I. CTTHichway foever we turn ourEyes^ten tfiou-

W fand Objeils meet us, which all prove and preach to us the Almighty Power of God. The glo- rious Fabrick of the Univerfe, and every thing con- tained therein, nay even the meaneft, and, in human Efteem, moil defpicable Creature, proclaims aloud the Omnipotence of its Maker. And the good Or- der in which thefe are contained, does as much mag- nifte his Preferving, as their Exigence does his Crea- ting, Power. But Man needs not look abroad ; Him- felf is ten thoufand Arguments to demoniirate this to himfelf. The curious Strudure of his Body, the Ex- cellencies of its Divine Inhabitant, the Soul ; and the marvellous amazing Union, and mutual Correfpon- dence of both thefe, could be the Workmanfhip of nothing lefs than Omnipotence. This mixture of Spirit and Matter, of Perifhing and Immortal, the
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Sagacity of the one to influence^ and govern j the Rea« dinefs of the other to obey, and be adluated,- The Sprightlinefs and Vigor, or elfe the Hcavinefs andDif- order, and reciprocal Difabilities, which each of thefe convey to the other, are moft certainly the Lord's do- ing, and ought to be marvellous in our Eyes. But, a- las! how fliould Man fubfift one Moment, even in the State of his greateft Perfedion, did not this great Ar- tificer watch over his own Work, and conftantly fu- ftain it • did not he check and moderate thatConflic^, which the warring Elements of our Body are continu- ally engaging-in^ But efpecially, now that the Cor- ruption of our Nature , and the Tranfgreffion of our firlt Parent, hath let Death and Difeafesloofeuponus : There needs no frefh Inflidion. For, ifGodbebut paflive, and withdraw his Reftraint, the Enemy is al- ways ready to devour us, and we carry the Seeds of our Torment and Ruin about our own Perfons. And God hath fo decreed, that every Man fliall once fall by the ftroke of Death. A Decree, which, in our greateft ftrength, in the very Bloom and Beauty of Youth, contrary to our own Expectations, or the Fears of ourtendereft Friends,he fometimes executes : to teach us, that our Being is wholly precarious, that we have nothing ftable here, no Title even to Life it felf; but are all concluded by a Sentence already pafs d. For all our days are in the Nature of a Re- prieve j The prolonging whereof is an adt of meer Mercy, as the cutting it fhort is free from the leaft Shadow of InjuUice. God then cannot want Means and Opportunities for this. All Nature is His; The M:flice of wicked Men, The Spight of our FoCs, the miftaken Kindnefs of our Friends, The Errors of our Phyficians, and the Mifapplication of their Medi- cines, are all direcled and over-ruled to this End. The Haaiours of our Bodies, the Temper of the Air, and every Element indeed^ when he gives the Word,
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turn Executioners,- or, in Truth, if He but pleafe to permit, the Thing will do it felf. He burns us up by Fevers, or drowns us in Dropfies; ftrikes us dead in a Moment by Apoplexies, buries us alive by Palfies, or waftes us, by flow and imperceptible Degrees, with lin- gring Confumptions. Thou feeft, my foul, how ea- f]\y God can do thefe, by a thoufand Inftanccs of Friends and Acquaintance gone before thee, and by thy own yet more fenfible Experience, in this worn and languifhing Body of thine. Thou feeleft now, that no Flefh is able to Itand before God,and how quickly we areblafted by the Breath of his Difpleafure. That, to Him alone belongs Power and Strength, and to poor mortal Man, nothing but Wretchednefs, and Weak- nefs, and Vanity.