3 A REFORMATION SERMON. chael and his angels must fight too, and sometimes it is necessary to use the weapons of civil authority against them. I was constrained to this kind of discourse, after had meditated a gentler subject, by several gentlemen of your number providentially'assuring me, there was never more need of severe discipline than now ; for that you had lately discovered many assemblies of unnatural lust, and the fatal contagion was spreading among multitudes. You desired me to excite you all to a vigorous and mortal pursuit of wickedness in all its private haunts and cor- ners, that it might be brought to light, and be rooted out for ever. But I return to answer the accusation brought against you of cruelty and unkindness : So may a surgeon be called unkind and cruel whose design is to heal; but a dangerous tumour, or a latent ulcer first demand the incision-knife, or the actual cautery; cutting and burn- ing must be the first and immediate work, that the dead flesh or the callus may be removed, and a way made for healing medicines. Punishment is to be inflicted on those on whom persuasion has no force. There are some sin- ners whose consciences are wrapped in scales of hard- ness, and the sword of the magistrate is the only instru- ment that can make way to the sensible and tender part, if any such remain within : Then perhaps the thoughts of a God or a hell may have some influence to reclaim; and the promises and graces of the gospel be success- fully preached and administered to allure them to piety. This sort of cruelty is an instance of the truest kindness: Our Lord Christ himself, who was love incarnate, and preached the gospel of peace, yet, once saw reason to practise punishing zeal, when he over- turned the ta- bles of the money changers, and scourged the profane sheep -merchants out of the temple ;" John ii. 15. Thus the God-man whose compassion to sinners was stronger than death, exercised his anger and resentment against the breakers of the laws of heaven and his country, and the transgressors were whipped and fined. Severe justice toward single sinners is sometimes made by divine grace à blessed method of their own salvation, and if it appear hard in some particular instances, and should not effec- tually reduce the transgressor, yet it is often found of necessary and happy use for the welfare of a whole com- munity, by- deterring 'others from the same crimes.
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