1735. let this be difpofed for the Judgment of Reafon. "When therefore it is faid, That all Things have "come by Nature; if thereby we are to understand "that natural Things are feverally Self-productive, this will be difproved by daily Experience; for we "may obferve, that they depend one upon another,and upon various Caufes for Production and Subfiftence, "without which, neither, in a State of Nature, could "poffibly be. But if it be meant of the univerfal

Syftem of natual Things collectively, this will lefs "be allowed of many, than of any Particular of them; "because that would deftroy the Nature of a Self-pro"ductive Power, which cannot be limitted from be“ing infinite, and therefore can be but one: One In"finite Supreme Nature therefore only can have felf"exifted, and muft have been the fupernatural Au"thor and Power, by whom all other Beings have "exifted: Which refutes the above Error, and rationally proves and establishes the great Truth in "the Queftion.")

66

And this the Chriflian Religion teaches in the greateft Perfection, that the Creator of all Things is God, an Infinite Eternal Spirit, who filleth all Things; who having been pleased to manifeft his eternal Power and Godhead in the vifible Frame of the Universe, beareth Witness of himself therein, by his Providence and Judgments; and in every Soul of Man by his inward Infpirations; efpecially the fincere Believer, in whom his Spirit dwells and operates.

Oh! that Men therefore would lift up there Minds, and open their Hearts to him, when by his Holy Spirit he reproves them for Sin, and brings a Damp upon their Spirits for Evil; from which they would, perhaps if they could, run, or divert themfelves from the Senfe of it: But alas! there is no fleeing from his Prefence, who is every where; nor avoiding his Judgment, whofe Kingdom comprehends all Things: (but Wee efpecially is to them with whom his Spirit ceafes driving!

ftriving!) Holy David certainly was very fenfible of 1735.. this, when he wrote that admirable Defcription of the ✔ Divine Omniprefence, Pfalm cxxxix. 7th Verfe to 12. Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit, or wither fhall I flee from thy Prefence? If I afcend up into Heaven, thou art there: If I make my Bed in Hell, behold thou art there. If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwell in the uttermoft Parts of the Sea, even there fhall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand shall hold me. If I Jay, furely the Darkness fall cover me, even the Night hall be Light about me, yea the Darkness bideth not from thee; but the Night Shineth as the Day: The Darkness and the Light are both alike to thee. With thele Apprehenfions of the infinite Power, and Prefence of the Almighty, I fhall pass to the Relation promis'd in the Title Page, which may here be properly inferted.

My Author was Jonathan Dickinson, Merchant in Philadelphia, who was prefent with the young Men, whom this extraordinary Providence befel, at PortRoyal, in Jamaica; he gave me the following Account. Two ingenious young Men (who were lately arrived at Jamaica from London) difcourfing about Earthquakes, afferted that all Things came by Nature; and fo argued thereupon, that it brought Terror upon the Company, who were many at Dinner in an upper Room: That whilft this lafted (to the Aftonifhmet of all prefent) the Earth began to move and tremble, which put most of them to Flight in fuch Hafte, that they ran one almoft over another, fome down Stairs, others leaping over the Belcony. But my Author faid, he confidered that there was no running from Divine Providence, and that the fame Hand which moved the Earth, was able to preferve him; in which he trufted, and was preferv'd: (And not only then, but at other Times, efpecially among the Cannibals of Florida; as his Book of God's protecting Providence, &c. fignally evinceth) Thus as he continued with the young Men in the fame Room (Oh! terrible to relate, and my Heart

