PRACTICAL ATHEISM
IN
DENYING TWE AWENTY Of PIROIIIEFI
DETECTED AND EXPOSED.
BY
REV. JAMES NALL.
" The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is
of the Lord."-Prov., 16:33.
"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole
earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him."-2 Chron., 16:9.
DETROIT, MICH.:
PRINTED BY WM. H. THOMPSON & CO., 208 JEFFERSON A.VEN'UE
1873.








TO
Zhe Se1ievers
IN
I  $uprntending Qrovidene
THIS LITTLE BO0O
I S
Respectfully Dedicated
W2Y 1EH iE UgrfJHOi.








-REFACE,
Among the many important subjects which from
time to time engage our attention, there is not one so
ripe with solid and abiding satisfaction as the superintendence of an all-wise and gracious Providence in
the management of human affairs.
Accident, chance, fortune, and a violation of the
laws of nature, are terms often heard, and much in the
life of man is ascribed to them. If the blessings of
prosperity fall to their lot, they take the credit and
the honor to themselves, and ascribe it to their own.
skill and industry, to their own economy and prudence.
If riches take to themselves wings and fly away, some
one else must bear the blame. If calamities overtake,
them, they are ascribed to some unlucky accident. If




VI.                  PREFACE.
affliction seizes their bodies, and death enters their
families, it is owing to a violation of some of the laws
of nature.
But such a belief is repugnant to reason, dishonorable to God, and is practical atheism.
It is contrary to reason to suppose that God, who
formed the heavens and created the universe, who has
beautified it with so many ornaments, and peopled it
with so many rational beings, should abandon it to
blind chance, or leave it without His superintendence
and government.
No; He who appoints the sun, moon and stars their
course, and gives laws and boundaries to the great
deep that it cannot pass, is not, cannot be, unmindful
of man, the master-piece of creation, and the Church
which He has purchased by the precious blood of His
dear Son.
To establish this fact is the object of the following
pages, and the importance of the subject is the author's
plea in giving them to the public.




CONTENTS:
CHAP. I.
The doctrine of a superintending Providence is taught
in various forms in almost every part of the Bible,
CHAP. II.
The agency of Providence in the management of human affairs is, and ever has been, a prominent doctrine in the creeds of all evangelical Christians.
CHAP. III.
To the universal agency of Providence we have the recorded testimony of those who were shut up in all:
the darkness of heathenism.
CHAP. IV.
God has a right, and possesses a fitness to be the supreme governor of the world.




Viii.               CONTENTS.
CHAP. V.
There can be no reason assigned why God should not
govern the world, seeing that He has a right and a
fitness for it.
CHAP. VI.
The agency of Providence is universal in its extent,
including all beings and all creatures, from the
highest to the lowest.
CHAP. VII.
God's Providential dealings are often mysterious.
CHAP. VIII.
The dispensations of Providence are sometimes surrounded by darkness.
CHAP. IX.'
We can trace the hand of Providence in the punishment of the wicked, and sometimes in the same
manner and to the same extent as they have punished others.
CHAP. X.
The Providence of God is seen in His interposition in
behalf of nations.




CONTENTS.                     ix.
CHAP. XI.
For the accomplishment of His wise designs we have
many remarkable interpositions of Providence in
behalf of individuals.
CHAP. XII.
The Providence of God is seen in making all things
work together for the ultimate good of the Church.
CHAP. XIII.
The inferences which are to be drawn from the preceding interpositions of Providence.
CHAP. XVI.
The answers which are given to the objectors of God's
providential interpositions.








PRACTICAL ATHEISM
I N
eenbng   tAft    tw1n$ y  of lrobibent
DETECTED  ATXD EXPOSED.
CHAPTER I.
The doctrine of a Superintending Providence is taught in various forms in almost
every part of the Bible.
The reality of a Superintending Providence is so clearly revealed in the Scriptures
of Truth  as effectually to remove every
doubt from  the minds of those who attentively read and believe them.
To decide matters of doubt or dificulty by
the casting of lots was a common practice




12  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
among the ancients and the primitive saints.
When an Apostle was to be chosen to fill the
place of Judas, the vacancy was supplied by
the casting of lots. To find out who was the
guilty person with whom God was angry,
the troubled mariners cast lots, and the lot
fell upon Jonah.  The Promised Land was
divided among the Jews by the casting of
lots.  The selection of the scape goat was
determined by the casting of lots. And the
orders and services of the priests were assigned them by the casting of lots.
It is not easy to determine as to the manner of casting lots, because we have no certain information  upon the subject.  But
from  a passage in' the Book of Proverbs,
where it is said: "The lot is cast into the
lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.'  13
Lord," would lead us to suppose that the
instruments  employed  on  such  occasions
were cast into the lap, or on the fold of a
garment, and drawn after a perfect mingling
of them together.
But in all their decisions by the casting
of lots, they never failed to recognize the
hanld of God.  What they did was always
with the strictest reference to Him  who is
the wise disposer of all events, with whom
is left the decision and the judgment.
T/ie  supreme  domlinion  of  Providence
over) the rfftirs of JkigdoCms  tnd qnations is
repceatedly  (and  st ro1g' ly  acsscrted.   " The
Lord hath prepared IHis throne in the heav-.ens, and His kinlgdolm ruleth over all." " lie
doeth according tto lhiis will in the armies of
B




14  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
heaven and among thle inhabitants of the
earth."   "Behold, He taketh away, and
who shall hinder Him? and who shall say
unto Him,' What doest thou?9 
LTe promotion and abacsemzent of princes
are ascribed to Divine agenzcy. "Promotion
cometh neither from the east nor the west,
nor fromn the south; but God is the Judge.
He putteth down one and setteth up another."'He changeth the times and the
seasons.  He removeth kings and setteth up
kings."  "The  Most High ruleth in the
kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."  And sometimes, for the accomplishment of His designs, HIe gives it to
an usurper and a tyrant.
#Siczkness cand  eafltli, peace and I'wa,  Ia



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  15
tional blessings and calamities, are represented as being at the disposal of an all-wise
and gracious Providence.  "Is there evil in
a  city and the Lord hath not done it?
Come, behold the works of the Lord; what
desolations He hath made in the earth.  He
maketh war to cease unto the ends of the
earth; He breaketh the bow and cutteth the
spear int sunder;. he burneth the chariot in
the fire."
The watchful care of Providence is said
to extend to all thle lower works of creation.
I-Ie giveth tie beast his food, and feeceth
the young ravens when they cry.  "Behold
the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do
they reap nor gather into barns, yet your
Heavenly  Father  feedeth  them."   "H
clothes the grass of the field, which to-day is




16 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
and to-morrow is cast into the oven."  And
again it is said,  "The hairs of your head are
all numbered."
And shall the Divine Being exercise a
kind, watchful care over lillies and the grass
of the field, over ravens and sparrows, and
even over the hairs of our heads, and shall
He not kindly watch  over the childiren of?men and the nations of th7e ccart7h    Shall He
watch over spar rowsc alnd overlook man, who
is of more value than many' ltsparrow\s? Shall
I-Ie keep a watchful care over the hairs of a
man's head, and shall he overlook 7man himself?  No; the idea is aibsurd, and is opposed to reason, as Nwell as unscriptural.
There is'either a kind, wae itclful Providence
continually  presidingl over it1e children of




O)F P lOVIDENCS DE1'ITEOT!    NI) N  EXPOSE)E.  17
men, or the Bible  is not true; for there
nothing is more plain.:y taught and more repeatedly and strongly asserted.




8'iACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
CHAPTER II.
The agency of Providence in the management of human affairs is, and ever has been,
a- prominent  doctrine in the creeds of all
evangelical Christians.
Firmly believing in the Divine supremacy,
all evangelical Christians look to Him  for
support in the day of trouble, for protection
in the'time of danger, for guidance in the
hour of perplexity, for assistance to supply
every 1ecessity, and for wisdom1  to devise,
and zeal to execute, every plan of usefulness.




OF'PROVIDINCEC DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 
It is on this account that Christians meet
and sing:
"Except the Lord conduct the plan,
The best concerted schemes are vain
And never can succeed."
If our bodily  afflictions, our painful bereavements, and our various earthly calamities, come upon us by chance, or accident, or
by a violation of the laws of nature, then to;
pray to God for His interposition would be
an incongruity, an empty compliment, a solemrn mockery.  For if He exerts no agency
in such cases, where is the propriety or consistency  of imploring  His  favor?  If  He
leaves all things to  their  natural course,.
"'then we have nothing to fear from His displeasure  on  account of sin, and  we havenothing to expect from tIis assistance, and_




20  i.t CT'CAT A'rlElSt IN DYI:~iN( I'1E AC'l.(CY
consequently  it is needless and absurd to
humble ourselves for the one, or to be imnportunate for the other."
But such is not, and never has been, the
doctrine of evangelical Christians.  They regard the Supreme Being as the great and
wise governor of the world, who is too wise
ever to err, and too good ever to be unkind.
Their bodily afflictions, their distressing
bereavements, their  domestic  trials, their
losses in business, come not out of the dust,
spring not out of the ground, they fall not
by chance, they are not unlucky accidents,
they are not occasioned by the violation of a
natural law.'No; they are all the appointments of a father and a friend.  And this is
anr assurance which cannot fail to tranquil



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  21
ize the heart of the Christian, and give it
confidence.  It is this delightful assurance
that leads the sufferer to forget his anguish,
that wipes away the orphan's tear, turns into
a smile the widow's sigh, and with the bitter
draught of misery mingles the wine of consolation.  This reconciles the Christian  to
his lot, and leads him  to bow submissively,
and say with the pious Psalmist: "I was
dumb; I opened not my mouth, because
Thou didst it'
($ZZ)




t22'RACTICAL ATHEISMTi IN DENYING THE AGENCY
CHAPTER III.
To the universal agency of Providence we
lhave the recorded testimony of those who
were shut up in all the darkness of heathenismn.
Hear the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar,
the Chaldean monarch   " And at the end of
the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine;eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
~returned u'nto me, and I blessed the Most
iigh, and I praised and honored Him that
liveth forever, whlose dominion is an ever



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  23
lasting dominion, and His kingdom is from
generation to generation.  And a1l the inhabitants  of the earth  are  reputed  as
nothing: and He doeth according to His will
in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay
His hand, or say unto Him:'What doest
thou.'"
Listen again to the testimony of Cyrus,
the Persian King:' Thus saith Cyrus, King
of Persia:'The Lord God of Heaven hath
given me all the kingdoms of the earth.""
From this language it is quite evident that
he regarded all his earthly possessions and
his extensive dominion as the gift of a kind,
watchful Providence.
The Babvlonian  G(eneral Nebuzaradan.




