to be defired, the Punishment to be feared, equally concern both Soul and Body; the common Happiness or Mifery of both which depends upon it. The Reward you may flight perhaps, as not defiring any greater Satisfaction than what you now enjoy; but the Fear you cannot furmount; that will ftill affect you. For if you fo much value the prefent ease of the Body, the one Part of you; you cannot but be affrighted at the certain Expectation of the eternal Mifery of both Soul and Body. If this Confideration hath not that effect upon us, which it had upon the Hearers of Chrift, John Baptift and the Apostles; it is because the Expectation of this denounced Deftruction, far from being certain in us, is eluded by vain Perfwafions, that Destruction may be avoided without Repentance. We all believe the Truth of the Divine Revelations prescribing Rules of Piety, Justice and Temperance; commanding Repentance, upon Neglect or Violation of thefe Rules; giving Sentence of dreadful Punishments, upon Impenitence. We all confefs that we have violated thofe Rules, we apply not the Remedy of Repentance; and yet we Hope to avoid the Punishment. For did not Men really flatter themselves with those Hopes; it is impoffible that the Mind of Man, convinced of the Truth of fuch a future Punishment, and confcious of its own Demerits, fhould not immediately apply it felf felf to prevent the Execution of that dreadful Sentence by a timely Repentance. Thefe falfe Hopes and Perfwafions may be referred to a double Head; either that of Prefumption, or that of Inadvertency. That Men, through a fond Opinion of their own worth, fancy God will exempt them from the general Sentence, and from the neceffity of Repentance, or at leaft allow this and another and a third Sin to them; or that they proceed in Sin fecurely, and with a fort of Stupidity, never willingly confidering the Confequences of Punishment upon Sin; and when they are fuggefted to them, ftill putting them off, and continuing to imagine that God will however fave them, though they know not why. Both thefe fort of Prejudices are too common among all Chriftians, and to both I fhall oppofe fome general Confiderations, fhewing it impoffible that God fhould not execute the Sentence of Deftruction pronounced univerfally against all impenitent Sinners; or in the Words of my Text, that it cannot be, that Men should not repent, and yet fhould not perish. The Neceffity of Deftruction confequent upon Unrepentance is drawn chiefly from the Determination of the Divine Will, which hath fo appointed it. And the Refolution of God herein is fo frequently and fully expreffed in Scripture; that no doubt can be admitted of it. Nay the holy Spirit of God feems to have taken particular Care least Men Men should be deceived herein, by affixing vehement Affeverations to his Threats of Punifhments. As in Ezech. xvii. 19. Thus faith the Lord God, as I live; furely my Oath that he hath defpifed, and my Covenant that he hath broken; even it will I recompenfe upon his own head. And in the xxii. Chapter, having denounced to Sinners the extremity of his Anger, he fubjoyns, Verse 14. Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong in the days that I fball deal with thee? I the Lord have Spoken it, aud I will do it. So that thofe, who promife Salvation to themselves without Repentance of paft Sins or Reformation of Life, muft either pretend to new Lights and new Revelations, new Terms of Covenant; or disbelieve thofe contained in Scripture, which are indeed the only true ones. Yet I will not fay disbelieve them. For far be it from me to judge that of many Chri ftians, who do firmly indeed believe all the Revelations of that Sacred Writing, and yet continue their Hopes of Salvation without employing the means of it. Only, we must confefs, that believing them, we do not regard them; and when we do feriously reflect upon it, must acknowledge that fuch vain Hopes are inconfiftent with those revealed Truths. For, I hope, none of this Affembly have been deceived with the idle Pretences of inward Lights, or unaccountable Revelations of Arbitrary Election for fecret Reasons, and abfolute abfolute Reprobation for unknown Causes; which Delufions when once entertained, would render all Repentance ufelefs. We hold fast to the old form of Tradition delivered to the Saints; pretend to no Revelations unknown to former Ages; to know more of the Will of God, then what our Lord. or the Apostles have plainly delivered in Scripture. We are content to go to Heaven the fame way that all Saints have gone before us, by the Exercise of Repentance and good Works. Nor, if there be any Truth in those Sacred Writings, is there any other way. Yet we hear thofe Holy Scriptures daily read to us; wherein we are commanded by Precepts, we are allured by Promifes, we are terrified by Threats, we are warned by Examples to Repentance, and ftill continue unmoved. We hear the Voice of our Lord calling to Repentance, the Exhortations of his Apoftles preaching to the World, whose Meffage was Repent, and be baptized. We read the dreadful Examples of Punishments inflicted in this World upon notorious Sinners: And yet reflect not that we are the Creatures of God as well as they, that we are fubject to the Laws of Government; that the Duty is not remitted, but made more fevere; and that the hand of God is not fhortned that he cannot punish us; but that his Power always continueth the fame; and that the Rules of Conduct given to Men are no more changed than is the Nature of them. It It is fomewhat furprizing indeed, that Men fhould know and confefs all this, and yet not attend to it; that it fhould be poffible to form an habit of Acting constantly in oppofition to the cleareft, and no lefs conftant Conviction of Mind. For can we hear with what Dereftation the Scripture speaketh of the hardness of Pharaoh's Heart, and what a fudden Destruction followed; and not reflect, that in continuing deaf to fo many Admonitions of Repentance, we are guilty of the fame Crime, and that, in one refpect, in a higher Degree; inafmuch as he knew not at first, that that God, who commanded him to let the Captive Jews depart, was the true God, until he was convinced by many Miracles; whereas we are convinced from the Beginning, of the Divine Authority of him who impoleth this Duty on us? Or can we call to Mind the fevere Judgments, which God exercifed upon the Jews for fudden and rafh Refolutions taken up in Heat, and as foon repented of; fuch as their frequent Rebellions againft Mofes, their relufing to march to the promised Land after having received a falfe Account from the timorous Spies; and many fuch other Occafions? Do we remember all this, and imagine that God will pass by unregarded our deliberate and obftinate Rebellions, fuch as is the Continuation of every Habit of Sin? These Things were written for our Example, that by them we might receive Inftruction; being terrified |