And if it was reafonable and equitable that the unmerciful fervant fhould be punished according to his defert, which furely every one will grant; then it must be alike reafonable and equitable that God fhould call us all to an account for our present behaviour, and deal with every one, either in a way of favour, or difpleafure, according as the merit or demerit of our actions deferve. This was intended to be fhewn by the parable; and thus Chrift applied it, and thereby has made his appeal to the common sense and reafon of mankind. Our Lord, in the prefent cafe, does not confider the doctrine of a future retribution as folely founded on a divine determination, but rather argues for it from the reason of things; fo likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes. Here Chrift déclares that there will be a future retribution, and obferves feveral things concerning it. Namely,

First, Who is that being to whom we are accountable, and to whofe judgment we must stand or fall, viz. the heavenly Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift; or that being, agent, or perfon, whom in common language we characterize by the term God. God is the original author and fountain of our beings, the upholder of our lives; and

the common guardian of our happiness, and therefore it is to him that we are in reafon accountable. Indeed our Lord Chrift, is declared to be the person who will judge the world, but then it is to be remembered that he is fo only as the minister of God, as one whom God hath appointed to execute his will therein. Chrift will be the immediate minifter, but it is God who will be the principal in that judgment. So likewife fhall [my heavenly father] do alfa unto you, &c. Chrift, in the courfe of his miniftry, took all imaginable care to prevent, if poffible, that great defection from the truth which has taken place in the chriftian world, by afcribing fupreme dominion to no other being, no other agent, or perfon, but that one being, agent, or perfon, who is his God and Father. Again,

It is farther obferved, with refpect to a future judgment, who will be the subjects judged. This is.expreffed by the term you, fo likewife fhall my heavenly Father [do alfo unto you] &c. The perfons to whom the term you was directly and immediately applied, were the people to whom Chrift was preaching at that time. But then by it we are to understand all mankind, because there is the fame ground or reafon for God to call us all to account for our prefent behaviour, as there is for his acting

thus

thus by thofe perfons to whom Chrift then preached. We, viz. mankind, are free beings, who have it in our power, (though fome more, fome lefs) and it is left to our choice, either to contribute towards, or to oppose and fruftrate the general end of being to intelligent beings, which is a general happiness; and as fuch, we are the proper objects of, and are in reafon accountable for our actions to God, who is the common guardian of his creatures good. Again,

It is obferved, what will be the rule of judging, viz. according as we behave one to another. So likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one [his brother] their trefpaffes. But this is what Christ hath more fully declared where he profeffedly undertook to treat of the laft judgment, as in Matthew xxv. 31. to the end of the chapter. What I would farther observe, is, that as forgiveness is here confidered as one branch of our duty which we are to exercife towards one another, and that the fame measure we mete to others, in this respect, fhall be measured to us again; fo it is not here intended that we fhould forgive all offenders, but only fuch as have rendered themselves worthy of, and are become the proper objects of that forgive-. nefs.

T 2

nefs. This is not only evident from the reafon of the thing, which Christ had always a ftrict regard to, when he recommended or laid down rules of action for us to walk by, but alfo from what he has elfewhere declared concerning it. Thus, Luke xvii. 3. Take heed to your felves, if thy brother trefpafs against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. Befides, it is our repentance and reformation which is the ground of God's forgiving us, and therefore we may be fure it is upon the fame grounds that he requires and expects we should forgive one another. I would likewife farther observe, that the forgivenefs which God requires at our hands, when exercifed towards our offending brother, muft proceed from the heart, that is, it must not be the produce of any vicious view, but must arife from a right temper of mind, from a forgiving and benevolent difpofition; for otherways, it will not render us worthy of the divine forgiveness; fo likewife fhall my heavenly Father do alfo unto you, if ye [from your hearts] forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes.

Upon the whole, I think, it appears that rewards and punishments are not merely medicinal, but are alfo founded in reafon and equity; and that that is the cafe with refpect to a future judgment and retribu

tion, in which God will reward or punish us, as well for, as according to our works, and our prefent behaviour will be the reaJon, as well as the rule of that judgment. Indeed, when the wicked fhall have fuffered fuch punishment, in confequence of a future judgment, as God fhall judge to be a proper and fuitable correction for their faults, (in which we may be fure he will not exceed) and when fuch punishment fhall have had its proper effect, by changing the finner, and thereby rendering him. the proper object of mercy; then we may be fure God will have mercy on him, and deliver him from his burthen. I fay, we may be affured that this will be the cafe, because God is unchangeable, and therefore will be as much difpofed to fhew mercy to the proper objects of it at any time to come, as he is for the time prefent.

I am fenfible it has been thought by fome, that the end propofed to be anfwered by the future punishment of the wicked, is to give warning to the inhabitants of fome other, and future worlds, and that that punishment will be made perpetual, to answer fuch a purpose. But this, I think, is a fuppofition which does not appear to be well grounded. For either men's prefent misbehaviour will render them worthy and deferving that pu

nishment,