I will cry unto God most high to God who performeth the things he hath promised for me Now though I see no reason to limit the sense so narrowly yet it cannot be denyed but this is an especial part of its intendment Let us therefore in all our reviews of Providence consider what word of God whether it be of threatning caution counsel or promise is at any time made good to us by his Providences And hereby a twofold excellent advantage will result to us 1. This will greatly confirm to us the truth of the Scripture when we shall see its truth so manifest in the events Certainly had Scripture no other seal or attestation this alone would be an unanswerable Argument of its divinity When men shall find in all ages the works of God wrought so exactly according to this model that we may say As we have read or heard so have we seen O how great a conâ—irmation is here before our eyes 2. This will abundantly direct and instruct us in our present duties under all Providences We shall know hereby what we have to do and how to carry our selves under all changes of conditions You can learn the voice and â—rrand of the rod only from the Word Psal. 94. 12. The Word interprets the works of God Providences in themselves are not a perfect guide They often puzzle and entangle our thoughts but bring them to the Word and your duty will be quickly manifested as Psal. 73. 16 17. Vntil I went into the Sanctuary then I understood their end and not only their end but his own duty to be quiet in an afflicted condition and not envy their prosperity Well then bring those Providences you have past through or are now under to the Word and you will find your selves surrounded with a marvellous light and see the verification of the Scriptures in them I shall therefore here appeal to your consciences whether you have not found these Events of Providence falling out agreeably in all respects with the Word The Word tells you that it is your Wisdom and Interest to keep close to its rules and the duties it prescribes that the way of holiness and obedience is the wisest way Deut. 4. 5 6. This is your wisdom Now let the events of Providence speak whether this be true or not Certainly it will appear to be so whether we respect our present comfort or future happiness both which we may see daily exposed by departure from duty and secured by keeping close to it Let the question be asked of the Drunkard Adulterer or prophane Swearer when by sin they have ruined body soul estate and name whether it be their wisdom to walk in those forbidden paths after their own lusts Whether they had not better consulted their own interest and comfort in keeping within the bounds and limits of Gods commands and they cannot but confess that this their way is their folly What fruit saith the Apostle had ye in those things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21. Doth not the Providence of God verifie upon them those threatnings that are written in the experience of all ages Prov. 23. 29. Prov. 23. 21. Prov. 5. 9. Job 31. 12. Prov. 5. 10. all which woes and miseries they escape that walk in Gods Statutes Look upon the ruined estates and bodies you may every where see and behold the truth of the Scriptures evidently made good in those sad Providences The Word tells you that your departure from the way of integrity and simplicity to make use of sinful policies shall never profit you 1 Sam. 12. 21. Prov. 3. 5. Let the Events of Providence speak to this also ask your own experience and you shall have a full confirmation of this truth Did you ever leave the way of simplicity and integrity and use sinful shifts to bring about your own designs and prosper in that way Certainly God hath cursed all the wayes of sin and whoever finds them to thrive with them his people shall not Israel would not rely upon the Lord but trust in the shadow of Egypt and what advantage had they by this sinful policy See Isa. 30. 1 2 3 4 5. David used a great deal of sinful policy to cover his wicked fact but did it prosper See 2 Sam. 12. 12. It is an excellent note of Livy ConsilJa callida primâ specJe lâ—ta tractata dura eventu tristJa Sinful policies in their first appearances are pleasant and promising in their management difficult in their event sad Some by sinful wayes have gotten wealth but that Scripture hath been verified in their experience Prov. 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing Either God hath blown upon it by a secret curse that it hath done them no good or given them such disquietness in their consciences that they have been forced to vomit it up e're they could find peace Job 11. 13 14 15. That which David gave in charge to Solomon hath been found experimentally true by thousands 1 Chron. 22. 12 13. That the true way to prosperity is to keep close to the rule of the Word And that the true reason why men cannot prosper is their forsaking that rule 2 Chron. 24. 20. It 's true if God have a purpose to destroy a man he may for a time suffer him to succeed and prosper in his sin for his greater hardening Job 12. 6. But it is not so with those whom the Lord loves their sinful shiâ—ts shall never thrive with them The World prohibits your trust and conâ—idencâ— in the Creature even the greatest and most powerful among Creatures Psal. 14 6. 3. It tells us that 't is better to trust in the Lord than in thâ—m Psal. 118. 8. It forbids our conâ—idence in those Creatures that are most nearly ally'd and related in the bonds of nature to us Micah 7. 5. It curseth the man that gives that relyance to the Creature which is due to God Jer. 17. 5. Consult the Events of Providence in this case and see whether the Word be not verified therein Did you ever lean upon an EgyptJan reed and it did not break under you and pierce as well as deceive you O how often hath this been evident in our experience Whatsoever we have over-loved idolized and leaned upon God hath from time to time broken it and made us to see the vanity of it so that we find the readiest course to be rid of our comforts is to set our hearts inordinately or immoderately upon them for our God is a jealous God and will not part with his glory to another The World is full of examples of persons deprived of their comforts Husbands Wives Children Estates c. upon this account and by this means If Jonah be over-joyed in his Gourd a Worm is presently prepared to smite it Hence it is that so many graves are opened for the burying of our Idols out of our sight If David say My mountain shall
