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that more excellent way, which the fame bleffed Apostle fhew'd us *; that Bond of Perfection, which he has fo earnestly exhorted us to put on above all things; which he has taught us to esteem above all Faith, and Knowledge; and even the best miraculous Gifts.

But though the Face of Christianity be still miferably darken'd, and deform'd, (of which more below;) though fome Nations feem to be in their Childhood yet, and cannot receive it; and others grow fo vicious, as to be rather inclined to reject it: though in fome Ages it feems to be quite hid in Darkness, and funk under Ignorance, and Superftition; in others, born down with the Torrent of Lewdness, and Libertinifm: though like the Sea, it have its Ebbs and Flows, and leave fome Lands, to gain on others; nay, though fometimes it seem to be at a general stand; and even retreating: yet, nevertheless, we have reafon to conclude, that upon the whole, its motion is progreffive; and that each very Lett tends, in the main, to accelerate this Progrefs, (as was observed in the beginning;) that its Power is still visibly, or invifibly, enlarging over the World; and that it will always go on to do fo, till the Kingdom of Christ be fully come; till it be within us, and known by all, from the leaft to the greatest; till the Everlasting Gospel + go forth, and be fo thoroughly understood and embraced, as to bring

mand of their Master, have endeavoured prefumptuously to annex, by their own Authority, to his Doctrines, and to his Laws.' Id. Serm. 80. p. 525. Fol. Ed. Dubl.

1 Cor. 12.31. 1 Coloff. 3. 14.

+ Rev. 14.6.

on

on the Fulness of the Gentiles; and by their meansthe Restoration of God's own People, the Jews; as he has often foretold": and fo the whole Earth fhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Sea..

From the whole we have reafon to conclude, that the Objection mentioned in the beginning of thefe Difcourfes, is abfolutely groundless; that there is nothing in the time and manner of the Chriftian Difpenfation inconfiftent with infinite Wisdom, and Goodnefs: that God is by no means partial, or arbitrary in the diftribution of his Bleffings; but at all times takes care of all Mankind; and that this great fcheme of Revelation was contriv'd, and carried on, in the best manner, for the World in general: which ought chiefly to be regarded by us, as it is in the Eye of our common Father. When we come to particular Ages, and Nations, it is the fame as with particular Perfons,. the fame Benefits are not, cannot be conferr'd on all; and the Difpenfations of Religion, are perfect-, ly analogous to thofe of Providence in the conftant course of both the natural, and the moral World; and these perhaps are capable of being fhown to be the best upon the whole; as may in part appear from the former Difcourfeb. If Chrift

a See the Texts above, p. 169. Many more to the fame purpose are collected in a Note to Part 2. c. 11. p. 187. Fol. of Kidder's Dem. To which may be added Whitby App. to Comm. on Rom. 11. and Treatife on the true Millen. c. 2. Burnet App. De Stat. Mort. Worthington's Ellay, p. 295. Taylor on Rom. 11.26. p. 344. Lowth on Ifai. c. 11. v.il. comp. Fortin Rem. on E. H. V. 3. p. 423, &c.

b See this more at large in Bp. Butler's Analogy, Part2. c. 6, &c.

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was to come once for all, he must appear in fome particular Time, and Place; which could not be equally near to all the fucceffive Generations of Mankind; nor could all have the fame Privileges, of feeing and converfing with him in the Flefh: and as they are blessed who have not seen, and yet believed; fo are they too, most undoubtedly, (though perhaps in a lower degree) who having not fo much as heard of Chrift, are yet in a good measure qualified to receive his Doctrine, were it delivered to them.

The great Scheme of our Redemption in Chrift, was laid before the World began*; and if we take the account which itself gives of its Design, we shall find the greatest of its Benefits extended to all Mankind; namely, the Covenant for reftoring the whole Pofterity of Adam, to that Immortality which he forfeited. The GIFT OF GOD is eternal Life, through Jefus Christ our Lord+. Or, eternal Life is not in any refpect a Property of our own Nature, as derived from Adam; but an additional Privilege conferr'd by God, as the purchase of our Saviour and Redeemer Chrift. Death was abolish'd, and Life and Incorruptibility, or a Life in Incorruption ‡, fix'd in the Divine Decrees from the Beginning, in view of Chrift's

Eph. 1.4. Col. 1.26. Tit. 1.2. 1 Pet. 1.20.

