jected to the beck of a contemptible harlot, or even of an imperious wife; will it not be, in like manner, disgraceful for you, who exercise dominion over the beasts that are without you, to be subject to a great many, and those of the worst sort, that roar and domineer in your distempered mind *?” I shall, last of all, here subjoin what some of the ancients have observed, viz., " that the nature of the human soul, as it lies hid out of sight, and is to us quite unknown, bears an evident resemblance to that of God, who is Himself unsearchable and past finding out +. "But when we have well considered all these things, and the many other thoughts of this kind that may occur, may we not cry out, How surprising and shocking is the madness and folly of mankind; the far greater part whereof, as if they had quite forgot their original and native dignity, disparage themselves so far, as to pursue the meanest objects, and shamefully plunge themselves in mud." The words of Epictetus are divine, and have a wonderful savour of piety: "You go to the city of Olympia," says he, "to see some of the works of Phidias; but you have no ambition to convene, in order to understand and look at those works which may be seen without travelling at all. Will you never understand what you are, nor why you were brought into the world; nor, finally, what that is which you have now. an opportunity to view and contemplate?" And in another place," For, if we were wise, what have we else to do, both in public and in private, but to praise and celebrate the Deity, and to return our thanks to him? Ought we not, while we sing to God this hymn? are digging, plowing, and eating, to * Θεῶ οὖν ὅμοιος ἔση δια τῆς χρηστότητος, δια τὴς ἀνεξικακίας. δια κοι, νωνίας, μισοπονηρός ὢν καὶ κατάκρατῶν τῶν πάθων τῶν ἐνδον, ἄρχε θηρίων. τὶ οὖν ἐρεῖς, ἔγω θήρια ἔχω ἐν ἱμαυτῳ; καὶ μυρία πολὺν ὄχλον ἐν σοὶ θηρίων ἔχεις, καὶ μὴ ύβουν νόμισας εἶναί τό λεγόμεννον. Πόσον θηρίον εστίν ὁ θύμος ὅταν ὑλακτῆ τῆ καρδία, &c. + Κατ' εἰκόνα τυπικήν τοῦ ἀνωνύμου, καὶ ἀγνωριστοῦ Θεοῦ. * Εις ὀλυμπίαν μὲν ἀποδημεῖτε, ἂν εἰδῆτε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ φειδιοῦ ----ὅτου δε οὐδ ἀποδημῆσαι χρέια ἔστιν ταυτα δε θεάσασθαι καὶ κατανοῆσαι οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσετε οὐκ αἰσθήσεσθε τοίνυν οὔτε τίνες ἐστέ, οὐτέ ἐπί τί γεγόνατε, οὔτ ̓ ἐπί τί τοῦτο ἐστίν ἐφ ̓ ὁ τον θέαν παρειλήφατες Arr. lib. i. cap. 6. Great is the Lord, who has provided us with these necessaries of life," &c. As for you, young gentlemen, I would have you to be sensible of the honour and dignity of your original state; and to be deeply impressed with the indignity and disgrace of your nature, now fallen and vitiated. And dwell particularly upon the contemplation of it. Suffer not the great honour and dignity of the human race, which is, to know the Eternal and invisible God, to acknowledge Him, love Him, and worship Him, to decay and die away within you. This, alas! is the way of the far greater part of the world; but do you live in continual remembrance of your original, and assert your claim to Heaven, as being originally from it, and soon to return to it again. THE doctrines we have been handling, are the great supports of faith, piety, and the whole of religion: wherefore, it is most just, that the zeal and care of the scholars should concur with that of their teachers, to have them well secured in the mind and affections; for, "a weak foundation," weak foundation," as the lawyers observe, "is the ruin of the work+." There are two principal pillars, and, as it were, the Jachin and Boaz of the living temples of God, which the Apostle to the Hebrews lays down in these words: He that cometh to God (under which expression are comprehended every devout affection and every act of religious worship) must believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Heb. xi. 6. That God is, implies not only that He is eternal and self * Ει γαρ νοῦν ἔιχομεν, ἀλλὸ τὶ ἔδει ὑμᾶς ποιεῖν καὶ κοινῆ καὶ ἰδία ἡ ὑμνεῖν τὸ θεοῖν καὶ εὐφημεῖν καὶ ἐπεξέρχεσθαι τὰς χάριτας; οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σκάπτοντας καὶ ἀροῦντας καὶ ἐπσίοντας ἄδειν, μέγας ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἡμῖν πάρεχεν ὄργανα ταυτα. Ibid. cap. 16. + Debile enim fundamentum fallit opus. existent, but also, that He is, to all other beings, the spring and fountain of what they are, and what they have; and consequently, that He is the wise and powerful Creator of angels and men, and even of the whole universe. This is the first particular, that God is. The second, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, ascertains the providence and government of God, exemplified in its most eminent effect, with regard to mankind. For providence extends further than this, and comprehends in it a constant preservation and support of all things visible and invisible, whether in heaven or earth, and the sovereign government and disposal of them. Mechanics, when they have completed houses, ships, and other works they have been engaged in, leave them to take their fate in the world, and, for the most part, give themselves no further trouble about the accidents that may befal them. But the supreme Architect and wise Creator never forsakes the work of his hands, but keeps his arms continually about it, to preserve it; sits at the helm