business it had been to keep his Father's Cattel but the other was a man of war from his youth not by a Bow or Sword or other the usual Instruments of War for he only 20 v. 49. put his hand into his bag and took thence a stone and slang it and smote the Philistin in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth Lo here an abundant proof of Humane Frailty and which may well humble the most conceited of their own Strength and teach them to distrust themselves and look up to Almighty God for Safety who whenever he pleases can cut them off in the midst of their Glory as also at other times he can change the Scene and let them live to see themselves despised can send a Clement or Ravillac to dispatch them or deliver them into the Hand of a Woman as * Judg. 4.21 Sisera or as †Herodot Cli. c. 214. Cyrus or order them to be devoured by Vermin as ‖ Act. 12.23 Herod or if it please him better can give them to be carried in triumph as * Knoll's in the Life of Bajazet the Fourth King of the Turks Bajazet or used for a Footstool as †Lactant. de mortibus persecut c. 5. Valerian can deprive them of their Understanding as ‖ Ibid. c. 17. Dioclesian or send them forth to beg their Bread as * Volat. Com. Urb. l. 23. Belisarius He has ways enough to avenge himself upon the haughtiest amongst the Sons of Men. And they must therefore expect that when they grow forgetfull of him he will take a time whether sooner or later to convince them of their own weakness and to shew them by an undeniable Experiment that all their Undertakings come to nothing without his assistance and that †1 Sam. 2.9 by strength no man shall prevail 2. Courage and Stoutness of Mind This is a good Preservative from needless Fears and a Preparative for Difficulties and bold and hazardous Enterprizes and hence many times turns to good account but withall it hath need of great Prudence to regulate it and a proportionable Strength to support it or otherwise the effects of it may prove very sad If it grow excessive and so degenerate into Rashness or if it meet with greater opposition than was expected and provided against it is a ready way to Ruine by involving men in dangers out of which they are in no wise able to extricate themselves And at best it is but a feeble support against any Adversity unless men had strength of Body and all other requisite Qualifications for carrying them through all the difficulties wherein it may engage them It stirs them up to noble Atchievements and when attended with good Success in them is a means of their advancement at present and perhaps of transmitting the lasting Fame of their daring Exploits to many Generations But it is not always thus prosperous And when it is the Honour of it is due to Almighty God for granting his Blessing to it which had he withheld it must necessarily have had a quite contrary event A mistaken notion of Courage is a common alas God knows too common occasion of needless and most mischievous Quarrels and Duels and ends in the destruction of such as are apt to value themselves most upon it And when better understood and used with more consideration and to better purposes it is no security against the multitudes of Evils whereto we are continually obnoxious and must be whilst we remain in this state of Sin and Sorrows It may preserve from some disadvantages but it is well if it do not at other times expose to more and greater And though it may be helpfull for obtaining some good it may possibly more than counterbalance this by the mischiefs it brings along with it 3. Wisdom Of what constant use this is in the mangement of all Affairs how Policy oftentimes supplies the defect of Strength or Numbers or whatsoever other Advantages and how the want of it on the other hand is a likely cause of ruining the probablest Undertakings is too well known to need that I should insist upon it Prudence and Foresight and a good contrivance before-hand and a due attendance upon the Inconveniencies that there is most danger of meeting with in the prosecution of a Design are of such necessity in order to its success that nothing of difficulty can ordinarily be expected to be brought to a good conclusion without them But where these concurr in any considerable degree they give a Man a strange advantage for great and noble Undertakings Yet are they like Job's Friends but * Job 16.2 miserable Comforters whensoever they are separated from a Dependance upon Almighty God for his Blessing upon them Nor can they at any time be securely relied upon as an infallible provision against whatsoever danger or a sure means of obtaining any good They may give reasonable grounds of hoping well but leave us after all at great uncertainties inasmuch as the most quick-sighted Observer can never discover all the secret Springs of Nature and their several tendencies in relation to such and such an Action much less can dive into the unfathomable Designs of the Divine Providence in respect to it which yet are necessary to be known before a right Judgment can be made of it It pleases God many times to cut off cunning and mighty Men in the height of their Expectations when they think they have well nigh surmounted all the Impediments they had to conflict with and are upon the very point of enjoying the fruit of their Endeavours He lets them go on with an appearance of success for a good while together when yet there is an unknown Train laid to blow them up even when they least dream of it He