capitur, nee tangitur ira ; that be is neither pleased with our good deeds, nor angry with our offences. And because many that live in the bosom of the church are poisoned and leavened with this blasphemy, as appeareth, Zeph. i. 12, ' I will search Jerusalem as with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.' It is their latent and hidden thought, though not their declared opinion ; I shall a little speak to it. It is against all reason and sense. It is against all reason, against the wisdom, power, justice, the purity and perfection of God's holy nature, that he should be indifferent to good and evil, and mind- less of his creature wdiom he hath made ; that he should not use his authority and power in executing vengeance on them that do evil, but connive at all the disorders here below, without any taking notice of things. It would destroy all worship and respect to God. The two first motives that ordinarily induce men to religion are fear and hope ; fear that God will avenge their misdoings, and hope of support when men lie under straits and necessities. But now, when men have nothing to hope and fear from his providence, why should they regard God ? The epicureans indeed owned that God was to be worshipped for the eminency of his doings, and for the happiness and excellency and great- ness of his nature; but alas ! that would breed a faint respect; for who regardeth those in whom they are not concerned ? Here in the world kings and potentates are not only reverenced with regard to the emi- nence of their dignity, but as they govern and protect us ; and the common peace and safety depends upon the homage and obedience which we pay to them. Who are there that have reverential thoughts for princes and potentates who are separated from us by an arm of the sea, or some small distance of place ? Who hath thoughts of allegiance and awfulness towards the Mogul or kings of Persia and China, because of their magnificence and the splendour of their courts, their vast armies and retinue, and the largeness of their dominions? So would our respects to God be cold and languid if we were not interested in him and he in us. And besides hearsay, have we not continual proof of his justice and goodness ? and doth he not daily make himself known by punishments and benefits ? Doth not every man value the authority of the meanest gentleman where he liveth, because he seeth it and feeleth it? In case of offence he may be punished by it ; in case of doing well, supported by it. The reports of the greatest potentates affect us not unless we are interested in their rewards and punishments. So it is against sense. Internal sense, the frights and terrors of conscience, that hidden fear and bondage wliich sinners are subject unto all their lives : Heb. ii. 15, 'And deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage ; ' 1 Cor. xv. 5^, ' The sting of death is sin, and the strengtli of sin is the law.' It is as a tliousand witnesses in our bosoms that God will take vengeance of evil doings. Certainly the impressions are involuntary; they are not things we delight in, for fear hath torment in it. Men would fain get rid of it if they coukl, but they cannot wholly root it out of their breasts what time soever they take to do it. It is evident to external sense: Kora. i. 18, ' For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrigliteonsness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; ' Heb. ii. 1, 2, ' Therefore we ought
350 SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. [SeR. II.
to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip ; for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recom- pense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?' God's justice executed should strike us with dread, when we see the effects of it in pestilences or any other noisome diseases, wars, famines, tempests, inundations, lightnings, thunders, particular instances upon ourselves, upon any notorious disorders ; so that we are forced to say, ' Verily there is a God that judgeth the earth.' I have been the longer on this, because atheism is at the bottom of presumptuous sins, and men seek to extinguish out of their minds all thoughts of God's justice and severity against sin. I know the grand objection, the promiscuous dis- pensations of God to good and bad. But that ariseth from our haste and rashness, like ignorant and impatient spectators, that will not tarry till the last act of the tragedy.
Secondly, Another thing that men presume upon is, that God will be merciful though they go on in their sins. This is a presumption wherein they harden their hearts, that God will not be so severe as is told them, but more gentle and merciful to his creatures. But this is to turn the mercy of God to a wrong use : Jude 4, ' Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness ; ' to abound in sin that mercy may abound. True penitents, nolunt misericoi'dim divince oneri esse, would not be burdensome to God's mercy. Mercy may become our enemy when it is abused. Licentious persons cannot expect it ; for it is dis- pensed according to rule. Mercy to convert us as a free lord, but mercy to reward us as a governor; and God hath told us he will not be merci- ful to such: Deut. xxix. 19, 20, 'And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. The Lord will not spare him ; but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man.' Therefore do not presume thou shalt find mercy at length. Mercy is for the support of the penitent : Isa. Iv. 7, ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' Their cordial is thy poison : Ps. Ixviii. 19-21, ' Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even the God of our salvation. He that is our God is the God of salvation ; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and -the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses.'