that it is such a creature as by his rebellions hath reproached the Sovereignty of his maker but this is but one good which God obtaineth by those punishments 2. Again God by the punishment of sinners though he obtaineth not their amendment and reformation obtaineth yet another more Vniversal good and that two ways 1. In the reformation and preventing at least the wickedness of others 2. In the upholding of the government and discipline of the world This is one end of punishment by mens Laws therefore are some malefactors hang'd up in chains by the way-side that all who pass by may take notice and be afraid of committing such wickedness God by punishing and troubling sinners strikes a terror into the hearts of others that if he pleaseth not to sanctifie their affliction to their salvation yet by it much sin is hindred in the world from whence his name had been dishonoured Yea and Lastly Government and discipline is in some measure kept in the world and Gods authority is upheld These ends now God obtaineth in the punishment of the vilest and worst of men though it may be they instead of being reformed and amended do but blaspheme because of their plagues yet others seeing them are afraid and take heed of such courses O! what a place of murthers and frauds and beastly lusts and all sorts of disorders would the sordid passions of men make the world were it not for the troubles and afflictions with which God followeth some sinners for though some are to be corrected and restrained by nothing yet doubtless multitudes of people are at least restrained by the exemplary vengeance which they see God taking upon some sinners either immediately by his own hand or by the hands of magistrates who do not bear the Sword in vain but are a terror unto evil doers Now let us but consider the great God as willing his own glory and that in every attribute that of justice as well as that of mercy or consider God as the great and mighty soveraign of the world whose interest it is to keep up his authority amongst men and an aw and reverence of those rules which he hath pleased to prescribe for the regulation of mens lives Or as he is a most pure and holy God offended and injured by the sins of men whose concern it is to restrain the exorbitancies of creatures or finally as an only wise and prudent governor to whom it belongeth so to carry himself observing rules of justice still towards individuals as may best conduce to the peace good and tranquillity of the whole I say which way soever an intelligent person doth consider God it appears but an exceeding reasonable motion of Providence that he should plague and chastise some sinners though he knows they will get no good but instead of being amended will be made worse like Ahaz Vse 1. Let us observe from hence in the first place how just and reasonable the ways of Divine Providence are O house of Israel saith God are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal The reason of our quarrellings at the motions of Divine Providence is our weighing them with false weights and a deceitful ballance or our superficial and perfunctory consideration of them The truth is we do ordinarily accuse God as inequal in those things wherein he acteth after the manner of men whose equity yet we never question we will allow the Potter to have power over the clay and to make this piece of clay a vessel of dishonour and that a vessel of honour yet we will not allow the Lord of the whole earth the Potter to the whole world of men who are but so many pieces of clay in his hand to do the like we will allow a soveraign Prince a power to kill and to save alive whom he pleaseth but we will not allow that Princes maker to have the same jus absolutum the same soveraign power though it be granted that he never executeth it but upon the demerits of his creature we can allow an earthly Prince a power to punish Wives for the errors of their Husbands and to disinherit Children for the treasons of their Parents but we think it much to allow a power to God justly to punish relations for the sins of their correlates We can understand the justice and reasonableness of men in punishing some malefactors with such punishments as leave no room for repentance and amendment but must call Gods justice holiness and goodness in question if he doth but the same thing we do every day But O you sons of men are not the Lords ways equal Let us learn under tremendous dispensations of vindicative justice to lay our hands upon our mouths to acknowledg and confess the Lords righteousness and instead of disputing the issues of Divine Justice to adore them and fulfil the Lords ends in them Vse 2. This in the second place may shew us one cause of rejoycing in the executions of Divine Justice upon mischievous and incorrigible sinners The truth is it speaketh both an ill temper and worse Christianity to rejoyce meerly in the evils that befall the worst of men Charity wisheth well unto all and obligeth men to mourn with those that mourn But upon other accounts the cutting off of sinners is matter of joy Psal 58.10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance and he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Gods coming with vengeance is made the matter of a promise Psal 35.4 It hath been made the matter of Gods peoples prayer Jer. 11.20 But O Lord of hosts that judgest righteously that triest the reins and the heart let me see thy vengeance on them for unto thee have I revealed my cause so Jer. 20.12 And certainly it is also matter of praise and thanksgiving and that upon more accounts than one 1. As God by it gaineth the glory of his justice and gets himself honour Gods glorifying of himself and making his name great is what the people of God ought continually to rejoyce in We see sometimes persons and parties in the world opening their mouths against Heaven and bidding a bold defiance to the God that reigneth there and daring Divine Justice a long time we cannot but stand and tremble at it The patient God at last taketh these wretches so doing and cuts them off in the midst of their bold defiances They have it may be some years as complements of their discourse challenged God to damn them and the Devil to take them God at length falleth upon them teareth them in pieces makes them to know there is a God in Heaven that judgeth the earth Now when the righteous man seeth this vengeance he hath reason to rejoyce that God hath made known himself vindicated his glory c. It is matter of trouble to them to see any go down into the pit but it is matter of rejoycing that by this they are made to know that there is a God 2.
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
the beginning with God but he is no-where call'd the word of God I chuse therefore rather to interpret it of that word of Power and Command which Moses Gen. 1. telleth us God used in the making of the world and the fitting and joynting of it together He said Let there be light and there was light c. Thus the Worlds were made by the Word of God so as the term is both exclusive of any other instrumental cause in the Creation of the world and expressive of the true instrumentally efficient cause which was the mighty powerful commanding virtue of the Word of God And this is enough for the explication of this term But Quest 3. What is the meaning of this that the things which are seen are not made of those things which do appear The Vulgar Latin Version reads Vt ex invisibilibus visibilia fierent that visible things should be made of those which are invisible by a transposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our Copies are otherwise If by the invisible things be meant those invisible things of God the Apostle speaks of Rom. 1.20 His eternal power and godhead So it is true and the sense much the same with what went before but else it is as Beza saith Perperam immo false Some would make the sense of the words this That the world was not made of those things which now do appear to us and are the objects of our senses but of invisible principles and elements which are not now the objects of our senses Others thus That it was made according to an invisible Platform and Idea which was Plato's notion Others say That by invisible things or things which do not appear is to be meant nothing that must be an invisible thing and the world was not made of any pre-existent matter but it was created that is produced out of a meer and total not being into a being Which sense if we allow the Apostle by it as to the Creation of the world asserteth the Truth of God against the Heathen Philosophers who could not by reason comprehend how something especially such a something as the world is should come out of nothing and therefore grew very vain in their imaginations about the pre-existing matter of which the world should be made Estius and Calvin also take notice of a much differing sense as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it were to be read thus We by faith understand that the worlds were made by the Word of God that they might be the looking-glasses of those things which do not appear The thing indeed is true for the Apostle telleth us Rom. 1.20 That the invisible things of God are known by the things that are made But I cannot agree it the sense of this Text not only for that which Beza noteth that it is a very harsh interpretation to interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because as Pareus observeth it seemeth not to be any thing of the Apostle's design to express the end here why the World 's were made by God I do therefore take the Text to be a Divine assertion of the Creation of the World against the vain imaginations of the Heathens who either dream't that it was eternal or made of a casual concourse of Atoms or from some Idea's It was saith the Apostle made of nothing by the Word of God of nothing that doth appear And so I have done with the first Member of the Proposition That the worlds were framed by the Word of God the things which are seen were not made of those things which do appear I proceed to the second Mem. 2. That we understand this by faith Here I shall speak to two things 1. What is here meant by faith 2. How do we by faith understand this Faith in Scripture sometimes signifieth the object of faith the Word of God Thus Gal. 1.23 He which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which he once destroyed Thus you read of the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 Received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith that is of the Word of God particularly the Gospel sometimes it signifieth the act of faith which as it respecteth the Proposition of the word for its object is a firm and steady assent the agreement of the mind to the truth of the Proposition as it respecteth the person of the Mediator is a resting relying and recumbency upon him which is what we call the justifying act of faith you may understand the term Faith in either sense By the word of faith revealing it and by our souls acting faith in agreeing and assenting to the truth of that word we understand that the world heaven and earth was at first brought into being fitted and joynted together by the powerful Word of God commanding the production of all those Beings which are in the world and that beauty and order in which we see them placed But secondly How doth the Apostle say we understand it by faith May not this be understood by Reason if it may what need Faith in the case or why or how doth the Apostle say by faith we understand this Wherein doth Faith give us a further knowledg of this than Reason hath given the Philosopher To which I answer Undoubtedly reason hath gone a great way and may go a great way to make men understand that the world was made by God That the world was eternal was indeed the opinion of a great Pagan Philosopher but his master Plato was of another mind and he is said to have learned it from Hesiod and the most and wisest amongst the Heathens acknowledged that the world was at first by a Divine power produced out of a not-being into a being Nor indeed would their Reason allow them to judg otherwise the infinite motions the measures of things in the world their order and succession their alterations and corruptions duly considered forbiddeth reasonable souls with any consistency to themselves to affirm the world to have had an eternal existence All motions must be in time and have had a being all successions and corruptions of things plainly speak that they had a beginning if we had no assistance in the proof of it from the word of faith 2. The same Reason will agree that it gave not a first being to it self nothing is the efficient cause of it self experience tells us that it is not in the power of a man to make the least hair of his head white or black much less to make an hair Man is the noblest sublunary Creature but cannot make the meanest vegetable all that his art can do is but to counterfeit and dissemble nature if it be but as to a spire of grass or to the meanest flower of the field Now if it were not eternal if it did
a credit to his word if his faith be weak and languid the exemplifying of the thing revealed in the Word of God by the issues of Providence tendeth much to the confirmation of the souls faith and assent and therefore it is laid to the charge of the Israelites as a great aggravation of their sins That they believed not for all his wondrous works And this was the great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees and the Jews that lived in the time when our Saviour was upon the Earth that although the Providence of God had declared Christ to be the Son of God by his doing such works as no man ever did and by such evident signs and tokens as never before were declared as to any man yet they believed him not to be the Son of God 2. As Faith is one great principle of all our spiritual actions so Fear is another Now the observing of Divine Providences much conduceth to this It is particularly remark't by the Holy Ghost upon the sudden death of Ananias and Saphira That a great fear came upon all the Church and upon as many as heard of those things And in the Law of Moses you shall find God commanding exemplary Justice to be done upon some remarkable offenders for this very end That all Israel might hear and fear It is particularly said Jonah 1.16 When Jonah had told them the cause of the storm and they had thrown him over-board Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifices and made vows Severe Providences without the word make men startle and put them into a passion of fear but when they follow a word of threatning and they do but see God doing what in his word he hath said he will do this must needs have a great power and influence upon the heart especially upon the hearts of such as before had an habit of Divine Fear wrought in them though it were smothered with the ashes of too much carnal security 3. Love to God is a third principle of spiritual action an habit wrought in the soul of every Child of God but not at all times so lively and quick and working as it ought to be Now the observation of Gods good and gracious Providences serves hugely to excite it and to blow up the Coals of it in the soul Psal 37.23 O love you the Lord all his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer But this will be further enlarged upon in my discourse upon the second branch of the Proposition which I now come to discourse upon Mem. 2. Whoso observeth the Providences of God he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I take the word understand here to signifie three things 1. Knowledg 2. A more clear and distinct knowledg 3. A more demonstrative and experimental knowledg 1. He shall know the loving-kindness of the Lord understand it with reference to the Church and People of God for Gods Providence is like the Cloud which conducted the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red-sea it hath a light-side which hath an aspect upon Gods Israel and it hath a black and dark-side towards his enemies Now he who observeth Divine Providence will know this That all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to those that fear God Psal 25.10 A slight and transient view of Divine Providence will not bring a man to the knowledg of this but a wist view and observation of Divine Providence in the course and series of it will do it The word of God speaketh much of the Love and Favour of God to his People Providence to the strict and constant observer of it will confirm all these words God himself speaking after the manner of men to Abraham speaks as if he had not known his love and obedience to him till he had made an experiment of it and saw that he would not have withheld from him his Son even his only Son We know nothing of the loving-kindness of God before we see it experimented and brought into demonstration in comparison with what we know upon such an evidence and this we gain by our considerate observation of