Considerations of the existence of God and of the immortality of the soul, with…

These are the two principal ideas ⟨p. 245⟩we should form of God, with respect to his moral Government, and are mainly influential on his Subject. For the correspondent affections in us to those Attributes, are a reverent love of his Goodness, and a tender apprehension of his displeasure, the powerful motives to induce us to the practice of Holiness, and avert us from sin.

Now that the Divine Law is not hard in its Sanction, forbidding Sin upon the pain of Eternal Death, will appear by a due representation of the essential evil of Sin. This is discovered by considering,

1. The Glorious Object against whom it is committed. 'Tis a Rule universally acknowledged, that from the quality of the person offended, the Measure and ⟨p. 246⟩Weight is taken of the offence. Now as the Nature and Perfections of God, so his Dignity and Majesty is Infinite, and from hence the transcendent guilt of Sin arises. The formalis ratio of Sin is disobedience to the Divine Law, and the least breach of it, even a vain thought, an idle word, an unprofitable action, is in its proper nature a rebellious contempt of the Authority of the Wise and Holy Law-giver. Now that a poor Worm should dare to rebel against the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and if it were possible dethrone him, what understanding can conceive the vastness of its guilt? No finite sufferings in what degrees so ever are equal reparation for the offence. After the revolution of millions of years in a state of misery the sinner ⟨p. 247⟩cannot plead for a release; because he has not made full payment for his fault, the rights of Justice are not satisfied.