"'T^'ljfe t-T' ^ • ^ I DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY M Treasure %oom GOD A REWARDER. SERMON, DELIVERED TABERNACLE IN SALEM^ LORD'S DAY, JAN. 27, 1811. BY SAMUEL WORCESTER, A.M. SALEM .- TRINTED BY THOMAS C. GUSHING 18H. SERMON. HEBREWS, xi. 6. — For he that Cometh to God must bei.tuve tiia.t he is, AND that he is a hewarder oy THEM that diligently seek HIM. The God who made the heavens and the earth, is the fame yefterday, to day, and forever. The characfer, in which he is revealed to us under the gofpel, is the fame with that, in which he was revealed to the patriarchs of the firft ages; and in every period of the world, the true worlhippers of liim, have entertained effentially the fame views of his perfections, of his government, and of the way of acceptance with him. This is ftrongly implied, in the reprefcntations made by the apoftlc, in the connexion of our text. Salvation by faith, on the ground of the atone- ment by Chrifl, is the leading fubjecl of this epillle; and, in this eleventh cliapter, the apoflle diilinclly cites fome very ftriking examples of the power of faith in different and dil^ant ages. Among theie examples, that of Enoch, in the antediluvian world, is particularly confpicuous. " By faith l^noch was tranflated, that he might not fee death; and was not found, becaufe God had tranflated him: for be- fore his tranflation he had this teftimony, that he pleafcd God. But without faith it is impoflible to pleafe him: for he that comctb io God miiji believe that he is, a?id that he is a rewarder of them that diligently fcek him.** The argument here is, that, fmce Enoch had the tefllmony that he pleafed God, he muft have had faith j becaufe it is impoflible to pleafe God without faith: for every one who comes to God, as a true and acceptable worfhipper, muft at leaft be- lieve, not only that he exifts, but alfo that thofe who diligently feek him, will find him a rewarder. The phrafe, " he that cometh to God," evident- ly denotes one, who has true religion; and perfons of the fame character are doubtleis to be underftood alfo, by "them that diligently feek him." The plain doctrine of the text then is this: There can BE NO TP.a£ RELIGION, WITHOUT A BELIEF IN GoD AS A REWARDER OF THE TRULY PIOUS. In difcuf- iing this doctrine, I propole, I. To coniider fome leading particulars, implied in God's being a rewarder of the truly pious; and then, II. To ftiew wiiy there can be no true religion, without a belief in this part of the divine character, The proper and ftrict fenfe of reward is, recom- pence for good. Sometimes, indeed, a recompcnce for evil is called a reward; but this is a departure from ftrict precifton of language. Strictly and pro- perly, punliliment is the recompence for evil, and reward the recompence for good. Reward often carries in it an acknowledgment of fojnething due; and implies that the receiver of it has merited, or earned, and, on the fcore of juftice, may demand, the good recompence. This, however, is not al- ways the cafe. According to an acceptation of the term, neither unufual nor improper, the beftowment of any thing good, as a token of favour,is as really a reward, as the payment of a debt, or a compenfation for fervice, in the exercife of juftice. On the fcore of retributive juftice, men, even the beft of them, have no claim upon God for a recom- pence of rev/ard. They are unprofitable fervants ; they deferve from him nothing but evil; and, if they receive good at his handsg it muft be through the me* diation of Chrlft, and only in the way of mere fa- vour. Accordingly the fcriptures arc clear in mak- ing this diftinction; and moft decilively teach us, that the reward of the righteous is to be reckoned, not of debt, but of grace. Yet, while the fcriptures maintain this diflinclion, they amply declare, that *' verily there is a reward for the righteous,'* and that their "reward in heaven is great." — Though the righteous, then, have no claim upon God, on the fcore of merit; yet if, in his infinite goodnefs, he will confer good upon them, in token of his favour, he may with ftrict propriety, be called a rewardcr of them. — But what is i?nplied in God's being a re- WARDEP. of the truly pious? 1. It is implied, that he regards them with com* placency. ** There is not indeed a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and iinneth not ;" yet the fcrip- tures conftantly diftinguifli between the righteous and the wicked; and nothi.ig is plainer, than that, in the fcripture fenfe, the righteous are they, who, imperfect as they are, yet truly love and fear God, Reconciled to him, by fiiith in the Redeemer, they walk humbly with him; they diligently feck him, cordially embrace his truth, and obediently obferve his commands. All who arc of this character are, in the fcriptural fcnfe, righteous, or truly pious. — The fcriptures alfo allure us, that thofe who are of this character, the Lord regards with complacency. They aflure us that the Lord lovcth the righteous, that he is ever nigh unto them, that he holds them as his treafure; that his affection towards them in- finitely exceeds that of a mother towards her fuck- ing child, and that he will have them in everlafling remembrance. Plain as it is from the ample reprefentations of fcripture, that the truly pious are objects of divin© complacency; it is no lefs certain that it mull be fo, if God is a rewarder of them. On the fcorc of merit, on the principle of retributive juftice, they have no claim upon Godj and, therefore, if he con, fer a reward upon them, it mull be in token of his favour. But why (liould he confer a reward upon them, as an exprcflion of his favour, if he do not regard them with complacency ? For Chrifi' s fake in- deed, their fins are forgiven, and they are juftified and reftored to the divine favour: but we are now con- fidering, diftinclly, the reward which they are to re- ceive, after being thus pardoned, juftified and reftor- ed, Would it not, then, be palpably abfurd to fup- pofe, that God will confer a reward, as an expreftion of his favour, upon thofe in whom he has no delight ? That God's being a rewarder of the righteous does imply, that he regards them with complacen- cy, is farther evident, from the reward itfelf which he propofes to confer. What then is Uiis reward? It is nothing lefs, than immortal felicity and glory, in his celeftial prefence and kingdom. This, cer- tainly, is what is conftantly held out in the fcrip- tures as the reward of the truly pious. But what higher evidence than this, could pofTibly be given, that they are indeed objecls of his high complacen- cy ? Would he admit to his prefence, where there is fulnefs of joy, and to his right hand, where there are pleafures forevermore, thofe in whom he did not delight ? Befides, is it not from the manifefta- tioiis of his love to them, that the felicity and glory of the righteous, in his prefence and kingdom, is, in great part, to refult? Could they be happy there — could they enjoy the promifed reward — if he did pot delight in them? On the whole, it is too evident for contradidion or doubt, that, if God is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, he muft regard them with com^ placency. 