24 PRACTICATL ATHEISM IN DENYING THIE AGENCY
thus addressed the Prophet Jeremiah: "And
the Captain of the Guard took Jeremiah and
said unto him:'The Lord thy God hath
pronounced this evil upon this place.  Now
the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said.  And  now, behold, I
loose thee this day from  the chains which
were upon thy hand.' "
Cicero, the Romnan orator, thus acknowledges the universal agency of Providence.
After detecting and  suppressing  the conspiracy of Cataline, instead  of taking the
glory to himself, he gives it to Godl: "If I
should. say it was I that defeated the conspirators, I should take too much upon me,
and my arrogance wouild be insufferable. It
was the Supremle (G-d' it was lie, it was lie




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  25
that defeated them; it was His will to preserve our capital-His will to preserve this
city and these temples, His will that you
should all be safe.  It was under the conduct of the Immortal God that I formed
this judgment and determination, and made
such a discovery of the plot."
Thus men who had nothing but the light
of nature and tradition for their guide, did
not ascribe their defeats and victories, their
blessimgs and calamities, to chance or accident, or the workings of natural laws, but to.
the doings of the Great Sovereign of the uni-.
verse.  They were then, in this respect, fa:in advance of those who in our day nmake
their boast of progress.  For it is, if I may
be allowed to make such a statement, a
C




26   P'RACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TEE.AGENCY
progress backward.  They are not only retrograding  from  the  venerable  truths o(
Christianity, but are fast. hastening into the.
lowest depths of infidelity.
(=`  /-,,




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED..27
CHAPTER IV.
God has a right, and possesses a titness,to be the slulprelle governor of the world.
God has an unquestionable right to govemrn the world.  As IHe is the creator of all,
HEe has a rigght to sovereign rule arnd dominioi over all.  As He gave all their being, He
lias a right to appoint all their stations, and
to prescribe, for their government.
Every rman has a limited, and a derived,
rig't over his family.  It is derived from his
Trelation as father, and it is limited by the




28 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
command of God. The world is God's family, over which he has an unlimited and an
underived light to preside and govern.
God has not only a right but is admirably fitted to govern the world.
His unlimited power gives Him this qualification.
As none but an Omnipotent power could
create the world, so none but an Omnipotent
power can preserve and govern it.   But
all power belongeth unto Him, both in
heaven and on earth."  Whatever His goodness dictates, and His wisdom plans, His
power can always accomplish.
His perfect righteousness gives Him this
qualification. If he who hates right is unfit
to'govern, then He who is infinitely righteous,




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  29
and who has an infinite love for righteousness, must be admirably fitted to govern the
world.  He is "glorious in holiness."  "Just
and right is He."
His infinite wisdon  also gives Him  this
qualification.  The wisdom of men, even thewisest of them, is finite and limited.  After
their most labor'oals researches, how  soon
have they said all that they know about the
most important and  interesting  stbjects.
But the,wisdom  of God is infinite; His
knowledge is boundless.  He not only knows
all things, but He knows all things perfectly.
With Him there is no doubt, no perplexity,
no contingency.  All that is past, all that is
present, and all that is to come, lies open
and naked in His sight.  How  admirably




30 PRACTICAIT ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
qualified, then, is He to guide the helm of
government.
His universal presence gives Him an additional qualification. He is present in every
place, and at every instant. There is no
place in which He can be included, nor is there
any from which He can be excluded.  God
Himself asks the question:'"Do I not fill
heaven and earth?"  With what sublimity
is the Divine Omnipresence tauglht bly the
royal Psalmist:'"Whither shall I go froni
Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from  Thy
presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, Thou
art there.  If I make my'bed in hell, belol.d,
Thou art there.  If I take the wings of the
morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of
the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me,.
and Thy right hand shall hold mie.  If I say,




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  3t'Surely, the darkness shall cover me,' even
the night shall be light about me. Yea, the
darkness hideth not from  Thee: but the
night shineth as the day; the darkness and
the light are both alike to Thee."
This shows with what clearness and accuracy the last judgement will be conducted.
The Judge will then decide, not according to
what He has thought, or what He has infered, concerning the merit or demerit of
men, but according to what He has seen and
known of them  himself. Then no powerful
advocate can be of any service to the wicked,
and no false witness can damage the character of the righteous, for God himself was
present when the matters brought before
Him for decision were perpetrated.  Who,
then, can doubt His qualification to govern




32 PACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
the world, whose presence pervades the universe.
His boundless  goodness  adds  to His
fitness to be the supreme governor of the
world.  The Lord is good in and of Himself,
essential, perfect, eternal goodness.  His
goodness is communicated and extends to
every creature.  " Thou art good, and Thou
doest good," is the language of the pious
David.  There is not an insect that crawls
on the earth, or that flutters in the sunbeam;
there is not a fish that swims in the sea, nor
a bird that flies in the air, nor a beast that
wanders in the desert, nor a creature in the
universe below His notice and kind regard;
all are the objects of His care and the recipients of His goodness. This is not only a




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  33
qualification to govern, but an especial source
of joy and gladness to the governed.
His long forbearance is another indisputable qualification. Infinite patience, as well
as infinite knowledge, must be requisite for
such an undertaking.  The most perfect of
created beings could not behold the disorder,
the depravity, and the injustice by which we
are surrounded, and the insults which are
daily offered to God without being ready to
call down fire from heaven to consume such
guilty men. But " God suffereth long and
is kind."  But though He bears long, He will
not always bear; He will finally render to
every man the just desert of his deeds.
His immutability completes His fitness to
rule and govern the world. A character of




34 I'PACTICAI ATHEISM IN DEYITNG THE AGENCY'
stability attaches itself to nothing which we
now inherit; everything earthly is mutable
and given to changes. But God is immutable and unchangeable.  "The same yesterday, to-day and forever."  What He once
knows can never be forgotten, can never be
obliterated from His memory. To say that
God canlot see is to deprive Him of His Omnipresence. To say that He cannot know is
to'deprive Him of His Omniscience, and to
say that He can ever forget what He once
knows is to rob Him  of His immutability,
and to make Him mutable and changeable
like unto ourselves. But He changeth not.
In the Epistle to'the Hebrews we read:'And Thou, Lord, in the beginning, bath
laid the foundation of the earth; and the
heavens are the works of Thy hands. They




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  35,
shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they
shall wax old, as doth a garment, and as a
vesture shalt Thou fold them  up, and they
shall be changed; but Thou art the same,
and Thy years shall not fail."  God, then,.
is not only qualified to be the supreme governor of the world, but His qualifications can
n ever be taken away.




PfRACTICATL ATHEISM IN-DENYING TaE AGENCY
CHAPTER V.
There can be no reason assigned why God
should not govern the world, seeing that He
has a right and a fitness for it.
If God does not govern the world, it must
be either because He cannot or wit not do it.
It is not because He cannot, for He is Omnipotent; His power is unlimited, and conse —
quently there is nothing which it cannot accomplish. In the beginiiing, He commanded.
light to shine out of darkness.  "IHe spake
and it was done; He commanded and it




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  87
stood fast; He said:' Let there be light,' and
there was light."  If, then, God does not
govern the world, it cannot proceed from
His inability, " for all power belongeth unto
Him."  Inability must proceed either from a
want of knowledge, or from a want of power.
The one, if asserted, would deny his Omniscience, and make Him  an ignorant being;
and the other would deny his Omnipotence,
and make Him weak and helpless, and consequently no God at all. But His wisdom is
infinite and His power is unlimited.
Neither can it be because He will not that
we are deprived of Divine government.  To
create such a multiplicity of creatures and
rational beings, and neither te care for them
nor to provide for them, would be an inD




88'RACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
peachment of His goodness. But His mercy
is infinite, and His goodness is unspeakable.
His right and fitness, therefore, to govern is
indisputable.  His claim  cannot be denied
without being guilty of practical atheism.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  39
CHAPTER VI.
Divine Providence is universal ill its extent, including all beings and all creatures,
from the highest to the lowest.
In the Bible much is ascribed to God, but
nothing to chance, to accident, to fate, or
natural law.
Clrist, while upon earth, was under the
Divine government.. He is, therefore, said
to be the gift of God,'the sent of God, and
the annointed of the Father.  All the circumstances connected with His manifestation;




