First, they fuppofe in God two attributes SER M. effential to him and infinite as his nature, V. namely, his rectitude and his goodness. So that if you afk, what it is in God that inclines him to punish fin? They will anfwer his rectitude. If you ask what it is in God that inclines him to the forgiveness of fin? They will answer his goodness. These two they allow to be properties or qualities, as they express them really in God, and neceffary to his nature, and vifible in all his works, and particularly in his punishing and forgiving fin.

Again, they fuppofe God to be infinitely wife, which attribute of his wisdom, in order of our conceiving, they imagine antecedent, and as it were to fuperintend them. So those attributes of his rectitude and goodness they fuppofe are exerted indifferently either one way or other at the guidance and direction of his `wisdom. Of themselves they incline him to act neither one way nor the other; nor are they to be confidered as propenfions or inclinations in his nature which lead or determine him any way. For they suppose God in his own nature free and uncontrouled, acting not only void of all reftraint from any law without him, but from any difpofition or tendencies of his own nature resulting from these attributes, which fhall incline him to act either one way or other; all this is as his wifdom directs.

After this, they fuppofe that God in that infinite wisdom, of his own free grace and

ง.

SER M. motion did refolve with himself and decree, that he would pardon all repenting finners, and reward them with everlasting felicity; and that he would punish all unrepenting finners. Which decrees of his he determined to manifeft and declare to mankind in and by Chrift Jefus; not but that he was of himself confidered antecedently to thefe decrees equally free to pardon or punish all fin; and had a power and right fo to do, fince the pardon of fin is no other than a receding from his own right; which he might have done in the forgiveness of all fin, if for ends of his wifdom he had not feen cause to have done otherwife.

Now, pursuant to thefe decrees, whenfoever God exerts thofe general attributes in any particular inftances, then we begin to call them by other names, in imitation of that way we have of fpeaking of ourselves; as for example, when he exerts that attribute of his rectitude in punishing unrepenting finners, it is called juftice; and again, when purfuant to these decrees made by the direction of his wisdom he exercifes his goodnefs in the pardon of a repenting finner, then we call it mercy; fo that justice and mercy are no original attributes, or real diftinct properties or qualities in God; but denominations only given to the exercife of his real infinite attributes in particular inftances; and therefore to fay that either of these are infinite they call a grofs

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V.

a grofs abfurdity, as abfurd as to say that a SER M. particular is a general, and fo far from being attributes effential to God, that they are nothing real but imaginary.

Lastly, they affert that, fince his rectitude doth not prompt or incline God to the punifhment of fin (as is obferved) any otherwise than as his wifdom directs, therefore that which more immediately and fimply moves God to the punishment of fin is his anger or feverity, which are not any real properties in God, but the refult and effects of his will.

These are nice diftinctions and very curious fpeculations in divinity, which was never intended by it's great author to be fo exquifitely refined. But without fuch labyrinths as thefe, men could never be led on till they lofe themselves. Most of what they fay hath fome colour, and foundation; and it is the ufual policy of the devil to recommend his errors by blending truth and falfehood together; and the more abftracted the truths are, the lefs difcernible is the error, and passeth off with the greater reputation. Wherefore our business is to feparate them, that by a more distinct view we may acknowledge the one, and deteft the other; and that men might not fwallow the rankeft poison, because it is wrought up with pleafant and wholesome ingredients. Moft of what they fay is true, and yet it hath no relation to the falfe confequence they draw from it, as I

hope

V.

SER M. hope will fufficiently appear, And it falls out that by driving the objection to the utmost they happily ftrike out the truth. For fuppofe we allow that juftice and mercy, as we ordinarily conceive them, are no original attributes or distinct qualities really existent in God and effential to him, and that we should resolve them as they do into his rectitude and his goodness; there may be good grounds for the doing of this, it will only reduce this controversy nearer to a point and leave them to begin anew.

The juftice and mercy of God, when we come to scan them as nicely as they do, are to be spoke of under two very different confiderations. One in refpect of God himself and his nature, antecedently to any purpose or decree of fending a Saviour into the world; the other with refpect to God's purpose and decree of fending a Saviour into the world, and fubfequently to the promifes and conditions made to mankind in him.

1. As to the first, thefe are to be confidered antecedently to any purpofe or decrees of God of fending a Saviour into the world. What they are in God himself, without refpect to any of those difpenfations that are confequent to any purposes or decrees.

And therefore here we are to look upon the juftice of God as one of his real attributes, infinite and effential to him, fomething in his very nature, part of himself, and a perfection

V.

incommunicable to any creature whatsoever. SER M. And then, with the Socinians, we must refolve this juftice, the creature of our own brain made up of the best ideas we have there of right and wrong, into the rectitude of God; a word the best that can be found to express fomething in him of which we cannot form the leaft conception. They are not aware that when they name the rectitude of God they exprefs fomething they know not what; fomething that cannot enter into the heart of man to conceive. And therefore this is what the fcripture every where supposes, and paffeth over in filence, as being to us now incomprehenfible, and ufeth the word juftice, the word and the thing being most suitable to our prefent way of fpeaking and thinking. Befides, the word rectitude is of a large and comprehenfive fignification; it is no particular attribute, but takes in all the perfections of God; and it is limited and restrained by the word juftice; by which means we fpeak more diftinctly and intelligibly of God and his difpenfations. And in short, that very thing which they call rectitude, we call justice; and it is to this rectitude or juftice that we believe the fatisfaction of Chrift to have been made, i. e. to fomething in the nature of God of which we cannot have the leaft glimpfe till we can fee God as he is.

And thus likewife it is with the mercy of God under this confideration. His mercy, confidered as it is in himself antecedently to any

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purpose