his very heart, and which therefore wants not fufficient promulgation: and Serm. 3. a Law fo plain too and easy to be understood, that, as to the greater and more important duties of it, all mankind have generally been agreed about the fenfe of it. And God has put Man into the counsel of his own hands, left him at perfect Liberty to act according to his own will, to choose or refufe, obey or difobey this Law, as he fhall think fit. He has given him fufficient knowledge and power both to understand and keep this Law, if he will use them accordingly: but he has left it to him to choose whither he will do fo or no. From all which it is plain that Mens fins, or tranfgreffions of this Law, muft be voluntary, must be their own choice their own proper acts and deeds, and as fuch, may fairly be imputed to them as faults, do partake of the nature of guilt, and if fo, are justly lyable to punishment. And how then, I would fain know, could God have declar'd more plainly, by the frame and make of Man, that he defign'd to punish him for his fins, than he has done: efpecially confidering, as has been be

fore

fore prov'd that he has implanted in

Serm. 3. the mind of Man, natural prefages and expectations of fuch punishment? And have we not at all the reason in the World to believe that he will punith Sinners, when it is fo evident that he has prepar'd and fitted, and as it were mark'd them out, for punishment?

We have no better Rule to judge of God's defigns and intentions by than, by enquiring into the natures of things, to fee what ends and uses he has fitted them for. And, tho' I do not say that God muft neceffarily make that use of things, which men are pleas'd to fuppofe, from the confideration of their frame, and feeming tendency of their nature, he defign'd them for (for Men may easily be mistaken, and are at best but very imperfect Judges of God's defigns) yet I do fay, and in this I have the confent of the wifeft Men in all Ages of the World, that, where it is very plain, from the natures of things, that they are extremly well fitted to answer this or that end, and where the end is felf is worthy of God, (as no body

Can

Serm. 3.

can deny that end to be for which we are now arguing from the nature of man) this is a strong prefumptive Argument, that the Divine Wifdom defign'd them for it.

Much more, if the end be, not only worthy of God, but greatly for his honour, tending to very noble and illuftrious Purposes, to display the gloties of his Attributes, to vindicate his Authority, to give a fufficient fantion to his Laws, and to promote the true good and happiness of his Creatures; in fuch a cafe it feems to be not only unreasonable, but even a fort of Sacrilege, to rob God of the honour of having defign'd fo great and glorious an end. And that this is the cafe of that end now before us, for which God, by the frame of Man, has evidently fitted him, as it may appear in part, from what has been already faid of the usefulness of the be lief of future Punishments, for preferving the peace and good order of this World, fo will it farther appear from confidering

Secondly, That it is very much for

F

God's

God's honour, and agreeable to our Serm. 3; beft notions of him and his Divine Attributes, to believe that he will punifh finners: nay farther, that we know not how to reconcile our notions of him and his Divine Attributes, to a belief that he will not punish them.

That it is an honourable thing, and becoming God, to punish Sinners, can be doubted by none, who have any true fenfe of what fin is, how heinous an affront towards God, how impudent a flying in the face of him? For what lefs does the finner in effect fay, when he wilfully perfifts in a conftant courfe of tranfgreffing God's Laws, against his most express and often repeated warnings to the contrary, than that he doth not like them, that he thinks he can make better for himfelf, that he doth not defire to be like God, but rather the contrary, that he doth not fear him, and that he will not have him to reign over him? And fball not God vifit for thefe things; fhall he not avenge himself on fuch Enemies as thefe? Can we think it confiftent with his honour, not to chaftife this bafe ingratitude, this bold

Rebel

Rebellion, thefe infolent taunts and revilings, thefe daring defiances, of Serm. 3. his own Creatures? When doth he appear fo truly awful and terrible, fo truly himself, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Infinite in Majefty and Power, as when he fcattereth the wicked in the imagination of their hearts, and makes all that hate him flee before him? And what reafon can we poffibly then have to fancy, that God will not appear like himself, that he will not do that, which is fo highly for his Honour and Glory to be done?

Do not all God's Attributes conSpire together to prove that he will punith Sinners? What more reafonable to conceive than, that a God of Infinite knowledge, power and goodnefs, fhould employ thefe, in obferving and governing the works of his own hands? than that a God of Infinite purity and holiness fhould, according to the utmost of his power, encourage Virtue and difcourage Vice, in all thofe his Creatures whom he has made capable of them: and that, for this purpose, he should give them a fufficient affurance of rewards and F2

punish