Defcription of that Corruption of the World which is to be accounted for. If Mankind are naturally no more inclined to Evil than Good, then how comes there to be fo many more bad Examples than good ones, in all Ages? And if there are not, how come the bad Examples that are fet, to be fo much more followed than the good? If the Propenfity of Man's Nature be not to Evil, how comes the Current of general Example, every where, and at all Times, to be fo much to Evil? And when Oppofition has been made by good Examples, how comes it to pafs that it has had fo little Effect to ftem the Stream of general wicked Practice?

I think from the brief Account the Scripture gives us of the Behaviour of the first Parents of Mankind, the Expreffions of their Faith and Hope in God's Mercy revealed to them, we have Reason to fuppofe, that before ever they had any Children, they repented, and were pardoned, and became truly pious. So that God planted the World at firft with a noble Vine; and at the Beginning of the Generations of Mankind, he fet the Stream of Example the right Way. And we fee, that Children are more apt to follow the Example of their Parents, than of any others; efpecially in early Youth, their forming Time, when thofe Habits are generally contracted, which abide by them all their Days. And befides, Adam's Children had no other Examples to follow, but those of their Parents. How therefore came the Stream so foon to turn, and to proceed the contrary Way, with fo violent a Current? Then, when Mankind became fo univerfally and desperately corrupt, as not to be fit to live on Earth any longer, and the World was every where full of bad Examples,

God

Sect. IX.

God destroyed them all at once, but only righteous Noah, and his Family, to remove thofe bad Examples, and that the World of Mankind might be planted again with good Example, and the Stream again turned the right Way: How therefore came it to pass, that Noah's Pofterity did not follow his good Example, especially when they had fuch extraordinary Things to enforce his Example, but fo generally, even in his Life-time, became fo exceeding corrupt? One would think, the first Generations at leaft, while all lived together as one Family, under Noah, their venerable Father, might have followed his good Example: And if they had done fo, then, when the Earth came to be divided in Peleg's Time, the Heads of the feveral Families would have fet out their particular Colonies with good Examples, and the Stream would have been turned the right Way in all the various Divifions, Colonies, and Nations of the World. But we fee verily the Fact was, that in about fifty Years after Noah's Death, the World in general was over-run with dreadful Corruption; fo that all Virtue and Goodnefs was like foon to perish from among Mankind, unless fomething extraordinary should be done to prevent it.

Then, for a Remedy, God feparated Abraham and his Family from all the reft of the World, that they might be delivered from the Influence of bad Example, that in his Pofterity he might have an holy Seed. Thus God again planted a noble Vine; Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob being eminently pious. But how foon did their Pofterity degenerate, till true Religion was like to be fwallowed up? We fee how defperately, and almoft univerfally corrupt they were, when God brought them out of Egypt, and led them in the Wilderness.

Then God was pleased, before he planted his People in Canaan, to deftroy that perverfe Generation in the Wilderness, that he might plant them there a noble Vine, wholly a right Seed, and fet them out with good Example, in the Land where they were to have their fettled Abode. Jer. ii. 21. It is evident, that the Generation which came with Joshua into Canaan, was an excellent Generation, by innumerable Things faid of them *. But how foon did that People, nevertheless, become the degenerate Plant of a strange Vine?

And when the Nation had a long Time proved themselves defperately and incurably corrupt, God destroyed them, and fent them into Captivity, till the old Rebels were dead and purged out, to deliver their Children from their evil Example: And when the following Generation were purified as in a Furnace, God planted them again, in the Land of Ifrael, a noble Vine, and let them out with good Example; which yet was not followed by their Pofterity.

When again the Corruption was become inveterate and desperate, the Chriftian Church was planted by a glorious Out-pouring of the Spirit of God, caufing true Virtue and Piety to be exemplified in the firft Age of the Church of Chrift, far beyond whatever had been on Earth before; and the Chriftian Church was planted a noble Vine. But that primitive good Example has not prevailed, to caufe Virtue to be generally and ftedfaftly maintained in the Christian World: To how

great

*See Jer. ii. 2, 3. Pfal. lxviii. 14. Jofh. xxii. 2. and xxiii. 8. Deut. iv. 3, 4. Hof. xi. 1. and ix. 10. Judg. ii. 7, 17, 22. and many other Places.

. I. from bad Example, confidered.

. IX.

great a Degree it has been otherwife, has already been observed.

After many Ages of general and dreadful Apoftacy, God was pleafed to erect the Proteftant Church, as feparated from the more corrupt Part of Chriftendom; and true Piety flourished very much in it at firft; God planted it a noble Vine: But notwithstanding the good Examples of the firft Reformers, what a melancholy Pass is the Proteftant World come to at this Day?

When England grew very corrupt, God brought over a Number of pious Perfons, and planted them in New-England, and this Land was planted with a noble Vine. But how is the Gold become din! How greatly have we forfaken the pious Examples of our Fathers!

So prone have Mankind always proved themfelves to Degeneracy, and bent to Backfliding. Which fhews plainly their natural Propensity; and that when Good has revived, and been promoted among Men, it has been by fome divine Interpofition, to oppofe the natural Current; the Fruit of fome extraordinary Means, the Efficacy of which has foon been overcome by conftant natural Biafs, and the Effect of good Example prefently loft, and Evil has regained and maintained the Dominion: Like an heavy Body, which may by fome great Power be caused to afcend, against its Nature, a little while, but foon goes back again towards the Center, to which it naturally and conftantly tends.

So that evil Example will in no wife account for the Corruption of Mankind, without supposing

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a natural Pronenefs to Sin. The Tendency of Example alone will not account for general wicked Practice, as confequent on good Example. And if the Influence of bad Example is a Reason of fome of the Wickednefs that is in the World, that alone will not Account for Men's becoming worfe than the Example fet, and degenerating more and more, and growing worfe and worfe, which has been the Manner of Mankind.

2. There has been given to the World an Example of Virtue, which, were it not for a dreadful Depravity of Nature, would have Influence on them that live under the Gofpel, far beyond all other Examples; and that is the Example of Jefus Christ,

God, who knew the human Nature, and how apt Men are to be influenced by Example, has made anfwerable Provifion. His infinite Wisdom has contrived that we fhould have fet before us the most amiable and perfect Example, in fuch Circumstances, as fhould have the greateft Tendency. to influence all the Principles of Man's Nature, but his Corruption. Men are apt to be moved by the Example of others like themselves, or in their own Nature; therefore this Example was given in our Nature, Men are ready to followthe Example of the great and honourable; and this Example, though it was of one in our Nature, yet it was of one infinitely higher and more honourable than Kings or Angels. A People are apt to follow the Example of their Prince: This is the Example of that glorious Perfon, who stands in a peculiar Relation to Chriftians, as their Lord and King, the fupreme Head of the Church; and not only fo, but the King of Kings, fupreme Head

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