MED. III.

Of the Justice of God: And the Penitential Sorrow

I.

G

refulting from it.

NOD is a Being infinitely perfect and good; the Supreme, the Original Good; the Author and Maker of all things; and cannot therefore be fuppofed, either to hate what himself hath made, or to have given being to any thing, with a defign to render it Miferable. His Providence and Power which made the Subject of the two former Meditations, are in their own Nature and Primitive Intention,calculated for the Benefit and Security of his Creatures; And if at any time they become the Inftruments or Difpenfers of Grief and Pain, this is an Effect purely accidental; an Operation fo foreign, that it is even extorted from them, and wholly imputable to fome other Caufe. And this is the Cafe of Mankind; once favoured above all' their Fellow-Creatures, and fafe under the Shelter and Smiles of an Almighty Protector; But by their own fault deprived of this Defence; left naked and expofed to Mischiefs and Sufferings; and not only difarmed of their fureft Guard, but in perpetual danger of being deftroyed, by that very Hand, which was formerly their Friend and Defender. O wretched Confequences of Sin! that did not only render our first Parents and all their Pofterity liable to bodily Death, and all the Difeafes and Pains that lead to it; but left a fatal Averfenefs to all Good, and a ftrong Propenfion in us to all Evil; by indulging whereof we add our own actual Guilt, to that which our finful Parents had derived down to us; and by Iniquities without number, by wilful, repeated, habitual, and bold Tranfgref fions, do confirm and aggravate this Sentence of Death, and arm the Juftice of God against our selves.

II. Wonder not then, if thou fee fo many dreadful Spectacles of Affliction in the World; nor murmur when thou thy felf art bound in the fame Fetters, and fore loaden with the Burden of Adverfity; But remember that God is righteous, and thou and thefe People are wicked; that he is holy and juft, as well as good; and tho' he do not willingly grieve the Children of Men, yet their Iniquities put a fort of Violence upon him, which he cannot refift. They quite weary him out, and render it impoffible, (that is, inconfiftent with the other Attributes and the Perfections of his Nature) to let fuch Men go always unpunished. Nay even in those infinitely more dreadfulTorments of another World, his Perfections are concerned to vindicate themselves; for tho' these be terrible, above what we are able to exprefs or conceive, yet are they juft. And at the fame time that we may be apt to queftion, whether fo great Severity be confiftent with the Character of our Judge, we prove the Wif dom of our Lawgiver; and, that even Eternal Pains were neceffary, fince even all this will not contain us in our Duty, nor effectually reftrain us from Sinning.

III. And this, my Soul, is thy Cafe. These everlafting Plagues are the deferved Wages of thy Wickednefs. For do but defcend into thy Self, (as it becomes thee to do, now more efpecially) and there take an exact Survey of thy Miferies and Frailties; thy raging Paffions and ungoverned Appetites; Ask thy Self, what Abufes and Mifemployments of Health thou hast been guilty of, Whether thou have not neglected and forgot God and Heaven too much, and been too full of Care and Fondnefs for this prefent World; Whether thou have not omitted his Worship and Sacraments, difregarded his Word, or whether thefe have not been frequented formally and coldly. Examine the Heavinefs of thy Affections, the Wan

drings and Negligence of thy Mind in publick and private Devotions. [Here it may be convenient to inftance in any other Particular against our Duty to God. ] See again the Violation of Juftice and Charity to thy Neighbour, whether thou haft faithfully difcharged the Offices of the feveral Capacities and Relations God hath placed thee in; [ A Husband or Wife, a Master or Mistress, a Son or Daughter, a Magiftrate, a Subject, a Parent, a Brother or Sifter, and the like.] If thou have not been guilty of grofs and palpable Injustice in thy Dealings, yet haft thou done Wrong to no Man's Soul, by ill Advice, or ill Example? Nor to the Bodies of any, by Malice or Contempt, by ill Treatment, fevere Ufage, want of Compaffion and Care for their Infirmities? What Reputations haft thou injured by Scandal and Cenfure; by falfe and uncharitable Judg ments; by bufy medling with Matters that concern thee not; by officiously spreading, or too haftily believing ill Reports; by encouraging, repeating, and being pleased with Detracting or fevere Reflections; or if by none of thefe, yet at leaft by neglecting to reprove, or to discountenance a flanderous Tongue, and to deliver the Innocent from its fecret Stabs? [Here again be particular in any other Sins you have been guilty of against your Neighbour.] Turn thy Eyes inward once more; and behold the Breaches of that Duty thou oweft to thy felf; the Intemperance and Irregularity of thy Defires; the Murmurings and Difcontents; the Infirmities indulged; the Paffions unfubdued; the Negligence in thy greateft Concerns; the Love of unlawful, and the Abuse of lawful Diverfions and Delights; these are things fo incident to our State, that no Man's Confcience can speak Peace to him in them all; and happy art thou in thofe, where thine condemns thee not. But know withal, that God is greater than thy Heart,and knowI Job.iik.ad. eth all things; He keeps exact account of A a

