Sermons, on the following subjects

THAT this is so, we may be convinced by this consideration, viz. that when we hear or read, as sometimes we do, of very horrid things committed by some men, as for instance, some horrid instance of cruelty, it may be to some poor innocent child, or some holy martyr; when we read or hear how such and such persons delighted themselves in torturing them with lingering torments; what terrible distress the poor, innocent creatures were in, under their hands, for many days together; and their cruel persecutors, having no regard to their shrieks and cries, only sported themselves with their misery, and would not safe even to put an end to their lives:—I say, when we hear or read of such things, we have a sense of the evil of them, and they make a deep impression on our minds. Hence it seems just, and not only so, but every way fit and suitable that GOD should inflict a very terrible punishment on persons who have perpetuated such wickedness: It seems, no way disagreeable to any perfection of the judge of the world; we can think of it without being at all shocked. The reason is, that we have a sense of the evil of their conduct, and a sense of the proportion there is between the evil or demerit of their conduct and the punishment.

JUST so if we saw a proportion between the evil of sin and eternal punishment, if we saw something in wicked men that should appear as hateful to us, as eternal misery appears dreadful; something that should as much stir up indignation and detestation, as eternal misery does terror; all objections against this doctrine would vanish at once. Though now it seem incredible; though when we hear of it and are so often •old of it, we know not how to realize it; though •hen we hear of such a degree and duration of torments, ⟨p. 176⟩as are held forth in this doctrine, and think what eternity is, it is ready to seem impossible, that such torments should be inflicted on poor, feeble creatures, by a creator of infinite mercy: yet this arises principally from these two causes, (1.) That it is so contrary to the depraved inclinations of mankind, they are so averse to the truth of this doctrine, they hate to believe it, and cannot bear it should be true. (2.) That they see not the suitableness of eternal punishment to the evil of sin; they see not that eternal punishment is proportionable and no more than proportionable to the demerit of sin.