the things themselves that we enjoy, but in our appetites concerning them. But then, that those defires are so provided for by nature and art, by ordinary and extraordinary, by forefight and contingency, according to neceffity and up to conve niency, until we arrive at abundance, is a long chain of mercies reaching from heaven to earth. Is not all the earth our orchard and our granary, our vineyard and our garden of pleasure? and the face of the fea is our traffic, and the bowels of the fea a ftorehouse of fish to feed us; and all the face of heaven is a repofitory of fruitful howers and refreshments,

And when God made provifion for his other creatures, he gave it to them of one kind, and with variety no greater than the changes of day and night, one devouring the other, or fitting down with his draught of blood, or walking upon his portion of grafs: But man hath for his food all the food of beafts, and all the beafts themfelves that are fit for food, and the dew of heaven, and the fatnefs of the earth. It is an infinite variety of meat, with which

God

God furnishes out the table of mankind. And his bounty doth not only furnish the table of the rich, but he hath made provifion alfo for the poorest perfons; fo that if they can but rule their defires, they shall have their tables furnifhed. Are not all the men and women in the world provided for, and fed, and cloathed, till they die? And was it not always fo from the first morning of the creation? And that any person is ftarved to death, is a contingency extremely rare, and feldom happens without the perfon's own default. The poor man need not to be troubled, that he is to expect his daily portion after the fun is up; for he hath found to this day that he was not deceived; and then he may rejoice, because he fees by an effective proof, that God, upon his own honeft endeavours, hath engaged, every day to fend him provisions of meat and drink.

And is it not a great thing, that God hath made fuch extraordinary provifions for our health? fuch infinite differences of herbs, and plants, and minerals; and hath discovered the fecrets of their nature, by

mere

mere chance, or by inspiration? either of which, is a miracle of providence, secret to us, but ordered by certain and regular decrees of heaven.

6thly, But because such is the bounty of God, that he hath provided a better life for the inheritance of man; if God is fo merciful in making fair provifion for our less noble part, we may expect that the mercy of God will much more take care, to fecure to us his defigned bounty, in order to our eternal inheritance.

And here I confider, that it is an infinite mercy of the almighty Father of mercies, that he hath appointed to us fuch a religion, as leads us to a huge felicity by its own natural tendency. The religion of a Christian is the greatest fecurity, and the most certain inftrument, of making a man easy in this world, and beloved by all mankind.

The whole religion of a Chriftian, as it relates to others, is nothing but justice and mercy, which are the certain parents of peace and benefit. And upon this fuppo

fition,

fition, what evil can come to a juft and merciful, to a kind and useful perfon? For the first commiffion of evil was upon the ftock of injuftice. He that kills may be killed; and he that doth injury, may have injury done to him. He that invades another man's right, muft venture the loss of his own. Laws and judges, private and publick judicatures, racks and gibbets, were made, not for the righteous, but for the unjust. All which would be needless, if men did do as they would willingly fuffer.

And because there is no evil that can befal a juft man, unless it comes by injury and violence; our religion hath made as good provifion against that also, as the nature of the thing will fuffer. For by patience we are reconciled to the sufferance, and by hope and faith we fee a certain confequent reward; and by praying for the perfecuting man, we are cured of all the evil of the mind, the envy and the fretfulnefs that uses to gall the troubled and refifting perfon. And when we turn all the paffion into charity, and God turns all the fuffering

3

fuffering into reward, there remains no thing that is very formidable.

So that our religion obligeth us to fuch duties, as prevent all evils that happen justly to men. And for the evils that are unavioidable and come by violence; the graces of this difcipline turn them into virtues and rewards, and make them, that in their event they are defirable, and in the fuffering they are very tolerable.

And thus God's mercies are over all his works: For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee.

SERMON