[SENSES IN WHICH GOD PURPOSED MORAL GOOD AND EVIL.]
2. We also perceive the senses in which God purposed the existence of moral good and evil, in the universe. He purposed the existence of the motives, in view of which He knew that a part of His subjects would render themselves holy, and a part would render themselves sinful. But when we contemplate all the holiness and consequent happiness which do exist, we then perceive the reason why God gave existence to these motives. The sin consequent, in the sense above explained, constitutes no part of the reason for their existence, but was always, in the Divine Mind, a reason against their existence; which reason, however, was overpowered by infinitely more important reasons on the other side. The good which results from creation and providence is the great and exclusive object of creation and providence. The evil, God always regretted, and would have prevented, if possible, i. e. if compatible with the existence of the best possible system.
[DEATH OF THE INCORRIGIBLE PREORDAINED BUT NOT WILLED.]
3. We also perceive the perfect consistency of those Scriptures which represent God as, on the whole, purposing the death of incorrigible transgressors, and yet as not willing it, but as willing the opposite. The purpose to destroy is based upon the foreseen incorrigibleness of the transgressor,—a purpose demanded by perfect wisdom and benevolence, in view of that foreseen incorrigibleness. The incorrigibleness itself, however, and the perdition consequent, are evils, the existence of which God never willed; but are the opposite of what he willed, are evils which a being of perfect wisdom and goodness never could, and never can will. It is with perfect consistency, therefore, that the Scriptures represent God, in view of incorrigibleness foreseen, as purposing the death of the transgressor, and at the same time, in view of the fact that such incorrigibleness is the opposite of what He wills the creature to do, as affirming, that He is not “willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth.”
[GOD NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF THE INCORRIGIBLE.]
4. We see, also, how it is, that, while God does that, and eternally purposed to do that, in view of which he eternally knew that certain of his creatures would for ever destroy themselves, none but themselves are in fault for such destruction. The reasons are these:
(1.) God never did anything in view of which men ought to act thus, nor which did not lay them under obligations infinite, to act differently, and which was not best adapted to secure that end.
(2.) Their destruction constituted no part of the object of God in creation and providence, the opposite of this being true.
(3.) The great object of God in creation and providence was and is, to produce the greatest possible amount of holiness and consequent happiness, and to prevent, in every possible way consistent with this end, the existence of sin, and consequently of misery.—Now if creatures perish under such an influence, they perish by their own fault.