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
may observe the Saints too shooting out upon their afflictions O how many of them have we seen shot out in humility in faith in patience in heavenly-mindedness and contempt of the world c. It is a saying of Salvian upon this Argument Ideo Sancti viri sunt infirmiores quia si fortes fuerint vix Sancti esse poterint Saints saith he are therefore weak because it is an hard thing to be strong and Saints too we may say it is hard to be rich in Gold and Silver and rich in grace too to be great in the world and great with God too to have an healthy body and an healthy Soul too It is true there is not an absolute inconsistency betwixt worldly presperity and grace Job and Abraham were rich Joseph and Daniel were both honourable and had great places Our Saviour doth not say that it is simply impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God but he saith It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God Let the word be understood of the beast called a Camel or for a Cable-rope and by the Eye of a Needle whether you understand what we call so or a gate a little gate in Hierusalem which some say had that name It is not simply impossible for a Camel or a Cable rope to pass through the Eye of a Needle it is a thing may be done if you cut the one into pieces small enough or sufficiently untwist the other but it asks a great deal of labour it must be done with a great deal of difficulty There are three things in which the felicity of the Soul lieth 1. In its favour with God 2. In its conformation to God 3. In its beatifical vision of God I shall shew you that some of those things which we call evils have an influence upon all these 1. They do indeed none of them merit the love and favour of God but they are testimonies and indications of this love and this is eminently true of such as are sufferings for the name of Christ the Apostle speaketh of Afflictions in general whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth Christ saith particularly of the sufferings of his people for him They shall turn unto you for a testimony Luk. 21.13 And the blessed Apostle 2 Thes 1.5 saith of them that they are manifest tokens of the righteous judgment of God that saith he you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which you suffer It is a saying of Salvian Quis tam profundi Cordis c. He means who is so shallow as to think that the rewards of the Saints are carnes fortitudines abundance of the good things of this life the love of God saith he is seen in higher things than these and in things of a quite different nature from these It is a passage of Augustine Surgunt procellae hujus stagni vides malos florere bonos laborare tentatio est fluctus est dicit anima tua O Deus Deus Haeccine est justitiae tua ut mali floreant boni laborent Deus tibi respondet Haeccine est fides tua Haeccine tibi promisi aut ad hoc factus es Christanus ut in saculo floreres Aug. in Psal 25. The storms saith he of this Pit arise you see sinners flourish and Saints in adversity this is a temptation it is a wave and your Soul says O God! O God! Is this thy Justice That Sinners should prosper and thy Saints should be oppressed God answereth thee is this thy faith wert thou made a Christian for this that thou shouldest flourish in this life It was the rich glutton in the Gospel who had his good things in this life Gods Lazarus had evil things far be it from us saith Salvian to think that an Argument of Gods neglect of us which is an Argument of Gods further love to us 2. Doth the happiness of a Soul lie in its conformation to God to the image of his Son as the Apostle speaketh Afflictions highly conduce to this end 1. This is peculiarly true of such Afflictions as a Christian suffers for the gospel and for the name of the Lord Jesus and therefore the Apostle triumpheth in this 1 Phil. 20. That Christ should be magnified in his body whether by life or death and therefore speaks of his sufferings of this nature as the matter of his expectation his hope his boldness and what he was confident he should not be ashamed of and he prayeth for a fellowship with Christ in his sufferings Phil. 3.12 Ignatius is reported after all his sufferings to have said Now I begin to be a disciple Now saith Anthony Person a Martyr of our own Nation I am dressed like a Souldier of Christ when he had put some of the straw that was prepared to kindle the wood which was to burn him on the top of his Head 2. But All sorts of afflictions have an influence upon the Soul to make it more like to the Lord Jesus Christ Sufferings in the flesh for Christs sake make us conformable to Christs flesh to Christ in his state of humiliation to Christ upon the Cross but all the Afflictions of the Saints conduce to make them like unto the Lord Jesus Christ in his holiness and purity that now belongeth unto Christ and is inseparable from him in his estate of glory and exaltation in that he died he died once and but once and shall hang on the Cross no more wear a Crown of thorns no more but his purity and holiness that is essential to him now the Afflictions of Gods people make them like unto Christ in this This is an argument which I have had occasion before to touch upon and therefore I shall be the shorter in it now 1. They wonderfully conduce to take the hearts of the people of God off from the Earth and to six them upon Heaven Poverty takes off the heart from the love of riches and delivereth it from an evil covetousness sickness weaneth the Soul from the love of this life Now holiness lieth so much in the Sequestration of the heart from the world that in Greek an holy man signifies a man that is not earthly it is an hard thing for a man to be possessed of much of the Earth and not to have his heart buried in it it is true we should rejoyce as if we rejoyced not and possess as if we possessed not but this is an hard saying to flesh and blood Who is there almost who can hear who can learn it how rare is that Soul which liveth in the full fruition of the things of this life that can yet keep his heart loose from them and sequestred for God Prosperity plenty a great affluence of the good things of this life are as birdlime to a Souls wings and keep it from mounting up to God
apparent tendency to the ruin of the whole interest of God in the World if possibly not to leave Christ a Name in the Earth nor Religion pure and undefiled Religion a footing in any place he that runs may read this day that the malice of some is against no form in Religion but the life and power and practice of Holiness The Devil their Master hath given them a command like that of Benhadads Fight neither against small nor great Neither against Conformists nor Non-conformists but against the life and practice of Religion only Who seeth not that although a man hath a further latitude than others of his brethren as to matters of Conformity yet if he liveth an holy life if he presseth Holiness in his Pulpit and practiseth it in his Conversation he maketh himself a prey to the common Enemies both of Gospel Faith and conversation But trouble not your selves Christians The Lord reigneth the Frogs out of the bottomless pit may through Gods permission get out and croak a while but to the pit they must return again A sad time it was when the Enemy said to the Soul of the man according to Gods own heart Flee as a bird to the mountains when the wicked bent their bows and made their arrows ready upon the string that they might privily shoot at the upright in heart Psalm 11.2 When the foundations were destroyed and the godly knew not what to do what comfort at such a time Observe the same Psalmist v. 4 The Lord is in his holy temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his ey-lids try the children of men I shall conclude this branch of Application with that Psalm 99. v. 1 The Lord reigneth let the people tremble he sitteth between the Cherubims let the Earth be moved the Lord is great in Zion and he is high above all people Let them praise the Lords great and terrible Name for it is