Abernathy - Houston-Packer Collection BX9178.A33 S4 1748 v.1

c6 Peter's Denial of his Majler, S E R m. ger of felf - confidence ; the infpetion of V. God's providence into the failures of his peo- flaa..---i ple, together with his fore -fight of them ; his fuper-intending care of them, even du-. ring the progrefs of their temptations, and his over- ruling the iffues of them for good. Firft, I fay, the fallibility and weaknefs of human nature. This is what experience abundantly teftifies : all the fins of man- kind, and they are more than can be num- bred, are proofs of it; nay, * there is not a full man living upon the earth, that doth good, and jinneth not. Not that God has made us to fin : he is not the author of moral evil; it is not the neceffary effel of the powers wherewith he has endued us ; on the con- trary, he has furnifh'd our nature with de- fences againft it, and with faculties which have an oppofite tendency: 1- He is not tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. It is a voluntary perverfion and abufe of our natural faculties, and a violation of that law, which he has written upon our hearts. But he has made us frail and falli- ble. Indeed it does not appear, that any order of created beings were made originally impeccable. As abfolute perfe ±ion of know- ledge is above the capacity and condition of Eccicf, vii. 20, t James i. 13. finite

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