Matt. xxv 41. as faying to the wicked at the day of judgment, Go, ye curfed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, &c. From all which, it plainly appears, that God punishes fome men for their fins in this world, and fome in the world to come; and perhaps fome finners he punishes in both.

And, as God is pleased to manifeft his diflike of fin, by punishing the tranfgreffors, as aforefaid fo he is pleas'd, upon proper occasions, to manifeft his mercy, in forgiving the offender; which forgiveness confifts in the remitting or taking away those punishments, which are either inflicted upon or threatened to the finner: and accordingly forgiveness is likewife two-fold, as it relates to the two kinds of punishment to be remitted or taken away, viz. temporary punishments in this world, and everlasting punishments in the world to come. Thus we read, that becaufe Abab humbled himself before the Lord, the Lord remitted to him the temporal punishment which he had threatened upon Ahab, and his house, and would not bring the evil in his days, 1 Kings xxi. 29. Likewise God was pleased to remit the temporary punishment threatened against the people of Nineveh, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, chap. iii. 10. Thus again we read, that St. Paul was a great offender, in that he perfecuted the church of God, and compelled chriftians to blafpheme, A&ts xxvi. 11. And yet he declares for himself, that there was laid up for him a crown of righteoufnefs (in another world) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, fhould give him at the day of: judgment, 2 Tim. iv. 8. and confequently that the everlasting punishment, in another world, which was threatened to, and due for his fins, fhould be remitted unto him. Our Lord likewife declares, that those, which did blafpheme the Holy

Ghost,

Ghost, should not be forgiven, neither in this world, seither in the world to come, Matt. xii. 42. From all which, it manifeftly appears, that forgiveness of fin is two-fold; firft, in remitting or taking away the temporary punishment inflicted upon, and threatened to men in this world, for their fins; and, fecondly, in remitting the everlasting punishment threatened to the finner in the world to come. The cafe of forgiveness being thus ftated; the queftion is, when our Lord faid, Son, thy fins be forgiven thee, whether he meant the removing of a temporary punishment in this world, or the remitting of everlasting punishment in the world to come. Now, tho' the words themselves do not determine this matter to either fide of the question; yet if we take in the whole ftory, we fhall find it clearly determin'd to the former. For,

First, This forgivenefs was vouchfafed to the man, not only upon the account of his own faith, but also upon the account of the faith of them that brought him. And Jefus feeing [their] faith, &c. that is, Jefus feeing that the perfons, which brought the fick man, were ftrongly perfuaded, that he was both able and willing to heal him (which strong perfuafion was evident by their opening the roof of the house, and letting the man down thro' the tiling) he faid to the fick man, Son, thy fins be forgiven thee. Now as on the one fide, when we confider the terms propofed in the gofpel for the remitting of everlafting punishment,. it is very unlikely, and unreasonable, to fuppofe, that the man was difcharged from that punishment, upon the account of other men's faith: fo on the other fide it is very likely and rational to fuppofe, that the man was deliver'd from temporaty punishment, that is, was cured of the palfy, upon the account of the faith of thofe that brought him; becaufe, as this was an anfwering the end

- of

of their faith and practice, fo it was a proper and fuitable means to corroborate and strengthen their faith in Chrift. But this will be farther evident, if we confider,

Secondly, Our Lord's queftion to the Jews,, upon their fuppofing him to be guilty of blafphemy. Saith he, Whether is it easier to fay to the fick of the pally, Thy fins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arife, and take up thy bed, and walk? Our Saviour, in the exercise of his ministry, cured all forts of bodily difeafes, and in fo doing, he had given an abundant proof of his power or ability to forgive or deliver men from the temporary punishments they lay under for their fins. Now, notwithstanding this, the Jews, who catched at every occafion of defaming him, were so unreasonable as to think him guilty of blafphemy, because he faid, Son, thy fins be forgiven thee. Upon which, our Lord replied to their reasoning; Whether is it easier to fay to the fick of the palsy, Thy fins be forgiven thee; or to fay, Arife, and take up thy bed, and walk? As much as if he had faid; which is eafier, to cure the man of his disease? or to give a fenfible demonftration of the truth of that cure? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to work fuch a cure, he faith to the fick of the pally (that is, to the man which had been fick, and was just then healed) Arife, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine houfe. The man's rifing and carrying his bed was a fenfible proof of his being cured of his disease, or of his being forgiven or deliver'd from the temporary punishment he lay under for his fin; and confequently of Chrift's being poffeffed with a power to exercife that forgivenefs. But this act of his, in rifing and carrying his bed, was not fuch a fenfible proof of the forgivenefs of his fins, with refpect to everlasting punishment in another world; and confequently, that kind of forgive.

forgiveness was not intended by our Saviour. Upon the whole, I think it very manifeft, that when our Lord faid to the man fick of the palfy, Son, thy fins be forgiven thee; he meant by it, that he was discharged from the temporary punishment (viz. the palfy) which he lay under for his fins; and confequently, that the man was actually cured upon the pronouncing of thefe words, tho' he did not rife from his bed 'till our Lord required him fo to do, to give a fenfible proof, to the ftanders by, of the truth of that cure, and of his ability and power to effect it.

This point is farther illuftrated by St. James, chap. v. 14. Is any fick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. Verfe 15. And the prayer of faith fhall fave the fick; that is, it fhall be effectual for his recovery from that temporary affliction which he lies under. And the Lord fhall raise him up, viz. from that bed of fickness upon which he is laid down. And if he have committed fins, that is, if he have committed fuch fins for which this affliction is laid upon him as a punishment, they fhall be forgiven him. That this is the meaning of St. James, is evident from the fuppofition [ if he have committed fins.] St. James tells us, chap. iii. 2. That in many things we offend all; therefore all have committed fins as well the fick, as the whole, in his account. Confequently, there was no room for him to put this fuppofition [ if he have committed fins] with refpect to fins in general, because all men have done fo. And therefore the fenfe of it is plainly this; if he have committed fuch fins for which this afAliction is laid upon him, as a punishment in this world, they fhall be forgiven him; that is, his affliction, or the temporary punishment which he lies under for them, fhall be removed. To remit

everlasting punishment to one man, merely upon the account of the prayer and faith of another man, is to disregard thofe terms upon which that forgiveness is propofed in the gofpel; which are the faith, penitence, and obedience of the perfon forgiven. And therefore, by forgiving his fins, it is reasonable to fuppofe, that St. James intends the delivering him from the temporary punishment, or affliction he lay under for them. And that this is his meaning, is farther evident by what follows, verfe 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be bealed; that is, that ye may be deliver'd from thofe afflictions which are laid upon you for those faults. The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much; that is, it availeth much towards the healing of thofe that are afflicted, as aforefaid. Verfe 17. Elias was a man fubject to like pallions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the Space of three years and fix months. Verfe 18. And be prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Here we fee what it was that Elias's prayer was affectual for, not the infflicting or removing of everlasting punishment in the world to come, but for the inflicting and removing of temporary punishment here in this world: He prayed earneẞly that it might not rain, and it rained not by the space of three years and fix months; this was a temporary punishment, laid upon the house of Ifrael, for their fins: And be prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit? This was forgivenefs of fin in this world, or a removing the temporary punishment which the Ifraelites, in this world, Tuffer'd for their fins.

TRACT