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what strange Disorder would enfue, if this vast Universe, confifting of fuch unconceiv able Variety of Parts, were without a fupreme Director! What could keep together the wonderful Frame? Or, what Security could we have, but that fome fudden wild Chance would overturn all? This were a most shocking and unnatural State of Things, which a good Man could fcarce think of without Horror. It must therefore be a bad Mind that can cherish or take Pleasure in

fuch a Thought. The Pfalmift obferves that the Fool bath faid in his Heart, There is no God. Pfal. xiv. 1. The word Elohim, there used to fignify God, is that which is particularly defigned to denote him as a Governor and Judge; fo that it is as if it had been faid, the Fool hath faid in his Heart, There is no God that governeth and will judge the World; i. e. there is no Providence. And this is certainly an Argument of great Folly as well as Corruption of

Heart.

Upon the whole, it may be juftly concluded, that there is the fame Reafon to believe, that God in his Providence preferveth and governeth the World, that there is to believe, that there is a God who gave Being to the World. And accordingly, fome Notion of a Divine Providence feems to have obtained almoft univerfally among Mankind.

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All the Prayer which have been offered, the Vows that have been made, the Oaths and folemn Appeals to Heaven, so usual in all Ages, fuppofe a Providence. Yea, every Man may in effect be faid to have a Witness for Providence in his own Breaft. Conscience is a kind of perpetual Monitor, and as it were God's Vicegerent in the Soul, telling Men, whether they will or no, that there is a fupreme Governor and Judge, who continually observes them, and to whom they must be accountable. And there have been few who have been able fo entirely to extinguish and filence its Remonftrances and Admonitions, but that fome Fears and Apprehenfions of this have still remained.

But no where is the Doctrine of Divine Providence fo fully and strongly inculcated as in the facred Writings. And it must certainly be a peculiar Satisfaction and Advantage to be affured in the Name, and by the Word of God himself, of the Care he condescendeth to exercise towards all his Creatures, particularly towards Mankind. To have this plainly and exprefsly declared to us in a well-attefted divine Revelation, hath a happy Tendency to remove the Doubts and Sufpicions which might be apt to arife in our Minds, from the Confideration of God's fupereminent Majefty and Glory, and our own Meannefs and Unworthiness.

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We are every where directed in holy Writ, to confider ourselves and all Things as under the conftant Inspection and Government of the Supreme Being, to regard his Hand in all the Events which befal us, in every good Thing we receive, and in every Affliction we meet with. The historical Part of Scripture containeth an Account of remarkable Acts of Providence carried down from the Beginning of the World, through a long Succeffion of Ages; and the moral and doctrinal Parts every where suppose it and build upon it, and it is frequently defcribed in the most lively and ftriking Manner. Nor is it without good Reason that this is so much infifted upon in Writings defigned for the Direction and Regulation of our Faith and Practice. For, if the Belief of a Providence were banished from among Men, there would be no fuch Thing as Religion, or the Fear and Love of God: no Pláce would be left for Trust in him, or Dependence upon him. Who would think themselves obliged to serve and worship a God that gives himself no Concern about them, and takes no Notice of their Actions or Affairs? To what purpose would it be to pray to him for the good Things they stand in need of, or to praise and bless him for the Benefits they enjoy? Every Man would then be left to do what is right in his own Eyes, and a wide Door would be

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opened for all manner of Licentiousness. Accordingly, it is often represented in Scripture as an Ingredient in the Character of the worst and wickedeft of Men, that they endeavour to perfuade themselves that there is no Providence, or that God doth not obferve, nor concern himself about the Actions of Men, or the Events which befal them. Thus, after the Pfalmift had described, in ftrong Terms, a Man that abandoneth himfelf to all manner of Wickedness, and efpecially to Injustice, Infolence, and Oppreffion; he reprefenteth him as faying in his Heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his Face, he will never fee it. Pfal. x. 11. See to the fame Purpose, Pfal. lxxiii. 11.— xciv. 7: So alfo, it is obferved concerning the Men that were fettled on their Lees, i. e. who were fecure and hardened in their evil Courses, and were for making themselves eafy in their Vices, that they faid in their Hearts, The Lord will not do Good, neither will be do Evil. Zeph. i. 12. There are

few indeed that will openly declare this in plain Words, but there are many that fay in their Hearts, i. e. who would be glad to have it fo, and would fain argue themselves into a Belief that so it is. Or if they cannot bring themselves abfolutely to believe that there is no Providence, yet they indulge Doubts and Sufpicions about it, they fix

their Views wholly on fecond Causes, and overlook the Providence of God, and for the most part confider it as little as if there were no fuch Thing, or as if it had no Concernment with human Affairs.

But there is no one Thing of greater Consequence to a Life of Piety and Virtue, than to get our Hearts poffeffed with a firm Perfuafion of God's all-governing and alldifpofing Providence, and to have a conftant Regard to it in our whole Course. Our Belief of this should not be a cold wavering Affent,which will have but small Influence; it must be strong and vigorous, deeply rooted in our Hearts, and established on folid Evidence. Nor muft we fuffer it to lie as a fpeculative dormant Principle, but must endeavour frequently to exercise it, and then it can scarce fail to have an happy Influence upon our whole Temper and Conduct. How folicitous, how earnestly defirous would this make us to approve ourfelves to God in our general Practice, to walk always as in his Sight, and to commit ourselves and all our Concernments to him with a meek Refignation and steady Dependance! How afraid fhould we be of offending him! It would be the most effectual Prefervative against Impatience and Difcontent and an immoderate Dejection under Adverfity, as well as against Infolence and

Abufe

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