a rod and how formal earthly dead and vain will his heart grow And such a temper presages affliction to them that are beloved of the Lord as really as the giving or sweating of the stones doth rain Lastly The ordering and disposing of the next causes into a posture and preparation for our trouble plainly premonisheth us that trouble is at the door Thus when the symptoms of sickness begin to appear upon our own bodies the wiâ—e of our bosome or our children that are as our own souls Providence herein awakens our expectations of death and doleful separations so when enemies combine together and plot the ruine of our liberties estates or lives and God seemeth to loose the bridle of restraint upon their necks now we cannot but be alarmed with the near approach of troubles especially when at the same time our conscience shall reflect upon the abuse and non-improvement of these our threatned comforts The case before us supposeth that these premonitions and fore-runners of affliction do usually very much disturb the order and break the peace of our souls they put the mind under great discomposure the thoughts under much distraction and the affections into tumults and rebellion Ah how unwilling are we to surrender to the Lord the Loan which he lent us to be disquieted by troubles when at ease in our enjoyments How unwelcome are the messengers of affliction to the best men we are ready to say to them as the Widow to Elijah What have I to do with thee O man O messenger of God art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my Son 1 King 17. 18. And this ariseth partly from the remains of corruption in the best souls for though every sanctified person is come by his own consent into the Kingdom and under the government and Scepter of Christ and every thought of his heart de jure and of right must be subjected to him 2 Cor. 10. 5. yet de facto the conquest and power of grace is but incompleat and in part and natural corruption like Jerobâ—am with his vain men riseth up against it and â—auseth many mutinies in the soul whil'st grace like young Abijah is weak handed and cannot resist them And partly from the advantage Satan makes upon the season to irritate and assist our corruptâ—ons he knows that which is already in motion is the more easily moved In this confusion and hurry of thoughts he undiscernedly shuffles in his temptations Sometimes aggravating the evils which we fear with all the sinking and overwhelming circumstances imaginable Sometimes divining and fore-casting such events and evils as haply never fall out Sometimes repining at the disposes of God as more severe to us than others And sometimes reflecting with very unbelieving and unworthy thoughts upon the promises of God and his faithfulness in them by all which the affliction is made to sink deep into the soul before it actually comes The thoughts are so disordered that duty cannot be duly performed And the soul is really weakned and disabled to bear its tryal when it comes indeed just as if a man should be kept waking and restless all the night with the thoughts of his hard journey which he must travel to morrow and so when to morrow is come he faints for want of rest mid-way his journey It is here supposed to be the Christians great duty under the apprehensions of approaching troubles to resign his will to Gods and quietly commit the events and issues of all to him whatever they may prove Thus did David in the like case and circumstances 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. And the King said unto Zadock carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me back again and shew me both it and his habitatJon but if he shall thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him O lovely and truly Christian temper q. d. go Zadock return with the Ark to its place though I have not the symbol yet I hope I shall have the real presence of God with me in this sad journey how he will dispose the events of this sad and doubtful Providence I know not Either I shall return again to Jerusalem or I shall not If I do then I shall see it again and enjoy the Lord in his ordinances there If I do not then I shall go to that place where there is no need or use of those things And either way it will be well for me I am content to refer all to the divine pleasure and commit the issue be it whatever it will be to the Lord. And till our hearts come to the like resolve we can have no peace within Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Prov. 16. 3. By works he means not only every enterprize and business we undertake but every puzzling intricate and doubtful event we fear These being once committed by an act of faith and our wills resigned unto his besides the comfort we shall have in the issue we shall have the present advantage of a well composed and peaceful Spirit But this resignation is the difficulty no doubt of peace could we once bring our hearts to that And therefore I shall here subjoyn such helps and directions as may through Gods blessing in the faithful use of them assist and facilitate this great and difficult work First Help And first Labour to work into your hearts a deep and fixed sense of the infinite wisdom of God and your own folly and ignorance This will make resignation easie to you whatsoever the Lord doth is by counsel Eph. 1. 11. his understanding is infinite Psal. 147. 5. his thoughts are very deep Psal. 92. 5. but as for man yea the wisest among men how little doth his understanding penetrate the works and designs of Providence And how oft are we forced to retract our rash opinions and confess our mistakes acknowledging that if Providence had not seen with better eyes than ours and looked farther than we did we had precipitated our selves into a thousand mischiefs which by its wisdom and care we have escaped It 's well for us that the seven eyes of Providence are ever awake and looking out for our good Now if one creature can and ought to be guided and governed by another that is more wise and skilful than himself as the ClJent by his learned Counsel the PatJent by his skilful PhysicJan much more should every creature give up his weak reason and shallow understanding to the infinite wisdom of the omniscient God It 's nothing but our pride and arrogance over-valuing our own understandings that makes resignation so hard Carnal reason seems to it self a wise disputant about the concerns of the flesh but how often hath Providence baffled it The more humility the more resignation How few of our mercies and comforts have
