1 tainable by us, are not equal to the efcapes of danger and evil, which do actually take place. And what might be faid of the incapacities of the giddy, childish and youthful feafons? Let men reflect, who have made any obfervation. Sudden incidents, and occurrences take place, in mature age, which did not at all belong to our forefight or providence; and we are struck with furprize at the deliverance vouchfafed us! How often do we fee it reasonable to own the protection, and to lift up our hearts to the protector, faying, thou baft kept mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling, and my foul from death! We take no ftep in life fecure, abfolutely fecure from hidden, unforeseen danger. We know this from the many evil occurrences that affect others, in-like circumftances. And we experience that the evils, which we call, cafualties to others, are not too many memento's of our own conftant dependance. The very conftitution of an human body, that infinitely complex machine, is fuch, that its health and fafety, its vigour and abilities are not within the power of the moft temperate, and watchful; the circulation of the blood and nervous fluid, is not under our command. Nor can the deepest enquirers into nature, refolve the first fprings of their movement into any thing elfe but the impreffion of Deity, in whom we live, and move, and are. The energy of medicine to relieve and restore, muft have the fame fource: as appears, from numberless inftances which prove the fcandal of the most skilful phyficians. The crafts, or ftate of the bodily constitution, has ordinarily a confiderable influence on the mind; but as God has formed the mind of man for truth and virtue, it is but reafonable to conclude, that he fhould have fuch an actual fove reignty reignty over the body, as to direct the state of it, fo as may be moft confiftent with the mind's attaining to truth and virtue: or fo as to adjust the quantity of trial, to the abilities of the intelligent and moral faculties. What I mean by this, is, that the active impreffions of Deity upon the human conftitution, must be supposed to be fuch, as he fees moft proper on his part, to affift man in his moral conduct. This will by no means intimate that he ordinarily prevents the ill effects of criminal neglect, or abuse of the body; as by intemperance, or debauchery from taking place: or those of men's faulty inattention to the regimen with respect to diet, exercise, or reft, learnt from nature and experience: but, diftinct from thefe, thofe various ftates or alterations of the bodily conftitution, which his own foreknowledge difcerns, would be moft conducive to correct, to reform and reclaim, or to accelerate the well forming mental difpofitions towards maturity. Such cbaftifements are for man's profit, that they might be partakers of his holiness. What can be faid more ftrongly in proof of an active conftant providence, than the incapacity. man is under of judging of the qualities of his food, or adjusting the quantities with that exactnefs upon which the health of his body mecha-: nically depends? The palate and appetite are not critical judges, or rules of judgment; as the moft careful, and virtuous often experience. Be fides, how very different the qualities of the air we breathe, which mixes with our blood by refpiration? And muft the life of man be at the mercy of every morfel? and liable to a mortal fuction at every breath, without a guardian? It is quite abfurd to fuppofe it! And it is as true now, as it always was, that if men ferve the Lord, be will blefs their bread and their water. And this this is the universal teftimony of God's being, and perfections, viz. that he gives men rain and fruitful feafons, and fills their hearts with food and gladness. What can be faid of wide deftructions, which fometimes march, in folemn state, thro' Empires and Kingdoms. When a nation, for instance, Strong and without number, are raised up, and. march thro' a land, whofe teeth are the teeth of a lion, and who have the cheek teeth of the great lion: who lay wafte vines, and bark fig trees, and make them clean bare, and the branches thereof white. Who make the field bare, undeck her of ber verdure, eating up every green thing. Who cut off the food of man before his eyes, and oblige vast numbers of families to fly for famine. They are like a fire devouring all before them, and bebind them it looks as if a flame had burned. The land before them, tho' as fruitful as the garden of Eden, yet in their paffing over it, they leave it a defolate wilderness. They are a strong people, fet in battle array; they run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war, with their fealing ladders. Pray, who is the captain General of these armies? who directs their march? or appoints their ftations of refreshment? will it be faid, the winds? who directs them? God is faid to have his way in the moft irregular of them, even in the whirlwind and in the ftorm; and the clouds are the dust of his feet. And which way fhall we account for the earth's having produced her fruits in great plenty, or that the fields when loaded with corn, fhould be destroy'd by hail and rain? and the harvest fpoiled? Are these the operations of chance, or of defign? -Why does it rain on one city, and not on another? why does, fometimes, a drought parch parch up the earth, and prevent any increase of her fruits? What fhall we say, to the blastings and mildews! to the infinitely fmall animalcula, that are brought to blight the fruits of orchards and gardens? Are thefe, the workmanship of chance, and under her blind direction? Or if they are the creatures of God, must they not be under his direction, in their routs and executions? Whatfoever the Lord pleafeth, he does, in heaven, and in earth, and in the feas, and in all deep places. He caufeth the vapours to afcend from the ends of the earth, be maketh lightning for the rain, which be directs in its course, he bringeth the wind out of his treafuries. Surely no reasonable man can conclude, that the lightnings, thofe arrows which fly by day, or by night, are allowed to kill at random! or that unintelligent fire can destroy men, God's intelligent creatures, without his commiffion. Can they be accountable?-On the other hand, what proofs do they afford, ocular demonstration, of an hand that guides and directs them, in the amazing diftinction of the objects which they strike. One is taken, another left! tho' both on the fame spot, or in the fame apparent line of their direction. The reason of a particular providence is also obvious from man's prefent fituation, as it respects his obnoxiousness to the humours, paffions, to the secret schemes, and covert designs of his fellow-men. All free, as well as himself to act reasonably, or against reafon.-Man is, in no degree a match for the infinite dangers and hazards, to which his fellow-creatures expofe him. These dangers not only are to be found among the malicious and envious, but alfo among the thoughtless and imprudent, tho' indifferent perfons; yea, moreover from the benevolent and friendly; who are not the true judges of our in terefts, terefts, and often by mistake contribute to the hurt of those whom they refpect and honour.Conftantly, therefore are we indebted to providence, that we are delivered from unreasonable, abfurd, and wicked men, for all men have not fidelity as well as that he keeps us from those evils to which the mistaken good will of our friends would expofe us. In fuch escapes, it must be ordinarily faid, that it is God, who giveth us wifdom profitable to direct. It would not be poffible, that the reputation of man, which is at the mercy of every villain to ftab or affaffinate, under whofe lips are the poifon of adders, was there not a particular providence. What has been done by the tongues of men? a little member; but yet, death and life are in it's power. So that there is reafon for that piece of admiration, O bow great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that love thee; which thou hast wrought for them that truft in thee before the fons of men! thou shalt hide them, in the fecret of thy prefence, from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them fecretly, in d pavillion, from the ftrife of tongues. : This is ordinarily the method God takes in his providence, of fecuring thofe who fear his name, from the fatal effects of calumny and detraction and tho' there may be exceptions, yet they are comparatively few. And thefe may have their reasons, and answer moft valuable purposes on the fufferers themfelves, as well as hold out to others, the dependance they conftantly have on the fecret prefence of God, to hide them from the pride of man.-It is a juft obfervation, which the impious have not been able to ftare out of countenance for near three thousand years, viz. when a man's ways pleafe the |