by making tribulation and anguish fall upon every soul that doth evil, and making them eat the fruit of their own doings and devices. His Holiness, in his not being re-united to his creatures before he has sanctified them, till they become children of light. Divine Justice will be the same to them, that fire is to hay and stubble; and this fire will not cease to burn till all unrighteousness is consumed; then only justice will cease to be rigorous, without ceasing to be just. And when we take a view at large, and see how disproportioned the means of salvation are offered to mankind in general, or even to Christians in particular, some of whom are, in respect of others, like to many beasts of burthen, bowed down from their youth under the weight of toil and labor, which scarce allow them time to enquire whether they have souls to cultivate, and prepare for a future life; and who, on observing such disproportions between those, who, by nature are of equal dignity, can discern impartiality in God? Surely nothing can account for this conduct, but the knowledge of a state of purification, where those, who have been unprovided with the means of coming to the knowledge of the truth in this life, will find them in another. This also justifies the equity of God, in all the dreadful judgments inflicted on whole nations, a great part whereof knew neither good nor evil. In reality, did we not know that in the other life there will be a perfect compensation, both in regard to the means of salvation, and blessings and miseries, should we not be tempted to cry out, Is there knowledge in the Lord, and does he weigh all men in an equal balance? Now let us sum up all briefly, recounting the practical uses of these opinions. Is any thing more proper for overturning the false maxims so much in vogue, in which numbers securely lull themselves asleep, than the knowledge of an unchangeable justice, that constantly judges of things as they really are? And of a mercy, which is so far from being contrary to justice, that it concurs with it in the grand design of purifying mankind? This being laid down, what will become of the hopes of those, who imagine that mercy will prevail against justice and stop its course, so that they shall feel none of its effects? If God is capable of anger, provocation and revenge, as we have proved, he is incapable of being appeased, of being moved with repeated cries, or feeling compassion like ours, which proceeds only from the weakness of our nature. This being supposed, what will become of those flattering hopes, that we shall appease the Deity with tears; that, on begging grace and mercy, he will be easily prevailed on to relent? If the greatest favor God can do men is to purify them, and if this is the only way by which they arrive at happiness, how can they desire mercy to exempt them from purification? Could they obtain their request, they would obtain eternal torment, since, without holiness, they will never see God. Upon the whole, I know not whether any other system contains motives so efficacious for engaging mankind to walk in the ways of real holiness; any system, which can make religion more venerable, in the eyes even of libertines, or more lovely to the lovers of truth; that places in a clearer light the wonderful harmony of the divine attributes, and the reasons we have to love sovereign perfection. 13 END. |