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SERMONS

Upon the following SubjeSisy ^t VIZ.

The Divinity of Jesus Chri^V*

The Millenium.

The Wifdojn of God^ in the Per-^ mijfwn of Sin.

By Joseph Bellamy, A.M.

Minifter of the Gofpcl at Bethlem.

I bring you good Tidings 0/ great Joy^ Luke ii. 10.

l^ght it /own for the Right ecus ^ and Gladneft fr the Up^ right in Heart, Ps alm xcvii. 1 1,

'^There tvat a thick Darkrefi in all the l^nd of Fgvpt

But all the Children of Ijrael had Light in their Oivet- ^^^g^- ExoD. X. 22, 23.

BOSTON:

Printed and Sold by Edes and Gill ; and by S. Kngeland^ iQ ^een- Street, M,dcc,lviu»

oiv. a

T^e "Divinity of Chrifl. J

And, as Jefus Chrift appears " in the Form of God" in the/r/? Chapter of Genefis^ calling univerfal Nature out of Nothing into Exiftence ; fo likewife does he appear, and adl, and fpeak, as thinking it <« no Robbery to be equal with God," in all the grand Difpcnfations of divine Providence, from the Calling of Abraham^ and forward, thro* ail the Jexvijh Difpenfatim,

Turn to the third Chapter oi Exodus^ at the begin- ning, and there you may fee, *' the Angel of the *• Lord appeared to Mofes, in a Flame of Fire out *' of the midft of a Bufli, :|: and God called unto *' him out of the Bufh, and faid, I am the God of *« thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of ** Ifaac, and the God of Jacob." Now who was this God, that thus fpake to Mofes ? It was plainly the God who had appeared to Abraham,Ifaac and Jacob j and to whom they had built Altars, and whom they had worfhipped. To Jacob, in particular, as he was

going

J *< Not a created Angel, but thcAngd of theCcvenant, Chrift ** Jefus, who then and ever was God, and was to be Man, •* and to be fent into the World in our Flelh, as a Mcf- ** fenger from God. And thefe temporary Apparitions of ** his, were Prefages or Fore-runners of his more folcmn ** Miffion and Coming, and therefore he is fitly called an ** Angel. That this Angel was no Creature, plainly «p- «« pears by the wholeGontext,and efpecially \^j his faying, ** I a7n the Lord^ &c. The A^igels never (peak thatLaa- «* guage in Scripture : but, I am fent /rem God, and I am •» thy Fello-ji)' Servant i &c. And it is a vain Pretence, to " fay, That the Angel as God's Ambafrador fpeaks in *« God's Name and Perfon. For what AmbafTador of any «* Kmg in the World did ever fpeak thus, lam the King^ ^* &c. Minifters are God's Ambaffadors ; but if any of *^ ihem fliould fay, lam the Lord^ they would be guilty <« of Blafphemy ; and fo would any created Angel too, « for the fame Reafen/* Pool in Loc.

L, - The Tiivmity of Chrifl.

going to Padan-AraiD. Gen. XXVIII. 12, 13. « He ** dreamed, and behold, a Ladder fet upon theEarth, *« and the Top of it reached to Heaven : and the *• An?els of God [thefe were created Angels] afccnd- *' ing and defcendmg on it. And behold, tlic Lord ** [this was the fupremc God] ftood above it, and ** faid, I am the Lord God of Abraham thyp'ather, ** and the God of Ifaac : the Land whereon thou *' lieft, to thee will I give it, and to thy Seed, &c. And " Jacob called the Name of that Place Bethel," i. e. theHoufe of God, ver. 19. *' And he anointed a «• Pillar, and vowed a Vow, faying. If God will be *' with me, &c. then (hall the Lord be my God" — ver. 20, — 22. And when he was at Padan-Aram the fame God appeared to him again, and is called the Angel of God. Gen. XXXI. ♦' And the Angel of God *« fpake to me in aDream". ver. 1 1. Thia was not a created Angel ; for he faid, ver. 13. "I am theGod *' of Bethel, where thou anointedfl: the Pillar, and «* vowcdft a Vow unto Me." f And to this God he

afterwards

\ GOD the Father is never called the Anget of God : But thQ God 0/ Bethel 15 called the Angel of God : Therefore

the God of Bethel is not God the Father.- The God of

Bethel is the fame who is called the Angel of the Covenant in Mai. III. I. But that Angel of the C-roenant is Chrift, as is plain from Mark 1.2. Therefore the God of Bethel was 6'/^r;7?.— The God of Bethel was the God who appear- ed to Abraham (C^^XII. 1,— 7-) to Ifaac {Gen. XXVf. 24, 25.) to Jacob (6>«. XXVIII. 13. and XXXI. 13.) to Mofes (Exod. III. 2, -6.^GnMount Sinai {Exod.y.Y.. 2.) and is ufually called the God and King of IfraeU thro' iflfe old Teilament : But the God of Beth A was Jefus Chrifl : Therefore Jefus Chrifl was the God and King of IfracL — If Jefus Chrift was the God and King of Ifrael, then may St. Paul be Julbtkd in reprefenting h.m as the Creator of the Unirerfe, Col. I. 16. And la applying to him, in his

EpilUes,

The T>himty of Ch rift. 7

afterwards ^«/// an Altar {Chap.XXXV. i.) and he calls upon thisGod, this Angela to blefs the Lads (the two Sons of Jofeph) a little before his Death. {Chap, 48.

j^, 16.) Now, who was this, fometimes called

God^ fometimes \\\q Jngd of God t" h \M, if we may give Credit to his own Declaration, "The God of <» Abraham {U?ap, XXVIIl. 13.) and the God <' of Ifaac." And this was the God who now ap- peared and fpake to Mofes in the Bulb, and vvh(> afterwards gave the Law from Mount Sinai. And of him, even of this very fame God, David fpeaks iii the LXVIIIth PJhlm, ver. 7, Sec. " O God, when *' thou vventert forth before thy People, when thoa <' didrt march thro' theVVildernefs ; theEarth fliook, *' the Heavens alfo dropped at the Prefencc of the <' Lord : even Sinai itfelf was moved at thePrefence " of God,thcGod of Ifrael. ver 1 7. — ThcChariots of <' God are twenty Thoufand, even Thoufands of *' Angels ; theLord is among them,as-in Sinai, in the ** hofy Place, ^w. 18. Thou haft afc'ended on high, <« thou haft led Captivity captive, thou haft received

*' Gifts for Men," &c. And now, who was this ?

Turn to the IV th Chapter of Ephe/ia?iSy and there

an infpircd Apoftle tells us, that it was Jefus Chrift. ver, 8. It was He " Who afcended up on hik,lj, and ** led Captivity captive."

B S3

Epiftles, what was evidently fpoken of the Cod and Kh:^

i>f Ifraely in the ficred Writings of the old Ttliinient.

Compare Pfal, LXVIII. 18. with Eph. IV. 8. Axi6 Pfai\

|£ll. 25. with Heb. I. 10. Slz. 5cc. &c.— And our bleffed

Saviour may be judifitd in iaying down his Life, rathet

than to give up his Claim. And there was moreTrutli

in theXitle fct up over his Head when on the Crofs {Jefus of Nazareth the KinG of the Jews) than his Crucifiers were aware of : For had they hKywrf^ thf^^ 'would net ha^^ crucified the LoKH of Glorv.

274987

*8 The 'Dhhuty of Ojrljf,

So that it was Je/us Chr'i/i^ who appeared to Abfa- liam, Ifaac and Jacob, to Mofcs in tlie Burning Bu(h, and onMount Sinai. And He appeared in the •••• Form of God," and fpake in the Language of fupreme Deity, as tMlbking it *' no Robbery to be equal with God," faying, " 1 am the God of Abraham, the God *^ of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob. I am the Lord *' thy God which brought thee out oi the Land of *' Fgypt, and out of the Houfe of Bondage. Thou *' Ihalt have no other Gods before me. £';fc^. XX. —

And what could he have faid more than this to

fet up thus for fupreme God, and enjoin that none fliould be wor(hi;.pped but himfelf !

A*JD this God, who thus brought Ifrael out of Egypt, and gave the Law from Mount Sinai, even l>e v/as " the King of the Jews," their «w7 67;/^. For their Government was a 77'^^a-^^_y,andGod was their King, as King-C^^r^^ is King of Great- Britain, And therefore when in the Days of Samuel, they defired to have a King from among thcmfelves, like the Reft of the Nations, -God faid. ( I Sa7n. VilL 7.; *' They *' have reje6ted Me, that I fliould not reign over *' them." (See alfo iSam.X. 18, 19.) This was in their Hearts ; for they were weary of God's Government, and did not hke to be in a State of fuch entireDepen- dance on him, but wanted a King of their own. However God did not give up his Government over them,, nor grant them a King, in the Senfe they de- fired ; but only nominated and conftituted one to be his Vicegerent, to be his Deputy, to govern for and under him, therefore called the Lord's a:winted^ ^^4

himfelf ftill their King. Now it was at Mdmit

Sinai God became their King, and they covenanted and promifed to be his loyal and obedient Subjcdls.

Exod, XiX. 3—8. But thai Gad was Jefus Chrift,

as has been before proved. Therefore Jejus Chrift

^vas ths King ofthjevji^ and they were his peculi?

Pcop)

V

The T>ivinhy of Chnfl. 9

People - — And to this St. ]olin evidently alludes in thofe Wcrds, Job. 1. 11. " He came to his own,'* his ownPeopie h Nation, over whom he had reign^^d, '* He came unto his own, and his own^ccived hiia " not." Yea, look up, and view him on the Crofsy and read the SupciTcription put over him, and thac wiii declare who he is, Jesus of Nazareth thk Kino of the Jeavs. (See Job. XII. 15. ZecbAX. 9.)

And as theiiGcd was their King, their civilChief ; fo it was fuitable he fhould have 2. Palace built him» that he might dwell among them. And according'y by his Appointment the Tabernaclt was built in the Wildernefs. . And there he dwelr^ in the Holy of Holies, as their God and Kine, giving out Laws and Orders from above the Mercy-feat. In Allufion tO' which St. Jobn fpeaking of the fame God, fays, '* Th^ " Word was made Fledi and tabernacled among us''

(for fo it is in the QriginaJ.) Joh\ I. 14. And th s

God v.'hothus dwelt in their Tabernacle, and whoni they tempted and tried forty Years in the Wilder- nefs, St. Paul teftifies was Jefia Chrift. i Cor. X. 9, " Neither let us tempt Chrill, as fome of them alfj ** tempted, and were deflroyed of Serpents." (Se^: alfo Ifa'i. LX!II. 9.* Compared ^^vkXx Ex:od. XXIIL 20, and XXXIII. 14.)

Afterwards, in the Days of Solomon, a' Tiv ; ' was built, exceeding grand and glorious ; however, not equal to his infinite Greatnefs : for " the Hea- " ven, and the Heaven of Heavens could not contaiii " him." (i Km. VIII. 27.) But yet in this Tcqp^c lie condcfcended to take up his Abode^ " in tt\*; *' Cloud of Glory wliich filled the Houfe." [-i.C-bron. V. 14.) And there he dwelt as God and King of ili

J^vjs. * In Remembrance of which, apd conic. ous

B 2 to

"" Solomon, in his Prayer at the Dedication of the Temp^%

fpc^king to the God and King of J{rael, faid, *• for thon,

'* evja

5 0 The Divinity cf Chnfl,

' to his own Dignity, our Saviour, in the Days of his Fhlh, was filled with Indignation to fee theTemple, once his hoIyDwelIing-Place,turned into anHoufeot' Ivlerchandiz^ and he drove out the People. — And l^eing qucllioncd for this his Condud, he anfwered, '* DeOroy thisTemple (fpeaking of his Body) and in ** three Days I will raife it up." Joh, 11, iq. As if he Jiad faid, *' I am the God who once dwelt in your *' Temple, now I dwell in this Dody,this is now my ** 7\m;ile, dcftroy it, as I forefee you will, and in *' threeDays I will raife it from theDead ; and thcre- •' by give you full Proof who I be, and by what ^* Authority I do thefe Things." •

To Abraham he fometimes appeared as a Man. (Gen. XVlil. 1,2.) To IVlofes,in ^.Flame of Fire in the BiifiK To all the Hoft of Ifrael, in a PilLr cf Cloud hy Day and cf Ftre by Night, from the Time they r;ent out of Egypt till they came to Mount Sinai, On the Mount He took up his Abode till the Taber- racle was built, and his Appearance was as devouring Fire. Exod.XXW, 17. After the Tabernacle was built, that became the Piace of his Refidence ; and in a Pillar of CUud by Day and of Fire by Night, he Jed the Ifraelites thro' all the Wildernefs, till he had brought them into the lioly Land ; and the Taber- nacle" was fet up at Shiloh : [JoJh.XYWX. r.) and there He dwelt till the Days of FJi : {\ Sam.Wl,) when, for the Wickednefs of the Children of Jfrae),

He «•' p'-^n thcu ONLY knovefi the Hearts of all the chil- *' dren of Men." i Kina. VIII. 29. This being peculiar to the God of ifrael. i ^^v;. XVI. 7. Pfat.SlW.^. Jtr. Xh 20. & XVII. 10.& XX.12.— " And all theChurches •♦ Ihall know, that T am He," fays oar bleffcd Saviour, •* that I .\M He, which fearcheth the Reins and Heart" Kev. 11.25. i.e. that I am that very Being, formerly i:nown by the Name of the God of Ifrael, to wl^oni alone this Cliaradcr belonged. All ihs Churches Jhal I kno^^ if

K

The Ij'ivini'y of ChrijL i I

He fovfook Shiloh : ( i Scri. IV. Pfil.LXX v ui l c ) as he afterwards did the Temple of So'ciDon. (j^^- VI r. 14.) And after theZ^^/j.W/.Captivity tlii:>Tckcii of the divine Prefence was never more fcen. But tlic pious Jews wereafiured by the laft Prophet under that Difpenfation, after the building of the fecond Temple, that their G^^and King would return to their Tem.pJe again. iV/^/.Iil.i. "The IvORD whom ye fetk," long- ing for his Prefence as in former Days, '' (lialJ fud- *' denly come toHisTemple," where he ufed to dvv( 1] ; " even theMeflenger [or Angel] of theCoYenant." — But when he " came unto his own, his own received " him not." (JoL I. 11.) For liis ancient Glory was laid afide, and he appeared in ih^ Form of a Servanr, and in the Likencfs of Men. Wherefore they put him to Death for claiming to be " the Son of God " and King of the Jews j" not knowing that he was the Lord of Glory, i Cor. II. 8. See ILig. II. 7, q. But if wc want any further Evidence, that Jt fus Chrift was indeed the very God and King of lirael. Jet us turn to the Vlth Chapter of Ifaiah, whete ws faall find the Prcphft^xn a Villon, feeing " the Lord *' fitting upon a Throne high and lifted up," as fole Monarch of the Univerfc, and worfliippcd by \hc lieavenly Horts as fupreme God, crying, *' Holy, " Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hoih, the who'eEanh is *' full of thyGlory."*— And then turn to the XJIth B 3 Chapter

* Iloh, Holy, Holy, three Times. This Vi:ion wr.s .1 Viiloo of one God in three Perfons. Of God the Father, Rom. XI. 8. Of God the Son, Joh. XII. 41. Of God tlie Holy Ghjft, Aa. XXVIH. 2>. The thrf.e, who faid, ** Let us makeMan in our Image," Gefz. I. 26. Vxhofvi Name was oronounced three Times in theOld-Tcnament- Blcflinp. Num. VI. 24, 25, 2^. As the three Peifons are dilh 6lly mentioned in thcNcw-Tcunment-B^iptifm, AJat. XXVill. 10. AndiDthcNfv Teilamcnt Slg:1in2- iCor. Xili.

The 'Dh'tHtty of Chrijl.

Ciiaptcr of John^ 4if> V^erfe, and we (hall find, that tliis God was Jesus Christ. " Thefe'rhin^ijs'* [v.z. liie Things contained in Ifai. VI. 9, ic ] '^ laid Eraias,_when he faw his Glory, and fpake of him." And if we woiiid fee the fame Thing confirmed over again, let us read the XLVrh Chapter of Ij'uiuh riroughout, where we have tlie supreme God^ the GcJ of I/raely faying, ver. 5. " i am the Lord, and ^- iliere is !ione eife, there is no God befides me. — ** ver. 6. There is none befides me :I am theLord, *• and there is none elfe. — ver. 11. lUius faith the "* Lord, the HOLY one of Ifrael. — ver. 12. I ha\e *' made the Earth, and created Man upon it ; J, ," even my Hands have flretchcd out theHeavens. — *• ver. iS. Thus faith the Lord, that created the ' Heavens ; God Himfelf, that formed the Earth • and made It ; I am the Lord, and there is none ^- elfc. — ver. 21. There is noGodelfe befides me. — *• ver. 22. Look unto me, and be ye faved, all the *" Ends of the Earl!) : for 1 am God, and there is

none clle." And if after all thi-s God- like Lan-

ge, this was Jcfas Chri/J^ St. Paul liiight well fny. Who being in the Eorai of God, thought it no

" Robbery

>:in. 14 And it is obfcrved hj an antlent Jcj.lffy

Writer, that in fcveral Fexts in the Hcbreiv Bihle God is -illcd by three Names. His Wods are as follows. " Thus it is fiid, Excd. XX. 5. 1 am the Lord thy God, a •' jealous God. [Jewovah, Elohim, Rl, are the U ords '* lTcJ j7"*/iAC£',aiirvVerinJ to iheT/jrc^ b) which thcWorUi " WdS m-uie. And thus tlie Children or Gad,AX\i\ theChil- ** d.-en of Riuben^ij, Jyj/j.XXU 22. El, Elokim» *' Jehovah : El, Elohim, Jehovah, Ae knoiveto. •' A'ld uljy are ihefe mentioned twice ? Jkcaufc by them " the World was made, and b'.'C.iufe by them the La-v " was gii^en." Thus far l!ie Author of Mldrajh TiV}7n. •■^ee Bp. Kiddir\ DsmonJlraUQn 0/ th( Mefuh, P»irt III.

The 7)lvimty of Chr'ijl, I ^

'' Robbery to be equal withGodi" (nor can we have a plainer Comment on his Words, nor can we be at a Lofs tor their trueMeaning) for lie could not have appeared more as supremeGod, nor polFibly ipoken

in more dccifive Language than this.* And yet

nothing can be plainer than that St. Paul underrtood the God freaking thro' the whole Chapter, to be J ejus Chrijl. For thofe concluding Words in the 23d Verfe, " I have fworn by my felf, — that unto me " every Knee (ball bow, and every Tonirue (hall *' fwear," he twice exprclly applies to JfusCkriJf, Once in Ro?n. XIV. 10, 11. ** It is written, — Every '^ Knee (hall bow to me." And again in Phil. II. 10^ 1 r. '' At the Name ot Jefus every Knee liiall bow." Yea, the hij}ired IVi iters of the 'Neiv-Tcjiamevt- feem con(^antly to conlider iht God ^nd King of Jfrael^ wlio in the beginning created the Heavens and the Earth, 23 tlie very fame Being, who aftcrwarJs dwelt in Flell^, and was* called J lui Ch) i/l,ivom the Libcr- ty^thcy take to apply io J Jus Chrijl ^ in their Writ- ings, what was fo evidently f;.oken of the God and AV;;^ of Ifraely in the facred Writings of tliC Old-

Tcdament. To mention hut two Inilancts more.

In ail the 150 Pfalms^ t!iere are none, which fcem B 4 more

* The God that fpeaks in this Chapter, is— The God, ivho

created the Unkerfe, ver. 18. The God, v-ho was

known by iheName of ** the G<id of ifr.tel," ver. 3. that is, the God who brought Jfrael q\xX of ,^f >/>/,;! nd led thtm

through the Wilderncfs And. the God who delivem*

the Jews out of the Bubyhnifn Cgpttiity, ver. 13. — Am he affirms over and over, " I am the Lord, and there u *' none elfe ; there is none beiidts me, there is nr ne befide:

" m." Of this very fame God. we read ifai. XL. 3.

applied to ChrilL Matt. I{[ :>. — And if^i. LH. 7. applied toChrift, Rom. X. 15.— And ifai. XL. 10, 11. applied toChiill, Joh. X. i^.— And ifi. XLI. 4. & XLIV, 6. undXLVIlL 12. applied toChrift^Rcv. L 17. &XXILJ3.

14 ' Tie ^Divinity of Chnjl.

more plainly to fpeak of the supreme God than

|the 97th and ro2ncJ And yet both theCe are con-

lidered in the Ncw-Teflament as fpeakingof Chriji^

''and accordingly are apphed to him. The 97rh

Pfalm begins with, "The Lord reigneih, let theEarth i *' rejoice :" and an infpired UViter coniiders it as a ^Reprefentation of the glorious Reign of the Mejfinh. For fays he, [Heb. I."6.) " When he bringeth the " firft begotten into theWorld, he faith. And let all ** the Angels of God vvorfliip him :" referring to the 7th Verfe of the 97th Pfalm, " Worfliip him, all

*' yeGods." And in the 10 2d Pfahn^ fpeaking of

the SUPREME God, the P/^/;;2//? fays, (ver. 25, 26,27.) ^ Of old had thou laid the Foundation of theEarth,

and the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands.

They Hiall periih, but thou (halt endure : yea, all *' of them fliall wax old like a Garment, as a *' Vefture (halt thou change them, and they (liall be

changed : but thou art the fame, and thy Years

fliall have no End." Which is exprefly applied to Jjfus Chrijl in Heb. I. 10, 1 1, 12. *

Whereforf, from what has been faid, it Is natural to obferve,

I. That the God and King of Ifrael we read of in the OhJ-Te/lamrtit^ is the very jame Being who afterwards became incarnate, and is called by the

Name

^«"|ierc are comparntlvely but few PafTagcs in the Old Tef-

•^ Tient, in which ve may be certain, that it is God the

3 ,*Ther, who fpeaks. or is fpoken of. 7 here arc but few

* afTages which could rot have been applied to Chrift, with

as much apparent Juftice, as thofc alie;idy applied to him

by the infpired Writers of the New Teftament. if Chn^

>• was not the God and King of ifrael, how can they be juf-

' tificd in what they have done ? But if he was, the Coafe*

'•-^'jcnce is plain.

The 'Divinity' of Chrij}. l^

Name of Jesus Christ in xhtNnv Te/lnmenf. % i. e. Jesus of Nazareth was really the King of the

Jews. So certain as the Writers of the New-

Teftament were divinely infpired, fo certainly may

this be depended upon. Therefore,

2. It is beyond us to imagiine any Evidences of the Divinity of Chrift, which could polTibly have been c;iven, more clear and llriking than thofe which

liave been already 'given.. In the Beginning he

created the Heaven and the Earth, even all Things were created by him and for him. And he was the God of Mraham^ the God of Ifaac^ and the God of J.Koh \ whom they worlhipped, and to whom they built Altars. He appeared to Mofc$ in the burning Bulh as the fupremc God, and fpake the Language

of

X <* But what Difference is there then between God the ** Father and God the Son ?" — I anfwer^ They are one God, the fame in Subftance, equal in Power and Glory. Joh X. 30. •* I and my Father are one." Compared with Joh. XIV. 7, 8, 9, 10. — And yet wiicn we are baptlfed •* in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the «* Holy Ghod," (Matt. XXVIII. 19.) and obferve how ip. tlie Gofpel-Difpenfuion the Father fulhins the Dignity, and (tands for the Rights of the Godhead, (Rom. III. 25.) the Son becomes incarnate and is fet forth to be a Propiti- ation for Sin, and the Holy Spirit inlightens and fanctifies Sinners : I fiy, when we obferve thefe Reprefentations in the facred Records, it becomes evident, that Father^ Son and H'Jy 6'/'3/?,altho' they are but of?e Gody (i Joh. V. 7.) plainly a<5t as tho' they were three dijiin^i Perfons.—.\T\<i if our Reafon cannot find out hymv they are three, and-ytfT but one ; pnd if God lias not thought it needful to'inflrud . us in this Point : yet fo f^r as is revealed, fo far v;e may believe ; and tiiat with a Faith fufiiciently didintfl' to lay a Foundation for Pra»5lice. The Believer may now, through the Mediation of liie 5o«,have Accefs, by the Afllflance of the S/iritj to the Father. Eph. II. 18.

h6 The T>ivlH'ify cf Chnjf.

of fupreme Deity from Mount Sinai. In the Taber- nacle and 'Temple he dwelt in the Fct^n of God^ and always fpake as thinking it no Robbery to be equal %vitb God. To Jfu'iah he appeared as the Monarch ot" the Univerfe, and was worlhipped by the heavenly ' HoHs as fuch. And often he repeats ir, *' I am the '" Lord, and there is none elfe, and befide me there ■ '' is no God." Ai-jd t here fore yzfiWJ by h'unjelf^ tlicre 'being no greater to fwear by [Heh. VI. 13.) that

every Knee fn all bow to him Had he been truly and

indeed by Nature supreme God, what could he J liave done, or what could he have faid, to have it made more manit'eft ?

