THE prodigious Wickedness of the ge­nerality of Mankind, in almost all Ages of the World, hath been a thing, with great grief of heart, taken notice of by good Men in their several Generations. Neither have those alone who Laboured to Reform themselves and others, been the only Complainers of this general defection from Vertue and Goodness; but even those also, who have, mightily increased the publick stock of Sin and Impiety, have often been as for­ward to declaim against the Wickedness of the [Page 2]Ages they lived in, as other people; in so much that there are frequent Complaints of this kind to be found in Lucretius, and other such Heathen Writers, whose very Principles inclined them to Sensuality as well as a­vowed Atheism: though according to the different Principles they went upon, they have given different Accounts of the cause of this Matter.

But as the Holy Scripture gives us the truest account of the depravedness of Human Nature in general, so it likewise best informs us of those reasons which Wicked Men frame to themselves to defend their own Wicked Practises withall. And among others, this place, which I have chosen for the Subject of my present Discourse, shews us the pretended Grounds that they go upon when they resolve to do wickedly: and those are, their Doubts a­bout, or Disbelief of a Divine Providence, a­rising from their Observation of the slowness of Divine Rewards and Punishments. And there­fore in the prosecution of these Words I shall endeavour to shew these two things.

• [Page 3]I. That all the Impiety and Profaneness of Men, usually either proceeds from, or is ac­companied with a Disbelief, or at least false Notions, of God and his Providence, or Doubt­ing about future Rewards and Punishments.
• II. That Disbelief, or Doubting about the Providence of God, is chiefly occasioned by the seeming slowness of Divine Justice, or ra­ther by Mens over hasty judging about such Matters.

1. That all the Impiety and Profaneness of Men, usually either proceeds from, or is ac­companied with a Disbelief, or at least false Notions, of God and his Providence, or Doubt­ing about future Rewards and Punishments.

The Truth of which will appear from Rea­son, Experience, and the Testimony of Holy Scripture.

First From Reason. That Mens outward actions should generally be such as their inward belief is (though they happen sometimes to profess [Page 4]contrary) is no hard matter to conceive. For though it be very plain that Men do not al­ways practise according to their profession, yet it is likewise as plain, that their outward profession oftentimes proceeds not from any real inward and hearty belief of what they outwardly profess, but from Education or Custom, or because they cannot well tell what to say to the contrary. But as for the real Sentiments of a Man's Heart, they are bet­ter discovered by the general tenour of his Actions, that by any verbal profession what­soever. And therefore upon due consideration it will appear, that Men's Vertues and Vices will naturally hold proportion to their right or wrong Notions of God and Providence, if we do but observe either, the Nature of Man, or the Great tendency which a true and sincere Belief of the Attributes of God has to promote Vertue, and consequently the close Union that is between Vice and Atheism.

1. If we observe the Nature of Man in ge­neral, how apt his Actions are to be governed by his Principles. I would not be hereby un­derstood [Page 5]as if I thought that Men always acted according to what their own minds dictate to them as best to be done. For doubtless Men oftentimes, through inconsideration, or violence of temptation, or suddain surprize, do what they are heartily ashamed of, and sincerely re­pent for afterwards. But my meaning is, that the courses which Men deliberately take, and resolve to continue in, are usually such as their Notions of God and Providence, either prompt them to, or allow them in; Or else that they endeavour to form to themselves such Notions of God and his Attributes, as shall best suit with the courses they design to persist in. For Men are naturally inclined to live at ease and quiet with themselves, and do not love to raise tumults in their own minds, and therefore if their Principles and Practises do disagree, they will be sure, as soon as they can, to reconcile them, because it is a very uncomfortable state to live in opposition to themselves, and to be constantly doing of that, which they do as constantly condemn in their own minds. And if to this consideration we add,

