The Neceffity of allowing this, if we will acknowledge a Providence, and the plain Teftimonies and Examples of this Abfolute and Uncontroulable Government, which we find in Scripture, have made fome Men deny the Liberty of Human Actions, and reprefent Mankind to be as mere Machines as a Watch or Clock, which move as they are moved: And then they know not how to bring Religion and the Moral Differences of Good and Evil, and the Natural Juftice of Rewards and Punishments, into their Scheme; for nothing of all this can be reconciled with Abfolute Neceffity and Fate. Others, to avoid thefe Difficulties, are afraid of attributing too much to Providence, or have fuch confufed and perplex'd Notions about it, that there are few Cafes wherein they can fecurely depend on God.

But I think this Difficulty will be easily removed, if we diftinguish between God's Government of Men, as Reasonable Creatures, and Free Agents, and his Government of them as the Inftruments of Providence: The first confiders them in their own private and natural Capacity, the fecond in relation to the rest of Mankind; which makes a great Difference in the Reason, and in the Acts of Government.

Man confidered in his own Nature, is a Reafonable Creature and Free Agent; and therefore the proper Government of Man, confifts in giving him Laws, that he may know the Difference between Good and Evil, what he ought to chufe, and what to refuse, and in annexing fuch Rewards and Punishments to the Obfervation, or to the Breach of thefe Laws, as may reasonably invite him to Obedience, and deter him from Sin: And as this degene

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rate State requires, in laying fuch external Reftraints on him, and affording him such internal Affiftances of Grace, as the Divine Wisdom fees proportioned to the Weakness and Corruption of Human Nature: And when this is done, it becomes God to leave him to his own Choice, and to reward or punish him as he deferves For a forced Virtue deferves no Reward; and a Neceffity of Sinning, will reafonably excufe from Punishment. The Nature of a Reasonable Creature, of Virtue and Vice, of Rewards and Punishments, reprefent it as very becoming the Wisdom and Juftice of God, to leave every Man to the Freedom of his own Choice, to do good or evil, to deferve Rewards or Punishments, as far as he himself is only concerned in it.

But when we confider Man in Society, the Cafe is altered; for when the Good or Evil of their Actions extend beyond themselves, to do good or hurt to other Men, the Providence of God becomes concerned either to hinder, or to permit and order it, as may beft ferve the Wife Ends of Government, as thofe other Men who are like to be the better or the worse for it, have deferved well or ill of God. Tho' God has made Man a Free Agent, yet we muft not think that he has made fuch a Creature as he himself can't govern: No Man doubts, but that God can when he pleases, by an Irrefiftible Power, turn Mens Hearts, and chain up their Paffions, and alter their Counfels: The only Question is, When it is fit for God to do this? And no Man can queftion the Fitness of it, when the good Government of the World requires it. God makes no Man good or bad, virtuous or vicious, by a perpetual and irrefifti

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ble Force; for this contradicts the Nature of Virtue and Vice, which requires a Freedom and Liberty of Choice: But God may by a fecret and irrefiftible Influence upon Mens Minds, even force them to do that Good, which they have no Inclination to do, and reftrain them from doing that Evil, which otherwife they would have done; which does not make them Good Men, but makes them the Inftruments of Providence in doing good to Men And God, who is the Sovereign Lord of all Creatures, may, when he fees fit, prefs thofe Men, if I may fo fpeak, to his Service, who would not do good upon Choice. This fhows the Difference between the Government of Grace, and Providence; the first has Relation to Virtue and Vice, to make Men good, to change their Natures and finful Inclinations into Habits of Virtue, and therefore admits of no greater Force than what is confiftent with the Freedom of Choice, and the Nature of Virtue and Vice: But the Government of Providence refpects the external Happinefs or Mifery, Rewards or Punifhments of Men or Nations; and to this Purpose God may ufe what Inftruments he pleafes, and exercife fuch Authority over Nature or Men, as is neceffary to accomplish his own Wife Counfels of Mercy or Judgment. And it was neceffary to premife this Diftinction, because the Confounding thefe Two, has occafioned great Difficulties and Miftakes, both in the Doctrine of Grace and Providence.

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Let us then now more particularly confider, How God governs Mankind, fo as to make them the Inftruments and Minifters of his Providence in the World. The Methods of the Divine Wifdom are Infinite and Unfearchable,

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and we must not expect fully to comprehend all the Secrets and Myfteries of God's Government; but fomething we may know of this, enough to teach us to reverence God, and to truft in him, and to vindicate his Providence from the Cavils of Ignorance and Infidelity; which is as much as is ufeful for us to know. And I fhall reduce what I have to fay, to Two General Heads. 1. The Government of Mens Minds, of their Wills, their Paffions, and Counfels. 2. The Government of their Actions.

1. God's Government of the Minds of Men, their Wills, and Paffions, and Counfels; for thefe are the great Springs of Action; and as free a Principle as the Mind of Man is, it is not ungovernable; it may be governed, and that without an Omnipotent Power, againft its own Byas, and without changing its Inclinations: And what may be done, certainly God can do; and when it is neceffary to the Ends of Providence, we may conclude he will do it. Let a Man be never fo much bent upon any Project, yet Hope or Fear, fome prefent great Advantage, or great Inconvenience, the powerful Interceffion of Friends, a fudden Change of Circumftances, the Improbability of Succefs, the irreparable Mischief of a Defeat, and a Thoufand other Confiderations, will divert him from it: And how eafy is it for God to imprint fuch Thoughts upon Mens Minds, with an irrefiftible Vigor and Brightnefs; that it fhall be no more in their Power to do what they had a mind to, than to resist all the Charms of Riches and Honours, than to leap into the Fire, and to chufe Mifery and Ruin ?

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That thus it is, the Scripture affures us; 21. Prov. I. The King's heart is in the band of the Lord, as the rivers of waters, he turneth it whitherfoever he will. And if the King's Heart be in the Hand of the Lord, we cannot doubt but he hath all other Mens Hearts in his Hand alfo, and can turn and change them as he pleafes. Thus the Wife Man tells us, A man's beart devifeth his ways, but the Lord directeth his steps, 16. Prov. 9. Men confult and advife what to do; but after all, God fteers and directs them which way he pleases; for though there are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand, 19. Prov. 21. Which made the Wife Man conclude, Man's goings are of the Lord, how then shall a man understand bis own ways? ? 20. Prov. 24. That is, God has fuch an Abfolute Government of the Hearts and Actions of Men, when his Providence is concerned in the Event, that no Man can certainly know what he himself fhall chufe and do; for God can in an Instant alter his Mind, and make him fteer a very different Courfe from what he intended: As the Prophet Feremiab affures us; I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps, 10. Jer. 23. And Solomon tells us fomething more ftrange than this: The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is of the Lord, 16. Prov. 1. or, as the Hebrew feems to fignify, The preparation of the heart is from man; a Man premeditates and refolves what he will fay; but notwithstanding that, the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. When he comes to fpeak, he fhall fay nothing but what God pleafes. Which Sayings muft not be expounded to an univerfal Senfe, that it is al

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