stand strong I shall not be moved the next news he shall hear is of darkness and trouble Psal. 30. 6 7. O how true and faithful do we find these sayings of God to be Who cannot put to his seal and say Thy words are truth The Word assures us that sin is the Cause and Inlet of Affliction and Sorrow and that there is an inseparable connection betwixt them Numb 32. 23. Be sure your sin will find you out i. e. the sad effects and afflictions that follow it shall â—ind you out So Psal. 89. 30 31 32. If his sons forsake my Law I will visit their iniquitJes with rods Enquire now at the mouth of Providence whether this be indeed so according to the reports of the Word Ask but your own Experiences and you shall find that just so Providence hath ordered it all along your way When did you grow into a secure vain carnal frame but you found some rouzing startling Providence sent to awaken you When did you wound your Consciences with guilt and God did not wound you for it in some or other of your beloved enjoyments Nay so ordinary is this with God that from the observations of their own frames and wayes many Christians have fore-boded and preâ—aged troubles at hand I do not say that God never afflicts his people but for their sin for he may do it for their tryal 1 Pet. 4. 12. Nor do I say that God follows every sin with a rod for who then should stand before him Psal. 130. 3. But this I say that it's Gods usual way to visit the sins of his people with rods of affliction and this in mercy to their souls Upon this account it was that the rod of God was upon David in a long succession of troubles upon his Kingdom and family after that great prevarication of his 2 Sam. 12. 10. And if we would carefully search out the seeds and principles of those miseries under which we or ours do groan we should find them to be our own turnings aside from the Lord according to that Jer. 2. 19. and Jer. 4. 18. Have not all these cautions and threatnings of the Word been exactly fulfilled by Providence in your own experience Who can but see the infallible truth of God in all that he hath threatned And no less evident is the truth of the Promises to all that will observe how Providence makes them good every day to us for consider How great security God hath given to his people in the Promises that no man shall lose any thing by self-denyal for his sake He hath told us Mark 10. 29 30. Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left House or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with persecutions and in the world to come Eternal life Though that vile Apostate JulJan derided this Promise yet thousands and ten thousands have experienced it and do at this day stand ready to set their seal to it God hath made it good to his people not only in spirituals inward joy and peace but even in Temporals also instead of natural relations who took care for them before hundreds of ChristJans shall stand ready to assist and help them So that though they have left all for Christ yet they may say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. 10. As having nothing and yet possessing all things O the admirable care and tenderness of Providence over those that for Conscience sake have lest all and cast themselves upon its immediate care Are there not at this day to be found many so provided for even to the envy of their Enemies and their own admiration Who sees not the faithfulness of God in the Promises that hath but an heart to trust God in them The Word of Promise assures us that whatever wants or straits the Saints â—all into their God will never leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13. 5. that he will be with them in trouble Psal. 91. 15. Consult the various Providences of your life in this point and I doubt not but you will find the truth of these Promises as often confirmed as you have been in trouble Ask your own hearts where or when was it that your God forsook you and left you to sink and perish under your burdens I doubt not but most of you have been at one time or other plunged in difficulties difficulties out of which you could see no way of escape by the eye of reason yea such as it may be staggered your faith in the Promise as David's was 1 Sam. 27. 1. when he said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul All men are Lyars even Samuel himself and yet notwithstanding all we see him emerge out of that Sea of trouble and the Promises made good in every tittle to him The like doubtless you may observe in your own cases Ask your own souls the question and they will satisfie it Did God abandon and cast you off in the day of your straits certainly you must belye your own experience if you should say so 'T is true there have been some plunges and difficulties you have met with wherein 1. You could see no way of escape but concluded you must perish in them 2. Difficulties that have staggered your faith in the Promises and made you doubt whether the fountain of All-sufficiency would let out it self for your relief 3. Yea such difficulties as have provoked you to murmuring and impatience and thereby provoked the Lord to forsake you in your straits but yet you see he did not He hath either 1. Strengthened your back to bear or 2. Lightened your burden or 3. Opened an unexpected door of escape according to that Promise 1 Cor. 10. 13. so that the evil which you feared came not upon you You read that the Word of God is the only support and relief to a gracious soul in the dark day of Affliction Psal. 119. 50 92. 2 Sam. 23. 5. That for this very purpose it was written Rom. 15. 4. No rules of moral Prudence no sensual remedies can perform that for us which the Word can do And is not this a sealed Truth attested by a thousand of undenyable experiences Hence have the Saints fetcht their CordJals when fainting under the rod. One Word of God can do more than ten thousand words of men to relieve a distressed soul. If Providence have at any time directed you to such Promises as either assure you that the Lord will be with you in trouble Psal. 91. 15. or that encourage you from inward peace to bear cheerfully outward burdens John 16. 33. or satisfie you of Gods tenderness and moderation in his dealings with you Isa. 27. 8. or that you shall reap blessed fruits from them Rom. 8. 28. or that clear up your interest in
