having sufficient internal abilities, and sufficient outward advantages to know and do his duty: And, accordingly, God did leave him to his choice. He was deceived by Satan's lies....broke the divine law, and fell into ruin; as the event, recorded in the 3d chapter of Genesis, sufficiently proves. But God and his throne were guiltless,

5. Our first parent's design in eating of the forbid, den fruit, was to make a surprising advance in knowledge and happiness; not by such slow degrees as they had before expected, but at once to become as Gods, Deceived by Satan's lies....captivated by this temptation....the food also appearing pleasant to the eye, and good for food, they took and eat,

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Satan's design was to bring dishonor upon God, ruin upon man, and then to lift up himself, exult, and triumph in his deed. Being an inveterate enemy to God, and to all good; and having a peculiar spite at man, nothing could give him greater joy, than to ru in a new-made world, which, as it appeared to him, God had created for the honor of his great name, and as a place of happy abode for his creature, man;-to see God's creature give more credit to him than to his Maker to see God's subject desert his rightful sovereign and Lord, and join with him-to see God's authority disregarded, and himself obeyed: I say, to

* The Angels are appointed ministering spirits, to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation, (Heb. I. 14.) And, perhaps, as soon as man was created, it was revealed to all the hosts of Heaven, that it should be their employment, to attend upon Adam and his numerous race. Perhaps Satan might think this too degrading, for one so superior to man, as he perceived himself to be, to be thus employed. And so pride, his first sin, might take occasion to rise in his heart. And to be revenged on God and man, both at once, he laid a scheme for man's seduction and ruin. And, from that day to this, hath never ceased to study our mischief. If this occasion of the fall of Angels is a mere conjecture, yet it is the most probable I know of: And what makes it the more probable, it will account for Satan's great zeal for the destruction of mankind.

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see God thus disobeyed, disappointed, dishonored.... man ruined....this lower creation spoilt, while he himself is believed, obeyed, honored would perfectly suit the devil's heart, so full of pride, of enmity against God, and ill-will to man.

God's design in permitting Satan so far to succeed in this most hellish attempt, was, that he might take occasion to bring more honor to God, and to make the good part of the creation more humble, holy, and happy. And, finally, as effectually to disappoint Satan in all his schemes, as was Pharaoh, when he and his army lay overwhelmed in the Red-Sea: which design, for the encouragement of our first parents, was hinted to them soon after the fall. "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head."...Gen. III. 15.

When the great OMNISCIENT saw that rebellion would break out in heaven, and the infection reach down to this lower world, and spread all over the earth, he practically said-" After all I have done for them as their creator, and said to them as their moral goyernor, I and my throne are guiltless-to themselves I leave them-and now will it be known what is in their hearts; and I also will take occasion to shew what is in my heart; and they shall know that I am the LORD, and the whole intelligent system shall be filled with my glory." (Analagous to what is written in 2 Chron. XXXII. 31. Deut. VIII. 2. Exod. X. 2.)

1. God knew that it belonged to the nature of all finite beings to be mutable and peaceable; and that the best might degenerate so far as to become the worst: no being in the system being, by nature, immutable, but God alone. As it is written, "I am the LORD, I change not."....Mal. III. 6.

To be, by nature, immutable, is peculiar to the Deity, and cannot be communicated to a creature, because it implies infinity. God only is capable of such a complete view of all things, past, present, and to come, at once, as leaves no room for any new views. And his

views being forever exactly the same, there is in his nature a fixed foundation for immutability in all his purposes and determinations. Whereas, the most exalted of all finite beings, being capable of only partial views of things, are constantly enlarging and varying their views and prospects, and are liable to have a set of thoughts wholly new, which may lead on to new determinations and purposes. And amidst an infinite variety of new views and new determinations, things may possibly so appear, as that the most exalted of mere creatures may make a wrong judgement,and take a wrong turn, and so fall into sin and under the divine displeasure.

Wherefore, to God, who saw the finite capacities of finite intelligences, and their consequent liableness, as things might happen, to deception and apostacy, it plainly appeared, that he could not safely depend upon their stability: He knew himself to be the only immutable being in the system....the same yesterday, today, and forever; but "he put no trust in his servants, and his angels he charged with folly," (ob IV. 18.) or,as it is elsewhere expressed, (Job XV. 15.) "He putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.'

And yet, for things to continue forever in such an uncertain, unsettled state, must have been undesirable to the immutable Being who loves immutability in himself, and the image of it in his creatures; and loves to see his authority established, and his kingdom settled in peace and everlasting order and harmony; and loves to see the eternal welfare of his creatures on a safe footing, and clear out of the reach of any possible danger.

But how much soever to the honor of God, and to the good of the system, and how desirable soever, in these two respects, it might appear in the sight of God, that the intelligent system should unanimously adhere and cleave forever to the Lord, yet, in the nature. of F

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things, there could be no certain security for this, un, less he himself, the only immutable Being, should undertake and become surety for all his creatures.There could be no certain dependance upon creatures, left to themselves, how great and excellent soever their 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 dependant 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, ney, er 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 impos sible, 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 un

natural, 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 nev er 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 honors? And if a divinely-inspired prophet 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 toid 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 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."