AN INDEX TO THE FAMILY EXPOSITOR. REFERRING CHIEFLY TO SUCH ARTICLES AS ARE NOT POINTED OUT BY THE TEXT ITSELF. N. B. The Volumes are distinguished by the Roman numbers; and where no volame is marked, it belongs to that which is mentioned last. A A. ROS, importance of his family to the Jewi, vi. 35 L Priesthood in its a proof of the dice legislation ib. Alaru and Christ, v. 81. their letters Atreet, Decessary to cure epileptic Arbor visits Paul, vill 19 La Arts, scharged by the Jet vs, vi. 394 c. Arteous disomer the man, vi`. 235. L Add son, Mr. his rermarks are vi. 222 L 241. k. Vil (98. a Admonition, how to be given, v Adoption, what, vill 471.di criticisms, different forms of it among the 461.c. as on to Alertur on Simon's gail of bitterness, vili. 23.£ Acre, what it assigns to hypocrites, vii. 258. h. .ters, more than one under the law, vii. 491.2. Areas, the high priest, a person of aa infamous character, vi 240. c, d. Arc'h-me-notes-stes, the big sectence of excommcn.cation, viL 322. a. ix. 115. e. Angels, often applied to men, and render ed messenter, &c. vii. 146. e. v: i. 81. h. Anres, (good) ecccerned in miting the power of ceris, x. 406. h. Arges, (evn) vide dr... and Ssten. Aiger, whether possible to he angry with out sin, IX. 36. L. Variety of phrases used in proe biting it, ix. 373- a to be especially avo dei in prayer, ix. 183 g. Amenting the sick with oil, way used by the apostics, v 403 Antices in Syria, who first planted the gospel there, vili ja 2 Romans, Artbeter, concerned in seeking the death of Christ, vi. 85. L. Adriatic sea, viii. 288, 2. Afflictions, their use, vi. 314. c.: eat, vi Antoninus, remarkable expression of his Apecargon enspels, not referred to by Abdo, whence called Py hiar, vill. 145 C Apostates, the apostles reproving them with great freedom, shows they feared on discovery they could make, v. 580. 4chuf, b. 550 xxiii. Reflections on the future judgment. SECT. to which they were now united, these persons, as lake of fire; This is it appeared, were cast into the lake of fire, which the second death. I have before described, and of which I said, that Rev. in the book of life, was XX. 15. this is the second death'. And as the register, 15 And whosoever which God, in pursuance of his counsels of was not found written everlasting love, had kept of those, whom it cast into the lake of was his gracious purpose, agreeable to the tenor fire. of his gospel, to save, was complete, I saw, that if any one were not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire: so that this was the awful end of the whole human race, to be plunged into that flaming and eternal ruin, or to be received into those abodes of glory, which I am next to describe, under the figure of a new heaven, and a new earth, (Compare Rev. xxi. 1. note 2.) Ver. IMPROVEMENT. We have here a most affecting view before us, of that important event, in which we are all so intimately concerned. Whatever the 5 first resurrection may import, or that glorious reign of a thousand 4 years, (which probably intimates a signal revival of the Christian cause in the world, and a display of its influence beyond what hath yet been known,) I say, whatever these events may particularly 11 intend, the illustrious day, in which heaven and earth is to pass away, demands the attention of all mankind. For the dead, both small and great, whether buried in the earth or the sea, must then 11, 12 stand before God: Therefore let all the living, both small and great, seriously weigh the solemnity and importance of that appearance. Let them often look forward to the awful period, when the glorious throne shall be set, the important volumes opened, which contain the record of our lives and actions, and of God's gracious and merciful transactions with us. We must be judged according to our works; that God, before whom all our ways are, and who searches all our hearts, will bring every work into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Let us judge ourselves impartially, that we be not condemned of the Lord; 13 1 Death and hades were cast into the lake that which he insinuates from this passage, and plain meaning is, there shall be no more separate state. And this, I think, clearly overthrows that hypothesis, which sup¡poses this last fire will kill those that are thrown into it, and that their separate spi rits will for ever remain in that misery, which must be the consequence of having lost happiness and hope, while they retain their thinking powers; a doctrine, which Dr. Whitby has strangely taught in his Append. to 2 Tness, chap i. The vision of a new heaven and a new earth; 551 xxiii. and conscious how unable we should be to stand in that judgment, SECT. if God were rigorous to lay justice to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, let us humbly apply to the throne of mercy, to the Ver. blood of his Son, to the grace of his gospel-covenant. So shall 6 we find mercy of the Lord in that day, and be the priests of God, and of Christ, and reign with him, not a thousand years alone, but for everlasting ages. In the mean time, let those who have no reverence for his majesty, who have no esteem for his gospel, who have never taken this awful alarm, who have never fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them, tremble at these awakening views. Let