nal life. Matt. xix. 16, 17; Luke x. 25. xoλacis, on the contrary, implies that the punishment must be of limited duration, in order to answer its purpofe of reforming the fufferer. It is confonant to natural religion, and to the general tenor of the New Testament, as well as to many plain affertions in it, which we fhall produce, that the future life and happinefs of the righteous fhould be without end. But it militates against all our ideas of the infinite mercy and goodness of GOD, and accords not with many expreffions in fcripture relative to the duration of future punishments, to confider them as never ceafing, and strictly eternal.

Nor is it an objection to this interpretation, that it affigns different meanings to the fame word used twice in the fame fentence. For in other parts of fcripture the very fame word is alfo applied in the fame sentence, with a fimilar difference as to the extent of duration which it denotes. Thus Rom. xvi. 25, 26, in Griefbach xiv. 24, 25: according to the revealed mystery which was kept secret, Xpovos avidis, fince the world began, or in the times of the ages; but has now been made manifest . . . . . . according to the commandment 78 away Ex, of the everlasting GOD. Tit. i. 2: In hope Cans alwrie, of eternal life, which God who cannot lie promised, @po xpover alwvwv, before the world began; or, before the times of the ages; or, before the ancient dispenfations. Habak. iii. 6. ετάκησαν βενοι αιώνιοι (Hebrew, hy,) woperas avias (Hebrew,w,)

e. The everlafting hills did bow, his ways are everlafting, i. e. the ways of GOD. The Latin Vulgate is, incurvati funt colles mundi, ab itineribus eternitatis ejus. The Latin translation of the Syriac is, humiliati funt colles qui erant a feculis; ipfius enim funt greffus eterni. The verb p0pw is also used in two different fenfes in the fame fentence, in one of which it is applied to the punishment of impiety; 1 Cor. iii. 17.

Zaw, Rom. viii. 13, is used first for temporal, and then for eternal life; verse 16, πveuμa is applied first to GOD, and then to man, 2 Kings i. 2, Ayyeλos fignifies, meffengers of the king of Samaria; ver. 3, an angel or meffenger of Jehovah, and in the next member of the sentence, the meffengers of the king of Samaria; ver. 5, the meffengers of the king; ver. 15, the angel or messenger of Jehovah; ver. 16, the meffengers of the king. Pfalm lxxxii. 1, Elohim, Sept. Otos, is firft used for the Supreme Being, and in the fame verfe El and Elohim, Jeo, are both used for human beings, in stations of authority and power.

When alwy or avios are applied to the future punishment of the wicked, they are never joined with life, immortality, incorruptibility; but are, I believe, always connected with fire, or with that punishment, pain, destruction, or fecond death, which are effected by means of fire. Now fince fire, which confumes, or decomposes, other perishable bodies, is itself of a diffoluble or perishing nature, this intimates a limitation of the period of time.

The authors of the books of the New Teftament, having been habituated to the Hebrew idiom, and to the ufe of the Septuagint Greek verfion of the Old Teftament, their phrafeology resembles that, more than any other book in the Greek language. Now Parkhurst, in his Lexicon, obferves, that awv, in the Septuagint, generally anfwers to the Hebrew by, which denotes time hidden from man, whether definite or indefinite, whether paft or future. He also remarks, that the Septuagint tranflators frequently ufe avios, the adjective, for the Hebrew, Schleufner, in his Lexicon, makes fimilar remarks upon these words.

SECTION II. Απολλυμι and απωλεία,

Απολλυμι is ufed about ninety times in the New Teftament. It fignifies

I. To kill, or destroy temporally, and to die. This feems to be the moft frequent meaning of it in the New Teftament,

Matt. ii. 13. For Herod will feek the young child, T8 ATCλETAI AUTO, to kill or destroy it.

Matt. v. 29. It is better for thee, wa aπontai Ev TWV μeλwv 08, that one of thy members perish, &c. Matt. xii. 14. The Pharifees took counsel against Jesus, oπws autov añoλɛσwow, how they might de. stroy, or kill him.

Matt. xxi. 41. They fay unto him, xaxus xaxws aλσά aus, he will wretchedly deftroy, or kill those wretched men, and will let out his vineyard to others.

Matt. xxii. 7. The king was angry, and fent his armies, and, aλeσe, destroyed, or killed, thofe murderers.

Matt. xxvi. 52. All those who take the fword, EV μaxaιga AπONTα, perish, or die, by the fword. Matt. xxvii. 20. The chief priests, &c. perfuaded the multitude, that they should ask for Barabbas, Tov de Inσour aπoλeσ wow, and deftroy, or kill, Jefus,

Mark iii. 6. The Pharifees held a confultation about Jefus, οπως αυτον απολέσωσι, that they might destroy, or kill, him.

Mark ix. 22. Often it has caft him into the fire, and water, a woλeσn autov, to deftroy, or kill, him.

Mark xi. 18. The chief priests fought, ws autov awodowo, how they might destroy, or kill, him.

Mark xii. 9. The owner of the vineyard will come, xai awoλsos, and will deftroy, or kill, the husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others.

Luke vi. 9, and Mark iii. 4. Is it lawful on the Sabbath, to fave life, or, awoλeσas, to destroy, or kill?

Luke xi. 51. From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, 78 awoλoμeve, who perished, or died, between the altar and the temple.

Luke xiii. 3 and 5. Unless ye repent, ye will all, WTαUTWG awoλHσde, perifh, or die, in fuch a manner.

Luke xiii. 33. It cannot be that a prophet, awoλerba, perish, or die, out of Jerufalem.

Luke xvii. 27. When Noah entered the ark, the flood came, and awλeσev, destroyed them all, or put an end to their lives.

Luke xvii. 29. When Lot went out of Sodom, fire and brimstone from heaven, απwλɛσεv, deftroyed, or killed, them all.

Luke xix. 47. The chief priests, &c. fought awoλeσal, to destroy, or kill, Jefus.

Luke xx. 16. He will come, and awoλETH, destroy, or put to death, thofe husbandmen, &c.

Luke xxi. 18. And a hair of your head, un awoλnra, fhall not perish.

John vi. 27. Work not fo much for the food, την απολλυμένην, which perifheth.

John x. 10. The thief cometh not but to fteal, xai duon, nai awoλern, and to kill, and to destroy. John xi. 50. It is expedient that one man, awoon Javn, fhould die for the people, and that the whole nation, μn awλra, fhould not perish, or die.

John xviii. 14. That one man, awoλerba, fhould απολεσθαι,

die for the people, &c.

Απολεσθαι in this text, and αποθανη in the preceding, are ufed precifely in the fame fenfe, upon the fame fubject.

Acts v. 37. After this, Judas of Galilee rose up, and he alfo, awλETO, perifhed, or died.