holy Lastly Vse 3 This Doctrine is a foundation for a great deal of Exhortation Every good Christian upon hearing this Doctrine concerning Gods providential Kingdom should be saying What now is my Duty what ought I to do if the Lord reigneth I will tell you in five or six particulars and so shut up this Discourse concerning the main and principal acts of Divine Providence 1. An exercise of Faith seems a very reasonable piece of duty to be concluded from these premises By Faith here I understand not an assent to the Proposition of the word nor yet a resting upon the person of the Mediator which is the justifying-act of faith but committing of our selves unto God and casting our care upon him in all estates and conditions a thing often called for in Scripture Cast thy burthen on the Lord Psal 55.22 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5.7 Commit thy way unto the Lord Psal 37.5 So Job 5.8 Prov. 16.3 Sometimes it is called a Trusting in God Psalm 4.5 and 7.1 Pro. 28.25 and 29.5 Isa 57.13 c. Power and Love are the things that support and justifie one in trusting and putting confidence in another This Doctrine concerning the general Providence of God in governing all justifies him as to his Power to be the true and sole Object of our confidence We can trust in none else but may be controuled The greatest Princes of the Earth are but men under the authority of one who is higher than they and a mans trust in them oft-times is but like the Jews trusting in Egypt which the Prophet compareth to a leaning to a bruised reed and upon a broken staff which are not able to bear the weight of a mans body but if he leaneth upon them they will run into his hand If God be against us man cannot protect from him nor deliver out of his hand therefore saith the Psalmist Psalm 118.8 9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in Princes but he whose Kingdom is over all must needs be a proper Object of our confidence and as our confidence in God is warranted from general Providence as to the power of God so as to his love it is secured from special Providence but of that I hope to speak distinctly only a word here lest any should say But although the Kingdom of God be over all so that upon the account of his Power I may trust in him yet how doth it appear his Power shall be put forth for me I shall but offer four Meditations to you 1. That the glory of God is the great end that he aimeth at in all his actions He made all things for himself he preserveth he governeth the World for himself 2. That whereas God hath a twofold glory from his Creation Passive and Active One wherein the creature doth nothing from an inward principle thus the Heavens declare the glory of God and every creature speaks of his glory The other wherein the creature is Active acting out of intention and design and from the principle of its own will This latter is that which is most pleasing to God and acceptable 3. That God is capable of receiving no further glory from his creatures than what floweth from the predication of his praise and the doing of his Will 4. Lastly That from hence it must needs follow That God is more glorified by his Church and by his Saints than by all the Creation besides God is mutely and passively glorified by other creatures but in his Temple men speak of his glory The children of men and amongst them only those who are born of God do voluntarily and out of choice bring glory to God God if I may so speak wrests his glory from others as from Pharaoh c. God indeed in some sense may be said to be actively and voluntarily glorified by all Professors but only by that little flock whom he hath chosen to himself with a full intention voluntarily and sincerely They are the favourites of him whose Kingdom is over all Supposing then God to have a Dominion and Government over all and to be continually in the exercise of it surely if Haman could say Whom should the King delight to honour but me They may with much better right and advantage say For whom should the great King of kings and Lord of lords exercise a Rule and a Dominion For whose advantage should the Lord govern the World if not for those who most freely chearfully voluntarily serve the greatest end and design which he hath in the World viz. his own glory and can sincerely sum up all the desires of their Souls in that one Petition Let the Lord be glorified surely therefore the children of God have all obligations imaginable upon them under all vicissitudes of Providence to trust in God and to commit their ways unto the Lord. But this is but the first Duty 2. A Second Duty which this Doctrine of
them This is no observing of them Observing them argues a fixing of the eye of the mind as well as the body upon them without which a transient view of them is of very little significancy and import unto men 2. In a diligent reposing them in our minds this is that which we call a remembring of them The Lord doth his great work to be had in remembrance This is a consequent of the other we remember little of those things we only cursorily view as they come before us but when we six our eyes upon them and apply our minds to the knowledg of them then we remember them 3. In a continued and repeated view of them and reflexion upon them That man that suffereth not the great and daily workings of Divine Providence to pass by his eyes as a tale passeth through his ears which he heedeth not nor applieth his mind unto but fixeth his eye and mind upon them lodgeth them in his memory frequently reflecteth upon them repeateth and re-considereth them in his thoughts that is a wise man and he shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord And that brings me to the second Question in the Explication of the Proposition Quest 2. How is he wise how is it an argument of wisdom and doth he appear to be a wise man who observeth these workings of Providence Wisdom is sometimes taken in a larger sense so a knowing understanding man is a wise man sometimes in a stricter sense as it signifieth a practical habit directing the life and conversation sometimes as comprehending both and so I shall take it in the Proposition He is a wise man he will have more knowledg and understanding than another man and will know better how to order and direct himself in the several parts of his Conversation 1. He will be a more knowing and understanding man We use to say Experience is the mistris of fools Experience maketh a fool wise and indeed without it notions give little wisdom we speak in the commendation of the ablest persons in any art or profession such a one is an experienced man and the more experienced any one is in his art or course the better you account him in it Nothing is so well learned by rule and precept as by example and president Hence it is a common maxim of these times That the study of books accomplisheth none so much as the study of men doth Knowledg is much increased by experimental observation By this Much of the knowledg of God will be let into the soul We cannot see God as he is in his own light we must behold him in his word and in his works From the Word of God we get a great knowledg of God what he is as to his Divine Being and in his glorious Attributes but the knowledg which we have of God from his Word is both confirmed in us and increased by his works of Providence and our observation of them as well as of his great work of Creation And that 1. As they establish the Proposition of the word and confirm our faith in it Psal 48.8 As we have heard so haeve we seen in the city of our God God will establish it for ever Demonstration confirms us in our notions The Church had before learned it that God would establish his Church but now they were confirmed in it when they had seen it in the Works of Providence what they had before heard from the mouth of Gods Prophets and Messengers indeed a notion is but a probationer in our souls until we come to have it established by Faith and Demonstration 2. An observation of Providence doth also increase knowledg as it expounds to us the word of God and giveth us