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"How keenly," fays a fine writer, "is this comparifon pointed!--Like the afs's: an animal, remarkable for its ftupidity, even to a proverb. Like the afs's colt: which must be ftill more egregiously ftupid than the dam. Like the wild afs's colt : which is not only blockifh, but ftubborn and intractable; neither poffeffes valuable qualities by nature, nor will eafily receive them by difcipline. The image, in the original, is yet more ftrongly touched. The comparative particle like, is not in the Hebrew. Born a wild afs's colt. Or, as we should fay in English, a mere wild, &c." (Hervey's Theron and Afpatio, Dial. 13.)

He [i. e. God] is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that he doth. He performeth the thing that is appointed for me. And many fuch things are with him. Job xxiii. 13, 14. Query: Who is felf-determiner? Man or God? Surely, God. Nor is he only the felf-determiner, but the all-determiner likewife; throughout the whole universe both of spirits and of matter.

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and feeth under the whole heaven: to make a weight for the

Civilization, though a very poor fuccedaneum for that divine image, originally imprefied on our immortal part, and loft by Adam's tranfgreffion, is, however, of very great fecular importance. Nay, its importance is, with regard to millions of us, more than fecular: for it is often a providential means of qualifying us to receive and understand that bleffed gofrel, which, when made the vehicle of divine power to the heart, iffues in our recovery of God's image, and in the falvation of the foul.

After all, let the inftruments of our refinement, and of our know- . ledge (whether in things temporal, or in things facred), be who or what they may; and let us profit ever fo deeply by our intercourfe with the living, by converfe with the recorded wifdom of the dead, by the perceptions we receive from external objects, and by reflecting on the ideas of which thofe perceptions are the fource; ftill, no advantages are any thing more to us, than divine Providence makes them to be. Let him, therefore, that glories, glory in the Lord.-For, it is God, who teacheth us more than the beats of the earth, and maketh us wifer than the fowls of heaven. Cor. i. 31. Job xxxv. 11.

winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightening of the thunder. Job xxviii. 25, 26.

When he giveth quietnefs, who then can make trouble? and, when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only. Job xxxiv. 29. Abfolute neceffity still.

By the breath of God, froft is given; and the breadth of the waters is ftraitened. Alfo, by watering, he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud. He caufeth it to come; whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy. Job xxxviii. 10-13. We fee, from this, as well as from a preceding and from two or three fubfequent quotations, that the air cannot be compreffed into a current of wind; nor rain find its way to the earth; nor exhalations kindle into thunder and lightening; nor a river overflow its banks; nor fufpended vapours condenfe into fnow or hail; nor water freeze, or, when frozen, thaw; without the exprefs appointment of God's will, and the hand of his particular providence. Second caufes are but effects of his decree and can operate no farther, than he, from whom they derive their whole activity, condefcends to make use of them as mediums of his own agency.

The kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations. Pfalm xxii. 28.

O Lord, thou preferveft man and beaft. Pfalm xxxvi. 6.

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Pfalm cxxvii. 1.

Whatsoever the Lord pleafeth, that did he; in heaven, and in earth, in the feas, and in all deep places. He caufeth the vapours to afcend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightenings, for the

rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treafuries. Pfalm cxxxv. 6, 7.

He covereth the heaven with clouds, he prepareth rain for the earth, he maketh grafs to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beaft his food; and to the young ravens, which cry. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the fineft wheat. He giveth fnow, like wool; he fcattereth the hoar froft, like afhes. He cafteth forth his ice, like morfels; who can ftand before his cold? he fendeth out his word, and melteth them; he caufeth h.s wind to blow, and the waters flow. Pfalm cxlvii. 8, 9, 14-18. What fo variable and uncertain, humanly speaking, as the weather? And yet, we fee, all its modes and changes are adjufted and determined, from moment to moment, by divine impreffion: i. e. by a neceffity, refulting from the will and providence of the fupreme Firft Caufe. Fire, and hail; fnow, and vapour; ftormy wind, fulfilling his word! Pfalm cxlviii. 8.

