in gold in silver and in brass And in cutting of stones to set them and in carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work Exod. 35.31 32 33 34. and it is said that God filled him and Aholiab with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the engraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer in blue purple and in scarlet and in fine linnen and of the weaver even of them that do any work and devise any cunning work v. 35. 2. The Providence of God in this thing is eminently discerned in disposing men to these several employments So that as in the natural body there are several members and every member is inclined and naturally disposed to its particular office by which the several uses and necessities of the body-natural are supplied So in bodies politick as there is a great variety of members so the several members of it are by the wise Providence of God disposed and inclined to the learning and practice of several Arts and Sciences Trades and Occupations by which the uses of the whole are supplied as well as the several individuals in the Society enabled to get themselves a subsistence yet in the service of the publick This is a great piece of Divine Providence One man is disposed to husbandry unless some were so disposed however slavish and dirty the employment be the Nation could not be fed others to the making of Cloaths and Stuffs and Linnens if none were so disposed though the whole might be fed they could not be cloathed One works in iron and brass for more necessary uses another in gold and silver for Ornaments and more fine and delicate uses One man is disposed to study Physick Law Divinity and cannot endure hard labour another is of a more slavish and servile disposition no ways disposed to learning and studies All this is from the Lord and by this working of his Providence the uses of all are supplied and so Political Societies are by this means preserved We have now considered man 1. In his single and individual capacity And. 2. In his Social and Political capacity and shewn you several acts of Divine Providence by which God in either preserveth him But we have yet a third capacity to consider him in that is his spiritual capacity as a creature possessed of the grace of God the Grace of Justification and the Grace of Sanctification As to this he is in a peculiar sense Gods creature often by Saint John said to be born of God and as to this likewise he is preserved by God 1 Pet. 1.5 You are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Indeed a discourse upon this properly belongs to the specialties of Providence of which I may possibly hereafter speak distinctly but not knowing whether I shall reach to that something though more shortly and generally I shall speak to it here Grace in the Soul of a man or woman is a noble creature and one of those things that are upheld by the mighty power of God Now that which I have to do is to consider How the Providence of God worketh in upholding this noble creature in those individual souls into which he hath breathed this breath of spiritual life Let me shew you this in a few particulars 1. God preserveth man in his spiritual life and capacity by a daily repeating to him his gracious acts in the pardon of sin and reckoning of Christs righteousness to him It hath been a Question betwixt Arminians Papists and Calvinists Whether there can be an intercision of the state of Justification Whether a soul once justified can again be not justified We say No. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance whom he loveth he loveth to the end Well but how can this be for who liveth and sinneth not The righteous falleth seven times in a day If Justification be not repeated how can a soul be justified We say Though the state abide yet Gods gracious acts are repeated Sin is not pardoned before it is committed but when commited it is pardoned by a repetition of an act of Grace Justification speaks a state this is not repeated but remission of sin is an act of Grace frequently repeated and the imputing of Christs righteousness is an act often repeated We are not daily created or born as to our natural life but we are daily preserved so God puts the believer once into a state of Justification that abides and faileth not but we should fall from it every day did not God continue us in it by the repetition of these gracious acts We need a continual pardoning a continual imputation of the righteousness of Christ to preserve our spiritual life as we need continual acts of Providence to preserve and to uphold our souls in their natural life Thus every day it is God that justifieth 2. God preserveth his Church and particular souls as to their spiritual life by a daily infusion of those habits of grace which are necessary in those souls that are ordained unto life as the principles of those operations by which they must attain this life and by increasing these habits in them In a word by perfecting 1. The number of his Saints 2. By perfecting their graces The first respecteth the collective body of his Church and is called in Scripture an adding to the Church such as shall be saved a working of faith in all them that are ordained unto eternal salvation without this the Church of God must perish and fail from the earth in a short time Gods people are mortal even as others Now God so ordereth it in his Providence that there is a succession One generation of believers passeth another cometh and thus God hath a seed kept alive in the Earth 2. God also doth it as to individuals by a daily infusion of gracious habits further strengthening and quickening them to their spiritual operations Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengtheneth me believers Eph. 3.16 are strengthened with might by his Spirit God upholdeth his own seed in the soul and bloweth up the sparks which himself hath kindled 3. Gods Providence in the preservation of men in their spiritual capacity is seen in the upholding and maintaining his word and ordinances upon which the souls of his people live As the body liveth by bread as to its natural capacity so the soul liveth by the word of God as to its spiritual capacity By these things men live saith Hezekiah I know some interpret that passage concerning afflictions but others concerning the promises Now the Providence of God hath been and is eminently seen in maintaining of his word the written word the word preached in taking care that his people have had a succession of Ministers Before the Books of Moses were written God provided for the souls of his people by a word not written since by a written word and that most eminently since the whole
in the actual exercise of it whether we consider the one way or the other we shall find that both flow from the free-will and goodness of God and have no other cause but because God will shew mercy to whom he will shew it 1. Let us consider it first in the purpose Gods purpose of grace was nothing else but his Eternal willing of some persons to obtain everlasting life and salvation in and through Christ and in the use of that means which he appointed thereunto for the counsels of God ordered the means as well as the end we do therefore suppose that God from all eternity knew who should be saved and that he therefore must needs know it because he will'd it for whereas all mankind from eternity are to be considered alike nothing but the Will of God could bring any part of them more than another into a salvable estate especially into a certain state of Salvation God therefore decreed or willed some persons to so glorious an end Now the question is what made God to will these not others what can be imagined but his will of which we are able to give no account Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will hence it is called the election of grace Rom. 11.5 and 2 Tim. 1.8 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the world began Arminians and Papists tell us of Gods electing men out of a foresight that they would believe and obey If indeed men were to have risen out of the Earth like Mushromes and to have given a being to themselves and to have created their own Souls they might have quarrelled the Scripture a little upon this point but when the bodies of all men were to be of the same clay and all souls were Gods which were to inform those bodies how they should any of them have a disposition to believe or obey more than others unless God had created it in them or willed that in time they should have it I cannot understand and if they say that they had it from the will of God the matter as to our point cometh much to the same issue God purposed them grace from his own meer good-will and pleasure he willed them in time to have a disposition to believe and obey and upon their Faith and Obedience to have everlasting life 2. If we consider Gods acts of grace in time they are distinguished either into the more external means Or secondly those gracious habits which accompany salvation and make a soul meet for the inheritance of the Saints in Light The means of Salvation are either the means of Purchase and Redemption such was the giving of Christ of which Saint John Joh. 3.16 could give us no other account but God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son For the means of application they are either more external or internal The more external is the promulgation or publication of the Gospel See what our Saviour saith as to this Mat. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth who hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Even so O Father because it pleased thee 2. For these acts of grace by which the Soul is prepared and made fit for the inheritance of the Saints in Light they are Effectual Calling Justification and Sanctification or Regeneration 1. For Effectual Calling we are said to be called with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace Not according to our works so that any thing in our selves is denied but according to his purpose Now what is the purpose of God but the will of God determining this or that and it is further added And grace which speaketh the free love and good-will of God in the case for grace is nothing else but free love So 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace who hath called you so that God in the calling of Souls acteth as a God of grace yea of all Grace Who can give a reason why God by the Preaching of the Gospel effectually calleth one and not another out of darkness into marvellous light but meerly because he willeth The Evangelist 1 John 13. telleth us that we are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God 2. Justification is another act of grace whereby God pardoneth our sin looketh upon us and accepteth us as righteous only for the righteousness of Christ reckoned unto us for righteousness Herein also God acteth freely being justified freely by his grace he giveth of the fountain of life freely To this purpose is that I will heal your backsliding and love you freely 3. For Regeneration or Sanctification which is that act of grace by which we are renewed in the inward-man and made conformable to the image of God This is our being born of the Spirit and our Saviour compareth the motion of the Spirit to the wind which bloweth where it listeth 2. But further yet the dispensations of grace by the hand of Providence must necessarily bear proportion to the purpose of grace We are blessed in Christ with all spiritual blessings according as he hath chosen us in him saith the Apostle Eph. 1.4 5. Nothing cometh to pass in the world either as an act of grace or a paenal dispensation but it is in pursuance of some purpose of God Now it was impossible that the purpose of God should have any other foundation than his Will for the eternal purpose must be antecedent to any good or evil done by us we are but of yesterday That man or woman knoweth nothing of God and hath very false conceptions and apprehensions of the Divine Being that doth not conceive of him as a God from all eternity knowing whatsoever should come to pass in the world nor is it possible for us to apprehend how God should know any future thing but because he willed it for what but the will of God should bring it out of a not being into a being out of the order of a contingency into a certainty which it must have or God could have no certain knowledg of it Now it was not possible that any thing in the creature should move God from eternity to will any one grace because there was no creature pre-existent to this eternal act of God nor yet co-existent with it It is true say some but yet God did foresee that such or such would believe repent obey c. using the liberty of their wills better than others and to such God willed eternal life But I cannot understand any thing in this more than trifling For I demand from whence is that better inclination and disposition of one mans will than
men are subdued under them by him that they have wisdom to make Laws and liberty to execute them that men in their dominions are disposed into their several orders ranks and stations so as mutually to serve one another and to uphold the whole Oh that Subjects would praise the Lord for his goodness that they have wise Magistrates good Laws that their lives are not Sacrificed to murtherers that their houses are not fired that their Wives and Virgins are not ravished that they are disposed to Trades and Occupations that they have wisdom for them a spirit to them Let every Citizen every Subject see and acknowledg the hand of the Lord in these things and bless his holy name But lastly Let the Redeemed of the Lord particularly Vse 3 see and acknowledg the Providence of God in the preserving of them in their spiritual capacities Were it not for the preserving Providence of God our spiritual life would be extinguished every moment God preserveth it by repeating his Gracious Acts in the remission of our sins in the imputation of Christs righteousness Our habits of grace would weaken we aâ—â— preserved and kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation It is a great mercy and deserves a great acknowledgment that we have our lives preserved our estates preserved our wives and daughters preserved But oh how much greater is it that we have our state of Justification maintained Our principles of Spiritual Operations our habits of Grace our power to repent believe love God preserved that the influences of Grace are continued that we have the Word and Ordinances preserved Let the redeemed of the Lord say his mercy endureth for ever let them adore preserving-Providence let them consider what a subtil adversary they have Who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour What abundance of lusts and corruptions they have in their own hearts what a law in their members warring against the law of their minds and they will say that the seed of God which is in them is wonderfully preserved But thus much may serve to have spoken of the first great act of Providence which I called Preservation My next work is to speak concerning Government SERMON VIII Psal CIII 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all I AM as you know discoursing concerning the Principal Acts of Actual Providence which I told you were two 1. Preservation 2. Government All things were at first created by a Divine word of Power all things are preserved by a Divine Power He upholdeth all things by the word of his Power saith the Apostle This I have done with but Gods actual Providence doth not extend only to the upholding and the preserving of all his creatures but he governeth them also Preservation respecteth their several beings and capacities Government respecteth their motions and actions For a Discourse upon this I have made choice of this Text and chusing it with that design only I do not take my self so much concerned to enquire into its relation to what went before or followeth I shall only consider it in it self and so it giveth you an account 1. Of the Royal Seat of the Divine residence or place where God more gloriously manifests that Presence which yet filleth Heaven and Earth He hath saith the Psalmist his throne prepared in the heavens 2. The vastness of his Imperial royal influence and dominion His Kingdom saith the Text ruleth over all I shall not meddle with the first part it is the second only which I have to do with The Proposition shortly is this Prop. That he whose Throne is in Heaven governeth the whole Creation The Scripture speaketh plentifully to this point of Gods Universal dominion 1 Chron. 