The Eternity of, .'kc. ration, that is to fay. ete-rnal. Sin is ·a t..:;nd of infinite e:v'iJ, as it wronas an infinite God; and .the guilt and de- – filement thereof is never taken away, but endures fore – nr,_un!efs the Lord himfelf in rpercy do remove it. God who is cffe:oded, is eternal. hk being never comes ~o . an end ; .the finful foul is immortal, and the man fha·a li~e for ever: the tl.rtner being without flrength, .(Ror~ . . Y. 6:) to expiat'e his guilt, never can put _away the of– fence; therefore it ever remains._ nn!ef.-s the Lord do put it away himfelf, as in the _elect by his Son's blood., Wherefore the party ofFeDded, the offender, a.nd the of– fence ever rem4ining, tbe punifhmen:: cannot but be ete-r- " na!. (z.) The finner would have continued the courfe of his provocations againft God, for ~ver without end, if God had not put a check to~t by death. As Io~g aSi they were capable to acr againft him, in this ~'orJd, t he.r did .it: apd therefore jufUy will he aCt againft them, '\iVhile he is,; th-t is for ever' God who judgeth of the will) intents, and inclinations of the heart, may jufl:ly da againfr finners, jn 'punifhing. as they would have. done againfr hjm, in firming. Lnfl!y, (though I put not the firefs of the matter here,) it is juft and reafonable the damned fufrer eternally, fince they will fin etermllfy in he!I, gnrfoing their teeth• .(Matth. viii. 12 .) under their p:1in, in rage, envy, ::1.nd grudgeJ ( c.ompare ADJ ,,ii. 54·. Pfa!. cxii. 1 o. Luke xiii. 20 . ) and blafpheming God there, (Rev. xvi. 2L) \Yhither they are driven awaJ in th1·ir · rwickedn~(!, Prov . :xiv. 32. That ~he wicked be punifhed for the~: wictednefs isju!t; and it is no ·w~ys incodifl:– ~nt with jui1ice, th~t the being of the creitHre be con– tir.ued for ever: wherefore, it is juft that the damned continu:ng wicked et ern2lly, do fuffer eternally for th •.:i r wickedne1s. The mifery nnc!er which they fin, ' can nei- !. ther free them from the debt of obedien ce, nor n cufe th~ir ii.r.ning, .and make it blameJe!s. The creature, as a ere;;~ tu re, . is bound unto obf·dience .to his Creator, <'md no pnniHnnent inflieled on him, can fi;ee hitl} from it. more dvn the ma'Je fafror's prifons, jrons, whi pping e1nd the li ke, do fet h im at liberty, to c()Jnmit a new the crin:es fo r whir.h he is imprifoncd or whippo;d . Neither can the tor ,11ents ofthe damned· ezc'Ife, or make blamelefs thei r hor ribie
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