the motions of Divine Providence 2. He who observeth the motions of Providence shall have a more distinct knowledg of the loving-kindness of God He shall not only know that God is good to Israel and to all that are of a clean heart but he shall also see something of the Methods of God in the exercise of his loving-kindness When we speak of the Love and Favour of God to his People we are prone to understand by it nothing but pleasing Providences grateful to our senses now the loving-kindness of God is not only seen in pleasing dispensations but in adverse Providences also Whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth All things are yours saith the Apostle This knowledg must be gained by observation Sense looks upon cross dispensations of Providence and it may be Reason judging of them from present appearances and effects cryeth out All these things are against me Here is nothing of promised loving-kindness in all this Is his mercy clean gone doth his promise fail for evermore But whoso observeth Divine Providence will in these things also understand the loving-kindness of the Lord and know that it is the method of Divine Providence to deal out the loving-kindness of God to the Souls of his People through crosses and tryals and afflictions in a way which at present they do not understand and know but shall know hereafter No affliction saith the Apostle is joyous at present but grievous but it bringeth forth afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 3. Vnderstanding thirdly may signifie experience and indeed there is no such understanding as experience gives Every Child of God that observeth Divine Providence shall find it let the wind of it blow which way it will giving him an experiment and demonstration of the Love of God to his Soul But thus much shall serve to have spoken to the Explication of this Proposition in both branches I come to the proof of it to shew you how it appeareth That he who observeth the motions of Divine Providence and he alone shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. It will appear to you if you but consider 1. That however things go in the course of Providence yet it is most certain that they are mercy and truth to them who fear God For this we have a certain word Psalm 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies And again Psalm 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel In my former Discourse I shewed you three Objects of special Providence 1. Rational creatures are a more special object of Providence than either inanimate or brute creatures 2. Amongst rational Creatures those men and women in the World which make
he that sheweth no mercy when he comes to need it shall have judgment without mercy for his portion Take heed of persecuting good people for their conscience-sake towards God it may be you may take the advantage of a furious time and plunder them a little or get them imprisoned or oppressed directly contrary to what is law and justice or directly contrary to the highest law which is the Law of God but if you do it is ten to one but as your hands sent many to bed without bread for themselves and their children to eat to sleep without a bed to lye upon to work without a tool to work with so God will find hands shall requite it into your bosom Or if you should contribute to make the wives of your brethren widows and their children fatherless and vagabonds in a good sense to seek bread out of desolate places God ere long will stand over your houses and say Let these mens children be fatherless and their wives widows let their children be continual vagabonds in the earth and beg and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places Let the extortioners catch all they have and let the strangers spoil their labour let there be none to extend mercy unto them neither let there be any to favour their fatherless children Let the iniquity of their fathers be remembred with the Lord. It was the curse Psal 109.9 And for what cause they were adversaries without a cause to David while he gave himself unto prayer ver 4. They rewarded him evil for good and hatred for his love Oh! my heart akes to think what judgments many in these days have laid up for themselves and their wives and children they have shewed no mercy they or some of theirs will find judgment without mercy God hateth cruelty and the sons of violence his foul abhorreth Vse 2. This observation calleth aloud to you for the exercises of charity and mercy They are virtues or graces the exercises of which God will not only certainly reward but he maketh haste to their reward he ordinarily lets not their reward sleep As it is said of some sinners Their damnation sleepeth not so as to some exercise of grace and vertue it is such a sweet savour in the nostrils of God that their recompence shall not sleep till the resurrection Let me not hear a mouth opened amongst my brethren nor see a purse-string tyed against an act of charity and mercy it grateth upon my ears Sirs give me leave to tell you that God never came more on borrowing than he doth in this age Troops of Robbers have robbed God they have robbed his Servants and God accounteth what is done to them as done to himself Anon it may be before these are gone another comes and tells you that such a Town is burnt down to the ground many hundred Families undone God sends to you for some help for them Anon another comes to tell you God hath sent to borrow a little of you for such a poor servant of his who hath not spent his estate in Luxury but God hath blasted him Possibly God sends another to you to lend him a little for another that is under the Physitians hand or under the Surgeons hand and hath spent all his or her estate O lend it He that gives to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay Say not as many of you do when such come to borrow of you as you have no mind to lend any too Truly I have no money I can spare from my necessary occasions When the truth is thou hast no money thou art willing to lend such a person God sends on borrowing to thee He that hath given thee all that thou hast hath sent to thee to lend him a few shillings a few pence he hath sent us his Ministers upon his errand or some poor servant of his but he hath sent us with a ticket under his hand which thou knowest thou ownest his written word his holy Scriptures Say not thou hast no money if it be true indeed it is a good excuse or none that thou canst spare from thy necessary occasions if that be true too it is a good excuse but take heed it be true remember the case of Ananias and Saphira What mean the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen What mean thy garments of silk thy costly laces thy feasting thy faring deliciously every day I do not blame these things where there are estates to bear them out soft rayment may be worn in Princes houses but then say not thou hast no money no money for to buy a cap to keep thy brother from the cold and yet money to buy a costly periwig no money to help thy brother to buy so much bread as to keep him from starving and yet hast thou money to furnish thy table with varieties and dainties hast thou no money to help a poor Christian to buy cloathes to cover his nakedness and yet hast thou money to lavish out to cloath thy self and family with silks and fine linnen hast thou no money to lend to thy Lord to relieve one of his prisoners to buy them a bed to lye on to recover them a seat to sit down upon and yet canst thou find enough to buy thy self a cupboard of plate or the most costly houshold-stuff O take heed that God judgeth not that thou hast no heart thou canst not trust that God thou so much talkest of and art no more than a prating Christian But my brethren remember that acts of mercy and charity are such as God ordinarily retaliateth in this life it is seldom that God putteth men to trust him to another world for rewards in these things It is a time to speak and I must speak in this case It is reported of holy Mr. Bradford that in an hard time he sold his Chains Rings and Jewels to relieve those in want It is reported of Basil that in a famine once he sold all the lands and goods he had to relieve the poor I shall add no more but conclude my discourse as that of our Saviour He that hath ears to hear let him hear He that believeth what he hath heard this day and searching the Scripture finds it true let him be up and doing accordingly But if any man believeth not the word of God nor us his servants but hath a mind to make an experiment whether Solomon had any warrant from God to tell the world That he that stoppeth his ear to the cry of the poor he also shall cry and not be heard Let him at his peril try whether Solomon or he was the wiser man I know I have spoke to many obedient ears if there be any other I so far my self am assured of what I have said That in these things Let them do what they please I and my house shall desire both to obey and fear the Lord. SERMON XXIV Psalm CVII 43. Whoso is wise and
more reasonable more excellent What we know then of God must needs be from Reason or Revelation Reason brings us in knowledg by raising Conclusions from Principles These Principles are of two sorts Philosophical or Scriptural I call those Philosophical Principles which reason as it now resideth in us justifieth and which without the help of the Word of God are allowed by all or the most of men especially if cultivated by any ingenuous education being either common natural principles or such as are established by studies upon deliberate thoughts with the help of sense and improvement of discourse and ratiocination Thus Reason will tell us that there is a God but one God That he must be the first being the first cause more excellent in the perfections of his being than any creature and an hundred things of a like evidence Or else it concludeth from revealed Principles having first a sufficient evidence That the holy Scriptures are the word of God who cannot speak falsly These Principles now are such propositions as without the surer word of Prophesie we could never have had any just evidence of Such now are the Doctrines of the Trinity The Incarnation of Christ The Personal union of the Divine and Humane Nature in him and many others In the discovery and justification of such Conclusions as Reason gathereth from the first sort of Principles lyeth the work of a Philosopher as a Philosopher In the discovery and proof of such Propositions as are partly evidenced from Reason but more fully from Scripture lies the work of a Christian Philosopher In the discovery proving and applying of such Propositions as have their Evidence partly from Reason and more fully from holy Writ or as cannot be at all concluded unless building upon Scriptural foundations but are founded in Scripture and may be illustrated imperfectly from reason and shewed not to be improbable nor unreasonable lyes the work of the Minister of the Gospel who is to convey the knowledg of God to his people And the true reason why some even of these silver Trumpets which belong to the Sanctuary give an incertain sound is because neither the Principles of natural Reason nor Revelation appear to all men in the same light We say The best Philosopher is not as yet born Our age tells us how generally Principles of Philosophy are exploded and it may be some of them justly too which we when we were boys thought to lye very near Demonstration and doubtless in the next age something now admitted will be judged as faulty It hath pleased God to subject our understandings to this vanity Now we having no way unless God would from Heaven speak to us to know any proposition of Truth but from the exercise of our Reason concluding either from Principles purely natural or from Propositions of Revelation in Scripture every one naturally judging himself obliged to believe according to the evidence he hath from his understanding there must and will be different apprehensions until which will never be men have all either the same degrees of Natural Reason or Scriptural knowledg which will be advantaged if there be any who think that all Propositions are to be weighed by the ballance of Natural Reason and that the holy Scripture as to the sense of it must come into that scale and make but in-weight giving only an auxiliary help to the Evidence of the most sublime Propositions of truth Nor is there any help for this The Church of Rome which your Ladiship knows pretends to wondrous Miracles hath indeed devised a palliating cure for this setting up an Infallible cheat to judg of all Controversies and by fire and faggots and all barbarous cruelties and inhumanities forcing men to acquiesce in the Decisions of that ridiculous Judg. But in the mean time mens Consciences apprehend themselves before one who is no Judg in the ease and the sore festreth and rotteth to the bone for the Pope can make none to alter his mind And a little reason might tell the Quacks of that Colledg that if it be not in the power of a man to believe what he hath a mind to believe it is much less in the power of a foreign power to compell him to it The Protestant cure is certainly more humane and reasonable yea and more Apostolical too They set forth sums of sound Doctrine to which they only annex that of the Apostle Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if any in any thing be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Only Protestants require as the same Apostle directs Rom. 14. That if any hath a particular faith different from that of the Church wherein he liveth he should have it to himself before God Thus the Knowledg of God is acquired from his word reading it being Catechised out of it hearing it opened and preached by the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual by the use of reason and discourse in the Velitation of Questions arising from the seeming contradictions in Holy Writ c. But there is also another mean of Divine Knowledg that is by his exterior works by which much of the Knowledg of God is gained improved and encreased These works are either of Creation or of Providence Creation was the work of the first six days from which God hath ceased long since but the things created remain and much of the Knowledg of God is to be gained from thence by the help of sense which sheweth us the things and reason which helpeth us to conclude that there being so many noble effects there must be a first and more noble cause there being so many excellent Beings there must be a first and most perfect and excellent Being Nothing created could give an Existence to it self Hence the Apostle telleth us That the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen from the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 So that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God For the Book of Scriptures we blessed be God! have it in our Vernacular Tongue we have means to teach us to read we have Catechisms and Confessions of Faith containing the Epitome and substance of them we have the various labours of holy and learned men to make us to understand them scarce any thing seemeth to be wanting to this age for the gaining of this excellent knowledg by this mean but persons giving themselves up to Reading Hearing Meditation Christian Conferences and Prayer For the Book of Creation methinks it is like a great Bible in some Religious Gentlemans Hall that lyes always open we cannot move a step in the world nor lift up an eye to Heaven but our eye is upon one page or another of it If men will not read the Wisdom of God in the sagacity and wisdom of some Creatures nor the power and greatness of God in the
