For as

XVII.

nishing of them, the Riches of the Gentiles, SE R M. how much more their Fulness? ye [Gentiles] in times past have not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief; [the unbelief of the Jews; ] Even fo have These alfo now not believed, that through your mercy They alfo obtain mercy; For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all: O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God!

may

Mat. xi.

21.

AGAIN, if it be objected against the Impartiality of the Divine Juftice, that fince our Saviour declares, if the fame means had been used with the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, that had been used Luk. x.13. towards the cities of the Jews, they would have repented: why then were not those means offered them? and fince in the Parable he fets forth, that fome worked in Mat. xx. the Vineyard much longer than others, why then did they receive but all equally a penny? The answer to thefe difficulties is plain, both from what has been already faid, and from what our Saviour fuggefts in the places themselves. As the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon were of a less obftinate difpofition, than fome of the Jew

22.

And

SERM. Cities; fo he declares it should fare XVII. proportionably better with them at the Mat. xi. day of Judgment: I say unto you; it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you: elsewhere; Many (fays he) fhall come from the east and from the west, and shall fit down with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God; and ye your felves (the children of the Kingdom) fhall be fut out into outer darkness. Then as to the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard; if it be understood of the different Ages of the World, concerning the Jews and Gentiles, as 'tis plain it was primarily meant; there is then no difficulty in it. But if it be understood of the different periods of mens lives, (as it may also be;) yet ftill the penny given equally to them all, may be understood of Heaven in general, not exclufive of very different degrees in that One ftate of Happiness which fhall itself in the whole be common to them all. Or laftly, If the penny given to them that came in in the laft period of their lives, were to be understood even of an equality in degree with those who came in first; yet even fill there would

be

be no injustice in this matter; because SE R/M. God may do what he pleases with the XVII. abundance of what is his own, and wrongs no man by giving to others his free and undeferved Gifts. Nevertheless, though God may justly act in these cases as he pleases, without giving us any reason of his acting; yet in reality, 'tis most reasonable to fuppofe he never does act arbitrarily, without a reafon which be fees, though we do not. To Him that fees the Heart, a true Penitent, even after many and long tranfgreffions, may poffibly come to exceed in Virtue, even those who have from the Beginning lived more regularly and innocently. The antient Jews had a Proverb, that no man could equal the Zeal of a fincere Penitent; and St Paul's defcription of fuch a person is very emphatical, 2 Cor. vii. 11. Behold, this felf-fame thing, that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea, what vehement defire; yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge!

THE Uses of this whole Discourse concerning the Justice of God, are;

SERM.

1. LET us acknowledge and submit to XVII. the Divine Juftice, and fhow forth our due Senfe and Fear of it in the courfe of our Lives. This is St Feter's inference, 1 Pet. i. 17. If ye call on the Father, who without refpect of Perfons judgeth according to every man's work; pass the time of your fojourning here in Fear.

2. A right Notion of the Juftice of God, is matter of Comfort to good men; who, if they fincerely endeavour to perform their duty, know that with a just and righteous God there can be no fecret Decree to exclude them from Happiness. God is not unrighteous, (fo the Apostle expreffes it, Heb. vi. 10.) to forget your work and labour of love. Wherefore however dark the ways of Providence may seem at prefent, yet Let not thine heart envy Sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; For furely there is a reward, and thine expectation Shall not be cut off, Prov. xxiii. 17.

3. THE Juftice of God, is matter of Terror to all wicked and unrighteous men, how great and powerful foever they may be. He accepteth not the perfons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the

poor;

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poor; for they All are the work of his SERM. hands, Job. xxxiv. 19; He which is Lord over all, fhall fear no man's perfon, neither Shall be ftand in awe of any man's greatnefs; for he hath made the fmall and great, and careth for all alike, Wifd, vi. 7. And Rev. vi. 15. The Kings of the Earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men,

-hid themfelves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains,--from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

4. FROM the confideration of the Juftice of God, who has Power freely to forgive, and punishes None but where the highest Reafon requires it, arifes a True Notion of the heinoufness of Sin, and of the inexcufablenefs and felf-condemnation of finners; who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that they who do fuch things are worthy of Death, not only do the fame, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Laftly, and to conclude; If God, who is All-powerful and Truly Supreme, and Accountable to None for what he does, yet always confines himself to what is

juft