original powers, because, after all, they were finite; and, therefore, must have new views, and so were liable to wrong determinations. God, who was perfectly acquainted with the' nature of himself, and of all created beings, plainly saw that himself alone was, by nature, absolutely immutable, and that all created intelligences must, after all their noble endowments and exalted stations, be absolutely dependent on him, not only for the continuation of their beings and original powers, but also for their preservation from sin and apostacy. As it is written, "There is none good but one, that is God." Mark x. 18.

2. However, innocent, holy beings, who as yet never felt the least inclination to swerve from God, but, on the contrary, were entirely wrapt up in him, could not easily perceive how it should be possible for them to turn away from the Deity, and become apostate. Yea, such a thing would naturally appear to be impossible, as they felt no inclination that way, nor had in view any thing which seemed to be of the nature of a temptation to it. Nor was it possible they should feel an inclination to sin, while innocent; for the least motion of their hearts towards sin would constitute them sinners in the eyes of perfect purity. Nor was it possible they should feel any force in any temptation to sin, unless the temptation excited in them some inclination that way; for if they felt no inclination that way, then the temptation would appear to have no weight in it. If it weighed nothing with them, it would appear to have no weight in itself. So that, as long as they remained innocent, they could neither feel any inclination to sin, nor perceive any force in any temptation. Wherefore, it must be very unnatural to an innocent, holy being, to apprehend any danger of his ever turning from God. Nor could he easily be brought to know the mutability of his nature, or ever to imagine it could be in his heart to sin against God, unless left to find out the truth by his own sad experience.

Let any man attend to the constitution of his own mind, and he will soon perceive how unnatural it is to think ourselves in danger of a crime to which we never felt the least

inclination, nor ever once thought of any thing in nature that could be a temptation; yea, to which, whenever we think of it, we feel the greatest aversion: as, what dutiful child ever thought himself in danger of murdering his father, whom he greatly loves and honours? And if a divinely-inspired propeht should tell him that he, one day, should be guilty of such a shocking crime, he could hardly believe it. This naturally brings to mind the story of Hazael, (in 2 Kings, viii. 11. 13.) who, when the prophet told him how he should burn the strong holds of Israel, slay their young men with the sword, and dash their children, and rip up their women with child, having never felt any inclination to such barbarities toward them, and not foreseeing any temptation he should ever have to commit such things, so shocking to human nature, readily answered, Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing! So, when our blessed Saviour told Peter that he should deny him that very night, he was far from thinking it was in his heart to do so. Nor could the prediction of Christ induce him to believe that it would come to pass. Yea, it did not seem to him there was really any danger of it, as he had no inclination that way; yea, felt the greatest aversion to it; and it did not seem that any thing could tempt him to it: no, not even death itself; for he felt he had rather die than to do it. Mark xiv. 29. " Although all should be offended, yet will not I." Ver. 31. "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise." And this was the voice of them all, though Christ had expressly told them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night; and even confirmed his prediction by an ancient prophecy. "For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." Ver. 27. Much less would innocent, holy beings, who had never heard that any one intelligence had ever fallen, or ever discerned any thing in the state of their minds within, or in the situation of things without, that had the least tendency that way, but every thing to the contrary: I say, much less would such beings be apt to suspect any danger of their forsaking the fountain of all good, and turning enemies to the God that made them. Nay, rather, I imagine, they would be apt to

look upon it as a thing, in its own nature, near or quite impossible*: Therefore,

3. If God, in a sense of their mutability, out of his own mere goodness and sovereign grace, to prevent their apostacy, and the infinitely dreadful consequences which, in a government so perfectly holy as his, sin must expose them to, all which lay open to his view: I say, if God had become surety for all intelligences; if the only immutable Being had, in such circumstances, undertaken, by his ever-watchful eye, and the constant influences of his spirit, to have rendered all intelligences immutably good; although the kindness done them, in God's account, had been full infinitely great, yet not so in their's; for they would not have been in a capacity to have discerned the kindness scarce at all; much less to have been so thoroughly sensible of their absolute dependance on God, and infinite obligations to him, as now, according to the present plan, the saved will for ever be.

Had all intelligences been preserved in their original rectitude, and so never felt in themselves the least inclination to sin, but always perfectly to the contrary, they would have been apt to have thought it impossible that any holy being should ever depart from God; and so would not have been apt to have attributed their immutability to God, their preserver, but rather to their own inherent goodness; and so their absolute dependance on God, the only immutable Being, and their infinite obligations to him, for interposing to prevent their apostacy, would not have been seen. Nor could

OBJ. "The Disciples were guilty of self-confidence, and were to blame. Surely holy beings have no blameable self-confidence."

