well known; and with him agrees the tragic poet Euripides. "O Jupiter," says he, "why are we, wretched mortals, called wise? For we depend entirely upon thee, and we do whatever thou intendest we should."†

And it would be easy to bring together a vast collection of such sayings, but these are sufficient for our present purpose.

They always seemed to me to act a very ridiculous part, who contend, that the effect of the Divine decree is absolutely irreconcileable with human liberty; because the natural and necessary liberty of a rational creature is to act or choose from a rational motive, or spontaneously, and of purpose. § But who sees not, that, on the supposition of the most absolute decree, this liberty is not taken away, but rather established and confirmed? For the decree is, that such an one shall make choice of, or do some particular thing freely. And whoever pretends to deny, that whatever is done or chosen, whether good or indifferent, is so done or chosen, or, at least, may be so, espouses an absurdity. But, in a word, the great difficulty in all this dispute is that with regard to the origin of evil. Some distinguish, and justly, the substance of the action, as

2

* Τοιος γαρ νο( εςιν, &c.

† Ο Ζευ τι δητα της ταλαιπωρες,

Φρονειν λέγεσι ; Σε γαρ εξήπτήμεθα,

Δρωμεν τε τοιαυτ' αν συ τυγχανης θελων. ΙΚΕΤ. 1. 734.

‡ Avon/wc pugnare.

§ Το εκεσίον βελευτικών.

you call it, or that which is physical in the action, from the morality of it. This is of some weight, but whether it takes away the whole difficulty, I will not pretend to say. Believe me, young gentlemen, it is an abyss, it is an abyss never to be perfectly sounded by any plummet of human understanding. Should any one say, "I am not to be blamed, but Jove and Fate,"* he will not get off so, but may be nonplussed by turning his own wit against him. The servant of Zeno, the Stoic philosopher, being caught in an act of theft, either with a design to ridicule his master's doctrine, or to avail himself of it, in order to evade punishment, said, "It was my fate to be a thief." "and to be punished for it," said Zeno.† Wherefore, if you will take my advice, withdraw your minds from a curious search into this mystery, and turn them directly to the study of piety, and a due reverence to the awful majesty of God. Think and speak of God and his secrets with fear and trembling, but dispute very little about them; and, if you would not - undo yourselves, beware of disputing with him. If you transgress in any thing, blame yourselves; if you do any good, or repent of evil, offer thanks giving to God. This is what I earnestly recommend to you; in this I acquiesce myself; and to this, when much tossed and distressed with doubt and difficulties, I had recourse, as to a safe harbour. If any of you think proper, he may apply

* Ουκ εγω α ιτιος ειμι, αλλα Ζευς και Μοιρα.

† In fatis mihi, inquit, fuit furari. Et cædi, inquit Zeno.

to men of greater learning; but let him take care he meet not with such as have more frowardness and presumption.

LECTURE XI.

Of the CREATION of the WORLD.

WHOEVER looks upon this great system of the universe, of which he himself is but a very small part, with a little more than ordinary attention, unless his mind is become quite brutish within him, it will, of necessity, put him upon considering whence this beautiful frame of things proceeded, and what was its first original; or, in the words of the poet, "From what principles all the elements were formed, and how the various parts of the world at first came together."*

Now, as we have already observed in our dis-sertation concerning God, that the mind rises directly from the consideration of this visible world, to that of its invisible Creator; so from the contemplation of the first and infinite Mind, it de scends to this visible fabric; and, again, the cons} templation of this latter determines it to return"

Quibusque exordia primis

Omnia, et ipsa tener mundi concreverit orbis.

VIR. Ecl. vi.

with the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to that eternal Fountain of Goodness and of every thing that exists. Nor is this a vicious and faulty circle, but the constant course of a pious soul travelling, as it were, backwards and forwards from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth; a notion quite similar to that of the angels ascending and descending upon the ladder which Jacob saw in his vision. But this contemplation, by all means, requires a pure and divine temper of mind, according to the maxim of the philosopher: "He that would see God and goodness, must first be himself good, and like the Deity."* And those who have the eyes of their minds pure and bright, will sooner be able to read in those objects that are exposed to the outward eye, the great and evident characters of his eternal power and godhead.

We shall therefore now advance some thoughts upon the creation, which was the first and most stupendous of all the Divine works; and the rather, that some of the philosophers, who were, to be sure, positive in asserting the being of a God, did not acknowledge him to be the author or creator of the world. As for us, according to that of the Epistle to the Hebrews, "by faith we understand, that the worlds were framed by the word of God."+ Of this we have a distinct history in the first book of Moses, and of the Sacred Scriptures, which we

* Γενέσθω δε πρωτον θεοειδης πας και καλος ει μελλει θεασασθαι Θεον τε και καλον. Plot.

† Πίσει νοεμεν καθορισθαι τους αιώνας ρηματι Θε8. Cap. xi. 3.

receive as divine. And this same doctrine the prophets and apostles, and, together with them, all the sacred writers, frequently repeat in their sermons and writings, as the great foundation of faith, and of all true religion; for which reason, it ought to be diligently inculcated upon the minds of all, even those of the most ignorant, as far as they are able to conceive and believe it; though, to be sure, it contains in it so many mysteries, that they are sufficient not only to exercise the most acute and learned understandings, but even far exceed their capacities, and quite overpower them; which the Jewish doctors seen. to have been so sensible, or, if I may use the expression, so over sensible of, that they admitted not their disciples to look into the three first chapters of Genesis, till they arrived at the age required, in order to enter upon the priestly office.

Although the faith of this doctrine immediately depends upon the authority and testimony of the Supreme God of truth, for, as St. Ambrose expresses it, "To whom should I give greater credit concerning God, than to God himself?"* it is however so agreeable to reason, that if any one choose to enter into the dispute, he will find the strongest arguments presenting themselves in confirmation of the faith of it; but those on the opposite side, if any such there be that deserve the name, quite frivolous, and of no manner of force.

* Cui enim magis de Deo, quam Deo credam ?