nothing till he had advised with the Prophet Nathan Nathan bids him to go and to do all that was in his heart for saith he the Lord is with thee The good man was but a man and was mistaken God did not allow of the action 1. Because he had not directed as yet any such thing ver 7. In all the places wherein I have walked saith he with the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel or Judges of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people Israel saying Why build you not me an house of Cedar he repeateth the same reason again 1 Chron. 17.6 Indeed there is another reason given 1 Chron. 22.8 Thou hast shed blood abundantly and hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house to my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight So 1 Chron. 28.3 For those two reasons God disapproved the action and reserved it for Solomon his son then it became an institution Solomon might lawfully undertake it and did do it But yet you shall find that God eminently rewarded this good intention and purpose of Davids heart as you shall read at large 2 Sam. 7.10 11 12 13 14 15 16. and to that degree that David ver 18. thought himself obliged to offer up unto God a particular sacrifice of thanksgiving and to offer up those praises to God which you shall read at large in that Chapter from the 18th verse to the end of the Chapter It is plain that God only rewarded his general purpose and good intention for the act or issue of that intention and purpose the Lord accepted not but accepted his good will for the deed which he rejected For an instance on the other side take Jehu Jehu did a good act that is the thing which God commanded him he indeed did it possibly in an ill manner with ill circumstances which caused God to threaten that he would avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu 2 King 9.7 When the Prophet anointed him that was his Commission Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master that I may avenge the blood of my servants the Prophets and the blood of all the righteous servants of the Lord at the hand of Jezebel when it was done God rewarded him for it 2 King 10.30 Because saith God thou hast done well in my eyes in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel But yet Jehu's design and intention in all this was naught he intended no more than to make himself King he pretended indeed a zeal for the Lord but intended nothing but the advancement of himself and his family for the Scripture saith ver 31. of that 10th Chapter That Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin God here rewarded the action done at his command and in the execution of his will but abhorred the intentions and designs that were in Jehu's heart upon the undertaking and performance of it Take another instance it is that which I have formerly insisted upon in the 10th of Isaiah v. 5 6 7 8 9. It is plain that God approved of the Assyrian's actions against Israel he calls them the rod of his anger ver 5. he saith ver 6. That he would send him against an hypocritical nation and against the people of his wrath he would give him a charge to take the spoil and take the prey and to tread them down like mire in the streets Howbeit saith God he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few The Assyrian had nothing but sinful intentions he aimed at nothing but spoil and plunder and accordingly executed Gods Will upon which ver 12. God threatneth That when he had performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Hierusalem he would punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of all his looks and ver 16. That he would send amongst his strong ones leanness and under his glory kindle a burning the burning of a fire More instances might be given of either sort but these are enough Let me proceed in shewing you the reasonableness of Divine Providence in these motions 1. On the part of wicked men it is but reasonable Because in such actions they do God service and it is not reasonable they should serve God for nothing You have a remarkable text for this Ezek. 29.18 19. Son of man saith God to Ezekiel Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his army for Tyrus for the service that he served against it Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon and he shall take her multitude and take her spoil and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his army I have given him the land of Egypt for the labour wherewith he served against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord. The King of Babilon never intentionally wrought for God undoubtedly what the Lord said of Assyria was applicable to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babilon spoil and plunder and dominion was all which he aimed at he never intended to work for God but yet the work was what was Gods Will should be done and what God had incited him to do he wrought for me saith God he did service and a great service he hath had no wages for it none shall work for me and be unpaid I will give him the land of Egypt for his pay So Jehu he wrought for God and did a great service against the house of Ahab I will pay him saith God Jehu shall never say he wrought for nothing his sons shall sit upon the Throne to the fourth generation Nay upon this account oft-times God rewardeth wicked men for some actions and afterwards punisheth them for the manner of their doing of those actions it is possible men may do what God commandeth them and yet not obey God God may reward men for their action as it is a service to him and yet punish them for their ill-doing of the action 2. On the part of good men where God rewardeth the good design intention and purpose whiles yet he disalloweth the action the motion of Providence seemeth yet more reasonable if we but consider that it is the heart which God principally requires looketh at and accepteth And where the heart is right the mistake in the action can be but a lapse of humane frailty and weakness Now where the sincere purpose and design
that are to be my hearers Let me therefore go on Doth therefore any of you say unto me Seer What seest thou I answer yet once more I observe in the motions of Actual Providence Observ 21. That God commandeth his sensible blessings most upon those individual persons and those societies of the children of men that live in the most exact conformity to the Divine Rule Here are two terms in this Observation upon the Explication of which I will a little insist Quest 1. What is meant by sensible blessings Quest 2. What I mean by the most exact conformity to the Divine Rule Good things are distributed several ways in order to our comprehension of them by our understandings amongst others this is one distribution of them they are either sensible or insensible By sensible good things I understand such as are obvious to our senses and perceptible by them By insensible such as have a reality of good in them but yet not such as our senses discern Thus David saith It is good for me that I have been afflicted but yet afflictions are not sensible good things all such are the objects of our joy and delight Now saith the Apostle no affliction at the present is joyous but grievous but it bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised therewith But I say God commandeth sensible blessings mostly upon persons and societies living in the best square and most exact conformity unto the Divine Rule 2. Further yet Sensible blessings are capable of a double notion they are either such as are obvious only to the inward senses of those that are made partakers of them such are peace of conscience joy in the holy God that serenity and tranquillity of mind which is the effect of righteousness the new-name which none knoweth but he that hath it but there are other good things which are the objects of our more exteriour senses such are health prosperity success in trade c. blessings in relations c. Now my Obsersation is That the Actual Providence of God doth usually distribute good things of this nature to such persons and such societies of persons as live to the truest square and exactest conformity to the Divine Rule That is a general and must be opened also The Divine Rule as to families and persons is of a great compass but the whole of it is reducible to three heads viz. Piety Justice and Charity under each of these are several particulars but none which fall not under one of these generals 1. Piety consists in the internal and external acts of homage which we owe unto God Our internal acts are Fear Faith Love Our external acts are principally Prayer and Praise reading the word c. 2. Justice is an habit disposing us to give every one their due 3. By Charity I mean here mutual brotherly love Now look where these things best prosper there God commandeth most sensible blessings in the ordinary motions of his Provilence Particular instances may be exceptions from a general rule but ordinarily it is so What the Psalmist saith of one of these is true of all There God commandeth the blessing Psal 133.3 There where it may be interpreted with reference to the words which immediately precedes the mountain of Zion but I take it to be far more proper to refer it to the first verse which contains the argument of the whole Psalm O saith the Psalmist how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity This he illustrateth by two similitudes the one is the oyl which was poured upon the head of Aaron and ran down to the skirts of his garment Vers 2. The other is the dew of Hermon that descended on the mountain of Zion for saith the Psalmist there the Lord commandeth the blessing even life for evermore There where where brethren together dwell in unity it is as true there where Religion is exercised where all relations give their due one to another there God commandeth the blessing Now for the proof of this I shall but appeal to your experience and what you see every day 1. Look into the world there you shall see nations of various complexions some in which the true God is worshipped in a true manner others wherein Devils are worshipped or stocks or stones or if the true God be indeed worshipped yet it is not as he hath directed but by images and superstitious rites and observances some nations that are nothing else but rapine and violence and oppression full of strife and hatred and malice and wars and dissensions You on the other side will see other Nations amongst whom the true God is worshipped and that in a true manner where are good laws against oppression and injustice and for distributive and commutative Justice where men are not hunted and persecuted for their consciences towards God Mark if God doth not command the blessing of riches trade c. more upon the latter than the former It is true some of those Countreys where these iniquities are found are naturally richer than others in minerals and the Native Commodities of the Countrey but for adventitious riches which come from Trade and Commerce and for other sensible blessings observe if they be not poured out in a greater plenty upon Nations that in matters of Religion civil Justice and Unity have been regulated by laws conformable to the Word of God than upon other Nations where none of these things have been regarded 2. If you will straiten your prospect look upon any Cities or Towns or any kind of political societies you will see some of these places such as Egypt was of which Abraham said The fear of God was not in that place where all their Religion is to persecute those that have any thing of Religion in them No rules of justice and brotherly love are observed but they are full of violence and oppression and fraud there is nothing in them but the inhabitants biting and devouring one another the cry of the oppressed is in their street Other places you will find where Religion is cherished and countenanced where the word of God is livelily and powerfully preached and men live in some seeming awe of it where rules of civil Justice are observed and men can have Justice in Courts of Judicature and the people live in peace and amity one with another observe again which of these God most commandeth his blessing upon I might appeal to your like observation concerning families and particular persons But it is no more than every one may observe Consider what an Hell upon Earth some Cities some Families are in comparison of others and see what makes the difference both in the beauty and in the prosperity of them And it needs must be so if you please to consider 1. The natural tendency of these things to so happy products 2. That God in pursuance of his many promises doth there command the blessing First In
fruit of the womb as a blessing and blesseth him that hath his quiver full of these shafts but now the poor man knoweth not how to understand this and it is hard for him not to repine at the multiplying of it a great error doubtless but such as for ought I know good people may fall into we cannot trust God to provide for those which he giveth us if this hath been thy error God but pays thee in thy own kind by shortning thy number and maketh thy own secret sinful wish now to be thy Plague and Torment but this ordinarily is the sin of the poorer and meaner sort of Christians 2. Didst thou not let thy heart run out too much upon thy Children God is jealous and it is the nature of jealousy not to suffer a rival in the object beloved be it a person or a thing God is the object and he will be the prime object of his peoples love desire and delight It is his Law Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy strength it may be thy Child had more of thy heart more of thy love and and delight than God had no wonder if he hath taken it from thee this is now usually the sin of those whose circumstances in the world are better they have a fair estate in the world and Children few enough to leave it to and in such cases it is a very hard thing to keep our hearts within due bounds but our affections are ready to overflow especially if there be nothing in the temper or behaviour of the Child that takes off the edge of our affections to it 3. Doth not thy heart smite thee for the neglect of thy duty to thy Child especially if it were of any years Thy duty in instructing it or thy duty in reproving and admonishing it Elie's Sons were indeed men grown but God cut off his Children though their personal guilt justified God in his severity against them yet Eli smarted in their punishments for honouring his Sons more than God for dealing too gently with them for their most enormous wickednesses Thou mayest also neglect thy duty towards them in instructing them in making them acquainted with the holy Scriptures in admonishing them to keep the Lords Sabbaths and seeing to their external Sanctification of them This is undoubtedly a second piece of thy duty upon such a dispensation and to be humbled before God for those sins which thy conscience smiteth thee for and suggesteth to thee as probable causes of this rod of God upon thee 3. It is doubtless thy duty whatsoever thou findest to be satisfied with Gods good pleasure Rachel mourned sinfully while she so mourned as that she refused to be comforted If thou findest that probably God hath punished thy sin in the sickness pain and death of thy Child it is indeed matter of humiliation to thee it offers thee a just opportunity to resolve for the time to come to amend thy errors as to any survivors which God shall lend thee but yesterday cannot be called back again God hath done what pleased him It may be in mercy to thy Child though it be in judgment unto thee thou hast no reason to quarrel or murmure at God for any of his dispensations If it be for thy Child 's Original sin still thou hast no reason to blame God he is just and righteous in what he hath done But if God hath done it to give thy Child a quicker passage to Heaven to bring it sooner to a state of perfection to deliver it from an evil to come here thou hast reason to admire and adore the Divine goodness rather than to quarrel at Divine Justice There are a great many things that may conduce to the relief of a godly man or woman disturbed at this dispensation of Divine Providence It is a very ordinary dispensation of God though therefore it may look like a digression from the principal argument of my discourse yet it may possibly be not so judged by some of you whose case it either at present is or may be to instance in some heads of arguments which occasionally you may make use of for the quieting of your Spirits 1. Consider what-ever was the moving cause on Gods part yet the will of God is revealed The will of God is such a thing to satisfy a Christian with as nothing can be more nothing greater We have our Heaven by the will of God fear not little flock it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom We have all our grace all our glory from the will of God and shall we not thankfully accept a cross when it is the will of our Father to lay it upon our necks We pray thy will be done and shall we murmure against it when we see it done This silenced Aaron David Heli Hezekiah it leaves no room for a good Christians reply to it it is our Fathers will that is enough It is our Fathers will revealed by an Act of his Providence The Lord hath given saith Job and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. Consider how many sadder cases than thine there have been Thou hast lost a Child an infant Job lost all his Children when they were grown up feasting at their elder Brothers house Aarons was a sad cause he lost his two Sons grown up in an act of sinning yet he held his peace Helies case was sad to lose two such wicked Sons in a Battel Davids case was sad God had expresly told him the Child should dye because of his sin and that by it he had made the enemies of God to blaspheme What doth David do He fasteth he prayeth he humbleth himself before God so long as the Child lived and while he had any hope but when the will of God was revealed when the Child was dead he ariseth and eateth bread as he was wont to do he saith that he should go to it it should not return to him 3. Consider Let the case be as sad as it will yet if thou lookest round about it there is mercy in it either mercy to thy Child or mercy to thee or mercy to both if thy Child be gone to Heaven there is mercy in that if it be delivered from evil to come upon the World or that part of the world where it should have had its portion there is mercy in that David's case was as sad as one can well think of any of this nature yet there was this mercy in it the living monument and remembrance of David's sin and shame was taken away 4. Suppose that God hath for thy sin taken it away and thou canst not satisfie thy self but it is so yet consider God eternally punisheth none for the sins of their correlates God may punish persons with bodily and temporal punishments for the sins of their Parents but not eternally as to those punishments every soul shall bear no
