never called the world. Though the commandments of the ceremonial law are called elements, or rudiments, in allusion to the elements, or rudiments of a language, yet they are never so called in allusion to the elements, which belong to the natural system of the world. The abrogation of the ceremonial law is expressed by the fleeing away of shadows; but never by burning, melting, and dissolving. The Mosaic elements, or the ceremonial law, and its precepts, were already abolished, when Peter wrote this epistle. And likewise, the new heavens and the new earth, if by them are meant the evangelical state, or gospel church state; that also had already taken place, and Peter was an instrument in the forming of it.

II. The words are to be understood literally; yet not of a partial burning of some particular place or city. The destruction here spoken of, is of equal extent with the destruction of the world by the flood. No such events happened at the destruction of Jerusalem, as the passing away of the heavens with a great noise, a fervent heat in them, to the liquefaction of the elements. Nor was this destruction so desirable a thing as to be looked for with pleasure, it is expressly said to be at the day of judgment. The nature and extent of this burning, will appear, 1. From partial burnings; which may be considered as types, emblems, and pressages of the univer sal burning, as, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. The destruction of Jerusalem, Matt. xxiv. 3. The burning of the beast, of antichrist, and of the antichristian states, Dan. vii. 911. and the destruction of Gog and Magog, or the Turk, will be by fire; the Lord will rain upon him an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone, Ezex. xxxviii. 22. Now these several partial burnings, at least, make that possible and probable. 11. The probability of the universal conflagration, may be argued from the preparations in nature, for the apostle says, that the hea• vens and the earth are now, are kept in store; it is cer tain, there are various Valcano's or burning mountains, in dif. ferent parts of the world. And there is not only a preparation

making in the earth, but in the heaven also, where there is a great store of materials fit for this purpose provided; witness the fiery meteors in them, the blazing comets, which some. times appear, and are always in being, though not always seen by us; and those vast bodies of light and fire, the sun and stars, and the vast quantities of matter which occasion such dreadful thunders and lightenings, when these things are considered, the general conflagration of the world, will seem neither impossible nor improbable; but rather it may be wondered at, and thought a miracle, that the earth has not been destroyed by fire long ago. Let the atheist, the infidel, the profane and careless sinner, tremble at this. Pliny, the heathen, observing the many fires in the earth and in the heavens, says, "It exceeds all miracles, that one day should pass and all things not put into a conflagration," 11. What may make the doctrine of the universal conflagration probable is, that it has been believed in all ages, and by all sorts of persons. Josephus says, that Adam foretold the destruction of all things, at one time by the force of fire; and at another time, by the violence and multitude of water; and therefore the pos terity of Seth built two pillars, one of brick and the other of stone, on which they inscribed their inventions; this same tradition has been embraced by poets and philosophers, it is the observation of many writers, that the Stoic philosophers held the conflagration of the world by fire; that men of different nations, and ages, and sentiments, should agree in this, makes IV. That the world, and all it probable that so it may be. things in it, shall at last be consumed by fire, may be concluded from the sacred scriptures. From Psal. i. 3. Our God shall come &c. From Psal. xcvii. 3-5. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. From Isai xxiv. From Isai. lxvi. 15, 16. For behold the Lord will come with fire, &c. From the various passages in the minor pro

phets; particularly in Nahum i. 3-5.

Some passages in Zeph. i. seem to look this way.

It will be needless to take notice of passages in the New. Testament; since the famous one in Peter, and the text in

2 Thess. i. 7, 8. has been often quoted and referred to. I

ceed.

pro.

v. To answer some queries relative to it; As 1. with what sort of fire the world will be burnt. Not with fire taken in a figurative sense, but in a literal sense. The world will be destroyed by fire much in the same manner as it was by water: the stores of fire in the heavens being opened, and great quan. tities issuing out of the bowels of the earth, these joining together will bring on their speedy dissolution. 2. What will be the extent of this burning? or how far, and to what will it reach? To the heavens, the elements, the earth, and all the works in it.To the heavens; not to the third heaven: it is a question whether it will reach the starry heaven, or at all affect the luminaries of the sun, moon, and stars. But it will be the airy heaven, that will be the subject of the conflagra. tion, the atmosphere about us, the surrounding air, and meteors in it; the earth, and all the works that are in it; the whole terraqueous globe, both land and sea. This fire will reach to all the living creatures in the earth, land and sea, the works of God's hands. It will be extended to all the works of nature, mountains, bills, and rocks, metals and minerals in the bowels of them, and all that cover and ornament them, trees, herbs, plants, and flowers. It will consume all the works of art, all literary works, lands, possessions, and inheritances, with all the writings of men.

