in all Czrcumfiantes illuAated. 275 to men in the ordinary courfe of the world, S E R M. which makes the point we are now confi- XI. dering appear doubtful ; and great multi- tudes of mankind fern not to believe it ; at lealt, it has not that influence on their dif- pofìtions and their lives, which a principle of fuch importance ferioufly believed and attended to might be expeEted to have. The true anfwer to this difficulty, is, that though God be a ruler perfectly righteous, who molt certainly will diltribute rewards and punifliments to his reafonable creatures, ac- cording to their works, yet in this he as freely and with perfect wifdom ; not ne- ceffarily at all times, and in every difpenfa- tion towards them, making the difference among them which is to be made fin:.11y and in the whole, but choofing the manner and the time for his righteous diltribution, which to his infinite underftanding appears the molt proper : And that we now appear plainly to be in a Bate of difcipline, where- in one part of our appointed trial arifes from the imperfection of our know- ledge, concerning the event of virtue and vice in our practice. It pleafes God now to leave the obligations of virtue more imperfeft, and the motives to it lets over- T z baring
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