VINDICATION

O F

PROVIDENCE:

OR, A

TRUE ESTIMATE.

OF

HUMAN LIFE.

IN WHICH

The Paffions are confidered in a New Light.

Preached in St. GEORGE's Church near Hanover-
Square, foon after the late King's Death.

By FOUNG, LL.D.

Rector of Welwyn in Hertfordshire, and Chaplain
in Ordinary to His Majefty.

LONDON:

Printed for T. WORRALL, at the Judge's Head
over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street.
Price One Shilling,

M.Dcc.xxxvII.

TO THE

QUEEN.

MADAM,

F the following Difcourfe is as Happy in its Execution, as it is Important in its Defign, It will not be, give me leave to fay) alltogether unworthy of a Royal Patronage.

THE Defign is of great confequence; and I think, New: It is to remove a Prevailing, and Inveterate Miftake, which firft fprang, and now thrives in a Soil too indulgent to it, and a Soil too difficultly fubdued, the Pride, and Ill-Nature', and Melancholy, and Vice of mankind. I mean, MA DAM, That falfe Opinion, That Reflection on Providence, "That

A 2

" This

"This World is, in its own Nature, That is, " by God's Appointment, a World of Sorrow,

a Scene of Mifery, a Vale of Tears; and that to Be in it, is to Be wretched unavoidably." Whereas this Treatife fhall endeavour to make it manifeft, That Providence is not only Gracious in the Compofition, ftudious of the Accommodation, Preventive of the Accidents, Corrective of the Mistakes, and liberal to the Wants, but lavish also to the Luxuries of Man; and that God does not only permit, but enable us, and not only enable, but enjoin us, to be Happy; Happy, to a much greater Degree than we are, That is, than we chufe to be.

NOR is that Error I combat, an Error of the Vulgar, Unlearned, or Sinful only; But the Learned, Wife, and Good, have fatally contributed their facred Authority towards the Propagation, and Establishment of it: Either through inadvertency, or the Refentment of prefent Pain, or an indifcreet, tho' well intended Zeal, in the recommendation of a Better World.

MOST of them have, as it were cafually, let fall from their Pens, which pursued fome other

other Principal Point, too fevere, and unguard ed Intimations to the Difcredit of our prefent State: Many have made an Invective on this Life, a general Drift that mingled itself in all their Difcourfes, and Converfations: And fome have made it their particular Theme, and avowedly, determinately, and ftrictly drove at this very Point; without adjoyning the true Causes, the proper Cures, the right Ufes, and falutary Effects of our Misfortunes and Pains; and thus have left Grounds, of Future Argument against the Goodness, and thrown a Prefent Cloud over the Glory of the Great Difpofer of Events, the King of Time, and of Eternity.

LET, MADAM, One of His most shining Representatives on Earth, patronize, and vindicate a Vindication of His Providence; Let One of the Principal Ornaments of Human Life indulge a True Eftimate of it; Let Her graciously defend a Refutation of an Error, which flows from a Decay of That Faith, of which our dread Sovereign is the great Defender; and, which leads to a Corruption of That Morality, of which her own correct Conduct is the Distinguish'd Glory. Let that Queen, who is nearly concern'd in the fad

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Occafion