established David hearkened what the Lord said before he said any thing to himselfe so should wee Gods Commands tend to this that wee should command our selves God and the Minister under God bid us trust in him but all is to no purpose till grace bee wrought in the soule whereby it bids it selfe Our speaking to others doth no good till they by entertaining what we say speake the same to their owne soules In this charge of David upon his owne soule we may see diverse passages and priviledges of a gracious heart in trouble §. 2. As 1. That a Christian when hee is beaten out of all other comforts yet hath a God to runne unto A wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts is as a naked man in a storme and an unarmed-man in the field or as a ship tossed in the Sea without an anchor which presently dashes upon rockes or falleth upon quicksands but a Christian when he is driven out of all comforts below nay when God seemes to bee angry with him hee can appeale from God angry to God appeased hee can wrastle and strive with God by Gods owne strength fight with him with his own weapons and plead with God by his owne arguments What a happy estate is this who would not be a Christian if it were but for this to have something to relie on when all things else faile The confusion and unquietnesse which troubles raise in the soule may drive it from resting in it selfe but there can never be any true peace setled untill it sees and resolves what to stay upon §. 3. 2. We see here that there is a sanctified use of all troubles to Gods children first they drive them out of themselves and then draw them neerer to GOD. Crosses indeed of themselves estrange us more from God but by an over-ruling worke of the spirit they bring 〈◊〉 neerer to him The soule of it selfe is ready to misgive as if God had too many controversies with it to shew any favour towards it and Sathan helpedâ—… because hee knowes nothing can stand and prevaile against God or a soule that relyeth on him therefore hee labours to breed and encrease an everlasting divisiâ—… betwixt God and the soule but let not Christians muse so much upon their trouble but see whether it carries them whether it brings them neerer unto God or not It is a never failing rule of discerning a man to be in the state of grace when he findes every condition draw him neerer to God for thus it appeares that such love God and are called of him unto whom all things worke together for the best §. 4. 3. Againe hence wee see that the spirit of God by these inward speeches doth awake the soule and keepe it in a holy exercise by stirring up the grace of faith to its proper function It is not so much the having of grace as grace in exercise that pâ—…eserves the soule therefore wee should by this and the like meanes stirre up the grace of God in us that so it may bee kept a working â—…nd in vigour and strength It was Davids manner to awake himselfe by bidding both heart and harpe to awake It is the waking Christian that haâ—…h his wit and his grace ready about him who is the safe Christian grace dormant without the exercise doth not secure us It is almost all one in regard of present exigence for grace not to be and not to worke The soule without action is like an instrument not played upon or like a ship alwayes in the Haven Motion is a preservative of the purity of things Even life it selfe is made more lively by action The spirit of GOD whereby his children are led is compared to things of the quickest and strongest actions as fire and winde c. God himselfe is a pure act alwayes in acting and every thing the nearer it comes to God the more it hath its perfection in working The happinesse of man consists chiefly in a gracious frame of spirit and actions sutable sweetly issuing there-from the very rest of heavenly bodies is in motion in their proper places By this stirring up the grace of God in us sparkles come to be flames and all graces are kept bright Troubles stirre up David and David being stirred stirres up himselfe §. 5. 4. We see likewise here a further use of Soliloquies or speeches to our own hearts when the soule by entring into it selfe sees it selfe put out of order then it injoynes this duty of trusting in God upon it if wee looke onely on our selves and not turne to God the worke of the soule is imperfect then the soule worketh as it should when as by reflecting on it selfe it gathers some profitable conclusion and leaveth it selfe with God David upon reflecting on himselfe found nothing but discouragement but when he lookes upward to GOD there hee findes rest This is one end why God suffers the soule to tire and beat it selfe that finding no rest in it selfe it might seeke to him David yeelds not so much to his passion as that it should keepe him from God Therefore let no man truly religious pretend for an excuse his temper or provoking occasions c. for grace doth raise the soule above nature Grace doth not only stop the soule in an evill way but carries it to a contrary good and raiseth it up to God Though holy men be subject to like passions with others as it is said of Elias yet they are not so inthralled to them as that they carry them wholly away from their God but they heare a voice of the spirit within them calling them backe againe to their former communion with God and so grace takes occasion even from sinne to exercise it selfe §. 