HEBREWS vii. 25

Wherefore be is able also to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them.

W

HEN we confider the great and wonderful Work of our Redemption, though we cannot account for every Step of it to our own Reason and Underftanding, yet neither can we imagine it to be the Effect of mere Will and arbitrary Appointment, and void of all Foundation in the Reason and Propriety of Things. All the Works of God are Works of Wisdom; and, as far as our Capacities give us leave to judge, we difcern evident Marks of Wisdom

in them all, and discover a Fitness and Propriety in every thing with refpect to the End which it is intended to ferve or promote. If this be fo in every Inftance in which we are able to make any Judgment, it is a great Presumption that it is, and must be, fo in all other Inftances, which are too high and great to be viewed and measured by human Understanding: And we have one pofitive Argument that it is fo, arifing from the natural Notion we have of God, and of his Attributes of Wisdom and Juftice. It is impoffible to suppose fuch a Being to do any thing by Chance, or in compliance to mere Will and Humour. No: Every Act of God is the Act of infinite Wisdom, and is founded in the neceffary Reafon and Propriety of Things: And it is as true of the Works of Grace, as it is of the Works of Nature, That in Wisdom he has ordained them all.

It is one thing not to be able to difcern the Reasons of Providence, and another to fuppofe there is no Reafon in them. The Reasons, that made it either neceflary or proper for Chrift to die for the Sins of Mankind, may be removed out of our Sight: But to fuppofe that Chrift really did die for the Sins of the World, and yet that there was no Reason or Propriety in his so doing,

is to found Revealed Religion upon a Principle deftructive of Natural Religion; for no Religion can fubfift, with an Opinion that God is a Being capable of acting without Reafon.

The Publication of the Gospel has made an Alteration in the Scheme of Religion, by revealing to us the Son of God, whom God hath appointed Heir of all Things, by whom alfo be made the Worlds; who is the Brightness of bis Glory, and the express Image of his Perfon; who upholdeth all Things by the Word of his Power, Heb. i. 2, 3.

The Knowledge of the Son of God, of his Power and Dominion in the creating and upholding all Things, became neceffary, as the Foundation of the Faith required to be placed in him as our Redeemer. The Character of Redeemer would be but ill fupported by any Perfon who had not Power equal to the great Undertaking. The NewTeftament Doctrines therefore, relating to the Dignity and Authority of Jefus Christ, are relative to his Office of Redeemer; and therefore there was no explicit Declaration of them either before or under the Law

of Mofes.

Natural Religion leads us by certain Conclufions to the Acknowledgment of one fupreme

fupreme intelligent Being, the Author and Creator of all Things, and can by no Reafoning whatever discover any other Being concerned in the making, framing, or governing the World: And therefore all the Hopes and Fears, in a Word, all the religious Acts of Man, in the State of Natural Religion, are neceffarily and immediately relative to this one fupreme Being. But put the Cafe, that Natural Religion could poffibly discover that this one fupreme Being had an eternal Son, to whom he had communicated all Power and Authority, who was the immediate Creator, Governor, and Judge of Mankind; I beseech you to confider, whether, upon this Suppofition, there would not neceffarily arise an Alteration in Natural Reli gion; whether the Hopes and Fears, and all other religious Acts of Mankind would not relate immediately to this their immediate Creator, Governor, and Judge. Can it be reasonably fuppofed that we were created by the Son of God, that we are now under his Government, and fhall be finally under his Judgment, and at the fame time maintained that no Service, Obedience, or Regard is due to him from us his Creatures and Subjects? If this cannot be maintained confiftently with this Suppofition, the Conclufion