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"truth, there remains no more facrifice for fin; but SER M. "a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indig"nation to confume us."

The fum of what hath been faid on this argument, is briefly this; that men have a natural knowledge of GOD, and of thofe great duties which refult from the knowledge of him; fo that whatever men say, and pretend as to the main things of religion, "the "worship of GOD, and juftice and righteousness "towards men," fetting afide divine revelation, we are all naturally convinced of our duty, and of what we ought to do, and thofe who live in a bad course, need only be put in mind of what they naturally know, better than any body elfe can tell them, that they are in a bad courfe, fo that I may appeal to all wicked men from themselves, rash, and heated, and intoxicated with pleafure and vanity, tranfported and hurried away by luft and paflion; to themselves, ferious and compofed, and in a cool and confiderate temper. And can any sober man forbear to follow the convictions of his own mind, and to refolve to do what he inwardly consents to as best? let us but be true to ourselves, and obey the dictates of our own minds, and give leave to our own confcience to counfel us, and tell us what we ought to do, and we fhall be "a law to ourselves," I proceed to the

Sixth and last observation, namely, that the clear revelation of the wrath of GoD in the gospel, against the impiety and unrighteousness of men, is one principal thing which renders it so very powerful and likely a means for the falvation of mankind. For the apostle inftanceth in two things, which give the gofpel fo great an advantage to this purpose,

SER M. the mercy of GOD to penitent finners, and his feveCXII. rity towards the impenitent; both which are fo

fully and clearly revealed in the gospel. "The

gofpel is the power of GOD to falvation, to every "one that believeth, because therein the righteouf"nefs of GOD is revealed;" that is, his great grace and mercy in the juftification and pardon of finners by JESUS CHRIST, which I have already fhewn to be meant by "the righteousness of GOD," by comparing this with the explication which is given of "the righteoufnefs of GOD," chap. iii. ver. 22.

The other reafon which he gives of the gofpel's being "the power of GOD to falvation," is the plain declaration of the severity of GOD toward impenitent finners," because therein alfo the wrath of GoD "is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness "and unrighteoufnefs of men." The force of which argument will appear, if we confider these following particulars.

First, that the declarations of the gospel in this matter are so plain and express.

Secondly, that they are very dreadful and terrible.

Thirdly, that there is no fafety or hope of impunity for men that go on and continue in their fins. Fourthly, that this argument will take hold of the most desperate and profligate finners, and still retain its force upon the minds of men, confiderations fail, and are of little And,

when all other

or no efficacy.

Fifthly, that no religion in the world can urge this argument with that force and advantage that christianity does.

CXII.

First, that the declarations of the gospel in this SER M. matter are most plain and express; and that not only against fin and wickedness in general, but against particular fins and vices; fo that no man that lives in any evil and vicious course, can be ignorant of his danger. Our LORD hath told us in general, what fhall be the doom of the workers of iniquity, yea tho' they may have owned him, and made profeffion of his name, Matth. vii. 21. "Not every "one that faith unto me, LORD, LORD, fhall enter "into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the "will of my FATHER which is in heaven. Many "will fay unto me in that day, LORD, LORD, &c. "then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you; "depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matth xiii. 49, 50. "So fhall it be at the end of the world, "the angels fhall come forth, and fever the wicked "from among the juft, and fhall caft them into the "furnace of fire; there fhall be wailing and gnafhing "of teeth." Matth. xxv. 46. The wicked fhall

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go away into everlasting punishment, but the

righteous into life eternal." John v.28, 29. "The "hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves "fhall hear his voice, and fhall come forth; they "that have done good, unto the resurrection of life,

and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection "of damnation." Rom. ii. 6. St. Paul tells us that there is a day of wrath, and of the revelation of "the righteous judgment of God, who will render "to every man according to his deeds; to them "who obey not the truth, but obey unrighteouf"nefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and an"guish upon every foul of man that doth evil." 2 Theff. i. 7, 8, 9. "That the LORD JESUS fhall be

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"revealed

SER M." revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels in

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"flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know "not GoD, and that obey not the gofpel of our "LORD JESUS CHRIST; who fhall be punished "with everlasting deftruction from the prefence of "the LORD, and from the glory of his power.' Nothing can be more plain and express than these general declarations of the wrath of GoD against finners; that there is a day of judgment appointed, and a judge conftituted to take cognifance of the actions of men, to pass a fevere fentence, and to inflict a terrible punishment upon the workers of iniquity.

More particularly our LORD and his apoftles have denounced the wrath of GoD against particular fins and vices. In feveral places of the new testament, there are catalogues given of particular fins, the practice whereof will certainly fhut men out of the kingdom of heaven, and expofe them to the wrath and vengeance of GOD. I Cor. vi. 9, 10. "Know ye not

that the unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of GOD? Be not deceived, neither fornica"tors, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,

..

nor abufers of themselves with mankind, nor "thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, "nor extortioners, fhall inherit the kingdom of "Gop." So likewise, Gal. v. 19, 20, 21. “The "works of the flesh are manifeft, which are these, "adultery, fornication, witchcraft, hatred, variance, "emulations, wrath, ftrife, feditions, herefies, en

..

vyings murders, drunkennefs, revellings, and fuch like of the which I tell you before, as I have alfo "told you in times paft, that they that do fuch things fhall not inherit the kingdom of Gon."

..

Col.

Col. iii.

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CXII.

5, 6. "Mortify therefore your members SER M. upon earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate "affection, evil concupifcence, and covetousness, "which is idolatry, for which things fake the wrath "of God cometh on the children of difobedience." Rev. xxi. 8. The fearful and unbelieving," (that is, those who rejected the chriftian religion, notwithstanding the clear evidence that was offered for it, and those who out of fear fhould apoftize from it) "The fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable," (that is, those who are guilty of unnatural lufts, not fit to be named)" and murderers, and whoremongers, "and forcerers, and idolaters, and all liars" (that is, all forts of falfe and deceitful and perfidious perfons) "fhall have their part in the lake which burns "with fire and brimftone, which is the fecond death.”

And not only these grofs and notorious fins, which are fuch plain violations of the law and light of nature; but those wherein mankind have been apt to take more liberty, as if they were not fufficiently convinced of the evil of them; as "the refifting of "civil authority," which the apostle tells us they that are guilty of, " fhall receive to themfelves dam"nation," Rom. xiii. 2. "Profane fwearing in "common converfation," which St. James tells us brings men under the danger of damnation, chap v. 12. "Above all things, my brethren, "fwear not, left ye fall under condemnation." Nay, Our SAVIOUR hath told us plainly, that not only for wicked actions, but for every evil and finful word, men are obnoxious to the judgment of God. So our LORD affures us, Matth. xii. 36, 37. "I fay unto you, that every idle word that men fhall speak, "they fhall give an account thereof in the day of "judgment.

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