On these different and respective grounds then flood, and muft for ever ftand, NATURAL and REVEALED Religion.

The first teacheth an abundant reward for virtue; the other promised a blessed immortality on the obfervance of a pofitive

command.

This diftinction, carefully kept in mind, will reflect great lights upon both Religions. As, by the neglect of it, the Mofaic Difpenfation hath lain, for many ages, involved in obfcurities; and the Chriftian is become fubject to inexplicable difficulties. This will be feen as we proceed.

At prefent let it fuffice to observe, 1. That this account of the Paradifaical State fupports our Capital Affertion, that Natural Religion neither teacheth nor promifeth eternal Rewards. While it is fuppofed to do fo, nothing can be conceived more difcrediting of REVELATION; for it will force us to conclude, that God arbitrarily annexed Salvation, or eternal life, to one condition by the Law of Grace, and to another condition by the Law of Nature. This, obfervation will have its weight

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weight with those plain men, who allow, to the two connected Laws, the common privilege of explaining one another.

2. It enables us to fee clearly into another reason, why the condition of immortality was the obfervance of a pofitive command; and not the performance of moral duty at large. For immortal life being a free-gift to which no man had a claim by nature, it might be given on whatever condition best pleafed the Benefactor. And the obfervance of a pofitive duty was very fitly preferred to a moral; as it beft marked out the nature of the benefit, which was of grace and not of debt.

3. But there is ftill another reafon (arifing from the moral order of things), why this free gift, if it were fit or neceffary to be bestowed on condition, fhould rather be annexed to a pofitive than a moral duty. No one, I suppose, was ever fo wild as to imagine, that had Adam not eaten of the FORBIDDEN FRUIT, he would have been intitled to immortality, unlefs he had likewife observed the dictates of the MORAL LAW, which natural Religion enjoins; the habitual violation

violation of which, unrepented of, every reflecting man fees, must have deprived him of immortality, as inevitably as the tranf greffion of the pofitive command. The reafon is evident. Man living under the Law of Nature, when the free gift of immortality was bestowed on him, his previous qualification to fit him for the acceptance of the free gift, must needs be fome reward; or, in other words, his having a claim to that REWARD which natural Religion beftows. Now nothing but the obfervance of moral duties could intitle him to Jome reward. The confequence is, that the obfervance of moral duties was a condition annexed by nature, and appropriated to that reward which follows the favour of God in general; and fo could not be made the condition of a different thing, viz. the free gift of immortality, which was founded in a prior capacity of reward; and this capacity acquired by the performance of moral duties.

These things give the curious obferver fuch exalted ideas of divine Wisdom, in the order and courfe of God's Difpenfations to Man, that (transported with the idea) f

have anticipated a Truth, which, though it be of present ufe to confirm what hath been already faid concerning the feparate ftates, and different genius of Natural and Revealed Religion, yet belongs more properly to another place; where I shall employ it to remove a difficulty which hath fo long entangled, that it hath at length difcredited the most rational as well as effential Principle of Christianity.

In the mean time, we fee, to how little purpose Divines have fatigued themselves, and others, to give a reafon, Why a pofitive and not a moral duty was made the condition of immortal life. In the course of which enquiry, fome have been fo extravagant as to affert, that the fequeftered ftate of the first Pair made the obfervance of a moral duty an improper condition to be annexed to this free gift; feeing, in that ftate, opportunities were wanting to exercise them. But, if we divide moral duty, as is commonly done, into the three feparate Branches, of Divine, Perfonal, and Social, we fhall find that Adam had an equal occafion to practise the two firft, as if fent into a World filled

with Inhabitants; and the most meritorious part of the third, as foon as ever he was bleffed with a Help meet for him*.

The truth is, the State of Natural Religion, under which Adam lived till he was put into Paradife, unobferved by Divines; and the mistaken ideas entertained of it, by them, when they had obferved it, and distinguished it from the Revealed, betrayed them into these abfurdities, and gave birth (as we shall fee hereafter) to a thousand errors, which have obfcured and deformed the glories of that last great and best Work in God's moral government, THE REDEMP TION OF MANKIND BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON.

From the account here given, God's JUSTICE, with regard to the effects of Adam's tranfgreffion upon his Pofterity, is fully declared. Adam fell, and forfeited the free gift of immortality-in the day that thou eateft thereof thou shalt furely die +. He returned to his former ftate in which he was created, fubject to mortality; that death

*Gen. ii. 18.

+ Gen. ii. 17.

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which