can it do If the Jewish Child had dyed before the 8th day its want of circumcision doubtless did not endanger its salvation but the deferring it beyond that time might for ought I know endanger the wrath of God upon the Parent and that wrath might be executed in cutting off the Child I take the case to be much the same under the Gospel I am sure the Covenant is the same take heed of neglecting to instruct your Children betimes or to reprove and admonish them God may cut them off betimes and then your neglects will be a grief of heart to you Finally This calleth to all young ones not to neglect the remembrance of their creator in the days of their youth O let your tender years be no temptation to you to put off your duty towards God and your own souls in the morning of your life be plowing up the fallow ground of your hearts and sowing the seed of righteousness indeed in the evening our hands should not be slack but who knoweth whether he shall see an evening yea or no SERMON XLI Rom. I. 26. For this Cause God gave them up to vile Affections MY business is to clear up the equity of the Lord in the ways of his Actual Providence and to vindicate the justice and holiness of God from those who by the Sophistry of their humane wisdom seek to darken Divine knowledg I am resolving the difficulties relating to the motions of Divine Providence in punitive dispensations I have shewed you how just and reasonable it is that God should be the Author of the evil of punishment And that 1. to his own people notwithstanding the satisfaction of Christ accepted for them and the remission of their sins as to eternal punishment 2. As to those whom yet he knows to be such as will be worse for their afflictions and not better 3. As to children who have not been guilty of actual sins I proceed now a step further God doth not only punish sin with smart with pain diseases crosses c. but he sometimes punisheth sin with sin for sin giving men up to be led captive by their lusts The Text speaketh of such a Providence It relateth to the Heathens of whom the Apostle had been before speaking vers 19 20 he had been declaring what means they had to know God they had not indeed the light of the Gospel but they had the light of nature That which might be known of God was manifest in them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Then he sheweth how they abused and misimproved these means for v. 21 when they knew God in some measure as the light of nature and works of creation would discover him to them they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man to birds to four-footed-beasts and creeping things The business was this The Heathens had indeed but an imperfect knowledge of God no more than the light of nature and the works of God in nature shewed them but yet this was enough to have let them know that God could not be like a man or a beast or a creeping thing yet such images and representations of God they made and worshipped wherefore saith the Apostle vers 24. God also gave them up to lusts of uncleanness c. and so again in my Text vers 26. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections and so again vers 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are inconvenient Being filled with all unrighteousness c. Now the Question is Quest How it can consist with the holiness and purity of God thus to punish sin with sin for their committing of some sins to give them up to commit others The difficulty is because it is hard to conceive how God should do this without a willing of sin Although therefore it is plain enough in the Text and twice more repeated in the Chapter it be said God gave them up to uncleanness and God gave them up to a reprobate mind yet it will not be amiss for us from other Scriptures to take some auxiliary help for the proving of this That there hath been and doubtless are still such dispensations of God Then I shall attempt to reconcile these Providences to the justice holiness and goodness of God after that I shall make some application of my Discourse upon this Argument It is a known Text which you have Isaiah 6.9 10. Go and tell this people hear you indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed It is a Text which you find quoted six times in the New-Testament Mat. 13.14 Mar. 4.12 Luk. 8.10 Joh. 12.40 Act. 28.26 Rom. 11.8 In the first place Mat. 13. it is said that in them is fulfilled the Prophecy of Isaias By hearing you shall hear and not understand and seeing you shall see and not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing c. That Text plainly makes it out that Gods judicial giving them over to their blindness was consequent to their sinful stopping of their ears and shutting of their eyes But Christ there saith that for this he spake to them in parables Mat. 13.13 but Rom. 11.8 it is said God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear and certain it is Isaiah had Gods commission chap. 6. and Acts 28.26 Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaias the Prophet to our Fathers saying Go unto this people and say Hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and not perceive For the heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed By all which it clearly appears that God punished the former sins of the Jews in their wilful shutting their eyes and stopping their ears against the revelation of the Divine will by a judicial giving them up to a blindness of mind and hardness of heart To this purpose is that 2 Thess 2.11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye for what cause vers 10. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Many other texts there are speaking of Gods hardning the heart of Pharaoh and the hearts of others but
execution of that purpose hath given his Son for you to purchase a certainty of Salvation for your Souls who hath sent the Ministers of his Gospel to you publishing this Salvation by Christ when others never heard of the Gospel nay who hath done much more than this when others sate under the Gospel and their hearts were never wrought upon by the preaching of it God hath especially changed and wrought upon your hearts and conquered your souls into the obedience of his Gospel I shall conclude with that of the Psalmist Psal 107.1 2. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy SERMON LII Rom. 11.33 His ways past finding out I Have as you know in this Discourse formerly made use of this Text to found a Proposition upon concerning the unsearchableness of the ways of Divine Providence for of those ways it is that this Text speaketh I beheld saith Solomon Eccl. 8.17 all the words of God that a man cannot find out the ways of God which are done under the Sun yea though a man labour to find it out yet be shall not find it yea though a wise man think to know it yet he shall not find it I have shewed you that the ways of Divine Providence cannot be found out 1. As to the Compass and Latitude of them 2. As to the Tendencies of them 3. As to the Method and Tract of them 4. As to the Indication of them 5. Lastly As to the Reason of them This is as true with reference to the motions of special and effectual grace as to the workings of Providence in its more ordinary and common motions relating to the affairs of the World Now one of the Reasons why the ways of the Lord cannot be found out is because he doth not always tread the same steps God doth not always do the same work in the same method and this is true as to the motions of Providence in the distribution of special grace as well as with reference to its motions respecting the affairs of this life I shall not pretend to find out these depths I shall only Discourse some of these distributions so far as to shew you that they are reasonable motions I shall first Discourse shortly concerning the works of Divine Providence in the bringing home of Souls unto himself in the work of Conversion and Regeneration 2. Secondly In Gods carrying on of his work in the souls of his Saints thereby preparing and making them meet for the Inheritance of light That which I intend at this time to speak to is the variety of Gods ways in bringing home souls to himself Even there the way of God is like the way of an Eagle in the Air a Serpent on a Rock and a Ship on the Sea which can none of them be trackt nor found out in the methods of their motions God in the Converting of souls unto himself doth not keep an uniform motion nor tread certain steps but sometimes he worketh one way sometimes another sometimes by one means sometimes by another For some order in this Discourse I shall Discourse 1. Concerning the varieties of Divine Providence in the Conversion of souls 2. What reasonable account may be given of that variety of Gods motions in this thing 3. What practical conclusions may be drawn from hence or inferred upon this Discourse I begin with the first of these Quest 1. What varieties of Divine Providence are observable in this great work of changing hearts and the Conversion of souls unto God The truth is there are some that will understand none at all poor souls they will understand no other Conversion nor Regeneration but in Baptism every one that is Baptized is Regenerated There was indeed such a thing as Conversion when the world was all Jews and Heathens and to be brought to imbrace the Doctrine of the Gospel But for any such thing as the turning the heart from sin unto God this they understood not and indeed by their lives one would judg they did not But I am speaking to those whom I believe taught better things and who believe other things surely conversion or turning from Idols and erronious Opinions is not all that we read in Scripture of the change of the heart and turning unto God But in the Converting of sinners you shall observe a great variety chiefly remarkable in Three things 1. As to the time the particular time of mans life when God is pleased to call home souls unto himself some in their youth some in their age c. 2. As to the External means which God maketh use of in this work 3. As to the manner of Gods dealing with souls in the Converting Regenerating and bringing home souls unto himself 1. First As to the time This our blessed Lord excellently setteth out to us in that Parable Mat. 20. Where he telleth us That the Kingdom of heaven is like unto an housholder who went out early to find out labourers whom he might send into his Vineyard some he called early in the morning some about the sixth hour some about the ninth hour some at the eleventh hour he called them in at several hours The Kingdom of God is the Church of God which properly consisteth only of such as are Saints by effectual-calling though others that are visibly and professionally such have that denomination being mixed with others who are the true members of the Lord Jesus Christ Gods calling men into his Vineyard is his adding to the number of such as shall be saved Now God calleth some early in their youth some in their middle-age some but very few in their old age some even at their dying hour though of them there be of all the rarest examples As God had Nazarites from the womb so he sanctifieth some from the womb Samuel was from the very womb Dedicated to God and accepted of God God telleth Jeremiah Jer. 1.5 That before he came out of the womb he sanctified him I am a-ware that Sanctifying in that Text may be taken in another sense as it signifieth a Separation to the Office of a Prophet and so it may be understood to be interpreted by the following words and ordained thee to be a Prophet but why it should be limited to that sense I do not understand St. Paul saith He was separated from his Mothers womb and called by his grace but there separating must be understood of Gods design and purpose for we know Paul was a blasphemer a persecutor But certain it is that God calleth some very young Timothy from a child was acquainted with the Scriptures Josiah 2 Chron. 34.1 2. at eight years old began to reign and ver 2. did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and ver 3. at sixteen years of age he set upon his famous reformation It is said of Abijam the young Son of