God saith the Psalmist thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works now also when I am old and gray headed O God forsake me not Psal. 71. 17 18. At death the Saints are engaged in the last and one of the most eminent works of faith even the committing themselves into the hands of God when we are lanching forth into that vast Eternity and entring into that new state which will make so great a change upon us in a moment In this Christ sets us a pattern Luke 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost So Stephen at his death Lord Jesus receive my spirit and immediately fell asleep Act. 7. 59. There be two signal and remarkable acts of faith both exceedingly difficult viz. its first act and its last The first is a great venture that it makes of it self upon Christ and the last is a great venture too to cast it self into the Ocean of Eternity upon the credit of a Promise But yet I know the first adventure of the Soul upon Christ is much more difficult than the last adventure upon death and that which makes it so is in great measure the manifold recorded experiences that the Soul hath been gathering up from the day of its espousals to Christ unto its dying which is in a sense its marriage day Oh with what encouragement may a Soul throw himself into the arms of that God with whom he hath so long conversed and walked in this world Whose visits have been sweet and frequent with whom the soul hath contracted so intimate acquaintance in this world whom it hath committed all its affairs to formerly and still â—ound him a faithful God and now hath no reason to doubt but it shall find him so in this last distress and exigence also At death the people of God receive the last mercies that ever they shall receive in this world by the hand of Providence and are immediately to make up their Accounts with God â—or all the mercies that ever they received from his hand What can be more suitable therefore to a dying person than to recount with himself the mercies of his whole life the manifold receipts of favour for which he is to reckon with God speedily and how shall this be done without a due and serious observation and recording of them now I know there are thousands of mercies forgotten by the best of Christians a memory of brass cannot contain them And I know also that Jesus Christ must make up the Account for us or it will never pass with God yet it is our duty to keep the Accounts of our own mercies and how they have been improv'd by us for we are Stewards and then are to give an Account of our Stewardship At death we owe an Account also to men and stand obliged if there be opportunity for it to make known to them that survive us what we have seen and found of God in this world that we may leave a testimony for God with men and bring up a good report upon his ways Thus dying Jacob when Joseph was come to take his last farewell of him in this world strengthened himself and sate upon the bed and related to him the eminent appearances of God to him and the places where Gen. 48. 2 3. as also an account of his afflictions Verse 7. So Joshua in his last speech to the people makes it his business to vindicate and clear the truth of the Promises by recounting to them how the Providence of God had fulfill'd the same to a tittle in his day Josh. 23. 14. And behold saith he this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof And certainly 't is of great importance to the world to understand the Judgements and hear of the Experiences of dying men They of all men are presumed to be most wise and most serious Besides this is the last opportunity that ever we shall have in this world to speak for God O then what a sweet thing would it be to close up our lives with an honourable Account of the ways of God! to go out of the world blessing him for all the mercies and truth which he hath here performed to us how would this encourage weak Christians and convince the Atheistical world that verily there is a reality and an excellency in the ways and people of God! At death we begin the Angelical life of praise and thanksgiving We then enter upon that everlasting sweet employment and as I doubt not but the Providences in which we were concerned in this world will be a part of that Song which we shall sing in Heaven so certainly it will become us to tune our hearts and tongues for it whil'st we are here and especially when we are ready to enter upon that blessed state O therefore let it be your daily meditation and study what God hath been to you and done for you from the beginning of his way hitherto And thus I have spread before you some encouragements to this blessed work Oh that you would be perswaded to this lovely and every way beneâ—icial practice This I dare presume to say that whoever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him shall never want new mercies to record to his dying day It was said of ClaudJan that he wanted matter suitable to the excellency of his parts but where is the head or heart that is suitable to this matter who can utter the mighty works of the Lord who can shew forth all his praise Psal. 106. 2. Thus I have through the aid of Providence dispatched the main design I aimed at in the choice of this subject All that remains will now be speedily finished in some few Corollaries to be brieâ—ly noted upon the whole and three or four practical Cases to be stated You have heard how Providence perâ—ormeth all things for you Learn thence First Corollary THat God is therefore to be owned by you in all that befalls you in this world whether it be in â— way of success and comfort or of trouble and afflictJon O 't is your duty to observe his hand and disposal When God gives you comforts 't is your great evil not to observe his hand in them Hence was that charge against Israel â—os 2. 8. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplJed her Silver and Gold i. e. she did not actually and affectionately consider my care over her and goodness to her in these mercies And so for afflictions 't is a great wickedness when God's hand is listed up not to see it Isa.
