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of oil, nor the firfl-born of a man's offfpring, nor the firft-born of every creature, which can poffibly render a man approvable to God; because as thefe do not render a man perfonally valuable in himself, they do not render him the proper object of the divine approbation and affection. But it is the doing justice, the loving mercy, and the walking humbly with God, which will render a man acceptable to the Deity; because these render him perfonally valuable in himSelf, and the proper object of the divine acceptance. And this is the case both with and without divine revelation, and whether men be in high or low ftations, and whereever their lot is caft, in any part of the world. The fum of the matter is this, true religion, (when the term is ufed to exprefs the grounds of our acceptance with God) confifts in the right use and exercise of our intellectual and active faculties, by our doing all that in reafon may be expected from us, in our refpective circumftances, to have our understandings rightly informed; and in an boneft and upright behaviour, in the general course of our actions, agreeably thereto. This, I fay, and this only, conftitutes true religion; because it is this, and this only, which renders us perfonally valuable in our selves, and the proper objects of divine regard. And whatever befides this is reprefented to be, which may be relied upon as the ground of acceptance with God, all fuch things L

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are falfe grounds, and confequently, are false religion. This is the ftate of the cafe independent of any divine revelation or promul ged law, and when confidered in, the abftract nature and reafon of things. And this leads me to enquire,

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Thirdly and laftly, whether religion, when the term is used to exprefs the grounds upon which finners obtain the divine mercy, is alfo founded in nature. And here, I think, it will be proper to ftate the notion of mercy, and fhew what idea we annex to that term, in the prefent cafe. By mercy, I think, we intend the remitting to an offender, in whole, or in part, the punishment which, by his offence, he had juftly rendered himself obnoxious to. So that mercy ftands oppofed first, to cruelty, whereof justice is the mean. who lays upon the offender a greater punishment * than his crime deferves, is cruel. He who punishes equal to the offence, is juft. And he who remits that punishment, in whole, or in part, is merciful. Again, mercy ftands oppofed fecondly, to unmerciful; that is, to the punishing fuch offenders as have rendered themselves the proper objects of mercy, He who punishes fuch an offender as has rendered himself the proper object of mercy, is unmerciful; and he who remits that punishment, is merciful. Again mercy, or a merciful difpofition, is generally, and,

* See my Collection of Tracts, page 142.

think,

think, juftly esteemed to be a perfection, or a good quality in the agent in which it takes place; and unmercifulnefs, or an unmerciful difpofition, is generally esteemed to be an imperfection, or an evil quality in the subject in which it refides. But then, this fuppofes that there is fomething in nature which renders an offender the proper object of mercy, for otherwife mercifulness could not be a perfection, por unmercifulness an imperfection in nature. Befides, to fuppofe a perfection to take place in nature, and at the fame time to suppose that there is nothing in nature which corresponds with, and is the ground of that perfection, is the fame grofs abfurdity as to fuppofe an effect without a caufe. And if there is fomething in nature which renders an offender the proper object of mercy, (which must needs be the cafe) then, to fhew mercy to fuch an affender must be right and fit, for that very reafon, namely, because he, viz. the offender, is become the fuitable and proper object of fuch mercy. And to be unmerciful to fuch an offender as has rendered himself the proper object of mercy, by punishing him according to the demerit of his crime, must be wrong and blame-worthy, for the very fame reason, viz. because by his becoming the proper object of mercy he ceased to be the proper object of punishment, and therefore, to punish fuch an offender must be wrong. An offender, L 2

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*By perfection here is meant moral perfection.

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by his offence, becomes the proper object of punishment, and must continue fo to be, till he has fuffered the punishment his crime deferves, or till fomething takes place in him which renders him the proper object of mercy; and when either of thefe take place, then he ceases to be the proper object of punishment. I fay, when either of these take place, becaufe when the offender has rendered himself the proper object of mercy, and as far as he has done fo, then he thereby ceases to be the proper object of punishment, as much as he would, by his fuffering in whole, or in part, the punishment his crime deserved. I here put the cafe, when the offender has rendered himself the proper object of mercy, and as far as he has done fo; becaufe, poffibly, an offender may become the proper object of mercy in part, that is, fuch circumftances may attend him as may render it reasonable that his punishment should be abated, but not wholly taken away. This must be the cafe, except we admit that an offender can be the proper object of mercy to the full, and of punishment to the full, at the fame time, which is an apparent contradiction; because mercy confifts. in the remiffion of punishment. So that it is not the fhewing mercy to any, or to all of fenders, without any rule or reafon; but only

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* I here admit the fuppofition that an offender may come the proper object of mercy only in part, but do no take upon me to maintain either fide of the queftion.

to fuch as have rendered themselves the pro per objects of mercy, which is right, fit, commendable, and praife-worthy. If to fhew mercy to all offenders, without regarding that which renders the offender the proper object of mercy were right and fit, then the confequence will be, that there will be no punishment in futurity; because we may well be affured that God will not punish where the reafon of the thing requires that he should thew mercy. And, on the other fide, if to punish all offenders equal to their crimes, without regarding that which renders the of fender the proper object of mercy were right and fit, then the confequence will be, that there will be no mercy fhewn in futurity; because God will not fhew mercy where the reafon of the thing requires that he fhould punish, which is the prefent cafe. But the truth lies betwixt thofe extreams. For, as God will punish fuch offenders as continue to be, notwithstanding his patience and long-fuffering towards them, the proper objects of punishment; fo he will cer tainly fhew mercy to all fuch offenders as have rendered themselves the fuitable and proper objects of it.

Thus, I think, I have fully stated the notion of mercy, and fhewed what idea we annex to that term, in the prefent cafe. The next thing to be confidered, is what there is in nature which can, and does, render an offender the proper object of mercy.

Mercy,

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