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
ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito These men may live at Sea in the midst of troubles and never think of God and Christ nor upon the power goodness and truth of God but upon an O socii neque enim ignâ—ri sumus ante malorum O passi graviora c. or some such thing but this is not to live upon faith if thy soul liveth the life of faith thy heart is alive in an evil time and the life and courage of it is maintained from God thy heart is maintained from the Truth Power and Goodness of God 2. This life of Faith is a quiet life It is a quiet life as to passions Faith hath a wonderful power to keep the mind in a calm serene temper It is the unbelieving soul that fretteth and sumeth and vexeth all turbulent passions upon Gods providence are the products of unbelief The Prophet telleth us He that believeth maketh not haste Faith dryeth up immoderate tears scatters the storms of fears maketh the soul to cease from anger and forsake wrath It quieteth the tongue so as it doth not charge God foolishly it keeps a man from all murmuring and flyings out against God from all indecent and extravagant flying out against men who are Gods instruments I held my peace because I knew it was thy doing David believed that God had done what was done he dust not mutter or repine because the Lord had done it And so as to action I mean irregular actions Take an unbeliever and let him be in any streight or distress he is unquiet and turbulent and makes no conscience what means he useth to set himself at liberty but he that believeth maketh not haste he who by faith eveth the promise gives credit to it and hath committed himself to the Power Goodness and Truth of God for the accomplishment of it as he is not hasty with his spirit to murmur fret and vex because it is not presently made good to him so he is not hasty with his tongue to charge God foolishly nor in his action He dareth not use any sinister or unlawful means to quit himself of any difficulty in which he is entangled he believeth that God will preserve uphold deliver him and in his own time find out some lawful way and means and the belief of this restraineth him from impatience or any thing which should be a fruit and indication of it 3. Again The life of Faith is an expectant life The Apostle telleth us that Faith is the evidence of things not seen Hence Faith hath always two daughters which are its genuine off spring 1. Hope which is the souls looking up or looking out for those things of which Faith giveth an evidence or assurance Faith assureth hope expecteth and this is so inseparable from Faith that it is often in Scripture put for Faith and only differeth in this that Hope is an expectancy upon faith's evidence and the certainty which it giveth the soul of the thing promised in the word Every hope indeed doth not speak faith but every grounded hope doth there is an hope of an hypocrite which groweth up like the rush without mire and the flag without water Patience is another daughter of Faith I shall have occasion to speak to that more fully hereafter Faith assureth the thing to the soul Hope looketh out for it and expects it Patience keeps the soul still and waiting for it If you ask me what the soul expecteth what it waiteth for it must needs be that of which Faith hath given the soul an evidence that is the Promise The Promises are of various natures for outward mercies such as Protection Deliverance c. Spiritual mercies such as inward Support Strength Consolations Eternal happiness 4 Again The life of Faith is an active life The operation of Faith doth not terminate in a meer speculation The activity of Faith lieth 1. In the diligent use of all natural and rational means which God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of the mercy of which faith hath given the soul an evidence and assurance As Faith doth quiet the soul and restrain it from the use of all unlawful means so it doth quicken and engage the soul in the use of all lawful and proper means The reason of which is because Faith can assure the soul of no mercy but in that manner and order and under those circumstances in and under which God hath promised to bestow it Now God hath promised mercies in the use of means so it quickeneth and engageth the soul to the use of means as a piece of the Will of God in order to the obtaining of our desired mercy 2. It lyeth in the use of all spiritual means and here Prayer in a special manner Prayer being the general spiritual means to be used for the obtaining of any mercy Daniel chap. 9 understood by Books that the time was come for the fulfilling of the 70 years captivity and this faith of his as to what he read in the Books quickned him up to pour out that fervent prayer unto God Dan. 9. 5. The life of Faith is a cheerful and joyous life you read in Scripture of a joy and peace which attendeth believing Rom. 15. Believing the glory of God is a great means to make the soul to rejoyce in the hopes of it Now the reason of this joy is the strength of that evidence which faith doth give the soul for joy is nothing else but the complacency of the soul or rather the expression of this complacency upon the souls union to its desired object Now according to the nearness and fulness of this union so is the joy Faith giving the soul a great and unquestionable evidence of the thing doth also give unto the soul a proportionable joy 6. The life of Faith is a crucifying dying life to the world This is the victory saith the Apostle by which we overcome the world even our faith Faith looketh up to the Cross of Christ and by it the heart of a Christian is crucified to the world and the world is crucified to his heart The proper operation of Faith is to work against hope for indeed if once the mercy cometh in sight so as sense cometh in play faith ceaseth as well as hope Hence the operation and exercise of Faith must needs crucifie the heart of a Christian to the world to sense and to all sensible objects Faith made Abraham overlook his own body which was now dead and Sarahs dead womb it made him to overlook the Knife and the Altar and the loss of Isaac's natural life and only to consider that God was able to raise him up from the dead it maketh a Christian overlook all seeming difficulties in regard of sense and all contrarieties whatsoever indeed seemeth to be in his way Now by these things you may try your selves whether you live the life of Faith under sad and dark Providences yea or no. By this time methinks
the work of the Son and the work of the Holy-Ghost So that when we assert a Divine Providence extensive to the whole Creation this is that which we mean That as the blessed Trinity did at first by an Almighty power bring the worlds both Heaven and Earth and all creatures therein out of a Not-being into a Being so he doth still wisely and powerfully influence the whole creation preserving their Beings and several faculties of all his creatures and so far directeth permitteth and governeth their actions that they shall answer the ends for which he created and so qualified them especially the great end of his glory For saith Solomon he made all things for himself and for him as well as of him are all things saith the Apostle The School-men say that Gods Being is esse fixum a fixt and unalterable Being in which there can be no variableness no shadow of change his name is I AM he is the same yesterday to day and for ever But the creatures Being is esse fluxum a mutable Being we see changes and varieties every day in their Beings in their Motions the whole creation is but one great Sea in a continual flux and reflux Now as God by his Decree of Providence from eternity determined these successions varieties and motions so like a great King mighty in Counsel and wonderful in working he upholdeth them to them and he governeth them in their effects So that as the former Doctrine of creation excluded the Pagan conceits either of the worlds eternity or casual composition of it and gave God the glory of that his first and great work of creation so this is opposed to the Atheistical conceits of those who would have the created world to be either a principle to it self of its standing or preservation in the order it is or as a great Machine or Engine moving from some great wheels that move all the rest which is said to be the Peripatetick Doctrine and much suits our Judicial Astrologers or moving from any other first principle than the will command or influence of God This is a great point giving God the glory of His and his Sons hitherto working We live in a generation when Atheism aboundeth otherwise it were needless to establish so great a principle Aristotle thought he deserved to be answered with a Gallows that denied it Suffer me a little to confirm your faith in it by arguing it 1. From the Creation 2. From the Nature of the Divine Being 3. From the effects which are our daily objects of sense in the World 4. From the more sure word of Prophesie 1. That the worlds were first made by God I before shewed you Our eyes are continually exercised in the view of a vast Theater and 't is but a little of it that we behold The Heavens that are visible to us are replenished with great and vast bodies the Sun Moon and Stars in the Heavens are great Clouds containing vast quantities of water The Earth is full of multitudes of species infinite individuals of all sorts all indued with a variety of contrary faculties and qualities so are the wide Seas The Earth hangs in the midst of the air These things have lasted some thousands of years The inanimate creatures still keep their Stations The Sun is not wearied nor worn out in its course though it runs it with a strange swiftness every day The Moon is where and as it was the fixed Stars keep their abodes and the wandring Stars yet go not out of their road The Earth drops not down under us nor doth the Sea invade the Earth not a species of creatures is lost from the first Creation Individuals indeed perish but as one generation goeth another comes the species in competent numbers is preserved The creatures move and work in a subordination to the good each of others the production and being of no creature antedates the being or production of another upon which it lives Those that renew their lives with the year have their table spread before they appear The silk-worms egg quickens not but in proportion to the budding of the Mulberry Each creature knows its season when to fly from colder Countreys in which it could not endure the winter into what is warmer Creatures have a care provided for them while they are not able to provide for themselves which then as naturally leaveth them as it before wrought for them The Bee and Ant provide for the winter in short a thousand such instincts and inclinations might be insisted on Countreys that have most poysons have most antidotes few Countreys have sufficiency for themselves but must be beholden to their neighbours Take any one body but especially that of Man who is a little world in himself study but your selves and consider how many Vessels how many limbs and instruments must daily be kept clean and entire How many humours joynts and members must be kept in order to keep you alive and in any degree of health and capacity to the operations of humane life I would now fain know whence all this is Will any ascribe all this to a fate or order at first set Suppose any would say so he must needs conceive an omnipotent Divine Being at first setting the joynts of the world in such an order and surely it were as easie for him to suppose the same being upholding and preserving them in order yea and in acknowledging the former he must be forced to acknowledg the latter We see a skilful workman making a Clock or Watch consisting of many wheels and little instruments that shall have and keep their several motions 24 48 hours suppose it were two or three months suppose it were so many years yet we see at last it must not only be wound up but by daily motion the wheels and other parts though made of hardest mettals decay How is it that in so many thousand years the Sun Moon and Stars are not worn nor abated in their light That by the daily motions of mans body his instruments of motion are not sooner worn out his bones are not of Brass nor his sinews of Iron if they were less than seventy years would wear them out Will any say things are not under a fate but are left to move at their pleasure We know there are multitudes of natural Agents that move not upon election or counsel but naturally and necessarily how come these influenced For those that do move from Counsel and have a Will to guide them Let but any consider what a confusion would presently be by the wayward actions of Children and Servants in his own house if they had nothing but their own wills to guide and govern them What an heap of confusions every City or Town would make if all inhabitants were left to their own wills and government and he will easily conceive what a place of ataxy mischief and disorder the world would be if God did not daily work and rule in the midst thereof
and law of Nature the fire burneth the hungry Lions devour men God suspendeth both these Laws in the case of the three Children and of Daniel by an Ordinance of Nature the Sun keepeth its course and is in a continual progressive motion God suspendeth its motion in Joshuah's case altereth it and maketh it to come back in the case of Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.10 by the Ordinance of Nature the Earth brings forth her fruit so doth the womb ordinarily God suspends this Law in Judgment the Earth is made as Iron the Heaven as Brass men commit whoredom yet do not encrease they eat and have not enough Hos 4.10 This both demonstrates the governance of Divine Providence and also sheweth how God exerciseth it This is a third Particular 4. A fourth Particular wherein God sheweth his Dominion over all and exerciseth his Government over the whole Creation is his influencing all creatures to their natural actions either in a more ordinary or extraordinary manner Every living creature hath its natural motions and actions and powers and faculties in order to them which are the principles of those operations and in the upholding of those powers to those natural motions and actions God exerteth and putteth forth his preserving power of Providence but his extraordinary influencing of them to some motions and actions which are not in a natural course and order doth more eminently shew the Governing power of Divine Providence That Locusts and Caterpillers should feed upon grass and green herbs this is but their natural motion and action according to their nature and the kind of their being but that they should come in troops and rather feed upon one place than upon another till they had devoured all the grass and green herbs in Egypt this was extraordinary Psalm 105.24 He spake and the Caterpillers came and did eat up all the herbs in their land and devoured all the fruit of their ground And again Psalm 74.46 He gave their increase to the Caterpiller The same may be said for the Flies Lice Frogs and other creatures used as a plague upon Pharaoh but indeed this is rather a specialty of Providence than belonging to the ordinary Government of it though very demonstrative of the governing power of Providence 5. A fifth act by which the Providence of God exerciseth its governing power and influence is His daily raising up and influencing Governours for the Housholds and Societies of men and giving checks to them upon their miscarriages and mal-administrations The governing Providence of God exerteth it self either more immediately or mediately Other creatures God ordinarily governeth by men many of them I mean influencing man with Reason and Discretion by which he ruleth ordereth and governeth them though many of them be much more mighty and powerful than he the mouth of the horse and mule which have no understanding by the Providence of God so influencing man are held with the bit and bridle lest they come near unto us Psalm 32.9 The Whale is smitten with a spear wild bulls and boars are hunted down c. The Ox is tamed and brought to serve our uses who are much less in strength than he is Men also are governed by men the weaker by those that are more wise and powerful but whence have the Governours their wit and power their wisdom and understanding prompting them to make Laws acceptable to the greater part of Subjects so as conspiracies are of the lesser number and subdueâ—â—o the greater and keeps them in order Is it not from the Lord great in wisdom and wonderful in counsel Psalm 75.7 God is the Judg he pulleth down one and setteth up another and by him Kings reign God ruleth the World by Magistrates which if well considered would aw men to that duty of honour and obedience which they owe to those that are their Superiours and may make us to understand how we ought to be subject for conscience-sake and for Gods sake in things commanded which we cannot say are contrary to the Divine Law nor so appear to us and have any manifest appearance of good for the government and peace of the whole As on the other side it calls to Kings to be wise and the Judges of the Earth to be instructed to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoyce before him in their great capacities with trembling Psal 2.10 11 they are but the Lords Vice-Roys and as Jehosaphat told his Judges they judg not for themselves but for the Lord for him whose Throne is prepared in the Heavens and whose Kingdom is over all They ought therefore according to the command to the Kings of Israel to have the book of the law before them and to be reading therein all the days of their life and where that doth not give them particular direction to have the honour and glory of God yet in their Eye to measure all their laws and actions according to that Rule to remember God is the Judg and hath only exalted and dignified them to rule the World or this or that part of the World by them still the Government is the Lords 6. A sixth particular act by which God providentially governeth the World is By influencing the souls of some in it to such actions as more immediately tend to his honour and glory God hath an honour and glory from the natural complexion and constitution and motions of inanimate Beings Psal 148.6 8. Thus the Heavens and in them the Sun Moon Stars from them the snow rain hail meteors the lightning and thunder the cold and heat the vapours and stormy winds bring glory to God stormy winds fulfilling his word saith the Psalmist The heavens declare the glory of God the Earth sheweth his handy-work Psalm 19.1 God hath made in the Heavens a tabernacle for the Sun a course for the Moon and Stars the very complexions of them their natural and necessary motions bring God abundance of glory Now this ariseth from a necessary causation they cannot but do it The same may be said of brute creatures though animate not acting upon Election The Whale in the Sea the Lion and Tiger amongst the beasts the Eagle and others amongst the birds the Bee the Silk-worm and others amongst Insects several sorts of creeping things glorify God but it is necessarily Man only amongst earthly creatures glorifieth God voluntarily from a principle within himself and upon choice Take mankind in the general it is a noble piece of Gods Creation and necessarily glorifieth God Man is fearfully and wonderfully made his body is an admirable structure but the great glory which God hath is from his spiritual actions Man is not a mute Preacher of Gods glory as the Heavens and the Earth the Sun Moon and Stars are or brute creatures are He hath a Soul and understanding will affections from these God expects a great homage and glory But now take man in his depraved estate and he doth nothing less No creatures but the evil Angels so much
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
Reign and the necessity of it Isa 52.7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Zion thy God reigneth It is good news to all the World that God reigneth but particularly to Sion to the Church and the people of God to the whole visible Church it is good tidings but particularly to the invisible part that is militant here on Earth and the individual members thereof 1. This Doctrine first is of great use to comfort them against and under all their disturbances for things which happen to the Church in general or themselves in particular A ship at Sea were but in an ill case if it were not for him that sate at the Helm a skilful Pilot there ordereth her well enough so as the winds serve his design so it is with the Church tossed with winds and waves she is only safe in the Lords government of all the affairs of the World Luther I remember saith thus of himself I saith he have often attempted to prescribe God ways and methods in the government of his Church and other affairs I have said Ah Domine hoc velim ita fieri hoc ordine hoc eventu I would have this thing thus done in this order with this event But saith he God did quite contrary to what I asked of him Then saith he I thought with my self what I would have had was not contrary to the glory of God but would have been of great use for the sanctifying of his Name In short it was a brave design well advised but undoubtedly God laught at at this wisdom of men and said Go to now I know you are a learned man and a wise man But it was never my manner to allow Saint Peter or Saint Martin or any other to instruct teach govern or lead me Non sum Deus passivus sed activus I am not a passive but an active God That great man and Melancthon were two famous Instruments in the Reformation of Germany but of different tempers Melancthon was a man of a more mild and gentle Spirit and melancholick timerous temper Luther was of a more fierce and bold temper Melancthon would often write very troubled Letters to Luther about the state of the Church affairs Luther would constantly make use of this argument from the Governing-Providence of God to support Melancthon Melancthon saith he Let God alone to govern the World The Lord reigneth It pleaseth God so to order it in his Providence that the face of affairs relating to the Church often looks very sadly and there is nothing which giveth the spirits of the people of God a greater disturbance Now all these disturbances are caused from our Not-attending to this Principle which yet every good Christian professeth to receive and to believe Were we but rooted and grounded in the faith of this one Principle That the Kingdom of God ruleth over all and that he exerciseth a special care and Government relating to his Church and ruleth the World with a special regard to the good of his little flock we could neither be immoderately disturbed for the concern of the glory of God nor yet for the Church of God 1 Chron. 16.31 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoyce and let men say amongst the Nations the Lord reigneth let the Sea roar and the fulness thereof let the fields rejoyce and all that is therein Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judg the Earth Say therefore unto Zion Thy God reigneth Let Papists rage and Atheists scoff and threaten and do what they can Let all their Favourites take counsel together and join hand in hand when they have done all they can they will find that the Lord reigneth And this is enough to say unto Sion or to any of her sons and daughters Two things are sufficient in the most troublesom and tumultuous times to still support and comfort the spirits of Gods people 1. That the Lord reigneth and hath an unquestionable superintendence upon all the Beings of his creatures all their motions and all their actions He is higher in power than the highest of them 2. That this God is our God The Psalmist hinteth both in that excellent 46 Psalm v. 10 Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth The Lord of Hosts is with us The God of Jacob is our refuge Let not therefore those that fear the Lord trouble themselves about the motions of the World and commotions in it about the ragings of lewd men against the interest of Christ Let them not trouble themselves further than is their duty viz. to be sensible of the rebukes of Divine Providence The Lord reigneth He that sitteth in the heavens laugheth The Lord shall have them in derision and shall one day speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure and let the World know that yet he hath set his King upon his holy hill of Sion I remember a passage of Luther Si nos ruamus ruet Christus unus Christus scilicet magnus ille regnator mundi c. If we perish saith he Christ must fall too Christ that great Governour of the World 2. If we did consider this as we might or ought we should also see as little reason to be disturb'd as to the concerns of our own Souls with the fear of two things as to their own Souls ordinarily the people of God are troubled 1. The prevailings of their own lusts and corruptions 2. The prevailings of Satans temptations This Doctrine of Divine Providence excellently serveth to still our unquiet spirits as to either of these troubles If the Lords Kingdom be over all both these fears must be vain and causeless for supposing the faithfulness of the Promises Sin shall not have dominion over your mortal bodies God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly He will with the temptation give an happy issue If the Lords Kingdom be over all neither shall corruption prevail nor Satan by temptations prevail to destroy the work of God in our Soul or to prevent us or hinder us as to the Kingdom which God hath prepared for us for as he that hath promised is faithful or cannot repent or lye so he is powerful and hath a dominion over all beings persons things c. My father saith Christ is greater than all none can pluck you out of my fathers hand 3. Lastly It affords us a relief against the sad prospect we have almost continually before our eyes of the malicious actions of wicked and ungodly men There is and always was a generation in the World which sleep not unless they do mischief they are continually devising mischievous devices against the little flock of Christ Their counsels designs works have a plain and
apparent tendency to the ruin of the whole interest of God in the World if possibly not to leave Christ a Name in the Earth nor Religion pure and undefiled Religion a footing in any place he that runs may read this day that the malice of some is against no form in Religion but the life and power and practice of Holiness The Devil their Master hath given them a command like that of Benhadads Fight neither against small nor great Neither against Conformists nor Non-conformists but against the life and practice of Religion only Who seeth not that although a man hath a further latitude than others of his brethren as to matters of Conformity yet if he liveth an holy life if he presseth Holiness in his Pulpit and practiseth it in his Conversation he maketh himself a prey to the common Enemies both of Gospel Faith and conversation But trouble not your selves Christians The Lord reigneth the Frogs out of the bottomless pit may through Gods permission get out and croak a while but to the pit they must return again A sad time it was when the Enemy said to the Soul of the man according to Gods own heart Flee as a bird to the mountains when the wicked bent their bows and made their arrows ready upon the string that they might privily shoot at the upright in heart Psalm 11.2 When the foundations were destroyed and the godly knew not what to do what comfort at such a time Observe the same Psalmist v. 4 The Lord is in his holy temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his ey-lids try the children of men I shall conclude this branch of Application with that Psalm 99. v. 1 The Lord reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the Cherubims let the Earth be moved the Lord is great in Zion and he is high above all people Let them praise the Lords great and terrible Name for it is holy Lastly Vse 3 This Doctrine is a foundation for a great deal of Exhortation Every good Christian upon hearing this Doctrine concerning Gods providential Kingdom should be saying What now is my Duty what ought I to do if the Lord reigneth I will tell you in five or six particulars and so shut up this Discourse concerning the main and principal acts of Divine Providence 1. An exercise of Faith seems a very reasonable piece of duty to be concluded from these premises By Faith here I understand not an assent to the Proposition of the word nor yet a resting upon the person of the Mediator which is the justifying-act of faith but committing of our selves unto God and casting our care upon him in all estates and conditions a thing often called for in Scripture Cast thy burthen on the Lord Psal 55.22 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5.7 Commit thy way unto the Lord Psal 37.5 So Job 5.8 Prov. 16.3 Sometimes it is called a Trusting in God Psalm 4.5 and 7.1 Pro. 28.25 and 29.5 Isa 57.13 c. Power and Love are the things that support and justifie one in trusting and putting confidence in another This Doctrine concerning the general Providence of God in governing all justifies him as to his Power to be the true and sole Object of our confidence We can trust in none else but may be controuled The greatest Princes of the Earth are but men under the authority of one who is higher than they and a mans trust in them oft-times is but like the Jews trusting in Egypt which the Prophet compareth to a leaning to a bruised reed and upon a broken staff which are not able to bear the weight of a mans body but if he leaneth upon them they will run into his hand If God be against us man cannot protect from him nor deliver out of his hand therefore saith the Psalmist Psalm 118.8 9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princes but he whose Kingdom is over all must needs be a proper Object of our confidence and as our confidence in God is warranted from general Providence as to the power of God so as to his love it is secured from special Providence but of that I hope to speak distinctly only a word here lest any should say But although the Kingdom of God be over all so that upon the account of his Power I may trust in him yet how doth it appear his Power shall be put forth for me I shall but offer four Meditations to you 1. That the glory of God is the great end that he aimeth at in all his actions He made all things for himself he preserveth he governeth the World for himself 2. That whereas God hath a twofold glory from his Creation Passive and Active One wherein the creature doth nothing from an inward principle thus the Heavens declare the glory of God and every creature speaks of his glory The other wherein the creature is Active acting out of intention and design and from the principle of its own will This latter is that which is most pleasing to God and acceptable 3. That God is capable of receiving no further glory from his creatures than what floweth from the predication of his praise and the doing of his Will 4. Lastly That from hence it must needs follow That God is more glorified by his Church and by his Saints than by all the Creation besides God is mutely and passively glorified by other creatures but in his Temple men speak of his glory The children of men and amongst them only those who are born of God do voluntarily and out of choice bring glory to God God if I may so speak wrests his glory from others as from Pharaoh c. God indeed in some sense may be said to be actively and voluntarily glorified by all Professors but only by that little flock whom he hath chosen to himself with a full intention voluntarily and sincerely They are the favourites of him whose Kingdom is over all Supposing then God to have a Dominion and Government over all and to be continually in the exercise of it surely if Haman could say Whom should the King delight to honour but me They may with much better right and advantage say For whom should the great King of kings and Lord of lords exercise a Rule and a Dominion For whose advantage should the Lord govern the World if not for those who most freely chearfully voluntarily serve the greatest end and design which he hath in the World viz. his own glory and can sincerely sum up all the desires of their Souls in that one Petition Let the Lord be glorified surely therefore the children of God have all obligations imaginable upon them under all vicissitudes of Providence to trust in God and to commit their ways unto the Lord. But this is but the first Duty 2. A Second Duty which this Doctrine of