[Page 6]2. The strong Tendency which a true belief of God and his Attributes, and the seri­ous consideration of future Rewards and Pu­nishments have to produce a practise an­swerable, it will convince us that affected A­theism and Infidelity are closely link'd with Sin and Wickedness. For there is nothing that naturally works so strongly upon our minds, as Hope and Fear. Now the due considera­tion of the Attributes of God and the firm be­lief of his Almighty Power and impartial Ju­stice joyn'd with the holiness and purity of his Nature, together with a thorough Conviction of the truth of those Threatnings that he has denounced against Sin, must of necessity work in us a fear of him: His infinite Wisdom joyn'd with his unbounded Mercy and Good­ness towards all his creatures, his pity and compassion towards all true penitents are the strongest motives that can be, to hope and trust in him; and therefore the bearing a con­stant sense of these in our minds, must neces­sarily make us afraid of offending him pre­sumptuously, as well as hinder us from con­tinuing in Sin, out of a despair of his Mercy. [Page 7]So that we may from hence safely conclude, that whoever goes on securely in a deliberate course of Sin and Wickedness, either has no serious belief of the being of a God at all, or else has very imperfect notions of the Holi­ness, and Justice of his nature, or lastly does not really believe those Promises and Threat­nings which he has declared to Mankind in Holy Scripture. For that a Man should retain a quick and powerful sense of these things in his mind, and yet at the same time go on still in a course of Wickedness, is next to impossible. We see that in all other cases Men are moved to action by arguments of in­finitely less weight and moment. Hopes and fears of very small consideration in respect of these will determine them to undertake things of great difficulty and hazard, and to avoid things otherwise very pleasant and tempting; and can we then think that in this case only they should Act so very inconsistently with themselves, as they must needs do, if the pro­fession which they make of the belief of these great and momentous Truths were any thing more than formal and superficial. 'Tis true [Page 8]indeed, there are but few people in the world that pretend utterly to disbelieve, or deny the Being of a God and Providence, and there is very good reason for it, because when this point is prest home upon them, they cannot with any shadow of reason maintain their ground in the defence of such Principles. But it is likewise certain that a great many Men entertain such false and unbecoming notions and opinions concerning the Nature and Attributes of God, as quite destroy all the Motives either to Religion or Morality; and from these opinions they encourage them­selves to go on in their Sins with security. But,

Secondly, Not only the Reason of the thing persuades us, that a resolved course of Sin and Wickedness proceeds from, or at least is accompanied with Infidelity or undue thoughts of God and his Attributes, but Ex­perience likewise teaches us the truth of this. For if we consider the several ways, as well as the several steps and degrees by which Men are hardned in Sin, we shall find them common­ly attended with answerable degrees of pro­fane [Page 9]thoughts and imaginations concerning God and Providence.

Suppose, for instance, a Person from his childhood brought up under wicked and un­godly Parents, who have never Taught him any Sense of Religion or Piety; if you come to examine him, what a strange account will he give of matters relating to a future Life? If his own natural Reasonings be not very quick, and the Grace of God very powerful over him, it will be hard to find, whether his Vi­ciousness or his Ignorance be more deplorable. He finds perhaps but little remorse in himself for what he does amiss, because he could not but naturally conclude, from the Example which his Parents set him, that there was little to be lookt after but the gratifying of his sensual ap­petite in this Life. And therefore if ever you would awaken such an one to a lasting Sense of his Duty, it must be by first convincing him of the reality of a future state, and the certain and inevitable ruin that will attend all impenitent Sinners: and till you can convince him of the necessity and importance of some of those great and fundamental Truths which Religion Teaches, [Page 10]'tis in vain to go about to instruct him, to any purpose, in the nature of Vice and Vertue, or to advise him to shun the one and embrace the other.