causeth †Is 29.14 the wisdom of the wise men to perish and the understanding of the crafty to be hid hereby teaching them how weak and defective all their own Contrivances are and how unfit of themselves for accomplishing their Designs and consequently in how wretched a condition they must be and what frequent and fatal disappointments they must look to meet with if they had no better Security to rely upon Of which see an eminent and singularly remarkable Instance of the defeat of Caesar Borgia Son to Pope Alexander the Sixth a Man of great Ambition and who would try all ways to advance himself This Man fearing least after his Father's death he should come to be strip'd of all that he might in the mean time have receiv'd from him or might otherwise have made himself master of set himself as Machiavil relates concerning him * Mach. Princ. c. 7. to consult the best Expedient for prevention of this Misfortune and indeed had laid a Train for it which he concluded to be past danger of miscarrying But all this while saith the forenamed Author he had not considered
if God's promises of Protection are made particularly and only to the Righteous it must needs be that so far as any one falls short of this Character so much the less Interest he will have in those Promises His Iniquities if they do not utterly prevent the Blessings he desires as he has too great reason to fear they may will yet be sure to deprive him of that undaunted trust in God's Goodness which he would otherwise have found to be an admirable Consolation in all Conditions So that hereby he becomes at best but like a desolate Man in the Ocean labouring for his life or that is left unfortunately in a desart Island where he has a possibility to escape but has no assurance of it to depend upon A Vessel may come that way and ease him of his fears and dangers when about to be swallowed up of the merciless Waves or devoured by some ravenous Beast of prey and may bring him safe to his own Home but this is more than he can any way promise himself And if no one in his Wits would knowingly quit his Ship to run either of these hazards much less should any dare to allow themselves in what may expose them to the just Wrath of Almighty God and hence may exclude them from that Interest in his Favour which is the best Support under all Calamities and the want whereof if it do not prevail with him to deny them whatsoever good Things they ask of him yet leaves them at very great uncertainty whether they shall partake of them or not and again whether it shall be for their benefit if they be vouchsafed them or only in order to their greater Condemnation SECT IV. IV. ALL therefore that I take to be implied in this Duty is a considerate and a rational Reliance upon God through Christ for the necessary Blessings of this as well as the inestimable Rewards of the other Life It is a Resting upon him as our great Benefactor Patron and Protector with a firm persuasion that whilst we faithfully perform our part by confining our Desires and Expectations to necessary Things and taking the proper Measures for obtaining them and capacitating our selves for them he will not refuse to grant us a suitable supply of them but will prosper our Endeavours and will also hear our Prayers and help us out where our Endeavours fail And so it consists of these two Branches 1. A steady dependance upon God to take care of us in all our Streights and consequent hereupon 2. A quiet composure of Mind in all our greatest Exigencies upon consideration of the Care that he takes of us 1. A steady Dependance upon God to take care of us in all our Streights as knowing that if we seek to him aright he will be ready to succour and provide for us though never so unable to help our selves There is no case so forlorn but he regardes it and has by him a Remedy in store for it which if duely apply'd will effectually work a cure If he but command Deliverance for his Servants all the Power of Men or Devils cannot prevent it and this he never refuses to do but when persons shew themselves unfit for his Kindness or else desire what would be no real Kindness to themselves In all other Cases he is abundantly ready to dispense his Favours to Mankind not only beyond their deserts but very often beyond their utmost hopes And hence he requires us to fix our Eyes upon him in the needful time of trouble and if we either foresee any Evil at a distance which according to the working of natural Causes must be unavoidable or groan at present under any grievous Affliction which we know not how else to get remov'd in neither of these Instances to distrust his paternal Affection to us but encourage our selves in a belief that upon condition we sue to him and rest upon him as we ought he will be mindful of us and will be sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 1 S. Pet. 5.6 as S. Peter speaks in due time when he observes a proper season for it to administer to our Necessities And indeed considering the Transitoriness of our present State and the uncertainty of every thing we can possess or hope for in it and that it is not in our power to make our Condition as we would have it or to preserve it if it were such but that for ought we know to the contrary some unlucky chance may the very next moment either take away all our Enjoyments from us or us from them and therefore we can have no security of any thing but from the good Providence of God no prospect of Happiness whether here