there is such a vaft difproportion as there is between a Finite and an Infinite Understanding; which muft of neceffity in a thousand inftances make the judgments of God unfearchable, and his ways paft finding out: It neither becomes the Infinite Wisdom of God in all cafes to give an account of his Actions, nor the Modefty of Creatures to demand it; as Elibu tells Job, Why dost thou strive against him? for be giveth not account of any of bis matters, 33 Job 13.

But both these are thought very grievous by fome Men. They are terribly afraid of an Abfolute Power which can do what it pleases, and juftifie whatever it does by an Abfolute and Unaccountable Will. Others are very uneafie that God does any thing without giving them the Reasons why he does it ; and to be revenged of Providence, they will allow nothing to be Wifely and Juftly done, which they can't comprehend: Every Event which they can't account for, they make an Objection against Providence; and thus they may easily object themselves into Atheism or Infidelity; for they can never want fuch Objections, while infinite and unfearchable Wisdom Governs the World.

Here then I shall lay the Foundation of all, in juftifying the Sovereignty of Providence, which will juftify every thing effe: And I fhall diftin&tly confider God's Sovereign and Abfolute Power, and his Unfearchable and Unaccountable Wifdom.

1. Abfolute Power; and the very naming Abfolute Power puts an end to the dispute about the Extent of God's Dominion over his Creatures: For Abfolute Power has no limits, and can have none: And therefore Abfolute Dominion extends to all that Abfolute Power can do. This

is what Mankind are afraid of, who judge of God's Abfolute Power by the Arbitrary and Tyrannica! Government of fome Abfolute Monarchs: But true Abfolute Power can do no Wrong, cannot injure and oppress its Creatures; but will do good and judge righteously, defend the Innocent, and punish the Wicked. If I can make it appear, that this is the effential Character of Abfolute Power, it will make us infinitely fecure in the Divine Providence; for all Men muft grant that the Power of God is Abfolute; and if this Abfolute Power governs the World, the World must be very well and juftly governed, if Abfolute Power can do nothing but what is Juft and Good. Now this is the Natural Notion which all Mankind have of Supreme and Abfolute Power, which is the Supreme and Nafural Lord and Judge of the World. Thus Abraham reasoned with God, and therein fpake the Senfe of Mankind; Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? 18. Gen. 25. If Abfolute Power could do wrong, there were no certain redress of thofe Wrongs and Injuries which Inferior Powers do; for the laft Appeal muft be to the Greatest and most Abfolute Power; and if that will not certainly rectify the Injuries of Inferior Powers, but inftead of that may do Wrong it felf, we cannot certainly promife our felves ever to have right done us.

This fhews how neceffary it is, That Abfolute Will and Power fhould be Abfolute Rectitude and Juftice, if there be any fuch thing as Juftice in Nature. For Abfolute Power is by Nature the last and Supreme Judge; and the Natural Judge of Right and Wrong, must be Natural Juftice and Rectitude; or elfe Natural Juftice is a mere Speculative Notion, which can never be reduced

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reduced to Practice. For there never can be exact and perfect Juftice in the World, unless there be a Judge who is exact and perfect Justice: And if Abfolute Will and Power be not that Judge, there can be none; for Abfolute Power, if it be not abfolutely and perfectly Just, can do Wrong, whoever elfe judges right.

But befides this, it is demonftrable à priori, that Abfolute Power must be Abfolute Rectitude and Juftice.

1. Because all Infinite Perfections, how different foever they are in our Conceptions of them, are but One Infinite Being, which is Abfolutely Perfect; and therefore in a Being Abfolutely Perfect, one Abfolute Perfection can never be divided or feparated from any other Abfolute Perfection; and therefore Abfolute Power can never be separated from Abfolute Juftice: For to fay any Being is Abfolutely Perfect, (which is the moft Natural Notion of God) and yet that it wants any Abfolute Perfection, is a Contradiction: Abfolute Will and Abfolute Government, is the most Perfect Will and moft Perfect Government; and that is the most Perfect Juftice and Goodness, if Juftice and Goodness be any Perfections.

We must not judge of the Abfolute Will and Abfolute Government of God, by what we call Abfolute Power in Men; which is the Foundation of all the Miftakes about God's Government: We find Men apt to abuse their Power, the more Abfolute it is, into Tyranny and Oppreffion; and this makes fome afraid, that God's Abfolute Will and Power may ufe his Creatures very hardly alfo ; but the cafe is very different, as different as the Abfolute Power of Men is from the Abfolute Power of God. What

What we call Abfolute Power in Men, is not Abfolute Power; that is, it is not perfect Power, it is not a Power which can do all things; for there are Infinite things, which the most Abfolute Prince has not Power to do; and that is not Abfolute Perfect Power, which can't do all things. Abfolute Government among Men, fignifies only an Uncontroulable Liberty to do all that it will and can do: A Will which is under no Human Restraints, which may Will whatever it pleases, and do whatever it Wills, as far as it can, but has not Power to do all that it would. Now fuch an Abfolute Will as this, which has not all Power, may be very Wild and Extravagant, and far from willing always what is Right and Juft; for fuch a Will as this is no Perfection; and therefore as it is feparated from a truly Abfolute Power, fo it may be feparated from Rectitude and Juftice. Nay, fuch a Will is not truly Abfolute, no more than its Power; because there is a Will, as there is a Power above it; and no Will is Abfolute, which has a fuperior Will to controul it, and to give Laws to it; and yet God is higher than the higheft, to whofe Sovereign Will the moft Abfolute Princes are accountable, and therefore are not Abfolute them-, felves. Now Reafon tells us, That a Will which has a Superior Will and Law, is not it felf unerring Rectitude and Juftice, and therefore may deviate from what is Right and Juft, as experience tells us fuch Abfolute Wills very often do ; and when the Will can chufe Wrong, the Power, which is the Minifter of fuch an erring Will, must do Wrong alfo. But now Reafon tells us, that the Supreme Will must be the Supreme Law, that is, Perfect and Abfolute Juftice, and therefore can no more will any thing that is unjuft, than Juftice it felf can be unjuft; and if this Abfolutę

Abfolute and Sovereign Will be Abfolute Power, Abfolute Power muft be perfectly Juft and Good, as being infeparable from perfect Justice: And therefore the Abfolute Power of God can no more do any Wrong, than his Abfolute Will can chuse it.

2. Nay, if we do but consider the Nature of truly Abfolute Power, which can do whatever it will, this alone may fatisfy us, That God, who is this Supreme Powerful Being, can neither will nor do any Wrong: For if we confider things well, we fhall plainly fee, that tho' fome degree of Power is required to enable Men to do Wrong, yet it is always want of Power which tempts them to do Wrong.

There are two vifible Caufes of all the Injuftice that is committed in the World, and both of them are the Effects of Weakness.

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I. That Men want Power to do what they have a Mind to, without doing fome Wrong or Injury to others. 2. That Men are overpowered by their own Paffions, to do what they know they ought not to do, and which they would not do, had they the perfect Government of themselves. As for the first, Is there any Man in the World, who is not an Brute, who does not wish that it were lawful for him to do what he has a Mind to, and that he might have what he defires to have, without offering Violence or Injury to any body? Would not a Thief much rather chufe to find a Treafure, than to take a Purse upon the Road? Would not an Ambitious and Afpiring Monarch rather chuse, That all Princes fhould refign their Crowns to him, and all Nations become his Subjects, than to be forced to win their Crowns by his Sword, and to make bloody Conquefts with the lamentable Ravage and Spoils of flourishing Countries? Do not

Men