be negligent you cannot be innocent And yet Be not so intent upon your particular Callings as to make them interfere with your general Calling Beware you lose not your God in the Crowd and hurry of Earthly business Mind that solemn warning 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into TemptatJon and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destructJon and perditJon The inhabitants of O Enoc a dry Island near Athens bestowed much labour to draw in a River to water it and make it fruitful but when the Sluces were opened the waters slowed so abundantly that it overflowed the Island and drowned the Inhabitants The application is obvious It was an excellent saying of Seneca rebus non me trado sed commodo I don't give but lend my self to business Remember alwayes the success of your Callings and earthly Imployments is by Divine blessing not humane diligence alone Deut. 8. 18. Thou shalt remember the Lord they God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth The Devil himself was so far Orthodox as to acknowledge it Job 1. 10 Hast not Thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the work of his hand c. Recommend therefore your affairs to God by prayer according to Psal. 37. 4 5. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass And touch not with that which you cannot recommend to God by Prayer for a blessing Be well satisfied in that Station and Imployment in which Providence hath placed you and do not so much as wish your selves in another 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called Providence is wiser than you and you may be confident hath suited all things better to your Eternal good than you could do had you been left to your own option The Sixth Performance of Providence VI. THus you see the care Providence hath had over you in your youth in respect of that Civil Imployment to which it guided us in those dayes We will in the next place consider it as our Guide and the Orderer of our RelatJons for us That Providence hath a special hand in this matter is evident both from Scripture assertions and the acknowledgements of holy men who in that great concernment of their lives have still owned and acknowledged the directing hand of Providence Take an instance of both The Scripture plainly asserts the dominion of Providence over this affair in Prov. 19. 14. A prudent Wife is from the Lord and Prov. 18. 22. Who 's findeth a Wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord. So for Children see Psal. 127. 3. Lo Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the Womb is his reward And it hath ever been the practice of holy men to seek the Lord for direction and counsel when they have been upon the change of their condition No doubt but Abraham's encouragement in that case was the fruit of prayer Gen. 24. 7. His pious servant also who was imployed in that affair did both earnestly seek counsel of God Gen 24. 12. and thankfully acknowledge his gracious Providence in guiding it Ver. 26 27. The same we may observe in Children the fruit of marriage 1 Sam. 1. 20. Luke 1. 13 14. Now the Providence of God may be divers wayes displayed for the engaging of our hearts in love to the God of our mercies 1. There is very much of Providence seen in appointing the Parties each for other In this the Lord goes oftentimes beyond our thoughts and projections yea and oftentimes crosses mens desires and designs to their great advantage Not what they fancy but what his infinite wisdom judges best and most beneficial for them takes place Hence it is that probabilities are so often dashed and things remote and utterly improbable are brought about in very strange and unaccountable methods of Providence 2. There is much of Providence seen in the harmony and agreeableness of tempers and dispositions from whence a very great part of the tranquillity and comforts of our lives results or at least though natural tempers and educations did not so much harmonize before yet they do so after they come under the Ordinance of God Gen. 2. 24. They two shall be one flesh not one only in respect of Gods institutJon but one in respect of love and affectJon that those who so lately were meer strangers to each other are now endeared to a degree beyond the nearest relations in blood Vbi supra For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and shall cleave to his Wife and they two shall be one flesh 3. But especially Providence is remarkable in making one instrumental to the eternal good of the other I Cor. 7. 16. How knowest thou O Wife but thou maist save thy Husband or how knowest thou O Man whether thou shalt save thy Wife Hence is that grave Exhortation to the Wives of unbelieving Husbands 1 Pet. 3. 1. to win them by their conversation which should be to them in stead of an ordinance Or if both be gracious then what singular assistance and mutual help is hereby gained to the furtherance of their Eternal good Whilst they live together as Heirs of the grace of life I Pet. 3. 7. O blessed Providence that directed such into so intimate relation on Earth who shall inherit together the common SalvatJon in Heaven 4. How much of Providence is seen in Children the fruit of MarrJage To have any Posterity in the Earth and not be left altogether as a dry tree To have comfort and joy in them is a special Providence importing a special mercy to us To have the breaches made upon our Families repaired is a Providence to be owned with a thankful heart When God shall say to a man as he speaks in another case to the Church Isa. 49. 20. The Children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say again in thine ears the place is too strait for me c And these Providences will appear more affectingly sweet and lovely to you if you but compare its allotments to you with what it hath allotted to many others in the world For do but look abroad and you shall find 1. Multitudes unequally yoked to the imbittering of their lives whose Relations are clogs and hinderances both in Temporals and Spirituals Yea we find an account in Scripture of gracious persons a great part of whose comfort in this world hath been split upon this Rock Abigail was a discreet and vertuous Wâ—man but very unsuitably matched to a churlish Nabal see 1 Sam. 25. 25. What a temptation to the neglect of a known duty prevail'd upon the renowned Moses by the means of Zipporah his