vulgar that will enable them to penetrate the Mysteries and relish the sweetness of Providence better than others for doubtless many that live immediately upon Providence for daily bread do thereby gain a nearer acquaintance with it than those whose outward enjoyments flow to them in a more plentiful and stated course but those that excel in grace and experience those that walk and converse with God in all his dispensations towards them these are the persons who are most fully and immediately capable of these high pleasures of the Christian life The daily flow and increase whereof in your Lordships Noble Person and Family is the hearty desire of From my Study at Dartmouth Aug. 10. 1677. Your Lordships most humble servant JOHN FLAVELL To the ingenuous Readers those especially that are the heedful Observers of the wayes of PROVIDENCE Reader THERE are two wayes whereby the blessed God condescends to manifest himself to men His Word and his Works Of the written Word we must say No words like these were ever written since the beginning of Time which can as one speaks take life and root in the Soul yea doth it as really as the seed doth in the ground and are fitted to be engraffed and naturalized there so as no coalition in nature can be more real than this James 1. 21. This is the most transcendent and glorious medJum of manifestation God hath magnifJed his word above all his name Psal. 138. 2. However the manifestations of God by his Works whether of CreatJon or Providence have their value and glory but the prime glory and excellency of his ProvidentJal works consists in this that they are the very fulfillings and real accomplishments of his written word By a wise and heedful attendance hereunto we might learn that excellent Art which is not unfitly called by some ScJentJa architectonica an Art to clear the Mysterious occurrences of Providence by reducing them to the written word and there lodge them as Effects in their proper Causes And doubtless this is one of the rarest essayes men could pursue against Atheism to shew not only how Providences concurr in a most obvious tendency to confirm this great Conclusion Thy word is Truth but how it sometimes extorts also the confession of a God and the truth of his Word from those very tongues which have boldly denyed it Aeschyles the PersJan relating their discomfâ—ture by the GrecJan Army makes this not able observation When the GrecJan Forces hotly pursued us saith he and we must needs venture over the great water Strymon then frozen but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one we had all dyed for it with mine eyes I then saw many of those Gallants whom I had heard before so boldly maintain there was no God every one upon their knees with eyes and hands lifted up begging hard for help and mercy and entreating that the Ice might hold till they got over Many thousand seals hath Providence forced the very Enemies of God to set to his Truths which greatly tends to our confirmation therein but especially to see how the Word and Providences of God do enlighten each other and how the Scriptures contain all those Events both great and small which are disposed by Providence in their seasons And how not only the Promises of the Word are in the general faithfully fulfilled to the Church in all her Exigences and Distresses but in particular to every member of it they being all furnished by Providence with multitudes of Experiences to this use and end O how useful are such observations And as the profit and use so the delight and pleasure resulting from the observations of Providence is exceeding great It will doubtless be a part of our entertainment in Heaven to view with transporting delight how the designs and methods were laid to bring us thither and what will be a part of our blessedness in Heaven may well be allowed to have a prime ingrediency into our Heaven upon Earth To search for pleasure among the due Observations of Providence is to search for water in the Ocean for Providence doth not only ultimately design to bring you to Heaven but as intermediate thereunto to bring by this means much of Heaven into your souls in the way thither How great a pleasure is it to discern how the most wise God is providentially steering all to the Port of his own Praise and his peoples Happiness whilst the whole world is busily employed in managing the Sails and tugging at the Oars with a quite opposite design and purpose To see how they promote his design by opposing it and fulfil his will by resisting it enlarge his Church by scattering it and make their rest to come the more sweet to their souls by makeing their condition so restless in the world This is pleasant to observe in general But to record and note its particular designs upon our selves with what profound wisdom infinite tenderness and incessant vigilancy it hath managed all that concerns us from first to last is ravishing and transporting O what an History might we compile of our own Experiences whilst with a melting heart me trace the footsteps of Providence all along the way it hath led us to this day and set our Remarques upon its more eminent performances for us in the several Stages of our Life Here it prevented and there it delivered Here it directed and there it corrected In this it grJeved and in that it relJeved Here was the Poison and there the Antidote This Providence raised a dismal Cloud and that dispelled it again This straitned and that enlarged Here a want and there a supply This Relation withered and that springing up in its room Words cannot express the high delights and gratifications a gracious heart may â—ind in such employment as this O what a world of rarities are to be found in Providence The blind heedless world makes nothing of them they cannot find one sweet bit where a gracious soul would make a rich feast Plutarch relates very exactly how Timoleon was miraculously delivered from the conspiracy of two Murderers by their meeting in the very nick of time a certain person who to revenge the death of his Father killed one of them just as they were ready to give Timoleon the fatal blow though he knew nothing of the business and so Timoleon escaped the danger And what did this wonderful work of Providence think you yield the Relator Why though he were one of the most learned and ingenious among the Heathen Sages yet all he made of it was only this The Spectators saith he wondered greatly at the Artifice and contrivance which Fortune uses This is all he could see in it Had a spiritual and wise Christian had the dissecting and Anatomizing of such a work of Providence what glory would it have yielded to God! What comfort and encouragement to the Soul The Bee makes a sweeter meal upon one single flower than the Ox doth upon the whole Meadow
