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

1st, How is it possible that you should be willing to accept of Christ as a Saviour from the desert of a punishment that you are not sensible you have deserved. If you are truly willing to accept of Christ as a Saviour, it must be as a sacrifice to make atonement for your guilt: Christ came into the world on this errand, to offer himself as an atonement, to answer for our desert of punishment. But how is it possible that you should be willing to accept of Christ as an atonement for that guilt that you be not sensible that you have? How can you be willing to have Christ for a Saviour from a desert of hell? If you have not really deserved everlasting burnings in hell, then the very offer of an atonement for such a desert is an imposition up-you on. If you have no such guilt upon ⟨p. 52⟩you, then the very offer of a satisfaction for that guilt is an injury, because it implies in it a charge of guilt that you are free from. Now therefore it is impossible that a man that is not convinced of his guilt can be willing to accept of an offer; because he cannot be willing to accept the charge that the offer implies: That he looks upon as injurious. A man that is not convinced that he has deserved so dreadful a punishment, cannot willingly submit to be charged with it: If he thinks he is willing, it is but a mere forced, feigned business; because in his heart he looks upon himself greatly injured; and therefore he cannot freely accept of Christ, under that notion of a Saviour from that guilt, and from the desert of such a punishment; for such an acceptance is an implicit owning that he does deserve such a punishment.

I do not say, but that men may be willing to be saved from an undeserved punishment; they may rather not suffer it than suffer it: But a man cannot be willing to accept one at God's hands, under the notion of a Saviour from punishment deserved from him, that he thinks he has not deserved▪ it is impossible that any one should freely allow a Saviour under that notion▪ Such an one cannot like the way of salvation by Christ; For if he thinks he has not deserved hell, then he will think that freedom