to breathe in and whose transparency conveighs to us a due proportion both of heat and light that the many different species of Animals are propagated with the same Shape the same natural Instincts the same ways of seeking their own Provision and the same Care of their Young that Mankind are fearfully and wonderfully made have an excellent contexture of parts have so much likeness and yet together with it so much Eadem figura omnibus sed quaedam unicuique lineamenta deflexa sic similes universi videmur inter se singuli dissimiles invenimur Min. Fel. difference in their Countenances that they and other Creatures grow to a certain Stature there continue and then at length decay and die and so make room for others to succeed them that our food digests and becomes our nourishment and that in all respects we are thus admirably accommodated with what our condition calls for Manil. Astron l. 1. Non casus opus est magni sed Numinis ordo this cannot be the work of chance but of a wise and good God who is pleased most graciously to manifest his kindness through the Universe It is not possible that a fortuitous jumbling of uncertain Causes should ever produce such a train of singular Events as carry in them the plain footsteps of a divine Disposal And he must be blind or worse that having this daily experience of the good hand of God over himself and his fellow-creatures will not yet be perswaded to own his Providence There is none says Instit Div. l. 1. c. 2. Lactantius so rude or so brutish but that when he lifts up his Eyes to Heaven though he know not the God by whose influence all that we see is governed he will however understand that there is a God from the large extent of the things he beholds and their motion disposition continuance usefulness beauty and temperature And Quem vero astrorum ordines quem dierum noctiumque vicissitudines quem mensium temperatio quemque ea quae gignuntur nobis ad fruendum non gratum esse cogunt hunc hominem omnino numerare neque decet De legibus l. 2. c. 7. Quis enim hunc hominem dixerit qui cum tam certos coeli motus tam ratos astrorum ordines tamque omnia inter se connexa apta viderit neget in his ullam inesse rationem eaque casu fieri dicat De nat Deor. l. 2. c. 37. Tully will hardly allow him the Name and Qualifications of a Man that can observe the certain motions of the Heavens the fixed courses of the Stars and the aptitude and mutual connexion of all things and not be forced to confess that not Chance but Reason is the cause of these And elsewhere Esse praestantem aliquam aeternamque naturam eam suspiciendam admirandamque hominum generi pulchritudo mundi ordoque rerum coelestium eogit confiteri De divinat l. 2. he affirms the beauty of the World and the order of the heavenly things to be an undeniable proof of an excellent and eternal Nature and that is to be honoured and admired by Mankind And yet the heavenly bodies are not singular in their testimony for there is not a Praesentemque refert quaelibet herba Deum Spire of Grass Here below not an herb in the Field much less a stately Tree in the Wood or a delicious Flower in the Garden but are witnesses to this great Truth Wherefore if upon sight of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theoph. Antioch ad Autol. l. 1. Ship under sail holding on her course and making readily towards the shore it is presently concluded that this vessel comes not of it self but is steered by its Mariners howsoever none of them as yet appear above deck or Siquis in domum aliquam aut in gymnasium aut in forum venerit cum videat omnium rerum rationem modum disciplinam non possit ea sine causà fieri judicare sed esse aliquem intelligar qui praesit cui pareatur multo magis statuat necesse est ab aliquà mente tantos naturae motus gubernari Cic. de nat Deor. l. 2. c. 5. if observing a House a School or a Court where all things look well and with a due decorum we easily perswade our selves that this comes not to pass by chance but by the care of some prudent Master or Governour much rather should we attend to the hand of God in the management of the World when we observe the manifold instances of his Providence that each day presents us with Not to believe in him upon this undeniable evidence is a height of perverseness that may justly prevail with him to withdraw his Protection from us and teach us by sad experience what it is to want it Lord Bacon Ess 16. I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legend and the Talmud says a noble Author than that this universal Frame is without a Mind and adds that therefore God never wrought a Miracle to convince Atheism because his ordinary Works convince it And yet these are not the only proof we have of a Powerfull Supreme Being that orders all our affairs for us For if we proceed to V. The many Extraordinary Interposals that have been taken notice of in the World these also loudly testifie that Almighty God interests himself in the concerns of his Creatures directing and disposing all things according to his own good pleasure and the wise ends of his Government Of this kind are all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salust Phil. de Diis Mundo c. 9. Predictions of future Events long before they came to pass or could possibly be foreseen without the help of some supernatural Revelation and all the Miracles that have from time to time been wrought contrary to the wonted methods and