damnation in the world to come, are spoken of as being for the
changes and revolutions, are the wheels of the chariot, under the place of the seat of him who rides in this chariot. God's providence in the constant revolutions and alterations and successive events, is represented by the motion of the wheels of the chariot, by the spirit of him who sits in his throne on the heavens, or above the firmament. Moses tells us for whose sake it is that God moves the wheels of this chariot, or rides in it sitting in his heavenly seat; and to what end he is making his progress, or goes his appointed journey in it, viz. the salvation of his people.1
6. God's judgments on the wicked world, and also their eternal damnation in the world to come, are spoken of as being for the happiness of God's people. So are his judgments on them in this world. Is. 43:3–4, "For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou hast been precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." So the works of God's vindictive justice and wrath are spoken of as works of mercy to his people, Ps. 136:10, 15, 17–20. And so is their eternal damnation in another world, Rom. 9:22–23, "What if God, willing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory …?" Here it is evident the last verse comes in, in connection with the foregoing, as giving another reason of the destruction of the wicked, viz. the showing the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy; in higher degrees of their glory and happiness, in an advancement of their relish of their own enjoyments, and greater sense of their value, and of God's free grace in the bestowment.3