+ Rom. 6. 23. comp. 5.15. and Hallet's Obfervat. V. 1. p. 326, &c. or Layton's Tracts 2 Vs. 4to.

b Aplagosa, 2 Tim. 1. 10. i.e. of the Body raifed, 1 Cor.15. 52. That the Chriftian Revelation lays the chief, if not the whole ftrefs on the Refurrection, is plain from the Texts cited to that purpose by Dr. Benfon on 1 The.4.13. p.56. fee more in the last Difc.

‡ 1 Cor.15.42, 53, 54•

future

future Ranfom; though not fo fully brought to Light, or publifh'd to the World in general, till the actual Accomplishment of it by him, in our own Nature. As to any particular Privileges that can be supposed to be annex'd to the bare Belief in him, or explicit Profeffion of it; we have Reafon to think, that no lefs were enjoy'd by those good Men of old, who by the dim Light of Prophecy, or Tradition, beheld his Day, and rejoiced in it; who faw thefe Promises afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them*. Faith in him to come was the fame, in proportion to the Evidence, as in him paft; and must be equally meritorious. Nor have we any reafon to doubt, but that the fame Benefits, in kind at least, whatever they be, might accrue from a pious Prefigu ration of his Death, with a lively Faith, in Sacri fice; as now do from remembering it, in the fame manner, in his Holy Supper. So far then it might be the fame when ever he came.

And when we speak of the Chriftian Scheme being abfolutely neceffary to Salvation, we underftand Salvation in the Scripture Sense of that Word; as implying a particular State, and Degree of Happiness; or as the Chriftian's Heaven; not as the fole Condition of enjoying everlasting

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c Matt. 20.28. Mark 10.45. Rev. 13.8. Acts 15.11, 18. Heb.9.15. Gal.3.17. Eph.1.4. 1 Tim. 2.5,6. 2 Tim. 1.9.

I Pet. 1.20.

*Heb. 11.13. Gal.3.8.

See Dr. Denne's Serm. before the Soc. for Prop. G. p. 53, &c. or Williams, B. Lect. S. 8. p. 232, 233. Fol.

+ P. 39.

b See Rymer's Represent. of Rev. Rel. p. 104. or Whitby on Rom. 2. 14.

M 2

Life;

L

Life; or as neceffary, in all Men, to the avoiding abfolute Mifery; or escaping the pains of Hell. He has told us, that in his Father's House are many Manfions; States fuited to every Degree of Holinefs, and Virtue; and as it often appears, that Men under very different Difpenfations here, differ but almost infenfibly from each other, in the abovemention'd Qualifications; can we conceive, that their States of Retribution fhall be fo infinitely different hereafter, as thofe of Heaven, and Hell, are commonly believ'd to be? No doubt, there are great Advantages, and fure Promises, belonging to those who have been so happy as to be included in the Chriftian Covenant; and hold it in Faith, and Purity. But let not fuch exclude others from the Mercies of their common Lord; or murmur at the good Man of the houfe, if these also receive every man his Penny *. Whether they shall not sometime hereafter be call'd into the Vineyard, and at length become acquainted with that Perfon who has done fo great things for them, as well as usa; or what Amends may be made them for the Want of thofe fingular Advantages which we here enjoy; is known only to that God of all Mercies, in whofe Hands they are. What our Saviour faid of the Gentiles, in Contradiftinction to the Jews, may be no less true perhaps between Chriftians, and the rest of the World, that never heard of Christ, but yet are prepared to enter, and in a good measure worthy to be admitted into his

Matth. 20.

a See Stainoe's Enquiry into the State of thofe Men in another Life, who never heard of Chrift in this, from Rev. 20.

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