Sériìa LXXXV. ïn li.r Próviíleiiice: 63 ,1 Providence and Defign; they May appear to happen by chance; Or may proceed from the ill-will and malicious intent of fecond.Caufes ; but they are all wife- ly defigned ; and as they are appointed or permitted by God, they are the refult of the deepeft Counfel, and the greateft Goodnefs." . And can we with that we and our Concernments fhould be in better or fafer hands, than of Infinite Power and Wifdom, in conjunction with Infinite Love and Goodnefs .? And if we be careful todo our Duty, and to demean our felves towards God as we ought, we may raft allured of his Love and Care of us and if we do in good earneft be- lieve the Providence of God, we cannot but think that he hath a peculiar regard to thófe that love and ferve him, and that he will take a peculiar care of their Concernments, and that he can, and will difpofe them better for us, than we could manage them our felves, if we were left to our felves, and our Affairswerd put into the hands of our own Counfel. Put the cafe we had the entire ordering and difpofal of our felves; what were reafonable for us to do in this cafe ? We would furely, according to our belt Wifdom and Judgment, do the belt we could for our felves ; and.when upon experience of our own manifold ignorance and weaknefs, we had found our weigh- tieff Affairs and Defigns frequently to mifcarry, for want of forefight, or power, or skill to obviate and prevent the infinite Hazards and Difappointinents which Human Affairs are liable to, we Mould then look about us and if we knew any Perlon much wifer, and more powerful than our felves, who we believed did heartily tote us, and with well tó us, we would out of kindnefs to our felves, ask his Counfel our Affairs, and crave his Atfiftance ; and if wècould prevail withhim to undertake the care of our Concernments, we wouldcommit them all to his Conduct and Government, in confidence of `his great Wifdom and Good- will tous. Now God is fuch an one, he loves us as well aswe do our felves, and delres dour Happinefs as much, and knows infinitely better than we do, what means are molt conducing to it, and will molt effectually fecure it. And every Man that believes thuds of God, (as every Mad Bruit do, that believes there is a God, for thefe are the natural and effential Notions which all Men haveof the Deity) I fay, every Mau that believes thus of Godi the firft thing hé would do (if he knew not already that God had voluntarily, and Of his own accord, undertaken the care of him and of his Affairs) would be to apply himfelf to God, and to befeech him with all earneftnefs and importunity, that he would permit him tó refer his Concernments to him, and be pleafed to undertake the care of them ; and he would, without any demur or difficulty, give up himfelf wholly to him; to guide and govern him, and todifpofe of himas to him fhould feem belt. Now if God have prevented us herein, and without our Defire taken this care upon himfelf, we ought to rejoyce in it, as the greateft happinefs that could pof- fibly have befallen us ; and we shouldwithout any farther care and anxiety, ufing our own belt diligence, and ftudyingtopleafe him, chearfully leave our felves in his Hands, with the greateft confidence and fecurity, that he will do all that for us which is really belt ; and with a firm perfwafion, that that condition, and thofe circumfiancesof Life, which he lhall chufe for us, will be no other but the very fame which we would chufe for our felves, if we were as wife as he. And it is fo natural, for Men to think thus of God, that the very Heathen Poet had the fame Ideaof him, and upon that ground, advifethus to commit all our Concernments to him. Permittes ipfis expendere numinibus quid Conveniat nobis, rehufque fit utile nollris Nam pro jucundiis, aptimaplaque dabunt dii ; Charior elf illis home, quam fibi. Leave it, 1'ays he, to the wifer. Gods, to confider' and determine what is fattefl fat thee, andmoll for thyadvantage ; and tho' they do not alwaysgive thee what thou de- firelt; and that which pleafeth thee bell, yet they will give that which is moilfit and M m m in convenient
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