manifestation of his glory, than in the other parts of the universe.

in this life. It is no less observable, that in the present state there is an unequal distribution of things, which makes the providences of God very intricate, and which cannot be solved without supposing a future state. Revelation, however, puts it beyond all doubt. The Divine Being hath promised it, 1 John ii. 25. 1 John v. 11. James i. 12; hath given us some intimation of its glory, 1 Pet iii. 4. 22. Rev. iii. 4. declares Christ hath taken possession of it for us, John xiv. 2, 3. and informs us of some already there, both as to their bodies and souls, Gen. v. 24. 2 Kings ii.

some have absolutely denied it, upon the authority of those texts which universally require faith in Christ; but to That there is a state of future happithis it is answered, that those texts re- ness, both reason and Scripture indigard only such to whom the Gospel cate; a general notion of happiness comes, and are capable of understand- after death has obtained among the ing the contents of it. The truth, says wiser sort of heathens, who have only Dr. Doddridge, seems to be this; that had the light of nature to guide them. none of the heathens will be condemned If we examine the human mind, it is for not believing the Gospel, but they also evident that there is a natural deare liable to condemnation for the sire after happiness in all men; and, breach of God's natural law: neverthe-which is equally evident, is not attained less, if there be any of them in whom there is a prevailing love to the Divine Being, there seems reason to believe that, for the sake of Christ, though to them unknown, they may be accepted by God; and so much the rather, as the ancient Jews, and even the apostles, during the time of our Saviour's abode on earth, seem to have had but little notion of those doctrines, which those who deny the salvability of the heathens are most apt to imagine, Rom. ii. 10-22. Acts x. 34, 35. Matt. viii. 11, 12. Mr. Grove, Dr. Watts, Saurin, and Mr. Newton, favour the same opinion; the latter of whom thus observes: "If we suppose a heathen brought to a sense of his misery; to a conviction that he cannot be happy without the favour of the great Lord of the world; to a feeling of guilt, and desire of mercy, and that, though he has no explicit knowledge of a Saviour, he directs the cry of his heart to the unknown Supreme, to have mercy upon him; who will prove that such views and desires can arise in the heart of a sinner, without the energy of that Spirit which Jesus is exalted to bestow? Who will take upon him to say, that his blood has not sufficient efficacy to redeem to God a sinner who is thus disposed, though he have never heard of his name? Or who has a warrant to affirm, that the supposition I have made is in the nature of things impossible to be realised?" Newton's Messiah; Dr. Watts's Strength and Weakness of Human Reason, p. 106; Saurin's Sermons, vol ii. p. 314; Grove's Mor. Phil. vol. i. p. 128; Turret Loc, vol. i. quæst. 4. $ 1, 2, 17; Doddridge's Lectures, lec. 240, vol. ii. 8vo edit. Bellamy's Religion Delineated, p. 105; Ridgley's Body of Div. qu. 60; Gale's Court of the Gentiles; Considerations on the Religious Worship of the Heathen; Rev. W. Jones's Works, vol. xii.

HEAVEN is considered as a place in some remo e part of infinite space, in which the omnipresent Deity is said to afford a nearer and more immediate view of himself, and a more sensible

Heaven is to be considered as a place as well as a state: it is expressly so termed in Scripture, John xiv. 2, 3: and the existence of the body of Christ, and those of Enoch and Elijah, is a further proof of it. Yea, if it be not a place, where can these bodies be? and where will the bodies of the saints exist after the resurrection? Where this place is, however, cannot be determined. Some have thought it to be beyond the starry firmament; and some of the ancients imagined that their dwelling would be in the sun. Others suppose the air to be the seat of the blessed. Others think that the saints will dwell upon earth when it shall be restored to its paradisaical state; but these suppo~ si ions are more curious than edifying, and it becomes us to be silent where divine revelation is so.

