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gress from the immediate visible to the first invisible cause, at one or two removes, it finds its period, beyond which it cannot go.

Further, this mechanical system of governing the world without the immediate interposition of the Deity, undermines the foundation of all religious worship. When we pray for our daily bread, what do we ask but the blessing of God upon the earth, to yield her fruits in due season? When we ask the blessing of God upon our meals, what do we less than recognize his supreme power, and implore him to make the gifts of his Providence the means of our suste nance and refreshment? This disclaims every notion of natural causes and effects that shuts out God; it supposes his concurrence and co-operation directing all the operations of nature. Again, when we pray for the graces and virtues of the spiritual life, what do we ask but the Divine aid to strengthen the good dispositions he hath already given us, and so to direct and order the course of events, that we may be kept from temptation, or not be overcome when we are tempted? But this supposes the superintendance of God over us; supposses his interposition in human affairs; supposes his Providence continually exerted in administering to the wants of his creatures, according as their circumstances require. If this account be just, then our worship is a reasonable service. But if these are vain words, then our worship also is vain. Then every one that goes into his closet to pray, goes only to act foolishly; then all the good and the pious, everywhere over the face of the whole earth, that are calling upon the Most High God, are as uselessly, as absurdly employed, as if they were falling down before a dumb idol, and paying their devotions to images of wood or stone.

Further still, this mechanical system, in a great measure, annihilates the moral perfections of the Divine nature. It places the Almighty in a state of indolence, which is inconsistent with every idea of perfection; it makes him an idle and unconcerned

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spectator of his own works, and represents him as beholding virtue and vice, the sinner and the saint, with an equal eye. There are many scenes in human life, at which, if we were present, it would be criminal for us not to take a part. Did we see the hands ́ of the violent raised to shed innocent blood, and not rush to prevent the horrid deed; did we know the retreats of the robber and murderer, and not endeavour to bring them to public justice, we would be reckoned in part guilty of their crimes, as, by a criminal omission, we should endanger the peace of the public, and the interests of society. If we being evil, would abhor such a character, shall we impute it, can we impute it to Him who is infinite in goodness, and who is possessed of absolute perfection? To what purpose is God everywhere present, if he is not everywhere employed? Whereto serves infinite power, if it must be for ever dormant? Whereto serves infinite wisdom, if it is never to be exercised? To what purpose are the Divine goodness, and the Divine justice, if we only hear of their names? Are all the attributes of the Godhead in vain? How false, how absurd, how blasphemous, is an opinion that would destroy every Divine perfection!

I have thus shewn you the absurdity of that system which would exclude God from the government of the universe, and I am now, in the second place, to establish and confirm the doctrine of a particular Providence. This doctrine is founded both upon reason and the Scriptures.

Reason and true philosophy never attempt to separate God from his works. We must own him in the sky to hold the planets in their respective orbits; we must own him in the earth, and in the seas, to keep them within their proper bounds, and we must own him through the whole system of nature, to support and maintain that gravitating force which gives consistency and stability to all material things. Reason tells us, that it is not probable that the Creator of the universe would forsake that world which he had made ;

that it is not probable that a Being, possessed of infinite perfection, can be an idle and unconcerned spectator of his own works.

But our chief evidence for this doctrine rests upon Revelation. Mankind obtained early notices of the Divine superintendence, by peculiar interpositions. In the history of the Old Testament, we have an account of the loss of Paradise by sin; of the banishment of Cain for the murder of his brother; of the translation of Enoch, as the reward of his righteousness; of the wickedness of the old world, and its destruction by the deluge, Noah and his family only excepted, who, by the eminence of his piety, found grace in the sight of God to become the Father of the new world. When this new world revolted from God, and ran into idolatry, we see Abraham called out to be the head of a mighty nation, which grew up and flourished, by a series of the most wonderful providencies; governed by laws of God's own appointment; with promises of protection and blessing, so long as they should be obedient, and threatenings of punishment and destruction, if they fell off to serve other gods; which in the event were punctually verified. This was a visible and a standing evidence of a governing Providence. The doctrine was thus established upon a higher authority than reason, and upon better evidence than the light of nature. God revealed himself to men as the Governor of the world, the avenger of the wicked, and the protector of the good. But although in administering the affairs of the universe, the object of Providence should be to depress the bad and to favour the good; yet an exact retribution of rewards and punishments was none of the ends of his administration in this scene of things. This would have defeated the plan of his Providence, and superseded the necessity of a day of judgment. Nevertheless, he would frequently interpose to punish signal wickedness, or reward illustrious virtue. Thus, in the early ages of the world, he did often miraculously interpose, to let the nations understand that he

