Again: If the fitness of actions is founded in the relations of beings to one another, then the fitness of the actions of God’s providence over mankind, must be in many instances altogether incomprehensible to us.
For the relation which God bears to mankind, as their all-perfect Creator and continual Preserver, is a relation that our reason conceives as imperfectly, and knows as little of, as it does of any of the divine attributes. When it compares it to that of a father and his children, a prince and his subjects, a proprietor and his property, it has explained it in the best manner it can, but still has left it as much a secret, as we do the divine nature when we only say, it is infinitely superior to every thing that is finite.
By the natural light of our reason we may know with certainty, several effects of this relation, as that it puts us under the care and protection of a wise, and just, and merciful providence, and demands from us the highest instances of humility, adoration and thanksgiving. But what it is in its own nature, what kind of state, it is to exist in and by God, what it is to see by a light that is his, to act by a power from him, to live by a life in him; are things as incomprehensible to reason, left to itself, as what it is to be in the third heavens, or to hear words that cannot be uttered.
But if this relation consists in these inconceivable things, in a communication of life, light and power, if these are enjoyed in God, and in ourselves, in a manner not to be explained by any thing that we ever heard, or saw; then we must necessarily be poor judges of what is fit for God to require of us, because of this relation. It teaches us nothing but the superficialness of our own knowledge, and the unfathomable depths of the divine perfections.
How little this writer has considered the nature of this relation between God and man, may be seen by the following paragraphs. The Holy Ghost, says he, cannot deal with men as rational creatures, but by proposing arguments to convince their understandings; and influence their wills, in the same manner as if proposed by other agents. As absurd, as to say, God cannot create us as rational beings, unless he creates us in the same manner, as if we were created by other agents. For to suppose that other agents can possibly act upon our understanding, and will, in the same manner that God does; is as gross an absurdity, as to suppose that other agents can create us in the same manner that God creates us.
And to confine the manner of the Holy Ghost’s acting upon us, to the manner of our acting upon one another by arguments and syllogisms, is as great a weakness, as to confine the manner of God’s creating us, to the manner of our making a statue with tools and instruments.
But he proceeds and says, For to go beyond this, would be making impressions on men, as a seal does on wax; to the confounding of their reason, and their liberty in chusing; and the man would then be mearly passive, and the action would be the action of another being acting upon him, for which he could be no way accountable[¹].
[¹] Page 199.
Here you see the Holy Spirit has but these two possible ways of acting upon men, it must either only propose an argument, just as a man may propose one, or it must act like a seal upon wax.
I only ask this writer, whether God communicates life, and strength, and understanding, and liberty of will to us, only as men may communicate any thing to one another? or as a seal acts upon wax? If so, it may be granted, that the Holy Ghost cannot act upon us any other way.