Manton - BX8915 M26 1684 v1

6o S E R M 0 N S upon Serm.V111. and punifhments; it belongeth to his general Juflice, ut bons bene fit, & malis male ; that it fhould be well with them that do well, and ill with them that do ill, Pfal. 1 t. g, 6. Vpon the wicked he (hall rain fnares,fire, and brimlion, and an horrible tempefì fball be the portion of their cop: for the righteous God loveth righteoufnefs, his countenance beholdeth the upright. Surely God is not indifferent to good and evil, to them that will pleafe the fletb, and obey the Spirit ; his Juaice will not permit that the carnal and the rege- nerate who are fo different in their lives, should meet together in the end ; no furely; the end of the one will be death, and the other life and peace. 2. To fuit his Motives to the profit of Men. 1. There needeth fomething frightful to make fin a terror to us; therefore Both he counterballance with advantage the pleafures of fin, that are but for a feafon ; we are vehemently addicted to carnal delights; therefore to check this inclination, God ballan- ceth the choiceft and higheft pleafures with eternal pain, that by fetting one againft the other we may be deterred from pleating the flelh,Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flefh, yefballdie. 2. To encourage the godly in their felf-denying Obedience. The godly quit and forgo many pleafures which others enjoy : Now to reftrain and deny the flefb, feemeth a pain and trouble; therefore to encourage them to continue in an holy courfe, tho it be diftaft- ful to the flefh, and to renounce worldly pleafures and fenfual delights, while they may injoy them, God bath told them of life and peace, they ¡hall have joy enough. t. Z) S E is Information, To fhew us the folly of wicked men, who are [elfdeftroy- ers, and wrong their own fouls, while they defpife the ways of Wifdom, and prefer car- nal fatisfattions before the pleafrng of God : All that hate me, love death, Prov. 8. 36. Not formally, but confeyuentially ; a wicked man finneth not purpofely that he may be damned, but that is the iffue. 2. It fheweth us the fecurity of the wicked; they fleep molt foundly when their danger is nigheft, as Jonah in the ftorm that was railed for his fake; they are upon the brink of Hell,yet they go on merrily, lulling their Confciences afleep wirh outward and vain de- lights;but tho they fleep, their damnation fleepeth not; it were better to waken and efcape the danger, Prov. 27. ea. A prudent man forefeeth the evil, and bideth himfelf; but the fimple paf? on, and are punifhed. A little fober Confederation of this truth, may be of ufe to them. VS E 2. Is Admonition. Oh let this flop us from going on in a flefh-pleating courfe Confider whither it will lead you ; what followeth upon this : 1: 'Tis Death. If it were a fmall thing, you might bear it ; but 'tis a cafe of' Life and Death, eternal Life and Death. This will be the eternal ruin of your precious and immortal fouls : The more you pleafe the Flefh, the more you add Fuel to that Fire which ¡hall never be quenched; and provide matter for that never.dying Worm, or eternal forrow and confution of face to your fouls. Thofe things that now pleafe the Senfes, will one day ling the Confcience. We fhould not affett that which will be Death to us : Remember the Hook, when the Flefh looketh only to the Bait. 2. Tic Death threatned in the Word of God ; and therefore certain, as well as dread- ful, Rom. 6. 2 I. The wages of fin is death : and Rom. 7. y. The motions of fin did bring forth fruit unto'death. If a man warn you of apparent death in a way wherein you are going, you will be cautious. Surely God defeiveth more credit than Man: He giveth you warning of the danger of this way ; and will you go on, and try what will come of it ? Surely men do not believe the carnal life will be Co mortal and deadly to them as it will be. The falfeProphet in every mans bofom deceiveth him, that it may deftroy him. 3. Confider how willing God is to reclaim yon. Ezek. 33.11. Why will you die, 0 houfe of Ifrael e Hath God any pleafure in your deftru &ion ? He delighteth in your converli- on rather, and threatneth death, that he may not inflict it. V SE 3. Let us examine what is our frame and temper ; the carnal minding, or the fpiritual minding : This is the great Tell, or the true and lafting difference between men and men, in life and death: The great difference and divifion is begun here, and continued for ever: Other differences ceafe at the Graves mouth, but this diftinguitheth between Heaven and Holl. 1. What

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