148 The Harmony of the Vivine Attribut~s ~H~ea-ve-n.-H~o-w-un~ab~le~is~he-to-en~cou~nt-er-w~ith-o~~n~de~d~Om-n~i~-,e-nc~e?~H-ow-ea~fi!-y--can God deflroy him, when by his foie Word. he made him? If he unclaps his hand that fupports all things, they will prefently relapfe into their firfl Confufion. The whole ~h~~~~::zis~~n~~sv~v~s ~";~'1r'ar~t~~6e~nthb;: \~~r~e~~~~r ~~~e~t r\¥l:,:r~~~~rft~d~h~ enemy, will be let him go well away? 1 Sarn; 24. 9· But God, when we were all at his Mercy, fpar"d and fav'd us. · BeGdes,. Rebels fometimes fol!icit the Favour of their Prince by their Acknowledgments,_ the.Ir Tears and Supplications, the Tei!imonies of their Repentance: But Man perfilled m IllS fierce Enmity, and had the Weapons of defiance in his hands againfl his Creator; he trampled on his Laws, and defpifed his Deity; yet then the Lord of Hofls became the God of Peace. In fi10rt, there was nothing to call forth the Divine Compaffion but our Mife,ry : The Breach began on Man's part, but Reconciliation on God's Mercy open'd his melting Eye, and prevented not only our defert, but our Expectation and Defires. The Defign was laid from Eternity. God fore(aw our Sin and our Mi- ~h?':n~~de=~~o~~~e~:r:?~~~ t~~~~~t~[:~;::~,~~~ %/~: :;~~~,w~ ~:~ a1bei~~; ~r;;:: fore ~vecould not be.deferving, nor defirous of it; and after we were made, we deferv'd norhmg but Damnation. 2. The Grace of God eminently appears in Man's Recovery, by comparing hi.s State with that of the fallen Angels who are left under Mifery: This is a fpecia! Circumflance that magnifies the Favour; and to make it more fenfible ro us, it will be convenient brieAy to confider the lirfl State of the Angels, their Fall, and their Punilhment. God in creating the World, formed two Natures capable of his Image and Favour, to glorify and enjoy him, Angels, and Men; and plac'd them in the principal Pans of the Univerfe, Heaven and Earth. The Angels were the eldefl Olf-fpring of 1\is Love, the pure!t Productions of that fupreme Light : Man in his befl State was inferior to them. A great number of them k,ept not their frfl State ( Pfa!. 8. 5·) of Integrity and Felicity. Their Sin is intimated in Scripture; Ordain not a Novice, left being lifted up in Pride, he fall i?zto the Condemnation of the Devil, 1 Tim. 3· 6. That is, lefl he become gui lty of that Sin which brought a fevere Sentence all the Devil. The Prince of Darknefs was blinded with the luflre of his own Excellencies, and attempted upon the Regalia of Heaven, atfetting an independent State. He di(avow"d his Benefactor, inrich'd with his benefits. And in the fame moment he with his Companions in Rebellion were banilhed from Heaven. God [pared not the AngeiJ thtttJluned, but cafl them down to HeU, and deliver'd them into Chains of Darl<,ncft to be reforv'd unto Judgment, 2 Pet. 2. 4· Mercy did not interpofe to avert or fufpend Iheir Judgment, but immediately they were expell"d from the Divine Prefence. A Sol emn Triumpl~ in Hea\•en foll owed: A Voice came out of the Thro11e, ]dying, Praifo our God uU ye his Serva1z f1: and there wttJ as it were the Vohe of mighty "Thmrdrings, fay· ing, Hallellljah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigm. They are now the mail eminent Examples of revengi ng Wrath. Their pre(ent Mifery is unfupportab!e, and they expect worfe. When our Saviour cafl Come of them out of the polfefl Perfons, they cried out, Mar'<_ I. Art thou come to torment 111 before our time? 1\IIiferrimum eft timere cum fpere$ nihil; 'tis the height of Mifery to have nothing to hope, and fomething to fear. Their Guilt is attended wilh Defpair; they are in Everlafling Chai111; He that t11rries the Ke1s of HeU and Death will never open their Prifon. If the Sentence did admit a Revocation after a million of Years, their torment would be norhing in comparifon of what it is: For the !ongefl rnea(ure of Time bears no propcrtion to Eternity-; and Hope would allay the fenCe of the pre(ent Sulferings with the profpect of future Eafe. But their Judgment is irreverfible; they are under the black,nefs of darimfo for ever.. There is not the lea!t glimpfe of hope to allay their Sorrows, no Star-light to (weeten the Horrors of their Eternal Night. They are fervi pen£, that can never be redeemed. It were a kind of Pardon to them to be capable of Death: But God will never be fo far reconciled, as to annihil:l.te them. His Anger jhall_ be accompliftm:l, aud his Fury reft ttfon thenz; Ezek. 3· S· Immortality. the privilege oftheir Nature, infinitely increafes thmTorment: For when the Underfland ing by a !\rong and active Apprehenfion, bath a terrible and unbound eC: profpect of the continuance of their Sufferings, that what IS Intolerable mutt be Etei nal, this inexpreflibly exafperates their.Mifery: There wants a word beyond Death to fet it fort h. This is the condition of the !inning Angels, and God might have dealt in as flriCl Ju!tice with Rebellious Man. 'Tis true, there are many· Rea(ons may be a(- figned why the Wifdom of God made no proviuon for rheir Recovery. ..It
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