Page images
PDF
EPUB

a Man would be thought befide himself, who should act in the fame Manner.

As to the two other Points, The cleanfing Sinners from their Iniquity, and enabling them to live virtuously for the future; or, in other Words, the Sanctification and Grace promised in the Gofpel; I fhall not enter into the Confideration of them particularly, because the fame Way of Reasoning is applicable in these Cafes, mutatis mutandis; and therefore I fhall leave them to your own Reflection.

$

Upon the whole; The only true and fair Way of judging of the Gospel is, to confider what is the true State of Mankind in the World. If Men are in a State of Purity and Innocence, no Redemption is wanting, and the Methods prefcribed in the Gospel bear no Relation to their Circumftances: But, if Men have every-where finned, and come short of the Glory of God, the Law of Nature cannot help them to thofe Bleffings, which by the Law of Nature are forfeited; and there is manifeftly a Neceffity to have recourse to other Means to obtain Salvation.

It may be faid, for it often is faid, That, whatever Degree of Light Men have, it will make little Difference in the Cafe; fince an equitable Judge will confider Men and

their Merits in proportion to their Abilities. Allowing this Maxim to be true, yet it plainly goes no farther than this; That God will not punish Men for not doing the Things which their natural Powers enabled them not to do. The Argument cannot go farther: You cannot argue from the Weaknefs or Stupidity of Men, that they shall be rewarded. It may be a good Reason not to beat a Man when he does amifs, because he is a Fool, and knows not what he does; but it is no Reason to honour or to advance him. And therefore a Religion founded in this favourite Principle cannot be said to have the Words of eternal Life; for no Plea, no Claim for eternal Life can poffibly be raised out of it.

Confidering therefore Religion under the Character given in the Text, That it has the Words of eternal Life; we fhall have Reason to conclude with St. Peter, That our only Hope is in God, and in him whom he hath fent, our bleffed Lord and Redeemer; and with him to say, Lord, whither fhall we go? Thou, Thou only, haft the Words of eternal Life. And we believe, and are fure, that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God.

[blocks in formation]

D

DISCOURSE II.

HEBREWS vii. 25

Wherefore he is able alfo to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them.

W

HEN we confider the great and wonderful Work of our Redemption, though we cannot, account for every Step of it to our own Reason and Understanding, yet neither can we imagine it to be the Effect of mere Will and arbitrary Appointment, and void of all Foundation in the Reason and Propriety of Things. All the Works of God are Works of Wisdom; and, as far as our Capacities give us leave to judge, we discern evident Marks of Wisdom

in them all, and discover a Fitness and Propriety in every thing with respect to the End which it is intended to ferve or promote. If this be fo in every Inftance in which we are able to make any Judgment, it is a great Prefumption that it is, and muft be, fo in all other Instances, which are too high and great to be viewed and measured by human Understanding: And we have one pofitive Argument that it is fo, arifing from the natural Notion we have of God, and of his Attributes of Wisdom and Juftice. It is impoffible to fuppofe fuch a Being to do any thing by Chance, or in compliance to mere Will and Humour. No: Every Act of God is the Act of infinite Wisdom, and is founded in the neceffary Reafon and Propriety of Things: And it is as true of the Works of Grace, as it is of the Works of Nature, That in Wisdom he has ordained them all.

It is one thing not to be able to difcern the Reasons of Providence, and another to fuppofe there is no Reafon in them. The Reasons, that made it either neceffary or proper for Chrift to die for the Sins of Mankind, may be removed out of our Sight: But to fuppofe that Chrift really did die for the Sins of the World, and yet that there was no Reafon or Propriety in his fo doing,

« PreviousContinue »