Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

always punishing it with infinite severity, without the least abatement, in any one instance, in any part of his dominions, in time or eternity. And this would be to act like himself; and in and by such conduct, he would appear to be what he is. But to do otherwise, would be to counteract his own nature, and give a false representation of his heart, by a conduct unlike himself.

Thus, it is the nature of God, the great Governor of the world, in all his conduct, to act like himself. But he cannot be said to act like himself, unless he appears as great an enemy to sin, and as severe against it, as he really is, without the least shadow of the contrary: but his conduct cannot appear in this light, unless he does, in fact, punish sin with infinite severity, throughout all his dominions, without the least -mitigation, in any one instance, in time or eternity: therefore it is the nature of God, the Governor of the world, to do so; and therefore he can no sooner, nor any easier, be willing to let any sin go unpunished, than he can to cease to be what he is *. For, as was before proved, it is as impossible for him to act contrary to his own nature, as it is to cease to be what he is: and he can consent to the one as easily as to the other.

Hence, we may learn, this is really a branch of the law of nature, That sin should be punished: it results from the nature of God, the Governor of the world; it was no arbitrary constitution; it did not result from the divine sovereignty. It would, in the nature of things, have been no evil for Adam to have eaten of the tree of knowledge, had not God forbidden it; herein God exercised his sovereign authority, as absolute Lord of all things. But in threatening sin with eternal death, he acted not as a sovereign, but as a righteous Governor his nature prompted him to do so; he could not have done otherwise. As it is said in another case, It is impossible for God to lie; so it may be said here, It is impossible for God to let sin

* God's mild and kind conduct towards a guilty world at present, is nothing inconsistent with this; because mankind are now dealt with in and through a Me. diator, upon whom our sins have been laid, and who has been made a curse for us. In him our sins have been treated with infinite severity, without the least abatement. But for this, God's conduct, no doubt, would be very inconsistent with his perfections.

go unpunished. As he cannot go counter to himself in speak→ ing, so neither in acting. It is as contrary to his nature to let sin go unpunished, as it is to lie; for his justice is as much himself, as his truth; and it is, therefore, equally impossible he should act contrary to either.

Hence, this branch of the law of nature is not capable of any repeal or abatement. For since it necessarily results trom the nature of God, the Governor of the world, it must necessarily remain in force so long as God continues to be what he is. Besides, if God should repeal it, he must not only counteract his own nature, but also give great occasion to all his subjects to think he was once too severe against sin, and that now he had altered his mind, and was become more favourable towards it: which he can no more be willing to do, than he can be willing actually to cease to be what he is. For, as he loves himself perfectly for being what he is, so he perfectly loves to act like himself, and to appear in his conduct just as he is in his heart. Therefore our Saviour expressly asserts, That heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one jot or tittle of the law shall fail. Mat. v. 18.

1

(5.) But all this notwithstanding, yet God did, of his infinite goodness and sovereign grace, entertain designs of mercy towards a fallen world: a rebellious, obstinate, stubborn, sinful, guilty, hell-deserving race, under the righteous condemnation of the law: a law, like himself, holy, just, and good. Particularly, he designed to declare himself reconcileable to this sinful, guilty world; to put mankind into a new state of probation: to try and see if they would repent and return unto him, and to use a variety of methods for their recovery. And to make way for this, he designed to reprieve a guilty world, for a certain space of time, from that utter ruin he had threatened, and to grant a sufficiency of the good things of this life for their support, while in a state of probation; and he also purposed to grant a general resurrection from the dead, that those who should return to him and be reconciled, might be most completely happy in the world to come. And, because he knew their aversion to a reconciliation, therefore he designed to use a variety of external means to bring them to it. And because he knew that mankind would be universally disposed

to hate all such means, (not liking to have God in their knowledge,) and cast them off, and get from under them, therefore he designed, in his sovereign grace, to select some part of mankind, (the Jews, for instance,) with whom, by his special providence, by the more open or secret workings of his almighty power, such means should be continued. And, in the fulness of time, he purposed also to use equal, yea, greater means with various, nations of the Gentiles. And because he knew that all external means notwithstanding, yet all, with one consent, would refuse to repent, and convert, and be reconciled, therefore he designed, by his providence, and by the more common influences of his spirit, to take some further pains with many, and try them. And because he knew that this would never effectually persuade them, through the great perverseness of mankind, therefore he designed, by the special influences of his Holy Spirit, through his almighty power and all-conquering grace, all their obstinacy notwithstanding, yet to reclaim, and recover, and bring home to himself, a certain number in this world, and here train them up for eternal glory, and finally bring them thereunto; and all of his sovereign goodness, and all to the praise of the glory of his grace. And towards the latter end of that space of time, in which this world was to be reprieved, it was his purpose more eminently to destroy satan's kingdom on earth, and his influence among mankind, and more generally recover the guilty nations from his thraldom, and set up his own kingdom on earth, to flourish in great glory and prosperity a thousand years. Such were his designs, as is evident by the event of things, and from the revelation he has made in his word of what is yet to come to pass.