6. 5. Observe further that distrust is the cause of all disquiet the soule suffers it selfe by something here below to be drawne away from God but can finde no rest till it returne to him againe As Noahs Dove had no place to set her foote upon till it was received into the Arke from whence it came And it is Gods mercy to us that when we have let goe our hold of God wee should finde nothing but trouble and unquietnesse in any thing else that so we might remember from whence wee are fallen and returne home againe That is a good trouble which frees us from the greatest trouble and brings with it the most comfortable rest It is but an unquiet quiet and a restlesse rest which is out of God It is a deepe spirituall judgement for a man to finde too much rest in the creature The soule that hath had a saving worke upon it will be alwayes impatient untill it recovers its former sweetnesse in God After Gods spirit hath once touched the soule it will never be quiet untill it stands pointed God-ward But conscience may object upon any offence God is offended and therefore not to be trusted It is true where faith
down at Israels turning their backs before their enemies God reproves him Get thee up Joshua why liest thou upon thy face Some would have men after the committing of grosse sinne to be presently comfortable and beleeve without humbling themselves at all indeed when we ore once in Christ we ought not to question our state in him and if we doe it comes not from the spirit But yet a guilty conscience will be clamorous and full of obiections God will not speake peace unto it till it be humbled God will let his best children know what it is to be too bold with sinne as we see in David and Peter who felt no peace till they had renued their repentance The way to reioyce with joy unspeakable and glorious is to stirre up fighs that cannot be uttered And it is so farre that the knowledge of our state in grace should not humble us that very ingenuity cōsidering Gods love to us out of the nature of the thing it self workes sorrow and shame in us to offend his Maiesty One maine stop that hinders Christians from reioycing is that they give themselves too much liberty to question their grounds of comfort and interest in the promises This is wonderfull cōfortable say they but what is it to me the promise belōgs not to me This ariseth from want of giving all diligence to make their calling sure to themselves In watchfulnesse and diligence we sooner meet with comfort thē in idle complaining Our care therefore should be to get sound evidence of a good estate and then likewise to keepe our evidence cleare wherein we are not to hearken to our own feares and doubts or the suggestion of our enemy who studies to falsifie our evidence but to the Word and our owne consciences inlightned by the spirit and then it is pride and pettishnesse to stand out against comfort to themselves Christians should studie to corroberate their title We are never more in heaven before we come thither then when wee can read our evidences It makes us converse much with God it sweetens all conditions and makes us willing to doe and suffer any thing It makes us have comfortable and honourable thoughts of our selves as too good for the service of any base lust and brings confidence in God both in life and death But what if our condition be so darke that we cannot reade our evidence at all Here looke up to Gods infinite mercy in Christ as we did at the first when we found no goodnesse in our selves and that is the way to recover whatsoever we thinke wee have lost By honouring Gods mercy in Christ we come to have the Spirit of Christ therefore when the waters of sanctification are troubled and muddy let us runne to the witnesse of blood God seemes to walke sometimes contrary to himselfe he seemes to discourage when secretly he doth incourage as the woman of Canaan but faith can finde out these wayes of God and untie th◅se knots by looking to the free promise and mercifull nature of God Let our sottish and rebellious flesh murmure as much as it will who art thou and what is thy worth Yet a Christian knowes whom hee beleeves Faith hath learned to set God against all Againe we must goe on to adde grace to grace A growing and fruitfull Christian is alwayes a comfortable Christian the oyle of grace brings forth the oyle of gladnesse Christ is first a King of righteousnesse and then a King of peace the righteousnesse that hee workes by