thefe Perfections; hath quitted fometimes even the Notion of God, but oft-times corrupted it. And these Mistakes Revealed Religion doth rectify, and restore to Men what they had wilfully loft, the Knowledge

of the Divine Nature.

But this is not our prefent Design, which concerns the external Actions of God, and his Government of the World, wherein it is no hard matter for Man to mistake, deriving his knowledge from the.Light of Reason only. It is poffible for fuch a one to form fuch right Conceptions of the external Conduct of God, from the Confideration of his Attributes, as may incite him to the Worship of God, and direct him in it. But this Perfuafion will fall infinitely fhort of that Conviction, and this Direction of that Certainty, which is to be had in Revealed Religions; and even in Revelations admit of greater or leffer Degrees, according to the greater or leffer Manifestation of the Will of God therein, and his intended Benefits to the Followers of that Revelation. So that however the primary Reasons of worfhipping God continue the fame in both Cafes, being drawn from the Attributes of God, which are always the fame, yet in Revealed Religions they are both improved and enhanced, and alfo fecured from the danger of Error.

And how great that Danger is, the Scripture fully declareth to us, by the Example of

of fob and his Friends. That whole Book being employed in difcourfing of the Laws and Method of the Divine Government in relation to Man, as far as the Light of Reafon could difcover. For none of them had yet received the benefit of Revelation, which was not made to them till after the Conclufion of their Difcourfe, in the end of the Book. All of them both knew and worshipped the true God, were eminent for Wisdom in their Generations, and one of them approved by an extraordinary Teftimony of God himself; yet all of them propofed fo many different Opinions concerning the external Government of God; and all of them were mistaken. All of them agreed in the common Reasons of the Worship of God, yet all of them miftook in the Application of thofe Attributes from whence they were formed. The Reafons are well fummed up in the Words of my Text; and in them alfo fufficient matter to confute the feveral Errors proposed by these Men. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: He will not afflict. Therefore do Men fear him. The Words therefore will naturally give me an occafion to difcourse,

I. Of the Reason of the Worship of God, founded in the Attributes of the Text.

II. Of the Errors committed by Job and his Friends, which they drew indeed from thefe Attributes, but may more truly be confuted by them.

The Reason of the Worship or Fear of God among Men, is declared by Enumeration of thofe Attributes, which are chiefly to be confidered by us in the Conception and Worship of God. Our first Notion of him, and on which all the reft are founded, is, that he enjoyeth all Perfections which can meet in one and the fame Being. And this is defigned by the first part of the Text; where the Word Almighty in our Tranflation, fignifieth All-fufficient or fupremely Perfect, in the Original. We admire fingle Perfections in other Objects; in one Power, in another Wisdom, in a third Virtue; and thefe not only poffeffed by fo many feveral Objects, but also in a limited Manner. Yet we revere and admire thefe fingle and limited Perfections wherefoever we find them, and acknowledge it to be unjuft to deny that Deference which is due to them. When therefore all imaginable Perfections are conjoined in God, it is but natural to conclude that all the Fear, the Awe, the Regard, the Love we pay to other Objects, upon Account of those fingle Perfections we difcover in them, ought to be conjoined when we reflect on God, and be paid as a juft Debt to him. Whofcever confiders them,

may

may perhaps, through a stupid or depraved Mind omit, or even reject the Worship of God; but at the fame time he cannot deny him to be moft worthy to be worfhipped.

In the next Place, as the Nature of God is infinite, fo his Actions are unfearchable; or, as it is in the Text, We cannot find him out. Which may refpect either the incomprehenfible Effence of the Deity, or the Unfearchableness of his Judgments in the Government of the World. As to the firft, it is no fmall Argument of our Obligation to render the most profound Adoration to him, that he is of infinite Dignity, fo great that we cannot comprehend it, or measure the Extent of it. Herc Below, we proportion our Efteem and Devotion to the Merits and Dignity of Perfons; and fhould confefs our felves unjuft, if we made not a Diftinction therein. The fame Rules of Juftice therefore, will require us to form of God the moft roble Conception, to render to him the most humble Submiffions which are poffible to the Faculties of the Soul.

Again, if the Methods of the Divine Conduct be unknown and unfearchable to Man, this will yet farther raife our Opinion of the Infinity of his Nature; fince if his external Effects exceed our Conception, much more will his Nature, the Caule and Fountain of them. This will also teach us F 4

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not to enquire too curiously into the Secrets of his Providence, not to determine any thing rafhly concerning it, which is not revealed to us. Indeed when the Knowledge of the Rules of his Government is bestowed on us by Revelation, we are firmly to believe it, and may without danger of Error and Prefumption apply thofe Rules to particular Cafes. But as we ought not to have fixed. any Rules to him, before we received the Light of Revelation; fo after the Reception of it, we are not to carry our Conjectures or Affertions beyond what is revealed to us.

We might conclude indeed with. out it, that God could do nothing Unjust, nothing which is not Holy: But this would not have warranted us to determine the Way, wherein his Juftice and Holiness fhould exert themselves by external Effects.

Upon Account of thefe Attributes God is most worthy of Adoration; but there wants yet fomewhat to perfuade Men to pay that Tribute to God. If neither Hope nor Fear interpofed, Men would efteem themfelves unconcerned in the Worship of God, the Obligation of it weak, the Trouble of it unneceffary. This therefore is abundantly fupplied by the following Attributes; whereof the firft is his Omnipotence; He is excellent in power, God is able to vindicate the Honour of his Name, by inflicting exemplary Punishments upon thofe who

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