pattern before it according to which it molded every part as it is Ver. 16. In thy Book were all my members written Hast thou an integral perfection and sulness of members It is because he wrote them all in his Book or limned out thy body according to that exact model which he drew of thee in his own gracious purpose before thou hadst a being Had an eye an ear a hand a foot been wanting in the platform thou hadst now been sadly sensible of the defect this world had been but a dungeon to thee without those windows thou hadst lived as many do an object of pity to others if thou have low thoughts of this mercy ask the blind the deaf the lame and the dumb the value and worth of those mercies and they will tell thee There is a world of cost bestowed upon thy very body Thou mightest have been cast into another mould and created a Worm or a Toad I remember Luther tells us of two Cardinals riding in great pomp to the Council of Constance and by the way they heard a man in the fields bitterly weeping and wailing when they came to him they found him intently viewing an ugly Toad and asking him why he wept so bitterly he told them his heart was melted with this consideration that God had not made him such a loathsome and deformed Creature hoc est quod amarè fleo said he whereupon one of them cryes out Well said the Father Surgunt indocti rapJent Coelum The unlearned will rise and take Heaven and we with all our learning shall be cast into Hell No part of the Common lump was so figured and polisht as man is Galen gave Epicurus an hundred years time to imagine a more commodious scituation configuration or composition of any one member of a humane body And if all the Angels had studied to this day they could not have cast the body of man into a more curious mould And yet all this is but the enamelling of the Case or polishing the Casket wherein the rare Jewel lies Providence hath not only built the house but brought the Inhabitant I mean the soul into the possession of it A glorious piece it is that bears the very Image of God upon it being all in all and all in every part How noble are its Faculties and Affections How nimble various and indesatigable are its Motions How comprehensive is its Capacity It 's a Companion for Angels nay capable oâ— Espousals to Christ and eternal Communion with God It 's the Wonder of Earth and the Envy of Hell Suppose now and why should you not suppose what you so frequently bâ—hold in the world that Providence had so permitted and ordered it that thy soul had entered into thy body with one or two of its faculties wounded and defective Suppose its Vnderstanding had been crackt what a miserable life hadst thou lived in this world neither capable of service nor comfort And truly when I have considered those works of Providence in bringing into the world in all Countreys and Ages some such spectacles of pity some deprived of the use of reason and differing from Beasts in little more than shape and â—igure and others though sound in their understandings yet deformed or defective in their bodies monstrous mishapen and loathsome Creatures I can resolve the design of this Providence into nothing beside a demonstration of his Soveraign power except they be designed as soils to set off the beauty of other rare and exquisite pieces and intended to stand before your eyes as Monitors of Gods mercy to you that your hearts as oft as you beheld them might be mâ—lted into thankfulness for distinguishing favour to you Look then but not proudly upon thy outside and inside see and admire what Providence hath done for thee and how well it hath performed the first service that ever it did for thee in this world And yet this was not all it did for thee before thou sawest this world It preserved thee as well as formed thee in the womb else thou hadst been as those Embryo's Job speaks of Job 3. 11 12. that never saw the light Abortives go for nothing in the world and there are multitudes of them some that never had a reasonable soul breathed into them but only the rudiments and rough draught of a body these come not into the account of men but perish as the Beast doth Others that dye in or shortly after they come out of the Womb and though their life was but for a moment yet that moment entails an Eternity upon them and had this been your case as it is the case of Millions then supposing your salvation yet had you been utterly unserviceable to God in the world None had been the better for you nor you the better for any in the world You had been utterly uncapable of all that good which throughout your life you have either done to others or received from others And if we consider the nature of that obscure life we lived in tho womb how small an accident had it been permitted by Providence had extinguished our life like a Bird in the shell We cannot therefore but admire the tender care of Providence over us and say with the Psalmist Psal. 139. 13. Thou hast covered me in my Mothers womb and not only so but as it is Psal. 22. 9. Thou art he that took me out of my Mothers womb He preserved thee there to the fulness of time and when that time was come brought thee safely through manifold hazards into that place in the world which he from Eternity espied for thee Which leads us to the second performance The Second Performance of Providence II. THe second great performance of Providence for the people of God respects the place and time in which it ordered their Nativity to fall And truly this is no small concernment to every one of us but of vast consequence either to our good or evil though it be little minded by most men I am perswaded the thoughts of â—ew Christians penetrate deep enough into this Providence but slide too slightly and supersicially over an Abysse of much mercy rich and maniâ—old mercy wrapt up in this gracious performance of Providence for them Ah friends can you think it an indifferent thing into what part of the World the womb of Nature had cast you out Is there no odds upon what Spot of the Creation or in what Age of the World your lot had fallen It may be you have not seriously bethought your selves about this matter And because this Point is so seldom toucht I will therefore dive a little more particularly and distinctly into it and endeavour to warm your affections with a representation of the many and rich benefits you owe to this one performance of Providence for you And we will consider it under a double respect or relation as it respects your present comfort in this world and as it relates to your eternal
parents were of the higher or lower Class and rank among men yet if they were such as feared God and wrought righteousness if they took any care to educate you religiously and trained you up in the nurture and admonitJon of the Lord you are bound to reckon it among your chief mercies that you sprung from the loins of such parents for from this Spring a double stream of mercy rises to you 1. Temporal and external mercies to your outward man You cannot but know that as Godliness entails a blessing so wickedness and unrighteousness a curse upon posterity An instance of the former you have in Gen. 17. 18 20. On the contrary you have the threatning Zech. 5. 4. and both together Prov. 3. 33. The Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he Blesseth the habitatJon of the just True it is that both these imply the Childrens treading in the steps of their Parents according to Ezek. 18. but how frequently is it seen that wicked men breed their children vainly and wickedly so that as it 's said of Abijam 1 Kings 15. 3. He walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him and so the curse is entail'd from generation to generation To escape this Curse is a choice Providence 2. But especially take notice what a stream of spiritual blessings and mercies â—lows from this Providence to the Inner man O it 's no common mercy to descend from pious Parents Some of us do not only owe our natural life to them as Instruments of our Beings but our Spiritual and Eternal life also It was no small mercy to Timothy to be descended from such Progenitors 2 Tâ—m 1. 