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tered; and alfo what is faid of Lydia, Acts xvi. 14. viz. that God opened her heart, that She attended to the things that were Spoken by Paul. By a train of previous circumstances and impreffions, all under the direction of providence, he was difpofed to receive the preaching of Paul with due attention, and without prejudice.

We are instructed to pray that God would give us, day by day, our daily bread, and it is from God that we do receive our daily bread; but it is only in the natural course of things, and by the use of proper means for procuring it for ourselves. We are also authorized to pray that God would create in us a clean heart, and renew in us a right Spirit; and if we have a clean heart, and a right spirit, we ought to ascribe that to God also, and not, as the heathen Stoics did, to themselves, exclufively of God. But God gives us good difpofitions of mind as he gives us our daily bread, in a natural, and by no means in a fupernatural manner; it is by the help of means adapted to imprefs our minds, and never with

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out them. The language of scripture is uniform, and exactly fimilar in both these cases, and therefore is certainly to be understood in the fame manner.

If we admit any other interpretation of such language as this, we fhall afcribe moral evil to the immediate divine agency, as well as moral good. For God is as expressly said to harden the heart of Pharoah, as to open that of Lydia; whereas there does not appear to have been any occafion for a miracle to harden the heart of Pharoah. He acted just as other bad men, blinded by their paffions and by their intereft, in fimilar circumstances, ftill act; and his hardness and obftinacy anfwering the most important purposes in the plan of Divine providence, it was, for that end, no doubt, permitted to take place.

In fickness we always do, and ought to pray for health; but we never expect that God will interpofe by miracle to relieve us. When limbs are to be amputated, and other operations in furgery are to be performed,

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formed, we look up to God, but at the fame

time we never fail to have recourse to the hand of a skilful surgeon.

Even when the Divine Being has addressed himself to the mind of man in a supernatural manner, as in the gift of prophecy, it does not appear that fuch communications have ever affected the moral character of those who were the subjects of them, any farther than fuch communications tended, in a natural way, to produce that effect. Balaam was a bad man, though he was a prophet; and though Saul was for a time among the prophets, his character was not altered, but he continued the fame man to the end of his life.

The apostle Paul was converted to christianity by the miraculous appearance of Christ to him; but it does not appear that his temper of mind was changed by it, otherwise than a full conviction of the truth of chriftianity naturally and neceffarily made a change in him. He still poffeffed the same vehemence of temper, the fame zeal and ardour

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of mind, though in a different cause. He became, no doubt, a much better man upon the whole, than he would have been if he had continued a Jew, but it was in confequence of being actuated by better principles, and of being subjected to more favourable influences. It fhould be confidered that, instead of inflaming his hatred of men by the practice of perfecuting them, he would have the best opportunity of improving in meeknefs, patience, and a love of the brethren, in confequence of being himself perfecuted along with them. Thus would his fuperior virtues naturally arife from his being in circumstances peculiarly favourable to the acquifition and growth of them.

The cure of madness, called, in the language of fcripture, the cafting out of dæmons, (to the malignant influence of which that disorder was usually afcribed) and also the gift of tongues, were miracles that immediately respected the minds, or the mental faculties of men, but they were not of a moral nature. It no more followed that a man restored

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reftored to the use of his reafon would be a

good man, than one that was restored to his health, or the use of his limbs. Paul exprefly supposes that a man might have the gift of tongues, and yet not have charity; and not only to those who were the subjects of miracles, but even to fome of the workers of them, our Lord himself affures us he will fay, I know you not; depart from me ye workers of iniquity.

Prayer for good difpofitions of mind is proper on the idea of God being the real giver of all the good we receive, though in the usual course of nature, of which he is the author; and also more especially of his realizing to us that character of parent and guardian, which he has condescended to affume. And if he has provided that our reasonable requests shall actually be granted, it is the very fame thing to us, whether this be brought about by his mediate or his immediate agency. He is still the giver, and the only difference is in the manner of beftowing the gift. It is to God that we ought always to

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