ftendom: As appears not only from that glorious Light of the Gofpel, which he has for many Years bleffed us with, above any other People, perhaps in the Chriftian World; But alfo from the wonderful Providences, by which he has from Time to Time preferved our Church, and with it the true Religion among us, notwithstanding the various Attempts of our Enemies to fubvert it. O may thefe Mercies of God to our Nation, never be forgotten, and may we always remember them with that due Thankfulness they call for at our Hands!

And thus much of our First Head. I beg leave to draw a Practical Inference or Two from what hath been faid, before I proceed to the other.

First, Since it appears, that God fits at the Helm, and fteers and manages all the Affairs of Mankind; and that Publick Societies are more especially the Objects of his Care and Providence; methinks this Confideration fhould be a good Antidote against all those troublesome Fears and Solicitudes, we are apt to disturb ourselves with, about the Success of Publick Matters.

If, indeed, all Things went in the World by Chance or Fate, and there was no God that did fuperintend Human Affairs; I should think it very natural, for Men to be extreamly concerned, at every piece of ill News they heard. It might be allowed them to break their Sleep in the Night, and to complain difmally in the Day, of the fad Times that

were

were coming upon us.

But fince we are certain, as much as we are certain there is a God, and as much as we are certain that the Scripture is True; that all our Affairs, our Publick as well as our Private Affairs; the Affairs both in Church and State, are entirely in God Almighty's Difpofal, and that He doth really manage and order all Things among us; and likewife fo manageth them, that all fhall at laft turn to the Good of his People, and to the Good of every Honeft Man: I fay, fince we are, or may be fatisfied, that our Bufinefs is in fo good Hands, I muft confefs, I do not fee what Reafon People have, to give themfelves fo much Trouble and Uneafiness, about Things that may, or may not come.

Thus far, indeed, it is fit that every one fhould be concerned; Nay, it is fit that every one fhould charge his Confcience with it; namely, to do his Duty to the Publick, in his Place and Station; to contribute all that is in his Power towards the procuring and promoting the common Happiness; and to endeavour all that in him lies, towards the averting thofe Judgments we have reafon to fear. But when a Man hath done this, to what purpofe is it for him to trouble himself any further? I fhould think he had better follow our Saviour's Advice, which, when all Things be confider'd, will be found Eternally Prudent Matt. 6. and Reasonable: Take no thought for to Morrow; let the Morrow take care for the Things of itfelf: Sufficient unto the Day, is the Evil thereof.

34.

Secondly,

21.

Secondly, This Doctrine ought to teach us this farther Leffon; to depend altogether upon God Almighty, and upon him only, for the good Succefs of our Affairs, either in Church or State, whenever they are in a doubtful or dangerous Condition. For though many are the Prov. 19. Devices in the Hearts of Men; nevertheless the Counfel of the Lord, that shall stand. It is in vain to truft Human Means: For be our Strength never fo great; or be those that manage for us never fo industrious; or be our Hearts never fo much united; yet it is an eafy Matter for God to blaft all our Defigns, and to disappoint all our Counsels in a Moment.

He hath often done fo, where Men have been confident in their own Strength. In one Night's time he made that prodigious Army 2 Kings of Affyrians that came up againft Jerufalem, 19.34. and thought themselves fure of taking it, to decamp and fly back into their own Country, leaving a Hundred and Fourfcorc Thoufand of their Number dead upon the Place.

II.

Pfal. 33.

There is in Truth no trufting to an Arm of Flefb. For the Succeffes of War depend upon a Thousand Contingencies, which it is not in the Power of mortal Men, either to foresee, or remedy. So that the Race is not always to Eccles. 9. the Swift, nor the Battle to the Strong, nor can a King be faved by the Multitude of an Hoft, nor 16. any mighty Man be delivered by his much Strength. But the God of Heaven that ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men, it is he that preferves or detroys; that gives Victory, or sends a Defeat, as it pleaseth him. And therefore he is, VOL. I. R

by

by way of Eminence, ftiled, The Lord of Hofts, the God of Battles.

On the other hand, If our Affairs at any time be in fo very bad a Pofture, that we cannot avoid the having a melancholy and difmal Profpect of Things; yet let us not be difcouraged, let us ftill truft in God; let us do what belongs to us to do for the obtaining his Mercy and Favour, and then refer the Event to him. God hath certainly a Kindness for his People, and if we do our Parts towards the preferving his Affection to us, we may ftill hope he will continue to be our Saviour and Deliverer.

It is as eafy to God, to fave by few as by many; the Walls of Jericho, at his Command, fell down flat, only at the Sound of RamsHorns: And when the City of Samaria was befieged, and brought into the greatest Extremity that was poffible, fo that Women, even ate their own Children; yet in one Night, God, by an unaccountable Terror, which he ftruck into the Hearts of the Enemies, raised the Siege. And fuch Plenty was left in their Camp, that every one of the Befieged had wherewith, not only to fatisfy his Hunger, but to enrich himself: Only that Nobleman that would not believe this, when it was foretold by the Prophet, did not live to taste of the Fruits of God Almighty's Victory, being trodden to Death in the Crowd.

- II. But it is Time to come to the Second General Point I obferved from this Text;

viz. That the Happiness or Profperity of Nations, is to be attained the fame way that any par ticular Man's Happiness is; that is to fay, by being fincerely virtuous and religious; or, as my Text expreffes it, by fearing God, and keeping all his Commandments always..

This is a true Propofition, both with refpect to particular Perfons, and to Nations too; but with this Difference, That if we take Happiness and Profperity for that which the World accounts fo, that is to fay, the Poffeffion of a great many outward Bleffings and the Freedom from Temporal Evils and Inconveniencies; the Propofition is not fo univerfally true, with reference to particular Perfons, as it is with Reference to Nations and Kingdoms. For every Man that fears God, is not always bleffed with happy outward Circumftances. On the contrary, fome good Men are exposed to many and great Afflictions, and Misfortunes, and Sickneffes and Croffes, all their Lives long. But it is certainly true of all Nations and Peoples whatfoever. Every Nation or Society fhall fare better or worse in this World, exactly, according as they fear God, or despise and affront him; exactly, according to the Degree they keep God's Commandments, or break them. Though it is not certain, that every particular Man fhall always do fo. And there is great Reason that it fhould be thus. For,

Firft, We know that all God's Ways are juft and equal. Now as to particular Perfons, Room left for the difpenfing

there is a great