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
not seen It is certain that by the special Providence of God they are more eminently upheld confirmed in their state of integrity governed in their motions and actions by God and that in a more eminent manner than other inferiour creatures but I intend no discourse of that 2. The second object of special Providence is Man 1. Mankind considered in the general All men and women are under more special acts of Providence as to Preservation and Government than the grass or the beasts the inanimate creatures or the brute creatures but neither shall I make this the subject of my discourse The Psalmist speaks of man in the general Psal 8.5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his foot All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field 2. But Secondly The Church of God and more especially those that are the invisible part of it that glory not in appearance only but in reality and have not only a name to live but live indeed are the more eminent objects of special Providence I say first 1. The whole visible Church by which I mean the whole body of people whom God by the Preaching of the Gospel hath called out to an external profession and visible owning of the Lord Jesus Christ The Church of the Jews of old Amos 3.2 the whole body of that Nation circumcised and visibly owning and serving the true God were under more special Providence than all the world besides The Christian Church is so Canaan of old was the land which God cared for and he hath a Canaan now his whole Church which he doth care for and for whom he exerciseth a more special Providence both in the preservation and Government of them 2. But yet the invisible part of the visible Church that is that number of Professors whose Profession is not only visible to men Psal 33.18 but their faith their sincerity their true holiness is seen by God who love and fear the great God in truth and holiness these are the most special objects of special Providence Only one thing let me more add in an answer to this Question that neither all mankind not members of the Church nor all Churches nor all Saints are under the same or equal influences of Providence and therefore Divines have distinguished special Providences into those which are more extraordinary or ordinary the former are more miraculous or little differing from miracles the latter are more equal and ordinary and so will be the more the subject of our discourse All men are not restrained as Abimelech was All Churches are not preserved in a red Sea a wilderness have not Manna rained from heaven to feed them nor Waters brought out of a rock to satisfie their thirst as the Jewish Church had All Saints are not taken up to Heaven in a fiery Chariot as Elijah nor preserved in the Lions Den as Daniel or in the fire as the three children But there is 1. A special Providence attends every visible Church of Christ 2. And every one who is a true believer and puts his trust in the Lord. I come more particularly to shew you by what more particular acts the Providence of God discovereth Gods special care for his Church and for particular Souls Quest 3. By what more particular acts doth the Providence of God discover Gods special care for the visible Church and for particular believing souls 1. As to the Church of God 1. He preserveth it so as it shall never perish You know the promise The gates of hell shall not prevail against it Matt. 16.18 God preserveth the individual Being of every particular man He holdeth our souls in life but yet his being shall fail there will come a time when he shall not be Our Prophets are gone our fathers where are they God preserveth the Beings of Polities the Kingdoms and Empires of the World but these also have their periods where are the great Empires of the Medes and Persians the Grecians the Romans c He so preserveth his Church that it shall never fail this is a Specialty of Providence Men shall dye Kingdomes shall dye Empires shall come to nothing the Church shall not dye This woman may flee into the Wilderness from the red dragon as in Rev. 12. Where she hath a place prepared of God but there she shall be fed 1260 days the earth shall help the woman Rev. 12.16 Christ will be with them to the end of the world God so preservetth no creatures no Polities no Societies of men whatsoever 2. A second specialty of Providence relating to the Church seems to be a special Ministry of Angels Heb. 2.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who are heirs of salvation Who are those that are heirs of salvation but the Church of God Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved 1 Cor. 11.10 The woman ought to have power over her head or a covering over head because of the Angels There have been many Divines who have thought that in the Government of Providence some particular Angels have the charge of particular Kingdoms and Provinces and Churches You read Dan. 10.12 The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty one days but lo Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me and ver 21 There is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince There are some also that interpret thus The Angels of the Asian Churches mentioned in the Revelation but most interpret them of the Pastors over them but certain it is the Angels whether one more specially or no have a special Ministry towards the Church of Christ Psalm 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways I shall not enlarge upon this for though this seemeth to be plainly enough in Scripture revealed yet the particulars of their Ministration are not so clearly revealed as we can assert much distincty concerning them Dan. 12.1 At that time saith the Prophet shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people The Angels stand up for the Church that is a Specialty of Providence 3. Thirdly All Gods extraordinary acts in the Government of his Creatures have been for his Church It was in revenge of their oppressions that God sends ten plagues one after another upon Pharaoh it is for them he suspendeth the Laws of Nature for them the waters of the Red-sea then the waters of Jordan divide for them it was that the Sun stood still in Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalon in the time of Joshuah That the earth opened Numb 16 and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram It is for his Church that natural Beings have acted beyond their ordinary capacities Hail-stones are
is joyous but grievous It is the great effect of Faith to make us glory in tribulations But certainly although this Doctrine of Providence doth not shew us a sufficient ground to glory in tribulations which is an exercise of grace most proper in such Tribulations as we suffer for the name of Christ as the Apostles went away rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for the name of Christ But surely the consideration of this Doctrine of Gods Influence upon all events all motions all actions c. of his Creatures sheweth us a great reason why we should be submissive and patient possessing our souls with patience under the most afflictive contingencies of this life I remember Rabshakeh would not have the men of Hierusalem think that he was come out without God against that place Is affliction come upon thee Are crosses in thy estate in thy relations come upon thee Think not that any of them are come upon thee without God the hand of God is in this sickness in this pain in this depriving of thee of thy near relations in this poverty that hath overtaken thee like an armed man None of these things are come upon thee without God 1. Willing them 2. Nor without God influencing them ordering the causes of them now if we do but consider the wisdom and infinite goodness of this God if we do but look upon him as our Father how cogently doth the Apostle speak Heb. 12.10 11. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of our spirits and live For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be made partakers of his holiness How many arguments are there in two verses to perswade us to this submissive patience The main argument is from our reverent subjection to the Fathers of our flesh Hence the Apostle concludes that we ought much rather to be subject to the Father of our Spirits 1. They were but the Fathers of our flesh he the Father of our spirits 2. They chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit But I say here is argument enough God is in the affliction It is the Lord said that good man let him do what seemeth to him good Nothing can seem good to God to bring upon his people but what truly and really is for their good he cannot but give good things dispense and deal out good things unto his people submit your selves therefore unto God under his severest Dispensations Remember he is in the storm and whirlwind 5. This Doctrine of Providence may convince you of the reasonableness of your duty of Prayer 1. Daily Prayer 2. More extraordinary and solemn Prayer I say first daily Prayer Every day is pregnant with new designs The world is a place full of a variety of Beings and those are in daily motion and action hence we are subject to infinite accidents and as our Saviour saith Who can tell what a day may bring forth This speaketh our subjection to ingrateful changes and mutations Now certainly the same reason that teacheth us if at any time we have any business of concernment to us that may if it goeth for us be much for our advantage if against us much to our prejudice to be dispatched in Parliament or any Court of Judicature to apply our selves to those persons to whom in those cases we may have access to intreat them to be our friends and to lend us their assistance should also direct us to be as constant and diligent in our Applications unto God by Prayer We have great concerns in the world every day the concerns of our lives our health our success and prosperity in our affairs the concerns of all our friends and relations above all the concerns of our immortal souls The good prosperity and welfare or the evil and mischief of them all doth very much depend upon the motions and actions of other beings as well as our own upon the omissions cessations and suspensions of their actions upon the events c. Now you have heard that the great God of Heaven and Earth filleth the world influenceth all beings motions actions cessations suspensions or omissions of action all events he is ever present seeing and considering the matters of the world Will not now Reason evince it to be our duty to be much in Prayer alone with our Families morning and evening to be crying to God Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us Restraint of Prayer from God argues Atheism in our hearts either that with the fool in the Psalm we say in our hearts There is no God or else that we say Tush God seeth us not the Almighty doth not regard us 2. But it lets us see the more especial reasonableness of more solemn and earnest Prayer upon more especial Emergencies I told you that every day is big of events and who can tell what any day may or will bring forth But there are some more especial times when we have more high and eminent concerns upon some special undertakings or when some eminent danger threateneth us In reason here our sense of a Divine Providence influencing all events all Beings all motions and actions of Beings and all omissions cessations or suspensions of such actions doth more particularly oblige us upon the emergency of such affairs to be more earnest and importunate with God It is the precept of Solomon Acknowledg him in all thy ways and he shall direct thy steps And accordingly hath been the practice of the people of God as you see it in the whole story of holy Writ and is the practice of the people of God still Now this Doctrine of Divine Providence justifieth this practice of the children of God as a very reasonable practice and evinceth as daily Prayer so this more set and solemn prayer to be the reasonable practice of all those that have any knowledg of God or any desire to maintain fellowship and communion with him 6. Lastly As it evinceth the duty and reasonableness both of daily and of solemn and extraordinary prayer so it evinceth also the duty both of daily and more solemn and extraordinary praises We have not a good thing happeneth unto us but there is an hand of God in it it may be some created Being hath been the instrument to bring it to our hand but the action or motion of that created Being hath been influenced by God The event or issue hath been ordered governed and directed by God the hand of God is in every days health and protection in every nights sleep and preservation But this is obvious enough to every Christian of how mean a capacity soever I shall therefore add no more to this part of my discourse I have you see hitherto proceeded no farther than to prove That there is a Providence 2.
