7? Meffiah, TheDeliverer from Evill, as unto mankind , fuppofing an accomplifhment of the Obedience prefcribed untó them, is manifeft fromthevery firft notions we have of the nature of God ; for we do no foonet conceive that he is, but withall we affiut that he is thé Rewárder ofthem .that diligently fek him, Heb. i i.6.'which is effential unto him , and infeparable from. his Nature as the Soveraign Ruler of the works ofhis hands. And thus was the anti- nuance of this Bleffed State of the Creation ofall things provided for ; and laid in a tendency unto farther Glory being absolutely exclilive of any diftance between 'God and man betides that which is natural , neceffary, and infinite , from their Beings. There was no fn on the onefide, nor diffavour on the other. And this fe- cured the Order of the Vniverfe. For what fhould catie any confufion there, whileft the Law of its Creationwas obferved, which could not be tranfgreffed by Erute and in- animate Creatures. That this efiateof things hark been altered from time immemorial , that there is a corrupt Spring fin and diforder in the nature of man; that the whole world lieth in Ignorance, Darknefs, Evil and Confection that there is an AlieWion and difpleáfure between God and mankind ; God revealing his Wrath' and Judgements from Heaven, whence at hell nothing might be expedted but fruits of goodnefs, and pledgesof love ; and man naturally dreading the I?refence of God, and trembling at the effedts of it, whichat firft was his Life,Joy and Refrefhment, Reafoz it Elf with. prudent Obferva- tinn will difcover, it bath done fo, unto many contemplative men of old. The whale Creation groans out this complaint, as the Apeft/ wrtneffeth. Rom. 8. v. zo, 21. and Godmakes it manifeft in his Judgementsevery day ; Chap. 1. v.18. That things were not made at firft in that fate and condition wherein now they are, that they came not thus immediately from the hand 'of Infinite Wifdom and Goodncfs; is eafily difeerna- ble. God made not man to be at a perpetual quarrell with him, not to fill the world with tokens of his difßleafure becaufe of fin. This men taw ofold by the light ofNa tare ; but what it should be that opened the Flood-gates unto all that Evil and Sin which they faw nd obferved in the world, they could not tell. The fprings of it indeed they fearched after, but with more vanity and difappointment, thanchore who fought for the Heads of Mitts. The Evilsthey faw wereCatholickand unlimited ; and therefore not to be affigned unto Particular Caufes, andof any generals ode, proporti- oned unto their Produflion, they were utterly ignorant. And this ignorance filledall their Wifdom and Science with fatal miftakes; and .rendered the bet} of their Difove- ries, but meer uncertain conjectures. Yea, the Poets who followed the confufed Ru- moursofOld Traditions, about things whofe Original was Occaftonal and Accidental, give us a !fetter fhadowofTruth, than the Philofphers, whowould reduce them unto general Riles ofReafbn, which they would noway at:fwer. Poi? ignem .ethereâ domo Subduetum, Maries Ëmnovafebrium Terris incubait Cohors: Semotiq; prigs tarda nereitat Lethi corripuit Gradum : Horat. Car. lib. 1. Od. 5. is abetter Allufon tothe OriginalofSin and Punifhment, than all else Difputations of thePhiloföphers will afford us. 4. 5 But that which they could not attain unto, and which becaufe they could not at- 'tain unto, they wandered in all their Apprehenflons about God and themfelves, with- out CertaintyorConflflency, we are clearly acquainted withall by Divine Revelation, The Cumin of it is briefly propofed by the Apoftle ; Rom. 5. v. 12. By 'one man finen- tered into the World, andDeath by Sin. Sin andDeath are comprehenfive of all that is Evil in any kind in the world. All that is morally fo, is fin ; all that is pcenally fó, is Death. The entrance of both into the World, was by the flit f one man, that is Adam the common Father of us all. This the Philofophers knew not, and therefore iuuewnothing clearlyofthe Conditionof Mankind in relation unto God. But two things dothahe Scriptureteach us concerning this entrance ofEvil into the world. Firff, The Punifhment that was threatned unto, and infli&edon the difobedience of :Adam. Whatever there is of Diforder, Darknefs or Confifon in the nature of things here below, whatever is uncertain, irregular, horrid, unequal,dettrudive in the Vni- verfe, what ever is poenal unto man, or may be fo in this Life, or untoEternity, what ever the Wrath of the Holy Righteous God revealing its felf from Heaven, hath brought, or fhal 4.4
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