2. God's being a rewarder of the truly pious imr- plies, that he is difpofed to let his complacency in them be known. The father of a family may have particular com- placency, in fuch of his children as are more dutiful than the reil; the preceptor of a fchool may have particular complacency, in fuch of his pupils as ac- quit themfelves well; the fovcrcign of a nation may have particular complacency, in the moft loyal and deferving of hi:: fubjecls: and yet, for certain reafons, neither of them may deem it proper, to make his particular complacency known. But lliould the father, the preceptor, and the fovercign, refpeftively comer rewards, in the levcral cafes, a difpoHtion to let their complacency be known would be decilivcly evinced. Nor lefs decifively is the lame difpofition implied, in God's being a rcwardcr of them that diligently fcek him. Though the word of God is replete with evidence, that he lOves the righteous; yet the individual ob- jecfs of his complacency are not, in the prefent ftate, diftinclly declared. "The righteous, and the wife, and their works," fays the royal Preacher, "are in the hand of God; and no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them." By the con- ditions of the prefent life, or by the difpenfations of providence towards men in this world, it is not made diftinclly to appear, that God is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, or that he regards them as objects of his fpecial love. It is not his in- tention, however, that his love to them fliould for- ever be concealed, or held under a veil. If he is a rewarder of the righteous, he certainly is difpofed to let his regard to them clearly appear; and when the promifed reward fhall be conferred, his fpecial and everlafting love to them, both collecliveiy and individually, will be made known. 3. God's being a rewarder of the truly pious im- plies, that he will eventually m.ake a vifibic and pub- lic diftinclion, between them and the wicked. Does God love the righteous ? And is he difpof- ed to let his love to them be known ? Then, beyond 8 queftion, there muft eventually be made, betweea them and the wicked, a public and vifible diftinc- tion : for without fuch a diftindtion, how can his love to them be made manifeft? — In this world, as already noticed, the righteous and the wicked are not vifibly and publicly diftinguifhed, by any deci- five marks of divine approbation, or difapprobation j and therefore it is, that, here^ there is no clear exhi- bition of the character of God, as a rewarder. And fhould a diftindion never be made, this part of the divine character could never be clearly difplayed. Reward, indeed, necelTarily implies diflinction. If the father of a family confers a reward, on his more dutiful children, he makes a diflinction between them and the reft of his children. If the preceptor of a fchool confers a reward, on fuch of his pupils as acquit themfelves well, he makes a diftinclion be- tween them and the reft of his pupils. If the fove- reign of a nation confers a reward, on the moft loyal and deferving of his fubjecls, he makes a diftinc- tion between them and the reft of his fubjefts. For fhould the father, the preceptor, or the fovereign, make no diftinclion, but confer upon the bad the fame favours which he confers upon the good, the very eftence of reward would be utterly loft. Nor is it lefs clear, that, in conferring a reward upon the righteous, God muft make a diftinftion between them and the Vv'icked: for, Ihould he confer upon the wicked the fame favours which he does upon the righteous, his love to the righteous could not appear, nor could he, in any proper fenfe, be conli- dered as a rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Moreover, immortal life and glory, in his prefencc and kingdom, is the reward which God has promif- ed to the righteous. Let it then be diftindly noted, that,fliould immortal life and glory be conferred on the wicked, as well as on the righteous, the very idea of reward would be utterly precluded. No- thing can be a reward, which is conferred, without diftincliion, upon all. If, then, the immortal felici- ties of heaven are to be conferred upon the righteous, as their gracious reward; it follows of neceflity, that, from thofe felicities, the wicked muft be ex- cluded; and therefore that, between the righteous and the wicked, a diftinclion muft be made, as viii- blc and public, as it will be momentous and durable. Accordingly the fcriptures throughout moft deci- fively declare, that fuch a diftinclion will be made. A few, out of the many pailages to this effecl, may here fuffice. "The ungodly Ihall not ftand in the judgment, nor fmners in the congregation of the righteous.'** ^'The Lord knowcth the days of the upright; and their inheritance fhall be forever. — But the wicked fhall pcrifli, and the enemies of the Lord fliall be as the fat of lambs : they fliall confume, into fmoke fhall they confume away."t "Say ye to the righteous, that it fliall be well with him, for they fliall eat the fruit of their doings. Wo unto the wicked! it fliall be ill withhim; for the reward of his hands fhall be given him. "J "For them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name, a book of remembrance was written before him. And they fhall be mine, faith the Lord of hofts, in that day when I make up my jewels ; and I will fpare them, as a man fpareth his own fon that ferveth him. Then ye fhall return and diiccrn between the righteous and the wicked ; between him that ferveth God and him that ferveth him not."