see how their hearts are broken for sin under this severe rebuke Lam. 2. 17 18 19. And then 2. For caution against sin for the time to come it 's plain that the rebukes of Providence leave that effect also upon gracious hearts Ezra 9. 13 14. Psal. 85. 8. Sometimes he cheers and comforts the hearts of his people with smiling and reviving Providences both publick and personal There are times of lifting up as well as casting down by the hand of Providence The Scene changes the aspects of Providence are very cheerful and encouraging their Winter seems to be over they put off their garments of mourning and then Ah what sweet returns are made to heaven by gracious souls Doth God lift them up by prosperity they also will lift up their God by praises See Psal. 18. Title and v. 1 2 3. So Moses and the people with him Exod. 15. when God had delivered them from Pharaoh how do they exalt him in a song of thanksgiving which for the elegancy and spirituality of it is made an Emblem of the doxologies given to God in glory by the Saints Rev. 15. 3. Upon the whole whatever effects our Communion with God in any of his Ordinances doth use to produce upon our hearts the same we may observe to follow our conversing with him in his Providences For It is usually found in the experience of all the Saints that in what Ordinance or duty soever they â—ave any sensible communion with God it naturally produces in their spirits a deep abasement and humiliation from the sense of divine condescensions to such vile poor Worms as we are Thus Abraham Gen. 18. 27. I am but dust and ashes The same effect follows our converse with God in his Providences Thus when God had in the way of his Providence prospered Jacob how doth he lay himself at the feet of God as a man overwhelmed with the sense of mercy See Gen. 32. 5 10. And Jacob said I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercJes and of all the truth which thou hast shewed thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now am become two bands Thus also it was with David 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am I and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto And I doubt not but some of you have found the like frame of heart upon you that these holy men here expressed Can you not remember when God lifted you up by Providence how you cast down your selves before him and have been viler in your own eyes than ever Why thus do all gracious hearts What am I that the Lord should do thus and thus for me O that ever so great and holy a God should thus be concerned for so vile and sinful a Worm 2. Doth Communion with God in Ordinances melt the heart into love to God Cant. 2. 3 4 5. Why so doth the observation of his Providences also Never did any man conversâ— with Gods works of Providencâ— aright but fâ—â—nd his heart at some times melted into love to the God of his mercies Psal. 18. 1. compared with the Title When God had delivered him from the hand of Saul and all his Enemies he said I will love thee O Lord my strength Every man loves the mercies of God but a Saint loves the God of his mercies The mercies of God as they are the fewel of a wicked mans lusts so they are fewel to maintain a good mans love to God not that their love to God is grounded upon these external benefits Not thine but thee O Lord is the motto of a gracious soul but yet these things serve to blow up the flame of love to God in their hearts and they find it so Doth Communion with God set the keenest edge upon the soul against sin You see it doth and have a pregnant Instance of it in Moses when he had been with God in the Mount for forty dayes and had there enjoyed communion with him when he came down and saw the Calf the people had made see what an holy paroxysm of zeal and anger it cast his soul into Exod. 32. 19 20. Why the same effect you may discern to follow the Saints converse with God in his Providences What was that which pierced the heart of David with such a deep sense of the evil of his sin which is so abundantly manifested in Psalm 51. throughout Why if you look into the Title you shall find it was the effect of what Nathan had laid before him and if you consult 2 Sam. 12. 7 8 9 10. you shall find it was the goodness of God manifested to him in the several endearing Providences of his life which in this he had so evilly requited the Lord for that broke his heart to pieces in the sense of it and I doubt not but some of us have some times found the like effects by comparing Gods wayes and our own together Doth Communion with the Lord enlarge the heart for obedience and service Surely it is as oyl to the wheels that makes them run of freely and nimbly their course Thus when IsaJah had obtained a special manifestation of God and the Lord askt whom shall I send he presents a ready soul for the employment Isa. 6. 8. Here am I Lord send me Why the very same effect follows sanctified Providences as you may see in Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 5 6. and in David Psal. 116. 12. O when a soul considers what God hath done for him he cannot chuse but say what shall I return how shall I answer these engagements And thus you see what sweet Communion a soul may have with God in the way of his Providences O that you would thus walk with him How much of Heaven might be found on Earth this way And certainly it will never repent the Lord he hath done you good when his mercies produce such effects upon your hearts he will say of every savour thus improved It was well bestowed and will rejoyce over you to do you good for ever Second Motive A Great part of the pleasure and delight of the ChristJan life is made out of the observatJons of Providence It is said Psal. 111. 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein i. e. the study of Providence is so sweet and pleasant that it invites and allures the soul to search and dive into it How pleasant is it to a well tempered soul to behold and observe 1. The sweet harmony and consent of divine Attributes in the issues of Providence They may seem sometimes to jarr and clash to part with each other and go contrary wayes but they only seem so to do for in the winding up they alwayes meet and embrace each other Psal. 85. 10. Mercy and Truth have met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other It is spoken with an immediate reference to that signal Providence of Israels deliverance out of the
