shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

II. The Doctrine of Divine Providence should serve to correct those anxious cares and immoderate desires about the future events of life. This restless and corroding anxiety is destructive of the peace and happiness of the mind, and the occasion of much sin; and is, therefore, often rebuked in the Scriptures, as alienating the mind from God, and from the higher objects of virtue and religion, and filling the heart with appetites which both annoy and corrupt it. As it is the parent of much sin, so it is also the offspring of great folly. For, if we have truly and justly described the condition of man in human life, what means this exclusive anxiety, this mighty bustle and stir, this restless perturbation of thought and care, as if all the issues of futurity rested wholly on our conduct? Much, indeed, rests upon ourselves; and there is reason, upon this account, for acting our parts in life with prudence and discretion. But, after all, everything depends upon an unseen and invisible hand, which can either overturn all our projects, or crown them with success; and, therefore, when the issue is so doubtful, we should never suffer our minds to be absorbed with unnecessary and immoderate care. By disquieting ourselves so much about the future, we burden ourselves with an unnecessary load, and a load that does not belong to us. Disquieted, distracted, and borne down by this useless and unnecessary burden, the mind becomes feverish, the spirit fretful, and thus we are disqualified for the discharge of present duties.

Providence

The folly of this restless and corroding anxiety is greatly aggravated by this consideration, that all events are under the direction of a much better and wiser conductor than we could possibly give to them. Perhaps, that evil which we have dreaded so much in prospect, may never be suffered to approach us. may either turn into a different course that black cloud which wears such a threatening aspect, or, before the storm bursts, our weary heads may be laid so low as to be out of its reach. Should the storm be permitted to assail us, it may bring under its dark and portentous wings some secret, some unexpected good. Who knoweth what is good for man all the days of his vain life, which he passeth as a shadow. Who knoweth this, my brethren, but God? and who consults it so fully and so effectually as he, who, by his infinite wisdom, makes all things together for good to them that love him? Is it not, then, our greatest happiness, that when man's heart deviseth his way, the Lord directeth his steps? Is it not far better for us, than if the case were reversed; if the all-wise God were only ineffectually to devise, and man, blind, ignorant, erring, and rash as he is, were to have the full direction of his steps? Let us not, therefore, give ourselves any unnecessary anxiety. Let us not add to the unavoidable evils of life, the evil of a tormenting anxiety about the success of our schemes and designs. The great

rule, both of wisdom and religion is, do your duty, and leave the result to heaven. Commit your way unto the Lord; act your part fairly, and honorably, and as wisely as you can, for your apparent interest and for the glory of God; and then, with a calm and steady mind, wait for that issue which Divine Providence shall appoint. This is true wisdom, and all beyond this is vanity and folly.

III The doctrine of Divine Providence is calculated, not only to repress corroding and distressing anxiety, but also to enforce moderation in every state. It humbles the pride of prosperity, and prevents that despair which is incident to adversity. The presumption of prosperity is productive of innumerable evils, and of entless mischief. It renders men forgetful of their highest interest, the care of the soul; and disposes them to be unmindful of God and religion. It intoxicates them with love, and immerses them into the indulgence of sinful pleasure. It hardens their hearts, and renders them insensible to the cries and distress of humanity. But all this pride and show, is merely a vain and empty boast; for, consider what little ground the real situation of the most vain and prosperous man affords for this vain elevation of mind. He is dependent every moment on the pleasure of the Supreme Being, and knows not but providence may be preparing for him the most melancholy and humiliating reverses. Shall he boast himself, of to-morrow, who knoweth not what a day may bring forth? He has, perhaps, said in his heart, my mountain stands strong, I shall never be removed. But God needs only hide his face, and presently he is troubled. That little eminence on which he stood, and from which he surveyed with pride his fellow-mortals below him, was no more than an eminence of dust. The Almighty blows upon it with the breath of his mouth, and it is scattered. Let that man remember, who would utter the voice of contempt, or lift up the rod of oppression over his fellows, over his own head is stretched that high arm of heaven, which levels, at one touch, the high with the low! vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, saith the Lord.

The providence of God is attended with this singular advantage, that while it humbles the proud, it revives the contrite. As long as we believe in one who is higher than the highest, to whom all must look up, the greatest man is taught to be humble and modest, and to feel and realize his dependace; and the lowest man, the man in the most abject circumstances, has an object of continued resource and hope. When he is afflicted, or depressed, or injured by men, he can fly to that righteous Ruler of the earth, and, from his interposition, hope for redress and for better days. The providence of God is the great sanctuary to the afflicted, to the distressed, to the persecuted, who maintain their integrity. They can always find consolation in the belief of its existence; and from this sanctuary the most effectual and seasonable relief has been afforded to the oppressed, even when every other refuge has failed. There

is a voice of comfort at all times issuing from it: Trust in the Lord, and do good; and so thou shalt dwell in the land, and verily, thou shalt be fed. Thine enemies may conspire; the heathen may rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. But he that sitteth in the heavens, shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. For the Lord is the keeper of Israel; he is the shield of_the_righteous. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth and forever.

