CHAP. XX.

Shewing that Love is the Univerfal Per fection of the Deity.

I

Have already fhewn that Love is the Root, the Criginal, the Measure, the Flower, the Sum and Subftance of all Perfections whatever, Moral or Evangelical, Human or Divine; that there are no Moral Perfections we are acquainted with, and have any notion of in ourlelves or any where else; but what flow from and are contained in Love. I now fhew that all the Perfections of God, all the Moral or Divine Perfections of God are by way of eminence and tranfcendency comprehended in this Love.

There are fome Perfections in God we best underftand, by a Participation of and Acquaintance with them in ourselves, by a Tranfcript and Copy of them in our Minds, there are other Perfections in God in which it is impoffible for us to communicate with him, because they are inconfiftent with the very Notion of a Creature, and are peculiar to the Deity, but yet being revealed to us concerning God, we are fure of them because they. are conformable to the moft perfect Ideas we can frame of him; but all ftill are only fo far Moral and Divine Perfections as they fpring from, and tend to Love. We can conceive of no Moral Excellencies either in God or in ourfelves; but fo far as they do partake of and are fubfervient to this Love. I fhall give you feveral Inftances of the Perfections of God to make this good, and I fhall begin with those which we would think in their own Nature to be moft remote from Love, no way allied, but contrary to it.

The

The first inftance fhall be the Justice of God. Juftice which gives to every one his right and due, this is only fo far commendable as it flows from Love and communicates with goodness, for otherwife, as we fay, Summum jus is fumma injuria, too ftri&t Juftice bears upon cruelty: it is no perfection to exact, to be too ftrict and fevere, whereas if it were in its own Nature and Phyfically good, and not gratia alterius, for the fake of fomething elfe, it would be univerfally and fo intenfely and extenfely fo; for that which is good in itself, the more there is of it ftill the better; fo that Juftice which we think in its own Nature to be moft remote from Love, no way allied but contrary to it, yet this Juftice is only fo far a Moral Perfection, is only fo far commendable as it flows from Love and communicates with goodness.

There are two forts of Justice Remunerative, and Vindictive, or Punitive Juftice; of the first, I need fay nothing to prove it; it is one with Love and Goodness, for the thing speaks itself.

Vindictive, or Punitive, is either to fatisfy a peevish Humour which pleafes itself in the Milery of thofe by whom it is offended, and there is a Spirit of Revenge and Cruelty in it, equally, abfolutely evil and eternally abhorrent from the Nature of God and all good Men; for howsoever fome Men have painted God in their own Minds, and reprefented him to the World as a cruel Being, as one extending himself to a larger Capacity in Severity and Wrath, than Sweetneffes and Loves, as an Enemy to, and a neglecter of the Joys and Felicities of his Creatures, as one that waiteth for their haltings, and hath rather a Pleasure and Delight to himself in the Shame and Ruin of his own Works. This is but a falfe Image, an Idol. which guilty, angry, peevish Man hath fet up within itself in the place of God. Or further,

If we confider well the several Grounds of vindictive and punitive Juftice. It is either for the

good

good and correction of the Perfon that is punished or for the Example and Prefervation of others, or to repair the Honour and to fecure the Right of the Party offended; or for the fafety of the Commmunity in which, and against which, the Crime is committed; or it is to reftore and to maintain the Authority of the Law, which is the good, the fafety, the welfare of all thofe that live under it, and which is vilified and weakned by every willful Breach of it to the danger of the whole. Now, it the end of the Law being the good, the fafety, the Welfare of all thofe that live under it, it is plain it must be the end of the punishment alfo. Now is plain, that in all these Cafes, Love and Goodnefs is the Principle that beftows upon Juftice whatever it hath of Perfection, and that the end of the punifoment must be the end of the Law; which is the good of the whole, or elfe it is to fhew that due hatred of, and difpleafure againft Sin, which is in God, and which alfo ought to be in us; but this is by no means to be accompanied with any ill Will to the Sinner, but to discountenance and destroy the Sin, and fo Love and Goodness is ftill the Root and Fruit of it, the Bottom and Top of it. A right and true hatred of Evil every where fprings from a Love of the Perfon, Wrath and Hatred against Sin is no bitter Zeal against the Sinner, but a due Indignation of Love and Goodness against the Sin. The Deftruction of Sin and Propagation of the Divine Image, is ftill the principal Intention where the Indignation is right. The Subject fuffers only as it is in conjunction with that which is ruinous to itself and one another, and which God and all good Men muft hate or ceafe to be themfelves. For the proper place which Sin hath in the Univerfal Harmony of Things, is to be the Object of a Divine hatred. The Mark and Butt, against which God fhoots his burning Arrows, and at which he cafts his firey Darts.

