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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08803	Several discourses concerning the actual Providence of God. Divided into three parts. The first, treating concerning the notion of it, establshing the doctrine of it, opening the principal acts of it, preservation and government of created beings. With the particular acts, by which it so preserveth and governeth them. The second, concerning the specialities of it, the unseachable things of it, and several observable things in its motions. The third, concerning the dysnoēta, or hard chapters of it, in which an attempt is made to solve several appearances of difficulty in the motions of Providence, and to vindicate the justice, wisdom, and holiness of God, with the reasonableness of his dealing in such motions. / By John Collinges ...	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1678 (1678)	Wing C5335; ESTC R233164	689,844	860

sin in the world hath infinitely magnified his own goodness It is the saying of a very ingenious Author Satis usui sunt scelera si artem peritiam divinae beneficentiae provocant Sin is of use enough to God in the business of his glory if by it the act and skill of the Divine Goodness and Bounty be made appear to the world the goodness and mercy of God is that Attribute of his which above all others he hath made choice of to glorify himself in and by it is that in which he delighteth which is above all his works Now without the permission of sin yea of the aboundings of sin it had been impossible that Divine Goodness and Bounty should have been so commended to the world Let me open this a little 1. Christs coming and dying for sinners was the greatest act of love that was ever shewed to the children of men What greater love could the eternal Father shew than to give his Son out of his own bosom to be a sacrifice for sins God so loved the world saith John 3 Chap. 16. that he gave his only begotten son Moralists make a question about taking the true measures of the magis and minus of love whether the greatness of love be to be measured from the affliction intention and self-denial of the party loving or the benefit redounding to the person beloved but measure which way you will it was the greatest love on the Fathers side and the greatest that Christ could shew for greater love than this hath no man shewed John 15. and herein God commends his love towards us Rom. 5.8 Besides the inhabitation of the spirit was a benefit of Christs death an effect of his purchase And what greater love could be shewed on the part of the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Christ than for it to come down and to dwell in the heart of a poor creature for the person of a believer to be made the temple of the Holy Ghost the receptacle of the Spirit of Grace Now if there had been no sin no sinners in the world what room had there been for a Saviour what needed one to have turned away iniquity from Jacob to have been wounded for our iniquities bruised for our transgressions He dyed for our sins saith the Apostle How could the love of the eternal Father in sending his Son or the love of the Son in taking upon him our nature and dying for us or the love of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying us and renewing us and dwelling in us been manifested to the world If a strong man had not kept the house what need had there been of a stronger than he to have come and dispossessed him All the love of the Father Son and Holy Ghost magnified in the business of mans Redemption and the whole Oeconomy of a Gospel-salvation had been conceal'd and not known to the world 2. Again How could the love of God in the conversion of sinners in the pardon of their sins in their justification the sense they oft have of his love have been manifested to the world What need were there of any pardon if no sins were permitted where were the aboundings of grace in pardoning if there were no aboundings of sin What love of God could be seen in the conversion of sinners if no sinners were permitted in the world How should God magnify his grace by saying to any soul Be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee if he did not suffer sins to be committed Thus you see the greatness of Divine Goodness and Mercy could never have been declared to the world but for the motions of Providence in the permission of sins and sinners yea and of the aboundings of them 3. Did not the Actual Providence of God thus permit sin and much sin in the world How should the long-suffering and patience of God be magnified in the world This also is a piece of Gods Name and such a one by which he designeth to make himself glorious he stileth himself Exod. 34.6 Gracious merciful long-suffering slow to anger and Numb 14.18 The Lord is long-suffering and full of tender compassion Now sin and sinners are the objects about which the long-sufferance of God is exercised He endured with much long-suffering saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 vessels of wrath fitted for destruction How often do we find this in our own experience when we hear wretches blaspheming God and daring Divine Justice how often are we ready to say and it is a good reflexion O what a patient God do we serve which of us would endure such affronts and defiances as God endureth every day The aboundings of sin in the world make the considerate part of the inhabitants of it admire and adore the long-suffering and patience of God 3. The wisdom of God is also wonderfully magnified by Gods permission of sin The Apostle calleth God the only wise God None so wise as God is