advantageous and eafy firft ftage of probation, than
what is appointed us; and that, to balance that advan-
tage, the happinefs they were raised to was more preca-
rious than that which is deftined for thofe of our fpecies,
who thall acquit themselves with honour of a more dif-
ficult one.
This feems no more than equitable, and
natural, that the confequence of an easier ftate of trial
paffed through with fuccefs fhould be a lower degree,
and more precarious kind, of happiness; and of a more
difficult one, a higher and more certain kind of happi-
nefs. And befides, it is very probably the nature of
all moral agents to value most, and be most afraid of
lofing, what has coft them the greatest pains to attain,
and what only a few have attained. However it be,
there is plainly no abfurdity in the Scripture account
of the fall of a certain number of beings, of a rank
prior in exiftence, and fuperior in dignity, to ours; nor
of their being driven, by a total defpair of recovery to
the Divine favour, to a confirmed habit of perfeverance
in vice, and oppofition to all good; which, increafing,
muft increase their punishment, and multiply their dam-
nation. That thofe defperate beings, who know them-
felves to be fealed to deftruction, fhould, as far as per-
mitted, exercife an implacable envy and hatred against
our fpecies, of whom they forfee that fome part will
rife to that happiness, from which they are irrecovera-
bly fallen, is not to be wondered at. A Nero, a Duke
d'Alva, a bloody father inquifitor*; are not these dæ-
mons? If we have fuch diabolical beings in our own
fpecies, who have had fo fhort a time to improve in
wickedness, and are fill under a difpenfation of hea-
venly grace; why fhould we wonder at any accounts
we have in Scripture of the confirmed wickedness of
fpirits abandoned to defpair, and who have had many
thousands of years to improve and harden themselves in
vice?

Some have made a difficulty of the incarnation of Chrift; as if there were in that doctrine fomewhat peculiarly hard to admit, or next to abfurd. But in fuch cafes, where nothing is required to be granted, but what is

* See Page 257.

analogous

analogous to the courfe of nature; it does not feem reafonable to hefitate at any fuppofed difficulty, which, if removed, would leave another confeffedly as hard to furmount. How a fpiritual being, of any rank whatever, comes to be immured in a material vehicle, is to us wholly inconceivable. The incarnation of a human foul is a mystery utterly inexplicable by human fagacity. Nor is it at all more incomprehenfible, how an angel, or archangel, fhould animate a body, than how a human mind fhould. The difficulty does not arise from the rank, or dignity, of the fpiritual being; but from the nature of fpirits in general; whofe power of animating and actuating a material vehicle, and the nexus, which forms the union between two natures fo different, are to us wholly inconceivable.

And as to the objection, Of its being improbable, that a being of fuch dignity, as that of the Meffiah, fhould condefcend to affume, for a time, the loweft ftation of rational nature; it will presently vanifh, on confidering the importance of the purpofe, for which he did. fo. For if, in confequence of this amazing condefcenfion, there fhould, in a confiftence with the Divine rectitude, and establifhed order of the moral world, and the freedom of the creature, many thoufands, perhaps millions, of our fpecies, be raised hereafter by degrees to fuch greatness and goodness, that the present station of the archangel Gabriel will be regarded by them as an inferior one (which will certainly one day be the cafe) who can think any apparatus, to gain fuch an end, too coftly, or operofe? Whoever duly confiders the flupendous excellence of a nature, which, however mean and low at prefent, is yet formed capable of an endless progreffion in every noble quality; will not think any contrivance ill beftowed, or any condefcenfion too low, to gain the moral improvement of fuch a fpecies. Add, that condefcenfion on a proper occafion, and for fome important end, is fuitable to a fuperior nature; and peculiarly agreeable to every great mind. And let the confideration of the high exaltations of the Meffial, in confequence of his gracious interpofition for the recovery of a ruined fpecies, be taken in. Add likewife

Hh 3

the

the Divine pleasure of exerting a benevolence fo extenfive, that an eternity will be employed by a race of beings, delivered by it from utter deftruction, in celebrating its praises, and expreffing that gratitude, which every fucceeding period of their happy existence will heighten, every new enjoyment will inflame with evergrowing raptures.

To pretend to difpute whether it was poffible for mankind to be reftored by any other means than those which Infinite Wifdom has chofen, is both prefumptuous and ufelefs. It is our wifdom to confider what we have to do, as the moral conftitution of things is; not to amufe ourselves with vain fpeculations upon what could do us no fervice to know, and what it is impoffible we should by our own fagacity ever difcover. In general, it is evident, that the repentance and reformation of offenders was not of itself, without fome additional apparatus, fufficient, confiftently with the Divine fcheme, to reftore a guilty order of beings to a ca pacity of being received to pardon. For Divine wif dom never ufes a more operofe method of proceeding, when one lefs fo will anfwer the end.

