19.

another; that He will repay fury to his ad- Ifa.lix.18. ver faries; and to eminent Idolaters will give Rev. xvi. to drink the cup of the fierceness of his wrath, not only full, but flowing over on thofe around them; here we are by no means so soon satisfied; we immediately become curious and inquifitive, defire to see the grounds and reafons of his proceedings, and have a multitude of objections against the wisdom and equity of the Divine Adminiftration. 'Tis in vain to talk to us of general laws, or the welfare of the world; we find no plan of providence defenfible, by which we ourselves are fufferers; nor allow that the good of the Universe ought to be purchafed at fo great a price as the affliction of perfons fo innocent and well-deferving.

Both innocent, and deferving! alas! who are they? or where to be found? Do we not boast of imaginary qualifications, and lay claim to titles, that may be valuable indeed, but are not our's? Does it

con

concern us what are the rights of fuch perfons, if we are not of the number? Matt. xix. There is none good but one, that is God. His

17.

XV. 15.

xxv. 6.

Job iv. 18. angels he chargeth with folly: and the heavens are not clean in his fight. How much less man, that is a worm! He knows our defert, that it is fhame and punishment. We stand naked and open before his eyes; proud, and poor; clamorous and ignorant; demanding recompence and praise, when we should deprecate his difpleasure; and challenging juftice, while ourselves are the criminals. Well may we submit to the divine wisdom, and patiently take our fhare of evil, according to his will, and for the good of his world; when we reflect, that the leaft of his mercies is more than our merit; and the greatest of thofe fufferings, which for fo many reafons he inflicts, are lefs than we have deferved by our own iniquities.

But children at leaft are innocent: They can be guilty of no crimes to cry

for

for vengeance, and call down that indignation which refteth upon finners. If they have no right to recompence for services, which they have not discharged; is it juft to expose them to punishment for tranfgreffions they were not able to commit?

The word children, in the language of Scripture, is not confined to infants. When it is written, I am a jealous God, vifiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, their age is not specified: There is nothing said to denote their infancy, or their innocence. Unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: The title of Haters of God was purchased indeed by their ancestors; it is inherited, and deferved too by themselves; who give proof of their legitimate descent, and fill up the measure of the iniquity of their fathers, by their own personal achievements.

Or were it otherwife; were they fuch as could not discern between the right hand

and

and the left: who is the giver of life? Is not God? If he had never given it, had he been to blame? If he takes it back, is not his will a reafon? may he not withdraw from us the benefits, which he himfelf has lent; and whenever he fees fit, without any confent or demerit of ours, reduce us to infenfibility, or to nothing? Be it, that he is bound by a law of justice, that will not bend even to fave the Univerfe from ruin; he is furely not answerable for the refumption of his favours, as he did not engage for the continuance Matth.xx. of them, but may do what he will with his own.

15.

Nay, fhould he at any time proceed even further than this, oppreffing with calamities thofe whom he had never loaded with his benefits, and rendering the life of the most innocent worse than death; we may reflect, that he holds the reins of nature in his hand; that we fee but a little of his ways; that it will always be in his power,

power, as it is in the power of no other to remember, restore, and rectify. That all fouls are in his power and live before him. Even death removes us not out of his empire; He can still recompense the sufferings of his fervants beyond the grave, and change the garments dipped in blood into robes of glory. His uncontrolable power becomes the founda. tion of just authority; and he has rights which can appertain only to the Ruler of the Universe, befides those that belong to him as the Author of it.

But after all, there is really no neceffity, that, in order to vindicate the fanction in this commandment, we should trace with fo much anxiety the rules of justice, and the foundation of morality: It is sufficient only to open our eyes, and have recourse in this cafe to experience.

Whether the Law of Mofes be the word of God, or no; the World, I prefume, is

VOL. II.

C

his