Laws of Nature which whether any of them were done purposely to confute Atheism or not are yet a most palpable confutation of it Each of these demonstrate all things to act in subordination to God's Will because otherwise he could neither over-rule them contrary to their usual course nor could foretell what should happen long after without his concurrence And therefore if it can be made appear that there has been variety of Prophecies which have been in due time and perhaps after many Ages accomplished exactly as had been foretold and of Miracles that have been wrought to the certain knowledge and astonishment of the beholders who could not but own the hand of God to be in them I presume nothing more can be wanting to put it beyond all pretence of doubt that God not only is but that he continually concerns himself in the Government of the World And for the proof hereof I desire only this one reasonable Postulate to be granted me which yet can with no shew of justice be denied namely That the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and the Writings of the Christians in the first Ages of
are wont to have a care of the things which have been produced by them Whence he observes the great vanity of conceiting God to have created so noble and well-composed a World and then to concern himself no farther about it This were to leave not Mankind only but all things else exposed to innumerable mischiefs and disorders and certain confusion and destruction and hence would represent Almighty God as acting with less consistence I say not then Mankind but then the meanest of his Creatures that are capable of acting at all Wherefore the gross absurdity of this supposal is a sufficient evidence of its falsity and consequently is a very good Argument to evince the certainty of a super-intending Providence III. As is also the Continuance of things in the state and order we see them in Nihil est quod possit sine ullo moderatore consistere Sic domus ab habitatore deserta dilabitur Navis sine gubernatore abit pessum Et corpus relictum ab animâ defluit Nedum putemus tantam illam molem aut construi sine artifice aut stare sine rectore tamdiu potuisse Lact. Instit l. 3. c. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just M. Arist dogm evers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salust Phil. de Diis mundo c. 7. A Man cannot build a House but it will be thenceforward decaying and if neglected it soon becomes ruinous and useless and though no unexpected Accident happen to destroy it in a little time it perishes of it self except due care be taken to repair it Have a Ship into the Ocean and leave it there without any to direct or steer it and what else can be looked for than that it be lost especially if it be in a place of danger and the season prove tempestuous Our own Bodies in like manner frail and feeble as we are if not constantly supplied with food for their nourishment and sometimes with Physick for their relief against the frequent Distempers to which they are liable quickly moulder into dust And after all our care for their Preservation it is not long we can hope to prop them up before according to the course of Nature we shall be gathered to our Fathers Whereto if the many unforeseen Mischiefs be added to which our selves and all things else are every day obnoxious there is no appearance of security in whatsoever condition Whence then are we all preserved in being but from the good Omnia quae naturaliter propterea rectè feruntur Providentiae custodiâ gubernantur Apul de Habit. Doct Plat. l 1. Providence of God continually watching over us for our support Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. de legat ad Caium what else could possibly keep us as we are but that Almighty Hand of his from whence we at first proceeded And what clearer proof therefore would any one desire of a Divine Providence than that this being the case the face of things should however after so many thousand years remain much the same that was at first that the same Heavens the same Earth the same Species of Animals c. that were created at the beginning should thus continue from generation to generation He that can conceive this to be the effect of any thing else but an infinitely wise and uncontroulable Power need not fear to set up for the defence of any the grossest paradox in the World IV. The excellent Harmony of the several parts of the World that they are not only preserved in being Aequabilitatem motus conversionem coeli solis lunae siderumque omnium distinctionem utilitatem pulchritudinem ordinem quarum rerum aspectus ipse satis indicaret non esse fortuita Cic. de nat Deor. l. 2. c. 5. Nec enim tanta rerum magnitudo tanta dispositio tanta in servandis ordinibus temporibusque constantia aut olim potuit sine provido artifice oriri aut constare tot saeculis sine incola potenti aut in perpetuum gubernari sine perito rectore quod ratio ipsa declarat Lact. de irâ Dei c. 10. At cur dispositis vicibus consurgere signa Et velut imperio praescriptos reddere cursus Cernimus c. Manil. Astron l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Salust phil de Diis Mundo c. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arr. Epictet l. 1. c. 6. but act by constant Laws and Methods plainly declares an invisible Hand of Providence over-ruling them If infinite Wisdom were to direct the different seasons of the year or appoint the course of the Planets or limit the returns of day and night how could they be expected to be otherwise than they are now all proceeding in due order and serving their proper end the glory of God and the benefit of Mankind If infinite Power were to display it self in the Government of the World what other effects of it could be hoped for than that it should prescribe the Sea its proper limits lest it should otherwise overwhelm the Earth should give us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness should allow Man the dominion over the beasts of the Earth that they prevail not against him nor destroy him should cause those amazing productions which are constantly seen in Trees and Plants and Minerals should keep all the Elements in aequilibrio that neither of them may prevail over the other should dispose all second Causes to the best advantage and in fine should oblige them all to operate after the same manner that we daily see they do And if infinite Goodness were to unite with both these what more could be desired from such a blessed Conjunction than that all due Care be taken of particular Persons and of whole Societies both to preserve them in being and to supply them with all needfull blessings And why then whilst these effects appear should we any more doubt as Nunquid hi qui sub Romanorum imperio sunt quamvis nunquam viderint Imperatorem sed valdè per mare per terram separati ab eo cognoscent propter Dominum eum qui maximam Potestatem habet Principatus c. Iren. l. 2. c. 5. Irenaeus argues of their true Cause than they who lived in the remoter Territories of the Roman Empire doubted whether there were an Emperour at Rome when they were governed by him though by reason of their distance from his Imperial City they had never seen him That we have variety of weather suitable to our necessities that the Earth produces plenty of usefull fruits store of beautifull and fragrant Flowers Grass and Wood and Minerals of divers sorts that it furnishes us with food to live upon with cloaths to wear with materials for Houses to dwell in with medicinal Herbs and Waters and with ornamental Rarities that the Sea serves for maintaining Commerce through the several parts of the Globe that this also affords food and other considerable advantages that we have a healthfull Air
the Church may but be owned as credible Histories and the matters of fact related in them as worthy our belief as those which are recorded by other Historians This is an equal and a very modest demand considering the sar greater respect that is due to the sacred Writings than any other Records whatsoever can possibly pretend to For besides their divine Authority which I am not now to insist upon they have several other very considerable advantages for their Credibility above any other History that ever was in the World Christianity has no greater Enemies than the Jews have been and still are and yet they have all along been and at this day continue as zealous as ever for the Books of the Old Testament They have constantly owned them for Authentick their Historian Josephus bears witness to them and they yet adhere to them as undoubtedly true And as for the greatest part of the New Testament and indeed all that I have need to recurr to in the case before us there not only was never any doubt amongst the regular and orthodox Christians concerning its being genuine but it was never questioned by Celsus or Julian or any of its most avowed Adversaries who we are sure would never have spared the Christians if they could have found any pretence for an objection in this respect And besides that the Authors of these holy Writings were Men of untainted reputation upon whom no instance of imposture could be fixed they were moreover so different for quality some of them Kings and great Men some of them mean and illiterate no better than Shepherds or Fishers or Publicans some of a middle condition between both so many for number and who wrote in such distant times that they could never possibly be thought to have all combined together to deceive the World nor like to have escaped a discovery if they could have attempted it The Authours and Publishers of the New Testament were such who had nothing to expect in this World but tribulations and afflictions and death the portion that our Saviour had foretold would be allotted to his Disciples and in the World to come they could have no good to hope for if they had only conspired to delude Mankind in transmitting to all generations what they knew to be false And hence they could have no other Design to serve in what they published but that of propagating the Truth And since the writing and divulging of the Scriptures they have been translated into abundantly more Languages have had incomparably more Copies and Impressions and been the subject of vastly more Commentaries Annotations Paraphrases and given occasion for multitudes more of Disquisitions and Discourses and upon all these accounts were apparently far less liable to be corrupted than any other Authours whatsoever They have had the testimony of a whole cloud of Christian Martyrs who stuck not readily to resign their lives in pursuance of the Truth contained therein And notwithstanding all the opposition that has been made against them they have prevailed to that degree as plainly to shew a divine Blessing going along with them to give them success in spight