Moreover, it is manifest that God meant this holiness in that promulgation of his glorious name, or of the essential properties of his divine nature, made face to face to Moses, Exod. xxxiv. 5—7; which name he had also before declared, chap, xxiii. 7. That non- absolution or punishment denotes an external effect of the divine will is granted ; but when God proclaims this to be his name, " The Lord, The Lord God," etc., " that will by no means clear the guilty," he manifestly leads us to the contemplation of that excellence essen- tially inherent in his nature, which induces him to such an act. But
VOL. X. 33
514 A DISSERTATION ON DIVINE JUSTICE. [PART L
that, by whatever name it be distinguished, in condescension to our capacities, is the justice tliat wc mean.
That enlogium of divine justice by the psalmist, Ps. v. 4-6, favours this opinion : " For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." But those who deny this hatred of sin and sinners, and the disposition to punish them, to be perpetually, immutably, and habitually inherent in God, I am afraid have never strictly weighed in their thoughts the divine purity and holiness.
To the second class may be referred those passages of Scriptm'e which ascribe to God the office of a jvidge, and which affirm that he judges, and will judge, all things with justice. The first which occurs is that celebrated expression of Abraham, Gen, xviii. 25, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" These are not the words of one who doubts, but of one enforcing a truth acknowledged and con- fessed among all ; a truth upon which the intercession of this faithful friend of God for the pious and just inhabitants of Sodom is founded : for Abraham here ascribes to God the power and office of a just judge ; in consequence of which character he must necessarily exercise judg- ment according to the different merits of mankind. This the words in the preceding clause of the verse, accompanied with a vehement rejection and detestation of every suspicion that might arise to the contrary, sufficiently demonstrate : " That be far from thee to do," — namely, " to slay the righteous with the wicked." God, then, is a judge, and a just one; and it is impossible for him not to exercise right or judgment. But that justice wherewith he is now endowed, and by which he exerciseth right, is not a free act of his will, (for who Avould entertain such contemptible thoughts even of an earthly judge?) but a habit or excellence at all times inherent in his nature.
But this supreme excellence and general idea which Abraham made mention of and enforced, the apostle again afterward supports and recommends: Rom. iii. 5, 6, "Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?" Unless he were just, how shall he judge the world? Therefore, this most righteous of all judges exerciseth justice in judging the world " because he is just."
For why should God so often be said to judge the world justly, and in justice, unless his justice were that perfection whence this right- eous and just judgment flows and is derived? Acts xvii. 31, " He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteous- ness by that man whom he h.ath ordained;" and in Rom. ii. 5, the day of the last judg-ment is called " tlie day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."
ARGUMENTS FOR VINDICATORY JUSTICE — SCRIPTURE. 515
But, again, on this very account the justice of God is cele- brated, and he himself, in an especial manner, is said to be just, because he inflicts punishment and exercises his judgments ac- cording to the demerits of sinners: Rev. xvi. 5, 6, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink ; for they are worthy."
But all retaliation^ for a crime proceeds from vindicatory justice; but that God exercises that justice, and is thence denominated just, is evident. The Holy Spirit establishes this truth in the plainest words, Ps. ix. 4, 5, where he gloriously vindicates this justice of God: " Thou hast maintained my right and my cause," says the psalmist; " thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever." God exerciseth justice and determines causes as he sits upon his throne, — that is, as being endowed with supreme judiciary power, — and that as he is a judge of righteousness, or most righteous judge: Ps. cxix. 137, " Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments."
Thirdly, It now remains that we take a view of one or two of those passages of Scripture which, in consideration of this divine justice, assert the infliction of punishment for sin in itself, and as far as re- lates to the thing itself, to be just. To this purpose is that of the apostle to the Romans, chap. i. 82, " Who knowing the judgment," or justice, " of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death." Whatever, or of what kind soever, that justice or right of God may be of which the apostle is speaking, it seems evident that the three following properties belong to it: —