The infinite variety with the different qualities of created Beings yet all conspiring together for the good and order of the whole the order we see amongst them their subserviencies and subordinations each to other they all speak that there is a God that by his Providence ruleth the world Whoso lifteth up his eyes to the Heavens and considereth the constant unwearied motions of those great celestial bodies with the evenness of them so as they are reducible to a science of all other most certain liable to little more exceptions than an extraordinary command to the Sun to stand still in Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon or to go backward some few degrees as in Hezekiah's time or considereth the vast bodies of water sometime in the Heavens coming upon us not as water from a pail but through a water-pot must needs conclude a Superiour hand directing and guiding the motions and holding the thin Cloud that it is not rent while the rain makes its orderly passage by drops through the thin and subtil parts of it Whoso standeth by the Sea-side and observeth that vast body of water driven by fierce winds sometimes and constantly by its natural motion invading the Earth as if it would presently swallow it up and observeth it after the ceasing of the wind or a six hours progressive motion gradually retreating and leaving it out of fear yea and further leaving a water-mark for the following flow unless at some certain times before and after the full of the Moon must needs acknowledg a Supreme Being setting bounds unto it which it hath no reason to prescribe to it self nor is it subject to the Command of the greatest Potentate on Earth Finally he that standeth upon the Earth and considers its annual productions the variety of Creatures of all orders in it their Sympathies and Antipathies their Successions the varieties of their Beings Motions and Qualities and yet their mutual subserviencies to one another and subjection to each other must be no less than a most absurd and bruitish Atheist if he will not acknowledg that no less than the daily and mighty influence of an Almighty God could compound their living together upon the same soil in any harmonious agreement each with other That every thing should know its seasons and keep its bounds and be in subjection to man weaker than many of them and not transgress its order or end but when armed by God as a part of his Host to revenge his quarrels upon sinners must be from a knowledg which God gives them and a Law he daily puts upon them but as the Psalmist saith Psal 107.23 They that go down to the Sea in Ships that do business in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy winds which lift up the waves thereof they mount up to the heavens they go down to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble the breaking of a wave would swallow them up Who is he that maintaineth the continuity of the parts of the water that the waves break not nor the water divideth under the mighty weight that is upon it who but the mighty God could do it In short he seemeth to have taken a very cursory slight and overly view of the Works of Creation that doth not see a plain necessity of a Divine Providence to uphold the various Beings within the compass of it and their various Qualities to compound the disagreements of their natures into an harmony proportioned to the preservation of the Universe Whoso is wise and hath observed these things he must understand both the Power and Wisdom of God in all these things and consequently the loving-kindness of the Lord. I shall shut up this with that Pious foot of the Psalmists Song of Providence Psal 107. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness for his wonderful works to the children of men 2. If we consider the Nature of God we shall find that he who acknowledgeth a Divine Being and denieth a providential care of all created Beings hath but set up an idol in his heart and rather owneth a God with his tongue than in any truth and sincerity For what do we mean by that term God but an immense Being filling all places a first cause of all things Almighty in power of infinite activity wisdom and goodness We can hardly so much as fancy such a Being but by the same conception we must establish a Divine Providence 1. If we allow not God to be the first Cause we must grant a former cause of things and this were to deny God while we pretend to own him It is as much nonsense to assert one before the first as one higher than the highest But how is God the first cause if he hath no influence upon second causes nor they any dependance upon him If they say that second causes have a dependance on him and he an influence on them they establish what we contend for viz. a Divine Providence 2. If we allow God to be an immense and infinite being filling all places we must either allow him to fill all places as an oculate active being or as a sensless inanimate being A bulk of lead or stone filleth a place but takes no notice of any thing in it A man filleth a place which circumscribeth him but seeth and observeth all things It were an high blasphemy against God to affirm that he filleth all places only as a Log or a bulk of Lead filleth a particular place if he filleth all places as an animate being that hath eyes and ears he must needs see and hear and observe all things in all places which his Being filleth Whoso granteth this doth in a great measure own and acknowledg a Divine Providence 3. But this Doctrine is fully confirmed to us if we will but recognize God a being of infinite mercy and goodness God is not like the Ostrich of which Job saith 39.14 She leaves her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or the wild beast may break them she is hardned against her young ones It is our great vanity that labouring under a difficulty to conceive of any being above our own pitiful perfection and capacity we fancy to our selves strange Idea's of God We can hardly apprehend an immense being that should fill all places if we could we should easily conclude a Divine Omniscience If we can fancy any thing of that yet we are ready to conceive of him according to the lazy imperfections of our natures and think of God as of some great and mighty Prince that hath either through inactivity or for greater state mewed up himself in his Court and gives up himself instead of his business of Government to divertisements of pleasure leaving the care of Government upon his Counsellors or some principal Ministers of State Hence the mistake of
his Book of the Trueness of Christian Religion Chap. 13. where he sheweth Providence a bundantly owned by Plato Plotinus Hierocles Aristotle Cicero Seneca and others I shall therefore only add one passage of Seneca not I think particularly by him mentioned it is in his Book of Natural Questions Chap. 45. where he calleth God The keeper and governour of the whole world Custodem rectoremque universi animum spiritum mundani hujus operis Dominum artificem cui nomen omne convenit Vis illum fatum vocare non errabis Hic est ex quo suspensa sunt omnia causa causarum Vis illum Providentiam dicere rectè dices Est enim cujus consilio huic mundo providetur ut inconcussus eat actus suos explicet Seneca Nat. Qu. l. 2. cap. 45. a Mind a Spirit the Lord and Artificer or Creator of all the world he to whom every name agreeth Will you call him Fate you will not be out For he it is on whom all things depend Will you call him Providence you will say right for by his Counsel the world is provided and taken care for that it remains steady and performeth its operations Salvian upon this Argument tells us that the Heathens acknowledged God to be in the world as the Master of a great Ship is in that abiding always in it and stirring up and down Whence he cryeth out Quid potuerunt de affectu diligentiâ Dei religiosius sentire Salvian l. 1. What could they more religiously judg and speak of God than to compare him to the Governour of a Ship who is never in the Ship idle but continually at work either in one kind or another The Pythagoreans compared God to the Soul in the body filling each part and actuating each part of the body The Platonists call him the moderator of all things The Heathen Poets speak as well and fully Virgil telleth us God is continually moving throughout all the Earth Tractusque maris coelumque profundum and the Waters and the Heavens In short none but some of the most sensual and brutish Epicureans ever so much as called this in question 5. But hitherto I have been arguing this point with you as men to convince you of it if you were Heathens and had no knowledg of the Holy Scripture When I consider you in that notion I must say to you as the Apostle speaks in another case We have a more sure word of prophecy As we by faith understand that the worlds were at first made by God so by faith also we plentifully understand that the created worlds are upheld preserved protected and governed by God I shall hereafter more distinctly prove this in my following discourse when I shall come to speak of the distinct and particular acts and objects of this Divine Providence I shall only here make use of a few instead of very many Scriptures which might be produced Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpholding all things by the word of his power He at first made all things by the word of his Power and he upholdeth all things by the word of his Power My Text saith He preserveth both man and beast Our Lord telleth us that he cloatheth the grass of the field and feedeth the Ravens Matth. 6. The Psalmist tells us that his kingdom ruleth over all And again Matth. 10.29 30. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing yet not one of them falls to the ground without the will of your heavenly father Acts 17.28 In him we live move and have our being Prov. 15.13 The eyes of the Lord are in all places beholding the evil and the good John 5.17 My father worketh hitherto and I work In short the places of Scripture confirming this Doctrine of Divine Providence are very many and will most of them fall under some part or other of my ensuing discourse referring to the particular objects and acts of Divine Providence And I therefore shall not in this place further enlarge upon them but come next to consider the extent or particular objects of Divine Providence I proceed therefore to a second Question Quest 2. What are the objects of Divine Providence or how far doth the Divine care extend Though the Epicureans of old would acknowledg no Providence and many of the Stoicks asserting a Fate destroyed it yet the wiser Peripateticks would grant it though but a limited one extended to some particular Beings and things and too many amongst those who are called Christians seem to inherit something of their spirit I remember that when Pharaoh saw Egypt almost destroyed he calls for Moses and Aaron and bids them go and serve the Lord but adds Exod. 10.8 But who are they that shall go When Moses replyed We will go with our young and with our old with our sons and with our daughters with our flocks and with our herds will we go He replyeth vers 10. Let the Lord so deal with me as I let you go and your little ones Thus many deal with God When they consider the vast bodies of the Creatures the great varieties of their beings and qualities their motions c. they are forced to acknowledg a Divine Providence That the world could not stand nor the parts of it hold together unless a Superior hand ruled upheld and governed them They therefore will acknowledg a Providence as to the great bodies of the Heavens c. But say they How far will you extend it When they hear us assert it as to all things the sound of the little ones in nature troubles them yea and as to the wills of men they are wonderfully disturbed We must therefore enquire what the Scripture saith which certainly cannot err as to the bounds and extent of Gods Providential care The Scripture tells us Heb. 4.13 That all things are naked and open before him with whom we have to do That the eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Prov. 15.3 My Text saith He preserveth both man and beast The Apostle to the Hebrews saith He upholdeth all things by the word of his power But to speak more distinctly we extend the Divine Providence 1. To all Beings 2. To all motions and actions of Beings 3. To all omissions suspensions or cessations of action 4. To all events of things 1. First I say to all Beings Beings are usually distinguished into such as have no life or such as have life Or if you please we may make use of that plain division of Beings into 1. Such as have no more than a meer Being neither life nor sense nor reason Such are the Heavens the Earth the Waters Or 2. Such as have Being and life but no sense Such are herbs and plants Or 3. Such as have Being and life and sense Such are Beasts Birds Fishes Insects c. Or Lastly Such as have not only Being life sense but Reason also Such are Angels and Men. I shall shew you that
the people of God be good and for good and the products both of infinite wisdom and of infinite goodness It is our unhappiness that we judg of events to us in this world by sense and not according to faith This maketh us call many things evil indeed there is nothing can happen to a good man truly evil for the hand of his Father must be in it Providence must have the ordering of it and never did the hand of a good Father knowingly mix a potion of poison to his child and with his own hand give it him to drink We do not ask evil of God and he that heareth our prayers will not when we ask him bread give us a stone nor when we ask him a fish give us a Scorpion If we that are evil know how to give good things to those that ask them of us much more doth our heavenly Father know how to give good things to his children asking them of him In this we may be secure If the Providence of God influenceth all the events of the world he so regulates them that although they may prove sensible joyless and afflictive evils yet they shall never prove real evils to those that fear God but in the issue appear the products as of infinite wisdom so also of infinite goodness Thus far this Doctrine of Divine Providence is a great fountain of consolation to the people of God But lastly Let us enquire what duty we may conclude from hence and that is very much I shall instance in some few particulars 1. Is there a Divine Providence and doth this influence all beings motions actions events c Let us learn then the duty of faith to commit all our ways unto God to trust in him and depend upon him It is a duty we are often in Scripture called to and that with respect to our persons and with respect to our affairs and ways 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls unto him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Our Saviour presseth it in opposition to two things 1. In opposition to the fear of man Matt. 10.28 29 30 And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are numbred Fear you not therefore for you are of more value than many sparrows 2. Again He presseth it in opposition to too great sollicitude Matth. 6.25 Therefore I say unto you Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on This he presseth from Gods Providence for the Lillies the Birds c. vers 26 27 28 29 30 31. 2. With respect to our affairs and the events of things in the world so far as they concern us 1. Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord for he shall sustain you Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good Vers 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass Prov. 16.3 Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Man troubleth himself in vain both with care and fear the Child of God especially We cannot let God alone to rule and govern the world But surely if there be a God in the world an immense and infinite Being that filleth all places and infinitely active seeing and hearing all things and this God is not idle but influenceth all beings all motions and actions of beings all suspensions omissions and cessations of action in the creature all events and if he hath any Children people or servants in the world whom he loveth delighteth in careth for these people may trust him and commit themselves and their ways to him and it is their duty so to do Who may trust God who may commit their ways unto him if these should not Let me therefore say with the Psalmist Psal 115.9 10 11. O Israel trust thou in the Lord O house of Aaron trust in the Lord you that fear the Lord trust in the Lord. Be not over-solicitous be not sinfully afraid as to any events There is a God that ruleth in the earth that overseeth the world But this trusting in God must be 1. In doing good Trust in the Lord and do good Psal 37.3 Our souls must be committed to the Lord in well-doing 1 Pet. 4.19 There is no trusting in the Lord without walking in his way The unholy walking man hath no ground to trust God for any good he hath no promise to bottom his trust upon We must trust God in an holy walking 2. We must notwithstanding the Providence of God trust God in the use of proper means The reason for this is because the Precept commandeth the use of lawful means Trusting of God is indeed exclusive of the use of unlawful means but it always includeth the use of means that are proper and lawful To refuse proper and lawful means and talk of trusting God is to tempt him not to trust him 3. It includeth also the use of Religious means such as the waiting upon God in the use of his Ordinances The word Sacraments and Prayer For these things saith God I will be enquired of by the house of Israel Prayer is a general means instituted by God for the obtaining of any mercy But I say supposing these three things That a Child of God keepeth in the Lords way and hath used all proper means for an event which he hath desired and sought the Lord for by Prayer This Doctrine of Divine Providence sheweth him the highest reason imaginable for his committing both his person and his ways unto the Lord without any anxious sollicitude or distracting fears Because he is the Lord who careth for us therefore we should cast our care on him 2. A second thing which I shall press upon you as your duty and consequent to this Doctrine of Providence is a pious security in all conditions and with respect to all events There is a sinful security which all good men ought to avoid and to take heed of Security is the freedom of the mind from care as to this or that thing Now this is sinful two ways 1. When the ground of it is some carnal confidence a relying on some arm of flesh Cursed be he saith the Prophet that trusteth in man and makes flesh his arm Thus the Jews were often secure upon the view of their great allies and confederates Assyria and Egypt In like manner people may be secure upon the account of their relations and interests or the power and favour of men We are commanded to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils and the Psalmist tells us It is better to trust in the