a more certain clear and distinct knowledg of the revelations of it We do not know how to expound some words of God but as we are taught the meaning of them by his Providential Dispensations in the fulfilling of it Gods dispensations in the world both toward his Church and the enemies and persecutors help us to understand both his promises and his threatnings 2. He who observeth the motions of Divine Providence will also know better how to order and direct his life I told you that Wisdom strictly taken is a practical habit directing this He that thus observeth will best know how to order his Conversation But will some say Is not this to make Providence our rule I answer It is one thing to make the Providence of God an argument to justifie our actions which the word condemneth Another thing to take occasions from Providence for the performance of our duty Providence alone is no rule of our actions but the word which is the rule of our actions is more sealed and confirmed to us by Providence Though Providences give no rule yet they wonderfully confirm and establish a rule when what we have read and heard in the word we see in the dealings of God it giveth a new life and makes a new impression of the rule upon our hearts God hath said Blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days and honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God give thee Now when we see God cutting off cruel and bloody men in the strength of their years or cutting off a stubborn and rebellious Child in his youth it wonderfully confirmeth the word to us and helpeth us to guide our Conversation so as we may not tread in their steps and be partakers of their Judgments 2. Again Though Providence be no rule as to particular actions yet it is a great help to us as to the three great principles of all our spiritual actions which are Faith Fear Love It is true the Proposition of the word is the object of our Faith when a soul giveth assent to the Proposition of the word because of the Authority of God who hath revealed it and this is the reason why wicked men though they have the Scriptures as well as others yet walk not in the light of them because they believe them not they assent not to the Propositions of Truth that are revealed in them but either say in their heart That it is but the fancy and invention of men or else flatter themselves with the hopes of impunity saying with those in Deuteronomy That they shall have peace although they walk according to the imaginations of their own hearts But now when a man observeth the Providence of God exemplifying and verifying the Word of God it much helps his faith in the word especially as to those in whose heart God hath wrought a previous habit of Faith It is true in this case the Providences of God will do little alone we have the words of Christ They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not believe they will not believe if one should rise from the dead But where a soul is first taught of God to give
Who could have imagined either the first Plantation of Gospel-Doctrine and Churches or the after-reformation of it when Popery had everywhere obscured it had not God by an infinitely-wise Providence first fitted the circumstances of the world to his own works To give you an instance so late that it is in most of your memories The Restauration of our present Soveraign was a great work of Providence had not God fitted the circumstances of the three Nations for such a work with how much tumult confusion and blood-shed must it have been effected It were easie to make the same observation of particular Providences relateing to our selves we shall find that God brings forth his works in their seasons and his season is always such as the Wit and Wisdom of Man had it been to chuse could not have chosen a fitter He maketh every thing beautiful in his time saith Solomon Indeed this is all the beauty of Providence almost which we discern Beauty in persons lyes much in symmetry or proportion of parts and mixture of colours There is a Beauty of Providence that lyes in the symmetry and proportion of it to the revealed Will and Promises of God but the further beauty of Providence lyeth in the seasonableness of it and the fittedness of Gods work to the circumstances of the world or of our persons at that time when he produceth it And herein we understand much of the loving-kindness of God But I shall add no more to this Observation SERMON XX. Psalm CVII 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. I Am going on in making some special Observations concerning the motions of Divine Providence Five I have already made and discoursed I proceed now to a sixth Observ 6. It usually subordinateth the civil affairs of the world to the Religious concerns of his Church 1. The world was of old divided into the circumcision and the uncircumcision that is Jews and Gentiles The Jews which were the circumcision made the visible Church until Christ's ascension or at least until he came in the flesh Since it hath been divided into Jews Christians and Heathens I speak not meerly of the name Christians that I know was first given the Disciples of Christ at Antioch but I understand under that notion such as own Jesus Christ and the Doctrine of his Gospel these make up the New-Testament Church the Gospel-Church the whole number of them makes up the Church Catholick visible Those of them in this or that Nation make up the visible Church in such a Nation Indeed a particular Organical-Church can consist of no more than so many as have either explicitly or implicitly agreed to walk together under the charge and inspection of such or such Officers 2. But there is a world amongst Christians as well as amongst Heathens all Hypocrites and seeming Professors who are carnal and savour nothing but earthly things make up this world which is opposed to the invisible Church which is restrained to the number of true and real Saints who glory not in appearance but in truth and reality Now this Church of God is that which God hath set his love upon above all other people in the world 1. The first and great objects of his love are those whom he hath chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and for whom in time Christ dyed and whom God hath effectually called and translated out of darkness into marvelous light These are those whom God hath set a part for himself Psal 4.3 A chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people to shew forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into marvellous light 2. Next to these is the whole body of the visible Church To the body of the Jews appertained the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the Promises Rom. 9.4 5. And as the Scripture mentioneth divers priviledges which were peculiar to the Jews and are to the Church as to have the Oracles of God the Word and Sacraments so doubtless there are many promises which relate to the whole body of the Church which argue Gods peculiar kindness to that body of people Whether it be because God hath more honour from them than from Pagans or for the sake of his invisible Church which is amongst them I shall not undertake to determine certain it is that the thing is so Now the Observation which I make is but a further evidence of this love that God by his Providence disposeth and governeth the affairs of the world in a just subordination to the good of his Church and to those wise ends which with reference to that he is bringing about and this is true both in reference to the Pagan world and the Christian world according to the design which God hath by which he doth design to do good to his whole Church so he disposeth and governeth the affairs of the Pagan world And according to the design God hath by which he designs to bring about good to the sincere Servants of God in any place so he disposeth ordereth and governeth the affairs of ungodly men amongst whom they live This will appear by a twofold Observation which you shall make 1. Concerning the variety of the same people's spirits 2. Concerning the variety of their actions 1. As to the variety of the same people's spirits with reference to the Church of God and those especially in it that walk more fully and close with God It is matter of astonishment to those who do not wistly consider the wheel within the wheel or the spirit of the living God within the wheels upon which all the great actions of the world do turn the world is sometimes all in an uproar against those they nickname Puritans that is such as exercise themselves to keep a good conscience both towards God and towards men for that is the true description of such a person and if profane and carnal men hate some that are otherwise in their Conversation it is but their mistake for they think them so holiness and strict walking is the thing they hate revile and maligne If you were of the world saith our Saviour the world would love its own but because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you John 15.19 sometimes again the scene is quite altered that of the Prophet Zechariah is fulfilled Zech. 8.23 Ten men take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will go with you for we have heard that the Lord is with you men stand amazed at this The People of God are the same walk in the same method of Conversation but the hand of God is in the thing Sometimes God designeth in his external Providence to smile upon his people and give them some breathing-time a few halcion-days
Providence of God did ordinarily execute this Justice by the hands of Magistrates But you must not mistake to think this rule of God was without exceptions for oftentimes exceptions were made with respect to the quality of the persons and this by the Law of God Exod. 21.16 He that cursed his father or mother was to dye the death that now was more than like for like and ver 26. If a master had struck a servant and put out his eye the masters punishment was only to manumit his servant not to pay eye for eye the reason was the disparity of persons I might observe to you that the Providence of God directed other Magistrates then those he set up amongst his own people to enact laws to render like for like in many cases especially where offences were eminently against mercy and charity though with the like respect to persons and other circumstances which is enough by the way to evidence the justice of such laws in many cases But further the Providence of God in this retaliating sins of this nature is eminent in those whom he took to punish with his own hand In the case of Pharaoh he cruelly caused the male-infants of the Jewish children to be drowned God causeth him and his host to be swallowed up in the red Sea In the case of Adonibezek Judg. 1.6 The Israelites took him and cut off his thumbs and great toes You never read that the Israelites served any Enemy so either before or after that time and doubtless what they did was by an extraordinary instinct from God Ver. 7. Adonibezek acknowledgeth the hand of God in it Threescore and ten Kings saith he having their thumbs and great toes cut off gathered their meat under my table as I have done so God hath requited me 1 Sam. 15.33 When Samuel cometh to slay Agag by Gods Commandment observe what he saith As thy sword hath made many women childless so this day thy mother shall be made childless as to thee and he cut him in pieces before the Lord. And this is that which God hath said Rev. 13.10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword shall be killed with the sword and in Rev. 18.6 speaking of mystical Babylon by which our Forefathers have understood Rome though late Authors have otherwise endeavoured to interpret it and the fall of it saith God Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled fill her double You see still those whom God hath thus punished from time to time have ordinarily been great offenders against mercy and charity great actors of cruelty the wickedness of these men God hath ordinarily retaliated and payed them in their own kind I have hitherto justified the first part of my observation that God very ordinarily doth repay eminent sinners against charity in their own kind what hath been wanting there 's hardly any observing Christian but will be able to make up in his daily observation 't is very seldom but God gives cruel and bloody and mischievous men blood to drink and cruelty to digest if he gives it not to them he ordinarily doth it to their children as he did to Saul and to Ahab and to Jehu Sauls children were hang'd by David at Gods command for his bloody house Ahab's seventy Sons were slain for his bloodshed and cruelty And God repaid the blood which Jehu shed in Jesreel though in it he executed Gods counsel unto his children as the Prophet saith expresly God gave Manasses his children Josiah only excepted blood to drink to requite him for his filling of Hierusalem with innocent blood 2. Let me now justifie the Observation as to the second part of it Gods retaliation of charity Charity is a word of a very vast extent and comprehendeth under it all acts of kindness done unto our brethren standing in need of our help It is a saying I have met with somewhere A man seldom himself experienceth in himself that misery which he hath truly felt in others Many great and exceeding pretious promises are made to it as if it were all Godliness what the Apostle saith of Godliness is applicable unto it It hath promises both of this life and that which is to come Blessed are the merciful saith our Saviour Mat 5.7 for they shall receive mercy He that giveth to the poor shall not want Prov. 28.22 I have been young saith David and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging their bread he is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed It were a great work to reckon up all the promises of this nature made to mercy and charity so many that the hard-hearted the niggardly-handed person must necessarily be either an Atheist or a notorious Unbeliever either not believing there is any such God as the Scriptures speak or such Scriptures as are the word of God or not daring to trust God upon his word either of them hath a soul in state bad enough But my work is to shew you how the Providence of God justifieth this word I told you before how David observed it in the whole course of his life he never saw such a man forsaken nor his posterity beggers What an experience was that he was a good man a wise and observing man much acquainted with the world he had seen more than most of us he lived to be an old man he doth not say he had rarely seen no that was too little I have been young saith he and now am old I never saw the righteous forsaken If you would know what righteous man he means he telleth you One that is ever merciful and lendeth I think in this case we may as to the motions of Providence distinguish as St. Paul doth in another case between a righteous man and a good man Rom. 5. The Providence of God doth sometimes so order it that we see religious men though it is a hard task I would not willingly be employed in it to reconcile an hardness of heart in this kind to Religion yet so it is that we find sometimes persons that in other things we cannot say but they are devout religious men and just men and were it not for that of St. John how dwelleth the love of God in him after a very imperfect manner certainly his brother can scarce tell how for that of St. James He that keeps the whole law and in the constant track and course of his life offends but in one point is guilty of all One would think they had love for God and were righteous men yet when you come to them for an act of charity oh it grateth them a six-pence comes at two or three pulls and with many a grudg and excuse You may possibly see such a man decay God distributes his estate because he would not and such a mans seed you may see begging bread
that are to be my hearers Let me therefore go on Doth therefore any of you say unto me Seer What seest thou I answer yet once more I observe in the motions of Actual Providence Observ 21. That God commandeth his sensible blessings most upon those individual persons and those societies of the children of men that live in the most exact conformity to the Divine Rule Here are two terms in this Observation upon the Explication of which I will a little insist Quest 1. What is meant by sensible blessings Quest 2. What I mean by the most exact conformity to the Divine Rule Good things are distributed several ways in order to our comprehension of them by our understandings amongst others this is one distribution of them they are either sensible or insensible By sensible good things I understand such as are obvious to our senses and perceptible by them By insensible such as have a reality of good in them but yet not such as our senses discern Thus David saith It is good for me that I have been afflicted but yet afflictions are not sensible good things all such are the objects of our joy and delight Now saith the Apostle no affliction at the present is joyous but grievous but it bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised therewith But I say God commandeth sensible blessings mostly upon persons and societies living in the best square and most exact conformity unto the Divine Rule 2. Further yet Sensible blessings are capable of a double notion they are either such as are obvious only to the inward senses of those that are made partakers of them such are peace of conscience joy in the holy God that serenity and tranquillity of mind which is the effect of righteousness the new-name which none knoweth but he that hath it but there are other good things which are the objects of our more exteriour senses such are health prosperity success in trade c. blessings in relations c. Now my Obsersation is That the Actual Providence of God doth usually distribute good things of this nature to such persons and such societies of persons as live to the truest square and exactest conformity to the Divine Rule That is a general and must be opened also The Divine Rule as to families and persons is of a great compass but the whole of it is reducible to three heads viz. Piety Justice and Charity under each of these are several particulars but none which fall not under one of these generals 1. Piety consists in the internal and external acts of homage which we owe unto God Our internal acts are Fear Faith Love Our external acts are principally Prayer and Praise reading the word c. 2. Justice is an habit disposing us to give every one their due 3. By Charity I mean here mutual brotherly love Now look where these things best prosper there God commandeth most sensible blessings in the ordinary motions of his Provilence Particular instances may be exceptions from a general rule but ordinarily it is so What the Psalmist saith of one of these is true of all There God commandeth the blessing Psal 133.3 There where it may be interpreted with reference to the words which immediately precedes the mountain of Zion but I take it to be far more proper to refer it to the first verse which contains the argument of the whole Psalm O saith the Psalmist how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity This he illustrateth by two similitudes the one is the oyl which was poured upon the head of Aaron and ran down to the skirts of his garment Vers 2. The other is the dew of Hermon that descended on the mountain of Zion for saith the Psalmist there the Lord commandeth the blessing even life for evermore There where where brethren together dwell in unity it is as true there where Religion is exercised where all relations give their due one to another there God commandeth the blessing Now for the proof of this I shall but appeal to your experience and what you see every day 1. Look into the world there you shall see nations of various complexions some in which the true God is worshipped in a true manner others wherein Devils are worshipped or stocks or stones or if the true God be indeed worshipped yet it is not as he hath directed but by images and superstitious rites and observances some nations that are nothing else but rapine and violence and oppression full of strife and hatred and malice and wars and dissensions You on the other side will see other Nations amongst whom the true God is worshipped and that in a true manner where are good laws against oppression and injustice and for distributive and commutative Justice where men are not hunted and persecuted for their consciences towards God Mark if God doth not command the blessing of riches trade c. more upon the latter than the former It is true some of those Countreys where these iniquities are found are naturally richer than others in minerals and the Native Commodities of the Countrey but for adventitious riches which come from Trade and Commerce and for other sensible blessings observe if they be not poured out in a greater plenty upon Nations that in matters of Religion civil Justice and Unity have been regulated by laws conformable to the Word of God than upon other Nations where none of these things have been regarded 2. If you will straiten your prospect look upon any Cities or Towns or any kind of political societies you will see some of these places such as Egypt was of which Abraham said The fear of God was not in that place where all their Religion is to persecute those that have any thing of Religion in them No rules of justice and brotherly love are observed but they are full of violence and oppression and fraud there is nothing in them but the inhabitants biting and devouring one another the cry of the oppressed is in their street Other places you will find where Religion is cherished and countenanced where the word of God is livelily and powerfully preached and men live in some seeming awe of it where rules of civil Justice are observed and men can have Justice in Courts of Judicature and the people live in peace and amity one with another observe again which of these God most commandeth his blessing upon I might appeal to your like observation concerning families and particular persons But it is no more than every one may observe Consider what an Hell upon Earth some Cities some Families are in comparison of others and see what makes the difference both in the beauty and in the prosperity of them And it needs must be so if you please to consider 1. The natural tendency of these things to so happy products 2. That God in pursuance of his many promises doth there command the blessing First In
God hath many Children and his Children will have their wanton vagaries and extravagances and must be brought through the world to Heaven under the discipline of persecutions and many afflictions wicked and profane men in the world are Gods gaolers and bride-well men that keep his houses of correction when his servants are wanton and offend him he sends them to these gaolers he turns them over unto wicked men It was Davids curse of his enemies Psal 109.6 Set thou a wicked man over him and let Sathan stand at his right hand God when his people offend him sometimes sends them to the Extortioner to catch all that they have Sometimes to a barbarous Souldier to spoile all their labour sometimes to a persecutor to rifle their houses and plunder their pleasant things to lay them up in gaoles c. And thus a multitude of sinners is necessary to Gods government of the world But yet for we are very apt to dispute with God how is it that the providence of God suffers such an excess of riot such a world of iniquity in the world if some sin be suffered if some sinners must be endured in the world yet why so much sin Though an easy and manifold answer might be easily drawn up to this from my former discourse yet let me add 3 or 4 things 1. Dost thou that speakest thus consider what a dependency there is of one sin upon another and what an use God maketh of one sin to punish another Let me a little discourse each of these The moralist saith Virtutes sunt concatenatae Divines say as much of the graces of the Spirit of God they have a causative virtue and influence upon one another patience worketh experience experience hope The Apostle tells us faith worketh by love it is