But was not fear of punishment used as a guard to innocence while man remained upright?  “In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  Had the influence of fear, operating to duty, been wrong, God would not have urged it as a motive to obedience.  “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God:  For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”  If God useth this as an argument to excite to duty, it must be a proper argument.  That it is thus used in all his word, admits no dispute.  Every teacher whom God hath sent to teach the way of life, and persuade men to walk in it, hath used it.  The divine teacher is not to be excepted—­“Fear him who is able to destroy soul and body in hell, yea, I say unto you, fear him.”  And when he delineates the process at the great day, after declaring that the righteous and the wicked will be separated from each other, the whole is closed with that solemn declaration—­“These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.”

To be influenced by promises is no less mercenary than being driven by terror.  And this is also proposed as an incitement to obedience.  “God hath given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by them we should become partakers of a divine nature.”

Every inspired teacher hath called men to repentance in the same manner, and urged it by the same arguments.  Proof is needless.  To pretend that application is not made, by divine order, to the hopes and fears of mankind, is trifling—­Yea to pretend that they are not urged by the dread of eternal punishment, is to deny the most obvious truth.

And is there no cause for his fear?  Doth God frighten men with vain terrors?  Doth he threaten evils which can never come?

Or if this argument was necessary to be used with man before be fell, is it needless since he hath fallen?

But God our Savior will have all men to saved; and shall not that which he wills be effected?  Can any thing contrary to his pleasure take place?

Much doth take place in this world, which, is not pleasing to God; which he doth not will, or approve.  This may be predicated generally of sin.  “Sin is the abominable thing which he hates.—­He is angry with the wicked every day.”  Would he be angry, if all which is done was pleasing in his sight?

God is holy.  Sin is opposition to his nature, forbidden by his law, and declared to be his abhorrence.  To suppose that he should hate and forbid sin, yet approve of it and be pleased with it, is absurdity and folly.

God permits sin; but neither wills nor approves it.  “Christ pleased not himself.” * Much is permitted under his administration, which he doth not order, but forbids and abhors.  Yea, God orders some things, as moral governor (in consequence of other things done contrary to his directions) which are not pleasing to him, considered in themselves.  “He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the