his own workmanship as ordinarily to cross the Order and alter the course He hath set in the World Therefore the meaning of the Text is not that Swiftness conduces nothing to the winning of the Race or Strength to the winning of the Battel or Wisdom Vnderstanding to the getting of Bread and Riches or Prudence Art or Skill to the getting of the Favour and good will of Princes or People nor that the Race is never to the Swift or the Battel never to the Strong no nor yet that the Race is not more frequently to the Swift and the Battel usually to the Strong c. For the Lord doth most ordinarily award Success unto causes of greatest Sufficiency rather than Disappointment Defeatment Otherwise it would be a very heartless if not a foolish Thing in the eye of Reason to use means or to think to get the Race by Swiftness or Bread by Labour and Diligence or Favour by dexterous prudent Behaviour or Learning by Study and Industry or to win the Battel by good Conduct and Courage and numbers of men Yea then Wisdom would not be better than Folly nor Strength more desirable than Weakness nor Diligence more beneficial available than Idleness and sitting still This therefore is evident that the Issues and Events of Undertakings do in some respect ordinarily depend upon the Sufficiency of Second Causes insomuch as the greatest probability of Success according to an ordinary providence and in the eye of Reason is ordinarily on the side of Causes that are most sufficient in their kind of Efficiency Prop. 3. Second Causes though of greatest Sufficiency in their kind have not the certain Determination of Successes Events in their own Hands but may be frustrated disappointed Though the Successes and Events of Undertakings ordinarily depend upon the sufficiency of Second Causes yet they are not infallibly determined thereby Created Agents have not Events in their own Hands but may be disappointed they cannot warrant the Events of their Undertakings or Success of their Counsels and Endeavours but may be defeated of their Hopes and Expectations Thus no man hath the absolute command of the Issue success of his own Undertakings He may be sure of this or that Event if the Lord Promise it to him or Reveal it to be His Pleasure to give such Success to such Endeavours but he cannot be secured of it from or by any Sufficiency of his own He may as a wise man foresee say what in an ordinary course of Providence is rationally to be expected but cannot warrant the Success of his Undertakings or carv out what Event he pleases to himself His Prudence and Providence and Diligence and Sufficiency for Action cannot assure him of the Event or determin the Success on his side And there is that Demonstration of it that created Agents of the the greatest Sufficiency are sometimes disappointed Two Things I would say here 1. Agents of greatest Sufficiency are subject to Disappointment as well I do not say as much or as ordinarily and often but as well as Agents of less sufficiency The Ablest Men in any kind may miss of the Success they expect as well as weaker men That Men of great Sufficiency in this or that way may be defeated of their Ends and Hopes Solomon from his own Experience assures us in the Text and who is it that upon his own observation cannot set his Seal to what He asserts He gives five Instances 1. The Race is not to the Swift not profitable or successful to him always but sometimes pernicious destructive Many agood Runner runs Himself into mischief and Ruine Thus Asabel that is said to be as light of foot as a wild Roe ran after Abner so fast that he lost his Life in that overhasty pursuit 2 Sam. 2. 18-23 There are Times when men that are swift would run from danger and cannot they have neither power to run nor success in attempting it Ier. 46 6. Sometimes the Flight perisheth from the Swift and he that is swift of foot or that rideth the Horse though it be at full speed cannot deliver himself Amos 2. 14 15. It is not absolutely in the power of the swiftest man to escape danger or win the prize by Running 2. The Battel is not to the Strong There is in Bello Alea the Chance of Warre as they use to speak There is as it were a kind of Lottery a great Uncertainty in Warre Great Armies are sometimes defeated by small and inconsiderable Forces the great Host of Midian by Gideon's three hundred men the Garrison of the Philistines by Ionathan and his Armour-Bearer This hath been often observed in the World Sometimes strong and valiant Men are overthrown by those that are in strength farre inferiour to them great Goliah by little David Well might David say as Psal. 33. 16 17. There is no King saved by the multitude of an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength An Horse is a vain thing for safety neither shall he deliver any by his great strength There are Times when the mighty Ones are beaten down Jer. 46. 5. The mighty cannot deliver himself or the strong strengthen himself but the couragious among the mighty is put to flight Amos 2. 