¶1174. <To these observations on the sonship of X, I shall add some [c]> Reasons against Dr. Witts Notion of the PREEXISTENCE OF Xs HUMAN SOUL.
¶1. God's manner with all creatures is to appoint them a Trial before He admits them to Glory & confirmd happiness. & [xoc] especially may this be expected before such Honour & Glory in<as> the creating of [c] the world, & other things which Dr Watts ascribes to this Human soul.
¶2. If the Preexistingsoul of X created the T then doubtless it uphilds & governs it. the same son of G. that did one /MS p.25/ does the other. He created all things & by him all things consist. & if so, how was his Dominion confind to the Jewish nation before his Incarnation but extends to all nations since? (* ? added by c *) Besides, there are many things ascribed in the Old Testament to the son of God, in those very Places which Dr Watts Hims. supposes to speak of Him, that Imply his Government of the whole T all nations. The same Person that is spoken of as KKing of Israel is represented as the governour of the world.
¶3. According to this scheme the greatest of the works of the son in his created nature implying the greatest Exaltation was His first work of all viz. his Creating all things all worlds all things visible & invisible whether They be thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers: or at least (*"or at least" co <by E>, and written over it, possibly by c, "and this"*) before ever he had any Trial at all of his Obedience &c. At least this work seems much greater than Judging the World at the last Day which the SS. often Speaks of as one of the highest Parts of his Exaltation which he has in Reward for his obedience & sufferings: & Dr Watts Hims. supposes his Honours since his Humiliation to be much greater tha<e>n before.
¶4. The SS. represents the visible Dominion of X over the T as a Complex Person or his sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father, & Governing the T as the Father's vicegerant, as a new Thing after his ascension. But by Dr. Watts s scheme it cannot be so.
¶5. Satan or Lucifer before his fall was the mornings star the Governing Cherub, the highest & brightest of all Creatures.
¶6. on this scheme it will follow that the Covenant of Redemption was made with a Person that was not sui juris & not at Liberty to act his own Meer Good pleasure with Respect to undertaking to die for sinners but was obliged to comply on the first Intimation that it would be well-pleasing to God & what he Chose.
¶7. According to that scheme, the man X Jesus was not properly the son of the virgin & so the son of man. to be the son of a woman is to receive (*ok*) being in both soul & Body in a (*co?*) Consequence of a Conception in her womb. The soul is the Principal Part of the man and sonship implies derivation of the soul as well as the Body by Conception. not (*a cap. N written over the l.c. "n" by c*) that the soul is a Part of the Mother as the Body is. Tho the soul is no Part of the mother & be immediately given by God yet that hinders not its being <said to being [on line; xo c] [*May have been xo by E. See xos at begin. ofp., wh. are prob. Es.- or one is.]> derived by Conception it being consequent on it according to a Law of nature. Tis agreable to a Law of nature that where a perfect human Body is concieved in the womb of a woman & properly nourished & increased a human soul should come into Being: and Conception may as properly be the Cause whence it is derived, as many other Natural Effects are derived from natural Causes or Antecedents. For tis the Power of God which produces these Effects tho it be according to an established Law. The soul being so much The Principal Part of man, a derivation of the soul by Conception is the chief Thing implied in a man's being the son of a woman.
¶8. According to what seems to be Dr. Watts's scheme the son of God is no Distinct divine Person from the Father. so far as He is a divine Person He is the same Person with the Father. so that in the Covenant of Redemption the Father covenants with Himself and He takes satisfaction of Hims. &c. unless you will say that one nature covenanted with the other; the two natures in the same Person covenanted together & one nature in the same Person took satisfaction of the other nature in the same Person. But how does this Confound our minds instead of helping our Ideas and maki(ng ? run tog.) them more easy & intelligible! (! prob. by c) /MS p.26/
¶9. The son of God as a distinct Person was from Eternity. Tis said Mic. 5.2 "His goings forth were of old from everlasting" so Prov. 8 23. "I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or over the Earth was." so He is called Isai 9. 6 The Everlasting Father I know of no expression used in SS. more strong to signify the Eternity of the Fathe Himself.
