5. The Sinner disparages the impartial Justice of God. In the Divine Law there is a Connection between Sin and Punishment; the Evil of doing and the Evil of suffering. This is not a mere Arbitrary Constitution, but founded on the inseparable Desert of Sin, and the Rectitude of God's Nature, which unchangeably loves Holiness, and hates Sin. Although the threatening does not lay a strict necessity upon the Lawgiver always to inflict, the Punishment; yet God having declared his equal Laws as the Rule of our Duty, and of his Judgment, if they should be usually without Effect upon Offenders, the Bands of Government would be dissolved, and consequently the Honour of his Justice stained both with respect to his Nature and ⟨p. 33⟩Office: for as an essential Attribute 'tis the Correspondence of his Will and Actions with his Moral Perfections; and as Sovereign Ruler, he is to preserve Equity and Order in his Kingdom. Now those who voluntarily break his Law, presume upon Impunity. The first rebellious Sin was committed upon this Presumption: God threatened, If you eat the forbidden Fruit, you shall die: the Serpent says, Eat, and you shall not die; and assenting to the Temptation, Adam fell to Disobedience. And ever since Men are fearless to sin upon the same Motive. God chargeth the wicked, Thou thoughtest 1that I was altogether such a one as thy self; not concerned to punish the Violation of his sacred Laws. The Sinner commits the Divine Attributes to fight against one another, presuming that Mercy will disarm Justice, and stop its terrible Effects upon impenitent obstinate Sinners: ⟨p. 34⟩From hence they become bold and hardened in the continuance of their Sins. There is a Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood: and when 2the Curse of the Law is declared and denounced against Sin, the Wicked blesseth himself in his Heart, saying, I shall have Peace, tho I walk in the Imagination of my Heart, to add Drunkenness to Thirst. This casts such a foul Blemish upon the Justice of God, that he threatens the severest Vengeance for it. The Lord will not spare him, but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoke against that Man, and all the Curses written in this Book shall be upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven. Consider this ye that forget 3God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
5. The Sinner disparages the impartial Justice of God. In the Divine Law there is a Connexion between Sin and Punishment; the Evil of doing and the Evil of suffering. This is not a meer Arbitrary Constitution, but founded on the inseparable Desert of Sin, and the Rectitude of God's Nature, which unchangeably loves Holiness, and hates Sin. Altho the threatning does not lay a strict necessity upon the Lawgiver always to inflict, the Punishment; yet God having declar'd his equal Laws as the Rule of our Duty, and of his Judgment, if they should be usually without Effect upon Offenders, the Bands of Government would be dissolv'd, and consequently the Honour of his Justice stain'd both with respect to his Nature and ⟨p. 33⟩Office: for as an essential Attribute 'tis the Correspondence of his Will and Actions with his Moral Perfections; and as Soveraign Ruler, he is to preserve Equity and Order in his Kingdom. Now those who voluntarily break his Law, presume upon Impunity. The first rebellious Sin was committed upon this Presumption: God threatn'd, If you eat the forbidden Fruit, you shall die: the Serpent says, Eat, and you shall not die; and assenting to the Temptation, Adam fell to Disobedience. And ever since Men are fearless to sin upon the same Motive. God chargeth the wicked, Thou thoughtest 1that I was altogether such a one as thy self; not concern'd to punish the Violation of his sacred Laws. The Sinner commits the Divine Attributes to fight against one another, presuming that Mercy will disarm Justice, and stop its terrible Effects upon impenitent obstinate Sinners: ⟨p. 34⟩From hence they become bold and harden'd in the continuance of their Sins. There is a Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood: and when 2the Curse of the Law is declar'd and denounc'd against Sin, the Wicked blesseth himself in his Heart, saying, I shall have Peace, tho I walk in the Imagination of my Heart, to add Drunkenness to Thirst. This casts such a foul Blemish upon the Justice of God, that he threatens the severest Vengeance for it. The Lord will not spare him, but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoke against that Man, and all the Curses written in this Book shall be upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven. Consider this ye that forget 3God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
- 1Psal. 50.
- 2Deut. 29. 17, 19, 20.
- 3Psal. 50.