ences of good, and distinguish, with complete accuracy, and in all cases, the greater from the less, and that which is, on the whole, most desirable, from that which is not, will be admitted of course. That perfect benevolence must choose this, in preference to any other, is, unless I am deceived, equally evident. Indeed, I can conceive of no possibility, that benevolence can, in any being, prefer a smaller degree of what he thinks good to a greater. Much less can this be attributable to God. As he knows perfectly what is really good; so on this only must his desire, or delight, be fixed; and with the more intenseness in proportion to the greatness of the degree, in which it does or may exist.

Should it be said, that there may be two or more systems of good, equally perfect and desirable: I am not disposed to contend with him, by whom it is said. Those, who say it, ought however to remember, that it is said gratuitously there being no evidence, by which the assertion can be supported. But, should it be granted, it will not at all affect the doctrine under consideration. These two or more systems are by the supposition equally good; and therefore, as an object of contemplation, or adoption, neither is in any degree preferable to the other. That, then, which has been actually adopted, has by this fact become preferable. In all other respects it was equally desirable; and, as it has been actually commenced, it is more desirable that it should be continued, than that it should be given up for the sake of adopting that, which was only equal to it; because, in that case, all, that has been already done, must have been done in vain: conduct, which, I need not say, would be unbecoming the divine character, and for this reason, at least, wholly undesirable. The present system, or the system actually adopted by God, is therefore, to say the least, now the best and most perfect system of good.

The same reasoning will equally prove, that the means, which he has employed for the accomplishment of this great end, are also the best and most proper means, which could be chosen; and, of course, that the whole work of Creation and Providence, composed of the means and the end, is a perfect work, entirely suited to his character.

5thly. It is evident, that God, who is thus benevolent, must love the same disposition in his creatures, and hate the opposite one, unchangeably and for ever.

That God delights with infinite complacency in his own moral character, cannot be questioned. Benevolence in his Intelligent creatures is a direct resemblance of this character; his own image, instamped on created minds; and cannot fail, therefore, to be an object of the same complacency, wherever it exists. He loves, also, his own purposes. Of course, he must love this disposition in his creatures, because all those, in whom it exists, love the same purposes, and voluntarily coincide with him in their endeavours to promote them.

On the contrary, that disposition in his creatures, which is opposite to his own, is in itself odious, in proportion as his is amiable; and voluntarily endeavours to oppose, and to frustrate his purposes; that is, to diminish, or destroy, the boundless good, which he has begun to accomplish. It is not here intended, that so vast a scheme of thought, or action, usually enters into the minds of sinful creatures; but that this is the real tendency of all their opposition to his law and government. In this view, the rebellion of sinners assumes a most odious and dreadful aspect; and is here seen to be a direct hostility against the benevolent character and designs of God, and against the well-being of his Intelligent

creation.

When, therefore, he shall come to judge the world in righteousness, and to render to them such rewards, as are suited to their characters; it is plain, that he will approve of those, and those only, who resemble him by being benevolent; and disapprove of those, who have cherished the contrary disposition. The former, he will bless, or make happy; the latter he will punish, or make miserable. His approbation, at the final judgment, is no other than a testimony of the pleasure, which he takes in the moral character of those, who are approved; and his disapprobation, a similar testimony of the displeasure, which he feels towards those who are condemned. Of this pleasure and displeasure his rewards and punishments are only proofs, of a still higher kind; all founded on the moral character of the respective beings, who are judged and rewarded. How odious, how undesirable, then, is that disposition in us, which God by the dictates of his infinite benevolence is in a sense compelled thus to hate, and punish, because it is a voluntary opposition to his own perfect character, and a fixed enmity to the well-being of his creatures. How lovely and desirable, on the contrary, is that disposition, which he thus loves, and will thus reward, because it is a resemblance of his own beauty and excellence, a cheerful accordance with all his perfect designs, and an universal good-will to his Intelligent kingdom!

SERMON X.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.-THE JUSTICE OF GOD.

DEUT. xxxii. 4.—Just and right is he.

THE end, for which the Song, of which this verse is a part, was written, is expressed in the preceding Chapter, verse 19, in these words:

Now, therefore, write ye this song for you, and teach it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

To this end it is perfectly suited. It is a general testimony of the perfection of God, and of his peculiar kindness to that people. As it strongly and unanswerably exhibits the Righteousness and Goodness of God in all his dealings with them; so, in the same evident and forcible manner, it manifests their ingratitude and unreasonableness in rebelling against him. These it presents in the most affecting light; because it shows, that God clearly foreknew all their transgressions, and, with this foreknowledge, still performed for them all these blessings.

At the same time, it forewarned them of their sin and danger, and urged on them the strongest motives to obedience. This timely testimony was itself a most convincing and affecting proof of his goodness, and left them without excuse.

