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How could a Holy Being fin?!

PART I But how could there be any fuch thing in all that glorious fyftem which God had created? Was not the whole of it very good? Were not all the parts fo arranged as to be compleatly happy? Were not all proper means provided, to perpetuate and maintain, every part of the Syftem, in its proper order and arrangement for general good? Doubtlefs the Angels had fome object of apprehenfion, a Sacramental Token, as a mean to excite and maintain in them a proper fenfe of Deity. How then could any of these holy beings become finful? A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Yet fome have fuppofed, the Devil's firft fin was pride: Bat that is a vile affection, which we cannot fuppose to spring from a holy, a perfectly benevolent heart. But perhaps we may conceive a poffibility of a WANT of fruit in a good tree. And as before obferved, creatures are but finite, therefore liable to fail; fo we may perhaps, without any repugnancy, fuppofe that a holy creature, may, under certain circumftances, have that want of apprehenfion and reflection, which is neceffary to maintain his ftanding, his proper place, in the arranegment of the fyftem, and be nothing directly finful in it; yet indulged, may progrefs to fin and death. When luft hath conceived, it bringeth forth fin and fin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James i. 15. Here we fee the fcriptures represent the matter about fin as above fuggefted; that it is progreffive.

his Grace in Christ Jesus. In the diligent use of which means, we are to leok for his fpirit to move upon us ; which we ought always carefuly to cultivate. Not as though by our own doings, we thereby merit, or deferve any thing of God, or bring him under obligation to do any thing for us: But as the way which he has instituted, ordinarily, to bef tow his free, fovereign, unmerited Grace.

PART I

Hypothefis, to account for the firft SIN.

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But it has always been confidered as the Gordian knot, which could never be untied; to folve the Question, how holy Angels or men, could come to have the firft finful Volition or Exercife?

I will hazard an Hypothefis, for untying this knot; and leave it to every one to think and fay as he pleases upon it.

It has been fuggefted, that it is neceffary for all creature Intelligences, to have fome object of ap. prehenfion, as a Sacramental Sign or Token, to maintain in them a proper fenfe of the Deity. What this was for Man is clearly revealed, and has been confidered. But what it was for the Angels, is not directly revealed to us; yet there are fome things which give reafon to conjecture; That as the Angels were the fpectators and admirers, of the works of creation; and that when God clofed them up with the formation of man, the most noble of all his works, declaring him to be in his own Image; the Angels intenfely beholding and admiring. God then revealed to them ; That the Son, the fecond perfon in the holy Trinity, fhould be united to human nature, born one of the branches of that human Syftem; and thus God would manifeft himself in the flesh, and be the Object of Apprehenfion, for all Intelligent Creatures to adore and worship. d

d This did not imply, or give any intimation that the incarnate Deity, fhould fuffer, die and rife again. There was then no occafion, or room for any fuch Ideas to be fuggefted. All there was occafion to advance or promife then, was, that Deity fhould be fo exhibited in human nature, as to come within the difcernment of intelligent Creatures; fo as to be an OBJECT of APPREHENSION for creatures, to excite and maintain in them a proper Idea or sense of God, and their Relation to him. When I here fay, a proper sense or Idea of God, I would not be understood as meaning, an adequate

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26 Incarnate Deity, a fuperlative WONDER. PART I,

Mere man, a creature formed of matter and fpirit, and of fuch multitude in Unity, in the Image of the invisible God, creator and head of all things, was the wonder of the whole creation. But now! What God revealed; that Deity fhould really put on human nature; was a WONDER OF WONDERS!! A MYSTERY incomprehen, fible by the highest Angels; and provided ample matter, for contemplation, Wonder and Admiration, to employ all their faculties, in that fublime Adoration and Devotion. Which things the Angels defired to look into, 1 Peter i. 12.

But by the confequence, it seems, that one of the principal Angels, not being able to investigate or comprehend this fublime Myftery; made a Question of it; Whether it ever would come to pals; that the Son of God would put on human nature? He had now brought himself on a poize. If he had refolved the Queflion in the affirmative Idea of God; or any idea, of abfolute Deity. But fuch an Idea as is proper and neceffary for intelligent creatures to have of him, to maintain their rectitude. As before confidered; the abfolute impoffibility of Creatures apprehending abfolute Deity, makes it indifpenfably neceffary, that there fhould be fome fenfible fign or Object of Apprehenfion. Hence, I am of opinion, that if man had not fallen; the Son of God would have been manifefted in the flesh. But though there was no occafion or ground, for declaring the fufferings and conquest of the incarnate Deity before; yet, as foon as man fell, there were grounds and occafion for it; and God did then reveal and promife, his incarnation, fuffering, and conquest.

