ture of Prescience, and how God foreknows Things to come, and then we may foreknow Things our felves. The like may be faid of God's Concourfe with his Creatures in all their Actions; from whence they conclude, That the Will of Man, in all its Elections, is determined by God, without whofe Concourfe it cannot act, nor determine it felf.

These are all Nice Philofophical Speculations, which Creatures who are fo ignorant of the Natures of Things, can know nothing of ; and therefore they are not fit to be made Arguments for or against any Thing.

The Sum is this; That fince we muft confefs our felves fo very ignorant of the Works of Nature, without the Knowledge of which in Ten Thousand Inftances it is impoffible to understand the Wisdom of Providence, it is unreasonable and abfurd for us to demand an Account of God's Providences; but we ought to be fatisfied, to leave God to Govern the World with the fame Sovereign and Unaccountable Wisdom, which at first gave Being to all Things.

Thirdly, That the Wife Government of the World requires fecret and hidden Methods of Providence; and therefore, at least in this State, we ought not to expect or defire a particular Account or Reafon of all Events.

The Wife Man tells us, It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, 25. Prov. 2. It is the Glory of the Divine Nature, that it is incomprehenfible by us; and it is the Glory of the Divine Providence to be Unfearchable; and therefore many of the Ancient Philofophers and Poets forbid too Curious an Enquiry into the Nature or Providence of God; and Sophronius gives a wife Reafon for it, because we are all born of Mor

tal

tal Parents, and therefore the perfect Knowledge of an Infinite Immortal Being, muft be above us. Which is much the fame Reason that Zopbar gives, Vain man would be wife, tho' man be born like a wild affes colt, 11. Job 12. This is a Knowledge too great for our Birth, if our Natural Capacities bear Proportion to it; for God must be a very little Being himself, could he be comprehended by fuch mean Creatures.

But that which I at prefent intend, is only to fhew you, That the Wife Government of the World requires, that the Divine Counfels, that the Events and Reasons of Providence, should in a great measure be concealed from us; and I hope that is a fatisfactory Reason, why God fhould conceal them, if he can't fo wifely Govern the World without it.

I would defire thofe Perfons who are so apt to quarrel at Providence, and to take it fo very ill, that God does any Thing which they don't prefently underftand, to fit down and agree among themselves, How they would have God govern the World? What it is that they would be pleased with? But let them confider well of it beforehand, that upon fecond Thoughts they don't find more Reafon to quarrel at their own Ways and Methods of Governing the World, than they now have to quarrel with Providence; or that the reft of Mankind do not find more Reason to quarrel with them, than they have now to quarrel with God. As to give an Inftance or two of this, by way of Effay.

Some feem to be very much discontented at the Unevennefs and Uncertainty of all Events; that all Things are in a perpetual Flux and Motion; that no Man knoweth what a Day or an Hour will bring forth: The Inftability of For

tune,

une, which gives and takes away, and every Day fhews a new Face, and opens new and furprizing Scenes, has been an old Complaint.

Well then: Would, they have this rectified: Would they have all the Events of Providence as conftant, and regular, and unchangeable, as the Motions of the Heavens, as the Returns of Day and Night, of Winter, and Summer? And when they fee all things happen thus evenly and regularly, will they then promife to believe a Providence? I mightily fufpect that they will be farther from believing a Providence then, than they are now. We fee that the Regular Motions of the Heavens, and the Uniform Productions of Nature, which fo feldom vary, that it is thought Portentous and Ominous if they do, cannot convince them, That God governs the Heavens and the Earth, and all the Works of Nature, as far as all their Vertues and Powers move and act uniformly, by conftant, and unerring Laws; And if the regular Uniformity of Nature is not thought by thefe Men a fufficient Proof of a Providence, I doubt a conftant and uniform Round of all Events would be thought much lefs fo. Those who now refolve all the uncertain Changes and Revolutions that happen, into Neceffity and Fate, would have more Reason to do fo, did Providence always fhew the fame Face and Appearances, as the Heavens do.

But can they tell what kind of Uniformity and Stability of Providence it is, would please them? Would they have all Mens, Fortunes equal? That there fhould be no diftinction between Rich and Poor, High and Low, Princes and Subjects, the Honourable and the Vile? I believe few of them would like fuch a Levelling

Providence, which, as the State of Mankind now is, would deftroy the good Government of the World, and most of the Pleafures and Conveniences of Life; and yet without this, the Providence of God is not fo uniform towards Men, as it is towards Beafts; and those who fare worse than others of the fame Nature with them, will ftill complain.

If then Providence muft not deal alike by all Men, do they mean by the Uniformity and Stability of Providence, That Mens Fortunes, whatever they are, fhall always be the fame? That the Rich and Profperous fhall always be Rich and Profperous, and the Poor always Poor, and Beggars and Slaves? Unless thefe Objects be all Rich and Happy, I doubt they will never agree to this; for the Poor and Miferable muft needs think it hard ufage to be always Poor, without room for better Hopes.

But fuch a Stability of Providence as this, would deftroy the wife and juft Government of the World; for how fhould God restrain and punish Wickedness, and reward and encourage Virtue, if the Rich muft always be Rich, and the Poor always Poor? Nay, how can the Pro-, vidence of God do this, without making Men Virtuous and Vicious too, by Neceffity and Fate? When Wantonnefs and Prodigality, Idleness and Folly, will spend or lose an Estate; and Frugality, Prudence and Diligence will get one: And when all Men in this World muft not be equal, does it not more become the Wisdom and Juftice of Providence, that Mens own Virtues and Vices fhall in a great measure make the diftinction, and carve out their own Fortunes for them?

So that when Men complain of the Uncertainty and Instability of Fortune, as they call it,

they

they complain of they know not what; and were it put to their own choice what to have in the room of it, they would not know how to mend the matter. The wife Government of free Agents, who fo often change themselves, requires very frequent, fudden, furprizing Turns of Providence, the Reasons of which muft of neceffity be as invifible to us, as the Thoughts of Mens Hearts, and their moft fecret Intrigues and Counfels; till we can make Men all move alike, as regularly and uniformly as the Heavenly Bodies do, it is an abfurd and unreasonable Complaint, That Providence does not act regularly, and that the Events of Providence are not always the fame.

Another great Complaint against Providence is, That good Men are not always rewarded, nor bad Men punifhed according to their deferts: That many bad Men are profperous in this World, and fome good Men great Sufferers: That all things come alike to all; there is one Event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that facrificeth, and to him that facrificeth not; as is the good, fo is the finner; and be that weareth, as be that feareth an oath, 9. Eccl. 2. This makes the Events of Providence very fudden, myfterious, and unaccountable; that no Man knows what courfe to take, to make his Life eafy and profperous; for whether he be good or wicked, he may be happy or miferable, as it happens.

As for the Objection it felf, I fhall confider it more hereafter; but at prefent I will only ask thefe Objectors, Whether to remove these Difficulties and Uncertainties of Providence, and that they may the better understand the Reafons of all Events, they do in good earnest defire, I 2 That