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God and providence, this will effectually prove, that these difficulties are not insolvable: and much more effectual are they to remove these difficulties, when the reason of things so far conspires with these suppositions, as goes very near to prove them great realities.

PITH. I am much inclined to come into these sentiments of Sophronius, since they carry such an appearance of reason and truth in them, and since they have so happy an effect as to represent far the greatest part of the intellectual works of God holy and happy, and hereby do so much honour to the equity and goodness of the great Creator.

LOG. I cannot but approve such a scheme as this, which bestows virtue and happiness upon almost all the intelligent creatures of God; for I can hardly conceive, that ever a being of such boundless, wisdom, power, and goodness, should produce so many millions of creatures capable of pleasure and pain, felicity and misery, without designing and securing felicity to far the greatest part of them, as far as is consistent with the freedom of their will.

SOPH. So far as things appear to me, Logisto, I cannot but agree with you in this sentiment: and by such considerations. and reasonings as these, I think we have removed the grand difficulty that lay upon your mind with the greatest weight, viz. How it should come to pass that so many thousand inhabitants of the heathen world, who are originally fallen from God, should go on from age to age in the neglect of God and virtue, still running on in the paths of misery, and be so far abandoned by their Creator, as not to have a practical and proximate sufliciency in their own reasoning powers to guide and conduct them to religion and happiness.

But after all, Sir, give me leave to say, that the nature of the great and blessed God is infinitely superior to all our powers and conceptions, his thoughts are so far above our thoughts, and his ways so far above our ways, that if there should remain such difficulties in the conduct of his providence towards his creatures, that we could not fairly account for by our reason, and by all our suppositions, yet we are still bound to believe matter of fact, when our reason, experience, and observation assure us of the truth of it,. We cannot but believe, that the heathen world actually lies in a dark and deplorable state; and yet, on the other hand,, we are bound to believe, that the great God is perfectly wise, and righteous, and good. The ways and works of God may be unknown and unsearchable, but they can never be unjust. There may be infinite schemes within his comprehensive view, whereby his wisdom can reconcile those things which we know, not how to reconcile. Those enfierent propositions in the science of theology, as well as in

mathematical learning, stand within his view in a most perfect and amiable consistency, which to our narrow thoughts appear so dissonant, and almost inconsistent. If there are such sort of seeming inconsistencies in some parts of geometry, when we run into the doctrines of infinite and incommensurables, which yet all stand right in the eye of God, much more may we suppose, that in the works of the great God, and his divine schemes and transactions, there may be many things which seem to us all difficulty and darkness, and yet before him they stand in the fairest and most easy light.

When St. Paul had considered the long darkness that lay upon the Gentile world for many ages, the peculiar privilege of the Jews, to be made, during those ages, the favourites of God; when he considered again, these very favourites, almost the whole nation of them, so far left as to abuse the Son of God himself, to run into infidelity, and thereby to be abandoned of God, their Benefactor and their King; when again, in prophetic vision, after this once favourite people had continued long under unbelief, guilt, and misery, he saw that they should be recovered, and restored to the true religion, and the favour of God, in his xi. chapter to the Romaus; with what ecstasy of devout surprize and adoration does he conclude his discourse! "God hath shut up both the Gentiles and the Jews, by turns under unbelief, that he might have inercy upon both, in his own season: God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor! Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

LOG. I know not how to make a sufficient acknowledgment to you, gentlemen, for the favour you have done me, and the light you have given me in these conferences. I am fully satisfied, that the bulk of the heathen world is in a very dark and deplorable state, and amongst those who have lost all traditional knowledge of divine revelation, their own reason is far from being sufficient in any practical sense, as you have explained it, to lead them to virtue, religion and happiness. Upon a just review, I am convinced, that had I been so unhappy as to be born amongst them, my reasoning powers would have been exercised to no better purpose than theirs are: For why should I be so vain as to imagine myself the wisest man among so many thousands of the present age, and the millions of former generations? I begin to see there is a necessity of some better advantages, in order to reform mankind, and to

render them wise, and pious, and happy: Nor do I know how this can be attained, but by some favourable discoveries sent from heaven And as for all other religions, that in our age pretend to divinity and revelation, it is evident in itself, that none of them can compare with the doctrines of the New Testament, either for its own internal excellency, or the outward proofs that it came from God. I must confess therefore, I think I am come as far as king Agrippa, when he heard Paul's apology for himself; for you have almost persuaded me to become a

christian.

PITH. Permit me, Sir, in the language of St. Paul, to make my reply: Would to God that not you only, but all the young gentlemen of our age, who have been tempted to abandon the religion of their fathers, and to forsake the gospel, and the faith in which they were educated, would bethink themselves ere it be too late, become not only almost, but altogether as firm believers in Christ as I profess myself to be.

SOPH. And as you have done me the honour, gentlemen, to put me into the place of the learned, and made me your moderator during this couference, I ask leave now to resign this honour and office; and since Pithander has formed snch a benevolent and pious wish, I take pleasure to occupy the place of the unlearned, and confirm it with a most sincere and devout, Amen,

THE HOLINESS

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TIMES, PLACES, AND PEOPLE,

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