produced to demonstrate to the world and that we cannot see this before is our weakness and imperfection The malice of men in the persecutions of Gods People looketh upon us with an horrid aspect these indeed God doth not effect but he hath willed they should be and hath told us they must come yea and he worketh too permitting others to bring them about and suffering them in the execution of their malice whom he could easily hinder but when these things are over we often see both infinite wisdom and goodness too in them How should the salvation of Sinners have been purchased if God had not permitted Judas to have betrayed his Master Pilate to have condemned him and the Jews to have nailed him to the Cross had it not been for the persecution of the Jews how should the Gospel have gone to the Gentiles But yet for a close of this discourse and that we may not mistake our Duty we ought not to be so far satisfied upon the Contemplation of this great truth but that 1. We must be piously affected with the sad Providences which God measureth out to his Church and People What saith the Psalmist If I forget thee O Hierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning The sad rebukes of Gods Providence ought by us to be laid to heart Though persecutions and other punishments be contrivances of infinite wisdom and products of certain and infinite love yet to the present sufferers they may be punishments of sin and marks of Divine displeasure and therefore ought not to pass over our heads without our taking some notice of them and the causing of some sad thoughts within us the crucifying of Christ was the product of infinite wisdom and goodness to the People of God but yet a just cause of sadness to the Disciples of Christ We must take things as they appear to us being not able to see to the end and bottom of Gods designs That they shall at last issue in the Glory of God and the good of his People is indeed matter of faith and will be matter of joy to us when we see it but in the mean time it is matter of sadness to us to see Gods Vineyard rooted up his People eaten up like bread and wicked men suffered to devour those that are more righteous than themselves 2. Again We have reason to be afflicted both for our own sins and the sins of others Although it be as to the event true that both our own and others sins shall issue in Gods Glory yet it is as true that God hath no need either of ours or any others lyes for his Glory and that God is both by our sins and the sins of others actually dishonoured That they are made to issue in Gods Glory is the product of Gods Wisdom not our oblique and irregular action or intention and therefore they ought to be causes of sad reflexion to us But thus far we may satisfie our selves 1. That as I said before the event was necessary and nothing that hath come to pass could with our utmost care and diligence have been otherwise than it is We may talk after the manner of men and reason after the measures of humane probabilities If such a thing had not been another had not followed but there is nothing issued in time but was ordered from all eternity 2. We ought again in this to be satisfied That of whatsoever the Lord hath promised nothing shall fail We are full of unbelief and when we see Gods Providence working as we judg directly contrary to what he hath promised we are presently giving up all for gone and lost but if every thing be wrought according to the Counsel of the Divine Will and the Holy Scriptures be such part of this will as he hath pleased to reveal to us God knoweth both what he hath said and how he hath laid things in his eternal thoughts and sooner shall Heaven and Earth pass away than any word he hath spoke Prov. 19.21 Isa 40.8 The counsel of the Lord shall stand and the word of our God shall stand for ever 3. And lastly As I have before told you we may be thus far satisfied That whatsoever doth or ever shall come to pass in the world shall serve Gods great ends because it is ordered by the Counsel of the infinitely wise God and therefore must necessarily serve his designs In the end of the world we shall say God could not have had so much Glory but for such a persecution such a disorder Surely the wrath of man shall praise him SERMON II. Heb. XI 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear THE last time I shewed you That God hath from eternity setled all events by an eternal purpose according to the Counsel of his Will nothing cometh to pass in time but what was determined before time I told you my design was to discourse concerning Gods Acts of Providence which are acts in time and particularly to discourse some things relating to actual Providence which do not fall into ordinary discourse and often give occasion of trouble to the spirits of Christians but in order to that I thought it reasonable First to discourse a little of Gods Settlement of all futurities things which were to be fulfilled in their season by an act of his eternal Counsel Nor can I yet come fairly at my intended subject without speaking to Gods first Act in time that was Creation concerning which we must suppose a Decree of God according to that known Rule in Divinity Decretum Dei ejus executio exquisitissime conveniunt nihil est in Dei opere quod non fuit in decreto nihil fuit in decreto quod non sequitur in opere That is the Decree of God and the execution of that Decree most exquisitely agree God worketh nothing but what he first decreed and he decreed nothing but hath had or shall have its issue in his working and when we say God doth any thing we by it do understand no more than a new effect of his eternal Will According therefore to the Counsel of his Will God first made of nothing the world and all that is therein And indeed according to some notion of Providence amongst Divines this is a part of it Now for a foundation of a short Discourse upon this subject I have chosen this Text. The Apostle subjoyneth the words of my Text to a description of Faith which he had given vers 1. Where he had told us That faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen In the second verse he had told us That by this the Elders had obtained a good report Here he saith By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God c. In the Text you have 1. A Divine assertion The worlds were framed by
man who hath by the Law of Creation a Dominion and Rule over all must cry out Who is like unto thee O Lord who is like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises working wonders We may from hence observe the vanity of those Philosophers of this world who would either make the world Vse 3 as fitted and joynted together to be eternal and without a beginning or at least some Chaos or heap of confused matter to have been so as also of those who as to the Creation of the world will have God at first to have made such a confused Chaos or Mass and then out of that to have made all things The Potter indeed must have such an heap of Clay before he can make his Pots of several sizes and fashions but if he were to create this Clay certainly he would go the furthest way about for by the same power that he must first have to give being to his Clay he might make his several sorts and sizes of Vessels and save himself that double labour I conclude by Faith we understand that the worlds were made by the Power or by the Word of God His Power was the efficient cause of it his Goodness the final cause of its Creation his Wisdom the exemplary cause 4. Vse 4 We may from hence learn the usefulness necessity and excellency of faith Faith taken for the object of it Faith taken for the habit and act of it The Word of God the habit of Faith the exercise of it they are all useful We have great magnifyings of Reason and indeed Reason is a noble faculty it is that to the soul which the eye is to the body which light is to the eye but Faith is not useless because Reason is useful yea Reason must ride but in the second Chariot Reason would have taught us little of Spirits indeed we by Faith know little of them but we know so much as God will please to reveal we had known much less if left only to what conclusions we could have raised from natural principles Reason would have taught us nothing in particular how and in what order or in what time the world was made Nay 2ly There is not an use of Faith only but a necessity of it The Creation of the world is an object of our Faith and to be received upon the credit of the Word of God we must so assent to it as by our assent to give an homage to Gods Authority in revealing it this we cannot do but by Faith Finally from this discourse appeareth the Excellency of Faith it maketh us to understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God it puts our mind beyond doubts and endless disputes and incertain fluctuations it leaveth us not to the endless inquiries of Philosophy how these things could be c. Lastly Vse 5 Learn hence how every inanimate and brute creature praiseth God and how infinitely all rational creatures are obliged to the service and obedience of God 1. How every inanimate and brute creature praiseth God The heavens saith the Psalmist declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night declareth knowledg there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard their line is gone out to the end of the earth and their words to the end of the world In them hath he set a tabernacle for the Sun c. Psal 19.1 2 3 4. There is no Creature but giveth a mute praise to God they shew the Lords Glory and praise him as the picture finely drawn doth praise the Limner or the building praiseth the Mason or Carpenter as any great effect praiseth its efficient cause And this is a thing we ought to attend and observe in our Contemplation and use of the Creatures we should view God in them see how God is glorified in their brave and useful structure and composition Oh how sweet a Contemplation would this be if we could view the Glory Power Wisdom infinite Goodness of the Creator in them all But secondly How particularly is man concerned to praise love and serve God the Creator of Heaven and Earth to man he hath alone given Reason to make conclusions to man hath he given the word of Faith for man he hath made all these things and given him a Dominion over the work of his hands Now who planteth a vineyard saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.7 and eateth not of the fruit thereof The world is a great Vineyard God hath planted it he hath let it out to the Sons of men as his husband-men Should he not eat of the fruit thereof The inanimate Creatures they declare the glory of God the Heavens declare his Glory the Earth sheweth his handy-work the Sun the Moon the Stars carry the high Praises and Glory of God to the utmost ends of the Earth Do not you that are Fathers think your Sons obliged to serve and to honour you Yet you were but partial causes of their being God did much more than you to their production Doth not the Master think his servant is obliged to serve and to honour him because he hath made him he hath raised him up to some capacity of living in the world to some dignity The Potter thinketh that he may command the Pots which he hath made and shall not man be the servant of the most high God who made him and who made the world for him 1. In Reason he ought to be so he oweth his being his well-being all that he hath all the accommodations of his life unto God 2. God expecteth it from him Nulla necessitate coactus saith Holy Augustine nulla sua cujusdam utilitatis indigentia permotus sed sola bonitate ac liberrima voluntate fecit Deus quicquid fecit God was not compelled to make the world he needed it not he made it meerly of his own goodness and for the use of man Can any one think that God doth not expect homage and service from man And from hence three things must follow 1. That the presumptuous sinner must necessarily be the most unnatural creature he serveth not the end of his Creation The grass was made for the food of the beast that serveth its end it grows is cut down c. The beasts serve their end they were made for the use of man for his food his covering they dye daily are clipped shorn flea'd and all for man only the sinner serveth not his end He was made for the Honour and Glory of God he doth nothing less yea his whole life is a dishonouring God an abusing of his holy name and things 2. That this sinner is the most ingrateful creature in the world he acts from his will and choice with the use of Reason Now doing so considering that not only he is born in the Lords house and is his Creation but all the Creatures upon which he lives by the use of which his life
digest it c. and to uphold the just proportions of creatures in the World by preserving and upholding in them that faculty by which they dilate themselves grow and increase to the law of Magnitude which the great Creator hath set for them yet if they had not all a several power to propagate their species or kind the World or at least the living creatures in the World would quickly cease the days of mans life are three or fourscore years the days of most other creatures much less God hath therefore created all living things with a power to propagate their species some one way some another of all he hath he saith in the day they were created Let them increase and multiply and hath created several powers and vertues in them by which as all species so most individuals doth so To some individuals of most kind he denieth this or at least concurreth not by his Providence to the effects of it Some Men and Women are barren so are some beasts generally not so and this is another act of Divine Providence by which he preserveth both man and beast and eminently attributed to God The Rabbies tell us of three Keys which God keepeth the Key of the Clouds of the Womb of the Grave None can give Rain but God none can open the Graves but God none can open the Womb but God Psalm 113.9 He maketh the barren womb to keep house Psalm 127.3 Children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward It is as true of other creatures as of man He turneth a fruitful land into barrenness Psalm 107.34 It was Gods Promise Exod. 23.26 There shall nothing cast her young nor be barren in thy land Deut. 7.14 There shall neither male nor female be barren amongst you nor amongst your cattel The flocks of the field and of the air the herds of Cattel the multitudes of Fish in the waters the numberless Families of the Earth they are all preserved by the daily concurrence of Divine Providence in the upholding of that natural power and vertue with which he hath created them by which they propagate their species by the propagation of which and the multiplication and the succession of individuals in it Man and beast the whole living World is preserved 4. There is yet a fourth sort of Powers and Faculties which I called those faculties abilities or powers which are necessary to every living being for the performance of its several operations according to the specifick nature of it God also preserveth man and beast by upholding and preserving these to their several operations The Herb hath only a vegetative soul by vertue of which it grows buds blossoms produceth its seed c. The beasts have a sensitive soul which works a little further Man hath a reasonable soul comprehensive of all the powers and vertues of the former and extending further he seeth heareth perceiveth things by his outward and inward senses By his Understanding he gains the notion of things judgeth of them he willeth and chuseth by his will c. Now his power to all these and other operations proper to his nature must be preserved and upheld or he can do none of these things These powers are not indeed all necessary to our being and the keeping of our souls in life but the upholding of them is necessary to our perfection and the actions that are proper to the stations wherein we are and the capacities in which we stand God hath not only created in the Soul a power to see hear tast c. and created the Eye to be the Organ to the visive Faculty and the Ear to be the Organ to the hearing faculty and the pallat to be the Organ for the faculty of discerning tasts but he concurreth with his Providence both to uphold the faculty in the soul and to keep the several Organs in tune and order that by and through them as means those faculties might be exercised and as the upholding both the faculties and Organs or instruments the bodily members by which they are exercised in their due state is the cause why we hear see tast c. so Gods withholding that concurrence as to some individual persons is the reason why some are deaf blind c. For though there be second causes of these infirmities decays and weaknesses in humane bodies yet all these are under the governance of the first cause either set on work by God or permitted in their motions by God and this is as true also of the Locomotive faculty the power in man or beasts to move from one place to another for their food and dispatch of business for though it be the Soul that moveth yet it is by vertue of a power which God created in it to command the motion of the feet for the moving of the whole body and man moveth no longer than this inward power or faculty is upheld by God and his feet which are the Organs or instruments of motion are kept in order free from dislocation or ruptures of joints or bones or the incumbrances of troublesome humours the keeping of which freedom dependeth upon the influence of the Divine Power and thus requiritur continuus tam verbi conservatricis quam creatricis influxus to preserve man and beast there is required as well a continual influence of the upholding-word as the influence of the creating-word to give both man and beast a first being So as Raymundus de Sabunde saith truly Ut radiorum esse a Sole umbra a corpore ita omnes creaturae a divinâ pendent conservatione All creatures depend upon the Divine Power for their preservation as the beams of the Sun for their being depend upon the Sun and the shadow upon the body I shall add no more to my Discourse concerning this third Act of Providence by which God preserveth both man and beast 4. A fourth Act by which God preserveth both man and beast is Gods discovering to his creatures the vertue of other creatures with which he hath created them for the amending repairing and recovering of the decays and disorders to which their frail natures are subjected and concurrence in the use and application of them upholding the vertues in them in order to that end and blessing the application of them For the delivery of his creatures from diseases and accidents to which they are subjected Mesua the great Arabian Doctor is said to have cried out Solus Sanat languores Deus That God alone doth heal sicknesses and diseases God made man healthy in the day wherein he was created and most think he should have continued so if by his fall he had not disordered the crasis or temperament of his bodily humours corrupted the air brought a curse upon the Earth which hath ever since brought forth as well bryers and thorns to prick and offend his flesh as herbs and fruits to increase and nourish it Man is subject to a