made so big as falling down upon their Enemies-heads they killed more than his peoples swords At the sound of Rams-horns the walls of Jericho fall down It is for this people that the clouds rain down bread and the Rock gusheth out water There was no people that God so assayed to take from the midst of another Nation by temptations by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm and by great terrors Deut. 4.34 and although God hath not been so seen in miraculous operations for his Gospel-Church yet how often hath one chased ten ten an hundred an hundred a thousand and a thousand put ten thousand to flight There have been no such instances in the World of the Providence of God working for the salvation and deliverance of Heathens as of that body of his people which are his Church or of Gods workings in a miraculous manner for the preservation of others as of that his little flock 4. But 4thly It is a great specialty of Providence that unto this people are committed the Oracles of God they are the only people which have the ordinary means of salvation This is that Much advantage every way as the Apostle speaketh which the Jews had Rom. 4.2 beeause unto them were committed the Oracles of God It hath been a question Whether God giveth unto all sufficient means for salvation Some affirm it others with better reason deny it at length some of the Patrons for it are forced to yield That none but the Church hath sufficient means In Judah is God known in the Church Christ is preached the glad tidings of salvation are published the Heathens have only the light of Nature a light sufficient if not walked up to to make them inexcusable but by no means sufficient to direct men to Heaven it sheweth men nothing of Christ and there is no other Name under Heaven but the Name of Jesus by which we can be saved neither is there salvation in any other Christ is only ordinarily preached in the Church of God This is a great Priviledg a great Specialty of Providence towards the Church of God But yet There is a more special Providence attends the members of the invisible Church particular Saints and that is plain from the Promises of God in Scripture There are indeed many Promises which concern the whole visible Church but the most of the Promises are made unto Godliness the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 4.8 that hath great promises both of this life and a life to come and as the great variety of Promises evinceth a special providence in the preservation and government of them so also Gods Dispensations upon those Promises do abundantly evince it but let me open it in a few particulars 1. It is for them that God ordinarily goeth out of the common road of his Providence for their preservation Thus Daniel is preserved in the Lions Den The three Children in the fiery Furnace Moses in a little ark of Bul-rushes Noah when the whole World was swallowed up in a Deluge of waters they are those that dwell in the secret place of the most High that shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty these he delivereth from the snare of the Fowler and from the noisom Pestilence and to whom all the Promises are made Psalm 91. I do not say but others may sometimes meet with strange and miraculous preservations but the instances of them are rarer The Promises are not made to them they can expect no such thing and usually it is for the sake of such as fear God indeed these Providences are not the portion of all the children of God God will have us know that these are not the good things which he hath prepared for them that love him though the power and goodness of God shall be thus declared for some of them yet it shall not be so for all that we may not think them the Believers portion but things which God addeth unto them who are the heirs of salvation and seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof 2. These are those whom God gives special warnings to of evils to come and whom he prompts to hide themselves What saith God shall I hide from Abraham the thing I intend to do to Sodom Noah being warned of God prepared an Ark saith the Apostle you know what a warning Lot had of the destruction of Sodom They tell us of a Voice which the godly Jews heard a little before the fatal destruction of Jerusalem Ite Pellam Go away to Pella It is true those extraordinary warnings are much now ceased but the Providence vf God yet continues God told David that the men of Keilah would deliver him up God gives warning still by secret impressions upon the spirits of his people by causing them more steadily than others to believe the threatnings of his Word and to give credit to his Ministers speaking from him These secrets of the Lord are mostly with them that fear him while simple wicked men will believe nothing take no warning at any thing but pass on and are punished 3. For these it is that he commandeth inanimate creatures to move for their service The stones of the field shall be at peace with them the Sun the Moon shall serve them the stars shall fight against Sisera in their order The dust shall fly in the face of their Enemies The winds shall serve them tibi militat aether Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti saith the Poet of that eminent Christian Emperour But I have touched a little upon this under the first Head 4. For these fourthly it is that God commandeth the sensitive creatures that they shall not hurt them that they shall serve them the Lions shall not hurt Daniel it is to them the Promise is made Psalm 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and the Adder and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet It is a famous story of that Protestant in the Parisian massacre that was saved by a Spider that had woven a web before the entrance of a hole in which he hid himself from the murtherers that sought his life which made them conclude that he was not there 5. For these it is that he bridleth the rage of wicked and ungodly men The Providence of God if I may say so hath its hardest task with wicked men These alone have an enmity to Gods people there is and ever will be an implacable Enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent God holds them in as we hold in an unruly Horse with bit and bridle and oftentimes of Enemies they are made friends Gallio stands up and pleadeth for them Cyrus becomes Gods servant for the deliverance of the Jews Nebuchadnezzar shall be a friend to Daniel Darius to Nehemiah Paul shall meet with Friends in the Court of Nero. 6. For these it is that he over-ruleth the most malitious actions
upon you to honour God more than others God hath done infinitely more for you than for Heathens Now what a shame it is that an Heathen should out-doe you in any thing yet give me leave to tell you that while you only do some actions that are materially good not formally and truly many Heathens have done as much as you An Heathen may do and many of them have done and that with some good intention actions materially good that is such things as God commanded Many of them have been eminent instances of moral vertue Justice charity temperance liberality c. many of them have professed to love vertue for the sake of vertue Wherein can you excel them but by doing actions which are formally good designing Gods glory acting in obedience to Gods will regulating your selves as to the manner by Gods word you have the word the Gospel of God oh how reasonable it is that our conversation should be as becomes the Gospel of Christ The Heathen else that lives up to his light of nature out-does us and it will as our Saviour tells us be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Judgment than for us 3. But Lastly Let the Saints of God see what an obligation to all manner of duty and holiness lies upon their souls they are the most special objects of special Providence God takes more care for all men than for Oxen or for the grass of the field he exerciseth a more special Providence for that body of people which make up his visible Church than for all the earth besides but yet what is that special Providence which God exerciseth for meer formal professors or for any other men in the world in comparison of what they have experienced Any thing of more special distinguishing Grace is a great Specialty of Providence and that in the best and highest sort of good things viz. those which concern the salvation of the Soul Oh what doth God expect what doth God require from you what should you do more than others More particularly This Doctrine of special Providence calls to you 1. For more extraordinary degrees of Love 2. For more special acts of Faith 1. For more eminent degrees of Love Psal 31.23 O Love you the Lord all you his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer Reason argueth thus with us that the reciprocations of our love ought to bear proportion to love received If saith our Saviour you love them that love you what reward have you the law of nature commandeth us to love and by actions of kindness and duty to express our love to them who have expressed their kindness to us and the same reason requires the reciprocations of love to be proportionable God therefore declaring especial love to you you are bounden in a special duty to him Let our Saviours question be often in your thoughts What do you do more than others If you for whom God hath sent his Son to dye and into whose hearts he hath sent his Spirit the Spirit of Adoption Supplication Consolation and whom the Lord hath from the womb watched over and preserved by a more special peculiar Providence bearing you as upon Eagles Wings and gathering you as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings I say If you do no more for God than others do not under such influences nor such Providences you must certainly act beneath and short of your duty This dependeth upon what I told you before of the reasonableness of the reciprocations of love in some commensurate proportions 2. It calleth to them who fear God for special exercises of faith you have reason more to trust and depend upon God than others because God hath declared a more special care and Providence for you The ground of all faith is the word and promise of God Now special promises call for a more special and peculiar faith What though another man cannot trust God contrary to a sensible or reasonable appearance yet you have reason to do it because God hath declared more his care for you and the workings of his Providence for your preservation and deliverance than for others God hath promised to save defend and deliver you not after the workings of his ordinary Providence You may therefore say with David The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear He is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Psalm 27.1.3 Though an Host should encamp against me my heart should not fear though war should rise against me in this I will be confident But thus much shall serve to have discoursed concerning the Specialties of Divine Providence SERMONS XII XIII Rom XI 33. O the depth both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out I Have finished my Discourse concerning the principal Acts of Divine Providence both generally and specially I have discoursed concerning Gods general Acts in preserving and governing all his creatures and concerning God's more special preserving and governing of some creatures I am now come to discourse concerning the Methods of it concerning which we must cry out with this great Apostle O the depth both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out My Text is the conclusion of an exceeding deep discourse which the Apostle had made concerning the Rejection of the Jews which he proves to be neither Total nor final In the ten first verses he proveth that it is not Total V. 2 God did not cast off his people whom he did foreknow V. 5 There is a remnant according to Election As it was in Elias's time he thought and complain'd that he was left alone and they sought his life also but he was mistaken God at that time had seven thousand in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal V. 7 He saith The Election had obtained though some though the most of them were rejected yet the Elect amongst them were not rejected and this he proveth to have been but according to what was prophesied V. 11 He proveth that this Rejection should not be final There should be a fulness of them V. 12. Receiving of them V. 15. They should be again grafted in V. 23 24. It is but V. 25. till the fulness of the Gentiles should come and then all â—srael should be saved This Discourse is mixed with several arguments to prove the assertion and with several reflections upon the Gentiles whose present state was better than theirs shewing them their duty negatively and positively not to be high-minded but humble To fear c. Now look as a man wading in deep waters when he finds the water go over his head and trip up his heels he cries out O I shall be drowned and endeavours to get back again So doth the blessed Apostle he had been wading into the great deeps of Gods counsels and ways
they see nothing of God in these effects They say not this is the Lords doing and therefore it is not marvellous in their eyes They see Pestilences sweeping away Cities and Families fires laying populous Cities waste Enemies breaking in upon Countries and strangely over-running them the hand of God sweeping away whole Families but they see nothing of God in them they consider these as terrible things as misfortunes to which the state of Humane affairs is subjected their Eyes are upon the visible wheels that turn these things but they see not the wheel within the wheel the Psalmist calleth to us to come and behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath wrought in the earth Men see desolations wrought in the Earth but they see them not as the work of the Lord as desolations wrought by him This is what the Psalmist complained of and for which he prayeth against them Psalm 28.4 5 Give them according to the works of their hands c. Because they regard not the work of the Lord nor regard the operations of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up This is a sign of an Atheistical heart to see great changes and not to see God in them the Heathens had more of Religion than this came to I remember the Poet in his description of the ruine of Troy bringeth in Venus taking Aeneas of his mettal in the last defence of his Country and from taking Revenge on Helena the cause of it by shewing him the gods at every corner and post of the City helping the Grecians to fire it and to over-turn the walls of it It is very sad that amongst Christians there should be any that in the great changes which God worketh in Nations Cities Families cannot see the great and living God at work and using creatures but as instruments in his hand but this is but a seeing and beholding the works of Providence highly useful for the production of pious affections and such acts of duty as God requireth We have a further Duty than this incumbent upon us 2. It is not only our Duty to see and behold but wistly to consider and observe these things Psalm 107.43 Whoso is wise will observe these things and he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord a Text which in this discourse I shall make a further use of Observation implieth the application of our minds unto the passages of Divine Providence which are before our eyes as we must not be careless and forgetful hearers of the word of God so we must not be careless and forgetful observers of the works of God It is said Gen. 37.11 that Jacob observed the saying Josephs saying in the repetition of his Dream relating to eminent providential workings So it is said Luke 2.19 That when upon the birth of our Saviour the Angels had spoke to the Shepherds and the Shepherds had published the glad tidings which they had brought to the City That all who heard it wondred at those things which were spoken by the Shepherds Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart To see a thing is one thing to make our minds to stand upon it to consider it and to ponder upon it is another thing This is also our Duty as to meditate on the Lords words so to meditate on the Lords works twice the Psalmist hath it I will meditate on all thy works Psalm 143.5 I muse on the works of thy hands So Psalm 77. v. 12 I will meditate also on all thy works and talk of thy doings It is our great fault that we suffer the impression of Gods works to go off our hearts too soon We hear of great changes we see great desolations God works in Kingdoms Cities and Families at first they make a little impression upon us we startle at them but by the next day they are as a tale that is told the sound is out of our ears the impression is off our minds this is now not to observe the works of the Lord not as we ought to consider the operation of his hands 3. It is thirdly our Duty modestly and humbly to search out the causes of Providences towards our selves especially We are commanded to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Thus did Josephs brethren Gen. 42.21 when they were in prison they said one to another We are verily guilty concerning our Brother when we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought to us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us Job prays Job 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me this is but a searching and trying our ways an excellent help and necessary medium in order to a true repentance Indeed it is our great errour that we are very prone to search out the causes of severe Providences upon others The Barbarians seeing a Viper cleave to Pauls hand conclude him a Murtherer but we are very slow and backward to enquire into the meritorious causes of Gods severe Dispensations to our selves Yet as to others as it is our Duty to observe the Providences of God to them so we may modestly and humbly search out the causes of them Thus did Jeremiah venia praefata having first recognized God in the Justice and righteousness of his proceedings Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord in thy Judgments when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgments why doth the way of the wicked prosper c So the Prophet Habbakuk ch 1.13 Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he But as to this searching into the causes of Divine Providences I put in those two words modestly and humbly Indeed God is so plain and open in his Judgments sometimes that the provocation is wrote and that in capital Letters in the front of the punishment Thus it was in the case of the Sodomites the Egyptians the Benjamites Sauls bloody house Haman the final destruction of the Jews c and thus it is still very often The Drunkard dies in his drunkenness but it is not always so The Judgments of the Lord are a great deep This enquiry therefore into causes must be modest and humble we must no more caecutire in revelatis as to the works of God than as to the word of God if we see a blood-thirsty and deceitful man not living out half his days a Dart striking through the liver of the Adulterer these are open things And when we see prophane vile wretches devouring those that are more righteous than they when we see God plaguing men according to his own heart chastening them every moment not giving them time to swallow their spittle These are secrets of Divine Providence of which we must be careful that we pass no ungrounded censure yea and we must search humbly too Our judgment in these cafes will amount to no more than a
