events embraced in the purpose of God are eqiially certain, whether He has determined to bring them to pass by his own power, or simply to permit their occurrence through the agency of his crea- tures. It was no less certain fi-om eternity that Satan would tempt our first parents, and that they would fall, than that God would send his Son to die for sinners. The distinction in question has reference only to the relation which events bear to the efficiency of God. Some things He purposes to do, others He decrees to permit to be done. He effects good, He permits evil. He is the author of the one, but not of the other. With this explanation, the proposition that the decrees of God are certainly efficacious, or render certain all events to which they refer, stands good. This is proved, —
1. From the perfection of God, which forbids the ascription to Him of purposes uncertain as to their accomplishment. No man fails to execute what he purposes, except through the want of wis- dom or power to secure the end proposed, or through some vacilla- tion in his own mind. It would be to reduce God to the level of his creatures, to assume that what He decrees, should fail to come to pass.
2. From the unity of God's plan. If that plan comprehends all events, all events stand in mutual relation and dependence. If one part fails, the whole may fail or be thi'own into confusion.
3. From the evident concatenation of events in the progress of history, which proves that all things are intimately connected, the most important events often depending on the most trivial, which shows that all must be comprehended in the plan of God.
4. From the providential and moral government of God. There could be no certainty in either if the decrees of God were not efficacious. There could be no assurance that any divine prophecy, promise, or threatening, would be accomplished. All ground of confidence in God would thus be lost, and chance and not God would become the arbiter of all events. The Scriptures vari- ously and constantly teach this doctrine, (a.) By all those pas- sages which assert the immutability and sovereignty of the di- vine decrees. (5.) By those which affirm that He fixes the bounds of our habitations, that our days are all numbered, and that even a hair from our heads cannot perish without his notice, (e.) By those which declare that nothing can counteract his de- signs. " The Lord of hosts," says the prophet, " hath purposed, who shall disannul it ? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back." (Is. xiv. 27.) " I will work, and who shall
642 PART I. — THEOLOGY. [Ch. IX. — The Decrees.
let it ? " (xlili. 13.) (c?.) By those which teach doctrines that necessarily assume the certainty of all God's decrees. The whole plan of redemption rests on that foundation. It is inconceivable that God should devise such a scheme, and not secure its execution, and that He should send his Son into the world, and leave the consequences of that infinite condescension undetermined. It is, therefore, the doctrine of reason as well as of Scripture, that God has a plan or end for which the universe was created, that the execution of that plan is not left contingent, and that whatever is embraced in the decrees of God must certainly come to pass.
G. The Decrees of God relate to all Events. God foreordains whatsoever comes to pass. Some events are necessary, that is, are brought about by the action of necessary causes ; others are contingent or free, or are acts of free agents ; some are morally good, others are sinful. The doctrine of the Bible is, that all events, whether necessary or contingent, good or sinful, are included in the purpose of God, and that their futuri- tion or actual occurrence is rendered absolutely certain. This ia evident, —
1. From the unity of the divine purposes. That unity suppose.-* that the whole scheme of creation, providence, and redemption^ was fixed by the divine decree. It was formed from ages in the divine mind, and is gradually unfolded by the course of events. It is therefore inconsistent with this sublime and Scriptural repre- sentation, to suppose that any class of actual events, and especially that class which is most influential and important, should be omit- ted from the divine purpose. He who purposes a machine, pur- poses all its parts. The general who plans a campaign, includes all the movements of every corps, division, and brigade in his army, and if his foresight were perfect, and his control of events absolute, his foreordination would extend to every act of every soldier. Whatever is wanting in his foreordination is due to the limitation of human power. As God is infinite in knowledge and resources, his purpose must include all events.
2. It is therefore inconsistent with the perfection of God to sup- pose either that He could not form a plan comprehending ah events, or that He could not carry it into execution, without doing violence to the nature of his creatures.
3. The universality of the decree follows from the universal do- minion of God. Whatever He does, He certainly purposed to do. Whatever He permits to occur, He certainly purposed to permits