the conditions you have past through if your hearts do not melt before you have gone half through that History they are hard hearts indeed My father the guide of my youth 2. Let them be as intensively full as may be Let not your thoughts swim like feathers upon the surface of the waters but sink like lead to the bottom The works of the Lord are great sought out of them that have pleasurâ— therein Psal. 111. 2. Not that I think it feasible to sound the depth of Providence by our short line Psal. 77. 19. Thy way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known but it 's our duty to dive as far as we can and to admire the depth when we cannot touch the bottom It is in our viewing Providences as it was with Elijah's servant when he looked out for rain 1 Kings 18. 44. he went out once and viewed the Heavens and saw nothing but theâ— Prophet bids him go again and again â—and look upon the face of Heaven seven times and when he had done so what now saith the Prophet O now saith he I see a cloud rising like a mans hand and then keeping his eye upon it intent he sees the whole face of Heaven covered with clouds So you may look upon some Providences once and again and see little or nothing in them but look seven times i. e. meditate often upon it and you shall see its increasing glory like that increasing cloud There are divers things to be distinctly pondered and valued in one single Providence before you can judge the amount and worth of it as 1. The seasonableness of mercy may give it a very great value When it shall be timed so opportunely and â—all out in such a nick as may make it a thousand fold more considerable to you than the same mercy would have been at another time Thus when our wants are suffered to grow to an extremity and all visible hopes â—ail then to have relief given in wonderfully enhances the price of such a mercy Isa. 41. 17 18. 2. The peculJar care and kindness of Providence to us is a consideration which exceedingly heightens the mercy in it self and endears it to us So when in general calamities upon the world wâ— are exempted by the favour of Providence covered under its wings when God shall call to us in evil dayes Come my people enter thou into thy chambers as it is in Isa. 26. 20 21. When such Promises shall be fulfilled to us in times of want and famine as Psal. 33. 18 19. When others are abandoned and exposed to misery who have every way as much it may be much more visible security against it and yet they delivered up and we saved Oh how endearing are such Providences Psal. 91. 7 8. 3. The Introductiveness of a Providence is of special regard and consideration and by no means to be neglected by us There are leading Providences which how slight and trivial soever they may seem in themselves yet in this respect justly challenge the first rank among Providential favours to us because they usher in a multitude of other mercies and draw a blessed train of happy consequences after them Such a Providence was that of Jesse's sending David with provisions to his Brethren that lay encamped in the Army 1 Sam. 17. 17. And thus every Christian may furnish himself out of his own stock of Experience if he will but reflect and consider the Place where he is the Relations that he hath and the Way by which he was led into them 4. The Instruments imployed by Providence for you are of special consideration And the finger of God is clearly seen by us when we pursue â—hat meditation For Sometimes great mercies shall be conveyed to us by very improbable means and more probable ones laid aside A stranger shall be stirred up to do that for you which your near relations in nature had no power or will to do for you Jonathan a meer stranger to David clave closer to him and was more friendly and useful to him than his own Brethren who despised and slighted him Ministers have found more kindness and respect from strangers than their own people that are more obliged to them Mark 6. 4. A Prophet saith Christ is not without honour save in his own Countrey and among his own Kin and in his own House Sometimes by the hands of EnemJes as well as Strangers Rev. 12. 16. The Earth helped the Woman God hath bowed the hearts of many wicked men to shew great kindness to his people Acts 28. 2. Sometimes God makes use of Instruments for good to his people who designed nothing but evil and mischief to them Thus Joseph's Brethren were instrumental to his advancement in that very thing wherein they designed his ruine Gen. 50. 20. 5. The design and scope of Providence must not eâ—â—ape our through consideration what the aim and level of Providence is And truly this of all others is the most warming and melting consideration You have the general account of the aim of all Providences in Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God A thousand friendly hands are at work for them to promote and bring about their happiness O this is enough to sweeten the bitterest Providence to us that we know it shall turn to our salvation Phil. 1. 19. 6. The respect and relatJon Providence bears to our prayers is of singular consideration and a most taking and sweet meditation Prayer honours Providence and Providence honours Prayer Great notice is taken of this in Scripture Gen. 24. 45. Dan. 9. 20. Acts 12. 12. You have had the very PetitJons you asked of him Providences have born the very signatures of your Prayers upon them O how affectingly sweet are such mercies The Second Direction IN all your Observations of Providence have a special respect to that Word of God which is fulfilled and made good to you thereby This is a clear truth that all Providences have relation to the written Word Thus Solomon in his prayer acknowledges that the Promises and Providences of God went along step by step with his Father David all his dayes and that his hand put there for his Providence had fulfilled whatever his mouth had spoken â— Kings 8. 24. So Joshuah in like manner acknowledges that not one good thing had failed of all the good things which the Lord had spoken Jos. 23. 14. He had carefully observed what relation the Works of God had to his Word He compared them together and found an exact harmony And so may you too if you will compare them as he did This I shall the more insist upon because it is by some Interpreters supposed to be the very Scope of the Text. For as was noted in the Explication they supply and fill the sense with quae promisit the things which he hath promised and so read the Text thus
