will come to be a little more diftinctly confidered under another propofition. I go on therefore to,

Prop. II. That fuch being the relation between God and man, and man being neceffarily under fuch a law to God, fome righteoufnefs is abfolutely neceffary to his justification. I determine not now what this righteousness is, that will be explained under another propofition, but only that fome righteoufnefs is abfolutely neceffary for this purpofe.

And the proof of this will eafily be deduced from the neceffary perfections of the divine nature, as they are exercised and difplayed in the government of man, according to the nature of that law, under which he is to God,

The holiness of God is an effential and unchangeable perfection of the divine nature, whereby he is neceffarily and infinitely removed from every kind and degree of moral evil, and all poffible participation therein. This is in a very emphatical manner afcribed unto God, Thou only art holy, Rev. xv. 4. There is none holy as the Lord, 1 Sam. ii. 2. It is the acclamation of the heavenly hoft, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Rev. iv. 8. And he is glorious in holiness, Exod. xv. 11. as though God never appeared more in his glory, than when he appears in the glories of his holinefs. His holinefs is the harmony of his other perfections and what adds a luftre to them all. can God, because of the infinite rectitude and perfection of his nature, otherwife than hate fin, and conceive an everlafting difplicency at

Nor

it. He is a God of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that cannot look on iniquity, Hab. i. 13. And how will his hatred of fin, and difplicency at it fhew itself, not in the acquittal and juftification of the finner, not in the admitting him to favour, and heaping upon him the effects and bleffings of his favour; but on the contrary in his condemnation and deftruction, unlefs there be fome fuitable reparation made for the offence, which by fin is given him, and by which he may evidence his eternal abhorrence of it *. As the men of Bethfhemesh cried out, under that awful display of the holiness of God which they had before their eyes, who is able to ftand before this holy Lord God? 1 Sam. vi. 20.

Hence fin is defcribed as that abominable thing that he hates, Jer. xliv. 4. And His foult, his purest and most perfect nature, is faid to lothe the finner; my foul also loathed them, Zech. xi. 8. A God of spotlefs holinefs cannot but maintain an everlasting oppofition to fin, as moft contrary to his righteous nature and holy will. And

when

The difpleasure of God is eternal and irreconcilable againft fin; for fin being abfolutely contrary to his holy nature, he is eternally contrary unto it: If there be not therefore a way to feparate the fin from the finner, the finner muft lie under the difpleature of God; no difpleasure can be manifefted without fome marks of upon the perfon that lies under that difpleafure-God can as foon lay afide his purity, as always forbear his dipleafure against an impure perfon; it is all one, not to hate it, and not to manifeft his hatred of it. Charnock, Vol. I. p. 158.

it

+ Peccatum eft

in abominatio animæ ipfi us. Prov. vi, 16. Anima, id eft, ipsi essentia, & effentiali fanctitati ipfius. Witf. Oetonom. Lib. I. Cap. V. $28.

when there is in God fuch an everlasting oppofition to fin, by reafon of his abfolute and most perfect holinefs, can it be fuppofed that he fhould pardon it, and admit the finner to his favour and the effects thereof without fuch fatisfaction, as may teftify to the world his highest indignation against it? I might add, that if God was thus to pardon fin, and admit the finner to an intereft in his favour and effects thereof, without any fuch fatisfaction, or method to fhew his higheft indignation against it, in one inftance, he might do it in another, and a third, and fo on, till every finner and every fin fhould be pardoned without such satisfaction; and what would the confequence of this be, but either a ftrip-. ping God of his holiness, or excluding his holinefs from all concern in the moral government of the world? Hence it is, that the Pfalmist deduces the punishment of the wicked from the purity of the divine nature, or from God's neceffary and unchangeable love of holiness, Pfal. xi. 6, 7. And God himself has declared, upon a folemn occafion, that he will be fanctified in them that come nigh unto him, and before all the people he will be glorified, Lev. x. 3. He will be known to be a holy God in all the difpenfations both of his providence, and grace. The holinefs of God therefore feems to make fome righteousness abfolutely neceffary, for the pardon and juftification of a finner.

God is likewife a juft and righteous God. God's juftice is that effential attribute of his nature, which difpofes and determines him to render to every man his due, and according to

bis

his works *. As it is ftrongly put, Gen xviii. 25. Shall not the judge of all the world do right? The fupreme Lord, and Judge of the world cannot but be juft, and do right. And in what an awful glory does God himself represent thehonour of this attribute, when after he had given the brightest displays of his grace and goodnefs, he adds as the neceffary character of his justice, that he will by no means clear the guilty, Exod. xxxiv. 7. By no means, and upon no account whatever discharge, and acquit the guilty finner without a suitable fatisfaction made to his justice, the foundation of that righteousness in which he may acquit, and justify him. God will proceed according to the exactest and most unchangeable rules of juftice in his government of the world, and in his dealing with finners. As Elihu clearly argues upon a view of the perfections of God. Job xxxiv. 10, 11. Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity. For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and caufe every man to find according to his ways. And this is what Job was ftrongly impreffed with, Job x. 14. If I fin, then thou markeft me, and wilft not acquit me from mine iniquity; not do it, never acquit, nor justify me without a fuitable reparation to the honour of thy juftice, which has been injured by my fin. And this made Him cry out with fo much anxiety, when

Juftitia Dei nihil aliud eft, quam certa quædam manifeftatio fanctitatis ejus in regimine creaturarum rationalium, qua non tantum ut fummus Legislator leges æquas præfcribit, fed etiam ut fummus Judex præmia ac poenas difpenfat.

when taking a view of his fins as committed against God, chap. vii. 20. I have finned, and what shall I do unto thee, O thou Preferver of men? The facred rights of the divine government must be taken care of, and the honour of God's juftice as the guardian of the law provided for, before there can be a way opened out for the pardon of fin, and the juftification of the finner. Upon this foot it was, that Joshua fo carneftly remonftrated to that people, when he faw them profeffing fo forward a zeal for the fervice of God, without any due fenfe of his majefty, holiness, and glory, Jofh. xxiv. 19. Ye cannot ferve the Lord; for he is a holy God: he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your tranfgref fions, nor your fins. The holiness and jealoufy of God, his unfpotted purity, and ardent zeal to vindicate the honour of his law, and maintain the unalienable rights of juftice, are an eternal bar in the way of the finner's pardon without a fuitable fatisfaction and righteousness.

And whereas fome have been ready to ob ject, "that this does detract from God's abfo"lute dominion and fovereignty, and fet him "in this refpect beneath his own creatures, that "whereas they can quit their rights, it fhould "be fuppofed, he cannot forego his:" It is anfwered in the words of a great man *, who hath treated this fubject with a juftnefs, and dignity: of thought peculiar to himself.- "It hath not

"been faid, that God can forego none of his own "rights, it is plain he doth, when having the " right to punish a finner, he by pardon confers upon him right to impunity; but he cannot do

How, Vol. I. p. 190.

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