(6.) But as the case then stood, it was not fit that any of these favours should be granted to a guilty world; no, not any thing that had so much as, (all things considered,) the nature of a mercy, without some sufficient salvo to the divine honour*. In

* OBJ. But if God could not, consistently with his perfections, show any mercy to a guilty world without a sufficient salvo to his honour, how could he, consistently with his perfections, provide them a mediator? Was not this a great mercy? And what salvo had he for his honour in doing it?

ANS. The very doing of this thing itself was to secure his own honour. This

deed, some kind of reprieve, I presume, might have been granted to a guilty world, so as to have suffered the human race to have propagated, and the whole designed number to have been born; a reprieve, all things considered, not of the nature of a mercy. So the fallen angels seem to be under some kind of a reprieve; for they are reserved in chains, to the judgment of the great day, as condemned prisoners. 2 Peter ii. 4. And hence, a number of them once cried out, Art thou come to torment us before the time? Mat. viii. 29. Yet we are not taught, in scripture, to look upon this as a mercy to them. But the scriptures teach us to consider our reprieve, our worldly comforts, our means of grace, our space for repentance, the restraints of providence, and the common influences of the spirit, as mercies; yea, as great mercies. Rom. ii. 4. Isaiah

v. 4. Deut. x. 18. Acts xiv. 17. Rev. ii. 21. All these common favours, therefore, as well as special and saving mercies, were not proper to be granted to such a guilty, hell-deserving world, by a holy, sin-hating, sin-revenging God. This was not to treat mankind as it was fit and meet they should be treated. It was contrary to law that any favour at all should, without a salvo to the divine honour, be granted them; for, by law, they were all doomed to destruction. And it was contrary to the divine nature to do any thing in the case, that, all things considered, would have, in the least measure, a favourable aspect towards sin; or so much as in the least tend to make him seem less severe against it, than if he had damned the whole world for their apostacy and rebellion.

If God had set aside his law, which was the image of his

was the very end he had nextly in view. Were it not for this end, a mediator had not been needful; but a guilty world might have been pardoned by an act of absolute sovereign grace. Now his taking such a glorious method to secure his honour, and the honour of his law, and government, and sacred authority, had no tendency to misrepresent them. He acted in it just like himself. His infinite wisdom, holiness, justice, and goodness, are all at once most perfectly displayed in this conduct of the supreme Governor of the world; particularly, his infinite hatred of sin, and disposition to punish it, appeared in the very act of appointing his Son to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. For, in this act, it was manifest, that he did choose his own dear Son should himself bear the punishment of sin, rather than let it go unpunished.

heart, and undertaken and shown all these favours to a guilty world, without any salvo to his honour, his visible conduct would have been directly contrary to the inward temper of his heart; and by it he would have counteracted his nature, and misrepresented himself, dishonoured his law, rendered his authority weak and contemptible, and opened a wide door for the encouragement of rebellion, throughout all his dominions; and, in effect, gotten to himself the character the devil designed to give of him to our first parents, when he said, Ye shall not surely die, (Gen. iii. 4.) i. e. "God is not so severe against sin as he pretends to be, and as you think for; nor does he hate it so much, nor will he do as he says in the case." It was therefore infinitely impossible.

(7.) To the end, therefore, that a way might be opened for him to put his designs of mercy in execution, consistently with himself, consistently with the honour of his holiness and justice, law and government, and sacred authority, something must be done by him in a public manner, as it were, in the sight of all worlds, whereby his infinite hatred of sin, and unchangeable resolution to punish it, might be as effectually manifested as if he had damned the whole world. MERELY his saying that he infinitely hates sin, and looks upon it worthy of an infinite punishment, would not have manifested the inward temper of his heart in such a meridian brightness as if he had damned the whole world in very deed: but rather, his saying one thing, and doing another directly contrary, would have been going counter to himself; especially, considering him as acting in the capacity of a Governor, to whom, by office, it belongs to put the law in execution, and cause justice to take place. For him first to make a law, threatening eternal death to the least sin, makes him appear infinitely just and holy; but then to have no regard to that law in his conduct, but go right contrary to it, without any salvo to his honour, is quite inconsistent, and directly tends to bring himself, his law, and authority, into the greatest contempt. Something, I say, therefore, must be DONE, to make his hatred of the sin of mankind, and disposition to punish it, as manifest as if he had damned the whole world; to the end that the honour of his holiness and justice, of his law and government, and sa

« AnteriorContinuar »