Heaven, however, we are assured, is a place of inexpressible felicity. The names given to it are proofs of this: it is called paradise, Luke xxiii. 43. Light, Rev. xxi. 23. A building and mansion of God, 2 Cor. v 1. John xiv. 2. A city, Heb. xi. 10, 16. A better country, Heb. xi. 16. An inheritance, Acts xx. 32. A kingdom Matt. xxv. 34. A crown, 2 Tim. iv. 8. _ Glory, Ps. lxxxiv. 11. 2 Cor. iv. 17. Peace. rest, and joy of the Lord, Is. lvii. 2. Heb. iv. 9. Matt. xxv. 21, 23. The felicity of heaven will consist in freedom from all evil, both of soul and body, Rev. vii. 17; in the enjoyment of God as the Dd

chief good, in the company of angels | tion of them: Let us make three taberand saints; in perfect holiness, and ex-nacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and tensive knowledge.

another in heaven, when joined together in the same assembly.

one for Elias, 4th ver. though he had It has been disputed whether there never seen them before. Again, our are degrees of glory in heaven. The Saviour, in the parable, represents the arguments against degrees are, that all rich man, as seeing Abraham afar off, the people of God are loved by him and Lazarus in his bosom, Luke xvi. with the same love, all chosen together || 23. and speaks of him as addressing his in Christ, equally interested in the same discourse to him. From such like arcovenant of grace, equally redeemed guments, some conclude that it may be with the same price, and all predesti-inferred that the saints shall know one nated to the same adoption of children; to suppose the contrary, it is said, is to eclipse the glory of divine grace, and carries with it the legal idea of being rewarded for our works. On the other side it is observed, that if the above reasoning would prove any thing, it would prove too much, viz. that we should all be upon an equality in the present world as well as that which is to come for we are now as much the objects of the same love, purchased by the same blood, &c. as we shall be hereafter. That rewards contain nothing inconsistent with the doctrine of grace, because those very works which it pleaseth God to honour are the effects of his own operation. That all rewards to a guilty creature have respect to the mediation of Christ. That God's graciously connecting blessings with the obedience of his people, serves to show not only his love to Christ and to them, but his regard to righteousness. That the Scriptures expressly declare for degrees, Dan. xii. 3. Matt. x. 41, 42. Matt. xix. 28, 29. Luke xix. 16, 19. Rom. ii. 6. 1 Cor. iii. 8. 1 Cor. xv. 41, 42. 2 Cor. v. 10. Gal. vi. 9.

"Moreover, some think that this may be proved from the apostle's words, in 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. What is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? for ye are our glory and joy; which seems to argue, that he apprehended their happiness in heaven should contribute, or be an addition to his, as he was made an instrument to bring them thither; even so, by a parity of reason, every one who has been instrumental in the conversion and building up others in their holy faith, as the apostle Paul was with respect to them, these shall tend to enhance their praise, and give them occasion to glorify God on their behalf. Therefore it follows that they shall know one another; and consequently they who have walked together in the ways of God, and have been useful to one another as relations and intimate friends, in what respects more especially their spiritual concerns, these shall bless God for the mutual advantages which they have received, and consequently shall know one another. Again; some prove this from that expression of our Saviour in Luke xvi. 9. "The arguments," says Dr. Ridgley, Make to yourselves friends of the mam"which are generally brought in de- mon of unrighteousness, that, when ye fence of it, are taken from those in- fail, they may receive you into everlaststances recorded in Scripture, in which ing habitations; especially if by these persons who have never seen one an-everlasting habitations be meant heaother before, have immediately known ven, as many suppose it is; and then the each other in this world, by a special meaning is, that they whom you have immediate divine revelation given to relieved, and shown kindness to in this them, in like manner as Adam knew world, shall express a particular joy that Eve was taken out of him; and upon your being admitted into heaven; therefore says, This is now bone of my and consequently they shall know you, bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall and bless God for your having been so be called woman, because she was taken useful and beneficial to them. out of man, Gen. ii. 23. He was cast "To this it is objected that if the into a deep sleep, when God took out saints shall know one another in heaven, one of his ribs, and so formed the wo- they shall know that several of those man, as we read in the foregoing words; who were their intimate friends here on yet the knowledge hereof was commu-earth, whom they loved with very great nicated to him by God. Moreover, we read that Peter, James, and John, knew Moses and Elias, Matt. xvii. as appears from Peter's making a particular men

Another question has sometimes been proposed, viz. Whether the saints shall know each other in heaven?

affection, are not there; and this will have a tendency to give them some uneasiness, and a diminution of their joy and happiness.

