criterion, to determine this serious and interesting question. If those who bear the christian name, will bring themselves to this standard, it is more than possible, that many at this day, may find that they have no good ground to hope that they are real christians. Have any a right to entertain this hope, who do not acknowledge and worship the only true God, as he has revealed himself in the gospel? Has he not there revealed himself, as the only living and true God, existing in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? Do either the Arians, or Socinians, or Sabellians, or Unitarians, acknowledge and worship God, as existing a Trinity of Persons in a unity of essence? Do they honour the Son, or the Spirit, as they honour the Father? Is there any essential difference between their religious homage, and the religious homage of Deists or Pagans? They all perfectly agree in the sole object of their supreme worship; and may they not all be equally sincere in their religious devotions? But do any of them acknowledge and worship the only true God, according to the personal distinction in the divine nature? Do any of them approach the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit? Is there the least trait of christianity in their religious worship? And can such infidel and pagan services meet the divine approbation? If the doctrine of the adorable Trinity be true, it must lie at the foundation of Christianity, both in theory and practice, and brand all those as antichristian, who refuse to worship God, in the belief and love of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is hard to conceive how any man can persuade himself, that he is a real christian, who has never had any communion with the sacred Trinity, and who has always, in his religious devotions, symbolized with Pagans and Infidels.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

më

IT is the peculiar excellence of sacred history, to dis play the hand and counsel of God, in the government of the moral world. The inspired writers relate not only the free and voluntary actions of men, but represent them as inseparably connected with the free and voluntary agency of the Deity. This circumstance renders sacred history much more interesting and instructive than profane, which contains little more than the bare recital of past actions and events. The agency and design of God in all the concerns of men, give them their greatest importance. Though the history of Joseph contains a great variety of singular and surprising events; yet these would appear comparatively trifling, were they not related in connexion with the ultimate design and superintendency of God, in bringing them to pass. In this view, there is something extremely interesting in the account of Joseph's making himself known to his brethren. "Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he said, Cause every man to go out from me: and there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his breth

ren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him: for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you: and they came near: and he said I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." This was as much as to say, "Though you meant to destroy a brother's life, and break a father's heart; yet I freely and heartily forgive you. And though you meant to defeat the design and control the hand of God, for which you ought to repent in dust and ashes; yet be not grieved that the event took place, for God was the supreme agent in it, and made use of you as instruments, to accomplish the wise and benevolent purpose of preserving your lives, and the lives of millions in the midst of the present extensive and destructive famine." In this address to his brethren, Joseph represents God as doing what they had done. Though they sent him into Egypt, yet he represents God as sending him thither. He more fully expresses this idea in the words immediately succeeding the text. "These two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in which there shall be neither earing or harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God." That is, God was the primary and supreme agent, in bringing about this great and most happy event. This is the truth which now naturally falls under our consideration,

That the Scripture ascribes the actions of men both to themselves and to God.

I shall endeavour to illustrate the truth, the propriety, and the importance of this doctrine.

1. We are to consider, that the Scripture does ascribe the actions of men both to themselves and to God. It will be universally allowed, that the Scripture ascribes the actions of men to themselves. It as cribes to Abel his faith, to Cain his unbelief, to Job his patience, and to Moses his meekness. Having just premised this, I proceed to adduce instances, in which the Scripture ascribes the actions of men to God as well as to themselves. The first instance that occurs is in the history of Joseph. It is said his brethren sold him into Egypt, and at the same time God is said to send him thither. It is said God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and Pharaoh is said to harden his own heart. The same mode of expression is used in reference to the Egyptians. They hardened their own hearts, when they presumed to follow the Israelites into the midst of the sea, with a fixed design to overtake and destroy them. destroy them. But God himself says he would harden their hearts on that occasion. "And I, behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them, and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his hosts, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." Saul went of his own accord to Samuel, yet God says he sent him. Shimei cursed David of his own accord, yet David ascribed his conduct to the divine agency. The Sabeans and Chaldeans stripped Job of his servants and substance; yet he says, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away." God is said to do what the king of Assyria did. "O Assyria, the rod of mine anger, and the staff

in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit, he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off nations not a few. Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath accomplished his whole work upon Mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks." God is said to blind the minds and harden the hearts of those, who blinded their own minds and hardened their own hearts, in the days of Christ and the apostles. The prophet Isaiah speaking of the sufferings of Christ, says, "It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." But we know, that it was Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Jews, who insulted, buffetted, and crucified the Lord of glory. I might mention God's giving love to those that love; repentance to those that repent; faith to those that believe; and purification to those who purify themselves. But enough has been said to show, that the Scripture ascribes the actions of men both to themselves and to God. I proceed to show,

II. The propriety of ascribing human actions to both human and divine agency. This, indeed, looks like a paradox, and is considered by many as a palpable absurdity, or a profound mystery. Accordingly, much ingenuity and learned labour have been employed to explain away those passages of Scripture, which ascribe the actions of men to God as well as to themselves. No pains have been spared to make it appear, that all human actions are absolutely independ