The Egyptians the Philistines the vilest Enemies cry out God fighteth against them or This is the Lords work Secondly As the Power so the Wisdom of God is seen in these methods and operations of Providence Indeed sometimes God so worketh that the Power of God appeareth uppermost and is most conspicuous in the destruction of the Enemies and in the salvation of the Lords people as in the case of Sennacherib's Army destroyed by an Angel of Pharaoh destroyed by the return of the waters c. But oft-times there 's a wonderful wisdom of God in ordering contingencies and seeming casual things to his own ends in these cases as in the case of Joseph and Haman the reflexion of the Sun upon the waters which caused the Moabites mistake and confusion But the wisdom of God is further seen in this That a mercy seldom comes but though we could see nothing of Wisdom relating to it before it came yet when it is come to pass there 's no understanding Christian but is forced to say It could never have come in a more seasonable time the wisdom of which we could see nothing of in the prospect is evident upon the event It would have been a great question whether the Israelites would have been so willing to have come out of Egypt under the conduct of Joseph when they were pinch'd with no oppressions as they were under Moses and Aaron when they had been serving in the Brick-kilns and their lives so many years together had been made bitter to them through the hard bondage which they had so long endured Thirdly The Lord doth thus more eminently magnifie his justice and righteousness Justice lieth in the distribution of rewards and punishments the first we call Remunerative the second Vindicative Justice Both are much magnified by this method of Providence Persons in the greatest heighths of prosperity or depths of 〈◊〉 are ordinarily the most remarkable objects of the worlds eyes and more regarded than those that are in a more middle-state When God lifts up a Joseph out of the dungeon and a Daniel out of the Lions den and advanceth a Mordecai for whom a gallows was set up and the three Children are taken out of a fiery Furnace He proclaimeth to all the World and they are forced to confess it that verily there is a reward for the righteous and so on the other side when a Pharaoh a Sennecharib an Haman a Nebuchadnezzar are pull'd down in the midst of all their pride and jollity from their very pinacles of honour the Justice and Righteousness of God in punishing proud and imperious Sinners is proclaimed and made more evident to all the World Lastly 4. The Lords goodness is thus more magnified and taken notice of Common and ordinary Dispensations of gracious Providence are little remarked by us what mercy do we receive every night every day from God yet how little notice do we take of it how little is our heart affected with it but now when we are brought to the pits-brink to a very low estate and then are pluck'd from it when we are in a very low estate and then delivered Gods goodness is both more proclaimed to the World and more conspicuous unto us But this will in part fall in under the second head for I told you that God is glorified by this method of his Providence not only as his glorious Attributes divers of them are by it more exalted but also as the pious and religious Acts of his people are more by this method of Providence elicited I have often hinted to you that God hath a twofold glory from his Creatures and the works of his hands The first is a meer passive glory Thus the heavens declare the glory of God the Heavens shew forth the greatness glory and power of God The second is Active wherein the creature doth some actions from which a glory doth result unto God Now by this Method of Providence God is not only glorified in the first sense as this kind of working speaketh more of his Power Wisdom Justice Goodness c. but in the second also ◠Thus God sometimes forceth an acknowledgment of his Power even from the worst of men Julian himself shall confess that Christ is too hard for him throwing up his Dagger to Heaven and crying Vicisti Galilaee The Egyptians shall cry out Exod. 14.25 Let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for the Israelites against the Egyptians Nebuchadnezzar shall make a Decree Dan. 3.29 That every Nation People and Language which speak any thing against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghil because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort Dan. 6.25 Darius shall write to all people Nations and Languages that dwell upon the Earth and make a Decree That in every Dominion of his Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even to the end he delivereth and he rescueth and he worketh signs and wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the Lions The King of Babylon that set up the Golden-image and so rigorously commanded all should bow down to it or be thrown into the fiery Furnace heated seven times hotter than ordinary Dan. 3.26 shall bless the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the Kings word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve or worship any god but their own God What a wonderful glory here had God given him from a wicked Pagan Prince he confesseth his Command wicked he blesseth God that put into these three hearts 〈◊〉 to disobey it and make him change his word he acknowledgeth God the true God and that he delivereth them that trust in him All this accreweth from Gods delivering these three men when they were at the lowest when all gave them over for dead men But secondly How much more glory hath God from his own people upon any such deliverance Surprizals affect us most An unthought-of evil most startleth and dejecteth us An unthought-of good most elevates and affects us Good things lessen in our opinion and estimate by a long expectation They are greatest and most affect us when we are past hopes of them Sudden and unlook'd for good raiseth our hearts to great admiration great praise and thanksgiving Now he that offereth praise saith God glorifieth me The more God is admired the more his goodness is predicated and proclaimed the more men upon any occasion speak of his honour and power and greatness the more glory God hath from them Thirdly God is more honoured by this method of Providence not only as the suddenness of it doth more affect and elevate his peoples
a special Providence But it is not to be thought that God should do much for Hypocrites and Formalists What advantages they have from the Providence of God they have for the sake of those better servants of God with whom they are joyned in an external communion And certainly in the last place this obligeth all within the Church of God to a more special duty Doth God subordinate all his great actions and motions in the world to his gracious designs and counsels relating to that body of people of which we are a part Surely then it were but reasonable for us to subordinate all our little actions in the world to the honour and glory of God Gods glorifying of himself is his great design he aims at no other end and it ought also to be our highest design He hath chosen a certain people out of the world and marked them out for himself as the people in whom and by whom he will be more especially glorified This people is called his Church God subordinateth all his great actions in the world to his gracious designs upon and for these certainly in reason Whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we should according to the Apostles Precept do all to the glory of God His people are those whom he hath created whom he hath formed for himself all the world is nothing to God in comparison of them they are the dearly beloved of his Soul What love reverence obedience is but reasonable on our parts towards this great God What ingratitude must it argue on our part to prefer any thing in design or action to the Honour and Glory of this God We can never live enough unto nor do enough for that God who hath done and doth do so much for us This Observation might be many other ways improved but I shall add no more SERMON XXI Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Proceed yet in making some Observations upon the motions of Divine Providence A seventh Observation I shall make is this Observ 7. It ordinarily enforceth wicked men who mean nothing less yet to do the Lords work It is the great art of a Politician to serve himself of every humor A good Pen-man will write almost with any Pen and a good work-man will work with any tool and the great and wise God herein sheweth the greatness of his Wisdom that he also works with any tools and doth his business by any instruments The Stars shall fight in their courses against Sizera the Sun and the Moon against the Canaanites the Frogs the Lice and the Flyes against Pharaoh the Earth against Corah Dathan and Abiram Now in this there shines forth a great deal of Divine Power thus God sheweth himself to the world to be the Lord of hosts to have all the hosts of Heaven and Earth at his command So that as a great General who hath several Regiments under his Command at his pleasure he sometimes commandeth out one sometimes another as it pleaseth him upon a particular service so doth our great and mighty God and as that great Commander shewing his vast Army to his friend is reported to have said there is not one of these but if I bid him throw himself down a Precipice or into a River he will do it so there is not any company of inanimate or brute Creatures not one Company in the whole Army of the Lord of Hosts but like the Centurion's servants if he saith unto them Go they go if Do this they do it But though much of the Wisdom and Power of God be seen in this yet it is more eminently seen in the use he makes of wicked men to accomplish his designs which is a thing very usual in the motions of Divine Providence As that Politician doth most shew his Wisdom that maketh his Enemies serve him so God in this doth commend to us his infinite Wisdom to make use of the Sons of men that have a perfect hatred and enmity to God and all his holy designs that they shall serve him and accomplish his designs Now this Observation justifieth it self by a great variety of instances You have one in holy Writ very plain Isa 10.5 6 7. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them like mire of the streets Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so Assyria you see was the Rod of Gods anger Gods indignation was his staff Thou couldest do nothing against me saith Christ to Pilate if it were not given thee from above He went upon Gods errand when he went against Gods People the Jews they had proved an hypocritical people and God had determined to make the people that had been the dearly beloved of his soul the people of his wrath God gave him his charge to spoil to take the prey to tread down the people O but how should God perswade the Assyrian to serve him The Assyrians were Enemies to the true God the Text telleth you Howbeit he meaneth not so neither is it in his heart to think so He thought of nothing less than serving of Gods design that which he thought of was plunder and spoyl and prey for his Soldiers as the Apostle saith of himself 2 Cor. 12.16 Being crafty I took you by guile so we may say of God being wise infinitely wise he took the Assyrian by guile or rather by his infinite wisdom This is that which the Psalmist saith Psal 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee The wrath of man shall praise God How can that be James tells us That the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God Well but for all that it shall praise God God will make use of their wrath and malice to bring forth his great designs Who would ever have thought that Pharaoh the King of Egypt should have been a great instrument to have brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt Yet he was rather a greater instrument in it than Moses was Moses did no more than lead out of Egypt a willing people and sollicit Pharaoh to give his consent Pharaoh was Gods instrument to make them willing he meant nothing less he saw the people grew great and mighty Come on saith he let us deal wisely that is subtilly with them lest they multiply and it come to pass when there falleth out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get themselves out of our land here was all he aimed at in his oppressing them to bring them low and keep them still under his subjection Observe how God made use of this The Children of Israel were now seated and settled and multiplied in a fertile
peace You read 2 Sam. 4. that Baanah and Recab two servants of Ishboseth conspired against him and slew him ver 9. David causeth them both to be slain Baasha 1 King 16.27 conspireth against Nadab and slayeth him indeed the Scripture doth not express the particular kind of his death but he threatned him by Jehu the Prophet 1 King 16.3 4. and tells us ver 7. That the wrath of the Lord came against him for all the evil that he did in being like to the house of Jeroboam and because he killed him that is he killed Nadab the Son of Jeroboam And against Elah his Son Zimri killed him ver 20. Had Zimri peace that slew his master no he killed himself when he had reigned but seven days ver 28 after him Ahab a most wicked man dyed in war his Son Jehoram was slain by Jehu and Jehu executed both the Lord's counsel and command in what he did so the Lord spared him and three or four after him of his generation to fulfil his promise to Jehu After this 2 King 15 Shallum conspireth against Zechariah and slayeth him but reigns only one month and Menahem requiteth his bloodshed and slayeth him Joash was slain for the blood of the Sons of Jehojada 2 King 24.23 Amaziah his Son succeedeth him 2 Chron. 25.1 ver 3. He slayeth his servants that had slain the King his father And as this notion is justified everywhere in sacred story so civil story also maketh it good Solomon saith He that breaketh an hedg a serpent shall bite him Government is the hedg of a Nation and rulers are the stakes in that hedg that keep it together and it is very rare but the Providence of God ordereth it so that a serpent biteth him who breaketh this hedg which the Providence of God hath set up about a Nation or People Princes and Rulers are in a great measure priviledged persons and have great prerogatives from Divine Providence And this motion of Divine Providence seemeth very reasonable 1. If we consider the relation that they have unto God 2. Or their usefulness unto men I say first if we consider their relation unto God which I shall open to you in three things ◠They are the Ordinance of God 2 They are Gods Creatures 3. They are Gods Vicegerents 1. Rulers are Gods Ordinance This is the reason which the Apostle giveth Christians for subjection to governours Rom. 13.1 2. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God God is a God of order and not of confusion as well in States as in Churches and for the conservation of this order he hath been pleased to ordain Government a subordination and subjection of some unto others and a man cannot rise up against this but he must rise up in opposition to a Divine Ordinance In 1 Pet. 2.13 Rulers are called the Ordinance of man or as it is in the Greek an humane creature but that must not be understood of Government in it self that is the Ordinance of God I am aware that that is a Text that is much made use of to prove Christians duty of Obedience to humane Laws and Sanctions But this seemeth not to be the sense For 1. We cannot submit thus to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Men may command us things which are contrary to the Will and Command of God and in such cases our Allegiance is first due unto the great God 2. Again The distribution that followeth seemeth not to favour this sense whether to the King as supreme or unto rulers sent by him Let the form of Government under which you live be what it will let the persons entrusted with the execution of this Government be what they will their qualities are not so much to be regarded as the office which they bear 3. Thus both the Syriack version and some of the antients interpret it the Syriack version interprets it Be you subject to all the Sons of men 4. But lastly The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is there used is always applied to persons not to such constitutions as laws are Besides there are that think that the Apostle useth a dialect then in use there is nothing more ordinary in Latin Authors than those phrases of creare consulem creare dictatorem c. it is a phrase a little in use amongst us to express the conferring of some particular honours But I digress too far certain it is that as Government in the abstract so particular governours in the concrete are the Ordinance of God and so have a more eminent relation unto God All men are the creatures of God they are the works of his hands rulers are the Ordinance of God 2. Rulers are Gods creatures and that not in a large sense so every thing else is but in a more eminent way as Rulers in that capacity to which God hath called them they are Gods creatures Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reign and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and nobles even all the Judges of the earth It must not be understood only by my sufferance and permission nor by me in an ordinary course of Providence as all things are by God but by me in a way of special Providence and designation for as the Psalmist saith Psal 75.6 7. Promotion cometh not from the east nor from the west nor from the south but God is the judg he pulleth down one and he setteth up another And this must be said of the worst of Rulers they came not up into that place of government without the Lord. Saul was a Prince bad enough God foretold by Samuel what he would be yet you know what a special hand God had in the setting of him up And God setteth up good or bad Rulers over a people according to his designs to bless and prosper or to chastise and punish them Rulers as rulers be they good or bad gentile or froward are God's creatures in an eminent way Now as a Prince thinks himself obliged in honour to maintain his creatures whom he hath set up in any place for any end so God will maintain Princes as they are his creatures raised up for his special designs 3. Nay further yet Rulers are Gods vicegerents Psal 82.6 I have said you are Gods and in this sense it is true which the Apostle saith There are Gods many and Lords many Every Prince is but a Vice-roy to the King of Kings a Deputy-Lieutenant to the great Lord of Heaven and Earth This createth a very near relation betwixt God and them and highly engageth the Providente of God for them Every Prince taketh a special care of persons which he sendeth abroad for Embassadors and which represent his person and authority Plots and conspiracies against Princes are much against God himself God giveth this reason for his severe Law
Vse 1. In the first place let then all men that live upon the Earth praise the Lord but especially such as are superiors and rulers over others and more especially such as are his Church The Psalmist Psal 135.1 calls to all saying Praise the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord and ver 19 20 21. He calleth in particular Bless the Lord O house of Israel Bless the Lord O house of Aaron Bless the Lord O house of Levi you that fear the Lord bless the Lord Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Hierusalem 1. This observation calleth to all the sons and daughters of men to bless the Lord. We are all sociable creatures and much of the comfort of our lives lyeth in our societies and fellowships one with another either in our family-societies or in our civil-societies or in our Church-societies We should think it a life worse than death to be condemned to live like a wild Ass alone in the wilderness Now there are some lusts of men that would spoil us of all this comfort God peculiarly sets himself against them and makes these the marks for his arrows of vengeance The Jews said of the Centurion He hath loved our nation and hath built us a synagogue We may say of our good God he hath loved mankind for he hath taken care to preserve order in humane societies and severely to chasten the invaders upon the rights of others What an ingagement doth this lay upon all men to praise the Lord Certainly sirs there is a great deal of praise and glory and homage due to God from all men as they are concerned in their several societies There is a great deal of glory due to God from families for his testimony against those lusts of men such as are murtherers and adulterers which in a short time would spoil all the comfort of those societies Certainly every family is bound to worship God and to walk with God But particularly 1. Let Rulers praise the Lord. Let all the Princes of the Earth give homage to him that ought to be served they are more especial marks for furious and ambitious mens lusts Gods Providence as you have heard is eminently seen in preventing their dangers in revenging their harms 2 Sam. 23.3 4 5. Surely then as David saith those that rule over men should be just ruling them in the fear of the Lord their light should be like the light of the morning without clouds God hath not only set them up as lights upon an hill but he hath made his special Providence to be a lanthorn about them that 't is rarely that the wind of sedition and treason prevails to blow them out and then 't is ordinarily for some eminent Provocation of God But I am not speaking to persons in that capacity You that are parents praise the Lord Gods special Providence you see reacheth you and in a great measure secureth you from that great heart-ach of rebellious and disobedient children I know you will say How then cometh this to be the great affliction of many good parents To which I answer 1. There is many a good parent may have been but like good old Ely too indulgent and cockering to their children ordinarily God keepeth up the authority of parents over their children until themselves have prostituted it and in the rebellion and disobedience of their children they may read their own sin and see as much cause to be humbled for that as any thing else as David in the case of Adonijah 1 King 1.5 6. And herein the goodness of God towards parents will be seen that if he doth not upon their endeavours secure to them the duty of their children yet he will not fail to revenge their quarrels against them 2. Let the poor and weak of the earth praise the Lord he hath declared himself the father of the fatherless and the judg of the widows a refuge for the oppressed Psal 68.5 Exod. 22.5 Psal 10.11 How are all the widows and fatherless children all the poor and oppressed people of the world bound to praise and to serve this God who hath taken upon himself the special patronage and protection of them This indeed would be the best use we could possibly make of this Observation relating to the special Providence of God if it might lay a special obligation upon all those who are thus especially concerned to magnifie God as their great patron and defender And how can they praise God more effectually than in doing those particular duties which concern them all in their respective relations or with reference to those peculiar circumstances of Providence under which they are acted I shall add but one branch of Application more and indeed it is not a new Use for it is a part of our praise and homage which we owe unto God upon this Reflexion viz. Vse 2. To all to take heed of those sins which God in his word declares himself more eminently to abhor and in the execution of Providence doth most severely punish All sin is in it self a filthy and abominable thing and the just object of every good mans hatred for should not we hate what God hateth and what hath of all things the greatest opposition to God yes we ought to hate it with a perfect hatred But such is the naughtiness of our heart that we are not so led to an hatred and abhorrence of sin from the intrinsecal evil and obliquity of it as from the dangerous and pernicious consequence of it Death eternal death is the wages of every sin but this being only matter of faith to bold sinners none having ever come from the dead to give them an account of those flames the punishments of sin in this life are those things which most deter carnal sensual men But if men will look no further nor believe any more yet let this lay some law upon us and make us afraid of those sins which I have instanced in being such whose judgment the Providence of God seldom letteth sleep so long as to another life Let this mind us not to meddle with them that are given to change that curse Kings and Rulers in their bed-chambers and are of turbulent and unquiet spirits always plotting and contriving seditions and treasons and disturbances to civil governours it is very rarely that God suffereth their designs to come to issue or their persons to come to the grave in peace 2. What a law should it lay upon the rich and great men of the earth to take heed of violent perverting justice and judgment of turning away the causes of the widows and the fatherless in judgment To consider that he who is the highest doth consider the matter and there is one higher than the highest of them who abuse their power to trample the poor under foot If men be not turned Atheists and have banished all the fear of God from their eyes and hearts it must a little give them law and lay
will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Am still communicating to you some Observations which I have made concerning the motions of Divine Providence not only for your instruction but to quicken you also to make Observations your selves upon the motion of it that you may increase in spiritual Wisdom I proceed to a Tenth Observation Observ 10. That the Providence of God is eminently seen in the preservation and protection of his faithful Ministers and such both amongst them and other orders of men who keeping themselves within the latitude of their duty have been great adventurers for God in their generations 1. The Providence of God preserveth both man and beast it is God that upholdeth our souls in life and there is no man but in him lives moves and hath his being 2. Nor is there any man that liveth any considerable time in the world and keepeth any ordinary record of his life but will see reason as to say with David O Lord I am fearfully and wonderfully made so also Lord I have been fearfully and wonderfully preserved But yet as I have shewed you there are specialties of Divine Providence some persons that the Lord seemeth to carry upon eagles wings and to preserve in a more eminent and special manner sometimes in a way of miraculous Providence sometimes in a way of extraordinary Providence in a way beyond other men Now I have long since hinted you three sorts of men whom God thus preserveth 1. Such as are Gods Vicegerents Magistrates and Rulers of others This I have abundantly shewed you when I shewed you how eminently the Providence of God is seen both in discovering and bringing to light and also in punishing such sins as tend to the eminent disturbance of humane Societies 2. Such as God useth for the Ministers of his Word 3. Such as make the boldest adventures for God and in his service keeping themselves within the latitude of their duty I am to justifie now this Observation to you I will open it and prove it then shew you the reasonableness of Divine Providence in these extraordinary motions And lastly I shall make some Applications First let me open it to you 1. It is to be understood of godly faithful and painful Ministers and mostly of such of whom God hath made or doth make or intend to make an eminent use in his Church As there are no persons more justly a hatred in the house of God abominable to all men of any sobriety then leud or lazy Ministers so there is nothing of any special Providence promised to them and it is more than I have observed if God as to their issues in the concerns of this world hath not left them to a common share with others and if there hath been any difference made by his Providence it hath been to their disadvantage they are more vile than others and dishonour God more than others and God often makes them and their families to smart more than others It is that which God hath said in the case Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 We have had a great deal of enquiry in the times wherein we live into the causes of the contempt of the Clergy Lev. 10.2 3 4 one hath guest this thing another that for my own part I have been young and am growing old I never yet knew a painful able preacher living an holy and exemplary life be his perswasion what it would under a greater contempt than other men there are some Sons of Belial will contemn all that are not as much Atheists as themselves If Ministers will regard nothing but striking their flesh-hook with three teeth into the Lords pot to feed themselves if they will heap up parsonage upon parsonage till there be no room left in the Earth and grasp more souls than they can manage putting out some to pitiful nurses where they are starved and affording the other but dry beasts if they will make themselves vile like Hophni and Phineas it is no wonder if they be contemned by men of any sobriety The Psalmist Psal 15.4 makes it the mark of one that shall dwell in Gods holy hill in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord for others God secureth their honour eminently 2. Nor is it to be extended to every godly Minister and at all times The best of Ministers have their personal sin for which God may punish them by the common fate of others God eminently shewed himself for Moses and Aaron in the case of Corah Dathan and Abiram he made the Earth to open its mouth and to swallow up their opposers but when they had provoked the Lord at the waters of Meribah they took their common fate with the rest of the Israelites and dyed in the wilderness when they had had no more than a prospect of the promised land Several instances might be given of eminent Prophets of old and Ministers of the Gospel that have perished in common judgments more especially when it hath pleased God to pick out some of them for Martyrs and to make them witnesses with their blood to seal the Truths they have preached And indeed this special Providence of God hath been most remarkable in times when God hath been beginning some great work which was the case of the Apostles in the first Plantation of the Gospel and of those eminent servants of God which since that time he hath made use of in the reformation of the Church or upholding the interest of pure and true Religion in a time of great Apostacy and defection 3. The special Providence of God hath not been seen uniformly in those cases but several ways 1. Sometimes in providing food for them and theirs whereas otherwise they must have starved or at least been so employed as they could not have attended the work of God upon their hands 2. Sometimes in keeping them from such dangers which have been very near to them plucking them as brands out of the fire 3. Sometimes in the delivering of them out of their Enemies hands rescuing them from the Lyon when they have been in his paws sometimes one way sometimes another accordingly as it hath pleased the infinite wisdom of God to work for them 1. The Providence of God hath been eminently seen in the providing of necessaries for his Ministers I need not tell you what special Laws God made in the case of his Ministry among the Jews his Priests and Levites were particularly taken care of but this being the setled maintenance for those that were employed about the Tabernacle and the Temple when the Priests were generally corrupted and God to uphold a faithful Ministry amongst his people raised up some extraordinary Prophets that should faithfully reveal his will unto people they had little or no advantage but the Lord never failed to provide for them He provideth a