16.31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoyce and let men say amongst the Heathen The Lord reigneth Psalm 96.10 Say amongst the heathen the Lord reigneth Psalm 93.1 The Lord reigneth he is clothed with Majesty c. Psalm 97.1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Psalm 99.1 The Lord reigneth let the people tremble An Heathen Prince acknowledgeth it Dan. 4.3 34. But not to multiply Texts Reason will evince it every Superiour being hath a kind of natural right to rule over those that are inferiour to it and God being the Supreme Being and the Creator of all other beings too hath a natural right to extend a Kingdom and Dominion over all and that not only as he is Superior to them and greater than they are but also as he is the efficient cause of all the Creator of all things But to speak more particularly we will enquire 1. What Government is 2. What are the Objects of this vniversal Government and Dominion which the Proposition ascribeth unto God 3. What are those special acts by which God exerciseth this Dominion and Government Government implieth three things 1. The fixing of some ends 2. A power invested in some one or more persons upon others ordering and directing them in order to that end 3. The exercise of this Power The end of Government amongst men is usually the peace quiet and settlement of a place Gods End is his own glory He hath made all things for himself and he doth all things for himself for the fulfilling of his own Counsels and Will in order to the glorifying of his holy Name The Apostle saith Of him and for him are all things 2. Secondly Government implieth a power invested in one or more persons in order to an end Now that God hath such a power none can deny and acknowledg him to be God Once have I spoken yea twice have I heard it saith the Psalmist that power belongeth unto God He who confesseth God to be almighty and able to do whatsoever he pleaseth must own him to have a power sufficient for an Universal Government If we take Power for Authority i. e. a Right to exercise a power over such and such objects that also God hath by the very law of Nature Hath not the potter a power over the clay and is not the creature the clay and God the potter 3. But thirdly Government implieth yet something more viz. an actual exercise of this power and indeed this is the main Actual Government is the exercise of a power wherewith a person or persons are invested over some persons or things in order to some wise ends But let me come to the second Question viz. Quest What are the particular Objects of this Divine providential Government The Text saith His Kingdom ruleth over all I think that term all is to be expounded by three general heads 1. The beings and existences of his creatures 2. The motions and actions of his creatures 3. The omissions and obliquities of his creatures all these as I shall shew you fall under the government of Providence 1. The Beings and existences of his creatures the production and cessation of them the giving of them Being belongs to Creation
Lastly Reason creates in the soul at best but a faint assent to this Proposition That the worlds are made by God and still leaveth the mind under incertain fluctuations and doubts about it By faith we understand saith the Text we are not properly said to understand those things of which we have only a general confused indistinct knowledg and to which we only give an incertain languid assent The great Philosopher in the world as you have heard hath doubted whether the world were made at all or had an eternal existence Others whether it had not its Original from a casual concourse of Atoms infinitely vain have been unsanctified mens imaginations as in other things so concerning the Original of the world and optimus Philosophus we say non nascitur We are disputing still the most confessed conclusions which are no more than the structures of Reason So that indeed we are beholden to Faith to the Revelation of the word which is the object of Faith and to the habits of Grace habits of faith for the settlement of our minds in Propositions of truth It is but an auxiliary advantage as to Divine Propositions which Reason gives us our mind is not set at rest and settled by them A luxuriant wit and fancy maketh all the perswasion and confirmation of them from Reason very incertain Faith only brings the Soul to a rest about them and gives the soul a clear distinct certain notion and understanding of them By Reason we rather think and opine than understand and certainly know that the worlds were made by God But this is enough for the Explication I come to the Application of the Doctrine This in the first place may help to confirm our Faith concerning the Divine Being the Vnity of it Vse 1 and the Trinity of persons in it the worlds were made by God Then there must be a God whose being was pre-existent to the world and this God must be infinite in Power and in Wisdom The producing of things out of a not-being into a being required an infinite power the producing of such a variety of Beings many of which were furnished and adorned with such excellent perfections and qualities the kniting and joynting of all together and putting them in such an excellent subjection and subordination each to other required an infinite wisdom a wisdom paramount to any created wisdom yea above all the wisdom of the Creatures had all their wisdoms been united This being infinite in Power and Wisdom must be God In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Gen. 1.1 God alone spread out the heavens Job 9.8 He made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that therein is Yea thus the Lord proveth himself to be God I am the Lord and there is none other forming the light and making the darkness vers 7. And thus the true and living God standeth distinguished from Idols Jer. 10.11 The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens He hath made the earth by his power he hath established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion Thus the Apostle argues Heb. 3.4 Every house is builded by some but he that made all things is God yea and this God is one The uniformity of this great structure the beauty and order and subordination of all things in it do abundantly prove this by Reason But Faith yet more confirmeth it Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one father hath not one God created us Indeed as I before said the structure and fabrick of it sheweth that one will willed it one wisdom contrived and directed it and that one hand framed it And this one God is three persons the Father of whom are all things 1 Cor. 8.6 The Son by whom are all things for without him was nothing made that is made Joh. 1.3 By him he made the worlds Heb. 1.3 The Holy Spirit that moved at the first upon the face of the waters Gen. 1.1 Thou sendest forth thy spirit and they were created Psal 104.30 Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Hebrew Gods created I think it is well said of a grave Author Constans aliqua certa ratio pluralis numeri de Deo usurpati reddi alia nequit quam personarum pluralitas There can be no other steady certain reason given why the Hebrew word so ordinarily translated God should be in the plural number but to notifie to us the plurality of persons in the Divine Being all three are but that one God who made heaven and the earth The School-men determine right that there is an infinite space from nothing to something and therefore nothing but the infinite power of an infinite God could bring any thing out of a not-being into a being From hence we may easily conclude what a God we serve Vse 2 we serve him that made heaven and earth and consequently one who is 1. Infinite in power 2. Excellent in wisdom 3. Admirable in goodness and mercy 1. Infinite in Power and Greatness To produce the least thing and bring it out of a not-being into being as I argued before speaketh an unmeasurable infinite power What power doth it then require to produce all the various kinds and species of Creatures the great bodies of the Heavens and the Earth and all those great bodies in them both out of a meer nothing and not-being into an existence and being Ex magnitudine creaturarum Deus magnus intelligitur c. From the greatness of the Creatures saith Augustine we may understand the greatness of God What an infinite and immense God do we serve What nothings of being and of power must we be compared with him All the nations of the earth are to him as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the ballance 2. Excellent in wisdom The contrivance of the fabrick and structure of the world speaketh this But what an abundance of wisdom hath the great Creator scattered up and down the Creation What a natural sagacity is not in man only but in many brute Creatures What abundance of moral prudence and discretion is observed and to be found in many earthly Princes Their Ministers of State and Counsellers and in others of an inferior order What infinite wisdom appears in joynting the world and making the several parts of it to fit and to serve one another and to compound the different qualities of creatures to the service each of other and of the Universe Oh the infinite wisdom of the only wise God! yet how little do we see of it 3. Yea and his infinite goodness also is apparent in the Creation of all things Whoso looketh upon the usefulness of the Creatures to each other their joynt subserviency to their end and particularly their usefulness and subserviency to
is joyous but grievous It is the great effect of Faith to make us glory in tribulations But certainly although this Doctrine of Providence doth not shew us a sufficient ground to glory in tribulations which is an exercise of grace most proper in such Tribulations as we suffer for the name of Christ as the Apostles went away rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for the name of Christ But surely the consideration of this Doctrine of Gods Influence upon all events all motions all actions c. of his Creatures sheweth us a great reason why we should be submissive and patient possessing our souls with patience under the most afflictive contingencies of this life I remember Rabshakeh would not have the men of Hierusalem think that he was come out without God against that place Is affliction come upon thee Are crosses in thy estate in thy relations come upon thee Think not that any of them are come upon thee without God the hand of God is in this sickness in this pain in this depriving of thee of thy near relations in this poverty that hath overtaken thee like an armed man None of these things are come upon thee without God 1. Willing them 2. Nor without God influencing them ordering the causes of them now if we do but consider the wisdom and infinite goodness of this God if we do but look upon him as our Father how cogently doth the Apostle speak Heb. 12.10 11. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of our spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be made partakers of his holiness How many arguments are there in two verses to perswade us to this submissive patience The main argument is from our reverent subjection to the Fathers of our flesh Hence the Apostle concludes that we ought much rather to be subject to the Father of our Spirits 1. They were but the Fathers of our flesh he the Father of our spirits 2. They chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit But I say here is argument enough God is in the affliction It is the Lord said that good man let him do what seemeth to him good Nothing can seem good to God to bring upon his people but what truly and really is for their good he cannot but give good things dispense and deal out good things unto his people submit your selves therefore unto God under his severest Dispensations Remember he is in the storm and whirlwind 5. This Doctrine of Providence may convince you of the reasonableness of your duty of Prayer 1. Daily Prayer 2. More extraordinary and solemn Prayer I say first daily Prayer Every day is pregnant with new designs The world is a place full of a variety of Beings and those are in daily motion and action hence we are subject to infinite accidents and as our Saviour saith Who can tell what a day may bring forth This speaketh our subjection to ingrateful changes and mutations Now certainly the same reason that teacheth us if at any time we have any business of concernment to us that may if it goeth for us be much for our advantage if against us much to our prejudice to be dispatched in Parliament or any Court of Judicature to apply our selves to those persons to whom in those cases we may have access to intreat them to be our friends and to lend us their assistance should also direct us to be as constant and diligent in our Applications unto God by Prayer We have great concerns in the world every day the concerns of our lives our health our success and prosperity in our affairs the concerns of all our friends and relations above all the concerns of our immortal souls The good prosperity and welfare or the evil and mischief of them all doth very much depend upon the motions and actions of other beings as well as our own upon the omissions cessations and suspensions of their actions upon the events c. Now you have heard that the great God of Heaven and Earth filleth the world influenceth all beings motions actions cessations suspensions or omissions of action all events he is ever present seeing and considering the matters of the world Will not now Reason evince it to be our duty to be much in Prayer alone with our Families morning and evening to be crying to God Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us Restraint of Prayer from God argues Atheism in our hearts either that with the fool in the Psalm we say in our hearts There is no God or else that we say Tush God seeth us not the Almighty doth not regard us 2. But it lets us see the more especial reasonableness of more solemn and earnest Prayer upon more especial Emergencies I told you that every day is big of events and who can tell what any day may or will bring forth But there are some more especial times when we have more high and eminent concerns upon some special undertakings or when some eminent danger threateneth us In reason here our sense of a Divine Providence influencing all events all Beings all motions and actions of Beings and all omissions cessations or suspensions of such actions doth more particularly oblige us upon the emergency of such affairs to be more earnest and importunate with God It is the precept of Solomon Acknowledg him in all thy ways and he shall direct thy steps And accordingly hath been the practice of the people of God as you see it in the whole story of holy Writ and is the practice of the people of God still Now this Doctrine of Divine Providence justifieth this practice of the children of God as a very reasonable practice and evinceth as daily Prayer so this more set and solemn prayer to be the reasonable practice of all those that have any knowledg of God or any desire to maintain fellowship and communion with him 6. Lastly As it evinceth the duty and reasonableness both of daily and of solemn and extraordinary prayer so it evinceth also the duty both of daily and more solemn and extraordinary praises We have not a good thing happeneth unto us but there is an hand of God in it it may be some created Being hath been the instrument to bring it to our hand but the action or motion of that created Being hath been influenced by God The event or issue hath been ordered governed and directed by God the hand of God is in every days health and protection in every nights sleep and preservation But this is obvious enough to every Christian of how mean a capacity soever I shall therefore add no more to this part of my discourse I have you see hitherto proceeded no farther than to prove That there is a Providence 2.
