In the next place, likewife, it deferves SER M. to be confidered, that the difficulty in this XIII. cafe arifes not properly from any natural repugnancy between freedom of action and foreknowledge, but from our incapacity to understand the nature of foreknowledge itself, or explain how God fhould be able to difcern that which depends upon the future will and option of his creatures. For, knowledge, of what kind foever, is not any caufe or ground of the thing known, which would be nevertheless certain and real, if there were no one to know, or be apprized of it. For, as our knowledge of the things that are done to day, does not make us the Authors or the Actors, fo could we have foreknown or forefeen them yefterday, this had been an argument of our perfection, or our privilege, but it had laid no neceffity upon the Agents; it had only fhewn us in what manner they would use their liberty. When our Lord foretold the treafon of Judas, the difciples who were present were before-hand certain of the fact. But this knowledge or certainty of theirs, could be no occafion of his crime. And why then fhould God be charged as the Author of our fins, only for foreknowing them, when mere knowledge has manifeftly no influence upon our practice, but leaves our actions as much the subject of our own choice as if they were not known at all. Y

VOL. III.

It

SERM.

It may indeed be difficult to account how XIII. that should be the object of any certain knowledge, which is itself properly contingent. But, it is no lefs difficult to conceive the immenfity and omniprefence of God, his eternal existence, and his watchful Providence. If therefore we think ourfelves obliged to confess these mysteries, tho' far above our comprehenfion, his Prescience may fairly have a place with the reft, and they must arrogantly measure the Divine perfections by their own, who can prefume to conclude, that God either does not foreknow the actions of men, or that, if he does, thofe actions are made neceffary and determined by him.

That

Nor is the matter altered by what was farther fuggefted, that the fins or evil actions thus foreknown are fometimes made fubfervient to the Divine decrees. God should thus bring good out of evil, is an argument indeed of his great wisdom and perfection, but not of any approbation or allowance of that evil itself. Whilft he foreknows the wickednefs of men, he will not utterly restrain it, becaufe that would be inconfiftent with the condition of rational and free Agents, capable of virtue and vice, and therefore of reward and punishment. But fo does he ordain it in the wife counfels of his Providence, that it may ferve to accomplish some great and bene

ficial end. This is in no inftance more con- SER M. fpicuous than in the death of Chrift, ap- XIII. pointed by God for our redemption, but contrived and compaffed by the malice of the Jews, as St. Peter fets it forth, in these remarkable words;-Him (fays he) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and with wicked hands have crucified and flain *. It was God's act to deliver him into their power, but their ill treatment of him was wholly the effect of their own fpite and wickedness.

(VI.) SIXTHLY, The last objection mentioned against St. James's doctrine, is this, that the ftrong propenfity to evil implanted in our nature, cannot be otherwife accounted for than by referring its original to God, who is the Author of our Being, and with that of our faculties and difpofitions; that, by a fecret tendency of nature we are borne down unawares to fin, and involved in the guilt of criminal imaginations and defires, even before we have time to recollect ourfelves, or confider what we are about.

I shall not, for the full folution of this difficulty, detain you with a tedious metaphyfical enquiry into the nature and origin of evil, to reconcile the doctrine of one Supream Author and principle of all

*Acts ii 23. Y 2

things,

SERM. things, with the visible disparity of the ef-
XIII. fects that are produced, the neceffary and
eternal difference of good and evil, but
fhall content myself with the fcriptural ac-
count of the matter, that God hath made
man upright, but they have fought out many
inventions *. Our firft Parents were cre-
ated pure and innocent, and without thofe
irregularities of appetite and affection which
are juftly complained of by their late pofte-
rity. And they had that conftant com-
munication and affiftance of the Spirit,
which might guide them in the ways of
perfect purity and holiness.
But then,
withal, they were indued with liberty of
Will, they were left to chufe and act for
themselves, without which there had been
no more virtue in obedience than in the ne-
ceffary motions of any artificial engine.
Their privilege it feems, they abused, and
from henceforth their nature being corrupt-
ed and impure, thro' their own fault and
demerit, they could do no otherwise than
tranfmit the contagion to their offspring,
and convey the feeds of that corruption and
impurity down to their late pofterity. Here
then is the foundation of that tendency to
vice, not implanted in human nature, by
its great Author and Creator, but fuper-
added by the folly of mankind themselves,
difobeying the law of their Creator.
* Ecclef. vii. 29.

How

However, as this must be reckoned aSER M. misfortune to Pofterity, there is a remedy XIII. provided, at once to fave us from the punishment of fin, and refcue us from its power and dominion. Though the feeds of concupifcence cannot be entirely eradicated in the present life, yet they may be kept from growing up and ripening into habits of fin; and though they deferve to be esteemed a strong biass and temptation, they lay us under no neceffity of actual finning, but remain only as the trials of our christian bravery and refolution. So that, instead of charging God with being the Author of our fins, by reafon of that propenfity to evil inherent in our nature, we have the clearest and most convincing proofs of the contrary, in that ample provision he has made against it, to enable us to conquer the corruptions of nature, that we may not remain under the dominion of fin, without a fresh and voluntary furrendry of ourselves to it.

Let the blame then be laid where it really is due, upon the naughtiness and malice of our own breafts; and let God be justified in all his difpenfations, who willeth not the death of a finner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any

Y 3

man: