But what are the works of the devil here mentioned? How was the Son of God manifefted, to destroy them? And, how, in what manner, and by what steps, does he actually destroy them? These three very important points we may confider in their order.

whofoever finneth, feeth him He that committeth fin is of

I. And, first, what thefe works of the devil are, we learn from the words preceding and following the text. We know that he was manifefted, to take away our fins, ver. 5. Whofoever abideth in him, finneth not; not, neither knoweth him, ver. 6. the devil; for the devil finneth from the beginning. For this purpose was the Son of God manifefted, that he might destroy the works of the devil, ver. 8. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, ver. 9. From the whole of this it appears, that the works of the devil here fpoken of, are fin and the fruits of fin.

2. But fince the wifdom of God has now diffipated the clouds which fo long covered the earth, and put an end to the childish conjectures of men, concerning these things, it may be of use, to take a more distinct view of thefe works of the devil, fo far as the oracles of God inftruct ns. It is true, the defign of the Holy Spirit, was to affift our Faith, not gratify our curiofity. And therefore the account he has given in the firft chapters of Genefis, is exceeding fhort. Nevertheless it is fo clear, that we may learn therefrom whatsoever it concerns us to know.

3. To take the matter from the beginning, The Lord God, (literally Jehovah, the Gods; that is, One and three) created man in his own image: in his own natural image (as to his better part) that is, a Spirit, as God is a Spirit: endued with Understanding, which if not the effence, feems to be the most effential property of a Spirit. And probably the human spirit, like the angelical, then difcerned Truth by intuition. Hence he named every creature as soon as he faw it, according to its inmost nature. Yet his knowledge was limited, as he was a

creature: ignorance therefore was infeparable from him. But error was not: it does not appear that he was mistaken in any thing. But he was capable of mistaking, of being deceived, although not neceffitated to it.

4. He was endued alfo with a Will, with various affections, (which are only the will exerting itself various ways,), that he might love, defire and delight in that which is good; otherwife his understanding had been to no purpose. He was likewife endued with Liberty, a power of chufing what was good, and refufing what was not fo. Without this, both the Will and the Understanding would have been utterly useless. Indeed without Liberty man had been fo far from being a Free-Agent that he could have been no Agent at all. For every unfree Being is purely paffive, not active in any degree. Have you a fword in your hand? Does a man ftronger than you feize your hand, and force you to wound a third perfon? In this you are no Agent, any more than the fword: the hand is as paffive as the fteel. So in every poffible cafe. He that is not free, is not an Agent, but a Patient. a

5. It seems therefore, that every Spirit in the universe, as fuch, is endued with Understanding, and in confequence with a Will, and with a measure of Liberty: and that these three are infeparably united, in every intelligent nature. And obferve: Liberty neceffitated, or over-ruled, is really no liberty at all. It is a contradiction in terms. It is the fame as unfree Freedom: that is, downright nonsense.

6. It may be farther obferved, (and it is an important obfervation,) that where there is no Liberty, there can be no Moral Good or Evil, no Virtue or Vice. The fire warms us, yet it is not capable of virtue; it burns us; yet this is no vice. There is no virtue, but where an intelligent being knows, loves and chufes what is good: nor is there any vice, but where fuch a being knows, loves and chufes what is evil.

7. And God created man, not only in his natural, but likewife in his own moral image. He created him not only in

knowledge,

knowledge, but alfo in righteousness and true holiness. As his understanding was without blemish, perfect in its kind, fo were all his affections. They were all fet right, and duly exercifed on their proper objects. And as a free Agent, he fteadily chofe whatever was good, according to the direction of his understanding. In fo doing he was unspeakably happy, dwelling in God and God in him, having an uninterrupted fellowship with the Father and the Son, through the eternal Spirit. And the continual, teftimony of his confcience, that all his ways were good and acceptable to God.

