contrary to what we thought the most rational Expectations. Of this only there was Cer tainty, that we had the loudest Call to adopt the Pfalmift's Prayer: O God, thou haft caft us off, and fcattered us; thou haft alfo been difpleafed: 0 turn thee unto us again. Thou haft moved the Land, and divided it: heal the Breaches thereof, for it shaketh*. And praifed be his Name, that we can now add the Words which follow thofe: Thou hast given a Token for fuch as fear thee, that they may triumph because of thy Truth †. And we have accordingly triumphed in this comfortable Earneft of Profperity, returning to us after fo long an Absence, with a Joy as cordial and univerfal, as perhaps this Nation ever expreffed. May both our Friends and our Enemies know it, and draw the natural Conclufions from it, to the Encouragement of the former, the Difmay of the latter. But then, if we triumph only for the Safety of our Perfons and Properties, and not because of God's Truth, and pure Religion; if we rejoice, and overlook the Author of our Joy, the Giver of all Victory; we shall fall inexcufably short of Pfalm lx. 1, 2. + Verfe 4. our Our Duty, and the Example fet us by the Apoftle: who fubjoins immediately to his Account of the Danger, which he had escaped, II. A thankful mention of his Defender from it: God, who had delivered, and did fill deliver him. It is evidently both as easy for the Supreme Being, and as worthy of him, to govern the Universe, as to create it. Indeed the only Purpose, for which Divine Wisdom could create it, must be to conduct every Part of it to a right End: and the smallest Parts are no more beneath his Attention, than the greatest ; for He is infinitely above all. What Reason thus teaches, holy Scripture confirms with important Additions: informing us, that a future Day is appointed for the full and final Difplay of his Juftice and Goodness towards the Children of Men; but that in the mean time his Providence is active, fo far as the Conftitution of Things eftablished by him permits, and not the leaft Occurrence comes to pass, without the fuperintending Care of our Father, which is in Heaven *. We are often indeed ignorant, by what Means he acts: * Matth. x. 29. L 2 for for he is able to influence, unperceived, not only the Course of inanimate Nature, but the Minds of rational Agents, and to produce the greatest Events from the flightest Occafions. We are often equally ignorant of his Views in acting: for we know but in Part *; whereas all Things are naked and open to the Eyes of Him, with whom we have to do . The Imperfection of our Difcernment therefore must be no Hindrance to our Faith: but our plain Duty is to reverence implicitly thofe Proceedings of His, the Manner and Grounds of which are hid from us; as well as to pay him more particular Acknowledgments on account of fuch as we understand. For in many Cafes the Hand of God is clearly vifible but no-where more than in the Correction, and yet Preservation of States profeffing his holy and eternal Truth ‡: as indeed there cannot be on Earth fitter Objects of his righteous Providence. Thus in all Ages he hath watched over his Church. Thus more especially he hath treated this Church and Land, ever fince the Reformation: vifiting our Offences with the Rod, and our Sin with + Heb. iv. 13. * 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 12. Scourges; Scourges; nevertheless his loving Kindness hath be not utterly taken from us, nor fuffered his Truth to fail *. Many a time have they fought against me from my Youth up, may Ifrael now fay; yea, many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth up, but they have not prevailed against me. The Ploughers have ploughed upon my Back, and made long Furrows: but the righteous Lord hath hewn the Snares of the Ungodly in pieces +. And furely in the Troubles, which we have undergone of late, a pious and thoughtful Mind may trace evident Footsteps of Divine Interpofition. Why else, on the one hand, did our Enemies increase, prevail, and escape, fo furprisingly, for fo long together? Why, on the other, did they fo unaccountably miss the fairest and most palpable Opportunities of undoing us effectually; neither pursuing at home the Advantages they had gained, nor procuring the Succours, which their Friends abroad in all Prudence ought to have sent them? And why, laftly, have they allowed us to obtain fo decifive a Victory, in a few Moments, at the Expence of fo little Blood loft on our Side, (would God their own; * Pfalm lxxxix. 32, 33. L 3 + Pfalm cxxix. 1-4 poor poor deluded Wretches, could have been fpared) when both from the Encouragement of their preceding Succeffes, and the Neceffity of exerting themselves to the utmoft in this Crifis of their Fate, a very obstinate Engagement was to have been expected? Whence have these Things happened thus, but that God ruleth in the Kingdom of Men *? The Lord maketh the Devices of the People to be of none Effect, and cafteth out the Counfels of Princes, But the Counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever, and the Thoughts of his Heart from Generation to Generation. Blessed are the People, whofe God is the Lord Jehovah; and bleffed are the Folk, that he hath chofen to be his Inheritance +. Let us learn therefore, and acknowledge, for it is a very bad Sign if we are unwilling, that both our Dangers and our Deliverances are from above. This will in no degree leffen the Guilt of our Enemies: for they were prompted by their own Wickedness unjustly to attempt, what Heaven for Our Wickedness might juftly have permitted. Nor can it ever be a Plea for yielding tamely to their Enterprizes, that God makes use of them to serve + Pfalm xxxiii. 10, 11, 12. * Daniel v. 21. |