The reconcilableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and…The reconcileableness of God's prescience of the sins of men with the wisdom and…

Yea and it must be acknowledged, such are the dispensations of the holy God towards the whole community of mankind, as import, not only strict righteousness, but great clemency and mercy also.

Yea and it must be acknowledged, such are the dispensations of the holy God towards the whole community of mankind, as import, not only strict righteousness, but great clemency and mercie also.

Tho they might easily understand themselves to be offenders, and liable to the severities of his Justice, they are spared by his patience, sustained by his bounty, ⟨p. 76⟩protected by his power, Their lives and properties are fenced by his own laws. And whereas they are become very dangerous enemies to one another: and each one his own greatest enemy; It is provided by those laws, even for the worst of men, that none shall injure them, that all love them, and seek their good. He interposes his authority on their behalf; and, if any wrong them, he takes it for an affront done to himself. By the same laws, they are directed to industry, frugality, Sobriety, temperance, to exercise a Government over themselves, to bridle and subdue their own exorbitant lusts and passions, their more immediate tormentors, and the sources of all the calamities and miseries, which befall them in this World. ⟨p. 77⟩By all which evidences of his great care, and concern for their welfare, They might understand him to have favourable propensions towards them, and that, tho they have offended him, he is not their implacable enemy; And might, by his goodness, be led to repentance.

Tho they might easily understand themselves to be offenders, and liable to the severities of his Justice, they are spared by his patience, sustained by his bounty, ⟨p. 76⟩protected by his power, Their lives and properties are fenced by his own lawes. And whereas they are become very dangerous enemies to one another: and each one his own greatest enemie; It is provided by those laws, even for the worst of men, that none shall injure them, that all love them, and seek their good. He interposes his authority on their behalf; and, if any wrong them, he takes it for an affront done to himself. By the same lawes, they are directed to industry, frugality, Sobriety, temperance, to exercise a Government over themselves, to bridle and subdue their own exorbitant lusts and passions, their more immediate tormentours, and the sources of all the calamities and miseries, which befal them in this World.