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as was ever the nature of any thing in the natural world, by the great Sir Isaac Newton*.

So that, on these, as well as many other accounts, that plan was not only for the honour of God, and good of the Israelites, but for the benefit of mankind in all succeeding generations.

And how know we but that it was designed by the infinitely wise God, as a little kind of PICTURE, in which we might see, in miniature, the nature of God's government of the whole moral system, and the reasons of his permitting sin and misery to enter into the world he had made? Which brings me,

Secondly. After having viewed the wisdom of God in the permission of sin, in various plain instances, to proceed humbly to search into the wisdom of God, in EVER permitting sin and misery to enter the world..

And, 1.As all God's works are uniform, so we may justly argue, from the wisdom and beauty of particular parts, to the wisdom and beauty of the whole. As God's nature is always the same, and as he always acts like himself, so, therefore, his works are always harmonious and consistent. So that if we can see the wisdom of God in the permission of sin. in some instances, we may justly argue to his wisdom in his

* OBJECTION. "But it can never be supposed that the true character of human nature, in general, can be decided from the perverse conduct of the Israelites in the wilderness."

ANSWER. Was not their conduct, then, of a piece with the general tenour of their conduct, from that time and forward, for fifteen hundred years, when they slew their prophets, yea, and crucified the Son of God? Acts vii. 51, 52.

OBJ. "If it was, yet it is not to be supposed, that every nation would have been so wicked and perverse as the Jews were, if under like circumstances." ANS. But it is the common character of an apostate, fallen world, that they are "dead in sin." Eph. ii. 1, 2, 3.

OBJ. "These words were spoken of the Gentiles, and so are nothing to the purpose."

ANS. Seeing, then, (according to these men,) the character of mankind cannot be learned from what is said in the Old or New Testament, of Jews or Gentiles; but we, in this age and nation are quite another kind of creatures, so benevo lent, so good, so virtuous; methinks the Old and New Testaments are writings not suited to our case; as they are not adapted to men of our character. And perhaps this is one reason those ancient writings are in so low credit with many in the British dominions; and Plato begins to be more admired than Moses, or St. Paul.

whole grand scheme. Yea, and from the wisdom, glory, and beauty of particular parts, we may be rationally convinced, that God's grand scheme is perfect in wisdom, glory, and beauty, although it be so incomprehensibly great, as to confound our understandings. If we certainly know that God's works are all uniform, and if there is one small part that we can understand and comprehend, and if we see this is perfectly wise, we may be assured the whole is so too; although when we try to look into it, we feel our minds quite overwhelmed with its incomprehensible greatness.

2. Yea, were there no particular instance in which we could see the wisdom of God in the permission of sin, yet, from the perfections of the divine nature alone, we have such full evidence that he must always act in the wisest and best manner, as that we ought not in the least to doubt it.

In the days of eternity, long before the foundation of the world, this system, now in existence, and this plan which now takes place, and all other possible systems, and all other possible plans, more in number perhaps than the very sands on the sea-shore, all equally lay open to the Divine view, and one as easy to Almightiness as another. He had his choice. He had none to please but himself; beside him there was no Being. He had a perfectly good taste, and nothing to bias his judgment, and was infinite in wisdom : this he chose; and this, of all possible systems, therefore, was the best, infinite wisdom and perfect rectitude being judges. If, therefore, the whole were as absolutely incomprehensible by us as it is by children of four years old, yet we ought firmly to believe the whole to be perfect in wisdom, glory, and beauty.

3. But if all God's works are uniform, as has been said, we may not only argue from the wisdom of particular parts to the wisdom of the whole, but also from the special nature of particular parts to the special nature of the whole; and so, from a right idea of particular parts, which we are able to comprehend, we may have some right conceptions of the whole, although the whole is too great for our conception. And so here is a clue which will lead us to a right view of the true nature of the whole moral system, and help us, at least, to some partial view of the wisdom, glory, and beauty of the whole.

4. And, indeed, it seems to have been God's design, in this state of instruction and discipline, where we first come into existence, and, from small beginnings, are to grow up to a more full knowledge of God, and insight into his moral government of the world; the contemplation of which will afford the most intense delight to all holy beings, throughout eternal ages. I say, it seems to have been God's design to suit things to the present weakness of our capacities, by representing the general nature of the whole moral system, in some select parts of it, giving us a kind of a PICTURE of the whole, in miniature, to lead us to some right notions of the nature of the whole.

