Serm. LVII. the Light of Nature and Revelation. taken care that Mankind fhould be inftru&ed in this Matter in a very parti- cular and extraordinary manner. He hath not left it to the Reafon of Men to Collet} it from the Confideration of his Attributes and Perfe&ions, his Holi- nefs and Juftice and from the Confiderationof the promifcuous admini(tration of his Providence towards good and bad Men in this World, but he bath been pleafed to fend an extraordinary Perfon from Heaven, on purpofe to de- dare this thing plainly to the World, the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven ç that is, God fent his own Son from Heaven, on purpofe to declare his wrath againft all obflinateand impenitent Sinners, that he might effe&ually awaken the drouzie World to Repentance ; he bath fent an extraordinary Ambaffador into the World, to give warning to all thofe who continue in their Sins, of the Judgment of the great Day, and to fummon them before his dreadful Tribunal. So the Apoftle tells the Athenians, A&s 17. 3o, 35. Now he cow- mandeth all Men every where to Repent ; becaufe he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, by that Man whom he bath ordained, where- of he hath given affurance unto all Men, in that he bath railed himfrom theDead. Thirdly, This Expref ion implies likewife the certainty of this Difcovery. If the wrath of God had only been declared in the Difcoarfes of Wife Men, tho' grounded upon very probable Reafon, yet it might have been brought in- to doubt by the contrary Reafonings of Subtle and Dilputing Men : but tó put the Matter out of all queftion, we have a Divine Teflimony for it, and God hath confirmed it from Heaven, by Signs, and Wonders, and Miracles; ,efpecially by the Refurre &ion of Jefus Chrift from the Dead; for by this he bath given afferance untoall Men, that it is he who is ordained ofGod to judge the quit/¿ and dead. Thus you fee in what refpe& the wrath of God is laid tobe revealed from Hea- ven, in that the Gofpel hath made a more clear, and particular, and certain dif- covery of the Judgment of the great Day, than ever was made to the World be- fore. I proceed to the Third Obfervation, which I (hall fpeak but briefly to ; namely, that every Wicked and Vicious Pra&ice doth expofe Men to this dreadful Danger. The Apoftle inftanceth in the two chief Heads to which the Sins of Men may be re- duced, Impiety towards God, and Vnrighteoufnefs towards Men ; and therefore he is to be underftood to denounce the wrath of God againft every particular kind of Sin, comprehended under thefe general Heads ; fo that no Man that allows himfelf in any impiety and wickednefs of Life, can hope to efcape the wrath of God. Therefore it concerns us to beentirely Religious, and to have refpelì to all God's Commandments ; and to take heed that we do not allow our felves in the pra&ice of any kind of Sin whatfoever, becaufe the living in any one known Sin, is enough to expofe us to the dreadful wrath of God. Tho' a Man be Juft and Righteous in his Dealings with Men, yet if he negle& the Worfhip and Service of God, this will certainly bring him under condemnati- on : and on theother hand, tho' a Man may ferve God never fo diligently and devoutly, yet if he be defe&ive in Righteoufnefs toward Men, if he deal falfly and fraudulently with his Neighbour, he (hall not efcape the wrath of God ; tho' a Man pretend to never fo much Piety and Devotion, yet if he be unrighte- ous, he [hall not inherit the Kingdom of God ; if any Man over - reach and defraud his Brother in any matter, the Lord is the avenger ofloch., faith St. Paul, t Thef 4. 6. So that here is a very powerful Argument to take Men off from all Sin, and toengage them to a confiant and careful difcharge of their whole Duty toward God and Men, and to Reform whatever is amifs either in the frame and temper of their Minds, or in theA&ions and Courfe of their Lives ; becaufe any kind of wickednefs, any one fort of vicious Courfe, laysMen open to the vengeanceof God, and the puni(hments ofanother World; the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven againfi all ungodlinefs, and unrighteoufnefs of Men; there is no exception in the Cafe, we muff forfake all Sin, fubdue every Luft, be holy in all manner of Converfation, otherwife we can have no reafonable hopes of efcaping the wrath of God, and the damnation of Hell. But to proceed to the F ff Fourth 401
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