¶10. Dr. Watts supposes the World to be made by this preexistent soul of X; & thinks it may properly be so said tho the Knowledge & power of this preexistent soul could not extend to the most minute Parts every atom &c-- But tis evidently the Design of the SS. to assure us that X made all Things were made by Him & without Him was not any Thing made that was made Col. 1. 16. 17. For by Him were all Things created, that are in Heaven & that are in Earth visible & invisible all things were created by Him & for Him and He is before all Things & by Him all Things consist now if we suppose matter to be infinitely divisible it will follow that Let his wisdom & Power be as great as they will, if finite, but a few of those individual things that are made were the effects of his Power & wisdom: yea that the number of the things that were made by Him are so few that they bear no proportion to others that did not immediately fall under his notice or that of the things that are made there are ten thousand Times yea infinitely more not made by Him than are made by Him. & so but infinitely few of their Circumstances are orderd by his wisdom.
¶11. Tis said Heb. 2. 8. "Thou hast put all things in subjection under His Feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him He left nothing that is not put under Him . Here tis represented that God the Father has put every individual Thing under the Power & Government of another Person distinct from himself But this cant be true of the human soul of x as it must be according to Dr. Watts's scheme,<c's , over E's .> (*period prob. by c*) for things & circumstances & Dependencies & Consequences of Things in the World are infinite in Number & therefore a finite understanding & Power Cannot extend to them yea it can extend to but an infinitely small Part of the whole number of Individuals & their Circumstances & Consequences. Indeed in order to the disposing of a few Things in their motions & successive Changes to a certain Precise Issue there is need of Infinite Exactness & so need of Infinite Power & wisdom.
¶12. The work of Creation & so the work of upholding all Things in being, can in no sense be properly said to be the work of any created nature. If (*period by c, and cap. I written over l.c. "i" by c*) the created nature gives forth the word as Joshua did when he said sun stand thou still still (*"yet" written above "still" by c*) (*it*) is not that Created nature that does it. That (*period and cap. T written over l.c. t by c.*) being that Depends himself on creating Power dont properly do any thing towards creation as Joshua did nothing towards stopping the sun in his Course. so that it cannot be true in Dr. Watts's scheme that that son of God who is distinct Person from God the Father did at all in any manner of Propiety create the World, nor does he uphold it or Govern it. Nor (*nap. "N" by c*) can those things that X often says of Himself be true: as, "The Father worketh hitherto & /MS p.27/ I work." "Whatsoever the Father Doth, those Doth the son likewise" Joh. 5. 17, 19. Tis very evident that the works of creating & upholding & governing the World are ascribed to the son, as a distinct Person from the Father.
¶13. Tis on Benefit or Priviledge of the Person of Christ, when apoken of as distinct from the Father to have the Spirit of God under Him, to be at his Disposal & to be his Messenger which is infinitely too much for any Creature. Joh. 15. 26 & 16. 7, 13, 14 Acts 2. 33.
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Practically all puctuation is supplied by copyist, tho I am not entirely sure about the qut. marks from the film.
This is printed in the observe under the title of this number, pp. 469-473. Subsection 14 begins with No.1102 in printed ed, and is filled out with Nos. 1105, 1114, 1197, 1241, 1243, and 1249.
The "14" on No. 1102 is probably not E's, for it is in the same hand as the "P. 474" also written on the No. Also, no such formula as "add this to--" or even any ref. to No. 1174. 1105 +c. prob. a new series.
¶1175. HUMILIATION. Levit. 26. 40,41,42. If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespass which they have trespass'd against me and that they also have walked contrary unto me And that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept the punishment of their iniquity then will I remember my covenant with Jacob &c-- Here the condition of their deliverance from that punishment of sin here spoken of even their captivity & banishment from Gods presence and the priviledges of his people is 1. Conviction of their sinfullness, [sic] or confessing their iniquity. 2. Their conviction of their sin as it /mg/ it is against God a trespassing against him, & walking contrary to him. 3. A conviction of Gods displeasure and anger for sin, or Gods walking contrary unto them. 4. The humiliation of their hearts for sin consisting in their accepting the punishment of their iniquity: which implies two things (1) a conviction of conscience of their deserving the punishment or of the justice of God in inflicting it, from a sense of the heinousness of sin. (2) an approbation of heart of this justice of God or such a manifestation of his great hatred of sin implying a sense of the hatefulness of sin, and a disapprobation of hea[r]t of sin or a hatred of it.
