* How many are they who now speak thus? According to whose _minute_ philosophy, the _particular_ providence of God is utterly exploded, _the hairs of our head are_ no longer _numbered_: And _not_ only _a sparrow_, but a city, an empire may _fall to the ground, without the will_ or care _of our heavenly Father_. You allow then only a _general_ Providence. I do not understand the term. Be so kind as to let me know, what you mean by a “_general_ providence, contradistinguished from a _particular_ one?” I doubt you are at a loss for an answer; unless you mean some huge, unweildy thing, (I suppose, resembling the _primum mobile_ in the _ptolemaic_ system) which continually whirls the whole universe round, without affecting one thing more than another. I doubt this hypothesis will demand more proof, than you are at present able to produce; beside that it is attended with a thousand difficulties, such as you cannot readily solve. It may be therefore your wisest way for once to think with the vulgar, to acquiesce in the plain, scriptural account. This informs us, that although God dwelleth in heaven, yet he still _ruleth over all_: that his providence extends to every individual in the whole system of beings which he hath made: that all _natural causes_ of every kind, depend wholly upon his will; and he increases, lessens, suspends or destroys their efficacy, according to his own good pleasure: that he uses _preternatural causes_ at his will, the ministry of good or of evil angels: and that he hath never yet precluded himself from exerting his own immediate power, from _speaking_ life or death into any of his creatures; from _looking_ a world into being, or into nothing. _Thinkest thou_ then, _O man, that thou shalt escape the judgment of_ this great God? O no longer _treasure up unto thyself wrath, against the day of wrath_! Thou canst not recall what is past; but now _keep thyself pure_, even were it at the price of all that thou hast; and acknowledge the goodness of God, in that he did not long since cut thee off, and send thee to thy own place. 15. The _Jews_ of old were charged by God, with _prophaning his sabbaths_ also. And do we _Christians_ come behind them herein? (I speak of those who acknowledge the obligation.) Do we _call the sabbath a delight, holy of the Lord, honourable? Not doing our own ways, not finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words?_ Do our _man-servant and maid-servant_ rest thereon? And the _stranger that is within our gates_? Is no business, but what is really necessary, done within our house? You know in your own conscience, and God knoweth, that the very reverse of this is true.