cluded himself from making exceptions to them, whensoever he pleases: either by suspending those laws, in favour of those that love him, or by employing his mighty angels: by either of which means he can deliver out of all danger them that trust in him.

"What! You expect miracles then!" Certainly I do, if I believe the Bible. For the Bible teaches me, that God hears and answers prayer. But every answer to prayer is, properly, a miracle. For if natural causes take their course, if things go on in their natural way, there is no answer at all. Gravitation, therefore, shall cease, that is, cease to operate whenever the Author of it pleases. Cannot the men of the world understand these things? That is no wonder it was observed long ago, ❝ An unwise man doth not consider this, and a fool doth not understand it."

23. But I have not done with this same General Providence yet. By the grace of God, I will sift it to the bot tom. And, I hope to shew it is such stark-staring nonsense, as every man of sense ought to be ashamed of.

Tell me any Genus,
What is it that con-

You say, "You allow a General Providence, but deny a Particular one." And what is a General, of whatever kind it be, that includes no Particulars? Is not every General necessarily made up of its several Particulars? Can you instance in any General that is not? if you can, that contains no Species? stitutes a Genus, but so many Species added together? What, I pray, is a "Whole that contains no Parts ?" Mere nonsense and contradiction! Every Whole must, in the nature of things, be made up of its several Parts, insomuch that if there be no Parts, there can be no Whole.

24. As this is a point of the utmost importance, we may consider it a little farther. What do you mean by a General Providence, contradistinguished from a Particular? Do you mean a Providence which superintends only the larger parts of the universe? Suppose the sun, moon, and stars. Does it not regard the earth too? You allow it does. But does it not likewise regard the inhabitants of it. Else what VOL. IX.

U

doth the earth, an inanimate lump of matter, signify? Is not one spirit, one heir of immortality, of more value than all the earth? Yea, though you add it to the sun, moon, and stars? Nay, and the whole inanimate Creation? Might we not say, "These shall perish," but "this remaineth: these all shall wax old as doth a garment:" but this, (it may be said in a lower sense, even of the creature,) "is the same, and his years shall not fail."

25. Or do you mean, when you assert a General Providence, distinct from a Particular one, That God regards only some parts of the world, and does not regard others? What parts of it does he regard? Those without, or those within the Solar System? Or does he regard some parts of the earth, and not others? Which parts? Only those within the temperate Zones? What parts then are under the care of his Providence? Where will you lay the line? Do you exclude from it those that live in the Torrid Zone? Or those that dwell within the Arctic Circles ?

Nay,

rather say, "The Lord is loving to every man," and his care is over all his works."

26. Do you mean, (for we would fain find out your meaning, if you have any meaning at all,) that the Providence of God does, indeed, extend to all parts of the earth, with regard to great and singular events; such as the rise and fall of empires: but that the little concerns of this or that man are beneath the notice of the Almighty? Then you do not consider, that great and little are merely relative terms, which have place only with respect to men! With regard to the Most High, man, and all the concerns of men, are nothing, less than nothing, before him. And nothing is small in his sight, that, in any degree, affects the welfare of any that fear God and work righteousness. What becomes then of your General Providence, exclusive of a Particular? Let it be for ever rejected by all rational men, as absurd, self-contradictory nonsense. We may then sum up the whole Scriptural Doctrine of Providence, in that fine saying of St. Austin," Ita præsidet singulis sicut universis, et universis sicut singulis!"

+

"FATHER, how wide thy glories shine!
Lord of the universe-and mine.
Thy goodness watches o'er the whole,
As all the world were but one soul:
Yet keeps my every sacred hair,
As I remain'd thy single care."

27. We may learn from this short view of the Providence of God, first, to put our whole trust in him, who hath never failed them that seek him. Our blessed Lord himself makes this very use of the great truth now before us. Fear not, therefore, if you truly fear God, you need fear none beside. He will be a strong tower to all that trust in him, from the face of their enemies. What is there either in heaven or in earth that can harm you, while you are

under the care of the Creator and Governor of heaven and earth? Let all earth and all hell combine against you; yea, the whole animate and inanimate Creation: they cannot harm, while God is on your side: his favourable kindness covers you as a shield.

28. Nearly allied to this Confidence in God, is the Thankfulness we owe for his kind protection. Let those give thanks, whom the Lord thus delivers from the hand of all their enemies. What an unspeakable blessing it is, to be the peculiar care of him that has all power in heaven and earth! How can we sufficiently praise him, while we are under his wings, and his "faithfulness and truth are our shield and buckler ?"

29. But mean time we should take the utmost care to walk humbly and closely with our God. Walk humbly; for if you, in any wise, rob God of his honour, if you ascribe any thing to yourself, the things which should have been for your health, will prove, to you, "an occasion of falling." And walk closely! See that you have a conscience void of offence, toward God and toward man. It is so long as you do this, that you are the peculiar care of Father which is in heaven. But let not the consciousness of his caring for you, make you careless, indolent, or

your

slothful: on the contrary, while you are penetrated with that deep truth, "The help that is done upon earth, he doth it himself:" be as earnest and diligent in the use of all means as if you were your own protector.

Lastly: In what a melancholy condition are those, who do not believe there is any Providence: or, which comes to exactly the same point, not a Particular one! Whatever station they are in, as long as they are in the world, they are exposed to numberless dangers, which no human wisdom can foresee, and no human power can resist. And there is no help! If they trust in men, they find them deceitful upon the weights. In many cases they cannot help: in others, they will not. But were they ever so willing, they will die: therefore, vain is the help of man.

And

God is far above, out of their sight: they expect no help from him. These modern (as well as ancient) Epicureans have learned, That the

"Universal Cause,

Acts not by partial, but by general laws.”

He only takes care of the great globe itself; not of its puny inhabitants. He heeds not how those

“Vagrant emmets crawl,

At random on the air-suspended ball."

How uncomfortable is the situation of that man who has no farther hope than this! But, on the other hand, how unspeakably happy is the man," that hath the Lord for his help, and whose hope is in the Lord his God!" who can say, "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is on my right hand, I shall not be moved." Therefore, 66 though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

SERMON LXXIII.

THE WISDOM OF GOD'S COUNSELS.

ROMANS xi. 33.

"O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and
Knowledge of God."

1. SOME apprehend the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God to mean one and the same thing. Others believe, that the wisdom of God more directly refers to his appointing the ends of all things, and his knowledge, to the means which he hath prepared and made conducive to those ends. The former seems to be the most natural explication: as the wisdom of God, in its most extensive meaning, must include the one as well as the other, the means as well as the ends.

2. Now the wisdom, as well as the power of God, is abundantly manifested in his Creation, in the formation and arrangement of all his works, in heaven above and in the earth beneath and adapting them all to the several ends for which they were designed: insomuch that each of them apart from the rest is good: but all together are very good; all conspiring together in one connected system, to the glory of God, in the happiness of his intelligent creatures.