indeed productive both of love and hope c. It is also true that Vitia sunt concatenata vices and sinful habits are also linked together and are productive one of another Lust conceiveth and brings forth and sin finisheth and then bringeth forth death And as it is observed in nature the most noxious Creatures are most fruitful and teeming so vice and sin is a most fruitful teeming mother one sin bringeth forth a multitude of sin Drunkenness is the ordinary mother of whoredom filthy and profane discourse quarrellings and contentions Who hath contentions who hath babling saith Solomon in Pro. 23.29 They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek for mixt wine 2. Again God in his providence maketh use of sin to punish sin But the equity of God in that motion of his providence God willing I shall hereafter more fully discourse 2. To quiet your thoughts upon this permission of Divine Providence I shall offer to your consideration what Nierembergius an acute Author though a Papist saith upon this argument That the quantity of sin which God permitteth in the world is nothing to what he bindreth in it What a Brothel house of uncleanness what a Field of blood and oppression What an universal Ale house would the world be were it not for the restrainings of Divine Grace what but this hindereth that every man is not a Cain unto his Brother a Judas to his Master that every one is not an Heliogabalus for lust and luxury as much a monster of cruelty as Nero The child of God jealous for the glory of God is often stumbled to see so much sin in the world whereas he should rather be taken up with the admiration of Divine Goodness that there is no more prodigious wickedness committed in it Gratulor saith the afore-mentioned ingenious Author compendium peccandi supremae illi bonitati fontanae miserationi quâ tantus malorum ardor extinguitur Would you blame a man who seeing your House all on fire should quench that fire and only leave some straw burning in the Yard The whole world lieth in wickedness there is a great depth of lust and sin in all our hearts by nature God so ordereth it in his Providence that though he thinks fit to leave some lust burning yet he smothereth and restraineth the far greater part He suffereth not the thousandth part of that blasphemy that uncleanness that drunkenness that oppression fraud cruelty and injustice which would be in the world if he took off his hand of restraint from mens spirits What he doth suffer his infinite wisdom knows how to make an advantagious use of for the glory of his great name 3. Consider that the time of sinning beareth no proportion to that time that the Creation shall be without sin The world hath lasted five or six thousand years Chronologers differ in their calculations how long it shall last none can tell many have guessed and already find they have been mistaken But suppose which is not very probable that it should last five six ten thousand more this indeed is a long time for the Devil who is the god of this world to reign and have a kingdom in and a world of sin hath been committed and is committed daily in the world and doubtless will yet be committed before God puts a period to the world and to sinning-time but if it were twice ten thousand years what is that to eternity that eternity that shall be consequent to the day of Judgement when there shall not be a sin committed nor a sinner seen The wicked and all they who forget God shall be turned into Hell There shall not be the black patch of a sin in the beautiful face of the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness when that blessed time comes it shall be all spent in praises and Hallelujahs Stumble not then at Gods Providence in permitting some sin in the world who hath made so good a provision for his own glory unto a long eternity which also shall then be advantaged by the much sin suffered in the world For those who have much forgiven them will love much here and praise God much both here and hereafter the high praises of God in the mouths of glorified saints are doubtless elevated by the high and much sin which they were guilty of in the world You read Rev. 7. of many thousands of Gods sealed ones which John saw and vers 9 10. A great number which no man could count of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues that stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands who cryed with a loud voice salvation to our God who sitteth upon the Throne and to the lamb and again vers 12. Amen blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be given unto our God for ever and ever Now St. John desiring to know who these were had this answer These are they who are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day
I remember it is a saying of Salvian Repugnanti corporis valetudine quae optamus facere non facimus many a time the want of strength and health in our bodies hindreth us from doing that sin which we have a mind to commit The great enjoyments of the world are not only the things which make men unwilling to die but both they and the great businesses and employments of the world are those things which keep Christians fettered they cannot pray they cannot wait upon God in ordinances they cannot fast they cannot solemnly worship God as others less intangled can amongst other advantages therefore of a poor and afflicted state an ingenious Author reckons this for one he saith it is puritatis condimentum the pickle of purity and holiness They are the very salt of the Earth without which the best of men would putrify in their full enjoyment They are you know sharp and acrimonious things that are the Enemies to putrefaction salt seasoneth things vinegar makes a good pickle preservative of things Sugar quickly corrupteth It is true there are too too many that have little enough of these things and as little of any gracious habits poverty and afflictions will not give grace but that is a rare Christian that abounds with the affluences of this life and yet keepeth his integrity is as pure as holy as full of duty as others who have less of this worlds goods they are no fountains of grace but they are great preservatives of it 2. Nay this is not all in the second place they conduce much to the improvements of grace especially of faith and patience They are two habits of grace that like Solomons brother and friend are made for adversity Tribulatio patientiae Robur operatur patientia fidei probationem parit Tribulation addeth to the strength of patience and patience bringeth forth the tryal of Faith If the people of God never met with affliction how should the trial of their faith appear more pretious than that of Gold which perisheth How should their patience have its perfect work Faith is never seen till we be out of sight of the thing which we pretend to trust God for Hope which is seen is no hope but if we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Job's faith in God and love to God was seen in his trusting in him and adhering to him while God seemed to be killing of him Practical habits are improved by exercise The Souls of the Saints ordinarily come out of their trials more strong in faith more confirmed in hope more exercised in patience more flaming in love to God how then shall we call those things evils which instead of depraving the Soul and making it worse do tend to the improvement of the Soul and making of it better 3. Lastly the highest good which the Soul is capable of is the beatifical vision and enjoyment of God to all Eternity To this the low estate of the people of God doth exceedingly conduce 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Those who shall sit with God upon thrones are those which continue with him in tribulations The great multitude which St. John saw Rev. 7.9 10 11 12 13. which no man could number of all Nations kindreds people and tongues which stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands upon inquiry were found to be those who came out of great tribulation and had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb v. 14. Our