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I.

SECT. V I.

Of Gods general Providence.

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HEN God made the universe, he intended not only to glorify himself in one tranfient act of his power, and then leave this great and wonderful production of his, as the Oftrich her eggs in the wilderness, Lam.4.3. but having drawn it out of its first Chaos, he fecur'd it from returning thither again, by establishing as a due fymmetry of parts, fo alfo a regular order of motion: hence it is that the heavens have their constant revolutions, the earth its fucceffion of determinate seasons, animals their alternate courfe of generation and corruption, and by this wife Oeconomy, the world after se many thousand years, feems still in its fpring and first beauty. But it had bin in vain to have thus fecured the defection of the creatures, if man for whofe fake they were made had bin excluded from this care.His faculty of reafon would have

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have made him but the more fatal inftrument of confusion, and taught him the more compendious waies of disturbing the world. Job compares him to the wild affes colt, Job 11. 12. which takes its range without diverting to any thing of the common good. God has therefore dou-bly hedged in this unruly creature, .made a fence of laws about him (both natural and pofitive) and befides has taken him into the common circle of his providence, fo that he, as well as the rest of the creation, has his particular station affign'd him; and that not only in reference to other creatures, but himfelf; has put a difference between one man and another, ordained several ranks and Claffes of men, and endowed them with fpecial and appropriate qualifications for those stations wherein he has fet them. Wit

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2. THIS, as it is a work of infinit wifdom in God, fo it is of unfpeakable advantage to men. Without this regular difpofure, the world would have bin in the fame confufion which we read of in the hoft of the Midianites, every mans fword against his fellow, Jud. 7. 22. Nothing but force could determine who fhould do, or enjoy any thing; and even that decifion

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alfo would have bin repellable by a greater force fo that we have all reason to confefs the utility of that order God has fet among men and even he that bears the lowest and most despicable place in it, is certainly infinitly more happy by contributing to that general Harmony, then he could be in any state of discord.

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3. WERE this now well confider'd, methinks it fhould filence all our complaints, and men should not be fo vehemently concern'd in what part of the ftructure it pleases the great Architect to put them for every man is to look on himfelf only as a small parcel of thofe materials which God is to put into form. Every stone is not fit for the corner, not every little rafter for the main beam: the wifdom of the Mafter builder is alone to determin that. And fure there cannot be a more vile contemt of the divine wifdom then to dispute his choice. Had God wisdom enough to contrive this vaft and beautiful fabric, and may he not be trusted with one of us poor worms? Did he by his wisdom make the heavens, and by his understanding stretch out the clouds, Pro. 3. 19. and fhall he not know where to place a little lump of figur'd earth? this is cer

tainly the most abfurd distrust imaginable, and yet this is really the true meaning of our repining at the condition he has placed us in.

4. THE truth is, we are fo full of our felves, that we can fee nothing beyond it: every man expects God fhould place him where he has a mind to be, tho by it he discompofe the whole scheme of his providence. But tho we are so senselefly partial yet God is not fo: he that comprehends at once that whole concern of mankind, applies himself to the accommodating thofe, not the humoring any particular perfon. He has made the great and the fall, and careth for all alike, Wifd. 6.7. He is the common Father of mankind, and difpofes things for the public advantage of this great family, and 'tis not all the impatient cravings of a froward child that thall make him recede from his defigned method. We are apt enough, I am fure, to tax it not only as a weaknefs, but injustice too in a Prince, when he indulges any thing to a private favorite to the public difadvantage; yet fo unequal are we, that we murmur at God for not doing that, which we murmur at men for doing.

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5. BESIDES a man is to confider, that other men have the fame appetites with himself. If he diflike an inferior state, why fhould he not think others do fo too? and then as the wife man fpeaks, whose voice fhall the Lord hear? Ecclus. 34. 24: 'Tis fure great infolence in me to expect that God fhould be more concern'd to humor me,then thofe multitudes of others who have the fame defires. And the more impatient my longings are, the lefs in reason should be my hopes; for mutiny is no fuch endearing quality as to render any man a dearling to God. But if all men fhould have equal fatisfactions, we fhould puzle even Omnipotence it felf. Every man would be above and fuperior, yet thofe are comparative terms, and if no man were below, no man could be above. So in wealth, most men defire more, but every man do's at left defire to keep what he has; how then fhall one part of the world be fupplied without the diminution of the other, unlefs there fhould be às miraculous a multiplication of treasure for mans avarice, as there was of Loaves for their hunger, Mat. 16. 9. It was a good anfwer which the Ambaffadors of an oppreft Province made to Antony, if O

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