children of men”—­But finds it necessary to afflict.  Grief and sorrow are known under the divine administration, and ordered out to mortals by providential dispensation.  But these natural evils are always in consequence of moral evil, which is not the effect of divine influence, but ariseth from another source and hath another author.  It ariseth from the abuse of powers which were given for better purposes.  Where sin hath gone before, sorrows follow after; but they are not pleasing to the Supreme Governor.

* Rom. xv. 3.

The wickedness of the old world occasioned the deluge; but it is impossible to read the Mosaic account of those events, and suspect that they were pleasing to Deity.

We may make the same remark respecting the declensions of Israel and Judah and the judgments which followed.  “O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, Thus ye speak, saying, if our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?  Say unto them, as I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel?” * By another prophet we find God mourning over them —­“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?  How shall I deliver thee, Israel?  How shall I make thee as Admah, and set thee as Zeboim?  Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.”

* Ezekial xxxiii. 10.

That people continued in their sins and perished in them:  But will any who read these messages, sent them of God, conceive their crimes, and the desolations which followed, when they had filled up the measure of their iniquity, to be pleasing to God, or the effect of divine order and influence?

Will those who read our Savior’s lamentations over Jerusalem, and the destruction soon after brought upon that city and nation, because “they did not know the time of their visitation,” consider those events as pleasing to him?  His predictions were verified—­“their enemies cast a trench about them, compassed them round and kept them in on every side—­laid their city even with the ground, and her children within her; not leaving one stone upon another—­Zion was ploughed like a field”—­vast numbers perished in the siege—­many were crucified after the city was taken—­the residue scattered among all nations, and the sword drawn out after them!  The compassionate Redeemer called those sinners to repentance—­warned them of the evils which they would bring on themselves, by refusing the grace which he offered them, and wept over them when filling up the measure of their guilt!  But when they had been tried the appointed time, and continued obstinate, till the divine patience was exhausted, he entered into judgment with them and gave them according to their works.

Similar will be the event of persevering obstinacy in others.  Man is placed here for trial—­endowed with powers sufficient to render him a probationer; which implies capacity to use, or abuse his powers.  The abuse is sin.  The way of duty is made known, needed assistance conferred, the reasonableness of obedience shewn, and the injunction, “occupy; till I come,” subjoined, but no compulsion is used.  Thus circumstanced, it is referred to man to choose for himself.