God made us any promise that he will convert and Eternally save all our Children on whose behalf we labour and wrestle with God but as Hannah obtained her Child by Prayer upon which account it was that she named him Samuel Beg'd of God so I doubt not but that there are many good Parents that by Prayer have from God obtained the Conversion and Regeneration of their Children and that early that the Lord might as it were shew them that he gave in the Souls of their Children to their prayers and their godly instructions exhortations reproofs catechizing c. If we should never see grace appearing in tender years we should conclude it in vain during those years to use any means with them tending to such an end The Apostle telleth Timothy 2 Tim. 3.15 That from a Child he had known the Scriptures and 2 Tim. 1.5 He mentioneth an unfained faith that was both in his Grandmother Lois and in his Mother Eunice and he was perswaded in him also in him doubtless in great measure by their means God honouring their labours with the conversion of Timothy 2. Secondly Possibly God doth intend some elect vessels of his no long time in the World God intended Abijam the Son Jeroboam but a short time in the World and therefore there was early found in him some good thing I observed that amongst all the Patriarchs which are reckoned up Gen. 5. He of them who before Enos lived the shortest time lived 895 years the rest lived longer only Enoch lived but 365 about a third part of the time of the other It is said He walked with God and was not for God took-him and we see this of times in our experience God taketh away those in their youth whom he calleth in their Childhood and youth You have an observation that beautiful Children or Children of composed serious countenances when very young or such as being very young are very toward and fond of their Books seldome live long how true that is I cannot say but you shall I believe more certainly observe it of such who earlily have their hearts changed and are converted unto God God setteth those to work young to whom he hath not appointed long time to work of all whom God hath given unto Christ he must lose none and though Infants elect are saved upon the Covenant of grace before it appeareth to the World that they have laid hold upon it or are in a capacity in order to it to exercise their reason yet that is not Gods usual way where he alloweth to any a longer life till they come to exercise their reason he expecteth they should keep the ordinary road to Heaven by repentance and faith and in order to this he worketh upon their hearts betimes giving them repentance unto life and faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ 3. Thirdly Possibly God doth intend some a longer time in the World but hath designed them for some great and eminent service in it such the Lord useth to call betimes I will shew it you in two or three eminent instances The first is that of Samuel Samuel was to be a great Prophet yea and a Judge in Israel God accordingly betimes took him unto his more special tutorage he was designed by his Mother and from the very time of his weaning by her dedicated unto the Lord and the Lord while he was yet a Child eminently communicated his mind to him as you read in the story 1 Sam. 2.3 chap. Josiah was a Second God had designed him for a great and eminent service he was Prophesied of many years before he was born and that by name as who should work a great and eminent Reformation and he did do that God earlily prepares him for it he was but 8 years old when he began to reign and he began to seek the Lord God of his Fathers and when was but 16 years of age he began a work of Reformation of a long and most grosly corrupted state Timothy is a third God had designed him for an Evangelist to have a great hand in settling the Gospel-Church God called him very young from a Child he knew the Holy Scriptures which are able to make the man of God wise unto Salvation To these I may add an instance of an eminent Prince in our own Nation King Edward the Sixth who laid the first Principles of our reformation King Henry the 8th did little and what he did seemed rather to be out of interest so biassing him than otherwise God was pleased in his very young and tender years to seize upon his heart He had intended him as the event proved but a short life and he had laid out for him a very great work to purge such an Augean Stable as the Popish rabble had left Two observations I have made upon reading the Scripture 1. That when God had long kept some women his servants barren they ordinarily proved the Mothers of very eminent Children Rachel Manoahs wife Hanna and Elizabeth are instances of that 2. That God very often when he designed Persons for some eminent work prepared them for it by an early seizing upon their hearts and sanctifying them from the Womb unto himself And this will appear to you very reasonable upon a double account 1. Those which do a great deal of work for God must have a great deal of time to do it in All humane actions you know require time and a proportion of time according to the work 2. Those who are to excel in work must not be much blotted in their previous conversation Jacob in his blessing of Reuben Gen. 49. v. 4. hath this expression Reuben shall not excel because he went up unto his Fathers bed he went up unto my Couch God seldome alloweth any one eminently to excel whose youth hath been stained with many eminent and notorious blots they may come to Heaven upon their conversion but they shall not excel in the world I can think but of one instance in Scripture to the contrary which is that of Saul he was a persecutor himself telleth us and a blasphemer yet received to mercy but he saith it was because he did it ignorantly St. Paul's persecution was not rooted in a malice against godliness and holiness but in an error of judgment he saith of himself that he verily thought that he ought to do many things against Jesus of Nazareth There is a great deal of difference betwixt scandalous sinners one man is prophane and a persecutor only by a mistake another man is so by principle St. Paul was of the former sort 't is true he was a prophane and mischievous persecutor a prophane blasphemer but it was by a mistake not that he had any prejudice or ill Opinion of the ways of holiness which Christs Doctrine led to for he was never that we read of scandalous in those things which the light of Nature Reason or the Law of Moses required or forbad but only as
Providence calleth to us for and sheweth us the reasonableness of is Prayer We have reason in our distresses to seek unto God by Prayer because the Lord reigneth and it is an encouragement to us to seek him because he reigneth Whither should we go but unto him who hath power to help save and deliver Prayer therefore hath in all times of distress been the Refuge of Gods people It was a sad time with David Psalm 109.4 The mouth of the wicked and of the deceitful saith he v. 2 3. are opened against me they have spoken against me with a lying tongue They compass me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause for my love they are my adversaries but I give my self unto Prayer v. 4. Luther when he was in any strait was wont to say I will go and tell my God of it Prayer hath been the constant mean which the people of God have used for rescue out of any troubles You see it is upon a good foundation viz. The Dominion which God hath over all and his daily exercise of it 3. It calleth to you for praise and thanksgiving Prayer solliciteth for a mercy when we want it Praise acknowledgeth the gift when received and giveth unto God the glory of it Nor can it without robbery be paid at any other than Gods Altar Is there any good done by thee Let God have the glory of that thou hast done it by vertue of a power or gift which is given to thee from above yea and it is from his Governing-Power of Providence ruling directing and influencing thy heart to it His Kingdom is over our hearts our hands our tongues inclining them to every good thought word action without him we can do nothing Doth any good come unto thee Let God also have the glory of that The earthly Prince looketh that you should acknowledg your peace your trade to his Government but he is but the instrument of God in bringing these things It is the Kingdom of the Lord that ruleth over all he gives thee power to get riches saith Moses I am sure the people of God have more special reason to acknowledg God in all their peace and prosperity They are men of peace their hands are against none but the world hates them they are as sheep amongst wolves if they have any months or years of peace they are beholden to the power and ruling of God for it Is any evil kept from you It is God that doth it he that ruleth the raging of the Sea he stilleth the tumults of the people he hath the hearts of Kings in his hand and turneth them as the Waters of the South It is because the Mountain of the Lord is full of Chariots and Horses that they are not swallowed up by their Enemies every moment O see and praise the Lord for the Governance of his Providence 4. This Doctrine calleth to you for patience in adversity The people of God are subjected to trials of adversity yea â—o fiery trials as well as other men yea in greater degrees than others hence the Apostle calleth to them to let patience have its perfect work Patience is nothing else but a quiet submission to the will of God under any adverse dispensation of his Providence in obedience to his command and because it is his will and he layeth it upon us we have need of patience and the exercise of it is our duty and this Doctrine will shew you that it is but a reasonable duty Let me shew it you in two or three particulars 1. As it showeth you that all your afflictions be they of what sort and kind they will are from the Lord Job 5.6 Afflictions cometh not out of the dust nor doth trouble spring out of the ground Is there saith God by the Prophet any evil in the City and I have not done it Affliction comes not by chance or fate it comes from God and is the wise issue of his Providence in the Government of the World we have therefore no reason to fret and vex our selves against instruments They are but instruments Perhaps said David of Shimei God hath bidden him curse They possibly do ill and at last will know it but God is righteous in their unrighteousness I held my peace saith David I knew it was thy doing It is the Lord saith that good man let him do what seemeth him good 2. As it assureth us that all things shall work together for good to them that love God If God ruleth and governeth the world he certainly doth it for himself and for his own glory which glory of his being the highest design of his people all things must necessarily tend to their good to that which they above all things desire and seek after This God who ruleth the World is his peoples father and doth what-ever he doth as a father for the good and advantage of his children 3. Lastly It is a good Argument of patience As it letteth them know that their afflictions are ordered and governed by God The Afflictions Oppressions Persecutions of the people of God are not things excepted out of the Dominion of God It was you know the Centurions faith That diseases were to Christ as his servants were to him He said to one go and he went to another come and he came and to another do this and he did it So God speaketh to diseases and not to diseases only but to all sorts of afflictions Isa 27.8 In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it God first causeth then ruleth and governeth all our troubles afflictions and trials Fifthly This Doctrine calleth to all the people of God for love to him This is the Psalmists Exhortation and upon this very Argument Psal 31.23 O Love you the Lord all you his Saints for he preserveth his Saints and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer All the earth is bound to love the Lord for the exercise of his Governing-power If the Lord did not reign the worst of men would quickly find the ill effects of it they need no worse enemies than their own brethren and companions in wickedness did the Lord lay the reins upon the necks of their lusts and suffer them as they would to devour one another For as we see the ravenous Birds Fishes and Beasts do not only prey upon other but their own species so were it not for the Restraining-Providence of God in governing the world the wicked of it would see their brethren in iniquity not only preying upon the Saints and people of God but also upon those like unto themselves if lesser than themselves But I say above all the people of God as being the least flock are more especially bound to love the Lord for the Government of his Providence but this will more eminently appear when I come to discourse concerning the Specialties of his Providence with reference to them 6. Lastly This Doctrine calleth unto all for a willing