Shunamite 2 King 4.10 that provideth a little chamber a bed a table a stool and a candle-stick for Elisha And another widow for Elijah that had faith enough to believe that in the time of famine her little meal should not fail from her barrel nor her oyl from her cruse He commanded the Ravens to feed the same Prophet by the brook Chereth 1 King 17.14 4.6 When the brook was dried up then the Lord commanded the widow to sustain him vers 9. The whole time of the Kingdom of Israel from the time that Jeroboam revolted until they were carried away captive was a sad time to faithful Ministers for all such stood for the instituted worship of God in opposition to that at Dan and Bethel but of all that time the time of Ahabs reign was the most perillous time but then God had provided an Obadiah who took an hundred prophets and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water 1 King 18.5 Under the Gospel God also declared his will for the maintenance of his Ministers That tythes under the Gospel are due jure divino to the Minister I dare not say but that a certain and honourable maintenance is due to them the Apostle puts beyond all dispute 1 Cor. 9. And if the government of a nation settleth it by way of tythes there is no question to be made of the lawfulness either of giving or taking them but as the best establishments are subject to mens corruptions so is this The story of Merline a French Minister is a known story being forced several days to save his life by hiding himself in a hay-mow God sends an Hen every day that laid an egg by him upon which he lived The story of Junius I told you relieved by a Taylor when he was put to work in the Town-ditch for a livelihood God raised up a rich Matron to provide for Origen and his family But what need we look back so far for instances of which all Ecclesiastical story is full when we have such a plentiful testimony at home There is no order of men that God in all ages of the Church hath so strangely and miraculously almost provided for as to the necessaries of life as for such who have been faithful and painful labourers in the work of his Gospel they have not been forsaken their seed have in no scandalous manner begged their bread but this is but one particular 2. A second head of instances which I shall give you to prove this specialty of Divine Providence shall be the preventing Providences of God warning them some way or other of evil that hath been towards them so as they have been able timely to prevent or escape it Elijah was you know an eminent Prophet of the Lords and his life was often in danger but God hid him one while at the brook Cherith 1 King 17 after he had delivered that unpleasing Prophecy to Ahab another time at Beersheba after he had made such an havock amongst the Priests of Baal Chap. 18 19. God gave him warning of his dangers and prevented Jezebel's designs A boy overhears Pauls Enemies conspiring his death and revealeth it and he is sent away at another time he is let down in a basket Infinite instances might be given you out of other story Athanasius amongst the ancients and Luther amongst more modern Divines were eminent instances of this nature God indeed as I told you before doth not make all his Ministers in times of dangers such instances of special Providence but only such as he hath designed to make great and eminent use of 3. I might also give you as large a proof of this special Providence of God for the Ministers of his Gospel in his deliverance of them out of trouble when they have been within the paws of the Lyon and ready to be devoured And this not always in the same method nor by the same way and means sometimes miraculously as in the case of Elisha and Elijah more than once striking their Enemies with blindness causing fire to come down from Heaven and to destroy their Enemies In the case of Daniel stopping the mouths of the Lyons In the case of Peter the very night before that Herod was fully intended to have murthered him In later story we have infinite instances of Gods strange deliverance of faithful Ministers whom it afterward appeared God designed to make eminent use of out of their Enemies hands I remember in the History of the persecution of the Church of Bohemia we read of an Edict made by Ferdinand to apprehend all the Protestant-Ministers upon which many fled into Moravia and hid themselves three were taken and kept prisoners in a deep dungeon at Prague but God by his Providence wrought the escape of one of them whom he made use of to plant not less than twenty Protestant-Churches afterwards in Poland But there would be no end if I should begin to recite to you all we find in his story of this nature there can be none so meanly acquainted with Scripture or History but may confirm himself in this observation But I added That the Providence of God hath been also eminently seen in the preservation of those who have been great adventurers in the cause of God within the latitude of their duty A man may adventure in the cause of God and miscarry in his adventure and that in two cases 1. When he adventures without a call from God 2. When he governeth not himself in his adventure by the reasonable rules of prudence Peter made an adventure when he drew out the sword and cut off the highest Priest's servants ear But our Saviour bid him put up the sword into its sheath again for he that draweth the sword being a private person shall perish by the sword Peter had no call to use the sword in the case The Magistrate hath a call to use the sword in the execution of just laws The Minister hath a call to use another sword the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Every Christian hath a call to serve and obey Magistrates in what is just and lawful and to perform those duties which in his private capacity he oweth unto God to worship God in his family and to meet often together in the congregation of Gods People to hear the word to partake of the Ordinances of God c. Now there are times when a godly Magistrate cannot do his duty in punishing of sin without the adventure of his reputation in a wicked world the adventure of his estate his life when the Minister of the Gospel cannot do his duty nor the people theirs without the like adventures but you shall observe this very ordinary in the Providence of God he strangely watcheth over and protecteth such as have a spirit to make boldest adventures and as strangely rewardeth such You see it in the whole story of Scripture Moses and Aaron were called to go in
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
was a wicked man one that made Israel to sin yet in Abijam his son there was some good thing found towards the Lord. Abijam the King of Judah was a man that walked in all the sins of his Fathers 1 King 15.2 Yet ver 11. Asa his son did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Jehoshaphat the son of Asa was a very good man but Jehoram his son walked in all the ways of the Kings of Israel 2 Chron. 21.5 so did Ahaziah his son Jonathan was a good man 2 Chron. 27 but Ahaz his son walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and made images for Baalim yet the son of Ahaz Hezekiah was an excellent man Manasses his son was a very wicked man the greatest part of his life indeed 2 Chron. 33.13 14 15 being carried into Babylon and bound in fetters he besought the Lord and the Lord was intreated of him and then the Scripture telleth us That he knew the Lord was God and he began something of reformation ver 15. Ammon his son was a very wicked Prince but Josiah his son an excellent man but we read no good of any one of his sons Thus as to the dispensations of saving-grace we see the Providence of God is not to be tracked sometimes given to the son of a good father at another time denied to the seed of those in Covenant with God and given out to the children of most vile and wicked parents and this is no more than we yet see every day in the dealings of God But it is time that I should shew you the reasonableness of these motions of Divine Providence 1. Why the Providence of God moveth in such a circular motion in the distribution of the good things of this life It will appear reasonable to you 1. If you consider both Gods general relation to all his creatures and also his special kindness and the demonstration of it to his people together with his faithfulness to his promises 1. I say his general relation to all his creatures they are his creatures he their Creator they by Creation his children and he their father It is true they are undutiful children and do not answer the law of their Creation God may say to them If I be your father where is my honour But yet children they are God intends them not the inheritance and therefore God doth by them as Abraham by the children he had by Keturah Gen. 25.5 To whom he gave portions and sent them away A father hath many children some elder some younger some more dutiful whom he loveth with a more peculiar love but he hath something of a fatherly affection for them all he giveth them all portions more or less Some have their portion in this life as David speaketh Psal 17. Son remember saith Abraham to Dives thou hadst thy good things in this life thy good things So Lazarus had a right to a childs portion Joseph sent all his brethren a mess though to Benjamin he sent seventimes as much as to the rest 2. But besides this some wicked men have another relation to God as servants in some special service none of them are universally Gods servants but in some special service many wicked men are Gods servants And no man shall serve God for nothing This was Jehu's case which procured him the Crown for four generations for the service he did God against the house of Ahab Then if we consider 1. Gods special kindness to his people declared so often in Scripture and the reasonableness that God should make some demonstration of it that all the world may know that God will honour those that honour him and how impossible it is that the men of the world should take notice of this and be convinced of it meerly from spiritual rewards of which they have no certain cognisance or from eternal rewards you will see it but reasonable that God in his Providence should dispose even of the goods of this life unto his own people though not to all yet to many of them and that they should have their turns in these distributions of Providence and not be always or all of them poor and needy or vile and contemptible in the eyes of the world Especially seeing that as the Apostle saith Godliness hath the promise as well of this life as of that which is to come And our Lord hath commanded us to seek the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof upon the encouragement of a gracious promise that the things of this life shall be added to them Further if there should be no circulation of Providence in these distributions how should those Scriptures be fulfilled wherein God hath told us Psal 30.5 That the rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous that he will take care that the spirits should not fail before him nor the souls that he hath made that his anger endureth but for a moment that sorrow comes for a night but joy shall come in the morning c. And those many other promises for the good things of this life which are made to the People of God in Scripture though they are not to be interpreted into an extent of that latitude as if they should be the constant portion of the Church and People of God or of every child of God Yet how should they be made good if there were not some circulation of Providence in the distribution of the good things of this life if it should not go sometimes well as well as sometimes ill with the Church and People of God 2. The reasonableness of this motion of Divine Providence will appear to you from Gods love and zeal to Justice Justice lyes in giving to every one their due God must be just and his Justice must be declared to the world that all may know that the God of Heaven is a righteous God Now this Justice of God requireth such a circulation of Providence as I have commended to your observation If you will but consider that as the whole life of wicked men is a life of rebellion and disobedience So God never had a Church in the world nor any particular Saint but had their corruptions and were guilty of many miscarriages which subjected them to the vindicative Justice of God Now for the People of God if I may so speak with holy Reverence God hath tyed up his own hands he cannot punish them with eternal punishments he hath accepted a price a satisfaction for them so as now There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus But he hath a controversie even with Judah and he must punish Jacob according to his ways and according to his doings he must recompence him Hos 12.3 This can be no otherwise than by denying of them some good things in this life either such spiritual enjoyments as the denial of is yet consistent with their enjoyment of the eternal inheritance or those
and constant one way or other Gods Providence is always doing them good and rewarding their righteous deeds and this must necessarily be true upon the Apostles Hypothesis That all things shall work together for the good of them that love God But I hasten to the Application Vse 1. In the first place let me recommend this to your observation Though there be such a vast difference between good and evil in their own intrinsick natures as might justly allure us into the embraces of the former and scare every man from the pursuit of the latter yet such is our nature that we stand in need of encouragements to the former by rewards and by the terrors of the Lord to be scared from the latter and there cannot be any thing more effectual with us to discourage sin and incourage goodness than if we can effectually perswade our selves that the punishment of sin is both certain and constant and the reward of righteousness is so also This is the point I have endeavoured to demonstrate and you have heard that the reason of any ones presumption of the contrary is their looking at nothing as a punishment or a reward but what is sensible than which we cannot be guilty of a greater mistake nor any of worser consequence as to the malign influence it will have upon our lives and consequently upon our eternal state But consider what hath been said and judg whether a man can do any thing to the greater ruin of himself than to go on in an impenitent and resolved course of sinning against God Possibly you do observe that as to outward things it is much one with a profane swearer and blasphemer as with the man that reverenceth the glorious God and feareth an oath Eccles 9.2 with the drunkard as with him that is sober with the chast as with the unclean with the Sabbath-breaker as with him that remembers to keep holy Gods day nay the profane lawless sinner is in greater honour and power than the other richer than the other and this incourageth thee to joyn with them But poor creature hath he that hath many blessings but one curse think'st thou Observe well that same prosperous sinner and tell me if every day he doth not grow worse if according to his pastures he be not filled with all the fruits of unrighteousness if he be not given up to a blind mind an hard heart vile affections if thou doest not observe that his conscience is seared and branded with an hot iron as it were that he grows past feeling If thou seest this say not he is not punished he is punished with a witness Is a sealing up to damnation no punishment According to our law you know malefactors are first seared with an hot-iron upon their next miscarriage they are hanged It is Gods method when once a soul is seared with an hot-iron given up to be past feeling to damn him next without mercy Look well upon the sinner and thou wilt discern God is angry every day with him he is every day fitting for Hell flames Is this no punishment On the other side thou seest the man according to Gods heart walking sadly he is plagued every night chastned every morning he is poor and needy hungry and thirsty in prisons in deaths often pursued by the falcons of the world as a partridg upon the mountains persecuted on all hands Thou concludest contrary to the Scripture That he hath washed his hands in vain and cleansed his soul to no purpose verily there is no reward for the righteous But harken poor creature Had Esau's Father many blessings and hath Jacob's God but one sort Thou seest his poverty and want but doest thou see how he hath learned in all estates to be content and hath changed his name into a quod vult Deus And certainly godliness with contentment is great gain A poor contented Lazarus is an happier and richer man than a discontented covetous Dives Thou seest how he is afflicted every day how full of troubles his life is but thou doest not see the serenity of his spirit the peace of his conscience his joy in the Holy Ghost his glorying and rejoycing in tribulations as his tribulations work patience his patience experience and his experience hope Mark sirs the upright men consider the just men you will see their ends to be peace yea in this life you will see them more indisturbed by troubles and inconcerned in the ruffles of the world than other men The more you observe the more you will be confirmed in this truth that the Providence of God will certainly reward yea is constantly rewarding him that worketh righteousness Vse 2. But secondly what a trembling and terror should this Observation strike into the loins of every sinner what an engagement should it lay upon them to repent and turn from the wickedness of their way Each part of this Observation ought to be improved for this purpose Impunity in sinning is a great encouragement to the sinner the heart of man stands bent to his lusts and if he fancieth that he may escape the hands of Divine Justice or that he doth escape and thrive and prosper in his wicked courses it wonderfully imboldneth him to go on but if the vengeance against him be certain if his iniquity will certainly find him out that he may as well hope not to dye as not to be thrown into Hell when he dyes and if the wrath of God be already kindled against him and God be already punishing him What hope what incouragement can he then have Now this you have heard is the sinners case I remember when that great plague was began amongst the Israelites upon their murmuring against Moses and Aaron after the death of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.46 Moses biddeth Aaron take a censer and put fire therein from the Altar and put incense thereon and go quickly to the congregation saith he and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Is here an impenitent sinner before the Lord one that hath been a drunkard a swearer a profane person or that hath lived without God in the world that blesseth himself with vain hopes or presumptions that he shall escape the Judgment of God or may escape it that his soul is at present free from fears he thriveth he prospereth in the world and his prosperity blindeth his eyes that he cannot see the hell into which he is dropping and so maketh no haste to deliver himself from the wrath that is to come To such a one let me speak oh that my counsel might be acceptable take thy censer put fire thereon from the Altar and put on incense and go quickly and make an atonement for thy soul These are indeed things not in thy power but my meaning is Betake thy self quickly to the great work of repentance which lyes not so much in tears and humiliation as in the change of thy heart in thy
