There could be nothing hard or cruel in it on God's parts no finner could have any just ground of complaint. He finned he laboured in finning, and receives only his wages, only what righteousness and juftice requires he should have. Therefore, the infliction of eternal death upon the wicked and impenitent, who neglect or defpife the remedy provided for them in the gofpel, will be fo far from being a blemish in the divine charafter, that it will appear in the eyes of the faints and holy angels a bunch of transcendent excellency, and they will praise and bless him for all his judgment.-An unhumbled finner cannot bear fuch a representation of things; tho' they love and pratife fin, yet they think it cruel and unjust in God to give them their wages; they cannot brook the thought that God 'fhould caft them off forever. But they must be brought to a different apprehenfion and fenfe of things, if ever they become the subjects of his pardoning grace thro' Jefus Chrift. They will feel and acknowledge their deferts without a murmuring or difcontented word, and confefs with the pfalmift," "Against "thee, thee only have I finned, and done evil in thy fight, that "thou mighteft be juftified when thou fpeakeft, and be clear "when thou judgeft." The gofpel method of falvation gives ground to fay, that unless a finner is brought to fome fuch fenfe of things, as to acknowledge the justice of God, and that every fin deferves his wrath and curfe, and relinquifh his murmuring thoughts and lay down the weapons of his rebellion, and to place God on the throne of his righteousnefs and glory, and to accept of his free mercy as offered thro' the Mediator, he cannot be faved. Unless a finner comes to fome proper views of the rectitude of the divine government, and fees that death in its utmost extenfion is the jult wages of fin, he cannot behold the glory of the mercy and grace of the gospel, nor confequently be led to admire in humble raptures and gratitude the rich difplays of divine goodnefs in the falvation of finners. He who can difpute that it would be unreasonable and unjust in God to punish him for his fins mufl entertain an ill opinion of God's

Fuftice in his treatment of Jefus Chrift, when he took upon him the iniquities of us all, and was punished in fuch an awful man. ner for the fins of the world. He must hefitate at the wisdom and goodness, the love and grace of God, in the death of his dear and only begotten Son. For where is either the love, wisdom, grace, juftice or goodness, in the infinite fufferings of Christ in order to fave finners from eternal death, if they do not merit it. Where was the righteoufnefs of God in punishing the reprefentative and furety, in all that awful tragedy acted at Golgotha or on Calvary's hill, if the principal had not deferved it. Let God be just tho' every man should be a liar. And let every one of us always bear upon our minds, that the wages of fin is death.

A few ufes by way of improvement fhall finish this lec

ture.

First, If death be the wages of fin, then it follows clearer than any demonftration, that all are finners without exception, old and young, the infant of days and the man of grey hairs. The reason of the inference is, that death reigns over all. Now death does not take place in any world, nor in any instance, only where fin is. It is the reward, wages and punishment of fin. It cannot be inflicted on any where fin is not. If there fore God be righteous in all his ways, and there be no darkness nor injustice with him, then from the evident fact that all die, the conclufion is undeniable that all are finners.

Secondly, If the wages of fin be death in its whole extent, then God may as righteously inflict eternal death as natural. If God may not justly punish finners with eternal death, he cannot with natural. If the former be cruel and unjust, so is the latter. He who doubts of, or difbelieves the one, to be confiftent, he muft doubt of and difbelieve the other. The reason of both acts is precifely the fame. Eternal no less than

temporal death, is the just wages of fin. This inference is made with a peculiar view to remove the reproaches which are caft upon the doctrine of original fin. The enemies of this truth reprefent its votaries as damning all infants dying in infancy. But nothing can be more unfounded, cenforious, and unjuft. We fay that infants as well as others are liable to the pains of hell forever, and they can be faved in no other way, and on no other plan, than thro' the covenant of grace by the atonement and righteousness of Christ. We are not afraid to affert that the maintainers of the contrary doctrine, render the cafe of all infants abfolutely hopelefs, by excluding them from the benefits of Chrift's redemption. He came to fave the loft, the finful and guilty, and if infants fall not under this character, the compaffionate Jefus, who took them in his arms and bleffed them, is not their faviour. They mat tax our Lord with great weak nefs and folly in bleffing them, when they needed it not, neither could it be beneficial to them. We are affured from the fcriptures, that all who are faved, are faved by Jefus Chrift, and fuch who are not faved by him, muft eternally perish. Who now exhibit the greateft charity for children, the believers of the doctrine of original fin, or the rejecters of

it?

Thirdly, we here learn, how awful a thing it is to be a finner. The wages of fin is death, temporal, fpiritual, and eternal. It is tremendous beyond expreffion, beyond conception. No perfon can have a juft idea or an adequate fenfe of it, on this fide of everlasting burnings. Many have had fuch tormenting apprehenfrons of their state, as have drunk up their spirits and confumed their strength; have roared thro' the unutnterable anguifh and difquietude of their minds, on account of their fins. The grant of the world, with all its boafted friends of wealth and blifs, could not yield the flighteft relief. How wounding have been the groans and cries of many under a piercing fenfe of their guilt? So awful a thing did it appear to

them to be a finner, fo penetrating an evil was fin. Such per fons do not overrate the malignancy of fin. If any indulge fuch a thought, they will find themselves mistaken here or hereafter. Behold the diftrefs and mifery of our innocent Lord who was only imputatively guilty; had no ftings of conscience, fuffering merely for the iniquities of others; "My foul, fays "he is exceeding forrowful, even unto death." His agony was fuch as diffolved the crafis of his blood, preffed it thro' every pore, and caufed his fweat to be as great drops of blood falling to the ground. It may be faid, he bore the guilt of millions True, but he was more able to sustain the guilt of the whole fallen race, than a man to bear the full fenfe of the evil of a fingle tranfgreffion. If God were to open the eyes of a perfon of the firmeft nerves to fee what it is to be a finner, to imprefs on his confcience a suitable fense thereof, it would prove too much for him, and perhaps diffolve his frame, unless supported by divine aid in an extraordinary manner. And yet what a light thing is it with many; it hardly enters into their thoughts; they eat, and drink, and fleep, pursue their business or amusements, without the leaft irksome reflection upon their condition, tho' daily committing the abominable thing which God's heart hates, his law condemns, and his juftice will certainly revenge. Pray, my brethren, is not this the cafe with numbers of you, that you are yet in your fins, no interest in the favour of God, no union to Chrift? Your ftate is dreadful indeed, and your stupidity and infenfibility renders it still more dangerous. Were God to open your eyes to fee your condition as it is, all the angels in heaven could not give you peace were they to unite their utmolt efforts. He only who wounds can heal. O finners, remem. ber that there is balm in Gilead, and that there is a phyfician there. Remember, that Chrift came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance. And this day he is calling upon you by fhowing you that the wages of fin is death: Wherefore be warned, be entreated, be perfuaded to break off your fins by re pentance, and turn unto the Lord with your whole heart, flee

into the open arms of a bleeding Saviour who is wooing you by every moving and tender confideration; who is preffing you by all the felicities of heaven, and all the terrors of eternal death. I leave you to God with this frequent requeft, that you would confider your ways.

Allow me to close the subject in a sentence or two to thofe who hope thro' the riches of free grace: You have experienced a deliverance from the power and guilt of your fins. “Blef_ "fed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity." O live to the honor of that Saviour who has purchased you with hismoft precious blood. How unfpeakable a bleffing is the gift of Jefus Chrift unto the world. Remember, O believer, he is your life, he is your deliverer from death in all its forms. Praife him, let all the people praise him.