Serm,LXXXVI. of Rewards and Puniflonaents: 649 vindicate the contempt of the Gofpel more feverely than of the Law, becaulè the confirmation of it is clearer, and the Salvation offered by it greater, Heb. x. t, 3, 4. If the word fpoken by Angels wasfledfall, and every tranfgreffion anddifo- bedience received a jell recompence of reward : how (hall-we efcape ? &e. And fo, Heb. ro. a8, t9. He that de/pifed Mofes his Law died without mercy under two or three Witneffes, of how much forer punifhment, fuppofeye, £hall he he thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God ? &c. II. The Righteoufnefsof this Judgment is further let forth to us in Scripture by the impartialitty of it. Hither belong all thofe Texts, which remove from God that ZreoaoiroTmila., that refpell of Perfons, which is lò incident to Human Tribu- nals. Now refsehl of Perfons is in diflribution of Juftice, and hath regard to force external qualities or circumflances of the Perlons, which do not appertain to the merit of the caufe, and upon Account of thofe circumflances, to deal unequally with thofe, whole Cafe is equal ; as when Two Perlons, who are e- qually guilty ofa Crime, are brought to their Tryal, and the one is Condemned, and the other Acquitted; upon the Account of Friendfhip, or Relation, or fomo. other Intereft, becaufe one is Poor and the other Rich, the one hath powerful Friends to intercede for him, the other not, the one brings a Gift or Bribe, the other not, or upon any other account, betides the pure Merits of the Caufe ; I fay to deal thus in the diftribution of Juftice, is refpeff of Perfons. Otherwife in matters of meer grace and favour, refpehi of Perfons hath no Place, according to that common rule of Divines, ,.-ey02romt a locum now habet in gratuitis, fed in de- bitis. Now this the Scripture every where fpeaks of as a thing very far from God, Dear. so. t 7. The Lordyour God is Godof Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great, God, a mighty anda terrible, which regardethnot Perfons, nortaketh rewards.a Chron. 19.7. There is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor refined ofPerfons, nor hiking ofGifts. Job 34. 18, 19. Is it ft to fay to a King, thou art wicked? or to Princes ye are ungodly ? how much left to him that accepteth not thePerfons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich, more than thepoor ? for they areall the work of hishands. Rom. s. 6. Who will render to every Man according to hisdeeds : for there is no refpe£l of Perfons with God. Ads to. 34,3S. Of a truth Iperceive that Godis norefpetter of Perfons : bat in every Nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteoufnefs, is ac- ceptedwith him. Eph. 6. 8, 9. The Apoftle there,preffeth the Duties of Servants to Mailers, from this Confideration, that whatfoever good thing any man both, the fame /hall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free ; and at the 9th ver. Te Mailers, do the fame thing unto them, forbearing threatning ; knowing that your Mailer afo is in Heaven, neither is there refpeci of Perfons with him. He maketh this likewife an Argument, why Men fhould not opprefs and deal deceitfully one., with another, Col. 3. 2.5. But he that both wrong, (ball receive for the wrong which he bath done ; and there is no refpeíl of Perlons. And in General, St. Peter urgeth this Conideration upon all Men to deter them from Sin in any kind, r Pet. t. 57. And ifye call on the Father, who without refpefl of Perfons judgeth according to every Man's Work, pals the time ofyour fojourning here in fear. And betides that the Scripture doth remove this at the greateft Diftance from God, it gives us alto feveral inflances of the impartiality of the Divine luilice, that it is not to be perverted and turn'd afide by any of thofe extrinfical. Conlderati- ens which commonly fway with Men ; it is not to be prevailed with and over- come by Flattery and Intreaties, Mat. 7. at, ta. Not every one that faith unto me Lord, Lord, 'hall enter into the Kingdomof Heaven ; but he that doth thewill of my Father which is in Heaven, &c. The Divine Mice is not to be impofed upon. by good Words, and external (hews, and falfe Profeffions ; fo neither by any ex- ternal Relation to him ; For, many /hall come from thePail, and from the Weft, and /hallfit down with Abraham, Ifaac, andyacob, in the Kingdom of God, but the Chil- dren of the Kingdom ¡hallbe call out intoutter Darknefs. And however Men may bear up themfelves now upon their worldlyGreatnefs and Power, certainly there is a time coming, when the greateft Perfons in the World, thofe who overturn Kingdoms, and lay waft Countries, and opprefs and ruin Millions of Mankind for the grptifyingof their own Lofts and Ambition, I O000 fay N
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