SERM. Punishment, which is upon the whole due XII. to Sin, will certainly overtake it, whatever

it does in this Life. 'Tis no wonder then to find the Perfon in the Text fet a trembling when St. Paul touch'd upon thefe Points. The greater Wonder is still behind, which is this; that, when his Confcience had reprefented these Things in fo frightful a manner, he fhould notwithstanding put off the Confideration of them to another Time. And yet fo great a Wonder as this is, it was not his Cafe alone, but the Cafe of many Sinners ever fince, who are apt enough to be startled to hear of Virtues they never practis'd, and tremble at the Mention of a Judgment to come, which they hardly ever thought of. But then this is only a fudden Fit, too violent to laft long, and therefore they foon get rid of it, as well as of the Occafion of it; and a Meffenger of fuch unwelcome Truths is fure to be difmifs'd like the Apostle, with a Go thy way for this Time; when I have a convenient Seafon I will fend for thee. In difcourfing upon the Words of the Text, I will fhew

I. That there is a Punishment due to Sin, and a Consciousness of it at one time or other in every Sinner.

II. The

II. The Folly and Danger of refufing to SER M. give a proper Attention to the Suggeftions XII. of a guilty and terrified Confcience.

The first appears from the Goodness of God, or, which is the fame, his Goodness confider'd as exerting itself for the Good and Welfare of the whole Creation. For if God, as he is the great Creator, is alfo the Governor of the World, and intends the Happiness of it, 'tis neceffary that fomething fhould be done for the Security of this Happiness; i. e. that a fufficient Controul or Check fhould be put upon whatever would deftroy it. NowEvil is the only Thing that can obftruct the Happiness of the World. SomeConftraint muft therefore be put upon it to hinder it from doing so. Accordingly the great Governor of the Universe has thought fit to order that Punishment fhall be the natural and certain Confequence of Sin or Evil; that every Degree of Evil fhould be attended with a Degree of Punishment proportionable; and the everlasting Laws of Righteousness, which are the Security of the Good and Happiness of the Universe, are bound to fee this done. Nor is this any Argument against the Goodness of God, but a very ftrong one for it; for fhould Evil go unpunifhed, it would foon deftroy the Happiness of theUniverse, which Kk 2 Good

1

SERM. Goodness, by the Notions we have of it,
XII. fhould prevent. To imagine therefore that

Goodness fhould not punish Evil, is the
fame thing as to fay that Goodness should
not be what it is: For fhould Evil go un-
punish'd, there would be a manifeft Injury

done the Whole,

cern'd to prevent.

'Tis

which Goodness is conTo remit the Pain therefore of Evil as fuch, must be inconfiftent with all the Notions we have of Goodnefs. to ftrike up a Friendship between two Oppofites, whofe Nature it is always to oppofe one another. So far as there is room for Pity, fo far you conceive lefs Evil, and confequently there will be a proportionable A batement of Punishment; but to suppose in Evil, as fuch, that the Punishment of it can be remitted by Goodnefs, is an impoffible thing. We are now got fo far as to know that Punishment is due to Sin: And it will be no Objection to this, that the Sinner is often feen to enjoy the good Things of this Life, to indulge like Felix in unlawful Pleafures, to revel in Bowls, and rejoice at the Sound of the Organ; for thefe Pleasures are what he has no Right to, they don't belong to him; he muft therefore become Debtor for them, and pay them back with Intereft; for Punishment is due to him, which, if it

does

does not overtake him in this Life, because, SERM,
confidering the many Accidents that hap- XII.
pen here, the Circle of Life is not large e-
nough for it always to come round (tho'
fome he will alway meet with here) yet in
the next he will certainly meet with it in
its full Proportion; fo that no Objection will
lie against this from the Slowness of its Pro-
grefs, as long as it is fure at laft.
Of a

Certainty of Punishment due to Sin here and
hereafter God has given every Sinner a Con-
fcioufnefs, which, as it is on the one hand a
terrifying Remembrance of paft Guilt, fo it
is a moft gracious Provifion God has ap-
pointed to prevent future. So that God has
not left himself without Witness in the
Hearts of Men, where he has fet up a faith-
ful Monitor to enable us to distinguish be-
tween Good and Evil, and to chufe one and
avoid the other; that all the World may be
without Excufe, and that God may justify
and clear himself when he is judged. And
this Monitor which God has fet in our
up
Hearts, is by no means an imaginaryThing;
nor is the Remembrance that it gives us up-
on the Commiffion of Evil an artificial Fear
and Sorrow, as Atheistical People think (if
they do think fo) a preternatural Fear in-
fus'd into Men's Minds in their Infancy by

Parents,

SERM. Parents, Mafters, Guardians, Sc. tho' this XII. is a great Addition to it, but a Thing which God himself has planted in the Hearts of all Men; for we find it univerfally. 'Tis to be seen in those who have had little or no Inftruction of any kind, as well as in those that have; tho' not to fo great a Degree, for want of fuch a proper Cultivation. And befides, from whence could these People, who are fuppos'd to infufe this Fear into others, have it themselves? Or where had they a Foundation for this? A Thing fo univerfal must be inftill'd by the Hand of Nature. Befides, if it were artificial it could never last long, the Impreffion would in time wear out, and the Mind would at laft recover its former State. But we find this is not the Cafe: For these Fears always remain, as long as there remains a Senfe of Good and Evil, and there will continue for the Ufes before-mention'd. Indeed this natural Fear may, if neglected, in time wear out too; but then it is becaufe 'tis fuppreffed, and not suffer'd to have its due InAuence upon us; whereas the other wears off of itself. Of this Remembrance we have many Instances in Scripture, a very remarkable one in Belshazzar; I mean with refpect to the Hand-writing on the

Wall;