to be determined and inflicted proportionably to the measures of guilt: And therefore that any man fhould fuffer the fame Degrees of punishment, as if he had Actually committed all thofe Sins which he might Poffibly have committed if he had lived longer, would be, according to our Notions of things, inconfiftent with God's Justice. In this fenfe, and in this fense only, the observation is true, but does not at all affect the genuine purport and force of the Argument before us, which is grounded upon, and to be interpreted by, that Maxim of the Schoolmen, in this cafe, Duratio poene refpondet durationi culpæ, non quidem ex parte Actus, fed ex parte Macule. The Duration of Punishment is proportionate to the Duration of Sin; where by Sin we are not to understand the Act of Sin, but the Pollution of it. And this is no Unintelligible nicety or senseless distinction, but the plain Truth, confonant to Reafon and Scripture; from both which we know, that fin* defiles a man, that

*Mat. xv. 20.

thereby

thereby * even the mind and Confcience is defiled.

We cannot indeed fo accurately and fully account for Spiritual pollution as we can for the objects of fenfe, because our notions of Spirit are lefs clear and perfect. But our knowledge of it is thus far certain, that the commiffion of fin withdraws our Affections from God, and fixeth them upon fuch things as are directly repugnant to his Purity and Holinefs; that Habitual Sinners do with abhorrence avoid that which is Good and with delight adhere to that which is Evil. Now if this be the cafe, as doubtless it is, of all those who die in a state of fin; and if the means of Grace do terminate with this life; if there be no Repentance, no Converfion, no Regeneration beyond the grave, (as there is not the least colour of reason to believe or hope it) hence it neceffarily follows, that all habitual Sinners will be for ever alienated from the love of God, everlastingly subject to an Abhorrence of Goodness, and everlast

* Tit. i. 15.

1

ingly affected with fuch Tendencies and Propenfions, Wishes and Defires as stand directly opposed to the Purity and Perfection of the Divine Nature.

If therefore the Enemies of God be the Juft and Adequate objects of his Vengeance, 'tis hence manifeft, that the everlafting Punishment of Wicked men is fo far from being Unjuft or Unequal, that it is the Proper and Neceffary effect of God's Juftice; because all men that die in a state of Impenitence will be for ever Unchangeably fubject to the dominion of fin, for ever the Enemies of God. And this confideration alone feems abundantly fufficient to Reconcile the Justice of God with the Eternal punishment of Sinners: And yet this Difficulty is ftill further satisfied by the

Third Argument, which relates to God's Goodness: But this likewife is thus represented as Infufficient.

It is faid, that God hath fet before men everlafting Happiness and Mifery, and the Sinner bath his choice. Here are two things faid, which feem to bid fairly towards an anfwer, First, that the Reward

which God promifeth to our obedience is equal to the punishment which he threatens to our Difobedience. But yet this, I doubt, will not reach the bufinefs: Because though it be not contrary to Justice to exceed in Rewards, that being matter of mere favour, yet it may be fo to exceed in punifhments. Secondly It is further faid, that the Sinner in this cafe bath his choice. This, I confefs, is enough to filence the Sinner, and to make him acknowledge that his Deftruction is of himself; but yet for all that, it does not feem fo clearly to fatisfy the objection from the difproportion between the fault and the punishment.

These reflections, though they appear very Smooth and Plaufible, are of no force or confequence at all, being grounded upon nothing but a palpable Fallacy. For 'tis here taken for granted, that there is Excess in the Eternity of punishment, that there is a Difproportion between the Fault and the Punishment, which is the very thing to be proved; and not only fo, but which is likewife fo far from being true, that what is urged under the particular immediately foregoing

feems

seems very fully to prove the contrary. For if, as is already fhewn, all Impenitent Sinners will be Unchangeably and Eternally fubject to the dominion of fin, and by neceffary confequence Eternally the Enemies of God and Goodness; the Eternity of their punishment is fo far from implying Excefs or Difproportion, that it is undeniably proportionate to their Guilt; and fo far as we are capable of Judging in this cafe, God Almighty must be wanting to his Juftice, if their punishment should ever have an end.

These Reflections therefore, which are not only Precarious, but plainly False, cannot in the leaft Invalidate the Argument they are replied to: It is ftill the Perfection of Goodness in God, that he hath graciously vouchfafed us a power and opportunity of obtaining Unconceivable and Eternal Happiness; and if we cannot be prevail'd upon by Goodness it felf, our deftruction is intirely owing to our own folly, and does not at all interfere with that Infinite Goodness, the demonftrations of which we obftinately Defpife and Reject.