troubled considering he hath done nothing as he ought to do he hath prayed but with a wofully wandring distracted and distempered heart his heart hath not bled while he hath been confessing of sins nor believed enough while he hath been putting up his supplications to the God of Heaven nor been raised enough in the Meditations of the Divine Goodness whiles his tongue hath been uttering the good things which God hath done for him To what purpose should he do any thing more who doth nothing as he ought to do it I would but ask a poor Christian thus troubled upon any performance Was it in thine heart to honour God in what thou didst thou camest to hear the word of God or thou camest to humble thy self before God by fasting or thou camest to prayer or to receive a sacrament thou reflectest upon the action done thou seest it full of imperfections thou hast not honoured God as thou desiredst thy heart hath not been perfect with God But what was in thine heart in these undertakings was it in thine heart to mock God or to serve God was not this thy design to humble thy soul before the Lord to pay an homage which thy soul owed unto God was it not in thine heart to serve God If it were believe that thou hearest God saying to thee Whereas it was in thine heart to pray to praise to humble thy self before me to do what I commanded thee to do thou didst well that it was in thine heart it may be thou didst not well in the action it was not well done in thine hand but this was well that it was in thine heart As we sometimes refuse something from our friend and say I thank you as much as if you did it but it is needless I desire you to spare your pains I care not for it or I desire not it should be done yet but yet I take it as kindly as if you did it Or as we sometimes accept of what a poor child or servant hath done for us though we do not like it as done to our minds and excuse it by saying Poor child it intended well so God doth with us methinks what he said to David was as much as if he had said I do not yet need any other house then I have I do not care for it but this thou didst not know David Thou didst well that it was in thine heart thou hadst a good general design and intention and so to us this prayer this service this homage is not every way perfect but yet it was in my childs heart to honour me and to obey my commands In this he hath done well I will accept it because it was in his heart 2 Cor. 8. If there be a willing mind saith the Apostle it is accepted not according to what a man hath not but according to what he hath The Apostle speaketh there with reference to alms but it is as true as to all other duties if there be a willing mind a true heart it is accepted of God I shall only caution you that you mistake not this willing mind for a pitiful wish and velleity without a setled steady purpose and resolution of heart and such an indeavour as is within the reach and compass of our power so that there wanteth not a desire and indeavour but only a strength and ability to perform But if there be that it is of wonderful comfort to us under all our accusations and judgings of our selves There is no child of God but it is in his heart to do better than he doth it is in his heart to glorifie God in every duty in every action in the whole of his conversation why if it be in his heart God saith to him Thou hast done well that it was in thine heart Nay this Meditation hath this advantage That God will reward the good that is in his peoples hearts not only with temporary but with eternal rewards and for this the Lord Jesus Christ is to be praised who hath satisfied Divine Justice for us and perfectly fulfilled the law for us and procured this of his Father That the will should be accepted for the deed Do not therefore think ever to live in any view of your own perfection you will never do that Study only to live in the view of your own sincerity to find that your hearts are right in the sight of God take heed of heart-falshood ah that is dreadful to find our hearts false with God Ah! but will some jealous soul say How shall I know this how shall I know if my heart be right with God in any action when I see the action is not right but cometh short of the glory of God I answer thou shalt easily know if thou doest but consider what the heart does in humane actions and that you shall understand in three particulars 1. It is the eye that takes the aim at the mark 2. It is that which giveth strength to the bow 3. It is that which gives a man pleasure in the action 1. The heart is that which as the eye in shooting gives or takes the aim at the mark The tongue speaks in prayer and the outward man moves in actions of religious worship but the heart now takes the aim and directeth the intention of the action The end of all our actions is either 1. The glory of God or 2. Our selves our own honour c. If the heart be right with God in actions the scope design and intention of the soul is to glorifie God Psal 38.9 All my desire is toward thee Psal 25.15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord. 2. The heart is that which in humane actions gives strength to the bow The strength of a spiritual action lyes in the zeal or heat of affection which attendeth the action now the heat of this is in the heart Where a mans heart is not in an action he acts coldly he moveth slowly the wheels of a soul are in the heart Where the heart is in an action it runs it makes haste and delayeth not it acteth with vigour and fervency 3. Lastly The heart is that which gives a soul delight and pleasure in an action Where the heart is not in prayer in hearing there is no pleasure no sweetness no delight affecting the soul Examine now thy self by these things thou doest that which is materially good but thou doubtest whether in thy actions thy heart be right with God Search and see what thy aim and scope was What didst thou propose to thy self in the action with what life vigour and strength didst thou set upon thy action what pleasure and delight didst thou take in the action though indeed much of the last may be kindled in an hour of temptation or desertion where the soul feeleth not those incomes of divine assistance nor that freedom of spirit which it hath at other times experienced yet always the heart aims right and puts on with what strength it
of sin the hearts of sinners are set in them to do evil because judgement is not executed speedily I indeavoured to discourage and check this presumption in my former observation where I confirmed to you that by how much the more slowly vindicative justice proceedeth to the punishment of sin by so much severer the punishment is when it cometh This Observation addeth further to that check for as that which men call slackness is but the long suffering and patience of God not willing that any should perish but that all should be saved by a seasonable repentance So as you have now heard at large discoursed to you neither is God thus long-suffering and patient with all and although God generally be more quick with those sorts of sinners which I have specified to you yet I desire you to observe what I first enlarged upon that there is hardly any kind or sort of sinners but God at some time or other hath picked out some or other of them to make them examples of his severity Thou maist be struck dead while the lye is in thy mouth It was the case you know of Ananias and Saphira Thou maist be cut off in the very Act of Adultery It was the case you know of Zimri and Cosbi Tremble therefore and do not sin God may grant thee many years of patience he may give thee leave to treasure up wrath to thy self against the day of wrath but thou canst not promise thy self an hours patience But above all fear those sins which God usually is so quick in punishing Fear blaspheming God or the King we live in a blaspheming age wherein have been more bold darings of God than in former times God hath revenged his glory upon some of them they have been cut off in their youth before they have lived out half their dayes If another generation riseth up and approveth their sayings wait but a while and you will see vengeance overtaking them also Fear doing any thing against the life of others who by the law of God ought not to dye Blood-thirsty men shall not live out half their days you fee Gods vengeance against this sin is very quick 2. This Observation affords a great encouragement to the service of God especially to eminent actings and sufferings for God There is a reward for righteous men if they go without it to their dying day yet they shall be recompensed in the generation of the just Heaven will pay for all but God doth not always take so long a day to recompence them Many have a reward in this life and that which is to come The Scripture is full of promises even of the good things of this life to godliness in the general and to the several parts and acts of godliness These promises indeed are not made good to every child of God in specie but only in equivalent yea transcendent mercies But even these promises are made good to many and they may be thy portion however thou shalt not miss of the greater things Particularly this layeth an engagement upon all that fear God as God calleth them to it and giveth them advantage for it to signalize themselves by eminent actings or by some eminent sufferings such you have heard God ordinarily payeth presently and besides that eternal recompence which they have in glory they are in more outward and sensible things or in more inward influences of grace recompensed in this life Those that eminently honour God he will honour and many of them have a double mess sent them from the Lord. SERMON XXXI Psalm CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Am proceeding yet in my Observations upon the motions of Divine Providence that which we call Actual Providence in its administration of distributive Justice both in the punishment of sinners and the rewarding of the righteous Divers Observations I have already made I am come to the Observat 18. Which you may please to take thus That the Providence of God doth very ordinarily with the punishments of this life chastise the past and pardoned sins of people In the handling of which I shall 1. Justifie the Observation 2. I shall shew you the reasonableness of this motion of Providence and reconcile it both to the justice and goodness of God 3. Lastly I shall make some practical application of it That it is so I shall prove by two famous instances the first of David the second Job David you know had fallen into two grievous sins Adultery with Bathsheba and the murther of her Husband Vriah God sendeth the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 12. to David to convince him of his sin who doth it by a Parable Davids heart melteth v. 13. and he saith unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan tells him the Lord hath also put away thy sin The sin you see was both past and pardoned but mark what follows v. 14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely dye He had told him before v. 10. That the sword should not depart from his house and v. 11. That he would take his wives before his face and give them to his neighbour and he should ly with them in the sight of the Sun All this was afterward justified by the Actual Providence of God The Child died 2 Sam. 12.18 Amnon defloureth his Sister Thamar and is slain by her Brother Absolon 2 Sam. 13.14 29. Absalom Davids own Son lieth with his Fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 Absolom is slain in a rebellion against his Father c. Nay not only thus but God punisheth David with horrors and terrors in his mind with diseases in his body as you may gather from Psal 6. Psal 51. and the rest of those Psalms in which he expresseth his repentance David prayeth Psal 25.7 Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions Job complaineth unto God Job 7.2 3. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work so am I made to possess months of vanity I know the words are capable of another sense as vanity may be understood for affliction and misery or the frustration of his expectations but I should rather interpret it by the words of the same Job 13.26 27 28. For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the sins of my youth c. Moses and Aaron sinned against the Lord at the waters of Meribah I do not think that any of you doubt but that God pardoned their sin yet it is certain that God punished them and that for that sin God himself tells them so Deut. 32.50 51. That the Providence of God doth this is evident The second thing may seem to have more difficulty in it viz. How this is reconcileable either to
You shall observe it often repeated in Scripture Such a one did evil and walked in the steps of his Father in all the sins of his Fathers c. you shall constantly observe that it is set as a mark of dishonour upon those that did so and they perished in their transgressions God according to what he threatned the Jews Isa 65.7 punished upon them their iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together We are very prone to walk in the steps of our Fathers especially if they have trodden awry and turned aside from the Commandments of God and usually in matters of Religion though we have nothing to say for the superstition and vanity of former generations yet we think it a sufficient plea that our fathers did thus or thus and indeed this was the old plea of the woman of Samaria Joh. 4. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain Thus the Heretick said in one of the Councils but was well answered Immo errantes ab errantibus yes erring children from erring parents The wickedness of a preceding generation especially in the matters of Divine Worship is so far from being a plea for us or excusing us that it doth but increase and aggravate guilt upon us The most righteous persons may without due and seasonable humiliation smart for the sins of their Fathers but if they go on in the same sins they have nothing to expect but that God should punish their sins and the sins of their Fathers together Vse 5. In the last place This observation layeth upon us all a new engagement to holiness and serviceableness to God in the stations in which the Lord hath set us As sin entaileth a curse so holiness and eminent service for God entaileth a blessing to our posterity Godliness hath not only the promise of this life and of that which is to come to our own persons but it hath promises of blessing to those that shall come after us God sheweth mercy to thousands of those who love him and keep his Commandments Jehu was no godly man yet his service he did for God procured him a reward to the fourth generation Abraham was a godly man David a perfect man a man according to Gods own heart Blessings for their sakes came upon their posterity to many generations But I shall add no more to this Observation SERMON XXXIII Psal CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Proceed yet to offer you some further Observations concerning the motions of Actual Providence I have already made many Last of all some with reference to its distributions of rewards and punishments Let me now go on to a Observ 20. When God calleth any to any new work or relation he ordinarily giveth them a spirit suited to it Every work and relation requires some particular dispositions fitting the persons for it Now I say you shall observe in the motions of Actual Providence that it fitteth those persons for work whom God calleth to it you shall see it in several instances God called Moses to go in to Pharaoh to require him to let the children of Israel go and so to conduct the children of Israel out of Egypt Moses saith to God Exod. 3.11 Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt God saith vers 12. I will be with thee Again chap. 4.10 Moses excuseth himself that he was not eloquent but slow of speech and of a slow tongue see what God saith to him ver 11. Who hath made mans mouth or who maketh the dumb or deaf or seeing or blind Now therefore ver 12. go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say When God called Saul to be King over Israel the text 1 Sam. 10.9 saith That God gave him another heart When God called David to the Kingdom what a spirit of government did God give him What courage and valour that coming from keeping of sheep he durst adventure to encounter Goliah Concerning Solomon the case is plain 1 King 3.8 9. he begged of God a wise and understanding heart to judg his people The text telleth you that God gave it him Lo saith God ver 12. I have given thee a wise and understanding heart As to the Ministry the case is plain as to Jeremiah God ordained him to be a prophet to the nations Jer. 1.5 Jeremiah excused himself he was a child and could not speak vers 6. But the Lord said to him Say not I am a child for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said to me Behold I have put my words into thy mouth vers 7 8. The like you have concerning Ezekiel Ezek. 2. The like you find upon Christs sending out the seventy and the twelve It is true God doth this several ways and by several rites and ceremonies but God never yet call'd any to any new relation or new work but he gave them a spirit fit for it But let us a little understand what the meaning of that is Quest Wherein lyeth the sutableness of a persons spirit to his work or relation I answer It lyes in two things 1. An inclination or willingness to it 2. A fittedness or preparedness for it 1. An inclination or willingness to it Indeed Gods first call of a person to a work doth not always meet with a willing mind it did not in Moses in Jeremy in Saul but God always makes those willing whom he calls to any service Whom shall I send here am I send me saith the Prophet Isaiah God made Moses and Jeremy willing before he sent them The gravity and burthen of the work to which God calleth may discourage flesh and blood at first but God makes them willing before they take their Commission Hence that in Timothy He that desireth the office of a Bishop c. 2. But this is not all God never sendeth any to any work but he fitteth and prepareth them for it giving them a frame of spirit and abilities of mind capacitating them for the parts of their work or duties of that relation several callings require several gifts and endowments For the magistracy courage and wisdom is necessary for the ministry is necessary not only courage and wisdom but knowledg utterance c. a sound understanding in the holy Scriptures which he is to open to the people and apply to their consciences and so in inferiour relations even Bezaliel the son of Vri whom the Lord called by name to the building of the Tabernacle Exod. 35.31 Was filled with the spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledg and in all manner of workmanship and to devise curious works to work