his Spirit brings a peace of sanctification whereby though we are not freed from sinne yet we are enabled to combate with it to get the victory over it Some degree of comfort followes every good action as heate accompanies fire and as beames and influences issue from the Sunne which is so true that very Heathens upon the discharge of a good conscience have found comfort and peace answerable this is a reward before our reward Another thing that hinders the comfort of Christians is that they forget what a gratious and mercifull covenant they live under wherein the perfection that is required is to be found in Christ. Perfection in us is sincerity What is the end of faith but to bring us to Christ Now imperfect faith if sincere knits to Christ in whom our perfection lies Gods designe in the covenant of grace is to exalt the riches of his mercy above all sinne and unworthinesse of man and wee yeeld him more glory of his mercy by beleeving then it would be to his Iustice to destroy us If we were perfect in our selves we should not honour him so much as when we labour to bee found in Christ having his righteousnesse upon us There is no one portion of Scripture oftner used to fetch up drooping spirits then this Why art thou cast downe oh my soule it is figurative and full of Rhetorique and all little enough to perswade the perplexed soule quietly to trust in God which without this retiring into our selves and checking our hearts wil never be brought to passe Chrysostome brings in a man loaden with troubles comming into the Church where when he heard this passage read he presently recovered himselfe and becomes another man As David therefore did acquaint himselfe with this forme of dealing with his soule so let us demanding a reason of our selves Why wee are cast downe which will at least checke and put a stoppe to the distresse and make us fit to consider more solid grounds of true comfort Of necessity the soule must bee somthing calmed and staid before it can be comforted Whilest the humours of the body rage in a great distemper there is no giving of physicke So when the soule gives way to passion it is unfit to entertaine any counsell therefore it must be stilled by degrees that it may heare reason and sometimes it is fitter to be moved with ordinary reason as being more familiar unto it then with higher reasons fetcht from our supernaturall condition in Christ as from the condition of mans nature subject to changes from the uncomelinesse of yeelding to passion for that which it is not in our power to mend c. these and such like reasons have some use to stay the fit for a while but they leave the coar untouched which is sinne the trouble of all troubles Yet when such considerations are made spirituall by faith on higher grounds they have some operation upon the soule as the influence of the Moone having the stronger influence of the Sun mingled with it becomes more effectuall upon these inferiour bodies A candle light being ready at hand is sometimes as usefull as the Sun it selfe But our maine care should be to have Evangelicall grounds of comfort neere to us as Reconciliation with God whereby all things else are reconciled unto us Adoption and Communion with Christ c. which is never sweeter then under the Crosse. Philip Lansgrave of Hesse being a long
studying how to compose their spirits and rather how to 〈◊〉 the deformity of their passions then 〈◊〉 cure them Whence it is that the fouâ—… inward vices are covered with the fairest vizards and to make this the worse all this is counted the bâ—… breeding The Heâ—…wes placed all their happinesse in peace and when they woâ—… comprise much in one word they would wish peace This was that the Angels brought newes of from heavâ—… at the birth of Christ. Now peace 〈◊〉 seth out of quietnesse and order aâ—… God that is the God of peace is the God 〈◊〉 order first What is health but when 〈◊〉 the members are in their due positâ—… and all the humors in a setled quieâ—… Whence ariseth the beauty of the world but from that comely order wherein every creature is placed the more glorious and excellent creatures above and the lesse below So it is in the soule the best constitution of it is when by the Spirit of God it is so ordered as that all be in subjection to the Law of the minde What a sight were it for the feet to be where the head is and the earth to be where the heaven is to see all turned upside downe And to a spirituall eye it seemes as great a deformity to see the soule to be under the rule of sinfull passions Comelinesse riseth out of the fit proportion of divers members to make up one body when every member hath a beauty in it selfe and is likewise well suited to other parts A faire face and a crooked body comely upper parts and the lower parts uncomely suit not well because comelinesse stands in onenesse in a fit agreement of many parts to one when there is the head of a man and the body