instances of Divine Providence of this nature we had in our own Nation especially in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and the beginning of King James his reign 1. Sometimes God setteth their own Consciences on work and they shall betray and discover themselves before they fall to their work God smiteth one of their Consciences and they come and discover their Complices and confess their own errours how often have we had this in our own story 2. Sometimes their Countenances shall betray them while they are just ready to strike the fatal stroke 3. Sometimes a terror shall seize them and their Daggers shall drop out of their hands 4. Sometimes their own Letters shall destroy them of which we had an eminent instance in the Powder-Treason hatched by Papists in this Nation sometimes the powder shall not take fire another time it shall miss the mark The Monsters are sometimes brought to the birth and the parents of them want a strength to bring forth How often was Queen Elizabeth in this Nation so preserved to fulfil the word of the Lord Job 5.12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise 5. A fifth thing I shall instance in is Gods defeatings of the counsels of Ahitophels All men are not alike in wisdom and counsel God fitteth some more eminently who are to have stations in the publick Government and Councils of a Nation Amongst these some are men of integrity and sincerity men of publick spirits and designs who use all their wits parts and abilities for the general good and prosperity of people Others are men of more private spirits driving selfish designs and these oft-times are men of great craft and subtilty whose counsels yet should they take effect would ruin the body politick which they pretend to serve whiles they serve but their own bellies or families or the lusts of some others in order to that end Here now the Providence of God is often seen in defeating their counsels and that various ways Sometimes by making them unacceptable as was in the case of Ahitophel his counsels ordinarily were taken and followed as Oracles but God makes the counsel of Hushai though as appeareth by the story a friend at first suspected by Absolom to be more accepted Sometime God doth it by some more extraordinary ways as in the case of Haman who had both given counsel and obtained a decree against the Jews The King shall not sleep but spend his waking times reading the book of the Chronicles there he shall fall upon the place where a record is of the good service Mordecai had done The King shall mistake Haman's Courtship to the Queen while he is making suit to the Queen for his life for an attempt to force her Thus Haman shall be defeated in his designs and it shall be his own lot to be hanged upon the Gallows which he had prepared for Mordecay nor are these the only instances There is no Kingdom no Age in which observing persons will not observe some instance or other of this nature for the preservation of the Political societies of men Sixthly The power of divine Providence in preserving Political societies is eminently seen in ballancing and diverting opposite powers It is wonderful to observe how God ballanceth one Nation against another sometimes by natural scituation sometimes by voluntary associations We in England are an instance of the former All the Kingdoms about us are larger and more mighty than we are France Spain c. far more populous God hath ballanced us with them by our scituation We are an Island we are powerful in Shipping they cannot march an army by land against us that keeps us at some proportion with them and from being a prey to them often gaping for us Others God hath scituated in Countries full of Rocks and Mountains and Waters by which natural Fortifications they are ballanced with the far greater fleshly power of their Enemies Thus God preserved his people in Epirus from the overflowing flood of the Turkish Power In Holland from the attempts of the Spaniard 40 years together a Nation far more great and mighty than they Thus he hath preserved his Church his little flock in the Valleys of Piedmont and Lucerne As Solomon saith because the Conies are a feeble people they have their habitation in the Rocks So where God hath had a little people a feeble people his Providence hath for their habitation allowed them the natural defences of mountains and the inaccessible paths of Rocks Others he ballanceth with the far greater power of their adversaries by voluntary confederacies and consociations were they singly to be encountred they would quickly be swallowed up but they join in league with others and so make a proportion to their Potent Adversaries Some he ballanceth by giving them a more extraordinary strength spirit courage that one will chase ten and ten an hundred and an hundred a thousand and a thousand shall put ten thousand of their Enemies in flight Some are stronger in Land-forces but weak as to Naval-forces others strong in Naval-forces but weaker in Land-forces till the period of a Nation comes for Nations have their periods he ballanceth all Political Societies one way or other according to the variety of his infinite wisdom 2. Another way is by Diversion you have many instances of this in Scripture How often hath God thus preserved us in Europe from the overflowing flood of the Turks by stirring up the Persians to invade him by suffering rebellions amongst thoâ—e that are his own Subjects But I shall contract this discourse much will fall into my following discourse of Governing Providence 7. The last thing which I shall instance in wherein the Providence of God is seen in the preserving of men in their Political Societies is in giving unto men wisdom and disposing of them to several Arts Trades Mysteries and Occupations by which they become mutually serviceable one to another and contribute to the upholding the societies in which they live Here are two things in both which the Providence of God is eminent to every eye which wistly observeth it There is nothing more evident than that there is a variety of Arts Mysteries Trades and Occupations useful for man by some of which he is supplied with things necessary for food and rayment by others of them with things for delight and ornament both the one and the other if not necessary for individuals yet are necessary for preserving a Polity consisting of multitudes Now 1. The wisdom by which men work in these several Arts Mysteries and Occupations and by which men follow these several Trades is from the Lord. The Prophet Isaiah tells us the discretion of the Plow-man and of the Thresher is from him God called by name Bezaliel the Son of Uri and he was filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledg and in all manner of workmanship and to devise curious works to work
they insist upon this Argument which certainly is not to be answered In all acts of punishment God doth something positively But the Scirpture mentions the giving up of soms sinners to vile affections to a reprobate mind c. as acts of punishment Therefore God as to them doth something positively The minor is evident from the stile of the Scripture Now for the major Certainly in all all punishments God acteth as a Judge and therefore must do something positively The infliction of a punishment argueth a positive judgement of God Besides which is noted by Pareus God is said seven or eight times over to harden Pharaohs heart and many others who never had any grace to be withdrawn Besides it is very observable that the words which the Scripture maketh use of to signifie Gods penal action in hardning sinners Exod. 4.21 7.3 10.1 are such as cannot be expounded by a bare permission or desertion and signifie a vehement intension of the action being verbs of the second and third Conjugation in the Hebrew This is a great point in Divinity let me therefore tell you what our Divines say in their own words and then examine if it be not reconcileable by our reason to the justice and holiness of God Parens saith That it is sufficient that God in these tremendous dispensations acting as a Judge by way of punishment which as the Scripture plentifully affirms so Bellarmine himself granteth God must act in it not meerly privatively but positively we need not be curious to examine the manner how he acteth Fit illa traditio explicabili sive inexplicabili occulto quidem sed semper justo modo whether we be able to open or not open the manner God doth it always by a just although a secret judgment but saith he in three things it seems to be explicable 1. By leaving men to the impetus and force of their own lusts This saith he is a general way for all that perish are thus left to themselves yet it cannot be said properly of all such that God hath delivered them up to hardness of heart c. 2. By giving them means of softning such are precepts miracles his works c. which they through the wickedness of their hearts only use to their further hardening Thus it was in the case of Pharaoh Sihon c. This on their part was a sin on Gods part a just judgment but it may be this is not the case of all and seemeth hardly applicable to the Gentiles whom God so gave up Rom. 1 26. 3. A third way saith he which is more universal is by delivering them up to their lusts and to Satan to be further blinded seduced and hardned as in the case of Ahab and the Gentiles mentioned in this first Chapter of the Romans and 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of those that believe not Now that Satan seduceth souls by command from God appeareth by the story of Ahab 1 King 22.22 23. The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets Another great Divine opens it in these particulars God saith he hardneth sinners 1. Alesbury de eterno Dei decreto p. 226. By immediately depriving them of reason and counsel or punishing them so as their rage is increasod against God for this he giveth us the instance of Pharaoh whose heart was the more hardened by the plagues which he felt and for this he quoteth Gregory the Great one of the Popes 2. God immediately hardneth the hearts of sinners saith he by giving them up to Satan that they may be by him hardned as in the case of Saul and Ahab and those mentioned in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians 3. Saith he he hardneth them per se ipsos by themselves giving them up as my Text faith to vile affections Thus Pharaoh is said thrice to have hardned his own heart Pharaoh by his own free-will hardned his heart and God hardned it by his just judgment God permitted the Heathens to sin yet more and more and by an actual motion moved them to an act of sin so far forth as it was an act 4. Lastly saith he God positively hardneth sinners By giving occasions which through the lust that is in them incline them to evil God proposeth to them what things in their own nature should induce and perswade them to that which is good but they through their lust and malice make them an occasion to evil Thus saith he God provoked the Jews to emulation by a foolish nation by shewing grace and mercy to the Gentiles the rage of the Jews against Christ grew greater Thus Christs Preaching and Miracles were occasion to the Pharisees of further blaspheming But saith that excellent Author if we rightly understand it it is not of so much moment whether we say that God hardneth men positively or negatively for though as to the execution in the event the act be negative yet this event floweth from the positive purpose of God It is therefore all one whether we speak in the words of Moses Deut. 29.4 and say God hath not given them an heart to perceive or eyes to see and ears to hear or in the phrase of the Apostle Rom. 11.8 God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes they should not see and ears they should not hear until this day for the will of God is as effectual in his negative as positive actions And now I think I have told you the utmost our Divines have said in this cause unless some of them have said that God is the Author of his own judgments and punishments which I think none can with modesty deny Twiss Vind. gratiae 3.163 it being no more than the Scripture saith of all those things which are of a positive nature but not of those things which are of a privative nature which yet he may will should be done by his permission though not by his efficiency and this is no more than Arminius himself confesseth that God is effector actus though no more than permissor peccati The sum is if we understand by the punishment of sin with sin Gods judicial act by which he withdraweth his grace or his leaving of sinners to the satisfaction of their own lusts there is no question but God for mens former sins may do this yea more than this he may judicially deliver men up to their lusts and to Satan to be seduced at his pleasure and offer them occasions in their own nature leading to good which they through their corruption may turn to further sinning But God cannot punish the former sins of any by putting any lust or malice into their hearts by which they become more evil or otherwise than accidentally stirring up that lust and malice which is in their heart This is the sum so far as I know of what Divines say as to Gods acts in the punishment of sin by delivering them up to farther sinnings
Scripture was written since which time Prophecy and unwritten Revelations are much ceased not further to be expected God may yet reveal himself to some particular servants of his but we are not to expect such Revelations nor are they the object of faith Now herein hath the stupendous Providence of God been eminently seen that when so many thousand books wrote since the Scriptures were written are lost and there is no memorial almost of them and the Scriptures have had more enemies than any of them more that have endeavoured to corrupt them and to destroy them yet God hath preserved this store-house of spiritual food and kept it from corruption by the extraordinary care of the Jewish Church the multiplying of translations guiding and governing of those who have been employed in them Nor hath the Providence of God been less seen in maintaining Ministers and Teachers of his word In the Jewish Church when the ordinary officers failed and were corrupted God from time to time raised them up Prophets who were his extraordinary Embassadors to teach his people In Christs time he calls Fishermen to the Apostleship and in all succeeding Ages though there have been sometimes more sometimes fewer able and faithful Ministers yet God hath so ordered that there never have wanted some and a competent number to break the bread of life and to feed his people with wisdom and with spiritual understanding No sort of men have been more maligned hated persecuted yet God hath upheld the order and taken care for the souls of his people that they have continually had faithful stewards of the mysteries of God 4. The Providence of God is admirable in preserving man in his spiritual capacity in the daily influence of his spirit attending his word and sanctifying his institutions The word is in it self but a dead letter the Preaching of the word is far from a mean adequate to so great an effect as is the conversion and edification of souls God is therefore pleased to join his quickening spirit to the word where he pleaseth blessing and sanctifying it I am not of their judgment who think that there is such a constant concurrence and influence of the Spirit with the preaching of the Gospel that if men will do what in them lies they may repent believe c. I know no Scripture which will justifie that notion but certain it is that the holy Spirit doth ordinarily join it self with the preaching of the word like the wind blowing where it pleaseth and none knoweth the motion of it convincing men of sin of righteousness and of judgment 5. Lastly The Providence of God preserveth men in their spiritual capacities by supplying them with strength and succour against their spiritual enemies their own flesh the world the Devil all which with a variety of temptations strike at our spiritual welfare But this is much of kin to what I said before I shall add no more to this discourse concerning Gods Act of Providence as in the preservation of beasts so of men and that in their single natural capacities In their Social and Political capacities and finally in their Spiritual capacities I shall only add some few words of application This in the first place may inform us Vse 1 How great that God must necessarily be whom we serve he is the Creator of the ends of the Earth of the Heavens of the Seas of all things and it is he who preserveth both man and beast he preserveth all men in their single and natural capacities this I opened before He preserveth all men in their Political capacities all his people in their Spiritual capacities It is an ordinary observation in the Kingdoms and Empires of the world that when they have grown to a great bigness they have perished with their own bulk and weight No Monarch hath been found sufficient to preserve them by his wisdom and Counsels And I remember the Historian speaks of it to the great honour and as a wonderful thing in one of the first Roman Kings that he put the Roman Kingdom it was no more then into such an order that it was governed as if it had been but one Family But how much doth it speak the Glory and Majesty the Immensity and Omnipresence the Efficiency and Activity of God who at the same time is working over all the Earth in all the Empires and Kingdoms in all the Cities and Towns in it defeating Ahitophels discovering Plots and Conspiracies ruling the spirits of unruly men so as the whole Universe is kept in order and the thousands and ten thousands of men in it that know not the yoke of Reason and Religion are yet bridled by his Providence and kept in some just order and decorum and made in stead of running one upon another and destroying one another mutually to be subservient one to another I say how great how wise how infinite how glorious in power must this God be Secondly Observe how much mercy passeth over our heads Vse 2 which we do take little or no notice of We are fearfully and wonderfully preserved and that in every capacity I shewed you it before as to our natural capacity few think of that what a strange working of Providence there must be to keep our souls in life but one day It is as much remarkable in our Political capacity I remember when Christ sent out his Disciples to Preach he told them That he sent them out as lambs amongst wolves It is true indeed not only of Gospel-Preachers but of all sober and vertuous men that would live in the world but according to the Laws of Reason and Moral vertue They are in the world as lambs amongst wolves Let but any one consider how many lewd unrighteous debauched men are in all places such whose only rule is their lusts how full the world is of men that make no conscience of murthers rapes thefts oppression and other enormities and then stand and wonder at the Providence of God that in any part of the world there is any thing of order and decorum observed that men have any thing which they can call their own that the lives of Princes or sober people are secured What can it be attributed to but the mighty power of Divine Providence that we have no more murthers rapes thefts c. we see laws punishments will not restrain all nor the same men at all times how or whence is it that they restrain any or at any time I will conclude this with what the Psalmist so often maketh the foot in that his admirable song of Providence Psal 107 Oh! that men would praise the Lord for his goodness for his wonderful works to the children of men Oh that Princes would praise the Lord for his goodness It is by him that they reign that they have a days liberty to decree justice by him that the Counsels of Ahitophel are defeated the conspiracies of ungodly men are discovered that the spirits of unruly and unreasonable
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
