V E RS ICI. Ep/tle to the HE B R E vti s. 241 Rom. 3. as, 26. Tódeclare bis righteoufnefl for the rention offins ; that he might hijust, andthe juJiifier of them that believe in3efus ; as God would pardon fin, and jultifie them( that believe, fo hewould bejuff allo ; and how could this be; bypunifhing ourfins in Chrift : that declared his Righteoufnefs: s,ruErs, here, is as muchas 1rduµa, docti- mentum ; a declaration by an efpecial inftance orExample ; or as ráb,fnj.¡aá, as he is Paid to have punifhedSodom andGomorrah, and to have left them, ti2'bd'eryua µeu,6olcr gisAiir, an Example unto them that fhould live ungodly; that is, an inftance of what his dealings would be with finners. SoGod is Paid here to have declaredhis Righteouf. neßbyan Example inthe fufferingsof Chrid ; which indeed was the greate(tinttance. of the feverity and inexorablenefs of Ju(lice againft fin, that Clod ever gave in this world. And thishe did, that hemight be juJf as well asgracious and merciful in the forgivenefs offin. Now if the Judieeof God did not require, that fin fhould be pu- nifhed in the Mediator, how did God give an inttance of his Juffice in his fufferings s for nothing can be declared, but in and by that which it requires ; For to fay, that God Ihewed his Righteoufnefs in doing that , which might have been omitted without the leafl impeachment of his RighteouJirefl, is inthis matter not fife. Thirdly, God is the SupreamRuler, Governour and judgeof all. To him as fuch it belongeth to do right. So faith Abraham, Gen. íS.25. Shallnot the judge of all the earth do right ? undoubtedly he willdo fo, it belongs unto him fo to do : For, faith the Apoftle, Is Godunrighteous who taleth vengeance, Godforbid; for then howjhall God judge the world, Rom. 3. 5, 6. Right Judgementincall things belongs unto the Vniver- faiReditude of the Nature of God, as he is theSupream Governour and Judgeofall the world. Now the Goodnefs andRightnes of all things, contafts in the Obferva- tionof that Place and Order which Godin their Creation allottedunto them, whereon he pronounced that they were exceedingGood. And that this Order bepreferved for the good of the whole, it belongs unto the Government of God to take care ; or if it be in any thing tranfgreffed not toleave all things inConfufion , but to reduce them into force new Orderand fubjettion unto himfelf. That this Order'was broken by fin we all know. What fhall now the Governour of all the world do? Shallhe leave all things in diforderand confufion? Cad off the works of his hands, and fuffer allthings to run at random? Would this become theRighteous Governour ofall the world ? What then is to be done to prevent this confufion? Nothing remains, but that he who brake thefirJfOrder byfin, fhouldbe fubdued into anew one by punifbmem. This brings him into fubjettion untoGod upon a new account. And to fay that God might have let his fin go unpunifbed, is tofay, that he might not be righteous in his Government, nor do that which is neceffary for the Good, Beauty and Order of the whole. But hereof fomewhat was fpoken in the openingof the words, fo that it needs not far- therbe inflled on. Laftly,There is no common prefumption engrafted in the hearts ofmen, concerning any free AdofGod, and which might have beenotherwife. Nofree Decree orAct'of God is, or can beknown unto any of the children of men, but by Revelation ; much lets have they all of them univerfally an inbred Perfwafian concerning any fuch As or attings. But of the naturalproperties of God, and his acting fuitable unto them s there.is afecret Light and Perfivafion engrafted in thehearts of all men bynature. At lead, thofe things of God, whereof there is a natural and indelible Cbaratier in the hearts ofall men, are natural,necgf(ary and epntialunto him. Now that God is juif, and that therefore he willpunifie fin, allfin, is an inbred Prefumptionof nature, that can never be rooted out of the minds of men. All finners have an inbredApprehenfion that God is d'ifpleafedwith fin; and that punifhment is due unto it. They cannot but know, that it is the judgement ofGod that they who commit.fin are worthy of death. And therefore though they have not the Law written to inftrutt them, yettheir thoughts accule them upon fn, Rom. t. 14, 15. that is, their Confciences; which is the judgement which a man makes of himfelf in reference unto the judgement of God. And therefore all Nations who retained any knowledge of a Deity conflantly invented force Wayes and Means whereby they thought they might expiate fin, and appeafe the God that they feared. All which manifetis that the Punifhment of tan, infepa- rably follows thenature of God, and fuch properties thereof, as men have a natural inbred notion andprefumption of. For if it depended meetly on the Will ofGod, and his Faithfulnefs in the accomplifhingof that Threatningandconkitution, whereofthey had no knowledge; they could not have had fuch an immoveable and unconque- rable Apprehenfionofit. But th&fe things I have handled at large elfewhete. D d dd 2 And
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