M2 iT1tENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF HUMAN ttEASOf the weaknesses of flesh and spirit, ;both from the pains and miseries of human nature, as well as from the universal corrup- tion of morals in the world, that mankind has sinned against God, and is become a fallen. and degenerate race of beings, under actual tokens of his displeasure, yet that they are not so utterly divested of their original powers and blessings, but that they have many of the comforts of this life left them to trace out the goodness of their Maker, and also anatural capacity to find out their duty, if they exerted this capacity to the utmost : Suppose yet further, that God has made several new discoveries both of his nature, his laws, and his grace, as well as of the severity of his punishing justice, to those families of mankindwhence all the rest have been derived ; but by degrees their criminal negli- gence, their irreligion, and their sensual vices have prevailed so far, as in somenations to blot out the remembrance of the true God, his laws, and his grace from amongst them : May not the goodness and justice of God be sufficiently vindicated, if these criminal nations are abandoned by heaven, and fall under divine punishment for these abominable offences ? And especially if the justice of God proceed no further against them than to condemn and punish them for those offences only, which have been com- mitted against some evident inward or outward manifestation of their duty, and the actual light of their own consciences ; which offencesbeing comparatively but few in number, call for a much lighterpunishment than those sim:erswhose conscienceshave had higher degreesof Ight communicated to them in Jewishor chris- tian nations ? Sors. I thank you heartily, Pithander, for the large repe- tition you have given us of your last Sunday-morning's sermon, for I was then at church, and heard it with great satisfaction. Pins. I acknowledge, Sir, I espied you there, and was almost ashamed to think how much I had borrowed from your discourse, in some of these conferences, toward the composition of that sermon : but gratitude and justice demand my hearty thanks to Sophronius ; for I am constrained to confess, that Iwas not so well skilled in this controversy when I entered the list with Logisto : And I am resolved, Sir, for your sake, henceforth to entertain a better opinion of those who are not entirely with use in all the rites, laws, and powers of an establishedchurch. Thus I have learned at once from your agreeable conversationboth wisdom and charity. Sors. You overwhelm me, Sir, with honours and civilities I hope this conference bath not passed without my own considee rable improvement, and am glad to find growing charity among all that profess the christian name, which I shall always endea- vour topromote and cultivate ; for without it Icannever approve myself a disciple of the blessed Jesus.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=