But now suppose, on the other hand, a Per­son that has had the happy advantage of a Godly and Religious Education, that has been well instructed in the Principles of Piety and Vertue, and Taught to live under the Sense of an Almighty Being of infinite Justice, Holiness and Power, as well as Mercy and Goodness; how tender is such a Man's Conscience in the Commission of any Evil? And with what re­luctance is he drawn to any deliberate Sin? And if he be, by the Violence of Temptation, and Power of evil Company, carried away into any evil course, what pangs of Conscience and bitter trouble of Mind is he forced to undergo, before he can be throughly brought over to an entire complyance with his wicked Company? And when he does fall off from Vertue, if we do but observe the gradual Progress which he makes in Wickedness, we shall likewise see how his Notions of God, and his Belief of a Life to come, are proportionably impait'd and decay'd. [Page 11]At first he endeavours to think as seldom of God and Religion, as he can, in cool blood: he begins by little and little to leave off the Duties of Prayer and Devotion, and all Reli­gious Conversation; by and by he thinks such things useless and insignificant, and fit enter­tainments only for old Men and Children: Afterwards he goes on to jest upon or find fault with the Holy Scriptures, and to Dispute against the Doctrines contain'd in them, till at last he comes to think them utterly inconsistent with Reason, false and ridiculous; and so dis­cards all Reveal'd Religion as Folly and Non­sense: which when he has once done, he can deal more freely with that which we call Natu­ral, and make it suit with his unruly Lusts and Appetites; and so at length having lost all the relish of good and evil, he begins to think, ei­ther there is no Life at all after this, or else if there be, that God is no such rigid Being as he is represented, so as to require any account of him hereafter how he has behaved himself in this World: and when he is come to this pitch, he can sin on, and enjoy himself with great se­curity, and wants but one step of the grossest [Page 12]Atheism. Now that this is the Case of most habitual and resolved Sinners, I think we may appeal to their own Consciences, if they would but speak without reserve. And it were much to be wish'd, there were not too many instan­ces in the World to confirm the Truth of it. For otherwise how comes it to pass, that we have so many bold Disputers against all Reveal'd Religion, that the Truth and Authority of Holy Scripture is by many so much decryed, and the Mysteries of the Christian Faith so much ridiculed by those whose Lives and Actions are a sufficient Evidence, that they are indeed but too much in Earnest in their Profane Discour­ses. How (I say) could these things be, if there were not a very close Connection between Im­piety and Infidelity.

And this appears to be the Case not only of particular Men now and then, but if we look into the Histories of whole Nations, we shall find, that according as the Sense of Religion and the True Worship of God have obtain'd more or less among any of them, so their Moral and Political Vertues have more or less flourish'd: Insomuch that even among Heathen Nations, [Page 13]those, whose Idolatry and Superstition has been more gross and absurd, have also been more Sensual and Brutish in their Manners. And on the contary, the nearer their Religion has been to Truth, and the brighter Notions they have had of God, so much the more Vertuous and Praise-worthy have their Actions been. So that, both in Reason and Fact, we see that Wicked­ness of Life proceeds from, or at least is accom­panied with a corruption of the Fundamental Principles of Religion.

Now the main thing that can be objected against this, is that there are a great many in the world who are mighty pretenders to Piety and Religion, that seem very Devout and talk much of God and Goodness, who are not­withstanding very deficient in the practise of Moral Honesty, and have not so much Vertue and Integrity as those very Men whom they account Profane and Irreligious: and that con­sequently Vice and Wickedness are not so ut­terly inconsistent with the Belief of God and another Life, as they have been here represented.

But in answer to this, it ought to be con­sidered, that it is not the outward pretence to [Page 14]Piety, nor the external Profession of Religion, though never so plausible, that is to be look't upon as a True and Real Belief of God or his Providence, even though a Man go so far in it as to deceive his own self. For while the outward Profession of Religion is encouraged, Men that are much concern'd for the good opinion of the World, because they gain by it, will be sure to make a Pretence of believing as the best Men do; nay they will often Act this so far as to over-do it, and make a greater shew than those that are truly Pious and Re­ligious; insomuch that they will not only de­ceive others, but themselves also. But then this is in truth only Acting such a part as they find will be most for their advantage, and proceeds not from any solid and lasting Foun­dation; For if it should so happen, that Gain and Reputation, or the Countenance of Au­thority, or whatever else they value most, should lye, with prospect of any long continuance, on the side of Atheism and contempt of Religion, these very Men would then be as great pre­tenders to that; however they may mistake themselves while the case is otherwise. So that [Page 15]in truth next to the down-right Profession of Atheism, there are none that come nearer to it than the thorough Hypocrites, and therefore it is not without very great Reason that our Bles­sed Saviour so often joynes Hypocrites and Un­believers together in the Gospel. But,

