The Carnal Pofterity of Abraham were cho fen by God for his peculiar People, to preserve his own Name and Worship among them; and for this purpose they were to be a distinct Nation, feparated from the reft of the World, and had the Land of Canaan given them to live in; and they were to continue fo till the coming of the Meffias, according to Jacob's Prophecy, The Scepter fhall not depart from fudah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and to him Shall the gathering of the people be, 49. Genef. 1o.

But the Bleffings of the Meffias were promised only to the Spiritual Seed of Abraham, as St. Paul proves, 9. Rom. 3. Gal. That is, to all those, whether Jews or Gentiles, who believe in Chrift Jefus; for Chrift was the true promised Seed, and in Chrift are all the Promifes of God, Yea and Amen; and therefore nothing but Faith in Christ can entitle us to the Promife of Abraham; as the Apoftle in these places confirms by several Arguments, which I cannot now insist on.

Now if we thus diftinguish between Abraham's Carnal and Spiritual Seed, and those Promises which belong to Abraham's Carnal Pofterity, and those which peculiarly belong to his Spiritual Seed, there will appear no great difficulty in God's deftroying the City and Temple of Jerufalem, and difperfing the Jews into all parts of

the Earth.

God had accomplished what he intended by the Carnal Pofterity of Abraham; that is, he had preferved and propagated the Knowledge of the One True God in the World, and prepared Men to receive Chrift, when he fhould be preached to them; and now Christ was come, the Spiritual Covenant took place; which was not confined to Abraham's Carnal Pofterity, but extended

extended to all that believed in Chrift all the World over: So that God had no longer any one Nation for his peculiar People, but those only were his peculiar People, whatever Nation they were of, who believe in Jesus.

The Jews then, confidered as Abraham's Carnal Pofterity, were God's peculiar People no longer; nor did God's Promife oblige him to preferve them a diftinét Nation any longer; and therefore the Divine Providence might now as justly deftroy them as any other Nation, if they deferved it; and certainly the Crucifixion of their Meffias, and their obftinate Infidelity, did deferve it. And when they had thus justly deferved a final Excifion, the Divine Wisdom had admirable Ends to ferve by it.

This gave a glorious Teftimony to Chrift and his Religion in that terrible Vengeance which befel his Murtherers, which Chrift himself had fo exprefly and punctually foretold, that no Man, who knew what he had foretold, with so many particular Circumftances, could be ignorant why Jerufalem was destroyed.

The obftinate Infidelity of the Jews, who blafphemed the Name, and perfecuted the Difciples of Chrift, did in fome degree hinder the progrefs of the Gofpel among the Gentiles; but the Destruction of Jerufalem, and the miraculous Prefervation of the Chriftians, was fo vifible a Teftimony to Chriftianity, and delivered the Chriftian Church from fuch bitter and implaçable Enemies, that the Gospel had a freer paffage, and prevailed mightily in the World.

And the difperfion of the Jews into all Countries, as before it spread the Knowledge of the One True God, fo now it made them unwil

ling

ling Witneffes to Chriftianity, as being the vifible Triumph of the Crucified Jefus.

In a word, When all Mankind were Idolaters, God chofe the Pofterity of Abraham, and multiplied them into a great Nation, to preferve and propagate the Knowledge and Worship of the One Supreme God, and to prepare Men to receive the Gofpel, which would in time extirpate all Pagan Idolatries. When Chrift was come, and the Gospel preached to the World, God rejected that Nation for their Infidelity, and by that means gave a freer paffage to the Gospel among the Gentiles; and St. Paul intimates, That the time will come, when the Sincere Faith, and Exemplary Piety of the Chriftian Church fhall contribute as much to the Converfion of the Jews, as they formerly did to the Converfion of the Gentiles; for this feems to be the Sum of the Apoftle's Reasoning, with which I fhall conclude this Argument, 11. Rom. ༡༠, &c. For as ye in times paft bave not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their unbelief; Even fo have thefe alfo now not believed, that through your mercy, they also may obtain mercy; for God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might bave mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.

Secondly, Let us now confider the Wisdom of Providence in fome more common and ordinary Events, especially fuch as are made Objections againft Providence. I have already upon other occafions taken notice of several things of this nature; but it will give us a more tranfporting Sense of the Divine Wisdom, to see as much of it as we can in one View.

In general; whoever confiders what it is to Govern a World, and to take care of all the Creatures that are in it, muft confefs it to be a Work of Infinite and Incomprehenfible Wifdom.

The Epicureans, for this Reafon, rejected a Providence; because they thought it too much Trouble for their Gods, full of Care, Solicitude, and Distraction, to obferve all that is done in the World ; and to over-rule and determine all Events, as Wifdom, Juftice, and Goodnefs, fhould direct: And indeed, nothing lefs than an Infinite Mind can do this, which fees all Things at one View, judges infallibly at first Sight, and orders all Things with a powerful Thought.

But my chief Defign at prefent is, to fhew you the Wisdom of Providence in fome particular Cafes, which either are not fufficiently obfervéd, or not rightly understood.

Some of the great Objections against Providence, are, the troublefome and tempestuous State of this World; the Uncertainty of all Events; the Ficklenefs and Inconftancy of Human Affairs; the promifcuous Dispensation of the good and evil Things of this Life, both to good, and to bad Men. And I have already vindicated, not only the Juftice and Goodnefs, - but the Wisdom of God, upon thefe Accounts; by fhewing, what wife Ends God ferves by them, and what a wife Ufe we may make of fuch Providences. And therefore, the principal Thing I fhall now infift on, fhall be fome of those wife Methods, God ufes in Rewards and Punishments; wherein the great Wisdom

of

of Government confifts: And I fhall briefly mention fome few.

1. That God rewards, and punishes Men, in their Pofterity. This is fo plainly taught in Scripture, that it will admit of no Difpute; tho' fome Men venture to difpute the Juftice at leaft of one Part of it, that God fhould vifit the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children; which the Jews objected against God, in that Prophane Proverb, The Fathers have eaten fowre grapes, and the Children's teeth are fet on edge, 18. Ezek. And by the Answer God there makes, we may learn in what Senfe God threatens to punish the Pofterity of bad Men, and to reward the Pofterity of good Men, for their Fathers Sakes; which does not extend to the other World, where every Man fhall be judged according to his own Works, and the foul that finneth, it shall die: And as to this World, where we may allow more to the Sovereignty of Providence, without impeaching the Divine Juftice; yet God affures us, that a Righteous Son fhall not be punished, merely because he had a wicked Father; nor a wicked Son be rewarded, merely because he had a Righteous Father: For thus much the Words muft fignify, if they relate to this Life; as they certainly do, as well as to a Future State.

Now, if neither a Righteous Son fhall suffer for the Wickedness of his, Father, nor a Wicked Son receive the Rewards of his Father's Virtue; this can afford no Pretence, to impeach the Juftice of Providence; but it gives Occafion to enquire, in what Senfe God is faid to vifit the Sins of the Fathers upon their Children,

and