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ture must be looked upon as united to God in an infinite strictness.

If God has respect to something in the creature, which he views as of everlasting duration, and as rising higher and higher through that infinite duration, and that not with constantly diminishing (but perhaps an increasing) celerity; then he has respect to it, as in the whole, of infinite height, though there never will be any particular time, when it can be said already to have come to such an height.

Let the most perfect union with God be represented by something at an infinite height above us; and the eternally increasing union of the saints with God, by something that is ascending constantly towards that infinite height, moving upwards with a given velocity, and that is to continue thus to move to all eternity. God, who views the whole of this eternally increasing height, views it as an infinite height. And if he has respect to it, and makes it his end, as in the whole of it, he has respect to it as an infinite height, though the time will never come when it can be said it has already arrived at this infinite height.

God aims at that which the motion or progression which he causes, aims at, or tends to. If there be many things supposed to be so made and appointed, that by a constant and eternal motion, they all tend to a certain centre; then it appears that he who made them, and is the cause of their motion, aimed at that centre, that term of their motion, to which they eternally tend, and are eternally, as it were, striving after. And if God be this centre, then God aimed at himself. And herein it appears, that as he is the first author of their being and motion, so he is the last end, the final term, to which is their ultimate tendency and aim.

We may judge of the end that the Creator aimed at, in the being, nature and tendency he gives the creature, by the mark or term which they constantly aim at in their tendency and eternal progress; though the time will never come, when it can be said it is attained to, in the most absolutely perfect manner.

But if strictness of union to God be viewed as thus infinitely exalted, then the creature must be regarded as infinite

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ly, nearly, and closely united to God. And viewed thus, their interest must be viewed as one with God's interest, and so is not regarded properly with a disjunct and separate, but an undivided respect. And as to any difficulty of reconciling God's not making the creature his ultimate end, with a respect properly distinct from a respect to himself, with his benevolence and free grace, and the creature's obligation to gratitude, the reader must be referred to Chap. I. Sect. 4, Object. 4, where this objection has been considered and answered at large.

If by reason of the strictness of the union of a man and his family, their interest may be looked upon as one, how much more one is the interest of Christ and his church, (whose first union in heaven is unspeakably more perfect and exalted than that of an earthly father and his family) if they be considered with regard to their eternal and increasing union ! Doubtless it may justly be esteemed as so much one, that it may be supposed to be aimed at and sought, not with a distinct and separate, but an undivided respect.

It is certain that what God aimed at in the creation of the world, was the good that would be the consequence of the creation, in the whole continuance of the thing created.

It is no solid objection against God's aiming at an infinitely perfect union of the creature with himself, that the particular time will never come when it can be said, the union is now infinitely perfect. God aims at satisfying justice in the eternal damnation of sinners; which will be satisfied by their damnation, considered no otherwise than with regard to its eternal duration. But yet there never will come that particular moment, when it can be said, that now justice is satisfied. But if this does not satisfy our modern free thinkers, who do not like the talk about satisfying justice with an infinite punishment; I suppose it will not be denied by any, that God, in glorifying the saints in heaven with eternal felicity, aims to satisfy his infinite grace or benevolence, by the bestowment of a good infinitely valuable, because eternal; and yet there never will come the moment, when it can be said, that now this infinitely valuable good has been actually be stowed.

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A REPLY TO THE OBJECTIONS AND ARGUINGS OF DR. JOHN TAYLOR, IN HIS BOOK, INTITLED, "THE SCRIPTURE

DOCTRINE OF ORIGINAL SIN PROPOSED TO FREE

AND CANDID EXAMINATION, &c."

Matth. ix. 12. "They that be whole, need not a Physician; but they that are sick."

Et hæc non tantum ad Peccatores referenda est; quia in omnibus Maledictionibus primi Hominis, omnes ejus Generationes conveniunt.... R. SAL. JARCHI. Propter Concupiscentiam, innatam Cordi humano, dicitur, In Iniquitate genitus sum; atque Sensus est, quod a Nativitate implantatum sit Cordi humano Jetzer harang Figmentum malum.... ABEN EZRA.

....Ad Mores Natura recurrit

Damnatos, fixa et mutari nescia....

....Dociles, imitandis

Turpibus et pravis omnes sumus....

Juv.

I

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

THE following Discourse is intended, not merely as

an answer to any particular Book written against the Doctrine of Original Sin, but as a general Defence of that great important Doctrine. Nevertheless, I have in this Defence taken notice of the main things said against this Doctrine, by such of the more noted opposers of it, as I have had opportunity to read; particularly those two late Writers, Dr. TURNBULL and Dr. TAYLOR of Norwich; but especially the latter, in what he has published in those two Books of his, the first intitled, The Scripture Doctrine of Original Sin proposed to free and candid Examination; the other, his Key to the Apostolic Writings, with a Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistle to the Romans. I have closely attended to Dr. TAYLOR'S Piece on Original Sin, in all its Parts, and have endeavored that no one thing there said, of any consequence in this Controversy, should pass unnoticed, or that any thing which has the appearance of an Argument, in opposition to this Doctrine, should be left unanswered. I look on the Doctrine as of great Importance; which every Body will doubtless own it is, if it be true. For, if the case be such indeed, that all Mankind are by Nature in a State of total Ruin, both with respect to the moral Evil they are the subjects of, and the afflictive Evil they are exposed to, the one as the consequence and punishment of the other, then doubtless the great Salvation by CHRIST stands in direct Relation to this Ruin, as the remedy to the disease; and the whole Gospel, or Doctrine of Salvation, must suppose it; and all real belief, or true notion of that Gospel, must be built upon it. Therefore, as I think the Doctrine is most certainly both true and important, I hope, my attempting a Vindication of it, will be candidly interpreted;

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