who only can convert them, refrains from doing it, what room is there for blaming them that perish, feeing it is impoffible to refift the will of the Almighty?" Be fatisfied with St. Paul's anfwer: Nay, but who art thou, O man, that repliest against God? The apostle hinges the matter entirely on God's abfolute fovereignty. There he refts it; and there we ought to leave it *.

Were the whole of mankind equally loved of God, and promifcuously redeemed by Chrift; the fong, which believers are directed to fing, would hardly run in these admired ftrains: To him that hath loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priefts unto God, &c. Rev. i. 5, 6. An hymn of praise, like this, feems, evidently, to proceed on the hypothesis of peculiar election, on the part of God; and of a: limited redemption, on the part of Chrift: which we find still more explicitly declared, Rev. v. 9. where we have a tranfcript of that fong, which the fpirits of just men made perfect are now finging, before the throne, and before the Lamb: Thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us unto God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Whence the elect are faid to have been redeemed from among men. Rev. xiv. 4.

In short, there is no fuch thing, as cafualty, or accident, even in things of temporal concern: much

* Some of the more confiderate heathens treated God's hidden will, with an adoring reverence, which many of our modern Arminians would do well to imitate. Thus Bion (Kλod. xas Mugo. 10.). It is not for man, to fit in judgment on the actions of God.

So Theognis (ywμ. 141, 142.)—We men are foolish in our imaginations, and know nothing: but the gods accomplish all things according to their own mind.

And again, (Lin. 687, 688.)

It is not lawful for mortals, to enter the lifts with the gods, nor to bring in an accufation against them.

lefs,

lefs, in matters fpiritual and everlasting. If the universe had a maker, it must have a governor and if it has a governor, his will and providence must extend to all things, without exception. For my own part, I can difcern no medium between abfolute predeftination, and blank atheism.

Mr. Rollin*, if I mistake not, has, fomewhere, a fine observation, to, this effect that "It is ufual, with God, fo carefully to conceal himself, and to hide the agency of his providence behind fecond causes, as to render that, very often, undiscernable, and indiftinguishable from thefe." Which wisdom of conduct, and gentleness of operation (not lefs efficacious, becaufe gentle and invisible), instead of exciting the admiration they deferve; have, on the contrary, given occafion to the fetting up of that

Since the above was written, I have met with the fine paffage to which it refers. "Providence delights to conceal its wonders under the vail of human operations." Rollin's Arts and Sciences of the Ancients, vol. 3. p. 480.

Mr. Hervey has likewife a moft beautiful and judicious paragraph to the fame effect; where, fpeaking of what is commonly termed accidental death, this admirable writer afks: Was it then a random ftroke? doubtlefs, the blow came from an aiming, though invisible hand. God prefideth over the armies of heaven. God ruleth among the inhabitants of the earth. And God conducteth what men call chance. Nothing, nothing comes to pafs, through a blind and undifcerning fatality. If accidents happen, they happen according to the exact foreknowledge, and conformably to the determinate counfels of eternal wisdom. The Lord, with whom are the iffues of death, figns the warrant, and gives the high commiffion. The feemingly fortuitous difafter, is only the agent, or inftrument, appointed to execute the fupreme decree. When the king of Ifrael was mortally wounded, it seemed to be a cafual fhot. A certain man drew a how at a venture, (1 Kings xxii. 34) At a venture, as he thought. But his hand was ftrengthened by an omnipotent aid; and the shaft levelled, by an unerring eye. So that, what we term cafualty, is really providence; accomplishing deliberate defigns, but concealing its own interpofition. How comforting this reflec tion! Admirably adapted to foothe the throbbing anguifh of the mourners, and compofe their fpirits into a quiet fubmiffion! Excellently fuited, to diffipate the fears of godly furvivors; and create a calm intrepidity, even amidst innumerable perils!" Hervey's Meditations, vol. 1. p. 27, 28.

VOL. V. (24)

M

unreal

unreal idol of the brain, called chance. Whereas, to use the lovely lines of our great moral poet,

All nature is but art unknown to thee

All chance, direction which thou canft not fee;

Words are only fo far valuable, as they are the vehicles of meaning. And meaning, or ideas, derive their whole value, from their having fome foundation in reafon, reality, and fact. Was I, therefore, to be concerned in drawing up an expurgatory index to language, I would, without mercy, cashier and profcribe fuch words, as chance, fortune, luck, cafualty, contingency, and mishap. Nor unjustly. For, they are voces & præterea nihil. Mere terms, without ideas. Abfolute expletives, which import nothing. Unmeaning cyphers, either proudly invented to hide man's ignorance of real caufes, or facrilegioufly defigned to rob the Deity of the honours due to his wifdom, providence, and power.

