the Lord Jefus Chrift will come in flaming Fire, to render Vengeance on them that know not God, nor that bave obeyed the Gospel.

But to confider fome Verfes in that of Peter, we read Verfe 10. That the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night, (that is fudden and unexpected, at least by the ungodly who fhall then be living) in the which the Heavens fhall pass away with a great Noife, (by the Heavens paffing away, Refpects the outward Form or Figure of thefe vifible Heavens, and not the Subftance of them, which will fuffer a great Change, but infinitely for the better) and the Elements hall melt with fervent heat, the Earth alfo and the Works that are therein, fall be burnt up.

Now by the Elements melting with fervent Heat, cannot be understood of thofe four Elements commonly expreffed by the Names of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water; because I cannot fee how the Element of Fire fhould melt the Element of Water, which, according to its proper Nature, is for putting out of the Fire; nor that the Fire fhould melt the Air, which is not a fit matter, either to be melted or deftroyed by the Element of Fire; only fo far it fhall affect it, as to purify and cleanfe it, from its naufeous Infections. Again, How fhould Fire melt the Element of Fire? That looks like an Inconfiftence: It is not in theNature of Fire to melt or deftroy its own Element. Therefore by the Elements melting with fervent Heat, I do apprehend, that fuch will be this great Fire of the laft Day, in the Conflagration of the World, that all grofs and elementary Matter, fuch as is fit and fuitable for this Fire to feize upon, both on the Earth and in

the

the Air, will be either refined or deftroyed by it. As for the Earth, and the Works that are therein being burnt up; I do not understand the Subftance of the Earth to be meant, but the outward Works, Frame, or Figure thereof; or the Wicked and Urgodly who fhall then be found living on the Earth, together with all the wicked Ads and finful Works of Men. These fhall be all of them confumed and deftroyed. That fo the Earth may be purged and refined, by this Fire, from the Curfe, Pollution, and defilement, which by the Sin of Man came upon the Earth. Which Fire will not only purge the Earth, but the Air and all the vifible Heavens, fo far as the Pollution and Contagion of Sin hath reached. As for the Imperial or third Heaven, we have no Ground to believe fhall ever be touched or affected with this Fire, because it was not defiled with Sin as the other was.

Then it must be thefe Aerial Heavens that this Fire will have fuch Effect upon, fo as to refine and purge it from all its grofs Fos, Mifts, and nauseous Vapours, which now it is fo much filled with. This being fignified by the Word melting, as Metals by being melted are purged and refined from their · Drofs, fo fhall it be at this time; for what this Fire cannot confume, or deftroy, shall be purged and refined by it. Which will make the Earth and the vifible Heavens appear as glorious, if not beyond what they were in their firft Creation; and fo confequently meet to be inhabited by the Lord Jefus Chrift, and all the innumerable Company of glorified Saints, together with the bleffed Angels, who fhall afcend and descend upon, or unto the .

Son

Son of Man during the time of Chrift's Perfonal Reign and Kingdom.

That this must be fo, appears undeniable from what follows, where we have nothing lefs than the new Heavens and a new Earth promifed, as in v. 13. Nevertheless we according to his Promife, Look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteoufnefs. This we fee is promised immediately upon the Deftruction, or changing of the old; which new Heavens and Earth agree, and are the fame, with the time of the perfonal Reign and Kingdom of Chrift, in the thousand Years Glory. And therefore this great Fire, or the burning up this World that now is, muft be before the thousand Years begin; when the Lord Jefus Chrift fhall perfonally defcend from Heaven. For when the Apoftle had acquainted the Saints, that the Heavens and the Earth fhould be on Fire, and that the Elements fhould melt with fervent Heat, the Works that are therein fhould be burned up; he prefently tells them, that, with a Nevertheless or a Notwithstanding, we according to bis Promife look for new Heavens and a new Earth: As if he fhould fay, though the Heavens and the Earth will be all on a fire, and all elementary Matters will melt, the Earth and the Works (all wicked and finful Works) fhall be burned up: Nevertheless we according to his Promife look for new Heavens and new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteoufnefs. The Lord had promised this by the Prophet Ifaiab long before, Chap. lxv. v. 17. For behold I create new Heavens, and a new Earth'; and the former fhall not be remember'd, nor come into mind. This is the Promife which the Apoftle had his Eye upon, nevertheless, notwithstanding

this great Conflagration, and the Change that this Fire will make in the vifible Creation of the Earth and Heavens, we look for new Heavens and a new Earth immediately to take Place, wherein nothing but Righteoufnefs fhall dwell; nothing that finneth or defileth fhall enter into it, becaufe the Inhabitants fhall then be all righteous. The Change which this Fire will make upon the Heavens and the Earth, will be fo glorious, as that it will look like a new Creation. These new Heavens and Earth are made mention of by the Apostle John, Rev. xxi. i. in his Defcription of the New Jerufalem, coming down from God out of Heaven. Which fhews that this is to be a ftate upon the Earth, in the Kingdom of Chrift, during that bleffed Millenium.

It evidently appears then that the Fire mentioned by Peter will be at the beginning of the thousand Years, but the Fire that is to come down uponGog and Magog, will not be until the End thereof. Which Fire I do understand to be no other than the vifible Wrath of God manifefted from Heaven, in destroying that wicked Attempt which will be made by the Magog Army Upon which the laft,or the Judgment among the wicked, is immediately to take Place, and they immediately to appear before the Tribunal, or Judgment Seat of Jefus Chrift.

Verse 10. And the Devil that deceived them, was caft into the Lake of Fire and Brimftone, where the Beaft and falfe Prophet are, and fhall be tormented Day and Night for ever and ever.

Now,

Now, though thefe Words come in before the Defcription of the White Throne, mentioned in the next Verfe, by which the laft and general Judgment of all the Ungodly is to be understood: Yet I look upon thefe Words to be only an Account given us, of what is like to be the Lot, End and Portion of this Gog and Magog Army, together with the Devil that deceived them; which was a being caft into the Lake of Fire and Brimftone, where the Beaft and falfe Prophets are faid to be, as their only and Proper Place. Otherwife the time when this Gog and Magog fhall be caft into the Lake, (excepting the Beast and falfe Prophets, with the rest of all the wicked, who will be there (at this time) before, in respect of their Souls) I do conceive will not be until the laft Judgment is over, when they fhall be caft there Soul and Body together. For 'tis ufual, as may be feen in many Places of Scripture, to make mention of that firft, which oftentimes does not come in until afterwards; and that laft which is to be understood firft. As in the firft Chapter of Genefis, where we read, that God created Man in his own Image, Male and Female, Verse 27. Which was done upon the fixth Day; and yet in Chapter the fecond, we have an Account, that thus Heavens and the Earth were finished, and all the Hofts of them. And in Verfe 5. For the Lord God had not caufed it to rain upon the Earth, and there was not a Man to till the Ground. This feems to look as if the Creation of Man was not until after the fixth Day's Creation had been ended. Whereas it is certain Adam and Eve muft be both created in the beginning of the fixth Day. Cnly we have here a larger account given us, as

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