and to harden in like manner the hearts of all whom he is pleased thus to give up to the unrestrained indulgence of their own lusts e.
Above all, in the crucifixion of our blessed Lord, where shall we find human depravity so active and so combined as in that tremendous scene ? And can we trace any part of that to Almighty God? Yes, the whole of it: for St. Peter says, that " Jesus was delivered up to his murderers by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of Godf; and that " Herod and Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel that were gathered together against him," in all that they perpetrated, " did only what God's hand and God's counsel had determined before to be dones."
What, then, must not be traced to God, if we are taught to refer to him such transactions as these ?]
2. Political—
[By political evil, I mean such as arises, whether to na- tions or individuals, in the common course of human events.
The defection of the ten tribes from Rehoboam may well be considered as originating in the tyranny of that weak monarch, and in his following the infatuated counsels of the young men, rather than the judicious counsels of the old. But God him- self declares, that it was altogether ordained of him, for the accomplishment of his own designs: "The cause, it is said, was of God, that the Lord might perform the word which he had spoken h." And when Rehoboam had raised an army of 180,000 men to reduce the ten tribes to subjection, one single word spoken by Shemaiah, a man of God, to Rehoboam and his army, saying, " Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren : return every man to his house : for this thing is done of me, saith the Lord," was sufficient for the satisfying and disbanding of the whole army: so universally was God's agency in human affairs acknowledged by them at that day1.
The captivity of Israel by the Assyrians might well be traced to the pride and ambition of the Assyrian monarch ; as the captivity of Judah by the Chaldeans might also to the resent- ment and cupidity of the Babylonish monarch: but both the one and the other are traced to God himself, as stirring up the ene- mies of his people to execute upon them his sovereign will. Respecting the former, it is said, " The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath- pileser king of Assyria, to carry them awayV And respect- ing the latter, it is said, " The Lord sent against Jehoiakim
e Exod. iv. 21. and vii. 13. and ix. 16. with Rom. ix. 17, 18. f Acts ii. 23. e Acts iv. 27, 28. •» 2 Chron. x. 15.
i 2 Chron. xi. 3, 4. " 1 Chron. v. 26.