the angels, now fallen, were capable of resolutely and de liberately opposing themselves to Omnipotence, or raising rebellion against God, as God, is absurd. But it is no way inconceivable, that they might at first question the Messiah's pretensions to authority over them; which might, for any thing we know, be disputable, as his mission appeared to some even of the sincere, though not sufficiently considerate, Jews. In consequence of this we can easily enough conceive the possibility of their being misled, by pride, by example, and persuasion of Satan, the leader of the adverse party, who probably himself had aspired to a superiority over his fellow beings, and could not brook a rival. As to the difficulty of supposing a set of beings of such superior wisdom as we commonly suppose they possessed, capable of error; Scripture itself expressly af firms, that the angels are chargeable with folly. Besides, we pronounce rashly, when we pretend to assert, that the angels were at the time of their fall greatly superior to the most knowing of our species. We find indeed those who kept their integrity, spoke of in Scripture, as raised to very high degrees of elevation. But nothing can from thence be argued with respect to those who fell many ages before, when perhaps they might not be risen to any such degree of perfection as the good part of that species now enjoy, which may be the reward of their virtue and fidelity. Besides, supposing those beings to have fallen from a state of happiness to which they were raised in consequence of their having with success passed through one state of trial or discipline, we know not whether one stage of discipline was all that was allotted them. We know not but they were to pass through two, or more, as one, properly speaking, seems appointed for us, though, as observed before, no state of freedom can be wholly secure from all possibility of deviation, but only more and more so, according to the increasing experience, longer habitude, and greater wisdom of moral agents. We know not but the angelic species were raised to the happiness, from which they fell, in consequence of their going through a more advantageous and easy first stage of probation than what is appointed us; and that, to balance that advantage, the happiness they were raised to was more precarious than that which is

destined for those of our species who shall acquit themselves with honour of a more difficult one. This seems no more than equitable, and natural, that the consequence of an easier state of trial, passed through with success, should be a lower degree, and more precarious kind of happiness; and of a more difficult one, a higher and more certain kind of happiness. And besides, it is very probably the nature of all moral agents to value most, and be most afraid of losing, what has cost them the greatest pains to attain, and what only a few have attained. However it be, there is plainly no absurdity in the Scripture account of the fall of a certain number of beings, of a rank prior in existence, and superior in dignity to ours; nor of their being driven, by a total despair of recovery to the Divine favour, to a confirmed habit of perseverance in vice, and opposition to all good: which, increasing, must increase their punishment, and multiply their damnation. That those desperate beings, who know themselves to be sealed to destruction, should, as far as permitted, exercise an implacable envy and hatred against our species, of whom they foresee the same part will rise to that happiness from which they are irrecoverably fallen, is not to be wondered at. Nero, a Duke d'Alva, a bloody father inquisitor;* are not these dæmons? If we have such diabolical beings in our own species, who have had so short a time to improve in wickedness, and are still under a dispensation of heavenly grace; why should we wonder at any accounts we have in Scripture of the confirmed wickedness of spirits abandoned to despair, and who have had many thousands of years to improve and harden themselves in vice?

Some have made a difficulty of the incarnation of Christ; as if there were in that doctrine somewhat peculiarly hard to admit, or next to absurd. But in such cases, where nothing is required to be granted but what is analogous to the course of nature, it does not seem reasonable to hesitate at any supposed difficulty, which, if removed, would lead to another confessedly as hard to surmount, How a spiritual being, of any rank whatever, comes to be

*See page 253, Vol. I.

immured in a material vehicle, is to us wholly inconceiv able. The incarnation of a human soul is a mystery utterly inexplicable by human sagacity. Nor is it at all more incomprehensible, how an angel, or archangel, should animate a body, than how a human mind should. The difficulty does not arise from the rank, or dignity, of the spiritual being, but from the nature of spirits in general; whose power of animating and actuating a material vehicle, and the nexus, which forms the union between two natures so different, are to us wholly inconceivable.

