the old Philosophers of Gods Providence extending not to all but to some particular Beings observed to have a great influence upon sublunary Beings And our Judicial Astrologers seem to inherit though not their wisdom in all other natural things yet their error in this Astra regunt homines sed regit astra Deus is their Song But alas this is but to set up an Idol in our hearts And indeed if we could conceive any earthly Prince to be present in every place we could hardly imagine him so neglective of his Government What Prince will not rule all motions and actions which he seeth and heareth to what he apprehendeth the wisest and best ends for his own honour So that if we could suppose an earthly Prince in all places where he hath Children Servants or Subjects and to have his senses open to see and hear them he would certainly contribute his best help to preserve and govern them Especially if he be a person of ordinary humanity and goodness and hath a sufficiency of Power and Wisdom Do not we see how naturally the parent to his finite capacity careth for preserveth and governeth the Child How the Master of a Family cannot neglect a care for and government of his Family till he hath debauched himself to a beast Nay do not the birds of the air and beasts of the field naturally care for their young seed and govern them Whence had they their natural propensions and inclinations to this goodness towards those to whom they have stood in any order of causation Was it not from the great Creator who thus disposed them If it be a piece of goodness in the creature so to care for preserve and govern its fellow-creature certainly we must allow it to be so in God What goodness of this nature there is in the creature floweth from him as the stream from the fountain And is certainly much more in him he having lost nothing by the Communication of the Creatures shares to them So that whosoever will acknowledg a Being that is infinitely good must also acknowledg that Being infinitely provident for the Creatures that derive from him and every creature thus deriving God who wanteth neither Power nor Activity must as naturally care for them all as a Father or Mother careth for every Child and a bird for every young one And it is nothing but some mens Atheistical conceptions and others more imperfect notions of God not considering the Divine Being in the extent of his Immensity Activity Power and Goodness which maketh any so much as in the least to hesitate as to the Doctrine of Divine Providence 3. Let us once more turn our eyes to the strange effects and events which we see in the world of which we see great variety and many of them which appear to us of great moment and consequence Now supposing that there were not a Divine Providence directing and governing them and being the first cause to them they must either be the products of so many Machines or Engines moving necessarily or of the imperate acts of some creatures endued with wisdom and counsel We shall find the effects in the world such as are impossible to be products of any such nature 1. Were they the products of the first Man might have a previous knowledg of and not at any time be surprised by them 2. Were they meerly the products of the second God himself could hardly be conceived to have a previous certain knowledg of them so as by his Prophets to give the world a warning 1. I say first Were the effects we see in the world necessary depending upon a certain fate and moving in a certain order What then hindereth but man might have a certain previous knowledg of them things which work necessarily work certainly and evenly Thus indeed the Sun Moon and Stars and all natural agents move Every Almanackmaker therefore will tell you how many hours the Sun will shine in a day six twelve months hence when the Eclipses shall be of either Luminary and to what degrees they shall be obscured But can they also tell us when the next great Plague the next Innundation or Fire we shall hear of shall be or when and where shall be the next great mutation in an Empire or a Kingdom We see men sometimes infinitely surprised in the product of second causes so contrary to their expectation and to what appeared to us would have been their probable effect If things had moved by a Law of Fate the world is now so old that the course of its motions would have been matter of science and demonstration to us but alas there is nothing less Who can tell what to morrow will bring forth not only as to his own particular concerns but the far greater and more general concerns and interests of mankind and the Church of God in particular 2. How then are they produced Is it from the will of man I ask whether from the wills of men working necessarily as the first and only principle of them or working freely and at perfect liberty the first surely none will assert that considers what he saith If from the wills of men working freely then they might also work and move otherwise than they do Then I say it is hard to conceive how God himself should have a certain knowledg of things previous to the event or effect for there was no certainty of such an event or effect But that God hath such a certain previous fore-knowledg is evident from all the Prophecies where by his Prophets he foretold things that were to come to pass many hundreds of years after and that with all their circumstances The great effects of created Beings must have some cause I mean some first cause If this were Nature or Fate i. e. a necessary law imposed upon them their motions would be even uniform subjected to our art and fore-knowledg which they are not If the first cause of them be the wills of men working upon choice there could then have been no certainty of them before they had existed for they might as well not have been as have been If any say but though the wills of men move freely yet he who calleth the things that are not as if they were he knew which way things should be and how the wills of men would move This we most freely grant but we also say That he knew them because he willed either to effect or to permit them and that supposing this Decree of Providence there must also be a working of it upholding created Beings conducting their effects and many times over-ruling them and this is that which we call Providence 4. In a further evidence of this I might call in a plentiful Testimony from the most learned and wise amongst the Heathens But I shall not much trouble my self or you with that discourse but refer those that desire to be satisfied herein to the excellent discourse of Du-Plessis Lord of Morney in
that it may live and not dye God calleth into his Vineyard at several hours some he calleth at the Sixth some at the Nineth some at the Eleventh hour Happy thrice happy are they whom God findeth at the Sixth hour in their youth and persuadeth to go into his Vineyard they ordinarily find not so hard a labour of the new-birth they have the priviledg of a longer familiarity and acquaintance with God they have more opportunities of doing God service God often honoreth them to do him some more eminent service but if you have slipped that hour if it be the Ninth hour nay if it be in the wane of your life if it be towards Evening with you that you have nothing to do but to repent and dye singing the Song of old Simeon Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation yet thou hast no cause to discourage thy self God doth not work upon all Souls at one and the same period of time Great sinners have no reason to discourage themselves the gate to Heaven may appear something straiter to you than unto others you may have an harder work of it it is an hard thing for those that are accustomed to do evil to do well but yet if God will give you an heart to repent if the Lord shall change your hearts and incline you to turn unto him there is mercy with God even for you God can men make to bring forth fruit in their old age Vse 3. Lastly and with that I shall shut up this discourse This speaketh aloud unto all such as have the charge of others as Parents Masters Tutors and Governours to be daily labouring with them for the good of their Souls using all possible means to bring them unto God It is Solomons advice Ecc. 11.6 In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thy hand be slack for thou knowest not which shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alike good you that are Parents of Children Masters of Servants in any relation Governours of youth see what an ingagement lyeth upon you to bring up your Children to Reading the word Catechizing to bring them to hear faithful Preachers sow the seeds of Spiritual learning and instruction in them in the Morning of their lives hearken not to those who would perswade you that Catechizing in your families is useless and that a Notional knowledg signifieth nothing until God come to work in their hearts that is true but ill applyed when used as a discouragement to the use of the means of knowledg God doth his work by the use of means on our parts and Preaching is not the only means God sometimes in the conversion of sinners maketh his way to their hearts by their heads sanctifying notions of truth dropt into Souls of persons in their tender years and reflecting them many years after upon the conscience you know not which shall prosper this or that use them to read the Scriptures to be examined questioned and catechised out of the Scriptures to hear lively and powerful preaching you know not which shall prosper in order to the conversion of their Souls and turning them to God this or that whether reading or preaching or Family-instruction God that can work without means useth as you have heard a variety of means and doth not limit himself to this or that Or whether both may not prove alike good God may use one means to begin another to perfect one to plant another to water one for laying the foundation another for building thereon and laying the corner-stone and yet when the building is finished you shall see reason enough to cry Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be given the glory to cry Grace Grace unto it The Knowing person when converted hath usually if not guilty of notorious sins against his light the easiest new-birth and the most quiet and peaceable life Many more doubts and fears trouble those that are more imperfect in their knowledg of the things of God than trouble others O let it not be said of you as it was said of Herod upon occasion of the killing of his own Child