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any way confift with the divine Goodnefs, and Justice, and Impartiality --But who made us fuch competent Judges of what is fit for God to do with his Creatures? Where will this Sufficiency, this Arrogance of Reason stop? May not he, who hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men, for to dwell on all the Face of the Earth, and hath determined the Times afore-appointed, and the Bounds of their Habitations, may not he fee the Juftnefs of Times, and Propriety of Seafons much better than we can do? If we know a Difpenfation to be from God, the Obedience of Faith ought immediately to take place: If the Fitness of it does not appear to our Reason, it must be suppofed. There is nothing fo highly celebrated in Scripture, as that Faith and Obedience which was diftinguished by the most difficult and trying Circumftances: Such was Abraham's, fuch was Elizabeth's, Jofeph's and Mary's

Mary's Faith. It was this, which is there more efpecially faid to be imputed for Righteousness, and which ́ thefe Advocates for Reafon would have rejected and defpifed. But let us reafon with them in their own way: Do all Men equally deferve? If not, why muft they be treated equally? Again, are all Men equally prepared? If not, why must they be equally inftructed? And as God only can judge of thefe moral Circumstances of Mankind, as they are abfolutely out of the reach of our Knowledge; fo it is the most absurd and audacious thing imaginable, for Man to arraign God of Partiality, and to fet himself up for a Judge of thofe Difpenfations, which appear at the first View to be in the Deep, and paft our finding out, as to the Times and Seafons of them; Paul and Timothy were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Afia; when they effayed to go into Bithinia CA

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the Spirit fuffer'd them not; doubtless for good Reasons, tho' unknown both to them and us.

To conclude, God from the Beginning had a People to whom he manifested himself, and inftructed, fupported and governed; and by all these Means render'd them a much more fufficient People, as to all moral and religious Knowledge, than their own Reason could ever have done, and would have continued the King of that People, if they had not, in their great Self-fufficiency, rejected him. And we can conceive nothing more immoral or unfit, nothing more oppofite to the Reasons, and Relations of Things, than for fuch Creatures as we are, to fet up for an Independency against God, a Sin probably not unlike that of the fallen Angels. It should on the contrary behove us to desire the promis'd Return of the divine Prefence to teach Man, and help his

Infirmities, and more especially to effect those great Events, which we are affured from Revelation, are yet to be brought about, The Calling of the Jews, and the Fulness of the Gentiles, When the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea. If. xi. 9.

DISCOURSE II.

The neceffary Agreement of Faith

and Virtue.

EPHES. ii. viii.

For by Grace are ye faved through Faith.

Otwithstanding the many great Characters of Faith throughout the Scriptures, tho' it be number'd among

the weightier Matters of the Law; tho' we are styled the Children of Abraham in Confequence of it, and have no other Means of being ad

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