Exod.  xxi.  19.  VD"V  2fD"n  et  medicando  medicabitur,  "  and  fhalt  caufe  him
to  be  thoroughly  healed.'*  Thus  the  force  of  the  words,  "  in  dying
<'  thou  fhalt  die,"  is  this,  thou  fhalt  thoroughly,  utterly,  totally  die,
or  die  for  ever,  without  coming  to  life  again.  Thou  haft  juftly  for-
feited


Ch.  IX.  Eve  were  under  in  the  Garden.  45

feited  thy  life  and  being,  and  fhalt  fuffer  a  total  and  eternal  ex-
tinction of  it.
This  fenfe  and  language  of  Law  mud  be  underftood  only  as  a  decla-
ration, that  the  penalty  is  juft  and  due  ;  which  is  all  that  can  be  done
by  Law  as  a  rule  of  juftice,  declaring,  in  general,  that  he  who  is  dif-
obedient  to  his  Maker  hathjuftiy  forfeited  his  being;  and  that,  in  con-
sequence of  his  difobedience,  his  Maker  may  juftly  deprive  him  of  it.
The  Law  can  only  declare  the  truth  of  this  denunciation,  as  it  hath  no
power  to  put  it  in  execution  :  the  execution  of  this  threatening  muft
neceffarily  and  entirely  reft  in  the  hands  and  power  of  the  Lawgiver  ;
who  therefore  may  mitigate,  refpite,  or  fufpend  it,  as  he,  judging  of
circumftances,  mall  in  his  wifdom  think  proper.  This  is  the  prero-
gative of  the  Sovereign  or  Lawgiver,  which  is  allowed  to  be  fit  and  rea-
fonable  all  the  world  over.  For,  if  this  were  not  allowed,  in  proper
cafes,  there  could  be  no  fuch  thing  as  pardon,  or  the  mitigation  of  the
fentence  of  Law,  either  with  God  or  man  ;  which  in  every  nation,
and  throughout  the  whole  univerfe,  would  be  a  ftate  of  things  the
moft  fevere  and  the  molt  dreadful.
