For 'tis certain, according to all the natural Notions of our Mind, That it is just for God to punish Sinners: 'Tis likewise certain, That God can do nothing but what is just: If therefore he forgives Sinners, and receives them to Mercy, and remits their Punishment; 'tis then certain, That 'tis juft for God in this Circumftance not to punish Sinners. Now, Reason cannot comprehend how it fhould, with respect to the fame individual Sinners, be just to punish, and just not to punish them. If it be not just to punish Sinners, there wants no Reconcilement for Sinners; and, if it be not just not to punish

them, no Reconcilement can be had, for 'tis contrary to the Nature of God to do what is not juft. The fame Argument lies from all the Attributes of the Deity, which are at all concerned in the Redemption of Mankind: His Wifdom and Holiness, and even his Mercy, are as indifcernible as his Justice. Now try how far Reason can go towards discovering the Means of Reconcilement : Lay down first these certain and allowed Principles; That it is just for God to punish Sinners, That God can do nothing but what is juft And try how you can come at the other Conclufion, which must be the Foundation of a Sinner's Reconcilement to

God;

God; namely, That it is juft for God not to punish Sinners, and righteous in him to receive them to Favour. If Reafon cannot discover nor comprehend how both these Propofitions fhould be true at the fame time with refpect to the fame Perfons, 'tis impoffible that it should discover or comprehend the Means which God makes ufe of to reconcile himself to Sinners; that is, it is impoffible for God to make use of any Means that are not mysterious, that is, above the Reach and Comprehenfion of humanWisdom.

the

This Difficulty muft for ever remain, as long as we attempt to scan the divine Juftice by our narrow Conceptions of it; And this is very Difficulty that makes many Things in the Gospel to be myfterious. The Scripture tells us, That God has been reconciled to Sinners by the Death of Chrift,- That be made Atonement for the Sins of the whole World. These are great Myfteries: We cannot fee that there is any Proportion between the Sufferings of one and the Sins of all; or, if there were, we cannot fee the Juftice of laying the Sins of the Wicked upon the innocent Head. If we could fee the Reasons upon which the Justice of God proceeds in this Cafe, here would be no Mystery;

Mystery: And therefore the Mysteriousness of the whole Proceeding arifes only from hence, That our finite Minds cannot comprehend the Reafons and Limits of the divine Juftice. Moft certain it is, That, if God be reconciled to Sinners, Satisfaction must be made to his Juftice; for he may as well cease to be God, as to be just. Whatever Satisfaction is made, it must be founded in the Reasons of his own Juftice, that is, of Justice directed by infinite Wisdom. The Reasons of fuch Justice we cannot comprehend; and therefore we must either be faved by Means that are mysterious to us, or God must give us infinite Wisdom to comprehend the Reason of his Justice. You fee then, that from this Notion of Religion, confidered as containing the Means by which God reconciled himself to the World, 'tis fo far from being abfurd to suppofe it in fome Parts myfterious, that it is not poffible it should be otherwise.

To redeem the World is the Work of God: He only could find the Means of Reconciliation, and he only could apply them: 'Tis our Part merely to accept them, and to obey the Terms and Conditions upon which he offers them. Religion therefore, which is founded upon Redemption, must

F

needs

1

needs confift of these two Parts; An Account of the Redemption wrought by God, and Inftructions to Men upon what Terms they may reap the Benefit of the Redemption. As far as our Part goes in the Gofpel, there is nothing mysterious; we have nothing to do for ourfelves, but what we very well know how to do. As to the other Parts of the Gofpel, we are not required to comprehend and account for God's Methods of Salvation, but only to accept them; which, as I before observed, are two distinct Acts of the Mind, and not dependent upon each other. As for the Work of God in our Redemption, 'tis indeed wonderful and myfterious: And why fhould it seem strange to you, that it is fo? Are there any other Works of God which are not mysterious? Confider the Creation and Formation of this World; confider the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, the Works of his Hand; tell me by what fecret Power they move, by what Rule their different Motions were at first impreffed, and by what Secret in Nature or Providence ever fince preferved. Or, if you think it hard to be fent to confider the Heavens at a Distance, do but confider the Earth, and the meaneft Creatures of it: Can you tell how they are formed? how they live, and move, and have

their Being? Nay, can you name that Work of God, which is not mysterious? Is there any thing in Nature, the first Principles of which you can discover and fee into? If in all the Works of God there is no fuch Thing, why fhould we think it ftrange, that in his Work of Redemption he has appeared fo like himself, and that in this, as in every Thing elfe, bis Ways are past finding out? We live by the Preservation of Providence, and enjoy the Comforts and Pleasures of this Life; and yet how myfte

rious is our Prefervation! How little do we know of the Methods by which we are preserved! and yet the Benefits of it we enjoy, notwithstanding our Ignorance of the Means And why is it a greater Abfurdity to fuppofe that Men may be redeemed, without comprehending all the Means made use of in their Redemption? In all other Inftances whatever, the Miraculoufnefs of an Escape adds to the Pleasure and Joy of it, and is always remembered with a kind of Ecstasy in the Relation. Salvation is the only Instance in which Men demur upon the Means, and are unwilling to receive the Mercy, because they cannot understand the Methods of obtaining it. In any other Cafe F 2 a Man