and yet St. Peter tells the Jews, that this was the Effect of God's Counfel and Decrees. Him, being delivered by the determinate counfel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked bands bave crucified and flain, 2. Acts 23.

But if we confider the Words carefully, the very Text will answer the Objection. For what does St. Peter fay was done by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God? Did they take him, and by wicked hands crucify and flay bim, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God? This is not faid; but he was delivered, that is, put into their Power, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; and then they took him, and with wicked Hands flew him. And then we muft obferve, that here are Two diftinct Acts of God relating to this Event; The determinate counsel, and the foreknowledge of God. The Will, or Counsel of God, which he had fore-ordain'd, and predetermined, the Ban

gowegoμern was, that Chrift fhould die an Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the World; which was a Work of fuch ftupendious Wisdom, Goodnefs, Holiness, and Juftice, that nothing could more become God, than fuch Counfels and Decrees. But then, by his Infinite Prescience and Foreknowledge, he faw by what means this would be done, if he thought fit to permit it; viz. by the Treachery of Judas, by the Malice of the Scribes and Pharifees, and by the Compliance of the Roman Powers; and this he determined to permit, and to deliver him up into their Hands; the certain Effect of which would be, that they would take him, and with wicked Hands crucify him, and flay him. So that tho' God did decree, that Chrift fhould dye, yet he did not decree, that Judas

fhould

fhould betray him, or that the Scribes and Pharifees, and Pontius Pilate fhould condemn and crucify him; but this he forefaw, and this he decreed to permit, and to accomplish his own Wife Counfels for the Salvation of Mankind by fuch Wicked Inftruments; and there is nothing in all this unworthy of God, or unbecoming the Holiness of his Providence. And thus it is with reference to all other Events, which are decreed by God; He never Decrees any thing but what is Holy and Good; and though he many times accomplishes his Wife Decrees by the Wickednefs and Sins of Men, yet he never decrees their Sins; but by his forefight and wonderful Wisdom fo difpofes and orders things, as to make their Sins, which they freely and refolvedly commit, and which nothing but an irrefiftible Power could hinder them from committing, ferve the Wife and Gracious Ends of his Providence. This is Wifdom too wonderful for us, but thus we know it may be, and thus the Scripture affures us it is.

3dly, Another pretence for charging God with the Sins of Men, is from fome obfcure Expreffions of Scripture; which, when expounded to a ftrict literal Senfe, as fome Men expound them, feem to attribute to God fome kind of Caufality and Efficiency in the Sins of Men.

But unless we will make the Scripture contradict it felf, it is certain, that thofe few Texts which feem to make God the Author of Sin,' are misunderstood: Because not only fome few particular Texts, but all the natural Notions we have of God, the very Nature and Design of Religion, and three parts of the Bible, either directly, or by neceffary Confequence, prove the contrary. And fuppofing then, that we could

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could give no tolerable account of such Texts, is it not more reasonable to conclude, that it is only our ignorance of the Eastern Language and Phrafe, which makes them obscure and difficult to us, than to expound them to fuch a Senfe as contradicts all the rest of the Bible?

But I do not intend this for an Answer, or as fome will call it an Evafion, but fhall confider thefe Texts particularly. And the first place relates to God's hardening Pharaoh's Heart, that he fhould not let the People of Ifrael go, notwithftanding all the Signs and Wonders which Mofes wrought in Egypt: 4. Exod. 21. Where God exprefly tells Mofes, that he would barden Pharaob's heart; and in the Story it self, it is several times expreffed, that God did harden Pharaoh's beart; and he who hardens the Heart, feems to be the efficient Caufe of all thofe Sins which fuch a hard Heart commits.

Now rightly to understand this, which has given fo much trouble to Divines, there are many things to be confidered.

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Hardness of Heart is a Metaphorical Expreffion, and fignifies fuch a firmnefs and obftinacy of Temper or Refolution, as will yield to no Motives or Perfuafions, that will no more receive any impreffions, than a hard and impenetrable Rock, and therefore to harden the Heart, is to give it fuch a ftiffness and obftinacy, as will not yield. But then there are feveral ways of hardening Mens Hearts, and fome of them very Innocent and Holy, as well as Juft; and: before we charge the Divine Providence upon this account, we must know in what way God hardens immediately to infufe into Mens Hearts an unrelenting hardness and obftinacy in a finful Course, is inconfiftent with the Holiness

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of Providence, and would in the most proper Senfe make God the Author of Sin; but though God fays, he would harden Pharaoh, he does not fay, that he would infufe hardness into Pharaoh's Heart.

For we may obferve, That Men who have first hardened themselves, take the most innocent occafions to grow harder; nay, are hardened by fuch Ufage, as would either break or foften other Men: And thofe who treat them in fuch a manner, as their wicked Hearts abuse to harden themselves, may be faid to harden them, as in common Speech we charge those with undoing and hardening their Children and Servants, who have spoiled them by too much Indulgence, or by too great Severity; and this is the account that Origen gives of it. And indeed when Men are faid to harden themselves, as Pharaoh is often faid to harden his own heart, and yet God is faid to harden them; there can be no other account given of it but this, That Men take occafion from what God does, take occafion, where no occafion was given, to harden themfelves; as St. Paul obferves the Jews did from God's Patience and Long-fuffering, 2. Rom. 4, 5. Or defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-fuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance; i. e. Thould lead thee to Repentance, not harden thee in Sin, though it have another Effect through thy own Wickedness. But after thy hardnefs and impenitent heart, groweft more hard and impenitent by God's forbearance, and treasureft up unto thy felf wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous Fudgment of God. And thus God Hardened Pharaoh, or thus Pharaoh took occafion to harden himself, from those Judg

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ments which ought to have softened him ; and God foreseeing that this would be the Effect of it, fays, I will harden Pharaoh's Heart; not, I will infufe hardness into him, but I will do fuch things as I certainly know his hard and wicked Heart will improve into new Occasions, and new Degrees of hardness. For it is no Reafon either for God or Men to forbear doing what Wisdom, and Juftice, and Goodness direct to be done, becaufe, hardened Sinners will harden themselves the more by it. And that this is the Truth of the Cafe appears from the whole Story.

That which hardened Pharaoh and made him fo refolved not to part with Ifrael, was the great Advantage he made of their Service and Bondage, which made him impatient to think of fending away a People, which were fo ufeful to him. To conquer this obftinate Humour, God fends Mofes to deliver Ifrael with a mighty Arm, and out ftretched Hand. Mofes wrought fuch mighty Wonders, and inflicted fuch miraculous and terrible Judgments on Egypt, as any one would have thought the most proper means not to have hardened, but to have broken and fubdued the moft hardened Hearts; but this had a contrary Effect upon a hardened Pharaoh, and it is visible

what it was that hardened him.

Some of these Signs and Wonders were imitated by the Magicians, as turning their Rods into Serpents, and Water into Blood, and bringing Frogs upon the Land; and upon this he hardened his Heart; though the Plague of Frogs was fo grievous, that it made him fomewhat relent, and promife to let the People go, and Sacrifice unto the Lord, if the Frogs might be removed; but then God's Goodness in removing this Plague hardened him, as it is exprefly obferved,