amongst the rest of the Infants That it was better to be Herods Hog than his Child Let it not be said of any of you that it is better to be your Horse or Swine or other Beast than your Child or Servant or Scholar For your Beasts you provide all things sutable to their Natures and capacities O remember your Children have Spiritual beings and are born into the World with a capacity of Eternity nay under a certain ordination to a miserable or blessed Eternity SERMON LIII Isaiah 28.29 This also cometh from the Lord who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working THE Particle This in the front of my Text is relative to what went before where the Prophet had been speaking of some works of Divine Providence and those but of an inferiour Nature if compared with others the discretion by which men having divers sorts of Grain and Seeds are taught to get them out of their husks and ears by instruments not always the same but suted to the respective Grain or Seed they intend to get out Of this it is that the Text speaks This discretion and saith it cometh from the Lord who is wonderful in Counsel So that I desire you to observe that my following discourses which I shall bottom on this Text are not founded on the first words and the relative Particle This but upon the latter where Gods wonderfulness in Counsel and excellency in working are join'd together Gods excellency in the workings of Providence floweth from his wonderful Counsel and if such little instincts as the foregoing verses speak of be from the Lord the Lords workings and from a wonderful Counsel an easie argumentation will conclude that Gods dispensations of special grace by the hand of his Providence must needs be the effects of infinite wisdom and proceed from the Lord who is wonderful in Councel which is the point I have in hand and to vindicate Divine wisdom from our exceptions against it because of the variety which God useth in his dispensations of it and the inequal distributions of it to the Children of men I have spoken already to the varieties of Providence in the dispensations of the first grace by which a Soul is converted and turned from sin unto God in which work the Soul is meerly passive I come now to speak to those dispensations of Spiritual grace wherein the Soul is not meerly passive but active as to these also we shall observe a great variety in the motions of Divine Providence and a great inequality in the distributions of it of which I shall give you some account and then shut up the discourse To this inequality of distribution good Christians often find it an hard thing to reconcile their thoughts and although God must be allowed to have
against him he adviseth him to do this by breaking off his tyrannical oppression and shewing mercy instead of that cruelty with which the former part of his reign had been stained Now mark the argument If saith he it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity I know your margents tell you it may be read It shall be an healing to your error about which some less judicious Papists make a stir but their own great Arias Montanus reads it it shall be a prolongation of thy peace Their vulgar Lat. reads it perhaps he will pardon thy sins the septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perhaps God will bear long with thy sins c. However though indeed in that sense it doth not so sute my present purpose there is no doubt but restitution is an healing of the error of injustice and oppression amongst men though it be impossible that it should remove the guilt of sin before God But I have digressed too far Let my counsel be acceptable now to every sinner that hath any interest in the world any talent of riches or honour power or interest which he might improve in the doing of any thing which God hath commanded If he be one that hath no regard to his soul but meerly to his interest in the world it is the best improvement that he can possibly make of it If a man had set his heart against the God of Heaven and designed never intentionally to serve and honour him but to make the world and his belly his God without any belief of or regard to an eternal well-being yet it were his greatest policy to do things materially good in order to the obtaining of that portion in this life for him and his posterity upon which he is wholly intent 2. But secondly This observation speaketh aloud to all to take heed of blessing themselves upon their worldly circumstances It is a thing that we are very prone to to conclude to the acceptation of our persons and our works from our outward prosperity They neither signifie any thing to us as to the perfect goodness of the work nor yet as to any eternal reward no nor a lasting reward in this life We use to say Bonum ex causis integris malum ex quolibet defectu a work is made evil by any defect in it the least fly maketh the Apothecaries box of oyntment to stink the action must be formally as well as materially good not only what God hath required but it must be done with a true heart designing the glory and service of God and in a true manner according to that rule which he hath given us for the performance of it or it cannot be acceptable to a pure and holy God nor do these rewards signifie any thing as to our eternal reward and recompence A man may for a work be rewarded in this life and yet damned in the world to come he hath had his reward I remember Christ saith so of the Pharisees prayers and fastings Mat. 6. They have their reward the disciples of Christ that act sincerely they shall be recompenced in the resurrection of the just Hypocrites have their reward in the honour and applause they have in the riches and honour which God giveth them God is out of their debt No nor secondly which possibly to them is more terrible these kind of recompences are but temporary things for a little time Jehu had taken out all his payment from God for his service against the house of Ahab in four generations Assyria and Babylon had taken out their rewards for their services much sooner Vse 4. In the next place This Observation may be of very great use both for the comfort and incouragement of such whose hearts are right with God For their comfort as to what they have done for their incouragement to go on yet in their motions and designs for God 1. For their comfort It must be laid down for a substratum to the following part of my discourse upon this Theme That no man can be called a child of God but he who doth not serve God by the by tanquam aliud agens in the mean time eying some other design and setting up to himself some other end but he who in his actions sets himself with a full purpose of heart to seek and honour and glorifie God he may miss his mark either through the mistake of his eye or his hand but his face is thitherward that 's the white at which he aims he hath set the honour and glory of God before him as his mark and towards it it is that he presseth forward he may mistake as David did thinking something will be for the honour of God which will not or come short as to the issue not being able to bring his design to a desired issue but he taketh his aim right and setteth up his mark right Now failers in these cases when once discerned by the souls of Christians prove oft-times causes of great trouble and exceeding sad reflexions to them and nothing can be thought of as more proper to give them relief than what I have been at this time discoursing of That when God doth not cannot allow of the action as integrally good and perfect yet he will reward the good intention the design and purpose in the childs of Gods heart Methinks in this case it is a sweet text they are the words of Solomon upon the dedication of the Temple which he had builded 1 King 8.18 And the Lord said unto David my father Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house but thy son that is come out of thy loins he shall build the house unto my name There are in that text these things remarkable 1. David had an intention to build God an house 2. He did not build this house 3. God did not allow of the action God sent him word by Nathan he should not do it as you have heard before Yet 3. God accepted his good design his general good intention Thou didst well saith God that it was in thine heart 4. God did not only accept this good design and intention but he also rewards it Nevertheless saith he thy son that is come out of thy loins he shall build me an house thou shalt not have the honour of it but thy son shall have the honour of it David was undertaking a matter in the worship of God without any special direction God upon this createth an institution and legitimateth the action for his son I say it is an admirable text if it be well digested to relieve the spirits of the People of God under their troubles for their imperfect performances A Christian prays he sanctifieth a Sabbath he setteth himself to seek the Lord in any piece of instituted worship when he reflecteth upon it and compareth it with the perfect rule he sits down wonderfully
