confiderations, which were natu- | neceffity of the divine law, and of

expreffing the divine abhorrence of fin by punishments, will rife into view, with fuperior demonstration. You cannot but think, the justice of God is displayed, in more than fevenfold glory, in the latter cafe. It will doubtless be unspeakably more illuftrious, and convincing in the eyes of his people.

The atonement of Chrift alfo adds to the glory of punitive juftice. Had not this taken place, the enemies of God might have reproached him, by fuggesting, that he punished them wantonly, that he had no benevolence for his creatures, and acted more from paffion and cruelty, than from principle. But when his only begotten Son freely took the finners place, and became a curfe for themwhen creation heard the Father fay, "Awake O fword against the man, that is my fellow!”— when he was left in the power of earth and hell-when God would not abate an iota in those sufferings, which were neceffary to fupport the

rally fuggefted to their minds, on this occafion, gave a fuller conviction, and a more perfect fenfe of the importance of law and juftice, than it is reasonable to fuppofe, they could have obtained, if fin had never taken place, and the punitive juftice of God had never been exemplified. But under the mediatorial government of Christ, great advance has been made in these things. The pernicious and unyielding nature of fin, and the irreclaimable perverfeness of the finner, were not feen in the inftance of the fallen angels. No offers of mercy were made them. It was not known, but that they would have gladly accepted of a pardon. They were immediately given over by a judicial act, to the power of fin. But under the government of Chrift, the obftinate nature of fin is bro't into view. It appears, that no offers of mercy, no acts of kindnefs, and no facrifices which God can make, to provide for their acceptance into favor, can perfuade the finner, to re-law, and fully manifeft his abhorturn to duty. He will perfift in his rebellion, in defiance of all the threatnings which can be denounced, and all the arguments which can be offered to reclaim him. This gives an impreffive evidence of the juftice of God in the condemnation of impenitent finners. -The apoftate angels committed but one fin, before their doom became irreversible, and that, not against redeeming mercy. Sinful men have the offers of mercy, and the means of grace, and continue in rebellion and unbelief, thro' their whole lives. They deliberately treat with contempt divine authority and grace. In their condemnation, the punitive juftice of God will be difplayed to advantage. And the importance of fpotlefs purity, the

rence of fin-when he hid his face from him in his last extremitywhen the Creator of the world bowed his head, and gave up the ghoft, then, then it was evident, that he punishes from principle, that Chrift condemns the wicked, not thro' wanton indifference to their fufferings; but with a facred regard to justice. This glorified juftice, magnified the law, and made it honorable.

Chrift in his mediatorial government, makes an infinite advance, upon all former displays of the goodness of God. He gives an illuftrious evidence, that his goodnefs is real, and will indure forever. In his dealings with the elect angels, no one could have reafon te 'entertain any fufpicions of his good

nefs.

They obeyed, and lived. | whole influence, true as the needle to the pole, they fubferve his purpofes, accomplish his plan, bring glory to his name, and bleffings to his people. "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his judgments and his ways paft finding

Out!"

But it was not known, that his goodness was fuch, that he could find it in his heart, to fhew mercy to finners-to make the facrifice revealed in the gospel-to iffue the invitations of his grace-to furnish fuch means to wait with longfuffering mercy on ungrateful abufers of every grace-and finally to come, in the power of the Holy Ghost, and renew the hearts of multitudes, and train them, amidst a thousand provocations, for the world of glory. But this, you fee exhibited in tranfcendant glory, in the government of Chrift. Here I conceive, angels must look, for the most expreffive evidence of the goodness of God. This affords them the fulleft confidence, that God will be faithful to his promifes to them. Here goodnefs glows in fupreme perfection. How fuperior to the manifestation of it, in the dealings of God, with holy angels, who never have offended! In this government of Chrift, there is an unfpeakably greater difplay of the wisdom of God, and his ability to govern the univerfe, than we have any reason to fuppofe, had ever been made before. No doubt, God manifested unfearchable wisdom, in his providential government, before this world was created. He did this in his dealings with the angels. But was it ever feen, as it is in his management of fuch a world as this? Here is a world of finners in confufion. All the malice and de. vices of men and devils, are combined against the kingdom of Chrift, which he is erecting among men. Every artifice and weapon is employ-nal ed to overthrow it. And yet Zion lives, and increafes, and Chrift fo controls, and manages all events, and has done it already, for thousands of years, that with their

