this kind will be attempted here. It may, however, be observed, that this manner of subsistence in three persons, though incomprehensible to us, may be essential to the infinitely perfect Being, and that otherwise he would not be absolutely perfect, all-sufficient, and infinitely blessed. Have we not reason to conclude that this distinction of three in one is that in which the most perfect and happy society consists, in which love and friendship is exercised to the highest perfection, and with infinite enjoyment and felicity? and that the most perfect and happy society of creatures, united together forever in the kingdom of God, in the strongest, sweetest love and friendship, is an emanation from this infinite three one, as the fountain and pattern of all happy society and friendship, and the highest possible resemblance and imitation of it? This idea seems to be suggested, if not necessarily implied, in what Christ says in his prayer to the Father: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us. That they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

CHAPTER IV.

THE DECREES OF GOD.

HAVING Considered what God is, the next inquiry will be concerning the divine operations and works. And in these are included the decrees, which are first to be considered; as they are the foundation and origin of all his exertions and works, ab extra, in creation and providence; for God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Indeed, every thing which is properly an effect has its foundation in the purpose or decree of God, as its original cause, without which it could not have taken place. And every such effect is fixed and made sure of existence by the divine decree, and infallibly connected with it.

The Assembly of Divines, in their Shorter Catechism, have given a concise definition of the decrees of God, which is both rational, and agreeable to the Holy Scriptures, namely, "The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his own will, whereby for his own glory he hath

foreordained whatsoever comes to pass." And, in their Confession of Faith, in words a little different,-"God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass."

The decrees of God must be from eternity, and not in time. He who exists without beginning, absolutely independent, omnipotent, infinite in understanding and wisdom, must know what is wisest and best, or what is most agreeable to him with respect to all possible effects or events, and, therefore, must determine what should actually take place, and what should not. Such determination, or decree, is, in such a sense, essential to the divine existence, that the former must be coeval with the latter, and is necessarily implied in it. Besides, if any of the purposes or decrees of God be in time, or later than his existence, he must be changeable, by having new determinations, new views and designs, which he had not before; which is inconsistent with his necessary existence, his infinity and absolute perfection,-all which are essential to God, as has been proved.

Therefore, in Scripture the purpose or decrees of God are said to be eternal. "Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world," or from eternity, as it should have been rendered. If God's knowing all his works from eternity does not mean his purpose concerning them, it necessarily implies this; for, how could he know what he would do, if he had no will or purpose to do? "According to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Eph. iii. 11; i. 4. 1 Cor. ii. 7. 2 Tim. i. 9.)

Though God be sovereign in his decrees and all his operations, that is, he has determined every thing and every event just as he pleased, being infinitely above all control by the will or power of any one, and under no obligation to any other being, yet they are not arbitrary, that is, determined and fixed, without any reason why he should purpose and decree as he has done rather than the contrary, or otherwise, -but they are all infinitely wise and good, or the dictates of the most perfect wisdom; for, if God decree, or act, he must decree and act like himself-an infinitely wise Being. Infinite wisdom is able, or sufficient, to form the wisest and best plan of creation and providence, of a world, or system, be it ever so 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 possible plans, the wisest and the best.

For, if it were otherwise, it would be so far disagreeable, defective, unwise, and wrong. The Scripture, therefore, ascribes wisdom to God in all his works, by which his wise purpose and decrees are brought into effect. "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all." (Ps. civ. 24.) "O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom. xi. 31.)

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 standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." (Ps. xxxiii. 11.) "He is in one mind, and who can turn him?" (Job. xxiii. 13.) That the divine purpose is unalterable, is as evident and certain as that God is unchangeable; for alteration of God's design or decree is a change in God, and this necessarily supposes imperfection. And it is unspeakably undesirable, and dreadful to suppose, that the infinitely wise and good purpose and decree of God- as all his decrees are should be capable of any possible change, or alteration, so as to fail of the most exact and perfect execution. And the more stable and fixed the infinitely wise decrees of God are, and the farther from all possible change, the more agreeable, and the greater ground of joy, are they to every one who is a friend of wisdom.