40 PIACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
all that Moses in the law and the prophets
wrote, and the convulsions and revolutions
of nations, were all the arrangements of Him
who knows the end from the beginning, to
prepare the way for His annointed. Peter
denied his Master; Judas betrayed Him; Pilate condemned Him, and the Roman soldiers put Him  to death.  But these were
only the sinful executions of the Divine decree. A bitter cup was presented to Him,
but He took it, saying: "The cup which
my Father hath given me, shall I not drink
it?'' Lo, I came to do Thy will, 0, God."
Angels form a part of His fanmily, and are
under His government. They are employed
as His agents, and are instruments of His
providence.  They fly to do His bidding.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.   41
We have many  striking instances of their
doings  recorded  in  the  Scriptures.  The
angel Gabriel fled  with  joyful'haste  to
Daniel to deliver him  the Divine message.
An angel pursued Hagar into the wilderness
and told her to  return  to  her mistress.
Three angels appear to Abraham and assure
him of the birth of Isaac.  Jacob went out
on his way, "and the angels, met him."  Au
angel delivered Lot from  Sodamn. A,1 angel
led Peter out of prison.  And angels were
the Savior's principal attendants in all cases
of extremity and necessity.  An angel was
the first publisher of His birth.  An angel
forewarned His reputed father to provide
for His safety.  Angels sang over the plains
of Bethlehem, " Glory to God in the highest;
on e'arth, peace and good will toward men."




42 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
An angel administered succor to His languishing nature in the wilderness. An angel
refreshed Him  in His agony and bloody
sweat. An angel rolled away  the  stone
from the door of the sepulchre. Angels attended His ascension to heaven. And when
He shall come a second time to judge the
world in righteousness, mighty angels will
form His retinue.
His government extends to evil angels.
He prescribes to them  their bounds, and
they cannot go one step beyond without His
permission. Evil spirit could not enter into
the Gadareme swine without leave; nor could
they touch either the person or property of
Job without permission.
MIan, the masterpiece of creation, is in a




OF PROVIDEINCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  43
more especial manner the object of Divine
care and government.  God may sometimes
lead him about, crossing his intentions, darkening his prospects, and disappointing  his
hopes; yet He always leads him in a right
way.  " The Judge of all the earth shall do
right."
His providential care extends to the elements and to the lowest of His creatures.
He tells the thunder when to speak, the
lightning when and. where to strike, the rain
when and where to fall, and to the foamingocealn Ie says:' Hitherto' shalt thou  go,
but no farther, and here shall thy proudc
waves be stayed."
The beasts that wander in the forest, the
birds that roam  in the air, the in-ects that




44 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
crawl on the earth, and all the creatures of
the sea wait on Him  and receive their food
at His hand.
The grass on the mountain top, the flowers of the field, and the fruits of the earth,
are all the production of His hand, proclaim
His goodness and manifest His glory.
I know that some have asserted that it
is derogatory to the dignity of God to stoop
so low as to concern himself about such insignificant creatures.  In reply to this objection, I wish to say that if it was no cdishonor
for Himn to make theml, it can be no dishonor
for Him to watch over and care for them.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  45
CIHAPTER VII.
God's providential dealings are sometimes
very mysterious.
IHe is a God that hideth Himself. He
wraps Himself in a cloud, and His way is in
the sea.  His ways are a height which we
cannot reach; they are a depth which we
cannot possibly fathom.  "He dwelleth in
the light which no man can approach unto."
How strikingly appropriate, then, is the question  which  Eliphas  addressed  to  Job:
"Can'st thou, by searching, find out God;




-46  lRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TIHE AGENCY
cal'st thou find out the Almighty to perfection?"  But though clouds and darkness be
round about His throne, "judgment and justice are the habitation thereof forever."
Tlhis qystery  appears in  oveirru/ingy the
wicked cdesigns of men, and  bringing good
out of the aplgparent, or intended, evil.  Joseph's brethren sold him  out of envy, but
God overruled it for their good.'The Babel
builders began to erect a tower to prevent
their dispersion; but God made it the very
means of their dispersion.  Cyrus, out of
pride   and   amnbition,  went  out  against
Babylon, and took it; but God made it tle
means, or overruled it, for the deliverance of
His people from  their seventy years' captivity.




OF' PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  47
The mysteries of Providelce appear in.
making the weakest instrumlents the means of
accomrplishing, or bringing to pass, the greatest events.  He caused the rod in the hand
of Moses to confound the skill of the Egyptian magicians.  David, a  mere  stripling,
with a sling and stone is a Watch for the gigantic  champion  of the Philistines.  The
cackling of geese is made the salvation of
the Roman capital.  And, under the Gospel,
God calls the weak things to confound the
mighty, and foolish things to confound the
wise.
His mysterious purposes are somletimes
accomplished by deeply impres.sing the mind
of one man for the preservation of others.
Mordecai, the Jew, by a mysterious move in




48 P'ACTICALI ATHIEISM IJNI DENYIJNG TlHE AG-ENCY
the wheel of Providence, is made the favorite of Ahasuerus.  The eyes of the King are
kept awake-he cannot sleep, and he is induced to pass the night in reading a book,
but he could fix upon no book but the records of the kingdom, and no place in those
records could engage his attention but the
chronicle of Mordecai discovering a treason
against the life of the King, which proved
the means of his promotion and the deliverance of the Jews from the destructive plot
laid by Haman.
At other times His mysterious purposes
are brought to pass by confounding the counsels of men, and turning the wisdom  of the
wise into foolishness.  We have a remarkable instance of this kind in the case  of




OF PRJOVIDT) NCE )'ETIECTED AND' EXPOSED.  49
Herod.  When the wise men of the East
came in search of the child Jesus, the King
sought a private interview  with the wise
men, on their arrival, and told them to go to
Bethlehem  and  search  diligentlv:for the
young child till they found him, and then return to him that he might know where to go
to worship Him, though his real design was
to take away His life.  But God appeared
to the wise men in a dream, and told them
not to return to Herod, but depart to their
own cot   try another way.  The angel also
appeared to Joseph and told him to take the
young child and His mother and flee into
Egypt, because IHerod would seek Him to
destroy Him.
The Jews  c.rucified  Christ for fear of
losing the favor of Camsar, and of exposing
E




50  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
their country to the prey of the Roman
army, which brought upon theim the very
thing they intended to prevent.
Even those dispensations of providence
which are now so dark and afflictive, and
which to us, for a time, will remain inexplicable, yet the day will come that will remove every cloud which now vails the wise
administrations of His throne.  Then shall
we be led to adore the wisdom of His government, and join in one universal response:
" 0, Lord, Thou hast done all things well;
just and true are Thy ways, 0,  Thou King'of saints.~"




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  51
CHAPTER VIII.
The  dispensations  of. Providence  are
sometimes surrounded by darkness.
The dispensations of Providence are not
only mysterious, and crooked as the paths of
the desert, but dark as the hour of midnight.
"He holdeth back the face of His throne,
and spreadeth His cloud upon it."
There is the darkness of His providential
dispensations.  If  we - are  blessed  with
wealth, it is suddenly  and  unexpectedly
taken away.  By means cf a vessel sinking,




52 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
a debtor breaking, a devouring fire, or by
some unforeseen accident, we are reduced to
a condition of poverty and want. If we are
blessed with domestic comforts these are
taken away,  An affectionate wife is severely afflicted, a valuable father is called off the
stage of life, a promising son turns out a
prodigal, or a beloved Isaac is consigned to
the grave. If we possess a character which
we value as we do our life, it is assailed by
the forked tongue of calumny and the pernicious breath of slander. Or, if we are
blessed with  bodily health, this is taken
away.  The fever begins to burn  in  the
frame, or consumption begins to prey upon
the vitals and we are laid on a bed of sickness and pain.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  53
An only son, the sole support of hoaryheaded widowhood is carried to the grave.
A valuable father is taken away from -the
head of a numerous and dependent family.
A kind mother is taken away from her helpless and fatherless children. And who takes
them  away? Who is the intermeddler in
our affairs?  "Behold, He taketh  away.
And who shall hilder Him? or who shall
say unto Him,' What doest Thou?"'
There is the darkness of spiritual trials.
The soul of the Christian is sometimes enveloped in darkness. He has lost the light
of Jehovah's countenance, and he knows not
what to do. Ile fears that the Lord has forgotten and forsaken him. He is about to
give up all for lost, to let go the anchor of
his hope, and to abandon his little boat to




54 PRACTICAL ATIM1SM IN DENYING THE AGENCK
the mercy of the billows.  And it is well for
the Christian to be sometimes down in the
valley, and to be overshadowed with a cloud.
If he was always on the mountain top, and
always under the cheering rays of spiritual
prosperity, he would be in danger of relaxing
in his Christian course, and of wandering on
the quicksands of pride.  These spiritual
trials, then, enter into the arrangements of
Providence, and are conducting us by an unseen hand to the most desirable ends.
Christian reader, were you ever in a stateof spiritual darkness? Did you ever sail in
gloominess on  the stormy ocean of life?
With what loveliness, then, did the shining
of the Saviour's face appear when it beamed
forth upon you, and comforted your troubled
heart.