IV. The doctrine of a Superintending Providence, lays a foundation for joy, consolation, and contentment, as it respects our lot in life. Many persons are accustomed to murmur and complain with the situation assigned them in life. Their desires and fortunes do not correspond; they think they are misplaced by providence, and look upon the lot of their neighbors as more eligible than their own. This state of mind excites envy, and renders its possessor wretched and miserable in the extreme. It is impossible, in the present system of things, that all men should be alike. Nature, through all her works, delights in variety. Though every flower is beautiful, and every star is glorious; yet one flower excels another in beauty, and one star exceeds another in glory. There are, also, diversities in human life, and a beautiful subordination prevails among mankind. The Father of Spirits has communicated himself to men in different degrees. There is an endless and infinite variety among human beings; hence, there must be a vast difference in the human race. But, although all men cannot be alike, yet all men may enjoy a great measure of happiness. Indeed, they enjoy a greater measure of happiness than they could have enjoyed, had nature observed uniformity in the distribution of her bounties. This variety is necessary, in order that men might enjoy different climates, and fill with pleasure and usefulness the various stations in life. Every station in life possesses its comforts and advantages. In those comparisons you make of your life with that of others, when you would wish to exchange places with some of your more fortunate neighbors, do you not always find something in which you have the superiority? Is there not some talent of the mind, some quality of the heart, some trait of character, something where you think your strength lies; some one source of enjoyment which you would wish to retain? or some defect, or source of evil in your fancied rival, that you would wish to avoid? Is not this the testimony of universal nature, that you are happier in that path of life assigned you by providence, than you would be in any other? Wherever you are placed by providence, you are called to fill a station of honor. A general, in a day of battle, marshals his army as he sees fit, and distributes the posts of danger and importance, according to the courage and ability of his soldiers. Your commander knows your qualifications better than you do yourselves; he prescribes to you the duty you are called upon to execute, and he marked out the

path in which you are to seek honor and preferment. It is from the faithful discharge of the offices assigned you, that the happiness of your life and the perfection of your character arise. Men rank in the divine estimation, and figure in the annals of eternity, not from the sphere they hold in life, but from the lustre they cast around them in that sphere. If, with five talents, you gain five more; or if, even with one talent, you gain another, you are as praiseworthy as he who, with ten talents, gained other ten talents. Once more as every line in a circle terminates in the centre; as every highway in a kingdom leads to the capital; so, in the wide circle of nature, every line terminates in heaven; and every path in life conducts alike to the great city of God. The present state is intimately connected with the future; the life which we now lead, is an education for the life to come. If your minds were enlarged so as to comprehend and understand all the connexions and de⚫pendencies of things; if your eyes were so opened as to take in at one view, the whole of your mortal existence, you would then see and, acknowledge that providence has assigned to you the very station you would have desired to fill; the very part you would have chosen to act. Trusting in that God who presides over the universe; assured of the wisdom and goodness which directs the whole train of the divine administration, each of us may express our joy in the words of the Psalmist :-The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage: the Lord is the portion of my inheritance; the Lord will command the blessing, even life for evermore.

V. The doctrine of the interposition of Divine Providence in all the events of human life, places the vanity and folly of all sinful plans in a very strong and clear light. All sin, under every view of it, must be attended with eminent danger and peril. He who embarks in any unjust or criminal enterprise, not only endangers the welfare of his own soul, but also incurs the risk of discovering his character, and of meeting with hatred, contempt, and just resentment from the world. One would think that when the consequences on one side are so dangerous, the bribe on the other side must be very great, and the prospect of success very fair and promising, to induce an evil action. Now consider the light in which this matter stands. The sinner must incur the hazard of all that uncertainty which attends all the designs and projects formed by man. Could the most artful and the best concerted means always ensure success to our enterprises, some apology might be made for occasionally departing from the path of rectitude. But no road that is sure of success can, on any occasion, be found. On the contrary, the experience of the whole world teaches us that the most plausible and the best devised plans are frequently baffled and thrown to the ground. Nothing is more remarkable in the whole history of man, than the sport which providence makes of his plans, schemes, and devices.

This view of things alone is sufficient to show the sinner the folly and danger of the system on which he acts. But this subject may be placed in a still stronger light. For the sinner, by his guilty plans, has engaged against him one certain and formidable enemy, to whom he has great reason to look up with terror and dismay. The all-seeing, the all-penetrating eye of the righteous Governor of the world looks down upon him with watchful vigilance, and all of his perfections are engaged to expose his devices and punish his wickedness. Against him, Divine Providence has pointed its darts, has bent its bow in the heavens: the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Other designs may fail; those of the wicked, God has engaged to overthrow. It is true, that a righteous retribution is not rendered to every man in this life; but it is equally evident that divine justice is not always delayed. The history of mankind is constantly furnishing us with examples of the wicked taken in their own devices; of the crafty snared in their own hands; of sinners falling into the pit which themselves had digged! How often has God interposed when signal crimes were ready to be perpetrated; has spread his shield before the righteous, and warded off the fatal blow; or has unnerved the arm of the assassin; or has struck a sudden damp into his mind at the critical moment! Obnoxious, then, as the sinner is to so many dangers; exposed perpetually to the disappointment of his designs by the uncertainty of human events, and to the avenging interposition of heaven; what strange infatuation has tempted him to depart from the plain and safe path of duty? These considerations should dispose every sinner to tremble when temptation is first presented to the mind, and to reject it without delay; for he cannot hope to escape the avenging wrath of God, should he elude the scorn and derision of man.

VI. The doctrine of Divine Providence lays a just and sensible foundation for religious worship. If the Supreme Being was re-. moved at an infinite distance from this world, and was ignorant of the passing events in the life of man; or if he was an unconscious spectator of human actions, he could not be a proper and suitable object of religious worship. A belief in such a doctrine would allay all devotional feelings, instead of exciting them. But, on the other hand, when we raise our thoughts from earth to heaven, and consider the perfections of God, as they appear in creation and providence, what a vast field is laid open to the contemplation of a devout mind! What a truly infinite knowledge was requisite to foresee so many ends, and so many means requisite for obtaining those ends, as are contained in the works of creation above, around, and beneath us! Let us, for example, consider light, which was to be emitted for so many ages, from so many luminous bodies, with so great a velocity, so as to penetrate so many mediums with different degrees of reflectibility and refrangibility, with so many other wonderful qualities; at the same time, so many bodies