and must do fo, as it changes our Condition; for every Condition and Relation having peculiar Duties belonging to it, our Duty muft change, as our Condition does. The Duties of Princes and Subjects, of Magiftrates and private Men, of a low and mean, and of an exalted and plentiful Fortune, of Parents and Children, of Mafters and Servants, are of a very different Nature; and as these Relations change, our Duty muft change with them; and when we conform our felves to our Condition, we fubmit to Providence, which gives us no new Rules of Life, but may impofe new Duties on us, by putting us into a new State.

This ought to be carefully confidered, becaufe there are dangerous Extremes on both fides. Some think the vifible Appearances of Providence are fufficient to alter our Duty, without changing our State and Relations; that the Succeffes of Providence will juftify fuch Actions as neither the Laws of God nor Men will juftify; and that to ferve Providence, when a fair opportunity is put into their Hands, they may dispense with the most known and unquestionable Duties: Others have fuch a juft Abhorrence of this, which overturns all Divine and Human Laws, that they run into the contrary extreme; and for fear of allowing that Providence can change our Duty, and alter the nature of Good and Evil, they will not allow that Providence can fo much as change our Relations and State of Life, and with fuch a change of our Condition, change our Duty: For no Man can deny, but that if our Condition and Relations are changed, our Duty must change too.

To give a plain Example of this. When Saul purfued David, and God delivered Saul into David's Hands while he was asleep in the Cave;

The

The men of David faid unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord faid unto thee, Behold I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayst do to him as it shall feem good to thee. Here is an Argument from Providence to juftify David's killing Saul, whom God had fo wonderfully delivered into his Hands; but David did not think that Providence would juftify him against a Divine Law; Providence gave him an opportunity to kill Saul, but the Divine Law forbad him to take it; for Saul was his King ftill, and he was his Subject: And therefore He faid unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against bim, feeing he is the Lords anointed, 1 Sam. 24. 4, 6. The fame Anfwer David gave to Abishai, when he found Saul the fecond time fleeping in the Trench, And Abishai faid to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day; now therefore let me fmite him, I pray thee, with the fpear, even to the earth at once, and I will not fmite him the Second time. And David faid to Abishai, destroy him not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's s anointed, and be guiltless? 1 Sam. 26. 8, 9. Providence had not unking'd Saul, nor made David King; that is, it had not altered the Relation, and therefore could not abfolve him from the Duties of his Relation, from thofe Duties which a Subject owes to his Prince, and therefore could not justify the killing him.,

This fhews, That the Divine Providence can't alter the Rules of Action, without altering our Condition, and Relations, and Circumftances of Life; and where it does fo, it must of neceffity change our Duty; for different Relations and Conditions require different Duties: When a Man of a Servant becomes a Master, or of a Subject a Prince, his Duties and Obligations

muft

muft change with his Relations, for fuch relative Duties are annexed to Relations, and belong to particular Perfons, only as invested with fuch Relations; and as the Perfon changes his Relations, fo the Duties he owes, and the Duties which are owing to him, muft change likewife,

It is a vain Pretence in this cafe to fet up the Laws of God against our Submiffion to Providence; for we do not oppofe the Providence of God against his Laws. The Laws of God prescribe us the Rules of our Duty in all Conditions and Circumstances of Life; the Providence of God chufes our Condition for us, and that directs us what Laws we are to observe, what Duties we owe, and to whom: So that there is and can be no difpute about the Rules of Duty; the Duties of all Conditions and Relations are fix'd and certain; the only dispute that can be, is this, Whether when our Condition and Relations are changed, they are changed by God? and whether we must fubmit to the Providence of God in fuch a Change, by what means foever fuch a Change is brought about? If all the private and publick changes of Mens State and Condition are directed and governed by God, and are his Will and Doings, as I have already proved; if we muft fubmit to Providence, we muft fubmit to that State and Condition which Providence places us in: For there is no other way of fubmitting to Providence.

And fince we cannot chufe our own Fortune, much less govern Kingdoms and Empires; fince God keeps all thefe Events in his own Hands; it would be very hard, if we must not fubmit to the Condition which Providence chufes for us; That when God allots us our Condition, it fhould be unlawful for us to do

what

what our Condition requires to be done. For if our present Condition and Circumftances of Life do not determine our Duty, it is impoffible ever to know what our Duty is.

But there are fome Material Questions, concerning our Submiffion to Providence, with respect to our feveral States and Conditions of Life, which deferve to be confidered.

I. As firft, Whether it be confiftent with our Submiffion to Providence, to endeavour to better our Fortune, and to change our State of Life? Now this there can be no doubt of in general, tho' I fear many Men are to blame in it. Submiffion to Providence, does not forbid a Poor Man to enrich himself, when he can do it by honeft and prudent Arts: For tho' God allots every Man his Portion in the World, yet he has referved to himself a Liberty of changing Mens Fortunes as they deserve, and as he fees fit. That it often is fo, Experience tells us We fee Men rife from low and mean Beginnings, to great Riches, and Honour, and Power; and fince God has not forbid any Man to advance his Fortune by honeft Means, Submiffion to Providence does not ftake a Man' down to the low and mean Beginnings of Life. This is the present Reward and Encouragement of Diligence, Prudence, and Vir

tue; That the diligent hand maketh 3. Prov. 14, rich; that a man who is diligent in his 16. bufinefs, shall stand before princes, and

Shall not stand before mean men. That the merchandife of wisdom is better than the merchandise of filver, and the gain thereof than fine gold: That length of days is in her right band, and in ber left riches and honours. Providence gives us many Examples of this Nature, to encourage all Men's Indutry and Virtue; which, whether it advance

their

their Fortunes or no, will make their Lives eafy and happy, and better their Minds, and make them ufeful to the World, and a Credit to a low Fortune; which may be better for them, than to change their Station. Nay, fometimes we see Men of a Noble and Sprightly Genius, come into the World in fuch mean Čircumftances, that they can hardly peep above the Horizon; but by degrees they afcend, and grow brighter, and fhine with a Meridian Luftre, as if their obfcure Beginnings were intended on purpose, to infpirit the lower End of the World, and to fhew what Industry and Virtue can do.

But tho' Submiffion to Providence does not hinder us from using all honeft Endeavours to better our Fortune; yet it makes us easy and contented in a low Fortune, patient of Difappointments, and not envious at the better Succeffes, and greater Profperity of others, efpecially of those who are our Equals. All which fignifies no more, than quietly and fubmiffively to fuffer God to difpofe of our own, and of other Men's Fortunes, as he pleases. We may like fome other Condition better than our own, but Submiffion to Providence will make us eafy, and contented with what we have; becaufe it is God's Will, and what he orders for us; and if we believe well of God, we muft believe that it is Good for us. We may endeavour to increase our Eftate, and get a little higher in the World; but if our Endeavours want Succefs, we must take it patiently, and wait God's Time, and be contented to tarry where we are, if he does not think fit to advance us; and not repine if he advance others before, and above us; for it is God's Will to advance them, and it is not his Will to ad

vance