and afflictions to cry out O God help me c. I remember the saying of our Divine English Poet. My heart did heave and there came forth My God By which I knew that thou wert in the rod. The word of God directeth it Is any man afflicted let him pray saith the Apostle Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt praise me This was the practice of the Saints in all times It was Asa's fault in his Affliction that he sought unto Physitians more than unto God it is the condition upon which help and deliverance is promised be the species of the trial and affliction what it will Vse 3. In the last place let us learn from hence instead of quarrelling at Divine Providence and Justice in afflicting so to behave our selves under our troubles as we may see cause to bless God for them and to admire Divine goodness in them Nazianzene telleth us a story of one Philagrius who in his affliction brake out into this expression Gratias ago tibi Pater tuorumque hominum conditor qui nos invitos reluctantes beneficiis afficis per externum hominem purgas internum that is I thank thee O Father and maker of man thy servant for that thou dost us good against our wills and while we reluct to it and by the outward purgest the inward man And I have read a remarkable passage of Plinius Secundus an Heathen too in an Epistle of his to Maximus The sickness of a friend saith he hath lately informed me that we are best when we are weak for who is there who while he is sick is covetous or proud or wanton who then serveth his amours who is ambitious Then saith he a man remembreth that there is a God and that he is but a man then he admireth none envieth none despiseth none then he neither heareth nor carrieth false tales O saith he that we could be as well when we are well as when we are sick This is that I could wish too But the worst is we are very religious and innocent when we are in affliction but when we are got out of the net we are as foolish and wanton as before God by trouble and affliction for the time doth us good Subtilissima ejus beneficia saith an ingenious Author Sponte dantur sed non sponte recipiuntur But for the most part that goodness proveth like a morning-dew But in order to the improving trouble and affliction let me only commend to you four things with which I shall shut up my discourse on this argument 1. The first is Meditation Affliction is a seasonable time for much Meditation It is a fit time for thee to meditate wherefore it is that God contendeth with thee Job 10.2 I will say unto God do not condemn me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me The time of affliction is a fit time when man sits alone and keepeth silence and the noises and hurries of the World do not disturb him to be thinking what he hath done communing with his own heart upon his bed and certainly this will have a good influence upon thee if thy sickness will make thee avoid eating a dish of meat for the time to come which appeareth to thee the proximate cause of thy disease surely it will lay some Law upon thee as to the favouring of such lusts which appear to have been the more remote cause provoking God in that dispensation against thee It is also a fit time for thee to meditate of the vanity of all the contentments of the world Non domus fundus non aeris acervus auri Aegroto domini deduxit corpore febrim Experience then teacheth a man That Riches profit not in the day of wrath all a mans house and Land and Gold and Silver will not relieve him in a Fever what a pitiful thing is beauty or strength which one fit of sickness depriveth us of what a lamentable excrement is well set hair which a cough turns into baldness what vain things are fine clothes which in sickness are exchanged for rags It is a seasonable time also for thee to meditate of Divine goodness what a mercy it is that the Rattle snake hath a rattle The Tyger another beast to give warning of 't is being near that thou hast diseases to put thee in remembrance of thy latter end It is a fit time also for thee to meditate of the power of Divine wrath 2. Vow unto God in the day of thy trouble Jacob did so Gen. 28.20 So did David Psal 132.2 Lord saith the Psamist remember David and all his afflictions how he sware unto the Lord and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. Jonah did so Jonah 2.9 3. But then remember to pay thy vows Vow and pay unto the Lord your God Psal 76.11 Better you should not vow than that you should forget to pay what you have vowed This were to snare thy self in the words of thy own lips 4. To this end lastly Pray that you may keep your sick bed impressions upon your hearts In your troubles you had thoughts of your eternal state upon your hearts then you were thinking what you should do if you should be called to Gods judgment-seat Then you were saying If I live I will be another man I will keep Sabbaths better be more in Prayer more in reading and hearing the word more watchful over my heart more careful of my ways more conscientious in my dealings more strict in my Family If ever I recover I will by the grace of God never be so worldly so carnal as I have been well thou art recovered now pray that thou mayest fulfil thy vows and that these impressions may not be off thy heart for ever SERMON XXXIX Job 5.6 7. Although Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground IS there any evil in the City and I have not done it saith God by his prophet Amos. The interrogation is an undoubted Negation Vain man would be wise though saith Job ch 11.12 he be born like a wild Asses colt Hence it employeth it self in traducing the equal ways of God as if they were unequal Hence he saith how can that God who is infinite in goodness be the Author of evil Is it good for him to oppress to despise the work of his hands Job 10.2 In my last discourse I shewed you that it was consistent enough with the goodness of God to be the Author of the evil of punishment We look upon a staff in the water and it appeareth to us crooked when the fault is not in our staff but only in the weakness and imperfection of our sight and the unquietness of the water pull the staff out of the water and look upon it by a due medium and that is straight We look upon things with blood shotten Eyes and they appear of strange colours but when our Eyes are rectified
God things which are seen were not made of things which do appear You have the work of Creation described in its Causes Negatively the world did not make it self one part of it did not make another then Positively it was framed by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word used 2. You have the way described how we come to comprehend this in our understanding By faith The Proposition of the Text is this Prop. That by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by God and the things which are seen were not made by those things which do appear Here are two things 1. The worlds were framed by the Word of God the things seen were not made of those things which do appear 2. We understand this Through faith In the opening of these I must enquire 1. What is here meant by the Worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 What is the meaning of this That the worlds were made by the Word of God 3. What is the meaning of this That the things which are seen are not made of those things which do appear 4. What is here meant by faith or through faith 5. How do we understand it by faith that the worlds were framed by God After this I shall come to the Application Quest 1. What is here meant by the Worlds The word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often signifie an age sometimes and so generally in St. John's Gospel Eternity but is sometimes in Scripture translated World Matth. 12.32 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Matth. 13.32 39 40 49. The harvest is the end of the world Heb. 1.2 By whom he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds The term properly signifieth The duration of the world but in Heb. 1.2 and here it must signifie the Mass the things of it It carries here its own Interpreter with it in the other part of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which are seen but neither is that term adequate to it the object of Creation is larger than the objects of Sense Spirits are not seen but yet they are created Let Moses expound it Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heaven and earth In short all the Creatures whatsoever is not the Creator must here fall under the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world and all that is therein excepting him who as the Creator made all and filleth heaven and earth the world and the things thereof the world and the persons therein heaven and earth the world of things and the world of persons this world was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. The word in the Greek signifies to make to joynt or fit together to restore it signifieth to make or rather to make up according to our English Idiom to perfect It is used Matth. 21.16 Thou hast perfected praise we translate it perfect or perfected Luk. 6.40 And be you perfect 2 Cor. 13.11 1 Thes 3.10 That we might perfect that which is lacking in your faith Heb. 10.5 A body hast thou prepared or made me So Heb. 13.21 The world was made established made perfect by God Vt totum quidpiam quod suis omnibus partibus apte inter se cohaerentibus componitur The worlds gave not a being to themselves they were not eternal and of an original from themselves nor made of any casual concurrence of Atoms according to the Heathens Philosophy but they had their Original their perfection their establishment from God 2. The word signifieth to be made perfect to joynt to be put together The world is a beautiful composition it hath not only a Being but a beautiful Being all the parts of it being fitted and joynted together this is also from God it oweth not only its Being and Original unto God but whatsoever it hath of Beauty and Ornaments that one part of it is fitted to another the beautiful composition of it the subordination of the parts of it one to another all this is owing unto God This is part of the sense of it 1 Cor. 1.10 That you may be perfectly joyned together Whoso looketh upon the Creation wistly must see it consist of a great variety of things but all fitted together so as there is no discord but a beautiful subordination of things in that vast composition so as they serve one another and notwithstanding all their different affections and qualities yet they destroy not nor invade each other this also is from the Lord. The world was not only by God made and produced out of a not-being into a being but it was fitted ordered joynted together by God 3. The word signifieth also to restore and bring again into order what is disordered and so it is used sometimes to mend nets Rem lacer am aliquam resarcire collapsam reparare And this seemeth to be the primary and most proper signification of the word Thus it is translated restore Gal. 6.1 If a brother be fallen restore such a one A Metaphor say some taken from Chyrurgions putting a bone out of order into its place again The world at first made perfected established and joynted by God in the Fall of Adam was disordered and put out of joynt God by sending his Son put the world in joynt again set its broken bones created a new heaven and a new earth Thus also the worlds were made as it were made again and restored by God But I take the two former senses rather to agree to this place where the Apostle rather speaks of the first Creation of the world by God than of the Redemption of it by Jesus Christ The world then was made that is it had its first Original its Order Ornaments beautiful composure from a Divine creating Power it did not give a Being nor a Beauty and Perfection to it self The Verb is passive it had its Original from another and this other was he whom we call God But Quest 2. What is the meaning of this that the worlds were made by the Word of God None can understand here by the Word of God the Holy Scriptures which are called the Word that is the revealed will of God spoken by holy men as they were inspired by God Nor do I think that the same is meant here by the Word of God that is understood John 1.1 In the beginning was the word of that word it is said That it was with God in the beginning that it was God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made that is to be understood of Christ Of him our Apostle saith Heb. 1.2 By whom also he made the worlds but besides that the Gospel of John seemeth to be the only Scripture in which the second person in the Trinity is stiled the Word neither is he there call'd the Word of God it is there said The word was God and in