§ '*The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice, and fhall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the refurreclion of life; and they that have done evil, unto the rcfurrec- tion of damnation." jl "When the fon of man fliall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then fliall he fit upon the throne of his glory: and before him fliall be gathered all nations; and he fliall feparate them one from another, as a fliepherd.divid- B ♦ Psalm i. 5. f Ps. Txxvii, 18—20. \ Isa. iii. 10, 11. §Mal.iu. 16-.ie. II J.;!ui v. 2S, i9. 10 eth his flieep from the goats. And he fhall fet the flieep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then fiiall the king fay unto them on his right hand. Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then fhall he fay alfo unto them on his left hand. Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, pre- pared for the devil and his angels. And thcfe fhall go away into everlafting punifliment ; but the right- eous into life eternal."* " But after thy hardnefs and impenitent heart, trcafurell up to thyfelf wrath againfl the day of wrath,and revelation of the right- eous judgment of God ; who will render to eve- cry man according to his deeds : to them who, by patient continuance in well doing, feek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteoufnefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh, upon every foul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew firfl, and alfo the Gentile.*T " Verily there is a reward for the right- eous :*'{ — but "is not deitruclion to the wicked, and a ftrange punifhmcnt to the workers of iniqui- ty !"§ Verily, in fhewing himfelf the rewarder of the righteous, God will make, between them and the wicked, a dillindlioft the mofl public and confpicu- ous. But II. We are to conflder, why there can be no true religion, without a belief in this part of the divine character. — "H^ that cometh unto God muji believe that — he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek himJ* But why is it fo? I. Without this belief, there can be no true ac- knowledgment of the divine perfections. God regards the righteous with complacency. This truth, as we have feen, is clearly implied in his being their rewarder; nor does it lefs clearly refult from his moral perfections. "The Lord lovcth the • Mat. XXV. 31-46, t Rom. ih 5—7. \ Ps. Iviii. 2. § Job xxsi. i. 11 righteous," — ^becaufe he himfelf is righteous. A holy being muft love thofe who are holy. " We know that we have paffed from death unto life, becaufe we love the brethren."* But why is this an evidence? Becaufe he who has a fpccial love for the holy brethren, mufl be formed to the love of holinefs; and muft, therefore, himfelf be holy. For the fame reafon, they who are born of God fupremely love Him. Being "renewed after his image, in righteoufnefs and true holinefs," they love Him, who is infinitely holy, with fupreme com- placency. — But if holy creatures love God, on account of his holinefs; He alfo loves them, on ac- count of their holinefs. Though the beft of faints, in this world, are imperfect; yet for all that is holy in them, God regards them with complacency. For Chrift's fake, he forgives their imperfections, and, in Chrift, he loves them, as thofe in whom his image is reftored. He loves them for all their evan-. gelical repentance, faith, love, and newnefs of life. Accordingly Jefus Chrift fays, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."t This is becaufe both the Father and the Son are holy. The feraphim before the throne "cry, one unto another. Holy, holy, holy is the I.ord of hofts;" — and holy he certainly muft be, if he loves and will reward the truly pious. Nor is it, on the other hand, lefs evidently certain that, without a belief in him as a rewarder of the righteous, there can .be no true acknowledgment of his moral perfedions. If it be not believed, that he does love the righteous, or that he has a fpecial complacency in them, how can he be regard-r ed as a holy God? Muft it not involve a moft paU pable contradiction to fuppofe, that a God of infi- nite holinefs has not a fpecial complacency in his ho- ly creatures? — or does not, as the fcripture empha- tically exprefles it, love the righteous, but hate the • 1 JdhQ iii. !♦. t J^'l"» si'^- 23. 12 workers of iniquity? Unqucftionably, to fuppofe that God has no more complacency in the righteous, than he has in the wicked, and is no more difpofed to reward the one, than the other, is, in effecl, to fuppofe that, he has no more delight in holinefs than in fin, and, therefore, that he cannot himfelf be holy. Between virtue and vice, holinefs and lin, there is a wide and efi'ential difference; an abfolute and eternal contrariety. This difference, this contrarie- ty, however, it mufl be fuppofed that God will ut- terly difregard; if it be not believed, that he is a rewarder of the truly pious. But what is this again, but to flrip him at once of his moral perfections? It is to make him indifferent to moral good and evil; it is to make him unholy and unjufl. It deferves, moreover, to be diflinftly confidered, that, in his word which he has given to m.ankind, God has moft clearly declared the difference between holinefs and fin, and between the righteous and the wicked, with correfpondent exprefhons of love and hatred, complacency and abhorrence; and has, in the moft unequivocalandfolemnmanner,pronounced promifes of glorious revv'ard to the one clafs, and threatenings of terrible punifhment to the other. If then we do not believe, that he is a rewarder of them that diHgently feek him; we muft fuppofe, that he will utterly difregard his word — the law which he has given, the declarations of his own feelings which he has made, and both the promifes and the threatenings which he has uttered: and, therefore, that he cannot be a God either of equity or of truth. In a word, if God is a being of infinite holinefs, juflice, goodnefs, and truth, he muft be a rewarder of them that diligently feek him; and, hence, with- out a belief in him as fuch a rewarder, there cer- tainly can be no true acknowledgment of his moral perfections. i 13 2. Without a belief that God is a rewarder of the truly pious, there can be no right affections, or feelino-s of heart towards him. o There can be no right feelings of heart towards God, without juft views of his moral characfter. If he is not truly regarded as a Being of