Vfair to God's unerring Providence, though it was managed by Cafting of Lots: Thou, Lord, who knowest the Hearts of all Men, Shew, whether of these two thou haft chosen. Whatever is feemingly effected by the Miniftry of second Caufes, God fo lays, directs and conducts the Train of Events, as to serve his own beneficial Purposes. The Scripture very fully and expreffly afferts a particular Providence: God holdeth our Soul in Life: He is a very prefent Help in Trouble: The very Hairs of Hairs of our Head are all numbered: Not a Sparrow falls to the Ground without the Deity: Nothing being fo fmall and inconfiderable, as to escape his infinite Knowledge; Nothing fo great or unweildy, as to encumber his Almighty Power.

Still this Objection may be advanced : We may suppose two Men equally Good, equally the Care of Providence, begging at the fame Time, the one for an Eaftern Wind, the other for a Western, as moft commodious for his Voyage. How can God's Providence gratify Both, when their Requests are contrary? To which I answer, that, though God cannot gratify Both, by granting their particular Requests, which interfere,

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interfere, because he cannot do what im- SERM. V. plies a Contradiction; yet he may confult the Intereft and Advantage of Both: may be equally gracious in what he withbolds from the one, as in what he vouchSafeth to the other. He may make an Incident, however contrary to his Wishes, turn out upon the Whole to his Benefit, by an unexpected Train of Occurrences, by fecret and unfufpected Methods. In the

Cafe of two contrary and clashing Petitions God will do what is for the Good of the Whole; but fo, as that the particular Good of each Individual, who prays affectionately, means well and acts up to that Meaning, shall coincide with the general Plan. Nay if the ftormy Wind, which he deprecates, fhould arife and fink him in the Deep; yet it may bring him to a far more valuable Haven, the Haven where he would be, the Land of everlasting Rest.

But can God, you will fay, behold the Things that are in Heaven and in Earth, and with one comprehenfive View command the whole Compass of the Universe? Yes. He, that made the Eye, shall be not fee; and He, that made the Ear, shall be not bear? Or he that teacheth Man Know

SERM. V ledge, shall he not know? Confider that He invefted you with the Faculty of Knowing and Thinking: And can you ftupidly imagine, that what you know and think by and from him, can efcape his Thoughts and Knowledge? Look upon that glorious Luminary the Sun: It's Light flies fwift as Thought from one Part of the Universe to the other; it penetrates into every Corner, and nothing is hid from the Heat thereof. And can you think, that the Knowledge of the Deity does not extend much farther and penetrate deeper, than the Light of that Body, which is the Work of his Hands? It is as certain that God feeth us and all our Actions, as that he giveth us the Power of feeing. Fain would we imagine him far from us; though even fpontaneous Motion be a Proof of his immediate Presence. The Soul wills the Motion of the Hand and Foot, and they immediately move obedient to it's Orders. Yet the Soul has no more a Power, independently of it's Maker, to move it's Limbs by a mere Thought; than it has a Power to move the Sun, Moon, and Stars by merely willing it: And He, who has made the former confequent upon our Volition, might have made the latter

fo too by his Almighty Power. The Jews, SARM. V. as we learn from Maimonides, waved their Sacrifice upwards and downwards, North and South, Eaft and Westward, to intimate that the Being, to whom they confecrated their Sacrifice, was every where, a Being whom no Place could confine, and none exclude*.

Let us then leave it to him, who alone is equal to the mighty Province, to adjust in fuch a Manner the various interfering Interefts of Mankind in general, and to confult the private Cafes of each Individual; that every Man, who makes it his Bufinefs to recommend himself to God, may find his Happiness over-balance his Mifery.

But this brings me to my IIId Head, viz. to prove the Truth and Certainty of a particular Providence.

ift, That the Deity fhould not grant every particular good Man, what is really for his Good upon the Whole, and no ways inconfiftent with that of the Public; muft either argue, that He is unwilling, or that he is unable to grant it. Infinite Goodness cannot but be willing to communicate Happiness to every Individual, who is not want

* See Outram de Sacrificiis, Page 162,
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SERM. V. ing to himfelf; and infinite Power cannot but be able to bring about, whatever his Goodness wills.

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Let us fuppofe a Man combating with fome uncommon Diftrefs, to which his Strength is greatly unequal; let us fuppose, that this Man, who has regarded God during the main Tenour of his Life according to the best of his Abilities, now implores him with all the Energy of Devotion, as his laft, his only Refuge. Can we imagine, that the Father of Comforts and the God of Mercy will ftand looking upon his Trouble; without either vouchsafing to him any outward Affiftance, which he can easily do in an unperceived Manner, to whom all Nature is fubfervient; or communicating to him. inward Confolation, though he knows each Avenue to the Soul? He may not think fit entirely to remove his Misfortune; but he will either lessen or abate it, so that he shall not be tempted above what he is able; or he will adjust his Succour to his Exigency.

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2dly, God will respect and treat every Man agreeably to what he is; and therefore there can be no irrespective Course of Things, Matter and Motion are very undistinguishing?

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