Babylonish captivity and the sweet effect thereof wherein the truth and righteousness of God in the promises did as it were kiss and embrace the mercy and peace that was contained in the performance of them after they had seemed for seventy years to be at a great distance from each other For it is an allusion to the usual demonstrations of joy and gladness that two dear friends are wont to give and receive after a long absence and separation from each other they no sooner meet but they smile embrace and kiss each other Even thus it is here The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be and by some is rendered have met us and that also is true for when ever these blessed Promises and Performances meet and kiss each other they are also joyfully embraced and killed by believing souls There is I doubt not a mediate reference of this Scripture to the MessJah also and our redemption by him In him it is that these divine Attributes which before seemed to clash and contradict one another in the business of our salvation have a sweet agreement and accomplishment Truth and Righteousness do in him meet with Mercy and Peace in a blessed agreement What a lovely sight is this and how pleasant to behold O if with Habbakuk chap. 2. v. 3. we would but stand upon our Watch-Tower to take due observations of Providence what rare prospects might we have Iâ—uther understands it of the Word of God q. d. I will look into the Word and observe there how God accomplisheth all things and brings them to pass and how his works are the fulfilling of his Word Others as Calvin understand it of a mans own retiring thoughts and meditations wherein a man carefully observes what purposes and designs God hath upon the World in general or upon himself in particular and how the Truth and Righteousness of God in the Word work themselves through all difficulties and impediments and meet in the mercy peace and happiness of the Saints at last Every Believer take it in which sense you will hath his Watch-Tower as well as Hâ—bbâ—kuk and give me leave to say it 's an Angelical employment to stand upon it and behold the consent of Gods Attributes the accomplishment of his Ends and our own happiness in the works of Providence For this is the very joy of the Angels and Saints in Heaven to see Gods Ends wrought out and his Attributes glorified in the mercy and peace of the Church Rev. 14. 1 2 3. 8. 2. And as it 's a pleasant sight to see the harmony of Gods Attributes so it is exceeding pleasant to behold the resurrection of our own prayers and hopes as from the dead Why this you may often see if you will duly observe the works of Providence towards you We hope and pray for such and such mercies to the Church or to our selves but God delayes the accomplishment of our hopes suspends the answer of our prayers and seems to speak to us as Hab. 2. 3. For the visJon is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry but we have no patience to wait the time of the Promise our hopes languish and dye in the interim and we say with the despondent Church Lam. 3. 18. Our hope is perished from the Lord but Oh how sweet and comfortable is it to see these prayers fulfilled after we have given up all expectation of them May we not say of them as the Scripture speaks of the restoration of the Jews it is even life from the dead This was David's case Psal. 31. 22. he gave up his hopes and prayers for lost yet lived to see the comfortable and unexpected returns of them And this was the case of Job chap. 6. 11. he had given up all expectation of better dayes and yet this man lived to see a resurrection of all his lost comforts with an advantage Think how that change and unexpected turn of Providence affected his soul it is with our hopes and prayers as with our Alms Cast thy bread on the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes Eccles. 11. 1. or as it was with Jacob who had given ovâ—r all hopes of ever seeing his beloved Joseph again but when a strange and unexpected Providence had restored that hopeless mercy to him again Oh how ravishing and transporting was it Gen. 46. 29 30. 3. What a transporting pleasure is it to behold great blessings and advantages to us wrought by Providence out of those very things that seemed to threaten our ruine or misery and yet by due observing the wayes of Providence you may to your singular comfort find it so Little did Joseph think his transportation into Egypt had been in order to his advancement there yet he lived with joy to see it and with a thankful heart to acknowledge it Gen. 45. 5. Wait and observe and you shall assuredly find that Promise Rom. 8. 28. working out its way through all Providences How many times have you been made to say as David Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted O what a difference have we seen betwixt our afflictions at our first meeting with them and our parting from them We have entertained them with sighs and tears but parted from them with joy blessing God for them as the happy Instruments of our good Thus our fears and sorrows are turned into praises and songs of thanksgiving 4. What unspeakable comfort is it for a poor soul that sees nothing but sin and vileness in it self at the same time to see what an high esteem and value the great God hath for him This may be discerned by a due attendance to Providence for there a man sees goodness and mercy following him through all his dayes as it is Psal. 23. 6. Other men prosecute good and it flyes from them they can never overtake it but goodness and mercy follow the people of God and they cannot avoid or escape it it gives them chase day by day and finds them out even when they sometimes put themselves by sin out of the way of it In all the Providences that befall them goodness and mercy pursues them O with what a melâ—ing heart do they sometimes reflect upon these things and will not the goodness of God be discouraged from following me notwithstanding all my vile aâ—â—ronts and abuses of it in former mercJes Lord what am I that mercy should thus pursue me when vengeance and wrath pursue others as good by nature as I am It certainly argues the great esteem God hath of a man when he thus follows him with sanctified Providences whether they be comforts or crosses for his good And so much is plain from Job 7. 18. Lord what is man that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment Certainly Gods people are his treasure and by