infinite holi- nefs, juftice, goodnefs, and truth, there can be no foundation for thofe holy alTe6lions towards him, which the fcriptures reprefent as belonging to the pious foul. Do men regard God as a Being, who has no more delight in holinefs than in fin; no more love for the righteous than for the wicked? And do they, then, truly love him? Certainly not. But if they love the character which they afcribe to God; it is not, however, the true character of the Holy One of Ifrael which they love; nor can their love be holy. They form in their vain imagina- tions a faife, an unholy characfler; and their love is felfifh and unholy. But thus it muft neceffarily be with thofe, who do not believe in God as a rewarder of them that diligently feek him. They do not truly acknowledge God's moral perfections; they do not contemplate him as a holy God ; and there- fore cannot have any right feelings of heart towards him. They cannot regard him with the feelings of holy fear, of holy repentance, of holy confidence, of holy fubmifilon, of holy joy, or of holy devotion. They cannot, in a word, truly "come unto him.'* Hence, 3, Without a belief in God as a rcM^arder of them that diligently feek him, there can be no true com- pliance with any of his requirements. Where there are no right affedions towards God, certainly there can be no true obedience. "The Lord looketh on the heart." "Thou flialt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. This is the firft and great commandment. And the fecond is like unto it, Thou flialt love thy neighbour as thyfelf. On 14 tliefe two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'** With '• the y?;y^ and great command- ment," as already we have feen, there can be no true compliance, without a belief in God as a re- warder — without a belief in his moral perfections. But "the fecond is like unto" the firft. It requires the fame temper of heart, the fame holy affection. If, in obedience to the firft, we enthrone God as the fovereign of all our affedions; we fhall of courfe, in obedience to the fecond, love our neighbour as ourfelves : for we fhall love both our neighbour and ourfclves, with an affeftion facredly fubordinate to our love to God; and, therefore, only in fuch man- ner and meafure, as fhall be compatible with a fu» prcme regard to his glory. But, if we have not that love to God which is the fulfilling of the firfl commandjWe cannot have that love to our neighbour wliich is the fulfilling of the fecond. If holy love to God do not reign in our hearts, fubjecling and confecrating all other aft'eclions, we fhall have no love to our neighbour, which is not partial, felfifh and unholy. "On thefe two commandments, how- ever, hang all the law and the prophets," all the di- vine requirements; and, therefore, if holy love to God and our neighbour be abfent, there can be no true obedience. The gofpel indeed requires, that we fhould rc« pent; that with genuine contrition of heart, wq fliould turn from all fin unto God. But how can we do this, if we have no true love to God, ntDr any juft views of his moral perfections. The gof- pel alfo requires, that we fliould believe in the Lord Jefus Chriit, for the purpofes of pardon, of juftifi- cation with God, of deliverance from wrath to come, and of eternal life and glory. But how can we have true faith in Chrift, who is the exprefs image of the Father, if we neither truly love God, nor ac-r knowledge his infinite holinefs, juftice,goodnefs, and Uuth? "He that hath the Son hath the Father al. * Mat. xxU. 37—40. I 15 fo." Befides, how can we believe in Clirift, for pardon and juftification through the merits of his death, if we regard God as indiifercnt to hoUnefs and fin? If fuch be his charader, atonement, for- givenefs and juftification can be but mere names. Or how can we beUeve in Chrift, for deliverance from wrath to come, or for eternal life and glory, if we do not believe in God as a rewarder of the righteous? If he is not; there can be no wrath to come for thofe who do not believe, nor eternal life and glory, as a reward, for thofe who do. We might proceed to a view, in detail, of all the divine requirements; but we have advanced far enough to have it obvious, that, without a belief in God as a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, there can be no true obedience to a fingle precept, cither of his law or of his gofpel. The refult then is plain. If, without a belief in God, as a rewarder of the truly pious, there can be no true acknowledgment of his moral perfections — no right affections or feelings of heart towards him — ind no true compliance with any of his require- ments; then, furely, without this belief, there can be no true religion. So clearly true it is, that, "without faith, it is impofTible to pleafe God.** Improfement. I. The docflrine of future punifKment is a funda- mental article of true religion. There can be no true religion without a belief in God as a rewarder. Reward implies diftinclion. But is there any fuch diftinftion, as muft be implied in God's being a rewarder of the righteous, to be feen in the prefent world ? Let it not here be faid, that virtue is its own re- ward; and therefore, that the righteous are, even in this world, more happy than the wicked: for this ii» not at all to the point. If virtue is its own reward, that is one thing ; if God is a rewarder of the virtu- , 16 ous,that is another. If the righteous arc really more happy than the wicked, that, again, is one thing; and if there is fuch a diflinclion in the condition of thefe two clafTes of men, as to make it openly and clearly manifeft that God is a rewarder of the right- eous, that is another. This laft is precifely the point of our prefent inquiry. But is there any fuch dif- tinclion to be feen in this world? Does not "one event happen to all, to the good, to the clean and to the unclean?" Does not God "fend rain upon the unjuft, as well upon the juft?" And is not the general afpecl of his providence as favourable to the wicked as it is to the righteous? Nay, if there is any obfervable difference, is it not rather in favour of the wicked — fo much fo indeed, that many of the righteous, in different ages, befides Job and David and Jeremiah,* have on this account been greatly perplexed ; while the wicked have been ready to ex- ult over them with the impious taunt, " Where is your God.'"' Surely then, to pretend that