which he doth chiefly design the dispatch of yet hath also other business here and there at this Town and that Town and therefore seldom or never keepeth a road long Providence is Gods great Minister of State upon the hand of which all the effects of his Counsels and Eternal purposes lie and it never driveth a single design The Promise was gone out for the seed of Abraham to inherit Canaan Providence is to bring this about but this cannot be done till the Nations be dispossessed and in order thereunto the iniquities of the Amorites must be full Gen. 15.16 and God giveth Abraham this very reason why his seed should not possess Canaan until the fourth Generation God had designed to get himself glory upon Pharaoh in order to this he must first oppress then pursue Israel to the Red-sea The Providence of God never carrieth on a single design but in the fulfilling some eminent Counsel of God referring to a person or a Nation effects an hundred other pieces of Divine Counsel although it may be to us not so remarkable as that which our Eye is so much upon and which we are so impatient for The Providence of God will bring David to the Kingdom but in order to it it must also execute Divine Vengeance upon Saul c. Secondly The seemingly oblique and contradictory motions of Divine Providence do often though we at first discern it not bear the notion and have the nature of proper means in order to the great End If Joseph had not been sold into Egypt if there he had not been thrown into a prison how should he have been of use to save much people and particularly his Father and his Brethren alive It was in prison that he had the opportunity to interpret first the Butlers dream who recommended him to the King and brought him before him to interpret his also which you know was his rise to his great capacity It was the Israelites affliction and oppression in the Land of Egypt which made them willing to leave the fleshpots and Onions and Garlick there to go toward Canaan We use to say The furthest way about is the nearest way home That man makes it so that doth a great deal of business in one journey riding only now and then a little out of the way which he must else have dispatched by new journeys but it is never truer than in the motions of Providence what seemeth to us in Gods working the furthest way about in order to the saving of a Soul or the preserving of his Church and making it to grow and flourish is indeed the nearest way to it They say the beating of a Walnut-tree is the way to make it fruitful the treading on the Palm-tree the way to make it more flourish We see in daily experience the treading down and trampling a piece of ground makes it the better in the Spring for grass or corn and much spareth other stercorations It is as trite an observation That the blood of the Martyrs hath always proved the seed of the Church David before he was afflicted went astray And this many times we can say when a day of Evil is over though we could not so easily read it in the hour of his afflictive Dispensations either to the Church or to particular persons 3. A third account of it may be Gods design to exercise the faith and patience of his people God hath determined the impenitent sinner to destruction and his people to salvation but both of them must come to their Eternity by means The Sinner by the pursuit of his lusts and a continuance in them the child of God by the exercise of his graces Amongst other habits of grace faith and patience are not the least The exercise of these is when sense faileth and the Providence of God moveth out of our sight in a time of adversity when it seemeth to move at a great distance from the Promise if not directly contrary to it Blessed are they who have not seen and have yet believed saith our Saviour God gave Abraham a Promise nay divers promises two more eminent the one of a Child the other of a numerous seed and their inheriting the land of Canaan Now if the Providence of God had presently moved in a direct line towards the fulfilling of these Promises where had been a room for Abrahams faith so much celebrated in Scripture the Apostle saith Rom. 4.18 That he against hope believed in hope and ver 19 Being not weak in faith he considered not his own body being now dead when he was about a hundred years old nor yet the deadness of Sarahs womb Ver. 20 He staggered not at the Promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness The Providence of God delayeth the time suffereth Abraham first and his Wife to live to an age that they both were past any reasonable hope of children then it giveth him a child why doth Providence move thus slowly and obliquely how else should Abrahams faith have been tried how should it have been tried whether he would stagger at the Promise through unbelief Another branch of that Promise was That the child which God should give him of Sarah his Wife should be his heir Gen. 15.4 This that is this Eliezer of Damascus of whom thou speakest ver 2. shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth of thine own bowels shall be thine heir Chap. 22. God by his Providence tempteth Abraham He bids him go and with his own hands sacrifice this his son his only son what an oblique yea contrary motion of Providence doth this seem to be to the promise of Isaac his being the heir In Isaac shall thy seed be called saith the Promise How shall that be when Isaac who as yet had no seed must be sacrificed But how else shall Abrahams faith and obedience be tried which standeth upon Record Heb. 11.17 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 In Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up from the â—ead from which he also received him in a figure Abraham had a promise of Canaan for his seed Providence went a great way about before it sensibly came home to this Promise if it had not how had Abrahams faith had its exercise mentioned Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange Country c. God gave him no inheritance in it saith St. Stephen Acts 7.5 no not so much as to set his foot on yet he promised that he would give it
hearts but also as by it his people are more prepared for the receiving of mercy The Psalmist saith He prepareth the heart and then causeth his ear to hear their heart is prepared by their exercise of grace as of other grace so especially faith and patience they become more low in their own eyes they learn more to trust and depend upon God and to wait upon him in the way of his Judgments as the Prophet speaks Now all exercise of grace bringeth glory to God all of it is the fruit of his Spirit it is obedience to his Will it carrieth with it a recognition of the power wisdom goodness and Soveraignty of God The longer God deferreth a mercy the more time his people have to search and try their ways to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to exercise their faith their patience c. the more he hath of his peoples prayers c. Fourthly I may yet add one thing more he hath by this means the glory of his Justice both from his own people and from wicked men By suffering his own people to be brought very low he proclaimeth to the World that he will not suffer the best of them to go unpunished but as to them he will approve himself a God of purer eyes than to behold any iniquity and by letting Sinners run on to the heighth before he pulleth them down their wickedness also becomes so exorbitant and conspicuous to the World that the neutral part of the World shall both acknowledg the righteousness of God in bringing them down to an utter destruction and delivering of his oppressed people out of their hands But this is enough to have spoken in justification of the Observation and giving you some reasonable account of it This in the first place may let us see Vse 1 how little means is considerable in the great effects of Divine Providence Humane means are by us to be used when Providence affords them but God ordinarily doth his works either without them or when there is but little of them to use Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord. The stone was cut out of the mountain without hands which smote the image on his feet which were part of iron and clay and brake them in pieces Dan. 2.34 and indeed if this Observation is true if God ordinarily delivers his people when they are at the lowest and brings down his Enemies when they are at the highest humane means must have but a little share in Gods works when men are at lowest there is least visible means to lift them up and when God's Enemies are at highest there is least appearance of humane visible means to pull them down Now this as you have heard is the time when God ordinarily works and therefore our eyes should be off the arm of flesh What is a Mountain before Gods Zorobabel How little of humane means did God use in bringing his people out of Egypt and Babylon There is never greater improbability of any great work of Providence than in the greatest probability of humane means Gideon's twenty two thousand were too many for God Let us then learn how to look upon how to use means Look upon them as signifying nothing without Gods efficacy use them as not trusting in them or to them Raise up no great hopes upon great probabilities in respect of them The people of God are never more deceived than in their judgments upon such appearances Many times the thing appears too probable to humane eyes for God to suffer it at that time to come to issue he should have little honour little glory from the effect if he should give it men would say that God had saved them by their own bow and sword and staff God will have it otherwise When he turneth again the captivity of Sion his people shall be like them that dream Psalm 126.1 He will so destroy his Enemies that they shall cry out Let us flee for God fighteth for the Israelites against the Egyptians Exod. 14.25 He will so bring to pass all his great works both of Judgment and mercy that they shall sing that Song Psalm 115. v. 1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be given the glory Hence learn in the second place Vse 2 That the Sinner can never be secure nay is then least secure when he judgeth himself most secure Gods people value themselves upon the Promises but wicked men value themselves upon Providences and judg of their security from their prosperity successes and interests They never crow but when they have made their nests in the Cedars and fixed their habitations on some strong Mountain which they think shall never be moved They are never less secure they are never nearer to ruin than now For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as upon a woman in travel and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 When Babylon was given to pleasures and dwelled carelesly and said she should be as a Lady for ever she was and there was none besides her she should never sit as a widow nor know the loss of children then it was that God tells her that both these things should come upon her in one day both the loss of children and widowhood Isa 47.7 Dan. 4.30 When Nebuchadnezzar was in his Ruff walking in the Palace of the Kingdom of Babylon and saying Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of my Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Even then while the word was in the Kings mouth saith the Text ver 31 there fell a voyce from heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken the Kingdom is departed from thee A Sinner can be secure in no estate at no time If God hath lifted him up he hath reason to fear his ruin is near If God be pulling him down he hath reason to fear that he is sinking into Hell God delights to grapple with a prospering fortified interested Sinner and to let him then when he speaketh most proudly know that wherein he speaketh proudly he will be above him Let not therefore any Sinner trust to his prosperity Thirdly Vse 3 From hence we may learn much of our duty both with reference to the high and prosperous estate of Gods Enemies and with reference to God in the low and mean estate of his Church and people It is one of the great temptations which attend us in this life to see the wicked prospering and flourishing like a green bay-tree It troubled the most eminent Servants of God we read of in Scripture Job David Jeremiah Habbakuk We had need therefore learn our duty in such an hour You will say What is it I answer 1. Not to envy them 2. Not to fret and repine against God 3. Not to take part with them 1. Not to envy them It is what the Psalmist
abideth for ever If two be walking together they had never more need to take heed that they lose not one anothers company than in a dark and blustring night when the darkness keeps them that they cannot see one another and the wind hindereth that they cannot hear the sound each of others feet The Believer and the Promise are Relates companions each to other there is never more danger of their being parted each from other than in a night of dark and blustring Providence Now a Christian stands concerned to be often applying his Soul to the Promise often calling upon his Soul as David in Psalm 42 Trust thou in God for I shall yet praise him Nor is there any thing more conducive to make a Christian at such a time hang upon the Promise than to hear that it is the usual method of Divine Providence then to remember Gods people when they are in the lowest condition Fourthly As this calleth to the people of God for faith in the Promise so it calls to them for hope Faith and Hope are so near of kin that they are oft put one for another Indeed Hope is nothing else but Faith looking out at the windows of the soul in expectation of the coming of the thing believed There is an hope that worketh upon the encouragements of sense when the mercy hoped for is seen coming in a way of probable means but there is an Hope that proceedeth meerly upon the Evidence of Faith when the Soul hopeth for some good thing but seeth no encouragement from any sensible thing the former is but a natural affection working upon an absent probable good This latter is a supernatural habit and an exercise of grace The Apostle calls it an hoping against hope or a believing in hope against hope This is that which I am calling to you for This is that which keepeth the heart alive in the deadest time We use to say If it were not for hope under evils the heart would break Faith is the acquiescence of the Soul in the World Hope is the motion of the Soul consequent to this acquiescence Faith saith the thing is sure Hope seeth it coming and relieveth the Soul with that Hope is the Souls watchman The Soul cryes out Watchman what of the night Watchman what of the night Hope saith The morning is coming Now this Observation advantageth Hope It assures you that God is coming at Midnight When you see these things come to pass saith our Saviour Luke 21.28 lift up your heads for the day of your redemption draweth nigh It hath reference to all that went before where our Saviour had been telling them of the great Evils that were to precede his coming Now saith our Saviour when you see things at this miserable despicable pass then lift up your heads Fifthly This Notion calleth to the people of God for fervent and constant prayer for the Church and people of God when they are at the lowest ebb Never give over the case of the Church and people of God for desperate it is never less so than when it most appeareth to you to be so I remember it is particularly remarked concerning Daniel in the 9th Chapter of his Prophesie That when he understood by books that the time was come for the fulfilling of the Jewish captivity then he made that excellent Prayer which you have upon record in that Chapter with a great deal of fervor and zeal for the people of which you will find it full Daniels certain knowledg that that was the time for their deliverance did not supersede his duty of Prayer but more abundantly quicken him to it In such a state of the Church and people of God as I have been describing to you a Christian hath two great arguments to perswade him to a more constant diligent and fervent application of himself to the throne of Grace 1. The Churches misery and low condition calling to him for pity and what help he can give it 2. The knowledg he hath or may have that it is now about the time when God useth to arise and help Lastly This Observation calleth upon all that fear the Lord especially at such a time when they or the Church of God is lowest to watch unto holiness to wait upon the Lord and keep his way and to be wary of sin To deter all that fear God from sinning especially at such a time I might mind you of that precept of God to the Jews When the Host goeth forth to battel then take heed of every wicked thing But I shall conclude with that known story of the Israelites You know they had an old Promise made four hundred years before that they should inherit the land of Canaan they had served in Egypt many years they were now come over the Red-sea and had encountred and overcome the long and many difficulties of the Wilderness they were brought within a prospect of the promised Land nothing wanted but a taking possession they murmur against God retard their entrance forty years until all that generation was destroyed except Caleb and Joshuah I shall conclude Hath the Church been a long time under great pressures things still as to its interest growing worse and worse that they seem to be brought to as low a pass as they can be Now begins her hope to dawn according to that Method of Providence which I have observed to you Only now let the people of God look to themselves that by some defection they do not set back their own mercies You may take the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.6 Now these things happened unto them for our ensamples to the end that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them c. But I shall add no more to this Second Observation SERMON XVII Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Have both shewed you the duty of the people of God to make Observations upon the motions of Divine Providence and the advantage accrewing to them that perform it 1. It is an indication of spiritual Wisdom 2. Those that do it shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. My work at present is to give you some observations upon the motions of Actual Providence which is the work of God in the World fulfilling his purpose and fulfilling his Word both of Promise and of Threatning Two of those Observations I have given you discoursed upon them and made some futable Applications I proceed to a third 3d Observ Providence ordinarily doth its greatest works in the day of mans smallest things It is truly observed that the greatness of Divine Power and Wisdom is most seen in the Creation and Preservation of the least creatures As a Workman is most magnified that can bring most art into the least room and it is as true that the greatness of Divine Providence
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