¶As such an humiliation as this implying such an accepting this punishment [of (om.E)] sin was required in ored to a deliverance from that punishment so undoubtedly with equal reason the like humiliation & the like acceptance of the threaten'd eternal punishment of sin is required in order to a deliverance from it [finis]
¶1176. PROGRESS OF THE WORK OF REDEMPTION. DAY OF JUDGMENT.
See Mr. Robes decription of Christs last coming in the IId vol. of his sermons Ser. 11. [finis]
¶1177. Xs RIGHTEOUSNESS. OBEDIENCE. A probable reason why Christs righteousness as imputed to us is so often in SS. called by the name of the righteousness of God, [E's line] is that the Holy Spirit saw fit that the name given to the righteousness by which we are justified under the New Covenant should be such as should denote the principal & most proper distinction between the righteousness by which men are justified under this covenant from that by which mankind would have been justified under this covenant from that by which mankind would have been justified by the first covenant is Adam had stood in his integrity . The distinction don't consist in that that we are not justified by our own righteousness if Adam had stood but as much by the righteousness of anothe the righteousness of a surety or representative as now But here lies the great distinction If Adam had maintaind his integrity & finished his work we should have been justified by the righteousness of man, of meer man it would have been properly an human righteousnee But it was the will of God to bring mankind into a greater dependa<e>nce on himself for happiness & so that his righteousness by which he should have a title to happiness & so that his righteousness by which he should have a title to happiness should not be the righteousness of an human but /p./ a divine person so that the creature should be abased & annihilated & all should be of God & in God that the righteousness should not be the righteousness performd by man as an human person by himself but by a divine person & that the value of any human vertue or beauty in it self considered but should not be the value of any human vertue or beauty in it self considered but should arise from the infinite dignity of the divinity to which the man X Jesus was personally united[.]
¶Another great distinction between the way of justification by the New Covenant & that by the Old is that an interest in the righteousness of the new covenant is obtaind by faith & therefore tis called the righteousness which [is (om.E)] by faith & the righteouness which is of God through faith Tis not by nature by any natural union dependence, or derivation from the peron who wrought out righteousness but a spiritual active union. ¶? The union of the soul to God as the author of this righteousness looks to him for it & ascribes to him all the glory more advanced than if ma<e>n came by this righteousness through a natural union & derivation without any knowledge or act of theirs. The glory of God in our justification is greatly secured & advanced by these two things 1. That our justifying righteousness is the righteousness of God the righteousness not of an human but a divine person so that a divine person is the author of it & the value of it arises from the dignity of the divine nature. & 2. as the very bond of union by which we are united to this divine person so as to be interested in his righteousness is that principle & act of the soul by which we know that the righteousness is thus the righteousness /mg/ & by which we cordially & with all our hearts ascribe it wholly to him & give him all the glory of it [finis]
¶1178. IMPUTATION OF ADAMS SIN See Mr. Davie's [sic] of Virginia his Sermon on the primitive state of man [finis; xo w vertical line, prob. by JE]
¶1179. HOLY GHOST his Divinity. See Glas's Notes. N. 5. p. 7 &c-- [xo w. horiz. line by J.E.]
¶1179. ETERNITY OF HELL TORMENTS. Those words of Christ in the 6 Chap. of Luke. v. 24. "Wo unto you rich; for ye have recieved your consolation"; are inconsistent with the notions of those who suppose the wicked are to suffer a long while in hell but finally are to be made happy in the favour and enjoyment of God.
¶And also [xo E] those words of X concerning Judas, Good had it been for that man that he had never been born, are a clear evidence that the damned are not finally to be recieved to a state of happiness [finis]
[This No. has been worked over by JE Jr. probably.]