the face of the Earth God at first said Let the earth bring forth grass Gen. 1.11 He sendeth the grass of the field Deut. 11.15 He causeth it to grow for the cattel and herb for the service of man He multiplyeth the beasts of the field the birds and fowls of the air He leaveth us not without witness but giveth fruitful times and seasons filling the hearts of men with food and gladness 3. From whence is it but from the influence of God upon his Creatures that Creatures universally and ordinarily avoid the eating of such things as would be noxious to them and many creatures if they be distempered are directed to such things as will cure them But this is enough to have spoken to the second Conclusion 3 Concl. Thirdly God preserveth living Creatures by upholding those faculties in all living creatures upon the operations of which their lives are preserved their species are propagated and they are to propagate their species and to perform those actions which are proper to their several Beings and natures To uphold the Creation as to those things in it which have life there are divers faculties necessary which must be upheld here are four sorts mentioned in the Conclusion Let me speak a little to each of them It will be of excellent use to convince you of the necessity of a Divine influence or Providence upon you every moment 1. The first sort are those By which the Beings the lives and beings of Creatures are preserved and encreased to their due proportion These are those which belong to those principal faculties which the Philosophers calls Facultatem altricem auctricem I will put them together and instance in divers particulars We are craving changeable creatures subject to wasts and decays in our beings and we must have a Nutritive faculty or we could not live The action of this faculty is called Nutrition or Nourishing Now our nourishing depends upon our food the change of our food in our stomachs by the natural heat of our stomachs and this dependeth upon several powers which God hath created in all sensitive creatures in the upholding of which the daily Providence of God is wonderfully experienced although possibly not so wistly observed and considered by us as it ought to be Let me a little awaken you to a due consideration of it by instancing in several Particulars 1. In the first place We have a power a natural power to crave and desire food Without an appetite the creature desires no food can take none though it be set before him but instead of it the very sight of it maketh him sick he loatheth and abhorreth it and calleth to have it taken away out of his sight as we see in daily experience Now I would know by what this faculty is upheld but by the concourse and daily operation of Providence I do not intend to divert here into a Philosophical discourse concerning the causes of a decay of our appetite It is sufficient to tell you that the causes may be various and the variety of the causes which may produce such an effect is sufficient evidence that nothing but the upholding power of Divine Providence can hinder it It is God that must give us our daily food and it is God that must give us a stomach or appetite to it and the causes are so many which may abate and destroy our appetite that did not God daily watch over us and influence us as to this very thing it were an hard thing to conceive how it should keep preserved a few days much less as it is with many to very many years 2. But suppose us to have an appetite to say nothing of our power to take and chew and swallow our food We see by a daily experience if we have not a power to digest it if the natural heat of our stomachs be from any cause abated so as it will not change our food and this continueth upon us for any time and no remedy can be apportioned to it the creature dyeth whether it be man or beast If the nap of the stomach be but worn off our bodies soon appear thredbare we pine away and presently sink into our graves by which we learn that a natural faculty power or ability to digest our food is necessary to the preservation of our beings As I said before of the Appetite so I shall say again of this I intend no discourse of the variety of causes from which such a thing may proceed but the possibility of such a thing and that as an effect of various causes evinceth a necessity of a daily influence of God upon us to uphold this faculty in its vigour and efficacy which ministreth to our nutrition 3. But thirdly suppose our food taken into our bodies concocted and digested in our stomachs that it may nourish the whole body it must be by several vessels and channels distributed to the several parts of the body So as there must be supposed a freedom from obstructions in those passages and an attractive vertue and faculty in the several parts If these passages be any way stopped or the attractive vertue abated the parts are not nourished but decay and wither the creatures being destroyed Of such obstructions we have daily examples and indeed whoso considereth the various passages in our bodies through which that part of our food which proves for nourishment passeth and the variety of obstructions to which we are subject must needs again acknowledg that our Souls must be kept in life our bodies in health meerly by a Divine Power 4. Again What we take into our bodies for our proper food being in part found either not proper for us or in too great a proportion when the stomach hath done its office there is a separation made that not proper for us or in a superfluous proportion for that end must be voided and cast out and a natural faculty to do it must be supposed which if it ceaseth but for a while or the freedom of the passages by which it passeth be obstructed the life of the creature quickly determineth Now whoso considereth the variety of powers and faculties in a living body which must be all upheld and the variety of causes from which they may be incumbred yea and quite destroyed will be forced to acknowledg the incessant influence of Divine Providence in upholding and preserving both the being and well-being of every creature that hath a sensitive life 2. But yet here is not all For in order to our nourishing not only those faculties in the body nourished which I have mentioned must be upheld But also the faculties and vertues in the bodies nourishing by which they are made nourishing to us In all nourishing there must be a body giving the nourishment as well as a body receiving it each of these must have its faculties upheld or there will be no nutrition and consequently no preservation of life Philosophy telleth us that the nourishment
unto him Indeed such a subjection or subordination the Heathens fancied amongst their idols Jupiter was their supreme idol others were subject unto him but he is no God that can truckle under another and be in subjection unto any Being And this greatness of God calleth to all men to fear before him and do reverence unto him who shall not fear before that God whose throne is prepared in the heaven and whose Kingdom ruleth over all and for a free and voluntary subjection to him for he ruleth over all not as a Tyrant and Oppressor whose title lies in his Sword but as one who is a native Prince and hath a rightful title not to obey whom is the highest Rebellion which Samuel compareth to the sin of witchcraft But I must leave the distinct and full application of this Doctrine for a further discourse SERMON IX Psal CIII 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all I Am at this time to make Application of what you have heard concerning the Governing-Providence of God I shall do it under three Heads shewing you how it may be useful for Instruction for Consolation and for Exhortation In the first place you may conclude from hence Vse 1 In what sense alone any thing can be said to be casual or necessary what to determine concerning Chance and Fortune or Fate As to the first I shall only lay down this Conclusion Concl. That although many things as to our eyes and apprehensions of them may appear casual yet there is nothing so with reference unto God the first universal cause It is truly said by Augustine that chance and fortune are but terms of humane ignorance as we say of the old Philosophers occult qualities they are but the refuges of ignorance so the same may be said of chance and fortune He described chance well that called it inopinatum rei eventum an event of a thing which man thought not of it is not inordinatus eventus but inopinatus there is no event of any thing that is a slip of Providence not ordered and disposed by him whose Kingdom ruleth over all Beings and existences motions and actions yea errours and obliquities nothing cometh to pass in the world but was foreseen fore-ordained fore-ordered and that in infinite wisdom but many things come to pass which we did not think of could not foresee whose causes are hidden from us these things we say come by chance and fortune A word indeed not very fit for a Christians mouth I remember Augustine more than once repents that he had defiled his tongue with it The Heathens ignorant of the true God and of his influence on all things devised such a blind God as Fortune and assigned it a place amongst their other Idols Te facimus fortuna Deum But Christians must own no such blind cause of things they believe there is a God whose throne is prepared in the Heavens and whose Kingdom ruleth over all and therefore can leave no place for chance or fortune You read of a case Deut. 19.5 which one would think if any thing in the world were casual and fortuitous that were so A man goeth into the Wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down a tree and the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbour that he dye What can