IV.

SER M. that expreffion of St Jude, ver. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the Cities about them, -are fet forth for an Example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal Fire. 'Tis plain the Apoftle does not here mean Hell-Fire, because That, being at prefent invifible, cannot be faid be fet forth for an Example, but as a Threatning only. Whatever is fet forth for an Example, must be something that is already prefent, or paft: And therefore the Vengeance of eternal Fire, must in this place fignify only That Fire, which irrecoverably deftroyed the Cities of Sodom, and ended in their final or eternal overthrow.

IN other places of Scripture, the words eternal and for ever, fignify in a higher Senfe, a Duration, not figuratively, but properly and literally everlafting; without End, though not without Beginning. Thus Angels and the Souls of Men are eternal, or immortal; and the Happiness they enjoy in Heaven, is everlasting Life, an endless and eternal weight of Glory.

Lastly,

Laftly, THE Laft and highest and SER M. most absolutely perfect Senfe of the IV. words eternal, and everlafting, is when they fignify a Duration of inexhaustible and never-failing permanency, both without Beginning, and without End; And not only fo, but including also Neceflary and Independent Existence, fo as in no manner whatsoever to derive from any other. He who Thus exifts, exifts of himself abfolutely, as the First Fountain and Origin of all Being, totally felf-fufficient, and independent of Any. And this is the peculiar property and distinguishing perfonal character, of the Father only; of Him, by whose good pleasure all Creatures were created; of Him, from whom the Holy Spirit [it felf] proceedeth; of Him, by whom the Son [himfelf] was begotten; of Him, who in the highest and most fuperlative Senfe of the words, is He which is, and which was, and which is to come,

HAVING thus briefly in the first place, for preventing Confufion in our Notions, and for the more diftinct explication of feveral paffages in Scripture, fet forth in

general,

SER M. general the different fenfes in which the IV. words eternal, immortal, and everlasting,

are made use of by the facred Writers: I proceed now, in the Second place, to offer fome Obfervations concerning this Doctrine of the Eternity of God in particular; concerning That Eternity described in the Text, by the words, Which is and which was and which is to come.

AND If we may obferve, that This Eternity is a Perfection, Attribute, or Character, by which God is very frequently described in Scripture, in order to raise in our Minds a juft Awe and Veneration of his divine Majefty. Deut. xxxiii. 27; The Eternal God. Rom. xvi. 26: The everlafting God. I. lvii. 15; The Holy One, that inhabiteth Eternity. I Sam. XV. 29; Strength of Ifrael, (in the original it is, the Eternity of Ifrael,) will not lie nor repent. 1 Tim. i. 17; I The King eternal, immortal. ch. vi. 16; whe Only bath Immortality. In the words of the Text, He which is, and which was, and which is to come. And, to mention but one paffage more, Pf. cii. 24; Thy years are throughout all generations.

Of old

baft

IV.

n

baft thou laid the foundations of the Earth, SERM. and the Heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea, all of them fhall wax old like a garment; and as a vefture fhalt thou change them, and they fhall be changed. But Thou art the fame, and Thy Years Shall have no End. Of which laft words, it is remarkable, that in the first chapter of the epiftle to the Hebrews they are also in a very proper Senfe applied to the Son, as the perfon by whom the Father made, and by whom he governs all things through all Ages; by whom God made the worlds, ver. 2, and 10.

2dly, 'Tis to be observed, that not only in Scripture is God frequently defcribed by this Attribute of Eternity, but even under the Light of Nature also is he represented to us after the fame Manner. For the very Heathen Writers themselves, have spoken very juftly and honourably of God in this particular. And not to Philofophers only, but even to the meanest capacities, are there obvious Arguments in Reafon, to prove clearly the Neceffity of this divine Perfection, and to fet it before

them

SER M. them in a practical and useful Light. IV. For fince 'tis in Some degree a Perfection,

to Be; and a greater Degree of that Perfection, to continue in Being: 'tis evident, when we conceive of God the most perfect Being, we must conceive him to be infinite in This perfection alfo, as well as in others; and that, as his Power is not bounded by any oppofite Strength, nor his Immenfity terminated by any Bounds of Place, fo neither is his Duration limited by any Periods of Time; but that he exifts and lives and governs all things, from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and without end.

AGAIN: 'Tis evident even to the meaneft Capacity, which confiders things at all; that He who first gave Being to all other things, could not poffibly have any Beginning himself, and must therefore neceffarily have exifted from all Eternity; and that he who hath already existed from all eternity, independently and of Himself; cannot poffibly be liable to be deprived of his Being, and must therefore neceffarily exift for an Eternity to come.