what a fimple Monarch may prevent or permit, it is not fufficient to confider his Power only, but we must take a view of him in all the extent of his Relations, and know all his other Vertues which temper and allay his Power. As Good, he may do a thing, which he cannot as Fuft; and as Juft, he may do another thing which he cannot do as Wife: And unless you are throughly acquainted with his Interests and Perfections, Rights and Vertues, you cannot refolve what he may prevent or permit; and if this holds when Man confiders Man, how much more when Men confider God?

But after what we have faid, we have this to observe still, that even according to our weak Ideas, 'tis not without reason, that God permits Sin. I fhall not here affert, that as Monsters in Nature do ferve to illuftrate the order, connexion, and oeconomy of regular Beings; fo likewife the Disorders of Sin are of ufe to make us better understand the value and advantages of Reafon, Confcience, and natural Religion, which are all violated by Crimes. This is one of the least confiderations that might be made on this Subject, though it is not altogether without Foun

dation.

To this we may add, that Sin gives occafion to most part of our Vertues, to exert and fhew themselves, that the patience of the oppressed, appears by the Violence of their Oppreffors; that Humility would be of very little ufe, were there no Pride for it to overcome; that the difficulty of conquering our Lufts, makes Temperance fo much valued; that Justice would have no bufinefs in the World, but for Self-intereft and Covetous nefs; and in fine, there are a great many other

Vertues

Vertues which owe their birth and manifeftation to Vices.

Further, It is certain, that feveral Vertues belonging to God, are difcovered by occation of Sin, which had otherwife layn concealed from us. If it had not been for Sin, we should have been for ever ignorant of the Mercy and Justice of God, that is, we should have been ignorant of what renders him most amiable and most terrible to our Souls.

We may affirm, that the blotting out the Sias of Men by the Mercy of God, or the fevere Punishment of them by the Laws of his inexorable Juftice, do create everlasting motives of Fear and Love, and fuch motives as were necessary to counterpoise the Propenfions Men have to all Senfible Objects, or even to retain within the bounds of their Duty. Some other Creatures we know not. For we are to think, that God deals with Men, as with rational Creatures, and confequently that he ought to influence them by certain Mites or Objects, which he proposes to them, and not by a blind impreffion; and to ask why Men fhould be governed after this manner, is to ask why they are Afen.

Certainly we cannot doubt, but that as Gods Wisdom is infinite, fo is also the Scheme of his Designs, and that answerable to that Scheme, there is an infinite Succession of Objects, united to one another. This World, this Life, and all that we have ever feen, or learnt of things, prove another Succeffion of Objects, which enter into God's Design; so that these are but a point in respect of that Eternal Succeffion of Objects which perpetually roul along, (if I may fo fpeak) in the Divine Intelle&. The Wisdom of

God

God is fo immenfe, that it makes the greatest Events depend upon an Accident, and turn upon a Point, as upon an immoveable Axel-Tree. Let us for a while, for the better clearing this matter, fuppofe the thing in queftion: A Vapour in Pharaoh's Head, produces a Dream, which Dream is the occafion of the advancement of Jofeph, and the coming of the Children of Ifrael into Egppt, and of fo many other Illuftrious Events, which ail turn upon this Dream as upon a point. The deliverance of the People of Ifrael, their Profperities, their Victories, and all thofe continued Blessings heaped upon them by the favour of Heaven, do all at length terminate in the Birth of Jefus Christ, which feems but a very inconfiderable Event. And yet, this laft Event is the fixt Axel-tree which fupports the Calling of the Gentiles, the Establishment of God's Kingdom, the Abolishing of Idols, and the Converfion of the World; and these very last mention'd Objects which fill our Souls, and astonish us by their vastness, are perhaps but another point or hinge which fuppofe an infinite Succeffion of other Objects and Oeconomies that shall eternally tend to the Glory of God.

As therefore a Man who had lived in Jacob's time, and had been a witness of the Selling and Imprisonment of the Chafte and Innocent JoSeph, would have wondered at Gods thus permitting Vertue to be oppreffed, only through ignorance of what the Wisdom of God defigned to effect by that means; and as thofe who believed in Jefus Chrift, and were Spectators of his Death, were furprised at it, only because they did not perceive the mighty Benefits the Mercy of God purpofed to draw from it, fo in

like manner, the only reason why God's permitting of Sin in general, does surprise us, is because we do but in part, and confufedly know, what good the Wisdom of God will bring about by those means.

I may, I hope, be allowed to make use of thefe Examples, fince I do not bring them as Proofs, but only as Illuftrations which ferve for a double purpofe; the Firft whereof, is to Thew us, that there is not a more falfe or despicable Argument than this; viz. I do not throughly understand the Defigns and whole extent of the Wisdom of the Deity: Therefore there is no fuch Deity at all. God permits Evil, therefore he is Wicked; becaufe fuch an Argument cannot be conclufive, unless our Understanding were infinite, and had the priviledge of knowing all things. The Second ufe of thefe Examples, is to fhew us, that the common and most plaufible Objections of the Atheists, are infenfibly overthrown by the Principles of that Religion against which they were at firft levelled.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVI.

Containing feveral Comparisons of the Two 0pinions, in order to shew the extravagant Folly of Atheists.

WE

E have seen what the principal proofs are which establish the Truth of the Exi ftence of God, and confidered the principal Objections that either are, or may probably be made against this grand principle. There may be made Five feveral Comparisons between the Two Opinions, which will fully confirm the Truth we have already proved; the Firft of which confifts in this, That the Opinion of the Atheists is fingular and extraordinary, and ours has the advantage of Consent and Agreement. Secondly, That it is our Interest, and that an honest and reasonable Intereft, to believe there is a God, whereas it is only the interest of our Lufts and irregular Paffions not to acknowledge any. Thirdly, that our Opinion is attended with many happy Confequences, and on the contrary, Atheism is liable to a Thousand dreadful Inconveniences Fourthly, That there is more Obfcurity and Difficulty in the opinion of those who deny a God, than in the opinion of those who believe one. Fifthly, and Laftly, That there are abundance of Reasons to perfwade us of this firft Truth; whereas there is not one to be alledged, that can reasonably pass for a proof of the contrary.

To make good the First of these Five Comparisons, it is fufficient to obferve, that there

are