Ver. io. Fifth Chap. 2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. a c 7 4. There are many reafonsin the Commiffion of fin, whichjuflify this appoint. ment: As, t. AmajeJlate Dei,againft whom the fin is committed, and who is depreciated, and contemned by the Creatures offence. What bale thingsare preferred before God,and the felicity we might have in the injoyment of him? At how vile a price is his favour fold? 2.. A natura peccati,which is a preference of a fenfitive good before that which is Spiri- tual and Eternal. Men refute an Eternal Kingdom offered to them, for a little carnal faris- fad'ion, Heb, ia. zs. And if they be eternally miferable they have but their own choice. 3. A voluntate Peccatoris,he would continue his fin everlaftingly if he could.Theÿ are never weary of finning,nor everwould have been, if they had lived eternally upon Earth, they defge always to injoy the delights and pleafures of this Life, and are rather left by their fins, than leave them. Well then, fine they break the laws of the Eternal God, and the vdry Nature of the finis a defpifing his favour, for fome temporal pleafure, or profit, and this they would do everlaftingly, if they could fubuft here to long: This doth fuf£iciently juflify this appointment. s. Both arc the refult of a foregoing Judgment, wherein the caufe had been fufficiently tryed and cleared, and fentence paired. In all regular Judgment, after the tryal of the caufe, there is fentence, anduponfentence, execution: So 'tishere,there isa difcuflìon of the caufe, and then a fentence ofabfolution to the godly, Matth. zs. 34. Comeye Bided of my Father, Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you; of Condemnation on the wicked, werfe, 41. Depart,e Curfed, into EverlaJlingFire. Then what remaineth,but that the fen- tence fhould be executed? This being the final fentence, which (hall be given' upon all men, and all their works, the end of this Judgment, isto do Juftice, and to fulfil the will and truth of the Law-giver. Now the Execution is certain, fpeedy, and unavoidable. t. Certain, when th8 matter is once tryed, there will be fentence, and fentence once paff, there will be execution. We often break up court before things come to a full hearing,& fo delay the fentence; if we cannot delay the fentence,we feek to delay the exe- cution. But fentence once part here, it mule needs be executed. Partly becaufe there will be no change of mind in the Judge, he is inflexible, and inexorable, becaufe there is no errour in his fentence, but it is every way Righteous, and the truth of God is now to be manifefted;God would not affright us with that he never intended to do; grant this Judg- ment & executionis uncertain, &all his threatnings will be but a Vain fcar- crow.ln theday of his patience and grace his fentencemay be-repealed: Murat fententiam,_ fed non decretum ; As yer. 8. 7, 8. At what infiant I fhallfpeak concerning a Nation and a Kingdom, to pluck it up, andpullit-down, andtodeJlroyit, if that Nation, agaiàfl whom I have pronounced, turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil, which I thought to do.Here God revoketh thedoom; Convi &ion now maketh way for converfion, but then for confulon. And partly, becaufe there is nocláange offtate, in the perlons judged, they are in. Pennine, as the Apoftate Angels; while man is in the way, his cafe is compaffìonable, God allowed a change of bate toman after the Fall,which mutt not lab always, z Pet. 3. 9. Hewaiteth long for our repentance, but he will not wait ever, here' we may get the fentence reverted, if we repent, but then'tis final and peremptory, excludingall further hopes, and poffibili- ty of remedy. And partly becaufe there can be no change of the heart, they may have fome relentings, when matters offaith, become matter of fenfe. For if they would not love God, inviting by his mercies and offering pardon, then they will not love NM', condemning and punifhing, and flmttittg them out from all hope; theft three infer one another, becaufe no change ofheart, no changeof bate, becaufe -no change of bate no change offentence. z. 'Tis fpeedy; there was no delay, they were prefently tranfmitted, and put into their everlafingeftate, here is fententia lata,fed dilata, fentence is pall but not executed, Feel. 8. s t. Becaufe fentence is notfpeedily executed upon an evil doer. But here 'tis otherwife, they mutt dcpart,and be gone fpeedily out of Gods pretence,Ellher 7.8. As foon as the word was gone out of the Kings Mouth, they had him away to' execution. 3. 'Tis unavoidable; 'tis in vain to look about for help, all the World cannot rcfcue one fuch Soul. In fhort there is no avoidingby Appeal, becaufe, this is the lab Judgment nor by refiue,they (hall go away,not of their own accord,but compelled; tis Paid, Math. t 3.4z; The Angels fhallgather them, and call them into a Furnace of fire. So again cab them, the (hall be dragged away:Not by flight,for there is no efcaping ; nor intreaty, for the Judge is inexorable. 6. The fentence is executed upon thé wicked firft; it beginneth with them,for'eis laid thefefhallgo away into everlalling punifhment,and the righteons into life eternal Now this rt O z tN idi6d:'r
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