OF IR'OV[DENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  55
And what does God design by these spirit ual trials?  To let us see more of the deformity and the hatefulness of sin, the emptiness and vanity of the world, the excellency
of religion and the loveliness of the Saviour.
Tlet the Christian here learn never to despair.  However dark may be his spiritual
state, and however boisterous may be his
passage, Christ is in the boat and at the
helm.  The cloud may be dark and dense,.
but the sun behind never sets.  "Let him,.
then, trust in the Lord, and stay his mind
upon his God."  In the pelting of the most
pitiless storm, let him flee for shelter to the
throne of God, and take Him  lor his strong"
habitation.
There is the dcarknesss of deatlh.  Andc




56 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TFHE AGENCY
dense, indeed, is this darkness to the impenitent, ungodly man.  He looks back with remorse on a life spent in the dark ways of
sin. He looks around but can discover no
cheering ray.  He looks inward and all is
perplexity, his conscience troubles him, and
he has a foretaste of that fire which shall
never be quenched.  He looks upward, but
instead of a cheering prospect, the heavens
gather blackness over his head; "There remaineth nothing for him but a fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation,
which shall devour him as an adversary."
The noted infidel who, in the prospect of
death, said he was going to take a leap in
the dark, in one sense told the truth, for the
darkness of sin leads to the darkness of




OF PROVIDENCR DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  57
death, the darkness of death to the darkness
of judgment, and the darkness of judgment
to the blackness of darkness forever.
There is a sense in which death is a dark
day to  the Christian.  To close his eyes
upon all visible objects, to tear his heart
from those he values and esteems; to feel
the pangs of departing life, and to enter
upon a state which is unknown and untried,
can never be contemplated as a trifle.  No;
it is a serious thing, even for a Christian, to
die.  But this only concerns the body.  He
has nothing to fear on account of the soul.
No frightful spectres of unforgiven crimes
terrify his thoughts; no uneasy  apprehensions of the future  depress his joy; no
gloomy clouds arise to darken his prospects
of future glory.  No; "Mark the  perfect




58 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
man, and behold the upright, for the end of
-that man is peace."  "I heard a voice from
heaven saying unto me:'write blessed are
-the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea,' saith the spirit,' for they rest
from their labors, and their works do follow
them. "
The dying Christian has before him the,cheering prospect of future glory.  He is
going to put off the helmet and to put on the
crown; to lay aside the garments in which
-he sustained the conflict and to be clothed
in white robes; to hang up the weapons of
his warfare, to take them  down no more
forever; to emerge from  the  darkness of
death and to shine forth not only as the.stars, having turned many to righteousness,.but as the sun in the kingdom of his Father.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  59~
The Christian, when  dying, is not allowed to pass through the dark valley alone;
a kind Providence watches over him  there..
"Though  I walk  through  the valley and
shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou
art with me; Thy rod  and thy staff they
comfort me."
To the Christian light springs up in tlhe
midst of dacrkness,  "To the upright there
ariseth  light in the  darkness."   "Sorrow
may endure for a night, but joy cometh in
the morning'."
Go into that comfortless garret, or enter
that damp, cold  cellar, and if you find a,
Christian there he will tell you that "godliness with contentment is great gain."  IIe is
more tlankful for a dinner of herbs than his




60  PIACTICAL ATHEISM IN I)ENYIN(I TIHE ACGEN(;Y
pampered lord is for all the luxuries ol na.ture.  And he is far happier in his miserable
abode than an ungodly prince in his nmagnificent palace.
Hear what is said  by the child of (od
when  robbed of his prosperity and left to
stand upon the ruins of his Aworldly hopesj'
"Shall I ireceive good  at the hand of the
Lord,  and   shalll  I  not  receive  evil?"
"Though Thl ou slay me, yet will I )put my
trust in Thee."
Look   at  that  mallrtyred   saint.   Ife
mnounts the scaffold, embraces the stake, and,
as he expires in tlhe miltst of the flames, he
says, with David:   "rTle Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  61
Lord is the strength of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid'?
Listen tothe language of the new-made
widow as she gazes upon her orphan children. Conscious that religion gives to the
widowed mother a husband more tender and
kind than the one consigned to the grave;
and to her dear, helpless children a Father
full of sympathy and love, she bows to the
Disposer of all events, a.d she says:   Not
my will, but Thine, be done."  "The Lord
gave and the Lord taketh away; blessed be
the name of the Lord."
Visit that chamber of sickness and look
at that afflicted saint. What hear you there?
The gloomy murmurings of discontent? or
the heavy groans of despair? No; the voice
F




62  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
of joy and gladness is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous. Under the afflictions of
his body his spirit is refreshed by a stream
that never dries, "but springs up unto everlasting life."
Is the Christian about to die? Death is
deprived of its sting; the grave is robbed of
all its gloomy terrors.  He looks by an eye
of faith to the star of Bethlehem, and he is
cheered and comforted.
Is the Christian in a state of spiritual
darkness, and ready to give up all for lost?
Suddenly a beam  of mercy breaks through
the darkening cloud and cheers him with its
reviving rays; and he is enabled once more
to steer his course under the unsullied sunbeams of the sun of righteousness.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  63
And who is He who causes such heavenly
light to spring up amid surrounding gloom?
Jie who superintends the destinies of men;
and who has said: "I am with thee."  " I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."




64 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THEi AGENCY
CHAPTER IX.
We can trace the hand of Providence in
the punishment of the wicked; and sometimes in the same manner and to the same
extent as they have punished others.
Pharaoh enslaved the people of Israel,
multiplied their burdens, and refused to let
them go. For this he was visited with numerous and fearful plagues, which ended in
the midnight destruction of the first-born of
Egypt, and his own final overthrow in the
Red sea.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  65
Nebuchadnezzar, the  proud King  of
Babylon, walked about his palace, looked at
the gigantic walls and the- numerous and
magnificent buildings of the city, and then
gave expression to his feelings:  "Is not
this great Babylon that I have built by the
might of my power,' and for the honor of my
majesty?"  "While the word was in the
King's mouth there fell a voice from heaven,
saying:' 0, King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee
it is spoken: the kingdom is departed from
thee, and they shall drive thee from men,
and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of
the field. They shall make thee eat grass as
oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee,
until thou know that the Most High ruleth
in the kingdom  of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever He will.' The same hour was




66 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING'HE AGENCY
the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar;
and he was driven from men, and did eat
grass as oxen, and his body was wet with
the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown
like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds'
claws."
Belshazzar, surrounded by his wives, concubines and nobles, and drinking out of the
consecrated vessels of the temple to his vain
gods of silver and gold, saw  his destiny
written upon the plaster of the wall: "K ene,
mene, tekel, uplharsin," and the very same
night fell by the hand of his enemy."
Sannacherib,  the  Assyrian  monarch,
came down with his powerful army to sack
and destroy the people and cities of Judah;
and threatened Jerusalem with a total and




0 PRIOVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  6"
an immediate  overthrow.  But the Lord.
blasted and confounded all his designs; aund
his own life was taken away by the hand of
an assassin.
Herod, arrayed in costly robes, addressedI
the people, and received the servile flatteries
of the multitude, who honored him  as agod. And for this he was smitten  by
worms in his vitals, and died by the hand of
the- Lord.
Some wicked men have been punished in
the same manner and to the same extent as.
they have punished others.
Adonibezek, King of Bezek, though a
great and  successful warrior, was finally
conquered.  He fled before the army of
Judah, but was pursued, caught and disa



68 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TIIE AGEN-CY
bled by the cutting off of his thumbs and
great toes. He acknowledged the justice of
God in his punishment.  " And Adonibezek
said:' Three score and ten Kings, having
their thumbs and their great toes cut off,
gathered their meat under my table. As I
have done to them, so the Lord has requitted me."'
Haman plotted the death of Mordecai,
and erected for him a gallows fifty cubits
high. But before the time of execution the
King is undeceived, the cruel plot is discovered, and Haman is hung upon the gallows
which he built for Mordecai.
A wicked son, enraged against his father,
seized him by the hair of his head to drag
him over the floor into the street. Having




OF PROVIDETNCE DETEICTED AND EXPOSED.  69
dragged him to the doorway, the miserable
parent cried out:    Stop! Drag me no
farther, for it was to this very spot that I
dragged my father by the hair of his head."




70'RACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
CHAPTER X.
The Providence of God is seen in His interposition in behalf of nations.
How remarkably did God interpose in
-behalf of the Jewish nation.
How suitable was the person raised up to
be their deliverer. How numerous and fearful were the plagues which were inflicted
upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians till he let
the people go. And how strange was the
direction which he gave to the captive Jews
awhen leaving the house of bondage. They




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  71.
might have taken a more direct course, and
crossed over the Isthmus of Suez; but if
they had done so they would have been
overtaken and destroyed by the pursuing
army.- But God directed them  to take a
circuitous route and cross over at the Red
Sea, which, as soon as reached, was opened
before them.  They crossed in safety; but.
the Egyptians, attempting to follow them,
were drowned. The waters closed in upon
them and all were lost.  While the Red Sea
was the pathway for His people, it was the
grave of their enemies.
He was their guide, protector and kind
benefactor all through their journey in the
wilderness.  He fought their battles, fed'them with manna from heaven, giving them.




