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neglect of God: "Nevertheless he left not himself with "out witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from "heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food "and gladnefs.* Becaufe that which may be known of "God is manifeft in them; for God hath fhewed it unto "them. For the invifible things of him from the creation "of the world are clearly feen, being understood by the "things that are made, even his eternal power and god"head; fo that they are without excufe."+ Should any defire from these paffages to infer, that if any of them made a juft and dutiful ufe of thefe natural notices of God, he would not fruftrate their fearch, but would lead them to the faving knowledge of himfelf, I have nothing to object against the general pofition; but I am afraid it will be difficult to make any other legitimate ufe of this conceffion than the apoftle has made already, that they are "without excufe" in their eftrangement from God. One thing more we are authorised from fcripture to fay, that their guilt is in proportion to their means of knowledge; that they continue in their natural ftate, and are not chargeable with the fin of rejecting the gofpel which they never heard: " For as many as have finned without law, "fhall alfo perifh without law; and as many as have fin"ned in the law, fhall be judged by the law."

I proceed now to the fecond thing propofed, which was, To make a few reflections on this fcheme; and fhew, that it is not only moft felf-confiftent, but most agreeable to the other parts of fcripture, as well as to the visible ftate of the world; and therefore that those who, in reafoning with infidels, depart from it in any measure, do thereby betray the caufe which they profefs to fupport.

We have many proofs of the ingenuity and art of perfons under the power of prejudice, in evading the force, or wresting the meaning of particular texts of fcripture ; and therefore it muft ferve much for the confirmation of any doctrine, that it is not only fupported by express paffages, but agreeable to the flrain and fpirit of the whole. That this is the cafe with the doctrine in question, I might Rom. ii. 12.

Acte xiv. 17. † Rom. i. 19, 20.

fhew at great length: at present I content myself with the few following reflections. 1ft, There is nothing more frequently or more undeniably found in fcripture, than a celebration of the rich mercy and free grace of God in Chrift Jefus,in fuch language as will fearce accord with any other plan than that which I have above endeavored to explain and fupport. It has been a remark frequently made, of the juftice of which every ferious perufer of the facred writings will be fenfible, that the infpired penmen seem, as it were, to be raised and elevated above their ordinary pitch when they are on this theme, and that both in the Old and New Teftament. Wherever there is a striking paffage in the poetic, or prophetic writings, containing fentiments of the moft rapturous joy, or moft ardent gratitude, there we may be fure is a prophecy of Chrift. See the Pfalmift David often thus diftinguifhing himself, par ticularly in the following paffage: "His name fhall en"dure forever: his name fhall be continued as long as "the fun and men fhall be bleffed in him; and all na"tions fhall call him bleffed. Bleffed be the Lord God, "the God of Ifrael, who only doth wondrous things. And "bleffed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole "earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen."* The apostle Paul alfo, not only when exprefsly handling the fubject, but even when he accidentally meets with it in the illuftration of another argument, feems to fire at the thought, and either expatiates upon it with a profufion of eloquence, and energy of expreffion; or collects as it were, his whole force, and furprifes us more, by dispatching it at one fingle masterly stroke.†

Now, I would ask, Why fo many encomiums on the mercy and grace of God in pardoning finners through Chrift, if his undertaking had not been abfolutely neceffary for their recovery? Whençe could arife fo deep an obligation to gratitude, if our ftate had not been abfolutely deplorable, or if relief could have been obtained from any other quarter? There must furely be a great impropriety

• Pfal. Ixxii. 17, 18, 19. † See an inftance of the first of thefe, Eph. iii. 17. and of the laft, 1 Cor. xvi. 22.

in the Scripture-language on this fubject, when used by. fome perfons agreeably to their other fentiments. And indeed their being very fparing of this language, avoiding it as much as poffible, and dwelling with most pleasure on different themes, is a tacit confeffion and acknowledgment of this truth.

But, befides the mercy of God to the world in general in fending his Son to redeem us who were fold under fin, we find in fcripture many ftrong declarations of the infi nite mercy of God in fending the tidings of falvation to those who were ignorant of them before. This appears from feveral of the pallages formerly cited, and many more that might be added. I only mention one of the apostle Paul, recorded in the Acts of the Apoftles: "Be "it known therefore unto you, that the falvation of God

is fent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."* Now, what is meant by this? Were thefe Gentiles in a way of falvation before? and what benefit did they reap from this intelligence? If it be faid, that they were comparatively in a more advantageous fituation than before; this when strictly examined, will be found to draw after it all the confequences fo disagreeable to the pride of man, for which the other fuppofition is rejected. Or rather, when their comparative advantages are carried fo far as to give any thing like a confiftent meaning to the above and other paffages of Scripture, it will amount entirely to the fame thing. For I hope no Chriftian will affert, that any perfon in the world, who hath the exercife of reafon, is under a Natural, but only a Moral impoffibility,† of com

* Acts xxviii. 28.