¶1180. TRINITY. The following is taken from the Philosophical Principles pf Natural & Revealed Religion -- By the Chevalier Ramsay. In the Monthly Review . for March. 1751. p. 341. "The eternal sel-existent, infinite Being presents himself to the mind under the notion of a simple uncompounded indivisible Essence without distinction of parts without succession of thoughts, and without division of substance: Yet he contains necessarily the three real distinctions of Spirit conceiving Idea conceived, & love proceeding from both which in the supream infinite are not three simple attributes or modes but three distinct persons or self-conscious intellectuall agents . The infinite Spirit by a necessary immanent, eternal activity produces in himself his consubstantial Image equal to him in all his perfections, self-origination only excepted, and from bothe proceed a distinct self-conscious, intelligent active principle of love coequal to the Father & the Son called the Holy Ghost. This is the /p./ true definition of God in his eternal solitude or according to his absolute Essence distinct from created nature" [finis]
¶1181. TRADITIONS of the Heathen particularly the CHINESE concerning the TRINITY THE NATURE OF THE DEITY THE PARADISAIC STATE THE FALL The REDEMPTION OF THE MESSIAH THE FALL OF ANGELS THE NATURE OF TRUE RELIGION. Taken from the Philosophical Principles of Natural & Rvealed Religion by Chevalier Ramsay. See Monthly Review for April. 1751. p. 437 &c-- <Ramsay Vol. 2. p. 39 &c--> "The Chinese whose origin goes back very near to the times of the Deluge, have five original or canonical Books called KING. The names of these books are Y-KING CHU-KING, CHI-KING, TCHUNSION & LIKI. These books were look'd upon as of very remote antiquity, in the time of Confucious who lived about 600 years before our Saviour. All the other books of any note in China are commentaries upon these 5. And these five canonical books are honoured in that countrey with the samr veneration we pay to the holy Scriptures. I shall not found any of my reasonings upon the expication of the hieroglyphical Chinese characters in which some Europeans pretend to find the sublimest mysteries I shall quote only those passages of the original books about which the Chinese interpreters agree confine myself as much as possible to the commentaries made upon these sacred books before the coming of our Saviour by Confucius or his most antient disciples and mention no authors later than the 12. centiry, ere Europeans or Christians had any communication with China. As the Chinese books I mention are already brought into Europe and lodged in several great libraries those who understand the language may ascertain the truth of the following quotations
¶In the books call'd KING God is called Chang-Ti or the sovereign Emperour and TIEN the supream heaven the intelligent the self-existent unity who is present every where & who produced all things by his power. Tehuhi in commenting upon these expressions says The supream unity is most simple & without composition, he lasts from all eternity, without interruption. He is antient & new he is the source of all motion and the root of all action. Ir you ask what he does he is eternally active. If you would know where he is he exists every where & nourishes all things. Rouany-aut See [sp?] a very antient philosopher in commenting upon the same sacred books says, Heaven & earth tho' they be of immense extent, have figure colour number & quantity, I concieve [sic] something that has neither colour figure number or quantity. And therefore I say that he who made the heavens & the earth is intelligent & eternal. He who produced all things was not produced himself . He who destroys all things is indestructible. Therefore he who made the heavens is not the heavens and who made the earth is not the earth. The heavens are not self-existent, but were produced by another as an house cannot exist by it self unless it be made. &ntehin adds If there were nothing in nature in nature but matter & motion this would not be the sovereign Lord and intelligent Governour of all things. Hoian Nantsee says If you ask me whence all things come I will answer that all things [sic] were made by the great Unity which is the origin of all things and the sovereign Power that none can resist He who knows this great Unity knows all he who does not know him knows nothing. Lion Pouci says that the supreme [sic] Unity comprehends all perfections in a sovereign degree . We cannot discover his beginning nor his end His origin nor his bounds and all things flow from him.
