by the posterity of Adam fhould be fully recompens'd in another world, for what they were made liable to in this through his crime.

Thus much for the Fall. As to what follow'd, from Adam down to Noah, the Mofaic accounts are extreme fhort: yet I think, it may be collected from them, that the pofterity of Cain, or led by his example, or rather from the natural imbecillity of their minds, trod in his steps, and went mostly into evil courses, and that the first fhort-liv'd traces or revivings of goodness afterwards were feen among the defcendants of Seth: "And to Seth, to him also there "was born a fon. then began men to "call upon the name of the Lord,

Jofephus, fpeaking of this fecond branch, declares, that they liv'd in innocence and virtue for seven generations; he declares this, but on what grounds, I cannot conceive, if from conjecture merely, or fome fuppos'd tradition: very often one may guefs at his intentions, when he endeavours, frequently as he does, to fupply either the deficiency

*Gen. iv. 26.

of

of Mofes's hiftory, or to make amends in his own way for the concifenefs of it; but why he fuppofes what I have now mention'd, or whether his reputation and abilities will warrant every thing of this kind, I am uncertain. Enoch, 'tis true, is faid to have walk'd with God, and for that reafon, one may judge, this was not the cafe of many more; for had others done fo as eminently, it would, 'tis likely, have been recorded of them; the mentioning of one man's virtues fo particularly, seems to imply, that virtue, in the fame degree at least, was not very common. At the fame time, from Lamech's prophecy of Noah, that he should comfort them because of the curfe, we way fuppofe, that there was in his days, among a few men, a fenfe of that misfortune, and confidence in God's mercies.

But whatever degree of goodness there might then have been, whatever refpect to religion among particulars, it lafted not long: As foon as the world thickned and grew populous, even the pofterity, the whole pofterity of Seth, except Noah and

his

his family, as well as that of Cain, plung'd themselves in fin, and virtue and the fear of God were quickly and totally abandon'd. The earth was fill'd with violence, and all flesh had corrupted his way.

ΤΗ

CHA P. II.

HE experience of two thoufand years had now made known the frailty and infufficiency of human nature. Man's natural capacity, or understanding, did not in fact, through that time, lead him to virtue and happiness; wherefore, it must be fuppos'd, either that he had not made fo good a use of his reason, as he might, or else that reafon was not then a due counterpoife to the force, that weigh'd against it and that the paffions were too ftrong for it, and quench'd its influence; which is not unlikely; for these were at firft at their full growth, and could be urged to no higher pitch, while reason was feeble and in its childhood, and unfit therefore for a contest, which it is scarce equal to in its maturest state: The weaker reason is, this is always true, the more wilful and irregular are the paffions; and the less resistance they meet with, the greater is their perverfeness and

propen

propenfity to what is wrong; fo that, whether reafon, in its firft feeble exertions, and in this morning of human nature, had ftrength enough to check the inclination to evil, may be very difficult to be determin'd,

It is not indeed poffible, after all our thought, to come at a full view of ourfelves this knowledge is well faid to be too excellent for us: we cannot penetrate into the foul, and infpect it in all its powers, and fee by what laws they act reciprocally upon each other: fuch refearches we may sometimes make in the feveral fyftems of matter, but cannot apply and carry them to our own fpiritual frame and existence.

Nevertheless, here is my hold, fince man's natural abilities and powers did not in fact, through the period fpoken of, guide him to virtue and happiness, one may fufpect, that thofe powers may not be, in all poffible fituations and circumstances, quite adequate to that end, and particularly that they were not then fo: Inftruction, study, and leisure and materials for it, with many other advantages, are requifite to give reafon strength and luftre; nor under thefe or any advantages, nor with the help even of divine illuminations,