the Judgments of God have brought upon the moft flourishing Countries for the Sins of the Inhabitants; Famine, and Peftilence, and Sword: The Sword, which carries all other Judgments along with it; but God knows, we live in an Age wherein there is no need of haranguing about it; this is feen, and felt, and heard every day; fuch Miseries as are beyond the Defcrip tion of the moft Eloquent Tongue or Pen: God grant we may only hear of them, that we may take warning by what others fuffer, and appeafe the Wrath of God by a timely Repentance.

Now for the fame Reafon, when God judges all Mankind, he will put an end to this prefent State of Things: When Man, for whom this Earth was framed, fhall dwell no longer on it, but all good Men fhall be received into Heaven, and all bad Men condemned to Hell; this World has lafted as long as it was made for, and must now be caft into a new Mould and Frame.

For fo indeed the Scripture reprefents it, not that this World fhall be destroyed, but that it fhall be nevv made; that as the whole Creation is made fubject to Vanity by Adam's Curfe, fo it fhall be redeemed from Vanity and Corruption too, when Man is. It fhall be purged by Fire, and a new Incorruptible World fhall fpritig out of its Afhes, 8. Rom.. 19, 20, 21, 22. For the earnest For the earnest expectation of the Creature (which muft fignify this vifible Creation) waitet b for the Manifeftation of the Sons of God. For the Creature was made fub-. ject to Vanity, hot willingly; but by reason of

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bim who bath fubjected the fame in Hope: Because the Creature it felf also shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God: (Or when the Sons and Children of God fhall be delivered from Corruption.) For we know the whole Creation groaneth, and travelleth in Pain until now. And thus St. Peter tells us, That at the Laft Judgment this World fhall be destroyed with Fire; Neverthelefs we, according to his Promife, look for new Heavens, and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness, 2 Pet. 13. 3. Where St. Peter refers to the Prophecy of Isaiah 65. 17. For bebold, I create new Heavens, and a new Earth; and the former shall not be remembred, nor come into Mind. Which St. Peter understands in a literal Senfe, not merely of a more profperous State of Things in this World.

And thus St. John, at the Conclufion of his Revelations, immediately after his Account of the Laft Judgment, gives us a Defcription of this new Heaven and new Earth, 21. Rev. 1, &c. And I saw a new Heaven, and a new Earth: for the firft Heaven and the firft Earth were passed away, and there was no more Sea. And I John faw the Holy City, 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 Heaven, faying, The Tabernacle of God is with Men, and they shall be his People, and God himself fhall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes; and there shall be no more Death, neither Sorrow, nor Crying; neither Shall there

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be any more Pain; for the former things are paffed away. And the reft of that Book is spent in defcribing the Glory of the Great City, the Holy Jerufalem, the River of the Water of Life, proceeding from the Throne of God, and of the Lamb, and the Tree of Life which bore Twelve manner of Fruits.

These are great Myfteries, which we cannot perfectly understand yet, especially what St. John fays about the new Jerufalem's coming down from Heaven, to take up its Seat and Habitation on this new Earth; that there is the Throne of God, and of the Lamb, where God dwells, and which he enlightens with his Prefence, and from whence he drives away Death, and Sorrow, and Pain; which feems to fignify, that as the old Heavens and old Earth are deftroyed by Fire, in Vengeance on its wicked Inhabitants; fo this new Heaven and new Earth, which God makes after the Deftruction of the old, is the Seat of the Bleffed after their Refurrection from the Dead; which I confefs I know not how to understand.

But this gives a plain account why the Final Judgment, when good Men fhall receive their Final Reward, fhall not be till the end of the World, because this old World must be destroyed before GOD makes those new Heavens and new Earth: The Final Destruction of bad Men will begin with the Deftruction of this old World; and the Rewards and Happiness of good Men fhall be confummated in the new World, whatever that be, where they fhall dwell P 3

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for ever in the immediate Prefence of God, and of the Lamb.

Now that God defers the Day of Judgment to the end of the World, may, 1. Convince us of God's great Patience and Longfuffering towards Sinners; for he forbears their Execution as long as he can forbear deftroying the World; and that we may be sure is as long as Wisdom and Juftice will permit: To deftroy a World is a Work of as great Wisdom and Counfel, as to make one; nay, the Divine Goodnefs will eafily juftify the making of a World at any time; for no time is unfit to exercife fuch Acts of Goodness as will justify themselves; but for God to deftroy the World which he has made, without great neceffity for it, reflects upon his Wisdom and Goodness in making it: The wife Maker of the World can have no Inclination to destroy it; and though the Juftice of Providence may require fome more hafty Executions to maintain good Order and Government, and to give check to Vice, yet the Final Deftruction of the World requires all wife Delays; and Sinners can expect no more of God, than to defer their Final Sentence as long as he can defer the end of the World. It is great pity that fuch Goodnefs and Patience fhould be fo monftroufly abused; that Men fhould harden themselves in Sin, and conclude, that God will not judge the World, because he is fo unwilling to deftroy it; but this will justify the Severity of the Laft Judgment, that it is not the effect of a hafty and fudden Fury, but of mature Counfef;

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that God did not want Goodness to fpare Sinners, as long as Wisdom and Juftice could fpare them. To be flow to execute Judgment, is as effential to Goodness, as it is to Juftice at laft to punish: And to conclude that God will not punifh at all, because he is patient, and delays to punish, is to prove that God cannot be Juft, because he is Good.

2. That God deftroys the world when he judges it, is an undeniable Proof of the Severity of the Laft Judgment; for what a terrible Vengeance is that which fires the world, and diffolves this present Frame of Nature? This is a fiery indignation indeed to devour the Adverfary, 10. Heb. 27. when bad Men and wicked Spirits fhall be encompaffed with Flames and Smoke, without any poffibility to efcape; for whither can they fly out of a fired world? when the Heavens shall pass away with a great noife, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and all that is therein shall be burnt up.

There are a great many brave Sinners, who mock at Fear, and harden themselves against Hell it felf; but if they can be serious but for fome few Minutes, let them imagine all the world on fire about them; the Heavens covered with thick Darkness, and the whole Earth but one Vulcano, one Etna, or Vefuvius, vomiting up Rivers of Burning Sulphur,and themselves plunged in the midft of it; let them try how they can bear this Thought, before they laugh at Hell: for this will certainly be the ftate of Sinners at the day of Judgment: And should not this make us fear and