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clinations and prefent Interefts; It is little thanks to us that we do the eafy ones, but if we do thofe that are more difficult, this is the Trial of our Virtue and Obedience; and therefore St. James lays it down as a Maxim in Religion, that whofoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of All, ch. 2. v. 10. and the Reason follows, For he that faid, Do not commit Adultery, faid alfo, Do not Kill; i. e. the very fame Authority that enjoin'd the one, enjoin'd the other; and therefore if a Man obeys in one Instance only, it is because he has no Inclination to tranfgrefs; for if his Obedience flow'd from a Principle of pleafing God, it would operate in one Cafe as well as the Other.

But let me not be misapprehended, as if I were affirming that every Failure in our Obedience will forfeit our Title to eternal Salvation. God forbid that our Hopes should be fet upon this narrow Bottom, for then, who could be faved? perfect Godliness is the Growth of another World, and is no where to be found in these fublunary Regions; for in many Things we all offend, and there is none that doeth Good and finneth not. But if our Obedience be fincere, if we do

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not willingly and wittingly fall into Sin, and fhall truly repent of it when thorough Infirmity we happen to do fo; if we strive and aim at Perfection, tho' we should come fhort of it, yet God will graciously accept of it for the Sake of Chrift; for he is too wife and too good to expect more of us than we are able to perform. When we do this in all Inftances, our Obedience is perfect in the Conftruction of the Gofpel; and it is upon this Condition only that we are entitled to that eternal Salvation which is mentioned in my Text.

Perhaps a Question may arise, what will become then of virtuous Heathens in another World, who cannot obey the Gospel of which they never heard, and confequently cannot entitle themfelves to this eternal Salvation by their Obedience. Far be it from me to think fo meanly of God's Goodness and Mercy, as to pronounce them damn'd for not knowing and doing what they could not poffibly know or do. That they have a Law written in their Hearts, and a Confcience of Good and Evil St. Paul tells us; and St. Peter as plainly declares that in every Nation, he that feareth God and worketh Acts 10. 35. Righteousness is accepted with him. From

hence

hence it is evident that there will be Rewards and Punishments for Heathens in the next World, according to their different Behaviour; were it otherwife, Virtue and Vice, a good and a bad Confcience, would be set on the fame common Foot. But what Degree of Happiness is prepared for a virtuous Heathen, and where he is to enjoy it, we have no Light to discover. Only thus far we may reasonably conclude, that it will not be the very fame Heaven and Happiness that is reserved for good Chriftians. For in the first Place, the heavenly Happiness is promised to fuch only as fhall obey the Gospel. For this Reason, St. Paul represents the Heathens as being Strangers to the Covenants Eph. 2. 129 of Promife, and having no Hope, i. e. they could have no fure Ground of Hope, because they had no Promises. And in the next Place, The Heathens want many of those Means and Advantages for purifying and refining the Soul, and preparing it for the heavenly Happiness, which Chriftians enjoy; and due Qualifications are as neceffary for this End as Promifes. For none but the Matth. 5, 8. pure in Heart can fee God, Matth. And it is by Faith, i.e. by believing in Christ, and receiving the Grace of the Gospel

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5.

8.

that

Acts 15.9 that the Heart is purified, Were it otherwife, what Advantage would a Christian have beyond a Heathen? and what Reafon would St. Peter have to boast of the exceeding great and precious Promises in the Gospel? Indeed the Advantage would lye against him, for if a wicked Christian shall be punish'd more than a wicked Heathen, it would feem unequal, if a good Christian were not to be better rewarded than a good Heathen.

Upon the whole, it is reasonable to believe that there is Happiness referv'd for virtuous Heathens in another World, but that it will not be the fame in Degree, nor perhaps in Kind, that is referv'd for Chriftians; for it is only to them that obey him that Chrift is faid in the Text to be the Author of Eternal Salvation.

The natural Ufes to be made of this Doctrine are these two following.

Ift, To excite us to be thankful to that good Providence, which has put it into our Power to obtain this eternal Salvation, by giving us our Birth and Education under the Light of the Gofpel. St. Paul tells the Acts 17.26. Athenians, that God had made of one Blood all Nations of Men, This was a very new and furprizing Piece of History to them, who had never heard that Adam

and

and Eve were the common Parents of all

Mankind.

But tho' we have one Father, yet we have not all the fame Portion. Even temporal Bleffings are not equally distributed thorough the feveral Nations of this Earth, fome enjoying a warmer Sun, a happier Climate, and a richer Soil than others. But in fpiritual and eternal Bleffings the Difference is still greater; for if we divide the Inhabitants of this earthly Globe into four Parts, at least three of them, are involved in Ignorance and Barbarism, and have no fure Hopes, no nor Means of eternal Salvation.

But God, whofe Favours are free, has been pleas'd to deal much better with US, having caft our Lot in a Country where the Light of the Gospel has long fhin'd, which gives us not only the Means, but the Hopes and the fureft Promises of everlasting Hap-piness in Heaven.

But even in this unequal Circumstance, there is this Equality preferv'd, that as Chrif tians have received greater Grace than Heathens, if they abuse the fame, they shall receive greater Punishment. Grace is free, and God as a Sovereign difpenfes it as he pleases; but Punishment is the Act of a C 2

Judge,

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