mentioned Examples and you shall see the blessed work of Conversion begun upon those souls when they minded it no more than Saul did a Kingdom that morning he went out to seek his Fathers Asses 1 Sam 9. 3 20. Providence might truly have said to you in that day as Christ said to Peter John 13. 7. What I do thou knowest not now but hereafter thou shalt know it Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are his thoughts higher than ours and his wayes than our wayes Little did Zacheus think when he climbed up into the Sycamore-tree to see Christ as he passed that way what a design of mercy Christ had upon him who took thence the occasion of becoming both his Guest and SavJour Luke 19. 5 6 7 8. And as little did some of you think what the aim of Providence was when you went some out of custom others out of curiosity if not worse ends to hear such a Sermon O how stupendious are the wayes of God! What a distinguishing and seasonable mercy was usher'd in by Providence in that day It brought you to the means of salvation in a good hour At that very nick of time when the Angel troubled the Waters you were brought to the Pool to allude to that John 5. 4. Now the accepted day was come the Spirit was in the Ordinance or Providence that converted you and you were set in the way of it It may be you had heard many hundred Sermons before but nothing would stick till now because the hour was not come The Lord did as it were call in the Word for such a man such a woman and Providence said Lord here he is I have brought him before thee There were many others under that Sermon that received no such mercy You your selves had heard many before but not to that advantage as it is said Luke 4. 27. There were many Lepers in Israel in the days of Elizeus but to none of them was the Prophet sent save unto Naaman the SyrJan So there were many poor unconverted souls beside you under the Word that day and it may be to none of them was salvation sent that day but to you O blessed Providence that set you in the way of mercy at that time What a weighty and important mercy was Providentially directed to your souls that day There are mercies of all sizes and kinds in the hands of Providence to dispense to the sons of men its left hand is full of blessings as well as its right It hath health and riches honours and pleasures as well as Christ and Salvation to dispense The world is full of its left hand favours but the blessings of its right hand are invaluably precious and few there be that receive them It doth thousands of kind offices for men but among them all this is the chiefest to lead and direct them to Christ. For consider 1. Of all mercies this comes through most and greatest difficulties Eph. 1. 19 20. 2. This is a spiritual mercy excelling in dignity of nature all others more than gold excels the dirt under your feet Rev. 3. 18. One such gift is worth thousands of other mercies 3. This is a mercy immediately slowing out of the fountain of Gods electing love a mercy never dropt into any but an Elect Vessel 1 Thess. 1. 4 5. 4. This is a mercy that infallibly secures Calvation for as we may argue from Conversion to Election looking back so from Conversion to Salvation looking forward Heb. 6. 9. 5. Lastly This is an Eternal mercy that which will stick by you when Father Mother Wife Children Estate Honours Health and Life shall fail thee John 4. 14. O therefore set a special Mark upon that Providence that set you in the way of this mercy It hath performed that for thee which all the Ministers on Earth and Angels in Heaven could never have performed This is a Mercy that puts weight and value into the smallest Circumstance that relates to it The Fifth Performance of Providence V. THus you hear how instrumental Providence hath been in ordering the Means and Occasions of the greatest Mercies for your souls Let us now take into consideration another excellent Performance of Providence respecting the good of your bodies and souls too in respect of that Imployment and Calling it hath ordered for you in this world for it hath not only an Eye upon your well being in the world to come but upon your well being in this world also and that very much depends upon the Station and Vocation to which it calls you Now the Providence of God with respect to our civil Callings may be displayed very takingly in the following particulars In directing you to a Calling in your Youth and not suffering you to live an idle useless and sinful life as many do who are but burthens to the Earth fruges consumere nati the Wens of the body politick serving only to disfigure and drein it to eat what others earn Sin brought in sweat Gen. 3. 19. but now not to sweat increaseth sin 2 Thess. 3. 12. He that lives idly cannot live honestly as is plainly enough intimated 1 Thess. 4. 11 12. But when God puts men into a lawful Calling wherein the labours of their hands or heads is sufficient for them it is a very valuable mercy for thereby they eat their own bread 2 Thess. 3. 12. Many a sad Temptation is happily prevented and they are ordinarily furnished by it for works of mercy to others and surely it is more blessed to give than to receive In ordering you to such Callings and Imployments in the world as are not only lawful in themselves but most suitable to you There be many persons imployed in sinful Trades and Arts meerly to furnish other mens lusts they do not only sin in their Imployments but their very Imployments are sinful they trade for Hell and are Factors for the Devil DemetrJus and the Crafts-men at Ephesus got their Estates by makeing Shrines for DJana Acts 19. 24 25. i. e. little cases or boxes with folding leaves within which the Image of that Idol sate enshrined These were carried about by the People in Procession in honour of their Idol And at this day how many wicked Arts and Imployments are there invented and multitudes of persons maintained by them meerly to gratifie the pride and wantonness of a debauched age Now to have an honest lawful imployment wherein you do not dishonour God in benefiting your selves is no small mercy But if it be not only lawful in it self but suited to your genJus and strength there is a double mercy in it Some poor Creatures are engaged in Callings that eat up their time and strength and make their lives very uncomfortable to them they have not only spending and wasting Imployments in the world but such as allow them little or no time for their general Calling and yet all this doth but keep them
