'lhe Danger of Pmjperity. Blellings rhcy rccci vc4 will rife t _Ip in Judgment againfl dtcm, as proofs of rhc_ir Wickcd_- ncfs, rhar n~akcs rhcm ~no~c gut1~y, and dcfCr_vcctly mifCr~blc. Then Confclcocc, rh~·r is now fiupified by fen1ua1Ity~ wtll lnake funous ~dlcCbons upon rh~ Fo!ly. of t!~c1r Choice, a1ld be more rormcntmg than the infcn~al F1~nds. Whc~1 Crtefo.s, rh~ nch Kwg of Lydin, was .bound to t he St~ke, and r_hc Fue kmdlcd for h1s butJ_ung, he lamentably cr~cd our, ~olon, Splon, Solon; ~nd bclll~ ask' cl the _R_cafO~l of it, declared, That in rhe_hc1ghr of _ h~s Profpcriry, that wtfe Grcct~n had ad \'lfcd hnn ·_to prepare fur . a Revohmon from hts Glory_and Grcarncfs into a ~tfCr?ble Stare, and l11s ncglcct_of that C:o.~_mjCl \\_'as more rormentnl£ than the L~fs of hts Krngdo.m. How J~icrcing W11l rh.c rem,cnt;· br.ance be .to lofl: Souls of their defpt fing the InflruChons, Wanungs, and graciOus Me.., rhods of the Di vine Wifdom, to have prevented their ruin? that Nlereywas fo often and fo rcbcllioufly refilled 1 This will be the Hell of Hell. . 2.• !he .ce rtainty. of thei r De~ruction is ricxt t'<? ~e C'onfidercd. . 'Ti? tmcliaJJgtably ellabhlh'd by the Dtvine Ordinatton, that the Plca!iltcs of Sin fl1all ettd m the mitcry of obllinate Sinners. This is declared·in the Word of God, If yt tivt accordi11g to the 'Piefo, Ro;;,. , ;~ Je Jhall die : And as 'ris founded in diflriburive Jullice, fo it Jl>all be executed from his Truth. · Our Savt~ur tells us, Heaven and Earth jhall paJ! a!Va)', hut one jot or ttttle of Ma t. 5. the Law foal/ not be Iinfuiftlled. All the threatnings of it, m thC!t fearful extent, fl>all be accomplifh'd upon impenitent Sinners, the proper Objects of Vengeance. God cannot deny himfelf in cea~mg to be.Holy <tnd True, and his Power fcconds his \Vord, to inflict the. full eflCCts of tt upon the Guilty and Impenitent; for a time they are ii.Jared, tliat the-y_ might. repent: for Mercy is nOt only over all d1e Works of ~od, but param~t~nt td p.l_l hts ~ttnbures, It iitfpcnds his Pow~r from Acts of Vengeance, tt dela_ys ahd mmgatcs lus Jufhcc: we may appeal from Jufhcc tO Mercy in the Court of ·Heaven: bur when God's Mercy has been affronted and cxafj:>erated, by the cbntinual abufc of his Benefits; when 'tis rcnounc'd and forfeited by Sinners, their dcfiruChon is irrcvediblc : for 'tis Me.rcy alone at6n~s . h~s righteous Anger; and th~s ~ing fo fearfu lly provo~' d, the_re i~ nO Advocate in Ius Bo1om to plead for them.. D1d he not expel from Heaven the tebellwus Angels, Spirits of a higher Order, and more excellent Endowments than Mcrl, and ih "\Cir number perhaps exceeding the whole Progeny of Man? Now as the Apofrle, con' fidcring that the Ijra'elites, the chOfcri Pco'ple cif God, and dear to him above !}ll others; yet when they became unfruitful, were broken off from the true Olive Tree, and the wild Gentiles were grafted into it, leaves this Caution in eternal Memory, Be not /;itTb- Rom. u. =o~ minded, lut fear . . For if be]pared '1ot tbe natural Branches, tal·e beed left. be Jpa~e 11,ot /lee. :~. feJi~::~ ~:~~~~j{t~~~~cdo~n~~'YJ:/f,e=nd~:f:ve~:J~~;:,;a~~tn~z:;n:no1J~:!J'f:fs~Elt~:~: ferved un~o Ju~gment, certainly he wil.l not fparc finful ·Med that hate to be reformed , and cotiLill\te m t_he voluptuou,s Courfe of Sm to the 1:1.0:. The fecure and f0oli01 SidI\crs,. that now make a moCk of.Sin, and have fb far lo_O: their ~nnoccnce a~td Inge11uity ~ that fl1ame and reqticfi: for their fOul Actions iS co~utted a vicwus Infirmity, a degerie: rous Humour, tboy fl1all undcrllandin whatdegreeSmis hateful to the Holy God.. They w~10 now ~eep_out all the denunciations of the Law, Will find at lafl:, they_ ba11e to do With a te[rtble mexorable God : Becaufe I bave called, and ye refafed, I /Ja1.JC jlretched oUt P rov. 1. ' ~~ n~ band, amino 11'/an reg-art!ed; But ye hti'Ve fet at nought afl my . C~unftl, Crnd would !Jnve 1~ ' =6 • :7; 11one of my Reproof: I a/fo willlaugb at your Calamity, aitd »'to"tk when your Fear comes : 2 ' 19 ' TtVhen your Fear. comer as Defolatioiz, .and your J?eflruEiion comes as a WhirliVind; wben Di- : f/rifs ~nd Anguifo come upon you. !hen foal/ they call upon me, but I will not anjiver; they }hall jeek me e.,r/y, but they foallnot find me. For tbat tl;ey bated Knowledge, anddid not cbufe tbe Fear of tbe L ord. Tlus dreadful Threatning is pointed againfr foolifl:t Sinners who abufe Proli>cnty : When rhofe who fhur their Eyes againfr Danger, fl1all be c01 ) _ frraincd to open them, and fee the fearful Face of Death attended with Jadg•nenr, and Judgmem With an eternal Hell : when D1feafes m rheBody? and Anguifl1 in the Soul, fhall al1:11l them at once,. hke two Clouds rhar by collifion break forth in Thunder and >hey mournfully cry for Mercy, their Prayers will be rejeCted with fCorn, and their'RuiJi be rcmeddcfs. , The carnal Conceit, rim God will gracioully receive Sinners when rhc World lias lcfr rhem ; that when by ~a l ah~itous conilraint th~y arc at la!l: brbught tO confefs their Wick;- cdnefs, and a:e only forrowful for the evil ~onfcquence.s _of it, the. conceit that they fhal_l find Mercy, 1s Athcifill of as blafphemous a nature as the Dental of a God: For to ;Ifcnbe fuch a Mercy to God,. as is ineonlifrenr with his Wifdom, Holinefs, Jufrice, alid Trmh, ts to depnve him of Ius purefr PerfeCtions, and in effeCt to ungod him;
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