are fome things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other fcriptures, unto their own DESTRUCTION."

Paul tells of fome who are fitted for deftruction.

Rom. ix 22, "What if God, willing to fhew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longfuffering the veffels of wrath fitted for DESTRUCTION.

Here is the teftimony of Christ and the apoftles concerning the DESTRUCTION of the wicked; Chrift tells us of the way that leads to DESTRUCTION. Paul tells us of the veffels of wrath fitted for DESTRUCTION; that the end of the wicked is DESTRUCTION; that at the day of the Lord, fudden DESTRUCTION fhall come on them, and they fhall not escape. That at that day the wicked fhall be punished with everlasting DESTRUCTION from the prefence of the Lord. Peter fays, they wreft the fcriptures to their own DESTRUCTION; and bring on themselves fwift DESTRUCTION. If all this can take place, and yet the wicked exist eternally in a state of mifery, then I confefs language is an impofition, and we must conclude that the bible fays one thing and means another. Having mentioned what Chrift and the apoftles have faid concerning the DESTRUCTION of the wicked, I add the testimony of the prophets on this fubject. There are none of the prophets who have more plainly pointed out the DESTRUCTION of the wicked, than the prophet Job. See Job xxi. 18, 20, 30, "They are as ftubble before the wind, and as chaff that the ftorm carrieth away. His eyes fhall fee his DESTRUCTION, and he fhall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. That the wicked is referved to the day of DESTRUCTION, they fhall be brought forth to the day of wrath." Job xxxi. 3, "Is not DESTRUCTION to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity" This DESTRUCTION was terrible to Job. See ver. 23, "For DESTRUCTION from God was a terror to me, and by reafon of his highness I could not endure.” David fpeaks of this DESTRUCTION of the wicked; Pfalm xxxv. 8, "Let DESTRUCTION come upon him at unawares, and let his net that he hath hid catch himfeif; into that very DESTRUCTION let bim fall." No perfon

ever gave a more ftriking defcription of the end of the wicked than Afaph. Pfalm lxxiii. 3, "For I was envi-.. ous at the foolish, when I saw the profperity of the wick'ed. Verse 17, 18, 19, 20, “Until I went into the fanctuary of God; then underfood I their END. Surely thou didft fet them in flippery places; thon caftedst them down to DESTRUCTION. How are they brought into defolation as in a moment! They are utterly confumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; fo, O Lord, when thou awakeft, thou shalt defpife their image." Solomon has spoken of this DESTRUCTION of the wicked in a plain and striking manner. What he has faid are the words of Chrift through him, to those who are reproved by his Spirit. Prov. i. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, "Turn ye at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my fpirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refufed; I have tretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have fet at nought all my counfel, and would none of my reproof; I will alfo laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as defolation, and your DESTRUCTION Cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you; then fhall they call upon me, but I will not anfwer; they fhall feek me early, but they shall not find me.' x. 29, "The way of the Lord is ftrength to the upright; but DESTRUCTION fhall be to the workers of iniquity." Chap. xxi. 15, "It is joy to the juft to do judgment; but DESTRUCTION fhall be to the workers of iniquity."

Prov.

Isaiah has written upon this fame fubject. See Isaiah i. 28, "And the DESTRUCTION of the tranfgreffors and of the finners fhall be together, and they that forfake the Lord fhall be confumed." Chap. x. 25, "For yet a very little while, and the indignation fhall ceafe, and mine anger in their DESTRUCTION."

In thefe quotations from the prophets, it is faid that the wicked fhall fee their DESTRUCTION ;-that they are referved to the day of deftruction that DESTRUCTION is to the wicked, and a ftrange punishment to the workers of iniquity;-that DESTRUCTION fhall come up

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on the wicked at unawares ;-that their end is being caft down to DESTRUCTION, and to be brought into defolation in a moment. That their DESTRUCTION fhould be like a whirlwind ;-that DESTRUCTION shall be to the workers of iniquity;-that the DESTRUCTION of the tranfgreffors and the finners fhall be together. And that God's indignation and anger fhall ceafe in their DESTRUCTION.

Can any man of common sense read these places, and believe that the wicked will exist eternally in mifery; or be punished a while, and then be made happy? Both of thefe doctrines are contrary to the plain declarations of the word of God; and no perfon would ever think, from what the fcripture fays, that the wicked will exift eternally in wo, or that after their end in DESTRUCTION comes, they will be again restored to life and happiness., 4. PERISH is another word ufed to defcribe the laft end of the wicked.