Whether we shall at all, in the prefent ftate, be able to determine wherein the principal propriety or neceffity of the death of Christ confifted, and how it came to be effica cious for our reftoration to the Divine favour, is greatly to be queftioned; as Scripture has only declared to us the fact, that it is chiefly by his laying down his life for mankind, which was the great end of his coming into the world, that we are to be received to pardon and mercy; but has given us no precife account of the modus of the operation of his death for that purpose, nor how the ends of the Divine government were answered by it. In general, may it be faid, That the confideration of fo important a fcheme found neceffary for restoring an offending order of beings, is likely to ftrike all rational minds, who may ever come to the knowledge of it, with a very awful fenfe of the fatal evil of vice, which made it neceffary. And as they must see the difficulty of finding fuch a mediator for themselves, in cafe of their offending, they may thereby be the more effectually

effectually deterred from difobedience. It may impress them with high notions of the Divine purity, and averfion to evil, which made the restoration of offenders a work fo difficult and expenfive. And we know not how wide each particular in the moral fcheme of the Divine government may extend. We are told in Scripture, that the angels defire to look into the mystery of our falvation That some of them have actually fallen from their obedience is doubted by none who admit revelation: That there is any ftate of finite virtue and happiness fo fecure, as that it is impoffible to fall from it; or that created beings can, confiftently with freedom, be raised to any fuch ftate as to defy weakness and error, and to be above all advantage from inftruction by precept or example, is by no means to be affirmed. And if there be no reason to doubt, but in all states free agents are fallible (though more and more fecure of continuing in their obedience, as more perfect) fince according to Scripture even the angels are chargeable with folly; it may then be put as a conjecture, whether the scheme of the restoration of mankind may not have immensely extenfive and valuable effects upon various orders of moral agents throughout the univerfe for preferving them in their obedience. This effect the confideration of it ought to have especially, above all, on us, who are molt nearly interested in it; and we ought not to hope to escape, if we neglect fo great falvation; and ought therefore, if we name the name of Christ, to refolve to depart from iniquity. It is alfo to be expected, that the confideration of what our everlafting happiness coft, should immenfely enhance the value of it to thofe of our fpecies who fhall hereafter be found fit for it; especially with the additional confideration of the hideous ruin we fhall have efcaped, which is such as to render it neceffary for the Son of God to leave for a feafon his eternal glory, to defcend to our lower world, and give himself to death, to deliver as many of us as would from it. That our Saviour died a witness to the truth of his own miffion and doctrine, as well as a facrifice for the fins of mankind, is certain. But it is evident, that his death was very dif

ferent, both in intention and confequences, from thofe of the martyrs. That his death was also a glorious instance of obedience, and a noble example for our imitation, and that of all rational agents, is alfo to be taken in, and heightens the grandeur of the fcheme. A confequence from the obedience and death of Christ, mentioned in Scripture, and hinted above, is his being highly exalted, and receiving a name above every "name in heaven and earth, to the glory of God the "Father." Of which likewife we can fee the propriety and justice. And Scripture alio countenances the opinion, That the high exaltation of fuch a number of mankind, as shall be found capable of it, is given him as a reward for his fufferings.

66

However, none of thefe confiderations, nor all of them together, come up to the point in queftion, viz, What connection in the nature of things there is between the death of Chrift and the falvation of mankind. This will probably be a defideratum as long as the prefent ftate lafts.

To expect that we fhould be informed of the Divine œconomy with the fame diftin&tnefs as of our own duty, would be a piece of arrogance above ordinary. It is by experience we are inftructed in temporals, as well as fpirituals; and we proceed according to it, and are fuccefsful in the affairs of life, while we know little or nothing of the means by which the Divine Wisdom acts in the natural world, and ought in all reafon to expect to know ftill lefs of his fcheme in a fupernatural interpofition; as the plan of our redemption may be called. Did we know, which probably it is not proper we fhould, more of the foundations and connections of the various parts of that fublime fcheme, we should then know nothing ufeful to us but our duty. That we know now; and with fuch clearnefs, as will render us wholly inexcufable, if we be not found in the full and faithful performance of it.

The doctrine of the future refurrection of the body may, as properly as any one, be faid to be peculiar to revelation. For there is no reafon to think, that even the more civilized heathen nations had generally any