5. nor to Augustine that he had such a Mother as Monica who planted in his mind the precepts of life with her Words watered them with her Tears and nourished them with her Example We will a little more particularly inspect this mercy and in so doing we shall find manifold mercies contained in it 1. What a Mercy was it to us to have Parents that prayed for us before they had us as well as in our Infancy when we could not pray for our selves Thus did Abraham Gen. 15. 2. and Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 10 11. and some here likely are the fruits and returns of their Parents Prayers This was that holy course they continued all their dayes for you carrying all your concerns especially your Eternal ones before the Lord with their own and pouring out their souls to God so affectionately for you when their eye-strings and heart-strings were breaking Oh put a value upon such Mercies for they are precious It 's a greater Mercy to descend from praying Parents than from the loyns of Nobles See Job's pious practice Job 1. 5. 2. What a special Mercy was it to us to have the excrescencies of corruption nipt in the bud by their pious and careful discipline We now understand what a critical and dangerous season Youth is the wonderful proclivity of that Age to every thing that is evil Why else are they called Youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. When David asketh Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way it's plainly enough implyed in the very Question that the way he takes lieth through the pollutions of the world in his youth Psal. 119. 9. When you find a David praying that God would not remember the sins of his youth Psal. 25. 7. and a Job bitterly complaining that God made him to possess the sins of his youth Job 13. 26. Sure you cannot but reflect with a very thankful heart upon those happy means by which the corruption of your nature was happily prevented or restrained in your Youth 3. And how great a Mercy was it that we had Parents who carefully instilled the good knowledge of God into our souls in our tender years How careful was Abraham of this duty Gen. 18. 19. and David 1 Chron. 28. 9. We have some of us had Parents who might say to us as the Apostle Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travail again in birth till Christ be formed in you As they longed for us before they had us and rejoyced in us when they had us so they could not endure to think that when they could have us no more the Devil should As they thought no pains care or cost too much for our bodies to feed them cloath and heal them so did they think no prayers counsels or tears too much for our souls that they might be saved They knew a parting time would come betwixt them and us and did strive to make it as easie and comfortable to them as they could by leaving us in Christ and within the blessed bond of his Covenant They were not glad that we had Health and indifferent whether we had Grace They as sensibly felt the miseries of our souls as of our bodies and nothing was more desirable to them than that they might say in the great day Lord here am I and the Children which thou hast given me 4. And was it not a special Favour to us to have Parents that went before us as Patterns of Holiness and beat the path to Heaven for us by their Examples Who could say to us as Phil. 4. 9. What things ye have heard and seen in me that do and as 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of us as we are of Christ. The Parents life is the Childs copy O 't is no common mercy to have a fair copy set before us especially in the moulding age we saw what they did as well as heard what they said It was Abraham's commendation that he commanded his Children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. And such mercies some of us have had also Ah my friends let me beg you that you will set special remarques upon this Providence which so graciously wrought for you and that your hearts may be more throughly warmed in the sense of it compare your condition with others and seriously bethink your selves 1. How many Children there be among us that are drawn headlong to Hell by their cruel and ungodly Parents who teach them to curse and swear assoon as they can speak Many families there are wherein little other language is heard but what is the Dialect of Hell These like the old logs and small spray are preparing for the fire of Hell where they must burn together Of such Children that Scripture Psal. 49. 19. will one day be verified except they repent They shall go to the generatJon of their fathers where they shall not see light 2. And how many families are there though not so prophane who yet breed up their Children vainly and sensually as Job 21. 11 c. take no care what becomes of their souls so they can but provide for their bodies If they can but teach them to carry their bodies no matter if the Devil act their souls If they can but leave them Lands or Moneys
they think they have very fully discharged their duties O what will the language be wherewith such Parents and Children shall great each other at the Judgement Seat and in Hell for ever 3. And how many be there who are more sober and yet hate the least appearances of Godliness in their Children who instead of cherishing do all that they can to break bruised reeds and quench smoaking â—lax to stifle and strangle the first appearances and offers they make towards Christ Who had rather accompany them to their graves than to Christ doing all that in them lyes Herod like to kill Christ in the Cradle Ah Sirs ye little know what a mercy ye do or have enjoyed in Godly Parents and what a good Lot Providence cast for you in this Concernment of your bodies and souls If any shall say This was not their case they had little help Heaven-ward from their Parents To such I shall only reply three things 1. If you had little furtherance yet own it as a special Providence that you had no hinderance or if you had opposition yet 2. Admire the Grace of God in plucking you out by a wonderful distinguishing hand of mercy from among them and keeping alive the languishing sparks of Grace amidst the floods of opposition 3. And learn from hence if God give you a posterity of your own to be so much the more strict and careful of relational duties by how much you have sensibly felt the want of it in your selves But seeing such a train of blessings both as to this life and that to come follow upon an holy education of Children I will not dismiss the Point till I have discharged my duty in exhorting Parents and Children to their duties And first for you that are Parents or to whom the Education of Children is committed I beseech you mind how concerning a duty lies on you and that I may effectually press it consider 1. How near the Relation is betwixt you and your Children and therefore how much you are concerned in their happiness or misery Consider but the Scripture account of the dearness of such Relations expressed 1. By longings for them as Gen. 15. 2. Gen. 30. 1. and 2. By our joy when we have them as Christ expresses it John 16. 21. 3. The high value set on them Gen. 42. 38. 4. The sympathie with them in all their troubles Mark 9. 22. and 5. By our sorrow at parting Gen. 37. 