SERM. which it doth not abfolutely and uncon V. troulably poffefs; for whatsoever is limited or bounded, either as to its Extenfion or Duration, may be deprived of that Hap piness, and thofe Perfections, which it might enjoy; and therefore doth not comprehend all poffible Perfection. As for Inftance, God is the moft bleffed and happy Being; and, as the Pfalmift fays, Pfal. xli. He is blessed from everlasting to ever

13.

lafting: But, if it were poffible for this Bleffedness to ceafe, it would not then be perfect; because the Perfection of this Bleffednefs doth confift in this, that, as it is infinite in its Intenfion, fo it is eternal in its Duration. From whence we may reafonably conclude, that fince God is a Being who contains all Perfections in himfelf, and fince infinite Duration is one of them, therefore the Duration of God is infinite, or, which is the fame in other Words, that God's Being is truly and properly eternal. I might enforce this Truth from Arguments drawn from the Confideration of the other Attributes of God, fuch as his Power and Immutability; but, fince these I have infifted upon are fo plain and conclufive, I fhall chufe rather to fpend the Remainder of my Time, in fhewing,

IV. WHAT

V.

IV. WHAT we may learn from the SERM. Confideration of this Truth, that God is eternal.

;

1. HENCE we may learn, what great Reason we have to call to Mind our past Sins, and to blot them out, by a serious and hearty Repentance. For, though they are paft with us, they are present with God he records all our Thoughts, Words, and Actions, and will one Day call us to an Account for them. A thouJand Years are (in this Senfe) with him, but as one Day; he can bring to Light, and fet in Order, all the Thoughts, Words, and Actions of our Lives, far more cafily, than we can the Actions of one Day; for tho' God, in Scripture, is called the Ancient of Days, yet this Ti- Dan. vii. tle is given him, not to denote any Change 9. or Decay in God, but only to fhadow forth his never-ending Duration; he is the Jame Yesterday, to Day, and for ever; and as no Thought of the Heart can escape his Knowledge, fo neither will it flip out of his Memory. He will call us to an Account for every idle Word at the last Day. Matth. And therefore, God is faid to write a Book xii. 36. of Remembrance, denoting to us, that God takes an exact Notice of all our Thoughts,

Words,

Mal. iii.

16.

SERM. Words, and Actions; and that he doth it V. for this End and Purpose, to call us to Account hereafter for them; he speaks after the Manner of Men, who use to write those Things in a Book, they fhall have Occafion to call to Mind. How careful then ought we to be to call to Mind our former Sins and Tranfgreffions, to recollect the Vanities of our Childhood, the Frailties of our Youth; and to endeavour to blot them out of this Book, by a fincere and hearty Repentance, that so they may never rife up in Judgment against us ?

2. MUCH more ought we to be careful that we do not go on to offend God by our repeated Sins and Provocations; that we do not add to the Number of them, and fill up the Measure of our Tranfgreffions. The Confideration of God's incomprehenfible Nature, and Divine Perfections, fhould ftrike an Awe upon our Minds, and restrain us from offending him. For alas! how great Prefumption is it, for poor, weak, frail Creatures, whose Duration is fo fhort, and whose Lives are as nothing, in Comparison of God's, to lift up. themselves against an infinite and eternal Being; who, with one Breath of his Difpleasure, can reduce them into nothing;

or

V.

or into a Condition which is ten thou- SERM. fand Times worse than nothing? How vain and foolish a Thing is it, for Man to contend with his Maker; and for a dependent Being to incense that eternal God, from whofe Bounty he receives every Moment of his Duration, and thofe Bleffings which accompany it? Efpecially confidering,

3.

How great the Punishment will be of offending an eternal God. For though it doth not neceffarily follow, that, because God is eternal, therefore the Wicked fhall be punished to all Eternity: Yet we may make this lawful Conclufion, that, fince God is eternal, he can make the Sinner miferable for ever; and, fince he has declared that he will do fo, we can have no Affurance that he will be more favourable, er that the Punishments of the Damned will have an End. Had God been a Being of finite Duration, we might have been affured, that his Anger would have had fome Bounds and Limits, and that his Indignation could not have continued for ever; the Effect could endure no longer than its Cause; and the Punishment must cease, when the Inflicter of it was no longer in Being: It had then been some Mitigation of the Torments of those mi

ferable

SERM. ferable Wretches, who are condemned to V. keep Company with the Devil and his Angels, to confider; that though their Torments were extremely intenfe, though the Mifery they endured was beyond all Expreffion painful, yet there would come a Time when they fhould be freed from this Pain; and that, tho' they might be condemned to thefe Torments for many Thoufands and Millions of Years, yet, at laft, the Times of Refreshing would come, when their Miseries would cease, and they fhould enjoy Eafe and Reft; fuch a Confideration as this would, I fay, fomewhat mitigate their Torments: But when a miferable Wretch fhall confider, that the Punishments which he suffers are inflicted on him by an eternal God, who has denounced never-ending Torments against fuch as contemn his Authority; and violate his Laws; he muft needs be filled with the utmost Horror and Defpair imaginable, and his Condition must be miserable, beyond all that we can exprefs or conceive. Inftead, therefore, of flattering ourfelves with deceitful Hopes that God will relax the Punishments of the impenitent Sinner, or fhorten the Duration of them, let us reflect, that God, who is eternal, hath dehounced eternal Torments; fuch Tor

ments