"ten, Death is fwallowed up in victory." If this declaration will not be fulfilled till long after the general refurrection, this corruptible will not have put on incorruption till long after that event; but the Apoftle fays again, "It is RAISED in incorruption." We conclude, therefore, that Jefus Chrift will ftand in no need of the fire of hell to purify and burnish the bodies of those who attain to a glorious immor. tality. If all, except the few whom Mr. V. calls a fumple, have to "pass thro' the second death before they receive their measure of conformity to Chrift," it must be granted that this fong-of victory will not be fung till many ages after the general refurrection; but I will thew Mr. V. "a mystery. We shall not all fleep, but we shall "be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, "at the laft trump, (for the trumpet fhall found) and "the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, &c." In this myflery the following particulars are clearly dif

cernible:

1. That Chrift will come (ver. 23) and the trum. pet found, while fome of the faints are alive upon the earth for "we fhall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed."

2. That this change of the bodics of the faints, then found alive, will be inftantaneous. "We hall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.”

3. That all who have a part in the refurrection here defcribed, will be raifed at the fame moment. "The trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raifed."

4. That THEN, when the trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raised, and the living faints changed, and not fome ages after, as Mr. V. teaches, "fhall be brought to pafs the faying that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victory."

From

From thefe four incontrovertible truths, I draw the following inferences:

1. That Mr. V.'s gradual change, which is to be completed in hell, long after the general refurrection, is not the change which the Apostle here intends.

2. That as the inftantaneous change will happen when fome of the faints are upon the earth, it will precede the day of judgment.

3. That when this inftantaneous change takes place, Death will be fwallowed up in victory, and, therefore, will be deftroyed before the day of judgment. Confequently,

4. That the death which the Apoftle fpeaks of cannot be the fecond death, because finners will be doomed to it after the day of judgment.

14,

" Now

The death If any per

Mr. Winchefter enquires on Heb. ii. "what death has the devil power over? "of the body, or that of the foul? "* fon will be at the trouble to read the context, he can be at no lofs for an answer. "Forafmuch, then, as "the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He "alfo Himfelf likewife took part of the fame; that "through death He might deftroy him that had the 66 power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver ( them, who through fear of death were all their life"time fubject to bondage." I prefume no one fupposes that the word death, which occurs three times in this paffage, is to be understood in different fenfes. afk, therefore, What death did Jefus Chrift die? Was it not the death of the body? Then it must furely be the death of the body which the devil has power over. The lake of fire which the Apoftle John calls the fecond death, is the proper punishment of devils, and

*Dialogues, p. 62.

was

I

was prepared for them, Rev. xxi. 8. Matt. xxv. 41. If they had the power of the fecond death, no doubt but they would foon deftroy it: Jefus Chrift need not have died for that purpose.

"I am not able to imagine," fays Mr. Winchester, "how St. John's vifion (Rev. v. 13.) could be juft, "if endlefs damnation is true. I fhould not expect 66 any intimations, far lefs abfolute promifes, that "God would deftroy death."* Moft of the Univerfalifts urge this vifion as affording demonftrative proof of the Reftoration. In reply, I obferve,

1. In this vifion the Apofile faw "fuch as are in the fea finging this fong. The Univerfalifts acknowledge that the Reftoration will not precede the creation of the new earth. And in the new earth, the Apoftle remarks there will be no more sea, Rev. xxi. 1. This chorus muft therefore be fung before the creation of the new earth; and, fince the Reftoration is fuppofed to take place at, or after that time, the vifion cannot be defcriptive of the great year of jubilee.

2. It is a very fingular circumftance, that at the time the four beafts, or living creatures, are proftrate before the Lamb finging this fong, they prefent "golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints." What can the faints be praying for when the whole univerfe is happy?

3. The Apoftle has told us when this fong was fung, "And when He" (the Lamb) “had taken the Book," (with feven feals, fee ver. 1.) "the four living crea"tures and the four and twenty elders fell down be"fore the Lamb, having every one of them harps. "And they fung a new fong," &c. ver. 8, 9. This fong ended previous to the opening of the seals, fee chap.

* Dialogues, p. 24.

chap. 6, where we find the four living creatures who joined in this fong, employed in unfolding to John the vifion. Mr. W., and all Writers whom I have confulted upon this vifion, are agreed, that it is many hundred years fince the feals were opened. If, therefore, their doctrine of Restoration can be proved from this vifion, it must have taken place near two thoufand years ago.

On Rev. xxi. 4, Mr. Winchester obferves, "Here " is a state spoken of beyond all death; a ftate wherein forrow, crying, and pain, fhall be no more. This "ftate is cotemporary with the new heaven and earth, "after the lake of fire hath ceafed. Moft certainly the word death here implies the fecond death; for we "are informed, in the foregoing chapter, of the firft "refurrection. After this, we find, that the dead, "fmall and great, ftood before God, and were judged; and fuch as were not found written in the "Book of Life, were caft into the lake of fire, which

is exprefsly called, the fecond death. In this chap❝ter we find that all things are to be made new, and death is to be no more. But this muft be the fecond death, for the refurrection of all the bodies, both of the juft and unjuft, had been fpoken of before."*

All that is urged in this paragraph, as proof that, by death, in the text, is meant the fecond death, is this: "The refurrection of all men had been spoken of before." Does any man of common fenfe call this reafoning? Is it a thing impoffible for an infpired writer to speak twice upon the fame fubject? There is no difficulty in this to an uninfpired writer, for, in the middle of the above paragraph Mr. W., obferves, "Moft certainly the word death here implies the fecond death; for we are informed in the foregoing chapter of the firft refurrection;" and then after

*Dialogues, p. 62, 63,

a fhort

a fhort digreffion, he returns to the fubject again : "But this must be the fecond death, for the refurrec

tion of all the bodies, both of the juft and unjust, "had been fpoken of before!"

In

The following affords prefumptive evidence, that the word death, in the verfe under confideration, does not mean the fecond death. It appears that all whic.. the Apofile faw from chap. xx. 11, to chap. xxi. 8, inclufive, was one vifion; for the Throne, and the Perfon upon it, are the fame in both places. In this vifion, the punishment of the wicked is twice spoken of in the fame terms, chap. xx. 14, 15.—xxi. 8. both thefe places the lake of fire is explained to be the fecond death. And if John meant the fame in ver. 4, it is frange that neither the lake of fire, nor the fecond death, is mentioned, but fimply death. It is alfo worthy of remark, that the revolutions which will take place after the coming of Chrift on his throne, are particularly specified in the vifion, as the fleeing away of the earth and heaven :—the refurrec tion and judgment of the dead :-the cafting of the wicked into the lake of fire-the creation of the new heaven and the new earth :-and the defcent of the new Jerufalem from heaven; but not a word is faid about the quenching of the flames of hell, or of the refloration of the damned. Was it because that fingular circumftance efcaped the Apofiles notice? for he was commanded to write what he faw in vifion, chap. xxi. 5.-But to proceed to direct proof.

The exemption from death, forrow, and crying, promised in ver. 4, is the exclufive privilege of the inhabitants of the New Jerufalem. And I John faw the

holy city, the New Jerufalem, coming down from "God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of hea ven, faying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they fhall be His people, and God Himfelf fhall be with them,

❝ and