conditions and in circumstances other than those which God Himself has approved and appointed.

Faith in God and surrender to Him form the indispensable necessity on the part of the individual before he can receive the guidance of God. Apart from this condition God refuses to grant His guidance; nay, He may be said to withhold it and thus lead men into error. Those who fulfil the conditions receive His guidance; to those who do not fulfil His conditions, but in unbelief or arrogance turn from His grace, it becomes a means, under His providence, of leading them further into error. 'Many will He mislead by such (parables) and many guide, but none will He mislead except the wicked, who, after its establishment, violate the covenant of God'. . ¹ The following passage brings out the same thought, 'I will turn aside from my signs the proud ones of the earth unjustly'.²

Another series of passages must yet be considered ere we can close this section. There are passages which appear to teach that the unbelief or wickedness of man is because of a decree of God. Thus we read, 'And to every people have we sent an apostle saying; "Worship God and turn away from Taghut, there were whom God guided, and there were others decreed to err".' ³ The original ⁴ of this last clause may be better translated 'and there were others to whom error was justly

appointed'. The appointment was not by eternal decree, but by judicial decision, because of their unbelief, or because of their own choice of evil.

Again we find, the following, 'But prepared of old for the infidels was this fraud of theirs; and they are turned aside from the path: for whom God causeth to err; no guide shall be for him.' ¹ Here again, on looking at the original text ² we find that the idea conveyed by the above translation is not fair. The phrase rather means, 'To those who have disbelieved their deceitful action has been made to appear attractive.' Some commentators even suggest that it is Satan who has made it to seem attractive, but even following the usual explanation that it is God who is the Agent, the words must be taken in the sense in which we see God's actions spoken of: 'Verily, we have ordained (literally, made) everything which is on the earth for its adornment, that we might make trial who among mankind would excel in works.' ³

The verse xiii. 33 deals not with the divine decrees, but with the providential dealing of God, and is to be taken in view of what has already been said as to God's leading and misleading.

Another passage in which a similar expression is employed is found: 'Thus are the deeds of transgressors pre-arranged for them.' ⁴ Again we note that the original text ⁵ does not necessarily refer to any decree