Neither is material nature alone thus" bound faft in fate." All other things, the "human will" itfelf not excepted, are no lefs tightly bound, i. e, effectually influenced and determined. For,

The preparations of the heart, in man; and the anfwer of the tongue; are from the Lord. Prov. xvi. 1. That is, men can neither think, nor fpeak; they can neither refolve, nor a&t, independently of providence.

The Lord hath made all things, for himfelf; for the manifeftation of his own glory, and for the accompliment of his own defigns: even the wicked, for the day of evil. Prov. xvi. 4. If fo, he has endued none of his creatures with a felf-determining power, which might iffue in counteracting and d'efeating the purposes of his infinite wifdom.

*See Pope's Univerfal Prayer.

A man's

A man's heart devifeth his way: but the Lord directeth his fteps. Prov. xvi. 9. Yea, there are many devifes in a man's heart: nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Prov. xix. 21. The lot is caft into the lap: but the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. xvi.

33.

Even the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: and he turneth it, whitherfoever he will. Prov. xxi. 1. Odd fort of felf-determination, this!

Enemies and evil-minded men, are under the abfolute controul of God; nor can their enmity, or their wickedness, do a jot more hurt, than he gives leave. O Affyrian, the rod of my anger. Ifai. x. 5. Thou art my battle-axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I deftroy kingdoms. Jer. li. zo. Very extraordinary declarations thefe, if men are selfdetermining agents! a felf-determining rod, for inftance: a felf-determining battle-axe; a felf-determining hammer! Arminianifm does that, which God, by the prophet, fatirizes in the following lively terms: Shall the axe boaft itself against him that heweth therewith? or fhall a faw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod fhould hake itself against them that lifted it up! or, as if a ftaff should lift up itself as though it were no wood! Ifai. x. 15.-What! is that noble freewiller, man, comparable to an axe, to a faw, to a rod, and to a ftick; not one of which can operate, or fo much as move, but in proportion as it is acted upon? This is worse than being likened to Mr. Wefley's clockwork! But who can help it?

The prophet goes on, elfewhere. The Lord of hofts hath fworn [i. e. hath folemnly and immutably decreed], faying, Surely, as I have thought, fo fhall it come to pafs: and as I have purpofed, fo fhall it ftand. This is the purpofe, which is purpofed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand

that

that is ftretched out upon all nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purpofed, and who fhall difannul it? And his hand is ftretched out, and who shall turn it back? Ifai. xv. 24, 26, 27. Grand and conclufive questions! Queftions, however, which lordly Arminianifm can folve in a moment.

Who

fhall difannul God's purpofe? Why, human freewill to be fure. Who fhall turn back God's hand? Human felf-determination can do it, with as much eafe as our breath can repel the down of a feather!

I form the light, and create darknefs: I make peace, and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. Ifai. xlv. 7.

Who is he that faith, and it cometh to pafs; when the Lord commandeth it not? Lam. iii. 37The highest angel cannot.

Wifdom and might are God's. He changeth the times and the feafons. He removeth kings, and fetteth up kings. He giveth wifdom to the wife, and knowledge to them that know understanding. Dan. ii. 20, 21.

Locufts, and other ravaging infects, cannot afflict a land, without a commiffion under the great feal of Providence. The locuft, the canker-worm, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm; my great army, which I fent among you. Joel ii. 25.

Shall there be evil in a city [viz. any calamitous accident, as it is commonly called], and the Lord hath not done it? Amos iii. 6.-Impoffible.

I caused it to rain upon one city, and caufed it not to rain upon another city.-I have fmitten you with blafting, and mildew.-I have fent among you the peftilence.Your young men have I flain with the fword. Amos iv. 7-10.

They [Paul and Timothy] were forbidden of the Holy Ghoft to preach the word in Afia. They effayed to go into Bithynia: but the fpirit fuffered them not. Acts xvi. 6, 7. Had felf-determination any thing to do here?

A certain