fpoilers came upon every city. Not to mention a variety of other iniquities, uncleannefs, pride, luxury, and carnal confidence, are eminently chargeable against Britain as a nation: and when we confider both the threatenings, and the examples of God's feverity recorded in Scripture, we have · great reafon to be afraid of his judgments. Our guilt is far more aggravated than that of Moab, of Tyre, or even of Sodom; becaufe of our unspeakably fuperior privileges.

The plagues of Egypt, and the deftruction of Pharaoh with his hoft, proclaim the danger of unbelief, and of hardening our hearts against the teftimony of God. They at the fame time difplay his holy jealoufy with refpect to his people, and declare the certainty of the deftruction of those who continue to opprefs and perfecute them. The oppreffion of the people of God has often proved the crowning guilt of a nation, that by which the cup of her iniquity was filled, and the immediate caufe of the cup of trembling being put into her hand. This was the cafe with Babylon. Hence this aggravated guilt is mentioned, as if it had been the only procuring cause of the deftruction of this great empire. God puts this language into the mouth of his oppreffed Church: "The violence done to me, and to my flesh, be upon Babylon, and my blood upon the "inhabitants of Chaldea d"

The infpired hiftory of Providence affords light by which we may form a true eftimate of thofe

wars

c Jer. xlviii. 7, 8.

d Jer. li. 35.

wars that defolate the earth. The reafons affigned for them by nations are generally doubtful, often falfe. They may plead the love of liberty, while the genuine principle is ambition; or zeal for religion, while they are folely concerned about their temporal intereft; or urge the plea of felfdefence, while actuated by infatiable avarice, or cruel revenge. But whatever be the motives affigned by the contending parties, or by which they are really influenced; whatever be the caufes from which war more immediately proceeds; we certainly know, that, as permitted by God, it is a punishment inflicted on all who are engaged in it. Some have not blushed to vindicate war, as neceffary to prevent the too great increase of the human fpecies. "Wars and fightings" not only proceed from men's lufts, but are defigned by the Supreme Ruler for the punishment of thefe. This is one of the scourges that he employs, to remind guilty man of a state of retribution. We may therefore well" be afraid of the fword; for wrath bringeth the punishments of the fword, that we may know there is a judgment "."

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4. The providence of God may be viewed as either common or special. His common providence extends to all his creatures without exception; that which is special, regards rational creatures, men and angels. While men in general are the objects of his special providence, it is more peculiarly exercised towards the Church, and in a way of eminence towards all who are her genuine members.

e Job xix. 29.

members. The Church is defcribed as God's husbandry; as his vineyard, which he waters every moment, which, left any hurt it, he keeps night and day 3. While all her members enjoy a fpecial protection, this in a far higher fenfe is the privilege of believers. "The eyes of the "LORD run to and fro throughout the whole "earth, to fhew himself ftrong in the behalf of "them whofe heart is perfect towards him 1."

But on these things I do not particularly enter. All that is further intended, is to illuftrate the falfity of that idea, which is entertained by many who call themselves Chriftians, that divine providence is merely of a general nature. They perhaps go not fo far as the Epicureans, who thought it unworthy of God to trouble himself with the affairs of men. But they make great approaches to this fyftem; as they fuppofe that although God exercife fome care about his creatures in general, he leaves them to the exertion of their own powers, in their actions, without any particular concourfe on his part; that many events depend merely on chance; and that many actions are fo infignificant as not to merit his attention. In oppofition to this doctrine, which in fact involves a total denial of providence, we mean to fhew, from a variety of confiderations,

Secondly, That providential operation is of a moft particular nature, extending to all creatures, even the meaneft, and to all their actions, how

ever

f 1 Cor. iii. 9.

g Ifa. xxvii. 3.

h 2 Chron. xvi. 9.

ever infignificant in themselves; and that all thefe are regulated for the accomplishment of the divine purpose, and in fubferviency to the divine glory*.

1. This appears from the means that God is pleafed to employ. In the general tenor of his operation, he makes ufe of means. But these are often in themselves fo infignificant, and fo inadequate to the end, that we could not fuppofe it to be accomplished without an immediate operation on the part of God. The LORD had declared by his fervant Elifha, that he would deliver Moab into the hands of the three confederate kings. But how ftrange were the means by which this prediction was fulfilled! At the defire of Elisha, ditches were made in the valley in which the army of the kings of Ifrael, Judah, and Edom, were encamped. Againft morning these were filled with water. When the Moabites arose early, the fun fhone upon the water, and it appeared to them red as blood. They immediately concluded that the allied princes had turned their arms against each other. They faid, "This is blood; "the kings are furely flain, and they have fmitten one another; now, therefore, Moab, to the

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fpoil. And when they came to the camp of Ifrael, the Ifraelites rofe up and fmote the Moabites, fo that they fled before them." By fuch unlikely

* In this illuftration, I almost entirely abstain from a confideration of any of those works, which may properly be viewed as miraculous; left it fhould be objected by the enemies of a particular providence, that from thefe we can form no juft estimate of God's ordinary operation.

i 2 Kings ii. 21.-24.

unlikely means did the confederated army obtain a complete victory, and the prophecy receive its accomplishment. God is pleafed to employ fuch contemptible means, that his almighty operation may be more clearly difcerned, and that the glory of the work may redound wholly to himfelf.

Often he employs means, which in their own nature and tendency are directly contrary to the end. God had fworn to Abraham that he would multiply his feed as the fand on the fea-fhore.. Yet he cafts them into the furnace of Egypt, and fubjects them to fevere perfecution. But the more they were oppreffed, the more they multi-. plied. In an extraordinary dream, he revealed to Jofeph his future exaltation, and the obeifance he fhould receive from the fons of his father. But through what a devious courfe muft he reach the promifed greatnefs! Only through the deepest abasement, can he attain the dignity awaiting him. He must be yet more hated of his brethren, ere he can be the object of their veneration. He must be fold as a flave, ere he can be honoured as a master. He must lofe all that character and confidence that he had even as a flave, and be fhut up in prifon, under the imputation of one of the vileft of crimes, ere he can appear as the moft diftinguished perfonage in Egypt, next to Pharaoh. He must be more than once in danger of death, and be dead to his father; before he can be the inftrument of preferving him and the church in his houfe. Nor was it merely the will of God that this abafement

fhould