B. You may show your ignorance about this your self; but this is no difference between the parties. For, 1. No man can deny but that God standing towards us in a three-fold Relation, as our Owner and the Lord of all, as our Ruler, and as our Benefactor, so he is free in the first and third Relation. A Proprietary may do with his own as he list: And a Benefactor may unequally give his benefits as he seeth meet: For he is supposed to give only that which is no mans Right, till he give it them (by promise or collation). But as God is a Rector, and governeth Mankind by a Law, which hath Rewards promised, and Punishments threatened to promote Obedience, and as he is Judge according to that Law, and as he is a Benefactor already obliged by promise; thus God doth keep an equality in his Judgments and Executions, and ever proceedeth according to his Word or Law. He will in just equity and equality forgive, justify and adopt all penitent Believers, and no others, how great soever. He will glorify all persevering Saints, and no others, just according to his Word; Because his Law is Norma judicii, or that which he will observe in judging. If God forgive and save one penitent Believer and not another, you may say that he ruleth not in equity and equality. But in cases of other disposals and benefits, which no man hath right to by any Law or Covenant, the case is otherwise.
2. And full experience tells us this. God made not every Man an Angel, nor every Stone a Star, nor every Star a Sun, nor every Beast a Man, nor every Toad a Bird, nor the Dirt and Water Fire. Wonderful is the Variety of his Works through all the World: No two Birds, Beasts, Men, Stones, Trees, are perfectly equal and like. No two mens Faces, Constitutions, Parts, Dispositions, Virtues, are perfectly equal. With what various temperaments come we into the World? And is God a Respectre of persons for this? or are his ways unequal? As a free Owner and Benefactor he will diversify his Gifts, and do with his own as he list, though Sinners quarrel at it. You dare not say that God giveth his Benefits equally to all, that are of equal demerit.
3. The sin of respecting persons belongeth to a Judge, obliged by rules to equal distribution: By a Judge, I mean any judging and executing Governor, or obliged distributer of Rights.
B. You may shew your ignorance about this your self; but this is no difference between the parties. For, 1. No man can deny but that God standing towards us in a three-fold Relation, as our Owner and the Lord of all, as our Ruler, and as our Benefactor, so he is free in the first and third Relation. A Proprietary may do with his own as he list: And a Benefactor may unequally give his benefits as he seeth meet: For he is supposed to give only that which is no mans Right, till he give it them (by promise or collation). But as God is a Rector, and governeth Mankind by a Law, which hath Rewards promised, and Punishments threatned to promote Obedience, and as he is Judge according to that Law, and as he is a Benefactor already obliged by promise; thus God doth keep an equality in his Judgments and Executions, and ever proceedeth according to his Word or Law. He will in just equity and equality forgive, justifie and adopt all penitent Believers, and no others, how great soever. He will glorifie all persevering Saints, and no others, just according to his Word; Because his Law is Norma judicii, or that which he will observe in judging. If God forgive and save one penitent Believer and not another, you may say that he ruleth not in equity and equality. But in cases of other disposals and benefits, which no man hath right to by any Law or Covenant, the case is otherwise.
2. And full experience tells us this. God made not every Man an Angel, nor every Stone a Star, nor every Star a Sun, nor every Beast a Man, nor every Toad a Bird, nor the Dirt and Water Fire. Wonderful is the Variety of his Works through all the World: No two Birds, Beasts, Men, Stones, Trees, are perfectly equal and like. No two mens Faces, Constitutions, Parts, Dispositions, Virtues, are perfectly equal. With what various temperaments come we into the World? And is God a Respecter of persons for this? or are his ways unequal? As a free Owner and Benefactor he will diversifie his Gifts, and do with his own as he list, though Sinners quarrel at it. You dare not say that God giveth his Benefits equally to all, that are of equal demerit.
3. The sin of respecting persons belongeth to a Judge, obliged by rules to equal distribution: By a Judge, I mean any judging and executing Governour, or obliged distributer of Rights.
