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.

T

HESE Words are spoken of Ju- SERM.IV.
das Iscariot, but they are applica-
ble to every unrelenting Criminal;

and the Sense of them is, Whoever lives
abandoned, and dies impenitent, fhall find
his Miseries in the whole Extent of his Be-
ing to overbalance the Enjoyments he has
had so far, that it had been happy for him
not to have been at all; it being better not
to be at all, than to be fo miferable as he
fhall

SERM.IV. shall be: Or, in other Words, Non-Existence, 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 lefs a Perfon, 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 everlasting Weight of Glory. It would be good for that Man to be born, who fhould fome Time or other be happy for ever.

In the Profecution of this Subject I propose,

It, To confider the Duration of future
Punishments:

Idly, To fet forth the Nature of them:
IIIdly, To make fome practical Inferences.

As

As to the It, viz. The Duration of fu- SERM.IV. ture Punishments.

When God thall fet forth, before the united Affembly of Men and Angels, the Harmony and Confistency of his Providence, from the first Birth of Time to its laft Period; it is to be humbly hoped, that merciful Abatements will be made for unavoidable Temptations, to which Men have been exposed 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 Mens original Complexions, and to the unactive Coldness of other Mens natural Tempers, which, whether they could wholly get the better of, God only knows. It may be likewise prefumed, that the Number of the Damned will bear no more Proportion to that of the Bleffed throughout the whole Creation; than a Workhoufe or a Prifon does to the whole Extent of a large Kingdom.

But whatever gracious Allowances may be made; it is an express Scripture Doctrine, that the Wicked hall go away into everlast= VOL. II.

H

ing

SERM.IV.ing Punishment; but the Righteous into Life

eternal.

Let us fuppofe, that Mankind were to live here for ever: Let us fuppofe, that fome of them were become abandoned and incorrigibly bad: Would it be any unjustifiable Severity to confine Them for ever in Prison, that they might not feduce or annoy the rest of the Creation; or even to inflict pofitive Punishments upon them, in their Confinement, adequate to their Offences, in order to deter others? It is only therefore to fuppofe, that the Soul is in its own Nature defigned for an immortal Duration; that thofe, who are configned to everlasting Mifery, are fuch as by a continued Course of Sinning have fo difabled all the Powers of the Soul, that it is morally impoffible for them, without the extraordinary Grace of God, to ceafe from Sinning: And then if it be no Injustice, as undoubtedly it is not, that every Sinner should be a Sufferer; there can be no Injustice, that every habitual, eternal Sinner fhould be an eternal Sufferer.

This Confideration, I think, takes off the Force of the Objection, viz. That there is no Proportion between temporary Crimes,

and.

and eternal Punishments. But, fince fome SERM.IV. have laid great Strefs upon it, I shall confider it further.

It, Let it be confidered, that though the outward Acts of Sin be temporary; yet the Defilement and Habit contracted by a Repetition of thefe Acts is, if we die in a State of Impenitence, eternal. And as eternal ill Habits are the Source of eternal Torments; it will follow that the Impenitent have entailed upon themselves everlafting Mifery. If, when Death has clofed the Scene, there be no After-game to play; if all Overtures of Grace then cease; if Vice be ftamped upon the Soul in indelible Characters; if he that is filthy, must be filthy ftill; then it is an undeniable Confequence, that be, who can never ceafe to be wicked, can never cease to be miferable. The veteran Sinner is fteeled against all Impreffions, and the Mifer does not ceafe to love this World with all his Soul, and with all his Strength, even when he stands just upon the Verge of another.

How

often have we feen Men, that, however inconfiftent in every thing elfe, have been very confiftent in obeying one ruling, habitual Paffion from firft to laft? Nay, we have furprifing

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