1. THERE are Two Things necessary for Man in order to his attaining the End of his Being: To know the Truth; And to Will well. Or in other words, To be Wise, and Good.

As for Knowing the Truth, there are two Things wherein this Necessary Wisdom doth chiefly con­sist; The Knowledge of God, and the Knowledge of Ones Self. And there is one thing wherein Man's Goodness doth consist; and that is, in the Confor­mity of his Will to the Will of his Maker, to will as God wills.

The Order of our Knowledge of these two Ob­jects, God and Self, seems to be this; We begin to know our Selves as the Objects, of which we are first aware; and then we proceed to the Knowledge of God: But the Connection of the Knowledg of God, and of our Selves is such, that we can never know our Selves well, tell we arise to the Know­ledge of God; nor know God as we ought, if we know but little of our Selves.

2. There are but three Ways, I conceive, whereby we can have any Knowledge of God, our Selves, or any thing else. 1. By Sense. 2. By Reason: Or 3. By Revelation.

By the Knowledge of Sense I do not mean only the Sensation, or Perception of Bodies; but also, and rather the Experience, Sense, or Conscience we have of our own Thoughts, or may have of others. All those Notions we have as it were, passively re­ceived, without reasoning; and which are as it were, the Matter or Ground on which Reason works.

The second way of Knowledge. Reason is the Faculty of arguing or discoursing with our Selves, whereby from considering our passive Knowledges, [Page 2]or Sensations, we arise to get more full Knowledge of things, and of what we had no immediate Sensa­tion, or Intuition, and by getting the Knowledge of some things, we proceed by Arguments, and get the Knowledge, and better Knowledge of others. As by considering the Creatures, (especially our selves) we may arise to the knowledge of God; and then by considering our Maker, we are led back again bet­ter to know our selves; and from a better know­ledge of our selves, we get still the clearer knowledge of our Author.

The third way we may be made acquainted with God, our selves, or other things, viz. Revelation is but as it were a compendious Assistance of the two former: An express, or particular Instruction from God, telling the Creature in short, what he would have been, either ignorant of, or not so soon, or easily have known without such an immediate Teaching: As for instance; What God is, and will be found to be, what we are, ought to be, and shall be hereafter. But of this I shall speak more, when the Order of my Discourse brings me to it again.

By the Knowledge of God and our selves, which we may have these three ways, we are rationally led, or perswaded to will well, by conforming our Wills to the Will of God.

The Knowledge of God, howsoever attained, may be divided into Two Heads. First, That he is, or that there is a God. Secondly, What he is. The Knowledge of our selves likewise will bear the same division. The Knowledge of what God is may also be divided in two parts: First, What he is in himself. Secondly, What he is in relation to his Creatures.

3. Now that we may find out, and prove to our selves the Existence of a Divine Being, or God, let us descend into our selves [the nearest step we can make, and plainest way we can go, and that which [Page 3]I here shall choose to take, leaving those other more commonly traced paths] and see what Arguments we can find within us for the being of a God, yea by what necessity we are compell'd to acknowledge that he is.

First, Every Man hath a Sense, or Experience of the Reality of his own Being certain, beyond all demonstration; so that none can doubt of his own Existence, or needs to have it proved; and if any could here doubt, that very doubting would certifi [...] him that he hath a Being, or is. For if there be a Doubting, an Enquiring, a Supposing, a Will to know, &c. there is something: Actions and Passions cannot be without Being, or where there is no Be­ing; of nothing nothing can be suppos'd, affirm'd, or denied: So that it would be but time lost to go about to convince a Man of his own Being, of which he cannot but be certain, and what he can­not deny, but he will at the same time affirm him­self a wilful Lyer.

4. We shall therefore consider in the next place (so far as our present business in finding a Divine Be­ing requires) what we are: And because I have but now made mention of Doubting and Consider­ing, and find Men so apt to doubt, question, and consider what we are as to our Essence, or Being, as well as of other things: I say we are Doubters, Questioners, Considerers, and Supposers: But what is Doubting, Questioning, Supposing, and Consider­ing? It is Thinking, and that an imperfect Think­ing; Thinking that wants something, in which we find an incompleat defective Understanding, and a Will or Desire of something we have not. Now where-ever is found any thing of Ignorance in the Understanding, or any want of Power in the Will, it appears that that Being cannot in any wise be thought to be of it self, or self-sufficient; but must [Page 4]consequentially be acknowledg'd to be dependent, having some other Being its cause: For he that finds himself insufficient to himself, can in no wise be thought to be sufficient of himself: He that not only wants something he may have, but moreover cannot give himself what he wants, is dependent on something else for some addition; when a Being that is independant, and self-sufficient in its Essence, cannot be supposed to need another than its own Understanding and Will on any account. We all find in our selves a want of Knowledge; we know but a few things, and we know but a little of those few things we know; and moreover, of those things we do know, we come to the Knowledge of one after another, so that we are sometime ignorant of what we afterwards know, yea in all our Thoughts we find a constant succession of one Thought after another; we cannot think of all we think together, but we forget one thing while we consider another, (and we do not see it possible that it should ever be otherwise with us) which Imperfection of the suc­cession of Thoughts one after another in spiritual Natures or Minds, is the notion of Time, and that for which they are said to be in Time, or Timous Beings, and would be so if there were no motion of Bodies, or Body at'll; and while there is any Mind having this succession of Thoughts afore and after Time is, and will be, and that Mind in Time, or Timous: Notwithstanding the Fancy of those who talk of Souls going into Eternity, or being eternal, à parte post, on the after half, half eternal, which is a whole Contradiction: Now where there is a succession of Thoughts one after another, there was a precedure of them one before another, till we come to a first, or beginning Thought, which with us is past; and what is past was present and future, and what was future was not then in actual being, (the [Page 5]same must be said of Men, or other things that are before one another as well as of Thoughts, there must be a first) and where a thing was not, but on­ly might be, if it be, or begin, it must be begun; and what is begun must have a Cause, or be begun by another; it cannot be its own efficient, for so it would be suppos'd to be before it is, which is a Contradiction. Now if there be something that began to be, (as we must conclude of our selves) there must be a Cause of our beginning, which Cause did not begin to be; for if it had it had been alike insufficient, and it-self wanted a Cause, and so must be caused, and so we must run on tell we come to a first Cause, which is sufficient, and neces­sary of it-self, always the same; and this first Cause is God. And as we find our selves from our imper­fect Understandings and successive Thoughts, ne­cessitated to grant our selves caused, and that the Cause of our Being must be sufficient of it-self, or perfect; if we come to the particular Consideration of our Wills, we shall find two things there denote­ing Imperfection and Insufficiency. First, Variable­ness. Secondly, Impotence. As to the Variableness of Will, we all find our Wills changeable, sometimes willing one thing, then another; yea sometimes one thing then the contrary; in which Variable­ness of Will, is also seen a farther Imperfection of our Understanding: For we will the thing which at the present appears best to us; but what at one time seems good or best, at another is not so in our Judg­ment, but bad: Now at one of these times the Judg­ment fails and errs. Secondly, We find the Impo­tence of our Wills in that we will things we cannot effect. This every one is sensible of; he that affects to be an Atheist himself. We see a Defect in our Knowledge often, we would know somethings we don't know, and what we cannot cause our selves [Page 6]to know when we would; likewise we would sometimes do the things we find we cannot do, so we still find our selves insufficient; so that there may be something added to our Knowledge, (nay we find there daily is) which we at our pleasure can­not add; and that there may be some increase of our power, which we of our selves cannot cause. How will this prove a God, may the Atheist say? I answer, most evidently: For if we want some­thing which we see we may possibly have, and can­not at our pleasure have it, we could much less have Being of our selves; if we cannot know, or do with­out being beholden to some other, even things we may so come to know or do: Want some other cause than our own Wills for a small addition to our Perfection, we could much less have Being it­self unbeholden to any other. Again, he that wants something, he that knows but some things, and can do but some things, but may know and do more, has but so much Knowledge, and so much Power, and may have more, might have had less and less, and consequently the least, yea none at all, and so no Being; and where Being might have been want­ing, there cannot be Self-existence. Moreover, who­ever is not the cause of all other Beings, is not neces­sary to the Being of other things; we are certain that there are other Beings besides our selves, and we may be as sure that we are not the cause of their Be­ing: For we do not know our selves to be so, nor experience our Production of them; but whatever is the Cause of the other Beings, cannot be suppos'd to be ignorant of its being so, or to have produced them at unawares, an act of Will being necessary to the effecting of a thing, of which none can be igno­rant. Now if we are not necessary in order to the Being of other things, but that they may be, and are, and that unbehold [...] to us, we are not absolutely [Page 7]necessary; and if not necessary we might have wanted Being; but we have Being, we know by Ex­perience or Conscience, tho' we are such imperfect Beings, such unnecessary Beings. Now if we are, and are not of our selves, we must have Being from ano­ther, and that other Being must be perfect, neces­sary, self-sufficient, or it would be in-sufficient to give Being to me, or any other; and this perfect, ne­cessary, self-sufficient Being, is God.

5. Again, Besides the Consideration of our selves as in-sufficient Beings, that of necessity must have a sufficient Cause, which by Reason proves the Being of God; There is another way whereby we may be certain of the same Truth (which for some rea­son I omitted, as Order requir'd, to speak of first) and that is a certain Sense or Experience of God, which we may find in our selves if we will attend unto our own Thoughts. Thus we find several things done in us which we do not, nor can do; we have Thoughts wherein we are merely passive, as in Sensible Perceptions, or Thoughts we have by the Occasion, or Means of Body, if we are not the cause of them, as we may well conclude when we find we cannot alter them; if we cannot but see, and hear, &c. while the Organs are rightly dispos'd, and that so and so, and the Bodies that we have the Perceptions or Thoughts of, cannot be the cause of those Thoughts, being more imperfect and impo­tent than our own Minds, having not so much as Wills, or any power to effect Reality, or cause Be­ing, but are caus'd themselves, and cannot create Perceptions; as we find our selves affected, or sensi­ble of those Thoughts, we shall (if we consider) find our selves forced to acknowledge our Sensibility of the Cause of them. If I see, or hear, and so suffer a Thought, and am not the Cause of this Sensation, nor can the Objects of these Sensations cause them [Page 8]in me; there must be some Agent or Gause of this Passion, and that can be none but God. And as we believe God, and he only is able to create or cause Thoughts, or Perception in us, by the means of other our fellow-Creatures, and Thoughts or Perceptions of them; so it is not less reasonable to think that he can cause Thoughts in us, and apply an Object to our Understanding without the use of those means, even by an immediate Act of his Will, and present himself as the Object of our Understanding. We may farther suppose, God could have created one only Mind, then that Mind must have had an Object besides it-self, it being not self-sufficient; and there being nothing else but God, it must have thought on God, and without any means, God's immediate Will being sufficient, which would have been a a Sense of God. And that there are other Minds, and other things besides Minds, does not hinder but that God may cause a Sensation in the Mind im­mediately: And some Persons perhaps of considerate Judgments will not think me far out of the way, if I say I have known such immediate Sensations, and think others have, or may have the like Experience, (if they attend to their own Thoughts) especially in divers Passions tending to the rectifying the disor­derly Will, where perhaps they cannot be said to be more sensible of any thing, than of God's acting strongly upon them, and that not barely in making Impressions on their Understandings, and no more, where they merely suffer the Objects; but by those Impressions giving the clearest and mightiest Argu­ments to perswade and change their Volitions, and better determine the Acts of their Wills, their own proper Actions.

Again, Every Man if he considers will find he has a Will as it were disproportionable to any thing in himself, or in other Creatures; a mighty Desire, [Page 9]feeling as it were after something that can satisfie, and fill it with a kind of Perfection of Satisfaction. This boundless and unwearied Desire, that cannot fill it-self with any imperfect thing, must have ano­ther manner of Object, and must have a Cause, and none but that Cause can be the Object sufficient to satisfie it. Whence could there be such a Desire, if there were no Object suitable? and if the Cause of this Desire had not made it to be satisfied, or capa­ble to be satisfied, he had made it in vain; but he is suppos'd perfect, and so can do nothing in vain, or to no purpose, for so to do is an Imperfection: Now if this Desire be to be satisfied, when ever it is so, it cannot be insensible, or want Experience, of its Sa­tisfaction; for so to suppose would be to suppose it not satisfied, and none can satisfie it but its sufficient Cause, that is God; therefore there is possible, yea sometimes actually, (in those who have been con­vinced of the Insufficiency of imperfect Beings) a Perception or Thought, and that a sensible one, of God; if Sensibility be not unduely confin'd to the Reception of those Thoughts, we have by Occasion, and Means of Body.

That all Bodily Nature is insufficient, and must have a Cause or Beginning, I need not urge, when we our selves, what-ever we are, find our selves im­perfect, and so that we cannot be without one.

6. We are come so far as by considering our selves as Imperfect, or Insufficient Beings, to find that we can­not be of our selves, Uncaused, but must of necessity have a Sufficient Cause; which is all one as to say that there is a God our Author; and in doing this, we have also found in some measure what we are, and what He is: I shall now go on to consider a lit­tle more largely both our selves and God, as to what kind of Beings we are, and what God may, and must rationally be thought to be. And as, I [Page 10]say, I shall consider, and consider our selves first, I say.

First, We are Considerers; What is Considering? It is Thinking, and he that considers, or thinks se­riously, will find nothing which he can properly call Himself but Thinking, or his Mind. That Or­ganick Frame or Body of a Man, is not the Posses­sor of a Mind, or the self-using a Mind, but a thing the Mind, or Cogitation uses, that which saith, I, Me, Mine, is the Mind, and nothing else. And tho' Thinking is call'd by divers Names, as Soul, Mind, Understanding, Will, Memory, Conscience, &c. yet it is all the while but one thing, Thinking: The principal Diversity of which, we can possibly make, is but according to its divers Applications to its Ob­jects; which if well consider'd can be but two, 1st. Understanding, 2d. Will: Or in other words, Knowledge and Desire. Under these two Heads or Divisions, come all the Modes of Thinking. The threefold Division of our Mind into Understanding, Conscience and Will, which some make, and call the Threefoldness of a Creature, is not Good, but a Mistake; for Conscience differs not from Under­standing, but in respect of the Objects. Other things, or Self; for whether I know my own Thoughts, or know any other thing, it is Know­ledge still; the Understanding is understanding as much when apply'd to one Object, as when apply'd to another; Conscience is but another name for Understanding, when apply'd to one's own Thoughts: So Memory is but the Thinking again that we thought before of such or such a thing. I need name no more, any one may find who con­siders the matter, that our Knowledge of things, and the Acts of our Wills, or our Desires about them, are the two essential Parts, or rather Modes, or Pro­perties, we can make in any Mind; and yet Know­ing [Page 11]and Desiring, or if you like better the words Understanding and Will, (what-ever the Object of either may be, or the manner of their Application) is still but one Thinking; and my Thinking is one, and the same Being, whatever Mode or Object it hath; and what I call my Mind or Soul, my Self or Person: So that Understanding and Will are es­sential to a Person, or Intelligent Being; this Dua­lity, and nothing else, or but what is reduceable to these. Where there is these there is a Person, and what-ever is more, or other than these, is not of the Essence of a Person, or Intelligent Being. Those that make Understanding and Conscience two things in God, consider'd in himself, calling them two Modes or Relations, or the like, (as some wit­ty Men have done) have not consider'd the matter closely. For where there is nothing but God, (and nothing else is necessary and eternal) his knowing himself or Conscience, is the only necessary or es­sential Understanding, there being no other Object. So that to consider God, as having necessarily or essentially an Understanding, other and distinct from Reflection or Knowing himself, is but to give him so no Understanding, and comes to no Distin­ction at all. That original Mind or Wisdom which some Wise Men of late talk of as something other than what they call Reflex Wisdom, or God's Knowing himself, considering God solitary, and in himself, is just no Wisdom, his self being the only Object; unless they perswade themselves that his thinking on Creatures is his Original Wisdom, which I suppose they will hardly dare to do, but this by the way.

Against this Notion, That Thinking is the very Essence of the Mind or Soul, the very Person or Self, I find two principal Objections.

First, That Thinking is not that which is real, substantial, or constant enough to be the Soul or Mind.

Secondly, That it is but an Act, and requires an Agent, or an Attribute requiring a Subject; which Agent or Subject, is more likely to be the Soul or Mind.

To which first, I answer, That Thinking of any thing we can imagine, is most real and constant; for we may suppose Bodies not really existent, but only in imagination, (and there is no notion we have of any thing but Body, and Thinking, wherefore we cannot honestly suppose any thing else) but we can­not suppose Thinking to have no Being, because while we suppose, or think, we are sure it is actually present, we may suppose we might have been with­out the Ideas, or Figure-thoughts of Bodies, or any Thoughts that come by occasion of them, as we find sometimes we are. We may also suppose Bo­dies not to have been, and yet we be, they being not necessary Beings; and if they had not been, we must have always been without the Ideas of them: For if we try we shall find it as hard, as if we con­sider unreasonable to suppose, that we can frame, or stir up in our selves Thoughts of things that are not, as that we can bring things into actual Being, or Create, the Creating of Perceptions of things, I will call it, being to be done by the same Power as the Creating of things themselves. And we may suppose God himself, being an Almighty Mind, might have created Minds without Bodies, the No­tion of a Mind, or Cogitation, not necessarily in­cluding Body or quantity. But to return; As we find Thinking so real or truly existent, that we ex­perience its Existence when ever we consider it, and cannot suppose any thing to be without supposing Self-existent Cogitation, or Almighty Mind, so as [Page 13]to the continual, or perpetual Existence even of our Thinking, [I do not mean as apply'd to any one Object, for it is variable, and inconstant in that respect; and as it is a Creature cannot be apply'd to many, or all its Objects at once, and yet it is still Thinking, what-ever it is apply'd to:] As to its Con­tinuation, I say, we know of no time since we began to think, or have a Being, wherein we did not think; for what-ever we remember, we remember we thought on, Memory being but thinking over the same Thought, with reflection on it; and tho' we do not remember what we thought on at such or such a day, or hour, yet we are sure we then thought, or were thinking: To be short, we are sure we continually think except in sleep, say some, which seems to be the chief Objection against conti­nual Thinking. To which, I say, we think always, one Thought still following another, Sleeping and Waking, but we soon forget all those Thoughts that make no considerable Impression on our Wills, or whereby we are very little affected. In the continu­al Succession of Thoughts we experience when we are awake, great numbers go as fast as they come, without being dwelt on, or repeated, of those Ob­jects that very little affect us, and so are presently forgot, and are as if they had not been, or as if the Objects had not been in our Mind. Besides, as a great, if not the greatest number of our Thoughts are of, and by the means of, external things let in by the Organs of the Senses, which are as Conditions (in this life at least) of our receiving such Cogita­tions, the Indisposition of the Senses, or want of those Conditions, leaves us without those Thoughts, if wholly indispos'd; but if only in part, the Thoughts are weak, and pass unremembred, and not reflected on, and so are by some inconsiderately suppos'd not to have been: But tho' our Eyes are shut in sleep, [Page 14]and we then see nothing, we have visible Ideas some­times from the Remembrance of things seen, tho' confused, (for no one born blind, and so continuing, ever dreams he sees;) yet the other Senses are not quite laid by, we feel, hear, and smell, &c. tho' but remisly, and our Thoughts or Perceptions are but faint, and so it is no wonder if we forget them as fast as they pass, and so suppose we had none. And which to me makes the matter past doubt; I have discours'd with a Person fast asleep, who hath an­swer'd me distinctly to many Questions, without so much as dreaming of any thing that was said. But moreover, if we do not think when asleep, we do neither understand, nor will, or which is the same, have no Understanding or Will, but every Morn­ing; or perhaps twice or thrice every Night a new Mind; for Understanding that understands not, or Will that wills not, is no Understanding or Will, but an Absurdity: And it is the same as to say, I am Thinking, and yet do not think. But we remem­ber we think sometimes in sleep, and that strongly; and though most commonly it is but weakly, yet it is Thinking. And such weak Thinking we may suppose a Child in the Womb may have; none per­haps but what comes by Feeling or Tasting, I speak according to the common Meaning; for all Senses are but different ways of Feeling, and yet the very Ideas that come by the grossest of the Senses are Thoughts still, it being the Mind that perceives, not the Body.

From these Considerations, to name no more, we may be perswaded that we always think, tho' we don't always reflect and remember our Thoughts, and so that Thinking is real and constant.

But to the second Objection, That Thinking is but an Act of something else, the Agent, or an At­tribute of something, else the Subject.

I answer, First by demanding what this more real and noble Agent is? What Notion have we of it? I have long try'd, and can find nothing an Ob­ject of my Understanding but either Thinking, or Body; what others may chance to do, who never try'd, and are resolved they never will, I know not. Let them tell us what thought they have of it, diffe­rent from Body and Thinking, if they can: But if neither they, nor we have any notion of such a third Being, we cannot with any reason affirm any thing of it, or that such a thing is. If they have any thought of it, they have some knowledge of it, and so need not acknowledge themselves at such a loss, as they commonly do when this Question is put them, What is the Soul? or expose themselves as they com­monly do, by talking of that whose Essence they acknowledge themselves wholly ignorant of. But if any suppose Thinking an Action, or Attribute of Body, or that it is Body some way or other posited, or moved, (how they cannot tell) that is Thinking, or that (as they rather would say) thinks; they must suppose Body more noble as the Cause, or Agent, which I believe they will hardly do. But we can suppose Body not to be; we may be igno­rant of it, and yet think, which could not be if it were Body that thinks; besides, if Body thinks, it knows it self to think, and so the Dispute is at an end; but Body does not know it self to think, be­cause it is doubted whether it thinks or no: What­ever thinks cannot be ignorant of its Thinking, nor can any thing be well thought to be an Agent, that is ignorant of its being so, or does not will to be so. If Body could be suppos'd to think, and know it self to think, it would be Thinking, consequently not Body; for of Body and Thinking, there are whol­ly different Notions. But Body we affirm to be no Agent of any thing, or Creator of Ideas, or Thoughts; [Page 16]God alone must be supposs'd, with good reason, to be the Cause and Contriver of our Thinking. As we find our Thoughts do not cause our Body, much less can we suppose Body to cause our Thoughts, or act any thing in us; our Body is moved according to our Will, and our Will and Understanding is of­ten affected by means of our Body, but Body is not the Cause or Agent of either. Besides, one half of our Thoughts are Passions; nothing but our Desires, or the Application of our Will about Objects, seems properly our Action. And tho' Thinking be look'd on as an Attribute requiring a Subject different, we may as well suppose an essential Attribute, or Attri­bute that is Identical, the same with the thing it self in the created Mind, as to say what-ever is in God, is God, or that there is not another thing, which is not Wisdom, Goodness, Power, &c. which is God; in which Wisdom, Goodness, Power, &c. reside as things accidental. Nor is it so strange an Expres­sion as that it may not be admitted to say, Cogitatio est cogitans, or Thinking thinks; for in truth I take it to be the same as to say, Thinking is Thinking, which is no worse than an Identical Proposition.

But to leave this Question, (with these few tou­ches to give others occasion to consider) as besides my main purpose, I shall pass to that Knowledge of our selves which most concerns us; and even that Knowledge is the Knowledge of our selves as Think­ing, and that as Thinking well or ill. If our Thoughts are well in order, that something else, that some fan­cy is the Agent of the Action Thinking in us, that unknown Soul, that Chimera, or that Body whose Particles are very far from one another, or friggle a­bout very nimblely, (such is the common Notion of a Spirit) is of little value. If my Thoughts are due­ly apply'd to their due Objects, I care not for that unknowable Soul; for it is in the right order of [Page 17]our Thoughts that Happiness consists, and whereby we come to attain the End of our Being.

8. Having thus found our selves to be imperfect Minds, variable, limited, caus'd or created Cogita­tions: let us consider our Cause, or Creator, and that First, as he must needs be thought to be in himself, and then we shall the more fully discover the Second thing, (which hath been partly discours'd already) What he is to us. And the first notion that occurs to my Mind of God, or the Cause of caused insuf­ficient things, as consider'd in himself, is, That he is Self-sufficient, or Self existent. Having found my self insufficient, and consequently that I must have a Cause sufficient to be so, which he could not be were he himself caused, it consequently follows he is suf­ficient for himself, or self-existent, tho' I were not. And as I must necessarily suppose him, because I could not be without him, so he must necessarily be self-sufficient or existent, tho' I should cease to be.

From the Consideration of God's being Self-suffi­cient, it appears he is but one; for if he be Suffici­ent, another is not necessary, and that which is not absolutely necessary, or may be suppos'd not to be, is not God. If one be sufficient of himself, another is to no purpose, or not necessary; one such Being must be suppos'd, but there is no need to suppose another. If God is one Self-sufficient, Self-existent Being, he is but one Self, or Mind. He cannot properly say I, Thou, and He of himself, or of any thing in his Essence, but always I; nor can we say Thou and Thou, or He and He of him, if we speak properly and truly.

Again, if he is necessarily Self sufficient, he must consequently know himself, and will, or love him­self, desire himself, be pleas'd, and satisfied with him­self, with the Knowledge and Love of himself, and so be a Thinking Being, Mind or Person. Other, [Page 18]either Persons or Things, therefore are not necessa­ry to him who is satisfied with himself, no not so much as in Imagination, Notion, or Thought; nor needed he produce any of them.

From God's Knowing and Loving himself, aris­eth the Notion of the highest Wisdom and Good­ness, or that he is most Wise and most Good. He that is necessarily Self-sufficient, and so has more Reality or Being than all other Beings, (supposing them made) must needs in knowing himself have the greatest, as well as the only necessary Know­ledge; and in loving himself have the highest, and only necessary Goodness. For he that has most of Being, most Perfection and Reality, is the greatest Object of Knowledge, and most desireable, most to be loved; and while he does not, create the only Ob­ject of Knowledge and Desire.

And here ariseth the Notion of God's Essential Justice. That he love himself, and approve himself; because he is most worthy, it is most right and just that he love himself chiefly, and only necessarily; he is not so obliged to love his Creatures, when he hath made them, he cannot love them as himself, because he knows they are not so good, nor does he necessarily love them, because they are not necessary to be.

From God's Self-sufficiency is seen also the No­tion of his absolute Felicity, or perfect Happiness, or absolute Perfection, admitting no increase or de­crease; for he that is enough to himself, that needs seek nothing out of himself, must needs be most happy.

Again; He that is Self-sufficient necessarily so, can suffer no Alteration, nor can he cause any in him­self; and hence ariseth the Notion of Eternity, an Attribute only belonging, and essential to God; the consideration of the manner of God's Being as having no Succession or Alteration, but being still the same; [Page 19]he does not think one thing now, another thing anon­forgeting one thing while he thinks another, as Crea­tures do who are insufficient, to be all they are at once; but he is always compleat, or sufficient; has not something ceasing, and another thing succeeding in his Essential Perfections.

From the Unity or Simplicity of God, we are inform'd he is immaterial, a Spiritual Being or Mind. All the former Considerations imply God to be in­telligent and voluntary; that is, Thinking. Now Thinking and Body being two things wholly diffe­rent, the Notions of them being not at all the same, God cannot be both, if he is one simple or single Being. Those that fancy Thinking and Body is the same, or that Thinking is, or may be some Mode of Body, as some certain degree of Rarifaction or Motion, would do excellently to certifie us, just at how much distance the Particles of a Congeries of Matter must be, or how fast they must be stir'd to the Production of Thought: One Particle cannot be suppos'd to be rarified, or less sollid than another, and consequently cannot by Rarifaction attain Thought; and how many of them must dance to­gether to that end, or what Jigg, he would be a cu­rious Master that should discover. Till which is done, we shall be confident that Knowing, Perceiv­ing, Desiring, or Loving, are not Quantity, Figure, or Motion, (it being Nonsense to say a Pound, or an Ell of Knowledge, or Love;) but different names of the one thing Thinking: And Quantity, Figure, and Motion are not Thinking, but essential, or belonging to Body; so that Thinking and Body are two things. Now, as has been said, God cannot be both these, because they are two wholly different things, and God is but one.

God cannot be Body, because he knows himself, and has no Ignorance in him; Body knows not it [Page 20]self, to speak improperly in calling it self. If Body did know, there is no reason why all Body should not know; and we have the greatest reason to affirm some Body to be ignorant. If God did not know himself, he could not be happy, wise, or so much as intelligent. Knowing is Thinking, not Body or Quantity, therefore God is a Mind, and not a Body. Father, he is not a Mind and a Body, for so he would be a Compound, or Congeries of divers things or parts. Again, whatever consists of Body and Mind has some Imperfection, and consequently is but a Creature; God is all Perfect, or Self-suffici­ent. Body is not so much as a Person, or Self. God cannot be something besides himself, or besides his Person; Body is but a Thing, Mind only, and alone is a Person. If God's Person, Self or Mind, is suffi­cient, he is not Body also; for Body is not necessa­ry to the Consideration of Mind, especially of Self­sufficient Mind; nor is it necessary at all, being im­perfect, therefore God neither is, nor has a Body. Besides, God cannot be a Body, or a Compound, forwhat ever is so may have more or less; Body may be more or less, or otherwise in Figure or Mo­tion, God cannot be more or less, or otherwise than he is. The greatest, or all Body, may be suppos'd to receive an Addition, and the least to cease to be. But God (as has been said) can have no Alteration, or Imperfection, or unnecessary thing in his Being, therefore Body can be nothing of his Being. Final­ly, Body is visible; God is invisible: Body is finite, or so much, and no more; God is infinite or un­bounded, not in Extension, but, which is a better Notion of Infinity, he is all Perfection; to us in­comprehensible, for Quantity does not belong to God's Infinity.

So that to sum up all, God consider'd in himself, is the Self-sufficient or Self-existent, necessary Mind, [Page 21]knowing himself, loving himself, satisfied with him­self, the only necessary Being, in whom is no Di­versity or Composition, or any thing but what may be supposed in mere Cogitation, viz. all Perfect Understanding and Will.

9. But if God be an all Perfect Being, a meer Mind, and not a Body, or not so much as partly Body (as I think is evident) that Opinion of his Omnipresence that supposes him locally present, or essentially present in Bodily Nature, is untrue: For whatsoever is suppos'd to be in place is Body, or Quantity, has Dimension, or is nothing. Thinking has no Dimensions, Quantities or Bulks, and can be said to be present with Bodies only as having Ideas of them, or willing about them, as they may be Ob­jects of the Understanding or Will. So God is pre­sent with Bodies only as he knows them all, and wills about them. He is said to be eminently present here or there, as the Effects of his Will are seen more eminently in one place, then in another. He is more intimately present with Minds, because he does not only think of all that is in them, and continually wills about them, but that they also are often very sensible of the Acts of his Will about them, which Bodies are not: But he is especially present with himself, because he always is the chief and necessa­ry Object of his own Understanding and Will. But an Essential local Omnipresence is absurd; for if God be a Body, as he must if locally omnipresent, it would follow that there is no Body besides God; for if you suppose Bodies that are not God, they must have some place among one another; which cannot be if God sill all with himself, two things each of which fill a place, cannot be suppos'd in the same place. And to suppose God every where a­mong Bodies, will not make local Omnipresence; but Interspersion, whereby he would be suppos'd as [Page 22]a porous Body, filling the void spaces between other Bodies, which would be a very foolish Thought if we think it of God. Besides, whatever fills any thing, fills it with its whole, or with but part of it; if God fills any, or all Bodily Creatures with his whole in this local way, he himself is contained, and so according to this foolish fancy is wholly finite, they being finite. If he fill them with a part of him­self, he is present but in part not wholly, and so is partly finite; which is absurd. Nor can Bodily Nature be said to be infinite even in Extension, be­cause it consists of Parts; and where there are Parts there is a whole; and that of which it can be said here is all, may be suppos'd capable of Addition, and so is not infinite. But nothing can with good Sense be said to be in all places, but all Bodies; and Place is nothing but the relation of Bodies to one another, as containing and contain'd, on this side or that. God's more excellent and real Omnipresence is vir­tual, as we have said; and his Infinity is nothing of the nature of Out-stretchedness, (whatever is extend­ed being finite) but is the boundless or absolute Per­fection of all his Attributes, incomprehensible to our created and limitted Conception. And he was the same, infinite, or compleat, when he had not made Body, (and consequently there was no space or place;) or any other Creature to be in, or present with, and he cannot be beholding to Creatures for any necessary Perfection. He fills Heaven and Earth, it is true, but not with himself, but with the Bodies they contain; Bodies, I say, because no Minds are capable of Place, or Being contained by Body, or here or there among Bodies, other­wise than as thinking of Bodies that are here and there.

Now whatever God is in himself, is that without which he can't be conceived, and that which is ne­cessary [Page 23]and essential to him, and implies him a ne­cessary Being.

10. But as to what he is in relation to Creatures, or unnecessary Beings, that might have had no Be­ing, he is Indifferent, or Arbitrary, which is the se­cond way of considering him we now come to. What he is in relation to Creatures, he is not neces­sarily or essentially; because he was indifferent to cause them, or not, no necessity compell'd him to produce them. They are not necessary Beings, they may be suppos'd not to be; and if they had not been, he had had no relation to them. Neither the Exi­stence, no nor the very Ideas or Thoughts of Crea­tures, or unnecessary Beings, can be suppos'd neces­sary to the Divine Mind, while we suppose him Self­sufficient. So that to be a Creator or Father, a Lord or Governour, is not necessary or essential to God; but he freely chooseth or pleaseth so to be. God must be suppos'd Self-sufficient, or he cannot be suppos'd to be, and Creatures must be acknowledged not Self-sufficient, or they cannot be suppos'd Creatures; if so, there can be no necessary relation between God and Creatures. There can be nothing but God and Creatures, and so God can be related to nothing but Creatures; relations are of divers things. The No­tion of Relation is what one individual thing is, if compar'd to another. Creatures may be related as Individuals of the same kind, but God and Crea­tures cannot be so related; they are infinitely diffe­rent, Relations must have their Correlates indeed; but where the Relations were not necessary, the Cor­relate depends on the Relation suppos'd; one Indi­vidual cannot be relate and correlate, so that there can be no relation essential in God. God is but one Self, or Mind, and there can be nothing in God different from himself; he is but one Individual, not Individuals, or else the Divine Nature could not be [Page 24]called He; one essential Property, or Attribute in God, cannot be related to another essential Proper­ty or Attribute, as a Causer, Creator, or Begetter. God's Understanding cannot have the relation of a Cause, Father or Lord, to his Will, or his Will to his Understanding. The Cause, or Begetter, or Lord, must be suppos'd before, or greater than the Effect Begotten, and Subject: but nothing in God's essen­tial Properties can be said to be before, the Cause of, or greater than another; nor can one of them pro­perly say thou to another, they all being one self­same, or Mind. God's Fatherhood might rather be said to have the relation of an Effect to his Will the Cause; for he was not a Father as he would not, but because he will'd to be so; so that Fatherhood more properly is a Notion resulting from the Exi­stence of things he hath willed into being.

Again, God could not be a necessary or eternal Creator, Producer or Father; because things crea­ted, produced or begotten, would on that Suppo­sition be eternal and necessary. But Creating, Pro­duceing and Begetting, imply Cause and Effect, and nothing essential to God can be an Effect, or thing caused; an Effect or thing caused was not before it was caused; and it would be the greatest Absurdity to suppose something in the Divine Essence, which was not. This would contradict the Notion of E­ternity, or the manner of Being that hath no fore and after in it, or any alteration. God alone is such: The Creatures all of them have something past, and to come; what ever has any thing past, and to come, in its nature is a Creature, had a be­ginning, might have had none, and may have an end. Whatever has a former and a later, had a first, and may have a last. Nor can Fatherhood, or Creatorship, be thought an essential Attribute in God, because whatever is in God's Nature is a ne­cessary [Page 25]Perfection, and he cannot be suppos'd to re­ceive any such Perfection from the Effects he hath produced, which he had not before, which would be in effect to deny him to be a Self-sufficient Being. Nor can we with any consideration say, God might have made things sooner or later; for when he did make then began the first moment, there being no fore and after in God, from which time could be named.