by him every member we have moves and we are all kept in being may I not therefore with the Apostle conclude Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service It is reasonable that he who hath given you the Sacrifice should smell the sweet savour of it He hath provided the sacrifice for you He hath provided it for that end to be a sacrifice for him it is therefore but a reasonable Service It is reasonable that he who planteth a Vineyard who dresseth keepeth and preserveth it every day should have some of the fruit thereof Which of you planteth a Vineyard and Orchard c. and eateth not of the fruit thereof But I shall add no more to this first part of my Discourse concerning Gods preserving Providence SERMON VII Psal XXXVI 6. O Lord thou preservest man and beast I AM discoursing concerning the first mentioned great Act of Providence in the Preservation both of man and beast Vpholding all things by the word of his power I shewed you in my last Discourse by what particular acts God preserveth individuals of all kinds But Man is to be considered yet in two notions further Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable a political creature and so as one of a multitude formed into political bodies called by the names of Kingdoms Common-wealths c. He is further to be considered as a spiritual creature capable of Divine Grace and divers spiritual Habits things which accompany salvation and make him fit for the Kingdom of God and preparing him for that blessed Eternity which is the end of our hopes These also must be upheld and maintained by the power of Providence We are saith the Apostle kept by the power of God through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 My last Discourse shewed you no more than the particular workings of Divine Providence in preserving and upholding the natural world Let me now shew you the workings of it in preserving and upholding the Political and Spiritual World I begin with the former and so the preserving Providence of God worketh several ways 1. In disposing the minds of all people unto Government There are indeed some Anomalies here some sons of Belial in all places that will endure no yoke but generally it is not so And the minds of men are disposed to order and Government without Government Polities could not stand the World would quickly be in confusion there can be no order without Governours and governed Governours must be spirited for the exercise of Government and the Governed must be spirited for obedience Both these are from the Lord who is wonderful in working Every one is not fit to govern he hath not parts for it he hath not a spirit for it Some are like Issachar fit for nothing but to couch under the burthen Others like Judah who have hands fit to be upon the necks of their Enemies and their fathers children shall bow down before them 1. God by his Providence influenceth some for the exercise of Government either from the womb or from the time they are called to that exercise as it is said of Saul 1 Sam. 10.9 when Samuel had anointed him to be King over Israel God gave him another heart Every man hath not a spirit of Government there is much goeth to the making up of that spirit It was prophecied of Christ Isa 9.6 That the Government should be uppon his shoulders And Isa 11.2 The Spirit shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledg and fear of the Lord. A spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord is necessary to a religious Government A spirit of understanding and wisdom a spirit of counsel and might is necessary for a good civil Government Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom Deut. 34 9. Every man in a Kingdom or a City or Common-wealth hath not knowledg and understanding nor wisdom and counsel nor might and courage fit for Government God giveth it only to some persons whom he designeth to rule over men And herein is the Providence of God mightily seen and that both in Hereditary Kingdoms and States and in those also which are Elective 1. In such as are hereditary ordinarily the sons of Princes are not like other men though under equal circumstances of Education When Gideon asked Zeba and Zalmunna Judg. 8.18 What manner of men they were that they killed They answered him thus As thou art so were they each one resembled the children of a King There is something that ordinarily appears in the faces of Princes more of Majesty than in other men which shews another spirit I know that this is not universal there have been Princes in the World of mean parts courage c. which ordinarily happens when God hath a quarrel with a people Eccl. 10.16 17 Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a child and thy Princes eat in the morning Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness 2. It is much seen in Elective governments God by his Providence directeth and disposeth the Electors to the choice of such persons as he hath prepared with such a spirit or except in cases where God hath a design by unworthy Governours to chastise a sinful people when they are chosen he giveth unto them such a spirit and by his extraordinary Providence correcteth the errours of those that choose them to that employment This is a wonderful working of Divine Providence We often see persons in Government shewing quite another spirit and temper than they before appear'd to us to have Nor is the Providence of God less seen in disposing the spirits of the Governed That thousands yea millions of people should consent to a subjection to one chief Ruler as in a Monarchy or to the Government of a few as in Commonwealths and be willing to be ruled and governed by him or them yet this we ordinarily see It is the Lords doing and it should be marvellous in our eyes and it would be so if we would but be so considerate as to think of the variety of mens humours fancies and passions Sometimes indeed God in judgment against a people suffers a perverse spirit to mingle it self with the governed there are rebellions and mutinies yet those for the most part are originated in oppression and violence But supposing no errours in Governours that yet multitudes of people should be so willingly subject and yet few of them for conscience sake must needs come from the Lords influence who is wonderful in the working for the preserving of the Politick Societies of men which without a Political order or Government could not stand 2. Secondly God preserveth men in their Political Societies by directing
men are subdued under them by him that they have wisdom to make Laws and liberty to execute them that men in their dominions are disposed into their several orders ranks and stations so as mutually to serve one another and to uphold the whole Oh that Subjects would praise the Lord for his goodness that they have wise Magistrates good Laws that their lives are not Sacrificed to murtherers that their houses are not fired that their Wives and Virgins are not ravished that they are disposed to Trades and Occupations that they have wisdom for them a spirit to them Let every Citizen every Subject see and acknowledg the hand of the Lord in these things and bless his holy name But lastly Let the Redeemed of the Lord particularly Vse 3 see and acknowledg the Providence of God in the preserving of them in their spiritual capacities Were it not for the preserving Providence of God our spiritual life would be extinguished every moment God preserveth it by repeating his Gracious Acts in the remission of our sins in the imputation of Christs righteousness Our habits of grace would weaken we aâ—â— preserved and kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation It is a great mercy and deserves a great acknowledgment that we have our lives preserved our estates preserved our wives and daughters preserved But oh how much greater is it that we have our state of Justification maintained Our principles of Spiritual Operations our habits of Grace our power to repent believe love God preserved that the influences of Grace are continued that we have the Word and Ordinances preserved Let the redeemed of the Lord say his mercy endureth for ever let them adore preserving-Providence let them consider what a subtil adversary they have Who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour What abundance of lusts and corruptions they have in their own hearts what a law in their members warring against the law of their minds and they will say that the seed of God which is in them is wonderfully preserved But thus much may serve to have spoken of the first great act of Providence which I called Preservation My next work is to speak concerning Government SERMON VIII Psal CIII 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all I AM as you know discoursing concerning the Principal Acts of Actual Providence which I told you were two 1. Preservation 2. Government All things were at first created by a Divine word of Power all things are preserved by a Divine Power He upholdeth all things by the word of his Power saith the Apostle This I have done with but Gods actual Providence doth not extend only to the upholding and the preserving of all his creatures but he governeth them also Preservation respecteth their several beings and capacities Government respecteth their motions and actions For a Discourse upon this I have made choice of this Text and chusing it with that design only I do not take my self so much concerned to enquire into its relation to what went before or followeth I shall only consider it in it self and so it giveth you an account 1. Of the Royal Seat of the Divine residence or place where God more gloriously manifests that Presence which yet filleth Heaven and Earth He hath saith the Psalmist his throne prepared in the heavens 2. The vastness of his Imperial royal influence and dominion His Kingdom saith the Text ruleth over all I shall not meddle with the first part it is the second only which I have to do with The Proposition shortly is this Prop. That he whose Throne is in Heaven governeth the whole Creation The Scripture speaketh plentifully to this point of Gods Universal dominion 1 Chron. 16.31 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoyce and let men say amongst the Heathen The Lord reigneth Psalm 96.10 Say amongst the heathen the Lord reigneth Psalm 93.1 The Lord reigneth he is clothed with Majesty c. Psalm 97.1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Psalm 99.1 The Lord reigneth let the people tremble An Heathen Prince acknowledgeth it Dan. 4.3 34. But not to multiply Texts Reason will evince it every Superiour being hath a kind of natural right to rule over those that are inferiour to it and God being the Supreme Being and the Creator of all other beings too hath a natural right to extend a Kingdom and Dominion over all and that not only as he is Superior to them and greater than they are but also as he is the efficient cause of all the Creator of all things But to speak more particularly we will enquire 1. What Government is 2. What are the Objects of this vniversal Government and Dominion which the Proposition ascribeth unto God 3. What are those special acts by which God exerciseth this Dominion and Government Government implieth three things 1. The fixing of some ends 2. A power invested in some one or more persons upon others ordering and directing them in order to that end 3. The exercise of this Power The end of Government amongst men is usually the peace quiet and settlement of a place Gods End is his own glory He hath made all things for himself and he doth all things for himself for the fulfilling of his own Counsels and Will in order to the glorifying of his holy Name The Apostle saith Of him and for him are all things 2. Secondly Government implieth a power invested in one or more persons in order to an end Now that God hath such a power none can deny and acknowledg him to be God Once have I spoken yea twice have I heard it saith the Psalmist that power belongeth unto God He who confesseth God to be almighty and able to do whatsoever he pleaseth must own him to have a power sufficient for an Universal Government If we take Power for Authority i. e. a Right to exercise a power over such and such objects that also God hath by the very law of Nature Hath not the potter a power over the clay and is not the creature the clay and God the potter 3. But thirdly Government implieth yet something more viz. an actual exercise of this power and indeed this is the main Actual Government is the exercise of a power wherewith a person or persons are invested over some persons or things in order to some wise ends But let me come to the second Question viz. Quest What are the particular Objects of this Divine providential Government The Text saith His Kingdom ruleth over all I think that term all is to be expounded by three general heads 1. The beings and existences of his creatures 2. The motions and actions of his creatures 3. The omissions and obliquities of his creatures all these as I shall shew you fall under the government of Providence 1. The Beings and existences of his creatures the production and cessation of them the giving of them Being belongs to Creation