But for a good man one that disperseth abroad and gives to the poor Prov. 3.9 10. David never saw such a mans seed begging their bread and 't is no wonder thousands of men grow poor by lending but he that gives to the poor lends to the Lord saith Solomon never any man lost by that lending The great God never yet failed never yet was unfaithful I could fill your ears with stories I will only give you one or two It is reported in the life of that famous Junius Minister in France and Holland he died but in the year 1602 he met with the Lot of many godly Divines in all ages as well as ours and came to be pinched with want and resolved for the supply of his necessities every each day to dig in the Town-ditch But see the Providence of God there lived near a Taylor a young man whose Mother had in France lived near to this Junius's mothers house and being very poor Junius's mother had often relieved her Her son remembreth this kindness and though but a poor man inviteth Junius to his house and provideth meat and lodging for him for seven months I could tell you many and strange stories of Gods repaying Charity in its kind of little pieces of silver given in this kind repaid with an hundred fold even in this life But this is an observation which justifieth it self in the experience of every one of you I shall rather shew you the reasonableness of this motion of Divine Providence which will be evident to you I will open it to you in five particulars 1. God doth this to evidence his general love to mankind and special care of Providence for the needy the poor and the fatherless the stranger and the widow Justice and Charity are the two pillars of the world all humane society is dependent upon them Justice because as I told you before from Solomon oppression makes the wise-man mad mens spirits will never be calm under a course of oppression hence Tyrants must have constant standing-armies to secure their lusts The Turkish Empire is little but injustice and oppression it could not stand but for his Janizaries Charity is another pillar of the Earth the reason is because as our Saviour told us The poor we shall have always with us Now God sheweth his great love to societies of men in eminent upholding of both these And besides the Scripture speaketh God to have taken the special patronage of the poor and needy the stranger and widow and fatherless God doth this by raising them up friends and it is a great means to raise them friends to incourage them by sensible rewards and that of the same kind 2. It is necessary that as our Saviour oft saith all righteousness should be fulfilled The promises might have a being given them I told you before that the promises made to mercy and charitableness are very many now some of these promises are made for a term within this life He shall not lack saith Solomon that must be a promise respecting reward in this life and so for the threatnings against cruelty and hard-heartedness towards them in misery or that exercise any barbarous dealings towards their brother so that it is necessary God should in this life retaliate such wickedness 3. It is necessary for the terror of such sorts of sinners God himself gives this as one of his ends in establishing the law of Retaliation in the case of false witnesses Deut. 19.16 17 18 19 20. And those which remain shall hear and fear and from henceforth commit no such evil more amongst you The most of men hearing that Adonibezek who cut off so many Princes thumbs and great toes came to be served in the same kind himself are afraid of such kind of Inhumanity 4. Again It is necessary for the conviction of unbelievers There are many sins against which there are dreadful Revelations of Divine Wrath in holy Writ and the Providence of God gives them a being every day but yet sinners will not believe when they see the vengeance that comes upon them that God designs to punish them for their unmercifulness and cruelty to their brethren no all things fall alike to all men and those that judg otherwise are with them in no better repute than as bold priers into the secrets of God and judges of his Counsels God therefore will please sometimes to write their sin in their plague It shall be wrote over the Gallows fifty cubits high upon which Haman was hanged this was the Gallows which he prepared for Mordecay The accusers of the three Children shall be thrown into the same fiery furnace which they had caused to be heated for the three children and Daniel's accusers into the same den of Lyons in which they would have had him perished He that leadeth into captivity shall be led into captivity and he that killeth with the sword shall be killed with the sword When men see this if they will believe any thing they will believe this 5. Lastly It is also reasonable for the more perfect demonstration of Gods favour to these exercises of grace and vertue Our Saviour faith All men have not faith The most of men live either meerly by sense or by reason The promises of a reward of Heaven are matters of faith A true believer only from these understands Gods favour to merciful men his faith being the evidence of things not seen indeed evidenceth to him Gods love sufficiently Inward rewards of grace are like the new-name given unto the People of God only known to them that have them The most of men are acted by sense and convinced by that mostly for in this cafe Reason will do little God is therefore pleased to reward such persons to great degrees in this life and that in the same kind too that all the Earth may know what he will do for such persons But I come to the Application which I shall dispatch in two branches making it a foundation Vse 1. First for Admonition to all that hear me to take heed of these sins I would have you brethren take heed of all sin for the wages of every sin is without repentance eternal death but especially take heed of sins eminently against charity Take heed of stopping your ears against the cry of the poor God will be even with you you or yours shall cry and not be heard It is a woful folly for a man so to govern himself in his Conversation as if he were not subject to changes it speaketh the man that doth it to be void of understanding and it is a most unreasonable madness for a man to expect that from another which himself would not do to another Abraham checks Dives in the parable for thinking that Lazarus should go to fetch him a cup of cold water when as he in his life-time would not afford him a cup of drink take heed of cruelty of false-witnessing of any eminent act of uncharitableness Remember
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
followeth in the fourth place the necessity of a law to be given unto man in his state of innocency For saith the Apostle where there is no law there is no transgression sin being the transgression of the law Now this Law with the promise annexed to it was the Covenant of Works on Gods part and the restipulation on mans part must be presumed or man had been a transgressor before the fall by a rebellion to the Divine Will and this formally maketh up the Covenant of Works God promising him life upon condition of his Obedience and man accepting the promise and agreeing to the terms or condition of life imposed on him Now God having given this Law and made this Covenant man by the violation of it became guilty a debtor to the Justice of God and so capable of a Redemption a Remission and Justification 5. I desire you to consider That the Covenant of Grace and promise by faith on Gods part could not possibly have been made good without the destruction of the first Covenant of Works and the promise of life made upon that this is that which the Apostle saith in my text That the promise by faith of Jesus might be given to them that believe I pray observe here are three things to be considered 1. The matter of the promise 2. The means by which the promise is to be obtained 3. The objects of it The promise intended is doubtless the promise of eternal life so often called in Scripture as being indeed the great and most valuable promise what is the means of obtaining it On Gods part it must be given out on mans part it must be received by faith for it is given to them that believe and it is therefore called the promise by faith in Jesus Christ Now the promise of life by works under the first Covenant was wholly inconsistent with this promise of being saved by faith in Christ Though the first Covenant comprehended a faith in God as being a piece of that internal homage which every soul oweth to God yet it could not comprehend a faith in Christ as our Mediator there being no need of a Saviour till we were in danger nor of a Mediator till we were become transgressors How therefore was it possible that the promise of faith in Christ to those who believe in him should be given out till first the Covenant of Works was both given out and also violated Though the law by the promise of saith in Christ was not destroyed so far forth as it was a directive and obligatory rule of life and conversation unto all yet so far as it was a Covenant of life it must be both given out and also destroyed that the promise of faith might be given out 6. In the last place I desire you to consider That as on Gods part the promise of life by faith in Christ was inconsistent with the promise of life upon the doing of the works of the law so on our part we should never have come to Christ that we might have life if we had not first been concluded under wrath And this will appear to every intelligent soul that will but consider That the going out of the soul unto Christ for life is a disclaimer of its own righteousness and a very great piece of self-denial to which the soul will never move naturally but must see it self constrained to it by necessity Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thy hand therefore thou wert not grieved so long as a man seeth help in himself and thinks that he hath found life in his own hands so long he is not grieved not at all concerned as to his eternal state And this is the true reason why you see the greatest brokenness of heart and sense of sin yea and the greatest holiness of life too in those men that yet look to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ for our free-will men that maintain a power in man to believe and repent or to keep the Law of God perfectly they have said they have found life in their own hands and then I hope they have none but themselves to blame if they miss and come short of it if they do not repent and turn unto God to day they can do it to morrow It was necessary as on Gods part in order to his giving out of the promise of faith in Christ and exhibition of the Covenant of Grace to the world so also on our part in order to our acceptation and taking hold of any such Covenant and the application of our souls unto God upon the terms of that Covenant for the sure mercies of it that there should first be a Covenant of Works made with man and a law of works given unto him for had there been no such Covenant made no such Law given man could not have broken and violated it and if he had not violated and broken it he could not have been a transgressor he could not have been a lost sinner and consequentially had needed no Saviour nor would man have ever been perswaded to have gone out of himself and to have accepted of the righteousness of Christ for his righteousness had he not first been rendred in a forlorn desperate and hopeless condition without Application unto Christ Vse 1. For the practical Application of what you have heard now in this discourse This in the first place should mind us not to be hasty to deny nor too forward to stumble at some things in the dispensations of God which at first seem to us hard to be understood Who can find out God or search out the Almighty unto perfection I do not know any thing that looketh more inconsistently in appearance to us at our first view of it than this That God should from eternity six the salvation of man upon a Covenant of Grace and write it in his book That there should be salvation in no other than in Jesus Christ nor any other name given under heaven amongst men whereby they might be saved that he who believeth should be saved and he who believed not should be damned for all these things were decrees in the rolls of eternity or they could never have been Revelations of Gods Will in Scripture Heb. 10.5 6 7. and Psal 40.7 In the volume of Gods book it was written of Christ that he should come into the world and do the Will of God relating to the salvation of man I say that God should thus setle mans salvation in the order of its causes and upon the terms of free-grace the merit and satisfaction of Christ and Faith in him and yet when mankind was created God should treat him upon a Law of Works and make a Covenant with him for life and salvation upon condition of his perfect obedience both to the Law written at that time upon his heart and this positive precept of not eating of the tree of forbidden fruit yet there is nothing clearer in Scripture than that God
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
to repent how standeth it with the sincerity and truth of God to command them to repent or believe or how will it stand with Divine Justice to condemn them for not repenting or believing For this general command of men to repent and to believe is not only made use of to destroy the Doctrine of Election and the certainty of the Covenant of Grace but also to destroy special and effectual Grace My business is not at present to establish those great truths which are abundantly spoken to by others and I have elsewhere and at other times spoken abundantly to them but only to vindicate the Providence of God upon the supposal of the truth of them and to shew you that the Universality of the Ministerial Gospel-call maketh no argument against them I say then supposing man in his lapsed state to have no power to repent yet it is consistent enough with the truth and seriousness of God with his purity and holiness or any other attribute of his perfection to call all men to repent neither doth such his call of them imply any such natural innate power in them 1. What if man in his lapsed estate by nature hath no power to any action that is spiritually good not to believe nor repent yet is it not his duty to do both and had not our proparent a power given him of God to do whatsoever was necessary in order to his eternal salvation His duty is because God commandeth it my Text saith he commandeth now all men to repent and certainly in Adam both he and all of us had a power to do whatsoever was the will of God as to his own and our salvation in that estate wherein God created him and us in him Hath God lost his right to demand his due because man hath lost his power to pay it I know the Remonstrants and Socinians generally deny this and say and they say true that Adam had not a power to repent and believe in Jesus Christ that is a specifick power but neither were these necessary in that state nor indeed practicable Adam was created a just man that needed no repentance needed no faith in a Mediator but Adam had a power and we in him to all in that estate necessary if Adam and we in him have by voluntary transgression made any thing more necessary and God upon a Covenant of Grace hath restored us upon the performance of such other things I hope Gods justice shall not be impeached for his not giving us a power to do those things also whereas we originally had a sufficiency of power to do all God required of us in that state Aquinas sufficiently determines this point Aq. sum §. 1. quest 95. art 3. Adams reason saith he in the state of innocency being subjected to God and his inferiour faculties being subjected to his reason he had in some sense all graces omnes virtutes and that both in habit and act which do not imply an imperfection repugnant to that state others only in the habit c. He instanceth in repentance only and saith Adam had faith both in the habit and act but he speaks of faith only as respecting God and the proposition of the word not as respecting a Mediator for the object for we all know that in that state there was no need of a Mediator and consequently faith in the Mediator implieth the imperfection of a lapsed state repugnant to the perfection of the primaevous state of innocency It is enough we had in Adam a sufficiency of power to do all necessary to our salvation in that estate It was our transgression made any thing else necessary 2. You heard under the former head That God may have many wise ends why he now calleth all men to repent though he did not intend that upon that call they should repent or believe 3. Although lapsed man hath no power of himself to repent or believe without the special effectual grace of God yet he hath a power by vertue of that Common-Grace which God denieth to no man to do much in order to his repentance and believing 4. What if we should leave it for a question to be decided at the great day whether Reprobates shall be condemned strictly for not believing in sensu diviso that is not receiving of Jesus Christ and resting upon him as their Saviour or for not believing in sensu composito not doing what in them lay that they might believe God calleth all men to repent and to believe it is true it is not in their power to exert an act of faith or a salvifick act of repentance but it is in their power to read the word to hear it to meditate upon it to consider their sins to leave many of them as to the external act I always thought it a very idle question An homine faciente quod in se est Deus teneatur gratiam dare Whether if a man did what lay in his power to do God be bound to give his effectual saving grace For I dare say an instance cannot be given of any that hath done what lies in his power to whom God hath denied his effectual grace but Deus tenetur is a very hard saying Who can make God a debtor to his creature who hath given unto him and it shall be repaid him If we could not say any thing to justifie God in condemning sinners who have no power to any spiritual act for not believing not repenting yet I think the matter would not be much for in the great day we shall find God will have enough to say for condemning sinners for omitting what was in their power to do or acting contrary to it though he should say nothing to them for not doing that which without his special grace is confessedly not in the power of lapsed man But enough is spoken to vindicate this motion of Divine Providence My Text is true God now by his Ministers calleth all men to repent and he may do it with consistency to his truth and sincerity to his holiness and goodness notwithstanding the certainty of his election and his certain knowledge of who are his having wrote their names in the book of life and notwithstanding the certainty of the Covenant of Grace as to persons and the certainty of the persons for whom Christ hath died and the impotency in fallen man to exert any truly spiritual act such as those of faith and repentance must be Let us now consider how this Discourse may be useful to us by way of practical Application Vse 1. And in the first place this may be of use to you to restrain you from approving of the bold sayings of those who reflect upon the truths of God and would turn them into falshoods because forsooth their narrow apprehensions cannot reconcile them to the truth sincerity holiness and goodness of God Let God be true and men liars let him be good infinitely good though all men be bad This quarrelling
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
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-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
