vernour of the whole Earth. And thus it is, that abundance of the Produce of the Ground does only in confequence tend to his Service. The Beasts of the Land, the Fowls of the Air, and the Fishes of the Sea, all partake of the Almighty's Bounty; they find large Supplies of Food for their Subfiftence, and Conveniencies for their Habitations; they rejoice and folace themselves in the Plenty of their Provifions, yet finally for Man it is, that they receive thofe Provifions; they likewife minister to our Neceffities, and contribute to our Satisfaction, and for our Service and Enlargement they are and were created.

BUT moreover, the good Providence of the Almighty discovers itself most eminently in the Room it leaves for the Art and Induftry of Man to exert itself; wonderful indeed are the Productions of Nature, but not fo fpontaneous as to want no Afsistance; vaft Improvements may be and are made in the Management of the Soil, and the Care of the Plants; and this Care, this Management employs Mankind in a diligent and healthful ExVOL. I. G ercife

ercife upon them, whereby we may improve them into Bleffings; accordingly the Labour and Sweat of the Brow, which are the Confequences of the natural Barrenness of the Earth, are found in all refpects best fuited to the present Condition of Man, because the Bleffing of God generally goes along with the honeft Diligence of the Husbandman, and greatly encourages our Industry without diminishing the Honour of his own Providence; for we must not think, that the Fruitfulness of the Seafons is the neceffary, tho' God hath made it the natural, Confequences of our Labours: The leaft Reflection upon the Nature of things will carry our Thoughts up to that great Author of all Being, for every Production of the Earth, and convince us that every Instance of the Almighty's Providence in the common Courfe of Nature is no other than a Train of Wonders, whereby He preferves his Creation.

WAS it not God that did at firft impregnate the Womb of the Earth with fuch Fecundity of Bleffings? Was it not the Almighty that call'd forth the pro

lific Warmth of the Sun; that fix'd the Ordinances of Heaven, and fet the Dominion thereof in the Earth? Did not the first Principles of Nature, the Seeds of all Fruits, and Plants, and Herbs fpring from him? Doth not He continue to vifit the Earth with his Goodness, and enrich it with Rivers which are full of Water, to foften its Furrows with the Drops of Rain, and to bless it with the Encrease of Plenty? Weak and ridiculous would be our Attempts to bring forth Food from the Earth, unless the Almighty was to fuccour our Endeavours; we could not form the Seeds, if the Plant itself should once ceafe to yield them, nor cherish them with vital Heat, if the Sun fhould withdraw its fhining; we could not of ourselves call down Fatnefs from the Clouds of Heaven, nor caufe the Bud of the tender Herb to fpring forth; fo far are we from any Ability to produce them, that we are perfectly ignorant of the Nature of the Production the most common Blade of Grafs puzzles our niceft Enquiries; and however fome fecond Caufes do not efcape our UnderVOL I. G 2 ftanding,

;

ftanding, certain it is, that the Nature of these Caufes we can never find, and the Methods of their Operations are utterly out of our Sight: All our Business is to make use of the best Means that Experience has taught us, for a plentiful Produce, but we muft depend on God for the Success of them; we may plant and water, but God alone giveth the Encrease. Let him therefore who cafteth his Seed upon the Ground, with modeft Dependance upon the good Providence of the Almighty, fleep and rise Night and Day, his Seed will neverthelefs fpring up he knows not how; the Earth will bring forth Fruit of itself, firft the Blade, then the Ear, then the full Corn in the Ear; and when the Corn is thus brought forth, thus ripened, then let him with joyful Thankfulness put in his Sickle, because the Harveft is come. And this brings me naturally to confider the Second Head of this Difcourfe; viz. the Tempers of Mind which thefe Reflections ought regularly to raise up in us.

It, THEN, Doth God alone crown the Year with his Goodness? ought not

We

we in continual Thankfulness to look up to Him on whom we depend for our daily Bread, and use those Bleffings to his Glory, by which He largely provides for our Happiness? Every Meal we feed upon is an Entertainment fent from Heaven; and to abuse the Riches of God's Goodness is ungrateful: Luxury and Wantonnefs, Riots and Intemperances in the Use of this Bounty are the highest Indignities we can offer to the Almighty, who is a God of Purity and Holiness ; a chearful Singleness of Heart, a thankful Enjoyment of whatever is given, and a modeft Dependance upon Him for the Continuance of well-accepted Favours, are the Tempers of Mind which God's Benefactions ought to inspire. But moreover, the Largeness of the Provision which is here made for us, ought to carry up our Thoughts higher than the perishing Food of this Life: We are at prefent only upon our Journey, Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth, haftening towards our native Country, and if the Providence of God hath made our Accommodations upon this Road of Sorrow