cular Manner indebted; from whom I have SERM.III. you Injuries I do not remember, that I have received any from any of this Place: And for whatever Kindneffes have done me, may God reward you fevenfold into your Bofom. And I do not question but he will reward you : For they were defigned My to cherish and countenance Worth and Learning; though beftowed on me. Relation to you, as a Paftor and Teacher, is now upon the Point of expiring; but there is one. Relation, which will always. fubfift, and that is, of your affectionate and fincere Well-wisher: Whatever Distance of Place may be between us, I shall rejoice to hear of any Good that befals you, and be heartily forry for any Difafter that affects SERM.III. you. My Prayers, my best Wishes (alas! what can I fay or do more ?) fhall always be yours: For I am still yours fincerely in all good and Chriftian Offices. Το Finally, Farewel, my Brethren ; God's Grace I commend you. May he grant you everlasting Welfare, and as much Health and Profperity, as are confiftent with your everlasting Welfare! May your Souls, while you live, improve in every Christian Grace; and when ye die, may they be prefented without a Spot before the Throne of Grace! May God protect you by his Power, guide you with his Counsel through the feveral Stages of Life, and after that receive into Glory! you SERMON The Nature and Duration of future Punishments confidered; and the Goodness of God fully vindicated; as to that Article against the principal Objections of fome late Wri ters. MATTHEW XXVI. 24. It had been good for that Man, if he had not been born. HESE Words are fpoken of Ju-SERM.IV. and the Senfe of them is, Whoever lives SERM.IV. fhall be: Or, in other Words, Non-Exiftence, though not a Bleffing in itself, is fo, comparatively with the Torments which he fhall endure. This is the plain exprefs authentic Declaration of no less a Person, than our bleffed Saviour; and it seems to overthrow the Opinion of Origen, who imagined, that the Damned fhould be admitted to everlasting Happiness after a determined Period of Woe. For then it could not have been faid with any Truth, that the Sum of their Miferies fhould exceed their Pleafures fince an eternal Happiness would outweigh any finite Torments. Non-existence would not have been, in the true Estimate of Things, a Bleffing to thofe, who were certain of an exceeding and everlafting Weight of Glory. It would be good for that Man to be born, who should some Time or other be happy for ever. In the Profecution of this Subject I propose, Ift, To confider the Duration of future Ildly, To fet forth the Nature of them: As As to the It, viz. The Duration of fu- SERM.IV. ture Punishments. M When God hall fet forth, before the united Affembly of Men and Angels, the Harmony and Confiftency of his Providence, from the first Birth of Time to it's last Period; it is to be humbly hoped, that merciful Abatements will be made for unavoidable Temptations, to which Men have been expofed by their Situation in [Life; for the Want of a regular and virtuous Education, &c. And perhaps fome Part of what is called moral Evil, may be, in the Eye of him, who knoweth whereof we are made, nothing but natural Evil; as owing to the native Impetuofity of fome Men's original Complexions, and to the unactive Coldness of ather Men's inatural Tempers, which, whether they could wholly get the better of God only knows. It may be likewife prefumed, that the Number of the Damned will bear no more Proportion to that of the Bleffed throughout the whole Creation; than a Workhouse or a Prifon does to the whole Extent of a large Kingdom. But whatever gracious Allowances may be made; it is an exprefs Scripture Doctrine, that the Wicked fhall go away into everlastVOL. II. H ing |