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none that ever were in Heaven durft ever think CHAP of, except the fallen Angels; and what was their Lofs of that Place, but the indulging themfelves in fuch Thoughts? Yet our Author, as a Deift, pretends to merit of God beyond Papists themfelves. His Words are thefe, page 332, 333. "Can he, who does a thing to avoid being pu

nifh'd, or in Hopes of being rewarded here"after; and for the fame Reafon is ready to do "the contrary; merit, at least, equally with "him, who is in Love with his Duty, and is govern'd, not by fervile Motives, but by the

original Obligation of the moral Fitnefs of "Things; in Conformity to the Nature, and "in Imitation of the perfect Will of God? They "who do not act thus, deferve not the Title of "true Deifts."

ARE not they guilty, at the fame time, of a Breach of one of the primary Laws of Nature, Self-Prefervation, when they might, but won't be faved? What Enemies to themfelves, and to Mankind, to go about to banish the affurance, of fuch a Hope out of the world? It is taking away a Life from the world more precious than its prefent Life, which is, or ought to be, the very Life of that life.

THE Author of Characteristicks profeffes that our Conceptions of the Deity depend upon the Humour we are in, i. e. the Temper and Difpo-: fition of Man's Mind. Now what can procure. or produce this beft of Humour like a fettled Covenant between God and Man? This affuredly puts every Man's Happinefs into his own Power, having the Power of performing the Conditions. This cures all Exceffes of his Paffion for himself either

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CHAP. either rifing to Prefumption, or finking into De X. fpair, by curing all falfe Notions both of the Goodness, and Severity of God: The Promises of the Covenant are an Antidote against one, and the Threatnings against the other.

AND will they ftill flavifhly stick to the Law of Works, that Law written in their Hearts, whilst their Heart fails them, and their Conscience daily accuses them for not keeping up to it? And ftill find in their Heart not to receive the fecond and better Covenant there? When it would put their Law of Nature farther into their inward Parts, and, in order to conquer that evil Heart of Unbelief, endear itfelf to their Judgment and Affections, under the Circumftances of being merciful to their Unrighteousness, and remembring their Sins and Iniquities no more; and of the Yoke being render'd eafy, and the Burthen light, through the Lord and Mediator of that Covenant; wherein there is promised Pardon for their Sins, and the Affiftance of the Holy Ghoft to help their Infirmities, and Life eternal for afking for, and the Sincerity of their best Endeayours accepted of in lieu of perfect Obedience: for the Uprightness and Perfection of Man's Obedience to the fame, is declared in the renewal of that Covenant, or original Promife to Abrabam, to confift in Sincerity according to the Margin, Gen. xvii. 1. Though in that Covenant we convey no other Right to God than what he had a Claim to before, viz. the best Obedience of our Lives, yet for the better Security of that Obedience, it operates upon us with the Force of a double Obligation; that of God's Commandments, and that also which arifes from the Honour of keeping the Faith of a Covenant

we voluntarily obliged ourselves in. A Covenant; CHAP. X. wherein they may enter into the most happy, most honourable, moft priviledg'd State of mutual Contract with the Maker of Heaven and Earth, for the greatest Benefits their Nature is capable of, and upon Terms eafy to be perform'd by their Frailties.

WHEREAS in their State of Nature, there is no mutual Obligation at all between God and Man, all the Weight of the Obligation lies upon Man; and no correfponding Obligation from God; who binds himself in no Promife or Scipulation, because Man refufes to be bound by any fœderal Right on his Part, to his own Happinefs; and to accept Him for their God, in the Way only that he will at all be their God, or they can be his People. Can that be an equitable, or a tolerable Notion of the Goodness of God, which would make thofe equal in its Refpects, whofe moral Actions and Behaviour towards Him, are unequal, by flighting the Conditions of his Goodness? If it is morally certain from the Divine Goodness, that he would, at fome certain Time and Place, reveal fome Remedy to Man's Mifery, and fome Reftoration to his Happiness; to enquire not after that reveal'd Will and Goodness of God, but spurn at the Offers of it, muft be a moft provoking, immoral Difobedience. Yet they defpife the Revelation he has been pleafed to make; though it is as true, and as comfortable in Belief, for their Life here, and for their Hopes hereafter, as is the Being of God itself.

FOR it gives them the true Knowledge of God, and of Themselves; without which, one is

as

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CHAP. as nothing, comparatively fpeaking, to the other. In Defiance of which they fet up an imaginary Relation between as fanciful a Goodness of God and themselves; controuling and directing that to be, what it really is not, with respect to them; and to increase their own Rejection, making themselves to be what they really are not.

IT is not fufficient to confider the Goodness of God as the Author of our Beings and our Bleffings, unless we confider our Relation to him likewife, as our Divine Law-giver and Governor ; what he requires from our Behaviour, to please him, and what he forbids under the Penalty of his Displeasure; and in that Cafe to separate Juftice from his Goodness, is to make him an Idol of our own Fancy, no God, no Governor over us; and ourselves, though his Creatures, daily preferv'd and oblig'd, yet not accountable to him for our Actions. From two Premifes both of their own erecting, with respect to God's Goodness, and their own Sufficiency, and both fundamentally erroneous, what Syftem for their Salvation can follow, but Self-deceit and Selfdeftruction; if God of his infinite Mercy does not open their Eyes, to let them fee, and forfake their own Delufion?

DOES he not know Himfelf, and them, much better than they can pretend either to know Him, or themselves? In order to give them, boafting themselves of the reverse, a due Sense of themselves, and take down that proud fwelling Sufficiency, as of themfelves, they ought to confider that they are wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and without Him can do nothing. That God can do for them what

they

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they cannot do of themfelves, enlighten, and CHAP, enrich them, and make them very happy with Himself, provided they will fubmit to his Directions. He who is ignorant, but knows his own Ignorance, (as was the Cafe of the ancient Philofophers) is far wifer, and more compaffionated by the Deity, than he, who having received the Heavenly Inftruction, with all the Treasures of Divine Wisdom and Goodness, for making him good; thinks himself wifer and better, than to put it to any other Ufe, but to rend thofe who lay fuch Pearl before him.

Is it fitting they fhould deal as boldly by his Goodness as they do by his Juftice? drawing upon it great Sums of Favour and Bounty, on all their Occafions, and without Leave, claiming a Title hereafter to an happy Immortality, and efcape from Punishments, as a Matter of Right; though they have no Promife, though it is in Derifion of the Methods God has appointed them to claim under. Never confidering that Favour and Goodness is a free Thing in all its Difpenfations, where it is unconfined by Covenant. Would they acknowledge and embrace it, in that Way of Covenant, they have indeed a juft Claim to it; but as long as they wilfully difdain the Covenant, and the Condition thereof, Juftice forbids them any Benefit of it.

THEY think it is no Injuftice in God to pardon Sin in their Way, and therefore depend upon him for it: By which, they fondly mean, it would be no Injuftice or Injury to themselves to receive his Pardon and Favour. But have they any juft Claim to it? If not, they are guilty of Injuftice against God in entertaining fuch an unjufti

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