unknown to former Ages; 'tis a Mystery ftill, inafmuch as we cannot penetrate into the Depths of this divine OEconomy, or account by the Principles of human Reason for every Step or Article of it. But let it be remembered, That not human Reason, but the Will of God, is the Rule and Measure of religious Obedience; and, if so, the Terms of religious Obedience must be tried by their Agreeableness to the Will of God, and not measured by the narrow Compass of Man's Reason. If Reason can difcover, either by internal or external Signs, the Conditions of Salvation proposed to us to be the Will of God, the Work of Reason is over, and we are obliged to use the Means, which are prescribed by God, as we hope to obtain the End, which is the Gift of God: And, how little foever Reason can penetrate into the Mysteries of God; yet, if it can discover them to be indeed the Mysteries of God, and by him proposed to us as neceffary to Salvation, it discovers plainly to us, that these Mysteries of God are the Words of eternal Life; which is all, I think, that a reasonable Man would defire to find in his Religion: For, fince all that he defires to obtain by his Religion is eternal Life, what

more

more has he to look for in his Religion, than the Words, or Means, of eternal Life?

This is true, you'll fay, upon Suppofition of God's requiring the Belief of Mysteries or the Practice of any pofitive Duties from us; then it will be our Duty to hearken to his Voice, and entirely submit our Wills and Understandings to him: But how does this prove it reasonable for him fo to do, or remove the Prejudice that lies against the Gofpel, because of its mysterious Doctrines?

To come then to the Point: It will, I suppose, be eafily granted to be agreeable to the Wisdom and Goodness of God to reveal whatever is neceffary to be revealed in order to perfect the Salvation of Mankind; as, on the other Side, it must be allowed, that it is not confiftent with infinite Wisdom and Goodness to reveal Mysteries merely to puzzle the Minds of Men. These Allowances being made on each Side, the Question is reduced to this; Whether it can be ever neceffary to reveal Myfteries in order to perfect the Salvation of Mankind? Whenever it is necessary, it must be reasonable, unless it be unreasonable for God to fave the World: And upon this Foot it will be found, That a Revelation cannot have the Words

Words of eternal Life, without opening to us all neceffary Truths, how abftruse and mysterious foever some of them may be.

With respect to infinite Wisdom, there is no fuch Thing as Mystery in Nature: All Things are equally clear in the Understanding of the Deity; all Things lie naked before his Eye, having no Darkness, Obfcurity, or Difficulty in them. A Mystery therefore is no real or pofitive Thing in Nature; nor is it any thing that is inherent or belonging to the Subjects of which it is predicated. When we fay this Thing or that Thing is a Mystery, according to the Form of our Speech, we seem to affirm fomething of this or that Thing; but, in truth, the Propofition is not affirmative with refpect to the Thing, but negative with respect to ourselves: For, when we say this Thing is a Mystery, of the Thing we say nothing, but of ourselves we fay, that we do not comprehend this Thing. With respect to our Understanding, there is no more Difference between Truth that is, and Truth that is not mysterious, than, with respect to our Strength, there is between a Weight which we can lift, and a Weight which we cannot lift: For, as Defect of Strength in us makes fome Weights to be unmoveable, so

likewise

likewife Defect of Understanding makes fome Truths to be mysterious.

The Complaint then against Mysteries in Religion amounts to no more than this; That God has done fomething for us, or appointed fomething for us to do, in order to fave us, the Reason of which we do not understand; and requires us to believe and to comply with thefe Things, and to trust him that we fhall receive the Benefit of them: For this is all the Faith, or positive Obedience, that is required of us; as will in its due Place appear.

But to return to the Queftion, Whether can be ever neceffary for God to reveal Mysteries, or appoint pofitive Duties, in order to perfect the Salvation of Mankind; or, in other Words, to ufe fuch Means for the Salvation of the World, the Agreeableness of which to the End intended the Reason of Man cannot discover? This is certain, That, whenever 'tis out of our Power by natural Means to fave ourselves, if we are to be faved at all, 'tis neceffary that fupernatural Means be made ufe of: And, how hard foever it may be to conceive this to be the Cafe of Mankind in general; yet of particular Men it will not, I prefume, be denied, but that they may fin fo far, and render them

a

felves fo obnoxious to the Juftice of God, that it fhall not be in the Power of mere Reafon and Nature to find an infallible Method of atoning the Juftice of God, and, confequently, redeeming the Sinner from Death: And in this Cafe there is a plain Neceffity that the Sinner must perish, or be redeemed by fuch Means as Reason and Nature are Strangers to; fince, in the Means that Reason and Nature can prescribe, there is confeffedly no Help for him.

What may confeffedly happen to one Man, or to many, may poffibly happen to all: Suppofe then, (fince there is no Abfurdity in the Suppofition) That all Men have fo far finned, as to have loft the Rights and Pleas of obedient Subjects: That an univerfal Corruption has spread through the whole Race, and rendered them incapable of performing the Duties of Reafon and Nature, or, if they could perform them, precluded the Merit and Title of all fuch Works to Reward; for the Works of Nature, tho' they may prevent a Forfeiture, yet they cannot reverse a Forfeiture once incurred: In this Cafe what fhall be done? Is it unreasonable for God to redeem the World? God forbid! and yet by the Means of Reason and Nature the World cannot be redeemed. Will you allow that

God