mistaken notion of a man, who in the most momentous truths may trip; but it is the judgment of the only wife God, who is a God of knowlege, by whom actions are weighed. I think we need not go fo far back at present for a proof of this as the penal fanction of the law, fo long as we have the death of Chrift, as an evidence of it, nearer hand. If an infinite perfon, ftanding in the finner's room, muft, for his fins, have fuch a load of wrath laid upon him, what lefs muft the punifhment of the finner himself be than eternal wrath? None can pretend to believe the truth of the gofpel, and question the juftice of God in punishing finners eternally; for is it not ridiculous to admire divine feverity in the eternal punishment of wicked men, and not to attend to infinite juftice punishing feverely his own beloved Son? What wonder is it that wicked men should be for ever tormented for their own fins, if the most righteous Son of God fuffered for the fins of others? He that without a reproach to his goodness, could endure his most dear Son to fuffer fo long as one hour, will much better endure unjust finners to be tormented with eternal punishment.

5. That fin deferves fuch a punishment, is not only the judgment of God, but of men too. The common reafon of mankind speaks its justice. This appears by the fentiments the heathens had of this matter. They had not a revelation to guide them, and therefore had wild fancies about the manner of these punishments which they judg ed eternal: but that there were fuch punishments, and that they were just, they had no doubt. Hence it was that their poets did condemn Tantalus to fuch a place, where he fhould have rivers just washing up to his lip, and yet fhould not be able

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to drink of them; and fo remain eternally under the violence of thirst, with this gnawing aggravation, that he had waters, just at his very lip. But we may yet have a more clear proof of the judg ments of men in all nations, in their fanctions of human laws. Do not all of them for crimes, condemn to perpetual imprisonment, or to death? The one is an eternal punishment of lofs of life, and its concomitant advantages; and this punishment is inflicted without refpect to a future life; as appears in this, That fuch laws are execute upon them, of whom none has reafon to think that they shall have any share in the advantages of a future life. And that perpetual imprisonment is not eternal imprifonment, is not because that it is thought unjuft, but because neither the law-makers, who put it in execution, nor they who break it, live to eternity.

6. That fin deferves eternal punishment, appears from the acknowlegement of the punished. This is a very strong argument; for although they who are yet wallowing in their fins, and are lulled faft afleep in the lap of carnal fecurity, will not acknowlege fo much: yet if we enquire at thefe whom God has awakened, and to whom he has given a difcovery of the exceeding finfulness of their fin, whether with a profpect of mercy or not, they will all with one mouth acknowlege that fin deferves eternal wrath. Thefe whom the Lord deals with, in order to their conversion, will all fubfcribe to the justice of God, fhould he damn them eternally. I do not fay that they will be content to be damned; but they will own that God were most just should he deal fo by them. And not only is it fo with them, but even with thefe who are funk to the utmoft in black defpair. I

If we liften to a Spira, who has laid aside all hopes of mercy, we shall hear him crying out in the an guifh of his foul one day, I am fealed up to eternal wrath: I tell you I deferve it; my own confcience condemns me, what needeth any other judge? and another day again we may hear him crying out, Though there were not another damned, yet God is juft in making me an example to others; and I. cannot justly complain. There is no punishment so great but I have justly deferved it. These confiderations do fufficiently evince, that fin deferves eternal punishment; and therefore God has good reafon to demand it.

2. Our great Lord and Mafter has great reafon to punish you with fuch a punishment, not only because your offences deferve it, but because he, in the inftitution and promulgation of his laws, did actually declare that he would fo punish the tranf greffors of it. Sin and eternal punishment were then linked together. With that fame very breath that God faid to Adam, Thou shalt keep my commandments; he alfo faid to him, In the day thou breakeft them, thou shalt furely die. That the annihilation of his foul fhould be there intended, is contrary to fcripture, and has no ground in reafon; and if only temporal death is meant, then this would be implied, to fay, thou shalt be rewarded with eternal life if thou fin, which were ridiculous to imagine. That therefore which is intended is certainly eternal death. And God haying annexed this penalty to the violation of his law, there is great reason that it should be punctually executed. For,

1. The honour of his wifdom requires it. To what purpofe fhould this penalty be annexed, if it were not on design that it fhould be put in ex

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ecution? or at least it would reflect upon his wif dom, if it might not with great reason be put in execution.

2. Juftice to his honour, as he is the righteous judge of the earth, calls for the execution of this law. What, I pray, is the bufinefs of one placed in that high station, if not to see laws executed, to fee the compliers with them rewarded, and the offenders condignly punished?

3. Juftice to the law requires the punishment of finners: for if the law in one part may be neglected, why not in all? The threatening, as well as the precept, has upon it the imprefs of the fupreme authority; and therefore, as by the violation of the precept, fo by the non-execution of the penalty, the honour of the law fuffers. If the penalty be required, then the honour of the precept is repaired; but if the penalty be neglected, then the law is entirely affronted, and there is no reparation, than which there can be nothing more unreasonable.

4. Juftice to onlookers. To neglect the punishment of offenders, is of dangerous influence to beholders; it betrays them into one of two or three dangerous mistakes; it has a tendency either to make them entertain light apprehenfions of fin; or elfe to make them call in question either the knowlege, power or wifdom of God, and his zeal for his own glory: therefore juftice to them requires that the penal fanction of the law be vigo rously put in execution.

5. Juftice to God's faithfulneís. The honour of the divine veracity requires it. God engaged his faithful word for the accomplishment of the threatening; therefore either the truth of God

muft ly open to fufpicion, or elfe the punishment. muft be inflicted upon you.

(6.) To add no more confiderations under this head; by annexing eternal punishment to the commiffion of fin, all the divine attributes were engaged to fee it execute; of the juftice, wifdom, and fovereignty of God, it has already been made. appear; and it might with equal facility be evinced, as to the unchangeableness of God, his goodnefs, power and knowlege; therefore he has reafon to demand so high a fatisfaction.

3. Sin not only deferves that heavy and eternal punishment we have been difcourfing of, and not only has God adjudged, by an irreversible appointment, that it fhould be fo punished; but we fay moreover, That God has juft reafon to inflict it, because this appointment of God, linking fin and punishment together, is moft just and equal. This puts it beyond all rational doubt, that God has reafon to treat you as he will do. Now, the juftice of this penal fanction, I fhall open to you in feveral confiderations. And,,

(1.) This is plain from that which we have at great length difcourfed of already, in reference to the demerit of fin. We have proved, by many incontroulable evidences that fin deserves the higheft punishment that can be inflicted. Now, juft authority can never be but juft, in punishing a crime, or annexing a penalty to it, that is proportioned to its own nature; and this is plainly the cafe here.

2. God has made this fanétion; therefore it is juft. This I think needs no proof, the Judge of all the earth cannot do wrong, he is a God of truth, and without iniquity. Our ways may be unequal, his can never be fo: for were God un