Serm.LXXXVI. of Rewards and Punifhrents. 647 this Reafon why the Judgment was fo univerfal, becaufe all Fle/h had corrupted his way upon the Earth ; and the Reafon, why he faved Noah and his Family was, becaufe in this general corruption of Mankind he alone was Righteous ; thee have I feen Righteous before me in this Generation. So likewife in that Miraculous Judgment of Korah and his Company, when God made a new thing, and the Earth opened her mouth to fwallow them up, none perifhed but he and his complices, the reft had warning given them by God to remove from the tents of theft wicked Men. Thus you fee that as to the particular Cafe in the Text, Abra- ham's reafoning concerning thege/lice of God is very firm, and concluding. I proceed to the SecondThing, which was that which I principally intended to Difcourfeupon, viz. toconfider the luflice of God in general, in the diflributionof Rewards and And here I cannot but grant, that the beft Evidence of this is yet wanting. We have clear demonflrations of the Power, and Wifdoni, and Good- nefs of God in this vaft and admirable frame of Things which we fee : but we ,anult flay till the Day of yudgment for a clear and full Manifeflation of the Di- vine yuflice ; for which Reafon the Day of Iudgment is in Scripture call'd, theDay of the Revelationof the Righteous judgment of God. But in the mean time we may receive fuffieient affurance of this, both fromNatural Reafon, and from Divine Revelation. r. FromNatural Reafon, which tells us, that God loves Righteoufnefs, and hatet Iniquity, and conlequently that it muff be agreeable to his Nature to counter nance and encourage the one, and to difcountenance the other ; that is, to give fome Publick Teftimony of his liking and Affection to the one, and of his Ha- tred and Diflike of the other ; which cannot otherwife be done, but by Rewards and Puni/hments. But however the Heathen reafoned about thismatter, whatever premifes they laid, they firmly believed the conclufion, that God isjuft. Plato lays down this as a certain and undoubted Principle, " That God is in no wife unjuft, but as " Righteous as is poffible, and that we cannot refemble God more, than in this quality and difpofition. So likewife Seneca tells us, "That the Gods are nei- " ther capable of receiving an Injury, nor of doing any thing that is unjuft: Antoninus the great Emperor and Philofopher, fpeaking doubtfully, whether good Men are extinguifhed by Death, or remain afterwards, " If it be juft, lays he, ".you may be lure it is fo : if it be not juft, you may certainly conclude the " contrary, for God is juft, and being fo, he will do nothing that is unjuft or " unreafonable. And indeed the Heathen Philofophers looked upon this as the great fanCtion of all Moral Precepts, that God was the Witnefs and the Avenger of the breachand violation of them, Qui fetus faxit, deus ipfe vindex erit, Ifany Man do contrary to them, God himfelf will punìfh it ; which (hews, that there is a Natural Awe upon the Minds of Men of the Divine yuflice, which will overtake Offenders either in this World or the other. But this will more clearly appear in the z. Place, from Scripture, or Divine Revelation. And thofeTexts which Ifhall produce to this purpofe, may be reduced to thefe two Heads ;either fuch as prove the rectitude of the Divine Nature and his luflice in general or fuch as fpeak more particularly of theyuflice and Equity of his Providence in the difiribution of Rewards andPunifbments. I begin, Firft, with thofe which declare the Rellitude of the Divine Nature, and the Mice of God in general, and that either by at- tributing this Perfection to him, or by removing the contrary, injuflice and un- righteoufnefs at the greateft diftance from him. r. Thofe which attribute this Perfection to God. I Thall mention but a few of many, Pfal. r z9. 4. The Lord is Righteous. Dan. 9. 7. 0Lord ! Righteoufnefi belongeth unto thee. This good Men have acknowledged, when they have lain under the Hand of God, Ezra 9. r S. 0 Lord God of Ifrael, thou art Righteous. And this the worft of Men have been forced to own, when they have been in extremity, Ex. 9. z7. then Pharaoh faid, the Lord is Righteous. This hath been likewife acknowledged by thofe who have lain under the greateft temptation to doubt
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