8. The righteousness of God is also to be considered in this matter. That name in the Scripture is used to denote many excellencies of
630 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver.5,6.
God, all which are reducible unto the infinite rectitude of his nature. I intend that at present which is called "justitia regiminis," his righteousness in ride or government. This is remembered by Abra- ham : Gen. xviii. 25, " Shall not the Judge of all the eai'th do right?" And by the apostle: " Is God unjust who taketh vengeance? God forbid." This our souls are to own in all the works of God. They are all righteous, — all his who " will do no iniquity, whose throne is established in judgment." However they may be dreadful, grievous, and seem severe, yet they are all righteous. It is true he will some- times "rise up and do strange works, strange acts," Isa. xxviiL 21, such as he will not do often nor ordinarily, such as shall fill the world with dread and amazement, — he will " answer his people in terril)le things ! " but yet all shall be in righteousness. And to com- plain of that which is righteous, to repine against it, is the highest unrighteousness that may be. Faith, then, fixing the soul on the righteousness of God, is an effectual means to humble it under his mighty hand. And to help us herein, we may consider, —
(1.) That " God judgeth not as man judgeth." We judge by the " seeing of the eye, and hearing of the ear," — according to outward appearances and evidences; " but God searcheth the heart." We judge upon what is between man and man ; God principally upon what is between himself and man. And what do we knoAV or understand of these things? or what there is in the heart of man, what purposes, what contrivances, what designs, what corrupt affections, what sins ; what transactions have been between God and them; what warnings he hath given them ; what reproofs, what engagements they have made; what convictions they have had; what use they were putting their lives, their substance, their families unto ? Alas ! we know no- thing of these things, and so are able to make no judgment of the proceedings of God upon them; but this we know, that he " is right- eous in all his ways, and holy in all his works," yea, the most terrible of them. And when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, ah ! how glorious Avill be his drowning of the old world, firing of Sodom, swallowing up of Dathan and Abirara in the earth, the utter rejec- tion of the Jews, with all other acts of his providence seeming to be accompanied with severity ! And so will our own trials, inward or outward, appear to be.
(2.) God is judge of all the world, of all ages, times, places, per- sons; and disposeth of all so as they may tend unto the good of the ■whole and his own glory in the universe. Our thoughts are bounded, much more our observations and abilities, to measure things within a very small compass. Every thing stands alone unto us, whereby we see little of its beauty or order, nor do know how it ought justly to be disposed of That particular may seem deformed unto us,
Yer. 5,6.] god himself the object of our waiting. 631
which, when it is under His eye who sees all at once, past, present, and to come, with all those joints and bands of wisdom and order whereby things are related unto one another, is beautiful and glo- rious: for as nothing is of itself, nor by itself, nor to itself, so nothing- stands alone; but there is a line of mutual respect that runs through the creation and every particular of it, and that in all its changes and alterations from the beginning to the end, which gives it its loveliness, life, and order. He that can at once see but one part of a goodly statue or colossus might think it a very deformed piece, when he that views it altogether is assured of its due proportion, symmetry, and loveliness. Now, all things, ages, and persons, all thus at once are objected unto the sight of God; and he disposeth them with respect unto the whole, that every one may fill up its own place, and sustain its part and share in the common tendency of all to the same end.
And hence it is that in public judgments and calamities, God oftentimes suffers the godly to be involved with the wicked, and that not on the account of their own persons, but as they are parts of that hody which he whl destroy. This Job expresseth somewhat harshly, but there is truth in his assertion: chap. ix. 22, 23, " This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent." God in public desolations oftentimes takes good and bad together; a sudden scourge involves them all. And this God doth for sundry reasons ; as, —
[1.] That he may manifest his own holiness; which is such that he can, without the least injustice or oppression, even upon the ac- count of their own provocations, take away the houses, possessions, estates, liberties, and lives of the best of his own saints: for how should a man, any man, tlie best of men, be just with God, if he would contend with him? No man can answer to him " one of a thousand," Job ix. 3 : — This they will also own and acknowledge ; upon the account of righteousness none can open his mouth about his judgments, without the highest impiety and wickedness.