This general hint of the planeneffe of fatred fcripture, and of the end, for which it was given us, might help to clear up numberleffe other points, which are at prefent perplexed. But what I would now principally apply it to, is the doctrine of the divine fore-knowlege and decrees. And, in order thereto, let us fee how it holds in other cafes. The great God himself, his nature, perfections, and operations, are thus popularly described; and fo are alfo fpiritual and everlafting things. And thus, indeed, they must be defcribed to us, or not at all. Were invifible things called by proper names of their own, and defcribed, without comparing them to fomething already known, we could not have any notion of them. But God has given us the best notions, we can have, by condefcending to compare them to things feen and known. Thus heaven is compared to an inheritance, to riches, to a city or country, to a church or temple, to a crown and kingdom, to a garden, to a banquet, and to many like things, well known, and highly esteemed upon earth. The miferies of bad men in the future ftate, are compared to the pain, caused by fire and brimstone; and by a worm (or ferpent) perpetually preying upon a man's vitals, to a being imprisoned in a dungeon, and to the horrors of death; death; i. e. it is compared to the most dreadful things, we now know, or can imagine. All which defcriptions are not to be taken in the literal fenfe; but only, as intimating the fuperlative happineffe of the one state, and mifery of the other. Thus alfo God (though he is a fpirit) has reprefented himself, in holy writ, as if he had a body, in analogy to the parts and powers of human bodies; yet our most noble and juft ideas of God arife from comparing him to our own fouls, or fpirits. And thus the holy Scripture compares him, when it tells us, that backfliders his foul hates. And not only a foul in general, but alfo the paffions of the human foul are afcribed to God, viz. anger, vengeance, fear, hope, grief, forrow, love; pity, and the like. All which are not to be understood literally, but figuratively. Thus, for inftance, God can do all things, that man can do, by any, or all the parts and members of the body; can fee as well as if he had eyes, hear as well as if he had ears, act as well as if he had hands, understand as well as if he had an head, or heart, &c. And, again, he will inflict punishment upon the wicked and finally impenitent (from cool reafon and unerring judgment) as certainly, as if he was rouzed with fear, anger, or revenge: And will make happy all the truly virtuous and holy, as if he was moft fenfibly I 4 touched • Heb. x. 38. touched with hope, or pity; and his own happineffe, in fome measure, depended upon theirs. He will alter his treatment of fuch as backflide, as really as if he had repented of the favor shown them. And so will he act, on the contrary, towards a returning prodigal, as repenting of his threatnings. Thus, the outward actions of God and man are, in some things, alike; but the inward principles widely differ. Infinite reason, and unerring wifdom, always determine God; humor, fickleneffe and paffion, too often influence man. When a man repents, he actually changes his mind. When God is said to repent, there is no change of his mind; the change is in the creature, who, upon becoming better, is approved; upon growing worfe, is disapproved. For God ftedily fayors goodnee, and as fixedly diflikes wickedneffe. Upon these accounts, repentance and human paffions are ascribed unto God. The fame comparison is carried on, between God and the human foul, when God is reprefented as confidering before-hand; confulting; and, after that, refolving, or decreeing. The foundation whereof is this: When a Man has a work of time and importance before him, he paufes, confults, and contrives; and, when he has laid a plan, refolves, or decrees to procede accordingly. When we have found • See the observations of Simplicius, in the note on the Letter on prayer, P. 75. found this in ourselves, we are ready to apply it to God alfo; and he, in condefcenfion, has applied it to himself. The works of creation and providence, muft be allowed to be vaft and stupendous; and, therefore, we run back, and conceive of God, as a skilful artificer, or wife governor, deliberating and confulting upon the matter; as laying a plan, and then decreeing to procede according to the counfels of his own will. As if, for a long time before this world was made, or from all eternity, he had been concerting measures, both as to the making and governing of it, and then writ down his decrees, which (like the laws of the Medes and Perfians) were never to be altered. Whereas, to take this [of God's confulting, and deliberating, before he determined,] in a ftrict and literal fenfe, would be the fame abfurdity, as to ascribe a real human body, and real human paffions to the ever-blessed God. It is only in general, a popular reprefentation of his infallible fore-knowlege, and unchangeable wisdom: i. e. he, in the event, does all things as wifely as a man can poffibly do, after confulting, and furveying a thing on all fides; and likewife, God as ftedily perfues the most proper method, as one can do, that has foreseen all poffible cafes, and laid a fcheme accordingly. There can nothing new, or unforeseen, start up, and furprize him, fo as to put him to any difficulty. He forefees all all poffible events, knows the end from the begining; and, from antient times, the things that have, or fhall come to paffe. And, in one word, all God's conduct is as wife and rational, as if he had the best laws and decrees, and governed himself by them. But then; though the effects be fuch, as would argue confultations, and confequent decrees, in man; the principles of action widely differ. What need of one moment's confultation in him, who fees all things at one view? what need has infinite perfection of the helps neceffary to finite and imperfect creatures? Previous confultations, and fubfequent refolutions, are only needed, where the ideas are fhort, finite, and fucceffive; - defects, or imperfections, by no means to be ascribed unto the all-perfect deity! - But, though fuch decrees, as are the refult of confultation, or that are looked upon like writen laws, to keep by one and to confult, as occafion ferves; though fuch decrees, I fay, cannot justly be afcribed to God: Yet, that the divine understanding should immediately, perfectly, and in all cafes, difcern between good and evil; and that the divine will should thereupon determine to choose the one, and refuse the other; -feems intirely confiftent with highest perfection, and with our most just and worthy conceptions of the ever-bleffed God, Nay, for the divine Being to remain one moment undetermined, con cerning |