are not general things made up of particulars, and great events of small ones? If a general thing has been determined, all the particulars of which it is made up, must have been determined also. If a great event has been decreed, all the little events upon which that great event depends, must have been decreed also. If one link in the chain should fail, the whole chain would fail as certainly as if every link was broken. The least particle of dust that floats upon the wind may be destined to enter the lungs of an emperor, and by his death to change the political face of the world. It is evident, then, that God has his purposes respecting every creature that he has made, and all their motions and actions, from the tallest seraph before his throne, to the mote that plays in the sunbeams, or the particle of dust that is driven by the winds.

SERMON II.

EPHESIANS I. 11.

Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

WE proceed with the evidence from scripture that God has decreed whatsoever comes to pass.

The

It is sometimes said that whatever else the scriptures may represent God as having decreed, they do not say that he has decreed sin. wicked actions of men certainly were not foreordained. To this, it may be answered, that some of the events mentioned in the passages already quoted were the wicked actions of men. For the kings of the earth "to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast," was a great sin; but God had decreed it, and "put in their hearts" to do so. Assyria, and Egypt, and Tyre were destroyed by the wicked actions of wicked men, fulfilling the decrees of God. But let us attend to what the scriptures further say. Luke 22. 22. "And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined." Mark 14. 21. "The Son of man indeed

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goeth as it is written of him." The circumstances attending the apprehension, condemnation and death of Christ depended upon the wills of men, and upon their wicked wills too; but they were all fore-determined, for he went exactly as it was determined." Acts 2. 23. "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Acts 4. 27, "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast annointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever" (observe, it is neither more nor less, but whatsoever,) "thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." The betraying, condemning, mocking, scourging, and crucifying the Lord of glory, was certainly great and aggravated wickedness; but it was all decreed. It was "determined' that he should go in this manner, being betrayed by Judas. It was God's "determinate counsel" that Herod and Pilate, the Gentiles and people of Israel, should do all this to him. But they did it with "wicked hands." It was impossible that they should do it with any other than wicked hands. The apostle speaks of some, 1st Peter 2. 8. "Which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed." They were appointed to stumble, appointed to be disobedient. God had also decreed the wicked

ness of the Egyptians in oppressing the Israelites, the wickedness of Pharaoh in refusing to let Israel go, the wickedness of Sihon in coming out to fight against Israel at Jahaz, the wickedness of Eli's sons in refusing to listen to their father's reproof, the wickedness of Absalom in raising a rebellion against his father, and in committing incest with his father's wives, the wickedness of the king of Assyria in distressing Hezekiah and Jerusalem, the wickedness of Nebuchadnezzar in destroying so many nations to gratify his ambition, and a multitude of other sins, which are foretold in the sacred volume. If he had not determined that these things should take place, he could not have foretold or foreknown that they would take place. When he foretold them, he

must have intended that his word should be accomplished, or that it should fail. We have no reason to believe he intended that his word should fail. When he directed the prophet to say that these things should come to pass, he must have intended that they should come to pass. He intended that the event should accord with the prophecy, and not disagree with it. He intended that the prediction should prove true, and not that it should prove false. God has also decreed the eternal state of angels and men. We read of "elect angels," and Jude 6, of those who are "reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." Of men, God

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has appointed some to be "vessels of mercy, and some to be vessels of wrath," "some to honor, and some to dishonor." The scripture says, Acts 13. 48. 'As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Observe, it is not said, as many as believed were ordained to eternal life, as if believing was first, and in order to election, as the cause of it, according to the opinion of some, but the contrary. Election was unto obedience. They were elected to obey. They believed because they were ordained to believe and be saved. Peter says, 1 Peter 1. 2. "Elect, according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Election was unto obedience, not obedience unto election. And Paul says, Eph. 1. 4. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy." Not because they were holy, or it was foreseen they would be holy, but that they might be. And the assertion is express, "he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world." He elected them from eternity. Our Lord says, Mat. 11. 25, 26. "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." These things were revealed to some, that they might be saved, and hidden from ethers, that they