72 PlACTICAT, ATHEISM JN DENYING THE AGENCY
a double supply the day previous to the
Sabbath, that there might be no gathering
on the seventh day, thus teaching them to
reverence and sanctify that holy day. He
drew for them water from the flinty rock;
led them by a pillar of cloud through the
day, and by a flaming fire through the night.
He interposed for them again when on the
banks of the River Jordan. Here again the
waters divided.  Those above stood on
heaps, while those below ran off into the
Dead Sea. The priests who bore the Ark of
the Covenant stood in the midst of the channel till all were safely landed on the opposite shore.
As they enter the Promised Land the
walls of Jericho fall to the ground and crum



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  73
ble in ruins at the sound of the rams' horns
and the shouts of the invading' multitude.
He provided and prepared for them the
Land of Promise.  Wells which they never
digged, houses which they never built, vineyards which they never planted, and lands
which they had never cultivated were taken
from the heathen-seven great and mighty
nations-and given to them  for their inheritance.
And all the calamities which afterwards
befell them were His chastisements for their
ingratitude and crimes.
The British nation has long been the object of God's kind, watchful care.  Because
she is, and has long been, an eminently
c




74  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THIE AGENCY
Christian nation, He has ever watched kindly over her.
She has long stood proudly among surrounding powerful nations. Rich in wealth,
strong in power, and blessed with numerous
Christian institutions, which are supported
by a princely revenue, she occupies a lofty
stand, and from her elevated station streams
of light and glory are conveyed to distant
lands.
She was the envy of the first Napoleon,
who tried in vain to subdue her. The Spanish nation tried to enter and take possession
of the little island, but to no purpose. Witness the failure of the Spanish  armada.
"The Papal Powers of Europe had resolved
to reduce the British nation to her former




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  75
condition of slavery and Popish darkness.
They envied and detested her religion, her
independence and her glory.  They built
and collected a formidable navy, the mightiest, perhaps, that had ever sailed on the
seas.   Assembled princes and  Cardinals
christened it the "Invincible Armada," and
saw it set sail for the overthrow of Britain
with no little ecstasy. But the very winds
and waves that came from the shores of Britain seem to have caught the contagion of
the island from which they came, and to set
themselves in array against the advancing
armament.  Heaven and earth  aided the
apparently insignificant navy of Britain in
the battle, for a mere wreck of the Spanish
fleet returned to the shores of the Peninsula
to proclaim,'Not by power nor by might;'




76 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
and the British navy, victorious, and almost
uninjured, returned to its native nursery of
religion and piety, to impress yet more deeply the lesson we are most reluctant to learn:'But by my spirit, saith the Lord. "
The United States of America is another
nation for which God has remarkably interposed.  She occupies a large portion of a
continent which God had mercifully kept undiscovered till needed by those who wished
to flee from the oppressive and overgrown
nations of Europe.
Ever since she has been a nation God has
made her the object of His care and kind regard.  He has fought her battles, freed her
from the foul blot of slavery, blessed her
with unparalleled prosperity, added millions




OF, PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  77
to her population, made her great in arts
and arms, the birthplace of science and the
asylum of liberty. Her territory is immense,
and her population is increasing on a scale
more vast than ever before.  And though
she is flooded with Mormonism  from  the
East, Romanism  from Ireland, Materialism
from Germany, Infidelity from  France and
Heathenism from China, yet her patriotism
and her Christianity are rising above them
all, and are making her the wonder and the
admiration of the world.
How remarkably has God recently interposed  in  behalf of the people of Italy.
Though once among the darkest, the most
debased and enslaved of the Popish nations,
through Divine interposition she has become




78 PRACLTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
a well organized and powerful kingdom; has
taken away the temporal-power of the Pope,
renounced the dogma of infalibility, proclaimed religious freedom, and made the
city of Rome the Italian capital.  "This is
the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our
eyes."
How severely and justly has God punished infidel France.
Voltaire and his associates in crime made
their boast that they would soon overturn
the foundations of the Christian religion, put
a stop to the progress of the Gospel, and destroy the hope and consolation of godly
men. And to what an alarming extent did
they succeed.  Then Christianity was renounced, the Christian Sabbath was abol



OF PROVIDENCE. DETECTED AND FEXPOSED.  79
ished, Christian temples were deserted and
desecrated, the  Gospel was regarded as
priesteraft, Christian ministers were represented as designing knaves, a vile prostitute
was exhibited as the goddess of reason, and
their country was drenched in blood. That
was the fruit of her infidelity then.
And what is her condition now?  The
Communists who had recently the possession
of Paris are no better than Voltaire and his
guilty  associates. To  destroy all proper
authority, to equalize the wealth of the nation, to shut up every Christian temple, to,
put a stop to all public worship, to cut asunder the marriage tie, and to live a life of
licentiousness, are the principles which they
held, and taught, and wished to become na



80'PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
tional. Her chastisements, then, though severe, are just.  "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve Thee shall perish;
yea, those-nations shall be utterly wasted."




OF PROVIDEiNC DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  81
CHAPTER XI.
We have many remarkable interpositions
of Providence in behalf of individuals for
the accomplishment of His wise designs.
Look at God's servant, Job. In  the
early part of his life he ranked among the
most distinguished men of the East.  He
was not only a patriarch, but a Judge and a
Prince. His possessions were large; he was
rich in flocks and herds, and his family was
numerous and flourishing.  The number of
his flocks and herds is distinctly specified.




82 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING' THE AGENCY
His substance was seven thousand sheep,
three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of
oxen, and five hundred she asses. Thus did
the Lord bless the work of his hands, and
his substance was increased in the land."
The public estimation in which he was
held is also specified. "When I went out
to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street, the young men
saw me and hid themselves, and the aged
arose and stood up; the princes remained
silent, and laid their hands on their mouths;
the nobles held their peace and their tongues
cleaved to the roofs of their mouths; when
the ear heard me then it blessed me; when
the eye saw me it gave witness for me, because I delivered the poor that cried, and




OF. PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  83
~the fatherless, and him that had none to help
him. The blessing of him  that was ready
to perish came upon me; and I caused the
widow's heart to sing for joy."
Yet it pleased God to visit this holy man
with the most painful reverses of fortune.
One, messenger came close upon the heels of
another with the sad tidings of calamity,
distress and woe. One messenger came and
told him that the Sabeans had taken his
oxen and his asses and killed his servants
with the sword. Another messenger came
and told him that fire had fallen from heaven
and had burned up his sheep and servants.
A third came to tell him that the Chaldeans
had taken away his camels and destroyed
his servants.  But the fourth came with still




84 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TI-E AGENCY
sadder tidings-this one came to tell him
that a strong wind from the wilderness had
blown down the house and killed all his
sons and daughters.  In the midst of these
fearful calamities professed friends gathered
around him for the avowed purpose of yielding him support and comfort.  But from a
harsh and ill-founded construction of the intention of Providence in these affiictions,
they only aggravated his sorrows and increased his sufferings by' their unjust and
uncharitable upbraidings.
And did all this come by chance?  Job
thought  very  differently.   He saw  and
acknowledged the hand of God in all the
troubles through which he was called to pass.
It was Job who said: " He holdeth back the
face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  85
upon it."  And now, mark his conduct under
his numerous and  diversified  sufferings.
When required to curse God and die, he held
fast his integrity. When urged to reproach
his Maker, he vindicated his dealings. When
death entered his family, and he was broken
with breach upon breach, he bowed submissively and said: "The Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name
of the Lord."  When robbed of his property,
and left to stand on the ruins of his worldly
hopes, he said: " Shall I receive good at the
hand of the Lord, and shall I not receive
evil?" "Though Thou slay me, yet will I put
my trust in Thee." When his character was
assailed by the tongue of calumny and the
breath of slander, he said to his revileis:
IT




86  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING T:E AGENCY
"Have pity on me, have pity on me, 0 ye,
my friends, for the hand of the Lord hath
touched me." When looking forward to the
day when secrets would be revealed, mysteries unraveled, and the drama of Providence
wound up, how clearly and confidently does
he speak of Christ and of his interest in
Him: "I know that my Redeemer liveth,
and that He shall stand upon the earth in
the latter day, and though after my skin
worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold and not another,
though my reins be consumed within me."
I know there are those who doubt whether there ever was such a person as Job,
and the inspiration of the book which bears




()F PROVIDENCE DETECTSD AND EXPOSED.  87
his name, but none who respect and reverance the Bible can have any such doubts.
The sacred penmen repeatedly refer both to
the person and the book, as a divinely inspired record. Ezekiel refers to Job, places
him by the side of Noah and Daniel, and
speaks of him as a man of eminent piety.
James says: " Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord;
that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender
mercy."  Paul gives a quotation from the
Book of Job: "For it is written, He taketh
the wise in their own craftiness."
The purpose for which this book was
written was to furnish an illustrious example
of patience under the most intense trials and
sufferings; and to show  that true' religion




88' PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
will bear the test of trial, even the severest
to which it can be subjected.
See this exemplified in the case of Moses.
A little rush bark is seen floating over the
River Nile.  It attracts the attention  of
Pharaoh's daughter.  She opens the ark and
finds in it a lovely babe.  He meets with
favor, and  secures her affection.  He is
brought to her father's palace and to the
Egyptian court. His mind is cultivated by
education. He is schooled in all the learning of the country, and is eminently qualified to be a national legislator and military
leader.  And was all this done by chance?
No; the hand of God was in the whole of it.
He ordered  every circumstance connected
with' that little bark.  He.it was.that sug