and the wisdom of God is eminently magnified by his permission of sin One great business of wisdom is to make an Election of the best end but this is not that which I am here speaking to God hath fixed his end it is his own glory and as I have often told you he can aim at no other end than himself and his own glory But next to a good Election of an end wisdom is eminently seen in the choice and conduct of means in order to a proposed end but herein is the heighth of wisdom to be able to make use of the most unlikely means and make them to serve our purpose It is a point I have touched something largely upon in my former discourses upon this Argument and therefore I shall not here enlarge upon it To bring a not-being into a being to make a thing out of nothing argueth an infinite power though there be aliquid materiae something of a matter yet if there be nihilum subjecti no aptitude in the matter to produce an effect of that nature as when God took the rib of a man and made of it a woman this argued also an omnipotent infinite power But yet methinks for God to produce his glory out of the aboundings of sin argueth yet something more if not of power yet of wisdom to make the wrath of men to praise him and the lyes of men to glorify him O how doth this commend the infinite wisdom of an only wise God! Sin all sin is quite opposite and repugnant to the glory of God it speaks the great Wisdom of God to bring out his glory from it Thus God hath glory by accident from the permission and sufferance of sin in the world 4. But let me further shew how God is further glorified by reason of the aboundings of sin in the manifestation of his Justice his Punitive and Vindicative Justice Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted

of men Surely saith the Psalmist the wrath of man shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain Hamans malice shall issue in the exaltation of Mordecai and the further establishment of the Jews Josephs brethren shall sell him into Egypt intending him nothing but evil the issue of it shall be the exaltation of Joseph and the keeping much people alive But as I said before concerning these matters which relate to this life though the people of God can only claim a right in these Promises and be those to whom they generally are fulfilled not to others yet you must not be mistaken to think that all the people of God shall have them made good to them God as to these Dispensations dealing out as in other things of outward Providence according to his own good pleasure regulated by his infinite Wisdom working for the glory of his holy Name and for the good of his people 7thly There is a special Providence of God extended towards all those that truly fear and love God In the giving to them the things that accompany salvation and preserving and upholding in them those habits of grace by the operations of which they are made fit for the inheritance of the Saints in light Grace is the only creature of God which God preserveth that it shall not die but yet it is preserved alive by the power of God Natural habits may perish Moral habits may be extinguished Gracious habits are the seed of God which do not die he shall be holden up for God is able to make him to stand Rom. 14.4 Now this is a piece of Providence common to all the Saints and special and peculiar to them 8thly The special Providence of God to his people is eminently seen in this That all things work together for their good You know the Text Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things work together for the good of them that love God who are called according to his purpose There is another Text much of the same import possibly of a larger extent 1 Cor. 3.21 All-things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The former Text chiefly respects sufferings the sufferings and afflictions of Gods people are for their good The latter respecteth Ordinances but both of them have the universal particle All All things are yours All things work together for good and whether either of those Texts respect sins or no which indeed are hardly to be counted into the number of things I will not say yet most certain it is that by the over-rulings of Divine Providence even the sins of Gods people work together for their good What fear saith the Apostle What sorrow what jealousie what revenge do they work How low do they make the child of God in his own Eyes How do they contribute to a poor broken and contrite spirit in him What care and watchfulness do they produce in him for the time to come It is the misery of a wicked man all things work together for his hurt if he hath Riches Honour worldly enjoyments or crosses trials afflictions all things are against him God gives the Israelites rebelling and murmuring Quales in his wrath and a King in his wrath and God gives others Riches honours wives children all in his wrath all things are against them but now if a man be a child of God all things are his all things are for him for his good and advantage Ninthly which indeed should have been mentioned first God giveth his good Angels charge concerning them The good Angels have not only a Ministry to the Church which I touched before but they have a Ministry as to every individual Believer It is a Promise made Psalm 91.11 to every one who ver 1. dwelleth in the secret of the most High He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone ver 12. Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation and therefore they are called Their Angels Matth. 