has been insisted upon, as showing that, in a future state, the things of this world shall entirely pass from our recollection. Now the words here spoken are, in a great measure, figurative, and will therefore allow of considerable latitude of interpretation. The

new heavens and the new earth" undoubtedly represent the state of glory prepared for the righteous; but the remainder of the prophecy means no more than that "the glory of the new heavens and the new earth" (I use the words of Bishop Lowth) "shall so far surpass the happiest days that ever were seen in former times, that they shall not deserve to be mentioned, there being no comparison between them." This, then, does not at all imply that we are totally to forget our former life, or become as creatures who had never enjoyed any previous state of existence so far from it, the very circumstance that our future happiness or misery is to be determined by our present life, seems fully to prove that we are to retain a consciousness and recollection of what has happened to us in this world.

5 Commentary in loc. cit.

II. The next objection is this, that if we recognize our virtuous friends in another world, we shall also miss many whom we have loved upon earth, but who have failed of obtaining the reward of the righteous; and this will necessarily create a flaw in that happiness which we are assured shall be perfect. The question then in this, as well as in the former case, will be, whether a total act of oblivion is to pass over our minds, and not only every thing we have done, but every person we have known in this world, is to be obliterated from our recollection. For it would be absurd to separate the two-if we remember the acts we have done, we must also remember the persons we have known; our acts having generally relation to others as well as to ourselves. Observe then, how directly the doctrine laid down in scripture, is opposed to such a position as this. In the day of judgment, we are to give an account of the deeds done in the flesh; and more than this, of every idle word that we have spoken; nay, the very thoughts of our hearts are to be laid open in that day; and

D

hence it is clear that we must rise from the dead with a full recollection of all that we have done while on earth: even things which have now entirely passed from our memories must be recalled; and, although we cannot now tell how often we offend, and numbers of our misdeeds are altogether unknown to us; yet, in that day all our secret thoughts will not only be recalled to our own minds, but exposed before men and angels: we shall stand face to face with all with whom we have held intercourse while upon earth; Christ himself will point them out to us, and award our sentence according as we have befriended or injured them. 1 At the judgment, then, we must recognize them; and since, as I have already stated, there is no authority for believing that any change will take place either in our souls and bodies subsequent to the judgment, it follows that we shall also recognize them in that state, into which we shall be received when our final doom is passed.

1

1 Matt. xxv. 31 et seq.

The fact is, that they who make this objection, forget that a change will take place in our souls as well as in our bodies: that is, they will be freed from all those weaknesses by which they are encumbered in this mortal state; and as they will partake of that abhorrence of every thing sinful which must mark the character of celestial beings, our feelings for the wicked, however we may have loved them here, will necessarily be altered. As we shall then be made to know even as we are known of God, so shall we also love as we are beloved of God; and become so far partakers of his pure nature, that it will be impossible for us to retain any affection for those who have been workers of iniquity, whatever connexion we may have had with them in this world.

It is not improbable that the wicked with whom we have associated here, may entirely pass from our remembrance; for if any oblivion is to take place in our minds, it must be either total or partial: that it will not be total, it has been already attempted to prove : but if it be partial, where are we to draw

the line between the consciousness which will be retained, and that which will be lost? As the scriptures afford us no certain guide upon this point, the only probable one which we are able to assign, appears to be that unfathomable gulf which separates heaven from hell. And this supposition is further strengthened by the assertion made by the apostle, that "the dead in Christ shall rise first" is it not therefore probable, that they may have passed away into glory before the sinners and unbelievers are summoned to their doom; and not be permitted to witness the sentence by which the latter will be banished into "everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels?"

2

However this be, of one thing we may be assured; that no thought of the wicked will be permitted to disturb the repose of the righteous in those realms of perfect happiness, although that happiness may be enhanced by a renewed intercourse with one another. In their own place, the wicked will not improbably be allowed to be the

1 Thess. iv. 16.