tended in a greater Measure and Degree to fome than to others? The Goodness of God, as hath been already observed, is the Goodness of a fovereign Benefactor, who is the abfolute Lord of his own Gifts. And if he difpenfeth the Effects of his free Benignity to different Perfons in different Proportions, according to his good Pleafure (for which undoubtedly he hath always wife Reafons, though we may not know thofe Reasons) this must be acknowledged to be an Exercife of his Sovereignty, but is no real Objection against his Goodnefs.

It was fhewn in a former Difcourfe, that God hath done a great deal in the Courfe of his Providence, to promote the Knowledge and Practice of Religion and Virtue among Mankind. He hath given to all Men the Light of Nature and Reafon, which, if duly improved, might be of great Benefit. And it appears from Scripture, that there were important Discoveries made to the firft Ancestors of the human Race, which if carefully preferved and propagated as they ought to have been, might have been of fignal Ufe, for maintaining a Sense of Religion, and the Knowledge and Fear of God. And if the Na tions did in Procefs of Time lofe or abufe both the Light of Nature, and the addi

tional'

tional Notices and important Traditions, derived from the firft Ages, and which were originally owing to extraordinary Revelation, the Blame must be charged wholly upon themselves. It was because they liked not to retain God in their Knowledge, and became vain in their Imaginations, and their foolish Heart was darkened, and they moft inexcufably revolted from God to Idols, and ferved and worshipped the Creature more than the Creator. We are not fufficiently acquainted with the Hiftory of Mankind, to know what Helps and Advantages God may in his Providence have vouchfafed from Time to Time in different Parts of the Earth. But it is not improbable that fome Helps and Advantages may have been formerly granted, even to Nations which appear now to be the moft deeply immerfed in Ignorance, Idolatry, and Barbarifm; among fome of whom there are Traces to be found of Ufages, which feem to fhew that they formerly had fome Knowledge of the true Religion. And if at length they almost entirely extinguished it, it would be an inexcufable Rafhnefs to arraign the Juftice or Goodness of God, on the Account of that which was the Effect of their own culpable Negligence and Corruption. And if God has been graciously pleafed to grant more frequent and extraX 2

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ordinary Advantages for Knowledge and Improvement to fome other Nations, it would be an odd Thing in them that are thus highly favoured, inftead of gratefully acknowledging and adoring the diftinguishing Goodness of God towards them, to find Fault with his Providence, because all are not poffeffed of the fame Advantages. Their Bufinefs and Duty is to make a right Ufe of their own Privileges, and to blefs God for them; and as to others that want them, to leave them to the Mercy of God, who we may be fure has wife Reafons for his Procedure towards them, and will deal justly and equitably with them, and will make all proper Allowances in the Judgment of the great Day for the Difadvantages they were under. And And this is fufficient to fatisfy a reasonable and unprejudiced Mind, and ought to prevent or filence all Murmurings against the divine Goodness on that account.

I proceed now, fecondly, to confider the Objection which is brought against the Goodness of Providence, from the Evils and Miferies that abound in the World, and to which Mankind are now subject. These are too many to be diftinctly enumerated. How often are Men tormented with grievous Pains and Diseases of Body, which occafion the most bitter and dolo

rous

rous Senfations! Or they are perplexed with anxious distracting Cares, or they meet with vexatious Croffes and Disappointments, pinching Straits and Difficulties, and a Variety of Troubles and Sorrows, which in a great measure destroy the Comfort of Life. Every State and Condition hath its Uneafinefs attending it, from which those that are looked upon to be in the happiest Circumstances are not exempted. So that it may be justly faid, that Man that is born of a Woman is of few Days and full of Trouble. Job. xiv. 1. To which it may be added, thofe Calamities which are of a more extenfive Nature, inclement Seafons, Famines, Peftilences, Earthquakes, public Devastations, in which whole Nations or large Communities are involved.

This must be acknowledged to be a confiderable Difficulty. But it ought not to make us doubt of the divine Goodness, of which we have fo many convincing Proofs. It is not to be wondered at, that there are fome Things in the prefent Course of the divine Difpenfations, which we find it hard to account for. This ought to be attributed to the Narrownefs of our Views; and we should be perfuaded that all those Difficulties would be perfectly cleared up to us, if we could behold the whole Extent of God's Providence and Government as taking

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taking in all Nations and Ages, and the Reafons and Ends of his Difpenfations in their proper Connexion and Harmony. But befides this general Confideration, feveral Things may be offered which will help to take off the Force. of the Objection.

First, Let it be confidered, that many of thofe that are called phyfical or natural Evils, are the Effects of excellent general Laws, which are manifeftly for the Advantage of the whole. Thus e. g. many of the uneafy or painful Senfations which we feel, are defigned to remind us of supplying the Neceffities, or repairing the Decays of Nature, or to put us upon our guard against what would prove pernicious or deftructive to our Conftitution. Of this kind is Hunger and Thirst, and the Pains that accompany Hurts or Wounds, and broken or dislocated Bones, and the Sicknefs which attends a diftempered State of Body. Thefe Things tend to put us upon ufing proper Methods or Remedies, and if it were not fo, we fhould be apt to neglect a due Care of ourselves, and the maintaining or preferving our Conftitution, which might in that Cafe fall into Ruin before we were aware. By the fame Law by which Pleafure and Eafe is annexed to a found Conftitution of Body, Sickness and Pain must be annexed to an unfound or