ftakes in the Doctrine of Providence. As to fhew this briefly.

God has endowed all Creatures with fuch Natural Powers and Virtues, as may answer the End for which they were made. He has made the Sun to fhine, to enlighten and refresh the World; the Fire to burn, the Earth to bring forth all forts of Herbs, and Grafs, and Corn, and Fruit, the Vapours to afcend out of the Earth, to purge and fan the Air with Winds, and to fall down again in fruitful Showers; every Herb, and Flower, and Tree, has its peculiar Seeds to propagate its Kind, as all Living Creatures have.

Now, as it had been to little purpose for God to have made a World without upholding it in Being, (for Creatures can no more preferve, than they can make themselves;) fo it had been to as little Purpose, to have endowed all Creatures with such Virtues and Powers as belong to their feveral Natures, without fuch a Natural Co-operation, whatever that be, as fhall enable their Natural Powers to act, and to at tain the Ends of their Natures; and therefore God eftablished this Natural Concourfe and Co-operation, to actuate all the Powers of Nature, by a perpetual Law, which is that Bleffing God beftowed upon all Creatures at the Time of the Creation. For tho' this Bleffing, to Increase and Multiply, and to replenish the Sea, and Air, and Earth, which preferves and invigorates the Powers of Nature, be expreffed only of Living Creatures, the Fifh, and Fowls, and Beafts, and Men, yet it equally belongs to the whole Creation, as will be easily granted; and makes Nature regular and conftant in all its Motions and Productions.

But

But there are other Acts belong to God's Government even of the Material World, as I fhall fhew you more hereafter. As to direct the Virtues and Influences of Nature, or to fufpend and restrain them: To make the Earth fruitful or barren, the Air wholsome or peftilential, to with-hold the Dews and Showers of Heaven, or to give the former and latter Rain in its Seafon; to caufe it to rain upon one City, and not upon another, and fo to temper the Influences of Nature, as to punish the Wickedness, or to reward the Obedience of Mankind. These are Acts of Government, and of a quite different Kind from actuating the Powers of Nature to attain their Ends, and to do what they were made for.

Thus, to confider the Rational World; God had endowed Man with the Natural Faculties of Understanding and Will, to judge, and to chufe for himself; and he preferves these Faculties, and gives them a Natural Power to act, to understand, and will. But this Natural Cooperation of God, can extend no farther than to the Natural Power of acting, not to any Specifical Acts: It does not improve any Man's Understanding, nor incline his Judgment, nor determine his Choice; it makes no Alteration in the Powers of Nature, but only enables them to act according to their Natures: It is only like winding up a Clock, which puts it into Motion, but gives no new preternatural Motions to it, but leaves its Motions to be guided by its own Springs and Wheels. Whatever this Cooperation of God be, which is thought neceffary to actuate our Natural Faculties, it gives no new Byas to us, but leaves us perfectly in a State of Nature, and only enables us to do that,

which we fhould do of our felves without any fuch Co-operation of God, could we act without it.

But in the Government of Mankind, God exercises a very different Power over the Minds of Men. He changes the Hearts and Counfels of Men, imprints new Thoughts upon their Minds, claps a new Byas upon their Wills and Affections The Hearts of Princes are in his Hand, and he turneth them as Rivers of Waters. He renews and fanctifies Good Men by his Spirit; enlightens their Understandings, changes their Wills, infpires them with Divine Affections. He gives up Bad Men to the Impostures of wicked Spirits, to their own affected Ignorance, Blindness, Inconfideration, to the Obftinacy and Perverseness of their own Wills, and to the Empire of their Lufts. Every one must perceive, that this is a very different Thing from God's Co-operating with our Natural Faculties to will, and to understand; for that makes no Change in our Natural Understandings and Wills, but only enables them to act But this improves and heightens, and regulates our Faculties, enlarges our Knowledge, and rectifies our Choice, and directs and governs our Paffions; and yet these Things have not been well diftinguifhed, which has very much obfcured and perplexed the Doctrines both of Providence and Grace, as I fhall now Thew you.

For having thus briefly explained the Difference between a Preferving and Governing Providence; that this may not be thought a more fubtil than useful Speculation, it will be neceffary to fhew you, of what great ufe this

is, to answer fome of the greatest Difficulties in the Doctrine of Providence.

Now as the Foundation of all, I fhall ask but one Thing, which every Man muft grant; That it becomes God to preferve the Creatures which he has made, to uphold them in Being, and to actuate their Natural Powers, as far as is neceffary to enable Creatures to perform thofe Natural Actions, which their Natures are fitted and made for. If it became the Wisdom and Goodness of God, to make Creatures with fuch Powers and Faculties of acting, it becomes him alfo to preferve their Beings, and Natures, and Powers of Action. To Make, is to give a Being and Nature to that which was nothing; to Preserve, is only to continue its Being, and to enable it to act according to its Nature; and therefore we muft either approve or disapprove of both alike.

Let us then lay down this as an acknowledged Principle, 'That we must not quarrel with the Providence of God, for any Thing which is a mere Act of Prefervation, not an Act of Government. For to uphold the Being, and Nature, and Operations of all Things, is no Fault, whatever evil Confequences may attend it; and therefore those who have a mind to quarrel at Providence, muft find fome Fault, if they can, in God's Government of Creatures, not in the Acts of Prefervation: And this eafily answers fome of the most difficult Objections. againft Providence. As for Inftance.

Since no Creature can move, or act, or do any Thing, without the Concourfe and Cooperation of God, fome are wonderfully puzzled to give an Account, why God fhould Co-operate with any Creature in finful Actions: Why

God

God fhould actuate Mens Understandings and Wills, and their other Natural Powers and Faculties, when he certainly knows, that if he enables them to act, they will act wickedly; they will chufe that which is wicked, and will execute their wicked Designs: That if they have the Exercise of their Natural Powers, they will defile themselves with Adultery, and Drunkennefs, and Theft, or Murther, and all manner of Wickedness: And how can a Holy God cooperate in all the Wickedness which is committed? When Men do wickedly by the Power and Co-operation of God, without which they can do nothing, how does the Sin come to be the Man's, when the Action is God's, as done by his immediate Power?

I fhall not trouble you with other Answers, which are commonly given to this Difficulty for what I have now difcourfed, gives a plain and eafy Solution to it: For all this, however it be reprefented, comes to no more, than God's Preferving the Natures of Creatures, and actuating their Natural Powers to perform the Offices of Nature; and if this be such a Fault, as entitles God to all the Wickedness they commit, the original Fault is in making fuch Creatures: For if it were no Fault to make them, it can be no Fault to preserve their Natures. Does it become the Wisdom of God to make Creatures, who must act dependently on himself, and to deny them the Natural Powers of acting, which is to unmake them again? And if this does not become the Wisdom of God, then it can be no Fault in God, to co-operate with the Natural Powers of Men, even in their finful Actions; nor any more entitle God to their Sins, than his making Creatures with fuch

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