hatred of God is not to be known by the course of his daily providences, as Solomon and David his father have both observed and complained; Eccles. ix. and Psalm 1xxiii. if David wrote that psalm.

X. From this view of things, every considering person must infer, what some of the ancients did infer from the same view, viz. that the death of the body must not make an entire end of man, but that there will be a future state after death, wherein the righteous Governor of the world will call men to account for their behaviour here, and will manifest the wisdom and equity of his government, by rendering to every one according to their works; he is a God who knows the inward real characters of those whom we call indifferent, and sees all the alleviating or aggravating circumstances of every sin: And he will measure out the sorrows of evil and impenitent persons in a just proportion to their sins, and will make his final retributions exactly answerable to their present characters. This argument assures us that sins, especially of greater aggravation, will be punished in a world to come after the death of the body. And since the soul is in its own nature immortal, God the great Governor of the world may punish sin by not seizing the forfeited soul into death, that is, by letting it live in anguish of conscience, or other inflicted pains from his own hand: For where every thing is forfeited, the governor may resume as much or as little as he pleases.

XI. Whether the great God, the Governor of the world, will only continue the souls of men in their state of natural immortality after the death of the body, and judge and recompense them hereafter only in that separate state, according to their behaviour here; or whether he will raise their bodies up from the dead, that men may be treated according to their moral character, and recompensed hereafter both in body and soul, this enquiry cannot be resolved and determined by the light of nature. The mere reason of man can never prove certainly the doctrine of the resurrection, though it may look something probable that those spirits who have actually obeyed or sinned in their union with animal bodies, may be again united to bodies, which may become instruments of their recompence, whether of pleasure or punish

'ment.

XII. And though, I think, it can never be fully proved by the light of nature, that an offended God will certainly forgive the sins of the best of men, so as to demand no punishment of them in the other world, and for this reason many of the ancient heathens thought there would be a state of penance or purgation, even for men of moderate virtue, yet it may be certainly concluded, that from the equity and holiness of God, the punishment of the wicked and profligate among mankind, shall be

vastly greater than the punishment of those who had much more virtue, and better sentiments and practices of piety. Nature teaches us to say with Abraham; Gen. xviii. 25. Shall the righteous be as the wicked? That be far from the Lord: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And therefore some of these heathens supposed the souls of these very vicious persons after death to be sent into sharper torments, and that for a longer duration, if not for all the length of their natural immortality.

XIII. And I think it may be also inferred, with some probability, from the most abundant goodness of God, that if he does not entirely pardon the penitent, and if there be any punishments necessary in the other world, for more virtuous persons by way of purgation, because even the best have sinned, not only these punishments shall be much lighter than the miseries of those vicious creatures who have lived a long life of constant impiety; but it seems probable also from the same infinite goodness, that there will be some reward for those that have sincerely repented of their sins, in the faith or hope of his mercy, have asked forgiveness of their Maker, and have endeavoured to honour him, though with many imperfections, and to serve their fellowcreatures from a right principle of love to God, and love to man, if any such shall be found among mankind. But this leads directly to the next question.

QUEST. X.-What can the Reason of Man, or the Light of Nature find out concerning the Recovery of Man to the Favour of God? Or what Hope of Pardon and Happiness can sinful Mankind ever obtain by the mere Exercises of their own Reason?

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Answer. Human reason, exercising itself on this subject, might probably fall into such a train of thoughts as this:

Proposition I. It is certain that a sinner's repentance of past crimes, and asking forgiveness for them, together with sincere promises of better obedience, are no satisfaction to a governor for the dishonour done to his law by any capital offence: Nor is it ever counted in human governments a compensation for the injury done by the criminal to the authority of the governor, or to the public welfare: And therefore the criminal among men must be punished by the law, to guard the honour of the government, and secure obedience to the law, and he must yield his life for his offence, notwithstanding all his repentings. Nor is the governor thought too severe or cruel who requires it, nor is his goodness blemished by it. And in the same way of reasoning, we may suppose that repentance, and asking forgiveness, and better obedience for time to come, are by no means a satisfaction

to the great God, the Lawgiver and the Governor of the world, for the injury done to his divine authority and his government by former sins: Nor can his goodness be justly reproached if he insist on the punishment of the offender. If lenity should be always practised, and sinners should come off always without punishment, there would be no suflicient guard and defence to maintain the authority of the lawgiver amongst his subjects, and to deter them from new offences. I add further also, that it is not possible that any future virtues of a former offender, or any future instances of obedience, can make atonement to God, and give a recompence to him for past iniquities, or repair the honours of the broken law, because the creature owes his highest and best services to God his Maker, according to the law of creation, and he can never do more than was his duty.

