verse Come and behold the Works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the Earth Secondly To an absolute Cessation in the 10. verse Be still Thirdly To an humble and Righteous acknowledgment of God Know that I am God so that it is unquestionable by Scripture that the Providential Works of God they are grounds of cleer Instruction and Caution Now for Arguments take these 1. The Works of Providence they are but the fruits of Gods actual Government of the World As the making of the World was so the government of the World is proper unto God That which is the object of Gods Creation fals also to be an object of Gods Providence Now this is an unquestionable Truth amongst Christians that Gods Actual Government or Administration of the World as it is Powerful so it is Wise Holy and Righteous I think no one dare deny this and if it be so then it will demonstratively follow that his Works of Providence are foundations for Instruction and Caution It cannot be rationally imagined that all the Visible Works of Providence in the ordering and using of all the Creatures in the World appearing in permissions restraints disappointments judgments and executions upon evil men in directions defences supplies recoveries and successes vouchsafed to the people of God by the hand of God by weak and mean Instruments it is not imaginable to a sollid rational man that all these Acts and Works of God should be but so many Idols that cannot speak and so many Cyphers that must mean nothing at all If we should see a Master of a Family laying out himself in ordering all that is in the Family turning winding disposing of this business that servant no man will imagine that this man hath no end no design in all that he doth That the most holy Righteous Wise God should so turn the World about do this make that fall upon his Enemies fall in to the help of his People and yet no Instructions no Cautions to be formed out of all this it is most irrational 2. The Providential Works of God are many times a cleer help to expound the secret will of God and many times to expound our selves unto our selves sometimes they serve to cleer out the Mind or Will of God to us As we say the Old Testament is unvailed in the New so may we many times say that the secret Will of God is unvailed and revealed in the Doing will of God As Paul upon that Vision which appeared unto him of a man of Macedonia saying Come over and help us he gathered assuredly that God had called him to preach the Gospel there so may we by many actions that have a general foundation receive a special incouragement and hint even by the Providential Works of God that such things may be done and ought to be done so cleer a Commentary is Providence many times upon the secret will of God And so many times Gods Providential Works do cleer up our selves unto our selves they many times discover that unto us which the Word of God doth not what is the reason why Divines wish and advise some persons in their afflictions and doubtful conditions concerning the reason of their present correction and affliction amongst other things to look into the very correcting hand of Providence into the very kinds times and circumstances of their afflictions Surely I think this is the end of it Because in that glass of Providential Chastisement there is to be seen many times the very face of our sins by which we have moved God thus to afflict us and because we may learn how to carry and order our selves under our afflictions and usually men do by these Providential Works of God find out the particular and hidden sins which they would not at least find out by the Word of God as is cleer in Josephs Brethren not to speak of Adonibezek and so Davids own case by a stroke of Providence upon Vzzah he learned that which he did not well think of before how the Ark of God should have been brought into the City of God 3. It is a special part of Wisdom to take our times and seasons the Scripture saith it is so in the 8. of Ecclesiastes 5. A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment and he proceeds in the 6. verse Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him what means he by times and seasons certainly nothing else can be meant by them but the peculiar hints advantages and opportunities of Providences It is a part of Wisdom to lay hold of those advantages and hints that Providence puts into our hands and because men are not alwaies wise to lay hold of those opportunities much misery attends upon them and when the Lord puts into mens hands an opportuniry by his Providence of doing good and they let such an opportunity slip they are unanswerable to God in the day of judgment for neglecting such an opportunity Certainly there are then Instructions and Cautions founded upon the Providences of God 4. The People of God have made use of Gods Providential Works to this purpose The Prophets preached it and the Ministers of Christ dayly make use of the dayly Providential Works of God to exhort incourage ourage dehort and Caution men All the Arguments drawn from exâ—mple either out of Scripture or elsewhere they are but so many Arguments drawn from the Providence of God Nay the People of God â—n their most serious and choyce occasions amongst other Arguments have generally used these two Arguments the Covenant of God and â—he Providence of God in the 51. of Isaiah 9. Awake awake put on â—trength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient daies in the generations â—f old art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Mark here how they plead with God from his Providential Works of old Art thou not it which hath dried the Sea the waters of the great deep â—hat hath made the depths of the Sea a way for the ransomed to pass over Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing into Zion The Church raised up her self upon and from former experience of Gods wonderful Providential Works to an expection of some answerable Work of Providence 5. Consider how frequently God himself makes his inferences and Conclusions from his own Providential Acts when he would deter his People from sinning besides other Arguments he presents some Providential Works in the 7. of Jeremiah 12. Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see that I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel He would take them off from sinning from the consideration of a former Providential Work against those that did so sin in the 1 of the Corinthians 10.9 10. Paul disswades the Corinthians and so other persons from divers sins amongst the rest from murmuring and