3. If after all, he was not by Nature God, but a ^/^eing 17 finitely inferior \ not the Creator, but a ' Creature ; the Jewilh Difpenfation, which was pro- , felTedly dcfigned to efi:ablifh the Worfliip i)f the one. , TRUE God, in.Oppofition to all others, was really 'calculated to eftabliih Idolatry (for aught I can fee) and that forever. For he appeared ia the Form ot ■God, and was taken to be fupreme God, and ena^St- cd it as the firft and chief of all his Lbws, that no i-God fhou'd be worfliipped but Himfe^f. So that to deny ]iis Divinity, is to fay, that the God of the Hebrews was an Impofior, and to declare Abrahamy ' Ifaac^ Jacob, Mofes, and all their Prcphets^io be delud- ed Idolaters : for him they all believed to be fuprenrwj I God, and him they worfhipped as fuch.. i 4. But on the other Hand, granting the Old j|and New Tellamen^s to be divinely infpired, ; we may behold the manifold Wifdom of God

, iTi^iiyincr out his grand Plan as he has done. To

God a]' h;s Works were known long before the

Foundation of the World. And among other

;. Things, the Incarnation, and theDeaih of Chrift as a I propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin, were full in the divine

View 'Now what Methods (hould be taken to

render

The "lyivlmty of Chrifi. Ij

render Mankind, and the whole intellecflual S){lc;m, fenfible of the infinite Dignity of him v;ho died on the Ciofs :— — "Go," fays the eternal Father to his Son, " Go, firll create the World for which *' thou art to die, and the whole Syftem over which ** thou art to reign, that how deep foever thirjcAbafe- << mcnt may be, thine eternal Power and God-head <* may be to be clearly feen by the Things thou haft *' made. — Go, appear to Abraham^ Ijaac and Jacob'\\\ ** the Form of God, and fpeak to Mofs^ and on <' Mount Sinai, as plainly thinking it to be no Rob- '' bery to be equal with God, and dwell in their Ta- *' bernacle and Temple, and reign as God m^d King <« among them ; that when in the FuhuTs of Time *' thou flialt appear in the Form of a Servant and in " the Likencfs of a Man, and bleed and die on the ** Crofs, thy true Chara6ter may ftill be known. " That when I come to perform this greatefl of all " my Works, to give my only begotten Son to die " for the World, it may be underi^ood by frail Mor- *' tals, what it is 1 have done.'* *

God

* That the Son was employed by the Father as hisAgent to create the Univerfe, feems to be implied in th^t Manner of fpcaking in Eph. III. 9. «• Who created all Things by " Jefus Chrid," and in Heb. I. 2. *' By whom he made

"the Worlds." And that his creating the World

manifefts him to be pofTeficd of eternal Power

and God-Head, is plain from Rom. I. 20. And that

the Work of Creation, and his other Works recorded in tlie Old-Teftament, were dtfigned to afcertain his true Character, as being by Nature God, in the View of frail Mortals, notwithftanding the Greatncfs of his intended AbafL-ment, is evident from the infpired Writings of the New-Teflament ; as they abundantly improve them to ■; this Pur pole. Other Kinds of iSeings God has employ- ed ia his Dealings with a fallen World, viz, Angeh and

Mca.

^^ The D'rSimty of Chrift.

God forefaw, his appearing in the Form of a Ser- vant, and in the Likencfs of Men, would, unlefs there was fome Method taken to hinder it, induce Mankind to think him but a mere Man j and fo prevent their feeing into the fubhme Nature and Glory of the Chriftian Difpcnfation. In his infinite Wifdom, therefore, he appointed him fuchWorks lo do, previous to his Incarnation, as might cffedually

determine his true Charader. At hril, his Difci-

ples themfelves hardly believed him to be fupreme God, or that he was to die, to make Atonement for the Sins of the World : for their Eyes were not yet opened to underftand the Scriptures of theOId-Tella- ment, in which, both theCe Points were fet in the flrongeft Light. The veryNight before He fullered, it is plain, his Difcipies had but a feeble Senfe of his

fupreme

Men, And proper Care lias always been taken to afcer- tain their true Charafter, as mere Creatures, in the facred Writings. So Mofes appears but a tnere Man^ whatever high Titles he had fometimes given him. And the Angel employed by Chrift, to communicate to St, Jokn the won- derful and glorious Vifions and Revelations he had in the Ifle of Patmosy appears to be but a msre Creature y (Rev. XXII. 9 ) and he made Confclence of informing St. J'ihn in his true Charader. But Chrift appears in the Form of God, and fpeaks and ads as thinking himfelf fupremcGod, thro' a Ion'' Period of three or four Thoufand Years. And granting him to be really fuch, there could not have been a better Method to determine his true Charader to our View, and prevent our entertaining too low Thoughts o him, on Account of his appearing in the Form of a Servant and in the Likenefs of a Man. If now we cannot givl^ Credit to his Words, when he fays, ♦♦ land my FatlK \ «* are one" : yet furely we may to his Works, while w // view him as the Creator of the Uaiverfe, and as the Gcy andKiKGof the Jews. i

The 'Divinity of Chnji. I?

fupreme God-Head. He had before faid, that '« he " and hisFather were one :" (J./;. X.30.) but they^ did not fully underftand him. He now fays, " It «« ye had known me, ye Ihould have known my <« P'ather ahb : and from henccfortli ye know him '« and have feen him." (Job. XIV. 7.) But they hardly knew what he meant. Thererore Philips being one of them, fays, " Lord, fliew us the Fa- " THER, and it fufficeth us. (ver. 8.) Jefus faith ** unto him, Have I been fo long v;ith you, and yet <« hail tliou not known me, Philip ? He that hatli " feen me, haih fecn the Father : and how faye/1: " thou, (hew us the Father? ("vcr. 10.) Be'ieved " thou not, that I am in the Father5and the P'ather ** in me." But when afterwards their Ey^s were opened to underftand the Scriptures of the Old- Teftament, and in all thofe facred Pages to behold him in the Form of God, fpeaking and acfting as fupreme Deity, now theirFaith was fully coniirmed. Indeed in the Days of his Abafement, while hii Divinity was fo much concealed, his divine Glory at Times flione into their Hearts, and tliey " beheld <' hisGlory,[for Inftanceon iheMount, A/^z/.XVlI.] " as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God." (Jr::. T. J 4. J And fometimes under a divine Infli!- cnce they cried out, " Thou art the Son of the " hving God." (Mat XVl.xb.) But in general their Senfe of his Divinity was but feeble ; fo that after his Death they even doubted his being tlie true Meffiah, (Mar, XVI. 14.) They knew not what ta make of Things. {Luk. XXIV.) But after the Days of PentenJ}^ when the holy Spirit, who infpired the Writings of the Old-Teftament, was fo plentifully poured out upon them, they never appear to u'cubt 3ga n ; but as in their Writings, fo no doubt ia their Preachings, they take the utmoft Liberty ta ^pp'y P?.lTi^«s in the Old-Teftament, evidently C fpokcu

C5 The Div'imly of ChrlJI,

ipoken of the fupreme God, the Crentor of thff Univcrfe, the King of Ifrael, to Jefus Chrift ; and without Scruple call him, " Immanuel, God, the " true God, God[manife{l- in the Flefh, yceiy Goti ^' overall blefled for ever." f

It is written in Ifai. IX. 6. His Name JI)aU be called Wonderful. And indeed, of allThings that ever happened in the whole intelligent Syftem, this is the moft aftonKhing, that the eternal God who created the Univerfe fliould become incarnate n.nd die on theCrofs. 1 hat the Babe in the Man- ger was " the mighty God, the everlafting Father, *' the Creator of the Ends of the Earth !"— He looked like another Child ; He grew in Stature lUce another Child ; and when grown, he appeared in Fafliion as a Man : his ancient Glory all laid afide : toAppcarance, a Man of Sorrow, delpifcd, condem- ned, hated, ridiculed, the laughing-ftock of many in Town and Counrry, and thofc the moft rich and honourable : at laft, crucified as a Malefactor. And was this the eternal Jehovah ! — the God of THE w^hole Universe ! — this mean Man ' — this cucifiedCriminal ! — Well might his Name be called

Wonderful. O the manifold Wifdom of God,

iii

I And If his Difciples had fo little Senfe of his true Cha- racter, as fapreme God, is it in the lead crcilible, that the Man ipoken of in 7^f<7/.*XIX. i6. who called him go(^ MaJ}er^ had {o much as one Thought of his fupreme God head ? far from it, no doubt. It does not appear that he thought hini to be the Mcfliah. But^our Saviour 'Icnew what he himfelf was, and pitied the Man, and faid, «* Why cailcft thou me good ? there is none good, but ** one God." As if he had faid, " V'oa call me Goad : "* Do yoa know who I be, or vyhat you fay ? there */ is none Good, but God ; do you thii.k'I am God* ?" Words well contrived to put him on a farther Enquiry V iato our Saviour's trje Charader.

The Dhhi'ity of Chrlfl. •! i

In appointing his Son, previous to his Incarnation, to appear in the Form of God, and Ipeak and acft as thinking it no Robbery to be supreme God, thro' a Period of three or four Thoufaiid Years, as preparatory and introduftory to this aftoniihing A- bafeme.it j that there might be fufficient external Evidence, with Certainty, to determine his truo Chara6ler, when appearing in Circumflances fo

infinitely below his real Dignity ! But it isTime

t-^ proceed, as was propofcd,

•If. To take a View of our blciTcd' Saviour " in *' the Form of a Servant, in the Likenefs of Alcn."

As Man% He had an humm Body, which, front' theSmallnefs of an Infant, grew up into the Stature of a Alan.— And an human Scul, in all Relpefls like ours,Sin only excepted. {Heb.ll. i6, 17.) — As Man, God was liis Father ; even as he is theFather of the whole Creation in general, and as he is the Father of all good Men in particular : and in a (lili mcic eminent Senfc. And God was hijs God. As he faid, '' I afccnd to my Father, and vour Father, to *' my God and your God." (7;,!?.'XX.,'17..J. As Man, he was dependent on GoJ, aiid prayed to him, and praifed him. As A^an^ he had ho Ability to work Miracles ; but, tie Faikcr^ fahh h^e, *',tl"'-C " dwelJeth in me,he doth the Works." (JuZ.'Xv.

10.) As Man, he loved the young Man in tlia

Gofpel for his humane Difpofition and refpcfiful Behaviour : — He groaned at liis Friend Lazunu^ (jrave— He wept over JerufaJtm — and was in an Agony and prayed in theGarden— and cried oji ^jie Crofs,*< My God, myGod, why haft thou for fikj.i ii nie!"

As Mun^Hz grsvj in Knowledge and V/ifdom.

and in Favour with God and Man {LuL II. 52. ^

!kj yet was at an infiniteRemove from ahjchde (Jm-

' •ficme : yeajhe did not fo much as kaow when the

C 2 - Day

-11 The T>kHmty of Chrifl,

Day of Judgment wotld be. [Mor.XWl. xi-.) The Deity, who vas the Father * of the Man Chrift

Jefus,

* By the Father is rometlmes meant the firfl Per/on in

the Trinity, as in Mat. XXV JII. 19. i Joh. V. 7. — But

at other Times, is plainly meant the Deitv, without

Reference to any DilHndion of Perfons, as in Joh. IV,

23, 24. I Jch. II. 15, &c.

Cr.jEC. ♦♦ But if Jefus Chrift was God and Man, in one rcrfon, how could that one Perfon fay, that he knew not tr.e Day of judnment ? for if he did not know, as Man, yet he did, as liC was God."

A.NSW. It was ufual for our Saviour to fpcak after this Manner. Jsh.y^. 15^ *' I lay down my Life for the 5'heep." Now how could that one Perfon Ay, " I Isy down my Life" ? Wa« the divine Nature to die ? and yet vas not thai l^ature, Himfelf ? Certainly it was. For he adds, ver. i3. ** I have Power to lay it down, and I have Power, to take it again." Certainly the human Kature had not Power to raife It fclf from the Dead. — So Joh. VIII. 58. " Before Abraham was, I am." But how could thcit be true ? for, as Man, he was fliort of

^o Years old. So again, Jch, III. 13. " Even the

Son of Man, which is in Heaven." Certainly the human Nature of ChriA was not then, nor ever had been in Hea- %en. And if, confiUcnt with Truth, he might fay, that the Son of Man is in Heaven^ altho' the human Nature rever was there ; he might as well fay, the Son knovjeth 7:ot, shho' the divincNaturc did know. — The Manner of fpeaking, when honeftly attended to, infiead of tending to iniflead us, tends to fet the very Truth in a HrikingLight, %iz. that he was very Cod, and very Man. •^^•^-' ?iTA agrea* b!c hereto we may obfcrvc, that the fame Perfon that r»ys, not the Son, but the Father only, in Mar. XIII. 32. f.ys alfo, I and viy Father are one. Joh. X. 30. And, he t'at hath fen me, hath feen theFather. Joh. XIV. 9. Thi Father that d'welleth in mf, he doeth ihe IVorks. (ver. 10.) N. B. In this lad Text, he, dilhnguiflilng between his

humarv

"The 'Divhihy of Chri/f.

Ik

Jefus, how intimately foever united to him, had never imparted to him the Knowledge cf this Thing. The Union was fuch, as that he might juftiy be named Immanuel {Mat. i. 23.) yet the Natures remained d'l/lin^. And the human Nature was not conl'cious to the Ideas of the divine^ only ns they were imparted. This was the Cafe when he dwelt on f-arrh, notwithftanding his perfonal Union to the fecond Perfon in the Trinity ; and \X. is Hill the Cafe now he is in Heaven, notwithftand- ing his Exaltation and Glory ; He knows not the Secrets of the Divinity any farther then they are communicated to him. Therefore we have that ExprefTion in Rcv.l,i. "The Revelation of " Jefus Chrirt, which God gave unto him." And doubtlefs, it is fimply Lmpoilible, that any Creature fhould be confcious to the Ideas of the Divinity, as a Man is confcious to the Thoughts of his owa

Heart, by immediate Infuition. But he was not

only a Mau., but aifo took c?i hi?n

The For77t of a Srrvant. x\nd as fuch, He re- ceived all his Power and Authority from his Faihrr^ as he conftantly declares, and all his Inftruc^ions. For he came not of himfelf^ nor to do hii oiun IVill^ nor to feek his own Gbry ; but his Father fent him ; and he fpake and ac^ted altogether as his Servaat. And as fuch, *' his Father was greater than he " C 3 Ma.

human and divine Natures, calls hh divine Nature th Father. Therefore, when he fiys {Mar. XIII. 32.) /Vsf

f,^e Son, but the Father only, the Senfc is plain. Nor

is it any Objedlion againft this, that Chrirt fpeaks of the Father as di!tinc5l from hirafelf in both thefe Inftances. For in the fame Difcourfe (/U7r.,XIII.' 19.) he fpeaks of God the Creator as one diftina from himfelf. Ye* hira- U\f was the God that created all Things. However, 'r hioifclf was a Creature too. 5ee all"^ Joh, VI. 42,

The T>tvimty cf Chrtjl.

>^^/.XXVIII.i8. Job. VII. x6, 17, i8. & Xri. 40,

50. and XIV. 28. t

And a principal Command he had received of

'^\sFather, was to " Jay down his Life for hisSheep."

Jch. X. 15--18.) And fuch was his Regard to his

other's Honour, and to the Salvation of Sinners,

•hat he wa^ obedient, even to the Death of theCrofs.

Wherefore his Father loved him, and in Teftimony

of his Love, highly exalted him, and, as Mediator,

i"et him at the Head of the Univerfe, and made him

Heir of all Things, (for, as Go^i, he was, by an

underived Rrght^hoxA of all Things before, IJai.Vl.i.)

and gave him a Name above every Name, that to

the Name of Jefus every Knee fhould bow, and

every

f . ■

' All the Power and Authority, by which the Medintor

adts.in the v;hoIe of his Mediatoral Work is derived, from

the Father. He a6ts wholly as his Father's Vicegerent,

and by hisCommiflion. " He can do nothing of himfclf."

' Joh. r. 19. He gives Gifts to his Church, (Epb. IV. 8.

Pfal. LXVm. i8.)Scndsthe HolySpirit, (>h. XIV. 16,

26. XV. 26.) Subdues all Enemies (R.ev. XIX. 11— 21.

I Cor. XV. 27. ) raifes the Dead, (Joh. V. 21, 25, 26.)

r.nd judges the WorH, (Ver, 27-) wholly by this derived

Authority. And ** it hath pleafed the Father, that alf

** Fulncfs fhould dwell in him." Col. I. 19. i^nd

tjiefc Texts liere referred to, inftead of proving, that he

is not byNatureGod,(as the.'/rwArj iuppofe)dooniy prove,

that, he, who vv'as in the Form of God, and thought it

not Robbery to be equal with God, really " took on him

•* the Form of a Servant." — All mere Crcaturcsare (like

thofe born in a State of Servitude) God's Servants from

their very fir(t Exigence. But he originally was not God's

S.trvant. lie was at his own Difpofid, and became a

Servant by a voluntary Adi. '• He took on Him tlie

** Form of a Servant." It is no Condtfcenfion for the

mod cx-^-lted Ar^ge! in Heaven to be God's Sc'rvant ; Kt

if was infinite Condefccnfioa for \\y "^ ^ ^ '-' -- ■' :" '

cojie a Scrvict t^ his Father.

The 7>ivlnity of Chrijf, *,^

every Tongue confefs, that Jefus is Lord, to the

Glory of God the Father : Nothing being more to

the Glory of God the i^7//;^r,than To highly to ex'? a Servant, who had Ihewn To great Regard to his Honour, and to the Honour of his Law and Go- vernment and facredAuthorityj — And nothing beine- more to the Glory of God the Father,than that the whole Univerfe ihould bow to the Name of his great Vice-gerent, exalted to fit at his own right Hand, as a Reward of his Fidelity to his Father^ while acting in the For?n of a Servant. |j

Among all the Servants of God, none ever did fo much to the Glory of God, nor ever fliewed fuch a, Lo\'e to Righteoufnefs and Hatred of In:quitv,as he, and none ever received fo great a Reward. He was '• anointed withQil of Gladnefs above his Fellows" (rich. L 9.) Above all his Fellow-fervants, whether Angels or Men, and however faithful to him that a] pointed them : none ever were, or ever will be exalted to fo great Glory.

For He (its at the h£i7d of the Univerfe even at

^* theFather's right Hand, far above all Principality,

*' and Power, and Might, and Dominion." (Eph. 1.

20, 21.) And here, as his Father's Vice-gerent, God-

C 4 Man^

11 None will think, that it would be to the Henour of the fupreme God, to give too high a Seat and too much Ho- nour to any of his Servants. But mcthinks this was too mucii lionour to be paid to a mere Creature : for it is the ve-y No:ww, which the fupreme God •• fwears fljail ** be paid to hnr.felf." (ifa. XLV. 23.) And it is a M.ixini nith thr fupreme God, '* Not to give hisGlcry to " arKJtlKr." (\h. XLII. 8. andXLVUI. 11 ) But that Saying of our blcffed Saviour in Joh. X. 30. removes the J)iiTiG'jity at once. " I and my Father are one." So rarv we miy *' honour tli« Son even as we honour th^ '.^ L,,!„r ' / jof^. v^ 20,.) Ar\d it is as God would hayc ■ ' the Glory of God the Father."

C6 The T>iv'imty cf.ChnJI.

Jlkn-Medlotcr-Kin^^ He is to reign till all his Ene- mies are putunler his Feet, till fhe final Judgment , is over, and sll the Affairs of an apolkte World arc fettled. And then he will, in Tellimony that he has a(5\ed ail as his Father's Servant, refisn this de- legated Authority. And God Jlmll he all m all.

As his Father's Servant., He received this Authority, to dei\roy the Works of the Devil, to bring Good out of aD the Evil Sin had introduced, and put an

• End to all the Diforder and Confufion in the intel- Icflual Syilem, confequent on the Apoibfy of An- gels and Men : and having finifhed his Work, lie refigns the Kingdom to the Father., the firft Perfon in the ever-blell'ed Trinity, to whom, as fuch, the Government of the World properly belongs, and He fhall take the Kingdom, and rtign over the

I Univerfe for ever and ever. And Jefus Chrift him-

; felf, as Mediator, fnall be fubjec5t to him, as is fui-

I table, that the God head only may be exalted, and

as it really is, fo it may appear to be, all in all. —

fyi^or while the Father reigns, the whole God-head

' reigns in him. So that, while the Son, asMediator,

rchgns the Kingdom to him ; yet, as God, He

reigns in Him, and forever will. But his mediato-

rialGovernment he refigns,(even that delegatedAu-

thority,wheieby, as his Father's Sef-vant., he had ruled

the Unroerfey in the Capacity of God Alan- Mediator -

King',) having finiflied the Work which he was

impowered and authorized to do. *

As

* Object. * But it is v/rltten, that Chrlfl *' dial! rei^ *♦ over the Hoiife of Jacob for ever." Luk. I. 33. " His •' Kingdom is an evcrlafting Kingdom." Dan. VKI 27. * His •* Throne Is for ever and ever." HeU. 1. 8. And *• hefhdl reign for ever and ever." Rev, XI. 15.'

Anfsver. Christ, at prefcnt, as Medir.tor, reign* over the fwboU Univerje, Ail Beings, ihe -father only excepted,

( aw

The "Dhlmty of Chnjl, tj

As God- Man- Mediator ^\n two diftincflNaturcs, yet but one Perfon, He was his Father s Servant.-^'— As fuch, he became obedient unto the DeatJi : There- fore the Church is laid to be redeemed tuiih the hloodofGod. (/^J?XX. 28.) And C^.Yisfaidtohave laid down his Life for us. 1 Joh.lW. 16. — And, as fuch, he afcended to Heaven and led Captivity cap- tive ; and therefore St. PW applies what is fpokcrl^f God in Pfal. LXVIII. 18. to Him, in Eph, IV. 8.— And, as fuch, He was cxahed to the higheft Glory in Heaven, and every iCnee ordered to bow to him ; and fo what is fpoken of God in Jfai. XLV. 23. is

applied to him, in Phil. II. 10. For He was

God as well as Man, God-Man, one Pcrfon ; and as God's Servant, in the greatWork of Redemption, he was obedient unto Death, and as God's Servant was rewarded with this high Exaltation

Thus (lands the Chara^er of Jefus Chrift In the facred Writings of the Old and New-Te/iaments : all which cannot be better fummed up than in the

Words

are under his Authority, i Cor. XV. 27. But when he has fnilhcd the Work, for which he is invefled with this tiniverfal Authority ^t will refign this univerfal CotKviiji- on, and the Father take the Government of the Vniverfe. However, he will, as Mediator, ftill ** reign over the ** Houfe of Jacob [his redeemed ones] forever." It is needful now, that Angels (hould be under liim, to Le hin minirtring Spirits ; and that he fhould have full Authority over Earth and Hell, for the Good and Safely of his Church : But then the Mediator will need the Angels no Jongcr for miniflring Spirits, to minirter to the Heirs of Salvation, who will be all fafe in Heaven. Nor will he have any Thing more to do with wicked ^^en andDe-vila, As for th>! Wicked, their Day of Grace will be over ; and reither they, nor the Devils can do any more Mifchief. ITaving fhut thera up in Hell> he will give up the Keys to his Father,

sS "The T>'ivhihy of ChnJI,

VJoxds orthe//j&^/^,who feems to have had all thefe

Things in his View. " Who being in the Form

*' of God, thought it not Robbery to be equal with

*' God : but made himfelf of no Reputation, and.

*' took: upon him the fornn of a Servant, and was

** made in the Likenefs of i\4en : and being found

^^1 Failiion as a Pvlan, he humbled himfelf, and

H^Kame obedient unto Death, even the Decth of

' ^^PIf Crofs. Wherefore God hath alfo highly ex-

" alted him, and given him aName which Ts above

" every Name : that at the Name of Jefus every

/' Knee fhould bow,of' Fhings inHeaven, ^Things

*' in Earth, and Things under theEarth ; and that

*' every Tongue (liould confefs, that Jefus Chrift is

" Lord, to thcGlbry of God the Father j" in whole

Nan^ headminiftcrs his mediatorial Kingdom, and

to whcfe Honour he profelTedly refers it.

And thus we have, as was propofedj^^ken a View of Jefus Chrift ; pjiy as being in the Form of God^ and fpeaking and acting as thinking it no Robbery '^o be equal with Gcd : at»d then, as having taken upon ^iim the Form of a hervant^ appearing in \\\z Likenefs of Men, And have i^tw the Meth.od infinite Wif- dom took lo afcertain his trueCharadler, that the Greatnefs of his Abafement might not miilead frail A'lortaJs, nor raife one fufpicious Thought of tha infinite Dignity of, his Pcrfon, as our great

Immanuel. A^ now therefore,

I. What an inhi-sl^Ftondefcenfion was it in

the eternal God, the Creator of tiie Univerfe, who

jh^d appeared in the Form of God, and fpake and

ac^Ud as thiiiking it lio Robbery to be- equal with

God, thro' a long Period of three or four I'houfand

''Years, to lay i-fide all his Glory, and from being

worlhipped as fuprenic God,to become of noRep<:-

^tation, and even take upon him th.e Form of a Ser-

''.'jnt and r'ie Likenefs of Men! Well mi^^lit S-.

The T>ivi?uty of Chnjl/ ip

Paul urge this Example, as a powerful MnccmeiU, on all tlie Difciples ot ChriiV, to be full of Love and Condefcenfion towards one another. PLilM. i — 5.* Bur, 2. How ingrateful, yea how impious would it bo in us, to rake Occafion from his anpeuri";^ in the Form of a Servant, and in the Likenels of Me| which was for our SakeSy to take Occalion (I. fay), this, to call hisDiviNiTY intoQueftion. — E(pc< now fince we are fo plainly informed, ^y the Ghoft, who inipired the Writers D*\\\t New-Tefta- ment, that he is the very fame God who in the Be- ginning cre'ifed the Heavens and the Earth, and appeared to Abraham^ IJoac^ and Jacob, to Mofes and IJalah, and who was believed to be the fupreine Gody and woruT.pped as fuch by all the Patriarchs and Propkt'ts : — Only becaufe he has laid afidc his God- like Form, and taken the Form of a Seivant ; . and inftead of fpcaking like a God from Mount Sinai,

appears and fpeaks like a Man ; Tfiat we (hould

immediately doubt his Divinity, and lo^k uponlii;n as a mere Man, wlicn yet all this Abafcment was

for our Sakes ! How mull He look upon it !*-

How muft He refent it I

Just * But how does his Argument lofc all its Force, as xhcJri-

ans interpret and underfland theApoflle's Words !