I ufe the words Natural and Moral impoffibility in the fenfe in which they are used by the authors who first applied that distinction to fubjects of philofophy and divinity, and not in the abfurd sense in which fome late infidel writers do obftinately perfift in using them. Thefe gentlemen, instead of meaning by Natural or Phyfical neceflity or impoffibility, that which arifes from the irresistible operation of the laws of nature, and by Moral, a high degree of probability from concurring circumftances, tell us, that Phyfical neceffity is what arifes from the laws of matter; and Moral, that which arifes from the laws of mind or fpirit. But nothing can be more evident, than that any influence from without upon mind or fpirit, if it be irrefiftible, is as

ing to the knowledge, and doing the will of God. If the first were the cafe, it would take away all fin; but the laft is only fuch an obftinate difinclination, as is ftill consistent with guilt and blame.

Another reflection we may make on this fubject, That according to the conftant tenor of the holy Scripture, not only an offer of mercy for Chrift's fake muft be made to the finner, but a change must be wrought on his heart and temper fo great, as to be termed a New Creation, and a Second Birth. The firft of thefe is an act of the divine government, the laft is a work of divine power,. Now, I would beg leave to afk, How and where is this to be expected? It cannot furely proceed from the influence of fabulous deities, or be the effect of idolatrous rites. It is not the work of man, and therefore only of the Spirit of Chrift. Should any think fit to prefume, that the fanctifying influences of the holy Ghoft are bestowed universally, though unknown to the receivers; this again annihilates all the fuperior advantages of Chriftians; and, on the very beft poffible fuppofition, is an affertion thrown out at random, and altogether deftitute of fupport from the oracles of truth.

A third obfervation I would make, That this scheme alone makes the foundation of the gofpel fufficient to bear. the fuperftructure. Nothing else can fufficiently account for the coft and expence, if I may speak fo, that have been laid out in the redemption of man. It is very evident, that both the prophets in the Old Testament, and the apostles in the New, are at great pains to give us a view of the glory and dignity of the PERSON of CHRIST. With what magnificent titles is he adorned? What glorious attributes are afcribed to him? And what mighty works are faid to be done by him? All these confpire to teach us, that he is truly and properly God, God over all, bleffed for ever. On the other hand, How much is his humiliation and abasement infisted on; the reproach and contempt of his life, the pain and ignominy of his death? And the infinite value of his fufferings, arifing from these two united confi

much phyfical or natural neceffity as any other. And the diftinction thus explained, or perverted, is utterly ufelefs, when applied to morals.

derations? Nothing can more plainly fhew the guilt and mifery of man, than that fo great a perfon fhould be employed in refcuing him, fo infinite a price paid for his rinfom. If fuch a propitiation was necessary for the heirs of glory, how hopeless must be the ftate of thofe who have no claim to, or intereft in, or dependence upon it?*

The last obfervation I am to make at prefent, is, That the scheme above laid down, is also most agreeable to the vifible state of the world, and furnishes the plain and the only fufficient anfwer to the old objection against the Chriftian revelation, the want of univerfality. This af fertion to fome will appear furprising, as it feems to have been on purpose to avoid or answer this objection, that all the other opinions have been formed. However, they ftill leave the objection in all its force; nay, it is often fupported and ftrengthened by the reafonings upon them. But, on the principles above laid down, it is capable of the following plain and eafy folution. It is of the infinite mercy and free grace of God, that he did not leave all mankind to perish in a state of fin and mifery. Where then lies the difficulty in believing, that fome only, and not all, are faved, or are furnished with the means of falvavation? If all are juftly liable to wrath, upon which the whole gofpel is built, mercy to a part can never be improbable, or unworthy of God, on account of the ruin in the reft: fo that the objection can only take its rife from doubt or difbelief of that firft and fundamental truth.

If a prince had a number of traitors in his power, whofe treafon was of the moft aggravated and inexcufeable kind, and we fhould be inform that he had granted a free pardon to fome, and left the reft to fuffer the juft punishment of their crime; would it be the leaft objection against his clemency, that it extended only to a felect number of the offenders? or would it be any juft impeachment of his

It is a strong confirmation of this, that it holds almoft without exception, in comparing the fentiments and fchemes of the different parties of Chriftians, that thofe who have the flighteft fenfe of the neceffity of atonement, and the greatest bias to a felf-righteous plan, are always moft difpofed to leffen the glory of our Redeemer's perfon; lean moft to, or judge most favorably of the Socinian or Arian hypo

thefis.

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