the same doctrines. God never wrought miracles to prove the difference between good and evil: and I suppose, if any man were asked how he proves temperance or chastity to be duties, murder or adultery to be sins, he would not recur to miracles for an argument. These and the like duties are enforced in the gospel, but were always truths and duties before our Saviour's coming: and we are in possession of them without the help of miracles or revelation. And these are the doctrines by which we try the miracles.

But the doctrines which are to be proved by miracles, are the new revealed doctrines of Christianity, which were neither known or knowable to the reason of man: such are the doctrines of salvation and redemption by Christ, of sanctification and regeneration by the Spirit of God: and whoever yet brought these doctrines to prove the truth or divine original of the miracles?

I shall only add, that what has been said, it concerns those chiefly to consider who hold fast and admire the principles of natural religion, but despise or overlook the proofs of Christianity. If they will but consider the tendency of their own principles, they are not far from the kingdom of God: for the same reasons that oblige them to believe in God, oblige them to believe in Christ also. And as we have one God the Father of all, so should we have one faith, and one Lord, even Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of us all. And let them take heed, that, having been made partakers of so much grace, to the acknowlegement of the one true God, they fall not the more irrecoverably under condemnation by obstinately refusing to acknowlege his only and eternal Son, Jesus Christ the righteous.

SUMMARY OF DISCOURSE XI.

PSALM VIII.-VERSE 4.

THE reflexion of the text naturally suggested by a consideration of the care of Providence, exemplified either in the works of nature or of grace.

In the works of nature the

glories of the heavens and the earth, plainly intended for our benefit, naturally lead us to wonder at the goodness of God in thus providing for beings so insignificant. The same reflexion may be made on the works of grace. Why should God continue his care towards sinful and disobedient creatures, and not only forgive them, but send his own Son to redeem them with his blood? These reflexions, which should naturally lead us to adore God's goodness, sometimes induce men to suspect the truth of the whole history of the redemption: their reasoning on this point shown to be erroneous; it being as hard to conceive that God should create this world for creatures like us, as it is that he should send his Son to redeem us: since it was as agreeable to God's goodness to make such creatures, it was consistent also that he should exert his power to save them. It is shown that a great opinion of ourselves and of the figure we make in the universe would be injurious to reliligion, serving only to exclude a sense of dependence and gratitude to God. The Psalmist's reflexion in the text evinces a sense of dependence on God, admiration of his mercies, and a consciousness of unworthiness: yet it has been used to other purposes; and as it has been said that the great works of nature are too wonderful to have been formed for so inconsiderable a part of creation as the race of men, so also, with re

gard to the work of our redemption, that the end is not proportionate to the stupendous means used to attain it. It is considered whether these reflexions be a sufficient ground for questioning the truth of the gospel. Are we proper judges in this matter? Although in human affairs we may form a judgment by comparing the means and the end, and knowing the power of the agent, yet this will not apply to the works of nature, where the power of the agent is infinite; and as we cannot perfectly comprehend the end proposed, we are not qualified to judge rightly in the case before us: as all things are equally easy to be effected by God, we act most absurdly when we pretend to judge of his works by comparing them with the ends which we can discover to be served by them. This reasoning equally strong when applied to the works of grace. The wonders of the redemption are great and mysterious to us; but nothing is difficult with God. In judging of this matter we are also liable to fall into the error of supposing that we are the only persons concerned in the redemption, which, however immediately it concerns us, is intimated in many parts of Scripture to be adapted to answer the general ends of God's government in the universal moral world. The propriety of this will not be discovered by us, till we are enabled by a clearer light to see the whole scheme of Providence together. It has been shown that the objections against God's government in the natural and moral world, founded on the disproportion between the means used and the ends proposed, arise from the shortsightedness of men, and their propensity to judge on subjects on which they are ill-informed. It is considered whether the

reflexions which have given rise to these objections do not admit of very different conclusions. Since God has provided abundantly for us in this life, it is reasonable to infer from thence that he will also provide for our well-being as moral and religious creatures. This shown also to be consistent with what the gospel has revealed to us. If we consider the ad

vantages we enjoy from the works of nature, and

compare them with the greater works of grace manifested in the gospel, it will appear that the methods of Providence, by which we hope to be saved, and which we have from revelation, are liable to no other objections than those are by which we live and which we see daily with our eyes. In both cases we may justly express ourselves in the words of the text.

DISCOURSE XI.

PSALM VIII.-VERSE 4.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

WHEN we consider the care of Providence over the children of men, as it is manifested either in the works of nature or of grace, we naturally fall into the reflexion of the text, and wonder to see so much done for men, who seem to have no merit or desert equal to the concern showed for them. If we look up to the heavens, and view the sun, moon, and stars, and consider the power by which these mighty bodies were formed, the wisdom and contrivance by which their motions are regulated and adjusted; we see plainly, by the benefit we receive from them, that they were intended for our service and yet what are we that we should be so served? If we look round this earth, the place of our habitation, we find it filled with many kinds of creatures, and adorned by the bountiful hand of nature, as if it were meant to be a seat of pleasure and happiness; and we are sure that this part of the world at least, was made for the benefit of man : here he is lord, and has dominion over the works of God; for on earth there is no creature to rival him in power or wisdom, or that can challenge any share of authority with him. But this lord of the earth, does he not come into it helpless? is he not wretched whilst he is in it, and oftentimes miserable when he is to go out of it? What must we say then? that this noble palace was erected and adorned merely to be turned into an hospital to receive the blind and the lame, the diseased in body and mind; to be the seat of him who is like a thing of nought, and his days like a shadow that passeth away.'