away from thy prefence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Ver. II.

As we have good authority to affirm, that many promifes in the old teftament were not only of a temporal nature, but had refpect unto fpiritual benefits and bleffings; fo by a juft way of reafoning, we infer, that many of the threatenings were alfo of a fpiritual nature. As the Almighty could not but intend, that the people fhould conceive of his threatenings against their disobedience, to have respect unto the whole man, and thereby fignify his higheft difpleasure against fin; fo it is not to be doubted, but that the prophets whom the Lord fent to bear his meffages to them, fpoke in language plain and easy to be understood; giving them to know by repeated affurances, that the Lord would render to the difobedient indignation, and wrath, tribulation, and anguish, both upon jew and gentile.

I proceed to fhew 3dly, that death eternal was alfo included in the threatening, thou shalt die, and was the defert of difobedience. I conceive, that which has been commonly called eternal death, and that which I here mean by that phrafe; to be no other, than fpiritual death perpetuated through an endless duration; together with what has been called the pana fenfus, or the punishment of sense, confifting in what the fcripture calls the unquenchable fire, &c. That this penalty of eternal death, was included in the fanction of the prohibition, appears from the truth of the last propofition; that being proved, this cannot be disproved, for these reasons: 1. The foul cut off from the enjoyment of God, must needs be miserable, and having no fpiritual union, or communion, with

him, muft needs be left in a state helpless and forlorn; not only wanting power to perform any thing, by which, it might be reftored to his favor; but also wanting a will to perform; having no taste, no relish, for the works of holinefs, nor love, nor defire, towards God, the author of it's happiness. Now the reafon of the foul's feparation from God, (being fin) muft continue to be a reafon for it's feparation for ever; feeing it is\ not poffible the foul can cease to fin, without God.

2d. Not only open acts of difobedience offend against the perfect love; but want of that love and cordial affection, which the creature owes to its creator, as the greatest good, is also a violation of it. But fuch love and affection are intirely inconfiftent with that enmity which fin has introduced into the finner's nature; therefore he neceffarily goes on to fin, even while he fuffers for it; and new acceffions of guilt continually expofe him to fufferings fuitable thereto, ad infinitum.

3d. As the feparation of the foul from God, is a confequence neceffarily refulting from the divine ( purity; and by which, it fuffers (at least) what fome have called the (pana damni ) or the punishment of lofs; nothing but a change in the nature of fin, or the nature of holinefs, (both which are impoffible) can prevent this kind of punishment from being eternal.

4th. Nor does the juftice of God less than his holinefs, require the finner's punishment to be eternal, in that part thereof, which is called the? punishment of fenfe; as appears from various paffages in the new teftament. If thy hand offend thee, cut it off, it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into bell, into the fire that never fhall be quenched. Therefore

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fore must burn eternally. Where their worm dieth not, the guilty, accufing, condemning, and tormenting confcience, and the fire is not quenched, but muft burn with an inextinguifhable flame, and prey upon the offender with inconceivable rage, for ever and ever. Mark ix. 43. &c. compared with Matt. v. 29. 18. 8. Rev. xiv. 11. It appears from thefe, with various other fcriptures that might be adduced, that fin, and difobedience, will be punished with eternal mifery; and as the judge of all the earth will certainly do right, we must conclude fuch fuffering to be the due defert of fin.

That a punishment, confifting in a most distres fing and foul-piercing reflection, of a loss, so irretrievable, and immenfely great; fhould torment and rack the foul, is not at all to be wondered at ; fince reflection, is effential to it's nature, and must be commenfurate with it's exiftence. Nor should it be esteemed more ftrange, that a punishment, confifting in torments the most exquifite, and pungent, fhould be inflicted on the body, fuited to it's nature; feeing man is a compound creature, and as fuch, he finned againft God; therefore as fuch, it feems equitable that he should fuffer. And as fin, though committed by a finite creature, injures an infinite law, affronts infinite majefty, and flights infinite goodness; it is undoubtedly juft, it should be punished with infinite punish

ment.

I now come in the 3d place to observe, that agreeable to those words, in the day, thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furely die, the penalty was inflicted the fame day, that Adam finned against his God, and fell thereby from his form and favour.

This will appear, by carefully noting the several tranfactions of that awful day, as delivered to us by the holy fpirit's amanuenfis, the man Moses. As difobedience, pride, ingratitude, or whatever other hellish flame enkindled by the ferpent, the devil, conftituted, and aggravated the killing crime, first had a place in the foul; fo the punishment, which was infeparably connected with the guilt, was first inflicted on the foul. Hence we are informed, ver. vii. that having eaten, their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked; bodily eyes they had before to fee with, and unhappy for them they had made a bad use of them, in gazing luftfully on the tree, which it was dangerous to look unto at all, as the event made manifeft. But now the eyes of their confciences were opened, their hearts fmote them for what they had done; and they faw, fhocking fight! what had been well for them never to have feen; they faw, they knew that they were naked. They Saw their folly, but it was too late; the daring impious deed is done, it cannot be recalled. They faw the state of peace and tranquility, they had fallen from; and oh, heart-cutting fight! they saw no way, no means how to reftore themfelves. Doubtlefs, they now faw the fubtle ferpent, the hellish victor triumphing in their ruin; and worst of all they faw their God, their friend and benefactor, now offended with them, and his glorious image departed from them. They knew that they were naked, that they were stripped of all their paradifical glory, their joys, their comforts, and innocent delights were now no more; but guilty fhame, fear, and distraction seized upon them both; and all thofe ftreams of spiritual B 3

Pance

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confolation, from whence they had formerly drank large and refreshing draughts, were now dried up; and he that was wont to comfort their fouls, was now far from them. As a man rejoices to fee his friend, they had (no doubt) 'till this rejoiced to meet their God, under the shady bower; and with hearts glowing with gratitude and love, received the bleffings which his bounteous hand bestowed; but now, fee the dire effects of fin! they heard the voice of the Lord God, the voice which, used to charm the listening ear, more then the fofteft powers of mufic; but now, more dreadful than a clap of loudeft thunder; it wounds the guilty heart. These wicked flee, when none pursue, and vainly try to hide their naked bodies with a covering of fig-leaves; and their guilty heads amongst the trees of the garden.

Thus fhame, and fear, the conftant concomitants of guilt, faften on the confcience in the very act of fin, and distress the foul; Adam now knew good and evil, life and death. The good he had enjoyed in the divine favour was loft for ever, and evil like an overflowing deluge broke in upon him ; God had breathed into him the breath of lives; but now fad experience tells him, the life of his foul was gone; for the life-giving spirit of his kind creator had now departed from him. With God is the fountain of life; but now fin had fealed faft the fountain, and all the vital ftreams that flowed from it were cut off; and man that a little before, had been fo diftinguishably dignified, and highly honored, continued not in that ftate, but became like the beasts that perish; the divine life was extinguifhed in him, the divine image depart

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