up the Church are more peculiar and special objects of Providence than all others in the World 3. Amongst them such as fear and love God in sincerity are yet the more peculiar objects of Divine Providence and which God hath a most peculiar regard unto which maketh a cogent argument to prove That supposing the glory of God to be the great end of all his providential Dispensations that the Providence of God must most eminently work for the good of these as being such who most eminently serve the great end of his Glory So as he who observeth the motions of it must needs by them understand the loving-kindness of the Lord towards them Secondly The mercy and truth of Gods ways towards them that fear him are not to be read in the surface of present Providences The dark side of the cloud is sometimes towards the Israel of God and at such a time it must be by Faith that we understand that the ways all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth toward his own people Who could read the loving-kindness of the Lord towards Israel while they were in Egypt serving at the Brick-kilns and under their great oppression there but he who observed the Providence of God thus working to make them willing to go out and take possession of the promised Land he might understand this It is not every motion of Providence but the issues of it that demonstrate all the ways of the Lord to be mercy and truth and this evinceth to us that an observation of the motions of Divine Providence yea and a wist and diligent and continuing observation of them also is necessary to make us understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I come now to the Application of what you have heard upon this Argument This in the first place sheweth us one great reason of that ignorance which is in men both concerning God and concernng their own duty Men know little of God and little how to govern their actions according to any degree of Christian prudence As ignorance of and unbelief in the Word of God is one great cause so their not observing the motions of Divine Providence which have been in the World is another no small cause of it Men are much ignorant of God indeed there is but little of the knowledg of God in the World especially that knowledg which floateth not only in the brain but influenceth the heart and affections and men know little how to govern their actions by any spiritual wisdom but live directly contrary to what they own and pretend to as their highest end And we understand as little of the loving-kindness of the Lord I say one great cause of this is mens not observing the workings and motions of Providence They pass before their eyes every day but they observe them not Non tantum oculis intueri sed animum ad hanc considerationem ita exuscitare ut meliores inde evadamus To observe signifieth not only with our eyes to behold it but so to stir up our minds to the consideration of a thing that we may grow the better by it saith a grave Author Now in this Notion of it how few are they that observe these things they see stupendious Providences sometimes in the destruction of the Churches Enemies for the salvation of his people it may be at first they as all new things do affect men with a little passion according to the nature of them but they are like a flash of lightning which though at present it startles us yet the impression is presently off our spirits and I say this is one great reason why we are so ignorant of God so unskilful in the government of our lives to his ends and that we understand so little of his loving-kindness Hence it is that we cannot understand how much good God doth his Church and people by afflictions and trials They are the sensible frowns of Providence which blind our eyes that we cannot see the loving-kindness of God in all his ways We think sometimes we see God driving his Chariot in a direct road to his great ends the glory of his holy Name and the good and protection of such as fear him here we think we can easily discern Gods Wisdom and as easily understand his loving-kindness But now when the Lord drives his Chariot out of our sight and exerciseth his Church or the particular souls of his people with long and tedious Afflictions here we are at a loss and can neither read the wisdom nor loving-kindness of God But what is the reason of this but only our superficial view of Gods Providences without a wist and diligent observation of them If we would but bend our minds to observe what a wholsom influence Afflictions and adverse Providences have ordinarily both upon vvhole Churches and upon particular Christians we should even in them easily understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. The Husbandman can easily understand that he could as ill want the frosts and snows of Winter as the warmth heat and sun-shine of the Summer Gideon taught the men of Succoth with briars and thorns and God ordinarily doth so teach his people Blessed is he saith the Psalmist whom thou chastenest and teachest out of thy Law David tells us Psalm 119.61 that before he was afflicted he went astray but since that he had learned to keep the statutes of the Lord. It was an old saying The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Church is bettered and the Soul is bettered by adverse Providences That Text Isa 27.9 is very remarkable By this that is by this severe affliction by this captivity shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and all the fruit shall be to take away sin when the Lord shall make the stones of the altar as chalk stones that crumble in pieces the groves and the images shall not stand up As an hard Winter keepeth under and killeth the weeds so the winter of Affliction much helps to the purging out of corruptions both out of the Church and also out of the particular Soul Augustine as I remember somewhere lamenteth That a Fever had done more with him to subdue and mortifie a lust than before the love of God could do with him Now I say our not observing this which is matter of no difficult observation to him that wistly eyeth Divine Providence is one great reason that men do not understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. Another reason of mens not understanding it is their making of a judgment of Gods works before they are perfect If any of us should go into a Limners shop and see his first draught of a lovely picture we should discern little loveliness in it which yet we should easily discern if we would but stay until he had finished his work and laid on his life-colours It is the same case with us as to works of Divine Providence we look on them while the Lords work is yet upon the
take away his life pursueth him with an Army from place to place David had a pitiful company with him is forced to flee to Gath there to dissemble himself mad would any one have thought that had seen David among the Philstines scrambling on the walls that he should ever have been King over Israel and Judah At length Saul and Jonathan the next heir are slain in Battel then Ishbosheth is set up but yet after all these oblique and seemingly contradictory motions of Providence it cometh home to the promise David is setled in the Throne of Israel and Judah 4. Let a fourth instance be that of the Gospel Church God had promised that he would set his King upon the holy hill of Zion Psalm 2.6 v. 8 That he would give him the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession and promises of this nature are everywhere multiplyed by the Prophets Isaiah especially Our Lord when he ascended up into Heaven gave out a Commission to his Disciples in order to this effect Go preach and baptize all Nations c. Now at the first the Providence of God seemed to move as if the thing should presently have been done You read Acts 2 That the Spirit of God descended and there were then at Jerusalem saith the Text devout men of every Nation under Heaven Parthians Medes Elamites Mesopotamians Jews Cappadocians men of Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphilia Egypt Lybians Cyrenians Romanes Cretes Arabians and heard the Apostles in their own language speaking of the great works of God Here were now Preachers made for all the World would not one have thought that surely at this time all the ends of the Earth should have been given unto Christ Peter at one Sermon converts two thousand soon after there were five thousand added to the Church But all on the sudden the Providence of God turneth the Gospel groweth out of repute and the Apostles that preached it too both with Jews and Gentiles James is put to death Peter hardly escapes The Church the only Gospel church God had at that time at Jerusalem was scattered and broken the Apostle complains That they were made as the filth of the world and as the off scouring of all things The Jews persecute them the Gentiles in all places rise up against the Preachers of the Gospel bonds stripes and imprisonments waited for the Apostles in all places where they came Paul saith he thought that God had set them forth as men appointed unto death spectacles to the World Angels and men Few of the great Ministers of the Gospel died their natural death the Christians were a sect everywhere spoken against all courses almost imaginable taken to root them out of all places for three hundred years together But at length the Providence of God cometh in a great measure to work up to the direct fulfilling of the many promises of this nature Constantine an Emperour of a great part of the World ariseth and commandeth and encourageth the preaching of the Gospel And thus it came to be spread and accepted in most known parts of the World Indeed there is hardly any instance can be given of any great work of Providence respecting Churches Nations or particular persons as to which this Observation will not justifie it self 5. For another instance may we not bring in if not all yet very many of your particular Souls who fear the Lord. You also upon believing receive the promises The promises are made of old but we receive them we come to have a title to them in the day when God opens our eyes and opens our hearts to a receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ turning our hearts from dead lusts and sins to serve the living God In that day I say we have a first right to all the Promises whether respecting joy and peace or spiritual strength and assistances Now very-often at the first of our conversion the Providence of God moves directly towards them the Soul finds a great life to Duty a great zeal against sin great joy and peace in believing glimpses of the glory of God But after this very ordinarily follow very dark hours and the Soul like Jonah cryes out of the belly of Hell The Soul that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant yet walketh in the dark and seeth no light cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and hath a thousand fair and foul days in its journey to Heaven I know particular cases must here be excepted but I speak of the ordinary Methods of Divine Providence with Souls whom God bringeth to glory 6. I will conclude this Discourse with the instance of the great work of Providence in the Reformation of his Church in this latter age whether you look upon it in Germany France or England In Germany it began with Luther an eminent Servant of of God though like Elias of like passions and infirmities with other men how strangely did the Providence of God in the beginning work towards the accomplishment of it That Luther who was a poor Monk should be preserved to plant the Doctrine of the Gospel and should diffuse it so far as he did and be preserved to do it against all the rage both of the Pope and Emperour 28 or 29 years was a great favour of Providence to the infantile Reformation but afterwards how the Providence of God gave check to it is sufficiently known yet it kept its ground and gained For England we know from our story That King Hen. 8 laid the first stone we also know how Providence at first favoured the work during all the reign of Edward the sixth but in Queen Maries time for five years together it seemed to move directly cross the Popish Superstitions were restored in all parts of the Nation Multitudes burnt for the profession of the Gospel others fled into foreign parts to secure their lives But the Providence of God returned again to its work in the time of Queen Elizabeth But I have spoken enough to justifie the Observation Let me in the next place endeavour to give you a reasonable account of these transverse motions of Providence not that I dare presume to give you the reasons why God moveth thus or thus for who hath been his Counsellor at any time but so far forth as to shew you that these motions of Providence are approvable to our Reason so as we may judg the Lords ways but proportioned to his wise and great designs 1. In the first place certainly one reasonable account to be given of these motions must be the variety of designs which the Providence of God ordinarily carries on together I have hinted this to you before suffer me here to enlarge a little upon it again I then compared Providence to a man of great business and dealings in the World who though London or some other great place be in his Eye as the end of his Journey where his business lies
year some another How many agreed in the year 1666 is known to those any thing acquainted with books we see the Providence of God hath hitherto failed all mens conjectures and still it holds that of these days and hours knoweth no man the best Prophets have proved but vain guessers I might give you a-like instances as to Places and Means but you will generally observe it That the Providence of God rarely as to circumstances suteth any of our fancies And the same thing we shall observe as to particular cases of Christians who are ready to think that if ever by such an instrument at such a time or by such a means they must or shall obtain their desired mercy They obtain it probably but by quite other means and at other times and by other instruments than they fancied and such perhaps as they never thought of the thing is plain and evidenced from a daily experience let us a little enquire into the Reason of it Hath God a pleasure in frustrating the expectations of his people or exposing them to the worlds censures as persons pretending to more acquaintance than they indeed have with the Counsels of God Surely no But God by this method of his Provdience does two things 1. He punisheth the rashness and vanity of his peoples spirits 2. He more consulteth the glory of his own name 1. He by this means chastiseth the vanity and rashness of his people there is a great deal of vanity in peoples spirits in this particular Let me shew you the great evil of this in some few particulars 1. There is in it an unwarrantable curiosity Job tells us chap. 11.12 That vain man would be wise though he be like a wild asses colt We have a great itch after knowledg of things which God hath hidden from us Now this is a great Errour and you shall observe it continually checked by our Saviour when any thing of it discovered it self even in his best Disciples when they said to him Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel He saith unto them It is not for you to know the times and seasons Acts 1.6 7. When Peter saith to him John 21.21 22 Lord what shall this man do Mark our Saviours answer If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me When the Disciples asked him Matth. 24.3 Tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world Jesus answereth and saith unto them Take heed that no man deceive you God of old had an Ark into which none might look There are secrets of his Will which are as yet the Ark of God we would fain be looking into this Ark there 's our vanity God chastens us in it with disappointments that we may learn not to pry into Gods secrets things which we cannot see because God hath hidden them the things are sure the vision is certain and there is an appointed time but that appointed time is not published 2. There is as to these things an ungrounded confidence which God also chastiseth by these disappointments There is nothing more worthy of a Christian than a believing God upon his word and a relying upon him for the fulfilling of it There is nothing more idle nothing more unworthy of him than to be confident where he hath no word to set his foot upon Now such a confidence as this is the confidence of people as to circumstances It is true as to the Jews deliverance out of Egypt and out of Babylon the promise did not only extend to the thing but to the time the four hundred years for the first were named and the 70 years for the latter yea and the particular person Cyrus by whom God would deliver them But it is not so as to the promises which we live in expectation of the fulfilling of as to the Church God hath no-where revealed the year for the ruin of Antichrist nor for the calling of the Jews nor when the halcion-days of the Church shall begin or when Christ shall come to the last judgment If people will expect any of these things shall begin or be at such a time in such a year by such persons their Confidences are without ground or bottom their pretended faith but a rude and bold presumption a rush growing up without any mire and a flag growing up without water and it is but reasonable that God should chastise these vain Confidences 3. There is in these things a sinful limitation of God It is laid to the charge of the Israelites That they limited the Holy One of Israel Psal 78.41 When men tye up God to their circumstances in the fulfilling of his promises or his threatnings they limit God Now this is a great sin God is a free and a powerful Agent he works by means or without means sometimes by means that seem probable sometimes by such as have no appearance of probability to produce the effect he can work how and when and by whom he pleaseth he that fixeth God to his circumstances secretly saith It must be thus or no way by this means and by no other now or never What ground else is there for the expectation or confidence if God hath no where revealed his Will as to particular circumstances only as to the accomplishment of the thing in general God will have us know we are not to limit him 4. Such expectations and confidences are usually but introductions to a greater unbelief God hath promised the things in the plain letter of Scripture the Vision is sure vain man would be wise and search out when these things shall be and where accomplished and by what instruments and means at length he fixeth his eye upon some instruments at work in the world or some means which he fancieth probable to bring these words into a Being Upon these he raiseth up to himself high expectations and groweth very confident that in such a year the thing will be and such a person shall be Gods Instrument and by such means he will effect it It proveth no such thing What a temptation this often proves to men to believe nothing of the thing but because they have deceived themselves in expectations and confidences for which they have no ground to think also that God hath deceived them and there shall no such thing at all be as he hath promised 5. And lastly These expectations and confidences prove oftentimes very great temptations to the use of unlawful means in order to the bringing about of what we would have and know God will bring to pass and do but fancy that he will do it at such or such a time or by such and such instruments The story of the Anabaptists in Germany is a dreadful story to this purpose There is a world of evil in these vain confidences and expectations and consequent to them which God sometimes punisheth in a more smart and
