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SERMON IX.

ON THE

GOVERNING PROVIDENCE OF GOD,

PREACHED IN THE

ISLAND OF JAMAICA,

ON THE

Fast Day, appointed in Memory of the great Storm

WHICH HAPPENED THERE

On the 28th of August, 1712.

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REVELATIONS xix. part of the 6th and 7th.

Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice.

ÍF we take a survey of mankind in the majority, we will find, that it is the universa! opinion that this world was formed by an eternally existing Creator. And the reason is, because no man, in his senses, could ascribe that which hath all the characters of a wise design and contrivance imprinted on it, to the effect of blind chance, or the fortuitous concurrence of atoms.

But you will find many, in all ages, and of every religious persuasion, so perplexed about the good and evil accidents of life, as to doubt whether this Creator gives himself any concern in governing the world now he has made it. And yet, what can be more absurd, or more evidently display the short.sightedness of man? If there was no supreme intelligence, no providential eye over the universe, it must suffer infinite distractions, undergo numberless cala

mities, and, before an age could pass, must have returned to its primitive chaos.

It must be granted, to be sure, that the same divine power that created all things in the beginning, might have commanded that they should continue in the same regularity and order to the end of time, without the continual interposition of Providence to support them. So indeed the Almighty, if he pleased, miglit still create man at full stature, as he did Adam: but, is it a reason because he could, that he ought to do so? He might have ordered the Garden of Eden to have produced all the necessaries of life, and to have retained its primitive verdure and prolific quality, without being · cultivated by Adam: but, as it would have shared the fate of all gardens being neglected, which are always over-run with weeds, and unfit for use 'till dressed and cleansed, so it is with this glorious fabric of the world, and the infinite variety of creatures in the upper and lower regions: they are not preserved in their original splendour and beauty without a divine superintendant: no, they are governed and supported by a power and providence, admirable and stupendous.

Besides, how is it consistent with the attributes of power and goodness to be present in every place, where many wise momentous things are to be done, and yet do nothing at all?

Action is the glory of every being. Idleness and ease are marks of weakness and imperfection. And, if it be more majestic in an earthly prince to exercise his power daily in

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doing good, rather than to stifle it in an inglorious indolence, surely it must be a sublime degree of goodness in the King of Kings to sit at the helm of this floating universe, and to steer its motions with a steady and unerring hand.

We may, with as great propriety, imagine a sun in the firmament without heat or light, as a living God surrounding and penetrating all things, without ever exerting his active powers, or shedding forth his vital influence upon them.

Life is an active principle; and as God is the fountain of life, is ever active, and is in all places, he must, of course, operate every where: and, if he operates every where, that operation is a universal Providence.

All nations of the world, says holy David, shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. And he assigns a reason for their so doing; for, says he, the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations. But to what purpose do they worship him, if the Lord is not present? Or, if he is present, if he will not act nor concern himself about the affairs of this world, it must be a vain and idle thing to offer up any prayers to him; consequently the whole race of mortals, excepting a few professed atheists, must be branded with folly and stupidity.

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As for his being governor among the nations, a log might answer the purpose as well if he does not exert his attributes. For what doth that wisdom signify that contrives nothing?

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