of a beast it is a monster in nature And is it not as monstrous for to have an understanding head and a fierce untameâ—… heart It cannot but raise up a holy indignation in us against these risings when wee consider how unbeseeming they are What doe these base passâ—… in a heart dedicated to God and given up to the government of his Spirit what an indignity is it for Princes to goe a foot and servants on horse-baâ—… for those to rule whose place is to 〈◊〉 ruled as being good attendants bâ—… bad guides It was Chams curse to beâ—… sevant of servants 8. This must be strengthned with a strong selfe-denial without which there can be no good done in Religion There be two things that most trouble us in the way to heaven corruption within us and the crosse without 〈◊〉 that which is within us must be deniâ—… that that which is without us may bâ—… endured Otherwise we cannot follow him by whom wee looke to be saved The gate the entrance of Religion 〈◊〉 narrow we must strip our selves of oâ—… selves before we can enter if we bring any ruling lust to Religion it wil prove a bitter root of some grosse sinne or of apostacie and finall desperation Those that sought the praise of men more than the praise of God could not beleeve because that lust of ambition would when it should be crossed draw them away The young man thought it better for Christ to lose a Disciple than that hee should lose his possession and therefore went away as hee came The third ground came to nothing because the Plough had not gone deepe enough to breake up the rootes whereby their hearts were fastned to earthly contentments This selfe-deniall wee must carry with us through all the parts of Religion both in our active and passive obedience for in obedience there must be a subjection to a superiour but corrupt selfe neither is subject nor can be it will have an oare in every thing and maketh every thing yea Religion serviceable to it self It is the Idol of the world or rather the god that is set highest of all in the soule so God himselfe is made but an Idol It is hard to deny a friend who is another selfe harder to deny a wife that lyeth in the bosome but most hard to deny our selves Nothing so neere us as our selves to our selves and yet nothing so farre off Nothing so deare yet nothing so malicious troublesome Hypocrites would part with the fruit of their body sooner than the sinne of their soules CAP. XI Signes of victory over our selves and of 〈◊〉 subdued spirit BVt how shall we know whether we have by grace got the victory over our selves or not I answer if in good actions we stand not so much upon the credit of the action as upon the good that is done What we doe as unto God wee looke for acceptance from God It was Ionâ—… his fault to stand more upon his owne reputation than the glory of Gods mercy It is a prevailing signe when though there be no outward encouragements Nay though there be discouragements yet wee can rest in the comfort of a good intention For usually inward comfort is a note of inward sincerity Iehu must be seene or else all is lost 2. It is a good evidence of some prevailing when upon Religious grounds wee can crosse our selves in those things unto which our hearts stand most affected this sheweth wee reserve GOD his owne place in our hearts 3. When being privie to our owne inclination and temper wee have gotten such a supply of spirit as that the grace which is contrary to our temper appeares in us As oft wee see none more patient than those that are naturally enclined to intemperancie of passion because naturall pronenesse maketh them jealous over themselves Some out of feare of being over-much moved are not moved so much as they should be This jealousie stirreth us up to a carefull use of all helps Where grace is helped by nature there a little grace will goe farre but where there is much untowardnesse of nature there much grace is not so well discerned Sowre wines need much sweetning And that is most spirituall which hath least helpe from nature and is wonne by prayer and paines 4. When wee are not partiall when the things concerne our selves Daâ—… could allow himselfe another mâ—… wife and yet judgeth another mâ—… worthy of death for taking away a pâ—… mans lambe Men usually favour themselves too much when they are Chancellors in their owne cause and measure all things by their private interest Hee hath taken a good degree in Christs Schoole that hath learned to forget himselfe here 5. It is a good signe when upoÌ„ discovery of selfe-feeking we can gaine upon our corruption and are willing to search and to be searched what our inclination is and where it faileth Thâ—… which we favour we are tender of 〈◊〉 must not be touched A good heart when any corruption is discovered by a searching Ministry is affected as if it had found out a deadly enemy Touchinesse and passion argues guilt 6. This is a signe