Wife Exod. 4. 24 25. David had his scoffing Michal 2 Sam. 6. 20. And patient Job no small addition to all his other afflictions from the Wife of his bosom who should have been a support to him in the day of his trouble Job 19. 17. No doubt but God sanctifies such rods to his Peoples good If Socrates knew how to improve his affliction in his Zantippe to the increase of his patience much more will they who converse with God under all Providences whether sweet or bitter Nevertheless this must be acknowledged to be a sad stroke upon any person and such as maims them upon the working hand by unfitting them for duty 1 Pet. 3. 7. and cuts off much of the comfort of life also 2. How many are there who never enjoy the comfortable fruits of Marriage but are denyed the sight at least the enjoyment of Children Jer. 22. 30. Thus saith the Lord write this man Childless c. or if they have Children yet cannot enjoy them Hosea 9. 12. Though they bring up Children yet will I bereave them that there shall not be a man left who only bear for the grave and have their expectations raised for a greater affliction to themselves 3. And it is no rare or unusual thing to see Children and near Relations the greatest Instruments of affliction to their Parents and Friends so that after all their other sorrows and troubles in the World nearest Relations bring up the rear of sorrows as One speaks and prove greater griefs than any other O how many Parents have complained with the Tree in the Fable that their very hearts have been rived asunder with those Wedges that were cut out of their own bodies What a grief was Esau to Isaac and Rabecka Gen. 26. 34 35. What a scourge were Absalom and Amnon to David Well then if God have set the solitary in FamilJes as it is Psal. 68. 6. built an house for the desolate given you comfortable relations which are springs of daily comfort and refreshment to you you are upon many accounts engaged to walk answerably to these gracious Providences And that you may understand wherein that decorum and agreeable comportment with these Providences consists take up the sense of your duty in these brief hints 1. Ascribe to God the glory of all those Providential works which yield you comfort You see a wise directing governing Providence which hath disposed and ordered all things beyond your own projections and designs The way of man is not in himself nor is it in him that walketh to direct his own steps Jer. 10. 23. Not what you projected but what an higher counsel than yours determined is come to pass Good Jacob when God had made him the Father of a Family admired God in the mercy Gen. 32. 10. With my staff said he I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands And how doth this mercy humble and melt him I am not worthy of the least of all the mercJes and of all the 〈◊〉 which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Be exact in discharging the duties of those Relations which so gracious a Providence hath led you into Abuse not the effects of so much mercy and love to you The Lord expects praise where ever you have comfort This aggravated David's sin that he should dare to abuse so great love and mercy as God had shewn him in his Family Relations 2. Sam. 12. 7 8 9. Improve Relations to the end Providence designed them Walk together as Co-heirs of the grace of life study to be mutual blessings to each other so walk in your Relations that the parting day may be sweet Death will shortly break up the Family and then nothing but the sense of duty discharged or the neglects pardoned will give comfort The Seventh Performance of Providence VII YOu have heard how well Providence hath performed its part of you in planting you into families who once were solitary Now let us in the next place view another gracious performance of Providence for us in making provisJon from time to time for us and our FamilJes I the rather put these Providences together in this place because I find the Scripture doth so Psalm 107. 41. He setteth the poor on high from afflictJon and maketh him familJes like a flock You know the Promises God hath made to his People Psal. 34. 10. The young LJons shall lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And have you not also seen the constant performance of it Cannot you give the same answer if the same question were propounded to you that the Disciples did Luke 22. 35. Since I sent you forth lacked ye any thing and they said nothing Can ye not with Jacob call him the God that fed you all your life long Gen. 48. 15. Surely he hath given bread to them that fear him and been ever mindful of his Covenant Psal. 111. 5. To display this Providence we will consider it in the following particulars 1. The assiduity and constancy of the care of Providence for the Saints Lam. 3. 23. His mercJes are new every morning It is not the supply of one or two pressing needs but all your wants as they grow from day to day through all your dayes Gen. 48. 15. The God that fed me all my life long The care of Providence runs parallel with the line of life See Isa. 46. 3 4. Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly which are carryed from the Womb and even to your old age I am he and even to hoar hairs will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you So that as God bid Israel Micah 6. 5. to remember from Shittim◠unto Gilgal that they might know the faithfulness of the Lord so would I perswade thee Reader to record the wayes of Providence from first to last throughout thy whole course of this day that thou maist see what a God he hath been to thee 2. The seasonableness and opportuneness of its provisions for them for so runs the promise Isa. 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them and so hath the performance of it been And this hath been made good to distressed Saints sometimes in a more ordinary way God secretly blessing a little and making it sufficient for us and ours Job tells us of the secret of God upon his Tabernacle Job 29. 4. i. e. his secret blessing is in their Tabernacles by reason whereof it is that they subsist but it is in an unaccountable way that they do so And sometimes in an extraordinary way it breaks forth for their supply So you find in 2 Kings 17. 9 10 11 12 13 14. the Cruse
