50 Of god's ggo.vernment, ( as Dr. Tiede and manyother fay, Without a Saviour had Godfo pleated ; And as others fay, Through the virtue of Chr's sacrifice even to them that know himnot.) For the comminationof that Law ( which threatened not the deathof a surety, but of the sinner,) was actually difpenfed with in our Juftification. And what God can do, they ought not to fay, that they are certain that henever willdo it, unlefs he had firft Paid fo him- felf. 92. If in all Humane Judgments Nature di&ateth that in doubtful cafes, the Judge fhould rather propend to the better interpretation, and favourable Judgment; why fhould it not be fo inour judgment of God and man? The Nature of God is infinitely good ; He bath pro- claimed his Name, as aforefaid, even in the terrours of Mount Sinai, to be a God gracious, merciful, longfufering, pardoning, &c. Be bath protefted or fworn, that he bathno pleafure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he repent and live : and fo that he firft feeketh the Glory of his Mercy ; and exercifeth juttice in mans deftru&ion , but as his fleeted work : He that faved no man (but Chrift himfelf glorified) upon the terms of Innocency, but all byGrace, and never elfe took one Soul to Heaven, who had notfirft deferved Hell, doth furely firft feek the Glory of his Grace. And we know that r. All yudea was a fmall Country, like England; An inconfiderable point or fpot of the Earth, as to its magnitude. 2. That molt, of the worlds duration in likelihood was over (as Bifhop Ufher reckons, 4oco years) before Chrifl's death, and the fecond Edition of the Covenant. So that if nonebut Jews were faved all that while, the number was comparatively next to none. 3. Thatnoman that Iknowof hath prefumed to fay, that before Mofe's time, none but the Seed of Abrahamwere faved. 4. That theCove- nant made byMofes at Mount Sinai, and the inclofure ofthe yews, was nocafting offthe reftof theworld intoa workcondition thantheywere before. 5. That noneyet have prefumed to fay, theyare certain that all the Seed of Kieturah , of Ifbmael, of Efau were damned : much lets that Semand all his Subje&s, japheth and all his Subje&s (and Pofterity till then) or that yoband his Friends, and Melchivedec and all his Sub- jels, werecertainly damned. 6. That the yews themfelves were for the molt part fo wicked, that feeing few even of that littleCountry were laved, if, you are Pure that noothers were faved, they were but a few in the world indeed. 7. That the Apoflles (as is Paid) were in a Rate ofSalvation. , when under Chrift's own teaching, they believed not many great Artjcles, noweffentiai tothe Chriftian Faith. So that all let together, will tell us, that theconclufion of the certain damnation of all without the yewifhand the ChrJlian Church, feemeth not very deferable either asto the Gloryof the goodandgracious God, nor as to the good of Mankind; And therefore we fhould not propend that way in a cafe of doubtful arguing. And I defire the Reader impartially to confider, though Abraham knew not till God told him howbadsodomwas, yet when he aflsethof God to (pare it if there werebut fifty Righteous in it, whetherhe donot imply that he thought moti other Cities of that big - nefs hadat leaft fifty righteous, if not more ? For whenGod told him, that he would deftroy it forthe cryof their fins, he muff needs judge it worfe than ordinary ? And was Abrahammore ignorant than we ? the Fatherof the Faithful ? a Prophet that lawChrift's day and rejoyced? 93. It is acertain truth, that as God the Creator, to Ghrill the Redeemer dothextend his mercy farther than hehimfelf is known : And as theSun fendeth Tome light to the world before it rifeth and is Peen it felt, fo doth Chrift
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