SERMONS upon the S E R M. XXIV, his Juftice, make good his Truth, manifeft his Holinefs, and fo hate himfelf ; If God fhould Pardon all fins, his abhorrency and hatred of fin could not be mani- felted, and fò hé would lofe the honour of his infinite Hounds ; therefore in Men and Angels he would declare his dilpleafure of it, and no lets hatred of the Sinner : God law it belt for his own glory to Futter tome to fin, and by fin to come to Punishment : Therefore do not wallow in thy filthinefs, and think that God will be all Honey, that Mercy will bear thee out ; he hath Paid,' that Lyars and Drunkards Omit have their portion, in the Lake that burned' with Fire and Brimfione : if God is merciful, and yet did fuch things to Chrift, certainly he may remain merciful mutts more, and yet punish thee. z. God loth it to thew his Mercy to others ; 'twas neceffary for the whole world, that God fhould infliFt fo revere a Punishment ; Punifhments are not al- wayes for the emendation of the delinquent, but for the good of others : The howvlings and oroanzags of the damned, maketh the harmony and mufck of Providence more incite, faith Gerfon : 'Twas a necelfary Provifion for the good of the whole world, and meet for the beauty of Providence, that God fhould have a Prifon as well as a Palace. Befides, for the reftraint of fin, there is more Mercy in tite reftraint of fin, or the taking away of fin, than there would be in reftraining the Pu- nifhment ; this is the great means to lelfen Corruption : Origen, that thought the Punishment of Hell fhould one day have an end, yet thought not good to fup- prefs this Doctrine, left men fhould take liberty to fin : So Epicurus, and Sene- ca, that looked upon it as a Poetical Fiftion, thought it to be a ft Inventioe'IA temporal Punishment would not have been enough to reftrain men ; men are ob- Itinate in fin, and will endure any temporal inconveniencies, rather than part with their Lulls, Micah 6. Rivers of Orl, the Firfl -born of their Bodies for the fin of their Souls ; and Baal's Priests gashed themfelves : 'Twas the Wifdom of God to find out fuch a Remedy, fo that we may fay, that God could not have been fo merciful, if he had not appointed these everlasting Torments : It was necdfa- ry they fhould he, for they are a gond help to Vertue ; and to threaten, unlealthcy were, will not Rand with truth : Now which is the greater Mercy ? to take away Púnifhments or Sins ; to lef en the Miferies of Mankind, or their Corruptions ? Ma- ny have efeaped Hell, by thinking of the Torments of it. ;. The Damned in Hell cannot accufe God for want of Mercy ;:'twill be a part of their torment in Hell to remember that God hat' been gracious ; Confèience will be forced to acknowledge it, and to acquit God : Though they hate God and Blafpheme him, yet they will ,remember the offers of Grace, riches of Goodnefs, and care of his Providence ; They mill not fee, but ¡hall fee, Ifa. z6. r r. Oculos quos occlufit calm, quiet piena : As now when God bringettt carnal men under Mercies, 'tis one of the greateft aggravations. Obj. ;. How can it Rand with his Jtiftice to punifh a temporary A&, with Eternal Torment or punishment? Anf T. We are finite Creatures, and fo not fit Judges of the nature of an Of- fence againft God ; the Law -giver belt knoweth the merit of -fin, which is the trantgreffron of the Law : The Majefty againft which they fin is infinite the Au- thority of God is enough, and his will the higheft Reafon : A Jeweller beft know- eth the Price of a Jewel ; and an Artist in a Pirate or Sculpture, can belt Judge of the errours of it. 2. With man, Offences of a quick Execution meet with a long Puni/hment, and the continuance of the Penalty in no cafe is to he meafùred with the continuance of the AEt of fin ; Scelus non temporìs magnitudine, fed iniquitatis magnitudine ene- ttendiem efl.: Becaufe man finneth as long as he can, he finneth in stern fro, (as Aquinas) therefore he is Punifhed in eterno Dei ; we would live for ever, to fin for ever, and Becaufe men defpife an eternal Happinefs, therefore do they juftly fuller eternal Torment ; and their Obligations to God being infinite, their Punifh- ment arifeth according to the excefs of their Obligátions. t. JSE; It informeth us of the Evil of Sin. God .will never be reconciled to than that die in their Sins; but for ever, and for ever his Bowels are shrunk up; though God be Love its felf, and delighted' in nothing fo much, as in doing good to the Creature ; yet he doth not only turn away his Face, but: torment them for ever,- v S E 2.
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