of Madness, or any other Disease, from SERM. IV. Father to Son; yet Man, without this Clue to unravel the Intricacies of his Nature, is a greater Mystery to himself, than the Tranfmiffion of Sin can be to him. Original Sin cannot be fo inconceivable by him, as he is by himself without it. For, pray obferve: It cannot enter into the Head of Man to conceive greater Inconfiftencies, Abfurdities, and Contrarieties; than he may find, if he looks honestly and fairly into it, in his own Heart. How many pious Refolutions he forms, which, perhaps, dye in Embryo, before they ripen into Birth; and yet how many foolish and vain Projects: His Thoughts now afpiring to, and grasping after, heavenly Happiness, and anon finking into the Dregs of Corruption! He is a strange Compound of Excellency and Baseness; of the Angel and the Brute; a motley Mixture of Knowledge and Ignorance, of Virtue and Vice, of Happiness and Mifery; the Flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; two fuch mortal Enemies, that they are continually jarring and oppofing each other; and yet two fuch dear Friends, that they dread a Separation from each other. Let

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SERM. IV.

Let then the Difficulties of the Fall be never fo great; yet there is no getting rid of them, but at the Expence of an Abfurdity, the greatest of Abfurdities, viz. that Creatures fo corrupt as we are, could be immediately formed by an infinitely perfect God, (who cannot behold Iniquity and Corruption with Pleafure) without any Contagion derived from, and tranfmitted to us by, our first Parents. Let a Man look within himself, and he will find, he will feel, a Demonftration of one Part of the Scriptures, the Truth of the Fall: Or, if he cannot fee it there, he will prove by his very Blindness the Truth which he denies. But if he admits this Part of the Scriptures to be true, I cannot perceive, why he fhould demur as to the reft. For there is no Part of them which is attended with

greater Difficulties. "I appeal (fays a

lively Writer) to yourself, in your own "Degree of Goodness, if you could create

your own Children, whether you would "not create them in a better State, and "with less of Evil, than that in which

you was born yourself. Therefore, only fuppofing God to have your Degree of Goodness, he could not have created "the

3.

the firft Man, from whom your Nature SERM.IV. " is derived, in the State that you are; "and therefore, fuppofing him only to be good, you have fufficient Proof; but fuppofing him to be, what he undoubtedly is, infinitely good, you have a full Demonftration, that you are a fallen Creature, or not in that State in which "God created you."

What remains, but that we ftrive to recover that Happinefs by thinking foberly, which our firft Parents forfeited by ambitious and afpiring Thoughts. Humility is the Valley, in which Benevolence (and every other Virtue) delights to grow. For whatever Profeflions of Benevolence proud Men may make; Pride and Benevolence are utterly inconfiftent. He, who is big with the Sentiments of his Dignity, must have an Averfion to thofe, who do not feem to have as exalted an Opinion of him, as he has of himself. Now, as none can think as extravagantly of a proud Man, as he thinks of himself; the Confequence is, that he muft hate all Mankind, except a few Flatterers. He must be angry with thofe, who do not proportion their Regard to his imaginary Deferts, which it is impoffible to do.

SERM. V. For though it be no difficult Matter to dif

cern how much Merit another Man really has; it is not quite fo eafy to determine, how much he may imagine himself to have. Therefore no proud Person can be a benevolent and moral Man; and no humble Perfon brought up in the Chriftian and Proteftant Religion, one would be apt to think, can be a mere moral Man. For he, who is humble, will not truft in his own Righteousness, or make any proud Pretenfions to exalted Worth. The Confideration and Senfe of his Unworthinefs, will difpofe him to accept the Offers of Salvation by Jefus Chrift, and make him endeavour to fulfil the Terms of it. He, who has no high Notions of his own Merits, will be glad to be accepted by those of his blessed Saviour,

SERMON

SERMON V.

On the REDEMPTION.

In Two SERMONS.

Preached, in Part, at the Lady Moyer's Lecture, in the Year 1733; and, fince that Time, confiderably altered.

I PETER III. 18.

Chrift alfo hath once fuffered for Sins, the Just for the Unjust, that he might bring us unto God.

W

'HAT is faid of the great Duties SERM. V. of Morality, and the Difference between Virtue and Vice, viz. Afk your own Heart, and Nothing is fo plain: It is to mistake them cofts the Pain and Time; may, with a little Variation, be applied to the fundamental Doctrines of Christianity,

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