dishonour God and so cross him in the great end of his governing the World which is his glory Now it pleaseth God to influence some of the children of men to such actions as do truly and immediately tend to his glory ex intentione agentis from the intention will and design of the agents and also ex fine operis from the end and issue of the action such are acts of repentance faith and all manner of holiness The glory of God in these actions is first in the intention of the agent and also in the issue of the work Joshua exhorteth Achan to confess his sin and give glory to God The Apostle saith Rom. 4 That Abraham was strong in the faith giving glory to God And our Saviour tells his Disciples Joh. 15.8 Herein is my father glorified if you bring forth much fruit the fruit of Holiness Now so depraved is the heart of man that he neither could nor would do any of them if not influenced and over-powered by God Without me saith Christ you can do nothing God therefore as to actions of this nature doth influence the heart of man making him willing and able so that as to the event the actions are necessary but as to the manner of working they do them freely willingly and chearfully and this is another piece of Governing Providence by which he ruleth and governeth the motions and actions of men to his praise 7. A seventh act by which God governeth the motions and actions of rational creatures 1. His permission and overruling their oblique intentions and actions 1. He permitteth the doing of them 2. He overruleth and ordereth them when done to his own ends Concerning Gods permission of sin I may have hereafter a more proper and particular opportunity to speak His overruling and ordering of them when done to his own wise ends is what I shall speak to and but shortly in this place It is the great art and wisdom of a civil or military Governour amongst men to make use of the several humours and passions of those under his Command to make them serve the great ends which he hath proposed to himself in his Government The great and infinite power and wisdom of God in the Government of the world is in this wonderfully perspicuous making use of the several lusts passions and humours of men to his own praise and glory for God governeth man so as he putteth no force upon his will If he doth any thing that is good acceptable and well-pleasing unto God he doth it willingly and freely The power of God indeed is seen in making some souls willing he giveth to will saith the Apostle not in overruling him to do the action whether he will or no Man acting thus freely many men do that which is evil from the sinful inclination of their own hearts not corrected by the power of Divine Grace God permits mens sins Act. 14.16 Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways but the actions being done his power is seen in overruling the oblique action beyond or quite contrary unto the intention of the agent to the glory of his holy and great name this is that which the Psalmist saith Psal 56.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise him and the remainder of wrath he shall restrain You have an eminent Text to prove this Isa 10.5 6 7 O Assyria the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like mire in the streets Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations not a few The business was this Israel that is the ten tribes had grievously provoked God God was determined to punish them they were an hypocritical Nation There must be an instrument to bring divine wrath upon them Assyria shall be the instrument therefore called the rod of Gods anger and the staff of his indignation Possibly the inward cause moving the Assyrian was his own lust the enlargement of his Territories some revenge of himself the robbing of their treasures he meant not so his heart never did think so meerly to serve God in the execution of his wrath but herein was the governing and overruling Providence of God seen that he so ruled the lust ambition and revenge of the King of Assyria that he accomplished his pleasure upon mount Zion And indeed thus God doth as to all the sinful actions of men God will have his glory from them but it is by the overruling power of his Providence the sinner meaneth not so neither is it in his heart to think so The persecutor saith I will satisfie my lust or I will supply my self with moneys for the satisfaction of my lust that is his end in the mean time God by his Providence overruleth his malitious actions so as he chasteneth his people for their sins and ripeneth the sinner for destruction God in this doth with sinners as the wise Faulconer doth with the Hawk The Hawk is a bird of prey a ravenous bird that flyeth at the Pheasant or Partridg for it self to satisfie its rapacious quality but the Faulconer by his art tameth the Hawk and maketh use of its ravenous quality to serve his own table and this is a wonderful piece of Divine Providence in governing of the world Most of the motions and actions of men in it are diametrically opposite to Gods glorious end yet they are all made to serve the manifestation of Gods glory and to bring about his great designs in the world But this is enough to have spoken Doctrinally to this point of the Governing-Providence of God I cannot at this time compass all which I would speak of for the Application of this point Only let me mind you again from hence Vse 1 how great the God of Heaven must necessarily be and that not only in respect of the immensity of his Being as he filleth Heaven and Earth but in respect of his activity and power he is called the King of Kings the ruler of Princes The Persians thought themselves great Princes that ruled one hundred and twenty seven Provinces The Turk glorieth in the greatness of his Empire so doth the Spaniard upon whose dominions they say the Sun never sitteth But alas what are all these to the Lords Kingdom who ruleth over all and that after another manner than any Earthly Prince who exerciseth a dominion over his Subjects and Vassals how justly therefore is greatness ascribed unto God and who is there that can be compared with him or like unto him The Unity of the Divine Being also may be concluded from hence for if he ruleth over all then all is subject unto him and there cannot be another God imagined but must be in subjection
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
they see nothing of God in these effects They say not this is the Lords doing and therefore it is not marvellous in their eyes They see Pestilences sweeping away Cities and Families fires laying populous Cities waste Enemies breaking in upon Countries and strangely over-running them the hand of God sweeping away whole Families but they see nothing of God in them they consider these as terrible things as misfortunes to which the state of Humane affairs is subjected their Eyes are upon the visible wheels that turn these things but they see not the wheel within the wheel the Psalmist calleth to us to come and behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath wrought in the earth Men see desolations wrought in the Earth but they see them not as the work of the Lord as desolations wrought by him This is what the Psalmist complained of and for which he prayeth against them Psalm 28.4 5 Give them according to the works of their hands c. Because they regard not the work of the Lord nor regard the operations of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up This is a sign of an Atheistical heart to see great changes and not to see God in them the Heathens had more of Religion than this came to I remember the Poet in his description of the ruine of Troy bringeth in Venus taking Aeneas of his mettal in the last defence of his Country and from taking Revenge on Helena the cause of it by shewing him the gods at every corner and post of the City helping the Grecians to fire it and to over-turn the walls of it It is very sad that amongst Christians there should be any that in the great changes which God worketh in Nations Cities Families cannot see the great and living God at work and using creatures but as instruments in his hand but this is but a seeing and beholding the works of Providence highly useful for the production of pious affections and such acts of duty as God requireth We have a further Duty than this incumbent upon us 2. It is not only our Duty to see and behold but wistly to consider and observe these things Psalm 107.43 Whoso is wise will observe these things and he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord a Text which in this discourse I shall make a further use of Observation implieth the application of our minds unto the passages of Divine Providence which are before our eyes as we must not be careless and forgetful hearers of the word of God so we must not be careless and forgetful observers of the works of God It is said Gen. 37.11 that Jacob observed the saying Josephs saying in the repetition of his Dream relating to eminent providential workings So it is said Luke 2.19 That when upon the birth of our Saviour the Angels had spoke to the Shepherds and the Shepherds had published the glad tidings which they had brought to the City That all who heard it wondred at those things which were spoken by the Shepherds Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart To see a thing is one thing to make our minds to stand upon it to consider it and to ponder upon it is another thing This is also our Duty as to meditate on the Lords words so to meditate on the Lords works twice the Psalmist hath it I will meditate on all thy works Psalm 143.5 I muse on the works of thy hands So Psalm 77. v. 12 I will meditate also on all thy works and talk of thy doings It is our great fault that we suffer the impression of Gods works to go off our hearts too soon We hear of great changes we see great desolations God works in Kingdoms Cities and Families at first they make a little impression upon us we startle at them but by the next day they are as a tale that is told the sound is out of our ears the impression is off our minds this is now not to observe the works of the Lord not as we ought to consider the operation of his hands 3. It is thirdly our Duty modestly and humbly to search out the causes of Providences towards our selves especially We are commanded to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Thus did Josephs brethren Gen. 42.21 when they were in prison they said one to another We are verily guilty concerning our Brother when we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought to us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us Job prays Job 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me this is but a searching and trying our ways an excellent help and necessary medium in order to a true repentance Indeed it is our great errour that we are very prone to search out the causes of severe Providences upon others The Barbarians seeing a Viper cleave to Pauls hand conclude him a Murtherer but we are very slow and backward to enquire into the meritorious causes of Gods severe Dispensations to our selves Yet as to others as it is our Duty to observe the Providences of God to them so we may modestly and humbly search out the causes of them Thus did Jeremiah venia praefata having first recognized God in the Justice and righteousness of his proceedings Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord in thy Judgments when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgments why doth the way of the wicked prosper c So the Prophet Habbakuk ch 1.13 Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he But as to this searching into the causes of Divine Providences I put in those two words modestly and humbly Indeed God is so plain and open in his Judgments sometimes that the provocation is wrote and that in capital Letters in the front of the punishment Thus it was in the case of the Sodomites the Egyptians the Benjamites Sauls bloody house Haman the final destruction of the Jews c and thus it is still very often The Drunkard dies in his drunkenness but it is not always so The Judgments of the Lord are a great deep This enquiry therefore into causes must be modest and humble we must no more caecutire in revelatis as to the works of God than as to the word of God if we see a blood-thirsty and deceitful man not living out half his days a Dart striking through the liver of the Adulterer these are open things And when we see prophane vile wretches devouring those that are more righteous than they when we see God plaguing men according to his own heart chastening them every moment not giving them time to swallow their spittle These are secrets of Divine Providence of which we must be careful that we pass no ungrounded censure yea and we must search humbly too Our judgment in these cafes will amount to no more than a
judgment of probability we cannot pretend to an infallibility we are not of Gods counsel and his ways are great deeps 4. Lastly We ought so far to search into and to enquire into the workings of Divine Providence as may any way conduce to make us better by more adoring and revereing God more avoiding of sin more quickning up the habits and exercises of grace but to take heed of such an enquiry as will be of no use to us unless to make us Atheists or too curious searchers into the unsearchable things of God or uncharitable consurers of our brethren The reafon of this is because Duty is the End of all our beholding considering and observing the Lords works or any way enquiring and searching into them This is the main thing which God hath said to us Obey my voice Now so far as an enquiring into the Lords ways and works of Providence will help us to obey the Lords voice so far doubtless it is our Duty The voice of the Lord is in Scripture everywhere to us to fear before him to love him to trust in him to take heed of sinning against him Now so far as the searching into the causes of Divine Providence may conduce to quicken us up to these Exercises so far is it undoubtedly our duty and a very commendable practice but where it only tendeth to make us Atheists by seeing nothing of the hand of God in them but confirming a fancy in us that we have found out the reason of all in a necessary connexion or working of natural causes or only serveth us for an advantage or ground for us unwarrantably and uncharitably to judg and censure our brethren so far it is undoubtedly sinful Where the searching of the causes of Divine Providence to us or others may contribute and so far forth as it may conduce to quicken us up to repentance for them to a faith in and a dependence upon God to make us either more thankful or any way more holy so far forth it is our advantagious duty Thus Jona's reflection upon the storm he met with at Sea when he was fleeing from God Jonah 1.10 11 and Josephs brethrens reflection upon the imprisonment they met with in Egypt were both good and pious tending to bring them to a sense of their several sins against God Davids observation of Providence helped him in the exercise of his Faith 1 Sam. 17.34 35. Manoahs observation that God had accepted a sacrifice confirm'd his faith that he would not destroy them Oft-times the observing of and searching into the ways of Divine Providence hugely exciteth praise and thankfulness Psalm 107.8.15 21 31 c. Thus far now it is our duty to behold observe search into the ways of Divine Providence they are not called unsearchable to deter us from beholding seeing and considering them so far as it may help in the performance of any piece of that duty which we owe unto God God hangs out his great works of Providence to the world that men may behold them look upon them and that not superficially but wistly and considerately Well but how are they then unsearchable why doth the Apostle pronounce them past finding out That brings me to the last thing promised you in the Explication of the Proposition I shall open it to you in several particulars 1. They are unsearchable and past finding out as to the latitude and full compass of them Job ch 26 had been largely discoursing