Confequences, to the Salvation of Mankind by the Fall, in all that obey him; and made it impoffible that Adam's Pofterity fhould become eternally miserable, and tormented in Hell Fire, but through their own Fault. For tho' we learn from the Scriptures, (Ephef. ii. 3.) that Infants are by nature born in fin, and the children of wrath, yet, whatever the Effects of that Wrath may be, we have no Ground to conclude, that any one shall be condemn'd to the Flames and Pains of Hell, without his own Personal and Actual Guilt. The Redemption of the World by Chrift was decreed from Eternity, and was actually promis'd before any Child of Adam was born, and even before the Sentence was denounced upon our first Parents, and a Remedy was from the beginning provided against all that Mifery, which was brought upon Mankind by their Tranfgreffion.

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Of the Eternity of Hell Torments.

"Here is nothing in Religion which has been thought by many, more liable to Objections, than the Eternity of Hell Torments: And yet I shall undertake to prove that they are plainly confiftent, not only with the Juftice, but with the Equity and Mercy of God.

I. I fhall prove the Eternity of Hell Torments to be confiftent with the Juftice of God from thefe Arguments. 1. Because both Rewards and Punishments are alike propos'd to our Choice. 2. Because the Rewards are eternal as well as the Punishments. 3. Because it was neceffary that the Sanction of the Divine Laws fhould be by eternal Rewards and Punishments. 4. Because it is neceffary that eternal Punishments

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fhould

fhould be inflicted upon the Wicked, according to this Sanction.

1. Both Rewards and Punishments are alike propos'd to our Choice. It is certainly confiftent with infinite Justice, to fet before Men Life and Death Blessing and Curfing, and then to deal with them according to their own Choice. And none will fall into a state of everlasting Mifery, but fuch as fhall be convinced in their own Confciences of the Juftice of God's Proceedings with them: And this Conviction will prove one great part of their Punishment, when they fhall confider that they perish only by their own Fault, that they were wilful and obftinate to their own Ruin; that no Promifes, no Threats could re-. claim them. And this is all that the strictest Juftice can require, to deal with Men according to their own Choice, to let them choose their own Condition of Happiness or Mifery, and to proceed in fuch a manner with Sinners, as that they fhall be convinc'd themfelves that there is no Injuftice done them.

2. The Rewards are eternal as well as the Punishments. If the Rewards on the one hand had not born a just proportion to the Punishments on the other, the Caufe had been different, and it had feem'd hard to fuffer eternal Torments for a fhort Life of Sin, if there had not been eternal Happiness propos'd to as fhort a Life of Vertue and Righteoufnefs. But fince the Rewards and the Punishments are equal, it is not neceffary that there should be an exact proportion between the Offence and the Punishment confider'd in it felf, and without respect had to the Rewards; because the Reward being eternal, answers the oppofite Punishment on the other Part. Thus men are wont to fet fo much Lofs against fo much Gain; and no Man pities him that might have gain'd as much as he has loft, if it had not been his own Fault, tho' the Lofs be never fo great, aud depended upon never so small and fhort a Trial.

It may feem an hard cafe, that a Man fhould lofe his Life for but going out of a City, when he could do no hurt by it, nor intended to do any and this was the Cafe of Shimei; but he had forfeited his Life before to David, who had fpar'd him, and he had been afterwards engag'd, it seems, in other ill Practices, and had probably been concern'd with Joab and others in fetting up Adonijah; for David gives Solomon the fame Direction concerning Joab and Shimei, 1 Kings ii. 5, 8.. And it was another Shimei, the Son of Elah, of whom it is faid, that he was not with Adonijah, 1 Kings i. 8. iv. 18. Solomon therefore fets him this Condition, and he was to expect to live upon no other Terms, but his keeping within thefe Bounds, which by the Confeffion of Shimei himself, was a good faying, 1 Kings ii. 38. that is, he was glad of it, and could expect no kinder ufage. How indeed could he make any Exception against it, when by the Levitical Law, if a Man was flain by Accident, the Slayer was confin'd to one of the Cities of Refuge till the Death of the High-Prieft, and then was to be at liberty; but if he were found without the Borders of the City of his Refuge before, the Revenger of Blood might kill him, Num. xxxv. 25. And if Solomon had propofed fome great Reward to Shimei, upon condition that he had kept within the City, he had been not only juft, but very gracious and bountiful to him in it. I am confident any condemn'd Malefactor would think fo. The Cafe of Mankind is like this, but infinitely more gracious on God's part, and more provoking on ours. The very best of us were born in Sin, and have often forfeited our Salvation to the Divine Juftice; and God by his Sovereign Power and Authority over us might have propofed any Terms of Reconciliation: But he has been pleas'd to appoint, that our everlasting state of Happiness or Mifery fhould depend upon the moral Terms of Vertue and Vice, and to fet everlasting Happiness against everlasting Mifery; and no Man fhall be fentenced to

