28. comes within the compass of the Divine Care: for the Providence of God reaches from the highest Angel to the meaneft Infect. 'Twas an abfurd Conclufion of the Syrians, That the Lord i Kings 20. was a God of the Hills, but not of the Valleys; tho 'twas not unlike the Notion of fome of the antient Philofophers and Poets, about the Limitation of Providence to the great Affairs of the World, and that God is an uncon cern'd Spectator in leffer things. The Gods, fays one of 'em, overlook smaller matters, and do not mind every man's little Field and Vine. But we have a very different account of the Extent of God's Providence from Divine Revelation, which affures us that it reaches even to the Grafs of the Field, which to day is, and to morrow is caft into the Oven; yea, to the very Hairs of our Head, which are all number'd; tho they are inconfiderable, even to a Proverb. Now if it was not inconfiftent with the Wif dom and other Perfections of the Divine Nature to form all Creatures, I cannot fee how it fhould reflect the leaft Dishonour on God's Attributes to govern what he has made. So that the Mighty Acts of common Providence in God's governing the World and its various Inhabitants, whether in Heaven or Earth, in the Air or in the Sea, deferve ferious Reflection and constant Notice. And I confefs, I cannot fee upon what reafon a man should fo much as defire to continue in this World, who does not believe it to be under the Government of a wife and powerful Being: for if there is no Providence, and all things come by Chance, we cannot be fecure for a moment. Which brings to my thoughts an Expression of Marcus Antoninus the Philofopher; Who, Z fays fays he, would live in a World uninhabited by the Gods and Providence? 2. Some of the Mighty Acts of God's Providence are strictly miraculous; I mean fuch as are produc'd by a fupernatural Power, and are evident to Senfe. And under this Head I rank fuch Mighty Acts as thefe, viz. The Deliverance of the Children of Ifrael at the Red Sea, at which time the Waters did not only divide, but stood on a heap, and were as a Wall on the Right Hand and on the Left, fo that they walked thro the Sea upon dry ground. This Event can furely be refolved into nothing fhort of a fupernatural Power, if we confider what an infinite number of fluid Particles were pil'd up and restrain'd, till the People God defign'd to fave had pafs'd over the Sea. Under this Head I might alfo recite the miraculous Plagues that were brought on the Egyptians; fuch as the turning Rivers into Blood, and the Duft of the Ground into Lice; the grofs and palpable Darkness that continu'd for three days over the Land of Egypt, when at the fame time the Children of Ifrael had Light in their Dwellings. Again, I might mention that Series of Miracles with which the Ifraelites were attended in the Wilderness. How amazing was, it that Mofes fhould fplit a Rock by the gentle stroke of a Wand, and that there fhould immediately gufh out Water enough to quench the Thirst of five or fix hundred thousand men ; and that this agreeable Stream fhould continue to follow 'em thro the Wildernefs! Not to mention the Showers of Quails, the raining of Manna, and the miraculous Prefervation of the latter by the fide of the Ark from Age to Age: Age together with what Mofes remarks, Deut. 29.5. Again, the going back of the Sun in Hezekiah's time, was a miraculous Operation of the Divine Power; as was alfo the Sun's ftanding ftill upon Gibeon, and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalon, in the time of Joshua, until the People had aveng'd themselves upon their Enemies. The inftance of Shadrach, MeShech, and Abednego, is to be refer'd to this Head. These three Jews refus'd to pay Divine Honour to an Idol, which fo incens'd a proud and arbitrary Monarch, that he doom'd 'em to be burn'd alive; and in order to make the quicker difpatch of them, commands that the Furnace into which they were to be caft, fhould be heated feven times hotter than it ordinarily was; and thefe men were to be bound hand and foot, with their ufual Habit about 'em, and thrown into the midst of the fiery Furnace, the Heat of which was fo violent (as the Sacred Text informs us) that it flew their defign'd Executioners; but the Force of it was fo abated to them, by a miraculous display of Goodness and Power, that it only loos'd their Bonds, and fet 'em at liberty to walk in the fiery Oven. The Miracle having convinc'd that idolatrous Prince of the Being of the True God, and of the Doctrine of the Divine Providence, he calls 'em forth; And the Princes, Governours, and Captains, and the King's Counsellors being gathe red together, faw thefe Men, upon whofe Bodies the Fire had no power, nor was a Hair of their Head fing'd, neither were their Coats changed, Z 2 ΜΟΥ nor the Smell of Fire had paffed on them. The amazing Deliverance of Daniel, when thrown into a Den of fierce and hungry Lions, ought to be number'd among thofe Mighty Acts of Providence that are strictly miraculous. To these might be added the numerous Miracles of our Blessed Saviour and his Apoles, for the Establishment and Confirmation of the Christian Religion. 3. There are fome Mighty Acts of Providence that are special and extraordinary, but yet are not strictly miraculous; nor are they to be number'd amongst thofe Works of Providence that are common. And what Age or Place has not been favour'd with many of thefe? And were the Cafe to be put to particular Perfons, I doubt not but that feveral in this Affembly would acknowledg they have been often deliver'd by Mighty Acts of fpecial Providence. And if private Perfons could be prevail'd with to record the fignal. Favours which they and their Friends have receiv'd from the Hand of God, I question not but the frequent Reviews of fuch a Memorial would furnish them with abundance of Pleasure, as well as adminifter Support under new and unexpected Troubles. The Pfalmift, tho in fuch deep Sorrow that he refus'd to be comforted, and under fuch Agonies of Confcience that he could neither fleep nor speak, and began to question whether the Mercy and Faithfulness of God would not fail for ever; yet in all this diftrefs betakes himself to the Practice I have juft now recommended: I will Pfal. 77.10, remember the Years of the Right Hand of the Most High. I will remember, or record, as the EI, 12. word word fignifies, the Works of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy Wonders of old. I will meditate alfo of all thy Works, and talk of thy Doings. And this was not without good Success: for in the very next Verfe he cries out, Who is Ver. 13. fo great a God as our God! He can now put in his Claim, who but just before was doubting and defpairing of the Favour and Faithfulness of God. But the fpecial Providences I fhall principally recite, are of a more extenfive aud publick Concern; and under this Head I rank fuch Mighty Acts as thefe, viz. The Deliverance of the Jewish Nation from the Maffacre defign'd by Haman, which had fuch a Chain of furprizing Circumstances, as plainly enough fhow that it was brought about by a special Direction of God. The like may be faid concerning the Advancement of Jofeph, who notwithstanding the Envy of his Brethren, the Malice of his Miftrefs, and the Difficulties and Difgrace that attended his unjuft Imprisonment, was rais'd to the highest Dignity of a Subject, being fecond in the Kingdom to Pharaoh. Again, That David fhould be taken from the Sheepfolds, and rais'd to a Throne: That from following the Ewes great with Young, God Pfal. 78. 79, Should bring him to feed Jacob his People, and Ifrael 71. his Inheritance: That a Man of fo obfcure a Character, and of fo mean an Imploy, should marry a Princefs of the Blood, and overcome the most amazing Difficulties, and confequently escape the hands of his Father-inLaw, who defign'd he should fall a Victim to his Rage; can furely be afcrib'd to nothing but the fpecial Favour of Heaven. And as remarkable were the Providences that attended Z 3 this |