that they may hear and fear and do no more wickedly Let us therefore make it our business so to improve such Providences that God may have his end upon us by our hearing seeing fearing and avoiding those sins against which we see the wrath of God so remarkably revealed Thou seest in the world debauched drunkards filthy adulterers profane Sabbath-breakers prodigious blasphemers mischievous Nimrods great hunters and persecutors of such as fear God some of them it may be young men some with numerous families others of fair estates c. healthy bodies like enough to have lived in the world many days On a sudden with David Psal 73.18 Thou seest them cast into destruction brought into a destruction as in a moment utterly consumed with the Lords terrors thou seest them written childless or with Ananias and Saphira struck dead thou seest them as David Psal 37. saw the wicked in great power and spreading himself like a green bay-tree by and by he passed away and lo he was not thou soughtest him and he was not found thou seest them their families their estates consuming like the fat of lambs into smoke consumed away This age if you observed it hath afforded you many such sights how many young wretches have you seen cut off in the beginning and strength of their years Knots of Hectors as this age calls them in whose constitution nothing could be seen but that they might have out-lived hundreds of us and in a few years they are tumbled into their graves you seek for them and not one of the old brood found O let all of us hear and fear and take heed of those leud courses which God hath in our sight so revenged upon them It is one end of these severe punishments of God that others should learn righteousness Let us by these warnings be startled and take heed of those sins in which they lived and which we may reasonably judg brought this quick vengeance upon them Vse 4. Lastly Doth God sometimes punish sinners who he knoweth will but be worse not at all amended by his rod And is this consistent with his Holiness and Justice O let every one of us then that hath been afflicted or that shall fall under the afflicting hand of God in any kind make it our business to search what Gods end was in his afflicting us whether he aimed at our good or meerly his own glory and the good of others Let me tell you it will be a very sad reflexion for us to reflect upon Gods visiting us with some grievous sickness or punishing us in our estates and relations c. and not to be able to satisfy our selves that God aimed at more in his bitter Providences than the getting himself glory upon us or the bettering of others for there is none comes out of an affliction but he comes out better or worse more hardned or with a more softned and tender heart more holy or more profane and stupid But you will say to me How shall we be able to make up this Judgment who knows the aims and intendments of a man in action but the spirit of a man that is within him and who knows the aims and intendments of God save only God himself I answer God is never frustrated of his end man may as not being able to accomplish it God cannot 'T is easie therefore to know the Counsels of God concerning thee in this case by the effects Examine therefore what effects hath thy affliction had upon thee Wherein art thou more amended The amendment of a person upon the sad Providences of God lyes much in these two things Repentance and Mortification 2. Having a better heart for duty and being more diligent in the practice of it Search and examine thy soul then upon these two points Say to thy self 1. My soul thou hast drank of the waters of Marah God hath dealt bitterly with thee I have been at the very brink of the grave I have lost a fair estate God hath crost me in my dearest relations What sins have I the more reflected upon for these things wherein have I been more humbled for the mighty hand of God upon me or mine what sin more have I left am I grown less worldly and carnal what lust have I got a further victory over have I a better command of my passions am I grown meeker am I more humble is my spirit more broken do I see more of my own vileness than I did have I learned with Job to abhor my self and to repent in dust and ashes to lay mine hand upon my mouth Or 2. Enquire of thy soul wherein by this affliction either thy habits of the grace or practice of piety and godliness hath been advantaged whether thy faith or patience be improved thy meekness and humility improved or any of those habits of grace which use to grow under the rod. Enquire of thy self wherein thou art improved as to the practice of Piety whether thou hast since thy affliction learned to keep the Lords statutes to walk in thy house in a more perfect way Give me leave to mind you what you see every day It is the sign of a decaying plant not to shoot forth and look more green after a shower much more to wither and dwindle after it Afflictions are Gods showres almost all sorts of people in this Nation have had great plenty of them within the age we have lived in the face of Religion amongst us at this day gives little evidence that Gods aim in it was the amendment and reformation of the persons under those troubles and afflictions which they have met with it concerneth us to look to our selves If Gods end was only to try what we would be to vindicate his own glory his power justice and holiness upon us to deter others from the like practices whatever good may by our afflictions be occasioned to God in the vindication of his glory or to others in their learning righteousness it is but a sad symptom of ruin to our selves SERMON XL. 1 Kings XIV 1. At that time Abijah the Son of Jerobam fell sick Vers 17. The child dyed I Am opening to you the hard Chapters of Divine Providence Actual Providence justifying the Lords ways to be equal even where they appear less equal to our sense and reason I am at present discoursing the Equity of Punitive Providences I have here shewed you how consistent it is with the Justice Holiness and Goodness of God to be the Author of evil to though not in the Sons of men the Author of the Evil of punishment though not of the evil of sin I have shewed you how consistent it is with the Attributes and Perfections of the Divine Nature to punish and trouble his own people even such as he hath accepted of a satisfaction for their sins at the hand of his Son whose iniquities he hath pardoned c. How consistent it is with the Wisdom Justice Holiness and Goodness of
and patience to them in his waiting upon them all the days of their life giving them his Gospel sending them his Ministers beseeching them to be reconciled unto God knocking by his Spirit at the doors of their hearts Thus the merciful God extendeth his goodness unto all sinners a long time he declareth that he desireth not the death of any sinner but is willing that all should be saved by coming to the acknowledgment of the truth The vile sinner through the pride of his heart will not seek after God but vexeth grieveth resisteth his holy Spirit from time to time refuseth to repent and to turn unto God defieth him mocketh at the tenders of Divine grace thus he liveth thus he dieth yet hath heard of and knoweth the threatnings of eternal destruction he looketh upon them as bug-bear things not to fright such men as he is but children only he drinks he swears he curseth and blasphemeth God lyes breaketh Sabbaths he will venture it Who is that God that shall restrain the lusts of his heart He will try whether there be such an Hell such an eternal destruction yea or no. What do we talk of mercy after this to such a bold defier of the Divine Majesty What kind of being must we fancy the eternal God if we should imagine him to have one drop of mercy for such a contemner and defier of Divine goodness Surely he that made this man will have no mercy on him he that formed him can shew him no favour without a dethroning himself and making himself the contempt of his creature This every sinner doth one more openly and boldly another more secretly and tacitly Every fool if he doth not speak it with his tongue yet saith in his heart there is no God Whiles vain man talks of mercy in God in this case I am afraid he fancieth mercy in God to be a passion as it is in us which necessarily stirs to compassionate every object of misery Alas it is no such thing it is nothing else but the good will of God to do good to sinners if they will be made partakers of his goodness The same will moveth and that justly too otherwise after this life the red flag is then held out The last grains of sand in the glass of mercy are dropt out when this life is determined There is no more sacrifice for sin remaining but a dreadful looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the blood of the Son of God and have counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified as an unholy thing Heb. 10.26 27. These men have done despight to the Spirit of Grace and we know who hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay it I will recompense saith the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people I conclude then with the Apostle in that place It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God There is a time for all things and as it is so with men so it is with God There is a time for mercy that is the time of this life and there must be a time for the execution of Justice when God shall declare his righteousness upon sinners who have despised his goodness and patience that is the time after this life The inch of Candle is out when the sinners life is expired no more coming to the waters and buying then what before was offered without money and without price Mercy hath done its utmost as to such sinners no more mercy is to be found in God for them no more compassion in that God who is full of mercy and tender compassion Nor shall we need at all to stumble at this for to oblige Magistrates to be always pitiful to them that are in misery though they have been the causes of it to themselves and have brought themselves into misery by the highest contempts of Authority and Government yea and of the clemency and patience of the Magistrate were quickly to prostitute all Government and to expose those that manage it to the basest contempt and scorn imaginable and if the Princes and Judges of the earth and Generals of Armies upon the prospect of this see a necessity of setting limits to their bowels of compassion and no one judgeth them either unjust or cruel in so doing why may not the same be allowed to the holy and righteous God But I have spoken enough to convince those who observe the principles of justice allowed in the practice of all States and Governments with the general observation of the wiser sort in the world That God is neither cruel nor unrighteous in punishing with an eternal destruction those that know not God and obey not his Gospel although their time and pleasure of sinning hath born no proportion either to the time or degree of their torments I shall apply it but in a word or two 1. The first To sinners who are yet impenitent who have not yet by repentance and faith saved themselves from this wrath to come 2. The second to those who through grace have saved themselves from this wrath Vse 1. To the first I shall only speak after the great Apostle of the Gentiles We knowing the terrors of the Lord perswade you 1. Not to stand disputing with God about the justice and equity of his ways 2. While your time lasteth to save your selves from these eternal burnings from this worm which never dieth this fire which never goeth out 1. Dispute not then Divine Justice as to the eternal Destruction of sinners You see if you do you will fall in judgement though you should be tried by the common laws of men by the customs and practices of all Nations Flatter not your selves that whatever your Ministers tell you the goodness and mercy of God will not allow him to see his creatures eternally tormented or that the justice of God cannot allow him to punish the sinnings of a few hours or years with an eternity of torments What have they to do with mercy who have out-sinned their days and years of mercy and despised the long-suffering patience and forbearance of God that for twenty thirty forty years together was leading them to repentance and waiting for their conversion and turning to him who had a day and time of repentance but repented not an eternal life and happiness offered them but refused it and have judged themselves unworthy of eternal life O let all sinners cease disputing Divine Justice and presuming upon I know not what mercy in God and let them to day while it is called to day not harden their hearts but study to save themselves from this wrath that is to come Let me but offer you one or two Meditations 1. Consider with your selves how often you have deserved this eternal destruction from the presence of
fear God are rich honourable mighty in power men of good estates prospering in the world there was a rich Abraham a rich Joseph a great man in Egypt and a rich Joseph of Arimathea David the man according to Gods own heart was a great Prince so was Solomon nay as I said before were we not deceived by the odds in the number of Sinners and Saints I doubt whether we should not find that God with the good things of this life doth not more universally bless his own servants than he doth others 2. Suppose that some yea that many of the People of God in this world are tossed with tempests and afflicted yet surely there is none of them but hath sin enough to justifie God in their punishments of this nature I have in my former discourses proved to you that notwithstanding the satisfaction which Christ hath paid to the Justice of his Father and the Covenant of Grace made betwixt Christ and his Father on the behalf of his Elect and the pardoning of their sins yet it is consistent enough with Divine Justice to punish the sins of Gods own People with the afflictions and punishments of this life they may be chastened of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Now the most righteous man sinneth seven times a day nor doth any know how often he offendeth and why should a living man complain a man for the punishment of his iniquity Lam. 3. 3. If you could imagine any person to have lived so innocently as that he had not by his personal sins deserved those temporal afflictions with which God visiteth him yet as you have heard God may visit the sins of Parents of proparents upon Children and afflictions of this nature may come upon good people although not for their personal sins yet for the sins of their Parents and this is but righteousness with God as I have heretofore shewed you in a set discourse upon that Subject 4. But there is yet a fourth thing which I would speak to a little more fully in answer to this Question and that indeed takes away the Subject of the question upon the point As I said of the good things of this life they are not truly good so I may say of the evil things of this life they are not truly evil as the other are but larvata bona such things as have but a Vizard of goodness so these are but larvata mala such things as have but a shew and appearance of evil in them they are only sensible evils and our senses do but cheat our Souls in judging them evil This I will spend a little time to evince to you 1. In the first place These are not those things which desile the Soul It was a saying of Augustines There is a great deal of difference betwixt a mans being evil and suffering evil Many a Soul is made better by affliction none is made worse by it unless it be by accident Nothing but sin defileth a Soul a man may be poor in this world yet rich in grace he may have a sickly body yet an healthy Soul he may be ignoble in the world yet have the honour to be called the Child of God those things alone are evil which make the Soul filthy and unclean in the sight of God Afflictions tend to make the Soul white to purge it and to cleanse it they are therefore compared to fire and help to make our faith to appear more precious than Gold that perisheth they do not prejudice a Soul as to its grace nor yet as to its glory none was ever condemned by God because he was sickly or low in the world Afflictions are only ingrateful to our sense grievous to our flesh but as to our Soul and inward man they touch it not they do only sully the surface of a man they do no injury to all to his better part This Argument is plain what doth the Soul of a Christian no hurt is no evil Why should I call that evil which neither ever did me any hurt nor ever will 2. The Afflictions of this life are such things as the best of Gods people have chosen and preferred before the contrary supposed good This is a piece of that answer which Salvian long since gave to this difficulty of Providence Humiles sunt Religiosi hoc volunt pauperes sunt pauperie delectantur sine ambitione ambitum respuunt in honore sunt honorem respuunt lugent lugere gestiunt infirmi sunt infirmitate delectantur Salvian de Prov. Are good people saith he in a low condition they desire to be so Are they poor they are pleased with poverty they without ambition refuse the objects of ambition hunt not after great things Are they without honour they refuse the honours of this world Do they mourn they rejoyce to mourn Are they weak they triumph in their weakness Heb. 11.24 By faith Moses refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt The Apostle refused Simon Magus his mony and that with a more than ordinary detestation Agur indeed prayeth against extreme poverty as a condition exposing him to temptation but he also upon the same account prayeth against Riches Lord saith he give me neither poverty nor riches Most glady saith the blessed Apostle 2 Cor. 12.10 will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then am I strong The Apostles sing in Prison and rejoice that they are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ The primitive Christians suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods No man chuseth what he apprehendeth evil but those things the world call evils have very ordinarily been the choice of the best and most judicious servants of God 3. How can those things be called evils which have a tendency to make the man better Afflictions both from Gods intention and their own nature have a tendency to the making of the Souls of Saints better God intends them for that purpose for they are his fatherly Providence for them all those twigs which make up the rods with which God lasheth his people grow out of the root and stock of Divine love The rods with which God scourgeth Sinners are gathered of a Tree that standeth upon the brink of the bottomless pit but those with which God chastiseth his people are gathered of a Tree that stands in the midst of the Paradise of God Nay afflictions have in themselves a tendency to better the Souls of Saints They are but like a warm wall to the fruit-Tree which makes the fruit fairer you observe that young Children shoot out in sickness you
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