of all the malice of Jews or Gentiles or the Devil himself and his utmost contrivances for their suppression So that after all this he must be monstrously unreasonable that will not yet be induced to place them in the rank of the most credible Historians or indeed that sees not of what unspeakably greater Authority they are than all other the most celebrated Histories The least that can possibly be inferred from these Premises is that either Men must utterly renounce all History and all pretence to the knowledge of what is past before their own days or they must be brought to confess the Scriptures a just foundation for their belief of the Matters related in them And this being once granted there can be no difficulty in the proof of multitudes both of Prophesies and of Miracles to evince the certainty of an over-ruling Providence 1. Prophecies And here if I should begin with that of Noah concerning the Deluge of Waters that was to be brought upon the World of the ungodly it would easily be shewn that he was certainly a true Prophet though he had Cassandra's fate not to be attended to by an incredulous generation till their own sad experience too late convinced them of the reality of his Predictions He not only informed them of their approaching destruction as may justly be collected from his History in the sixth and seventh Chapters of Genesis and St. Peter's affirmation 1 Ep. 3.20 that God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was preparing which it is not conceivable he would do without giving notice of it to the people whose repentance he waited for Noah I say not only informed the old World of their approaching destruction but gave them moreover a daily evidence of his own belief and expectation of what he warned them to provide against by building a capacious Ark wherein to preserve himself and his houshold and some of all living creatures when the rest should be washed away with the Flood that was shortly to come upon them Nor was he disappointed Gen. 6. for at the end of an hundred and twenty years the time prefixed for the execution of this intended vengeance the waters came upon them and destroyed them all except those Jew Souls who were with him in the Ark. Than which one would not desire a clearer instance of a divine Prescience and an uncontroulable Power that can when it pleases open the windows of heaven and break up the fountains of the great deep or make whatsoever like alterations in the course of Nature that is of an over-ruling Providence If I should mention in the next place the notice that was given to the Patriarch Abraham when as yet he had no child and had little hopes of any that he should however Gen. 12.2 be blessed and his Name made great which is C. 13 14 15 16. c. 15.5 afterward explained to import not to touch here upon what related to our blessed Saviour that his seed should be exceeding numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars of heaven which cannot be reckoned up and that all the land he could see whether northward or southward or eastward or westward should be given them to inherit and C. 17. 4 5 6 7 8. again that he should be the Father of many Nations and Kings should come out of him and to him and his seed after him should be given all the land wherein he sojourned the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession but withall that they should not enter upon the inheritance of this promised land C. 15.13 till the fourth generation when the iniquity of the Amorites would be full and would by this means occasion their utter extirpation this Prediction also must be granted to have been accordingly fulfilled when besides the Edomites and Moabites descended from Ismael the
act like Christians nor shew themselves wise for this or for the other World CHAP. III. The Reasonableness of Casting our Care upon God THE third thing I propounded was to enforce the Practice of this so necessary a Duty from the Assurance we have of God's continual Care of us that observing what Regard he has for us what a good Providence he exercises over us and how willing he is to multiply his Benefits upon us we may hence also be invited to cast all our Care upon him And this I shall endeavour to do from these three following Considerations 1. Of the Providence of God in general and the Care he takes of all his Creatures 2. Of the peculiar Offers of Protection that are made in Scripture to the Righteous 3. Of the Experience we have had of his Goodness hitherto and the Reason we therefore have still to depend upon him SECT I. First OF the Providence of God in general and the Care he takes of all his Creatures Concerning which the Holy Scriptures teach us that God * Ps 119.68 is good and delights in doing good that †147.5 great is our Lord and great is his Power and his Wisdom is infinite ‖ Isa 40.28 neither is there any searching of his understanding and consequently that he knows how to maintain and to govern the World and all things therein that as He at first * Jer. 10.12 made the Earth by his Power established the World by his Wisdom and stretched out the Heavens by his Discretion so he still †Heb. 1.3 upholds all things by the word of his Power and ‖ Job 12.10 hath in his hand the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind so that nothing can ever happen to any of us without his Order or at least his Permission All Creatures of whatever sort are his he