And perhaps it will generally be admitted, that Chrift, God manifeft in the flesh, is eftablished the perpetual Object of Apprehenfion for all intelligent creatures. He being an infinite perfon, is that one alone; in and by whom all Intelligent creatures, will finally be fixed and established, as they are found in relation to him; either for him; or against him.

PART I.

The Devil's firft SIN Unbelief.

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upon GOD'S TESTIMONY; he would have kept his flate, and not finned. But he abode not in THE TRUTH he did not keep his Faith in the Divine Teftimony: But fuffered his mind to fall into the Negative of the Queftion, and fo loft his ftanding in the Syftem! Awful to be thought!!! Here was the first derangement in that glorious fyftem, which God had made, fitted and arranged in every component part, for general good.

He abode not in THE TRUTH, John viii. 44.

e This affertion of Chrift, amply fhows, that there was a propofition communicated to the Angels, containing fuch an important Truth, as is emphatically called THE TRUTH, which they were to contemplate and believe, in order to keep their state, The Devil did not continue in the belief of it; and fo, did not keep his first eftate, Jude verfe 9. There can be no other way to abide in the Truth, than to abide in the belief of it. The Devil's firft in therefore was unbelief. Chrift, God Manifeft in the Flesh, is frequently fpoken of in Scripture, as the most important TRUTH: Christ himself fays, I am THE THUTH. Hence he was that TRUTH the devil abode not in: Which brings it to a demonftration that the Angels were appointed to comtemplate and believe the INCARNATION of the Son of God; according to the above Hypothefis.

If the nature of faith be enquired into, and inveftigated; it may help to understand the progrefs of the exercises of mind, in the Devil's apoftafy.

Faith perhaps may properly be defined, to be an exercise, wherein the underftanding difcerns a propofition, what it af ferts and the evidence to fupport it, and decides it to be true. The will chooses it as agreeable ; and the affections are excited into action, according to fuch difcernment and choice. When all the Faculties thus harmonize it may be said to be true Faith, as to the perfon who is the fubject of the Faith. But if either of the faculties were wanting in doing its office, it would not be true; but partial faith. Thus as to the progrefs of exercises, in the Devil's mind. When he had made a Question of it; will the fon of God ever be incarnate? Here he fet up his own incomprehenfion, of the poffibility of the Event, on the negative fide of the Queftion,

Here was now a corroding part, difpofed to work deftruction through the Syftem: And has ever fince been corroding the Syftem, all he could ; Going about as a roaring Lyon, feeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter v. 8.

But to return, we may naturally conceive, that the Devil, as foon as he determined that Queftion in the negative; felt himself an enemy to God; he had given him the lie. He therefore lets bimfelf

in competition with the Divine Teftimony, on the positive. Here he was on a poize. What fhall turn the scale? He doubtless viewed his evidence for the Negative most intensely; fo as to loose, or obscure his difcernment or apprehenhon, of the evidence for the Affimative; at least fo much as to magnify his Negative evidence to the preference; mean while, by this intenfe viewing the Negative evidence, his will and affections with fimilar progrefs, were growing cold and fupine toward God, and ready to embrace and choofe that preference; fo he loft his Faith. He abode not in THE TRUTH. Thus, Luft was conceived, when he made a Question of it: But would have been abortive, if he hads determined the Queftion in the Affirmative, on God's Testimony: But fin was finished when he chofe the Negative; and brought forth an awful death which has raged ever: fince to this day !

From the above statement of Faith, we may difcern wherein Wilfulness confifts; which is a main ingredient in the Unpardonable Sin. Wilfulness, feems to be a deliberate, determinate and obftinate going on, contrary to clear light in the mind, and full evidence prefented to the understanding. When the perfon may be said to act, from a mere dint of WILL.

We may

here alfo notice wherein TEMPTATION Consists. This feems to be, when various objects are prefented to the Understanding, fo as to detach from Reflection; or occupying the mind as competitors, fo as to obfcure the true object, and magnify a falfe one; fufficient to invite the fac ulty of choice, and excite the affections, withal perhaps. queftioning the certainty of the true object. By all which the mind is embarraffed as to the Truth, and exposed to be.

Overcome.