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 Juftice 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 discernible to the highest Order of intellectual Beings, though not discoverable by us, the lowest.

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

But let us confider how well these Principles and Doctrines of the Gospel 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 Wifdom, 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

VOL. I.

G

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 Perfon, 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 discovered to us this Relation between Chrift and the World, between Christ 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 less? 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 Gospel 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 Chrift and the World. The mysterious Work of our Redemption itself seems to have arifen 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 seems to frown on us, and to threaten Death

8.4

DISCOURSE II.

and Destruction, from which no human Power or Cunning can deliver us; yet our Hope is ftedfaft and unmoveable, being placed in Him who is able to fubdue all Things to himself.

This Belief, That the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God, and arise to Life, is the fundamental Article of a Christian's Faith: If this be not well established, our Hope and Confidence are vain, and the preaching the Cross of Chrift is Foolishness.

Let us reflect a little how our Cafe ftands with refpect to the Profpect beyond the Grave; let us confider what Hopes Nature furnishes, and how they are fupported, confirmed, and enlarged, by the Gospel of Chrift Jefus.

When we view the World in its prefent Circumstances, and fee the Mifery and Oppreffion that are in it; when we confider that the Diftreffes and Sorrows arifing from the Weakness and the Wickedness of Men fare in Number and in Weight ten times 'more than all the Sufferings to which we are expofed by the mere Frailty of our Condition; we can hardly imagine that a wise and juft God made the World to be what we find it is.When we look farther, and find that the best Men oftentimes fare worst;

that

I deny it.

creating man?

...in what, was his superiority he had the same Reopensity to size rise in wave, as the trailest! reature ! - Adam, was created, as wicked as the worst of men. Yet if man, were not precisely what he is, he w. be some other How can we dare to arraign God, for & he resolved to sin, before he s

that even the Defire and Endeavour to please God frequently exposes them to infinite Sorrows in this World; we ftand amazed, and are ready to doubt whether these Appearances can be reconciled with the Belief that God governs the World. But, fince all Nature proclaims the Being and the Power of God, and the visible Things of the Creation declare in every Language of the World the Wisdom and Goodnefs of Him who made them; under the Force and Conviction of this Evidence that there is a God, we can find no poffible Way to account for his Justice and Goodness towards the Children of Men, but by supposing that he has appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness: And fince this World evidently is not the Scene of this Judgment, we conclude there must be another, in which we fhall ftand before his Tribunal. Thus far Nature goes: All beyond this is vain Philofophy and Imagination, Conceits which are in vogue to-day, and forgot to-morrow. Scholars may reafon of the Nature of the Soul, and the Condition of it when feparated from the Body; but the common Hopes, of Nature receive no Support from fuch Inquiries. But yet fomething farther feems neceffary to give Eafe

founded in