supplies of Strength and Grace Is. 40. 29 30 31. And though you have many Enemies Sin Satan World and may meet with much Opposition yet God that hath all Issues and Events in his Hand being on your Side nothing shall do you real hurt Rom. 8. 31. You need not fear what Men or Devils can do against you seeing God that manages the active power of the Creature is for you They have no power but what God gives and hands as He will Ioh. 19. 10 â—1 He will not suffer them to do you real hurt Nothing shal separate you from the Love of God in Christ Rom. 8. 35-39 Nay all adverse Powers though of greatest sufficiency to doe you hurt and bent upon it shall do you good whether they will or no Rom. 8. 28. And you shall be sure to conquer at last and have good Success Indeed you may at present have many particular Designs and Undertakings and be frustrated and suffer disappointment therein but then it is good for you to be afflicted crossed disappointed and Unsuccessfulness is really best for you most conducive to the prosperity of your Souls you shall be sure of good Success so far as Infinite Wisdom sees it to be good for you And then however your particular designs and undertakings may be defeated yet you have a general Grand Design that is paramount predominant which is The everlasting Enjoyment of God and if you reach that you are well enough and as happy as you would be and the Lord who is the Lord of Time and Disposer of Events and Governour of his Creatures to their Ends will not suffer you to be disappointed herein You shall infallibly glorify God and enjoy Him for ever This is matter of Comfort to the People of God in the worst Times when it is with them as with Iacob when he said All these Things are against me Gen. 42. 36. when none on their Side Refuge fails and no Means appearing for them And indeed the People of God in this Country have had great Experience of this What Deliverances hath God commanded When few and weak and low and exposed to the Rage of Enemies God said Touch not my Anointed do my Prophets no harm The Salvations of New-England have been most apparently by the Lord 's Governing Time and Chance This or that Chance or Occurrent hath faln in in the very Nick of Time to prevent Ruine It hath not been from the sufficiency of the Instruments of our Salvation but from the All-sufficiency of God and His overruling Events wonderfully Therefore let all that fear God comfort themselves with this Consideration And that you may take down be refreshed with this Cordial Consider two Things 1. That Events are not to be judged or concluded of beforehand from the Aspects of Second Causes As Astrologers conclude this or that shall happen because of this or that Aspect the Conjunction or Opposition of Planets and Positure of the Stars heavenly Houses so do Politicians from the prospect they take of the Combinations and Confederacies and various Aspects of Second Causes Hence also God's People are discouraged when they see the World combine and enter into Leagues Confederacies against the Church now they conclude they shall be a prey to their Teeth and swallowed up And Enemies are ready to Insult over the Curch and to say as Pharaoh I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil c. Exod. 15. 9. But this is a wrong way of judging because Time and Chance happens God may turn all a quite other way It was a good observation of Mr. Caryl When wicked men are nearest their Hopes godly men are furthest from their Fears because then usually God defeats them and their Insolence Confidence engage Him to do it 3. That the Determination of all Events is in the Hand of God in Christ or of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Mediator is at God's right Hand and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to Him all Judgment and the Command and Government of all Events He governs Time and Chance God is in Christ providentially ruling all Events prospeting or blasting all Affairs as He will It is the Man upon the Throne above the Firmament that gives out his Orders according to which the Living-Creatures or Angels move the wheels of Providence as you may see in that excellent Scheme of Providence which is drawn in the first Chapter of Ezechiel And it 's well for Believers that themselves and their works are in the Hand of Christ and that all Events in the World are determined by Him Thà t Christ whose Person you love whose Ordinances you love whose Truth you love whose Commands you love whose Members you love whose Appearing you love that Christ that loveth you a thousand times more than you can love Him and loved you above his own Life and will love you to Eternity that Blessed Lord Jesus Christ hath the managing of all Affairs and of all your Concerns and Undertakings in his own Hands And therefore we may conclude that He will do all in favour of his Members it shall be well with them that fear God Eccl 8. 