3. Not only Reason and Experience make it evident, that Atheism and Infidelity are closely link't with Sin and Wickedness, but the Holy Scriptures likewise in many places Testify the same. For so Psal. 14.1. We are told that, The fool hath said in his heart there is no God, which words, though they be sometimes brought to shew the Folly of Atheism, and in that sense be true enough, yet the plain natural and di­rect meaning of them is, that the wicked Man, who is frequently in Scripture Language call'd a Fool, has not in his Heart any true Belief of God and Providence, but secretly either dis­believes, or questions his Being and Attributes, and endeavours, as much as he can, to thrust the thoughts of him out of his Mind; and that this is the meaning of the place is fully made out by what follows; Corrupt are they and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth [Page 16]good. God looked down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God; They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my People, as they eat Bread, and call not upon the Lord? All which shews, that by the Fool is meant a Wicked Per­son, and the Wicked are such as seek not after God, nor call upon the Lord. And so in the 9th Psalm: The wicked and those that forget God are joyned together. And in the 10th Psalm v. 4. it is said, That the Wicked through the Pride of his Countenance will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts. And again v. 11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten, He hideth his face and he will never see. And many more Expressions there are in the Book of Psalms to this purpose. In like manner St. Paul shews at large, in the First Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, concerning the Gentile World, that the Reason of that great Corruption of Manners among them, was their false and cor­rupt Notions of God, and this not only by way of natural consequence, but by the just [Page 17]Judgment of God upon such perverse and de­praved Opinions; and that because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, therefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient. And Ephes. 4.18. he says that, the Gentiles being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, through the blindness of their heart, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. From all which it plainly appears, that the corruption of Men's Manners springs from the want of a true and sincere Belief of the Being and Nature of God, and therefore that Men may be truly accounted so far Atheists in their Hearts, as they are re­solutely Profligate and Debauched in their Pra­ctise. Proceed we therefore to consider,

II. In the Second place, whence this Infidelity or Doubting arises, which thus hardens Men in Sin; and the Text tells us, it is Because sen­tence against an evil work is not executed speedily, i. e. Men take occasion to Doubt about Provi­dence, and so fully to set their hearts to do evil, from the seeming slowness of Divine Justice in [Page 18]dispensing Rewards and Punishments, or ra­ther from their over-hasty judging about these matters.

I mention Rewards as well as Punishments, though the Text speaks expressly of the latter only, Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; and perhaps the Reason why it is exprest more particularly on that side, may be this, because there is so much ill na­ture generally in the World, that Men are much more offended to see any Man escape that de­serves Punishment, than they are concern'd for a good Man that misses of his due Reward, and more apt to observe the evil Actions of Men than the good: just as in the disposal of Temporal great­ness, it usually raises a greater indignation to see an unworthy and vile Person preferr'd, than to see a deserving Man neglected, or at least much more than it raises our Joy and Gratitude to see a worthy Person raised to a deserved Dignity. And besides, base and unworthy Minds, such as are most wont to Tax the Providence of God, are apt to be generally more mov'd by Prin­ciples of Fear than by Hope or Love; and there­fore, when Punishment does not presently over­take [Page 19]their faults, are soon persuaded to disbelieve that Providence, which they think should present­ly punish, if he had any regard to what they do.

But notwithstanding that the slowness of Divine Punishments only is mention'd in the Text, and perhaps for the Reason now assign'd: yet the slowness of Rewards also may be suppos'd to be a part of the Reason why Men Doubt of or dis­believe a Providence.