32. You must be bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction if ever your ear be opened to instruction Job 36. 8 9 10. Wo to you if you go on smoothly in the way in which you are and meet with no crosses 4. Lastly Consider all your troubles under which you complain are pulled down upon your heads by your own sins You turn Gods mercies into sin and then fret against God because he turns your sins into sorrow Your wayes and doings procure these things to you Lay your hand therefore upon your mouth and say Why doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. But I must turn to the Lords people who have least pretences of all men to be dissatisfied with any of Gods Providences and yet are but too frequently sound in that temper And to them I shall offer the following considerations 1. Consider your spiritual mercJes and priviledges with which the Lord Jesus hath invested you and repine at your Lot of Providence if you can One of these mercies alone hath enough in it to sweeten all your troubles in this world When the Apostle considered them his heart was overwhelmed with astonishment so that he could not forbear in the midst of all his outward troubles to cry out Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath abounded to us in all spiritual blessings c. Eph. 1. 3. Oh who that sees such an Inheritance setled upon him in Christ can ever open his mouth more to repine at his Lot of Providence 2. Consider your sins and that will make you contented with your Lot Yea consider two things in sin 1. What it deserves from God and 2. What it requires to mortifie and purge it in you It deserves from God Eternal ruine the merit of Hell is in the least vain thought Every sin forfeits all the mercies you have and if so rather wonder your mercies are so many than that you have no more Besides you cannot doubt but your corruptions require all the crosses wants and troubles that are upon you and it may be a great deal more to mortifie and subdue them Don't you find after all the rods that have been upon you a proud heart still a vain and earthly heart still Oh how many bitter potions are but necessary to purge out this tough malignant lâ—umour 3. Consider how near you are to the Change of your conditJon have but a little patience and all will be as well with you as your hearts can desire It is no small comfort to the Saints that this world is the worst place that ever they shall be in things will better every day with them If the Traveller have spent all his money yet it doth not much trouble him if he know himself within a few miles of his own home If there be no Candles in the house we do not much matter it if we are sure it 's almost break of day for then there will be no use for them This is your case your salvatJon is nearer than when you belJeved Rom. 13. 11. I have done with the directive part of this discourse but before I pass to this fifth Head I judge it necessary to leave a few Cautions to prevent the abuse of Providence and your miscarriages in your behaviour towards it And First Caution If Providence delay the performance of any mercy to you that you have long waited and prayed forâ— yet see that you despond not nor grow weary of waitâ—ing upon God for that reason It pleases the Lord oftentimes to try and exercise his people thiâ— way and make them cry How long Lord hoâ— long Psal. 13. 1 2. These delayes both upon spiritual and tempoâ—ral accounts are frequent and when they befaâ—â—us we are too apt to interpret them as denyals and fall into a sinful despondency of mind thoughâ— there be no cause at all for it Psal. 31. 12. Lam. 3. 8. 44. It is not alwayes that the returns of prayer are dispatcht to us in the same hour they are asked of God yet sometimes it falls out so Isa. 65. 24. Dan. 9. 23. But though the Lord means to perform to us the mercies we desire yet he will ordinarily exercise our patience to wait for them and that for these reasons 1. Because our time is not the proper season for us to receive our mercies in Now the season of mercy is a very great circumstance that adds much to the value of it God judges not as we do we are all in haste and will have it now Numb 12. 13. But he is a God of judgement and blessed are they that wait for him Isa. 30. 18. 2. Afflictive Providences have not accomplished that design upon our hearts they were sent for when we are so earnest and impatient for a change of them and till then the rod must not be taken off Isa. 10. 12. 3. The more prayers and searchings of heart come between our wants and supplies our afflictions and reliefs the sweeter are our reliefs and supplies thereby made to us Isa. 25. 9. This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce and be glad in his salvatJon This recompenses the delay and payes us for all the expences of our patience But though there be such weighty reasons for the stop and delay of refreshing comfortable Providences yet we cannot bear it our hands hang down and we faint Psal. 69. 3. I am weary of my crying my throat is dry mine eyes fail while I wait for my God For alas we judge by sense and appearance and consider not that Gods heart may be towards us whilst the hand of his Providence seems to be against us If things continue at one rate with us we think our prayers are lost and our hopes perished from the Lord much more when things grow worse and worse and our darkness and trouble encreases as usually it doth just before the break of day and change of our condition then we conclude God is angry with our prayers See Gideon's reply Judges 6. 13. This even staggered a Moses's faith Exod. 5. 22 23. O what groundless Jealousies and suspicions of God are found at such times in the hearts of his own Children Job 9. 16 17. Psal. 77. 7 8 9. But this is our great evil and to prevent it in future tryals I will offer a few proper considerations in the case The delay of your mercies is really for your advantage You read Isa. 30. 18. The Lord waits that he may be gracJous What is that Why it 's nothing else but the time of his preparation of mercies for you and your hearts for mercy that so you may have it with the greatest advantage of comfort The foolish Child would pluck the apple while it 's green but when it 's ripe it drops of its own accord and is more pleasant and wholsome It 's