12. VSE IV. Of Exortation in sundry Particulars 1. Labour to maintain an humble Sense of your own Insufficiency to accomplish any thing even in that kind wherein you seem to be most sufficient best accomplished Let worthy Magistrates in Consultations for publick Good Ministers in their Ministerial way Scholars in their way and Souldiers in their military capacity walk humbly with God Truly God hath poured Contempt upon our military Men our Artillery men and good Souldiers New-England hath gloried in these Things Indeed men of martial Spirits and Skill ought to be encouraged these Trainings and Exercises are very commendable by all means to be supported and countenanced and it is piâ—y that as in other things so in this the good Old Spirit is so much gone These are not Times wherein the Nations beat their Swords into Plough-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks War in some cases is lawful and at sometimes necessary and sure then Learning of War is so also But I fear we have trusted too much in Sword and Bow and gloried in our Numbers in our Arms and Ammunition in our Trainings in our expert Souldiers and the Lord hath shewn us that all these things are nothing without his Blessing and that unless the Lord watch the Town keep the garrison'd House fight the Battel all is in vain We have seen that a despised despicable Enemy that is not acquainted with books of military Discipline that observe no regular Order that understand not the Souldier's Postures and Motions and Fâ—â—ings and Forms of Battel that fight in a base cowardly contemptible way have been able to rout and put to flight and destroy our valiant and good Souldiers And I must confess that which determined my thoughts to this Text was
beginning of the Warre what great Apprehensions were there of speedy Success and ending of the Warre that it was but going and Appearing and the Enemy would be faced down As if the first News from our Souldiers should be Venimus Vidimus Vicimus And several times after great probability of concluding that unhappy War and yet all disappointed contrary to Expectation VVhen there is therefore greatest Probability of Success yet remember there may be Disappointment and provide for it that you may not be surprised thereby This may be good Counsel to men of projecting Heads that are wont to be very confident that they see their way farre before them but they do not know what Time and Chance may happen This may check the Confidence of Man and teach us not to promise our selves great Things or build upon this or that Event or Enjoyment for time to come Labour to be prepared and provided for Disappointments Fourthly Fear God and Keep His Commandments This is the Conclusion of the whole matter faith Solomon Eccl. 12. 13. the Conclusion of the Book and may be very well drawn from the words of my Text in special and shall be the Conclusion of my Discourse upon it Fear God and Keep His Commandments Oh! Fear God that is the Lord of Time and Governour of Chance and Dispenser of all Events and Issues and be sure to please Him in a Course of Evangelical Obedience God hath the Care of Events and we must leave that to Him but our Care must be to do our Duty And To Fear God and Keep His Commands in the whole Duty of Man VVho would not fear Thee O king of Nations Ier. 10. 7. The Lord governs Nations and Kingdoms all the Affairs and Enterprizes of the Sons of Men All their Lives and Souls and Estates and VVays are in His Hand And He can dispose of them not onely for present but for Eternity as He pleases All the Events that be fall them are ordered and governed by Him Therefore be in the Fear of the Lord all the day long and walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing If your ways please God your Enemies shall be at peace with you or do you no hurt if they would but good whether they will or no. Obedience is the best way to Prosperity Deut. 29. 9. The Lord takes Pleasure in the Prosperity of his Servants Psal. 35. 27. This was God's Promise to Ioshuah Josh. 1. 8. While you are with God God will be with you 2 Chron. 15. 2. and then you shall have Things prosper under your hands as Gen. 39. 23. Every thing shall befriend you Whilst Solomon trode in the Steps of his Father and walked in the Law of God and neither practised Idolatry nor gave any Countenance or Allowance or Toleration thereunto There was no Adversary nor evil Occurrent or Chance for it is the same word with that in my Text 1 King 5. 4. When he forsook the Law of God the Lord stirred up many Adversaries against him While he was with God his Affairs prospered and were attended with good Success and a Blessing So it was with Reforming Hezekiah 2 King 18. 5 6 7. 2 Chron. 31. 20 21. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah nor any that were before him For he clave to the Lord and departed not from following Him but kept his Commandments which the Lord commanded Moses And the Lord was with him and he PROSPERED whithersoever he went forth c. Otherwise how should men expect to Prosper 2 Chron. 24. 