35. Now shall all this be to no purpose For to what purpose do we desire them before we have them rejoice in them when we have them value them so highly sympathize with them so tenderly grieve for their death so excessively if in the mean time no care be taken what shall become of them to Eternity 2. How God hath charged you with their souls as well as bodies and this appears by two sorts of Precepts 1. Precepts directly laid upon you Deut. 6. 6 7. and Eph. 6. 4. 2. By Precepts laid on them to obey you Eph. 6. 1. which plainly implies your duty as well as expresses theirs 3. What shall comfort you at the parting time if they dye through your neglect in a Christless condition Oh this is the cutting consideration My Child is in Hell and I did nothing to prevent it I helped him thither Duty discharged is the only root of comfort in that day 4. If you neglect to instruct them in the way of Holiness will the Devil neglect to instruct them in the way of Wickedness No no if you will not teach them to pray he will to curse swear and lye If ground be uncultivated weeds will spring 5. If the season of their youth be neglected how little probability is there of any good fruit afterwards that is the Moulding age Prov. 22. 6. How few are converted in old age A twig is brought to any form but grown limbs will not bow 6. You are instrumental causes of all their spiritual misery and that 1. By generatJon 2. ImitatJon they lye spiritually dead of the Plague which you brought home among them Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive or warm me 7. There 's none in the World so likely as you to be Instruments of their Eternal good You have peculiar advantages that none other hath as 1. The interest you have in their affections 2. Your opportunities to instil the knowledge of Christ into them being daily with them Deut. 6. 7. 3. Your knowledge of their tempers if therefore you neglect who shall help them 8. The consideration of the great day shoâ—â—d move your bowels of pity for them O remember that Text Rev. 20. 12 c. I saw the dead small and great stand before God What a sad thing will it be to see your dear Children at Christs left hand O friends do your utmost to prevent this misery Knowing the terrors of the Lord we perswade men And you Children especially you that sprang from religious Parents I beseech you obey their Counsels and tread in the steps of their pious Examples To press this I offer these Consideration 1. Your disobedience to them is a resisting of Gods Authority Ephes. 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord there 's the Command your rebellion therefore runs higher than you think It is not Man but God that you disobey and for your disobedience God will punish you It may be their tenderness will not suffer them or you are grown beyond their correction all they can do is to complain to God and if so he will handle you more severely than they could do 2. Your Sin is greater than the Sin of young Heathens and Infidels and so will your Account be also O better if a wicked Child that thou hadst been the off-spring of Salvage IndJans nay of Beasts than of such Parents So many Counsels disobeyed Hopes and Prayers frustrated will turn to sad aggravations 3. It 's usual with God to retaliate mens disobedience to their Parents in kind Commonly our own Children shall pay us home for it I have read in a grave Author of a wicked Wretch that drag'd his Father along the house the Father begg'd him not to draw him beyond such a place for said he I drag'd my Father no farther O the sad but just retributions of God! And for you in whose hearts Grace hath been planted by the blessing of Education I beseech you to admire Gods goodness to you in this Providence Oh what an happy Lot hath God cast for you How few Children are partakers of your mercies See that you honour such Parents the tie is double upon you so to do Be you the joy of their hearts and comfort of their lives if living if not yet still remember the mercy while you live and tread in their pious path that you and they may both rejoice together in the great day and bless God for each other to all Eternity The Fourth
at his desire I came that morning and found him in a most serious frame I prayed with him and then the wound in his stomach was opened but by this time the Ventricle it self was swoln out of the orifice of the wound and lay like a livid discoloured Tripe upon his body and was also cut through so that all concluded it was impossible for him to live however they stitcht the wound in the stomach enlarged thâ— Orifice and somented it and wrought it again into his body and so stitching up the skin left him to the dispose of Providence But so it was that both the deep wound in his throat and this in his stomach healed and the more dangerous wound sin had made upon his soul was I trust effectually healed also I spent many hours with him in that sickness and after his return home received this account from Mr. Samuel Hardy a Minister in that Town Part whereof I shall transcribe Dear Sir I Was much troubled at the sad Providence in your Town but did much rejoice that he fell into such hands for his body and soul. You have taken much pains with him and I hope to good purpose I think if ever a great and through work were done such a way it is now and if never the like I am perswaded now it is Never grow weary of such good works One such Instance is methinks enough to make you to abound in the work of the Lord all your dayes c. O how unsearchable are the wayes of Providence in leading men to Christ Let none be encouraged by this to sin that grace may abound These are rare and singular Instances of the mercy of God and such as no presumptuous sinner can expect to find It 's only recited here to the honour of Providence which works for the recovery of sinners in wayes that we understand not O what a fetch hath Providence beyond our Understandings And as it orders very strange occasions to awaken and rouse souls at first so it works no less wonderfully in carrying on the work to perfection and this it doth two wayes 1. By quickning and reviving dying convictions and troubles for sin Souls after their first awakening are apt to lose the sense and impression of their first troubles for sin but Providence is vigilant to prevent it and doth effectually prevent it sometimes by directing the Minister to some discourse or passage that shall fall as pat as if the case of such a person had been studied by him and designedly spoken to How often have I found this in the cases of many souls who have professed they have stood amazed to hear the very thoughts of their hearts discovered by the Preacher who knew nothing of them Sometimes by directing them to some proper rousing Scripture that suites their present case And sometimes by suffering them to fall into some new sin which shall awaken all their former troubles again and put a new efficacy and activity into the Conscience The world is full of Instances in all these cases and because most Christians have experience of these things in themselves it will be needless to recite them here Search but a few years back and you may remember that according to this Account at least in some particulars Providence ordered the matter with you Have you not found some rod or other prepared by Providence to rouze you out of your security Why this is so common a thing with Christians that they many times presage an affliction coming from the frames they find their own hearts in 2. It gives also great assistance to the work of the Spirit upon the soul by ordering supporting relieving and cheering means to prop up and comfort the soul when it is over-burthened and ready to sink in the deeps of troubles I remember Mr. Bolton gives us one Instance which fits both these cases the reviving of convictJons and seasonable supports in the deeps of troubles And it is of a person that by convictions had been fetcht off from his wicked companions and entered into a reformed course of life but after this through the inticement of his old companions the subtilty of Satan and corruption of his own heart did again relapse into the wayes of sin Then was Providentially brought to his view that Scripture Prov. 1. 