them all, of every condition, both small and great, say in their hearts, Who shall dwell with devouring flames, and lie down in everlasting burnings, even in this lake of fire, into which every one who is not found written in the book of life, shall be cast, and where 15 the wretched victims of Divine justice shall be tormented for ever and ever? How melancholy does the face of our earth appear, when we reflect on the reign of Satan on it, on the influence of the dragon, and the beast, and the false prophet! O Lord, cut short their power; 1, 2, 3 send down the angel that has the key of the bottomless pit, to bind this destroyer; yea, when he shall be loosed for a season, moderate 7, 8 his rage; support thy saints under the terror of every assault, till thou appear to the last confusion of their enemies, till thou appear to close this perplexing scene, by the wise and glorious catastrophe of all things; when it shall be seen, that the souls of them who were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, were not lost, and that it was wisdom strenuously to refuse the mark of the beast, and the homage so generally paid to his image, though men might neither buy nor sell, nor enjoy their liberty, nor their lives, without mak ing an entire submission to it, 4, 5 SECT. XXIV. The solemn introduction to the glorious vision of the new heaven and the new earth with a declaration of the blessing to attend the faithful and courageous conqueror, and the misery to be inflicted on impious and wicked offenders. Rev. XXI. 1-8. REV. XXI. 1. AND I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first AND REVELATION XXI. 1. ND when this scene of things was passed SECT. away, another most glorious and delightful xxiv. one opened upon me; for I saw a new heaven, earth were passed a- and a new carth, wherein I knew righteousness XXI. 1. was ever to dwell, for the former heaven, and heaven and the first way; the Rev. 552 xxiv. And of the New Jerusalem, coming down from God. no more sea. SECT. the former earth was passed away, as I said be- way; and there was more beautiful and excellent than the face of bride adorned for her husband, 2 a vastly greater number of inhabitants: And 2 And I John saw a The sea was no more.] The consequence which Dr. Thomas Burnet hath drawn from hence, in his theory, to prove there was no sea in the paradisaical state, is so manifestly absurd, that I need urge nothing against it. For it is certain, were God to cover the whole sea with dry land, the earth must quickly perish, as well as much of its commerce be destroyed. But a world more populous, than this can be, while the sea takes up so large a part of its surface, might well be expressed by such a figurative vision. As for this account of the new heaven and the earth in general commentators, have been divided. Some have thought it represents the happy state of the church upon earth, during the Millennium. A very ingenious writer, I mean, Mr. Worthington, in his Treatise of the Extent and Progress of Redemption, endeavours to prove that it is intended to represent a yet more perfect and durable period of prosperity, which shall be enjoyed upon this earth, after the Millennium; and when the paradisaical state shall be yet more fully restored, by the more abundant progressive influence of the gospel. But, on weighing the whole matter, I must declare myself of the opinion of those divines, who understand it as an emblematical description of the happiness which the saints are to enjoy in heaven after the resurrection, and to enjoy for ever; when, according to the preceeding descriptions, the dead shall be judged according to their works, when this heaven and earth shall have passed away with a great noise, and the elements shall be 3 And I heard a great will dwell with himself have melted with fervent heat, as St. John and St. Peter concur to describe it; and when death and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire, with all that are not written in the book of life: Phrases, which, I think, cannot be explained properly of any event, but those of the day of universal judgment. And it is certain, that if we do not go into this interpretation of them, there is no view given us of the final catas trophe of things on this earth of ours, in this comprehensive prophecy, though intended to represent the triumph of Christianity; which seems in theory a very improbable supposition. b Descending from God out of heaven.] I apprehend he saw in the vision an ap pearance of a city, which seemed, like the sheet which Peter saw, to be let down from heaven, and appeared pendent, as it were, in the air, in such a view, that the foundations were visibly distinguishable from the superstructure; and this be considered, not as actually the abode of the blessed, but as a figurative representation of the holi ness and felicity in which they were to dwell; so that it was a type of what the church itself should be. To interpret it therefore, as if there were now such a city made in heaven, and by angelic power to be brought down to earth, and settled upon some spot of it, is so wild, and romantic a thought, that one would wonder any one person of learning and understanding should ever have embraced it. Compare Hallett's Notes and Discourses, Vol. I. p. 200. See Isa. liv. 11, 12. c He |