this Juftice and Equity to them. For they being in their Natures made to live for ever, it is enough for the vindicating God's Juftice, that they be at any time hereafter, either rewarded for their Piety and Virtue, or punished for their Wickednefs and Abufe of God's Mercies fo that wicked Men may be happy and profperous here, and good Men may fuffer many Afflictions and Tribulations, without any the leaft Reflection on the Juftice or Goodness of the great Governor of the World: Because there is a farther Day referved for the Adjusting all Mens Rewards according to their Works.

But now the Confideration of publick Societies and Nations, is quite different. Nations are not made to be Immortal, but end with this World. No Society, as a Society, fhall be called to a future Account: But all the Rewards and Punishments, they are capable of as Societies, muft be adjudged and diftributed to them in this prefent Life. And therefore if we fuppofe God to be the Judge and Governour of the World, and of all the Nations in it; as well as he is the Judge and Governour of particular Perfons; we must likewife fuppofe, that he adminifters all Affairs fo, that Righteous and Religious Nations have in this World the Reward of their Virtue in the Bleffings of Peace and Plenty, and all manner of Temporal Profperity: And on the other fide, impious and incorrigable Nations are likewife punished in this World for their Wickedness, either by fevere Judgments,

or by a total Destruction; as God in his infinite Wisdom fees Caufe.

This now that I have offered, is, I think, fo reasonable, that if there was no more to be faid, it ought to go a great way towards the making of the Point I have in hand highly credible. But in the fecond Place there is a great deal more to be faid. The Word of God doth all along bear Teftimony to the Truth of this. A multitude of Texts of Scripture there are, that do most plainly give this Account of God's dealing with Nations and Peoples, that I have now mentioned.

There is no Judgment threatned to any Nation in the Holy Scripture (and abundance of Nations are there threatned) but it is upon the Account of the Sins and Wickedness they were guilty of. Which Sins, if they repented of, fo repented as to forfake them, they might find Mercy.

And accordingly we find in Fact, that God always dealt with Peoples and Nations according to these Measures. God had folemnly denounced Deftruction to the City of Nineveh, by his Prophet, and that within Forty Days. But upon the Repentance of the Ninevites, and turning to God with all their Hearts, he reverfed his Sentence (tho' to the great Discontent of the Prophet) and gave them a further Time.

On the other fide, he waited long for the Repentance of the Canaanites, but would not destroy them; because their Sins, though very heinous, admitted a Place for Repentance.

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But when their Iniquities were filled up to the Measures according to which God proceeds in his Deftruction of Nations; he then fent the Ifraelites to root them out, and to take Poffeffion of their Land.

And thus was Nebuchadnezzar raised up by God, to be a Scourge to all the Nations about him, for the Punishment of their Sins. Nebuchadnezzar had, indeed, other Things in his Head. That which he defigned was, the gratifying his own Ambition, and enlarging his Dominions: But these were not the Ends which God had to ferve by him. God made ufe of him as his Inftrument, as his Servant, (and fo he calls him) for the rendring to the Nations that juft Recompence of Vengeance which their Sins called for.

I mention these Things the rather, because they are Inftances of God's dealing with Heathen Nations, who were under no particular Covenant with God.

And I might have Recourfe likewise to the Hiftories of all Nations, to fhew the Truth of this. Name any Nation that was ever remarkable for Juftice; for Temperance, and Severity of Manners; for Piety and Religion (though it was in a wrong way); that did not always thrive and grow great in the World; and that did not always enjoy a plentiful Portion of all thofe Things which are accounted to make a Nation happy and flourishing. And on the other fide, when that Nation has declined from its former Virtue, and grown impious or diffolute in Manners,

we

we appeal to Experience, whether it has not likewife always proportionably funk in its Succefs and good Fortunes. I am fure any

one that will be at the Pains to read either the Greek, or the Roman, or even the Turkish History, will meet with Matter enough there to fatisfy him of the Truth of this Obfervation.

But I confine myself to the Scripture, and in that the Hiftory of the Jews is the moft remarkable, for indeed it makes up a great Part of the Old Teftament. Now in that History it is worth our taking Notice of; That every Degree of publick Vice, and Departure from God's Laws, was always punished with publick Judgments. And, on the other fide, every Degree of publick Repentance and Reformation, was always rewarded with publick Happiness and Profperity: So that any one that could make a right Eftimate of the Morals of that Nation, and how it stood as to Virtue and Vice; might constantly make a Judgment likewise how it would fare with them, as to their outward Temporal Affairs.

I must confefs, that, generally speaking, there is little Force in thofe Arguments that are drawn from Examples; but in the Case I am now upon, I think there is a great Weight in them. For though we cannot argue from God's dealing with one Perfon, that he will juft deal in the fame manner with another; yet as to Nations and Kingdoms, the Cafe is otherwife, as I before faid. For God's Difpenfations and Providences to them, feem

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all to proceed upon one immutable Foundation (which will be the fame in all Ages and Countries) namely, the Expreffion and Vindication of his Juftice and Goodness in this World.

And for my part, I have always been of this Mind, That there is no other Difference between the Hiftory of God's Dealings with his own People the Jews, and that of other Nations, but this; That in no other Nations the Publick Events that happened, whether Good or Bad, though they were taken Notice of, yet they paffed without any Reflection on the true Caufes from whence they proceeded. The Hiftorians did indeed often lay their Fingers rightly upon the immediate vifible, outward Occafions, or Means, or Inftruments, from whence their good or bad Fortune was derived to them. But they fearched no further. They confidered only fecond Caufes, and took no great Notice of the firft and principal Caufe of all Things, God Almighty, and his influencing Human Affairs. They left God, in a great measure, out of their Hypothefis, and out of their Hiftory. But now that the World might be awakened to a more hearty Belief and Senfe of his Providence, God took Care to fingle out the Nation of the Jews; and in them to give us a true Pattern or Platform of his Dealings with all the Nations of the World. And for that Purpose he ordered, that all the great Strokes, both of their Departure from God, and of their Return to him; and likewife

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