Tender-hearted; that knoweth our Frame,and remembreth that we are but Duft; that pities our Weakneffes, and is fenfible of the Difficulties we have to conflict with, as having himfelf had fufficient Experience of them. And withal, fuch a High Prieft as is able to fave to the uttermost all those that come unto God through him.

Thus have I given fome account of the Vertue of our Saviour's Refurrection, in order to the making us fincerely Good. What remains, but that, as we should heartily thank God for thefe Benefits of it; fo we fhould especially endeavour to be Partakers of them ; not contenting ourselves with a notional, ineffectual Faith, but labouring with St. Paul, experimentally to know Chrift Jefus, and the Power of his Refurrection.

Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jefus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good Work, to do his Will, working in you that which is wellpleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift,To whom be Glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

SER

SERMON XIII

Preached before the

KING and QUEEN,

A T

WHITE-HALL.

PSALM XCVii. 1.·

The Lord is King, the Earth may be glad thereof; yea, the Multitude of the Illes may be glad thereof.

T

HAT is to fay, it ought to be Matter of exceeding Joy to all the Inhabitants of the World, that amidst all the Uncertainties, and Hazards, and Variety of Fortunes, which they here find themselves expofed to, there is One Above that Governs all.

GOD that made the World, is the King of it. All the Beings of the Universe, Angels, Men, and Devils, with all other Animate or Inani». mate Things in Heaven and Earth, as they are His Creatures, fo are they truly and properly His Subjects, and act entirely in Subordination to Him, as Ministers and Inftruments do under the Guidance of the Principal Agent. B b

VOL. I.

GOD

GOD doth as truly Reign in the World, as any King does in his Kingdom; He doth as truly order the Affairs of it, as any Master doth thofe of his own Family. Nay, a Man's own Thoughts and Actions, are not by a Thousand Times fo much attended by himself, are not fo much in his Care, as the Affairs of the Univerfe are attended by, and are the Care of God Almighty.

This is the notion of the Lord's being King; and, do you not think it ought to be Matter of Rejoicing to all Reasonable Creatures?

O Lord! what a gloomy difmal Scene of Things do they prefent us with, that give other Accounts of thefe Matters?

To banish God's Providence and Government out of the World, is to banish all Joy, all Peace, all Hope, all Comfort for ever, from all those that have the Power of Thinking.

A Brute, indeed, is not much concern'd how Matters are order'd: An Ox may grow fat in his Stall, and a Colt frisk in his Pafture, let the Hypothefis of the Government of the World be what it will. But to one that is made with a Faculty of Reasoning, that has Hopes and Fears, and reflects on what is past, and hath a profpect of what is future; what black and melancholy Apprehenfions muft it cause in fuch a one, to fuppofe that no care is taken of Human Affairs; but that we fail in the tempestuous Ocean of this World, every Minute in danger of Rocks and Quickfands, without any Pilot to fteer us?

Take what Hypothefis you will; either, That there is no God, but that all Things

come

come to pass by Chance, or inevitable Neceffity; Or, That there is a God, but that God having once put Things into this Frame, never meant to trouble himself more about them, but left them to shift for themfelves, Natural Events falling out from neceffary Causes, and Civil Affairs being left to Mankind, who are to fhuffle and divide the World among themselves as well as they can: I fay, proceed which way you will, if you exclude God Almighty's Government, you make this World fo dark and miferable a Place, that no ferious confidering Man can tolerably enjoy himself in it.

For here, upon the former Suppofition, you are left without Counsel or Advice. You have nothing to purpose, nothing to design in the courfe of your Lives. It is all one how you behave yourselves, whether Honeftly or Wickedly; whether you mind your Business, or mind it not, for the Event will be the fame. You are obliged to No-body for any Benefits; you can complain of No-body for any ill ufage. If you be in ill Circumftances, you have none to apply to for Remedy; and if you be in good ones, you may be ftript of them without Remedy the next Moment; for all Things are carried on by a whirl of Fate.

And you are not much better'd by the latter Hypothefis, That God hath trufted the Government of the World with Mankind, who are endowed with Reafon and Understanding.

For, if we confider how Mankind do fometimes use their Reafons, it is as good, if not better, to be exposed to the Hazards of Chance or Neceffity, as to be subject to their Wills.

Bb 2

The

The Truth of it is, if this Syftem of the World be well confider'd, it will appear a more uncomfortable one than the other; for it doth not remove from us the Iron Bands of Fate, we are ftill under that Yoke, as much as we were before. Yet befides thefe, it puts upon us another Yoke, the arbitrary Pleasures of those of our own kind, which, if they be not govern'd by Reason, are Ten Times more unfupportable than the other.

We are by this Hypothefis, as much exposed to Natural Evils, as we were before, and there is no help for them; but over and above, we must bear the Indignities and Infolences, the Ravages and Cruelty of every one that is ftronger. than ourselves, and hath the Will to opprefs us.

O hard Lot of Mankind, if this was their Conftitution! better by far were it for them to be Brutes, and think of nothing; than to be Men, upon fuch Terms as these.

Happy therefore are the Inhabitants of the Earth; happy are the remoteft Iles thereof, that there is a King that reigns both over Fate and Men. Happy are we, that there is a wife and intelligent Being, that fuper-intends all our Affairs, and fo governs both the Powers of Nature, and the Powers of Mankind; that nothing can be done by either of them, but what is defign'd by, and pursuant to his Counfels.

Upon this Suppofition, we may live like Men, and enjoy ourselves with fome Comfort in this World. We may propofe Ends and Designs to ourselves, and hope that with

our