Thus, when the old world became abandoned to wickedness, he only fent Enoch and Noah to preach to men; but he thought. proper to destroy them all, perhaps by a proper miracle, rather than reform them, as he might have done, by his own immediate agency. When the Ifraelites fell into idolatry, and the many horrid vices at that time infeparable from idolatry, he fent prophets from time to time to admonish them of various impending calamities. But when thofe admonitions had no good effect, he always thought proper that the threatened calamities, as famine, peftilence, war, or captivity, should actually overtake them, rather than give (as with a volition he might have done) a fupernatural effect to the warnings and expoftulations of his fervants, by his own influence upon their minds. So alfo when God had compaffion on the whole world lying in wickedness, and irrecoverably funk in fuperftition and vice, all that that he did to reclaim them was to fend the gospel among them. And whatever moral good has been produced in the world by it, has been by natural means, and, to all appearance, by no other means whatever; these being fully adequate to the effect: and whereever the publication of the gofpel, and of the great truths and motives of it, has failed to produce good effects, they have not been produced at all, but men continue wicked and abandoned, doomed to certain deftruction. Our Lord even wept over Jerufalem, defiring, with the greatest affection and earnestnefs, to reclaim the inhabitants of it, and prevent their impending calamities; but his labours, and those of the apostles, failing of success (that infatuated people continuing in their obftinate impenetency and unbelief) God did not interpofe any farther; and tho' the Jews are ftiled his peculiar people, he gave them up to the vengeance of the Romans, and made their calamities the most dreadful, and of the longest continuance, of are recorded in history. any that We vich Cou the comparten on the vicksireš, and irre meisin må vice, all that at the threatened calamime, peilience, war, or captibould iiumy overtake them, rather miracle, rather than reform them, as he put lave done, by his own immediate that he did a redan en vw a lend the good among them. And vintever mord good has been procet in the world by it, has been by natural means. at, as li appeaance, br 1 ter mens var hele being filly ader une the fen: and whereever the publication of the pipes, and of the truth and move of 1, iau fled to produce pour effet, they have not been produced at all, br net continue wicked and abandoned, doomed is certant delruction Our Lord ever wept over Jerullem, tr fting, viti the greater affeétion and ean e nek, 1 Team the bikin e prevent their impending calamitie and made ther clatitis Thus, when the old world became abandoned to wickedness, he only fent Enoch and Noah to preach to men; but he thought proper to destroy them all, perhaps by a proper miracle, rather than reform them, as he might have done, by his own immediate agency. When the Ifraelites fell into idolatry, and the many horrid vices at that time infeparable from idolatry, he fent prophets from time to time to admonish them of various impending calamities. But when thofe admonitions had no good effect, he always thought proper that the threatened calamities, as famine, peftilence, war, or captivity, should actually overtake them, rather than give (as with a volition he might have done) a fupernatural effect to the warnings and expoftulations of his fervants, by his own influence upon their minds. So alfo when God had compaffion on the whole world lying in wickedness, and irrecoverably funk in fuperftition and vice, all that |