brought all this upon us, in way of righteous judgment. Rom. V. 18, 19. Our being in so bad a state is no more owing to God, than their's is who are now in hell. They deserve to be in hell, according to a law that is holy, just, and good; and we deserve to be in such a state, according to the constitution made with Adam, which was also holy, just, and good: and therefore the one may be consistent with the divine perfections, as well as the other. It cannot be disagreeable to the holiness, justice, and goodness of the divine nature, to deal with mankind according to a constitution, in its own nature holy, just, and good.

Now inasmuch as God did virtually give being to all mankind, when he blessed our first parents, and said, Be fruitful, and multiply; and inasmuch as being, under the circumstances that man was then put in by God, was very desirable; we ought, therefore, to thank God for our being, considered in this light, and justify God in all the evil that is come upon us for our apostacy; for the Lord is righteous, and we are a guilty race.

Those in hell are in a state of being infinitely worse than not to be; and, instead of thanking God for their beings, they blaspheme his name: but still there is no just ground for their conduct. They have no reason to think hard of God for damning them; they have no reason to blame him; they have no reason to esteem him any the less for it: he does what is fit to be done. His conduct is amiable; and he is worthy of being esteemed for doing as he does; and all holy beings will always esteem him for it. Rev. xix. 1-5. Therefore the damned ought to ascribe all their evil to themselves, and justify God, and say, " He gave us being; and it was a mercy; and he deserves thanks; but to us it is owing that we are now in a state infinitely worse than not to be. God is not to blame for that; nor is he the less worthy of thanks for giving us being, and for all past advantages which we ever enjoyed for the law is holy, just, and good, by and according to which we suffer all these things." So here: mankind, by the fall, were brought into a state of being infinitely worse. than not to be: and were they but so far awake as to be sensible of it, they would no doubt, all over the earth, murmur,

and blaspheme the God of heaven. But what then? There would be no just ground for such conduct. We have no reason to think hard of God; to blame him, or to esteem him any the less. What he has done was fit and right; his conduct was beautiful: and he is worthy to be esteemed for it for that constitution was holy, just, and good, as has been proved. And therefore a fallen world ought to ascribe to themselves all their evil, and to justify God and say, "God gave us being under a constitution holy, just, and good; and it was a mercy. We should have accounted it a great mercy, in case Adam had never fallen; but God was not to blame for this; nor therefore is he the less worthy of thanks. All that we suffer is by and according to a constitution in its own nature holy, just, and good." Thus mankind ought to have said, had God never provided a Saviour, but left all the world in ruin; and thus ought they to have justified God's conduct; laid all the blame to themselves, and acknowledged that God deserved praise from all his works; which, as they came out of his hands, were all very good. Gen. i. 31.

OBJ. But although we were by the fall, brought into such a state of wrath and condemnation, yet now we are delivered out of it by Christ; for as, in Adam, all die, so, in CHRIST, shall all be made alive.

ANS. Before men believe in Christ, they are as justly exposed to divine vengeance, as if Christ had never died. John iii. 18. 36. And there is nothing to keep off vengeance, one moment, but sovereign mercy; which yet they continually affront and provoke. Rom ii. 4, 5. And they are so far from an inclination to turn to God of their own accord, that they are disposed to resist all the means used to reclaim them. John iii. 19. It is true, God is ready, through Christ, to receive returning sinners, and invites all to return through him. Thus God is good and kind to an apostate world, and offers us mercy. God is not to blame that we are in so bad a case : our destruction is of ourselves, and the Lord is righteous: but still it is evident we are in a perishing condition, and shall certainly perish, notwithstanding all that we, of our own mere motion, ever shall do. If sovereign grace does not preyent, there is no hope.

OBJ. But if mankind are thus, by nature, children of wrath in a state of being worse than not to be, and, even after all that Christ has done, are in themselves thus utterly undone, how can men have a heart to propagate their kind, or account it a blessing to have a numerous posterity?

ANS. It is manifest by their conduct; by their neglecting their children's souls, and caring only for their bodies, that parents, in general, do not propagate with any concern about the spiritual and eternal well-being of their posterity. It is probable, in general, they are influenced by the same motive that the brutal world are, together with a desire to have children under the notion of a worldly comfort, without scarcely a thought of what will become of their posterity for eternity.

As to godly parents, they have such a spirit of love to God, and resignation to his will, and such an approbation of his dispensations towards mankind, and such a liking to his whole scheme of government, that they are content that God should govern the world as he does; and that he should have subjects to govern; and that themselves and their posterity should be under him, and at his disposal. Nor are they without hopes of mercy for their children, from sovereign grace through Christ, while they do, through him, devote and give them up to God, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And thus they quiet themselves as to their souls. And now, considering children merely as to this life, it is certain that it is a great comfort and blessing to pa rents to have a promising offspring.

