ESSAY. 343 particular distempers, indulge themselves more easily in a sinful compliance, under pretence that their guilt is less ; unless they are content to dwell for ever in fire and sorrow, Upon this condition, that some of the sorrows of hell be sharper than theirs, and some part of the flame be hotter and fiercer. O ra- ther think that you are called by the providence of God to a stricter watch, to more frequent and fervent prayer, and to a morelaborious resistance of the flesh; and the grace of Christ is sufficient to assist the weakest warrior, and make him an over- comer even in the hardest conflict. But this naturally leads me on to thenext question. Quest. VI. Whether there be not a very unequal distribu- tion of providence in these various constitutions of mankind? And how can this be reconciled to :strict justice, to make the difficulties of the state of trial so much harder in one man than it is in. another, by exposing him tomuch stronger temptations ? Anse,. This difficulty, which dwells on the lips of profane sinners, is easily solved by attending to a few such propositions as these : 1. This must be 'laid down,as an eternal and an unmove able truth, that the. great God has all possible perfections belonging to his nature, and his whole conduct in providence :s ever regulated by those perfections ; so that he can no more be unjust, than he can be impotent or ignorant ; nor can any part of his conductbe unrighteous, any more than it can be weakor unskilful. 2. It is evident to the universal observationof heathens as well as christians, that mankind is a fallen and degenerate rank of beings, who have lost their primitive innocence and happiness ; and are running on to deeper guilt and misery, with head-long and thoughtless haste Though it is only the scripture that in forms us how this came to pass, which philosophers, by the light of nature, could never find out. . 3. If thewhole raceof creatures, which were so deegenerate, had been put under the most difficult tests of obedience, in a state of trial appointed in order to their recovery from ruin, not one of them had any just reason to complain, or murmur against their sovereign Ruler in the methods of his wisdom working toward their recovery. 4. If someof these fallen and degeneratebeings, have there- foresome easier circumstances of trial appointed to them, such ought to be very thankful indeed, but others ought by no means to 'quarrel with their Maker, or treat their fellow-crea- tures with envy. Is thine eye evil because he is good ; Mat. xx. 15. 5. Perhaps many of those who have less inward teinpta- tions in the flesh,, are, in the course of providence, exposed to
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