one case, by its effect, it cannot be determined in any other case by its effect. And if the moral nature of selfishness cannot be determined in one case, by its effect, it cannot be determined in any other case by its effect. No case can be mentioned, nor conceived, in which the moral nature of any free voluntary exercise of the mind can be determined by the good or evil effect produced. It is absurd, therefore, to suppose, that the moral excellence of virtue consists in its tendency to produce happiness, or that the moral evil of sin consists in its tendency to produce misery. They are both founded in the nature of things. The one is morally excellent in itself considered; and the other morally evil in itself considered, without any regard to the cause that produces them, or the effect that follows from them. This Abraham knew, and consequently knew, that it would be totally inconsistent with the moral rectitude of God, to punish the righteous with the wicked. He judged so not from the unknown consequences of God's punishing the innocent, but from the well known nature of punishing the innocent. He knew, that it was as morally impossible for God to punish the innocent, as it was for him to lie, or to de any other iniquity: And every other man in the world would have judged as Abraham did.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. If God be a being of moral rectitude, then he can never do evil, that good may come. His benevolence is under the constant and infallible guidance of his moral rectitude. It is morally impossible that he should do what is wrong in the nature of things, to promote his own felicity or the felicity of any of his creatures. If it were possible for him to see, that by speaking any thing false, or by doing any thing unjust, he could promote the highest good of the universe for ever, his moral rectitude would render it morally impossible for him to do any such act, which is in its own nature wrong. It is upon this ground alone, that the in

spired writers assert, that God cannot lie; that it is impossible for him to lie; and that there is no unrighteousness in him. Though he can overrule the sins of others to promote his own blessedness and the general good of the universe; yet he cannot destroy the criminality and ill desert of sinners, and cause them to become innocent. And though it were naturally possible for him to overrule a sinful action in himself to promote the highest good of the whole universe; yet he could not destroy the criminality and guilt of that action, and consequently it is morally impossible, that he ever should do a sinful action, to answer any purpose whatever. But if the criminality of a sinful action consisted in its mere tendency to promote misery and not in the nature of it, it is difficult to see why he could not do iniquity, and overrule it for his own glory, as well as he can suffer his creatures to do iniquity, and overrule it for his own glory; for he could alter the tendency of his own sin as easily, for aught we know, as he can alter the tendency of sin in his creatures. But since his moral rectitude consists in the nature of his pure benevolence, and not in its tendency to do good, it is morally impossible, that he should do evil that good may come. His moral rectitude perfectly governs his boundless benevolence and Almighty power, so that he can no more do evil, than he can cease to be. He cannot punish the innocent with the guilty. He cannot break his promises. He cannot punish one of his creatures for the sin of another. And he cannot injure the least of his rational creatures, to promote the happiness of all the rest. His moral rectitude binds him, in all cases, to do right.

2. If God be a being of moral rectitude, then he can never approve of his creatures doing evil, that good may come. Though he has given them abundant evidence in his word and providence, that he does overrule all the evil they commit, for his own glory, and for the good of the universe; yet he has never given them the least reason to believe, that he approves of their doing evil. I know they have endeavoured to

justify themselves in doing evil, because he has let them know, that he will overrule it for his own glory. But the apostle sharply rebukes them for pretending to draw this inference from his overruling their sin for his own glory and the good of his holy creatures. He asks, "What if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar: as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)" or an objector; "God forbid for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my life unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? and not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil that good may come? whose damnation is just." The apostle here does not deny, that he had said that God would overrule the unrighteousness of men to his own glory, but he denies, that he had ever taught that sinners might do evil that good may come, or that God could not or would not punish them for all their unrighteousness. For he says their damnation would be just, and God would be unjust, if he did not condemn and punish them according to their ill desert.

3. If God be a being of moral rectitude; then he will not punish the finally impenitent the less, on account of the good they have done in the world. It cannot be denied, that sinners have done a great deal of good in the world. The builders of the ark did. a great deal of good in building it. They were the means of saving the human race from utter destruction. But this was no reason why they should not perish after they had built it. The utility of their conduct did not alter the nature of their sins, nor diminish their desert of everlasting punishment. Judas did a great deal of good by betraying Christ. He was instrumental of promoting the salvation of all that will

ever be saved. But this did not alter the nature of his sin, nor diminish, in his own view, his just desert of endless perdition. Joseph's brethren did a great deal of good, by selling him to the Egyptians. But this did not alter the nature of their malevolence, or diminish their criminality, in their own view, or in the view of God. If sinners do prophecy, work miracles, preach the gospel, and do ever so many things, which promote the glory of God and the good of others, still the selfishness of their conduct remains the same, and deserves the same punishment, that it would have deserved, if no good had followed from it. Accordingly, Christ informs sinners, that their plea of having done good in the world, will be of no avail to prevent their final condemnation to eternal punishment, at the last day. This is a sentiment which sinners are very loth to believe, and if they do believe, they heartily oppose it. They choose to judge of their own conduct contrary to the dictates of their own conscience, and contrary to the plain declarations of scripture. But if they are ever saved, they will cordially acknowledge, that their best services deserved eternal punish

ment.

4. If God be a being of moral rectitude, then it is morally impossible, that he should ever injure any of his creatures. They are extremely apt to think, that he often injures them, both by withholding good, and inflicting evil. But he never withholds good from any creature, only when his moral rectitude requires him to do it. He is good unto all, and his tender mercies are over all his works He feels perfectly benevolent towards all his enemies, and does them all the good, that he can do them consistently with his immutable rectitude. He causes his sun to rise and his rain to fall upon them, and gives them as large a portion of the good things of life, as he can consistently. So that he never can injure them, by withholding any good thing from them, which his perfect rectitude permits him to bestow. Nor can he injure them, by inflicting more pain or misery upon them, than they justly deserve.

Though millions of mankind are every day suffering extreme pains and calamities; yet not one of them has any just ground to complain, or even to think hard of God, on account of the evils he suffers, and though many myriads of the spirits in prison, are constantly suffering the weight of God's wrath; yet they have no just ground to complain, or even to think hard of God. A proper sense of the moral rectitude of God, in the government and disposal of his creatures, and a cordial reconciliation to it would silence every murmur and complaint in the minds and mouths of this rebellious world. And it is nothing but a firm belief of the moral rectitude of God, and a cordial approbation of it, that does now, and always will prevent all murmurs and complaints in heaven, in the view of the damned. Though the effects and consequences of his immutable moral rectitude, are unspeakably dreadful; yet the moral rectitude from which they flow, is supremely amiable, and deserves the approbation and praise of all holy beings, and will induce them to sing alleluia, in the view of it to all eternity. They will rejoice, that the righteous Lord has loved, and done righteous

ness.

5. If God be a being of moral rectitude; then all the objections which have been made or can be made against his conduct are altogether groundless. For he has always acted agreeably to the moral rectitude of his nature. If it be said, that it was wrong for God to determine to save some, and not all mankind, before the foundation of the world; there is no just foundation for the objection. If indeed he had determined to punish a part of mankind, who were innocent; this would have been a solid ground of objection. But he did not determine to do this; he only determined to punish a part, and not all who were guilty. And who can say, that there is any injustice in such a determination?

If it be said, that God does not make a proper distinction between good and bad men in this world; the objection is groundless, because he treats them all better than any of them deserve.