SERMON LIV. '159 might but obtain success. Here T must also ask liberty to say for myself, that it is an unpleasing task to me to excite youto accuse even your vicious neighbours, and awaken the rod of the magis- trate to punish them; But I am convinced of the -necessity of carrying on this sort of war against sinners, lest the whole nation become afield of wickedness. I had rather, much rather preach thegospel of the grace of God, and that large forgiveness of his which hides a multitudeof sins: I had rather be relating to you divine histories, how the accuser of the brethren has been over- come by the blood of the Lamb. But when the dragon andhis angels raise a war in a christian kingdom, Michael andhis angels must fight too, and sometimes it is necessary to use the weapons of civil authority against them. I was constrained to this kindof discourse, after I had meditated a gentler subject, by several gentlemen of your number providentially assuringme therewas never more need of severe disciplinethan now ; for that you had lately discoveredmany assemblies of unnatural lust, and the fatal contagion was spreading amongmultitúdes. You desiredme to excite you all to a vigorous and mortal pursuit of wickedness in all its private haunts and corners, thatit mightbe broughtto light, and be rooted out for ever. ButI return to answer the accusationbrought against youof cruelty and unkindness: So may asurgeon be called unkind and cruel, whose design is to heal ; but a dangerous tumour, or a latent ulcer, first demandthe incision-knife, or the actual cautery ; cutting and burning must be the first and immediate work, that the dead flesh or the ¿callous 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 sinners whose consciences are wrapped in scales of hardness, and the sword of the magistrate is the only instrument that can makeway to the sensible and tender part, if any such remain within: Then per- haps the thoughts of a God or a hell may' have some influence to reclaim, and the promises .and graces of the gospel besuccess- fully preached and adm5nistered 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 overturned the tables of the money-changers, and scourged the profane sheep- merchants out ofthe temple; John ii. 15. Thus the God-man, whose compassion to sinners was stronger than death, exercised his anger and resentmentagainst the breakers of the Jaws of heaven and his country, and the transgressors were whipped and fined: Severe justice toward single sinners is sometimesmade by divine grace a blessed method of their own salvation, and if it appear hard in domeparticular instances, and
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