or hereafter but only from his boundless Compassion considering these things I say it is easie to inferr how nearly our Interest depends upon his gracious Inclinations towards us his perpetual Care being our best our only Defence against those numerous Evils to which were it not for this each one would lie continually expos'd and consequently what egregious folly it is not to rely intirely upon him for those Benefits that are to be expected only from him I confess were Mankind capable of making any tolerable provision for themselves without the Divine Assistance they would have so much the less Encouragement to cast themselves upon God and would therefore act with less inconsistence in the neglect of him But nothing sure can be more highly resonable than for poor Creatures who are nothing without God and neither have nor can hope for any thing but from his Bounty readily to deliver up all their concerns into his Hands with all the thankfullest acknowledgments that may be of his unspeakable Loving-kindness in condescending to become their Guardian to manage their Affairs for them so much more wisely and to so much better advantage than themselves could This therefore is the former Branch of this important Duty a steady Dependance upon God to take care of us in all our Streights 2. A quiet composure of Mind in all our greatest Exigencies upon consideration of the Care he takes of us And could we but so cast our Care upon God as not to have it still remaining upon our selves any farther than is requisite in order to the gracious Designs of his Providence towards us this would necessarily dispose us not to take thought for the morrow to forbear fretting and tormenting our selves with a fearful expectation of what possibly may happen hereafter and yet withal possibly may not and would enable as on the contrary heartily to rejoice that we are not left destitute but have an infinitely good God to order all our Affairs for us There is no better sign of a perfect Dependance upon God than a Mind prepared for all Events and that fears not to be miserable whilst in his Hands though in the midst of outward Dangers and Distractions nor any thing that tends more naturally to our present satisfaction This is the most
hundred times and his years be prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that fear the Lord which fear before him It shall be well with them in as much as besides the advantage they have an of inward Tranquility Peace and Satisfaction of Mind under all Events they are moreover entitled to an Interest in the Divine Providence which gives them just grounds to look that even their greatest crosses shall be turned to their benefit And of this the holy Psalmist was so fully satisfied that a great part of this Book of Psalms is spent in declaring his sense of it †Psal 27.1 The Lord saith he is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid ‖ v. 5. In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavillion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock * 62.1 2. Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my Salvation he only is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Desence I shall not be greatly moved †59.16 17. I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy in the Morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Unto thee O my strength will I sing for God is my defence and the God of my mercy * 9.9 10. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken or as it is in our old Translation hast never failed them that seek thee †18.1 2. I will love thee O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my Salvation and my high Tower ‖ 62.7 In God is my Salvation and my Glory and the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God With multitudes of other like expressions Nor doth he only proclaim his own confidence in God but invites others also to the like Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us And affirms moreover for their encouragement That * 33.18 19. the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine And again saith he †34.6 7 8 9 10. That poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger or as these words are render'd in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rich are impoverished and brought to beggary but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing But I forbear to multiply Texts of Scripture in so clear a case and shall choose rather to make some Reflexion upon what I have hitherto been discoursing and so proceed to my next Head And to this end I come to summ up and apply what hath been offered in these following Corollaries Wherefore supposing us to be of the number of those to whom the Promises of God are made such as are careful to please and honour him and are ready to cast their Care upon him for to such only this Argument is directed supposing us I say to be thus qualified 1. We may hence inferr for our Consolation in all Conditions that whatever our estate be how dangerous or how dolorous soever we need never question a deliverance if it be for our good to be deliver'd For that we cannot be mistaken in this is manifest in that our gracious God has passed his word for it and * Num. 23.19 that he is not as man that he should lye or as the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good His Faithfulness is engaged on our behalf and he will so certainly fulfill what he has undertaken that it is impossible