dangerous a Temper of Mind, as that of a parti cular forethought Malice. Let us learn fo to behave our felves, as it becomes 'those who believe a future Judgment; and let us be Merciful, as we expect to obtain Mercy at that Day; through the Merits and Mediation of Chrift Jefus. To whom, &c.

*

SER

SERMON

MATT. V. 21.

XI.

Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old. Time, Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, fhall be in danger of the Judgment. Ver. 22. But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, fhall be in danger of the Judgment: and whosoever fball fay to his Brother, Raca, fhall be in danger of the Council: but whofoever shall fay, Thou Fool, Shall be in danger of Hell-fire.

W

The Fourth Sermon on this Text.

ITHOUT troubling you with Repetition of what I have formerly fpoke from this Text, I fhall only acquaint you, that having already confidered, Firft, Inward Anger: Secondly, Slight Affronting Words: Thirdly, The higher Provocations of Contumely and Reproach: And Fourthly, the grofs Act of Killing: I proceed now to the Fifth Thing I propofed to confider from the Words; namely, The Degrees of Punishment in the other World; which together with the General Obfervation concerning our Saviour's Way of Interpreting the Commandments, is all that remains now to be spoke to from this Text.

V. The Fifth Thing then I propofed to Confider from the Words is, The Degrees of Punish

ment

ment in the other World, proportioned to the feveral Degrees of Sin. In Handling of which Point, I fhall obferve the following plain Method. 1. Ifhall enquire what Foundation there is for this Doctrine from the Text.

2. I will confider fome other Scripture Proofs for it.

3. I will confider what Ground there is in the Nature and Reafon of the Thing for this Doctrine.

4.

I will endeavour to draw fome Inferences from it, for our Edification.

I. First then, Let us enquire what Foundation there is for this Doctrine of feveral Degrees of Punishments in the other World, from our Text. Where, First, we may obferve, that our Saviour faults the fhort Interpretation of the Scribes and Pharifees, not only as to the Sin of the Sixth Commandment; but likewife as to the Punishment of that Sin. As to the Sin, the Fault he finds with them is, that they understood nothing to be prohibited by it, but the grofs Act of Murder. And as to the Punishment, That they understood no Punishment to he threatned, but that of the criminal Courts among themselves: Whofoever shall kill, fhall be liable to the Judgment. Now both these Mistakes of theirs, he corrects in his Interpretation. But I fay unto you, &c. For in this his Interpretation, as he affigns three Degrees of Sin, fo he affigns likewife as many Degrees of Punishment.

Now that thefe Punishments do not relate to this Life, but to the Life to come, will, I think, fufficiently appear from the following Confide

rations.

1. From

4

1. From the whole Scope and Purport of this Sermon on the Mount, it is evident, our Saviour is not instructing Magiftrates, but Private Chriftians; he is not prefcribing Laws of human Policy, but directing the Confcience; his Kingdom not being of this World. 2. That our Saviour never took upon him either to inflict, or to prescribe Human Penalties; but thought fit to leave the Governments of the World in the full Poffeffion of their Jurifdiction; and therefore it is no way probable that he is here prefcribing the Penalties of Human Courts of Judicature. 3. It is plain from the Sins here described, they are fuch Sins as fall not under the Cognifance of Human Laws; the first of them being Inward Angen, which, till it breaks out into fome-outward Words or Actions, cannot be the Subject of any Rule, but of him who alone is the Searcher of Hearts. The Punishments then here affigned muft all relate to the other World. And if fo, there being here several Degrees of Punishments affigned, it follows plainly that there are several Degrees of Punishments in the World to come.

But then may fome think, why are not we beforehand acquainted with the several Natures of those Punishments; only barely told that they are greater or leffer, according as the Sins are greater or leffer for which they are inflicted? Perhaps if we were made more fenfible of the Nature of them, we should be more afraid of them, especially of those Higher, more terrible Degrees, of which we now understand fo little. But for anfwer, what if the Things in their own Nature are fo far beyond our prefent Comprehenfion, that we are no more capable of them, than Children

are

are capable of Understanding the Affairs and Policy of Men? But God has thought fit fo to condefcend to our Understandings, as to illuftrate them by Comparisons with fuch things as fall within our Knowledge and Comprehenfion. As here, where the feveral Degrees of Punishment in the other World are illustrated by the Punishment of the Sword, and the Punishment of Stoning, and the Burning in the Valley of Hinnom; all which were well known to the Jews.

II. So much for the Foundation of this Doctrine from the Text; Let us next confider, as we propofed, fome other Scripture Proofs of the fame Doctrine.

(1) In general, in the Descriptions given us of the Proceedings of the great Day, we are frequently acquainted that God will reward every Man according to his Works. This the Scripture teaches us in a great Variety of Expreffions, fob xxxiv. 11. Elibu fays, The Work of a Man fhall be render unto him, and cause every Man to find according to his Ways. So Pfalm Ixii. ult. Thou rendereft to every Man according to his Work. So Solomon, Prov. xxiv. 12. Doth not he that pondereth the Heart confider it? and be that keepeth thy Soul, doth not he know it? and shall not be render to every Man according to his Works? Sa the Prophet Jeremiah xxxii. 19. Thine Eyes are upon all the Ways of the Sons of Men, to give every Man according to his Ways, and according to the Fruit of his Doings. The New Teftament goes on in the fame Strain, Matt. xvi. 27. The Son of Man fhall come in the Glory of his Father, with his Angels; and then he shall reward every Man according to his Works. So St Paul, VOL. II. L 2 Cor.