44 Men te;npted to Evil by their own Lulls, S E R M. which may contribute to the quieting our II. minds, and preferving in them right fenti- `'--vJ ments concerning God. It ought Rill to be acknowledged, that we are in a Rate of temptation by divine appointment ; it is very natural to think that all rational creatures fhould be fo ; and fuitable to our belt no- tions of the deity, of his wifdom, equity, and goodnefs, that he fhould put them into a fiate of probation, till by bearing their trial, and refilling temptations, their inte- grity is confirmed, and they are prepared to enjoy the reward of it. As in the material, foin the moral world, there are various or- ders of beings, and degrees of perfection, and the wifdom of God is manifefted in that variety. There are bodies celeflial and ter - reflrial, which have different glories, and many different degrees belong to both thefe kinds ; and of intelligent beings, there are many different orders, very unequal in the rneafure of their perfeáiion and enjoyment. Can any one take upon him to fay, that in bring the univerfe with proper inhabitants, there fhould not be a fpecies fo confiituted and fo fituated as we are, fo imperfedt, and fo liable to the danger of moral evil, yet not without fufficient defences againft it ? If it be fo, we have no reafon to complain, but tß
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