VIt tieIO. Epiflleto the HAi REWS. yield unto him that obedience which he was directed unto, and guided in, by the LawofbisCreation ; fo that Godcould not fuller him to do otherwife, and remain in his firftJtate, and come unto theend firft defigned unto him, without the lofs dins Au- thority, andwrong of his Jultice. Again, they fay, that God did freely by an Aßof his SovereignWill and Pleafure decree to permit man to fin and fall s whichmight have been otherwife. But on fuppofition that fo he lhould do, and would do, and thereby infringe the Order ofhis dependance on God, ha reference unto.his atmoJt end, that the Jullice of God, asthe Supreme Governour of all things, did indifpenfibly require, that he (hould receive a meet recompence ofreward, or be punilhed anfwerably untohis crimes; fo that God couldnot have dealt otherwife withhim, without anhigh de- rogationfrom his own Righteoufnefs. Again, theyfay, that God by a meet freeAct ofhis Loveand Grace defigned the Lord Jefus Chrift to be the way and means for the Cavingof tanners ; which might have been otherwife. He might without the leali impeachment of the gloryofany ofhis Elfential Properties have fuffered allmankind tei have perifhed under that penalty which they had jufily incurred ; but of his own meer Love, freeGrace and good pleafure he gave and Cent him to redeem them. But on the fuppofition thereof they fay, the Miceof God required, that he fhould lay on him the punilhment due unto thefont whom he redeemed; it became him on the ac- count of his Natural Effential Jullice to bring him unto fufferings. And in this Opi- nion is contained the truth laid downin our Propoltion, which we (hall now farther confirm; namely that it became the Nature of God, or the Effential Properties of his Nature required indifpenfibly, thatfinfhoutdbepunifhed with death, inthe hnner or in his furety : And therefore ifhe would bring any foes to glory, the Captain oftbeir fil- vation mutt undergo death and fufferings,'tomake fatisfa&ion for them. For, Fidi, Confider that defcriptien which the Scripture giveth us of the Nature ofGod in reference unto fin ; and this it doth either metaphorically, orproperly ; in the tint way it compares God unto fire, unto a confumingfire, and his adings toward fin as the ailing office on that which is combullible, whofe nature it is toconfume them, Deut. 4.4. Thy God is a confuming fire t which words the Apoftle repeats, Heb. 12.23. Devouring fireand everlaJlingburnings, Ifa. 33. 14. Hence when he came to give the Law, which expreffeth hiswrath and indignation againfi fin, his prefence was ma- nifefted by great and terrible firesand burning!, until the people criedout, Let me not fiethis greatfire any more, left I die, Deut. 18.16. TheyCaw death and deflruétion in that fire, becaufe it expreffed the indignation ofGod againft fn ; and therefore the Law it felfis altocalled afiery Law, Deut. 33. 2. becaufe it contains the fenfe and judg- ment of God again(} fin ; as in theexecutionof the fentence of ir, the breath of the Lord is faidto kindle thefire ofit like a ftream ofbrimJtone, Ifa. 30. 33. fo chap. 6d. 15, 16. And by this metaphor doth the Scripture lively reprefent the Nature of God in refe- rence unto fin. For asit is thenatureoffire to confumeand devoure allthings that are punt into it, withoutfearing any or makingdifference ; fo is the Nature of God in re- ference unto In : where ever it is, he punifheth and revengeth it according to its demerit. The metaphor indeed expreffeth not the manner of the operationof the one and the other, but the Certainty and Event ofthe working of both from the Principles ofthe Natureof the oneand the other. The fire foburneth by a neceffity ofnature, as that it a6ts to the utmoft of its quality and facultyby a pure natural necefiity. God punifheth fin, as fuitably unto theprinciple of his Nature, that otherwife he cannot do, yet fo, as thatfor the manner, time, meafureand leaf n, they depend on the confi- tution of his Wifdom and Righteoufnefs, affigning a meet andequal recompence of re- wardunto every tranfgreffion. Attd this the Scripture teacheth us by this metaphor, or otherwife we areled by it froma right conception of that which it doth propofe : for God cannotat all be untofin andfinnersas a devouringfire, Weir it be in the principles ofhis Nature indifpenfibly to take vengeance on them. Again, The Scripture expreffeth this Nature of God with reference unto fin, properlyas to what wecan conceive thereof in this'world, and that is by his Holinef4; Which it fett forth to befach, asthat on the account thereof he can hear with no fin, nor fuffer any firmer toapproach unto him ; that is, let no fingounpuniJbed; nor ad- mit ofany finner intohis prefence whole fin is not expiated and fatisfied for. And what isneceffary upon the account of the Hounds ofGod, isabfrlutely and indifpen- fibly fo, hisHolittefs being his Nature. Thouart, faith Habakkuk, ofpurer eyes than to beholdevil, and canff not lookon iniquity, chap. 1.13. Thou canft not by any means have any thing to dowith fin thatis, it may be, becaufe he wit not ; nay, faith he, it is D d d d upon 213
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