II. How contrary it is to the nature of God to be otherwise affected,
1. It would be contrary to the wisdom of God simply to desire the destruction and death of the creature ; for what wisdom can there be in that to mar his chiefest work. Would it become the wisdom of God to have raised such a creature as man is, with such faculties and en- dowments, merely because he would destroy him ? We do not dispute of his absolute right and authority to do with his creature as he pleaseth ; nor of his justice, when man abuseth his talents, and is unthankful to his Creator. We speak now of his wisdom. Will a wise man raise a curious structure with a great deal of cost and art, merely that he may pull it down again, as children build houses with cards to blow them down in an instant with one breath ? Certainly the making of a second covenant showeth that it would not stand with the wisdom of God that the world of mankind should be wholly destroyed as soon as it was made ; for then God might have broken off and dissolved all things ; but it would not suit with his wisdom, and therefore he would try the creatures he had made with other means.
2. His goodness will not permit liim to take pleasure in evil as evil, such as is the sin and destruction of the creatui-e. They were accounted monsters of men that glutted their eyes with cruelties ; and can we imagine that God will make sport with the eternal ruin of his creatures? Prov. xii. 10, 'A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.' The more good any man is, the less pleased with the torment of any creature, not of the smallest vermin. It was noted of Domitian as a piece of cruelty that he took pleasure in tormenting flies ; and can we imagine it of God, that he delights in the torment, death, and destruction of what he liatli made ?
3. His mercy ; how can it stand with his mercy to desire or take
468 SERMONS UPON EZEKIEL XVIII. 23. [Ser. I.
pleasure in the misery of liis creatine ? We read much of his merci- ful nature; where he proclaimed his name: Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, 'And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord thy God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in good- ness and truth ; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' In this description there is more spoken of his mercy than his justice. First, his mercy is described, and then his justice. Justice is only added to invite men to take hold of mercy, and to show that justice is never exercised but in avenging the quarrel of abused mercy. So in the prophet's exclamation : Micah vii. 18, ' Who is a god like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.' We may compare God with all other gods for any of his perfections, but chiefly for his mercy. The devil held the world in subjection by the tyranny of fears and torments, but God exercises mercy : Exod. xx. 6, ' Showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my command- ments.' Therefore we ought to conceive of him that he can have no pleasure in our death, for mercy is an attribute that inclineth God to succour them that are in miseries. How then can our destruction be more acceptable to God than our salvation ?
4. It would destroy all that natural reverence that man hath of God, and hope of pardon from him, which is the first motive to incline sinful creatures (such as we are) to come to him, and would choose the suspicions to prevail above our hopes, and so in despair we should hate God, and slight his service. In the conduct of the afitiirs of the universe there are mixed effects of God's justice and goodness ; the one begets fear, the other hope. Indeed, fear is more natural to carnal men, because a bad conscience is very suspicious. Our observance of God's benefits is not so great as the sense of our own ill-deservings is quick and lively ; therefore our serious hopes are weaker than our fears while we are in our natural estate. Now it would feed our prejudices if we did not strongly assert God's delight in our salvation more than in our destruction, and convince men of it ; for as their fears increase above their hope, their hatred of God increaseth. Oderunt quern meiimnt, and Quern odimus, periisse cupinms. Whom men fear they hate, and whom they hate they wish he were out of the way. When we only dread God for his vengeance, we keep off from him, and the least desire of repentance and amendment of life would never enter into our souls. A dissolute youth hateth his master that would scourge him for his debaucheries ; but the hope of pardon, that inviteth men to return. ' God is good.' He made all good ; he preserveth and main- taineth all : ' His tender mercy is over all his works,' Ps. cxlv. 9. We have no cause to suspect him. Notwithstanding our continual offences, he doth not cease to do good to us : Ps. cxxx. 4, ' There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.'