The word PERISH does not always mean to make a final end; but an end of the state the perfon is then in. It is faid, Ifaiah lvii. 1, "The righteous PERISHETH, and no man layeth it to heart." Here the righteous perifh as to their bodies, and if there was no refurrection, this would be perifhing utterly. I Cor. xv. 17, 18, "And if Chrift be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your fins; then they alfo which are fallen afleep in Chrift are PERISHED." When the righteous die, they perish off of the earth, and if there is no refurrection, they finally perish. When the word perifh is used to defcribe the ftate of the wicked after the day of judgment, it means the fame as death and destruction; it is an end to the foul and body. Jefus and the apostles often used this word to defcribe the end of unbelievers. John iii. 15, 16, That whofoever believeth in him should not PERISH, but have eternal life. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofo-. ever believeth in him fhould not PERISH, but have everlafting life. John x. 28, "And I give unto them eternal life, and they fhall never PERISH." Acts xiii. 41, "Behold, ye defpifers, and wonder, and PERISH." I Cor. i. 18, "For the preaching of the crofs is to them that

PERISH, foolishnefs; but unto us which are faved, it is the power of God." 2 Cor. ii. 15, "For we are unto

God a fweet favour of Christ in them that are faved, and them that PERISH."

In all thefe places to PERISH is put in oppofiton to eternal life, or being faved. If the wicked live forever, they will have an eternal life of mifery instead of happinefs. Eternal life means to exift or have a being forev er; to PERISH means to cease to be forever. PERISH is put in oppofition to falvation. To be faved is to be delivered from death ;-to perish is to be deprived of life forever. To know what Chrift and the apoftles mean by PERISHING, we must find the time when the wicked will perish. Paul fays, Rom. ii. 12, 16, "For as many as have finned without law, fhall perish without law, and as many as have finned in the law fhall be judged by the law-in the day when God fhall judge the fe crets of men by Jefus Chrift, according to my gofpel." The time when finners will perish, is in the day when the fecrets of men are judged; which will be at the last day." They will not perish in a temporary man ner, or as to happinefs; but they will perish without any remedy. 2 Pet. ii. 12, "But these as natural brute beafts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and fhall utterly perish in their own corruptions."

Let us now enquire what the prophets have faid concerning the perifhing of the wicked.

Job fays, chap. iv. 8, 9, 20, "Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity, and fow wickedness, reap the fame; by the blaft of God they perish, and by the breath of his noftrils are they confumed. They are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish forever without any regarding it." Chap. xx. 6, 7, "That the triumphing of the wicked is fhort, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; yet he fhall perish forever like his own dung; they which have feen him fhall fay, Where is he? He fhall fly away as a dream, and fhall not be found, yea he shall be chaf

ed away as a vifion of the night. The eye alfo which faw him, fhall fee him no more; neither fhall his place any more behold him."

David fays, pfalm ii. 12, "Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." Pfal. xxxvii. 20, “But the wicked fhall perish,and the enemies of the Lord fhall be as the fat of lambs; they fhall confume; into smoke fhall they confume away." Pfal. lxviii. 2, "As fmoke is driven away, fo drive them away? as wax melteth before the fire, fo let the wicked perish at the prefence of the Lord." Pfal. Ixxiii. 27, "For lo, they that are far from thee fhall perish" Prov. xix. 9, "

"A falfe witnefs fhall not be unpunished; and he that fpeaketh lies shall perish."

In thefe teftimonies it is faid that the wicked perish by the blaft of God ;-that they perish forever;-that he thall perish like his own dung ;-that they fhall fly away like a dream, and be chafed away like a vision;-that those who do not kifs the Son fhall perish from the way; -that they fhall perish and be like the fat of lambs which confumes away;-that as fmoke is driven away, so shall they be driven away-that they that are far from God. fhall perish; and that he that fpeaketh lies fhall perish. All these things are faid of the wirked. Can all this take place, and the wicked exift forever in mifery? Can all this take place, and yet the wickedbe punifhed and come out of it, and be eternally happy! If they receive either an eternal existence in mifery, or a temporary punishment and come out, then the word of God does not mean as it fays.

5. PERDITION is another word ufed to defcribe the laft ftate or end of the wicked. This word fignifies utter ru in, or eternal death. A death not like the first death, which will end in life at the refurrection, but a death which will ever remain without any life afterwards.

The word perdition is used only in the New-Teftament, Paul applies it to those who trouble the faints, Philip. i. 28,"And in nothing terrified by your adverfaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of falvation, and that of the Lord." This word is here