despondency, upon the application of his sons to take Benjamin with them into Egypt. "Me have ye bereaved of my children-Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away-all these things are against me." Afflicted man! distrusting the wisdom and goodness of his God, and thro❞ the weakness of the flesh, forming the most desperate conclusion, All these things are against me. his introduction to Pharaohthe interpretation of his dreams, and his consequent advancement to the government of Egypt, are but so many links in the chain, so many successive steps, in the conduct of Divine Providence, towards the accomplishment of the end in view. They were all planned and directed by infinite wisdom, and issued exactly according to God's eternal design. Here we may see, as in a glass, the wisdom of God's moral government-the order and connection of the several parts, and how they all conspire in various ways, to one great end. Joseph's brethren acted a part, as to their views and intentions, in direct opposition to the government of God; but wherein they dealt proudly, God was infinitely a-bundant occasion, with David, bove them. They little thought how the matter would terminate; but it was all under the direction of an invisible hand, and brought into effect by the powerful agency of God. Jacob, an old man, was pas sionately fond of his son Joseph. It therefore, perhaps, became necessary for Jacob's good, that Joseph should be taken away from him. But how severe was his trial! The heart of the good old man seemed ready to burst with grief, under the smart of the bereaving stroke. "And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days; and his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted; and he said, for I will go down into the grave for my son, mourning." He afterwards expressed himself in still stronger terms of settled dejection, and gloomy The providences of God appeared mysterious to him.Clouds and darkness were round about him. He needed for his support, only a stronger faith, and a more realizing sense, that " righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." The event soon convinced him of his mistake, and gave him a to bless God that he had been afflicted. The mystery was cleared up to him, and all his grief and anxiety dispelled, as in a moment, when he saw the waggons Joseph had sent to carry him into Egypt. "Israel said, it is enough-Joseph my son is yet alive-I will go and see him before I die." From this small specimen of the divine conduct, we have the highest reason to conclude that the divine agency is universalthat all events are planned by infinite wisdom-that all creatures are in the most absolute sense dependent on God, and that He hath a great and glorious end in view, to which he makes every event of his Providence in some way conducive. How is the greatness-the sovereignty, and glorious supremacy of God exalted in this point of view! How absolutely independent! What wisdom positions. I. Eating the forbidden fruit, recorded Gen. iii. was the first sin committed by man, This is so obvious from scripture, and so universally conceded, that remarks to prove it, are unneces II. Man was qualified for moral action antecedent to that transgression. Capacity for moral action consists in the possession, or exercise of reason and natural conscience, with the faculty of will. Every subject of these is qualified for moral action, is a subject of moral gov shines in all the conduct of his | hibited under the following pro moral government! How infinitely exalted above all creatures! What an happiness is it to live under the government of such a great and good Being! We but quarrel with our own happiness, in not chusing to be wholly dependent on him.sary and useless. We act the part of proud, short sighted creatures in arrogating to ourselves that independence, which belongs only to God; or in censuring the wisdom and rectitude of his government, because we cannot comprehend it. His judgments are a great deep, past finding out. We see but in part, but we may see in-ernment, under moral law and finite wisdom, and goodness in obligation, and his conduct is that. Could we but look thro' either virtuous and merits rethe great plan, and examine the ward, or vicious and deserves connection and subserviency of punishment. That man was its several parts-or did we but possessed of these moral capasuitably attend to those epito-cities, and a moral agent, before mes God hath given us, and he ate the forbidden fruit, will adapted to our limited capaci-be evident, it is supposed, from ties; a sense of our folly and the following facts recorded of arrogance in opposing his gov-him. Not to insist, that in the ernment, or murmuring under any of his dealings, would at once overwhelm us with shame and remorse. Let us not be too proud to subject our erring reason to the wisdom of God, and we shall see more and more, the beauty, propriety, and justice of his government. For though clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. ASAPH. (To be continued.) first instance he is called man, a term used to denote human nature in a state of maturity, in distinction from it in a state of infancy and weakness; it may be observed, 1. That when God had created man, it is said Gen. ii. 15, 16. that he put him in the gar den of Eden, to dress it and to keep it, and said unto him, Of every tree in the garden thou mayest eat, &c. This supposes, that man was capable of the ser vices required of him, and of distinguishing between the trees of the garden, and consequently Reflections on the primitive State was intelligent and knew what of Man. fruit was permitted, and what was forbidden him, or good and THE observations to be made evil. If he were not capable of on this subject will be ex- the duty prescribed, it is highly derogatory to all our ideas of the wisdom, justice, and even goodness of God, to suppose, that he would have imposed on him such regulations and restraints. 2. It is said that God brought every beast of the field, and fowl of the air, to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. In this we consider God as transacting with Adam in that peculiar character with which he had invested him, as having dominion over his works. Does it consist with our ideas of divine wisdom, to suppose, that God would have constituted Adam the subordinate lord of the creation, and brought all creatures to him, that he might name them, when he was destitute of reason, or an infant, though we should acknowledge that in naming the beasts, Adam acted under the influence of a divine impulse, God himself immediately dictating to him what the name of every creature should be. ? 3. When God brought Eve to Adam he said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. But as Adam was in deep a sleep when this divine operation was performed, he could not have known it, but by particular revelation, or immediate divine suggestion; but of such influence, intellect, not matter, is the subject; and this proves, that at the time he was in the exercise of reason. 4. When the serpent interrogated the woman, Yea, hath God | said, &c. She replied,-But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God VOL. VI. No. 12. hath said, ye shall not eat of it, nor touch it, lest ye die. This answer expresses or at least implies, a distinct knowledge of the will of God respecting them, of the restraint which he laid upon them, and the awful consequences of violating it, with a disposition not to transgress. In this answer, consequently, we have a full exhibition of all the essential ingredients of moral agency, and the essence of all true holiness. 