We must not indeed conceive fo meanly of God, as if he were charmed with the Praises of his Creatures, as fome vain Men are with popular Applaufe: A wife Man is above this; much more God. A Man who knows himself, thinks neither the better nor worfe of himself for popular Praife, or Reproach. Praife is due to Virtue ; but if it mifs of it, the World may fuffer by it, not the Virtuous Man, if he have that Command of his Paffions and Refentments, as a Wife and Good Man ought to have. Praise is nothing else but the good Opinion of other Men concerning us; and Reproach their ill Opinion; and if they be mistaken in their Opinions, they make us neither better nor worse, unless we make our felves fo: But the World may fuffer by it: For a good Man, when he is unjustly reproach'd, tho' he may fuphimfelf with a Sense of his Innocence and port Virtue, yet he lofes the Pleasure and Freedom of Converfation, the Authority of his Example and Counfels, and many Advantages and Opportunities of doing good.

To apply this to God: I need not prove, that fo Glorious and Perfect a Being is infinitely above our Praises; that we can add nothing to Him by our moft Triumphant Hymns and Hallelujahs, any otherwife than as he fees it infinitely reasonable and congruous for the Happinefs of Creatures, and a great Inftrument of Providence, that they fhould praise him: God fuffers nothing by it, if we refuse to praise him; but we do, and the World does; and he has no other Satisfaction in it, than to fee his Creatures do what becomes them, and what will make them happy.

All

All the Bleffings we receive from God, efpecially fuch as concern this Life, lofe their true Tafte and Relifh without Praife. To Contemplate and Adore the Divine Wisdom and Goodnefs, which encompaffes the whole Creation, and difpenfes his Favours with a liberal Hand, is a more tranfporting Pleasure than all the Enjoyments of the World can give us. Here is a noble Exercife of Love, and Joy, and Admiration, which are the moft delightful Paffions of the Soul, and as far above the Pleasures of Senfe, as a Man excels a Beaft. This makes us feel our felves happy, not only in what we at prefent have, which, if we look no farther than intermediate Causes, is very uncertain; but in a fecure profpect of Happiness while we adhere to God. A Soul which is ravifh'd with the Praises of God, and poffeffed with a lively fenfe of his Goodness, can fear no Evil, is out of the reach of folicitous Cares; is contented in every Condition as allotted him by God; nay, is patient under Sufferings themselves, which are the Corrections or Discipline of a kind Father: He confiders how much good he receives from God, and how far it exceeds all the Evils he fuffers; and therefore he has reafon to blefs God ftill, as Job did; for fhall we receive good from the band of God, and fhall we not receive evil? especially when the Good we receive, proves the very Evils we fuffer to be good, because they are inflicted by a good God.

All these Graces and Vertues are owing to the belief of a Divine Providence, and cannot be had without it; they belong to that Submiffion to God, and Truft in his Providence, which I have already explained; but it is Praise and Thanksgiving which awakens that vigorous

Gg

Senfe

Senfe of God, which exercifes all these Vir tues, and gives us the Eafe and Satisfaction of them.

Thus when God lofes his Praife, we lose the Eafe and Security of our Lives. But this is not all; for the World alfo in a great measure lofes the Benefit and Advantage of God's Government, which as much difappoints the wife Defigns of Providence.

Not to own our Benefactor, is to lofe the Senfe of our Dependance, which makes all the Goodness of God loft on Sinners; for the Goodnefs of God cannot affect any Man, cannot lead him to Repentance; can be no Reason, nor Encouragement to Virtue, if it be not owned.

This spoils the very Bleffings which God beftows on us, which we fhall never ufe to our own Happiness, without owning and praifing the Giver of them. He who remembers that he receives all from God, and is affected with the Divine Goodnefs and Bounty in Giving, will use the good Things he receives according to the Mind and Intention of the Giver; and this is the only way to enjoy the Benefit of the Gift.

to

God does not give Men Riches merely to look on, or to imprifon, or to spend on their Lufts; nor advance them to Honours make them proud and infolent; nor give them a large Portion of this World, to make them forget the next: He who is thankful to God for all his Bleffings, cannot do this; for this is the higheft. Ingratitude, to affront and provoke God with the Abuse of what he gives; and he who does thus, lofes the Bleffing, tho' he has the Gift. A Covetous Man is never the better for his Riches, because he cannot use them, and

TO THE

QUEEN's

Most Excellent Majefty.

May it please your Majefty,

T

O Accept this Treatife, which, did the Compofition answer the Subject, would recom

mend it self to the Perufal of Princes, who are the peculiar Care, and the great Minifters of Providence. For it is this Good Providence which is the Security of the Royal Throne, and the most Perfect Pattern of a Juft, and Equal Government, without Contempt of the meaneft, or Partiality to the greatest.

That Experience Your Majefty has had of a Kind and Watchful Providence, and that conftant dependance A 2

the

the moft Potent Monarchs have on the Divine Protection, especially in the great Shakings and Convulfions of the World, I hope may excufe this Dedication, as neither improper nor unfeasonable. And may the fame Good Providence, which has advanced Your Majefties to the Throne, and fo fignally preferved the King from the greatest Dangers, ftill preferve Your Sacred Perfons, establish Your Throne, and deliver You from all Your Enemies. Which is the hearty and daily Prayer of, .

Your MAJESTIES,

Most Humble, most Obedient,

and most Dutiful Subject and Servant,

WILLIAM SHERLOCK,