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all that God doth in disposing of them, is for the good, of the saint: but it will not thence follow, that all God's forbearing to do, is also for his good, or that it is best. for him that God does no more for him.

Therefore the following things I humbly conceive to be the truth concerning the sins and temptations of the saints being for their good:

1. That all things whatsoever are for the good of saints; things negative as well as positive; in this. sense, that God intends that some benefit to them. shall arise from every thing, so that something of the grace and love of God will hereafter be seen to have been exercised towards them in every thing: although at the same time the sovereignty of God will also be to be seen with regard to the measure of the good or benefit aimed at, or that some other things, if God had seen cause to order them, would have produced an higher benefit. And with regard to negative disposals, consisting not in God's doing, but forbearing to do, not in giving, but withholding, some benefit, in some respect or other, will ever accrue to the saints even from these: though sometimes the benefit will not be equal to the benefit withheld, if it had been bestowed-As for instance, when a saint lives and dies comparatively low in grace, there is some good improvement shall be made even of this, in the eternal state of the saint, whereby he shall receive a real benefit: though the benefit shall not be equal to the. benefit of an higher degree of holiness, if God had bes-, towed it.

2. God carries on a design of love to his people, and to each individual saint, not only in all things that they are the subjects of while they live, but also in all his works and disposals, and all his acts ad extra. from eternity to eternity.

3. That the sin in general of the saints is for their good, and for the best, in this respect, that it is a thing that, through the sovereign grace of God and his infinite wisdom, will issue in a high advancement of their

eternal happiness; that they have been sinful fallen creatures, and not from the beginning perfectly innocent and holy, as the elect angels; and that they shall attain some additional good on occasion of all the sin they have been the subjects of, or have committed, beyond what they would have had, if they never had been fallen creatures.

4. The sin of the saints cannot be for their good; in this sense, that it should be finally the best for them, that while they lived in this world, their restoration and recovery from the corruption they became subject to by the fall, was no greater; the mortification of sin and spiritual vivification of their souls, carried on to no greater degree; that they remained so sinfully deficient as to love to God, christian love to men, humility, heavenly mindedness, &c. and that they were so barren, and did so few good works, and consequently, that in general they had so much sin, and of the exercises of it, and not more holiness, and of the exercise and fruits of that (for in proportion as one of these is more, the other will be less, as infallibly as darkness is more or less in proportion to the diminution or increase of light.) It cannot finally be better for the saints, that in general while they lived, they had so much sin of heart and life, rather than more holiness of heart and life; because the reward of all at last will be according to their works; and he that has sowed sparingly, shall reap sparingly, and he that hath sowed bountifully, shall reap also bountifully; and he that builds wood, hay, and stubble, shall finally suffer loss, and have a less reward than if he had built gold, silver, and precious stones, though he himself shall be saved. But, notwithstanding this,

5. The sins and falls of the saints may be for their good, and for the better, in this respect, that the issue may be better, than if the temptation had not happened, and so the occasion not given, either for the sin of yielding to the temptation, or the virtue of overcoming it; and yet not in that respect (with regard to their sins

or falls in general) that it should be better for them in the issue, that they have yielded to the temptations offered, than if they had overcome. For the fewer victories they obtain over temptation, the fewer their good works, and particularly of that kind of good works, to which a distinguishing reward is promised in Rev. 2. and S. and in many other places of Scripture. The word of God represents the work of a Christian in this world by a warfare, and it is evident by the Scripture, that he that acquits himself as the best soldier, shall win the greatest prize. Therefore, when the saints are brought into backslidings and decays, by being overcome by temptations, the issue of their backslidings may be some good, to them, they may receive some benefit by occasion of it, beyond what they would have received if the temptation had never happened; and yet their backslidings in general may be a great loss to them, in that respect, that they shall have much less reward, than if the temptations had been overcome, and they, notwithstanding, had persevered in spiritual vigor and diligence. But yet this doth not hinder but that,

6. It may be so ordered by a sovereign and all-wise God,that the saints' falls and backslidings, through their being overcome by temptations, may, in some particular instances, prove best for them, not only that the issue may be greater good to them, than they would have received if the temptation had not happened, but even greater in this instance, than if the temptation had been overcome. It may be so ordered, that their being overcome by that temptation, shall be an occasion of their having greater strength, and in the whole, obtaining more and greater victories, than if they had not fallen in that instance. But this is no where promised, nor can it be so, that in the general, it should prove better for them, that they are foiled so much, and do overcome so little, in the course of their lives; and finally, that their decay is so great, or their progress 50 small. From these things it appears,

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3. That, though it is to the eternal damage of the saints ordinarily, when they yield to and are overcome by temptations, yet satan and other enemies of the saints, by whom these temptations come, are always wholly disappointed in their temptation, and baffled in their design to hurt the saints, in as much as the temptation, and the sin that comes by it, is to the saints' good, and they receive a greater benefit in the issue, than if the temptation had not been, and yet less than if the temptation had been overcome.

Comparison between ATHEISM and UNIVERSALISM, with regard to their moral tendency.

A

THEISM promises its votaries an exemption from all evils after death; and that all, of whatever character, shall equally sink into an eternal sleep.-The doctrine of universal salvation, promises to all, of whatever character in this life, endless felicity-an oternal weight of glory.

That Atheism tends to give the reigns to the lusts of men, and to dissolve all moral ties, cannot be denied. When all sense of accountableness to an infinitely just Being, from whom nothing can possibly be concealed, and out of whose hands no one can escape, is taken away, it is evident, that the principal restraints, under which mankind in general are holden in this life, are

removed.

The doctrine of universal salvation, equally frees men from fears of future evil; at least any, which shall not be accompanied or followed with an infinitely overbalancing good. Some of the advocates for this doctrine deny, that there will be any future punishment. whatever; and all of them, that there will be any more than a temporary one; and this to be followed by a state of endless felicity; for the higher and more sensible enjoyment of which, men will be fitted by the

temporary pains which, it is admitted, some may be made to suffer after death.

Atheism and Universalism agree in this, that no evil, on the whole, is to be feared by any, after death-For, those temporary pains, which are necessary to prepare the subject for higher enjoyment, and which are to be followed with an eternal weight of glory, are not to be considered, on the whole, as evils. The latter sentiment, then, promises an endless, everlasting good to men of every description and character; while the former encourages no better hope, than that of an eternal sleep, an exemption from all future pain.

Which of these sentiments bids fairest to engage the affections of the carnal heart, can admit of no dispute. For it is easy to see, that a state of endless felicity, and that, with all the pains which may ever be expected from a Being, whose single and highest object, is the complete and endless happiness of every individual of his creatures, is greatly preferable, yea, infinitely so, to a total cessation of existence.

The doctrine of Universalism, especially as denying any future punishment whatever, must gain an unspeakable preference, in the carnal mind, to the gloomy doctrine of annihilation. The Universalist has every advantage which the Atheist can boast, without any of the disadvantages necessarily attendant on the principles of the latter. The atheistical doctrine promises nothing more than a mere exemption from pain, after a life of pleasure, and the indulgence of every lust : while that of the advocates for universal salvation, in addition to deliverance from every lash of punitive justice, begets the hope of future glorious rewards, and unceasing felicity. Which of these doctrines, then, gives the reigns most entirely to the lusts of men, at the same time most effectually removing all those restraints of fear, which are of such vast importance in preserving the peace and order of society, no man in his senses can be at a loss.

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