425 and such great things, in which there is never any failure, one must needs conclude, that such motions of nature are governed by an intelligent Being.

1. Inanimate creatures are governed, and guided, and directed by the providence of God, to do those things for which they were created, and so answer the ends of their creation; there is a law of nature, as has been before observed, impressed upon such creatures, which they constantly obey; there is an inclination of nature in them to such and such actions, which they perpetually follow; so the sun naturally pursues his course, and takes both his daily and yearly circuit from one end of the heavens to the other, and exactly knows and observes his rising and setting; there is an obediential power and influence, by which creatures without life and sense are actuated, and to which they attend with as much precision, as if they heard the order, and understood the will of their Creator; thus the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and fall upon the earth by direction; that drinks in the rain that comes upon it, receives the seed cast into it, cherishes and fructifies it, and throws it up again; whereby it brings forth seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; and so in numerous other instances.

11. Animate creatures, but irrational, are governed, guided, and directed in providence, by an instinct of nature, placed in them by their Creator, to such actions as are agreeable to their nature, and from which they scarce ever swerve, thus with what art and skill do birds build their nests? with what tenderness do they cherish and provide food for their young? that little creature the ant, though it has no guide, overseer, or ruler, no visible and external one, yet provides its meat in the summer, and gathers its food in harvest; an example this of industry and diligence, care and foresight to human creatures; this is one of the four little things on earth Solomon speaks of, which, though little, are exceeding wise through an instinct in nature, put into them by the God of nature and providence. The ants, he says, are a people not strong, far from it, very weak, yet prepare their meat in the summer for the winter; the conies are but a feeble folk, yet are so wise under the direction of providence, and by an instinct in nature, as to make their houses in the rocks, to shelter them from danger and hurt; the locusts have no king, to command and direct them, yet they go forth all of them by bands, march in rank and order, like a well disciplined army; the spider taketh hold with her hands, on the thread of her webs, she spins, and is in king's palaces, where, though her webs are often destroyed she weaves them again. Birds of passage, as the stork, the turtle, the crane, and the swallow, know the appointed times of their going and coming, and exactly observe them, Jer. viii. 7. Multitudes of instances of this kind might be given.

III. Rational creatures, as angels and men, are governed in a moral way, by a law, which for substance is the same to both, according to their different nature and circumstances; particularly men have either the law and light of nature to guide them, or a written law to direct them; and according as they be

have towards it, they are dealt with; to those that are good, and do good, it is well with them, now and hereafter; and for the present, God makes all things work together for their good; to the evil, and to them that do evil, it goes ill with them, and they shall eat the fruit of their doings, now, or in the world to come. And there is a concourse of providence which attends all men, all their actions, yea, even their words and thoughts, Prov. xvi. 1, 9. xxix. 21. all which are over-ruled by providence, to answer some end or another; vea, even evil actions themselves, as in the case of Joseph's brethren selling him into Egypt; they, in so doing, thought evil against him, and did evil in it; but God meant it for good, and over-ruled it for that purpose, to save many people alive, Gen. 1. 20. but of this more hereafter. Moreover, men are governed as rational creatures, in a political way; kings and princes, as has been before observed are instruments by whom God governs and administers this part of the affairs of providence; he sets up kings and judges at his pleasure, and enjoins men obedience to them; who are ministers of his, and through the power and authority they are entrusted with, are terrors to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well. I proceed to consider,

V. The object of providence; which is the whole universe, all the creatures of it, and whatever is done in it.

1. The whole inanimate creation, or creatures without life, whether in the heavens or in the earth, are subject to divine providence, and under the direction of it, and act according to antient and original laws, which the Author of them has imposed upon them, and from which they do not swerve.

