SERMON I. off with Victory. Now for the removing this Objection Confider F_irfl,_ we are not competent Judges of God's actions; we f~e but one'half of &e• kids V1f1on ; the Wheels, but pot the eye m the Wheels; nothing but the Wheels on wluclrthe world feems d1forderly to run, not the eye of PrOVidence which governs the-m.m thc1r rnofl:.verugmous c~ang;es: The aChons of God do not want dearnefs, but clcann~ : What \1 e cannot acquit, IS not to be charged on God as unjull; the flick wh1ch 1s llra~ ght, bem~ m the water feems crooked, b.y the refi·action of the beams through a do~ble medtum; we fee through flefl1 and fpmt, and cannot dillinctly judge the ways of God ; but when we are not able to comprehend the particular reafons of h1s difpenfations, yet we mull conclude his judgments to be right, as will appear bv ~~ . Secondly, The fufferings of the righteous do not blemifl1 God's jullice. r. God alwaies llrikes an offender, every man l>eing guilty in refpect of his Law. Now though love cannot hate, yet it may be angry; and upon this account, where the judgments of God are a great dup, unfathomab!e bl:' any finite underflanding, yet his righteoUfnefs j/andeth Me the htgb Mountams, (as it IS m Pfol, 36.) V1fible to every eye. if the moll righteous perfon fhalllook inward, and weigh his own carriage and delert: he mull: necelfanly glonfie the jull1ce and hohnefs of God m all his proceedings. z. The atllictions of good men are fo far from flaining God's jullice, that they manifefl his mercy ; for the leall: fin being a greater evil than the greatell: atlliction; God ufes temporal crolfes to prevent or deflroy fm; he imbitters their lives to wean their affedion5 from the World, and to create in them ll:rong defires after heaven; as long as the waters of tribulation are on the earth, fo long they dwell in the Ark ; but when the Land is dry, even the Dove it felf will be wandring, and defile it felf: Wheri they are afflicted in their outward man, it is that the inward man may be revived; as birds are brought to perfection by the ruins of the lhel!: that is not a real evil which God ufes as an inll:rument to fave us. Who Will eileem that Phyfician unjufi, who prevents the death of 3~i'l;i:~e~~:~t~~~~ 0~e 0t~~~~at~~dnu~on earth, we may conclude there is a reward in the next World ; if they are thus flJarply treated in the way, their Country is above, where God is their portion and happinefs. Thirdly, The temporary profperity of the wicked reflects no dilhonour upon God's juflice or holinefs; for God meafures all things by the Standard of Eternity; a thou• fand years to him are as one day. Now we do not charge a Judge with unrighteouf. nefs, if he defer the execution of a Malefactor for a day; the longefl life of a iinner bears not that proportion to eternity; b~!ides, their reprieve increafes and fecures their ruin; they are as Grapes which hang in the Sun till they are ripe, and fit for the Wine· Prefs. God fpares them now, but will punifh them for ever; he condemns them to profperity in this world, and judges them not worth his anger, intending to pour forth the vials of his wrath on them in the next. Fourthly, The more fober Heathens have concluded from hence there is a judgement to come; becaufe otherwife the bell: would be moll: miferable, and the ungodly profperous; from hence they have inferred, that becaufe all things are difpenc'd in a promifcuous manner to the jull: and unjull: in this world, therefore there mull: be an afterreckoning. Fifthly, There ore many vifible examples of the goodnefs and jull:ice of God in this World; either in rewarding affiictedinnocency, or punifhingprofj>erous iniquities. He that !hall read the ll:ory of Jofopb, and confider that wonderlul chain ofcaufes managed by the Divine Providence ; how God made ufe of the treachery of his brethren, not as a fale, but a conveyance; how bythePrifonhe came to the Principality, mull conclude there is a watchful eye which orders all things : And how many inll:ances are there of God's fevere, and impartialjuflice? there is no State or Hiflory but prefentfomeexamples; wherein an exact proportion in the time, meafure and kind be~w;cn ~he fin and punifhment is moll confpicuous ; the unnatural fin of Sodom was purufh d With a fupernatural fho;e of fire and brimllone: Pbaraob had made the River guilty of the blood of the Hebrew Infants; his iirfl plague is the turning of the River into blood; Adonrbezer ~~~~Jo~~::1~ f~rhf,i%tf/i~hl~le~~dt~e~:K~s }J:t~ h~~g;,jJ~f~f.~·:~J0hi~1~~,~~; gufhed out ; and rhus the punifhment ~s a hand, points at the fin, and convmces the World of a Deity. Ufe r . This is juil matter of terrour to Arheifls, which are of
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