dence; but as I have recited, perhaps, too many of them already, I have here given thee only a few fathoms of heavenly meditation, with which the God of all grace enabled me to sound this mystery in a fit of sickness that befel me at Thames Ditton. Then it was that I received the greatest part of this consistent chain; the links of which kept every faculty of my soul, and every thought of my heart, so delighted and entertained, that I sat down a most willing, submissive, and delighted captive, at the foot of my prevailing lover and almighty conqueror.

If my reader should meet with any worldly professor, who tells him that temporal mercies are not promised to us, nor to be sought by us, let him examine all the prayers that are left upon record in the Bible, and he will find nine out of ten of them to have temporal mercies included. And surely he must be a native of Ashdod, or a bastard Jew, that contradicts the consecrated languages, and gives the Divine Speaker the lie. Such men appear to me to be the figurative offspring of Epicurus, who first assaulted the doctrine of Providence; of whom Cotta declares that, by making God careless of the affairs of men, he utterly subverted all religion. And I think Aristotle's reply to Epicurus's system of nullity is applicable to many bastard professors in our days; wherefore I shall bring him to rebuke them. Diversity of questions,' says he, ' requires diversity of answers. Some ask whe

ther fire be hot! These must be answered by being made to touch it. Some ask whether their parents are to be honoured! These are not to be discoursed with, but rebuked. Others ask whether there be any Providence that rules the world, and refuse to believe it without apparent demonstration! Such men should be answered by a whip, rather than by a philosopher.'

Reader, fare thee well. Grace and Providence be with thee; while I remain,

GOD

THE GUARDIAN OF THE POOR,

AND

THE BANK OF FAITH;

OR,

A DISPLAY OF THE PROVIDENCES OF GOD

WHICH HAVE AT SUNDRY TIMES

ATTENDED THE AUTHOR.

IN TWO PARTS.

PART II.

AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, WHEN I SENT YOU WITHOUT PURSE, AND SCRIP, AND SHOES, LACKED YE ANY THING? AND THEY SAID, NOTHING. LUKE Xxii. 35.