And as to the objection of its being improbable, that a being of such dignity as that of the Messiah, should condescend to assume, for a time, the lowest station of rational nature; it will presently vanish, on considering the importance of the purpose for which he did so. For if, in consequence of this amazing condescension, there should, in a consistence with the divine rectitude, and established order of the moral world, and the freedom of the creature, many thousands, perhaps millions, of our species, be raised hereafter, by degrees, to such greatness and goodness, that the present station of the archangel Gabriel will be regarded by them as an inferior one, (which will certainly one day be the case,) who can think any apparatus, to gain such an end, too costly, or operose? Whoever duly considers the stupendous excellence of a nature, which, however mean and low at present, is yet formed capable of an endless progression in every noble quality; will not think any contrivance ill bestowed, or any condescension too low, to gain the moral improvement of such a species. Add, that condescension on a proper occasion, and for some important end, is suitable to a superior nature; and peculiarly agreeable to every great mind. And let the consideration of the high exaltations of the Messiah, in consequence of his gracious interposition for the recovery of a ruined species, be taken in. Add likewise the Divine pleasure of exerting a benevolence so extensive, that an eternity will be employed by a race of beings, delivered by it from utter destruction, in celebrating its praises, and expressing that gratitude, which every succeeding period of their happy existence will heighten,

every new enjoyment will inflame with ever growing rap

tures.

To pretend to dispute whether it was possible for mankind to be restored by any other means than those which Infinite Wisdom has chosen, is both presumptuous and useless. It is our wisdom to consider what we have to do, as the moral constitution of things is; not to amuse ourselves with vain speculations upon what could do us no service to know, and what it is impossible we should by our own sagacity ever discover. In general, it is evident, that the repentance and reformation of offenders was not of itself, without some additional apparatus, sufficient, consistently with the Divine scheme, to restore a guilty order of beings to a capacity of being received to pardon. For Divine wisdom never uses a more operose method of proceeding, when one less so will answer the end.

Whether we shall at all, in the present state, be able to determine wherein the principal propriety or necessity of the death of Christ consisted, and how it came to be efficacious for our restoration to the Divine favour, is greatly to be questioned; as Scripture has only declared to us the fact, that it is chiefly by laying down his life for mankind, which was the great end of his coming into the world, that we are to be received to pardon and mercy; but has given us no precise account of the modus of the operation of his death for that purpose, nor how the ends of the Divine government were answered by it. In general, may it be said, that the consideration of so important a scheme found necessary for restoring an offending order of beings, is likely to strike all rational minds, who may ever come to the knowledge of it, with a very awful sense of the fatal evil of vice, which made it necessary. And as they must see the difficulty of finding such a mediator for themselves, in case of their offending, they may thereby be the more effectually deterred from disobedience. It may impress them with high notions of the Divine purity, and aversion to evil, which made the restoration of offenders a work so difficult and expensive. And we know not how wide each particular in the moral scheme of the Divine government may extend. We are

-told in Scripture, that the angels desire to look into the mystery of our salvation; that some of them have actually fallen from their obedience is doubted by none who admit revelation: That there is any state of finite virtue and happiness so secure, as that it is impossible to fall from it; or that created beings can, consistently with freedom, be raised to any such state as to defy weakness and error, and to be above all advantage from instruction by precept or example, is by no means to be affirmed. And if there be no reason to doubt, but in all states free agents are fallible, (though more and more secure of continuing in their obedience, as more perfect,) since according to Scripture even the angels are chargeable with folly; it may then be put as a conjecture, whether the scheme of the restoration of mankind may not have immensely extensive and valuable effects upon various orders of moral agents, throughout the universe, for preserving them in their obedience. This effect the consideration of it ought to have, especially, above all, on us, who are most nearly interested in it; and we ought not to hope to escape, if we neglect so great a salvation; and ought therefore, if we name the name of Christ, to resolve to depart from iniquity. It is also to be expected, that the consideration of what our everlasting happiness cost, should immensely enhance the value of it to those of our species who shall hereafter be found fit for it; especially with the additional consideration of the hideous ruin we shall have escaped, which is such as to render it necessary for the Son of God to leave, for a season, his eternal glory, to descend to our lower world, and give himself to death, to deliver as many of us as would from it. That our Saviour died a witness to the truth of his own mission and doctrine, as well as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, is certain. But it is evident, that his death was very differ ent both in intention and consequences, from those of the martyrs. That his death was also a glorious instance of obedience, and a noble example for our imitation, and that of all rational agents, is also to be taken in, and height ens the grandeur of the scheme. A consequence from the obedience and death of Christ, mentioned in Scripture, and hinted above, is his being "highly exalted, and receiv