he should do otherwise †S. Matt. 24.35 Heaven and Earth we may assure our selves shall sooner pass away than one jot or tittle shall fail of all that is gone out of his mouth For ‖ 2 Cor. 1.20 all his promises are Yea and Amen they are unquestionably true and shall in his due time be infallibly made good to all that don't incapacitate themselves for them 2. And therefore if at any time we be not delivered according to our expectation we ought to do both God and our selves the right to believe that it is then best for us that we should not * Si aliquid contra quà m oramus acciderit hoc potius oportuisse quod Dei non quod nostra voluntas habuit minimè dubitare debemus D. August Epist 121. c. 14. it being out of love to us that God is pleased to deny us our Requests because he sees them not proper to be granted us This is a natural deduction from the former and which cannot be questioned without impeaching the Divine Veracity as though he who is Truth it self and can no more deceive than he can be deceived would not be mindful to perform his Promises For one of these two Constructions must necessarily be made of God's suffering the Righteous to be at any time in a state of Affliction either that he doth not watch over them according to his word or else that it is out of kindness to them that he lets them be in this condition And since the former of these is by no means to be imagined concerning a God of infinite Mercy and Truth the other therefore must be owned as the true cause of their Grievances namely that God in his infinite Wisdom observes it to be for their benefit that they be exposed to Tryals and outward Inconveniencies And by consequence they ought in this case to rest satisfy'd that though themselves do not yet God Almighty certainly knows the denying their Requests will be a greater favour to them than the granting them would be Whence again we may observe 3. What Opinion we ought to have of our Afflictions namely that we are to look upon them as the necessary Chastisements of an Indulgent Parent who would not send them unless our Case called for them and who will however be ready to turn them into Blessings to us if we but mind to bear them as we ought And if he let us lie under them only at such times when they may be advantageous to
they may be highly beneficial to us possibly here but most certainly hereafter if our selves prevent it not and again that how uneasie soever any of them may be we may certainly expect a freedom from them in due time It teaches to observe whence all our Grievances proceed and on what errand they come and when they seem most terrible it very much allays their Severity by fixing our Thoughts and Hopes upon Almighty God as our best Security even in the worst Condition It disposes us when any troubles befall us when we either miss of any thing we earnestly desire or are seized with any heavy calamity to look up to God and think what a privilege it is to be under the covert of his Wings and to rest fully satisfy'd that * Conjugium petimus partumque uxoris at illi Notum qui pueri qualisque futura sit uxor whatever he doth is best for us and it is therefore our Interest as well as our Duty to acquiesce in it And would persons but be persuaded seriously to apply themselves to the practice of it their own Experience would above all other Arguments convince them of this great Truth For I am very sure they would hence find more hearty Joy and Satisfaction even in the midst of all their Troubles than they would be willing to exchange for all things in this World besides They would quickly perceive it to be †Nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque Dabunt Dii Charior est illis homo quà m sibi Juv. Sat. 10. much easier and safer and happier and in all respects abundantly better to be in God's Hands than in their own Especially considering that the exercise of this Duty is not only useful for quieting our Minds in all conditions by lessening our apprehensions of Danger and taking off the edge of Afflictions but likewise by rendring us 3. Less solicitous for the future It is divers persons great unhappiness to be continually vexing and tormenting themselves by putting a wrong construction upon all the Dispensations of God's Providence towards them Contrary to the Rules of common Prudence which would instruct them to recollect all the alleviating Circumstances of any trouble whereby to render it the lighter these are sure to allow it all the Aggravations they can think of and hereby add a very considerable weight to its burden They make it their business to fix their Thoughts upon the less pleasing Prospect of any Event as if they must never hope to be happy because all things don't go at present according to their Minds When they look at the Inconveniencies whereto they lie exposed they take care to magnifie them to the utmost and perhaps much beyond what they will well bear but when at the Comforts that may arise from them or the other Advantages they enjoy to counterpoise them or whatever might tend to lighten them here they invert the Tube that so they may keep off all Consolation from themselves Or if they have nothing to complain of at present they can yet perplex themselves with fears of being miserable they know not when nor how Or if things look too clear for this they still apprehend that howsoever themselves escape their Posterity may be brought to a low condition and this thought likewise creates them no