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The Divine Laws are either

SECT. I.

Why God made Laws when he knew that they would not be observed.

I.

HE Divine Laws are either thofe which

IT God has implanted in the Nature of every

natural or Being, or those which he has published to Mankind pofitive. in a particular manner, by certain Messengers chofen

and fent for this Purpose. For fince a Law is the Will of a Superior fufficiently promulged to an Inferior, and attended with the Hope or Fear of Reward or Punishment: 'tis plain that God may be conceived to have made this Declaration of his Will to his Creatures two ways: First, by giving them fuch a Nature as requires that fome things be done, and others avoided, in order to it's Prefervation: those things which are made known to us in this manner, are commanded or forbidden, we fay, by the Law of Nature and that Law which thus discovers itself to our Understanding we look upon as the ought to Will of God promulged to his Creatures: For we give place are very certain that God according to his Goodto more nefs, wills the Good and Prefervation of all things general ones, fince which he himself has made, as far as is poffible: and confequently hates any thing that is hurtful to of Repug- the Creature.

Particular

Laws

all kind

nancy

could not

II. Now it must be obferved that these natural Laws are either Univerfal or Particular; and 'tis fit ed. the particular ones fhould give way to the more Uni

be avoid

verfal,

verfal, and thofe of lefs Moment to the more important. For inftance, 'tis of the Nature of Body that it be capable of Motion, that it be stopped and broken in Pieces by meeting with others in Motion, and this is the Univerfal Law of Bodies. But it is of the Nature of an Animal to preferve itself, and use its utmost Endeavour that the Parts of its Body be not feparated or diffolved, and this is the particular Law of Animals.

Now fince thefe Laws are sometimes inconfiftent, it is reasonable that the latter, as being a particular one and of lefs Confequence, fhould yield to the former: and this is evidently the Will of God. If it be asked, Why did God make Laws which in fome refpect interfere with one another? I answer, as before, That this could not be avoided without a greater Evil: Since therefore of two Evils the lefs is to be chofen, God will'd that particular Laws and thofe of lefs confequence, fhould give place to the more Univerfal and thofe of greater Importance; rather than remove that Inconsistency, there arifing lefs Inconvenience to Nature from thence.

faid of

moral

III. The fame must be faid of thofe Laws which The fame relate to Morality. 'Tis the Univerfal Law of must be Free Agents, that they fhall please themfelves by thofe Election, but there are fome things eligible which Laws may be prejudicial to fome particular Beings. Now which reit is better, as was faid before, that Particulars be late to the injured, than that the Univerfal Law of Free Agents World. be violated. We must fuppofe then that God willed this as the lefs Evil of the two. Men are permitted therefore to abuse their Free Will, and 'tis neceffary that God fhould tolerate either this Inconvenience or a greater. But it is not at all neceffary that Man íhould make an Evil Choice; therefore he alone is faulty; for it proceeds from his Act that God is reduced to a neceffity of choofing the least among many Evils.

IV.

Why God IV. From hence it appears that all the Laws of is faid to Nature are always obferved according to the Will be angry and Intent of God. For he willed that the particuners, fince lar fhould give place to the General ones, and that his Will Man fhould fin rather than be driven from Sin by is always force. You'll fay, why then is he angry at Sin

done.

God may alter or

Nature,

and give

ners, fince nothing is done against his Will? I anfwer: When Anger is attributed to God, 'tis after the manner of Men;* whereas it is ordered and effected by the very Nature and Conftitution of things, that whoever does any thing in oppofition to any Law of Nature, though it be a particular one, fhall bring fome Inconvenience upon himself. By which contrivance God has taken care that the very leaft law fhould not be violated rafhly and without Neceffity. When an Offender therefore, who willingly breaks a particular Law, brings certain Mifery upon himself, God who wifely coupled these together, is faid to be angry: Because a Man in Anger would not take any other or more effectual Revenge on the Perfon that provoked him; and the Evil which naturally attends a bad Election is to be esteemed a Punishment inflicted as it were by an angry God.

V. As to the fecond fort of Divine Laws, viz. the Pofitive; 'tis certain that God, who is the Auadd to the thor of Nature and established the Laws of it, can Laws of either alter them or add to them when he fees it proper. Neither does he want Means, whenever us affur- he pleases, to affure Mankind that he will do it. ance that When therefore we find any Alteration in the to do fo; Laws of Nature, we may from hence conclude hence the that God demands our Attention. And hereupon origin of we efteem the Promulgation of a new Law repofitive commended to us by this Token to be an authentic Declaration of the Will of God. In this manner were the Mofaic and Evangelic Laws eftablished; viz. by Miracles,

he intends

Laws and a Revelation.