of the great works of Divine Providence his stretching out the North upon the empty places and hanging the Earth upon nothing Ver. 7 His binding up the waters in the thick clouds and the clouds not being rent under them ver 8 c. But then concludeth ver 14 Lo these are part of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him but the thunder of his power who can understand some read it These are but the borders some corners of Gods ways David telleth us Psalm 111.2 The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein It is our duty to seek out the works of the Lord and every good man hath a pleasure therein and will be modestly seeking out Gods works ay but though they will be seeking yet we shall be no more in this World than seekers Job 16.7 Who can find out the Almighty to perfection saith God Much of God is seen much of God may be found out but the perfection of Gods works as well as of his Divine Being is an unsearchable thing There are thousands of things in the workings of Divine Providence which we cannot find out infinite motions in the upholdings of it in the government of it of which we know nothing something we can by the helps of Scripture and Reason discourse how Providence upholds the great varieties of Beings in the World the Methods of God in governing the World but who can find out the Almighty to perfection Who can discourse the thunder of his power There is a terra incognita or rather a coelum incognitum in the Divine workings What Job said we may apply here A thing was brought unto me and my ear received a little thereof Many things concerning Gods workings are brought to our senses and our senses receive yea our reason receiveth a little and but a little thereof as to them we may say as the Apostle saith in another case Where is the Scribe where is the Wise man where is the disputer of this World We by study can dive a little into Gods ways but we must come out of our deepest studies crying out with our Apostle O the depth of the wisdom and knowledg of God! This knowledg is as Job saith ch 11.7 8 As high as heaven what canst thou do deeper than hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea 2. A second thing unsearchable and past finding out in these ways of God is the tendency of them while we see them come to an issue Had one of us been a companion with Joseph and seen him thrown into a pit then sold into Egypt after this thrown into a prison upon the accusation of his Mistriss we could never have judged this a Method in order to his riding in the second Chariot and being the second man in Egypt but we see at last it was so Had we been in the Court of Persia or Babylon and have seen Haman's Exaltation and his power with the King obtaining a Decree from him for the destruction of all the Jews we should never have seen the tendency of this to the ruin of Haman the exaltation of Mordecai c. Had we seen Daniel thrown into the Lion's Den we could never have read the tendency of this to his greater exaltation and fuller preferment and conquest over his Enemies and yet so it was The tendencies of Divine Providence are sometimes by us boldly determined sometimes guessed at but how
calls to us for Psalm 37.1 Neither be thou envious at the workers of iniquity And the Wiseman Prov. 3.31 Envy not the Oppressor Prov. 23.17 Let not thy heart envy Sinners You have an usual saying It is better to be envied than pitied the meaning is to be in a state of prosperity which usually is the Object of Envy than in a state of adversity which is usually the Object of pity It is not so here It is better to be a child of God though an Object of pity than a Sinner though an Object of Envy Prosperity slayeth the fool nor is he ever so near ruin as when he is at the highest There is a story of a custom they had in Persia to gratifie a condemned Malefactor for an hour before his Execution with whatsoever he should desire which of us should have envied such a poor wretch for that hours pleasure Sinners are never so near ruin as when they are at the highest O then envy them not in their heighths 2. Much less fret and repine against God for allowing them such a preheminence over thee as to their outward estate God hath his wise and just ends in it both in suffering them to grow high and thee to continue in a low and afflicted state by the former he ripeneth them for Judgment by the latter he prepareth you for Mercy Fret not because of evil-doers saith the Psalmist Psalm 37. ver 1. We cannot dive into the bottom of Gods Counsels but if this observation of the motions of Providence be true we may see cause enough not to fret our selves nor to murmur and repine at God we have no reason to repine at God when we see his Providence working towards our deliverance and towards the downfal of his and our Enemies Thus it is according to this Observation when we are brought most low and the Enemies of God are suffered to mount most high 3. Certainly if this be true the flourishing state of sinners should be no temptation to us so much as to desire to take part with them Solomon joins them together Prov. 3.31 Envy not thou the Oppressor neither chuse any of his ways My son saith Solomon If sinners entice thee consent not thou unto them though they say we shall find all precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil The words of Sinners are nothing so enticing as their prosperous state for riches and honour and rule and pleasures not many can resist the temptation of them but certainly if the heighths of these to sinners be prognosticks of their ruin if we could consider their pride their riches honours plenty dominion as things which set them nearer unto ruin they would be no temptations desire not to rise and thrive and grow great and domineer with wicked men lest thou also fall with them 2. But in the last place let us from hence conclude the duty of a child of God in his lowest state or in the lowest state of the Church and people of God I will open it in few particulars and so conclude First To glory in Tribulation The Apostle maketh this one of the fruits of justifying faith Rom. 5. St. James would have the rich Christian rejoyce in that he is made low Ja. 1.10 A depth of misery in the people of God always makes way for mercy and the redemption and salvation of the people of God is never nearer than when in humane appearance it seems to be furthest off Indeed this must be the rejoycing of faith for the eye of sense at such a time is quite put out Besides the circulation of Divine Providence which is evident to those who look wistly upon the motions of Providence in the World there is a great deal more to give the people of God at such a time cause of rejoycing they are more prepared for mercy their Enemies are more prepared for vengeance it is then a fit season for God to work for his glory c. Secondly This should learn the people of God patience under all their sufferings pressures and oppressions Patience is a grace of which we may say as Solomon of a Friend or a Brother It is made for adversity There are many arguments to perswade Patience that is a quiet calm submission to God under frowns of Providence but nothing more effectual to our hasty and impatient frail natures than to hear that the burthen of God upon our shoulders shall not lie there long when we can hope that Nubecula est transibit it is but a storm and it will over What said our Saviour to his Disciples Could not you watch with me one hour The prospect of the shortness of an Evil doth very much alleviate it and relieve our spirits under the burthen of it That miserable Emperour had no other relief under his most cruel torments than Hoc non est Eternitas this is not Eternity Now what an argument is this for a Christians patience and fortitude for him to think when his case is worst when his burthen most pincheth him then his deliverance is nearest even at the door They say in a dark morning the darkness is always thickest just before break of day In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen I am sure it is always darkest just before break of day with the Church and the people of God As the pains of a Woman in travel encrease so the hour of her delivery more hasteneth and there is no worse sign of a long travail to her than little and lingring pains The Women at such a time will sometimes say to those that enquire after the Woman in pangs We want more pain Truly it is so oft-times with the Church of God They want more pain more pressures and oppressions they are not brought low enough for a mercy O let us be patient then under the greatest trials Great trials never last long You know what the Martyr said We have a bad Dinner but we shall have a better Break-fast Thirdly This calleth aloud to the people of God at such a time for the exercise of faith Indeed this is the proper time for faith to work As too much light blinds the Eye instead of helping it so doth sense blind the Eye of Faith Sense followeth Providence but Faith stands by the Promise and exerciseth it self upon that When the Providence of God is most out of our sight then is the time to lay the fastest hold upon the Promise As there are degrees of darkness in nights some are much more dark than others so there are degrees of darkness in the Churches nights sometimes there is a darkness in it which may be felt when Providence is so far from giving a light to us like that of the Sun that it doth not give us the light of a Candle Here now Christians stand concerned to shew that they do not live by the light of Providence but by faith in the word of God which still is the same and
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
against murther Gen. 9.6 Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man The Image of God in man lay much in his Knowledg Wisdom Righteousness dominion over other creatures If God sendeth a people a Prince in whom nothing of the Image of God can be seen in the three former things Knowledg or Wisdom or Righteousness yet he hath given unto all Rulers a dominion over his creatures and that not only over brute and inanimate creatures every man hath such a dominion and is a great Prince but over rational creatures and herein much of the Image of God who is the King of kings and Lord of lords and ruler of Princes is to be seen Now I say considering this great relation of Rulers to God it is but reasonable that God should watch over them with a special eye of Providence maintaining his own Ordinance his own Creatures his own Vicegerents in the Earth 2 But secondly The reasonableness of it will appear if you consider the usefulness of Rulers unto men Upon the former account I have shewed you how God consulteth his own glory I shall now shew you how God in these motions of Providence consulteth our good It is usually said and I think very truly Better Tyranny than Anarchy better a very ill oppressive government then no government He that would pluck up the government of any place would but pluck up the bridg which in a short time himself will have occasion to go over so that God in his special Providence towards and for Rulers sheweth a special kindness to humane society What do laws signifie without Executors of them Now this is the office of Rulers to execute the Laws and if some of them be partial in the execution of them and spare some transgressors yet there 's none of them but in many things do execute justice and keep up something of the face of order of humane society But I have hitherto only instanced in one sort of sins eminently disturbing humane societies treasons seditions conspiracies c. I come now to a second 2. Oppression is another sin of this nature and this must be the sin of Superiors and men that are in power over others I may joyn with it tyranny and cruelty they are of a great cognation one to another Oppression is one of the crying sins of a Nation and the Providence of God is eminently seen in giving testimony against it this was that sin for which God so plagued Pharaoh Exod. 3.7 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord and the vengeance of God is so certain against oppressors that the wise man calleth to us Prov. 3.31 Envy thou not the oppressor and chuse none of his ways Doth he flourish doth he grow rich and great Envy him not chuse none of his ways It is very seldom that God letteth eminent oppressors escape If they be amongst inferiour Rulers God stirreth up their superiours against them at one time or other If chief rulers be oppressors God hath other ways to punish them either immediately by his own hand as he did Pharaoh or suffering people to throw off the reins of Government which was the case of Abijam though he did but threaten oppression 1 King 12.11 All men are not wise the most of people are over-ruled by their own lusts and passions and not governed by reason but even for wise men Solomon tells us Eccles 7.7 That oppression will make them mad put them out of the government of their reason It is indeed madness and nothing but madness for private persons to rise up against a government but we see it sometimes done and usually oppression eminent and general oppression gives the occasion and is the proximate cause of it but one way or other God ordinarily revengeth oppression by signal Providences and therefore the wise man saith Eccles 5.8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor and the violent perverting of judgment and justice in a people marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there is higher than they Now the reason of the special and remarkable Providence of God in this case may be conceived to be 1. Gods great love to Justice and Judgment 2. His great kindness to Political Societies God is a just and righteous God and loveth justice Justice is an essential Attribute of God he could not be God if he could be unjust he giveth to every one their due and he cannot but give every one their due and the righteous God loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity Now oppression is nothing else but a violent perverting of Justice and Judgment by him that hath power on his side Solomon saith Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his maker he reproacheth his Maker because it is God that hath made his brother poor and put him under his feet Again he reproacheth his Maker because God hateth and abhorreth all oppression and injustice he pretendeth to rule in the place of God but he reproacheth his Maker God dealeth so by none his law directeth the quite contrary Again he reproacheth his Maker because God hath taken the poor the stranger the fatherless and the widow into his special protection and hath given many particular laws about them and given the world a particular charge concerning them 2. As God is a God of Justice and loveth that so he hath also a great kindness for humane societies and for brotherly love God hath in Creation disposed man to society he is not like the wild Ass that loveth to be alone in the wilderness he hath also disposed them to trades and employments serving one another so as though a beast or a bird could live without one another yet men can live in no degree of felicity outward felicity without company nor can society be well maintained without justice and brotherly love injustice violence and oppression break all humane society There is nothing that breaks humane society more than oppression doth when the greater devour the lesser and the richer swallow up those that are more poor that they might be left alone in the Earth There 's nothing more opposite to brotherly love the ligament of humane society than oppression is and therefore the special Providence of God in the punishment of it and delivering the oppressed from the bondage of it is not to be judged a strange thing but exceeding consonant to the nature of God 3. A third sin which makes gaps in humane societies is murder a private willful taking away the life of another I say private for if it be done by the hand of Justice it is no murther I add wilful to distinguish it from casual homicide when one is the cause of the death of another not in the least intending him death or any harm tendent to it It was one of Gods Precepts to Noah Gen. 9.6 Whoso
