VSR,2,;;4+:o Epl¡tte to the H Íi BREWS. 173 without any:impeachment of hisGlory ; but his Ju(iiceand his Holinefs indifpeuflbly require, that it fhould be punifhed, even as it is indifpenfibly necelfary that God in all thingsfhould bejug and holy. The holy God Will do no iniquity : theJudge ofall the earth Will do right , and will by no means acquit the guilty ? This is dhstximµz âa Bsû, the judgement of God, that which his Juflice requireth, that they which commit fin are worthyof death, Rom: s. 32. And God cannot but do that, which it is juJl that he fhould do. See z Thef ì. 6: We have no moreReafon then to quarrel with the PuniJhment of fin, thanwe have to repine that God is Holy and Ina; that is, that he is God ; `for the one naturally and neceffarily followeth upon the other. Now thereis no Principle of amore uncontrolable and Soveraign Truth, written in the hearts of all men than this ; that what the Nature of God, or any of his Effential Proper- ties require to bes is holy, meet, equal?jufi and pod. Secondly, That,this Righteoufnefs or Juftice.ofGod,is in the Exercifc of it, infepa- rably accompaniedwith infinite Wifdom. There things are not diverfe in God, but arediifinguifhed with refpedt [into the various manners of his actings, and the variety ofthe Objectswhich he adteth towards; and to denote a different Habitude of the Divine Nature, not diverfethings inGod. They are therefore infeparable in all the worksofGod., ,Now, from this Infinite hFifdom of God which hisRighteoufnefs in the conftitution of the punifhment óffin is eternally accompanied withal; two things enfue. r. That He alone knoweth what is thetrue defect and demerit of fin ; andbut from hig eclatationof creaturesnot any. And how (hall we judge of what we know nothing but fromhim, but only by what he doth ? We fee amonglt men, that the guilt of crimes is aggravated according to the Dignity of the Perlons againtl whom theyare committed: Now no creatureknowing him pettedly, againli whomall fin is committed, none can truly and pettedly know what is the defect anddemerit of fin ; but by his Revelation who is pettedly knownunto himfelf. Andwhat a mad- . nefl is it to judge otherwife of that We do no otherwife underftand? 'Shall we make our (elves Judges of what fin againft God doth defervz? Let usfir[t.by fearching find out the Almsghty untoPerfection, and thenwe may know of our feines what it is to fin againti him. Betides we know not what is the Oppofition that is made by fin un- to theHolinefl, the Nature, and very Beingof God: Aswe cannot know himperfet[ly againft whomwe fin, fo we know not perfelìly what We do when we fin. It is the leali partof the malignity and, poyfon that is in fin, which we areable to difcern. We fee not the depth of that malicious refpedl which it bath unto God, and are we . capable to judge aright of what is its Demerit? But all thee: things are open andnaked before that Infinite Wifdom ofGod which aecompanieth his Righteoufnefs in all his Works. Heknows himfelfágainll whom'frn is ; he knows the Condition of the frnner; He knows what contrarietyand Oppofitionthere is in finunto himfelf: in a word, what,it is for a finite, liaçtited,dependent creature, to fubdudt it feltfrom under the Government, and oppofe ie fell unto the Authority and Being of the Holy Creator, Ruler and Goveruour of all things; all abfoiutely and perfectly, and fo alone knows whatfin deferves. z. From thisInfinite Wifdom is the proportioning of the feveral degrees in the pu- nifhment that lhall be inflidued on fin. For although his Righteoufnefs require, that the final punifhment of all fin, fhould be anEternal feparahon of the finner from theenjoyment of him, and that in afíate ofWrath and mifery ; yet by his Wifdom, he hathconflituted Degrees ofthat wrath,according unto the Variety of Provocations that are found among [inners. Andby nothing elfe could this. be done. What elfe is able to look through the Unconceivable variety of ,Aggravating Circumfances which is required hereunto ? For the molt parts we know not .what is fo ; and when we know any thing of its being, we know nothing almoft of the true nature ofits deme- rit. And this is another thing fromwhence we may learn, that Divine Punifhment of fin isalwayes a meet Recompence ofReward. Thirdly,. In thefinal punifhment offin, there isno mixture of mercy; nothing. to alleviate, or to take off from the uttermolt of its defert. This world is the time and place for mercy. Here God caufeth his Sun to fhiue, and bis rain tofall on the worff ofmen, filling their hearts with foodandgladnefs. Here heendures themwithmuch patience and forbearance, doing themGood in unfpeakable variety, and to many of them making a daily tender of that mercy, which might make them bleffed to Eternity. Butthe feafon of thefe things is pall in the Day of Recompence. Sinners S ff 2 [hail
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