thy

thy lurking Corruptions, and Secret Faults; the unobferved, or the long fince forgotten Mifdemeanors of thy Life. The black Catalogue whereof, could they be fet before thee, would give a difmal Profpect, full of Horror and Confufion, and intolerable Amazement. So that thou muft of neceffity acknowledge thy felf a Mafs of Filth and Mifery; a Wretch, that, if God fhould enter into Judgment with thee, haft reafon to expect nothing better than Indignation and Fury; to be fet up as a Mark of his Vengeance, and by fome fwift exemplary Deftruction swept violently away into the hotteft Flames of Hell.

IV. Thus much I am fadly fenfible of, and do ftand condemned out of my own Mouth. And thus far the Circumftances of all Mankind are the fame,

Pf.cXXX.3,4.

that if God fhould be extreme to mark what is done amifs, the very best of us all could not abide it. But, bleffed be God, though Matters are deplorable, they are not quite defperate; for there is Mercy with him, and his Juftice is fatisfied. The Price and Purchase of our Souls is paid; our forfeit Lives are ranfomed and redeemed; Our Ranfom in Value exceeds the whole World; even his own beloved and only begotten Son; who spared not his own Life, but willingly poured out his Soul to the Death; and is thereby become a Sacrifice and Atonement for the Sins of wretched Mortals. He hath published glad Tidings of Reconciliation and Repentance, of Pardon and Peace. He came to fave Sinners, even the Chief of Sinners; our God willeth not the Death of any; provided they believe, and fincerely obey him: Not according to the Shekel of the Sanctuary, which requires unfinning Perfection; but after the Standard of the New Covenant, which allows for Human Frailties; accepts Sorrow for the paft, Amendment for the Time to come; a fervent Love of God, and honeft Endeavours to ferve him. This is a Saying wor

thy

thy to be accepted indeed; This is the Comfort and Confidence of poor returning Sinners; And while I can fee by Faith the Penalty of Eternal Damnation released, by Virtue of the Blood of this Lamb of God, flain to take away the Sins of the World, I will fubmit with Patience to the Temporal Punishments inflicted by my provoked God; and thankfully accept the Sickneffes and Afflictions of this prefent Life, as fo many Warnings and Calls to Repentance.

V. And fure (my Soul) we fhall take care to make this good ufe of them; For thefe are the Difcipline of the Lord; and if after all that is come upon me for my evil Deeds, and for my great Trefpafs, feeing that thou, my God, haft punished me less than my Iniquities deferve; if I fhould again break thy Exraix. 13. Commandments, thou would'd certainly

be angry,till thou hadft utterly confumed me; and torment me fo much the more, for neglecting fo great Salvation. I take therefore this Chaftifement with all poffible Submiffion; and do with unfeigned Sorrow confefs my manifold Offences: I implore thy Mercy, who art juftly difpleafed with me; and fince in the midst of Life we are in Death, I cry earnestly to Thee for Succour; and beg that howfoever thou thinkeft fit to difpofe of this Corruptible Body; thou wouldst look graciously upon me in thy dear Son, and not deliver my poor Soul into the bitter Pains of Eternal Death; but pity and fave me for Chrift Jefus his fake. Amen.

Here may be repeated the xxxviii and li. Pfalms.

Then the Confeffion in the Communion-Service.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, Maker of all things, &c.

Or else the three Prayers at the end of the Communion. O Lord, we beseech thee, &c.

O moft mighty God, &c.

Turn thou me, O good Lord,

.

After either of which, fay as follows: