proper Weight with all those, who do not adopt this Part of Mr. Whiston's Scheme. If the Words in dispute express a proper Eternity in one Case, it will be hard to say, so far as the mere Force and Signification of these Words is concern'd, why they should not express a proper Eternity in the other Case. If I hear the Joys of Heaven and the Torments of Hell both call'd everlasting, (and it is the same in the Greek, or any other Language,) though I may from other Topicks imagine there will be a difference in their Duration, yet so far as I attend merely to this Term, I can have no reason for such an Imagination. For the Term is the same, and while I attend to it alone, I must think the Meaning is the same likewise. But let us return to Mr. W. who seems to say, that the Hebrew and Greek Words translated everlasting, signify in Scripture no such thing. Take here his own Words:

1

"The original Words Olam in Hebrew, and Aióv "in Greek, with their Plurals and Derivatives; which

1 Page 20. See Mr. W's Discourse of the Restoration of the Jews, published in his Sermons and Essays, 1709. He there says, p. 226, that the genuine Import of this Phrase, for ever, in the sacred Dialect is the entire Duration of any long and famous Period, about which the Discourse is; or during the entire Continuance of the Existence of any thing which is spoken of, from its primary Beginning, till its final End. In this Sense he takes the Laws of Moses to be for ever; as they were to continue not only during the first or second Temple, but all that Alúv, or those Aloves, which that preparatory Dispensation was to be commensurate to; till it was to be swallow'd up in a new and more noble Aiwv, the glorious Age and Kingdom of the great Messias himself, in the End of the World. This law of Moses, he says, has never been properly and formally abolished; and is to be restor❜d towards the End of the World: and this seems to be that which is so often hinted at in the Pentateuch,

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are the almost only ones made use of by the sacred "Writers to determine the Duration of the Punish"ment of the Wicked in the other World; and are "render'd eternal or everlasting; and suppos'd to 'mean a Duration properly endless or co-eternal with God himself; do by no means so signify in Scrip"ture: Nor are they ever, when spoken of created "Beings, to be extended longer than the several grand Ages or Periods of this sublunary World; beginning "with the Mosaick Creation; hardly yet 6000 Years ago; and ending after the glorious Millennium, at the general Judgment, and Consummation of all "things. Nay, these Words are very frequently of a great deal narrower Extension, and reach only to "much shorter Periods included therein."

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We readily grant, that these Words in the Old Testament, and especially as applied to the Ordinances of the Law of Moses, have this narrow Extension which he speaks of. Yet the Words are capable of signifying a proper Eternity, and where the Subject will bear it, really do so. Even Αιών, which, according to this Gentleman,1 signifies a shorter Duration than its Plural, or the Reduplication of it, seems to me to signify a proper Eternity, in the 136th Psalm, and other places. Will any one limit the Mercy of God, and say it endures for an Age only? Yet what is it else that Mr. W. says p. 8. bids us note, that as the Punishments of the wicked are

Where he

where the Statutes and Ordinances are so often said to be for ever; &c. N.B. This is a very different Account of the Duration of an Alov from what he gives now, viz. 68, or 4 or 500 Years. Q. Whether he does not take away the Use of Words, and make them signify at random what he pleases?

1 Page 39.

really for

But if he

Age, he

said to be εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, or αιώνια for an Age, or for ever; so is the Mercy of God to his Creatures celebrated as of the very same Duration also. If the Mercy of God, and the Punishments of the wicked, be of the very same Duration, and that Duration be ever; Mr. W. has here given up the Point. means that both of them are only for an makes this Psalm such a Celebration of the Mercy of God, as I believe never enter'd into the Heart, or Head, of any sober Man: O give Thanks unto the Lord, for-his Mercy endureth for an Age; that is, according to Mr. W's shortest Calculation,1 68 Years, and according to his largest, 575. I am very certain the Mercy of God will endure for ever, upon the proper Objects of it; and for the rest, - they are no Objects of it at all. But to proceed: Whatever the Words in dispute may sometimes signify in the Old Testament, it will be harder to prove that they are used with so much Latitude in the New.2 When apply'd to God, they confessedly denote a proper Eternity when apply'd to the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven, they have hitherto universally been thought to denote the same: Mr. W. indeed at last is pleased to deny it: (Whether in so doing he has not made God a Liar, according to St. John's Doctrine, 1 John v. 10, II. I leave him to consider;) What Reason then is there why they should not denote the same, when apply'd to the Punishments of the Wicked?