Vse 1. In the first place let then all men that live upon the Earth praise the Lord but especially such as are superiors and rulers over others and more especially such as are his Church The Psalmist Psal 135.1 calls to all saying Praise the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord and ver 19 20 21. He calleth in particular Bless the Lord O house of Israel Bless the Lord O house of Aaron Bless the Lord O house of Levi you that fear the Lord bless the Lord Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Hierusalem 1. This observation calleth to all the sons and daughters of men to bless the Lord. We are all sociable creatures and much of the comfort of our lives lyeth in our societies and fellowships one with another either in our family-societies or in our civil-societies or in our Church-societies We should think it a life worse than death to be condemned to live like a wild Ass alone in the wilderness Now there are some lusts of men that would spoil us of all this comfort God peculiarly sets himself against them and makes these the marks for his arrows of vengeance The Jews said of the Centurion He hath loved our nation and hath built us a synagogue We may say of our good God he hath loved mankind for he hath taken care to preserve order in humane societies and severely to chasten the invaders upon the rights of others What an ingagement doth this lay upon all men to praise the Lord Certainly sirs there is a great deal of praise and glory and homage due to God from all men as they are concerned in their several societies There is a great deal of glory due to God from families for his testimony against those lusts of men such as are murtherers and adulterers which in a short time would spoil all the comfort of those societies Certainly every family is bound to worship God and to walk with God But particularly 1. Let Rulers praise the Lord. Let all the Princes of the Earth give homage to him that ought to be served they are more especial marks for furious and ambitious mens lusts Gods Providence as you have heard is eminently seen in preventing their dangers in revenging their harms 2 Sam. 23.3 4 5. Surely then as David saith those that rule over men should be just ruling them in the fear of the Lord their light should be like the light of the morning without clouds God hath not only set them up as lights upon an hill but he hath made his special Providence to be a lanthorn about them that 't is rarely that the wind of sedition and treason prevails to blow them out and then 't is ordinarily for some eminent Provocation of God But I am not speaking to persons in that capacity You that are parents praise the Lord Gods special Providence you see reacheth you and in a great measure secureth you from that great heart-ach of rebellious and disobedient children I know you will say How then cometh this to be the great affliction of many good parents To which I answer 1. There is many a good parent may have been but like good old Ely too indulgent and cockering to their children ordinarily God keepeth up the authority of parents over their children until themselves have prostituted it and in the rebellion and disobedience of their children they may read their own sin and see as much cause to be humbled for that as any thing else as David in the case of Adonijah 1 King 1.5 6. And herein the goodness of God towards parents will be seen that if he doth not upon their endeavours secure to them the duty of their children yet he will not fail to revenge their quarrels against them 2. Let the poor and weak of the earth praise the Lord he hath declared himself the father of the fatherless and the judg of the widows a refuge for the oppressed Psal 68.5 Exod. 22.5 Psal 10.11 How are all the widows and fatherless children all the poor and oppressed people of the world bound to praise and to serve this God who hath taken upon himself the special patronage and protection of them This indeed would be the best use we could possibly make of this Observation relating to the special Providence of God if it might lay a special obligation upon all those who are thus especially concerned to magnifie God as their great patron and defender And how can they praise God more effectually than in doing those particular duties which concern them all in their respective relations or with reference to those peculiar circumstances of Providence under which they are acted I shall add but one branch of Application more and indeed it is not a new Use for it is a part of our praise and homage which we owe unto God upon this Reflexion viz. Vse 2. To all to take heed of those sins which God in his word declares himself more eminently to abhor and in the execution of Providence doth most severely punish All sin is in it self a filthy and abominable thing and the just object of every good mans hatred for should not we hate what God hateth and what hath of all things the greatest opposition to God yes we ought to hate it with a perfect hatred But such is the naughtiness of our heart that we are not so led to an hatred and abhorrence of sin from the intrinsecal evil and obliquity of it as from the dangerous and pernicious consequence of it Death eternal death is the wages of every sin but this being only matter of faith to bold sinners none having ever come from the dead to give them an account of those flames the punishments of sin in this life are those things which most deter carnal sensual men But if men will look no further nor believe any more yet let this lay some law upon us and make us afraid of those sins which I have instanced in being such whose judgment the Providence of God seldom letteth sleep so long as to another life Let this mind us not to meddle with them that are given to change that curse Kings and Rulers in their bed-chambers and are of turbulent and unquiet spirits always plotting and contriving seditions and treasons and disturbances to civil governours it is very rarely that God suffereth their designs to come to issue or their persons to come to the grave in peace 2. What a law should it lay upon the rich and great men of the earth to take heed of violent perverting justice and judgment of turning away the causes of the widows and the fatherless in judgment To consider that he who is the highest doth consider the matter and there is one higher than the highest of them who abuse their power to trample the poor under foot If men be not turned Atheists and have banished all the fear of God from their eyes and hearts it must a little give them law and lay
to heaven ordinarily with broken bones and a bleeding heart So that you see that Gods getting himself glory from his peoples sin gives no man a ground of presumption to go on in a course of sin against God Vse 4. In the last place Let this observation mind us in this case to be workers together with God Have we sinned and come short of the glory of God Let us do our indeavour to make our sins to turn to the furtherance of the glory of God Let us indeavour to make the best of our own bad markets What is done we cannot re-call let us indeavour if possible to make an advantage of our former miscarriages You will say How should that be Answ 1. Let the sense of your sins hasten your pace to the Lord Jesus Christ God hath a great deal of glory from our believing in him whom he hath sent The soul that accepteth of the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour giveth unto God the glory of his Power Wisdom Justice Goodness Truth it gives him the glory of the exceeding riches of his free-grace 2. Make use of your sins to increase your Confession your Repentance and Humiliation Confession giveth glory to God my Son saith Joshua Confess and give glory to God Let your former sins give you the further advantage for sorrowing after a godly sort that will bring forth carefulness indignation fear vehement desires zeal revenge as it did in the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 7.11 3. Let the remembrance of them cause you to walk softly all the days of your life This is that which God requireth of all to walk humbly with their God The remembrance of your sins may be of notable use to you for this to keep down that pride which is naturally in all our hearts that swelling in an opinion of our selves of our own duties and performances that uncharitable judging and censuring and triumphing over others when we see them fallen in the day of temptations 4. Lastly Let the consideration of how many sins God hath forgiven you make you love much Thus the woman Luk. 7.37 47 made an improvement even of her former sins her much that was forgiven ingaged her to love that God much who had forgiven her so much This improvement St. Paul made 1 Cor. 15.9 10. I am saith he the least of all the Apostles and not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God But by the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all O this will be an excellent improvement even of your sins if your former unholiness shall now help to make you more holy your former unrighteousness shall help to make you more righteous for the time to come your reflexions upon how much you have done against God and his Saints shall now engage you to do more for God and the cause and people of God A good husband and house-wife will lose nothing but make some advantage of every rag every bit of wood c. I would have you be like them you have been formerly great sinners and done much to the dishonour of God your consciences can shew you a great dunghil of sin which you made in your state of vanity God hath changed your state changed your hearts let not that dunghil be lost look upon it often to help to raise up your hearts in the praises and admiration of Gods free-grace and the engaging your hearts more for God in your contrary duties for the time to come But so â—uch shall serve for this Observation also SERMON XXVI Psalm CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Am still going on instructing you to that spiritual Wisdom which the Text telleth you may be gained by and is declared in the Observation of the motions of Actual Providence I am now proceeding to a Twelfth Observation of this nature which I shall give you thus Observ 12. The Providence of God in the distribution of the good things of this life doth in a great measure move circularly though mostly to the seeming advantage of ungodly men In my enlargments upon this notion I shall keep much to the same method which I observed in the former 1. Opening it unto you 2. Justifying the observation by instances 3. Shewing you the reasonableness of this motion of Divine Providence And lastly Making some suitable Application 1. My observation as you see concerneth the motions of Actual Providence as to its distribution of the portions of this life The Pagan Philosophers distributed all the good things they had any knowledg of into three sorts The good things of the body amongst which they reckoned long-life health strength beauty c. The good things of the mind the rich endowments of it such as knowledg invention judgment wit memory and moral vertue c. and the good things of fortune such as birth ingenuous education honours riches All these have a goodness in them which lyeth in their suitableness to the use of humane life or society The blind Heathen not seeing the fountain-head of these beautiful streams ascribed them to fortune But they are all in the hand of Providence that giveth to one a longer to another a shorter life to one greater to another lesser measures of health and strength c. to one more judgment wit c. than to another But I chiefly understand my Observation of the good things which the Heathen called Bona fortunae the good things of fortune such as honours riches c. These also are the Lords he it is saith Moses That gives us power to get wealth And the Holy Ghost by another pen-man telleth us That promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west but God pulleth down one and setteth up another Promotion doth mostly depend upon the favour of the great men of the Earth and you shall observe the Scripture everywhere maketh God the Author of the favour and grace which persons have found in the eyes of the Princes of the world 2. Now I observe in the first place That the wheel of Providence in making this distribution doth for the most part move circularly My meaning is that good and evil of this nature hath as all humane things its turns and vicissitudes sometimes to good men sometimes to bad men The Heathen had some prospect of this though what we call Providence they ascribed to fortune to whom they gave a wheel to signifie the rotation of all these sublunary contentments in which you know the same spokes are not always up nor down but sometimes these spokes are uppermost by and by they are at the ground and those that but now were below are up in their place And this is most perspicuous in bodies of people which are made up of those two sorts of men that divide the world godly
particular and special Laws Now if God by his Providence did not make some eminent examples of his severity and justice and proceed quickly against them how should his special Providence be manifested 3. It is but reasonable that God should make Persecutors quick examples of his vengeance if we consider what a complication of sin there is in the violent prosecution of others for the profession of the truth 1. There is eminent injury done to God he is hindered as to the calves of those lips which the persecutor shuts up All the immediate honour which God hath in the world is from the Preaching of the Gospel from the prayers and praises of his People Now if God hath any glory from the publication of his Gospel from the joynt-prayers and praises of his Saints the persecutor that hindereth these robbeth God of it and setteth himself against the God of Heaven and Earth in those things whereby he hath chosen to be honoured his business is to interrupt disturb and hinder the making known of Christ to poor souls to hinder Gods Peoples joynt-praises of him and prayers to him he saith to those whom he persecuteth You shall not serve God and thus bids an impudent and bold defiance to the Lord of Heaven and Earth 2. There is in persecution an eminent injury done to our neighbour God is not only the avenger of his own glory but concerning injuries done to men he hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Now in all persecutions there must be some great wrong done to our neighbour either as to his name or liberty or estate or life And secondly it is an injury done to him causelesly not by way of retaliation In truth it is the Image of God which the persecutor flies upon and it is the holiness and righteousness of his brother which he is not able to endure seeing his own leud and abominable life condemned by his neighbours more righteous conversation It is therefore but reasonable that that God who is jealous of his own glory and the judg of the innocent person and who hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay it should be severe in his dealings with such sinners and for his elect sake shorten the days of such blood-thirsty men But this is enough to have spoken to the first part of the Observation I told you secondly that the Providence of God is also sometimes very quick in the distribution of rewards and this you shall especially observe in these cases 1. In rewards of such as have been eminent sufferers for God God doth variously reward such persons sometimes by temporal rewards that are sensible and external sometimes such as are more inward and spiritual Now Gods Providence is often very quick in such distributions how quickly did God reward Daniel after he came out of the Lions den and the three Children after they came out of the fiery Furnace and Mordecai after hâ— had ventured himself so signally in the cause of God and saw the very gallows set up on which his great adversary thought to have had him hanged For those rewards that are more inward and discerned only by those that receive them how many instances might be given of strange incomes of joy and peace and strength with which the suffering servants of God have been rewarded so as their inward joy hath drowned their pain quenched as it were the flame c. 2. In the rewards of such as have done some great and eminent service for God bearing some signal testimony against sin as in the case of Phinehas who slew Zimri and Cosbi Num. 25.11 or been faithful in some great service in which others have made some great defection as in the case of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14.6 who brought up a true report of the land of Canaan and gave in a true testimony for God against all the rest of the Spies and when the whole people were in a mutiny 3. You shall observe that the Providence of God is ordinarily very quick in rewarding wicked men for any service they do him I might give you many instances of this that of Jehu is an eminent one God gave him and his posterity a present reward for the good service he had done against the house of Ahab and he gave the King of Assyria a present reward for the service wherewith he had made his Army to serve against Tyrus The like observation might be made in many other cases and it is no more than we may make a daily observation of when God rewards those whom he intendeth not to reward eternally he doth it in this life quickly And the motions of Divine Providence in these cases cannot but appear to be highly reasonable if we do but consider 1. That this is but after the manner of men to such as do signal and eminent services to give both present and great rewards for the encouragement of others though ordinarily common souldiers sometimes stay for their pay yet some persons that have signalized their valour are often Knighted in the field and some mark of great favour fastned upon them 2. That Divine righteousness is thus fulfilled and not only fulfilled but so conspicuously that all the world may take notice that God is a righteous God fulfilling his word and that no man serveth him for nothing Godliness as the Apostle tells us hath promise not only of that life which is to come but of this life also Mar. 10.29 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children for my sake or the Gospel but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the life to come eternal life These and such-like promises respecting this life or that which is to come must be justified and so justified that the world may take notice that God is true to them which cannot be unless God to some such servants of his should dispense out quick and present rewards 3. On the other side it is but reasonable that God should presently reward the services that wicked men do him Because there is no portion provided for them in that life which is to come neither can they trust God for the life to come all they look at is present pay and reward Thus I have opened to you this Observation in the Doctrinal part of it and shewed you the reasonableness of these motions of Divine Providence I come now to the application which I shall shortly dispatch Vse This Observation affords us a new and potent argument 1. To perswade sinners from presumptuous sinnings 2. To engage men to more eminent services and sufferings for God 1. I say first To disswade sinners from presumptuous sinnings against God The flow motions of Divine Providence as to the punishment of sinners as I told you do much incourage sinners to go on in their courses
