SERM. that requires long difcuffion.

XX.

The expe

rience of all ages has shown, that pain and pleasure, profperity and adverfity, are not at prefent distributed by Providence exactly according to the measure of men's probity and worth, but are apparently scattered with a promifcuous hand. Hence the antient complaint, that all things come alike to all men; that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked; that to, poverty and disappointment the righteous are often left, while the tabernacles of robbers profper.

An inference from hence might at firft view. arife not favourable to the doctrine we now fupport; but we have to obferve,

IN the third place, that although full retribution be not as yet made to the good and to the evil, yet plain marks appear of a government already begun and carried on by God in the universe, though not fully completed; marks of his favouring and taking part with virtue, and of his providing punishments for vice. This obfervation deferves to be particularly attended to; as it is one of the chief arguments

for

XX.

for a future judgment. In the prefent SERM. fyftem of things, had the righteous been uniformly happy, and the wicked at all times miferable, future judgment might have appeared unneceffary, as justice had already taken place. On the other hand, had no diftinction whatever taken place in the present system between the righteous and the wicked as to happiness and mifery, there might have been ground to fufpect that, fince univerfal diforder at present prevailed, disorder would ever continue, and never be rectified by any future judgment. But neither of these suppositions is founded in fact. The prefent ftate of the moral world is neither a ftate of complete juftice and order, nor of abfolute disorder, but a state of order and juftice begun and carried to a certain length, though left as yet imperfect.————Observe my brethren, that in the whole structure and conftitution of things, God hath shown himself to be favourable to virtue, and inimical to vice and guilt. He hath made a fixed provifion for happiness to virtue by the powerful recommendation which it carries to universal esteem and love; by the VOL. V. manifold

Ff

XX.

SERM. manifold benefits which it procures to fociety; by the health, peace, and comfort of mind which it brings to the virtuous man. At the fame time, from the crimes of the wicked, a multitude of miferies is made infallibly to fpring; lofs of character and efteem, and of confidence and regard in fociety; health always impaired by vice: and all comfortable enjoyment of life difturbed by an uneafy companion which the finner carries about with him in his own. confcience, upbraiding him for his crimes, and threatening him with the displeasure of the Almighty.

These are not things of cafual or accidental occurrence, but of univerfal experience, taking their rife from the conftitution of our nature, and from the fixed laws which regulate human events. They show us what the direct tendency of virtue and vice is appointed by Providence to be; and if this tendency be not, in every inftance, carried into effect, owing to circumstances which belong to our prefent ftate of probation and difcipline, yet fuch an established natural tendency carries a fufficient intimation of the will and pleafure of our Creator.

We

XX.

We see his throne already fet for judgment. SERM. By his beginning in this world both to reward and to punish, we clearly behold him acting as a governour and a judge, and are led to prognofticate what course he will hereafter hold. By the conftitution of things which he has fixed here, he has as plainly fignified that he favours the virtuous and is displeased with the wicked, as if he had declared it to us by a voice from the clouds. Although the prefent ftate of mankind requires that the just should sometimes fuffer, and the finner be allowed to profper, the ftrongeft prefumption ftill remains that there is a period to come, when God will complete his righteous government by making the one fully bleft, and rendering the other as miferable as they de ferve to be; especially as we can observe,

IN the fourth place, that a fatisfactory account may be given why judgment is at prefent poftponed, and complete retribution not made, either to the good or the bad. We are to take notice, that even among men, the wisdom and juftice of government do not confift in immediately rewarding Ff2.

and

SERM.

XX.

and punishing on every occafion, but in exercising those acts of government publickly, at fuch times and with fuch circumftances as may have the most powerful effect for the benefit of fociety. A fimilar confideration perfectly accounts for the full execution of juftice being delayed by God in this world; for rewards and punishments being only begun here, but left unfinished. Were they completed in this world to their full extent, all the purposes of a state of trial and difcipline would be defeated. No room would be left for exercise and improvement to the good in many virtues, if they were never to undergo any trials; if they felt full reward immediately conferred on every righteous action they performed, and faw the wicked instantly cut off, as foon as a crime was committed. For falutary difcipline, therefore, to the good, in order to improve their virtues; and from patience to the bad, in order to give them room for repentance, it was fit and wife that final judgment should at present be poftponed. Divine juftice ftands for a while, as behind the veil, and leaves men at full scope to act according to their different