tion. Believers, who are now the object of their malice, will triumph in their deftruction; being admitted to prefide, as the affeffors of Chrift, in that folemn trial. They will approve, rejoice in, and in fome fenfe pals the fentence. "Know ye not," said St. Paul," that we fhall judge angels *?”

In the clofe of all, thefe apoftate fpirits will be "caft into the lake of fire and brimftone +," whence there can be no releafe, and where their mifery will furpafs our utmost conceptions. Impenitent finners, also, fhall have their portion with them; but the fire was "prepared for the Devil and his angels t," because they were the original tranfgreffors. There fhall they all, in one horrible company, "be tormented day and night for ever and ever:" Yet the torment will in no refpect tend to change or foften their obdurate minds. They will retain their hatred of God, "blafpheme his name, and not repent, to give him glory." The juftice of God, therefore, will not remove or mitigate the punishment throughout eternity. It is declared in the moft exprefs terms, of which language is capable, that it fhall be "everlast- ing." And who fhall prefume to object, or prescribe to God the proper measures of his government, as if we were more competent to decide, what his own righteous perfections may demand?

The awful fubject must give rise to various reflections.

1. Let the redeemed of the Lord" rejoice and triumph in their great Deliverer. While you contemplate the character and ftate of the infernal hoft, you Gannot but be deeply imprefled with your immenfe obligations. Are you not conftrained to cry out, with devout admiration of your diftinguished mercies,

Behold, what hath God wrought!" How much has Jelus done; how much has he pledged himfelf to

#

1 Cor. vi. 3. † Rev. xx. 10 † Matt. xxv. 41. § Rev. xvi. 9.

accomplish, in your behalf! Already, you are "delivered from the power of darkness," and "have overcome the wicked one +." But for the present, you may expect to feel very painful attacks from your malicious foe, though you fhall not fall by his hands. His purposes against you fhall finally be baffiled, and even rendered fubfervient to your fpiritual and eternal welfare. Only remember, whence all your ftrength is to be derived: you will "overcome him by the blood of the Lambt." To your faith you muft likewife add a diligent attention to duty. You are required to wrestle and fight, to watch and pray: and this should be your daily, your unceafing employment. You have ratified the folemn vow, that you will " renounce the Devil and all his works §:" never, then, dare to think of returning to his infamous fervice. Lift up your fupplication to the God of all grace, that He may "deliver you from evil," or from the wicked one |," from his crafts and affaults," and "finally beat down Satan under your feet ‡‡."

2. Let penitents, who feel their own weaknefs, and dread the power of these spiritual enemies, be encouraged. We allow, that there would be just cause for fear and defpondency, if there were none to adminifter fupport. But the Lord hath faid, "I have laid help upon One that is mighty 4." We refer you to Jefus, who can difpoffefs "the strong man, and take from him all his armour, wherein he trufted**." O fly to this Saviour, and entreat his gracious affiftance and protection! "Surely, He fhall deliver thee from the fnare of the fowler :-He fhall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings thalt thou truft: his truth fhall be thy fhield and buckler ++." The horrid temptations, by which you are affaulted, and which excite diftreffing apprehenfions in your minds, are a

Rev. xii. 11. § Catechifm. Pfal. Ixxxix. 19. **Luke xi. 22.

X 2

favourable fign. We conclude, from the violence of your adverfary, that you are refcued from his dominion; for, if you were ftill held in fubjection, he would not alarm, but quiet your fears, and luil your confciences afleep. Perfift, then, in a determined oppofition to the prince of darkness, and indulge the pleafing hope, that Jefus has broken the yoke of your oppreffor, and will thortly give you complete deliver

ance.

3. Let careless finners be perfuaded to confider, whofe fervants they are, and how their schemes of iniquity muft terminate. It appears from the fcripture account, however unwilling you may be to acknowledge it, that, while you are alienated from God, you are in fubjection to Satan. You yield à ready compliance to the proposals of that evil spirit; you act as his confederates, under his influence, and are conformed to his likenefs. And does he not excite in your hearts fuch tempers and affections, as render you wretched in yourselves, and mifchievous to fociety? Where, then, can you expect your final portion?" If God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell," is it to be imagined, that he will spare you, who defpife and reject that mercy, which was never offered to them? You "count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing, and do despite unto the Spirit of grace +:" but this is a degree of iniquity, with which they are not chargeable. Ah!. what can equal the heinoufnefs of your guilt? Or, "how fhall you efcape, if you neglect fo great falvation?" O be perfuaded, while opportunity is allowed you, to "flee from the wrath to come!"

* 2 Pet. ii. 4. + Heb. x. 29. ii. 3.

CONCLUSION.

CONCLUSION.

CHAP. XV.

Self-examination recommended, as a proper improvement of" Scripture Characters"-Enquiries propofed: Are we among the faints, or the impenitent-What is our State, conduct, and principles Are we" in the faith," and conformed to Jefus Chrift, by virtue of a spiritual

union with him?

HAVING finished our plan of deducing practical reflections from fe:ipture examples, we may now clofe the fubject by calling upon every reader to enquire, whether he has made a fuitable improvement. Religion does not confift in curious fpeculations: it is a perfonal concern. We ought no, therefore, to be fatisfied with stating the facts contained in the facred records, or deciding upon the different people, whose cafes have paffed in review before us: we should serioufly contider, what is our own fpiritual ftate, and under what defcription we are to be claffed. As the knowledge of ourfelves is of far greater confequence than that of any others, we should direct all our ftudies to the attainment of that important object. How forcible, and how exactly adapted to our purpofe, is the exhortation of the Apoftle! "Examine yourfelves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Let us attend to this folemn counfel, and pray that He, "to whom all hearts be open, all defires known, and

from whom no fecrets are hid," may fearch and try us, deliver us from all hypocrify, "and lead us in the way everlasting."

It seems to have been the defign of God, in alloting fo large a portion of his word to the defcription of various characters, to fix our regard upon ourfelves; and, without fuch a particular application, it is not probable, that we fhall reap any folid advantage from fcripture hiftory. While we are forming an opinion concerning the celebrated names of antiquity, let each one afk, What am I to be accounted of? "Enech had this teftimony, that he pleased God *;" but do I poffefs any evidence of a fimilar kind? I read that "Abraham was called the friend of God" but am I a child of Abraham ? Moses is reprefented as peculiarly eminent for his meekness of fpirit: am not I carried away by the influence of pride, envy, and revenge? While I behold the holy life of Jefus, the Son of God, is not the tenor of my conduct totally oppofite? Though I perceive and approve the zeal, courage, and affiduity of his Apoftles, am not I deftitute of fervent love to his name, and concern for his glory, being indolent, fearful, and unbelieving?

If we pursue these enquiries through the fcriptures, to what conclufion will they lead us? But the fcrutiny propofed is unpleasant; and most persons start back from it, as confcious of a defect, and aware that their accounts are bad. We apprehend that many ftudy the facred writings, merely to gratify their curiofity in fpeculating upon the various characters there exhibited, and indulge a proud, cenforious difpofition in paffing fentence upon them, while they are averfe to a ferious examination of their own hearts. we, then, at liberty to neglect the repeated injunc

Are