ingly find a lesson of obedience* prescribed them imme. diately on their coming into existence. A law, to all ap pearance, very easy to keep. Only to abstain wholly from one particular indulgence, being at liberty, within the bounds of moderation, with respect to others. In the state of things at that time, it would not have been easy to prescribe a particular trial, which should not turn upon the government of passion or appetite. Being the only two on the face of the earth, they could not be guilty of a breach of duty to fellow-creatures. And with the fre quent intercourse, scripture gives us reason to think, they had with angels, and celestial beings, they could hardly bring themselves to any positive violation of their duty to God; and were under no temptation to neglect it. That they should fall into this fatal transgression of the first law given for trial of their obedience, was to be expected from beings newly created, and wholly unexperienced and uns principled. Thus we see, that young children have no fixed principles sufficient to prevent their yielding to temptation for virtue is an attachment to rectitude, and abhorrence of all moral evil, arising from reason, experi ence, and habit. But though this, and other deviations from obedience, were to be expected from the first of mankind, it does not foliow, that such deviations were wholly innocent. Pitiable undoubtedly their case was, and the rather, in that they were misled by temptation from a wicked being more experienced than themselves. Accordingly their case, and that of the rest of the species, has found such pity, and such interpositions have been made in their favour, as we have reason, from scripture, to suppose other offending orders of beings, particularly the fallen angels, have not been favoured with. For it is expressly said, that nothing equivalent to the christian scheme restoration and salvation has been planned out in favour of them; but that they are left to the consequences of their disobedience.

The natural tendency of the least deviation from moral rectitude is so dreadfully and extensively fatal, as to render it highly necessary that the righteous Governor of the World should inflict some signal and permanent mark of

This point is not here stated as the author now thinks it ought. See the note, page 253.

his displeasure on the occasion of the first transgression of the first of the species. As a wise father, who has found his child once guilty of a breach of truth, or any other foul crime, seems at first to disbelieve it, and then punishes him with the loss of his favour for a very long time after, and otherwise; in such a manner as may be likely to make a lasting impression on his mind, and deter him from a repetition of his fault. Scripture informs us, accordingly, that immediately upon the first offence, the transgressors, and in them the whole species, were sunk, from their natural immortality, and condemned to a state obnoxious to death.

Whether eating the forbidden fruit was not the natural as well as judicial cause of disease and death, it is needless to dispute but what is said of the tree of life in the book of Genesis, and afterwards in the Apocalypse, as if it were a natural antidote, or cure for mortality, and the means of preserving life, is very remarkable.

Death, the consequence of the first transgression, and which has been merited by innumerable succeeding offences, was pronounced upon mankind, on purpose to be to all ages a standing memorial of the Divine displea sure against disobedience. With the same view also, scripture informs us, the various natural evils, of the barrenness of the earth, inclement seasons, and the other grievances, under which nature at present groans, were inflicted; that men might no where turn their eyes or their thoughts, where they should not meet a caveat against vice and irregularity,

Here I cannot help observing, by the by, in how ridic ulous a light the scripture account of the fatal and important consequences of the first transgression shows the usual superficial apologies made by wretched mortals in excuse of their vices and follies. One crime is the effect of thoughtlessness. They did not, forsooth, consider how bad such an action was. Another is a natural action. Drunkenness is only an immoderate indulgence of a natural appetite; and so on. Have such excuses as these been thought sufficient in the case before us? The eating of the forbidden fruit was only indulging a natural appetite directly contrary to the Divine command. And it is very likely, that our first parents did not duly attend to all the probable consequences of their transgression. But nei

ther of these apologies, nor the inexperience of the offenders, nor their being overcome by temptation, were sufficient to avert the Divine displeasure, the marks of which, we and our world bear to this hour. Disobedience to a known law given by our Creator and Governor, is always to be looked upon with horror. And no false apology ought to be thought of: for we may assure ourselves, none will be admitted before our All-seeing Judge, who is not to be deceived.

The next remarkable object of our consideration, in this general survey of scripture, is a dark prophecy of a conquest to be gained, by one miraculously descended of our species, over the grand enemy and first seducer of mankind; which also implies some comfortable hopes of a restoration of the human race to the Divine favour.

The next dispensation of heaven, which we read of in scripture, is that most awful and remarkable judgment of the universal deluge, by which the human race were, for the universal corruption of their manners, at once swept off the face of the earth, and the world cleansed from the impurity of its inhabitants. Nothing can be conceiv ed more proper for making a powerful and lasting inpression on mankind, or convincing them of the Divine abhorrence of vice and disobedience, than to be informed that it occasioned the cutting off, or unmaking, the whole species, except eight persons, whom their singular virtue preserved amidst the general wreck of nature.

