If we were carefully to examine some particular piece of scripture history, it would throw light on the present subject, and tend to convince us, that all those events, which appear most acci dental, are in reality, component parts of a previously contrived, and well digested plan. Take for example, the history of Joseph, which is well known, and which is filled with striking incidents. He was the son of his father's old age, and of his peculiar affection. His father clothed him with a coat of many colors. He had some peculiar dreams, which he told to his brethren. These things were preparing the way for him to be sold into Egypt, where the infinitely wise counsel of God, made it necessary he should go. He went to Shechem to seek his brethren; but they were not there. At length he found them in a place, near to which some Midianitish traf fickers were soon to pass. These bought Joseph. They were as much prepared of God, to save him from death, and convey him to Egypt, where the Lord had need of him, as the fish was prepared to swallow up Jonah, and save him from immediate death, and prepare the way for his going to Nineveh. They sold him to Potiphar, a captain of Pharaoh's guard; the very man to whom it was necessary he should be sold.--By the lust and deceit of his mistress, he was thrown into prison. There he lay until Pharaoh had those dreams, which revealed the design of God, to send a famine of seven years through all the land of Egypt. By Joseph's interpreting the chief butler's dream, the Lord had prepared the way for him to be sent for by Pharaoh, to inter

pret his dreams, and thus to be advanced to the second place in the kingdom. This prepared the way for Jacob and his family to remove into the land of Egypt, where God had before determined to bring them; and now we see the means which he designed to make use of to effect it. Does there appear to be any chance event in the life of Joseph? Does it not appear, that, in all this affair, the Lord was working after the counsel of his own will? Such a connexion and harmony of events manifest there were design and contrivance, previously to the events taking place. And let it be remembered, that some of these events were brought about by the agency of wicked characters; if, therefore, the actions of the wicked had not been included in the counsel of the Most High, in this instance there could not have been such a harmony in the events, which make up the life of Joseph; nor could he with propriety have said to his brethren, "God meant it unto good." There is, no doubt, the same kind of harmony, whether equally observable or not, in all other true history, sacred and profane. We come now,

III. To establish the truth, That all events and things were included in the divine plan, from plain and positive declarations of God's word.

For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel;" 2 Sam. xvii. 14. Ahithophel's counsel was frustrated, because it was contrary to the counsel of Him, who says, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasGod does not always prevent the wicked from accomplishing their purposes: sometimes

ure."

it is necessary, that they should be suffered to accomplish their purpose, that he may thereby accomplish his purpose; but whenever the accomplishing of their purpose, will counteract his purpose, they are always frustrated. This truth is clearly taught, Prov. xix. 21, "There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand." There were many devices in the hearts of Joseph's brethren; one was to kill him; but that did not stand; another was to leave him in the pit; but that did not stand. Reuben's heart devised a way to restore him to his father; but because it did not agree with the counsel of the Lord, it did not stand. The device of their hearts, to sell him into Egypt, was agreeable to the purpose of God, it therefore stood. The same truth is taught, Prov. xxi. 30, "There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, against the Lord." This cannot mean, that men form no projects or schemes to oppose the Lord; or which, if carried into execution, would not mar the work of his hands; but this is undoubtedly meant, that his counsel will stand in spite of them, The same important truth is taught, Psal. cxv. 3, "But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he pleased;" also, in Psal. cxxxv. 6, "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places." There is another Psalm in which we have this declaration, "The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." This counsel of the Lord, which standeth forever, is that counsel of his own'

will, according to which he worketh all things. Concerning his word, he says, in the prophesy of Isaiah, lv. 11, "It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it." From this, we learn, that however little success has hitherto attended the preaching of the gospel; yet it accomplishes the thing which God pleases--it is, on the whole, just as successful as he meant it should be. If the high Possessor of heaven and earth, has not a fixed plan, from which he can never be driven, how is it suitable that it should be said of him, "He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand?" (Dan. iv. 35.)

We find the same doctrine taught in the new testament, which is taught in the old, viz. That God has a counsel or purpose concerning all the events which take place. The greatest objection against this doctrine is, that it is inconsistent for God to foreordain those actions which in his creatures are sinful: therefore the passages, which prove such actions to be determined, will be peculiarly to the point. The first passage of this kind to which I shall turn is Luke xxii. 22, "And truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined but wo unto that man by whom he is betrayed." This scripture can mean nothing less than this, That God had determined that his Son should be betrayed by Judas. Peter refers to the eternal counsel of God concerning Christ's crucifixion, Acts, ii. 23, "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of

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God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." It is the plain and natural meaning of this passage, that the crucifixion of Christ by the wicked Jews was according to the determinate counsel, or fixed purpose of God. There is another text to the same point, and perhaps more difficult to evade, in the 4th chapter, 27th and 28th verses, "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." Here the whole, which was done by the murderers of Christ, Jews and Gentiles, kings and people, is said to be the same which the divine hand and counsel determined before to be done. It is a most unnatural evasion of the force of this passage, to explain it so as to make it mean, that the wicked murderers of our Lord came together to do their duty, even all whatsoever God had commanded them should be done.* How must the omniscient God look upon such explanations of his holy word? Let an expositor take such liberties with the whole bible, and he might as well make a new bible at once, and then he would be no

* The disputant on the Arminian side gave this explanation to the above passage, viz. That the counsel of the Lord meant his revealed will, or that which he had revealed to us as our duty to do. He urged, that God had revealed it to be his will, that impostors should be put to death; that they viewed Jesus of Nazareth to be an impostor, and therefore came together in obedience to the command of God, to put him to death. This he considered to be the meaning of the apostles, when in their solemn address to God, they expressed their full conviction, that Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever his and and counsel determined before to be done.