V.

cafes, that are evidently repugnant to SERM. justice and goodness. Thus, if we could suppose, that God had abfolutely determined the final and eternal mifery of great numbers of his rational creatures; or that he tempted and excited them to fin; that he enjoined impracticable duties, and punished any for not believing or not doing impoffibilities; if thefe extravagant things, I fay, could be fuppofed of the fupreme and all-perfect being, who is righteous in all his ways, and whofe tender mercies are over all his works; it would be the most impertinent thing in the world, to think to fatisfy the reason of mankind by refolving all into his fovereignty, and faying, who art thou, that repliest against God? The fovereignty of God, and his right to act as he pleases in cafes where juftice is not concerned, is not the thing disputed, but his equity and goodness; which can only be vindicated by fhewing, either that the above-mentioned methods of acting are not inftances of arbitrariness and cruelty, or that arbitrariness and cruelty, which are reckon'd monftrous

SERM. monstrous crimes in all other beings, are V. no blemishes in God's government of the world.

Indeed, had I a notion of the fupreme Creator and Father of mankind (I speak it with quite different fentiments, and with the highest esteem and reverence of his moral character) but had I really. a notion of him as deftitute of equity and. benevolence, and acting only for the oftentation of his fupreme power, and fovereign dominion, I might, perhaps, think it prudent not to complain, that I might. not expose myself to the refentment of fo terrible an enemy; but would there be ever the lefs reafon for complaint? The mouth of the objector might be stop-. ped by his fears; but would the force of the objection be at all abated? It could not be,as long as there remained any difference in actions, any diftinction of juft or unjust. For if power alone does not conftitute right, (and if it does, the most powerful, in every degree, must be univerfally, and without exception, the most righteous) the greatest being, be his

power

power ever fo extenfive, and his domi-SERM. nion ever fo uncontroulable, can have no V. more authority to be unjust and cruel than the meaneft; but, on the contrary, will be, in proportion, a more evil and mifchievous being, and more juftly the object of univerfal abhorrence. It remains to be enquired,

3dly. To what cafes the words of the text may be properly applied. Now this will be beft determined by confidering the particular argument the apostle was pursuing, and to which they immediately relate. In the 2d and 3d verfes of this chapter, he laments, in a very pathetic manner, the difmal fate of his countrymen, who were. caft off from being the people of God, and devoted to destruction, for their wilful oppofition to the gofpel, after they had been long distinguished by peculiar and extraordinary privileges. In the 6th verfe he infinuates an objection, viz. that by rejecting the Jews, the word, or promife of God, which was made to the feed of Abraham would not have its effect; and, in answer

SERM. to it, obferves these two things. ft. That V. the descendants of Jacob, or Ifrael, did

not make up the whole of Ifrael, or the people of God comprehended in the promife; but as he argues more distinctly in the 4th chapter of this Epistle, ver. 11, &c. all thofe Gentiles were included, who trod in the steps of Abraham's faith; and, confequently, the calling them to the advantages of the Meffiab's kingdom was not fruftrating, but fulfilling the promise. And, 2dly. That the promise was never made to all the natural race of Abraham. This he proves, ver. 9. from the words of the promise itfelf, at this time will I come; and Sarah fhall have a Son. Nor was this the only limitation of the feed of Abraham; for, as he adds, when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our Father Ifaac, (the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpofe of God, according to election, might fland, not of works, but of him that calleth) it was faid unto her, the elder fhall ferve the younger. The fenfe of

which

V.

which words is plainly this, that " God, SERM. "while the children were yet in their mo"ther's womb, and, confequently, before "they could, by their actions, either re"commend themselves to his favour, or " merit his displeasure, determined that "the pofterity of Efau fhould ferve those "of Jacob; in order to fhew, that his "making any family, or race of men, "his peculiar people, or, in other words, "his taking them under his special pro"tection, and conferring extraordinary

advantages upon them, (depended on "his own wife purpose, as having a

right to bestow his favours on whom "he pleased, and not on any works and

deferts of theirs." That this whole paragraph does not at all relate to Jacob and Efau confidered perfonally is evident from hence, that it is not true perfonally, but only in a national fenfe, that the elder did ferve the younger. Again, the text in Genefis,to which here is a reference, proves unquestionably, that this was the only thing intended in the promise : Two NATIONS are in thy womb, and

the