18.10 Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels always behold the face of my father which is in Heaven It hath been the opinion of some and those very eminent Divines That every child of God hath his particular Angel usually called his Tutelar Angel or Angel-guardian They have builded this Notion upon those probable Texts Acts 12.23 where the Christians met told the Maid concerning Peter It is his Angel Gen. 48.16 where Jacob prays That the Angel who had redeemed him from all evil would bless the lads Josephs children and Matth. 18.10 I shall not meddle with that nice Question those who desire to read what is to be read for it or what may be said may find it in Mr. Dingles judicious Discourse of the Deputation of Angels certain it is that the Angels have a special Ministry with reference to the heirs of salvation certain it is that they shall bear them up in their hands as the Psalmist saith that they shall not dash their feet against a stone that they shall keep them in all their ways What power they have to make impressions upon their minds I cannot determine but probable it is that as evil angels have a power to tempt and sollicit to evil so the good Angels do often move and sollicit by way of secret impressions the souls of the Saints to that which is good Certain it is this is a Specialty of Divine Providence with reference to the Saints therefore our Saviour calleth them their Angels The Angels pull'd Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19.16 they appeared to Jacob in his journey to Padan aram Gen. 28.12 they met him again at Mahanaim Gen. 32.1 2. The Psalmist telleth us Psalm 34.7 They encamp about him that feareth the Lord. An Angel attends Elias moveth him to eat 1 Kings 19.7 appeared for Elisha 2 Kings 6.17 In short much is spoken in Scripture concerning the Ministry of Angels for the good of the people of God though much also of their Ministration be doubtless unknown to us Scriptura piis tantum Angelorum custodiam ministerium tribuit impiis non item saith a grave Author But I shall add no more to the Explicatory part of this Discourse having touched most of the Specialties of Divine Providence with reference both to the Church and to particular believing Souls If any thing be further needful for the proof of this what need we do any more than take a view of the Church of God in the several periods of it and of the number of sincere and pious Souls in any age of the World The Church of God from the beginning hath been either Jewish

a credit to his word if his faith be weak and languid the exemplifying of the thing revealed in the Word of God by the issues of Providence tendeth much to the confirmation of the souls faith and assent and therefore it is laid to the charge of the Israelites as a great aggravation of their sins That they believed not for all his wondrous works And this was the great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees and the Jews that lived in the time when our Saviour was upon the Earth that although the Providence of God had declared Christ to be the Son of God by his doing such works as no man ever did and by such evident signs and tokens as never before were declared as to any man yet they believed him not to be the Son of God 2. As Faith is one great principle of all our spiritual actions so Fear is another Now the observing of Divine Providences much conduceth to this It is particularly remark't by the Holy Ghost upon the sudden death of Ananias and Saphira That a great fear came upon all the Church and upon as many as heard of those things And in the Law of Moses you shall find God commanding exemplary Justice to be done upon some remarkable offenders for this very end That all Israel might hear and fear It is particularly said Jonah 1.16 When Jonah had told them the cause of the storm and they had thrown him over-board Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifices and made vows Severe Providences without the word make men startle and put them into a passion of fear but when they follow a word of threatning and they do but see God doing what in his word he hath said he will do this must needs have a great power and influence upon the heart especially upon the hearts of such as before had an habit of Divine Fear wrought in them though it were smothered with the ashes of too much carnal security 3. Love to God is a third principle of spiritual action an habit wrought in the soul of every Child of God but not at all times so lively and quick and working as it ought to be Now the observation of Gods good and gracious Providences serves hugely to excite it and to blow up the Coals of it in the soul Psal 37.23 O love you the Lord all his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer But this will be further enlarged upon in my discourse upon the second branch of the Proposition which I now come to discourse upon Mem. 2. Whoso observeth the Providences of God he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I take the word understand here to signifie three things 1. Knowledg 2. A more clear and distinct knowledg 3. A more demonstrative and experimental knowledg 1. He shall know the loving-kindness of the Lord understand it with reference to the Church and People of God for Gods Providence is like the Cloud which conducted the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red-sea it hath a light-side which hath an aspect upon Gods Israel and it hath a black and dark-side towards his enemies Now he who observeth Divine Providence will know this That all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to those that fear God Psal 25.10 A slight and transient view of Divine Providence will not bring a man to the knowledg of this but a wist view and observation of Divine Providence in the course and series of it will do it The word of God speaketh much of the Love and Favour of God to his People Providence to the strict and constant observer of it will confirm all these words God himself speaking after the manner of men to Abraham speaks as if he had not known his love and obedience to him till he had made an experiment of it and saw that he would not have withheld from him his Son even his only Son We know nothing of the loving-kindness of God before we see it experimented and brought into demonstration in comparison with what we know upon such an evidence and this we gain by our considerate observation of the motions of Divine Providence 2. He who observeth the motions of Providence shall have a more distinct knowledg of the loving-kindness of God He shall not only know that God is good to Israel and to all that are of a clean heart but he shall also see something of the Methods of God in the exercise of his loving-kindness When we speak of the Love and Favour of God to his People we are prone to understand by it nothing but pleasing Providences grateful to our senses now the loving-kindness of God is not only seen in pleasing dispensations but in adverse Providences also Whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth All things are yours saith the Apostle This knowledg must be gained by observation Sense looks upon cross dispensations of Providence and it may be Reason judging of them from present appearances and effects cryeth out All these things are against me Here is nothing of promised loving-kindness in all this Is his mercy clean gone doth his promise fail for evermore But whoso observeth Divine Providence will in these things also understand the loving-kindness of the Lord and know that it is the method of Divine Providence to deal out the loving-kindness of God to the Souls of his People through crosses and tryals and afflictions in a way which at present they do not understand and know but shall know hereafter No affliction saith the Apostle is joyous at present but grievous but it bringeth forth afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 3. Vnderstanding thirdly may signifie experience and indeed there is no such understanding as experience gives Every Child of God that observeth Divine Providence shall find it let the wind of it blow which way it will giving him an experiment and demonstration of the Love of God to his Soul But thus much shall serve to have spoken to the Explication of this Proposition in both branches I come to the proof of it to shew you how it appeareth That he who observeth the motions of Divine Providence and he alone shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. It will appear to you if you but consider 1. That however things go in the course of Providence yet it is most certain that they are mercy and truth to them who fear God For this we have a certain word Psalm 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies And again Psalm 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel In my former Discourse I shewed you three Objects of special Providence 1. Rational creatures are a more special object of Providence than either inanimate or brute creatures 2. Amongst rational Creatures those men and women in the World which make

at God is an old humour of corrupt hearts O house of Israel saith God Ezech. 18.25 Is not my way equal are not your ways unequal When a righteous man turneth from his righteousness and committeth iniquities and dieth in them for his iniquity that he hath done shall he dye again when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is right he shall save his soul alive When a sinner repenteth and believeth he shall live he shall be saved when he apostatizeth from his profession and returneth with the Dog to his vomit or goeth on impenitently in his course of sin and dieth in it his soul shall perish What then are not the Lords ways equal is not God in all this holy and righteous and just and good O but it is not equal say some that God should offer life and the benefits of the Covenant of Grace to those to whom he intendeth not to give them How doth it appear that God offers any such thing to them why may not Gods offer be only to the elect and others no further concerned than as they are in the company of those to whom such grace is offered But the Ministers of the Gospel who are Gods Messengers do offer life to all that will believe they do so and God will make it good where now is the inequality of Gods ways But why is the Gospel at all preached to those who shall have no benefit by it I answer What if God please to make use of this as a means the better to restrain the lusts of men and to keep the world in order and a temper fit for mutual society But why are they commanded to repent and believe that have no power to do either Had they never a power in Adam If they had surely God may require his debt although they be not able to pay Have they a power to do nothing toward these things If they would do what in them lay would God deny his grace Did ever any soul perish think you that did what was within its power in order to its salvation If there did not why do men quarrel with God their destruction is of themselves Vse 2. What remaineth then but that leaving our disputing with God or quarrelling either with the truths of his word or motions of his Providence all men apply themselves to be obedient to the Heavenly Command The days of ignorance God winked at but now saith my Text God commandeth all men to repent Supposing an election of grace and that not of qualities