God should take his Spirit from us there is enough in us to defile a whole world And although wee bee ingrafted into Christ yet wee carry about us a relish of the old stocke still David was a man of a good naturall constitution and for grace a man after Gods owâ—… heart and had got the better of himselfe in a great measure and had learned to overcome himselfe in matter of revenge as in Sauls case yet now wee see the vessell is shaken a little and the dregs appeare that were in the bottome before Alas wee know not our oâ—… hearts till we plow with Gods heiâ—… till his Spirit bringeth a light into our soules It is good to consider how this impure spring breaks out diversly in the divers conditions wee are in there is no estate of life nor no action wee undertake wherein it will not put forth it selfe to defile us It is so full of poyson that it taints whatsoever wee doe both our natures conditions and actions In a prosperous condition like Dâ—…vid we thinke we shall never be 〈◊〉 Under the Crosse the soule is troubled 〈◊〉 drawne to murmur and to be sulleâ—… and sink downe in discouragement 〈◊〉 be in a heat almost to blasphemy 〈◊〉 weary of our callings and to quaâ—… with every thing in our way See 〈◊〉 folly and fury of most men in this for â—…s silly wormes to contradict the great God And to whose perill is it Is it not our own Let us gather our selves with all our wit and strength together Alas what can wee doe but provoke him and get more stripes Wee may be sure hee will deale with us as wee deale with our children if they be froward and unquiet for lesser matters we will make them cry and be sullen for something Refractory stubborne horses are the more spurred and yet shake not off the rider CAP. XII Of originall righteousnesse naturall corruption Satans joyning with it and our duty thereupon §. 1. BVt here marke a plot of spirituall treason Sathan joyning with our corruption setteth the wit on worke to perswade the soule that this inward rebellion is not so bad because it is naturall to us as a condition of nature rising out of the first principles in our creation and was curbed in by the bridle of original righteousnesse which they would have accessary and supernaturall and therefore alledge that concupiscence is lesse odious and more excusable in us and so no great danger in yeelding and betraying our Souleâ—… unto it and by that meanes perswading us that that which is our deadliest enemie hath no harme in it nor meaneth any to us This rebellion of lusts against the understanding is not naturall as our nature came out of Gods hands at the first For this being evill and the caâ—… of evill could not come from God whâ—… is Good and the cause of all good and nothing but good who upon the creation of all things pronounced them good and after the creation of man pronounced of all things that they were very good Now that which is ill and very ill cannot be seated at the same time in that which is good and very good God created man at the first right he of himselfe sought out many inventions As God beautified the heaven with starres and decked the earth with variety of plants and hearbs and flowers So hee adorned man his prime creature here below with all those endowments that were fit for a happy condition and originall righteousnesse was fit and due to an originall and happy condition Therefore as the Angels were created with all Angelicall perfections and as our bodies were created in an absolute temper of all the humours so the soule was created in that sweet harmony wherein there was no discord as an instrument in tune fit to be moved to any duty as a cleane neat glasse the soule represented Gods image and holinesse §. 2. Therefore it is so farre that concupiscence should be naturall that the contrary to it namely Righteousnesse wherein Adam was created was naturall to him though it were planted in mans nature by God and so in regard of the cause of it was supernaturall yet because it was agreeable to that happy condition without which he could not subsist in that respect iâ—… was naturall and should have beene derived if hee had stood together with his nature to his posterity As hear iâ—… the ayre though it hath its first impression from the heate of the Sunne yet is naturall because it agreeth 〈◊〉 the nature of that element and though man be compounded of a spirituall and earthly substance yet it is naturall that the baser earthly part should be subject to the Superiour because where thâ—… is different degrees of worthinesse it is fit there should be a subordination of the meaner to that which is in ordâ—… higher The body naturally deâ—… food and bodily contentments yet iâ—… a man indued with reason this desire iâ—… governed so as it becomes not inorâ—…nate A beast sinnes not in its appetâ—… because it hath no power above to order it A man that lives in a soliâ—… place farre remote from company may take his liberty to live as it pleasâ—… him but if he comes to live