Now tho' the Attributes of Creator, Cause or Fa­ther, began with Time, resulting from things re­lated to God, as Products and Effects, there cannot be said to be any alteration in God, or increase of his Perfections; the things that are made are but the Images, Pictures, or Characters of his Perfections; and he is not any thing more, since he has painted out some of his Excellencies, than he was before. Nor can God be suppos'd ignorant for not know­ing what is not; mere not being, is no Object of Knowledge; God knowing himself only, knew all when there was nothing else to know; and know­ing all that now is, he can't be said to be ignorant for not knowing more than all, yet we dare not say he cannot produce more Creatures: when he alone was, he knew himself the Original and Fountain of all Perfection, and knew himself able to paint out, or make Pictures of his Perfections, and when he will'd them they were; but before he will'd them to be, they can't well be thought Objects of his Under­standing.

Now tho' God may be suppos'd solitary, or single­ly in himself, without any real relation, without so much as the Thoughts of Creatures in himself, the Creatures cannot possibly be suppos'd to be without supposing their relation to God as their Creator or Father. As it is our experience that we are, and that we find by consideration that God must be, or we [Page 26]could not be, it presently appears what he is to us, viz. our Cause, our Maker, Producer, or Father, and consequently that he is our Owner, Sovereign, Lord, and Ruler. He that knows us perfectly, both as to what he hath made us, and what his Ends are in making us: He cannot be suppos'd to make any thing of which he is ignorant in either of these re­spects; he must also be suppos'd to have Will and Power, [yet Will and Power in God are properly but two words for the same thing] and his Power or Will to make, must be agreeable to his Wisdom or Knowledge how, or what would best become him. He could make nothing but what would be an agree­able Representation of himself, fit for such a Being to make, such as would represent him as he is, and that must needs be good. He could make nothing ill, there could be no disorder in his Works: It can­not be said that any thing might have been done better than he did it, either as to the manner or end of being.

11. The final Cause or End for which God made things, (if it be not Presumption to enquire) seems to be no other than the Manifestation of his Wisdom and Power, and the Communication of his Good­ness to his Creatures; for in respect to God there can be no final Cause, God being all perfect and happy in himself that is Self sufficient, there can no good or end come to him from any thing; but we would rather say, he acted as became him when he pleas'd to make Creatures, and some of them such as were capable by considering themselves, and other things they find to be made by the same power to acknowledge and admire him, and to move one an­other to acknowledge, and admire his Wisdom, Good­ness, and Power, so conspicuous in the curious and mighty System of the Creation; and in so doing, to be pleas'd or happy. God being in himself absolute [Page 27]Goodness, and so perfectly happy or pleas'd with himself, was pleas'd to make Creatures capable of Happiness, or Pleasure, by the Communication of his Goodness; who is not only good, or perfect enough in himself to be altogether happy or pleas'd, but his Goodness is also enough to make a world of Crea­tures happy, or pleas'd also by having Him the Object of their Understanding and Will. The Creature experiencing God's Wisdom, Power and Goodness, being duly affected with it, and endeavouring to affect its Fellows, is said to glorifie God, not to make him glorious; that is, shewing forth Perfections, but to see him such, and be an Instrument to cause him to be seen such. God being essentially Wise, Good, and Powerful, that is Knowing, and Loving him­self, and able to make Representations of his Excel­lencies, if he please to make any things, cannot but make them such as become him, viz. good, and for good; that is such as are capable of being pleas'd with being what, and how he hath made them, and wills them to be; that is, Knowers and Lovers of him.

So that there appears in God, as considered in re­lation to us chiefly, Power in producing us, Wisdom and Goodness as to the what, and to what end he hath made us. What God is, and will be found to be to us, considered as otherwise than he wills us, may come to be considered better hereafter in ano­ther place; nor shall we here enlarge, these Conside­rations having laid them but as Foundations or Prin­ciples.

12. We shall now come to consider what we ought to be, or how we should behave our selves to God, and for God's sake to one another. And this Obligation is that which is properly call'd Reli­gion.

Man having by considering himself, found God, or his own Cause; having found what God is and does, in himself, and in relation to us, what he has caus'd us to be, who are nothing of our selves, the great Question that concerns us is, What we ought, or what it becomes us to do? And that is in short, to exercise our Wills aright, that is suitable to, or becoming the Relation we stand in to God, and one another: so as becomes such Creatures of such a Creator. We are sure he cannot be, or act to­wards us, but as becomes him, that is best.

And that we may do this our Duty aright, we ought first to seek God, that is study to know him more and more, that the regular Acts of our Wills may be stronger and stronger: for the more truely and clearly we behold him the Object, the more or­derly and the more strongly will the Acts of our Wills be about him.

Now God being an absolutely perfect Being, and consequently one who can have no Acts of Will, but such as become himself, or are pefectly good in relation to himself and his Works, our willing suita­bly or orderly is determin'd, and made such by the Conformity of our Wills to the Will of God, willing as he wills we should.

Now to will what God wills us to will, is the Es­sence, Sum, and Substance of all Religion: I do not say Religions, for Religion is but one, even this one thing; and there is not properly any false Religion. For if Religion is nothing but the Obligation to will as God wills us to will, whatever is not according to God's Will, is no Obligation, and tho' call'd Religion, is not so, but a Mistake.

This therefore, To will as God wills, we must fix as the general comprehensive Rule of our Obliga­tion, Religion or Duty. And in order to the Com­pliance with this Obligation, or Payment of this [Page 29]Debt, there are these things to be consider'd.

First, We ought to be willing, and so endeavour, to know what God wills concerning us. Then having found in particular what God wills, we shall consider how it appears that to will those things that God wills, most becomes us, is our greatest Obligation and Happiness.

13. These things we shall discourse a little more particularly.

First, That we should will to know, or be willing to enquire what God wills.

Having found, or rather knowing certainly that God has will'd our Being, and consider'd what we find our selves, and that God has shew'd himself powerful, wise, and good, in causing us; it natural­ly follows that the Creature finding himself an A­gent, or capable of acting, and inclinable to be do­ing, should some how or other direct his Actions. Now in as much as he finds himself imperfect, but a Work or Effect of a higher Being exceeding him in Wisdom, Goodness, and Power; it also rationally follows that this Being, viz. God, his Maker, must needs know better than he, what he has made him, and what is most fit, or best for him to do: And that he may know, and do what is best for him to do, he had need (as abovesaid) be willing to know it. For altho' we know many things without, or even against the Acts of our Wills, yet it is apparent, that for want of Will or Desire, we don't know many things that we might and ought to know, and so also loose some Happiness we might enjoy. We find various Subjects of consideration offer'd us, and lying before us; and we have power to apply our Minds to this or that, as more necessary to be con­sidered.

Now as it is evident that the Will of him that is most wise, must needs be best, it follows that we [Page 30]ought (even on the account of Interest) to desire, or seek to know it. But the Reasonableness and Necessity of such a search, will more appear in our finding out, by consideration (as we may) particu­larly what the Will of God is.

And here the first Act of Will orderly consider'd in God, is in and towards himself, without relation to any Creature, as he is before, and without them, and that must needs be Good-will, or Love to, and Approbation of himself, and Pleasure in himself, be­ing a sufficient or all-perfect Being. Now if he loves, approves, or is pleas'd with himself above all, as he is best, and only necessary; he wills we should to our Capacity have like Thoughts of him, viz. that we should love him, approve of him, esteem him, be pleas'd with him above all; that is, think of him as he is, and not otherwise; for to think otherwise, is unjust or a Lye. That which is most excellent, that which is best, is to be loved best, is most desi­rable, such is God, or the first Cause. He is that Being that has most, yea all absolute Perfections. It is just and good for God to love himself best, be­cause there can be no better Object. And it is just for us to love, or desire, and esteem him better, or more than our selves, or any thing else, because he is better, yea best: It lies as an Obligation in Justice that our Desires ought to go out after him, and tend to him more than after, or to our selves, or any thing else, not only because he is the only Object that can satisfie, where Interest comes in, and has our self at the bottom, but because he is in himself infi­nitely more excellent, it is his due.

True Love is of that nature, as to go out from self where it finds an Object more excellent and de­sireable, and to prefer the Will of that more excel­lent Object to its own Will, and the Pleasure of that more excellent Object to its own pleasure, as distinct [Page 31]from it. Where the Creature's Will most agrees with the Will of its Creator, the Creature acts rather be­cause its Maker wills it so to act, then because its own advantage is in the Action; the Creator, and his Will and Pleasure, being infinitely more valuable than the Creature's Will and Pleasure, or very Be­ing. But the Creature agreeing with the Will of God in loving him best, cannot possibly but find its greatest Advantage and Pleasure therein; and the more it goes out of self, the more it turns its Eye and Desire, from its self, towards God that infinite Good, the less it beholds self, and thinks of, or acts as for advantage; as the more noble the Action is, so the more Happiness it finds. And if Justice is not enough to perswade us that God is to be loved, rather be­cause it is our Duty, or his due as he is best in him­self, than because we have pleasure in loving him; the very Happiness or Pleasure will tell us afterwards, that it comes most by that just and noble Neglect of seeking it in comparison of God, or making him but subservient thereto. And indeed the Creatures will seems to be made so large, and as it were unpropor­tionable to all the rest in the Creature, that it cannot possibly, as well as ought not to endeavour to be sa­tisfied with acting in, towards, and for it self. And from this Greatness of the created Desire is seen the supreme Cause, Reason, and Excellency of the Crea­ture's Love to God to be, because God is in himself most excellent, (we on this account owe him the the first and greatest Offering) and not chiefly, be­cause we are happy, or our desire filled in so doing; the higher Love (I mean in a Creature to God) is a love of Justice, a Duty of being just and true; before which if the Love for Interest come, it is in the sight of God an unworthy and impure Offering: Tho' we are highly obliged to love God out of Gratitude for his Benefits, yet if we love God most, or think we are [Page 32]obliged to love him most because we receive Good from him, we love him for self-sake, and conse­quently love self best, tho' it is not best, which is the very root of evil, in which we belye both God and Self. The Creature complying with God's Will always finds its advantage, and so also is bound as to a debt, to love God in gratitude; but self must have but the second place, because it is a Creature conse­quent to the Creator's Will, and but an imperfect thing; which in its self has also an evident Indica­tion that it is not to be best beloved, because of its incapacity of satisfying its own Desire; but it is most fully satisfied, and perfectly pleas'd, (I mean as a Creature can be) in acting towards God with a certain noble Neglect of it self, as delighting (if it had any thing to bring to God) rather in giving than in receiving. The Creature being but an Image of God, it is highly reasonable the Creature should value, and esteem it self but as such, but should va­lue and esteem God in Truth and Justice, as he is that Self-sufficient Being, the Creature is but a sha­dow, or Representation of, least the Good or Plea­sure of the Creature be set in the place of its Cause. In Love is found the height of the Creature's Hap­piness, and the Act of giving in the created Desire, always contends with the Passion of receiving, the Creature affects, and is pleased in the Act of af­fecting, and is again pleas'd with the thoughts that its Affection is welcome, or agreeable to the Will of the Affected; but that it's God's Will and Pleasure we should love him, is a greater reason that we should so do, than that we are pleas'd in doing it; for God's Will or Pleasure is better, and more requi­site than ours. When we love God best, who we know would be loved, and so we ought to love, and who loves us again, or rather first, then will be found whatever can be in love possible to the Creature. [Page 33]God we rationally believe cannot be profited, or have any encrease of pleasure by us, or our loving him, or loose any, by the contrary, he being suffi­cient in himself; but as his own Thoughts are in most perfect order, as he thinks aright of himself, as he is, knows himself, and his own Will, to be most high, best, &c. so he loves and likes that the Thoughts of his Creatures should be orderly, or that they should think of him as he is, and of themselves as they are; and hence as Creatures are many, and whoever loves God, and is happy thereby, cannot but suppose others capable, to be, and actually are such Agents and Recipients as himself; we in loving God for his Benefits must never forget to love him, because he is good to others, as well as because he is good to us.

14. Now as God having all absolute Perfections in himself, cannot be suppos'd to have any thing disa­greeing in his Will, he must needs be suppos'd if he work, or make any thing to make it, such as be­comes him to make, that is good; and consequently he must be suppos'd to love, and approve his Works, he cannot be thought to disapprove any thing he himself does; and what he makes, as his Work can­not be thought unworthy of his Approbation and Good-will, tho' he himself is the greatest and only necessary Object to himself: And if God, who is most wise, love and approve his own Works, it is highly reasonable we his Works should be deter­min'd by him to do so too; and of God's Works it is reasonable first, that we should love our selves (as well as we can) with such a Love as God loves us, and esteem our selves with such an Esteem as God has for us; we should be well pleas'd, and rejoyce in being what God has made us, and be ready to do what ever God wills us to benefit our selves, and make us happy, and think of our selves just as we [Page 34]are; that is as nothing in our selves, but as the Sha­dows, Images, and Creatures of God, and not as God's our selves, or not as such whose pleasure is the chief thing. Now if we are bound in compliance to the Will of God, as well as by interest to our selves, to love, or wish our selves well, and to his Truth and Justice to think of our selves as we are, to esteem our selves such as God has made us, and be pleas'd in so doing; certainly the same Will of God obliges us in conformity thereto to love our Fellow Creatures, and be pleas'd with what ever of God's Will, or of Goodness, or Truth, or Loveliness we see in them. God loves them as well as he loves us, as equally good, and excellent with us, as they are as much his Creatures, who are as much his I­mages, and as near to him as we are, and we ought to imitate God as he is imitable: He is pleas'd with his own Works, as to what he hath made them; so we should be pleas'd with, and in them as they are his Works; we should like his Works, and admire him in them; delight in beholding his Wisdom in making them, and endowing them, as well as in what he hath made us.

And as God is good to his Creatures, and loves them, that are capable of Happiness, with a Love of Beneficence; so we should desire also to be good, and beneficial to them, to endeavour to confer to their Happiness, because God wills their Happiness. This Love of Benevolence, or Act of Good-will to our Fellow Creatures, this desire of being good to them, because God is so, and wills us to be so, hath not only the Argument of Duty in Conformableness to God's Will to perswade it, but hath also that of pleasure in the very action, greater than any is rea­dy to believe that doth not practice it; and as it lies not idle in the Mind, but is unsatisfied tell it effects some Good, if possible, to the Object, and confers [Page 35]to its Happiness, it tends to bring back advantage as it naturally inclines the benefited Person to the like Re-action.

But this Love of Beneficence when it most nerely imitates God, proposing no advantage to self, is most excellent, and perhaps hath a greater delight attend­ing it than can be found in that Love which is forced by the sight of Good in the Creatures.

There is also a Love of Gratitude when we love them, because their Love and Beneficence to us de­serves it; this Love is just, and so a Duty, but it is a less God-like Love; being grounded in Creature imperfect self, which without the higher Love to keep it right, would become evil: As to love God himself merely for his Benefits (if there can be such a Love) would be to make our own Will, our own Pleasure, the beginning and end of all, to make our Will as ours the chief thing, and God who is in­finitely better than we, and other Creatures who are, if not better, as good, but subservient to us: which is unreasonable, yea the root and foundation of Evil.

Now to love God First, because he is best, and wills that we should love, and esteem him as such, it be­ing just and good so to do. Secondly, Because he is good to us, is the Author and Giver of all we are, and have of good; to love him for these Reasons with all our Heart, all our Soul, and all our Strength; that is truely, or unfeignedly, according to our Knowledge of him, and intensly or strongly as we can: And to love our Neighbour, or Fellow Creature, as our Self, viz. as truly, and for the same Reasons, viz. because God loves him as well as us, and would have us love him because it becomes us to imitate God as much as we can, and it is good for us so to do: This I say is the whole Law, natu­rally written in our Hearts, and legible by the Con­sideration [Page 36]of God, what he is in himself, and what he is to his Creatures, viz. The most perfect, or Self-sufficient Being, and our most wise, good, and powerful Author, and of our relation to him, and our Fellow Creatures.

15. Now from this fountain of Love proceed all the orderly streams of our Thoughts, and external Actions. If we love God as we should, or desire as he desires, we shall hate to do otherwise, fear to do otherwise, our aversation, and avoiding that which is not right is determin'd by our loving that which is right; and when we once truely love God, we shall be willing to study his Will that we may not ignorantly act contrary thereto.

Having found God our Cause, Self-sufficient, and All-perfect in himself, we cannot but acknowledge it fit and proper to be true, and acknowledge him such as he is; there can be no reason that we should deny what we know to be true; it is apparent that he is the Most High, the Greatest Being, and we are things infinitely less, nay nothing of our selves; we are but the Effects of the Will of the most wise, good, powerful Cause; on which consideration it is most evidently fit for us to submit to his Guidance and Direction, as confiding in his Wisdom, Good­ness and Power, that he knows, and wills, and can do that which is best for us, and to confess the Short­ness of our Understandings, as we are but Crea­tures, and know infinitely less than he; and conse­quently our Wills cannot be so good as his. Hence also it naturally follows, that if God has made us good, or as becomes the Best Being to make, and capable of Good or Pleasure, we should be thank­ful for our Being, and rejoyce or take pleasure in considering God's Wisdom, Goodness, and Power; so should we be ready to comply with his Will as Instruments in manifesting and communicating his [Page 37]Power, Wisdom, and Goodness to our selves, and our Fellow Creatures, and hate, fear, and avoid be­ing a Hinderance in any of these. Again; We are rationally obliged from the Consideration of God, and his Will to us in relation to those parts of the Creation he seems to have made for our sakes and use, to use them so as we may see most of God's Perfections through them; and as we may receive most Good or Pleasure by them, and how this is to be done, he has made us capable by a little reasoning and attention to find out, as his Will, which we have all reason to submit to, trusting his Wisdom as the absolute Rule wherein he directs us, he knowing best how these Ends may be attained, and his Good­ness, that he is willing they should. God has made all things to shew his own Perfections to those Crea­tures he has made capable of seeing them, and to make them happy or pleas'd, whom he has made ca­pable of Happiness or Pleasure, in the use of them. We are ready to believe these Creatures have no­thing in themselves that can affect us with pleasure, but it is the Will of God we should have pleasure in the use of them, that thereby we might be brought to him, the fountain of all Satisfaction.

16. If this Account of the Will of God be not par­ticular enough, yet a little farther.

First, It is apparent, that having found our Au­thor, or Cause, that only Self-sufficient, and All-suf­ficient Being, we call God, the Father of all things, we should not only take him for such, but that we should have no other in the like esteem, or let him have any Corrival in our Thoughts. That One sin­gle Supream Being, must have no Fellow in our Hearts. The most exact or perfect Image of him, that which he hath made most like unto himself, must not be by us exalted into his Throne. He is not an Image, and whatever is a Representation of [Page 38]him, he himself hath made such. We must not think therefore of any Second, as we think of him the First, nor desire Another equally with him. He must have the highest place, or be the only God both in our Judgments and Affections; who is Highest, First and Best, or we shall be unjust, un­true, and ungrateful.

Secondly, Nor must we (if we are obliged to think aright of him, and duly esteem him) presume to make of our own fancy any thing as an Image, or Resemblance of him; we must have no other Re­presentations of God than what he himself hath made. He must not by us be misrepresented, nor must we reverence, bow to, or honour any of our Fictions that we may fancy to resemble him; no, nor whatever does indeed most resemble him, with any such honour as is due to him. We cannot ra­tionally think any Image exactly like him, nor in our Acts of Worship have the same Thoughts of him as we have of any thing his Representation, because there can be no Image of him but what he hath made a Creature infinitely distant from him, and so far un­like him. Nor must we be so foolish as to think that we can offer our Homage more acceptably, or to better purpose through any of our devised Mediums, than if we come to the Fountain himself of all Good­ness and Beneficence.

Thirdly, Neither (if we are obliged to prosecute the Ends and Designs of God in the Manifestations of himself) must we mention any of his Attributes, or Properties, whereby he is known to no purpose, or idlely: For God is no vain or trivial Being, nor is there any thing small, or of little weight, belong­ing to him, who is the Supream, or Self-sufficient Being, or a Matter lightly or boldly to be play'd with by his Creatures, who are, even the highest of them, unnecessary Beings, or nothing in themselves, [Page 39]and compar'd with God infinitely beneath him: Much less may we dare to take his name into our Mouths, who is Goodness and Truth, in wishing Evil, or as­serting Falshood.

Fourthly, And as God always ought to be had in most honourable esteem in our Thoughts, and be by us acknowledged to be what he is; so consequently we ought to set apart some time for the Profession of our Acknowledgment of our Maker to others; that thereby they may be taught, stir'd up to, and strengthen'd in the same Acknowledgment, and due Homage to their Author: And that at the same time we all may enjoy the necessary Benefits of a Cessa­tion from the Fatigues of Bodily Works, which com­monly take up six times as much time in proportion as our mental and more noble Exercises. Besides that our whole time is rather numbered by Sevens, than by Eights, or any other numbers, may be seen by the Natural Scale of numbers in Harmony, (wherein God hath created all things) which per­petually runneth to a Seventh, and no farther; the Eighth being a new First, or the First but doubled, and which of the seven is the Seventh, is determined from whence we begin.

Fifthly, As God is to have the Supream Honours, and Worship, as our Cause, infinitely above us; so even those Creatures God hath made the Instru­ments of our Being, or before us in Excellency and and Dignity, should be acknowledged as such, and so more worthy than our selves; and being honour'd by us, this Honour should be shewn, and testified by proper Submission to them, with other Testimonies, whereby we may shew our due esteem. Those that we are immediately beholding to, tho' but as In­struments for our being, or well being, those we have been necessitated to depend upon, tho' but as means for the continuance of our Being in this life, [Page 40]have in all reason due to them from us, a debt of Honour, Esteem and Regard; and those that in any respect are better, and more excellent than us, can with no Justice be denied the Acknowledgment, as we find occasion, of what they really are. Nor is the giving all our Betters (especially those we have had our Dependance on as Parents) their due Re­gard, without a natural Tendency to our long, and happy Continuance in this Life, as they are thereby farther encouraged, and provoked to contribute the more to our Felicity; and we may also hope for, as our Desert, the like Honour from our Off-spring, or bear the contrary with the less Regret.

Sixthly, And as God has made us all the means of manifesting his Excellencies to one another, the Re­presentations or Images of himself, it is the highest Presumption and Boldness that we should attempt to put an end to, or spoil, or put out of sight so ex­cellent an Image of God, as he hath made Man. And this is first most unreasonable and culpable if pra­ctis'd on Self, it being every Man's Duty and Inte­rest to be, as God would have him, and a high Af­front and Rebellion to refuse the Gift of Life and Duties thereof; and as it were a bold revenging the Crosses of our foolish Wills on the Author of our Life, spoiling as much as we can his Work.

And tho' we may be perswaded that possibly there may not be so much Excellency in some others as in our selves, yet we should have so great a Love and Respect to the meanest Man, as he is the Image of God, an Epitome of the Creation, a Lord of the Corporal, and a Bond of Corporal and Spiritual Nature; wherein God may be seen, as in a Map of all his Works, that we should not desire, or presume to blot out so great a draught of the Divine Painter, or deface so great a Representative of his Majesty. And as Man is a Lord over the inferiour Creatures, [Page 41]under God, to put him as much as possible out of his Office, his Stewardship, or Viceroyalty, is an Affront to his Sovereign; for which he that does so, ought himself to be put so far out of the same capacity, (tho' he ought not to put himself out:) which he himself vertually acknowledgeth, since do­ing as one would be done by, is a most apparently equitable Rule: For if a Man loves Life as a Good, (as every man in his right mind does) and would not that another should take that from him on which, as well or ill used, depends so much of Hap­piness or Misery; consequently he ought not to take it from another, whom God has made a living Man as well as he, capable of as much Good as ano­ther, and in this at least better than he that would break this Rule, that he does not purpose like him, to be a declared Enemy to his Kind, and thereby adjudge his own Life ought rightly, and also neces­sarily to be taken away to prevent a greater Mis­chief, viz. the loss of another Life more valuable than the Life of this declared Despiser, and Enemy of God and Man; which Reasons do not only con­vince us that we should do nothing tending to hurt the Life of another, but that we should do what in us lies to preserve it as well as our own.

Seventhly, As it is most reasonable we should Esteem and Honour particularly, and in especi­al manner those that have been the means of our Being, and not slight and despise them; that we should do as we would be done by, and do no­thing tending to destroy any of our Fellow-rational Creatures, but labour to preserve them. So also that we may avoid the said Mischiefs, and perform the opposite Duties, it is reasonable and necessary that in the business of the Propagation of Mankind, Man should observe the Laws of Order and Convenien­cy; that is, that one Man and one Woman should [Page 42]be joyn'd together in free Love and Constancy, and become one in that matter, never leaving one the other to joyn with a third. That one Man should not use more Women than such a one as a Wife while she lives, nor one Woman more Men than her Husband before he is dead, is most reasonable from many Considerations, tho' Men are so inclinable to Disorders in this Matter, and so willing to be blind, and not see them. As if the promiscuous use of Men, or Women be practised; it will be the una­voidable Confusion of Relations, and Cause of the many evil Consequences thereof: Relative Duties cannot be perform'd where Relations are not known: As for instance; A Child will be some­times ignorant of his Parents, and so will not only omit the Honour, Gratitude, and Reverence due to them, but may sometimes be liable to slight, despise, contemn, or even abuse them, or do those things to them which tho' lawful to others, not at all to be done to Parents; which if ever they come to be known, might cause great disquiet of Mind. Again, By the promiscuous use of Men or Women, the Right of Inheritances will often be perverted and confounded; one Man's Child will enjoy another Man's Land, or Goods, the true Heir being un­known; a Man shall labour for another's Children, and not for his own. Again, As all Children of Men are more helpless than any other Animals; if both parents are not concern'd for them, they will ma­ny ways be expos'd to Misery, in the want of that Care and Love, and all the Effects thereof which orderly Parents have for their Children: And the Women who are not able to go through their Bringings forth, and Breeding up of their Children, alone as other Animals, would be often exposed, with their Children to great Miseries, without the constant Help and Care of such a Relation, as a [Page 43]Husband and Father ought to be. Again, if one Man should have divers Women, tho' he were as a Husband to them all, divers Inconveniencies would follow; The Man would love one better than ano­ther, and so not be equally just to them all; for which cause they would not agree, or live in Love and Content together; they would have Jealousies and Strifes against one another, and have many Temptations to Inconstancy; when one Man is not enough ordinarily to satisfie the natural Desire of more Women, some must be defrauded; so on the other hand, if one Woman should have more Hus­bands, and if one Woman does not happen to be enough in the Conceit of her Husband, or the Man for his Wife, the seldom Enjoyment will render the Satisfaction the greater, and better answer all the Ends of Marriage. Besides, if one Man should have many Wives, some others who have as much reason to be allow'd such a Help and Satisfaction, must have none, whereby Propagation would also be much hindered. Again, Whoever loves a Woman peculiarly, would also have her love him peculiar­ly, so on the other side. Which Rule of doing as one would be done by, cannot be kept without loving singly. No Whoremonger can possibly do as he would be done by; he would not have his Wife or Daughters prostituted, or common: Nor would any Man of reason be willingly expos'd to the many Miseries not only of Diseases, but of other natural Consequences following that high Injustice of break­ing that most solemn Contract, Bargain, or Oath, Men make at their Marriage; which need never be made but freely, and to one they themselves have chose out of the rest of Men or Women. Nor is the Benefit, Convenience, or Pleasure of single Love, and Marriage, Constancy small, if the choice be well made; that is, of such as are naturally suitable [Page 44]to, or for one another: Neither is this State to be equall'd, much less exceeded, by the extravagant, and roving Affections of those that take most liber­ty in their Actions relating to Propagation. But I need say no more, these Disorders being seen by all Men to have so great a stroke in the Miseries of Mankind, and appear so base to all who behold them in others. Only one thing remains, which I shall here touch upon; and that is the reason of the Disorder, or Inconvenience of Marrying our Kin­dred, and that is founded upon the Honour due to a Father and Mother; that they in themselves, or in their parts, should not be profaned, made common, or inferiour by their Children, which nothing but Necessity could ever excuse, and which also would unavoidably be by the promiscuous use of Men and Women.

Eighthly, No less evident is the Reason founded in the Order of things, and discoverable by the natural Light that we should not either privately, or by force, take away, or pervert the Property of, any Good that is our Neighbour's; every Man acknowledgeth this unjust, in that he himself would not part with that which is his Propriety, otherwise than by his Consent.

Ninthly, Not so much as the Good Name of an­other ought to be taken away, or hurt, if we will do as we would be done by, nor our Fellow Creature represented worse, or otherwise than he is, to his da­mage; we must not accuse him falsly at all, much less in the name of the God of Truth; whom to invoke in testifying a Lye, is the highest Affront, and daring'st Folly. Nor can we pretend that we our selves, or our Neighbour, can have any advan­tage by a Falshood; which by observation we shall find sooner or later tending even to the external da­mage of one or both; but if for a time there seem [Page 45]to be some profit in what hath been inconsiderate­ly call'd an Officious Lye, it is but external, and at the same time brings an Evil to the Mind greater than that outward seeming advantage can counter­va [...].

Tenthly, And that we may be exactly conforma­ble to all these Laws of Order and Equity, we are to observe them in our very Desires. It is most rea­sonable our Desires should be conformable to the Will of God as manifested, in the order of his Works tending to our Good. If we ought not to be un­just, untrue, or evil to another, either God or Man, we must not so much as desire so to be; for Will to do Evil is the Action of doing Evil, and wants on­ly (and that but in some cases) to be signified ex­ternally, or to affect another, to make it as much Evil as it can be. But Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law, that which prevents, or as much as possible amends these Disorders; he that loves God will study to comply with his Will, to be just and true to him; he that loves his Neighbour as he ought, will do him no harm in Body or Mind, but labour to do him good in both: The absence of all the Good, and the presence of all the Evil, relate­ing to our selves and our Neighbour, comes from the want of true and regulated Love.

17. Now as the Free-will of God is the sole Cause of the Being, and Suchness of Being of the Creatures; so whatever God hath made cannot be thought to be otherwise than Good, from Goodness it self can nothing but Good proceed: And tho' it may be said in respect of the Power of God, he might have made things otherwise; yet in conside­ration of his Wisdom and Goodness, it cannot possi­bly be said, he might have made any thing better, without the greatest Presumption and Folly: So that whatever God makes any thing, such is its Bestness. [Page 46]Let us but once know what a thing was as it came from the hands of God, and what it is the Will of its Maker it shall be, such is its Goodness, and the bounds of its Creature Perfection; what it shall be, I say, because it doth not appear that God made things unchangeable, but rather in a condition tend­ing to alteration; so that tho' it be good, yea per­haps best for the Creature to be so, and so at one time; yet it is good, or best at another time, to be in some respects otherwise. The Intelligent Crea­ture, at least Man, as he comes from the hands of God, appears capable of an increase of Knowledge and of Satisfaction; and tho' at first it is very good, yet it is capable of better being, in that respect, and the Good Will of God in making things, is not to be consider'd merely in their first Make, but as a continual Act reaching to the Creatures whole Du­ration.

Now the way of the Creatures well Being, better Being, yea best possible Being, viz. its most clear beholding the Perfections of God, intensest Loving, and compleatest Satisfaction in him, dependeth on the most Wise good Will, and Pleasure of God, which must be known as a Rule and Guide unto that end, viz. that the Creature will as God wills, to its utmost Capacity, and be pleas'd with what­ever God does, who can do nothing but Good. This Conformity to the Will of God, is the only possible way for the Creature to be as much as it can be pleas'd, or happy; and so long, and so much as it wills no otherwise than God would have it will; so long, and so much will it be joyous and satisfied, as God made it to be in him.

18. But if ever the Creature wills otherwise than God wills, it must of necessity find the Disorder and Inconvenience of that Will, and be uneasie, and dis­pleas'd; it will certainly be some time or other dis­contented [Page 47]and uneasie, either that it can't have Sa­tisfaction in, and by its own foolish Will, not being able to get it, (it not becoming God to comply with its disorderly Desire) or that it was so foolish or wicked to seek Satisfaction that way. The Crea­ture can no more be satisfied in its own Will as in­dependent, than have an independent Being. It is the Property of God alone, and only possible to him who is self-sufficient and all-perfect, to be pleas'd in himself: But as for the Creature, so far and so long as it continues in its private and self-will, so far and so long it must be unhappy; that which it wills cannot always or long be done, un­less God wills the same; and to will what one can't have, is the ground of all possible Unhappiness. And tho' a Creature may be suppos'd uneasie sometimes in willing Good, it may be because another for whom it is concern'd, wills Evil against its Will; and this springs from its Creature Nature that it is not sufficient in it self as God is, who therefore can­not be affected with Uneasiness because of any thing another does. And this Uneasiness of the Creature, on the account of another's Evil, may be grounded even in love to God, and be because God's Will is disobey'd by others, it being a Proper­ty of its imperfect Creature Nature to have Passion when what it wills is not done: Which may be per­mitted also to stir the Creature up (who would o­therwise be more negligent) to seek, and endeavour its Fellow Creatures Good, Creatures being migh­tily carried on to things by Passions, Pleasure, and Uneasiness; just as there is a troublesome Sense of things hurting the Body, that we might be thereby presently drove to avoid them: But this good Sor­row or Discontent, because Evil is done where-ever it happens, will end in, and be out-ballanced by Joy, either in having done the Duty of Love, [Page 48] viz. of endeavouring that God's Will may be done in and by others, as well as in and by one's self, or also that the Person hath by his endeavours brought another to Good, to Happiness in willing as God wills, as he would have him. Nay this Sorrow is seldom void of its present mixture of Joy and Satis­faction in doing one's own Pleasure, as conformable to the Will and Good Pleasure of God.

On the other hand, though a Creature may possi­bly some time rejoyce in willing otherwise than God wills, as having for a time its disorderly Will, it cannot be so always, but will some time or other find it has cross'd it self by the loss of a greater Satis­faction. And every such Joy will but add, multi­ply, and lay up a greater Ground or Stock for Dis­content and Anguish; in as much as if the bare willing otherwise than God wills, is so very unrea­sonable, the rejoycing in such Unreasonableness, is still a greater Disorder, and will yield uneasier Re­flections when-ever it comes to be justly thought upon.

But that God made Intelligent Creatures capable of continual Pleasure or Satisfaction, is evident, be­cause it cannot be thought that God could make, or create a Desire (how large so ever) greater than he can satisfie, who is infinitely greater than it, and yet satisfied with himself, or that he would make a Crea­ture with such a Desire, and design it should not be satisfied, because such a desire would be to no pur­pose. But that the Creatures Desire should be satis­fied with it self, is impossible, because the Creature is not Self-sufficient, or God. But the Creature may possibly err, and suppose its Happiness to lie in doing its own Will, as its own, and otherwise than God wills.

