DISCOURSE XIII. e87 or of sovereign and absolute authority can dispense with his own threatenings, can omit the execution of them, relax the degree of threatened punishment, or shorten the duration of it: But let . it be considered, that here is not only the threatening of a God, the universal governor, but the prediction of this eternal punish- ment, by a God who cannot lie. God's own truth and veracity are concerned in this case, since his Son Jesus, who is the great -. est of his messengers, together with the prophets and apostles, have in the naine of God often foretold, that these punishments shall be eternal : And therefore whatsoever an absolute governor might do, as to shortening the punishment threatened, in a way of mercy and relaxation; yet I cannot see how the truth and veracity of God himself, or the veracity of his Son Jesus Christ, who is the great prophet, or the truth of the rest of his prophets and messengers can be maintained, if this punishment be not ex -. ecuted according to the many express predictions of it. These all agree to tell us, by inspiration from heaven, in various forms of speech, that the torments of hell shall be everlasting ; and as I hinted, the man Jesus, who pronounces this eternal sentence as a Lord and judge, foretels it also as a prophet, that the execution of it shall be to all everlasting. II. Obstinate and impenitent sinners have no reason to ex- pect, that the goodness of God should release them from their miseries, since the justice and the holiness, the righteous govern -, ment and authority of God in his law require and demand their due honour, as well as his goodness. Do we not see these honours of justice, and of God's hatred of sin, have been. continually demanded and executed in the infinite and innumer- able evils, sorrows, miseries, diseases and deaths, that have been spread over this worldalmost six thousand years because of sin Nor does his goodness, forbid or hinder it. And let it be remembered too, that all this immense variety and long succession of plagues and terrors arose originally from the just indignation and resentment of God against one sin, even that of the first-man. Who was it that burned Sodom and Go -. morrah with fire front heaven? Who was it that.chained fallen angels in darkness to a more terrible judgment ? Was it not a God'of supreme goodness ? Who sent famines and pestilences, and slaughters all over the earth in many distinct generations, whereby mankind have been made abundantly wretched and, plunged into millions of distresses ? And yet the goodness of 'God abides for ever. And while the great God is acting accord- ing to the glories of his nature and government in punishing re- bellious creatures, his goodness will feel no soft and sensible im- pressions from all their groans and outcries ; but if I may so ex, press it, will he changed into just indignation without end. And the language of it to those impenitent wretches will be this Be-
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