that the finners deliverance from condemnation was, in a proper and literal fenfe, merited by Chrift's fufferings and death. I anfwer as before, that these are figurative expreffions, like as what God faid to Ifrael, Ifaiah xliii. 3. Igave Egypt for thy ranfom; but Egypt was not given as a ranfom for Ifrael, becaufe it was Egypt they were in bondage to; but God gave Egypt to deftruction, and wrought the Ifraelites deliverance thereby, and this, by a figure of speech, is called a ranfom. In like manner, Chrift gave his life a ransom for many; not properly, because God discharges the finner freely, forgiving him all trefpaffes, Rom. iii. 24. Col. ii. 13. but figuratively, as Chrift's death was fubfervient to the finner's deliverance, as I have fhewn above.

Object. III. If the fufferings and death of Chrift did not merit, or buy off the finner from condemnation, then they are of no more advantage, than the fufferings and death of the Apostles, or any other Martyrs. Anfwer, As the rendering to all their due is a general rule or law of equity; fo, I think, we ought to follow that rule in the prefent cafe. God is the first mover, Chrift is the prime inftrument, and the Apostles and others are Jubordinate inftruments in the work of man's falvation, John iii. 16, 17. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be lieveth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life: For God fent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world; but that the world, through him, might be faved. I Cor. iii. 9. We are labourers together with God; ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Christ bimfelf being the chief corner-fione. James v. 20, Let him know, that he which converteth a finner from the error of his way, shall fave a foul from death,

and

and shall cover a multitude of fins. Here we fee, that as God's love is the first moving caufe, and as Chrift is the prime inftrument; fo every other perfon, who fets forward the falvation of finners, is a fubordinate inftrument in the work of falvation; and yet this does not fet their labours or fufferings upon a level, because they are not alike fubfervient to that end..

Object. IV. If the foregoing account of salvation, by Chrift, is true, then thofe, who lived before Chrift's time, would have no benefit by his death. Answer, Tho' the fufferings and death of Chrift could not be an argument with fuch, to repent and return to God, yet they may be sharers in the benefits of it; becaufe it could as well be a facrifice of atonement to thofe who lived before Chrift's time, as to those who lived after it; and because the benefits of his intercefforfhip, the ground and caufe of which was his obedience in doing and fuffering unto death, may extend as well to thofe who were before him, as to those who were after him; and, upon this account, Chrift might be faid to be a lamb flain from the foundation of the world; as in Rev. xiii. 8.maq a

TRACT

ΑΝ

ENQUIRY

Concerning the Justice of GOD.

T

HIS Enquiry is three-fold; first, what justice is; fecondly, what rules must be obferved by thofe that adminifter it; and, thirdly, whether God is a juft Being; after which are objections with their answers.

First, What juftice is? Juftice is the balance of common equity, by which is weighed out, or difpenfed, good and evil, in an equal proportion to the merit or demerit of things, or to any other right of claim that one being hath upon another: I fay, to any other right of claim, because there may be a right of claim without merit, as in the cafe of free promises; for when one perfon makes a promise to another, to give him fome good thing, free and unconditional, he doth, by that act, confer on him not only a right to claim and expect, but also of receiving and enjoying the good thing promifed to him. And though the making of that promife may only be an act of bounty, because it is free and unconditional; yet the keeping of that promife is an act of juftice, because the benefactor is not free and at liberty, after fuch promife is made. Again, juftice is a mean, in the administration of good, between bounty and fraud, the balance of justice ftanding upon fuch an even poize, as that if it turn to one fide it is bounty, if to the other it is fraud. Again, juftice is a mean in the admini

ftration

ftration of evil, between mercy and cruelty, the balance of juftice ftanding upon fuch an even poize, as that if it turn to one fide it is mercy, if to the other it is cruelty.

Secondly, What rules must be observed by those that adminifter juftice? In order to adminifter juftice, according to the laws of common equity, every administrator must have regard to every juft claim, fo as that all may have their due. And here it is to be noted, that, by the laws of common equity, every one has right to difpofe of his own peculiar property, according to his own will, otherways the notion of property is destroy'd, or at leaft the having a propriety in any thing cannot be a privilege, for all the advantage arifing from property confifts in this, that the proprietor is free and uncontroulable in the ufing, enjoying, and difpofing of his own property, and is under no obligation, nor accountable to any, for the ufing, enjoying, or difpofing of the fame. But tho' every one may difpofe of his own property, according to his own will, yet he has no right to difpofe of the property of another; therefore, in the administration of juftice, two rules must be kept, according to the two different capacities the adminiftrator may act in. The first rule is to be obferv'd by him who hath no right or property concerned in the administration, but only acts by appointment. as an indifferent perfon. The rule is, he must keep the balance of justice upon an even poize, not varying a tittle on either fide, whether in the adminiftration of good or evil, but each party's right must equally be regarded; for, if either party is wrong'd, it becomes an act of criminal injuftice in the adminiftrator. The fecond rule is to be obferv'd by him who acts as a party concerned in the adminiftration, and whofe own property or right is as much concerned, as

the right and property of him to whom juftice is administered. The rule is, he muft have a strict regard to the right of him to whom juftice is administered, fo as not to break in upon it in the leaft degree; if he administer evil, not to exceed the demerit of the crime; if good, not to come fhort of the merit of the thing rewarded; for in both cafes there is juft ground of complaint, and the administrator becomes guilty of criminal injuftice. But, in regard of his own right, he is left free, to exercife either bounty, in rewarding beyond the merit, or mercy, in punishing lefs than the demerit of the thing; and if this is unjuft, as indeed ftrictly speaking it is, yet we con ceive it is not criminal; yea, it would be fo far from being a crime, that on the contrary it would be excellent and glorious, if the object be proper and fuitable for that bounty or mercy to be exercifed upon.

Thirdly, Whether God is a juft Being? This is answered in the affirmative. The argument for it is taken from God's goodness, and stands thus; if God is a good Being, then God is juft, but God is a good Being, therefore God is juft. That God is good, is here taken for granted, as being allowed by all chriftians. And that his goodness proves him to be juft, appears by what follows. Juftice is a negative virtue, and when we say that God is juft, we only fay what he is not, namely, that he is not criminally unjuft. Here it is to be noted, that, in the exercifing of justice, God ftands in the capacity of a party concerned, that is, God's right and property is as much concerned in that adminiftration, as the right and property of him to whom justice is administered; and in this capacity he only ftands engaged, by the laws of common equity, to have regard to the right of him to whom juftice is ad

ministered,