¶The same book of King, call God TAO which signifies Reason Law eternal Code: YEN, word or speech TCHING-CHE soverign truth. The philosopher Laotsee in commenting on these passages says that reason which can be express'd is not the eternal reason. What is eternal cannot be changed . He was before the heavens & the earth without beginning . He will last after the T without end . He cannot be comprehended by thought, nor seen by the eye nor express'd by words. Hoian-Nant-See adds this eternal reason feeds the heavens & supports the earth. He is most high and cannot be reach'd to He /p./ is most profound and cannot be fathom'd, immense and cannot be measured yet he exists entirely every where in the least thing. see B. 9. P. 939 &c-- [E's later note]
¶Ibid. p. 441. "Our Author proceeds to examine the hints and shadows of this doctrine [of the TRINITY]* preserved among the pagans beginning with the Chinese in whose canonical books he says the following surprizing passages are to be found. In the Book Tonchu we read these words The source and root of all is one. This self-existent Unity produces necessarily a second. The first & second by their union produce a third . In fine these three produce all. Lopi in commenting on these passages says that this Unity is triple and this triplicity one Laotsee in his fourteenth chapter called Tsanshuen or the Elogium of hidden wisdom says He that produced all and is himself unproduced is what we call Hi He that gives light & knowledge to all things and is himself invisible is what we call YI He that is present every where and animates all things tho' we dont feel him is called Ouel. Thou wilt in vain interrogate sense and imagination about these three For they can make thee no answer. Contemplate by the pure spirit alone and thou wilt comprehend that these three united are but one. Li-yong in commenting upon this passage of Laotse says HE YI, Ouei have no name colour nor figure. They are united in the same spiritual abyss, and by a borrowed name they are called Unity but an unity that is triple and a triplicity that is one. To speak this is to understand what is most excellent in the law of wisdom. The Book Sheki says The antient emperiours sacrificed every three years solemnly to him that is one & three Choueuen in commenting upon the hieroglyphick that expresses unity says that in the beginning the supream reason subsisted in a triple unity and that this unity created the heavens and the earth separated them from each other and will at last convert and perfect all things
¶Ibid. p. 444. "Besides the supream God (says our author) called Changti Tien & &ao the antient books of China talk of a minister of the supreme God whom they call the holy or the saint by excellence. His different names in the Chinese language are Wen-wang or the Prince of Peace Chin-gin the divine man Chang gin God man Tinet -see Son of the sovereign Lord Kiunt see Son of the King Kigen Son of heaven The original books talk of him as reuniting in one person all divine attributes and human qualities. In the book Y-KING we read these expressions The saint made the heavens & the great man created the universe. Tching ming chian in commenting upon these places says Before the saint made the heavens Tien was Lord when the great man made the heavens he himself became Lord. The Book Chu-King says Heaven helps the people of the inferiour regions He gives them a guide and a teacher and therefore he is the faithful minister of the supreme Lord, who gave him out of love the whole universe to govern. The instructions of the Saint are those of the supreme God himself. Tien is the Saint without a voice, the Saint is Tien speaking with a human voice. The book Lunghong adds The heart of the sovereign Lord is in the breast of the Saint: The counsels & rebukes of heaven are in the mouth of the Saint. Tchonautsee says that the Saint contains in himself the heaven & the earth. He has the form of a man; but the heaven and the earth are reunited in him. The commentatour adds since he has the form of a man without the passions of men he is heaven-man. The Book Siang-Sangasco. What has the great man done: He answers He made the heavens the earth and all things. Kouci-routsee says We know in consulting the antient tradition that tho' the Saint is to be born upon earth yet he existed before any thing was produced The same books talk of his suffering state and of his incarnation here below. The Book Chi-king says The saint is the beautiful man of the West. Lao tsee says Confucius maintain'd that the Saint was to come from the West and that upon this proverb the Emperour Hanmingti sent to the Indies to carry away the idol Fse. The Book Tchon-yong wrote by the nephew of COnfucius, says that the Saint is the middle between the hea-/p,/ven & the earth that he alone can convert the hearts and that he is the beginning & the Lord of all things. How sublime are the ways of the Saint! How extensive is his doctrine! If you consider his immensity he nourishes & supports all things: If you regard his sublimity he touches the heavens. We expect this great man & hr is to come after three thousand years. The Book Y-King contains these wonderful expressions By the justice of the Saint the world shall be reestablished in the ways of righteousness. He will labour & suffer much . He must pass the great torrent, whose waves shall enter into his soul But he alone can offer up to the Lord a sacrifice worthy of him. Laotsee says that the Saint pronounced these words "He that takes upon him the filth & dust of the kingdom shall be king of the universe["] Tchonantsee says the common people sacrifice their life to gain bread the philosopher to acqire reputation the nobility to perpetuate their family. The Saint dies to save the world. He does not seek himself but the good of others. He enriches others & impoverishes himself. That is according to Isemakonank he loses himself to save others.