small disturbance Now all the uneasiness of this kind that any meet with except where it depends upon a prevailing Melancholy in the Body can proceed from nothing else but a sinful distrust of God's Goodness And consequently the removal hereof will leave no more room for these surmises For how is it possible for that Man to dread being left in a forlorn condition who firmly believes and lays to heart the manifold Promises that God has made and Blessings he has vouchsafed to them that have cast their Care upon him What can he lack as Eusebius * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praepar Evang. l. 1. c. 1. well argues who can reckon upon the great King and Governour of all things as his Parent and Protector Nay what can he fear either for himself or his who calls to mind what a loving merciful and infinitely compassionate God has obliged himself to provide for him Had we been left to our own management there would have been just cause to suspect least every attempt we engaged in might miscarry either through our own folly or weakness or the opposition of other Men or a thousand accidents that might attend it But it is quite otherwise with all that know themselves under God's Protection for he is no less able to perform what he has undertaken for them than he was gracious in undertaking it And they need therefore be no farther concerned for their own Wants or Infirmities or insufficiency in whatever respect than to take occasion from hence to fly the more readily to Him for help and depend the more stedfastly upon him And indeed to do otherwise is but to lay an unnecessary * Quid necesse est mala accessere satis citò patienda cùm venerint praesumere ac praesens rempus futuri metu perdere Est sine dubio stultum quia quandoque sis futurus miser esse jam miserum Senec. Epist 24. burden upon themselves to anticipate their Sorrows and in a word to make themselves unhappy at present for fear they should be so hereafter Like him that would wilfully starve himself to day least he should want Victuals to morrow Why then art thou cast down O my soul why art thou so disquieted within me Have I not still the same God to trust in who hath hitherto been extreamly bountiful to me and have I not good reason to rely upon him still as much as ever is he not still both as able and as willing to take care of me as heretofore †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antonin Imp. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 7. n. 6. Away then with all unworthy thoughts of his Providence away with all needless solicitude for the future as if he did not mind my Wants What irreverence what undutifulness what ingratitude must I be guilty of before I can suffer my self to distrust him And what unnecessary endless Vexations do I also hereby bring upon my self which might be effectually prevented if I had but consideration enough to weigh well with my self what an incomparable happiness it is to have an interest in the Divine Protection and how easie I might be under it were it not for my own Imprudence And as to my Family are not they entituled to God's Protection no less than my self and hath he not hitherto taken care of them how then can I imagine that he will not continue to do it He provides now for both my self and them and why not as well for them when I am gone It may be I can leave them a comfortable Subsistence at my death But if I cannot why should I be troubled so I can but leave them God's Blessing
that is to say The Insuffitiency of all other helps for either securing us from or supporting us under Afflictions Now these may be considered in a twofold respect 1. Barely as Natural Means and which may lawfully be made use of as we have occasion 2. Or as they may be unlawfull and which cannot therefore be ventured upon without sin And accordingly in treating of them I shall endeavour to evince 1. The Weakness and Incompetency of the former and 2. The Evil and Danger of the latter SECT I. I. THE Weakness and Incompetency of all Natural means * Sunt infida quedam refugia ad quae cum quis aufugerit magis infirmatur quà m confirmatur D. August in Psal 45. v. 1. which how promising soever will never stand us in stead without the Divine concurrence but perhaps may fail us when we have most need of their Assistance They may seem very proper and advantageous but if God with-hold his Blessing they must needs prove ineffectual and so all our greatest Expectations from them must become abortive * Is 44.24 25. He stretcheth forth the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by himself he frustrateth the tokens of liars and maketh diviners mad turneth the wise-men backward and maketh their knowledge foolish †Psal 33.10 bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect It is upon him alone that all our best Endeavours and most usefull Projects depend intirely for success and though whilst they are employed only as Instruments of his Providence in order to our welfare there is just reason to hope for a good Conclusion of them yet if they come once to be separated from or set in opposition to the Determinations of Providence the case is quite altered and no marvel if they then meet with a cross event All-sufficiency is to be found in none but the Almighty Creator the best of other Beings being liable to manifold defects and imperfections and depending wholly upon him for both their Subsistence and their Power of Operation and therefore to rely upon any thing else than him for safety is but to trust in the staff of a broken reed whereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it All our Abilities or whatsoever Advantages for helping our selves are but the Gift of God and act in subordination to his Will and so far only as he is pleased to give them leave He observes and governs them all and it is but with him to countermand their Proceeding and it is presently at an end ‖ 1 Chron. 