ISH

Of Hell's duration and stability.

SHOULD certainly have paffed over the stability and duration of Hell, as they are fo evident and indifputable articles, had it not been formerly doubt• ed by a fect, that this empire would last only for a certain time, after which it would be deftroyed, as thofe of this world have been, and will be for ever. This fect has itfelf happily been deftroyed, and has now no partisans remaining. But another has rifen fince, which still fubfifts, much more numerous than one can imagine, and which has raised ftill greater errors than the other. Thefe are they, who defire to be able wholly to annihilate the infernal regions with fo much ardour, that, if they could find a chief, who would go at their head, we fhould fee them, like fo many Titans, rushing on, befieging Hell, driving Lucifer from his throne, overturning his palace, and burying his fubjects, with himfelf, amongst the ruins. Yet, if the thing was poffible, we fhould fee them imitate thofe haughty fons of earth, who formerly attempted to fcale Heaven. But in vain. they wish for this annihilation. The warmth of their defires, in this refpect, is a demonftrative proof

of their inward conviction, that it will last eternally. They, far different from those people, who, in pure fimplicity, feared nothing but that the sky fhould fall, and crush them to pieces, fearing that they will fall into Hell, and not without juft reason, are anxious to find means how to deftroy it.

Vain project! fo as an empire never

much the more foclifh and rafh, had a fteadier foundation, nor was lefs fubject to the dread of fuch a revolution. Let us go on then to the examination, and prove this truth to thofe incredulous people, who doubt it in the leaft.

IN the laft chapter I took notice of the difference there is between the works of God and man.

1

The

latter, resembling their authors, partake of their weakness, and perish at last, however folid they may appear. Rome, for inftance, that famous city, which was the mistress of the world for several ages, should have fubfifted for ever, if we could give cr dit to her flatterers. Her hiftorians and poets, who talk like prophets, think on nothing else in all their writings; as her churchmen do to this time who have fucceeded these famous enthufiafts. And yet, notwithftanding their flattering predictions, notwithstanding all the foolish ftories of both the one and the other, had ever any city in the univerfe more revolutions? An hundred times has it been facked, and almoft reduced to afhes by its enemies; what is it at prefent, but a heap of ruins, a mere skeleton, scarce to be called a fhadow of what it was formerly? And what are its

vaft domains, which, as fome writers yet pretend to fay, will last to eternity, now reduced to?

BABYLON, that magnificent city, which was called the Wonder of the World, for te embellish which Semiramis laid out fuch immenfe fums; whose walls alone were a year in raifing, although three hundred thoufand labourers were employed about it every day; and whofe fuperb towers feemed ftrong enough to baffle men, time, and the all powerful gods themfelves to deftroy it yet this miracle of human efforts is now fo totally destroyed, that not the leaft footstep of itself or its inhabitants have been difcovered for many ages paft.

EGYPT, that country fo fruitful in wonders of nature and art, and fo long renowned for both; where are now her pyramids, her temples, and feve`ral other things, which were formerly the admiration of the curious? Where are all thofe monuments fo celebrated in hiftory? There ftill remain fome ruins of these furprizing buildings fcattered up and down in frightful defarts and oceans of fand, which are almoft buried therein, and wait but for time, the destroyer of all things, to be fwallowed up like all

the rest.

NOR have the most flourishing kingdoms, which feemed established on the fureft foundations, efcaped these inevitable revolutions. Without mentioning the four great and famous monarchies which deftroyed and fucceeded one another; viz., the Affyrian, which

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With

which was abolished by the Perfians, the Perfian by the Greeks, and the Greek by the Romans. out taking any notice of the laft, which had fwallowed up the others, being deftroyed, bow many empires and republics have difappeared from the earth? From whence came thefe changes? Why, from the inconftancy, inftability, and weakness infeparable from all the eftablishments of men.

IT is almoft the fame with the work of those intelligences, both evil and good, whom we call angels: for, though far more perfect than those of mankind, nevertheless they all have changes. If you would have proof of this affertion, only read the legends of our faints, where you fhall fee them employed, like fairies, in erecting towns, caftles, and fplendid palaces, with a glance of the eye, and as expeditiously disappear. For inflance, that of St. Wulfran ; you will there behold how Satan, wanting to feduce that faint, and to engage him again to worship falfe gods, fhewed him a paradife all sparkling with gold and precious ftones, which he had raised in an inftant, and which he told him would be the dwelling of thofe who worshipped idols after death. The faint, charmed with this fplendid view, began to ftagger in his faith, till, reflecting upon what the devil had faid to him, he began to fufpect him as a feducer, and refolved to make a trial of it; by faying, "If this magnificent palace which you fet before my eyes is the work of God, let it fub

" fift;

* fift; but if it is the work of the devil, let it fall to " ruins." No fooner were these words out of the faint's mouth, than the palace immediately difappeared, as quick as the decorations of our theatres at the whistle of the prompter. And why? because it was not God's work. Now as Hell is the work of the Almighty, we must conclude with St. Wulfran, that it will endure for ever.

LET us proceed ftill farther, and fhew, that it is almoft, if not quite, the only work of God, which fhall enjoy this glorious privilege. Nothing can be

eafier than this demonftration, Here it is then.

THE heavens, which are the mafter-piece of the almighty Creator, had given caufe, nay, certainty of belief, that they had, and fhould laft for ever. This opinion went from the philofophers to the poets, and all other famous authors, who give the stars the name of everlasting flames whenever they mention them. For near four thousand years every body believed them, and we should still have been in the fame opinion, had not Incarnate Truth, which could not be deceived, or deceive, cleared up this point to us. We have learned from him, that not only the earth, which has fubfifted for fo many ages as God made it, and perhaps fhould fubfift for millions of years, fhall be destroyed at last; but the heavens alfo, that mafter-piece of unlimited power, fhall be annihilated. It is Hell alone which fhall continue as long as hisown justice, which is for ever, and, as he informs us,