OF PROVIDENCE.:DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  89'
gested the plan to the weeping imother, and
then directed the steps of Pharaoh's daughter to the spot where the young child lay,
excited her sympathy, and kindled  in her
"heart a flame of love for the infant.stranger.
He watched over that little bark and.its precious contents with constant: care.  Such
was the mysterious plan which God devised
to preserve and qualify Moses to be the
leader, governor and defender of His people.
See the same truth also exemplified in
the case of Joseph.  A young shepherd boy
dreams a dream  which is interpreted of his
future greatness. He is, on this account,
hated by his brethren, is sold to the Ishmaelites, and carried into Egypt.  There he is
sold for a slave, is unjustly charged: with




90 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TIlE AGEN-CY
crime and cast into prison; and there he be-.
comes the interpreter of the dreams of the
imprisoned butler and baker.  This is carried to the ears of the King, who is greatly
troubled on account of a dream. The distressed and injured youth is sent for, he
makes known its interpretation, is on this
account raised to power and placed on the
highest pinacle of honor in the gift of the
King. And did all this come by chance?
No; it was all the contrivance of infinite
wisdom.  His evil disposed brethren who
sold him, the Ishmaelites who carried him
into Egypt, the licentious wife of Potipher,
who wished to draw  him  into sin, and his
master who cast him into prison, all these
were only the sinful executioners of the Divine purpose. Joseph was sold into Egypt




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  9t
not only to provide bread for his family and
posterity, but for the advancement of the
Church.
In the whole of this mysterious providence God has one great object in view, and
on this his eye is constantly and steadily
fixed; it is the advancement of His glory in
the salvation and happiness of His people.
We have another illustration of this truth
in the case of Esther, the Queen of Ahasuerus. A little girl, a member of an obscure
family in the land of Persia, is at an early
age deprived, by the hand of death, of both
her parents, and is left a poor orphan in
the midst of a cold, unfeeling world. But
as she advances in life she is virtuous,
modest, beautiful, lovely  and  attractive.




92 PiRAOTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
The beautiful and amiable Esther attracts
the attention and secures the affection of
King Ahasuerus.  She became his wife, was
taken to his palace, and called to share the
honors of his crown.  And was all this mere
accident? Were all these events brought
about by chance?  Certainly not.  They
were all the arrangements of infinite wisdom.' By birth she belonged to the Jewish
nation. Her people  were scattered, surrounded by enemies, and plots were laid for
their destruction.  But in the palace of Sushan, and in the court of the King, Esther is
true to her God, and true to her people, and
her powerful influence is exerted for their
protection and advancement.  Thus was this
poor, obscure girl raised up and guided by
the hand of God to an elevated station and




OF PROVIDENCE DETPECTED AND EXPOSED.  93
commanding influence, to be the protectorand deliverer of His people; to prepare the
way for their return to their native land, and
to the Holy Hill of Zion.
We have another illustration of this truth
in the case of Daniel.
The King of Babylon went to war with
the King of Judah, is victorious in battle,
and among the captives taken away from
their homes and country is a pious and amiable youth belonging to one of the royal
families of the Jews. He is taken into the
family of the King of Babylon. He stands
before the King. He is daily fed at his table. He receives the royal favor, is advanced
to power, and stands upon one of the highest pinacles of honor. In this elevated sta



94 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGEINCY
tion he is not only true to his King, but true
to the God of his fathers. In this situation
he became an object of envy. A wicked
plot was laid for his downfall and ruin, and
he is threatened with the lions' den if he
prays to any  God but Nebuchadnezzar's
senseless image. But the youthful saint is
no idolater; he can worship no god but the
Lord God of Israel. Having been fouiid
praying, as usual, to the God of his Fathers,
he was cast into a den of lions. But in this
perilous situation his God was with him who
laid the ferocious lions at his feet, like so
many harmless lambs. And was all this
mere accident?  Certainly not.  His enemies designed it for evil; but God designed
it for good. Thus the Divine purpose was
accomplished, Daniel was saved, idolatry




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  95
was renounced, and the God of Israel was
publicly  honored, and  universally  worshipped.
And what a striking illustration have we
of this truth in the case of the three young
Hebrews. These young men, like Daniel,.
were of the royal family of Judah, and with
him were carried captive into Babylon.
For three years they were brought up in
the King's palace; fed at the King's table,
and instructed in all the learning of the
Chaldeans. And such was the proficiency
which they made, and their growing uprightness and integrity, that they were soon elevated to some of the most honorable and lucrative situations in the kingdom. On this
account they were the objects of envy and




96 PRACTICAL ATHIEISM JN DENYING TIE AGENCY
malice, and a plot was laid for their downfall
and ruin. Thev were required to fall down
and worship a senseless image, and were
threatened with a fearful death should they
dare to refuse. But they did'nobly refuse.
The threatening of death-and death in its
most terrific form-could not move them to
a sinful compliance; and when told that if
they persevered in their determination they
would be cast into a burning, fiery furnace,
their resolution was unshaken; they evinced
a spirit of noble daring. With  dignified
composure and believing confidence, they
said: "0, King Nebuchadnezzar, we are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. If it
be so, the God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  97
He will deliver us out of thy hand, 0, King.
But if not, supposing Ite should not interpose in our behalf, and we should be cast
into the flames, and perish in the flames,
whatever may befall us, be it known unto
thee, 0, King, that we will not serve thy
gods nor worship the graven image which
thou hast set up."  To punish them for this
act of disobedience, amid the  cries and
shrieks of friends, and the insolent triumph
of foes, they were cast into the furnace
heated seven times hotter than it was wont
to be heated, by the orders of an enraged
and merciless tyrant.  But in that furnace,
and in the midst of those flames, there
was immediately with them  a fourth like
unto the son of man, and by him they were
preserved  and  cheered.  They  were cast
i




98  PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
into the flames, but in those flames they remained unhurt. Not a single hair of their
heads was singed; nor did the least smell of
fire pass upon their garments. The bands
by which they-were bound were loosened
and they walked at liberty in the midst of
the flames. And how is this to be accountod for? The Omnipotent Redeemer was
with them, His power protected them, and
His grace was abundantly  sufficient for
them.
But let us now come nearer to our own
times to see this truth illustrated.
During the dark days of Popery, Tyndal's Bible sold with great difficulty, and
had nearly ruined those who engaged in the
enterprise, when the Popish Bishop of Lon



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  99
don, to stay the progress of truth, bought
up an immense number of copies to burn
them, which freed its publishers from  debt,
and they were enabled to print and circulate
a second and much larger edition. Thus an
immense amount of good was accomplished
by an interposition of Providence in over,
ruling this wicked act of the Bishop, for the
advancement of His truth.
During the days of Mary, the Popish and
cruel Queen of England, a person was sent
with an edict for destroying the Protestants
of Ireland. In the city of Chester, while
lodging in the house of the Mayor, he happened to mention the nature of his commission. A woman who overheard him make
this statement abstracted this cruel edict




100 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TIHE AGENCY
from his possession. When, therefore, he arrived before the authorities of Ireland his
commission was missing.  He had  to go
back to London to obtain a second, but before his return to Ireland the Queen died.
Thus did God mercifully interfere to save
the Protestants of Ireland from an untimely
and cruel death.
Lady Huntington was a devoted, active
Christian. She lived for the good of others,
and the advancement of the Saviour's kingdom. She spent a large income in the support of charitable and religious objects. And
sometimes she went beyond hor means, and
involved herself in pecuniary difficulties.
At such times she was accustomed to lift up
her heart to God, in all the confidence of
faith, and call on Him for help.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 101
I will give one instance of God's interposition in her behalf:  "Zion Chapel, near
White Chapel, London, which was formerly a
riding-school, was offered for sale, and was
taken by the Countess of Huntington, at a
venture, in hope of benefitting the depraved
and crowded population of that district. But,
though her ladyship bought it, she had not
funds to pay for it. Five hundred pounds
had to be paid down by a certain day. A
gentleman who called upon her about noon
of the same day that payment was to be
made, asked her if she had received the expected sum. She wept, and replied that she
had not;'but,' said her ladyship,' I have been
greatly comforted by thinking of those lines
by Sternhold and Hopkins:




102 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
" Make you His service your delight;
He'll make your wants His care."'
The  gentleman  blamed  her ladyship
greatly for engaging in such strange speculations. While he was yet speaking, the post
came in and brought three letters; and when
she opened and read the third she wept.
The gentleman inquired into the cause of her
tears.'There,' said she,'take that letter and
see.  "0, thou of little faith, wherefore didst
thou doubt?"' repeating  again  the lines
of Sternhold and Hopkins.  The gentleman
took the letter and read as follows:' A gentlemanl having heard of the efforts of the
Countess of Huntington to promote the Gospel about the metropolis, sends her five hundred pounds."' And  was all this mere
accident? Did all come by chance? Cer



OF PROVrDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 103
tainly not.  It was a kind interposition of
Providence. Here was the exact sum  needed, sent by a stranger for the object for
which it was required, and on the day when
payment had to be made.
The mistake of a word in the direction of
a letter led to the discovery of the gunpowder plot, by which means the life of the
British King and the members of Parliament
were saved from a fearful and cruel death.
And was this mere accident? No; it was a
merciful interposition of Providence. It was
the finger of God pointing out the diabolical
plot.
The American Continent is provided, and
kept in reserve, to furnish room and support
for the overgrown nations of Europe.  As




104 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
soon as it is needed, Columbus is ready and
anxious to go in search of it. His sovereign
and the government of his country favor the
enterprise. All things necessary for the voyage are readily furnished, and the enterprising explorer sets sail with high hopes and
ardent desires.  But at length the disappointed crew get discouraged, become mutinous, and resolve to throw Columbus, their
brave commander, overboard.  But at this
juncture a straggling sea weed floats in full
view before them, to indicate their near approach to land. Hope is again revived, the
mariners are cheered, the life of Columbus is
saved, and  the  Continent is discovered.
And did all this come by chance? No; all
was under the management of a superintend



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 105
ing Providence.  And for this rich inheritance generations yet unborn will thank Him
with warm emotions of grateful hearts.