God hath helped therefore he can Isa. 59. 1. His hand is not shortned i. e. he hath as much power and ability as formerly 2. Unbelief objects against the Will of God and questions whether he will now be gracious though he hath formerly been so But after so many experiences of his readiness to help what room for doubting remains Thus Paul reasoned from the experience of what he had done to what he would do 2 Cor. 1. 10. and so did David 1 Sam. 17. 36. Indeed if a man had never experienced the goodness of God to him it were not so heinous a sin to question his willingness to do him good but what place is left after such frequent tryals It gives great encouragement to faith as it answers the objections of unbelief drawn from the subject Now these Objections are of two sorts also 1. Such as are drawn from our great unworthiness How saith Unbelief can so sinful and vile a creature expect that ever God should do this or that for me 'T is true we find he did great things for Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses c. but these were men of eminent holiness men that obeyed God and denyed themselves for him and lived more in a day to his glory than ever I did all my dayes Well but what signifies all this to a soul that under all its sensible vileness and unworthiness hath tasted the goodness of God as well as they As unworthy as I am God hath been good to me notwithstanding his mercy appeared first to me when I was worse than I am now both in conditJon and dispositJon and therefore I will still expect the continuance of his goodness to me though I deserve it not If when we were EnemJes we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. 2. Such as are drawn from the extremity of our present condition if troubles or dangers grow to an height and we see nothing but ruine and misery in the eye of reason before us now umbelief becomes importune and troubleâ—ome to the soul now where are thy prayers â—hy hopes yea where is now thy God But all this is easily put by and avoided by â—onsulting our experiences in former cases This is not the first time I have been in these straits â—or the first time I have had the same doubts and despondencies and yet God hath carried me â—hrough all Psal. 77. 7 8 9 c. This is it that suffers not a Christian to unravel all his hopes in an hour of temptation O how useful are these â—hings to the people of God! The Fifth Motive THe Recognition of former Providences will minister to your souls continual matter of praise and thanksgiving which is the very employment of the Angels in Heaven and the sweetest part of our lives on Earth See Psal. 61. 7 8. If God will prepare Mercy and Truth for David he will prepare Praises for â—is God and that daily So Psal. 71. 6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels there Mercies from the beginning are recognized My praise shall be continually of thee there the natural result of those recognitions is expressed There be five things belonging to the praise of God and all of them have relation to his Providences exercised about us 1. A careful Observation of the Mercles we receive from him Isa. 41. 17 18 19 20. This is fundamental to all praise God cannot â—e glorified for the mercies we never noted 2. A faithful Remembrance of the favour received Psal. 103. 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Hence the Lord brands the Ingratitude of his people Psal. 106. 13. They soon forgat his works 3. A due Appreciation and Valuation of every Providence that doth us good 1 Sam. 12. 24. That Providence that fed them in the Wilderness with Manna was a most remarkable Providence to them but they not valuing it at its worth God had not that praise for it which he expected Numb 11. 6. 4. The Excitation of all the faculties and powers of the soul in the acknowledgement oâ— these mercies to us Thus David Psal. 103. 1â— Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within mâ— bless his holy name Soul-praise is the very souâ— of praise this is the fat and marrow of that thank-offering 5. A suitable Retribution for the mercies received This David was careful about Psal. 116. 1. And the Lord taxes good HezekJah for the neglect of it 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. This consists in a full and hearty resignation of all to him that we have received by Providence from him and in our willingness actually to part with all for him when he shall remand it Thus you see how all the ingredients to praise have respect to Providences But more particularly I will shew you that as all the ingredients of praise have respect to Providence so all the motives and Arguments obliging and engaging souls to praise are found therein also To this end consider how the mercy and goodness of God is exhibited by Providence to excite our thankfulness 1. That the goodness and mercy of God is let out upon his people in his Providences about them and this is the very root of praise It is not so much the possession that Providence gives us of such or such comforts as the goodness and kindness of God in the dispensing of them that engages a gracious soul to praise Psal. 63. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee To give maintain and preserve our life are choice acts of Providences but to do all this in a way of grace and loving-kindness this is far better than the gifts themselves life is but the shadow of death without it this is the mercy that crowns all other mercies Psal. 103. 4. It 's this a sanctified soul desires God would manifest in every Providence about him Psal. 17. 7. and what is our praising of God else but our shewing forth that loving-kindness which he sheweth us in his Providences Psal. 92. 1 2. 2. As the loving-kindness of God manifested in Providences is a motive to praise so the free and undeserved savours of God dispensed by the hand of Providence oblige the soul to praise This was the consideration that melted David's heart into a thankful praising frame even the consideration of the free and undeserved favours cast in upon him by Providence 2 Sam. 7. 18. What am I O Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto i. e. raised me by Providence from a mean condition to all this dignity from following the Ewes to feed Jacob his people Psal. 78. 70 71. O this is it that engages thankfulness Gen. 32. 10. 3. As the freeness of mercies dispensed by Providence engageth praise so the Multitudes of mercies