Reign and the necessity of it Isa 52.7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Zion thy God reigneth It is good news to all the World that God reigneth but particularly to Sion to the Church and the people of God to the whole visible Church it is good tidings but particularly to the invisible part that is militant here on Earth and the individual members thereof 1. This Doctrine first is of great use to comfort them against and under all their disturbances for things which happen to the Church in general or themselves in particular A ship at Sea were but in an ill case if it were not for him that sate at the Helm a skilful Pilot there ordereth her well enough so as the winds serve his design so it is with the Church tossed with winds and waves she is only safe in the Lords government of all the affairs of the World Luther I remember saith thus of himself I saith he have often attempted to prescribe God ways and methods in the government of his Church and other affairs I have said Ah Domine hoc velim ita fieri hoc ordine hoc eventu I would have this thing thus done in this order with this event But saith he God did quite contrary to what I asked of him Then saith he I thought with my self what I would have had was not contrary to the glory of God but would have been of great use for the sanctifying of his Name In short it was a brave design well advised but undoubtedly God laught at at this wisdom of men and said Go to now I know you are a learned man and a wise man But it was never my manner to allow Saint Peter or Saint Martin or any other to instruct teach govern or lead me Non sum Deus passivus sed activus I am not a passive but an active God That great man and Melancthon were two famous Instruments in the Reformation of Germany but of different tempers Melancthon was a man of a more mild and gentle Spirit and melancholick timerous temper Luther was of a more fierce and bold temper Melancthon would often write very troubled Letters to Luther about the state of the Church affairs Luther would constantly make use of this argument from the Governing-Providence of God to support Melancthon Melancthon saith he Let God alone to govern the World The Lord reigneth It pleaseth God so to order it in his Providence that the face of affairs relating to the Church often looks very sadly and there is nothing which giveth the spirits of the people of God a greater disturbance Now all these disturbances are caused from our Not-attending to this Principle which yet every good Christian professeth to receive and to believe Were we but rooted and grounded in the faith of this one Principle That the Kingdom of God ruleth over all and that he exerciseth a special care and Government relating to his Church and ruleth the World with a special regard to the good of his little flock we could neither be immoderately disturbed for the concern of the glory of God nor yet for the Church of God 1 Chron. 16.31 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoyce and let men say amongst the Nations the Lord reigneth let the Sea roar and the fulness thereof let the fields rejoyce and all that is therein Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judg the Earth Say therefore unto Zion Thy God reigneth Let Papists rage and Atheists scoff and threaten and do what they can Let all their Favourites take counsel together and join hand in hand when they have done all they can they will find that the Lord reigneth And this is enough to say unto Sion or to any of her sons and daughters Two things are sufficient in the most troublesom and tumultuous times to still support and comfort the spirits of Gods people 1. That the Lord reigneth and hath an unquestionable superintendence upon all the Beings of his creatures all their motions and all their actions He is higher in power than the highest of them 2. That this God is our God The Psalmist hinteth both in that excellent 46 Psalm v. 10 Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted amongst the Heathen I will be exalted in the Earth The Lord of Hosts is with us The God of Jacob is our refuge Let not therefore those that fear the Lord trouble themselves about the motions of the World and commotions in it about the ragings of lewd men against the interest of Christ Let them not trouble themselves further than is their duty viz. to be sensible of the rebukes of Divine Providence The Lord reigneth He that sitteth in the heavens laugheth The Lord shall have them in derision and shall one day speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure and let the World know that yet he hath set his King upon his holy hill of Sion I remember a passage of Luther Si nos ruamus ruet Christus unus Christus scilicet magnus ille regnator mundi c. If we perish saith he Christ must fall too Christ that great Governour of the World 2. If we did consider this as we might or ought we should also see as little reason to be disturb'd as to the concerns of our own Souls with the fear of two things as to their own Souls ordinarily the people of God are troubled 1. The prevailings of their own lusts and corruptions 2. The prevailings of Satans temptations This Doctrine of Divine Providence excellently serveth to still our unquiet spirits as to either of these troubles If the Lords Kingdom be over all both these fears must be vain and causeless for supposing the faithfulness of the Promises Sin shall not have dominion over your mortal bodies God shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly He will with the temptation give an happy issue If the Lords Kingdom be over all neither shall corruption prevail nor Satan by temptations prevail to destroy the work of God in our Soul or to prevent us or hinder us as to the Kingdom which God hath prepared for us for as he that hath promised is faithful or cannot repent or lye so he is powerful and hath a dominion over all beings persons things c. My father saith Christ is greater than all none can pluck you out of my fathers hand 3. Lastly It affords us a relief against the sad prospect we have almost continually before our eyes of the malicious actions of wicked and ungodly men There is and always was a generation in the World which sleep not unless they do mischief they are continually devising mischievous devices against the little flock of Christ Their counsels designs works have a plain and
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
hearts but also as by it his people are more prepared for the receiving of mercy The Psalmist saith He prepareth the heart and then causeth his ear to hear their heart is prepared by their exercise of grace as of other grace so especially faith and patience they become more low in their own eyes they learn more to trust and depend upon God and to wait upon him in the way of his Judgments as the Prophet speaks Now all exercise of grace bringeth glory to God all of it is the fruit of his Spirit it is obedience to his Will it carrieth with it a recognition of the power wisdom goodness and Soveraignty of God The longer God deferreth a mercy the more time his people have to search and try their ways to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God to exercise their faith their patience c. the more he hath of his peoples prayers c. Fourthly I may yet add one thing more he hath by this means the glory of his Justice both from his own people and from wicked men By suffering his own people to be brought very low he proclaimeth to the World that he will not suffer the best of them to go unpunished but as to them he will approve himself a God of purer eyes than to behold any iniquity and by letting Sinners run on to the heighth before he pulleth them down their wickedness also becomes so exorbitant and conspicuous to the World that the neutral part of the World shall both acknowledg the righteousness of God in bringing them down to an utter destruction and delivering of his oppressed people out of their hands But this is enough to have spoken in justification of the Observation and giving you some reasonable account of it This in the first place may let us see Vse 1 how little means is considerable in the great effects of Divine Providence Humane means are by us to be used when Providence affords them but God ordinarily doth his works either without them or when there is but little of them to use Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord. The stone was cut out of the mountain without hands which smote the image on his feet which were part of iron and clay and brake them in pieces Dan. 2.34 and indeed if this Observation is true if God ordinarily delivers his people when they are at the lowest and brings down his Enemies when they are at the highest humane means must have but a little share in Gods works when men are at lowest there is least visible means to lift them up and when God's Enemies are at highest there is least appearance of humane visible means to pull them down Now this as you have heard is the time when God ordinarily works and therefore our eyes should be off the arm of flesh What is a Mountain before Gods Zorobabel How little of humane means did God use in bringing his people out of Egypt and Babylon There is never greater improbability of any great work of Providence than in the greatest probability of humane means Gideon's twenty two thousand were too many for God Let us then learn how to look upon how to use means Look upon them as signifying nothing without Gods efficacy use them as not trusting in them or to them Raise up no great hopes upon great probabilities in respect of them The people of God are never more deceived than in their judgments upon such appearances Many times the thing appears too probable to humane eyes for God to suffer it at that time to come to issue he should have little honour little glory from the effect if he should give it men would say that God had saved them by their own bow and sword and staff God will have it otherwise When he turneth again the captivity of Sion his people shall be like them that dream Psalm 126.1 He will so destroy his Enemies that they shall cry out Let us flee for God fighteth for the Israelites against the Egyptians Exod. 14.25 He will so bring to pass all his great works both of Judgment and mercy that they shall sing that Song Psalm 115. v. 1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be given the glory Hence learn in the second place Vse 2 That the Sinner can never be secure nay is then least secure when he judgeth himself most secure Gods people value themselves upon the Promises but wicked men value themselves upon Providences and judg of their security from their prosperity successes and interests They never crow but when they have made their nests in the Cedars and fixed their habitations on some strong Mountain which they think shall never be moved They are never less secure they are never nearer to ruin than now For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as upon a woman in travel and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 When Babylon was given to pleasures and dwelled carelesly and said she should be as a Lady for ever she was and there was none besides her she should never sit as a widow nor know the loss of children then it was that God tells her that both these things should come upon her in one day both the loss of children and widowhood Isa 47.7 Dan. 4.30 When Nebuchadnezzar was in his Ruff walking in the Palace of the Kingdom of Babylon and saying Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of my Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Even then while the word was in the Kings mouth saith the Text ver 31 there fell a voyce from heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken the Kingdom is departed from thee A Sinner can be secure in no estate at no time If God hath lifted him up he hath reason to fear his ruin is near If God be pulling him down he hath reason to fear that he is sinking into Hell God delights to grapple with a prospering fortified interested Sinner and to let him then when he speaketh most proudly know that wherein he speaketh proudly he will be above him Let not therefore any Sinner trust to his prosperity Thirdly Vse 3 From hence we may learn much of our duty both with reference to the high and prosperous estate of Gods Enemies and with reference to God in the low and mean estate of his Church and people It is one of the great temptations which attend us in this life to see the wicked prospering and flourishing like a green bay-tree It troubled the most eminent Servants of God we read of in Scripture Job David Jeremiah Habbakuk We had need therefore learn our duty in such an hour You will say What is it I answer 1. Not to envy them 2. Not to fret and repine against God 3. Not to take part with them 1. Not to envy them It is what the Psalmist
which then hindered his being revealed and would let until he should be taken away The Roman Empire hindered nor is that hinderance yet taken away 'T is true there is but a stump of that Empire remaining in Germany Spain France England many other great boughs are lop'd off it but most of them kept their Antichristian favour though they changed their temporal Lords and set up for and by themselves as to temporal subjection and dominion You see and hear how fierce the French the Spaniards the Portugals c. the house of Austria are for the Romish Religion 'T is true England hath broke that yoke off its neck so hath Holland the Gospel hath got a great foot in Germany France Denmark Poland Sweden Hungary but yet the Devil hath a large Chappel in most of those places It is the National Religion of France Spain Portugal Italy the Imperial Proper-territories God is fitting the circumstances of the World much to his promised Work of destroying this Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth with the brightness of his coming England is fallen off Holland is fallen off a great part of Switzerland many Cities and Territories in Germany Sweden and Denmark great numbers in France God is by degrees doing his work and a great deal is done within the space of a hundred and fifty years last past for it is no longer since Luther began to shake his Throne but yet the circumstances of the World do not look as if it were like to be a work we should see in our age nor it may be our childrens children Methinks the Scripture looks as if that man of sin should die a natural death not a violent one I mean that that Religion should be loathed out of the World not fought out of it God will consume it with the Spirit of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord I tell you but my judgment that before the fall of Antichrist you must yet see a greater falling off from Popery by the Princes of other Nations and their people The Worlds circumstances do not yet seem fitted to that great Work God may work Miracles in the case but I know no ground we have to expect them I am very confident that Antichrist is in his wane much past his full declining every day and therefore the fears of some that that ridiculous Religion should again over-spread England or Holland or any other reformed Church do not much afflict me I take that for granted that Babylon is falling but when we shall hear that joyful sound Babylon is fallen Babylon is fallen that I cannot tell you but in the general I think we must first see the World otherwise circumstanced than it is 2. By this observation of the motions of Providence you shall also understand much of Gods set time as to shewing mercy to your own particular soul viz. when your bodily or spiritual circumstances are fitted for the desired mercy 1. I say first when your bodily circumstances are fitted to it There is nothing more evident than the dependance of our minds upon our bodies and the influence that some bodily distempers especially have upon our souls and minds now although it be true that God can work miraculously and by light can break through a darkness be it never so thick and ravish a Soul with unspeakable joy and peace though at that time it be yoked to a dark cloudy melancholick disturbed body yet God useth not to work Miracles ordinarily but to move in a more ordinary course of Providence by the use and application of means that are proper so that as it is seldom but God useth the disorders and