4, 5, 6, 7, 8. for, they thought nothing of fending him into Egypt; but this was what God intended, when he permitted them to fell him to the Ishmaelites: This was their Sin, as he adds, 50. Gen. 20. But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but the good that was done, was wholly God's doings; but God meant it unto good. And thus it is in other cafes, which shows us what the Scripture calls God's doing. The Punishment of Sinners, and thofe Evils he brings on them, is God's doing, but not the Sin whereby they are punished: The Punishment of David's Adultery by the Inceft of Abfalom, was God's doing, but not Abfalom's Inceft: The fending Jofeph into Egypt, and advancing him into Pha raoh's Throne, was God's doing; but not the Sin of his Brethren in felling him for a Slave: And thus it is throughout the Scripture; nothing is called God's Will, or God's Doing, which has any Moral Evil in it; all wicked Actions are Mens own Will and own Doings, which God permits for wife Ends, but never Orders or appoints; but the Good or Evil which is done by Mens Sins, that is God's doing: And I hope by this time you all know how to diftinguish between God's Government of Mens Actions, and his Government of Events; and then we may fafely attribute all Events to God's Order and Appointment, without Danger of charging God with the Sins of Men, whereby fuch Events are brought to pass.

3dly, Let us now confider, What difference there is between God's Abfolute Government of all Events, and Neceffity and Fate; for many Men are very apt to confound these two: If no Good or Evil befalls any Men, but what God Orders and Appoints for them, this they think

founds

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founds like Fate and Deftiny; that every Man's Fortune is writ upon his Forehead; and that it is impoffible for any Man, by all his Care, and Industry, and Prudence, to make his Condition better than what God has decreed it to be in the Irreversible Rolls of Fate: And yet an Unrelenting, Immutable Fate, is fo irreconcileable with the Liberty of Human Actions, with the Nature of Good and Evil, of Rewards and Punishments, that if we admit of it, there is an end of all Religion, of all Virtuous Endeavours, of all Great and Generous Attempts: It is to no purpose to pray to God, or to trust in him, or to refift Temptations, or to be Diligent in our Business, or Prudent and Circumfpect in our Actions; for what will be, will be: Or if any Means be to be ufed, that is no matter of our Choice or Care, but we fhall do it as neceffarily and mechanically as a Watch moves, and points to the Hour of the Day; for Fate has by the fame Neceffity determined the Means and the End, and we can do no more nor less than Fate has determined.

I fhall not now trouble you with an Account of the various Opinions of the Ancient Philofophers about Fate, none of whom ever dreamt of fuch a terrible Fate as fome Chriftians have fancied, which reaches not only to this World, but to all Eternity: What I have already Dif courfed, is fufficient to vindicate the Doctrine of Providence from the leaft imputation of Neceffity and Fate.

For 1. Though God over-rules the Actions of Men, to do what he himself thinks fit to be done, yet he lays no Neceffity upon Human Actions: Men will and chufe freely, pursue their

own

own Interefts and Inclinations, juft as they would do if there were no Providence to govern them; and while Men act freely, it is certain there can be no Abfolute Fate. God indeed, as you have already heard, fometimes hinders them from executing their wicked Purposes, and permits them to do no more hurt than what he can direct to wife Ends; but no Man is Wicked, or does wickedly, by Neceffity and Fate. Tho' he may be reftrained from doing fo much Wickednefs as he would, yet all the Wickedness he commits, is his own free Choice, even when it ferves fuch Ends as he never thought of; and therefore he is and acts like a free Agent, notwithftanding the Government of Providence.

2dly, Tho' God determines all Events, all the Good and Evil that shall happen to Men or Nations, yet it is no more nor no other than what they themselves have deserved; and therefore they are under no other Fate than what they themselves bring upon themfelves by the good or bad ufe of their own Liberty; that is, they are under no other Fate than to be Rewarded when they do well, and to be punished when they do ill; but this is the Juftice of Providence, not the Neceffity of Fate. Those who do ill, and deserve ill, and fuffer ill, might have done well, and have made themselves the Favourites of Providence; and therefore are under no greater Neceffity of Suffering ill, than they were of Doing ill. The Reafon why God keeps all Events in his own Hands, is not because he has abfolutely determined the Fates of all Men, but that he may govern the World wifely and justly, and Reward and Punifh Men according to their Deferts, as far as the Reasons of Providence require in this World. Now while the Liberty

Liberty of Human Actions is fecured, and the Events of Providence are not the execution of Fatal, Abfolute, and Unconditional Decrees, but Acts of Government in the wife Adminiftration of Justice, and difpenfing Rewards and Punishments, how Abfolute foever God's Government be of all Events, it is not Neceffity and Fate, but a Wife, and Juft, and Abfolute Government. This indeed is what fome of the wifeft Heathens called Fate, and all that they meant by the Name of Fate, That God had fixed it by an irreversible Decree, that Good Men fhould be Rewarded, and the Wicked Punished; and thus far we must all allow Fate; and Providence is only the Minifter and Executioner of thefe Fatal Decrees; and to that End, God keeps the Government of all Events in his own Hands. Now whether we say, that God determines what Good or Evil fhall befal Men, at the very time when they deserve ft; or, That foreseeing what Good or Evil they will do, and what they will deferve, did before-hand determine what Good or Evil fhould befal them according to their Deferts, this makes no alteration at all in the ftate of the Question; for if all the Good or Evil that befalls Men, have respect to their Deserts, this is not Fate, but a Juft and Righteous Judgment.

In a word; God's Government of all Events is indeed fo Abfolute and Uncontroulable, that no Good or Evil can befal any Man, but what God pleases, what he Orders and Appoints for him; and this is neceffary to the good Government of the World, and the Care of all his Creatures; but then God orders no Good or Evil to befal any Men, but what they deferve, and what the wife Ends of his Providence require; and this is not Fate, but a Wife and Juft Government of the World. 4. That

4. That the Exercise of a particular Providence confifts in the Government of all Events.

I have often wondred at thofe Philofophers who acknowledg'd a Providence, but would not acknowledge God's particular Care of all his Creatures. Some confined his Providence to the Heavens, but would not extend it to this lower World; and yet this World needs a Providence as much, and a great deal more, as being a Scene of Change and Corruption, of furious Lufts and Paffions, which need the Reftraints and Government of Providence: No Creatures need God's Care more than the Inhabitants of this Earth; and if he take care of any of his Creatures, one would think he should take moft Care of them who need it most.

Others, who would allow, That the Providence of God reached this lower World, yet confined God's Care to the feveral Kinds and Species of Beings, but would not extend it to every Individual; as if God took care of Logical Terms, of Genus and Species, but took no care of his own Creatures, which are all Individuals; or as if God could take care of all his Creatures, without taking care of any particular Creature; i. e. That he could take care of all his Creatures, without taking care of any one of them.

Thus they would allow God to take care of the great Affairs of Kingdoms and Commonwealths, but to have no regard to particular Men or Families,unless they made a great Figure in the World; as if Kingdoms and Commonwealths were not made up of particular Men, and particular Families; or that God would take care of the whole, without taking care of every part; or as if there were any other Reafon for taking care of the

whole,