to keep them there He thus endeared the Jews to him and thus transplanted a Colony yea and secured Hierusalem to his obedience which was before under the Command of the Babylonians who were his Enemies 3. The sending of the Messias was a great product of Divine Providence he was to introduce a new way of worship to preach what to them in their corrupted state was a new Doctrine had the Jews been in their heighth this would by no means have been endured by them See how God fitteth the worlds circumstances to this great product of Providence The scepter is departed from Judah and the lawgiver from his feet the Jews are become Tributaries to the Romans and under their power so they were not so brisk as they would have been There is a general peace over all the world so as the Romans were not so jealous of making parties and factions people were more at leisure to listen to the Gospel and Prince of peace Now comes the Lord Jesus Christ If we should carry the business a little further What great work hath God ever done since in which we may not see a remarkable fitting of the worlds circumstances to the production of it I will instance but in one or two things referring to the Protestant-Reformation Our reformation you know was began in the time of Henry the Eight How did God fit our circumstances to it King Henry shall fall out with the Pope because he will not allow his divorce and so shall break with him and set up a purer course of Religion it was hardly to have been imagined how England should have been freed from Popery at another time by the advantage of the chief Magistrates assistance There was a strange concurrence of Divine Providences in the reformation which was begun in Germany Luther was raised up a man of a most invincible spirit and courage Printing was found out a-few years before in that very Countrey in 1440 by which means Luther's and others books were presently diffused throughout all Europe V. Sculteti annales l. 1. c. 1. The knowledg of Arts and Learning were just restored to the world after the long darkness and ignorance in which Popery had muffled the world Many secret favourers of Religion were admitted to great places in the Popish-Church who either out of favour to the reformed Religion or out of love to their learning shewed great kindness to the first Reformers several great Princes of Germany were also prepared some possibly out of conscience others out of principles of honour favouring and protecting Luther In short the Providence of God hath hardly at any time produced any great work in the change of the State of the Church or of any Kingdom but his fitting of the circumstances of the world to it have been strangely obvious and remarkable to every observing eye 2. Let us secondly take a view of the Providence of God working as to particular persons with reference to things of a more outward concern take it in the instances of Joseph of David of Haman of the three Children and Daniel David was to be brought to be King over Israel and Judah from a Shepherds boy to be a great Prince he shall first kill Goliah he shall be sent for to Court to drive away Sauls evil spirit with his Harp he shall marry the Kings Daughter and grow great with Jonathan Joseph is to become a great man in Egypt he shall first be recommended to Pharaoh grow great with him a famine shall come he shall save much people alive and thus be in great honour and in a capacity to serve his Fathers family The Providence of God designs to preserve the Jews to advance Mordecai to ruin Haman An Hebrew Lady by a strange Providence shall come to be Queen and one that shall be Mordecai's Neece Haman shall be found upon the bed with Esther and mistaken in his Complement to her as if he had a design to force her c. Infinite are the instances which might be brought 3. Let us consider the motions of Providence with reference to the souls of people as to their best and most spiritual concerns If God hath much people in Macedonia St. Paul shall be called thither he ordereth Ministers to places or particular persons to a Ministry proper for the work in a strange way many a time when he hath a design to do good to particular souls But here let me recommend one observation to you When he designeth the tryal of a Child of his with inward troubles and temptations he usually fits it with an unhealthy body suted to such impressions and when he designeth the restoring of quiet and peace to the spirit he ordinarily fits it with an healthy body Not that all the trouble and disquietudes of the spirit floweth from the indisposition of the body the contrary is evident enough to any who diligently observe Christians at such times and may know many others under the same kinds and possibly greater degrees of bodily distempers whose minds are not so disturbed who have no such temptations c. But seldom it is but such inward troubles are circumstanced with bodily disturbances and so on the contrary it is rare to find a peaceful quiet rejoycing spirit but it is suited also with a freedom from bodily distempers especially such as have an influence upon the head and affect that But I shall enlarge no further upon what is so evident to any who observeth any thing of the motions of Divine Providence Reas Now the Reason of this is evident Because though the Providence of God sometimes produceth things miraculously yet it ordinarily produceth them by the way of means some means although possibly not adequate and fully proportioned to the production The Providence of God is a servant to his Glory that is the end for which it works for which it always worketh and can work for no other end but it doth not always work for the glorifying of God in the same Attribute sometimes it glorifieth his Power sometimes his Wisdom sometimes his Goodness and Mercy c. It glorified Gods Power in the destruction of Pharaoh he was ruined by the immediate supernatural hand of God but ordinarily the Providence of God worketh by means and the Wisdom of God is most eminently seen in contriving and ordering and disposing means unthought-of and yet ordinarily the Power of God is also glorified the means being such as are very unlikely or improbable to produce such an effect Now this being granted that the most ordinary way of Gods working is by means little or much there must be an ordering and preparation of them and this is the reason of Gods fitting adjacent circumstances to his work which he produceth those circumstances being the ordinary means which God thinks fit to make use of to work in with and by And here the great Power and Wisdom of God is seen in ordering the affairs of the world so as they shall sute his great
a knock or a bruise and lose such Instruments as might have been useful But at last we see God bring forth his work the world is as to its circumstances fitted to it then we see our folly David was anointed to the Kingdom of Israel and Judah after this he is called to Court he is made the Kings son-in-law If any one upon this should have made a party for David to have rent the Kingdom from Saul a defensive party he indeed had to protect him from Sauls rage but no more he had undoubtedly but made himself a prey But David waiteth year after year till God had fitted the circumstances of that Kingdom to his design till Saul and Jonathan were gone and the peoples hearts were inamoured and set upon David and the Captain of the Army was turned also to him and when these circumstances concurred then he brings forth his great work and setteth his Servant David peaceably upon the Throne promised unto him Thus far I have enlarged upon the Explicatory part of this Observation I now come to the Application of it Vse 1. In the first place Let us learn from hence to adore the wisdom of God in his great productions of Providence There is much very much of God to be seen in his great products of Providence but he is to be seen in them in nothing more than this his adopting and fitting the world to his designs With how much blood must David have come to the Kingdom the children of Israel been brought out of Egypt and Babylon had it not been for this Oh the infinite unsearchable wisdom of God! his footsteps are not known his ways are past a creature 's finding out Wisdom in action is then much seen when the action is not attempted but at such a time as it takes effect The wisdom of the Smith teacheth him to strike when the Mettal is hot and malleable The wise General opens not his trenches till all is ready to make the Sally or assault nor springs the Mine till it be carried right under the wall Herein is the infinite wisdom of God seen that he attemptâ— not a great work until he hath accommodated circumstances to it Vse 2. Secondly Observe from hence That the miscarrying of a good design must be the product of mans improvidence not of Gods directive Providence There are many instances might be given of mens miscarrying in a good design that is in the attempt of things which God will certainly bring to pass How many have perished in their undertakings of works of Reformation their works miscarried The Providence of God is not indeed excluded out of these events it permitted those persons so to act it governed their action But it was their own ungrounded zeal and sinful passions and undue precipitancy that caused their miscarriage God's effective Providence never miscarrieth in its designs for it always either produceth a thing by an almighty-Power miraculously or else so fitteth the worlds circumstances afore-hand that if it be to be done mediately it is certainly produced It is only mans haste and mis-guided zeal that makes any good work abortive By a good work here I understand whatsoever is made the Object of a Divine Promise and by the way this may teach us not to let go our hold on the Promise upon any such disaster If the work be of God if it be any thing which God hath promised it shall be effected though it may miscarry in a first or second undertaking either because the Providence of God is driving another design viz. in the accomplishment of it first to punish some undertakers in it for their sins which was the case of the Israelites against Benjamin and against Ai or for their precipitancy and rash setting upon it out of Gods time or their ill-managery of it yet let not your faith fail in the Promise for the work shall revive in Gods time when he hath fitted the Worlds circumstances a little better to it it shall go on But thirdly Vse 3. Let me call upon you to Observe this in Gods providential Dispensations both towards the Church and towards your own Souls in particular Whoso is wise observeth these things saith the Text and he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. This is a very observable thing it will make us spiritually wise it will make us to understand much of the Lords loving-kindness in the products of his Providence 1. I say first it will give us spiritual wisdom and in a great measure make us to understand Gods time for the production of his great works and very much guide us as to our duty in the use of means what and of what nature is seasonable and proper for us to make use of For Example There is a great expectation of the Conversion of the Jews whether the whole Body of them shall be converted or no and whether they shall return to Jerusalem and again build and inhabit that once holy City I cannot say But the Scripture seemeth to incline very much That there shall be a far greater conversion of them and calling of them in than yet hath been But to look for this suddenly or to fix it upon any certain year must needs be a very great an idle and groundless vanity we must first see the Worlds circumstances much better fitted to it than we yet do whilst either the lives or blasphemies of the Jews are such as it is not reasonable that Christian Princes should endure them in their Territories or the spirits of Christians are such as they will not so endure them or such Idolatries and Superstitions are amongst Christians as are abomination to that people the circumstances of the World do not seem fitted to the production of such a great and noble work If we should live to see the bitterness of the Jews against Christ abated and the bitterness of Christians Spirits against them more generally allayed The lives and worship of Christians more reformed from such superstitions as they abominate and the lives of the Jews more reduced to rules of Christians we might then hope for something of this nature and judg Gods time at hand To give another instance Protestants do believe or at least did till of late some have began to doubt it That the Pope of Rome was the great Antichrist That wicked one of whom the Apostle prophecied 2 Thess 2.8 that should be revealed whom God would consume with the spirit of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming He it is ver 4 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God The mysterie of his iniquity began to work even in the Apostle's time though there was none of many years after owned the name of Pope or arrogant title of Vniversal Bishop or Vicar of Christ c. But the Apostle ver 6 tells us there was something
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
Who could have imagined either the first Plantation of Gospel-Doctrine and Churches or the after-reformation of it when Popery had everywhere obscured it had not God by an infinitely-wise Providence first fitted the circumstances of the world to his own works To give you an instance so late that it is in most of your memories The Restauration of our present Soveraign was a great work of Providence had not God fitted the circumstances of the three Nations for such a work with how much tumult confusion and blood-shed must it have been effected It were easie to make the same observation of particular Providences relateing to our selves we shall find that God brings forth his works in their seasons and his season is always such as the Wit and Wisdom of Man had it been to chuse could not have chosen a fitter He maketh every thing beautiful in his time saith Solomon Indeed this is all the beauty of Providence almost which we discern Beauty in persons lyes much in symmetry or proportion of parts and mixture of colours There is a Beauty of Providence that lyes in the symmetry and proportion of it to the revealed Will and Promises of God but the further beauty of Providence lyeth in the seasonableness of it and the fittedness of Gods work to the circumstances of the world or of our persons at that time when he produceth it And herein we understand much of the loving-kindness of God But I shall add no more to this Observation SERMON XX. Psalm CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Am going on in making some special Observations concerning the motions of Divine Providence Five I have already made and discoursed I proceed now to a sixth Observ 6. It usually subordinateth the civil affairs of the world to the Religious concerns of his Church 1. The world was of old divided into the circumcision and the uncircumcision that is Jews and Gentiles The Jews which were the circumcision made the visible Church until Christ's ascension or at least until he came in the flesh Since it hath been divided into Jews Christians and Heathens I speak not meerly of the name Christians that I know was first given the Disciples of Christ at Antioch but I understand under that notion such as own Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of his Gospel these make up the New-Testament Church the Gospel-Church the whole number of them makes up the Church Catholick visible Those of them in this or that Nation make up the visible Church in such a Nation Indeed a particular Organical-Church can consist of no more than so many as have either explicitly or implicitly agreed to walk together under the charge and inspection of such or such Officers 2. But there is a world amongst Christians as well as amongst Heathens all Hypocrites and seeming Professors who are carnal and savour nothing but earthly things make up this world which is opposed to the invisible Church which is restrained to the number of true and real Saints who glory not in appearance but in truth and reality Now this Church of God is that which God hath set his love upon above all other people in the world 1. The first and great objects of his love are those whom he hath chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and for whom in time Christ dyed and whom God hath effectually called and translated out of darkness into marvelous light These are those whom God hath set a part for himself Psal 4.3 A chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people to shew forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into marvellous light 2. Next to these is the whole body of the visible Church To the body of the Jews appertained the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Rom. 9.4 5. And as the Scripture mentioneth divers priviledges which were peculiar to the Jews and are to the Church as to have the Oracles of God the Word and Sacraments so doubtless there are many promises which relate to the whole body of the Church which argue Gods peculiar kindness to that body of people Whether it be because God hath more honour from them than from Pagans or for the sake of his invisible Church which is amongst them I shall not undertake to determine certain it is that the thing is so Now the Observation which I make is but a further evidence of this love that God by his Providence disposeth and governeth the affairs of the world in a just subordination to the good of his Church and to those wise ends which with reference to that he is bringing about and this is true both in reference to the Pagan world and the Christian world according to the design which God hath by which he doth design to do good to his whole Church so he disposeth and governeth the affairs of the Pagan world And according to the design God hath by which he designs to bring about good to the sincere Servants of God in any place so he disposeth ordereth and governeth the affairs of ungodly men amongst whom they live This will appear by a twofold Observation which you shall make 1. Concerning the variety of the same people's spirits 2. Concerning the variety of their actions 1. As to the variety of the same people's spirits with reference to the Church of God and those especially in it that walk more fully and close with God It is matter of astonishment to those who do not wistly consider the wheel within the wheel or the spirit of the living God within the wheels upon which all the great actions of the world do turn the world is sometimes all in an uproar against those they nickname Puritans that is such as exercise themselves to keep a good conscience both towards God and towards men for that is the true description of such a person and if profane and carnal men hate some that are otherwise in their Conversation it is but their mistake for they think them so holiness and strict walking is the thing they hate revile and maligne If you were of the world saith our Saviour the world would love its own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you John 15.19 sometimes again the scene is quite altered that of the Prophet Zechariah is fulfilled Zech. 8.23 Ten men take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that the Lord is with you men stand amazed at this The People of God are the same walk in the same method of Conversation but the hand of God is in the thing Sometimes God designeth in his external Providence to smile upon his people and give them some breathing-time a few halcion-days
sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he him Afterwards it was one of his Ten Commandments given to his people on Mount Sinai Thou shalt do no murther And although in the case of casual homicide he appointed Cities of refuge to which the manslayer might fly and be free from the avenger of blood yet for the wilful murtherer Numb 35.31 he saith you shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death and verse 33. So shall you not pollute the land wherein you are for blood it defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it And accordingly the Providence of God hath generally ordered the government of the several parts of the world that unless it hath been in a very debauch't nation scarce any place hath been found where the Rulers have not been zealous even from the light of nature against wilful murtherers and the Providence of God is in nothing more eminently seen than in the discovery of such transgression and bringing them to justice It is a common observation therefore I shall need the less to insist upon the Justification of it Sometimes God makes use of the fear and passion and shy-looks of the guilty conscience of the murtherer to discover himself sometimes the birds of the air shall pursue him as I remember I have somewhere read of a famous story of murtherers pursued by Crows and Ravens sometimes a Dog shall do it sometimes a Spirit shall do it in short the stories are very many and strange of the Providence of God in discovering of murther Murthers make great gaps and disorders in humane societies 4. Adultery is another sin which maketh great confusion in humane society though not like those beforementioned but in a more secret way yet great disorder it begets By Gods old Law the adulterer was to be put to death it was an extraordinary act and one of those we call heroick acts not to be defended but by an immediate impetus by a command from God that of Phinehas I mean taking a javelin and at once running through Zimri and Cosbi God justified it and promised Phinehas a reward for it The vengeance of God upon those that have given up themselves to this sin is eminent he hath prepared a dart to strike through their livers which he useth in no other case a peculiar defiling tormenting disease The persons that are guilty are often sent to hell in the act by the jealousie of Husbands and by the Laws of most Nations such manslayers are justified It is a sin indeed that doth not make that havock in humane society which some of those beforementioned do and therefore the Providence of God is not so remarkably seen in preventing it and discovering preparations to it but it is eminently seen in the punishment of it both as to punishments in this life and in his threatnings as to depriving them of a life to come 5. I will instance in one more and that is Rebellion and disobedience to the lawful commands of parents It is the fifth of of the Ten Commandments Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Upon which account the Apostle calleth it the first commandment with promise Indeed this sin is the root of most disorder that is in political society The rebellious child seldom proveth a dutiful wife or good husband nor good servant nor good subject unless grace first maketh a change in their hearts and bringeth them from under the government of their passions the Providence of God is therefore eminently to be seen in the punishment of such children By the Law of God the Son that obeyed not his father was to be stoned to death Read Deut. 21.18 19 20. He that curseth his father or mother shall dye the death Exod. 21.17 Levit. 20.9 Mal. 15.4 Mar. 7.20 And if you observe the Providence of God it strangely pursueth rebellious children with vengeance they seldom prosper 6. I will instance but in one sin more That is persecution or eminent disturbance of others for their conscience towards God This is a sin which doth not only disturb humane society but the best of humane societies the society of the Church it disturbeth humane society ingageth husband against wife and children against parents and brother against brother it spoileth that commerce and traffique by which political societies are maintained and upheld As to that it cannot be without a great connexion and twisting of mens interests of divers perswasions one with another so as the interrupting the free course of one is the interruption of another and while persons are rifled in their houses haled to prisons there must needs be an interruption in their commerce But this sin hath this further aggravation That it makes disturbance in the best societies the Assemblies of Gods People for his worship are the best of humane societies God is in the midst of them more present with them than with any societies in the world besides them Those that rudely break in upon such Assemblies break in upon the great God of Heaven and Earth who hath said Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name I will be in the midst amongst them and may justly expect some such extraordinary judgment as the Sodomites met with when they would have broken open Lots house to have pull'd the Angels out but God doth not always work miraculously but seldom fails even in this life to set his mark upon this sort of sinners It is an observation that I have formerly made to you You shall in story read of persecutions which sometimes have lasted long very long but seldom of a persecutor that hath lasted long he is an odious abominable wretch whom vengeance will neither suffer to live nor often to dye after the ordinary death of men He that will but read over the story of the ten Primitive persecutions will see this abundantly confirmed or if any thinks those stories too old let him read what became of Gardiner and Bonner those two bloody wretches in Queen Maries days and of divers others that were their instruments and willingly followed their Commandments and possibly he may confirm himself in this Observation by later examples than those also But I have instanced in those sins which do most eminently disturb humane societies and spoken enough to the doctrinal part of this Observation I shall reduce all I shall say by way of Application to two heads 1. Shewing you what advantage this observation giveth me to call upon all men but especially those in higher orbs to praise the Lord. 2. To perswade all men to take heed as of all sin so especially of such sins as these are against which the wrath of God is so eminently revealed
Vse 1. In the first place let then all men that live upon the Earth praise the Lord but especially such as are superiors and rulers over others and more especially such as are his Church The Psalmist Psal 135.1 calls to all saying Praise the Lord praise ye the name of the Lord and ver 19 20 21. He calleth in particular Bless the Lord O house of Israel Bless the Lord O house of Aaron Bless the Lord O house of Levi you that fear the Lord bless the Lord Blessed be the Lord out of Zion which dwelleth at Hierusalem 1. This observation calleth to all the sons and daughters of men to bless the Lord. We are all sociable creatures and much of the comfort of our lives lyeth in our societies and fellowships one with another either in our family-societies or in our civil-societies or in our Church-societies We should think it a life worse than death to be condemned to live like a wild Ass alone in the wilderness Now there are some lusts of men that would spoil us of all this comfort God peculiarly sets himself against them and makes these the marks for his arrows of vengeance The Jews said of the Centurion He hath loved our nation and hath built us a synagogue We may say of our good God he hath loved mankind for he hath taken care to preserve order in humane societies and severely to chasten the invaders upon the rights of others What an ingagement doth this lay upon all men to praise the Lord Certainly sirs there is a great deal of praise and glory and homage due to God from all men as they are concerned in their several societies There is a great deal of glory due to God from families for his testimony against those lusts of men such as are murtherers and adulterers which in a short time would spoil all the comfort of those societies Certainly every family is bound to worship God and to walk with God But particularly 1. Let Rulers praise the Lord. Let all the Princes of the Earth give homage to him that ought to be served they are more especial marks for furious and ambitious mens lusts Gods Providence as you have heard is eminently seen in preventing their dangers in revenging their harms 2 Sam. 23.3 4 5. Surely then as David saith those that rule over men should be just ruling them in the fear of the Lord their light should be like the light of the morning without clouds God hath not only set them up as lights upon an hill but he hath made his special Providence to be a lanthorn about them that 't is rarely that the wind of sedition and treason prevails to blow them out and then 't is ordinarily for some eminent Provocation of God But I am not speaking to persons in that capacity You that are parents praise the Lord Gods special Providence you see reacheth you and in a great measure secureth you from that great heart-ach of rebellious and disobedient children I know you will say How then cometh this to be the great affliction of many good parents To which I answer 1. There is many a good parent may have been but like good old Ely too indulgent and cockering to their children ordinarily God keepeth up the authority of parents over their children until themselves have prostituted it and in the rebellion and disobedience of their children they may read their own sin and see as much cause to be humbled for that as any thing else as David in the case of Adonijah 1 King 1.5 6. And herein the goodness of God towards parents will be seen that if he doth not upon their endeavours secure to them the duty of their children yet he will not fail to revenge their quarrels against them 2. Let the poor and weak of the earth praise the Lord he hath declared himself the father of the fatherless and the judg of the widows a refuge for the oppressed Psal 68.5 Exod. 22.5 Psal 10.11 How are all the widows and fatherless children all the poor and oppressed people of the world bound to praise and to serve this God who hath taken upon himself the special patronage and protection of them This indeed would be the best use we could possibly make of this Observation relating to the special Providence of God if it might lay a special obligation upon all those who are thus especially concerned to magnifie God as their great patron and defender And how can they praise God more effectually than in doing those particular duties which concern them all in their respective relations or with reference to those peculiar circumstances of Providence under which they are acted I shall add but one branch of Application more and indeed it is not a new Use for it is a part of our praise and homage which we owe unto God upon this Reflexion viz. Vse 2. To all to take heed of those sins which God in his word declares himself more eminently to abhor and in the execution of Providence doth most severely punish All sin is in it self a filthy and abominable thing and the just object of every good mans hatred for should not we hate what God hateth and what hath of all things the greatest opposition to God yes we ought to hate it with a perfect hatred But such is the naughtiness of our heart that we are not so led to an hatred and abhorrence of sin from the intrinsecal evil and obliquity of it as from the dangerous and pernicious consequence of it Death eternal death is the wages of every sin but this being only matter of faith to bold sinners none having ever come from the dead to give them an account of those flames the punishments of sin in this life are those things which most deter carnal sensual men But if men will look no further nor believe any more yet let this lay some law upon us and make us afraid of those sins which I have instanced in being such whose judgment the Providence of God seldom letteth sleep so long as to another life Let this mind us not to meddle with them that are given to change that curse Kings and Rulers in their bed-chambers and are of turbulent and unquiet spirits always plotting and contriving seditions and treasons and disturbances to civil governours it is very rarely that God suffereth their designs to come to issue or their persons to come to the grave in peace 2. What a law should it lay upon the rich and great men of the earth to take heed of violent perverting justice and judgment of turning away the causes of the widows and the fatherless in judgment To consider that he who is the highest doth consider the matter and there is one higher than the highest of them who abuse their power to trample the poor under foot If men be not turned Atheists and have banished all the fear of God from their eyes and hearts it must a little give them law and lay
devouring fires for number and greatness not to be parallel'd God make us to understand his Rod and how many ways he is as a moth unto England secretly and gradually and almost irreparably devouring and destroying us This maketh our days full of the cry of the poor God grant we be not also full of such as stop their ears at the cry of the poor either giving nothing or in no proportion to relieve them I wish we could consider and remember that Text and think what may be our portion and do as we would be done by and remember God often punisheth this uncharitableness in its kind Men of hard-hearts in prosperity ordinarily meet with hard-hearts in their adversity with what measure they mete to others it is meted unto them again The Apostle Gal. 6.1 perswadeth the restoring of a brother fallen in the spirit of meekness and useth this Topick Considering thy self lest thou also be tempted And to the Hebrews he speakes To remember them that are bound as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves in the body Heb. 13.2 There 's much in those words Lest thou also be tempted and those as being your selves in the body In cases of true charity Christians as they should consider other things so they should consider that they themselves are in the body they may lose their estates their health their limbs they are not in Heaven yet they are in the world and they are in the body they are not meerly spirits invulnerable impenetrable Men should think my house may be fired and all I have lost in an hour or two I may lose my eyes my limbs as this poor creature hath I am in the body So in those words there 's a great Emphasis Lest thou also be tempted Tempted sometimes signifies as much as afflicted though indeed in that Text it seems to signifie sollicited to sin and overcome God saith the Apostle for thy rigid dealing with thy brother over-born with a temptation to sin may suffer the Devil to give thee a foil would'st thou in such a case be roughly dealt with thy self With what measure men mete to others God measureth to them again Let me say to you take heed of omitting your duty in a charitable act lest thou also comest to be so afflicted as to need others charity and when thou art so God should repay thee in thy own kind so straiten mens hearts towards thee that from persons from whom thou mightest have expected pounds thou hast not so many pence think with thy self how such a thing would please you Let me here give you two rules which I think your Reasons will all concur with 1. It is a foolish thing for any person in circumstances of mortality so to govern himself in his conversation as if he were not subject to the common accidents of that state The Apostle saith of Elijah That he was a man subject to like passions with other men The Apostle speaks of humane weaknesses sinful infirmities and God considereth that and gives us allowances for it and therefore though Job had many ill fits of impatience when the hand of God was heavy upon him yet God saith Behold the patience of Job We are all of us also subject to the same sufferings and the Apostle from this Topick comforteth his Corinthians in those first and furious times of the Gospel 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but what is common to men Now I say there is nothing more foolish than for any of us in our conversation to govern our selves as if we were not so but out of the gun shot of the chastising Providence of God Our bodies are subject to death to sicknesses to old age and impotencies our estates are exposed to the fire to the thief to the merciless soldier to the oppressor Now for a man in his conversation to govern himself so as if he were never to dye as if he were never to be sick as if it were not possible that a fire should devour his pleasant things that he or his should not be brought to straits is no better than folly and madness 2. It is as foolish a thing for a man to promise himself that in case of such accidents others should be kinder to him than he hath been to others in the same circumstances We cannot so much as fancy such a thing without supposing them better-natured or more gracious either of which is at best a reproach to our selves And this is but reasonable for us to think although we consider not the influence of God in the case who hath told us That he who stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor he also shall cry and not be heard and hath the hearts of all men in his hand and can easily shut them up in judgment against the cries of those who have sinfully stopped their ears against the cries of those who have cried to them in their distress Hence it follows that it is but reasonable for us in these cases thus to conclude I have now a fair estate but it is subject to decay a fire may consume it in a moment soldiers may devour it either in my or my childrens days I have now an healthy body sound and perfect limbs I may grow sickly lose my limbs my senses and be brought into the condition of a receiver who am now a giver Why should I think that any should consider me or mine in such circumstances more than I consider others Let me therefore do unto others as I would have others do unto me I have no reason to look that it should be meted to me again better measure then I measure unto others But I have dwelt too long upon this first shewing you how the Providence of God doth often retaliate hard heartedness by suffering the hearts of others to harden against men in straits who have stop't their ears against the cries of others to them in distress 2. But there are other kinds of uncharitableness which God doth ordinarily repay in their kind Those are acts bearing the highest opposition to charity tending to the utter ruin and destruction of their brethren such as murthers cruelties and barbarous and inhumane usage of others We shall find in the old Law that God in divers cases established a law of Retaliation If any mischief followed such a striking a woman with child as caused a miscarriage God ordained they should give eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe Exod. 21.23 24 25. and in the case of a false witness there was such a law Deut. 19.16 17 18 19 20 21. which you may read at your leisure It was Gods will that a witness who had testified falsly against any man if he were once found a false witness should suffer the very same thing that the other should have suffered So that throughout all the Jewish period the