19. To will otherwise than God wills, is the only true and bottom Notion of Sin. And to will is al­ways [Page 49]an Act, and there is no Act where there is no Will; and it is as much an Act to will one thing, as it is to will another: If I will an Absur­dity, or a Contradiction, a Disorder, a Defect, such as is to please my self in all my foolish Imaginations; it is as much willing, or an Act of the Will, as if I will a Truth, a Good, or what is convenient, or­derly, and suitable to my nature. And there can be nothing culpable in the Creature, but an Act of the Will must bear the blame; all other Thoughts of Created Minds besides Volitions, and all Motions of Bodies, are rather Passions, and wholly blameless; but where an Act of the Will, disagreeing with the Will of God, hath determin'd them amiss, in which Act of the Will, the Fault lies. So that Sin can be nothing but an Act, or Volition that is contrary to the Will of God, and consequently there can be no Sin but actual Sin. Sin in other words is said to be a Transgression of the Law of God; that is, a do­ing something contrary to the Law, or Will of God; and Doing is an Act, and nothing acts but what wills. Sins that are properly call'd Sins of O­mission, are not without Acts of the Will; even Acts of Will to omit what ought to be done, the not willing a Good, is never without willing some­thing else, even Evil. It is from Ignorance, and want of considering, that some Men talk of Original Sin as distinct from, or other than Actual Sin, and it is an idle Notion as they understand it; for where­ever there is a Thinking Being or Mind, there is a Will willing something or other; and if that Will be contrary to the Will, or Law of God, it is Actual Sin: Where there is no such Act of the Will, there is no Sin. The not knowing the Will of God is an Alleviation of the Sin, but though the Creature ig­norantly wills otherwise than God wills, that Igno­rance if at all the Creatures fault does not make it [Page 50]cease to be the Creatures disorder, or what ought not to be. Nor is God ever the Cause of the Crea­tures inevitable Ignorance of what he would have them do: He cannot be suppos'd to cause any thing he wills not, that would be a great Imperfection; therefore he cannot be said to cause the Creature not to know what he would have him do; that would be all one as to will what he wills not, which is a Contradiction. But he has made the intelligent Creatures capable of knowing and doing his Will; those Beings that have no Thoughts, are incapable either of Sin or Obedience. Original Sin, if we must use such a term, is nothing but the first Act of Will contrary to the Will of God: the first disor­derly Act of the first Creature that so acted, is the Original or Beginning of all Sin; the first undue Act of the first Man is the Original, or first Sin of Men; the first Act of Will, contrary to the Will of God of every particular Creature, is its Original or first Sin; and the Creature is never guilty of Sin, or acting contrary to God's Will, till it has so acted. Most absurd therefore is it to suppose me guilty of that Sin which was the Act of the Will of another; committed before I had so much as any act of Will, or Being it self.

20. So far we have considered Creatures as com­ing from the hands of God, and Good; or possible to be changed, and become evil in their Actions. We now come to consider them as actually evil: And it is, or may be apparent to any Man that will descend into himself, and consider that Man has not always and exactly done as he should; but has sometime will'd, or does will otherwise than God wills. Of this, I say, we may be soon convinced by our own Experience or Conscience, the surest of all Con­victions. If it be true that as God is all perfect, or sufficient in himself; so that he hath created things [Page 51]to manifest his Wisdom, Goodness and Power, &c. to the Intelligent Creatures, that they may be as happy as they are capable of Being, it is most cer­tain; First, that if I have not considered my self, be­ing once capable of Reasoning, and so found my Cause, and enquired and found what he is, ad­mir'd, and lov'd him, and had thankful Thoughts of him, it is not because I was incapable of doing so, but because I would not, and I have not will'd as becomes me; as God wills I should, but have sin­ned. Secondly, If I have will'd any thing that does not tend to make me as happy as I can be, or as much pleas'd with God in himself, and in his Works, as I should, I have will'd otherwise than God wills, and so have sinned. But I find even after I have found God, and somewhat consider'd him, I have very much forborn or neglected to consider him, and considered other things unworthy such conside­ration more than him; nor have I loved him as the Self-sufficient Being, and my Cause, ought to be loved; but have loved my self, or other things un­worthy such Love, more than him; while I am con­vinced he is better than me, or any thing, and the Cause things are, and are any way condusive to my Good or Pleasure; and in so doing, as well as in o­ther Instances, I find I have sometimes will'd those things which at other times I have found not tend­ing to make me as much as may be happy. I have will'd things before I have consider'd, or inform'd my self of the Nature and Tendency of them, slight­ing those Directions God has made me capable of receiving from him; and so acted, or will'd disor­derly, or otherwise than becomes me. I have not always been pleas'd, or glad, in contemplating God in himself, and in his Works, and therefore I find I have not always will'd as God wills. I know (or may soon do) that God's Will is best in relation to [Page 52]himself, and his Creatures: I have been convinced such and such a thing is according to God's Will; yet I have done otherwise, and chose that which my Judgment informs me is not God's Will, thereby asserting my own Will therein better than God's, or my Judgment truer than his. Again, I am con­vinced (when I seriously consider) that God's Will is that wherein I can best be pleas'd; but I find I have been displeas'd, and uneasie in mind many a time, either because I have found I chose something not best for me, or because for want of Considera­tion I have thought something good for me, and will'd it, which I could not possibly have: Thus I find infallibly I have will'd otherwise than God wills, and so have sinned.

Here we have from the Light of Nature, or our own Reason, an evident Conviction of Sin, or of Man's Fall and Degeneracy; every one may see it in himself, and the same we may observe tho' not some ways so apparently in others. And all Man­kind in general, how dark soever their Light, and how little soever their Reason is, having once at­tain'd to the use of Reason, have been sometimes ready to confess themselves indeed guilty of doing amiss, and forced to accuse others as guilty of Evil. What Man is there but that, if I do any thing to make him less happy, is sensible I do not as I would be done by, and so do not my Duty, but am a Sin­ner? Now God cannot be suppos'd to make Man thus evil, and out of order, because he can do no­thing but what is good; tho' he made Man capable of sinning, or going out of order: And as Man must needs be suppos'd to come out of God's hands good, and orderly; but is become evil, acting a miss, Man must be suppos'd to be fallen, and degenerated from his Primitive state.

21. The Greatness of Man's Sin in willing other­wise than God wills, the Grievousness of his Fault in falling from what God made him, is apparent, or may be so if we but consider; That Man is no­thing of himself, but is beholden to God for his Be­ing, and All. It is therefore most highly unreason­able that Man should deny to acknowledge such a one his Author, or dare to contradict or disbelieve his Wisdom and Goodness, in acting as if God did not know, or would not do what is best for his Creature. How unreasonable is it that Man should foolishly, and with an ungrateful Stubbornness, re­fuse the Good, yea any Good God offers him? Had God made him less capable of Good, he had been bound to be thankful for any capacity; had God denied him some Good, he had made him ca­pable of, he had been endebted to Love, and thank his Maker for any Good he had given him. It is a high Slight of the boundless ever-overflowing Foun­tain of Goodness, for Man to refuse any, or the greatest Happiness God offers him; and whoever does not study God's Will as a Director to Happi­ness, will certainly miss some Good. It might be Love to refuse what the Giver would loose or want, by giving it, or could not well spare; but a Slight not to take where the Giver has abundance, and will have never the less by giving. For Man to refuse any Happiness God offers him, is so far to desire not to be beholden to God. But he that is most be­holden to God, is most happy; and he that is most happy, must consequently be most beholden to him. This will remain an everlasting Truth while God and Creatures have a Being. Is it not the height of Folly, yea Madness, as well as Injustice, to choose Misery rather than acknowledge one's Maker as the Author of Happiness? To desire not to be beholden to God, our Cause, our Lord and Soveraign, is the [Page 54]highest Affront to the highest Majesty, and no less than an absurd Endeavour to dethrone him, and be of our selves, that is be God: To substract our selves from our Dependence on his Will, and to prosecute our own, in Distinction from, and Contradiction to his, is so unreasonable, bold, and mad a Presumption as to endeavour to overcome, and destroy him; so great a Folly and Absurdity as to endeavour the Im­possibility of adnihilating the Being of all Beings, and consequently our Selves and All. So great a Treason, Boldness, Perverseness, Madness and In­justice, is contain'd in Sin, or willing otherwise than God wills. And all Acts of Sin are essentially the same; and every reiterated Act of Sin, is virtually the Approbation and Ratification of all Sins past, and to come.

22. Now for as much as the Creature is found guilty, and convicted of this mighty Disorder, has done Evil, and it cannot possibly be undone, but that it will eternally remain true that the Creature has sinn'd; it follows to be consider'd what is now to be done, or how the Creature ought to behave him­self, as guilty and conscious of Sin.

And there are these things which by natural and right consequence, should arise in Man from this Consideration: First, an humble Acknowledgment and Confession to God of what he hath foolishly done, not to fancy he can hide his Sin from God, or to go about to extenuate it, and excuse it. Se­condly, A Sorrow, Regret, and Displeasure with himself for so foolish and unreasonable Doings; which Sorrow, tho' it supposes, and is naturally con­sequent of Evil, yet it becomes a Medium in order to future Joy, because the troublesome Thoughts, or Sense of what we have done amiss, urges and insti­gates to that; which is the Third, and chief thing Man should do, having sinn'd, viz. Repent, or [Page 55]study what is God's Will, and resolve to do it, or will as he wills for the future. Which things on the same reason ought to be reiterated as oft as Man shall fall again, or reiterate Acts of Sin. With these there should be a hearty Desire to God that he will forgive, or manifest to us anew some Acts of his Wisdom, Goodness, and Power, whereby we may be effectually influenced to see as it is the Disorder, or Evil of our sinful Will, to change our Mind ful­ly to conform for the future to God's Will, that God may be to us for time to come, as he would have been if we had never sinned. This, I say, is the natural Duty of a Sinner, To repent, or be sensible of his doing amiss, and to change his Mind to do well; and such a Sinner may boldly, if humbly ask, and expect Forgiveness of God. Now if we consider the Forgiveness of God well, I think no­thing can be truely and properly Forgiveness but (as I have said) the New Manifestation of some Acts of God towards the Creature upon its Sinning and Sense of it, whereby it is effectually perswaded to change its Will, and go on to change it till it comes to will again as God wills: In which God relieves the Creature (more or less, according to the degree of its new Obedience it finds in it self) from the uneasie Thoughts of its past Sins, and affects it with the same Pleasure and Satisfaction (proportionable to the progress of its Repentance) the Creature would have had in God if it had never sinn'd, God abating so much of his due as cannot possibly be paid, viz. the keeping of his Law, which has not been done for the time past. This is the [...], Forgiveness of Sin, to be pray'd for, and believed, and expected in God. But what-ever Acts of God we may suppose towards the Creature, if it is not brought to will again as God wills, sometime or other to do its Duty, it is not really forgiven, its [Page 56]Sins pardoned, or done away, divorsed, or loosed from it, as the word [...] signifies.

23. Now for as much as the Creature considering the Unreasonableness of its Sin, its Will not being quite changed, or but little changed, and its Under­standing not fully inform'd, may be apt to doubt [as too inclinable to measure God by its self] whe­ther God will indeed thus add to act towards the Happiness of a once Rebellious Creature: We shall consider by what rational Arguments we may be perswaded that God will indeed, yea is ready to for­give. First, it is God's unchangeable Will and Command that the Creature be obedient to the Will of his Maker, as what is most just and reasonable; for God cannot be suppos'd to change his own Will, or will what is not just and reasonable: To suppose he can is all one as to suppose him imperfect, or not God, or not wise and good. If so he must needs be suppos'd willing Repentance, or a Leaving, or Re­mission of Sins in the Creature that has sinn'd, and God cannot cross or contradict himself. Besides, it is better that the Sinner repent, and become obedi­ent, than that he go on in Sin and Disobedience; and God cannot be suppos'd to will that which is not best. Again, if it be a Good to will as God wills, and the Creature having found the Unreason­ableness of the contrary some what desires so to do, is somewhat inclinable so to do, it cannot be sup­pos'd that the Creature should desire more Good than God does, or will any real, and to it possible and suitable Good which God does not will. God will therefore hear the Creatures desire, forgive, or promote the Creatures good desire, and give it fresh Arguments effectually to perswade it more and more to will as he wills; and when it is brought perfectly, or exactly so to do, it is perfectly, or fully acquitted, and fully justified, or made just, and not till then, [Page 57]because it is not so till it is so; nor can God reckon, think or account, or declare it so till it is so, because he can neither be deceived nor deceive. But as Re­pentance is a work of time, even of our whole Life; so Forgiveness, or Justification, is a work of time, not perfected till Sin is done away.

That God has given intelligent Creatures a Capa­city of willing as he wills they should, is evident: If he had not, they could not be obliged so to do; and that they might possibly, and have will'd other­wise, is as apparent as Experience can make a thing: It is moreover manifest, that he has given them a Capacity of knowing when they have will'd other­wise than their Maker wills: An Understanding ca­pable of seeing the Unreasonableness, with a Will sometime sensible of the Unhappiness of so doing. We have already found, that he wills his own Will to be done, and that his Will is best, and unchangeably so, is evident; that he adds upon the Creatures Sin fresh Arguments to perswade the sinning Creature to change, and go on to change its Evil will, till it is changed wholly; that it becomes God so to do, while nothing can be suppos'd better, or possibly so good, either to the Manifestation of God's Excel­lencies, or the Creatures Happiness, makes us posi­tively conclude that God will never be wanting on his part to the Sinner.

But here perhaps some will start a not-altogether impertinent Question.

24. Why God made the Creature capable of sinning, or willing contrary to his Maker's Will? I answer;

That it was most becoming the Perfections of God, and their Manifestation in, and to the Crea­tures, and the Creatures Happiness thereby, to make them capable, or able either to obey, and will as God wills; or to disobey, or sin, by willing the con­trary. [Page 58]For the Illustration of this, consider; First, God's Dominion, Soveraignty, or Lordship, could not otherwise have been acknowledged: For if the Creature had not been capable of Sinning, it had not been capable of Obeying; Obedience to God being nothing but willing what God wills, because he wills we should, when we can possibly, will otherwise; and Disobedience to God can be no­thing else than willing what God does not will, when we may will what he does. There is no O­bedience properly so call'd, or of Mind, but what is free, nor no Disobedience of Mind but what is spontaneous. To Be or Do what we can't but Be or Do, is no proper Obedience; and not to Be or Do what we can't Be or Do, cannot well be call'd Disobedience. And God did not make Man capa­ble of Obeying or Sinning, that he might Sin; but capable of Sinning or Obeying, that he might Obey, and so acknowledge, and shew God's Dominion and Lordship over him. Again, if Man had not been a Voluntary, or Free Being, he had been incapable of Pleasure or Happiness, (which consists in the Sa­tisfaction of Will, or having ones Desire) and so had had no such occasion of acknowledging God's Good­ness. Nor farther would he have had the Excellen­cy of Being so much the Image, or Representation of God, who is a Free Agent, or has a Will tho' not indifferent to Good and Evil: God's Will be­ing the Rule of Good, he cannot but will what he wills, nor can he suppose any thing otherwise than it is, his Wisdom being absolutely perfect. But Man is the Image of God as he is a Free Agent, or has a Will capable of willing Good. God's Will is his own Rule, he being Self-sufficient, can have none to obey that is wiser, or that can will better. Man's Good depends on God, as the Shadow on the Sub­stance, as the Picture on the Thing painted out. [Page 59]When Man's own will interposes between God and him, he so far ceaseth truly to represent God, and be happy. God's Will, which is best, is Man's Rule, or Exemplar; and the Creature can be no more like God than an Image can be to a thing it represents. An Image can never be the same thing it self of which it is the Image, (to say it may, is all one as to say it is the Image, and not the Image, which is a Contradiction) nor can any Image be equal, or in all respects such as the thing it is the Image of, or like it more than in some respects: For if we could suppose two things every way alike, nei­ther of them could be said to be the Image of the other; because the other would with as much reason be said to be the Image of that: Nay it would be absurd to talk of a Distinction where we have sup­pos'd no difference: And the Image of a Creature may be more like, or nearer an Equality with the Creature it represents, than an Image of God can be like God; for nothing can be the Image of God but a Creature; for there is nothing but God, and Creature, and between God and Creature, there cannot be less than infinite Distance and Inequality; which is not between Creature and Creature, tho' one be the most perfect, the other the most imper­fect of Creatures, being both finite. Nothing, I say, can be said to be the Image of God but a Creature, unless there could be conceived any Third Being between God and the Creature. I say farther; God cannot be said to be the Image of God, or, which is the same, that which is the Image of God cannot be said in a proper sense to be God; for so the Image would either be said to be the Image, and yet the same thing it is the Image of, which is all one as to say it is the Image, and not the Image, or what it is, and something else than what it is, which is a Contradiction. But if the Image of God, being [Page 60]something Else, or Another, than what it is the I­mage of, be yet said to be God, it is consequential­ly said to be Another God, and such a One who is but an Image of Another; which also affirms it in the Consequence at the same time not to be God, tho' inconsiderately said to be so: For what is in any sense but a Resemblance, or Imaginary, is not God. Things may be said in some respects to be like God, but God cannot be said to be like any thing, he being First, Original. Besides, nothing in God can be the Image of God, because that one thing would not be the Image of God, viz. of the compleat Divine Being, it being suppos'd to be the Image but of Something Else in God, not of All in God, it Self (if it were not absurd to call it, Self, there being not more than One Self in God) being something suppos'd in God. But to conclude this Digression; God being altogether Substance, and Original, there can be nothing Imaginary, or but a Copy in him; whatever therefore is an Image, or Copy of God, is but a Creature; and whoever af­firms the contrary, affirms he knows not what, a Chimera, or his own vain Imagination, if not worse. But to return again from this occasional Digres­sion.

If Man could not have will'd Evil, he could have had no Temptation to it, either from within or without; and his Disobedience could not have been so signal and great, could it be suppos'd any at all: Vertue that is never tried, is not so eminent. God did not make the Creature capable of supposing something preferable to its Subjection to the Will of its Maker, that it might seek such a thing, or ven­ture to try whether it were so or no, but that it might have occasion to resist and overcome such a Suggestion, and own its Dependence; without which it had been uncapable of, or wanted that Hap­piness [Page 61]or Pleasure which is found in a sort of Self­denial in doing what is pleasing to a more excel­lent Person which one loves, which is not little, as every one may experience, the love of Men perhaps being always placed on the account of something seen of excellency in another which is not in one's self; and the degree of such Pleasure consists in the degree of Love, and the degree of Love in the de­gree of Excellency in the Object; and God is the best of all things that can be loved.

25. But here may be objected what by many is asserted; That Man is not free to will either Good or Evil. And here some affirm, That Man since he hath sinned, and remains impenitent, is free only to will Evil. Others from more consideration, (tho' it may seem a Paradox to the former, and ought to be well explain'd) are perswaded that Man is not free to will Evil, but only to will Good. Let us for the farther clearing this whole matter, consider it funda­mentally.

Good, or Pleasure, I take to be the same thing, and the Pleasure of the Self-sufficient Being is the su­pream Good; he being of himself, and beholden to none for any Pleasure, but all beholden to him for whatever can truely please, it is but just and right that all Pleasure should be according to his Will and Pleasure, who knows what is best for all: Who tho' he take pleasure in his Works, it is because they are his, made according to his Wisdom and Good­ness. He who is the cause of their Being, is conse­quently the cause of any Pleasure he can be thought to take in them, as well as of that which Creatures may take in one another. Now Pleasure and Good, being the same, it is to be considered as in the dif­ferent Subjects, God, or his Creatures; God being Self-sufficient, nothing can affect him with Displea­sure, or uneasie Thoughts, all his Pleasure arising [Page 62]from within, even from his unchangeable Self, who cannot will to be displeas'd, or uneasie, nor can any thing be suppos'd to force him to be displeased. Nor can the Creature properly be said to desire its own Unease or Displeasure, its Pleasure lying in having its Will; if it could desire to be displeas'd, it could will, and not will at the same time, which is a Con­tradiction as bad as to say a Will is not a Will. But the Creatures Will becomes evil two ways. First, When it wills or desires that which in it self is a Good (yea perhaps the greatest Good) but to it im­possible, or not belonging; as to be satisfied in its own proper Will, without regard of anothers, as if the reason of Good were to depend on its Will, which is a Prerogative only belonging and possible to God, whose Will can give Being to things, and who is sufficient in himself. The Evil of this (and indeed all sinful Desire includes it) lies in this, that the Creature wills a Contradiction, or Absurdi­ty, and not only so, but foolishly and unjustly at­tempts to rob God of his Prerogative, or his very Being, and to become God it self, or to be another God equal with him. And tho' this Attempt, which is virtually in all Sin, can really take nothing from God, or make him uneasie, yet in common Speech, or speaking improperly as if we were speaking of Men, God is said to be displeas'd or angry, with it; but it is indeed no more but that it is not according to God's Will, he does not will it, or does not take pleasure in the Creatures Folly and Absurdity. So that the Creature thus affecting Supream Good, does not only commit the Evil Act of Injustice in at­tempting to take what is not its own, and of Folly, in affecting what is impossible; but also has will'd that which will bring in the Consequence, its own Displeasure; because willing what it can't have, while it so wills it is uneasie, or else is so when it re­flects [Page 63]on its Folly. Secondly, The Creature wills Evil in willing that which has really but the Ap­pearance of Good, [Appearance, I say, for at least a Seeming, or Supposed Good, must be acknowledg'd the Object of Man's Will] as when a Man wills a thing which when he tries, has no Satisfaction in it at all, or when he wills a created Good, I mean the Enjoyment of some Creature that does really give him some small Satisfaction; but that present and small Satisfaction, takes away a greater and more last­ing it might have had, if it had not will'd that thing; it being according to the Will of God, as well as for Man's Interest that Man be as much as possible pleas'd: Man really wills Evil, tho' under the form of Good, or even tho' there is some Good in the thing when he wills that which tends to hinder, or lessen his own Pleasure or Happiness, which is ac­cording to the Will of God. Thirdly, A Man's Will is evil when, altho' he will that which is in it self a Good, and good for him he wills it so, or in such Circumstances as hinders good from another Man; for there is the same reason why another Man should be pleas'd as much as may be, as that I should be so; and in hindering the Good of ano­ther I want the reasonable Acts of Love and Justice, and not only so but even also hinder Good from my self in thus disorderly seeking it; for I could be more happy and pleas'd if all my Fellow Creatures were so, than if they be not; and the more of them happy and pleas'd, the more may I; for the Unhap­piness or Displeasure of others, adds to my Unhappi­ness, if I have been any way the cause of their Un­happiness, when I see my Injustice; or if I have not, as I am affected with Compassion, or as I therein do not see so much of the Manifestation of the Wisdom and Goodness of God, in the order of his Creatures, I have not such cause of Joy, as if I see my own [Page 64]pleasure as it were multiplied in my Fellow Crea­tures, or have the Satisfaction of being instrumen­tal to their good. And perhaps from divers other reasons, the more of my Fellows are happy, the more in degree may I be so. But let us consider wherein the Evil of Man's Will consists, for more Clearness in an Instance or two. A Man desires a Bodily thing in the Application of which to his Body, God has annexed a Pleasure to the Mind; this Gratification of the Sense is good, and God causes it; but when the Man wills it in such a Circumstance, as of ne­cessity robs him of a greater Pleasure he might other­wise have had, or gives him in the consequence greater Displeasure than the want of that thing could be, the willing of that thing becomes an Evil to him in abating his Happiness, and which is worse an ungrateful Slight to his Maker, a greater Disorder in not consulting his Will to guide him, or not con­fiding in his Wisdom and Goodness, who would have the Man as happy as might be. As the Pleasure a Man receives in Eating and Drinking is good; but if he eat or drink too much, he dulls his Appetite, and renders it less sensible, and often lays the foundation of a Disease that not only affects him with its conse­quent Displeasure, but renders him incapable of the pleasure of Eating and Drinking for a much longer time than he had of pleasure when he disorderly, or immoderately sought it.

Or if he do not thus abate his Happiness, if he rob his Neighbour for it, that act of Injustice never fails one way or other to give him more Displeasure than he had Pleasure so unduly attained. So likewise the Pleasure in the Act of Generation is good; but when ever a Man goes out of the order God has set Man in the reason of that Satisfaction, he acts Evil, either in rendring himself less capable thereof, or by procuring himself far greater Evil or Displea­sure, [Page 65]in the many Mischiefs that the satisfying that Desire, any other way than with a Wife, naturally produces to him, and his Fellow Creatures, with the troublesome Reflection that he will sometime have on such Disorders, when he sees not only that he hath deceiv'd himself, but also the Unreasonableness of his Disbelief, slighting, disbelieving, and affronting his Maker in not studying, but rejecting his most wise Order and Direction. So that if a Man wills that which is good, but impossible to him, or what be­longs not to him, that which is but little good, and takes away more good, hinders good to another, is but an appearance of good, his Will is evil. He that desires his Neighbour's Wife, wills Evil tho' she be the best Woman in the World; for tho' she be good, she is not his; he invades another's Proper­ty, and so wills an Injustice; nor can he have his desire without abating the Happiness of his Neigh­bour, and the Woman's too in her becoming Evil, and finding its Consequences.

And here I cannot but take notice of the a foolish Abuse, common among Mankind; that is, they confidently call the Desire One Man has to Ano­ther's Wife, or a Woman to Another's Husband, with all such disorderly Desires, by the name of Love, meaning Love to the Person desired, when it is nothing less; being always that which so far as it is satisfied divers ways effects the Unhappiness of the Person said to be beloved, which such a Lover can hardly be so blind as not to see. Yea farther, that it is but a Self-love, (if it can be call'd Love at all) and a grosly mistaken one too, rendering the Lover himself more unhappy than he would have been had he never so affected, tho' he enjoy the Object of his Love, I would say his Lust, for that is the proper name on't.

But to draw towards a Conclusion of this matter; I say, whatever a Man desires, the Act of desire is free; to suppose otherwise would be all one as to suppose Volition not to be Volition, or a Will not a Will. A Will cannot be said to be compell'd; for tho' it cannot but Act, or Be, it is freely, or willing, Compulsion, and Volition are contrary and incom­patible. But the Will is led by Arguments, and at least Appearances of Good. If there could be sup­pos'd but one Object of the Will, it could not but apply to that, yet it would be freely; but where there are many Objects, it chooses by appearance. But Man having the Faculty of Reasoning as well as Desiring, ought to suspend the Acts of his Will by a kind of Indifferency, at least as to their Ef­fects, till he is sure his choice will be good. The Will is led by Arguments: I say, whether the Act of Will be according to God's Will, or no, and Vo­lition is Volition, or to be willing is to be willing. And a Man is (in short) more properly said to will, or desire Evilly, than to desire an Evil, I mean to himself; for that a Man may be so wicked as often to will, and consequently freely, yea and knowingly an Evil to another Man, and sometimes effects it, and would also affect God with an Evil, or a real Displeasure, if it were possible that Man's foolish Will could be so done, is daily apparent, and true beyond all dispute. And that Sinners may be said to will Evil continually, is not to be understood as if they never desired any thing that is good, but that every act of their desire, tho' they desire Good, hath some Evil Circumstance or other, as an Evil Man­ner, Evil Means, or Evil Ends, &c.

Now God, as abovesaid, cannot will either an Evil, or Evilly, his Will being the Rule of Good; and to suppose God to will Evil, would be all one as to suppose him to will what he don't will: Nor [Page 67]is it for want of Power or Freedom that God can't will or do Evil; but it is rather a Note of Power that he cannot be deceived, but can know all things as they are, and cannot be suppos'd ignorant of any Truth, because he is the Exemplar and Cause of all Truths: He cannot be suppos'd to do amiss, because he is All-perfect: He cannot will one thing now, another anon, because he is unchangeable, always knowing what is best.

And as God, in whose Being is no now and then, cannot will contrary to his own Will; so he cannot be suppos'd (without the height of Contradiction) to will that the Creature should will contrary to his Maker's Will; this would be to suppose God to will contrary to his own Will, or will a thing, and yet not will it. Besides, if God please to make known his Will, which he must be suppos'd to do one way or other, or the Creature cannot well obey it, or be determined to its Duty, when the Creature knows it, or has reason to believe God wills so and so, he can have no reason to suppose God can have a Se­cret Will, or Determination, that the Creature should do the contrary: This would be to suppose God a Lyer, and to deceive his Creature, yea to de­ny God to be either true or good. I have the great­est reason to believe God would have me do what he commands me, that is any way causes me to take for his Will, and that he commands me what is best for me to do. I cannot err here, if I am sure he commands. If God could be suppos'd to will one thing, and command the contrary, he would contradict himself; for the Commands of God can be nothing but his Will made known to the Crea­ture, and he cannot be supposed to frustrate his own Will. Such an Absurdity foolish Man would hard­ly be capable of as to will his Child to do, what he commands him not to do; or to command him to [Page 68]do that which he wills he should not do: Yet I have known some so bold, or inconsiderate, or displeas'd with the good Will of God, as to affirm in plain words, so unreasonable a thing of God, as that he will'd Man should do what he commanded him not to do. But God has done very great things, both within us and without us (and will do) to vin­dicate his Wisdom, Truth and Goodness, against all those that are so hardy or foolish, as to deny them, either plainly, or in consequence.

26. And tho' God may oblige his Creature to a thing for a time, (especially in that which seems an Arbitrary Command) which he may not will him to do always, but afterwards something else, it is no Contradiction or Change in God's Will, (who wills that which is first, and last in respect to the Creature, altogether) but the Creature being changeable, what is best for him, or his Duty under one Circumstance, is not so under another: Which Will of God the Creature comes to know part now, part anon. As for instance; God wills me to do that when I am a Child, or a Servant, which is not my Duty when a Father, or a Master; and that when I am a Father, or Master, which is not, or ceaseth to be my Duty when I am in no such rela­tion.

An Arbitrary Command of God I call that which Man sees not, or not clearly the reason of to him­self; nor has any evident Argument to perswade the doing, or not doing of it, but because God com­mands.

That which is not evidently a Natural Duty, but some Express Command, God may please to give the Creature without giving him the reason of it. Such a thing also God may oblige his Creature to, if he please only for a time: But those Duties that result from the very notion of our being God's [Page 69]Creatures, as Love, Reverence, Trust, Depen­dance, &c. are unchangeable while God is God, and the Creatures are Creatures, whether God ex­presly command them or no. But if God shall ex­presly command his Creature a thing, and yet not give the Creature the Reason of it as good to the Creature, it must nevertheless necessarily be sup­pos'd to be good, and must so far at least appear to him as that he sees it is not evil, or contrary to a natural Duty, or former Command. And if we consider, we shall find it most reasonable and conve­nient for Man to obey the Will of God, not only in things that are apparently agreeable to Man's relation to his Maker, and for Man's Benefit; but in things he may not readily see the Agreeableness or Benefit of: if first he be sure God commands them, tho' therein God may seem for the present to limit, or abridge Man's Happiness; concluding God is wiser and better than the Creature. For the Crea­ture is beholden to God for all he has; and if God deny him something that he may now fancy a Good, he has no more reason to be displeased with God, (who arbitrarily gave him his Being) than because he made him a Man, and did not make him an An­gel. As a Man who should have the Gift of a good Estate from a Person who was no way obliged to him, would be thought most unreasonable to deny a small quit Rent as an Acknowledgment to his Be­nefactor, from whence he received the Estate.

Such a Reservation, of at least a Seeming Good from Man, was very suitable in his first Creation Make, and Excellency, as he was in the Likeness of God, Lord of all the Inferiour Creatures, that he might thereby acknowledge his Subjection and De­pendance on God, and God's Sovereignty and Do­minion over him. And yet it must also be affirm'd most for Man's Profit to part with this Acknowledg­ment, [Page 70]tho' the thing he fore-go should be suppos'd a Real, and not a Fancied Good for him; because he would have kept a vastly greater Good than can be suppos'd in any one particular Creature, that is the Satisfaction comes to a dependent Mind in obedi­ence to his beloved Maker and Sustainer, with the most pleasing sense of his Love, and Favour to him, the Sweet Familiarity, Presence, or Converse with his God, which was consequently interrupted, or destroyed by Disobedience. Yet it may be a questi­on whether what-ever God may be supposed to will Man to abstain from, is not in it self inconvenient for him, and whether it may not be thought a suffici­ent tryal of Man's Submission and Acknowledg­ment, when only the Reason of the Command is reserved from him. Whatever God has created is certainly Good, and for some wise End: Those things we call Poysons, or which eaten, or applied in a small quantity, will destroy the Frame of Man's Body, are good some way or other; but it is not always necessary Man should know the Uses of them.

If a loving and wise Father a Physician, should thus warn his beloved Son; Meddle not with that Drugg tho' it hath a pleasant Taste, if you eat it 'twill kill you; giving him no farther account of it, or for what use he keeps it: Yet this Son would not believe it, or be satisfied tell he had tryed the Expe­riment, would he not be highly to blame, as discre­diting his Father's Truth and Goodness, and disobey­ing his Will? How could he come without Shame to his Father for a Remedy? So much more is Man blame-worthy if he refuse the Direction of God in the use of the Creatures what way soever he gives it.

27. But the keeping all the Commands of God, or whatsoever he can be known to will, certainly [Page 71]tends to Man's Happiness; and tho' he be obliged to abstain from many things good in themselves, or rather from the use of them, according to his own hasty inconsiderate Fancy; yet a general Conformi­ty to the Will of God, is so far from being an un­pleasant Burthen or Yoak, that it is the only way of the greatest Happiness and Pleasure: The more o­bedient, the more easie, the more joyous a Man is, or will soon be. And that Man is not perpetually, and as much as may be so, is because in some thing or other he has disobeyed, or yet disobeys, or the Disobedience of some other Creature affects him: But to be fully obedient, is the height of the Crea­tures Felicity. The life of Obedience even at pre­sent is not a way of Unpleasantness, Sadness and Thraldom; but a Path of Pleasure, Joy and Liber­ty. There is nothing in doing the Will of God that in it self tends to make a Man uneasie, or that hinders his being pleas'd or happy as much as possi­ble; and whoever fancieth there is, it is from some Mistake; as either a Supposition of that to be the Will of God which really is not, or that the Actions of the Creature tend to one thing when indeed they tend to another. I cannot forbear not only to assert this as that of which I have a most clear Rational Conviction; but also to witness it, as having here had something of unquestionable Experience: And that short Pleasure which a Sinner may take in an unduly enjoy'd Sensual Good, in stealing or snatch­ing as it were from God what he would in better Time and Order have given him; I have found more than equall'd by the bare Satisfaction in the Thoughts of not having transgress'd, were the plea­sure of Innocency no longer than the pleasure in Transgressing. But in obeying are sometimes, even in this life, Joys unspeakable, as Fore tastes of Joys future, full and perpetual, accompanying a State of [Page 72]perfect and perpetual Obedience. Those that know nothing of these Felicities that are greater than can be in the disorderly Enjoyment, or abuse of God's Creatures; let them but try the Experiment (as I have done) of God's Goodness, of the pleasure of Divine Love, as they easily and freely may, and they will be for ever convinced. Neither let any think they loose any thing, even of the good of the Crea­tures themselves, by being restrain'd, or rather di­rected by whatever Rule God gives us how to use them; no, he envies us not the greatest Pleasure we are capable of taking in them. We cannot be sup­pos'd while Creatures, to be capable of all Pleasure, or of full Satisfaction in Creatures. God has indeed given Man a quick Sense of Good, or Delight even in the use of Bodily things; and that not that it should be unsatisfied, but the Creatures design'd for Man's use are so numerous, that they cannot all be used by any Man, no nor by all Men; nor can a Man enjoy what he is capable of enjoying altoge­ther, and at once. So that where ever God forbids what we could desire, it is but where a smaller En­joyment will hinder our having a greater; one fru­strate our having many; a small Present and short one, disappoint us of a future, great, and lasting one. And what Folly is it to be displeased, because God some way forbids a Bodily or Sensual Pleasure, that we may have a better, a Rational, or Mental one? or a Joy in a Creature, where it would hinder our Rejoycing in the Creator himself? I believe if we had time to trace in particular, the Disorders of Men, we should find that all and every of them (even their most beloved ones) do but abate their Felicity. Where is any that does not tend to destroy our Health, or Peace, or Wealth, or Ease, &c. and so bring upon us some Mischief or other, by which the little Pleasures in them are very much out-ballan­ced? [Page 73]Is it not highly reasonable, as well as for our In­terest, that God who is most wise and good, should be our Chooser, if he condescends to choose for us? Is it not the greatest Presumption, and Affront to our Maker, who is the Cause of all our Good, that we should act as if we knew better than he what is best for us? Is it not the greatest Injustice not to love him, and study his Will to obey it, who has no profit by us, but does all for our Benefit? If we may receive all the Profit, shall we deny to give him all the Ho­nour?

