Prov. iii. 5. This was a duty of Adam in paradise, even while he continued in innocency; before ever he meddled with the forbidden fruit; and he milcarried, because he did forget his dependence upon God, and withdrew himself from him. Thofe words of the pfalmift, Pfal. xxxvii. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, truft alfo in him, are not directions only for this lapsed state: thefe age directions fuitable and connatural to the very first inftitution of God. As also that of the prophet, Ifa. . 10. Truft in the Lord, and stay thy felf upon thy God, and as he there goes on moft excellently. v. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with fparks that you have kindled, but this fhall you have at my hand, ye fhall lie down in forrow. They are fure enough to fail and be disappointed in their undertaking, be it never fo good, they will end in forrow and shame, if they do not begin with God, and look up to him, as the only self-fufficient cause. For alas! none of us are wife enough for our own direction, in any of the ordinary affairs of life, or able enough for our own defence: we do not fee before us, nor understand what evils may befal us. If we walk in the ftreets, we are not fure of one another; for he that defpifes God or the laws, may be master of any man's life. So that if we leave out God, or God be neglected, we shall be fruftrated and disappointed; and then we may justly reflect upon our own prefumption and folly. For we went out in our own ftrength, and God was not in all our thoughts; and therefore he doth not give iflue and fuccefs. This was the ftate of the creation, the

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creatures

creature's reference to God, and the creator's influence upon the creature, and communication of himfelf to him; and that which was not in the ftate of innocence, cannot be fuppofed to be in the ftate of weakness, and contracted impotency and debility. Yea, to tell you of a self-sufficient creature, is a contradiction in fubjecto; for all things derive from their original, and refer thereunto. As Solomon hath obferved, the place from whence the waters come, thither they do return, Eccl. i. 7. This is a reason beyond all contradiction. I could triumph in this argument; 'tis without all poffibility of anfwer or evafion. Therefore there is an abfolute infufficiency in every fecond caufe; and what is a fecond caufe, is applied without effect, when the first cause is abfent, or doth not move. This is the firft. But,

Secondly, Could man alledge either neceffity of evil, or impoffibility of doing good, it would be a plea when God calls us to an account, and admits us to reason with him. For the fcripture tells us, that God doth do fo, not only at the day of judgment, but even now; and every one hath heard the voice of God calling upon him, to give a reafon of his actions. Come now (faith the prophet in the name of God) let us reafon together, Ifa. i. 18. and argue the cafe, and I will let you judge between me and yourselves, what could I have done more to my vineyard than I have done, Ifa. v. 4. But what have you done anfwerable. ? But if fin were neceffary, it could not be avoided; and if a man's duty were impoffible, it could not be done;

this would be an

anfwer to God himself. But, that there is no ne

ceffity

ceffity of evil, or any impoffibility of doing good, and becoming virtuous, I will fhew you from that paffage of our Saviour, Matt. xi. 21. who faith to that wicked generation, that if the mighty works that had been done among them, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented. Which fhews, that there was no impoffibility in the matter, but that it might have been done; otherwise this speech of our Saviour had been vain, and to no purpose. U-' pon this account it is, that we read, Jude 15. That at the day of judgment God will convince all the ungodly, and challenge them for all their hard speeches, and ungodly deeds, that they have committed; and fhew, that they had no reafon, either to speak or think hardly of him; fo that if this could be made out, that it were abfolutely impoffible to avoid evil, and to do good, and discharge our duty; this would be an answer to the indictment, that might be brought against us at the last day of judgment. For neceffaries cannot be otherwise than they are, northat which is impoffible, otherwife than it is. So that before any judgment of condemnation pass from a righteous judge; it must appear, that neither any one was neceffarily wicked; nor was it impoffible, to have been virtuous. Therefore thefe things will appear otherwife, or men will not condemn themfelves, nor justify God in his dealings. And doth not our Saviour plainly intimate this, when he tells you that Chorazin and Bethfaida, as they ought to have repented, fo they might have done it; and others would have done it upon the like means, as hath been already faid. It is true of finners, what Saul

said of himself, 1 Sam. xiii. 12. I forced myself, when he did that which he ought not to have done. So it will be found of all finners, that they have done that which was unnatural and against the reason of their minds; which had they followed, they would not have been wicked.

Thirdly, Where there is excellency of nature, there is always readiness to communicate, fupply and gratify. We commonly fay, 'tis not majesty without goodness: all excellency is easy to give allowance to fhew grace and favour. A good difpofitioned man faith Ariftotle, is ready to make a candid interpretation, and overlook an injury; and it is more ge nerous not to take cognizance of a fault, than to forgive. It is God-like to pardon to gratify, to do good. In cafe of mifery, it belongs to goodness, to make a fupply. They think meanly of God, that think he doth lefs to recover his creature, than doth confist with infinite clemency and compaffion; that God doth less than what might ferve the turn, or that he is wanting in neceffaries, to fave his creatures harmlefs, or bring them to good. This I depend upon in a way of reafon; that infinite goodness will not do less than is neceffary, or than will ferve the turn. But then as reafon fpeaks, fo alfo doth God speak of himself, by those impreffions he hath made of himself, upon all creatures. For all creatures that are original to any other, they have this in thèm, to take care of their young, and to watch over them, till they are able to make their own defence and fupply. This is true throughout the whole creation of God; and hear what God hath said of himself,

Pfal

Pfal cxlv. 9. God is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Therefore I will rather think, that God did not make the world, than that he will fail to be very good unto the creatures that he hath made. For I fee it otherwhere quite otherwise.

Farthermore, we find good affection every where recommended, and the contrary every where blamed and difparaged. We admire goodness, tendernefs, and compaffion; but on the contrary, every body complains of envy, malice, hard-heartedness, cruelty. We therefore may be fure, that goodness cannot be wanting in God, the want whereof God blames in his creatures.

Fourthly, We cannot fay worfe of God, than that his calls and monitions to his creatures, are not serious, and in good earnest, and out of love and good mind. I can make no other explication of that diftinction of God's fecret and revealed will, but that they do declare the felf fame will in God; but it is his fecret will, before he hath declared it and his revealed will, when he hath made it known. Juft as the fecrets of a man, knoweth no man, but himfelf, and he to whom he will reveal them: fo the will of God is not known, till God himself declare it. For to speak of a secret and a revealed will in God, contrary one unto another, is without warrant, for it is the fame will in another state. And this I am well affured and refolved of, because this would be dishonesty here below in the very judgment of reafon, to pretend and not to intend; to make a shew and overture, and to refolve in a man's mind the contrary, is a great dishonefty, in the judgment

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of