has killed himself, to perform that, after he is dead, which is only performable when, or if alive. And, if duty is thus naturally and necessarily connected with, and dependent upon, fuitable and fufficient power for the performance of it, fo that the former cannot be without the latter, which evidently appears to be the cafe; then, to fuppofe that it may be, and is, a man's duty to do what he has not fufficient power for the performance of, this must needs be an abfurd, groundless, and falfe fuppofition. And, if the fuppofition, upon which the forementioned doctrine of grace feems, at least, to be founded, is groundless and false; then, the doctrine itself feems to want a proper foundation; because it feems quite fuperfluous, and thereby it becomes very unlikely, that God should interpofe and communicate power to men, for the performance of their duty, when they have fufficient power to do their duty, antecedent to fuch his interpofition. Does it not seem quite prepofterous, for a rich man to defire and pray to God to give him ability to do his duty, as a rich man ; when the riches he is already in the possesfion of is that very ability by which he is to do his duty, as a rich man? The cafe is the fame

fame in all other inftances of duty. And if special grace is fuperfluous, as it must needs be; then, this seems to be a weighty objection against the truth of that doctrine.

THE truth of the case seems plainly to be this; men are a fpecies of creatures, who are constituted of various parts and powers, by which they are rendered capable of anfwering worthy purposes upon this globe; and as the parts and powers, of which men are constituted, are not all equal, but are different in different perfons, fo their respective duties, and the purposes they are to ferve, vary and are different alfo. And tho' men are fubject to many wants; yet, they cannot poffibly want ability to do their duty; because, in whatsoever state they are, their duty will be proportionate to the ability they have for the performance of it. And tho' men are furrounded with manifold temptations, that is, there will many things take place, which will become excitements to men to break thro' the line of their duty; yet, as these are excitements only, and do not put a force upon nature, so every man must have fufficient power, either to comply with, or to reject thefe excitements; and confequently, is at liberty whether he will break thro' the

line

line of his duty, or not; because in every instance, where, and fo far as,nature is forced, in fuch inftances men are not tempted, but over-ruled, they do not act, but are acted upon; and therefore, in those cases, duty is quite out of the queftion. And, as to the term self, if by it is meant all the parts and powers of which each individual is conftituted, exclufive of that principle of freedom or agency, by which thofe parts and powers are to be directed; then, and in this view of the case, self is the work of God, and cannot be confidered abftractedly from it; fo that whatever a man does, he does it by the ability that God giveth, and God is all in all. If a man lifts up his hand, or his foot, or performeth any other action, whatever purpose the action is made to ferve, he does it from a power derived from his Maker; and the power, by which fuch action is performed, is as much, and as truly derived from God, as if it were fupernatural. And, as all the parts and powers, which constitute each individual, is each individual felf; so each individual is felf-fufficient for the performance of every thing, which is within the compass of that felf-power, without any other help. Thus, a man who abounds in

4

riches, is felf-fufficient, for the relief of the poor, as far as his riches enable him so to do. And thus, a man who has health of body, and the use of his limbs, is felf-fufficient for walking; that is, he is able, of himself, to remove himself, from one place to another, without any other help; and, indeed, without any other, or farther, power or help from God, than what refults from his frame and conftitution. How idle and ridiculous muft it therefore be, for the advocates of fpecial grace, by mere dint of afurance, to run down the doctrine of felf-fufficiency, as they are pleased to call that fufficient ability a man has, and of neceffity must have to do his duty; as if the very supposition of such sufficiency was a most monstrous thing! If by felf is meant the exercife of human agency, by which each individual felf does, of itself, voluntarily chufe either rightly to ufe, or flothfully to neglect, or wickedly to abuse, the various parts and powers of which his conftitution is compounded; then, and in that view of the cafe, self may, without any great impropriety, be confidered abstractedly from the work of God, as aforefaid; and then, as felf, when it wickedly abuses the human powers, by applying them

to

to base purposes, does thereby of, and from itself, independent of any immediate act of the Deity, render itself a bafe and evil creature, and does thereby, of itself, become justly defpifeable and condemnable; fo, in like manner, when felf rightly directs the human powers to answer the worthy purposes they were intended to ferve, then, it does of and from it self, independent of any immediate act of the Deity, render itself a worthy and good creature, and does thereby, of itself, become justly approveable and commendable. And, in this view of the cafe, each individual felf is to be confidered good, or bad, as of itself, abstractedly from, and independent of the work of God; because God leaves each individual felf perfectly at liberty to direct his work, viz. the parts and powers of the human constitution, to anfwer good, or bad purposes, as it pleases; of which the cafe would be equally the fame, fuppofing any supernatural power were added, whilft felf is at liberty to use that power well, or ill. Thus, the member of the body called the tongue, is wholly the work and gift of God, together with the self-moving power, or ability, to use it; but then, each individual is perfectly at liberty, in the application