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our Hand to which we will? And does not that Eternal weight of Glory, which God has promis'd thofe that ferve him, as far at least, exceed all our Imperfect and Tranfitory Services, as Eternal Torments can our Temporal indeed, but Despiteful and Malicious Sins? and is there not then as much Reason for the Punishing to Eternity the one, as Eternally Rewarding the other? nay, is there not Infinitely more? fince even the very best of our weak Performancès could not, without Infinite Mercy, be accepted; and the very leaft of our Sins justly deferves Damnation. Yet, even in the very Declaration of Death to Sinners, does God's Mercy display itself equal to his Juftice; neither was Hell only made for their fakes, who were to fuffer in it, but for their's also, who were to be warned and faved by it; and it is owing to Eternal Punishments, that many Saints receive Eternal Rewards. So that could God difpenfe with, or remit those Eternal Torments, which by Holy Scripture we are affur'd he never will, and therefore ought not, from his Almighty Power, to argue against his Eternal Truth; yet would it not agree, even with his Mercy it self, fo to do. Since, then he would take away one of the strongest Motives to our Converfion and Obedience; when, God knows, This, "with all the reft together, by their Effects

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feem to be but too few. Sure I am, that whoever goes about to perfwade Men, that God will, or may relax thofe everlasting Pains, with which he has threatned Sin, goes beyond his Commiffion; beyond it, did I fay? nay, contrary to it, Contrary to their Commission, whose Duty it is, Knowing the Terrors of the Lord,to perfwade Men. We must Conclude therefore, that Holy is the Lord, and Juft in all his Dealings towards the Children of Men; and let us Befeech him to give us Grace, perfectly to be afham'd of these fruitless Things, whofe end is Death; that fo, as the Apoftle goes on in the Verfe immediately following my Text, being made free from Sin, and become Servants to God; we may have our Fruit unto Holiness, and the end Everlasting Life.

Which God of his Infinite Mercy grant, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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SERMON VII.

PSAL. XIX. 7.

The Law of the Lord is perfect, Converting the Soul: The Teftimony of the Lordis Sure,making Wife the Simple..

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HIS Pfalm is a noble Poem, compos'd by Holy David, in Contemplation of the two different Ways, by which God had been pleas'd to dif play Himself to Mankind. The First, of which he treats in the fix first Verfes is that general Manifeftation of Himself; which shines out in fo bright and glorious a manner, in the Beauty and Order and Conftancy of the Heavenly Bodies, the most noble and confpicuous Part of the Visible Creation.

Creation. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament beweth his Handywork (v. 1.) the Firmament, fpread forth as a fair Volume, in which is written the infinite Wisdom and Power of its great Creator, in Characters legible to all Mankind, fuch as He, that can but look up, can't choose but read, and in a Language known and underftood by all the different Nations upon the Face of the whole Earth. There is neither Speech nor Language, but their Voices are heard among them. Their Sound is gone out into all Lands, and their Words into the ends of the World (v. 4.) Infomuch, that St. Paul juftly reckons even the Heathen World inexcufable, if, in this great Book of Nature, they could not read the Divinity of its Author. For the invisible things of Him from the Creation of the world are clearly feen by the things that are made, even His Eternal Power and Godhead; So that they are without Excufe, Rom. 1. 20.

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The Second, which He begins to handle from the Verse of my Text, is that more particular Manifeftation of Himself to his chofen People the Jews; to whom, in a more peculiar Manner, He reveal'd Himself, not only by his Works, common to all, but by his Word appropriated to them, giving them a Law written with his own Hand. A Law, which, with fo much Divine Eloquence, the Royal Prophet, thro' this latter part of the

Pfalm,

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