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Hell

Hell Torments, but he might have been as happy as he shall find himself to be miferable.

b

с

Both the Jews and Heathens had a Notion of eternal Rewards and Punishments, as well as Chriftians; and the Eternity of the latter was the great Impediment, which Epicurus endeavour'd to remove out of the way, to the free Enjoyment of Men's Lufts. For whatever fome have faid in behalf of Epicurus, his own Words produced by Tully and Athenaus, too plain to be evaded, fhew, that he did place all Happinefs in fenfual Pleafures, only he was willing to enjoy them as quietly and fecurely as he could, and for this Reason laid down divers Rules by way of expedient to keep the Mind in Peace, void of all Anxiety in this Life, and of all Hopes or Fears of a future ftate: The prevailing Belief of the eternal Punishments of wicked Men after Death was enough to ruin all his Philofophy; and therefore this was by all means to be removed, which yet he was never able to effect. So that this was a thing fufficiently known to make all Men fenfible of what they must expect would be the Confequence of Sin. And what God has threatned so long before, and has given Men Time, and Opportunity, and Ability to avoid, they cannot fall under, but thro' their own Wilfulness and Misbehaviour, and can have no reafon to complain, when it comes upon them.

3. It was neceffary that the Sanction of the Divine Laws fhould be by eternal Rewards and Punishments. The Sanction of all Laws is by Rewards and Punishments, and the Defign of appointing Punishments is to affright Men from Sin, as the end of Rewards is to invite them to Obedience. The only true Measure a Ifai. xxxiii. 14. Ixvi. 24. Dan. xii. 2.

b Plat. in Phad. Lucret. 1. i. verf. 112. Diog. Laert. in Pythag. Celf. apud Orig. 1. viii. Lerii Hift. Navigat. in Brafil. c. 16. Abr. Roger de la Vie & les Moeurs des Bramines, c. xxi. Smith of Virgi nia, p. 10.

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Cic. Tufc. Qu. 1. iii. Athen. Deipnof. 1. xii. c. 12.

and

and juft Proportion therefore between the Crime and the Punishment, is the Suitableness of the Punishment to enforce Obedience to the Law, and cause it to be duly obferv'd. For if the Law be good and neceffary, and cannot be fo well and fo effectually obey'd without a very fevere Punishment to enforce it; the Severity of the Punishment is fo far from Cruelty, that it is a juft and wife Provifion to fecure Obedience to the Law, and procure all the Good defign'd by it. Thus we always judge in Humane Laws: A Man is condemn'd to lofe his Life for taking from another that which he perhaps could very well fpare; but we are all agreed in the Juftice of making fuch Examples, becaufe we find that Men can fcarce be fecure in their Lives and Estates, notwithstanding the Severity of fuch Laws. And if the Terrors of everlafting Torments will not frighten Men from Sin, what effect would a lefs Punishment denounced have had upon them? If Men can but once perfuade themselves that the Torments of Hell are not fo terrible, they freely give themselves up to all Licentioufnefs; and we know how fond Men of wicked Lives are of fuch Do&trines. God therefore perfectly understanding the Temper and Inclination, the Stubbornness and Perverfeness of Mens Hearts, fo prone to Vice, and fo backward to all that is good; forefaw that a lefs Punishment threatned would not prevail with Men to for fake their Sins, and get to Heaven.

And with what Face can that Man object that the Torments of Hell are too great and intolerable, who, as terrible as they are, lives ftill fecure and undifturb'd in his Sins? If they are fo great that he complains of them, as unjuft, Why doth he not leave his Sins? If he doth not for fake his Sins, they are not too great, fince they have not attain'd that End upon him, for which the Punishment is denounced, viz. his Repentance and Amendment of Life. But if he doth not believe their Eternity, and therefore continues in