[2.] Come we to the holiness of God, which inclineth him to hate evil and love that which is good. Surely God is not indifferent to good and evil, or more partial to the evil than to the good. That were a blasphemy, and such a diminution of God's holiness as should be ab- horred by every good christian. No ; 'He hatetli all the workers of iniquity,' Ps. v. 5 ; and again, Ps. xi. 7, ' The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.' Well, then, wherein is this love and hatred demonstrated ? Go(i doth not openly declare it in his present dealings with the rebellious and the righteous, therefore it shall be seen in his final dealing with the wicked oppressors of his people, and those that walk uprightly. Therefore there is a life to come, for in this life this love and hatred is not sufficiently expressed ; not his hatred against the wicked, even in the judgment of them who have no great knowledge of the nature of sin, and the punishment which is competent thereunto ; nor his love to the godly, who are often ex-
SERMO^rS UPON 1 CORINTHIANS XV. 19. 135
posed to bitter sufferings, and seem to be less favoured in the course of liis external providence than their enemies. Therefore there is a time to come, when he will show his love to the good in maldng them everlastingly happy, and his detestation of the wicked in eternal torments.
[3.] Come we now to the justice of God. It is agreeable to the justice of his government that it should be well with them that do well, and ill with them that do evil, and that he should make a difference by rewards and punishments between the disobedient and the righteous. Conscience hath a sense of this, and therefore checketh and cheereth, as we have done good or evil. Heathens had accusing or excusing thoughts, which the apostle urgeth as an evidence to the gentiles of judgment to come: Rom. ii. 15, IG, 'Which show the works of the law wiitten upon their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another, in the day when Cod shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.' If every man's thoughts do iiccuse or excuse him respecti^'ely according to the nature of his mictions, then there is in nature a sense of this different retribution. Notions of good and evil are as naturally implanted in our hearts as notions of truth and falsehood, and a man is as sensible of a difference between comely and base as between the right hand and the left ; only the notions of good and evil are sooner corrupted than the notions of truth and falsehood. However, the workings of consci- -ence cannot utterly be choked and deadened in any, though most men seek to stifle it, and the voice of it be oftentimes unheard. The very profane have hidden fears frequently revived in them because of these •retributions of God's justice. The apostle telleth us, Eom. i. 32, ' Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.' They were none of the tenderest men that are here spoken of, but such as were extremely debauched and corrupted, and did delight in the company of those who were as corrupt as them- selves. Well, then, conscience is sensible of a reward and punishment, but this is not fully nor universally dispensed in this world ; yea, rather the worst are permitted to enjoy most here, when the good are kept in a low and bare condition. And that is not the whole case ; the worst do not only differ from the best, but are permitted to triumph over them. Now no righteous governor will suffer his disobedient subjects to persecute those who most carefully obey him, if he hath power to remedy it ; and therefore, though he may jiermit it for a time, yet he will call them to an account, and then amends and satisfac- tion shall be made to them that have suffered wrongfully. Therefore the wicked are reserved to future punishment, and the godly to future reward.
[4.] Come we now to the goodness of God. The Lord is inclined to ■do good to his creatures ; and if there were no sin to stop the course of his bounty, there would be nothing but happiness in the world ; but -certainly if any recover out of a state of sin, and are willing to devote themselves to God, and to contemn all their natural interests for his .sake, certainly the Lord will be good and kind to them. A certain truth it is that no man serveth God for nought ; and it is eV Trpuroa,
136 SERMONS UPON 1 CORINTHIANS XV. 19.