vaftly, beyond all proportion, the natural punishment of crimes can fometimes exceed all the profit or pleasure that was obtained by them, may give us the most awakening intimations of what is poffible and the declarations of Scripture have raised these apprehenfions into certainty, in a manner, I fear, equally decifive and awful.

43, 44.

It is better for thee to enter into life Mark ix. maimed, than having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. They fhall drink of the wine Lev. xiv. of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation: they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, and the fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever.

IO, II.

41, 42, 46.

I was an hungred, and ye gave me no Matt.xxv. meat: Iwas thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting

35, &c.

fire, prepared for the devil, and his angels. We would gladly make a distinction between the eternity allotted to the happy, and that to which the wicked fhall be condemned: but there appears no ground for it in holy Scripture. Thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. Eternal and everlafting are but two different tranflations of one and the fame word in the original.

See, therefore, to apply the exhortation Deut.xxx. of Mofes in the ampleft extent, in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his ftatutes, and his judgments; I have fet before thee life and good, and death and evil. I call heaven and earth to record against you, that I have jet before you life and death; life; not that poor perishing thing, here on earth called life,of Pf. xc. 10. threescore years and ten, which at best is full of trouble, and is brought to an end, as it were a tale that is told: but a life of immor

ver. 9.

tality and happiness; a life not terminated by death, nor invaded by debility and age; and a happiness, unallayed by pain or forrow, and enduring for ever and ever: and death; not like that here below, which puts an end to all the fufferings of this mortal state, but rather a life of everlasting mifery; not the extinction of a wicked and wretched existence, but a birth into a new Being of complete and never ending woe; of guilt imbittered by remorfe without repentance; of envy at the fight of that celeftial blifs poffeffed by the once unpitied poor, now feparated from us by a gulf unpaffable; of malice against the gracious Being, whofe mercy waited for us fo long, but is now hid for ever from Luke xix. our eyes; and of mad rage, the only paffion 42. to be gratified in hell, against the tempter and accomplices of our crimes, the companions now and partakers of our punishment, permitted by God's justice to fatisfy their mutual refentment, and execute his juft judgments on each other.

The

Jude vi.

The Angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. They fell once, and fell for ever. To poor fallen man there is mercy offered, would he but accept it, unless Chrift hath died in vain. Hebr. ii. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels; but he took on him the feed of Abraham. The greater the mercy, the more terrible will be the vengeance. Let it not be in vain, that God waits yet with patience for your repentance, and offers you the atonement of his dear Son.. Think not that he lies in wait to catch at your tranfgreffions, and feize upon the firft little flip you make, in the midst of innumerable fnares, to deliver you up to this eternal torment. Did he defire your perdition, could he not destroy you in a moment? It is because he wishes moft truly for your happiness, that he hath given his only Beloved, to become a man as you are, to prevail with you to amend

amend your life; and to bear the punishment for you of all that you have hitherto done amifs.

Let this fuffice. Embrace the offer of life; fly from the wrath to come. You know not the plan of infinite government, what the order of God's Univerfe admits, what eternal wisdom counfels, or fupreme rectitude requires. Say not within yourselves, If he defires that I fhould be happy he can make me fo. He can do every thing that is right and fit to be done, and nothing more. He defires you to be happy, and 'tis therefore he does fo much, and, for any thing you know, all he can do, to effect it. He is your Friend and your Father: but, in this respect like your parents upon earth, he can only lament over your calamities, if you refift his goodness, and are refolved to perish in spite of all the efforts of omnipotence.

For