God hath helped therefore he can Isa. 59. 1. His hand is not shortned i. e. he hath as much power and ability as formerly 2. Unbelief objects against the Will of God and questions whether he will now be gracious though he hath formerly been so But after so many experiences of his readiness to help what room for doubting remains Thus Paul reasoned from the experience of what he had done to what he would do 2 Cor. 1. 10. and so did David 1 Sam. 17. 36. Indeed if a man had never experienced the goodness of God to him it were not so heinous a sin to question his willingness to do him good but what place is left after such frequent tryals It gives great encouragement to faith as it answers the objections of unbelief drawn from the subject Now these Objections are of two sorts also 1. Such as are drawn from our great unworthiness How saith Unbelief can so sinful and vile a creature expect that ever God should do this or that for me 'T is true we find he did great things for Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses c. but these were men of eminent holiness men that obeyed God and denyed themselves for him and lived more in a day to his glory than ever I did all my dayes Well but what signifies all this to a soul that under all its sensible vileness and unworthiness hath tasted the goodness of God as well as they As unworthy as I am God hath been good to me notwithstanding his mercy appeared first to me when I was worse than I am now both in conditJon and dispositJon and therefore I will still expect the continuance of his goodness to me though I deserve it not If when we were EnemJes we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. 2. Such as are drawn from the extremity of our present condition if troubles or dangers grow to an height and we see nothing but ruine and misery in the eye of reason before us now umbelief becomes importune and troubleâ—ome to the soul now where are thy prayers â—hy hopes yea where is now thy God But all this is easily put by and avoided by â—onsulting our experiences in former cases This is not the first time I have been in these straits â—or the first time I have had the same doubts and despondencies and yet God hath carried me â—hrough all Psal. 77. 7 8 9 c. This is it that suffers not a Christian to unravel all his hopes in an hour of temptation O how useful are these â—hings to the people of God! The Fifth Motive THe Recognition of former Providences will minister to your souls continual matter of praise and thanksgiving which is the very employment of the Angels in Heaven and the sweetest part of our lives on Earth See Psal. 61. 7 8. If God will prepare Mercy and Truth for David he will prepare Praises for â—is God and that daily So Psal. 71. 6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels there Mercies from the beginning are recognized My praise shall be continually of thee there the natural result of those recognitions is expressed There be five things belonging to the praise of God and all of them have relation to his Providences exercised about us 1. A careful Observation of the Mercles we receive from him Isa. 41. 17 18 19 20. This is fundamental to all praise God cannot â—e glorified for the mercies we never noted 2. A faithful Remembrance of the favour received Psal. 103. 2. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Hence the Lord brands the Ingratitude of his people Psal. 106. 13. They soon forgat his works 3. A due Appreciation and Valuation of every Providence that doth us good 1 Sam. 12. 24. That Providence that fed them in the Wilderness with Manna was a most remarkable Providence to them but they not valuing it at its worth God had not that praise for it which he expected Numb 11. 6. 4. The Excitation of all the faculties and powers of the soul in the acknowledgement oâ— these mercies to us Thus David Psal. 103. 1â— Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within mâ— bless his holy name Soul-praise is the very souâ— of praise this is the fat and marrow of that thank-offering 5. A suitable Retribution for the mercies received This David was careful about Psal. 116. 1. And the Lord taxes good HezekJah for the neglect of it 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. This consists in a full and hearty resignation of all to him that we have received by Providence from him and in our willingness actually to part with all for him when he shall remand it Thus you see how all the ingredients to praise have respect to Providences But more particularly I will shew you that as all the ingredients of praise have respect to Providence so all the motives and Arguments obliging and engaging souls to praise are found therein also To this end consider how the mercy and goodness of God is exhibited by Providence to excite our thankfulness 1. That the goodness and mercy of God is let out upon his people in his Providences about them and this is the very root of praise It is not so much the possession that Providence gives us of such or such comforts as the goodness and kindness of God in the dispensing of them that engages a gracious soul to praise Psal. 63. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee To give maintain and preserve our life are choice acts of Providences but to do all this in a way of grace and loving-kindness this is far better than the gifts themselves life is but the shadow of death without it this is the mercy that crowns all other mercies Psal. 103. 4. It 's this a sanctified soul desires God would manifest in every Providence about him Psal. 17. 7. and what is our praising of God else but our shewing forth that loving-kindness which he sheweth us in his Providences Psal. 92. 1 2. 2. As the loving-kindness of God manifested in Providences is a motive to praise so the free and undeserved savours of God dispensed by the hand of Providence oblige the soul to praise This was the consideration that melted David's heart into a thankful praising frame even the consideration of the free and undeserved favours cast in upon him by Providence 2 Sam. 7. 18. What am I O Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto i. e. raised me by Providence from a mean condition to all this dignity from following the Ewes to feed Jacob his people Psal. 78. 70 71. O this is it that engages thankfulness Gen. 32. 10. 3. As the freeness of mercies dispensed by Providence engageth praise so the Multitudes of mercies