For God indeed cannot be profited by his Crea­tures; he sees his own Excellencies in them as Sha­dows, but in himself as in the Substance; but there can be no increase of his Perfections, who is Self-sufficient necessarily. Nor can Man's Disobedience take away any thing from his Happiness, or affect him with the least Infelicity. Sin does indeed ob­scure his Glory; but not from himself, but only from the Sinners, who thereby loose that most plea­sant and happy Vision. And a cause of that great dislike of Sin in God, which hath been sometimes express'd by the Symbols of Anger and Wrath, is that he loves his Creature so well, that he cannot approve any Action that in the least hides his Glo­ry and Goodness, from his beloved Works. And as God neither looses nor gets any thing by the Crea­tures Sin, or Obedience; so in particular his Justice or Righteousness, cannot be impaired. He is not unrighteous or unjust, tho' he suffers Man to be un­righteous and unjust: The Creature cannot possibly bring any change upon God, or lay him under any necessity or obligation; God alone can oblige him­self by his Promise, and that is not properly an O­bligation in God, for 'tis but the Declaration of his constant and free-will. To say God cannot in Ju­stice break his Promise, is no more than to say he [Page 74]will not. If he leave the Creature to reap the fruits of Sin, he does him no wrong; if he perswade the Creature to leave his Sin and be happy, he wrongs not himself: He can neither loose nor get any thing by the Creatures Sin and Unhappiness, or Repen­tance and Happiness. God is essentially righteous, or just, before Creatures had a Being; and his Es­sential Righteousness, or Justice (as I have else-where said) is to love, and approve himself, and to do his own Will. His Justice in relation to the Creatures, is his Approbation of them so far as they are his Work, and according to his Will; what he has made, he shews his Approbation of by upholding and continuing the Being of. He approves not the Creatures denial of him in disobeying his Will, but shews the greatest Testimonies of his Dislike of its Disobedience: So that if the Creature goes on in willing or acting contrary to God's Will, God will not; or which is all one, he cannot make it hap­py and joyous, in its continuing so to do, unless he could make it to be God, and cease to be God him­self. For the Creature cannot be satisfied with wil­ling Good, while it wills Evil; nor can it be plea­sed in having its Will, while it wills that which is impossible; and while it leaves God's Will, or wil­ling that which is good and possible, it must be mi­serable, more or less, according to the strength of its Evil Will; and if it for ever goes on seeking Plea­sure in vain, or to satisfie its Will so as it cannot be satisfied, it must for ever be unhappy, and reap the Natural Fruit, and Work of its own Doings; unless and until it acknowledge God's Will Sovereign, just and good, and its own Will as disagreeing with its Maker, unjust and evil, and that it ought to be sub­ject, and be perswaded to change its foolish Will, and desire to know and do the Will of God for the future; that is, unless or until the Sinner repent.

28. But the Creature having once chose its own Will against the Will of God, having committed one Act of Rebellion against its Maker is, or seems much more inclinable and propense to go on, and persist in its Sin, than to repent and will well again. For having once affected to be its own Lord and Ar­biter, or to be independant, which is the greatest Perfection, and best Manner of Being, (tho' impos­sible to a Creature) it goes on with a strong Desire; whose perpetual Acts, perfuing so great a Thing, hin­der its Understanding to judge, and reflect on the Impossibility, Absurdity, Injustice, and Consequents of such an Attempt. And every fresh act of Sin does but strengthen its Disobedience, in which perhaps it would go on for ever if God did not upon its mi­stake, give it abundant Arguments by one means or other, to bring it to a stand, cause it to consider, con­vict it of its Folly and Disorder, and so change its Will: Till which change is effectually begun, it is always, and only endeavouring the Impossibility of separating the unpleasant, or bitter effects it finds either in, or following, or fears may find the fruits of its disorderly Actions: So that it would not be saved from its evil Will, the Cause, but from the Displea­sure it finds attending it, the Effect.

29. But when it is once throughly convinced that its own Will disagreeing with the Will of God, is an impossible way, or means of Happiness, or lasting Pleasure; and sees the Unreasonableness and Bad­ness of such an Attempt, the Soul is very unapt to believe that God will forgive: And considering it Self and its Sin, more than God and his Goodness, the sight of its most irrational Acts which it hath committed, with the Tendency thereof, often makes such a horrid Impression on the Soul, and takes up its Thoughts so much, that tho' God has given Ar­guments enough to perswade that he wills all Men [Page 76]to repent, with various and clear Notices that he is ready to forgive, and yet make happy those that by persisting in Rebellion do not render themselves un­capable of Forgiveness and Happiness; yet it is com­monly blind to see God as he is, and is more apt to fly from him than come to him, measuring God by its own standard, it having been very apt to account it Justice to revenge the crossing its Will, on those it was able to affect, thinks God like it self; not con­sidering that the perfect Good-will of God cannot take Pleasure or Satisfaction in the Miseries of his Creatures, tho' they are Enemies, much less in their Sin, or continuing Enmity, the formal Cause of their Unhappiness.

But tho' Man is so apt to look upon God as an in­raged Enemy, hardly to be appeas'd, severe to rec­kon with the Sinner, resolved that the Sinner shall never be happy, unless something can be given him to purchase his favour, that he values more than the Sinner's Repentance, or new Obedience: Yet, I say, tho' Man is so apt to look upon God as such, like himself, we must affirm that God is not, nor can he properly be said to be, an Enemy to Man, or any of his Creatures, as they are to him, and to one another. He hates, or sets himself against nothing but their Sins, their Unhappiness; wills nothing but what is for their good, nor can he but love whatsoever is his own Work; as the Beings of all his Creatures are, and their Good Order, which is their Happiness; therefore he cannot but will their Reconcilement to him, or to their Duty.

30. Now all that God hath done, does, or will do in order to Man's Recovery from Sin and Mise­ry, tends unto this one thing; To bring Man again to will as God wills. Where ever this is done, it is done, and the End of God's Dealing with Sinners is accomplished, whatever the means were by which it [Page 77]was brought about; and so far as we are come to­wards this, so far we are in the way of Salvation, or saved. To will as God wills, or to love our God with all our Heart, Soul and Strength, and our Fel­low Creature as our self, is the whole Law, that God does so much to perswade Man to keep. To will, and n'ill the same, is perfect Love; and Love is ma­nifested by doing the Will of the Beloved. In doing the Will of God is Life, I mean Happiness not only in this Present State, but also in that which is to come.

31. And that there is a Life to come, and Immor­tality, discoverable clearly even by Reason, and di­vers Notices thereof implanted in Nature, we shall a little attempt to shew.

That Men are mortal, and live in this Life but a little while, is the experience of the whole World. That the Body is subject to decay, or the Order of its Motions wherein its Life consists, liable to be de­stroyed and cease; and by another as to Life, disor­derly Motion to be separated, and so its Organical Figure to be spoiled and changed, all Men perceive by the least Observation. But that Death is not a Termination or End of our Being, I think will ap­pear by these Considerations. First, We have no reason to conclude that the End or Design of our Be­ing, is fully accomplished in this Life. The Mani­festations of God's Perfections to Man, and Man's Pleasure or Happiness in beholding them, (the End of Man) by reason of Sin, are not so clear and so great in this Life as they may be, should be, and are to be desired. God is not seen and enjoy'd by any now, as he may be, by some but very little. The desires of some (I may say of all) that desire God, are not satisfied in this short and sinful State. None have unerringly and sufficiently beheld the Divine Excellencies, and acknowledged God as he ought to [Page 78]be acknowledged. Some have lived and died, and hardly ever truely confess'd and own'd their Maker; few or none have loved and obeyed him to their ca­pacity, and been as pleas'd or happy in him as they may be: Therefore it is reasonable to conclude (nay we cannot well think otherwise) that there is a Life to come wherein the Ends of the Creation shall be accomplished. God cannot be thought to let his Works perish without fulfilling his, or their true Ends in them. The Good, those that have been so far convicted of the Disorders of Sin, as to repent, and change their Minds from willing contrary to God's Will, in some measure to will as God wills, and to desire that they may do so more, yea per­fectly, and always: Those that have some-what be­held God lovely, have not yet, or in this Life, been brought up to so great a degree of Obedience, as they are convinced is their Duty, nor seen so much of God's Excellence as they desire to see, nor been sa­tisfied with the sense of his Love as they would. If these their Desires, Duties and Happiness, are good, convenient, suitable to the Natures of God, and his Creatures, as evidently they appear to be, certainly God wills them sometime or other to be, and that more than the Creature can will them, because God is the Supreme Good-will. So that it is altogether unlikely that the Good Man should perish, and not attain the Good that he is capable of; desires, is con­venient, and God wills more than he. Nor is it any more likely that the Bad Man, he that hath seen no greater Delight than in contradicting the Will and Order of God, by the disorderly Enjoyment of the Creatures should perish, or cease under so great a Mistake as never to see, and be convinced of the Absurdity and Evil of prosecuting his own proper Will as the chief Good; as never to find that the way of Happiness is not in acting contrary to the [Page 79]Will of God. That God should have an Intelligent Creature never to be made acknowledge his Maker, is a thing hard to be thought. It is more probable that even the Bad Man will remain one way or o­ther, to be convinced of his Disorders, of his Rebelli­on against God, Injustice, and want of Goodness to his Fellow Creatures. The Good Man in this Life seems often to be the Man of Sorrow, the Son of Adversity, that doth not gather the full-ripe Fruits of his Repentance and Obedience; being among a world of unhappy and injurious Impenitents. There­fore it is requisite there should be a Future State, wherein he may reap in Joy what he has sowed in Tears. The Evil Man seems often to be the Man of Joy and Pleasure in this Life; he rejoyceth, and even glorieth in his Disorders, yea in that very great one of afflicting the Man that is better than he: Now it is most equal and just that he should some time or other come to see the Good Man before-hand with him, rejoycing, and happy in God, when he is so­rowing to see he hath turn'd from the fountain of Joy and Blessedness. These things are not accom­plished in this Life, therefore we must necessarily suppose a Future.

Again; It is certain that no Creature can cause it self, or another to cease: Nothing but the withdraw­ing the Same Power that caused the Creature to be, and continueth its Being, can be suppos'd a reason of its Cessation. We can prove no such Death as an Adnihillation of any thing; nor does it appear to any that consider the matter, that even any Bodi­ly Creature ceaseth to be. But the contrary might be shewn by many Arguments, if it were doubted of: Even those things which seem to the ignorant and inconsiderate, to be most likely to be destroyed, such as things that are burnt; I can at any time de­monstrate, even to the eye, that none of their parts [Page 80]cease, but are only separated, or altered. The Death of the Body is but some kind of alteration, or change of its Modes or Circumstances; as a Separation of the parts of its Organical Structure, or an Alteration of such and such Motions, requisite to continue its Particular Mechanism, or Animal Oeconomy. The Body remains, I mean all the Matter of it, after the Division of its parts; and it cannot rationally be suppos'd that the Mind, the more Substantial, and (as all are ready to acknowledge) the more Noble Part of Man should suffer more alteration by the Dissolution of the Body, than the Body it self does. The Change the Body undergoes is apparent, but what Change you will say may the Mind be reason­nably suppos'd to suffer at its Separation from the Body, or whether not enough to be call'd Death? Many Treatises have been written, and Discourses made to prove the Immortality of the Soul, and some for its suppos'd Mortality; but the Authors have not been so happy as to agree in the Notion of Life and Death with one another, nor all so considerate as to fix any determinate Notion for themselves, or to tell their Readers what they mean by its Living or Dy­ing; so that it may be true or false for them. But I shall here state the question more plainly, and tell you first, that by the Life of the Soul, I mean a Con­tinuation of Thinking, or of Understanding and Willing. Where there are these Actions and Passi­ons, there is enough to be call'd Life; and that which better deserves to be named Living than any whatsoever, Organization, and Motion in Bodies. And the plain Question is this; Whether upon the Death, or Dissolution of the Body, Thinking whol­ly ceaseth? A Cessation of some of the Modes of Thinking, cannot be enough to be properly call'd the Death of the Soul; for so it would not only be always dying, but dead, as it alters so continually, [Page 81]at least every night and day. An Alteration of some of the Modes of Thinking may in a figurative and improper Sense be called Death; but the Question is not of any such Death. It is probable that many, if not all those Thoughts and Ideas we have by oc­casion, or on condition of our Body as so and so dis­posed, may cease; tho' it cannot easily be thought absolutely necessary: for we cannot conceive the Body to be a natural Occasion of any Thoughts, but so by the Will of God; who if he please, we may well think, can cause the same Ideas and Thoughts with­out it, tho' it seems not to any purpose, or probable that he will. For on the other hand, it is more like­ly that God permitted Death for the Cessation of those Thoughts (or at least many of them) the Bo­dy is the occasion of, since Man's fall into Sin, in Good and Bad: For as much as we are tempted to most of our Disorders by occasion of the Body, and to gratifie some Sense or other disorderly, or besides the Direction and Will of God, seems to be the first and most constant Temptation every Man is drawn aside with. Now the Good Man, or Repenting Sinner, through the Goodness of God, (on this Sup­position of such Thoughts ceasing) gets this by Death, tho' in it self an Evil, that he is freed from all the Allurements of this Life occasioned by his use of this Body. The undue Gratifications of Sense can now no more perswade him, the unprofitable care of avoiding little Bodily Displeasures, now takes not up his Thoughts, the Difficulties from the Injustice and Cruelty of Sinners press him now no more to act against his Maker's Will; but he seems perfectly freed from Temptation, having perhaps now no Object of desire present but God, and nothing to interpose for his Love, as a Rival with his Maker. Nothing now seems necessary for him to know but God, and himself: Nor needs he, or values he, could [Page 80] [...] [Page 81] [...] [Page 82]he have them, any little pleasures in Creatures when he is at God, the Fountain and Cause of all. On the other side, the Evil Man also looses all those Gratifications of Sense he so much affected, and err­ingly counted his chiefest Good; and must needs find that he foolishly set his Heart on that which would not make him happy, but so soon left him. And as his Will is not reconcil'd, and subjected to God's; but he desires still that which cannot be, God cannot so communicate himself to him to make him joyous, but he must be subject to all that Anguish that the Reflection on the loss of the Creatures he so much delighted in, and that he hath miss'd the Foun­tain of all Good can cause in him; with all the Vexation and Trouble that all the disorderly Thoughts of such a Soul can raise to it self. But to come to the point in hand again; It cannot well be thought that the Soul or Mind of either Good or Bad should die, or Thinking wholly and for ever cease; or yet for a time, upon the Body's Death; because the Continuation of Thinking, or Life of the Soul can't rationally be suppos'd to depend on the Body, (a thing more ignoble than it self, being very unlikely to be its cause) but upon the Will of God its Author. And God cannot well be sup­pos'd thus to let any of his Creatures cease, or dis­own his Works that are good, as the Beings of all things are; much less can Minds, the Intelligent and Active Beings, be thought to be adnihilated, or cease Thinking so soon, and to no purpose. Change they may, and do, as all Creatures are mutable; but what of God would be seen in the Cessation of any, especially of Minds, who are the only kind of Beings capable of beholding God? If the Soul ceaseth to think, and so dies more than a figurative Death, it ceaseth to be; for Thinking and Mind are the same Being: which if you will not be perswaded to be­lieve, [Page 83]you must at least acknowledge them insepa­rable. For a Mind that does not think, or a Think­er that cannot think, is a Contradiction; and to call that a Power or Agent, that can do nothing, is absurd; for that which can do nothing, is no Power or Agent; and a Power or Agent that will do nothing, is as great a Contradiction; for Willing is Doing, even Thinking.

Again; Nothing is more strongly implanted, I may say concreated in the Mind of Man, than a desire to continue; and if Being is good, the Conti­nuation of Being is good; if the Desire to continue be good, God is the Cause and Implanter of such a Desire, and consequently wills we should have such a Desire. I think none can but desire to continue, if it were the Will of God we should cease to be, the desire to continue would be a Sin; but God can't be suppos'd to will we should desire that which he don't will should be; that would be to will us to will con­trary to his Will. Now whatever God wills to con­tinue, cannot be supposed to cease. If God wills to manifest himself in, and to his Creatures, to be loved and feared by them, he must continue them; for by their Cessation, all these things will cease and be im­possible. Every Good Man that loves God, would continue to love him; it's God's Will he should love him: Can God be suppos'd to make him cease to love his Maker? To what purpose? Let it but be granted, that it is not God's Will I should cease to love him, and the Immortality of my Soul is secu­red; for while I love I live, viz. mentally. Nor can the Evil Man, that don't love God, nor fear to act contrary to his Will, be suppos'd to be for ever, or for a long time exempted from the Evils of his Rebellion against his Maker, or rendered by God himself uncapable of all Conviction: Or can it be thought probable, that God should make Creatures [Page 84]to deny him a little while, and then cease under so great a Mistake as never to believe and confess God to be their Sovereign Lord, and Sufficient Benefactor. But if God approve himself, and his own Works, he will rather continue them, and suffer them to make themselves miserable, and find they are not God's, than not assert himself God, one way or other, to all his Intelligent Creatures. Besides, the Soul either of Good or Bad cannot with any reason be suppos'd to cease for a time, and then be again; for if it cease to be it is not, and nothing can be properly affirm'd or deny'd, but of that which is. Where there is no Being, neither Life nor Death can be as­serted. So that if a Soul cease to be, and a Soul be afterwards, it cannot be the same, but a new one, to whom can be charged no account of the ceased Souls past Actions. There must be a Continuation of Being, or there can be no Identity or Sameness; and the Essentials of the thing must remain, or there is not the thing, but another. If there be not a Continuation of Thinking and Conscience of former Thoughts, it cannot be conceived how the Sameness of a Mind can be ascertained; and if a Soul in this present State be wicked, and cease at the Dissolution of the Body, it can neither be just nor good, that a new one should be miserable, because the ceased Soul was unrighteous, nor be determined what new one should be so: Nor that a Soul, penitent in this World, should not it self be happy hereafter, but have its hopes of future Happiness utterly frustrated, and be put off with the Mock-happiness of being happy in another Soul. What Encouragement can I have to my Duty, if I suppose I must not continue to the Perfection and Happiness of my Obedience; but must perish, and only now be contented to think that God will create a Soul hereafter, and perhaps give it my Dust, to be happy, because I only began [Page 85]to be holy? Or how shall I be deterr'd from Sin, if I am perswaded I my self must be discontinued, and that it is not I but another Mind that is in danger of everlasting Vexation; (it may be with my old Body) if I now die impenitent? When we say a Man is dead, (if we talk like Rational Creatures) we must have some determinate Sense of those words; He is dead: Who is dead? He. The He or Person must remain. What is dead? Such a thing. A Man. The thing or Man is, tho'dead. A Man is a Compound of Soul and Body: Or a Mind doing and suffering, with, or by occasion of an Organical Body. A Man's be­ing dead is the Cessation of this manner of Life, not of either of the Components, Beings, or Essential Properties. The Body unacted by the Mind, is use­less among Men, and tends to Corruption, or Disso­lution of parts; so the Living, put it out of their sight: the Soul or Mind is invisible of its self, and can neither converse with Men, nor Men with it, with­out the use of Body; so when separate, it is not to Men; yet it no way follows but that it may well be to God, and to it self, which is Being enough. But the Soul consider'd apart, can have no Dissolu­tion of parts, having none to be separated, nor can it die otherwise than in a figurative, or Metaphorical Sense. As it may be said to be morally dead, or dead in Sin, when it is impenitent, and not con­formable to its Duty. To be Spiritually dead, when it thinks not of, or is not busied about Spiritual things: To be dead to Sin, or dead to this World, when its disorderly Thoughts, or undue Manners of Thinking on earthly, vile, sordid things cease: It may be said to be dead to Joy or Comfort, when it has lost all pleasant Thoughts, and has only grievous, horrid, anxious ones, without all hope, or rest con­tinually; and if such a State always continue, whe­ther the Soul be separate from, or joyned to a Body, [Page 86]it is that which is properly call'd everlasting Death. Thus, I think, it is apparent that the Soul is immor­tal, and that which is its proper or natural Life, viz. Thinking, does not cease.

Tho' to suppose the Soul immortal of its own Na­ture, or that it is, or has any thing in it self, which necessarily infers its Continuance, would be as great or a greater Error than to fancy it mortal; for that would be to suppose it immortal, as its Author is. But it cannot be suppos'd thus to be immortal; for whatsoever had a Beginning, or had not Being al­ways, may be supposed to have an End, and cease to be. Such are all Creatures, who would fall into nothing, if God should not will their Continuance. But that he does will them to continue, I think we may be perswaded by the foregoing Considera­tions.

32. Moreover, we have not only reason to be­lieve that Souls do continue tho' separate from, that is disusing their Bodies, and such a Life they lived with them; but that they shall have their Bodies again after some time; because the end of the Souls having a Body, cannot easily be thought to be fully attained in this Life. This material World seems to be made chiefly for Man to be concern'd with, and the things therein to be Objects of his Knowledge, and Subjects of his Actions. It is by means of his Body that he is now capable of knowing and acting in Bodily Nature; but what he knows and does therein, is so imperfect, notwithstanding all the Wonders that have come within the reach of his Understanding, and great things have been effected by his hand, that we believe God will not let him loose his Body, or cut the bond of Corporal and Spiritual Nature for ever; but rather give it him a­gain, and that so alter'd as where-with he may be more capable of all those things he ought to do, [Page 87]and be in Bodily Nature. The Creatures, inferiour to Man, and subject to his Knowledge and use, are but very little known, or duly used in this Life; therefore it is probable they will in another: and without a Body we cannot see that the material World can signifie any thing to the Mind of Man. Man at his [...], or Dissolution, probably cea­ses to be to the BodilyWorld, and the Bodily World to him; but in his [...], Resurrection, standing up, or using a Body again, he is again uni­ted to Bodily Nature, to do, and be something again therein. And that he may be more capable of what he should be and do, than he was in his first State, or of finding the great Unreasonableness and Unhap­piness of persisting in the contrary to his Duty, it is requisite that the Body he receives should be alte­red, or not exactly the same, but otherwise modi­fied; so as to be capable of the state the Soul is then determined to. And if we have reason to believe the Body shall be changed, we cannot well think it shall be exactly the same numerical and like figured Parts of Matter it had before; such a Supposition is needless as well as groundless, if not contradictory. The Body a Man of Forty or Fifty has, is not the same numerical Matter he had at his Birth, but has received the greatest part of its bulk from the vari­ous matters of his Food; so that he was truly eating from his Trencher, what is his Body. But every Soul hath its own Body, tho' the Body now be in conti­nual change. The Matter of the Bodies of Men and Brutes, in the long tract of the Ages of this World, hath been confounded; and the same Mat­ter, or part of it, that was the Body of one at one time, has become the Body, or part of the Body of another, at another time; but that needs not trouble us, when the Sameness of a Person does not consist in the Sameness of the Matter of his Body, but in [Page 88]the Continuation of his Thinking, and Conscience of his Thoughts. Nor perhaps have we any ground to suppose the raised Body will be altogether un­changeable; it will be enough if to the happy, it be such as will never any way hinder their Happiness; to the wicked such as will continue, tho' in the want of all the disorderly beloved Gratifications of Sense. To believe the Possibility of a Soul's having a Rai­sed or Refitted Body, either from the common Mat­ter of the Earth, or partly from those very Parti­cles it formerly had, is no difficulty, when the Will of God is supposed the Cause: Nor need we per­swade the Possibility of a Recollection of dispersed Matter, or tell you that even the Art of Man can gather together that which seems to be separated as much as a rotten Corps. There is no manner of Difficulty or Contradiction in believing the Resur­rection to those that believe a God. The Difficulties that some have pretended in the notion of the Nume­rical Sameness of every Particle of Matter, are no­thing, when we are no way obliged to believe it such a Resurrection.

33. Moreover, as all things in this sinful Life are very much out of order, and Men do not sufficient­ly see their Disorders, but think well of that which is ill, and ill of that which is well: It is very requi­site, and becoming the Perfections of God, beseem­ing his Justice and Truth, or his Approbation of his Will to Man, and of his Constancy, with the Mani­festation of the true Causes of all Good and Evil; that there should be some time or other after this Life, for a time of Discovering, Determination, Judgment, or Declaration of the Truth of things. That the Work of Repentance and Obedience may be approved, and appear to be good, and most pro­fitable for the Creature; and Disobedience and Im­penitence may be no more mistaken by Sinners for [Page 89]the way of Goodness and Happiness: That Justice and Injustice may no more be taken one for the o­ther; that the Good may appear to be delivered from the power of the Wicked, and the Wicked ap­pear to be the Fools that were deceived: And that the Truth of things may be most manifest, and the Determination of them clear even to wicked Men, it is not only highly probable, but necessary that Men shall appear again in such Bodies, as whereby they may be known to one another; and these things be effected by such a means, and in such a manner, as may most aptly tend to the undoubted Determination of all things to their due, and lasting Condition.

34. Now as it is evident that Man's Business is to be conformable to the Will of his Maker, according to that order the Most Wise thinks fit, wherein his Perfections may be most seen, and whereby the Creature may be most happy or pleas'd; and since it is as evident that Man has failed, and gone out of this order, and vainly sought out himself an impos­sible way of Happiness, wherein his Maker cannot be duly seen: It follows that Man ought to repent, and change his Mind. To the doing of which, it is necessary that Man should be capable of so doing. It cannot be an immediate Obligation on a Crea­ture to do what he cannot do. Tho' the Creature has disobey'd, yet the Obligation to future Obedi­ence still remains, so consequently a Capacity of o­beying. It would be very hard to be required to give what one has not, and cannot have. The Dif­ficulty that may seem in several Instances wherein a Man may in some sort render himself uncapable of what he ought to do, may be solved by this Con­sideration: That Man cannot be thought to be dis­abled of a Will, or Faculty of Desire: While he has a Being he always wills, or desires something, and [Page 90]his Will is changeable by the strength of Argument, or new appearance of Good from one thing to ano­ther. There are the greatest Arguments on the side of Duty, which may possibly appear to the Man, whereby his Will may be changed; and the willing according to God's Will, is the act of Obedience, which God accepts where the Soul cannot effect the outward things, which are to Men the Testimonies, Signs, and Effects of it: And such hearty Desires continued, God often assists to be shewn forth, and have their Effects to others; or by his Providence some way or other rectifies the matter.

As for instance; If a Man borrows Money, spends it, and then can't pay it, he repents that he has done amiss, desires and endeavours to get Money to pay, but can't; God forgives his Sin wherein he willed a­miss, accepts of his Will to pay, for the deed, sup­plies his Creditor another way, or incites him to for­give him: If he forgives him, the Debter is no lon­ger obliged to pay the Debt, or a Debter in that matter; if the Creditor will not forgive the poor Man that would, and cannot pay, he looseth the Condition of Forgiveness with God, who will not re­quire what the Creature cannot do. God has not been wanting to the Creature; he first made him innocent, and capable of continuing so, as well as of sinning; and he has made him capable of repenting, and becoming obedient and happy, tho' he has sinn'd: He has given him a Faculty of considering, and reasoning with himself, whereby, as aforesaid, he may be, and is, whenever he is convinced. Now if Man notwithstanding he hath sinn'd, shall repent, and become (as he should be) obedient, he will also become happy, and the end of his Being will be at­tain'd what-ever means God may please to make ef­fectual to this end.

35. And that God has given divers means tend­ing to this end ever since Man hath sinned, is plain­ly seen. Every Man hath a Conscience, a kind of Court of Judgment in himself, accusing more or less, as he hath seen his Actions to have been more or less disorderly, and telling him he ought to do other­wise. Besides, the experience of the Disquiet, or Unhappiness every Man has as the fruits of his own, and other Mens Sins, a little consideration will make an Argument to perswade him to repent, or do no more such things as make him so uneasie. The due Consideration of God and himself will certainly give every Man an Argument enough to perswade him to behave himself according to God's Will, even for his own profit. But besides this Natural Light of Con­viction, and these Motives in self to Repentance, which are or may be always present with a Man, it cannot be thought unbecoming the Goodness and Power of God sometimes himself to make more strong Impressions on the Mind of Man, or imme­diately to cause him to have such or such more seri­ous, and right Thoughts. He that made us Thinkers, may if he please inject particular Thoughts into our Minds without any Medium; yet it is not unreason­able to suppose that he may, and does often employ the Good Spirits in such Errants, to instigate Men to Good, as he suffers the Evil ones to tempt to Wickedness. The Existence of both which sort of Spirits any one may easily be perswaded to believe from the consideration of his own Mind, as a Spirit capable of subsisting without a Body, either obedient or disobedient. But to distinguish these Thoughts which come into our Minds by the silent Language of Spirits, (if I may use such an Expression) may not be so easie: The Good Thoughts are easily known from the Bad; the bad must be our own, or from Evil Spirits; but commonly those that come thus by [Page 92]way of Injection, are strong and suddain. But to distinguish the Injections from Good Spirits, and those from God himself, seems more difficult. Some will not be pleas'd with these Considerations; but those that attend seriously and judiciously to what passes in their own Minds, may easily find something of these things. But to leave this Digression: God has made Man capable of, and given him yet more External Motives to Repentance, for the rectifying his Disorders; as the beholding the Actions of o­thers, in whom the Disorders are more easily seen. The fond Love of Self may sometime make my own Action seem well to me, but an Action in another is judged more impartially; but then from the Judg­ment I make of another I may reflect back again to my self, and say: If a thing seem uncomely, and ill in another, I may easily conclude the Action is a­like ill in me. For instance; I presently see the In­justice of another, doing any thing that abates my Happiness, or takes away any Good from me, or confers to my Misery; thence I cannot but con­clude there is the same Unreasonableness in my hurting him or another. But there is yet a more extrinsick way of Conviction, and leading to Re­pentance; and that is the express Admonitions, and Perswasions of those who have repented, and do re­pent. If I have seen the Evil of disagreeing with my Maker, the Unhappiness and farther Tendency to Misery of Sin, and have left it; if I have seen the Reasonableness of loving and obeying God, and con­sequently do it; I shall also be desirous that my Fellow Sinner should come to his right Mind. What measure of Love to God I have, or see I ought to have, I shall desire in another. The Love of God infallibly influences me not only for God's sake, but even for the Creatures sake, to love my Fellow Creature, and endeavour to perswade him to Re­pentance, [Page 93]Obedience, and Happiness. Such repent­ing Sinners have there been in all ages, (tho' some­times but a few) perswading others, and one ano­ther to Repentance; and such repenting Sinners God may expresly command to preach Repentance and Obedience to others. But yet in all these (tho' by them many have been perswaded) there is still wanting something of the height of external Argu­ment. These repenting Sinners have been Sinners sometime, and in some measure Sinners still, and may possibly err, as well as my self, and be partial in their Admonitions and Councels, and speak more or less than God's Will; and above all may some­times give Examples not agreeing with their Pre­cepts, or may change, and say, and be one thing now another thing anon, as the ballance of Good and Evil goes up and down with them. Therefore if God will give the greatest, and most suitable means to perswade Sinners, as it is agreeable to his Wisdom and Goodness to do, there ought to be some Infallible Instructer in the Will of God, confirm'd to be such beyond all exception, giving an Example (with his Instructions) of perfect Obedience to his Maker; a Creature perswading both by Perfection of Precepts, and Exactness of Example, to the per­fect way of Obedience: One that hath no false by as for which he may be question'd to be defective of being a perfect Rule to the rest of the Creatures, but is capable and sufficient to give the most convincing Arguments to enforce Repentance and Obedience. That God has given such a means to reduce Man's disorderly Will, we shall consider by and by, when the thread of our Discourse brings us to speak of Revelation, and the Perfection and Substance of all Revelation.

Divers repenting Sinners God has expresly com­manded, and sent to the rest of Mankind to mani­fest his Will and Pleasure by them, and to assure them that they will therein find their own Interest and Ad­vantage.

36. And this Consideration brings me at length to the business of Express Revelation, which when con­sidered in the Sum and Substance, Design and End of it, will be found to dictate, and enforce no other thing to Men than what we call Natural Religion, of which we have been somewhat discoursing. It is but as it were a more fair Edition of the same Law, a more particular and express, more clear and convincing Manifestation of God's Will, a second Witness of the same Truths, confirming what is testi­fied by the natural Light of Reason: which alone were enough to leave all without excuse who do not hearken to its Dictates, and sufficient to lead all to the way of Obedience were it hearkened unto. But Revelation being added, dictating and enforcing in a manner plain, and clear enough for any Capacity, whatever is absolutely necessary for Man to believe, and do in order to Happiness; is enough to inform, and convince any of their Duty that do not strongly resist. For the clearing of which matter, let us take these Considerations.

As God is the Fountain and Cause of all Truths, so he is the Giver or Discoverer of all Truths that come within the reach of Created Understandings. But he doth not make known things to his Creatures always the same way. He hath given us Sense and Reason; by which, with his general and common Assistance, we most commonly come to know things for some time unknown to us. But whenso­ever it pleaseth God to discover some Truth in an express, particular, or extraordinary manner, then there is that which we call Divine Revelation, Now [Page 95]this Revelation may be considered two ways: In re­lation to the thing made known: And in relation to the Manner, or Measure of the Manifestation. But before we come to consider it these ways, let it be noted, that as we have said Revelation is some Truth discover'd, or made known to the Creatures; so we at the same must necessarily suppose it a Truth knowable to the created Understanding. For to suppose a thing that is above our Understanding to be revealed to us, is to suppose a Revelation, and yet no Revelation; whatever is made known to us we know, and what we know is not above our Knowledge. The Capacity of Man's Understand­ing we readily believe may be enlarged; so that he may hereafter know what at present he is not ca­pable of; but till he is capable of knowing such or such a Truth, or at least seeing it knowable, it can be no Revelation to him. As for instance; None can pretend that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is revealed, while it is that which is inconceivable. That all the Properties wherein the Nature and Es­sence of Bread consists should remain, and yet the Bread be changed into Flesh, is that which is unintel­ligible, and not a Revelation. Nor can they well say that tho' the manner how this unseen Change can be, is not revealed; yet that it is indeed changed into Flesh, (and yet more strange! the Flesh of Christ) is revealed: For how this Change can be conceived to be made, and that it can be conceived to be made, is the very same thing, or at least as un­intelligible: Nay such a supposed Change is a Con­tradiction, and a Contradiction can with the least reason of all be suppos'd a Revelation. For Man is not only unable to know how it can be, but is able to know, yea clearly sees it is impossible to be. With as good a pretence might a Man say, that tho' to any Man's Understanding, two and one make three, [Page 96]yet God has revealed to him that in God's Under­standing, two and one is but one, or is nine, or what you please.