made them and he is their true Proprietor and what then can be more natural than for his kindness to be extended to them He is the Author of all things as Minutius Felix * Octav. p. 317 318. speaks and he observes all things nor can ought be concealed from him for he is in the darkness and in our thoughts as in a second darkness insomuch that we not only live under him but may in a manner be said to live together with him Whatever good things any partake of they are wholly owing to the Bounty of this †S Ja. 1.17 Father of Lights from whom cometh every good and every perfect gift and ‖ Omne enim bonum nostrum aut ipse est aut ab ipso B. August de Doctrina Christianâ l. 1. c. 31. without whose benign Influence there is no subsisting one Moment He is every where present in the Heavens the Earth the Seas the Air or whatsoever part of the World sees all things whether animate or inanimate takes notice of what relation and dependance one of them has upon another beholds the whole Order of second Causes and wisely over-rules them all that they may serve to the best purposes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. sâ—r l. 4. p 489. His goodness diffuses it self through all the Corrers of the Universe and by his unwearied Providence and Protection all kinds of Beings are sustained there being nothing in all the World too great to need his Care nor any thing so little that he doth not think fit to take care of it Particularly the excellent Beauty admirable Order and singular Usefulness of the Heavenly Bodies loudly proclaim a stupendous Hand of Providence preserving that Harmony amongst them and those regular Motions and Vicissitudes wherein we see them The contemplation whereof deeply affected the Holy Psalmist and made him break forth into that Divine Goodness * Ps 19.1 2 3. The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy Work Day unto day uttereth Speech and Night unto night sheweth knowledge There is no speech nor language where their Voice is not heard There is no place even in the remotest parts of the World where these glorious Tokens of his incessant Care do not abundantly manifest themselves †Job 9.9 10. He maketh Arcturus Orion and the Pleiades and the Chambers of the South and doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without Number Or if we change the Scene and look down upon this lower World this Terraqueous Globe the Scriptures abound with instances of his Care over it in divers Respects They tell us that (a) Ps 104.24 the Earth is full of his Riches (b) 1 Sam. 2.8 that the Pillars of it are the Lords and he at first set the World upon them and that he yet continues (c) Ps 75.3 to bear them up least it together with all its Inhabitants should be dissolved that (d) Ps 104.9 he prescribes the Waters of the Sea their bounds and (e) Psal 65.9 10 11. sends refreshing showers upon the Earth making it very fruitful that it is by his Order (f) Job 28 25. the winds blow and (g) Ps 107 25. the storms arise (h) Ps 77.18 the lightnings break forth and the thunders roar so terribly that (i) Psal 18.7 the Earth trembles at any time and the Foundations of the Hills are moved and shaken and again that he takes care of (k) Ps 104.11 the wild Asses (l) v. 18. the wild Goats and the Coneys (m) v. 21. the young Lions (n) 1 Cor. 9.9 the Oxen (o) Ps 29.9 the Hinds (p) Ps 50.11 and every Beast of the Field (q) Ps 104.20 and of the Forest (r) S. Matt. 6.28 most curiously adorns the Flowers (Å¿) v. 26. feeds (t) Ps 104.12 17. and provides Nets for the Birds (u) Ps 104 16. replenishes the Trees with Sap (w) v. 25 27. sustains the Fishes (x) Ps 145.16 opens his Hands and satisfies the Desire of every living thing and (y) S. Matt. 10.29 suffers not a Sparrow to fall to the Ground without his observation and to conclude (z) Ps 145.9 the Lord is good unto all and his tender mercies are over not this or that sort of Creature or in this or that part of the Earth or at one time and not at another but absolutely and indesinitely over all his Works But then as Mankind are more nearly related to himself being made after his likeness and designed for the perpetual enjoyment of his Divine Presence it is very reasonable to suppose that they should have a particular Interest in his Care And thus much therefore our Blessed Saviour as I have already hinted in part teaches in his Sermon upon the Mount dissuading from an eager solicitude for the things of this Life as from the Experience we have had of God's Goodness to our selves in giving us our Beings so likewise from the regard he has for the Birds and other meaner
parts of the Creation * S. Matt. 6.25 c. Take no thought for your life saith our Saviour what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or for the Body what ye shall put on for these following Reasons 1. Because the Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment Whereby is intimated that God who hath already vouchsafed us the better will not refuse us the less having given us life he will not deny us those things which are requir'd for its support He spake the word and we were made he commanded and we were created and dare any say that he will not condescend to order a due provision for those to whom he hath thus bountifully given a Being It is easie to believe that his intent in producing us was not that we might pine away with insuperable hunger or parch with insupportable thirst or