obferves to disappoint their Devices; he is always ready to fecure his own Glory, and that is often beft effected by the Destruction of thofe, who by the Unrighteousness of their Dealings endeavour to undermine it. BUT again, this God, to whom all Hearts are open, all Defires known, and from whom no Secrets are hid, is likewise the great Rewarder of Mankind. I fearch the Heart, faith the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy, I try the Reins; but wherefore doth He fearch and try them? He himfelf tells in the next Words; even to give to every Man according to his Ways, and according to the Fruit of his Doings; for at the great Day of Retribution God will bring every Work into Judgment, and every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil; and He will accordingly deal out the glorious Recompence of Reward to them who do Good, and the full Vengeance of his eternal Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil. THUS having by no more than a bare Comment diftinctly enlarged upon the Words Words before us, and confidered the Almighty as prefent with us in every Place, and infpecting the Whole of our Behaviour, infpecting it as the mighty Governor and tremendous Judge of the Sons of Proceed we now in the fecond Men. 2d, To confider what Influences this Doctrine ought regularly to have upon our Behaviour. AND in general we muft infer the Neceffity of obferving that Rule which the Royal Pfalmift lays down for the regulating his Life: I have fet the Lord ai ways before me, faith he; and we ought, after fo great and good an Example, to poffefs our Souls with fuch a lively and habitual Sense of this Article, as may effectually engage us to walk worthy of fo awful a Prefence, and unblamably under fo accurate an Inspection. But to be more particular; the God with whom we have to do, is, as we have already confidered Him, the Great Governor of the World, the Great Rewarder of Mankind : The first of these Characters relates more immediately to this Life, the other to that that which is to come: When therefore we confider that this nice and intimate Obferver of our Conduct and Behaviour is the fole Difpofer and wonderful Preferver of all Things, we are in the highest Degree encouraged to repofe ourfelves with Joy and Comfort, under the Direction of his wife and benign Providence. It is for our Good that the Almighty watches over us; and it is our Duty to render ourselves the proper Objects of fo gracious a Tutelage. When we are faid to be removed, to be caft out of the Divine Prefence, with respect to this Life, we are not actually separated from fuch his Prefence, but are deprived only of the Bleffings of it: Through our Sins we forfeit all the favourable Regard, all the beneficial Influences of his Providence, and the Almighty watches over us, not to profper, but defeat our Enter prizes; not to crown our Labours with Succefs, but to turn our very Succeffes into Disappointments; but Peace and Safety are the Effects which God's Inspection has over them that put their Truft in, and pay Obedience to Him; a moft a moft delightful Profpect it is, that du ring this the Courfe of our Pilgrimage here upon Earth, we have in God a certain Dependance upon Almighty Power for our Support, and upon Infinite Wifdom for our Guidance, but efpecially that we have thefe Attributes tempered with the indulgent Tenderness of a moft gracious Creator, who as a Father pitieth his own Children, is merciful to them that fear Him. When therefore our Actions are fuch as the Great Obferver will think fit to accept and approve, we fhall find Comfort in all his Difpenfations, and shall blefs and adore Him under all; whatever we enjoy, whatever we fuffer, we are fenfible, comes from the fame bountiful Hand of Goodnefs; and as every thing that befals us is fanctified on God's Part, fo on ours it will meet with a grateful and chearful Acceptance: If worldly Bleffings be our Lot and Portion, it will even double the Value of them to confider that they are no other than Marks of Favour from that God, who hath Pleafure in the Profperity of his Servants; that by the Divine Inspection over us we are enriched enriched with his Mercies, and by his con tinual Prefence with us we are encompaffed about with Safety. If we receive the good Things of this World in a low Degree, or if it pleases the Almighty to embitter our Life with the Cup of Affliction, yet God is our Hope and Refuge, a very present Help in Trouble. Doth the Mouth of Malice open itself upon us, and the Tongue of Slander poison our Reputation, yet we may with Comfort appeal to Him, who is intimate to all our Thoughts, who knows the Sincerity of our Hearts, and the Innocency of our Actions: Is the Arm of the mighty Oppreffor made bare against us, and doth the Hand of Violence lay heavy upon us? yet He that is higher than the highest of Men is ever ready to affift and ftrengthen us, and in his own good Time to deliver us out of all our Calamities. Thus under all Difpenfations of Providence the Confideration of the Divine Omnipresence will engage us with chearful Confidences to fubmit ourselves and our Caufe to the Bleffed Will of that gracious Governor, who may indeed in |