146 



THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



because he takes a view of some dogmas in 

 theology, in a different light from what he himself 

 does ; for he considers the difference of habits, 

 studies, pursuits, and educational prejudices 

 which must have influenced his opinions ; and 

 makes due allowance for the range of thought to 

 which he may have been accustomed. He is 

 always disposed to attribute the actions of others 

 to good motives, when he has no proof of the 

 contrary. He uses no threats nor physical force 

 to support his opinions, or to convince gainsay- 

 ers; for he knows that no external coercion can 

 illuminate the mind, and that the strength of ar 

 guments, and the force of truth, can alone pro 

 duce conviction. He is convinced how igno 

 rant he is, notwithstanding all his study, obser 

 vations, and researches ; and presses forward, as 

 long as he lives, to higher degrees of knowledge 

 and of moral improvement. 



He is an active promoter of every scheme 

 that tends to enlighten and meliorate mankind, 

 and to extend the knowledge of salvation tq the 

 ends of the earth ; for he considers that it is not 

 by miracles, but by the subordinate agency of in 

 telligent beings, that God will effectuate the illu 

 mination and the moral renovation of our apos 

 tate race. He views the special agency of God 

 in all the movements of the scientific, the reli 

 gious, and the political world, and perceives Him 

 accomplishing his purpose in the inventions of 

 human genius, and in the economy of the minutest 

 insect, as well as in the earthquake, the storm, 

 and the convulsions of nations ; for he considers 

 the smallest atom, and the hosts of heaven, as 

 equally directed by eternal wisdom, and equally 

 necessary in the universal chain of creatures and 

 events. He displays a becoming modesty in 

 speaking of the ways and the works of God. 

 When he meets with any dark and afflictive dis 

 pensation in the course of Providence, he does 

 not fret and repine, but is calm and resigned, 

 conscious that he perceives only a small portion 

 of the chain of God s dispensations, and is, there 

 fore, unable to form a just comparison of the 

 connexion of any one part with the whole. 

 When he contemplates the depraved and wretch 

 ed condition of the greater part of the world, at 

 present, and for thousands of years past, not 

 withstanding the salvation which has been 

 achieved for sinners of mankind, he is far from 

 arraigning the divine goodness and rectitude, in 

 leaving so many nations &quot; to walk in their own 

 ways ;&quot; for he knows not what relation this dis 

 mal scene may bear, what influence it may have, 

 or what important impressions it may produce, 

 on worlds and beings with which we are at pre 

 sent unacquainted. 



He is cautious in pronouncing decisively re 

 specting the dispensations of God, in regard to 

 the universe at large. He does not, for example, 

 assert, with the utmost confidence, as some have 

 done, &quot; that there never was, and never will be, 



to all the ages of eternity, such a bright display 

 of the divine glory as in the cross of Christ.&quot; 

 He admires and adores the condescension and 

 the love of God, in the plan of salvation, which 

 the gospel exhibits, and feels an interest in it far 

 beyond that of any other special manifestation of 

 Deity ; but he dares not set limits to the divine 

 attributes and operations. He considers himself 

 at present, with regard to the grand system of 

 the universe, in a situation similar to that of a 

 small insect on one of the stones of a magnificent 

 edifice, which sees only a few hair-breadths 

 around it, and is altogether incapable of survey 

 ing the symmetry, the order, and beauty of the 

 structure, and of forming an adequate conception 

 of the whole. He considers that he has never 

 yet surveyed the millionth part of Jehovah s 

 empire, and therefore, cannot tell what the eter 

 nal Sovereign has been pleased to exhibit in its 

 numerous provinces ; and, least of all, can he 

 ever presume to dive into the depths of intermi 

 nable ages, and boldly declare what the Almighty 

 will, or will not do, through eternity to come. 

 He, therefore views it as presumption, while he 

 has no dictate of revelation for his warrant, to 

 pronounce decisively, either on the one side or 

 the other, of such a deep and important question, 

 which seems above the reach of the loftiest se 

 raph to determine.* In short, he endeavours to 

 take a view of all the manifestations of Deity 

 within his reach, from every source of infor 

 mation which lies before him, and as far as his 

 limited faculties will permit. He does not call in 

 question the discoveries of science, because they 

 bring to his ears most astonishing reports of the 

 wisdom and omnipotence of Jehovah, and of the 

 boundless extent of his kingdom ; but rejoices to 

 learn, that the grandeur of his dominions is ac 

 tually found to correspond with the lofty descrip 

 tions of divine majesty and glory recorded in 

 the volume of inspiration, and is thereby inspi 

 red with nobler hopes of the glory and felicity of 

 that heavenly world where he expects to spend 

 an endless existence. 



If, then, such be some of the features in the 

 character of the enlightened Christian ; if libe 

 rality and candour, and accurate investigation, 

 mark the judgments he pronounces on the senti 

 ments and the actions of men, and on the works 

 and the ways of God; and if such views and 

 feelings ought to be considered as more conge 

 nial to the noble and benevolent spirit of our 

 religion, than the narrow and distorted notions 

 of a contracted mind, it must be an object much 

 to be desired, that the mass of the Christian world 

 be led into such strains of thought, as might im 

 bue their minds with a larger proportion of this 

 spirit. And, if diversified and occasional dis 

 cussions on the topics to which we have adverted 

 would have a tendency to produce this desirable 



See Appendix, No. X. 