29.11 12. His is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is his his is the Kingdom and he is exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of him and he reigneth over all and in his hand is power and might in his hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Wherefore since the Stream can in no case rise above the Fountain and in this case falls infinitely below it it is very apparent that all inferiour helps are not to be regarded any farther than the Divine Providence may be expected to promote their Efficacy and that it is therefore an instance of intolerable weakness for any to look no higher than these for safety which are not more likely to answer our Designs when rightly improved and with a due reverence to and dependance upon the first mover and cause of all things than they are sure to deceive such as place all their Trust in them And thus much Experience also testifies shewing beyond all contradiction that it is not Mens own foresight or labour or outward advantages of whatever kind that brings their purposes to effect but the Blessing and Goodness of Almighty God For hence it comes to pass * Eccles 9.11 that the race is not always to the swift nor the battel to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all God reserves to himself a power to interpose and cross and alter the wonted course of things whereby to awaken persons to a consideration of himself and dependance upon him and therefore orders matters so that though they usually happen according to the probability of second Causes sometimes they are observed to fall out quite otherwise So that when Men have done all they can and with the fairest and reasonablest expectation of success they many times fail of their End they know not how There is a secret uncontroulable Providence that takes occasion to present extraordinary opportunities and offers advantages on the one hand or lays impediments in the way on the other which no humane Wisdom could foresee or provide against And this gives success to very unlikely Means defeating the swift and the strong and the wise and the politick and them that are best versed in Men and Business baulking them of their Hopes and frustrating their Designs Whereas if any Humane Means were of force enough to answer Men's Desires without the help of a superiour Power it could not be that they should so frequently miscarry when in all appearance they are the best disposed that can be And this therefore is a plain proof of the vanity and folly of trusting to these without having constant recourse to Almighty God for his Blessing upon them and resting upon him to give them the desired success Thus much in general But that the Insufficiency of all Natural Means of Safety may be made yet more apparent it will not be amiss to descend to a more particular consideration of them And I take it they may be all reduced to these four Heads I. Wealth II. Power III. A Man 's own Abilities and Industry his Strength Courage Skill and Ingenuity and Diligence in the use of all these IV. The kind Assistances of Friends I. The first is Wealth Which as the Wiseman speaks * Prov. 16.11 is the rich man's strong city and as an high wall in his own conceit It is that which he reckons will answer all things will supply all his needs will uphold and assist him in all Difficulties will give him the advantage over those that set themselves against him will create him Friends in time of danger and distress will secure him from fear of want and will be to him instead of all other helps Yet this as much dependance as there is upon it will be found to be very defective if it be observed that 1. It is but a partial help as the rest also are and †Non domus fundus non aeris acervus auri Aegroto Domini deduxit corpore febres Non animo curas Horat. Epist 2. l. 1. Nec calidae citius decedunt corpore febres Textilibus si in
his Designs And how vain this is the Wise Man informs us saying * Prov. 19.21 There are many devices in a man's heart nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand In which words is averr'd that though Men may plot and contrive and when they impatiently desire what they have not or are possessed with a fearfull expectation of some impending Calamity or groan under some heavy Burden may employ their Wits to find out means of removing these their fears or troubles yet if these means agree not with the Will and Word of God and the wise Determinations of his Providence their Purposes must needs become abortive there being as he speaks in another place †c. 21.30 No wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord God is infinite in Knowledge and Power and ‖ Is 40.28 there is no searching of his understanding nor any resisting his Arm. * Dan. 4.35 He doth according to his will in the army of heaven and amongst the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him what dost thou And †v. 3◠those that walk in Pride as all do who thus inconsiderately set themselves to countermine his