may make him willing and desirous but they are only the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that can make a man fit for the Ministry and God never sends any to any work but his Providence fitteth them for it and the same may be said of any other Relations or of persons employed in any great work And as persons imployed in any work or relation may thus judge of themselves So also their Correlates to whom they are in relation may by this means know how to judge of those who are in relation to them whether they be called of God or no and be such or no with whom they can expect the presence of God and from whom they may expect Gods blessing and this if duly thought upon should strike a terror into men in places and employments especially relating to the worship of God and in trust with souls who are no more qualified for their work than an Ass is for a Fiddle as we say what will these men say when their Consciences come to arrest them with a what doest thou here without thy wedding-garment That is without those gifts and graces without that heart and spirit which should have qualified thee for such a work and which God never faileth to furnish him with whom he calls to any employment for him Or when they shall come to dye and have no sweeter reflections of Conscience than this I have these 20 30 40 years been Gods scourge and plague to this people soothing up this people in their sins blinding their eyes hardning their hearts meerly eating up that bread which should have fed other faithful Pastors who were able to have prayed for them able to have instructed them which I have not been O the searedness of these mens Consciences O the dreadful vengeance of God that hangs over their heads O the strange quantity of the blood of souls which God will require at these pitiful wretches hands Let not my soul enter into these mens secrets let not their portion be mine O my God! Vse 3. But in the third place Let me caution you that you do not think that the Providence of God doth alike qualifie every person for the duties of his relation As in the Heavens there are different Stars and they differ one from another in glory Every Star is a light but some give a far greater and more glorious light than others so it is in the Church of God Ministers you know are compared to Stars they must all be lights they must all be able to shew light both in their Doctrine and also in their Lives but yet some are more glorious lights than others are more burning more shining God calleth no man to the Ministry but they are able to pray able to preach he sets no dumb dogs to keep his sheep he sets none over his people to be their Bishops but they are blameless sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikers c. as in 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4. sober just holy temperate c. as 1 Titus 7.8 It is little less than Blasphemy to say God calls a man to pray or preach that can do none of both that God calleth Drunkards to teach men sobriety or unclean persons to teach them chastity or covetous wretches to teach men hospitality or liberality But yet some may be of more eminent gifts for prayer and preaching some may be more eminent in grace more exemplary in holiness than others God hath several stations for Ministers some he sets upon Hills some he placeth in obscure Valleys And indeed herein the Church I mean the Rulers and Governours of a Church seem to have a great judgment They shall not judge a person fit for the Ministry that is apparently unfit not being able to discharge any part of the ministerial work but they shall judge of the degrees of persons gifts and abilities so as to place persons in stations fit for them and as will be best for the edification of the whole But the caution which I offer you in this branch of Application if you well consider it is of great use 1. To restrain the unwarrantable judgement and censures of less knowing and prudent Christians who are ready to censure good men of weaker parts and abilities for the work of praying and preaching as no true Ministers not called of God to their work Is the person a man of a holy life and conversation Is he a person able to pray and preach substantially though it may be not so fluently not so floridly as some others not with that life and affection not with that learning and clearness of demonstration Take heed of judging in this case God distributeth his gifts variously though always to edification of the whole Church In his Church there are some Babes some grown Persons some that must be fed with milk others that must have strong meat God qualifieth some to give milk to the Babes others to give meat to stronger ones indeed the wonderful wisdom of God is to be seen in this disproportioning of his gifts to his several Ministers We are poor vain creatures and though blessed be God! some learned men of great reason and learning are to be found that can deny themselves in their ministerial work and preach to the capacity and understanding of poor creatures yet Quotusquisque est he is one of a thousand that we see doing so we are like Pedlars that think we must shew all that is in our Pack though they be little better than gay baubles and confound poor souls either with our Metaphysical Speculations or logical ratiocinations or with our Rhetorical flourishes God foresaw this vanity in our hearts and hath therefore graciously provided restraining the exhibition of his gifts and not giving unto many abilities to do so that if they would they cannot wrap up the plain truths of God in such mysteries of phrase and reasonings which are but vain Philosophy but are forced to speak more plainly and intelligibly to peoples souls that their preaching neither is nor can be in the enticing words of mans wisdom nor in the language of men that are puffed up but is far more in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and in the power of God though less in the insignificant wisdom of men 2. This Caution is useful also to relieve the Consciences of good men who are often-times troubled under the sense of the disparity and disproportion of their own gifts and parts to the gifts and parts of others I have known it the case of some Look as it hath been with some Christians for want of some gifts which at best have been but common gifts such as that of Prayer they have been ready to question whether they have any truth of grace yea or no. So I have known some precious godly Ministers in their melancholick dark-hours questioning whether they have not all their life-time invaded the Ministerial function whether ever they
sin in the world hath infinitely magnified his own goodness It is the saying of a very ingenious Author Satis usui sunt scelera si artem peritiam divinae beneficentiae provocant Sin is of use enough to God in the business of his glory if by it the act and skill of the Divine Goodness and Bounty be made appear to the world the goodness and mercy of God is that Attribute of his which above all others he hath made choice of to glorify himself in and by it is that in which he delighteth which is above all his works Now without the permission of sin yea of the aboundings of sin it had been impossible that Divine Goodness and Bounty should have been so commended to the world Let me open this a little 1. Christs coming and dying for sinners was the greatest act of love that was ever shewed to the children of men What greater love could the eternal Father shew than to give his Son out of his own bosom to be a sacrifice for sins God so loved the world saith John 3 Chap. 16. that he gave his only begotten son Moralists make a question about taking the true measures of the magis and minus of love whether the greatness of love be to be measured from the affliction intention and self-denial of the party loving or the benefit redounding to the person beloved but measure which way you will it was the greatest love on the Fathers side and the greatest that Christ could shew for greater love than this hath no man shewed John 15. and herein God commends his love towards us Rom. 5.8 Besides the inhabitation of the spirit was a benefit of Christs death an effect of his purchase And what greater love could be shewed on the part of the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Christ than for it to come down and to dwell in the heart of a poor creature for the person of a believer to be made the temple of the Holy Ghost the receptacle of the Spirit of Grace Now if there had been no sin no sinners in the world what room had there been for a Saviour what needed one to have turned away iniquity from Jacob to have been wounded for our iniquities bruised for our transgressions He dyed for our sins saith the Apostle How could the love of the eternal Father in sending his Son or the love of the Son in taking upon him our nature and dying for us or the love of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying us and renewing us and dwelling in us been manifested to the world If a strong man had not kept the house what need had there been of a stronger than he to have come and dispossessed him All the love of the Father Son and Holy Ghost magnified in the business of mans Redemption and the whole Oeconomy of a Gospel-salvation had been conceal'd and not known to the world 2. Again How could the love of God in the conversion of sinners in the pardon of their sins in their justification the sense they oft have of his love have been manifested to the world What need were there of any pardon if no sins were permitted where were the aboundings of grace in pardoning if there were no aboundings of sin What love of God could be seen in the conversion of sinners if no sinners were permitted in the world How should God magnify his grace by saying to any soul Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee if he did not suffer sins to be committed Thus you see the greatness of Divine Goodness and Mercy could never have been declared to the world but for the motions of Providence in the permission of sins and sinners yea and of the aboundings of them 3. Did not the Actual Providence of God thus permit sin and much sin in the world How should the long-suffering and patience of God be magnified in the world This also is a piece of Gods Name and such a one by which he designeth to make himself glorious he stileth himself Exod. 34.6 Gracious merciful long-suffering slow to anger and Numb 14.18 The Lord is long-suffering and full of tender compassion Now sin and sinners are the objects about which the long-sufferance of God is exercised He endured with much long-suffering saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 vessels of wrath fitted for destruction How often do we find this in our own experience when we hear wretches blaspheming God and daring Divine Justice how often are we ready to say and it is a good reflexion O what a patient God do we serve which of us would endure such affronts and defiances as God endureth every day The aboundings of sin in the world make the considerate part of the inhabitants of it admire and adore the long-suffering and patience of God 3. The wisdom of God is also wonderfully magnified by Gods permission of sin The Apostle calleth God the only wise God None so wise as God is and the wisdom of God is eminently magnified by his permission of sin One great business of wisdom is to make an Election of the best end but this is not that which I am here speaking to God hath fixed his end it is his own glory and as I have often told you he can aim at no other end than himself and his own glory But next to a good Election of an end wisdom is eminently seen in the choice and conduct of means in order to a proposed end but herein is the heighth of wisdom to be able to make use of the most unlikely means and make them to serve our purpose It is a point I have touched something largely upon in my former discourses upon this Argument and therefore I shall not here enlarge upon it To bring a not-being into a being to make a thing out of nothing argueth an infinite power though there be aliquid materiae something of a matter yet if there be nihilum subjecti no aptitude in the matter to produce an effect of that nature as when God took the rib of a man and made of it a woman this argued also an omnipotent infinite power But yet methinks for God to produce his glory out of the aboundings of sin argueth yet something more if not of power yet of wisdom to make the wrath of men to praise him and the lyes of men to glorify him O how doth this commend the infinite wisdom of an only wise God! Sin all sin is quite opposite and repugnant to the glory of God it speaks the great Wisdom of God to bring out his glory from it Thus God hath glory by accident from the permission and sufferance of sin in the world 4. But let me further shew how God is further glorified by reason of the aboundings of sin in the manifestation of his Justice his Punitive and Vindicative Justice Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted
God hath many Children and his Children will have their wanton vagaries and extravagances and must be brought through the world to Heaven under the discipline of persecutions and many afflictions wicked and profane men in the world are Gods gaolers and bride-well men that keep his houses of correction when his servants are wanton and offend him he sends them to these gaolers he turns them over unto wicked men It was Davids curse of his enemies Psal 109.6 Set thou a wicked man over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand God when his people offend him sometimes sends them to the Extortioner to catch all that they have Sometimes to a barbarous Souldier to spoile all their labour sometimes to a persecutor to rifle their houses and plunder their pleasant things to lay them up in gaoles c. And thus a multitude of sinners is necessary to Gods government of the world But yet for we are very apt to dispute with God how is it that the providence of God suffers such an excess of riot such a world of iniquity in the world if some sin be suffered if some sinners must be endured in the world yet why so much sin Though an easy and manifold answer might be easily drawn up to this from my former discourse yet let me add 3 or 4 things 1. Dost thou that speakest thus consider what a dependency there is of one sin upon another and what an use God maketh of one sin to punish another Let me a little discourse each of these The moralist saith Virtutes sunt concatenatae Divines say as much of the graces of the Spirit of God they have a causative virtue and influence upon one another patience worketh experience experience hope The Apostle tells us faith worketh by love it is indeed productive both of love and hope c. It is also true that Vitia sunt concatenata vices and sinful habits are also linked together and are productive one of another Lust conceiveth and brings forth and sin finisheth and then bringeth forth death And as it is observed in nature the most noxious Creatures are most fruitful and teeming so vice and sin is a most fruitful teeming mother one sin bringeth forth a multitude of sin Drunkenness is the ordinary mother of whoredom filthy and profane discourse quarrellings and contentions Who hath contentions who hath babling saith Solomon in Pro. 23.29 They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek for mixt wine 2. Again God in his providence maketh use of sin to punish sin But the equity of God in that motion of his providence God willing I shall hereafter more fully discourse 2. To quiet your thoughts upon this permission of Divine Providence I shall offer to your consideration what Nierembergius an acute Author though a Papist saith upon this argument That the quantity of sin which God permitteth in the world is nothing to what he bindreth in it What a Brothel house of uncleanness what a Field of blood and oppression What an universal Ale house would the world be were it not for the restrainings of Divine Grace what but this hindereth that every man is not a Cain unto his Brother a Judas to his Master that every one is not an Heliogabalus for lust and luxury as much a monster of cruelty as Nero The child of God jealous for the glory of God is often stumbled to see so much sin in the world whereas he should rather be taken up with the admiration of Divine Goodness that there is no more prodigious wickedness committed in it Gratulor saith the afore-mentioned ingenious Author compendium peccandi supremae illi bonitati fontanae miserationi quâ tantus malorum ardor extinguitur Would you blame a man who seeing your House all on fire should quench that fire and only leave some straw burning in the Yard The whole world lieth in wickedness there is a great depth of lust and sin in all our hearts by nature God so ordereth it in his Providence that though he thinks fit to leave some lust burning yet he smothereth and restraineth the far greater part He suffereth not the thousandth part of that blasphemy that uncleanness that drunkenness that oppression fraud cruelty and injustice which would be in the world if he took off his hand of restraint from mens spirits What he doth suffer his infinite wisdom knows how to make an advantagious use of for the glory of his great name 3. Consider that the time of sinning beareth no proportion to that time that the Creation shall be without sin The world hath lasted five or six thousand years Chronologers differ in their calculations how long it shall last none can tell many have guessed and already find they have been mistaken But suppose which is not very probable that it should last five six ten thousand more this indeed is a long time for the Devil who is the god of this world to reign and have a kingdom in and a world of sin hath been committed and is committed daily in the world and doubtless will yet be committed before God puts a period to the world and to sinning-time but if it were twice ten thousand years what is that to eternity that eternity that shall be consequent to the day of Judgement when there shall not be a sin committed nor a sinner seen The wicked and all they who forget God shall be turned into Hell There shall not be the black patch of a sin in the beautiful face of the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness when that blessed time comes it shall be all spent in praises and Hallelujahs Stumble not then at Gods Providence in permitting some sin in the world who hath made so good a provision for his own glory unto a long eternity which also shall then be advantaged by the much sin suffered in the world For those who have much forgiven them will love much here and praise God much both here and hereafter the high praises of God in the mouths of glorified saints are doubtless elevated by the high and much sin which they were guilty of in the world You read Rev. 7. of many thousands of Gods sealed ones which John saw and vers 9 10. A great number which no man could count of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues that stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands who cryed with a loud voice salvation to our God who sitteth upon the Throne and to the lamb and again vers 12. Amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be given unto our God for ever and ever Now St. John desiring to know who these were had this answer These are they who are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day
fruit of the womb as a blessing and blesseth him that hath his quiver full of these shafts but now the poor man knoweth not how to understand this and it is hard for him not to repine at the multiplying of it a great error doubtless but such as for ought I know good people may fall into we cannot trust God to provide for those which he giveth us if this hath been thy error God but pays thee in thy own kind by shortning thy number and maketh thy own secret sinful wish now to be thy Plague and Torment but this ordinarily is the sin of the poorer and meaner sort of Christians 2. Didst thou not let thy heart run out too much upon thy Children God is jealous and it is the nature of jealousy not to suffer a rival in the object beloved be it a person or a thing God is the object and he will be the prime object of his peoples love desire and delight It is his Law Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy strength it may be thy Child had more of thy heart more of thy love and and delight than God had no wonder if he hath taken it from thee this is now usually the sin of those whose circumstances in the world are better they have a fair estate in the world and Children few enough to leave it to and in such cases it is a very hard thing to keep our hearts within due bounds but our affections are ready to overflow especially if there be nothing in the temper or behaviour of the Child that takes off the edge of our affections to it 3. Doth not thy heart smite thee for the neglect of thy duty to thy Child especially if it were of any years Thy duty in instructing it or thy duty in reproving and admonishing it Elie's Sons were indeed men grown but God cut off his Children though their personal guilt justified God in his severity against them yet Eli smarted in their punishments for honouring his Sons more than God for dealing too gently with them for their most enormous wickednesses Thou mayest also neglect thy duty towards them in instructing them in making them acquainted with the holy Scriptures in admonishing them to keep the Lords Sabbaths and seeing to their external Sanctification of them This is undoubtedly a second piece of thy duty upon such a dispensation and to be humbled before God for those sins which thy conscience smiteth thee for and suggesteth to thee as probable causes of this rod of God upon thee 3. It is doubtless thy duty whatsoever thou findest to be satisfied with Gods good pleasure Rachel mourned sinfully while she so mourned as that she refused to be comforted If thou findest that probably God hath punished thy sin in the sickness pain and death of thy Child it is indeed matter of humiliation to thee it offers thee a just opportunity to resolve for the time to come to amend thy errors as to any survivors which God shall lend thee but yesterday cannot be called back again God hath done what pleased him It may be in mercy to thy Child though it be in judgment unto thee thou hast no reason to quarrel or murmure at God for any of his dispensations If it be for thy Child 's Original sin still thou hast no reason to blame God he is just and righteous in what he hath done But if God hath done it to give thy Child a quicker passage to Heaven to bring it sooner to a state of perfection to deliver it from an evil to come here thou hast reason to admire and adore the Divine goodness rather than to quarrel at Divine Justice There are a great many things that may conduce to the relief of a godly man or woman disturbed at this dispensation of Divine Providence It is a very ordinary dispensation of God though therefore it may look like a digression from the principal argument of my discourse yet it may possibly be not so judged by some of you whose case it either at present is or may be to instance in some heads of arguments which occasionally you may make use of for the quieting of your Spirits 1. Consider what-ever was the moving cause on Gods part yet the will of God is revealed The will of God is such a thing to satisfy a Christian with as nothing can be more nothing greater We have our Heaven by the will of God fear not little flock it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom We have all our grace all our glory from the will of God and shall we not thankfully accept a cross when it is the will of our Father to lay it upon our necks We pray thy will be done and shall we murmure against it when we see it done This silenced Aaron David Heli Hezekiah it leaves no room for a good Christians reply to it it is our Fathers will that is enough It is our Fathers will revealed by an Act of his Providence The Lord hath given saith Job and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. Consider how many sadder cases than thine there have been Thou hast lost a Child an infant Job lost all his Children when they were grown up feasting at their elder Brothers house Aarons was a sad cause he lost his two Sons grown up in an act of sinning yet he held his peace Helies case was sad to lose two such wicked Sons in a Battel Davids case was sad God had expresly told him the Child should dye because of his sin and that by it he had made the enemies of God to blaspheme What doth David do He fasteth he prayeth he humbleth himself before God so long as the Child lived and while he had any hope but when the will of God was revealed when the Child was dead he ariseth and eateth bread as he was wont to do he saith that he should go to it it should not return to him 3. Consider Let the case be as sad as it will yet if thou lookest round about it there is mercy in it either mercy to thy Child or mercy to thee or mercy to both if thy Child be gone to Heaven there is mercy in that if it be delivered from evil to come upon the World or that part of the world where it should have had its portion there is mercy in that David's case was as sad as one can well think of any of this nature yet there was this mercy in it the living monument and remembrance of David's sin and shame was taken away 4. Suppose that God hath for thy sin taken it away and thou canst not satisfie thy self but it is so yet consider God eternally punisheth none for the sins of their correlates God may punish persons with bodily and temporal punishments for the sins of their Parents but not eternally as to those punishments every soul shall bear no