Here let it be observed for the comfort of the saints, that there are many things which will escape the general conflagration; as the Book of life, in which the names of God's elect are written; the Covenant of grace, which contains the mag na charta of their salvation; the Word of God, as it is the engrafted word in their hearts, and the title to the heavenly inheritance. 3. The next query is, whether the earth shall be dissolved by fire, as to its substance, or only as to its qualities? There are persons of great note on both sides of the question, and the arguments of each are not despicable: but I rather

incline to the latter, that the world will only be destroyed with respect to its qualities.

Those who suppose that the world will be only destroyed, as to the qualities of it, argue also from reason and scripture. 1. From reason; they observe that the old world which perished by the flood, was not destroyed as to its substance. 11. They likewise produce passages of scripture, and argue from them, against the substantial destruction of the world, and for the change of it only; as Psal. civ. 5. and Eccles. i. 4. as Psal. cii. 26. Isai. li. 6. and Acts iii. 21. But of this more in the following chapter.

OF THE NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH, AND. THE INHABITANTS OF THEM.

THIS is clearly revealed in the sacred scriptures; we christians look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwell. eth righteousness, righteous persons, and they only, 2 Pet. iii. 13. The things to be enquired into are, what these new heavens and earth be, and who the inhabitants of them.

I. What are meant by the new heavens and the new earth, in the above passages; these are to be understood not in a figurative, but in a literal sense. 1. Not in a figurative sense, as of the gospel church state; Peter could never speak of the new heavens and new, earth in this sense as future. The gos pel church state, even in the first and purest ages of it, was not perfect as the state of things will be; but in the new heavens and the new earth, none but such as are perfectly righte ous will dwell in the new Jerusalem-state; there will be no temple, no worship, in the manner that now is. Nor is it to be understood of the state of the Jews at the time of their conversion. This will be before the new heavens and new earth are formed, Rev. xix. 7, 8. Nor of the spiritual reign of Christ, which will be in the present earth and not in the one, Nor of the heavenly state, or the ultimate glory; for these new heavens and earth are distinct from the third heasaints, and the holy

ven, the seat of that. The camp of the

and beloved city, are represented as on earth, even at the end of a thousand years, Rev. xx. 9. 11. The new heavens and new earth are to be understood in a literal sense; a literal sense is not to be departed from without necessity: the phrase, heaven and earth, is used by the apostle Peter frequently, and always literally in the sublunary world; by the new ones, can be meant no other. 1. The new heavens must be interpreted of the airy heavens, and of a new air in them; purged, purified, and refined by fire: no storms of hail, no stores of snow, no blustering storms and tempests, no coruscations and flashes of lightning, nor peals of thunder; but a pure, serene, and tranquil air, quite suited to the bodies of raised saints; the air will now be cleared of devils, the whole body of them will be cast into the abyss. 2. The new earth, will be an earth refined and renewed, and restored to its paradisaical estate: as it was before the fall. It shall no more bring forth thorns and thistles, nor require labour and pains to cultivate it. It must be but reasonable, that since Christ hath redeemed his people from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them, that every degree of that curse should be removed; which, as yet is not, from the earth particularly; when the second Adam, and his seed, come to enjoy the earth alone, accordingly, There will be no more curse, Rev. xxii. 3.

earth

II. The inhabitants of the new heavens and the new are next to be considered. These are described, 1. By the name of righteousness itself; wherein, in the new heavens and earth, dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. iii. 13. that is, righteous persons; see Isai. Ix. 21. Thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever: Psal. xxxvii. 29. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 11. The inhabitants of which are the palm bearing company in Rev. vii. 9. for this vision is synchronal, or cotemporary, with that of the new heavens and the new earth. These are the persons, and this will be the happy case of the inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth. in. A farther account is given of those inhabitants in Rev. xxi. 1, 2, &c. They are