the pre- fent is a ftate of retribution, or that the righteous receive their reward and the wicked their punifh- ment in this world, in any fuch manner and degree, as to make it manifefl:, that God is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him, is to go directly in the face of the experience and obfervation of all ages. Nor is it lefs repugnant to the reprefentations of in- fpired truth. Not only do the fcriptures teftify, that neither love nor hatred is to be known by the conditions of men in the prefent world ; but they alfo conftantly re- fer us to the day of judgment, and to a future •ftate, both for tjie reward of the righteous, and for the punilhment of the wicked. " Great," faid the Redeemer to his fuffering difciples, " Great is your reward." — Where ^ — Not on earth ; but " in heav- en." It is not in this world, but in that which is to come, that " God hath laid up, for them that love him, what eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, •Job xxi. 7. Ps. Ixxlii. 2 — 14. Jer. xii. 1, 3. 17 nor the heart of man conceived." It is not during their continuance in the prefent probationary fccne, but at the great and final day, that " the Lord, the righteous judge, will confer, on all them that love his appearing, the crown of glory w^hich fhall never fade away." Then, and not till then, will he ap- pear before the univerfe, as the rewarder of them that diligently feek him ; and he is, therefore, "not afliamed to be called their God, becaufe he has pre- pared for them a city." — Nor lefs explicit and full are the fcriptures, in referring us to futurity for the punifliment of the wicked. It is " unto the day of judgment," that "the Lordknoweth how to referve the unjuft to be puniflied." It is at that moment- ous day, that the fentence is to be pronounced up- on them, " Depart from me, ye curfed, into ever-t lading fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." On the whole, the future reward of the righteous and the future punifhment of the wicked reft, as ar- ticles of religious belief, on the fame general bafis. They equally refult from the moral perfections of God; they are declared, with equal clearnefs, in his word ; they reciprocally and necelTarily imply each other ; and to affirm, or to deny either of them, is virtually to affirm, or to deny them both. They muft ftand or fall together. Hence, as the doftrine of the future reward of the righteous is a funda- mental article of true religion; the correlative doc- trine of future punifliment is equally fundamental. 2. A denial of future punifliment is virtually a denial of the probationary ftate. What do we properly underftand by the ftate of probation ? — Is it not a ftate of trial, with reference to futurity ? Is it not a ftate in which, under vari- ous divine difpenfations, mankind are ading for future retributions ? Are forming as " vcffels of mercy prepared unto glory," or as "veffels of wrath fitted for deftruclion ?" Is not this the plain fcrip- tural reprefentation of the ftate of mankind, in the IS prefent world ? Do not the fcriptures conftantly inculaite, that " every one of us muft give an ac^ count of himfelf to God ;'* that " every work will be brought into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil;" and that every man will be adjudged and recompenfed '• according to the deeds done in the body ?" But all this, if there be no future punifliment for the wicked, is falfe and deceptive. If, in the future world, the righteous and the wicked are all to be placed in the fame Hate, v/hatcver that ftate may be ; then the prefent can be, in no proper fenfe, a ftate of probation : men are not in this world on trial with reference to futurity ; they are not to be recompenfed hereafter according to the deeds done in the body ; and their happinefs, or mifery, in another world, does not depend on their obeying, or not obeying the gofpel in this. What then ? Why then the prefent Hate is only a vail fcene of confufion, where mankind may live as they lift, and fare as they can, without any thing to dread, or any thing to hope for hereafter, on account of what they do, or 'neglect to do here ; neither the calamities which they fuffer, nor the bleffings which they enjoy, in this life, have any af- pccf to the future ; if they obey the gofpel and v/alk humbly with God, it is well, if not, it is equally well, as it regards their condition in the world to come ! The promifes and the threatcnings of the Bible are vain, and entitled to no regard ; the Judgment of the great day is but a ftupendous mockery ; and the future condition of men may be happy or miferable, as blind fate, or fond caprice may determine ! Yes ; if there be no future pun- iihment for the wicked, the notion of a probation- ary ftate is a dream. 3. A denial of future punifliment goes to a deni- al of the wifdom, the goodnefs, and the equity of divine providence. 19 Under the general notion of divine providence, we properly comprife all the various conditions and circumllances of: mankind ; their profperity and their adverlity, their privileges and their priva- tions, their joys and their forrows. That the difpenfations of providence are exceedingly differ- ent, towards the different individuals, as well as fa- milies and nations of mankind, is manifeft to all ; nor is it lefs manifeft, that the diverlilicd conditions and circumftances of men, are not according to their refpeclive characters. This has been feen and acknowledged in all ages, by Pagans, Jews, and Chriftians. But how is this to be reconciled with wifdom, goodnefs, or equity ? It is by viewing the prefent world in connexion with the future. Con- sidering the prefent as only a ftatc of trial, and the various difpenfations of providence here, as having all of them a reference to future retributions ; reflecling men have rcfted in the belief, that, when the recompenccs of the future world fliall be award- ed, with exact regard to the circumftances of the prefent, all the darknefs, which furrounds the di- vine throne, will be difpelled, and all the ways of God towards men will be clearly and glorioufly vindicated. The Pfalmift of Ifrael was greatly per- plexed, refpecting the profperity of the wicked, un- til he went into the ftmcluary of God, and there learned their end. But by a denial of future punliliment, and, con- fequently, of future reward, this method of vin- dicating divine providence is utterly fet aiidc ; and we are at once thrown back to contemplate the icenes of the prefent v/orld, without any regard to the future. But into v/hat " a horror of great darknefs'* are we thus throv/n ! — Viev.