20. Why transgress ye the Commandments of the Lord that ye cannot Prosper because ye have forsaken the Lord He hath also forsaken you We find generally that when Rulers and People walked in God's Law and kept in with Him their Affairs prospered marvellously when they departed from God nothing prospered with them unless it were to their hardening and Ruine And the Lord keeps the same Tenour of Dispensations for the Substance unto this day Oh therefore Let us all account it our best Policy as it is our Duty to please God that hath the absolute Disposal of us and all our Affairs And let it be the Care of our military Men that they do not make Days of Training and Preparation for Warre and real Service Days of Provocation to God Please God if you would engage Him on your Side to govern Time and Chance to your Advantage Take heed of making God your Enemy in the days of your Peace and of such Solemnities by spending them away Idly and Unprofitably by any unworthy Behaviour by Intemperance by excessive Drinking a Sin grown too much in Fashion with the Generation that is risen-up I wish I might not say with many loose Church-Members by idle rotten unsavoury Communication or by any other way of Debauchery and Provocation so as to disarm your selves to make you naked to lay you open to the Stroke of Divine Vengeance and to render you Unprosperous and Unhappie men in all your Undertakings It is a Shame and a Grief to think how such Days as these are many times spent to the Dishonour of God and the unspeakable Prejudice of the Souls of Men as well as other Daies of Solemnitie on other Accounts I beseech you look to your selves and do not make Warre upon God this Day nor run upon the thick Bosses of His Bucklers Job 15. 25 26. Do not dishonour and displease Christ that is God the Father's Viceroy in the World and governs all Affairs If you cross Him and to speak after the manner of Men disappoint Him of his Expectations concerning you as the Lord hath great Expectations of such a People so Circumstanced He will have his Time to meet with you and to cross you in your Designs and to give you Shame and Disappointment I delight not in any pedantick insipid trifling Allusions below the Gravity of a Sermon but I cannot better express what I would than in your own ordinary Phrases You Gentlmen of the Artillery and Militia Face to your Leader or in the Apostle's words Look unto Iesus Heb. 12. 2. And follow your Leader your Commander in Chief the Captain of the Host of the Lord Iosh. 5. 14. the Lord Jesus Christ in holiness of Conversation He was no Glutton no Wine-bibber no loose and vain Companion of Sinners though blasphemously charged with it by his malignant Enemies He was the greatest E X A M P L E that ever was or will be in the World of Sobriety of Gravity of Seriousness and Diligence in his work of prudent and prosperous Management of his Affairs Isa. 52. 13. of savoury gracious Communication and holy Conversation Learn of Him and follow His Example and you shall be Prosperous Men indeed Yea let us all take this Counsel and Course New England hath Enemies enough on Earth and in Hell wo to us if we make God in Heaven our Enemy also The Lord help us to fear Him keep His Commandments and then we need not be afraid of evil Tidings or solicitous about Events and Issues of Things For all the Paths of the Lord shall be Mercy and Truth to us and Goodness and Mercy shall follow us all our Days and this we know that it shall be well with them that fear God FINIS Advertisement THere is now in the Press a Treatise entituled Covenant-Keeping the way to Blessedness being several Sermons Preached from PSAL. CIII XVII XVIII by the Reverend Mr. Samuel Willard
The Soveraigâ— Efficacy of Divine Providence Over-ruling and Omnipotently Disposing and Ordering all Humane Counsels aâ—d Affairs Asserted Demonstrated and Improved in a DISCOVRSE Evincing That not any Arm of Flesh but the right Hand of the Most High is it that Swayeth the Vniversal Scepter of this Lower World's Goverâ—â—ent Oft Wheeling about the Prudentest Management of the Profoundest Plotts of the Greatest on Earth unâ—o such Issues and Events as are Amazingly contrary to all Humane Probâ—â—â—lities and cross to the Confident Expectation of Lookers on As Delivered in a SERMON Preached in Cambridge on Sept. 10. 1677. Being the Day of ARTILLERY ELECTION there By Mr. VRIAN OAKES the late and still to be Lamented Reverend Pastor of the Church of Christ in Cambridge And Learned President of Harvard Colledge Psal. 29. 10. The Lord sitteth upon the flood yea the Lord â—â—â—teth King for ever Isai. 41. 