Your own heart informs you, that God is the portion of his people, and that the manifeftations of his perfections are the riches of the univerfe. Thefe perfections Christ has brought into view, in fuch advanced glory, that I fhall not wonder if you are ready to fay, that they appear a thousand fold more glorious and illuftrious, than if the gospel scheme had never been adopted-if Adam and his race had retained original purity, and no advance had been made on the difcoveries, which God had given of himself, in his dealings with the elect and apoftate angels. And if Adam had ftood, by the covenant of works; or if on his tranfgreffion, he had been immediately fentenced to hell, by an irreverfible decree of justice, without the offers of mercy, no advance would have been made in government, by any thing effentially new, and comparatively little would have been added to the glory of God, or the happinefs of his friends. But this world was created for the glory of God, and the public good. Chrift undertook the government of it, to answer thefe purpofes. He fucceeds. In proportion as he brings the glory of God into the view of his friends, he increases their eter

happiness. How inexpreffibly more exalted then, will be the happinefs of his faints, than if Adam had flood?

You will not now be difficulted to affign the reafon, why the an

gels are fo intent in their obferva- thing to be inhabitants of this, tions, on the things of this world. | world-veffels, in which will be 'They look to the dealings of Chrift with our world, to fee the most perfect manifeftations of the glozies of their God. Thefe are the things, which inflame their love, and fix them in an ecftacy of adoration and praife.

I think, you will alfo conclude, that the guilt of mankind is incomparably greater, than that which banished the finning angels from heaven, or Adam from paradife.

expreffed the riches of God's grace and mercy; or veffels of wrath, fitting for deftruction, by which, God will fhew his wrath, and make his power known.That God would glorify the riches of his grace, by multiplying the veffels of his mercy, is I think, the fincere prayer, of

Your affectionate friend,

J.

It certainly feems to me, that our Sin neceffarily leads to mifery-in fins are committed against greater manifeftations of the divine char

this world and the next.

EN are not eafily drawn to

acter. And we have been guilty M believe, and habitually to

of innumerable tranfgreffions, and thofe against the obligations of re-feel the power of fentiments, which deeming love; whereas they were cross their prevailing inclinations guilty of but one fin, before their and favorite practices of living. condemnation became unavoidable. Hence it comes, that the repreWhen you contemplate on the fentation of eternal mifery to folimmense advance, which Chrift low an impenitent life is fo hardhas made, of the knowledge of ly received by mankind; fome God, and how he has enriched the wholly disbelieving the event, and univerfe, I am perfuaded, you others trying to doubt; altho they will fay it was glorious in God to cannot wholly filence the premonicreate fuch a world as this, and to tions of confcience. It is ftrange manage it as he has done. Your there fhould be fuch doubts, when heart will be drawn forth in praife, nature and providence are filled and you will be ready to call on with evidence, that the " wages all his intelligent creatures, to of fin is death." If we were impraise him for it. You will fay in partial, and could look without your heart, that this world, juft prejudice on the nature and govas it is, is an excellent world, and ernment of things; we fhould that God in creating and govern- fee that there is a provifion for the ing it, deferves the admiration of fulfilment of the original threatenhis people. The earth is full of ing; and that the execution hath the glory of the Lord-It is no commenced, is continually going wonder, that Chrift, who makes on, and haftening to a complete fuch rich discoveries of God, is fulfilment. When the fcriptures precious to them that believe. I affure us, that the wages and end have no doubt, but that, if your of fin, are death, no more is foreheart is right, you will more high- told, than we may look on the ly esteem him for this, than for world and fee actually taking place any temporal, or eternal bleffings, every day; no more than ferious which refpect only your own foul. obfervation must difcover in our I cannot clofe my letter, withown pains, difeafes, decay, diffatout reflecting, that it is a folemnisfaction, difappointment, and the

forebodings of an evil confcience. | bling, they form refolutions of a

mendment, which are forgotten when their trials are removed; and they go on, in fecure and pleafing hope, although the fentence of God remains indelibly written, "the end of these things is death." -nor do they confider the fubject enough, to see how every thing, in nature and providence, portends a certain execution of the divine threatening. The power of God is steadily and irrefiftibly

not in his courfe to confider what fhall next be done; but with an infinite energy is executing the eternal counfels of his will, which must terminate in the death of finners if they remain impenitent.

