less had he done it from all Eternity § 3. From the Rejoycing of the Heavenly Host over this Blessed Work of Creation Job 38.7 for then the Morning-Stars sung together and the Sons of God shouted for joy which holy pure Spirits rejoyce not at the Out-goings of Destruction or Misery or Death or Hell but at the Out-goings of the Power and Work of God and of his Life and Glory which excellently illustrates the Blessedness of this great Work its being ushered in in the Morning of it with those holy Songs and Shoutings of Joy so Divine and Heavenly § 4. From the Creature made for God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him c. Even this gives us a pregnant Instance of the great Love of God to us in our Creation and secures us against the Fear of being put into the hands of Destruction by an Eternal Decree To be made in the Maker's Image and in his Likeness is sufficient warranty against it to any who know what it is to be formed after that Pattern of perfect Bliss for it must needs be that God beholds Himself above all and loves his own Image above every Image and thence hath made choice to dwell with Man delighting in him and loving him For of which of the Creatures ever said he at any time I will walk in them and dwell in them Nor doth he afflict willingly or grieve the Children of Men much less will he without cause Lament 3.33 destroy with an Eternal Destruction the Creature that with so much Wisdom he hath so curiously framed And had there been such an Eternal Destructive Decree upon Mankind then he had been created under the Curse and could not have born the Image of the Blessed on the contrary as he was created in the Image of God he could not be hated of him nor have any such Decree impending him or his Off-spring Again If there had been such a Decree Man must either have been created with the Seed of this Destruction in him which in despite of all his endeavours should increase and grow up with him till he were consumed of it or he must causlessly have been cast down of God into Perdition It cannot be the first for Man was made very good Gen. 1.31 Jer. 2.21 Mat. 13. planted wholly a right Seed sown a good Seed c. and the latter is Blasphemy As God made nothing evil so he made nothing to an evil End it is incompetent with Wisdom and Justice to make a good thing to an evil end and to be sure he that made all things good Gen. 1.30 hated no good thing for no Man willingly propagates what he hateth he must be blinder than a Beetle that gives credit to such stuff which stubs up all Wisdom and Religion by the Roots inverts all Series and Order into Confusion bereaves God of his Wisdom and Goodness and Man of his Honour and Blessing Object But it is alledged that Man forfeited his blessed Estate in the Fall and became subject to Misery so that God might justly have given him over to utter Ruin but through his infinite Mercy in Christ Jesus he choosed to save a few Vincent's Catechism p. 19 c. and pass by all the rest of Mankind So that God's Eternal Decree of Reprobation is his leaving them to perish in their Sins unto the Praise of the Power of his Wrath and infinite Justice in their Everlasting Punishment Answ If so this Forfeiture was general either all forfeited their Blessed Estate or none at all Then how is that Mercy infinite which forgives but a few or that Justice infinite which punisheth not all But as the Mercy of God in Christ is infinite there is made Provision therein for the Salvation of all if they will accept God's Salvation on God's Terms and as his Justice is infinite it is provided therein to punish all Men that despise or neglect so great Grace and Mercy And if God should leave any to perish in their Sins through their impenitency how can this be call'd his absolute Eternal Decree of Reprobation of Persons Or how doth the leaving a Man to the natural Consequence or Effect of his own evil Actions imply the Decreeing him to such an End or such Actions Put the case of a Man's stabbing himself with his own Sword Is the not forcibly hindering him from it the forcing him thereto Is the bare permitting him to do it the putting him under a fatal necessity of doing it as is imply'd in these words God 's Eternal Decree of Reprobation c. What passage can be collected out of all the Scripture to shew God's seeking to have Praise ascrib'd to his Wrath Which is not voluntary or a first Principle in him as shall hereafter be manifest So that in short these Tenents are sad ones equally void of Reason and of Gospel But I shall make it appear God did not take this Advantage against any part of Mankind or absolutely Decreed their Destruction from Eternity or from the Fall but tendered Salvation and the Gospel to them Then Neither hath he done any thing to frustrate any one's Salvation before his Birth 1. From the Benefit of Christ's Death universally extended 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.6 Hebr. 2.9 he died for all Men he gave his Life a Ransome for all 2. From the Universality of the Gospel it brings good Tidings of great Joy to all People Luke 2.10 Mat. 28.19 Mark 13.10 and was to be preach'd to or in every Creature under Heaven all Nations to be taught c. 3. From the Universality of the Grace of God called in Scripture Titus 2.11 Gratia Salutifera the Salvation-bringing Grace or the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation This Grace hath appear'd to all