their Maker was pleased to enter into a NEW COVENANT with them;-fo that neither they, nor any of their Pofterity, fhould, on account of their Difobedience, be ruined, except it was purely their own Fault. Ind. That was indeed a moft kind Offer of their offended Maker :-Pray, what < was that COVENANT?' Miff. It was this: That on account of One, who would in due time fatisfy his Divine Juftice for their Offence (and take Vengeance on that Evil Spirit, that had tempted them to disobey his Command) he would reftore them to his Favour upon certain Conditions; and would appoint them Means, by which they, and their Pofterity, might, upon their Repentance, obtain, his Pardon, when they should do amifs, as fince their Fall they would be but too apt to do*. Ind. You will now be fo kind, as to let me know what followed this Promife of • God to his finful Creatures.' Mill. You must know then-that fome of their Children and Pofterity, exercifing themfelves in Repentance of Sin, depending on this promised Saviour, keeping up a Senfe of these things, and an Expectation of this Promife, liv'd in the Fear of God †. But many others of them, through the Corruption *John iii. 6. and 1 John iv. 9, 10. of of their Nature, became exceeding wicked: One of their own Sons murdered his Brother; for which God, to keep others from committing fuch horrid Crimes, banifhed him from his Prefence, and he spent his Days in Mifery. At laft, Wickednefs increased to fuch an Height, and became fo general, that God was provoked to deftroy the whole Race of Men by a Flood (except one upright Man, whofe Name was NOAH*, together with his little Family) as I hinted to you before. By this good Man, and his Family, the whole Earth was again filled with People, as it is this Day- And while his good Inftructions, and the Memory of that dreadful Judgment, lafted, Men lived in the Fear of God; but too foon fell into Wickedness again And most of thefe, lofing the Knowlege of the true God, fell into Idolatry, a Sin which God principally abhors, as most dishonourable to his Nature, Authority, 'and Glory, and as leading Men into all other Wickedness +. Ind. Pray, what is that Sin of Idolatry, which God fo hateth ? Mi. It is the giving that Honour, and Worship which is only due to the true God, to his Creatures, to the Sun and Moon, and • Gen. vii. + Rom. i. 28. to evil Spirits and to the Images reprefenting thefe. Notwithstanding this,God never left himself without Witnefs; but gave continual Proofs of his Hatred against Wickednefs, and of his Favour and Protection of good Men, in all Ages, and amongst all Nations, even unto this Day.-And thus it is, that Calamities of all kinds are brought upon Earth; that one Nation makes War upon another; thefe being only Inftruments in the Hands of God, and by his wife and juft Appointment, for the Punishment of their Sins. Ind. Pray, had any of thefe Nations ever afterwards an Opportunity of coming to the Knowlege of the true God, and of the Worship due to him?" ༡ Miff. Yes, indeed they had. For the Holy Scriptures inform us, that--God made Choice of a certain Perfon, whofe Name was ABRAHAM †, and called him and his Family, from the midft of a Nation given to Idolatrythat to this Man he made himself, and his glorious Perfections, known; and for his Encouragement to perfevere in his Duty, he promifed,That out of his Loins in due Time the DELIVERER OF THE WORLD from Sin and Death fhould proceed, and that in the + Gen. xii. * Acts xiv. 17. mean - mean while He would make his Defcendants a great and numerous People ;— all which was made good in a most wonderful Manner. His Pofterity increased exceedingly; and where-ever they travelled, they communicated the Knowlege of the true God,-and told Men how he ought to be feared and worfhiped; fo that many Nations might have: known these things, had it not been their own Fault for God caufed them often to wander, that they might make him known. amongst Men, and cure them of their Wickednefs and Idolatry. It was in the Time of that good Man, that God fhewed his Hatred of Wickedness, and his Displeasure against great and bold Sinners, after a Manner the most frightful and aftonifhing.- There were feveral confiderable Cities, the chief of which were SODOM and GOMORRAH, the Inhabitants of which, through Pride, Fulness of Bread, and much Idleness, fell into all manner of Wickedness which provoked God to make them an Example of his Displeasure againft fuch Sins ;. ; for he rained down Fire and Brimstone upon them*, and utterly deftroyed both them, their Towns, and their whole Land, the dreadful Marks of which are to be feen at this Day.At the fame time, God, to fhew his Care for those that feared him, fent. * Gen. xix. 24. G. 2 hist his Angels, and delivered One good Man, whofe Name was LOT, and his Family, out of that fearful Destruction*, After this, the Children of ABRAHAM, to whom the Promife was made, multiplied exceedingly, to whofe Pofterity God gave very particular Laws and Directions, how they might live fo as to please their Maker, and not hurt one another ;- and wrought moft wonderful Things before their Eyes, when he delivered them out of a moft cruel. Bondage-to convince them, and all other Nations, that fhould hear of these things,that the Idols, and evil Spirits, which they worshiped, were no Gods;and that there was no God, but the God of this People. 6 Ind. Pray, what were the Laws and Directions that God gave this People and • Nation?' Mil. The chief of them were thefe that followThat they thould neither have nor worship any other God but him who hadˆ done fuch Wonders for them;That they fhould not make any vifible Image or Reprefentation of him:That they should not profane his holy Name That they should keep holy One Day in Seven, to-preferve the Remembrance of him, and his Works: That they fhould love and honour their Parents That they fhould love one an -- *Gen. xix. + Exod. xx. 5 Ibid. xx. 12. other, |