and Equity of that fupreme Being, under whose Government he lives, and by whose, Judgment he muft finally ftand or fall. If we doubt whether the fuperior Orders of Beings have the like Inclination, St. Peter will tell us, That the Sufferings of Christ, and the Glory that should follow, - are Things the Angels defire to look into. 1 Pet. i. 11-12. And indeed the Method of God's dealing with any rational Creature is a common Concern to all; and it is for the Honour of God's Government to be vindicated in the Sight of every intelligent Being, that he may be justified in his Saying, and overcome when be is judged.

If this be fo, it must neceffarily follow, That the Redemption by Chrift, though it relates immediately to Men, must be agreeable to all the Reason and Relation of Things, known or discoverable by the highest intellectual Beings; and need I add, that there are many such not discoverable by us?

"Tis certain that we are but a fmall Part of the intellectual World: What Relation we bear to the other Parts, or to the Whole, we know not; and yet undoubtedly the common Governor of the Whole muft in his Dealings with every Part have regard to this common Relation, whether we understand

ftand it, or no. The Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews tells us, That Chrift took not on him the Nature of Angels, but he took on bim the Seed of Abraham. Angels finned, and Men finned: Men only are redeemed. If God is juft, there must be a Reason for this, though not within our Reach at prefent; and, when we come to know it, perhaps we may be no longer at a lofs to know that the Sacrifice of Chrift was necessary to the Salvation of Men.

That there are many Orders of Beings fuperior to Man, is a Propofition fo agreeable to Reason, that there is little room to doubt of it. All these Orders are in Scripture comprehended under the general Name of Angel. What Relation these Beings ftand in to us in many Respects, I will not now inquire: But that they are not unconcerned Spectators in the Work of our Redemption, is evident. Our Saviour tells us, There is Joy in the Prefence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth. Luke xv. 10. Again; He that overcometh, the fame fhall be clothed in white Raiment; and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life, but I will confefs his Name before my Father, and before bis Angels. Rev. iii. 5. Here the Angels are mentioned

mentioned as Witneffes of the Justice of the Judgment, and not merely as Attendants to make up the Pomp and Ceremony of Judicature.

Since then the Justice and Equity of God in redeeming Men are Things which the Angels defire and are concerned to look into it is evident, That his Juftice and Equity, and the Reasons of Providence in this great Affair, may be difcernible to the highest Order of intellectual Beings, though not discoverable by us, the lowest.

That this is probably the Cafe, may be learnt from hence; That, when the Gospel has revealed to us any of thefe Relations, not discoverable by human Reason, so far we can see the Reason and Propriety of this great Work of our Redemption.

But let us confider how well thefe Prin→

ciples and Doctrines of the Gofpel agree together, and how naturally the one flows from the other. When we view the fad Condition of Mankind, the Sin, Folly, and Mifery, which are in the World; and then turn to contemplate the Perfections, the Wisdom, and the Goodness of Him who made us; Nature raises fome Hopes in us, that this Confufion will fome Day find a Remedy, and ourselves a Release, from the Goodness

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Goodness and Wisdom of Him who formed us. I blame not these Hopes; they are just, they are natural. But, if Nature had the Knowledge of the Son of God, and could discover that the World was made and is upheld by his Power, that we are his immediate Creatures and Subjects; would it not be altogether as natural to found fome Hopes upon this Relation? Should we not be willing to believe, that this great Person, who made us, would have fome Compaffion upon the Work of his own Hands? Should we not hope to find in him at least an Interceffor on our behalf, an Advocate with the Father? Should we not be inclined to recommend to him all our Pleas, to put all our Intereft into his Hands, trusting that he could not want Bowels of Affection towards the Creatures whom he formed after his own Image and Likeness? I think, this would be but natural; and what more does the Gospel require of us? It has difcovered to us this Relation between Chrift and the World, between Chrift and the Church, and requires from us fuch Hope and Faith, and fuch Obedience, as naturally flow from this Relation; and could it poffibly require lefs? Would it not be abfurd to tell us, that Chrift is Lord of the World that is, and of that

which is to come, and not to require us to have Hope and Confidence in him? Would it not be abfurd to tell us, that he is the Lord of Life and Glory, and to bid us expect Life and Glory through any other Hands than his? Would it not be abfurd to tell us, that all Judgment is committed to the Son, and yet no Obedience due to him? or, that God has appointed him to be Head over all, and yet no Honour to be paid him?

From these and the like Confiderations we may difcern, how reasonable, how natural the Religion of the Gofpel is. It has indeed opened to us a new Scene of Things, discovering to us the ever-bleffed Son of God, the Creator and Governor of the World: What else it propofes to us refults naturally from this Relation between Christ and the World. The mysterious Work of our Redemption itself seems to have arisen from the original Relation between the only Son of God, and Man the Creature of God; and our Christian Faith, in every Article and Branch of it, has a juft Foundation and Support in the Power, Authority, and Preeminence of the Son of God. We may well believe he has redeemed us, fince we know he made us. And, though all Nature feems to frown on us, and to threaten Death