only to the Jews, and "suffered all" other "nations to walk in their own ways?"* He might be said to have retired into one corner of the earth, and shut himself up in that narrow spot which alone was illuminated with his splendour, in order to withdraw from the Gentiles. But was he not in some measure hidden, even in Judea itself? For if he gave them some tokens of his presence, it was in an ark which only the high priest approached, and that but once in a year. If he manifested himself there, it was only by obscure appearances and mysterious emblems. If he there taught the people to serve him, it was in a typical and enigmatical worship. If he there revealed futurity, it was still enveloped in oracles most difficult to be understood.

Is not God for the most part hidden, with respect to his church? So at least she considers him in her afflictions; as a God who withdraws his protecting presence, who retires and does not suffer himself to be found. He is hidden in adverse times, like the sun in gloomy days. He is hidden, when he neither grants our desires, nor hears our prayers: hidden in his delays, and in the obscurity of his promises, of which as yet we see not the accomplishment.

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It may be added, that God hides himself from us even in the revelation of his word and religion. For revelation has its obscurities, as well as its splendours; in the present state we know" but "in part," and "we see" but "through a glass darkly:" and religion contains many mysteries, the sublimity of which our minds are unable to reach. In whatever view, therefore, we consider the Deity, + I Cor. xiii. 9. 12.

Acts xiv. 16.

we have reason to exclaim with the prophet: "Verily "thou art a God that hidest thyself."

But to confine ourselves at present to the immediate design of the text; we have already shewn you that it relates to the mysteries of providence, and that the particular sentiment which Isaiah means to convey, is, that the manner in which God governs the world and conducts his church, appears to us very obscure; that his thoughts are infinitely remote from ours; that his providence has secret courses with which we are unacquainted, and which lead things to their issue in a manner oftentimes totally different from all our expectations. This truth seems to need no proof. Who does not know by experience, that we are blind whenever we desire to penetrate the grounds, the causes, the springs, the manner, the end of events? Whence proceed our errors, our embarrassments, our complaints on the state of things, and on the distribution of blessings and calamities, but from our profound ignorance of most of the reasons of the divine conduct? He is, then, to us, "a God "that hideth himself;" that is to say, who does not discover himself as much as we wish. But it is necessary to consider this truth more in detail, and to inquire-how God hides himself and what are his reasons for this concealment.

I think we may remark, that God hides himself from us in the conduct of his providence ;-First, inasmuch as he leaves us, on most occasions, in ignorance of the end and design of his actions.Secondly, in that he places himself behind the creatures, and veils his agency under that of second causes.-Thirdly, he hides himself by the occasions

of offence and scandal, which he seems to leave in his conduct.-Lastly, he hides himself by delays in the development of events and the deliverance of his church.

The first thing which induces us to say that God hides himself, is, our ignorance of the ends which he proposes, and of the real design and tendency of his operations. For while God's design is concealed from us, his proceedings appear obscure. We find

them embarrassing, because we know not where they will terminate, or what may be their destination: we often refer them to an object altogether different from that which God has in view. But how should we know his real designs in every event? St. Paul adopts the inquiry of Isaiah: "Who hath known the "mind of the Lord, or who hath been his coun"sellor ?"* And Jeremiah asks: "Who hath stood "in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived "and heard his word?" We are in the habit of divining the conclusion and development of every occurrence that we see. We determine the end it is designed to accomplish, and we confide in the fulfilment of our anticipations. In these our conjectures we commonly refer events to some particular end interesting to ourselves. But God has views far more extensive than ours. Being the universal and perpetual governor of the world, he directs not the dispensation of his providence solely to the personal good of one or another individual, or the advantage of a particular nation, or the interests of a single age. We flatter ourselves too much, by imagining that we are almost the only favourites of providence,

* Isaiah xl. 13. Rom. xi. 34.

+Jerem, xxiii. 18.

his attention.

the sole objects of its cares. The Divine Being, less partial than we are, is not confined within our limits: his views embrace all times, all men, and especially all the elect. He frequently thinks of our posterity, and of ages to come, when we pretend to occupy all Thus, in numerous instances, what appears to us at present obscure cannot be otherwise; because it is only as the first scene of a very long drama, the unravelling of which will not come soon. Yet we have not patience to wait for time to unfold things; we have not capacities to comprehend the whole design and real plan which God has formed. He remains, therefore, hidden from us; and when we come to perceive by the issue, how much we were mistaken, we are constrained to exclaim, with the psalmist: "O Lord, how great are thy works, "and thy thoughts are very deep!"* and with our prophet: "Verily thou art a God that hidest thy"self!"

In the second place, we are obliged to acknowledge that God hides himself, by the instruments which he uses in the course of his providence, and the manner in which he employs them. Indeed, acting as he does, in most cases at least, by the ministry of second causes, and not more immediately by himself; and acting in a manner suited to the condition of the creatures; it is impossible that this interposition of second causes, and all the instruments he employs to effect his designs, should not, in a great measure, hide him from us, and keep him out of our sight on the generality of occasions. If a prince, always shut up in his cabinet, should send forth his orders

Psalm xcii. 5.

by invisible messengers, and execute every thing by agents and deputies, without any one ever seeing his face, or his hand, or even how those deputies corresponded with him; would you not say, he was a sovereign who hid himself? We see the creatures move; but how God actuates them, we are altogether ignorant. We see the instruments, the machines; but who ever heard those secret orders, which, nevertheless, receive such an exact obedience? "As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, "nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her "that is with child: even so thou knowest not the "works of God who maketh all."*

If the divine agency were confined to those movements of the world, which proceed in a necessary, equal, and uniform manner; as the revolutions of the stars and other heavenly bodies, the productions and changes of brute and inanimate creatures; that kind of uniformity and necessity with which all these things are conducted, leaves more room for conceiving how a superior being moves and governs them. But in the midst of this universe men find themselves placed as free causes, who seem to be self-determined to incline towards one side or the other, to pursue whatever course they please, without being sensible of the least violence or constraint. These men appear to be the chief authors of the events which take place in the world. You behold their actions; you perceive the passions from which they spring; and in general would think it unnecessary to seek for any other reasons of their conduct, than their own inclinations, interests, and designs. Especially in evil

• Eccles. xi. 5.