Brother not only estranged â—rom all that 's spiritual and serious but also very vain and prophane he hastened to his chamber shut the door upon him threw himself down at the feet of God and with flowing eyes and a melting heart admired the distinguishing Grace of God saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother O Grace Grace astonishing Grace 5. Compare the carriage of Providence towards you with your own carriage towards the Lord and it must needs melt your hearts to find so much mercy bestowed where so much sin hath been committed What place did you ever live in where you cannot remember great provocations committed and manifold mercies notwithstanding that received O with how many notwithstandings and neverthelesses hath the Lord done you good in every place What Relation hath not been abused by sin and yet both raised up and continued by Providence for your comfort In every place God that left the marks of his goodness and you the remembrances of your sinfulness give your selves but leave to think of these things and it 's strange if your hearts relent not at the remembrance of them 6. Or Lastly Do but compare your dangers with your fears and both with the strange out-letts and doors of escape Providence hath opened and it cannot do less than over power you with a full sense of divine care and goodness There have been dark clouds seen to rise over you judgement even at your door sometimes threating your life sometimes your liberty sometimes your estates and sometimes your dearest relations in whom it may be your life was bound up remember in that day what faintness of spirit seized you what charges of guilt stirring up fears of the issue within you You turned to the Lord in that distress and hath he not made a way to escape and delivered you from all your fears Psal. 34. 4. Oh is your life such a continued throng such a distracted hurry that there is no room to be found with Christians to sit alone and think on these things and press these marvellous discoveries of God in his Providences upon their own hearts Surely might these things but lye upon our hearts talk with our thoughts by day and lodge with us at night they would even force their passage down to our very Reins The Eighth Motive DVe observation of Providence will both beget and secure inward tranquillity in your minds amidst the vicissâ—udes and revolutions of things in this unstable vain world Psal 4. 8. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for the Lord only maketh me dwell in safety He resolves the sinful fears of Events shall not rob him of his inward quiet nor torture his thoughts with anxious presages he will commit all his concerns into that faithful fatherly hand that had hitherto wrought all things for him and he means not to lose the comfort of one nights rest nor bring the evil of to morrow upon the day but knowing in whose hand he was wisely enjoyes the sweet felicity of a resigned will Now this Tranquillity of our minds is as much begotten and preserved by a due consideration of Providence as by any thing whatsoever Hence it was that our Lord Jesus Christ when he would cure the Disciples anxious and distracting sollicitudes about a livelihood bids them consider the care Providence hath over the Birds of the air and the Lillies of the field how it feeds the one and clothes the other without any anxious care of theirs and would have them well consider those Providences and reason themselves into a calm and sweet composure of spirit from those considerations Mat. 6. 27 28 29 30 31. Two things destroy the peace and tranquillity of our lives our bewailing past disappointments or fearing future ones But would we once learn prevision and provision to be divine prerogatives and take notice how often Providence baffles those that pretend to it causing the good they foresaw according to their conjectures coming to their hand yet to balk them and â—lee from them and the evil they thought themselves sufficiently secured from to invade them I say would we consider how Providence daily baffles these Pretensions of men and asserts its own Dominion it would greatly conduce to the tranquillity of our lives This is a great truth that there is no face of Adversity of formidable but being viewed from this station would become amicable Now there be several things in the consideration of Providence that naturally and kindly compose the mind of a Christian to peace and bring it to a sweet rest whilst events hang in a doubtful suspense As First The Supremacy of Providence and its uncontroulable power in working This is often seen in the good that it brings us in a way that 's above the thoughts and cares of our minds or labour of our hands I had not thought said Jacob to have seen thy face and lo God hath shewed me thy seed also Gen. 48. 11. There is a frequent coincidency of Providences in a way of surprizal which from no appearance or the remotest tendency of outward causes could be foreseen but rather falls visibly cross to the present Scheme and posture of our affairs Nothing tends to convince us of the vanity and folly of our own sollicitudes and projections more than this doth The profound Wisdom of Providence in all that it performeth for the people of God The Wheels are full of eyes Ezek. 1. 18. i.e. there is an intelligent and wise Spirit that sits upon and governs the affairs of this world This Wisdom shines out to us in the unexpected yea contrary events of things How oâ—ten have we been courting some beautiful appearance that invited our senses and with trembling shun'd the formidable face of other things when notwithstanding the issues of Providence have convinced us that our danger lay in what we couâ—ted and our good in what we so studiously declined This also is a sweet principle of peace and quiet to the Christians mind that he knows not but his good may be imported in what seemed to threaten his ruine Many were the distresses and straits of Israel in the Wilderness but all was to humble them that he might do them good in the latter end Deut. 8. 16. Sad and dismal was the face of that Providence that sent them out of their own land into the land of the Chaldeans yet even this was a project to do them good Jer. 24. 5. How often have we retracted our rash and headlong censures of things upon experience of this truth and been taught to bless our afflictions and disappointments in the name of the Lord. Many a time have we kissed those troubles at parting which we met with trembling And what can promote peace under doubtful Providences more effectually than this The experiences we have had throughout our lives of the faithfulness and constancy of Providence are of excellent use to allay and quiet our hearts in any trouble that befalls us Hitherto