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
then we see them in their true and native colours We look upon a star at a distance and it appears to us as a spark or a very small body of light when indeed it is a great Globe we see a little man standing by a Dwarf or Pigmy he appeares of a great stature to us remove the little body from him and then you see his true dimensions 1. Gods ways of Providence as apprehended by our imperfect and weak reason are seen like a staff in the water The ways of God are right ways but we have a very imperfect faculty of arguing judging and concluding and can see them no otherwise than our lapsed reason represents this makes us call them crooked 2. Our hearts are also vitiated and blood-shotten with lust prejudice and passion and this makes the ways of God appear to us in strange colours when once a Christian hath cleared his Eye-sight with Gods Eye-salve then he seeth them as they are and having quitted himself of lust and prejudice he findeth no difficulty to conclude them holy just and good 3. The wisdom of God in the ways of his Providence is like the Sun or Moon in the firmament which are vastly great bodies but appear to us but small Globes and full of spots by reason of our distance from them Who can by searching find out God who can find out the Almighty to perfection it is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper then Hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is broader then the Earth and longer then the Sea Job 11.7 8. 4. We look upon the great God in his ways and motions of his Providence as standing by our reason and fancy and compare his wisdom with ours measuring the Divine reason and actions by our yard-wand and the wisdom of God seems to us a deformed crooked thing but let our natural reason be rectified and sublimated and once Sanctified by Divine grace let our minds be enlightened by the Spirit of God and we shall then see things clearly as they are These are the general causes of mens misjudgings and misapprehensions concerning the Equity of Gods ways But let God be true and every man a lyar let him be holy and let what will become of mans reason and judgment It is bad Logick but it may be good Divinity sometimes to hold the conclusion when we cannot deny the premises which seem to argue against it There goeth a story of Melancthon that being once pressed by Eccius the Papist with an argument to which he had not an answer ready he took time and said Cras Respondebo that he would the next day give answer to it It may be a Christian may sometimes be put hard to it in his thoughts to solve all the Phaenomena's Which a subtle Sophister will make appear upon the ways and motions of Divine Providence but in this case let him hold to the conclusion and say I am sure the Judg of the whole Earth cannot do unjustly however it be God is holy and just and good I will study an answer to this Objection Socinus some where saith that if he should meet with any thing in Scripture which were contrary to his reason he would not believe it to be the sense of Scripture Proud man Must he think to measure infinite wisdom with his bucket and to scoop out the Ocean of wisdom that is in God with his spoon How much better had it been said I believe what God hath said and I will study to reconcile it to my reason if I cannot do it I will rather deny my own reason than the Revelation of the Divine will and wisdom Luther I think was in the right when he would have the Christian say Tu Ratio stultaâ—es audi verbum Dei tace Thou reason art a fool hear the word of God and hold thy peace But to proceed yet further in my discourse You have heard it is not inconsistent with the purity and holiness of the Divine being to be the Author of evil of punishment Because evils of punishment are indeed no evils only so miscalled by us They are great goods to the people of God But once more vain man that would be wise the man of reason that thinks he can shew us a mote in the Sun or a crooked angle in the straight lines of Divine wisdom comes forth and saith Quest Supposing it consistent with the purity holiness and goodness of God to bring evils of punishment upon men who he knows will be made better by them and be helped by those little Hells to escape greater and by much tribulation be fitted for the Kingdom of God yet what is this to those whom God knows will never be made better never be made conformable to the image of his Son If these evils of punishment are true and perfect evils how can an holy God be the Author of them 1. I answer We must grant that there are some stones in the Earth that no hewing will fit to make pillars for the house of God God by his Providence may knock them in pieces and by afflictions break them but afflictions and troubles shall never mend them and indeed this is an ordinary observation as Fire softneth wax but hardneth clay so affliction which often makes the people of God better ordinarily make wicked men worse they come out of the fire worfe than they went in Pharaoh was such a one ten plagues one after another wrought no change in his heart but for the worse he was more hardned than he was before Ahaz was such another who when he was afflicted yet did more wickedly the Scripture sets a brand upon him for it This is that King Ahaz and we have too too many instances of such in the age and generation in which we live 2. Again what if some be afflicted who grow worse and get no good by their Afflictions yet may not God use means that have a rational tendency to their good Trouble and Affliction is the voice of God unto the worst of men crying to them for repentance and reformation they will not hear the rod must not therefore God use it Or doth it not speak when he useth it What if God knoweth that affliction will do them no good but give them occasion further to harden their hearts is God bound by his Providence to act according to his own Omnisciency or counsel God deals with men who are reasonable creatures in a reasonable way one while perswading and exhorting another while chastising and corecting shall not God by his Ministers perswade all men to repent and to believe because he knoweth from Eternity who will or will not obey those precepts Shall not God by his rod teach men to repent and believe because he hath determined not to give special grace to all certainly it is but reasonable that God should allow them reasonable means in order to what he requireth of them though he knoweth they will make no
As God by it fulfilleth his word All a good Christians comfort and hope is laid up in the Scriptures and he is highly concerned in the truth of them if they be true he is well enough if they be not he hath trusted in a lye The Scriptures are very full of threatnings of Divine Vengeance against impenitent sinners Now it is a great temptation to the People of God to question all the Scripture saith when they read it full of threatnings and revelations of Divine Wrath against blasphemers perfecutors oppressors and bloody men and yet see the world full of such vile miscreants and them prospering daring God to vengeance and yet having their houses safe from fear But when they see God after some months and years of patience hanging up these wretches in chains cutting them off it may be in the strength of their years however in their full career of persecution and mischief with their oaths curses and blasphemies in their mouths there they see God fulfilling his word and this is matter of joy and rejoycing though that such souls are gone down into the pit is a lamentation to them and shall be for a lamentation 3. It is matter of joy and thanksgiving as they are secured by it from those evils which they felt from those men Every good man hath reason to be thankful to the judg for doing justice upon such as are notorious murtherers high-way men firers of houses c. because his life his goods are by it in a measure secured Every good man hath reason to rejoyce and to bless God when he cuts off Sons of violence men of blood persecutors c. as their peace and quiet is by Divine Justice secured Who will not say that Joseph had reason to bless God when he told him He might now again return into his own Countrey for those were dead which sought the young childs life Mat. 2. It is said of the man according to Gods own heart 1 Sam. 25.39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead he said Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal An Heathen Philosopher puts mischievous men in the same rank with Foxes and Serpents and defends mens natural right to destroy them I am sure it is matter of rejoycing when God keeps us from private revenge and lets us see his vengeance upon them 4. Again It is matter of praise and rejoycing as God by this means upholds the discipline and government of the world We ought to rejoyce and to give thanks unto God for all those acts of his Providence by which the world is kept in order and preserved from running into that confusion into which the exorbitancies of mens lusts and passions and the remission of the reins of government by Magistrates sometimes would presently hurry it if it were not for some extraordinary acts of Divine Justice by which God layeth a law upon men and strikes a terror into them It is therefore a great mistake for any to think they may not rejoyce upon occasion of the ruine and downfall of the Churches Enemies It is true in the ruine of others none ought to rejoyce But in the Vindication of Gods glory upon them in the deliverance of his people from them in Gods fulfilling of his word in their destruction in the preserving and upholding the peace government order and discipline of the world put out of order by them they ought to rejoyce and heartily to praise God for them Vse 3. In the third place Hath God other ends to be obtained in the punishment of wicked men besides their amendment and reformation Let us endeavour then that he may obtain them That a sinner by his trouble and afflictions should be amended reformed and made better must be the product of his personal endeavour with Gods blessing upon it But for those other ends I mentioned we may contribute to Gods obtaining of them when at any time we see any such tremendous dispensations as Gods subverting wretches in their heaps of sin making some dreadful examples of his vengeance 1. Let us first give God the glory of his Justice and Truth and Goodness reflecting upon these Attributes of God in our Meditations speaking of them unto others Do you see God executing vengeance upon some sinners for he doth not make all examples of his wrath but do you see him at any time remarkably punishing some notorious transgressors Be thinking with your selves Oh how righteous a God is our God who shall not fear before him how true is his word I have had sometimes Atheistical thoughts and been ready to think God is not so severe against sin as I have heard or his word is not so certain and faithful but as I have heard so I now see in the dealings of God he hath said Blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Lo here men of violence blood-thirsty cruel men persecutors of the People of God cut off in their youth in the heighth of their rage and be speaking to your children to your servants to your friends of the Justice and Truth of God upon such occasions you have heard that God doth many times execute vengeance upon finners that he might get glory upon them that being they would not actively glorify him he might fetch his glory out of them and he may be taken notice of in the world as a just and righteous God and as a pure and holy God of purer eyes than to behold any iniquity and as a mighty and powerful God that is able to break in pieces the proudest and stoutest rebels that set themselves in opposition to him 2. Let us take example and warning from the harms of others This is one end that man aims at in his punishments to make others afraid of committing the same things and this is one thing which as you have heard God aims at It was Gods command Deut. 13.11 that those that tempted others to Idolatry should be stoned to death vers 9 10. God in this could not propound the good or reformation of the person so stoned Well what doth he then aim at Vers 11. And all Israel shall hear and fear and do no more any such wickedness you have the same thing in the case of the Rebel that should do any thing presumptuously Deut. 17.13 And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously you see this is one thing God aims at in punishing notorious sinners and indeed what he doth most generally aim at where the punishment reacheth to death especially if sudden for although it be truth that that God who had mercy upon the theef upon the Cross may have mercy upon a profligate notorious wretch in the last hour yet there is little hopes of it but I say in such punishments undoubtedly next to the vindication of his own glory the great end which God aimeth at is the terror and affrightment of others