mask it over with the name of Vertue I deny not but some men may do so in some particular act I justifie them not but must the followers of Providence be condemned for them Remember what Solomon saith He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. And whereas you take upon you to affirm what they would have done had they lived in such and such time take heed lest in judging another you condemn not your self saith our Savior to his Disciples ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of and faith the Apostle Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall And though you take upon you to pronounce them that are followers of Providences to be seekers of themselves I dare not judg others I desire to look inwards and to know my own heart which never yet told me though I have followed Providences that I sought my self and not the publick good or my self more than the publick good and I wish that the jeerers at the slighters of and the admirers of Providences prove not indeed self-seekers And although you peremptorily conclude That there can be no peace to those that follow Providences and what ever they find in the present in the end they shall find no peace to their souls I dare not beleeve it because you say it but desire your Rule for it and I shall be so charitable as to hope that there may be peace in the end even for them that slight Providences yea for them that for the present oppose and walk contrary unto Providences if the Lord take but off the vail that is before their eyes Your affirmation that God did never ordain that his Providences should be the Rule of Life if you mean the only Rule of Life I agree it and your saying that God will not have us to follow his Providences but his Precepts and your desire to see a place in all the Scriptures that directs us to follow the Providences of God brings me to the fecond part of my work which is The asserting it to be your duty as well as mine to follow God in the way of his Providences and here I shall lay down this Position That the Providential Works of God are Instructions and Cautions to lesson men they are not casual indeterminate wild childish arrows shot at random none knows from whom or at what scope or mark no all the Works of Providence they are grounded in a wise and fixed Cause and they are carried on unto most excellent ends It is true the Providential Works of God they are many times dark and mysterious and I confess likewise as to our narrow conceptions and apprehensions they seem to admit of changes and contradictions one to another and I acknowledg likewise that many persons cannot see into the intentions and meanings of God in Providential Works partly from the imbecillity of their judgments and partly from the obduration of their hearts but notwithstanding all the difficulty mysteriousness and contrariety in the works of Providence it is yet a real truth that Providential Works are Instructions and Cautions not only personal Providential Works such as are terminated in this or that particular person but also the common and publick Works of Providence which are conversant about Nations or Churches in all their Changes and turnings all of them contain Instruction and Caution And that Instructions and Cautions are not only to be taken out of the Word of God but out of the Providential Works of God I shall cleer to you First by Scriptures and then by Arguments First by Scriptures In the 2. Psalm 10. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth In the beginning of that Psalm is reported unto us the rage of the great ones of the Earth against the Lord and against his Christ there is likewise reported the successlessness of all that rage and counsel in the 6. verse Yet have I set up my King and then the dreadful judgments of God upon all those that did so oppose Jesus Christ in his Government Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel now from all these works of Providence doth Instruction and Caution follow in the 10 verse Be ye therefore now wise O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry In the 3. of Zephaniah 6 7. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are desolate I made their streets wast that none passeth by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant I said surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive Instruction so their dwelling shall not be cut off Howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted their doings Here are strange works of Providence destruction upon destruction and here also is an expectation of God himself that his people should have received instruction should have feared him and amend their waies even upon their consideration of those judicial acts of Providence In the 5. of Daniel 18 19 20. and so on There we reade of Gods Providence in raising up Nebuchadnezzar to a Kingdom and Majesty and Glory and Honor this ascribed to the Providence of God and likewise of his being deposed from his Kingly Throne because of his exceeding pride and loftiness of heart in the 20. verse and these Providential Works did continue so long upon Nebuchadnezzar until he had taken out the right Lesson that which God meant by these Providential Works of his which is set down in the 21. verse Till he knew that the most high God ruled in the Kingdoms of men and that he appointeth them to whomsoever he will And besides this God did upbraid his son that he was no more cautioned by these his Providential Works upon his Father And thou his Son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thy heart though thou knewest all this but hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven c. and because he went on in the same sins of his Father God hath numbred thy Kingdom and finished it at the 26. verse In the 46. Psalm 10. which Psalm Luther stiles Speculum Providentiae which containeth in it First a Narration of the neer and effectual Providence of God with all his people in all their straights and distresses In the 1. verse God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Secondly the Heroical faith of the People of God in the apprehensions of that gracious and Providential presence of God in the 2. verse We will not fear though the Earth be removed in the 3. verse Though the Waters roar and swell Thirdly Advice unto the Enemies and to the People of God the matter of which advice is three-fold First To a wise consideration of the wonderful Works of God in the 8.
the 17. verse That the Living may know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he Will If the alterations which Providence maketh upon any particular person or in his estate bind that person to receive Instruction and to look well to his waies what he doth much more do those great Changes that are wrought by the hand of Providence in Kingdoms and Nations 7. In paralel Cases of Providential Works when you can match persons and Nations bring them into the like conditions and when you can match the providential Works of God bring them into the like appearance look what Instructions and Cautions God did give upon his former providential Works the like Instructions and Cautions are to be taken out from his present providential Works and what his people might warrantably do in the former condition what course and way they might warrantably take under the former providential works that very course and way they may take in their present Providential Works as warrantably as the former Here you see several Cases wherein the Providential workings of God do hold forth Instruction and Caution unto us If by what hath been here set down you are not yet convinced that it is your duty to follow Providences take but a definition of Providence as I find it laid down by Vrsinus and I shall trouble you no further Providence is the Eternal most Free Unchangable most Just Wise and good Councel of God whereby he worketh all good things whatsoever are found in all Creatures and permitteth also evil things to be done and directeth all things both evil and good to his glory and the safety of his chosen Where observe he calls Providence the Councel of God so that saith he we are to understand by the name of Providence not only the bare science or knowledg of things present and to come but also the decree and effectual will of God and further Providence therefore is not the bare foreseeing or foreknowledg but the foreknowledg together with the will of God whereby he worketh all good things whatsoever which are found in all Creatures and permitteth evil things to be done and whereby he directs all things both evil and good to his own glory and the safety of his Chosen Now I pray to what end doth God exercise all these glorious Attributes of his in advising upon and acting of all things that come to pass in the world Think you it is only to work admiration in us and not to instruct us Caution us Consider but our times what a continuation what a series what an harmonious consent there hath been in Works of wonderful Providences Providences acting strongly constantly highly universally and should all these work only admiration or is there not Instruction and Caution to be learned out of them by us I make not success an infallible Character of a righteous Cause yet I say when the Lord declareth himself so extraordinarily from Heaven in the Works of his Providence as he hath done for us in this Land it is our duty to eye those Providences and to search out what Instructions and Cautions the Lord would have us learn from them that so we may follow God in the waies of his Providences and God may take delight in using us as Instruments in his hand for the perfecting of those great Works that are upon the wheel amongst us I cannot but take notice of the hand of Providence in keeping me in London to hear you when as I had appointed some time before to have been some scores of miles distant from it on that day that so I might have an opportunity thus in meekness to instruct you who oppose this Truth if God peradventure will give you repentance to the acknowledgment of it Having trespassed so much upon your patience already I shall only desire you laying self by seriously to weigh what is here set down and if upon serious examination of what is here laid down you are convinced of the truth thereof own it and practice it and that in the practice thereof you may both for the present and in the end find peace to your soul shall be the prayer of Sir Your most humble Servant John Hinde Aldersgate Aug. 11. 1652. Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things John 3.10 For his Honored friend Mr. White Minister at Mary-Hill these Sir TAking offence at a passage in your Sermon at Pauls on the 8. of August last upon the 11. of the same I writ a Letter to you concerning it wherein I recited the passage that was the occasion of offence and endeavored to convince you of your mistake and error therein by holding forth the contrary to be Truth which I did by Scriptures and Arguments I also instanced in several Cases hoping thereby to bring you to the acknowledgment of that Truth and practice of that Duty which is so cleerly held forth in Scripture which effect had it been wrought in you it would have become you to have manifested it by giving glory unto God in the confession of it but if the Scriptures and Arguments there laid down have wrought no such effect but notwithstanding all therein written you still continue in darkness as to that Truth adjudging your own Doctrine true and my Position erronious it would then have been your Duty to have defended what you before delivered by Scriptures and Arguments if you could have produced any that should have been cleerer and more prevalent for the making good of your Assertion than those produced by me were for the confirmation of mine that so by comparing Scriptures and Arguments on each side the Truth might be made manifest and apparent which was the end I aimed at in writing to you It being a Christians Duty to try all things and to hold fast that which is good and the nobleness of the Bereans above those of Thess alonica consited in their searching the Scriptures whether those things Paul himself delivered to them were so and it being likewise the duty of a Minister of the Gospel to endeavor to give satisfaction to those who stumble at any thing delivered by him by answering their Objections against it Having discharged my duty in making known unto you what I took offence at and asserting the contrary Truth I expected from you the discharge of yours also but whence the neglect ariseth I know not neither will I take upon me to judg as not delighting in censuring my Brother yet considering that within three daies after the offence given I required satisfaction and have patiently waited three months in expectation of your Answer and yet have received none I cannot but let you know that the Lord hath put such a resolution into my Spirit for the vindication of this his wronged Truth that in case within one months space from the date hereof I receive no Answer from you I shall then in discharge of my duty to the truth as a son thereof endeavor the wiping off those foul aspersions you have publickly cast upon it in your Sermon by printing and publishing to the world the Copy of my former Letter sent you and shall submit to the judgments of all ingenuous and disinterested Christians whether I have held forth the Truth therein or not Having thus expressed my thoughts and intentions to you I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified and shall remain Cornhil November 11. 1652 Sir Yours in defence of the Truth JOHN HINDE For his respected friend Mr. White Minister at Mary-hil these