a knowledg too high too deep for thee Providence usually bringeth home both the promises to the Saints and the threatnings to the Sinners in a way quite different from what they looked for or it may be expected it in I have spoken enough already to take Christians off this but yet because it is a great point a thing wherein we are prone to slip and wherein our slipping is more than ordinarily dangerous let me spend a little time further to argue you out of this vanity and to direct your Souls in the expectation of the fulfilling of Divine Promises 1. Consider how much the strength of your souls is spent and how vainly in the expectations of your own fancies As the expectation of that for substance which God never promised is but the expectation of our own fancy so neither is the expectation of what God hath promised under such circumstances as are no part of the promse Now the strength of our Souls runneth much out in such expectations Let a man but fancy that in such a year Babylon shall fall The Jews shall be called The thousand years shall begin That by such a time the Church in distress or his Soul in distress shall be delivered It is strange to observe how the Soul will spend it self upon such a Notion the thoughts of men run upon it their wits are bent to interpret dark Scriptures into their own fancies it presently becomes the main article of their faith and the great argument of their hope and the whole subject of their discourses and at last possibly they are enforced to acknowledg that they had a lye in their right hand The Prophet useth the expressions upon an higher argument but yet they are applicable here Why spend you your strength for that which is not bread and your labour for that which will not profit There is nothing that is bread for a Soul but the Word of God it hath pitied my Soul many times to observe many otherwise I hope serious persons how they have spent themselves in such Enquiries and expectations as these Consider secondly how the faith of your souls is often endangered and shaken by your disappointments in these things I do but name this again for I before enlarged upon it How ready are we to dis-believe the Promise wholly because it comes not in the circumstances that we fancied it would come The Apostle was aware of this great Evil and therefore when some had been prophecying in the Church of the Thessalonians of a sudden coming of Christ to Judgment he writeth to that Church 2 Thess 2.1 2 Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as if the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceive you by any means The Apostle saw that this hasty and ungrounded expectation of Christs coming under such circumstances as he had now here revealed did not only tend to the troubling of Christians when they saw themselves disappointed but also to the shaking of their faith as to the thing it self and therefore beseecheth them by the coming of our Lord Jesus and by their gathering together unto him what can be the meaning of that but this If ever you expect the joyful coming of Christ and would keep your faith steady as to it if ever you would be with us gathered unto him concern not your selves in those who would limit the Promises to the circumstances of their own fancying Let them pretend Revelations of the Spirit or wrest the word of God yet faith the Apostle let them not deceive you You have an eminent instance of this shaking of Christians faith so consequential to this limiting of God to circumstances Luke 22.31 There was a Promise of redeeming Israel Christ had been crucified and three days were passed and they had heard nothing tending to their expectation say they We trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day since these things were done Their faith began to shake as to the main Promise because Providence in the accomplishment of them did not fit it with the circumstances which they had fancied Thirdly Consider it much hindereth that duty of waiting upon God which the Scripture so often presseth upon us I need not mention particular Scriptures there is hardly any one duty more pressed upon Christians in Scripture than this patient waiting upon and for God Now how doth that Soul wait upon God that limits God to his circumstances of time place means persons he indeed waiteth upon those circumstances a while but when he is disappointed as to them he knoweth not how to wait upon God any longer The Soul which truly waiteth on God leaveth circumstances unto him You will say unto me in the next place What then is the duty of a Christian with respect to the Promises whether concerning the Church or his own soul in particular I answer to receive and embrace them and be perswaded of the truth of them and leave unto God the way time manner and circumstances for fulfilling of them which he hath not revealed going on in the way of our plain duty till God shall please to give a being to his Word You shall see your duty Heb. 11.13 These all died in the faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth What promises were these The promises of Canaan of the Messias Abraham saw Christs day and rejoyced saith our Saviour They received these promises in their ears God revealed his will for these things they saw them afar off as things like to come to pass many years after they were perswaded of them of the truth of them that God would give them a being they embraced them with thankful believing hearts and lived so as that they confessed themselves strangers and pilgrims of the Earth in a constant course of self-denial and fulfilling the will of God and in a crucifixion to the World they never stood troubling themselves to search out the particular time and circumstances when and which way God would do these things but kept in the faith of the Promise leaving circumstances unto God Let us go and do likewise I shall conclude this discourse with a Text of our Saviours Luke 17.20 21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God should come He answered and said the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation Neither shall they say Lo here or Lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you Let me a little open these words to you The Kingdom of God that is the great things which concern the Kingdom of God these are not brought to pass and come
designs and purposes that men see reason to cry out O the depth of the wisdom and of the Counsel of God! So that look as God did not bring man into the World till he had fitted the World for his use and Government nor doth bring any creature by his continued Creation into the World before its table is prepared the Flie the Silk-worm c. doth not prevent its meat so neither doth Gods work prevent the means by which he designeth the accomplishment of it Thus every thing is brought forth in its time and every work of God is thus made glorious Secondly God by this means putteth a wonderful beauty upon his works of Providence The beauty of any creature you know doth not only lie in the colour of it and the loveliness of that but in the Symmetry and proportion of all its parts Hence our Eye judgeth sometimes a person that is of a good complexion to have little or nothing of beauty but a good mixture of colour with a good symmetry and proportion of parts must concur to a perfect beauty Gods work is perfect and his ways are Judgment Deut. 32.4 and he is excellent in working Jer. 32.19 The glory of the Lord is much concerned not only in the goodness of his works but in the perfection and beauty of it Now it adds much to the beauty of a work when it is brought forth in a fit season and is as an apple of gold in a picture of silver The unlook'd-for concurrence of all circumstances to the production of any great work of God makes it appear very admirable in our Eyes Thirdly God doth by this means wonderfully glorifie both his Power and his Wisdom in the Eyes of the men of the World 1. His power when men see the whole Creation sequacious to his Will and Counsel that assoon as he begins and sets out in any work there is a fudden change in the creature and all of them follow him in his paths As the power of a great Prince is herein magnified all his Subjects possibly are secure and at quiet and peace and think nothing of the Prince's counsels But no sooner doth he set up his Standard or cause his Drums to be beat up but presently all his Subjects are in arms and ready to follow him upon what designs he pleaseth to lead them This speaketh now the great power and influence this Prince hath upon his Subjects So now to observe the World as it were all at quiet and minding no such thing and God then beginning some great work and as it were setting up his Standard and it is no sooner up but all men flock to it as if it had been a design laid amongst them To make it plain by an instance The whole World almost was in a dead sleep of Popish-ignorance and superstition and in all humane appearance none thought or dream't of any Reformation God no sooner proclaimeth his design of Reformation and useth Luther to set up his standard at Wittenberg 1516 it was but by a pitiful Monk but as if this had been a design of a long contrivance in the World and laid in the several parts of Germany Duke Frederick the Saxon-Elector falls in with him Franciscus Picus Mirandula at Rome perswades a Reformation Marquess Caracciolus and Bernhardenus Bonifacius Marquess of Oria turn Confessors at Naples Zuinglius stands up for Reformation in Switzerland Myconius at Thuring I think all in a year and then other parts in Germany till the Reformation had overspread the greatest part of Germany What a wonderful Specimen was this of the power of God upon men upon the hearts of men in the World yea and thus the Wisdom of God is wonderfully magnified for by this means all the World comes to be convinced that God could not have begun or done his work in a fitter time Indeed God could have done it with equal advantage at any time having at all times the hearts of Princes and of all men in his hand but those that do not so wistly consider the influence of God upon mens hearts in the cause and only view humane circumstances when they see God bringing forth his work at a time when the World is prepared and fitted for it must adore the wisdom of God in it Fourthly God doth by this means check the haste and precipitancy and rashness of our spirits and shew us our own folly We are very prone to prescribe to God and to limit the holy One Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel say the Disciples Now when we see God disappointing our hopes and expectations and bringing forth his work in his own time when the worlds circumstances fit it and all things concur to it then we understand our own folly and rashness and that our spirits are too hasty then we see that if the work of God had been brought forth in our time it had not been half so easily effected nor half so beautiful Methinks here we are like some foolish ignorant children that view the Carpenter at work about some goodly frame of an house the Carpenter you know doth his work by degrees first he fitteth one piece and layeth it by him then another and so a third The child vieweth this and not understanding the contrivance he is every day crying to his father to set it up Father when do you set up the house shall it not go up this day to morrow c The child thinks that there is nothing to do but to set up this piece or that piece but his wiser Father knows that he must have every piece fitted and prepared the joints and the tenons ready to couple one piece to another or it would be to no purpose to begin to set up the building before it were framed and one part coupled to the other The child at last when he seeth his Father set it up all and the parts fitted one to another then it begins to see its self a fool and to understand that its Father was wiser than it against another time it learneth wit to let the Father alone to his own wisdom time and contrivance The Father might have lost his pains and spoiled some pieces of good timber and done nothing else in sooner hearkning to the childs importunity It may be the child in its haste hoists up a piece of timber but it falls down upon him and bruiseth him c. It is much the same case with us we look for a Reformation we believe God will sit as a Refiner upon Zion we cannot let God alone to his own time till he hath fitted the world's circumstances to his design but it may be we are hastening of God not only by modest prayers submitted to his will which is our duty but by murmurings and repinings at God It may be we like the hasty child are hoisting up some pieces of timber encouraging some or other to begin it irregularly and by that means get nothing but