5. The whole history, with the interview consequent upon the transgression, implies mutual intercourse, and a familiar acquaintance between God and Adam. When God put him in the garden, he gave him his instructions in a familiar, intelligible manner. When God brought the beasts to him, he knew that it was God who brought them, and that in naming them, he acted by a particular divine authority. He knew that it was God who formed the woman and brought her to him, and he received her at his hand. The woman whom thou gavest me. The whole history is unnatural upon any other supposition than that God talked with Adam, as he did with Moses, face to face, and conversed with him as a man converseth with his friend. Such, and so conclusive, it is presumed, is the proof that Adam existed in a moral capacity antecedent to his eating the forbidden fruit; and consequently, that the transgression was not his first moral act; but that his first moral exercises, at what period soever they commenced, were virtuous and holy. It is remarked, that they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. K kk But why were they not ashamed | which he was created, and the of their naked state antecedent character with which he was to the transgression, as they were consequent upon it? Can any reason be assigned, but their conscious innocence and purity? Is not the assertion, therefore, equal to a divine attestation of their holy, and happy state? II. Adam began to exist in a holy manner. Whether the holiness in which Adam began to exist, as is now supposed, consisted in positively holy exercises, or in a preparedness of heart, for holy exercises in the view of proper objects, it is not important to enquire, as this predisposition involved the essence of all the holy exercises which proceeded from it. Without adverting, therefore, to that abstruse question, let us consider the evidence that Adam began to exist an holy creature. invested.If he had been for med with rational faculties without holy qualities, there was no more virtue or goodness in them, than in the natural in- ́ stincts of beasts and birds. Add to this, that to have been formed with rational capacities without holy dispositions, was a defective existence, and involved at least negative deformity and criminality in it; intellect,' or natural capacity for holiness implying moral obligation to' exercise it, and consequently, Adam could not have existed a rational creature, destitute of holiness, a single moment, without infinite criminality and ill' desert. And have we evidence from scripture, or reason, that God ever formed such an existence? It ought to be further considered, that God formed A1. To this, it would be thought dam to have dominion over his that reason would assent, from works. And is it no reflection a consideration of the wisdom upon his character, as the moral and goodness of his creator. governor of the world, to suppose Wisdom and goodness are es- that he elevated a creature to sential excellencies in the maker that dignity, and invested him and Lord of heaven and earth. with that office, when destitute In the exercise of these, the of all moral excellence, wisdom scriptures assure us, he effect- and goodness? The propriety ed all his works. The history of of this observation cannot be the creation informs us, as the justly evaded by the considerawork progressed, God saw the tion, that this office is continued earth &c, that it was good; and to him in his present corrupt the system complete in all its and degraded state. For as he parts was very good. In con- hath reversed none of those reformity to the other parts of the gulations which he wisely estabcreation, is it not rational to sup-lished when the system compose, that man was formed, not menced, notwithstanding the only with rational faculties, but great perversion to which it is also with those virtuous and ho- subject, he continues this among ly tempers which directed them the rest.-Are not these obserto their proper use, and qualified vations equal to conclusive evihim to sustain his rank with dence from reason, that God diguity and propriety in a beau-formed man, in his primitive tiful subservience to the end for state, not only with those intel lectual faculties which constitu- that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Holiness, or being blameless before God in love, is then that image of Christ to which the elect are predestinated to be conformed; and consequently, the image of God or Christ, consist in holy love and as 2. Evidence from scripture. man was formed in the image It is said, Gen. i. 27, So God of God, with this holy love was created man in his own image, he created. Conformably to in the image of God created he this, in the operation of electing him. Upon this subject, it is grace, the subjects are said to very important to possess dis- be renewed in knowledge after tinct ideas of the term image, the image of him that created and the sense in which the scrip- him. Coloss. iii. 10. This rentures use the term. Image con- ovation could not have consisted sists in conformity, or likeness. in the communication of intelThe image or likeness to God, | lectual faculties; for this would in which man was created, might suppose them antecedently deshave consisted, partly, in his titute of reason, and must have reason, or intellectual capacity, consisted in making them not and having dominion over his beasts, but men. Neither could works, termed his natural im- it have consisted in the increase age; and partly in those moral of rational, or doctrinal light. For virtues which constitute the then it could not have been a beauty, or excellence of the renovation in knowledge. mind. This excellence or beau- must consequently have consisted ty consists in disinterested af-in that spiritual and saving illufection, benevolence, or good-mination which comprises the ness. When Moses intreated, I beseech thee shew me thy glory, God replied, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. That man was created with this disinterested affection, or that the image of God in which man was created comprised this moral excellence, will be evident, it is presumed from the following passages of scripture. It is said, Rom. viii. 29, Moreover, whom he did foreknow, he also did predesti-righteousness and true holiness. nate to be conformed to the im- Epes. iv. 22-24. Such eviage of his Son. In what this dence do the scriptures, explainimage of his Son consisted is ing themselves, exhibit, that the evident from the parallel pas-image of God consists in spiritsage. Ephes. i. 4. According ual conformity to him, or true as he hath chosen us in him, holiness; and consequently, It essense of all true holiness.-Consequently, the image of God after, or in conformity to which, they are said to be renewed, is a spiritual or holy image. The apostle accordingly expresses this gracious operation in another epistle, by terms which specify a spiritual and holy crea tion: This renovation consisting it putting off the old man,and putting on the new man, which after God is created in |