to the worst purposes, and to fupport the greatest errors and delufions, by the prejudices, wicked blindness, and perverse inclinations of artful men. Nothing has taken place, with respect to this, but what might justly be expected, if mankind are naturally as depraved and rebel. lious, as the scriptures represent them to be; and is perfectly confiftent with the perfection of divine revelation. And when men fhall in general become honeft and vir tuous to a proper dégree, and their hearts shall be turned to the Lord, and to his word, willing and ready to receive the dictates of heaven, the vail of darkness and error will vanish, and the true light, which has fo long fhined in darkness, and so has not been seen and comprehended, shall shine in their hearts, and they, receiving the truth in the love of it, will be "perfectly joined to gether, in the fame mind and in the fame judgment.** This brings another observation into view.

6. The chief and greatest end of divine revelation is not yet answered. The Bible has been greatly negleced and abused, and not understood; and perverted to evil purposes by most of those who have enjoyed it. This light has hitherto fhined, in a great measure, in vain, in the criminal darkness of this world, which has not comprehended, but abused and rejected it. And those few who have in fome measure understood and received and practifed the truth, have done it in a very imperfect degree; and the Bible has not been yet fully underflood by any: But this fame revelation informs us that it fhall not always be fo; but the time is coming, and is now juft at hand, when God will deftroy the face of the covering caft over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations, by causing the gospel to be preached to them all, and giving them a heart to discern and understand the truth. Then " the light of the moon fhall be as the light of the fun, and the light of the fun fhall be feven fold as the light of feven days." And

the

In

the eyes of them that fee fhall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear, fhall hearken. The heart alfo of the rafh er inconfiderate foolish, shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the flammerers fhall be ready to speak plainly, and the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea." that time the Bible fhall be underflood, and all the inftitutions and ordinances of the gospel fhall have their proper, greatest and most happy effect, in the illumination and falvation of multitudes. All that precedes this time is but preparatory in order to introduce this day of falvation, in the reign of Chrift on earth. The word of God. fhall then have free courfe, and be glorified, as it never. was before, and fhall fully answer the end for which it, was given*.

REFLECTIONS.

L. WHAT gratitude do we owe to God for giving fuch Ia complete revelation to men, every way fuited to give inftruction in every neceffary and most important truth; and without which mankind must have remained in the grossest darkness! What gratitude do we owe to God, who has diftinguished us from so great a part of mankind, in giving us to enjoy this ineftimable privilege, while they are left to grope in the dark!

The enemies to divine revelation have made this an objection against it, and faid, if it were from God, it would have been given equally to all mankind, and not confined to so small a part, as this revelation has been. Such a partial revelation, say they, which was not completed or even began till after many ages and generations were paffed and gone; and which when it is given is confined to so small a part of mankind, cannot be from God, who has no refpect of perfons, and would not con

D

⚫ See Tréatife on the Millenium, at the end of this Syftem

ceal

ceal what is neceffary to be known, from the greatest part of men, while a few only are indulged with this favour, if it be one. Among other things which might be and have been faid in anfwer to this objection, it may be fufficient only to obferve the following,

1. God was under no obligation to enter on those defigns of good and falvation, and do those things in favour of man, which are now made known: And therefore could not be obliged to make this revelation. And if he is obliged to none, he may for good reafons, known to him, though we should not fee them, order things fo that but few fhall enjoy it, as a diftinguishing fovereign favour, while others are left in that state of darkness, in which all might have justly been left,

2. It is wholly owing to the fault of man that this revelation has been fo long, and ftill is confined to fuch narrow bounds, and is known to so small a part of mankind. The moft effential things in this revelation were made known to the firft parents of mankind. Had they been faithful, and all their pofterity wife, and difpofed to make a good improvement of the light, it would have continued, and increased, and every one of them would have enjoyed it. And after this light was abused and rejected, and almost wholly put out, by the wickedness of man, before the flood, it was again restored to the new world in the family of Noah; and was foon corrupted and extinguished by men, when they multiplied into nations, because they loved darkness, and hated this light. And when this revelation was renewed and enlarged, committed to writing and completed, had mankind been as defirous of knowing the truth, and as inquifitive after it, as they ought to have been; and had they who enjoyed it, been as ready and as much engaged to understand and practife it, and spread and communicate it to others, as was moft reasonable, and their duty,

all

all nations would have enjoyed it fully, foon after it was publifhed. It is not therefore owing to divine revela tion that it is fo confined, and not univerfal; but the fault is wholly in man. And it is to be wholly afcribed to God's merciful, irresistible interpofition and care, that it has not been wholly loft and deftroyed by men, long before this time. Therefore the fcriptures being preferved as they have been, and handed down to this day, and put into our hands by God's merciful, wife, foyereign interpofition, and direction, is both an argument that they are from God, and of our great obligations to gratitude to him for this unspeakably diftinguishing fa

your.

3. It may be obferved, that they who do not enjoy this revelation, do not live up to the light they have, but mifimprove and abuse it: And therefore have no reason to complain, that they have not greater light and advan tages; but are moft righteously given up to their chofen blindness and darkness. There cannot be a perfon that lives, or ever has lived in the heathen world, produc ed, who has fully improved, and lived up to the light he has had, or might have had, were it not his own fault." Divine revelation warrants this affertion. "The invifible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly feen, being underflood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and divinity; fo that they are without excufe because that when they knew God, they gloried him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

Oh! Let us not be unthankful, who enjoy fo much greater light,which will render our ingratitude proportionably more criminal, and dreadful in its confequences. This leads to another reflection..

II. How very criminal, and wretched, are they who neglect or abuse this ineftimable privilege of a revelation

from God! Many not only difregard it in practice, but reject and defpife it, and fpeak evil of it. How much will the deifts, who have been, and now are in the chriftian world, have to anfwer for! What they call foolishnefs, is the wildom of God, and the wifdom of which they boaft, is the height of folly and madness. Would to God there were none who abufed and defpifed the holy fcriptures, but profeffed deifts! Multitudes, who profess to believe the Bible is a revelation from heaven, hold this truth in unrighteoufnefs: They pay no proper regard to it, and conftantly abuse it innumerable ways; and all the advantages they have by it, and concerns with it, will only serve to render their damnation greater, and unspeakably more dreadful. How much lower will they fink in eternal mifery, who by their folly and impenitence perifh from the countries enjoying divine revelation, than they who perifh from heathen lands! This truth, though fo obvious, folemn, and awakening, is too little thought of, by those who enjoy, and yet difregard and abufe, the holy scriptures.

III. WHAT obligations are we under to attend to this revelation, and make the best improvement of it; furely we ought to audy it with great diligence and care, and meditate therein day and night, looking to God, the father of lights, with fincerity, earnestnefs and conftancy, that he would prevent our misunderstanding, and perverting it, and direct and lead us to difcern all the truths he has revealed, and give us a heart to conform to them in practice. We ought to pay a conscientious and facred regard to all the directions and commands in the Bible to turn our feet unto thefe teftimonies, and to improve the words of God, as to make it a conftant light to our feet, and lamp to our path. Bleffed are they who thus watch daily at wifdom's gates, and wait at the posts of her doors; for they fhall be wife unto falvation, obtain favour of the Lord, and find eternal life.

CHAP. II.