106 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYTNG THE AGENCY
CHAPTER XII.
The Providence of God is seen in making
all things work together for the ultimate
good of His Church.
God has a perfect knowledge of all His
people. Not a single member of His Church,
however obscure, can escape His notice, or
be deprived of His watchful care. He has.a Book of Life in which their names are
written, and a book of remembrance in
which all their pious deeds and labors of
love are recorded. "For the eyes of the




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 107'
Lord run to and fro throughout the wholeearth, to show himself strong in behalf of
them whose hearts are perfect toward Him."'
The course of nature has been controlled
for the good of the Church.  I do not recollect, in the whole of Sacred History, that we
have a single instance of God going out of
the common line of His providential dealings but where His people, in one way orother, have been connected.  As, by reason
of sin, nature was armed against man, so, on
his return to God, contrary to her own laws,.
she is made subservient to his security and
salvation. Hence, we see the sea divide for'
His people to pass through dry shod. Forthem the stars are marshaled to fight against
Sisera.  For them the sun stands still upon




108 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
Gibeon, and the moon in the Valley of Ajalon. He cast down upon the enemies of His
people great hail stones, "so that more were
they who fell by the hail stones than Israel
slew by the sword."  For them the fire loses
its burning quality; and ferocious lions lie
at their feet like harmless lambs.
The affairs of nations have been controlled
by a kind Providence or the good of the
Church.
By reason of the judgments which God
brought upon the Egyptians, He made it
more their interest to let the people go than
to retain them  in bondage.  Sometimes He
raises up Kings for the express purpose of
vindicating the rights of His people, and
avenging their wrongs. " Therefore," said the




.OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 109
prophet EBisha to Jehu, "I have anointed
thee king over the people of the Lord that I
may avenge the blood of my servants, the
prophets, and the blood of all the servants
of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel."  He
also raised up Cyrus to deliver the visible
Church from Babylon, at the expiration of
their. seventy years' captivity.  He also
caused that people, contrary to all rules of
civil policy, not only to deliver them, and restore them to their own land, but to assist
them  in rebuilding their city and temple.
Thus we see that "the hearts of all men are
in His hands, and He turneth them what
way soever He pleaseth."
The gifts and talents of men, in every age
of the world, by a wise arrangement of ProviOi~~~~~~~~~~




110 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
dence, have been used for the good of the
Church.
That unseen hand which rules the destinies of nations, in an especial manner rules
in Zion; and the wisdom of His government
most eminently appears in adapting both
the talents and the graces of His servants to
the age in which they live, the people over
whom they preside, and the work to which
they are called.
Who but Noah, in the midst of reproach,
ridicule and the most discouraging prospects
of success, would have persevered in the discharge of his duties for the space of a hundred and twenty years.
Who but Moses was qualified for such an
undertaking as that to which he was ap



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 111
pointed? Who else could have surmounted
the difficulties which he had to surmount,
and to bear the insults and reproaches which
he had to meet from  that ungrateful and
provoking people?
Who but the Apostle Paul could have labored so incessantly, endured reproaches and
persecutions, bonds and imprisonments, and
have planted the Gospel in so many nations,
so different in their customs, manners and
habits?
Who but Luther, who, aided by the eternal spirit, resolved to do battle with demons,
and to hurl disgrace against the Pope, could
have brought about so extensive and glorious
a reformation as that which followed his
labors and immortalized his name?




112 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TnE AGENCY
Who but Whitfield and Wesley  were
qualified for the great work to which they
were appointed?  They lived and labored
at a time when vital piety was almost extinct, when the masses of the nation were
irreligious and immoral, and were led captive
by the devil at his will. But through their
zealous, self-denying labors, and faithful,
earnest exhibitions of Divine truth tens of
thousands became the subjects of conscious
guilt and Gospel salvation.
These were all men for the times, raised
up by God for the good of the Church.
In  every  age the Lord has had His
morning stars in the Church, as heavenly luminaries, to shed abroad a savor of the
knowledge of a crucified Redeemer.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 113
Angels are appointed by a superintending
Providence to actfor the good of the Church.
Hence, they are called watchers, messengers,
and ministers, sent forth to minister to those
who shall be heirs of salvation.  Sometimes
a whole company of angels have been engaged for a single servant of God. When
Jacob went to meet his brother Esau he was
sore afraid; but the Lord sent a whole company of angels to defend him  from  the
wrath of his brother. Therefore, it is said:
"' Jacob went on his way, and the angels of
God met him, and when he saw them he
said:' This is the Lord's host.'"
Time would fail me to advert to the numerous instances recorded in the Holy Scriptures of the kind offices which these invisi



114 PRACTICATL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
ble  attendants  have  performed  for the
people of God. But this we can with truth
say: that the weakest and the meanest of
God's servants are more highly honored by
the attendance of these unseen legions than
all the greatest potentates upon earth, with
all their legions of honor about them.
Those thirngs which in themselves have a
tendency to create strife and contention are
overruled by a kind Providencefor the good
of the Church.
Divisions in the Church have been overruled for her good. The separation of Paul
and Barnabas, which was occasioned by a
painful contention, was for the Church's enlargement.  One denomination has been di



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 115
vided into many others, and yet the parent
body is larger than ever.
The diversity of opinion which prevails in.
the Church with regard to doctrine, discipline and government, which short-sighted
men have employed as a weapon against
her, has been overruled by Providence for
her enlargement and prosperity.  Was it not
for diversity of sentiment, the Church would
be like a stagnated pool. In proof of this,
take a view of those countries where free
inquiry in matters of religion is not tolerated,
There you see the people sunk down, ancl
lost in all the rubbish of superstition and
idolatry. Free inquiry in matters of religion
is the birthright of every man.  Every man
has a right to think for himself, to form his




116 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
own creed, and to worship God as his own
conscience may dictate. And no man, nor;
any number of men, have any right to force.
their creed upon him.
Diversity of sentiment among Christian
believers excites emulation, enkindles zeal,
leads to investigation, and stimulates to exertion.
Persecution itself, which has often beei
employed to exterminate the Church, has
uniformly, by a kind, watchful Providence,
been made the means of her extension.
The persecution which arose at the death
of Stephen, though it scattered the Church,
yet it was like the husbandman that scatters
abroad the precious seed which produces an
abundant crop, for wherever these perse



OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 117
cuted saints went they scattered abroad the
seeds of the kingdom, by which means the
Church was greatly enlarged.
It is to the persecutions that befell the
Apostle Paul that the Church is indebted for
many of those invaluable epistles which he
wrote. And it is to persecution that we are
indebted for many of the best books that are
now extant in the English languge.
Christ was given for the good of the'Church. This is the greatest and the richest
display of Providence, around which almost.all other providences are seen to merge. To
this we trace the calling of Abraham, the
institution of the Livitical ritual, all that
Moses in the law and the prophets wrote,
and the management by which the Jews




118 I'RACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
were kept a separate and distinct people, not
only separate and distinct from  other niations, but among themselves, so that every
one knew  his own tribe, and the patriarch
from which he descended.
The Church is the purchase of the Saviour's passion, the subject of His meditation, and will be His joy and crown of rejoicing, " when He shall see of the travel of
His soul, and shall be satisfied."
He is the head of His mystical body.
He is the King of Zion, and overrules all
things for the good of His Church.
It cannot be otherwise that all God's providential arrangements are for the good of
His Church, because of the great love which.le has ever manifested toward ]her.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 119
Such is His love for the Church that she
is said to be engraven on the palms of His
hands, in allusion to the rings where men engrave the likeness of those dear to them;
and as the Jews engraved on their rings the
likeness of their city during their captivity,
that they might never forget it. The love
of God for His Church is greater, far greater,.
than that lelt by a tender-hearted mother
for her infant child. And can He so love
His Church and not plan and govern for
her good? No; she is ever the object of
His care.
Such is the love which God feels for His.
Church that He favors those who favor her;
and He is the enemy of all those who despise
and persecute her.