R 2

1735. Heart and Hand tremble in the Writing thereof) the mighty Hand of an of ended God ftruck thefe young Men with Death, and they fell down, and never rose more, being in all Appearance unprepar'd for fo fudden a Change. And how many other gay witty young People have been fuddenly snatch'd away by Death, tho' perhaps not fo immediately, nor in fo extraordinary a Manner, feems worthy of Reflection. The Author of this Account added, that he took up the young Men, and laid them one upon a Bed, and the other upon a Couch; but that they never fpake again after their Blafphemy against God and his Works. Upon which I think it very natural, as well as neceffary, to remark, that this was indeed an eminent Inftance of the juft Judgment of God against such as deny his wonderful Power and Providence in the Creation; with this terrible Circumftance, that these unhappy Perfons were cut off in the midft of their ungodly Difcourfe and corrupt Reafoning, without fo much Time afforded them as to afk Pardon, and crave Mercy of a provok'd Lord; which is very dreadful to confider: And I especially recommend it to the ferious Reflections of all fuch as affect the Name of Free-Thinkers (as they are commonly diftinguished) that they may no longer (under fuch a Pretence) abufe their Understandings with a Latitude of prophane and evil Thinking; who, as they must needs be fenfible, they have not conferr'd the excellent Faculty of Reafon upon themselves; fo they may as certainly conclude they never receiv'd it to exclude his Existence, Power and Providence, out of the World, who gave it them; nor to employ it to their own Destruction, by fuch a Perverfion thereof, which must inevitably be the Confequence, without timely and due Repentance; but that they may apply themfelves to him for true Wifdom, who is the eternal Fountain of it, who would direct all their Thoughts aright therein, then would they find a fubftantial and enduring Happiness and Satisfaction, in the honourable Thoughts

and

and Practice of true Religion and Virtue; and that all 1735. vain and evil Thoughts, directly tended to the Misery and Destruction of Mankind.

Laftly, if any Expreffion in this fhort Tract should prove fuccefsful to promote, in any Measure, the Contemplation of the Divine Being; the Confideration of Man's Duty to him, his Almighty Creator, or to convince but one Soul of the Error of his Thoughts and Ways; the Author will think himself richly rewarded for his Endeavours, and reverently afcribe the Glory and Praise to God, the Prime Author and Mover of every good Thing, who is worthy for ever.

The POSTSCRIPT.

F we duly confider the Nature of human Under

the wonderful Author of fo excellent a Gift to Mankind, according to the Power and Extent thereof; fo fhall we be forced to acknowledge its Imperfection, not only where the Natures of Things exceed its Views, but alfo in tracing and explicating that Evidence which many of them afford; but efpecially as to its Influence in a moral Respect, how fubject is it to be obfcur'd, and its Faculties difabled by the Violence of those Paffions and Affections with which human Nature is too ordinarily agitated. So that Man cannot but want fome extraordinary Affiftance; and lie under the greateft Obligation to fubmit every Faculty and Affection to the Direction and Difpofal of that infinite Power and Wildom, which having fo wonderfully conftituted, can beft preferve, and conduct him to a State of Happiness.

Can it then be thought unrighteous in the Supreme Difpofer of all Things, fo to have fashion'd our

Natures

1735. Natures, and ranged them (though above many other Beings, yet) in fuch a State of Dependance, as continually to exprefs his Sovereign Power and Rectitude? Since by our entire Refignation to his Divine Hand, we may be transformed to a greater Likeness of him, and have a Spirit and Nature fuperinduc'd of Divine Extraction from the Father of Lights; whom to know and contemplate, through the Revelation of his Son Jefus Chrift (his infinite Love to Mankind) is eternal Life and fupreme Happiness.

Which Myftery, far above human Understanding, he hath been pleased to reveal by his Spirit, who fearcheth the deep Things of God, in order to work in us Faith in, and the highest Admiration of that exalted Name, by whom he hath vifited our low Eftate, and would redeem it in him, into the greateft Dignity it is capable of. The Particulars of whofe Incarnation, Paffion, Refurrection, and Afcenfion into eternal Glory, though highly admirable, and which the bleffed Apoftle, who had been an Eye-witnefs of his Glory, fays, The Angels defire to look into, 1 Pet. i. 12. can none of them however be perverted to a Senfe of being repugnant to Reason; because not impoffible to infinite Love, or infinite Power; who could abafe himself from his Glory, and be made Flesh in a Virgin; could work all Miracles, and the greatest of all, the raifing himself from the Dead; and couid afcend up where he was before. All which are agreeable to right Reafon, and appear fo with Ravishment to that enlightened and fanctified, efpecially with the Evidence of the Holy Spirit the Comforter, which confirmeth the humble Believer in the faving Faith and Knowledge of thefe Things to the End. And I am glad of this Occafion to distinguilh to thee (ingenious Reader) that though no divine Truths are contrary to natural Reafon; yet, as they far tranfcend it, they are not comprehenfible by it, as other Truths within the Reach of its Capacity are: As no Nature below Man, nor qualified with Reason as

he