that we might starve for want of something to shelter us from the cold and that therefore he will not let us languish under any of these Inconveniencies longer than he sees very good reason for it Having bestowed upon us Life which is a much greater blessing than Meat for it and a Body which is far more valuable than the Raiment we put upon it and the production whereof was a far greater work of his Omnipotence than a supply of these things is there is no cause to fear that these shall not also be added to those other in a due proportion 2. Because he takes care of the Birds to give them their Meat in due season For so it follows Behold the fowls of the air they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them are ye not much better than they As much as to say Since you are certainly of far more account with God than the Fowls and yet he makes such plentiful provision for them your own Reason will enform you that he will much less neglect your selves 3. Because his Providence extends it self to the Flowers of the Field as well as to the Birds for these also are delicately cloathed by him Consider the Lilies of the Field how they grow they toyl not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Wherefore if God so cloath the Grass of the Field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall be not much more cloath yeu O ye of little faith Where our Saviour still proceeds à fortiori as in the former case only that he doth it with more advantage arguing that the Wisdom and Goodness of God manifested in this lower rank of Creatures ought to convince every one what reason there is to conclude that he will much rather multiply his Blessings upon Mankind whom he hath created of a nobler Race and to whom he hath all along professed much greater kindness And indeed it is not conceiveable that he will take care not only of the Beasts but of the Birds too and even of those little inconsiderable Birds the Sparrows as I noted before that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Chrysost in loc not one of them falls to the ground or is ensnared and perishes without his Providence and of the Flowers to array them in such gorgeous Attire and that he will yet be regardless of Man the master-piece of this lower World It is not to be thought that he will have a constant respect to the Creatures that were made for our sake and †Psal 8.6 put in subjection under our feet and will neglect us for whose sake they were made and to whom they were thus subjected The consideration of a general Providence sustaining these inferior Beings is on the contrary a powerful Argument for engaging Men to hope for a greater Interest in his care because of the nearer relation they bear to him And what our Saviour here proves by a very rational method of deduction the holy Scriptures at other times expresly affirm declaring That * 1 Tim. 6.17 God giveth us all things richly to enjoy †Act. 17.25 giveth us life and breath and all things ‖ S. Ja. 1.5 giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not that is that he giveth all necessary things and this not with a sparing Hand but bountifully richly and liberally and not to some select number of Favourites only but to all men of whatsoever Age Language Nation or Religion that it is in him or by his assistance that * Act 17.28 we live move and have our being and again That if †S. Matt. 7.11 we being evil know how to give good gifts unto our Children our Father which is in Heaven will much more give good things to them that ask him And again That he ‖ Job 5.11 setteth up those that be low and those that monrn he exalteth to safety * v. 18. He maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole †v. 20. In famine he redeemeth from death and in war from the power of the sword Sometimes he represents himself ‖ Exod. 15.3 as a man of war and the Lord of hosts is his name and again * Psal 46.9 he maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder and burneth the chariot in the fire †1 Sam. 2.6 He killeth and maketh alive bringeth down to the grave and bringeth back ‖ Psal 146.7 8 9. 107.9 and 68.5 He executeth judgment for the oppressed suiting his Relief to theirs as he doth also to other Men's Necessities If People be hungry he giveth them Food if Prisoners he looseth them from their Confinement if blind it is he that openeth their Eyes if bowed down he is ready to raise them up nor is he wanting to preserve the Stranger or to help the Fatherless and Widows in their streights When any are in the wost disconsolate condition to all outward appearance and are neither able to help themselves nor have any Friend that will stand by them and assist them they have yet this comfort left that the God of Heaven sees their Distress and hears the Sighs and Groans which they send forth in the anguish of their Souls and when * Psal 27.10 Father and Mother forsake them and all other hope fails he will take them up and will provide for them Neither are they only matters of greater concernment that he attends to as Balbus in †Magna Dii curant parva negligunt De nat Deor. l. 2. c. 66. Tully supposes of the Heathen Deities but those likewise of least importance even the very ‖ S. Matt. 10.30 Hairs of our Head all which our blessed Saviour assures us are numbred by him There is nothing about us that escapes his notice nothing in all our Affairs that he is not privy to or wherein we may not