tion and providence, of a world or fyftem, be it ever fo large and complicated, and however many creatures, things and events, it may comprehend; and though it include innumerable existences and events, without any end. Such a plan is therefore formed and fixed upon by the divine decrees, which is of all other poffible plans the wifeft and the beft: For if it were otherwife, it would be fo far, difagreeable, defective, unwife, and wrong. The fcripture therefore afcribes wisdom to God in all his works, by which wife purpose and decrees are brought into effect. "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wifdom haft thou made them all."+ "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" + The decrees of God are unchangeable; they are fixed from eternity, and cannot be altered, in any degree, or with respect to any thing, event, or circumstance. "The counsel of the Lord ftandeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." "He is in one mind, and who can turn him ?". That the divine purpose is unalterable, is as evident and certain as that God is unchangeable; for alteration of God's defign or decree is a change in God: And this neceffarily supposes imperfection. And it is unspeakably undefirable and dreadful to fuppose, that the infinitely wife and good purpose and decree of God, as all his decrees are, fhould be capable of any poffible change or alteration; fo as to fail of the most exact and perfect execution. And the more ftable and fixed the infinitely wife decrees of God are, and the farther from all poffible change, the more agreeable, and the greater ground of joy, are they to every one who is a friend of wifdom. It may be farther observed, concerning the decrees of God, that they extend to every thing, and every event, + Pfalm, civ. 24. § Rom. xi. 31. though though ever fo fmall, compared with others, and every the most minute circumftance that takes place, or will exift to eternity. For every one of thefe are necessary parts of the most wife and perfect plan; otherwife they could have no exiftence in it. And if one of these had been left out of the divine plan, it would have been fo It is not to be fupfar lefs perfect, and really defective. pofed that of any two poffible exiftences, events, or cir cumftances of exiftence, there fhould be no difference in any relpect; fo that one could not be preferred to the other, by infinite wisdom, as better and more fuited to anfwer the end propofed, than the other; though we, or differfinite difcerning, may not be able to perceive any ence: Therefore infinite wifdom difcerns and fixés upon that which is preferable and best, in every inftance. No two propofed or poffible objects, events or circumftances, being perfectly alike or equal in the view of omniscience, there is ground of choice and preference; fo that the divine determination refpecting the actual existence of all thefe, and their taking place in all refpe&s exa@aly as they do, or will, is, in every instance, moft wife and no thing, event, or circumftance, could be in any respect otherwife, confiftent with infinite wisdom. Jefus Chrift teaches us that God's providence and care extend to the fmalleft things, and moft minute circumftances, when he says to his difciples, "Are not five fparrows fold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God, or fhall fall on the ground, without your heavenly Father: But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." It may be of fome importance to obferve here, that there is a diftinction and difference between the decrees of God, and his foreknowledge, as the words are commonly used. Divine foreknowledge is God's foreseeing future existence and events, and knowing from eternity what would take place in all futurity, to eternity, or with out end proposed, this must be a defect of wisdom. There -fore infinite wisdom, difcerns, without a poffibility of mistake, what is the best end, most worthy to be set up sand pursued, and fixes on this end; and difcerns and determines the beft means by which this end fhall in the beft manner be answered. And this determination is the fame with the decrees of God, and involves or compre hends every thing that comes to pass, every event, great and fmall, with every circumftance, be it ever fo minute; and fixes them all; unerring wildom being exercised with respect to them all; fo that to make the leaft alteration in any thing, event, or circumftance, would render the whole plan lefs perfect and wife. "The work of God is perfect. Whatsoever God doth, it fhall be forLever: Nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it." That which is perfect is not capable of the leaft alteration, without being rendered imperfect and defective. This is true of the infinitely wife plan of the divine operations and all future events, which was formed by the eter -nal purpose and decrees of God.. If it be inquired, What that best, most important and desirable end can be, which must be proposed by infinite wisdom? The answer must be, that God himself, or that which refpects him, is the end of his decrees and works. When the divine plan of his operations was laid, there was nothing but God exifting, or to be fet up, or regarded as an end; and how can future existence be made an ultimate end, in propofing and causing it to exift? And when it does exift, it is infinitely defs confiderable and - refpectable than God; and as the duft in the balance; yea, as nothing, in comparison with Him. It would therefore be contrary to reafon, and therefore contrary to infinite wisdom, to make creatures or the creation, con'fidered as something diftinct from God, the object of fupreme respect in God's defigns and works, and not God himself, whose existence is infinitely greater, more import ant ant and excellent, and who is the fum of all being. Wisdom must have fupreme refpect to Him in every design, and in every operation, as the first and the laft, and all in all. Which is the fame as to fay, God makes himself his end in all his purposes and operations. For by him Divine revelation confirms this, in which God fpeaks of himself as the firft and the laft, the beginning and the ending, by which he represents himself as the first cause and supreme or last end of all things. And this is confirmed by the following paffages, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invifible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: All things were created by him, and for him." Agreeable to this it is faid, "The Lord hath made all things for himfelf."§ God makes himself his end in his decrees and works, in being pleased with the exercise and expreffion, exhibition and display of his own infinite perfection and excellence: And determining to do this in the best manner, and to the highest poffible degree, in his works of creation and providence. This exhibition, display or manifestation, is in divine revelation called the glory of God; and is there abundantly represented as the fupreme end of all God's defigns and works, which any one properly attentive to the Bible must have obferved: It is therefore thought needless to illuftrate this by a particular attention to those paffages of scripture by which it is evident. This exhibition and difplay of the divine perfections, neceffarily implies and involves, as effential to it, the communication of his own holiness and happiness to the greatest poffible degree, which confifts in effecting or producing the greatest poffible moral excellence and felicity in his creation, or by his works. This confifts in the highest, the greatest poffible good or happiness of creatures, H Rom. xi. 36. Col. i. 16. Prov. xvi. PART 1. creatures, whofe capacities, circumftances, and their number, and all other things, circumftances and events, are contrived and adapted in the best manner to answer this end. The moral excellence and perfection of God confifts in Lovs, or goodness, which has been proved in a former chapter. This infinite love of an infinite Being, is infinite felicity. This confifts in his infinite regard to himself as the fountain and fum of all being; and his pleafure and delight in himself, in his own infinite excellence and perfection; and in the highest poffible exercise, exhibition and display of his infinite fullness, perfection and glory. And his pleasure in the latter, fo as to make it the fupreme and ultimate end of all his works, neceffarily involves and supposes his pleasure and delight in the happiness of his creatures. If he be pleased with the greatest poffible exercife, communication, and exhibition of his goodness, he must be pleased with the happiness of creatures, and the greateft poffible happiness of the creation, because the former fo involves the latter that they cannot be separated; and may be confidered as one and the fame thing; and doubtlefs are but one in the view of the all comprehending mind; though we, whofe conceptions are so imperfect and partial, are apt to conceive of the glory of God, and the good of the creature, as two diftinct things, and different ends to be answered, in God's defigns and works.* Thus whatfoever comes to pafs from the beginning of time to eternity is foreordained, and fixed from eternity by the infinitely wife counfel and unchangeable purpofe of God. He being infinite in understanding, power, wif dom This point has been more particularly, and with greater care and exactness, considered and examined in the light of both reafon and revelation, by the late Prefident EDWARDS, than by any other author, in his Differiation concerning the End for which God created the World. The reader, who defires to fee this fubject more fully explained and explored, must be referred to that ingenious, elaborate performance. |