SERMON XIII.

A Sermon preached on a public Faft, appointed by Authority, on Occafion of a Declaration of War with Spain.

SERM.
XIII.

Ezekiel xiv. 12, 13.

The word of the Lord came again unto me, faying, Son of man, when the land finneth against me by trefpafing grievously, then will I ftretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will fend famine upon it, and will cut off man and beaft from it.

T

HE adminiftration of providence, as we commonly call it, importing our belief of a fupreme guide and difpofer, or, the ftate of things in this world with its continued courfe, has fo great a variety in it not reduceable to any certain rules or meafures which we know, that weak

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weak unthoughtful minds, looking only to SERM. its first and most obvious face, imagine it to XIII. be without any intelligent direction at all; and the wisest men find themselves obliged to acknowledge that the feries, the connexion and dependence of events which they call the ways and judgments of God, attributing them to governing providence, are unSearchable and past finding out. One very important thing relating to this fubject is in a great measure hid from us, that is, whether particular events befalling the individuals of mankind proceed from the favour or difpleasure of almighty God. Solomon * says, no man knows love or hatred by all that is before them, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. But ftill this is a principle to be maintained, and it lies at the very root of all true and rational religion, that God doth prefide over the world and all its affairs, directing their courfe and determining their iffues, that he preferves and exercises fovereign dominion over all the creatures, the greatest of them are fubject to his power and the least are the objects of his care; and this he doth in a way fuitable to his true character, that is, with perfect wisdom, equity

Ecclef. ix. I, 2.

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SERM. and goodness; in other words, God is the XIII. intelligent and moral Governor of the univerfe.

How fhall this be reconciled to the observation just now made from Solomon, and confirmed by experience, that there is one event to the good and to the bad? Doth not moral government require that there should be a difference made in the state of moral agents, according to their characters, their prevailing difpofitions, and the courfe of their behaviour? The answer is, that tho' the government of this world be really moral, yet it is but imperfectly fo; rather, the ftate of mankind here being imperfect and probationary, the divine administration of it is only part of the grand scheme which shall be compleated hereafter, when the moral perfections of the great Ruler fhall be more fully manifested. Juftice and goodness are principles of action in a wife agent, which do not neceffarily exert themselves at all times and in all circumstances; the best of human governments find it convenient sometimes to delay the diftribution of rewards and punishments, and the public good requires them to do so, that by taking a more proper feafon, the end may be better obtained: In like manner, God,

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who has all his creatures, and at all times, SERM. equally in his power, fees fit in this ftate, XIII. which is but a small part of our existence, to delay his final diftribution, referving it to a day he hath appointed, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, and render to all men in exact proportion according to their works.

And yet, as in this state we have clear evidences of our being under difcipline; fo there have not been wanting in all ages fignal inftances of a wife fuperintending providence interpofing in human affairs with a regud to men's moral conduct, fometimes recompencing eminently virtuous actions, and crowning them with honour which the most carelefs obfervers could not help difcerning; and fometimes as remarkably punishing heinous wickedness, for the neceffary inftruction of an ignorant, and warning of a fecure generation, that if poffible they may be excited to bethink themfelves, to repent and amend their evil doings. Efpecially, this is the cafe of nations and kingdoms, which are the special objects of God's care, as he is the gracious parent of mankind, because they are fo eminently useful for preferving order, promoting peace, and the moft public good as far as the

present

SERM. present state of the world will allow, All vices. XIII. are hurtful, fome more directly deftructive to

civil fociety; but though this refults from the reason of things, and public calamities be the natural confequence of public crimes, this doth not hinder them to be properly called punishments, fince the order whereby the calamity follows the guilt is established by the voluntary appointment of a wife moral Ruler, who by the interpofition of his own providence afcertains the event. It therefore well becomes us to afcribe the rife and fall, the encrease and diminution of civil communities to the providence of God; to account the former his bleffings and the other his judgments; as in the 107th pfalm, feveral fuch changes in the state of men are enumerated, and a divine agency acknowledged in rewarding and punishing them, fo that the conclufion is, whofo is wife and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.

This leads me to the declaration in the text, which is the word of the Lord to Ezekiel faying, When the land finneth against me by trefpaffing grievously, then I will stretch out mine hand against it: indeed it is the great point upon which the general doctrine

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