•* Who being in the Form of God, by being his Minilfer *' and Reprefentative, did n^Jl^oudly and vainly affumc ** to be equal with God," &c. (thus Chutb) For what Condefctnfion v/as it, for a mere Creature, as they fay he was, not to afpire after fupi-enie God head ? Can a mere Creature be looked upoo as very condefcendlng, becaufe lie is rot as proud as Satan himfelf ? And can we fuppofe the infpired Apoflle would argue thus, Ver. 8. " Let this *' Mind be in you, which was alfo inJefusChrid," — « v-ho " being but a mere Creature, was ^o very condcfcending, •* as rot to pretend to be equal with God.'— — And yet this mud be his Argument, as they interpret his Words.

33 The "Drowity of Chrlj}.

Just thus did i\\t wicked Jews (yet we are more to blame than they ; becaufe we have more Light, and better Advantages to form a right Judgment of his true Charaatr) I fay, juft thus did the iiicksd Jeti'S: when they charged Him with Blafphemy, tor Saying, " 1 and my Father are one." <« Thou" (fay they) ** being a Man, makeft thy felf God." Here 'was his CnW,and here was theirPr^^. (Joh. X. 33.) — He had, upon a likeOccalion, fome time ago, re- ferred them TO tlie Scriptures of theOld-Tedament in general, to dccine his true Charac5tcr ; (Joh. V, 185 39.)butto httlePurpofe. — He now thereforconly refers them to a particular Paflage in the LXXXIld Pfalm, the 6th Verfe, faying, ♦' Is it not written in *' your Law, I faid, Ye are Gods ? And if he called " them Gods," &c. i. e- '' If the TyptSj which " were Shadows, were called Gods ; the Antitype, ** "Ahich is the Subftance, mufi: be real God. U " they had ih^Name^ He muft have the Ihrn^, For *' tkeScripiure cannot^ in anyParticular,/'^ broken. Not *' only all the Prophecies, but alfo all the Types of *' the MelFiah mult be verified in him. You have *' no Reafon therefore to charge the Melllah with ^^ Blafphemy, for claiming to be the Son of God. ♦

And

* It is worthy our Attention, that, In the facred Wruings of the Old-Tcdament, the chief Rulers in Ifracl are called Gods, {Excd. XXVli|»:28.) and Children of the most High. (Pfal. LXXXil. 6.) V\ hich doubt Icfs was, be- caufe they were defigned to be Types of Chriflt who was by Nature Cod, and the very Son of God.

For, as has been before obferved, God himfcif was the icing of thejews. As it is wrhten, " The Lord yourGod ** was your King." I Sam. XII. 12. And this God was Jefus Chrilt, as has been before proved. — Then he ap- peared in the Form of God. — And tha^ there might be a ^hado^ ©f the State he was afterwards to be in, when \n

The Divinity of Chrlfl, 3 1

''« And indeed notwithdandinoj theMeannefs of my

** Appearance in your Eves, while you behold \xi'z

D *' in

the Form of a Servant, a^fling as his Father's Delegate^ he con(tituted the Jewifli Rulers to be his Delegates then. He anointed and authoiized them (iS^w.X. i. &XVf. 12, 13.) as he was to be anointed by his Father, and fanHified zvi^fcrjt into the World, and to receive all his

Authority from him. They were called the l^ord^s

' Anzintcdy the L^jrd's Mejjlfih, (as it is in the Original) as that was the Name by which lie was to be knov/n. He was to be called rhzChriJ}, i. e. lhc.*//2oinL'dy thcMeJiah ,• for all are the fanicName,and mean the fameThing. J9/?.

I. 41. And they were direded from Time to Time

by xhdVord of thi Lord, which came to ths?n when they went to enquire of the Lord, (i SaT?t. XIV. 18, 10. and XXVIII. 6. and XXX. 7, 8. 2 Sam. 11. i.). AnJ as Gods they fat upon the Throne of the Lord, and reign- ed over the Kingdom of the Lord, (i Lhron. XXIX. 23 •

2 Chron. XIII. 8.) In all which, they were Types of

^ the Mefiahy who in the Fulnefs cf Time was to become incarnate, to be ancintsdy fan£lifiedi and fent into the World, to aft in all Things according to his Father's Commandment, as his Father's Delegate, and as fuch \<> be exalted to fit on bis Throne in Heaven, at the Head of the Creation, to govern the Church and the World* — And thefe Types were named Codsy and called tbt Children of the 77iofi High ; as the great Antitype was the So7i of God, and one nvith his Father. — They were Sha" donvs ; he is the Suhfance. They were called Gods 2 he is really God. So that this is the Force of our Sa- viour's Argument ; •* Vv'hat theTypes were inKame ar.d ** Shadow, that the Antitype mull: be in Reality and Sub- ** ftance ; for the Scriptures cannot be broken : But thef:; •* Types were Gcds in Name and Shadow : Therefore '** the M^iah,who is theAntityp-, mud be 6'i>^ iriRealiiy

" and Subftance." Thus in the Jew ifli Sacrifices there

was a Shadow of Suhjlituiian, aad they were called

/itonsments ^

32 ^i^ T>k}ntfy of Chrtjl^

** in the Likcncfs of ^en, yet myTVorks, whIcH " ^'ouallo fee, evidence myDivinity. If you cannot

- *' give

Jhonements ; Co in Jefus Chrift there was a real Suhjii* tution, and a real Jtoneifient. (Sec ray Sermon on Gal. 3. 24.) And indeed, the IMcfliah mud be in Reality all Uiat which the Types were in Na7ne and Shenx)^ othcrwifc the Scripture would not be accomplifhcd and verified. If any therefore fliould lay, **-that as the Jewish Kings " were Gods by Ofncc, lb Ghrift was only a God by *' Office ; as they only had the Shadow of Divinity, lo ^* He only has the Shadow of Divinity ;" — I anfwer, Then the Scripture is broken : The Types aie not ac- con^plifhed in the Antitype. It is all a Shadc^wM(^}^. The Subjiance is not come. And the prophetic Prayer^ 'with which the LXXXHd t^falm concludes, is never to be an- fwered. *' Arife, O God, judge the Earth : for thoa *' Ihait inherit all Nations." For if is not a God, but a Tncre Creature, that is to have *' the Hea-thea for hij ** Inheritance, and the utm oft Parts of the Earth for hif

" PolTefiion." Pjal. II. 8. And if his Divinity is but

a Shadow, fo is his Atonement. The true Atonement is rot come. The Types are not fulfilled. The Scripture if broken. And we are yet in our Sins. For the Blood of one mere Creature can no more make a real Atonement than the Blood of another mere Creature. The Blood of a Bull or a Goat, and the Blood of a mere Afan, arc equally at an infinite Remove from any Virtue to make a proper Atonement for Sin. All that has been -done is a mere Shadow. ^hzTC is tt& Subjiance in it. And fo the Scripture is broltm :: and the Truth of divme Reve- lation, in general, overthrown. For \i any otie Thing, held forth in aType or a Prophecy, Ihould failof Accora- pli(hment, the Truth of that whole Revelation, in which that Type orprophecy is contained, would be overthrown.

So that granting the Old-Teftanient to be divinclf

infpired, our $a?iour 9 ArgumcQt amounts 10 t Uri^t De* si^nHratioo.

Tie 'Dhinhy of Chrijl. 3 J

" giveCredit to my Wor.ds,yet furely you may to the ** Works wrought by n\^ j. which evidently are ^^ not the Works of a mere Man. And they arc *' a fufficlent Proof that the Father is in me, and I " in him, i. c. that I and my Father ar.e one.*' {Job, X. 34 — 38.) So fpake the incarnate God,who of old dwelt in thcirTabeniacle/rom whence thelf^ordafGad ufed to come forth to their chief Rulers, when they tame to enquire of the Lord, Then He was their God, and King, and Oracle. Now all hisGlory is laid afide. He is of no Reputation.. Nor can any Thing he fays, nor all the mighty Works he had wrought, ailwage their Anger, or keep their Hands from Violence. He is obliged to leave theTemple, D 2 where

The Senfc the Ariam give to tIicW<Jrds, is this. *• I and *' my Father are one, i. e. engaged in the fame Dcllgn. •' And wlicn the Jews ilico' Millakc thought he meant, •* that lie was one nuitB God : He anfwers, / do not •* mean^ I am God by Nature^ but only God by Office'.'* — Query I. What was this Anfwcr to the Purpofe ? — Query II. Why did not he exprcfly tell them, that he only meant he was engaged in the fame Defign with his father, as all other good Men alt ? This would have cleared him from the odious Charas^tcr of a Blafphemer, and prevented their taking up Stones again to ftone hiai. And if indeed he was but a Man» all muH own, it was hisDuty to have fpoken out, in as plain a Manner as Paul and Barnabas did, when the People of Ly/ira took ihcin for Gods, and were aboMt to offer Sacrifice to tiie»o. (M. XIV. 15.) But to fuffcr himfcif to pafs for a Blaf- phemer now, and foon after to be pronounced worthy of Death for Blafphcmy ; and yet never clear up the Mat- ter ; but leave his Difciples after him, to follow hisKxani- ple, and call hin» '* God, the true God, God bicifcd for ** ever,by whom and for whom all Things were created,'* when he was as really a mere Creature as you aad I, i# v/hat caa never be accounted fwr.

54 37v 'Dlvlmty of Chrljl,

* •* .

M'here he was, and be gone. However,the Mat- ter did not end here. For when they arraigned Him before the High-Prlert, they renew the Charge of JJlafphcrny, and pronounce him worthy of Death, (^/^/. XXVI. 63— 66.) Nor did Pilate know how to exprefs the Crime, for which he was put toDeath, belter than in this Title put on the Crofs, Jesus OF Nazareth the King of the Jews. So that )iis claiming to be the Son of God and King of THE Jews, coft him his Life.

And Ihall we crucify Him afreni,and put him to open Shame, and juftify all the Condud of the Jews towards him, by faying, He was indeed but a Man ! — For if fo, it was Biafphemy indeed to pre- tend to be fuprcme God. And we know, the B!af- phemer deferved to die, according to the Law of Mofci,

And what is there to tempt us to thii impiou*? and ingratefu! Deed ? Not anyThing our blelTed Saviour ever faid, or ever did : for he always fpake and acfled in Charader. — As Gon^ when in the Form of God — As Man, when in the Likenefs of Men — As a ^ervani^ when in the P'orm of a Servant — As our exalted Mediator^ now at the right Hand of the Fa- ther ; from whom, He, as Mediator, has received 7i\\ his Power : and to whom, when he has liniHied liis Work, he will, as Mediator, refign his delegated Authority. Nor can any Thing he ever faid, or any Thing he ever did, fairly conrtrued, once tempt us to doubt his being by Nature fupreme God, after fuch clear Evidences of his Divinity have been given us. Nor can I think what fliould induce us to doubt his Divinity, — unlefswe fecretly imagine, there was no Need, that the Creator of the Univerfe fliould become incarnate and die on the Crofs for us : V/e were not fo bad, nor was Sin fo great an Evil, as to make fuch an Atonement nced- - ' fyl.

The 'Dhhiity of Chrift, "35-

fu!. And if this be nt the Bottom, let us honed-

ly fay fo, that the World may know the trueGround of our Infidelity, and fee it all fummed up in a tew Words, «' The whole need not a Phyfician, but *' they that are fick."

1'his was the veryCafe with the unbclicvingj ews, and the chief Reafon of their rejecting Chriffianity. They had an high Opinion of their own Goodnefs ; nor could they conceive why they might not be accepted with God on the Foot of their own Righ- teoufnefs. And therefore the Gofpel-Way of Salva- tion, thro' the IVlediation and Death of the Son of God, appeared ncedlcfs in their View, and was therefore absolutely incredible in their Sight. This they fiumbled at, as the great JiumhUng-Sioney as St, Paul tells us, who was intimately acquainted with the whole Affair. fi^5;n. IX. 30— 33) It did bear too hard upon their moral Characlcr, as it fuppoftd them fo infinitely odious and Keli-deferving in the Sight of God, that nothina; Ihort of the Intcrpofition of his own Son, as an Expiatory Sacrifice, could open a Door for him, in- Juftice and Honour, to

pardon and fave them. But how exceeding un-

rcafonable w^as this their ConduA, as their own Law fo p ainly held forth the infinite Evil of S:n, in threatning eternal Damnation for the leaft Tranf- grefllon ? {Gal. III. 10.) Which mJght cafily have led them to a Senfe of their Need of an Atone- ment, of infinite Value, had their Hearts honefily lain open to Convidtion. -

And is it not worthy our Obfcrvation, 'that thofe rmong pro^'cifed Chrlllians, who have denied the Divinity of Chrift, have been wont generally a!fo to dcnv — our natural Depravity — the infnite Evil of Sin— the Eternity of Hell-Torm.nts— theNecelFity of any proper Satisfaftion for Sin— the Do^ffrinc of Juililkition by Faith alone ?— And perhaps, to be a '^ ^ D Z little

^"Th Divhuty of Chrip,

liUTle more confident with themfelvcs, they ought 10 deny the Infpiration of the O//^ and JSetv-Tefla- mentSy in which the Divinity of Chrift, and thefc

ether Dodlrines, are fet in fo flrong a Light.

And indeed Dcifm has been for fome Time growing to be the moft faHiionable Scheme among the po- lite and genteel Part of the Nation.—^ — And loofe Principles and loofe Practices are preparing us apace tor all thofe heavy Judgments, which feem to be coming on our Nation and Land. X (Judg. IL ii — 2S^ Jer. XVIII.9, loj

3. If Jefus Clirift be in very Deed tlie God that created the Univerfe, we may be alTured, FJe is in tvery Refped fit and fufficient for tlie whoJe Work lie undertook ; nor wilJ he, nor can he, fail to ac- complilh the whole Defign he had in view. He "^•as originally unobliged to do a Creature's Duty, > eing by Nature God ; and fo at Liberty to under* take, and had where- wath-all to pay our Debt, infi- ;^ite as it was : whereas, the whole Creation had not :-' Farthing to fpare for us, owing all they had done, or could do, to God,on their ownAccount. — \x was ho- Jiourable to God, to appoint fiich aSurety for us ; he 'was one, God might honorably truH: and deal with, as he was equal with God, and Fellow to the Lord of JHoJfs. [Zech.XlM. 7.)— He was worthy theRegard of the infiniteMajefly,nble to fecure the Honour of his LaWjeftablifh his Authority, and anf^ver all theEnds of Government. He was fit to be admitted, as Me- diator, into his PrefencC'Chamber i to be exalted

to J Salmon, fpeaking of the prefent Sta*- of Religion in England, fays, *' Vice and Profanenefs nign triumphant 5 ** the facred Truths of Chriihaniry are qatfho.ieii and <' dilputed ; and a Man that is not an InfiJcI, is fc^arcc •* allowed to have common Sci.le, among thofe that *' Jgok cpon theiifclves to he the polite World."

Salmon's Geo^. ^Hijh Cram. Pa^. 245.

The TOtvimty of Chr'ifl. ^f

tor fit at his right Hand,— a very unmeet Place for a mere Creature ; and to be wor(hipped by all the heavenly HoAs, in his Father's Prel'ence ; the very Thought of which, I am pcrf^vaded, no mere Crea- ture in that World could poffibly endure, but ra- ther with \\\tAngcl\\\Rev. XXII. 9. would fay, See thou do It not ; for 1 am but a mereCreature ; worjhip

God. {Luk. IV. 18.) And fit to fit at thcHead of

theUniverfe,to be madeHcad over ail Thing;s, to go- vern the World and the Church ; a Place too high for a mere Creature, a Trull too great to be repofed in one by Nature mutable, fallible, Ihort-fighted ; and meet only for Immutability Jnfallibility,andOm-

nifcience. And fit finally to judge the World,

and as the great Arbitrator between God and his rebellious Creatures, to fee Right done, and caufe Juilice to takcPlace : an Honour too great for a mere Creature, and a Work too d.fncult for any but the Omnifcient, who " only knows the Hearts of all '^ the Children of Men." — ]3ut Immakltel is fit tor all this, wortliy the Hcjnour,. and qualified for the Work j and may be tlius employed, thus ex- alted, thus worfhippcd, — not inconhnent with, but

to ike Glory of God the Father. Nor can we doubt

but that he is able to fave to the uttcrmoft all that cyme to God by him, nor fear but tijat he will ac- compiilh all his Defigns of Grace. ^' Flow Leau- *' tirul upon the Mountains are thcFtetof him ** that bnngeih good Tidings, kt. that faith unto *^ 2ion, Tfiy God reigneth 1" IfaiA.M '•. ap- plied to Chrifi. Rom. X. 15. . / r 4. But if indeed He was the God Ui\i created the Univerfe ; Oh, how awful and lolen^n thel^.o't ! If indeed He was th- God that created ihcUniverfe, who hupg incarnate oi; the C rofs, '^ kt forth to be *^ aPropliatioa fjrS.n, th.K Godm;ght he iuit •" Wlut Ihuii we fay ! What Ihall wc thirk » "*

i^ 4 LJ;T

3 3 The T>mmty of Chrijl.

Let us look up, and behold him—furrounded Byr Thoulands of Speaators, infulting— " If he be " the King of Israel" [indeed he was, but they knew it not ; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory] If he *' be the King of, Israel, they fay, kt him come *« down from the Crofs, and we will believe Him." — They infult j — He prays, " Father, forgivet hem, *' they know not what they do." And with all his Divinity concealed, as one forfaken of Heaven, and caft out from the Earth, there he hangs, and bleeds, and dies !

For as ourRebellion, with all its Circumftanccs, Jiad been public, as it were in the Frefence of the whole int'^'liocnt Syftcm ; fo now the Satisfa(5lion muft be as publickly made. Satan, God's Ene- my, and our inveterate Foe, had feduced our fiift Parents, and in them virtually the whole human R.-'ce.to trr.nfgrefs the divineLaw,and cart ofFthe di- ne Authorit}', and join with him. — And here on ':rth Satan had feu up his Kingdom, in the Sight Htaven, and in Defiance of the Most High. — ;id exulting in a'l his Mifchief, he was ready im- )Ully to fay, " In Spite of God, and his Son, the *' Day is my own. For if God pardons an apo- «' flate World, doorned toDeath,then will it appear, *' that he has no Regard to his Law, or to his ■ llireatning, or to impartial Juftice ; which, when I was driven out of Heavtn, he pretended, ^'' was the Motive. Nor can it fail to be Matter ^' of eternal Triumph to us, to fee the Honour of *'• his Law and Government and Authority given

** up, tofave hi; Creature, Man. Or if he re-

'• figns the whole human Race to De(\ru(5^ion, as " he certainly 'vill, if he deals by them as he did ^^ by us, it will be Matter of etcrrnal Conlolation ^' and Joy, to fee, we can ruin Worldsj as fai^ as

<* he

The T>lvhi!ty of ChnJI, ^^

«« he can make them. That, let_ him take what " Courle he will, we are fare of an eternal Tri-

" umph." So flood the Cafe. And all the

Inhabitants of Heaven looked on, no doubt, to fee the Event.

" The Honour of the divIne.Government," faid the ETERNAL SoN, * " muft and ihall be fecured.

The

• I call Him, the eternal Son, becaufe he was not only *' made of the Seed of David, according to the Flefh ;" but alfo '* declared to be the Son of God with Power, *' according to the Spirit of Hoiinefs," i. e. as to his di- vine Nature, *' by thcRcfjrredion from thcDead." Rom. I. 3, 4. Agreable to thofe Words in Mic. V. 2. " Thou •< Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the «' Thoufmds of Judah, yet out of Thcc {ball he come ** forth" (i. e. be born) *' that is to beRuler in Ifracl ; ♦« ^hofe GOf ^i<3s fciith ^±z fime Word in the Origi- nal, before tranflatcd come forth) *' have been of old, even ** FROM Everlasting." i. e. W^s he was the Son of David accorjiijg to the Flefh, in 7 ime ; fo from eternal Jge! he was the Son of God, as to his divine Nature. Therefore called, by Way of Eminence, God's oiun Son^ and his only begotton Son. Joh. III. 16. Rom. VIII. 32.

Qneft. I. How then is Chrift " the firft-born of every Creature "? or as it ought rather to be rendered, *' the

firlt-born of the whole Creation." Col. I. 15. 1 an-

fwer, I. Not as to his humanNature ; for that was born not two Thoufand Years ago. 2. Nor as to his divine Nature ; for that, iniiead of being the firil-born of every Creature, was the Creator of tlie whole Univeife, 3. Rut with Refpea to t/?e Privileges of the Birth- Ri'^ht, (Pfal. LXXXIX. 27.)he being appointed " Heir of allThi'^gs." Hcb. I, 2- In which Ifaac was a Type of him. See Gen.

XXV. 5. All Things were created by him and for.

him, originally ; and now, as Mediator, he is put into ^'■jlfcilion of all Things, as the great Heir of the '-jchole

Univirfe^

4» The 'Dlvhihy of Chnji.

The Law is holy, juft and good ; and mufl: and fiiall be magnified and made Ironourable. Sin is as great an L vil a-s my Father's Law Ipeaks it j and muf\ and Ihall be confidered and, treated as fuch ; and ihat in.the Sight ot the whole Syftem. For my Father's Authority muft and lliall be

publickly maintained. And vet Satan may be

difappointed of his expeded Triumph : For the human Race need not be lefigned to Ruin ; for ]a>. I am willing to become incarnate, and die in tlieir Room. — Behold, here \ am ! Pfal. XL. 7. " Thou art my beloved Son,, in whom !• am well-pleafed ;. thouloveftRigliteoufnefs and hateft Iniquity, and art my expp.es^ Image/' bid the eternal Father ; '* and even as thou haft faid, fo (ha^l It be. The Seed 2/ the Woman jliull bruife the Serpent^s Head. Gen. III. 1-5. Thy dying Love (liall dci'eat the Dcfig^^s of his infernal Malice." Wherefgre fee hiin now on the Crofs, " fet forth to be a Propiiiation for Sin, to declaie the Rightcoufnefs of God, that God might be juil, and yet juftify the Sinner that believes in Jeius." [ Rm, ill. 25, 16. And there he fpoih Prlndpalitiet • 4ind PinvcrSy faps tlie Foundation of Satan's King- dom, aad even triumphs over him on the Crofs, Col. 11, 15. And all in Sight, as it were, of the whole in- telligent Creation. I Pet L II. And fuited to girc ; uoi v^ial ljiAru<5Uon. £ph, ill, lo.

Look

Univerfe. And hanng thus tlic Eirth-Right, he is with Propriety called, tkefirji-born cf the ivbole Creation. Qwcft. 2. How is Chrift the ** Beginning of the Creation

" of God" ? Rev. III. 14. 1 anfwer, The Word in

the Original figniiies, The Beginning y the Chief, Princi' patity. Dominion. And the Meaning is, that Chrilt, at Mediator, is the Head and Ruler of the Uoiverfc, sukI the great Chiif of the CrsatiQn o/Cod. £ph. I. ai.

The 'Divtmty of-Chrrft. J{\

Look up, and ftand al^onifhed at thi^ greateft of all God's Works. The Creator of the ITniverfe on the Crofs ! djing as a.prop.iiatory Sacritice for Sin ! offering up Himfelf to hfs Father^ as a Sacri- fice of AtoAement for the Sins ot the World:'— That by Faith m his Blood we might be j unified >and faved.

And was there indeed fuch infinite Goodnefs in the divine Nature, that God could -fitid it in his Htarr to do thisThing! aThing,of aNature fuperior, infinitely fuperior to the Creation of Thoufands and Millions otTucli Worlds as this ! And wasSin indeed iuch rn in^nite Evil, that nothing could expiate it,, but fuch a Sacrifice as this ! Sin, which we, rtupid Mortals, fee folittleEvil in I And did X\\t eUrnalFather Talue the Honour of his Law arwi Government more than the Life of his Hon ! And if thefe Tilings were done in the green Tree, what will be done in the dry ! Where will the unrighteous an<l ungodly ap- pear, when fhis Jefus comes in flaming Fire to take v^'cngeance on them that Tcnow not God, and obey not the Gofpel ! How vain will it be to cry for Mercy ! how vain to hope that impartial Jufticc will relent ! The Son of God prayed, " O mv *' Father, if it be polfible, let this Cup pafs from ** me ;" and even agonized in Blood !— But it was not pofTible.: Juf^ice muft be fatisfied : the Son of <jod himfelf muft die : therefore impenitent, Chrift- jcfs Sinners cannot cfcape : nor can they ever be releafed : But ** the Smoke ot thv^ir Torment will •' afcend for ev^err and ever."

That God is in Ear-neft, when he threatens to puni(h im|)e4rrte«t SifMer^ with eternal Damnation, ■cannot be made Pierre evident,lhan it is by theCrofs of Chrift. However, it may be moix; attended to, and fo work a more univerfal Covi6tion. Yet their eternal Damn«uon, i( fek, will r>ot be a greater

4^ The T>hinUy of ChnJ},

Proof, that God was in eamefl, than the Death of his Son on theCrofs. — The whole intelligent Syftem have here the ftrongefl: Evidence of the impartial Rectitude of the divine Nature, and of the Inflexi- bility of the divine Jullice, that can polhbly be given. And at the fame Tune, the boundlefs Good- nefs of the divine Nature fet in the ckareft Point

of Light. Wherefore, to conclude, let us here

behoM the " Glory of God in the Face of Jefus «< Chrift ;" that beholding " in this Glafs,theG!ory " of the Lord, we may be changed into t.he fame »' Image, from Glory to Glory. That fo the Gof- ■^^ pel may become tlie Power of God toourSalva- *' tion. That while Chrift crucified is to fome a *' ftumbling-Block, and to others Fooliflmcfs, He <^' may be to us the Power of God, and theWifdom *' of God.

