Page images
PDF
EPUB

ing did difobey; and thereby, not only forfeit his own Happiness, but, by a kind of Contagion, propagate his Sin and Mifery, among his unhappy Progeny. No Circumstance of which Proceeding appears, in the leaft, to impeach God's Benignity, but only to demonstrate the Weakness and Depravity of Man. The Certainty of which Truth the wife Son of David discover'd, when all the reft of his Searches were vain and fruitlefs. Lo! this only have I found, Ecclef. that God made man upright, but they have fought out many inventions.

Nor has Man any Reafon to complain that he was not created in fuch a State of Perfection, as to have been incapable of Falling. Since abfolute Perfection is an incommunicable Property of the very and eternal God alone. Who was fufficiently gracious to Man, in creating him with Faculties capable of diftinguishing between both pofitive and moral Good and Evil; and with a free Will to choose accordingly.. The Poffibility of offending in the Creature, is implied in the Exiftence of Mercy in the fupream Being; there is so close a Connection between them, that the one cannot fubfift without the other.

[blocks in formation]

vii. 29.

But further, to convince Mankind that they are not the only Creatures this dealt with, we read of a Fall of Angelswho, though in a Clafs, we know not how much, John viii. fuperior to ours, abode not in the truth, and Jude 6. confequently kept not their firfteftate, but 2 Pet. ii.4. left their own babitation, and are referved

44.

in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. Whose pree fent Situation appears to be, at least, as much more deplorable than ours, Hassin their primitive Condition they excelled us.

[ocr errors]

For no fooner was Man fallen, but he was rais'd from Defpair by the comfortable Prospect of a future REDEEMER. The Promife of whole Coming, for the Salvation of Mankind, was the Object of Faith to them that liv'd before his Time; as the Performance is to those who have been born fince. And, as it is reveal'd that God created the World, and fent our SAVIOUR into it, in the Fulness of Time, it must be an Inftance of Weakness or Prefumption in any one to ask, Why God did not do both these things fooner; fince we may be fure. his Wisdom best knew the proper Times for both, and conclude that his Goodness determin'd him to employ them accordingly

And

[ocr errors]

18 CONCLUSION & 499 And because, to fome, it may seem unt accountable at least, if not partial, in Gody to have chosen one particular Branch of 1 Mankind, for his favourite People, rexist clufive of all the reft; the Tenour of the Scripture plainly fhews us, that God's Fatalà vour was not merely arbitrary, in this Cafes but rather attending upon Merit; the most Virtuous and Pious generally enjoying the greatest Share of itd And tho' the Pofter rity of righteous Abraham, multiplied exceedingly, according to God's Promile; yet we find them ever crown'd with Suc cefs, or crofs'd by Calamities, in Propor-" tion, as they obferv'd or oppos'd the divine Law. The whole Scheme of God's enter ing into a Covenant with them, among other Types and Shadowings, poffibly containing a Representation and Sample, of that eternal and immutable Method, which he will always proceed in his Deal ings with the Sons of Men, (viz.) That he will confer the greatest Tokens of Love and Efteem upon thofe, who are the most diligent in feeking after, and ftudious in performing his Will. God is no respecter A&sx, of perfons; but, in every nation, he that 34, 35, K k z feareth

by

feareth Him and worketh righteorfinafsis accepted of Him.boʊ din guidica M

From the facred Volumes we likewife learn this ever-feafonable Leffon; That na tional Crimes, fuch as a Neglects of the true Worship of God (the Harbinger of all Kinds of Vice and Immorality) Luxury, and corrupt Practices in all Shapes, in or der to fupport it, are, at the long Rún, constantly and unavoidably attended with national Ruin and Destruction. And, at the fame Time, we must confess, that the People upon whom thefe Judgments were executed, richly deferv'd them, because they would take no Warning; though God was continually railings up, and fending Prophets among them, who in his Name pointed out the Danger they were in, and, in the most preffing Manner, intreated and exhorted them to avoid it by Repen

tance.

[ocr errors]

In a Word, the whole Defign of the Bible, both in the Old and New Teftaments, in a wonderful Variety of Precept and Example, gives us to understand, that the being born under and belonging to the very beft Laws, and the moft excellent Eftablifhment

blishment in Church and State, will avail Men nothing with God, but highly aggravate their Guilt, unless their Manners are proportionably honeft and pure. Vain, and ineffectual to this Purpose, are thofe Titles of Sanctity and Honour, by which Men agree to dignify and diftinguish one another, in this World: There are no other Elect, no other Favourites of God, but those that habitually and conftantly carry themfelves according to thofe Rules of univer fal Charity, which our LORD has prefcrib'd in the Gofpel., sleds modw noqu algnet

་འ

Be not high-minded, therefore, but fear, ye Rom. xi. that pretend to believe the Scriptures, and 20. boaft your felves to be the People of God. For if God fpared not the angels that finned, 2 Pet. ii.4. but caft them down to hell; If God fpared not the old world, but brought in a flood upon the ungodly, faving only Noah the eighth perfon, a preacher of righteousness; If God, turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into afbes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto thofe that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy converfation of the wicked; If God spared not the natural Rom. xi. branches, 21.

« PreviousContinue »