ontríbíng an'g tieaempt1Oi1. r 4 ever. There is not the leaf't glimpfe of hope to allay Ch. VIII. their forrows, no Star-light to fweeten the horrours of their Eternal night. They are fervi pence, that can never be redeemed. It were a kind ofpardon to them to be capable of Death : but God will never be fo far reconciled, as to annihilate them. His anger fhall be Ezek.3 y. accomplifhed, and his fury ref/ upon there. Immortali- ty, the priviledge of their nature, infinitely increafes their torment : for when theUnderflanding by a f rong and alive apprehenfion, hath a terrible and unbound- ed profpe&ofthe continuanceof their Sufferings, that what is intolerable muff be Eternal, this inexpreflibly exafperates their Mifery: There wants a word beyond Death to let it forth. This is the condition of the finning Angels, and God might have dealt in as ftriet Juftice with rebellious Man. 'Tis true there are ma- ny Reafons maybe affigned why the Wifdom ofGod made no provifion for their Recovery. t. It was moft decent that the fi'rfl Breach of the Divine Law fhould be punifht, to fecure Obedience for the future. Prudent Lawgivers are revere againft the fi"rfl Tranfgreffors, the Leaders in Difobedience: He that raft prefumed to break the Sabbath, was by Gods command put to . Death. And Solomon the King of Peace, puniíht the firft attempt upon his Royalty with Death , though in the perlon of his Brother. 2. The Malignity oftheir Sin was in the higheft de- gree: For fuch was the clearnefs of the Angelical Un- derftanding, that there was nothing ofIgnorance and Deceit to leffen the voluntarinefs of their Sin : 'twas no miflake, but Malice : They fell in the light ofHea- ven; and rendred themfelves incapable ofMercy. As under the Law, thole who finned with a high hand; Heb.9.7P . that is, not out of Ignorace or Imbecillity to pleafe U their
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