more than its own iniquity Arminius I remember telleth us that he can see no reason but that Children may be equally punished eternally for the sins of their Parents as well as the whole posterity of Adam for his sin but certainly there is a vast difference the first Adam was a publick person with whom God made a Covenant for life or death for himself and for his posterity and he had a power as well to have conveyed life as death to all his posterity but surely none will assert this as to any Parent since his time 5. Consider how much comfort there is laid for parents mourning in that speech of our Saviour for of such is the kingdom of God Men that have large Gardens and Orchards have places for slips and Inlays as well as for old Stocks Nurseries for Plants as well as places for full-grown fruit-trees God hath his garden of Grace that is his Church and he hath his garden of Glory to both belong Nurseries The Children of believers are though imperfect members yet members of his Church and they may be heirs of Glory though they go out of this world under age as to any earthly inheritance Yet they may be of full age for the inheritance that is immortal incorruptible and which fadeth not away they will be of age in that Country where is no infant of days nor old man of years The possibility of little Childrens entering into the Kingdom of God yea the probability that the seed of such as fear God dying in infancy are so entred ought to be a wonderful relief to Godly parents mourning upon this account Some Mothers only people the earth with sinners God puts an honour upon thee if thou stockest Heaven with Saints and bringest forth to the kingdom of Glory 6. Consider Thou canst never lose a Child with more hope than in its infancy Some have thought that the death of Christ hath as to all expiated the guilt of Adams sin both the Socinians and Arminians seem so to judge Others think that by vertue of the New Covenant the water of Baptism washeth away original sin Augustine was called Durus pater infantum an hard Father to Infants because he thought all unbaptized Infants were damned by which it seems he deferred much to Baptism but I do not remember that I ever read in him or heard from him that he held that all baptized Infants should be saved if dying in infancy I durst not fix the comfort of mourning Parents upon these foundations But yet this is certain the Infant within the pale of the Church the Child of the believing the true believing Parent especially is in Covenant with God It hath not yet been defiled with wilfull presumptuous sinning we cannot say so of our Children when they are grown up to years A godly Parent can never lose a Child with more hopes of its eternal Salvation than in its infancy 7. Again Possibly what God hath done he hath done in mercy to thee to thy soul that thy affections may be more entirely upon him God knew thy heart better than thy self it may be by such a stroke he hath secured thy heart more unto himself it may be in mercy as to the comforts of thy life Zedekiah could better have followed his Children in their infancy to their grave than have seen them slain by a barbarous enemy before his face Thou knowest not what evil is coming upon the world 8. Lastly consider That for those that keep the Lords Sabbaths and chuse the things that please him and take hold of the Lords Covenant God hath Isa 56.45 promised a better name than that of sons and daughters even an everlasting name which shall never be cut off But I shall digress no further on this Argument 4. Lastly Having stilled thy impatience what hast thou to do but to fulfil the Lords will and ends under such a dispensation Let those do it that are patients under such providences Let us all do it who are spectators of them Are any of us patients under such Providences let us fulfil the Lords ends in them You will say what are they I Answer 1. Submission to his good will is doubtless one thing God by all afflictions of his people designeth to humble and to prove his people that he may do them good in the latter end Such dispensations are the rod of God upon us and his rod hath a voice and we are bound to hear his rod. God is now trying thy obedience Abraham's trial was a greater trial he had but one Child him a Son the Child of the promise God required him to kill him with his own hand he submitted and the Lord accepted his will for the deed Thy hearing the voice of one rod may prevent the Lords taking of another to scourge thee with 2. Humiliation for those sins which thou suspectest to have been the provoking cause of such a dispensation that 's another end which thou maist probably think that God aimeth at Afflictions are to humble us and to prove us 3. God calleth aloud to thee to take thy heart off thy creature-comforts Thou seest what gourds what blossoms they are what shadows they are which thou huggest what lyes thou hast in thy right hand he calls now to thee to fix thy heart and thine eyes upon him alone and to make him alone thy portion to fix all thy delight upon him For us that are spectators of such Providences let us also by them learn wisdom 1. By taking heed of such sins as may provoke God to such dispensations we stand concerned if we love our children to love God and to fear him to walk closely with him the wicked life of a Parent may shorten the life of a Child for that God in judgment may write him childless a man who shall not prosper nor his name out-live a present generation Take heed of those particular sins which may provoke God to such a stroke Take heed of murmuring at the blessing of a numerous off spring and distrusting the Providence of God as to a providing for them Take heed if Children be given you that you do not set your heart upon them Look upon them as fading flowers and such flowers as never fade sooner than while they are worn too near your heart Take heed of sins by which the enemies of God shall be made to blaspheme David for such sins lost his new born Child from his beloved Bathsheba 2. More especially take heed of neglecting your children Neglect not the ordinance of Baptism as to them I do not think that is damnable but I do think it is provocative of God I remember God met Moses in the Inn and was about to kill him for his omission of Circumcision Circumcision was in it self a pitiful thing but it was Gods ordinance it was his Covenant in the flesh with the seed of Abraham We are not upon a Divine institution to say To what purpose is it or what good
Lord of life It is a dispensation that hath often put the servants of God into unseemly passions James and John would have had fire come down from Heaven as in Elijahs time to have destroyed the Samaritans Peter was out of patience to see the Informer come with a company with Swords and Staves to take his Master and in his passion draweth a Sword and with it cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest David himself when God offered him the choice of three Judgments desired rather to fall into the hands of God than into the hands of men I say it is and hath often been a very sore temptation advantaged partly from Nature partly from some Religious reflections That which in humane nature advantageth this temptation is 1. The disdain every man naturally hath to suffer an injury from one beneath himself when Gideon would have had his Son Jether have fallen upon those two Eastern Princes Zeba and Zalmuna they said rise thou up and fall upon us men have a natural disdain and scorn to suffer from their inferiours we see it in every days experience Now although every child of God is low in his own eyes and in honour preferreth every Saint before himself yet as St. Paul sometimes magnified his office against the false Apostles and counterfeits of his age though he judged himself the least of the Apostles and unworthy of that great Name so they cannot but magnifie themselves in comparison of open profane miscreants that are the scum and off scouring of the place in which they live such as are common drunkards lyars swearers Sabbath-breakers and guilty of other debaucheries the very scabs of the body politick and spots of the Assemblies to which they are united 2. Every man naturally hath a regret at the receiving of injuries from those from whom he hath deserved no such thing Now the People of God are persons of innocence who have done no wrong to their worst Enemies they have loved their Enemies prayed for them been ready to do any offices of love to them and know not how to bear an injury from those to whom they have done no wrong This was that which troubled Davids Spirit Psal 35.12 13. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my Soul but as for me when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloath I humbled my Soul with fasting and my prayer returned into my own bosom I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourned for my mother But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I knew it not yea they did tear me and ceased not with hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Lord how long wilt thou look on Rescue my Soul from their destructions 2. This temptation is likewise advantaged from some Religious reflections 1. From a reflection upon the purity and holiness of God O Lord saith our Prophet in my Text thou art of purer Eyes then to behold iniquity How a just and pure and holy God should look on and hold his peace to see a company of vile wretches tearing and devouring his own people this is a knowledg at first view too wonderful for them 2. From a reflexion upon the promises and threatnings of God they look into the holy word of God and find that full of promises of good to Gods People of threatnings of wrath and vengeance to wicked men instead of this they see vile men building up Palaces to themselves upon their ruins and adorning themselves with their Ornaments the houses of the profane furnished and adorned with that which is not theirs instead of the wicked mans preparing garments and the just mans putting them on as Job speaketh they see good and righteous men preparing garments and leud and ungodly men put them on they see the spoil of such as fear the Lord in the tents of leud and ungodly men 3. From a reflexion upon the Decrees of God O Lord saith our Prophet thou hast ordained them for destruction O mighty God thou hast established them for correction they consider leud and wicked men as men whom God by a fixed act of his Will hath ordained to judgment as persons who by the established counsel of God are to be destroyed and they cannot expound the Providence of God into a consistency with his eternal purpose when they see them not only live prosper and grow old but also live by the death of such as fear God and build their nests on high with feathers which they have plucked from their wings From these and other causes ariseth this trouble and coil in the spirits of Gods people Fluctus est Tentatio est as Augustine saith it is a great wave a great temptation and trouble and even Gods own people here are ready to think they see a knot in the thred of providence a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence in the even ways of the Lords dealing Let me indeavour in a few words to unty this knot to remove this stone Four or five things I shall speak one or other of which or all together will make this way of the Lord plain to every sober and understanding Christian 1. How is God to his people more hard or unrighteous in such a dispensation than he was to the son of his dearest love Our blessed Lord hath taught us That the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord Matt. 10.24 25. 'T is true the chief Informer against our Lord was one of his hoshold Judas but he was a son of perdition the only ill member of all the 12. Who were his witnesses but a company of perjured wretches who could not agree in their testimony Who mockt him and scourged him Herod a monster for all manner of wickedness Who were they that spit upon him that cried out crucifie him crucifie him that gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink were they not the abjects of the people Thou art not able to conceive of Gods righteousness in giving thee over and thy estate over to a Renegado an apostate from his former profession to wretches who make no conscience what they say what they swear what they do How was he righteous in giving over the Son of his love to such wretches We are never so like to our Lord and Master as when we are betrayed by a Judas informed against and testified against by false and perjured wretches mockt and abused by the abjects and off scouring of the people If God might be a just and righteous God in suffering these things to be done to the green tree surely he may suffer them to be done unto us who are dry trees Thou art troubled that God should suffer profane scoffers to call thee
honour successes c. David himself never had a slip like that he had when he came into the highest state Even the best of Gods people have great reason to rejoice with trembling in the midst of full cups but sinners have far more reason when they are not plagued as other men when there are no bands in their death when their eyes stand out with fatness and they have more than heart could wish that is the time when their mouths are set against Heaven then their day of destruction is not far of and indeed those are the two dreadful considerations and therefore they have reason to fear and tremble 1. Lest their prosperity should slay their souls There is a latent poyson in sinners hearts at all times but poverty and adversity keeps it in The poor man useth intreaties saith Solomon but the rich man speaketh proudly honour and power are great temptations to oppression Riches and abundance to all sorts of Luxury So as if a man be a fool and hath no spiritual wisdom to rule and to govern himself in a prosperous state his prosperity slayeth him giving advantages to those lusts that are in his heart to discover themselves It is the prosperous sinner that oppresseth his neighbour that does acts of injustice and thinks by his power to defend himself 2. Again Prosperity bodes ill The sinner is never so near a fall as when he is upon a pinacle of honour and power When the worldling saith Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years then comes the voice Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee and one reason of this is because that is the time when his sin ripeneth when he lifteth up his heart highest and openeth his mouth widest and lifteth up his hands most fiercely against the God of Heaven O then let the prosperous sinner fear and tremble 3. Lastly You have heard that it is but a righteous thing with God to give unto the worst of men the good things of this life because they have something in them of the nature of means to convince sinners both of their sins against God and also of their duty to God Indeed they ordinarily prove the quite contrary but this is not of themselves or from their own nature but from the lust and corruption of sinners hearts O then let the goodness of God lead you to repentance Rom. 2.4 The Apostle lets us know that the patience long-sufferance and goodness of God leads us to repentance The long-suffering and patience of God if there were no more ought to do it And certainly were there any ingenuity in the heart of a sinner it would do it For him to sit down and think I have been a drunkard a lyar a swearer a Sabbath-breaker these Twenty Thirty Forty years God hath seen and known me all this time there hath not been a thought of my heart but hath been naked before him I have not told a lye nor sworn an oath but as soon as the word hath been out of my mouth the news of it hath been in Heaven and it hath been written in Gods Book of remembrance God hath all this while been an Almighty God and hath had it in his power every moment of this time to throw me to Hell He could have struck me dead with my lye in my mouth as he did Ananias and Saphira Acts 5 or with my oath my curse my blasphemy in my mouth but God hath been long-suffering and patient with me willing that I should at last be saved Shall I yet go on in my sinful courses Shall all this patience of God be lost upon my desperate soul Surely I am bound humbly to acknowledg thus many years of patience and to sin no more lest I turn Divine patience into fury But then the riches of Gods goodness though it be but in the things of this life adds great weight to the argument for a poor creature to sit down and think that he hath not been plagued as other men he hath not had such a sickly body nor such a scant estate but God hath made his cup to overflow he hath had success in his trading whiles others have been blasted O shall not this goodness of God lead thee to an acknowledgment of God Shall it not lead thee to a repentance for thy sin wilt thou treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the most righteous Judgment of God Consider that the good things thou hast enjoyed have a natural tendency to change thee if thou hadst not banished that common ingenuity which teacheth all to love those that love them and most certainly it will make thee worse if not better if it doth not soften thy heart it will harden thy heart if these things tend not to make thee more holy they will certainly make thee more leud and profane And think with thy self what an aggravation of thy eternal misery it will be to fall into it out of as high a state of content and external felicity as thou wert capable of I would have every prosperous sinner say with himself What hath God done to me that I should be thus vile and so presumptuously sin against him There are very many that if they would listen a little to their own consciences might hear God by them speaking to them and saying What could God have done more for you than he hath done Would you have strong and healthy bodies God hath given you them Would you have large possessions great and plentiful estates God hath given you such Would you have desired a loving Wife hopeful Children You have had them God aggravateth the sin of David from the outward blessings he had blessed him with he had raised him to be King over Israel from following the sheep he had given him his Masters Houses and his Masters Wives into his bosom 1 Sam. 11. Will not God think you from hence aggravate your sins another day Will not this make Hell twice more Hell to you will it not add more heat to the fire that never shall go out and pain to the gnawings of that worm that shall never dye Oh harden not your hearts to day while it is called to day hearken to God speaking to you not only by the voice of his Word but by the voice of his Mercies O let not that riches of Divine goodness make you worse which in reason ought to make you better Let not your honours your riches damn you Take heed that there be not cause to say of you that if God had not been so good to you you had not been so leud and profane so wicked and abominable in his sight Thus far I have applied this discourse as to wicked men it remaineth yet that I should apply it as to the people of God shewing them their duty under such dispensations of providence but it is a point fit in our times to be further enlarged upon