.st me, but God meant it unto good.

es are read over, and viewed in the cha ive, we shall find the history of the Deity, of human nature, interwoven throughout, nning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation, by far the greatest part of those sacred pages. shall see the bright and glorious character of the , drawn in a most lively and striking manner, in an auatic account written by God's own direction, of his conact from the beginning of the world. And, at the same time, human nature painted to the life, in the behaviour of mankind through a long succession of ages. And this BOOK God puts into our hands as the best means to form us to views and tempers suitable to the heavenly world. And why? Why such a BOOK, for such an END?-Plainly, because the knowledge of God and ourselves is of the last importance to the holiness and happiness of that world. And, indeed, on our strictest researches into things, we shall find that our highest moral rectitude, perfection, and happiness, must arise from, and consist in, an enlarged, clear, lively view of God and ourselves, and an answerable frame of heart. Let us view God as he is, and ourselves as we be, as nearly in the same light that God does, as our finite capacities will admit, and have an answerable frame of heart, and we are at the top of that moral perfection and happiness we are capable of. And if, therefore, God's great and universal plan is so contrived, as to put intelligences under the best possible advantages for this, then it is the best plan possible. We have be

So clear and so adequate an idea of God and themselves could not have been obtained by finite intelligences, through eternal ages, had sin and misery never entered into God's world.

But the more clear and adequate their idea of God and themselves, the more humble, holy, and happy will the inhabitants of heaven be, and the more will God be exalted. And that in such a superior degree, as that more honour will redound to God, and more humility, holiness, and happiness, be in the system, than if sin and misery had been for ever unknown.

Now, if God's present plan is in the best manner suited to honour God, and to increase the humility, holiness, and happiness of the system, then is his wisdom vindicated; for wisdom consists in proposing the best ends, and choosing the best means for their accomplishment. And thus God's conduct, in his grand plan, is analagous to his conduct in the four instances mentioned in the first sermon; and the same reasons which vindicate his wisdom in them, vindicate him in this.

IN

THE PERMISSION OF SIN.

SERMON IV.

GENESIS 1. 20.

Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. IF the holy Scriptures are read over, and viewed in the cha racter of a narrative, we shall find the history of the Deity, and the history of human nature, interwoven throughout, from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation, filling up by far the greatest part of those sacred pages. Here we shall see the bright and glorious character of the Deity, drawn in a most lively and striking manner, in an authentic account written by God's own direction, of his conduct from the beginning of the world. And, at the same time, human nature painted to the life, in the behaviour of mankind through a long succession of ages. And this BOOK God puts into our hands as the best means to form us to views and tempers suitable to the heavenly world. And why? Why such a BOOK, for such an END?-Plainly, because the knowledge of God and ourselves is of the last importance to the holiness and happiness of that world. And, indeed, on our strictest researches into things, we shall find that our highest moral rectitude, perfection, and happiness, must arise from, and consist in, an enlarged, clear, lively view of God and ourselves, and an answerable frame of heart. Let us view God as he is, and ourselves as we be, as nearly in the same light that God does, as our finite capacities will admit, and have an answerable frame of heart, and we are at the top of that moral perfection and happiness we are capable of. And if, therefore, God's great and universal plan is so contrived, as to put intelligences under the best possible advantages for this, then it is the best plan possible. We have be

fore entered on this glorious theme. And let these things be now considered for the further illustration of the subject.

1. Nothing can be known of God, by created intelligences, be their taste for divine knowledge ever so good, and their capacities ever so great, any further than God manifests himself; for it is beyond the power of any finite intelligence to look immediately into God's heart, as we can into our own, and view and contemplate the divine perfections as they are in the divine essence. Yea, we can have no idea at all of the Divine essence; yea, we can have no idea even of the essence of our own souls. The utmost we can do, by way of immediate intuition, is to perceive our thoughts, and thence discern the habitual inclinations of our hearts. And if we could look into God's essence, and see all his thoughts, we might thence learn his nature, without any manifestation whatsoever. We might know God's heart, by immediate intuition, as we can our own. But this is absolutely impossible. We cannot look into the hearts of our fellow-creatures, much less can we into God's heart. Neither God's thoughts, nor any of his views, nor any of his designs, could ever have been known, had he given no inanner of manifestation of himself: those thoughts and purposes in his heart, which he has not manifested, cannot be found out; greatness of genius is no help in this case. Sir Isaac Newton could not tell when the day of judgment would be, sooner than the greatest idiot. Yea, as God had not revealed it, so "of that day and hour knew no man; no, not the angels, neither the Son, but the Father only." Mark xii. 32. Even the man, Christ Jesus, now in his exalted state in heaven, cannot look into the divine essence, and see the secret thoughts in God's heart. If he comes to the knowledge of these secrets, it is by divine communication; as is plain from Rev. i. 1. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God GAVE unto him." And if the most exalted creature, by immediate intuition, cannot look into God's heart, so much as to discern one single thought, then nothing can be known of God in this way. In a word, neither the being of God, nor more nor less of any of his perfections, could ever have been known, had there been absolutely no evidence at all of his Being, or of any of his per