and fummer, and winter, and day, and night, shall not cease, 8. Gen. (21, 22. So that God will no more destroy the World, nor all the wicked Inhabitants of it, till the Day of Judgment; and then it is certain all wicked Men cannot be punifhed according to their Deferts in this World. The Juftice of Providence then does not confift in rooting all bad Men out of the World, or in making them all miferable in it, or in rewarding all good Men with Temporal Felicity; which, confidering the prefent State of the World, cannot be done without conftant Miracles, and the visible interpofition of a Divine Power; for when bad Men are fo much the greater numbers, they will have the greatest Share and Intereft in this World: But the care of Providence is to govern bad Men, and to protect the good; to reftrain and govern the Lufts and Paffions of bad Men, to make them the Inftruments and Executioners of his juft Vengeance on one another; and to make fome of them in every Age notorious Examples of his Juftice, to keep the World in Awe, and to awaken in them a due Senfe and Reverence of the Divine Power; and to Correct and Chaftife the Miscarriages of good Men, and to exercise their Graces and Vertues. The Juftice of Providence confifts in this, Not that all good Men fhall be profperous in this World, and all bad Men miferable; but that notwithstanding all the Wickedness that is in the World, the World is kept in tolerable order, and is a tolerable place to live in ; and that bad Men are as often punished, and good Men as often rewarded, as the Government of this World requires; that no Man fuffers any thing but what he deferves, and what God fees good for him, if he will make a wife wife ufe of it; and that how profperous foever bad Men are, there are few of them go out of the World, without fome Marks and Tokens of a Divine Vengeance, tho' not always fo remarkable as to be obferved by the World. The Sum is this, God is very Juft in his Government of the World; but the Government of the World does not require the fame Acts of Juftice that the final Judgment of Mankind does : And if we do but confider the Nature of the Divine Justice, which is the Juftice of a Sovereign and Abfolute Lord, and the difference between the Juftice of Providence, and of the final Judgment, that is, between God's Governing and Judging the World, we fhall easily answer all the Objections against the Justice of Providence. This I take to be a full and true Account of the Juftice of Providence, and to agree very exactly with the actual Adminiftration of Providence: For it is manifeft, that all good Men are not rewarded, nor all wicked Men punished in this World; that a Righteous Caufe is fometimes oppreffed; and that Oppreffion and Injustice is very often profperoùs; which muft needs appear a great Difficulty to thofe who make no difference between the Juftice of God and Men; who think that the Juftice of Providence is as much concerned to defend all Men's Rights and Properties, as the Juftice of a Prince is. This makes them quarrel againft Providence, when they are hardly and unjuftly ufed by Men, and fo blinds their Minds, that they fee not the true Reasons why God afflicts them, and neither reverence his Judgments, nor make a wife ufe of them. The Reasons of this feem very plain; the only Queftion is, How it agrees with that account which the Scripture gives of God's Juftice and Righteoufnefs? For the Righteousness of God is represented in Scripture, by loving Righteoufnefs, and favouring a Righteous Caufe. Thus 11. Pfal. 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and his countenance doth behold the upright. And the Pfalmift very often encourages himself to expect the Divine Favour and Protection, from his own Innocence and Integrity, and the Righteousness of his Caufe. 35. Pfal. 19. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye, that hate me without a caufe. Stir up thy felf, and awake to my judgment, even to my cause, my God, and my Lord. Judge me, O God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. Let them be ashamed and brought to confufion together, that rejoice at my burt. Let them be cloathed with fhame and dishonour, that magnify themselves against me. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause; yea, let them fay continually, Let the Lord be magni fied, which bath pleasure in the profperity of bis fervant. V. 23, 24, 26, 27. The Lord fhall judge the people! Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteoufness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the juft; for the righteous Lord trieth the beart and reins. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his fword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready: And concludes, I will praife the Lord according to his righteousness, and will fing praises to the name of the Lord most high; 7. Pfal. 8, &c. Where the Righteousness of the Lord, for which, the Pfalmift praises him, is his Judging and Defending a Righteous Cause. Thus in the 9th Pfalm, 8, 9, 10. He fhall judge the the world in righteousness, be shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge to the oppreffed, a refuge in time of trouble. And they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, haft not forfaken them that feek thee. It were eafy to multiply Texts to this Purpose, where God is exprefly declared to be an irreconcilable Enemy to all Injustice and Violence, the Protector of the Widow, the Fatherless, and Oppreffed, and of all Juft and Righteous Men: But those conclude a great deal too much, who would prove from fuch Texts as thefe, That no Righteous Man, nor Righteous Caufe, fhall ever be oppreffed; That Good Men fhall always be profperous, and the Wicked always miferable: For it is evident, that this was not the State of the World when these Pfalms were penned; and therefore this could not poffibly be the Meaning of them. How many Complaints does the Pfalmift make against his Enemies, thofe who were wrongfully his Enemies? 69. Pfal. 4. That his Enemies were lively and strong; and they that hated him wrongfully were multiplied, 38. Pfal. 19. How paffionately does he pray for Protection against his Enemies? How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for ever? bow long wilt thou hide thy face from me? how long shall I take counsel in my foul, having for row in my heart daily? how long fhall mine Enemy be exalted over me? 13. Pfal. 1, 2. The 37th Pfalm is a plain Proof, that Wicked Men were very profperous in thofe Days, tho' they are threatned with final Destruction. And to the fame Purpose, the 73d Pfalm gives us a large. Defcription of the Profperity and Pride of Bad Men, many of whom spend their Lives, and end their Days profperously; I was envious at the the foolish, when I saw the Profperity of the wicked: For there are no bands in their death, but their ftrength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued as other men. Bebold thefe are the ungodly, who profper in the world, they increase in riches. The Profperity of Bad Men, and the Miseries and Afflictions of the Good, were in those Days a great Difficulty in Providence, and were fo to the Pfalmift himself; and therefore it is certain, that whatever he fays of the Righteousness of God, and his Care of Righteous Men, and his Abhorrence of all Wickedness and Injuftice, cannot fignify, That God will always defend Men in their juft Rights; that he will always profper a Righteous Cause, and Righteous Men, for this was against plain Matter of Fact; and we cannot fuppofe the Pfalmist fo inconfiftent with himself, as in the fame Breath to complain, that Wicked Men were profperous, and Good Men afflicted; and to affirm, That the Juft and Righteous Judge of the World would always punish Unjuft Oppreffors, and protect the Innocent: Nay, indeed the very Nature of the Thing proves the contrary; for there can be no Unjuft Oppreffors, if no body can be oppreffed in their juft Rights And therefore it is certain, the Divine Providence does, at leaft for a Time, fuffer fome Men to be very profperous in their Oppreffions, and does not always defend a Juft and Innocent Caufe; for if he did, there could be no Innocent Oppreffed Man to be relieved, nor any Oppreffor to be punished. And if it be confiftent with the Juftice and Righteoufnefs of Providence to permit fuch Things for fome Time, we muft conclude, that it is at the Difcretion of Providence, how long Good Men |