The text is a general ascription of supreme excellence and glory to God, in his nature, agency, and works. I will publish the name of the Lord, Jehovah, saith Moses in the preceding verse; ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

This Name, or Character, is published in the verse which contains the text. He is the Rock; his work is perfect, for all his ways are Judgment: a God of Truth, and without iniquity; Just and Right is he. That is, God is the Rock, or foundation, on which the Universe stands. His work, the great work of building and governing the universe, is perfect; without imperfection, error, or fault; comprising all things which it ought, and nothing which it ought not, to comprise. The reason of this perfection is, that all his ways are Judgment; that is, are a perfect compound of wisdom, righteousness, and goodness. Just and Right may signify the same thing; or, as is often the meaning of Right, so here it may naturally denote the perfection of God generally considered.

DOCTRINE.

God is a Being of perfect Justice.

Before I enter upon the proof of this doctrine, it will be neces

sary to examine the different meanings of this term; as, like most other abstract terms, it is variously used.

1st. Justice, as applied to cases, in which property is concerned, denotes the exchange of one thing for another, of equal value.

Justice, considered in this manner, affects all bargains; the payment of debts; and the adjustment, and fulfilment, of all contracts. Whenever these are so made, and performed, as that an exact equivalent is rendered for what is received, then, and then only, justice is done. This is called Commutative Justice.

2dly. As applied to the conduct of a Magistrate towards subjects, at denotes exactly that treatment of the subject which his personal conduct merits. To reward the good subject, and to punish the bad, according to equitable laws, and real desert, is to treat both justly; or to exhibit justice in the distributions of Government. Accordingly a Ruler, conducting in this manner, is by the common voice declared to be a just ruler. Justice, in this sense, is properly called Distributive Justice.

3dly. Justice, in a much more extended sense than either of these, denotes doing that, which is Right upon the whole, in all cases; that which is fittest and most useful to be done; in other words, that which will most promote the universal Good. In this sense, Justice is, together with its corresponding term, Righteousness, used as synonymous with Benevolence or Virtue, and involves the whole of moral excellence. This is sometimes called General Justice. This use of the word is very frequent; and many persons appear to make no distinction between this sense of the word and the last mentioned. Yet the meanings are widely different. In the former sense, Justice is the conduct of a Ruler only; in the latter, is applicable to all Intelligent beings: in the former, it is a course of conduct, respecting a single object, according to his merit, or demerit; in the latter, it always respects the universe.

Justice, when considered as an attribute, is the disposition, which gives birth to these, or to either of these, kinds of conduct.

With respect to the first of these senses, we cannot easily suppose a case, in which God, who is the giver of all good, can receive any thing, for which an equivalent can be rendered. The nearest. resemblance to such a case, which is applicable to God, is one, in which he requires the service of mankind in a particular manner, and promises to reward them for such service with worldly possessions. Several such instances may be found in the Scriptures.

Thus he promised the Israelites abundant worldly good, in consequence of their faithful obedience. Thus he promised David, as a reward for his obedience, many earthly blessings. Thus, for the execution of his decree against Tyre, he gave Egypt into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

These instances are, however, all plainly imperfect ones, for the purpose of exhibiting a complete display of this Attribute in the sense in question. God, in all the cases specified, exhibited

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his bounty, and mercy, so much more strongly than mere commutative justice, that we are apt to forget, that this was exhibited at all. Nor can we suppose a case, in which this difficulty will not arise, from the character and situation of God, as the Author and Giver of all good, and as the Receiver of nothing from the hands of his creatures.

Yet, if a case could be proposed, in which God could act, as just in the Commutative sense, his disposition to be just, in this sense, would be as perfect, as in either of the other senses.

This

is unanswerably evident from the consideration, that he requires, under the most awful penalties, the exercise of such justice from the hands of his subjects. In the two last senses, the justice of God is perpetually, and perfectly, exercised towards all his Intelligent creatures.

As the Ruler of the Universe, he rewards every rational being exactly according to his works; except that he hath shown mercy to numberless sinners, who had merited nothing but wrath and punishment: an exception supremely glorious to his character, and formed in entire consistency with exact justice.

As the great friend of happiness, he has devised, also, the most perfect happiness of his immense Kingdom, and the most perfect means of accomplishing it. This he pursues with infinite intenseness of energy, without intermission, without change, and without

end.

In this sense, the Justice of God respects first, himself; and secondly, his creatures.

1st. God is infinitely just, as his conduct respects himself.

:

In an uniform series of dispensations, he exhibits to the Universe, his own character, as supremely glorious, excellent, beautiful, and lovely; and as therefore deserving all possible admiration, confidence, love, reverence, worship, and obedience, from all Intelligent beings. In this divine employment he has published to Intelligent beings a glorious rule of rectitude, as the rule of his own conduct a rule, to which all that conduct is entirely conformed, without variableness, or shadow of turning. To this rule he requires them to conform all their conduct, also. In obeying it, are involved their duty, interest, honour, and happiness, alike. This he has exhibited as an unchangeable and everlasting rule; by which the Intelligent universe is every where, at every period, and with respect to every thing, to be governed; and which he will never forsake, even though that universe were to be the sacrifice.

2dly. In the same sense, God is perfectly just to his creatures. The justice of God to himself is the highest and first act of justice to his creatures. But for this regard to himself, they could never venerate his character, nor render him their love, or their confidence. As the promoter of the universal good, God can in no way so contribute to this great and glorious end, as in unfolding his own supremely excellent character. This is the source, and