Or

Or it is for Vindication of that Righteoufnefs, Rectitude and Purity that is abufed and wronged by Sin, and fo the end of it is either to ftir up in the Sinner, or to encrease in others an high Efteem, Reverence and Love of thofe Perfections, and fo Goodness is ftill its Rife and Fountain, and its Stream. Or,

"

Laftly, It is, as one faith, because Sin and Punishment are Terms which do very well agree one with another, and that Sin being the worst thing in the World, it is very meet it fhould fare accordingly, and this is no more than the Natural Courfe of Things. That as every Principle naturally unfolds itself into all the Powers and Forms contained in it So the Evil of Sin which is the root of all Evil, fhould fpring up into all manner of Evils, of Blame, Shame, Pain, Sorrow and Torment, which do all lie wrapt up in it; all this is no more than the fenfible Connexion, the inviclable Order that must be between the Evil of Sin, and the Evil of Suffering, and this is nothing but a Branch of that Divine Wisdom, Goodness, impartial and unbiassed Providence which takes care of the whole.

Thus whether we confider the feveral kinds and forts of Juftice, and the feveral reasons and grounds of punitive Juftice, it is moft evident that Juftice, both in God and in us, is nothing else but Love and Goodness in another Name and Drefs, is nothing elfe but the Order and Harmony of the Divine Love and Goodness: from all the Notions of Justice before-mentioned, it is impoffible to draw an Argument for Eternal punitive Justice; for that can be neither for the Correction of the Perfon that is punished, or for the Prefervation of others, or to repair the Honour, and to fecure the Right of the God offended, whofe Glory is above all; or for the maintaining of the Authority of the Law, which is the fafety and welfare of thofe that live under it, and which is vilified and weaken'd by every wilful

Breach

Breach of it. For the Law is perfectly fulfilled and abrogated; fure I am, therefore, that every thing, even Juftice itself, muft end where it begins. Juftice rifeth up from Love, is govern'd by it," and refolves it into itself.

As for vindictive and punitive Juftice, when it is, not for the reafon before-mentioned or fuch like; but to fatisfy, as hath been faid, a peevish proud Humour which pleafeth itself in the Mifery of those by whom it is offended, it lofeth the Nature and Name of Juftice, and is of a Spirit of Revenge and Cruelty, as hath been already faid, and in its quality abfolutely Evil, and abhorrent from the Nature of God and good Men. Sure I am for a Judge here below, to condemn the greatest Malefactor and Murderer with Pleasure, and Delight in the Ruin and Destruction of his Fellow-Creature, is to make himself guilty of the fame Offence, the fame Murder for which he condemns another to Punishment, for Punifhment fake; for this is the Luft of the Punifher, and cannot be the Qua-. lification of any good Being. The true Notion of Juftice, the proper Scope and Defign of it is not Punishment; but the prevention of those Evils which are hurtful to ourselves and others, the Vengeance that is taken on Wicked Men is not the defign of Juftice, but the Neceffary Confequences of it; this is the meaning of all Divine Laws, of all good Laws whatsoever, a Security of Right and Equity, this is the meaning of all the Punishment annexed to the Breach of thofe Laws, to prevent Tranfgreffion; fo that it is the Maintenance of that Juftice and Right which governs thefe matters which is the Common Good: For Juftice is a thing, not of a Private and Perfonal, but a Publick and Common Nature. All is to be prefer'd before any Part whatfoever: God, and no good Man punishes any out of a Delight in Punishment, or in the Sufferings of the Punished; but all right Punishment is either as Phyfic for the recovery of

the