6012 THF. RATL'Ikfi OF' TFZE PLZ7ISII:I7ENTS RELL. tDISC. Xff: though every man be a liar ;" Rom. iii. 4. let God be pure, and righteous, and holy, though every man be found guilty and criminal : otherwise how shall God judge the world verse 6. How can he inflict such torments on rebellious creatures, if he constrain or in- fluence them to practise this rebellion ? All opinions therefore, that allow of such an inference, as though " God were the author of sin," must be pronounced false and pernicious to men, as well as injurious to the justice of God ; for' these notions throw a vile imputation on the blessed God, and charge him with heinous insin- cerity, to forbid the commission of sin by all these ter- rors, and yet suppose him to influence men to the prac- tice Of them. Reflexion III. " How reasonable is it for us to believe, that sucha hell, as I have described, is prepared for impe- nitent sinners, since there are so manyappearances of the i)oginnings of it here on- earth," so many indications, and signs, and forerunners of such misery and,torment inflict- ed on sinful men : Survey the remarkable executions of God's judgments on the world in several ages and na- tions ; look back to our first parents, who were thrust out of paradise, the garden of pleasure, and banished from the gates of it for ever, upon the account of the first ein, and the entrance of it was guarded by a flaming sword to forbid their return. Behold the flood of watry ven- geance in the days of Noah breaking up from the vast caverns of the earth, and pouring down from the win- dows of heaven to punish sin: " Deep calls unto deep ;" Ps. xlii. 7. in the tremendous noise of thesewater spouts, -- which spread death and desolation over the face of the whole earth, because all flesh had sinned against God their Creator. Turn your eyes to Sodom and Gomor- rah, and the cities of the plain, " suffering the vengeance of heaven with lightningand devouring fire bursting from the clouds to punish the unnatural crimes of that coun- try ;" Gen. xix. 24, 25, See the fiery flying serpents, as the messengers of divine anger, to punish the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness : Mark what multi- tudes in the camp of Israel received their mortal sting, and were given up to destruction and death. Numb. -xxi. 6. Cast your eyesabroad over the nations, andwhat records have we of all former ages, which do not "nazi- tZ
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