and in the same Nation where the Gospel is preached some have a sound and little more Preachers in some places in stead of preaching the Gospel Preach human Philosophy or the lusts of their own hearts In other places the Word of God is preached faithfully and powerfully so that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Men are compelled to come in This difference in the external ministration which let me tell you hath no small influence upon the eternal concern and interest of men for God doth not ordinarily work by way of miracle and heal the eyes of the blind with Clay and Spittle is fountain'd only in the free-will and Grace of God Vse 2. But I trust I speak to some who have tasted further of the mercy and Grace of God than receiving the general Dispensation of the Gospel with their outward ears God hath by his holy Spirit upon the preaching of the Gospel effectually moved their hearts and conquered their Souls into a subjection to Christ They have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ by a gospel-Gospel-faith they are brought by a mighty hand out of darkness into marvelous Light and translated out of this Kingdom of Sin and Satan into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus I have this day been discovering to you the Fountain of this Grace of which God hath made you partakers you have heard that it is the will of God only which hath distinguished betwixt you and others It is not because you were more nobly born than others nor because you were more rich more honourable or by nature better complexioned than others God saw no more goodness in your natures than in the natures of others you were all the same flesh he infused into all Souls of the same nature and species only he hath willed rather to shew mercy unto your Souls than to the Souls of others because he hath set his love upon you There are three duties that hence lie very obvious 1. The First is Praise Thankfulness and Admiration Certainly every such Soul stands highly obliged with the Psalmist to cry out Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits If free Grace will not affect our hearts and fill our mouths with a new Song nothing will It must certainly be an amazing consideration for a Soul to sit down and think I was in the same mass and lump of lost man-kind that others are I was by Nature a Child of wrath as much as any my Childhood and Youth were Vanity as much as any others I was grinding at the same Mill it may be in actual sins I outstripped many others Now that the Lord should look upon me and pluck me as a brand out of the Fire that God should open my eyes and change my heart What did God see in me Possibly my more external circumstances were far less and more unvaluable than those of thousands of others my House was of small account and little esteem there are many more great and noble more wise and prudent than I am many who in all appearance so far as man can judg might have been more serviceable to God than I am or am ever like to be now that the Lord should pass them over and shew mercy to me certainly no Soul can seriously think of these things but must be ravished with the apprehensions of the inaccountable love of God in these things and say What shall I render unto thee O Lard what shall I render unto thee 2. This notion of Gods Soveraignty freedom and inaccountbleness in the dispensations of his Grace should teach every Soul that hath been or shall be made a partaker of it the great lesson of humility The Apostle Rom. 3.27 giveth this as the reason why God hath setled the justification of a Sinner upon a bottom of free Grace and hath excluded works that he might also exclude boasting and teach those who glory to glory in the Lord upon this Argument the Apostle exhorteth the Gentiles not to boast against the Jews Rom. 11.22 Behold the goodness and the severity of God saith he to those who abide in their unbelief severity to thee goodness Pride is a sinful habit disposing the Soul to swell in the opinion of some excellency in it self and a little thing will swell our corrupt hearts The Apostle propoundeth this very consideration as a cure for that tumour in the Souls of Christians 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou which thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it It is nothing but the will of God that hath made a difference betwixt thee and the vilest Sinner breathing betwixt thee and the most filthy Drunkard the most furious Persecutor c. It was not for any worth any goodness or holiness which the Lord saw in thee but of his meer free will and Grace God hath shewed mercy to thy Soul what hast thou now of thy own to boast or glory in Thou hast indeed reason to glory and to make thy boast in the Lord and to bless God for what he hath done for thy Soul more than for a thousand others but there is no thanks to thee his will his own will was the fountain of his Grace extended to thee God hath had mercy upon thy Soul only because he would have mercy O therefore be not high-minded but fear and walk humbly before God 3. Lastly this calleth upon all of you who have tasted of this free and unaccountable Grace to live a distinguishing life and conversation There is a Generation that fancyeth that the Doctrine of Free-Grace opens a door to Liberty It is but the old Cavil in Saint Pauls time there were those that thus accused the Doctrine of Free-Grace as if it gave men a liberty to go on in sin as appeareth by the Apostles anticipation of that Cavil Rom. 6.1 What saith he shall we then continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid and so he goeth on shewing that any such conclusion from his principles was unreasonable How shall we saith the Apostle who are dead unto sin live any longer therein Special distinguishing Free-Grace both deadneth the Soul to Sin and inflameth the Soul with a love to God who hath made the Soul to differ so as that Soul cannot live as other men the love of God constraineth him he must apprehend himself obliged to do more for God than others because God hath shewen more mercy to him than unto others and that meerly because he would shew mercy What can possibly be imagined to have a greater and lay an higher obligation upon the Soul to all manner of holiness in conversation to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as the Apostle speaketh SERMON L. Hosea XIII 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but
by the way of efficiency Therefore God must be the Author or these Divines make him the Author Or because God is the Author of his own judgments and paenal dispensations and God sometimes punisheth sin with sin therefore God must be the Author of sin taken properly as it is an oblique action contrary to his Law This is forsooth their proof of that crimination when-as there are no Divines in the world but think it not only blasphemy but non-sense to talk of God as the Author of sin which must be an action contrary to the will liking and approbation of God as the very nature of sin doth import 2. Their second Crimination is That God hath damn'd his creatures out of his meer Prerogative and Soveraignty We do indeed think and must so think till our Adversaries can possess us with other Idea's and notions of God than either Scripture or reason will help us with That there is nothing which either hath or shall come to pass in the world but God did know from all eternity neither can we conceive how God should know any thing but because he willed it either in a way of efficiency or to permit it We do say that God had a jus absolutum from eternity an absolute right over his creatures to determine how he pleased concerning them But we also say That in his paenal dispensations he acteth not according to his Soveraignty and absolute right and that every mans destruction is of himself and the proximate and meritorious cause of the punishment and eternal ruin of any Soul is his own sin God doth not condemn any Soul but for sin recompensing their own iniquities upon their heads and whatsoever is absolute and Soveraign right his Law from which he never varieth in the motions of his Providence is The soul that sinneth shall die Where is the difference then What maketh this great clamour and odious representation of eminent Divines as to the method of Gods proceedings in his actual Providence Papists Arminians Calvinists all are agreed That the wages of sin is death The soul that sinneth shall die God will condemn none but for sin Only it seems they are not agreed as to the Nature and Attributes and Prerogatives of God Those Divines whom they call Calvinists must assert God to have the same Power over his creatures which a Potter hath over the clay This the other will not understand though God expressly told it the Prophet Jeremy and the Apostle from him hath expressly told it us and this is all the difference that I can understand 3. Vse Thirdly you may from hence learn How the Righteousness of God shall be cleared in the last day in the condemnation of sinners although it hath not pleased him to give to all a power to that which is truly and Spiritually good This is a point which very many in this Generation also will not understand but the fault is in themselves If God say they hath not given to all men a power to repent and to believe how shall he be righteous in the condemning of Sinners There is no consequence at all in this but upon this Hypothesis That except men have a power to do that which is Spiritually good they are in no capacity to do that which is morally evil Whether they have a power to repent or to believe without the effectual Grace of God yea or no Certainly they have a power in a thousand things to break the Law of God yea and to do also many things which are contained in the Law of God and although the doing of these things would not save them yet certainly the omiting of them or doing contrary to them may give God a righteous cause to condemn them Suppose one of you who are Fathers to have two Sons both of them wild and fond of their play and eager at it you call them both to come to you and tell them that if they will come you will give them both mony to go and buy such things but if by such a time they have not those things and appear to you in and with them you will certainly whip them One of these Children hearkens to you leaves his play comes running to you and begs the money you promised him then procures the things and appeareth to you in the habit you desired and you are well pleased with him The other Child is mad of his play which if he would he might leave he could not have the things without mony out of his Fathers Purse but he will not leave his play nor stir a foot towards his Father nor so much as ask his Father for mony his Father indeed sends him no mony but shuts him out of his sight and ordereth him to be severely whipt because that he would not leave his idle game and come to him and ask the mony of him which he promised and because he had not bought the things and appeared before him in that habit and dress which he had commanded will not one say this foolish Child is right served shall his Father be judged unrighteous or severe because he gave the Child no mony as he did the other and the Child could come by the things without mony and if it had them not could not appear in or with them before his Father The case is much the same betwixt God and us God seeth two Men or Women both his Creatures alike in Adam both born in Trespasses and Sins wildly playing over the hole of the Asp and the den of the Cockatrice sporting themselves in Sin and in an hourly danger of Hell-fire God calleth them by his Ministers to leave their Sins and to turn unto him he saith let him that hath been drunk be drunk no more let him that hath been unclean be unclean no more let him that hath told a lye that hath broke my Sabbaths lye and break my Sabbaths no more let him read my Word and hear my Word and let him come and pray unto me and beg of me an heart to believe and to repent and I will give it him and he that believeth shall be saved but in the great day it shall be found That he who hath not repented and hath not believed shall be damned One of these sinners leaveth off his leud courses falls to an external Discipline readeth the Word heareth the Word of God applyeth himself to God by Prayer beggeth of God an heart to repent and to believe his Gospel God hears him gives him a power gives him repentance unto Life and a saving Faith in Christ and he obtaineth everlasting Salvation The other is mad of his Lusts and after them he will go let what will be the issue of it he will not read the Word not hear that his Soul may live nor so much as ask special Grace of God not to plead with God for Faith or Repentance God giveth them not to him he dieth in his impenitency and unbelief God throweth him into Hell
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
as is sufficient And this indeed some do seem to say When they find out for us another object for saving Faith than Christ and his Gospel and tell us that Abel and Enoch excercised their Faith and such a Faith as pleased God whose object was not Christ but only such Propositions as these That God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him This is indeed a new Doctrine in our Nation but it is but a Transcript of what the Socinians and Arminians V. Bertium contra Sibran P. 69. 70. 71. have long since said That the Gentiles were saved by a Faith in God believing That God is and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him By a Faith only apprehending things remote from humane sense as some amongst us Phrase it now Bertii discep Epist 73.76 but translating Bertius and after the same rate speak the Socinians generally denying Faith in Christ necessary to Salvation and making only a Faith in God necessary but the Scripture telleth us That there is no other name under Heaven by which a man can be saved besides that of Jesus Christ neither is there Salvation in any other But upon that Hypothesis That the Preaching of the Gospel is the ordinary External means it cannot be said That God hath given to all means sufficient 2. But Secondly For the more Spiritual Internal means which is the effectual grace of God it is certain that is not given to all for then all would be saved but of that more by and by There are those that think every man hath a sufficiency of inward Spiritual means who liveth under the preaching of the Gospel The Socinians in their known Catechism Confes Rem cap. 17. Episcopius disp 46. Colloq Hag. P. 258. propound this Question Whether there be not a need of an inward gift of the Spirit to inable us to believe the Gospel They Answer No. The same Song is sung by Smalcius Socinus Ostorodius and the Arminians generally say the same thing the business is they make no more necessary than a moral Suasion which all have to whom the Gospel is preached that supposed they say Man hath in his own will a power to believe repent c. But the Scripture tels us It is given to us on the behalf of Christ to believe That Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God with a multitude of Texts more of the like import now most certain it is that if there be any such operation of the Spirit necessary all men have not a sufficiency of means If we be not sufficient of our selves to think one good thought as the Apostle tels us If without Christ we can do nothing If God must give to will and to do what power hath man to any thing which is truly and Spiritually good For those that sit under the preaching of the Gospel they have all the same moral Suasion they have all the same rational powers and faculties how cometh it I would fain know to pass that one of them repents and believeth when others are hardned and continue lock't up in unbeleif Is it from themselves that one mans will inclineth well and not anothers then surely there is another Principle of Spiritual life another Fountain of good besides God which is plainly to contradict the Scripture which every where maketh God the Fountain of life and of all good But this is the first thing only which I offer to you in this cause 2. Secondly How is it possible that all should have sufficient grace but that all must be saved God telleth St. Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace shall be sufficient for thee was it possible after that promise he should have been overborne or overcome with his temptation I would ask for what this pretended grace given to all should be sufficient Will they say for Salvation How can any be said to have a sufficiency of grace to save them who yet are not saved nor ever shall be saved All that can be pretended is That every man and woman hath a reasonable Soul that is not denied and that is naturally endued with power enough to do whatsoever Spiritual action God hath required of man in order to his obtaining Salvation having either the works of God to represent God unto him which is all that the Heathen have or the word of God the holy Scriptures which they may read and hear preached So that this same sufficient grace which they contend for is nothing else but a reasonable Soul The works of God in Nature and the word of God in the Scriptures or at most preached to them Those who restrain sufficiency of grace to those who have the Gospel preached to them Grevinchovius Con. Ames 212. Remonstra Colloq Hag. P. 258. tell us plainly That the word preached is the instrument the consummatory instrument of God for our Faith conversion c. And deny that in the business of conversion the holy Spirit putteth forth any other power and they say There is more force in the word of Reconciliation than in a Lazare prodi Lazarus come forth Well but what shall become of the Heathen who have not this word of Reconciliation how have they a grace sufficient It cannot be denied but they have the works of God sufficient to convince them That God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him and they have reasonable Souls to make such conclusions upon the prospect of the works of God and a Faith in Christ as Mediator is not they say necessary to Salvation for thus none could believe in Christ before he came if you will believe them A Faith in God as a supreme being and as a rewarder of them that seek him being sufficient especially considering that Faith is nothing else but an obedience to the commands of Christ Socinus in praectel Theol. 1.17 fol. 93. and this is the very form and essence of Faith Socin fragm de Just P. 51. Now this must be understood so far as we know them and they are revealed to us This was the old Doctrine of Socinus and his followers and in this sence they say Sufficient grace is given to all in order to their Salvation because they believe nothing of what we call grace viz. A particular internal influence and operation of the holy Spirit begetting in us a lively Faith in Jesus Christ necessary to any but that every man hath a natural power to do all that God required of him and may be saved if he will but use that power to the use of which there needeth not any special influence of God But man may be a God to himself a principle of the greatest good inclining his own heart to that which is Spiritually good For that God should give unto any grace sufficient for his Salvation and yet it should not be effectual is indeed a contradiction for it must be sufficient and insufficient 3. Again If there