be imagined more casual and fortuitous than this for the head of an Hatchet to fly off from the helve and to kill a man at work with him who had the Hatchet such were the cases also mentioned Numb 35.22 23. Casting a thing upon a man without laying of wait or with any stone wherewith a man may dye seeing him not nor seeking his harm yet in these cases Exod. 21.13 God is said to deliver the person slain into his hand who involuntarily and unwarily hath been the cause of his death There are many things which indeed to us are casual nothing is so to God he hath ordered all he ruleth and governeth all actions Ahimaaz and Cushi knew not of each others journey or at least he that ran first knew nothing of the others journey they both met at the Court of David to carry tydings of Absaloms death but Joab had ordered the running of both Ahimaaz casually met Cushi there but though it was casual to him it was not so to Joab who sent him I say nothing is in it self casual or with respect unto God casual with respect to us many things are so that is we do not know the causes of them but God ordereth and directeth all his Kingdom his Rule and Government extendeth to it his hand is in it either permitting or effecting it Secondly You may from hence conclude how things are necessary Arminians make a great deal of stir about this and charge those whom they call Calvinists as maintaining a fatal necessity of all things Let us examine the word Fate a little we shall find a three or fourfold use of it there is two or three sorts of Fate which we shall condemn as freely as any of them but in a fourth sense we shall find the word honest enough and to destroy it will ask better arguments than any they have yet favoured the world with 1. There is a Stoical fate The Stoicks were a sort of ancient Philosophers you read of their name in Scripture Act. 17.18 They fancied an eternal necessity of things Cui Deum licet nolentem subesse fingebant nexum in rebus ipsis to which they conceived God himself though against his will was subjected according to this they fancied all things came to pass by an equal necessity and that the wills of men were forced by it This is a fate to be abominated by all those that own God and him as the first cause of all things 2. There is a Mathematical fate This was a necessity of things depending upon the motions and influences of the stars these men indeed make God to be the ruler of the Stars but the Stars to be the Rulers of mens motions and actions according to that verse in credit amongst them Astra regunt homines sed regit astra Deus as if God did not exercise a daily Dominion and Power over the Creation but had made the celestial bodies which being created and set in their order move other things by a fatal necessity Of both these Augustine saith Si cor tuum non esset fatuum non crederes fatum if thou hadst not a foolish heart thou wouldst not credit such a thing as fate 3. There is thirdly a Physical or Natural fate by which we understand that necessity which God hath established in natural causes according to which they cannot but produce such and such effects supposing them not hindered by the supreme cause thus the fire burneth necessarily and we say all natural causes move necessarily and produce their effects unless suspended hindered or
restrained by some superiour cause this is called in Scripture Gods Covenant with day and night heat and cold summer and winter Such a necessity all must acknowledg in the operation of all natural agents the power and pleasures of God only being reserved to countermand their operations which when he doth we call it a miraculous work of God thus day and night cold and heat seed-time and harvest summer and winter are under a fate they necessarily follow one another but as God was the first cause of this necessity by the Covenant he established so their event is in the power of God to hinder or suspend or alter as he pleaseth 4. But then Lastly There is a Theological or Christian fate which is nothing but a necessity of event imposed upon things by the most holy wise eternal free purpose and counsel of God executed by his Providence It is true the name of fate soundeth ill because of the Stoical and Mathematical vanities about it but if we take it for Quod Deus in animo suo fatus est apud se statuit ac decrevit what God hath said within himself purposed and decreed it is innocent enough Now whoso denieth a fate if they will call it so in this sense doth not so well as he should do understand the Divine Nature or the Scriptures We neither deny saith Augustine an order of causes which the will of God hath set neither do we call it fate In the mean time they are very ignorant that cannot see the difference betwixt this necessity of events and the Stoical fate 1. The Stoicks subjected God himself to fate this necessity dependeth upon the will of God as the cause of it 2. They made their fate pre-existent to God 3. They asserted a fate that took away all the liberty of mans will Now this is no consequent saith Augustine that if God hath set a certain order of all causes Non est autem consequens ut si Deo certus est omnium causarum ordo nihil sit in nostrae voluntatis arbitrio Aug. l. 5. De Civ dei then nothing is in the power of our wills The upshot of all is this We say there are a thousand things happen in respect of us casually and fortuitously that is we know not the causes of them and manner of their operations yet there is nothing so in respect of God And though all things happen necessarily as to the event with respect to the decree of God which hath set all things in an order and in respect of the universal power and influence of his Governing Providence yet for such things as are done by us they are not necessarily brought forth but freely our will is not forced but acteth as a free agent But I shall add no more to the first Branch of Instruction 2. Branch What you have heard may help to confirm your Faith as to the glorious nature of God and that in four or five Particulars 1. As to his Omniscience or knowledg of all things He must needs know all things who governeth all things He governs all the beings and existences of his creatures all their motions and actions all their errours obliquities and Omissions as I have shewed you which he could not do if they were not all naked in his sight all things must needs be open and naked in his sight with whom we have to do The Doctrine of Gods Omniscience is evident from the work of Creation He that made the Eye shall he not see He that made the Ear shall he not hear and it is evident from the work of Providence if his Kingdom ruleth over all 2. Secondly It as much confirmeth us in the Doctrine of Gods Omnipotence If his Kingdom ruleth over all 1. He must have a power to Rule and govern all 2. He must be in a capacity to exercise this power and there must be no power able to resist him So that you may see the Reasonableness of those titles given to God in Scripture viz. The Lord God Omnipotent The Almighty God The King of Kings The Lord of Lords The Lord of all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth If there were any thing too hard for God if he could be resisted he could not rule over all 3. Thirdly It may confirm you in the Activity of the Divine Essence The Schoolmen say That God is Totus Actus wholly an Act always moving working operating so it must be if he hath such a Rule as I have been describing to you He must fill all places not as a meer inactive moles and bulk of a thing filleth a place but so as at the same time he is in all places at work seeing observing governing effecting and directing or restraining and over-ruling We have no Similitude to express it by but cometh much short That of the Soul in man comes nearest it which is in all parts of the body animating actuating and governing of it 4. It confirms us in our belief of the Infinite wisdom of God He is called The only wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 and Jude v. 25. This Doctrine concludes it We see it requires a great deal of wisdom to govern a Family and keep it if it consists of many members in order but much more to govern the greater bodies of people in Towns Cities Kingdoms Empires c. Such a variety there is of motions humours passions and tempers of people Who is able to conceive what Wisdom it requires to govern all beings in the World all motions and actions of all creatures in the World and to keep them in any order or decorum at all In fine Next to the work of Creation there is nothing like the work of Providence well-studied to give a man the true notion of God and let us know what manner of Essence the Divine Essence necessarily must be Thus much by way of Instruction Secondly Vse 2 This Doctrine serveth for the unspeakable consolation of the people of God Psalm 97.1 The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof It is matter of rejoycing to all the World that the Lord reigneth and there is none so vile and wicked but experienceth much though many consider it not of the good effects of this universal Dominion which God exerciseth The Devils cannot do what they please in it the wills and passions of men cannot have their swing There is an Almighty One that holds the reins upon the brutish affections and passions of men the ill effects of which the greatest Atheists and contemners of God which live in the World would quickly experience but to the people of God as being the lesser number the most hated and maligned part of the World and the far weaker as to natural strength and power besides the restraint their Souls are under from putting out what natural power and strength they have beyond the Divine Law doth most eminently demonstrate to them the good effects of the Lords
