41⁸ A Virw of the DrisricAr Writers. Læt. 24.

of a ſupreme governor and judge. It is true, God hath eſta- bliſhed general laws at the beginning, but he concerneth him- ſelf no farther. And our author will not allow that in theſe general laws, or the plan originally formed in the divine mind, God had any regard unto, or made any proviſion for, particu- lar perſons, actions, or events. Good men therefore have no reſource in their calamities; no ground to apply to God for ſupport under them; no expectation of aſſiſtance from him, or from any other being, acting under his direction, as the mini- ſters and inſtruments of his providence. They are deprived of the comforts ariſing from a con ſciouſneſs of his ſpecial approba- tion and complacency, and from the proſpects of reward from him here or hereafter. Thus hope is excluded, which, as his Lordſhip obſerves,“ above all things ſoftens the evils of this «* life, and is that cordial drop which ſweetens every bitter po- ¹«F tion, even the laſtt.“ On the other hand, wicked men have nothing to fear from God for their evil actions. He ſays indeed, in a paſſage cited above, that“providence has provided means ** to punilh individuals, by directing men to form ſocieties, and «« to eſtabliſh laws, in the execution of which civil magiſtrates « are the vicegerents of providence.“ But I do not ſee with what propriety upon his ſcheme civil magiſtrates can be ſaid to be the vicegerents of providence. For if providence doth not conſider men individually at all, how can magiſtrates, in puniſh- ing individuals, be regarded as the vicegerents of providence? Or if providence conſtituted them its viceregents, and there were no ſanctions at all propoſed for particular perſons but thoſe of the civil laws, it would follow that men may be as wicked as they will, and give as great a looſe as they pleaſe to their ap- petites and paſſions, provided they can manage ſo as to eſcape puniſhment from human judicatories, which a man may do, and yet be a very bad man. Human magiſtrates are often them- ſelves corrupt. Solomon's obſervation is certainly juſt. I have ſven the Blace of judgment, that wickedneſs was there, and the place of rightéouſneſi, that iniquity was there, Ecclef. iii. 16. Very unjuſt things are often dope under colour of forms of law. Or, ſuppoſe the laws good, and the magiſtrates juſt and up- right, no human laws can reward or puniſh inward good or bad affections, intentions, and diſpoſitions of the heart. If therefore there were no regard toa ſupreme governor or judge, to the divine approbation or diſpleaſure, as extending to indi- viduals, or to a future account, there is great reafon to thinke

t Vol. v. p. 379. that