Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

we might not therehence conclude, that that proportion should be Arithmetical, that mercy should be extended to as many, as severity. But rather as in the payment of a sum of money in two equal portions, whereof one is in gol•, the other in silver, though there be an equality in the sums, yet not in the pieces by which they are paid: so, in as much as Glory being the communicating of Gods own blessed Vision, Presence, Love, and everlasting Society, is far more honourable and excellent then wrath, therefore the dispensation of his Mercy in that amongst a few may be exactly proportionable to the revelation of his Justice amongst very many more in the other. Suppose we a Prince, upon the just condemnation of a hundred malefactors, should profess, that as in his own royal breast mercy and Justice were equally poised and tempered, so he would observe an equal proportion of them both towards that number of malefactors, suffering his justice to condemn, and his mercy to spare just so many as might preserve his Attributes i•aequilibrio, that the one might not overweigh the other: Certainly in this case there would be more mercy in saving ten out of favour, then in punishing ⟨p. 374⟩and condemning all the rest for their Just demerit. Fifthly, and lastly, let me problematically and by way of […] only propose this question. Why may it not be justly said that there shall be in Heaven as much Glory distributed amongst those few which shall be saved, as wrath in Hell amongst those many which perish? I dare not speak where the Scripture is silent; yet this by way of argument may be said. The proportion of wrath is measured by the finite sins of men, the proportion of Glory from the infinite merits of Christ. There is more excellency and virtue in the merit of Christ to procure life for his few, then vileness or demerit in sin to procure death for many. As there may be as much liquor in ten great vessels, as in a thousand smaller: so there may be as much Glory by the merit of Christ in a few that are saved, as wrath, from the merit of sin in multitudes that perish.

wee might not therehence conclude, that that proportion should be Arithmeticall, that mercy should be extended to as many, as severitie. But rather as in the payment of a summe of mony in two equal portions, whereof one is in gol•, the other in silver, though there bee an equalitie in the summes, yet not in the pieces by which they are paide: so, in as much as Glory being the communicating of Gods owne blessed Vision, Presence, Love, and everlasting Societie, is farre more honourable and excellent then wrath, therefore the dispensation of his Mercie in that amongst a few may bee exactly proportionable to the revelation of his Iustice amongst very many more in the other. Suppose wee a Prince, upon the just condemnation of a hundred malefactors, should professe, that as in his owne royall brest mercy and Iustice were equally poised and temper'd, so he would observe an equall proportion of them both towards that number of malefactors, suffering his justice to condemne, and his mercy to spare just so many as might preserve his Attributes iaequilibrio, that the one might not overweigh the other: Certainely in this case there would be more mercy in saving tenne out of favour, then in punishing