Lord of life It is a dispensation that hath often put the servants of God into unseemly passions James and John would have had fire come down from Heaven as in Elijahs time to have destroyed the Samaritans Peter was out of patience to see the Informer come with a company with Swords and Staves to take his Master and in his passion draweth a Sword and with it cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest David himself when God offered him the choice of three Judgments desired rather to fall into the hands of God than into the hands of men I say it is and hath often been a very sore temptation advantaged partly from Nature partly from some Religious reflections That which in humane nature advantageth this temptation is 1. The disdain every man naturally hath to suffer an injury from one beneath himself when Gideon would have had his Son Jether have fallen upon those two Eastern Princes Zeba and Zalmuna they said rise thou up and fall upon us men have a natural disdain and scorn to suffer from their inferiours we see it in every days experience Now although every child of God is low in his own eyes and in honour preferreth every Saint before himself yet as St. Paul sometimes magnified his office against the false Apostles and counterfeits of his age though he judged himself the least of the Apostles and unworthy of that great Name so they cannot but magnifie themselves in comparison of open profane miscreants that are the scum and off scouring of the place in which they live such as are common drunkards lyars swearers Sabbath-breakers and guilty of other debaucheries the very scabs of the body politick and spots of the Assemblies to which they are united 2. Every man naturally hath a regret at the receiving of injuries from those from whom he hath deserved no such thing Now the People of God are persons of innocence who have done no wrong to their worst Enemies they have loved their Enemies prayed for them been ready to do any offices of love to them and know not how to bear an injury from those to whom they have done no wrong This was that which troubled Davids Spirit Psal 35.12 13. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my Soul but as for me when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloath I humbled my Soul with fasting and my prayer returned into my own bosom I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourned for my mother But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I knew it not yea they did tear me and ceased not with hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Lord how long wilt thou look on Rescue my Soul from their destructions 2. This temptation is likewise advantaged from some Religious reflections 1. From a reflection upon the purity and holiness of God O Lord saith our Prophet in my Text thou art of purer Eyes then to behold iniquity How a just and pure and holy God should look on and hold his peace to see a company of vile wretches tearing and devouring his own people this is a knowledg at first view too wonderful for them 2. From a reflexion upon the promises and threatnings of God they look into the holy word of God and find that full of promises of good to Gods People of threatnings of wrath and vengeance to wicked men instead of this they see vile men building up Palaces to themselves upon their ruins and adorning themselves with their Ornaments the houses of the profane furnished and adorned with that which is not theirs instead of the wicked mans preparing garments and the just mans putting them on as Job speaketh they see good and righteous men preparing garments and leud and ungodly men put them on they see the spoil of such as fear the Lord in the tents of leud and ungodly men 3. From a reflexion upon the Decrees of God O Lord saith our Prophet thou hast ordained them for destruction O mighty God thou hast established them for correction they consider leud and wicked men as men whom God by a fixed act of his Will hath ordained to judgment as persons who by the established counsel of God are to be destroyed and they cannot expound the Providence of God into a consistency with his eternal purpose when they see them not only live prosper and grow old but also live by the death of such as fear God and build their nests on high with feathers which they have plucked from their wings From these and other causes ariseth this trouble and coil in the spirits of Gods people Fluctus est Tentatio est as Augustine saith it is a great wave a great temptation and trouble and even Gods own people here are ready to think they see a knot in the thred of providence a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence in the even ways of the Lords dealing Let me indeavour in a few words to unty this knot to remove this stone Four or five things I shall speak one or other of which or all together will make this way of the Lord plain to every sober and understanding Christian 1. How is God to his people more hard or unrighteous in such a dispensation than he was to the son of his dearest love Our blessed Lord hath taught us That the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord Matt. 10.24 25. 'T is true the chief Informer against our Lord was one of his hoshold Judas but he was a son of perdition the only ill member of all the 12. Who were his witnesses but a company of perjured wretches who could not agree in their testimony Who mockt him and scourged him Herod a monster for all manner of wickedness Who were they that spit upon him that cried out crucifie him crucifie him that gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink were they not the abjects of the people Thou art not able to conceive of Gods righteousness in giving thee over and thy estate over to a Renegado an apostate from his former profession to wretches who make no conscience what they say what they swear what they do How was he righteous in giving over the Son of his love to such wretches We are never so like to our Lord and Master as when we are betrayed by a Judas informed against and testified against by false and perjured wretches mockt and abused by the abjects and off scouring of the people If God might be a just and righteous God in suffering these things to be done to the green tree surely he may suffer them to be done unto us who are dry trees Thou art troubled that God should suffer profane scoffers to call thee
dispensations all discontentment at their own low estate all displeasure at Gods dealings with others all accusations of God of injustice or hard dealings with his people whatsoever as a fruit or indication of any of those passions is certainly here forbidden us under the notions of fretting being angry or envious Let me now press this negative or prohibitive part of your duty upon you by some few arguments 1. I beseech you to consider the exceeding sinfulness of it when God said to the Prophet Jonah Dost thou well to be angry it is certainly implyed that he did not well It is in this Psalm twice forbidden us twice in the Book of Proverbs at least Envy is by the Apostle reckoned up as one of the fruits of the flesh now certainly if no more could be said than this It is the will of God that if thou seest the wicked prosper grow rich and great thou shouldst not be displeased at God nor envy them c. This should be enough to engage the people of God to take heed to their Spirits in this thing and indeed we had need watch for we shall find our Souls under very great temptations in the case and that it is a very hard thing for a good man to look with a good Eye upon the prosperity of wicked men 2. But I shall shew you that it is a sin which receiveth more than ordinary aggravations 1. As first it is against the express letter of the Divine Law 1 Kings 11.9 10. It is said that the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other Gods God hath commanded us concerning this thing this particular thing and hath been pleased to make it the matter of a precept many times repeated If God had commanded us some great thing should we not have obeyed him in it How much more in the forbearing of a little Iust or passion It is not concluded a sin meerly from consequence of Scripture or to be concluded from some precepts that are laid down there it is the express letter of Scripture he that runs may read the will of God concerning this 2. Again by how much the more precepts are violated by any sinful action by so much the sin is greater you have heard this is a Sin against both Tables a sin against the duty which we owe unto God and the duty which we owe to our Neighbour that which we are forbidden in many Scriptures those so plain that he who runs may read them 3. Again Some sins are in their own nature more heinous than others amongst others the sin of Murther is a very great transgression Solomon saith Prov. 6.32 Men do not despise a thief if he stealeth to satisfy his Soul when he is hungry but v. 32. whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he doth injury to his neighbour of an higher nature But now Murther that is an higher transgression St. John tells us no Murtherer hath eternal life Our Saviour reduceth Anger and Envy under the commandment Thou shalt not kill and makes him that is angry with his Brother without a cause no less than a Murtherer 4. Further yet a sin that breaketh out at the lips in sinful words or in the conversation by irregular actions is greater than that which is only in the heart defiling that Now it is a very hard thing for men to keep the fire of anger and envy within the chimney of their corrupt hearts Even the best men have not been able to keep it in 5. Finally by how much any sin is more the mother of Sin and brings forth more sins by so much the greater it is This fretting and envying at the prosperity of sinners besides the discontent and impatience of the Spirit which constantly attendeth it bringeth forth a world of sin at our lips and in our conversation reviling speeches detracting words spightful thoughts words and actions c. 2. Again this sin receiveth an aggravation from the persons offending In that Text 1 Kings 11.4 9. I observe two aggravations of Solomons sin of Apostacy The first that he did it when he was old so had he great experiences of God v. 9. there 's another expression it was after God had appeared to him twice for men that know not God nor have had any experience of his ways to fret and vex that others have more of the world than they have is not such a guilt as for the people of God to do it They are called the Children of Light and that not only in respect of grace and mercy which may be compared to light of which they are Children but with respect to knowledg they are a people who know better things than others and should know the riches the honours all the good things of the world are not worth valuing now for you after that you have been thus far enlightened still to be so enamoured upon them as to fret vex and be envious because others have more of them than you have must be a great transgression Especially to consider that you are the Children of God hears of grace yea and of glory too Thus I remember the Father of the Prodigal rebuked his Son fretting for the fatted Calf slain for his Brother Son saith he remember thou art always with me and all that I have is thine for those whom God hath made the heirs of grace and glory the heirs of the Kingdom to whom God hath said All that I have is thine I say for these to fret vex and repine that wicked men prosper in this world and have a little of this worlds goods must be a great provocation And to this there are not many of Gods people but in one degree or other have had an experience of the incertainty and vanity of all these things enough to depretiate them and render them invaluable to any good and gracious heart Further yet what doth any man get by fretting vexing or being envious at the prosperity of sinners as our Saviour said of thought-fulness none can by thinking add one cubit to his stature So I may say none by fretting vexing or envy can either detract a cubit from the stature of a sinner in prosperity nor add a cubit to his own it is a sin that can end in nothing but murmurings and repinings against God in tormenting and macerating of our selves and in the discomposure of our Spirits To shut up this discourse by how much any sin is more causeless by so much the greater it is there is neither so much good in the highest prosperity a sinner is capable of nor so much evil in the lowest and most afflicted estate of the people of God as to give a reasonable ground or occasion for a Child of God to give himself the disturbance so much as of one hour or to wile his
Spirit for tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant they are set in slippery places they are mounted up to Heaven but they shall be thrown down to Hell It will be a great piece of a sinners infelicity in Hell that he hath had an external felicity upon earth But I have shewed you this largely in the opening of the Doctrine This is enough to have spoken to the first thing in a Christians duty under such a dispensation 2. I proceed to a second thing wherein the duty of a child of God lieth under such a dispensation of Providence as I have been discoursing of That is living a life of faith This is called Trusting in the Lord vers 3. Committing our way unto the Lord vers 5. Resting on the Lord vers 7. Trust in the Lord vers 3. and verily thou shalt be fed it may be read and is read by some Feed upon truth the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Psalmist useth three or four words here expressive of this Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some translate hope so the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all translate feed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devolve it is also translated dirige detege confide the last word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some translate expect some beg or desire The first word is used vers 3. which as I told you some translate hope some translate trust there is no great difference for all hope doth imply trusting and no man trusteth but he will hope I will turn you to some other texts where the same word is used Psal 25.2 O my God I will trust in thee let me not be ashamed Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Jer. 7.8 Behold you trust in lying words that will not profit Psal 118. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man In short it signifieth to repose a confidence in another for the effecting of something for our advantage from which act of the mind proceedeth another which is hoping which is the souls motion in expectation of a thing The second expression as we translate it is verily thou shalt be fed as others feed on truth It is the word that is ordinarily used in Scripture and translated truth the word translated feed is also what is ordinarily so translated those that translate it verily take it adverbially but how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated thou shalt be fed I do not understand and therefore prefer the other reading of some learned men and feed upon truth so truth is the object and feeding signifies the act And thus it beareth a proportion to that Text Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by faith wicked men feed upon the wind Hos 12.1 upon Ashes Isaiah 44.20 But saith the Psalmist feed thou upon truth the truth of Gods word It may be thou canst not feed upon bread thou haste not that to eat but if thou canst not feed upon bread feed upon the promises feed upon truth O doctrinam auream saith a grave Author debere 〈…〉 â—â—stram alimoniam omnem vitam in hac terra conjunctam habere fidem O golden sentence that all our livelihood in this world is faith A third expression is Commit thy way unto the Lord Ar. Montanus translateth it roul the Arabick version discover thy way unto the Lord the word is used Gen. 29.38 and they shall roul the stone Prov. 26.27 He that rouleth a stone it shall return upon him The fourth time is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate it rest in the Lord others be silent to the Lord So Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait I shall not much insist on that word there is a double rest 1. A rest of confidence 2. A rest of silence of which more when I come to speak of the duty of patience under this dispensation You have heard the words expressive of the Act there are two words in these verses that express the object of this Act Truth The Lord Jehovah God is the objectum quod Jer. 17.3 4. Cursed be he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm God is the object which the soul is to trust in The word of truth is the next object the object by and through which and upon the account and incouragement of which we trust in God at such a time The object of faith is the truth power and goodness of God revealed to the child of God in the word There are usually mentioned two acts of faith The first is called Assent by which the soul agreeeth to the Proposition of the word as a true saying The second is an Act of recumbency a resting upon the promise a resting upon Gods truth power and goodness as declared and held forth in his word This is that which prophane persons in our age to shew their Atheism as well as wit call a lolling upon Christ and his promise Rolling our selves and resting upon Jehovah and upon the word of truth are as you see Scripture-terms of which we need not be ashamed Hence if you ask me what it is for the soul of a Christian to live by faith in an evil time I answer it lyeth in two things 1. In the souls fixed and steady assent unto those Promises which God hath made to his People suted to such a dispensation These are many and more than one sort they are written in the Scripture and brought to our minds by reading and by hearing the word of God the business of faith is to unite the soul to these words and to command the soul into a fixed and steady assent to them that the soul shall no more doubt of the fulfilling them than of any thing of more sensible demonstration These Promises might be brought under several heads I intend not to inlarge this discourse so far as to treat of all I shall only instance in two sorts and speak something to them 1. The first is those promises which God hath made for the destruction of wicked men though set upon the highest pinacle of honour power and prosperity of which you have divers in this very Psalm vers 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither like the green herb vers 9. For evil doers shall be cut off vers 10. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be So vers 13 15 17 20 22 28 38. Psal 1.4 They shall be as the chaff which the wind bloweth to and fro The Scripture is full of such words as these 2. The second sort are those Promises which God hath made for the protection and preservation of his people under the pressures of ungodly men Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Psal 46.5 God is in the midst of his Church therefore it
