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behind, of an Infinitely higher Concern, of Infinitely greater Weight and Moment, enough to make Men tremble at their danger, as well as blush at their Folly. For if they would but seriously lay to heart what our Saviour pronounces in the 8th. Chapter of St Mark and the laft Verfe. Whosoever Shall be afbam'd of me in this adulterous and finful Generation; of him alfo fhall the Son of Man be afbam'd, when he commeth in the glory of the Father with the holy Angels; they would certainly be convinc'd that it is of as dangerous Confequence for them to be afham'd of their Glory, as it is for the Others to Glory in their Shame.

I come now in the laft Place to the Third Propofition in my Text; That tho' Sin yielded never fo much Fruit and Satisfaction, or were never fo much in Efteem or Repute, yet the end of those things is Death. As Righteoufneß tendeth to Life, so He that purfueth Evil purfueth it to his Own Death. Prov. 11. 19. As Religion and Virtue tend directly to the prefervation of the Health of the Body, as well as the Soul; fo Sin and Vice are as conftant Enemys to both; and as fuccessful in haftning on Temporal, as they are fure in procuring at last Eternal Death. Infomuch that in the Natural courfe of things, from the unavoidable dependance

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that Effects have upon their Causes; it is more than probable, that tho' God had not pronounc'd that in the Day that Adam finn'd he bould furely dye; yet Sin without this Pofitive and Expreß Curfe of God upon it, by its Own Efficiency would have brought Mortality into the World; and not only the Wages, but the very Work of Sin would have been Death. But it is not of This, the First Death, but of the Second Death, even Everlasting Death, that the Apoftle here speaks. And when all the Other milder Arguments can take no place; when the Emptiness and Vanity, the Infamy, Bafenefs and Shameful Nature of Sin can't withdraw us from it, when all the other different ways which God ufes to draw us to himself by working upon our Hope by all the Glorious Rewards he has promis'd, or upon our Love and Gratitude by his Infinite Goodneß and Mercy and. Loving Kindness, prove alike ineffectual; what is there left to awaken Wretches fo ftupidly infenfible, but to roufe up all their Fears with the dif mal denunciation of certain Deftruction and eternal Death. Death Eternal, I fay, for fo the Antithefis which the Apoftle uses in the end of this Chapter gives it to be understood. For he speaks of fuch a Death as is oppos'd to Eternal Life, and that must be Eternal Death. The Wages fays he of Sin is Death,

but

but the Gift of God is Eternal Life. And when the Work of Sin goes fo diligently on, is it not high time to found aloud in the ears of all that are fo bufy in that Service, what it is that they are to expect for their Wages? and if fo warn'd they will still serve so hard a Mafter as Sin, that has not only no other Recompence for its Slaves but Death, but will not, nay cannot give them their choice whether they will receive the Wages which they have ferv'd for or no; who can pity Them, or of whom can they complain? Not of God certainly, without the greatest Blafphemy and Injustice imaginable; He is far from defiring the Death of a Sinner, nay Death is none of his Creature, God made not Death, fays the Wife Man, He created Man to be Immortal, and made him to be an Image of his own Eternity; Nevertheless through the envy of the Devil came Death into the World, and they that do bold on his fide do find it: Wifd. 2. 23, 24. It is therefore great Impiety to queftion the Juftice of God in eternally punishing Wicked Men, who would they fidewith him the Author of Life, are proffer'd and invited to everlasting Bliss; but if they choose to fide with the Devil, who brought Death into the World, moft defervedly receive their Portion with him. For is there not the choice offer'd? Is not Life and Death fet before us, that we may ftretch forth

our

our Hand to which we will? And do's not that Eternal weight of Glory, which God has promis'd those that ferve him, as far at least exceed all our Imperfect and Tranfitory Services, as Eternal Torments can our Temporal indeed but Defpiteful and Malicious Sins? and is there not then as much reafon 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 Performances 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 do's God's Mercy difplay 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 dispense 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 felf fo to do. Since then he would take away one of che strongest motives to our Converfion and Obedience; when, God knows, This with all the rest together, by their Effects

feem

feem to be but too few. Sure I am, that whoever goes about to perfuade 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 Commiffion, whofe Duty it is, Knowing the Terrors of the Lord to perfuade 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 asham'd of these fruitless Things, whofe end is Death; that fo, as the Apoftle goes on in the Verse immediately following my Text, being made free from Sin and become Servants to God; we way have our Fruit unto Holyneß, and the end Everlasting Life.

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

SERMON VII.

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