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of Things do not always anfwer to the SER M, Probabilities of fecond Caufes, uniefs the XIII. Wisdom of God thinks fit by the direction of his good Providence to make those Caufes fuccessful. I returned, and far under the Sun; that is, in the whole Courfe of this lower and uncertain world, in the whole compafs of Humane Affairs, in the Hiftories of all Times or Ages, and in the Events that have happened to all Nations or People; I obferved, faith he, upon the largest View and most extenfive Experience, that the Race is often not to the Swift, nor the Battle to the Strong. The Reason why the Events of Things do frequently fail in this manner, of answering to the natural Probabilities of fecond Caufes; is because many little and unforefeen Accidents unavoidably interpofing, do very often change the whole Course of things, and produce an Event quite contrary to what in all reasonable probability was to have been expected. The swiftet Racer, upon the leaft accidental Slip, lofes the Prize to an Adverfary much flower than himself; and the Potenteft Armies, upon the leaft Disorder befalling

them

SER M. them in a day of Battle, have been forced XIII. to leave the Victory to an Enemy whom

they before defpifed for his inferior Force. Accidents these things appear to men, because not poffible to be foreseen or prevented by our short and imperfect Understandings: But, in the hands of Providence, the Caufes and Reasons of these even the minutest Accidents are all as clearly and distinctly known and determinate, as the grossest and most obvious Causes are apparently difcerned by us. And by means of these unforeseen Causes, does God in his Great Government of the Universe, conftantly bring about his own Defigns, in Bleffing or Punishing Nations according to his own good pleasure. Amos ii. 14; The Flight fall perish from the Swift, and the strong shall not firengthen bis Force, neither shall the mighty deliver himfelf; Neither fhall He ftand, that handleth the bow; and he that is fwift of Foot, Shall not deliver himself; neither shall be that rideth the horse, deliver himself. Again, Pf. xxxiii. 15; There is no King that can be faved by the multitude of an Hoft, neither is any mighty man delivered by much

Strength:

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-firength: A Horfe is counted but a vain SER M. thing to fave a man, neither shall be deli- XIII. ver any man by his great Strength: Behold, the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and upon them that put their Truft in his Mercy. Solomon expreffes the fame Notion thus, Prov. xxi. 30; There is no Wisdom, nor Understanding, nor Counsel against the Lord; The Horfe is prepared against the day of Battle, but Safety is of the Lord. And Hannah, in her prayer, recorded, 1 Sam. ii. 4, 9; The Bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that ftumbled are girt with Strength :The Lord will keep the Feet of his Saints, and the Wicked fhall be filent in Darkness; for by Strength fhall no man prevail. Thefe are all, as it were, Paraphrafes upon the words of the Text; the Race is not to the Swift, nor the Battle to the Strong.

IT follows: neither yet Bread to the Wife, nor yet Riches to men of Understanding, nor yet Favour to men of Skill. That is: As Strength and Agility of Body, are not always fuccessful in proportion to the Degree of thofe Faculties; nor Powerful. Armies Victorious, in proportion to the

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SERM. Numbers they confift of: So the Facul XIII. ties and Abilities of the Mind likewife,

Wisdom and Understanding, Dexterity and Skill; are not always fuccessful, as might regularly be expected, in obtaining Riches and Honour, Favour and Dignity in the World; But unfeen Accidents, (Accidents with regard to Men, but with God wife Difpenfations of Providence,) invifibly and inexplicably turn the Course even of these things alfo: For Time and Chance happeneth to them All: If. xliv. 25; God turneth wife men backward, and maketh their Knowledge Foolish.

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HAVING, thus, briefly explained the Meaning of the feveral Phrafes contained in the Text; the Doctrinal Obfervations I fhall now draw from thence, are as follows.

Ift; WE may obferve, that what merr vulgarly call Chance or unforeseen Accident, is in Scripture always declared to be the determinate Counfel and Providence of God. What carelefs and inconfiderate menafcribe in common Speech to Chance or Fortune; that is, to nothing at all, but a mere empty word, fignifying only their

Ignorance of the true Caufes of things; SER M. XIII. this the Scripture teaches Us to afcribe to the all-feeing and all-directing Providence of God; that we may acknowledge Him in all our Ways; and be fenfible of the True Author, from whom all the Good and all the Evil that befalls us, does either mercifully or justly proceed: Dan. iv. 35% He doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth; and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? When a perfon is flain by Chance or Accident, as men vulgarly fpeak; the Scripture more accurately expreffes it, faying, that God delivered fuch a one, into the hand of him that flew him without Defign; Exod. xxi. 13. And in all other Instances, the fame Notion is every where kept up in Scripture: Prov. xvi. 33. The Lot is caft into the Lap, but the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord. And when the Apostles chofe by Lot a Succeffor to Judas, they expreffed their Sense of the divine Providence in the following words, Acts i. 24. Thou, Lord, which knoweft the Hearts of all men, show whether of

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