1. How little would it tend to the begetting and settling that fear of God in the hearts of men, that were necessary to preserve his authority and government from a profane contempt; whereas daily experience shows, that there's now no difference made between them that fear God, and them that fear him not, unless wherein the former are worse dealt with, and more exposed to sufferings and wrongs; That at least 'tis often (yea for the most part) so, that to depart from iniquity is to make one's self a prey; that those who profess and evidence the most entire devotedness to God, and pay the greatest observance and duty to him, become a common scorn upon this ⟨p. 59⟩very account; and are in continual danger to be eaten up as bread, by those that call not upon God, while, in the mean time, the Tabernacles of Robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, are not plagued as other men, nor in trouble as other men. And judgment is not here executed for wicked works in this world: If also nothing is to be expected (either of good or evil) in another, who is likely to be induced (in this case) to fear God, or be subject to him? And how unlike is this to the wisdom of the Supreme Ruler, to expose his most Rightful and Sovereign Authority, to the fearless and insolent affronts of his own revolted Creatures, without any design of future reparation to it! as if he had created them on purpose only to curse him, and dye! But he hath prevented the occasion of so reproachful a Censure, and thought fit to fill his Word and the Consciences of guilty sinners with ⟨p. 60⟩threats and dreadful presages of a future judgment, and state of punishment. To which he is no less concerned, both in point of wisdom and veracity (and I may add, of Legal Justice) to make the event correspond, that he may neither be found to have omitted any due course, for prevention or redress of so great an evil; and that, if the threatening do not effectually over-awe sinners, the execution may, at least, right himself: And that, in the mean time, he do not (that which would least of all become him, and which were most repugnant to his nature) make use of a solemn fiction to keep the world in order, and maintain his government by falsehood and deceit, that is, by threatening what he knows shall never be.
1. How little would it tend to the begetting and setling that fear of God in the hearts of men, that were necessary to preserve his authority and government from a prophane contempt; whereas daily experience shews, that there's now no difference made between them that fear God, and them that fear him not, unless wherein the former are worse dealt with, and more exposed to sufferings and wrongs; That at least 'tis often (yea for the most part) so, that to depart from iniquity is to make one's self a prey; that those who profess and evidence the most entire devotedness to God, and pay the greatest observance and duty to him, become a common scorn upon this ⟨p. 59⟩very account; and are in continual danger to be eaten up as bread, by those that call not upon God, while, in the mean time, the Tabernacles of Robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, are not plagued as other men, nor in trouble as other men. And judgment is not here executed for wicked works in this world: If also nothing is to be expected (either of good or evil) in another, who is likely to be induced (in this case) to fear God, or be subject to him? And how unlike is this to the wisdom of the Supream Ruler, to expose his most Rightful and Soveraign Authority, to the fearless and insolent affronts of his own revolted Creatures, without any design of future reparation to it! as if he had created them on purpose only to curse him, and dye! But he hath prevented the occasion of so reproachful a Censure, and thought fit to fill his Word and the Consciences of guilty sinners with ⟨p. 60⟩threats and dreadful presages of a future judgment, and state of punishment. To which he is no less concern'd, both in point of wisdom and veracity (and I may add, of Legal Justice) to make the event correspond, that he may neither be found to have omitted any due course, for prevention or redress of so great an evil; and that, if the threatning do not effectually over-awe sinners, the execution may, at least, right himself: And that, in the mean time, he do not (that which would least of all become him, and which were most repugnant to his nature) make use of a solemn fiction to keep the world in order, and maintain his government by falshood and deceit, that is, by threatning what he knows shall never be.
