hath so remarkably fignalized his esteem of, in the death of his only begotten Son, for our benefit and advantage; how God's Infinite Goodness fhould be compatible with Man's Endlefs Mifery, or how that Difproportion, which there seems to be betwixt Momentary Tranfgreffions and Everlasting Punishment, should be Reconcileable with Infinite juftice. Thus, out of an Immoderate Efteem and love of Themselves, they lay too much stress upon some of the Divine Attributes, and too little upon others, and perfuade themselves into an Acquiefcence under fo agreeable a delufion, from the very Principles of the Covenant of Grace, converting even the Revelations of God's Infinite Mercy and Love to mankind, into Inftruments of their own extreme Danger, making thofe very things that should have been for their wealth, become unto them an occafion of falling. And they take great Pains to confirm thefe Falfe reasonings, about the Divine Attributes and the Excellencies of Humane nature, by their Mistaken Interpretations of those texts in Holy Scripture, wherein God hath revealed the Nature and Circumftances of Future punishment. I fhall therefore, in difcourfing upon these words, endeavour I. First, Directly to prove the Eternity of punishment in a Future State, and II. Secondly, To answer the Principal objections, that have been made against it. And I. First, The Direct proof of Eternal punishment in a Future ftate falls within a very small compass, depending upon the concurrent evidence of a few texts in Holy Scripture; as when our Bleffed Saviour, having immediately before given an account of his Solemn and Glorious appearance to Judge the world, and of his approving and accepting the Faithful and Obedient, lays down the fentence of Condemnation to be pronounced upon the Wicked in these words,* Depart from me ye curfed, into Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels. And the text affures us, that as the Form of the Sentence thus pronounced does evince,, * Matth. xxv. 41. B 3 vince, that 'tis Final and Unalterable, fo the Confequences of it fhall be Immediately executed; both the Righteous and the Wicked shall presently enter upon the Different states thus Finally allotted them: There is nothing more to be feared by the one, or hoped by the other, but immediately after Judgment thus passed, Thefe * Shall go away into Everlasting punishment, but the Righteous into life Eternal. And we are further confirmed in the Belief of this by our Saviour, Mar. ix. at the 43. and following Verfes, where he thrice styles the state of future misery, The fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, as if he did industriously Anticipate every the leaft degree of hope, that the punishment of Wicked Men shall ever have an end. To this account which our Saviour hath given us may be added that Remarkable paffage, where 'tis faid of the Wicked, that they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his Indignation, and shall be tormented * Matth. xxv. 46. * with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb; and the Smoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever. The certainty therefore of everlasting Happiness prepared for Good men, which no body is inclined either to Disbelieve or Difpute, is not more plain and clear than the eternal Mifery of the Wicked; which yet hath been Queftion'd by fome, and boldly Contradicted by others, upon feveral Principles, all which feem to be manifestly trivial and groundless, as may appear from what is in the second place propofed, viz. II. Secondly, The folution of the Principal Ojections that have been made against the Eternity of Future punishment. And 1st. I fhall take notice of the Notion commonly charged upon Origen; That after the Wicked have, for a long time, endured the punishment inflicted upon them at the day of Judgment, they will be, at laft, tranflated from Mifery into the state of the Bleffed; a Notion which there is not one tolerable Reason brought to prove, there being nothing, from *Rev. xiv. 10, II. B 4 which 1 which it can be deduced, in holy Scripture. For the texts alledged in favour of it, which St. Jerom* recites, do plainly relate either to God's Goodness in General, as, P. xxxi. 19. O how great is thy Goodness which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee? or, to God's deliverance of the Jews from Affliction, as, Mich. vii. 9. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him, until he plead my cause and execute Judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righte oufness; or, to the converfion of the Jews to Christianity, as, Rom. xi. 25, 26. Until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and fo all Ifrael fhall be faved. And this is a full anfwer to those Teftimonies of Scripture which are urged upon this Occafion. St. Auftin† confiders this Notion as proceeding from an Exceffive Compaffion in the Authors of it. And Theophylact cenfures Origen as a Trifler in this point, concluding it Impoffible, that thofe, who * Comment, in If. lxvi. † De Civ. Dei. I. 21. C. 17. fhall |