No. XXIX.

Luke iii. 9. And now also the Ax is laid unto the Root of the Trees: every Tree therefore which bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the Fire.

No. XXX.

Ver. 17. Whose Fan is in his Hand, and he will throughly purge his Floor, and will gather the Wheat into his Garner; but the Chaff he will burn with Fire unquenchable. For these two Texts, see No. I. and II.

As to Mr. W's saying, that these Words are very much of a piece with those already cited from Isaiah; (p. 41.) there appears to be little in it, either as to the Assertion itself, or the Consequence he would have drawn from it. See No. XXVI.

No. XXXI.

Luke viii. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

We have here the same Instruction convey'd to us, by the Parable of the Sower; which we had before, from the Parable of the Talents: See No. XXI. and compare No. XXV. The present Life is the Season of Cultivation and Improvement. The Seed, which

ever.

is the Word of God, is sown here; and must bring forth Fruit here, or else the Opportunity is lost for Unfruitfulness will be punish'd with the Loss of the very Principle of Fertility. And a Power of which no proper Use has been made, during the whole proper Season of exerting that Power, will be taken away.

No. XXXII.

Luke xii. 5. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him. See No. X.

St. Matthew's Phrase there, is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell, no more means utter Destruction, or Deprivation of Being, than St. Luke's here; hath power to cast into Hell.

No. XXXIII.

Ver. 10. But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. See No. XI. and XXIV.

No. XXXIV.

Ver. 46. The Lord of that Servant will come in a Day when he looketh not for him, and at an Hour when he is not ware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the Unbelievers. See No. XIX.

It is plain here from the whole Context, that none but they who are ready when their Lord cometh, and

open to him immediately, when he knocketh, are admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven. The rest are excluded, and have their portion with Hypocrites and Unbelievers. How unjustifiable then is the Conduct of those, who would Persuade them, that they may, notwithstanding, have their portion, at last, with the Saints?

No. XXXV.

Ver. 47, 48. And that Servant which knew his Lord's Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his Will, shall be beaten with many Stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of Stripes, shall be beaten with few Stripes.

These Words plainly teach us, that the Punishment of some Sinners will be greater than that of others. But this, it seems, will not satisfy Mr. W. since some will be beaten with many, and others with few Stripes, in the future World; this he1 says "most naturally "implies that the Punishment of some of the Wicked "shall be much longer than of others." Now if the New Testament taught this Doctrine, as plainly as it does the contrary; these Words if not most naturally, might naturally enough be thought to imply it. But if this be not the Case, and if the Words be as naturally capable of another Sense, more consistent with the Tenour of the New Testament; I leave the World to judge, what the Words most naturally imply. Surely one Sinner may be beaten with fewer Stripes, his Misery and Punishment may be less than another's; though the Duration of their Punishment be equal, and endless: Just as the Degrees of Glory and

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Happiness in Heaven may be various and different, though they be all of equal, and eternal Duration. Saying without Proof that this equal Duration of Torments, is contrary to the most obvious Rules of Right and Fustice in the World; is doing nothing. We deny it; and assert that there is nothing contrary to Right and Justice, that they who are not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, should be excluded out of it for ever. The Consequences of this Exclusion will be exactly according to the different Demerits of Sinners: so that the Fudge of all the Earth will certainly do right.

No. XXXVI.

Ver. 59. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last Mite. See No. IV. and XV. and Theoph. in loc.

No. XXXVII.

Luke xiii. 27, 28. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. No. VIII. IX. XX.

See

This Doctrine of the final Exclusion of the Wicked runs uniformly throughout the New Testament.

No. XXXVIII.

Luke xiv. 34, 35. Salt is good: but if the Salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the Land, nor yet for the Dunghil; but Men cast it out. He that hath Ears to hear let him hear.

If the Meaning of these Words be, that Men may become in a moral Sense, what Salt that hath lost its savour is, in a natural; they are a clear Proof of the utter moral Incapacity of the Wicked to grow better: On which, as I conceive, the Doctrine of their eternal Punishment all along proceeds. And compar'd with Matt. v. 13. they teach us, that when the Disciples of Christ thus degenerate, they especially become worthless, and thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast

out.

No. XXXIX.

And in

Luke xvi. from ver. 23. to ver. 31. inclusive. Hell he lift up his Eyes, being in Torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water, and cool my Tongue; for I am tormented in this Flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember, that thou in thy Lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed: So that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would