from it. Compare Dr. John Warren's Sermons, Vol. 2. Ser. II. p. 249, &c.

No. XI.

Matt. xii. 31, 32. Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men: but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto Men.

And whosoever speaketh a Word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this World, neither in the World to come.

Here Mr. W. observes; "That some Sins not forgiven "in this World or Age, will be forgiven in the World or Age to come, seems very clear from this Text." But why did he not observe too, that it is likewise clear from this Text, (for the Text plainly declares it,) that there is one Sin which will never be forgiven? And what if it should not be any peculiar Heinousness in the Nature of this particular Sin, that renders it incapable of Pardon; but rather that the Persons guilty of it are thereby suppos'd to be totally harden'd, and fix'd in an incurably wicked Temper? Then, one would think, it should follow, that every Sin which concludes in final Obduracy, and the same incurably wicked Temper, should by Parity of Reason, and the same Rule of Justice, be liable to the same Condemnation. In short, it is much clearer from this Text that some Sin shall never be forgiven, than that some Sins not forgiven in this World, will be forgiven in the World to come. The former is the express Declaration of the Text; the latter is only an Inference drawn from

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an ambiguous Expression, which may imply no such thing. This World, or Age, and the World, or Age, to come, as the Parts of a Whole, may be put to signify that Whole itself; and then the Meaning will be, that the Person guilty of this Sin, will never be forgiven. Such a manner of speaking is familiar enough in Scripture; and that it is no more than such a Mode of Speech in this place, I am the rather inclin'd to believe, because St. Mark and St. Luke express the same thing without any such Distinction: He hath never forgiveness, says the former, Mark iii. 29. It shall not be forgiven, says the latter, Luke xii. 10.1

No. XII.

Matt. xiii. 30, 40, 41, 42. Let both grow together until the Harvest: And in the time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers, gather ye together first the Tares, and bind them in Bundles to burn them: But gather the Wheat into my Barn. See No. II.

1 See a larger Account of this Text, in Archbishop Wake's Discourse of Purgatory; printed in the late Preservative against Popery, in Folio; Vol. 2. Tit. viii. p. 119. And in Chemnicius, ubi sup. Præterea tempus futuri Seculi, de tempore post Resurrectionem mortuorum in Scriptura accipitur. Adventus enim Christi ad Judicium, faciet finem huic Seculo. Matt. xiii. 24. Et quando qui bona egerunt, ibunt post Resurrectionem in vitam æternam, Johan. vi. illud tempus vocatur futurum Seculum, Marc. x. et Luc. xx. Tempus Resurrectionis expresse vocatur tempus futuri Seculi. Quando igitur Matthæus nominat futurum Seculum, intelligit extremum Judicium post Resurrectionem mortuorum. Malè ergo de intermedio tempore inter Mortem et Resurrectionem exponitur. So that here is nothing said in this Text, of Forgiveness in this intermediate State; which however is the Season of Purgatory with the Papists, and of castigatory Punishments in Hades with Mr. W.

40. As therefore the Tares are gathered, and burnt in the Fire; so shall it be in the End of this World. 41. The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels, and

they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do Iniquity;

42. And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth.

This Parable of the Tares contains some noble Instructions, on Subjects of a very high Importance, which have always perplex'd the Inquiries of Mankind: such as the Origin of Evil, the Conduct and Designs of Providence in permitting it, the true Notion of human Life as a State of Trial; where there must be some Mixture of Evil as an Exercise of Virtue, and for the Proof and Manifestation of Fidelity and Obedience.1 But this Plan of Providence will one day be finished; and when it is so, we are here assured, an entire Separation will be made between the two Sorts of Men, (for only two Sorts are suppos'd) the Good and the Evil. The former shall go to receive their Reward, Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father; the latter, to their Place of Punishment; they shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire. That this will utterly destroy them, is not said; nor, if

1 Magnæ hoc disputationis est; cur à Deo, cum justitiam terræ daret, sit retenta Diversitas :-Nunc designare id brevissime satis est: Virtutem aut cerni non posse, nisi habeat vitia contraria; aut non esse perfectam, nisi exerceatur adversis. Hanc enim Deus bonorum, ac malorum voluit esse distantiam, ut qualitatem boni ex malo sciamus, item mali ex bono; nec alterius ratio intelligi, sublato altero, potest. Deus ergo non exclusit malum, ut ratio virtutis constare posset. Lactant. Lib. v. Cap. 7. Confer Lib. vi. C. 15.

contrary to Reason and Scripture, in other places, to be suppos'd. Here is mention of wailing and gnashing of Teeth, which so far must imply Continuance in Being; but no hint of Annihilation. As little, (or, if possible, less) ground is there to expect, from this Parable, or the Explanation of it, any future State of Trial for these wicked, or any Restoration of them to Happiness, and the Favour of God. We are rather here plainly taught, on the contrary, that as the present World is a State of Probation, so this Probation will be decisive and final. Therefore, as our Saviour concludes, who hath Ears to hear, let him hear.

No. XIII.

Matt. xiii. 49, 50. So shall it be at the End of the World: The Angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just; and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire: There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth.

This Parable of the Net cast into the Sea, which gather'd of every kind, represents to us the Nature of Christ's Kingdom in this World; that it consists of good and bad: But assures us, at the same time, that it shall not be always so. As the Fishermen gather'd the good Fish into Vessels, but cast the bad αναγ (τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον, not put them into the Sea again to improve against some other time, but cast them quite away, as corrupt, and good for nothing;) so, at the End of the World, will the Angels sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them (not into another State of Probation,) into

their place of Punishment: There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth. Compare No. XII.

No. XIV.

Matt. xviii. 8, 9.—It is better for thee to enter into Life halt or maimed, rather than having two Hands or two Feet, to be cast into everlasting Fire-ver. 9. It is better for thee to enter into Life with one Eye, rather than having two Eyes to be cast into Hellfire.

Here Mr. Whiston says, "These two Expressions are "for certain, directly parallel, and neither of them at "all imply the proper Eternity of Hell-torments." 1

We have heard this Fire call'd unquenchable before; see No. II. but as this is the first Place where we meet with everlasting Fire (τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, the Fire which is everlasting,) we must consider here what has been suggested in diminution of the Meaning of that Phrase. Mr. W. here and every where, renders it lasting Fire: Το ζωὴ αἰώνιος, with him, is only lasting Life; for, according to his Scheme, neither the Blessed, nor the Wicked, are to exist really for ever, in the Sense of a proper Eternity. One Argument therefore commonly insisted on by Divines for the proper Eternity of these Torments, is, as to Mr. W. himself at least, precluded: I mean that taken from the same Words being used to express the Eternity of Hell-torments, which are used in Scripture to express the Eternity of the Joys of Heaven. However, this Consideration ought still to have its

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