proceedings concerning them he is able to abase This the great Nebuchadnezzar found to his sorrow when he had been magnifying his own Glory and Grandeur the stateliness of his Palace and the extent of his Dominions the might of his Power and the honour of his Majesty and was hereupon immediately driven from among Men and forced to herd with the Beasts of the Field * v. 34. till he was brought to bless and praise and honour the most high who liveth for ever and to acknowledge that his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom from generation to generation And who art thou O Man that thinkest to withstand his decree or how wilt thou be better able than this potent Monarch to defend thy self against him The least thou canst possibly expect in this case is that he should withdraw his Blessing from these thine endeavours and render them fruitless for want of it To this purpose the excellent S. Chrysostome comments upon those words of our Blessed Saviour †S. Mat. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves be ye therefore wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Chrysost in 〈◊〉 Let us therefore saith he be ashamed to act contrarily by setting upon our Enemies like Wolves For so long as we retain the Meekness of Sheep and act like them we are sure to come off Conquerors Though many thousands of Wolves should encompass us we shall yet be able to overpower and subdue them But if our selves once become Wolves we must expect thenceforward to be overcome because hereby we lose our best security the care and protection of the Shepherd 2. In flying to unlawfull Means in order to our welfare we take the surest course to set God at enmity with us provoking him not only to deny us his Blessing but purposely to blast all our best-laid Designs This is a direct violation of his Laws and may justly excite him to plague as far beyond our utmost fears It is to shew aware regard to Man or other inferiour causes man to God himself the Supream Lord and Governour the great Creator and prime mover of all things And how terrible the Consequence of this may be he best knows in whose power it is to make us as miserable as he pleases I am very sure he deals very graciously with us if he be not hereby prevailed with to inflict upon us some sorer Judgment than any we might hope to prevent or remove by it And the reason is plain for when Men betake themselves to these sinister courses for aid they are so far from casting their Care upon God that they do what they can to take it off from him and to put themselves together with all their concerns out of his Protection into their own as if they understood their own Wants better than he does or could make better provision for themselves than he will Or rather it is no less than a going from God to the Devil for help and consequently is the most effectual contrivance for bringing down the Severities of his Vengeance upon them to punish them for this their Wickedness This the People of the Jews sadly experimented when they had used their utmost Interest and Endeavours to get our Blessed Saviour put to death least otherwise the more powerfull * S Jo 11.48 Romans might be tempted to come against them and take away both their place and nation but by this same Project as usefull as they thought it for their Preservation provoked God to deliver them up into the Hands of the same People against whom they sought thus impiously to secure themselves They looked upon the removal of our Saviour out of the way as the properest expedient for diverting so potent an Adversary but because this was a most heinous Offence against God it made way for that very Destruction to overtake them which they were thus earnestly desirous to prevent And the like unhappy disappointment the learned Dr. Hammond understood our Blessed Lord to have threatened to his Disciples if they should seek to save themselves from the numerous dangers whereto they were obnoxious by any indirect and forbidden means †S. Matt. 16.25 Whosoever will save his life saith our Lord shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it As if our Saviour should have said They who by Persecutions should be brought to apostatize and joyn with the Jews should with them be certainly destroy'd in the great slaughter of them but they that should hold out and venture the utmost for the confession of the Truth should be most like to be delivered from that dreadfull Destruction in which the rest would be involved These were to have a ‖ Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 5. Pella provided for them as a Reward of their Fidelity a place of retreat wherein to shelter themselves whilst those others who thought to secure themselves by their sinfull compliances were cut off In short he that studies to save himself or to promote his Interest by any known sin takes a very likely way to have his Designs frustrated and in effect embraces what he hates and opens a door for all those Evils against which he so foolishly arms himself to enter in He prepares to himself needless difficulties and at the same time deprives himself of that succour without which he could not think to be safe in better Circumstances And as if this were not misfortune enough he farther exposes himself to all the Miseries which are threatened to the Refractary and Disobedient By forsaking his God to save himself he flies from him who alone can protect him against all Disasters and runs into the open jaws