disturbances of the body to influence and afflict the mind and to be at least an adjuvant cause when he will trouble a Soul so he usually restoreth health and a better constitution of body when he intends to restore peace and quiet and a composure of spirit I say ordinarily he doth so And hence again in the next place 3. We by giving attendance to this Observation may learn our duty in reference to the use of Means so as to use what is proper to its season for there is great wisdom to be used in apportioning means For Example as to the bringing down of Antichrist if Gods time be not come the means are not girding our swords upon our thighs c. I question whether that will ever be a Mean proper to be used in that case but endeavouring by all means possible to loath the World of Popish superstitions and ceremonies and all the idolatry of that Synagogue and of all the cheats they put upon the World and alienate the hearts of people from them So for calling the Jews the means to be used is not inciting them to get into a body and heading them c. but to convince them of their errours to endeavour the sweetning of their spirits the enlightning their minds with the knowledg of the truth of the Gospel and reconciling them to the Christian Religion and shewing them the Examples of an holy life and conversation So in case of particular Souls where the discomposure of the mind is originated in or further advantaged by bodily distempers which is a thing very frequently happening I do not take it to be the duty of a Christian meerly to pray and hear but also to use natural means proper for the abating of these distempers yet not this without Prayer and use of Ordinances both for the blessing of God upon such means and for the further influences of his supernatural grace for God fitteth the circumstances of the person that is to receive the mercy to the desired mercy when he intendeth the bestowing of it as well as the circumstances of the World to the mercy which in his set-time he intendeth for his Church so as I say this observing of this method of Providence duly attended to addeth spiritual Wisdom to a Christian as in discerning of Gods time for mercy so also in directing him to his duty as to proper means to be used by him in the way of his duty in order to the obtaining of the mercy teaching him to know what Israel ought to do what a good Christian ought to do under the circumstances under which God hath brought him 2. By an attendance to this working of Providence you shall understand much of the loving-kindness of the Lord very much of the goodness and love of God to Nations and Churches is seen in this his fitting of the worlds circumstances to his designs before he produceth them as his designs are effected without tumult and bloodshed which otherwise through mens opposition to it would not be avoided With how much bloodshed in all humane probability must the Children of Israel have first came out of Egypt then out of Babylon had not God fitted the circumstances of the world to those designs of his Providence
the ignorance and sottishness of the Popish-Clergy together with their covetousness ambition and debauchery to grow to that heighth that they grew an abomination to all men And as it is in the Political and Ecclesiastical body so it is as to the particular persons of Christians the Providence of God ordinarily disposeth the body according to the work which he hath to do upon the soul But that is more forreign to my observation therefore I shall not inlarge upon it Besides that I spake something to it under the former observation which hath some cognation with this this only differing from it in this shewing you that the Providence of God doth not make the Church lacquey to the world but he makes the world lacquey to the Church and subordinateth the business of the world to his own great designs relating to the Church Now if you ask me the reason of this it doubtless lyeth Reas In the peculiar favour of God to that people in the world which bear the name of his Church You have an expression Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Sion was the place at the foot of which the Temple was built where all the worship which God had in the world performed according to his will was performed The tabernacle in Shiloh was forsaken Psal 78.60 God hath a particular kindness for any place for any persons amongst whom his true worship is and where he hath placed to himself a Tabernacle though God had a kindness for the whole seed of Jacob yet he loved the gates of Sion above all the dwellings of Jacob because that was the place where his worship was regularly performed It holds still under the New Testament and will hold to the end of the world wheresoever God hath a Church or people he hath a particular kindness for that people they are in Scripture called the house of God God is said to dwell and walk amongst them and God hath yet a more particular favour to those that are the invisible part of the visible Church I mean such as truly belong unto God that worship him in spirit and in truth that fear the Lord and hope in his mercies as the Psalmist expresseth it Psal 33.18 All the world is nothing to God in comparison of this little flock to whom it is his will to give a Kingdom He hath given them his Christ and shall he not with him give them all things This were easily to be proved to you from a variety of Scripture and arguments drawn from thence Now supposing this it is no wonder if he subordinateth his works in the world to his designs here This is that Canaan which the Lord careth for and upon which his eyes are from one end of the year to another Deut. 11. His heritage the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12.7 His peculiar treasure his sister his spouse the redeemed and ransomed of the Lord his portion in short there is a multitude of expressions by which God hath shewen that his Church the whole body of people owning and professing him and especially those of them that worship him in spirit and truth and walk up to the rule of his word are dearer to him than all the world besides He calls them his bride Rev. 21.9 His beloved Psal 108.6 His building 1 Cor. 3.9 His City Heb. 12.22 His chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 His family Eph. 3.15 His husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 His Kingdom the lot of his inheritance Now considering this it is no wonder at all that the Providence of God should manage all the affairs of the world in subordination to his designs for the good of this body All the relation of God to others is but that of a Creator and they are no better than the synagogues of Satan as to the Divine Worship that is in them and the throne of Satan with respect to the homage of their Conversation They are called children of wrath of disobedience of the curse strangers and forreiners If God sometimes gives up his people into the hands of wicked men it is either 1. For his peoples good to purge away their dross and take away their tinn as the Prophet expresseth it or for to ripen sinners for their destruction that they may by it fill up the measure of their iniquities Methinks you have a full proof of this Observation in the 105 Psalm the Psalmist in that Psalm is calling the Church of the Jews to give thanks unto the Lord to sing unto him to talk of all his wondrous works Then followeth a recapitulation of those great things which God had done for them amongst which this is reckoned that he subordinated his motions of Providence amongst the men and the nations of the world to his gracious designs for them Vers 14. He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sake saying Touch not mine anointed do my prophets no harm and so he goes on almost quite through that Psalm Now I say the reason of all this was his love set upon this people As most of us have some particular persons that our heart is most set upon some particular interest and design that we drive on now whoever those persons be or whatever that design be we make all the rest of our actions to be subordinate to that So the great God having set up his glory as his great interest and design and set apart him and them that are godly for himself it is no wonder at all if he ruleth all the world and governeth all the affairs of it in subordination to this great interest and the good of this people I now come to the Application of this Observation Vse 1. In the first place as I said before upon the other Observation so I say here From hence a wise and observing Christian may in a great measure know what weather it is like to be in the Climate of the Church How it is like to fare with them that are the People of God They are and always were the far lesser part of the world and their quiet and tranquillity to look with a rational eye doth much depend upon the complexion of the men of the world and their inclinations if God intends a calm and tranquillity to the Church he usually so ordereth the world that the earth helps the woman the men of the world either out of good nature or which indeed mostly is the business out of interest shew them kindness Hence you shall observe that when God intendeth the tranquillity and prosperity of the Church his Providence ordinarily bringeth one of these things to pass 1. He sometimes raiseth up some eminent servant of his to do great services for the men of the world this you see in the case of Joseph God had designed the Jews a prospering multiplying time in the land of Egypt he raiseth up Joseph makes him a Privy-Counsellor to Pharaoh yea the second man
against him he adviseth him to do this by breaking off his tyrannical oppression and shewing mercy instead of that cruelty with which the former part of his reign had been stained Now mark the argument If saith he it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity I know your margents tell you it may be read It shall be an healing to your error about which some less judicious Papists make a stir but their own great Arias Montanus reads it it shall be a prolongation of thy peace Their vulgar Lat. reads it perhaps he will pardon thy sins the septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perhaps God will bear long with thy sins c. However though indeed in that sense it doth not so sute my present purpose there is no doubt but restitution is an healing of the error of injustice and oppression amongst men though it be impossible that it should remove the guilt of sin before God But I have digressed too far Let my counsel be acceptable now to every sinner that hath any interest in the world any talent of riches or honour power or interest which he might improve in the doing of any thing which God hath commanded If he be one that hath no regard to his soul but meerly to his interest in the world it is the best improvement that he can possibly make of it If a man had set his heart against the God of Heaven and designed never intentionally to serve and honour him but to make the world and his belly his God without any belief of or regard to an eternal well-being yet it were his greatest policy to do things materially good in order to the obtaining of that portion in this life for him and his posterity upon which he is wholly intent 2. But secondly This observation speaketh aloud to all to take heed of blessing themselves upon their worldly circumstances It is a thing that we are very prone to to conclude to the acceptation of our persons and our works from our outward prosperity They neither signifie any thing to us as to the perfect goodness of the work nor yet as to any eternal reward no nor a lasting reward in this life We use to say Bonum ex causis integris malum ex quolibet defectu a work is made evil by any defect in it the least fly maketh the Apothecaries box of oyntment to stink the action must be formally as well as materially good not only what God hath required but it must be done with a true heart designing the glory and service of God and in a true manner according to that rule which he hath given us for the performance of it or it cannot be acceptable to a pure and holy God nor do these rewards signifie any thing as to our eternal reward and recompence A man may for a work be rewarded in this life and yet damned in the world to come he hath had his reward I remember Christ saith so of the Pharisees prayers and fastings Mat. 6. They have their reward the disciples of Christ that act sincerely they shall be recompenced in the resurrection of the just Hypocrites have their reward in the honour and applause they have in the riches and honour which God giveth them God is out of their debt No nor secondly which possibly to them is more terrible these kind of recompences are but temporary things for a little time Jehu had taken out all his payment from God for his service against the house of Ahab in four generations Assyria and Babylon had taken out their rewards for their services much sooner Vse 4. In the next place This Observation may be of very great use both for the comfort and incouragement of such whose hearts are right with God For their comfort as to what they have done for their incouragement to go on yet in their motions and designs for God 1. For their comfort It must be laid down for a substratum to the following part of my discourse upon this Theme That no man can be called a child of God but he who doth not serve God by the by tanquam aliud agens in the mean time eying some other design and setting up to himself some other end but he who in his actions sets himself with a full purpose of heart to seek and honour and glorifie God he may miss his mark either through the mistake of his eye or his hand but his face is thitherward that 's the white at which he aims he hath set the honour and glory of God before him as his mark and towards it it is that he presseth forward he may mistake as David did thinking something will be for the honour of God which will not or come short as to the issue not being able to bring his design to a desired issue but he taketh his aim right and setteth up his mark right Now failers in these cases when once discerned by the souls of Christians prove oft-times causes of great trouble and exceeding sad reflexions to them and nothing can be thought of as more proper to give them relief than what I have been at this time discoursing of That when God doth not cannot allow of the action as integrally good and perfect yet he will reward the good intention the design and purpose in the childs of Gods heart Methinks in this case it is a sweet text they are the words of Solomon upon the dedication of the Temple which he had builded 1 King 8.18 And the Lord said unto David my father Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house but thy son that is come out of thy loins he shall build the house unto my name There are in that text these things remarkable 1. David had an intention to build God an house 2. He did not build this house 3. God did not allow of the action God sent him word by Nathan he should not do it as you have heard before Yet 3. God accepted his good design his general good intention Thou didst well saith God that it was in thine heart 4. God did not only accept this good design and intention but he also rewards it Nevertheless saith he thy son that is come out of thy loins he shall build me an house thou shalt not have the honour of it but thy son shall have the honour of it David was undertaking a matter in the worship of God without any special direction God upon this createth an institution and legitimateth the action for his son I say it is an admirable text if it be well digested to relieve the spirits of the People of God under their troubles for their imperfect performances A Christian prays he sanctifieth a Sabbath he setteth himself to seek the Lord in any piece of instituted worship when he reflecteth upon it and compareth it with the perfect rule he sits down wonderfully