1 Page 39.

2-Haud æqua mihi videtur lex interpretandi, ut quæ nonnunquam à Prophetis figuratè usurpantur, ea semper et ubique in eodem sensu sint intelligenda. Stylus Evangelii est castigatior, nec tamen facilè dissilit à sensu literali: à quo nunquam recedendum est ab Interprete, nisi cum coëgerit materiæ subjectæ necessitas. Burnet, De Stat. Mort. p. 110.

I mean so far as the Import of these Words merely is concern'd, for of that only we are now speaking. Is there any Intimation given, that they are here to be taken in a different, or less extensive Sense? Nothing of that kind appears. It rather appears, comparing them with other Expressions, and other Declarations of our Lord in the Gospel, that they are to be understood in the fullest Sense of which they are capable. What could the common People think, when they heard our Saviour not only call this Fire alúviov, but declare plainly, and with most emphatick Repetition, that it never shall be quenched? See Mark ix. 43, &c. where it is so declared five times over, in the compass of five or six Verses. Did our Lord deceive the People? Would he be guilty of any of those pious Frauds, against which Mr. W. is so warm?1 A word from him, on the other side, would have clear'd up this Point. But as the Case now stands, he has not cured, but confirm'd the Prejudices of the People; as if he had approv'd the Maxim, afterwards used by one of his pretended Vicars, Si Populus vult decipi, decipiatur. But I have not yet

1 Page 139.

It should here be remember'd, that it was the common Belief of the Jews, in our Saviour's time, that the Punishments of the Wicked will be eternal. This, I think, may be fairly collected from what Josephus says of the Pharisees, who were the popular Instructors, the publick Leaders in Religion. They hold, says he, the Soul to be immortal; that only those of the good pass into another Body, but those of the wicked are to be punish'd with everlasting Punishment: (aïdio ripwpia.) De Bell. Jud. Lib. 2. Ed. Hudson. p. 1065. Compare Antiq. Lib. 18. p.

793. As this then was the Opinion of the popular and prevailing Sect among the Jews, and consequently of the People, there was more occasion for our Saviour to confute it, had it been false, than confirm it, as he has done here, and in numerous Passages of his Gospel.

done with Mr. Whiston's Criticisms upon this Article: he tells us, the Words under Consideration, when spoken of created Beings, are never to be extended longer than the several grand Ages or Periods of this sublunary World; beginning with the Mosaick Creation, and ending after the Millennium, at the general Fudgment, and Consummation of all things. Now,

To what Age or Period of this sublunary World, can the word aivov be design'd to extend in the xxvth of St. Matthew ver. 46? These Ages or Periods seem here to be accomplish'd. The great

Judge has passed the decisive Sentence, has made the final Separation; and the Consequence is, the Wicked go into everlasting Punishment, (eis Kóλaσi αἰώνιον,) and the Righteous into Life eternal; εἰς ζωὴν aiaviov.) By what Ages or Periods of this sublunary World can the Extent of the Word, aiaviov, here be limited, when this sublunary World is at an end? In short, so far is it from being true that the Sense of the Word is to be confin'd by any Ages or Periods of this World, that it is most frequently, in the New Testament, applied to things, which do not properly commence, till the Ages and Periods of this World are finish'd; viz. the Rewards, and Punishments, of the World to come. Then the Mystery, (or the mysterious Dispensation,) of God by Jesus Christ, shall be finished; and Time,1 with its Ages and Periods, shall be no

1 See Rev. x. 6, 7. I only make use of these Words, without pretending to say that this is the precise Meaning of them. But the thing intended is plain; when Christ shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom, (the Kingdom which he now administers, or quoad præsentem Formam Administrationis,) to God even the Father, then cometh the End; beyond which, we know from the