24 25 26 c. this renewed his trouble yea aggravated it to a greater height than ever insomuch that he could scarcely think as it seems by the relation his sin could be pardoned But in this plunge that Text Luke 17. 4. was presented to him which sweetly setled him in a sure and glorious peace Nor can we here forget that miraculous work of Providence in a time of great extremity which was wrought for that good Gentlewoman Mrs. Honeywood and is somewhere mentioned by the same Author who under a deep and sad desertion refused and put off all comfort seeming to despair utterly of the grace and mercy of God A worthy Minister being one day with her and reasoning against her desperate conclusions she took a Venice-glass from the Table and said Sir I am as sure to be damned as this glass is to be broken and therewith threw it forcibly to the ground but to the astonishment of both the glass remained whole and sound which the Minister taking up with admiration rebuked her presumption and shewed her what a wonder Providence had wrought for her satisfaction and it greatly altered the temper of her mind O how unsearchable are his wayes and his paths past finding out Lo these are part of his wayes but how small a portion do we know of him ANd now suffer me to expostulate a little with thy soul Reader hast thou been duly sensible of thy obligation to Providence for this inestimable favour O what hath it done for thee there are divers kinds of mercies conveyed to men by the hand of Providence but none like this in all the Treasury of its benefits none is found like this Did it cast thee into the way of Conversion and order the means and occasions of it for thee when thou little thoughtest of any such thing How dear and sweet should the remembrance of it be to thy soul Methinks it should astonish and melt you every time you reflect upon it Such Mercies should never grow stale or look like common things to you for do but seriously consider the following particulars How surprizing the mercy was which it performed for you in that day Providence had a design upon you for your eternal good which you understood not The time of mercy was now fully come the Decree was now ready to bring forth that mercy with which it had gone big from Eternity and its gracious design must be executed by the hand of Providence so far as concerned the external means and instruments and how aptly did it cause all things to fall in with that design though you knew not the meaning of it Look over all the before
mentioned Examples and you shall see the blessed work of Conversion begun upon those souls when they minded it no more than Saul did a Kingdom that morning he went out to seek his Fathers Asses 1 Sam 9. 3 20. Providence might truly have said to you in that day as Christ said to Peter John 13. 7. What I do thou knowest not now but hereafter thou shalt know it Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are his thoughts higher than ours and his wayes than our wayes Little did Zacheus think when he climbed up into the Sycamore-tree to see Christ as he passed that way what a design of mercy Christ had upon him who took thence the occasion of becoming both his Guest and SavJour Luke 19. 5 6 7 8. And as little did some of you think what the aim of Providence was when you went some out of custom others out of curiosity if not worse ends to hear such a Sermon O how stupendious are the wayes of God! What a distinguishing and seasonable mercy was usher'd in by Providence in that day It brought you to the means of salvation in a good hour At that very nick of time when the Angel troubled the Waters you were brought to the Pool to allude to that John 5. 4. Now the accepted day was come the Spirit was in the Ordinance or Providence that converted you and you were set in the way of it It may be you had heard many hundred Sermons before but nothing would stick till now because the hour was not come The Lord did as it were call in the Word for such a man such a woman and Providence said Lord here he is I have brought him before thee There were many others under that Sermon that received no such mercy You your selves had heard many before but not to that advantage as it is said Luke 4. 27. There were many Lepers in Israel in the days of Elizeus but to none of them was the Prophet sent save unto Naaman the SyrJan So there were many poor unconverted souls beside you under the Word that day and it may be to none of them was salvation sent that day but to you O blessed Providence that set you in the way of mercy at that time What a weighty and important mercy was Providentially directed to your souls that day There are mercies of all sizes and kinds in the hands of Providence to dispense to the sons of men its left hand is full of blessings as well as its right It hath health and riches honours and pleasures as well as Christ and Salvation to dispense The world is full of its left hand favours but the blessings of its right hand are invaluably precious and few there be that receive them It doth thousands of kind offices for men but among them all this is the chiefest to lead and direct them to Christ. For consider 1. Of all mercies this comes through most and greatest difficulties Eph. 1. 19 20. 2. This is a spiritual mercy excelling in dignity of nature all others more than gold excels the dirt under your feet Rev. 3. 18. One such gift is worth thousands of other mercies 3. This is a mercy immediately slowing out of the fountain of Gods electing love a mercy never dropt into any but an Elect Vessel 1 Thess. 1. 4 5. 4. This is a mercy that infallibly secures Calvation for as we may argue from Conversion to Election looking back so from Conversion to Salvation looking forward Heb. 6. 9. 5. Lastly This is an Eternal mercy that which will stick by you when Father Mother Wife Children Estate Honours Health and Life shall fail thee John 4. 