And that

true; because this is the chief Perfection of their Nature, the Righteoufnefs of fome fhould redound to the Good of others, is a fit and proper Conftitution, fo far as the Quantity of, Virtue or Righte oufnefs may thereby be probably increafed. [For an unactive, unobedient Reliance upon the Merit of another is abfurd: Or, it is not true or right, that I fhould be finally benefited by the Righteoufness of another, while I live wickedly myfelf.] And the Quantity of Virtue may probably be increafed feveral Ways. 1. As this Method will excite the Wife and Benevolent to Acts of Righteoufnefs and Obedience, by the Profpect of being useful, and procuring Good to others. 2. Hereby illuftrious Examples will be propofed for Imitation. 3. Which will be ftrongly inforced and recommended by the Benefits and Bleffings, which are thereby derived to us.

154. Agreeably to this Scheme. Abraham is propofed as a bright Example of Obedience and Reward; and his Obedience is given as the Reafon of conferring Bleffings upon his Pofterity, and particularly of having the Meffiah, the Redeemer and greatest Bleffing of Mankind, defcend from him; Gen. xxii, 16, 17, 18, "By myself have I fworn, faith the Lord, for because thou haft done this Thing, and haft not withheld thy Son, thine only Son: That in Bleffing I will bless thee, and in Multiplying I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven, and as the Sand which is upon the Sea-fhore; and thy Seed fhall poffefs the Gate of his Enemies; and in thy Seed fhall all the Nations of the Earth be blefied: Because thou haft obeyed my Voice. Gen. xxvi. 2-5, "The Lord faid unto Ifaac,I will be with thee and bless thee: And in thy Seed fhall all the Nations of the Earth be bleffed: Because that Abraham obeyed my Voice, and kept my Charge, my Commandments, my Statutes and my Laws." Gen. xviii. 26-32, Had but ten righteous Perfons been found in Sodom, God, upon Abraham's Interceffion, would have fpared the City for the Sake of thofe Ten; probably as they might have proved the Seed and Means of Reformation. Mofes alfo, by his Interceffion (in which he performed an Act of Virtue; namely, Faith in the Goodnels of God, and Kindnefs and Compaffion for the Ifraelites) made Atonement for their Sin, in the Affair of the golden Calf, and prevented their Destruction, Exod. xxxii. 30, 31, 32. See alfo Num. xiv. 20. Phineas likewife, by being zealous for his God, and executing an Act of Justice upon two notorious Criminals," turned away the Wrath of God from the Children of ifrael; made Atonement for them," and gained the honourable Entail of the Priesthood on his Pofterity, Num. xxv. 11, 12, 13. Deut. iv. 37, "And becaufe he loved thy Fathers," for their Piety and Virtue, "therefore he chofe their Seed after them, and brought thee outwith his mighty Power out of Egypt," &c. 1 Sam. vii. 8, 9, 10. Job xlii. 7, 8, "The Lord faid to Eliphaz, My Wrath is kindled against thee and thy two Friends-Therefore go to my Servant Job, and offer up for yourfelves a Burnt-offering, and my Servant Job fhall pray for you; for him will I accept: Left I deal with you after your Folly," &c. Pfal. cv. 41, 42, 43,"He opened the Rock, and the Waters gufhed out, they ran in dry Places like a River. For he remembred his holy Promife, and Abraham his Servant." And he brought forth his People with Joy, and his Chofen with Gladness." Jer. xv. 1," Then faid the Lord unto me, Though Mofes and Samuel ftcod before me, yet my Mind could not

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CH. VIII. We ought to imitate thofe Acts whereby Chrift has Redeemed us. 371.