8. Yet his liberty, (as was obferved before) neceffarily included, a power of chufing or refufing either good or evil, Indeed it has been doubted, whether man could then chufe evil, knowing it to be fuch. But it cannot be doubted, he might mistake evil for good. He was not infallible; therefore not impeccable. And this unravels the whole difficulty of the grand queflion, Unde Malum? "How came evil into the world?" It came from Lucifer, fan of the morning: it was the work of the devil. For the devil, faith the Apoftle, finneth from the beginning; that is, was the first finner in the univerfe; the author of fin; the first being, who, by the abuse of his liberty, introduced evil into the creation.

He, "of the first,

"If not the first Arch-angel,"

was felf-tempted to think too highly of himself. He freely. yielded to the temptation, and gave way firft to Pride, then to Se'f-will. He faid, I will fit upon the fides of the North: I will be like the most High. He did not fall alone: but foon drew after him a third part of the stars of heaven: in confequence of which, they loft their glory and happiness, and were driven from their former habitation.

9. Having great wrath, and perhaps envy at the happiness of the creatures whom God had newly created, it is not

Atrange,

ftrange, that he should defire and endeavour to deprive them of it. In order to this, he concealed himself in the Serpent, who was the most fubtil, or intelligent, of all the brute creatures, and on that account, the leaft liable to raise suspicion. Indeed fome have (not improbably) fuppofed, that the serpent was then endued with Reafon and Speech. Had not Eve known he was fo, would fhe have admitted any parley with him? Would she not have been frighted, rather than deceived? (as the Apoftle obferves fhe was.) To deceive her, Satan mingled truth with falfehood: Hath God faid, ye may not eat of every tree of the garden? And foon after perfuaded her to difbelieve God, to fuppofe his threatening fhould not be fulfilled. She then lay open to the whole temptation; to the defire of the flesh; for the tree was good for food: to the defire of the eyes; for it was pleasant to the eyes; and to the pride of life; for it was to be defired to make one wife, and consequently honoured. So Unbelief begot Pride. She thought herself wifer than God, capable of finding a better way to happiness than God had taught her. It begot Self-will: fhe was determined to do her own will, not the will of him that made her. It begot foolish Defires, and compleated all by outward Sin : She took the fruit, and did eat.

And in

10. She then gave to her husband and he did eat. that day, yea that moment he died. The life of God was ex

tinguished in his foul. The glory departed from him. He loft the whole moral image of God, righteoufnefs and true holiness. He was unholy; he was unhappy: he was full of fin, full of guilt and tormenting fears. Being broke off from God, and looking upon him now as an angry Judge, he was afraid. But how was his understanding darkened, to think he could hide himself from the prefence of the Lord, among the trees of the garden? Thus was his foul utterly dead to God! And in that day his body likewife began to die: became obnoxious to weakness, fickness, pain: all preparatory to the death of the body, which naturally led to eternal death.

[To be concluded in our next.]

Some

Some Account of Mr. DUNCAN WRIGHT.

[Wrote by himself.]

Was born, May 1736, in the Kirktown of Fortingale, near the river Lyon, and not far from the lovely banks of the "Soft winding Tay," Breadalbin, Perthshire.

I claim kindered to the Stuarts, M'Donalds, and M'Gregor's families; perhaps more famed in story for martial exploits, than for any extraordinary attainments in religion.

It might have been better for me to have had a hardy, Highland education; but of this I was deprived by the re moval of my Parents to Edinburgh, when I was very young. Here I had the best education my Father could give me, who was my only Schoolmafter. He was esteemed a pretty good fcholar; but I doubt knew little of the life and power of religion. Yet he prayed with us at times, made us learn the Affembly's Shorter Catechifm, and took care of us to the best of his knowledge. I loft him early, which was a lofs indeed! For my Mother being too eafy and indulgent, let us have our own way, which led us to all the follies and fins we were capable of. I do not remember that any creature took any pains to instruct me till I was near twenty years of age; but old Lady D. of Prefton-Field, who at times, advifed me as well as she could. And yet the the Lord did not leave me without drawings from above: for having a bookish inclination, I read, and wept very often till my head ached, and hardly knew what ailed me. Only I wanted to be a Chriftian, and to be eafy and happy, but knew not how. Had any