-in;:; the con- ditions and circumftances of men here, without any refpect to rewards or punifliments hereafter, what can we fee of wifdom, of goodncls, or of equity, in all this mighty maze ? What is there of wif- dom, of goodnefs, or of equity, in the unequal 20 diftrlbut'ions of profperity and adverfity, privilege* and privations, comforts and fufFerings ? What, in the depreflions of the good, and the elevations of the bad ? What, in giving the gofpel, and the va^ rious inftituted means of religious inftruclion, warning, and encouragement to fome, and vt^ith^ holding them from others, or even, indeed, in givr ing them to any? What, in fine, in any of the dif- penfations of God tomen? If there be nopunifliment for the wicked, nor reward for the righteous; if, in alloting the conditions of the future world, there, is to be no refped: to the characters or circumflan^ ces of the prefent ; then the prefent moral world can be regarded only as a vaft chaos, " without form and void," and the providence by which it is gov- erned, as utterly deftitute of wifdom, of goodnefs, and of equity! 4. A denial of future punifhment is virtually ^ denial of the gofpel. The grand declaration of the gofpel is, "He that belicveth ftiall be faved, and he that believeth not fhall be damned.** But, if there be no future punr ifliment for the wicked, this declaration is falfe: for whether men believe or not, they will not be damur ed. And if unbelievers will not be damned, for their unbelief; then believers will not be faved for their faith : for be their ftate what it may hereafter, it would be the fame, even if they did not believe. — This is not all. The gofpel prefents an atonement for fin, as the ground of pardon and falvation. But, if God is not a rewarder of the righteous and punilher of the wickedjthe dodrine of atonement is utterly prepof- terous: for upon this hypothelis, he can have no fuch abhorrence of fin, or complacency in holinefs, as to require an atonement for the one, or to confer a reward for the other. What, then, can be more prepofterous, than for the deniers of future punifli- ment to talk of an atonement for fin, or of being 21 pardoned and faved, by the merits of the Redeemer? We are not ignoranj:, indeed, of their quibbles and declamations upon this point; quibbles and declama- tions, by which they delude the unwary, but which are completely refuted even by themfelves. For, while they talk of an atonement, and of being faved by the merits of the Redeemer, they will alfo tell you that fmners are puniflied, as much as they de- ferve, in this world; at leaft, that God is not fuch a Being as to punilh his creatures in another world, for what they do in this; and in effecl:, that fm is too trifling a matter to be ferioufly noticed by the infinite Jehovah. This, to be fure, is perfectly con- fiftent with the denial of future punifhmcnt; but moft palpably inconhftcnt with every correct idea of atonement, or of falvation, by the merits of the Redeemer. If fm is fo fmall a thing, if God is not fuch a Be- ing as to punifh his creatures, in another world, for what they do in this; w^hat can be more abfurd than to fuppofe, that the Son of God fliould die for the redemption of finners, or to think of being faved by the merits of his death? — Saved! — from what? From future puuifliment? No: for future punifli- pient they do not deferve, and God would not in- flid! — From the fmall punifhment really due for their fins ? No : — for this they receive in the prefent world. — The wrath of God indeed, whether prefent, or to come, mufl: not even be mentioned; lefi: we provoke a profane fneer ! — Saved, then, from what? From their fins ? No: for, though they live in fin all their days, it is of little confequence with God; and as foon as they leave this world, a fight of his glory will purge them at once ! From what, then, are men to be faved by the merits of Chrift ? This quefl:ion we muft leave, for the deniers of future punifliment to anfwer. It is further to be obferved, however, that the whole gofpcl evidently proceeds on the ground, that 22 mankind, in this world, are on probation for retri- butions of reward and punifliment in the world to coine. But if there is to be no future punifliment, this ground has no reality ; and the whole gofpel which proceeds upon it is fallacious. So plain it is, that to deny future punifliment is virtually to deny the gofpel. It is to deny its fun- damental principles, its promifes and its threatenings, and, generally, its doctrines and declarations. 5. A denial of future punifliment goes to a deni- al of the moral perfections of God. If there is to be no future punifliment, but, in the world to come,mankindare allto be placed in the fame ftate; then God is neither the punifher of the wick- ed, nor the rewarder of the righteous ; the prefent is in no proper fenfe a fl:ate of probation ; this dark and confufed fcene of things is under a providence, if providence it may be called, in Vvdiich there is nei- ther wifdom, nor goodnefs, nor equity ; and the gofpel and all which God has reprefented in his word, refpecling the prefent ilate in conni:xion with the future, is effentially falfe. But if fb — if God is not a rewarder of the righteous, nor a puniflier of the wicked ; if he governs the world without wifdom, without goodnefs, and without equity; and if, in his word, his reprefentations are falfe and delu- five; then, furely, he cannot be a God of holinefs, juftice, goodnefs, or truth. Will it be faid, that God loves his creatures, and will make them all happy; and muft, therefore, be acknowieds^ed to be 2:ood ? God loves his creatures ! In what fenfe ? Is it in the fenfe of complacency r And is his complacency in them of fuch a nature, as to make no cflential diftinclion between the right- eous and the wicked, the holy and the unholy ? This is the very thing, which, fo far from proving him good, would prove him to be devoid of moral good- nefs. — Yet it is afiirmed, God loves his creatures. Why ? Bccaufe they are his creatures. So does 523 tKc vileft man on earth love his children, bccaufe they are bis children; fo alfo does the moft favage beaft of the foreft love her offsprings