a knock or a bruise and lose such Instruments as might have been useful But at last we see God bring forth his work the world is as to its circumstances fitted to it then we see our folly David was anointed to the Kingdom of Israel and Judah after this he is called to Court he is made the Kings son-in-law If any one upon this should have made a party for David to have rent the Kingdom from Saul a defensive party he indeed had to protect him from Sauls rage but no more he had undoubtedly but made himself a prey But David waiteth year after year till God had fitted the circumstances of that Kingdom to his design till Saul and Jonathan were gone and the peoples hearts were inamoured and set upon David and the Captain of the Army was turned also to him and when these circumstances concurred then he brings forth his great work and setteth his Servant David peaceably upon the Throne promised unto him Thus far I have enlarged upon the Explicatory part of this Observation I now come to the Application of it Vse 1. In the first place Let us learn from hence to adore the wisdom of God in his great productions of Providence There is much very much of God to be seen in his great products of Providence but he is to be seen in them in nothing more than this his adopting and fitting the world to his designs With how much blood must David have come to the Kingdom the children of Israel been brought out of Egypt and Babylon had it not been for this Oh the infinite unsearchable wisdom of God! his footsteps are not known his ways are past a creature 's finding out Wisdom in action is then much seen when the action is not attempted but at such a time as it takes effect The wisdom of the Smith teacheth him to strike when the Mettal is hot and malleable The wise General opens not his trenches till all is ready to make the Sally or assault nor springs the Mine till it be carried right under the wall Herein is the infinite wisdom of God seen that he attemptâ— not a great work until he hath accommodated circumstances to it Vse 2. Secondly Observe from hence That the miscarrying of a good design must be the product of mans improvidence not of Gods directive Providence There are many instances might be given of mens miscarrying in a good design that is in the attempt of things which God will certainly bring to pass How many have perished in their undertakings of works of Reformation their works miscarried The Providence of God is not indeed excluded out of these events it permitted those persons so to act it governed their action But it was their own ungrounded zeal and sinful passions and undue precipitancy that caused their miscarriage God's effective Providence never miscarrieth in its designs for it always either produceth a thing by an almighty-Power miraculously or else so fitteth the worlds circumstances afore-hand that if it be to be done mediately it is certainly produced It is only mans haste and mis-guided zeal that makes any good work abortive By a good work here I understand whatsoever is made the Object of a Divine Promise and by the way this may teach us not to let go our hold on the Promise upon any such disaster If the work be of God if it be any thing which God hath promised it shall be effected though it may miscarry in a first or second undertaking either because the Providence of God is driving another design viz. in the accomplishment of it first to punish some undertakers in it for their sins which was the case of the Israelites against Benjamin and against Ai or for their precipitancy and rash setting upon it out of Gods time or their ill-managery of it yet let not your faith fail in the Promise for the work shall revive in Gods time when he hath fitted the Worlds circumstances a little better to it it shall go on But thirdly Vse 3. Let me call upon you to Observe this in Gods providential Dispensations both towards the Church and towards your own Souls in particular Whoso is wise observeth these things saith the Text and he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. This is a very observable thing it will make us spiritually wise it will make us to understand much of the Lords loving-kindness in the products of his Providence 1. I say first it will give us spiritual wisdom and in a great measure make us to understand Gods time for the production of his great works and very much guide us as to our duty in the use of means what and of what nature is seasonable and proper for us to make use of For Example There is a great expectation of the Conversion of the Jews whether the whole Body of them shall be converted or no and whether they shall return to Jerusalem and again build and inhabit that once holy City I cannot say But the Scripture seemeth to incline very much That there shall be a far greater conversion of them and calling of them in than yet hath been But to look for this suddenly or to fix it upon any certain year must needs be a very great an idle and groundless vanity we must first see the Worlds circumstances much better fitted to it than we yet do whilst either the lives or blasphemies of the Jews are such as it is not reasonable that Christian Princes should endure them in their Territories or the spirits of Christians are such as they will not so endure them or such Idolatries and Superstitions are amongst Christians as are abomination to that people the circumstances of the World do not seem fitted to the production of such a great and noble work If we should live to see the bitterness of the Jews against Christ abated and the bitterness of Christians Spirits against them more generally allayed The lives and worship of Christians more reformed from such superstitions as they abominate and the lives of the Jews more reduced to rules of Christians we might then hope for something of this nature and judg Gods time at hand To give another instance Protestants do believe or at least did till of late some have began to doubt it That the Pope of Rome was the great Antichrist That wicked one of whom the Apostle prophecied 2 Thess 2.8 that should be revealed whom God would consume with the spirit of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming He it is ver 4 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God The mysterie of his iniquity began to work even in the Apostle's time though there was none of many years after owned the name of Pope or arrogant title of Vniversal Bishop or Vicar of Christ c. But the Apostle ver 6 tells us there was something
taken them off from that pursuit of the world by which others procure themselves a livelihood he hath told them they should live upon his Altar he hath told us 1 Cor. 9.7 That no man goeth to a warfare at his own charge none planteth a vineyard and eateth not the fruit thereof nor feedeth a flock and eateth not the milk thereof he seeth them out of obedience and conscience to him refusing the bread they might have men will not provide for them he will Ravens shall bring them meat every day but they shall be fed This is but a reasonable motion of Divine Providence I shall make a short Application of this discourse Vse 1. This in the first place lets you see the fountain of that bounty which the many painful and faithful servants of Christ have experienced in all times and even in the days wherein we live It hath pleased God in all times to raise up friends to his faithful Ministers I remember when Abigail came to meet David coming against her husband and had stopt his journey David saith unto her 1 Sam. 25.32 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee to meet me this day and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou c. First he blesseth God then he blesseth her the faithful servants of God yea the Churches of God who by this means enjoy any thing of the labours of their shepherds have reason to bless those whom God hath made his instruments to support those upon whom others had no pity Yea verily and what our Saviour said of the woman that spent her box of Oyntment upon him I think I may apply here Wherever the Gospel is preached what they have done shall be told for a memorial of them If a cup of cold-water for a thirsty Prophet shall obtain a Prophets reward the greater kindnesses of many shall certainly be rewarded they have but put a little money into the bank which God keeps in Heaven But we have more reason to look upward to him who hath the hearts of all men in his hand and openeth them as he pleaseth God hath in it shewed his special Providence for his faithful Ministers let us therefore say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath stirred them up It was the grace of God bestowed upon the Churches in Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.1 2 3. which taught them in a great tryal of affliction and deep poverty to abound in riches of liberality and willingly of themselves to give to their power yea and above their power Let it be written to posterity for a memorial of the people in England that for so many years together in the midst of a devouring pestilence many consuming fires expensive wars and a deadness of trade they have refreshed the bowels of so many hundreds if not thousands of Gods messengers but let God have all the glory who hath given the heart though their hands distributed the money Vse 2. In the second place Let me cry out O house of Aaron trust in the Lord O house of Levi trust in the Lord Trust in the Lord and do good saith David so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed Psal 37.3 Let us be faithful to our masters service and do the work which he hath given us to do and verily we shall be fed I cannot say God will provide Coaches and delicate things for us but necessaries we shall not want Herein let us exercise our selves to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men and as to other things we may trust a Providebit Deus God will provide for us and ours The experience of these times if wistly attended to certainly is enough to keep any from being tempted through fear of want to debauch their consciences by doing any thing which is apparently sinful or but so judged and suspected by them We see some fed with great provisions faring deliciously every day whiles others like Daniel and his partners have been fed with little more than pulse and water and at the end of some years it appeareth they look fairer as to worldly circumstances than those who have had far better commons Vse 3. Lastly This observation commendeth confidence and courage to all in the Lords work in opposition to fear and cowardise I would not be mistaken be sure in the first place you be in Gods work that which by his word appeareth to be the duty of one in thy circumstances nothing but the conscience of having been surprised in the way of our duty will bear us up under sufferings be therefore in that point well satisfied having done that observe those rules of Prudence which reason directs thee in such cases this done fear nothing Remember the Providence of God most eminently watcheth over the boldest adventurers in the way of their duty They are the words of our blessed Lord Mar. 8.35 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel shall save it They observe in war that the soldier that turns his back and flyes is in much more danger than he who stands to it and that nothing makes a conqueror so much as resolution and bold adventuring it is so in our spiritual fight with the world be then of good courage in it and quit your selves like men remember God is with you and if so there 's more with you than can be against you God indeed in our combats with the world doth not always keep us shot-free and bring us off without a scratch but those whom he doth bring off are ordinarily those who are most valiant and adventurous however it is better to fall valiantly than cowardly and our Lord hath told us That if a man will save his life he shall lose it if he hath such a mind to sleep in a whole skin that he will neglect his duty and do that which his heart condemneth him for doing he shall lose what he hoped to save by it be it life reputation estate c. It speaketh great unbelief and distrust in God to be cowards in plain and certain duties Be prudent but take heed of forbearing necessary duty out of prudence or being faint in the performance of it That can be no prudence If a man fainteth in the day of adversity Solomon saith that his strength is but small his faith is but small and his observation of Gods Providence in such cases hath been very small too But I shall add no more upon this Argument SERMON XXV Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Have done with the Tenth thing in the motions of Divine Providence which I commended to your observation I proceed now to another Observ 11. The Providence of God maketh a very frequent and remarkable use of the sins of people though it be always spotless in making such use of