or Christian For the Jewish Church he that runneth may read it in the whole story of the Old Testament Moses makes a large recapitulation Deut. 1. ch 2. ch 3 and ch 4 and the very bent of his Discourse is to shew the eminent special Providences of God for them above all other people and Nations upon the Earth In short the whole story of the Jewish Church after Moses his time until Christs coming is all but an eminent proof of this Doctrine After Christs coming and ascension the Christian Church was formed encompassed with Enemies on all hands the Jews on one hand the Heathens on the other The Jews power indeed was not much they were at first under the power of the Romans and in a few years utterly destroyed by them but the Heathens over-spread the World The Roman Empire was then in its glory They were full of Philosophers and learned men to whom the Gospel appear'd no better than foolishness They were established and rooted in Idolatry and very jealous of their Religion The Christian Church began with twelve men most of them Fishermen one indeed a learned man Paul was afterwards added to them What think you must there not a great deal of special Providence be shewed to preserve this little flock these few men sent out to plant the Gospel over all the World that they should go and in despight both of Jews and Gentiles spread the Gospel over all the World It is true there were great persecutions great havock made by the Enemies of the Church amongst them for three hundred years but this still evidenceth the more special Providence of God watching over them working with them that though they did what they could to blow out this light and had all the power in the World on their side yet neither the Philosophers and Orators of the World with their Philosophy and Rhetorick could argue and perswade the World from this New Doctrine nor all the force and rage they could use could fright the World from it nor root it out of the World neither destroy all the Ministers nor root out all the professors but a number should be left in all places and after three hundred years an Emperour should arise that should establish the Christian Religion and make it obtain in all places It is true after this the Christian Church degenerated admitted foul Heresies Idolatry and Superstition and it became with the Christian Church as it was with the Jewish Church in the days of Elijah Prophets were hid in caves Elija complained he was left alone yet God had his seven thousand in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal nor kissed him with their lips Antichristianism had so prevailed in the Christian Church that the sincere and true Professors were few A few in the valleys of Piedmont A few in Germany who stuck to the truth did it not argue a great and special Providence of God to watch over these few keeping them that they were not swallowed up by their numerous adversaries Luther began the Reformation in Germany and began it almost alone One poor man against all the power of Rome God preserved him alive prospered his works in his hands Indeed this Doctrine of special Providence needeth no other proof than what might be afforded it from the story of that great man who considering what he did and with what an undaunted spirit and courage he did it lived almost every day by a Miracle and yet went down to the grave in peace in a good old age like a shock of corn in its season as Job speaketh For particular instances of the special Providence of God towards particular Saints the time would fail me to tell you the particular stories of Abraham Jacob Joseph Daniel David and there is hardly any child of God living but will find it in the records of his own life that hath been preserved more than other men There is no truth more wrote with a Sun-beam than this great truth of Special Providence is Now if any man ask me the reason of it it is enough to say So it pleased God God is free in these as in other of his dispensations but yet let me shew you the reasonableness of these more particular and special Providences 1. It hath been an old Observation That Gods Providence is most eminently exercised about the noblest of his Creatures Angels and Men but I know not how to make this Notion out The Angels are more noble creatures than men spiritual substances of vaster capacities according to this observation they should be the more the objects of special Providence but I say I doubt this I am sure there was one great act of special Providence in which the Angels were not concerned Christ did not take upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham 2. But Secondly Of the whole Creation Angels and Men are those creatures whom in Creation he was pleased most to fit and capacitate for the great ends of his glory for an active designed glorifying of his holy name Let me open this a little 1. The great end of all the actions of God is his own glory The wise man tells us That the Lord made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 Indeed if we wisely consider the thing it must be so every rational agent worketh for some end and his reasonable nature constraineth him to work for the best end God is the highest reasonable agent and as he can do nothing in vain but for some end so he cannot but act for a good end and for the best end Now this could be no other than himself his own honour and glory so that as the Apostle saith of Gods swearing because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself so we must say of Gods working because he could work for no better no higher end than his own glory therefore he wrought for himself whatsoever he did he did for his own honour and glory Now as I have said before 2. If we diligently consider it God cannot be otherwise glorified by his Creatures than by their praedication and publication of his honour and glory The essential glory of God is neither capable of augmentation nor of diminution no creature can add any thing unto that Now look Thirdly As a man may be honoured mutely or more livelily so may God For example A Limner draweth a curious piece which is exposed to view he gets a great deal of honour credit and repute by it the Picture is a dead mute thing and hath no voice to praise its maker by nor any understanding or will to praise him from any intention and design and choice yet it honoureth him the Workmanship and Art of it gives the Limner a repute to all that view it We will now suppose this Limner to have two Sons both excellently bred up in Arts and Sciences c. but the one a rude debaucht fellow rebellious to his father yet a man
of parts and as he sheweth his breeding and education upon any subject he honoureth his Father But the other Son is dutiful loves his Parent makes it his business to commend him to all you will say That this Limner though he receiveth some honour from his mute and dead Picture and some honour from his rude and rebellious Son yet the dutiful Son is he who bringeth most honour and repute to the Father This is the case betwixt God and his Creatures God hath made the Sun the Moon the Stars the Earth the Seas the Whales the Lions and Elephants the Eagles the little Silk-worms all these are pieces of the Divine Workmanship all give honour and glory to God but it is done mutely and passively The vile and wicked men of the world that are rebels against God yet give a glory to God The structure of their bodies the endowments of their minds honour God who made them and gave them those excellent features qualities and endowments God useth them some of their vile and malitious actions to bring about his wise and glorious ends but God doth but as it were extort his glory from them But now the people of God out of choice and design and by a voluntary act and constant study give honour and glory to him Obedience is better than sacrifice doing of his will is more acceptable to him than burnt-offerings The glory God hath in Heaven from Angels and the Souls of just men made perfect is from their voluntary praising of him and doing of his will therefore we pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Now I pray observe Fourthly Angels and men are the only creatures capable of an active voluntary designed glorifying of God The Heavens and in them the Sun the Moon the Stars glorifie God but they know it not they are inanimate creatures not capable of knowledg The brute creatures act not from any principle of reason they have no rational nature and though God hath glory from them yet it is not from any principle within them so that Angels and Men being rational Beings have a further capacity to serve the Lords great end in bringing glory to God than all the Inanimate Creatures yea than all the vegetative or sensitive Creatures in the World Fifthly Amongst men The whole Church of God in the general is that body of people where there is any voluntary glorifying of God Psal 29.9 In his temple doth every one speak of his glory The whole visible Church bringeth an active glory to God it is the Pillar upon which his Proclamations of truth and grace are hung forth to the view of the World Psal 76.1 His name is great in Israel In the Church whether in truth or in sincerity all men glorifie God by a professed subjection to his Ordinances and an outward owning of him Sixthly But Lastly God is most eminently glorified by his Saints 1. They do it most heartily steadily and fully What hypocrites do they do in a meer shew and outward appearance As they glory in appearance so they glorifie God but in appearance from the teeth outward as we say there is nothing of heart design and choice in it they indeed glorifie God but we may say of their honouring and glorifying of God as the Prophet said Isa 10.7 of Assyria's serving God Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is the godly mans choice design study and he doth it more steadily the hypocrite is in and out he glorifieth God one hour by confessing his sins putting up prayers to him reading his word singing his praise and spits in the face of God the next hour by swearing and cursing and blaspheming by drunkenness and disobedience and the godly man glorifieth God most fully the hypocrites action is but the action of his outward man he doth not glorifie God as the godly man doth in body and mind and spirit 2. Godly men glorifie God sincerely so do no hypocrites no formal professors All hypocrites aim at themselves they do what they do as our Saviour said of the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be seen of men the godly man driveth no such designs nor hath a squint-eye in his actions which appear to be directed to the glory of God the glory of God is the first the main of his design 3. Lastly The godly man is he alone whom the Lord hath set apart for himself whom he intendeth to take up into Heaven to pursue the great end of his glory to all eternity Now the glory of God being the great end to which he directeth all the general and particular acts both of his preserving and of his Governing-Providence it from hence appeareth exceeding reasonable that Providence should work both in preserving and in governing the world by these different degrees and with these Specialties which I have shewed you God is more glorified by men than either by inanimate creatures or by any vegetative or sensitive creatures More by that body of men called his Church than by Heathens amongst whom his name is not known More yet by godly men whom he hath set apart for himself and who steadily designedly heartily sincerely set themselves to pursue the great design of his glory than by any hypocrites and formal professors therefore it is but reasonable they should in their degrees be cared for preserved and governed by God in a more special and eminent manner But I shall add no more to the Doctrinal part of this discourse The Application still remains for the subject of further discourse SERMON XI 1 Cor IX 9. Doth God take care for Oxen I Am come now to the Application of my former Discourse You have heard that God doth not only exercise some general acts of Providence in the preservation and government of all his creatures but some special acts of Providence in the preservation and government of some creatures in a more particular and eminent manner Though God doth take a care for Oxen yet he doth not take such a care for Oxen as he doth for Angels for men and amongst the children of men particularly for the members of his Church and amongst them for such as are not so only in an external visible profession but in truth and sincerity they are under the highest Specialties and care of Divine Providence The Doctrine of Gods Special Providence concerning Angels and mankind in the general and the Polities and Societies of men I much passed over The former being much a secret to us and not much concerning us and my Discourse being not amongst Heathens but to a Congregation which universally is within the pale of the visible Church I therefore most enlarged upon the Specialties of Divine Providence as you know with reference to the Church of God and those in it who truly fear God accordingly I shall sute my Application In the first place Vse 1 Let this instruct all that hear me this day in the
up the Church are more peculiar and special objects of Providence than all others in the World 3. Amongst them such as fear and love God in sincerity are yet the more peculiar objects of Divine Providence and which God hath a most peculiar regard unto which maketh a cogent argument to prove That supposing the glory of God to be the great end of all his providential Dispensations that the Providence of God must most eminently work for the good of these as being such who most eminently serve the great end of his Glory So as he who observeth the motions of it must needs by them understand the loving-kindness of the Lord towards them Secondly The mercy and truth of Gods ways towards them that fear him are not to be read in the surface of present Providences The dark side of the cloud is sometimes towards the Israel of God and at such a time it must be by Faith that we understand that the ways all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth toward his own people Who could read the loving-kindness of the Lord towards Israel while they were in Egypt serving at the Brick-kilns and under their great oppression there but he who observed the Providence of God thus working to make them willing to go out and take possession of the promised Land he might understand this It is not every motion of Providence but the issues of it that demonstrate all the ways of the Lord to be mercy and truth and this evinceth to us that an observation of the motions of Divine Providence yea and a wist and diligent and continuing observation of them also is necessary to make us understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I come now to the Application of what you have heard upon this Argument This in the first place sheweth us one great reason of that ignorance which is in men both concerning God and concernng their own duty Men know little of God and little how to govern their actions according to any degree of Christian prudence As ignorance of and unbelief in the Word of God is one great cause so their not observing the motions of Divine Providence which have been in the World is another no small cause of it Men are much ignorant of God indeed there is but little of the knowledg of God in the World especially that knowledg which floateth not only in the brain but influenceth the heart and affections and men know little how to govern their actions by any spiritual wisdom but live directly contrary to what they own and pretend to as their highest end And we understand as little of the loving-kindness of the Lord I say one great cause of this is mens not observing the workings and motions of Providence They pass before their eyes every day but they observe them not Non tantum oculis intueri sed animum ad hanc considerationem ita exuscitare ut meliores inde evadamus To observe signifieth not only with our eyes to behold it but so to stir up our minds to the consideration of a thing that we may grow the better by it saith a grave Author Now in this Notion of it how few are they that observe these things they see stupendious Providences sometimes in the destruction of the Churches Enemies for the salvation of his people it may be at first they as all new things do affect men with a little passion according to the nature of them but they are like a flash of lightning which though at present it startles us yet the impression is presently off our spirits and I say this is one great reason why we are so ignorant of God so unskilful in the government of our lives to his ends and that we understand so little of his loving-kindness Hence it is that we cannot understand how much good God doth his Church and people by afflictions and trials They are the sensible frowns of Providence which blind our eyes that we cannot see the loving-kindness of God in all his ways We think sometimes we see God driving his Chariot in a direct road to his great ends the glory of his holy Name and the good and protection of such as fear him here we think we can easily discern Gods Wisdom and as easily understand his loving-kindness But now when the Lord drives his Chariot out of our sight and exerciseth his Church or the particular souls of his people with long and tedious Afflictions here we are at a loss and can neither read the wisdom nor loving-kindness of God But what is the reason of this but only our superficial view of Gods Providences without a wist and diligent observation of them If we would but bend our minds to observe what a wholsom influence Afflictions and adverse Providences have ordinarily both upon vvhole Churches and upon particular Christians we should even in them easily understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. The Husbandman can easily understand that he could as ill want the frosts and snows of Winter as the warmth heat and sun-shine of the Summer Gideon taught the men of Succoth with briars and thorns and God ordinarily doth so teach his people Blessed is he saith the Psalmist whom thou chastenest and teachest out of thy Law David tells us Psalm 119.61 that before he was afflicted he went astray but since that he had learned to keep the statutes of the Lord. It was an old saying The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Church is bettered and the Soul is bettered by adverse Providences That Text Isa 27.9 is very remarkable By this that is by this severe affliction by this captivity shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and all the fruit shall be to take away sin when the Lord shall make the stones of the altar as chalk stones that crumble in pieces the groves and the images shall not stand up As an hard Winter keepeth under and killeth the weeds so the winter of Affliction much helps to the purging out of corruptions both out of the Church and also out of the particular Soul Augustine as I remember somewhere lamenteth That a Fever had done more with him to subdue and mortifie a lust than before the love of God could do with him Now I say our not observing this which is matter of no difficult observation to him that wistly eyeth Divine Providence is one great reason that men do not understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. Another reason of mens not understanding it is their making of a judgment of Gods works before they are perfect If any of us should go into a Limners shop and see his first draught of a lovely picture we should discern little loveliness in it which yet we should easily discern if we would but stay until he had finished his work and laid on his life-colours It is the same case with us as to works of Divine Providence we look on them while the Lords work is yet upon the
take away his life pursueth him with an Army from place to place David had a pitiful company with him is forced to flee to Gath there to dissemble himself mad would any one have thought that had seen David among the Philstines scrambling on the walls that he should ever have been King over Israel and Judah At length Saul and Jonathan the next heir are slain in Battel then Ishbosheth is set up but yet after all these oblique and seemingly contradictory motions of Providence it cometh home to the promise David is setled in the Throne of Israel and Judah 4. Let a fourth instance be that of the Gospel Church God had promised that he would set his King upon the holy hill of Zion Psalm 2.6 v. 8 That he would give him the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and promises of this nature are everywhere multiplyed by the Prophets Isaiah especially Our Lord when he ascended up into Heaven gave out a Commission to his Disciples in order to this effect Go preach and baptize all Nations c. Now at the first the Providence of God seemed to move as if the thing should presently have been done You read Acts 2 That the Spirit of God descended and there were then at Jerusalem saith the Text devout men of every Nation under Heaven Parthians Medes Elamites Mesopotamians Jews Cappadocians men of Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphilia Egypt Lybians Cyrenians Romanes Cretes Arabians and heard the Apostles in their own language speaking of the great works of God Here were now Preachers made for all the World would not one have thought that surely at this time all the ends of the Earth should have been given unto Christ Peter at one Sermon converts two thousand soon after there were five thousand added to the Church But all on the sudden the Providence of God turneth the Gospel groweth out of repute and the Apostles that preached it too both with Jews and Gentiles James is put to death Peter hardly escapes The Church the only Gospel church God had at that time at Jerusalem was scattered and broken the Apostle complains That they were made as the filth of the world and as the off scouring of all things The Jews persecute them the Gentiles in all places rise up against the Preachers of the Gospel bonds stripes and imprisonments waited for the Apostles in all places where they came Paul saith he thought that God had set them forth as men appointed unto death spectacles to the World Angels and men Few of the great Ministers of the Gospel died their natural death the Christians were a sect everywhere spoken against all courses almost imaginable taken to root them out of all places for three hundred years together But at length the Providence of God cometh in a great measure to work up to the direct fulfilling of the many promises of this nature Constantine an Emperour of a great part of the World ariseth and commandeth and encourageth the preaching of the Gospel And thus it came to be spread and accepted in most known parts of the World Indeed there is hardly any instance can be given of any great work of Providence respecting Churches Nations or particular persons as to which this Observation will not justifie it self 5. For another instance may we not bring in if not all yet very many of your particular Souls who fear the Lord. You also upon believing receive the promises The promises are made of old but we receive them we come to have a title to them in the day when God opens our eyes and opens our hearts to a receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ turning our hearts from dead lusts and sins to serve the living God In that day I say we have a first right to all the Promises whether respecting joy and peace or spiritual strength and assistances Now very-often at the first of our conversion the Providence of God moves directly towards them the Soul finds a great life to Duty a great zeal against sin great joy and peace in believing glimpses of the glory of God But after this very ordinarily follow very dark hours and the Soul like Jonah cryes out of the belly of Hell The Soul that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant yet walketh in the dark and seeth no light cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and hath a thousand fair and foul days in its journey to Heaven I know particular cases must here be excepted but I speak of the ordinary Methods of Divine Providence with Souls whom God bringeth to glory 6. I will conclude this Discourse with the instance of the great work of Providence in the Reformation of his Church in this latter age whether you look upon it in Germany France or England In Germany it began with Luther an eminent Servant of of God though like Elias of like passions and infirmities with other men how strangely did the Providence of God in the beginning work towards the accomplishment of it That Luther who was a poor Monk should be preserved to plant the Doctrine of the Gospel and should diffuse it so far as he did and be preserved to do it against all the rage both of the Pope and Emperour 28 or 29 years was a great favour of Providence to the infantile Reformation but afterwards how the Providence of God gave check to it is sufficiently known yet it kept its ground and gained For England we know from our story That King Hen. 8 laid the first stone we also know how Providence at first favoured the work during all the reign of Edward the sixth but in Queen Maries time for five years together it seemed to move directly cross the Popish Superstitions were restored in all parts of the Nation Multitudes burnt for the profession of the Gospel others fled into foreign parts to secure their lives But the Providence of God returned again to its work in the time of Queen Elizabeth But I have spoken enough to justifie the Observation Let me in the next place endeavour to give you a reasonable account of these transverse motions of Providence not that I dare presume to give you the reasons why God moveth thus or thus for who hath been his Counsellor at any time but so far forth as to shew you that these motions of Providence are approvable to our Reason so as we may judg the Lords ways but proportioned to his wise and great designs 1. In the first place certainly one reasonable account to be given of these motions must be the variety of designs which the Providence of God ordinarily carries on together I have hinted this to you before suffer me here to enlarge a little upon it again I then compared Providence to a man of great business and dealings in the World who though London or some other great place be in his Eye as the end of his Journey where his business lies
as low as could be After that time when the men of Jabish Gilead were ready to take the basest terms then God sends Saul to their rescue when there was not a sword nor a spear found in all Israel but in the hand of Saul and Jonathan then will God deliver them from the Philistines They shall be delivered out of the captivity of Babylon but not till they had been worn out there seventy years when one would have thought scarce any should have been left to have returned and those that were so linked with alliances to the Babilonians so fixed in another Country as few of them should ever have been perswaded to have come out and have gone to build a new a desolate City The promise of Christ their great King shall be made good to them but when when the Scepter is departed from Judah and the Law-giver from his feet When the Jews are made tributaries to the Romans for particular persons the cases are very many Abraham shall have the Child of the promise when he is an hundred years old Joseph shall be exalted out of a dungeon Isaac shall be rescued when the knife is at his throat David shall have the Kingdom when he is brought to the lowest Ebb and that is the time when Job shall be restored to a prosperous state and his latter end shall be greater than his beginning The three Children and Daniel shall be delivered and exalted but not till the former be actually thrown into the fiery Furnace and Daniel into the Lions Den. Peter shall be delivered out of prison but not till the very night before his execution was designed Paul shall be delivered when he despaired of life and had the sentence of death in himself 2 Cor. 1.9 In short you shall observe this the constant course and method of Divine Providence Secondly The observation is as true on the other hand when Pharaoh with his Host was in their highest ruff and he says I will pursue I will overtake them I will satisfie my lust on them then shall he be drowned in the Red-sea when the sins of the Amorites are at the full then and not before will Providence destroy and root them out When Sisera is in his greatest heighth then will God by Woman bring him down When Sennacherib is at his heighth then shall he perish The like instances might be given of Belshazzar Haman in short of all the Enemies of God and his people of whom we have any Scriptural record I remember when Gideon had his great Army God said they were too many for him to conquer by and reduceth them to three hundred then maketh them victorious The people of God though under some misery and oppressions may be too many or in too good a condition for him to deliver them and the Enemies may be too low or in too pitiful a condition for the Lord of Hosts to encounter them He will then deal with Pharaoh Sennacherib Haman Belshazzar Herod when they are at the highest and think themselves out of the reach of divine Power and Justice When all the World almost is turned Arian he will begin to root out Arianism When all are made slaves to the Pope and he can with his Bulls fright the greatest Prince that is the time Providence will chuse to begin Reformation Let us a little enquire into the Wisdom of God in this method of working God in all his great workings both of Judgment and Mercy in all his great motions of Providence is pursuing one and the same great end viz. the glory of his great and holy Name he can work for no higher he will work for no lower or lesser end The deliverance and good of his people is subordinate to this so is the ruin and destruction of their Enemies so that this must be the reason of this method of Providence Because thus God is most glorified by delivering his people when they are at the lowest by destroying his Enemies when they are at the highest God is most glorified My further Work must be to demonstrate this God is thus most glorified 1. By a Declaration of himself in his glorious Attributes 2. By Eliciting pious actions from his Creatures 1. By a Declaration of himself that men may know that he is God and he alone and the work is his and his alone There is as I have told you a mute Glory which ariseth unto God from his own works as the Psalmist saith The heavens declare the glory of God As all Gods works of Creation so all his works of Providence declare the glory of God and he doth them to be had in remembrance that he might by them be glorified and get himself a great Name in the Earth God is divers ways eminently magnified and made known to the World by this method of Providence in its workings divers Attributes of his are remarkably by it published to the World I will instance in some His power his wisdom his justice and righteousness and his goodness and mercy 1. The power of God is thus more magnified Power is a great Attribute of God Once have I spoken saith the Psalmist yea twice have I heard it that power belongeth unto God Hence he is so often call'd The great God Now the power of God is never so eminent in the view of the World as when he raiseth up his people out of the dunghil and pulleth down the Sinners in the heighth and pride of their glory When God falleth upon a Nebuchadnezzar crying out Who is that God who shall deliver you out of my hands Dan. 3.15 Upon a Sennacharib saying Who are they amongst the gods of the Nations that have delivered their people out of my hand that the Lord should deliver you out of my hand Isa 36.20 Upon a Pharaoh saying Who is the Lord that I should obey him Exod. 5.2 Then doth the Lord make the greatness of his might and power known God lets them then see that wherein they thought spake and acted proudly he can be above them Power is never so magnified as when an opposite power is greatest when men most think they are out of Gunshot I remember the story of Gideon which I hinted before you have it Judg. 7.2 The people saith God are too many for me lest Israel vaunt himself against me and say my own hand hath saved me Ver. 3 They were reduced to twenty two thousand Ver. 4 God saith They are yet too many for me In short they must be brought to three hundred and by them God will work here now Gods Arm was made bare when there is a plenty of means and probabilities and God worketh by and in the use of them it is still God's arm that brings Salvation but it is as it were a cloathed-arm and the arm the power and strength of God is hidden and concealed but when God works contrary to humane probabilities and without such means there the arm of the Lord is made bare
The Egyptians the Philistines the vilest Enemies cry out God fighteth against them or This is the Lords work Secondly As the Power so the Wisdom of God is seen in these methods and operations of Providence Indeed sometimes God so worketh that the Power of God appeareth uppermost and is most conspicuous in the destruction of the Enemies and in the salvation of the Lords people as in the case of Sennacherib's Army destroyed by an Angel of Pharaoh destroyed by the return of the waters c. But oft-times there 's a wonderful wisdom of God in ordering contingencies and seeming casual things to his own ends in these cases as in the case of Joseph and Haman the reflexion of the Sun upon the waters which caused the Moabites mistake and confusion But the wisdom of God is further seen in this That a mercy seldom comes but though we could see nothing of Wisdom relating to it before it came yet when it is come to pass there 's no understanding Christian but is forced to say It could never have come in a more seasonable time the wisdom of which we could see nothing of in the prospect is evident upon the event It would have been a great question whether the Israelites would have been so willing to have come out of Egypt under the conduct of Joseph when they were pinch'd with no oppressions as they were under Moses and Aaron when they had been serving in the Brick-kilns and their lives so many years together had been made bitter to them through the hard bondage which they had so long endured Thirdly The Lord doth thus more eminently magnifie his justice and righteousness Justice lieth in the distribution of rewards and punishments the first we call Remunerative the second Vindicative Justice Both are much magnified by this method of Providence Persons in the greatest heighths of prosperity or depths of 〈◊〉 are ordinarily the most remarkable objects of the worlds eyes and more regarded than those that are in a more middle-state When God lifts up a Joseph out of the dungeon and a Daniel out of the Lions den and advanceth a Mordecai for whom a gallows was set up and the three Children are taken out of a fiery Furnace He proclaimeth to all the World and they are forced to confess it that verily there is a reward for the righteous and so on the other side when a Pharaoh a Sennecharib an Haman a Nebuchadnezzar are pull'd down in the midst of all their pride and jollity from their very pinacles of honour the Justice and Righteousness of God in punishing proud and imperious Sinners is proclaimed and made more evident to all the World Lastly 4. The Lords goodness is thus more magnified and taken notice of Common and ordinary Dispensations of gracious Providence are little remarked by us what mercy do we receive every night every day from God yet how little notice do we take of it how little is our heart affected with it but now when we are brought to the pits-brink to a very low estate and then are pluck'd from it when we are in a very low estate and then delivered Gods goodness is both more proclaimed to the World and more conspicuous unto us But this will in part fall in under the second head for I told you that God is glorified by this method of his Providence not only as his glorious Attributes divers of them are by it more exalted but also as the pious and religious Acts of his people are more by this method of Providence elicited I have often hinted to you that God hath a twofold glory from his Creatures and the works of his hands The first is a meer passive glory Thus the heavens declare the glory of God the Heavens shew forth the greatness glory and power of God The second is Active wherein the creature doth some actions from which a glory doth result unto God Now by this Method of Providence God is not only glorified in the first sense as this kind of working speaketh more of his Power Wisdom Justice Goodness c. but in the second also ◠Thus God sometimes forceth an acknowledgment of his Power even from the worst of men Julian himself shall confess that Christ is too hard for him throwing up his Dagger to Heaven and crying Vicisti Galilaee The Egyptians shall cry out Exod. 14.25 Let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for the Israelites against the Egyptians Nebuchadnezzar shall make a Decree Dan. 3.29 That every Nation People and Language which speak any thing against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghil because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort Dan. 6.25 Darius shall write to all people Nations and Languages that dwell upon the Earth and make a Decree That in every Dominion of his Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even to the end he delivereth and he rescueth and he worketh signs and wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions The King of Babylon that set up the Golden-image and so rigorously commanded all should bow down to it or be thrown into the fiery Furnace heated seven times hotter than ordinary Dan. 3.26 shall bless the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the Kings word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve or worship any god but their own God What a wonderful glory here had God given him from a wicked Pagan Prince he confesseth his Command wicked he blesseth God that put into these three hearts 〈◊〉 to disobey it and make him change his word he acknowledgeth God the true God and that he delivereth them that trust in him All this accreweth from Gods delivering these three men when they were at the lowest when all gave them over for dead men But secondly How much more glory hath God from his own people upon any such deliverance Surprizals affect us most An unthought-of evil most startleth and dejecteth us An unthought-of good most elevates and affects us Good things lessen in our opinion and estimate by a long expectation They are greatest and most affect us when we are past hopes of them Sudden and unlook'd for good raiseth our hearts to great admiration great praise and thanksgiving Now he that offereth praise saith God glorifieth me The more God is admired the more his goodness is predicated and proclaimed the more men upon any occasion speak of his honour and power and greatness the more glory God hath from them Thirdly God is more honoured by this method of Providence not only as the suddenness of it doth more affect and elevate his peoples
same as of my former observation Because thus he gets himself most glory The Glory of God is the great end of all his actions he worketh for himself for the Honour and Glory of his own great Name Now God hath more Honour and Glory by these accomplishments than if he should bring them to pass by greater and more probable means The Apostle gives this very reason 1 Cor. 1.29 Why God chose weak things to confound those that are mighty c. That no flesh should glory in his presence 1. His power is thus more magnified He thus appears to be a great God a mighty God though it be true that the Power of God is equally exerted when he worketh by great means as by small had we spiritual eyes or did we look upon means as we ought to do as deriving all their efficacy from God yet de facto it is not so to us and therefore you shall in Scripture observe God often declaring that he would work this or that in this or that manner that his People might not say that they had done this by their own might or power The lesser appearance there is of second Causes the more the efficiency of the first Cause is evident so God getteth himself a great deal of Glory by working in the day of mans smallest things 2. As I also told you under the former head God getteth himself more Glory by the praises of his people he is more admired in his workings more praised and adored for his workings The Enemies are also hereby enforced to confess the works of the Lord and to acknowledg the greatness of his Power But having enlarged upon these things under the former observation I shall add no more here but come to the Application Vse 1. The first Use I shall make of this point shall be what the Prophet Zechariah hath made before me Zech. 4.10 Who hath despised the day of small things The Prophet propoundeth it by way of Interrogation but it contains a Precept in the bowels of it Learn not to despise the day of small things it is usually Gods day It may be a day of small things as to the Church the state of it may be very sad the case of it very low little humane means or probabilities may appear of the amendment of its state all things may seem to make against the interest of God and Religion Now I say let no man despise this day of small things It may be a day of small things with the particular soul the case of it may be very sad it may be full of dejections full of despondencies hurried with temptations it may have hope and but a little hope light shining in upon it at a poor crevice let none now despise this day of small things Two things I would press upon you 1. Not to despise this day 2. To perform what is your positive duty with reference to such a day 1. I say first Despise not such a day Persons or things may be despised two ways 1. Directly 2. Interpretatively Take heed of despising it directly Take heed of despising it interpretatively We despise a person or thing directly when in our hearts we contemn him or it and have a low and poor estimate of him or it and express it by any outward sign as words gestures c. Thus the Enemies of the Jews scorned the Jews employed in re-building the City and Temple when they said What will these feeble Jews do if a fox go up he will break down what they have builded It was it seems a day of small things with the Jews their Enemies despised them and mocked at them Thus Sennacherib despised Hezekiah when he offered his Commissioners two hundred horses if his master could set riders on them Take heed of this despising Thus the Popish party in Germany despised the day of small things in the beginning of the Reformation by Luther when they bid him go into his Cell and pray Lord have mercy upon me The issue in all three cases shewed that they had no reason as to any of them to have despised the day of small things Providence usually brings forth its greatest works in such a day But besides this despising 2. There is an interpretative despising of such a day Take heed of this also thus we may despise things 1. When we do not give that due regard to them which we ought Thus our Saviour telleth you A man cannot serve two masters but he will cleave to the one and despise the other that is not give that due regard which he ought to give to the other He that neglecteth what ought not to be neglected doth interpretatively despise when we have not that due value for a thing we ought to have we despise it Thus Esau despised his birth-right saith the Apostle we no where read that he spake contemptuously of it but he did not duly value it he sold it for a contemptible price a mess of pottage 2. When because of the smallness of means our hearts fail in the use of the means we have or as to the promise this is a despising of the day of small things Now I say take heed of despising such a day any of these ways it is usually Gods day Let your rule be this If a work or issue of a work be for Gods Glory if it be the matter of a Divine Promise though there may be but a small appearance of means for the accomplishment of it take heed of despising it either directly or interpretatively Who hath despised such a day saith the Prophet intimating that none ought to despise it none hath any just reason to despise it 2. But secondly Do what is your duty in such a day you will say What is that I will open it in three things 1. Vse the means you have 2. Exercise a faith in God beyond the probable effect of those means 3. Make up in prayer what you will want in action through a want of means Of each of these a word or two 1. Vse those means and grounds of hope which you have If David hath but a sling and a stone to go out against Goliah with yet he will use them Means that have a natural vertue in them or a divine institution have Gods stamp upon them and must be used leaving the event and success unto God we must neither idolize means by attributing the divine Efficiency to them nor yet tempt God by a neglect of them when God affords us them You shall observe God sometimes commanding the use of means which had no rational tendency to the production of the effect as what influence could the Israelites blowing with Rams-horns and the Army encompassing the City seven days have upon the walls of Jericho yet the Israelites were bound to use them because they had the stamp of a divine Institution upon them It is much the same case when they have a natural vertue or a rational tendency there
he was able to perform Abraham that he might keep up his heart fixed on the promise he considered not the nothingness or improbability of the means he considered nothing but the power and faithfulness of God God had said it there was a promise for it a promise from him who could not lye then he considereth that he who had promised was able also to perform an honest faithful man may sail in his promise because he may not be able to perform but as God was faithful so he was also able he keeps his Eye off means fixed upon God So again Heb. 11.17 18 19 By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead Abraham had a promise that in Isaac his seed should be called God calls Abraham with his own hand to slay Isaac he could not but have such thoughts as these Lord if Isaac be gone where is thy promise what becomes of thy word how shall my seed be called in him how shall I be the father of the Jewish Nation if Isaac be he in whom my seed must be called and he be dead before he hath a child He had nothing to relieve him under these thoughts but this That God was able to raise him from the dead hither he flies and keeps up his faith in the Promise by turning his eye off from the means and meerly considering the power and faithfulness of God You shall find Asa doing thus 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 Asa had but an Army of five hundred thousand Zerah the Ethiopian cometh out against him with an Army of a million and three hundred Chariots there was double the number he had If he had look'd upon the means he must have desponded how should five hundred thousand deal with ten hundred thousand but he looks off the means and fixeth his Eye upon God Ver. 11 He cryeth unto the Lord and saith Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man prevail against thee Secondly In such a day consider the experiences of Gods people consider what they did and how they sped What they did that you heard in the instance both of Abraham and Asa They shut the Eyes of their sense and natural reason they took off their Eyes from all consideration of means and eyed only the certainty of the Promise the faithfulness of God and the power of God So did Abraham so did Asa Then 2. Consider how they sped Abraham had a Son at the set-time Abraham had his Son reprieved when the knife was at his throat and his seed was called in Isaac The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Juda c. saith the Text 2 Chron. 14.12 13 14. Now it is a great encouragement to us in the exercises of our faith to consider the experiences of other of the Servants of God in their exercises of Faith Our father 's trusted in thee saith David Psalm 22 they trusted and were delivered The strength of this lieth in the stedfastness and unchangeableness of God he is the same his name is I am David as to Goliah raised up his faith upon his former experiences in slaying the Lion and the Bear 1 Sam. 17 and upon the experience of others Psalm 22 nothing is more conducive to help and relieve a Christian weak as to his faith in the day either of small things as to the Church of God in which he is considered as a member or in the day of small things as to his own personal concerns God chuseth the day of small things to be seen in it is the day which Providence chuseth to shew it self great in And you may thus advantage your faith in God in such a day Now for your further encouragement in this exercise of faith in God beyond the visibility or apparent probability of means I shall offer these things to your consideration 1. That it is Gods ordinary time and method of working This is that which I discoursed to you in justification of the Observation and proved it to you from a plenty of instances and therefore shall not enlarge here 2. That God never worketh with so much advantage to his own glory as in such a time when he fulfilleth his Word in the day of mans small things We never need doubt Gods pursuing of the great ends of his glory He doth all things for himself his glory is the end of all his great works Now I say God never worketh more for the advantage of his glory than in such exigents then is his power and the greatness thereof most eminently made known Then shall his people more see and confess the Arm of the Lord. 3. Consider thirdly this is the proper work of faith It is true we ought to exercise Faith in the use of means let them be never so great never so probable for the accomplishment of the the End but the proper place for faith is where means are weak or wanting to put the Soul in hope against hope It is the evidence of things not seen as patience is an habit of grace given the Soul for a day of adversity so faith is made for an hour of sensible darkness 4. Lastly Nothing so pleaseth and engageth God as such an exercise of faith Asa 2 Chron. 14.11 useth it as an argument with God Help us O Lord for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this great multitude The next Verse saith God smote the Ethiopians 2 Chron. 13.18 You will find that Jeroboam's Army was full double to the number of Abijah's and could not have been conquered without some extraordinary influence of God upon Abijah's side Now would you know what engaged the Lord of Hosts ver 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers See the contrary 2 Chron. 16.7 Hanani the Seer cometh to Asa and telleth him Because thou hast relied on the King of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God therefore the Host of the King of Syria is escaped out of thy hands Thus I have shewed you a second thing in which I conceive the duty of a Christian lies in the day of small things viz. The exercise of a faith in God beyond the vertue and probability of the means 3. A third piece of his duty is To beware of the use of sinful means in order to the accomplishment of what he desireth It is a great vanity to which through our misapprehension of means we are very subject if we want lawful means to make use of
year some another How many agreed in the year 1666 is known to those any thing acquainted with books we see the Providence of God hath hitherto failed all mens conjectures and still it holds that of these days and hours knoweth no man the best Prophets have proved but vain guessers I might give you a-like instances as to Places and Means but you will generally observe it That the Providence of God rarely as to circumstances suteth any of our fancies And the same thing we shall observe as to particular cases of Christians who are ready to think that if ever by such an instrument at such a time or by such a means they must or shall obtain their desired mercy They obtain it probably but by quite other means and at other times and by other instruments than they fancied and such perhaps as they never thought of the thing is plain and evidenced from a daily experience let us a little enquire into the Reason of it Hath God a pleasure in frustrating the expectations of his people or exposing them to the worlds censures as persons pretending to more acquaintance than they indeed have with the Counsels of God Surely no But God by this method of his Provdience does two things 1. He punisheth the rashness and vanity of his peoples spirits 2. He more consulteth the glory of his own name 1. He by this means chastiseth the vanity and rashness of his people there is a great deal of vanity in peoples spirits in this particular Let me shew you the great evil of this in some few particulars 1. There is in it an unwarrantable curiosity Job tells us chap. 11.12 That vain man would be wise though he be like a wild asses colt We have a great itch after knowledg of things which God hath hidden from us Now this is a great Errour and you shall observe it continually checked by our Saviour when any thing of it discovered it self even in his best Disciples when they said to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel He saith unto them It is not for you to know the times and seasons Acts 1.6 7. When Peter saith to him John 21.21 22 Lord what shall this man do Mark our Saviours answer If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me When the Disciples asked him Matth. 24.3 Tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world Jesus answereth and saith unto them Take heed that no man deceive you God of old had an Ark into which none might look There are secrets of his Will which are as yet the Ark of God we would fain be looking into this Ark there 's our vanity God chastens us in it with disappointments that we may learn not to pry into Gods secrets things which we cannot see because God hath hidden them the things are sure the vision is certain and there is an appointed time but that appointed time is not published 2. There is as to these things an ungrounded confidence which God also chastiseth by these disappointments There is nothing more worthy of a Christian than a believing God upon his word and a relying upon him for the fulfilling of it There is nothing more idle nothing more unworthy of him than to be confident where he hath no word to set his foot upon Now such a confidence as this is the confidence of people as to circumstances It is true as to the Jews deliverance out of Egypt and out of Babylon the promise did not only extend to the thing but to the time the four hundred years for the first were named and the 70 years for the latter yea and the particular person Cyrus by whom God would deliver them But it is not so as to the promises which we live in expectation of the fulfilling of as to the Church God hath no-where revealed the year for the ruin of Antichrist nor for the calling of the Jews nor when the halcion-days of the Church shall begin or when Christ shall come to the last judgment If people will expect any of these things shall begin or be at such a time in such a year by such persons their Confidences are without ground or bottom their pretended faith but a rude and bold presumption a rush growing up without any mire and a flag growing up without water and it is but reasonable that God should chastise these vain Confidences 3. There is in these things a sinful limitation of God It is laid to the charge of the Israelites That they limited the Holy One of Israel Psal 78.41 When men tye up God to their circumstances in the fulfilling of his promises or his threatnings they limit God Now this is a great sin God is a free and a powerful Agent he works by means or without means sometimes by means that seem probable sometimes by such as have no appearance of probability to produce the effect he can work how and when and by whom he pleaseth he that fixeth God to his circumstances secretly saith It must be thus or no way by this means and by no other now or never What ground else is there for the expectation or confidence if God hath no where revealed his Will as to particular circumstances only as to the accomplishment of the thing in general God will have us know we are not to limit him 4. Such expectations and confidences are usually but introductions to a greater unbelief God hath promised the things in the plain letter of Scripture the Vision is sure vain man would be wise and search out when these things shall be and where accomplished and by what instruments and means at length he fixeth his eye upon some instruments at work in the world or some means which he fancieth probable to bring these words into a Being Upon these he raiseth up to himself high expectations and groweth very confident that in such a year the thing will be and such a person shall be Gods Instrument and by such means he will effect it It proveth no such thing What a temptation this often proves to men to believe nothing of the thing but because they have deceived themselves in expectations and confidences for which they have no ground to think also that God hath deceived them and there shall no such thing at all be as he hath promised 5. And lastly These expectations and confidences prove oftentimes very great temptations to the use of unlawful means in order to the bringing about of what we would have and know God will bring to pass and do but fancy that he will do it at such or such a time or by such and such instruments The story of the Anabaptists in Germany is a dreadful story to this purpose There is a world of evil in these vain confidences and expectations and consequent to them which God sometimes punisheth in a more smart 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
the ignorance and sottishness of the Popish-Clergy together with their covetousness ambition and debauchery to grow to that heighth that they grew an abomination to all men And as it is in the Political and Ecclesiastical body so it is as to the particular persons of Christians the Providence of God ordinarily disposeth the body according to the work which he hath to do upon the soul But that is more forreign to my observation therefore I shall not inlarge upon it Besides that I spake something to it under the former observation which hath some cognation with this this only differing from it in this shewing you that the Providence of God doth not make the Church lacquey to the world but he makes the world lacquey to the Church and subordinateth the business of the world to his own great designs relating to the Church Now if you ask me the reason of this it doubtless lyeth Reas In the peculiar favour of God to that people in the world which bear the name of his Church You have an expression Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Sion was the place at the foot of which the Temple was built where all the worship which God had in the world performed according to his will was performed The tabernacle in Shiloh was forsaken Psal 78.60 God hath a particular kindness for any place for any persons amongst whom his true worship is and where he hath placed to himself a Tabernacle though God had a kindness for the whole seed of Jacob yet he loved the gates of Sion above all the dwellings of Jacob because that was the place where his worship was regularly performed It holds still under the New Testament and will hold to the end of the world wheresoever God hath a Church or people he hath a particular kindness for that people they are in Scripture called the house of God God is said to dwell and walk amongst them and God hath yet a more particular favour to those that are the invisible part of the visible Church I mean such as truly belong unto God that worship him in spirit and in truth that fear the Lord and hope in his mercies as the Psalmist expresseth it Psal 33.18 All the world is nothing to God in comparison of this little flock to whom it is his will to give a Kingdom He hath given them his Christ and shall he not with him give them all things This were easily to be proved to you from a variety of Scripture and arguments drawn from thence Now supposing this it is no wonder if he subordinateth his works in the world to his designs here This is that Canaan which the Lord careth for and upon which his eyes are from one end of the year to another Deut. 11. His heritage the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12.7 His peculiar treasure his sister his spouse the redeemed and ransomed of the Lord his portion in short there is a multitude of expressions by which God hath shewen that his Church the whole body of people owning and professing him and especially those of them that worship him in spirit and truth and walk up to the rule of his word are dearer to him than all the world besides He calls them his bride Rev. 21.9 His beloved Psal 108.6 His building 1 Cor. 3.9 His City Heb. 12.22 His chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 His family Eph. 3.15 His husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 His Kingdom the lot of his inheritance Now considering this it is no wonder at all that the Providence of God should manage all the affairs of the world in subordination to his designs for the good of this body All the relation of God to others is but that of a Creator and they are no better than the synagogues of Satan as to the Divine Worship that is in them and the throne of Satan with respect to the homage of their Conversation They are called children of wrath of disobedience of the curse strangers and forreiners If God sometimes gives up his people into the hands of wicked men it is either 1. For his peoples good to purge away their dross and take away their tinn as the Prophet expresseth it or for to ripen sinners for their destruction that they may by it fill up the measure of their iniquities Methinks you have a full proof of this Observation in the 105 Psalm the Psalmist in that Psalm is calling the Church of the Jews to give thanks unto the Lord to sing unto him to talk of all his wondrous works Then followeth a recapitulation of those great things which God had done for them amongst which this is reckoned that he subordinated his motions of Providence amongst the men and the nations of the world to his gracious designs for them Vers 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sake saying Touch not mine anointed do my prophets no harm and so he goes on almost quite through that Psalm Now I say the reason of all this was his love set upon this people As most of us have some particular persons that our heart is most set upon some particular interest and design that we drive on now whoever those persons be or whatever that design be we make all the rest of our actions to be subordinate to that So the great God having set up his glory as his great interest and design and set apart him and them that are godly for himself it is no wonder at all if he ruleth all the world and governeth all the affairs of it in subordination to this great interest and the good of this people I now come to the Application of this Observation Vse 1. In the first place as I said before upon the other Observation so I say here From hence a wise and observing Christian may in a great measure know what weather it is like to be in the Climate of the Church How it is like to fare with them that are the People of God They are and always were the far lesser part of the world and their quiet and tranquillity to look with a rational eye doth much depend upon the complexion of the men of the world and their inclinations if God intends a calm and tranquillity to the Church he usually so ordereth the world that the earth helps the woman the men of the world either out of good nature or which indeed mostly is the business out of interest shew them kindness Hence you shall observe that when God intendeth the tranquillity and prosperity of the Church his Providence ordinarily bringeth one of these things to pass 1. He sometimes raiseth up some eminent servant of his to do great services for the men of the world this you see in the case of Joseph God had designed the Jews a prospering multiplying time in the land of Egypt he raiseth up Joseph makes him a Privy-Counsellor to Pharaoh yea the second man
a special Providence But it is not to be thought that God should do much for Hypocrites and Formalists What advantages they have from the Providence of God they have for the sake of those better servants of God with whom they are joyned in an external communion And certainly in the last place this obligeth all within the Church of God to a more special duty Doth God subordinate all his great actions and motions in the world to his gracious designs and counsels relating to that body of people of which we are a part Surely then it were but reasonable for us to subordinate all our little actions in the world to the honour and glory of God Gods glorifying of himself is his great design he aims at no other end and it ought also to be our highest design He hath chosen a certain people out of the world and marked them out for himself as the people in whom and by whom he will be more especially glorified This people is called his Church God subordinateth all his great actions in the world to his gracious designs upon and for these certainly in reason Whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we should according to the Apostles Precept do all to the glory of God His people are those whom he hath created whom he hath formed for himself all the world is nothing to God in comparison of them they are the dearly beloved of his Soul What love reverence obedience is but reasonable on our parts towards this great God What ingratitude must it argue on our part to prefer any thing in design or action to the Honour and Glory of this God We can never live enough unto nor do enough for that God who hath done and doth do so much for us This Observation might be many other ways improved but I shall add no more SERMON XXI Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Proceed yet in making some Observations upon the motions of Divine Providence A seventh Observation I shall make is this Observ 7. It ordinarily enforceth wicked men who mean nothing less yet to do the Lords work It is the great art of a Politician to serve himself of every humor A good Pen-man will write almost with any Pen and a good work-man will work with any tool and the great and wise God herein sheweth the greatness of his Wisdom that he also works with any tools and doth his business by any instruments The Stars shall fight in their courses against Sizera the Sun and the Moon against the Canaanites the Frogs the Lice and the Flyes against Pharaoh the Earth against Corah Dathan and Abiram Now in this there shines forth a great deal of Divine Power thus God sheweth himself to the world to be the Lord of hosts to have all the hosts of Heaven and Earth at his command So that as a great General who hath several Regiments under his Command at his pleasure he sometimes commandeth out one sometimes another as it pleaseth him upon a particular service so doth our great and mighty God and as that great Commander shewing his vast Army to his friend is reported to have said there is not one of these but if I bid him throw himself down a Precipice or into a River he will do it so there is not any company of inanimate or brute Creatures not one Company in the whole Army of the Lord of Hosts but like the Centurion's servants if he saith unto them Go they go if Do this they do it But though much of the Wisdom and Power of God be seen in this yet it is more eminently seen in the use he makes of wicked men to accomplish his designs which is a thing very usual in the motions of Divine Providence As that Politician doth most shew his Wisdom that maketh his Enemies serve him so God in this doth commend to us his infinite Wisdom to make use of the Sons of men that have a perfect hatred and enmity to God and all his holy designs that they shall serve him and accomplish his designs Now this Observation justifieth it self by a great variety of instances You have one in holy Writ very plain Isa 10.5 6 7. O Assyrian 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 like mire of the streets Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so Assyria you see was the Rod of Gods anger Gods indignation was his staff Thou couldest do nothing against me saith Christ to Pilate if it were not given thee from above He went upon Gods errand when he went against Gods People the Jews they had proved an hypocritical people and God had determined to make the people that had been the dearly beloved of his soul the people of his wrath God gave him his charge to spoil to take the prey to tread down the people O but how should God perswade the Assyrian to serve him The Assyrians were Enemies to the true God the Text telleth you Howbeit he meaneth not so neither is it in his heart to think so He thought of nothing less than serving of Gods design that which he thought of was plunder and spoyl and prey for his Soldiers as the Apostle saith of himself 2 Cor. 12.16 Being crafty I took you by guile so we may say of God being wise infinitely wise he took the Assyrian by guile or rather by his infinite wisdom This is that which the Psalmist saith Psal 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee The wrath of man shall praise God How can that be James tells us That the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Well but for all that it shall praise God God will make use of their wrath and malice to bring forth his great designs Who would ever have thought that Pharaoh the King of Egypt should have been a great instrument to have brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt Yet he was rather a greater instrument in it than Moses was Moses did no more than lead out of Egypt a willing people and sollicit Pharaoh to give his consent Pharaoh was Gods instrument to make them willing he meant nothing less he saw the people grew great and mighty Come on saith he let us deal wisely that is subtilly with them lest they multiply and it come to pass when there falleth out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get themselves out of our land here was all he aimed at in his oppressing them to bring them low and keep them still under his subjection Observe how God made use of this The Children of Israel were now seated and settled and multiplied in a fertile