under the government of some well ordered Citie then hee is bound to submit to the â—…wes and customes of that Citie under penalty upon any breach of order So the risings of the soule howsoever in other creatures they are not blameable having no commander in themselves above them yet in man they are to bee ordered by reason and judgement Therefore it cannot be that concupiscence should be naturall in regard of the state of creation It was Adams sin which had many sinnes in the wombe of it that brought this disorder upon the Soule Adams person first corrupted our nature and nature being corrupted corrupts our persons and our persons being corrupted encrease the corruption of our nature by custome of sinning which is another nature in us as a streame the farther it runnes from the spring head the more it enlargeth its channell by the running of lesser rivers unto it untill it empties it selfe into the Sea So corruption till it be overpowred by grace swelleth bigger and bigger so that though this disorder was not naturall in regard of the first creation yet since the fall it is become naturall even as wee call that which is common to the whole kinde and propagated from parents to their children to bee naturall So that it is both naturall and against nature naturall now but against nature in its first perfection And because corruption is naturall to us therefore 1. we delight in it whence it comes to passe that our soules are carried along in an easie current to the committing of any sinne without opposition 2. Because it is naturall therefore it is unwearied and restlesse 〈◊〉 light bodies are not wearied in thâ—… motion upwards nor heavie bodies iâ—… their motion
when men have not onely whom they desire but such also who are fit and dexterous in dealing with a troubled spirit yet their soules feele no comfort because they make idols of men Whereas men at the best are but conduits of comfort and such as God freely conueyeth comfort by taking liberty oft to deny comfort by them that so he may be acknowledged the God of all comfort 3. Some delude themselves by thinking it sufficient to have a few good words spoken to them as if that could cure them not regarding to apprehend the same and mingle it with faith without which good words lose their working even as wholesome Physick in a dead stomack Besides miscarriages in comforting times will often fall out in our lives that we shall have none either to comfort us or to be comforted by us and then what will become of us unlesse we can comfort our selues Men must not thinke alwayes to live upon almes but lay up something in store for themselves and provide oyle for their owne lamps and bee able to draw out something from the treasury of their owne hearts We must not goe to the Surgeon for every scratch No wise traveller but will have some refreshing waters about him Againe wee are often driven to retire home to our owne hearts by uncharitable imputations of other men even friends sometimes become miserable comfortens it was Iobs case his friends had honest intentions to comfort him but erred in their manner of dealing if he had found no more comfort by reflecting upon his owne sincerity then he received from them who laboured to take it from him hee had beene doubly miserable We are most privy to our owne intentions and aimes whence comfort must bee fetched Let others speake what they can to us if our owne hearts speake not with them we shall receive no satisfaction Sometimes it may fall out that those which should unloose our spirits when they are bound up mistake the key â—…isses the right wards and so we lâ—…e bound still Opening of our estate to another is not good but when it is necessary and it is not necessary when we can fetch supply from our owne store God would have us tender of our reputations except in some speciall cases wherein wee are to give glory to God by a free and full confession Needlesse discovery of our selves to others makes us feare the conscience of another man as privie to that which we are ashamed hee should bee privy unto and it is neither wisedome nor mercy to put men upon the racke of confession further then they can have no ease any other way for by this meanes we raise in them a jealousie towards us and oft without cause which weakneth and tainteth that love which should unite hearts in one CAP. XV. Of flying to God in disquiets of soule Eight observations out of the text WHat if neither the speech of others to us nor the rebuke of our owne hearts will quiet the soule Is there no other remedy left Yes then looke up to God the Father and fountaine of comfort as David doth here For the more speciall meanes whereby he sought to recover himselfe was by laying a charge upon his soule to trust in God for having let his soule runne out too much hee begins to recollect himselfe againe and resigne up all to God §. 