hour, and let him take his course, with a view more thoroughly to convict him, and reform him. And this is not doing evil that good may come, but acting wisely, in order to reclaim a lazy, deceitful servant.

3. God was at the head of the system, which was all his own; and it belonged to him to lay out an universal plan, if I may compare great things with small, just as it belongs to the head of a family to lay out family-schemes. And he knew perfectly well what would be most to his own honour, and to the general good of the system, whether to become surety for all intelligences, at their first creation, before they had learnt their need of his interposition, or, rather to let them take their course, and learn by experience, what was no other way so well to be learnt, that they might be the better prepared to acknowledge him as the only Being by nature immutably good, and to receive, with suitable gratitude, this supercreation-grace, and give him opportunity, meanwhile, to show that he was the LORD, and fill the whole system with his glory, to the great increase of the holiness and happiness of his creatures. And he had a right to conduct according to his own wisdom, and to do what he knew would be best to be done*.

Obj. "Well, if God wills sin, then it seems sin is agreeable to his will. And if, from all eternity, he decreed the misery of his creatures, then it seems their misery suits him. Besides, what is decreed must necessarily come to pass, and so our freedom is destroyed. All which are contrary to scripture and to common sense."

Ans. “Well," says the idle, deceitful servant, who was catched at his play, and suffered to take his own course for an whole hour; " Well, master, now I see you love I should be lazy, and play; for otherwise you would have hindered me: And now I see you love to whip me for the sake of whipping; for otherwise you would not have suffered me to have deserved it. Besides, you decreed to permit me to play on that whole hour, and so I could not possibly help it."

* See Mr. EDWARDS, on Liberty, &c. page 260-267.

All which would not only be contrary to common sense, but appear to savour of so great perverseness, and be so very saucy and provoking, that his master would not think it needful to give any particular answer, but rather proper to punish him according to his deserts; for it must be plain to the servant at the same time, that idleness and deceitfulness were the things his master hated in him. And he must know he acted freely, and deserved the whip; and that it became his master to pu nish such a villain, not only because he deserved it, but also that his other servants might hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly. Nothing can be plainer than that the Jews acted freely in bringnig about the death of Christ. And it was one of the greatest crimes that ever was committed; and yet it came to pass according to the divine decree. (Acts ii. 23. iv. 28.) And none ever thought, because from all eternity God decreed the death of his Son, that therefore his agonies on the cross were pleasing to his Father, as one that loves to see others in misery merely for misery's sake.

Obj. "But yet, is it not a pity any are finally lost? Would it not have been better if all had been saved ?"

Ans. It would, no doubt, be better for their own interest, if the rebels in any earthly kingdom would all come in and submit; and they would in such a conduct show more respect to their lawful sovereign. On which accounts their so vereign may send and sincerely invite and command them to return and submit, although he knows they will not, and is at the same time determined to do no more, but upon their ob stinate refusal, (as the best thing that can be done,) to make them examples of his wrath, in the sight and for the instruction of all his dominions. Nor can any justly say, it is a pity he did not take more pains with them, or that it is a pity he punished them at last*.

"As I

And might not such an earthly monarch send to such rebels and say, live, I have no pleasure in your death." (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) "I am long-suffering towards you, not willing any of you should be put to death, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter iii. 9.) And that with the utmost sincerity; although he knew their obstinacy was so great that they would not hearken; and although he was before determined to do no more, but, (as the best thing that could be done,) to proceed to their execution, for the vindication of his

Pharaoh had shown more respect to God, and it had been more for his interest, had he repented of his oppressions, and without delay yielded obedience to the divine command, and let Israel go. But no man has reason to think it had been better if God had said or done more to make him obedient, or that it was a pity God punished him at last as he did. [It was the best thing that could be done.]

Moses had beheld all his conduct; and Moses beheld the punishment the ALMIGHTY inflicted on him, and on his ar my and what did Moses think? Did he think it was a pity that proud and haughty monarch was so brought down?—a pity, the cruel Egyptians were thus drowned? Or, did not the divine conduct appear perfect in wisdom, glory, and beauty? Now, if none are finally lost but those who deserve eternal damnation, as really as Pharaoh and his host did to perish in the Red sea; and whose eternal damnation will turn as much to the honour of God and general good of God's chosen people, as did the destruction of Pharaoh and his host, and as much more as perfectly to answer to the greater importance of the case; it is not at all strange if their eternal damnation should appear, in the eyes of God, angels, and saints, through eternal ages, in as beautiful and glorious a light as did the destruction of Pharaoh and his host to Moses, when he composed and sang that song recorded in the 15th chapter of Exodus. The Egyptians thought it a pity their monarch and his army were lost; yea, to them it appeared a dreadfully

