And what is mercy but the over-ruling of strict equity, for the good of the undeferving creature, in a manner confiftent with its real honour.

This account of equity being bound only on one fide of the line of rectitude, must be admitted; otherwise it would inevitably follow, that God had a right to give existence to a moral fyftem, which from its very nature was liable to be deranged, which derangement it was not in his power to overrule for the final happiness of any one offender, which is abfurd. And yet, as the failure of the creature was naturally followed with a lofs of favour and painful remorfe; and equity required that the penal fanction (which either explicitly or tacitly belongs to every law) fhould follow the tranfgreffion of the law; we must conclude, that the office of fovereign mercy does not confift in the difannulling or annihilation of the claims of equity, but in finding and appointing an expedient, a reconciling medium, whereby its claims are granted and yet the offender is not bound over to fuffer. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

*

§ 5. By the term "fovereignty," I understand, "GOD's abfolute right to will and to do whatever is not inconfiftent with his own effence, intellect, and fixed purpose." After the actual exiftence of the mundane system, a thing may be incompatible with the divine purpose, and therefore no proper object of fovereignty, though originally not incompatible

* Gal. iii. 13.

with

with the divine nature. I faid, not inconfiftent with the divine " effence," as well as "intellect;" because, that is the ultimate formal reafon of all fovereign acts. For though no acts of fovereignty can be inconfiftent with the divine intellect; yet, fince this represents to itself all poffibles, the highest fource, the ultimate foundation of preference, must be the infinitely good, wife, powerful, and juft Effence. That the bleffed JEHOVAH poffeffeth such abfolute right," needs no other proof than this— that there lies no poffible ground of remonstrance against it. In regard to a moral system, as fuch, whatever is not the effect of equity must of course be the effect of fovereignty; for to these two principles every thing, as to the divine conduct towards fuch a fyftem, is ultimately reducible.

$6. On this article it may be proper, before we proceed further, to make the following remarks:

1. Divine fovereignty cannot poffibly extend, as fome have affirmed it may, to the hurting of the accountable creature beyond its demerit, for that would be an infringement upon equity, an attribute equally facred and inviolable. However different, therefore, may be the aspects of any divine attributes, when viewed in different relations, they can never be inconfiftent with each other, or admit of the leaft unharmonious interference. Wherefore fovereignty never hurts, never pains, never punishes at all; much less without or beyond prior demerit: -Hence it follows:

2. That

2. That fovereignty in GOD never exerts itself but for the good of its object. If this " abfolute right" be exerted, in any degree, for the harm of the accountable creature, it would, in the fame degree, ceafe to be fovereignty, and degenerate into injuftice. Confequently, as equity never disapproves of the creature but for what is wrong; fo, divine fovereignty is in no cafe employed but for its welfare. -Hence alfo,

3. The perfect harmony of thefe divine attributes, properly understood, in the most intricate, and otherwise inexplicable, œconomies. For instance, fovereignty, from its definition, is not bound to prevent fin, or to find an expedient to pardon it, though it may. Also justice, punishing the offender, it is plain, does not oppose fovereignty; nor does the ceafing to punish oppofe juftice, when the grand ends of moral government are answered.

4. In proportion as any creature has no true. claim upon God, in point of equity, all his enjoyments must be the effect of fovereignty. And, particularly, (to inftance only in a few things) to this adorable fource we must refer the divine plans, and creation, entirely; and a mixture of it in providence, and final judgment: all miracles, every principle, act, and degree of holiness,-together with the refurrection of the body. On these particulars let us obferve:

$7. 1. When JEHOVAH decretively adopted one fcheme of things, out of all poffibles which the divine intellect beheld in the all-fufficient effence, it is felf

evident

evident that he exerted an act of high fovereignty. He could be under no obligation, except to himself, the infinitely good and wife, to cause one poffible plan to become the object of his purpose rather than another. Who hath known the mind of the Lord, in this matter, that he fhould have a counfellor? He giveth not account of any of these matters; it is not right he should; nor is it poffible for a finite mind to comprehend the ultimate reafons of the divine pleasure and preference. He alone, who knows all poffible entities, all poffible worlds, with all their differences, relations, and final results, and all this at the fame inftant, can fathom the depth of fovereign choice, in respect of the general plan itself, or the minutia of its contents as to coexistence and fucceffion.

2. Another act of fovereignty was the creation of the univerfe; by which the divine purpose began to flow ad extra. To execute this, high and ftupendous act he could be under no obligation, except to himself, to fulfil his own wife decree. For his mere fovereign pleasure all things now exist, and were originally created. When, in the beginning, GOD formed the heavens and the earth, he made all things for himself, to answer the good and wife pleasure of his own predetermined will. We were the clay, and He our potter; and hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veel unto greater honour, and another unto lefs, or comparative difhonour?

3. In

*Rev. iv. 11. + Prov. xvi. 4. Ifa. lxv. 8. Rom. ix. 21.

3. In the work and conduct of providence lovereignty is often intermixed with equity. GoD is under no original obligation to any but himself, to preferve or perpetuate the existence of any creature. I fay, original obligation; because, if his infinite goodness and unerring wifdom decreed, and his condefcenfion promifed a prolonged or perpetual Support of the creature; there is a fenfe in which intelligent beings may be faid to have a ground of claim in equity for that support; and yet, even in these cases, the obligation, properly speaking, is to himself, his wifdom in declaring, and veracity in performing. He is GOD, he is infinite truth, and therefore it is his glory that he cannot lie; and it is equally fo, that he cannot deny himself. Hence the heirs of promife are furnished with a ground of Strong confolation.*

Moreover: GoD is under no obligation to any but himself, for appointing and maintaining such a wonderful difference among his creatures. Why, for inftance, is one created nature formed greater, stronger, handsomer, and more intelligent or wife than another? Why are fome made to suffer less than others for the fame offence, or even a greater, though none fuffer beyond their defert? Nay, fome of the most daring offenders are spared long, while others, who are not only free from gross dishonouring crimes, but at the fame time in a state of divine acceptance, are visited (still equitably) with great calamities, or premature death. One nation is juftly left covered with thick darkness; while others in fovereign goodness are enlightened with revealed

Heb. vi. 16-18.

truth.