1. But how came David to have the command of his owne soule so as to take it off from griefe and to place it upon God could hee dispose of his owne heart himselfe The child of God hath something in him above a man hee hath the Spirit of God to guide his spirit this command of David to his soule was under the command of the Great Commander God commands David to trust in him and at the same time infuseth strength into his soule by thinking of Gods command and trusting to Gods power to command it selfe to trust in God so that this command is not onely by authoritie but by vertue likewise of Gods command As the inferiour orbes move as they are moved by a higher So Davids spirit here moves as it is moved by Gods Spirit which inwardly spake to him to speake to himselfe David in speaking thus to his owne soule was as every true Christian is a Prophet and an instructer to himselfe It is but as if inferiour officers should charge in the name and power of the King Gods children have a principle of life in them from the Spirit of God by which they command themselves To give charge belongs to a Superiour David had a double Superiour above him his owne spirit as sanctified and Gods Spirit guiding that Our spirits are the Spirits agents and the Holy Spirit is Gods agent maintaining his right in us As God hath made man a free agent So he guides him and preserves that free manner of working which is agreeable to mans nature By this it appeares that Davids moving of himselfe did not hinder the Spirits moving of him neither did the Spirits moving of him hinder him from moving himselfe in a free manner for the Spirit of God moveth according to our principles it openeth our understandings to see that it is best to trust in God It moveth so sweetly as if it were an inbred principle and all one with our owne spirits If wee should hold our will to move it selfe and not to be moved by the Spirit we should make a God of it whose property is to move other things and not to be moved by any We are in some sort Lords over our owne speeches and actions but yet under a higher Lord. David was willing to trust in God but God wrought that will in him he first makes our will good and then works by it It is a sacrilegious liberty that will acknowledge no dependance upon God Wee are wise in his wisedome and strong in his strength who saith without me yee can doe nothing Both the budde of a good desire and the blossome of a good resolution and the fruit of a good action all comes from GOD. Indeed the understanding is ours whereby wee know what to doe and the will is ours whereby wee make choice of what is best to be done but the light whereby wee know and the guidance whereby wee choose that is from a higher agent which is ready to flow into us with present fresh supply when by vertue of former strength wee put our selves forward in obedience to God Let but David say to his soule being charged of God to trust I charge thee my soule to trust in him and hee findes a present strength inabling to it Therefore we must both depend upon God as the first Mover and withall set all the inferiour wheeles of our soules a going according as the Spirit of God ministers motion unto us So shall wee bee free from selfe-confidence and likewise from neglecting that order of working which God hath
his very enemies the accomplishers of his owne will and so to bring about that which they oppose most Hence it is that we beleeve under hope against hope But wee must know Gods manner of guiding things is without prejudice of the proper working of the things themselves hee guideth them sweetly according to the instincts hee hath put into them for 1. He furnishes creatures with a vertue and power to worke and likewise with a manner of working sutable to their owne nature as it is proper for a man when he workes to worke with freedome and other creatures by naturall instinct c. 2. God maintaineth both the power and manner of working and perfecteth and accomplisheth the same by acting of it being neerer to us in all wee doe then we are to our selves 3. He applies and stirres up our abilities and actions to this or that particular as he seeth best 4. Hee suspends or removes the hinderances of all actions and so powerfully wisely and sweetly orders them to his owne ends When any evill is intended God either puts bars and letts to the execution of it or else limiteth and boundeth the same both in regard of time and measure so that our enemies either shall not doe the evill at all or else not so long a time or not in such a height of mischiefe as their malice would cary them to The rod of the wicked may light upon the backe of the righteous but it shall not rest there God knowes how to take our enemies off sometimes by changing or stopping their wills by offering considerations of some good or ill danger or profit to them sometimes by taking away and weakning all their strength or else by opposing an equall or greater strength against it All the