confess to be the supream and most free agent the liberty which we will yet claim and challenge for our selves Nor is this more unreasonable pride and arrogance than it is folly and Vanity It is searching for a bottom in an Abyss searching for a cause Antecedent to the first cause God they say from all Eternity foresaw that such and such would believe would obey would incline their hearts to his Testimonies it must be then certain that that they would do so God could have no certain knowledg of that of which there was no certainty Now I would fain understand whence this certainty should be otherwise than from the will of God determining their wills to these certain good inclinations more than the wills of others all others have Souls reasonable Souls as well as they whence is it that their Souls incline to that which is good and the wills of others to that which is evil Surely to will and to do are both from God Thus vain Man would be wise when as he indeed is but like a wild Asses Colt Proud men torture themselves in vain to find out a principle of good and of life in themselves And how unreasonable a thing is it to charge God with unrighteousness upon this hypothesis Shall a man be master of his own favours who is yet a debtor to the Law of God and under an obligation to do good to all because God hath so commanded him and shall not God who cannot in any wise become a debtor to his Creature farther than he is so made by his own Covenant and promise Shall it be a reasonable thing for a Man to say I will be kind to such a one because I will and doth he think he is not further to be accountable to his fellow Creature And shall not the Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth say I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and because I will have mercy but Man shall for it call him before the Tribunal of his own Reason Vse 2. In the second place what reason have we who are made partakers of this mercy of God which bringeth salvation to adore admire and be thankful to him for it Now this concerneth either all of us in general or else some particular Souls 1. Let us first consider this so far as it respecteth all of us whosoever liveth within the pale of the Church under the preaching of the Gospel may see reason 1. To adore and admire the goodness of God towards them 2. To tremble and fear lest we be found unprofitable under the means of grace The Apostle propoundeth the question concerning the Jews Rom. 3.1 2. What advantage then hath the Jew above the Gentiles Or what profit is there of Circumcision He answereth Much every way because unto them are commited the Oracles of God Whether the Gospel in the preaching of it be a sufficient means of Salvation having such a constant operation of the Spirit attending it that if men will they may believe and be saved and the ministration of the Spirit be little differing from the ministration of the Gospel and inseparable or at least never separated from it though affirmed by some may be justly doubted But that it is a great and high means of Salvation and there is no man living under the faithful and powerful preaching of it but if he misseth of Life and eternal happiness it will be his own fault and the proximate cause of damnation will be in himself I do not doubt Now God hath not dealt thus with every Nation O consider how many Nations and People there are in the World who never heard of Christ amongst whom the joyful sound of the Gospel did never come People that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death whom the day-star from on high did never yet rise upon Doth any say But what good doth the Gospel or how is the preaching of the Gospel such a mercy if God doth not give unto them that are under the sound of it effectual Grace so as their hearts are changed upon the preaching of it and they converted and eternally saved I answer The Apostle thought it a mercy and no small mercy that the Jews had the Oraeles of God committed to them to them and not to other People yet for all this it is most certain That there were many amongst the Jews who kept not the Laws Statutes and Ordinances of God the Jews might have said the same thing yet Moses crieth out Deut. 4.8 What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord your God is to you in all things That hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous Again as I have oft told you though I dare not say with some That all men sitting under the sound of the Gospel have a sufficiency of grace given them that if they will they may turn unto God and live yet I do think that there is such a sufficiency of Light and means that if men will do what in them lies God will not be wanting to them in his effectual Grace Men shall never have this to say Lord I did what was in my power to do I would have repented believed but thou deniedst me that Grace which was necessary to it Now herein appeareth the greatness of the Grace of the Gospel The Heathen walk in darkness and in the shadow of Death they have not a sufficient Light to guide their feet into the way of Peace But where the Gospel is Preached there a great Light shineth a Light sufficient to direct men into the way of Life But 2. This looketh dreadfully upon all those who wilfully shut their eyes against Gospel-light and stop their Ears against this joyful sound This saith our Saviour is the condemnation that when Light is come into the World men love Darkness more than Light because their deeds are evil Matth. 11. Our Saviour upbraideth the Cities where his mighty works had been done and his Gospel preached Capernaum and Bethsaida he saith they had been lifted up to Heaven but they should be thrown down into Hell that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah yea for Tyre and Sydon in the day of judgment than for them when the Gospel hath been long in a place faithfully preached it is much to be feared that God hath had mercy in that place upon as many Souls of that Age as he will have mercy But this is but a Digression we have reason to adore God for his free mercy to us in giving us the Gospel the faithful and powerful preaching under the Gospel many may and do perish but where the Gospel comes not there is no hope Now whence is it that the rain of the Gospel falleth upon one City not upon another Upon one Country not upon another That some Nations have not so much as the sound of it the feet of them which bring the glad tidings of Peace come not amongst them
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
and blesseth God 2 Cor. 11.4 Who saith he comforteth us in all tribulation that we may be able to comfort those which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God It is said of Luther that he was wont to say that Three things make a Divine Temptations Meditation and Prayers Luther was himself a man of great temptations and by them became able to succour those that were tempted No knowledg is like experimental knowledg none knoweth either how to sympathize with or how to succor those that are under temptations desertions or any Soul-troubles so well as those who themselves have been under them experience is a great Mistress when therefore God hath a design upon some Souls to make use of them for succor and relief of others under Soul-troubles and afflictions he often first brings themselves under them and supports and comforts them then they know how to speak a word in season how to comfort and relieve 2. Again God may be conceived reasonably to do it upon a gracious design in order to carrying on of his work in their own Souls we know not what manner of Spirit we are of God knoweth all our tempers seeth all our inclinations and dispositions 1. I have told you that some persons are more complexioned to some sins than others Every man hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper lust and corruption by which he more ordinarily offendeth than other ways God to prevent the breaking out of this corruption afterwards layeth the Soul under the load and burthen of it and maketh his former miscarriages of that Nature more exceedingly bitter unto him that so he may see how little fruit he may afterwards expect of those things of which he hath been to that degree ashamed and which he hath tasted to that degree bitter unto his Soul 2. He may possibly see some of more brisk and airy tempers more inclined to pride and being lifted up above measure and therefore thinks fit to keep them longer under the Spirit of bondage as he did with Paul after he had been rapt up into the third Heaven and heard unutterterable words lest as he saith he should be exalted above measure God gave him a thorn in the flesh Thus now I have given you some little account of the variety of Gods Providential dispensations toward Souls in the collation of the first grace but now I have done I can only say with Job Chap. 26.14 Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him The end of all this discourse is not to pretend to give you all the reason of God in these his dispensations for who can by searching find out God who can find out the Almighty unto perfection we must say such knowledg is too wonderful for us but only to shew you that this various way of Gods dealing with Souls whom he intendeth to bring to Heaven is not such but it will approve it self to the reason of every reasonable Creature and such as is very equitable and proper for the wise God in order to the compassing of his most wise and glorious ends Let me now shew you what use is proper for us to make of these meditations and observations Vse 1. In the first place this may mind us to take heed of a rash judgment either in our own case or in the cases of others we are very prone to give our selves needless trouble and to pass unrighteous Judgments concerning the work of God upon our own and others Souls One concludeth he hath as yet no work of God upon his heart he was never humbled never so broken upon the Wheel never under such legal terrors nor so long under the Spirit of bondage as some others he cannot give an account to himself of any certain time nor of any certain Sermon when or whereby God wrought upon and changed his heart and we are too too ready to sit in Judgment upon the work of God also on the Souls of others You have heard that the ways of God are past finding out God doth not always tread the same path and the variety which God useth towards Souls under different circumstances and for different ends is very reasonable we have all of us reason enough to be troubled if we do not find this great work wrought in our Souls but if we do find that our hearts are changed that the work is done for the way or means or time which God hath taken or used to do it in or by we have no such reason to be sollicitous those who are come to work in the Vineyard at the Ninth or Eleventh hour shall have their Penny as well as those who were called and came in at the Sixth hour God doth not always work in the same order and method he is not to be tracked in his ways The conversion of the Soul lyeth in the change of the heart I would not with any trust to Baptismal conversion or regeneration If the heart be changed if the Soul be renewed according to the Image of God if old things be passed away in it and all things become new whether it was done this or that way by this or that means in this or that manner is no just cause at all of trouble to us God hath several ways to do his work by we must pass a judgment upon our selves from what we find within our selves the frames and tempers of our Spirits for what man knoweth the things of a man but the Spirit of a man which is within him But we must judge of others from the change we see in their lives and conversations Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 If we look upon our Neighbour and there appear no spots upon him but what may be the spot of Gods people no markes of profaneness or impiety towards God nor of unrighteousness toward man but he appeareth to us one who herein exercised himself to keep a good conscience both toward God and towards men we ought to judge this person one whose heart God hath changed If we look into our own hearts and can find that we truly love God and hate evil that we are afraid to sin against God and are desirous in all things to please him though we cannot find that the ways of God with our Souls in our conversion have been like the ways of God with the Souls of other men yet we ought not in this case to judge or to condemn our selves Gods ways are not alike with every Soul Its work in the effect as to the main is alike for it is true as to every man that except he be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God but his way of working is not the same Vse 2. In the Second place what you have heard affordeth great encouragement to every Soul under any circumstance to turn unto God
a power to do with his own what he pleaseth and if Grace were not for Gods own it would be no Grace yet we are too too much like Children who considering not their Fathers power and Prerogative nor it may be their own demerits and their own unworthiness to receive such a favour nor possibly their incapacity to receive injoy or use it Yet because they are Children as well as their Brethren and Sisters know not how to brook it that their Father should appear more kind to any of them than he is to them Let me therefore attempt the vindication of God in the inequality of these dispensations and that you may know in what order to follow me I shall lay down this method 1. First I will shew you wherein this inequality lieth 2. Secondly I will endeavour to shew you the reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in making this unequal distribution 3. Lastly I shall make some Application of it practically 1. Let us first enquire wherein this inequality lieth In the general It lieth not in any influxes and dispensations of grace necessary in order to the Salvation of their souls There is an union betwixt Christ and every believer in this union lieth the spiritual life of a Christian as the natural life lieth in the union which is betwixt the soul and the body so the spiritual life lieth in the union betwixt the soul and Christ and as the union betwixt the soul and body is preserved and maintained by bodily nourishment blessed be God in order to that end so the spiritual union betwixt the soul and Christ must also be maintained by a spiritual aliment this aliment or nourishment is the influx of the spirit of grace for though Ordinances be external means yet Ordinances signifie nothing without the influx of the spirit upon them and in them Now for such an influence of grace as is necessary to uphold the spiritual life of the believers to keep the soul and its beloved together God giveth it to every believer Whom he loveth he loveth to the end for if this were not so there were a possibility of a total Apostacy and of the intercision of a state of Justification This would infer a mutability in the counsels and purposes of God and subject the gifts and calling of God to repentance For let Jesuites and Arminians say what they will their fictitious purpose and councel of God to love those that are believers will not salve this sore for according to this Doctrine a man may be a believer and in favour with God this month and an unbeliever and out of favour with God the next month and so God may love and hate the same person a thousand times in his life-time and whether this be consistent with the unchangeableness of God let any one judg who understandeth any thing of common sense We therefore stand fixed in this that God neither is nor ever will be wanting to any soul as to those influxes of Divine grace which are necessary to maintain the union and spiritual life of the soul and by the way this well considered might much tend to satisfie a soul dissatisfied at Gods unequal distributions of special grace which although they are exceedingly sweet and of high advantage to gracious souls yet are such as are not of the necessaries of Salvation but only gradual manifestations and such as are spiritual accomodations and advantages to it in its way to Heaven but this is enough to have spoken to this question Negatively I come now to speak nore Positively In the general they are such only as respect the porro esse or the advantages of spiritual life Now what they are comes next into our enquiry They are I think reducible to Three heads the influences of 1. Strengthening 2. Quickning 3. Consolatory grace That there are such influences and that all have not a like measures of them no nor the same soul at all times is so obvious to the experience of all Christians that little need be said of it 1. For strengthening grace I can do all things saith the Apostle through Christ that strengtheneth me It is that which the Apostle prayeth for in the behalf of the Ephesians Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward-man And thus Christ telleth us John 15. Without me you can do nothing Now the Object of this influx of grace is duty or sin and temptation to it 1. Duty I can do all things saith Paul through Christ that strengtheneth me Christians duty is various and lieth in such motions of the inward and of the outward man both in doing and suffering as God hath any-where in his Word required of us Strengthening grace with respect unto duty is nothing else but the graeious influence of Christ Phil. 1.3.14 2 Tim. 4.7 and the Spirit of Christ upon the soul by which the Soul is made more able both to do and suffer the will of God Now that there is a great variety and unequal dispensation of this influence of Divine grace both to different souls and to the same soul at different times is so obvious as would be perfectly needless to spend any time in the proof of it neither do all souls find the same degrees of spiritual strength nor do the same souls find it at all times 2. Another Object about which strengthening grace is exercised is sin and motions and temptations to sin That which we call strengthening grace with reference to sin is a secret influx of the spirit of holiness by which the soul of a Christian findeth it self inabled to resist its inward motions to sin and to repel temptations from the World and the Devil St. James telleth us That every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed This is that which Divines call tentationem à carne a temptation from the flesh besides we know that the evil spirit hath a power to make impressions and to offer suggessions to us and that either immediately or by wicked men and sinful instruments this is that which they call tentationem ab hoste a temptation from our grand Adversary and there is a temptation wherein both these concur this is that which they call a mixt temptation Now as to all It is our duty to resist and this is the fighting the good fight the maintaining that spiritual combate which the Scripture speaks of Now there is nothing more evident in matter of Fact amongst Christians than that some Christians are more strong and able to resist motions to sin of any nature than others they are more able to mortifie their members and the deeds of the body as the Apostle calls them Rom. 8. through the spirit Yea one and the same Christian doth not find the like degrees of this spiritual strength and ability at all times There was a time when David complained that
