We shall per to be more especially known to us thereby. ceive him in every part of his work speaking, acting, and beholding what is made with delight, or seeing it GOOD, in opposition to the state wherein it was before; and this, day after day, till he rests with man on the seventh, from all his works, which he created* TO MAKE, Gen. ii, 3. I scarcely need to add, that the case is the same with respect to the entrance of sin and misery into the world, and the grand design which God is carrying forward, of making thence to arise the brightest discovery of righteousness and salvation together;t as is plainly intimated in the words. immediately following the last quotation from Isaiah. As the sinful state of mankind is often compared to the first condition of the earth, and salvation from sin, to the producing of * Here creating is plainly used in its distinguished sense, hinted at in the foregoing note; for it is often used for making, and sometimes includes both senses, to wit, the formation of all things, as well as the finding matter to work upon, or the making room for the divine working to appear. Perhaps it includes both these senses, in the summary view given us of the production of all things, in the first verse of the Bible. The Hebrew word for creating, is sometimes applied to the actions of men, as Josh. xvii, 15. 18, where it seems to be used for clearing out among forests, or making room for beginning a settlement. The Greek translators, not finding any fitter expression for denoting the distinguished sense of this word, in the passage of Moses above referred to, have said, Which God BEGAN to make. There is no action among men that affords an idea in any respect similar to the distinguished sense of this word. We must rest satisfied, then, with the information given us, that God is the beginner of all things, in a manner peculiar to, and known only to himself; even as the progress and issue of all things is in his hands. Accordingly, he distinguishes himself from all idols and creatures, both in understanding and in power, by taking to himself the title of THE FIRST AND THE LAST. This is not the only instance of a distinguished sense of words in the first chapter of Genesis: for surely we must understand the words, earth, darkness, deep, and waters, v. 2, in a sense distinguished from what they signify after the earth is fully formed. And it is evident, that such distinction was unavoidable, in describing to men the first origin and formation of all things. The province of man is to imitate God, and concur with him in his work of bringing good out of evil, in doing the works of righteousness, mercy, and kindness. For in these God manifests his character to us; in these he exhibits his working to our view, laying open all his designs, so as we might behold and consider his work on every side. But how God creates evil, was never intended for the contemplation of creatures; nor were their understandings ever framed for such an inquiry. This may be justly considered as that part of the divine agency which is hid behind the curtain, which can only be understood by the mind of him who has power to create, and the particular knowledge of which must be as far from being of any benefit to creatures, or all who have not power to create, as it is from being suited to their understandings. light and order at the first, I shall only mention one passage, Is. lx, 2,- -Darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the people: but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. Thus, we see, that the entrance of sin and misery into the world, was as fixed a part in the scheme of God as the great salvation; yet we cannot see God in the former, as we do in the latter. We cannot see him by keeping our eye only on the shade; but if we love the grand picture, we will not put the murmuring question, Why or how did the shade take place? The Apostle Paul, speaking of the happiness of those who are reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, as not only saved, but saved glorying in God, adds, Rom. v. 12. (dia TOUTO.) For this, namely, that this brightest discovery of the divine glory, this highest perfection of human happiness might take place, sin entered into the world. But, not to enlarge, methinks we may easily be convinced, that Christians are not very numerous in the world, while we find so few who are fond of this doctrine which fixes the dependance of man upon God exclusive of all reserve; yet this very doctrine is the sure refuge of the wretched and the destitute, yea, of all who enter into the kingdom of heaven. Though this be indeed the case according to the Scripture, we may find some who profess to acknowledge it, holding it so very cheap, as to think those who reject it may yet be very good Christians; whereas, if one should -For * How far the Deity, exhibited in the Scriptures, is above what is worshiped by a great part of those who bear the Christian name, may appear from such passages as these: Gen. 1, 20; Joseph says to his brethren, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. Exod. ix, 16, it is said to Pharaoh, And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. Isa. x, 5-16, O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation; and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge. -Howbeit, he meaneth not so, neither does his heart think so.———— he saith,- -Shall I not, as I have to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? Wherefore it shall come to pass, that- -I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom: for I am prudent.- -Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? &c. Acts ii, 23; Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Chap. iii, 18, Those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Chap. xv, 18, Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. treat the writings of Cicero as the Christian enemies of this doctrine do the Scriptures, he would be universally hissed at by all the lovers of classical learning. But numbers rule the fashion, and can keep one another in countenance as to any thing. And we must expect no other, while it is the interest of multitudes to honour Christianity in pretence, and to hate it in reality. However, we may frankly say, that such a one as Lord Bolingbroke, who hates this doctrine, and therefore rejects the Scripture which clearly supports it, acts a far more uniform and consistent part. BEFORE I Conclude these miscellaneous reflections on mystery, which have introduced several views of the mystery of godliness, and that of iniquity; we may take some particular notice of the popular preachers; and the rather, as it was with men of this sort that the apostles had always the warmest controversy. As they generally consider their hearers as already