free Gifts variously in what proportion he SER M. pleafes, afterward difpenfes equitable Re- XVI.

wards and Punishments, according to the different Ufe each man makes of the different Gifts he is refpectively intrusted with. And of This latter fort, is the Juftice of God. God is the Supreme Lord and Author of all; and as all his Gifts are free, 'tis evident he is under no more obligation to distribute them equally, than he was originally obliged to distribute them at all. He gives to one man after This manner, and to another after That; and then his Juftice confifts in dealing with every one proportionably, according to the Analogy of their different behaviour under fuch different Circumftances. In the matter of Punishment; his Juftice requires that it fhould always be apportioned with the most strict exactness, to the Degree or Demerit of the Crime: That is to fay, that no man must be punished more than he deferves; though, on the contrary, He that is Supreme over all, may accept of as much less punishment, or may remit punishment upon any fuch free conditions of his own gracious appointment, as he himself in the Wisdom and Goodness of

SER M. his Government fhall think fit and reafonXVI. able And This, is the True Foundation of the Gofpel-Mercy, made known to us from God by and through Christ. As to the Matter of Reward; Juftice originally is not concerned at all; because at the best, men, even if they were finlefs Crea. tures, are but unprofitable Servants; and, doing only what is their Duty to do, however they would have a Right to escape Punishment, yet they could have no claim of Merit to a Reward. But in conSequence of God's free Promife, good men have a just title to the Reward promised them; and the Justice of God in the dif tribution of this Reward, confifts in This, that they who by the Grace of God, and according to the merciful Tenour of the Gofpel-covenant, fhall be found to have obeyed the Laws of Righteoufnefs, fhall, according to the proportion of the good Ufe they have made of their refpective Gifts, have a proportionably greater fhare beftowed upon them of that future Happinefs; the whole of which is merely God's free Gift indeed and undeferved Bounty, and yet at the fame time fuch is good mens Title to it upon account of the Pro

XVI.

mife, that the Apostle thought it not an SER M. improper expreffion, to fay, God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of Love, Heb. vi. 10.

Now this obfervation being premifed, for the preventing any mistake in the General Notion of the Divine Juftice; the Particulars wherein this Juftice confifts, or which it principally includes, are thefe which follow; 1ft, an Impartiality, with regard to Perfons; and 2dly, an Equity of Diftribution, with regard to Things. To the Perfons of men he has no Refpect; but, in the final iffue of Things, he will upon the whole deal equitably with all his creatures; and in the diftribution of Rewards and Punishments in particular, he will obferve ftrictly an exact and righteous proportion. 1ft, The Notion of divine Justice, includes an abfolute Impartiality with regard to Perfons. All men are alike the Work of God's hands; and therefore as 'tis evident he could originally have no regard to one more than to another, fo when the various difpenfations of infinite Wisdom fhall at the great Period and Confummation of Nature have accomplished and unfolded the mystery of

God,

SERM. God, it will manifeftly appear, that fi XVI. nally alfo he has been no Refpecter of Perfons. There are indeed in Scripture many particular inftances, which at first fight may seem not eafily reconcileable with this great Truth: But the general Rule itself is fo clearly and expreffly laid down, and so perpetually repeated and appealed to upon every occafion; that no obfcurity or difficulty in the explication of particular cafes, can be opposed to the Evidence of fo plain a Rule. The general Propofition we may depend upon as certain, however difficult it may appear at present to reconcile the particulars; and whatever Clouds and Darkness are round about him, yet we are fure Righteousness and Judgment are the Habitation of his Seat. 'Tis an obfervation of great importance, and neceffary to be attended to in This, as in most other Doctrines of Religion; that obfcurer paffages of Scripture are always to be interpreted by the plain ones, and not the plain ones made doubtful by thofe that are more obfcure. And the Reafon is evident: Because that which is at prefent obfcure, fily in the event of things,

may very eaand in the unfolding

unfolding of Providence, have the diffi- SER M. culties removed, and make a final Har- XVI. mony and Confiftency of the whole; But if that which is once clearly and plainly revealed, in words exprefs and full, and without ambiguity, is ever in any wife to be fhaken by any after-difcovery; or if a general and perpetual Rule can be made in any degree uncertain, and by the present difficulty of application of any particular cafe; there can Then never be any certain Affurance, of the Truth of Any Doctrine or Revelation at all. To apply this to our prefent Subject: Whatever difficulty there may be at prefent, in reconciling God's being no Refpecter of Perfons, with the many feeming Advantages we find in Scripture granted at any time to one particular Nation, Family, or Perfon, more than to other Nations, Families, or Perfons; (which Difficulty will come to be confidered under my Third general head, wherein I proposed to remove the Objections that may be alleged against the Impartiality of the divine Juftice;) Whatever Difficulty, I fay, there may poffibly be at prefent, in reconciling thefe Things to each other; yet the geneVOL. I. Cc

ral