be towards this People." Ezek. xiv. 13-21, "Son of Man, when the Land finneth against me by trefpaffing grievously, though thefe three Men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they fhould deliver neither Sons nor Daughters, they fhould deliver only their own Souls by their Righteousness." That Virtue, Righteoufnefs, Goodnefs and Obedience fhould be the Price of Happinefs, and procure Bleffings to ourselves and others, is a very juít and noble Conftitution; and may not only be feen in fuch Examples as I have juft now mentioned; but, I make no doubt, takes place throughout the whole rational Univerfe. Chrift, indeed, is a Perfon of the highest Eminence; and the Effects of his Righteousness are proportionable to his perfonal Worth and Excellency; and amazingly extenfive: But I reckon the Rule, Scheme, and Reafon of his Work, and its Effects, is general, and reaches to all rational Beings. For it is confonant to all Reafon, that a diligent, humble, and kind Subferviency to the well being of others, fhould be honoured with Favours from the Fountain of all Good. It is perfectly fit, that illuftrious Virtue and Righteousness should be crowned with an extenfive Influence; and that the good Effects thereof fhould reach to many, and be the Occafion and Means of their Happinefs. And in our World here we find, in Fact, that it is by Virtue, Self-denial, Integrity, Love and Kindnefs, ftudying and labouring to do Good, that we are any of us ufeful, and a Bleffing to ourselves and others. We ourselves blefs the Good and Benevolent; and by fo doing, judge it is fit and right God should bless them, and make them Bleffings. Gen. xii. 2.

155. Nor is this Comparison leffening of the Dignity of our Lord, or any Difparagement of his glorious Work. For it is no Difparagement to the High-priest of our Profeffion, that we alfo are "a royal Priesthood;" that we are "Priests to God." It is no ways derogatory even to the most perfect Excellence of the Divine Nature, that Wifdom, Goodnefs, Juftice and Holinefs are in Men the fame in Kind, though not in Degree, as they are in God. Or, fhould I account for our Lord's univerfal Dominion, and his being conftituted Judge of the whole World at the laft Day, by alledging; that, although all Authority and Judgment belong to God, yet it is the general Method of his Wifdom, to employ Delegates in the Exercife of his Authority. For we fee in our World, he doth not immediately judge, and punish the Criminals who make themselves obnoxious to the Cenfures of the Society, but has every where appointed Kings and Governours, Magiftrates, fuperior and fubordinate, to adminifter and execute Judgment among Mankind in Affairs relating to Society. What Wonder then, if he has appointed his well-beloved Son, a Being of fo tranfcendent Excellence, to be the Judge of all, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. This Way of arguing would not leflen our Lord's Authority, but would very justly account for it. Even fo it is no Difparagement to the Dignity of our bleffed Lord, or to the glorious Work of Redemption, that among Men are found Actions fimilar to his, both in Nature and Effect.

156. But that which puts the Matter out of Difpute, is our being required, not only to imitate our Lord in other Inftances of his Love and Obedience, but in thofe very Acts whereby he has ranfomed, or

CH. VIIIredeemed us. Mat. xx. 26, 27, 28, "Whofoever will be great among you," my Difciples, "let him be your Minifter. And whofoever will be chief among you, let him be your Servant;" let him deferve his Honour by Usefulness, by affifting and doing Good to all. "Even as the Son of Man came not to be miniftred unto, but to minister, and to give his Life a Ranfom for many." Our Lord came to ferve and affift, to be ufeful, and do Good to all, with all Humility, Meeknefs and Gentleness; and even humbled himself, and condefcended fo far, for promoting the Happiness of Mankind, as to lay down his Life to redeem them from Sin and Mifery. And he is moft honourable and eminent in Chrift's Kingdom, who comes nearest to his Example. John xv. 12, 13, -"Love one another as I have loved you. Greater Love hath no Man than this, that he lay down his Life for his Friends." 2 Cor. viii. 7, 9, "Abound in this Grace," this Act of Kindness to your diftreffed Brethren; "for ye know the Grace," the great Love and Goodness, “ of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was Rich, yet for your Sakes he became Poor," &c. Eph. v. 2, "Walk in Love, as Chrift alfo has loved us, and given himfelf for us an Offering, and Sacrifice to God." All this is ftill more clearly and ftrongly exprefled. 1 John iii. 16, " Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he (that is, Jefus Chrift) laid down his Life (vzg nur) for us: And we ought to lay down our Lives (umig tay adınper) for the Brethren," to promote their Happiness. It is, therefore, fo far from diminishing the Dignity of our Lord, or the Glory of his Work, to produce fimilar Inftances among us; that it is made our Duty, by an inspired Apostle, to copy after his Example, even in his Dying for us. Indeed there is no Comparifon between the Value and Importance of Chrift's Work, and any we can perform. Yet ours, in a much lower Degree, may produce fimilar Effects; and will not fail of being attended with a proportionable Measure of the Divine Bleffing.

