Ans. I. That is a true rule of St. Aus- tin,— judicia Dei possunt esse occidta, non in- jus/a, — " God's ways of judgment are some- times secret, but never unjust." The Lord never afflicts his peo])le without a cause ; so that he cannot be unjust. There is some good in the godly, therefore the wicked afflict them ; there is some evil in them, therefore God afflicts them. God's own children have their blemishes, 2 Chron. xxviii. 10., " Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord .'' " Tliese spiritual diamonds, have they no flaws ? Do we not read of the spots of God's chil- dren ? Dent, xxxii. 10. Are not they guilty of much pride, censoriousnes?, ])as- sion, worldliness? Though, by their pro- fession, they seem to resemble the birds of paradise, — to fly above, and feed upon the dew of heaven, — yet, as the serpent, they lick the dust. And these sins of God's people do more provoke God than others : Deut. xxxii. 19., " Because of the provok-
OF GOnS JUSTICE.
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ing of liis sons and of liis (laughters." Tlie sins of others pierce Clirist's side, these wound his heart; therefore is not God just in all the evils that hefall them ? Amos iii. 2., " You only have I known of all the families of the earth, tlierefore I will pun- isli you for all your iniquities." I will pun- ish you sooner, surer, sorer, than others.
A. 2. The trials and sufferings of the godly are to refine and purify them. God's fur- nace is in Zion, Isa. xxxi. 9. Is it .any in- justice in God to put his gold into the fur- nace to purify it ? Is it any injustice in God, by afllicting his people, to make them partakers of his holiness? Ileb. xii. 10. Wiiat doth more proclaim God's faithful- ness, than to take such a course witij them as may make them better? Ps. cxix. 75., " In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me."
A. 3. What injustice is it in God to inflict a lesser punishment, and prevent a greater ? The best of God's children have that in them which is meritorious of hell : now, I ^ray, doth God do them any wrong, if he useth only the rod, where they have deserv- ed the scorpion? Is the father unjust if he only con-ects his child who hath deserved to be disinherited? If God deals so fa- vourably with his children, he only puts wormwood in their cup, whereas he might put fire and brimstone; they are rather to admire his mercy, than complain of his in- justice.
Ob J. Hoiv can it stand with God's Justice, that all men beimj equally guiltij by nature, God shmdd pass by one and save anoUier ? Why doth not he deal ivith all alike ?
Ans. Rom. ix. 14., " Is there unrightc- ousnes with God ? God forbid !" Job. viii. 3., " Doth the Almighty pervert justice ?"
1. God is not bound to give an account of his actions to his creatures. If none may say to a king, ' What docst thou ?' Ia-cI. viii. 4., much less to God. It is suflicient, God is Lord Paramount ; he hath a sove- reign power over his creatures, therefore can do no injustice. Pom. ix. 21 , " Ilatli not tlie potter jiower over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to lionour, and another to disJionour ?" God hath a libertv left in his own breast to save one and not another ; and his justice is not at all impeached or blemished. If two men
owe you money, you may, without any in- justice, remit the debt to one, and exact it off the other. If two malefactors be con- demned to die, the king may pardon tlie one, and not the other ; he is not unjust if he lets one suffer, because he offended tlie law ; nor if he save the other, because he will make use of his prerogative as he is king. — 2. Though some are saved and others perish, yet there is no unrighteousness in God ; because, whoever pcrisheth, his de- struction is of himself, IIos. xiii. 9., " O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself" God offers grace, the sinner refuseth it ; is God bound to give grace ? If a chirurgeon comes to heal a man's wound, and he will not be healed, but bolts out his chirurgeon, is the chirurgeon bound to heal him ? Prov. i. 24., " I have called, and ye refused;" Ps. Ixxxi. 11., " Israel would none of me." God is not bound to force his mercies upon men : if they wilfully oppose the offer of grace, their sin is to be taxed as the cause of their perishing, and not God's justice.