¶The same books talk of the triumphant state of the Messiah who is to banish sin & sufferings and to restore all things to their primitive perfection & felicity. In the Book Chu-king we find these words We expect our king when he comes he will deliver us from all our miseries. We expect our king when he comes he will restore us to a new life. Mengtsee a disciple of Confucius in speaking of the saint says that the people expected him as the dry grass expects the clouds & the rainbow In the third ode of the Book of Chiking we read these words He that is the only King & sovereign Lord sees two sorts of creatures or nations that have abandon'd him But the most high will not forever abandon them. He seeks for a man after his own heart who can extend his empire In this view he turns his eyes towards the West. It is there that he shall dwell & reign with this new king the Lord will restore men to their primitive vertue. Heaven has given it self an equal. Wen-wang or the Prince of peace alone knows how to love his brethren. He makes all their happiness & all their glory. The Lord has enrich'd him with all his riches and given him the universe for a recompence The Lord said unto Wen-wang Mount up first to the sacred mountain in order to draw all the world after thee. See these rebels that do not obey their sovereign Arm thyself with my wrath display thy standards range thy troopa restore peace every where fix the happiness of thy empire Suddenly Wenwang gains the top of the mountain. Rebellious spirits enter into your caverns This is the mountain of the Lord where you cannot be admitted. These living fountains are the pure waters wherein the subjects of Wenwang are to quench their thirst. Wen Wang himself has chosen this mountain He himself has open'd the clear streams It is hither that all the faithful nations must come It is here that all the kings will meet. See forward No. 1200
¶Concerning PARADISE. "We find these admirable expressions in an antient book called Chan-Hai-King in descibing the mountain Kouenlun which was the middle of the world . All that could be desired wondru\ous trees marvellous fountains, & flowery shades were found upon that sacred hill or hidden garden This mountain is the inferiour place of the sovereign Lord and the animal Kaiming guards the entry of it. Another author called Hoi-ai-nang-wang in speaking of the first earth says this delicious garden, refresh'd with zephyrs and planted with odoriferous trees was situated in the middlr of the mountain which was the avenue of heaven. The waters that bedewed it flowed from a source called the fountain of immortality; he that drinks of it never dies From thence flowed four rivers. A golden river betwixt the south & the east a red river betwixt the north and the east a peaceful stream betwixt the south & the west And the river of the lamb, betwixt the north & the west. These magnificent floods are the spiritual fountains of the sovereign Lord by which he heals the nations and fructifies all things. Teho-angtre in speaking of this primitive state says that it was the age of perfect vertue --- that man entirely ignorant of all evil never abandon'd vertue and lived in perfect innocence with simplicity exempt from all cupidity. Hoinantsee says that in the first age of perfect purity all was in great concord and the passions did not occasion the least murmur. Man united from within to sovereign reason all his actions from without were conformed to sovereign justice: His soul far from all dissimulation and false hood recieved a marvellous felicity from heaven & the purest delights from earth /p./ The seasons observed immutable laws The winds & rains did not disturb the earth The sun & moon filld all with their benign influences and the five other planets never turned out of their courses. The Book Sheki adds that in this first antiquity and beginning of the world the heavens & the earth corresponded to the desires of men The seasons were alwaies temperate without any extremes and man was endued with true vertue. Then there were no calamities sickness nor death and this was called the great time of nature.
¶We find in the same books several vestiges of the FALL OF MAN In the book Chiking it is said heaven placed mankind upon a high mountain but Taiwong made it fruitless by his fault. Wen-wang or the king of peace endeavoured to render to the mountain its primitive beauty; but Taiwang contradicted and opposed his will. The same book adds our misery has lasted these many ages. the world is lost; vice overflows all as a mortal poison. We possessed happy fruitful fields a woman robbed us of them All was subjected to us a woman threw us into slavery. She hates innocence and loves vice. The wise husband raised up a bulwark of walls the woman by an ambitious desire of knowledge demolished them. Our misery did not come from heaven but from a woman. She lost human kind she erred first & then sin'd She kindled the conflagration that augments every day. Ah, unhappy Paossee it was thou that kindlest [-es?] the fire that consumes us . The interpreter Lopi says that after natured [sic] was spoiled and degraded the birds of the air the beasts of the field the reptiles & the serpents conspired to hurt man after that man had acquired the false science all the creatures became his enemies.
