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The Lord is King, the Earth may be glad thereof; yea, the multitude of the Ifles may be glad thereof.

HAT is to fay, it ought to be MatT ter of exceeding Joy to all the Inhabitants of the World, that amidst all the Uncertainties, and Hazards, and Variety of Fortunes, which they here find themselves expofed to, there is one Above that Governs all.

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GOD that made the World, is the King of it. All the Beings of the Universe, Angels, Men and Devils, with all the other Animate or Inanimate Things in Heaven and Earth, as they are His Creatures, fo are they truly and properly His Subjects, and act entirely in SubB b ordi

VOL. I.

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ordination to him, as Minifters and Inftruments do under the Guidance of the Principal Agent. GOD doth as truly Reign in the World, as any King does in his Kingdom; He doth truly order the Affairs of it, as any Mafter doth those of his own Family. Nay, a Man's own Thoughts and Actions, are not by a Thousand times fo much attended by himself, are not fo much in his Care, as the Affairs of the Univerfe are attended by, and are the Care of God Almighty.

This is the Notion of the Lord's being King; and, do you not think it ought to be Matter of Rejoicing to all Reasonable Creatures?

O Lord! what a gloomy difmal Scene of Things do they prefent us with, that give other Accounts of thefe Matters?

To banish God's Providence and Government out of the World, is to banish all Joy, all Peace, all Hope, all Comfort for ever, from all those that have the Power of Thinking.

A Brute, indeed, is not much concern'd how Matters are order'd: An Ox may grow fat in his Stall, and a Colt frisk in his Pasture, let the Hypothefis of the Government of the World be what it will. But to one that is made with a Faculty of Reasoning, that has Hopes and Fears, and reflects on what is paft, and hath a Profpect of what is future; what black and melancholy Apprehenfions muft it cause in fuch a one, to fuppofe that no Care is taken of Human Affairs, but that we fail in the tempeftuous Ocean of this World, every Minute in danger of Rocks and Quickfands, without any Pilot to fteer us?

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Take what Hypothefis you will; either, That there is no God, but that all Things come to país by Chance, or inevitable Neceffity; Or, That there is a God, but that God having once put Things into this Frame, never meant to trouble himfelfmore about them, but left them to fhift for themselves, Natural Events falling out from neceffary Caufes, and Civil Affairs being left to Mankind, who are to fhuffle and divide the World among themselves as well as they can I fay, proceed which way you will, if you exclude God Almighty's Government, you make this World fo dark and miferable a Place, that no ferious confidering Man can tolerably enjoy himself in it.

For here, upon the former Suppofition, you are left without Counfel or Advice. You have nothing to purpofe, nothing to defign in the courfe of your Lives. It is all one how you behave yourselves, whether Honeftly or Wickedly; whether you mind your Business, or mind it not, for the Event will be the fame. You are obliged to No-body for any Benefits; you can complain of No-body for any Ill-ufage. If you be in ill Circumftances, you have none to apply to for Remedy; and if you be in good ones, you may be stript of them without Remedy the next Moment; for all Things are carried on by a Whirl of Fate.

And you are not much better'd by the latter Hypothefis, That God hath trufted the Govern ment of the World with Mankind, who are endowed with Reafon and Understanding.

For, if we confider how Mankind do fometimes ufe their Reafons, it is as good, if not Bb 2 better,

better, to be expofed to the Hazards of Chance or Neceffity, as to be fubject to their Wills.

The Truth of it is, if this Syftem of the World be well confider'd, it will appear a more uncomfortable one than the other; for it doth not remove from us the Iron Bands of Fate, we are still under that Yoke, as much as we were before. Yet befides thefe, it puts upon us ano ther Yoke, the arbitrary Pleafures of those of our own kind, which, if they be not govern'd by Reason, are Ten times more unfupportable than the other.

We are by this Hypothefis, as much expofed to Natural Evils, as we were before, and there is no help for them; but, over and above, we must bear the Indignities and Infolences, the Ravages and Cruelty of every one that is ftronger than ourfelves, and hath the Will to opprefs us.

O hard Lot of Mankind, if this was their Conftitution! better by far were it for them to be Brutes, and think of nothing; than to be Men, upon fuch Terms as thefe.

Happy therefore are the Inhabitants of the Earth, happy are the remoteft les thereof, that there is a King that reigns both over Fate and Men. Happy are we, that there is a wife and intelligent Being, that fuper-intends all our Affairs, and fo governs both the Powers of Nature, and the Powers of Mankind; that nothing can be done by either of them, but what is defign'd by, and purfuant to his Counfels.

Upon this Suppofition, we may live like Men, and enjoy ourfelves with fome Comfort in this World. We may propofe Ends and Defigns to ourselves, and hope that with our Diligence

Diligence and good Management they may take effect.

Upon this Suppofition we may and ought to look upon all our good Succeffes, as the Bleffings of God to us, and particularly that which we are this Day met together to thank him for; I mean, the wonderful Prefervation of his Majefty, from all the Dangers to which he hath fo often been expofed, and his fafe Return

to.us.

Upon this Supposition we may hope, that tho' all Things have not fucceeded according to our Wifhes, yet in due Time they may, fince the King of the World hath, by the frequent and unexpected Deliverances he hath wrought for us, and the ftrange unufual Pro-. vidences that have attended our King, given us fome Encouragement to believe (provided we do our Parts towards it) that he hath referv'd Us for better Times, and Him for the executing thofe Glorious Defigns, which Good Men hope will at laft be accomplish'd in the World.

Laftly, Upon this Suppofition, every Honeft Man will find Reafon enough, both to bear contentedly whatever uneafie Circumftances he lies under, and to truft in God's Mercy for the Removal of them; and in the mean Time to poffefs his own Soul, in a chearful Dependance on God's Providence, and a hearty Thankfulnefs, for all the innumerable Bleffings he hath receiv'd, and doth daily receive from his Hands. And, therefore, fince the Lord is King, let the Earth be glad; yea, let the multitude of the Ifies be glad thereof.

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