And with this ought they to be well acquainted, who are called to dispense the gospel. A fond conceit hath befallen some, that all denunciations of future wrath, even to unbelievers, is legal, which therefore it doth not become the preachers of the gospel to insist upon: so would men make themselves wiser than Jesus Christ and his apostles; yea, they would disarm the Lord Christ, and expose him to the contempt of his vilest enemies. Suffice it to add, that they have been observed to have had the most effectual ministry, both for conversion and edification, who have been made wise and dexterous in managing gospel comminations towards the consciences of their hearers.

$12. Obs. 2. All punishments annexed to the transgressions either of the law or gospel are the effects of God's vindictive justice, and consequently just and equal; "a meet recompense of reward." Foolish men have always had tumultuating thoughts about the judgments of God. Hence was the vain imagination of them of old, who dreamed that an end should be put, after some while, to the punishment of devils and wicked men: so turning hell into a kind of purgatory. Others have presumptuously disputed, that there shall be no hell at all; but a mere annihilation of ungodly men at the last day. That which they seem principally to have stumbled at, is the assignation of a punishment infinite in duration, as well as in its nature extended to the utmost capacity of the subject, for a fault finite, temporary, and transient. Now that we may justify the proceeding of the supreme Judge herein, and the more clearly discern that the punishment finally inflicted on sin, is but a meet recompense of reward," we must consider that God's jus tice constituting, and in the end inflicting the reward of sin, is essential to him. "Is God unrighteous,"

saith the apostle, "who taketh vengeance?" Rom. iii, 5. The true fountain and cause of the punishment of sin is the justice of God, which is an essential property of his nature, and inseparable from his works. And this, absolutely, is the same with his holiness, or the purity of his nature. So that God doth not assign the punishment of sin arbitrarily, that he might do so or otherwise, without any impeachment of his glory; but his justice and holiness indispensably require that it should be punished, even as it is indispensably necessary that God in all things should be just and holy. We have no more reason to quarrel with the punishment of sin, than we have to repine that God is holy and just, that is, that he is God.

He alone knoweth what is the true demerit of sin; and except from his own declaration, none of his creatures know any thing of it. And how shall we judge of what we know nothing of, but what we learn from him, or gather from what he doth? We see amongst men, that the guilt of crimes is aggravated according to the dignity of the persons against whom they are committed. Now, no creature knowing him perfectly against whom all sin is committed, none can truly and perfectly know what is the desert and demerit of sin, but by his revelation who is perfectly known to himself. And what a madness is it otherwise to judge of what we do not otherwise understand? Shall we make ourselves judges of what sin against God deserves? Let us first by searching find out the Almighty to perfection, and then we may know of ourselves what it is to sin against him. Besides, we know not what is the opposition that is made by sin to the holiness, the nature, and very being of God. As we cannot know him perfectly against whom we sin, so we know not

perfectly what we do when we sin. It is but the least part of the malignity and poison of sin, that we are at best able to discern. We see not the depth of the malicious respect which it hath to God. And are we capable to judge aright of what is its demerit? But all these things are open and naked before that infinite wisdom of God, which accompanieth his righteousness in all his works. He knows himself against whom sin is committed; he knows the condition of the sinner; he knows what contrariety and opposition there is in sin to himself; he knows what it is for the dependent creature to subduct itself from under the government, and oppose itself to the authority and being of the Holy Creator, Ruler, and Governor of all things; in a word, he absolutely, perfectly, and exclusively knows what sin deserves, and therefore the several degrees of punishment that ought to be, and that shall be inflicted.

§13. In the final punishment of sin, there is no mixture of mercy; nothing to alleviate, or take off from the uttermost of its desert. This world is the time and place for mercy. While here God causeth his sun to shine, and his rain to fall on the worst of men, filling their hearts with food and gladness. Here he endures them with much patience and forbearance, doing them good in a way unspeakably various, and to many of them making a daily tender of mercy, which might make them blest for ever.

But the season for these

things is past in the day of recompense.

Sinners shall then hear nothing but, "go ye cursed." They shall not have the least effect of mercy shewed them to all eternity. They shall then have judgment without mercy who shewed no mercy. Cries will do nothing at the last day; not obtain the least drop of water to cool the tongue in its torment. Some men doubtless

have secret reserves, that things will not proceed at the last day, as they are now urged to believe they will. They hope to meet with better quarter than what is talked of; that God will not be inexorable, as is pretended. Were not these their inward thoughts, it were not possible they should so neglect the season of grace as they do. But alas! how will they be deceived? God indeed is gracious, merciful, and full of compassion; but this world is the place, and now the time wherein he will exercise them. They will be for ever shut up from unbelievers at the last day. This is the acceptable time; this is the day of salvation; if this be despised, if this be neglected, expect no more to hear of mercy through eternal ages.

§14. Obs. 3. Every concernment of the law and gospel, both as to their nature and promulgation, is to be weighed and considered by believers, to beget in their hearts a right and due valuation of them. To this end are they here so distinctly proposed; as of the law, that it was "spoken by angels;" and of the gospel, that it is "a great salvation," the word "spoken by the Lord," confirmed with "signs and miracles;" all which the apostle would have us to weigh and distinctly consider. As God doth nothing in vain, so neither speaks he any thing in vain; much less would he do so in the things of his law and gospel, wherein the great concerns of his own glory, and the souls of men, are so eminently involved. There is in all those concernments of the law and gospel, a mixture of Divine wisdom and grace; and from this fountain they all proceed, and the living waters of it run through them all. There is in them all, a gracious condescension to our weakness. God knows that we stand in need of special marks, as it were, to be set on every important truth. Such is our weakness and our slow

ness to believe, that we have need the word should be to us, "line upon line, and precept upon precept; here a little and there a little." The momentous truths contained in the law and gospel have their various influences and successes on the souls of men. Some have been wrought upon by one consideration, some by another. In some the holiness of the law, in others the manner of its administration, has been effectual. Some have fixed their hearts principally on the grace of the gospel; and some on the person of its author. And the same persons, at several times, have had profitable assistance from these several considerations of the one and the other. Hence it is manifest, that in these things God doth nothing in vain; infinite wisdom is in all, and infinite glory will be the result of all.

And how should this stir us up to a diligent searching of the word, wherein God hath recorded all the weighty affairs of his law and gospel for our use and advantage! That is the cabinet wherein all these jewels are laid up and disposed, according to his wisdom and the profound counsel of his will. A general view of it will but little satisfy, and not at all enrich our souls. A very little insight into the word is apt to make men think they see enough; but the reason of it is, because they like not what they see, as men will not like to look farther into a shop when they like nothing that is at first presented to them. But if indeed we find profit, sweetness, and life, in the discoveries that are made to us in the word, especially about the law and gospel, we shall be continually aiming after a farther acquaintance with them.

§15. Obs. 4. What means soever God is pleased to use in the revelation of his will; he gives it a certainty, stedfastness, and evidence, which our faith may