¶These books talk of the renovation of the earth by the Saint We have quoted already many admirable passages on this head -- We shall content our selves with adding one passage more on this glorious restitution of the earth to its primitive paradisiacal form. The Lord looks with pleasure upon the sacred mountain. It is the abode of peace There grow none of the trees employed to make warlike instruments It is an eternal kingdom It is the work of the most high. In other places of these sacred books it is said that the kingdom of the middle is a kingdom where the holy son of heaven is to reign He allows no wicked men to enter there but he banishes them into the dark abodes of beasts & monsters The subjects of that kingdom are called Tien-min or heavenly people Leang-min upright people Tsee-min people of the sun because they were governed by the holy son of heaven who perfects them from within & from without and nourishes them by his supream vertue and celestial doctrine so that they cry out with joy The son of heaven is truly the father of his people and the Lord of the universe.
¶Concerning the FALL OF ANGELS "The antient books /mg/ books of the Chinese talk thus concerning the angelical spirits. In the book Y-King we read these words, The rebellious and perverse dragon suffers by his pride, his ambition blinded him he would mount up to heaven & he was thrown down to the earth. At first his abode was in the high places; But he forgot himself he hurt himself and he lost eternal life. The book Chi-king says It is evident by the antient traditions of our fathers that Tchi-y-cou, or the beautiful became deformed. The son of heaven was the first author of all revolt But his rebellion extended at length to all nations and deluged the world with crimes . Chan-kai-king says that Hoangti, or the sovereign Lord ordered a celestial spirit to precipitate Tchi-y-cou into the black valleys of miseries. Hoi-ai-nantsee says that cha<o>ng-cha<o>ng disputed empire with the sovereign Lord of the universe & raging with fury he struck his head against a mountain. Then the pillars /p./ of heaven were broken, the earth subsided and its position became oblique Yao precipitated Chong-chong into the lower places and the regions of darkness.
¶The original books of the Chinese (says our Author) speak very oft of three necessary means of reuniting the soul to God by contemplation of prayer; by the sacrifice of the passions or mortification; by humility or self-denial --- Meng-tsee in commenting on the book Chu-King says truth justice and charity are the titles [? A: tithes] which make us approach to heaven and which heaven alone confers. To watch over our heart, & to nourish our minds is the true worship that heaven demands. We find in the same book Chu-king these admirable maxims; sovereign perfection consists in being reunited to the supream Unity. The soul was at first all luminous, but it was obscured at last . We must labour to restore it to its primitive light. Now it is only by destroying all false desires and self-love that we can discover the celestial reason. To fancy that we have vertue is to have very little of it . The study of wisdom consists in being very humble as if we were incapable of any thing and yet be ardent as if we could do all. In the book Chi-king we read these words The sovereign Lord said to Wen-wang or the Prince of Peace I love a pure and simple vertue like thine It makes no noise it does not dazzle from without. It is not froward & proud. In seeing thee one would say that thou hast no light nor knowledge but ti conform thy self to my orders. The supreme Tien hates the proud & loves the humble. There is not one instant wherein I can not offend Tien How then can we have one moments joy in this miserable life? The august heaven loves only those who declare themselves lovers of justice & vertue. Watch continually over the least things. When thou art in the secret of thine house dont say, None see me for there is an intelligent Spirit that sees all. Tien pierces into the bottom of hearts as light into a dark room. We must endeavour to correspond to his lights as a musical instrument perfectly tuned We must unite our selves to him as two marbles that seem but one We must recieve from his hand as soon as he opens it he enlightens us continually but by our disorderly paaions we shut up the entry of our souls . Tailuchi says in commenting upon these passages says [sic] that it is not sufficient to regulate the outward man But that we must watch over the least motion of the inward man. A commentatour upon Tehuchi and one of his disciples defines thus the perfect sage He is full of sweetness & condescension. He is humble and alwaies ready to yield to others. One would say in hearing him that he knows nothing and is capable of nothing. The sublimest vertues are founded on humility And there is no man so enlightend as he that believes his lights are bounded The book Tu-his wrote by Confucius and commented on by his disciple Tsengt-see speaks continually of restoring in us that primitive light & purity which the soul recieved from heaven upon its first creation which it has lost by sin and which heaven alone can render to it by its internal irradiations & influences. The canonical books of China and the most antient commentatours upon them who lived long before the Christian aera are full of such passages in commendation of internal prayer purity & humility inward recollection and continual vigilance and true self-denial. [finis]
¶1182. END OF CREATION GLORY OF GOD. Many argue that it must be that all men should make their own happiness their highest end in all things . Because in whatever end men pursue they seek to gratify some inclination They pursue it because they are inclined to it They seek it as what pleases them and what they concieve would be well pleasing to 'em if obtaind Thus when a man from benevolence d\seeks the prosperity of another, he seeks the others happiness because it is agreable to him & would if obtained be pleasing to him or which is the same thing would contribute to his pleasure or happiness Therefore still he seeks his own happiness & seeks nothing any other wise than as something that would be pleasing & happifying to him and so they suppose that tis evident from the very nature of benevolence that when a man acts from it he therein seeks his own happiness & makes it his ultimate end.