and patience of his people but that is not the subject of my present discourse I remember when they asked our Saviour concerning him that was born blind whether it were for his own sin or for his parents Our Saviour replys for neither but that the glory of God might appear So I doubt not but Gods end in afflicting his people is neither at all times the punishment of the persons late sins nor former sins but that both the grace and glory of God might appear in strengthning supporting and upholding of his poor creatures and that he might be glorified by them in the fires by the exercise of their faith and patience c. Vse 2. This speaketh loud to all especially to young men to take heed of presumptuous sinnings against God Presumption of mercy is that which much enticeth out the lusts of our hearts there are some that will fancy God an Idol of mercy and will say Let them do what they list yet it shall be well with them they will not believe any such thing as Hell or a Revelation of the wrath of God against sinners God did not make them to damn them c. God of old foresaw there would be a generation that when they heard the words of his curse would bless themselves in their hearts saying They should have peace although they walked after the imaginations of their own hearts adding drunkenness to thirst Deut. 29.19 Observe v. 20. what God saith as to such The Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven c. But blessed be God there are not many of these in the age wherein we live not many but will acknowledg an Heaven and an Hell and profess to believe that there is a reward for the righteous and for the unrighteous for the Saint and for the sinner So that what incourageth the most of men in sinful courses is not any hope of a total and final impunity but a presumption of pardon and obtaining mercy with God before they dye They are taught by some wild teachers that it is in the power of man to repent to believe to turn to God when he pleaseth and this imboldneth them to out-stare all the terrors of the Lord and to put off all the tenders of the Gospel to indulge their lusts and to say It is not yet time to turn unto God if they obtain pardon at last they shall be well enough if they turn to God and they are told they can do it when they please it is but taking up a resolution in their old age when they have had the fill of their lusts in their youth Now if this Doctrine had any truth in it it would quite destroy an old argument we had to press men to a speedy repentance because that God who always giveth pardon to them who truly repent will not always give unto sinners an heart to repent No need of that say our new Teachers man hath a freedom in his own will he may repent whensoever he can but get himself of the mind he labours under no more than a moral impotency his lusts are so strong that he cannot obtain leave of himself that is all But friend admit this were true that thou hadst repentance in thy own hand and that thou shouldest upon thy repentance obtain pardon of thy sins from God yet God may as to the punishments of this life make thee go mourning to thy grave for the sins of thy youth he may plague thee in thy own person and plague thee in thy posterity God had pardoned Davids sin Nathan told him The Lord had put away his iniquity yet the child dyed the sword never departed from his house Absolom requited him by going into his Concubines in the sight of the Sun he was weary with his groaning all the night long he made his bed to swim and watered his couch with his tears his eyes were consumed with grief Psal 6. His bones waxed old through his roaring all the day-long Gods hand was heavy upon him night and day so as his moisture was turned into the drought of summer Psal 32. Who would not fear such kind of dispensations Alas there is no such thing as mans having a power in himself to repent and turn to God Can the Blackamore change his skin or the Leopard his spots Everywhit as soon as he who is accustomed to do evil can do well but admit you could I say it is a thousand to one but God in the punishments of this life will visit your youth-sins upon you young men that are wise will take heed of wounds and strains in their youth or surfeits which though they feel little of in the heat of their youth they will be sure enough to feel in their bones when old age overtaketh them and certainly if sensual sinners would give but their reason leave to guide them it would guide them also to take heed of those sins in their youth for which they may so severely smart by wounds and terrors of Conscience by doubts and horrors and fears by diseases and other kind of punishments there is a great deal of difference betwixt being saved smoothly and a being saved but through fire O let me plead with you who have little else to say for the cares and pains of your youth but that by it you are but providing quiet and rest for your selves when you come to be old that you would admit the force of that Argument also to perswade you to remember your Creator in the days of your youth and to take heed of the sins of youth which God often so severely punisheth upon gray-hairs yea and that to his own people whose iniquities yet he hath pardoned so as they shall not eternally condemn him Vse 3. But that I may shut up this discourse what you have heard upon this Observation may offer the best of us some matter which possibly we have not thought of both of daily humiliation and particular humiliation when the rod of God is upon us I say 1. Of daily repentance and humiliation We are ready to speak after the language of Agag whom Saul had spared upon the slaughter of the Amalekites surely the bitterness of death is past If we find that God hath changed our hearts that we are not what we were we are very prone to think that all the follies and vanities of our youth are forgotten But let us not mistake God sealeth up the sins of impenitent sinners in a bag for to be brought forth to their eternal ruine in the day of the revelation of Gods wrath he sealeth up the sins of his redeemed ones in a bag to chasten them oft-times in this life with the rods and stripes of men God wrought bitter things against Job for the sins of his
may make him willing and desirous but they are only the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that can make a man fit for the Ministry and God never sends any to any work but his Providence fitteth them for it and the same may be said of any other Relations or of persons employed in any great work And as persons imployed in any work or relation may thus judge of themselves So also their Correlates to whom they are in relation may by this means know how to judge of those who are in relation to them whether they be called of God or no and be such or no with whom they can expect the presence of God and from whom they may expect Gods blessing and this if duly thought upon should strike a terror into men in places and employments especially relating to the worship of God and in trust with souls who are no more qualified for their work than an Ass is for a Fiddle as we say what will these men say when their Consciences come to arrest them with a what doest thou here without thy wedding-garment That is without those gifts and graces without that heart and spirit which should have qualified thee for such a work and which God never faileth to furnish him with whom he calls to any employment for him Or when they shall come to dye and have no sweeter reflections of Conscience than this I have these 20 30 40 years been Gods scourge and plague to this people soothing up this people in their sins blinding their eyes hardning their hearts meerly eating up that bread which should have fed other faithful Pastors who were able to have prayed for them able to have instructed them which I have not been O the searedness of these mens Consciences O the dreadful vengeance of God that hangs over their heads O the strange quantity of the blood of souls which God will require at these pitiful wretches hands Let not my soul enter into these mens secrets let not their portion be mine O my God! Vse 3. But in the third place Let me caution you that you do not think that the Providence of God doth alike qualifie every person for the duties of his relation As in the Heavens there are different Stars and they differ one from another in glory Every Star is a light but some give a far greater and more glorious light than others so it is in the Church of God Ministers you know are compared to Stars they must all be lights they must all be able to shew light both in their Doctrine and also in their Lives but yet some are more glorious lights than others are more burning more shining God calleth no man to the Ministry but they are able to pray able to preach he sets no dumb dogs to keep his sheep he sets none over his people to be their Bishops but they are blameless sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikers c. as in 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4. sober just holy temperate c. as 1 Titus 7.8 It is little less than Blasphemy to say God calls a man to pray or preach that can do none of both that God calleth Drunkards to teach men sobriety or unclean persons to teach them chastity or covetous wretches to teach men hospitality or liberality But yet some may be of more eminent gifts for prayer and preaching some may be more eminent in grace more exemplary in holiness than others God hath several stations for Ministers some he sets upon Hills some he placeth in obscure Valleys And indeed herein the Church I mean the Rulers and Governours of a Church seem to have a great judgment They shall not judge a person fit for the Ministry that is apparently unfit not being able to discharge any part of the ministerial work but they shall judge of the degrees of persons gifts and abilities so as to place persons in stations fit for them and as will be best for the edification of the whole But the caution which I offer you in this branch of Application if you well consider it is of great use 1. To restrain the unwarrantable judgement and censures of less knowing and prudent Christians who are ready to censure good men of weaker parts and abilities for the work of praying and preaching as no true Ministers not called of God to their work Is the person a man of a holy life and conversation Is he a person able to pray and preach substantially though it may be not so fluently not so floridly as some others not with that life and affection not with that learning and clearness of demonstration Take heed of judging in this case God distributeth his gifts variously though always to edification of the whole Church In his Church there are some Babes some grown Persons some that must be fed with milk others that must have strong meat God qualifieth some to give milk to the Babes others to give meat to stronger ones indeed the wonderful wisdom of God is to be seen in this disproportioning of his gifts to his several Ministers We are poor vain creatures and though blessed be God! some learned men of great reason and learning are to be found that can deny themselves in their ministerial work and preach to the capacity and understanding of poor creatures yet Quotusquisque est he is one of a thousand that we see doing so we are like Pedlars that think we must shew all that is in our Pack though they be little better than gay baubles and confound poor souls either with our Metaphysical Speculations or logical ratiocinations or with our Rhetorical flourishes God foresaw this vanity in our hearts and hath therefore graciously provided restraining the exhibition of his gifts and not giving unto many abilities to do so that if they would they cannot wrap up the plain truths of God in such mysteries of phrase and reasonings which are but vain Philosophy but are forced to speak more plainly and intelligibly to peoples souls that their preaching neither is nor can be in the enticing words of mans wisdom nor in the language of men that are puffed up but is far more in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and in the power of God though less in the insignificant wisdom of men 2. This Caution is useful also to relieve the Consciences of good men who are often-times troubled under the sense of the disparity and disproportion of their own gifts and parts to the gifts and parts of others I have known it the case of some Look as it hath been with some Christians for want of some gifts which at best have been but common gifts such as that of Prayer they have been ready to question whether they have any truth of grace yea or no. So I have known some precious godly Ministers in their melancholick dark-hours questioning whether they have not all their life-time invaded the Ministerial function whether ever they