14 16. Sometimes the strong melt like water at approaching danger and the stouthearted are spoiled and sleep their sleep and the men of might cannot find their hands to make the least Defence or Resistance Psal. 76. 5. 3. Bread is not to the Wise. Wise men are not able to get their Livelihood but have much adoe to make a shift to get a bare Subsistence in the world and it may be are forc'd to beg for it or be beholding to the Charity of others There have been strange Instances of very wise and worthy Persons that have been reduced to such a Condition Some of you know the famous Story Date Obolum or as others have it Panem Belisario David was put to beg his Bread of Nabal 1. Sam. 25. Paul was often in Hunger and Thirst 2 Cor. 11. 27. 4. Riches are not to men of Vnderstanding Sometimes indeed wise men get Estates and gather Riches and one would think they should be best accomplish'd for it and yet it so falls out that some understanding Mâ—n cannot thrive in the World and grow rich notwithstanding all their Endeavours So it is that many men of great Understanding and rational Forecastings and Contrivances to gather wealth though they lay out their Parts and their Hearts this way and would be rich yet they cannot but are strangely defeated You read of the poor wise man Eccles. 9. 15. Many men of great Understandings are too wise and of too great Spirits to labour after wealth or if they do their designs are unsuccessful 5. Favour is not to men of Skill Many very wise and knowing skillfull men and experienced in Affairs and prudent also in their Deportment yet cannot get
him with the Beasts of the Field and teach you better Manners by some severe Correction Do not Sacrifice to your own Nets and burn Incense to your Drags as if by them your portion were fat and meat plenteous Hab. 1. 16. but ascribe all to God There is that deep Wickedness in the Hearts of Men that if they get any thing by any Fraud and crafty fetches and overreaching of their Brethren in a sinful way they will be too readie to attribute that to the Providence and Blessing of God and say it was God's Providence that cast it in upon them when they have been craftily and sinfully designing it and bringing it about but when they have gotten any thing honestly by their Wisdom and Prudence and Industrie they are too ready to forget Providence and ascribe all to themselves See the Evil of this and remember that no People in the World have greater cause of Thankfulness than we have to God who hath governed Time and Chance on our behalf marvellously O Bless Him for good Success not only when you cannot but acknowledge your own Insufficiency but also wheâ—â—ou have apprehensions of the greatest Sufficiency of Second Causes And Blessed for ever be the Lord who hath Pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants Psal. 35. 27. Secondly Acknowledge God also in all your Frustrations and Disappointments so as to resent his Disposals and Dispensations towards you in a gracious manner We have met with manie Disappointments in the lâ—te Warre and in other respects We should see God in all When He blasts our Corn defeats our Souldiers frowns upon our Merchants and we are disappointed now acknowledge the Hand of God Ordering Time and Chance according to his Good Pleasure Justifie God in all and bear such Frustrations patientlie When you have done your Dutie be quiet though the Event doth not answer your Endeavours and Hopes Take heed of quarrelling at GOD's Disappointments Do you know VVhom you have to do with I was dumb I opened not my mouth because Thou didst it Psal. â—9 9. If we look at faultie Instruments or at meer Chance onely we shall be apt to murmur It is the observation of One That the Reason why men are more apt to fly out into Cursings and Blasphemies for their bad Luck as they call it in those Vnlawful Games of Cards and Dice than in other Exercises that are governed by Art and Skill ariseth partly from the very nature of those Games because when they have tried their Lot or Chance over and over and their Expectation is deceived they think that that Power that governs the Lot or Chance is Adverse to them They cannot blame their own Art or Skill when no Art can infallibly determine the Event but curse their bad Fortune And if we look at Disappointments as our bad Fortune and Chance onely looking no further we shall be apt to fret and quarrel but if we do indeed see God ordering our Lot for us it may and ought to silence us When Magistrates have done their Duty according to the Law of God and of the Country and endeavoured faithfully to give check stop to the Inundation of Profaneness and Heresy and yet the bad Genius of the Times and degenerous Humour of the People and this or that Emergency happens that frustrates the Success of their Counsels and Endeavours truly they may sit down and mourn indeed but yet humbly submit to the All disposing Providence of God When Ministers have laboured faithfully and yet Israel is not gathered and their Labours seem to be in vain not successful in converting Sinners they may weep in secret indeed but yet patiently bear the Unsuccessfulnes of their Ministry from the Hand of God When Souldiers have shewed themselves valiant and faithful and done what they can and yet are worsted They must acknowledge God's Hand in it and that the Battel is the Lord's 1 Sam. 17. 