86 Ttfiimonyofthe Law, .&c. Pfal.r3o, F í¡ Gods avenging all fin, exerts it fell, fecretly, but 'effetual y. So Adam trembled, and hid himfelf. And it was the laying of old, I have fen God, andfhal! dye. When men are under any dreadful Providence; thundrings,lightnings, tempefts,in dark- rids, they tremble, not fomuch at what they fee, or hear, or feel, as from their fecret thoughts that God is nigh, and that he is a confuming fire. Now theft inbred notions lye univerfally againf all Appre- henfions of forgivenefs' ; which mutt bebrought into the foul fromwithout doors ; having no Principle of nature topro- mote them. It is true ! Men by naturehave prejumptions, and common in- graftednotions, of other propertiesof God, betides his Holinefr and Juffice; as of his Goodnefi, Benignity, Love of his Crea- tures, and the like ; But all thefe have this fuppofition inlaid with them in the fouls of men; namely, that all things Hand between God and his Creatures, as they did at their firft Cre- ation ; and as they have no natural notion of forgivenefs, fo the interpofition of fin, weakens, ditturbs, darkens them, as to any improvement of thole Apprehenfionsof Goodnefs and Be- nignity which they have. If they have any notion of forgive- nefs, it is from force corrupt Tradition, and not at all, from any univerfal Principle , that is inbred in nature ; fuch as are thole, which they have of Gods Holinefr, and Vindi- Llive Juffice. And this is the firft ground from whence it appears, that a real, folid difcovery of forgivenef , is indeed a great work; many difficulties and binderance, , lye in the way of its accom- jláfhment. Fa0
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=