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I.

PART and will end in Error, Confufion, and Mifery, is now already certain in his Fore-knowledge. And indeed, why any thing of Hazard and Danger fhould be put upon fuch frail Creatures as we are, may well be thought a Difficulty in Speculation; and cannot but be fo, till we know the whole, or, however, much more of the Cafe. But ftill the Constitution of Nature is as it is, Our Happiness and Mifery are trufted to our Conduct, and made to depend upon it. Somewhat, and, in many Circumstances, a great deal too, is put

upon Us, either to do, or to fuffer, as we chufe. And all the various Miferies of Life, which People bring upon themselves by Negligence and Folly, and might have avoided by proper Care, are Inftances of this: Which Miferies are beforehand, juft as contingent and undetermined as their Conduct, and left to be determined by it.

Thefe Obfervations are an Answer to the Objections against the Credibility of a State of Trial, as implying Temptations, and real Danger of mifcarrying with regard to our general Intereft, under the moral Government of God and they fhew, that, if we are at all to be confidered in fuch a Capacity, and as having fuch an Intereft; the general Analogy of Providence muft lead us to apprehend ourselves in Danger of miscarrying, in diffe

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rent Degrees, as to his Intereft, by our neg- CHAp. lecting to act the proper Part belonging to us IV. in that Capacity. For we have a prefent Intereft, under the Government of God which we experience here upon Earth. And this Intereft, as it is not forced upon us, fo neither is it offered to our Acceptance, but to our Acquifition; in fuch Sort, as that we are in Danger of miffing it, by means of Temptations to neglect, or act contrary to it; and without Attention and Self-denial, muft and do mifs of it. It is then perfectly credible, that this may be our Cafe, with Respect to that chief and final Good, which Religion proposes to us.

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I.

CHA P. V.

Of a State of Probation, as intended for moral Difcipline and Improve

ment.

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ROM the Confideration of our being in a Probation-ftate, of fo much Difficulty and Hazard, naturally arifes the Queftion, how we came to be placed in it. But fuch a general Inquiry as this, would be found involved in infuperable Difficulties. For, though fome of thefe Difficulties would be leffened by obferving, that all Wickedness is voluntary, as is implied in its very Notion; and that many of the Miseries of Life have apparent good Effects: yet, when we confider other Circumftances belonging to both, and what must be the Confequence of the former in a Life to come; it cannot but be acknowledged plain Folly and Prefumption, to pretend to give an Account of the whole Reasons of this Matter: the whole Reasons of our being allotted a Condition, out of which fo much Wickednefs and Mifery, fo circumstanced, would in Fact arife. Whether it be not beyond our Faculties, not only to find out, but even to understand, the whole Account

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V.

Account of This; or, though we should be CHAP. fuppofed capable of understanding it, yet, whether it would be of Service or Prejudice to us to be informed of it; is impoffible to say. But as our present Condition can in no wise be shewn inconfiftent with the perfect moral Government of God: fo Religion teaches us we were placed in it, that we might qualify ourselves, by the Practice of Virtue, for another State which is to follow it. And this, though but a partial Answer, a very partial one indeed, to the Inquiry now mentioned, yet, is a more fatisfactory Anfwer to Another, which is of real, and of the utmost Importance to us to have answered: the Inquiry, What is our Business here? The known End then, why we are placed in a State of fo much Affliction, Hazard, and Difficulty, is, our Improvement in Virtue and Piety, as the requifite Qualification for a future State of Security and Happiness.

Now the Beginning of Life, confidered as an Education for mature Age in the present World, appears plainly, at first Sight, analogous to this our Trial for a future one: the former being in our temporal Capacity, what the latter is in our religious Capacity. But fome Obfervations common to both of them, and a more diftinct Confideration of each, will more diftinctly shew the

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Extent

PART Extent and Force of the Analogy between I. them; and the Credibility, which arifes from hence, as well as from the Nature of the thing, that the present Life was intended to be a State of Discipline for a future one.

1. Every Species of Creatures is, we fee, defigned for a particular Way of Life; to which, the Nature, the Capacities, Temper, and Qualifications, of each Species, are as neceffary, as their external Circumftances. Both come into the Notion of fuch State, or particular Way of Life, and are conftituent Parts of it. Change a Man's Capacities or Character to the Degree, in which it is conceivable they may be changed; and he would be altogether incapable of a human Course of Life, and human Happiness: as incapable, as if, his Nature continuing unchanged, he were placed in a World, where he had no Sphere of Action, nor any Objects to answer his Appetites, Paffions, and Affections of any Sort. One thing is fet over against another, as an antient Writer expreffes it. Our Nature correfponds to our external Condition. Without this Correfpondence, there would be no Poffibility of any fuch thing as human Life and human Happiness: which Life and Happiness are, therefore, a Refult from our Nature and Condition jointly meaning by human Life, not living in the literal Senfe, but the whole

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