But as to Divine Revelation, it may be (as I said) considered either as to the Thing revealed, or the Manner of the Revelation. As to the Thing revea­led, it may be either that which is, or can be known no other way, viz. a Truth God has reserved to such his Peculiar Teaching, or that which might be known without Revelation; but not so clearly, easily, or soon, and in both it may be of a Truth past, present, or to come. As to the Manner of Revelation, a Truth may be communicated either immediately to the Understanding, supposing only that it is God's special Will that I, or he thus immediately know such or such a Truth we knew not before; or yet to the Understanding mediately by the Ministry of some superiour Intelligent Creature that God first made know the thing; or yet still more mediately a Truth may be made known in way of Revelation, even by our very Senses; by means of some Bodily Object, as a Voice, Vision, or the like. Again, as to the Manner of Revelation, it may be more gene­ral or particular, more partial or full; or in other words, fewer or more Truths may be thus made known at the same time. Now that God can, and may in a particular and express manner make a Truth known to his Creature, or to one and ano­ther, and yet not to the third, or to every one; that he may give a Revelation to some immediate­ly, and command them to tell it others; none but those that disbelieve the Power Goodness, and So­vereignty of God, can deny. It cannot rationally be suppos'd but that the Author of Truths, can make a Truth known. He who has made Creatures sensi­ble, and capable of Reasoning, and finding out Truths by way of Induction and Argument, may if [Page 97]he please sometimes give Men the Knowledge of some Truths, a nearer and easier way, or cause them to understand Truths not knowable by Sense and Reason alone; and this immediately to whom he pleaseth, and to others by them. Creatures that can come to the Knowledge of many things by their own Industry, or Application of Thought, may ei­ther know the same things, or things they would never have found out so, by a special Instruction. As a Man unassisted by a Master may find out many things in Arts, but by the Instruction of a skilful Ar­tist he may come to know the same and more, and in far less time than he could have known without such a Teacher. Now it cannot be thought unbe­coming the Wisdom and Goodness of God, or un­suitable, or unnecessary for the present Condition of Mankind, if we consider it, that God should have had some special Scholars of his own particular in­structing, and have commanded them to teach other Men in things most profitable and necessary to them; or that he should have sent some particular Messengers to the rest of Mankind to teach his Will to those that through their own Negligence, or others Hinderance knew it not, or to teach it more clearly and fully to those that knew it but in part, and to urge it upon all that were negligent to do it. That God may do thus, I think is now undoubted: That he has done so, seems to me the only thing needs farther to be proved to any rational Man. And that we may rationally be perswaded that God has thus instructed, or sent some particular Men, ei­ther to teach others, or urge them to do their known Duty, let us take these Considerations.

It is most evident to all those who have took no­tice of the Actions of Mankind, conveighed by the most unquestionable Tradition from Generation to Generation, that now and then in the Ages of this [Page 98]World there have been some Men teaching and per­swading others things, which when duly considered will be found Truths tending to their Good; and some of these have declar'd themselves sent of God, and commanded to teach, and perswade the things they have taught and perswaded. Now suppose some of them have not had the things they taught in this Special Manner immediately from God, yet they are Revelations to those to whom they were before un­known, tho' not properly Divine Ones, as to the manner of their Discovery. But yet if the Persons were really sent by God's express and special Com­mand, to teach Men even what they might have found out themselves, nevertheless that such a Per­son was thus sent of God, is a Divine Revelation, and a high Argument to perswade Compliance with the things taught. But if they have received the Truths from God in this extraordinary, special, and particu­lar Manner; and been expresly sent, and command­ed to teach, and enforce them, there is all that can be desired to a Divine Revelation. We have two things here principally to be satisfied in.

First, Whether the Person teaching Men, was thus particularly taught of God?

Secondly, Whether he was expresly commanded of God to teach, either this his expresly received Di­vine Doctrine, or what he otherwise knew?

That the things are of God, we cannot doubt if they appear when declar'd, with Evidence and De­monstration, God being the Author and Fountain of all Truths. That the things are Revelations, we cannot doubt if they are such as were not knowable, or could not then be known any other way. As for instance; If the Person tells us, or brings to re­membrance, some things past and forgotten, that were never committed either to written or unwritten Tradition; or if he gives us the Knowledge of [Page 99]things present, done at a distance, which he could not know any ordinary way, or such things to come which can be fore-known to none but God, (who is incomprehensible in Knowledge) and to whom he is pleas'd to reveal them.

That the Person was sent of God, we may be per­swaded, partly by the things he declares appearing thus to be Revelations, partly by their being such as were good, very necessary, and beneficial to be known, or done by the Persons to whom he declares himself sent: But fully and sufficiently, if some ex­traordinary Effect is also produced by means of the Person, such as never is done, or at least could be done by him without the special and uncommon Operation of the Divine Power, or the Finger of God; such as we call a Miracle. When such Effects accompany Persons asserting themselves sent of God to teach and exhort Men things in themselves, shew­ing no Repugnancy to Truth, there can be no more rational Doubt of them, or of the Authority, and Divine Mission of the Persons. God cannot be sup­pos'd to alter the common order of things in his Creatures, in Concurrence to perswade a Lye, or to give his Special Testimony to any Deceiver. But yet here we had need use our Reason, and have some skill to judge of, and distinguish a True Miracle from a False one, that we may be certain of the Matter of Fact: For there have perhaps been more Pretences to Miracles, or False and Lying Wonders, than True ones. Now that I may a little help those who have not so well consider'd this Matter, I shall lay down a few more Considerations of the nature of a Miracle, before I come to consider how these things may be apply'd particularly to the Book com­monly call'd the Holy Scripture. A Miracle, ne­gatively, is not a Contradiction in nature, or any thing that implyeth a Contradiction, Absurdity, or [Page 100]absolute Impossibility; as that a thing should be made to be and not to be, so and so, and not so and so at the same time: That which the Understand­ing of Man can no ways apprehend, but as absurd or impossible, can neither be pretended as a Miracle, nor could it so be, would it ever have the end of a Miracle. As for instance; That a certain Saint be­headed, should afterwards carry his Head in his Mouth for some miles; or that the Body of Christ should be in divers places at the same time: Nor can the Almighty Power of God be any pretence for the Belief of such Absurdies; for Things or Truths are the Products and Subjects of Divine Power, and not Contradictions. Again; A Mira­cle is not a Fallacy or Deception of Mens Senses, or Understanding; for a Deceit hath the nature of a Lye, and is not likely to come from the God of Truth. Nor is a Miracle a thing done by the Power or Art of the Man, howsoever great or strange, any Man's Power or Art may be to others that are weak or ignorant. Nor is a Miracle any more in the Will of Man, than in his Power or Skill; the Time or Subject for a Miracle is not determin'd by Man's vain Will to satisfie Curiosity, or unnecessary Desires, but is generally wrought upon serious and weighty Occasions; nor is God's Will so properly said to concur with Man's Will, when Man would work a Miracle, as Man's Will to concur with God's Will when God pleases, and sees fit to work one. But a Miracle is an extraordinary Effect, or Altera­tion in Nature, wrought by the Will of God, above the Power and Art of Man, at least of him who is the Instrument of effecting it, in the way it was ef­fected: A thing done by the Special and Uncom­mon Operation of the Divine Power. The end of a Miracle is the Confirmation of some Revelation or Truth as from God, to promote some considera­ble [Page 101]Good; no less than to perswade Sinners to re­pent, or will as God wills, or to confirm them that so do, in their well-willing. And where-ever there is said to be a Miracle that tends not to this end, it ought to be suspected, and will be found upon seri­ous Examination to be but a Pretence, and no real Miracle. But now to come a little nearer to Mat­ters of Fact, that we may be perswaded that there have indeed been Divine Revelations, and some Per­sons sent to declare the Will of God to others, and the Truth of their Mission, and of the things decla­red, confirm'd by Miracles, we need no more but seriously read and consider the Books of Moses and the Prophets, and especially the Writings of the A­postles and Disciples of Jesus Christ. In the Reading and Consideration of which Books, if these two things appear, I think there is enough to satisfie any rational Man in this matter.

First, That the things related, as taught, per­swaded and done, agree with the most rational and crittical Account of Divine Revelations and Mira­cles.

Secondly, That the History it self be undoubted­ly true.

Let us consider both these as briefly as we can. In the first place there is to be considered in the Scrip­ture, the Doctrinal or Instructive Part, which teach­eth for a foundation: That there is one Most high Sufficient Being, or God: And that he is the Au­thor and Continuer, and consequently Sovereign Lord of all other Beings: That at his Word the Heavens, and the Earth, and all things in them, were made, and are upheld. That he is Good, Wise, Just, True, Benign, or Merciful, &c. Be­sides this Instruction what God is, it teacheth us what we are, viz. Sinful wretched Fallen Crea­tures, that can have no Good or Happiness in our [Page 102]selves: It informs us how we should behave our selves towards God, viz. as Dependent things, and that we should love him, obey him, fear to do any thing contrary to his Will, trust him, or believe him, &c. and how we should carry it to one ano­ther, viz. to do as we would be done by; that is, every one to confer as he is capable towards ano­ther's Happiness. Having propos'd things to the Understanding. Secondly, It addeth the Perswasive Part to the Will, moving us to behave our selves suitably in the Actings of our Wills to such Truths known, by setting before us Good or Evil, Profit or Disprofit, Pleasure or Displeasure, Seemliness or Un­seemliness; accompanying, or consequent on our orderly, or disorderly Behaviour. Now these things propos'd and urged in these Books, as the main Scope and Design of them, appear to be of God, as they come with evidence of Truth and Goodness; such as are agreeable to the Reason of a considerate Man, and are seen proper and convenient for the Creatures Will to comply with, things beseeming the all-perfect Being to teach and command; con­venient and profitable for the Creature to learn and obey. Which if we consider with our selves, and compare with what has been said in the former part of this Book, will appear to be the very same Prin­ciples and Practice of that we call Natural or Ratio­nal Religion, which is knowable by the Light of Nature to all Mankind. But that these same things may, and how far they may, be call'd Revelations, will appear by considering the Times and Circum­stances, and Manners of their Delivery. Thus if when Men had given up themselves chiefly to the Consideration of sensual Objects, and bent their Wills to the disorderly Satisfaction of their Bodily Appetites; neglected the due Consideration of their Author, and the End of their Being: Began to fan­cy [Page 103]God too much like themselves: Had low, mean, gross Conceptions of him, and too high Conceits of Creatures: Confounded the Properties of God with those of his Works: Gave Divine Honour to Men, or any thing they fancied excellent or useful: Made Bodily Representations of God; and as some repre­sented him by one thing, some by another, their various and disagreeing Images could not be recon­ciled, so as to be taken all so different, for Images of one and the same Being; but they began to fancy as many Gods as their differing Conceits had made Images: So that Divine Nature was mistaken even as to number, uncertain without end: And even those who by long Instructions had been brought again to the Belief and Worship of but One God, had so far mistaken his Will as to fancy their good Behaviour to him consisted in external Ceremonies; supposing that he would be affected with the Slay­ing of Beasts, and pleas'd with a Custom of little Observances; as wearing of odd fashion'd Gar­ments, keeping of certain Days, using divers Ge­stures, &c. when at the same time they neglected Justice, Judgment, Mercy, Truth, Goodness, &c. grew corrupt and unreasonable in their Actions, even to one another, had brought themselves into divers present Miseries, and laid a foundation for future Unhappiness to themselves after this Life, and to their Posterity; yea lived as if they believed there was no future Life. If then in such times of Ignorance and Corruption God sent, or particularly instructed, and sent some one or more to the rest, expresly to teach the Truth, and command his Will; here was a Revelation, and a time for the Goodness of God to shew it self in supplying the necessity of blind miserable Sinners; when nothing could be more profitable for Man, or becoming God, than such gracious Discoveries. But if these Men also [Page 104]declar'd some things that could not be otherwise known to them than by Divine Inspiration, as cer­tain future Events: If there accompanied them a Supernatural Power, effecting things could no other­wise (at least by them) be effected, here is enough to be call'd Divine Revelation, and Miracles. And there can no more Scruple remain, if we can but be perswaded to believe that the History of the Bible it self is true, which is the Second thing to be consi­sidered. And in order to which, I think it not un­necessary to lay down some general Considerations about Faith, as following.

Faith is an Assent to a thing as a Truth, on the Word of another, which we our selves don't know, or see; according to that compleat Diffinition there­of, Heb. 11.1. [...], the evidence of things not seen, or known; for Knowledge leaves no room for Faith, any more than it does for Hope, which is the Desire of what we only believe will be; Faith being its only Basis, [...], Faith is the foundation or ground of things hoped for; for where we have no Faith of the real Futurity of a thing, there Hope has no ground. But Faith if it hath its due Circumstances, it is [...], a Con­victive Argument. And tho' Faith and Knowledge are so different that we can no longer properly say we believe a thing, when once we can say we know it, yet Faith (if right) is as near to Knowledge, as that which is not Knowledge can be, and far from that doubtful Supposition call'd Opinion. That which is to be believed, or assented to as a Truth on anothers Word, is either, First, an Assertion or Affirmation that such or such a thing was, is, or will be: Or, Secondly, a Promise when the Person on whose Word we rely for the real Fu­turity of the thing, makes us expect it from him as the Cause. Now that Faith may be as it ought, an Assent indeed to a Truth, tho' we don't know it, [Page 105]and not the believing a Lye, these things we ought to be certain in. First, that the Person that hath asserted, or promised the thing we are to take for a Truth, could know it, or were not lyable himself to be deceived; or can or will be able to do it, it being in his power: Secondly, that he be Trusty, or one that will not deceive us. As to the Know­ledge and Power of the Person, that we may be sure he could, or might know the thing, or can or will be able to do it: we must see that the thing is in it self knowable, or that it may possibly be a Truth; for that which I see absurd, contradictory, or absolutely impossible to be suppos'd, I can never well believe on any one's Word, nor could I do so, would it be of any use to me. Whatever I am to believe, must at least seem possible to be a Truth; for nothing else can challenge my Faith, or be [...], a sufficient Argument. So whatever I am perswaded to do, must at least seem a Good. As Truth alone is the Object of Knowledge, so should it be of Faith. Nothing can well be believed but what may come to be known. Secondly, I must see that the thing be not only knowable and possible in it self, but also knowable or possible to the Per­son on whose Word I believe it. Which I may do by considering well the Person, and his Circum­stances. As to the Trust of the Person whose Word I assent to, I may be satisfied that he would not de­ceive me; if, First, I see he could propose no (at least seeming) good end in so doing: Or, Secondly, if I see he could not suppose it possible to attain his end, if it were to deceive me. For no one propo­ses to themselves the doing any thing, but for some (at least seeming) good end, much less the doing what they see they cannot be able to effect. Faith without these Circumstances would be groundless, uncertain, and as lyable to be the Belief of a Lye as [Page 106]of a Truth, and to no good purpose at all. But in giving our Assent to the Word even of Man, if thus cricumstanced, we need fear no Deception. Now as the crediting Man's Word may be call'd a Natu­ral Faith, so an Assent to the Word of God is that which is properly said to be a Divine Faith. But the Word of Man thus differs from the Word of God; That tho' divers Men may concur in saying one and the same thing, (and ought so to do in some cases that Man's Word may rationally demand our Belief) and God being but one, can be but a single Witness; yet God's Word is greater, and surer than Man's: Because God cannot so much as be sup­pos'd to be deceived, being Omniscient; or be thought unable to perform his Promise, being Al­mighty; nor can he be suppos'd to will to deceive us, who is the self-sufficient Fountain of Good; nor therefore can he propose the getting of any Good to himself by deceiving his Creatures, Absolute Per­fection being uncapable of advantage. Man may possibly be deceived, knowing but a little, or will to deceive, wanting Goodness, or propose an advan­tage to himself being needy; and that by deceiving, as he may want power to get his end another way. He may suppose himself able, when he is not; and so not perform his Promise, tho' he would; or his Will may change, not knowing always what is best, and so not will to do at one time, what at another he made us expect from him. Wherefore we can­not believe, or assent to as true, what Man saith, merely because he saith it, but on these divers requi­site Considerations.

There can be but one thing necessary, or pre-re­quisite, towards our believing God's Word, and that is, That we be sure that what we credit as God's Word, is indeed his Word, or that he does indeed say what he is suppos'd so to do. Whether This, or [Page 107]That, is truely the Word of God, we may determine by considering what is before said of Revelation and Miracles; with the Matter, the Manner, the End, &c. of the thing said.

But now as to the business under Consideration; What has been said may be easily apply'd to the Scripture, and here particularly to the Historical Parts thereof, without any farther help; and as they appear, by thus regularly considering them, so let them be esteem'd. But I shall name for exam­ple the chief of them, and that briefly; in which Books, (as I have before hinted) is observable a Drift or Design all along against Wickedness and Deceit, a Recommendation and Encouragement of Goodness, Truth, and all Vertue; which can hard­ly be thought so to concur in so many Writers writing at such different times, could they be thought to agree in a design to deceive Mankind, or to pro­pose any seeming Good End in so doing. First, The Books of Moses, containing a Narrative of such things as could not be done without the Knowledge of a considerable part of Mankind, cannot be sup­pos'd to be mere Fictions: The things which he writes (or whoever writes them) as his own Know­ledge, he could not easily be deceived in, nor can he be thought to have seen any possibility of de­ceiving Mankind so grosly, as he must be said to have done if his Writings be no true History, it be­ing so easie a matter for the then present, or imme­diately succeeding Ages, to detect the Fallacy; but they have not so done, but concurr'd with him to deliver them down to Posterity. A History of fa­mous and publick Actions for so many years, if no such things were done, could never be suppos'd to gain Belief as a True History, and be so generally receiv'd, and deliver'd down for Truth from Age to Age, as these Books have been. Nor could the De­sign [Page 108]he seems to aim at, viz. The instructing the Israelites in the Knowledge and Service of the One True God, with the promoting of all Vertue and Duty to Man, run so smoothly along with so appa­rently wicked and unprofitable a Design as the de­ceiving Posterity with a Fiction instead of a true Story. As to the things done before his time, which he speaks of but briefly in order to his design; they might possibly be made known to him by Revela­tion: tho', I confess, I see no ground for such a Be­lief, or of what use it would be, much less of any ne­cessity he should so receive them (any more than the things he saw done) when he might receive them by either Oral, or written Tradition. But that Moses was sent of God to teach and instruct the Israelites, and whosoever would learn of them, cannot be dis­credited if those Miraculous things were done, which the whole Nation of the Hebrews, and many others, could not be deceived in: As the Wonders in Egypt; the Passage through the Red Sea; and e­specially the giving the Law, viz. the Ten Words, expresly by a Voice from Mount Sinai; which that numerous People could not easily concur to deliver down to Posterity, to deceive their Children; wit­nessing those Laws to be in such a manner given of God, tho' they were themselves so inclinable to break them, if there had been no such Laws so gi­ven. Nor are the other Prophets less to be credited in their Narratives; or whoever writes their Stories, or the Books under their Names: That such and such Men came in the Name of God delivering In­structions, Reproofs, Warnings, &c. to the People, could not be a Mistake. Nor could they impose upon Men in those Miracles they are sometimes said to do; much less in the Predictions of Future Events, even of particular Persons by name. Telling the Councels of distant Enemies, and even what [Page 109]should be the future Actions of some whose Hearts had not yet conceived the Thoughts of them; gi­ving also the infallible Test to know a False Pro­phet by, viz. if what he saith comes not to pass. Which Predictions were such as could be made by none without particular Divine Revelation; which when but deliver'd were accompanied with Cir­cumstances, making them at least credible that they might be; but when fulfilled they were seen beyond dispute to have been Revelations of God. The most principal, and full of which Old Testament Predicti­ons related to Christ, and his Ministry, and were found exactly fulfilled in him; and consequently to be of God. Which Consideration brings me to the New Testament, or the Writings of the Apostles, and Disciples of Jesus Christ, the Master and Teacher of the Christian Religion; which is the main thing I would perswade him that already believes Natural Religion, not to be offended at.

The Doctrinal and Preceptive Part contain'd in these Books, I'm sure none that considers it can in reason dislike, it is so rational and natural: And tho' the whole Bible teaches in its Precepts principally Natural Religion, or Exact Morality; yet the Do­ctrine of Christ as deliver'd down to us by his Apo­stles and Disciples, seems to out-shine whatever was taught before in Clearness, and also to out-do all former Manifestations in the Fulness thereof. What has he taught, or what has he commanded, but what is clearly evident, and strongly reasonable to any that without Prejudice will use their Reason, and consi­der it? and what can be desired to a most perfect Rule of Life, more than he hath given in his short, yet comprehensive Precepts? As to the Historical Part of the New Testament, I think I may boldly say, it hath in divers Respects the advantage of any other History.

As the Notableness of the Matters of Fact: The Number and Character of the Witnesses: Their sufficient Agreement and Harmony in their Testi­mony: The Time and Place of the things done: The Reception of this History and Doctrine, by succeeding Ages: The Change wrought in the World thereby: The Succession and Continuation of the Professors of Christianity. All which things cannot be suppos'd so to concur in opposition to the Carnal Interest, and sinful Inclinations of the World, to give credit to a mere Romance, or feigned Story. He would be as unreasonable that should deny that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ, and that he taught so and so, and did such and such Miracles, with the Consequences thereof; as he that should deny that there was such a Person as Charles the First King of England, and that there was a Civil War between him and the Parliament. But I leave these things, having just named them, to the Considera­tion of thinking Readers; who if they have any de­sire to be more fully satisfied in these matters, may consult several learned, and well known Authors, who have handled this matter largely. But I shall come to consider as soon as I can, some particular things, at which the Naturalist seems more justly offended, relating to Jesus Christ's Person or Office; that so if possible all things may be made clear, that the Deist at length may see Christianity most ra­tional, and no longer refuse to embrace it. But,

37. Of Jesus Christ, we shall first lay down this Proposition: That the greatest, most adequate, and suitable Means God has given among Men towards their Recovery from Disobedience, and the clearest Arguments he hath offered them to perswade them to will as he wills, in order to their Happiness, he hath given in, and by the Man Christ. Which I think will appear by the time we have a little con­sider'd [Page 111]his Work, and his Person. And concerning the Work of Christ, (which I think most proper to speak of first) I shall lay down this Proposition.

That the Sum and Substance, End and Design of all Christ has done, does, or will do in relation to Fallen Man's Recovery, is to convince Man that he hath done Evil in willing contrary to God's Will, and to perswade him to change his Mind, and will as God wills for the future, to the Manifestation of God's Perfections, and Man's Happiness. The Ways and Methods Christ took to perform this Work, if we consider, will appear very rational and suitable to the Nature of Man, and the End of his Being. First, Man is to be fully inform'd of the Truth of things relating to his Disobedience or Obedience, Unhappiness or Happiness. But Christ hath given the fullest Discovery of the Mind and Will of God, in relation to his Creatures: He hath given the most fair Edition, and Interpretation of God's Laws, rectifying the inveterate Mistakes of Mankind: He hath discovered the false Glosses and Interpretations, sinful Men had put upon the foregoing Revelations of God's Will; and reconciled Revelation to the Natural Light in such a manner, that those that heard him were forced to confess he spake as never Man spake before: And we who have but a short account of what he said, have yet enough to shew us that he was as it were the Oracle of Moral Wis­dom: Such an Excellency appears in his compre­hensive Account of the whole Law of God: Such an admirable Method in his Directory of the Or­der of our Desires: To be short, such a Pre-emi­nence in all those Sayings we have as coming from his own Mouth, that me-thinks an ordinary Con­siderer may see a Wisdom distinguishable from that of all his Servants, tho' some of them at least equall'd him in the Greatness of Miraculous Works. He [Page 112]hath both represented God far more clearly than he was before represented, what he is, and will be found to be to his Creatures; and his Creatures, what they ought to be to him, and one another. And particularly Goodness was never so unvailed, and made to shine forth before; the Goodness of God what it is, and will be; and the Goodness of Man what it must, or should be. The Goodness of God was never before seen to be so much greater than the Sin of Man, as by this Messenger; who comes declaring God most ready to forgive, and communicate his Benefits to sinful Men, as he would have done had they never sinned, if they are but willing to be forgiven, and repent: That God wills not our Unhappiness, as we are inclinable to will Evil to those that cross our Wills. He hath taught us to come to God as to a Father, expecting infi­nitely more Goodness, (beyond our measuring) than we can from our Natural Fathers. And that we ought to imitate him in Goodness, Love, Mercy, Forgiveness, even in that which some have counted a Paradox, Loving our Enemies, blessing them that curse us, and doing Good to those that persecute us, and despite­fully use us. The Men of old were apt to pray a­gainst, or curse their Enemies; and Men now are too much of that Spirit, in whom the Love of God does not prevail; being ready to think it unreason­able, or impossible to love their Enemies. But that it is both reasonable, and more easie to love our very Enemies than to hate them, we may be per­swaded by divers Considerations. If it be an Ex­cellency to be like God, the most perfect and happy Being, Christ tells us, that he makes his Sun to shine upon the Good and the Bad, and is kind unto the unthank­ful, and the Evil; he counsels us to imitate God: Who tho' Men be Enemies to him, does nothing to them but what may be an Argument to make them [Page 113]his Friends. Is Hatred an uneasie Passion? Let us love all Men, and be at ease. Would we have Friends? Is it better to have many than few? Operative Love reconciles Enemies, and heaps Coals of Fire upon their Heads, not to burn them, but to melt them down into streams of Love. We cannot well love our Enemies, as such, with a Love of Complacency, but the working Love of Benevolence, if we are good, does as much as may be to make our Ene­mies such as God, and we would have them; when Hatred does but increase, and continue Hatred. The Goodness of God leads us inimical Sinners to Repen­tance; and this God-like Behaviour in us is the greatest means we can possibly use, and is often found effectual to turn the Arrows of Enmity against us, into Beams of Love. This reconciling Message of Heaven, sent by Jesus Christ to rebellious Mortals, the Enemies of God and one another, is not with­out good reason call'd [...], the Good Speech; or Gospel; teaching Love and Friendship, as the Soul of all Duty, and Essence of Happiness. This Gospel is not improperly also call'd the Better Testa­ment, in comparison with the Old Dispensation of Carnal and Troublesome Ordinances, which God suffered the Hebrews, as well as other Nations, for a long time to labour under. This Gospel Dispen­sation, if Men would live to the Purity of it, being most easie, reasonable, and alike suitable to all Men; being but compleat, or very little more than Exact Morality, is that which would rectifie all the Dis­orders of Mankind that can be amended in this Mortal State.

Secondly, As Christ taught the most plain and reasonable Doctrine, so he gave the height of Argu­ment to perswade it; such as could be most preva­lent on Rational Creatures to gain their Compliance with the Mind and Will of their Maker. He has [Page 114]not only convinceingly asserted, and proved himself sent of God, (a mighty Argument to procure the reception of his Message) by very many Miracles done by his Means, but manifested the things them­selves delivered, to be God's Message by their Ex­cellency, as most becoming God to dictate, and most fit for Man to receive. If the highest reason be e­nough to perswade the Will of Man, he hath given it. I challenge all, the most Zealous Jew, or Rea­soning Deist, to shew me one thing that Christ hath indeed taught, or his Disciples at his Command, which cannot be most rationally accounted for, or where he hath imposed upon the Understanding of Man, or obliged him to believe, or profess any thing that is contradictory, or unintelligible, or command­ed him to do any unreasonable thing, or what is against his real Interest. Let them shew me that Judaism, or Deism, is more reasonable; and he that can, may have great hopes of making me a Prose­lyte: till that is done, (which I am confident will never be) I am resolved to remain a Christian, or a Disciple of him who hath given the most fair Copy of Truth, relating to God, and his Will to Man, and relating to Mens present and future Condition: wherein I can see no difficulty to any that fairly reasons, and looks upon Christianity as it is in it self, and not as corrupted, and misrepresented by the Fancies and Traditions of Men in the Anti­christian Defection.

Moreover, What Christ hath most clearly de­clared in way of Precept, he hath back'd and con­firm'd by his Influencing Example, his Life being most exactly conformable to his Doctrine in entire Submission and Conformity to the Will of God, and constant perseverance therein, against the great­est Temptations Earth and Hell could offer; there­by asserting, by a Home Argument, that the doing [Page 115]the Will of God is eligible, yea best tho' we should thereby loose all the good things of this life we can loose, with Life it self, in the grounded hopes of a future State free from all the Evils of Temptation, Sin, and Unhappiness. Which Future State he hath so plainly taught and manifested, that by him it may be well said Life and Immortality was brought to light; the Immortality of the Soul, and a Future Life of Body and Soul together after a Resurrection, being Truths left unto him clearly to teach.

38. That Christ might thus become a most fit Means or Mediator between God and sinful Men, to bring them from Rebellion against God's Will, to Obedience to the Will of their Maker, it is to be considered what manner of Person Christ must be. And first it was necessary that he should be a Man, that his Conversation with Men might be most near, familiar, and unquestionably real: A Man like unto us in all things, Sin only excepted; than which there cannot be conceived a more proper Medium between God and Sinners. Nothing can possibly be supposed between God, and the Creature. There can be no Third, or Middle Being, that is neither God, nor Creature to be a Mediator; and God can­not be a Mediator himself, because he is one of the Extreams. Tho' God is the First Cause, or Mover of Man to Repentance, he cannot be said to be a Means, or Instrumental Cause; nor can there be any to use him, or send him, no nor can he be said to send himself, or any one of his Attributes, or Pro­perties. Nothing of God can in any proper sense be said to be absent from God, and between God and Sinners. A King may declare his own Will, but he cannot be said to send himself on an Embassy. A Sinner could not be a compleat Mediator; for Sin­ners are the other extream: Repenting Sinners may indeed be a sort of Mediators between God and the [Page 116]Impenitent; and have been so, as Moses was and o­thers, but they are incompleat ones; they were but the Servants sent. If God would give a compleat Mediator, or Embassadour to the World of Sinners, he must give such a one as his Son Christ was; who tho' he might, yea must be a Man like us in all things else; Sin must be excepted. If he were not a Man, truly; truly innocent; a Second Adam; he could not be an exact and perfect Example, nor a most unquestionable Witness, nor have shew'd that Man might have done his Duty. But he must be capable of being tempted to disobey, or he could not have been an Example of resisting and obeying: None but he that might possibly disobey, could yield free Obedience, such as is worthy of God's Acceptance. God himself who is incapable of be­ing tempted to Sin, or of Disobedience, cannot be said to obey, nor is there any above him to whom he can be obliged.

If Christ must be innocent, and persisting in O­bedience, he must not be of the common race of Mankind; that is take both his Body and Soul me­diately from sinful Parents, as others do; but must as to his Soul, the Subject of Sin, or Obedience, be an Immediate Work of God, as the first Man was. Whatever comes immediately out of the hands of the Creator, cannot be thought to be other than pure; but out of an unclean thing, cometh that which is unclean. That Christ might be a Second Man in Innocence, he must not be begotten by the sinful Will of Man, as other Men are; Conceptions of Self Will, and Erring Understanding, so determin'd to Evil rather than to Good, that their at first weak Understanding, or Reason, is not sufficient to coun­ter-ballance the manifold Temptations by occasions of Evil, within and without, Instructions and Exam­ples to sin, they meet with very early, from Parents [Page 117]and others, whom they little suspect such Enemies to them; who use them to those Actions, which tho' Ignorance makes innocent, Reason when they come to know what they do, makes culpable, and use determines to. But Christ besides his pure Ori­ginal, doubtless had the special Grace of God keep­ing him from Temptation so long as God saw fit, that he might have at least the same advantage of strength of Reason the First Man had, who was to undergo far greater Temptations. But tho' he might not be a Soul derived from Man's corrupt Soul, yet his Body might well be taken from the Matter of Mankind, without his being thereby sinful, or the more inclinable to sin. For the Body is not the Sub­ject of Sin, or that which infects the Soul; it may be an occasion of Temptation to Sin, but Sin entire­ly resides in the Mind, being but a disorderly Act of the Will. That a Soul coming pure out of the hands of God, should become a Sinner by using a Body taken from a Person that was a Sinner, is un­reasonable to be thought, while Matter has nothing in it but Quantity, Figure, and Motion, which how­soever disposed or modified, has nothing of the No­tion of Sin in it. We might as well suppose a Man must needs become a Thief, or a Murderer, if he dwell in a House given him by one that was such. Christ we all acknowledge received the Body, God prepar'd him, from the Virgin Mary, whom all sup­pose a Sinner, except some of the Roman Church; yet we suppose him not made a Sinner thereby. It was convenient Christ should receive a Body from Mankind, that he might be a Real Man, and a near Kinsman, or Brother. A Rational Soul using an Organical Body such as a Man's, is really a Man, tho' the Soul do not begin mediately by Generation, as much as if it did; otherwise the first Rational Creature using an Organical Body, would not have [Page 118]been a Man the same in kind as others. The First Adam's Soul could come no way but by Inspiration, and his Body was a more Immediate or Special Work of God, than the Bodies of others his Off­spring; therefore he is called the Son of God in a nearer respect than they. And that Christ's Soul was produced by the Immediate Power of God, and his Body by a Special Work of the Most High, he is the more properly said to be the Second Man, or Adam; God forming a Seed in a Woman, a Virgin, [that we might be sure he was not a common Man] when a Woman is naturally, or commonly, a Creature whose Seed is not in her self originally, but in the Man; or perhaps to speak more properly, that hath no Seed. This Seed of the Woman, inform'd with this Holy Soul; this One Exception from the com­mon Order of the Production of Men, is therefore with good reason call'd the Son of God, eminently, as distinct from others; who on any lesser, or more common Accounts are said to be his Children. And the same reason for Subsistance we have given us in the Gospel, Luke 1.31. The Angel said unto Mary, thou shalt conceive in thy Womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus: Ver. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall give him the Throne of David, [...] his Father. Christ is said to be the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, only according to the Flesh; because Mary, from whom he received his Body materially, was of the Off-spring of Abraham and David. Ver. 34. And Mary said unto the Angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a Man? V. 35. And the Angel answering said unto her, a Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee; therefore also that holy Thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. And to strengthen the Virgin's Faith, he tells her, ver. 36. Her Cousin Elizabeth who [Page 119]was old, and accounted barren, had conceived: For, v. 37. with God nothing shall be unpossible: [...], every word shall not be unpossible, viz. whatever can be said in reason to be a thing to be done, shall not be unpossible with God. He brings her from the less to the greater; he that has caused the Old and Barren to be with Child, a thing above the power of Nature, can do more, even cause thee a Virgin to conceive without the means of a Man. Thus Christ, that [...], viz. [...]; that holy Soul, Spi­rit, or Mind, that received his Body from Mary, and so became the Compositum call'd a Man, was truely call'd the Son of the Most High, as God the Father of all was in a special manner his Efficient Cause; and the Son of Mary, and her Progenitors, as she was the Material Cause of what was material in him. And least any should think the Holy Ghost the Effi­cient Cause of Christ's Conception, and so rather to be called his Father, (from whence would arise a great difficulty) from those Expressions, ver. 35. [...]; and Math. 1.18, and 20. [...]; and [...]; let it be considered that the word [...], Spirit, is put with­out the Article, and is rather to be rendered a Holy Spirit, and of a Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit: A Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, or into thee. Signify­ing thereby, either that she should have a Holy Dis­position, in order to the over-shadowing Power of the Highest, viz. of the Father, coming to effect such a Conception, or that she should receive a Holy Conception in her, or both. So she was found with Child of a Holy Spirit: That which is conceived in her, is of a Holy Spirit; that is, she hath a Holy Concep­tion in her; was found with Child of a Holy Con­ception; neither a Spurious, (as Joseph thought) nor a Common Conception. The Particle [...] does not denote the Efficient Cause any more here, than [Page 120]it does when spoken of Mary, Luk. 1.35. [...], of thee, in thee, or by thee; and Matth. 1.16. [...], viz. [...], of Mary, or in Mary, [...], was born, or con­ceived Jesus; not that she was the Cause of the Con­ception. When we say such a Woman is with Child of a Boy, we mean her Child is a Man Child, not that a Boy impregnated her. Now what is there in­conceivable, or mystical in all this? I admire that any Man should make it a difficulty to believe that God, (whom they acknowledge to be the Creator) as he hath made Seeds to grow in Plants, and fall off, and increase in the Earth to the due size of Plants; as he hath caused Seeds to grow in Man, which e­jected into their proper place for Nourishment, the Matrix of the Woman are informed with a Mind, and grow to perfect, or due sized Animals, fit to be nourish'd another way, and so come to be born, and act of themselves, in the common order of the Crea­tion, could not as well if he pleas'd, go for once, on a special occasion, out of his common way in Na­ture, and work a Miracle in the First Production of a Humane Seed, or Small Organical Body, in a Woman, and give it to a Soul of his immediate Pro­ducing, without the Will of Man: Or that this Mind, and Organical Body of God's particular mak­ing, should not be thought to be an Innocent Man, free as Adam, that he might obey God in overcoming the greatest Temprations. That such a Person so produced was really given amongst Men, besides the Prophesies of him in the Old Testament; for in­stance; that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Ser­pents Head, Gen. 3.15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee, a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy Bre­thren, like unto me, unto him shall ye bearken, According to all thou desired'st of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in the day of the Assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the Voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great [Page 121]Fire any more that I die not: And the Lord said unto me, they have well spoken, that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto thee, and will put my Words in his Mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him, &c. Deut. 18.15, 16, 17, 18, &c. and a Virgin shall be with Child, and bring forth a Son, &c. Isa. 7.16. See Chap. 11.1, &c. Dan. 9.25, 26. and Gen. 49.10. Which Texts all deserve to be well considered, tho' I omit to recite them at length. Besides these Prophesies, I say, and many more agreeing with his Character, Circumstances, and Time of Manifestation, we have the sufficient Testimony of his Disciples, not absurd and contradictory, but such (as we have endea­voured to shew) might well be conceived to be true.

