vidence of God. Let us then briefly recollect the clear and full difcoveries, which God has given us, of his being, of his fupreme and univerfal government, and of his righteous and equal administration of affairs.

All nature bears the vifible impreffions of his eternal power, wifdom, and goodnefs. All the changes and events, which happen around us, loudly declare the ope ration of his fupreme and univerfal providence. The bare profpect of the heavens and of the earth unfolds to us fuch a scene of grandeur and magnificence, as fufficiently discovers the whole to be the workmanship of a being infinitely wife and powerful. The ftructure, furniture, and beauty of this great univerfe; the connection, dependance, and mutual influences of all its parts; gloriously reveal the great Creator to all his rational and intelligent offspring. So confpicuous are thefe fignatures of his hand; fo well adapted to all capacities, that in all ages and in all nations the being of a God has been acknowledged for a most certain truth. Thus the pfalmift fpeaking of the works of nature, tells us. There is no fpeech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out thro' all the carth, and their words to the end the world. Pfal. xix. 3, 4.

And as we know that he is the creator of all things fo with equal certainty we underftand

understand and know him to be the Lord, to be the fupreme governour of the world, to have an abfolute and unlimited dominion; against which no refiftance can be formed, and to which all created might must neceffarily be fubject. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this (fays the Pfalmift, Pf. lxii. 11.) that power belongeth unto God. As if he had faid, of this we have the highest poffible proof and certainty; that power, original, uncontroulable power is the fole property of God; that he is the only fource and fountain of all power. And certainly he, that created all beings, and gave them their refpective capacities and powers, must himself poffefs an abfolute dominion over the works of his own hands; must be capable of refuming these his own gifts at his pleasure, or of reftraining and limiting the exercise of them, in what manner he fees fit. Confequently, no force can be employed in oppofition to him; no power can be exerted, but under his influence and by his affiftance. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majefly: for all that is in the heaven, and in the earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reigneft over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give firength unto all. 1 Chron.

xxix.

xxix. 1, 12. Among the Gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou haft made fhall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and fhall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doeft wonderous things; thou art God alone. Pfalm 1xxxvi. 8, 9, 10.

To

In the very nature of things then the dominion of God is unrivalled and resistlefs. And if we fearch into the hiftories of nations and empires; we fhall on infinite occafions difcern the great ruler of the world, in the most unbounded and unreftrained exercife of this his univerfal dominion, bringing about events, and determining the confequences of thofe events, in fpite of all the wifdom and policy, the might and ftrength of mortal men. mention but one inftance, which. fcripture affords us, the taking of ancient Babylon by the Medes and Perfians. This city was the feat of the vaft Affyrian empire; was famous throughout the East for knowledge, wisdom, and learning; boafted of its magi and aftrologers, who confidently predicted eternal profperity and glory to it; its gates were of brafs; its walls, by their height and ftrength, were impregnable against any force, which could be brought against it, with a mighty army to defend them: and when Cyrus undertook the fiege, its inhabitants were fupplied with provifions for

no

no less than twenty years. So that it is not fufficient to say, that at this time, when this event was predicted, the accomplishment of it was in the highest degree improbab'e; but even, when the enemy appeared before it, the befieged were fo little intimidated, fo confident and fecure, that they regarded the attempt with scorn, nor even fuffered themselves to be interrupted by it in the pursuit of any of their pleasures or debaucheries: and Cyrus himself defpaired of fucceeding by any open attack. See now, how the almighty hand of God led and conducted him. He diverted the courfe of the great river Euphrates, and by. its channel entered and furprized the city; whilft the king and nobles of Babylon were drowned in feftivity and drunkenness. But observe farther the all-difpofing providence of God, in determining the future confequences of things. By the fame event, by the fame inftrument, which brought ruin and deftructiou upon this mighty empire, God raises up the Jews; a wretched, despised, enflaved people; held in miferable captivity and bondage at Babylon reftores them to their native land: and establishes them a refpectable and profperous nation. What a wonderful inftance is this of the almighty power of God? And how exactly does he fulfil what he had promised to the Jews. Thus faith the Lord thy redeemer, and he that formed thee

from

from the womb; I am the Lord that maketh all things, that fretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by myfelf: That fruftrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad (alluding to the ichions vain Bredictions of the aftrologers) that turneth wife men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish: That confirmeth the word of his fervant, and performeth the counsel of his meffengers; that faith to ferufalem, Thou fhalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye fhall be built, and I will raife up the decayed places thereof: That faith to the deep (to the Euphrates) be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That faith of Cyrus, He is my Sepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even Jaying to ferufalem, Thou shalt be built and to the temple, Thy foundation fhall be laid. Ifaiah xliv. 24-28.

Moreover; as we thus know him to be the Lord; fo no lefs certain are we, that he exerciseth loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth; and that in these things he delighteth. He is the author of being; the giver of life; the fource of all that happiness, which we and all our fellow-creatures enjoy; he opens his hand and fills us with good; he caufeth the fun to know his rifing and going down; he gives rain from heaven and fruitful feafons, and fills our heart with food and gladness; he loads the earth with plenty, and crowns the

year