I ISCOURSE X Ill. 307 Can ye imagine that such vain tidings, such soothing flattery will ever melt them to repentance and love, when all the grace of the gospel mingled with the blood and tears of the Son of God will not do it ? Would not this manner of preaching rather encourage them to run on still in their rebellions, and make them more regardless of their highest interest ? Would it not tempt them to give a loose to their vilest' inclinations, and all the fla- grant and abominable enormities of their own heart, when they shall be told that these punishments, which the bible, calls ever- lasting, shall one day come to an end ? Besitjes, I believe it has been observed in every age, that the fears of this worm which never dies, and this eternal fire which shall never be quenched, have been made abundantly use- ful in the providence of God to lay a powerful restraint on the unruly vices of some sinners, who have never been awakened and drawn into saving penitence, or reclaimed to a life of sin- cere holiness. And if this restraint of this terror were taken away; how much more would all iniquity abound among those who have no inward principle of goodness? Let us proceed then to preach the same terror which the blessed Jesus thought not unworthy of his ministry ; and may the providence and the grace of God give success to our labours, both for. the restraining the extravagant vices of 'the wicked, for the saving conversion of many sinners, and for a guard and restraint to the young and wavering christianst. Notwithstanding all the express language of scripture on. our side of the question, and all our arguments drawn from it, yet there are some of the reasoners and the disputers of tisis world, who will still suppose that it is more for the honour of God, and for the glory of our blessed Saviour, for ministers to dwell always upon the promises of the new covenant, and the t The late Doctor Thomas Barnet, in his Latin treatise of the rr state of the dead, and those who rise again," opposes the doctrine of the eternity of future punishments, and attests who of the ancient fathers seems to he of the same opinion with him: But he tells us, that these ancient fathers, when they treated of this subject, often gave the same advice to others, which he himself gives in these words. " Whatsoever you determine within yourself and in your own breast, concerning these punishments, whether they are eternal or no, yet you ought to use the common doctrine end the common language when you preach or speak to the people, especially those of the lower rank, who are ready to run headlong into vice, and are to be restrained from evil only by the fear of punishment : And even among good christians there are infants to be nourished with milk ; nor is their diet to be rashly changed, lest through intemperance they fall into diseases. And he adds in the margin, " Whosoever shall translate these sentiments into our mother tongue, I shall think it nos done with an evil design, and to bad purpose.' Sn that if this were a true doctrine, yet the learned author agree,. that neither the holy writers'of the bible, nor the fathers, think it proper that the bulk of the people should know it. But if it should not be translated, 1 would ask, why did the author write it and leave it to bit published) Did he sup- pose all men and boys, who understood Latin, to bd sufficiently guaoded. against. the abuse of such an opinion ? g
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