Reafon and revelation are perfect unifons, in affuring us, that God is the fupreme, independent firft caufe; of whom, all fecondary and inferior` caufes are no more the effects. Elfe, proper originality and abfolute wifdom, unlimited fupremacy and almighty power, ceafe to be attributes of Deity. -I remember to have heard an interefting anecdote of king William, and bishop Burnet. The Arminian prelate affected to wonder, "How a perfon, of his majefty's piety and good fenfe, could fo rootedly believe the doctrine of abfolute predeftination.' The royal Calvinift replied; did I not believe abfolute predeftination, I could not believe a providence. For, it would be moft abfurd, to fuppofe, that a being of infinite wisdom would act without a plan: for which plan, predeftination is only another

name.

What, indeed, is predeftination, but God's determinate plan of action? and what is providence, but the evolution of that plan? In his decree, God refolved,

folved, within himself, what he would do, and what he would permit to be done: by his providence, this effective and permiffive will paffes into external act, and has its pofitive accomplishment. So that the purpofe of God, as it were, draws the out-lines; and providence lays on the colours. What that defigned, this completes: what that ordained, this executes. Predeftination is analogous to the mind and intention; providence to the hand and agency; of the artificer. Hence, we are told, that God worketh [there's his providence] all things, after the counfel of his own will [there's his decree], Eph. i. 11. And again, he doth according to his will, in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand [i. e. his will, and the execution of it, are irresistible], nor fay unto him, what doft thou? i. e. his purpose and providence are fovereign, and for which he will not be accountable to his creatures. Dan. iv. 35.

According, therefore, to the Scripture reprefentation, Providence neither acts vaguely and at random, like a blind archer, who fhoots uncertainly in the dark, as well as he can; nor yet pro re nata, or as the unforeseen exigence of affairs may require : like fome blundering ftatesman, who plunges (it may be) his country and himself into difficulties, and then is forced to unravel his cobweb, and reverfe his plan of operations, as the best remedy for thofe difafters, which the court-fpider had not the wisdom to foresee. But fhall we fay this of God? It were blafphemy. He that dwelleth in heaven, laugheth all these miferable after-thoughts to fcorn. God, who can neither be over-reached, nor overpowered, has all these wretched post-expedients in derifion. He is incapable of mistake. He knows no levity of will. He cannot be furprized with any unforeseen inconveniencies. His throne is in heaven, and his kingdom ruleth over all. Whatever, therefore, comes to pass, comes to pafs as a part of M 2

the

the original plan: and is the offspring of that prolific feries of caufes and effects, which owes its birth to the ordaining and permiffive will of him, in whom we all live, and are moved, and have our being. Providence, in time, is the hand, that delivers God's purpose, of those beings and events with which that purpose was pregnant from everlafting. The doctrine of equivocal generation is not more abfurd, in philofophy; than the doctrine of un-predeftinated events, is, in theology. Thus, the long train of things is, though

A mighty maze, yet not without a plan. God's fovereign will is the first link; his unalterable decree is the fecond; and his all-active providence, the third; in the great chain of caufes.

What

his will determined, that his decree established, and his providence, either mediately or immediately, effects. His will was the adorable spring of all: his decree marked out the channel: and his providence dire&s the ftream.

"If fo," it may be objected," it will follow, that whatever is, is right." Confequences cannot be helped. No doubt, God, who does nothing in vain; who cannot do any thing to no purpose, and ftill lefs to a bad one; who both acts and permits, with defign; and who weighs the paths of men; has, in the unfathomable abyfs of his counfel, very important (though, to us, fecret) reafons, for permitting the first entrance of moral evil, and for fuffering both † moral and natural evil ftill to reign over fo great a part of the creation. Unfearchable are his judgments [xala, decrees] and his ways [the methods and difpenfations of his providence] paft

*Koda, Acts xvii. 28.

+ Grotius himself is forced to own, "quæ verô permittuntur Scelera, non carent interim suo fructu,” i. e. even the crimes which God permits the perpetration of, are not without their good confequences. (De Veritat. Rel. 1. 1, fect. 19.)-A bold faying, this! But the fayer was an Arminian: and, therefore, we hear no out-cry on the occafion.

finding