Countrey and had it not been for the King of Egypt's oppressing them would never have been willing to have left the flesh-pots and onions and garlick of Egypt but for this dealing of Pharaoh with them making them to serve with rigour slaying their male-children c. This quite tyred them and made them willing to go out of Egypt towards Canaan But let me a little shew you what a variety of lusts in wicked mens hearts God hath from time to time made use of to accomplish the great designs of his Providence with reference to his people and indeed it is hard to say what lust in sinners hearts God hath not made use of at one time or other and made it to serve the holy and wise designs of his Providence 1. The lusts of the eye and flesh are of all other the most unmanlike brutish passions yet the Providence of God hath sometimes taken advantage of these for the glory of God You all know what a strange influence Esther's being advanced to be Queen of Persia had upon Gods design for the building of the second Temple in Ezra's time she was the great instrument to save the whole Church of the Jews the only Church God had upon the Earth at that time from utter ruin God made use of the lust of Ahasuerus to bring this about he takes a Teach to Vasthi for refusing to come to him to be shown to his Princes and turns her away and then must look for the greatest beauty could be found Esther proveth to be she What a strange instance of this had we of this in King Henry the Eighth of that name in this Nation Those who know any thing of the story of those times know that it was no abhorrence of the Idolatry and Superstition of the Popish-Religion that set him upon the work of Reformation After some beginnings of it the six Articles came out Papists were burnt on one side of Smithfield Protestants on the other but the King was weary of his Wife and had a mind to another His wife indeed was one whom Protestant-Divines judged he could not keep having been his brothers wife without a continual living in incest the Pope who thinks he can dispense with any thing he thinks or decrees she was his wife and would give no dispensation for a divorce the Popish-Universities and Divines who never fail to be on their holy Fathers side all oppose the King in his desire of change This angers the King and was the first motive to his business of Reformation and casting off the Pope's Supremacy Nor is this any reproach at all to the Lords work of Reformation amongst us there 's nothing more ordinary than for God to make the wrath of man to praise him and make use of the lusts of men to bring about his own designs 2. Ambition is another lust which fireth the heart of wicked men especially great men It is an excessive desire of Honour and Dominion Poor wretches born to and brought up in little circumstances and low stations in the world are ordinarily not so much infected with this it is the great mans lust God makes an eminent use of this See it in the case of Jehu a proud ambitious man that had in him a great lust and desire of rule and honour God had a quarrel against the house of Ahab by his Providence he ordereth Jehu to the Kingdom makes use of him to destroy Joram the Son of Ahab and Ahaziah the King of Judah the Son-in law of Ahab and Jezebel Ahab's wife whom God had threatned for the blood of Naboth and his whole Family until none remained 2 Kings 8. vers 23 24 25. chap. 9. vers 9 10 24 27 35 chap. 10. vers 7 11 17. And thus he delivered his seven thousand in Israel that had not bowed knee to Baal from the idolatry cruelty and oppression of a vile and wicked Prince Jehu indeed in all this pretended a great zeal for God and did destroy Baal from Israel 2 King 10.28 but yet ver 9. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Jehu departed not from after them to wit the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. Vers 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the way of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin Hence it was that though the Lord tells him 2 King 10.30 That he had done well in executing that which was right in the eyes of God and had done according to all that was in Gods heart as to the house of Ahab and therefore promised him a reward for it viz. that for it his children of the fourth generation should sit on the throne of Israel yet God by the Prophet Hosea told them Hos 1.4 Yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu The business was no more than this Jehu was an ambitious Prince that loved honour and dominion the Providence of God maketh use of this lust of his to bring about his holy and righteous designs upon that wicked family of Ahab and for the delivery of his people from their oppressions This was the case of Haman a proud ambitious Courtier in the Court of Persia he had a mind to be great this made him malice Mordecay he would not bow his knee to him this made him propose such great things to be done to the man whom the King should please to shew favour and honour to the Text tells you he said To whom will the King delight to do honour more than to my self Est 6.6 God maketh use of his ambition to bring Mordecay into honour and to save the whole people of the Jews and thus it ordinarily falls out in lesser spheres the humble disposition of Gods People inclining them to give honour to whom honour belongeth and not to deny civil respects to the worst of men doth often commend them to those that are ambitious of honour and respect and maketh them their friends God making use of his Enemies ambition for their sake which by the way commendeth to all that fear God that Precept of the Apostle Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to every one their dues tribute to whom tribute custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour 3. Another lust of men which you shall find Gods Providence hath made great use of is curiosity A curiosity to know secrets What shall come to pass in after-times or a curiosity to delight in rare workmanship of any sort c This is a great vanity of the heart of man but the Providence of God hath made great use of it Of the first sort there are in holy Writ the instances of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar both of them dreamed dreams wherein God revealed to them things that were to come to pass in the world Then God inspireth
maketh the wrath and rage of bloody men to praise him I might go on and shew you how God makes use of the wars and fightings the envy emulation and strife which often arise amongst the men of the world and James 3.1 Whence come all these but from the lusts that war in our members to gain his people liberty and protection But I have spoken enough to justifie this Observation but it may be some will say to me Why doth God do this Could not God do his work by other instruments And were it not more suitable to the Holiness of God to bring about his designs by better instruments To which the answer were good enough to say Who art thou that disputest with God It is enough for us that thus it pleaseth him and that this is consistent enough both with his Holiness and Wisdom It is not inconsistent with his holiness to mean and to turn that for good which men mean and intend for evil as in Joseph's case Gen. 50.20 for God doth not put this malice into their hearts he only suffereth them to walk in their own ways and then governeth their lusts to his own praise and glory But I shall shew you that this is a very reasonable motion and working of Divine Providence which will appear to you by the following Considerations 1. That God by this sheweth his infinite wisdom and power by how much there is the less aptitude and disposition in a cause to bring forth an effect by so much must the power and wisdom of the efficient cause be made more glorious Now there is nothing in nature less disposed to the Glory of God nor that hath so much antipathy to the Glory of God as sin and lust What cannot that God do that can make mens lusts to praise him Lust of its own nature opposeth God nothing is so contrary to his designs for God to make this now to serve his designs and to bring about his Counsels this must glorifie God as an Almighty God that can do whatsoever he pleaseth and by what means soever he pleaseth yea and by this means God maketh his Wisdom admirable When he taketh the wise in their own craftiness Come saith Pharaoh let us deal wisely with them God makes Pharaoh's wisdom to destroy his people a great means to deliver his people What an infinitely-wise God did he by this declare himself Turning Pharaoh's wisdom into folly and making it to operate directly contrary to his deliberations 2. A second Consideration is this That it is but reasonable that God should make some use of the worst of men The worst of men are the Lords creatures he hath made them he doth much for them they live upon his hand of Providence 't is reasonable they should do him some service now intentionally and designedly a wicked man will do God no service at all his heart is quite another way his life is a pursuit of one lust or other if God did not get glory on him besides his intention he could have no service at all from him There is no reason that leud and wicked men covetous ambitious men bloody and cruel men should live in the world for nothing and be maintained from Gods basket for nothing without doing him any service they will not serve God as reasonable creatures should do offering up their bodies as a living acceptable sacrifice to God which the Apostle Rom. 12.1 determines our reasonable service The Apostle therefore to the Thessalonians calls wicked men unreasonable They shall therefore serve God as brute creatures as the beasts of the field serve him not knowing what they do as a meer machine and engine serveth us by the force of our hand nay in a worse degree quite contrary to their own counsels intentions and designs God could have no service from wicked men if he did not get himself a glory from their lusts as he got himself glory upon Pharaoh 3. There is something in Gods Counsels to be produced in the world that is fit for no other hands than the hands of sinners and is hard to be effected any way but from their lusts These are the acts of his Punitive Justice upon his People God is compelled by his Justice sometimes to kindle a fire in Sion and to set up a furnace in Hierusalem to melt and to try his people in order to the purging out of their dross and taking away their tin Now as it is lust which kindleth all fires so ordinarily it is the lust of Gods Enemies of wicked men which bloweth up this fire Sometimes indeed Ephraim is against Mamasses and Manasses against Ephraim but ordinarily it is the Assyrian or Egyptian or Babylonian that must destroy Israel Men do not use to set sheep to hunt and tear sheep but to make use of dogs for that work 4. This is a reasonable motion of Providence to incourage the people of God never to despair but continually to hope in the Lords mercy That which usually discourageth our hope in God for any good as to his Church is the heighth of the rage of Enemies the sad and forlorn state of things the appearance of never an instrument like to do any service for God or for his People But none of all this is a sufficient ground for discouragement if God can make use of the worst of men and make the lusts of people serviceable to his own wise counsels and bringing about his purposes I might also have added that these motions of Providence are reasonable to shew wicked men their folly and how vainly they set themselves against the counsels and purposes of God who ordinarily taketh them by guile and overthroweth them in their own craftiness But I have enlarged enough upon the doctrinal part of this Observation I now come to the Application of it Vse 1. In the first place let us here admire the infinite power and the wisdom of God and learn at all times to trust in his word What cannot that God do What will not the wisdom of that God extend to who can make the highest and proudest Enemies which his glory hath to serve the designs and counsels of his glory The work of Creation is not so much a work of infinite power and wisdom as this work of Providence In Creation God only produceth being out of not being here God brings out his glory from that which hath an unmeasurable contrariety to his glory nothing is so desperately opposite to the glory of God as the sordid lusts of mans heart no creature is so opposite to the honour and glory of God as a resolved malitious sinner is Now for God to make such a wretch to serve him nay to make such a wretch in the hottest pursuit of his lusts to serve him and by the satisfaction of his lusts to serve the great design of his glory O what an Almighty Power what an infinite wisdom must this speak in God! And this I say should recommend God
to us as a God that may at any time under any face of things be trusted We cannot see a worser face of things than when wickedness is at the heighth men in the heighth of rage and malice against the People of God when all kind of filthiness and sensuality abounds in a place when the vilest men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side they are put together Psal 12.8 But under such dispensations Christians trouble not your selves as to Gods care of his Church indeed it is and ought to be an afflicting dispensation 1. For the glory of God Under such a face of things the holy Name of God is blasphemed the honour of God is at present laid in the dust 2. Such a time must needs be a time of great suffering to the holy and innocent servants of God Many particular servants of God must be made great sufferers under such a Providence But yet incourage your self in God he that can bring light out of darkness can and will bring good out of such an evil as this is The Providence of God doth ordinarily compel even the worst of men to do his work howbeit that they mean not so one way or other they shall do the Lords work if no other way yet by making their own folly manifest to all men God often brings wicked men upon the stage to make them more abominable There are many in the world men of sobriety and vertue would not have believed there had been such horrible injustice and oppression such horrible and insatiable avarice such merciless cruelty in the hearts of many sinners if they did not see them play their parts upon a stage in the world In the mean time know that you trust in a God that knoweth how to make use of mens malice and to make the maddest and desperatest sinner serve his purposes Vse 2. In the second place what a foundation doth this notion lay for an Exhortation to all to break off their sins by true repentance and to give unto God a voluntary chosen service 1. To break off their sins by a true repentance I remember our Lords words to Saul out of Heaven Saul Saul saith he why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks Suppose a person whose heart the Devil hath filled with all malice that if he could he would pluck God out of Heaven and root out the Name of God from the Earth yet methinks this should discourage him in his fullest career and madness to think that he that sitteth in the Heavens laugheth him to scorn and when he hath done all he can he shall but have effected the Lords counsels and done the Lords work although he meant not so Let therefore the sinners of the Earth be instructed and learn wisdom they cannot do what they list and many times wherein they think and talk proudly God sheweth himself above them and they do Gods work quite besides and contrary to their own intentions There is no encountring with a God who can make the wrath of man to praise him and restrain the remainder of it when he pleaseth 2. If this be so certainly it is wisdom in men designedly and intentionally to serve God otherwise they lose their reward at least their spiritual and eternal reward We find God with temporal rewards sometimes rewarding men that do some things at his command though their hearts in the action be not right with God so Jehu was rewarded his Sons inherited the Throne to the 4th generation but God at last visited the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu But no man hath a spiritual reward inward joy and peace of conscience nor shall have an eternal reward but that man who with purpose of heart serveth the Lord. SERMON XXII Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Proceed yet in making some Observations concerning the motions of Providence in the preservation and government of the world An eighth Observation which I shall make and a little enlarge upon is this Observ 8. That the Providence of God is wonderfully seen in bringing to light hidden counsels of darkness and punishing of sins which tend to the disturbance of civil societies Indeed there are not many sins but have an ill influence upon humane society and the reason is because there is no law in the world so fitted to the prosperous beings of Societies as the law of the Lord is but yet there are some which tend to a more eminent disturbance and confusion in them Such are now plottings and treasons against Princes whom God hath made the heads of these Societies Seditions and raising up mutinies murthers c. These make great gaps and disorders in political bodies and you shall observe the Providence of God bearing an eminent testimony against them Eccles 10.20 Curse not the King nō not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter it shall be discovered it shall be suddenly discovered and by ways that one would never think of Two things you shall observe in the workings of Divine Providence as to this thing 1. That it is very rarely that the Providence of God suffereth any such designs to come to any effect and issue 2. That if at any time he doth for the punishment of flagitious rulers suffer them to come to issue he very rarely suffereth the actors in them to go down to their graves in peace This abundantly justifieth it self in the story of Scripture and in all other story 'T is very rarely that the Providence of God suffereth conspiracies to take effect Of an hundred plots that you read of in story to take away the lives of Princes and make disturbances in political affairs it is very rare to read of any that take effect Job 5.12 either the Lord makes their own hearts to fail them or weakneth their hands that they cannot find their enterprize or put 's it into the hearts of some of the conspirators to reveal the matter or causeth some strange impression and jealousies in those whose lives are aimed at some way or other the Providence of God worketh to crush the cockatrices egg before it hatcheth into a serpent Our Queen Elizabeth was a famous instance of the special Providence of God in this kind over such as God maketh rulers over others What a strange discovery had we of the Powder-treason in this Nation But this is but the first thing which I commended to you under this Observation 2. Sometimes the Providence of God for his wise ends doth suffer such conspiracies to come to issue either for the personal sins of such rulers or for the sins of the people over whom God hath set them but when he doth he rarely suffereth the actors in them to go down to their graves in
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
mens sins That the Providence of God in bringing about the eternal purposes and counsels of God doth very ordinarily make use of peoples sins I have in a great measure already proved to you under my seventh Observation where I shewed you how God accomplished his purposes upon Mount Zion by persons that meant not so and over-ruled the several lusts of sinners hearts to his own praise making the wrath of men to praise him But yet I shall take it again in my way and the rather because I will shew you more especially what use God makes of the sins of his own people Then I shall give you a reasonable account of this great work of God And thirdly I shall endeavour to shew you that it is a spotless use which God maketh and open it to you how it may be so and our reason may conceive of it well enough And lastly I shall make some Application That it is so is so obvious to those that are meanliest exercised in the Scriptures that it can hardly be overlooked by any considerate person One of the most glorious products of Actual Providence was the Revelation of the Covenant of Grace and Redemption I say the Revelation of it for the paction or making of that Covenant I take that to be eternal and antecedent to the Creation but as I take it those who would distinctly understand the Covenant of Grace must distinguish betwixt the Paction the Exhibition and the Revelation of it and the Application of it to individual souls The Paction was an act of Counsel an eternal act a transaction between the Father and the Son the Son as the head of the elect standing as a surety for believers and undertaking something for himself on their behalf that in the fulness of time he would come into the world assume our natures and in that nature dye and give satisfaction to Divine Justice for the sins of the elect which some call the Covenant of Redemption also undertaking for them that they in his strength and through the assistance of his spirit should do whatsoever his Father should require personally of them in order to their obtaining salvation through him But now the Exhibition and Revelation of this eternal contrivement to the world that was the work of Actual Providence done in time subsequent to the Creation and done gradually as to the more full and perfect Revelation of it according to the good pleasure and infinite wisdom of God The first Revelation of it was to Adam after he had fallen Gen. 3.15 And I will put enmity betwixt thee that is the serpent and the woman and betwixt thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise its heel Now for this God made use of the first sin that was committed in the world the fall of Adam had not Adam fallen there had been no need of the Revelation of a Covenant of Grace he and his posterity had been saved upon the Covenant of Works he had perfectly done the Will of God and lived Rom. 9.11 12. The Apostle tells us that before Esau or Jacob were born before they had done good or evil God loved Jacob and hated Esau and it was foretold That the elder should serve the younger Gen. 25.3 for the law of God and Nature had made the younger a servant to the elder First Esau sells his birthright for a mess of pottage then Jacob by the counsel of Rebeccah comes and tells his Father a lye and obtaineth the blessing of the first-born both sinful acts the first on Esau's part the second on Jacob's but Gods Providence makes use of both to bring about his counsels There was a promise made to Abraham that God would multiply his seed and that they should inherit the land of Canaan Pharaoh strongly sets himself against it useth all arts to destroy the seed of Jacob the King commandeth the midwives to kill all the male children Exod. 1. they save them alive the King questioneth them for it Exod. 1.17 19. they tell a lye to excuse themselves God makes use of their lye for the accomplishment of his counsels and the fulfilling of his promise unto Abraham Who can excuse Rahab in the lye she told to the Kings messengers sent to apprehend the spies It is true the Apostle saith she did it by faith and God rewarded her as he did the Egyptian midwives Rahab did it by faith believing what at that time she did not see that God would give that land to the Israelites and God rewarded her good intention in the general not her particular sinful act but yet the Providence of God made a great use of her lye for the design he had in hand Who can excuse David in many particular actions which he did Which yet God made use of in order to the bringing about his counsels and promise concerning David in settling him upon the Throne of Israel and Judah The setting up of Solomon upon the Throne of his Father David was an eminent product of Actual Providence but Bathsheba you know was his mother and David in order to the having her for his wife murthered Vriah her husband yet she was the mother of Solomon No man can excuse Jeroboam in his revolt from the house of David he did what he did from a very turbulent and ill spirit and in a very irregular and rebellious manner but God yet made use of what he had done to fulfil his own counsels and the threatning he had denounced against Solomon In short innumerable instances of this nature might be given and it is an easie thing to observe God doing the same thing every day I will instance but in three great products of Actual Providence more which the Scripture maketh mention of and three greater have not been nor can be 1. The incarnation of our blessed Lord. In the genealogy of Christ recorded by Matthew chap. 1. ver 3. you read Judas begat Pharez and Zarah of Thamar You have the story Gen. 38.29 Pharez was an incestuous child which Judah had by his own Daughter-in-law he was one of Christs Progenitors so was Bathsheba who came with much sin to be David's wife yet God made use you see both of the sin of Judas and the sin of David for the bringing forth his son into the world Next to his Incarnation let us consider the sacrifice of Christ for the expectation of our sins the noblest and greatest act of Providence which was ever brought forth in the world it was produced by wicked hands Judas Pilate Herod the Jews all have their hand in it The Devil put the malice into the heart of Judas but God had his end in the action and accomplished the great design of his glory The sending of the Gospel amongst the Gentiles was a great product of Providence in the fulfilling of the Lords counsels and many promises but it was the fall of the Jews that proved the riches of the world as the
Apostle tells us Rom. 11.11 12. They did not stumble that they might fall but through their fall salvation came unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie The Apostles upon their going out to preach to the Gentiles gives this account of it Forasmuch as you have judged your selves unworthy of eternal life that was by not receiving the Gospel we turn unto the Gentiles What shall I need say more there is no soul brought to Heaven but is an eminent instance of this If they had not sinned they would have no need of any pardon or justification from the guilt of sin no need of a Saviour or Mediator God suffereth the souls of his People to be concluded under the guilt of sin that he might have mercy upon them It is also an ordinary observation of Divines That God often suffereth people to fall into some gross and scandalous sins that he might take that advantage to awaken them to repentance and make use of their falls to a rising again to a new life and this is often seen in those that have lived civilly and might be prone to trust to their own Moral Righteousness But I shall inlarge no further in the Justification of so obvious an Observation It follows that I should shew you the reasonableness of this motion of Divine Providence 1. The truth is in the first place it is hard to conceive how otherwise some of Gods greatest works of Providence could have been produced What would the Revelation of a Covenant of Grace have signified to the world if the Covenant of Works had not first been violated by the first mans transgression How could else any man imagine that the salvation of the world should have been accomplished by the death of Christ if God had not made use of the wicked action of those who took him and by wicked hands crucified him The Apostle assureth us that in all they did against our Lord they did but execute what the counsel of the Lord had predetermined should be done If sin did not abound how should grace much more abound Rom. 5. In the pardon of sins the justification of a guilty soul the Scripture tells us That all are concluded under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe What should we say to the great work of Providence in trying his Saints by afflictions and persecutions from the hands of violent men God maketh use of the sins of Persecutors to perfect his Saints by the exercises of their faith and patience it could not be without the sins of those who persecute others for righteousness sake 2. Again God by this getteth himself a great deal of glory I have spoke something to this under the seventh Observation but let me here add a little 1. He gets himself the glory of his power There is a fancy hath possessed the Philosophers of the world That metals of a baser nature may by art be turned into nobler metals brass c. into gold and they will tell you that some such thing hath been done and aboundance of time and money hath been spent by the vain and covetous Philosophers of the world to little purpose to find out this Philosophers stone as they call it but supposing such a thing possible yet there must be some similar quality to help or they will not pretend to any such thing no Philosopher ever yet pretended by all his Chymistry to fetch gold out of a dunghil But now in sin there is nothing of a similar quality to the glory of God there is nothing so opposite to the glory of God as the sins of men and women For God to fetch water out of a rock argued great power to raise up Abraham children from the stones of the field it must speak great power but yet not so much as for God to fetch his own glory out of peoples sins There is in sin an infinite opposition to the glory of God nothing so diametrically opposite to God's honour and glory as sin is Sampson put forth a riddle Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness But what is this riddle to that which I am speaking of for the glory of God to come forth out of the dunghil the woful dunghil of the worst of mens actions for God to work out his own righteousness out of the vilest actions of men O it speaketh an infinite Power in God! it is a greater work to fetch light out of darkness I will saith God get me glory upon Pharaoh For God to get himself glory out of Pharaoh's hard heart was more than to get his people water out of an hard rock 2. God by it gets himself the glory of his infinite wisdom I told you in my former discourse that he is accounted the best Politician that can make the best use of all humours and serve his own designs even of his utter Enemies this is the top of a Politicians wisdom How great then must the Wisdom of God appear in this nothing hath such an enmity to God and his glory as sin hath Job speaketh it to the great glory and honour of God Job 5.13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the counsels of the crafty are carried head long It speaketh the wisdom of a man that he can make use of the capacious quality of a bird or a beast to catch a prey for him thus the faulconer maketh use of the hawk the huntsman of the dog the fisher-man of a fowl to catch birds or beasts or fish for him This I say speaketh the wisdom of a man above other creatures O how it speaketh the admirable Wisdom of God that he can make use of the worst belchings of lusts in mens hearts the most vile and rebellious actions of men and out of them fetch his own glory 3. But in the last place God above all doth by this magnifie the riches and freeness of his grace This is that wherein the Lord delights to have glory he predestinated adopted us c. to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1.6 If God had taken man out of a state of innocency into Heaven we should never have admired free-grace so much as now it marvellously affects the heart of a child of God to see God make use of his falls of his sin and corruption and manifold rebellions to make his free-grace exceeding glorious We should never so much admire free-grace and mercy if we were not so great transgressors This is it which maketh grace precious in our eyes when we cry out of the belly of hell and he heareth us Thus far I have shewed you that God maketh a very ordinary use and a very remarkable use of peoples sins But I also added that it was a spotless use and thus it must be if God maketh it For he that is of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity must be of a purer will
our lusts our wrath our sins to praise him there must be something of the nature of honey in the herb or plant or the bee could get none out of it there must be something in the poysonous drug or plant that is consonant to the nature of man or all the art of the Chymist and Apothecary could never make it serve for mans cure or healing But there is nothing in the nature of sin but is quite opposite to the glory of God yet God makes sin to praise him O the heighth and depth of Divine Wisdom yea and of Divine Goodness too As there is nothing more opposite than sin to Gods glory so there is nothing more pernicious and destructive to us God makes our sins to serve us to excite habits of grace repentance faith fear watchfulness c. Vse 2. In the second place Learn from hence how impossible it is that a sinner by his rebellions against God should do any hurt but to his own soul And this is enough to convince the most malicious sinner of the exceeding vanity of sin If Julian will in his rage throw his dagger up against Heaven it shall not touch a star but return only upon his own head If the Princes of Babylon will heat a fornace seven times hotter than ordinary and open a Lyons den to destroy the Jewish servants of God the fornace shall only burn up and the Lyons devour themselves Indeed in regard of the sinsuness of the best of men and Gods design sometimes to melt and to try his people the rage of sinful men doth sometimes reach them but this is certain it never reacheth Heaven nor any of its counsels and designs unless by the cry of it for vengeance against the sinners God will have his glory from the vilest persons and their vilest actions and although Assyria meaneth not so yet he shall but accomplish Gods pleasure In 2 King 6. you read a story of the King of Syria his sending a party of Soldiers to take the Prophet ver 15. The Prophet ver 18 prayeth that they might be smitten with blindness they were so and then the Prophet leadeth them into Samaria into the midst of their Enemies God deals thus with outragious sinners Their design is to dishonour God and to do God as much despight as they can God smiteth them with blindness and instead of accomplishing of their ungodly designs he getteth glory upon them He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so as their hands cannot find their enterprize Job 5.12 Vse 3. Let me caution all that they take heed that they do not abuse this notion to give themselves a liberty to sin Do not think this a sufficient warrant for you to do any sinful action because God knoweth how to make your sins serviceable to his glory This was an old corrupt conclusion which the Apostle foresaw men would falsely draw from these premises Rom. 3.7 If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lye unto his glory why then am I judged as a sinner and not rather as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come upon it So when the Apostle Rom. 5. had said That as sin had abounded so grace should much more abound some concluded that it was then best to continue in sin that grace might abound Whom the Apostle answereth as you will find Rom. 6.1 2 c. But that none may think that from hence he is licensed or incouraged to sin I beseech you to consider 1. That God doth not move or incite any to any sinful action nor command nor approve any such thing God in fetching of his own glory out of mens sins doth but if I may so speak with reverence unto God make the best of our bad markets In the Epistle of John to Gaius ver 11 saith he Beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is good he that doth good is of God but he that doth evil hath not seen God 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil now for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil Sin is called the work of the flesh the flesh that is the mother of sin and the Devil he is the father of sin the Devil ingendreth sin upon our flesh So much of sin as is in any man so much there is in him of the flesh so much of the Devil so much he is a servant to Satan and to the flesh 2. Consider it is no thanks to the sinner that God hath any glory from his sin he is not active in the glorifying of God his activity is all spent in the dishonour of God he is not voluntary in it Sin doth not of its own nature glorifie God there is nothing so contrary to the glory of God as our sin is The sinner doth not cannot intend the glory of God by his sinful act The sinner in this case is only a passive instrument of Gods glory God fetcheth out his glory forceth his glory from mens sins God is not at all behoâ—den to the sinner for any glory he getteth from his sinful act The glory which God hath from mens sins is as to the sinner meerly by accident and besides his intention as much as it was besides his intention to let out an imposthume and cure his Enemy who ran his sword into him with an intention to let out his life-blood 3. Consider that God needeth not our lye for his glory Every sin is a lye and God out of our lies fetcheth out his glory but he needeth them not and therefore it is madness to say I will sin that God may be glorified God can better bring forth his glory another way he would be much more glorified by thy keeping his Commandments and doing of his Will God indeed needeth not our duties and best actions but he much less needeth our lusts and corruptions 4. Consider That though God in the wisdom of his Providence makes use of mens sins to fetch out his glory from them yet he usually takes vengeance upon the sinner It is the practice of the Politicians of the world to make use of the treasons of others but seldom to reward the Traytors It cannot be said of God that he ever loves or approves of the treason of sin but he ever punisheth the Traytor without a true repentance 5. Lastly When God makes use of the sins of people for his own glory and for their good and salvation also as in the case of those which belong to his Election of grace it is never done without a great deal of grief and sorrow of heart to the sinner they are saved as through fire great sinnings must have great humiliation He indeed sometimes maketh use of his peoples sins to make them more humble more watchful but the sinner first suffereth a great deal of loss in the peace of his Spirit he goes
