answered by the coming of Christ. These methods tried on the prophecy before us.

As this prophecy is the first, so it is the only considerable one in which we have any concern, from the creation to the days of Noah. What has been said therefore on this occasion may be understood as an account of the first period of prophecy, under which its light was proportioned to the wants and necessities of the world, and sufficient to maintain religion after the fall of man, by affording ground for trust in God: this topic enlarged on.

The bringing in of prophecy was not the only change in the state of religion occasioned by the fall. Sacrifice came in at the same time, as appears by the course of the history; and it is hardly possible it should come in, especially at the time it did, any otherwise than on the authority of divine institution. It is the first act of religion mentioned in the sacred story to have been accepted by God: in later times, when the account of things grows clearer, it appears to be appointed by him as an expiation for sin. There is indeed no express declaration of the use of sacrifice in religion at its first appearance; yet there does appear something in the account of Cain's and Abel's offering, which throws light on the matter: this subject considered; the interpretation of which leads us to perceive that the true religion instituted by God has been one and the same from the fall of Adam, subsisting ever on the same principles of faith; at first on only general and obscure hopes, which were gradually unfolded in every age, till the better days came, when God thought good to call us into the marvellous light of his gospel.

DISCOURSE III.

It is necessary to take this matter higher, to look back to the rise and progress of divine prophecy, and to observe what ends the wisdom of God intended to serve by means of it. It is no commendation of prophecy to say that it is very dark and obscure; nor yet can it be a reproach, provided it answers all the ends designed by Providence. To enable ourselves therefore to judge of prophecy, we must inquire to what end prophecy was given; and this is the subject I now propose to your consideration.

It will not be said, because it cannot be maintained, that we have any right to the knowlege of things future. God is not obliged either in wisdom or goodness, and much less in justice, to declare to us the things which shall be hereafter. In regard therefore to the knowlege of futurity, whether it be little or much, or nothing, that God thinks fit to communicate to us, we can have no reason to complain; for having no right, we can pretend no injury. Since therefore we have no demand on God for this sort of knowlege in any degree whatever, it is evident that, whenever we have it, we must ascribe our having it to some special reasons of Providence; which reasons alone can limit the degree of light and knowlege which ought to attend on the word of prophecy. For if we have from prophecy so much light as fully answers the end of giving the prophecy, I would fain know on what reason we can form a complaint for want of more? I mean this, to show how absurd it is for men to take counsel of their curiosity, when they consider the use and weight of prophecy; in this view they will find nothing to satisfy them: they may go on for ever asking why are we not told more, or more distinctly? Which questions we may promise to answer whenever they inform us on what right they demand to be told any thing; which if they cannot do, all such complaints must

be laid aside; and we must come to the only proper and material consideration, what end did the wisdom of God propose to serve by the ancient prophecies, and how has this end been served by them?

"By prophecy I understand all the declarations which God has made concerning the future state of mankind in this world or in the next; consequently all the hopes and expectations which are grounded on God's promises, and do not result from reason and natural knowlege, I refer to prophecy as their original." If there be any other kind of prophecy not comprehended in this description, there may be, perhaps, before we take leave of this subject, a proper place to consider it; but at present I shall confine myself within the limits of this description.

It cannot be supposed that God has delivered prophecies only to satisfy or employ the curiosity of the inquisitive; or that he gave his Spirit to men merely to enable them to give forth predictions for the amusement and entertainment of the world there must be some end intended worthy of the Author. What end can you conceive worthy of God but the promotion of virtue and religion, and the general peace and happiness of mankind? These things belong to him, as creator and governor of the world; these things are his province.

It is true, you will say, these things do belong indeed to God; but what has prophecy to do with these things? God can govern the world without letting us into his secrets; and as for virtue and religion and our own happiness, he has given us a plain law to walk by, the result of that reason and knowlege with which he has endowed us. Prophecy can never contradict or overrule the light of reason and nature; nor can we suppose that we came so imperfect and unfinished out of the hands of our Creator, as not to have light enough to see our own duty, and to pursue our natural happiness, but to want at every turn an admonisher at our elbow.

Let us allow the original state of nature to be as perfect and complete as you desire.

But what if the case should be altered? how will matters stand then? It is no unreasonable supposition this; for since man was created a moral agent, with freedom of will, it was

possible for him to fall; and consequently, possibly he may have fallen. Let us suppose for the present this to be the case; and tell us now, from natural religion, what must such sinners do? Repent, you will say; for it is agreeable to the goodness of God to accept repentance, and to restore offenders to his favor. Very well; but how often will this remedy serve? May sin and repentance go on for ever in a perpetual round? To allow this differs nothing from allowing a liberty and impunity to sin without repentance. If God is governor and judge of the world, there must be a time for judgment; and men may, after all reasonable and equitable allowances made, be ripe for judgment. Let this be the case then: suppose a man, after all equitable allowances made, to be condemned under and by the law of nature, and living in daily expectation of execution: I ask, what sort of religion you would advise him to in the mean time.-Natural religion ?—To what purpose?—He has had his trial and condemnation by that law already, and has nothing to learn from it but the misery of his condition. I do not mean that the sense of natural religion will be lost in such a man. He may see, perhaps more clearly than ever he did, the difference between good and evil, the beauty of moral virtue, and feel the obligations which a rational creature is under to his Maker; but what fruit will all this knowlege yield? what certain hope or comfort will it administer? A man with a rope about his neck may see the equity and excellency of the law by which he dies; and if he does, he must see that the excellency of it is to protect the virtuous and innocent but what is this excellency to him, who has forfeited the protection of all law? If you would recommend natural religion, exclusive of all other assistance, it is not enough to show from principles of reason the excellency and reasonableness of moral virtue, or to prove from the nature of God that he must delight in and reward virtue: you must go one step farther, and prove from the nature of man too, that he is excellently qualified to obey this law, and cannot well fail of attaining all the happiness under it that ever nature designed for him. If you stop short at this consideration, what do you gain? What imports it that the law is good, if the subjects are so bad, that either they will not or cannot obey it?

When you prove to sinners the excellency of natural religion, you only show them how justly they may expect to be punished for their iniquity: a sad truth, which wants no confirmation! All the possible hope left in such a case is, that God may freely pardon and restore them; but whether he will or no, the offenders can never certainly learn from natural religion.

Should God think fit to be reconciled to sinners, natural religion would again become the rule of their future trial and obedience but their hopes must flow from another spring; their confidence in God must and can arise only from the promise of God; that is, from the word of prophecy; for which reason prophecy must for ever be an essential part of such a sinner's religion.

This reasoning agrees exactly with the ancientest and most authentic account we have of the beginning of prophecy in the world. When God had finished all his works, and man, the chief of them, he viewed them all, and behold they were very good. How long this goodness lasted we know not; that it did not last very long is certain. During the time of man's innocence there were frequent communications between God and him, but not the least hint of any word of prophecy delivered to him. The hopes of nature were then alive and vigorous, and man had before him the prospect of all that happiness to which he was created, to encourage and support his obedience. In this state natural religion wanted no other assistance, and therefore it had no other.

But when the case was altered by the transgression of our first parents; when natural religion had no longer any sure hopes or comforts in reserve, but left them to the fearful expectation of judgment near at hand; when God came down to judge the offenders, and yet with intention finally to rescue and preserve them from the ruin brought on themselves; then came in the word of prophecy, not in opposition to natural religion, but in support of it, and to convey new hopes to man, since his own were irrecoverably lost and extinguished in the fall.

The prophecy then given being the first, and indeed (as I conceive) the groundwork and foundation of all that have been since, it well deserves our particular consideration.