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of a sinner! By no means. The' law came | contrariety from the beginning to the end; in that sin might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Behold then, the ultimate effect of the law in the event, viz., the super-abounding of grace! See, in the following words: This ultimate effect in the event, to be also the ultimate end in the design; that as sin hath reigned unto death, so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life.

This then is the ultimate end of the law, of sin, of death, in the eternal design, and in the eternal event, the super-abounding of grace. Grace is the beginning of the design; and the end of the work, a transcendency of grace. Grace lays the scheme of the laws, of sin and death, that through these darknesses, blacknesses, and contrarieties, it may bring forth itself more triumphantly, with a more transcendent sweetness and glory: that it may swallow up the deformity, the guilt of sin, the terrors of the law, the horrors of death, into the beauties of a divine righteousness, into the joys of an eternal life in the bosom of an eternal love, overflowing all with a superabundant boundless excess. Thus, as hath been said, sin reigns unto death, but sin and death came in by the law. The law, together with these are brought in, in the way and passage to the grand design, which is the reign of free grace, of a divine love, by a divine righteousness, unto eternal life.

In the garden of the divine providences, and the divine works, every root, every principle hath its free scope, and its full force to unfold itself in all its several virtues, forms, and degrees, until it bring forth itself in its last and ripest fruit. Sin reigns unto death.

Thus a divine wisdom and power sets one thing over against another, displaying itself through all variety, that he who cometh after the king immortal and only wise, may find nothing to add to his work. But grace, the incorruptible beauty and purest sweetness of the God-head is the beginning, the way, and the end of the whole work, of the whole design. Thus grace runs all along undefiled, unmixed, irresistible, through all variety and

sweetly, wisely, strongly taking hold of all his works. It bringeth forth itself through all, it giveth measure and weight unto all, it formeth itself upon all, it bindeth up all at last, into one most divine harmony, into one most harmonious image of itself and of the divine essence; it turneth all into itself, as an endless glory to itself.

Who then, that is acquainted with God and knoweth him as he is love, can imagine, that God hath set up mutability, earthliness, a capacity of sinning and dying-that He hath suffered any thing of evil, of sin, of death, to come in upon that which is earthly, frail, and fading, and so leave his creation to be swallowed up and devoured by sin and death? No, he hath permitted all this; but with a design to stamp upon it the image and impression of eternal love and glory-to bring in Jesus Christ, and eternal life by him, in greater pomp and glory, with greater power and force, with greater joy and gladness, with a more transcendent victory and triumph. As sin and death were not brought in at first, so it is as certain they shall not be the end; for grace is the beginning of all-and the end must be grace also.

And now if we stumble at any part of this contrivance, it is because we cannot in one view behold the works of God, from its beginning, in its whole progress, unto its end. If we could in one view behold all his methods, how full of heavenly harmony are they! In what divine order are the links of the golden chain of His contrivance of grace fastened one to another, or within one another! All is love, from the beginning to the end; but it proceeds from the beginning to the end in so divine an order, as makes a pure and incorruptible beauty and majesty to shine forth from the whole, a most heavenly and divine melody to sound from all parts of it, charming and ravishing the pure senses of all holy and heavenly spirits!

I conclude what I have said from this scripture, and on this subject, with a most humble address to God.

379

THE AUTHOR'S PRAYER.

PARDON me, O my God, if in the contempla- the highest example to them of all the goodtion and experience of thy super abounding ness thou requirest us to show to one another. grace to myself, I have been transported in my I must believe then, thy grace will sooner or representation of thee beyond thy allowance. later super-abound, wherever sin hath most I think it impossible to exceed, when I am abounded; 'till I can think a little drop of admiring that grace of thinc, which is the being, and but one remove from nothing, can highest, the sweetest, the most exalted name excel in goodness that ocean of goodness of that love which is thyself, and the eternal which hath neither shore, bottom, nor surface. spring of all loves and loveliness. I presume Thou art goodness itself, in the abstract, in not to pry into the methods of thy love and thy seasons for the full manifestation of it. How far thy thoughts and ways, which are thy infinite wisdom, do transcend, I know not; but sure I am, they cannot fall short of the limited perfections of thy creatures. Thou hast in thy own first make, given me a nature all disposed to love. Thou hast by thy grace heightened and enlarged that love to all thy offspring, to every thing that bears any image or stamp of thyself upon it. I could not, as I ought to do, love thee, if I did not love thee wherever I find thee. Thou hast commanded me and all thine, to overcome all the evil of this lower world with good. No evil, no injury I have met with in this unkind world, for thy sake, or upon any other account whatsoever, hath yet exceeded my love and forgiveness. Yea, thou hast made it one of my highest pleasures to love and serve enemies. Can I then think any evil in any of thy crea- Amen. Hallelujah! tures can over set thy goodness? Thou art

its first spring, in its supreme and universal form and spirit. We must believe thee to be infinitely good-to be good without any measure or bound-to be good beyond all expression and conception of all creatures, of men and angels; or we must give over thinking thee to be at all. All the goodness which is every where to be found scattered among the creatures, is sent forth from thee, the fountain, the sea of all goodness. Into this sea of all goodness I deliver myself and all my fellowcreatures. Thon art love, and canst no more cease to be so, than to be thyself. Take thy own methods with us, and submit us to them. Well may we so do, in an assurance that the beginning, the way, and the end of them al! is love.

To the inexhaustible fountain of all grace and goodness, from all his creatures, be ascribed all glory and praise for ever and ever.

380

THE END.

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MR. PAINE,

IN ANSWER TO HIS PAMPHLET

ENTITLED

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