who said, "God is neither a lover of horses, nor of birds, but of mankind*." With regard to the justice of the supreme government of providence, we meet with a great deal, even in the ancient poets. "O father Jove, says Eschylus, thou reignest in heaven, thou takest notice of the rash and wicked actions of gods and men. Thy care even extends to the wild beasts, thou observes the wrongs done them, and secures their privilegest." 66 Though justice, says Euripides, comes late, it is still justice; it lies hid, as it were, in ambush, till it finds an opportunity to inflict due punishment upon the wicked man‡." "Dost thou think, says Eschylus, to get the better of the divine knowledge, and that justice stands at a distance from the human race? She is near at hand, and sees without being seen; she knows who ought to be punished; but when she will suddenly fall upon the wicked, that thou knowest not§." * ὁ Θεός ἐ φίλιππος, ἕδε φιλορνις, ἀλλὰ φιλάνθρωπος. + Ω Ζευ πάτερ, Ζἶν, σόν μέν ἐρανα κράτος, Συ δ' ἐργ ̓ επερανίων και ἀνθρώπων ὁρᾶς † Δίκα τοι δικα χρόνιος. Αλλ' ὅμως ὑποπεσᾶσ § Λοκεις τὰ θεῶν σὺ ξυνητὰ νικῆσάι ποτε Καὶ τὴν δίκην τε μακρ ἀποικείσθαι βροτῶν ; "The weight of justice, says the same author, in another place, falls upon some quickly in the day-time, it lies in wait for some sins till the twilight; the longer it is delayed, the severer the punishment; accordingly, some are consigned to eternal night*." There are two difficulties, however, on this head which are not easily solved. 1st, The success that commonly attends the wicked in this world, and the evil to which the good are exposed. On this subject, even the philosophers, pleading the cause of God, which, if we take their word, they thought a matter of no great difficulty, advanced a great many things. Seneca tells us, "There is a settled friendship, nay, a near relation and similitude between God and good men; he is even their father; but, in their education, he inures them to hardships: when therefore you see them struggling with difficulties, sweating, and employed in up-hill work; while the wicked, on the other hand, are in high spirits, and swim in pleasures; consider, that we are pleased with modesty in our children, and forwardness in our slaves: the former “Η δ ̓ ἐγγυς ἐςιν ἐχ ὁρωμένη δ ̓ ὁρᾶ “Ον χρὴ κολάζειν τ' ὄιδεν. Αλλ' εκ θα συ * Ροπὴ δ' ἐπισκοπει δίκας Ταχεια τὰς μὲν ἐν φάει, we keep under by severe discipline, while we encourage impudence in the latter. Be persuaded, that God takes the same method; he does not pamper the good man with delicious fare, but tries him; he accustoms him to hardships, and, which is a wonderful expression in a heathen, PREPARES HIM FOR HIMSELF*" And in another place, "Those luxurious persons, whom he seems to indulge and to spare, he reserves for evils to come. For you are mistaken, if you think any one excepted; the man, who has been long spared, will at last have his portion of misery; and he, that seems to have been dismissed, is only delayed for a timet," and a vast deal more to this purpose. The same sort of sentiments we meet with in Plutarch: "God takes the same method, says he, with good men, that teachers do with their scholars, when they exact more than ordinary of those children, of whom they have the greatest hopest." And it is a noble * Inter bonos viros ac DEUM est, amicitia, imo necessitudo, et similitudo, imo ille eorum pater, sed durius eos educat, cum itaq; eos videris laborare, sudare, et, ardum ascendere, malos autem lascivire, et voluptatibus fluere, cogita, filiorum nos modestin delectare, vernularem licentia: illos disciplina tristiori contineri horum ali audaciam. Idem tibi de DEO liqueat, bonum virum deliciis non innutrit, experitur, indurat, et SIBI ILLUM PRÆPARAT. † Eos autem quibus indulgere videtur, quibus parcere, molles venturis malis servat. Erratis enim si quem judicatis exceptum, veniet ad illum diu fe felicem sua portio. Et qui videtur dimissus esse, delatus est. SEN. de Gubern. Mundi. Hanc rationem DEUS sequitur in bonis viris, quam in discipulis thought, which we meet with in the same author, "If he, who transgresses in the morning, says he, is punished in the evening, you will not say, that, in this case, justice is slow; but to God one, or even several ages, are but as one day*." How near is this to St Peter's saying on the same subjectt? 2dly, The other point upon this subject, which perplexes men fond of controversy, and is perplexed by them, is how to reconcile human liberty with divine providence, which we have taken notice of before. But to both these difficulties, and to all others, that may occur upon the subject, I would oppose the saying of St Augustine, "Let us grant that he can do some things which we cannot understand‡." What a melancholy thing would it be to live in a world where anarchy reigned? It would certainly be a woful situation to all; but more, especially, to the best, and most inoffensive part of mankind. It would have been no great privilege to have been born into a world without God, and without providence; for if there was no supreme ruler of the world, then undoubtedly the wickedness of men would reign without any curb or impe. suis preceptores, qui plus laboris ab iis exigunt, in quibus certior spes est. Plut. περί των βραδέως τιμωρεμένων. * Si qui mane peccavit, vespere puniatur, tardum hoc non dies, at DEO seculum, vel etiam plura secula pro die uno. † 2 Pet iii. 8. + Demus illum aliquod facere, et nos non posse intelligere. diment, and the great and powerful would unavoidably devour the weak and helpless," as the great fishes often eat up the small, and the hawk makes havoc among the weaker birds *." It may be objected, that this frequently happens, even in the present world, as appears from the prophecies of Habakkuk †: but the prophet, immediately after, asserts, that there is a supreme power, which holds the reins in the midst of these irregularities; and, though they are sometimes permitted, yet there is a determinate time appointed for setting all things to rights again, which the just man expects, and, till it comes, lives by faith‡. Some passages of Ariston's Iambics are admirable to this purpose. "A. Be patient; for God uses to support worthy men, such as you are, in a remarkable manner: and unless those, who act in a becoming manner, are to receive some great reward, to what purpose is it, pray, to cultivate piety any longer? B. I wish that it may be the case but I too often see those, who conform themselves to the rules of piety and virtue, oppressed by calamity; while those, who mind nothing but what they are prompted to by private interest and profit, thrive and flourish much better than we. A. For the present it is so, indeed; but it becomes us to look a great way |
