7.  It  would  be  tedious  now  to  enumer-
ate the  most  ancient  prophecies  respecting
each  future  event,  in  order  that  the  doubter,
being  impressed  by  their  divinity,  may  lay
aside  all  hesitation  and  distraction,  and
devote  himself  with  his  whole  soul  to  the
words  of  God.  But  if  in  every  part  of
the  Scriptures  the  superhuman  element
of  thought  3  does  not  seem  to  present
itself  to  the  uninstructed,  that  is  not  at  all
wonderful ;  for,  with  respect  to  the  works
of  that  providence  which  embraces  the
whole  world,  some  show  with  the  utmost
clearness  that  they  are  works  of  provi-
dence, while  others  are  so  concealed  as  to
seem  to  furnish  ground  for  unbelief  with
respect  to  that  God  who  orders  all  things
with  unspeakable  skill  and  power.  For
the  artistic  plan  ♦  of  a  providential  Ruler
is  not  so  evident  in  those  matters  belong-
ing to  the  earth,  as  in  the  case  of  the  sun,
and  moon,  and  stars ;  and  not  so  clear  in
what  relates  to  human  occurrences,  as  it  is
in  the  souls  and  bodies  of  animals,  —  the
object  and  reason  of  the  impulses,  and
phantasies  and  natures  of  animals,  and  the
structure  of  their  bodies,  being  carefully
ascertained  by  those  who  attend  to  these
things.5  But  as  (the  doctrine  of)  provi-
dence is  not  at  all  weakened  ^  (on  account
of  those  things  which  are  not  understood)
in  the  eyes  of  those  who  have  once  hon-
estly accepted  it,  so  neither  is  the  divinit)'
of  Scripture,  which  extends  to  the  whole
of  it,  (lost)  on  account  of  the  inability  of
our  weakness  to  discover  in  every  expres-
sion the  hidden  splendour  of  the  doctrines


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