Men and it bringeth Salvation it appears not empty-handed if it should cease to have such a Gift it should cease to be that Grace but all Men have the Tenders of Salvation in and through this Divine Grace and this since the Fall So God hath not taken that Advantage against any from the Fall as to leave them unavoidably to perish in their Sins c. but visits all Men in and by his Divine Grace in order to their Salvation and enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and hath not done any Act to frustrate the Salvation of any before their Birth He that is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet 3.9 1 Tim. 2.4 who will have all Men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth He hath done nothing to frustrate the Salvation of any Man before his Birth But God is not willing that any Man should perish c. So here we acquit our selves of Decretal Reprobation either Eternal or Temporal that 's previous to our Birth and indeed of all Decretal Reprobation § 5. That Doctrine which makes the cause of
that were to find fault where there is none then he would not do right to Men. And shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right This were to slay the Righteous with the Wicked and if it were thus the Righteous should be as the Wicked But Abraham communing with God Gen. 18.25 saith That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the Righteous with the Wicked and that the Righteous should be as the Wicked that be far from thee If this were God should not be a Righteous Judge neither should he Judge the World with Righteousness or the People with Equity But the Lord is the Righteous Judge with Righteousness shall he Judge the World 2 Tim. 4.8 Psalm 98.9 and the People with Equity Some may query Doth not the Apostle call such Reasoning a Replying against God Which Word is diversely rendered as Repliest or Answerest again or Disputest thou with God Now there is a great Variety in God's Works and there are Degrees of Honour he hath put the Heavens above and the Earth below and in Heaven he hath made several Degrees and Orders of Angels and hath caused one Star to differ from another in Glory and in Magnitude yet the less Glorious are Stars too and all Stars are from brightness and shining the least hath its lustre And in the Earth there are different Ranks and Degrees of Men Superiours and Inferiours c. even in the Natural Body some parts are more some less Comely yet the less Comely parts though not so Honourable are of great use in the Body And this is that thing we are not to dispute with God why he hath made us thus He is the Former and We the thing formed who are but as the Clay to the Potter in comparison of him So We unto him that striveth with his Maker let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the Earth Shall the Clay say to him that fashioned it Isa 45.9 10. What makest thou c. Wo unto him that saith to his Father What begettest thou Or to the Woman What hast thou brought forth It 's our place to be content with what God hath done both as to what he hath Made us and as to the Station and Capacity he hath plac'd us in and not to murmur or have Emulation against such as are greater than we or are more indued with Power and the Divine Wisdom but be thankful for them as Helps in the Church c. and to God that we are related to him and not the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Ay but say some hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessel unto Honour and another unto Dishonour We dispute not God's Power but assert his Act and aver He hath not in our first Creation made any Man in a strict and proper Sense a Vessel of Dishonour to break or destroy it for all the Vessels of the Potter are by designation Vessels of Use he makes none on purpose to break them in pieces again and to no other end but meerly to shew his Power over the Clay and even this if he did so would not answer to God's making Men to an End of Eternal Destruction because of the Torment of that State whereas the other is but dead Clay Though he hath the Potter's Power he is not as that foolish Potter who counted it his Glory to make counterfeit things wisd 15.9 The Prophet Jeremiah gives a Relation of his going down to the Potter's House and the Vessel that he made of Clay was marred in his hand so he made it again another Vessel as seemed good to him and the Word of the Lord came to him saying O House of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter Behold as the Clay is in this Potter's hand so are ye in my hand Here God declares his Power what he could do and then his Act what he would do the order and manner of which is especially observable and is thus At what Instant I shall speak concerning a Nation to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced Jer. 18. â— turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Is not this great Grace and Mercy If as to such then as Miscarry God would amend their default how much less would he make any to miscarry Here are in this Text People denoted who had swerved from their proper End and who saving God's Power were marred for being Vessels of Honour and God according to his great Power and Justice might have concluded them under Everlasting Dishonour yet he forbore the Execution of this being still ready to spare them if they would turn from their Evil. And if he be thus sparing concerning them