Now that this Long-suffering of God is gene­rally the occasion of most Men's disbelief or per­verse Opinions of God and his Attributes, and consequently of their hardning themselves in Wickedness, appears not only from this Expres­sion of the Royal Preacher in the Text, but like­wise from many other places of Holy Scripture, as well as from the common observation of Men's Practise in the World, and the Confession of Wicked Men themselves. Thus Job. chap. 21. describing the Prosperous Estate of the Wicked, how They live and become old and mighty in power, and their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them—but they spend their days in wealth, &c. Therefore (says he) they say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge [Page 20]of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto him? In like manner the Holy Psalmist speak­ing of such Wicked Men, whose eyes swell with fatness, and they have more than heart could wish, adds thereupon, that They corrupt others and speak of wicked blasphemy, their talking is against the most High. Psal. 73.11. By which places and divers others it appears, that the prosperous con­dition of Wicked Men in this World, not only hardens themselves in Sin, and makes them prone to forget God, but that others also seeing their worldly happiness, and considering the mean condition of many good Men, are thereby tempted, through weakness of judgment and want of consideration, to think hardly of the Providence of God, as if he were regardless of Good and Evil. And indeed the Temptation seems sometimes so plausible, that the Holy Psalmist himself confesses, he was a little Staggered with it, till he reflected more seriously upon the Matter, in the forementioned Psalm v. 18.14. And the Prophet Jeremy complains Chap. 12.1, 2. Righteous art thou O Lord, when I plead with Thee; yet let me talk with Thee of thy judg­ments: [Page 21]Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root, Thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins. Seeing therefore good Men themselves are capable of being tempted, if they be not upon their guard, by the see­mingly unequal distribution of these outward good things, to have sometimes misbecoming thoughts of the Justice and Goodness of Pro­vidence, no wonder that Men strongly enclined to be Wicked are ensnared and taken by such Temptations. And accordingly we find that this is one of the most common, and as they think, fairest and strongest Pretences they make use of for the denying of Providence and encouraging themselves in Wickedness. For after this or the like manner do they that altogether deny Pro­vidence Reason with themselves.

We are told (say they) that there is a Divine Po­wer that made and Governs this World, that par­ticularly takes notice of all the actions of Men, and intends to reward the Good and punish the Wicked; but we see, in Fact, that many of those, who are reckoned good and vertuous Men, are [Page 22]oftentimes more miserable than other People, that they suffer want and are in distress, are revil'd and persecuted, even for their being good, as them­selves term it: or however, if they escape such Treatment, yet they are as subject to Po­verty and sickness and the like Calamities of Human Nature as other People: and on the contrary, many of those, whom they account im­pious and profane, often enjoy the greatest Af­fluence of all good things. Health and Riches, Honour and Pleasures fall as often to their shares as to others; nay some attain to the greatest part of their outward Prosperity by the very Acts of the greatest Villany and Baseness. Now if there were such a Wise and Powerful and Just Governour of the World as we are told there is, would he not presently Thunder down his Vengeance against such Exorbitant Contemners of his Authority, ra­ther than suffer them one moment to proceed in their Rebellion against him. If an Earthly Prince should take no more notice of affronts put upon his Person and his Laws, his Power and Autho­rity would soon be little regarded. Since there­fore things are thus negligently Manag'd (say they) how can we imagin that there is any such [Page 23]Providence presiding over the World, as takes no­tice either of our Good or Evil behaviour? had we not therefore better resolve all into Chance, and make the best of our Lives while we enjoy them, and trouble our heads no further with the thoughts of God and Providence.

After this manner do these Men Reason them­selves out of all Sense of God and Religion: and this is the very way mentioned by St. Peter 3.3. There shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming i. e. the Coming of Christ to Judgment: for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. We see no marks of any ap­proaching Judgment, nor, as matters are ma­naged, any likelyhood that ever any such thing should be. For the World (as far as we can see) is just in the same state that it always was. But if there be really a Judgment to come, why does it not make more haste? or at least give some Symptoms by which we may guess that it will come at all, that we may see them and Be­lieve? Such as this is the reasoning of them that are entirely Infidels.

