which they know how to mend: And if the World be fo wifely ordered already, that those who complain moft, can't tell how any thing could be better done, it is Ridiculous and Impudent to find fault; which are no hard words in fuch a Caufe as this.

But this is not all I intend, merely to fhew, That this is an Unreasonable Objection against Providence, That the Events of it are many times very uncertain, hidden, and myfterious, and fuch as we cannot give the particular Reafons of; but likewife to fatisfie you, That the Wife Government of Mankind requires it fhould be fo; and to reprefent to you, The great and excellent Advantages of it.

Now I fuppofe you will all grant, That what is moft for the Glory of God, for the Advancement of true Piety, and the Reftraints of Wickedness, is the Wifeft way of Governing the World. And if you will grant this, I doubt not but I fhall presently fatisfie you, That the Wife Government of the World requires fecret and hidden Methods of Providence, fuch uncertain and furprizing Events, as at least we can give no account of, till it comes to its laft and concluding Iffue.

1. For what is there that excites in us a greater Admiration of God, than to fee great and glorious Things brought to pass by a long and winding Labyrinth of furprizing and perplex'd Events; which we know nothing of, nor whither they tend, till we fee where they end? Mankind never greatly admire what is plain and obvious, and every Man's Thought, because there is nothing in it which fhews any extraor dinary Contrivance: But when unexpected

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Events are brought to pass by unfufpected means, and yet defigned and directed by a steady and unerring Counfel; When great things are done by fuch means, as have no natural Caufality to produce fuch Effects, and therefore can give no notice, nor the leaft fufpicion of what is a doing; When our very Fears are turned into Triumphs, and that which feemed to threaten us with fome great Evils, is made the Inftrument of fome great and furprizing Bleffings; When bad Men are enfnared in their own Counfels, and fall into the Pit which they have digged for others; When God turns their Curfes into Bleffings, and faves good Men by the Miniftry of thofe who intended their Ruin: Thefe, I fay, and fuch like Events, of which there are numerous Inftances both in Sacred and Prophane Story, and which our own obfervation may furnish us with fresh Examples of, juftly give us great and admiring Thoughts of the Divine Wildom; a Wisdom which is to be reverenced and feared, as well as praised; for who would not fear that God, who is wife in heart, as well as mighty in ftrength? Who hath refifted his will, and profpered?

2dly, The uncertain Events of Providence, That Good and Evil is promifcuously dispensed; That God does not always vifibly Reward the Good, nor Punifh the Wicked, tho' he fignally Rewards fome good Men, and as remarkably Punishes fome wicked Men, is the Wifeft Method of Governing Mankind. That fome good Men are visibly rewarded in this World, is a juft Encouragement to good Men to expect the Protection and the Bleffing of God in doing good: That fome bad Men are made Examples of a Juft and Terrible Vengeance, is a Warning to

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all Bad Men to reverence the Judgments of God, and to ftand in awe of him; and that fome Bad Men are fpared, nay, are externally happy, is a good Reafon for Men to repent, and to hope for Pardon and Forgiveness from fo Patient and Merciful a God.

The Effential Difference between Good and Evil, the Hopes and Fears of Natural Confcience, the Promises and Threatnings of Scripture, and the Scripture Examples of thofe Miraculous Deliverances which God has wrought for his People, and the Miraculous Destruction he has brought upon their Enemies, are a plain Proof, That even the external Profperity of Good Men, is a Mark of God's Favour to them ; and the External Sufferings and Calamities of Bad Men, the Effects of his Anger and Vengeance: And then, tho' all Good Men are not fo visibly rewarded in this World, nor all Bad Men punished, yet fince no Good Men are excepted from God's Promifes, nor any Bad Men from his Threatnings, the Rewards of fome Good Men, is a Reason for all Good Men to hope; and the Judgments executed upon fome Bad Men, is a Reason for all Bad Men to fear.

And this is better accommodated to the Nature of Man, who is a Free Agent, than if God fhould vifibly punish all Bad Men, and reward all Good Men in this World; because it offers lefs Force and Violence to Men, and leaves them more to the Government of their own free Choice. Should God make fuch a vifible Difference between all Good and Bad Men in this World, that all Good Men fhould be profperous and happy, and all Bad Men miferable, there would be no more Choice left to

Men,

Men, Whether they would be good or bad than, Whether they would spend their Lives in Health or Sickness, in Riches or Poverty, in Honour or Difgrace: But where the Event is not certain, there is Room left for wife Confideration, for Hopes and Fears, which are the Natural Springs of a Free Choice.

And befides this; That all Good Men are not rewarded, nor all Bad Men punished in this World, gives us a truer Understanding of the Nature of prefent Things, and reasonable Expectations of greater Rewards and Punishments hereafter. We fhould be too apt to think, that the Enjoyments of this Life were the beft and greatest Things, and the peculiar Marks of God's Favour, did none but Good Men fhare in them; and were they the Portion of all Good Men, we should grow very fond of this World, and little think of another, or of exercifing fuch Divine Virtues as are fitted to that State: Nay, we should want the beft Moral Argument for another Life, That all Good Men are not rewarded, nor all Bad Men punished in this World, which gives a reasonable ExpeЯation of another Life.

But when we fee Bad Men profperous, as well as the Good, and Good Men fuffer as hard Things as any Bad Men do; this convinces us, That neither the Bleffings, nor the Sufferings of this Life, are the Final Rewards or Punishments of Good or Bad Men That God has greater Bleffings referved for Good Men, and greater Miferies for the Wicked; which is a greater Incitement to a Divine and Heavenly Virtue, and a greater Reftraint to Wickedness, than any prefent Rewards or Punishments can be. So that this Uncertainty of Events, which some

Men

Men complain of, and which we can feldom give a reasonable Account of, when we come to particular Cafes, and particular Perfons, is fo far from being a Defect in Providence, that it is the wifest Method of Governing Mankind, both confidered as a Free Agent, and as an Immortal Creature, who must live in another World, when he removes out of this.

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3dly, This Uncertainty of all Events, is the Trial and Exercife of many admirable Graces and Virtues, which there would be no Place for, with respect to this World, were the Events and Reasons of Providence known and certain: Such as Faith, and Hope, and Truft, and Dependance on God; which there would be little use of in this World, were all Good Men immediately rewarded; for they all refpect abfent, unfeen, unknown Events. Difficulties and Sufferings, which in Scripture are called Temptations, are the Trials of Virtue: When we ferve God, without any Profpect of a present Reward; and trust in him, and depend on him, when we are forfaken of all other Hopes; when we fay with Job, The be flay me, yet will I trust in him; or with the Prophet Habakkuk, 3. 17, 18. Altho' the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive fhall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no herd in the ftalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation. And yet, if we knew in all Cafes the particular Reasons of Providence, and what the End and Conclufion of them would be, they would be no Trials of our Faith, and Submiffion to God. The Faith and Patience of Job was won

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derful;