, Now to him " who loved us and gave himfelf '< ** for us, be Glory, Honour and Praife for ever and

<' ever." Amen. Even

To Him, who is " the Alpha and the Omega,

^^ the Almighty, the fame Yefterday, to Day, and

«' forever, who is God, the true God, the mighty

3ou, the holy one of Ifrael, fitting on a Throne

high and lifted up, God over all blefled for ever,

^' by whom and for whom all Things were created"

— even toHiM let *' every Knee bow in Heaven and

; " onEarth:"— and it will be fo far from derogating

or detra6ting from theMonour, that it will be " to

*' tl eGlory of God the Father." For, '* he aad his

" Father are One." — Yea, " there are Three that

^' bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word,

" and the Holy Ghoft : and thefe three are One."

And to ffiis One God in three Perfons, to whom

we were dedicated in Baptifm, and from whom ail

BJeffings flow to us, even to Him, b^ afcribed " the

Kingdom, Power, and Glory for ever." A;

The Millennium.

Revelation, XX. i, 2, 3.

y4nd I fazv a?i jingel come down from Heavett^p. having the Key fl^ the bottomlefs Pit, and d great Chain in ms Ha'ui ^nd he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent ^ zuhich is the *J)evil and Satan, and hound him a Thoufanil T^ears. And cajl him into the bottomlefs Pit^ and fJjift him up, and fit a Sea! upon him, that he foul d deceive the Nations no more, till ths Thoufand Tears fJjc aid he fulfilled,

^^t-###N a great Variety of Refpeas, the ^?^#-^-^i^ Bible is the mof^ remarkable Boak in -^ \ I !> X^ tlie World. In it we have God's mo,- *^^-^#-^^"1^ ral Chara(5ler clearly exhibited toView, #«^^-^^ by a Hiilory of his Gondu6t, as moral Governor of the World from the beginning; : and the Nature of fallen Man painted to the Li^, by si Pliiiory of their Behaviour for four Thoufand Years. In it we liavc opened the glorious and altoni(h-ing Method, that has been entered upori, to difappoint all Satan's Dcfigns, by the Interpofition of the Soa of (tod ; and are informed of his Birth, Life, Death, Refurredion, Afcenfion and Exaltation, and of the ious Defigns he has in View. And the wh.ole cnnfrivcd as to be admirably fuited to all the lances and Needs of a good Man \ That,

44 The Milkiimum,

as it was defigned to be the good Man's Book, in a peculiar Senfe, fo it is pcrfec5lly fuited to his Cafe. *' It is profitable for Do(ftrine, for Reproof, for Cor- 'Srecftion, for Inftruchlion in Righteoulhefs, that the «* Man or God mav be pcrfe(5l, thoroughly furnilh- « ed to all good Works/' {iTimAW. 16, 17.)

That linrere Concern for the Caufe of Truth and Virtue, for the Honour of God and Intereft of true Religion, which is peculiar to a good Man, whofe Chara<5tcr it is to love Chrift above Father and Mother, Wife andChildrM^, Houfes and Lands, yea, better than his own Life, muft naturally fub- jcct him to a peculiar Kind of SoHcitude. Even as a Child.of a truly filial Splrlt,is pained when it goes ill with his Father's Family, to whofe Intereft he is Clofely attached ; and has a whole Syftem of inward £enfations,that a Stranger intermeddles not with. — The BiELE, the good' Man's Book, is, therefore, Xvifely adapted to eafe the good Man's pained Heart, •and afford Confolation in this interefting and moft important Point ; as it gives the ftrongeft AITuran- ces tliat the Caufe of Vertue fliall finally prevail.

How infupportable muft the Grief of the pious Tews have been, fitting on the Sides of theRivers of Sabylon 1 *' There we fat down," fay they, " yea, '* we wept when we remembred Zion." And " on ** theWillows they hung theirHarps," nor could any Thing divert their Minds. " U 1 forget thee, O *' Jerufalem, let my rightHand forget her Cunning. *' If I do not remember th>fe,let nivl^ongue cleave *' to the Roof of my Mouth." (Pfal.CXXXVW.) —How infuppcrtable, I fay, muft their Grief have been, while their glorious holy Temple, and their holy Citv, the Place of all their facred Solemnities, were lying deiolate, and God's People in Captivity, had it not beeli for thatPromife, fo often repeated, !fX\^x. after feventy Years God would viftt them, and

The M'dlenmum. y^jT

caufethein to return to tjieir own Land. God knew before- hand the Anguiih, which would be apt to fill their Hearts, the finking Difcouragcments, and ali the Train of dark and gloomy Thoughts, they would be incident to ; and before-hand provided a Remedy. Yea, no fooner had he denounced their Doom in the XXXIXth Chapter of Ifaiah^ but im- mediately in the next Chapter,and for ten or twenty Chapters together, does he provide for their Support. " Comfort ye, comfort ye, my People; fpeak com- •' fortably to Jerufalem, &c. kc.

So, how infupportable would have been the Grief of the Church of Chrifl:, thro* the long, dark, cruel Reign of myftical Babylon, while they beheld Error and "VVickednefs univerfally prevail, Satan getting his ^Vill in almofl every Thing, and to Ap- p:arance no Signs of better Times, but all Things wearing a dreadful Afpect before tliclr Eyes j how great the^ Gri.f j how finking tlieir Difcouragc- ments, how almoil infuperable their Temptations to apoflatire,and forfake aCaufc thatHeaven feemed to forfake, had not the Day of Deliverance been ex- prelly foretold, and the Glory tliat fhould follow opened to View, by the Spirit of Prophecy ! Bu^^n a firm Belief that the Caufe they were engaged in, and for which they fpilt their Blood, would finally prevail ; and prevail in this World, where they then beheld Satan reigning and triumphing, .1 fay, in a firm Belief of th;s, the whole Army o*^ Martyrs could mu'ch on to Battle couragioully, willing to facrifice their Lives in the Caufe, not doubting of final Vicftory, aliho' they themfelves muft fall in the Field.

Jn'deed, were the Salvation of his own Soul the only Thing the good Man had in View, he would naturally be quite eafy upon a full . Afllirance th^t this was fecured. So, hadMofes cared for nothing

E 2 •» - ^^^

j^6 The MUlennium,

but the Welfare of himfelf and of his Pofterity, he liiight have been fatisficcJ, while the whole Congre- gation of Ifrael were dcftroyed, if he might become a great Nation, and that without any Sollicitude tor ilie flonour of the Great Name of the God of Ifraei : Yea, ahlio' the Idolatrous Nations round •about were fully eHabliflied in the Delief of the Divinity of their Idols, and brought to look upon ilie God of the Hebrews with ever fo great Con- tempt by the Means. But, attuc'ied as he was to the Honour of the God of Ifrael, nothing could give him Satisfadion, but aProfpecSl that that would hefcq^rtd. The Welfare of himfelf and of his f'amily w as of no Importance in his Eftecm, com- pared with this. {"^tQ Excel XXXII.)

It niuft, therefore, be rem»-mbred, that, as the Son of God left hisFather's liofcm, and the Realms tjf Light and Glory, and expired on the Crofs in llie utmoft vifible Contempt, that he might fpoil ]Vincipalitit!s and Powers, bruife the Serpent'sHead, (ieltroy the Works 6f4he Devil ; fo his true-DifcI- ples iiave imbibed a Meafure of the fame Spirit ; i'nd, as Voluntiers enlidcd under his Banner, have the fame Thing in View : they long for thcDeliruc- tion of Satan's K.ngdcm : and thefe Petitions are. the genuine Language of their Hearts, *' Our *' Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy ** Name, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done oU *<^ Earth as it is in Heaven." Nor can the Salvation of their own Souls, altho' ever fo fafcly^ fecured, fatisfy their Minds, without a clear View and fair Profpedt of Chrift's final Vicflory over all his Ene- mies. " But if our great General, wi»o has *' facrificed his Life in the Caule, may but at Knft *' obtain a complcat V^idory, notwithflanding all *' the prefcnt darkAppearances ; This i:: "•"^^' ' ' " fays tiicCiifiiuaii Soldier ; " I am. will: i

The Millemuunj. 47 ^

«« all In his Service, and die in the Battle too. " But if Satan were always to carry the Day, Oil " who could live under the Thought 1"

This having been the Temper of good Men, * more or leiSjCven from the early Ages of the World, and thro' all fuccelfive Generations to this Day, they have evidently wanted a peculiar Support, which the Refl: ot Mankind flood in no Need of, to^ carry them comfortably thro' fuch a long Scene of' Darknefs; Wichednefs prevailing, God dilhonourcd,. Satan triumphing:, the World perilhing,-. 'the true Church of God more generally in Sackcloth. And according'y the final Victory of the Caufe of Truth and Virtue was intimated in the very firft P^omife made to fallen Man. And from Time to Time God repeated this comfortable Prediction to his Church and People ; and finally made it the chiet Suhjecl of the lait Cook of ho'y Scripture, he ordered to be: wrote for the Ufe of his Church.

Now !et us take a brief View of the whole Series of thcfe divine Frcdidions, from the Beginning of the World, even down to this in ourText, contain- ed in one of the lad Cl-apters in the Bible ; tli^it wc may fee what fu'l Evidence there is of this Truth ; and fo, what abundant Caufe for Confolation to all the People of God.

I. Immediately after the Fall, when the Ser- pent, ever> that old Serpent the Devil, had jufk fed. iced Mankind to revolt from God, and had, to , a!! Appearance, lasd this whole World in perpetual j Rijiii, even in the Depths of tliis Midnight-Dar'iC* ' ncfs, a Ray of Light (hone down from Heaven — Toe Seed of the JV:man fnall hriufe the Serpent's Hrivh [Gen. 111. 15,; As if Gjd had faid, "^ 1 fee the '' Scheme that Satan has laid to ruin theWorld,and *' ertablilh his impiou-, maliciius Caufe : 1 fee it, " iiid r ^m. determined to defeat it. The fceble£

4Sf The MiUemuiim.

*' Woman he has over- matched, but her almighty "^^ Seed Ihall conquer him, and as effectually fubdue '' him, and prevent all future Mifchief by }um, '* asa Serpent is fubdued and incapacitated for "' furtherMifchief, when his Head is cruflicd to Pit- *' CCS, under the indignant Heel of one determined *' on his Death." This was a compleat Doom in- ('ecd denounced againlt Satan, at the Head of the

kingdom of Darknels. And it fully implied, that

heCaufe of Light, Truth and RIghteoufnefs fhould

. nally obtain a.corripleat Yi^ory.

ir. After this gracious and glorlou^Promife had '^ een-the chief Found ation'^of all the Hopes of God's

V^ople for twoThoufand Years, God was pleafcd to point *put the particular Family from whence tliis mighty Deliverer fliould fpring, and to intimate •vhat a univerfal Bluffing he fhould be to all tlie

. -Nations of the Earth. Jfid in thy SEEDjJjall All the Farfiilus of the Earth behJif.d^ faid God to Abrnham. [Gen. XII, 3.) Which again plainly fnppofcd, that

he Caufe of Truth and Pvighteoufnefs, nolwiUi-

'andingthe dark State the VVorld .then was in, all .Inking fafl into Idolatry, and would for many Ag<-s ijC in, buried in heathenifn Darknefs, fliould yet ia <!ue Time univirfally prevail over the wliole Farth. For in thy Seed Jhali all the Families of the Earth he i'i^ffd. This fame Pyomife w as repeated again and

*nd again to Abraham, and afterwards to Ifaac and io Jacob.

HI. HiTH^To Gcd had fupportcd his People's Hopes chiefly witliPronnfes, with v^ibalPredicu' ns ; hut from tlie F/ays cf Mofcs to the Davs of Solo- mon Kina^'of Ifia^^l, 10 ^ifiA liisPeon't's Faith,' God die', bff.dcs rtpca^cd Pi'cmif(.s o's the fr;n'.c Tljin^-^. by a grcatVar:ety of wonderful Work;: (1- the g'oricus Day : Ano at the f^oie Time /...- he l^ad fufficknt Wifdom and Power to ^cc'ui

Tlie ' Millcfimum. ^^

the greatert: Defigns. That bis People miojht be convinced, that h'^ could eafi.'y bring to pafs, ror the ^ Good ot his Church, whatfocvcr feemed Good ia "3 his SiglU.

Israel in the Egyptian Bondage were a defigncd Tvpe of a fallen World under the Dominion and Tyranny of Satan. Nor was PharoalrKiore loth to let Iiracl go, than Satan is to have his Subjects dc^ ierr him, and his Kingdom go to Ruin. But not- withflanding all the fceming Impoffibilities in the \Vay of Ifracl's Deliverance, infinite Wifdom knevv' how to accomplifh the divine Defigns. God could even caufe a »\lember of Pharoah's Family to edu- cate one to be an Jitftrnmcnt of this defigncd Doii- vcrancc. And in due Time, behold, al) the Armies of Ifrael march forthYrom the Land of E-^ypt, out of the Hou'eof Bonda;T;e ; and Ph.araoh, and his C^hariots, and all liisFloli, lie buried in the Red Sea \ So eafily can God bring forth his People even out of the Anti-Chriftian Kingdom, which is fpiritually called Sodom and Egypt, And, if he plcafes, raife 11,) the Inrtiuments of this glorious Work, even in the Court of Rome.

And when the Name of the true God was rJmoft forgotten thro' ail the Earth, and the Devil wor- (bippcd in his Room, in Idols of various . Nam - thro' all the Nations, God knew how to'^ifinkc his Name known, and to caufe his Fame to fpreacj abroad, and fill the whole Earth with his G!ory, by Wonders wrought in the Land of Hjm,b\ defce^ri- ing »n \lount Sinai, by }e;;d]ng the Arjiiics of Ifinel f rtv Years in the Wiidernefs in a Pillar of Cloud b> DaV, nnd of Fire by Nii,hr, giving rhem Bread from Heaven and Water out of the fiinn' Rock,

viding Jordan, dehvering up one aivd ih.rty ido-

''-•us Kings to the Sword of J'/fli-.n, raifric up

y.s one after another in a uiiiacuious Manner

E 4 *to

$0 The Millennium.

to deliver hisPeople,until thcDays of David andSoIo- n-ion,Types o\ Clirift. Of David, who Melliah-liy fubdued the Enemies of Ifraei all around : of Solo- mon, who built the holy Temple and filled Jerufa-

km with Riches and Glory. He, who hath done

all thcfe Things, can ealijy accomplifli all the De- figns ot hisJiiEart^ prtferve his Church, raife up Deliverance, br^ak. to Pieces the Kmgdoms of jhe Earth for her Sake, make Truth vicflorious, and fet Up the new Jeiufalem in all her fpiritual Glory, build up his Church as a glorious holy Temple, and fet the Son of David upon the Throne ; by whofe Hands, Satan and all the Powers of Dark- nefs rtiall be fubdued, chained, -fealed up in the bot- tomlefs Pit, as much afraid, ^nd as much unable to attempt any ^iifchief, as *he ful)clued Nations around Ifraei were in the very Height of David's Power.

But when fhail tl^e Son of David reign, and the. Church have Rert ? When fhall tlie Caufe of Truth- and Righteoufnefs thus prevail ? Perhaps the very. Tim»e was dengned to be fnadowed forth in theLaw of Mofes, in the Inllitution of their holy Days.. r\\Q fcventh Day^ faid God, who always had this ijorious Seafbn of Reft in View, " The feventh ^' Day (hall be a Sabbath of Reft, the fevcmh '' Month Ihall be full of holy Days, the fevcnfh " Year Oiaii be a Year of Reft :" So, perhaps,, aftcry;,v7/?57V^3;.'J Years are fpent in Labour and Sor- row by the Church of God, the /even ThGufandtb ftiall be a Seafon uf fpiritual Reft and Joy, an holy Sabbath to the Lord. — And as God tlicCreator vsas fix Days in forming a confufed C'haos into? beau- tiful World, and rtHed the /eve nib ; foGod the Pc- deemer, aftery/x77;:'7«/W YtarsLabour in iheWork

of the new Creation, may rtft on ^ht fiVenth. .

And then proclaim a general Liberty tg an ejiflaved

World,',;

The Milknmunu '^\

Woric?, and grant a general Pardon to a gulltyRace ; as in the Ytarof Jubilee^ among tho Jews, every enllaved Jew was fet at Liberty, and the Debts of all the indebted weie cancelled.

IV. Tk£S2 Things, thus inadovved forth in Types, \\ere alfo exj^relly declared by the Mouths of the ancient Proplicts, from the OTy? of David and forward to the End of that Difpcnfation ; and the fame Things are hinted here and there in the NeW'Tellament, and largely opened to View in the Revelation of St. John. So that both tlie Old and New Teftaments join to raife in us, who live in thcfe Ages, the highdl Affjrar.ce, that it is God's Dciign to " give ic^Ims Son the Heathen for his In- " lieritancc, and tffc- uttermoft Parts of the Earth " for his PolTeirionr'(P/.'/. JI. 8.) For all Kings " Ihall bow down before him, and all Nations (liali " ferve him. [PfuL LXXIl. ii.) And the Moun- " tain of the Lord's Houfe ihail be ellablilhed in *' the Top of the Mountains, and fliall be exahed *'. above the Hdls, and all Nations fhall flow unto *' it. {IfaiAi. 1.) They ihall beat their Swords into *' Plow-(hares, and their Spears into pruning Hooks, *' and learn War no more. (vcr. 4.) For the Earth " (hall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as *' tiieWaters cover the Sea. {Jfui. Xf. 9.) A Nation « mall be born in a Day. p>'. LXVI. 8.) All tliy " People ihall be righteous. {Ifai. LX. 2f.) They *' (hail all know the Lord, from the leaft to the " greatcft. (J,r. XXXL 24.) And Holinefs to tl e ** Lord (hall be written on every Thing. {Zsd\ ** XIV. 20, 2 i ) Kings (liall become nurfmy; Fa- " thers, and Qiieens n'urfing Mothers {Ij'cii, XIAX, " 23) and there ihall be nothing to hurt or offend. ** (ifai. XI. 9 ; Th« Inhabitant fhall not [fo mneh ** as] lay, 1 am fick. [Jer. XXXIII. 24.) And tii 8 « Kmi^djmlhallnllthe whoieEarth. [Dan,\l.-7,^.)

'» And

52 The Millennium,

*' And all Nations and Languages (liall fcrve* him. ^* {Dan. Vll. 14.) And the Kinedom and Do- " minion, and the Greatnefs of the Kingdom under " the whole Heaven rtiall be given to the Peo}>le " of the Saints of the molt high God. [Dan. Vil. *' 27.) and tliejews ihali be called in, and the Ful- *' nefs of thf^^entiles. [Rem. XI. ,12-^32.^ l^orthe *' Gofpel fnall be preached to every 'Nation, and *' Kindred, and Tongue, andPeopKe. (Rev.XW ,h.) " And Satan ihali be bound, and Chrifl fliall reiga *' onEarth a Tlioufand Years." * And as furely as thejews were deJiveved out of the babylonilhCapti- vity,ajKiP)aby]on'itfelf dcftroyed ; even fo furely (hall a 1 thefeThings be acconipliflied in thcirTime. And myftical Babylon fhall ." link ^ a Mill-ftone into

*' the

* Satstn JJ^aU he hotin4, ^c. «' The Church of Chrifl *' Or II enjoy Parity of Religion in Peace, without any " Diftarbance from thofe old Enemies of Mankind, *' working in the Children of Difobcdience."

Dauhuz on the Place. ** And this feems to imply, that all fiiall be converted — • •• However, if there be any that remain unconverted, *' they will, during the Imprifonment of Satan, be in *• fo fmail a Number, and fo feeble in Comparifon of the «* true Chiifhans, that they fliall neither dare, nor be ** able to difturb the Peace of Chrift's Kingdom."

Lo'wjnan on the Place.

A Spirit of ftric^ Piety fhall rife fo high, and fo univcrfally prevail, that it fhall be as tlio' all the Martyrs of for- mer Ages were rifen from the Dead, and appeared upon the Stage ^11 at once. This feems to be the Senfe of thofe Words in Rev. XX. 4. The Martyrs arc faid to rife from the Dead, and reign with Chi it a Thoufand Years, much in the fame Seiifc as John the Baf^tiji is called Elius^ viz. bccaulc he was a Man fo nearly re- fembling that celebrated Prophet. Sec Loivmau on the Place.

The M'lUenfilum. jpj

*« the Sea, and fhall be found no more at all." {Rev.XWm. 2i:)

V. But when ihali thefe Things be r — I anfwer, in the firriPlace,it is p'ain,as yet they hive not been, thefe great Things have not been accompliihed. They were not accomplilhed when the Jews were brought out of their babylonilh Captivity : for, from thence to the Coming oi' Chrifi, they never Were in fo flouri(hing a State ns tliey had iieen be- fore. They were not accomplilhed in the apoll:olic^ Age : For, St. John, when moH-, if not ail, of the other Apoff res were dead, fpakc of thefe Things (in thc'KivcJqthn) as yet to come to pafs. They were hot accomplilhed in the three tirli Centuries : for, that was ahuoft one continued Scene of Blood. They were not accomplifhed in the Days of Con- ftantine the Great ; for, it is fmce then that the Man ofb'm has been revealed. Nor are they accom- plilhed to this Day : for, Satan is ftill walking to and fro thro' the Earth, and going up and down therein ; Babylon is not fallen ; the Jews are not called ; nor is the Fulnefs of the Gentiles come in ; but the greatell Part of the Earth to this Day fit in heathenith Darknefs.

When then fliall they be acomph^cd ? — Not

till '* the holy City has been troden under Foot

*' forty twoMonths"— Not till " theWitnelTcs have

*' prophefied a Tiioufand, twoHundred and Three-

*' fcore Days,cloathed inSack^'loth." {Rey.X\. 2,3.)

— And nottiU " the Woman has been in theWil-

" dernefs a Time and Times and half a Time."

{Re-j.Xll. 14.) Now a Time and Times and half a

Time, i. e. three Years and a half, is equal to, forty

^ \wo Months ; which is equal to one Tlioufand two

^ ^Tundred and fixty Days ; which doubtlcfs means

3^„j 69 Years, a Day for a Year : As tne Event has

ed was the Cafe in the Prophec)' of Daniel, who

dcclat<:d

^.T The Milknmu?ii.

declared It to be 70 Weeks, from the going forth of the Commandment to build JerulalemVto theDeath of Chrift. For it proved to be 490 Years, which is 7 Times 70, a J)ay r'or a Year. [Dan. IX. 24.)

So that there is no Difficulty in determining the Downtall of Antichrift^ but what arifcs from the Uncertamty we are at when to date the Beginning of his Rife and Reign. The Bifliops of Rome were fome Hundred Ytars rifmg gradually from the ho- neil Cliaracfter of a Scripture-Bifhop to the Grand Title of w-iivrrfal Pape^ which was obtained, J. D,

6c6. And it was 1 long Tim^ frrm this, before

they got to the Height of their Grandeur, and the Pope was conftituted a tanpoial Prince, which

was not till A. D, 756. * And perhaps he may

fall as gradually as he role. And as now he haj .been falling 24oYears, even ever fince theBcginning of the "Reformation ; fo wc may rationally expec!:"! ho will continue to fall, till Baly.ou finks as a MlMfione into the Sea, And then " the Mountains and the •' Hills fhdll break forth into Tinging, and all the «« IVees of the Field Hiall clap their Hands." {Ifai. LV. 12.) And all the Hol^s of Heaven as loud as Thurtder, Ihall fay, " Hallelujah 1 For the Lord *' God omnipotent reigncth. Let us be glad and " rejoice,and giveHonour tohim ; for the Marriage <' of the Lamb is com.c, and Ijis Wife hath made *' herfelf ready." {Rlv. XIX. 6, 7.)

And thus we have take-n a brief W\c\v of tlie Scripture-Evidence, that the Caufe of l>iuh an4 Righteoufnefs will finally becoine gloriouily vidq- rious. . 'y

VL Nor is th/src the leafl Reafon to dcuBt,thA Accomplifhment of thefe Things. For,— Go3 A^ all Times paft has been faithful to his Word,— ^ J'

* See EowsRS HHlory of the TopeSo

The Wllenmum] ^^

IS evKlently fufficiently en^raged in tlils Affair — knoA^s how, and can eali'y acconiplini it — and it will be much to the Honour of his great Name to do it.

God has been faithful to his Prom^fes to his Church from the Beginning of the World. To ail humanAppearance, it was a very unlikelyThing, that the Hebrews, inllaved in Egypt, under Pha- raoii, a very power/ul Monarch, and funk c'.owri into Idolatry, and very low-fpinteJ, ihould anfe, and go forth wiih all their Flocks and Herds, and march ihro' the Wildtrnefs, and conquer the fcveii Nations of Canaan, and pollefs their Land. And fo it was to all human Appearance equally unlikely, that the Jews in Babylon Ihould ever return to their own Land. But God had promifed in both Cafes, «nd God performed. And an Event more furpriz- ing than either of thefe, yea, the molt ailonilhing that cou'd have happened, has alfo come to pau, juil: asGod had laid. The promifed Seed has been born, and the Serpent has biuifgd his Heel ; and me- thinks now not only God's Faithfulnefs, but even the Nature of the Cafe itfelf, Ihould lead us to believe, that the Seed JJjall hraifc his Head.

