Q30 THÈ'ETÉRIVAL DURA1'TON OP' tDTSd. XIII: pityin& them, and perhaps exclaiming against the seve- rity of the law, and the cruelty ofthe Judge, for con= demning such malefactors to death. But do all these weepers and complainers judge justly of the case ? Do they consider how pernicious and ruin- (Ms a thing it would be to a government to let such trai Mrs go unpunished ? Do they know, that it is. a piece of Clemency and goodness to the innocent to punish 'the wicked ? Or that it is a piece of necessary honour due to the laws, to make those who insolently break them sus- tain the penalty that the lawhas appointed ? Do they re- Member that the few good qualities, or supposed.talents, Or fine appearances which these offenders are possessed Of, should out-weigh the demands of the law and justice, the peace of the nation or kingdom, and the restraint of others from the same crimes? Ans. 2. The goodness of God, the eternal spirit, is a much superior thing to the tenderness and compassionof man dwelling in flesh and blood. Man grows compas- sionate by a sort ofsympathyor sensation of the miseries which his fellow- creatures endure ; and though this is ex- ceeding useful for many purposes of human life, and therefore God planted it in our natures; yet it has so Much mixture of animal nature with it, that it frequently deg -` nerates into weakness, fondness, and folly." And in- deed, if every tender creature must be gratified in this weakness, and form the rules of government, there would never a Malefactor fall under execution, but the vilest criminals would be spared, though the government were ruined. On the other hand, the goodness or mercy of God is` a sedate willingness or design to do good to creatures, and particularly to the miserable, but always according to the directions of wisdom and holiness. As God can- not have such anger, resentment, or cruelty in his nature, as mankind may fall into when they are punishing of- fenders, so properly speaking, he has no such sort of passionate tenderness and sympathy in sparing them : Though the words of greatestaffection are sometimes used by the sacred writers to figure out the mercies of God to man ; yet God both punishes and spares according to the ,calm and righteous exercises ofhis wisdom, and not under the influence of Such passions as we feel.- Since therefore
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