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preferring it should have a distinct conception of the means which the Almighty may adopt to fulfil it . The prayer of Cornelius was heard ,
and his desire of further light on the subject of religion was satisfied , though he could have no distinct conception of the means which God ¦ would employ for that purpose . Suppose any devout Heathen of the
present day to fall down and pray to the unknown God , arid with a strong sense of his own ignorance to implore him to enlighten his mind with truth , coulcj there be one found so insensible as to bring against him a charge of absurdity on that account ? And if
God , in the exercise of his providence , should lead him to the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ , which is able to make men wise unto salvation , this , surely , would be no less an instance of divine grace , than if he had taught him by the ministry of
heavenly angels , or by his own immediate operation had inspired him with the knowledge of his truth . So , may it not be a rational prayer of every partaker in Christian privileges , that he who knows our thoughts , and is
conscious of every thing that passes in our minds , would promote the influence and superintend the efficacy of those means which he has planned for our instruction in righteousness , and our final admission to glory ?
Views of this kind , it has been said , open the door to every sort of delusion . And it cannot be denied that men have often entertained extravagant and unscriptural notions respecting the Divine Influence upon the mind . But we are liable to err on either
hand , by taking a confined view of this subject . On the one hand , those who maintain the doctrine of Divine Influence , generally conceive of the Almighty as acting upon the mind in
an arbitrary and supernatural manner , as if he had no fixed rule of proceeding in such a case , and was in want of proper instruments to effect his purposes ; and , on the other hand , those who controvert the notion of
sensible impulses , sometimes go so far as to give us the impression that , in their opinion , the Almighty exercises no controul over the spiritual part of his creation , ( that is , has nothing to do with the noblest part of
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his works , ) and that in none of tire acts of his providence does he concern himself to promote the spiritual well-being of his creatures . This is
to go from one dangerous extreme to another ; for what can have a greater tendency to deprive religion of its influence , than such a view of things as this , which represents us as struggling with difficulties and exposed to
dangers , in relation to our most important interests , without being able to look up to that great Being , on whom all our hopes depend for help and protection ? His spirit , which pervades every thing and discerns
every thing , is debarred , it seems , from interposing its energies in behalf of creatures , whose infirmities expose them to constant peril , though they have before them the prospect of immortal life and happiness .
On this supposition , too , what account can be given of the duty of prayer ? For why should we be called upon to commune with that Intelligence who surrounds us , unless it comes within the scope of his
providential government to bear a personal relation towards us , as the hearer and answerer of prayer ? But a theory , which excludes the Divine Being from so large and important a part of his creation , will be found to have its
origin in narrow and erroneous views of his nature and perfections . There is every reason to suppose that he has the dominion equally of the spiritual and material kingdoms . We , indeed , have no knowledge of mind except from its operations ; we know little
or nothing of the nature or quality of spiritual existence ; and , therefore , the operations of mind do not seem to us capable of being brought under the same strict cognizance of Divine Providence as tak £ s place in the material world : but we may be sure
that , with respect to God , both departments of creation are equally and entirely known ; and , if known , then guided equally to a good end , by the exercise of divine power , wisdom and goodness , in the formation and maintenance of equitable and beneficial laws . Under this idea of the
extension of Divine Providence to every part of the creation , we ought to regard every influence which tends to the rfioral improvement of mankind *
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478 On the Divine Influence *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1819, page 478, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1775/page/18/
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