and conferved in the World. How one Country is made a Scourge to the other for their Sin; and how the fober Nation many times conquers the more debauched and vicious, till the former fobriety dying, proves a prefage of the funeral of their happiness. How Men are fuffered to tyrannize, and to rage, that their fall afterward may be more grievous and terrible. How Sin is punished with Sin; and with what measure we mete, with the fame other Men mete to us again. How ftrangely Murder is found out, and fecret VilJanies discovered, arraigned, and conSueton. in Ca- demned. How Caligula, that bids lig. defiance to Heaven,and threatens Japiter to chastise him, if he fent Rain that day his Players were to act; how the poor miferable Creature hides his Head in a Feather-bed when it thunders; and how the ftouteft Sinners tremble, even then when no Man pursues them. How Tiberius is tortured in his Confcience with a fenfe of his monstrous Practices; and he that had defpifed all Heavenly Powers, before his Death, dreads what before he laughed. at. How Light is frequently produced out of Darkness; the greatest Felicity from the greatest Mifery; and even Sin it felf fo ordered, that it proves an occafion of the greatest Good. How miraculously Men are preferved, and how prodigiously rescued from Dangers that hang over their Heads, and threaten their deftruction. How one Man is punished by Profperity, another preferved by the want of it, How one Man's Bleffings are turned into Curses, and another Man's

Curfes

Curfes into Bleffings. How Men perish, that they may not perish; and are fuffered to grow poor, that they may be rich; and are deprived of all, that they may arrive to far greater Plenty. How ftrangely many times are Men preserved from Sin, and fomething comes in and croffes their finful Attempts and Intentions, that they are not able to put their Purposes in execution. How Men are fitted for feveral Employments, and no Office, or Bufinefs fo mean and fordid, but fome Men have a Genius or Inclination to it. How Beasts, which are stronger than Men, are yet kept from hurting Men; and Men themselves that intend mischief to their Neighbours, are prevented in their designs, and in the Net they spread for others, their foot is taken. How by very inconfiderable means, very great things are effected; and fometimes without means,very fignal changes and alterations are produced. How the greatest Preparations are blown upon, and diffolved, and a handful of Men chafe vaft and potent Armies. How Tyrants, when they are juft bringing their Trumpets to perfection, are blafted on a fudden; and when they fancy nothing can refift or hinder their mighty Defigns, the Wind turns, and all their bravery dies into contempt and fhame, and diffatisfaction. How the greatest Enemy fometimes becomes the greatest Friend; and he that hateth another unto Death, is on a fudden convinced of his Folly, and loves him as his own Soul. How kindly the Heavens difpenfe their former and latter Rain; and how upon folemn Prayers and Supplications, fome great

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Judg.

Judgment is averted, and Men restored to their former Peace and Tranquility. How, even in things fortuitous, Juftice is executed; and the Arrow which fuch a Man fhot at random, is yet guided, as to hit the Perfon guilty of fome heinous Crime. How fuch a Man's ruine proves another's instruction; and he, whom Education could not engage to Prudence, learns to be wife by another's fall. How Men ignorantly contrive their Neighbours good, and while they least intend the happiness of others, take the readieft courfe to make their labours fuccessful and profperous. How a Flea shall awaken an Abafbuerus, that he may look into his Chronicles, and read the good Offices of Mordecai, and recompence him, and prevent the Mischief intended against God's People, How a word, that drops fometimes from the Preacher's Mouth in a Sermon, shall make that impreffion on the Hearer's Heart as to change it, and work him into another Man.

He that would take fuch Paffages as these into ferious Confideration, how were it poffible for him to question a Providence, that orders, and rules, and governs all, and extends its care even to the leaft, most minute, and most abject and contemptible Creature? How could he forbear to admire God, as the most wife, most knowing, most lovely, most perfect, most holy, and most beautiful Being,, whofe eyes run to and fro to fhew himfelf Strong in the behalf of thofe, whofe heart is upright towards him, 2 Chron. 16. 9.

The Unbeliever, that doth not believe the Scripture to be the Word of God, and fancies there

there is no other World, no Judgment after Death; and thinks it irrational, that Temporal Sin fhould be punished with an Eternity of Torments; It's want of Confideration makes him continue Infidel,

For, ft. As for the Scripture which contains the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion, would he but take a walk in the Field, or in his Garden, or in his Chamber, and weigh the Arguments, which make for the Divinity of this Book, and confider what he can object against it, whether his objections be equal in ftrength and weight with the Reasons that fetch its Pedigree from Heaven, he would foon be of another mind, and pity the weakness and faucinefs of thofe Youngsters, that play upon the Oracles of God in Alehoufes, or Taverns, or Theatres. He need only difcourfe with himself in this manner,

I fee the whole Chriftian World, for so many Centuries together, hath embraced these Sacred Volumes, as the Treafury of God's will and Ordinances, as a Directory dropt down from Heaven, to teach them how God will be worshipped, what Notions they are to entertain of God, and what they are to do to fave their Souls for ever; how they are to order their Lives, how they are to Pray, how they are to behave themselves towards God and Man, and what Rules they are to observe in their thinking, speaking, doing, and dealing in the World. It's very probable, that God; who is all Goodness, all Mercy, and of infinite Pity, and hath made this World to ferve Man,

and

and endowed him with a capacity of knowing and adoring God, would not leave him deftitute of fuch helps and means, as might best promote his knowledge of him; but find out a way to manifeft himself to him,especially when it's evidemt, that without fome better Directions than Nature gives, Men are fo very apt to fall into Errors and Misapprehenfions of his Glory and Majesty. Whether this Book contains therefore the true Revelations which God hath been pleased to make to Mankind, is the Question.

Upon examination I find, that there is nothing in this Book,either promifed, or threatned,or commanded, but what is Deo Dignum, fit for a God to promife, and threaten, and command.

Whatever is delivered here, feems to be very agreeable to his Majefty, and Sovereignty, and Divine Nature. The Rewards as well as Punishments, are God-like; and the Duties preffed here, are but the neceffary confequents of his Goodness, and Juftice, and Government, and Supremacy; which confequeuces, becaufe Man, by reafon of his corruption, was not able to deduce from the Notion of God, God thought fit to reveal and manifest to him, by various Paffages, Hiftories, Prophecies, Parables, Precepts, and Conclufions.

Upon enquiry I perceive, that the defigns of this Book are at least very harmless, its great aim being to make Men good, and juft, and honest, and live like Men of Reafon; fo that if Men quarrel with it, they muft quarrel with their own Make, and Constitution, which is not only capable of fuch perfections, but, were the groffer fenfual

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