For, a.tcr God has appeared to be fo infinitely engaged to dcrtroy the Works of the Devil, as to give his only begotten Son, it can furely never onca be imagihe<l,"1fViat he wan^is fdiHcient Refolu^ion to carry him ihro' wh-at yet remains to be done.

And Ho, who could {tn^i Pharaoh's Djughter tof take up Mofcs, uhen an Infant, out of his BsTicet of Bulrulhes, and educate him in Pharaoh's (Jourt, that he might be (l:il!cd in all the Arts of Govern- ment ; and wlicn he had fpent forty Years in this Situation, bunilh him into the Land of Midian, that in the folitary Life of a Shepherd for another forty Yoj^rs, he miglit attain to be the meekert Man ou Earth j that he mi2ht,bv both, be thoroughly qua-

^6 The Milk nn turn.

liiled for theWork defigned him :— And He, who could take David from feeding his Father's Sheep, and, after aCourfe of Trials, fo exceeding neceffary to prepare frail Man for high Honours and great Ufe- tulnefs, exalt him to theThrone oflfracljfo thorough- ly furnifhed to head their Armies and fubdue their Poes, advance their external Grandeur, and put

greatHonour upon their Religion : And He,Vv'ho

could take Daniel, one of the Jewifh Captives in Babylon, and raife him to fuch high Honour and great Authority, to be a P'ather to his People thro' their feventy Years Captivity, and by his Means ( perhaps ) influence Cyrus fo generoully to releafe them, and aflift them in theirReturn : * — And fi- nalIy,He, whocould take a Number of poor illiterate Fifhermen, and the perfecuting Saul, and by them lay theFoundation of the Chriftian Church, in Spite ot the united Oppofition of Earth and Hell ; and after their Death caufe the Chriftian Church'to live thro', yea, at laft to triumph over, the ten bloody Perfecutions, and even conquer the Roman Empire ;

and * As Daniel underftood the Prophecies of Jeremiah, wljich had deterrained the Time of the Captivity to be 70 Years {Dun. IX. 2.) and had his fieart fo much in the Affair of their Return, as to fet his Face to Jeek the Lord ty Fafling and Prayer ; [ver. 3 . ) and being the chief Man in the Kingdom muft have free Acccfs, to Cyrus ; (/)<i«. VI.) fo nothing could be more natural than to fhew him an ancient Jewirti Prophecy, wherein he was mentioned by Name, near 200 Years ago, and pointed out as the Perfon who was to let go the Jewifti Capdves, build Jerufalem, and lay the Foundation of the Tcmp'e. Jfai. XLIV. 28. & Chap. XLV. 1—3. To which Cyms no doabl refers in his Proclamation. Ezr. I. 2,3,4. •' Thus •« falthCyrusKingofPcrfia, TheLordGod of Heaven hath <* given mc all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and he hath «* CHARGED me to build him an Houfc at Jerufalen. '* which is la Judah. Who is there among you/' Sec

The }dilknmum\ jT*

and that which is Oill more wondcrfuf, toTubfiH: to this Day, notwithflanding all tlie fubtle and cruel Methods, which have for fo many Hundred Years been taken by Antichrift to extirpate Chriftianity out of the World :— I fay, He who could do thefe Things, cannot be at at a Lofs for Means, or want Power, to cffed the glorlousThings foretold, which yet remain to be accomplifh'd.

And, what if Mankind are ever fo ertranged from God ? And what if they are ever fo averfe to a Reconciliation ? And what if Satan reigns in the" Courts of Princes, in the Councils of the Clergy^ as we,il as in the Cottages of the Poor ? And what if even the whole World in a Manner lies in Wick- cdntfs ? So that a general Conflagration might ra- ther be expected, ?.s it is fo eminently deferved j— are thefe lliings any Bar in the Way ?

What if Mankind have abufcd divine Grace from the Beginning of the World f What if they have murdered his Prophets, his Son, and h\, Apoftles r What if they have refifted and grieved the Holy Spirit, and perverted the Docftrines, nntl gone counter to the Precepts of his holy Word ? Yea, what if it appears that Mankind are really on Satan's Side ? And iiiis after all the kind Methods God has taken to reclaim a guilty World ? fo that even the beQ Man on Earth, or the kindcf!: Angel in Heaven might be difcouraged, totally and finally difcouraged, and think it never worth wiiile to taki any more Pains with fuch a perverfc Race, but that it were more fuitable to the Rules of good Govern- ment to refign them to Deflruc^ion ? Are any, cr all thefe Things together, a fuilicient Bar to the Accomplifhment of God's Dehgns, whofc Good- nefs is abfoluicly infinite ?

What ! After the Son of God has been ofTcrcJ

^% a Sacniice of Atoncroenr,io fecurt the Hor.-jur of

V 2 the

jS The Mii!::nnium,

the divine Government, and open a Way for thtf honourable Fxercife of his Grace ! Whar, after the Mcffiah has been exalted to be a Prince and aSaviour, to give Repentance and Rcmilfion ot Sins ! And after aJl Power and Authority in Heaven and Earth 3s given into his Hands, on Purpofe to deftroy the Kingdom of Satan, and bring every Nation, Kin- dred and Toniiuc, to bow tie Knee to God ! yea, when the intinitciy wife Gcvernour of the World Jias before determined to permit the Wickednefs of Jvlankiiid to come out and ftand in fo glaring a Light, and to fuffer Satan fo long to Pradlife and profper ; to this very Purpofe, tliat his Power, Wif- <lom and Grace miglu be the more cffcdually and the more glorioufly difplayed, in the Accomplifh- ment of all his glorious Defigns !

Instead of being difcouraged, from a View of the pal\ or the prefcnt State of the World, as with- out the Light of divine Revelation we Ihould na- turally have been ; methinks now,vievving allThings in the Light of holy Scripture, it mud be ^(^Tk€i\y rational to conclude, that all thefeThiiigs are only, ])reparatory, as an Introdu6ti(^n to the glorious Day ; even, as all the cruel Bondage of Ifrael in Egypt, and all the haughty Condudt of Pharaoh, were but preparatory,as an Introdudion to the gloriousEvent

that God had then in his Eye. And what un-

fpcakable Honour will redound to God moii High, if after all the vile Condudf of this apofiate World, tind notwithftanding all their Ill-defert, and after ail the fubtle Methods Satan has taken to make his Kingdom ftrong ; 1 fay, wh,at unfpeakabic Honour \vill redound to God mofl High, if after all tins f>e

jhould accomplhh las glorious Defigns ? And

when Things have been ripening tlufe tive or fix Thoufand Years, and are now fo nearly every Way prepared igr God to ^ct lumfelf a ^re^t Naio^tf

The MUUnnLni. 'S'>

in the totnl Deftruaion of Sutan's KingdoiT!, can v/e once imagine that God will let the Opportuniry llip ? Or rather, ouglit we not tirmly to believe,' tliac when every Thing is quite ripe, then God \vi!l arife, make bare his Arm, and till the whA^ World with his Glory ?

Especially, conlidermor, that as Things (land^ tlic Honour of all his glorious Ferfedtions lies ac Stjke. — P'or,ever fmce the Almighty gave out the AVord, that the ^eed cf the JFcr/ian Jhculd hrwfe the^er^ pcnt's Head^ even from that very Day, that old Ser- pent, with aH his Subtilty, has employed his who's Power to defeat the diviiie Defigns^ maintain his Kingdom in the World, and efcape the dreadful Blow.— He llirred up Cain to kill his Brother, and never left till the whole Earth was tilled with Vio- lence, v^hich b eight on the general Deluge, hn I aficr thcP'lood he; was induilriou.>> todivertMankiiiJ. from the Knowled^-e and Woriliip of the true Goci^ and to eOahlifl-i Idolatry and the VVorihip of Devil's in all theKingdomsof the Earth. A^^^ iinceChnf- tianity appeared, he has turned himfelf into every Shape to defeat the g:a:ious Ddlgris of the Gofpel, and has prevailed and reign.d above a Thouf.uid Years, at thcHc'nd of the grand Anrichridian Apaila^ cy. And Ihou'd the AhnLihiy fuffer him to fb on, andprofper, and finally prevaij, what would b.^come of his. own gr.^at Nime'? And how great would ht; tli.'ir 7>?umph in the infc-rtVal Regions, to thmic^ t'lat in" Sj^l^hrof God and or his Son, f.o n the B : - ginning rS'ih'e EVii -O'fthe 'Woi'W,,.riiev have X.tX'x yHit in J cor}tWt \^:&x^ kept tha ^\€d.yZ\\\ at la:'t

tyiwt off vidoriOus ? • Wherciore,. as whei

God repeats W^^ ift'bnderful Works, which he had

t'one tor Ifracl in thi; Days of old, in the XXth^.

Chapter o^ Ezrli'iel^ he conl^antiy fays, / wruught.

J'^r iiun^ au^i grsat Name^ fo hcrej in ibis Cafv wni

lift

<5S The MilleFmum^

lie do It again, and that in the mod eminent Man- ner. As it is written, The Zeal ofthg Lordof Hofts mil perform this. Ifai. IX. 7.

So that, in a Word, if almighty Power and In- finite Wifdom, at the Head of the Univerfe, infi- nitely engaged, are a fufEcient Match for the Guihy, impotent Powers of Darknefs, then we may depend *i3pon it, Satan will meet with an Overthrow, as not- able as did Pharaoh and his Hoft in the Red-Scu. And as proud Babylon, once the Miftrefs of King- doms, is now no more ; fo myftical Er»bylon Hiall iink as a Alillutone in the Sea, and rife no more for ever. And

yil. Whatever Midakes the JewiPa Rabbles might fall into, in their Interpretation of Daniel's 70 Weeks, and in their Attempts to fix the precifei rime of the Mefliah's coming ; and whatever mil- tnken Notions any of them had about the Nature qT his Kingdom, as tho* it was to be of this World, and He to appear in all earthly Grandeur; and altho' his Coming, to fome might fcem to be {o long delayed, that they began to give up all Hopes of it, and to contrive fome other Meaning to all the ancient Prophtcies, or even to call in Q^ielVion the Infpiration of the Prophets : yet neither the Miftakes of fome, nor the Infidelity of others, at all altered he Cafe. Days and Months and Years hafiened nlong, and one Revolution among the Kingdoms of the Earth followed upon another, till the Fulnefs cfTirr.e was come, till all 71iings were ripe ; and then, Beho.'dj the Messiah v/as born. Even fo it fhall be now.

Whatever Miftakes Chrifllan Divines may falj into, in theirliiterpretation of 665,theNumber of the Beaft, or in their Endeavours to fix the precife Time when the i26>o Years of AntichriA's Reign HWl bcs^in and end j cr wh^itSYCf wrgng N,p lions ft ir.e

The Millennium, g*£

have had, or may have about the Nature of the Millennium,as tho'Chrift was to reign pvirfonalfy on Earth ; and if fome, mean while, begin to think, that all Things will go on as they have clone, and to conclude, that the the Expectation of thefc glori- ous Days, which has prevailed in tiic Chnlliaii Church from the Beginning, is merely a gro-jndlefs Fancy : Yet none of thefe Thin^s\vill at all alter the Cafe. Days and xMonths ana /ears will haften (alon2;, and one Revolution among the Kingdoms of the Earth follow upon another, until the Fulnefs of

J Time is come, till all things are ripe for theEvent ; 'and then the Minifters of Chrill: v.-ill accomplilh in iReallty, what Sr. John faw in his Vifions : — I fiw an Angel jiy in thcMitljl cf Heacen^oaving the everL/iirt^

' iGofpel to preach unto them that divtll on the Earthy awl

So every Nation and Kindred^ and Tongue and Peoph. Rev. XIV"'. 6.) And then (hall it come to pafsjthat ^he Failoi Ignorance, which hath fo long fpread over all Nations, JJjall be dc/royed (Ifai. XXV. 7. ) ar^l Knowledge iliall fo greatly increafe, that it lh:ill be as tho' the Light of the Moon were as the Li^ht ofths Sun^ and the Light cf the Sun [even fold ( Jfai. XXX. 26.) until the Knowledge of the Lord cover thi Earthy as the fritters do the Sea, ( Ifai. X[. 9. ) Am\ then \ht\tff?a!t be nothing to hurt or o^end in all G.d's holy Mountain. *For Bihylon (hall fall, Satan be bpund, and Chrii\ will reign, and Truth and Rightcoulhefs univerl'ally prevail, a Thoufand Years.

REMARKS and INFERENCES.

I. When, therefore, our Saviour in the Days of )i'is Flefa, denominated his Fo! lowers a little Ehck^ from the Smallnefs of their Number, lie had noDe- fign to teach us, thjt this would always be the Cik*. For ahho' it was very true, that lusFLck was at that F 4 ' ■' Timg

^2 The Millennhi^\

Time^ Uitk Fleck ; yet the Day was comln*, when tliat Utile Leaien (liould IcaveJi the whoU Lump [Mat, Xni. 33. ) and the Stone cut cut ivithcut Hafids\ho\x\\ become a great Mountain^ and pi I the v^hcle Earth. (Da?i. II. 25.) So, altho' it was a Saying very ap- pl.cable not only to our Saviour's Day, but to mo.l: other Periods ot the Church, *r|iat7??r/'ry are called tmd feiv are chofen \ yet it dues not hcn^e fol!ov\',"that this will be the Cafe wl-.en a Nation. JJjall bejdifn in a Day^ and all thePeqle Jlmll he righteous. Anil ah ho' it has commonly been (bjthat of theM?/'rj/ who have fouglit; to enter in at the jlrait Gate^ but Few have been ahle^ and the Generality have from Age to Age gone in the hraadlVay^ which leads dciin'io Deftiu^ion : vet it Iball'be quite otlierwife,when Satan is hound^ that he[ may deceive the Nations no mere \ and when allJJxm blow the Lord from the lea ft to the greateji^vihtn t'i^^ Kingdom andil.eGreain'fs of theJCirigdom- under the ivhcle Heavens^ jhall he given to the Pe-opU of the Saints of the, I Moft Fligh. — For it is very plain, that thefe and fuch like Expreiilons ufed by our Saviour, which were applicable to the then- times, and to moft other Periods, when the Number of true Convcr s hath bet-n comparatively very fm^}!, were never defigned to be applicable to th^it glorious Period yet to come, vhich !S to be the g.rund KarvetVTime, when the Jo'zus f who are to this Day for that very Purpofc, ro doubt, by divine Providence v^Jefcrvett a diilincfl People ) and the Fulnefs of the Gentiles /hall come in-. Nor c«n ii be right to iLiterpret iuth Pxpifcii'ons iii fuch a Senfe, as ro render ihcni incordVlUnt \\\\\\ wliat the Scriptures lo pbi'dy ler.ch ihali be the-

Cafe in the latter Days. l^hercforo,

2. NoTWiTHSTAiVDlKO liithtrto but fcv^ h;;' e been faved, tlicre is no Evidence but that greater Part of Mankind may be faved. N

The Milknmunt', 6^

have been jull mentioned, for the Rcafon already fuiZgeft.d. Nor can anvThing be argued from any otiier PalBges of Scripture •, for the Scripture no where teaches, that fhe greatell Part of the whole h iiranRace will finally peridT.. 1 am fenHble, many lecm to ta!^'^ t!>^« f?r granted, and they are greatly flrcngthen. sBeiicf, from a View of the awful

State^i^^.nic.: t, n:ivc been iti from the Begirming of the World to this Dav. But if we fhouMevea gviini, that [,ith.p:;o nui One in ten Hioutand have been lavtc!, \c! It uisy come to pafs ( tiicre may be Time enough for it, and Men enough yet born) I fay, it may vet come to }>ars, that by far the grea** telt Part ot Miinkmd may be laved.

For, as theScriptures condantly teach, that in thcfe glorious Days, univerfal Peace (bail prevail ; and iiifiead of War,!he Nations ihall em^^loy their Time in ufeful Labour,//?)^// beat their Swords into P/oiv^ fna; es^and thiir Spears into Pruning- hooks ; fo it will na- turally come to pafs, that Mankind, who are now in vail Multitudes deflroyed iii the Wars from, one Generation to another, will be greatly incr'rafed in Numbers, and plentifully pi^'ided for. Only re- movcWars, P'am.ines, and all thofe defolating Judg* ments, whicli the Sins of Mankind have from Age to Age brought down on a guiity World, anJ let that univer^ Peace andProfpei iry take Place, which indeed will naturajlv refult nom the fmcere Pradl.ce .of pure Chriilianity, and Mankind will naturally increafe, and fpread, and fill ai! the Earth. And while every one improves hisT^ime well, and is di- Jigcnt in his Calling, accovdaigto the Rules of our lioiy Religion, and a'l Luxury, Intemperance and Exrravagsnce are banilhi from the Nations of th« Earth, it is certain tir-it this Globe will be able to fuibjii with Food and Raiment, a Numb.r of Jiiha* biiants iinuACiifeiy greater than ever yei dvvek on it

^4 The Millcnntum]

at aTime.And now if tf//thefe fhall know the Lord from the li:aJJto the greatej}^ as the Scripture afTerts, fo that the Knowledge of the Lord frail fill the Earth as the JVa- iivs ccver the Sea, for a Thouland Years together, it may eafily, yea, it will naturally come to pafi, that there will be more faved in thefe Thoufand Years, then ever before dwelt upon i'^'; Face of the Earth from the Foundation of the W'prld.

Some indeed underftand ^' T! ufand Years in ih^ Revelation ^grezbh to c . r proplictical Num- bers in that Dook, a Pay for a Year. So the Timf, ofid Times f and half a Time, i. e. three Years and an half, and the forty two Months, and the 1260 Days^ are no doubt to be reckoned. And if the dark Period is to be reckoned by this Rule, it (hould fcem that the lit' ht Period {hould likewife. p'or other- "wife the dark Period, vhich in that Book is reprcK fented to be the fliorteft, will indeed be the longefV, The 1260 Days longer then the icco Years, -rand* if the 1000 Years is reckoned a Day for a Year, as the Scripture -Year contains 360 Days, fo the 1000 Years will amount to 360,000 Years. In which, there might beMillions faved, to One that has been

Joft. But not to infifl upon this, If this e:lorlous

Period is to laft only a Thoufand Years literally, there may be many more faved than loft.

If it be granted, that it is difficult to compute with any Exa6\nefs in fuch a Cafe as this, yet it is cafy to make fuch a Computation as may farisfy us in the Point before us. For in Egypt the Hebrews doubled at the Rate of about once in 14 Years ; in A^i?zc;-£w^/^A/^/ the Inhabitants double in lefs than 25 Years ; it will be moderate therefore to fuppofe, NJankind in the Millennium, when all the Eirth is full of Peace and Profperity, will double every 50 Years. But at this Rate, there will be Tjiiie e- noush in aThoufand Years to double twcn^vTime>

The MUIennlum]

^s

Which would produce fuch a Multitude of People, as that altho' we Ihould fuppofj all who live bctore the Millennium begins, to be loft ; yet if all thcfe (hould be faved, there would be above feventecn Thoufand faved,to One that would be loft. As may appear from the Tabic below.

3- Ths

1	.""	-	: ^'-i!	Im the firft Column, wc
2	-			have the 20 Periods, which
3			• w	1000 Years will nukc,at 50
4			i6	Years to a Period. — In the
S			32	fecond Ccluinn, we fee in
6			64	whatProportionMankind will
7			128	incrcafe, if they arc foppofed
8			. 256	to double in every 50 Years. --
9			- 512	At the End of the firft Fir'ty
lO			1024	Years, there will be two for
1 1			2048	one. — Andfoon— AttheEnd
12			4096	of the 2orh Period,thcrewiIi
13			8192	be above a' lillion for one. —
14			16384	Now fuppofc the World to
i;			3276S	ftand 6000 Years before the
i6			6ss^6	Millennium— and fuppofe ic
17			131072	in every Age to be as full of
iS			262144	Inhabitants as it will be when
19			524288
20			1048576	And fupp .fe, through all the 6000 Vcrirs, all the inhabi-
Snm	total.	2,097,150	tants of the Earth to have

died off and new ones come *" their Room, at the Rare of once ki 50 Years— 6000 Years, at 50 Years to a Period,

will be 120 Periods 120 Worlds full — all loO, fuppofe

— yet by theTablc we fee, that the 7thPeriod alone (which is 128) would more than coantcr ballincc uhe Whole

Suppofe all before the Millennium lofl =: 120 SiippoTe all in the Millennium fi"°d rr 2097150 Then 12a : 2097150 : : i : 17456 -,^ Q^E. O,

Thit

€6 The Mllknmum.

3. The Periods pad, that have been fo darlc, ought to be conlidercd as iiuioduetory to tiiis b-ri^ht and glorious Scene, and in various Refpecls as preparatory thereto.

An apoftate Race, \vlio had joined with the fallen Angels in a Courie of Rebellion againft the Gover- nor of the Univerfe, might juilly Imve been for- faken of God, and given up to a State of pcrfccft Darknefs and Vv'oe, iioni GeneraticntoGcneration, entirely under the Power of tli . of Dartcnefs.

What has happened, in darlt/.,^^.. ^ , inay help us

a-littjc to realize vs'hat might jullly always have*been the woul State of a fallen W'or.d. We have had a Spetiiiicn cfthe dreadful Nature and Tendency of Satan's Government, in all the Idolatry, Wickcdnefs and Woe, which have hlled tlie World. Arid we have fcen a-liitle w hat is in tlicHeart oi' fallen Man, who have llain the J^ord's i*ropr»ets, crucified hisSon, and fned the Blood of Thoufands, yea of Mihions of his Servants. And what has happened may help us to realize a-little what muii: have been the State

of

That is, above 17000 would be favcd, to One lofl ; which TVas the Point to be proved. — Therefore r.oihing hindt-rs, but that the greatefl Part of iMankind may yet be faved, if Cod fo pleafes. Therels Time entiigh for it, and may be Men enough yet born. And if thife Calculations may * fervc to clear up this, they anfwcr the End propofcd. What Proportion of iVIankind will finally be faved, and v;hat loft, none can teU. It is no where revealed. God was not obliged to favc One oiu of all this guilty loil World. Hitherto the Generality may have periflicd : and the Lord isRighteous. — Put who can tell, to what a Degree God n>ay yet glorify his Grace .^ The holy Scriptures encourage us to look ForThings- exceeding great and gloriojs ; even, tor fjch Events asruay. , put a new face on all God's pafl: Difpenlations. (Sec t>,c following Sermons oa tke IVifdoni of Ccd in th Pcrjuij/ion

^/SiH.) ^

The Milknmum: %

of a fallen World, if Grace had never mterpofed. At the fame Time it hath appeared, after the belt contrived Experiments have been fufRciently tried, that it is not in the Heart of fallen Man to repent, nor can he be brought to it by any external Means "whatfoevcr ; whereby the abfolute Necefiity of the Interpofition of Aipernatural Grace hath been fet ia tiie mod glaring Light.— And now, if after all God (liould effeclualiy interpofe, deftroy the Influence of Satan, fcatter the Darknefs which fills the World, recover Mankind to God, and caufe Truth and Rightcoufnefs atlaflto prevail ; it would appear to be altogether of Ged, of his own mere felt-moving Ooodnefs and fovcreigri Grace. And after fo long and fore a Bondage, Mankind will be the more fen- fible of the Greatnefs of the Deliverance.— — N"oe ■can it ever be faid by a proud and haughty World, *' We did not Need the Influences of divine Grace •' to bring us right j" Whenas ail other Methods had been fufficiently tried, and tried in vain. But God mayjuftly fay, *' What could have been dons "*' more to reclaim Mankinds that I have not done t " And to what Fi'.rpcfe would it have b«erK,to have ^' taken one Step further ? I tried them enough* ** There was no Hope, Their Heart was a Heart

*' of Stone. Therefore, behold, I, even I will

*' take away the Heart of Stone, and give an Hearc *• of Flefh ; and an npoflate World (hall be alham-^. •' cd and confounded, and (hail never open their <* Mouth,when I ft:iall do all thefeThingsfor tlicm." We are apt to wonder wliy thefe glorious Days (liouldbefo long delayed, if God indeed intends fucU A4ercy to Men. — But God infinitely wife, knows "What is heft J — knows how to conduct the Affairs of the Univerfe ; knows when is the fttteil Time to introtluce this glorious State of Things ; knows when Matters Vv'ili be all ripencd» and every Thing

^^ The Millennium,

in the moral World prepared ; fo that this glorious bay may be udicred in to the befl-^Advantagc, in 3l Manner moft fuited to honour God and his Son^ to humble a haughty World, and to difappoint Sa- tan mofc grievoufly, after all his wilySchemes, grea,t Succers,and high Expectations : — I fay, God knows when this will be : And this is the veryTniie he has fixed upon for this glorious W©ik.

4. It therefore becomes all the Followers of Chri{l,in their feveralSpheres,in under firmBeliif of thefe Things, to be of good Courage, and exert themfelves to the utmoft, in the Ufe of all proper Means, to fupprefs Error and Vice of every Kind, and promote the Caufe of Truth and Righteoufnefs intheWorldj and fo be Workers together with God.

If one flood at the Head of this glorious Army, which has been in the Wars above thefeiive Thou- fand Years, and has lived thro' many a dreadful Campaign, and were allowed to make a Speech to thefe veteran Troops, upon this glorious Thcme,lie might lift up hisVoice, and fay, " Hail, noble He- *' rocs ! brave Followers of the Lamb ! Your Gc- *' neral has facrificed hlsXifc in this glcriousCaufe, *' and fpoiled Principalities and Powers on the *' Crcfs 1 and now he lives and reigns. He reigns " on high, with all Power in Heaven and Earth ia •' his Hands. Your PredecelTors, the Propliets, *' Apcflles and Martyrs,, with undaunted Courage '' have marched into the Field of Battle, and con- *^* quered dying 1 and now reign in Heaven ! Be- *' hold, ye arc rifcn up in their Room, arc engaged " in the fame Caufe, and the Time of the la(\ ge- " neral Battle draws on, when ^ glorious Vicflory is ^' to be won. And altho' many a vahant Sojdicr *' may be flain in the Field ; yet the Army lliall ^} drive ill before them ac lail. And Satan being

5^ conquered.

