Enquiries, and fhould be refolved into the unfearchable Wisdom of that Providence, who ordereth all things according to the Holinefs of his Will: Whatever Calamities are hereby derived down upon us, how exceedingly wicked foever our firft Parents were in the Cafe of this Tranfgreffion, God is nevertheless juft and righteous, and good: Great indeed is the Difference between that Guilt which is unavoidable by us, and that which we voluntarily incur; and accordingly there is a gracious Remedy provided for the former, and for the latter too, inafmuch as it is the Confequence of the former : That Atonement which the Bleffed Jefus made for Sin will doubtless free every one from the Punishment of Original Sin, who hath not by Actual Tranfgreffion made the Guilt of it more particularly his own; however, this is entirely owing to God's Mercy, through the Merits of our Saviour Chrift: And if we look barely upon our State of Nature, we must acknowledge it to be a State of Sin, and as fuch, to deferve God's Wrath and Damnation: The Second Head of this Difcourfe

Difcourfe therefore muft give us a more comfortable Prospect, and reconcile us to whatever Difficulties this Doctrine may feem to be involved in: For,

2. THE Words of the Text declare the Condition of Man under a State of Grace, as it is expreffed in these Words; By the Obedience of One, shall many be made Righteous: Made Righteous, i. e. fhall be juftified or accepted in the Sight of God.

As the State of Man by Nature is fuch, as must be odious and offenfive to Him, who is Purity itself; as it is impoffible for Man ever to cleanse himself from his Corruptions; or if he could cleanse himself, as it is impoffible for him ever to merit Pardon for former Guilt; fo the State of, Man would inevitably have been that of Eternal Mifery, had not the infinite Goodnefs of the Almighty provided fomething meritorious from without him, which he might be enabled to apply to himself by fome inward Principle.

THIS was done by the Bleffed Jefus's taking upon Him our Nature, with all its Infirmities, Sin only, both Original and Actual,

Actual excepted: That the fame Nature which offended, might likewife be chaftifed and become meritorious; the perfect Obedience He paid to the whole Law of God, the exalted Dignity of his Perfon, the Violence of his Sufferings, and the expiatory Nature of his Death were the Means which reftored Mankind to the Divine Favour: His Sufferings atoned for the Guilt of Sin, and removed its Punishment; His Obedience is imputed unto us for Righteoufnefs; by Faith it is that we apply this gracious Remedy to ourfelves, and make thefe Privileges our own; and thus through the Merits of Chrift and the Grace of his Gospel we become the Heirs of Eternal Happiness.

ON this Account the Bleffed Jefus is called the Second Adam, because He renewed what the former Adam had deftroyed; He procured another Covenant for that which by Tranfgreffion had been forfeited; as Sin hath reigned thro' the firft Adam, and Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation; Grace hath much more abounded through the Second Adam, and comes upon all Men unto Juftification. VOL. II.

F

True

True indeed it is that all Men will not be faved through the Merits of Chrift, because all Men will not apply those Merits to themfelves: They are fufficient for the faving of all, provided all would be but careful to lay hold of their Efficacy; but to thofe alone it is, who through a ftedfaft Faith, and fincere Obedience, receive Him for their Saviour, that the Holy Jefus will give Power to become the Sons of God: In fhort, Grace is freely offered unto all the Sons of Men, and the Condition of Man under a State of Grace is that of prefent Pardon and Reconciliation with God, and of promised Glory and Blifs in the Kingdom of Heaven This Doctrine is fo evident from every Part of the New Teftament, that the bare mention of it is fufficient.

WE may therefore proceed in the third Place to fet thefe two States one against another; for as by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners; fo by the Obedience of one fall many be made Righ

teous.

HERE we fee Man a fall'n, but a recovered Creature; by Nature born in Sin,

but,

but, through Grace, born again unto Righteoujnefs; defiled with Original Guilt, but purified by the Blood of the Lamb, that was flain from the Beginning of the World; through the Tranfgreffion of our firft Parents, and his own actual Of fences expofed to Wrath and Misery, but through the perfe& Obedience of the Son of God, and his own fincere Obedience, exalted to Favour and Happiness.

we

HERE then let all Complaints cease of the Corruptions and Frailty of our Nature, fince we are renew'd by God's Holy Spirit, and out of natural Weaknefs are made fpiritually ftrong; may with Pleafure reflect upon our Fall from an Earthly Paradife, when we confider our rifing again to an Heavenly Inheritance What! tho' every Man be as it were an Adam to his own Children, and propagates Corruption to them together with their Being, yet that Laver of Regeneration reftores Mankind to a State, though not of entire, yet of acceptable Cleannefs, and admits him into a New Covenant, where Sincerity will be rewarded in the ftead of Perfection; where VOL. II. Merits,

F 2