¶And yet some of those that are in this scheme strongly insist that God cannot make his own glory his ultimate end for that reason because he cant make his own happiness his end being already infinitely happy and does not need any manifestation of his glory to make him more happy and therefore he must act only from benevolence seeking the happiness of his creatures and making that his ultimate end, and not his own happiness & so run into a great inconsistence For. 1. They suppose it may be argued from the very nature of benevolence that /mg/ [wwxo] which is to have pleasure or happiness in the happiness of another that he that acts from benevolence makes his own happiness his ultimate end. And yet they insist that God cant make his own happiness his ultimate [end (om.E)] but must act only from benevolence speaking these two in opposition one to another and as speaking of /mg/ G [xo?] acting from benevolence was opposite to his making his own happiness his ultimate end and excluded & disproved it which yet in the other case they suppose necessarily infers & implies it.
¶Gods making his own glory his end no more implies his seeking his own happiness than his making the creatures good his end. 'Tis true that his seeking his own glory implies that he is well pleased & gratified in glorifying himself as herein he [wwxo] he does what appears in his eyes beutifull [sic] & fit to be accomplished as doubtless tis fit in it self that infinite glory should be manifested So in making the creatures happiness [his end (om.E)] he by the supposition does as really please and gratify himself as in the other inasmuch as by his benevolence he delights in the happiness of the creatures [finis]
[This No. is first draft, w. several xos and changes; line in left mg. no doubt indicates its use elsewhere.]
¶1183. CONSCIENCE in Natural Men SPIRITUAL SENSE Conscience in natural men concerning the moral good & evil of their own actions . may be summed up in the dictate of their minds, concerning their treatment of others in this respect viz. the acceptance they should give such treatment in case they were in the place and circumstances of their treatment or behaviour. & he in theirs How they should approve or resent or what they should expect and think the case required [finis]
¶ 1184. Add this to N. 864. B. 3. p. 2 of that Num. at this mark. PROVIDENCE GODS MORAL GOVERNMENT OF THE T GLORY OF GOD THE END OF CREATION.
¶"The blessed God never acts without design and his designs are ever worthy of himself and bear the characters of his attributes whatever honour might be reflected on the divine wisdom and power by the first production of things it would be soon eclipsed by their consequent irregularities without the interposure of his providence . As it is absurd to suppose that an infinitely wise being should make creatures for no end at all so it is equally absurd to imagine that he does not conduct them to the end designed by his providence. ---- Now it is only creating wisdom that perfectly espies every spring of motion and therefore can correct the errours of the universe Tis only an infinite mind in concurrence with almightiness that can take thorough cognizance and proper care of that grand system of beings the spacious theatre of nature contains, that can allot to every creature its portion and forasmuch as no meer creature possess these perfections of infinite wisdom and power the world must needs be governed by him that made it
¶And indeed if we condsider his nature and attributes we may soon percieve that he is not only qualified for [w om?] but in some measure necessitated to take upon him the government of the universe. For does not the end and perfection of his attributes consist in their exercise? Certainly the end of wisdom is design the end of power is action and the end of goodness doing good. To say that these perfections are not exercised upon proper objects & occasions is to represent them as insignificant. Of whay use would the wisdom of Jehovah be if he had nothing to design or direct To what purpose his almightiness if all things were done without him And of what avail his goodness if he ever left the innocent a prey to prey to [sic] misfortunes There must therefore be a providence that governs all.
¶The Almighty has planted in most creatures a natural care of their offspring And represents it as an argument of the want of understanding in the ostrich that she leaveth her eggs in the earth forgetteth that the foot may crush them, and is hardend against her young ones as tho' they were not hers. Now we can do without inconsistency & blasphemy impute such a careless character to God respecting the offspring of his power.". Mr. Gilbert Tennents two sermons at the opening of the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. p. 12. 13. [finis]