II. Yet when we consider God not only as a righteous Go-. vernor, that will windicate his own honour and authority, but also as a God who is holy, and loves holiness in every degree, and is also the most beneficent and merciful Father of his miserable creatures, we may reasonably suppose he will encourage and reward every little appearance of goodness that he sees amongst them, where he can do it with a salvo to his honour and government. And when we further observe, there will be wicked creatures in abundance for him to make the objects of his vengeance, and to testify his severe displeasure against sin, and vindicate the honour of his broken law; surely we may suppose it very probable by the light of nature, that where any person of the race of men does repent of sin, does return to his obedience to his Maker, and practise piety towards God, and single and social virtues, so far as he has any powers, opportunities or advantages to find out and perform his duty, we may probably suppose, I say, and hope, that God will favourably pass by the transgression of such creatures; and especially when we consider that the prevalence of corrupt nature sometimes is almost unavoidable in the present state of sin and temptation in which they were born, we may reasonably hope that the blessed God will put all these considerations into the balance, and will make gracious allowances for them: Upon this account we may have some reason to think, that virtuous and pious men, though their hearts or lives are blemished with some sins and frailties, will not go without some sort of reward. It is probable that God will make it appear in a future state, that his goodness has some regard even for imperfect virtue, in repenting sinners, as well as his justice demands its due honours in the punishment of eriminals, who continue in their rebellion without remorse.

III. It might be added yet further, to enforce this consideration, that since God preserves mankind notwithstanding their daily offences, and affords them so many circumstances of ease

and pleasure, giving them sun and rain, and food and delight in this world, together with the long forbearance of punishment: since he continues their natural powers, and the operations of the reason and conscience of men, dictating their duty to them, approving their good actions, and reproving them for their vices, in order to excite and encourage them to the practice of virtue, we may probably infer that he is now standing upon some terms of mercy with them, that they are upon their good behaviour, and are placed in a state of trial or probation, for future rewards or punishments, and that they are not utterly abandoned as condemned criminals, without hope, and merely waiting for the time of execution.

IV. From all these considerations the light of nature may probably infer, that God has designed some way of salvation or recovery for poor sinful wretched mankind: And that if there be any such thing as an atonement necessary to answer for the sins or failings of virtuous persons, so that God may forgive them with more honour to his law it is probable that God will provide this atonement for them, since it is impossible that the guilty creature man can find out or produce any such atonement for himself, he having forfeited all that he has by sin, and nothing that he can do can answer the present and future demands of obedience; much less can he make a recompence for a past disobedience.

Though reason is utterly at a loss to find out the secrets of divine government, and the methods that God has taken to honour his law and vindicate his authority by the sufferings of bis Son Jesus Christ, which are revealed to us in the gospel, yet the reason of man may hope, that repenting sinners, and men who practise virtue and piety, so far as the light of nature can assist them, shall be made partakers of this mercy and this salvation, though they know not the particular methods whereby it is brought about; for if the continued forbearance and goodness of God invites and calls them to repentance, which St. Paul confesses, we hope it will also invite and incline him to forgive, where this goodness has attained its proper design on his creatures, and brought them to repent.

V. Reason also will give us this further information, that if God has provided any way or method of recovery for sinful and miserable man to his image and to his favour, he has taken effectual care that some part of mankind shall be certainly recovered and saved by it: And that he has not left it merely and utterly to the uncertain prospect of what the free-will of men would do toward their own recovery, under all the disadvantages of a tempting world without, and sinful appetites and passions within, lest all the provided methods of recovery be neglected, and none receive it and be saved. Surely the all-wise God would take

care that such a glorious salvation should not be provided and proposed in vain.

VI. It is probabie therefore that the grace or goodness of God in conjunction with his wisdom, would or did fix upon some persons among degenerate mankind, to whom he resolved this way of salvation which he has provided should be effectual: And for this end, either did or would place them in circumstances of less temptation, or give them greater advantages for the improve ment of their minds, and by proper providences would awaken their natural consciences, or set before them the differences of virtue and vice, with all their consequences in a future state, in a stronger light, and with more powerful conviction; and that all these persuasive methods might not miscarry, it is probable that he would give some divine touch to their spirits if it were necessary, and would cause them to point toward himself, and a future happiness.

VII. Nor is there just reason for any criminals to complain against the goodness of God, for effectually leading some of their fellows into a certain and secure method of salvation, since they sustain no injury thereby. Why should their eye be evil because God is good? Let this matter be examined and scanned as far as it will by the powers of reason and present observation, and we shall find no such terrible consequences from the doctrine of God's choice, or appointment of particular persons to obtain this eternal salvation, as some learned men have imagined, provided that none of the rest are thereby prevented and hindered by any act of God.

VIII. Our eyes see plainly, and our constant observation of mankind assures us, that far the greatest part of them are not pious and holy, but sinful and rebellious against their Maker, and are wilfully running on in the paths of sin and madness, to condemnation and punishment; we must be convinced daily, that the bulk of mankind are by no means fit to be admitted into a heaven of happiness, which consists in the knowledge, love, and enjoyment of God; nor are they at all inclined to repent and return to God; but that they are rather rendering themselves daily fitter object of divine displeasure; and to all appearance, the greatest part of them are like to be punished in another world, for sins committed in this. Now when the great and blessed God had provided a means of recovery sufficient for all these sinners, and yet foresaw them disinclined to accept of it, would it be unjust in him to resolve that some should certainly be recovered by it? Might he not, in consistence with equity and justice, form a decree that all these vicious and wretched creatures should not be utterly miserable: but that he would take certain and effectual care to save some of them from this madness and misery? When he had provided such a way of recovery as might secure