changeable love, his confolation is firm, his hope is lively, and his affurance is infallible. Then the believer may fay with the church, (Ifa. xii.) "O Lord, I will praife thee: though thou waft angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedft me. Behold, GOD is my falvation; I will truft and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my ftrength and my fong, he alfo is become my falvation."

;

Then may he fay, My enmity is flain; for I fee nothing in God but love and equity: my prefumption is checked; for juftice forbids it: my pride is fubdued; for all I have, or hope to have, is of fovereign grace: my impatience is controlled for the judge of the whole earth will do right. Juftice and judgment are the habitation of his throne; judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart fhall follow it. What plea can rebellion urge, in the face of love and equity? What room is left for defpair, but in the breaft of the wilful offender? And if a spiritual and rational delight be the portion of any, either in this or a future ftate, it must be derived from an apprehenfion of that character of the great Supreme which has been inculcated. This will ferve as the most fatisfactory clue to guide the foul out of every labyrinth, to extricate the paffions out of painful perplexities, and to avoid the most dangerous fnares. And, finally, by the falutary aid of fuch principles, moral science, fcriptural theology, and chriftian experience, delightfully harmonize,

and

and are confirmed, and made mutually useful to each other. By contemplating GOD in this light, the fublimeft philosopher and the most illiterate disciple of Jefus may be alike improved. And here we may fee, that a right knowledge of GOD includes a proper knowledge of ourselves; of our evil as well as of our good; of our prefent ftate and our future expectations.

ADDITIONAL

ADDITIONAL

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE 7.

It is an abyss never to be PERFECTLY FATHOMED.] The sentiment of this proposition is rather ambiguous. If by " per fectly fathomed" be meant, that some things relating to the origin of evil, some ends to be answered by its permission, some instances of its being over-ruled for good, &c. are not to be "fully comprehended" by a human mind; it may well be admitted for the same may be said of our own minds and faculties, yea of our bodies, of every animal that moves, of every plant that grows, and of every particle of matter that exists. But as there are some things relative to these objects, of which we have a clear idea, and to deny which would involve a plain contradiction, the proposition asserting the clear idea may be said to be "perfectly fathomed." Though no man has fathomed, or can hereafter fathom, all the seas in the world, and every part of them; this does not hinder but there are some parts which he may "perfectly fathom." In like manner, there are some propositions respecting sin, and its origin, of which we have a clear idea, even to certainty; for the denial of them would involve a contradiction. Now if many things in natural philosophy are ascertained to the utmost certainty, which appeared to the ancients "perfectly unfathomable;" what good reason can be assigned that moral science has attained its ne plus ultra? Or why conclude, that no additional evidence is attainable, respecting the contents of scripture, the divine dispensations, government or grace? Though a blade of grass, or a grain of sand, may have some unfathomable proper. ties, that is no good reason why all properties of matter, or laws of motion, should be so. How common has been the persuasion that the origin of water, and the cause of lightning were inexplicable? How many, after their most laborious investiga.

tions,

tions, have concluded that the true motion and uniform laws of the planetary system were not to be ascertained?

Highly as I venerate the character, and esteem the writings of Abp. LEIGHTON, I cannot approve of the spirit of the above remark, as it evidently tends to check the progress of moral science, and by a parity of reason all other branches of knowledge. It is no part of humility, to make our own attainments the standard beyond which another must not hope to succeed. This excellent man was very humble; but I apprehend this mode of stating the subject before us, is an evidence that he was not perfectly so, any more than his brethren. He, who would consistently advance the sentiment, that the clear knowledge of a thing is not attainable, ought to have it in his power to shew that such attainment implies a contradictory idea. But who ever attempted to shew that a clear idea of the origin of evil is of that kind? The proposition which asserts the discovery of a perpetual motion deserves no credit, and it may fairly be pronounced unattainable. But why? Not because many ingenious men have failed in the attempt, but because the proposition which asserts it involves a contradictory idea, according to the existing laws of nature. Therefore to advise a mistaken friend to desist from his painful ingenuity, is the part of wisdom and kindness.

All will admit, that self-knowledge is attainable, in some degree, and that it is a part of true wisdom to improve it. Now what part of this knowledge is more important, than that of our good and evil? And has it not been ever considered that the most excellent kind of knowledge is an acquaintance with, or a clear notion of effects, in their causes? What is philosophy without this? A thousand phenomena are observed by the young child and the hoary philosopher, with an equal perfection of sense; in what then has the latter any preeminence above the former, if it be not in knowing the causes and the uses of these effects? To know the source of our good, it is plain, is essential to true religion; and can it be uninteresting or useless to know whether our evil be from ourselves or from some other origin? Is it a speculative nicety, inapplicable to moral and religious uses, to ascertain by clear ideas, and demonstrative considerations, whether we are impelled to evil by our Maker, or whether it springs within ourselves without his causation?

causation? And if from ourselves, who will undertake to shew that a clear, a satisfactory, a demonstrative idea of this part of self-knowledge is unattainable, or will venture to assign any good reason why it must be so? What does not involve a contradiction is not impossible, and what is not impossible is possible; but if the knowledge of a thing be possible, it is attainable, and if attainable, who has a right to say to his brother, that he has no right to attempt the attainment of a thing confessed to be attainable ?

I know not how better to conclude this note, than in the following words of Dr. WATTS: "Let the hope of new discoveries, as well as the satisfaction and pleasure of known truths, animate your daily industry. Do not think that learning in general is arrived at its perfection, or that the knowledge of any particular subject in any science cannot be improved, merely because it has lain five hundred or a thousand years without improvement.-Nor should a student in divinity imagine that our age is arrived at a full understanding of every thing which can be known by the scriptures.-Since there are at present many difficulties and darknesses hanging about certain truths of the christian religion, and since several of these relate to important doctrines, such as the origin of sin, the fall of Adam, the person of Christ, the blessed Trinity, and the decrees of GOD, &c. which do still embarrass the minds of honest and enquiring readers, and which make work for noisy controversy; it is certain there are several things in the bible yet unknown and not sufficiently explained; and it is certain that there is some way to solve these difficulties, and to reconcile these seeming contradictions. And why may not a sincere searcher of truth in the present age, by labour, diligence, study and prayer, with the best use of his reasoning powers, find out the proper solution of those knots and perplexities which hitherto have been unsolved, and which have afforded matter of angry quarelling?-Happy is every man who shall be favoured of heaven to give a helping hand towards that introduction of the blessed age of light and love."- Improvement of the Mind, Chap. I. § 7.

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To FORESEE and to FOREAPPOINT, in God is only one and the same thing] This language of SAURIN shews plainly, that