47. who governeth the Warre and determins the Victory on what side He pleaseth All men have Briars and Thorns springing up in the way of their Callings as well as Husbandmen and meet with Difficulties and Crosses there in Get the Spirit David had 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. and so acknowledge God in every thing as to submit humbly to his Disposals even when they are Adverse and cross to your Desies and â—xpectations Thirdly Be always Prepared for Disappointments Do not promise your selves Success from the Sufficiency of Second Causes God may determine otherwise We should be forewarned and forearmed that we may not Xenìzesthai 1 Pet. 4. 12. strange at it when it comes to pass or be dejected and discouraged Events are not in the Creatures power The Lord sometimes disappoints men of greatest Sufficiency over-rules and controlls their Counsels and Endeavours and blasts them strangely Time and Chance happens to them If Adam had stood though he would not have had the Determination of Events Successes in his own hand yet God would have determined them for him according to his hearts-desire and he should never have been disappointed But since the Fall as no Man hath power to determine Events which is God's Prerogative so it is just with God that every man should meet with Crosses and Disappointments and this is the Fruit of the Curse under which all natural menly and as for the People of God though they are delivered from the Curse of the Law in the Formality of it so that nothing befalls them as a Curse how cross soever it be yet they are not yet absolutely delivered from the Matter of the Curse as appears by the Afflictions they meet with and Death it self And indeed it makes sometimes for the glory of God to disappoint Men of greatest Abilities When men do not see and own God but attribute Success to the Sufficiency of Instruments It 's time for God to maintain his own Right as Dr. Preston speaks and shew that He gives or denies Success according to His own good Pleasure God is much seen in Controlling the ablest Agents blasting their Enterprizes yea more many times than in backing them blessing their Endeavours in an ordinary Course of Providence Herein the Wisdom of God is much seen It is best sometimetimes it should be so with respect to God's Int'rest and Glory His Power also appears in giving Check to the Ablest Instruments and turning all their Designs another way than they Intended His Mercy also to his People is seen herein for it is best for them in some Cases to be defeated and disappointed His Iustice also appears herein in his correcting and punishing the Self-confident sinful Creature with unexpected Disappointments So that it is our Wisdom tolook for Changes and Chances some Occurrents and Emergencies that may blast our Undertakings that Faith and Prayer may be kept a going and lest if such Frustrations befall us unexpectedly we either fly out against God or faint and sink in Discouragements At the first going out of our Forces in the
the best Policy and Courage and Preparations for Warre But if this reading be somewhat forced yet sure it is that allthough Prayer to God must not exclude the use of other Means for how can a man pray in Faith that doth not also use all due Means in his power to get the Victorie and win the Day Therefore when you come to these Exercises beg military Skill of God and when called forth to real Service beg Success of Him So in other Cases Prayer is one of the best Expedients Our Saviour hath Instructed us to pray for our daily Bread Scholars should beg a Blessing on their Studies Bene Orâsse est bene Studuisse So for Favour acceptance among men beg so much as may put you into a better Capacity to do the work of your place and serve your Generation When Paul was to carry a liberal Contribution to the poor Saints at Ierusalem which was like enough to be very welcome He begs the Romans to strive together with him in Prayer that his Service might be accepted of the Saints Rom. 15. 30 31. Pray threefore in the Name of Christ for the good Success of all your lawful Undertakings Therein you will express your Dependence on God 5. Cast all the Care of Events Issues of your Affairs Vndertakings on the Lord. Use all the good Means in your Hand and then leave Events quietly with God on whom all the Issues of things depend Commit your way to the Lord and roll it off thy self upon Him Psal. 37. 5. Look to Him to direct thy paths to a good Issue Prov. 3. 