becaufe they are Z>^r offspring: and there is as much holinefs, as much moral goodnefs, in the natural afledion of wicked men for their children, or even of brutes for their offspring, as in the love, which, accord- ing to the deniers of future punilliment, God has for his creatures. It is utterly in vain to pre- tend, that God is good in a truly moral fenfe, be- caufe he loves his creatures; fo long as it is denied, either directly or indirectly, that he delights in ho- linefs and abhors iniquity; and is, therefore, a rewarder of the righteous and a puniflier of the wicked. But how is it known, that God loves his crea- tures, and will make them happy ? Is it from his providence ? Is it from his word? It has already been Ihewn that, if there be no future punifhment, his providence is unrighteous, and his word is ialfc ; and, therefore, neither from the one, nor from the other, can any favourable conclufions be drawn. If, under the providence of God, there is happinefs, it is no lefs certain that there is mifery ; and, in the word of God, it is not more clearly declared, that he loves mankind, than that, from his judgment feat, the wicked " Ihall go away into everlafting punifhment." Indeed, upon the principle now op- pofed, the notion that God loves his creatures, and will make them happy, is a mere afTumption ; a dogma without proof and without warrant. Nay, we may go further, and fay, that, if God is not a rev/arder of the righteous and a puniflier of the wicked, all hope of true and permanent happincfs under his government, either in time, or in eter- nity, muft be utterly groundlefs and dclufive. 6. That religion which is founded on a denial of a future punifhment, is a falfc reHgion. If, as we have feen, the doctrine of future punifli- ment, is a fundamental article of true religion ; the 24 denial of ihis doci:rine muft be a fundamental error i and, therefore, a religion founded on this denial muft be falfe. — I fay founded on this denial : for it deferves particular notice, that thofe who deny fu- ture punifhment make this denial not only a part of their theory, but the very foundation of their reli- gion ; and conformably to it they fhape their whole fyftem : their notions of God, of his law and of his gofpel, of holinefs and of lin, of the prefent world and of the future. And as the foundation is falfe, the fuperflruclure throughout is falfe. Their views of the character of God are falfci Inftead of a Being of infinite holinefs, juftice, good- nefs, and trjith ; they make him a being devoid of all thefe glorious perfections. Their views of the law of God are falfe. Inftead of a perfect law of reditude ; they make it a law unreafonable in its precepts, and unrighteous and cruel in its fanclions* Their views of the providence of God are falfe* They make it a providence without Vv'ifdom, with- out goodnefs, and without equity. Their views of holinefs and of fm are falfe : for according to them, between holinefs and iin, there is no very eflential or important difference ; furely no fuch difference, that there ftiould be a reward for the one, or a pun- ifhment for the other, beyond the prefent ftate. Their views of the gofpel are falfe. Inftead of a *' doclrine according to godlinefs," which holds out falvation with eternal glory, to all who truly re- pent and believe, and damnation with everlafting infamy, to the impenitent and unbelieving ; they make it an unholy and unjuft proclamation of ex- emption from punifhment, of liberty in fm, and of eternal felicity to the wicked as well as to the right- eous. Their views of the prefent ftate of mankind are falfe. Inftead of a ftate of probation, with re- ference to future rewards and punifhments ; they make it a fcene of darknefs and confufion, without any wife defign, or benevolent end. Their views ©f the world to come are falfe. Inftead of a world 25 of glorious, and of dreadful retribution^ refpeftivelf to the righteous and to the wicked ; they make it a ftate where all mankind,, the bad* as well as the good,* Ihall be happy, for what reafon, or by what means, we know not. Their boafted love to God and men is falfe ; their faith is falfe ; their hopes are falfe ; their joys are falfe. And when "judg- ment Ihall be laid to the line, and righteoufnefs to the plummet, the hail fhall fweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters fhall overflow the hiding place ; and their covenant with death fhall be difannulled, and their agreement with hell Ihall not (land.**! As the whole fyflem, in all its principles and in all its parts, is falfe ; fo it is maintained and pro^ moted, by means of falfehood. It is maintained and promoted by forced and falfe conftruclions of the fcriptures, and by deceptive and falfe reprefent- ations of God and of man, of heaven and of hell, and of every thing pertaining to the fcriptures ; in a word, " by the fleight of men and cunning crafti- nefs, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.'' 7. That religion which pretends to be fcriptural, and yet is founded on a denial of future punifli- ment, is worfe than deifm, worfe than paganifm. It is worfe, as it evinces greater hardinefs of de- pravity ; worfe, as it is more dangerous for thofe who embrace it ; and worfe, as it is more perni- cious in its influence on fociety. It is worfe, as it evinces greater hardinefs of de- pravity. — Do the deifl: and the pagan fet afide the evidences of revelation, and deny that the fcriptures are from God ? This, to be fure, is much: but is it not ft ill more for men, who acknowledge the fcrip' tures to be the word of God, yet boldly to fet aiide D • It can avail nothing to saj', that, on leavinp^ this world, all mankind will be good : for not only is this said withmiL proof, and in direct coiUra- diclion 10 the scriptures; but, even on the supposition of its truth, alt the horrid consequences, mentioned above, relatinij to the probationary Biate, to providence, to the gospel, and tlve character ol God, mwn wtiU cusue. t I=a, xxvili. 17, 18. 