308 THE woRLO TO COME. riches of the grace of Christ, and the overflowing measures of the love of God, in order to save sinful men, i0 Surely, say they, preachers have tried long enough what the words of terror will do ; let us now allure sinful men to be reconciled to God by a ministry of universal love and grace ; and let us see whether the boundless compassions of a God, in putting a final period to the miseries of his guilty creatures after a certain number of years, will not draw sinners with a sweeter violence to the love and obedience of their Maker, than all this doctrine of severity and terror." In the first place I answer, I. That surely Jesus himself, who is the prime minister of his Father's kingdom, and the divinest messenger of his love, knew better than we do how to pay the highest honour to his hea- venly Father, and to display his own grace. Surely he was well acquainted with the best way to begin with sinners in order to their reconciliation to God, and knew also the most effectual ave- nues to the consciences of sinful creatures, incomparably beyond what any of us can pretend to. Had he not as tender a sense of the honour of his Father's mercy, as warm a zeal for the glory of his own grace and the gospel, and as wise and melting a com- passion for the souls of men as the best of us can boast of? And yet he thought it proper to lay the foundation of his own, and his apostles' ministrations of grace, in this language of terror, in these threatenings of eternal punishment. And in the course of his providence throughout all ages he has, in some measure, It-fade this doctrine successful to recover souls from the snares of the devil, and to enlarge his own heavenly kingdom. But I answer further, II. It must be granted that the tempers of men are various, and it is possible that some may be of so ingenuous and refined a disposition, that the words of love and grace, without any ter- ror, might reach their hearts, and through the influences of hea- ven, touch them effectually : But as for the bulk of mankind, while they continue in their sins, daily experience convinced' us, that they are best awakened by the terrors of the Lord, by a representation of the gnawing worm which never dies, and the fire which shall not be quenched. I never knew but one peeson iu the whole course of my ministry who acknowledged that the first motions of religion in his own heart arose from a sense of the goodness of God, and that he was gently and sweetly led at first to this enquiry, What shall I render to the Lórd who bath dealt so bountifully with me? Ps. cxvi. 12. But I think all be- , sides, who have come within my notice, have rather been first awakened by the passion of fear to fly from the wrath to come. If therefore we will practise according to the example of Jesus, the greatest and the wisest prophet of his church, and his holy apostles, and the best of preachers in all ages who have
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