and counsel of the heart is right there the heart must be right with God I say the heart is that which God requireth My son saith he give me thy heart and you shall find where that is right bent and inclined God passeth over a great many errors and failings in the conversation and this is what God said in this very case 1 King 8.18 Whereas it was in thine heart to build me an house thou didst well that it was in thine heart The Lord looketh on the heart and ordinarily in Scripture he accounteth men to have done good or evil according as their hearts were prepared or set Rohoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 12.14 Now where there is a good intention design and purpose there the heart is right Only here I must caution you as to two things 1. That you do not think that a pretence of a good heart or intention will do you any service It is one thing to pretend a good heart another thing to have it Jehu pretended a great zeal for God but had nothing less 2. You must take heed of thinking that a good intention will justifie a sinful action but a sincere and good intention I say is accepted of God and often rewarded by him where the action is such as God approveth not and makes an error in action to be but a sin of infirmity for where the heart stands right and truly designs the honour of God the man cannot in that action wilfully dishonour God and this is enough to make this motion of Providence appear to you very reasonable Before I come to apply this Observation I shall only give you one or two Cautions 1. They are only rewards of this life by which God rewards the services of wicked men whose heart in the action is not right Jehis was rewarded but it was only with a temporary dominion his sons for four generations sate upon the Throne of Israel Assyria was rewarded for his service against Israel but it was only with spoil and plunder and the enlargment of his Dominions for the rewards of grace and glory they are never given to any whose heart is not right with God 2. They are but temporary rewards after the enjoyment of which for a time God usually punisheth the sinner Such was the reward of Jehu it lasted but four generations and then God visited the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu It was but a little time that Assyria that Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon joyed in the reward which God gave him for the great service with which he had made his Army to serve against Tyrus for the Prophets prophecied of the destruction of Babylon soon after and the Scripture tells us how it was by the Persian Monarch These things premised I now come to the Application And 1. By way of Instruction Vse 1. We may learn hence what a good God we serve no man serveth God for nothing The least service that men do for God shall have its proportionable reward His very Enemies shall not do actions for him but they shall have a recompence for them The liberality of God even to the worst of men serving him by the by and looking quite another way when they are at Gods Oars should commend God unto us all and may mightily help the People of God to conclude that their labour of love for God shall not be forgotten by him Vse 2. In the second place this will instruct you in one great reason of what is such a beam oft-times in the eyes of Gods best servants I mean the prosperity power and greatness of vile men I know it is not always the cause but oft-times it is They have done some actions from which God hath had a service it may be God hath used them to do some great piece of service for his Church so you know he used Cyrus upon which the Scripture calleth him Gods servant it may be they have done some service for God against his People apostatizing thus Assyria was the rod of Gods anger though he did not mean so God had sent him against an hypocritical Nation There are many ways by which wicked men may do God service while they intend nothing so It may be sometimes God will make use of them to relieve his poor servants in distress taking advantage of their good natures or some relation they have to them c. And this though it may be we cannot always give account of the particular cause is the reason why God doth great things for them as to the good things of this life But there are two more proper branches of Application which I further aim at the one concerning sinners more properly the other concerning such whose hearts are right with God Vse 3. In the third place this Observation looketh upon all men even the worst of men and speaketh to them for two things 1. That they would imploy all the talents which God hath given them in some service of God Sirs you can none of you work for a more liberal and bountiful master the world is the great thing in the eyes of worldly men they would be rich and great and honourable they have no faith for the riches of glory no sense of the riches of grace their language is What will you give me and understand no greater things that God hath to give than sensible things Now admit their judgment were right yet it were their greatest policy to be doing those things which are materially good and which are unquestionably within their power to do to be making use of their estates which they spend in luxury and wantonness in drinking and gaming c. in cloathing the naked feeding the hungry the power and interest which God hath given them in the protection of such as fear God and delivering of them from the hands of oppressors I remember it was the counsel of the Prophet Daniel to a Heathen King Dan. 4.27 Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity It is a text that is not without its difficulties and about which there hath been a great contention betwixt Papists and Protestants the Papists from it stifly contending for their Doctrine of Merits and Satisfaction by works of mercy and charity But whiles themselves grant that works by which we can merit must be such as are more than strict duty and Justice and Charity are the two only things which the Prophet doth here advise which we know are duties required of all in innumerable places of Scripture there can be little pretence for any such building upon this foundation Daniel is plainly giving counsel to that Prince how he might if not finally avoid yet for a time turn away that fierce wrath of God which he saw was began to kindle
sensible rewards and punishments for otherwise it is true which I before told you God is punishing sinners and rewarding righteous men every day But as to sensible rewards and punishments God is very often slow in the distributions of them The Heathens were wont to say tardè molunt Deorum molae the Gods Mills grind slowly and that their Gods had laneos pedes feet shod with wooll It is most certaintly true of the true and living God His Mill with which he grindeth sinners to powder is alwayes going He is angry with the wicked every day but it grindeth slowly he is moving always in order to this end but he hath woollen feet we cannot hear nor discern his motions But to speak distinctly here are two things in this observation 1. That the Providence of God doth ordinarily move slowly in the distribution of sensible punishments to wicked men or sensible rewards to righteous men 2. That the more slow it is in the distribution of the one or of the other the greater the punishment or reward is ordinarily when it cometh I will begin with shewing you the reasonableness of the first 1. How else should God justifie his attribute of long-suffering and patience The attribute of clemency patience long-suffering slowness to conceive a wrath is an attribute which God maketh himself known by and doth much glory in Psal 103.8 The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy Nehemiah in his prayer Neh. 9.17 impleadeth God thus Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness Joel maketh use of it as an argument to perswade people to repentance Joel 2.13 And Jonah telleth God that he knew him to be such a God Jonah 4.2 Now how should God justifie this name of his but in his bearing with sinners a long time though they be as the Apostle saith Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction 2. How else should God lead men by patience to repentance and render sinners that continue impenitent inexcusable This is that account which the Apostle Peter giveth us of this dispensation of providence 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men do count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and St. Paul Rom. 2.1 saith Therefore thou art inexcusable O man v. 4. despising the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance When God giveth men and women space to repent and they repent not they become inexcusable and God is justified in the vials of his wrath which he poureth out upon them at last 3. How else should God exercise the faith and patience of his people The exercise of faith is upon an unseen reward believing what we have no sensible evidence of the exercise of hope lies in a looking out for it for what we see why do we yet hope for saith the Apostle the exercise of patience is in waiting for it and a quiet submission to the will of God in bearing what the Lord will please to lay upon us while we are in our way to our promised reward If Gods providence were not slow in executing his justice he could not magnifie his own patience and long-suffering and if he were not slow in the distributions of sensible rewards he could not exercise our faith or patience this is the Reason why the Providence of God doth often move slowly in the distribution both of rewards and punishments 2. But secondly observe by how much the slowlier God proceedeth to judgement against sinners by so much the more smart the vengeance is when it comes and by how much God appeareth more slow in the rewards of the righteous by so much the greater the reward is It is observed that those men who pass their lives with the least sickness are usually cut off by or escape very narrowly from the first sickness they meet with either because the constitution of their bodies is so strong that a light sickness will not shake them but some very acute and malignant distemper or because in their long time of health they have by degrees contracted a very ill habit of body so that when they fall down it is a very hard matter to restore them again The same may be observed as to Gods providential dispensations to wicked men there are some against whom God proceedeth a long time very slowly though he be angry with them every day yet he spareth them and doth not fall upon them by any severe dispensations but when he doth strike he strikes not twice he maketh a full end God bore with the Amorites a a great while they were a wicked people in Abrahams time but their iniquitie was not full Gen. 15.16 God bare with them four hundred years after that but when he brought judgement upon them it was a dreadful judgement as you may both learn by the several commissions given out by God to the Israelites against them and the dreadful destruction of them of which you read in the book of Joshua Before them God bare with the world a long time after he had taken up a purpose to destroy them and revealed it to Noah Gen. 6.1 2 3. he gives them yet the space of an hundred and twenty years but they abusing his patience in that time also he brought the flood upon them and consumed them all but Noahs family With that generation of the Israelites which came out of the land of Egypt the Lord shewed himself slow to wrath forty years long the Lord was grieved with that generation forty years is a great while for one generation the life of man being but seventy years but at length he destroyed them all so as only Caleb and Joshua entred into Canaan God bare two hundred and forty years with the Kingdom of Israel for so many years there were from their Apostacy in the time of Jeroboam until they were carried away captive by the King of Assyria but then they were so destroyed as to this day none knoweth where they are or any of their posterity With the two tribes and an half God yet bare much longer but at last they were carried into the captivity of Babylon for seventy years After their restoration God bare long with them though they were exercised under a variety of afflictive providences till at last they were utterly destroyed by the Romans from being a Nation The like observation might be made of particular persons It is observed concerning the Kingdom of Israel after the defection from the house of David that they never had one good King Most of them had very short reigns except Jeroboam the son of Joash who reigned forty two years and Jehu who had done such service against the house of Ahab who reigned twenty eight years There were two that reigned twenty two years both wicked
men and heads of several idolatrie Jeroboam he brought in the worshipping of the true God by Calves set up at Dan and Bethel and Ahab who brought in the worshipping of Baal both of them very wicked men and God proceeded to execute vengeance slowly upon them but when it came it was a dreadful vengeance Of Jeroboams house none but a little Son came to the grave in peace For Ahab himself you know he was slain in a battel his queen was thrown headlong out of a window and her brains dashed out and the dogs licked her blood his second Son was slain by Jehu seventy more of his Sons were slain by the command of Jehu It were easie to give you infinite instances out of story but I leave it to your experimental observation Mark any person whom you see exemplarily wicked yet God is patient with him a long time and observe what havock God makes with him and his posterity when he beginneth to reckon with him And indeed it seems very reasonable if you consider 1. That by reason of Gods slowness to punish the sinner his sins are multiplied and aggravated to an exceeding great number and degree It was Solomons observation which we shall see verified in our daily experience Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil The iniquity of the Amorites had not been full if God had not been so patient with them This makes them as the Apostle speaks treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Now the righteous God rendring to every man according to his work must proportion his judgements to peoples sinnings The more their sins are the greater shall his wrath be 2. The more patience is abused the more means of grace are lost the greater alwayes is divine vengeance Now where God proceedeth slowly to vengeance there he exerciseth most patience There patience is most abused there more space and time for repentance is lost there is most despising of the riches of divine goodness forbearance and long-suffering Et laesa patientia fit furor abused patience turns into fury It maketh a patient and long-suffering God cry out by his Prophet Ah! I will ease me of mine enemies and avenge me of my adversaries him that knoweth not how to give up Ephraim to set him as Admah and Zeboim two of the Cities whom he so dreadfully destroyed by fire and brimstone It maketh God who is a Lamb in his own nature to transform himself into a Lion a Leopard a Bare rob'd of her whelps O it is a dreadful thing to abuse much divine patience Now where the providence of God hath appeared slow in punishing sinners there must much patience have been shewn And it must have been abused too if a sinner continues hard-hearted and impenitent I have given space saith God to repent of her fornication and she repented not Rev. 2.21 22. Behold I will cast her into a Bed c. into great tribulation and I will kill her children with death Besides that God seldom exerciseth patience long with sinners but he gives them also other means of grace and they are abused and slighted Noah preached to the old world saith God My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man and I need not tell you how dreadfully God threatneth Corazin Bethsaida and Capernaum for their abusing the means of grace they had had above other places The like might be proved concerning the providence of God in the distributions of rewards the slower the motion of Providence is in the giving them the greater ordinarily the rewards are It was a great while before Abraham had a Son but when he had him it proved to be one that was a great blessing both to his Fathers family and to the world Rebeccah went twenty years without Children Gen. 25.20 26. but then twins struggle in her womb and she brings forth two great Princes and one of them who was to be the head of the only people God had upon the earth Rachel was for some years barren Gen. 29.31 c. 30. v. 1. when God gave her a Child it was Joseph who proved such an eminent blessing to his Fathers house The Wife of Manoah was barren Jud. 13.2 she bringeth forth Samson Hannah 1 Sam. 1. was barren she bringeth forth Samuel Elizabeth was barren she brings forth John the Baptist Thus you see it as to the blessing of Children It was a long time before God brought the seed of Jacob his servant out of their difficulties but when he did he brought them into Canaan the Land which the Lord cared for upon which his eyes were from the beginning of the year unto the end thereof a land which flowed with Milk and Hony There was a great time betwixt Josephs dream and his exaltation in Egypt There were eight years betwixt Davids Vnction and Coronation in Hebron More instances might be given but it is no more than we shall ordinarily observe in the motions of divine providence the slower the mercy cometh the fuller it is and greater blessing when it cometh Gods people have ordinarily their greatest peace and comforts after their longest and greatest trials and afflictions The reasonableness of this motion of divine Providence appeareth in this that look as in punishing of sinners where Providence moveth slowly it usually hath a great heap of sins to reckon with men for so here it hath great faith and patience to reward in this case Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience saith the Apostle Rom. 5. where there is long tribulation there must be the exercise of much faith much patience much hope and this brings forth much experience Gods greatest rewards of joy and peace in the inward man of eternal life glory and happiness come after much waiting The Apostle telleth us Heb. 10.36 You have need of Patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise The receiving of the promise then is after much patience in doing the will of God and Rom. 2.6 7. The Apostle tells us that God will render unto every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But I have been large enough in the confirmation of this observation I proceed to some application of it Vse 1. In the first place What can strike a greater trembling into the loins of sinners than this I shewed you before that the punishment of a resolved impenitent sinner is certain and constant As well may he promise himself that he shall not dye as that he shall not be turned into Hell and at last hear that dreadful sentence depart from me ye cursed into everlasting burnings it is constant though he is not sensible of it yet God is angry with him every day he every day groweth worse and worse more
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
of it I think is that to David which we have Psal 89. from the 20 to the 35. v. Vers 28. he tells him That he will keep his mercy with him for evermore and his covenant should stand fast with him but yet he reserveth himself a liberty to punish him and his seed for sins vers 30. If his children for sake my law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving-kindness I will not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips So that notwithstanding the Covenant of Grace for eternal life and pardon of sin and all grace in order to the obtaining of this life and notwithstanding the blood of Christ which was the blood of this Covenant God hath yet a liberty to visit the transgressions of his people even their past as well as renewing transgressions with rods and their iniquity with stripes yet he doth not break his Covenant nor alter any thing that is gone out of his lips 3. Nor is it reasonable that any should fancy that God by the establishment of the Covenant of Grace or by acceptance of the satisfaction of his Son as the blood of this Covenant to make an atonement and reconciliation for iniquity should have barred himself of his liberty to punish the sins of his people or that any who hath accepted this Covenant upon the exhibition of it in the Gospel should be excused from such chastisements if we consider 1. That some of these chastenings are made the matters of a promise Mark 10.30 Persecutions are reckoned amongst Christs rewards in this life Heb. 12.6 7 8. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth c. Thence the ancients were wont to call Martyrdom a Crown and Luther was wont to complain That God would not honour him to wear that Crown Saint Paul prayeth to be made conformable to the death of Christ if the Saints did not fight how could they triumph how should they conquer yea be more than conquerers 2. That afflictions are the path-way to death and death the door into eternal life Every affliction is a blow at the root of our tree preparing it for its fall and if we did not dye how should we live in Heaven We must all dye or be changed or our corruptible could never put on incorruption nor our mortal put on immortality It is reported of Zaleucus a lawgiver amongst the Indians that he should say If God had not appointed that all should dye it had been reasonable for men to have made a law in the case and we read of some Indians who being asked why they worshipped the Sun gave this reason Because it was the Author of death Give me leave to say That death is so necessary and afflictions are so wholesom for Christians that they deserve rather to be reckoned amongst those things which Christ hath purchased for them than such things as he hath purchased them a liberty from 1. All sorts of afflictions of this life are means of grace not so much means of begetting as reviving and increasing grace for as the fire softneth the wax and hardneth the clay so I have usually observed That afflictions make the wicked man worse but godly men better they revive repentance they are times when usually men call sin to remembrance they draw out the exercises of faith and both work and exercise patience Tribulation saith the Apostle worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope David before that he was afflicted went astray after he learned to keep Gods Statutes God while he punisheth his people for their sins doth not barely chasten them but he also teacheth them out of his Law 2. They secondly prepare the Saints for glory and this not only as they restrain sin and tend to perfect grace but as it pleaseth God of his grace to reward the sufferings of his people and the faith and patience of his people shewed in and under their sufferings with the greater glory Thus the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.17 That our light and momentany afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And thus much may serve to have cleared this Objection that I may hasten to the practical Application of this Observation This motion of Divine Providence in punishing with temporal punishments past and pardoned sins even in the best of Gods People appears exceeding reasonable 1. In regard of the Justice of God The Justice of God having taken a satisfaction in the blood of his Son and been paid a price for the sins of his people will not allow him to punish them with an eternal punishment yet it is reasonable they should not go altogether unpunished that the world may see that he is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity in any I remember what God said by the Prophet Jeremiah to the Jews Jer. 30.11 I will not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished You have the same again Jer. 46.28 2. It is reasonable secondly in order to the eternal salvation of their souls 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world It is P. Martyrs note upon that Text that the Apostle in that passage particularly respecteth such as fear God for the case is otherwise with wicked men whose punishment but begun in this life shall be perfected in the world that is to come But I have spoken enough to the Doctrinal part of this Observation Let me now come to some practical Observation shewing you what use we may and ought to make of it Vse 1. This in the first place serves to justifie God in those sore afflictions which we often see him bringing upon his own people When we look upon the holiness of a Job and see him a man fearing God and eschewing evil and see such a person under sharp tryals of affliction we are ready to startle at it and cannot understand Divine Justice in it But God is many ways to be justified 1. Who liveth and sinneth not enough against God to justifie the severest dispensations under which God exerciseth him 2. If he did not yet it is an ordinary thing and very righteous for God to write bitter things against his people for the sins of their youth though past and pardoned Now who hath so passed his youth that he hath not been guilty of sin enough to justifie God in his punishments yea and to make him acknowledg that he hath been punished seven times less than he hath deserved And if neither of these could be seen as a meritorious cause yet God hath a liberty by afflictions to try the faith
may make him willing and desirous but they are only the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that can make a man fit for the Ministry and God never sends any to any work but his Providence fitteth them for it and the same may be said of any other Relations or of persons employed in any great work And as persons imployed in any work or relation may thus judge of themselves So also their Correlates to whom they are in relation may by this means know how to judge of those who are in relation to them whether they be called of God or no and be such or no with whom they can expect the presence of God and from whom they may expect Gods blessing and this if duly thought upon should strike a terror into men in places and employments especially relating to the worship of God and in trust with souls who are no more qualified for their work than an Ass is for a Fiddle as we say what will these men say when their Consciences come to arrest them with a what doest thou here without thy wedding-garment That is without those gifts and graces without that heart and spirit which should have qualified thee for such a work and which God never faileth to furnish him with whom he calls to any employment for him Or when they shall come to dye and have no sweeter reflections of Conscience than this I have these 20 30 40 years been Gods scourge and plague to this people soothing up this people in their sins blinding their eyes hardning their hearts meerly eating up that bread which should have fed other faithful Pastors who were able to have prayed for them able to have instructed them which I have not been O the searedness of these mens Consciences O the dreadful vengeance of God that hangs over their heads O the strange quantity of the blood of souls which God will require at these pitiful wretches hands Let not my soul enter into these mens secrets let not their portion be mine O my God! Vse 3. But in the third place Let me caution you that you do not think that the Providence of God doth alike qualifie every person for the duties of his relation As in the Heavens there are different Stars and they differ one from another in glory Every Star is a light but some give a far greater and more glorious light than others so it is in the Church of God Ministers you know are compared to Stars they must all be lights they must all be able to shew light both in their Doctrine and also in their Lives but yet some are more glorious lights than others are more burning more shining God calleth no man to the Ministry but they are able to pray able to preach he sets no dumb dogs to keep his sheep he sets none over his people to be their Bishops but they are blameless sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikers c. as in 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4. sober just holy temperate c. as 1 Titus 7.8 It is little less than Blasphemy to say God calls a man to pray or preach that can do none of both that God calleth Drunkards to teach men sobriety or unclean persons to teach them chastity or covetous wretches to teach men hospitality or liberality But yet some may be of more eminent gifts for prayer and preaching some may be more eminent in grace more exemplary in holiness than others God hath several stations for Ministers some he sets upon Hills some he placeth in obscure Valleys And indeed herein the Church I mean the Rulers and Governours of a Church seem to have a great judgment They shall not judge a person fit for the Ministry that is apparently unfit not being able to discharge any part of the ministerial work but they shall judge of the degrees of persons gifts and abilities so as to place persons in stations fit for them and as will be best for the edification of the whole But the caution which I offer you in this branch of Application if you well consider it is of great use 1. To restrain the unwarrantable judgement and censures of less knowing and prudent Christians who are ready to censure good men of weaker parts and abilities for the work of praying and preaching as no true Ministers not called of God to their work Is the person a man of a holy life and conversation Is he a person able to pray and preach substantially though it may be not so fluently not so floridly as some others not with that life and affection not with that learning and clearness of demonstration Take heed of judging in this case God distributeth his gifts variously though always to edification of the whole Church In his Church there are some Babes some grown Persons some that must be fed with milk others that must have strong meat God qualifieth some to give milk to the Babes others to give meat to stronger ones indeed the wonderful wisdom of God is to be seen in this disproportioning of his gifts to his several Ministers We are poor vain creatures and though blessed be God! some learned men of great reason and learning are to be found that can deny themselves in their ministerial work and preach to the capacity and understanding of poor creatures yet Quotusquisque est he is one of a thousand that we see doing so we are like Pedlars that think we must shew all that is in our Pack though they be little better than gay baubles and confound poor souls either with our Metaphysical Speculations or logical ratiocinations or with our Rhetorical flourishes God foresaw this vanity in our hearts and hath therefore graciously provided restraining the exhibition of his gifts and not giving unto many abilities to do so that if they would they cannot wrap up the plain truths of God in such mysteries of phrase and reasonings which are but vain Philosophy but are forced to speak more plainly and intelligibly to peoples souls that their preaching neither is nor can be in the enticing words of mans wisdom nor in the language of men that are puffed up but is far more in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and in the power of God though less in the insignificant wisdom of men 2. This Caution is useful also to relieve the Consciences of good men who are often-times troubled under the sense of the disparity and disproportion of their own gifts and parts to the gifts and parts of others I have known it the case of some Look as it hath been with some Christians for want of some gifts which at best have been but common gifts such as that of Prayer they have been ready to question whether they have any truth of grace yea or no. So I have known some precious godly Ministers in their melancholick dark-hours questioning whether they have not all their life-time invaded the Ministerial function whether ever they
18.10 to preach the Gospel undauntedly at Corinth addeth this for I have much people in this City Now supposing a City in which God had no people it might be much questioned whether God would Certain it is that the Apostle telleth us that God hath given Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4.11 12. I remember that when the Prophet Elisha was sent for to Jehosaphat Jehoram and the King of Edom when they were in their distress for want of water you have the story 2 Kings 3.13 Elisha saith to the King of Israel who was a wicked King what have I to do with thee vers 14. Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosophat the King of Judah I would not look toward thee nor see thee I am very apt to think God speaketh so to every one whom he hath passed over in his eternal purpose and knoweth that they will not repent and believe Were it not for the sake of his elect with whom these men are mixed God would never regard them nor look to them in his Gospel dispensations but as the Gardiner watereth the weeds amongst the herbs because he cannot at present well pluck them up so God having resolved that the Tares should be suffered amongst the Wheat till the great harvest watereth them with the dew of the Gospel pariter adeunt pariter audiunt as Augustine saith in another case they living amongst the elect of God hear the words that are spoken from God to them the Ministers of the Gospel they know them not and therefore cannot distinguish and it hath pleased the wise God so to order it And this answer indeed almost taketh away the subject of the question for then it is as it were by accident only that they are called to The Elect are those spoken to others only as they are in their company as a Father intending only to give good counsel to his own children may yet give it to others who accidentally are in their company 2. But there are others who think That God doth this that he might declare to all what is their duty Alii vocantur ad officium solum alii etiam ad beneficium Spanhemius A Creditor may I hope mind his Debtor of his debt though he knoweth that he is not able to pay a tenth part of it and be resolved never to lend him mony to do it and so in calling upon him cannot be supposed so much as to intend his own payment and satisfaction for none intendeth what he knoweth is impossible This is an answer which our learned Pemble gives but this answer doth not satisfie some other very learned men for what is it to exhort another but to declare his duty to him and to say that the end why God declareth unto Reprobates their duty is that he might declare their duty to them is something uncouth for idem non est finis suiipsius The question is what end the wise God can have in declaring their duty to them in and by such exhortations 3. It is therefore possibly better answered That God doth this for maintaining discipline and government in the world It is but a common observation that the Preaching of the Gospel generally restraineth and civilizeth those or very many of those whose hearts are not yet changed by it and converted to the obedience of the Gospel Take in your eye but two places one where there is no Preaching of the Gospel or none which truly deserveth that name another place where the Gospel is Preached duly daily and lively and observe if the generality of the people in the later place be not strangely more civilized than those of the other Town or City So that God by the Preaching of the Gospel to all and the work of his Providence in so ordering and disposing it though he doth not intend the salvation of Reprobates yet may have a wise and excellent end for the good of the world in bridling and restraining the outragious and unbridled lusts of such men so that the world is not such a heap of confusion such a place of universal disorder as it would be were it not for the influence of the indefinite and universal Preaching of the Gospel amongst them nor is this an end at all unworthy of a wise and holy God as well with relation to his own glory which is impeached by the exorbitancies of mens lusts as with reference to the good of humane society for which as I have all along shewed you in these Discourses our good God in the motions of his Providence sheweth a great kindness and this may be said to be another end of Gods which also he doth generally obtain It is said by some That God causeth the Gospel to be Preached unto some that they might be without excuse The Apostle telleth us That the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom. 1.20 he speaketh of the Heathens and why may not we say of others that the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is Preached unto many and the riches of Divine Grace displayed before them so that they are without excuse while they continue in impenitency and unbelief we may say of them as the Apostle saith of the Jews Have they not heard Rom. 10.18 did they not know God hath stretcht forth his hand to a disobedient and gainsaying people vers 21. I know Arminius doth object against this answer telling us this cannot be Gods end in sending his Gospel for exhortations to faith and repentance do not of themselves render persons without excuse but this is added to the nature of them But this reason also would prove that the faith and obedience of the elect is not intended by God for their obedience also is added to the exhortations But enough is spoken upon this Argument as to such who have an ear open to receive an answer Supposing that God hath chosen but some to eternal life that Christ hath made a Covenant but for some nor intentionally dyed for more than his Father had chosen in him and given to him yet God might cause the Gospel to be preached unto all the world and have very wise ends in the doing of it So as that the universality of the call to faith and repentance is no argument either against the election of grace or for an incertain Covenant no nor yet for an universal redemption And from hence also an easie solution may be made of another appearing difficulty It is certain according to the letter of my Text That now God commandeth every man to repent How can this be Quest 2. Supposing that a man or woman hath of himself no power to believe or