It may be further observed, concerning the decrees of God, that they extend to every thing and every event, though ever so small compared with others, and every the most minute circumstance that takes place, or will exist to eternity. For every one of these are necessary parts of the most wise and perfect plan, otherwise they could have no existence in it; and if one of these had been left out of the divine plan, it would have been so far less perfect, and really defective. It is not to be supposed, that, of any two possible existences, events, or circumstances of existence, there should be no difference in any respect, so that one could not be preferred to the other by infinite wisdom, as better, and more suited to answer the end proposed than the other, though we, or finite discerning, may not be able to perceive any difference. Therefore, infinite wisdom discerns and fixes upon that which is preferable and best, in every instance. No two proposed or possible objects, events, or circumstances, being perfectly alike or equal in the view of Omniscience, there is ground of choice and preference; so that the divine determination respecting the actual existence of all these, and their taking place in all respects exactly as they do, or will, is, in every instance, most wise;

and no thing, event, or circumstance, would be in any other respect otherwise consistent with infinite wisdom.

Jesus Christ teaches us that God's providence and care extend to the smallest things and most minute circumstances, when he says to his disciples, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? and not one of them is forgotten before God, or shall fall on the ground, without your heavenly Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

It may be of some importance to observe here, that there is a distinction 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 without end. This foreknowledge is not only to be distinguished from the decree, but must be considered as, in order of nature, consequent upon the determination and purpose of God, and dependent upon it. For the futurition or futurity of all things depends upon the decrees of God. By these, every created existence, and every event, with all their circumstances, are fixed and made certain; and, in consequence of their being thus decreed, they are the objects of foreknowledge; for they could not be known to be future unless they were so; and they were made so by the divine decree, and nothing else. If we may so speak, God foreknew all things that were to come to pass by knowing his own purpose and decrees, by which their existence was made certain. Had God decreed nothing respecting future existences by creation and providence, there could have been no foreknowledge of any thing whatsoever. Hence the decrees of God may be certainly inferred from his foreknowledge, for the former must be as extensive as the latter; and nothing can be foreknown, or seen to have a future existence, the future existence of which has not been made certain by a divine decree..

All future existences, events, and actions must have a cause of their futurition, or there must be a reason why they are future, or certainly to take place, rather than not. This cause must be the divine decree determining their future existence, or it must be in the future existences themselves; for there is no other possible supposition. But the future existences could not be the cause of their own futurition, for this supposes them to exist as a cause, and to have influence, before they have any existence, even from eternity. And, if they may be the cause of their own futurition, or become future of themselves, then they might actually exist of themselves; for, by becoming future, their existence is made certain and necessary; therefore, that which makes them certainly future is

really the cause of their existence. This, therefore, can be nothing but the divine decree determining their future existence, without which nothing could be future; consequently, nothing could be known to be future. They, therefore, who deny the doctrine of God's decrees, and yet acknowledge the omniscience of God, and that all future events were known to him from eternity, are really inconsistent; for, if the world, or any creature, or any event, could be certainly future without being made so by God, it can actually exist without him; for the existence of it is certain and necessary, and it cannot but exist when once it becomes certainly future.

"For

Therefore, because the foreknowledge of God does necessarily imply and involve his decrees, the former is sometimes put for the latter, in the inspired writings. The following are instances of it: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." (Acts ii. 23.) whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Rom. viii. 29.) "God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew." (Rom. xi. 2.) "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." (1 Pet. i. 2.)

As the decrees of God are most wise, this necessarily supposes some end in view, and that which is best, the most excellent, important, and desirable that can be; for wisdom consists in proposing and pursuing such an end, in ways and by means in the best manner adapted to accomplish that end. When no end is in view to be accomplished by any purpose or work, if this can be, there is no wisdom; and if there be an end proposed and pursued, if this be not the best that can be proposed and effected, the purpose and pursuit is not wisdom, but folly. And if the end proposed be the highest and best that can be, yet, if the means fixed upon to accomplish that end be not, in all respects, the best suited to accomplish the end proposed, this must be a defect of wisdom. Therefore, infinite wisdom discerns, without a possibility of mistake, what is the best end, most worthy to be set up and pursued, and fixes on this end, and discerns and determines the best means by which this end shall in the best manner be answered. And this determination is the same with the decrees of God, and involves or comprehends every thing that comes to pass, every event, great and small, with every circumstance, be it ever so minute, and fixes them all, unerring wisdom being exercised with respect to them all; so that to make the least alteration in any thing, event, or circumstance, would render the whole plan less perfect and wise. "The