2. That this righteousness or justice of God is in the exer- cise of it inseparably accompanied with infinite wisdom. These things are not diverse in God, but are distinguished with respect unto the various manners of his actings, and the variety of the objects which he acteth towards, and so denote a different habitude of the divine nature, not diverse things in God, They, are there- fore inseparable in all the works of God. Now, from this infinite wisdom of God, which his righteousness in the constitution of the
VER. 2-4.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 289
punishment of sin is eternally accompanied withal, two things ensue :—
(1.) That he alone knoweth what is the true desert and demerit of sin, and but from his declaration of creatures not any. And how shall we judge of what we know nothing of but from him, but only by what he doth?) We see amongst men that the guilt of crimes is aggravated according to the dignity of the persons against whom they are committed. Now, no creature knowing him perfectly against whom all sin is committed, none can truly and perfectly know what is the desert and demerit of sin but by his revelation who is perfectly known unto himself. And what a madness is it to judge otherwise of what we do no otherwise understand! Shall we make ourselves judges of what sin against God doth deserve /—let us first by searching find out the Almighty unto perfection, and then we may know of ourselves what it is to sin against him. Be- sides, we know not what is the opposition that is made by sin unto the holiness, the nature, the very being of God. As we cannot know him perfectly against whom we sin, so we know not perfectly what we do when we sin. It is the least part of the malignity and poison that is in sin which we are able to discern, We see not the depth of that malicious respect which it hath unto God; and are we capable to judge aright of what is its demerit? But all these things are open and naked before that infinite wisdom of God which accompanieth his righteousness in all his works. He knows himself, against whom sin is; he knows the condition of the sinner; he knows what contrariety and opposition there is in sin unto him- self,—in a word, what it is for a finite, limited, dependent creature, to subduct itself from under the government and oppose itself unto the authority and being of the holy Creator, Ruler, and Governor of all things ;—all [this he knows] absolutely and peviectly and so alone knows what sin deserves.
(2.) From this) infinite wisdom is the proportioning of the several degrees in the punishment that shall be inflicted on sin: for al- though his righteousness requires that the final punishment of all sin should be an eternal separation of the sinner from the enjoy- ment of him, and that in a state of wrath and misery, yet by his wisdom he hath constituted degrees of that wrath, according unto the variety of provocations that are found among sinners, And by nothing else could this be done. What else is able to look through the inconceivable variety of aggravating circumstances, which is re- quired hereunto? For the most part, we know not what is so; and when we know any thing of its being, we know nothing almost of the true nature of its selanidlicite hid this is enbihtebn thing from whence we may learn that divine punishment of sin is always “a
meet recompence of reward.” VOL, XX. 19
290 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IL.
3. In the final punishment of sin, there is no miature of mercy, —nothing to alleviate or to take off from the uttermost of its desert. This world is the time and place for mercy. Here God causeth his sun to shine and his rain to fall on the worst of men, filling their hearts with food and gladness. Here he endures them with much patience and forbearance, doing them good in unspeak- able variety, and to many of them making a daily tender of that mercy which might make them blessed to eternity. But the season of these things is past in the day of recompence. Sinners shall then hear nothing but, “Go, ye cursed.” They shall not have the least effect of mercy showed unto them unto all eternity. They shall then “have judgment without mercy who showed no mercy.” The grace, goodness, love, and mercy of God, shall be glorified unto the utmost in his elect, without the least mixture of allay from his displeasure; and so shall his wrath, severity, and vindictive justice, in them that perish, without any temperature of pity or compassion. He shall rain upon them “snares, fire, and brimstone;” this shall be their portion for ever. Wonder not, then, at the greatness or duration of that punishment which shall exhaust the whole wrath of God, without the least mitigation.
(1.) And this will discover unto us the nature of sin, especially of unbelief and neglect of the gospel. Men are apt now to have slight thoughts of these things; but when they shall find them revenged with the whole wrath of God, they will change their minds. What a folly, what a madness is it, to make light of Christ, unto which an eternity of punishment is but “a meet recompence of reward!” It is good, then, to learn the nature of sin from the threatenings of God, rather than from the common presumptions that pass among secure, perishing sinners. Consider what the righteousness, what the holi- ness, what the wisdom of God hath determined to be due unto sin, and then make a judgment of the nature of it, that you be not over- taken with a woful surprisal when all means of relief are gone and past. As also know that,—