6. When you have done your Duty in the use of Means to compass your lawful Designs and recommended all to God by Prayer then trouble your selves no further but Cast your burden upon the Lord Psal. 55. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Take that Counsel Phil. 4. 6. It is our work to take care our Dutie be done and the Lord's work to take the care of Events It was a brave Speech of that gallant Souldier though none of the best Men Ioab I mean when he had set his Men in battel aray and used all the Skill Policie he could Be of good Courage and let us play the Men for our People and for the Cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth Him good 2 Sam. 10. 12. We must not govern the World nor encroach upon God's Prerogative which is to dispose of Events by taking the care of them upon our selves Be poor and weak in your own Eyes and commit your selves Concernments to Him 6. When you have thus done then Believe stedfastly that the Lord will give you a goud Issue of your Vndertakings Though not that which you may desire yet that which is best for you When you have greatest Sense of your own Insufficiencie and the weakness of Means yet believe this and depend upon Him for it according to his Promise with whom it is all one to save by many or few weak or strong to Convert and edifie by weak or able Ministers to feed his Children and make them look fair and fat with Pulse and mean fare as well as with royal Dainties This Depending upon God excludeth Presumption on one hand Despair and Discouragement on the other And He that in the Sense of his own Insufficiencie trusts in the Power and Grace of God may say as Paul When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. Oh then Let us depend upon God with whom are the Issues of all Affairs Let our Honourable Rulers depend upon Him in the management of publick Affairs Let Ministers depend on God without whom they cannot Instruct the Ignorant enlighten the Dark convince the Obstinate awaken the secure Sinners convert and bring any Souls to Christ gather Israel edify and build up the Faithful in the knowledg faith of Gospel Mysteries and in the Graces and Consolations of the Spirit Let Merchants depend on God for prosperous Voyages and good Success in their Trade and Commerce Let Husbandmen depend upon God for their Bread Livelihood more than upon their own Labours and the Fruitfulness of the Ground God instructs the Husbandman Isai. 28. 26. and blesseth his Labours and can soon blast them as the experience of many Years hath sadly taught us Let Scholars depend upon God for Learning more than upon their Books or Tutors or Parts and Industrie or any other Advantages Let military Men learn to depend upon God The Lord is a Man of Warr. Exod. 15. 3. He gives military Skill and other Accomplishments and Successes also in their Services and hazardous Undertakings Let us all learn this Lesson to depend upon the Lord that orders out all Successes Events according to His Pleasure 3. Duely Acknowledge God in all Successes Events and in all Frustrations Disappointments First Acknowledge God in all good Successes and Events so as to be Thankful to Him for them Whatever your own Sufficiencie may be yet acknowledge God thankfully as if you had been wholly Insufficient for your Sufficiencie is of God and He could have disappointed notwithstanding The ground of our Unthankfulness for all good Issues and Events of Affairs and Undertakings is because we do not see the good Hand of God dispensing all to us We make too little of God and too much of our selves either by thinking we deserve better than God hath done for us Hence a proud Heart is never thankful to God or Man or by thinking we have done all or more than we have done toward the getting of this or that Mercy We put our selves too much in the place of God as if it were in our power to make our Endeavours Successful and to give a good Effect and Issue to them according to our Desire We get up into God's Throne and usurp upon his Prerogative and assume that which is pâ—â—â—liar to Him when we presume we can bring any thing to pass or do any thing successfully in our Own strength If we make our selves the only and absolute first Causes of our good Success no marvel we make our selves the last End also and deny God the glorie O do not ascribe good Success to your own Wit and Parts and Policy and Industrie and say my Nimbleness hath won the Race my Conduct and Courage hath won the Battel my Wisom hath gotten me this Bread my Understanding hath heaped up this Wealth my Dexteritie and Skill and Complaisance and agreeable Conversation hath procured me the Favour of Rulers or People my Parts or Study hath given me this Learning Say not with the Vapouring Assyrian By the Srength of My Hand I have done it and by My Wisdom for I am Prudent Isa. 10. 13. Let not this be so much as the secret Languge of your Hearts Say not as Nebuchadnezzar This is great Babylon which I have built and so derogate from God that works all in all lest He turn you a grazing as He did