SERMON XX.

God's Pleafure is not the Affliction of his Creatures.

Sam. iii. 33. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

AFFLICTIONS confidered abftra&ly and objectively, or in themselves, can never be pleafing to any good being for their own fake. Mifery, in its own nature, is ever- abhorrent to the heart of rectitude. Yet however reluctant the Divine Being may be to punish his creatures, it may, by their conduct, become, abfolutely neceffary for the honor of his name, the support of his government, the dignity of his laws, and the good of the general fyftem. Hence we fee punishments from heaven are inflicted upon finners of every age and of every description in this world and the next. In the words before us, God makes a declaration for the vindication of his own character, and for an inducement to tranfgreffors to take all blame upon themselves. God declares that the afflictions and griefs of his creatures, tho' impofed by his hand, are not agreeable to his heart. It is true he afflicts and put to pain in all cafes, but thefe are to him a strange work, a

work in which he has no pleasure. Hence he iffues the proclamation in our text to all intelligences. It is an established maxim, an aphorifm without exception. "He does not afflict "willingly, nor grieve the children of men." This is an af fertion of perfect truth in all inftances whatsoever. Our attention at prefent fhall be confined to the confirmation and il luftration of this foul comforting doctrine. Hence you will please to confider the enfuing remarks.

Firft, when it is here faid that God doth not willingly af flift or grieve his creatures, it cannot be the meaning that he doth not aft freely and voluntarily in the difpenfation of pu nishments and afflictions, as if he were not in thefe cafes a free agent who acted his own pleasure, or did as he chose to do; but was under the force of compulfion in acts of this kind. That God must be perfectly free in all his conduct is a conclufion which arifes from the very idea of his nature. To fuppofe he could be the fubject of force or compulfion, would amount to the fame thing as to fuppofe there was no God. For if he be not fuperior to all controul and force, he is not. All divine acts, as they must forever exclude every idea of force, they are abfolutely free, hence they are always the refult of inward choice and preference. There are no grounds for any acts of rational beings but two, force and choice; therefore where the former is excluded the latter is established. The very nature of liberty as it belongs to moral agents, is to do as they chufe. And the very nature of a free action is, that it was the effect of choice and not of compulfion. The only thing incompatible is external force.

Hence all the afts of Jehovah are perfectly free and voluntary, his punitive acts and afflictive providences, as well as thofe of his mercy and grace. This is true from the lowest to the highest instances of them. The damnation of the wicked, of the finally impenitent and unbelieving, is as free and volun

tary an act in God, as the glorification of true faints. The one is as much the refult of choice as the other, Thus I prefume this remark is fufficiently evident.

Secondly, it cannot be the intention of the affertion in our text, that whatsoever afflictions he fends upon mankind gives him any imaginable tincture of pain or uneafinefs, or in any way disturbs the tranquility of the eternal mind. The thoughts, attempts, and permitted outrages of creatures, cannot make the leaft alteration or change there. The fyftem is unchangeably established, all proceeds on in the order of perfection; and the compofed rectitude of the divine mind, prohibits every weakness of alteration. Whatever mortals may think, he certainly enjoys himself in the full perfection of felicity, notwithstanding all the infinite variety of changes, weaknesses, infirmities, and iniquities, which pafs before him, and which he permits, directs and governs. All that comes to pass throughout all worlds, is under his fovereign controul. He does according to his pleasure in heaven and in earth. His pleasure and happiness directs univerfal nature.

The happiness of God is the happiness of the univerfe, and it ftands infinitely distant from improvement or retrenchment. The happiness of God is the fource of the felicity of all beings. This is the fountain of bleffednefs to all virtuous and good beings, both angels and men. This is the fpring of all fatisfaction, pleafure and enjoyment throughout all worlds. A deftruction of this would entail mifery upon the whole fyftem of intelligences. It would fpread defolation, horror, and torment through all nature. Even an indifference to the divine happiness, is an indifference to his existence, and is such a reflection upon the whole of being, as strongly indicates the moft abandoned wickedness.

The effential happiness and holiness of God is an exhibition

of his character in righteous and holy actions, confequently he enjoys an infinite complacency and fatisfaction in his own conduct in all instances. This therefore must be the cafe in the infliction of pain, mifery and distress, as well as his dispensations of mercy, grace and goodness. Would it be extending the idea too far, to fay, that God is as really happy in the damnation of finners, as in the falvation of them that believe? -or that he has as real a complacency in his own conduct in the one cafe as in the other? In courts of human juftice, the condemnation of a malefactor is as truly an act of benevolence, as conferring rewards where they are deserved. Selfish afflictions are prone to think otherwife, but there is no foundation for this in the nature of things.

When it is faid God doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, it appears to import the following things.

First, that the pains and miseries of his creatures are nor in themfeves, abftractly confidered, objects agreeable to God, or to the feelings of any good being. He does not inflict punishments for their own fake, and diftreffes and troubles are not objects of his pleafure. The divine nature is infinitely abhorrent from every disposition of this kind. This is a disposition wholly proper to creatures of corruption, fuch as devils and wicked men. It is a branch of malignity of temper, and dif interested malevolence. The bleffed God clears himself by an oath of every imputation of this kind. "As I live, faith the "Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death, or mifery of "the wicked, but rather that they should turn and live." The life and happiness of his creatures are his delight, but their mifery and torment his abhorrence. God has no more pleafure in natural than in moral evil; they are both alike difagreeable to his nature. Hence he afflicts not, nor inflicts punishment upon finners for any pleafure arifing therefrom.

Secondly, he does not difpenfe pains and troubles becaufe he delights in rigour or feverity. This particular expreffes fomething different from the former. There is a difpofition among fallen creatures often to carry demerited punishment too far; not to what can be strictly stiled injustice, but farther than was abfolutely neceffary to anfwer the ends of punish ment, both with refpect to the delinquent, the law, and the community. A lefs measure would have perfectly ferved all the ends of justice and government, therefore every degree of rigour and severity, or the extremity of justice, is far from the Moft High. Tho' there may be nothing in this cafe ftrictly unjuft, yet it awakens the idea of an imperfect character. There is fomething in the exhibition not amiable or lovely. When God declares, he does not afflict willingly, it evidently means to deny, that he ever fends anguish and trouble upon his creatures in the least tinctured with rigour and severity: God lays no more upon his creatures than is justly neceffary to fupport his government, vindicate his character, and exhibit the evil and danger of fin to the univerfe. The glo rious Jehovah is infinitely remote from severities and every thing of this kind in his nature, temper, character and go.

vernment.

Thirdly, remark, that the inflictions of griefs, forrows, pains and troubles, on the children of men, is not an arbitrary act in God, or the mere effect of fovereign will and pleasure. It is declared, "He will have mercy on whom he will have "mercy." But it is never faid, "He will punish whom he "will punish." Nothing can be more plainly expreffed in words, than the contrary of this in our text. It is certain all exercises of mercy and grace towards finners, originates from the fovereign pleasure and will of the great Supreme. To fubftitute any other principle in the ftead of this, would be a fubverfion of the gofpel, which is to give all glory to God is