took notice of their righteous or unrighteous deeds; that he had power to vindicate the honour of his laws, and to make examples whenever it was requisite, for the correction and reformation of men. Miraculous interpositions were not intended to be permanent or perpetual; yet the Providence of God was not to cease. Accordingly, he took care to inform us, that what in the first ages he had done visibly, and, by miracles, he would do in the latter ages by the invisible direction of natural causes. The Scriptures are so full of this notion, that it would be endless to be particu lar. You may read the twenty-eight chapter of Deuteronomy, where you will see all the powers of nature summoned as instruments in the hands of the Almighty, to execute the purposes of his will;where you behold them commissioned to favour the good with national prosperity, with domestic comforts, with safety from their enemies, with fruitful seasons, with a numerous offspring, and with an abundance of all blessingscommissioned to punish the wicked with national distresses, with indigence, with slavery, with destructions and molestations of every kind, by war, by famine, and by all sorts of diseases, From all which, the plain inference is this, that the most common and most familiar events, are under the direction. of God, and by him are used as instruments, either for the hurt, or for the good of men.

How this particular Providence operates, may, in some degree, be conceived by us. Man, in his limited sphere, can take some direction of natural causes. You can direct the element of fire either to warm or to consume; the elements of air and water to cherish and to annoy does not that power, then, in a more illustrious manner, belong to God? Is it not as easy for Him, think you, to give laws to the tempest, where to spend its force; to direct the meteor flying in the air, where to fall, and whom to consume? Are the elemental and subterraneous fires bound up? he can let them loose. Are they broken loose? he can collect them as in the hollow of his hand. And al

this he performs, without unhinging the general system, and without any visible tokens to us, that he is at all concerned, though in truth he is the effective agent. In like manner, we may comprehend, in some measure, how God may direct, not only the motions. of the inanimate and passive part of the creation, but also the determinations of free agents, to answer the purposes of His Providence. The hearts of men are in the hand of the Lord, as much as the rivers of water. This does not in the least destroy the freedom of human actions. Every one knows that the acts of free agents are determined by circumstances; and these circumstances are always in the hand of God. The dispositions and resolutions of men are apt to vary, according to the different turn or flow of their spirits, or their different situations in life, as to health or sickness, strength or weakness, joy or sorrow; and by the direction of these, God may raise up enemies, or create friends, stir up war, or make peace. Take, as an instance, the history of Haman. That wicked man had long meditated the destruction of Mordecai the Jew, and rather than not satiate his vengeance upon him, would involve the whole Jewish nation in utter destruction. He at last obtained a decree sentencing this whole people to the sword; and the day was fixed. In this crisis of their fate, how was the chosen nation to be delivered? Was God visibly and miraculously to interpose in favour of his own people? This he could have done; but he chose rather to act according to the ordinary train of second causes. He who giveth sleep to his beloved, withheld it from Ahasuerus, the monarch of Persia. In order to pass the night, he called for the records of his reign. There he found it written, that Mordecai had detected a conspiracy formed against the life of the king, and that he had never been rewarded for it. By this single circumstance, a sudden reverse took place. Mordecai was advanced to honour and rewards; the villainy of Haman was detected; the decree fatal to the Jews was revoked; and the nation

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