place in their hearts, it consists in their own voluntary agency, and not in the agency of God. The agency of God as the cause of human agency, in this case, alters not the nature of human agency, in any measure, nor in any sense whatever. Both God and man act freely, of choice, and not of constraint or compulsion.

4. From a consideration of the great and solemn doctrine of divine decrees, we learn, that by them, every good is secured; and every evil, which is not essential, in the plan of infinite wisdom and goodness, to bring about the greatest general good, is prevented. What a glorious doctrine is this! How happily calculated to give us the most sublime and exalted views of the infinite Jehovah ! Calculated to abase all human pride, and vain glorying! Calculated to inspire us with a reverential awe and fear of the Lord, and to excite in our minds an unlimited confidence in him! Nothing is better calculated to excite religious devotion. To those who cordially embrace this doctrine, the infinite God appears to be worthy of praise and adoration; and to him be rendered dominion and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

ESSAY IX.

The original Character, and State of Man.

WHEN the Almighty God, by the word of his power, had created the heavens and the earth, and all their hosts, in the space of six days; it was reserved as the concluding part, and the finishing stroke, of this magnificent work, to create mankind. Man was made rational and immortal. God breathed into him the breath of life, and he became a living soul. Man also sustained a dignified rank; he was made but a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour. Possessed of reason and understanding, man was well qualified for the elevated station allotted him in this lower world. Accordingly, "God gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." And in the conclusion of the narrative, it is said, "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good.”

From this concise history of the creation of man, it is very natural and reasonable to understand, that he was made perfectly holy. Like every thing else in its kind, man also in his kind, was pronounced very good. He was doubtless created a moral agent; for this was essential to distinguish him from the brute creation. And if, as a moral agent, he was, by his Creator, pronounced very good; what could it imply, short of his being perfectly free from sin? Being a moral agent, he was capable of being holy or sinful, even in his very nature, and in the disposition of his heart. And as his moral nature and faculties constituted infinitely the most noble part of his existence; it is evident, that his goodness, which was pronounced by his Creator, consisted chiefly in righteousness and true holiness.

But, to establish this point, we are not straitened for evidence. The testimony of the wise man is, "God made man upright; but he hath sought out many inventions." By these many inventions, is doubtless meant wicked devices. For these are stated as a contrast to that uprightness, in which his original character consisted. Consequently, his original character was holy. In the scriptures, uprightness is a term expressive of the moral character, and of that only. It is always expressive of holiness. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." The Lord is said to be upright, and "the prayer of the upright is his delight."

Again; If man was created with a sinful, or even a mixed character; how are we to understand the history of his apostasy? From what did he apostatize? Did he apostatize from a state of sinfulness, or of holiness? Certainly from a state of holiness. Had he been created with a mixed character, such would have been the account of him, in the history of his apostasy. Had he been of a mixed character, he must have been, in some degree, unhappy in Paradise.

Some suppose, that if man was made holy, his holiness must have been passive, and involuntary, and void of moral quality. This goes on the supposition, that God cannot create a moral agent; and of course, cannot form the hearts of mankind, and turn them from sin to holiness, after they are created. But is not the king's heart in the

hand of the Lord? and does he not, as the rivers of water, turn it whithersoever he will? However philosophical men may appear, in denying the power of God to create moral agents, yet they are directly opposed to divine testimony. For when all things were prepared for the creation of man, who was to be, in his creation, infinitely more noble than any of the creatures he had made, the 'Lord said, "Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." Although the image of God may sometimes imply the rational faculties of the man; yet not excluding the more noble faculties. Nor could it be said, with the least propriety, that man was made in the image of God, and hereby greatly dignified; unless he was made holy as God is holy. In this sense,

Paul understood the image of God, as we learn from his exhortation; "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man, which after God," that is, after the likeness or image of God, "is created in righteousness and true holiness." Another passage, of the same import, is this, "We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of God." The holiness of the Lord is that in which his transcendent glory chiefly consists. To be changed into the same image, therefore, is to be made holy as he is holy.