sin in the world hath infinitely magnified his own goodness It is the saying of a very ingenious Author Satis usui sunt scelera si artem peritiam divinae beneficentiae provocant Sin is of use enough to God in the business of his glory if by it the act and skill of the Divine Goodness and Bounty be made appear to the world the goodness and mercy of God is that Attribute of his which above all others he hath made choice of to glorify himself in and by it is that in which he delighteth which is above all his works Now without the permission of sin yea of the aboundings of sin it had been impossible that Divine Goodness and Bounty should have been so commended to the world Let me open this a little 1. Christs coming and dying for sinners was the greatest act of love that was ever shewed to the children of men What greater love could the eternal Father shew than to give his Son out of his own bosom to be a sacrifice for sins God so loved the world saith John 3 Chap. 16. that he gave his only begotten son Moralists make a question about taking the true measures of the magis and minus of love whether the greatness of love be to be measured from the affliction intention and self-denial of the party loving or the benefit redounding to the person beloved but measure which way you will it was the greatest love on the Fathers side and the greatest that Christ could shew for greater love than this hath no man shewed John 15. and herein God commends his love towards us Rom. 5.8 Besides the inhabitation of the spirit was a benefit of Christs death an effect of his purchase And what greater love could be shewed on the part of the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Christ than for it to come down and to dwell in the heart of a poor creature for the person of a believer to be made the temple of the Holy Ghost the receptacle of the Spirit of Grace Now if there had been no sin no sinners in the world what room had there been for a Saviour what needed one to have turned away iniquity from Jacob to have been wounded for our iniquities bruised for our transgressions He dyed for our sins saith the Apostle How could the love of the eternal Father in sending his Son or the love of the Son in taking upon him our nature and dying for us or the love of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying us and renewing us and dwelling in us been manifested to the world If a strong man had not kept the house what need had there been of a stronger than he to have come and dispossessed him All the love of the Father Son and Holy Ghost magnified in the business of mans Redemption and the whole Oeconomy of a Gospel-salvation had been conceal'd and not known to the world 2. Again How could the love of God in the conversion of sinners in the pardon of their sins in their justification the sense they oft have of his love have been manifested to the world What need were there of any pardon if no sins were permitted where were the aboundings of grace in pardoning if there were no aboundings of sin What love of God could be seen in the conversion of sinners if no sinners were permitted in the world How should God magnify his grace by saying to any soul Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee if he did not suffer sins to be committed Thus you see the greatness of Divine Goodness and Mercy could never have been declared to the world but for the motions of Providence in the permission of sins and sinners yea and of the aboundings of them 3. Did not the Actual Providence of God thus permit sin and much sin in the world How should the long-suffering and patience of God be magnified in the world This also is a piece of Gods Name and such a one by which he designeth to make himself glorious he stileth himself Exod. 34.6 Gracious merciful long-suffering slow to anger and Numb 14.18 The Lord is long-suffering and full of tender compassion Now sin and sinners are the objects about which the long-sufferance of God is exercised He endured with much long-suffering saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 vessels of wrath fitted for destruction How often do we find this in our own experience when we hear wretches blaspheming God and daring Divine Justice how often are we ready to say and it is a good reflexion O what a patient God do we serve which of us would endure such affronts and defiances as God endureth every day The aboundings of sin in the world make the considerate part of the inhabitants of it admire and adore the long-suffering and patience of God 3. The wisdom of God is also wonderfully magnified by Gods permission of sin The Apostle calleth God the only wise God None so wise as God is and the wisdom of God is eminently magnified by his permission of sin One great business of wisdom is to make an Election of the best end but this is not that which I am here speaking to God hath fixed his end it is his own glory and as I have often told you he can aim at no other end than himself and his own glory But next to a good Election of an end wisdom is eminently seen in the choice and conduct of means in order to a proposed end but herein is the heighth of wisdom to be able to make use of the most unlikely means and make them to serve our purpose It is a point I have touched something largely upon in my former discourses upon this Argument and therefore I shall not here enlarge upon it To bring a not-being into a being to make a thing out of nothing argueth an infinite power though there be aliquid materiae something of a matter yet if there be nihilum subjecti no aptitude in the matter to produce an effect of that nature as when God took the rib of a man and made of it a woman this argued also an omnipotent infinite power But yet methinks for God to produce his glory out of the aboundings of sin argueth yet something more if not of power yet of wisdom to make the wrath of men to praise him and the lyes of men to glorify him O how doth this commend the infinite wisdom of an only wise God! Sin all sin is quite opposite and repugnant to the glory of God it speaks the great Wisdom of God to bring out his glory from it Thus God hath glory by accident from the permission and sufferance of sin in the world 4. But let me further shew how God is further glorified by reason of the aboundings of sin in the manifestation of his Justice his Punitive and Vindicative Justice Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted
for destruction there is a great deal in that verse 1. The Apostle hinteth us in that text that we are Clay and God is our Potter it was what God had said of old by his Prophet Jeremiah chap. 18. vers 6. and Isaiah chap. 45. vers 9. and what the Apostle himself had said in the two verses immediately preceding upon this account it is that he here calls such as perish vessels of wrath Earthen-vessels with relation to the Potter before-mentioned 2. Being such Potters vessels God had undoubtedly a jus absolutum an absolute right and dominion over the Sons of men vers 21. Hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one a vessel of honour another a vessel of dishonour 3. He sheweth that God doth destinate some to dishonour not using his absolute right and prerogative meerly but for just and righteous causes and he instanceth in three things 1. Gods will to shew his wrath The wrath of God is nothing else but his just will to punish Violaters of his Law God is willing to shew his hatred of sin in the just punishment of it 2. Gods will to make his power known that is in breaking the stubbornness of sinners thus ver 17. it is said of Pharaoh For this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth and this God calleth a getting himself glory upon Pharaoh Exod. 14.17 18. 3. The third reason he gives is That they are fitted for destruction Divines start a question from these words How or from whom they are fitted for destruction Some say of God as their Potter others will have it to be from Satan others from themselves the different notions may be reconciled Paraeus telleth us there are three things to be considered in these vessels of wrath their nature their sin the end as to their nature they are not from themselves nor from Satan but from God he is the Maker of all As to their pravity and natural corruption that is not from God but from themselves and from the Devil the end is either preximate that is their own dishonour and destruction or remote and ultimate that is the shewing forth the Justice and Power of God Neither of these saith that learned Author is from themselves for they do not ordain themselves to destruction nor design the manifestation of the Lords Power and Justice Thus therefore saith he are the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction according to nature they are created and made by no other than by God as to their sin and corruption by which they are made children of wrath guilty of sin and subject unto wrath they are made so by Satan by their own spontaneous fall and that sin which followed it as to the ends they are from God and according to his eternal Counsel of predestination And this is the reason as is not only observed by Paraeus but by P. Martyr probably why the Apostle only saith fitted and not by whom fitted for destruction that fittedness referring partly to God partly to themselves as they are by sin fitted it is their own act Now when he speaks of the vessels of mercy he speaks in the active voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 23. Which he had before prepared unto glory So that it being the work of the sinner to fit himself for destruction by the multiplyings and aboundings of sin and God glorifying his Justice and Power in breaking and destroying sinners it is easie to understand how Gods suffering the aboundings of sin tendeth to the glorifying of his Power and Vindicative Justice And thus I have shewed how the various Attributes of God are glorified by his permission of sin But this is but one way by which God hath glory from the permission of sin 2. He hath glory from it from those exercises of grace which are occasioned by it from his own people and these are more internal or more external for such as are more internal repentance faith humility several other graces have either their Original motions from this Providence or are greatly advantaged in their exercise by it 1. For repentance that is considerable either in the inward affection or more external act As to the former if no sin were permitted how could there be any humiliation for sin any godly shame or sorrow any bleeding or brokenness of heart in the sense of sin Were no sin permitted there could be no repentance no godly sorrow for sin c. 2. God hath a great deal of glory by mens believing on the Lord Jesus Christ It is a great piece of the Will of God that men should believe on him whom God hath sent and God is glorified by our doing his Will It were a large Theme to discourse to you how variously God is glorified by mens receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in him But God had had none of this glory if there had been no permission of sin in the world what is it to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but to accept of him as our Saviour to expect Salvation from free grace through the merits of Christ and to depend upon him for it Now should God permit no sin there would be no need of a Saviour no occasion for a redeemer no need of going out of our selves relinquishing all confidences in the flesh and in our selves Believing in Christ as our redeemer and Saviour supposeth sin making us lost undone Creatures to stand in need of such a Salvation 3. Again Humility is another habit of grace in the exercise of which God is glorified it is one of those things which God by his Prophet telleth us that he requires of man to walk humbly with his God nothing more contributes to this than a Child of Gods continual walking in a view of his own past and renewing Sins Thus far even the best of Gods people are beholden to their sins they make them walk more softly and to have more humble and mean opinions of themselves and to be more low in their own eyes neither exalting themselves against God nor censoriously and rashly judging their brethren and the more or less that any Christian looks at home and considereth himself and his own ways the more or less he walks humbly towards God and charitably towards his brethren 4. Finally in the 2 Cor. 7.11 You shall find a whole quire of graces all singing forth the praises of God and all occasioned by sin The Corinthians had offended in the business of the incestuous person the Apostle in his former Epistle had brought them to a sense of their sin and to a godly sorrow for it Now saith he this self-same thing that you sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you Yea what clearing of your selves Yea what indignation what fear what vehement desire yea what zeal what revenge these now are all exercises of
grace which bring glory to God if God should not sometimes suffer his own people to fall all the revenue of his glory from these exercises would be lost 5. Again hath God any glory from any more external Acts of Worship and Homage which we perform unto him from our Prayers Praises from our hearing his word receiving the Sacrament Prayer is made up of Confession of Sin and Supplications for pardon of Sin and strength against Sin Confession of Sin gives glory to God my Son saith Joshuah to Achan confess and give glory to God Supplication for good things gives God glory as it owns him to be the Fountain of all good and our whole dependance to be upon him It is true had Sin never entred into the World our daily dependence upon God would have evinced Prayer to have been our daily and a natural homage which derived inferiour beings do owe unto the first being But there would have been no need of Prayer either for the pardon of Sin or for strength against Sin For Praise that also is a piece of Homage which Adam would have owed unto God if he had stood in his first integrity and state of Innocency and the Angels of God who never fell are continually occupied in singing the praises of God But the praises of God both by his Saints upon the Earth and by his glorified Saints are highly advantaged by the forgiveness of their Sins and their having their garments washed in the blood of the Lamb. Now if no sin were committed in the World none would be remitted and forgiven and all the glory which the God of Heaven hath from his Saints on Earth or in Heaven for the free forgiveness of their Sins would have been lost Certainly the fall of the evil Angels advantages the praises of the elect Angel it being doubtless a piece of their song to bless God who suffered not them to fall as the infernal Spirits did and indeed this needeth no further evidence than what it hath from every gracious Soul that hath tasted any thing of the love of God in pardoning mercies I appeal to any such Soul to what a pitch it raiseth his Soul in the thoughts of God and the admirings of his Divine love and grace Psal 103.1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my Soul saith David and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Thus I have shewed you a second way by which God gets himself glory from Sin the permission of Sin in the World 3. Holiness and Piety are advantaged by Sin Sin is a foil to holiness Pulchriora apparent bona ex malorum deformitate As the dark shadows are advantages to the Picture and the wanton thinks at least that her black Patches are advantages to her beauty so are the Sins and Debaucheries which God permitteth in the world advantages to holiness The beautiful and well-proportioned works of Nature are the more beautiful for the Monsters that it erreth in Sin is but monstrum morum a monster in mens manners I am perswaded that in the very times wherein we live God hath made use of the prodigious intemperance lust and luxury Atheisme and foolish superstitious vanities of some to make true Religion Godliness and Vertue appear more lovely unto thousands than before they did Lastly From what is said abundantly appears that it is not without infinite wisdom that the Lord though he be pleased to manifest the riches of grace upon some to change their hearts and to turn them from the wickedness of their ways plucking them as brands out of the fire yet suffers multitudes to walk in their own ways till they drop into that Pit from which there is no Redemption for ever We may all of us be assured that the wise God consulteth his own glory in this In the same Text Pro. 16.4 Where he tells us that he hath made the wicked for the day of evil he saith in the former part that he hath made all things for himself Though we be not able to see the particular reason of many dispensations of God yet we ought to presume they are not done without excellent Counsel admirable reason incomprehensible wisdom yea and infinite love toward those that shall be saved I shall close this discourse with an excellent saying of one of the Ancients If saith he an ignorant person goeth into a Smiths shop what matters it if he doth not knowof what particular use the Sleth the Anvil and other utensils are yet it is enough if the workman knoweth and can make use of every utensil in it's season what if we do not know if we cannot comprehend of what use some particular sinful actions of men should be for the glory of God it is enough for us that God knoweth the vilest action that was ever done in the World the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ was of the greatest use for the manifestation of the glory of God Now after this discourse of the reasonableness of Divine Providence in permitting Sin for the further manifestation of the glory of God and the acquisition of glory to his sacred name c. It may seem an idle question why the Lord suffereth so many sinners so as his own number is but a little flock in comparison of those Herds for sin being a quality must inhere in some Subject and if there were no sinners tolerated there could be no sin but yet let me a little further enlarge upon this Argument 1. God suffereth so many sinners that some of them might be made Saints by Nature there is none righteous no not one all are Children of wrath one as well as another all that are implanted into Christ were natural branches of the wild Olive they are made otherwise by an engraffing and implantation into the Lord Jesus Christ It is the Metaphor which the Apostle useth Rom. 11. v. 17 19. Those all those whom the Lord quickeneth were at first dead in trespasses and sins It is the saying of a very ingenious Author Non est sterilis Deo patientia sua ut saltem fatigatione taedeat peccatores voluptatum Gods patience saith he with sinners is not barren if it were only for this that God by suffering sinners many sinners doth at last tire and weary some out of their delight and pleasure in their lusts thou that sayest why doth a pure and holy God endure so many vessels of wrath fitted for destruction do but remember that thou thy self wert once a Child of wrath thou wert once a person fitted both by Original sin and by many actual sins for destruction God suffered thee to go on a long time in thy own ways that he might weary thee of thine own ways and bring thee home unto himself why may not God do so by many others They are yet as wild Asses but why may not they also have a
God hath many Children and his Children will have their wanton vagaries and extravagances and must be brought through the world to Heaven under the discipline of persecutions and many afflictions wicked and profane men in the world are Gods gaolers and bride-well men that keep his houses of correction when his servants are wanton and offend him he sends them to these gaolers he turns them over unto wicked men It was Davids curse of his enemies Psal 109.6 Set thou a wicked man over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand God when his people offend him sometimes sends them to the Extortioner to catch all that they have Sometimes to a barbarous Souldier to spoile all their labour sometimes to a persecutor to rifle their houses and plunder their pleasant things to lay them up in gaoles c. And thus a multitude of sinners is necessary to Gods government of the world But yet for we are very apt to dispute with God how is it that the providence of God suffers such an excess of riot such a world of iniquity in the world if some sin be suffered if some sinners must be endured in the world yet why so much sin Though an easy and manifold answer might be easily drawn up to this from my former discourse yet let me add 3 or 4 things 1. Dost thou that speakest thus consider what a dependency there is of one sin upon another and what an use God maketh of one sin to punish another Let me a little discourse each of these The moralist saith Virtutes sunt concatenatae Divines say as much of the graces of the Spirit of God they have a causative virtue and influence upon one another patience worketh experience experience hope The Apostle tells us faith worketh by love it is indeed productive both of love and hope c. It is also true that Vitia sunt concatenata vices and sinful habits are also linked together and are productive one of another Lust conceiveth and brings forth and sin finisheth and then bringeth forth death And as it is observed in nature the most noxious Creatures are most fruitful and teeming so vice and sin is a most fruitful teeming mother one sin bringeth forth a multitude of sin Drunkenness is the ordinary mother of whoredom filthy and profane discourse quarrellings and contentions Who hath contentions who hath babling saith Solomon in Pro. 23.29 They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek for mixt wine 2. Again God in his providence maketh use of sin to punish sin But the equity of God in that motion of his providence God willing I shall hereafter more fully discourse 2. To quiet your thoughts upon this permission of Divine Providence I shall offer to your consideration what Nierembergius an acute Author though a Papist saith upon this argument That the quantity of sin which God permitteth in the world is nothing to what he bindreth in it What a Brothel house of uncleanness what a Field of blood and oppression What an universal Ale house would the world be were it not for the restrainings of Divine Grace what but this hindereth that every man is not a Cain unto his Brother a Judas to his Master that every one is not an Heliogabalus for lust and luxury as much a monster of cruelty as Nero The child of God jealous for the glory of God is often stumbled to see so much sin in the world whereas he should rather be taken up with the admiration of Divine Goodness that there is no more prodigious wickedness committed in it Gratulor saith the afore-mentioned ingenious Author compendium peccandi supremae illi bonitati fontanae miserationi quâ tantus malorum ardor extinguitur Would you blame a man who seeing your House all on fire should quench that fire and only leave some straw burning in the Yard The whole world lieth in wickedness there is a great depth of lust and sin in all our hearts by nature God so ordereth it in his Providence that though he thinks fit to leave some lust burning yet he smothereth and restraineth the far greater part He suffereth not the thousandth part of that blasphemy that uncleanness that drunkenness that oppression fraud cruelty and injustice which would be in the world if he took off his hand of restraint from mens spirits What he doth suffer his infinite wisdom knows how to make an advantagious use of for the glory of his great name 3. Consider that the time of sinning beareth no proportion to that time that the Creation shall be without sin The world hath lasted five or six thousand years Chronologers differ in their calculations how long it shall last none can tell many have guessed and already find they have been mistaken But suppose which is not very probable that it should last five six ten thousand more this indeed is a long time for the Devil who is the god of this world to reign and have a kingdom in and a world of sin hath been committed and is committed daily in the world and doubtless will yet be committed before God puts a period to the world and to sinning-time but if it were twice ten thousand years what is that to eternity that eternity that shall be consequent to the day of Judgement when there shall not be a sin committed nor a sinner seen The wicked and all they who forget God shall be turned into Hell There shall not be the black patch of a sin in the beautiful face of the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness when that blessed time comes it shall be all spent in praises and Hallelujahs Stumble not then at Gods Providence in permitting some sin in the world who hath made so good a provision for his own glory unto a long eternity which also shall then be advantaged by the much sin suffered in the world For those who have much forgiven them will love much here and praise God much both here and hereafter the high praises of God in the mouths of glorified saints are doubtless elevated by the high and much sin which they were guilty of in the world You read Rev. 7. of many thousands of Gods sealed ones which John saw and vers 9 10. A great number which no man could count of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues that stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands who cryed with a loud voice salvation to our God who sitteth upon the Throne and to the lamb and again vers 12. Amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be given unto our God for ever and ever Now St. John desiring to know who these were had this answer These are they who are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day
was corrected and which when he was a child he deprecated and would gladly have cut in pieces Let me shew you a little that these things which we disgrace with the name of Evils and of which the holy and gracious God is not ashamed to be the Author are not Evils but such as deserve a better name and such good things as are some of the greatest goods the child of God meets with on this side of Heaven To this purpose we will consider them 1. As they contribute to the Predication of the Holiness and Justice of God and the making him to be feared and adored in the world 2. As they many ways contribute to the happiness of those that shall be saved 1. I say first as they predicate the glory of Gods Justice and Holiness Justice and Holiness are two eminent Attributes of the Divine Being so essential unto it as if he should not be just and holy he could not be God Now the Holiness and Justice of God could never be so known in the world but for the afflictions troubles and punishments which are abroad in it God is infinitely removed from our senses we can only read him in his word and in his works The word of God evidenceth these two Attributes to us by faith for the word is the object of faith and faith is the evidence of things not seen The word of God speaketh God a just and holy God and therefore we believe it but as in a State the Justice of the Magistrates would never be seen in making good Laws and discoursing just things if he never put them in execution so neither should we ever have any demonstration of the Justice and Holiness of God if it were not for those afflictions and punishments of sinners by which he declareth to the world his abhorrence of sin and the exactness of his Justice I remember the Apostle Rom. 3.25 telleth us That Christ was set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare Gods righteousness and God being about to destroy Pharaoh saith I will get me honour upon Pharaoh What honour the honour of his Justice and Righteousness It is the great interest of God to declare unto the world his Justice and Holiness How else should he have the revenue of his glory from these Attributes Now I say Evils of punishment are upon this account great goods and were necessary if they were causative of no other than this good If God obtained no more from them than the Proclamation of his Holiness and Predication of his Justice and Righteousness yet this were enough and thus much he gains from his punishment of the worst of men if they be not made better by them yet God is by them made more glorious and declareth his righteousness The argument is this Those things cannot be evil however we may miscall them which immediately tend to make God more glorious in the eyes of the world but this all Evils of punishment do they speak God a pure and holy God and a just and righteous God But there is much more to be said than this is 2. They very much contribute to the good of such as shall be saved 1. They contribute to make us better while we live here and 2. To make us eternally happy hereafter It is only the foolish child that as I said before quarrelleth at the rods and ferula's that correct the wildness and wantonness of its youth The grown man blesseth God and thanks his master for them He that spareth the rod saith Solomon hateth the child but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 and advising Parents again saith Prov. 23.13 14. Withhold not correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not dye thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell In short 1. By afflictions Souls ordained to life are kept from hell 2. By afflictions such souls are fitted for the Kingdom of Heaven 1. I say first By afflictions as by a divine sacred means the souls of such as are ordained unto life are saved from hell If mans rod may be a means to such a blessed end Gods rod will certainly do much more the rod and reproof give wisdom Prov. 29.15 Solomon tells us That foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 It is as true as to the Children of God as it is with reference to the Children of men Have not you observed a tender Mother sometimes seeing a foolish child too busie with the fire or candle taking the childs hand or finger and holding it so near that it scalds or burns it self so learning the burnt child to dread the fire God hath never a child but is too too ready to be playing with hell-fire playing over the hole of the Asp and den of the Cockatrice God takes his childrens fingers and scalds them a little with the fire of Hell in their Consciences making them to be a continual terror instead of a continual feast or with the Candles of Afflictions and outward trials and thus they are delivered from Hell Adam had never seen death he had only heard of it in the threatning in case he did eat of the Tree that stood in the midst of the Garden he put out his hand and took of the fruit and did eat his posterity shall now see and feel death they shall be in deaths often and have leisure to think if the torments of the stone or the gout be so great what will the torments of Hell be If I am not able to stand under the terrors of an affrighted Conscience for a few months how shall I abide everlasting wrath That so he may be more wary and afraid Demonstrations of the truth of the word have a great force with our unbelieving hearts God hath therefore in infinite wisdom and goodness so ordered it that one while his people shall be in the fire of a Fever another while in the darkness of a divine desertion By the first they shall learn to conclude how hot the fire of Hell must be by the later how dreadful that utter darkness shall be which shall be the impenitent sinners portion what it is to be forsaken of God for ever upon the hearing that dreadful sentence Depart from me you cursed into everlasting burnings prepared for the Devil and his Angels They shall sometimes find Satan at their right hand to learn them what it is to be with the Devils to all eternity they shall sometimes want bread to eat and water to quench their thirst and left from thence to conclude what the condition of a Dives is that would in those flames be glad of a cup of cold water to cool his tongue they shall have extremities of pains for a little time in some particular joynts and limbs and thence gather what the torments of the whole body
