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lions; always do we find him either flying from danger, or weeping with sorrow. Let no man then hereafter tell us of the example of David, as an encouragement to sin; the miserable consequences of sin were never more displayed than in the history of that man. He was a sinner for a comparatively short period, and he was a sorrowing, afflicted, and tortured penitent for the rest of his life. We learn from the case of David, that God can punish and that he can forgive at the same time. How that can be, and why it happens, may be con sidered in another place.

If we go to the New Testament, we are there taught how sin is punished in this world. When a poor man, who had suffered from an infirmity thirty and eight years, was cured by our Saviour at the Pool of Bethesda, he added some words of advice in consequence, which contain much in a little compass, and throw great light on our subject when examined→→→ Sin no more, lest a worse thing come to thee: from which it is an obvious inference, that the bad thing under which he had so long suf fered, had been sent upon him for his sin; for some sin which his conscience knew, and which he should have corrected by repentance. We learn further, that when God chastises sin

in Mis servants, and that chastisement has not its proper effect, something worse is to be feared, and may be expected. If this be the fituation of the servants of God, will any man tell me that sin goes unpunished in this life? Is not the rod of correction daily held over us.? Happily for us, it is; for its use is to awaken us, and open our eyes, that we sleep not in death; that sin may not increase and stupify us, till it becomes mortal.

We learn from St. Paul, that there were great abuses in the church of Corinth respecting the sacrament of the Lord's Supper: their meetings were not godly, but even riotous and disorderly one was hungry and another was drunken; so that they were a disgrace to the Church, and to the occasion for which they came thither. What was the consequence of this? For this cause, says the apostle, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep; that is, many suffer for the offence, by being visited with sickness, or even death itself, who ought to have examined themselves, and to have attended that holy institution with repentance and faith, as all Christians are taught even by their catechism; let them but listen to that; they will then have nothing to fear, and every thing to hope: for God

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God never yet cast out the poorest sinner, who came to him with a penitent heart, trusting in the merits of Christ's death. If any one would escape, he must judge himself, and then he will not be judged of the Lord: But the reason why I mention this, is, to shew, that God sends punishment upon sin in this life; and therefore that no man has any reason to think he is secure against it. No wise man ever thought that sinners are left to their own ways: they seem so indeed, because sentence is not executed speedily: but all that understand the case know that it is executed certainly. Hear what the son of Sirach pronounces against perjured persons and profane swearers.—" A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall never depart from his house if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him; and if he acknowledge not his sin, he maketh a double offence: and if he swear in vain he shall not be innocent, but his house shall be full of calamities." In like manner it is threatened to the adultress, that her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit. Does not David pronounce, that bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days? The wicked seem to prosper while the sen

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tence is suspended; but execution comes, when neither they expect it for themselves, nor the world for them. These are the ungodly, says the Psalmist, these prosper in the world, and these have riches in possession. The case is enough to stagger the godly; but let them wait awhile, and the scene is changed: let them go into the sanctuary of God for instruction, and then they will understand what comes to such men; how their prosperous situation is but a slippery place, from which they fall and are destroyed. O how suddenly do they consume, perish, and come to a fearful end! Psalm 1xxiii. 18. To the same purpose he saithin another place; wicked doers shall be rooted out-yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone; thou shalt look after his place and he shall be away; and again, I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, and flourishing like a green bay tree. I went by, and, lo, he was gone; I sought him, but his place could no where be found. Psal. xxxvii. 36.

It appears from what I have said, that no sinner can promise himself any security even in this present world: and if his heart is set in him to do evil, because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed, he will soon find himself miserably deceived. This point being settled,

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settled, I cannot help observing to you, how icy people are often heard to talk about sin and its punishment. They fuppose that God does not punish sin in this world, and therefore that it is uncharitable for us to judge that he does so in any particular instance: but on the contrary, God does often punish sin openly and visibly; and therefore it must be our duty to see that he does. For if God punishes some for a warning to others, what benefit can arise to those who do not see it? And in many cases, the judgment of God is so plain, that men must either see it, or shut their eyes against it. If they are not taught by it, they will have to answer for their indocility; and God, who never brings evil upon some, but out of mercy to others, will be justified in all his ways. It must be said, that the judgment which falls upon sinners in this world, is suspended for so long a time (God waiting for their amendment in many cases) that men persuade themselves it will never be executed at all: that there is either no invisible judge of human actions; or that if there is, he careth not about them for the present, but putteth off all judgment to another world: and perhaps when they have got thus far, their next step is to deny the punishments of the other world; and

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