ON HOSEA XIV.- VERSES 3, 4. 165 to so great and daring a height ; " It shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come," Matt. xii. 32. That is, say some, neither in the time of life, nor in the point or moment of death which translates them unto the world to come ; others, not in this life by justification, nor in the world to come by consummate redemption, and public judiciary abso- lution in the last day, which is therefore called the day of redemption, in which men are said to find mercy of the Lord, Eph. iv. 30. 2 Tim. i. 18. For that which is here done in the conscience by theministry of the word, and efficacy of the Spirit, shall be then publicly and judicially pronounced by Christ's own mouth before angels and men, 2 Cor. v. 10. Others suppose that it means, shall not be forgiven, that is, shall be plagued and punished both in this life and in that to come. Give me leave to add what I have conceived of the mean- ing of this place, though no way condemning the expo- sitions of so great and learned men as have already given their opinion upon this text. I take it, by " this world," we may understand the church which then was of the Jews, or the present age which our Saviour Christ then lived in. In the scripture, I think, the word age or world is to be sometimes restrained to the church. Now, as Israel was God's first -born, and the first fruits of his increase, Exod. iv. 22. Jer. xxxi. 9. ii. 3. so the church of Israel is called the church of the first-born, lieb. xii: 23. and the first tabernacle, and a worldly sanctuary, Heb. ix. 1. 8. and Jerusalem that now is, Gal. iv. 25. And then by the world to come, we are to understand the christian church afterwards to be planted ; for so fre- quently in scripture is the evangelical church called the world to come, and the last days, and the ends of the world, and the things thereunto belonging. Things
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