more than its own iniquity Arminius I remember telleth us that he can see no reason but that Children may be equally punished eternally for the sins of their Parents as well as the whole posterity of Adam for his sin but certainly there is a vast difference the first Adam was a publick person with whom God made a Covenant for life or death for himself and for his posterity and he had a power as well to have conveyed life as death to all his posterity but surely none will assert this as to any Parent since his time 5. Consider how much comfort there is laid for parents mourning in that speech of our Saviour for of such is the kingdom of God Men that have large Gardens and Orchards have places for slips and Inlays as well as for old Stocks Nurseries for Plants as well as places for full-grown fruit-trees God hath his garden of Grace that is his Church and he hath his garden of Glory to both belong Nurseries The Children of believers are though imperfect members yet members of his Church and they may be heirs of Glory though they go out of this world under age as to any earthly inheritance Yet they may be of full age for the inheritance that is immortal incorruptible and which fadeth not away they will be of age in that Country where is no infant of days nor old man of years The possibility of little Childrens entering into the Kingdom of God yea the probability that the seed of such as fear God dying in infancy are so entred ought to be a wonderful relief to Godly parents mourning upon this account Some Mothers only people the earth with sinners God puts an honour upon thee if thou stockest Heaven with Saints and bringest forth to the kingdom of Glory 6. Consider Thou canst never lose a Child with more hope than in its infancy Some have thought that the death of Christ hath as to all expiated the guilt of Adams sin both the Socinians and Arminians seem so to judge Others think that by vertue of the New Covenant the water of Baptism washeth away original sin Augustine was called Durus pater infantum an hard Father to Infants because he thought all unbaptized Infants were damned by which it seems he deferred much to Baptism but I do not remember that I ever read in him or heard from him that he held that all baptized Infants should be saved if dying in infancy I durst not fix the comfort of mourning Parents upon these foundations But yet this is certain the Infant within the pale of the Church the Child of the believing the true believing Parent especially is in Covenant with God It hath not yet been defiled with wilfull presumptuous sinning we cannot say so of our Children when they are grown up to years A godly Parent can never lose a Child with more hopes of its eternal Salvation than in its infancy 7. Again Possibly what God hath done he hath done in mercy to thee to thy soul that thy affections may be more entirely upon him God knew thy heart better than thy self it may be by such a stroke he hath secured thy heart more unto himself it may be in mercy as to the comforts of thy life Zedekiah could better have followed his Children in their infancy to their grave than have seen them slain by a barbarous enemy before his face Thou knowest not what evil is coming upon the world 8. Lastly consider That for those that keep the Lords Sabbaths and chuse the things that please him and take hold of the Lords Covenant God hath Isa 56.45 promised a better name than that of sons and daughters even an everlasting name which shall never be cut off But I shall digress no further on this Argument 4. Lastly Having stilled thy impatience what hast thou to do but to fulfil the Lords will and ends under such a dispensation Let those do it that are patients under such providences Let us all do it who are spectators of them Are any of us patients under such Providences let us fulfil the Lords ends in them You will say what are they I Answer 1. Submission to his good will is doubtless one thing God by all afflictions of his people designeth to humble and to prove his people that he may do them good in the latter end Such dispensations are the rod of God upon us and his rod hath a voice and we are bound to hear his rod. God is now trying thy obedience Abraham's trial was a greater trial he had but one Child him a Son the Child of the promise God required him to kill him with his own hand he submitted and the Lord accepted his will for the deed Thy hearing the voice of one rod may prevent the Lords taking of another to scourge thee with 2. Humiliation for those sins which thou suspectest to have been the provoking cause of such a dispensation that 's another end which thou maist probably think that God aimeth at Afflictions are to humble us and to prove us 3. God calleth aloud to thee to take thy heart off thy creature-comforts Thou seest what gourds what blossoms they are what shadows they are which thou huggest what lyes thou hast in thy right hand he calls now to thee to fix thy heart and thine eyes upon him alone and to make him alone thy portion to fix all thy delight upon him For us that are spectators of such Providences let us also by them learn wisdom 1. By taking heed of such sins as may provoke God to such dispensations we stand concerned if we love our children to love God and to fear him to walk closely with him the wicked life of a Parent may shorten the life of a Child for that God in judgment may write him childless a man who shall not prosper nor his name out-live a present generation Take heed of those particular sins which may provoke God to such a stroke Take heed of murmuring at the blessing of a numerous off spring and distrusting the Providence of God as to a providing for them Take heed if Children be given you that you do not set your heart upon them Look upon them as fading flowers and such flowers as never fade sooner than while they are worn too near your heart Take heed of sins by which the enemies of God shall be made to blaspheme David for such sins lost his new born Child from his beloved Bathsheba 2. More especially take heed of neglecting your children Neglect not the ordinance of Baptism as to them I do not think that is damnable but I do think it is provocative of God I remember God met Moses in the Inn and was about to kill him for his omission of Circumcision Circumcision was in it self a pitiful thing but it was Gods ordinance it was his Covenant in the flesh with the seed of Abraham We are not upon a Divine institution to say To what purpose is it or what good
honour successes c. David himself never had a slip like that he had when he came into the highest state Even the best of Gods people have great reason to rejoice with trembling in the midst of full cups but sinners have far more reason when they are not plagued as other men when there are no bands in their death when their eyes stand out with fatness and they have more than heart could wish that is the time when their mouths are set against Heaven then their day of destruction is not far of and indeed those are the two dreadful considerations and therefore they have reason to fear and tremble 1. Lest their prosperity should slay their souls There is a latent poyson in sinners hearts at all times but poverty and adversity keeps it in The poor man useth intreaties saith Solomon but the rich man speaketh proudly honour and power are great temptations to oppression Riches and abundance to all sorts of Luxury So as if a man be a fool and hath no spiritual wisdom to rule and to govern himself in a prosperous state his prosperity slayeth him giving advantages to those lusts that are in his heart to discover themselves It is the prosperous sinner that oppresseth his neighbour that does acts of injustice and thinks by his power to defend himself 2. Again Prosperity bodes ill The sinner is never so near a fall as when he is upon a pinacle of honour and power When the worldling saith Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years then comes the voice Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee and one reason of this is because that is the time when his sin ripeneth when he lifteth up his heart highest and openeth his mouth widest and lifteth up his hands most fiercely against the God of Heaven O then let the prosperous sinner fear and tremble 3. Lastly You have heard that it is but a righteous thing with God to give unto the worst of men the good things of this life because they have something in them of the nature of means to convince sinners both of their sins against God and also of their duty to God Indeed they ordinarily prove the quite contrary but this is not of themselves or from their own nature but from the lust and corruption of sinners hearts O then let the goodness of God lead you to repentance Rom. 2.4 The Apostle lets us know that the patience long-sufferance and goodness of God leads us to repentance The long-suffering and patience of God if there were no more ought to do it And certainly were there any ingenuity in the heart of a sinner it would do it For him to sit down and think I have been a drunkard a lyar a swearer a Sabbath-breaker these Twenty Thirty Forty years God hath seen and known me all this time there hath not been a thought of my heart but hath been naked before him I have not told a lye nor sworn an oath but as soon as the word hath been out of my mouth the news of it hath been in Heaven and it hath been written in Gods Book of remembrance God hath all this while been an Almighty God and hath had it in his power every moment of this time to throw me to Hell He could have struck me dead with my lye in my mouth as he did Ananias and Saphira Acts 5 or with my oath my curse my blasphemy in my mouth but God hath been long-suffering and patient with me willing that I should at last be saved Shall I yet go on in my sinful courses Shall all this patience of God be lost upon my desperate soul Surely I am bound humbly to acknowledg thus many years of patience and to sin no more lest I turn Divine patience into fury But then the riches of Gods goodness though it be but in the things of this life adds great weight to the argument for a poor creature to sit down and think that he hath not been plagued as other men he hath not had such a sickly body nor such a scant estate but God hath made his cup to overflow he hath had success in his trading whiles others have been blasted O shall not this goodness of God lead thee to an acknowledgment of God Shall it not lead thee to a repentance for thy sin wilt thou treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the most righteous Judgment of God Consider that the good things thou hast enjoyed have a natural tendency to change thee if thou hadst not banished that common ingenuity which teacheth all to love those that love them and most certainly it will make thee worse if not better if it doth not soften thy heart it will harden thy heart if these things tend not to make thee more holy they will certainly make thee more leud and profane And think with thy self what an aggravation of thy eternal misery it will be to fall into it out of as high a state of content and external felicity as thou wert capable of I would have every prosperous sinner say with himself What hath God done to me that I should be thus vile and so presumptuously sin against him There are very many that if they would listen a little to their own consciences might hear God by them speaking to them and saying What could God have done more for you than he hath done Would you have strong and healthy bodies God hath given you them Would you have large possessions great and plentiful estates God hath given you such Would you have desired a loving Wife hopeful Children You have had them God aggravateth the sin of David from the outward blessings he had blessed him with he had raised him to be King over Israel from following the sheep he had given him his Masters Houses and his Masters Wives into his bosom 1 Sam. 11. Will not God think you from hence aggravate your sins another day Will not this make Hell twice more Hell to you will it not add more heat to the fire that never shall go out and pain to the gnawings of that worm that shall never dye Oh harden not your hearts to day while it is called to day hearken to God speaking to you not only by the voice of his Word but by the voice of his Mercies O let not that riches of Divine goodness make you worse which in reason ought to make you better Let not your honours your riches damn you Take heed that there be not cause to say of you that if God had not been so good to you you had not been so leud and profane so wicked and abominable in his sight Thus far I have applied this discourse as to wicked men it remaineth yet that I should apply it as to the people of God shewing them their duty under such dispensations of providence but it is a point fit in our times to be further enlarged upon
