tial care of men; to his people in straits, ver. 4, 6; to prisoners in their bonds, ver. 10, 12; to men that lie languishing in beds of sickness, ver. 17, 19; to seamen on the stormy ocean, ver. 23; to men in times of famine, ver. 33, 40; yea, his Providence is displayed in all those changes that fall out in the world, debasing the high and exalting the low, ver. 40, 41 and at every paragraph men are still called upon to praise God for each of these providences. But ver. 43, shows you what a necessary ingredient to that duty observation is; "Whoso is wise, and will observe those things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord." So that of necessity God must be defrauded of his praise if this duty be neglected.

4. Without this, we lose the usefulness and benefit of all the works of God for us or others, which would be an unspeakable loss indeed to us. This is the food our faith lives upon in days of distress. From providences past, saints argue fresh and new ones to come. Thus David, "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the

bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine," 1 Sam. xvii. 37. Thus Paul, "Who hath delivered us, in whom we trust, that he will yet deliver us," 2 Cor. i. 10. If these be forgotten, or not considered, the hands of faith hang down: "Do ye not yet understand, neither remember?" Mat. xvi. 9. This is a topic from which the saints draw their arguments in prayer for new mercies; as Moses in Numb. xiv. 19, when he prays for continued or new pardons for the people, from what was past; "As thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now." So the church in Isa. li. 9, 10. pleads for new providences, on the same ground that Moses pleaded for new pardon.

5. It is a vile slighting of God, not to observe what of himself he manifests in his providences. For in all providences he comes nigh to us. He does so in his judgments, "I will come nigh to you in judgment," Mal. iii. 5. He comes nigh in mercies also, Psal cxlv. 18, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him.” Yea, he is said to visit us by his provi

dence, when he corrects, Hos. ix. 7; and when he saves and delivers, Psal. cvi. 4. These visitations of God preserve our spirits, Job x. 12; and it is a wonderful condescension in the great God to visit us so often, every morning, and every moment But not to take notice of it, is a vile and brutish contempt of God, Isa. i. 3; Zeph. iii. 2. You would not do so by a man for whom you have any respect. It is the character of the wicked not to regard God's favors, Isa. xxvi. 10; or frowns, Jer. v. 3.

6. In a word, men can never order their addresses to God in prayer, suitably to their conditions, without due observation of his Providences. Your prayers are to be suitable to your conditions; sometimes we are called to praise, sometimes to humiliation. In the way of his judgments you are to wait for him, to prepare to meet him. Now your business is to turn away his anger, which you see approaching; and now you are called on to praise him for mercies received; but then you must first observe them. Thus you find the matter of David's psalms

still varied, according to the providences that befell him; but an inobservant, heedless spirit, can never do this.

CHAPTER. IV.

DIRECTIONS FOR REFLECTING ON THE DISPENSATIONS OF PROVIDENCE.

LET us next proceed to show in what manner we are to reflect on the performances of Providence for us. And certainly it is not every slight and transient glance, nor every cold, unaffecting rehearsal of his providences towards you, that will pass with God for a discharge of this great duty. No, it is another manner of

business than most men understand it to be. O that we were but acquainted with this heavenly, spiritual exercise! how sweet would it make our lives! how light would it make our burdens! O sirs, you live estranged from the pleasure of the Christian life, while you live in the ignorance or neglect of this duty! Now, to lead you up to this heavenly, sweet,

and profitable exercise, I will beg your attention to the following directions.

I. Labor to get as full and thorough a recollection of the providences of God about you, from first to last, as you are able.

O fill your hearts with the thoughts of him and his ways. If a single act of Providence be so ravishing and transporting, what would many such be, if they were presented together to the view of the soul! If one star be so beautiful, what is a constellation! Let your reflections, therefore, on the acts and workings of Providence for you, be full, extensively, and intensively.

1. Let them be as extensively full as may be. Search backward into all the performances of Providence, throughout your lives. Thus did Asaph in Psal. Ixxvii. 11, "I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember thy wonders of old: I will meditate also of all thy works, and talk of thy doings." He labored to recover and revive the ancient providences of God's mercies many years past, and draw a fresh sweetness out of them, by new reviews of them. O sirs, let me tell you, that there is not such a