which originate in finite caufes, I reply, as the act of felling Jofeph refpected the purpose of Deity, and the plan of grace, thole who fold him do not ftand as even the shadow of a cause, but only as inflruments, by which God effected his own divine and gracious purpose. Perhaps the reader by this time, is ready to fay, according to this reafoning, there can be no fuch thing as real evil in the univerfe. If, by real evil, is meant, fomething that ought not to be, in respect to all the confequences which attend it, I cannot admit of its existence; for I cannot conceive of any productive cause whatever, that can be, ftrictly speaking, limited in its confequences. For inftance, the firft tranfgreffion of man, no one can fuppofe, has ceafed in its confequences; for from that caufe, the knowledge of good and evil exifts in moral beings, and when the effects of that knowledge will ceafe, I cannot imagine. If it is objected, that, to call that a fin which produces an infinite continuance of good effects, it must be abfurd; I fay, in reply, the objection comes too late; for it is already proved, that the confequences of an act do not determine whether the act

is good, or evil.

I have, in the foregoing queries, spoken of that kind of fin which is productive of remorfe; however, we read, befure, of the

fn of ignorance, fee Num. xv. 27, &c. ; but this I conceive to be more of a legal than a moral nature, and it is fometimes called error; it is in a thousand inftances productive of forrow and disappointment, but never of guilt. If we confider the Jews under their law, or the Gentiles, who, the apoftle fays, were a law unto themselves, we shall find them expofed to guilt, on the fame principles.

Therefore, moral tranfgreffion muft vary, as the knowledge and understanding of men vary in various circumftances.

If it is thought by the reader, that I have paffed over the fpirit of the law, which is love to God in a fuperlative degree, and an esteem for our neighbors equal to that which we have for ourselves, I answer, I have not altogether paffed by

it. This law of divine love is that infinite law of perfection, which is higher than our capacities extend, in a finite ftate. The law given to Ifrael literally speaking, was only a fhadow of the fpirit of love; and all our knowledge of moral holiness is but a faint refemblance of that fublime rectitude from which the most upright of the fons of men are at a great distance.

Having hinted fo much on the nature of fin as to make the fubject plain to the reader's understanding. I will now pafs to an inquiry into its caufe, or origin.

C

The origin of fin has, among chriflians in general, been very eafily accounted for; but in a way, I must confefs, that never gave me any fatisfaction, fince I came to think for myfelf on fubjects of this nature. A fhort chimerical story

from the bard, Milton, has given perfect fatisfaction to millions, refpecting the introduction of moral evil into the moral

fyftem which we occupy. The fubftance

of the account is, Sometime before the creation of man, the Almighty created multitudes of fpiritual beings, called angels: Some of thefe creatures of God were much higher in dignity and authority than others, but all perfectly deftitute of fin, or moral turpitude. One dignified above all the reft, ftood Prime Minifter of the Almighty, clothed with the highest miffive power, and clad with garments of primeval light; obfequious to nothing Lut the high beheft of his Creator, he dif charged the functions of his office with a promptitude and dignity, fuited to the eminency of his ftation, and to the admiration of celeftial millions. But when it pleafed Jehovah to reveal the brightness of his glory and the image of the Godhead in humanity, he gave forth the command, fee Pfalm xcvii. 7. "Worship him, all ye gods." And Heb. i. 6. "And again, when he bringeth the first begotten into

the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him." Lucifer, Son of the Morning, (as Chriftians have called him) furprised at the idea of worshiping any being but God himself, looked on the Son with ineffable difdain, and in a moment grew indignant, brushed his strongeft pinions, and waved his wings for the throne of God, challenged fupremacy with the Almighty, and caft his eye to the fides of the north as a fuitable place to establish his empire. Legions of fpirits followed. this chief in rebellion, and formed a dangerous party, in the kingdom of the Almighty. The Son of God was invefted with full power as Generaliffimo of heaven, to command the remaining forces, against the common enemy. And in fhort, after many grievous battles between armies of contending fpirits, where life could not, in the leaft, be expofed, Lucifer and his party were driven out of heaven, leaving it in peace, though, in a great meafure, depopulated!

God having created the earth, and placed the first man and woman in a most happy fituation of innocence and moral purity, without the smallest appetite for fin, or propensity to evil, the arch Apoftate enviously looked from his fiery prifon, to which he was configned by the command of the Almighty, and beholding men plac

ed in fo happy a fituation, and in a capacity to increase to infinite multitudes, by which the kingdom of heaven would be enlarged, was determined to crop this tree in the bud. He, therefore, turns into a ferpent, goes to the woman and beguiles her, gets her to eat of a fruit which God had forbidden, by which mean he introduced fin into our fyftem.

I have not been particular in this fketch, but it contains the effence of the common idea. I fhall now put it under examination, looking diligently for the propriety of accounting for the origin of moral evil in this way.

And firft, of this memorable rebellion in heaven! It feems, that this rebel angel was always obedient to the commands of his Maker, until the hour of his fall; that there was not the least spot of pollution in him, until he felt the emotions of pride, which lifted him above fubmiffion to the Son of God. This being the cafe, I ask, was this angel ignorant of the real character of the Son, whom he was commanded to worship? If he was not, but knew it to be no other than the true Eternal, his Creator, manifefted in a nature which Jehovah created; if he loved his Maker as he ought to do, which none pretend to dif pute; he would have worshiped him with due reverence, the moment he made the