honour, and instruction of all his dominions! Surely, none ever thought but tha an earthly sovereign may, in such a case, have a real and sincere regard to the welfare of his subjects, considered as men, although he is determined, as a wise governor, to "show his wrath" in their destruction, considered as obstinate rebels, after having “endured with much long-suffering." (Romans ix. 22.) Nor, did ever any doubt but that he has right to set bounds to his endeavours and to his patience, or that it becomes him to do so. (Psalm lxxxi. 8. 13.) And if God's conduct in giving up obstinate sinners is consistent with all the tender concern he expresses for them, his decreeing to conduct so is consistent too. If he acts consistently, it was consistent to determine to act so. It may be ob served that, as the scriptures take it for granted, mankind are moral agents, and proper subjects of moral government, so do I in all the above reasonings Nor is it needful I should enter particularly into this point again, after what has been already published. (See my True Religion Delineated, and Sermon on Gal. iii, 24.)

shocking affair. But Moses sang, The LORD hath triumphed GLORIOUSLY; and was exceedingly rejoiced to see that he had thus shown his power, and laid a foundation to have his name declared throughout all the earth.

And thus will it appear to all the inhabitants of heaven, when satan and all his adherents lie overwhelmed in the lake of fire and brimstone. And, therefore, the heavenly hosts are represented in scripture as singing the song of Moses; triumphing in the destruction of satan and his adherents, as Moses did in the destruction of Pharaoh and his army! (Rev. xv. 3.) And, as repeating their HALLELUJAHS, exulting and rejoicing while they see "the smoke of their torment ascending for ever and ever!" (Rev. xix. 1. 6.)

Nor need it seem strange that the inhabitants of heaven, who have so great a respect to God, and are such hearty friends to his interest and to the honour of his government, should so entirely acquiesce in the righteous punishment of his inveterate, obstinate enemies. If vindictive wrath were nothing but groundless, arbitrary vengeance, it would be quite another thing; but as it is, (in the governor of the world,) nothing but love to God, to virtue, to the best good of the system, bearing down, in a wise and righteous manner, the enemies of God, of virtue, and of the system, it cannot but appear infinitely amiable in the eyes of the inhabitants of heaven*. It is much more strange that any who heartily acquiesce in the gospel-way of salvation, should be stumbled at the final punishment of the wicked. It must be strange partiality in us, indeed, to acquiesce in the death of God's own Son, when standing in the room of sinners, and yet to object against the punishment of sinners themselves. It argues; either that we are very selfish, or else that we love the Son of God less than we do God's obstinate enemies, to be content

Vindictive justice, if I mistake not, arises wholly from love, and is always under the direction of infinite wisdom. And if so, it is an amiable perfection in the Deity. Love is the sum of the moral law, which is a transcript of the moral perfections of God; therefore, love is the sum of God's moral perfections. Love to God, to virtue, and to the system, will naturally induce the governor of the world to punish those who are obstinate enemies to God, to virtue, and to the system, according to their deserts.

that he should bear the curse of the law, but loath that they should. The same views which cause the saints in heaven to acquiesce in God's setting forth his own Son to be a propitiation for sin, to secure the honour of the divine justice, at the same time lead them cordially to approve of the eternal damnation of obstinate sinners themselves.

Besides, to use the Apostle's own words, who was inspired by him who has a perfect view of all things, and knows what is best in so important a case. (Romans ix. 22.) "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured, with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction?" What if God, who doubtless is the fittest judge, and to whom alone the decision of this affair belonged; what if God thought it best to single out some of his apostate creatures; some of his obstinate enemies, who inveterately hate him and his government, and, Pharaoh-like, bid him defiance: I say, what if God thought it best to single out some of these to be examples of his wrath; to be visible monuments of his justice and power, that the whole system might eternally see how infinitely he hates sin, and how easily he can subdue his enemies, and what a fearful thing it is to rise in rebellion against him; (Verse 23.) " and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had a-fore prepared unto glory;" that, by the means, he might set the infinite freeness and greatness of his grace, exercised towards the saved, in the most conspicuous point of light, who, in their destruction, will eternally see. what they deserved, and must certainly have endured, but for the dying love of Christ, and sovereign grace of God? What if infinite wisdom has judged this the best plan? Who is there among all finite intelligences that has right or reason to object?

Obj. "But if this plan was really the best, why do not mankind now prefer it above all others, and heartily rejoice in it? Why so much murmuring around the world?"

Ans. It was but about an hundred miles from Egypt to Canaan, and, in forty days, conducted by ALMIGHTINESS, the Israelites might have marched from Egypt thither; and the Canaanites being all struck dead in one night, as an hundred