Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A60146
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Resignation to the divine good pleasure in every condition recommended as the duty and happiness of every good man in a sermon from 2 Sam. XV, 26.
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Shower, John, 1657-1715.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing S3682; ESTC R10146
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17,860
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35
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RESIGNATION TO THE Divine Good Pleasure In every condition RECOMMENDED AS THE DUTY and HAPPINESS OF Every Good Man IN A SERMON From 2 SAM XV. 26. LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey over-against the Stocks-Market 1684. A Letter from the Author of the following Sermon to his Friend concerning it SIR I Have herewith sent you the Sermon you desired and wish it may contribute any thing to promote that Resignation to the Will of God wherein so much of our Duty and present Happiness consists Nothing but the seasonableness of the Subject can be a sufficient motive to make it publick And while we live in a troublesome and sinful World and in an Age of Changes it must needs be seasonable Could we meet all Events with a prepared mind which this Resignation will assist us to do we might find a more easie passage through the miseries of this life to the blessedness of another than most men do It would establish us against all our fears and fix us under all Changes and give us inward peace in despite of the World It would compose our Spirits and quiet our thoughts under the vicisitudes of human Affairs It might be our Refuge in a Storm our ease in trouble our light in darkness and give us Manna in a Wilderness and Food in a Defart It would be an Helmet against the approach of Evil and afford us consolation under actual sufferings Yea 't would furnish us with the truest satisfaction when we prosper in the World We may then be assured that what seemeth good is really so was designed for our good by the Divine care and conduceth to it by the guidance of his infallible counsel If you think the following Sermon may be of any use to such excellent purposes I pray God accompany it with his blessing I kiss your Hand and remain Sir Your Affectionate Friend and Humble Servant SHOWER Resignation to the Divine good pleasure in every condition 2 SAM XV. 26. But if he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here I am let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him THE particular occasion of these words was the fears and distress of David by Absalom's Rebellion an account whereof we have in the preceding Verses Ver. â— It came to pass after Forty years that Absalom who by various Artifices had gain'd the hearts of the people begs leave of his Father to go to Hebron for which he pretends Religion and a Vow to the Lord as the ground of his Request and the Reason of his departure The most probable computation of these Forty years is from the time when the Israelites first desired a King David had now reigned Seven and Thirty years to which if we add the Three years of Saul's Reign viz. one with Samuel and Two alone it answers to that number With his father's consent he goes to Hebron about Sixteen Miles from Jerusalem Ver. 10. the place of his own Nativity and the Metropolis of Juda The Father there began his Reign and the Son designs there to begin his Rebellion Two hundred of David's Houshold are perswaded to follow him thither in the simplicity of their hearts Their absence from his Father might weaken his Party and their presence with Absalom gain credit with the people That 't was by the King's Commission and Order he should assume the Government The subtilty of Achitophel assisted very much to the contrivance and management of this and other Policies to the same purpose Ver. 12. The Conspiracy begins to be strong and the number of Voluntiers doth every day encrease The love of novelty and change with the Caresses of an handsome young Prince and some contempt of David's Age engag'd divers of the people to joyn in that Treason which an undutiful Son and a disloyal Statesman had before contriv'd and hatcht David being quickly inform'd of Absalom's design and the strength of his growing Party Ver. 14. resolves to retreat from Jerusalem to prepare for resistance and prevent a threatned Ruine Ittai a Foreigner with many of his own Subjects and most of his Domestick Servants testifie their love and duty by tears and lamentations Ver. 17 18 and accompany him over the Brook Kidron towards the way of the Wilderness between Jerusalem and Jerico Zadock and Abiathar the Priests are desired by the King to return back to the City with the Ark of God being loath to hazard that and those who attended it or supposing they could do him more service by tarrying at Jerusalem tho 't is most probable the removal of the Ark from thence was not a fault as some imagine because at that time it was not fixt to a certain place as afterwards But whatever were the Reason he desires the Ark might be carried back For saith he if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again Ver. 25. and I shall see both it and his holy habitation But if the Lord should say I have no delight in thee Behold here I am let him do to me what seemeth good unto him He wholly refers himself to the issue of Divine Providence professing his readiness to comply with the Will of God whatsoever the event shall declare it to be Now that David's Example may be a president to us for a calm submission to the Divine good pleasure amidst the many casualties of human life and our frequent disappointment thereby I shall endeavour to show from these Words 1. What is necessary to this Resignation of our selves in every thing to the Will of God 2. What abundant Reason we have thus to refer our selves to God's dispose 3. The advantages and benefits of doing so 4. Improve it by some Inferences of Truth and Duty which this Subject may suggest for our instruction and practice 1. What is requisite to this intire Resignation of our selves to the Will of God And there are some things necessary in reference to God others which regard our selves and other things which relate to the affairs of this present life wherewith we shall have some concern during our abode on earth 1. In relation to God 't is requisite 1. That we firmly believe his Being and Providence We ought to be convinc't and satisfied that there is a gracious Creator and wise Governour of all things in whose hands we are and within the compass of whose care and providence are all his Works That all the powers and abilities of Creatures are from him that they execute his will perform his pleasure and are the instruments of his Decrees and that it being his part to manage and direct 't is ours to submit and acquiesce in his Government and adore his Will If we believe that his order or permission be concerned in every event what should follow but a devotion of all to his choice with an hearty well-pleasedness in the rank and station wherein God shall place us An infinite God