and soul must be for ever and ever when all the Vials of Divine wrath shall be poured out upon them I do not doubt but many a soul in glory is this day blessing God for its life of trials pains and afflictions and could we hear them speak they would tell us they were beholden in a great measure to the thousands of little hells they suffered here for the Heaven to which they have crouded through much tribulation and waded through many waters of Marah which they found it difficult while they were in their delicate flesh to drink of because their tast was bitter 2. By afflictions and troubles the saints are fitted for the Kingdom of God They are such good things as accompany salvation and make the heirs of salvation fit for the Kingdom of God We must be made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light before we come to it Col. 1.12 and we are made so by afflictions in a great measure Do you sometimes see some beautiful stones in a famous structure shining with variety of Colours and adorning the places where they are How came they think you by this beauty were they only beholden to the Painter for an ingenious mixture and laying on of colours This would never have made them so without hewing and smoothing and polishing but both these together complete their beauty The Stone-cutter first hews off their roughness and polisheth them then the Painter layeth his colours upon them Amongst other expressions by which the Scripture expresseth the blessed state of the saints this is one promise Rev. 3.12 I will make him that overcometh a pillar in the house of my God To make a Soul a Pillar a beautiful glorious Pillar in the House of God it is not enough that the holy spirit comes and like a Painter adorneth the soul with its varieties of gracious habits but the Providence of God especially as to some of them who are of courser rougher constitutions must also come and hew and cut and polish them with varieties of trials and afflictions and thus they become at last beautiful Pillars beautiful for faith and patience for self denial and meekness strong to bear the cross and submissive to the burthen of it Thus by many tribulations they enter into the Kingdom of God by many tribulations not only as the road to Heaven the dark entry into that place of light but as means fitting them for Heaven Files filing off that rust with which they could never enter in there Even the man according to Gods own heart confessed that before he was afflicted he went astray and that his afflictions had contributed to his learning of the Lords Statutes We sillily call afflictions evils but consider thy self saith an acute Author how often hast thou been made better by those things those afflictions which thou defamest with the name of evils Augustine lamented that a Fever had corrected that lust in him which the love of God and the meditation of that could not extinguish Certainly the same reason which forbids us to call that good which maketh us worse will likewise restrain us from calling that evil which maketh us better God doth ex dispendio naturae parare compendium gratiae in the phrase of an ingenious Writer he maketh the outward man decrease that the inward man may by it increase so that troubles and afflictions seem but Divine inventions to make the saints both more holy and more happy How should we have lien grovelling on the earth if God had not prepared us there a bed of thorns and lien always sucking at the worlds breasts if God had not rubbed them with this wormwood How often would the pitifully wanton heart of a good Christian have been priding it self at a Looking-glass if God had not spoiled her smooth face with the Small Pox or some other deforming disease How often is the love and delight of a soul canton'd out to a Wife or an Husband to a Child or a Friend and how little a share hath God of it until he cuts off these suckers from the roots of our souls How little time can a man or woman oft times find for Meditation or Prayer for examining his heart and reflecting upon his ways till God shutteth him up in a Prison in a sick Chamber c. that he hath nothing else to do then he cries with the Church Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. How little how seldom should we with any seriousness or in any solemn manner remember God if God sometimes did not forget us When should we be willing to entertain thoughts of a better life of a more enduring substance if we always had full measures of the contentments of this life The uncertainty we have of earthly riches makes us look for the more enduring substance A banishment from our Country or daily persecution and vexation in it makes us think of and prepare for a better Country By dying daily we become willing to dye and to be with Christ If we did not see the gourds that refresh us and keep the heats of the world from our heads come up in a night and go down by an East wind the next night we should cry it is good for us to be here let us build us Tabernacles We should be married to the world and unwilling ever to think of a divorce or a being married to Christ if God did not sometimes let us experience that we had a lye in our right hand were fond of a picture and embraced a shadow The Gaols and prisons of the earth make the earth more bitter and the liberty of the sons of God more sweet The pains of the earth and the labours of the world make the rest of Heaven and the joys thereof more desirable Besides that faith and patience are no Summer-graces if we should never have any Winters when should they have any exercise Tribulation worketh patience and the hour of trial is the time for its perfect work But this were almost an infinite Theme to discourse in its latitude the variety of good which floweth to the souls of Gods people from afflictions and troubles they are by them tried purged made white they are by them made more holy and humble all which good justly entituleth God to a being the Author of them they do not only flow from his justice as the just punishments of sin but they are the noble effluxes of his goodness and are so far from derogating from the glory of that that they exceedingly tend to the commendation of it and we are mistaken in the notion of them when we call them evils and make up the judgement meerly from sense which indeed so nick-nameth them I know indeed there is another Phaenomenon of difficulty here and that is how it can stand with the justice of God to punish his people for those sins for which he hath accepted a satisfaction from the Lord Jesus Christ and given an
use of them in their not doing so they at least render themselves inexcusable 3. This Question proceedeth upon a grand mistake viz. That all punishment is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the amendment of the person punished and that if such an end cannot be propounded or shall not be obtained Punishments are things not reconcilable to the holiness and goodness of God This now is a very great mistake and not only contrary to Divinity but to the reason of human Policy It will the more Illustrate this matter and make the way of God in this appear more easy and plain if I shew you 1. That all men agree that the amendment of the offender is not the only end of punishment but there are other ends for which the wisdom of man judgeth punishments necessary 2. That as to God Reason holds much more and the Scripture hath revealed other ends which he aimeth at in punishment than the amendment of the person offending which are highly consistent with his holiness and justice Seneca a great Pagan Philosopher mentions three ends in punishments 1. The amendment of the person offending 2. The security of others who may be in danger by his lawless sinful courses 3. The amendment of others It is true there is a punishment the end of which is only the amendment of the person offending Thus Parents punish their Children Masters their Scholars and Servants to this purpose Magistrates use whippings brandings houses of corrections goals c. But these kinds of punishments cannot reach unto death because there can be no amendment of a person after the determination of his Being It is true sinners by being cut off sometimes are stopt from further sinning but properly none can be said to be made better by being put to death and if there were no other end of punishments dictated by humane reason than the amendment of the person offending humane Laws could ordain no capital punishments But the wisdom of the Politicians of the world we see hath ordained capital punishments for some offences and some offenders yea and degrees of torment in death according to the degree of the offence Amongst us in case of Treason Malefactors are hang'd drawn and quartered in case of murther and other Felonies they are beheaded hanged burnt c. and we shall find this wisdom of men justified by the supreme Wisdom of God who ordained capital punishments for divers offences as you read in the Law of Moses Although therefore the amendment of the offender be one great end of punishments for as much as deliberate and ordinary acts of naughtiness beget in us a further proneness and inclination to them and beget ill habits in us punishments are ordained the smart of which may wean us from the pleasure which ariseth to us from sinful acts but though this be one and that a great end of punishment yet it is not the only end for which the wisdom of man teacheth him to make use of them There are others such as are The vindication of the authority of the superior from contempt the amendment of others the security of others c. It is indeed true That man not being his own end can do nothing rightly but what he doth for some good out of himself there must be something out of himself for which he acteth and that something must be good or his action will be evil and bad But it is not necessary that this good which he makes his end in punishment should be the amendment and reformation of the party punished If it were he could never punish with capital punishment Besides there is a twofold greater good than this which he may aim at 1. The glory of God and the vindication of the Divine Majesty 2. The good either of the whole body of the political society with which he is betrusted or some considerable a part of them Hence it is that Magistrates rightly cut off Blasphemers for the vindication of the glory of God as well as for the example of others and cut off Murtherers for the security of other mens lives as well as in execution of the Divine Law concerning such offenders But 2. Let me shew you that as to punishments inflicted by God Reason holdeth much more and as the Scripture revealeth so Reason justifieth other ends which he both proposeth and obtaineth in the punishment of sinners to whom affliction doth no good in order to their amendment and reformation Let me a little open this 1. Grotius de jure belli l. 2. It is truly said by a learned Author That Gods actions may be right though they have no other end beyond themselves Mans cannot be so he must act for some end some good end and that must be out of himself but the case is otherwise as to God he is his own end and may punnish a sinner for no other end than that he may be revenged upon him He hath made the wicked for the day of wrath Prov. 16.4 and saith that Author The Scripture declaring that God takes a pleasure in his vengeance upon sinners that he will mock at their calamity and laugh when their fear cometh as also the last judgment are all evident demonstrations of this Now supposing this to be true it is apparent enough that Gods bringing evil and trouble upon such sinners concerning whom he knoweth that they will never be amended by their troubles but made worse is reconcilable enough to the purity holiness and justice of God I will saith God get me glory upon Pharaoh I told you in my last Exercise that if there were no other good that came from evils of punishment than the predication and magnification of the justice and holiness of God yet that were enough to warrant the entituling of God to be the efficient cause and Author of them The making of Gods Power and Justice known the vindication of his Soveraignty and Holiness is a noble effect of Divine Providence Now where God doth not obtain the reformation and amendment of the sinner yet he obtaineth this he gets himself glory upon the poor wretch which actively refused to give him glory Divines and Philosophers too truly say That in punishments Respicitur aut utilitas ejus qui peccavit cujus intererat peccatum non esse aut indistincte quorum libet that is there is always a regard had either to the good of the offenders or to the good of some others whose interest it had been not to have had the offence committed Supposing God not always in punishments to have a respect to the good and amendment of the sinner that is punished which is most certainly true as to the punishment yet he hath respect unto another and that a far greater good the glory of his own great name Now certainly it is consistent enough with the holiness justice and goodness of God to act for the glory of his name though it be to the prejudice and ruine of his creature considering
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.
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
the wisdom and justice of God in making such a Law which will appear to you if you please to consider 1. The influence which it hath upon those who shall be saved as a means to bring them to Heaven this appeareth from that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.11 We knowing the terrors of the Lord perswade men as also from the frequent use which both our Saviour and his Apostles make of this argument to deter men from sin and to engage them to that duty which they owe unto God in the performance of which they shall obtain everlasting life and salvation John Baptist useth it Matt. 3.7 Our Saviour useth it Matt. 25. The Apostle useth it 1 Thes 1.10 and in many other places of Scripture 2. Such a Law hath undoubtedly a great influence upon the worst of men and keepeth them in awe so as they dare not be so vile as they otherwise would be I have told you of that Heathen who is reported to have said That if God had not established death by his Law it was yet so necessary for mankind that it had been reason that Governours should have established some Law to have determined mens lives at such or such times The Heathens knew nothing of the Revelation of Gods Will as to the eternal destruction of any but saw such a sanction so necessary for the rule and government of the World that they figured such a thing a place where thirsty Tantalus should have rivers just washing up to his lips and yet he should not be able to drink of them where weary Sisyphus should be always labouring to roll a stone up the hill for which he should never be able to find a resting-place The Heathens saw the necessity of frighting the world with a Sanction for eternal punishments for the punishment of wickedness It is a saying of Cicero Itaque ut aliqua in vita formido improbis esset posita apud infero ejusmodi quaedam supplicia impiis antique constituta esse voluerunt quod videbant his remotis non esse mortem ipsam pertimescendam Orat. 4. in Catilinam That is That wicked men might in this life have upon them some fear of punishment the Ancients would have some punishments appointed in Hell for they saw that without this even death it self would not be feared Hence it was that Origen one of the Ancients though as he had many other errors he thought the punishment of the damned should one day have an end yet as they say he would never openly publish his opinion being aware what a deluge of wickedness it would let in upon the world I would offer it to any reasonable mans thoughts to consider what less than a threatening of eternal destruction could be in prudence judged to bear any proportion to the impetuous lust of rage and passion that disturbeth humane nature Governors affix to their Laws the penalties of perpetual imprisonment banishment whippings brandings burning hanging hanging drawing and quartering we see this is not sufficient hundreds of persons throughout England in a year are cut off notwithstanding these Laws and these punishments It is true some hope of escaping and not being detected may a little encourage but this is not the main they know if the worst comes that can come it is but exercising patience for an hour or two and they are out of their misery I appeal to every considerate persons judgment whether he doth not think that if the aw of an eternal destruction were of the world the world would not be a Thousand times more full of Traytors Murtherers Blasphemers Adulterers Thieves Defiers of all Divine and humane Laws than it is at this day though it be now full enough if they do not think so their thoughts are very shallow and they will be at a loss to tell us how the Christianized parts of the world are more civil and have fewer of these exorbitancies than are to be found amongst Indians and Barbarians if they do think the world would be much worse I would fain know of them whether the establishing a law for the eternal destruction of sinners were not both just and a piece of infinite Wisdom in God Now if it were just for God to establish such a Law I am sure it must be a piece of distributive Justice in God to put it in execution yea and his truth must be also concerned in it he hath spoken it and he must do it for he cannot alter the thing that hath gone out of his lips It is I think reasonably said by an ingenious Author That it more concerneth the glory of God to keep many from sin than to keep a few from Hell The Glory of God is far more highly his concern than the salvation of particular persons Gods Glory is more advanced by the restraint of sin in the universality of mankind than it is hindred by the damnation of any part of them And methinks we might without any great difficulty agree this when-as it appeareth both by our Laws and the daily proceedings of our Courts of Judicatory we agree it to be more for the publick good of a Nation that the Government and Laws of a Nation should be maintained than that the lives of hundreds of Traytors Murtherers Thieves and other miscreants that are disturbers of humane polities and societies should be preserved 3. But this is further advantaged from the consideration That this righteous Sanction of eternal destruction is executed under the Gospel upon none to whom it hath not been a mean before to keep them from it I have told you that as to those ordained to life it is a means to preserve them from wrath to come to hear of it the Ministers of the Lord knowing the terrors of the Lord perswade men and by the consideration and the hearing of these terrors as by a partial mean they are brought into a state opposite to it a state of eternal joy and felicity To the whole of mankind it is a mean to restrain them from sin I now add that these poor wretches who at last drop into the Pit as the demerit of their sins continued in without repentance have or might have formerly heard of it denounced against them as a means to keep them from it and to bring them to an eternal felicity Now doth man judge it a righteous thing having made and promulged Laws to his Subjects telling them what shall be judged Treason and what shall be the punishment of a Traytor and therefore promulged his Laws that they might take heed of Treasons Murthers or other enormous crimes If afterwards they will commit them that his Law should be rigorously executed upon them to the confiscation of their goods the depriving them of their liberties yea and lives too I say doth man thus judge and shall we think it an unrighteous thing with God when he doth not surprize sinners in their heaps of sin but publisheth his Law in his word promulgeth it by Ministers
I remember it is a saying of Salvian Repugnanti corporis valetudine quae optamus facere non facimus many a time the want of strength and health in our bodies hindreth us from doing that sin which we have a mind to commit The great enjoyments of the world are not only the things which make men unwilling to die but both they and the great businesses and employments of the world are those things which keep Christians fettered they cannot pray they cannot wait upon God in ordinances they cannot fast they cannot solemnly worship God as others less intangled can amongst other advantages therefore of a poor and afflicted state an ingenious Author reckons this for one he saith it is puritatis condimentum the pickle of purity and holiness They are the very salt of the Earth without which the best of men would putrify in their full enjoyment They are you know sharp and acrimonious things that are the Enemies to putrefaction salt seasoneth things vinegar makes a good pickle preservative of things Sugar quickly corrupteth It is true there are too too many that have little enough of these things and as little of any gracious habits poverty and afflictions will not give grace but that is a rare Christian that abounds with the affluences of this life and yet keepeth his integrity is as pure as holy as full of duty as others who have less of this worlds goods they are no fountains of grace but they are great preservatives of it 2. Nay this is not all in the second place they conduce much to the improvements of grace especially of faith and patience They are two habits of grace that like Solomons brother and friend are made for adversity Tribulatio patientiae Robur operatur patientia fidei probationem parit Tribulation addeth to the strength of patience and patience bringeth forth the tryal of Faith If the people of God never met with affliction how should the trial of their faith appear more pretious than that of Gold which perisheth How should their patience have its perfect work Faith is never seen till we be out of sight of the thing which we pretend to trust God for Hope which is seen is no hope but if we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Job's faith in God and love to God was seen in his trusting in him and adhering to him while God seemed to be killing of him Practical habits are improved by exercise The Souls of the Saints ordinarily come out of their trials more strong in faith more confirmed in hope more exercised in patience more flaming in love to God how then shall we call those things evils which instead of depraving the Soul and making it worse do tend to the improvement of the Soul and making of it better 3. Lastly the highest good which the Soul is capable of is the beatifical vision and enjoyment of God to all Eternity To this the low estate of the people of God doth exceedingly conduce 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Those who shall sit with God upon thrones are those which continue with him in tribulations The great multitude which St. John saw Rev. 7.9 10 11 12 13. which no man could number of all Nations kindreds people and tongues which stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands upon inquiry were found to be those who came out of great tribulation and had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb v. 14. Our sufferings in this life do not merit glory alas there is no perfection in our suffering and sufferings are but our duty nor is there any proportion betwixt light and momentany afflictions and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory but they work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory Thou art mistaken then O Christian in thy Judgment God doth not as thou dreamest distribute good things to his Enemies nor yet evil things to his friends the business is no more than this Deus per ficta mala punit suos per larvata bona impios remunerat Nierem God indeed by things in appearance good rewardeth wicked men and by things in appearance evil he punisheth those that are his own people Nor let any one think to quibble here as if God mocked either the one or the other for although these things which the wicked enjoy are not real and substantial good things yet as they are the things which they desire delight in which they chuse above other things more solidly and substantially good they are to them really good and they have a tendency to make them better and the afflictions of the people of God as they have in them an enmity to their flesh and are ingrateful to their senses so they have something of real evil in them but comparatively with other evils or the greater good things which God hath prepared for his people they have nothing of evil in them In short every observing man discerneth the difference betwixt the love of an indulgent cockering mother and a wise and prudent father The father sheweth his love to the Child by fitting it to live in the world another day learning it to be a man to know the world and to converse with it to this purpose he inureth it to hardship he sends it to school and keepeth it under a severe discipline thus he sheweth his love to his Child and when the Child cometh to years of discretion the Child thanks him for it though under the discipline of its youth possibly the Child thinks the father its worst enemy The mother possibly sheweth her love by cockering the Child dandling it upon her knee providing fine clothes for it giving it sweet-meats c. Which things indeed have nothing of true love in them and do only tend to emasculate the Child and make it of an effeminate temper and more unfit to converse with or live in the world another day Patrium Deus habet in bonos animum saith an ingenious Author God loves good people not like a mother but like a father whom he loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth he keeps them at the school of affliction and educateth them under the discipline of the rods and ferulaes of many trials and afflictions he suffereth not the world which is their natural mother according to the flesh to hug them in her bosom nor to dandle them upon her knees he chasteneth them that they might not be condemned with the wicked he hath said blessed is he whom thou chasteneth and teachest him out of thy Law This is but a fatherly dealing of God with his people God thus fitteth them for Heaven polisheth them for shafts in his own quiver by this darkness makes them fit for the Saints in light Why
dispensations all discontentment at their own low estate all displeasure at Gods dealings with others all accusations of God of injustice or hard dealings with his people whatsoever as a fruit or indication of any of those passions is certainly here forbidden us under the notions of fretting being angry or envious Let me now press this negative or prohibitive part of your duty upon you by some few arguments 1. I beseech you to consider the exceeding sinfulness of it when God said to the Prophet Jonah Dost thou well to be angry it is certainly implyed that he did not well It is in this Psalm twice forbidden us twice in the Book of Proverbs at least Envy is by the Apostle reckoned up as one of the fruits of the flesh now certainly if no more could be said than this It is the will of God that if thou seest the wicked prosper grow rich and great thou shouldst not be displeased at God nor envy them c. This should be enough to engage the people of God to take heed to their Spirits in this thing and indeed we had need watch for we shall find our Souls under very great temptations in the case and that it is a very hard thing for a good man to look with a good Eye upon the prosperity of wicked men 2. But I shall shew you that it is a sin which receiveth more than ordinary aggravations 1. As first it is against the express letter of the Divine Law 1 Kings 11.9 10. It is said that the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other Gods God hath commanded us concerning this thing this particular thing and hath been pleased to make it the matter of a precept many times repeated If God had commanded us some great thing should we not have obeyed him in it How much more in the forbearing of a little Iust or passion It is not concluded a sin meerly from consequence of Scripture or to be concluded from some precepts that are laid down there it is the express letter of Scripture he that runs may read the will of God concerning this 2. Again by how much the more precepts are violated by any sinful action by so much the sin is greater you have heard this is a Sin against both Tables a sin against the duty which we owe unto God and the duty which we owe to our Neighbour that which we are forbidden in many Scriptures those so plain that he who runs may read them 3. Again Some sins are in their own nature more heinous than others amongst others the sin of Murther is a very great transgression Solomon saith Prov. 6.32 Men do not despise a thief if he stealeth to satisfy his Soul when he is hungry but v. 32. whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he doth injury to his neighbour of an higher nature But now Murther that is an higher transgression St. John tells us no Murtherer hath eternal life Our Saviour reduceth Anger and Envy under the commandment Thou shalt not kill and makes him that is angry with his Brother without a cause no less than a Murtherer 4. Further yet a sin that breaketh out at the lips in sinful words or in the conversation by irregular actions is greater than that which is only in the heart defiling that Now it is a very hard thing for men to keep the fire of anger and envy within the chimney of their corrupt hearts Even the best men have not been able to keep it in 5. Finally by how much any sin is more the mother of Sin and brings forth more sins by so much the greater it is This fretting and envying at the prosperity of sinners besides the discontent and impatience of the Spirit which constantly attendeth it bringeth forth a world of sin at our lips and in our conversation reviling speeches detracting words spightful thoughts words and actions c. 2. Again this sin receiveth an aggravation from the persons offending In that Text 1 Kings 11.4 9. I observe two aggravations of Solomons sin of Apostacy The first that he did it when he was old so had he great experiences of God v. 9. there 's another expression it was after God had appeared to him twice for men that know not God nor have had any experience of his ways to fret and vex that others have more of the world than they have is not such a guilt as for the people of God to do it They are called the Children of Light and that not only in respect of grace and mercy which may be compared to light of which they are Children but with respect to knowledg they are a people who know better things than others and should know the riches the honours all the good things of the world are not worth valuing now for you after that you have been thus far enlightened still to be so enamoured upon them as to fret vex and be envious because others have more of them than you have must be a great transgression Especially to consider that you are the Children of God hears of grace yea and of glory too Thus I remember the Father of the Prodigal rebuked his Son fretting for the fatted Calf slain for his Brother Son saith he remember thou art always with me and all that I have is thine for those whom God hath made the heirs of grace and glory the heirs of the Kingdom to whom God hath said All that I have is thine I say for these to fret vex and repine that wicked men prosper in this world and have a little of this worlds goods must be a great provocation And to this there are not many of Gods people but in one degree or other have had an experience of the incertainty and vanity of all these things enough to depretiate them and render them invaluable to any good and gracious heart Further yet what doth any man get by fretting vexing or being envious at the prosperity of sinners as our Saviour said of thought-fulness none can by thinking add one cubit to his stature So I may say none by fretting vexing or envy can either detract a cubit from the stature of a sinner in prosperity nor add a cubit to his own it is a sin that can end in nothing but murmurings and repinings against God in tormenting and macerating of our selves and in the discomposure of our Spirits To shut up this discourse by how much any sin is more causeless by so much the greater it is there is neither so much good in the highest prosperity a sinner is capable of nor so much evil in the lowest and most afflicted estate of the people of God as to give a reasonable ground or occasion for a Child of God to give himself the disturbance so much as of one hour or to wile his