The Millennium. ^^

" conquered^ and all the Powers of Darknefe driven " out of the Field, and confined to the bottomlefs *' Pit, ye Ihall reign with Chrift a thcufand Years. *' reign in Love and Peace, while Truth and Righ-

" teoufncfs ride triumphant thro' the Earth.

'' Wherefore lay afide every Weight, and, with your Hearts wholly intent on this grand Affair, gird up your Loyns, and with all the fpiritual" Weapons of Faith, Prayer, Meditation, Watch- '' fulncfs, liC. with redoubled Zeal and Courage fall on your fpiritual Enemies. Slay every Luft that yet lurks within, as knowing yourdomeftic *' Foes arc the moft dangerous. And with Gentle- *' nefs, Meeknefs and Wifdom, by your holy Con- '* dud, your pious Examples, your kind Inflrudi- '* ons, your friendly Admonitions, fpread theSavour ** of divine Knowitdge all around you, as ye are *' fcattered here and there thro' a benighted Woi Id; '* labouring to win Sou!s to Chrlft, to induce the " deluded Followers of Satan to dcfert his Camp, ** and inlifl as Volunteers under your Prince Mes-

*< siAH. And if the Powers of Darknefs fhould

" rally all their Forces, and a general Battle thro* '' all the Crhirtian World come on ; O, love not *' }0ur Lives to the Death ! Sacrifice every earthly " Comfort in the glorious Caufe ! Sing the 'Fri- *' umphs of your victorious General, in Pr,fons and *' at the Stake I And die couragiouily, firmly be- *' lieving the Caufe of Truth and RiglUeoufnefs *' will finally prevail.'*

Surely it is infinitely unbecoming the Followers of him who is Kin^ of Kings and Lord of Lordsy to- turn afide to earthly Purfuits,or to fink down in un- manly Difcouragcmcnts, or to give Way to Sloth and EtFeminacy, when there is fo much to be done, ind the glorious Day is coming on. How (hould ihofe who handle the Pen of the Writer, exert Cj 2 them-

r

7» The MdhnnluT^.

themfelves to explain and Tindicat€ divine Truths,

and paint the Chriftian Religion in all its native Glories ? liow (hould the Pulpit be animated, from Sabbath to Sabbaih, with Sermons full of Know- ledge and Light, full cf Spirit anc* Life, full of Zeal for God, and Love to Men, and tender Pity to infa- tuated Sinners r Cbrift loves to have his Minilkrs

faithful, \\hether the Wicked will hear or not.

And let pious Parents be unwearied in their Prayers for, and Inftructions of their Ciiildren, and never iaint under any Difcouragements ; as knouin^>*hat Chrifl: is exalted to give Repentance and Remiffion of Sins, aad can do it for whom he will. Bring your ChiWren aad Friends, with all their fpiritual Dif- cafes, and lay them at his Feet ; as once they did • heir Sick, when this kind Saviour dwelt onEarth. —

et pious Perfons of every Age, and in every Capa- tity, awake from Sleep,and arife from the Dead, and iive and 2(51 worthy their glcriousCharacler and high. Lxpecftations i and in their fevetal Stations exert themfelves to the utmofi to promote theRcdeemer's ^^iorious Caufe. — Let this Age do their Share, as David, altko* the Temple was net to be -built

1 his Day, yet exerted himfelf to lay up Materials Jor that magnificent Edifice, on which hisUeart was intently fet ^ as knowing, that La- his Son's Day it would be fet up in all its Glory. So kl us rife up> and vvith the greateft Alacrity conmbute our uxmoft towards this Building,this liviagl'emplc, thisTena- ple all made of lively Stones,of Stones alive,in which God is to dwell, and which will infinitely exceed in Glory the Temple of Solomoa, that was built of dead Timber and lifclefs Stones.— And let this be our daily Prayer, an Anfwcr to which we may be aflured of, whatever other Requefts are denied uf. Our Father which art in Htaven^ hz.—for thins is thr. Kingdom^ ih Foiver^ and the Glory^ for c^^-*-- A MT. n .

( 71 )

^^ '^ *• «• **

The Wisdom of God

in the Permiffion of Sin. SERMON I.

Genesis L. 20. : 7^E thoughi Evil again]} Ml' j hut C. '

7nea?2t it luito Gcod-

JACOB being dead and buried, and Jofeph dill- Governor over all the L:nd of Egypt, iiis guilty Brethren began to be afraid, that Jofeph, iii v/hofe Power they now were, and at'vvhofe Mercy tney now lay, would requite them Evil, for the ia- huinan, barbarous Deed they had formerly commit- ted- in felling him for a Sl^ve, notwiihftanding alt ]ii.s Cries and Teafs, and the Anguiili of his Sou!> Wherefore having fi^:^ feni Meffengers to him, r > pacify him, and beg his P*irdon ^ they venture atlall into his Prefenc?, and fall down before his Face, unci re ' ti to his Mercy, faying, *^^ Dchold, we ba *' r'.- rvants." /. >. We have nothing to fay for o ; "we are verily guihy : vre are in liiyPow-

ei , \« .jrrender ourfelves to thv Difpofil, Upou wliivh; Jo.e.ph laid uiito them, " Fear not" any Harm G 3 i;o:i

7« , Tht Wisdom of Qoi

from me. <« For am I in the Place of God,** the righteous Judge of the World, to whom Vengeance belongs, and with whom you had Need make your Peace ! 'Tis true indeed, ye a<^ed a barbarous and cruel Parf^ « Ye tho't Evil againft me : but God," '^rvho had the ordering of the whole Affair,. <« meant *' it for Goody Xo bring topafs as it is this Day, ta *« fave much People alive." And white I behold the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God,, fo confpicuous in thisDirpcnfation, I have noDifpofftion to rcveng«- the Injury you did me. Therefore h^r not :: for in- ftead of requiring you the Evil,, you are fenfible you deferve, for your ill Treatment of m^y. L-vvjli rather, m Imitation of God, whe^ hath been, lb kind to-nie; m all my Diflreffes^,. treat yoa with all Goodnefs. " I will nourifh you and your little Ones, Thusiia comforted them, and fpake kindly to them."

At the fame Time Jpfeph viewed the Conducft of his Brethren, and conlwlered their Temper and De- iigns, and the Keinousncfs of ihcin Crime ; he alfo Tbcheld the Hand o£ God,, which he as^ plainly faw in the whole Affair, pcRmiuing and over-ruling his Ertthrcn's Sin, to anfw-er good and noble Ends : A«d tliis iiidirpofed him to any. angry Refentments, and framed h>s Soul only to Gratitude to God, and Love and Kindnefi to his Brethren. Bis feeing the Ifondof God in it, or ta.ufe his own Language,,hi$ feeing that ** God meant" he Hiould be fold, and that it was '«- God who fentjhim thither," together with xht happy Experience he had had of the Wif- ftpm asid Goodnefs of God in the Affair, not only prepared him to forgive his Brethren ; But to treat them with all poffible Tendernefs, and fraternal Goodnefs. So thtt he was not only fully fatisficd in the Wifdora of Gcd in the PermifTion of that Sin i but was thereby the better prepared to do his Duty,

POCTRINB,

tu iht Permijjion of Sm, jr^

Doctrine. " A Sight of the Wifdom of God HI the Permiflion of Sin, is very ufeful to prQmota Hohnefs of Heart and Life : It has. a gr«at Ten^ dcncy to make us feel right, and behave welli"

Thus it was with Jofeph, as we have {t^x\^ And thus it was with 7^^, who, while the Sabeans wick- edly robbed him> eyed the Hand of God, and faid, " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and bleflcd. be tl^.e N^me of the Lord."* And thus- it was with. £)jz;/V, v/hils Shimei wickedly abuied him, going along on the Hill over againft him, as- he was fleeing out of Jerufalem from the Hands of Abfalomihis Son^ and curled him. as he went, fay- ing, *' Come out, come out, thou bloody Man." — " Let him Curfe" fays- David, " for the Lord hath.. " bidden him."t * Ijuftjy deferve it at the Hands of the IViUjeftyof Hfeaven,aga!ntl whom I have grie-

voully finned. A bloody Man indeed Lam ! —

O Uriah ! Uriah I 1 fljall nevec forget the Blood.

of the valiant Uriah ! *

But it is needlefs to multiply ThAanccs*. For nothing is plainer, than that it muft tend to .bring us> to a right Temper of. Mind, in every Circumftance of Life, to view infinite Wifdom, as- ordering all Things, which concern. us, in- the wifeH: and befc Manner. Nor could any Tho't be more fliocking to a pious. Mind, than to conceive the S)eity as unconcerned. in humanAffairs, — tl^ Devil ruling ia the Children of Difobedisnce without Controul, and all Things juinbling along.-in.thiS' Wicked World, without the Icaft ProfpecfV o-f any good End ever to, be anfwered. But if all Things,. gocKl and bad, are under the Government of infini«^e Wifdom.; this- affords a.fure Profpedbof a happy Iflue.. And under fuch a wife and pv^rfctjt Government, we have the greatefllnducemcnt to go on chearfuJly. in tiieWays

of

* >b. t.— t 2 Sam, :Jt¥r»

74 5^6^ Wisdom of God

cf our Duty ; having always an implicit Faith in the

Supreme Ruler of the Univerfe. Wherefore, the

Tru'h o~ the Do61rine being thus plain and evident, I Oi-ll on y attempt to ihew,

I. What we are to underhand by God's /)^r- mitiing Sin. And,

II. The JViJdom of God in the PermifTion of Sin. And tlien,

III. Coti^tuDE with a pradtical Improvement.

I. What are ^e to underlland by God's per- mitting Sin ?

1. Not that He loves Sin, or that there is any Thing in theNature of Sin that he approves of. For it is tlie abomhiab'e Thing, which his Soul hats-th. AVhrn lie viewed the Temper, Conducfi: and-Dcfign cf Jofeph's Brethren, they each of them appeared pcrtecflly odious in his Eyes. Their Envy and Ma- lice he abhorred : iheir cruel and barbarous Deed lie detefted : their Defign intimated in that Saying, '' And then ihall we fee what will become of his

'' Dreams,"* he perfc(5ily difapproved.

2. Much lefs are we to imagine, that God in permitting Sin deprives the Sinner of the Freedom of his V/ill. Jofeph's Brethren felt themfelves at Liberty ; and in the whole Affair acled according to their own Inclinations, — '}W?i as tliey pleafed.

3. God's permitrir.g Sin coriTiils nnerely in not hindering of it. He fa-v, that Jofeph's Brcthrent, confidering ilieir Tepjper, and liovv they had their Brother out in the Field, and how that the lihmae- Jitilh Merchants would focii come by, l^c h'c. would certainly fell him, un'efs he intcrpofed to hinder it. And He could have hindered their fciliiig, ns cafily as he hindered their murdering him. JBut he di'd not. He let ihcm take their Courfe.

4. Awi)

SH the Termlfioyi of Si^^ 75*

4. And yet It is fclf-cvidcnt, God never permits Sin, in the Charaaer of an unconcerned Speaator, as not caring howAfFairs go -, but as having weighed all Circumftances and Coufequences.— Theretore,

5. God never permits Sin, but only then, \vhen»~ on the whole, all 'I'hings confidcred, he judges it bert not to hinder it. And therefore,.

6. At whatever Tirn^ God forbears to interpofc,. to hinder the Commiinon of any Ac^ of. Sin, he is not only juaifiable in his Condufl, but even com- mendable and praife-worthy ; becaufe he has chofea

to aa in the wifeil and. beft Manner. -But this

leads me,

II. To (hew the ^f^l/dom of God in the PermhTion of Sin. And I will in the firft Place begin with fome Inftances that arc more pkin and eafy, and afterwards proceed to what is more intricate and difficult.

id Instance. And to begin with the Affair of

cf Jcfy^^ There needs little to be faid, to ihew^

the manifold Wifdom of God in it. For it does-

not appear,that God could, as Things were circum- ftan^ed, have taken a better Method for the Ad- vancement of Jbfeph to be Governor over all the Land of Egypt, than this. It was a Metliod fuited to humble Jofeph, and wean him from the World^ and bring him to an entire Reiigrfcation to God, and Dependence upon, and Devotednefs ta him ; and to prepaye him for fo high a Station, that in it he might condua with ail Fidelity ta Phaxaoh, And Humility, Good.nefs and Cendefcenfion to aJl around him ; to the Pionovir of the God of Ifrael, znd to. the Reputation of true Religion, in the midft of a People fmking down faji into Idolatry and Wicked- nefer It was a Method fuited to. give him a high Character in the Eyes of Pharaoh, and in the Eyes ot aJi Egypt j as one dear tp the ^reat God, full of

Wifdom

7<f T/:e Wisdom qf CoJ

Wifdom and Benevolence, and the fitteft Man in Egypt to be fo highly advanced and (o far betruQed. From a poor Prifoner, he rofe foon to fo high a.. Chara(5tcr, and was fo highly efteemed, as to be- come a Father to Pharaoh, and to all F^ypt.

Nor docs it appear, that, as Things were clr- cumftanced, God could have taken a better Method* than this, to provide for the Sudenance of Jacob's Family, of the Egyptians, and of the Nations tiiroughout the Land'of Canaan, thro' a Famine of fcvenYears Continuance. It was a Method fuited to difpofe Pharaoh, and all Egypt, to receive Jacob's. Family kindly, and give them a hearty Welcome ; as they were the Kindred of Jofeph, their great- Benefacflor. It was a Method fuited to humble Jo- f ph's Brethren, and not only to bring them to Re- pentance for theirSin, but to a better Temper in gc- eral. And, as the felling of Jofeph liad been .latter of fevere Trial to Jacob, who verily thought i.im dead, a-nd expe61ed to go down to the Grave fjrrowing; fo, in the LTue, the whole was fuited bundantly to efiablilh him in the Belief of the Jcing and Perfecflions of God, and of his Govern- ntnt of the World ; and to give him an affeding, •avifliing Senfe of tlie Hoiinefs, Wifdom, Goodnefs, 'ower and Faithfulncf* of the God of Abraham, his at her ; and to confirm him in the Expecftation of i Tie Accompli fh;ment of all God's Promifcs. AndJ lA the mean Time, the Egyptians, and ail the Na- tions inhabiting the Land of Canaan, were provided for with Food thro'*a long and fore Famine, in a Manner fuited to convince them of the Vanity of their Idols, and to bring them to an liigh Efteem of theGod of the Hebrews, to whofe kind Interpofition their whole Support was owing. And thus God feft not hlmiclf without Witncfs, in that dark and be- riightcd Age of the World, when all theNatioR-s were

Aiikin^

p? the PermiJfiQ-n 0/ SiiJ, fy

finkingfafl- down into Idolatry. For the whole Af- fair of the felling of Jofeph, of the Condu6t of his Mirttefs, of his unfhaken Virtue, of his Imprifon- inent, of his interpreting the Dreams of his Fc!lo»v- prifoners, of his being bro't to Pharaoh'5 Court and interpreting his Dreams, of his Advancement, and of all his Conduff in that high Station, would naturally be noifed abroad, not only through- out all Egypt, but alio thro' all thcLand of Canian, from wheiKe they daily cams intoEgypt forB;ead; yea, the News of thefe Thir gs would be apt to fly far and wide among all the Nations round about, to the Glory of the true God, and to the Honour of the true Religion, and to the Condemnation of an idola- trous World, who had forfaken the Lord Jehovah, and gone after Idols, that .could neither fee, nor

hear, nor help. All which good Ends, and many

-more, God had in View, V/herefore,

Although Jofeph's Brethren a6ted a very wick- ed, cruel, God-provoking Part, in felling their Bro- ther, notwithftanding all his Cries and Tears and the Anguilhof his Soul, v,fith an envious, malicious- and impious Intention to prevent the Accortiplifh- ment of his divine Dreams, fcafHngly faying among themfelves, *' And then we ill all Tee what will be- come of his Dreams :" Yet, at the fameTime,thc God of Abraham aded truly like himfelf, a noble, a ^od-like Part, in letting them take their Courfe, \viph*a Defign to over-rule it as he did, to ac€ompiiil\ his Dreams ; and that in a Way fo much to his

own Glory, and io much to the g:enera! Good .

And how know we, but that the infinitely wife Governor of the Univcrfc, when he permitted An- gels and Man to fall, and Things in the intelligent iJyilem to take fuch a Courfe ns diey have, defigned to r»ver-ru!e the Whole fo (according to. a Plan h^' then had in View) as that iu the lilUc, God

ihould

7^ The Wisdom of Goi

(hould be more exalted, and the Syftem more holy

aiid happy, than if Sin andMifery had never entered ?

B^:t to proceed to a

id. Instance of the Wifdom of God in thePer-

miirion of S'm. Sometime after Jofeph's Death,

when the Children of Ifrael were greatly multiplied,

there arofe another King m Egypt, who knew not

Jofeph, nor paid the leatt Regard to his Memory ;

who, to enrich himfelf, attempted to bring the Ifra-

clites into a perpetual Bondage : and to that End

fet Task- Mafters over them, who made them fervc

with Rigour. And, obfcrving how exceedingly they

multiplied, left they fl-Knild become too numerous

and potent, and get themfelves up out of a Land in

which they were fo abufed, Pharaoh ordered the

Midwives to kill their Male Children. But theMid-

wives proving unfaithful to his Injunctions, belaid

his Commands on all his People in general, to take

everyMale Child,and caft them into theRiver.f All

which was inhuman and barbarous tothe laftDcgrcc,

As God had provided for the kind Entertainment

of the Ifraelites by the Means of Jofeph, whom he

fent before them ; fo he could have provided for the

Continuation of their Tranquillity, and reftrained

Pharaoh from this Tyrannical Condud : But he

-chofe to bring all thefeDiftreiTcs upon them,to wcaa

them from the Idols and Pleafures of Egypt, to

make them mindful of the promifed Land, and to

■ prepare them for their approaching; Deliverance, and

.-or their Wildernefs-Travels. Therefore he wifely

t Pharoah take his Courfe. For the Ifraelites

-^ ere fo kindly received in Jofeph's Day,and fo gcn^

'illy provided for, tl'.at they began after a While

forget the Land of Canaan, and feel themfelves

Home, and fall in Love with the Cuftoms arid

^ .olatries of Egypt ; And bad it not been that Ph?i-

t Exod. I.

/// the PermiJJtQn ^/* SirT, 7^'

raoli attempted their SIavery,and treated them with fo great Severity, there would have been Daa^er oi their forgetting the God of rheir Fathers tota;iy,ar.d incorporating at length with the Egyptians. So that they greatly needed thefe DiftrelTcs, to mike them willing to leave Egypt, and difcern the Goodnefs of God in their Deliverance, and to awaken tlietn and their Pofterity in Ages then to come, to a Scnfc of their great Obligations to God, who brought them out of the Land of Egypt, and out of thu irioufe of Bondage. *

Besides, at the fame Time that God, by th« cruel Tyranny of Pharaoh, was preparing the -Ifraelites for their Deliverance, he alfo over-ruled his Barbarity to give an Occafion of raifing them up a Deliverer. For Pharaoh having ordered all ther Male Children to be caft into the River, Mofes's Mother, after having concealed him three Months^ durll keep him no longer, and fo left him in an Arlc of Bulrufiics, at the Side of the River, to the Mere/ of the cruel Egyptians. Hore Pharaoh's Daughter

finds him — is touched with CoNipairion relie^res

the poor weeping Infant. — And now Mofcs is called the '' Son of Pharaoh's Daughter," and is educated in Pharaoh's Court, and intruded in ilkhe Learning, of Egypt ; and finally, complcatly furniflied for ih« glorious Work defigncd him. For Pharaoh fcekin_g Mofes his Life, he was obliged to Acs to the Land ot Midian ; where, in the folitary Life of a Shepherd^ he fpent 40 Years, until he became the meekelt Man on Earth. And being thus endowed with an extraordinary Meafure of human Learning and oi divine Grace, God fends him to deliver his Peo- ple, who had been groaning under their fore Bon- dage above an 100 Years. " O the Depth of the fCiiowltj.jgc and Wifdom of God" I

H Tia

XX ;

•So 9ltf Wisdom of Goi

The very Methods, which Pharaoh, in his great Pohcy, takes to bind down the Hebrews in perpetual JSlavery, God over-rules, to prepare them for,and to bring about their Deliverance. And while Pharaoh is hurried on in his Schemes, by his infatiable Avarice, and indulges to barbarous Cruelty, God, <he infinitely wife Superintendent, calmly looks on, and lets him take iiis Courfe, confcious to his own Alfnightinefs, and having his own glorious Plan all before him. — And how know we, but that tliis fame infinitely wife Being, who has had the Government cf the Univerfe in his Hands from the Beginning, had fome noble, God-like Defign in View, when he" firft permitt-cd Sin andMifery to enter into the World which he had made ? But to proceed to a

3d. Instance of the Wifdom of God in the Per- milTion of Sin.

Pharaoh, full of a Senfe of his own Grcatnefs and Power, and of the Advantages which would accrue to him from theLabours of fo many Servants, no fooner perceived Mofes's Defign, but he firmly refolved never Xo let Ifrael go. And when Mof^s afiured him that the (jcd of the Hebrews had ap- peared to him, he bid Defiance, not only to Mofes, but to his God. *"' 1 know not the Lord, nor will I let Ifrael go." And the more Mofes infifted upon their Relenfe, the more his Pride and Covetoalnefs wrought. For hisHonour's fake he fcorncd to yield r' snd for his liuerefi's fake he many a Time refolve4 he never would.

For the fuprcme Monarch of the Univerfe, who does according to his Pleafure in the Arniics of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, had looked on the bold, i:the daring, the haugl>|y 'vVretch, and determinedJo leave him to hisowa, iieart, to take his own Way^ and do as he pkafea i

fprefecing

in the PermiJJton of Si^* Sr

forefeeing juft how he would condu6t, and how the Aifair would finally iflue.

, Go>fays God to Moles, Go in to Pharaoh, and fay, *' Thus faith the Lord, let liracl go, that they may ferve me : But I am fure, that the King of Egypt will not kt you go : no, not by a mighty lianJ. And I will ilretcli out my Hand, and Imite Egypt with air my Wonders whicli 1 will do in the Midil thereof". AndPharaoIi iball know,that I am the Lord : and the Egyptians fiiail know, that I am the Lord : Yea, my Name (hall be declared through- out all the Earth. And thus do I order the Affair, that thou alfo mayft tell in the Ears of thy Son, and of thy Son's Son, whut Things I have wrought in Eiiypt, and my Signs that I havedcc amongil them; that ye m^y know, that I am the Dord."

Mos2s goes, and delivers his Mefiage to Pha- raoh, fayiiigs *' Thus- fairh the Lord God of the Hebrews^ Lei myPeople go,that they may ferve me.'^

•' lie gone to your Burdens", fays Pharaoh to

the iTcaclites. " And youMoftSj do you hinder the People no longer frotirdieirLabour. And you Talk- A'larters, give them no Srrav*^. P'or they are idle an(i wanton, and full of Notions : but 1 will tame thef^ Hebrews, and make then:!- knov/, they had better been content where ihey were. "-So tlieTafl:- Makers with Rigour- drive on the Ifraeiites to perform theii- impoillbie Tafks- — ^and beat them for Non-perfcr- mance. They cry to Pharaoh, but cry in vain. •* Ye are idle, ye are idle,'* fays he, and full of' Notio IS. Be gone ! No Mercy fhall be (hewn you. Lwili make you repent your new Scheme, before I have done wiih you. — ThusPharaoh florins, drives, fets up himfelf, hardens his Heart, rcfolved the/ (hall never go.

WriEREUPON tbc God of Ifracl " wrought h'-j *' Si^ns in E?:.vp^ and his V/onders in tht Field of

«2 Ti^ WiSCOM of G^

«* Zoan. He turned their Rivers into Blood ; and ^* tlieir FJoods,that they could not drink. He fent .** divers Sorts of Fjies among them, which devoured ** them, and Frogs which dcftroyed them. He *' gave alio their Increafe unto the Caterpillar, and «* ilicir Labour unto the Locuft. He devoured •< their Vines with Hail, and their Sycomore-' ♦* 'JVees with Frofl. He gave up their Cattle ** alfo to the Hail, and iheir Flocks to hot ♦* 71-iunder- Bolts. He caft upon them the Fierce-" ^ r.efs of his Anger, Wrath and Indignation, and •* Trouble, b) fending evilArgels among them. Fie *' made a Way to his Anger ; he fpared not their ♦* Soul from Death : but gave their Life over to the *' Pcnilcnce. And fmotc all the Firft-born in ** Egypt ; the chief of their Strength, in theTaber- •• nacles of Ham. But made his own People go ** forth like Sheep. He led them on fafely : but •* the Sea over- whelmed their Enemies."

Pharaoh's Defign was, if pcflible, to prevent the Kgrefs of the Hebrews ; that he might keep shcm for his Slaves : and that they, and all the World might know, that he was too potent and >nig1ity a Prince to be fubducd and conquered by tht God of the Hebrcv.s, to whom from the Begin- ning he had bid Defiance.