14 15. Fear not thou worm of Iacob I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer Thou shalt thresh the Mountains Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen BOSTON In NEW-ENGLAND Printed for Sa 〈…〉 wall 1682. TO THE READER Christian Reader WHat thou art here presented with is a part of the pious profitable Labours of that faithful Embassador of Christ Mr. URIAN OAKES who having served his generation by the will of God in the Gospel of His Son and being willing to exchange this for a better World did in his passage hence let fall as somtime Elijah his mantle leave behind him this with other useful Fruits of his well-studied elaborate Meditations By which and an amiable exemplary instructive well-ordered christian Conversation he being dead yet speaketh It will be a sin shame to such as knew had opportunity to enjoy him to forget how great a price we had in our hands while for a few years we were permitted by Him who walking amidst the golden Candlesticks holds the Stars in His right hand to have the heat help of so burning shinning a Light Alike blameworthy shall we be and guilty of a greatly-provoking Evil if we mind not how much we have lost are tremendously weakened by the fall of so principal a Pillar and what cause we have to lament that by an immature as to us a too too early Death dissolution so bright-shining a Star is now no more visible being removed taken up to shine in a higher Orb. It is doubtless a sad Omen presage of a near approaching Night of blackness darkness when our heavenly Father calls to put His children to bed The removing taking away of Shepherds principal Men from a People what is it but a casting down their Pillars a plucking up their Stakes a bereaving them of their Chariots Hors-men leaving them without their Defence Strength Let not an unaffected senseless stupidity under that late dreadful Dispensation of a provoked God give occasion to take up against us that sad Complaint Is. 57. 1. The righteoâ—s perisheth and no mâ—n layeth it to heart and merciful men or men of Godliness are taken away none considering c Surely from the going away of such survivers may conclude that Evil is coming Let Noah be shâ—t into the Ark Lot removed and zealous tender hearted Josiah laid to sleep in his bed of dist and the appointed executioners of God's direful displeasure Elements Enemies shall immediatly set upon assault to their confusion a People ripe for ruine Oh that we were wise to lay to heart Consider The eminent Worth rare Accomplishments of the now blessed Author none but such as knew Him not or envied Him can or will deny The rare Beauties Sweets of Nature Learning and Grace which the Great God had endowed adorned Him with were such so attractive that nothing but unacquaintance disingenuity prejudice could secure from being captivated and held fast in the pleasant bonds of Love Delight Had all the Art and Grace He was filled furnished with been tunned up into an ill-sented Cask tainted with Haughtiness Peevishness Vanity their Flavour and delightful Sweetness would have been lost in a nauseous unpleasancy What He was to my self I cannot without renewing my grief express Onely I shall say He was what is rare hard to be found in this lower World a delightful loving profitable fast faithful Friend Being gone I cannot forbear following with David's Elegie Complaint for his beloved Jonathan I am distressed for thee my dear Brother very pleasant hast thou been unto me but The Lord liveth blessed be my Rock and let the God of my Salvation be exalted Amen The designe of this Sermon as left by the Author written with his own Hand now Published in Print is to vindicate the Glory of the blessed God in His All-ruling Wonder-working Providence as soveraignly disposing the Issues Events of all humane Counsels Affairs The most High doth 〈…〉 as to His Declarative Glory even from His dearest besâ— Servants For they be clogged cumbered with the 〈…〉 me remainâ—â—ers of Ignorance Atheisme Unbelief Carnal Reason c. While we are too intent in gazing upon the Living Creatures and the dreadful Wheels which by their swift and whirling Motion do oft raise a Cloud of dust we soon lose the sight of Him who sits above upon the Throne overruling and Working all things according to the Counsel of his own Will We are apt to be too fearful and distrustful in our Entrance upon and too forgetful of God in the Issues of great and doubtful Affairs quicker of sight to discover an host of Aramites than to discern an Army of Angels like him 2 Kings 6. 15 16 17. and more ready to give too much to Creatures than to ascribe unto God His due Judg. 7. 2-6 Prevention of and help against Evils so prejudicial to our selves and dishonourable to God was the aim of the Author in this ensuing seasonable and serious Discourse worthy to be perused by all unto whose hands it may come The Face of Affaires in the Times now passing over our heads is such and so agreeable to what TRVTH Himselfe foretold Luke 21. 25 26. as proves it beyond dispute needful to be perused prayed over and improved unto a securing to our selves Comfort and to the blessed God His ever due Glory That it may be so is the unfeigned wish of him who is Thine in the Lord Iesus IOHN SHERMAN ECCLESIASTES IX XI I returned and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the Swift nor the Battel to the Strong neither yet Bread to the Wise nor yet Riches to Men of Vnderstanding nor yet Favour to Men of Skill but TIME CHANCE happeneth to them all THis Book of Ecclesiastes is generally and probably conceived to be a Penitential Discource of Solomon in his old Age for the Satisfaction of the