persuaded of the truth of the gospel, they have no great occasion to dwell much on the evidence thereof. Their great business is, to animate their people who are already believers; nay, but who are supposed to hold the gospel for true, as having never had any question or doubt about it; to animate them, I say, and carry them forward to the grand work of the believing application; to conduct them through the process of what they call regeneration, or the new birth. Here it is that a cabinet full of mysteries is presented, of which the popular preachers keep the key. Here it is they show their great dexterity in opening and shutting at their pleasure; now raising blind amazement, then familiarly reasoning; now setting forth, as rational or natural, a scheme* of justifi Mr. Boston, as if he had learned to apply mathematics to the Christian doctrine, is ready to show us by what ratio or rule of proportion we are to expect the favours of the divine grace or pardoning mercy to be distributed among men, who are yet acknowledged to be equally destitute of any claim upon that grace, in a sermon on Luke xxiii, 42; entitled, The extraordinary case of the thief upon the cross, &c. He says, "It is unreasonable to think, that it should fare at last with those who have had means of grace all their days, and despised them, as it may do with those who never have such means till they come to die." In like manner, we must say, it is unreasonable to think, that he who owes five hundred pence should be forgiven as frankly as he who owes only fifty. If we hearken to this eminent preacher, and others of his class, we must entertain a rational notion of divine grace, and say, Happy are they who have little to be forgiven, but wo to the worthless. And, indeed, it is very common with them, when they emerge a cation as any philosopher could wish, then again wrapping up all in the clouds. But to avoid any ambiguous play on words, as unsuitable to the gravity of the subject, instead of mysteries in the sense used by them, I would choose to borrow an expression from some ancient professors of Christianity, censured by the Apostle John, and substitute the word depths. Now, it may be observed of these preachers, that while, on the one hand, they endeavoured to regulate by natural principles, suitable to the pride of any reasoner, that procedure of the divine grace to men, which, according to the apostles, moved without the sphere of nature altogether, and always showed itself in surprising events, contrary to human expectation on the other hand, in the place where the Scripture holds forth a clear and solid truth for relief to the guilty, they present to our thoughts an unfathomable depth. If we hearken to them, the great point about which our faith is principally concerned, is a matter which turns out to be true, no book nor man can tell how. It does not present itself to us as a truth, but as a matter of no small doubtfulness and anxiety. We must toss it in our hearts for some time, by way of a problem, and then hammer it into a truth, as an eager logician squeezes out a conclusion from betwixt a pair of premises, of which the one happens to be a fond and bold conjecture. Yet, sometimes they condescend to exert themselves to make this depth as fordable as possible, and that in a manner which in some sort may be called mysterious, as being so closely wrapped up in figures and similitudes, as that if these were removed, little or no meaning would remain behind. I shall give a short specimen. In the gospel-offer, we are told, is presented to the poor bankrupt a bond or bill endorsed to him, to relieve him from his poverty. It is not his as yet; however, with much ado he at lasts lays hold upon it, echoing back to the offer, and saying, Even so I take it: upon which he takes instruments, and places counsel to make payment forthcoming for his relief; so it becomes his to all intents and purposes. He that is made wiser by this reasoning, may rejoice therein !-But as I may have opportunities of observing further the arts of these gentlemen in the sequel, I shall not enlarge on them at present. I shall conclude these reflections with observing, that in the very entrance to the Christian religion, the first step we make little out of their depths to address their hearers thus:-"But we must deal with you as with rational creatures, and work upon you by rational arguments." carries us beyond the line of nature altogether; that is, when we believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Here the course of nature is reversed; here a new order of things quite above it opens to our view. He who admits this fict as circumstanced in the gospel-history, will find as regular and uniform a connection in all the parts of the Christian religion, or in all the things that concern the kingdom of heaven, as is to be found in the course of nature; yea, and more so; seeing the course of nature has been often thwarted by the manifest interposition of its author, not to mention the interruptions of its ordinary course by uncommon events; whereas, that kingdom cannot be moved. Seeing, then, the whole religion of Jesus stands or falls with his resurrection, no man can with a good grace appear in quality of a reasoner against any of its doctrines, but he who disputes that fact. Accordingly, some of our boldest enemies to these doctrines have been sensible of this, and, scorning to involve themselves in a continued train of absurdity and self-contradiction, have judged it the shortest and most rational course, to point their battery against the fact which supports them; whereas, all who pretend to admit the resurrection of Jesus, and yet go about to undermine any of the doctrines delivered by the inspired witnesses thereof, give manifest proof of gross inattention or disingenuity, or rather both. may ON REASON. REASON being often contrasted with mystery and faith, it be proper to inquire what deserves the name of right reason. I say right reason, because nothing is more obvious, than that men are often influenced in their practice by reasons of which they are ashamed both before and after action; and, accordingly, are at pains to pretend plausible reasons to cover those which they can neither avow to others, nor approve of themselves. Not to be tedious, I think we may freely say, that the proper excellency of man above other animals, lies in his conscience, or what he knows without reasoning. It may likewise be said that man has, in common with other animals, a reasoning faculty, by which he is capable of recollecting, comparing, and observing the connection, agreement, or difference of the things which he knows. His reasoning faculty, then, having, beyond what he knows in common with other animals, a peculiar and higher province of knowledge where |