to rule and govern it; is Himself in every part of it, and fills the whole with His presence. So great a fabric could not possibly stand without some guardian and ruler; nor can this be any other than the Creator Himself. For who can pay a greater regard to it, support it more effectually, or govern it with greater wisdom, than He who made it? "Nothing can be more perfect than God; therefore, it is necessary the world should be governed by him," says Cicero. And, "they who take away providence, though they acknowledge God in words, in fact deny him*." If we believe that all things were produced out of nothing, the consequence is, that, by the same powerful Hand that created them, they must be preserved and supported, to keep them from falling back into their primitive nothingness. It must be also owned, that by the same powerful Hand, the regular motions of the stars, the contexture of the elementary world, * Nihil Deo præstantius, ab eo igitur regi necesse est. Qui providentiam negant, verbis licet Deum ponunt, reipsa tollunt. the various kinds of creatures, and the uninterrupted succession of their generations, are continued and preserved. Nor is Divine providence to be confined within the heavens, or, in the lower world, restrained to the care of generals, in opposition to individuals; although the Peripatetic school inclined too much to this opinion, and, even the master of that school, Aristotle himself, in his often quoted book, if it really be his, De Mundo. For, that providence extends to all things in this lower globe, from the highest to the lowest, and comprehends within its sphere particular as well as general things, the least as well as the greatest, is confirmed, not only by the doctrine of the sacred Scripture, but also by the testimony of all sound philosophy. Therefore, in maintaining the doctrine of Providence, we affirm, 1st, That the Eternal Mind has an absolute and perfect knowledge of all things in general, and every single one in particular. Nor does He see only those that are actually present, as they appear in their order upon the stage of the world, but, at one view, comprehends all that are past, as well as that are to come, as if they were actually present before him*. This, the ancient philosopher Thales is said to have asserted expressly, even with regard to the hidden motions and most secret thoughts of the human mind: for, being asked, "If any one, that does evil, can conceal it from God?" he answered, "No, not even his evil thoughts†.” Nothing is left unprovided for," says St. Basil," nothing is overlooked by God: His watchful eye sees all things, He is present every where, to give salvation to all." Epictetus has also the same divine thoughts upon this subject §. 66 And here, were any one to reflect seriously on the vast number of affairs that are constantly in agitation in one province, or even in one city, the many political schemes and projects, the multiplicity of law matters, the still greater number of family * Τατ ̓ ἔοντα τατ ̓ ἐσσόμενα προτ ̓ ἔοντα. † Ει Θεὸν τὶς λάθοι κακὸν τί πράσσων ; ἀλλ οὐδὲ διανούμενος. * Οὐδὲν ἀπρονόητον, οὐδὲν ἠμελημένον παρὰ Θεῷ ταυτα σκοπέυει ὁ ἀκοίμητος ἔφθαλμος πᾶσι πάρει, σκορπίζων έκαστα την σωταριάν, § Arr. lib. i. cap. 12. affairs, and all the particulars comprehended under so many general heads, he would be amazed and overpowered with the thoughts of a knowledge so incomprehensibly extensive. This was the very thought which excited the divine Psalmist's admi ration, and made him cry out with wonder and astonishment, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain unto it. Psal. cxxxix. 6. 2dly, He not only knows all things, and takes notice of them, but He also rules and governs them. He hath done whatever he pleased in the heavens and the earth, says the Psalmist, Psal. cxxxv. 6. And, He worketh all things, says the Apostle, according to the council of His own will. Eph. i, 11. He does all things according to His pleasure, but that pleasure is influenced by His reason; all things absolutely, but yet all things with the greatest justice, sanctity, and prudence. He views and governs the actions of man in a particular manner: He hath given him a law; He hath proposed rewards, annexed punishments to enforce it, and engage man's obedience. And having discovered, as it were, an extraordinary concern about him, when He made him, (as we have observed upon the words, Let us make man,) in like manner, He still continues to maintain an uncommon good-will towards him, and, so to speak, an anxious concern about him. So that one of the ancients most justly called man, "God's favourite creature." And he spoke much to the purpose, who said, "God is neither a lover of horses, nor of birds, but of mankind *." With regard to the justice of the supreme government of Providence, we meet with a great deal, even in the ancient poets. "O father Jove,” says Eschylus, "thou reignest in heaven, thou takest notice of the rash and wicked actions of gods and men. Thy care even extends to the wild beasts; thou observest the wrongs done them, and securest their privileges t." * Ο Θεός οὐ Φίλιππος, οὔδε Φιλορνις ἀλλὰ φιλάνθρωπος, †· Ω Ζευ πάτες, Ζεῦ, σόν μεν οὐρανοῦ κράτος, Συ δ' έργ' επουρανίων καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὁρᾶς Λεωργά κάθεμιστα. Σοι καὶ θηρίων Ύβρις τέ καὶ δίκη μέλει |