day and night; Ifaiah xxx. 26. But in the new earth, there will be no need of either of thofe lights; by reason of the fuperior light. Rev. xxi. 23, "And the city had no need of the fun, neither of the moon to fhine in it, for the glo

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