severe manner as he did to those Rusticks that so much disturbed the Civil peace in Germany but generally punisheth by disappointments to bring us to a regular trust and confidence in him where we have a plain and sure word to fix our foot upon Thus I have shewed you the reasonableness of these cross motions of Divine Providence in point of Divine Justice that God might punish peoples sinnings in them and caution others against the like guilt 2. Let me in the second place shew you the reasonableness of it in order to the glory of God which I have often told you is the great end which God aims at in all his great Works whether of Creation or of Providence 1. The work is more eminently seen to be the Lords although he in effecting it maketh use of instruments and humane means God doth not always yea he doth not ordinarily work miraculously but maketh use of rational means and worketh in with and by them Now if God in these workings should make use of means and instruments and circumstances which our fancies prescribe unto him we should be apt to overlook the mighty Power and Efficiency of God in the means for the more we have a prospect of an event in the second Causes before it comes the less we see of the first Cause in it But when we see our selves disappointed in all our expectations as to time persons means circumstances and the thing brought about by persons we thought not of at a time we looked not for it by means not at all in our eyes as probable to effect it the more is the hand and power of God seen in the effect while we cry out This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes 2. Again God hath more Glory from the Prayers Humiliations and Praises of his people By these things God is glorified as his Will is done as his Power is recognized Disappointments produce more extraordinary Prayers and Humiliations when we meet with them we see the folly of our rashness ungrounded confidences and see reason to lye low before the Lord with more fervent Prayers to God to take his work into his own hand and having manifested to us our follies now to declare his own wisdom that having broken our arms of flesh he would now make bare his own holy arm and the fulfilling of his word at last by means and circumstances not known to us produce praises adorings and admirings of his infinite wisdom and further confidences in God for the time to come when we see arms of flesh broken and find our bruised reeds and broken staffs but running into our hands and wounding us instead of helping us I have done with the Doctrinal part of this Observation I come now to the Application of it Vse 1. The first Use may be Not to wonder at disappointments of this nature and to take heed they be no temptations to us Here are you see two branches 1. Not to wonder at them There is nothing more ordinary it is not often that a Church or body of people or a particular soul or person obtaineth any great mercy or deliverance in the way they looked for it or at that moment of time they expected it in God delights to surprize his peoples hearts with joy and gladness we are sick and we are ready to think such a person and by such a means must heal us the cure comes quite another way Naaman thought the Prophet would have come and laid his hand upon his leprous body the Prophet bids him go and wash in the waters of Jordan We are in terrors in troubles of mind c. and we are ready to think such or such a Minister must speak to us and then we shall be relieved he cometh and applieth what help he can we are yet disquieted and find no relief at all the mercy comes at last quite another way Mercy comes to Gods People as Judgment ordinarily comes upon sinners in a way and upon a day they looked not for it when with Agag they say Surely the bitterness of death is past I say so mercies ordinarily come to Gods People in an unlooked-for time in a way and by persons they looked not for it by 2. Let not such disappointments be temptations to you Let them not be temptations to make you distrust the promises or to use any unlawful and indirect means to obtain your desires It is not God that hath deceived you you have but deceived your selves God hath made you certain promises of the things you will limit him to do it by such a time by such means by such persons and instruments The promises express no such things but have left God to his liberty You have no reason to distrust Gods word because you have disappointed your selves Vse 2. Let us make this use of the Observation To embrace the promises and to depend upon God for the fulfilling of them without limiting him as to circumstances Let us do this as to those great promises which are behind to be fulfilled as to the destruction of Antichrist the calling of the Jews the second coming of Christ the more happy and calm state of the Church c. The Scripture seems clear as to the things that they shall be but it is far from being clear that it shall be in such a year or by such a mean or instrument there is nothing particular of this nature for a good Christian to set the foot of his faith upon I have shewed you there is a great vanity of Christians in these things I know Christians have a very great curiosity to search dark Prophecies to find out the particular circumstances for these things I cannot commend their diligence it is much like the hard labour and study of those that have been studying the Philosophers stone a great deal of money and much more precious time hath been spent about it nothing yet effected no more hath there been in these things men have wearied themselves in vain and their study hath been but labour and travel 2. Again As to promises that concern our particular souls for comfort for a victory over temptations c. they are many they are exceeding sweet but they are general not to this or that individual person but to such as love and fear the Lord to persons under such or such qualifications they are exceeding sweet but they are not made with circumstances God will have his people trust him he will have them wait for him Take heed either of saying These things shall never be this is to give the lye to the God of Truth God says thou shalt live thou sayest I shall dye I shall fall by the hand of this temptation and take heed of saying If it ever be it must be by such a time by such a Minister it would have been by such a Minister c. This is to limit the Holy One of Israel thou knowest not the ways of God it is
designs and purposes that men see reason to cry out O the depth of the wisdom and of the Counsel of God! So that look as God did not bring man into the World till he had fitted the World for his use and Government nor doth bring any creature by his continued Creation into the World before its table is prepared the Flie the Silk-worm c. doth not prevent its meat so neither doth Gods work prevent the means by which he designeth the accomplishment of it Thus every thing is brought forth in its time and every work of God is thus made glorious Secondly God by this means putteth a wonderful beauty upon his works of Providence The beauty of any creature you know doth not only lie in the colour of it and the loveliness of that but in the Symmetry and proportion of all its parts Hence our Eye judgeth sometimes a person that is of a good complexion to have little or nothing of beauty but a good mixture of colour with a good symmetry and proportion of parts must concur to a perfect beauty Gods work is perfect and his ways are Judgment Deut. 32.4 and he is excellent in working Jer. 32.19 The glory of the Lord is much concerned not only in the goodness of his works but in the perfection and beauty of it Now it adds much to the beauty of a work when it is brought forth in a fit season and is as an apple of gold in a picture of silver The unlook'd-for concurrence of all circumstances to the production of any great work of God makes it appear very admirable in our Eyes Thirdly God doth by this means wonderfully glorifie both his Power and his Wisdom in the Eyes of the men of the World 1. His power when men see the whole Creation sequacious to his Will and Counsel that assoon as he begins and sets out in any work there is a fudden change in the creature and all of them follow him in his paths As the power of a great Prince is herein magnified all his Subjects possibly are secure and at quiet and peace and think nothing of the Prince's counsels But no sooner doth he set up his Standard or cause his Drums to be beat up but presently all his Subjects are in arms and ready to follow him upon what designs he pleaseth to lead them This speaketh now the great power and influence this Prince hath upon his Subjects So now to observe the World as it were all at quiet and minding no such thing and God then beginning some great work and as it were setting up his Standard and it is no sooner up but all men flock to it as if it had been a design laid amongst them To make it plain by an instance The whole World almost was in a dead sleep of Popish-ignorance and superstition and in all humane appearance none thought or dream't of any Reformation God no sooner proclaimeth his design of Reformation and useth Luther to set up his standard at Wittenberg 1516 it was but by a pitiful Monk but as if this had been a design of a long contrivance in the World and laid in the several parts of Germany Duke Frederick the Saxon-Elector falls in with him Franciscus Picus Mirandula at Rome perswades a Reformation Marquess Caracciolus and Bernhardenus Bonifacius Marquess of Oria turn Confessors at Naples Zuinglius stands up for Reformation in Switzerland Myconius at Thuring I think all in a year and then other parts in Germany till the Reformation had overspread the greatest part of Germany What a wonderful Specimen was this of the power of God upon men upon the hearts of men in the World yea and thus the Wisdom of God is wonderfully magnified for by this means all the World comes to be convinced that God could not have begun or done his work in a fitter time Indeed God could have done it with equal advantage at any time having at all times the hearts of Princes and of all men in his hand but those that do not so wistly consider the influence of God upon mens hearts in the cause and only view humane circumstances when they see God bringing forth his work at a time when the World is prepared and fitted for it must adore the wisdom of God in it Fourthly God doth by this means check the haste and precipitancy and rashness of our spirits and shew us our own folly We are very prone to prescribe to God and to limit the holy One Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel say the Disciples Now when we see God disappointing our hopes and expectations and bringing forth his work in his own time when the worlds circumstances fit it and all things concur to it then we understand our own folly and rashness and that our spirits are too hasty then we see that if the work of God had been brought forth in our time it had not been half so easily effected nor half so beautiful Methinks here we are like some foolish ignorant children that view the Carpenter at work about some goodly frame of an house the Carpenter you know doth his work by degrees first he fitteth one piece and layeth it by