of himself, or whether he fpeaks to us of our felves; or laftly, whether he informs us of the nature of his other Creatures, he fhews us things on that side only, which concerns our falvation, neither does he reveal himself but in fuch a manner, as is neceffary, to our Sanctification.

When he imparts to us any knowledge concerning himself, he fhews himself as clothed with all his benefits, thereby the better to excite our gratitude to him; in the beginning he made himself known un- Gen.14.22. der the name of the most high God, possessor of

Heaven and Earth. Then took he fuch a name as was an evident token of his taking the Patriarchs into his protection, faying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. After he had delivered the Children of Ifrael out of Egypt, he wrapt himfelf abour, if I may fo fpeak, with this new benefit, hearken, O Ifrael, fays he, I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, &c. And fome ages after we are told by a Prophet, that the Days will come in which it fhall no longer be faid, it is the Amos. Lord that brought his People out of the Land of Aypt: But, it is the Lord that brought again his People out of the Captivity of Babylon. The different ways, there he makes himself known, do multiply as his benefits increafe; whence it appears that God doth not reveal himself on purpose to gratifie our curiofity, but only to produce a due thankfulness within our Hearts for all his

benefits.

In like manner, when the Holy Ghost speaks to us of Man, he endeavours to discover to us the bottom of his corrupt nature; he reprefents to us his mind defperately malicious, he fhews us his malice together with the extent, principle and effects of it, to move us humbly to have recourse to his mercy, and this still has fome tendency to our Salvation.

Laftly,

Laftly, When he speaks to us concerning the Creatures that compose the Univerfe, he fhews us, that they are the Workmanship of God, that they are the hand of God, and always fubjected to the Decrees of his wife Providence. But why fo? 'Tis because that confideration is very useful to induce us to pay all our Confidence, our Gratitude and our Admiration to God.

I confefs, that fome Philofophical Divines turning Religion into meer Speculation, have attempted to explain the Nature of God, by examining, whether there were in him any Accidents properly fo called, and by endeavouring to discover the manner of his Existence, the manner of his knowledge, the manner his Decrees, alfo the manner after which he executes his Decrees. But all that is but vain Philofophy, whofe scope and defign being meerly to pleasure Mens Curiofity, produces at moft nothing but Pride, or Vexation of Spirit.

In like manner, they have made feveral Inquiries into the Nature of Man, that is, in all the Niceties regarding his Effence, which those presumptuous and curious Philofophers would fain throughly underftand, but not in any thing that concerns our Sanctification, or that God himself would have us know; and from thence fprung all thofe Monsters of the School-men, which render Man unconceivable to Man himself.

According to this Principle, therefore it is altogether unreasonable for any one to pretend, that Mofes was obliged to follow the Principles of the Philofophers, in his History of the Creation of the World. That would be true, fuppofing he had defigned to make of Religion a Syftem of Philofophy. But fince his Revelation ought to be fuitable to every Man's Capacity and Understanding; fo likewife, he follows the Notions of the Vulgar; and fince his defign is to fanctifie shofe

be

he fpeak to, and to induce them to fear God, there's no reafon to wonder that he should propose things to them under that confideration, as is moft proper of produce that effect.

But the Philofophers make it their business to search into the Natural and Efficient Caufe of every Being; they are defirous to know after what manner it was produced, 'tis true, that is neceffary to fatisfie their Curiofity: But Mofes has only difcover'd the Final Cause of all things; he has denoted the end which God propofed to himself, when he created them; viz. the Welfare and Good of Mankind: Now this moral cause is the only Motive, that gives Life to Man's Gratitude, and confequently is the only Caufe that as grees with the Designs of Religion.

Further, it may be faid, that every particular of this Defcription is wonderfully adapted to the Con dition and Neceffities of Men. For, First, 'twas neceffary to fhew the Dominion which God had over all his Creatures, and the Facility with which he produced them; which our Hiftorian advantagiously dif plays by that fublime Expreffion of his, Let there be light, and there was light; who uses alfo the like words, when he speaks of the Creation of all Beings. Secondly, It was neceffary to take off the Minds of the Ifraelites from the Idolatry which other Nations were plunged in, who worshipped as a Deity almost every Being in Nature. On this account this Hiftorian fails not to give an exact Enumeration of all the Parts of the Universe, fhewing us, that thefe parts are only the Workmanship of God. Thirdly, It was neceffary to to give fome account of the Inftitution of the Sabbaths day, and confequently to fpecifie the various intervals of the Creation. Fourthly, It was neceffary to the w how much more excellent Man is, than all the visible Création, &c. This the Author of Genefis has excels A a

lently

lently perform'd in reprefenting him as animated by the Breath of God, and leading us thereby to the Spirituality and Immortality of the Sout, which fo well agrees with the Principles of Reafon it felf.

II. We find feveral things in the Matters of Fact, which are contained in those Writings, that feem altogether repugnant to our Ideas and daily Practice of the World. The Hiftory, for Example, of the Serpent that spoke; that of the first Man and Woman who let themfelves be beguiled juft like Young Children; God's forbidding them to eat of the Tree of Life, as if it had mightily concern'd him, and the infliction of a punishment fo great, and fo difproportionable to the Crime, which is for ever intailed on the whole Pofterity of thofe Rebels, do not very well agree with our common Prejudices.

Yet if we take but never fo little care to examin the matter, and get rid of all our Scruples, we shall not only find, that it might probably have been fo, but also that it was neceffary that it should be fo.

For first, Man being the Workmanship of God, he could not have come out of his Hands, fo corrupted and defiled, as Reason and Experience evidence him now to be; it must therefore follow from thence, that he degenerated by his own fault. It is certain, that he is now depraved, 'tis yet more certain, this irre gularity and depravation in him, cannot proceed from God, who is the Author of all Good. We must therefore neceffarily grant, whether we will or no, that Man is corrupted by his own fault. 'Tis true, we cannot conceive how that came to pass, but still are we obliged to grant it is fo, fo that the Foundation on which all the Circumftances of this amazing Story depend, is neceffarily true.

Secondly, We cannot chufe but grant, that God not only might, but that he was obliged to give a Law

discover to tem 1 Flak ter Sur

give them i Lavi

Now, I pre vher end of Lev olk Gu time innocent Men? Tierre Las Ter vite out doubt ; for it follows the dean of ram J fon; and we came Loft re comert vnom r But this Natura Lar kad wing and pr in the Primitive Scare of our Le Pona

For what is there, ther could rere been forbiden innocent Man to do, will be continued in that State ? Not to make ary is to lime? But what läss could he then make to him/e.", when he thought himself the Mafter of all Creatures? To leave off working, and to fet apart one day in the Week for the Sabbath. But he had no need to work. Not to kill: But who then could be kill, whilt he continued in that ftate. Not to fteal: But every thing was his

Not to bear falfe witnefs: Against whom could he have bore falfe witnefs? Not to commit Adultery 4 There was but one Woman. Aa 2