All which I think, is enough to challenge the Be­lief of any that will give themselves leave to consider. Besides the Consideration of Christ's Person, as an Innocent, Perfectly Obedient Man, thus produced and related; it was necessary that God should be with him in an extraordinary manner, inspiring him with Wisdom, enduing him with Authority, inflam­ing him with Love; Luk. 2.40, 47, 42. acting in him (who yet acted freely with God) as it were his Or­gan, whereby he made known his Will, and mani­fested himself most clearly to Sinners, and was as it were conversing amongst them; working Miracles by him to convince Men of his special Sonship and Mission; which Christ frequently asserted from that Argument of the mighty Works of God wrought by him. Which Wonders of Christ were also necessa­ry to perswade the Truth of his Doctrine as received from God, especially in that part of it, where he taught the Insufficiency of the Levitical External Worship, which the Jews were so unapt to believe other than the Will of God, or ever to be abolished. But tho' Christ taught that which to them seem'd a [Page 122]new way, they were inexcusable in not believing him, when God concurr'd with real Signs and Won­ders, which he cannot be thought to do to perswade Falshood, so much against his pure Will.

These Miracles wrought by his means, and by his Disciples from his Authority, were not only testifi­ed by his Disciples, but seen and confess'd by many the Opposers of his Doctrine. It was necessary, I say, God should be with him in so extraordinary a Man­ner, who was to be the most Extraordinary Embas­sadour, or Instrument of God. And that God was so with him, cannot with any reason be doubted, if his Friends Testimony, and his Enemies Confession of his other Miracles, be not enough; his Prophe­sies of so many things exactly fulfilled, in relation to himself, his Disciples, the City of Jerusalem, &c. me­thinks are convincing Arguments that he was the Prophet that God had promised, [a Prophet being to be known to be sent of God by the things com­ing to pass.] The Anointed with whom God was in a most special manner, and never left him, unless so far as to shew that the most Perfect Creature is insufficient in it self, and cannot be satisfied or plea­sed in the withdrawing of the Chearing Presence of God. To let it appear that an Innocent Man may be grieved at the Disobedience and Misery of Sin­ners, and not only sympathize with them in their Unhappiness, but be afflicted by them; not only be greived at their unjust and wicked Doings, but suffer from them that Sorrow that in the common course of Nature, is occasioned by what may be done to the Body. And tho' God left him so far to the Will of the Wicked, as that they prevailed to put him to Death, [whereby we may have occasion to believe that Adam was not invulnerable, or naturally immor­tal before the Fall, but by the Grace of God in the Gift of the Tree of Life, and his special Providence, [Page 123]which on his Obedience would have prevented ex­ternal Hurts, and Death thereby;] tho', I say, God suffered the Wicked to put him to Death on a false Accusation, as a Malefactor; and he patiently suf­fered, to give us an Example that nothing should de­ter us from Obedience, it was necessary that God should raise him from the dead. That as he had chose Death rather than omit his Duty, God should crown his Sufferings with a Resurrection to Immortality, as a Token that he had regarded his Obedience as per­fect, that he deserved not Death; but Men unjustly laid hands on him, and slew him, and that their so doing was disapproved of God. Which Resurrection of his, being the Confirmation of his being the Christ, and of his having done his Work so far exactly, and that he would in due time finish it wholly, his Disciples constantly witnessed, as having seen him, and convers'd with him Forty days after his Suffering: and the Jews and Romans having heard it, said he would rise again after three days, taking strict care to watch the Sepulchre, least there should be any cheat in the matter; so that there can be no rational doubt of it. It is very easie to be sure a Man is put to Death, and as easie to know he is alive, if many Persons see and hear him act as a living Man. On the account of his Resurrection too, he is called the first begotten Son of God, Rev. 1.5. 1 Cor. 15.20. Col. 1.18.

And by his Resurrection also was given a Testi­mony of the Truth of his Doctrine, especially of the Points of the Resurrection of the Body, and Life im­mortal. And having fully instructed his Disciples, and authorized them his Ministers to prosecute the same end he was sent for, viz. the bringing rebelli­ous disorderly Sinners to Repentance and Obedi­ence; for the fulfilling his Promise of the Mission of the Holy Ghost, the Power, by means whereof they [Page 124]wrought Miracles, it was requisite he should leave this Earth, (which he did in the sight of many) and go to some Heavenly Mansion, till his Second Per­sonal Appearance; which Angels at his Ascension inform'd the Beholders should be in like manner, and which he had before promised, and wherein he will wholly finish his Office of Mediator between God and Men; a part of which is his Ruling or Judging the World, fully determining what's right, and what's wrong, as God has authorized him. After which he shall give up that his Kingdom to his God, and Father's immediate Government; to whom he is, and then will more eminently appear to be Sub­ject, tho' God has made him the Head, or Chief of the Creation. But I can but name things where every head would yield a large Discourse.

This is the Sum and Substance of the Revelation of God's Will by Jesus Christ. And whosoever be­lieves Christ's Doctrine, and does it, or in his own words; He that hears his Word, and believeth on him that sent him, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into Condemnation; but is passed from Death unto Life, Joh. 5.24. And not every one that suith Lord, Lord, unto him, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the Will of his Father which is in Heaven, Matth. 7.21. But whosoever heareth the Sayings of Christ, and does them not, (whatever he may think of Christ, or how great soever an Opinion he professeth of him) hath but built upon the Sand, v. 27. It is Obedience that is the end of all true Doctrine; and whosoever having been convinced of Sin, and changed from doing his own disorderly Will, does the Will of God, and persevers in so doing, will be happy; nay, is saved, by what means soever this Change hath been wrought. Where the End is accomplish'd, it is ac­complish'd. Many have been the Instruments, and various the Means, that God hath used to reduce [Page 125]Sinners; and some rebellious ones have been chang­ed, to comply with their Maker's Will by smaller Arguments, some by greater. The Means of Con­viction God hath given the World, seems from the beginning to have grown greater and greater, as Wickedness hath increased; but some Sinners have been so perverse that the greatest Motives God has pleas'd to give them, have not done; but they have appear'd resolved to abandon God, and to devote themselves to their Sin and Misery: Yet there have been many righteous Men, who have not seen and heard what some others have; and yet have indeed been righteous. And they that have seen and heard the most of the Manifestations of God, have little cause to censure and condemn them that have seen and heard the least; when these have sometimes shewn as much or more of the End, Goodness, accomplished in them.

39. But whatsoever means God may make effectu­al towards the Salvation of Men, or bringing them from Sin to Obedience, it may truly be said they are all saved the same way; and that is by Christ. Which must not be understood that it is absolutely necessary that every Man should be instructed in the Will of God, and receive his Commends from Christ's own Mouth; or from those he hath expresly sent to preach the Gospel. Nor is it to be thought impossible that any should be saved without Reading, or hearing read the Books we call the Holy Scrip­tures. But whosoever is saved, is necessarily some way or other instructed in the same things Christ hath taught, viz his Duty to God and his Neigh­bour, and brought to comply therewith; and so to follow Christ in a Life of Obedience. Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: There is no other Way Sinners can come to the Father, but what he hath shown, viz. Repentance bringing forth the [Page 126]meet fruits thereof. There are no other Truths ne­cessary to be known, in order to living that Life of Obedience Christ gave us the highest Example of, than what he taught. There is no other Man a Ma­ster or Teacher, teaching another Doctrine, in which is Salvation; for God hath given him the chief cor­uer stone of the Spiritual Building, to which the rest must be squared; and he hath given no other name among Men, under Heaven, in which we must be saved. There is none a different, or so compleat a Rule, Acts 4.11, 12. The Way, the Truth, and the Life, is the same, that all must go in, believe, and live. However Men may disagree in Speculations and O­pinions; if they know but enough to subject their Wills in Agreement to this Life of Obedience, which Christ in the name of God commanded, and himself gave an Example of, they may meet in Hea­ven. Those that disagree from this Living Rule, and persevere in their Dissention, will not see Life, not­withstanding their highest Pretences to Faith or Knowledge. And if I am brought to submit to the Will of my Maker by reading the Bible, or hearing Discourses on it; it does not follow that none could be inform'd of the same Truths, and reduced to the same Obedience any other way. Before the Scrip­ture was written, there were Righteous Men accep­ted of God no doubt; and since, the Love of God has appeared larger than the Love of Christians in recommending and communicating that most useful Book to the rest of Mankind. For there have been Examples, out of the Pale of the visible Christian Church, of such a Life as would become a consider­able Christian; at least of such as was proportionable to the measure of Knowledge: And some things left so excellent in the Writings of some of those we call Heathens, that Charity methinks would excuse me if I should esteem them Christians indeed, with­out [Page 127]the name, or such in Conformity to the Will of God, as Christians should be. And there have been not a few, who have been no happier than to be e­ducated in the Worship of the True God, under no better an Instructer than Moses, or Mahomet, that might have shamed the Nominal Christian to be­hold their Vertues. God sent Prophets of old in a special manner to instruct the Sons of Heber, and doubtless it was their Duty to teach others the Knowledge and Worship of the True God; and he sent his Son Jesus also, first unto some of them; but Christ commanded his Disciples to teach all Nati­ons. If Hebrews and Christians have not done their Duty, it cannot be thought that therefore the rest of Mankind must needs all perish. But they have not only been negligent in endeavouring the Informa­tion and Reformation of all Mankind, but have been even Stumbling-blocks; not only by teaching for the Oracles of God, the unreasonable Traditions of Men, but even by their wicked Lives, and unchari­table Actions: Yet God hath not left himself without a Witness in all Nations; but his Goodness hath been an Argument to perswade to Obedience, some of those who have seen the invisible things of God, from the Creation of the World; being understood by the things that are made, even his External Power and Godhead. The Light of Reason hath been universal to all Man­kind; and those who have acted according to that Light, where through the fault of others no more hath been given, doubtless no more will be required. Nor dare we deny but that God may have some­times acted graciously by his Spirit, where the Letter of the Gospel hath been wanting. So that many I am perswaded will come from the East and from the West, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, that in the opinion of many Christians are excluded: In whose Hearts [Page 128]perhaps hath been more of the Love of God and Man, than in many of those Christians so ready to condemn them, who I doubt are more likely to be themselves shut out. I think it may be well said of the Christian and Christianity in this matter, as the Apostle speaks of the Jew, and Circumcision, Rom. 2.29. He is not a Christian which is one outward­ly; neither is that Christianity which consists in outward things; but he is a Christian who is one inwardly; and Christianity, or the Religion that Christ taught, is that of the Heart in the Spirit; and not in the Letter, whose Praise is not of Men, but of God. The fruits of which Christian Spirit, are Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance; a­gainst such who are endued with these Vertues, there is no Law, Gal. 5.22. But the advantage of the visible Christians is much; because unto them are committed the Oracles of God, and where much is given, much will be required. The bare believing Christ to be the Mes­sias, yea the Faith of those who believe most con­cerning his Person, will not be found enough, or a Saving Faith; but the believing his Doctrine so as to do the Will of his Father, is that which will give a Title to the Promise of Admission into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 7.21.

40. To perswade to Repentance, or a turning from a Life of Sin, to a Life of Obedience to God, we find the chief End and Scope not only of the Gospel, but of the other parts of the Old and New Testaments; which Books the Divine Providence hath graciously given and preserved, as a means to that End. Many have undertaken to prove these Books to be the Word of God, but they have not all gone the right way to do it. Some think they do not enough, unless they can perswade us that every word in them was given by Immediate Inspiration. But there is no need of such a Belief, if a conside­rate [Page 129]Person were capable of having it. That they were given by the Good Providence of God, none can well doubt. But some part of them, as the Hi­storical, needed no such thing as Inspiration: Some part, as the Prophetical, could not come without it. But a due esteem of the Scripture may be had, and its End well accomplished, taking it altogether as it is, and as none can in reason deny it to be, viz. con­sidering the parts of it, as some inspir'd, some writ­ten according to the Knowledge of Faithful Men, some deliver'd according to the Wisdom given the Writers thereof. But the Affirmation that every Word of it is inspired, is not only no Point of Faith necessary to Salvation, or ever thought so, (as I can find) by the Primitive Christians; but has divers Inconveniences following it, which are Grounds of Objection to Athiests and Deists. As for Instance; There are some little Difficulties in the Historical Part, which are better attributed to some Mistake in the Writer or Coppier, than to God: Some few things in the Old Testament that seem dissonant to the Spirit of the Gospel, which are better thought to be from the Spirit of the Writer, than from the Spirit of God, &c. Some reckon by name so many Books of the Old and New Testaments, and go about to prove them the Word of God first, before they have well considered what they contain: But I think we should begin there, and see what we find written in them; for we cannot well assert any thing to be of God, till we know what it is. To talk of believing this or that to be a Revelation, or the Word of God, before we know what it speaks, is very inconside­rate. But when we find things that are apparently good, reasonable, excellent, and suitable to the Un­derstanding, Nature, and Circumstances of Man; a Design most profitable to Man, and becoming God, we may well, nay cannot but think God the Su­pream, [Page 130]or First Author, however or by whomsoever they were given. The Truths would have been the same had they never been written; but as they are written, the Way of their Delivery, the Matters of Fact, or Historical part, appearing to have all the Marks of Truth a History can, or at least needs have, cannot in reason but be believed. Whosoever (for instance) should deny the History of Jesus Christ, may as well reject all History, or question the Truth of every thing others declare as Witnes­ses; which would be very foolish: Nor could such a one reasonably desire any Man should believe him, in any thing he relates, tho' never so probable. Now as God in his good Providence hath given us the Bible; a Book (if considerately read appearing to be) more full of Instructions, Precepts, and Exam­ples tending to bring Man, who is turn'd aside, to the exact way of his Natural Allegiance, or Religi­on to God, than any other Book; it cannot but be acknowledged that the Bible is a great and estima­ble Gift of God, not to be under-valued as an Ordi­nary Book, nor yet to be idolized as the uncorrup­tible Word of God, but to be duly used to our Be­nefit. And I think I may be bold to say in relation to the Contents of this Book, and all others; what­soever has not an Instruction in it to inform Man of his Duty to God and his Neighbour; or cannot yield an Argument to perswade him to be reconciled thereto, cannot rationally be thought a Dictate of God, but is better suppos'd (should there be found any such thing) meerly from Man. And, I think, tho' we grant that the Bible is not free from all man­ner of Corruptions, but that some Mistakes have been therein made, at least by Coppiers; tho' we af­firm many Faults to have been committed by Tran­slators, so that better Translations are not only to be desired, but also wanted; yet we cannot rationally [Page 131]have the less esteem of what is uncontroverted, the Sum and Substance, End and Design thereof. Nor have we any reason (since we may read the Book it self) to look upon the Bible as it is most abused and deform'd by Expositors; who, if we were to take it from them, have represented it to us but as a contra­dictory or confused Rule.

41. For we find many things taught by them, who take upon them to expound the Scripture, as Do­ctrines clearly express'd (as they say) therein, that have not only no apt Tendency to the Great End, the Love of God and Man; but some of them natu­rally tend, or incline to the contrary. Which Con­sideration bringeth me to the last thing I designed to speak to; the last Stumbling block I shall endeavour to take out of the Deists way, viz. The Considera­tion of divers Doctrines now confidently taught as Orthodox, and main Points of Christian Faith; which to render Christianity more reasonable, more like it self, I shall not only readily disown, but endea­vour to shew that they cannot reasonably be thought to be Doctrines of the Gospel, necessary to Christi­anity, or True: That they cannot be accounted for, or proved Points of a Rational Faith, or truly dedu­ced from the Bible: But are Mistakes taken up through Prejudice, from Tradition, and confirm'd by mistaken Texts of Scripture. It being an Evil but common Custom among Men to take up Opinions before they carefully read the Scripture, or consider the Agreement or Disagreement of things; and then to labour to make the Scripture prove, and confirm them; endeavouring to bring Scripture to their un­reasonable Opinions, when they should rather have brought their Opinions from Scripture and Reason; Scripture so understood as to be reconcileable to it self, and to Right Reason. And as this word recon­cileable brings into my Mind the notion of Reconci­liation, [Page 132]which I take to be misunderstood by many, I shall first begin with that Point, and endeavour to shew the Mistakes about it.

42. It is the fancy of some that Christ has reconci­led God to Sinners: Let us a little consider the mat­ter. Reconciliation is a making Friends of some or other at variance. When there is Disagreement, Enmity, or Hate in a Person that did agree, love, and was a Friend, the taking away, or changing these for Agreement, Friendship and Love, is pro­perly Reconciliation. Now to say that Christ hath reconciled God to us, is as much as to say God was a Friend, and did love Man, but then became an Enemy, and hated him; and then was made a Friend, and loved him again. But this can with no good reason be said of God, because he is unchange­able, and these things imply a Change. Foolish Men are very apt to look upon God to be such a one as themselves; now willing one thing, then another; now angry, then pleas'd; because they find them­selves so. But such things are Imperfections, incom­patible with a Self-sufficient Being. God has pro­perly no Passions must be confess'd, tho' Men do commonly speak of him as if he had; and he is in Scripture so represented sometimes, after the manner of Men. But he is the same still, has the same Will, the same Love to whatever is his own, and cannot have less. He represents himself as he is, hating Sin, or that unjust and unhappy Action of the Creatures willing contrary to its Maker's Will: but he never hates the Creature, his own Work, but loves it. He cannot be suppos'd to be reconciled to Sin, he never loved, or can love Injustice: To sup­pose him so reconciled as to approve, like, or allow Sin in his Creature, would be to suppose him to will Evil, or contrary to his own Will. And he is not reconciled to his Creature, because he was never [Page 133]deconciled, or an Enemy to it. His Goodness and Bounty is over all his Works; he is always ready to do Good to his Creatures, and make them happy; it is they that are Enemies to him, and to themselves, and to their own Happiness. A Man that runs in­to a Cave, and hides himself from the Light and Warmth of the Sun, and is perswaded at length to come out, and receive the Benefit of its Heat and Splendour, may as well say the Sun was angry with him, and his his Face, and withheld his Beams; but now is reconciled to him, and shines on him again; as to fancy that the Ever-overflowing-fountain of Good withholds his Streams from the Works of his hands. He is the most loving Father, that is always ready to do Good to his Children; but they, Re­bellious, will not always receive it. Therefore we may boldly, nay we must on good Consideration say, that whatever Christ hath done and suffered, does not make God any more willing Sinners should obey him, or be saved, than he was before. If he could at any time will Sinners not to obey him, he might be suppos'd not to will them to be saved; but to will Sinners not to obey him, is all one as to will his Will to be done, and not done at the same time, which is a Contradiction. We find fool­lish Men commonly representing God as one full of Wrath, Anger, Hatred, to his poor, silly, Fallen Crea­tures; severe, furious, and hard to be appeas'd; but Christ as one full of Love, Mercy, Pitty, Good-will to Sinners; but we must not think God to have less Love, Goodness, Mercy, &c. than Christ; that would be unreasonable, when there can be no less than an Infinite Distance between God, and the most Perfect Creature, in Goodness, Mercy, Kind­ness, and all Perfections; yea as much as God is above Man, so much greater must we think is the Mercy, Goodness, and Love of the Father to Sin­ners, [Page 134]than that of the Son; who is but the Image of him that is greater than all: God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be­lieveth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Love of God was the Cause of Christ's both Sonship and Mission, and the Cause must be greater than the Effect. God could have no external Cause, or Motive to love us, but loveth us freely; for he is Love, which can be said of no Second. No Man hath greater Love than Christ; for he laid down his Life for us even while we were Enemies: but he had a Motive to Love, greater than from himself, viz. his Duty to obey, and imitate God his Father. Moreover, if God has commanded all Sin­ners to repent, believe, and be saved, he must be supposed to will that they should do so, or he de­ceives them; which cannot be admitted: If he wills them to repent and be saved, he is not their Enemy, but their Friend. What then, you will say, did Christ come to reconcile? I say, with the Scripture, to reconcile us to God, who were Enemies to him by wicked Works; to reconcile us to our best Friend and Father, from whom we had gone astray, and been prodigal Sons; to reconcile us to our Duty, yea to our own Happiness, which can no way be attained but by Love and Obedience to God. And when we return to our Father's House, and acknow­ledge our Folly and Rebellion, then we shall find it true that God is our best Friend, and was so before we thought of returning. It was an Opinion in the Pagan Divinity, that their Gods were sometimes angry, and must be attoned or reconciled, and in­treated to do them no Mischief, or to be favourable to them; and this they thought was to be done by some thing or other, which they fancied was more pleasing to the Gods, than that which they were an­gry at was displeasing, something or other they [Page 135]liked so much better than doing Good, that they were thereby over perswaded to do them such Fa­vours they would not otherwise have done; such a pleasure to them, in their opinion, was the slaying of a Beast, and the offering it to them, yea the horrid Act of sacrificing Men. But Christians should have a better Opinion of God, who are taught that he is Love, that is unchangeable Good will. Who can imagine that the Blood of a Lamb pour'd out, or the wasting of a Bullock on an Altar, or the Death, yea the Murder of an Innocent Man, can be so grateful to the Most High, as to make him a Friend when he was suppos'd before to be an angry Enemy? Can this be an Argument to prevail with him to alter his Mind, and like the Sinner any better? What De­light or Advantage can we suppose the Death, or Spoiling any Creature, can be to the Self sufficient God? Tho'd Christ for some Reasons is compar'd to, or call'd a Sacrifice, we can with no good reason re­tain the vulgar notion of it, or believe that he by his being murder'd, appeas'd God's Wrath, and made him change from an angry Enemy, to a pleased, loving Friend, or render'd him less disliking the Sins of Men, than he was before: No, the Enmity is in Man against God, not in God against Man; it is Man that is to be changed, not God. Besides, nothing but a wonderful Prejudice can make us think, that the Murder of the most innocent Man the World ever had, should be so much more plea­sing to the most Just God, than all other Sins were displeasing; so that That, and nothing else could pa­cifie him, or make him willing Men that had sinn'd, should yet obey him, and be happy. Did we but consider, we should never have hopes to digest this opinion, so many hard things are in the bowels of it. If God hath commanded all Men not to kill; can we with any sense think that God is at any time [Page 136]pleas'd with the breach of that Command? Yea, that the most Innocent must needs be murder'd, that God might be justly pleas'd with the Guilty, yea his Murderers? This is to make Wickedness necessary, and God pleas'd with it, yea implacable without it: This is to represent God worse than Man: This is to suppose that some must of necessity sin, and be damned, or else none could possibly be saved. Ah poor Judas, that never taught'st us such hard things of God; must thou needs betray thy Innocent Master, and be damn'd, that we might be saved, who think so hardly of our Maker? Why not another, that thou might'st be saved; or why not we, for others that have a better opinion of God? But God has without exception forbid all Injustice, and especially the shedding Innocent Blood; and if Men had be­lieved, and obeyed God as they ought, and conse­quently might; if they had received Christ's Do­ctrine, and follow'd his Example, as it was God's Will, and so their Duty, there would have been none to have slain Christ; but Men would, nay must have been saved without any ones committing such a nefarious Fact. Yea, if the Husband-men had yeilded the Due Fruits, at the Approach of the Ser­vants, they would have been far from being so wicked as to have murder'd the Son. Again, if God could have been supposed to will that Christ should be put to Death; if the Slaying of Christ had been that without which God would not be pleas'd, it had been no Sin in those that did it, but some Bodies Duty to kill him; and so the notion of their being Mur­derers or Sinners in that Action, had been destroyed. But God never commanded any to put him to Death; but the Action of those who did it, is spoken of in Scripture with the highest Disapprobation. But Christ was to be a Sacrifice, you will say. I answer, That the business of Sacrifices is not well consider'd [Page 137]by many, hor does the Death of Christ agree with the common notion of a Sacrifice, tho' he is in some sense call'd a Sacrifice. Christ is call'd a Priest, and an Altar, and a Sacrifice, when one Person can­not possibly be all these in a proper sense. The Priests slew the Sacrifices; Christ flew not himself, or any other; nor were those who slew him Priests for that purpose. The Priests might without Sin slay the Beasts they offered; those that slew Christ had the absolute Prohibition of God, in the Sixth Commandment. The Offerings with the Levitical Priesthood, not being to be thought for any Profit or Pleasure to God Almighty, could have no reason except some prosit to Man might come thereby; some of them fed the Levites, who had no portion among their Brethren, a People needing a sufficient number of Teachers of the Moral and Civil Law, could they have been contented to be unlike the Nations round about them, satisfied with a Spiritual Worship and Pure Theocracy, without the more pompous and insignificant Ceremonies; but God knowing the Inclination of that People, let them have work burthensom enough, to keep them from the Abominations of the Heathen; had they shewed their Obedience in observing no more than what they were directed in, a burden expensive enough to drain their Superfluities, and enure them to spare, when they should come more to need the Beneficence of one another, when they were no lon­ger a Peculiar People. But whatever might be the Original Reason of Sacrifices, or what apt Tenden­cy there might at any time be found in them, to bring Man to his Chief End; we do not find that any of the Inhabitants of the Earth except the He­brews, nor they till they came into the Wilderness, had any Institutions or Directions about Sacrificing Animals; however Mankind, Hebrews and others, [Page 138]came to be so fond of it for so many Ages. But to leave this, that we may conceive how Christ may be call'd a Sacrifice, let us consider what we find in Scripture as the most Plain Discoveries of God's Mind in relation to Sacrifice, by the Prophets and Apostles, Psal. 50.8. I will not reprove thee for thy Sa­crifices, or thy Burnt-offerings, to have been continually before me. Ver. 9. I will take no Bullock out of thy House, nor He-goats out of thy Folds. Ver. 10. For every Beast of the Forrest is mine, and the Cattel upon a thou­sand Hills. Ver. 11. I know the Fowls of the Moun­tains, and the wild Beasts of the Field are mine, V. 12. If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the World is mine, and the Fulness thereof. V. 13. Will I eat the flesh of Bulls, or drink the blood of Goats? V. 14. Offer unto God Thanksgiving, and pay thy Vows unto the most High. V. 15. And call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. Psal. 51.16. Thou desiredst not Sacrifice, else would I give it, thou de­lightest not in Burnt-offerings. V. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit, &c. Jer. 7.22. I spake not unto your Fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt, concerning Burnt­offerings or Sacrifices. V. 23. But this thing command­ed I them saying, obey my Voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, &c. 1 Sam. 15.22. To obey is better than sacrifice. Hos. 6.6. God will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Math. 9.13. If ye had known what this meaneth I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: Ye would not have condemned the guiltless. Spoken to the Jews condemning his Disciples, when they being hungry plucked the Ears of Corn, but might have been said to them rather when they afterwards more unjustly condemned and slew him. Is. 1.11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord? I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams, and the fat of fed Beasts, and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks, or [Page 139]of Lambs, or of He-goats, &c. And at the 16th. Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil. Ver. 17. Learn to do well, seek Judgment, relieve the Oppressed, judge the Fa­therless, plead for the Widow. Mich. 6.6, 7, 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the High God? Shall I come before him with Burnt offerings, with Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of Oil? Shall I give my first-born for my Transgression, or the fruit of my Body for the sin of my Soul? He hath shewed thee, O Man, what is Good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. But the sacrifices of God, Psal. 107.22. are sacrifices of Thanksgiving: Psal. 4.5. Sacrifices of Righteousness: 1 Pet. 2.5. Spiritual Sacrifices: Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ: Sacrifices of praise and doing good, Heb. 13.15, 16. By him therefore let us offer up the sacri­fice of praise to God continually; that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name: But to do good, and communi­cate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: Sacrifices of love to God and our Neighbour: Mark 12.33. And to love him with all the Heart, and with all the Understanding, and all the Soul, and with all the Strength, and to love his Neighbour as himself, is more than all whole Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices: Living Sacrifices: Rom. 12.1. I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And the Author to the Hebrews, chap. 10.5. brings Christ in from Psal. 40.6, &c. saying to God, A Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not, but a Body hast thou prepared me, as the Septuagint reads it; but the Hebrew hath it, [...], my Ears hast thou digged, viz. opened to hear thy Commands, not to [Page 140]Sacrifice certainly; for saith he, in Burnt-offerings, and Sacrifices for sin, thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo I come to do thy Will, O God. Above when he said Sacrifices, and Burnt-offerings for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein, &c. Then said I, Lo I come to do thy Will, O God. He taketh away the first, viz. Sacrifice, that he may establish the second; viz. doing the Will of God: By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all, &c. Ver. 16. This is the Covenant I will make with them after those days, (speaking, Jer. 31.33. of the New Covenant) saith the Lord, I will put my Laws into their Hearts, and in their Minds will I write them. Ver. 17. And their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more. Ver. 18. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin, &c.

From all which places compared, and many more that we might consider, it appears that Christ is a Sacrifice or Offering acceptable to God, as he does his Will in prosecuting the end of his Mission, the bringing Sinners to Repentance, and Obedience to God, against all opposition, even Death it self; giving up his Body to Death, rather than omit any thing he was to do. And Sinners have the benefit of this Sacrifice; not as God is appeas'd, atton'd, or reconciled to Sin or Sinners by any pleasure that can be added to him by beholding the Pain, Bloodshed, or Death of an innocent Man; but rather as they are attoned, or reconciled to God, and their Duty to him, by beholding Christ's Obedience in doing the Will of his Father, even under the greatest Suf­ferings (even to Death) he could meet with from the opposition of Earth and Hell; his Constancy be­ing a convincing Argument that his Doctrine was good, and his Life to be imitated; a Perswasive to follow him in Gospel, or exact Moral Obedience, through whatsoever Persecution for Righteousness [Page 141]sake, leaving all those external and childish things of the Levitical Priesthood as useless. Wherefore as a better Covenant God saith, He will put his Laws into their Hearts. What Laws? The Laws of Offerings, and Ceremonies might possibly be put into their Hearts; no, such Laws as readily come into the Hearts of considering Persons; such as we have ver. 24. viz. Love and good Works. So that the Obe­dience of Christ is the Christian Sacrifice, but not ours, by its pacifying God for us Sinners; but by our following it as it is an Example, in offering up all we are and have in love to God, which is our reasonable Duty. Christ may also be said to be sacrificed for us as he dedicated and offered up his Life in prosecuting the Good of Sinners, by teaching them, and per­swading them to be reconciled to God. He may also be said to be a Sacrifice to the Wrath and Ma­lice of the wicked Jews, as they devoted him, and gave him up to Death according to the Councel of Caiaphas, to prevent the Romans coming upon them, on the noise of his being said to be the King of the Jews; they supposing (as also his Disciples for some time did) that he meant then to set up an earthly Kingdom, thinking it was better that one Man should die than that the whole Nation should perish.

Again, Christ is call'd a Propitiation; not that he makes God merciful, or propitious to us, but that he makes us capable to experience God's Mercy and Kindness; teaching us the way of Repentance and Obedience, wherein God is found merciful and rea­dy to forgive. The Propitiatory, or Mercy-Seat, from whence Christ is call'd a Propitiation, was the Cover of the Ark, or Coffer wherein were the Ten Words, or Commandments; which did not tipifie Christ as hiding the Commands or Law from God, or interposing between God and the Commands; but signified rather that those who will come to the [Page 142]Seat of God's Mercy, will find the Commands must be kept; and tho' they have run from, or broke the Commands, if they will repent, and return to the Commands, there they will find God's Mercy a­bove, or greater than the Command, or their Sin. So Christ the living Table, from whose Mouth, and in whose Life the Commandments of God were most fairly given to Men, comes declaring God merciful, ready to forgive; but gives us to understand whom he will forgive, and shew Mercy to, even the Merci­ful; those that forgive, or are ready to be conforma­ble to the Will or Commands of God, and not the Impenitent.