120 PRACTICAL ATHEISMA IN DENYING THE AGENCY
Moab gave entertainment to the flying
Israelites when their land was invaded by
an enemy, and for that favor the Lord said
that the spoiler should not e.ter their territories; and that He would give them kings
and judges under the protection of the houseof David. But observe, on the other hand,
the fearful curse which God pronounced
upon those who came not out to meet the
Israelites with bread and water. They were
not allowed to enter the congregation of His
people for tel generations.
God has more love for one righteous person than for a whole city of the ungodly.
He would not suffer a spark of fire, or a drop
of brimstone to fall upon the cities of the
plain, till His servant Lot was safe in Zoar.
God has more love for one righteous person




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 12t
than for a whole world of sinners.  He saves
Noah, and his family on his account; but He
drowns an ungodly world. And we are assured that if only ten righteous persons had
been found in the cities of Sodam  and Gomorrah God would have spared them for
their sakes.
And why are Christian nations spared
and delended, while others are distracted
and tumble into ruins?  Shall we attribute
it to their wise politicians, to their able statesmen, to their brave generals, to their numerous armies, or to their powerful navies.
No; none  of these; nor all of them  put
together; but to God's wat:hful care over
His Church, listening to the prayers of His
saints, who sigh and cry for the abominations
of the world.
K




122 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
CHAPTER XIII.
The inferences which are to be drawn
from the preceding interpositions of. Providence:
If all the providences. are for the good of
the Church, then we may fairly infer that
God has a Church in the world-a people
for His glory.  A people separated from the
world, the subjects of His grace, who -voluntarily associate together for Christian fellowship and religious worship, and over whom
He exercises a constant watchful care.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 123
If there is a constant watchful Providence
over the Church, then we may justly infer
that He always will have a Church in the
world.  She can never be destroyed.  Thundering  anathemas have been  poured out
against her.  Lifidels, by craft, and tyrants,
by power, have invented for her modes of
torture and of death. Her enemies have
been assaulting her for the space of six thousand years; but every past assault has gone
to prove her stability, while every future assault shall be had in derision by Him who
sitteth in the heavens. But after all that
her enemies have done she still lives and is
still enlarging her borders. The King of
Zion is going on from conquering unto conquest, "and will reign till all enemies are




124 PRACT1CAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
put under His feet."  "On this rock will I
build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against her."
It God will always have a Church in the
world, then we may inefer cagain that He will
always p1rovide for her  wants.  She  will
never be without a regular succession of devoted members, wise and zealous officers,
faithful  and   successful  ministers.   If
Abel be put to death, God will raise up a
Seth to fill his place.  If Nebuchadnezzar be
permitted to pull down the walls of Jerusalem, a Cyrus will be raised to build them up
again.  So it will ever be in the Christian
ministry.  These faithful, devoted servants
of God are almost daily taken from  the
Church and  carried  by fiery  chariots to




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 12
heaven.  Some are taken away newly green,
others newly gray, while a few are allowed
to drop their flowing mantles at the age of
three score years and ten. But no sooner
has this fiery car dislodged one than another
steps forward and says:' Here am I. Lord,
send me."
If God has a Church in this world, then
we may infer again that it is the duty of
every member to study her welfare.  Then
let every member promote her peace, pray
for her prosperity, labor for her advancement, and emulate the example of the pious
Jew, who, in the strength of his attachment
and from the fullness of his heart, said: " If
I forget thee, 0, Jerusalem, let my right
hand forget her cunning; if I do not remerm



126 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
ber thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of
my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above
my chief joy."




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 127
CHAPTER XIV.
The answers which are given to the objectors of God's providential interpositions:
The objectors to God's providential interpositions ask, if there be a watchful providence continually presiding over the children
of men, how  can this be reconciled with the
unequal distributions of His blessings? How
is it, they ask, that the wicked are often
treated as friends and the righteous as enemies?  The  wicked, they  say, are often
blessed with prosperity, and the righteous




128 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
are sometimes reduced to poverty and want.
We' have seen, they say, the wicked rioting
in luxury, and swiming in splendor, while
the righteous have been reproached and persecuted, and sometimes dragged before an
impious magistrate, or a blood-thirsty tyrant; or, like a poor Lazarus, lie neglected
and  unpitied at the gate of an imperious
and merciless lord.  I admit the correctness
of the contrast, but not the inference. The
day is approaching when the secret will be
revealed, when the mystery will be unraveled, when the great drama of providence
will be wound up, and will appear before assembled worlds that all the ways of God to
men are just and equal.
But we contend that it is not well with




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 129
the wicked in prosperity, nor ill with the
righteous in adversity.
Can it be well with those who are bartering
immortal pleasures for momentary gratifications? Can it be well with those who, instead of being better, are the worse for the
blessings bestowed  and  favors conferred
upon them? They may be rich in the estimation of the world, but in the estimation
of heaven, " they are poor and blind, miserable and naked."  They may be elevated to
pinacles of honor and dignity among men,
but in the estimation of heaven they are
sunk down into the low depths of sin and
depravity.  They may put on a cheerful
countenance and  appear gay and happy,
when the heart is full of bitterness, and the




180 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
inind is as the troubled sea when it cannot
rest.  The  wicked have now  their good
things, but it is all the good they will ever.enjoy.
As it is not well with the wicked in prosperity, so it is not ill with the righteous in
adversity.  Adversity cannot be a positive
~evil, nor can prosperity be a positive good.
A bad man may be miserable in prosperity,
and a good man may be happy in adversity.
Can it then be ill with those whose guilt is
canceled, whose hearts are  changed, and
who are filled with peace and joy through
believing?  Can it be ill with those to whom
God is a reconciled Father, Christ is a Saviour, and the Holy Ghost is a comforter?
I ask again, can it be ill with those who are




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 131
suffering only momentary pains for immortal pleasures? "who can stand and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God;" and who can
anticipate by faith the happy day when the
calamities of time will be exchanged for the
glories of eternity? No; it is well with the
righteous in every situation and condition in
which they can be placed.  " Godliness with
contentment is great gain."  "Godliness is
profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that
which is to come."
But the great good of the righteous is in
reversion-it is laid up for them.  Shame
will be made the pathway to glory, and
death the way to immortality and eternal
life.  Then a poor Lazarus will be comfort



182 PRACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING TI.E AGENCY
ed, while his  rich, unfeeling lord will be
tormented.
If good men are poor, tired and afflicted,
it is always for some wise end; to answer
some valuable purpose, which, if we know
not now, we shall know hereafter.  Let us
then confide in a kind  Providence, who
makes all things work together for our
present and future good.




OF P}ROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 133
CONCLUSION.
Trust Providence in the greatest extremity.
In the day of adversity, in the hour of persecution, in the time of sickness, on the ruins
of your worldly hopes, at the grave of your
dearest earthly object, and on a bed of
death, trust Him who has pledged His gracious  presence  and  comforting  support.
Take Him at His word. He has pledged,
and His pledge has never been broken, and
consequently the soul of the confiding Christian has never been deserted.
L




134 PRACTICAL ATHEISMI IN DENYING THE AGENCY
Trust Providence in the use of means.
Let there be a full consecration of yourselves
to His service, a diligent improvement of
your privileges, a constant employmient of
your talents for the advancement of the Saviour's kingdom; and in the full assurance
of faith, let your heart be lifted up to God
in earnest prayer, if you would witness His
kind interposition in your behalf.
Let the consideration of a kind, watchful
Providence piromote your religious advancement. Let it strengthen your faith, inflame
your love, embolden you in prayer,. encourage you in difficulties, correct and modify
your anxiety about the future events of life,
and induce you to leave aill your affairs in
the hands of the wise Ruler of the universe.




OF PROVIDENCE- DETECTED AND EXPOSED. 135
Let the Christian console himnself with the
assurance that the darkest dispenzsations of
providence are limited by time.  While. upon
earth his graces will be tried by a variety of
sorrows and  complicated  distresses.  It is
only when he breathes his last that the effects of the curse will cease to follow him.
It is only when he steps into the deep, cold
flood  to cross the river of death that his
troubles will come to an end.  It is only in
the paradise of God above that be will enjoy
uninterrupted and eternal repose.  Then he
will be delivered from  all his tribulations,
for they can only follow him  to the grave.
But while the sorrows of the co:zfiding
Christian are limited by time, his prospects
of future happiness are boundless as eternity.




136 PRACTICAL ATHEISSM IN DENYING THIE AGENCY
Then he will enter a kingdom  that will
never be moved; he will wear a crown that
will nevel tarnish, and possess an inheritance that fadeth not away.  Then his day
will never be followed by night. His light
will never be eclipsed or overspread  by
darkness.  His joy will never be succeeded
by sorrow.  He will enjoy a nightless day;
a perpetual Sabbath-a deathless immortality.  Such are the cheering prospects of
the Christian as he steps from  the shores of
time into the boundless ocean of immortal
glory and endless blessedness.
We have a comprehensive and beautiful
illustration of God's providential dealings
and their beneficial results, by Cowper, in
the following admirable lines:




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  137
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.' Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.' Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and will break
In blessings on your head.' Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace.
Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face.
"His purposes will ripen fastUnfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."




138'RACTICAL ATHEISM IN DENYING THE AGENCY
We will now  close our vindication of a
superintending Providence.  He may  lead
us about.  His footsteps may be in the sea.
His chastisements may be severe.  His way
may be crooked as the paths of the desert,
and dark as the hour of midnight, yet we
have this delightful assurance: "The Judge
of all the earth will do right."  Let us, then,
trust Him where we cannot trace Him.




OF PROVIDENCE DETECTED AND EXPOSED.  13'
BY THE SAME AUTHOR: "Christian Labor; The Want of the Church and the
Claim of the Times."
" CHRISTIAN LABoR; The Want of the
Church and the Claim of the Times," by
Rev. James Nall. This is an earnest appeal to Christian workers by a retired
and much respected pastor of Detroit,
showing the nature of Christian labor, its
necessity, and the motives stimulating to
its perfcrmance, with other kindred topics.  Its admonitions should be heeded
and st  lied by every church member.Deltroit Tribune.