Object. Ay ! but they have good meanings, and surely God will not deal in justice and rigour with them: we are ignorant, but our heart is good.
Ans. Prov. xix. 21, ' Without knowledge the heart is not good.' Ignorance is so far from being the mother of devotion, as the Papists say, that it is the great hindrance of it. Simple credulity may be more awful and scrupulous, as men in the night have many fears; but God loveth rational service, not blind obedience : 1 Chron. xxviii. 9, ' And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind.' Worship with- out knowledge is but a blind guess and loose aim, as Christ reproveth the Samaritans for worshipping they knew not what, John iv. 22. Certainly we are not so sensible of the danger of ignorance as we should be. Men live sensually, and die sottishly, and then perish eternally ; they live by guess at best, and some devout aims ; and when they come to die, they die by guess, in a doubtful uncertain way; like men that leap over a deep gulf blindfold, they know not where their feet shall light.
Observe, secondly, that God is not only merciful, but just, in the reward of the godly or glorifying the elect. Christ is praying and arguing for heavenly glory, and he giveth God the title of ' Kighteous Father.' You shall see all your privileges are made to come from righteousness. Pardon of sins, which is one of the freest acts of God, and wherein he discovereth most of his mercy : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' This is the mystery of divine grace. So also for eternal rewards : 2 Thes. i. 6, 7, ' Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.' You will think that it is righteous indeed that God should punish the wicked ; but read on : ' But to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed,' &c.
But how is God's righteousness and justice interested in our rewards ?
1. Partly it is engaged by Christ's merit. Though to us it be mere grace, yet as to Christ it is just, Christ's satisfaction being equi- valent to the violation of God's majesty, and therefore it is just to pardon us. It is just for the creditor to forgive the debtor when the surety hath paid. So Christ's blood is not only Xvrpov, a ransom, but civTuXKajfia, a price. It is just with God to glorify us; Christ's
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righteousness giveth us a right. This reason you have, Eom. iii. 24-26, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remis- sion of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To de- clare, I say, at this time his righteousness ; that he may be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.' God being satisfied by Christ, can be gracious to the creature without disparagement to his justice ; the mediator interposeth, his satisfaction is accepted. This was that the wise men of all times busied themselves in, how God could do good to the creature without disparagement to his justice. But all their devices were frustrate ; Christ alone bringeth the blood to the mercy-seat.
2. God is fast bound by his own promise : James i. 12, ' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.' And it is a part of justice to make good his word. Fro- mittendo se facit debitorem. The qualification being supposed, we may challenge him upon it : Ps. cxix. 49, ' Kemember thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.' He biddetli us put him in remembrance he hath drawn us to these hopes : 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.' Upon which Bernard noteth, Faulus expectat coronam justiticc ; sed justitice Dei, non suce. : justum est ut reddat quod debet, debet autem quod, pollicitus est. It is just with God to pay what he oweth, and he oweth what he promised. Therefore Chrysostom saith it was cne(^avo<i eXeoO? Koi 8iKaioavi'7]<i. We may say to God, Eedde quod promisisti, though not Redde quod debes.
3. By positive ordinance, that every man shall receive according to the kind of his work, the wicked according to their wicked actions, and the good according to their good actions : Mat. xvi. 27, ' Then he shall reward every man according to his works.' Now, lest any should think it is meant of wicked men only, the apostle tells us, 2 Cor. v. 10, * Every one shall receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.' God is not arbitrary in his judgment, it is the rule of process. All shall be rewarded in the gene- ral, quoad genus, according to the kind of their works ; wicked men quoad meritum, because eternal punishment is due to evil works, out of the nature of the works ; but for the godly, the kind of their works is judged, but not in rigorous justice ; they shall not be weighed in tlie balance, then all would be found wanting, but brought to the touchstone. Vce laudahiU vitce hominum, si {7'emota misericordia) discutias earn, saith Gregory. And the apostle, James ii. 12, 'So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.'