SERMON VII.

ROM. V. I.

WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD, THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

SIMPLI

IMPLICITY, which every thing human approaches in proportion as it is perfect, is remarkably visible in what we know of the natural Providence of GOD. The various motions of the material world, the revolutions of the vaft luminaries above us, and the operations of the elements around us, depend upon one fingle principle. We call it attraction; we know there is fuch a thing in nature; we understand and calculate its effects and ufes. But what this

K 4

this principle is, and how it operates, no one pretends to explain or understand.

upon

WHETHER free creatures are capable, the whole, of being guided by fuch fimple methods, as matter, is a question. But we are led from the knowledge we have of nature, to receive and admire the wonderful appointment of the common Maker in the moral world. For there is here one univerfal principle; one common Mediator to support, affist, and govern our moral powers by his influences. Here is one common method of falvation. And though there are some parts of this scheme above our comprehenfion; yet this ignorance deprives us not of its benefits and ufes.

BUT fuch is the perverseness of man ; we admit those things in nature, which we stumble at in revelation. We strain at a gnat and fwallow a camel. We take not the word of GOD himself for things, which we implicitly believe in other

other cafes, where our lufts and prejudices are not concerned.

THE fcripture account of the state of man is not, as I take it, without its difficulties. But as it gives us a clear confiftent view of our ftate, as it folves most of the appearances in the moral world, as we fink into total darkness the moment we lose this light to affist our views; a rational perfon fhould be inclined to receive it upon its own evidence, independent of its Divine authority.

REVELATION confiders man in a fallen, imperfect state. Free will, which, it seems, is a neceffary privilege of rational creatures, foon introduced mifery and corruption into the creation. A gracious remedy was provided for this defection. A fcheme of mercy, under the mediation of that Divine perfon, who formed the world at firft, was established, to rectify all disorders, to atone for our fins, to help our infirmities, and

raise

raife us to our loft immortality. By a gradual procefs of moral discipline, regularly opening and unfolding itself, this Mediator, bringing good out of all this confufion, will in time establish a new heaven and new earth the abode of righteousness: man will be happier than he was before; and, looking back through the maze of Providence, which had perplexed and embarraffed him so much before, will fee nothing, but wisdom and goodness and order shine through the whole extenfive plan.

COMPARE with this, the gloomy view, that unaffifted nature gives us of ourselves, and we fhall then learn to put a proper value upon this small degree of acquaintance with Divine mysteries.

LAY afide your bible; diveft yourself of what traditional religion has taught you; look around you, take your fentiments from your present abode, and see what they are in this unenlightened

ftate.

Do

Do you know, where you are? Are you acquainted with your ftate, and destination ?*Do you not feel to yourfelf, like a fhipwrecked man, caft upon a defert fhore, ignorant where you are, and what is to become of you?-Here

you find yourself in a small corner of the world-what it is, when it began, what is to become of it, you know not. You came not here of yourself if you have the curiofity to look beyond your immediate parents, and to fearch about for fome fuperior author of your existence- yet, do you know, who that Being is, what he expects of you, what relation you bear to him? You are furrounded with a strange mixture of bleffings, and evils-is it not a doubt with you, whether he fent you here in kindnefs or difpleasure ? You have an in

ignari hominumq; locorumq;

Erramus, vento huc et vaftis fluctibus acti.

Virg. Æn. 1. 336. fatiable