nal Punishments ; not only an utter Exclufion from Heaven, (for impoffible it is that a Sinner fhould be admitted into God's Prefence, or if he could be admit ted, impoffible it is for a Sinner to take any Satisfaction in the Company of Saints and Angels, fince his vitiated Tafte cannot partake of their Happiness, nor relish thefe Rivers of Pleasure which they drink of) but it means a Confignment over to everlafting Burnings in Hell.

AND the Proof of this is fo very plain and obvious from Holy Scripture, that two or three Texts put together, from among the many Paffages, which lie fcattered in every Part of thofe facred Writings, may ferve to remind us of its Certainty There we are told, that the Unbelieving, and the Abominable, and Murtherers, and Whoremongers, and Idolaters, and Liars, and whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, fhall be caft into the Lake of Fire, where they shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone; and they fhall have no Reft Day nor Night ; and the Smoke of their Torments will afcend up for ever and ever. Thus then

having confidered the unfruitful and fhameful Nature, and the deftructive Confequence of Sin; The most natural Inference that can be drawn, is to exhort you to raise in your Minds fuch a deep and affecting Senfe of its Danger and Malignity, as may secure you from being drawn afide, and hardened through the Deceitfulness of it; for its Deceitfulnefs alone it is, that can draw us afide: Sin never makes Profelytes in its own natural Complexion; it is forced to hide its Foulness with every fpecious Shew of Profit or Pleasure, and captivates our Souls with every infinuating Art of subtil Guile.

BUT all thofe Gloffes can never take off from its Nature; and here we may appeal to Experience. A Sinner, before the Commiffion of any Sin, through the Warmth of eager Imagination feeds upon the lovely Profpect of Pleasure and Felicity; but after Commiffion, the Shame of betray'd Virtue, the Fear of offended Omnipotence, and the Affliction of difappointed Appetites, quite diftract and confound him; and then, Sin is as nau

feous,

feous, as it appear'd before delightful : Not that any Alteration is thereby made in the Nature of Sin, but our own mifguided Notions are rectified and convinced by Experience, how falfe its Appearances of Satisfaction are, but how real. its Vileness and Malignancy; for Sin is equally odious and deteftable in all Circumftances, and is the fame before and after Commiffion. The fame Wine that is red, which gives its Colour, and fparkles in the Cup, does likwife bite like a Serpent, and fting like an Adder. The fame Paths which lie fo thickly covered with every engaging Appearance of Delight, are covered likewife with Traps and Snares, leading us on to the Deftruction, and going down to the Chambers of Hell.

If what is ugly and mischievous then, can provoke our Hatred and Abhorrence, here let us turn the keeneft of our Refentments. Sin deferves the Whole of Deteftation; its Beauty and Pleasure ought to enhance our Averfion, fince all its Beauty is Falfhood, all its Pleasures fubftantial Mischiefs. Let Sin therefore

appear

appear in any Shape; let it address the darling Affections of our Souls, and feem to fall in with the natural Frame and Conftitution of our Being; let it come recommended by the prevailing Fashion of the Times, or the powerful Example of the Rich and Mighty; yet still the Bafenefs of it fhould make us afham'd; the Danger of it fhould make us afraid to commit it.

THE Objects of worldly Contempt and Hatred are Poverty and Weakness: But God, whofe Thoughts are not as our Thoughts, bath a Regard to the low and defpifed Eftate of the Godly, and beholdeth the Sinner afar off: And if our Sentiments did but take their Measures from Truth and Justice, Sin alone would fill our Souls with Indignation. Virtue, tho' cloath'd in Rags, and greatly depreffed in Fortune and Condition, is truly honourable; but Vice, though never fo highly exalted in Station, and enrich'd with Abundance of Wealth, and faring Sumptuously every Day, is but Scandal and Vanity at the beft; its Enjoyments are Shame and Emptiness, and its End is eternal Destruction.

SERMON