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Abuse of Profperity; and would make us careful to fill up every Station and Relation with the proper Duties of it. Duties of it. And finally, it would be a Source of Satisfaction and Comfort amidst all the Fluctuations and Commotions of this prefent World. There is no Confideration fo fitted to produce an inward folid Peace and Joy of Heart as this, that all Things are under the Direction and Government of the most perfect Wisdom and Goodness. All Nature then puts on a pleasing Afpect, and every thing appears to the Mind in a fair and amiable Light, and Order and Harmony are spread through the whole. Nothing therefore could be worfe founded than the Boafts of Epicurus and his Followers, who entertained an high Opinion of themselves, and expected to be applauded by others, as the Friends and Benenefactors of Mankind, on the Account of their Endeavours to deliver them from the Apprehenfions of a Providence. This might indeed be fome Relief to very bad Men, and tend to make them easy in their Šins; but was an Attempt to rob good Men of that which is the chief Support and Comfort of their Lives, and the most powerful Encouragement to the steady uniform Practice of Virtue. It is true, that the Doctrine

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of Providence has been misrepresented and abused. Men have been apt to lay the Blame of their own Faults and Follies upon Providence: And among many of the Heathens, their Notions of Providence were like those they formed of their Deities, whom they reprefented as capricious, envious, and revengeful, actuated by human Paffions and Prejudices. But the Belief of Providence rightly understood, is the most useful and delightful Thing in the World, and is fo far from leading to Superstition, that it is the best and most effectual Prefervative against it.

Accordingly, this is what I propose diftinctly to confider, and fhall endeavour in feveral Difcourfes to explain the Doctrine of Divine Providence, by which I understand the Doctrine of an all-perfect Mind, preferving and governing this vast Univerfe, guiding the Courfe of Nature, prefiding over all the Creatures, efpecially rational moral Agents, and fuperintending and ordering the Events which befal them, in the best and fitteft Manner, with infinite Wisdom, Righteousness, and Equity. I fhall endeavour to direct you to a right Ufe and Improvement of this important Doctrine, and to obviate fome VOL. I. C

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of the principal Difficulties and Objections which are raised against it. And, I think, I can hardly propofe any Subject that is of greater Confequence, or which may be of more fignal Advantage.

The

The World preferved by Divine

Providence.

DISCOURSE II.

IN

NEHEMIAH ix. 6.

-Thou preferveft them all.

my former Difcourfe, fome Obfervations were made concerning the Providence of God in general. It was fhewn by feveral Arguments that there is a Providence, or that this vaft World, and every Thing in it, is under the conftant Care and Superintendency of that most wife, and benign, and powerful Being that created it. Let us now proceed to a more diftinct Confideration of this important Subject.

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The

The Providence of God may be regard ed as exercised either in the Preservation of the World, or in the Government of it, to which two main Heads all the Acts of Divine Providence are reducible.

First, That which comes first to be confi dered, is God's Preservation of the World. In that admirable Addrefs that is made to God in the Name of the Jewish Church, after celebrating him as the great Creator of the Universe in those noble Expreffions, Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou haft made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, with all their Hoft, the Earth, and all Things that are therein; it is added, and thou preferveft them all. Where it is fignified, that the preserving this vaft Frame of Nature, and all Things that are therein, is owing to the fame omnipotent Being that created them. As by creating them he brought them into Existence when they had none before, and endued them with fuch and fuch Faculties and Powers; fo by his preferving them, we are to understand his upholding them in that Exiftence, and in the Ufe of thofe Faculties and Powers which he hath given them. We muft not imagine that Things, when once, put into Being, continue to exift independently of him that firft created them. For, an independent Exiftence is not compati

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