Psalm 28:4-5 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands… I. WHY IMPENITENT SINNERS DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED. Their wickedness lies in their endeavours, or intentions, to do evil. All their free, voluntary exercises are entirely selfish and criminal, for which they deserve to be punished. II. SOME SINNERS MORE DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED THAN OTHERS. One may design to take away a man's property, another may design to take away a man's life, and another may design to destroy a nation. These are all bad designs; but the second is worse than the first, and the third is worse than the second. Ill desert is always in proportion to the ill design of the agent; and the ill design of the agent is always in proportion to the magnitude of the evil he designs to do. III. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN GOD'S PUNISHING FINALLY IMPENITENT SINNERS ACCORDING TO THEIR DESERTS. 1. According to the duration of their deserts, i.e. for ever. 2. According to the degrees of their guilt. Christ expressly declares that it shall be more intolerable for some sinners than for others in the day of judgment. IV. WHY GOOD MEN DESIRE THAT GOD WOULD PUNISH THE FINALLY IMPENITENT ACCORDING TO THEIR DESERTS. 1. It is the nature of true benevolence to love justice. 2. It is the nature of true love to God to desire that He may be glorified for ever. 3. To promote the highest good of the universe.Conclusion: 1. If the ill desert of sinners essentially and necessarily consists in their free, voluntary design to do evil, then neither the foreknowledge, nor purpose, nor agency of God can ever afford them the least ground or reason to complain of Him for punishing them for ever. 2. If good men, for good reasons, desire God would punish the finally impenitent according to their deserts, then they are prepared to rejoice when they shall see Him display the glory of His justice in their future and eternal punishment. 3. If good men desire God to punish the finally impenitent for ever, for the reasons that have been mentioned, then sinners will never have any just ground to reproach or complain of them for feeling and expressing such a desire. 4. If good men desire God to punish the finally impenitent for ever, then they have no more reason to disbelieve and oppose the doctrine of reprobation than the doctrine of election. 5. If guilt or ill desert consists in the evil intentions of the heart, then there is a wide difference between awakenings and convictions. Sinners are commonly awakened before they are convinced. It is one thing to be sensible of danger, another thing to be sensible of guilt. 6. If guilt or ill desert consists in the selfish and sinful affections of the heart, then we may see why moral sinners commonly experience the deepest convictions before they are converted. They are not so easily awakened and alarmed as more open and profligate sinners. 7. Since all guilt or ill desert consists in the evil affections of the heart, it is easy to see why good men have been so much borne down with the burden of sin. Job, David, and Paul had a deep and habitual sense of their great criminality and guilt. The reason was, they had experienced keen convictions of conscience before they were converted; and this made their conscience always tender afterwards. (N. Emmons, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. |
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