but of persons Supposing an eternal Covenant and that certain made betwixt the eternal Father and the Son of his Love for those that shall be saved Supposing that Christ did not dye intentionally for all but for such only as were fore-ordained of God to eternal life and salvation Supposing lastly that man in his lapsed estate hath no power to repent or savingly to believe Yet I shall shew you there is incouragement enough for any that will mind their eternal interest to do what in them lies that they may repent and believe to that end I beg of you to consider these things 1. That God commandeth all men to repent It was John Baptists work to call to all to Repent because the Kingdom of God was at hand It was the Apostles Doctrine it is our doctrine and the substance of our Preaching certainly the commands of God are the measures of our duty and every creature by the law of his creation standeth obliged to obey his Creator If God commandeth him to do something which he cannot do by his natural power yet surely he is bound to do what he can do and then to cry to God to help him where he is at a loss God commands you all to repent and to believe certainly none can pretend but he is under the highest obligation imaginable to go as far as he can or else his blood will lye upon his own head and his own Conscience will fly in his face and in the great day he will have nothing to say why the sentence of eternal death should not pass upon him 2. God hath prepared an object for the faith of every soul that will believe This is that now that some keep a mighty stir with that if Christ hath not died for all then they have not objectum paratum not an object prepared for their faith As if the counsels of God or Christs intention in dying were the object of our faith not the proposition and promise of the Gospel that is held forth indefinitely whosoever believeth shall be saved Now what is that which God requireth of man But that he should search and try his ways and acknowledge his offences and disclaim his own merits and righteousness and hearing the proclamation of the Gospel that whosoever believeth shall be saved that he should lay hold upon the promise Is not here an object prepared is not the indefinite propounding of the grace of the Gospel ground enough to encourage a soul to trust God upon his word 3 As thou dost not certainly know that thy name is written in the Book of Life that Christ hath covenanted and dyed for thee so neither dost thou know nor any one tell thee that thou art not chosen unto life or that Christ hath not covenanted or died for thee The Lepers in the famine which you read the story of 2 Kings 7. they did not know that the Syrians were fled nor that they should find any victuals amongst them but this they knew that if they sate still at the entring in of the gate they should dye and if they entred into the City they should dye vers 3.4 Now therefore come say they let us fall into the host of the Syrians if they save us alive we shall live if they kill us we shall but dye It was encouragement enough to these poor Lepers that it was possible they might save their lives by that motion Esther did not know that the King would hold out the Golden-Scepter to her if she went in to the King but she knew that if she did not go in she and her people would all be cut off and that in a short time she ventureth in Thou knowest that if thou fittest still in thy sinful state thou shalt perish if thou goest on from sin to sin thou shalt certainly perish without hope of mercy But thou hast heard that the number of them that God hath chosen unto life for whom God hath made a Covenant with his Son and his Son hath died and satisfied Divine-justice is a certain definite number and thou dost not know that thou art one of that number but thou dost not know on the other side that thou art none of that number thou maist be one for ought thou knowest there is no law against thee certainly this is ground and encouragement enough for thee to make the adventure if God will save thee

given him to do so the reprobate must fill up his measures too It may be a poor wretch hath been a swearer a Sabbath-breaker a drunkard an unclean person many years God hath born with him let him alone there want yet some drops to fill up the measures of his sin he falls upon the people of God turns a persecutor smiteth his fellow-servants with the fist of violence and wickedness then cometh the master of that servant in an hour when he looketh not for him and presently giveth him his portion with Hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth offences must come they will come but wo be to those by whom they come Methinks there is a great Emphasis in those words That upon you may come all the righteous blood that hath been shed upon the earth from the blood of Abel c. There was a great deal of righteous blood shed from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah what had God let it all sleep had God in those hundreds of years reckoned with sinners for none of it Yes certainly God had revenged himself of many a blood-thirsty man But yet Abels blood was not expiated in Christs time there was yet an arrear of reckoning for Abels blood Well who shall pay for it even every one that was Cains successor in that kind of sin You read no such expression in Holy-writ with reference to any other sin This sin this devouring of persons more righteous than our selves hath many grains of guilt in it more than any other sins have men by it fill up the measure of the sins of a Nation and they fill up the measure of their own personal sins It is a saying as I remember