been foretold by prophets in different and distant ages, if they had not been previously fixed in the pm'poses of God ? Had there been any thing left to chance, some of these prophecies must have failed : but not even the mmutest circumstance that has been predicted has ever failed : and tliis proves that God foresaw every thing that should ever come to pass ; and that he foresaw it, not as probable, but as certain, and therefore certain, because he had ordained it. This is true respecting the vilest iniquities of men, no less than then* greatest virtues. The whole treatment which our blessed Lord should meet with, was foreseen, and fore-ordained ; though the agents were perfectly free in their actions, and were as much accountable to God as if nothing had been foreseen or fore-ordained *-'. Nor is it only unwittingly that men have accomplished the divine piu'poses, but against their will : for Joseph's brethren were bent upon defeating the divme purposes, and yet actually accomplished them by the very means which they used to defeat them*^. There does indeed appear on some occasions a change of the divine purpose, as in the sparing of Nmeveh, and in the prolonging of Hezekiah's life : but these were not changes in the di^dne purpose, but changes in the divine dis- pensations, agreeably to the purpose wloich had been previously formed in the mind of God.
If this doctrine were not true, God would not be a perfect Being. If any thing were left unfixed in the divine counsels, God could not be omniscient, but would become wiser by the events of every successive day. But can any one doubt whether God be omniscient or not ? Surely, as St. James declares, " Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world ^." To deny that God possesses the attribute of fore- knowledge would be downright atheism: and to separate this attribute from his pre-ordination appears to me inconsistent and impracticable : nor do they who take refuge in this dis- tinction fuid themselves at all better able to reconcile their doctrine with the freedom of man's will, and his responsibility for his conduct, than those who consider every thing as fore- ordained : and if they get rid of some difficulties, they involve themselves in more and greater than they avoid. In truth the language of Scripture is so strong respecting the divine decrees, that it is not possible to explain away many passages which relate to them^. We acknowledge that the subject is deep, and far beyond the comprehension of man : we wovdd there- fore never speak of it but with the deepest reverence ; nor ever without reminding our hearers, that it is with the divine com- mands, and not the divine decrees, that they have to do : it is
<^ Acts ii. 23. ^ Gen. xlv. 5. and 1. 20. « Acts xv. 18.
f Isai. xlvi. 9—11. Eph. 1. 4, 5, 9, 11. and iii. 9, 11.