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a Father, a Son, and a Holy Ghost. religion must tell us nothing about God, or what it tells us must be beyond our capacities; and in discovering even the borders of this immense ocean, it must needs exhibit a vast extent in which our feeble eyes are lost. But what surprizes me, what stumbles me, what frightens me, is to see a diminutive creature, a contemptible man, a little ray of light glimmering through a few feeble organs, controvert a point with the Supreme Being; oppose that Intelligence who sitteth at the helm of the world; question what he affirms, dispute what he determines, appeal from his decisions, and, even after God hath given evidence, reject all doctrines that are beyond his capacity! Enter into thy nothingness, mortal creature! What madness animates thee! How durst thou pretend, thou who art but a point, thou whose essence is but an atom,to measure thyself with the Supreme Being; with him who fills heaven and earth; with Him, whom heaven, the heaven of heavens cannot contain! Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? High as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know ?"*

Mr. Saurin's Ser. Vol. I. p. 78, 79, Robinson's translation.

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For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

I PASS to observe, that the apostles plainly and repeatedly preached the doctrine of divine sovereignty; or, that God has an absolute right to dispose of all things according to his own pleasure.

It has often been objected to this truth, that it represents Almighty God partial to his creatures, by making a distinction among them. But this ought not to be an objection, because it is a fact known and read of all men, that he hath placed some in a far more eligible situation than others. In creation we observe the most palpable distinction among the creatures of God.

Angels are first in the order of created intelligences; they are said to excel in strength, continually surrounding the throne of God, and are employed in the most exalted and important services they are dignified in nature and office.

Men form the next link in the chain of intelligent agents, whom Deity hath created with a nature less dignified, endued with inferior mental powers, and employed in a manner less noble

and interesting. Among mankind there is also a very obvious distinction. One man is extremely handsome, another extremely homely; one has all his parts, another is deformed, maimed, blind, halt.

They differ in mind likewise, no less than in body. One person has great sagacity and penetration, another is an idiot, or but a small remove from him. All minds, though formed by the same Almighty hand, are not of the same dimensions. God himself hath made this dif

ference.

They differ in place or station in life. They are not fitted for, nor employed with equal dignity. All are useful in their place, but not equally so,

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This being the case, I ask, will any man dare. to censure Jehovah for making such distinctions among his creatures? "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?"? Shall the idiot, or the man of small powers mind, say to his Creator, why was I not made equal to Sir Isaac Newton? Or shall that great philosopher say to his Maker, why was not I created an angel? We tremble at the idea of thus arraigning the divine conduct. God hath done what he had a right to do, and hath exercised that right under the influence of infinite wisdom and goodness.

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We observe that the like distinction runs through God's whole economy of providence. Some persons have all and abound; others are depressed with poverty. Two men shall set out in life with equal prospects and advantages; one of them shall be successful in almost every thing

he undertakes; the other shall meet with repeated losses and become poor.

Some persons enjoy a constant and confirmed state of health; others are always sick, knowing scarcely one day in which they are free from pain, though equally virtuous and temperate. One passes through the most imminent dangers, and escapes uninjured; another loses his life by the most trifling occurrence. One lives to a good old age; another is cut down from the birth. One continues till he becomes a burden to himself and friends; another in the bloom and vigour of his days is arrested by the last enemy.

The Deity hath made a difference among mankind with respect to the means of knowledge. Some people remain in the savage state; while others, favoured with every advantage of information both divine and human, have arrived at a surprising height of knowledge and refinement. Yet they all belong to the same great family, and are under the government of the same infinite God, who, for wise reasons, makes these distinctions among them. He could easily have placed all men in circumstances equally agreeable, had it been his will; or have made an entire reverse of condition. He might have ordered your soul or mine to have animated the body of a Laplander, a Hottentot, or an American savage; but he hath been pleased, as a sovereign God, to place us in a more pleasing condition.

These are some of the distinctions which God hath made in the course of his moral government; and who shall say unto him, what doest thou?

The sovereignty of God is equally apparent in his conduct towards sinners. He hath passed by

the fallen angels; "and the angels which kept not their first estate, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." Their nature the Son of God did not assume, because their salvation was not the end he designed to accomplish: accordingly we are told, that hell is "prepared for the devil and his angels." Whence it appears that they are passed by.

God hath made a very important difference among mankind, by sending the gospel to some of them, and withholding it from others. Those persons who are disposed to raise objections either against the benevolence of the Deity, or the truth of divine revelation on this account, would do well to consider that God himself hath made this distinction, and that he can do no wrong. He is a rock, his way is perfect; nor doth he give account of his matters to any.

Besides, it is evident that there is a striking analogy in all his conduct in creation, providence and redemption. He hath not in either case distributed his blessings on all men alike. This hath been proved already in the preceding observations. If it is necessary therefore to vindicate his conduct in this instance, it is no less necessary in the others: "But who art thou, O man, that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus ?"

Among those persons who are favoured with the gospel, there is also a difference. He takes one of a city, and two of a family, and brings them to Zion. "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will

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