Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

and if Ingenuity did not make him sorry for his Crimes, and careful in the Duty of a Subject, surely the World would cry shame of such a Person.

5. 'Tis a necessary Condition.

1. Necessary for the honour of God. A Prince is disparaged if his Authority in his Law, and if his Graciousness in his Promises be not accepted and believed. What Physician would undertake a Cure, if his Precepts may not be Credited? 'Tis the first thing in the order of Nature, that the Revelation of God should be believed, that the reality of his Intentions in inviting Man to the acceptance of those Methods, he hath prescribed for their attaining their chief Happiness, should be acknowledged. 'Tis a debasing Notion of God, that he should give a Happiness, purchased by Divine Blood, to a Person that hath no value for it, nor any abhorrency of those Sins that occasioned so great a Suffering, nor any will to avoid them: Should he not vilify himself, to bestow a Heaven upon that Man, that will not believe the offers of it, nor walk in those ways that leads to it? That walks so, as if he would declare, there was no truth in his Word, nor Holiness in his Nature? Would not God by such an act verify a truth in the language of their practice, viz. that he were both false and impure, careless of his Word, and negligent of his Holiness? As God was so desirous to ensure the Consolation of Believers, that if there had been a greater Being than himself to attest, and for him to be Responsible to, for the confirmation of his Promise, he would willingly have submitted to him, and have made him the Umpire;^* He swore by himself, because he could not swear by a greater. By the same reason; Had it stood with the Majesty and Wisdom of God to stoop to lower Conditions in this Covenant, for the reducing of Man to his Duty and Happiness, he would have done it; but his Goodness could not take lower steps with the preservation of the Rights of his Majesty, and the Honour of his Wisdom. Would you have had him wholly submitted to the obstinate will of a Rebellious Creature, and be ruled only by his terms? Would you have had him received Men to Happiness, after they had heightened their Crimes by a contempt of his Grace as well as of his Creating Goodness, and have made them blessed under the guilt of their Crimes without an acknowledgement? Should he glorify one that will not believe what he hath revealed, nor repent of what himself hath committed;