nour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to fhew his wrath, and to make his power known, hath endured with much long-fuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to deftruction; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the veffels of mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory.

To understand fuch paffages as thefe, we should consider, that in the language of the scriptures God is faid to do thofe things, which come to pass according to the natural course of things, as well as to perform things of a miraculous nature; because they take place in confequence of the laws which he has originally established. And, certainly, if God had not made men liable to be feduced by temptation, they would not have finned, any more than they could embrace truth, without the means of becoming acquainted with it and it must depend upon the good-pleasure of God whether he will afford men more, or fewer advantages for attaining to knowledge, virtue, and happinefs. But, notwithstanding this, if the means have been fuch as would have been effectual, provided there had been no criminal prejudice to fruftrate them, men are blamed, and God is juft and wife in punishing them, as well as in rewarding those whofe minds are fo difpofed, as to receive advantage from the means of virtue and knowledge which are afforded them.

Now that in this fenfe the facred writers confidered God as just to all mankind, is evident from the many earnest exhortations and expoftulations addreffed to finners in the books of fcripture, and from the blame and reproach which men are reprefented as incurring, when they continue in vice.. and ignorance. It is not poffible that any perfons could be fo inconfiftent with themselves, as to exhort finners to repent, and to blame and reproach them for not repenting, if they did not confider them as having a natural power to comply with the exhortation. Nay, in this very paffage of the apoftle Paul, which is, perhaps, the most favourable to the doctrine of abfolute decrees of any thing in all the books of fcripture, God is reprefented: as enduring, with much long-fuffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to deftruction, which evidently implies. that they had fufficient power and time to repent, and to prevent their impending deftruction; and therefore proves that their deftruction was not decreed, but in cafe of their impenitence.

How much foever, therefore, the facred writers refer to God, upon particular occafions, and whatever use they may fuppofe that his infinite wisdom. will make of the errors and vices of fome individuals of mankind, in order to promote the interefts of truth and virtue more at large, we cannot but conclude, that they confidered every man's own determination as final with refpect to his future ftate;

and

and it is to be obferved that neither the obftinacy of Pharaoh, nor even the infidelity of the jews, had any neceffary connection with their state after death. The former might be hard-hearted with refpect to the hebrews, and either rewarded for other virtues, or punished for other vices, in a future ftate; and if the unbelieving jews were in other respects such men as Paul, who had a zeal for God, though not according to knowledge, they may find mercy in the day of judgment. There is not a fingle paffage in the fcriptures which reprefents the future mifery. of any individual of mankind as determined by an arbitrary decree of God; but a thousand paffages in which it is exprefsly faid, that the future ftate of all mankind depends entirely upon their own voluntary actions.

After thefe obfervations, fhort remarks on another paffage may fuffice for the purpofe of this section.

Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he did alfo predeftinate, to be conformed to the image of his fon, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predeftinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

All that we can fairly infer from this paffage is, that the end of the chriftian difpenfation, or of the calling of mankind to the faith of the gofpel, is their fancti

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fanctification and future glory; for it is manifest that all who are called are not juftified. If this term called be reftricted in its meaning, let it be restricted by St. Paul himself, viz. to thofe who love God; which is fufficiently reprefented as depending upon men themselves, by being the subjects of precept and exhortation. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, &c.

IV. OF THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

NOTHING can be more evident, from the whole tenor of the new Teftament, than that the perfon who is distinguished by the name of the Father is the only true God, exclufive of the Son, or any other being whatever. Nevertheless, there are fome fingle and unconnected paffages, especially in our tranflation of the bible, which feem to favour the contrary opinion, namely, that of the divinity of Chrift. The intimate union which fubfifted between God and Chrift, the powers communicated to him by God, efpecially after his refurrection and afcenfion, and the diftinguished honours conferred upon him, eafily lead us to the genuine fenfe of the moft confiderable of thefe expreffions, and make it evident that nothing was meant by them in the least derogatory from the fole proper divinity, and absolute fupremacy of the Father.

I. Chrift being appointed the king and judge of men has powers given him adapted to thofe offices,

especially

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efpecially a knowledge of the human heart, and the prerogative of declaring the forgiveness of fin, which always accompanies regal authority; but being affifted by divine wisdom and difcernment, as well as by divine power, in the exercife of this high office, it is, in effect, the fame thing as the judgment and mercy of God difplayed by the inftrumentality of Jefus Chrift. We ought not, therefore, to be furprized at fuch expreffions as thefe. Mat. ix. 4. And Jefus knowing their thoughts. John ii. 35. He knew what was in man. Mat. ix. 2. Thy fins are forgiven thee. The multitude, who saw Chrift exerting a miraculous power upon this occa. fion, and heard him exprefs himfelf in this manner, had no idea of his claiming any extraordinary power, as naturally inherent in himself; for it is faid, ver. 8. that when the multitude faw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, who had given fuch power unto The fcribes and pharifees, indeed, faid within themfelves, upon this occafion, ver. 3. This man blafphemeth. But the jews called it blafphemy to pretend to be the Chrift; for when the highprieft folemnly adjured our Lord by the living God, Mat. xxvi. 63. that he would tell him whether he was the Chrift, the fon of God, and our Lord exprefsly replied that he was the Chrift, we read, ver. 65. then the high priest rent his clothes, faying, he bath spoken blafphemy.

men.

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Col.