of Augustines Nemo habet injustum lucrum sine justo damno lucrum habet in arca damnum in conscientia No man getteth any unjust gain without a just loss his gain is laid up in his chest but his loss is in his Conscience he gets a penny or two into his purse but a seal of damnation in his soul I am sure all the gains any get by devouring the persons who are more righteous than themselves is an unjust gain Yea though God gives it them it is unjust gain God is but permissive in the case and Gods permission doth not salve them but that they are possessores malae fidei God gave the Assyrians the Caldeans and other enemies of the Israelites the prey they took from the Jews yet he often calls it by his Prophets that which is not theirs the loss is in their Consciences they are hardned to destruction sealed up to the condemnation of Hell they fill up the measures of their iniquities by their violence 4. But lastly Why should not God be righteous in suffering wicked men to do his people good This is a point I have something largely before spoken to and therefore may be shorter in this Discourse prosunt gelu nix quia incommodant saith one they do them good by doing them hurt as snow and frost do good to the Corn. The Apostle tells the people of God that all things are theirs 1 Cor. 3.21 that is for their good profit and advantage and again All things work together for the good of them that love God The dignity of the people of God is such that not only bruit beasts but bruitish men St. Pauls Ephesian beasts shall be harnessed for their service in order to their eternal salvation and if the Angels be ministring spirits for the good of Gods elect it is no wonder if the children of the Devil be beasts ministring for their service too They say Vespasian had a wretched saying that the smell of mony was sweet from whencesoever it came I am sure the odor of grace is sweet whatsoever be instrumental for the sending it forth The truth is what the wiser Philosophers said of a morally good and wise man is much more true of one spiritually wise and good He is out of the jurisdiction of evil Seneca saith that a wise man cannot be contemned of any quia magnitudinem suam novit because he knoweth his own riches A gracious man can be imprisoned by none because he knows his own liberty and will enjoy it when the world hath done what it can he can be plundred by none because he knoweth his own riches It were a vast work to open to you how many wayes the persecutions of the saints advantage and profit the people of God but I have in some measure done it before and shall not again further enlarge upon it The Apostle telleth you much in short when he telleth you that Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope I shall add no more to the Doctrinal part of this Discourse Vse 1. Now hear O Israel hear all you sons and daughters of men are not the Lords ways equal Is not your judgment of them unequal This is the great argument against Divine Providence because in the world there appeareth such a confusion of things The wicked walk on every side while vilest men are exalted prophane leud persons live grow old are rich and great in power The Sun which seemeth to go down upon the Tabernacles of some that fear the Lord shineth bright upon the Tabernacles of the ungodly the people of God are afflicted plundred nay and which seemeth hardest of all the holiest and best of men are devoured by the vilest and most prophane wretches this is that which is a sore temptation to men and makes them think that certainly there is no God who judgeth the world or that God regardeth not the affairs of the world there is no strength in this argument no reason for such a conclusion the love or hatred of God is not to be concluded from any thing which is before us in this life as with reference to actions we call good evil and evil good so through the deceitfulness of our senses we miscall things we call those things evil which separate them from the affection of our sense have no evil in them and things good which have no real goodness Now the judgement of sense is a very fallible judgement do you see the wicked prosper the godly man visited every morning and chastned every moment come but up into the sanctuary and you will be able to unriddle this Providence Job saw the wicked flourishing and taking root but suddenly he cursed his habitation You see the innocent children of God imprisoned plundred c. Dives clad in purple and faring delicously every day while poor Lazarus lies at his door full of sores begging what falleth from his Table and cannot get any relief Come up into the Sanctuary and you shall there see Lazarus this poor begging Lazarus in Abrahams bosom and Dives that fared so deliciously and was so richly clad begging a cup of cold water to cool his tongue Had you been with St. John in his vision Rev. 7. you would

