kind, that natural Provision he has made for the punishment of Wickedness, and the rewards of Virtue; for I fuppofe all men will grant,that this is God's own act; for none but He who made man, could fo fit and temper his Nature to the Laws of Virtue, as to make his Duty his natural Reward and Happiness, and his Sin his Punishment. This is admirable and ftupendious Wisdom, and the moft effectual means for the good government of the world, and which was neceffary to make all other acts of Government fuccessful; but this is fo useful an Argument,that I cannot difmifs it without fome farther Remarks and Observations.

I. God has by this means taken çare, that Virtue fhall never be wholly unrewarded, nor Sin unpunished, for they are a reward and punishment to themfelves: And fuch rewards and punishments as are founded in the Nature of things are unavoidable.

2. This in ordinary cafes fuperfedes the neceffity of Gods Interpofing by an immediate Providence to reward good men and to punish the wicked. Thefe natural rewards and punishments, when there is no occafion for more fignal examples of God's goodness and Juftice, will ferve for this world. For this reafon indeed fome men conclude, that God takes no notice of Human Affairs,because he does not always vifibly interpofe for the punishment of Wickedness,and the defence and protection of virtuous men: But God has madca ftanding provifion for this in the Nature of Things, and that will ferve the ordinary ends of Providence; and when he fees occafion for it, he can foon rectify any great Disorders by a more im

mediate

mediate hand; which is moft agreeable to the Wif dom and to the Majefty of Providence: Thus God governs the Inanimate World, the Heavens, and the Earth, and all the Creatures in it, by keeping this great Machine in that regular and uniform motion which he at firft gave it, and fuffering all Creatures to follow the tendency of their own natures, excepting fuch cafes as require fome extraordinary and preternatural events; as when God thinks fit to work Miracles for the Conviction of Infidels, and to give Authority to his Prophets, or to punish a wicked world with Drought or Famine, or Peftilence, to infect their Air, and to make the Earth Iron, and the Heavens Brafs; the lefs the Divine Providence deviates from the Nature of Things, while the world is well and wifely governed, the more ad mirable is his Wisdom, who has fo contrived the world, that he can govern all Creatures by the Springs and Principles of their own Natures.

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3. Thus thefe Natural Rewards and Punishments give a facred and venerable Authority to the Divine Laws; for this proves, that they are not Arbitrary Conftitutions, which depend wholly upon the Will and Pleasure of God, who might if he had pleafed have made Virtue Vice, and Vice Virtue, as fome men venture to talk, with équal Ignorance, Impudence,and Profaneness;for unless God had made us other Creatures than we now are, he could have given us no other Laws, unless he could have given us Laws destructive to our Nature and Happinefs; for none but a Virtuous man can be happy, and Sin must make us miferable.

4. Nay,

4. Nay, thefe natural rewards and punishments are a glorious Juftification of all the other acts of God's Providence, for the rewarding good men, and punishing the wicked; for this is to difpenfe rewards and punishments according to the nature and deferts of things, which becomes the juft Governor of the world; for happiness is the natural effect and reward of Virtue, and Wickednefs of Vice; and therefore to reward good men, and to punish the wicked, is to reward men for making themselves happy, and to punish them for rhaking themfelves miferable; to encourage them to make themselves as good and happy as poffibly they can, by rewarding them with new additions of Happiness; and to reftrain and terrify them from making themfelves wicked and miferable, by threatning and inflicting more fevere punishments on them: And can there poffibly be a more gracious Government than this! What hath any man to quarrel at in it, unless it be, that God is fo greatly and paffionately concerned that we fhould be happy? For this is the apparent intention and design of his Providence in this world, both in rewarding good men, and punishing the wicked.

5. Nay further, these natural rewards and Puniffiments which God has interwoven in the nature of things, whereby he has made Virtue a reward, and Wickednefs a punifliment to it felf, are not only a particular inftance of God's Providence, în that natural provision he has made for the rewards of Virtue, and the punishment of Vice, but are a natural Earnest and Pledge of all other acts of Providence, which are neceflary to thiy endi

When

When God made Virtue and Vice the natural Caufes and Inftruments of our happiness and mifery, it is certain that he intended that good men fhould be happy, and the wicked miferable: Now does God ever intend things by halves? Will he not certainly effect what he intends? Thefe natural Rewards and Punishments are one good way to do this; but fuppofe this fail in fome inftances, or cannot perfectly accomplish what God intended; Will he give over here and use no other more effectual Methods to fupply thofe Defects? Notwithstanding all thefe natural Rewards of Virtue, good men while they live intermixed with the wicked, may be oppreffed by them, and made as miferable as all external Calamities and Sufferings can make them, and are in great danger of being fo, unless a watchful Providence fecure them: The practice and exercife of Virtue will make men happy both in Soul and Body, where the natural effects of Virtue are not hindred and interrupted by external Violence; but where they are,a good man,though he cannot be called miferable, yet may be far enough from being happy; nay, would truly be miferable notwithstanding his Vertue, had he not the affurance of the Divine Protection at prefent, and of glorious Rewards hereafter, which fupport his Spirit, and make him happy in the moft afflicted Fortune. The good Government of our appetites and paffions will make our minds cheapful and eafy contentment will fweeten a low Fortune, and Patience will make our Sufferings light; but thefe would be impracticable Virtues, without a firm Truft in God, and the expectation of Future Rewards; for to be greatly oppreffed

preffed with prefent Sufferings, without the Support of greater Hopes, will break the most virtuous mind, and make it fink and faint Sobriety and Temperance is the best method to preferve our Health and prolong our Lives; but yet good men may have very weak and diftemper'd Bodies,and may inherit the Diseases of their Parents, tho not their Vices; or what care foever they take to preferve their Lives, yet they may be ravifhed from them: Frugality, and Diligence, and Charity, and fuch thriving Virtues, may raise an Eftate; and Oppreffion and Injuftice may take it away; and how glorious foever Virtue be in it felf, it may be eclipfed and darkned by Envy and Calumny, or reproached by a prevailing Faction of Triumphant Sinners; and thus Virtue may be deprived of all its natural Rewards, if God does not interpofe by his Providence for its defence, or referve fome more certain Rewards for it in the world to come. Thus fin in its own nature is very deftructive, as you have heard to the peace and pleasure of the Mind, to the Health of the Body, to our Eftates, and Fortunes,and Reputation in the world; but yet fome finners may feel very little of this; a great and lafting Profperity will fo qualify the natural Malignity of Sin, as to make fuch men very unfenfible of it; Pride, and Ambition, and Covetoufnefs have little trouble,but great pleafure in them, when they are gratified with profperous Succeffes, with a daily increafe of Riches and Honours Envy and Hatred, and Revenge, are pleafing Paffions, when men have their Enemies at their feet, and can trample on them at pleasure: Tho Intemperance, and Luft, and Prodigality, D 2

may