As to 'carnal men, since they are enemies to God and his holy law, it is no wonder they are at enmity against his whole scheme of conduct as Governor of the world. Did they understand how God governs the world, and firmly believe it, I doubt not it would make all their native enmity ferment to perfection. They would wish themselves to be from under God's government, and hate that he should ever have any

thing of their's to govern. As soon as ever they enter into the eternal world, and see how things really are, this will, no doubt, actually be their case. In a word, if men heartily like the original constitution with Adam, as being, in its own na ture, holy, just, and good, this objection will, upon mature

consideration, be no difficulty with them; and if they do not, it is not any thing that can be said, will satisfy them. But wicked men's not liking the constitution, does not prove it to be bad.

OBJ. It cannot be thought a blessing to have children, if the most of them are likely, nally to perish.

ANS. The most of Abraham's posterity, no doubt, for abovethese three thousand years, have been wicked, and have perished; and God knew before-hand how it would be; and yet he promised such a numerous posterity under the notion of a great blessing. Gen. xxii. For, considering children merely as to this life, they may be a great blessing and comfort to parents, and an honour to them; but it is very fitting our children should be God's subjects, and under his government. Nor are they any the less blessings to us, as to this life, because they must be accountable to God in the life to come. They may be a great comfort to us in this life; and we are certain God will do them no wrong in the life to come. All men's murmuring thoughts about this matter arise from their not liking God's way of governing the world.

REM. 3. Then do we begin to make a just estimate of the grace, the free, rich, and glorious grace of God, the great Governor of the world, displayed in the gospel, when we consi:ter mankind, by and according to a constitution and a law, both of them holy, just, and good, actually in such a ruined state. Now we may begin a little more to see the natural import of those words, God so loved the world: such a world was it, that he loved and pitied: a world in so bad a state: a perishing world, sinful, guilty, justly condemned, altogether helpless and undone. And to have a door opened by the blood of Christ, for us to be raised from the depth of such ruin, is wonderful grace indeed. And in this light does the matter stand in scripture-account: for, according to that, by the offence of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation; and, by the disobedi ence of one, many were made, (or constituted,) sinners, by virtue of the original constitution with Adam*. Rom. v. 18, 19.

* Constituted sinners, it is in the original; for it was by virtue of that primitive constitution with Adam, that his first sin laid all his posterity under sin, guilt, and ruin.

And all the world stood guilty before God, by virtue of their want of conformity unto and transgression of the law of nature, or moral law. Rom. iii. 9. 19. And hence mankind were considered as being under sin, and under the curse of the. law, and under the wrath of God. Rom. iii. 9. Gal. iii. 10. John iii. 16. Rom. i. 18. And under this notion Christ was appointed, to save his people, from their sins, (Mat. i. 21.) to deliver them from the wrath to come, (1 Thes. i. 10.) and to bring it to pass, that whereas, by the disobedience of one, many were made sinners, so, by the obedience of one, many might be made righteous. Rom. v. 19. And hence the gospel so mightily magnifies the grace of God, his love and goodness, as being unparalleled, unspeakable, inconceivable, passing knowledge. God so loved the world, says Christ: God commendeth his love, saith Paul: Herein is love, says. John. It has height and length, depth and breadth. It is rich grace, and the exceeding riches of grace. And why? why is it so magnified and extolled? Why, for this, among other reasons, because all this was done while we did not love God; while we were sinners; while we were ungodly; while we were enemies; while we were exposed to wrath, guilty before God, perishing, lost, without strength. Thus God has represented it in his word; his word which is the image of his mind, and which shows us how he looks upon things, and how they really are. See John iii. 16. 36. Rom. v. 6, 7, 8. 1 John iv. 10. Eph. i. 7. and ii. 7, 8. and iii. 19. Mat. xviii. 11, &c.

Never, therefore, can a sinner rightly understand the gospel of Christ, or see his need of the provision therein made, or in any measure make a just estimate of the grace of God therein displayed, until he is, in some measure, convinced and made really sensible, by the spirit of God, that he is actually in such a sinful, guilty, helpless, undone condition. This, therefore, is absolutely necessary, in order to a genuine compliance with the gospel by faith in Jesus Christ. Luke v. 31. For the whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. And as this is requisite, in order to the first act of faith, so, for the same reason, must we all our days live under a realizing sense of this our sinful, guilty, undone state, by nature, and in ourselves, in order to live by faith. And this will make Christ precious,