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SERM. V.vil and produce fome confiderable Good, which could not otherwise be produced. There must be then an Adjustment of the State of the natural World to that of the rational and intelligent Creation. All the Arguments, which prove that God, that God governs World in general in a Manner which fuits beft with Reason, prove likewife that he takes Care of particular Cafes in the fame Manner. For God can no more act contrary to Reafon in any particular Cafe, than he can in general do so. The Time, the Manner and Condition of each Man's Exiftence must be determined by Him, upon whom each Man's Existence depends; which cannot be done without defcending to Particulars.

5thly, The furprizing Discoveries of Murder, the Fall of the Wicked into the Pit, which they made for others the ftrange and judicial Infatuation of Men wife at all other Times, when fome great Event was to be brought about, which can only be refolved into his Power, who maketh the Knowledge of the Wife foolish, and turneth their Counfels backwards; the Indifcretion of others fucceeding, when well concerted Plots have failed; the Difpro

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portion of the vifible Means to the Effect; SERM. V. these are so many Arguments to prove a particular Providence at the Helm, who has a perfect View of all Things, whether great or fmall, at all Times, and in all Places, with infinitely more Eafe; than we can attend to one Thing at once.

There is great Reafon to think, that God often breaks the fine fpun Threads of human Policy, and brings the most unpromifing Projects to bear. Were the Soul

divested of the Body; the might find herfelf as much miftaken about feveral Turns of Affairs; as the Trojan Hero was, who was enraged at the Grecians, whom he thought the fole Authors of his Country's Ruin: But when the Mift was removed which dimmed his mortal Sight, he faw the Deftruction of the City, in which he thought buman Agents were only concerned, was caused by Beings of a much fuperior Nature.

We have a pregnant Inftance in Scripture, that God vouchfafed to fit at the Helm of the Jewish State. For when all the Males three times a Year were obliged to go to the Temple at Jerufalem, and confequently left the Frontiers of their

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SERM. V. Country unguarded; what could hinder their Enemies, (and no Nation had more Enemies,) who used to defy the Armies of the living God, from making a Defcent upon a naked and defenceless Country ? What, but He, who in the Language of Scripture boweth the Hearts of a WHOLE Nation, as the Heart of ONE Man? When God has fome great Defign in View, He giveth one univerfal Bent of Inclination to a whole People with the fame Eafe, with which a Gust of Wind inclines all the Tops of Corn in a waving Field the fame Way.

This, you will fay, is only a Proof of a national Providence; it facilitates, however, our Belief of a Providence extending to each Individual. What follows, directly proves it, as to the better Part of us, our Souls. God is every where prefent; and to fuppofe that an infinitely good' Being can be invifibly prefent to the Soul, without awakening in it pure and virtuous Notices, and exciting it to the Pursuit of Piety, not indeed by irrefiftible Force, but by rational Motives, would be to entertain a worse Notion of an all-gracious God, than we do of a pious Man. For any good Man, who is continually prefent with us, will be

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fuggesting advantageous Rules for the Con-SERM. V. duct of Life, if he hath our eternal Intereft at Heart. The Philofophy now in vogue allows, that God continually acts upon Matter; and that whatever Motion there is in the great Bodies of the Universe, is owing to his immediate Operation. But if God acts continually and immediately upon Matter; it will be hard to affign any fufficient Reason, why he fhould not act upon, what is much nobler than Matter, the fpiritual World.

There are very few, who have not, fome time or other, just as they were upon the Point of perpetrating a bad Action, felt a fudden Check or Refraint upon them, which has rendered their Design abortive. Something, they knew not what, at that very Crifis, when, if they had gone a Step farther, it had been too late to retreat, hath withheld them from finning. A chill Fearfulness and Trembling hath come upon them, that were Strangers to Fear; and an unufual Damp hath overcaft the Soul, which had been inured to hardy Attempts. When any good Suggeftion without any antecedent Train of Ideas arifeth in our Minds, we know not how or from what VOL. II. Quarter,

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SERM. V. Quarter, we ought to look upon it as a Beam of Light darting in upon our Minds from the great Father of Lights; and let us improve, cultivate and ripen it, till it breaks forth into correfpondent Actions.

IVthly, I fhall make two or three Reflections and fo conclude.

It. Let us learn from hence to form the most august Ideas of the divine Nature, of which ours is capable.

Look how wide and fpacious this Earth is, on which we live: Yet this Earth is as it were but one petty Province of God's univerfal Empire, one little Wheel of the vaft Machine, the whole World. How astonishingly great then is that Being who fets each Wheel in Motion, and regulates the whole Circumference of the Creation ; where there are Diverfities of Adminiftrations, but the fame God, which worketh All in All? It is his Power, which wields fo many mafly Bodies, and bids the Planets go their everlasting Round; it is his Wisdom, which adjusts such Variety of Movements without the leaft Confufion; it is his Goodnefs, which has enriched the Universe with fuch a Profufion of Good, beautified it with

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