But then as for those that are not altogether so bold, as utterly to deny Providence or the Being of a God upon this account, but yet are desirous to enjoy their Sins as quietly and se­curely as they can, they endeavour to frame to themselves, from the Divine longsuffering and forbearance towards Sinners, quite other No­tions of God, than the Holiness and perfect Purity of his Nature will admit of.

We find (say these Men) that God is very kind and merciful towards Wicked Men: for we see many, that surpass us in wicke dness, thrive in the World, and prosper very well; and there­fore we believe he is not so utter an Enemy to all manner of Sin as he is represented: or if he be resolved indeed to Punish Sinners, we hope it will be but gently, or however, we have Rea­son to think it will be a great while first, and therefore what need we trouble our selves with the matter at present? May we not safely Ar­gue, with those in the Poet:

Ut sit magna, tamen certe lenta ira Deorum est &c. If vengeance do but seize Men in order, 'twill be long before it come to our turn; and however when the worst comes to the worst, we shall escape as well as others.

And in this manner do these Men endeavour, with false imaginations, to lull themselves asleep in their wickedness, and take as little notice of God and Divine Vengeance as ever they can, till they awake in another World, and to their sorrow find those things true, which they are so unwilling to believe in this.

And thus it appears, how Men take occasion to disbelieve, or doubt of, or embrace false o­pinions concerning the Providence of God, from the flowness of Divine Rewards and Punishments. But now though this ministers the occasion to such conclusions, yet the fault is wholly in our own over-hasty judging of these matters. For the Reason, why we conclude thus rashly against Providence, from these Appearances of things in the World, is not because these things are really any blemish to Providence, or Argue any want of it in the World, if all things were duly considered; but because we our selves, that thus misjudge, are to blame in several instances; as,

• 1. Because we put too great a value upon the outward circumstances of this Life; that is, we judge those Men happy, whom we see abound in Wealth and Riches and worldly enjoyments, [Page 26]not considering, that those very Men may be really more miserable than they whose condition we so much pity. We see their outside indeed, and the abundance of good things that they seem to enjoy, but then those many inward vexations and disquiets, that they are troubled withal, those we see not; besides oftentimes the grievous pangs of Conscience and apprehen­sions of the Wrath of God, notwithstanding all their endeavours to stifle them, which are a Thousand times more irksome than the meanest outward circumstances. And therefore if we did but value these outward good things accord­ing to their real worth, we should not think much with Providence, though Wicked Men possest the largest share of them, since they are as often the means of making Men miserable as they are of making them truly happy. But so long as we think the chief happiness or mi­sery consists in the having or wanting of these, 'tis no wonder we think amiss of Providence.
• 2. Another Instance of our Arraigning pro­vidence without Reason, because of the impu­nity of Evil Men, is that we judge without know­ing or considering the Reasons upon which it [Page 27]proceeds. Even in Human Governments, there are a great many Actions of our Superiours, that seem odd and unaccountable to those who are at too great a distance to understand the Rea­sons of them, which nevertheless it would be very rash and unreasonable to find fault withal before we do understand them. Now God is the great Governour of the whole World, and has infinitely more things to take care of than we can possibly comprehend; and therefore to judge of the whole of his Providence from some of those few particular Instances, which we see indeed, but can not understand, is highly ab­surd and foolish. It may be, the suffering one Wicked Man to prosper in his wickedness for a while may be the occasion of doing good to a­bundance of innocent persons, or of the puni­shing others as wicked as himself. So that untill we can certainly tell why, and for what purpose, God Almighty suffers any particular Man to prosper, we have no Reason to censure his Justice for it. Again,
• 3. Another instance of our over-hasty judg­ing of the Conduct of Providence is in our passing Sentence before we see the final issue of [Page 28]things. We see only the present Scene of things, and therefore to pass our Judgment before the whole plot be unravelled, must needs be the cause of great mistakes. Thus for Instance, if we were only to look at the first part of the History of Joseph, or of Haman, and consider the hard usage of the one, notwithstanding all his Virtue and Piety, and the great preferment of the other, notwithstanding all his Pride and Treachery; it would be a temptation to think Providence unobservant either of the one or the other. But when we consider the latter part of the Story of each of them, and observe the Gracious ends of Providence, in the preserva­tion of his People, served by the mighty advance­ment of the one, and the sudden downfall of the other, we shall be forced to confess the Justice and Wisdom of God's dealing with them, and the unreasonableness of Judging, before things were brought to that unexpected Conclusion.