Sinners are not only condemned already but the execution began, in the moment, that the firft crime was committed. Surely, it is ftrange to hear thofe, who are fuffering the beginning of death, deny that it will be perfected, according to the fure word of God; fo far as there hath been opportunity for experience, we have found the infinite truth of God. He hath, from the beginning of the world, been going on in the fulfil-working! He paufes not, he ftops ment of his prediction. It hath been a general rule, that individuals, families and nations have been miferable, in proportion as they have been finful. As there have been many kinds and degrees of fin; fo there have been of mifery. As fin hath often been clothed in the dress of virtue, and called by great and facred names; fo mifery, hath often been disguised with the outfide covering of earthly prof. perity and mirthful folly but if men's hearts could be opened to human inspection; and if the wretchedness of enmity, unfatisfied defires, vain wifhes, and a foreboding confcience, could be accurately infpected, it would be known that the wages of fin have from the beginning been death. No man is fatisfied in himself. All are trying for an alteration in their state; altho many do it, in a manner, that must eventually increase their unhappiness. Many are deluded with vain hopes and expectations, which have no foundation in nature, nor any encouragement from experience and the word of God. If the letter of the threatening, at any time, alarms their confciences, they reft in an attempt to explain away its truth and certainty; or if fome unhappiness, greater than the common courfe of life, brings them to confideration and trem

The death threatened must doubtlefs be allowed to mean, all that pain and mifery, both in the prefent and in the world to come, which take place in confequence of fin. Death in the world to come, ought to be most alarming in confideration; for however fevere or conftant the pains of this world may be, they cannot exceed the fhort duration of our earthly lives. But when we confider death as eternal, the subject appears to be of infinite confequence.

I propose to illuftrate, from fundry confiderations in the exifting nature of things, of the rational mind, and of focial relations, the certainty that thofe who leave the world, in an unholy ftate, and without fuch qualifications as are required in the gospel of Chrift, muft go to a ftate of mifery.

Although the teftimony of God, be a fufficient evidence that finners, without faith and repentance will be miferable hereafter; ftill, it is highly proper to increase our own conviction and diligence, by such rational confiderations, as nature and the fubject fuggeft; and to fee

how this unhappinefs will arife, light in the infinite object of pious from the existence of unholy prin- meditation and praife; and thereciples and paffions in the mind: fore they live without God in the and I fhall attend to this point, world. Hence, alfo, it happens, with a particular application, to that they diflike a fcheme of docthe neceffity of our being renewed trine, which continually brings in the temper of our minds, by the thofe duties into their view, & urges Holy Spirit. upon them, the neceffity of a new heart and of a pious life. These are facts, which many can witness, from a recollection of their own paft feelings; and they are a powerful evidence that every unfanctified finner is going into a state of miferable existence fast as time can roll him onward. This mifery will arife from the immoral nature of his own principles and affections, in view of fuch objects, as muft conftantly be prefented to his fight. If God be holy, if heaven be holy and the creature be unholy, he must be unhappy when placed in a heavenly manfion. The confequence will undeniably follow from the premifes. Thus the finner's feelings as he goes on thro life; his difrelifh of the divine rectitude and commandments; and of the appointed duties of prayer and praife, prove a prefent evidence of his future mifery, if he do not come to evangelical repentance and a love of God. men, need only be acquainted with their own hearts, to become affured of one of these two truths; either that their hearts must be changed by the fpirit of God, or that they are going to endless unhappiness.

1. Those who appear little to regard the threatenings of revelation, do ftill generally concede it to be probable, that Almighty God and the place of his prefence are glorious in holinefs. Even the felfishness of their hearts reluctates against the idea of a God, wholly deftitute of moral rectitude; left if this were the cafe they should fall under a tyrannical power. . But how can an unholy and unrenewed finner be happy in going to the holy prefence and place of God? Doth not the holinefs and ftrict fpirituality of the law make it difagreeable to finners? Is it not the holy and fpiritual nature of religious worship, that renders them fo deficient in their attendance and fo formal and hypocritical when they offer to attend? Is it not the holinefs of God, which renders meditations on his being and a fenfe of his prefence fo difquieting, that finners wish to put away the great the awful fubject of contemplation?-Hence arifes that neglet of religious duties, in which many live, while clearly inftructed in their nature and importance. Hence comes their diflike of pious difcourfe of religious companions -and of frequent feafons to praife and pray to God. Hence their backwardnefs to feel his providence, and truft in the divine aids of his power and goodnefs for what they need ; and to feek his glory conftantly and confecrate their all to his fervice. They have no tafte for fuch employments-no relifh for fuch duties and no de

Sinful

Heaven, is every where defcribed, as being a near approach to God; a life filled with praise and adoration; as perfect love and obedience to the law; and the most intimate and perfect communion with the faints, who delight in thefe employments. But how can thofe, who take no delight in fuch objects and employments, think of being happy by a removal to a