meek of the earth it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Ten righteous persons would have saved Sodom Besides evil times being usually times of suffering as to the people of God it is unquestionably their great concern to take heed that they suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 3.14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ saith the Apostle happy are you for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you On their parts he is evil spoken of but on your parts he is glorified but let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as an evil doer c. We ordinarily call suffering-times evil times now it is the great wisdom of a Christian to make the best of the worst of times that they may suffer with comfort and not lose their Crown in suffering there is no such way to secure this as to suffer in and for doing of our duty Again there is no such way as this to convince or condemn Adversaries who are the Instruments of evil towards you It is our duty as much as may be so to live as to reconcile the world to the ways of God at least so to live as if we cannot win and gain them yet we may shame and condemn them This you shall find the Apostle did who lived in the first and most furious times 1 Pet. 2.13 Having your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak evil of you as evil doers they may behold your good works and glorifie God in the day of their visitation As there is an error of Opinion and an error of Practice so there is a double way of conviction The first is by Argument as Paul convinced the Jews Acts 18.28 The second is by a contrary Practice The first reacheth the Judgment the second the Conscience Joh. 8.9 They who heard Christ were convicted by their Consciences If by doing good thou doest not convince sinners and reform them thou wilt most certainly condemn them Heb. 11.7 Noah condemned the old world Further yet by this means thou shalt have peace within In the world saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 16. you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace we are sure enough in and from the world to meet with trouble it is our great concern to secure our peace within now there is no other way to secure this but to keep a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men If a man hath a troublesome Neighbour if yet he hath a quiet Wife he will do well enough he hath peace at home If he lives in wicked and disturbed times yet if he hath a quiet indisturbed Conscience this is something and he will the better graple with his other troubles I say this is the way for a man to keep a quiet Conscience to depart from evil and to do that which is good Finally thus a Christian shall evidence his Faith in God's rewarding him for that man who in an evil day doth evil or neglecteth to do good cannot be said regularly to trust in God because he useth not the means in the use of which he may expect Gods fulfilling his Promise Take heed saith the Apostle that there be not in any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God All departing from the living God in an evil day is a certain sign of unbelief or distrust in God as to the issues of his Providence Let me therefore beseech you that fear God and are brought under such a dispensation of this to take care as to this Let not the evil of others be a temptation to you to omit doing good I will yet further open it in a few particulars 1. Be sure you keep close with God in the duties of his Worship It is a sad thing for a state of affliction to drive a man from God God chasteneth his people to make them better In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.13 'T is very sad when affliction hath a quite contrary effect upon us when as the Scripture speaks of Ahaz when he was afflicted he did more wickedly So God hath reason to say of any person This is that person who when he was in affliction left prayer reading hearing left his closet-walking with God c. It is a mark of an ill Servant not dutiful Son when he is beaten for his faults not to ask his Fathers blessing but to run out of his doors 2. Be not ashamed nor afraid to appear for the interest of God in evil times St. Paul in the worst of times was not ashamed of the Gospel Our Lord speaketh dreadfully in this case when he telleth us that he who is ashamed of him before men of him he will be ashamed when he cometh with his Angels This is a particular Service every good Christian oweth unto God not to be ashamed of the cause and interest of God in an evil time own thy self a Servant of God when his Name is most blasphemed his truths and ways most disparaged his people most exposed 3. Perform all that duty which thou owest to the worst of men It is a woful error for any Christian to think that he can do no wrong to wicked and ungodly men as if they had no civil rights doubtless the Apostle spake chiefly with relation to Heathens when he commanded the Romans that were Christians to give unto all their dues honour to whom honour c. 4. Do good to them that hate and persecute thee bless them that curse thee It is our Saviours lesson Mat. 5.44 I remember God gave his people a charge Jer. 29.7 To seek the peace of that City whither they were carried captive and to pray unto the Lord for it It was an evil time when they were in Captivity and the Babylonians were very evil persons yet God commandeth his people to pray for them and to seek their peace Let them curse but bless you let them persecute but do you pray Thus David did for his Enemies when they were sick he humbled himself with fasting and with mourning as for his Brother he tells you he lost nothing by it his prayer returned into his own bosom 5. Take heed finally of using any unlawful means to be rid of the evil that is upon you This is a temptation will much molest us in an evil time and to which all our hearts are too too prone this is a pecular evil which a child of God in such a time should study and make it his business to depart from but I shall have occasion to speak more to this under the next head of Duty upon which I shall enlarge as it is contrary to the duty of Patience and the fruit of a Soul making too much haste But I know this is an hard saying we have many temptations to the contrary for a man to do good to others when they are doing evil to and against him this
second place get an acquaintance with the promises of God Two Sorts of promises you must be acquainted with if you would bring your hearts into this frame of silent waiting for God 1. All those promises that are made to the Church and people of God for support and comfort in and under troubles and deliverance out of them of which the Scripture is full such as these Psal 94.14 The Lord will not cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance Read at your leisure Psal 128.6 Jer. 29.10 Mic. 4.4 11 12. Isa 27.5 7 8. Isa 33.20 Jer. 33.6 A second sort of promises are those that are specially made to this waiting upon God Psal 37.9 Psal 27.14 Isa 40.13 Wait upon the Lord and he shall strengthen your heart They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength like the Eagle they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint The promises in Scripture of this nature are very many These are but a specimen of them 3. Lastly Labour to be acquainted with the ways and methods of Divine Providence which is to deal out dispensations of mercy to his people not presently but after their waiting upon him some time Habakkuk 2.3 The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak it shall not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry The Church in her Song saith Lo this is our God we have waited for him to this is our God we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be glad in his Salvation 2. Secondly Beg of God a waiting frame of Spirit As there is nothing more sinful in it self nor more tormenting to our selves in an evil day than an impatient hasty Spirit so there is nothing more conducive to our glorifying of God nor to the quiet of our own Spirits than a silent waiting Spirit This the God of Heaven must give and he giveth it to them that ask him beg of God those graces which may dispose thee to this patient waiting I might instance in many habits of grace necessary to bring the soul into this waiting temper I will touch only upon 4 or 5. 1. Beg Faith of God Faith in his Word and Promise He that believeth maketh not haste The hastiness and impatience of the Soul floweth from its distrust in God for the fulfilling of his Word 2. Hope is another gracious habit which disposeth the Soul to waiting we hope for what we see not for what we see why do we any longer wait for 3. Humility is a third the proud soul thinks much to wait he looketh upon mercy as his due and thinketh that God wrongeth him whiles he withholds it from him the humble soul believeth that it deserveth nothing and is therefore willing upon the least crevis of hope to wait upon God 4. Pray for patience a passive patience this is necessary in order to the bearing of evils Lastly Pray for meekness a froward Spirit is always an hasty Spirit and knows not how to wait Now to press this duty upon you I shall but name to you several Considerations leaving them to be digested and inlarged upon in your private thoughts 1. Consider first It is the work of thy day The question is what God would have a child of his do when the enemies of Religion and godliness are very high and rampant and the people of God are low poor and afflicted and God suffereth wicked men to devour those who are more righteous than themselves as if men were under the same providence as the Fish of the Sea and the Beasts of the Earth where without any regard to right or wrong the greater devoureth the less at such a time as this what should a good and righteous man do Let Solomon answer Prov. 20.22 Say not I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save you Hence you shall every-where in Scripture find the Church and people of God resolving upon it and the Lord when he instructs his people what to do in an evil day this is that which he directeth Isa 60.9 Zech. 3.8 Hab. 4.5 Isa 8.17 2. It is that which God hath alone left for you to do in such a day Our Eyes of sense in such a time are quite put out we have nothing to do at such a time but to stand still and see the Salvation of God Jer. 14.22 Are there any amongst the Gentiles that can give rain therefore we will wait upon thee we have nothing else to do we have none else we can wait upon therefore we will wait upon thee 3. It is that which hath been the practice of all the people of God and what they have called their souls to in evil times Psal 52.9 Psal 62.5 Indeed it is the whole business and life of a child of God It was the practice of the Church Mic. 7.7 And of Job The Saint hath the promise of heaven but he must wait for it 4. Thou hast ground enough to do it the Power of God the Goodness and Truth of God are certainly a sufficient ground of encouragement to any soul to wait upon God who hath promised help and is so true that he cannot lie who is able to help and to do more abundantly than we stand in need of and who is Infinite in Goodness and wanteth no love to prompt him to come in to the relief and succour of his people 5. Waiting upon God gives God the honour of many Attributes It giveth Him the glory of his Soveraignty His Wisdom His Power His Truth and His Goodness 6. It is a great evidence of your Faith He that believeth maketh not hast 7. It is that which in a day of evil will distinguish you from wicked and ungodly men they cannot wait upon God but break out into fits of impatience c. 8. There is nothing so effectual in an evil day to help thee to keep down thy corruptions to silence thy temptations You have heard it in that to which many promises are made That your waiting upon God is pleadable as an argument for the mercy which you desire In short there are very many Arguments might be used to perswade this silent waiting upon God but I have before spake to many of them and shall therefore add no more to this Discourse SERMON XLIX Rom. IX 15. For he saith unto Moses I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion I Am as you know attempting to expound the hard Chapters of Divine providence giving you some account of those Motions of it which to us appear most difficult I have brought these under some heads propounding to speak 1. First To such as concerned the exhibition of the Covenant of works after the establishment of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace And 2. The Exhibition or tender of grace to all indefinitely after the Decree of
others for sins yet they did as bad themselves From Vers 11. He taketh away all pretence of Justification by works both from the Jews and from the Gentiles For the Gentiles he saith they had not the Law For the Jews they indeed had the Law but they broke it Now saith he There is no respect of persons with God those that sin shall perish let them sin with the Law or without the Law For saith he in my Text as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By the Law is here plainly understood the Word of God which God hath given us to be a light unto our feet and a lanthern to our paths a light to shew us the way to Heaven Here is plainly imply'd That as some sinners perish having the Word of God and the external means of Salvation so others perish having not the Law and Word of God nor the outward and ordinary means which God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of eternal life and salvation 2. In both these dispensations God is just for there is no respect of persons with God Now hence arise Two Questions 1. Quest Whether God granteth to all men sufficient aids and assistances or means of Grace in order to their Salvation 2. Quest If God doth not grant unto all men sufficient means aids and assistances of Grace in order to their Salvation how he can be just in the condemnation of any to whom he hath not given such a sufficiency of means 1. Quest Whether God granteth unto all men sufficient means of Grace in order to their Salvation We affirm that he hath not But here we have many Adversaries to encounter There are some that affirm that there is a sufficiency of the means aids and assistances of Grace afforded to all men in order to their Salvation Some of the Arminians will not go thus far but they affirm That to all those to whom the Gospel is preached and who are by the preaching of it called to Faith and Repentance there is a sufficient grace given Thus far we do agree as to this point of sufficient grace 1. That in our first Parent Adam all mankind had sufficient grace whether we respect external or internal means he had a sufficient Revelation of the Will of God and a sufficient power in himself in his own will in the rectitude of his own nature to have made use of and apply'd the Revelation he had of the Divine Will in order to his Salvation and so all mankind had in him For as in Adam all died so in Adam all men were at first a live or they could not in the fall have died in him The Question is not therefore of man as he at first came out of the hand of God but of mankind in their lapsed estate whether they have all such a sufficiency 2. Secondly Neither is the Question about the sufficiency of external means as to all those to whom the Gospel is preached and who have the Scriptures we grant a perfection in them and that they are able to make men wise unto Salvation the word of Faith is a sufficient external means this is again on all hands agreed betwixt us 3. Thirdly It is out of doubt that there is such a Revelation of the means of grace as is sufficient for the manifestation of the Glory and Justice of God which is the great end which God aimeth at in all his dispensations of Providence 4. Yea and Fourthly There is such a sufficiency of outward means as is enough to keep up external order and discipline in the world in humane Societies and as will render men inexcusable before God Rom. 2.1 5. Lastly We do grant that there is a sufficiency of grace given to many that live in the world even to as many as God hath fore-ordained to eternal life But still there are Two Questions behind 1. Whether those who never heard of Christ to whom the Gospel was never preached have a sufficient external means in order to their Salvation 2. Whether either those or any of those to whom the Gospel is preached have a sufficiency of means in order to their Salvation unless God be pleased to influence their souls by the powerful operation of his Spirit upon their hearts overpowering their wills and in the day of his power making them willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ freely tendred in the Gospel We do judg that as the Heathens who have not heard of Christ nor had the Gospel preached unto them have not a sufficiency in respect of outward ordinary means so neither those who have the Scriptures and Ordinances of God have a sufficiency of grace while they want the internal effectual operation of the Spirit of God So that indeed no Reprobates only the Elect of God have a sufficient aid and assistance of grace given them for their Salvation though in the way of outward means those indeed who have the Gospel published to them may be said to have a sufficiency in respect of external means This we affirm upon these grounds 1. This pretended sufficiency must be either of External means or of Internal means or of both indeed it must be of both or it is not a sufficiency The External means is the holy Scriptures and the preaching of them they are those which are able to to make the man of God as Apostle tells us wise unto Salvation And how shall they believe saith the Apostle Rom. 10. on him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they Preach except they be sent The Apostle is there discoursing of the ordinary means of Salvation you see that is fixed in the word for that is that which is to be heard and the Preaching of the word So that what secret way soever God may have to reveal himself and the knowledg of Christ unto some particular persons in places where the Scriptures are not found nor the name of Christ heard of nor his Gospel Preached yet certain it is the outward and ordinary means of Salvation is the Preaching hearing and reading of the word and the Ministry of the Gospel Now we know that in the far greatest part of the World the Scriptures are not found read preached they have no Ministry and therefore it is very absurd to say That as to the External ordinary means of Salvation there is a sufficiency afforded all for if the word and the Ministry of it be the outward and ordinary means it is matter of demonstration that a very great part of the World hath nothing of it those therefore that will maintain a sufficiency of means must make the works of God and the view of them and conclusions which men may make by their Natural light and reason from them a sufficient means to give a man the knowledg of God and such a knowledg
the meritorious cause If indeed God did either condemn any righteous person or were any way obliged to give out effectual grace to all and did not this indeed would argue unrighteousness with God but he doth neither of these his wrath will indeed one day be revealed against them to whom Christ and his Gospel were never revealed to whom grace sufficient to bring them to Heaven and Eternal life was never given but it shall never be revealed but as the Apostle saith against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men now certainly God cannot be unrighteous in punishing unrighteousness or ungodliness If God indeed were a debtor for his grace to his creature he might be charged with unrighteousness if he did not give it out but he doth not deal out death and destruction but as a wages nor Salvation and Eternal life but as free gift Who asketh a reason why August Caesar did not bestow gifts upon all his Courtiers in proportion with those bestowed on Maecenas We may say of God as to all his dispensations of grace Placuit hoc satis est ubi non aliud jus aut ratio ipsa voluntas jus ratio est that is It so pleased God that is enough where there is no other right or reason the very will of God is Law and reason enough Besides if the distributions of Divine grace were equal how should God to any shew forth the riches of his Grace Let me but acquaint you with a passage of Augustine upon this Argument Doest thou ask saith he why grace is not given to all according to desert I answer because God is merciful you will say Why is not God merciful to all I answer saith he because he is just In this saith he that grace is given freely he sheweth what grace doth and worketh in those to whom it is given Let us not therefore be unthankful to God that according to the good pleasure of his will and for the praise of the glory of his grace he hath delivered us from so great a death whereas if he should deliver none yet he would not be unjust Let him therefore who is delivered love grace let him who is not delivered acknowledg justice if Divine goodness be understood in remitting the debt Justice also may be understood in exacting of it no way is there any iniquity found with God But you will say then Why is there in the case of Infants yea of Twins such a difference Is it not saith he the like Question why in a diverse cause there is the same judgment and the Workmen in the Vineyard who wrought the whole day had but a Penny as they had who had wrought but one hour The Case was different the judgment the same they murmured what saith the Master of the Vineyard to them Volo I will make the last like unto the first Thus because bounty was shewed to some there was no iniquity toward others so far as respecteth Justice and Grace As to the guilty person that is saved God saith I will As to others he saith Take what is thy own and go thy way I will give unto this man that which I do ow unto him Is thine eye evil because mine is good If he shall say and why not unto me Here he shall hear Who art thou who disputest with God Whom thou findest as to one man a bountiful giver as to another a just exactor as to none at all unjust for whereas he should be just if he should punish both he that is saved hath indeed reason to give thanks he that is damned hath no cause to find fault I wish all those who so talk of Fathers would shew us that they were the Children of this ancient Father to whom that name is usefully given But I come to the Application of this discourse 1. Vse In the first place let this Caution you against an hasty listing your selves in the Number of those who so cry up Vniversal grace and a sufficiency of the means of grace for all both the means of purchase and of Application I must confess it is a plausible point and appears to us very pleasing as well as reasonable that God should not punish any nor condemn any to whom he hath not given a sufficiency of grace and assistances in order to their Salvation but as smooth and plausible as it appeareth take heed of too hasty imbracing it it leadeth to strange notions in Divinity as you may partly learn from this discourse the maintaining ordinatam sufficientiam an ordained sufficiency for we are not now speaking of the value of the merits of the blood of Christ in it self in the Death of Christ for all those who shall perish as well as for those who shall be saved it will lead you either to deny that Christ's death was any purchase at all or to affirm that Christ purchased a possibility for some to be saved but under an impossible condition let it be Natural or Moral the absurdity is the same for so it must be if there were an Eternal Election or except man hath a power of himself to repent and believe c. And the maintaining of a sufficiency of grace given to all for the Application of Salvation will lead you to maintain That there is a Salvation may be had without a Christ That the Heathens may be saved by the light of Nature And that any Christians may be saved without any special operation of the Spirit of grace indeed without any grace at all taken in a strict and proper sence Doctrines of that consequence that although it may be possible that those who hold such things may be saved as having some further work of God upon their hearts than they understand and will own yet I fear it will be found impossible that any who have tasted the grace of God no further should ever come in the Kingdom of God Let not therefore the smoothness and plausibility of such notions in the sound of them deceive any of you for it is but a sound and no more And if the consequences of those notions be throughly considered and examined they will be found at last to bottome in such strange notions and apprehensions of the Nature of God as do no way sute the perfect nature of the Divine and Supreme being and what the Scripture revealeth concerning God yea and the very light of Nature and natural reason will evince it to us upon the Hypothesis of Gods being the first and Supreme being and the Fountain of all good and the Lord Jesus Christ's being Eternal God and equal with the Father 2. Vse This discourse calleth once more aloud unto all To walk up to the light which they have Though we deny that God giveth unto all yea that he giveth to any unless such as are ordained unto life a sufficiency of grace and gracious assistances in order to their eternal Salvation yet we say God granteth to all though in very different degrees
fear God have such different Apprehensions and wherein the motions of Divine Providence in permitting of them seem just and reasonable 1. It first must be laid down for a Principle That the providence of God never doth nor can suffer any elect Soul to embrace and die in any belief of any Proposition by the belief of which its Salvation may be endangered The Apostle telleth you of some that bring in damnable Heresies Every Deviation from any Doctrine of Truth is an Error but an Error is one thing a damnable Error is another thing There hath been a great deal of stir about Fundamentals what Truths and Errors are Fundamental I shall not engage my self in that Dispute but shall determine those Fundamental Truths the belief of or assent and agreement unto which is necessary in order to such exercises of Faith and Holiness without the exercise of which no man can be saved And those are Fundamental Errors which a man cannot hold and in the mean time exercise that Faith and Holiness without the exercise of which no man can be saved As now supposing that Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary to Salvation A denial of the God-head of Christ must needs be a fundamental Error for Cursed is he that trusteth in Man and maketh Flesh his Arm The true and living God alone can be the object of our Faith Now I do not say but a Child of God may fall in with and for a time embrace such Errors The Providence of God may permit him thus to fall but it cannot it doth not suffer any of the Elect of God to hold on and perish in the faith of any Propositions of this nature for then the elect of God might be deceived which our Saviour hath determined impossible then a Soul ordained to Life given to Christ might perish eternally which is not consistent with the certainty of Divine Purposes and infallibility of Divine Decrees Although therefore an elect Vessel may receive some such corrupt Liquor yet it shall not it cannot abide in it though it may be for a time taken in such a snare of the Devil yet the snare shall be broken and it shall be delivered before it comes to leave the Body The question onely must be concerning a mis belief of other Propositions a mis-belief of which is sinful but not damnable And for those Promises of the Spirit leading the People of God into all Truth and of the Annointing teaching them all things they must be interpreted of such Propositions as are necessary to be believed in order to the Salvation of the Soul else ignorance of other Propositions as well as Error relating to them would argue men and women to be destitute of the Spirit of God and not to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them 2. Secondly As to Propositions of Truth that are not in this sense fundamental the reason of the difference is very obvious and that both upon a Natural and a Moral and Spiritual account Upon 1. A spiritual account Diverse Propositions of Truth of this nature are not so clearly written in Scripture that he who runneth may read them It was I think Augustines saying of the Holy Scriptures That there were divers parts of them in which a Lamb might wade others wherein an Elephant may swim It is the great mercy of God to us that those Propositions of Truth which are necessary to be agreed to in order to the exercises of our Faith and Holiness are left in Scripture so plain and so often repeated that if a man will not shut his eyes and suffer his lust to give law to his understanding he must agree to them but now divers other Propositions are not so but so delivered as that the truth of them is justly the subject of dispute and they are fit for a ventilation and possibly must be concluded from consequences 2. Upon a natural account Every one hath not the same quickness of Apprehension the same strength for ratiocination and ability for rational and logical deductions 3. Nor Thirdly which is that which I meant by a moral account Hath every one the same helps and means or capacity to use helps and means to discern Truth from Error and find out what indeed is the Truth as to a Proposition laid before him so that although they have all the same Spirit of Truth dwelling in them and the same Word of Truth to weigh and measure Propositions by yet the Holy Spirit being no more engaged to keep them from every error of the understanding than from every error of practice and they not having the same faculty to apprehend Truth nor the same means and advantages to understand the Mind and Will of God it is not at all to be wondered if they have not all the same Apprehension of every Proposition of Truth nor is it to be expected that all Christians should have so more than that they should have all the same Faces For Example Take but the Propositions concerning Infant Baptism I doubt not no more I think do you that hear me but that Infants are to be baptized But how do we gather it We have no express Scripture for that more than for Womens receiving the Lords Supper but we conclude it from the identity of the Covenant of Grace under the Old and New Testament from the Precept for Circumcision from the right of Infants to the Kingdom of God and many other such like Topicks But every one hath not the same ability of Reasoning nor the same Apprehensions of the force of Conclusions and therefore different Apprehensions in that and such like Propositions is not at all to be wondred at nor are any to be condemned as not belonging to God for their different Apprehensions concerning them 3. Thirdly As to the Act of Providence permitting these different apprehensions it cannot be denied to be an Act exceeding reasonable and the product of a Depth of Divine Wisdom 1. Reasonable That man may act freely according to his nature in the choice or refusal of Propositions 2. The Product of great Wisdom 1. For the further confirmation of the Souls of his People in the truth It is an usual saying That there are no Propositions which we more firmly believe than those about which we have sometimes doubted Nihil magis certum quam quod ex dubio certumest Truth receiveth a great confirmation by the shakings of some Velitations and Disputes about it It was the saying of an eminent person of our own Church That the itch of disputing was the scab of the Church and truly it hath proved so but it hath been by accident men coming to dispute bringing as Augustine said of his own coming sometimes to read the Scriptures Discutiendi acumen not Discendi pietatem a sharpness of wit to discuss Points not an humble pious defire to learn arguing indeed for masteries not for truth to get themselves not to get the truth and glory of God the Victory but where Disputes
are humbly and meekly managed there is nothing imaginable of greater advantage to settle and ground the Soul in truth For after them the Soul gives assent to Propositions not as Dictates of others and Traditions of men but because it seeth certain and unmoveable grounds upon which they are bottomed and hears those things made to appear of no value which are objected and can be said to the contrary and so becomes rooted and grounded in the faith as the Apostle speaketh Truth yet never lost in the end by any shaking but hath come out of every field a Conqueror Magna est veritas praevalebit It is great and it will prevail at last Different Apprehensions of Propositions especially when they have been amongst such as truly feared God have ordinarily caused great searchings of the Scripture ventilation of Arguments and tended much to the furtherance of the Faith although at present they have made but ill founds and noises in the Church of God 2. The Wisdom of God is much seen in permitting these Diversities To convince us that The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approveable to Men Rom. 14.17 18. It is a great vanity in men to entail Religion yea and the Kingdom of Heaven too to a particular opinion yet we are so vain as we should most certainly do it if God by his Providence did not so order it that we should see many of whom we cannot say but that they fear God and walk closely with him yea that they are more righteous than our selves of different opinions and judgments from us in some particular things you cannot but observe in the world how fond and zealous some persons are for a particular opinion more than for the great things of Righteousness and Holiness which are certainly the far more weighty things of the Divine Law and how warm and zealous and bitter men are more against their Brethren for their differences from them in some matters of opinion wherein if they sin yet their sins proceed from meer infirmity and the weakness of their understandings must be sins of the least magnitude for it is not in the power of man to believe what he will than against those that are open and notorious transgressors of the Law of God in things as to which every man is condemned by his own Conscience 3. Thirdly The Wisdom of God is much seen in the permission of these different apprehensions in the Souls of his own People In his thus directing us to the exercise of charity We use to say That Precepts lead us to Duty but Examples draw us There is no duty more pressed upon us in Scripture than the duty of Charity and Brotherly Love nor any to which our hearts prejudiced by Pride Envy and Lust are more awke the heart of man naturally seeks some higher ground on which he may stand and triumph over his Neighbour and be able to say in this or that thing I am better and God! I thank thee I am not as others are amongst other things it sometimes finds an Opinion which it Christens with the name of Orthodox Catholick Truth and this shall distinguish him all that dissents from him shall be Hereticks or Schismaticks or Ignorant Persons he and his party onely shall make up the Catholick Church others know not the Law if you will believe him and are accursed Now though this may prevail very far with men of Carnal Principles and Designs yet when Gods People see that those who differ in some particular opinions from them yet walk so as they dare not but say God hath loved and accepted them this overcometh their hearts into their duty Should not say they we love those whom our Heavenly Father loveth Who are Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ as well as we Justified by the Grace of God and Sanctified through the Holy Spirit even as we It were an easie thing to assign many other things wherein the Wisdom of God is apparent in this permission of different Apprehensions of Truth in the Souls of his own People as to shew us our weakness and the imperfection of our state and what need we have to be daily flying to him to teach us and to guide us c. But this is sufficient both to have given you a reasonable account of the thing it self and also of the motion of Divine Providence in the permission and allowance of it I shall now shut up this whole Discourse with a few words more for the practical Application of my whole Discourse upon these five last Questions which to shorten my Discourse I have handled together The sum of my whole Discourse is this That God according to his infinite Wisdom never did nor yet doth unto the Souls of his own People dispense out equal measures of Grace 1. Strengthening them to Spiritual Duty Nor 2. Quickening them in the performance of it 3. Nor Comforting and refreshing their Souls with the sensible consolations of his spirit 4. Nor causing them all alike to grow nor giving them equal degrees of light to discern the truth of Propositions of Truth and then that these motions of Divine Providence are exceeding reasonable and God in them is infinitely wise and just the evidencing of this hath been all my Work Which I have done from several Topicks My whole Application shall be reduced to two Heads shewing you how useful this Discourse may be for the promoting of 1. Charity towards men 2. Of Piety towards God The later is indeed first in excellency I have put it in the last place because I intend my largest Discourse upon it and with it to shut up this whole Discourse concerning Actual Providence ' This whole Discourse must certainly teach us Charity towards men and that particularly toward such as we discern Vse 1 1. Weak unto their spiritual duty 2. More dull and heavy in the performance of it 3. Sad and dejected 4. Not growing so fast in the wayes of God as others 5. That dissent from our selves in some matters opinions that are not fundamental Towards all these we had need of an Exhortation to Charity Censoriousness and Judging are things that are too natural to us and to which we are too prone We judge others and in the mean time forget to judge our selves All this is indeed rooted in a Natural Pride We would fain find something in which we excel others for that onely will be matter of boasting and glory to us but this Discourse may learn us Charity The general argument arising from this Discourse is the same which the Apostle maketh use of in Rom. 14. v. 3. v. 1. He commandeth us to receive those that are weak in the faith though with prudence and caution not to doubtful disputations His argument is in the latter part of the third verse For God hath received