ANS. They have not. The Disciples might have known better. They had heard of the angels' fall, of Adam's fall, and of the falls of Noah, Lot, David, and other most eminent men; and had had abundant experience of the wickedness and deceitfulness of their own hearts, all which, together with Christ's express prediction, rendered them to blame. Yet it will not follow, that an innocent, holy being, just come into existence, full of love to God, having never heard of the fall of any, nor ever thought of any temptation to sin, is to blame, because it seems to him impossible, that ever he should turn enemy to the God that made him, or once go contrary to his will. "How can I do it?" would he be ready to say. "In all nature there is nothing to tempt me. But every thing to the contrary." And the more he loved God, the more impossible would it seem, that he should ever revolt.

inclination, nor ever once thought of any thing in nature that could be a temptation; yea, to which, whenever we think of it, we feel the greatest aversion: as, what dutiful child ever thought himself in danger of murdering his father, whom he greatly loves and honours? And if a divinely-inspired propeht should tell him that he, one day, should be guilty of such a shocking crime, he could hardly believe it. This naturally brings to mind the story of Hazael, (in 2 Kings, viii. 11. 13.) who, when the prophet told him how he should burn the strong holds of Israel, slay their young men with the sword, and dash their children, and rip up their women with child, having never felt any inclination to such barbarities toward them, and not foreseeing any temptation he should ever have to commit such things, so shocking to human nature, readily answered, Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing! So, when our blessed Saviour told Peter that he should deny him that very night, he was far from thinking it was in his heart to do so. Nor could the prediction of Christ induce him to believe that it would come to pass. Yea, it did not seem to him there was really any danger of it, as he had no inclination that way; yea, felt the greatest aversion to it; and it did not seem that any thing could tempt him to it: no, not even death itself; for he felt he had rather die than to do it. Mark xiv. 29. "Although all should be offended, yet will not I." Ver. 31. "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise." And this was the voice of them all, though Christ had expressly told them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night; and even confirmed his prediction by an ancient prophecy. "For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." Ver. 27. Much less would innocent, holy beings, who had never heard that any one intelligence had ever fallen, or ever discerned any thing in the state of their minds within, or in the situation of things without, that had the least tendency that way, but every thing to the contrary: I say, much less would such beings be apt to suspect any danger of their forsaking the fountain of all good, and turning enemies to the God that made them. Nay, rather, I imagine, they would be apt to

look upon it as a thing, in its own nature, near or quite impossible. Therefore,

3. If God, in a sense of their mutability, out of his own mere goodness and sovereign grace, to prevent their apostacy, and the infinitely dreadful consequences which, in a government so perfectly holy as his, sin must expose them to, all which lay open to his view: I say, if God had become surety for all intelligences; if the only immutable Being had, in such circumstances, undertaken, by his ever-watchful eye, and the constant influences of his spirit, to have rendered all intelligences immutably good; although the kindness done them, in God's account, had been full infinitely great, yet not so in their's; for they would not have been in a capacity to have discerned the kindness scarce at all; much less to have been so thoroughly sensible of their absolute dependance on God, and infinite obligations to him, as now, according to the present plan, the saved will for ever be.

Had all intelligences been preserved in their original rectitude, and so never felt in themselves the least inclination to sin, but always perfectly to the contrary, they would have been apt to have thought it impossible that any holy being should ever depart from God; and so would not have been apt to have attributed their immutability to God, their preserver, but rather to their own inherent goodness; and so their absolute dependance on God, the only immutable Being, and their infinite obligations to him, for interposing to prevent their apostacy, would not have been seen. Nor could

OBJ. "The Disciples were guilty of self-confidence, and were to blame. Surely holy beings have no blameable self-confidence."

ANS. They have not. The Disciples might have known better. They had heard of the angels' fall, of Adam's fall, and of the falls of Noah, Lot, David, and other most eminent men; and had had abundant experience of the wickedness and deceitfulness of their own hearts, all which, together with Christ's express prediction, rendered them to blame. Yet it will not follow, that an innocent, holy being, just come into existence, full of love to God, having never heard of the fall of any, nor ever thought of any temptation to sin, is to blame, because it seems to him impossible, that ever he should turn enemy to the God that made him, or once go contrary to his will. "How can I do it?" would he be ready to say. "In all nature there is nothing to tempt me. But every thing to the contrary." And the more he loved God, the more impossible would it seem, that he should ever revolt,