all Degrees of People, within thy Charge. But how
vain is human Wisdom, and how infinitely short-sighted are its Researches,
when it relies upon itself, and is unassisted by that Spirit, to whom all
Events are known, who searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of the
Children of Men!

THY Letter, Friend, instead of awakening the Conscience of the hardened
Sinner, or confirming the Faith of the staggering Believer, has confounded
their Understandings, and led them into a Labyrinth, out of which it is
impossible they should ever extricate themselves by the Strength of the
mere natural Man.

THOU hast without any Authority, (for thou disclaimest all Inspiration
from the _Holy Spirit_) represented the two Shocks of an Earthquake,
lately felt, as a supernatural Event; and magisterially pronounced them
the Effects of a special Providence, threatning Vengeance upon a wicked
and profligate Generation. Who knoweth the Councils of the Almighty?
Strange and wonderful are all his Works, and his Ways past finding out.
What is Man, that he should dive into the Secrets of his Providence, or
the Son of Man, that he should deal out his Judgments according to his
vain Imaginations? Verily, Friend, Thou wast under no Temptation to make
such an use of that Dispensation of his Providence; and thou mightest have
found sufficient Matter from a natural Effect (as those, for aught we know
to the contrary, certainly were) to have excited thy Readers to a sincere
Repentance, without arrogating to thyself a Knowledge to which thou hast
not the smallest Claim, or furnishing the Ungodly, in the first Line of
thy Work, with Matter of Prejudice against all that thou couldst say;
since they could plainly discover by their natural Understanding, that
without the Gift of the Holy Spirit, thou couldst not, and oughtest not to
have ascribed to a special Providence, what may be rationally explained by
the general Laws that govern Matter and Motion. These Laws are, no doubt,
in the Hands of the Almighty: and the sovereign Disposer of all Things
may, for the wise Purposes of his Providence, stop, alter, or controul
them at his Pleasure. But, because we believe and are assured, that he
hath reserved the Power to himself, must we, weak-sighted Mortals, have
the Arrogance to conclude, that, on every Occurrence, which appears in
the least singular and unusual, this special Power is exerted; and that
the Order of Nature is inverted, as often as our gloomy Imagin