that have sinned to put the Seal of perpetual Dishonour upon them for Vengeance is his strange Act which whenever he executes he puts on his Armour how much less hath he made any to be Vessels of Wrath and Dishonour For whatsoever is Good is Honourable but God made all things Good therefore he made all things Honourable Whatsoever tends to stain God's Honour is false and wicked but it 's a Dishonour to the Maker to make any thing Dishonourable therefore to hold that is false and wicked In short it 's contrary to Reason and Scripture and to the Verity and Honour of God the Maker and Creator of all things to say he made any thing Dishonourable in their first Structure in a strict and proper Sense but it is allowed comparatively or with respect to Degrees of Honour Now this is as to our first Make but what God may do with us afterwards because of our Sin or we make our selves or the Enemy may make us relates not to our first Creation or Being The Potter wrought a Work on the Wheel and the Vessel that he made of Clay was marred or broken in his hand Jer. 18.3 4. so he made it again another Vessel as it seem'd good to the Potter to make it Now Man is compared to this Vessel of Clay which was marred in the hand of the Potter and he made it again another Vessel as seem'd good to him and though we cannot miscarry in God's hand through any deficiency in him as a Workman yet we may miscarry in our own Conduct after we are formed and fashioned by him as free Agents at liberty to choose the Good and eschew the Evil. And 't is not God's Power but Man's going into the Evil is the cause many miscarry and become Objects of God's Displeasure and Vessels of Wrath. Thus Men's Destruction is of themselves and not of God And it 's plain when the Potter wrought his Work on the Wheel it was first intended for another thing but being marred in his hand he made it another Vessel as seem'd good to the
Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the Death of his Son his Election then must stand on this bottom Not of Works but of him that Called for this precedes Works We did not first choose him but he hath chosen us at a time when there was no merit in our hands Some would abuse these Truths to the exclusion of all good Works but without them we are not saved though they have not the first place in our Salvation yet they have their place and come in in their order There is something to be done on our part when we are Called and Elected namely To use diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.5 by adding to our Faith Vertue c. Some say It is sure for the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance c. This indeed shews the sureness of it on God's part but on our parts it is conditional all God's Dealings with us being by way of Covenant So that we are not sav'd Nolens volens whence it comes to pass of the many that are Called few are Chosen Mat. 20.16 For there it a great Work to be done before we are made New Creatures we are not to rest in the bare beginnings of an Election and being Called c. as if our Work were done but go on to Perfection For through the help of Christ joyned with our diligence a progress may be made unto that degree of God's Love and State of Assurance in Christ Jesus from whence there is no Apostacy And these are God's Sealed Ones Mat. 24.24 called in Scripture the very Elect whom neither false Christs nor false Prophets with their great Signs and Wonders shall ever be able to deceive For to this degree of Perseverance must this Scripture relate or else it would interfere with those Scriptures that shew the possibility and even danger of falling from Grace of forfeiting our Calling and Election of making Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience of denying the Lord that bought us of Crucifying him afresh and putting him to open Shame as 1 Cor. 9.27 Heb. 6.4 5 6. 1 Tim. 1.8 2 Pet. 1.9 c. Having done with that part of the Argument which respects Reprobation I come next to treat of Election The Second Part. Treating more particularly of Election CHAP. I. Containing some Short but General Arguments viz. 1. Shewing some further ill Tendencies of the false Notion of Election and Reprobation 2. The Necessity of Practical Religion 3. The Mistake in Vnderstanding some Words and Sentences in Scripture always in the same Restricted Sense 4. That God deals with Mankind in way of Covenant 5. That God made Man a free Agent capable to choose for himself either Good or Evil. 6. Of God's Wisdom Love and Justice in dealing with Mankind 7. To what end the Grace of God hath appear'd to all Men. § 1. AS the false Notion of the first leads to Despair so the false Notion of the second to Presumption And both make void all Religious Exercise and Care concerning the Performance of Divine Worship and all Holy Duties As the Tendency of the Arguments upon the first Part is to remove all ground of Diffidence and Despair so shall it on the other hand be endeavour'd to remove that ground of Presumption and Self-security which hath been hurtful to many § 2. And to shew the necessity of Practical Religion unto Salvation even the Obedience of the Faith and Gospel of Christ that we may redeem the Time allotted us working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling and so through the Mercy and Power of Christ raising us up in our selves and not without us we may come to escape all the