14. O therefore set a special Mark upon that Providence that set you in the way of this mercy It hath performed that for thee which all the Ministers on Earth and Angels in Heaven could never have performed This is a Mercy that puts weight and value into the smallest Circumstance that relates to it The Fifth Performance of Providence V. THus you hear how instrumental Providence hath been in ordering the Means and Occasions of the greatest Mercies for your souls Let us now take into consideration another excellent Performance of Providence respecting the good of your bodies and souls too in respect of that Imployment and Calling it hath ordered for you in this world for it hath not only an Eye upon your well being in the world to come but upon your well being in this world also and that very much depends upon the Station and Vocation to which it calls you Now the Providence of God with respect to our civil Callings may be displayed very takingly in the following particulars In directing you to a Calling in your Youth and not suffering you to live an idle useless and sinful life as many do who are but burthens to the Earth fruges consumere nati the Wens of the body politick serving only to disfigure and drein it to eat what others earn Sin brought in sweat Gen. 3. 19. but now not to sweat increaseth sin 2 Thess. 3. 12. He that lives idly cannot live honestly as is plainly enough intimated 1 Thess. 4. 11 12. But when God puts men into a lawful Calling wherein the labours of their hands or heads is sufficient for them it is a very valuable mercy for thereby they eat their own bread 2 Thess. 3. 12. Many a sad Temptation is happily prevented and they are ordinarily furnished by it for works of mercy to others and surely it is more blessed to give than to receive In ordering you to such Callings and Imployments in the world as are not only lawful in themselves but most suitable to you There be many persons imployed in sinful Trades and Arts meerly to furnish other mens lusts they do not only sin in their Imployments but their very Imployments are sinful they trade for Hell and are Factors for the Devil DemetrJus and the Crafts-men at Ephesus got their Estates by makeing Shrines for DJana Acts 19. 24 25. i. e. little cases or boxes with folding leaves within which the Image of that Idol sate enshrined These were carried about by the People in Procession in honour of their Idol And at this day how many wicked Arts and Imployments are there invented and multitudes of persons maintained by them meerly to gratifie the pride and wantonness of a debauched age Now to have an honest lawful imployment wherein you do not dishonour God in benefiting your selves is no small mercy But if it be not only lawful in it self but suited to your genJus and strength there is a double mercy in it Some poor Creatures are engaged in Callings that eat up their time and strength and make their lives very uncomfortable to them they have not only spending and wasting Imployments in the world but such as allow them little or no time for their general Calling and yet all this doth but keep them
unto this day with the usefulness and comfort thereof Look abroad in the world and you may daily see some in every place who are Objects of pity bereaved by sad accidents of all the comforts of life whilst in the mean time Providence hath tenderly preserved you keeping all your bones so that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. Is not the Elegant and Comely Structure of thy Body spoiled thy members dâ—storted or made so many seats of Torment the usefulness of any part deprived why this is because Providence never quitted its hand of thee since thou camest out of the womb but with a watchful eye and tender hand hath guarded thee in every place and kept thee as its charge 2. Consider how every member which hath been so tenderly kept hath nevertheless been an Instrument of sin against the Lord and that not only in the dayes of your unregeneracy when ye yJelded your members as Instruments of unrighteousâ—ess unto sin as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 6. 13. but even since you gave them up in Covenant unto the Lord as dedicated Instruments to his service and yet how tender hath Providence been over them You have often provoked him to afflict you in every part and lay penal evil upon every member that hath been instrumental in moral evil but O how great have his compassions been towards you and his patience admirable 3. Consider what is the aim of Providence in all the tender care it hath manifested for you why doth it protect you so assiduously and suffer no evil to befall you Is it not that you should imploy your bodies for God and cheerfully apply your selves to that service he hath called you to Doubtless this is the end and level of these mercies for else to what purpose are they afforded you Your bodies are a part of Christs purchase as well as your souls 1 Cor. 6. 19. They are committed to the charge and Tutelage of Angels Heb. 1. 14. who have performed many services for them They are dedicated by your selves to the Lord and that upon the highest account Rom. 12. 1. They have already been the subjects of manifold mercies in this world Psal. 35. 10. and shall partake of singulaâ— glory and happiness in the world to come Phil. 3. 21. And shall they not then be employed yea cheerfully worn out in his service How reasonable is it they should be so Why are they so tenderly preserved by God if they must not be used for God The Tenth Performance of Providence X. YOu have heard many and great things performeâ— for you by Divine Providence in the former particulars but there is an eminent favour it bestows on the Saints which hath not yet been considered and indeed is too little minded by us and that is The Aid and assistance it gives the people of God in the great work of MortificatJon Mortification of our sinful affections and passions is the one half of our Sanctification Rom. 6. 11. dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God It 's the great Evidence of our Interest in Christ. See Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 6. 5 6 7 8 9. It 's our safety in the hour of Temptation The corruptions in the world are through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. Our Instrumental fitness for service depends much upon it 2 Tim. 2. 21. John 15. 2. How great a service to our souls therefore must that be by which this blessed work is carried on upon them Now there are two Means or Instruments imployed in this work The Spirit who effects it internally Rom. 8. 13. And Providence which assists it externally The Spirit indeed is the principal Agent upon whose operation the success of this work depends and all the Providences in the world can never effect it without him But these are secondary and subordinate means which by the blessing of the Spirit upon them have a great stroke in the work How they are so serviceable to this end and purpose I shall open in the following account 1. More generally The most wise God orders the dispensations of Providence in a blessed subordination to the work of his Spirit There is a sweet harmony betwixt them in their distinct workings They all meet in that one blessed issue which God hath by the counsel of his Will directed them to Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 8. 28. Hence it is that the Spirit is said to be in and order the motions of the wheels of Providence Ezek. 1. 20. and so they move together by consent Now one great part of the Spirit 's internal work being to destroy sin in the people of God see how conformable to his design external Providences are steer'd and order'd in the following particulars 1. There is in all the regenerate a strong propension and inclination to sin and in that lyes a principal part of the power of sin Of this Paul sadly complains Rom. 7. 23. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members and every believer daily â—inds it to his grief O 't is hard 't is hard to forbear those things that grieve God God hath made an hedge about us and fenced us against sin by his Laws but there is a proneness in nature to break over the hedge and that against the very reluctations of the Spirit of God in us Now see in this case the concurrence and assistance of Providence for the prevention of sin look as the Spirit internally resists those sinful inclinations so Providence externally layes barrs and blocks in our way to hinder and prevent sin and this is the meaning of those places lately cited Hosea 2. 6. 2 Cor. 12. 7. So Job 33. 17 18 19. There is many a bodily distemper inflicted on this very score to be a clog to prevent sin Oh bear them patiently upon this consideration Basil was â—orely grieved with an inveterate head-ach he earnestly prayes it might be removed God removed it but no sooner was he freed of this clog but he felt the inordinate motions of lust which made him pray for his head-ach again So it might be with many of us if our clogs were off A Question may be moved here Whether it be the genJus and property of a gracJous spirit to forbear sin because of the rod of afflictJon They have surely higher motives and nobler principles than these This is the temper of a carnal and slavish spirit Indeed it is so when this is the sole or principal restraint from sin when a man abhorrs not sin because of the intrinsick â—ilth but only because of the troublesome consequents and effects But this is vastly different from the case of the Saints under sanctified afflictions for as they have highâ—r motives and nobler principles so they have lower and more sensible ones too and these are in their kind and place very useful to them 2. Besides you must know
I will cry unto God most high to God who performeth the things he hath promised for me Now though I see no reason to limit the sense so narrowly yet it cannot be denyed but this is an especial part of its intendment Let us therefore in all our reviews of Providence consider what word of God whether it be of threatning caution counsel or promise is at any time made good to us by his Providences And hereby a twofold excellent advantage will result to us 1. This will greatly confirm to us the truth of the Scripture when we shall see its truth so manifest in the events Certainly had Scripture no other seal or attestation this alone would be an unanswerable Argument of its divinity When men shall find in all ages the works of God wrought so exactly according to this model that we may say As we have read or heard so have we seen O how great a conâ—irmation is here before our eyes 2. This will abundantly direct and instruct us in our present duties under all Providences We shall know hereby what we have to do and how to carry our selves under all changes of conditions You can learn the voice and â—rrand of the rod only from the Word Psal. 94. 12. The Word interprets the works of God Providences in themselves are not a perfect guide They often puzzle and entangle our thoughts but bring them to the Word and your duty will be quickly manifested as Psal. 73. 16 17. Vntil I went into the Sanctuary then I understood their end and not only their end but his own duty to be quiet in an afflicted condition and not envy their prosperity Well then bring those Providences you have past through or are now under to the Word and you will find your selves surrounded with a marvellous light and see the verification of the Scriptures in them I shall therefore here appeal to your consciences whether you have not found these Events of Providence falling out agreeably in all respects with the Word The Word tells you that it is your Wisdom and Interest to keep close to its rules and the duties it prescribes that the way of holiness and obedience is the wisest way Deut. 4. 5 6. This is your wisdom Now let the events of Providence speak whether this be true or not Certainly it will appear to be so whether we respect our present comfort or future happiness both which we may see daily exposed by departure from duty and secured by keeping close to it Let the question be asked of the Drunkard Adulterer or prophane Swearer when by sin they have ruined body soul estate and name whether it be their wisdom to walk in those forbidden paths after their own lusts Whether they had not better consulted their own interest and comfort in keeping within the bounds and limits of Gods commands and they cannot but confess that this their way is their folly What fruit saith the Apostle had ye in those things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21. Doth not the Providence of God verifie upon them those threatnings that are written in the experience of all ages Prov. 23. 29. Prov. 23. 21. Prov. 5. 9. Job 31. 12. Prov. 5. 10. all which woes and miseries they escape that walk in Gods Statutes Look upon the ruined estates and bodies you may every where see and behold the truth of the Scriptures evidently made good in those sad Providences The Word tells you that your departure from the way of integrity and simplicity to make use of sinful policies shall never profit you 1 Sam. 12. 21. Prov. 3. 5. Let the Events of Providence speak to this also ask your own experience and you shall have a full confirmation of this truth Did you ever leave the way of simplicity and integrity and use sinful shifts to bring about your own designs and prosper in that way Certainly God hath cursed all the wayes of sin and whoever finds them to thrive with them his people shall not Israel would not rely upon the Lord but trust in the shadow of Egypt and what advantage had they by this sinful policy See Isa. 30. 1 2 3 4 5. David used a great deal of sinful policy to cover his wicked fact but did it prosper See 2 Sam. 12. 12. It is an excellent note of Livy ConsilJa callida primâ specJe lâ—ta tractata dura eventu tristJa Sinful policies in their first appearances are pleasant and promising in their management difficult in their event sad Some by sinful wayes have gotten wealth but that Scripture hath been verified in their experience Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing Either God hath blown upon it by a secret curse that it hath done them no good or given them such disquietness in their consciences that they have been forced to vomit it up e're they could find peace Job 11. 13 14 15. That which David gave in charge to Solomon hath been found experimentally true by thousands 1 Chron. 22. 12 13. That the true way to prosperity is to keep close to the rule of the Word And that the true reason why men cannot prosper is their forsaking that rule 2 Chron. 24. 20. It 's true if God have a purpose to destroy a man he may for a time suffer him to succeed and prosper in his sin for his greater hardening Job 12. 6. But it is not so with those whom the Lord loves their sinful shiâ—ts shall never thrive with them The World prohibits your trust and conâ—idencâ— in the Creature even the greatest and most powerful among Creatures Psal. 14 6. 3. It tells us that 't is better to trust in the Lord than in thâ—m Psal. 118. 8. It forbids our conâ—idence in those Creatures that are most nearly ally'd and related in the bonds of nature to us Micah 7. 5. It curseth the man that gives that relyance to the Creature which is due to God Jer. 17. 5. Consult the Events of Providence in this case and see whether the Word be not verified therein Did you ever lean upon an EgyptJan reed and it did not break under you and pierce as well as deceive you O how often hath this been evident in our experience Whatsoever we have over-loved idolized and leaned upon God hath from time to time broken it and made us to see the vanity of it so that we find the readiest course to be rid of our comforts is to set our hearts inordinately or immoderately upon them for our God is a jealous God and will not part with his glory to another The World is full of examples of persons deprived of their comforts Husbands Wives Children Estates c. upon this account and by this means If Jonah be over-joyed in his Gourd a Worm is presently prepared to smite it Hence it is that so many graves are opened for the burying of our Idols out of our sight If David say My mountain shall