Providence of God And thus I have opened the Observation to you I come now to the Application Vse 1. In the first place This observation affordeth us another sign of the times I observed to you before that we have generally a curiosity to know what shall come to pass in future times how it shall go to know both what God is doing with his Church in the age wherein we live and what he will do with it in the ages following He that maketh this observation will in this point be spiritually wise and will also understand the loving-kindness of the Lord yea and by this we may understand what the Counsels of God are in a great measure as to families and persons Observe but what those are whom God sets over them or suffers to stand in relation to them and you will understand much of this If God intendeth mercy and goodness to any Nation or any Church he giveth them Judges and Counsellors as at the beginning Eccl. 10.16 17. Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a Child and Princes eat in the morning Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Observe but in the state who are in the places of Magistrates whether they be men of wisdom and knowledge of justice and righteousness or men of little wisdom rash and inconsiderate men men of little knowledge men that will take bribes and oppress the poor and needy in judgment not suffering the causes of the poor to stand in judgment and you may easily judge what God is about with that Nation Look into the Church of God and observe what persons they are that are in the Ministry Whether they be men that are able and faithful to teach skilled in the words of righteousness able to open and apply the holy Scriptures to the hearts and Consciences of people to pray and to pour out their souls unto God in supplications Or men that were Aptiores ad stivam as Beza sometimes said I may add ad cauponam vel tabernam fitter for a Plow-tail for an Ale-house a Tavern or a Victualling-house and it needeth no interpreter to you what God is about to do with such a Church In like manner look into families look upon particular persons observe what manner of persons are in the relations of Husbands Wives Parents Children and you may easily know Gods present design or what he is after like to do in such families or as to such persons Where God intendeth mercy he fitteth persons for their respective relations in all humane societies Vse 2. Hence again in the second place each one may make a judgement of himself whether God hath called him to this or that work this or that Relation A man can have little comfort in any relation to which he cannot see himself called of God be it Magistracy or Ministry or any other Relation when we see God calling us to it we may look for Gods blessing upon us in it ay and we may in that case also expect Gods protection his standing by us and standing up for us against Opposition now neither of these can in other causes be expected I say 1. A person called of God to any work any relation may reasonably expect the blessing of God upon him in it If he be a Magistrate that God should make his government peaceable and prosperous subduing the people under him and subjecting their spirits to his Government If he be a Minister that God should direct his meditations assist his heart in enditing new matter and his tongue that it should be the tongue of a ready writer blessing his labours and giving in to his ministry the souls of the people committed to his charge He may expect Gods protection and defence of him against the opposition that he meets with It is a promise you ordinarily meet with annexed to precepts by which God hath commissioned men to be Ministers I will be with you it is what God said to Jeremiah to Ezechiel What Christ said to his Apostles I will saith he be with you to the end of the world now that promise reacheth to both these both assistance and protection and therefore it is of mighty concern to such as ingage in great work or are put into any great relation to see Gods call of them to that work or relation without a view of that I again tell you they can expect the presence of God no way neither blessing nor protecting them Now from this observation upon the motions of Actual Providence you may make up a judgement of that Actual Providence fits them for that work and Relation whom God calleth to it it doth not fit every one for it whom it suffereth to creep into it but it fits all for their work whom God directs into it and who are like to be a blessing to their Correlates and those who cannot find themselves fitted of God for the work and acts of that Relation wherein they are may conclude that though they be not in that station without God yet God hath nothing further to do with them in their station but to permit them to get into it for a plague and scourge to the people to whom they are in relation and for their own damnation and confusion at the last Is any one a Minister to instance only in that Relation he stands most highly concerned of all men living to see his call the charge of souls men will at last find a great and burthensom charge If he be faithful he is like to meet with the greatest opposition imaginable in that work he stands in need of the greatest assistance of God for the due performance of it he can look for neither unless he can find that God hath called him to his work The great acts of the ministerial office are praying and preaching praying for the people Preaching that is opening the Scriptures the will and counsel of God unto people and applying it to their Consciences Wouldst thou know now whether thou beest called of God as Aaron was Examine then whether God hath fitted thee for the work of the ministry Hath God given thee the Spirit of prayer and supplication hath God given thee a knowledge and understanding in the Scriptures that thou art as it was said of Apollos mighty in the Scriptures such a one a Minister should be If Gods providence hath given thee a willingness and a desire to it and an opportunity for the exercise of it and hath also thus qualified thee for the several parts of it then thou mayest conclude that God hath called thee to it It is not a Patrons presentation that will make up the call of God no nor yet the boldness and confidence of the person that will venture upon the greatest employment the world affords I say none of these things will do it a mans own needs and not knowing how to live
Application recapitulate a little 1. For the sins of others which we see permitted in the World 1. Let us be quickened upon the view of them to adore the patience and long-suffering of God Dost thou hear a wretch curse and blaspheme and profane the great and dreadful name of God and defie the God of Heaven challenging his own damnation and doest thou see God suffering him to live from year to year and to go on in this course Doest thou see another in the heighth of rage against the people of God endeavouring if it were possible to root out all Religion and dayly devouring those that are more righteous than himself Let it help thee to recognize the patience of God do thou upon occasion of others profaneness and blasphemy give God the glory of his patience Let it make thee many a time reflect and say O what a patient God is the God in whom I trust he seeth these vile wretches he could as easily crush them as I with my foot can crush a worm yet he spareth them and with much long suffering endures the vessels of wrath fitted for Hell 2. Let the view of the sins of others which thou seest God permitting for his own wise ends make thee adore the wisdom of God Thou art posed to think what glory God can procure to himself from the profaneness and blasphemy of wicked men but God will certainly do it and would never suffer their profaneness if he did not know how to do it O! the infinite wisdom of God that can make the wrath of man to praise him Let thy heart be affected with that meditation 3. Again Doest thou see the world of sin that abounds doest thou hear of prodigious lusts blasphemies cruelties c. which make thy soul tremble Let God upon this occasion have the glory of his free-mercy and grace towards thy soul Bless God that he hath given thee another spirit Say Lord why was not I as one of these I had the same seed of sin in me my heart was as full of original lust and corruption as theirs Oh! what reason have I to adore the free grace of God that I am not as this beastly drunkard as this unclean wretch as this monstrous blasphemer If it had not been for free and rich grace I had been as bad as they It is that which made me to differ 2. But let God have glory from us upon the occasion of his so long suffering us to walk in our own ways Now that may be many ways let me a little particularly direct here also 1. Let it make thee live in a dayly admiration of free-grace both in pardoning thy former guilt and in renewing and changing thy heart This this is a work not for a rapture not for an hour or a day but for eternity It will doubtless be a great piece of our work when we come to Heaven to cry salvation to our God and to the Lamb. Blessing and glory and honour and wisdom and thanksgiving be to the Lord for ever and ever It should be much of our work upon the earth if we have either obtained the sense of the pardon of our sins or a good hope through grace you shall find St. Paul beginning most of his Epistles with such a blessing of God O you redeemed of the Lord you that are come out of a state of deep guilt you can never think nor speak enough what God hath done for your souls It is a great work of God and he doth his great works that they may be had in remembrance Let God have some glory from thee for pardoning those sins by which he hath been much dishonoured by thee and as for his pardoning so for his sanctifying grace Admire God bless God upon the view of thy former hard heart profane and unclean spirit say Ah Lord that ever such an Ethiopian as I was should through grace change my skin that ever such a rebellious spirit should be made obedient such a profane wretch should ever have an heart toward Heaven that ever one that loved his lusts so well as I have done should be taught of God to love him and fear him and delight in him that a Saul should be amongst the Prophets a Paul a persecutor a blasphemer should be amongst the Apostles a Mary Magdalen should wash her Lords feet and be so humbled as to wipe them with the hairs of her head the offering up of these praises glorifieth God 2. Let thy former sins make thee more abundant in penitential tears and in confessions of thy sin unto God God delighteth to hear a soul acknowledg its iniquities and take shame to it self Let thy reflection upon thy former ways make thee with Peter to weep bitterly make thee go alone and confess thy sins unto him that hath forgiven them the more vile thou makest and ownest thy self the more thou glorifiest God as a God of free grace and infinite mercy 3. Let thy former sins ingage thee to love God more Hath much been forgiven thee O love much Say with thy self O I can never love God enough I can never do enough for him I that have done so much against him I that have been so profane so vile that have spent my youth and strength in the service of my base lusts and pleasures and am yet received to mercy at last What shall I render unto the Lord Let my burning love to God and whatsoever beareth his image and superscription make some amends for my burning lusts which had consumed my poor soul if God had not mercifully quenched them 4. Let thy former sins and thy reflections upon them make thee to walk softly and humbly with God all the days of thy life Doest thou find thy heart at any time begin to swell in an high opinion of thy self Say my soul What hath a sinner to be proud on what hast thou that hast been so filthy so polluted to glory in High thoughts become not one that hath been so dirty so polluted and unclean as thou hast been 5. Let your reflections upon your sins bring forth that brood of graces which the Apostle mentioneth 2 Cor. 7.11 Indignation carefulness fear vehement desires revenge Indignation at your selves for your former errors Anger never hath a truer object than when it is exercised upon our selves for our miscarriages Revenge a revenge upon our selves this doubtless lieth much in acts of mortification and self denial mens denying themselves in the lawful use of the liberty of those things which they had before smfully abused Fear a fear of again salling into such remptations as they had before been overcome with A Care in looking to your ways and vehement desires in all things to please God and to walk more perfectly before him 6. Finally You shall make an improvement of your sins if your reflexions upon your former sins both of omission and commission shall engage you to more frequent acts of homage to him to be