him then another and so a third The child vieweth this and not understanding the contrivance he is every day crying to his father to set it up Father when do you set up the house shall it not go up this day to morrow c The child thinks that there is nothing to do but to set up this piece or that piece but his wiser Father knows that he must have every piece fitted and prepared the joints and the tenons ready to couple one piece to another or it would be to no purpose to begin to set up the building before it were framed and one part coupled to the other The child at last when he seeth his Father set it up all and the parts fitted one to another then it begins to see its self a fool and to understand that its Father was wiser than it against another time it learneth wit to let the Father alone to his own wisdom time and contrivance The Father might have lost his pains and spoiled some pieces of good timber and done nothing else in sooner hearkning to the childs importunity It may be the child in its haste hoists up a piece of timber but it falls down upon him and bruiseth him c. It is much the same case with us we look for a Reformation we believe God will sit as a Refiner upon Zion we cannot let God alone to his own time till he hath fitted the world's circumstances to his design but it may be we are hastening of God not only by modest prayers submitted to his will which is our duty but by murmurings and repinings at God It may be we like the hasty child are hoisting up some pieces of timber encouraging some or other to begin it irregularly and by that means get nothing but
maketh the wrath and rage of bloody men to praise him I might go on and shew you how God makes use of the wars and fightings the envy emulation and strife which often arise amongst the men of the world and James 3.1 Whence come all these but from the lusts that war in our members to gain his people liberty and protection But I have spoken enough to justifie this Observation but it may be some will say to me Why doth God do this Could not God do his work by other instruments And were it not more suitable to the Holiness of God to bring about his designs by better instruments To which the answer were good enough to say Who art thou that disputest with God It is enough for us that thus it pleaseth him and that this is consistent enough both with his Holiness and Wisdom It is not inconsistent with his holiness to mean and to turn that for good which men mean and intend for evil as in Joseph's case Gen. 50.20 for God doth not put this malice into their hearts he only suffereth them to walk in their own ways and then governeth their lusts to his own praise and glory But I shall shew you that this is a very reasonable motion and working of Divine Providence which will appear to you by the following Considerations 1. That God by this sheweth his infinite wisdom and power by how much there is the less aptitude and disposition in a cause to bring forth an effect by so much must the power and wisdom of the efficient cause be made more glorious Now there is nothing in nature less disposed to the Glory of God nor that hath so much antipathy to the Glory of God as sin and lust What cannot that God do that can make mens lusts to praise him Lust of its own nature opposeth God nothing is so contrary to his designs for God to make this now to serve his designs and to bring about his Counsels this must glorifie God as an Almighty God that can do whatsoever he pleaseth and by what means soever he pleaseth yea and by this means God maketh his Wisdom admirable When he taketh the wise in their own craftiness Come saith Pharaoh let us deal wisely with them God makes Pharaoh's wisdom to destroy his people a great means to deliver his people What an infinitely-wise God did he by this declare himself Turning Pharaoh's wisdom into folly and making it to operate directly contrary to his deliberations 2. A second Consideration is this That it is but reasonable that God should make some use of the worst of men The worst of men are the Lords creatures he hath made them he doth much for them they live upon his hand of Providence 't is reasonable they should do him some service now intentionally and designedly a wicked man will do God no service at all his heart is quite another way his life is a pursuit of one lust or other if God did not get glory on him besides his intention he could have no service at all from him There is no reason that leud and wicked men covetous ambitious men bloody and cruel men should live in the world for nothing and be maintained from Gods basket for nothing without doing him any service they will not serve God as reasonable creatures should do offering up their bodies as a living acceptable sacrifice to God which the Apostle Rom. 12.1 determines our reasonable service The Apostle therefore to the Thessalonians calls wicked men unreasonable They shall therefore serve God as brute creatures as the beasts of the field serve him not knowing what they do as a meer machine and engine serveth us by the force of our hand nay in a worse degree quite contrary to their own counsels intentions and designs God could have no service from wicked men if he did not get himself a glory from their lusts as he got himself glory upon Pharaoh 3. There is something in Gods Counsels to be produced in the world that is fit for no other hands than the hands of sinners and is hard to be effected any way but from their lusts These are the acts of his Punitive Justice upon his People God is compelled by his Justice sometimes to kindle a fire in Sion and to set up a furnace in Hierusalem to melt and to try his people in order to the purging out of their dross and taking away their tin Now as it is lust which kindleth all fires so ordinarily it is the lust of Gods Enemies of wicked men which bloweth up this fire Sometimes indeed Ephraim is against Mamasses and Manasses against Ephraim but ordinarily it is the Assyrian or Egyptian or Babylonian that must destroy Israel Men do not use to set sheep to hunt and tear sheep but to make use of dogs for that work 4. This is a reasonable motion of Providence to incourage the people of God never to despair but continually to hope in the Lords mercy That which usually discourageth our hope in God for any good as to his Church is the heighth of the rage of Enemies the sad and forlorn state of things the appearance of never an instrument like to do any service for God or for his People But none of all this is a sufficient ground for discouragement if God can make use of the worst of men and make the lusts of people serviceable to his own wise counsels and bringing about his purposes I might also have added that these motions of Providence are reasonable to shew wicked men their folly and how vainly they set themselves against the counsels and purposes of God who ordinarily taketh them by guile and overthroweth them in their own craftiness But I have enlarged enough upon the doctrinal part of this Observation I now come to the Application of it Vse 1. In the first place let us here admire the infinite power and the wisdom of God and learn at all times to trust in his word What cannot that God do What will not the wisdom of that God extend to who can make the highest and proudest Enemies which his glory hath to serve the designs and counsels of his glory The work of Creation is not so much a work of infinite power and wisdom as this work of Providence In Creation God only produceth being out of not being here God brings out his glory from that which hath an unmeasurable contrariety to his glory nothing is so desperately opposite to the glory of God as the sordid lusts of mans heart no creature is so opposite to the honour and glory of God as a resolved malitious sinner is Now for God to make such a wretch to serve him nay to make such a wretch in the hottest pursuit of his lusts to serve him and by the satisfaction of his lusts to serve the great design of his glory O what an Almighty Power what an infinite wisdom must this speak in God! And this I say should recommend God
meek of the earth it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Ten righteous persons would have saved Sodom Besides evil times being usually times of suffering as to the people of God it is unquestionably their great concern to take heed that they suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 3.14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ saith the Apostle happy are you for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you On their parts he is evil spoken of but on your parts he is glorified but let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as an evil doer c. We ordinarily call suffering-times evil times now it is the great wisdom of a Christian to make the best of the worst of times that they may suffer with comfort and not lose their Crown in suffering there is no such way to secure this as to suffer in and for doing of our duty Again there is no such way as this to convince or condemn Adversaries who are the Instruments of evil towards you It is our duty as much as may be so to live as to reconcile the world to the ways of God at least so to live as if we cannot win and gain them yet we may shame and condemn them This you shall find the Apostle did who lived in the first and most furious times 1 Pet. 2.13 Having your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak evil of you as evil doers they may behold your good works and glorifie God in the day of their visitation As there is an error of Opinion and an error of Practice so there is a double way of conviction The first is by Argument as Paul convinced the Jews Acts 18.28 The second is by a contrary Practice The first reacheth the Judgment the second the Conscience Joh. 8.9 They who heard Christ were convicted by their Consciences If by doing good thou doest not convince sinners and reform them thou wilt most certainly condemn them Heb. 11.7 Noah condemned the old world Further yet by this means thou shalt have peace within In the world saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 16. you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace we are sure enough in and from the world to meet with trouble it is our great concern to secure our peace within now there is no other way to secure this but to keep a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men If a man hath a troublesome Neighbour if yet he hath a quiet Wife he will do well enough he hath peace at home