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SERMON IV.

Of future Punishments.

E 4

SERMON IV.

MAT. XXV. 46.

THESE SHALL GO AWAY INTO EVER

LASTING PUNISHMENT.

W

HAT a terrible profpect is here! the gracious author of nature in wrath, and dooming a number of his own creatures to everlasting misery! to confuming flames, where they shall reft neither day nor night! where they shall curse the hour of their birth, and want one ray of hope, which comes to all, to lighten the horrors of despair! Gracious GOD, certainly, thou didst

never

never form

any of thy creatures to make them miferable; thou intendest not to deal fo feverely with the works of thy hands!

THUS are we apt to harden ourselves against the terrors of the Almighty, and to defeat the purposes of his laws. But let us not deceive ourselves: GOD is not mocked: It is not probable that he meant to frighten us with any illufive terrors, nor is it prudent to risk our fafety upon our own fond and arbitrary prefumptions. By his will must we ftand or fall to that let us apply for inftruction.

IT has been obferved by fome men, with much complacency, that the original word in fcripture, denoting the continuance of future punishment, is fometimes applied to fubjects of temporary duration, In this fenfe, for instance, we read of everlasting hills; and the laws of Mofes are called everlasting ordinances.

BUT

BUT this obfervation has not the leaft weight. The word,* in its primary meaning, fignifies a real and proper eter nity; and it is an univerfal rule in all languages, that words must be taken in their original acceptation, unless there be fome concomitant circumstance, expreffed or implied, to give them a figurative sense. Would it not be absurd to say, that, because in the figurative vehemence of paffion, we talk of eternal love and eternal hatred to one another in familiar life, therefore the word is used in our language, upon no other occafion, in its native extended fignification? Every one fees that such phrases are but strong and glowing expreffions of firm and lafting affections: the commonest person fees the figure: the nature of the thing determines the fenfe. In the fame manner, though the fcripture does fometimes apply the word

auwvos eternal from au forever.

everlast

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