and patience to them in his waiting upon them all the days of their life giving them his Gospel sending them his Ministers beseeching them to be reconciled unto God knocking by his Spirit at the doors of their hearts Thus the merciful God extendeth his goodness unto all sinners a long time he declareth that he desireth not the death of any sinner but is willing that all should be saved by coming to the acknowledgment of the truth The vile sinner through the pride of his heart will not seek after God but vexeth grieveth resisteth his holy Spirit from time to time refuseth to repent and to turn unto God defieth him mocketh at the tenders of Divine grace thus he liveth thus he dieth yet hath heard of and knoweth the threatnings of eternal destruction he looketh upon them as bug-bear things not to fright such men as he is but children only he drinks he swears he curseth and blasphemeth God lyes breaketh Sabbaths he will venture it Who is that God that shall restrain the lusts of his heart He will try whether there be such an Hell such an eternal destruction yea or no. What do we talk of mercy after this to such a bold defier of the Divine Majesty What kind of being must we fancy the eternal God if we should imagine him to have one drop of mercy for such a contemner and defier of Divine goodness Surely he that made this man will have no mercy on him he that formed him can shew him no favour without a dethroning himself and making himself the contempt of his creature This every sinner doth one more openly and boldly another more secretly and tacitly Every fool if he doth not speak it with his tongue yet saith in his heart there is no God Whiles vain man talks of mercy in God in this case I am afraid he fancieth mercy in God to be a passion as it is in us which necessarily stirs to compassionate every object of misery Alas it is no such thing it is nothing else but the good will of God to do good to sinners if they will be made partakers of his goodness The same will moveth and that justly too otherwise after this life the red flag is then held out The last grains of sand in the glass of mercy are dropt out when this life is determined There is no more sacrifice for sin remaining but a dreadful looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the blood of the Son of God and have counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified as an unholy thing Heb. 10.26 27. These men have done despight to the Spirit of Grace and we know who hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay it I will recompense saith the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people I conclude then with the Apostle in that place It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God There is a time for all things and as it is so with men so it is with God There is a time for mercy that is the time of this life and there must be a time for the execution of Justice when God shall declare his righteousness upon sinners who have despised his goodness and patience that is the time after this life The inch of Candle is out when the sinners life is expired no more coming to the waters and buying then what before was offered without money and without price Mercy hath done its utmost as to such sinners no more mercy is to be found in God for them no more compassion in that God who is full of mercy and tender compassion Nor shall we need at all to stumble at this for to oblige Magistrates to be always pitiful to them that are in misery though they have been the causes of it to themselves and have brought themselves into misery by the highest contempts of Authority and Government yea and of the clemency and patience of the Magistrate were quickly to prostitute all Government and to expose those that manage it to the basest contempt and scorn imaginable and if the Princes and Judges of the earth and Generals of Armies upon the prospect of this see a necessity of setting limits to their bowels of compassion and no one judgeth them either unjust or cruel in so doing why may not the same be allowed to the holy and righteous God But I have spoken enough to convince those who observe the principles of justice allowed in the practice of all States and Governments with the general observation of the wiser sort in the world That God is neither cruel nor unrighteous in punishing with an eternal destruction those that know not God and obey not his Gospel although their time and pleasure of sinning hath born no proportion either to the time or degree of their torments I shall apply it but in a word or two 1. The first To sinners who are yet impenitent who have not yet by repentance and faith saved themselves from this wrath to come 2. The second to those who through grace have saved themselves from this wrath Vse 1. To the first I shall only speak after the great Apostle of the Gentiles We knowing the terrors of the Lord perswade you 1. Not to stand disputing with God about the justice and equity of his ways 2. While your time lasteth to save your selves from these eternal burnings from this worm which never dieth this fire which never goeth out 1. Dispute not then Divine Justice as to the eternal Destruction of sinners You see if you do you will fall in judgement though you should be tried by the common laws of men by the customs and practices of all Nations Flatter not your selves that whatever your Ministers tell you the goodness and mercy of God will not allow him to see his creatures eternally tormented or that the justice of God cannot allow him to punish the sinnings of a few hours or years with an eternity of torments What have they to do with mercy who have out-sinned their days and years of mercy and despised the long-suffering patience and forbearance of God that for twenty thirty forty years together was leading them to repentance and waiting for their conversion and turning to him who had a day and time of repentance but repented not an eternal life and happiness offered them but refused it and have judged themselves unworthy of eternal life O let all sinners cease disputing Divine Justice and presuming upon I know not what mercy in God and let them to day while it is called to day not harden their hearts but study to save themselves from this wrath that is to come Let me but offer you one or two Meditations 1. Consider with your selves how often you have deserved this eternal destruction from the presence of
shall not fall Mat. 16.18 The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Psal 94.14 For the Lord will not cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Mica 4.4 11 12. So quite through this Psalm there are many promises of the same import Now the work of faith is to perswade the soul of the certainty and undoubted verity of these words of God to settle the soul in this perswasion That sooner shall Heaven and earth pass away than any of these things shall fail which God hath spoken Then the work of faith is further to carry out the soul without any carping trouble or disputing to rest wholly upon these words A Christian seeth the word of God what he hath said for its relief now faith teacheth the soul to agree this as the word of him who cannot lye or repent and calleth upon the soul to trust in God for the fulfilling of it to roll it self upon the promise and to commit it self its cause its way unto the Lord the soul of a Christian is very solicitous and careful for the concern and interest of God in the world faith teacheth the soul to cast its care the burthen of its spirit upon the Lord assuring it that God careth for it Faith speaketh to the soul in the language of Solomon Eccles 5.8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Justice and Judgment in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they I say this is a great piece of the Child of Gods duty in such a time when the vilest men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side and the people of God are troden under foot as the mire in the streets It is the Will of God concerning them The just shall live by faith This is the proper time for the exercise of Faith when the eye of sense faileth Faith is the evidence of things not seen the substance of things hoped for The proper operation of Faith is where sense faileth where God is trusted and not seen Blessed are they saith our Saviour who have not seen and yet believe This is Opus diei in die suo Though the people of God ought to be careful of all duty at all times yet they ought to have a special regard to the duty of their day the seasonableness of a duty addeth much to the weight and importance of it The foundations are shaken saith the Psalmist Psal 11.3 4 What shall what can the righteous do Mark what follows The Lords Throne is in Heaven his eyes see his eye-lids try the children of men This is that life which the Saints have lived yea and they have lived well upon it When David had lost all the Amalekites had taken Ziglag and in it all that he had 1 Sam. 30.6 the Text saith David encouraged himself in God the Truth Power and Goodness of God nor did he hope in God in vain as you shall read in that story What had Hezekiah to live upon but Faith when Sennacherib had besieged him with his mighty Army and ranted against him and the God of Heaven too after that rate you read What had all the Patriarchs all the Saints and Servants of God to live upon but Faith of whom you read Heb. 11. Nor is there any life which so glorifieth God as this it eminently glorifieth three Attributes of his his Power Goodness and Truth No man will trust in a bruised Reed or lean upon a broken Staff therefore the Apostle speaking of Abrahams faith Heb. 11. saith He believed that God was able to raise him from the dead and again Rom. 3 He believed that he who promised was able to perform It giveth God the glory of his goodness for the expectation of his soul is the Mercy and Goodness of God and it also giveth God the glory of his truth for the proximate object of Faith is the Word and Promise of God O therefore let this be your care when you cannot live by sense live by Faith It is the happiness of a Child of God he hath something to live on in the worst of times Psal 34.10 The young Lions shall be hunger-bit but there is no want to them that fear the Lord. One would think that of all creatures the Lion should be most out of danger of being hunger bit The Lion the King of the Forest all other Beasts are subject to this Beast yet if an old Lion that cannot run for its prey that hath lost much of its strength may be hunger-bitten one would think a young-Lion that is in its full strength should not Yes saith the Psalmist a young Lion may be hunger-bitten those that have most of the world wicked men that have greatest honours greatest power great advantages to provide for themselves they may be hunger bitten they may come to want but there shall be no want to them who fear the Lord there shall be no time so ill but they shall live if they cannot live upon bread they shall feed upon truth How much better is the estate of a godly man than that of his neighbour It is a great point this a great piece of duty Let me therefore a little further enlarge upon it three ways 1. Shewing you how a Christian may know if he liveth this life 2. Directing you in order to it 3. Perswading it by Arguments 1. Will some Christian say how shall I know if I live this life Suffer me to give you five or Six Characters of it 1. It is a Spiritual life Our life saith the Apostle is hid with Christ in God What Christ sometimes said to his Disciples when they would have had him to have eaten something that a Child of God may say to all the world I have meat to eat you know not of His life is a spiritual life such is the life of Faith both with respect to the subject and to the object of it As to the subject of it it is the soul that lives the body lives by bread the soul lives by truth by the promise There are many that in evil days their bodies have enough to feed upon but their souls have nothing hence their hearts become like Nabals dead as a stone yea and as to the object it is spiritual too he that feedeth upon truth feedeth upon Jehovah It is the truth of God in the word which the soul liveth upon the soul of a Believer can no more live upon Words and Syllables than another soul No but it is the truth of God in these words his power and ability to perform what he hath said his inclination and good-will to the performance and his truth and faithfulness Every life in an evil day is not a life of faith some may live upon fancy and foolish hope some may live upon means with which their eye feedeth them another may live upon a Roman spirit of his own Tu
mean time he is in the love and favour of God he may have communion with God and God will provide for him These and an hundred such things as these afford matter enough for the child of God to delight himself in the Lord at all times 2. Consider again how equitable it is that Children should at all times delight themselves in him because he at all times delighteth himself in them whom the Lord loveth he chastneth as a Father his Son in whom he delighteth his chastening is not a dispensation of wrath but of wisdome Observe how he speaketh to his afflicted Church Isa 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with tempests and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with saphires Christ was anointed to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness Isa 64.1 3. Though his people have lien amongst the Pots as the Psalmist expresseth it yet he hath a pleasure in them 3. Let me Thirdly offer to your consideration the advantage of this delighting your selves in the Lord in a day of Evil. It would arme the Soul against all the temptations of an evil time 1. It would abstract the mind from the world we see if the Husband delights in his Wife or a Father on his Child how it draweth off their hearts from all other objects that all are nothing to them in comparison of that object in which the great delight of their heart is 2. It would fill the mind of a man so as it should say to all the world as Esay I have enough I have enough keep what thou hast unto thy self or as Jacob whose delight was in Joseph It is enough is Joseph yet alive It is enough 3. It would give the Soul a rest The mind of a man resteth in the object of its delight 4. Finally it would wonderfully quiet the mind as to the Will of God we are usually satisfied with what is done by those persons whom we principally love and delight in Let this therefore be our study our great labour and business to bring up our hearts to a delight in the Lord. Study his attributes that you may know what he is in his Power Goodness Truth Wisdom c. Study his promises which concern this life or that which is to come particularly those which more specially sute thy circumstances Consider the examples of the Saints and Servants of God in thy circumstances meditate upon these things whet them upon thy heart say often to thy self This God is in himself Thus and thus he hath revealed himself and he who hath said it is Power Goodness Truth c. But this is enough to have spoken to this other piece of a Christians duty under such dispensations of Divine Providence I proceed to another piece of Duty 4. Depart from evil and do good You have it vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do Evil. And vers 3. Trust in the Lord and do good you have them both together Psal 34.12 and 1 Pet. 3.12 Now this doing of good is a very large term