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

Now, can you think when you have thus behaved yourself, that God is obliged to show you mercy? Are you not after all this ashamed to talk of its being hard with God to cast you off? Does it become one that has lived such a life to open his mouth to excuse himself, or object against God's justice in his condemnation, or to complain of it as hard in God not to give him converting and pardoning grace, and make him his child, and bestow on him eternal life! Or to talk of his duties and great pains in religion, and such like things, as if such performances were worthy to be accepted, and to draw God's heart to such a creature! If this has been your manner, does it not show how little you have considered yourself, and how little a sense you have had of your own sinfulness?

Now, can you think when you have thus behaved yourself, that God is obliged to shew you mercy? Are you not after all this ashamed to talk of its being hard with God to cast you off? Does it become one that has lived such a life to open his mouth to excuse himself, or object against God's justice in his condemnation, or to complain of it as hard in God not to give him converting and pardoning grace, and make him his child, and bestow on him eternal life! Or to talk of his duties and great pains in religion, and such like things, as if such performances were worthy to be accepted, and to draw God's heart to such a creature! If this has been your manner, does it not shew how little you have considered yourself, and how little a sense you have had of your own sinfulness?

Secondly, Be directed to consider, if God ⟨p. 31⟩should eternally reject and destroy you, what an agreeableness and exact mutual answerableness there would be between God's so dealing with you, and your spirit and behaviour. There would not only be an equality, but a similitude. God declares, that his dealings with men shall be suitable to their disposition and practice. Psalm xviii.25.26. "With the merciful man, thou wilt show thyself merciful; With an upright man, thou wilt show thyself upright: With the pure, thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward, thou wilt show thyself froward." How much soever you dread damnation, and are affrighted and concerned at the thoughts of it; yet if God should indeed eternally damn you, you would but be met with in your own way; you would be dealt with exactly according to your own dealing; God would but measure to you in the same measure in which you mete. Surely it is but fair that you should be made to buy in the same measure in which you sell.