If he lives in wicked and disturbed times yet if he hath a quiet indisturbed Conscience this is something and he will the better graple with his other troubles I say this is the way for a man to keep a quiet Conscience to depart from evil and to do that which is good Finally thus a Christian shall evidence his Faith in God's rewarding him for that man who in an evil day doth evil or neglecteth to do good cannot be said regularly to trust in God because he useth not the means in the use of which he may expect Gods fulfilling his Promise Take heed saith the Apostle that there be not in any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God All departing from the living God in an evil day is a certain sign of unbelief or distrust in God as to the issues of his Providence Let me therefore beseech you that fear God and are brought under such a dispensation of this to take care as to this Let not the evil of others be a temptation to you to omit doing good I will yet further open it in a few particulars 1. Be sure you keep close with God in the duties of his Worship It is a sad thing for a state of affliction to drive a man from God God chasteneth his people to make them better In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.13 'T is very sad when affliction hath a quite contrary effect upon us when as the Scripture speaks of Ahaz when he was afflicted he did more wickedly So God hath reason to say of any person This is that person who when he was in affliction left prayer reading hearing left his closet-walking with God c. It is a mark of an ill Servant not dutiful Son when he is beaten for his faults not to ask his Fathers blessing but to run out of his doors 2. Be not ashamed nor afraid to appear for the interest of God in evil times St. Paul in the worst of times was not ashamed of the Gospel Our Lord speaketh dreadfully in this case when he telleth us that he who is ashamed of him before men of him he will be ashamed when he cometh with his Angels This is a particular Service every good Christian oweth unto God not to be ashamed of the cause and interest of God in an evil time own thy self a Servant of God when his Name is most blasphemed his truths and ways most disparaged his people most exposed 3. Perform all that duty which thou owest to the worst of men It is a woful error for any Christian to think that he can do no wrong to wicked and ungodly men as if they had no civil rights doubtless the Apostle spake chiefly with relation to Heathens when he commanded the Romans that were Christians to give unto all their dues honour to whom honour c. 4. Do good to them that hate and persecute thee bless them that curse thee It is our Saviours lesson Mat. 5.44 I remember God gave his people a charge Jer. 29.7 To seek the peace of that City whither they were carried captive and to pray unto the Lord for it It was an evil time when they were in Captivity and the Babylonians were very evil persons yet God commandeth his people to pray for them and to seek their peace Let them curse but bless you let them persecute but do you pray Thus David did for his Enemies when they were sick he humbled himself with fasting and with mourning as for his Brother he tells you he lost nothing by it his prayer returned into his own bosom 5. Take heed finally of using any unlawful means to be rid of the evil that is upon you This is a temptation will much molest us in an evil time and to which all our hearts are too too prone this is a pecular evil which a child of God in such a time should study and make it his business to depart from but I shall have occasion to speak more to this under the next head of Duty upon which I shall enlarge as it is contrary to the duty of Patience and the fruit of a Soul making too much haste But I know this is an hard saying we have many temptations to the contrary for a man to do good to others when they are doing evil to and against him this
power so as if he will he may do it No man will deny but a man hath a power to deal justly to give Alms to the Poor and many other things so as he is but an Hypocrite that pretends want of strength to many external actions which God hath commanded him which are but acts of moral discipline hence it is no great wonder to hear the Patrons of freewil urge this as the whole duty of man But alas though this be his duty yet it is but the least part of his duty Our great duty to God lies as in external acts of Piety so in the internal government of the motions of our hearts affections according to the rule of the Divine law it lyeth in external actions such as praying hearing the word c. But chiefly in the government of our inward man that we may perform all our actions whether respecting God or man in such a manner as he hath required Now that which we call strengthning grace is That influence of the holy Spirit upon the Soul by which the Soul is inabled to perform whatsoever God requireth of it both in doing and suffering in such an acceptable manner as God requireth at our hands Duty may be divided 1. Into such acts which are in our own power as to the external acts to perform without any Spiritual gifts or more special influences of grace thus a man may read the word he may hear Sermons he may do acts of justice and charity and many other things by virtue of the common Providence of God keeping up in man his natural faculties for this now there needeth none of that special strengthning grace about which I am discoursing Secondly 2. Such as a man may perform by vertue of common gifts and influences such as knowledg utterance c. Which although God doth not give unto all yet he doth give unto many who never tast any thing of his distinguishing grace Thus men may pray preach c. It is true some have more ability unto these acts than others and some Christians at some times may find more strength and ability than at other times but this dependeth not upon any influence of special strengthening grace but upon the different tempers and complexions of persons upon their different measures of knowledg and gifts and parts and their strength as to these acts riseth and falleth as their gifts and parts increase hold or decay 3. But thirdly there are duties that are more internal such as meditating of God delighting believing in him breathing after him fervency of Spirit in his service the right manner of performing all external acts Now to the performance of this there needeth a special influence in the Spirit of God besides all the advantage which any man can have from natural parts or gifts And the experience of every Christian justifieth that God useth a great variety in his dispensings of it some Christians find much more than others do others find much more at one time than at an other both for the performing the acts of Mortification and of Vivification the practice of dying to sin and living to righteousness and also for the bearing any burthens which God in his Providence layeth upon him and going through any sufferings which God hath laid out for him and these gradual withdrawings of these Divine assistances are what we call Divine desertions as to these manifestations of grace Now my next business must be to shew you the wisdom and reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in the inequality of these dispensations which sometimes proves matter of great trouble to Gods People 1. For the differences of strength and ability to the more external acts of our homage to God it is not so properly within my subject to be discoursed I shall therefore speak but shortly to it something I am willing to speak because I fear too many Christians mistake this for strengthning grace This difference ariseth 1. from a difference or decay in knowledg and other parts and common gifts Knowledg of the things of God is the foundation of this practice and it cannot be expected that Christians weak in knowledg should be able to express themselves so freely in prayer or in Spiritual conference or any other exercise which dependeth upon knowledg as the more knowing Christian can 2. Secondly As difference as to degrees of knowledg is one cause so different frequency in Practice is an other a man in practical things is perfected by practice As he that never almost writeth will forget his hand and he that useth not himself to read or speak Latine or any other Language will in a short time lose the very ability he once had to do it so it is but a reasonable thing for us to imagine that he who seldom or never prayeth should lose his gift and ability to pray and he who seldom or never Preacheth should lose his gift and ability to Preach We find by experience and may find it whenever we try it that a man that hath an excellent ability to pray neglecting that gift in a short time will lose his gift and not be able to continue Ten lines of sence without a Book To this may be added that these performances do also depend upon other natural and common gifts which if they fail through age or other infirmities it cannot without a Miracle be expected but that this strength and ability should abate also I know also that God may blast these gifts and oft doth for mens sins their neglect of the use of them their not glorifying of God with them but Gods usual way of doing this is either by permitting the decay of these gifts upon which these exercises depend or leaving the Hypocrite to fall into such a senslesness and sottishness in life as quite takes him off from any regard of these pieces of homage unto God but thus much shall serve to have spoken to these varieties and decays of strength in the inward man 2. For the other which are the influxes of Divine and special grace it is certainly reasonable that God should not dispense equal measures to all if we consider 1. That all are not of a alike groweth and standing in the Church There is nothing more ordinary in Scripture than to compare the Church to a Fold of Sheep to a Family c. Now there is no Fold where all are are grown Sheep alike scarce any Family where are not some Infants or young Children Christ must carry the Lambs in his Arm while he feedeth his Flock like a Shepheard The Scripture speaking of Christians distinguisheth betwixt Babes and grown Persons betwixt those that are perfect and such as are not perfect such as are Spiritual and such as are Carnal such as are fit for strong Meat and such as have need of Milk now although it be true that this influx of Grace is from the Spirit of God yet the Spirit of God ordinarly worketh Secundum quod nactus