according to the intent of all that duty which is required of us by the precepts of the first and second table There is a duty which we owe unto God all which is comprehended under the first and great commandement Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy Soul and all thy Strength Thus that man doth good that loveth and feareth God that prayeth unto him and performeth all those acts of homage and worship which God hath in his word required as much and as zealously and warmly in the worst as in the best of times this is properly a doing of good it is honest and just and what God requireth of us it bringeth profit and advantage to our selves it will bring comfort sweetness and peace to the Soul So that take good in what notion you will this is a true doing good Again there is a good which may be done to our selves or to others the Apostle commandeth us to do good to all Gal. 6.10 thus our Saviour commandeth us to do good to them that hate us and the Apostle Heb. 13.16 commands us not to forget to do good and to distribute and it is one piece of our doing good Isa 1.17 to judge the fatherless and relieve the oppressed Further yet there is a good of our general calling This is comprehensive of the whole duty of a man considered in no further capacity than that of a creature towards God or that of a Christian relating to the Lord Jesus Christ and owning him There is a good of our particular calling respecting us with reference to our Relations as Magistrates or Subjects Husbands or Wives Ministers or flock Parents or children Masters or Servants Finally there is a good of a particular season the works and business of our day relating to the particular circumstances and dispensations of Providence under which it pleaseth God to bring us Having thus far discoursed of good and distinguished of that it is easie to understand what Evil is It is either the omission of some of these duties or the commission or doing some things which are opposite to them I take the precepts of the text in the large sence A Christian ought to do all manner of good and to abstain from all omissions of any duty or commissions of any thing which is contrary to that duty which God expecteth from him either in his general calling or in his particular Relation he is at all times to eschew evil and to do good The precepts of God Psal 37.26 Isa 1.16 17. 1 Pet. 3.12 concern him and oblige him at all times but it is their more especial duty with reference to evil times and indeed this is the readiest way to make times better Evil times are so called upon a double account either with respect to sin or to punishment These times are evil times wherein sin aboundeth and the love of many groweth cold now our sins contribute to the aboundings of sin in the time wherein we live we use to say that if every man would sweep his own door the streets would be clean Times are also called evil with respect to punishment to some judgments of God that are abroad in the world now for us to do good to depart from evil and do good is the way to have the judgments of God averted from us Wash you saith God Isa 1.16 17. make you clean put away the evil of your doings from you come let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet you shall be as snow though they were as crimson you shall be as white as wooll You have it vers 6. Do good and thou shall dwell in the land and as we Translate it verily thou shalt be fed Zeph. 2.3 Seek you the Lord all you
and in the same Nation where the Gospel is preached some have a sound and little more Preachers in some places in stead of preaching the Gospel Preach human Philosophy or the lusts of their own hearts In other places the Word of God is preached faithfully and powerfully so that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Men are compelled to come in This difference in the external ministration which let me tell you hath no small influence upon the eternal concern and interest of men for God doth not ordinarily work by way of miracle and heal the eyes of the blind with Clay and Spittle is fountain'd only in the free-will and Grace of God Vse 2. But I trust I speak to some who have tasted further of the mercy and Grace of God than receiving the general Dispensation of the Gospel with their outward ears God hath by his holy Spirit upon the preaching of the Gospel effectually moved their hearts and conquered their Souls into a subjection to Christ They have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ by a Gospel-faith they are brought by a mighty hand out of darkness into marvelous Light and translated out of this Kingdom of Sin and Satan into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus I have this day been discovering to you the Fountain of this Grace of which God hath made you partakers you have heard that it is the will of God only which hath distinguished betwixt you and others It is not because you were more nobly born than others nor because you were more rich more honourable or by nature better complexioned than others God saw no more goodness in your natures than in the natures of others you were all the same flesh he infused into all Souls of the same nature and species only he hath willed rather to shew mercy unto your Souls than to the Souls of others because he hath set his love upon you There are three duties that hence lie very obvious 1. The First is Praise Thankfulness and Admiration Certainly every such Soul stands highly obliged with the Psalmist to cry out Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits If free Grace will not affect our hearts and fill our mouths with a new Song nothing will It must certainly be an amazing consideration for a Soul to sit down and think I was in the same mass and lump of lost man-kind that others are I was by Nature a Child of wrath as much as any my Childhood and Youth were Vanity as much as any others I was grinding at the same Mill it may be in actual sins I outstripped many others Now that the Lord should look upon me and pluck me as a brand out of the Fire that God should open my eyes and change my heart What did God see in me Possibly my more external circumstances were far less and more unvaluable than those of thousands of others my House was of small account and little esteem there are many more great and noble more wise and prudent than I am many who in all appearance so far as man can judg might have been more serviceable to God than I am or am ever like to be now that the Lord should pass them over and shew mercy to me certainly no Soul can seriously think of these things but must be ravished with the apprehensions of the inaccountable love of God in these things and say What shall I render unto thee O Lard what shall I render unto thee 2. This notion of Gods Soveraignty freedom and inaccountbleness in the dispensations of his Grace should teach every Soul that hath been or shall be made a partaker of it the great lesson of humility The Apostle Rom. 3.27 giveth this as the reason why God hath setled the justification of a Sinner upon a bottom of free Grace and hath excluded works that he might also exclude boasting and teach those who glory to glory in the Lord upon this Argument the Apostle exhorteth the Gentiles not to boast against the Jews Rom. 11.22 Behold the goodness and the severity of God saith he to those who abide in their unbelief severity to thee goodness Pride is a sinful habit disposing the Soul to swell in the opinion of some excellency in it self and a little thing will swell our corrupt hearts The Apostle propoundeth this very consideration as a cure for that tumour in the Souls of Christians 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou which thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it It is nothing but the will of God that hath made a difference betwixt thee and the vilest Sinner breathing betwixt thee and the most filthy Drunkard the most furious Persecutor c. It was not for any worth any goodness or holiness which the Lord saw in thee but of his meer free will and Grace God hath shewed mercy to thy Soul what hast thou now of thy own to boast or glory in Thou hast indeed reason to glory and to make thy boast in the Lord and to bless God for what he hath done for thy Soul more than for a thousand others but there is no thanks to thee his will his own will was the fountain of his Grace extended to thee God hath had mercy upon thy Soul only because he would have mercy O therefore be not high-minded but fear and walk humbly before God 3. Lastly this calleth upon all of you who have tasted of this free and unaccountable Grace to live a distinguishing life and conversation There is a Generation that fancyeth that the Doctrine of Free-Grace opens a door to Liberty It is but the old Cavil in Saint Pauls time there were those that thus accused the Doctrine of Free-Grace as if it gave men a liberty to go on in sin as appeareth by the Apostles anticipation of that Cavil Rom. 6.1 What saith he shall we then continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid and so he goeth on shewing that any such conclusion from his principles was unreasonable How shall we saith the Apostle who are dead unto sin live any longer therein Special distinguishing Free-Grace both deadneth the Soul to Sin and inflameth the Soul with a love to God who hath made the Soul to differ so as that Soul cannot live as other men the love of God constraineth him he must apprehend himself obliged to do more for God than others because God hath shewen more mercy to him than unto others and that meerly because he would shew mercy What can possibly be imagined to have a greater and lay an higher obligation upon the Soul to all manner of holiness in conversation to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as the Apostle speaketh SERMON L. Hosea XIII 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but
others for sins yet they did as bad themselves From Vers 11. He taketh away all pretence of Justification by works both from the Jews and from the Gentiles For the Gentiles he saith they had not the Law For the Jews they indeed had the Law but they broke it Now saith he There is no respect of persons with God those that sin shall perish let them sin with the Law or without the Law For saith he in my Text as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By the Law is here plainly understood the Word of God which God hath given us to be a light unto our feet and a lanthern to our paths a light to shew us the way to Heaven Here is plainly imply'd That as some sinners perish having the Word of God and the external means of Salvation so others perish having not the Law and Word of God nor the outward and ordinary means which God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of eternal life and salvation 2. In both these dispensations God is just for there is no respect of persons with God Now hence arise Two Questions 1. Quest Whether God granteth to all men sufficient aids and assistances or means of Grace in order to their Salvation 2. Quest If God doth not grant unto all men sufficient means aids and assistances of Grace in order to their Salvation how he can be just in the condemnation of any to whom he hath not given such a sufficiency of means 1. Quest Whether God granteth unto all men sufficient means of Grace in order to their Salvation We affirm that he hath not But here we have many Adversaries to encounter There are some that affirm that there is a sufficiency of the means aids and assistances of Grace afforded to all men in order to their Salvation Some of the Arminians will not go thus far but they affirm That to all those to whom the Gospel is preached and who are by the preaching of it called to Faith and Repentance there is a sufficient grace given Thus far we do agree as to this point of sufficient grace 1. That in our first Parent Adam all mankind had sufficient grace whether we respect external or internal means he had a sufficient Revelation of the Will of God and a sufficient power in himself in his own will in the rectitude of his own nature to have made use of and apply'd the Revelation he had of the Divine Will in order to his Salvation and so all mankind had in him For as in Adam all died so in Adam all men were at first a live or they could not in the fall have died in him The Question is not therefore of man as he at first came out of the hand of God but of mankind in their lapsed estate whether they have all such a sufficiency 2. Secondly Neither is the Question about the sufficiency of external means as to all those to whom the Gospel is preached and who have the Scriptures we grant a perfection in them and that they are able to make men wise unto Salvation the word of Faith is a sufficient external means this is again on all hands agreed betwixt us 3. Thirdly It is out of doubt that there is such a Revelation of the means of grace as is sufficient for the manifestation of the Glory and Justice of God which is the great end which God aimeth at in all his dispensations of Providence 4. Yea and Fourthly There is such a sufficiency of outward means as is enough to keep up external order and discipline in the world in humane Societies and as will render men inexcusable before God Rom. 2.1 5. Lastly We do grant that there is a sufficiency of grace given to many that live in the world even to as many as God hath fore-ordained to eternal life But still there are Two Questions behind 1. Whether those who never heard of Christ to whom the Gospel was never preached have a sufficient external means in order to their Salvation 2. Whether either those or any of those to whom the Gospel is preached have a sufficiency of means in order to their Salvation unless God be pleased to influence their souls by the powerful operation of his Spirit upon their hearts overpowering their wills and in the day of his power making them willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ freely tendred in the Gospel We do judg that as the Heathens who have not heard of Christ nor had the Gospel preached unto them have not a sufficiency in respect of outward ordinary means so neither those who have the Scriptures and Ordinances of God have a sufficiency of grace while they want the internal effectual operation of the Spirit of God So that indeed no Reprobates only the Elect of God have a sufficient aid and assistance of grace given them for their Salvation though in the way of outward means those indeed who have the Gospel published to them may be said to have a sufficiency in respect of external means This we affirm upon these grounds 1. This pretended sufficiency must be either of External means or of Internal means or of both indeed it must be of both or it is not a sufficiency The External means is the holy Scriptures and the preaching of them they are those which are able to to make the man of God as Apostle tells us wise unto Salvation And how shall they believe saith the Apostle Rom. 10. on him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they Preach except they be sent The Apostle is there discoursing of the ordinary means of Salvation you see that is fixed in the word for that is that which is to be heard and the Preaching of the word So that what secret way soever God may have to reveal himself and the knowledg of Christ unto some particular persons in places where the Scriptures are not found nor the name of Christ heard of nor his Gospel Preached yet certain it is the outward and ordinary means of Salvation is the Preaching hearing and reading of the word and the Ministry of the Gospel Now we know that in the far greatest part of the World the Scriptures are not found read preached they have no Ministry and therefore it is very absurd to say That as to the External ordinary means of Salvation there is a sufficiency afforded all for if the word and the Ministry of it be the outward and ordinary means it is matter of demonstration that a very great part of the World hath nothing of it those therefore that will maintain a sufficiency of means must make the works of God and the view of them and conclusions which men may make by their Natural light and reason from them a sufficient means to give a man the knowledg of God and such a knowledg
