Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

Chap. Ill. Of Eierital Judgmeiit~ .. 1ft That altho the Law publifh'd by Mofis was not comt..,·unicated to th"lJl, y>t there was; fi!cnt, tho lefs perfcfr Impreffion of it in their Hearts. ,The Law of Nature in the fundamental Precepts of Religion, and Society, and Temperance,. was better known than obeyed by them. Therefore the ApoHie ind1Cls them for Atrocious Crimes, Rom. 1. 26, 27 . fuch as natural Confcience, confenung WJth the Law of God, fevercly forb1ds upon the pain of Damnation. Thus 'tis .fa id of the Heathens, Who knowing,''" 'Jt~dgment of God, tlntt th~y whtcb commtt Jruh thmgs are worth] of Detttk ; not only commtt the fame, but have pleaftJreinthemthatdothem, Rom. 1. 32. And at thq Jaft J?ay, 4-s.many as have r:::r~~~s:"h~;:·· •. "b~;icl~~t:,~"~l'N~t~;~~ ;,~I;~~~g':ttr,:!io ~~ ~:::n~;,d ~!~ ftrain thcmfelves from Evil; of which the counterpart was not totally deleted in their . He:~;;: Altho the Revelation of ChriH in his Perfon, Office and Benefits, is not by tq~ preaching of the Gofpel (that is neceffary for the begetting of Faith) extended to all Na, t ions; yet the Grace of the Redeemer is fo far univerfal, that upon his account the indul. gent Providence of God invited the Heathens to Repentance. His renewed Benefits that f\veetncd their Lives, Rom. 2. 4· and his powerful Patience in forbeanng fo long ro cur them off, when their Impurities and Irnpieties were fo provoking, was a teilimony of his inclination to Clemency upon their Reformation, A[/s 14. 17. And for their abufing his Favours, and refilling rhe Methods of his Goodnefs, th.ey will be inexcufable to themfelves, and their Condemnation righteous ro their own Confciences. CHAP. Ill. Eternal Veatb is wifely and jujlly ordained to be the ptlnifhmeni of Sill. 'lis the ••if- ' dom of the LarvgiJJer to appomt Juch a Punijhmellt M u.zlght olJerpoije all Temptatiohs to break the Larv. 'Tis jujl to make a proportionbetwetn the qualityo(, theOjfena; imd the degrees of ~rmijhment. Sill is a contempt of God's Majejly tiJat rs tmly infinii'e. The Obligations of rea{onable Creatllres to the Creator, extremely encreaft the guilt of Sin. T/,e meannefs of ihe MotilJrs that ind11ce Mm to fin, aggra)Jates the Offence. J1,e defpijing of Etemal Life, and tiJ< clmjing the pleafi<res of Sin; rvith Hell in its !JI!tinue, >nakes the pmrifl:mmt to be jujlly injliEied Oil them. The . objlinate and inmrable Lujls of Men, juflly make thrm the ObjeEis of relJenji>:g Jajlice for elJer. W. E are next tb cbnfider the _Sanfrion of rhe Law that enforces Obedience; and it will appear that God IS nor extreme, bur WJfcly and JUllly ordamed Eternal Death td pe the punifhment of Sin. This will appear by confidering; i. The end of the Sanaion is to preferve the Authority of the Law in its fuil vigoJr, to tender ir moll folemn and awful; and confequeqt,ly 'ris the Wifdoni oft he Lawgiver to or· dain a ~unifhrnent fo hea~y, as to overpoifcall Temptations that might otherwife induce 455 the SubJefrs to tranfgrefs Its Precepts. . . ann~~~o~~ !~:O~f:l, t~a~~~ari~~li~~~~E::~: ~,~t'~;a~~~~/if>~o~~~,~~~bfr~~~~~~J '" Defire; no deceitful Suggelliqn . !ltquld .enter. ro break the Tables of the Li w dcpofired therein. Now fince, n9twirhllanding the Jhrearnipg, Man was fo eafily feduced by the Infiouations of the Tempter to break the Law, and ·dtfordcr rhe Government ofGod in the World, ,ris evident that fuch a Refl:raint was not overvigorous to fccure his ObedieOce. t lhallnotinfillonwhat isfadly vifible fince rhe firll Apollacy1 rhar there . i,s in Mankind fuch a prodigious propenfity to fenfual things, that without the fear of Helf, no Argti· menrsare llrongenough to prevent rbe bold violation ofthe Divine La\v• . thc2qu,~~syc~~~~:~a~~~!, c~~~~~~ ~;:~~~~ ~~~~1~1P~~ifh~~rm~0 ~~~i~~ofa~t:~0~h~e~~f~~~ ;~~~~~~- inro its hand before it takes the Swor~. ~ow Sincigainft God is Or fl~ch <in i~~cnfe Guilt; fo~~,~~~;\~­ lhar an eternal Punifhmcnr is but equivalent to it. This will appear by conudering, .. ' 11"•r; Ooo <; t.)Th~

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