parison of that in heaven, yet, under all its present disadvantages, it has so much excellency and sweetness in it, that I may call it a little heaven, or, as Jacob called his Bethel," the gate of heaven." How often have the hearts of its observers been melted into tears of joy at the beholding of its wise and unexpected productions! How often has it convinced them, on a sober recollection of the events of their lives, that if the Lord had left them to their own counsels, they would have been their own tormentors, if not their own executioners! Into what and how many fatal mischiefs would they have precipitated themselves, if Providence had been as short sighted as they! They accordingly give it their hearty thanks for considering their interest more than their importunity, and not suffering them to perish by their own desires.

In this Treatise I shall first prove, that the concerns of the saints in this world are certainly conducted by the wisdom and care of a special Providence; secondly, I will show in what particular concerns of theirs this providential care is evidently discovered; thirdly, that it is

the duty of saints to advert to, and heedfully observe these performances of Providence for them; fourthly, in what manner this duty is to be performed by them; fifthly, what benefits result to them from such observation.

CHAPTER I.

PROOFS OF A SPECIAL PROVIDENCE.

I SHALL first undertake the proof and defence of this great truth-that the affairs of the saints in this world are certainly conducted by the wisdom and care of a special Providence.

There is a two-fold consideration of Providence, according to its two-fold object and manner of dispensation; the one is general, exercised about all creatures, rational and irrational, animate and inanimate; the other is special and peculiar. Christ has a universal empire over all things, Eph. i. 22; he is the head of the whole world by way of dominion: but a head to the church by way of union

and special influence; John xvii. 2; "the Saviour of all men, but specially of them that believe," 1 Tim. iv. 10. The church is his special care and charge; he rules the world for her good.

The heathens generally denied a Providence. They foresaw that the concession of it would impose an eternal yoke upon their necks, by making them accountable for all they did to a higher tribunal; and that they must necessarily pass the time of their sojourning here in fear, whilst all their thoughts, words, and ways were strictly noted and recorded, in order to an account by an all-seeing and righteous God; and therefore they laboured to persuade themselves that was not, which they had no mind should be. But my business is not so much to deal with professed atheists, who deny the existence of God, and consequently deride all evidence brought from scripture of the extraordinary events that fall out in favour of that people who are called his; but rather to convince those who professedly own all this, yet never having tasted religion by experience, suspect, at least, that all those things which we call spe

cial providences to the saints, are but natural events or mere contingencies: and thus, whilst they profess to own a God and a Providence, they do, in the mean time, live like atheists, and both think, and act as if there were no such things. But if it be indeed so, that the affairs of the world in general, and more especially those of the saints, are not conducted by divine Providence, but, by the course of natural causes, let them who are tempted to think thus, rationally satisfy the following demands

I. How comes it to pass that so many signal mercies and deliverances have befallen the people of God, above the power and against the course of natural causes ; to make way for which, there has been a suspension and stop put to the course of nature?

It is most evident, that no natural effect can exceed the power of its natural cause; nothing can give to another more than it has in itself. And it is as clear, that whatsoever acts naturally, acts necessarily; fire burns to the utmost of its power; waters overflow and drown all. that they can; lions and other rapacious

and cruel beasts, especially when hungry, tear and devour their prey. And as for arbitrary and rational agents, they also act according to the principles and laws of their natures; a wicked man, when his heart is fully set in him, if he have power in his hand and opportunity to execute his conceived mischief, will certainly give it vent, and perpetrate the wicked devices of his heart. But if any of these inanimate, brute, or rational agents, when there is no natural obstacle, have their power suspended, and that when the effect is near the birth, and the design on the very point of execution, so that though they would, yet they cannot hurt, to what, think you, is this to be assigned and referred? Yet so it has often been, where God's interest has been immediately concerned in the danger and evil of the event. The sea divided itself in its own channel, and made a wall of water on each side to give God's distressed Israel: a safe passage, and that not in a calm, but when the waves thereof roared, Isa. li. 15. The fire when blown up to the most intense and yehement flame, had no power to singe one hair of God's faithful