Evil of Reprobation and to enjoy all the Good and Blessings of Election but without this we can neither avoid the one nor attain the other To save Transciption I desire the Reader to look over the Scriptures in the Introduction several of which are spoke to already and it remains to say something of Fore-knowledge Predestination Calling Election and Justification c. § 3. And as is shewn in the other Part concerning Hating Hardening Reprobation Vessels of Wrath c. the inconvenience of taking them in a primary strict positive Sense and as respecting particular Persons without regard to their good or evil Deeds so take these Terms in a strict positive Sense to respect particular Persons as words of the first intention and simply without any regard to their good or evil Deeds and exclusive of others c. and we shall run into great Error and Blindness and lose the Truth § 4. For as is in part observed before all things between God and Man are transacted by way of Covenant and every Covenant supposeth Terms or Conditions and a Possibility of Performing or not Performing of those Conditions and Loss or Benefit Reward or Punishment according as we keep or break Covenant Those Terms God proposed to Cain that Murderer of his Brother and first Murderer amongst Men Gen. 4.7 If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted But if thou doest evil sin lieth at the door And no Man ever had other Terms all are accepted in well-doing but none at all are accepted in evil-doing God hath commanded no Man to do wickedly neither hath he given any Man license to sin but being Righteous himself he ordereth all things righteously Ecclus 15.20 Wis 12.15.16 thinking it not agreeable with his Power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished for his Power is the beginning of Righteousness c. § 5. So having made Man a free Agent capable of adhering either to Good or Evil having power and understanding to will distinguish and choose for himself and having first propos'd the Good to him with Promises of Life and blessed Rewards and caution'd him against the Evil with Threats of Death and Everlasting Punishment and Misery he then leaves him capable to receive his Counsel But he doth not forcibly determine him to Good or Evil Actions for then there would be no Vertue or Vice well-deserving or ill-deserving Obedience or Disobedience Good or Evil Wisdom or Folly no Will Choice Love or Hatred c. So no Rewards or Punishments which makes void the State of Man and the Gospel and God's Oeconomy and brings all his Works into Confusion altering things from that Order of Wisdom he hath placed them in Obj. Some object Seeing God fore-knows all things to what End is Grace given and a Day of Visitation in which they might be saved to such as come not to be benefitted by it but reject so great Mercy and Goodness Ans Many think this and such like are wise and puzzling Questions though the very Query convicts a Man of Ignorance shewing that he neither knows God nor yet himself nor God's Oeconomy his Order in the Creation for any of these being known all such Scruples vanish For as God is the most intelligent Being and free
of so great difference sheweth as if they were not all made to the same End Answ The Vessels of Wrath are them that become such through Degeneration and Sin and even towards these God exerciseth great Patience Goodness and Mercy gives them time and space of Repentance indures them with much long Suffering till the Day of their Visitation is over then they are Vessels of Wrath fitted for Destruction but that they were so from before they were Born or fitted to Destruction in their first Structure neither this or any other Scripture holds whosoever are saved it is through Regeneration and Regeneration supposeth Generation and Degeneration going before Regeneration is a restoring our Generation bringing us into our first State and Image and all such are Vessels of Mercy And the Vessels of Wrath are the Unregenerate them in the Degeneration but no Man was made a Vessel of Wrath in the Day in which he was made Object 3. The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my Power in thee and that my Name might be declared throughout all the Earth therefore hath he Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth From whence some conclude Pharaoh to be made for a purpose of Destruction c. Answ This Scripture refers to Exodus 9.16 where the words in the Lattin are Veruntamen propterea feci ut restares nevertheless therefore I made that thou mighest remain c. or that thou remainest and in the Margent is put Made thee stand instead of which is put in the English Bible For this cause have I raised thee up and in Romans 9.17 For this same purpose where in the Latin both Tremellius Beza c. use the Verb Excitavi and in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Signification None of all which Expressions relate to the Creation of Man or Pharaoh's being made to such an end but to something done to him or permitted or suffered after he was Man Nor is it deny'd but God may Judicially harden People after so long and manifest Opposition and Rebellion against him Now were past already Seven of the Plagues of Egypt and the Eighth about to be poured forth so no question God in his Justice sooner might have cut Pharaoh off Yet Time was lengthened to him and his Punishment further deferr'd for God's greater Glory that he