than the measure of his judgment For one cross we have many blessings Have you not the Love of God the Testimony of a good Conscience the Influence of the Holy Spirit the Ministry of Angels the Promises of the Gospel and the Hopes of Glory These you have kept or might have kept notwithstanding all your afflictions After such reflections as these can we reasonably suppose that there will ever be any just ground of dissatisfaction in God's disposal Ever any reason for us to quarrel with his Providences and be displeased with what he doth He hath done us good and not evil all our days hitherto and are we loth to be guided by so Gracious a Father Are we unwilling to be disposed of by so good a God 2. We ought in duty to resign to his will if he had not thus oblig'd us by his benefits because we are his Creatures and owe him subjection and because by our many sins we deserve his wrath He hath an undoubted right to order us by his Providence as well as govern us by his Law And 't is a vile contempt of the Authority and Wisdom of our Absolute Soveraign to dispute his will We cannot suffer any evil of affliction but what is of his sending Poverty as well as Riches is his gift The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken blessed be his holy name Job 1.21 Prov. 22.2 Psal 39.8 1 Sam 3.17 The rich and the poor meet together the Lord is maker of them both I was dumb and open'd not my mouth because thou O Lord didst it saith David It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good unto him saith Eli. We owe obedience to all the instances of his declared will And when we see his hand at the bottom of the Warrant silent submission becomes us as we are his creatures especially considering that we have provok'd him and deserv'd his Wrath that all the good we receive is undeserved but none of the evil we suffer is so We cannot challenge his favour or merit his love and therefore should be thankful for every mercy We cannot but confess that we deserve his judgments and therefore should humbly submit to every Affliction Shall we not bear the indignation of the Lord Mic. 7.9 Lev. 26.41 Ezra 9.13 having sinn'd against him Shall we not accept the punishment of our iniquities especially when 't is less than our sins deserve Hath God removed any one comfort we did not forfeit Doth he inflict any one calamity we did not merit And ought we not with thankfulness to acknowledg his mercy and with intire submission resign unto his good pleasure 3. Upon the account of Interest We are not only obliged to this Resignation of our selves to the Will of God in duty to him but for our own Interest and Convenience Because 1. God knows better what is good for us than we can possibly do our selves 2. Because having resign'd all to his Will the worst that can befall us will be really for our good 1. God knows better what is good for us than we can possibly do our selves We think that to be evil which God brings about for good From the finiteness of our Nature and the feebleness of our Reason we can't view the full circuit of his Providence or discern the gracious design in every dispensation which he infallibly carries on and will at length discover We have nevertheless the highest Reason to adore his Will and hold the general conclusion that whatever he doth is best Eccl. 3.11 and 't will be beautiful in its season 'T is therefore our Interest to refer our selves to him Eccl. 6.12 For man knoweth not what is good for himself in this life God like a wise Physitian may consult our health when he doth not gratifie and please our Palates He may deny us in some particulars to grant us in others which will be more for our advantage He may contradict our designs and wishes to secure our greater good How many men who have waited for a Wind and miss'd it have fretted and disquieted themselves for being occasionally absent when the Ship set Sail who soon after have thank't the Providence of God for preserving their lives by so cross an accident when they heard that the Ship perisht in the Voyage and all the men were drown'd We know not how much God may be befriending us when we think he acts like an enemy As he gives us many things by his Providence for our good which we afterwards find to be so but would not have chosen so he takes away many with the same design which we are loth to part with God may take away one blessing which we prize to substitute another in the room of it that is much superior So that were we offer'd our choice what we would have we could not do wiser than to put the choice to him again and desire him to chuse for us For we behold not the series of good or evil consequences which would follow upon our Wishes if they should be granted That may be good on a naked prospect which a series of depending events may turn to evil And so on the contrary But God who holdeth the Chain of all Causes in his view seeth what reference one part hath to another and so orders all as may best attain his great design and our truest interest Jacob understood not till afterwards that the loss of Joseph was the means of his advancement to the Throne of Egypt and the preservation of his Family in a Famine the intended issue His Brethren sold him for a Slave that he might not become their Master And by that very means it came to pass that their sheaves bowed down to his according to his dream We only take notice of what is good at present but know not what would be so for the remainder of our lives but God can order things so as to be for our greater and more lasting good And hereafter we shall find that what now afflicts us was a real kindness and advantage Even those barren Women in Jerusalem who long'd to become joyful Mothers and for want of children would not be comforted when Titus sack't the City and the Inhabitants were destroyed by Fire Sword Famine and all sorts of Calamities they then found the words of our Saviour to be true Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bare and the paps that never gave suck Besides we know not what is best for us as we stand related to others and in reference to the publick The publick good of Mankind may be promoted by our private inconvenience and loss and of that God is the best Judg. We are troubled at the frustration of our endeavours and hopes as to some instances when that disappointment may conduce to the publick advantage because we should but have got into the room and place of our betters who are of greater use and service to the common Interest of Christianity