God hath helped 1 Sam. 7. 12. We never found him wanting to us in any case hitherto this â—s not the first strait we have been in the first time that our hearts and hopes have been low Surely he is the same God now as heretofore his hand is not shortned neither doth his faithfulness â—ail O recount in how great extremities former experience hath taught you not to despair The conjectures Christians may make of the way of Providence towards them from what its former methods have been towards them is exceeding quieting and comfortable It 's usual with Christians to compare times with times and to guess at the issue of one Providence by another The Saints do know what course Providence usually holds and accordingly with great probability collect what they may expect from what in like cases they have formerly observed Christian examine thine own heart and its former observations and thou wilt find as Psal. 89. 30 31 32. that it's usually the way of God to prepare some smart rods to correct thee when either thy heart hath secretly revolted from God and is grown vain careless and sensual or when thy steps have declined and thou hast turned aside to the commission of iniquity And then when those rods have been sanctified to humble reduce and purge thy heart it 's usually observed that those sad Providences are then upon the change and then the Lord changes the voice of his Providence towards thee Jer. 3. 12 13. Go and proclaim these words towards the North and say Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity c. If therefore I find the blessed effects of the rod upon me that it hath done its work to break the hard heart and pull down the proud heart and awaken the drowsie heart and quicken the slothful negligent lazy heart now with great probability I may conjecture a more comfortable aspect of Providence will quickly appear the refreshing and reviving time is nigh It is usual with Christians to argue themselves into fresh reviving hopes when the state of things is most forlorn by comparing the Providences of God one with another 1. It is a mighty composing meditation when we compare the Providences of God towards the inanimate and irrational Creatures with his Providences towards us Doth he take care for the very Fowls of the air for whom no man provides as well as those at the door which we daily feed Doth he so clothe the very Grass of the field hear the young Ravens when they cry for meat and can it be supposed he should forget his own people that are of much more value than these 2. Or if we compare the bounty and care that Providence hath expressed to the Enemies of God how it feeds and clothes and protects them even whilst they are fighting against him with his own mercies it cannot but quiet and satisfie us that surely he will not be wanting to that people upon whom he hath set his love to whom he hath given his Son and for whom he hath designed Heaven it self 3. Or Lastly It must needs quiet us when we consider what the Lord did for us in the way of his Providence when we our selves were in the state of nature and enmity against God Did he not then look after us when we knew him not provided for us when we owned him not in any of his mercies bestowed thousands of mercies upon us when we had no title to Christ or any one promise and will he now do less for us since we are reconciled and become his Children Surely such considerations as these cannot but fill the soul with peace and preserve the tranquillity of it under the most distracting Providences The Ninth Motive DVe observations of the wayes of God in his Providences towards us have an excellent usefulness and aptitude to advance and improve Holiness in our hearts and lives For The Holiness of God is manifested to us in all his works of Providence Psal. 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works The Instruments used by Providence may be very sinful wicked they may aim at base ends make use of wicked mediums to attain them but it 's certain Gods designs are most pure and all his workings are so too Though he permits limits orders and over-rules many unholy persons and actions yet in all he works like himself and his Holiness is no more defiled and stained by their impurity than the Sun-beams are by the noisome exhalations of a dunghill Deut. 32. 4. He is the rock his work is perfect for all his wayes are judgement a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he So that in all his Providences he sets before us a perfect pattern of holiness that we might be holy in all our wayes as our Father is in all his wayes But this is not all His Providences if duely observed promote Holiness by stopping up our way to sin Oh if men would but note the designs of God in his preventive Providences how useful would it be to keep them upright and holy in their wayes For why is it that the Lord so often hedges up our way with thorns as it is Hosea 2. 6. but that we should not â—ind our paths to sin Why doth he clogg us but to prevent our straying from him 2 Cor. 12. 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure there was given me a thorn in the slesh a messenger of Satan to buffet me O 't is good to attend to these works of God and study the meaning of them Sometimes Providence crosseth a hopeful thriving project to advance our estate and frustrates all our labours and cares Why is this but to hide pride from man Shouldst thou prosper in the world that prosperity might be thy snare and make thee a proud sensual vain â—oul the Lord Jesus sees this and therefore withdraws the food and fuel from thy corruptions It may be thou hast a crazy diseased weak body thou labourest under often infirmities in this the Wisdom and Care of God over thy soul is manifested for wert thou not so clogged how probable is it that much more guilt might be contracted Your poverty doth but clog your pride reproaches clog your ambition want prevents wantonness sickness of body conduces to the prevention of many inward gripes of conscience and groans under guilt The Providences of God may be observed to conduce to our holiness not only by preventing sin that we may not â—all into it but also by purging our sins when we are fallen into them Isa. 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin So Dan. 11. 33 34 35. they are of the same use that fire and water are for