not in all their thoughts." Psalm x. 4. And indeed for this came his judgement upon the old world of the ungodly, who cannot be supposed ever to have thought of the adorable Lord, since every imagination and thought of their hearts were only evil continually, as the Almighty himself hath complained. Gen. vi. 5.

But instead of the returns of faith and love, how sad a consideration is it, that there should among men be found any so vile and foolish, as even to deny the divine existence, and the effects of his infinite power in the external creation, and to affirm that all things have come by nature, without God, or any supernatural power; which evil tenet, some have endeavoured to justify and support by natural reason: ("Wherein the name thereof may indeed be abused; but reason itself, which concludes nothing without evidence, can never declare in favour of a proposition, for which, not only none can appear, but against which the whole world is full of it. But let this be disposed for the judgement of reason. When therefore it is said, that all things have come by nature; if thereby we are to understand that natural things are severally self productive, this will be disproved by daily experi ence; for we may observe, that they depend one upon another, and upon various causes for production and subsistence, without which neither, in a state of nature, could possibly be. But if it be meant of the universal system of natural things collectively, this will less be allowed of many, than of any particular of them; because that would destroy the nature of a self-productive pow er, which cannot be limited from being infinite, and therefore can be but one: one infinite supreme nature therefore only can have self-existed and must have been the supernatural author and power, by whom all other beings have existed: which refutes the above error, and rationally proves and establishes the great truth in the question.")

And this the christian religion teaches in the greatest perfection, that the Creator of all things is God, an infinite eternal Spirit, who filleth all things; who having been pleased to manifest his eternal power and godhead

in the visible frame of the universe, beareth witness of himself therein, by his providence and judgements; and in every soul of man by his inward inspirations; especially the sincere believer, in whom his spirit dwells and op

erates.

Oh! that men therefore would lift up their minds and open their hearts to him, when by his holy spirit he reproves them for sin, and brings a damp upon their spirits for evil; from which they would, perhaps, if they could, run, or divert themselves from the sense of it: but, alas! there is no fleeing from his presence, who is every where; nor avoiding his judgement, whose kingdom comprehends all things: (but wo especially is to them with whom his spirit ceases striving.) Holy David certainly was very sensible of this, when he wrote that admirable description of the Divine Omnipresence, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up to heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me, yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." Psalm, cxxxix. 7th to 12th. With these apprehensions of the infinite power and presence of the Almighty, I shall pass to the relation promised in the titlepage, which may here be properly inserted.

My author was Jonathan Dickenson, merchant in Philadelphia, who was present with the young men, whom this extraordinary providence befell, at Port-Royal, in Jamaica: he gave me the following account. Two ingenious young men, (who were lately arrived at Jamaica, from London) discoursing about earthquakes, asserted that all things came by nature: and so argued thereupon, that it brought terror upon the company, who were many, at dinner, in an upper room. That whilst this lasted, (to the great astonishment of all pres

ent) the earth began to move and tremble, which most of them to flight in such haste, that they ra almost over another, some down stairs, others le over the balcony. But my author said, he conside that there was no running from Divine Providence, al that the same hand which moved the earth, was ab: preserve him; in which he trusted, and was presem (And not only then, but at other times, especially the savages of Florida, as his book of "God's pre ing providence," &c. signally evinceth.) Thus si continued with the young men in the same room, terrible to relate, and my heart and hand tremble i writing thereof) the mighty hand of an offended struck these young men with death, and they fel or and never rose any more, being in all appearance u pared for so sudden a change. And how many gay, witty young people have been suddenly s away by death, though perhaps not so immediately, so extraordinary a manner, seems worthy of refe The author of this account added, that he took up young men, and laid one of them upon a bed, and other upon a couch but that they never spake aga ter their blasphemy against God, and his works. Upd which I think it very natural, as well as necessary to mark, that this was indeed an eminent instance d just judgement of God against such as deny his wond ful power and providence in the creation; with this rible circumstance, that these unhappy persons were off in the midst of their ungodly discourse, and com reasoning, without so much time afforded them as ask pardon, and crave mercy of a provoked Lo which is very dreadful to consider; and I especially ommend it to the serious reflection of all such as a the name of free-thinkers, (as they are commonly tinguished) that they may no longer (under such a p tence) abuse their understanding with a latitude of pr fane and evil thinking: who, as they must be sens that they have not conferred the excellent faculty of son upon themselves, so they may as certainly conc that they never received it to exclude his existence, p

nd providence, out of the world, who gave it a; nor to employ it to their own destruction, by such rversion thereof, which must inevitably be the conence, without timely and due repentance; but that may apply themselves to him for true wisdom, who e eternal fountain of it, who would direct all their ights aright therein, then would they find a substantial enduring happiness and satisfaction, in the honourable ights and practice of true religion and virtue; and all vain and evil thoughts directly tended to the misand destruction of mankind.

astly, if any expression in this short tract should prove cessful to promote, in any measure, the contemplation he Divine Being; the consideration of man's duty to 1, his Almighty Creator, or to convince but one soul the error of his thoughts and ways; the author will ik himself richly rewarded for his endeavours, and revntly ascribe the glory and praise to God, the prime hor and mover of every good thing who is worthy

ever.

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POSTSCRIPT.

If we duly consider the nature of human understanding, as we shall necessarily be led to admire the wonderful author of so excellent a gift to mankind, according to the power and extent thereof; so shall we be forced to acknowledge its imperfection, not only where the nature of things exceeds its views, but also in tracing and explicating that evidence which many of them afford; but especially as to its influence in a moral respect, how subject it is to be obscured, and its faculties disabled by the violence of those passions and affections with which human nature is too ordinarily agitated. So that man cannot but want some extraordinary assistance; and lie under the greatest obligation to submit every faculty and affection to the direction and disposal of that infinite power and wisdom, which having so wonderfully constituted, can best preserve, and conduct him to a state of happiness.

Can it then be thought unrighteous in the Supreme Disposer of all things, so to have fashioned our natures, and ranged them (though above many other beings, yet) in such a state of dependence, as continually to express his sovereign power and rectitude? Since by our entire resignation to his divine hand, we may be transformed to a greater likeness of him, and have a spirit and nature super-induced of divine extraction from the Father of lights; whom to know and contemplate, through the revelation of his Son Jesus Christ (his infinite love to mankind) is eternal life and supreme happiness.

Which mystery, far above human understanding, he hath been pleased to reveal by his spirit, who searcheth the deep things of God, in order to work in us faith in, and the highest admiration of that exalted name, by whom he hath visited our low estate, and would redeem it in him, into the greatest dignity it is capable of. The particulars of whose incarnation, passion, resurrection, and ascension into eternal glory, though highly admirable,