be such a sufficient grace granted to all It must be sufficient either as a Physical or Natural cause or as a Moral cause Physical causes we know act necessarily All that can be pretended is a sufficiency as a Moral cause Now certainly in the Gospel and the preaching of it there is only a proposition of things to be believed and done and arguments used to perswade the belief or doing of them the Question still is by what power it is that a man doth believe and do What is in the word written propounded in the word preached so persuaded and argued We say it is not of our selves it is the gift of God and it is given to them who believe on the behalf of Christ to believe Phil. 1.29 Now this means is not given unto all the Habits are not infused from whence as from their Roots and Principles these actions must proceed To this they have nothing to say but that these actings flow from a Principle in mans will yet all men have the same reasonable Souls thus God giveth Faith and Holiness no more to Paul than to Judas The upshot is therefore That there is in man a self sufficiency to his own Salvation and need not to be beholden to Father Son or Holy Ghost for it being once brought forth into the World and possessed of a reasonable Soul he hath a sufficiency to his own Slavation and may be a God unto himself but it is not proper to call this means we are otherwise taught from the Holy Scriptures and therefore cannot agree it That all men have an auxilium sufficiens a sufficiency of grace and gracious assistances in order to their obtaining Eternal life and Salvation 2. Quest But the Second Question still remains viz. How can God be just in the condemnation of any Sinner to whom he hath not given a sufficient aid and assistance of grace in order to his Salvation To this in my former discourses I have spoken sufficiently But yet I will speak something to it here falling so fully in my way Answ 1. I answer first God did give unto Adam sufficient aids and assistances of Divine grace to have carried him and all his posterity to Heaven What was given unto him was given to him and his to him as a publick Person in whom we all were Arnoldus contra Mol. c. 6. Sect. 2. Episcopius disp 5. thes 6. and fell Arminians stifly deny That Adam in his state of innocency had a power to believe in Christ because say they there was need of any Faith in Christ in that estate no Episcopius saith it is a silly Question considering we make Faith a Supernatural habit and such a one as in that state there was no need of This is no better then trifling and equivocating surely all habits of grace since the fall are Supernatural habits we must be taught of God to love God and to love one another to fear God to delight or to hope in him had Adam therefore no such powers in his state of innocency think we Further I would gladly know whether Adam had not a power in innocency to do whatsoever was necessary in order to the obtaining of everlasting Salvation If God doth not give now to every man such a sufficiency of power and Spiritual assistance yet he is just in the condemnation of Sinners Man had such a sufficiency of power and lost it but God hath not lost his right to require the exercise of it and to condemn Sinners for sin though they now want it 2. Especially considering that God hath given unto all such a sufficiency of external means as is sufficient to render them without excuse This the Apostle expresly saith Rom. 2.1 But you will say If God hath not given to all a sufficiency of means how shall man be without excuse shall not one say Lord I never heard of Christ I never saw thy Law how should I believe on him of whom I never heard how should I obey that Law which I never saw nor heard of Again shall not another say Lord I did indeed hear of a Saviour the Scripture I read I beard but I had no power to believe I could not chonge my own heart thou wouldst not change it thou indeed Lord didst stand at the door of my heart and knock but thou didst never put in thy hand at the hole of the door I answer these Sinners yet shall be inexcusable because they walked not up to that light and mercy which God gave them This is what the Apostle giveth in plea for God concerning the Heathen Rom. 1.18 21. The wrath of God saith he is revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men for saith he That which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shewed it to them v. 21. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned It is true we say the Heathens have not a light shining amongst them they have nothing but the light of Nature to guide them and this light maketh no discovery of Christ but yet the light shineth with them a light which will shew them there is a God and discover to them that this God is Eternal and powerful So that saith the Apostle they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations they improved not what light they had nor became thankful for it nor obedient to it Christians are much more inexcusable for besides that they have an equal share in Natural light and have the same dictates of Natural conscience with others there is much more of Christ and his Gospel manifested to them Christ telleth the Jews Mat. 21.32 That John came unto them in a way of righteousness and they believed not but Publicans and Harlots believed in him and you saith he when you had seen it repented not afterwards that you might believe Christians have the preaching of the Gospel the preaching of Faith and of repentance and they repent not that they might believe you will say but it is God that must give a power to repent he gave unto Gentiles repentance unto life I answer repentance is taken either more largely or more strictly More stricty it signifieth the turning of the heart from all Sin unto God this indeed is the work of God he alone hath an hand upon the heart of man but more largely it is taken for the turning from some sin and the performance of external discipline now as to this the Lord denieth unto none a sufficiency of grace and if men do not what in them lyeth they are without excuse 3. Finally It is most certain that God whether he giveth sufficient grace to all or no condemneth none but for sin I have shewed you at large that a sinners destruction is of and from himself as
it can hardly be expected that they should ordinarily be freed from that natural incumbrance by special and eminent assistances of Divine grace 2. In the second place Mens different sinnings may make this also appear but a reasonable motion of Providence It is true it is a dreadful punishment of sin for God to punish the sins of people by suffering them to be led into temptation It is a dreadful curse or imprecation of David upon the enemies of the Church Psal 109.6 Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan stand at his right hand God doth thus often punish peoples sins by letting Satan loose upon them the effects of this are sad enough none need a greater evil than to have Satan always at his right hand assiduously and violently moving him unto evil and though it be not so ordinary yet God may thus punish his own people Satan was at David's right hand when he would number the people St. Paul had a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him what that messenger of Satan was is not so easie to determine it was certainly some great affliction in which Satan had a particular ministery 2 Cor. 12.7 Some Divines do think it was some great temptation indeed the Scripture doth not mention it as the punishment of Paul's sin but as preventive of sin lest saith he I should be exalted above measure Undoubtedly temptations may be punishments of sin and in those desperate temptations to self-murther c. which have prevailed against men the sin hath been often made evident and possibly as to St. Paul God might discern Paul's heart begin to swell upon occasion of his Revelations and might send him a messenger of Satan to buffet him as well for the beginnings of the workings of Pride which he had discerned in him as to prevent the further increases of it It is not so easie to determine what Davids sin was but in probability it was pride Davids heart was lifted up upon the view of the great number of people which God had put under his Government God letteth loose Satan upon him he moveth David to number the people by which he knew God would be sufficiently provoked to abate that wherein he glory'd The case was much the same with Hezekiah though we do not read of so eminent and immediate a ministry of Satan The Text saith God left him it was in the pride of Hezekiahs heart that he would shew his Treasure to the King of Babylon God leaves him the temptation prevails upon him This by the way doth not only let us see that God sometimes by temptations punisheth his own people for their sin but that pride and swelling of our hearts upon the account of our enjoyments is one of those sins for which God suffereth Satan to stand at our right hand Guriosity is another sin an itch after knowledg which God hath hidden from us It is a sad story how many have been thus catched in the snare of the Devil indeed our first Mother Eve was thus catched but this were too large a Theme to instance in all those particular sins which God hath thus punished or may thus punish Now in regard that the sins of all Gods people are not equal but they may fall some of them into more great and hainous sins than others It is but a reasonable motion of Divine Providence that such as do so should be more troubled with Satan at their right hand with messengers of Satan sent to buffet them than others 3. A third reasonable account of this may be Gods Prerogative God may do it for the trial of their graces I know not what other account we can give than this of Gods dispensations to Job God himself gives thus this account of him then he was a just and upright man Yet he giveth Satan leave to stand at his right hand he tells him all that he had was in his power but only his life It is said that God left Hezekiah to try what was in his heart to try that he might know all that was in his heart Divines dispute about that Pronoun He whether it referreth unto God or to Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 The matter I do not conceive much whether it referreth to one or to the other That God might know what was in his heart Did not then you will say God know what was in the heart of Hezekiah Doubtless he to whom all contingencies were naked who knew all things past present and to come could not be ignorant what was in Hezekiah's heart and what he would do when he left him But the Scripture often speaketh of God after the manner of men they know not secret hidden things till they be brought to demonstration God left him that he might know that is that he might in matter of fact see what was in his heart This could be no matter of pleasure and delight to the Holy God but only a just medium in order to the punishment which he intended Israel in the posterity of that good man But God leaveth many of the Souls of his People that they may be tempted and in the hour of their temptation put forth exert and exercise their grace in the exercise of which the Lord hath a great deal of pleasure and delight This seemeth to be the case of Job the second time that you read Job 1. of Satans appearance before God God glorieth in Job Job 2.3 Hast thou saith he considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause Job 2.3 God delights in the combates of his People where they come off conquerors yea more than Conquerors I remember those two great Commanders Joab and Abner once said Let the young men arise and play before us that was a bloody game for they mutually kill'd each other so were the Romans Gladiators games and the combates with wild Beasts to which they exposed some miserable Creatures yet those men of blood took a pleasure in them God knoweth the good fight shall have no such issue Christ was not tempted for nothing the Apostle telleth us he was therefore tempted that he might be able to succour them that were tempted himself told Peter that although Satan had desired to winnow him like Wheat yet he had prayed that his faith might not fail This being secured God delighted to see Satan and a believing Soul play before him to see his People exercising their knowledg faith love patience courage and fortitude in resisting Satans temptations and making him to flee from them Now who can deny unto God the satisfaction and pleasure which he taketh in the exercise of those habits of grace which he hath given them The use of that Spiritual armour which he hath armed them with 4. Fourthly It is but a reasonable motion of
est Organon according to the subject it worketh in and by our own Spiritual actions we are prepared for the receptions of these Spiritual habits which are not the influxes of the first grace but of further grace and distributed to Souls which have their senses exercised to discern good and evil should God grant out equal measures of this grace unto all there could be no such thing as groweth in grace no such persons as Babes in grace the Kingdom of grace would be like that of glory in which there is no Infant of days nor old men of years and indeed this were enough to have spoken to this case if God did equally dispense out Spiritual strength to those who are of equal standing in the ways of God for though God will give Heaven at last which answereth the Penny in the Parable to him who comes into the Lords Vineyard at the Eleventh hour yet he doth not give equal degrees of peace and strength to those that come in to his Vineyard and work there but one hour with those who have wrought all the heat of the day Grace strengthens by exercise as habits are strengthened and confirmed by frequent acts But yet this is not enough to say in this case for all those that be of equal years and standing in the ways of God are not of an equal faith nor have an equal zeal fervency and intension of affections Nay often Christians of a much younger standing find more Spiritual strength to mortifie their corruptions and perform Spiritual duties than those who have been of many years standing in the ways of God 3. Thirdly Therefore God doubtless doth it many times to punish sin and guilt in his own People either in the neglect of ordinances and duty or some other moral miscarriages Sin doubly infeebleth a Christians Soul 1. As it Naturally deadneth the heart towards God and discourageth its exercises upon him 2. As it provoketh God to withdraw himself Sin is the aversion of the Soul from God and its Conversion and turning to the imbraces of the Creature hence it is impossible that the Soul that delighteth in sin should equally breath after and delight in God as that Soul that hateth sin and is more perfectly turned from it Sin quencheth the Holy fire in the Soul it also discourageth the Soul from its confidence in God and in its addresses to God it makes the conscience fly in a mans face and repeat to him the words of the Psalmist Psal 50. What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my law behind thee Or in the Words of the Apostle What fellowship hath light with darkness God with Belial Righteousness with unrighteousness Sin enfeebleth the Soul in all its addresses to God and discourageth it in all it exercises And 2. It provoketh God your iniquities have separated betwixt God and you saith the Prophet and your sins have made him to hide his face from you It was said by a great Commander of Souldiers That he was never afraid to dye but when his conscience smote him for some guilt of sin when the conscience of a Christian reflecteth guilt upon him he is discouraged from exercising any faith and confidence in God and ashamed in the duty of prayer to go unto God There is no Christian but findeth this in his own experience that the conscience of sin doth wonderfully prejudice his Holy boldness in his approaches to the Throne of Grace How weak is thine heart saith the Lord God seeing thou doest all these things the work of an imperious whorish Woman Ezek. 16.30 It is indeed a weakness to sin and weakness to any Spiritual acting is the first fruit of sin in the Soul for what are the Souls exercises upon God but Holy Meditation Faith Hope Spiritual desires delight a fervency zeal or heat of the whole Soul in Gods service Now sin rendring the Soul guilty and defiled how is it possible it should delight in or desire communion with an Holy God exercise any strong Faith and Hope in that God who hath declared his wrath against sinners or care to draw near to God when it apprehendeth God looking upon it afar off with an angry countenance This is another thing which maketh this motion of Divine Providence reasonable that God by it may punish the failings errors and miscarriages of People 4. Fourthly It appeareth reasonable upon the Consideration of the great differences of Christians in their practise of Godliness The promises of strength are made to those that wait upon the Lord for it Psal 27.14 wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like the Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Now it is true every Child of God waiteth upon the Lord but every one waiteth not alike nor walketh with God to the same degree Experience will tell every Christian that the more strictly and closely and constantly he walketh with God the stronger he groweth in all Duty Infused habits are advantaged by exercise as the fire that kindled the wood for sacrifices upon the Altar first came down from Heaven but then was to be kept alive by the care and labour of the Priests so habits of Spiritual Grace are indeed infused from God yea and must also be mantained by daily influences from God yet with a concurrence also of our own labour in waiting upon God and exercising our selves unto Godliness and the more a Christian doth so exercise himself the more strong he shall grow Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on in his way and he that hath clean hands shall add strength or as our translation reads it grow stronger and stronger The more a man excelleth in acts of Righteousness the more he groweth in Spiritual strength ordinarily therefore men and women which have most communion with God and walk more closely with him have most strength to Spiritual Duties 5. Christians differences in Knowledge and Experiences of God is one great reason of their differences as to Spiritual strength 1. Their difference in Knowledge our external acts of Piety such as Prayer as to the true and excellent performance of them do depend upon our internal motions towards God as is our Faith our Love our Hope so will our fervency in Spirit in Prayer and the exercises of our Faith or hope or any other grace be for those inward habits are the principles from which our actions flow the powers which in action we exert and put forth Now these inward workings of our Souls do very much depend upon our knowledge It is true they are not the Natural and necessary fruits or consequents of knowledge Knowledge must be sanctified before it will produce any such effects many a