sufferings in this life do not merit glory alas there is no perfection in our suffering and sufferings are but our duty nor is there any proportion betwixt light and momentany afflictions and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory but they work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory Thou art mistaken then O Christian in thy Judgment God doth not as thou dreamest distribute good things to his Enemies nor yet evil things to his friends the business is no more than this Deus per ficta mala punit suos per larvata bona impios remunerat Nierem God indeed by things in appearance good rewardeth wicked men and by things in appearance evil he punisheth those that are his own people Nor let any one think to quibble here as if God mocked either the one or the other for although these things which the wicked enjoy are not real and substantial good things yet as they are the things which they desire delight in which they chuse above other things more solidly and substantially good they are to them really good and they have a tendency to make them better and the afflictions of the people of God as they have in them an enmity to their flesh and are ingrateful to their senses so they have something of real evil in them but comparatively with other evils or the greater good things which God hath prepared for his people they have nothing of evil in them In short every observing man discerneth the difference betwixt the love of an indulgent cockering mother and a wise and prudent father The father sheweth his love to the Child by fitting it to live in the world another day learning it to be a man to know the world and to converse with it to this purpose he inureth it to hardship he sends it to school and keepeth it under a severe discipline thus he sheweth his love to his Child and when the Child cometh to years of discretion the Child thanks him for it though under the discipline of its youth possibly the Child thinks the father its worst enemy The mother possibly sheweth her love by cockering the Child dandling it upon her knee providing fine clothes for it giving it sweet-meats c. Which things indeed have nothing of true love in them and do only tend to emasculate the Child and make it of an effeminate temper and more unfit to converse with or live in the world another day Patrium Deus habet in bonos animum saith an ingenious Author God loves good people not like a mother but like a father whom he loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth he keeps them at the school of affliction and educateth them under the discipline of the rods and ferulaes of many trials and afflictions he suffereth not the world which is their natural mother according to the flesh to hug them in her bosom nor to dandle them upon her knees he chasteneth them that they might not be condemned with the wicked he hath said blessed is he whom thou chasteneth and teachest him out of thy Law This is but a fatherly dealing of God with his people God thus fitteth them for Heaven polisheth them for shafts in his own quiver by this darkness makes them fit for the Saints in light Why
Lord of life It is a dispensation that hath often put the servants of God into unseemly passions James and John would have had fire come down from Heaven as in Elijahs time to have destroyed the Samaritans Peter was out of patience to see the Informer come with a company with Swords and Staves to take his Master and in his passion draweth a Sword and with it cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest David himself when God offered him the choice of three Judgments desired rather to fall into the hands of God than into the hands of men I say it is and hath often been a very sore temptation advantaged partly from Nature partly from some Religious reflections That which in humane nature advantageth this temptation is 1. The disdain every man naturally hath to suffer an injury from one beneath himself when Gideon would have had his Son Jether have fallen upon those two Eastern Princes Zeba and Zalmuna they said rise thou up and fall upon us men have a natural disdain and scorn to suffer from their inferiours we see it in every days experience Now although every child of God is low in his own eyes and in honour preferreth every Saint before himself yet as St. Paul sometimes magnified his office against the false Apostles and counterfeits of his age though he judged himself the least of the Apostles and unworthy of that great Name so they cannot but magnifie themselves in comparison of open profane miscreants that are the scum and off scouring of the place in which they live such as are common drunkards lyars swearers Sabbath-breakers and guilty of other debaucheries the very scabs of the body politick and spots of the Assemblies to which they are united 2. Every man naturally hath a regret at the receiving of injuries from those from whom he hath deserved no such thing Now the People of God are persons of innocence who have done no wrong to their worst Enemies they have loved their Enemies prayed for them been ready to do any offices of love to them and know not how to bear an injury from those to whom they have done no wrong This was that which troubled Davids Spirit Psal 35.12 13. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my Soul but as for me when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloath I humbled my Soul with fasting and my prayer returned into my own bosom I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed down heavily as one that mourned for my mother But in mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I knew it not yea they did tear me and ceased not with hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Lord how long wilt thou look on Rescue my Soul from their destructions 2. This temptation is likewise advantaged from some Religious reflections 1. From a reflection upon the purity and holiness of God O Lord saith our Prophet in my Text thou art of purer Eyes then to behold iniquity How a just and pure and holy God should look on and hold his peace to see a company of vile wretches tearing and devouring his own people this is a knowledg at first view too wonderful for them 2. From a reflexion upon the promises and threatnings of God they look into the holy word of God and find that full of promises of good to Gods People of threatnings of wrath and vengeance to wicked men instead of this they see vile men building up Palaces to themselves upon their ruins and adorning themselves with their Ornaments the houses of the profane furnished and adorned with that which is not theirs instead of the wicked mans preparing garments and the just mans putting them on as Job speaketh they see good and righteous men preparing garments and leud and ungodly men put them on they see the spoil of such as fear the Lord in the tents of leud and ungodly men 3. From a reflexion upon the Decrees of God O Lord saith our Prophet thou hast ordained them for destruction O mighty God thou hast established them for correction they consider leud and wicked men as men whom God by a fixed act of his Will hath ordained to judgment as persons who by the established counsel of God are to be destroyed and they cannot expound the Providence of God into a consistency with his eternal purpose when they see them not only live prosper and grow old but also live by the death of such as fear God and build their nests on high with feathers which they have plucked from their wings From these and other causes ariseth this trouble and coil in the spirits of Gods people Fluctus est Tentatio est as Augustine saith it is a great wave a great temptation and trouble and even Gods own people here are ready to think they see a knot in the thred of providence a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence in the even ways of the Lords dealing Let me indeavour in a few words to unty this knot to remove this stone Four or five things I shall speak one or other of which or all together will make this way of the Lord plain to every sober and understanding Christian 1. How is God to his people more hard or unrighteous in such a dispensation than he was to the son of his dearest love Our blessed Lord hath taught us That the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord Matt. 10.24 25. 