From this illustration of the image of God, which is, in a measure, restored to man in regeneration, it is evident, that the image of God, in his creation, consisted in righteousness and true holiness. When God created rational and moral beings, such as angels and men, he formed their moral character-as the Psalmist says, "He fashioned their hearts alike;" that is, equally, or one as well as another. God is the Father of our spirits, as well as the former of our bodies. All that appertained to man, in the day of his creation, as to faculties or character, was the effect of creative power and goodness. God manifested his complacency in mankind as soon as they were created; and furnished them with a Paradise, full of delights. He treated them as his friends, and the objects of his parental care and affection. He abounded in expressions of his love, which would have been utterly inconsistent, had they not been in a state of perfect holiness. In the

plain and obvious sense of the words, therefore, “God made man upright."

As to the state of mankind, in which they were created; it was a state of felicity. It was a state of mind perfectly free from all selfish and corrupt affections, perfectly free from envy, malice, or ill will; perfectly joyful in God, and submissive to his will; perfectly free from shame, remorse or regret; full of joy in God, and in his holy and wise government. The bodily state, in which man was created, was as happy as a bodily existence is capable of being made. Of all possible worldly delights, the first parents of our race had a fulness. These were doubtless received with great thankfulness of heart, though they constituted but a small part of human felicity. The highest felicity of man, in his original state, was of a heavenly nature; but probably fell short of the happiness of heaven in its degree. Man was made a little lower than the angels, and capable of a less degree of felicity. In their original state, mankind experienced no tokens of divine displeasure; but the highest tokens of divine approbation. Man was, indeed, destined to moderate and pleasing labour; but to suffer no inclement seasons, no painful embarrassments; no ill success, in all their labours for a subsistence. Adam and Eve performed their pleasant labour in the garden of Eden, to keep it and to dress it. Their labour might be attended with a degree of weariness; and probably with a degree, suited exactly to sweeten the hours of rest.

Though mankind might not, in their original state, have been made altogether invulnerable; yet they might, and probably did, in a remarkable degree, enjoy divine protection. So that, in fact, they suffered no real evils, in consequence of their partaking of flesh and blood. The world, in its original state, was exactly fitted for the accommodation of man, and of all the living creatures, which were subject to his dominion. All yielded a willing and peaceful subjection: and all were at peace among themselves. The earth was made perfectly convenient and fruitful, perfectly healthful and pleasant; and since man was so exalted and dignified, in this lower world; we may conclude, that, in his state of innocence, he had very little, if any occasion for an unpleasant sensation of body or mind. Another thing which rendered the state of man, before

the fall, peculiarly happy was, the anticipation of a more happy and glorious immortality. This world, beautiful and happy as it was, in its primeval state; was not formed for the final and everlasting residence of mankind. Our first parents were doubtless taught to look forward, and hope for a more exalted state of existence among the holy angels, and the glorious Cherubim and Seraphim in heaven. They were taught to consider this world as a state of probation for one inconceivably more glorious and happy. Had they fulfilled the duties of their probationa ry state, their exit from this bodily state of existence would have been like that of Enoch and Elijah. Probably they anticipated this glorious result of their probation, with but little apprehension of the danger of apostasy. And their holy souls were feasted, from day to day, with the prospect of heavenly felicity. This must have added exceedingly to the happiness of their original state of existence.

Thus we find, that the original character and state of mankind, were indeed, very good. Their moral character was sinless, and their probationary state was happy. They enjoyed, in addition to every worldly good, the light of God's countenance, and his love shed abroad in their hearts. And, in a review of the holy and happy state of our first parents, we are led to notice the great goodness and benignity of our Heavenly Father, in providing so richly for the welfare of the great family of mankind. Had they only been faithful and persevering in obedience to God, how happy would they have been, in their successive generations! There would have been no death, nor sorrow, nor crying; no pestilence that. walketh in darkness, and no destruction that wasteth at noon day. This world would have been a state of perfect peace and plenty; and the earth would have been full of the goodness of God.

In a further review of this subject, we learn, that holiness is essential to happiness. It was so before the fall of man; and it is so still. Do we begin to look for the happiness of the millennial state? then to hasten it on, we must cultivate holiness. By holiness, we may anticipate much of the blessedness of that day; as Abraham did of the day of Christ's incarcation. "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.'