he will design them any mischief, yea that he will easily suffer it ? 'Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may,' God telleth us, 'forget; yet he will not forget us:' sooner indeed may the most tender parents become unnaturally regardless, spiteful, and cruel toward their children, than the immutable. God (who in his nature is unexpressibly benign and compassionate) shall neglect the good of his offspring : good reason therefore have we to be satisfied with all that befalleth us.

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6. Particularly this consideration obligeth us to be patient and cheerful in the sorest afflictions, as deeming them to come from a paternal hand, inflicted with great affection and compassion, designed for, and tending to, our good: Thou shalt,' saith God to the Israelites, 'consider in thy heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee :' and, We,' saith the Apostle, have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of of his holiness.' The punishments inflicted on us by men may perhaps proceed from passion; but God assuredly never inflicts any thing grievous on us, but out of pure good-will: and what sweeter consolation can there be, than to know that the most cross and distasteful accidents befalling us do (according to the intention of him that bringeth them on us, and manageth them) conduce to our profit, and shall in the event, if we do patiently receive them, and by our untowardness do not hinder their effect, prove wholesome and advantageous to us?

7. This consideration doth also show the reason we have to obey those precepts, which injoin us to rely on God's providence; to cast all our burden and care on God;' to be solicitous and anxious about nothing which concerneth our sustenance for children commonly (especially such as have able and kind parents) do live altogether void of care concerning their maintenance, being assured that their parents will concern themselves to provide whatever is necessary or convenient for them and how much more have we reason to live free of soli

citude in such respects, who have a Father so infinitely sufficient to supply all our wants, and so tenderly affected toward us so ever present with us, and always vigilant over us; who cannot but see and know our needs; and can most easily satisfy them, and is no less willing and ready, if we trust in him, to do it? 'Do not,' saith our Lord, take care, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?-for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.' The like reason did even natural light suggest to a philosopher :* If,' 'saith he, 'kindred with Cæsar, or with any other great man in Rome, is sufficient to make a man live securely, without contempt, and without fear, will not the having God our Maker and Father and Guardian, free us from griefs and fears?' It is extreme infidelity concerning either the providence of God, or his power, or his goodness, (that is, the practical disbelief of this point, or in our hearts disavowing God to be our Father,) which causeth all that carking and distraction of mind, that fear of wants, that grief for losses and disappointments, which do commonly possess men, together with those covetous desires and unjust practices, with which the world aboundeth: he can hardly be guilty of them, who believeth and considereth that God doth thus stand related and affected toward him.

8. This consideration doth more generally in all regards serve to breed and cherish our faith, to raise our hope, to quicken our devotion: for whom shall we confide in, if not in such a Father? from whom can we expect good, if not from him who hath already given us so much, even all that we have? to whom can we have recourse freely and cheerfully, on any occasion, if not to him, who so kindly inviteth and calleth us to him, in so endearing terms, with so obliging an appellation? If we in any need, corporal or spiritual, request succor or supply from him, can we suspect that such a Father (so infinitely wise, so able, so good) will refuse us, or can fail us? No; 'What man is there of us, that if his son ask him bread, will give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? If we then, who are evil, know how to give good

* Epict. Arr. i. 9.

gifts to our children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to them that ask him?' So doth our Saviour with most convincing force of reason move us to the duty of prayer, with faith and confidence of good success. St. Luke hath it,' How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?' implying that, on account of this relation, we may in all our spiritual needs (if we do need light and direction in our doubts, or strength against temptations, or comfort in our distresses) be assured of finding requisite assistance and relief. We should therefore, on all exigencies, address ourselves to God, not with the fear of slaves, nor with the suspicion of strangers, but with dispositions of heart suitable to children, with a reverent love, and humble confidence, and cheerful hope.

9. Lastly, considering this point will direct and prompt us how to behave ourselves towards all God's creatures, according to their respective natures and capacities: if God be the father of all things, they are all thence in some sort our brethren, and so may claim from us a fraternal affection and demeanor answerable thereto. Shall we then scorn, abuse, trample or ty-, rannise over any of them? doth it become us to do so? will our common Father like it, or endure it? If we are all branches sprouting from one stock, or streams issuing from the same source of divine beneficence and fecundity; if we are members of one body, of one commonwealth, of one family, we are then surely obliged to an universal benevolence; to be kind and compassionate, to be helpful and beneficial unto all, so far as our capacity reacheth; we are to endeavor, as we can, to preserve the order and promote the welfare of the world, and of all things in it: even on this score the meanest of God's creatures is not to be despised, the vilest worm is not to be misused by us; since even it is the work of his hands, and the subject of his care, yea the object of his kindness, who,' as the psalmist telleth us, is good unto all, and whose tender mercies are over all his works :' but especially toward those beings, who according to a more peculiar and excellent sense are intitled the sons of our Father, and to whom we are more nearly allied by our better part, (that divine breath, which both they and we drew from God,) toward all intellectual

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beings, we do learn hence our respective duties of love and respect toward those our elder brethren, the angels, (those of them, which have not degenerated from their nature, and apostatised from their duty;) of charity and good-will toward each other; which if we do not maintain, we may consider that we thereby are first undutiful and unkind to God our common Father, and then even to ourselves; we do hate and harm both God's relations and our own (God's children, and our brethren) by hating or harming any man whatever; especially any good man, any Christian brother; who by other more peculiar bands is straitly tied to us; who on so many better and higher accounts standeth related unto God, and to ourselves. Aristotle saith, that all men, on grounds of natural cognation and similitude, are naturally friends to one another; much more are all good men so by participation of a more excellent nature, and by a nobler resemblance; whence it is St. Paul's precept to Christians, that they should be τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ, εἰς ἀλλήλους piλuoropyo, that they should bear a natural affection each to other in brotherly love:' Christians are in a more peculiar and eminent manner styled brethren; and that charity, which in respect to others is called philanthropy, (or humanity,) in regard to them is named philadelphy, (or brotherly affection :) hence to perform all fraternal offices toward every Christian, to wish heartily and earnestly to promote his good, to compassionate and, as we are able, to relieve his evils, to bear his infirmities, and to comport with unkindnesses from him, and the like duties, are incumbent on us, as peculiar to our profession.

These are the principal uses which the consideration of this point suggesteth. Now God Almighty, the great Father of all things, and especially our gracious Father in Christ Jesus, grant that by his holy grace we may perform all filial duty toward him, (rendering unto him all love and reverence, all praise and thanks, all worship and obedience, together with all faith and hope in him,) that we may behave ourselves in all things as becometh this relation, that we may resemble him in all goodness, that we may persist here continually in his favor, and obtain hereafter the blessed inheritance from him; this he of infinite mercy vouchsafe unto us,

through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom for ever be all glory and praise. Amen.

Even to God the Father, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, the Author and Donor of all good; to God the Son, the Redeemer of all the world, and foundation of all spiritual blessings; to God the Holy Ghost, the fountain of all true goodness, joy, and comfort, be for ever and ever all glory and praise.' Amen.