Noife of the Seas, the Noife of their Waves, and the Tumults of the People. Pfal. lxv. 7. Let us therefore check each defponding Thought, and place our Confidence in God alone. When all worldly Supports fail us, we should rest satisfied in this, that Things are not left to a blind Chance. The Kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the Nations. the Nations. The Lord fhall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all Generations. Pfal. cxlvi. 10. The Heathens may rage, and the People may imagine a vain Thing; the Kings of the Earth may take Counfel together against the Lord, and against his Chrift; but he that fitteth in the Heavens fhall laugh, and the Lord fhall have them in Derifion. Though he may seem to forfake his Church for a Time, he will take Care that the Gates of Hell fhall not finally prevail against it.

Thirdly, In all Events of a public Nature, whether profperous or adverse, we should fix our Views not merely or principally upon fecond Caufes, but should look above them to God, and endeavour to comply with the Defigns of infinite Wifdom and Righteousness. With regard to national Affairs, Men are very apt to confine their whole Attention to fecond Causes, and to overlook or neglect the Agency of Divine Providence. When they obferve

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that Prudence and Ability in Counsel, that Courage and Skill in War, are crowned with Succefs; that the more powerful Nations prove too hard for the weaker; that great and well-difciplined Armies under able Generals prove victorious; they are apt to look no farther, as if Men had wholly the Management of Affairs in their own Hands. But this is a very wrong Way of judging. It is no Argument at all, that because these Events are ufually conducted according to the ordinary Course of second Causes, therefore they are not under the Direction and Superintendency of Divine Providence. For it is Providence that hath wifely appointed that this shall be the general Course of Things, and that Events fhall ordinarily happen in this Way, that Men may be put upon the Ufe of all proper Means, without which there could be no Exercise of human Prudence or Industry. But still it must be confidered, that a fovereign Providence prefideth over all these Events, and over-ruleth them to answer its own wife Purposes; and according as it hath Designs of Mercy or Judgment, can fo order the Circumftances of Things, and the Course of second Causes, as to promote the national Profperity, or the contrary. God can, when he feeth fit, give or withhold a Spirit of Wisdom and Courage,

or he can caufe Things to turn out contrary to all Appearances, of which the Hiftories of all Nations furnish many Inftances. How often have mighty Armies been strangely and unaccountably defeated, and the wifeft Politicians baffled and confounded in their beft laid Schemes, by unforeseen Incidents! It is therefore a Principle which we fhould get deeply fixed upon our Minds, that the Continuance of the public national Profperity dependeth upon the Appointment of the great Governor of the World, the King of Nations, who always proceedeth in all his Adminiftrations upon the wifeft and fittest Reasons; and that it is a vain Thing for any People to place their Confidence in their own Wealth, or Power, or Policy, in the Wisdom of their Counfels, or in the Strength of their Fleets or Armies, or in any outward fleshly Resources. For how many Ways hath God of contending with guilty Nations, and how easily can he caft them down from the Height of their Profperity and Glory!

To apply this to the Cafe of the Nations to which we belong. We have long been continued in the Poffeffion and Enjoyment of valuable Bleffings and Advantages both civil and religious, which ought to be thankfully afcribed to the Wisdom of

Divine Providence. We have alfo from Time to Time met with Corrections and Rebukes of a public Nature. And in thefe alfo the fovereign Agency of a righteous Providence is to be carefully observed and acknowledged. We fhould in all fuch Cafes humble ourfelves under the mighty Hand of God, and fhould hear the Rod, and who hath appointed it. In what Way it may please God further to deal with us we do not know. But whofoever obferveth the declining State of practical Godliness among us, and the abounding of Vice and Profanenefs, and all Manner of Corruption and Diffolutenefs of Manners, together with a growing Indifferency to all Religion, and even a Contempt of it, must be fenfible, that according to the or dinary Methods of the divine Procedure towards Nations and Churches, there is too much Reason to apprehend God's righteous Judgments. Many are the Projects which may be formed for procuring national Advantages, and promoting the public Good; but all other Expedients to make a People flourish, without Reformation of Manners, and endeavouring to promote Religion and public Virtue, will in the Iffue prove ineffectual and vain. Without this, let a Nation appear at prefent in never fuch profperous Circum

stances,

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ftances, there can be no Security that it shall long continue fo. We must not flatter ourselves that becaufe God hath often remarkably distinguished us with his Be-nefits and Deliverances, that therefore he will continue to spare and favour us. For if we do not walk anfwerably to our Profeffions and Advantages, this will only prove an Aggravation of our Guilt, and fet our Difobedience and Ingratitude in a ftronger Light. If therefore we are defirous in the best Manner to fhew our Love to our Country, and draw down Bleffings upon it, let us do our Part towards a Reformation by fetting ourselves heartily to rectify and reform whatsoever is amifs in our own Temper and Conduct, and by endeavouring to promote, as far as in us lieth, the Practice of Piety and Virtue among others too. The most proper and effectual Way we can take to preferve our valuable Privileges, and to promote the national Profperity, is not merely to exprefs a clamorous Zeal for Liberty, at the fame Time that we abuse it to Licentiousness, than which nothing hath a greater Tendency both through the righteous Judgment of God, and in the Nature of the Thing, to deprive us of our Liberties; but it is to endeavour to make a just and wife Improvement of our Advantages, to maintain a strict Re

gard