Men tempted to Evil by their own,L0s. 45 to be well contented with the condition ap- S E R M. pointed for us ; for the fovereign difpofer, II. who himfelf originally made all things, fix - `°' eth the whole order of being ; who elfe could do it ? and placeth the feveral kinds in their proper ranks as it feemed good to him. The ends tó be ferved by this part of the univerfal fyftem, the condition of man upon earth, what relation it may have to other parts of God's great family, or' his moral kingdom, comprehending all the kinds of rational creatures, this is above our com prehenfion ; but furely it would be the greateft prefumption and folly, to fay it can ferve no fuch ends, and beareth no fuch re- lation as to render it capable of being ufeful- and beautiful in the whole ; and that it was not worthy of the wifdom and goodnefs of God to make this probationary ftate of ours a part of his great fcheme, frail as it is, li- able to temptations, whereby every one is in danger , of being, and many alually are, drawn away and enticed. But if we confi- der our condition by itfelf, and abftradly from the purpofes it may ferve in the uni- verfe, which is a way of conceiving it more level to our, capacities, it will appear, even in that view, no uneligible thing; and that the good in it overballanceth the inconveni- ency
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