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
power so as if he will he may do it No man will deny but a man hath a power to deal justly to give Alms to the Poor and many other things so as he is but an Hypocrite that pretends want of strength to many external actions which God hath commanded him which are but acts of moral discipline hence it is no great wonder to hear the Patrons of freewil urge this as the whole duty of man But alas though this be his duty yet it is but the least part of his duty Our great duty to God lies as in external acts of Piety so in the internal government of the motions of our hearts affections according to the rule of the Divine law it lyeth in external actions such as praying hearing the word c. But chiefly in the government of our inward man that we may perform all our actions whether respecting God or man in such a manner as he hath required Now that which we call strengthning grace is That influence of the holy Spirit upon the Soul by which the Soul is inabled to perform whatsoever God requireth of it both in doing and suffering in such an acceptable manner as God requireth at our hands Duty may be divided 1. Into such acts which are in our own power as to the external acts to perform without any Spiritual gifts or more special influences of grace thus a man may read the word he may hear Sermons he may do acts of justice and charity and many other things by virtue of the common Providence of God keeping up in man his natural faculties for this now there needeth none of that special strengthning grace about which I am discoursing Secondly 2. Such as a man may perform by vertue of common gifts and influences such as knowledg utterance c. Which although God doth not give unto all yet he doth give unto many who never tast any thing of his distinguishing grace Thus men may pray preach c. It is true some have more ability unto these acts than others and some Christians at some times may find more strength and ability than at other times but this dependeth not upon any influence of special strengthening grace but upon the different tempers and complexions of persons upon their different measures of knowledg and gifts and parts and their strength as to these acts riseth and falleth as their gifts and parts increase hold or decay 3. But thirdly there are duties that are more internal such as meditating of God delighting believing in him breathing after him fervency of Spirit in his service the right manner of performing all external acts Now to the performance of this there needeth a special influence in the Spirit of God besides all the advantage which any man can have from natural parts or gifts And the experience of every Christian justifieth that God useth a great variety in his dispensings of it some Christians find much more than others do others find much more at one time than at an other both for the performing the acts of Mortification and of Vivification the practice of dying to sin and living to righteousness and also for the bearing any burthens which God in his Providence layeth upon him and going through any sufferings which God hath laid out for him and these gradual withdrawings of these Divine assistances are what we call Divine desertions as to these manifestations of grace Now my next business must be to shew you the wisdom and reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in the inequality of these dispensations which sometimes proves matter of great trouble to Gods People 1. For the differences of strength and ability to the more external acts of our homage to God it is not so properly within my subject to be discoursed I shall therefore speak but shortly to it something I am willing to speak because I fear too many Christians mistake this for strengthning grace This difference ariseth 1. from a difference or decay in knowledg and other parts and common gifts Knowledg of the things of God is the foundation of this practice and it cannot be expected that Christians weak in knowledg should be able to express themselves so freely in prayer or in Spiritual conference or any other exercise which dependeth upon knowledg as the more knowing Christian can 2. Secondly As difference as to degrees of knowledg is one cause so different frequency in Practice is an other a man in practical things is perfected by practice As he that never almost writeth will forget his hand and he that useth not himself to read or speak Latine or any other Language will in a short time lose the very ability he once had to do it so it is but a reasonable thing for us to imagine that he who seldom or never prayeth should lose his gift and ability to pray and he who seldom or never Preacheth should lose his gift and ability to Preach We find by experience and may find it whenever we try it that a man that hath an excellent ability to pray neglecting that gift in a short time will lose his gift and not be able to continue Ten lines of sence without a Book To this may be added that these performances do also depend upon other natural and common gifts which if they fail through age or other infirmities it cannot without a Miracle be expected but that this strength and ability should abate also I know also that God may blast these gifts and oft doth for mens sins their neglect of the use of them their not glorifying of God with them but Gods usual way of doing this is either by permitting the decay of these gifts upon which these exercises depend or leaving the Hypocrite to fall into such a senslesness and sottishness in life as quite takes him off from any regard of these pieces of homage unto God but thus much shall serve to have spoken to these varieties and decays of strength in the inward man 2. For the other which are the influxes of Divine and special grace it is certainly reasonable that God should not dispense equal measures to all if we consider 1. That all are not of a alike groweth and standing in the Church There is nothing more ordinary in Scripture than to compare the Church to a Fold of Sheep to a Family c. Now there is no Fold where all are are grown Sheep alike scarce any Family where are not some Infants or young Children Christ must carry the Lambs in his Arm while he feedeth his Flock like a Shepheard The Scripture speaking of Christians distinguisheth betwixt Babes and grown Persons betwixt those that are perfect and such as are not perfect such as are Spiritual and such as are Carnal such as are fit for strong Meat and such as have need of Milk now although it be true that this influx of Grace is from the Spirit of God yet the Spirit of God ordinarly worketh Secundum quod nactus
in spiritual nourishment Though it be true in Bodies that all who are fed with the same bread and drink the same drink do not thrive alike yet suppose a body to be fed with improper food or not to have half enough it is no great wonder if it doth not grow so fast as another body that hath a plenty of food and that food too which is good and proper for it It is the same case with the soul that also must have its food The souls food is the Scriptures Ordinances Influences For the first indeed we have them we have them in our own language so that we can understand them but yet every one cannot read an inexcusable fault in Parents and such as have the government of youth especially in the age wherein we live nor have all the like means of having them read to them and being made to understand them But the great difference lies in Ordinances St. Peter adviseth Christians to desire like New-born Babes the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby He doubtless speaketh of the Word preached the Promise Psal 92.13 is Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God The House of the Lord is the Church of the Lord and there is a promise of growth to all those that are planted in it yet as in our Gardens and Fields there are different sorts oft-times so in the Church of God which is a large Field there are different soils for Christians There is a great deal of difference in that preaching under which Christians sit One man preacheth in the inticing words of mans wisdom another in the perswasive words of mans wisdom another in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and with power Some Christians possibly live where they scarce ever hear a good Sermon but some Harangues of Oratory or some rational Philosophical Discourses of which they understand little or nothing Others live under plain lively powerful preaching where the Preacher makes it his business to study the souls of his people and proportioneth his preaching accordingly so as the Babes have their milk and others their stronger meat Teaching them as they are able to receive instruction It is no wonder if such Christians who are under the best means be found most thriving God working in the use of means where means can be had It is true Christ once and never but once that we read of made use of clay and spittle to cure the blind mans eyes And when our Lord was himself upon the Earth attending his own Garden and the Plants in it though he had a fulness of wisdom and power too and had many things to say unto them yet saith he John 16.12 you are not able to bear them now And it is said Mark 4.33 With many such parables spake he the Word unto them as they were able to hear it Now if Christians live under preachers who either make no conscience what they preach unto people but fill up their time either with idle Fables or Invectives against Parties or some florid or Philosophical Discourses as if their study were directly contrary to that of the Apostles whose great care as he tells us was so to order his preaching as the faith of his hearers might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Now their preaching seems to be so directed and ordered as that the faith of their hearers might not rest in the power of God but in the wisdom of men It is no wonder if such Christians do not grow in grace in proportion with others who live under more adequate and proper means God useth not ordinarily to work miracles and their ordinary spiritual food is not proportioned to any such thing as the spiritual proficiency of those that hear them 2. Secondly A great reason of this difference lieth also in the differing natural tempers of Christians Amongst other Metaphors by which the Holy Ghost expresseth the Conversion and Regeneration of souls by that of Engraffing is one Rom. 11.17.19.23 24. The soul is ingrafted into Christ Now those who are skilled in planting know that according to the different nature of the plant the growth is faster or slower more or less Some plants grow much more freely than others a Cion of one sort of fruit will shoot up as much in one year as a Cion of another species will shoot in two or three years Truly it is so in the Spiritual Plantation Christ is the Stock into which we are all ingrafted there is no fault there but now the Cions that are ingrafted into Christ are not all of the same nature and temper And although Grace makes a great change and alteration and doth much correct a natural temper yet it doth not root out Nature nor work the change in a moment nor in all the same proportion of time There are several tempers which much hinder the appearance of growth in grace Some are naturally of vain airy light spirits some of proud and high spirits some of froward teachy passionate stubborn spirits Others are naturally of more solid serious tempers of more low and humble of more meek and pliable spirits Now where it happens that there is a change wrought in some persons of airy and light spirits or such as are proud and high or froward and passionate and stubborn a progress and growth in habits and exercises of grace will not be so soon evident and apparent as in those souls that are of sweeter and more gentle and ductile spirits Much grace will make but a little show where there is an ill natural temper and humor 3. Thirdly An ill neighbourhood doth make a great deal of difference in the growth of grace We see in Plants an ill neighbourhood of Plants doth much hinder growth There is scarce any Plant will thrive much near an Ash the like might be observed of other Trees which experience tells us are ill neighbours to Plants Rake up Fire in Ashes if it keepeth alive it is all It is so with Christians that are ill-yoaked that live in ill Families or Neighbourhoods There is some Wood they call Quench-coal Rotten Wood is mostly so The truth is the company of all carnal worldly men is of that nature they are all Quench-coals to the life of Grace and discourage that holy fire which the Spirit of God hath kindled in the souls of his people If a Christian be engaged in such society whether necessarily as in Conjugal relations and indeed in most Domestick relations or voluntarily if such a Christian keeps his sincerity it will be well it can hardly be expected that the profiting of such Christians should appear unto all or indeed that they should grow in proportion unto other Christians who are engaged in a better converse and are under the daily Instructions Exhortations Reproofs and Admonitions of others who as Brethren take themselves concerned to consider them and to
Lord than to put confidence in Princes 2. When there is a pretended confidence in God but not conjoyned with an holy walking nor with a due use of means Natural Moral or Religious take heed of such a security as this is That which I call a pious security is the fruit of a confidence in God When the minds of men upon the view of a Divine Providence are quiet and free from distractions and over-much sollicitude as to the events of things whether relating to the Church or to their own particulars This I say is every good Christians duty and if there be such a Divine Providence as I have been discoursing of to you it is the most reasonable thing in the world God is the highest rational Agent and must work for some ends and those the best the great end of his Glory the subordinate end is the good of his People Now if he hath in his working an influence on all beings all motions and actions all omissions suspensions and cessations of such motions all events c. Certainly that man or woman that loveth and feareth God and keepeth his way and hath used all proper means natural moral or religious in order to the obtaining of what he apprehendeth for Gods Honour the good of his Church or his own particular good he hath all imaginable reason to sit down quiet and be secure Affairs in the world are upon the wheels but those wheels are full of eyes God seeth all things and his hand is in and upon all things and hath his own ends in his eyes and a power to turn all things and to make them to serve his ends We may in the darkest day cry out Psal 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise him and the remainder of wrath he shall restrain A good Christian may sit down having done his duty and leave the world to wag as it will Let that great Ship wallow as it will there is one that sitteth at the Stern that will guide it and all its motions it shall at last come into the true Port. Hence a Child of God hath reason enough in all things to give thanks and at all times to rejoyce in the Lord and again to rejoyce What then mean the disquietments anxieties and sollicitudes of our thoughts Are they not tacit denials or suspensions of the workings of Divine Providence Are they not Indications of the weakness of our Faith Certainly if we had Faith in the Doctrine of Divine Providence if it were but as a grain of mustard-seed we should only attend our duty and when we had done that should speak to our soul if yet in a tumult Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Trust still in God for I shall praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God This is a second piece of duty 3. A third duty which this Doctrine of Divine Providence will evidence but reasonable for us is A patient waiting for God under all the displeasing varieties of this life A duty which in Scripture you will find often called for by God and his Holy Servants who have spoke in his Name Psal 27.14 Psal 37.7 34. Psal 6â— 5 Prov. 20.22 Hos 12.6 and as often resolved upon by the Holy Servants of God Job 14.14 Psal 25.21 Psal 52.9 and in many other places And there are many excellent promises that are made to it Psal 37.9 Prov. 20.22 Isa 49.23 It is exclusive of all murmuring repining and discontentedness at any of Gods dealings of all use of irregular means to help our selves it is an habit of grace which in the midst of the most adverse and afflictive Providences teacheth us to stand still and to see the salvation of God It is a great piece of a Christians duty keeping a Christian in his station and in the paths of holiness under the most cross and thwarting Providences in the most dark and gloomy days and the greatest confusions we see in the world The failure of this is like the starting of the Ballast in a Ship in a storm every Ship of burthen that goeth to Sea hath a Ballast of stones or sand or some weighty thing which keeps it even upon the waters if in a storm this Ballast starts so as it is thrown on one side and gives not a just poise to the Ship there is a great danger of a wrack the Ship presently lyes all on one side Faith now is this Ballast active patience or waiting for God in a storm of Providence is that which keepeth the soul poised if this Ballast starts there 's great danger of the souls being overwhelmed Now this Doctrine of Providence and the extent of it to all motions actions to all suspensions omissions and cessations of actions to all events and future contingencies sheweth us the duty and reasonableness of this patient waiting Is there a storm a whirlwind an hurricane of political motions in the world It lets us know that God is in that storm God is in that whirlwind that hurricane is not without the Lord and God is not out of it If the Enemies of the People of God could raise a storm without the Lord or when they have raised it shut God out of the Governance of it it were something but they can do none of this we can have no confidence in them in the goodness of their natures or their designs but we may be confident of God and wait for him I compared Providence before to a man of business that seldom keeps a road but ever and anon turns out this way and that way as his variety of business leads him those that will bear such a man company home must ever and anon wait for him while he turneth out of his road Let this Doctrine of Providence have this kind influence upon your souls to make you to wait upon God whiles he hideth himself from the house of Jacob and to look for him It is good to wait upon God for none yet that ever waited upon him returned ashamed it is your duty to wait upon God he is a great Soveraign he hath required this homage from your souls It is reasonable you should wait on him for you may be sure he is in every storm in every hurricane seeing it working by it governing of it 4. This Doctrine of a Divine Providence sheweth the reasonableness of a passive patience or submission to and contentation with our lot and portion in the world under the most afflictive and adverse issues Nothing comes to pass without the Will of God not a sparrow as cheap and inconsiderable a bird as it is falleth to the ground without our heavenly Father It is true while we are in the world we are in the midst of briars and thorns subjected to a thousand accidents which are afflictive to us afflictions in our bodies troubles in our spirits crosses in our relations and in our affairs in the world and no affliction
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.