found that good men, notwithstanding all the Difadvantages they labour under, are much the moft profperous part of Mankind.

When we confider how often the Power of the world, and the Administration of Juftice is in cor rupt and wicked hands, it is wonderful to fee, that as to the general Concerns of Mankind, Juftice is fo equally adminiftred, that Human Societies are not broken and diffolved by the furious Lufts and Paffions of men.

It is wonderful to obferve what an unfeen and fteady Hand holds the Balance of the World, and fets Bounds to the Ambition of Princes,and keeps the most threatning Torrents within their own Banks; nay,when the World feems to be in Confufion and inextricable Disorders, paft the redress of all Human Wisdom and Counfel, reftores Peace and Order again. Such Events as these can be afcribed only to fome unfeen Wisdom and Power which governs the World.

3. Having fhewn what Evidence we have that God does govern the World at prefent; let us now confider the Force of this Confequence, That therefore God will judge the World hereafter. Now this feems to me to be a felf-evident Confequence, that if God Govern the Word, he will judge it; that is, reward every man according to his Works; for the principal Act of Government is to Judge; and it is impoffible he should be a wife and juft Governor who does not judge.

The difference between the Providence of God, or his present Government of the World, and a Final Judgment, is no more but this; That they have different ends, and therefore must have dif

ferent Rules and Meafures, but they are both God's judging the World; and therefore if God begins his Judgment of Mankind in this world, there is no reafon to doubt but he will finish and perfect his Judgment in the next: If he judges Mankind now as far as is proper to the ftate of this world, it is a sufficient reason to believe that in the next world he will exercife fuch Acts of Judgment as are proper for that ftate.

The great Ends of Providence in this world, are the Prefervation of Human Societies, the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue, and the Difcouragement of Vice; to keep men under Difcipline, to lay Restraints upon their Lufts and Paffions, to wean them from the love of this World, to exercife their Graces, their Faith,and Patience, and Charity; and by the different Methods of Kindness and Severity, (as his ownWisdom judges beft and fitteft) to reclaim the wicked and the wandring Prodigals,and to advance good men to greater degrees and perfections of Goodness: The end of God's judging Mankind in the next world, is to allot men fuch Rewards and Punishments as te proportioned to their works and deferts; to beflow Eternal Life on good men, and to execute the threatning of Eternal Death upon bad men, which is the final Conclufion and Confummation of Judgment: And if God judges all men in this world as far as is neceffary for this world, it is reasonable to think that he will perfect his Judgment in the World to come.

Now it is plain he does the firft, as will appear from Particulars: He corrects the Mifcarriages of Publick Government, Publick Injustice and Oppreflion, a Publick Contempt of God and of Re

ligion,

ligion, and of all things facred, a general Corruption c. Manners, and an Inundation of Wickednefs. Such Nations feldom escape long without a fevere Scourge, unless God makes use of them to fcourge otherNations as wicked as themselves. But aRighteous and Religious Nation, which preferves Juftice among men, and the Knowledge and Reverence, and Worship of God, is the Darling and Favourite of Providence, and is bleffed with all profperous Succeffes both at Home and Abroad: So theWife Man tells us, that righteousness exalteth a nation, but fin is the reproach of any people. Thus it is apt to do of it felf, but the Divine Juftice and Providence takes care that it fhall dofo: For tho every particular good man is not rewarded, nor every particular bad man punished in this World, yet God governs Kingdoms and Nations by a more equal and fteady Juftice: For indeed Publick Societies are the principal Objects of his Rewards and Punishments in this world, because the good government of Mankind depends fo much upon it. The Virtues or Vices of private men have but a narrow influence, and can do but little good or hurt; but publick Government is a publick Good or Mischief, and the Disorders of it are like an Eclipfe of the Sun, which brings Darkness upon the World; and therefore fuch a very wicked Nation is feldom long unpunished, or a righteous Nation opprefs'd. And this is a vifible Exercise of God's Judgment in this world, in rewarding or punishing Kingdoms and Nations, which are the great Wheels of Providence whereon the regular Motion and good Government of the World depends; as I observed to you before

E 3

that

that God governs the World by erecting Human Governments, and therefore is more especially concerned to govern them.

Thus in order to difcourage Wickedness, and to encourage true Piety and Virtue, which is another End of Providence, it is not neceffary that God fhould reward every Good Man, or punish every Bad Man in this World; fome few great Examples of fuch Rewards and Punishments are fufficient to this purpose, efpecially if they are fo many and fo frequent that no Bad Man can promife himself Impunity even in this Life, nor any Good Man have reason to defpond, or diftrust Providence. And as many Complaints as there are of the Profperity of Bad Men, and the Sufferings of the Good, yet every Age and every Countrey, nay, almost every Village, will furnish us with fo many Examples of Miferable Sinners, and of the Visible Rewards of Virtue, as are abundantly enough to make all confidering Men reyerence the Divine Juftice and Providence ; and therefore God exercises as great, as frequent, as vifible Acts of Judgment as the State of this world requires.

tue,

Efpecially when we confider, That this World is a State of Difcipline, a School of Virwhere we must learn to govern our Paffions and Appetites, to conquer Vicious Habits, and to live above the Body and the Pleafures of it; to forgive Injuries, to love Enemies, to fuffer patiently, to be contented with a little, to truft Providence, to live by Faith and Hope of unfeen things. Now fuch a ftate as this will

not

not admit of an exact Diftribution of Rewards and Punishments. Bad Men muft not always be punished for their Sins, because fometimes External Profperity, and a fenfe of the Divine Goodnefs, may work more kindly on them; or if they be punished, their Punishments must be rather Corrections than Acts of Juftice; that is, they muft not always bear proportion to their Deferts, but to their Cure, as a Father corrects his Child, not fo much to punish his Fault, as to reform it: And for the fame reafon good men muft not always be profperous, for they may need Adverfity to exercife, increafe and brighten their Virtues, and to make them greater Examples to the World; or if God fees fit to reward them, it must be in fuch Inftances, and fuch Proportions as they can bear; not always what they may deserve, but what will be for their good.

Thus God governs the World with great Juftice and Judgment, as far as the ftate of this World requires and admits; and what reafon then is there to question whether God will judge Mankind in the World to come?

His Exercife of Juftice and Judgment in this World proves that he is the Judge of the World, not an idle and unconcern'd Spectator of Human Actions; that he interests himself in the Affairs of Mankind, is folicitous to make all his Creatures happy; is an Enemy toWickedness and to wicked men; but the Friend, Protector, and Father of good men: And if God be the Judge of the World, why should we think that he will not judge it? Nay, if he actually executes Justice and Judgment in this World, why fhould we think