It is remarkable, that after the flood, we find the period of man's life considerably reduced below the standard of it in the Antediluvian age. This is no more than was to be expected, considering what use the ancients had made of the great length of life they enjoyed. The abridging the term of human life is also a standing memorial of the Divine displeasure against vice. It naturally tends, by bringing death nearer the view of even the youngest, to lessen men's attachment to the present state, and lead them to think of one better and more lasting. By this means also, the opportunities of offending being lessened, the guilt and punishment of wretched mortals comes to be very considerably diminished.

The laws given to Noah upon his coming out of the ark, seems to be intended for mankind in gencral, as he

was the common father of all who have lived since his time. And we know of no general repeal of them. The liberty of killing animals for food is derived wholly from hence; a right which we could not otherwise pretend to. Nor can the opposers of the Divine authority of scripture, show any pretence for killing a living creature for food, or any shadow of the title which the human species have to the life of any creature whatever, but this grant from the Author of life, and Maker of all creatures, who alone has a right to dispose of the lives of his creatures.

The command for putting to death every murderer without exception, which law is no where repealed, scems effectually to cut off all power of pardoning that atrocious crime. And many crowned heads have accordingly made it a rule never to extend their mercy to offenders of that sort. As to the prohibition of blood, its obligation on us has been disputed. But, as the blood is the seat of almost every disease, and is a gross, unwholesome, and nauseous substance, consisting of earth, salt, and phlegm, the best way is evidently to abstain from it, and so make sure of avoiding a breach of a prohibition. And indeed, in all doubtful cases, prudence will always direct to keep on the safe side. At the same time, the excessive scrupulousness of the Jews about the least particle of blood is absurd. The prohibition is only against eating an animal with the blood in it. And the intention was probably two-fold. One for the advantage of health; the other religions; that, in shedding the blood of the animal, a libation or offering might thereby be paid to the Lord of life, and Giver of all gifts.

The account we have in scripture of the building of the tower of Babel, the confusion of tongues, and scattering the people abroad into different countries, is most naturally solved by supposing their design to have been, to set up an universal empire, whose established religion should be, idolatry and polytheism. This being quite contrary to the Divine intention in blessing mankind with a revelation from himself, it was not fit, that it should be suffered to take place, at a time when there was no nation in the world in which the worship of the true God prevailed. The disappointment of such a design is therefore a Divine dis pensation fit to be recorded in scripture.

The destruction of the cities of the Plain, for the in

abominable and unnatural vices, is a Divine judgment very fit to be related in the records of the dispensations of God to mankind. For such exemplary vengeance on the inhab itants of whole towns, upon kingdoms and empires, and upon the whole world together, as, we have authentic accounts of in scripture, shows, that numbers, instead of al leviating, do in fact aggravate the guilt of offenders, and draw down a swifter and surer destruction. When we read in scripture of kingdoms broken in pieces, of cities destroyed by fire from Heaven, of nations partly driven from their own country, and scattered abroad over the face of the earth, and partly given up to be massacred by a bloody enemy; and of the whole inhabitants of the world swept at once into a watry grave; all for vices fashionable in those times, and patronized by the great; when we read such accounts of the effects of following fashion and imitating great examples, we must have very little thought, if we can bring ourselves to imagine, that, there is any safety in giving up conscience to fashion, or that such an excuse will at all alleviate our guilt, or punish ment. While we are in the full pursuit and enjoyment of folly and vice, we rejoice in going along with the multitude not considering, how much we shall wish hereafter, that we had been singular and unfashionable, like the illustris ous heroes of ancient times, Noah, Lot, and Abraham, who had the courage to stand the empty raillery of their con. temporaries; singular in their virtue, and singular in the reward of it. Those, who now encourage us in vice and folly, will not hereafter assist us in suffering their appoint ed consequences. And the appearance of God, angels, and just men, on the side of virtue at last, will make anoth er sort of show for keeping its votaries in countenance, than that of the fine folks does now for the support of the opposite practice.

The most remarkable instance that ever was given of the Divine approbation, and distinguishing favour for sin gular goodness, is in the case of Abraham. This venerable patriarch, according to the scripture account, was a faithful worshipper of the true God, while the whole world was sunk in idolatry and superstition. He is on that aeconnt honoured with the glorious titles of Father of the Faithful, and Friend of God; appointed head of the fam