Grace but yet these are Holy Institutions upon which he hath recorded his name and we are bound in order to our receptions of his Grace to lie at these Pools 4. Be much fourthly in Prayer especially in secret Prayer there it is that the Soul can be freest with God both in the confession of its sins and in the spreading of its particular case before the Lord and wrestlings with him All that is to be obtained of God either with reference to the first Grace or the further manifestations of God unto the Soul is in one place or other of Holy Scripture promised unto Prayer 5. Lastly Let not Meditation and Holy Conference be neglected Meditation is the souls Soliloquy with God a piece of piety often commanded and practised with great success Holy converse and conference is our conversation with Saints who are to meet often together to consider and to provoke one another to love and to good works Converted souls Luke 22.32 have an obligation upon them to strengthen their brethren Men of knowledge do not only themselves increase in strength for their own use but they increase strength in others as Gods instruments for the principal efficiency of spiritual strength is from the Lord. Converse also with the people of God is of great use to increase spiritual life and vigor as one coal kindleth another and oft-times God maketh use of his more private servants to speak a word in season to the weary in short for all the purposes of special grace I shall add no more for the promise of divine manifestations and the abode of the spirit of God with the soul being limited to those who love Christ and evidence that love by a keeping of his commandements it must necessarily follow that the keeping the commandements of Christ in all things must be an adequate means and indeed all that lieth upon our hand to do in order to the obtaining of these manifestations Now what greater argument to press holiness can there be than this He that hath my commandements and keepeth them saith our blessed Lord John 14.21 he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him And again v. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Who is there that understandeth not the difference betwixt a strong and a weak Christian weak in the resistance of sin and temptation weak in the performance of all holy and spiritual duties betwixt a Christian who feels himself in a free lively temper for the service of God ready to run the way of Gods Commandments and a dull heavy uncheerly temper for duty while in the mean time the conscience is pressed with a necessity of doing of it betwixt a sad dejected disquieted troubled spirit and a soul full of that joy and peace that is consequent to believing betwixt a soul flourishing and daily shooting forth in more perfect acts of grace and a soul that seems to stand still and not to thrive in the wayes of holiness If therefore there be any advantage from further degrees of spiritual strength if any goodness in a spiritual liveliness freedome and alacrity if any consolation in Christ or sweetness arising from those consolations if any comfort in the love the spiritual love of God O study Holiness some gradual neglects of it are the greatest causes of all that weakness dulness sadness unthriftiness under which your souls labour God sometimes acteth by Prerogative shewing these mercies where he will and because he will and with-holding them for the probation and tryal of his People but generally it is in justice to punish his Peoples omissions of their duty or commissions of something which is contrary to their duty And here now I shall put an end to my Discourses in which I have been exercised so long relating to the Providence of God I shall conclude with that of Job Chap. 26.14 Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him To which you may add that Job 11.7 Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection v. 8. It is as high as Heaven What canst thou do Deeper than Hell What canst thou know v. 9. The measure thereof is longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea SOLI DEO GLORIA FINIS An Alphabetical TABLE Containing the principal Matters contained in this Book Note In some places through the mistake of the Printer in figuring the pages thou art directed to the Contents by the Sermon Ser. 44. Ser. 55. c. A. ACtual Providence vide Providence Acts of Grace elicited by the motion of Divine Providence in its timings the destruction of Gods enemies and the salvation of his people 210 211 212. Actions good rewarded when the intention by God is disallowed 362 363. The reasonableness of it 364 365. It is only with limited and temporal rewards 366 367. Actions of piety how elicited by Providence 208 209 210 211. Adam why he first had salvation offered him upon a Covenant of works 453 454 455 456 457. Adoration of God in the unsearchable things of Providence our duty 171. Affairs in the world ordinarily subordinated to the designs God hath upon his Church 258 258 260 261. The reasonableness of it 263 What use to be made of it 265 266 267. Afflictions of this life may be punishments of past and pardoned sins 398 399. How this is just and reasonable 404. What use to be made of it 405. God the Author of them this consists with his holiness and goodness 404 405 406. The Portion of Gods people not of all 588 589. They are not truly Evils proved 589 590 591 592 593 594. Aids and Assistances of Grace whether given to all if not how God is just in condemning such as have them not 650 651 652 653 654 655 Anger what Serm. 45. How not to be used in the prosperity of sinners Serm. 45. Arguments to perswade the restraint of it Ibid. Application of God in what it lieth 103. necessary to render God the object of our delight 603 604. Application of the whole discourse about varieties of further Grace 692. The variety of Christians growth c. 727 728 729 730 731. Apprehensions of truth how different 721 722. Whence the difference is 723. The reason of it 724 725. What improvement is to be made of it 727 728 729 730 731 c. Attributes of God what how glorified by the timings of Providence 208 209 210. and by the permission of sin 480 481 482. B. Blessings sensible most upon those who live most exactly up to the Divine rule 438 439 440 441 442. C. Casual nothing to God p. 113 114. Calling to faith and repentance how universal 466. Why if all have not a power to believe and obey 467 468. How the