1. The luminaries of the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars, these were made at first for various uses, for signs and seasons, and for days and years, and to give light to the earth by day and by night; and they are continued and employed by divine providence, for the said purposes and uses for which they were created. The sun is not only supported in its being, directed in its course, and continued to perform its office, as has been observed, but it daily sheds its benign influences upon the earth, to make it fruitful; hence we read of precious fruits brought forth by the sun, Deut. xxxiii. 14. and by the order of God in providence, all men partake of the benefits of it; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, Matt. v. 45. it is at his command, he can stop it at his pleasure, and hide it from men; He commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; or, is not seen for days together; he causes it to go down at noon, as it seems to do in an eclipse, and darkens the earth in a clear day, Job ix. 7. the same may be said of the moon, that is supported, continued, and directed in providence to answer the ends of its creation; it was appointed for seasons, to distinguish times, as it does; to give light by night, of which use it is, and to influence the earth and seas; hence we read of precious things brought forth by the moon; and that it is at the command of the God of providence, appears by its being stopped and stayed, when the sun was, in the days of Joshua; the stars are the host of heaven, God's militia, which he sometimes employs in

providence, in favour of his people, and against their enemies; The stars in their courses fought against Sisera, Judg. v 20. they are of use, in providence, to mariners on the mighty waters; the loss of which was sensibly felt by the apostle Paul, and those with him, when for many days neither sun nor stars appeared, Acts xxvii. 20. and when such is the case, then it is that God sealeth up the stars.

and that these and thus wash

2. The meteors in the heavens are under the direction of providence; the clouds and winds, hail, rain, snow, and dew, thunder and lightening: the providence of God is greatly concerned in the ordering, directing, and managing of the clouds; He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them, Job xxvi. 8. amazing it is, that such a body of water should be wrapped up in so thin a garment as a cloud, which is only thickened air; and that the cloud should not rent and burst with their weight; should not fall at once, in the vast quantity of which they are, away the increase of the earth, and destroy men and cattle on it. But God, in his infinite wisdom and providence, causes them to fall in gentle showers, and in small drops, as if they passed through a sieve, and so refresh and make the earth fruitful, Elihu asks Job, Can any understand the spreadings of the clouds ? how from a small appearance, like that of a man's hand, on a sudden they spread themselves all over the heavens; as in the times of Ahab, and again he asks, Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wonderous work of him which is perfect in knowledge? Job xxxvii. 16. how such vast bodies, holding such large quantities of water, are poized in the air, without turning aside, or falling at once; but move on evenly from place to place, and fall on those parts wherein providence they are directed.

3. The winds are also at the disposal of providence: God has his treasures of them, and he brings them out from thence when he pleases, and holds them in his fists, restrains them, or lets them loose at his pleasure; he commands and raises the stormy wind, and bids it blow, and it obeys his orders, and fulfils his word; and he makes a weight for it, and causes it to subside, Psal. cxxxv. 7. And as all this is the work of providence, and which God only can do, so it is a clear proof of the Deity of our Lord; who, when he rebuked the winds and sea, there was a calm, when before there was a violent tempest: hence the men in the ship with him said, What manner of man is this, that the winds and the sea obey him? Hail is at the command of God, and which he sometimes in providence makes use of to the hurt and destruction of wicked men, as the Egyptians and Canaanites, as before observed, and will be one of the plagues on the antichristian states, Rev. xvi. 21. On the other hard, in a way of mercy, God sends dew, and rain, and snow upon the earth, to water it, and make it fruitful; and which are what none of the vanities of the Gentiles can give, rain is a wonderful blessing of providence, and falls by divine direction, sometimes on one part of the earth, and sometimes on another, as

God pleases to dispose of it, Amos iv. 7, 8. Thunder and lightening are of God; lightening is directed by him, and it runs from one end of the heavens to the other, and very many and wonderful are the effects of it, thunder is the voice of God; Canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Job xl. 9. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth; and strange effects are produced by it, Psal. xxix. 3-9. God sometimes causes this his voice to be heard, to awaken and terrify secure sinners and atheistical persons, and let them know there is a God in the heavens that takes notice of them, and to whom they are accountable; and sometimes God in his providence does execution upon them this way; thus with a great thunder the Lord discomfited the army of the Philistines, in the days of Samuel, 1 Sam. vii. 10.