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157. But here I must put in a Caveat; namely, that it cannot belong to us to fet a Value upon the Obedience and Goodnefs of fuppofed Saints, and then determine how much it fhall redound to the Bene fit of ourselves, or others. By no Means. In fo doing corrupt Chriftians have taken a very prefumptuous, and unwarrantable Liberty. For this is manifestly to invade the Divine Prerogative, and to take out of his Hands a Work, which, in the Nature of Things, is peculiar to himfelf alone; and can belong to none, but to the Judge of all the Earth, who only knows the Hearts of all Men, and who alone can truly adjuft Rewards and Punishments. He alone can fettle the Value of any Virtue or Righteoufnefs; and he alone must appoint and bestow the Benefits proper to honour it with: Nor has he given any Man either Capacity or Authority to rate, or estimate the Goodness of other Beings, whether Men or Angels, and then to affign the Benefits proper to be bestowed on others on Account thereof: Nor is our Faith and Dependence in Revelation directed to any other Worthinefs (befides the Goodness of God) but that of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift.

158. And as the Juftnefs and Truth of Redemption clearly appears in this Light; fo the Propriety of it is no lefs evident. Had our Redemption been of a Civil Kind, it might have been effeted only by

Power

Power, or fuch corruptible Things as Silver and Go'd: But it is of the Moral Kind; and therefore is most properly effected by Moral Means, Goodness and Obedience; both with refpect to God and ourfelves.With refpect to God; this is moft fuitable to his perfect Goodness, who delights in doing Good, and multiplying Goodnefs and Beneficence among his Creatures; whofe Wifdom turns even the Sinfulness of Men into an Occafion of difplaying the most perfect Holiness, and of furnishing the moft powerful Motives to Piety and Obedience. With respect to Us; Redemption, in this Way, is moft properly adapted to our Cafe, and to the defigned End, our eternal Salvation. For thus we are taught the abfolute Neceffity and infinite Importance of Obedience, and ingaged to it, in the most effectual Manner; being redeemed by Goodnefs and Love, we have the most perfect Example of Goodness and Love, and the most powerful Inducement to exercife them towards others. And by Obedience, Goodness and Love, we are most properly prepared for the Ufefulness, Honours and Happinefs of the heavenly State. Thus this noble Caufe is, in every Refpect, properly adapted to the beft and nobleft Effects. And upon the whole, it must furely be allowed, that it was perfectly congruous to the Nature of Things, to found the Pardon of Sin, and the Gift of eternal Life, upon that in another, which in ourfelves is the only due Improvement of God's Mercy, and our only Qualification for Happinels.

159. But how is it agreeable to the infinite Diftance there is between the most high God, and Creatures fo low and imperfect, who are of no Confideration when compared to the Immenfity of his Nature, that he fhould fo greatly concern himfelf about our Redemption? Answ. He who is all-prefent, all-knowing, all powerful, attends to all the minutest Affairs in the whole Univerfe, without the leaft Confufion or Difficulty. And if it was not below his infinite Greatness to make Mankind, it cannot be so to take Care of them, when created. For Kind, he can produce no Beings more excellent than the rational and intelligent; confequently, thole mutt be moft worthy of his Regard. And when they are corrupted, as thereby the End of their Being is fruftrated, it must be as agreeable to his Greatness to endeavour (when he fees fit) their Reformation, or to reflore them to the true Ends for which they were created, as it was originally to create them.