Brother not only estranged â—rom all that 's spiritual and serious but also very vain and prophane he hastened to his chamber shut the door upon him threw himself down at the feet of God and with flowing eyes and a melting heart admired the distinguishing Grace of God saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother O Grace Grace astonishing Grace 5. Compare the carriage of Providence towards you with your own carriage towards the Lord and it must needs melt your hearts to find so much mercy bestowed where so much sin hath been committed What place did you ever live in where you cannot remember great provocations committed and manifold mercies notwithstanding that received O with how many notwithstandings and neverthelesses hath the Lord done you good in every place What Relation hath not been abused by sin and yet both raised up and continued by Providence for your comfort In every place God that left the marks of his goodness and you the remembrances of your sinfulness give your selves but leave to think of these things and it 's strange if your hearts relent not at the remembrance of them 6. Or Lastly Do but compare your dangers with your fears and both with the strange out-letts and doors of escape Providence hath opened and it cannot do less than over power you with a full sense of divine care and goodness There have been dark clouds seen to rise over you judgement even at your door sometimes threating your life sometimes your liberty sometimes your estates and sometimes your dearest relations in whom it may be your life was bound up remember in that day what faintness of spirit seized you what charges of guilt stirring up fears of the issue within you You turned to the Lord in that distress and hath he not made a way to escape and delivered you from all your fears Psal. 34. 4. Oh is your life such a continued throng such a distracted hurry that there is no room to be found with Christians to sit alone and think on these things and press these marvellous discoveries of God in his Providences upon their own hearts Surely might these things but lye upon our hearts talk with our thoughts by day and lodge with us at night they would even force their passage down to our very Reins The Eighth Motive DVe observation of Providence will both beget and secure inward tranquillity in your minds amidst the vicissâ—udes and revolutions of things in this unstable vain world Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for the Lord only maketh me dwell in safety He resolves the sinful fears of Events shall not rob him of his inward quiet nor torture his thoughts with anxious presages he will commit all his concerns into that faithful fatherly hand that had hitherto wrought all things for him and he means not to lose the comfort of one nights rest nor bring the evil of to morrow upon the day but knowing in whose hand he was wisely enjoyes the sweet felicity of a resigned will Now this Tranquillity of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration of Providence as by any thing whatsoever Hence it was that our Lord Jesus Christ when he would cure the Disciples anxious and distracting sollicitudes about a livelihood bids them consider the care Providence hath over the Birds of the air and the Lillies of the field how it feeds the one and clothes the other without any anxious care of theirs and would have them well consider those Providences and reason themselves into a calm and sweet composure of spirit from those considerations Mat. 6. 27 28 29 30 31. Two things destroy the peace and tranquillity of our lives our bewailing past disappointments or fearing future ones But would we once learn prevision and provision to be divine prerogatives and take notice how often Providence baffles those that pretend to it causing the good they foresaw according to their conjectures coming to their hand yet to balk them and â—lee from them and the evil they thought themselves sufficiently secured from to invade them I say would we consider how Providence daily baffles these Pretensions of men and asserts its own Dominion it would greatly conduce to the tranquillity of our lives This is a great truth that there is no face of Adversity of formidable but being viewed from this station would become amicable Now there be several things in the consideration of Providence that naturally and kindly compose the mind of a Christian to peace and bring it to a sweet rest whilst events hang in a doubtful suspense As First The Supremacy of Providence and its uncontroulable power in working This is often seen in the good that it brings us in a way that 's above the thoughts and cares of our minds or labour of our hands I had not thought said Jacob to have seen thy face and lo God hath shewed me thy seed also Gen. 48. 11. There is a frequent coincidency of Providences in a way of surprizal which from no appearance or the remotest tendency of outward causes could be foreseen but rather falls visibly cross to the present Scheme and posture of our affairs Nothing tends to convince us of the vanity and folly of our own sollicitudes and projections more than this doth The profound Wisdom of Providence in all that it performeth for the people of God The Wheels are full of eyes Ezek. 1. 18. i.e. there is an intelligent and wise Spirit that sits upon and governs the affairs of this world This Wisdom shines out to us in the unexpected yea contrary events of things How oâ—ten have we been courting some beautiful appearance that invited our senses and with trembling shun'd the formidable face of other things when notwithstanding the issues of Providence have convinced us that our danger lay in what we couâ—ted and our good in what we so studiously declined This also is a sweet principle of peace and quiet to the Christians mind that he knows not but his good may be imported in what seemed to threaten his ruine Many were the distresses and straits of Israel in the Wilderness but all was to humble them that he might do them good in the latter end Deut. 8. 16. Sad and dismal was the face of that Providence that sent them out of their own land into the land of the Chaldeans yet even this was a project to do them good Jer. 24. 5. How often have we retracted our rash and headlong censures of things upon experience of this truth and been taught to bless our afflictions and disappointments in the name of the Lord. Many a time have we kissed those troubles at parting which we met with trembling And what can promote peace under doubtful Providences more effectually than this The experiences we have had throughout our lives of the faithfulness and constancy of Providence are of excellent use to allay and quiet our hearts in any trouble that befalls us Hitherto