God's Df figns were, by fcvcrc and cruel Bon- ilage^ to wean the Ih aelitcs from Egypt ; or at lead, to force thcnij weaned, or net, to leave the Country, find be gone. Therefore he let Pharaoh loofe, fo ;mmerciru]ly to opprcfs them. And as for Pharaoh, ri*?dlerhim]Lftuphimfelf,harden'hisHeart,beasftout yiid haughty as he pleafed : That as he was defiroys, io he x*iiig!it liave fullOpportunity to try hisStren*;th whh ti:c God of the Hebrews. That in the Jfiore, He might ktiow, and the Egyptians might kno^-

^hek ^^hame and Confufion; — 'I'ha: he v/a?'*-v

h the PemiJJian of Si>T. 8^

Lord, the only true and living God, intinitely Tupc riour to all their Idols. And in the meanTiir.'^ he defigned to give a lively Picture of himfelf, as r - one infinitely too wife, great and powerful, f> feeble Mortals to contend with ; Refolved to vin- dicate his o'vvn Honour, at all Events ; and revenge Affronts offered his Majefty •, and carry on his own Defigns in Spite of all 'Oppcfition. That the Ifraelitfs migkt fee it, and iinow it for their Good That all the Inhabitants of Canaan might be ftruc':. into a Panick : and indeed, that his Name might be declared throughout all the Karth. For he intended^ that thcfe his mighty Works fliould never be for- gotten among Men, fo Ion j as the Sun and Moon fliouIJ endure.

Metkinks, I behold Mofcs, on the other SIdQ of the Red Sea, flandmg fafc on tlie Shore, while the Carcafes of the Egyptians, their broken Chr riots, their drowned Korfcs, Part funk to theBottroni, and Part floatnng upon the Sea, and fcattered alon^ the Coalls. There He ftands— He looks back- He furveys the gracious, the dreadful, the gloriou? Works of the God of Abraham, from the Day h^ fav/ the Burning Budi in the Wildernefs of Hor.eb, and received his Commiffion to a6l in this grand Affair. — Pharaoh's haughty Temper, his impious, covetous, tyrannical, deceitful Condu(5):, all rife clear

to his View The aftonifh-ng Works of the Goa

of Ifrael, Flis righteous Vengeance on his Foes, His felf-moving Goodnefs and fovereign Grace to the Ifraelites, torn away from their Idols, and delivce.d. out of the Houfe of Bondage, all fill his aftoniihed Soul ; and the powerful Imprelfions penetrate the

Center of his Heart. Helooks fcrward too to the

promifed Canaan, to which the Almighty had riow undertaken to lead them, and imagines what Terror \ ^ gf ciU thefe Things would fpread thrcugli

J

ti The Wisdom of Goi

all the Land. InCpled with thefeVIewf, ravifheJ

>vith the G'cwy of tlie God oF ifrael, charmed witb the MajeAy and Beau-ty of the divine Condu<2, He fpake, fayirig,

*' I will (iRg unto-tlte Lord, for he hath tri- •* umphed glorioufiy ; the Korfe and' his Rider •' hath he thrown into the Sea^ Tluc I>oPv.d is my •* Strength and Seng, and lie is become r.iy Salva- •* tlon : He is my Goi>, and 1 wal prepare him an •' Habitation ; my Father's God, and I v/iJl exalt

•' him. Thy right Hand, O Lorl^, is become

•* glorious in Power i thy eight Hand, O Lord,. ** hath dad.ed in Pieces the Enemy.. And: in the '^ Greatnefs of thine Excelleney thou haft over- *♦ thrown them that rofe up againfl thee. Thoi* ** fenteft forth thy Wrath, \v,hicli confumed them as^ ^* Stubble.— —Who is like unto tbec^ O Lord^ •' amongst the Gcds ?- Wht>^is like unto thee, glo- ^' rious in Holinefs, fearful in. Pr.aife*^, doing Won-

*♦ ders ? l^hou-in thy Mercy haft led forth the

•* People which thou haft redeemed. The Pco-

*' pie Ihall hear, and be afraid; Sorrow fl^all take

•' hold on the Inhabitants of Paleftine. All the

•* In]>;^bitants of Canaan fiiall melt away. Fear and- ♦* Dread fhail fall upon them- ; by theGreatnefs of ** thine Arm they Ihall be as ftill as a Stone : till •* thy People pais over, O XxjRTJ, till the People

*' pais over, which thou haft purchafed. The

** Lord ftiall reign for ever and' ever. *

And while Mofes thus fang the Praifes of God^ the fupreuic Monarch of tlie Univerfe, and cele- brated his glorious Triumph over Pharaoh and all his Idol-Gods y fo ravished with theWifdom, Gjery and Beauty of the divine Cond\.i6>,. as to be even more attached to his Mor.our and Intereft than ever, aod even the better prepared to condu<5t v^ith that

* ? £jicd. XV.

ift the Permtjfion of Sfi^ t$

fiCTi^y Fidelity thra*^ all rl^e future Trials of hisLife, always true to God, and hcarti'y concerned to fee theHonour of his great Name fecurcd ; I fay, while Mofcs was full of tb^Ce divine Views and Tempers on this grai-id Occafion, 2»11 Egypt were in profound Darkncli : and thefe Difpcnfations, fo bright and glorious in. the View of MofJe$» to them, appeared gloGfiiy as Dea^lv.

And if thefe Difpenfatiorts of divine Providence, vhlch to the Egyptians appeared fo dark, and gloo- my,, to Mofes appeared fo full of divine Wifdom^ Beauty and Glory ; how kjiow we^but that GodV whole Plan of Government, how dark foever it may now appear to a revolted Worlds under God's Dif- pl«afure, may to Saiiit* and Angels, after the gene- ral Judgment, appear perfe^fl in Wifdom, GJory and Beauty,, and be Matter of their eternal Delight and Praife. But to proceed,

4. To ether Inftancei of the: Wifdom of God ii\ the Permiffioniof Sin..

The Ifraelitesy having thus cfcapcd the Hands of Pharaoh;^ ar.d recovered their Liberty, had it beea Jcft to them to direcft their March, and point out tlieir future Fortunes^ they might perhaps have thought it ben'-,that being led on dircfily to the Land of Canasn, they iliould by the migjity Power of God have been put into an immedrateFom:ffion,to be fol- lowed witii Scenes of Feafting, Joy and. Mirth, ne- ver to be interrupted;

But God, who knew thcirHe::rt», ^Ho knew hovi^ dfeeply tainted they were with the Idolatries andMan* ncrs of Egypt, snd how high a Reliih they had to fcnfual Pleafures, might ealily forefee how all Senfc Crf the true God would foon bs loft in tlve mid ft of fuch Profperity, and they become no better than the ejected Canaantes. Bcfides, he A»w that in ^Imok every Rcfpcd tliey were as yet vinprcpajred to enter H4 Oit

^^ Thti Wisdom of Go J

V"

the prornifed Land. And alfo he defignccl them for our Enfamples, and his Difpenfations towards them for the Inrtrucflion of Mankind to the End of the

World. Wherefore let us attend to the divine

Conduct, and behoJd the manifold Wifdom of God.

He had torn them away from their Idols, their I,eek», their Onions, and theirFlelh-Pots ; to which they were ftupidly attached. He had fent to them by Mofes, and cominanded, " that ihcy fhould caft " away every -Man the Abominations of his Eyes, ^ and not defile themfelves with the Idols of Egypt

any more ; for that he, himfclf, v/as the Lord

■ their God.'* But altho' the Thunder of divine

V/rath, fo dreadfully roared throughout all theLand of Egypt among the Egyptians, and God was now in a miraculous iManner working their Deliverance ; yet, even now they rebelled againft the Lord, and would not hearken unto him. *' They did not " every Man caft away the Abominations of their '' Eyes, neither did they forfake theldois of Egypt.." Wherefore God faid, *' 1 will pour out my '' Fury upon them, to accompliHi mine Anger '' upon them in the rnidil of the Land of Egypt."*

But

■ If when God met with fuch infinite Provocations at the Hand* of the Hebrews, he coald yet find in his Heart to profccutc his De(ign,and accomplilh his Promife toAbra- hani, that to his Seed he would give the Land of Canaan.; \re cannot have the lead Rcafon to doubt, but that, not- vithftanding all the prefent Wickedncfs of his profe/Ting People in the World, whereby he is infinitely provoked to rcfign all Chrillsndom to Dcftrut.'lion, he will yet profecate hisDefigns, and acconaplifli all his Promifcs-— — «• Give to his Son the Heathen for hi« Inheritance, and

' the utmofl Parts of the Earth for iiis PofleiHon ; and bring every People, Nation, Language and Tongue to ferve him : and Satan /hall be bound, and Chrill fiuU icign on Earth, foiaThvurpdlcarj."-— No Obftacies, nc

Pifeouiagc^

/;/ the PermtJJion cf Sdh. 87

Bat then God confidcrcd what the Egyptians would fay to fuch a Difpenfation of Providence, and how it would be mifintcrpreted thro' allNations and

Ages " Wherefore he wrought for his great

♦« ^Name's fake, that it might not be polluted before ** the Heathen, among whom they were, and in '' whofe Sight, (iod intended to make himfelf *' known to the Ifraelites, by bringing them out of »* the Land of Egypt." f And therefore inflead of the De.lruclion they defcrved from his Hands for their ftupid Attachment to the Egyptian Abomina- tions, Gad let loofe Pharaoh 10 increafe their Bur- dens, to make their Bondage abfolutely intolerable, that he might force them from their Idols, and

drive them out of Egypt. And to bring them

Itill more to their Senfes, Goi let Pharaoh loofc to purfue them with Chariots, and Horfe-men, and a great Army ; and contrived that he iliould overtake lhem,niut in among theMountains, unable to make theirEfcape ; that he might have Opportunity to let Ifracl fee his mighty Power, in dividmg the Sea, and make them feel their Dependance upon, and Ob- ligations to him : and that having led them thro* tlic Sea, he might have them in a barren Wilder- nefs, where there was neither Bread, nor Fleih, nor Water, as the fiiteft Scene for thofe Tranfadions and grand Events, belonging to the intinitely wife Plan, which God had laid out. Israel

■ Difcouragem^nts, no ProrocdtionS, no Dil!icuhlc8, of whatever Kind, or however great, can hinder God fconj thcAcconiplifliment of the gloriousDefigns ofhisGracc. — He r«dcemed ifrael out of Rgypt, altho' he faw what Th?y were ihcn, and what tht*y would be in all future Timeg. — Yca, he has given his Son, tnd that to t^c Death of the'Crofs, in order to carry on his Ddigns.^—

And what will not God Almighty then <^o ? Al-

>uGHTiNESs, fo INFINITELY engaged, cannot, and will . ct b? frufrratcd. \ Ezck. XX. f,— 9.

^^> The Wisdom of Goa

IsRAFL had been In Egypt 115 Years.* And the latter Part ot theTimt/or above ?.n IkiKlredYtar?, in a State of Bonda»;e & Slavery. — TJiey had ainioil furgcttcn the true God, and the wwi Relij^ion, were habituated to the Idohitryand Manners "of Egvpt, well pleafed with the Country ; and; but forTheic. Oppreffionsywculd never have entert?ined anyTho't? > of leaving it. Yea, notwlthfLancing tluir fevere ^ Bondage, v^ere hirdly prevailed upon to licarken to , Mofcs, to whom they faid, '' Let us alone, thatws ; may fcrve the Egyptians," as they i;frei wards up- braided him in their Dilireis at theRc(i-.Sca.-f-rAnd they were of fo mean and daftardlya S^)l!it, as to be

i unfit to march againfl- their Enemies.- God.wlior^

! knew their Temper, j'u%ed,thut if he h^d \t^ them. i from Egypt ftrait to Cai.jan, which was not an ^ hundred Miks ihTtant, the Approach of their Ene- \ Di'ics, prepared (or War, vvouid have irighrci thnr* ^ack again to Egypt.t— Yea, mch was thtir Attach- ment

'* From the Covenant with Abnra, to the nlvJng of rlij L,aw, was (a»St. Paul afTcrts, Gal. III. 17.) 450 Years. And this will gtvft Light to Gen. XV. 13. and to Exod.

J: XII. 40, 41. For thcLa*.v was giyeafcon after thcycamf

il out of Egypt.

I Joseph was 17 Years old, when he was fold, and it \% ^^::ppofcd he was foon iKiprifontd. perhaps the very fame Year, and {fi that he lay in Prifon ai>out 13 Ye?.rs ; for ■.e was 30 at his Advancc^icrtt. After which, io ubout 9. i'ears, Jacob and.all his Family eanic down into Egypt. After wh'ch, Jofcph lived 71 Years. And fo in ail, was sn the grcateit Honour 8o- Years, to counterbalance 13

Years of Sorrow. ifraeleame out of Rr^pt r44Years

\ftcr Jofeph's Death ; the greateft Part of whichyTimcr ihey were under OpprclTian. — Mofes was born 64 Years dfter Jofeph's Death —fpent 40 ia Pharaoii's CoRrt—and 40 in the Land of Midian. t EioJ.XIV. 12. t Exo4. XIII. »:.

4n the TermiJJivi of Si}^, ■ %^

jnent to Egypt, their CoIdnefstoCanaan, theirCow- ardice, and their Ihipid lnlidelity,evcn after aYcar*s Difciphne in the Wildernefs, and nocwithllinding their folemn ProfelF:oii and Promiles to God at Mount t'inai, that upon the ill Tidings of theSpies, they were for rtoning Caleb and Jolhua, ac i mak- ing to thcmfelves a Captain, and returning to their beloved Egypt.

Now fuch were the People God had to manage, fo every Way diftempered, that they needed all their old Notions, Taftes and',Tempers \o be eradicated j and to have their Minds wholly framed a-new, in order to befit Inhabitant! for the holy Land.

They muft be tlioroughly weaned from Egvpt, from their Idolatry and theirManners ; and be bro't to know the true God, and to be fcnfible of his infi- nite Abhorrence of their Tempers and Ways ; and have their Hearts effecflualiy broken under a Scnfc of theirVilenefs : that they might loath thcmfelves, and turn to theLord,and love hun, and be prepared to undcrfiand and fall in with the Religion he gav€ them from Mount Sinai, that they might be an holy People to the Lord, a Kingdom of Priefts, and an holy Nation ; that they might be to his Praife and Glory, in the midft of an idolatrous benighted World ; and tlirt they might receive the promifed Land, not as a iCev/ard of their Righteoufnefs, — tor they were a fiiff-necked People ; but as a mere free Gift from the God of Abraham, their Father; and fed themfelvesjby the Means, laid under the firong- eft Obligations to love hitn, and fear him, and wajk 'ii all his Ways, and ket-p ull his Commands : And - 1 the fame Time, be fo inured to .Harclfi-iip, and fo rhoro'ly confirmed in the lieli^f of the ijeing and Perfections of God, as that, in an entire D'ependance ;n the Lord, they miglu marcl; into tht promifed L;jnd, aud behave Jikc valiant Soldiers, and execute

God's

§<0 Vn^e Wisdom of God

God's Vengeance on thofe idolatrous Nations,w]iom he had doomed to Deftrudion -, break down their Altars, cut down their Groves, burn theicGods, and extirpate both them and their Religion from off the Face ot the Earth.

And what Method, better fuitcd to anfwer thcfe noble Ends, could pofTibly have been devifed, than that which the Lord their God took, for the Space of forty Years in theWildernefs : Wherein he hum- bled them, and proved them, and tried them, that it might appear what was in their Hearts : £<id he left them to hunger and to third, and to murmur find rebel, and to commit Idolatry,that their Hearts might be turned infide out before their Eyes : anU by a longCourfe of Difcipline^he trained them up to a Senfe of his Being, and Perfc(5tions, and Govern- ment, and to feel their Dependance on him, and Obligations to him, and by Experience learn the dreadful Nature of Sin. He fed them with Angels Food, and gave them Water out of the flintyRock: he led them by Day in a Cloud, and in -the Night by a Pillar of Fire : but when they rebelled, the Earth opened its Mouth, arid fwallowed up Hun- dreds, and the Plague fwept away Thoufands at a Stroke ; yea, at laft, the whole Congregation of Six Hundred Thoufand were doomed to fall in theWil- dernefs.

Nothing impreHes the Heart of a human Crea- ture like Facts. Nor could any Series of Fas^s have been better contrived than thefc,to reach their Hearts, and make them feel what they were in the Sight of infinite Hohnefs, and to bring them to fear Ihe glorious and fcarfulName of thcLord rhcirGod.

At the Side of the Red-Sea, they were, to Ap-^ pearance, full of Love to God, and there they fang his Praife : And had Things gone to their Minds, they might never havefufpecfted the fecrctHypocrify

In tic PcrmijTion ^/ SiK» 9^

of theirHearts. — But asGod had contrived thePJan, in three Days their religious Affedions were gone, and their corrupt Hearts, like the troubled Sea, caft up Mire and Dirt.— ^God knew what they were be- fore : and it was wife in him, to take this Method^ to brin^ them to kiiow it too.

At MoitntSinai,thcy were again deeply affedted, when the Law was given, in aManner fo folcmn and divine : and there they proniifed,that wharlbever the- Lord their God fliould command them, tl?at would they do.--^— Butin lefs than forty Days, they madj them a Call" after the Mannerof Egypt, ;:nd eat and drank,and rofc up toPJay, after thcL^yptranMode.-^ God knew before, that all this was in their Hearts : and now he wifely permitted it to break out, that, they might know it too : and that he might have * good Opportunity to let them fee how exceedinglv

he hated their Ways. -He liad tried Words, but

thcfe would not do. He had u-fcd the plain^ft and. ftrongeft Expreffions in the firft and fecond Com- mandments, but they were not effeeluah — Now he proceeds to Pacts — ThreeThoufand are llain bytha* .Sword at his Command, to let the whole Congrega-^ tion KNOW hov; deteiUbJe their Condud was in his Eyes. *

And fo again, wliile the Tabernacle was build -» ing, and at the Time of its Dedication, they ap« peared very forward in Religion, as tho' they loved God, and iovfd his Worlliip, and were determined for the future to be an obedient People : And

h;=:

tni lad for about a Year. And doubtleYs they though' ^f Ives fincere, and always might Have thdu^h

no new Trials come on. B-jt-no foor.c.

i.s return from viewing theLarid of Ca- bring ill Tiding?, but their c'd F/';y;7tin.n .f ail revived. Xqw Joiiiu,

xod. XXXII. 2%.

2 The Wisdom of Csd

jufl- be Hcncd for pleading the Lord's Ca life, and a

jw Captain chofen to condudl them back to Egypt,

hich they left with Reludtance about a Year ago :

lUing, itfecms, forever to part with their God,

air i^ibernacle,an<i their Religion ; and turn back.

) the Idols, and Minners, aad Leeks, and Onions

: Eaypt ', and make their Peace with the Egyptians

s they could. And had not the ALMIGHTY fud-

■enly intcrpofed, no doubt, dreadful Deeds would

on have been done.— God knew, all this was m

>cir Hearts before : and now he wifely pcnnitted

to break put, that they might know it too : and

\\2X by his future Condu<5l toward that Pcopl&yiie

ight let them know that he was the Lord, and fill

-he whole Earth with his Glory. *

And while that Generation was doomed to wan-

crForty Years in theWildernefs,and their Carcafcs

:ere to fall, as the jull Punifliment of theii Crimes ;

leir Poflerity, bythe Means, had their Egyptian

otions and Tempers eradicated, and were trained

;) in the Knowledge of God, and of the true Rcii-

on ; and prepared to enter, conquer, .and poflefs

s holy Land. Nor could they ever, to their flying

)ay, forget the Works of the Lord their God,

'hich they had feen inEgypt,at the Red Sea, in the

'/ildernels, &c. Nor could they have had fironger

ducements to tell thefe Thing* to their Sons,

:id Sons Sons. Nor could a better Method have

been taken to lay a lafling Foundation for a firm

Belief, and fteady Pradice of the true Religion.

It was moft for the Honour of God, and moft for the Intereft of Religion ; and fo really for the beft Good of the Ifraelites,that they fliouid be thus *ried,lcft to aft out theirHearts, and then puniflied, abdued,humb]ed& bro't into Subjeftion to the divine Authority, before they entered into Pofl^fTton- ot the

proHiifcd l KaiU. XIV.

/;/ ths Per?nijjicii $f Sii*i. J3

promifed Lsnd ; altho' it coft them Six Hundred

Tiiouiand Lives, and many a dreadful Day. •-

For, to what Purpofe liad it been, for God to have brought them ftraight frcm Egypt, with all their Egyptian Notions and Tempers, into the holy Land, there to have polluted it, and to have difiionoured him with their Abominations ?"*

Besides, from thcMurmurrngs andRebellicns of thcIlVaelitcs in the Wiidernefs, there was the fulleft Demonftration of theDivinity of the jewifli Religion. For, iiad notMoJes been fent of God, and fupported too by the Interpdhtion of Almighty Power, it had been impolfible he fhculdhave accomplid-ied the

Dciign, -ThegiR would fureJy have deferred him,

aiul returned to Kgypt ag^iin. Nor could :' ^

Ch Idren of lfrad,how degener^e foeverthey wer , ?i\d how- apt foever to fall irtto Idolatry, in afrer- A'^es^ ever once fcruple v;hether Mofes were indeed fent of God, after fuch a Scene of Wonders for forty Years togetlier. Nor does it appear^ that the divir/G Legation of Mofcs was ever called in C^iel^ton by that People.

I 2 An )

* If it WIS wife in God fo toordQr,tIiat ihc Ifisclltes i\wi^}fX be opprciTcd above an hundred Years before ilicrr D(^fi«. verancc, and then pafs thro' fuch gvjiX T^Trjis ferry Years more, before iheir Entrance into the holy LiMj hOfV know wc but it may be v/ife, that ilie Chriflii^Chur^h in general, and we inNew-Engldlid in prticular.fhcu.'d y thro' very dark, and trying 'limca. for a Jong Sci^fon, I fore God begins to work Deliverance, in th.u rcnwrka- Manner, wliich may be expcfled at the ulherin^ in of glorious Days. To befure,there feems to lie^FoundSif laid for great Difhc/Tea, and of long rcmriniiancj^, for c. fiitful Land. Better fo, than to b« left to Il-'epon,iic'. : . iri Sin. Nothing fo dreadful, as to be given uj» to c^; ■ Kai Security, an"3 fuffcred to go ou ia Wicjwcdiicfs asd

^A The Wisdom cf Cod

And ^^■!•;cncver ihcy read over the Law of Mofes, together wiih the Hlfiory inteirpcrrcd intliofe facred •ooks, they iniglu not only Jearn the Nature of }o<l and Man, ami lee God's Right to command, !:eirOb)ioations to obey, and llie great Evil of Sin, ; om tlic Law of MofcSjas being therein held forth ; Mit might behold all ihele excmplihed, in a moft

.'riking Manner, in a Series of Facts. Let them

ut view the divine Conduct in Egypt, at the Red- ije2, in the WDdernefs, &c. and it would iiive ;liem a moil lively Piclure of the the Divine Na- cre : for here they had the jfi I STORY of the 'Deity, -^ — And let them view^he Conduct of the Jfraelites, from iirll to la{>, and^would give them

- moA livjly Pi(51ure of human Nature : for here 'ley had it aiflcd^ cut to the Life. — And God's ■lisht to commani^ their Obligations to obey, and 'le great Evd cf Stn are ftt iri the firongcft Lighl.

— Nor were the A^dvantages of thefe Tranfac^^ioni onfined to thofe Ages : for all thcfe Things hap- pened and were written for our Inilru6\ion,on whom the Ends of the World are come. God is ft ill the

ane : and fo is*}iuirian Nature too. For as 'ace anfwers to Face in a Glafs, fo does tl;e

:ieart of Man to Man. O the Depth of the

•Vifdom and Knowledge of God ! Of whom, and y whom, and to whom are all Things ; to whom clongs Glory for ever !•« — And how know we but hat tiie grand Afiairs of the Univerfe are all con- !u61cd as wifely, as were thefe now in our View.

To Conclude, let thcfe four Remarks be ^-ell attended to, and remembred.

I. That in all thefe Inftances of God's per- vr/itting Sin, he had a View to the Manifeftation of ^^imfelf. Tiiey gave him Opportuaitles to a6l out iiis Heart ; and'fo to nie\M/what he was, and '-""^ lie ftood ailcacd : and he intended by hisC.

in the Pemijpon of Sv<^. 95

to fct hlmfelf, i. e. all hisPerfcaicns, in a fuiI, clear, ftrong Point of Light : that it might be known that he was the Lord^ and that the whole Eanh might tj filled with his Glory.

2. And he intended to let his Creatures give a true Specimen of themfelves : that it might bo known what was in their Hearts. But

3. The Advantages of Acquaintance wit!i God

and ourrelves are innumerable. We can bene:

ther humble, holy, nor happy without it. b^j

that

4. It may ea(ify be feen, how that God in the PermifTion of Sin* may defign to r.dvance his own

(jlory, and the Xjood of his Creatures. Aiv.l

that this was really God's Defign, in the InlUnc;;^ which have bcafl under Confideraiion, is manifcil from the five BEIcs of Mofes,|li vvhich the Hillor'

of thefc Thing* is recorded ^t large. -Partic . •

larly, I der4re tli^VIIIth, IXth, Xth, & Xlth Cha. ^ ters of Deuteronomy may be read in this V^iew.

# #4^:^iJ######:^X##vi^^##^4^#^-?

#^^» #*##^###' :*^####^^af#^

I3 SERMON

( 9<J )

The Wisdom of God

in the Permiflion of Sin.

s E R M o xsr, ir.

