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SERMON XII.

ACTS xxiv. 25.

As he reafoned of Righteousness, and Temperance, and Judgment to come, Felix trembled, and anfwered, Go thy way for this Time, when I have a convenient Seafon I will call for thee.

R

Ighteoufnefs, and Temperance, and Judgment to come, are very unwelcome Doctrines to a Sinner that has not loft all Sense of Shame and Remorfe, and especially the last of these. For what Pleasure can he, who has been always accuftom'd to indulge his Defires. and Appetites, poffibly take in hearing Lectures upon Temperance and Righteoufnefs, that are fo oppofite to this. Certainly these Sounds must be very grating to a sensual Ear, efpecially fince there is to be an After-Reckoning for thefe Things, where

SERM.

XII.

SERM. Punishment, which is upon the whole due XII. to Sin, will certainly overtake it, whatever

it does in this Life. 'Tis no wonder then to find the Perfon in the Text fet a trembling when St. Paul touch'd upon these Points. The greater Wonder is ftill behind, which is this; that, when his Conscience had reprefented these Things in fo frightful a manner, he fhould notwithstanding put off the Confideration of them to another Time. And yet fo great a Wonder as this is, it was not his Cafe alone, but the Cafe of many Sinners ever fince, who are apt enough to be startled to hear of Virtues they never practis'd, and tremble at the Mention of a Judgment to come, which they hardly ever thought of. But then this is only a fudden Fit, too violent to laft long, and therefore they foon get rid of it, as well as of the Occafion of it; and a Meffenger of fuch unwelcome Truths is fure to be dif mifs'd like the Apoftle, with a Go thy way for this Time; when I have a convenient Seafon I will fend for thee. In difcourfing upon the Words of the Text, I will fhew

I. That there is a Punishment due to Sin, and a Confciousness of it at one time or other in every Sinner.

II. The

II. The Folly and Danger of refufing to SERM give a proper Attention to the Suggeftions XII. of a guilty and terrified Confcience.

The first appears from the Goodness of God, or, which is the fame, his Goodness confider'd as exerting itself for the Good and Welfare of the whole Creation. For if God, as he is the great Creator, is alfo the Governor of the World, and intends the Happiness of it, 'tis neceflary that fomething should be done for the Security of this Happiness; i. e. that a fufficient Controul or Check should be put upon whatever would deftroy it. NowEvil is the only Thing that can obftru&t theHappiness. of the World. SomeConftraint muft therefore be put upon it to hinder it from doing so. Accordingly the great Governor of the Universe has thought fit to order that Punishment fhall be the natural and certain Confequence of Sin or Evil; that every Degree of Evil should be attended with a Degree of Punishment proportionable; and the everlasting Laws of Righteousness, which are the Security of the Good and Happiness of the Universe, are bound to fee this done. Nor is this any Argument against the Goodness of God, but a very ftrong one for it; for fhould Evil go unpunished, it would foon destroy the Happiness of the Universe, which Kk 2 Good

'Tis

SERM. Goodness, by the Notions we have of it, XII. fhould prevent. To imagine therefore that Goodness should not punifh Evil, is the fame thing as to fay that Goodness should not be what it is: For fhould Evil go unpunish'd, there would be a manifeft Injury done the Whole, which Goodness is concern'd to prevent. To remit the Pain therefore of Evil as fuch, muft be inconfiftent with all the Notions we have of Goodness. to ftrike up a Friendship between two Oppofites, whofe Nature it is always to oppose one another. So far as there is room for Pity, fo far you conceive lefs Evil, and confequently there will be a proportionable Abatement of Punishment; but to fuppofe in Evil, as fuch, that the Punishment of it can be remitted by Goodness, is an impoffible thing. We are now got fo far as to know that Punishment is due to Sin: And it will be no Objection to this, that the Sinner is often seen to enjoy the good Things of this Life, to indulge like Felix in unlawful Pleafures, to revel in Bowls, and rejoice at the Sound of the Organ; for thefe Pleasures are what he has no Right to, they don't belong to him; he must therefore become Debtor for them, and pay them back with Intereft; for Punishment is due to him, which, if it

does

does not overtake him in this Life, becaufe, SER M. confidering the many Accidents that hap- XII. pen here, the Circle of Life is not large enough for it always to come round (tho' some he will alway meet with here) yet in the next he will certainly meet with it in its full Proportion; fo that no Objection will: lie against this from the Slownefs of its Progrefs, as long as it is fure at laft. Of a Certainty of Punishment due to Sin here and hereafter God has given every Sinner a Confcioufnefs, which, as it is on the one hand a terrifying Remembrance of paft Guilt, fo it is a moft gracious Provifion God has appointed to prevent future. So that God has not left himself without Witnefs in the Hearts of Men, where he has fet up a faithful Monitor to enable us to diftinguish between Good and Evil, and to chufe one and avoid the other; that all the World may be without Excuse, and. that God may justify and clear himself when he is judged. And this Monitor which God has fet up in our Hearts, is by no means an imaginaryThing; nor is the Remembrance that it gives us upon the Commission of Evil an artificial Fear and Sorrow, as Atheistical People think (if they do think fo) a preternatural Fear infus'd into Men's Minds in their Infancy by

Parents,