'T is true the chief Informer against our Lord was one of his hoshold Judas but he was a son of perdition the only ill member of all the 12. Who were his witnesses but a company of perjured wretches who could not agree in their testimony Who mockt him and scourged him Herod a monster for all manner of wickedness Who were they that spit upon him that cried out crucifie him crucifie him that gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink were they not the abjects of the people Thou art not able to conceive of Gods righteousness in giving thee over and thy estate over to a Renegado an apostate from his former profession to wretches who make no conscience what they say what they swear what they do How was he righteous in giving over the Son of his love to such wretches We are never so like to our Lord and Master as when we are betrayed by a Judas informed against and testified against by false and perjured wretches mockt and abused by the abjects and off scouring of the people If God might be a just and righteous God in suffering these things to be done to the green tree surely he may suffer them to be done unto us who are dry trees Thou art troubled that God should suffer profane scoffers to call thee
day of believing Souls if we can make any Judgment of Believers do sufficiently evince this to our Souls my business is to inquire the Justice and the reasonableness of the motions of Divine Providence in the inequality of this distribution This will easily appear to you upon three hypotheses which I take to be all very true 1. That God doth ordinarily dispense out these influences of grace to souls which by his Providence he hath prepared for them This which I call Gods Providential preparation of souls for the reception of these influences I conceive lies chiefly in Two things 1. The freedom of it from those bodily incumbrances which in a natural working make the soul sad heavy and dejected such distempers we know there are as in a natural working sadden the spirit and fill it full of fear sorrow dejection and despondency which are all contrary to the comforts and serenity of a soul and as I have once and again told you it must be a miraculous operation contrary to the bias tendency and natural operations of a man for a soul to be filled with consolations while it is influenced with a body lying under these disadvantages God therefore when he intendeth any of these consolatory influences doth ordinarily prepare the soul for it by delivering it from those influences of an ill affected body which dispose it quite another way 2. A second way by which God prepareth the soul for it is by filling it with knowledg proportionable to it for the comforts of a gracious soul are not irrational and unaccountable things but the results of Scriptural conclusions which the soul is by the Comforter inabled to make God hath in his Word sown the seed of light and joy for them the Ministers of the Gospel who are the Interpreters of Scripture have an Office and Ministery in the Interpretation of this Word and working the souls of Gods people to understand the sense of them The soul it self hath an action in it using its reason and natural powers to conclude from the Scripture The Holy Spirit giveth unto the soul to see the things which are freely given it of God 1 Cor. 2. and further possibly setteth to its Seal and giveth it a further and more undoubted confirmation so as in an ordinary working the comforted soul must be a knowing and understanding soul It is true we sometimes find some honest souls full of joy and peace whose knowledg doth not appear proportionable God so relieving some particular souls after their lying under the discouragements of the spirit of bondage But commonly such comforts are not of long continuance rather present reliefs to the soul from an extraordinary working of the blessed Comforter than any settled consolation and the abidings of the Comforter with them Seldom any but knowing and judicious Christians have a settled and continued joy and peace upon their believing 2. Secondly That God doth ordinarily give out these dispensations more or less or nothing of them though not according to the merits of those souls that have them yet according to their behaviour and misbehaviour towards him That famous promise John 14.21 We will manifest our selves unto him is made to those that love Christ and who keep his Commandments And when Judas asks him Lord How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world Christ answereth him saying ver 23. If any man love me and keepeth my sayings my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings as much as to say The reason why I manifest my self more to you is because you love me and demonstrate that love to me by keeping my Commandments For the world they love me not and proclaim that they love me not by their disobedience to my Commandments and therefore it is that I do not manifest my self to the world as I do unto you In the receiving of the first grace man is meerly passive and the subject of preventing and operating grace but as to the receptions of further grace the child of God is active and the subject of cooperative adjuvant and assisting grace and God gives out his assistances according to their motions 3. Lastly The reasonableness of this different dispensation may appear in this That in the dispensations of this grace God acteth often by Prerogative shewing mercy where he will shew mercy Indeed he doth so as to the first grace as I have before at large shewed you But now he doth not so as to these influences of grace which are necessary to the upholding of the mystical union between Christ and the Soul and the upholding of a Christians spiritual life if he did it were possible that a child of God might fall away from his state of grace and there might be an intercision of the state of Justification But Christ hath told us That if any man drink of the water which he shall give him he shall never thirst but it shall be in him a well-spring of living water springing up in his soul to eternal life c. so that in the dispensation of that God acteth upon a Covenant and as a debtor to his promise If any one saith God hath also promised to manifest himself unto his people I answer those promises are made to those that love him and keep his Commandments but for the upholding of the spiritual life he hath made a Covenant with his people as that he will never depart from them to do them good so that he will put his fear into their hearts that they shall never depart from him which promise although it be not to be extended to a being kept from all sin yet it is to be extended to the preservation of souls from such degrees of sinning as shall extend to the alteration of the state of the soul and the extinguishing the spiritual life and killing the seed of God in the soul But for those manifestations of grace which are not necessary to a souls Salvation and the upholding of spiritual life in it God acteth more freely according to the counsel of his own Will derected by his own infinite Wisdom Now upon these Hypotheses supposing that all Christians are not of equal degrees of knowledg nor are equal as to their bodily circumstances that every soul that belongeth to God doth not walk up to an equal degree of duty but some may be and are guilty of more and more eminent failings than others Or that God may be by his infinite Wisdom directed to try one soul more than another to prove their patience or their faith which is most tryed when his people have least sensible consolations the motions of Divine Providence in distributing to several Christians nay to the same Christians several degrees of consolatory influences of grace cannot seem either unjust or unreasonable to any sober and intelligent Christians This is all I shall speak to this