designed Discourse In my first I asserted the Doctrine of Divine Providence against ancient and modern Atheists I opened it in the nature and principal Acts of it In the Second I 1. shewed you the specialties of it 2. Wherein you must stand still and admire it in the depths and unsearchable things of it 3. I directed you how to make some observations upon the more ordinary and intelligible motions of it I am now come to open some hard Chapters in this great and excellent book and to reconcile this great work of God to his most holy nuture and that infinite justice goodness wisdom and truth which are inseparable from it I take it to be a work worthy of a Divine to make a rationale divinorum operum to give a reasonable account of the Divine works humbly adoring God in them yet inquiring into them and that non tam ad mentis otium quam ad cordis usum as Nierembergius saith not so much for the exercise of our wits as for the use of our souls It advantageth the works of God to our souls when they appear no other than reasonable to us and I think the same Author speaketh well when he saith Nullum puto consilium Divinum cujus non aliqua ratio reddi potest nullum cujus omnis reddatur ita inscrutabilia sunt divina opera digna ut scrutemur facilia that is I do not think any Divine Counsel can be named of which we may not give some reasonable account though there be likewise none of which we can give a perfect account so as the Divine works are at the same time both unsearchable and also worthy and easie to be searched out I shall not so much as propound to my self or you to resolve all the seeming riddles and difficulties of Actual Providence I shall only discourse some of them which seem most obvious and readiest to stumble our thoughts and those which I shall speak to shall chiefly refer to these heads 1. The exhibition of the Covenant of works after the establishment of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace and the exhibition or tender of grace indefinitely to all after the decree of election and the fall of man 2. The permission of sin and so much sin in the world 3. The punitive Providence of God 4. The dispensation of the external or internal more effectual means of grace I shall speak to divers seeming difficulties that will fall under these four heads and at this time begin with the first of these It was one of the first acts of Divine Providence that we read of immediately succeeding the creation Gen. 2.15 And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it and the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou maist freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Under that threatning is a promise of life upon condition of obedience as to the Law of God written in Adams heart So to that positive Law given him for the trial of his obedience I shall not engage my self deeply in the question what death it is which God there threatneth to Adam I am aware of the varieties of opinions I take it for granted that whatsoever falleth under the notion of death in Scripture is all comprehended under that threatning In dying thou shalt dye saith the Hebrew phrase which we translate Thou shalt surely dye The threatning mentioneth neither one death nor another but is indefinite and of the same force as if universal and it is accordingly used in Scripture to signifie all kind of death as Ezek. 18. and in many other places and out of doubt there falleth under that threatning whatsoever was contrary to the felicity of Adam in that estate I do therefore agree with the ancient and modern Divines who understand death Corporal Spiritual and Eternal there threatned in case of disobedience and life Corporal Spiritual and Eternal there promised in case of obedience Now hence ariseth a great difficulty there were two great Acts of God with relation to man passed before this Act of Providence 1. The decree of Election by which God had not only stated the number of those that should be saved but chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.6 2. The eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace By which the salvation of man was setled to be obtained not by working but by believing in him that justifieth the ungodly that is not to be obtained by the merits of our own works but by the merits of Christ imputed to us for righteousness and to be by faith apprehended and applied Now here ariseth the difficulty Quest How it could consist with the wisdom and truth of God having thus in his eternal counsels resolved that there should be no other name under heaven no other way or means of salvation but by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ to propound a way of salvation to be obtained by mens working and obedience to the Law of God especially when he did aforeknow that man would break this first Covenant and no man should be saved upon the terms of it That I might speak something to shew you the reasonableness of this motion I have made choice of this Text in which you have 1. An assertion The Scripture hath concluded all under wrath 2. The end or reason of the thing asserted That the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe A text much parallel to that Rom. 11.32 He hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all This Text saith the Scripture hath done it that text saith God hath done it there 's no contradiction in it the Scriptures are the word of God if the Scripture hath concluded all under wrath God hath done it Now how hath the Scripture done this or how hath God done it but by first making man in his own image writing his law in his heart then adding that positive law forbidding him to eat of the tree of forbidden fruit after this suffering him to eat by which not Adam only but all mankind then in him lost the Image of God and all were concluded under sin and to what purpose was all this The text telleth us That the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to all that believe If you please I shall make my whole discourse but a demonstration of this Proposition Prop. That God in infinite wisdom by his Providence gave out the Law or Covenant of works suffering the first man to fall and all in him by the fall to be concluded under wrath My business must be to shew you the exceeding reasonableness and wisdom of God in this dispensation I shall open this to you in five or six particulars 1. It neither was nor could be Gods
dispensations all discontentment at their own low estate all displeasure at Gods dealings with others all accusations of God of injustice or hard dealings with his people whatsoever as a fruit or indication of any of those passions is certainly here forbidden us under the notions of fretting being angry or envious Let me now press this negative or prohibitive part of your duty upon you by some few arguments 1. I beseech you to consider the exceeding sinfulness of it when God said to the Prophet Jonah Dost thou well to be angry it is certainly implyed that he did not well It is in this Psalm twice forbidden us twice in the Book of Proverbs at least Envy is by the Apostle reckoned up as one of the fruits of the flesh now certainly if no more could be said than this It is the will of God that if thou seest the wicked prosper grow rich and great thou shouldst not be displeased at God nor envy them c. This should be enough to engage the people of God to take heed to their Spirits in this thing and indeed we had need watch for we shall find our Souls under very great temptations in the case and that it is a very hard thing for a good man to look with a good Eye upon the prosperity of wicked men 2. But I shall shew you that it is a sin which receiveth more than ordinary aggravations 1. As first it is against the express letter of the Divine Law 1 Kings 11.9 10. It is said that the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other Gods God hath commanded us concerning this thing this particular thing and hath been pleased to make it the matter of a precept many times repeated If God had commanded us some great thing should we not have obeyed him in it How much more in the forbearing of a little Iust or passion It is not concluded a sin meerly from consequence of Scripture or to be concluded from some precepts that are laid down there it is the express letter of Scripture he that runs may read the will of God concerning this 2. Again by how much the more precepts are violated by any sinful action by so much the sin is greater you have heard this is a Sin against both Tables a sin against the duty which we owe unto God and the duty which we owe to our Neighbour that which we are forbidden in many Scriptures those so plain that he who runs may read them 3. Again Some sins are in their own nature more heinous than others amongst others the sin of Murther is a very great transgression Solomon saith Prov. 6.32 Men do not despise a thief if he stealeth to satisfy his Soul when he is hungry but v. 32. whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he doth injury to his neighbour of an higher nature But now Murther that is an higher transgression St. John tells us no Murtherer hath eternal life Our Saviour reduceth Anger and Envy under the commandment Thou shalt not kill and makes him that is angry with his Brother without a cause no less than a Murtherer 4. Further yet a sin that breaketh out at the lips in sinful words or in the conversation by irregular actions is greater than that which is only in the heart defiling that Now it is a very hard thing for men to keep the fire of anger and envy within the chimney of their corrupt hearts Even the best men have not been able to keep it in 5. Finally by how much any sin is more the mother of Sin and brings forth more sins by so much the greater it is This fretting and envying at the prosperity of sinners besides the discontent and impatience of the Spirit which constantly attendeth it bringeth forth a world of sin at our lips and in our conversation reviling speeches detracting words spightful thoughts words and actions c. 2. Again this sin receiveth an aggravation from the persons offending In that Text 1 Kings 11.4 9. I observe two aggravations of Solomons sin of Apostacy The first that he did it when he was old so had he great experiences of God v. 9. there 's another expression it was after God had appeared to him twice for men that know not God nor have had any experience of his ways to fret and vex that others have more of the world than they have is not such a guilt as for the people of God to do it They are called the Children of Light and that not only in respect of grace and mercy which may be compared to light of which they are Children but with respect to knowledg they are a people who know better things than others and should know the riches the honours all the good things of the world are not worth valuing now for you after that you have been thus far enlightened still to be so enamoured upon them as to fret vex and be envious because others have more of them than you have must be a great transgression Especially to consider that you are the Children of God hears of grace yea and of glory too Thus I remember the Father of the Prodigal rebuked his Son fretting for the fatted Calf slain for his Brother Son saith he remember thou art always with me and all that I have is thine for those whom God hath made the heirs of grace and glory the heirs of the Kingdom to whom God hath said All that I have is thine I say for these to fret vex and repine that wicked men prosper in this world and have a little of this worlds goods must be a great provocation And to this there are not many of Gods people but in one degree or other have had an experience of the incertainty and vanity of all these things enough to depretiate them and render them invaluable to any good and gracious heart Further yet what doth any man get by fretting vexing or being envious at the prosperity of sinners as our Saviour said of thought-fulness none can by thinking add one cubit to his stature So I may say none by fretting vexing or envy can either detract a cubit from the stature of a sinner in prosperity nor add a cubit to his own it is a sin that can end in nothing but murmurings and repinings against God in tormenting and macerating of our selves and in the discomposure of our Spirits To shut up this discourse by how much any sin is more causeless by so much the greater it is there is neither so much good in the highest prosperity a sinner is capable of nor so much evil in the lowest and most afflicted estate of the people of God as to give a reasonable ground or occasion for a Child of God to give himself the disturbance so much as of one hour or to wile his
meek of the earth it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Ten righteous persons would have saved Sodom Besides evil times being usually times of suffering as to the people of God it is unquestionably their great concern to take heed that they suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 3.14 If you be reproached for the name of Christ saith the Apostle happy are you for the Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you On their parts he is evil spoken of but on your parts he is glorified but let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as an evil doer c. We ordinarily call suffering-times evil times now it is the great wisdom of a Christian to make the best of the worst of times that they may suffer with comfort and not lose their Crown in suffering there is no such way to secure this as to suffer in and for doing of our duty Again there is no such way as this to convince or condemn Adversaries who are the Instruments of evil towards you It is our duty as much as may be so to live as to reconcile the world to the ways of God at least so to live as if we cannot win and gain them yet we may shame and condemn them This you shall find the Apostle did who lived in the first and most furious times 1 Pet. 2.13 Having your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak evil of you as evil doers they may behold your good works and glorifie God in the day of their visitation As there is an error of Opinion and an error of Practice so there is a double way of conviction The first is by Argument as Paul convinced the Jews Acts 18.28 The second is by a contrary Practice The first reacheth the Judgment the second the Conscience Joh. 8.9 They who heard Christ were convicted by their Consciences If by doing good thou doest not convince sinners and reform them thou wilt most certainly condemn them Heb. 11.7 Noah condemned the old world Further yet by this means thou shalt have peace within In the world saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 16. you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace we are sure enough in and from the world to meet with trouble it is our great concern to secure our peace within now there is no other way to secure this but to keep a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men If a man hath a troublesome Neighbour if yet he hath a quiet Wife he will do well enough he hath peace at home If he lives in wicked and disturbed times yet if he hath a quiet indisturbed Conscience this is something and he will the better graple with his other troubles I say this is the way for a man to keep a quiet Conscience to depart from evil and to do that which is good Finally thus a Christian shall evidence his Faith in God's rewarding him for that man who in an evil day doth evil or neglecteth to do good cannot be said regularly to trust in God because he useth not the means in the use of which he may expect Gods fulfilling his Promise Take heed saith the Apostle that there be not in any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God All departing from the living God in an evil day is a certain sign of unbelief or distrust in God as to the issues of his Providence Let me therefore beseech you that fear God and are brought under such a dispensation of this to take care as to this Let not the evil of others be a temptation to you to omit doing good I will yet further open it in a few particulars 1. Be sure you keep close with God in the duties of his Worship It is a sad thing for a state of affliction to drive a man from God God chasteneth his people to make them better In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5.13 'T is very sad when affliction hath a quite contrary effect upon us when as the Scripture speaks of Ahaz when he was afflicted he did more wickedly So God hath reason to say of any person This is that person who when he was in affliction left prayer reading hearing left his closet-walking with God c. It is a mark of an ill Servant not dutiful Son when he is beaten for his faults not to ask his Fathers blessing but to run out of his doors 2. Be not ashamed nor afraid to appear for the interest of God in evil times St. Paul in the worst of times was not ashamed of the Gospel Our Lord speaketh dreadfully in this case when he telleth us that he who is ashamed of him before men of him he will be ashamed when he cometh with his Angels This is a particular Service every good Christian oweth unto God not to be ashamed of the cause and interest of God in an evil time own thy self a Servant of God when his Name is most blasphemed his truths and ways most disparaged his people most exposed 3. Perform all that duty which thou owest to the worst of men It is a woful error for any Christian to think that he can do no wrong to wicked and ungodly men as if they had no civil rights doubtless the Apostle spake chiefly with relation to Heathens when he commanded the Romans that were Christians to give unto all their dues honour to whom honour c. 4. Do good to them that hate and persecute thee bless them that curse thee It is our Saviours lesson Mat. 5.44 I remember God gave his people a charge Jer. 29.7 To seek the peace of that City whither they were carried captive and to pray unto the Lord for it It was an evil time when they were in Captivity and the Babylonians were very evil persons yet God commandeth his people to pray for them and to seek their peace Let them curse but bless you let them persecute but do you pray Thus David did for his Enemies when they were sick he humbled himself with fasting and with mourning as for his Brother he tells you he lost nothing by it his prayer returned into his own bosom 5. Take heed finally of using any unlawful means to be rid of the evil that is upon you This is a temptation will much molest us in an evil time and to which all our hearts are too too prone this is a pecular evil which a child of God in such a time should study and make it his business to depart from but I shall have occasion to speak more to this under the next head of Duty upon which I shall enlarge as it is contrary to the duty of Patience and the fruit of a Soul making too much haste But I know this is an hard saying we have many temptations to the contrary for a man to do good to others when they are doing evil to and against him this