The justice of God in the damnation of sinners. Illustrated in a sermon

There are many that contribute to their own children's damnation, by neglecting their education, and setting them bad examples, and bringing them up in sinful ways: They take some care of their bodies, but take but little care of their poor souls; they provide for them bread to eat, but deny them the bread of life, that their famishing souls stand in need of. And are there no such parents here that have thus treated their children? If their children be not gone to hell, it is no thanks to them; it is not because they have not done what has tended to their destruction. Seeing therefore you have had no more regard to other's salvation, and have promoted their damnation▪ how justly might God leave you to perish yourself?

IV. If God should eternally cast you off, it would but be agreeable to your own behaviour towards yourself: And that in two respects:

1. In being so careless of your own salvation. You have refused to take care for your salvation, as God has counselled and commanded you from time to time; and why may not God neglect it, now you seek it of him? Is God obliged to be more careful of your happiness, than you are either of your own happiness or his glory? Is God bound to take that care for you, out of love to you, that you will not take for yourself, either from love to yourself, or ⟨p. 70⟩regard to his authority? How long, and how greatly, have you neglected the welfare of your precious soul, refusing to take pains and deny yourself, or put yourself a little out of your way for your salvation, while God has been calling upon you! Neither your duty to God, nor love to your own soul, were enough to induce you to do little things for your own eternal welfare; and yet do you now expect that God should do great things, putting forth almighty power, and exercising infinite mercy for it? You was urged to take care for your salvation, and not to put it off: You was told that that was the best time before you grew older and that it might be, if you would put it off, God would not hear you afterwards; but yet you would not hearken; you would run the venture of it. Now how justly might God order it so, that it should be too late, leaving you to seek in vain? You was told, that you would repent of it if you delayed; but you would not hear: How justly therefore may God give you cause to repent of it, by refusing to show you mercy now? If God sees you going on in ways contrary to his commands and his glory, and requires you to forsake them, and tells you that they are ways that tend to the destruction of your own soul, and therefore counsels you to avoid them, and you refuse; how just would it be if God should be provoked by it, henceforward