THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



of the knowledge we have acquired of the differ 

 ent regions of our globe, but of imparting to 

 miUions of mankind incalculable blessings, which 

 will descend to their posterity to the latest gene 

 rations. 



Hence it appears, that, in our present circum 

 stances, we are altogether incompetent to form a 

 correct judgment of what is just or unjust in the 

 present dispensations of the Almighty, unless we 

 could survey, with the eye of a seraph, the 

 ample plan of the divine government, the whole 

 chain of God s dispensations towards our race, 

 the numerous worlds and beings over which his 

 moral government extends, the relation which 

 the events now passing among us bear to other 

 moral intelligences, either as subjects of con 

 templation, as warnings of the danger of apos- 

 tacy from God, or as motives to universal 

 subjection and obedience, and the connexions, 

 bearings, and dependencies of the whole of that 

 moral system which embraces unnumbered 

 worlds, and constitutes one grand and boundless 

 empire, under the government of the Creator. 

 Even then, with the eye and the mind of a finite 

 intelligence, we should occasionally meet with 

 events which would surpass our comprehension, 

 and be altogether inexplicable, on the grounds of 

 the knowledge we had previously acquired, and 

 should still be constrained to exclaim, &quot; O the 

 depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the 

 knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are his 

 judgments, and his ways past finding out !&quot; 



But although &quot; clouds and darkness&quot; at pre 

 sent hang over the ways of the Almighty, so 

 that we cannot, in every instance, perceive the 

 rectitude of his procedure, we may rest satisfied 

 that &quot; justice and judgment are for ever the 

 foundation of his throne ;&quot; and we are assured, 

 by the Sacred Oracles, that a period is approach 

 ing, when the mystery of Providence will be un 

 folded, and when all its dark and perplexing 

 events, in reference to this world, will be ex 

 plained to the full conviction of all its assembled 

 inhabitants. For &quot; God hath appointed a day 

 in which he will judge the world ire righteousness 

 by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he 

 hath given assurance unto all men, in that he 

 hath raised him from the dead.&quot; Then &quot; the 

 secrets of all hearts&quot; shall be disclosed, and 

 every man rewarded &quot; according to his works ;&quot; 

 for, &quot; God shall bring every work into judgment, 

 with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 

 whether it be evil.&quot; Then it will be clearly 

 perceived, that &quot; verily there is a reward for the 

 righteous, and that there is a God that judgeth in 

 the earth.&quot; Then the rectitude of Jehovah, in 

 every part of his moral administration, will 

 shine forth in all its lustre ; a visible and ever 

 lasting distinction will be made between the 

 righteous and the wicked, and the whole intelli 

 gent creation will plainly discern between &quot; him 

 that served God, and him that served him not.&quot; 



In the mean time, God has not left I xself 

 without a witness to the impartiality of l-u jus 

 tice in his allotments towards men, in that h* has 

 invariably connected ryisery with the violation of 

 his laws, and happiness with the observance of 

 them. However different the allotments of 

 mankind may be, in regard to wealth, honour, or 

 station, it holds invariably true, that &quot; the? is 

 no peace,&quot; or substantial happiness, &quot; to .he 

 wicked;&quot; and that &quot;the man is blesstd who 

 fears the Lord, and delights in his command 

 ments.&quot;* Place a man on the highest pinnacle 

 of earthly grandeur, and let him indulge in 

 schemes of ambition, avarice, pride, revenge, 

 cruelty, and other violations of the divine law, 

 and he may as soon attempt to stop the sun in 

 his course, as to expect substantial enjoyment 

 while he continues in the indulgence of such ma 

 levolent passions. Place another in the most 

 obscure abode of human life, and let him exercise 

 piety, benevolence, humility, and every other 

 Christian temper ; and he will enjoy a peace, an 

 equanimity, and a portion of happiness, which 

 the wicked can never possess, and which the 

 wealth of the world can neither give nor take 

 away. Hence it is, that we behold so many in 

 stances of disgust at life, and of self-destruction, 

 among those who are elevated to stations of pow 

 er, and surrounded with every kind of sensitive 

 enjoyment. This consideration, of itself, should 

 silence every murmur that is apt to arise at the 

 dispensations of God s providence, and convince 

 us that &quot; he is righteous in all his ways, and 

 holy in all his works.&quot; 



On the whole, then, it appears, that thejustice 

 of God has a tendency to inspire us with confi 

 dence, and love, and joy, no less than his mercy 

 and benevolence. \Vere it not for this perfection 

 of the divine character, omnipotence might be 

 come a most terrific and tremendous attribute of 

 the Deity. We should have no motive but that 

 of fear to stimulate us to obedience ; we should 

 feel no security against danger, and distress, and 

 the perpetual recurrence of spectacles of ven 

 geance, and, in the course of ages, the spacious 

 universe might be transformed into an immense 

 region of&quot; lamentation, and mourning, and wo.&quot; 

 Were it not for this perfection, the benevolence 

 of the Deity would degenerate into weakness and 

 imbecility. Wicked men, and other depraved 

 intelligences, presuming on freedom from impu 

 nity, and their diabolical passions acquiring 

 strength and vigour, by long exercise, would carry 

 misery and destruction in their train, wherever 

 they exerted their energies ; and would interrupt, 

 and ultimately destroy the harmony and felicity 

 of the intelligent universe. But, while we re 

 cognize the rectitude of the divine character as 

 an immutable attribute of Deity, we can ook 

 forward with confidence through all the revolu- 



Psal. cxiL 1. 



