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SERM. ments we ought to pay a greater Deference VIII. and Submiffion.

V. and Laftly, In the Ufe of Games depending upon Chance and Lottery, let us avoid Prophaneness on the one Hand, and Superstition on the other; as we must eat and drink, fo we must play and divert ourselves to the Glory of God; i. e. we must perform our civil and natural Actions, as well as our fpiritual Devotions, like Men who live under the Eye of an all-feeing God. The moft trivial Action that we perform is registered in God's Book, and we must give an Account of it; for, if we must give an Account of every vain Thought or idle Word, much more of all our Actions, though of never fo little Concern; and, therefore, we ought to take Care that we do nothing which we forefee will displease God, or wound our own Conscience. And, as we must hereby avoid Prophaneness on the one Hand, fo we must take equal Care to flee from Superftition on the other. Men are apt to fancy, that, in Games depending upon Chance and Fortune, there is a more immediate Hand of Providence, and that in Lottery it is very proper to expect, and by Confequence to invoke God's immediate Affiftance; whereas the Contrary is evident, and that there is no Action in

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our Lives wherein we have lefs Reafon SERM. to fancy that God interpofes, than in fuch VIII. Games as depend upon Lottery, Chance, and Fortune. It is a notorious Point of Superftition to make Fortune a Goddess, to invoke her, and to expect Help from her in the Management of our Games, as the Heathens did; or, on the other Hand, to pray to God for Affiftance in fuch light and trivial Concerns as those; it is a Sin of the like Nature, as to take God's Name into our Mouths on every trifling Occafion; our Awe and Reverence of God's Majesty ought to be fo great, that we ought not to call him in to our Affiftance, nifi dignus vindice nodus, unless upon great and folemn Occafions: How foolifh then is it to defire God to direct us in fuch a Matter, in which we ourselves are very indifferent and unconcerned how it goes? And, if we are not thus indifferent, we ought not to commit the Decifion of it to Lottery and Chance. It is true, the Text tells us, That the Lot is cast into the Lap, but the whole Difpofing thereof is of the Lord; which feems to intimate, as if God did difpofe of Lots, by his particular Providence, and order them to fuch Ends as feemed beft to his Divine Pleasure; but this must be reftrained to fuch extraN ordinary

SERM. ordinary and Divine Lots as were in Ufe VIII. under the Jewish Oeconomy, when God

was their King and Governor, as well as their God, and ruled and governed them after a miraculous Manner; for as to the ordinary and Luforious Lots, fuch as are made Ufe of in Civil Matters, or in Game and Diverfion, it is and has already been made evident, that God only concurs to the Actions of the Creature, by his ordinary Providence, and that the Chance and Fortune of the Play is wholly owing to fuch fecond Caufes, as God doth not interfere or intermeddle with; and therefore to expect God's immediate Affistance herein, is to be guilty of egregious Folly and Superftition. For Example, in a Lottery God gives Man Understanding to frame and contrive it, to difpofe the Lots and to order the whole Management of the Game, and to perform all the natural Actions but the Determination what Lot fhall come up first or laft, fooner or later, and by Confequence, who shall have the Benefit of it, depends upon the Motion of the Wheel and the Difpofition of the Lots, and always happens according to those Laws of Motion, which God has placed in the Universe; and it would be high Prefumption, as well as fottifh Superftition, to

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expect that God fhould alter the ftated SERM. Course of Things, in Matters of Pleasure VIII. and Diverfion. I have infifted the longer upon this Point, because I fear there are many who are guilty of this Sort of Superftition, and are more folemn in their Addreffes to God on fuch trifling Occafions as thefe, than in their fpiritual Concerns, in which they may go upon furer Grounds, and have the Promises of God that they fhall meet with their defired Succefs.

AND now what remains, but confidering that there is a Divine Providence, which orders and difpofes of all fublunary Affairs, and in fome Measure concurs to the Production of the most trivial Events, that we, by leading holy and religious Lives intitle ourselves to his Favour, and caft ourselves under his Protection; and that, all our Actions being begun, continued, and ended in him, and to his Honour, we may fo glorify his holy Name, as finally to obtain everlasting Life through Jefus Christ our Lord.

N 2 SERMON

SERM.
IX.

SERMON IX.

I

GOD is Immutable.

JAMES i. 17.

With whom is no Variableness, neither Shadow of Turning.

T is the great Happiness and Priviledge of a Chriftian, that, amidst all the feveral Changes and Chances of this fublunary World, he can fix his Trust and Confidence upon that Rock of Ages, which remains firm and Immutable; and that, in the midst of all his Wants and Diftreffes, he is affured, that there is a good God who can and will fupply him, when he sees it fit fo to do. This we are taught in the Verse from whence my Text is taken, that Every good Gift, and every perfect Gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no Variableness, neither Shadow of Turning.

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