4. The providence of God is not only concerned with things inanimate in the heavens, but also in the earth, the several metals and minerals there; such as gold, silver, brass, iron, &c. There is a vein for silver, and a place for gold

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-iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stones, Job xxviii. 1, 2. God has made a provision of these metals for the use of men, and bestows them on them in providence; The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord, Hag. ii. 8. and he gives them to whom he pleases, and as much of them as seems meet to him; and directs men how to employ them, and improve them in trade and commerce, and in several arts and manufactories. 5. The sea, as well as all that are therein, is at his command; this unruly and unwieldy creature is managed by him at his pleasure, as easily as an infant by its nurse; he puts on its garment, wraps it in a swaddling-band; he has broke up its decreed place for it, and has set bars, and doors, and bounds unto it, to stop and stay its proud waves from proceeding any farther; he has placed that small creature the sand for a boundary of it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, as it were in scorn and contempt of this their boundary; yet notwithstanding their haughty airs, they cannot prevail and pass over, Jer. v. 22, II. Animate creatures, or creatures with life; though they have only either a vegetative life, or a sensitive, animal life, are under the care of divine providence; vegetables, herbs, plants, and trees, grass for cattle, and herb for the ser vice of man; and of great use, profit, and advantage, are they to both; when they are withered, or they do not spring up, not only the beasts groan, the herds of cattle are perplexed, and the flocks of sheep are made desolate, because they have no pasture, Joel i. 18. but men sensibly feel the loss of them; for God sometimes in providence turns a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, Psal. cvii. 34. As every spire of grass proclaims a God, so it also declares a providence, and instructs men to trust therein; Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin; but being raised by providence, they thrive, and are clothed with beauty and glory, which Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed with: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, &c. Matt. vi. 28-30. Other creatures that live a sensitive, animal life, yet

irrational, are cared for in providence; He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens that cry, Psal. cxlvii. 9. All the creatures look up unto him, wait upon him, and he gives them their meat in due season; the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air, God knows then all, and provides for them, and takes care of them, and preserves them; not a sparrow fails to the ground without him, without his knowledge, will, and providence; and the doctrine of providence, and trust in it, are to be learned from these creatures; Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barus; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them, Matt. vi. 26. The heathens acknowledge the providence of God, as regarding the most mean and minute. Plato says, that things small and great are not neglected by God, neither through ignorance nor sloth; and that such an imagination is false and wicked. Indeed, some are for exempting creatures mean and small, as well as trivial things, from the providence of God, being of the Stoics mind, who said, Dii magna curant, parva negligunt; the gods take care of great things, but neglect small ones: but what is more mean and worthless than a sparrow? and yet under the care of the providence of God; and what smaller than some insects, as flies, &c. and yet as the wisdom and power of God are seen in creating them, they are no less displayed in the use he makes of them, in doing great things by them; as in the plagues of Egypt, and if they are not unworthy of his creation, they cannot be unworthy of his providence.

III. Rational creatures, angels and men, are more especially the objects of divine providence, Angels good and bad. Good angels are not only upheld in their beings by God, but are directed by his providence, and ordered by his will here and there; and he does according to his will among them, even in the armies of the heavens, which they are, Dan. iv. 35. He orders them to do his pleasure in the several parts of the world, gives them a charge over his people, to keep and guard them in all their ways. Christ says, he could have asked twelve legions of them from his Father, and have had them. But of the offices and employment of good ange's we have treated elsewhere. under the restraints and checks of providence; they are held in the chains of it, nor can they go any where, nor any farther, nor do any thing but what they have leave for; as the cases of Job, and of the man possessed of a legion, and of Peter, Job i, 11, 12, Mark v, 10-13. Luke xxii. 31. but of the providence of God, respecting angels in their first estate, and at their fall, I shall treat more particularly hereafter; and proceed to consider the providence of God concerning men, men in general, and the people of God in particular.

Evil angels are

Men in general. As all men have their life and breath, and all things, from God; they live, and move, and have their being in him; he looks down from heaven, and beholds them all, takes care of them, and provides for them, and preserves them; Thou preservest man and beast; as all sorts of beasts, so the whole of mankind, the providence of God is concerned in the introduction of ? De Legibus, 1. 10. p. 956. Balbus apud Ciceron. de Natura Deorum, 1. a. in fine.