Jeroboam that he only of the house of Jeroboam went to his grave in peace because there was some good thing found in him Sometimes and most ordinarily God worketh upon peoples hearts in their riper state of which are the most plentiful instances in Scripture You read of the thief upon the Cross converted in the last day of his life and what we find in Scripture we find God still doing in the dispensations of his Providence The age in which we have lived hath afforded many instances of children whose hearts we may charitably judg from the accounts we have had of them God had in their very childhood Regenerated and Sanctified them Blessed be God we are not without some instances of persons and those not a few whom God hath wrought upon in their more adult estate and some also in their old age though Examples of that still are and ever were very rare This is the first variety obvious to every Eye 2. A second variety observable is in the means which God is pleased to make use of For these God never tied himself to the same means The preaching of the Gospel was always made use of by God as the most ordinary means It was at the preaching of Peter that Three Thousand Souls were in one day converted and the Apostle telleth us that it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believed 1 Cor. 1.21 And the Apostle tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God But yet God hath made use though more rarely of other means the means which God first used to the Eunuch seems to be his reading in the Prophet Isaiah Sometimes God made use of Providences you read of many converted and induced to believe in Christ upon the account of his Miracles and still God is pleased to use the same variety of means Generally indeed God maketh use of the preaching of the Gospel sometimes he sanctifieth the reading of the word sometimes he maketh use of Providences I think I have sometimes read concerning Waldus the Father of those ancient Protestants called the Waldenses that the seeing of one of his companions suddenly drop down dead was the first means of his conversion we read of a great dread that fell upon People upon the sudden death of Ananias and Saphirah My self have known one that would acknowledg that his hearing of Bells Ring for persons dead was a great means to beget serious thoughts in him First of turning unto God It pleased God to make use of Manasses his Chains to turn his heart and the imprisonment of Paul Acts 16. to convert the Goaler and his whole Family Sometimes God useth the instructions of Parents sometimes one means sometimes another as it pleaseth him 3. A third observable variety respecteth The manner of Gods working upon Souls It is true in some especially two respects God dealeth a-like withal 1. He forceth no Soul he indeed maketh it willing and giveth to will but the Soul in its conversion to God moveth willingly and freely 2. Secondly He putteth forth an Almighty power as to every Soul that is converted The Soul is made willing but it is in the day of the Lords power Psal 110.3 But yet the effects of this power are not always the same all are not drawn in the like manner some are drawn by a Silken Thred others by Iron-Fetters some God works upon in a more rough way some in a more soft and gentle way Some are a little or not at all under the Spirit of bondage others are Months and Years under it they are filled with the Lords terrors and cry unto him out of the belly of Hell before he heareth them some are drawn with the Cords of love only others with the Chains of fears Some are as it were insensibly drawn and the Spirit of God as it were slippeth into their Souls without any noise they become Temples of the Holy Ghost and there is neither the noise of Ax nor Hammer heard about the Spiritual building others are terrified like the Jaylor Acts 16. cast down to the Earth like Paul both in order to conversion and their reception of converting Grace 2. Secondly You shall observe That God sometimes makes his way to the heart by the head sometimes he begins at the heart and by that maketh his way to the head my meaning is sometimes God begins his work upon knowing persons who have been Catechised out of the Law and from Children have had a knowledg of the Holy Scriptures sanctifying their first Principles to them and reflecting upon their Hearts and Consciences the notions of truth which they have been bred up in the Holy Spirit bringing to their remembrance what of God they have formerly heard from Ministers Parents or Goverours As to others God maketh his way from the heart to the head They have great degrees of ignorance as to the truths of God but God blesseth his word so far as that they can apprehend they are in a lost condition and must look for another righteousness besides their own and take up a new course of life they hear of a Saviour come into the World of a fulness in him and a readiness to save unto the utmost those who by faith come unto him this makes them to inquire return and come to seek for Spiritual knowledg as for Silver and to dig for it as for hidden treasure and by following on to know the Lord they came to know him But this is enough to have hinted you as to the varieties to be observed in Gods methods of working in the conversion of Souls Let me in the next place shew the reasonableness of the Divine workings in this great work 1. And first as to the variety observed in point of time 1. Some are converted young Possibly God may do it that he may Crown the indeavours of Parents Governours and thereby engage others to take care of the Souls of their Correlations committed to their charge Some Parents are very solicitous for the Spiritual good of their children whetting upon them their lost condition by Nature often minding them of Eternity and calling upon them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth now where any will do this God takes notice of it and will often Crown those Domestick labours with a desired success for the encouragement of others God gives in to their prayers the Souls of their Children oft-times while yet they are Children It is said of Monica the Mother of Augustine that she was a woman of many tears and prayers for her Son and Ambrose was wont to comfort her telling her that it was impossible that a Child of so many tears should perish It is not impossible indeed that some should perish who have been Children of many tears and prayers for whom godly Mothers have travailed in pain again till Christ should be formed in them there is no merit in our prayers and tears neither hath
iniquities prevailed against him Psal 65.3 When St. Paul cried out Who shall deliver me from this body of death And another time when he could say I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me 2. A second dispensation of Grace is that which I called quickening grace An influx of the spirit of grace upon the soul by which the soul in all its spiritual conversation is made more free and lively that it maketh haste and delayeth not to keep the Lord's Commandments It findeth an inlarged heart and runneth the way of the Lords Commandments that this proceedeth from an influx of grace is plain David prayeth unto the Lord that he would quicken him in the way of his Commandments Quicken me in thy way Psal 119.37 It is as manifest upon the experience of all Christians that God distributeth this influence of this grace unequally neither the like measures unto all Christians nor to the same Christians at all times Hence are the complaints of Christians of the dulness and deadness and straitness of their hearts they indeed through grace keep on in the Lords ways and are kept from Apostacy they return not with the Dog to the vomit but they move heavily the wheels of their Charots are taken off they almost force themselves to duties of Communion with God and do not find a freedom to them and a delight and sweetness in them but are secretly saying within themselves When will the Sabbath be done When will the duty be over it is no pleasure to them to serve the Lord when-as at other times their souls are full of spiritual life they are longing for Sabbaths and for times of prayer 3. Lastly There are also dispensations of consolatory grace these are the influences of the Spirit of God upon the soul by which the soul is refreshed and comforted in the apprehensions of the love of God These admit of a variety of degrees as they arise in the soul either 1. From the view of the souls own sincerity and its ability to apprehend its interest in the promises and to apply the Scripture unto it self Or 2. From some more extraordinary witnessings and sealings of the holy Spirit who you know is called the Comforter and who as the Apostle speaketh witnesseth together with our spirits that we are the children of God Now the sadness and dejections of some Christians spirits over others and of the same Christians Spirits at some times more than others is a sufficient evidence of the inequality of these distributions There was a time when David himself cried out When wilt thou comfort me Psal 119.82 as much as at other times he triumphed and made his boast in God and from hence now you may understand the nature of what we call Desertions God never leaves nor forsakes his people so as he doth not supply them with influences of Grace sufficient to uphold the Union betwixt Christ and their souls nor doth he deny such influences to any soul that believeth in Christ But God may and doth often withdraw himself as to the gradual manifestations of himself to them in such dispensations of grace whereby he strengtheneth them against sin or unto duty or whereby he quickneth them and maketh them free and lively in his Service or finally such whereby he comforteth them with the apprehensions or assurances of his love in Christ Now these varieties being observable in matter of fact in the dispensations of Divine grace even to Gods own children My next work must be to shew you the reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in this unequal distribution and to proportion some answer to these following Questions 1. Quest Why God suffereth some more than others to be tempted and to fall by temptation yea some of his own people 2. Quest Whence it is that some of the children of God find much more strength unto spiritual duty than others find and the same children of God at some time find more strength than they do at others times 3. Quest Whence it is that some godly persons find more freedom and liveliness in the service of God than others do and the same persons find more liveliness and freedom at one time than they do at another 4. Quest Whence it is that some Christians are more full of spiritual joy and consolations than others are To these which properly relate to the varieties before observed Two more may also be added 5. Quest Whence it is that godly persons who are all informed by the same spirit of truth have such different apprehensions of the things of God one from another and that some times in very momentous points 6. Quest Lastly Whence it is that some Christians grow faster in grace than others do 1. Quest Why God suffereth some yea some of his own dear servants to be more tempted than others yea and when he knoweth that they will fall That it is so is past all dispute Satan obtained leave of God to tempt Job and Christ told Peter that he had desired to winnow him like wheat he tempted David to number the people The Text saith that Satan stood up against Israel and we know that Satan prevailed against all these And it is expresly said concerning Hezekiah that God left him to his temptations 2 Chron. 32.31 And we see it in daily experience that some of the people of God are both much more buffetted by Satans temptations and overcome by them than others are wanting strength to say get thee behind me Satan 1. In the first place I do think much of this is founded or at least highly advantaged from nature Concerning temptations which are à carne from the flesh when a man is only drawn away by his own lust There is nothing more certain than that divers persons have more strong inclinations and dispositions to some sins than unto others and there needeth a more eminent assistance of Divine grace to restrain such lusts in such souls and although it be true concerning such temptations as are impressions or suggestions from Satan that they are not natural but preternatural yet one soul may have a more natural aptitude to receive them either from its complexion and constitution or from its disease and distemperature under which it may at some time labour more than another and this may by one and that a great cause For God is not always nor ordinarily pleased to work miraculously It is usually said of Melancholy that it is balneum diaboli a melancholick temper state or constitution of body is a temper very receptive of impressions and suggestions from the Devil Now I say where a man is naturally more complexionated to some sins or where any persons are from their complexion or from some bodily distemper more apt to receive such kind of impressions it cannot be expected but that they should fall oftner into such temptations and be troubled more with them and by them than other Christians who have not those natural disadvantages and