"To this it may be replied, that if it conjecture that the diversity of languabe allowed that the saints shall know ges shall then cease, inasmuch as it took that some whom they loved on earth its first rise from God's judicial hand, are not in heaven, this will give them no when he confounded the speech of those uneasiness: since that affection which || who presumptuously attempted to build took its rise principally from the rela- the city and tower of Babel; and this tion which we stood in to persons on has been ever since attended with many earth, or the intimacy, that we have inconveniences. And, indeed, the aposcontracted with them, will cease in an- tle seems expressly to intimate as much, other world, or rather run in another when he says, speaking concerning the channel, and be excited by superior heavenly state, that tongues shall motives; namely, their relation to cease, 1 Cor. xiii 8. that is, the present Christ; that perfect holiness which variety of languages.-Moreover, since they are ardorned with; their being the gift of tongues was bestowed on joined in the same blessed society, and the apostles for the gathering and engaged in the same employment, to- building up the church in the first ages gether with their former usefulness one thereof, which end, when it was anto another in promoting their spiritual swered, this extraordinary dispensation welfare, as made subservient to the ceased; in like manner it is probable happiness they enjoy there. And as that hereafter the diversity of languages for others, who are excluded from their shall cease." society, they will think themselves obli- "I am sensible," says Dr. Ridgley, ged, out of a due regard to the justice "there are some who object to this, that and holiness of God, to acquiesce in his the saints understanding all languages, righteous judgments. Thus, the inha-will be an addition to their honour, globitants of heaven are represented as adoring the divine perfections, when the vials of God's wrath were poured out upon his enemies, and saying, Thou art righteous, O Lord, because thou hast judged thus: true and righteous are thy judgments, Rev. xvi. 5, 7.

ry, and happiness. But to this it may be answered, that though it is, indeed, an accomplishment, in this world, for a person to understand several languages, that arises from the subserviency thereof to those valuable ends that are answered thereby; but this would be enremoved, if the diversity of languages be taken away in heaven, as some suppose it will."

Another question has been some-tirely times asked, viz. Whether there shall be a diversity of languages in heaven, as there is on earth? This we cannot "There are some, who, it may be, pretend to determine. Some think that give too much scope to a vain curiosity, there shall; and that, as persons of all when they pretend to enquire what nations and tongues shall make up that || this language shall be, or determine, as blessed society, so they shall praise God the Jews do, and with them some of the in the same language which they be- fathers, that it shall be Hebrew, since fore used when on earth; and that this their arguments for it are not suffiworship may be performed with the ciently conclusive, which are principally greatest harmony, and to mutual edifi- these, viz. That this was the language cation, all the saints shall, by the imme- with which God inspired man at first in diate power and providence of God, be paradise, and that which the saints and able to understand and make use of patriarchs spake, and the church geneevery one of those different languages, rally made use of in all ages till our Saas well as their own. This they found viour's time; and that it was this lanon the apostles words, in which he says, guage which he himself spake while That at the name of Jesus every knee here on earth; and since his ascension should bow, and that every tongue into heaven, he spake to Paul in the should confess that Jesus Christ is Hebrew tongue, Acts xxvi. 14. And Lord; which they suppose has a respect when the inhabitants of heaven are deto the heavenly state, because it is said scribed in the Revelations as praising to be done both by those that are in hea- God, there is one word used by which ven, and those that are on earth, Phil. their praise is expressed, namely, Halii. 10, 11. But though the apostle lelujah, which is Hebrew; the meaning speaks by a metonymy of different whereof is. Praise ye the Lord. But all tongues, that is, persons who speak these arguments are not sufficiently condifferent languages being subject to vincing, and therefore we must reckon Christ, he probably means thereby per- it no more than a conjecture." sons of different nations, whether they shall praise him in their own language in heaven, or no. Therefore some

However undecided we may be as to this and some other circumstances, this we may be assured of, that the happi