might multiply his Signs upon Egypt and so his Power be manifest and Name declared throughout all the Earth and this is all that place imports But not that Pharaoh was made on purpose for this End of Destruction and no other nor doth Temporal Destruction always imply Eternal the terms in the Argument for instances not a few may be collected in Scripture where God pardons the Sin as to the Eternal Punishment of it and yet inflicts an heavy Temporal Punishment I come now to the second part of the Objection Therefore hath he Mercy on whom he will have Mercy and whom he will he hardeneth As to this and such Passages though our Opposers would have them carry their Sense yet read but as they should be read this Apostle's Epistles through and they explain themselves and shew in what manner and order and for what cause God declares his Wrath on the Vessels of Wrath and the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy and also teach us That every one who is a Vessel of Wrath becomes such by slighting the Mercies of God graciously tender'd him in the Day of his Visitation For there is such a Day to every one in which they may be saved and wherein God works upon them in order to this End This is a Day of Days an entrance into Life and Glory to them that know and improve it And these are them God will have Mercy on who in the time of their Visitation receive his Grace and Love and through the Power and Work of the Divine Word attain the New Birth And those that God will Judicially harden are they who despise the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering as did Pharaoh not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth to Repentance these through their hardness and impenitent Hearts treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath. And the others do not harden their Hearts but obey the Truth Now these different States have different Rewards and thus is Mankind distinguish'd into Vessels of Wrath and Vessels of Mercy Thus is it that some find Mercy and some are Hardened And as to such Expressions as Whom he will he hardeneth and God hardened Pharaoh 's Heart c. they are not to be understood as if hardening Men were simply of God until they have rejected the Tenders of his Love or without long and great Provocation on their part Nor are we to suppose they might not have avoided the cause of such Provocation from any fore-designed Hardening on God's part For during the time of any one's Visitation God freely offers them Mercy and what he doth afterwards hath no influence upon this Argument but even that seems rather a leaving them to themselves a giving them over to a Reprobate Mind to Impenitency and Hardness of Heart than active Hardening of them And so concerning the Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart it is said Exod. 4.21 and 7.13 and 10.27 That God hardened it and in the same Book Exod. 8.32 and 9.35 it is said That Pharaoh hardened his Heart So in the Scriptures first quoted the hardening Pharaoh's Heart is spoken of as God's Act and in the latter the same is spoken of as Pharaoh's Act Which seeming Difference is thus Reconcil'd Hardening in Scripture-sense is to be understood as a Searedness and Insensibility of things concerning the Glory of God and our Happiness which Condition is an effect of a customary and habitual Sinning according to that Saying Consuetudo peccandi Peccati sensum tollit The custom of Sinning takes away the Sense of Sin So Pharaoh persisting in a course of Sin and Wickedness unto great Obdurateness thus it is said He hardened his Heart and God ceasing to strive with him by his Spirit and relinquishing him to that Obdurateness thus it is said God hardened his Heart For as his Provocation was the cause of his Plagues so his Rebellion was the cause of his being Judicially Hardened By all which we may learn in what a Qualified Sense such Scriptures are to be understood and the ill Consequence of a partial taking them which may suffice to this Objection Object 4. Thou wilt say then unto me Why doth he yet find fault For who hath resisted his Will Nay but O Man Who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same Lump to make one Vessel unto Honour and another unto Dishonour Answ God doth not find fault where his Will is not resisted
Relation who careth for the Life of his Children nourisheth and provides all things necessary for them and if they be wicked and go from him Luke 15. and abuse his kindness and spend their substance upon Harlots as the Prodigal Son if they do but consider and return he seeing them afar off hath Compassion and runs to meet them and kisseth them and brings forth the best Robe and kills the fatted Calf and feeds and clothes them and rejoyceth over them c. Now if our natural Fathers know how to give good Gifts unto their Children how much more shall our Father which is in Heaven give good Gifts to them that ask him Mat. 7. A natural Father declining from this Rule comes under the Reproach of being Unnatural Careless Senceless c. But should he not only omit the Fatherly Love Care and Provision becoming him but also inhumanely Slay the most of his Children how odious a thing would this be amongst Men He would incur the Infliction of Death And yet the Tenents I 'm opposing lay even harder things than these at the door of the Almighty and most Merciful Father the Slaying his Children not only with Temporal but