strength our enemies have rests in God who if hee denies concourse and influence the arme of their power as Ieroboams when he stretcht it out against the Prophet shrinkes up presently God is not onely the cause of things and actions but the cause likewise of the cessation of them why they fall not out at all God is the cause why things are not as well as why they are The cause why men favour us not or when they doe favour us want present wisdome and ability to help us is from Gods withdrawing the concurrence of his light and strength from them If a skilfull Physitian doth us no good it is because it pleaseth God to hide the right way of curing at that time from him Which should move us to see God in all that befalls us who hath sufficient reason as to doe what he doth so not to doe what hee doth not to hinder as well as to give way The God of spirits hath an influence into the spirits of men into the principles and springs of all actions Otherwise he could not so certainely foretell things to come God had a worke in Absaloms heart in that he refused the best counsell there is nothing independant of him who is the mover of all things and himselfe unmoveable Nothing so high that is above his providence Nothing so low that is beneath it Nothing so large but is bounded by it Nothing so confused but God can order it Nothing so bad but he can draw good out of it Nothing so wisely plotted but God can disappoint it as Achitophells counsell Nothing so simply and unpolitiquely caried but hee can give a prevailing issue unto it Nothing so freely caried in regard of the next cause but God can make it necessary in regard of the event Nothing so naturall but he can suspend in regard of operation as heavy bodies from sinking fire from burning c. It cannot but bring strong security to the soule to know that in all variety of changes and intercourse of good and bad events God and Our God hath such a disposing hand Whatsoever befalls us all serves to bring Gods electing love and our glorification together Gods providence serveth his purpose to save us All sufferings all blessings all ordinanoes all graces all common gifts nay our very falls yea Sathan himselfe with all his instruments as over-mastered and ruled by God have this injunction upon them to further Gods good intendment to us and a prohibition to doe us no harme Augustus taxed the world for civill ends but Gods providence used this as a meanes for Christ to bee borne at Bethieem Ahashueresh could not sleepe and thereupon calls for the Chronicles the reading of which occasioned the Iewes delivery God oft disposeth little occasions to great purposes And by those very wayes whereby proud men have gone about to withstand Gods counsells they have fulfilled them as we see in the story of Ioseph and Moses in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them CAP. XVII Of Graces to be exercised in respect of divine Providence VVEE are under a providence that is above our own which should bee a ground unto us of exercising those graces that tend to settle the soule in all events As 1. Hence to lay our hand upon our mouthes and command the soule an holy silence not daring to yeeld to the least rising of our hearts against God I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it saith David Thus Aaron when hee had lost his two sonnes both at once and that by fire and by fire from heaven which caried an evidence of Gods great displeasure with it yet held his peace In this silence and hope is our strength Flesh and blood is proane to expostulate with God and to question his dealing as we see in Gedeon Ieremie Asaph Habacuck and others If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us but after some strugling betweene the flesh and the spirit the conclusion will be yet howsoever matters goe God is good to Israel Where a fearefull spirit and a melancholy temper a weake judgement and a scrupulous and raw conscience meete in one there Sathan and his together with mens owne hearts which like Sophisters are continually cavilling against themselves breed much disquiet and makes the life uncomfortable Such therefore should have a speciall care as to grow in knowledge so to sticke close to sure and certaine grounds and bring their consciences to the rule Darknesse causeth feares The more light the more confidence When we yeeld up our selves to God we should resolve upon quietnesse and if the heart stirres presently use this check of David Why art thou disquieted Gods wayes seeme oft to us full of contradictions because his course is to bring things to passe by contrary meanes There is a mystery not onely in Gods decree concerning mans eternal estate but likewise in his providence as why he should deale unequally with men otherwise equall His judgements are a great depth which we cannot fadome but they will swallow up our thoughts and understandings God oft wraps himselfe in a cloude and