to the matters of the Gospel which his Country-men did not own especially those who had Educated him for after the strictest Sect of Religion amongst the Jews he liv'd a Pharisee so that his scandalous actions were bottomed only upon a mistake But others now are prophane by a principle What principle not a principle of error in the understanding not rightly conceiving of the truths of God But a principle of malice and hatred in the will and affections to any thing which crosseth their lusts they hate the image of God where-ever they see it they would have the strait-gate wide enough for Drunkards Adulterers Sabbath-breakers Lyers all sorts of sinners against the very light of Nature and Reason and the most indisputed Texts of Scriptures to enter in and persecute all those who oppose them in this thing a sin under the Gospel very near to if not the sin against the Holy Ghost you never read of one of these converted Now these and such-like other prophane persons are not only scandalous in the Eyes of Gods people but in the Eyes of the men of the world and although God sometimes changeth the hearts of debauched and prophane persons though seldom the hearts of persecutors from this principle yet he rarely suffers them to excel or to be in any eminent station or of any remarkable note in his Church when-as therefore he designeth any soul to any eminent station or place in his Church or to do him any eminent service in any civil state the Providence of God ordinarily seizeth upon their hearts in their youth and keepeth them from those debaucheries in their life as may expose them to the obloquie of the world and make them say Is Saul also amongst the Prophets For a former prophane and notoriously scandalous life would much hinder that reputation of theirs in the eye of the world which is necessary in a rational way to make what they shall afterwards say and do for God acceptable unto the world Hence it is that you shall observe that Ministers if they be leud in their lives seldom or never do any good in their places Ducimur praeceptis trahimur exemplis they are reasonably judged but to act a part who call men to holiness and live unholily themselves every one is ready to say to them Physician heal thy self and to say within themselves If these men did in very deed believe what they talk to us they would not themselves live contrary to what they teach And although a converted soul who hath formerly been prophane doth not so yet his former life is a wound upon his honour and reputation which is of great concern to those to whom he preacheth God therefore ordinarily where he designeth a person for an eminent station or work doth prepare him for it seizing him when young for himself 4. Fourthly God calleth some in their old age at their very last hour That there may be no room left for any soul to despair of Divine grace It was Augustines Observation of old He called one that none might despair and but one that none might presume God calleth men into his Vineyard some of them at the eleventh hour that the oldest sinners might have hope that the most decrepit sinner might not say I am a dry tree it is too late for me to think of repenting and turning unto God yea indeed God may be conceived for this reason to call some at all hours some at the sixth some at the nineth some at the eleventh hour that sinners in all the periods of their lives might have hope and some grounds of incouragement to turn unto God when they see that at all hours some have been converted and turned unto God and have found favour with him But this is enough to have spoken to have shewn you the reason of the variety which the Providence of God shews us as to this his first work of conversion and bringing home souls with respect to time Let us now a little consider the reasonableness of the Providence of God making use of a variety of External means most ordinarily I told you he maketh use of the publick preaching of the Gospel Thus you read of most in Scripture converted sometimes of the private instruction of friends Thus when John the Baptist's preaching had been blessed to send Two of his Disciples unto Christ Andrew being one he brings Peter his Brother and when Christ had found Philip Philip was an instrument to bring Nathaniel and the woman of Samaria Joh. 5. was an instrument to commend Christ to those of her City though indeed when they came to hear and see Christ they told her That now they believed not so much for what she had told them as for what themselves had heard and seen and sometimes God maketh use of other Providences as I have more largely shewed you in my former Discourse Now this is very reasonable 1. That God may honour his own Ordinances He hath appointed the foolishness of preaching for the salvation of the Elect. He hath said Hear and your souls shall live He hath told us that Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God and hath told us How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher or preach except they be sent It is but reasonable therefore that God having set up such an Ordinance as Preaching and established such an order of Officers in his Church as that of Pastors and Teachers should in the ordinary and most usual course of his Providence concur with it and bless it and the labours of those who are employ'd in it to the conversion and bringing home of souls He hath said of old Wheresoever I record my name to dwel there I will meet my people and bless them Gods name is stamped upon the Ordinance of Preaching he hath Commissionated his Ministers to go Preach and Baptize he hath told them that he will be with them to the end of the world God must honour his own Institution and give a being to his own word 2. Yet secondly It is also reasonable that we should understand That God is not tyed up to any means and know that Conversion is Gods work not a Ministers Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase now this would not be understood if God never used any other means than the preaching of Ministers to convert souls God will therefore sometimes work immediately sometimes by different means Reading the word as in the case of the Eunuch the counsels reproofs and exhortations of others as in the case of Peter and Nathaniel Afflictions as in the case of Manasses Miracles as in the case of many of whom you read in the Gospel that they were converted to let us see that God although he useth means yet is not limited to them 3. Thirdly God may be conceived to use the means of private instructions and counsels for
the incouragement of all persons set in relation to others to a faithful performance of their duties and a watching over and for souls committed to their trusts It discourageth all sorts of labours when we see nothing of that fruit from it which we expected or intended But of this I have spoke before Further yet to shew you the reasonableness of the variety of Providence in the manner of converting and bringing home of souls unto himself I noted it to you in Two things 1. God sometimes makes his way by the head to the heart sometimes by the heart to the head This appears exceeding reasonable 1. That God may commend knowledg of spiritual things to us and as I said before encourage duty We are persons whose understandings are pittifully imperfect in the things of God and are very prone to take up false notions and measures and because the influx and operation of the Spirit of God is by all men of sound judgment in the things of God determined necessary to conversion we are apt to think that we have nothing to do with our children and servants but only to wait until God shall move the waters I mean change their hearts and all Instruction and Catechising is needless and that bringing up youth to a knowledg of the form of sound words is only to learn them to be Hypocrites c. God therefore to shew us the advantage of spiritual knowledg and to mind us of and encourage us to our spiritual duty is pleased sometimes to make his way to the head by the heart reflecting the notions of truth which have been instilled into us while we are young upon our consciences making that knowledg instrumental to our conversion and eternal Salvation and so letting the governours of others know that they have not laboured in vain with the souls committed to their charge 2. On the other side God sometimes making his way by the heart to the head making impressions upon the hearts of some poor blind ignorant Souls and setting them on work to inquire after Salvation lets us know that the conversion of a Sinner is a work of grace and divine power not a meer rational effect of notions imprinted upon the understanding nor of moral Suasion alas these poor creatures possibly are not fit objects for such a thing but the finger of God is in it who hath the hearts of all men in his hand and turneth them as it pleaseth him thus by this variety of his Providence he doth both honour his own ordinance and shew the profit and usefulness of means and also the mighty power that is put forth in the changing of the heart by effectual grace both which it is necessary the World should be convinced of And this is enough for a reasonable account of the second variety The last variety which I observed was Gods keeping some Souls a longer time under the Spirit of bondage than others Some he is pleased to draw to himself more sweetly rather by arguments of love than terrors and arguments of wrath others he is pleased more to fill with terrors yea and to keep their Souls a long time under them and this we find by experience is oftimes matter of some trouble to others whom God hath dealt more gently with they begin to doubt and suspect whether God hath wrought any real change in them because they have not been in the belly of Hell as others have been now there may be a reasonable account also given of this difference though we must not pretend to find out the bottome of the Divine counsels in this dispensation of his Providence I shall say little of the difference of Natural complexions and constitutions which is not inconsiderable in this case He is little read in men and women in the World who doth not observe that as in the earth of which man is made there is a great difference of Soil that one Soil doth more easily suck up a showre of Rain and digest it than others So in man there are some complexions that are far more tenacious of grief and impressive by fear than others are such are chiefly Melancholick and some Flegmatick complextons Now it is true God in his work of conversion could cure this but he ordinarily doth not work miraculously and where God begins a work upon the Souls of any who have bodies which they inform of these sad and dark constitutions it is not at all to be wondered they being Naturally more prone to fears and jealousies to doubts and suspicions and more tenacious of grief and sorrow if by the working the Natural working of these passions to which their Natural complexion and constitution more fully subjecteth them if they be longer under the Spirit of bondage than others You will see at the same case with them in other things exciting those passions and unless you would suppose that God in the conversion of such should work miraculously and alter their natural complexion and constitution it is not reasonable to suppose that it should be otherwise it is but according to the natural workings of their Spirits who can get off no occasions of sorrow and trouble so soon as others can who are of more airy chearly constitutions 2. But a Second reason of this variety may reasonably be conceived to arise from a difference of guilt It is true every sin deserved the Eternal and utmost wrath of God Every sin is against an infinite God and hath a kind of infinity and unmeasurableness of guilt in it but it is as true that every sin doth not lay a like load and burthen upon the conscience nor is every sin equally hainous in the sight of God but is very much varied by the circumstances of it both by the circumstances of the fact and of the persons that commit it Some sins do more Vastare onerare conscientiam and consequently a Christian finds it an harder matter to persuade himself that God will forgive him than others and hence it is not at all to be wondered that when God cometh to call home such a Soul a Manasses a Saul a Mary Magdalen c. He makes them to feel more of his power and terrors and keeps them at a longer distance from any apprehensions of his love they have more highly provoked him and possibly been a more eminent scandal and it is but a righteous thing with God to make them feel the smart of it 3. A third thing which may make this variety of God Providential dealings appear unto us not unreasonable may be The design which God hath upon such a converted Soul and that either with respect unto others or with respect to the carrying on of his work in his own Soul 1. With respect unto others when God hath a design to make some Soul eminently useful to the Souls of others The Apostle tells us Heb. 2.18 That Christ was himself tempted that he might be able to succour those that are tempted
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