26 their whole defign, and deny their plaineft and moft iirjportant truths ? Do the deift and the pagan, with- out regard to the fcriptures, frame notions of God, and of religion, according to their vain imagina- tions ? This alfo is much : but is it not ftiil more for men, with the Bible in their hands, to frame notions of God, and of religion, according to their vain imaginations, and prefumptuoufly to palm tiieir fallacious notions upon the ignorant and unwary, as the truths of infpiration ? — The deift and the pagan, indeed, go afide from God, and do much to difhon- our his holy name ; but thofe who pretend to hold the fcriptures, and yet deny future punifhment, go directly in the face of God ; and while they ftrip him of his glory, and demolifli the whole fyftem of his truth, have the audacious hardinefs to call upon him to fanclion the impious work ! This falfe religion is alfo more dangerous than deifm or paganifm, for thofe who embrace it. It is more dangerous, becaufe it is more dcfperately af- fronting to God ; and is, therefore, of greater tur- pitude and criminality. But this is not all. It is, beyond all others, a ftrong delufion. It pretends to higher authority, than either deifm or paganifm ; and, in its nature, is more iiiited to feduce and be- guile the hearts of men, and to hold them faft in its direful enchantment. Under the pretended au- thority of Heaven, it promifes exemption from punifhment, and a future ftate of happinefs to all men, as matters of abfolute certainty. This is more than deifm or paganifm has ventured to do ; and, than this, nothing can be more feduclive or dan- gerous, to thofe who love to be deceived. Nor lefs evident is it, that this falfe religion Is more pernicious, than either deifm or paganifm, in its influence on fociety. The deift is not certain, vv'hether his God is a rcwarder of the virtuous and a puniflier of the vicious, or not. The pagan be- lieves that his god, or gods, will reward the good, and punifh the bad. Both in deifm and in pagan- ifm, therefore, there is fomething to iniprefs a I 27 dread of what may be hereafter, and to hold the evil propenfities and paflions of men in check. Not fo in this falfe religion, which pretends to have the fcriptures for its fupport. It imprefles upon its be- lievers no dread of what may be hereattcr ; and lays no reftraint on their evil propenfities and paiHons. On the contrary, as it " promifes them life, though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts" ; it throws off, fo far as it has influ- ence, all reflraint, and gives unbounded licence to every paffion and lufl. Let us not be told here, that this religion pro- motes love to God; and, by this love, reftrviins men from vice. Promotes love to God ! — To what God ?— To the Holy One of Ifrael ? No : but to an imaginary being, who neither delights in holi- nefs, nor abhors fm ; at leaO, not to fuch a degree, as either to reward the one, or punifli the other ; and is, therefore, juft " fuch an one," as the vilefl of the vile would have. And is the love of fuch a god, a love which will reftrain the vicious propen- fities and paiTions of men ? No : it is a love, in its nature the mofl depraved, and which, the more it abounds, the more it becomes a prolific fource of all that is finful and vicious. Doubtlefs it may flatter the pride, or the vanity, of men of corrupt minds, to be told, that they need not the threatenings of future punifhment to deter them from vice, or the promifes of future reward to incite them to virtue. It may accord with their feelings and views, alfo, to be told, that the religion which has refpect to rewards and punifhments, is mercenary and fervile ; and much to this effecl has been faid, not by the denicrs of future punifhment only, but alfo, and in a better manner, by Shaftf- bury and Paine, and other diftinguifhed infidels. But it behoves thofe, who fondly liften to thefe de- ceptions, who laugh at the wrath of God, and make a jeft of hell-fire, ferioufly to remember, that threatenings of punifhment andpromifes of reward — 28 of punifhment the moft tremendous, and reward the moft glorious, are conftantly held out in the fcriptures ; not as human devices, but as means which infinite wiidom has feen fit to employ, to deter men from vice, and incite them to virtue — to fave them from deftruclion, and raife them to glory. And the experience of ages can teftify, that, gener- ally, in proportion as men rid themfelves of the fear of future punifhment, and the hope of. future reward, they are prepared to run with greedinefs into every excefs of depravity. Indeed, there can be nothing of more pernicious influence on fociety, than a religion, if religion it may be called, which denies the future punilhment of the wicked. It gives falfe views of God, and of every thing relating to eternity ; it levels the dif- tinclion between virtue and vice, holinefs and fin 'y it unhinges the minds of men, in-regard to all di- vine truth, and all moral principle ; it fubverts the foundations of religion and morality, and removes the moft powerful reftraints from the corrupt pro- penfities and paflions of depraved men. And^ though in places, where this falfe religion is new, and where many circumftances confpire to counter- acV its tendency, its pernicious effects may not at once appear ; yet facts, ftubborn and notorious facts, moft amply and lamentably teftify, that where it has had for any confiderable time any confidera- ble prevalence, a moft deplorable dilTolution of mo- rals and of manners has enfued. Surely, then, its prevalence ought to be deprecated, not only by the friends of true religion, but by all who wifh well to fociety, as more dreadful than the contagion of the plague. My brethren, is it not moft deeply to be deplor- ed, that this corrupt and pernicious religion has an eftablifhment in this place ; and is regarded with fo little abhorrence, and fo little concern? Is it not to be lamented, with the livelieft fenfibilities, that fo many of the unftable and the ignorant, the un- wary and the young, are enfnared by its feduclive 29 allurements ? — Are we, then, to acknowledge the preachers of it as minifters of Chrift ; or a body, aflbciated for the fupport of it, as a church of Chrift ? This furely would not be chriftian chari- ty ; it would be moft criminal and fatal complaif. ance ; it would be the excefs of cruelty. It would be to encourage feducers in their work of feduclion, to confirm the deluded in their delufions, and to give to that delufion a wide and effeftual door for its pernicious fpread. — No : love to God forbids ; benevolence to men forbids ; all that is facred in the blood of the covenant forbids ; and before this right hand be given to fuch a communion, may this right arm perifh from its focket. — *