In like manner, if we were, now at this time, only to look at the grievous sufferings of some of our Protestant Bretheren abroad, for the sake of Religion and a good Conscience; we might rashly conclude, that God had forsaken his In­heritance, [Page 29]or took no notice of the afflictions of his People. But when we remember, that not many years ago, we our selves at Home were threatned with apparent Ruin, and yet that God was pleased to raise us up an happy Deliverer, who is still, under God, their chief Support also, and consider how God at present enlarges the Bounty and Compassion of many Reformed Princes and States towards them; we have Reason to hope that he has not utterly cast off his People, nor is his Mercy clean gone for e­ver, but though he suffer them to be evil entreated for a while, as he did the Primitive Church, yet he will in the end make them meet for a glo­rious Deliverance. However till we can see the final issue, we ought not to accuse Providence or charge God foolishly.

I might proceed to shew how unreasonable our complaints of Providence are, from many more considerations; As, That the infinite Mer­cy and Long-suffering of God, are, if duly re­flected on, a strong proof of his Infinite Justice also, and therefore that those, who now com­plain for want of Justice, would, if Things were otherwise, complain for want of Mercy: That [Page 30]by this Conduct a great many excellent pur­poses of Providence are served, which would o­therwise be defeated: That many vertues of Good Men are hereby exercised: That Wicked Men have time and space for Repentance: That all of us have herein an admirable lesson of Patience and forbearance of one another: And that God has given other sufficient Indications of the righteousness of his Providence by many remarkable instances, even in this World. But the time will not allow me to speak to these particularly: and therefore I shall only at pre­sent add these short inferences which seem to follow from what has been already said.

1. Since Wickedness of Life so naturally pro­ceeds from, or is necessarily accompanied with a disbelief of the Nature and Attributes of God, we may from hence easily judge what progress Atheism and Infidelity make in the World. For the more open Vice and Wickedness, barefac'd Debauchery and avowed Profaneness get ground in the World, so much the greater proportion of Atheism and Infidelity must there necessa­rily be.

[Page 31]2. We may from hence also learn the great danger and mischief of passing too hasty a Judg­ment upon the occurrences of Providence in the World, since Doubting and Disbelief of the Justice of God so usually proceeds from those wrong judgments which we make of God's Government of it. When we see things go otherwise than we imagin they ought to do, we should have a great care of being too per­emtory in our censures of the Righteousness and Equity of God's proceedings, and rather patiently wait till we see the end. For we have much more reason to conclude, from the unequal distri­bution of present Rewards and Punishments, that there shall be a future Reckoning, when all things shall be set right, than we have, from the slowness of Divine Vengeance, to imagine that the Wicked shall always escape unpunish'd: since it is very absurd to argue, that there shall be no Future Judgment, only because that time is not yet come.

3. And lastly, We may therefore conclude, that the best way to preserve our Vertue and Pi­ety, is always to retain fixt in our minds a strong sense of the Power and Providence of God: be­cause, [Page 32]if we once let that go, we have lost the greatest restraint to all Sin and Wickedness. To this purpose, it is necessary to make use of all those means, which God has prescribed, for the keeping up a sense of Religion in our minds, such as frequent Reading and Hearing his Holy Word, serious Meditation, fervent and hearty Prayer, constant and devout receiving the Holy Sacrament, and the like; which are the best means of retaining in our minds a lively sense of God and his Attributes, and consequently of preserving and improving us in all holiness and righteousness of life. And let us well remem­ber what the Royal Preacher tells us in the verse af­ter the Text, that Though a sinner do evil an hun­dred times and [...]his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked.

Now to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Honour, Glory, Might, Majesty and Dominion, for evermore.