III. 1. We may, in the third place, considera few of the circumstances which will follow the general judgment. And the first is the execution of the sentence pronounced on the evil and on the good. These shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal. It should be observed, it is the very same word which is used, both in the former and the latter clause: it follows, that either the punishment lasts for ever, or the reward too will come to an end. No, never, unless God could come to an end, or his mercy and truth could fail. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their father, and shall drink of those rivers of pleasure which are at God’s right hand for evermore. But here all description falls short; all human language fails! only one who is caught up into the third heaven, can have a just conception of it. But even such an one cannot express what he hath seen: these things it is not possible for man to utter.
The wicked, meantime, shall be turned into hell, even all the people that forget God. They will be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. They will be cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, originally prepared for the devil and his angels; where they will gnaw their tongues for anguish and pain, they will curse God and look upward: there the dogs of hell, pride, malice, revenge, rage, horror, despair continually devour them. There they haveno rest, day or night, but the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever. For their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched.
2. Then the heavens will be shriveled up as a parchment scroll, and pass away with a great noise:they will flee from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and there will be found no place for them.[53] The very manner of their passing away is disclosed to us by the apostle Peter:in the day of God, the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved.[54] * The whole beautiful fabric will be overthrown by that raging element, the connection of all its parts destroyed, and every atom torn asunder from the others.By the same the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up.[55] The enormous works of nature, the everlasting hills, mountains that have defied the rage of time, and stood unmoved so many thousand years, will sink down in fiery ruin. How much less will the works of art, though of the most durable kind, the utmost efforts of human industry, tombs, pillars, triumphal arches, castles, pyramids, be able to withstand the flaming conqueror. All, all will die, perish, vanish away, like a dream when one awaketh?
3. * It has indeed been imagined by some great and good men, that as it requires that same almighty power, to annihilate things as to create, to speak into nothing or out of nothing: so no part of, no atom in the universe, will be totallyor finally destroyed. Rather, they suppose, that as the last operation of fire, which we have yet been able to observe, is to reduce into glass what by a smaller force it had reduced to ashes: so in the day God hath ordained, the whole earth, if not the material heavens also, will undergo this change, after which the fire can have no farther power over them. And they believe this is intimated by that expression in the Revelation made to St. John,Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like unto chrystal.[56] We cannot now either affirm or deny this: but we shall know hereafter.
4. * If it be enquired by the scoffers, the minute philosophers, how can these things be? Whence should come such an immense quantity of fire as would consume the heavens and the whole terraqueous globe? We would beg leave, first, to remind them that this difficulty is not peculiar to the Christian system. The same opinion almost universally obtained among the unbigoted Heathens. So one of those celebrated free-thinkers speaks, according to the generally received sentiment;
Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur, affore tempus,
Quo mare, quo tellus, correptaque regia cœli
Ardeat, & mundi moles operosa laboret.
But, secondly, it is easy to answer, even from our slight and superficial acquaintance with naturalthings, that there are abundant magazines of fire ready prepared, and treasured up against the day of the Lord. How soon may a comet, commissioned by him, travel down from the most distant parts of the universe? And were it to fix upon the earth, in its return from the sun, when it is some thousand times hotter than a red-hot cannon-ball, who does not see what must be the immediate consequence? But, not to ascend so high as the ethereal heavens, might not the same lightnings which give shine to the world, if commanded by the Lord of nature, give ruin and utter destruction? Or, to go no farther than the globe itself: who knows what huge reservoirs of liquid fire are from age to age contained in the bowels of the earth? Ætna, Hecla, Vesuvius, and all the other vulcanoes that belch out flames and coals of fire, what are they, but so many proofs and mouths of those fiery furnaces? And at the same time so many evidences, that God hath in readiness wherewith to fulfil his word. Yea, were we to observe no more than the surface of the earth, and the things that surround us on every side, it is most certain (as a thousand experiments prove, beyond all possibility of denial) that we ourselves, our whole bodies are full of fire, as well as every thing round about us. Is it not easy, to make this ethereal fire visible even to the naked eye? And so produce thereby the very same effects on combustible matter, which are produced by culinaryfire? Needs there then any more, than for God to unloose that secret chain, whereby this irresistible agent is now bound down, and lies quiescent in every particle of matter? And how soon would it tear the universal frame in pieces, and involve all in one common ruin?
5. There is one circumstance more which will follow the judgment, that deserves our serious consideration.We look, says the apostle, according to his promise, for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.[57] The promise stands in the prophecy of Isaiah,Behold I create new heavens and a new earth. And the former shall not be remembered:[58] so great shall the glory of the latter be. These St. John did behold in the visions of God.I saw, saith he, a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.[59] And only righteousness dwelt therein. Accordingly he adds, and I heard a great voice from the third heaven, saying,Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God.[60] Of necessity therefore they will all be happy:God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain.[61]There shall be no more curse; but they shall see his face,[62] shall have the nearest access to,and thence the highest resemblance of him. This is the strongest expression in the language of scripture to denote the most perfect happiness. And his name shall be on their foreheads. They shall be openly acknowledged as God’s own property: and his glorious nature shall most visibly shine forth in them. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun: for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.