ness of heaven will be eternal. Whether || are represented as the ingredients of it will be progressive or not, and that the torment of the wicked, Rev. xiv. the saints shall always be increasing in 10, 11. Rev. xx. 10. That as the body is their knowledge, joy, &c. is not so clear. to be raised, and the whole man to be Some suppose that this indicates an im- condemned, it is reasonable to believe perfection in the felicity of the saints there will be some corporeal punishfor any addition to be made. but others ment provided, and therefore probably think it quite analogous to the dealings material fire. On the negative side it of God with us here, and that, from is alleged, that the terms above-menthe nature of the mind itself, it may be tioned are metaphorical, and signify no concluded. But however this be, it is more than raging desire or acute pain; certain that our happiness will be com- || and that the Divine Being can sufficiently plete, 1 Pet v. 10. 1 Pet. v. 4. Heb. xi. punish the wicked, by immediately act10. Watts's Death and Heaven; Gill's ing on their minds, or rather leaving them Body of Divinity, vol. ii. p. 495; Sau- to the guilt and stings of their own conrin's Sermons, vol. iii. p. 321; Top- science. According to several passages, lady's Works, vol. iii. p. 471; Bates's it seems there will be different degrees Works; Ridgley's Body of Divinity. of punishment in hell, Luke xii. 47. Rom. ques. 90. ii. 12. Matt. x. 20, 21. Matt. xii. 25, 32. Heb. x. 28, 29.

HEBREWS. See JEWS.

As to its duration, it has been observed that it cannot be eternal, because there is no proportion between temporary crimes and eternal punishments; that the word everlasting is not to be taken in its utmost extent; and that it

HELL, the place of divine punishment after death. As all religions have supposed a future state of existence after this life, so all have their hell, or place of torment, in which the wicked are to be punished. Even the heathens had their tartara; and the Mahome-signifies no more than a long time, or a tans, we find, believe the eternity of rewards and punishments; it is not, therefore, a sentiment peculiar to Christianity

There have been many curious and useless conjectures respecting the place of the damned: the ancients generally supposed it was a region of fire near the centre of the earth. Mr. Swinden endeavoured to prove that it is seated in the sun. Mr. Whiston advanced a new and strange hypothesis: according to him, the comets are so many hell, appointed in their orbits alternately to carry the damned to the confines of the sun, there to be scorched by its violent heat; and then to return with them beyond the orb of Saturn, there to starve them in those cold and dismal regions. But, as Dr. Doddridge observes, we must here confess our ignorance; and shall be much better employed in studying how we may avoid this place of horror, than in labouring to discover where it is.

Of the nature of this punishment we may form some idea from the expressions made use of in Scripture. It is called a place of torment, Luke xvi. 21. the bottomless pit, Rev. xx. 3 to 6. a prison, 1 Pet. iii 19. darkness, Matt. viii. 12. Jude 13. fire, Matt. xiii. 42, 50. a worm that never dies, Mark ix. 44, 48, the second death, Rev. xxi. 8. the wrath of God, Rom. ii, 5. It has been debated whether there will be a material fire in hell. On the affirmative side it is observed, that fire and brimstone"

time whose precise boundary is unknown. But in answer to this it is alleged, that the same word is used, and that sometimes in the very same place, to express the eternity of the happiness of the righteous, and the eternity of the misery of the wicked; and that there is no reason to believe that the words express two such different ideas, as standing in the same connection. Besides, it is not true, it is observed, that temporary crimes do not deserve eternal punishments, because the infinite majesty of an offended God adds a kind of infinite evil to sin, and therefore exposes the sinner to infinite punishment; and that hereby God vindicates his injured majesty, and glorifies his justice. See articles DESTRUCTIONISTS and UNIVERSALISTS. Berry St. Lect. vol. ii. p. 559, 562; Dawes on Hell, ser. x; Whiston on ditto; Swinden Drexelius, and Edwards on ditto. A late popular writer has observed, that in the 35th sermon of Tillotson, every thing is said upon the eternity of hell torments that can be known with any certainty.

HELL, Christ's descent into. That Christ locally descended into hell, is a doctrine believed not only by the papists, but by many among the reformed. 1. The text chiefly brought forward in support of this doctrine is the 1st Peter, iii. 19. "By which he went and preached to the spirits in prison;" but it evidently appears that the "spirit" there mentioned was not Christ's human soul, but a divine nature, or rather the Holy

HELLENISTS, a term occurring in the Greek text of the New Testament, and which in the English version is rendered Grecians, Acts vi. 1. The critics are divided as to the signification of the word. Some observe, that it is not to be understood as signifying those of the religion of the Greeks, but those who spoke Greek. The authors of the Vul-cient writers represent as the chief of gate Version render it like our Græci; but Messieurs Du Port Royal, more accurately, Juifs Grecs, Greek or Grecian Jews, it being the Jews who spoke Greek that are here treated of, and who are hereby distinguished from the Jews called Hebrews, that is, who spoke the Hebrew tongue of that time.