trymen while the Republic was yet existing, and of so learned an age; so conversant in the Jewish Records, and so skilled in the best Grecian Literature; had such a one afforded only a political or philosophic Faith to the sacred Volumes. But then it will follow on the other hand, that the sincere Belief of one, so circumstanced, will be as fair a prejudice in its favour.

Not that I am over fond of this kind of evidence, in matters where every one is obliged to judge for himself; and consequently, where every one, on a due application to the subject, is capable of judging. Much less would I lay great weight on the opinions of Men out of their own Profession, however eminent in any other. What is it to Truth, for instance, what a Courtier judges of a Church; a Politician of Con-: science; or a Geometer, grown grey in Demonstration, of moral Evidence?—To go on :

MIRACLES, therefore, as they are recorded to be continued through so large a period of this Republic, I give for one proof that the Scriptures have represented the Israelites as living under an extraordinary Providence. I say, as they are recorded to be so continued: For when miracles are only given at the first propagation of a Religion (as of the Christian), they are to be no otherwise esteemed of, than as the Credentials of a new Revelation: These being like the Cloud which conducted the Israelites in their journeyings in the wilderness; the other like the same Cloud which abode upon the Mercy-seat: These like the Manna rained down from heaven only, for a present subsistence; the other like the same Manna preserved uncorrupted in the Ark, to be a testimony to future ages.

II. This extraordinary Providence is represented as administered; 1. Over the State in general, 2. Over

5

private

private Men in particular. And such a representation we should expect to find from the nature of the Republic; because, as an extraordinary Providence over the STATE necessarily follows GoD's being their TUTELARY DEITY; so an extraordinary Providence to PARTICULARS follows as necessarily from his being their SUPREME MAGISTRATE *.

As to this Providence over the State, it would be absurd to quote particular texts, when the whole BIBLE is one continued history of it. Only it may not be amiss to observe, that from a passage in Ezekiel, where God says, Because that Moab and Seir do say, BEHOLD THE HOUSE OF JUDAH IS LIKE UNTO ALL THE HEATHEN †, it appears the Jews had boasted, and the Gentiles, till then, had acknowledged, that they were under an extraordinary Providence. As this therefore is so plain, I shall not hazard the obscuring it by many words: but go on to shew, that Scripture represents this Providence as administered likewise to Particulars.

In the Dedication of the first Temple, SOLOMON addresses his Prayer to Gon, that the Covenant between him and the People might remain for ever firm and inviolate, and the old Economy be still continued. And after having enumerated divers parts of it, he proceeds in this manner: "When the heaven is shut kk up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned "against thee; yet if they pray towards this Place,' "and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when "thou dost afflict them; Then hear thou from heaven, " and forgive the sin of thy SERVANTS and of thy "PEOPLE ISRAEL, when thou hast taught them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain

* See note [N] at the end of this Book. 7 + Chap. xxv. ver. 8.

K 4

upon

upon the Land which thou hast given unto thy "People for an inheritance. If there be dearth in the "Land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or "mildew,' locusts or caterpillers; if their enemies "besiege them in the cities of their Land; whatsoever sore, or whatsoever sickness there be: Then what prayer, or what supplication shall be made of ANY "MAN, or of all thy PEOPLE ISRAEL, when EVERY ONE shall know his own sore, and his own grief, and "shall spread forth his hands in this house: then hear "thou from heaven, and forgive, and RENDER UNTO "EVERY MAN according unto all his ways, whose "heart thou knowest*.' Solomon in this petition, which, with respect to the given Covenant, we might properly call a PETITION OF RIGHTS, speaks the language of one who extended the temporal sanctions of the Law to PARTICULARS and INDIVIDUALS. For he desires God, according to the terms of the Covenant, to render unto every man according to all his ways. But when is it that he prays for the exertion of this extraordinary providence to particulars? At the very time when it is administering to the state in general.---If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locusts or caterpillers, if their enemies besiege them, &c. The necessary consequence is, that as sure as Solomon believed an extraordinary Providence exercised to the State in general, so surely did he believe it exercised to individuals in particular. The Psalmist bears his testimony to the same Economy: I have been young (says he) and now am old: yet have I not seen the Righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread f. God himself declares it, by the Prophet Isaiah: Say ye to See also note [O] at the end of this Book. See also note [P] at the end of this Book.

*

2 Chron. vi. 26. + Psal. xxxvii. 25.

the

the Righteous that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Io unto the Wicked, it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him*. And again: He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, &c. he shall decell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. And we learn, from a parabolical command in Ezekiel, how exactly these promises were fulfilled: "And the Lord said unto him, Go through "the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, " and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that

sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be "done in the midst thereof. And to others he said "in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, "and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids and "little children, and women; but come not near any

man upon whom is the murk; and begin at my Sanctuary, &c. The same Prophet in another place, alluding to Abraham's intercession for Sodom, declares from God, that when his judgments come out against the land of Judea, the Righteous, found in it, should save only themselves; which plainly shews, a providence extending to particulars—“ Son of man, when "the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, "then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will "break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send "famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from "it. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and "Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own "souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.” Ch. xiv. 13, 14. But GoD, by the Prophet Amos,

* Chap. iii. ver. 10, 11.

+ Chap. xxxiii. ver. 15, 16. Chap. ix. ver. 4-6. See also note [Q] at the end of this Book.

describes

describes this administration of Providence in the fullest manner: "Also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the har

66

vest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and "caused it not to rain upon another city one piece “ was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained "not, withered. So two or three citics wandered

unto one city to drink water; but they were not "satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith "the Lord. I have smitten you with blasting and "mildew *," &c. And again: Lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel amongst all Nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth ..

,,

These declarations of God's providence are so ext actly correspondent to Solomon's petition; that they seem as it were the FIAT to it

Thus we see the Law, as well by its express decla rations as by its essential nature and genius, extended its sanctions of temporal rewards and punishments as well to Particulars as to the General. And as in civil Government, universal practice shews the neces-› sity of a more exact dispensation of punishment than of reward, so we may observe from the passages last quoted, that the Mosaic Law had the same attention; which occasioned the Wise Man to say, Behold the Righteous shall be recompensed in the Earth: MUCH MORE the Wicked and the Sinner §.

The inspired writers of the NEW TESTAMENT give evidence to this dispensation of Providence under the OLD..The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews argues from it as a thing well known and generally allowed: For if the Word spoken by Angels was Chap. iv. ver. 7—11. + Chap. ix. ver. 9. See note [R] at the end of this Book. § Prov. xi. 31.) }

stedfast,