Imatges de pàgina
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ciple, and uncongenial in operation—by thê mixing, adulterating, and fo corrupting of both the divine and civil establishments; producing, as the natural fruit of fuch a commerce, men of renown-men feeking renown-all for being head men-for divid ing and fubjugating, or warring upon all→ and at the fame time, opening wide the door for the exercife of this unbounded ambition, by obliterating the bond of civil fociety.These things, I fay, taking place, what more evident figns could be fhown in the earth, of the approach of a general convulfion?

Wherefore Enoch alfo, the feventh from Adam, prophefied of thefe, faying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his faints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard fpeeches, which ungodly finners have spoken against him.

The ground bringing forth briars and thorns was an early indication of the judg ment of God, founded in the elect establishment; and the added curfe, or new evil and delinquency of the earth, that Cain experienced after the death of Abel, together with the wounding and crippling felt and confefs ed by Lamech, fhewed plainly, that the natural powers were weakening, and the heavenly powers were prevailing; but what was now taking place on every fide, proved that the foundations of the earth were fhaken, and were all out of courfe, and that nature awaited a fearful doom.

Enoch prophefied of thefe-the world, at this time, had convincing proof of the truth of his prophecy before their eyes; infomuch that he needed only to point to the popular and renowned characters of the age, in order to fhew it, faying, Behold, the Lord cometh!

The tranflation of Enoch, which followed, was the moft folemn and weighty atteftation to the truth of his prophecy-it proved palpably, that there was another world; between which, and that world of the ungodly, there was an oppofition; and whofe powers were moft active and wonderful; and which, with authority, could reach the earth, and protect its friends and confeffors; and therefore, doubtlefs, could execute the threatened judgment upon all ungodly men.

Section 8. Righteousness preached.

Pilate hearing the word of truth, perfectly fpoken, faid, What is truth? and turned away directly from the fubject. What is righte cufnels? is the fame queftion, often afked, but how rarely confidered! For, being of a nature hard to be believed, it is a queion hard to be understood; yet, what is more unquestionable than the fact of the existence of an elect world, which is seen to refult neceffarily from the divine principle? which truth has been exhibited in every age; and with convincing evidence, that it is a kingdom of immortal ftrength and glory; and

that it is able to withstand all oppofing power; and, in the end, it shall break in pieces and confume all the kingdoms of this world; and fhall fill the whole earth, and ftand for ever.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, &c. for grace reigns through righteoufnels. All it concerns us to know in religion, is comprifed in the brief queftion, what is truth? or, what is righteou/nefs? And the answer is equally brief, the kingdom of God--the kingdom of heaven.

It is obferved of Abel and of his works, that they were righteous; and of Noah, that he was a preacher of righteousness. These obfervations in the New Teftament, are evidently made upon the facts recorded in the Old, which are few, and moft plain. For an elect establishment, believed and confefsed, in an offering brought unto the Lord, of the lamb of facrifice, is all that is recorded on the divine page, of the works of the righteous Abel; and which gives him the cha

racter.

And the fact refpecting Noah's being righ teous, and his preaching righteousness, is equally fimple; for the faith, or truth, concerning an elect establishment, which, in effect, muft diffolve the natural world, was the righteousness found of God in him; and his expreffing this, by preparing an ark, was the preaching of righteoufnefs, in which he con"demned the world. This is all that is recorded of the preaching of Noah; and it is faid exprefsly, that it was in this way that Noah preached of righteoufnefs, to the conviction

of worldly ungodly men. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not feen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the faving of his houfe; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteoufnefs which is by faith.

If it be afked, why the elect establishment, together with these evidences which relate to it, is called righteousness? The answer is plain-it is for the fame reafon that the fubftance of things hoped for, together with the evidence of things not feen, is called faith, viz. That Chrift's engagement in eternity to perform the work of redemption; together with his coming forward, in time, to lay down his life, that he might take it again, and fo be the foundation of the elect world, was an act of covenant obedience, and anfwered to the rule of the divine will; and therefore, with the greatest propriety, the elect foundation, together with the whole fuperftructure belonging to it, is called righteousness-it is everlasting righteousness.

Section 9. The Deluge.

According to the theory, we have seen a caufe exifting in the creation, which eventually muft diffolve the natural frame of the world. This caufe we have seen gaining ftrength, and giving various fure indications of the approach of the folemn event.

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Moreover, from the peculiar conftruction of this first world, it is apparent, that the first dreadful catastrophe would be by a deluge of waters. For the expanding power of the creative operation being, to a certain degree, weakened, the waters above the firmament would return towards those from which, by that power, they were originally divided; and, by the fame caufe, the waters beneath would fwell, and flow over their natural bounds. This fwelling of the fubterraneous waters, requires an explanation-our theory offers the following.

Though, as has been faid, the fprangling motion of the fluid would not reach the cen tre of the globe; yet it is not fupposed that the fluid itself, in this direction, would not approach there; on the contrary, muft we not conclude, from its all commanding power, that it would take full poffeffion of the centre; and there attract to itself, or rather, be united and compressed by its expanding power, with such a prodigious force, as would buoy up the waters and heavieft bodies?This denfity, or compreffion of the fluid at the centre, is what was intended by the obfervation, page 180, that the obftruction, from whence arifes the fprangling of the fluid, may be chiefly from itself, being too much compressed by converging to a centre.

It is evident, that this fluid, in its expanding direction, towards the centre, would carry in its current all the waters, or vapours, until its force began to abate by its compreffion. And, is it not alfo evident, that an elaf

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