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feems, when compared to the whole, of fo

little importance. If we afcribe this great Work to the Divine Love and Goodness, it cannot be controverted that they are strongly and evidently expressed and manifested in this Proceeding; too strongly, it may be thought; fince Divine Love and Goodnefs must be bounded by Divine Wisdom, and can never degenerate into Fondness and Partiality; confequently, his Love and Goodness can never do what his Wisdom does not approve as fit to be done.

Upon this Foot it may be asked, Where is the Wisdom of erecting fuch a Building as this for the Service of fuch a Creature as Man? The Works of Nature are so immenfe and wonderful, that, if they are formed for the fake of providing a proper Habitation for Man, the House feems to be of far greater Dignity than the Mafter, and the End proposed by no means to answer and juftify the Means made use of. So again, in the Work of our Redemption, if the only Son of God came down from Heaven, and did and fuffered all that is reported of him in the Gospel; what is there in Man, confidered in the most advantageous Light, that bears any Proportion to this wonderful Method made use of to save him, or to justify the Wisdom

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of God in fending the Lord of Power, and of the whole Creation, to die for the meanest, perhaps, of all intelligent Beings belonging to it ?t

Now, whether thefe Reflections upon our own weak and infirm Condition, and the low Rank we hold in the Order of intelligent Beings, be a fufficient Ground for calling into question the Credibility of the great Things faid to be done for us, is a Matter deferving ferious Confideration. And

The first Question we should ask ourselves, is, whether we are proper Judges in this Matter? It is a great Undertaking to judge of the Wisdom of God, and to fay what is fit, or not fit, for him to do; especially where the Subject of the Inquiry is the Counsels of God in governing the natural and moral World; Points, not only of the highest Confequence, but of all others the most removed out of our Sight.

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In human Affairs we pretty well know the Powers and Abilities of Men; and can oftentimes judge of the Ends they propofe to themselves; and this Knowledge of their Powers, and this Ability to judge of the Ends they propofe, qualifies us in many Cafes to estimate comparatively the Means and the End, and to discern whether the

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Thing aimed at is worth the Expence or Labour employed in obtaining it. Judgment cannot be made merely by confidering and comparing the Means and the End together; but Confideration likewife. must be had of the Power and Ability of the Agent. The End of building a House is for the Habitation of Men: But, whether the House be too big, or too little, too magnificent, or not magnificent enough, can never appear from confidering merely the End of building of an Houfe, which is for Men to dwell in; but you must take into the Account the Power, Station, Wealth, and other Circumftances of the Builder, and then you may reasonably fay whether too much or too little Pains and Coft have been bestowed on it. To apply this to the prefent Cafe: When you view the Works of Nature, you think them too great and too magnificent to be intended for the Ufe of Man: But confider a little, Who is the Builder? Is it not One of whofe Power and Ability you cannot poffibly judge? How do know then that it was not as eafy you (and doubtless it was as eafy) to God to produce this beautiful and wonderful Order of Things, as to have produced a much worfe, and more adapted, as you may ima

gine, to the Circumstances of Man, the Inhabitant of this World? You cannot fay, too much Pains, or too much Coft, has been bestowed: For all these Confiderations are relative to the Power of the Agent; and, when the Agent has infinite Power, this Confideration is wholly excluded.

But farther; In order to judge rightly in the Cafe before us, we ought perfectly to comprehend the End propofed. If you fee a great Building, but know not for what Ufe it was intended, nor what Ufe is made of it, it is impoffible to judge whether it be too large or too confined; for that Judgment must arife neceffarily from knowing to what Purpofe and to what Ufe it was erected. And where is the Man, who will pretend to know all the Ends of God in the Creation of the Universe? What relates to ourselves we know tolerably well from Senfe and Experience: We feel the Influence of the heavenly Bodies, and are fure that we are the better for them; but, that no others are befides ourselves, we can never be fure.

Since then we know nothing of the Power of God but that it is infinite; the true Confequence from which is, that all poffible Things are equally eafy to be effected

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by his Hand; fince the Purposes of God to be ferved in the Creation of the Universe are various, and more than we can discover, probably more than we can even imagine; we act the abfurdeft Part in the World, when we pretend to judge of the Works of Providence by comparing the Greatness of the Works of Nature with fuch Ends and Purposes as we can difcover to be ferved by them: For, with refpect to the infinite Power of God, we talk childishly, when we call his Works great, or little; and, with respect to the Ends and Purposes of Providence, fuppofing a juft Measure of his Works were to be taken from thence, yet it is a Meafsure of which we are not

Masters.

As this Reasoning must neceffarily hold in the Works of Nature; fo is it equally ftrong, when applied to the Works of Grace. It is indeed a furprizing and wonderful Event, the Coming of the Son of God into this World, being made Man, and born of a pure Virgin, living and dying as a Man, to redeem Sinners. But what is there that fhocks your Faith in this? You think perhaps the Means too great and too confiderable to be made ufe of for the fake of the End propofed, which might have been ob

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