Eternal Death for the Praise of the Power of his Wrath. § 3. Jesus Christ is our High Priest and as such it is his Office to Bless us to offer up our Sacrifices to Attone and Intercede for and in our Behalf Heb. 5.1 2. Every High Priest taken from among Men is ordained for Men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins who can have compassion on the igrant and on them that are out of the way c. And if Men had such great Benefit and Blessing by the High Priests after the order of Aaron how great Blessing and Benefit then have we by our High Priest after the order of Melchizedec who was before Aaron and is greater than Aaron c. Great was the Love of God unto us in giving his Son to be our High Priest to have the oversight and cure of our Souls and ineffable the Benefits Mankind receive by him who being exalted by the right Hand of God and having received from the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost hath shed forth this in some measure upon all O how wonderfully did he when he took our Nature upon him shew how great was his Goodness to the Sons of Men So if under the Cure of such an High Priest we come to any miscarriage it must be through our selves But what for a Priest do the Priests of these times make him with their Reprobate Doctrine which renders him shutting the Gates of Heaven against the greatest part of the Flock committed to his Cure and instead of interceding to God for them delivering them over to Satan and to Eternal Ruine and this not because of their Wickedness and that they will not be Reclaimed but for the Pleasure of his Father's Will even because God hath Will'd and Decreed it as they say See here how injurious is this Doctrine of Reprobation unto God and Christ in those general Relations of King Father and Priest c. CHAP. III. Reassuming the Substance of those Scriptures and Inferences mention'd in the Introduction most usually Vrged in pleading for Personal Reprobation with particular Answers and Explications to each according to their true and genuine Sense in which is clearly Refuted those false Senses and Meanings which the Predestinarians commonly impose upon them The whole comprised in Ten Objections and their respective Answers HAving thus far gone upon General Reasons I shall now come to a Particular Examen of sundry Scriptures most used in pleading for Personal Reprobation which I shall put as Objections not that they are really so to the Argument I 'm Advancing but the Misunderstanding or that false Sense put upon them So what I put down under the Head of Answer is the Explication of their true genuine Sense and Refutation of those false and foreign Senses and Meanings impos'd on them Which having for avoiding of Cavils premised I proceed Object 1. Though God be Love Good Gracious Merciful c. yet is he Excellent in Power and in Judgment and in plenty of Justice and the Scripture tells us of the Fierceness of his Anger and of his Indignation and of his Wrath and Vengeance c. Deut. 9.7 22. and 13.17 Josh 7.26 Job 37.23 Jer. 50.7 Mic. 7.9 Rom. 12.19 Answ All such places in which God's Anger and Wrath c. are spoken of have respect to Provocation and Offence given and not otherwise for all his Attributes are resolvable into Goodness and Love Mercy and Truth meet together or are united in him and Justice and Peace kiss each other or agree in one in him so speaking of God simply as what he is in himself or what is Primary and Spontaneous in him and he is all Goodness and Love Deus est primario bonus atque ex indole Naturae secundario ex accidente severus idem est ex populi peccato God is primarily good out of the inclination of his Nature but secondarily and accidentally he is severe by reason of People's sins So Anger Wrath Fury and Vengeance the executive part of Justice are consequential from God and not primarily in his Being but stirred up by the Devil and wicked Men proceeding according to his Lusts and the Inclination of their depraved Nature it is the Fruit of their Doings but the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Gal. 5.22 and God is Love God is slow to Anger it is not kindled in him nor repays he Vengeance or Wrath without great Provocation and cause given on our part take away this and Justice is our Friend and Advocate and is as sweet as Mercy It 's Transgression puts the Rod into the Hand of Justice or she Chastizeth not She never smites the Innocent or wounds the Mind that is Guiltless if so it would cease to be it would be no more Justice but it 's the Wicked that are slain at her feet and Transgressors are wounded by her And as Anger Wrath c. are not primary or voluntary in God but as effects of Provocation and Offence so neither is he inclin'd or prone thereto which is an ill Character in a Man and denominates him crabbed peevish angry implacable c. which by no means may be spoken of God Thus the Race of Mankind could not offend their Maker before they were made neither could it be consistent with him to make such a number of Living Souls so Good so Honourable and Resembling Himself to an End so Miserable as the Torments of Hell Object 2. The Scripture mentions Vessels of Wrath fitted for Destruction and also Vessels of Mercy and it is plain some Men are intended by Vessels of Wrath and some Men by Vessels of Mercy Now there is a vast difference betwixt Wrath and Mercy and the Scripture speaking of Mankind under the terms