160. But ftill, why ihould a Being fo tranfcendently glorious as the Son of God, the Heir of all Things, by whom he made the Worlds, the Brightness of his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his Perfon, be employed in this Work? Why muft the Tafk of a very difficult and painful Obedience be impofed upon him, a Being tranfcendently glorious, in Favour of a Part of the Creation, fo inconfiderable as our World? Might not an inferior Hand have been more proportionable to Creatures of a Rank fo mean and inferior? Anfw. Righteoufnefs, Virtue, Obedience to God, and Beneficence to his Creation, can be below the Dignity of none, but must be the real Glory and Excellence of any; and, indeed, is the only Thing which can give Excellence and Diftinction to any Being whatfoever. Moral Perfection, exercifed and diffufed through univerfal Nature, in Acts of Love, Goodness, and Righteoufnefs, is the Glory

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of the Supreme Being Himfelf. And the Father of all, would have all Beings conformable to his own moral Excellency. For this Reason, it is, not only his Wisdom, but also his Goodness to exercise them all, without Exception, in Truth, Virtue, Goodness, and every moral Perfection; in order to raise their Worth, and advance their Honour and Felicity. For thofe Powers, which reft and terminate in themselves, are folitary and barren; thofe only are excellent, valuable, and deferving of Praise and Bleffing, which are well employed, eminently useful, and productive of Good.

161. And as for Mankind's being a mean and inconfiderable Part of the Creation, it may not be fo eafy to demonftrate, as we imagine. The Sin that is, or hath been, in the World will not do it. For then the Beings, which we know ftand in a much higher, and, perhaps, in a very high Rank of natural Perfection, will be proved to be as mean, and inconfiderable as ourselves; feeing they in great Numbers have finned. Neither will our natural Weaknefs and Imperfection prove, that we are a mean and inconfiderable Part of God's Creation: For the Son of God, when clothed in our Flefh, and incompaffed with all our Infirmities and Temptations, loft nothing of the real Excellency and Worth he poffeffed, when in a State of Glory with the Father, before the World was. Still he was the beloved Son of God, in whom he was well pleased. Befides, fince God may bestow Honours and PriviJeges as he pleafes, who will tell me what Preheminence, in the Purpofe of God, this World may poffibly have above any other Part of the Universe? Or what relation it bears to the rest of the Creation? We know that even Angels have been miniftring Spirits to fome Part, at leaft, of Mankind. Who will determine how far the Scheme of Redemption may exceed any Schemes of Divine Wifdom, in other Parts of the Univerfe? Or how far it may effect the Improvement and Happiness of other Beings, in the remoteft Regions? Eph. iii. 1o, "To the Intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly Places, might be known by the Church the manifold Wifdom of God, according to the eternal Purpofe, which he purpofed in Chrift Jefus our Lord." 1 Pet. i. 12, "Which Things, that are reported by them that have preached the Gofpel, the Angels defire to look into." It is, therefore, the Senfe of Revelation, that the heavenly Principalities and Powers ftudy the Wisdom and Grace of Redemption; and even increafe their stock of Wisdom, from the Displays of the divine Love in the Gofpel. Who can fay, how much our Virtue is more, or lefs, feverely proved, than in other Worlds? Or, how far our Virtue may excel that of other Beings, who are not fubjected to our long and heavy Trials? May not a Virtue, firm and fteady under our prefent Cloggs, Inconveniences, Difcouragements, Perfecutions, Trials, and Temptations, poffibly furpafs the Virtue of the highest Angel, whofe State is not attended with fuch Imbarraffments? Do we know how far fuch, as shall have honourably pafled through the Trials of this Life, fhall hereafter be dispersed through the Creation? How much their Capacities will be inlarged? How highly they fhall be exalted? What Power and Trufts will be put into their Hands? How far their Influence fhall extend, and how much they fhall contribute to the good Order and Happiness of the Univerfe?

Poffibly,