43. There is another opinion that has prevailed much in the World, which is this; That Christ by what he did or suffer'd, or by both, hath made per­fect or full Satisfaction to God for the breach of his Laws by Sinners. But this opinion by a little Consi­deration, I think will appear to be a groundless, ab­surd, and impossible Fancy, and accompanied with divers evil Tendencies. As first it is incompatable with, and destroys the notion of Divine Forgiveness: For where-ever a debt is fully paid, it cannot also be truely said to be forgiven; there is no Forgiveness but where something due is abated; which I think is evident to all Men. If I owe a Sum of Money, tho' I am not able, or never do pay it; yet if I have a Friend that can, and does pay it for me, my Creditor does not forgive me. The greatest Pre­tence of an Answer to this Objection against Christ satisfying, I ever heard, is this. That tho' Christ hath fully satisfied, or pay'd the Debt for Sinners, yet God may be said to forgive, because Christ is a Person that God hath found out, given, or prepar'd for this purpose. To which I answer; If Christ be intirely the Gift of God, or hath nothing but what he receives from God, he hath nothing to pay ano­ther's [Page 143]Debt with; all he has, and is, is lent him of God, and is due on his own account; so that all his possible Obedience is but just enough to keep him­self from needing Forgiveness. He that owes all he has, cannot spare to pay anothers Debts, without rendering himself incapable of paying his own. If Christ hath any thing, or is any thing, which he has not, or is not from God, (which I think none will say) whereby he might be fancied capable of Works of Supererogation wherewith to make God a­mends for the Debts of Sinners, God would be ne­vertheless paid their Debts; and so the Sinner not forgiven. As if a Person owe me Money and can't pay it, tho' I find out, and perswade another to pay the Debt, I have my due, and I have not forgiven it. But let us consider this point a little more closely, as the matter is in it self, and without Allusions. The Law of God to his Creatures requires Perfect, Perpe­tual, and Personal Obedience; that is, that every Creature, according to its Capacity, always should will as God wills. The End of the Law of God is Obedience, or that it never be broken; now the Creature having disobey'd, or will'd otherwise than God wills, nothing can possibly make it true that it hath not disobey'd; consequently there can be no Perfect Satisfaction to the Demands of the Law, when once 'tis broken. He that never breaks the Law, is indeed just, and fully satisfies it; he that has broke it, may possibly come to keep it for the fu­ture; but this Law saith, thou shalt, and thou shalt not, without excepting at any time what the Creature is capable of; so that future Obedience cannot satisfie for former Disobedience; because the Obedience of all the Creatures time is due; and the perfect and perpetual Obedience of every Creature is but just e­nough. What is done amiss can never be undone; the Obedience that is unpaid, can never be paid for [Page 144]the time past, because the time past wherein I ought to have been obedient, is irrevocable. Now if a Man's own Imperfect, Partial Obedience, or that which was not always, can't Satisfie, or be Enough, or Equivalent for, and with Perfect, Full, and Per­petual Obedience; much less can the Obedience of one, be the same with his own and anothers Obedi­ence, and so satisfie or be enough for the unper­formed Duty of another. If I have sinned, tho' Christ hath obey'd, Christ's Obedience doth not make it true that I have not sinn'd, it is not as much Obedience as his own and mine too, which the Law requires; nor makes it that which was, or is due to God, not to have been due, or now not due. If I have sinn'd the Law is broke, and nothing can possi­bly make it unbroke; and unless it were wholly un­broke, there is not enough done, or Satisfaction made to the Law. Some sort of Sins as they are against Man, may indeed be satisfied for to Man, because Man may get or loose, and sometimes receive an ad­vantage greater than his loss: But the Evil of Sin lies not in God's getting or loosing by Obedience or Disobedience; for God cannot be profited. All the Creature has, he has from God; and all God re­quires him, is but his Duty, and the least breach of the Law makes it not kept enough. He that is once guilty of a breach of God's Law, it remains for ever true of him that he has broke it, and is guilty. All that can possibly be done on the part of the Sinner, when the Command has been broke, is that it be kept for the future, and more than is possible in this case cannot be done. Therefore the best that can be conceived as to what has been done amiss, is that it be forgiven. He that comes at length to keep God's Law perfectly, may be said then to satisfie it, not to have satisfied it. Christ we believe did always per­fectly satisfie the Law of God for himself; and as he [Page 145]is the Instrument that brings Men to Repentance and Obedience, he is said to bring in everlasting Righte­ousness: So he is said to justifie as he brings Men to be just. But Christ's keeping the Law, cannot pos­sible be said to be another's keeping it, that don't keep it, or serve instead of it. It is not enough that one Person fulfil the Law, all should do so. There can be no obeying by Proxy in this matter; such a Fancy would be no better than being saved, or go­ing to Heaven only by Proxy. Again, if future O­bedience cannot be Obedience for the time past in Disobedience; and if one Man's Obedience cannot be another Man's Obedience, much less can the Suffering, or Unhappiness a Creature meets with in or by Sin, be a Satisfaction for Sin, or instead of O­bedience, or enough without it. The Law of God does not say it is alike acceptible to the Lawgiver, that you do which you will, obey, or be miserable in disobeying; but saith absolutely, thou shalt, and thou shalt not; do so and so. To be unhappy is no Du­ty or Debt we owe to God; nor is our Discontent, tho' we are discontented for ever, equivalent to, or that which God takes instead of our being pleas'd, in our Maker's Will. 'Tis Obedience only he re­quires: Happiness and Misery are but the natural Consequences of our being obedient or disobedient, yea in some sense the same as Obedience and Diso­bedience. To forbid Sin is also to forbid Misery; Misery cannot be alike acceptable to God as Obedi­ence, any more than Sin can. God's Law is never the less broke by the Creatures being unhappy, or discontent, but rather the more; because Discon­tent is grounded chiefly in willing either that which is not good, or that which is not possible. God can never will the Creatures Misery, instead of Obedi­ence; for to be unhappy by willing otherwise than God wills, is but continued Disobedience to God, [Page 146]who wills all Men to repent, believe, and obey, or else it were not their Duty. And he wills them to be saved from their Sins, or else he could not will them to obey, which is the same thing. God can­not absolutely will Unhappiness to the Creature without willing the cause of it, its Sin; nay what God wills me to do can't properly be call'd my Sin, but my Duty; and none can well believe Duty is the Cause of Misery. Sinners tho' damned, and be­coming as miserable as possible, do not thereby satis­fie the Law of God, suffering by Sinning, not being Obedience, but doing ones Duty. That a Murde­rer, or Thief, is commonly said to have satisfied the Law, when he is put to Death, is a vulgar Error, especially if it be meant of God's Law, according to which Humane Laws ought to speak. The cause why God has ordered a Murderer to be put to Death, is not to satisfie the Law: Which saith, Thou shalt not kill; for that could not be said to be kept enough, tho' the Death of the Murderer would re­store the life he took away; for it was but enough, if he had never committed Murder so much as in de­sire. But the Murderer suffers Death rather because Satisfaction can't be made; that he may be prevent­ed doing such an irrepairable Wickedness any more. He that hath once by such an Act declar'd himself a dangerous Enemy to Mankind, one that regards not his Maker's Law, but is very likely to be the loss of other Lives better than his, if he be suffer'd to live, dies to prevent greater Evil, and to save more precious Lives. For any other Man's life is worth more than the life of such a Madman as a Murderer, being like­ly to be more beneficial to Mankind than such an ini­mical and dangerous Person. But in some Sins, as they are committed against Man, Satisfaction may possibly be made to Man; and I think it unreasona­ble, as well as dissonant to the Laws of God, that a [Page 147]Man should be put to Death for an Injury done to ano­ther Man, where Satisfaction may fully be made, as in Theft, &c. If I am robb'd, what is so taken from me may be restor'd with such advantage that I may be really no looser, but have that returned that will be better to me than what was taken away, and coun­tervail for the fear, danger, or other Damages I may have suffer'd in beingrobb'd; so that then I cannot truly count my self a Looser, but rather a Gainer. And by such Satisfaction made, the Thief will be a sufficient Looser, without loosing life, which is of more value than all the Goods a Man hath. And if all the Goods I have is of less value to me than my Life, I cannot but grant that all I have is of less va­lue than anothers Life. It is certainly best where there is least Evil, and the designs of all wise Law­givers is, that there may be as little evil as possible: The first intent of a Law is, that it should be kept: The second, that if it be broken, amends may be made if possible, or as far as can be. And the last, that the Transgressor be prevented, or discouraged from doing so any more. Now in the case of Theft, if I am robb'd my Reason presently tells me, I ought in Justice to have what was took from me restor'd, (if it may be) which is better, and more desirable to me than that the Thief should be destroy'd, which no way makes me amends, unless I could count the devillish pleasure I may take in his Misery, equiva­lent to my Goods: But if the Thief be caused to make Restitution, there is less evil, which if it were made with sufficient interest for what he robb'd, or borrow'd against my Will, the Thief would be suffi­ciently discouraged by finding Thieving an unpro­fitable trade, and no way for his interest. Where the Robber has nothing to restore, he might serve in Prison, and work it out. By which means such Crimes would be more prevented, as being made the [Page 148]way to Poverty, and Work, the things such covetous Persons seek to avoid by stealing from others; when Death it self is to them but as a desperate cure of the Disease of Want, which some passionate Persons in this, and other Discontents, will inflict upon them­selves.

But to leave this Digression; If the Sinner's own Misery is not a Satisfying God's Law equal to Obe­dience, anothers Misery can much less be a Satis­faction for him; and least of all can the Sufferings of Christ, an innocent Person, satisfie the Law of God broken by Sinners. It is true, Christ suffered for Sinners, as well as by Sinners; that is, he under­went all the Sufferings he met with in prosecuting their Good, for their sakes; because he would not have suffered had it not been for them. But tho [...] Christ suffered for Sinners and by Sinners, it cannot therefore be said Sinners have not sinned, or that they have done enough of the Law. And as Christ's doing righteously, is not the Sinner's doing so, so Christ's Suffering is not the Sinner's Suffering, could Suffering be equivalent to, or please God as well as Obedience; much less is Christ's Suffering the Sin­ner's doing his Duty. People very confidently fan­cy, and assert most absurd things of Christ's Suffer­ings; That God is so mightily pleas'd therewith, that he is not so much displeas'd with Sin; nay, that he don't dislike all other Sin so much, as he likes his innocent Son's Undeserved Suffering from the hands of Sinners. They fancy God loves the Misery of his poor guilty Creatures so much, that nothing must prevent it; rather than he will not have the pleasing sight of as great pains as all his fallen Creatures can possibly suffer, he will have it in the Innocent. They represent God as one that taketh pleasure in the Death of him that dies; in the Death of the Innocent for the Guilty; as one much more pleas'd with the [Page 349]Punishment of the Just, than of the Transgressor. The most blameless Creature that ever was, must not be abated one dram of Torment they can devise, fancy due, or wish to their most wicked Enemies. They are not contented Christ should suffer those things merciless and unjust Sinners could lay upon him by means of his Body, or what might come by the fear and apprehension thereof; what he might suffer, in his great Compassion to Sinners and Love to God, on the Consideration of Man's Sin and Mi­sery, and God's leaving him for a time, who loved him so greatly, without more than common Assi­stance under these Sorrows, or what he might possi­bly bear from attempts of Satan; but they make God the Active Inflicter of more than all this, of the greatest Torment, even that of the Damned, on that dear Soul, who was the greatest Saint; making God like a Tyrant, like themselves or worse: They tell strange Stories of Christ's bearing the weight of his Father's Wrath, Burning Wrath: Yea, I have heard an ignorant, but confident Preacher, tell his incon­siderate Hearers, that Christ was a Sacrifice, and roasted in his Father's Wrath, and his Agony was Certamen, a Contest or Fight, and that Christ fought not with Devils, not with Men, but with his Father. But God himself testified the contrary to these bold Fancies, by a Voice from Heaven, that he was his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased; and we can't suppose that God changed his Mind, and be­came displeas'd with him who never sinn'd, nor can he be suppos'd to contend, fight, or be displeas'd with his Father's Will, while we grant him without Sin; which is another Argument that God's Will was not the cause of his Sufferings; for there is no Suffering but from some sort of Displeasure with the case we are in; and if Christ were displeas'd with what God did, he sinned. But we believe God [Page 150]could not be displeas'd with Christ, being without any fault at all, so neither could Christ be displeas'd with God; but he might be displeas'd and uneasie, by means of Sinners. It must be a hard Heart, and impudent Tongue that can believe, or affirm that God was wrath with the most Innocent Creature, and tormented him, when God calls him his Beloved Son. God left him indeed to that Cup of the Sor­rows of Death, occasion'd by the Body, inflicted by wicked hands: he left him deeply to be sorry for, and sympathize with miserable Sinners, and to grieve for the breach of his Father's Laws; but he never left him without the Knowledge of God's being his God and Father; he never had the Misery of De­spair, Envy, Malice, Wrath, Strong desire of Im­possibilities, Hate of God, &c. the chiefest Ingredi­ents of the Damned's Misery. Whatever was his fear of that Cup, the painful, and lingering Death of the Cross, which was likely to be so tedious to one who in all probability had not been accustom'd to Sickness, or Bodily Pains; yet he was not left with­out the Heavenly Assistance of an Angel to streng­thening him. Whatever was God's forsaking him, he was sure God was his loving Father, and that that day he should be in Paradise. If God left him to all the Pain and Anguish, the cruel Death of Crucifixion, or the Apprehension of it might produce in an Inno­cent Man (as he has left many of his Followers to cruel Torments) and did not interpose and prevent the Cup of Sufferings by some extraordinary means; God can be thought to be no more but the Permit­ter of the Wicked so far to afflict the Righteous, and to work no Miracle to separate Sorrows and Pains, from their common Conditions in Humane Nature. Christ's Patience under all, praying for his Enemies, submitting to Death, tho' he deserved it not, rather than omit his Duty, may be of great use to us to set [Page 151]before us the greatest Pattern of Good-behaviour under Sufferings for Righteousness sake, and to fore­warn us what we must expect if we will be his Fol­lowers. And whatever was the Cup Christ spake of in his Agony, the Author to the Hebrews, ch. 5.7, 8, 9. tells us, that when he had offered up Prayers and Suppli­cations, with strong Crying and Tears, unto him that was able to save him from Death, he was heard from his fear, (which may encourage us;) and tho' he were a Son he learned Obedience by the things that he suffered; and being made perfect, he became a cause of eternal Sal­vation: To whom? to all them that obey him. So that, if we should suppose Satisfaction possible to be made, how full soever, this Text tells us we could not be saved alone on the account of what Christ hath done or suffered, because something else is yet necessary, viz. our Obedience; so Christ's doing and suffering is not indeed enough for us, and so re­ally no Satisfaction. But that God does truely for­give Sinners, that I think is so clearly, and often de­clar'd in Scripture, it needs not be farther demonstra­ted; and Satisfaction cannot stand with Forgive­ness, any more than the Word can be found in Scrip­ture.

44. Having here discoursed somewhat concerning Sufferings, I think it most proper to subjoin my Thoughts about the Common Opinion relating to the Evil call'd Punishment, or the Miseries of the Creature, consequent on Sin: Wherein I think Men are generally mistaken, while they look upon God as truely and properly the Inflicter; as the sole Cause, and Efficient of this Misery of the Sinner and obliged so to be. It is no wonder indeed that those Men should be of this opinion, who believe God was a Punisher, and that a severe One, of the Inno­cent Jesus; they forgetting even the Oath of God, That the Soul that sinneth shall die; the Righteousness of [Page 152]the Righteous shall be upon him, and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him; one shall not bear anothers Wickedness, as we read at large Ezek. 18.

Nor is it strange that any, who do not believe the Goodness of God greater than they can conceive, or desire, should esteem God the Author of some sort of Evil. But for my part, I must confess I do not see cause to believe that God is properly and positively a Punisher, or the cause of Unhappiness in any of his Creatures, much less bound to be so; or that any Evil can proceed from the Fountain of all Good, or any thing but what's good from Goodness it self; but if God give any thing, it must needs be good. I would here be understood to speak properly; for I know the Scripture, Tropically and Figuratively, after the manner of Men, speaks often to the con­trary. I do not deny, but affirm, that the wicked that die impenitent, shall be exceeding miserable, and suffer Exquisite Torments: But I do not believe that those Torments, or Pains, and Diseases in this life, are inflicted, or caused by God's Immediate Hand, but are the Work and Procurement of Sin­ners, according to that Jer. 2.19. Thine own Wicked­ness shall correct thee, &c. God can I think be no more the Cause of the Creatures Misery than of its Sin, otherwise than as he is the Cause of the Crea­tures being capable thereof; so that the Creature could neither sin nor sorrow, if God had not made it a Creature.

Let us endeavour to clear this matter if possible, that I may not be thought by all Men grosly mista­ken, to hold so great a Paradox as that God does not punish for Sin.

There are two sorts of Evils the Creature is ca­pable of, Sin and Misery, or rather Sin and Displea­sure; which though we call two, are in many Re­spects the same.

That God should be the Cause of Sin, few will in words, tho' many do in consequence, affirm; and I think I have said enough before to convince them both. But Displeasure or Misery most Men I meet with, esteem God the Cause of to the Creature. In the Consideration of Misery, we have,

First, The Want of Good or Pleasure.

Secondly, The Presence of Evil or Displeasure.

First, As to the Want of Pleasure: It is certain God made Intelligent Creatures capable of Intense, and perpetual Pleasure and Satisfaction; but if the Creature has it not, it is not God's fault: It was impossible the Creature should have continual Hap­piness or Pleasure, as God has it, viz. independently in it self, or by its own Will as its own, oppos'd to the Will of God: God could make it no more than a Creature, and so the Creature must needs be satisfied by its Creator. But if the Creature turns from God, and sets up a Will against him, he must needs want Satisfaction, when through Creature-Impotence he can't have his Will, God's Will not concurring with his; and when, through Creature-Folly, he has wil­led what was not best for him, and finds it so. So that if the Creature wants any Pleasure or Good, it is because he has turned from it, or left it, or at least has some other Sinners hindering it, or taking it from him by their Sin; for even the Innocent (as Christ was) being Creatures, may suffer by the Sins of others. But the presence of this Evil of Displea­sure, may farther be considered under two Heads. 1st. Displeasure merely mental. 2dly. Displeasure, or Pain by the occasion of the Body; both of them in their center, are nothing but discontented or un­easie Thoughts; a Consideration or Apprehension of something against ones Will. Now as to the first; If I desire that which is contrary to the Order of the Creation, unfit to be, and cannot have it, and there­fore [Page 154]am foolishly discontent, angry, fret, rage, &c. it is not God that makes me do so: No, the disorder­ly Desire is a Sin, something against God's Will, there­fore God don't will it. To will something against God's Will is a Sin; and to be angry, and fret and rage because we can't have our disorderly Will, is a farther Aggravation of the Sin, a stronger Will a­gainst God's Will, therefore God can't cause or will it; that were to cause Sin; so that God cannot be suppos'd the Cause of the Mental Unhappiness, or Displeasure. God has given Man a very large desire, but for what; that it should be crossed because he is but a Creature, and can't be God? No, but that it may be satisfied in the way it possibly can, viz. by its Maker, in the compliance with his Will, in the excel­lent Order of the Creation; that Man willing what God wills, viz. that which is good, and so to be doneby God's Power, may be very happy.

But as to those uneasie Thoughts we have, or may have by occasion of the Body, which go under the name of Pain and Disease, there seems more difficul­ty to excuse God's hand from being the Giver. But I think, if we consider, it may soon appear that God is no more the Cause of all the Conditions, or the Actual Existence of this Misery, than of that Discontent Sinners have when they have not their foolish Wills in other things. The Connection of the Body with the Mind, without which such Sen­sations are not probably thought to be in the Mind, is to be ascribed to God as the cause. The manner of this Union of Soul and Body, is Use; the Mind de­sires to use the Body, acts upon it, by, and with it, and receives divers Ideas, or Thoughts of Body, by occasion of it: God's Will is indeed the Bond of this Union; he wills that the Mind should desire to use its Body, gives the Mind power to move it, and to do divers things in Bodily Nature by it; and causes that [Page 155]when such and such Conditions are in the Body, the Mind should have such and such Ideas or Thoughts, pleasing or displeasing: But, as I said before of Sin, God made Man capable of Sin, not that he might sin; so God made Man capable of displeasing Thoughts by means of the Body, not that he might have them as the end of the Capacity, but that he might as much as possible avoid the least thing that tends to the spoiling or disordering of the Body, with which he is to act a Part for a time. When there are the Conditions of Pain or Disease, God in his gene­ral Law in Nature wills Pain, or discontented Thoughts, should follow, and so this Discontent in it self is not sinful: but God is not the Cause of the Ap­plication of the Conditions, but the Sinner himself, or some other Sinner for him. When there is such and such a Body abus'd, and unduly apply'd to Man's Body, the Mind presently is uneasie, as at the ap­proach of some Enemy; but this Uneasiness was not the end God caused in Man such a Sensibility; but that Man might be the more affected with the plea­sing Sensations, he has made him capable of by avoid­ing at the first touch all things that tend to remove the Conditions of Pleasure; that he might sooner be warned so, than he could by Consideration. God made Man exquisitely sensible that he might be ca­pable of Pleasure even by having a Body, and not be as it were imprison'd against his Will; and when­ever the Conditions of Pleasure are present, God fails not to cause that Sensation, tho' under Circum­stances where the Creature acts against his Will: So on the contrary. But Man has a power given him to use or abuse things; and it is one part of his bu­siness in this World to do all those things that tend to keep his Body most in health and ease, that he may be the more capable of the chief part of his work, which does not relate only to this Life, but [Page 156]that which is to come; viz. the rectifing his Thoughts in order to his greatest, and lasting Hap­piness. But to bring the matter near the eye if pos­sible, take this instance. Fire tends to the Destructi­on of the Body if too nearly apply'd, but if keept at a due distance it occasions a sort of Pleasure tending to the Conservation of the Bodily frame: God is the Cause I am pleas'd or displeas'd, as it's due or undue application, but he does not unduely apply it; nor has he created it of such a nature for my Hurt or Displeasure; that would be a Disorder in his Works, but for my Good, the Conservation of my Body and Pleasure. But when that, or any other Body is ap­ply'd to my Hurt, it is I my self, or some other Sin­ner, that either ignorantly, carelesly, foolishly, or wickedly abuses it. Now my bare being uneasie, or displeas'd at the undue application of things, is not sinful; my unduely applying them may be very cul­pable. Christ we believe was innocent, tho' he had an uneasie Aversation at the application of things hurtful to his Body; but he did not apply them, nor did God apply them, or will them apply'd; for if he had so done, Christ's being uneasie or displea'd, would not easily be excus'd from Sin. So if I drink, or eat to excess, and get a Feavor, Headach, or Ver­tigo, God is not properly said to be the Cause of my being so disordered; but my self, in abusing my Meat and Drink. It is certain that 'tis the abuse of Bodily things, and extravagant Passions of the Mind, that procures Sickness and Pains, and Sinners are the Authors of these Abuses: and yet alas, I hear them often the Authors of a greater, viz. to say that it is the Hand of God that does all the mischief in the City. With the greatest Confidence will some Men affirm the greatest Contradictions and Absurdities, if they can but bring some mistaken place of Scripture seeming to countenance their opinion; so [Page 157]they will not fail to prove (as they think) whatso­ever they fancy, or please. And there is no Fancy so extravagant but Men may find some pretence of Scripture for it, even to contradict Sense and Rea­son, yea to prove that God is the Author of Sin, and all the Disorders in the World, they think they have God's own Word for it. But Men would do well before they affirm God to say a thing, to consider what the thing said is, and on what occasion, and whose immediate words, and how it can be under­stood. It is I think impossible to prove God saith a thing till we hear it, or that he saith that which appears to a considerate Man unreasonable, or con­tradictory. God's Word cannot be double, for and against. I believe I cannot have a greater notion of Goodness, than there is really in God; the Scrip­tures abound with nothing more than Declarations of the Goodness of God: But I had rather acknow­ledge my self a Fool, or mistaken in Scripture, or be confuted in any thing, than have a less notion of the Divine Goodness. If I should endeavour to prove a greater notion of the Goodness of God, than is commonly believed, from Texts of Scripture, I should be pelted with others; which is the common way of dispute, knock down Text with Text, knock down Reason with Scripture; but what I have now said, may help any one to judge how far God may be said to cause Evil. God is indeed said in Scripture to send, yea to create Evil; but if the matter be nearly scand, it is no more but he permits it, leaving Men to them­selves, and other evil Agents; or he does Men a Spiritual Good, which indirectly is the occasion of a Bodily Evil; as Repentance, and Righteousness is the occasion of Persecution. But the Fountain of Good, Goodness it self cannot properly give any thing but Good: Yet often have I been grieved to hear the Goodness of God blemish'd and wrong'd, as [Page 158]it is commonly even in Pulpits, when Bills are put up for Prayers for the Sick, and Troubled in Mind; how confidently will the Preacher hold up his bold Face to God, and tell him he hath afflicted this Man, hid his Face from that Woman; his Hand is heavy on One, and he is withdrawn from Another? Nay to say God hath visited a Person in the usual can, is as much as to say some Mischief or other hath been with them. Then the Preacher, as a great Man with God, is to perswade him to change his Mind, and forbear such his troublesom Visits. And as he is in their opinion the Immediate Cause of such Evils, they would sometimes have him without any condition, that is miraculously remove them, or if the Parson, being a Friend to the Doctor or Apo­thecary, advises them to use means, then God is to be intreated to bless whatever is used, (I might say abus'd) as an Antidote to frustrate, or take away the Effects of his Will, tho' it be that which was never created to be a Medicine for the Disease they give it for. And this is also to desire a Miracle, to work an Effect by that God never made for a means; as to cause Fire to cool one, and Snow to warm one. But what is the matter good People with the Man thus pray'd for? Why he hath got the Gout, or the Pox, or a Feaver, &c. Alas, I'll tell you whence he had it. He hath took too much of the harsh Liquor of a foreign Country, and been too idle, and so vitiated the Crasis of the Liquors of his Body. Or he has stray­ed, and been too busie within the Confines of a strange Woman, that proved too hot a Climate for him; he has been in some great Passion, or vigorous Persute of some Worldly thing, and inflamed his Blood; indulged his Appetite, and debauched his Stomach with more Victuals or Drink than it could digest, and so supply'd his Blood with a vitiated Juice, or he hath been guilty of some other Intem­perance. [Page 159]Poor Man, dost thou think these are God's Visits? No, they are rather the Devils, or yet rather thou hast visited the Devil. Is this the hand of God? No it is the hand of thy own Concupi­scence: Thine own Wickedness hath corrected thee; God is good, and doth good; he is good to all, and his Tender Mercies are over all his Works, and no good thing will he so much as withhold from them that walk uprightly. The Councel I will give thee is to repent, and do so no more; pray to God to forgive thee, and to direct thee to a Physician to whom he hath given the Knowledge of those things that are as Natural Means to reduce the Effects of thy Disorders, as the things thou abusedst were to procure them. But what's the matter with the poor Woman that complains so of God's leaving, or hiding his Face from her, where­by she is so much grieved? Sure she loves him migh­tily, and wants a Visit. Shall I be as plain with her as the Parson ought to be? Poor Soul, she's a Sinner she knows full well; and tho' God has promised to forgive her if she will repent, yet she can't believe he will be so good as his Word; she's loath to repent and try him, except she were sure: She can't find in her heart to forgive her poor Debters; Some-body or o­ther has wrong'd her, and she's resolved to have Sa­tisfaction; it is but just: So she thinks God must have Satisfaction for her Sins, or he can't be just; and tho' she has heard a Sin-sweetning-Story that Christ hath made Satisfaction for Sinners, she can't believe she is of that number, she is not sure she's one of the small number predestinated: Shall I tell her yet more plainly what's her Disease? She loves Sin too much, Duty too little; her Heart is not inflam'd with Love to God, so as to influence all her Actions: She has not had him represented to her so Good, Merciful, Loving, Ready to Forgive all freely, as indeed he is: Besides that Witness for God the Con­science, [Page 160]that testifies when Man hath done well or ill, is not clear perhaps, and according to the mea­sure of Obedience or Disobedience, in known Duty, will the Comfort or Discomfort generally be to a convicted Soul; and faith that there is Forgiveness with God is one Duty, without which Comfort is seldom securely enjoy'd.

Now let us consider, has God left, or afflicted such Persons? No, they have left God, and hid themselves from him; let them but be perswaded to turn to God, and believe his Infinite Love and Goodness, and love him with all their Hearts, and they will quickly find that Perfect Love casts out Fear; their Troubles will cease with the restifying their Judgments, and chang­ing their Wills. Now of all the Miseries sinful Crea­tures are lyable to, the Eternal Torments (as they are call'd) of the Damned in Hell can, I think, with least reason be thought to come from the hand of the Best Being, as the Inflicter or Executioner; when these Miseries may well be thought chiefly to con­sist in the Exasperation, and height of those uneasie Thoughts which are the very Acts of Sin; as Wrath, Envy, Hate, Despair, Desire impossible to be satis­fied, &c. Add unto these their Effects, with whatso­ever Devils, and Immortal wicked Men may be able to inflict upon one another, and the most uncharita­ble Soul can hardly desire a greater Hell for his grea­test Enemy. But what I have said already of Dis­pleasure, merely Mental, and that which comes by the means of the Body, may be easily applied here, if well considered. But yet farther, methinks it is a very hard Thought to think that God who (as the beloved Disciple tells us) is Love, should hate, and take Plea­sure or Delight in tormenting his poor, foolish, frail Creatures; or that he should afflict willingly, (or from his Heart;) or affect with Grief the Children of Men, and that for ever. But he must be supposed either [Page 161]to do it willingly, and take pleasure in so doing, or he cannot properly be said to do it; for God cannot with any reason be said to do any thing against his own Will, or in which he has not pleasure; that can­not be suppos'd of a Perfect, or Self sufficient Being; nor can any action of the Creature be thought to bring God under a necessity of doing any thing he delights not in; and he swears he hath no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked, Ezek. 33.11. chap. 18.32. It is the Sinner that will die, or chooseth Death; he seeks pleasure indeed; but he hath it not, because he seeks it where it is not to be had, viz. in his own foolish disorderly Will, distinct from God's Will when God cannot give it him that way, it being impossible. The Damned doubtless are exceeding uneasie; why? they have turned from God the Fountain of Plea­sure: They have lived and died in a course contra­ry to God's Will, contrary to the only possible way of Happiness; and God is just in suffering them to have their own choise, in leaving them after innu­merable Arguments to perswade them to real good, to make the Experiment how happy they can be without being beholden to him; and it is enough to shew that God approves not of their Sin, if he conti­nue their Being, his Work, under the greatest Misery they can bring themselves into; and as they are no more sinful than they themselves, and their fellow Sin­ners can make them; so if they have no more Mise­ry than what they can work in themselves, and one another, it will be proportionable to their Sins, and both may be exceeding great. God can't be thought to work or cause Despair, Wrath, Malice, Hate, and Envy, at the greatest Good, Extream Discontent at his Will, and the Happiness of others, fierce, furious, unsatisfied Desire, &c. in his Creatures, he must not be thought to be the Cause or Agent of those sinful Passions; they are all against his Will, as he hath [Page 162]clearly manifested. And we cannot suppose, that God's Justice requires, that Sinners for a short life of Rebellion against their Maker in this World, should be bound to rebel against him for ever; or believe that they can satisfie for some Sins here, with a Con­tinuance of all Sins they are capable of in a State of Immortality hereafter. No, there is no necessity of Unhappiness but what the Sinners own perverse Will brings upon him; his disorderly Passions are let loose, and to what extremity Passions may be carried out, who knows? These will be Tormen­ters if there were no Devils able to vex. And where these evil Passions are in their extream, how can it be thought that the Bodies such Anxious Souls would delight in, can be other than the Occasions of far greater Misery than they were capable of being in this Life, [wherein some of the Passions disorder'd have brought the Bodies to be very uneasie Conco­mitants] with this Aggravation, that they have then no more Death to expect to rid them of that un­comfortable Companion, unless we could suppose that Hell it self hath at least this Happiness to be a Remedy for the Diseases of the Body, and a Safe­guard from all those Evils Sinners could lay upon one another in this life; or that their Folly could bring God under a necessity to disown his well-wrought Work, their Being, and to let them fall into nothing. As for the Examples of external Judgments (as they are call'd) which we have especially in Scripture, wherein some may think the immediate Act of God, as inflicting, is always required; when they were more than Preventions of greater Evils the Persons would have run into, they may easily be accounted for, by supposing Men sometimes left to the power of the Devil, the Prince of the power of the Air; who seems eagerly covetous to enlarge the Domini­on of Hell, or to do any kind of Mischief. Of this [Page 163]we have an Example in Job: Or that God some­times withdraws his Providential hand from protect­ing a People, or a Person that leaves him, and suf­fers them to fall into the hands of others that are wicked, their Enemies: As were the Judgments on Israel, or others by Inimical Nations; in which In­stances we can't suppose God does inspire the evil Agents with malicious Desires of Murders, Robbe­ries, Rapes, &c. God may indeed be thought to permit, yea commissionate a People to stand up a­gainst another in just defence, and to cut off the de­clared, and dangerous Enemies of Mankind; but such wicked Persons have brought others under a ne­cessity of preserving themselves, and them that are better than these wicked ones, or of delivering the Unhappy that are in their hands. God may likewise leave Persons obnoxious to be surprized by the Ele­ments; as by Thunder and Lightning, Earthquakes, Inundations, (things not evil in themselves) Falls of Houses, Infectious Diseases, Casual Fires, by which wicked Men may suffer, yea the Good be translated from this wretched life without any special Act of God. But all these things, or I think whatever you can name of Evils, would be absent were Men but as wise and good as they ought: Wisdom would fore­see and prevent, and Goodness do no ill; the Wise and Good would not expose themselves or others to the too strong Motions of Bodily Nature, nor want God's special Preservation, which the Rebellious have forfeited. Were but the Evil of Sin absent from the World, I do not see that there would be any o­ther Evil for which Mankind could be thought un­happy, or could be unthankful for their Being, tho' all things else were just as they are, yea were Man to lead his Life on this Earth for ever. Had I but this one Point to handle, I think I could easily shew how, were there not Sin, all the Defects in Nature [Page 164]would be remedied. To conclude, God hath made all things in an excellent Order, such as is most conducive to Man's Happiness; but if Man foolishly affect to be his own Rule, and strive to cross the most wise Order of his Maker, it is no wonder that those things God made for his Good and Service, are often the Occasions of his Hurt, and too hard for him: God continues the Natures and Qualities of things; and it is not fit he should alter the Crea­tion, at the foolish Caprice of every silly Man, that Fire may not burn, and Water not drown, when Sinners please to have them changed; but tho' Fire burn, and Water drown him that foolishly abuses them, yet those noxious Effects cannot properly be looked on as Punishments inflicted by God, any more than he that hangs himself can be said to die by the hands of the Executioner. And if God can­not be said to give Good to his Creatures as obliged so to do, but still gives of Grace; how can he be thought to be so bound to give Evil, as that he can­not be said merely to permit the Creature to make it self miserable.

