Serm. LVII. the Light of Nature and Revelation. 399 a new labour; and Tantalus his continual hunger and thirft, aggravated by a perpetual nearnefs of enjoyment, anda perpetual difappointment ; and Prome- theus his being chained to a Rock, with an Eagle or Vulture perpetually pre ing upon his Liver, which grew as fait as it was gnawed ; I fay even the wifer a- mong the Heathens lookt upon thefe as fantaftical Reprefentations of fonrething that was Real, via. the grievous and endlefs Punifhment of Sinners, the not to be endured, and yet perpetually renewed Torments ofanother World, for in the midit of all the ignorance and degeneracy of the Heathen World, Men's Con- fciences did accufe them when they did amifs, and they had fecret fears and mif- givings of force mighty danger hanging over them from the difpleafure of a fu- perior Being, and the apprehenfion of force great mifchiefs likely to follow their wicked a&ions, which force time or other wouldovertake them ; which be- caufe they did not always in this World, they dreaded them in the next. And this was the foundation of all thofe Superftitions, whereby the Ancient Pagans endeavoured fo carefully to appeafe their offended Deities, and to avert the Ca- lamities which they feared they would fend down upon them. But all this while they had no certain affurance by any clear and exprefs Revelation fromGod to that purpofe, but only the jealoufies and fufpicions of their own Minds, natu- rally confequent upon thofe Notions which Men generally had of God, but fo obfcured and depraved by the Lulls and Vices of Men, and by the grofs and falle conceptions which they had of God, that they only ferv'd to make them fupertlitious, but were not clear and ftrong enough to make them wifely and ferioufly Religious. And to fpeak the truth, the more knowing and in- quifitive part of the Heathen World had brought all thefe things into great doubt and uncertainty, by the nicety and fubtilty of Difputes about them; fo that it was no great wonder, that thefe Principles had no greater effee`t upon the Lives of Men, when their apprehenfions of them were fo dark, and doubtful. But the Gofpel bath made a molt clear and certain Revelation of thefe things to Mankind. It was written before upon Men's Hearts as the great SanCtion of the Lawof Nature, but the impreffions of this were in a great meafure blurred and worn out, fo that it had no great power and efficacy, upon the Minds and Manners of Men ; but now it is clearly difcovered to us, the wrath ofGod is revealed from Heaven, which expreffion may well imply in it thefe three things. Firfl, The Cearnefs of the Difcovery; the wrath of God is Paid to be revealed. Secondly, The extraordinary Manner of it ; it is Paid to be revealed from Heaven. Thirdly, The Certainty ofit ; not being the refult of fubtle and doubtful Rea- borings, but having a Divine Teftimony and Confirmation given to it, which is the proper meaningof being revealedfrom Heaven. Firli, It imports theclearnefs of the Difcovery. The Punilhment of Sinners in another World is not fo obfcure a Matter as it was before ; it is now exprefly declared in the Gofpel, together with the particular Circumflances of it, namely, that there is mother Life after this, wherein Men (hall receive the juft recom- pence of Reward for all the ations done by them in this Life; that there is a particular timeappointed, wherein God will call all the World to a folemn ac- count, and thofe who are in their Graves (hall by a powerful voice be raifed to Life, and thofe who (hall then be found alive (hall be fuddenly changed; when ourLord yeti's Chrifl the Eternal and only begotten Son ofGod, who once came in great humility to fave us, (hall come again in Power, andgreat Glory, attended withhis Mighty Angels, and all Nationspall begathered before him, and all Man- kind (hall he feparated into two Companies, the Righteous and the Wicked, who after a full Hearing, and fair Tryal, {hall be fentenced according to their Aûions, the one to Eternal Life and Happinefs, the other to Everlaffing Mifery And Torment. So
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