day of believing Souls if we can make any Judgment of Believers do sufficiently evince this to our Souls my business is to inquire the Justice and the reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in the inequality of this distribution This will easily appear to you upon three hypotheses which I take to be all very true 1. That God doth ordinarily dispense out these influences of grace to souls which by his Providence he hath prepared for them This which I call Gods Providential preparation of souls for the reception of these influences I conceive lies chiefly in Two things 1. The freedom of it from those bodily incumbrances which in a natural working make the soul sad heavy and dejected such distempers we know there are as in a natural working sadden the spirit and fill it full of fear sorrow dejection and despondency which are all contrary to the comforts and serenity of a soul and as I have once and again told you it must be a miraculous operation contrary to the bias tendency and natural operations of a man for a soul to be filled with consolations while it is influenced with a body lying under these disadvantages God therefore when he intendeth any of these consolatory influences doth ordinarily prepare the soul for it by delivering it from those influences of an ill affected body which dispose it quite another way 2. A second way by which God prepareth the soul for it is by filling it with knowledg proportionable to it for the comforts of a gracious soul are not irrational and unaccountable things but the results of Scriptural conclusions which the soul is by the Comforter inabled to make God hath in his Word sown the seed of light and joy for them the Ministers of the Gospel who are the Interpreters of Scripture have an Office and Ministery in the Interpretation of this Word and working the souls of Gods people to understand the sense of them The soul it self hath an action in it using its reason and natural powers to conclude from the Scripture The Holy Spirit giveth unto the soul to see the things which are freely given it of God 1 Cor. 2. and further possibly setteth to its Seal and giveth it a further and more undoubted confirmation so as in an ordinary working the comforted soul must be a knowing and understanding soul It is true we sometimes find some honest souls full of joy and peace whose knowledg doth not appear proportionable God so relieving some particular souls after their lying under the discouragements of the spirit of bondage But commonly such comforts are not of long continuance rather present reliefs to the soul from an extraordinary working of the blessed Comforter than any settled consolation and the abidings of the Comforter with them Seldom any but knowing and judicious Christians have a settled and continued joy and peace upon their believing 2. Secondly That God doth ordinarily give out these dispensations more or less or nothing of them though not according to the merits of those souls that have them yet according to their behaviour and misbehaviour towards him That famous promise John 14.21 We will manifest our selves unto him is made to those that love Christ and who keep his Commandments And when Judas asks him Lord How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world Christ answereth him saying ver 23. If any man love me and keepeth my sayings my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings as much as to say The reason why I manifest my self more to you is because you love me and demonstrate that love to me by keeping my Commandments For the world they love me not and proclaim that they love me not by their disobedience to my Commandments and therefore it is that I do not manifest my self to the world as I do unto you In the receiving of the first grace man is meerly passive and the subject of preventing and operating grace but as to the receptions of further grace the child of God is active and the subject of cooperative adjuvant and assisting grace and God gives out his assistances according to their motions 3. Lastly The reasonableness of this different dispensation may appear in this That in the dispensations of this grace God acteth often by Prerogative shewing mercy where he will shew mercy Indeed he doth so as to the first grace as I have before at large shewed you But now he doth not so as to these influences of grace which are necessary to the upholding of the mystical union between Christ and the Soul and the upholding of a Christians spiritual life if he did it were possible that a child of God might fall away from his state of grace and there might be an intercision of the state of Justification But Christ hath told us That if any man drink of the water which he shall give him he shall never thirst but it shall be in him a well-spring of living water springing up in his soul to eternal life c. so that in the dispensation of that God acteth upon a Covenant and as a debtor to his promise If any one saith God hath also promised to manifest himself unto his people I answer those promises are made to those that love him and keep his Commandments but for the upholding of the spiritual life he hath made a Covenant with his people as that he will never depart from them to do them good so that he will put his fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from him which promise although it be not to be extended to a being kept from all sin yet it is to be extended to the preservation of souls from such degrees of sinning as shall extend to the alteration of the state of the soul and the extinguishing the spiritual life and killing the seed of God in the soul But for those manifestations of grace which are not necessary to a souls Salvation and the upholding of spiritual life in it God acteth more freely according to the counsel of his own Will derected by his own infinite Wisdom Now upon these Hypotheses supposing that all Christians are not of equal degrees of knowledg nor are equal as to their bodily circumstances that every soul that belongeth to God doth not walk up to an equal degree of duty but some may be and are guilty of more and more eminent failings than others Or that God may be by his infinite Wisdom directed to try one soul more than another to prove their patience or their faith which is most tryed when his people have least sensible consolations the motions of Divine Providence in distributing to several Christians nay to the same Christians several degrees of consolatory influences of grace cannot seem either unjust or unreasonable to any sober and intelligent Christians This is all I shall speak to this
Question I proceed to the Fifth Question 5. Quest Whence it is that there are such manifest differences in Christian growth in grace There is a growth in spiritual gifts and a growth in gracious habits and these must be carefully distinguished for from a want of a just distinguishing these many doubts and mistakes arise concerning this point of growing in grace there may be the one and a great increase and growth in them where there is nothing either of the beginnings or increase of the other By spiritual gifts I understand those powers by which persons are inabled to some more external spiritual operations You read much of them in the First Epistle to the Corinthians These are usually distinguished into Extraordinary such were the gifts of Tongues Prophecy Healing Interpretation c. Which God was pleased to deal out in the Infancy of the Church both to supply the want they had of ordinary means and also to give a reputation to and to confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel The Gospel having got a larger footing and acceptance in the World needed not these aids to its reputation nor such miraculous confirmations these therefore soon ceased and have rarely if at all been since given out But there are other gifts that are more ordinary and of constant and daily use in the Church of God such are the gift of Prayer of Preaching of Spiritual Conference c. Now Christians are capable of growth and increase in these But besides these there are gracious habits which are powers and abilities in the soul inabling it to acts of more secret and inward communion with God Such as Faith Love and others And these are capable of increase if not in their number yet in their degrees of intention Hence the Apostles pray Lord increase our faith And this left room for the Apostle to pray for the Corinthians 2 Cor. 9.10 That the Lord would increase their fruit of righteousness and for the Thessalonians that the Lord would make them to increase and that they might increase more and more 1 Thess 3.12 4.10 Thus you read of an increasing with the increase of God Col. 2.19 and of the prospering of the soul 3 Ep. John v. 2. and the Apostle Peter exhorteth those to whom he writeth to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ This growing in grace is not without the special influence of God Thence it is that both the Apostles pray for it Christ is both the Author and the Finisher of our Faith Now it is apparent that this growth in grace is not equal in all the souls of them who are the children of God as we see in that which is born of the flesh some children grow faster than others so is it true as to those that are born of God born of the spirit they all grow but some grow much faster than others grow and the thriving and prospering of their souls is much more evident to the world In this also the actual providence of God hath its hand Let me before I shut up this Discourse attempt to give you an account of this to shew the reasonableness of this motion of Divine Providence and that in this the wayes of God are equal 1. I shall onely in this Case premise this That there may be great mistakes as to growth of grace I shall instance in two 1. Some may mistake a growth and increasing in spiritual gifts or moral habits for a growth in grace A man may so mistake himself and his neighbours may so mistake him Spiritual gifts are glistering things and often dazle our eyes We hear men mightily improved in their abilities fitly to express their own and others wants unto God in prayer and to implead them with proper arguments We hear a Minister improved in preaching an ordinary Christian improved in his knowledge of spiritual things and his utterance and ability to maintain a profitable discourse we are perfectly apt to conclude these persons are grown in grace and it may be so but withal it may not be so too for these are separable from any thing of truly gracious habits which are the in-dwellers in a regenerate and sanctified heart When the Apostle had been perswading the Corinthians to covet the best gifts he by and by telleth them That he will shew them a more excellent way What was that The way of special distinguishing grace love to God without which he telleth them in the beginning of the next Chapter that all gifts all action all suffering prophecying speaking with tongues knowledge of all mysteries giving all his goods to the poor and his body to be burned would signifie nothing but a little noise in the world and render him no more than as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal 2. Secondly As some may judge they are grown in grace because they are grown in gifts so others may judge they are not grown in grace when indeed they are And the common mistake here is mens calling nothing a growth in grace but further passion and intention of the Affections when as the truth is as we say concerning Women the Apostle you know calls them the weaker Vessels yet they have the strongest passions So it is true concerning Christians those that are the weakest Christians have the strongest Affections and Passions Conformably to this it is ordinarily observed That Christians usually in the beginning of their Conversion have the strongest Affections the most passionate grief for sin the most unsatisfied pantings and breathings after God and his Ordinances but at this time weaker and less confirmed habits of Faith of Self-denial and Mortification and are more easily than afterward turned aside by a temptation But these mistakes being easily obviated I easily grant it That there are real differences as to Christians increase progress and growth in grace of which I shall now come to give you a short account 1. I might tell you That all growth supposeth time It is a motion that is not in an instant Adam was the onely man that God brought into the World at a perfect Age others you know come into the World little Children and are perfected and grow up by degrees and as the first Adam was the onely man who came into the World perfect as to natural parts and growth So Jesus Christ the second Adam was the onely man that at first appeared to the World perfect in grace for in him the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily All others are first Babes then stronger ones and perfected by degrees So long therefore as there is a successive Conversion and bringing of souls to God there must be Christians in the World of different sizes and statures as to growth and increase in grace But yet this is not a perfect account of this variety for all Christians of the same standing in the ways of God are not of the same proficiency and stature in them 2. Secondly therefore One great cause may be a difference
in spiritual nourishment Though it be true in Bodies that all who are fed with the same bread and drink the same drink do not thrive alike yet suppose a body to be fed with improper food or not to have half enough it is no great wonder if it doth not grow so fast as another body that hath a plenty of food and that food too which is good and proper for it It is the same case with the soul that also must have its food The souls food is the Scriptures Ordinances Influences For the first indeed we have them we have them in our own language so that we can understand them but yet every one cannot read an inexcusable fault in Parents and such as have the government of youth especially in the age wherein we live nor have all the like means of having them read to them and being made to understand them But the great difference lies in Ordinances St. Peter adviseth Christians to desire like New-born Babes the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby He doubtless speaketh of the Word preached the Promise Psal 92.13 is Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God The House of the Lord is the Church of the Lord and there is a promise of growth to all those that are planted in it yet as in our Gardens and Fields there are different sorts oft-times so in the Church of God which is a large Field there are different soils for Christians There is a great deal of difference in that preaching under which Christians sit One man preacheth in the inticing words of mans wisdom another in the perswasive words of mans wisdom another in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and with power Some Christians possibly live where they scarce ever hear a good Sermon but some Harangues of Oratory or some rational Philosophical Discourses of which they understand little or nothing Others live under plain lively powerful preaching where the Preacher makes it his business to study the souls of his people and proportioneth his preaching accordingly so as the Babes have their milk and others their stronger meat Teaching them as they are able to receive instruction It is no wonder if such Christians who are under the best means be found most thriving God working in the use of means where means can be had It is true Christ once and never but once that we read of made use of clay and spittle to cure the blind mans eyes And when our Lord was himself upon the Earth attending his own Garden and the Plants in it though he had a fulness of wisdom and power too and had many things to say unto them yet saith he John 16.12 you are not able to bear them now And it is said Mark 4.33 With many such parables spake he the Word unto them as they were able to hear it Now if Christians live under preachers who either make no conscience what they preach unto people but fill up their time either with idle Fables or Invectives against Parties or some florid or Philosophical Discourses as if their study were directly contrary to that of the Apostles whose great care as he tells us was so to order his preaching as the faith of his hearers might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Now their preaching seems to be so directed and ordered as that the faith of their hearers might not rest in the power of God but in the wisdom of men It is no wonder if such Christians do not grow in grace in proportion with others who live under more adequate and proper means God useth not ordinarily to work miracles and their ordinary spiritual food is not proportioned to any such thing as the spiritual proficiency of those that hear them 2. Secondly A great reason of this difference lieth also in the differing natural tempers of Christians Amongst other Metaphors by which the Holy Ghost expresseth the Conversion and Regeneration of souls by that of Engraffing is one Rom. 11.17.19.23 24. The soul is ingrafted into Christ Now those who are skilled in planting know that according to the different nature of the plant the growth is faster or slower more or less Some plants grow much more freely than others a Cion of one sort of fruit will shoot up as much in one year as a Cion of another species will shoot in two or three years Truly it is so in the Spiritual Plantation Christ is the Stock into which we are all ingrafted there is no fault there but now the Cions that are ingrafted into Christ are not all of the same nature and temper And although Grace makes a great change and alteration and doth much correct a natural temper yet it doth not root out Nature nor work the change in a moment nor in all the same proportion of time There are several tempers which much hinder the appearance of growth in grace Some are naturally of vain airy light spirits some of proud and high spirits some of froward teachy passionate stubborn spirits Others are naturally of more solid serious tempers of more low and humble of more meek and pliable spirits Now where it happens that there is a change wrought in some persons of airy and light spirits or such as are proud and high or froward and passionate and stubborn a progress and growth in habits and exercises of grace will not be so soon evident and apparent as in those souls that are of sweeter and more gentle and ductile spirits Much grace will make but a little show where there is an ill natural temper and humor 3. Thirdly An ill neighbourhood doth make a great deal of difference in the growth of grace We see in Plants an ill neighbourhood of Plants doth much hinder growth There is scarce any Plant will thrive much near an Ash the like might be observed of other Trees which experience tells us are ill neighbours to Plants Rake up Fire in Ashes if it keepeth alive it is all It is so with Christians that are ill-yoaked that live in ill Families or Neighbourhoods There is some Wood they call Quench-coal Rotten Wood is mostly so The truth is the company of all carnal worldly men is of that nature they are all Quench-coals to the life of Grace and discourage that holy fire which the Spirit of God hath kindled in the souls of his people If a Christian be engaged in such society whether necessarily as in Conjugal relations and indeed in most Domestick relations or voluntarily if such a Christian keeps his sincerity it will be well it can hardly be expected that the profiting of such Christians should appear unto all or indeed that they should grow in proportion unto other Christians who are engaged in a better converse and are under the daily Instructions Exhortations Reproofs and Admonitions of others who as Brethren take themselves concerned to consider them and to