45. Another Opinion that hath passed long with Credit in the World, without any good ground, is the Doctrine of Imputation of Sin and Righteous­ness. Adam's Sin, say some, is imputed to his Off­spring, and so they become guilty in the sight of God, and are deprived of original Righteous­ness. Let us consider the Plain English of it, and it is this; God reckons Adam's Children guilty of Adam's Sin: They don't mean the same Sin in kind, but that God charges them as guilty of their Fathers very Acts of Transgression; which is all one as to say that Adam's Act of Sin, is his Childrens Act. But this cannot be true; for as my Father's Action is not my Action, nor my Action my Father's, God cannot be deceived, and suppose the doing of one [Page 165]Man is the doing of another. Men commonly say we sinn'd in Adam; but it is absurd to say a Man sinn'd before he had a Being; that which is not can have nothing said of it; nor can it do, till it is. We were indeed potentially in Adam, but not actually; and where there is no actual Being, there can be no Action to be guilty of. God himself tells us by a Prophet, The Father shall not bear the Iniquity of the Son, nor the Son the Iniquity of the Father; but the Wick­edness of the Wicked shall be upon him, and the Righteous­ness of the Righteous shall be upon him; and the contra­ry would be unjust. One Man may commit the same Sin another did commit, and in that sense be guilty of the other Man's Sin, or rather of the same kind of Sin the other did commit: Or one Man may tempt another to sin, and so be guilty of the others Sin; but still a Man's Guilt is his own, and not anothers. It may with more reason be said that Adam is guil­ty of our Sins, and we of the Sins of our Off-spring, than that we are guilty of his, or they of ours, be­cause sinful Parents are the cause of bringing a sin­ful Off spring into the World, and often their In­structers in Wickedness. It is certain that one Man may suffer by the Sins of another; but not for the Sins of another, justly. The Father may waste his Estate, and so the Children may be brought to Po­verty; the Father may teach his Child to do Evil either by Precept or Example, and so bring him to Misery. As for the Propagation or Original of Sin, in Adam's Posterity, there are Two Opinions, either of them much more likely to be true than the Fancy of Imputation of Sin, or God's taking away original Righteousness; which is no better than to say my First Father sinn'd, and God charges me with it, tho' not guilty of it, and causes me therefore to want Righteousness, or to become a Sinner. Taking a­way ones Righteousness is tempting one to sin. The [Page 166]one of the two more probable Opinions, is that the Soul, as well as the Body, is propagated; and a sin­ful Soul is uncapable of begetting a Soul, without sinful Inclinations; a pure thing being unlikely to come out of an impure. Now least it should seem that the Soul is suppos'd propagated without any ground for such an Opinion, I say both Scripture and Reason do at least favour it: Adam begat a Son in his own likeness; and Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob. 'Tis not said Adam begat a Body, but a Son in his own Likeness; if he had begat only a Body, he had not begat a Son in his own Likeness. Adam was the Image of God as he was an Intelligent Being, and a Lord over the inferiour Creatures; and if Adam had not begat an Intelligent, or Thinking Son, he had not indeed begat a Son in his own Likeness. It is said of the Regenerate they were not begotten of Bloods, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, which implys that a Natural Man is so begotten; as to his Body of Bloods, that supplies Matter to the Seed; and of the Will of the Flesh, that is Carnal Desire, instigating its Projecti­on; but as to his Soul of the Will of Man, desiring to get his like. That the Body of a Man proceeds from the Bodies of his Parents, none doubts; why may not the Soul as well proceed from the Soul of the Father in the Act of Generation, or of the Mo­ther in Conception? It is by Virtue of the Word of God, Increase and Multiply, that there is any Genera­tion at all; and why may not the same Word give a power to the Soul to beget a Soul, as well as to the Body to beget a Body? The Word is spoken to Man as a Compound of Body and Soul, and neither part is excepted. Isaac was a compleat Man, con­sisting of Body and Soul; if Abraham begat only Isaac's Body, he did not truely beget Isaac. But you will say perhaps, the Body is divisible, and part of [Page 167]it may be separated, and become another Body; but the Soul does not consist of parts, and so cannot be thought capable of producing another Soul. I an­swer; This is no difficulty; for the Soul to be be­gotten does not consist of Parts, has no Quantity or Bulk, and so needs not a Bulky thing to spare a part to make it of: Why may not the Soul, the Imma­terial and more Noble Part of Man, by the Will of God, be as capable of begetting a Soul, as the Body, the Bulky and more ignoble, is for the Production of a Body? Why must the Soul be thought capable of less in its kind, than the Body in its kind? Why may not Cogitation break forth into new Heads of Cogitation, as well as Body sprout out into new Or­ganical Bodies, tho' we may be ignorant of the precise Manner of both? But there is a second Opi­nion which possibly may be true whether the Soul be propgated or no; and that is, That every Son and Daughter of Adam is tempted, and falls as soon as they are capable of choosing Good or Evil; tho' not as their first Father with a forbidden Apple, yet with many other forbidden things; tho' how soon or precisely, when they thus fall, is uncertain. That Children are for some time Innocent, seems to some very probable, not only because the Scripture in di­vers places speaks of them, as not having done Good or Evil, not knowing the right hand from the left, not knowing to choose the Good, and refuse the Evil; not to have sinn'd after the Similitude of Adam 's Transgressi­on, &c. but because it is not reasonable that Sin should be reckon'd where there is no Law, and there can be no Law where there can be no Knowledge of a Law. Had God not told Adam himself he should not eat of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, he could not have transgress'd in so doing. And that all transgress, and become Sinners, is no wonder; if Adam, a Man in his perfect use of Reason, having [Page 168]but one thing forbidden, and but one immediate Tempter, was so soon tempted and fell, much more liable are they to fall who have not such a Capacity of discerning, have many things forbidden, many Tempters within and without, yea and many Exam­ples of Transgression the strongest Temptation; and are thereby inured to those Actions before they can judge of them, which when they are capable of knowing what they do, become Sins; and tho' they come to know such Actions are sinful, Custom is as it were natural, and not presently changed. More­over, Children are not only tempted, and taught to sin by Example, but even by Precept, from Parents, from Nurses, from Servants, from Play-fellows, &c. to be Proud, to Revenge, to Lye, to Covet, to Steal, &c. so wretched a World is every Mother's Child brought forth into, that there are none but the Son of the Blessed Virgin, (who was not only begotten by the special Operation of the Most High, but was strong in Spirit, and filled with Wisdom by the special Grace of God from his very Infancy;) I say there are none but he who have not fallen by divers Temptations: Yea we are often falling even after Repentance, and have every day need to re­new our Repentance, and come to the Throne of Grace for the Pardon of our Sins. Now if every Man's Sin is his own, and not anothers, and no Man can justly suffer for anothers Sin, much less can the Sins of Fallen Men be truely imputed or reckon'd to Jesus Christ. As Christ is not really guilty of the Commission of any Sin, or the Cause of any Man's Sins; so it is impossible God should think he is, or reckon him guilty. Neither the Will of God, nor of Christ, can be in such an Untruth and Injustice. Neither God, nor Christ, nor any but Sinners can charge Sin upon the Innocent, or punish him for it. Tho' Christ be said to bear the Sins of the Sinful, [Page 169]it is not the Guilt of them; because he is not guilty, and God can't reckon him so; nor the Punishment of them justly, or from God; but it is either meant he bears them away, that is saves them from them, by being an Effectual Means of bringing them to Obedience, or that he with Patience and Compas­sion suffer'd under their sinful Actions and Miseries, bore their Affronts, Injuries, Mockings, Scourgings, condemning, and crucifying of him, and was griev­ed at their Unhappiness in so doing. Neither is Christ's Righteousness, or any ones else, truely im­puted or reckon'd to others. God cannot reckon, or think Christ's being obedient, is my obeying, be­cause it is not so; or reckon any Man obedient till he is so, because Christ is obedient; If he could he would reckon amiss. I cannot but admire at many (who reckon themselves special Christians) how they dare affirm that God reckons us guilty of Adam's Sin, or Christ guilty of ours, and punishes the one for the other, notwithstanding God has declared the contrary, saying, The Father shall not bear the Iniqui­ty of the Children, nor the Children of the Father, and that he will not clear the Guilty, nor condemn the Inno­cent. I believe the blind fancy of our Sins being imputed to, and punish'd in Christ, and Christ's Righ­teousness being transferred on us, has been a means of transferring Righteousness, and consequently Sal­vation, from many a Soul.

46. Another Fancy common among us, and near of kin to this is, That we are to be saved by the Merits of Christ, and that he meriteth of God Life and Salvation for us, &c. The notion of Merit is this: The Person meriting does something or other more than his Duty, whereby he obligeth the Per­son he merits of to something or other as due; and the Meritor so deserves, that he ceaseth to be behold­en for what is become by his Action due to him; [Page 170]but it is a Debt that cannot be withholden without Injustice in the Person he merits of. Now that it is a groundless Fancy that God should become indebt­ed to Christ or to us, for any thing Christ hath done or suffered, will appear if we consider that it is im­possible for any Creature to merit any thing of God for it self; and if not for it self, much less for ano­ther. It cannot merit for it self because all that the Creature has, or is, (except Sin) it has from God; and all the Acts of Obedience it can do, are natural­ly due to God. God can receive but his own; he can receive no advantage, or have any thing purchased of him from Beings that have nothing but what he lent them: Whatever God wills the Creature to do, becomes presently its bounden Duty; what God does not will, it may not do. There can be no Works of Supererogation, as Men foolishly fancy, when none can do more than his Duty. Adam could not have merited tho' he had not sinn'd, nor could have been properly said to have been saved by Works; nor can any Man since be said to be so saved; for to work Righteousness is that unto which a Man saved from Sin, is brought; and Perfect Obe­dience to God is Salvation. So that to say a Person is saved by Works, is all one as to say he is saved by Salvation, or by being saved, or that Salvation is the Cause of Salvation. We read indeed of being justi­fied by Works, which is no more than this; a Man that doth such Works as God wills him to do, is just, or in so doing is become just, and so accounted; but such a Man hath not to glory before God, nor can God be brought in debt to Man, or reckon the Re­ward he gives him that works a Debt, tho' Men may reckon it so. Man that owes all he hath, or can do of good, to his Maker, who cannot be pro­fited, hath nothing to oblige God with, or whereby to merit of him. Christ himself could not in a pro­per [Page 171]sense merit of God, for himself, much less for others; he was made under the Law, and what­ever God will'd him to do was his Duty, and he did it, and no more; if he had done what God did not will, he had done more than was right; and if he did but just so much, he did but just what he ought. He was obliged to do the Will of God against all the opposition he met with from Men and Devils; he could not without Sin omit any part of his Embassy, tho' the People God first sent him to were so rude as to evilly intreat him, persecute him, and slay him. If Christ cannot offer, or bring any thing to God, that he had not from God, or do more than his Du­ty, and so merit for himself; much less can he merit for others: For were it possible he could love, or obey God more than he ought, yet his doing could never become anothers doing, or so be reckon'd by God. There can be no lending of Actions, or any thing that will pass for a purchase in Heaven, tho' Men may spare, and lend things on Earth. It is God that most highly merits; he from whom the Creatures have all they have, and are, and can do of good, merits a return of all, in Love, Thankful­ness, and Obedience; but he merits of the Crea­tures, not for them; he merits for himself only; for his doing is not the Creatures doing, and can never be truly so thought. God merits of Christ all he has or can do, in Obedience to him; consequently Christ cannot merit of him, having nothing but what he hath received from his God and Father. Christ in­deed merits of us, tho' not for us, Love, Faith, Obe­dience, &c. God hath set him over us, and made him our Lord and Master; and he hath freely done and suffer'd the greatest things a Created Friend could for us, when he was no way obliged by us; and we are in debt to him, so much that we cannot easily be thought to merit of him. Men may merit [Page 172]of one another, when they may be profited by one another, and do some things they are not obliged to by one another. Now to conclude this point; I confess if the Consideration of Christ's Merits, viz. what he merits of us, or what we are indebted to him, shall prevail with us to repent, and obey God as he hath taught us is our Duty, we may possibly be said to be saved by Christ's Merits, as an instrumen­tal Cause; but this is not the common notion of the Merits of Christ, or the bottom on which most Christians embark, and the greatest Villains sail bold­ly out into the other World on, even from the Gal­lows, if Mr. Ordinary can but teach them to say, like Parrots, that they hope to be saved by the Me­rits of Christ: tho' they have spent all their time in Wickedness, and would return to the same course, could they scape the Halter, Christ hath been righ­teous enough for himself and them too, and they are thought safe if they can but believe; that is, have a strong fancy that God accepts of Christ's Obedience and Sufferings, instead of theirs. The Papists are said to believe a Man may Merit of God by his good Works; and we count them erronious for their Opinion, never considering that we Protestants be­lieve as much; tho' not that you or I can merit of him for our selves; yet that another Man, which is more strange, can merit for us, and so fall in with them, even in the foolish opinion of Works of Supere­rogation.

47. Another Opinion as groundlesly held among us, and near a kin to the former, is the common Fancy about Redemption, viz. That Christ laid down his Life as a Randsome or Price paid to God, to purchase Life and Salvation for us. Let us con­sider the matter: Redemption is a buying a thing again that is lost, sold, and enslaved. As for in­stance, a Captive: In which Action there are these [Page 173]things to be considered; The Redeemer; The Re­deemed; The Price of Redemption; And the Per­son to whom the Price is paid. Now as to the Re­demption of Sinners, the Redeemer in the first and highest Sense is God, to wit the Father, who has given us his Son Christ, the Ransom. Christ in a second Sense is call'd our Redeemer; because he freely gave himself to set us free from the Slavery of Sin. To whom did he give himself a Ransom? Not to the Father; because, First, He is the Father's own, and so cannot be given as a Price to him. Secondly, Because it is the Father that gives him. Thirdly, Because it is not God that holds us in Sla­very, or he that is to be hired (by something he va­lues as much as our Bondage) to let us go free from Sin, and become obedient to him: No, he com­mands all to obey him, and not to serve Sin, and does nothing less than hold us in captivity to Ini­quity; he wills our liberty more than we can, yea more than Christ can; for as the Father is greater, so must his Love necessarily be greater. Christ is the Price or Instrumental Redeemer; Sinners are the Redeemed; but who is it holds us captive in Sin, to whom the Price is paid? Not God as I have said, that would be the greatest Contradiction; not Christ, he is the Price, and wills our Liberty; not the Devil, (as some have thought) he has not abso­lute Power over our Wills: Christ was not given to him, as a Ransom, or he ever on that account a­greed to let us go free: It can be nothing therefore but our Selves, our own foolish Will, that capti­vates, binds, holds, and concludes us in Slavery to Sin. We are Slaves most properly to our own sin­ful Wills: The Ransom or Price, is therefore given to us. God has given or sent his Beloved Son into the World, and he hath done and suffered great things for us to purchase our Love. The Father [Page 174]sent his Son to court our Good-will, and it cost him his Life, with a great deal of Labour and Pains. We are God's own by Right, and Christ's by Gift in one sense, as he is ours in another; but we have en­slaved our selves in Sin, and God does not only de­mand us again as his, but even hires us to be his a­gain, that we may be willingly his, and serve him whose Service is Liberty. Christ hath given him­self to redeem us to God, not from God, by his own Blood; that is, in perswading us to serve our Natural Lord, our Maker, he hath lost his Life; and we shall be very ungrateful to God and to Christ, if we don't surrender our selves, when God hath done so much to purchase our Good-will, that in loving him we may be happy. The serving our own foolish Wills is the greatest Slavery; and we serve not the Devil, but in Subserviency to our own erring Wills. The serving God is Liberty, the only and greatest Liberty of a Creature. God hath given Christ to do, and left him to suffer whatever might tend to our Conviction, Repentance, and Happiness in Obe­dience. God hath given him to teach and instruct us in his Mind and Will; and if this be not enough, also to give us an Exact Pattern and Example of so doing, and that against the greatest Opposition and Suffering from Opposers; and if the Malice and Blindness of any were so great, as not to see a Con­viction in so Clear Doctrine, Fair Example, and Great Love that was seen in his Life, and lesser Suf­ferings, [Love of God in sending him, and his Love in an entire Compliance with God's loving Purpose] his patient persevering in Good-will to them, under his greatest and last Sufferings he could suffer from them, may be made the highest and last Argument to make their hard Hearts relent, be convinced, and and change. Which Argument was farther con­firmed by God's raising him from the dead, and re­ceiving [Page 175]him up to Heaven, thereby declaring that though they erringly put him to Death as an Evil Doer; yet he was not so in God's account, but Just and Good, in prosecuting God's Will for the Good of Men, against, and surmounting the highest Ingra­titude. If my Friend, with admirable Wisdom and Argument, councel and direct me how I shall get out of a sad and deplorable Condition he finds me in, out of a way wherein I can never be happy, shall I not hear him? Shall I be so unreasonable as to slight his Councel? If he give me a Pattern of himself in do­ing that wherein he is, and I may be happy; and farther, if he prosecute my Good, and seek to re­claim me to the denying of himself, slighting, and foregoing his own Happiness, as much as he justly can, or as much as may be an Argument to me to hear him, if he undergo Reproach, Pains, and Sor­row for my Good: Farther, if he patiently suffer even my unkind and ungrateful Hands to be em­brewed in his dear Blood, while I count him my E­nemy, and an Evil Doer, and end all with the height of Expressions of Good-will, forgiving and desiring God to forgive me; would not this be enough to soften, or break a Heart of Adamant, that should once seriously reflect, and consider Christ as such a Friend that hath thus done and suffered, and given the most high and admirable Instance of a Creatures Love to Creatures, in Subserviency to that greater Love he had to God, and ought to have, and to mani­fest in doing the Will of him whose Love must yet be thought to be greatest, and to transcend all created Love, as much as an Infinite Being is above the Fi­nite, as much as the Cause of Christ's Being and Love, is before the Effect.

48. Another Point, in which some Men perhaps as greatly err, is that of Christ's Intercession; the Manner of which as they suppose, is thus: Christ re­presents [Page 176]our Condition and Desires to God, with what he hath done and suffered in our stead, and so procures of God those good things we stand in need of. But that this may appear to be a Mistake, let it be considered that it cannot properly be said that Christ represents our Cases to God, because God can have nothing made known to him, being Omnisci­ent; nor has he any need to present his Obedience, or mind God of his Sufferings, who can never for­get; nor can we think that Christ has any need to intreat, or any Capacity of procuring of God what he is not in himself as ready to give. But Christ's Intercession is rather a procuring, or perswading us to be willing to receive those good things God is ready, if we are but desirous of them, freely to give us. And this Christ does in that Power and Autho­rity God has given him, as the Head and Ruler of the Church, by all means suitable to perswade and re­duce the disorderly Wills of Men; since his Ascen­sion by the Ministry of the Word and Spirit. That Christ pray'd to God when on Earth, was not to make known his Desires to God, or to move him to fulfil them, who heard him always, even his most secret Desires, and was as willing any good as he, yea will'd it first, which was the reason Christ will'd it; but he pray'd for our sakes, to shew what God's Will was, and his compliance therewith; to pro­fess his Conformity to the Will of his Father, and give us an Example of Worship in acknowledging God's Omniscience. Nor do we pray when we pray aright, to perswade God to our Wills; but to profess our Conformity to his, the Condition of our re­ceiving; to stir up, and provoke one another thereto, and to profess our Desires towards God, and our De­pendency on him. And when we are said to pray to God in the Name, or for the Sake of Christ, or to come to God by Christ; and when God is said to [Page 177]hear us for Christ's sake, or do any thing for us for Christ's sake, we are not to think that the bare saying for Christ's sake is rightly meant, or that God will grant our Requests rather because of his respect to the Will and Pleasure of Christ, than from his own Rea­diness to do us good. We must not think it is with God as it is with Men, in this Matter, who do things for one to please another they more respect, which they were not in themselves inclinable to do; because God can have no greater Argument than from himself, nor can he be put in mind of any thing he forgets, or is not ready to give us. But we come to God in and by Christ, or in his Name on his account, or Sake, when we believe Christ's Mes­sage, obey his Precepts, and follow his Example as the Sent of God, or labour to be obedient to God's Will, the Condition of Happiness; and in so doing, desire and expect of God what by Christ he hath promised us. So the faithful Israelites of old were used rightly to pray to God for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; which was no more but this, that they came unto him as to such a one he had mani­fested himself to be in a special manner to Abraham, Isaac; and Jacob, expecting from him what he had eminently declar'd himself to them ready to give, those that are willing to depend upon him for good. So God's giving, or forgiving for Christ's Sake, is as much as to say performing his Promise made by Christ to those that by following him, answer the Conditions thereof. So by being in Christ; having an Interest in Christ; having the Spirit of Christ; is truely meant being stedfast in the Faith of Christ's Doctrine, constant in obeying his Precepts, exact in following his Example; or in other words, being like minded with Christ; or being born again, or becoming a new Creature; leaving our wicked vain [Page 178]Conversation, and living a righteous and holy Life as Christ did, and so coming within the Conditions of the Promises God hath made by him.

49. Now after all these Considerations, that I may come to a Conclusion, I shall lay down this Propo­sition. That whatever Christ is, or hath done, doth or will do as God's Instrument in Man's Salvation, is effectual as it is an Argument to the Mind of Man, influencing and perswading him to repent, and leave his Rebellion against God, and to become obe­dient and conformable to the Will of his Maker. And whatsoever Men may fancy to be done by Christ for them, without them, unless it conclude thus in an Effectual Argument to perswade them to Repentance and Obedience, will be found indeed but Fancy, and vain Imagination. All the most fine-spun, and subtile Doctrines, all the Mysteries, and curious Opinions Men make so necessary, are of no moment unless they could have an evident Tendency to this end. Nor do the external, or ceremonial Parts of Religion, (which the world of Professors makes so much ado about, and most ur­ges) signifie any thing, but so far as they can be proper Motives to, or Signs of our Love to God, and our Neighbour. And the Lord's Christ came be­sides other ends, also for this; To shew useless, and put away as unacceptible to God, the most refined, and splendid Farrago of External Worship, and Ce­remonies of the Levitical Priesthood; and to substi­tute as a more Spiritual, and acceptible, a more ra­tional and profitable Way; Compleat Morality, or the simple Love of God and our Neighbour, with the Natural fruits thereof; leaving us in the room of that multitude of burthensome Ceremonies (which yet were not sufficient to satisfie the petu­lant Humours of Men) but Two (by him enjoyned) [Page 179]Externals, more than Reason it self could di­ctate.

The one, That being convinced of the Truth of Christ's Doctrine, and resolved from the Reasona­bleness of his Commands to obey them, we should by some Disciple of Christ be once Dipt in Water, thereby aptly to signifie that we are dead and bury­ed to our old Rebellious Life and Conversation, and risen again to a new Life of Obedience; that we are washed from our Sins, that is truely perswaded to leave them, and become clean or holy: Where­by also we take upon us the outward Mark or Badge of Christianity, in a Publick Profession of our Re­ception of the Doctrine and Commands of so excel­lent a Master as Jesus, and own him as the Messias sent by God to manifest his Will to Mankind. The Fitness of this Appointment in its whole Significancy, is evident, and the Obligation thereto lies entirely in the Institution of Christ, he having sufficient Au­thority to command it: And I submit to it as a Du­ty I am bound in Conscience to, believing that Christ could command nothing but what was ac­cording to the Will of God; and not that I suppose Baptism makes me or any one, a Real Christian, or Member of Christ, or of his True Church, or a Child of God; or certainly brings into a Covenant of Grace, as some sweetly perswade themselves: For the Unregenerate, yea Hypocrites, and Pro­fane Persons, as well as those who knew nothing of the matter, may have been Baptized against their Wills, or willingly for some carnal Reason. This Ordinance is to be a Sign, and as it is a Duty, an Ef­fect of Grace already wrought in the Soul, and is not that which can confer it; nor can it work any Spi­ritual Effects unless it be this: That having solemn­ly profess'd my Belief in Christ, the Messias, and [Page 180]my Obedience to God's Will by him declar'd, I have a great Argument to perswade me to continue stedfast in my Profession, and shall very likely be in­fluenced thereby. But I dare not affirm that the Ends for which Christ instituted this Ordinance, can never be attained without it, in some who are perswaded that it is not an Ordinance; but those who believe it a Duty, can never be excus'd in the neglect thereof. The other External Ordinance of Christ is, that we should sometimes keep a Holy Feast; wherein by the breaking of Bread, and pouring forth of Wine, we have represented and kept in remembrance our Lord's Death until he come again; and by Eating and Drinking together as Be­lievers in him, is signified our Communion and Fel­lowship in the Benefits of Christ, and so Love to one another promoted. The Bread and the Wine used in this Feast, cannot be rationally thought to have any supernatural Vertue, or inherent Holiness; to differ from other Bread and Wine, or upon any such account to convey any Spiritual Grace, as many have inconsiderately fancied, or been easily perswa­ded; and thence have even worship'd the Elements as a God, or at least as an Idol. But whatever Spiritual Good may come to the Partakers of this Appoint­ment, comes to the unfeigned Disciples of Jesus, as it is a Feast they keep at their Master's Command, in remembrance of his Death for their sakes. There­fore this Ordinance was never instituted for those that have not (as abovesaid) profess'd their Christi­an Faith, and do not live in the True Christian Practice; it is a Profession of Christ as our Master, and a Life contrary to his Doctrine, makes it but a Mocking of him: therefore it ought not to be com­municated with the Wicked, or any but those that at least seem real Christians: It should be a Holy Feast, [Page 181](tho' I confess few Christians solemnize it like one) and ought not any way to be profaned, as God knows it has been too too much amongst us, even as much as to be made a Test in State Policy; not only to distin­guish Protestants from Papists, but, as one would think, to debar from, and render incapable of all Offi­ces, those others, who understanding the Nature and Ends of this Ordinance, cannot in Conscience any way profane or abuse it, as if they were Men unfit for business: when the greatest Debauchees, having once signalized their Wickedness in profaning the ho­ly Table of the Lord, are Men thought fit for Em­ployments. But such Communicants shew themselves no more really to be of the Comprehensive Church they partake with, or of any True One, (whatever the Parson may fancy) than the [...] Oaths so strictly imposed to oblige them to be faithful in all Offices, makes them so. For a Man that makes no Consci­ence of profaning the Sacred Name of the Most High in his daily Conversation, or of any other Im­morality, cannot be thought to come to the Table of the Holy Jesus, but for Fashion or for Interest; and he that calls God to witness a hundred times a day to the grandest Lies, and as often swears to the Promise he never so much as intends to perform, is a Man very unlikely to count himself bound by a solemn Oath. And I cannot but admire the profound Policy of those (if there are any so cunning) who think to oblige Infidels to Fidelity, by swearing them; as I wonder at the Excess of their Religion, who will needs bind Men by Oaths in almost all Offices, to things never intended, or hardly possible to be done. I confess I had thought the Worldly Interest enough to oblige any Man in worldly things, and the most like­ly to bind those who by their Immoralities shew them­selves Men of no Conscience; and I acknowledge it [Page 182]was my opinion, that the pinching of the Pocket by squeezing a Fine, or some Corporal Punishment for the Failure in Performance of an Office, was more likely to be sensibly felt in this Life by the drowsie Conscienc'd Sinner, than the Guilt of fashionable un­punish'd Perjury: But still I think a good Man the most likely Person to do his reasonable Duty, tho' not obliged by an Oath; and a conscientious Man injur'd, when he cannot be trusted without invoking the Sacred Name of God in trivial matters.

50. I should have thought of concluding here, but that a monstrous Opinion at last starts up, viz. the old Pagans Doctrine of Fate, sprung up in Christia­nity; which Hydra must be beheaded, or all is in vain. What signifies all I have said? To what pur­pose should we labour to be wise, good, or penitent? If God has not absolutely decreed that we shall go to Heaven, all that we can do will be in vain. God hath absolutely decreed, that a certain small number shall be saved, and none else possibly can, whatever they do; the few thus elected, cannot perish; but all the rest God hath fore-ordained to Destruction, and they cannot possibly be saved, saith this Doctrine. But if we consider a little, this Opinion will appear highly unreasonable, even without examining those Texts of Scripture that some fancy do favour it; or as the Custom of Disputers is, opposing others. It is certain that God can never be suppos'd to disown himself, or contradict his own Will, and therefore we may not think that God does not will the Rational Creatures to behave themselves as such Creatures ought, or as it becomes them; that is freely to acknowledge, own, love, and obey their Maker: but to say God wills the Damnation of any of his Creatures, is the same thing as to say he wills they should not behave themselves as becomes their relation to God, but that they should [Page 183]persist in setting up their own Wills in opposition to their Creator's: For Damnation, and persevering Disobedience, is the same thing, or at least insepara­ble; so that Damnation cannot be will'd, or abso­lutely decreed, unless Sin be also so decreed, which would be to make God the Author of Sin, yea to de­stroy the notion of Sin: for God's Will is the Rule of Duty; and if it be God's Will I should sin, and be damn'd, it is best so to be, yea my Duty; and so there is neither Sin nor Damnation. But as God's Will can't be contradictory to his Will, so his Will and his Word cannot differ. If God has commanded me to love and obey him, (and none I think is excepted from that Duty) and I suppose he has determined I shall not love and obey him, or laid me under a ne­cessity of doing otherwise, this is to affirm God the greatest Deceiver, and Mocker of his Creatures; but this must not, nay cannot in reason be imagined of Goodness. Nor can it be thought that God should be so indigent or cruel to the Works of his hands, poor rail Creatures, as to make or suffer them to be miserable for any Satisfaction or Pleasure he can have in their Misery; or who can well imagine that if the Creature throw down its Weapons of Rebellion against its Maker, and submit, yield under him, and acknowledge him, God will not be ready to forgive, and make him happy in Obedience? Since Man hath sinn'd, nothing can be better than his Repen­tance, and future Obedience; his Rebellion can't possibly be as good as Obedience; certainly then God cannot will, or effectually cause that which is not so good. God has done very great things to perswade all to obey, and be happy. If Obedience or Disobedience were not free, but necessary, it would cease to be Obedience or Disobedience. Men have power to act, or suspend their Action till they [Page 184]are perswaded by Argument to act. If they will not obey God, and be happy, 'tis their own fault, not God's; he has given them means of Information, as well as Arguments to perswade them. God I think is but barely the Permitter of any sort of Evil, the Creature is the Cause and Worker thereof; and tho' God fore-knows that his Creatures will do Evil, he does not by any Fore-knowledge determine that they shall do it, or necessitate them, or perswade them thereto. God does perswade, and that strong­ly, to Good no doubt, but never to the contrary; nor can he be well said to necessitate us to do Good: for what a Man cannot but do, is no Obedience, nor properly his Action. God's Decree, and his Fore­knowledge, I think, ought to be distinguish'd; and his Decree it self also, is to be considered two ways, viz. either as absolute, or as conditional. That which he hath absolutely decreed, is that which he will cer­tainly effect, and can be nothing but Good. What he hath conditionally decreed, comes to pass but on Supposition of the Conditions, and it is left in the Creatures liberty to perform, or not perform the Conditions; and even the things thus decreed must be suppos'd to be good, things that God will do if the Creature will perform the Conditions, otherwise not; so that God is properly said to decree his own Actions thus or thus. The Fore-knowledge of God, or what he is said to foresee, is no more but what the Creature (who always chooseth an appearing Good) will think well or ill, and so do or not do; so that God decrees his own Actions, but fore-knows the Creatures Actions: And what the Creature at any time thinks well or ill, depends on its Capacity of Knowledge, and Circumstances it is then natural­ly in, or how far it is liable to be mistaken in it self, or impos'd upon by such Agents as will certainly as [Page 185]much as they can deceive it; and when, and where and how far God will permit, or interpose by his special Acts of Information, and Perswasion. But that God should decree absolutely, or will any Evil, is an Opinion so full of Absurdities, yea and in its tendency so apt to over-throw all Religion, that no single probability, or other difficulty, can perswade a considerate Man to believe it; therefore I think I need say no more in this matter.

51. And now after all these Considerations, I can­not but reflect, and consider with Grief the misera­ble State of Christianity, and the Professors thereof, (as well as of the rest of Mankind) of the generali­ty of those that call themselves the Reformed, and Protestants, as well as of the Papists, between whom I can see but very little difference, they agree so much still in many the same Unreasonable Doctrines as the Fundamentals of Religion, as well as consent in the like wicked Practices, as the Upholders and Effects of those Doctrines. How much is the World, and many the highest Pretenders to Religion in it, alienated, and changed from True Religion, and the Scope and Design thereof, in its Primitive Purity and Plainness? How much more busie and con­cern'd are Men in contriving and contending for idle and uncertain Speculations and Niceties, than in doing the plain, undoubted, and necessary Duties of the Gospel, Natural Religion, or the Practice of Love, Goodness, Mercy, Brotherly Kindness, Pa­tience, Meekness, Humility, Truth, &c? They seem much more intent, in considering (according as e­very ones Fancy and Education leads him) how Men are, or may be saved, or not saved, than in working out their own, or in furthering other Mens Salvati­on. Whilst they place the main business in hitting the right notion, how Salvation is wrought, (and in [Page 186]this they are also commonly mistaken) they labour very little in conforming to the easily known Will of God, according to the Precepts and Pattern he hath given us in the Man Christ Jesus; whose pure holy Life seems hard and uneasie to the Rebellious Will; but to be saved in the Theory, is look'd upon now as more pleasant and desireable. And how apt are Men now a-days to judge and condemn one another, and that merely on the account of their Differences, even in their idle Speculations, in which Censures some are so ridged, that they will hardly allow any but themselves, and a few whose Noses are just of the same length and fashion, to have smell'd out the way of Happiness, or to be fit for Christian Brotherly Communion with them. But we will not be afraid to affirm, That whosoever truely loves God, and his Neighbour, shall certainly be saved or happy; nay, is pass'd from Death to Life: Whosoever does not, cannot be happy till he does, tho' he may have the finest, yea the best Sy­stem of Divinity in his Head: Tho' he have all Faith, even to remove a Mountain of Contradicti­ons, to believe the greatest Mysteries, Absurdities, or Nonsense imaginable. That one pure, simple Act, and Habit of Child-like Love to God, is really more influencing to persevering Obedience, and pleasing to God, than the most Catholick Ortho­doxy in the World. He more truely knows God, even by experience, that loves him, tho' but a Child, than the most eloquent and subtile Teacher in the World, that does not love. But I am afraid, nay I think I need not question it, that the life of Reli­gion is very much eat out, and weakned by those many unreasonable Doctrines: Whilst we have it taught either implicitly or expresly, That God is the Author of Evil. One that made the greatest [Page 187]part of the Creation for that very end, to be inevi­tably miserable for ever; and consequently that they must needs be, and continue Sinners to make them so: That he is one that loves the Miseries of his Creatures, and takes such pleasure in their Pains, that he will bear with their Rebellion for ever, ra­ther than not have them unhappy: That he made the most of them on purpose to shew his Power and Sovereignty in their everlasting Disorders: Yea that that little number that he is said to be dearly hired, and hardly perswaded to spare, are continually af­flicted with one Mischief or other, from his hand; tho' they are seeking him, and crying after him continually, he is not so ready to hear, but often hides himself from them: And yet, that tho' this little number is sohardly saved, they are infallibly sure of Salvation, do, or not do, what they will. Who would not rather be astonished, and confounded, and ren­der'd inactive, than influenced to love and obey God by these Doctrines? When farther I am told, that I cannot keep God's Commandments, but that Christ hath keept them for me, (consequently my keeping them is not so necessary, if suppos'd possible) and God reckons Christ's Perfect Righteousness to be mine, and I am perfect in him, tho' I am not like minded; all is done for me, without me, if I can but believe, that is fancy so. Ah, but my Heart misgives me; may one that considers say, I fear that if Christ hath done all for me without me, he will be happy also for me without me, and I shall go to Heaven but by Proxy. Who will be humbled before God, and thankful for his free Beneficence and Forgiveness, when we are perswaded that Christ hath purchased it at a full rate of him, by his Doings, yea and Suf­ferings for us, and we may demand Happiness of God as our due? But I fear many such Confidents [Page 188]will be put off with, I know you not. Nay, how do we acknowledge God just and good, and ready to forgive, when we are perswaded that tho' he does not satisfie himself in punishing us for our Sins, yet he will have them punished somewhere or other? and rather than any where, in the most Innocent Man Jesus; on whom, they say, he laid all the Pu­nishment or Misery, due for the Sins of all Men, (and yet nevertheless most of them are damn'd, and all of them die) and that he reckon'd him guilty of others Sins, tho' he were not so. O Justice! how unjustly hath the Malice of the Adversary represent­ed the Fountain of Goodness and Justice? But what shall the Generality of Mankind do? What En­couragement shall they have to their Duty? How shall they be stir'd up to seek Life, and Happy Im­mortality? especially the poor Convinced Souls that cannot get up so high as to read their Names in the Eternal Decree of Life, or see yet much of the Ef­fects thereof in themselves? When they are told, unless they are of that little number Christ has made Satisfaction for, (and ten thousand to one whether they be or no) all their Repentance is in vain, and their best Works are Sins in the sight of God, tho' perhaps splendid Ones: When they are taught that greater Goodness, Justice, Mercy, Truth, &c. in one Man, is less acceptible to God than much less in ano­ther, and so God a Respecter of Persons. Supposing I cannot perswade my self (as I think all Predestina­rians do) that I am one of the Elect, or do not be­lieve that God has absolutely decreed either to save or damn any; I am nevertheless convinced of my Sin and Duty, as the way of Unhappiness or Hap­piness, and would fain be happy; Shall not I do my Duty on a Fancy that God has not decreed the E­vent? or must I despair in it? the former were but [Page 189]Madness, the latter a miserable Condition. But I must leave these things to the Thoughts of the Considerate; and to them I would propose this Question; What has been the reason that no more of Mankind have embraced Christianity, and where has the fault been? I think surely Original Goodness has not hinder'd, nor has the fault been in the Christian Religion it self, or in the want of the Love of Happiness in Man­kind: I believe you must confess, that the generality of its Professors have discredited Christianity, and given the World a false Draught, or Picture thereof: Till which is mended, what hopes can we have of the Conversion to Christianity of those who have not from their inconsiderate years its Deformed Do­ctrines, impos'd upon them, and the disagreeing Lives of its Professors recommended to them? What Expectations can we have of convincing Jews, Turks, and Pagans, when not only the above-named Do­ctrines, and an hundred more perhaps, have repre­sented Christianity as full of Contradictions, and Ab­surdities, and unsuitable to the Condition and Na­ture of Man: But we even seem to differ in our Notions, whether there be One or More Objects of Divine Worship; insomuch, that if those that have not yet embraced Christianity were to hear our Dis­courses, and Forms of Worship, they could not, I believe, but think that a great part of Christians be­lieve, and worship more Gods than One, and even enjoin such a Faith and Practice upon pain of Dam­nation; yea some of them, having no better Argu­ments, urge it by the Rack of Persecution; while their Lives also are as different from Unity in pure Christian Morality: Which now adays is distinguish'd from Religion, O Times! and a Moral Man is spo­ken of with Contempt, in comparison with the Reli­gious, as a different Person. But I must confess I look [Page 190]upon nothing as a Doctrine of Christianity, or think can reasonably be represented as such, or proved so to be by Scripture, which does not naturally tend to promote Morality, or Influence to those Good Man­ners which become our relation to God, and which are convenient, and profitable towards the true Inte­rest of Mankind. I would that Men would once come to try Doctrines by their natural Inferences and Ten­dencies; then I should hope Truth would more ap­pear. But I must here conclude, tho' I have been very short on every Particular I have been discoursing, as unable now to write all I could wish to say of the Natural, of the True Christian, and of our Laodice­an Religion, promising my Reader an Answer to what he shall rationally object against whatever has been said in this Discourse; and therewith a fuller Demonstration of things, if God give me Life and Opportunity, supposing that my whole Life must be spent in labouring against our common Errors, if the Appearance of Christ don't bring on their Period sooner.