GeniESIS L. 2*i

-^—TE thought Evil again/} Me ; /vv/ God vteant it unto Good—

WISDOM cc-nfifts in clioofing tlie beft End, . and contriving the moil proper Mcatis to attain it. Th2 Mfssiah had been promifcd to our firft Jr'arents, about Two Thoufand Years ago ; and the appointed Time of his Advent was approaching : Bvit the World were greatly imprcpared for luch an £vcnt. They did not know, that they were in a fal- len State, and that they needed a Redeemer and a ^3n<5\ifier. They neither knew God, nor thcmfelycs

what ihcy were — nor wliat they ought to be ■ Tor what they neeJcd to biing them right: and were finking by fwift Degrees into Hill grofier Igno- lance, and the moft fi upid Idolatry. And had God fuffercd them all to have taken their own Courie, uil the Messiah's Binh, Ignounce and De|iravify.

v^ouTa'

The Wisdom #/ God^ Sec. p7

would have rifen to fuch a Height, as to have >en«> dcred iMankind wholly unprepared for the Gof^^el- Dirpenfation.

Wherefore God muft interpofe, and fome Me- thod mui^ be taken to check the univcrfal Spread ot Idolatry and Ignorance, and to revive the Know Jcdgeof the true God, and of the Law of Nature -, and to make Mankind fenfible of their Depravity, ot their Guilt and 111- defert, and Need of a Rcdeemei' and Sandtitier ; and fo prepare the Way for the- Coining of Chrifl, and the Ercdiion of his fpiritual Kinc:dom.

VViTH thcfc Views, about two Thoufand Years before the Birth of the Messiah, God calledAbrani from Urof rheChaldecs, :nj feparated him from aa idolatrous World, and choie his Seed to be hisPeo- ple ; that in his Dealings with them, he might bear a publick TciHmony againfl Idolatry, in the Sight ot all the Nations of the Earth ; and at the fame Time exhibit a molt cxafl Pifture of himfeif in his Condudl, and fet his Chara<5ler in the moft glaring, ftriking, affecfmg Light ; that, ftupid as they were, they Ihould be, as it were, forced to fee and under- hand what he was. And, at the fame Time, he would let them know, what they ought to be, and- the Greatnefs of thcirObligations to the Deify j and turn theirHearts infide out, that they might fee thei»:- felves, and difcern their true Charader,. and lo feel their Need ©fa Redeemer and Sani^itier. And then lie would exhibit in Types and Shadows, i. e-bySa- cntices of Atoncmcnt,and Purifications- forUnclean- nefs, the Narure of the Atonement or Cl^rift, and of the fantftifyi-ng InHaences of the ho'ySpirit. And thus prepare iheWay for thcComii^i of thciVitniiii, .lU)d-. the Erection of his fpir; .il '''iiirdf.m jn the W'tjrld.: andthatnot on)) a-rj^^ng ^ ^. thus train- ed gp., bsit ^Uq among Gentuc&i .vrhjj^ .ii aflci A t s,

-~ 1 4. lliQuid

... . ^ f

98 The Wisdom of God

fhotiid be let into thefe divine Difpenfations and Defjgns, and reap the Benefit of all thefe prepara- tory and introdudory Steps.

Had Jofepknot been fold, and had Jacob conti- nued tcWive in the Land of Canaan,\vith hisFamily, :;nd had his Pofterity there gradually increafed, until they had tilled al) the Land fthe Canaanites mean vhile dying ofF, as the Indians have done in N. E. thefe 130 Years paft) I fay, had his Pofterity gra- dually increafed until they had filled all the Land, without any uncommon Changes, or any extraordi- nary Interpofitions of Providence, none of the fore- mentioned Ends could have been anfwered. Yea, there would apparently have been the utmoft Dan- ger, that the Ifraelites would have been no better than the Canaanites had been : and God might fore- fee, that this vi'ould infallibly be the Cafe ; and fo all his Ends in feparatlng Abraham and his Seed wholly fruftrated.

On the other Hand, if Jofeph is fold ; if Jacob and his Family move down and fettle in Egypt, the chief Scat of Idolatry ; a proper Scene opens in the View of infinite Wifdom, where all his Wonders might be wrought : and fit Opportunities, he fore- faw, would prelent, for the Accomplifhmcnt of all the Purpofes of his Heart. /

Nothing further was needful, than for God « not to hinder Jofeph's Brethren, and they would fell | him— Not to hinder Potiphar'sWife, and fhe would | get him caft intoPrifon j where he might be prepar- ; cd for, and from whence he might be raifed to, the higheft Advancement, by which many noble and God-likeEnds might be a.ifwered. Nothing fur- ther was needful, than for God not to hinder the King of Egypt, and he would opprefs the Ilraeiites, till they were prepared for their Egrcflion. — Not to hinder Pharaoh, and he would harden hi$ Heart,

in the PermiJJlon ^/*!5iN. ^^

Snd refufc to let them go, until Egypt was filled with the wonderful Works of God. — Yea, if God hindered him not, into the Red-Sea he would drive head- long, hurried on by ilie Corruptions of his Heart; that, in his Dei^rucftion, God mig;ht fliew liis Power, and caufe his Name to be declared thr6-

out all the Earth. And now the Hebrews, rcfcu-

ed tVom Pliaraoh's deilroving Sword by almiah' v Power, would be in the Hands of God their Deli- verer, to be difciplined, to be humbled and proved and tried, that it might be known whatwasin their Hearts ; and that, finally, they might be prepared to enter t'he promifed Land, and execute the Ven- geance of the Almighty on thofe idolatrous Nati ens ; and be Gjd's peculiar People,till the Messi- ah's Coming,and the Erc(5lion of lils fpiritualKinj.;!;- dom. — I fay, be God's peculiar People, to receive the Law from Sinai, to be under God's immediate Government, to keep the holy Oracles, to preferve the Predications of the MeiTiah, and to anfwer ip.any other noble and divine Ends God had in View.

A Plan, in which fo much Sin was to ht per- mitted, and fo much Tvlifer]!^ endured, might, by fliort' lighted Mortal*, have been thoueht dilhoiiour- able to God, and unhappy for the liVaelites ; bii.. undt-r the Management of infinite Wifdom, it proves the diredl contrary. Yea, for aught that appears, God could not have taken a better MetlK:.-!, as Things then fVood in the World, to 'm.ake him- felf known, and get Honour to his great Name, and inake the Ifra^lites fenfible of their Dcpendance -upon him, and Oblir^ations to hirn, and engage

'em to perpetual Obedience, than that. As it is ritten, " What could have been done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it ?" Yea, It was a Plan not only fuited to be bene-

liCiaHn that Age j but in all fucceedin^Geneiations:

and

?oo %he Wisdom cf God

and that in more InHsnces than can well be enu- merated. Particularly, it has furnilhed us with a History of the Deity, and with a History of HITMAN Natuk2 : Such aHlilory as is indeed of jnfinire Value. For every Thing is exemplified in -ACTS, by which, the 'Mind Is infiructcd moKe ■::e3rly, and the Heart reached more cffcdually, than in any other VVay.

The in^ilible God, whom no Eye hath fccn, or

can fee, and of whom it is fo drHwi-lt for us 'in

thi3 benighted World to frame jull Conceptions,

^3 brouglir upomhe Stage ; and he a^Trs out his Na-

ure before our Eyrs, with a Defign to let histiue

Character in a clear and flrik-ing Li£:ht. -Here

ve , fee, as it were with our Eye^, how he fore- ordairied whatfoever came to pal-s ; how he laid out the whole Pjan, from the felling of Jofeph to \\\b Advancement, and to Jacob's going down into Egypt i and how they Pnould be opprctTed and bro't ;iito Bondp^e, and how they (liould tinaliy be •I'ought forth, and led in the Wildernefs, and pr«- i ar^d ioY Canaan, &c. And we fee tixe Wifdom,

vjlory and Beauty oijffk Plan, Here we fee v^hat

J. Reg aril he has for nis own Honour, and how his whole Plan is fuited to fet him in that intinitely ho- nourable Point of Light, which fo exaclly becomes iVim, as he is by Narure God, and by original Right ilie fupreme Lord 2nd Governor of the World. — ijere we fee hia -Refolution to maintain his Autho- f)S in his Conduct to Phar^oli, that haughty Re- bel,, who bid iiim Defiance, and ffoutly ref«fed to

kt Ifrael go. Here we fee his fovereiL^r> Grace

and felf-movjng Goodnefs, as it were, forcing the infatuated Ifraelites from their beloved Egypt, arid their beloved Idols : and when he had tlie highcR l^rovocaiions to dertroy them, hov. he wrought tor his great Narac's fake, ,uiitil he bad . prepared

;,v ths PermiJJion of ^m. TCI

them for, rnd brought them in to the promifed

Land. And hoA', in the mean Time, he kt

his Hatred of their Sins in the cleared and rtron- gcftLight i commaadingthc Earth to open >'s Mouth and iwallow up Hundreds, am! the Piague to go forth, trom Time to Time, and cut down Thoufands in a Moment, yea, dooming that whole Generation to wander. and fail in rheWildcrncfs fortheirCrimes,

rcferving the good Land for their Polleniy.

Here we fee him exercifmg his Sovereignty, when the liVaelitcs and the Egyptians both defcrved Dc- ftru6tion, and to have been buried ahve in the Red- Sea together; he had Mercy on whom he would have Mercy, axid whom lie would, he give up tc Hardnefs of Heart, and to Ruin. Aiul after the Ifraelites had been in the "VV^iidernefs above a Year, and had fuffici-.^ntly (hewn what they v;crc, and car- ried their Provocations io high, that divme'Jt«p^ce faid, '^ Let me aione, that 1 may deftroy them itl % *' Moment," ftill he wrought for his great Name's fake : and had Mercy on them, becaul'c he would have Mercy on tljem, and vus gracious to thsic, bccauCe he would be graciof^o tliem : i. c. froun

his fell-moving Goodnefs andTovertign Grace.* —

And Exod. XXXIII. 39. Num, XIV. From thcfc Difpcnfa- tions, which were acknowledged to be right by the Jews, St. Paul was able to juilify the dirine Conduft in his Day, in cafting off the Jews, and calling the Gentiles.' Jicm, IX. *' If God had a Plight to give up Pharach to ** Hardnefs of Heart and to Deftruc^ien in the Dajs of ** rolu, as ye Jews own ; why not you row .^—If the ** Excrcifcs of God's Grace were fovereign then, to " your Fathers, who dcferved,God being Judge, to be all *• confumcd in a Moment ; why may not the Gentiles, •' Dotwithftanding their ill Dcicits, be now called and '* r^vcd, fiom the fame fovcreioo Grace ? God ufcd r© ' ;.tl as A Sovereign ; why mav ;■; not ftiU \ And if :.i

I05 Tht Vw'SDOM of Gdd

And by all, we^e, tint not anyThing, whatfoever, is able to iruftr^'te God's Dcfigns, or hinder the faithful Accomplifnment of h^s Promil'c toAbrahairi, 1'hut to his Seed he would give theLand of Canaan. At the lame Time, we have human Nature brought upon the Stage, and Experiments made up- on the Heart of Man, in a great Variety ; whereby its true 'I'emperis as certainly determined, as w^s ever the Nature of any Thing in thenaturalWorid, by the great Sir Ifaac Newton. *

So

^* oocInflaTice ; why not in another, altogether fimilflr ?" Nor could the Jew falHy evade the Force of ihls Reafon- ing. — And if we Qiould only mppcfc, that Pharaob, after he was drowned, went to Hdl, and that the unbelieving Jews of that Age, who were caft off by God for their Infidelity, were eternally loll, then we have the Doflrinc of Reprobation, which has been fo mnch mifundcrdood and mifreprercnted, exemplified in Facts. For, what- foever God does in Time, That, He from all Eternity, irjtended to do. — Yea, and that, vj^iich is right for God to do in Time, He Hai^ a Right frofff Eternity to dctcr- minc to do. — Yea, if %od, in Fact, governs the World WM-L, then he did well to determine to govern it as he does, — ReafonableCrcatures would ncrer ol)je<5tagainfl God's laying out a univerfai Plan, if the Plan did but fuit their Taile.

* Objection. " B'Jt it can nex'cr be fuppofed, that the " true Chara(5ter of human Nature, in general, can be " decided. from the pervelfe Condud ot the ifraclilcr. in " the Wildcrncfs."

Answer. Was not their Conduvfl, then, of a .FlcfC vith the general Tenor of thcirCondaft, from that Time . and forv/ard, for fifteen Hundred Years, when they f\e>if ., fchcir Prophets, yea, and crucified the Son of God ? A<^\.i

va. SI, ;2.

iH the PcrmiJJlon 'of Si)^. Idj

,So that, on thcfe,as well as man^ther Accounts, that Plan was not only for the HoJ|prof God, at^d Good of the Ifraelitfs ; but for the jBeneht ot Man- kind in a", fucceeding Generations.

And how know we but that it was deHgned by the inhnitely wife God, as a little Kind of Picture, in which wc might fee, in Miniature, the Nature of God's Government of the whole moril Syltcm, and the Reafons of his permitting Sin and Mifery to

enter into the World he had maJc ? Waich

brings me —

Secondly, After having viewed the Wifdora of God in the Permiflion of Sir>, in various plain Inllances, to proceed humbly to fearch into the Wi^^ dom of God, in Ever permitting Sin and Mifery t® enter into World. And

I. As all God's Works are uniform, fo we may juftly argue from the WifJom and Beauty oi particu- lar Parts, to the Wjfdom and Beauty of the Whole. As God's Nature is always the fam«, and as he al- K ways

Obj. " If it was ; yet it is cot to be fuppofed, that •* ©very Nation would have been fo wicked and pervcrfe,. •• as the Jews were, ifuodef like Circumlhncea." Aks. But it is the common Ckaracfler of an apoflate fallea World, that they are *' dead in Sia." Eph. II. i, 2, 3« Obj. *' These Words were fpoken of the Gentiles, ani

" fo are nothing to the Purpofe." Axs. Seeing then (according to thefe Men) the Charac- ter of Mankind cant be Icara'd froiH what is faid iii the old ©1- new Tcdiment, of Jews, or Gentiles ; bu- we, in tiiis Age and Natien, ar« quite another Kind cf Creaturt-i, fo bencvolcBt, fo goad, fjvirtv.;ou3 ; nicthinki" the Old and New Ttrtrtmenis are Writings not fitted »o cnr Csfc ; as they arc not adapted to Men of our Cha- ra<5ler. And perhaps this is one J^cafon, thcfa ancient Writings arc in fo \o^ Credit vruh aiany in Uic Briddi

-;.s:^ aod PUtQ bc§i<^ to kc more a4a;irti

'•.%] or St Paul.

104 ^^ WisDoxr of G9d

ways a6lslike {umfelf; fo therefore his Works are aJ. ways harmonious and confiftent. So that if we can fee tl\c Wifdom of God in the Permiflion of Sin in fome Inftances, ^^e may juftly argue to his Wifdom in his whole grandScheme. — Yea, and from theWif- dom, Glory andBeauty of particularParts,wc may be rationally convinced, that God's grand Scheme is perfect in Wifdom, Glory and Beauty, altho' it be fo incomprehenfibly great, as to confound our Un- derftandings. If we certainly know that God's IVorks arc all uniform, and if there is one fmall Part that we can underftand and comprehend, and if we fee this is perfedly wife, we may be afTured the whole is fo too ; altho' when we try to look into it, wc feel ourMinds quite overwheimed with its incom- prehenfible Grcatnefs.

2. Yea, were there .no particular Inftance, in which we could fee the Vv^'fdom ofGod in the Per- miflion of Sin, yet from the Perfe6\ions of the divine Nature alone, we have fuch full Evidence, that He muft always ad in the wifeli and beftManner,as that wc oun;ht not in the leafc to doubt it.

In the Dsys of Eternity, long before theFounda- tion of the World, this Syftcm now inExi{lencc,and this Plan which now takes place, and all other pof- fible Sy[\ems, and all other poflible Plans, more in Number perhaps than the very Sands on the Sea Shore,all/qually lay open to the divincView,and one 2s eafyt'o Almightinefs as another. He had his Choice .- He had none to plcafc, but himfelf : bc- fides him there was no Being : He had a perfcaiy good Tafte, and nothing to bias his Judgment, and was infinite in Wifdom : this he chofe : and this., of all poflible Syftems, therefore, was the befl, infi- nite Wifdom and pcrfed Reaitude being Judges, If therefore the Whole were as abfolutely incompre-'^ hcufiblc by us, as it is by Children of four Yw-rs

C-d>

t/1 th PermiJJlsn of Sm, 1 cy

old, yet we ought firmly to believe the whole to be pcrfecft inWifdom, Glory and Beauty.

3. But if all God's Works are uniform, as has been faid, we may not only argue from the Wifdom of particular Parts, to the Wifdom of the Whole •, but alfo tiom the fpecial Nature of particular Parts, to the fpecial Nature of the Whole ; and io from a right Idea of particular Parts, which we are ubie to eomprefcend, we may have fome right Con- ceptions of theWhole,aItho' the Whole is too greats for our Ccmprehenfion. And fo here is aClue,v.'hich will lead us into a right View of the true Nature of the whole moral SyOem, and help us, at lejili, to feme partial View of the V/ifdom, GJory and Beau- ty of the Whole.

4. And indt-ed, it feims to liavc been God's D:- fign, in this State of Inftrudtion and Difcipline,, where we tirtl come into Exiftence, and, from fma!l Beginnings, are to grow up to a more full Know- ledge of Ciod and liiiight iiUo his moral Govern- meiit of the World, the Contcrrplation of which vill afford the moll intenfe Delight to all holy Be- ings, throughout eteina.1 Ages; I fay, it feems to have been God*s Dcfign, to fuit Things to the pre- fent V/eakncfs of our Capacities, by reprefcntino^ the general Nature of the whole inotal Syllem in fome ielect Parts of it, giving us a Kind cf a Pic- ture of the Whole in Miniature, to lead us to fome right Notions of the Naturt of the Whole.

'Tis certain, that, as all God's Woiks are uni- form, amidll all their infinite Variety, fo it has bccvi his Method, in his lelferWorks- in the iraralWorld, defignedly to give a f«int Image of his greater, anfl hereby prepare the ^Vay for their being the morj eaGly underilood. So the Redemption cf IfraeJ out of Kgypt was dcfigncd as a Shadow of our fpiritudl ilcdcaiptioa by Chrift : and the Deliverance of t! . K 2 T.

f6 The WiCDOM 0f God

Jews cut of Babylon was deHgned as a Refemblance or the De;ivcr«ncc of the ChrilUan Church out of myftica! Bsbylon. And there are almof^ innume- rable Infianccs of the hkc Nature in Scripture. Yea, the whole JewilliDifpenfation was evidently dcfigned ^o be emblematical. So indeed was every Thing n the natural World, from which Metaphors and Alluf^ons are confiantly brought by Chril\ and his Apoftles, to reprelent and ilhiftrutc fpiritual and di- vne Things ; z% well as from the Jewifli Difpcn-

And indeed tb.is was Workman-! ike, and becom- ing the infinite Wifdom of the great Contriver and Former of all Tilings, to whom all his Works wer^^nown from the Beginning, and who dcfigned trJs Ibwer World, as th? grand Stage of AcTtion for r.}oral Agents, i'o to c^der Things in all his Works, and in ail his Difpenfations, as that one Thing fncu'd give Ivight to another ; Things in the natu- ral World, toThings in the moral ; Things in the Jewifti Difpcnfation, to Things in theChriHian.

It would, therefore, be perfccflly analogous to he reft of God's Works, if he had defigned fomc eminent Parts of his grand Plan of moral Govern- ment to contain in Miniature the Nature of the Wliole, and contrived them to rcpreftnt, and fuited hem to point out to us the Wifdom and Beauty of is grand and glorious Shcme, which is too large ;or cyr pr«fent Comprchenfion ; and too difficult :) be undcrnood,but by the Help of little Pictures, where the Whole is contained in Miniature.

5. Yea, V/e may venture to affirm, that of Ne- cefTity it muft be the Cafe, that the Nature of the ^arts will certainly fhcw the Nature of the Whole, m a moral S)ftem, under the Government of him who is the fame Ycfterday, to Day, and forever. For, while he conftantly aclshke himfelf, his whole

Condua

/;/ ths PermiJJtcn of Si^» 1 07

Condu(51 will be of a Piece, always like itfelf ; and fo one Part of it wilJ ilJuftrate theNatiire of another : and fo from tht Knowledge of the Nature of various Parts, we may certainly argue to the Nature of the Whole. As, let us but dihgently obferve a wife and good Man, who is unifcrm and fteady in his Ways j and from repeated Intlances of his CondudV, we Ihall enter into the Knowledge of his Temper in general, and perceive the V^iews and Defigns which govern him. So let us but attend to the dif ine Con- duel, as recorded n\ that Book, which may juftly be denominated \.\\\, Hiliory of the Deity, and enter into his V^iews and Defigns, in particular Inftanccs of his Condu6t,as there intimated ; and we may witli fufficicnt Certainty determine his moral Charadv r, and the general Nature andDeiign of his wholePlan.

Shew me, therefore, his Views and Def.gns in fuftcring Jofcpli to be fold, Ifrael to be opprefftd, Pharaoh to harden his Heart, Ifrael to murmu'- ^nd rebel and fail in the Wiidernefs ; end let me into the WifJom of his Condudf, in th(.fj particul-.u* Parts of his grand Scheme ; and then afTure me that the whole Syflem is governed by the fame in- finitely wife Being ; and how can I doubt the Wif- dom of the Whole, while I behold the Wifdom of thefe particular Parts ? Or how can I be at a T.ois far the general Nature of the Whole, while 1 be- hold the Nature of thefe particular Parts, and firmly believe that God always acls like himfclf, and keeps up a conQant Uniformity thro* all the inlinite Va- rieties of Cif(s and Circumdances, that ever occur in his moral Government of the Wor'rl ?

6. If, therefore, 'hePlan wh'ch infin ttWifdom con- trived to brin*; Jacob's Family into Eeypt.. and from thence thro' the Red- Sea andWildcrne s into Cana- an, in which fo much Sin was pcrmitlbd, and fo much Mifery endured, was, all Things confide red, K 3 ih^

ic'J Tl:t'- Wisdom of Gii

^he wlfeft and bed ; as being fo exa(5\ly fultcd to ftt

H thij Pcrrc'vfrions of God in the fullefl and ftrongeft

i'oint of Lig]it,and at the fameTime tounmafk their

Msart?,aiid fet their abfolute Dependence on God,

Mjd great Obhgarions to him, and the infinite Evil

f Sin, in fuch a Light, as had the moi^ powerfiil

tendency to induce them, with penitent, humble,

urokcn Hearts, in an entire Self-dlflidence, to put

their Trull: only in God, and be wholly devoted to

•-im, to h\r him, and lov« hira, and walk in all his

.•/ay5,anc'keep all hisCommands', fetkinghis Glory:

i fay, if that Plan was the wifeft>..that could have

been' contrived to anfvver thefe Ends ; and fo the

cil: fuited to-promote the Glory of God, and the

ell: Good of the Ifraelites ; and -to anfwer many

oble iCnds in that Age, and in all fiicceedingGc-

cTutions : — Such, no Doubt, mufi be the V/hole ot

>jd's mord Government of the World ; in which

■nmenrfly great Plan, fo much Sin is permitted, and

J much iVIifcry endured, i. e. It mull: be the bell

vontrived Sclieme poflible, to advance the Glory

tA (jod, and tlie bed Good of the moral Syflem.

I AM f:.riff;ble, there are many Objections} which

\^iil be apt to a/il'e in tlie Reader's Mind, and which

lire capable of being put into a veryplaufible Drefs,

nd which, at lirH: Sight, may fee m to appear quite

^r.nn.Vcrable. Nor am I unwilling they ihould be

fct in their lirongtfl: Light. 'Tis bell to Icok on

all Sides, and that with the utmofl Care and Im-

purri.dity. And every hcnefiReader, who fincerely

efircs to knov/ the Tiuth, to underfland the P«.ea-

■155 of the divine Ccn('u<51:, and to fee the W.ifdom,

\>'ory and Beauty of his univevfal Plan, will be na-

iiraUy x\{^^ok<\ «o lo( k up to f-Icaven, and (ay, *' O

" thouFatlici cf Li^Ji Sj thcu iountain of all iCno w-

' ' icdi^e, fenilLk thai v/e ]ackWifdom,^nd cncoiii a^;-

■ ttlby thy jrv-cjous iiiviiation, we ccr;;etoll . '

<*,

in the Permijjlon of Zi)^. tcj

«« who give t liberally to all that afic, nor upbraicleff-, " nor denied the moft unworthy, who aficinths* <* Name or' Chriit— Open thou our Eyes, that we •' may fte the AVifdoin of thy Government, and " behold the Beauty of thy Conduft, that we may " not onlyjullify th> Ways to Men ; but fti'], more ** than ever, love znd fear that fearful and glorious *' Name or thine, The Lord our God !"-I — For, there is not one Point, in natural or revca'ed Reli- gion, attended with fo great Diificu'ties as This, Therefore we greatly need to haTeourKearts purified, and ourMmds enlightened by divineGrace*, thar,witli a jood TaAe, and an unbiafs'd Judgmeni:, we may fearch into the hidden Myileries of God's ^reat and cteriul Kingdom.

— — The Objections are as fol'ovv

1. '^ How couid it be for the Honour of the L: ■ " preme Lord and Governor of the Uni^erfe, to " fuffer Satan, his Enemy, by his Lies, to deceive, *' fcduce and perfuade innocer tMan to jrebel again'l " his facred IVIijcihsand fubject hin)felf and ai' is *' Race to Death and RuiK ?"

2. " Flow could it be to the bcfl Good of the " i\ioral Syllem, that this lower World, inilcad of '" being inhabited by a Race of iricarnato Angeis, *' ever celebrating r!ie Praifes of their greatCreator,