SIN NOT OF GOD'S APPOINTMENT.

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:

Let us also observe a short passage in Dr. Gell :There was no absolute decree of reprobation against Cain, from eternity, since God himself saith, 'If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted? If thou doest evil, sin lieth at the door,' viz. upon the conscience, as an effect of evil-doing, arising from Cain's yielding to the temptation; therefore not to be imputed to God's decree."1

The enslaving the will of man to absolute necessity in all he doth, is not of God. Were men engaged by absolute decree in all their actions, then all they should do would be good; for therein they would do the will of God, and none could be blamed for doing his will; and if men make the holy God the decreer of murder, drunkenness, and all debauchery, then, according to them, the murderer, and drunkard, and debauchee is a doer of God's will; and they that do his will, are not justly to be punished for it. This opinion, therefore, destroys the very notion of evil; for evil, in the proper sense, is a doing what is forbidden of God. or contrary to him who is goodness itself, and is the author of all the good his creatures do or enjoy; and that which is contrary to goodness, is contrary to God; and of that he cannot be the author.

(1) Gell's Essay.

CHAPTER VI.

In the fallen state man liable to many
miseries, here and hereafter.

THUS Adam's transgression and loss was not God's
decree; but he, being enticed by the serpent, and
consenting to the disobedience, fell from the good,
and among other losses, lost the pure freedom of his
mind and will, held in bondage under the power of
satan, captive to him, some more, some less, accord-
ing to the degrees of their hearkening to and obeying
satan; some so far depraved, that it was truly said
of them, "They drink iniquity like water;" others
not carried so far captive by him into the most gross
abominations, are yet drawn away into pride, vain-
glory, self-love, covetousness, deceit, or other trans-
gressions; concerning all which the Apostle saith
plainly, "The wages of sin is death,"
"2 not a priva-
tion of being; but a death to this Divine life spoken
of. Many, probably, would be glad that, when
their pleasure in sin shall cease, they might then
cease to be; and that their miseries, which have
already taken hold upon them, might not follow them
beyond the grave, into a state immortal.

But the soul that was created immortal that it might enjoy immortal bliss, though by continuance in sinning it hath lost its "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord;"3 yet its immortality remains, and it must remain an immortal being, liable, without faith and repentance in this life, to be immortally miserable in the next.

(1) Job, xv, 16. (2) Romans, vi, 23. (3) Heb. xii, 13.

MAN LIABLE TO MANY MISERIES.

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"The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.”1

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."2

"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."3

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal."4

As our Lord also shewed in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where Abraham is rendered saying, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."5

The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.'

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."7

CHAPTER VII.

God not the author of man's fall, but
of his recovery.

ALTHOUGH God is not the author of the fall of man, yet he is the author and first mover in man's recovery,

(1) Job, xxi, 30. (4) Mat. xxv. 46.

(2) Daniel, xii, 2. (5) Luke, xvi, 26. (7) 2 Peter, ii, 9.

(3) Mat. xxv. 41.
(6) John, v, 28, 29.

E

14 GOD THE AUTHOR OF MAN'S RECOVERY.

as the Lord said, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help."1 How much soever any may be sensible of the aforesaid deplorable state, yet have they not of themselves power to deliver themselves therefrom; so that they are under a great mistake, who judge that man, by his own strength and will, can return to his primitive purity, and so enjoy his primitive happiness; and by his own willing and running in this corrupt estate, obtain the favour of God again; there being a flaming sword set to keep unholy man from his former paradiseenjoyment, and all the blessings of the presence of

God there.

In this inexpressible misery man must for ever have remained, had not God, who delighteth in mercy, prepared a way for man's recovery; as well by redeeming him from this corrupt and captivated state, as by providing for him an atonement for his transgressions, and by both delivering him from wrath to come.

CHAPTER VIII.

How this recovery is wrought by Christ.

He that enjoys this complete redemption is a happy man, a Christian in life, though not so esteemed by many high professors; yet God knows who are his; and a goodly portion have they to whom the Lord is the lot of their inheritance.

(1) Hosea, xiii, 9.

SCRIPTURE NAMES OF CHRIST.

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And here it is very proper to show how, and by what this happiness is attained; and by what names in Holy Scripture that power is spoken of, which must begin, carry on, and effect this blessed work.

An early name we find given to it is, "The seed of the woman [that] shall bruise the serpent's head;"1 which, though commonly understood of Christ in the days of his flesh, and his wonderful patience, sufferings, conflict with satan, and his becoming an offering for sin; yet his unspeakable goodness and love to man was such, that he was both before, and is since his coming in the flesh, a mighty deliverer of his true Israel.

So that it is by him the serpent's head, the evil one's power in men, is bruised, and at last overcome, through Christ, who strengtheneth [his people] with might in their inward man.?

A Star."4

And in the prophecies of him, and promises con. cerning him, in the Holy Scriptures, he is spoken of by various names; as, by Jacob under the expression of Shiloh."3 By Moses, David, John the Evangelist, and Paul, The Word."5-By Isaiah and Paul, “ The Redeemer.”6—By Isaiah also, and by John the Evangelist, "A Light."-By Jeremiah, the dispensation of Christ is treated of under the term of New Covenant."8- By Daniel, “ A maker of an end of sin, and bringer in of everlasting righteousness."-By the Angel to Joseph, spoken of as "A Saviour to save his people from their sins."

10

(1) Genesis, ii, 15. (2) Ephes. iii, 16. (3) Gen xlix, 10. (4) Numb. xxiv, 17. (5) Deut. xxx, 11, 12, 13, 14; Psalm, exix, 11; John, i, 1; Rom. x, 8; 1 Pet. i, 25. (6) Isa. lix, 20; Rom. xi, 26. (7) Isa. xlix, 6; John, i, 6 to 10. (8) Jer. xxxi 31, 33. (9) Dan ix, 24, 25, 26. (10) Matt i, 21.