It is certain, that as all God's works are uniform, amidst all their infinite variety, so it has been his method, in his lesser works in the moral world, designedly to give a faint image of his greater, and hereby prepare the way for their being more easily understood. So the redemption of Israel out of Egypt was designed as a shadow of our spiritual redemption by Christ; and the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, was designed as a resemblance of the deliverance of the Christian church out of mystical Babylon. And there are almost innumerable instances of the like nature in scripture. Yea, the whole Jewish dispensation was evidently designed to be emblematical. So, indeed, was every thing in the natural world, from which metaphors and allusions are constantly brought, by Christ and his apostles, to represent and illustrate spiritual and divine things, as well as from the Jewish dispensation. And indeed, this was workman-like, and becoming the infinite wisdom of the great CONTRIVER and FORMER of all things, to whom all his works were known from the beginning, and who designed this lower world as the grand stage of action for moral agents, so to order things in all his works, and in all his dispensations, as, that one thing should give light to another; things in the natural world, to things in the moral; things in the Jewish dispensation, to things in the Christian.

It would, therefore, be perfectly analagous to the rest of God's works, if he had designed some eminent parts of his grand plan of moral government to contain, in miniature, the

nature of the whole, and contrived them to represent, and suited them to point out to us the wisdom and beauty of his grand and glorious scheme, which is too large for our present comprehension; and too difficult to be understood, but by the help of little pictures, where the whole is contained in miniature.

5. Yea, we may venture to affirm, that of necessity it must be the case, that the nature of the parts will certainly show the nature of the whole, in a moral system, under the government of him who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, For while he constantly acts like himself, his whole conduct will be of a piece, always like itself; and so one part of it will illustrate the nature of another; and so, from the knowledge of the nature of various parts, we may certainly argue to the nature of the whole. As, let us but diligently observe a wise and good man, who is uniform and steady in his ways; and, from repeated instances of his conduct, we shall enter into the knowledge of his temper in general, and perceive the views and designs which govern him. So, let us but attend to the divine conduct, as recorded in that book, which may justly be denominated the history of the Deity, and enter into his views and designs, in particular instances of his conduct, as there intimated; and we may, with sufficient certainty, determine his moral character, and the general nature and design of his whole plan.

Show me, therefore, his views and designs in suffering Joseph to be sold; Israel to be oppressed; Pharaoh to harden his heart; Israel to murmur and rebel, and fall in the wilderness; and let me into the wisdom of his conduct, in these particular parts of his grand scheme, and then assure me that the whole system is governed by the same infinitely wise Being; and how can I doubt the wisdom of the whole, while I behold the wisdom of these particular parts? Or how can I be at a loss for the general nature of the whole, while I behold the nature of these particular parts, and firmly believe that God always acts like himself, and keeps up a constant uniformity through all the infinite varieties of cases and circumstances, that ever occur in his moral government of the world?

6. If, therefore, the plan which infinite wisdom, contrived, to bring Jacob's family into Egypt, and from thence through the Red sea and wilderness into Canaan, in which so much sin was permitted, and so much misery endured, was, all things considered, the wisest and best; as being so exactly suited to set all the perfections of God in the fullest and strongest point of light, and at the same time to unmask their hearts, and set their absolute dependance on God, and great obligations to him, and the infinite evil of sin, in such a light, as had the most powerful tendency to induce them, with penitent, humble, broken hearts, in an entire self-diffidence, to put their trust only in God, and be wholly devoted to him; to fear him, and love him, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commands, seeking his glory: I say, if that plan was the wisest that could have been contrived to answer these ends, and so the best suited to promote the glory of God, and the best good of the Israelites, and to answer many noble ends in that age, and in all succeeding generations; such, no doubt, must be the whole of God's moral government of the world; in which immensely great plan so much sin is permitted, and so much misery endured: i. e. it must be the best contrived scheme possible, to advance the glory of God, and the best good of the moral system.

I am sensible there are many objections which will be apt to arise in the reader's mind, and which are capable of being put into a very plausible dress, and which, at first sight, may seem to appear quite unanswerable. Nor am I unwilling they should be set in their strongest light. It is best to look on all sides, and that with the utmost care and impartiality. And every honest reader, who sincerely desires to know the truth; to understand the reasons of the divine conduct, and to see the wisdom, glory, and beauty of his universal plan, will be naturally disposed to look up to heaven, and say, "O, thou father of lights, thou fountain of all knowledge, sensible that we lack wisdom, and encouraged by thy gracious invitation, we come to thee, who givest liberally to all that ask, nor upbraidest, nor deniest the most unworthy, who ask in the name of Christ; open thou our eyes, that we may see the wis dom of thy government, and behold the beauty of thy con

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