65a The `Iuffice of God in the Dffriblltion Vol. L fay there is a day a coming, when even there, as much, nay more than others, fLall fear and tremble before the impartial 3uflice of God. Rev. 6. a S. And the Ifirgs of the earth, and the great Men, and the rich Men, andthe chief Captains, and the mighty Men, and every Bond-man, and every Freeman hid themfelves in the Dens, and in the Rocks of the Mountains ; for the great day of his wrath is come, andwho Jhall beable to flan/ ? The impartial yuflice of God will treat the greateft and the meaneft Perlons alike, Rev. zo. t a,. I faw the dead, fmall andgreat, flan/ before God ; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of lifé ; and the dead were judgedout of thole things which were written in the books, ac- cording to their works. All judged according to their Works. T fhould next proceed to vindicate the yuffice of God in the diflribution of Re. wards and Punijhments, from thofe Objefiions, which feem to impeach it. But be- fore I enter upon this, it will be convenient to fatisfie one quetiion, which hath occafioned great difputes in the World, and that is, how far 5uiice, efpecially as to the Punijhment of Offenders, is efential to God ? And for the clearing of this matter, I fliall briefly lay down there Propoltions. Firfl, I take this for certain and undoubted Truth, that every Perfellion is efential to God, and cannot be imagined to be feparated from theDivine Nature, becaufe this is the Natural Notion which Men have of God, that he is a Being that hath all Perfetlion. Secondly, The actual confiant exercife of thofe Divine Perfections, the effects whereof are without himfelf, is not efential to God. For inflance, tho' God be efTentiallypowerful and good ; yet it is not neceffary, that he fhould always exercife his Power and Goodnefs ; but at fuch times, and in fuch a manner, as feems beft to his Wife/on ; and this is likewife true of his Wifdom and Mice, becaufe there are Perfe&ions , the effects whereof are terminated upon fomething without himfelf. Thirdly, It is efential to God to love Goodnefs, and hate Sin, wherever he, fees them. It is not neceffary there thotild be a World, or reafonable Creatures in it : but upon fuppofition that God makes fuch Creatures, it is agreeable to the Divine Nature, to give them good and righteous Laws, to encourage them in the doing of that which is good, and to difcourage them from doing that which is evil ; which cannot be done, but by Rewards and Punijhments ; and therefore it is agreeable to the Perfe&ion of the Divine Nature , to rewardGood- nefs, and to punifh Sin. Fourthly, As for thofe rewards which the Got-pet promifeth, and the Punifh- ments which it threatens, there is Tome difference to be made between the re- warding and punijhing luffice of God. r. As for that abundant reward God is pleafed to promife to good Men, the promife of it is founded in hisgoodnefs, and the performance of that promife in his juflice ; for it is juftice to perform what he promifes, tho the promife of fo great and abundant a reward was mere goodnefs. . As for the puni/hing juflice of God, about which hath been the great Que- Ilion, whether that beejfential to God or not, it feems very plain, that it is not nece fury that God fhould inflict thofe judgments which he threatens, becaufe he bath threatned them ; for there is not the like obligation upon Perlons to perform their threatnings, that there is to perform theirpromifes ; becaufe God by his pro- mife becomes a Debtor to thofe to whom he makes the promife ; but when he threatenshe is the Creditor, and we are Debtors to his Juftice ; and as a Creditor, he may remit the Punilhment which he bath threatned : But then if we confider God as loving goodnefs and hatingfin ; if we look upon him as Governor of the World, and concerned to preferve good Order, to encourage Holinefs and kigh- teoufnefs, and to difcountenance Sin, under this confideration it is efential to him topunifh Sin at fuch times, and in fuch manner and circumfiances, as feems beft to his Wifdom. And I am not at all moved by that, which is urged by Tome learned Men to the contrary, that if punifhing juffice were efential to God, then he mutt punith the,
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