is a divine stamp too though of a different nature what means are proper must be used how mean soever they appear in our eyes What proportion was there betwixt Jonathan and his Armour-bearer and the whole Garrison of the Philistines between Jeroboams Army and Abijahs This but four hundred the other eight hundred thousand between the Army of Asia and that of the Ethiopians and Lubims 2 Chron. 14. God often works yea he ordinarily worketh by small means and Providence brings forth its great work in the day of mans small things If we be sure that we are in Gods way and about his work let the means be what they will if lawful and rational it is our duty to use them God must be honoured in his own Institutions and sought in his own way though the means be small and our humane hopes small yet if we expect Gods blessing this mercy must be sought in the use of those means which the Providence of God layeth before us 2. But secondly The duty of a Christian will lye much in the exercise of his Faith in God beyond the probability of the means This is the great duty of a Christian and the very end which God aimeth at in cutting us short of means many times I think we may say Vbi media deficiunt ibi fides incipit where means begin to fail there faith begins to work Where we are out of sight as to means there 's a room for faith For it is saith the Apostle the evidence of things not seen By faith here I mean a trusting and relying upon God as a God able and faithful But to open this a little more clearly to you I will shew you 1. In what cases we may warrantably exercise a faith in God beyond the vertue and probability of means 2. What means we may use for the help of our faith in this case 3. What encouragements we may take to our selves in such a case to set our faith on work 1 Quest In what cases may a Christian exercise faith in God for the accomplishment beyond the vertue efficacy and probability of humane means to be used in order to it 1. To this I answer The object of faith must be a Promise It is ridiculous to talk of an exercise of faith in God for an accomplishment for which we have no word to warrant us in the expectation of it But now a Promise may be either particular or General of old many had particular persons and the Nation of the Jews had particular promises made to them by God immediately or mediately by his Prophets we have no such God hath left us unto his written Word There are many general promises which shall be made good still to particular Churches and persons Hence is our difficulty to conclude what it is we may exercise a faith in God for bringing to pass To direct you a little 1. Where you have a particular promise the case is plain Some such there are as for the destruction of Antichrist c. 2. In the want of a special particular Promise a general promise is a sufficient object for our faith General promises made to the Church and people of God are applicable to particular Churches and particular Saints 3. Every Precept doth imply a Promise God hath certainly promised a blessing upon the doing of that which he hath commanded us to do no man serveth God for nothing 4 Whatsoever issue certainly conduceth to the glory of God is under a Promise God hath resolved to glorifie himself and he ordereth all his actions in order to that end The substance of all this amounts to thus much We may exercise a faith in God and trust in him for accomplishing by his Providence whatsoever in his Word he hath either more particularly or generally promised or whatsoever he hath commanded us to act in tendency unto or whatsoever doth certainly tend to the glorifying of his great and holy Name Now if any thing of this nature be upon the wheel although we see the present visible means in order to the accomplishment of it be small and in all appearance disproportioned to the greatness of the event yet a Christian using what lawful means the Providence of God lays before him may warrantably trust in God for the exerting a further power for the accomplishment of it than is in the means which at present are apportioned to it But this is now an hard thing to us Let me therefore secondly direct you what you should do in a day of small things for the advantaging of your faith in this noble Exercise I shall offer but two things in the Case 1. Keep your Eye as much off the means and as much upon God as you can We have so much of sense and reason in us that we are very prone from one or other of them to take all our measures about future events If we would keep our hearts steady in a time of such exigencies as these we must shut the Eyes both of our sense and reason Faith credits a Proposition neither upon the demonstrations of the one of these nor the conclusions of the other but the meer authority of God Men count it wisdom when they are upon precipices never to look downward but upward if they look downward their weak heads are apt to be giddy Christians in such stresses of Providence as these are have nothing else to do if they look downward their sense their reason saith how can these things be If God would make windows in heaven saith that Nobleman these things could not be Our poring upon means in the day of our small things hindereth the exercise of our faith in God If the foundations be destroyed saith the Psalmist Psal 11.3 what can the righteous do Means are the foundations of our natural hopes now if these be destroyed if there be little or nothing of these what can we do Wicked men are indeed at their wits-ends they despond and despair but saith the Psalmist v. 4 The Lord is in his holy temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes see his eye-lids try the children of men God is still where he was and hath the same power the same knowledg of things the same rule and dominion Twice in Scripture Abraham is propounded to us as a noble Example and a father of the faithful in this thing Rom. 4. God had promised him a Son a Son of his Wife Sarah he grew to be an hundred years old his Wife many years past child bearing here was no means yet Abraham believeth for a Child and he was not weak in the faith saith the Apostle Rom. 4.18 19 20. How doth he behave himself The Apostle telleth you That he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old nor yet the deadness of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the Promise but was strong in faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised
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
Jeroboam that he only of the house of Jeroboam went to his grave in peace because there was some good thing found in him Sometimes and most ordinarily God worketh upon peoples hearts in their riper state of which are the most plentiful instances in Scripture You read of the thief upon the Cross converted in the last day of his life and what we find in Scripture we find God still doing in the dispensations of his Providence The age in which we have lived hath afforded many instances of children whose hearts we may charitably judg from the accounts we have had of them God had in their very childhood Regenerated and Sanctified them Blessed be God we are not without some instances of persons and those not a few whom God hath wrought upon in their more adult estate and some also in their old age though Examples of that still are and ever were very rare This is the first variety obvious to every Eye 2. A second variety observable is in the means which God is pleased to make use of For these God never tied himself to the same means The preaching of the Gospel was always made use of by God as the most ordinary means It was at the preaching of Peter that Three Thousand Souls were in one day converted and the Apostle telleth us that it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believed 1 Cor. 1.21 And the Apostle tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God But yet God hath made use though more rarely of other means the means which God first used to the Eunuch seems to be his reading in the Prophet Isaiah Sometimes God made use of Providences you read of many converted and induced to believe in Christ upon the account of his Miracles and still God is pleased to use the same variety of means Generally indeed God maketh use of the preaching of the Gospel sometimes he sanctifieth the reading of the word sometimes he maketh use of Providences I think I have sometimes read concerning Waldus the Father of those ancient Protestants called the Waldenses that the seeing of one of his companions suddenly drop down dead was the first means of his conversion we read of a great dread that fell upon People upon the sudden death of Ananias and Saphirah My self have known one that would acknowledg that his hearing of Bells Ring for persons dead was a great means to beget serious thoughts in him First of turning unto God It pleased God to make use of Manasses his Chains to turn his heart and the imprisonment of Paul Acts 16. to convert the Goaler and his whole Family Sometimes God useth the instructions of Parents sometimes one means sometimes another as it pleaseth him 3. A third observable variety respecteth The manner of Gods working upon Souls It is true in some especially two respects God dealeth a-like withal 1. He forceth no Soul he indeed maketh it willing and giveth to will but the Soul in its conversion to God moveth willingly and freely 2. Secondly He putteth forth an Almighty power as to every Soul that is converted The Soul is made willing but it is in the day of the Lords power Psal 110.3 But yet the effects of this power are not always the same all are not drawn in the like manner some are drawn by a Silken Thred others by Iron-Fetters some God works upon in a more rough way some in a more soft and gentle way Some are a little or not at all under the Spirit of bondage others are Months and Years under it they are filled with the Lords terrors and cry unto him out of the belly of Hell before he heareth them some are drawn with the Cords of love only others with the Chains of fears Some are as it were insensibly drawn and the Spirit of God as it were slippeth into their Souls without any noise they become Temples of the Holy Ghost and there is neither the noise of Ax nor Hammer heard about the Spiritual building others are terrified like the Jaylor Acts 16. cast down to the Earth like Paul both in order to conversion and their reception of converting Grace 2. Secondly You shall observe That God sometimes makes his way to the heart by the head sometimes he begins at the heart and by that maketh his way to the head my meaning is sometimes God begins his work upon knowing persons who have been Catechised out of the Law and from Children have had a knowledg of the Holy Scriptures sanctifying their first Principles to them and reflecting upon their Hearts and Consciences the notions of truth which they have been bred up in the Holy Spirit bringing to their remembrance what of God they have formerly heard from Ministers Parents or Goverours As to others God maketh his way from the heart to the head They have great degrees of ignorance as to the truths of God but God blesseth his word so far as that they can apprehend they are in a lost condition and must look for another righteousness besides their own and take up a new course of life they hear of a Saviour come into the World of a fulness in him and a readiness to save unto the utmost those who by faith come unto him this makes them to inquire return and come to seek for Spiritual knowledg as for Silver and to dig for it as for hidden treasure and by following on to know the Lord they came to know him But this is enough to have hinted you as to the varieties to be observed in Gods methods of working in the conversion of Souls Let me in the next place shew the reasonableness of the Divine workings in this great work 1. And first as to the variety observed in point of time 1. Some are converted young Possibly God may do it that he may Crown the indeavours of Parents Governours and thereby engage others to take care of the Souls of their Correlations committed to their charge Some Parents are very solicitous for the Spiritual good of their children whetting upon them their lost condition by Nature often minding them of Eternity and calling upon them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth now where any will do this God takes notice of it and will often Crown those Domestick labours with a desired success for the encouragement of others God gives in to their prayers the Souls of their Children oft-times while yet they are Children It is said of Monica the Mother of Augustine that she was a woman of many tears and prayers for her Son and Ambrose was wont to comfort her telling her that it was impossible that a Child of so many tears should perish It is not impossible indeed that some should perish who have been Children of many tears and prayers for whom godly Mothers have travailed in pain again till Christ should be formed in them there is no merit in our prayers and tears neither hath