*See Chap. 1. § 5. par. 10. and Note C:

VI

of inform

ing Free

VI. But it is ufually afked, Why did God efta- Laws are blish and promulge thofe Laws which he knew the means Men would not obferve? It must be answered, That thefe Laws are Means of acquainting Free Agents of Agents with what is expedient for them, and of what is moving them to the choice of it. Neither does useful or their Nature admit of any that are more efficaci- prejudicial to ous for it is fuch as must be perfuaded and not them. compelled. Notwithstanding therefore God knew that his Laws would not be obferved by all, yet he proposes them to all, for by this Means a great many learn their true Intereft, thankfully embrace the Laws and obey them; and the reft are no worfe for them, fince they would be involved in the fame Evils which they feel from the Sanction of the Laws, and perhaps greater, though thefe Laws had never been. (85.)

NOTES.

But

(85.) 'Tis a very useful Observation which our Author makes in this place, and illuftrates in the following Section, par. 3. viz. that the Divine Laws (especially thofe of the Chriftian Difpenfation) are chiefly Declarations of the natural and neceffary Effects of Sin, or Directions and Means to avoid them; which neceffary Effects are conceived to be the real Sanction of these Laws. Confequently thefe Laws cannot properly bring us into a worfe State than we should have been in without them. They do not introduce a new Train of arbitrary and additional Evils, but on the contrary are defigned in pure Goodness to leffen the Number of the old ones, to forewarn us of the natural Confequences of our own Acts and Habits, and prevent those Moral Evils to which we are expofed by the very conftitution of our Beings; ;- which the univerfal Law of Liberty makes it poffible for us to incur, and impoffible for God to hinder by any other means, as has been fhewn above. Farther; this Notion, that most of the Mifery both in this World and the next is the necessary Confequence of finful Actions according to the fixed Laws of Nature, rather than any pofitive Punishment immediately inflicted by the Deity, will, I am apt to think, have the greatest Influence on

moft Men to deter them from fuch Actions. I am fure I find myfelf more deeply affected with this Reflection that Mifery will follow of Courfe upon fome certain Practices, and that by indulging them I naturally and neceffarily destroy myself, than

I

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But granting that fome who tranfgrefs the Laws meet with greater and more Inconveniencies than they would have done without them, 'tis better that fome fhould fuffer Inconveniencies thro' their own fault, than that all should be deprived of the Benefit of the Divine Laws; God therefore out of infinite Goodness, which is always inclined to the best, promulged thofe Laws which he knew all Men would not observe.

NOTES.

SECT.

fhould be by a Profpect of the very fame Degree of Pain threatned as a Punishment for fuch Practices. And the Reafon of this is evident: I am apt fill to hope that the latter may poffibly be remitted; but the former leaves no room for Hope. Again, A due attention to this Doctrine that all our moral Happiness in this World must be of our own making, and that difordered, Evil Affections, irregular and perverfe Habits, &c, will conftitute a great part of our Hell, in the next, (which might be fhewn in the fame manner as was hinted concerning virtuous Habits, in Note 79, but is rendered unneceffary by the Authors there mentioned.) This Doctrine, I fay, if rightly understood and applied, would difcover the weakness of all, fuch pretences to Salvation as are built upon the bare Belief of, or Confidence in what any other has done or can do for us; or even of what we do ourfelves purely by way of Opus Operatum, i. e. as ultimately relying on the bare Discharge of any Duty, and not ufing and applying it as a means to fome farther End, v.g. on Prayer, as the mere Labour of the Lips; on the Sacrament as a Charm; on Repentance as a fimple Act entitling us to Happiness; in fhort, on any thing which does not enter the Heart and improve the Temper. If Heaven be not fo much the Reward of Religion, as the natural Confe quence of a religious Frame of Mind, and vice verfa; then how abfurd is it for us who are afpiring after that State, to ftop by the way, to rest in any particular Acts of Religion as arbitrary Inftitutions procuring, and as it were purchasing it for us, instead of ufing them as, what they really are, fit Inftruments to work out our own Salvation by producing this frame of Mind in us; as proper Helps and Affiftances enabling us to acquire this Heavenly Temper? And on the other Side, how vain must be our Hopes of efcaping Hell by any fuch Methods as thefe, if we ftill carry our Hell within us?

The Mind is it's own Place, and in itself
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.

See Par.11. of the following Sect.

3

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