all things for me The amount of all you have in this Doctrinal Conclusion DOCT. That it is the duty of the Saints especJally in times of straits to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them in all the states and through all the stages of their lives The Church in all the works of mercy owns â—he â—and of God Isa. 26. 12. Lord thou hast wrought all our works in or for us And still it hath been the pious and constant practice of the Saints in all generations to preserve the memory of the more famous and remarkable providences that have befallen them in their times as a precious treasure If thou be a ChristJan indeed I know thou hast if not in thy book yet certainly in thy heart a great many precJous favours upon record the very remembrance and rehearsal of them is sweet how much more sweet was the actual enjoyment Baxter's Saints Rest p. 768. Thus Moses by divine direction wrote a memorial of that victory obtained over Amalek as the fruit and return of prayer and built there an Altar with this Inscription Jehovah Nissi The Lord my Banner Exod. 17. 14 15. Thus Mordecai and Hester took all care to perpetuate the memory of that signal deliverance from the plot of Haman by ordaining the feast of Purim as an Anniversary throughout every generatJon every family every Province and every Ciâ—y that those days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorJal of them perish from their seed Esth. 9. 28. For this end you find Psalms indited to bring to remembrance Psal. 70. the Title Parents giving suitable names to their Children that every time they looked upon them they might refresh the memory of Gods mercies 1 Sam. 1. 20. The very places where eminent Providences have appeared new named upon no other design but to perpetâ—ate the memorial of those sweet Providences which so refreshed them there Thence Bethel took its name Gen. 28. 19. And that well of water where Hagar was seasonably refreshed by the Angel in her distress Beer-la-hai-roi the well of him that liveth and looketh on me Gen. 16. 14. Yea the Saints have given and God hath assumed to himself new Titles upon this very score and account Abraham's Jehovah jirch and Gideon's Jehovah shallum were ascribed to him upon this reason And sometimes you find the Lord stiles himself The God that brought Abraham from Vr of the Chaldeâ—s then the Lord Lord that brought them out of Egypt then the Lord that gathered them out of the North Countrey still minding them of the gracious providences which in all those places he had wrought for them Now there is a twofold reflection upon the providentJal works of God One entire and full in the whole Complex and perfect frame thereof This blessed sight is reserved for the perfect state It is in that Mount of God where we shall see both the Wilderness and Canaan the glorious Kingdom into which we are come and the way through which we were led into it There the Saints shall have a ravishing view of that beautiful frame and every part shall be distinctly discerned as it had its particular use and as it was connected with the other parts and how effectually and orderly they all wrought to bring about that blessed design of their salvation according to the promise Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God c. For it is certain no Ship at Sea keeps more exactly by the Compass which directs its course than Providence doth by that Promise which is its Cynosura and Pole-star The other partial and imperfect in the way to glory where we only view it in its single acts or at most in some branches and more observable course of actions Betwixt these two is the same difference as betwixt the sight of the dis-jointed wheels and scattered pins of a Watch and the sight of the whole united in one frame and working in one orderly motion or betwixt an ignorant Spectators viewing some more observable vessel or joint of a dissected body and the accurate Anatomist's discerning the course of all the veins and arteries of the body as he follows the several branches of them through the whole and plainly sees the proper places figure and use of each with their mutual respect to one another O how ravishing and delectable a sight is that to behold at one view the whole design of Providence and the proper place and use of every single act which we could not understand in this world for what Christ said to Peter John 13. 7. is as applicable to some providences in which we are now concerned as it was to that particular action What I do thou knowest not now but hereafter thou shalt know it All the dark intricate puzling Providences at which we were sometimes so stumbled and sometimes amazed which we could neither reconcile with the promise nor with each other nay which we so unjustly censured and bitterly bewailed as if they had fallen out quite cross to our happiness we shall than see to be unto us as the difficult passage through the Wilderness was unto Israel the right way to a City of habitatJon Psalm 107. 7. And yet though our present views and reflections upon Providence be so short and imperfect in comparison of that in Heaven yet such as it is under all its present disadvantages it hath so much excellency and sweetness in it that I may call it a little Heaven or as Jacob called his Bethel the Gate of Heaven 'T is certainly an high-way of walkking with God in this world and as sweet communion may a soul enjoy with him in his Providences as in any of his Ordinances How often have the hearts of its observers been melted into tears of joy at the beholding of its wise and unexpected productions How often hath it convinced them upon a sober recollection of the events of their lives that if the Lord had left them to their own counsels they had as often been their own tormenters if not executioners Into what and how many fatal mischiefs had they precipitated themselves if Providence had been as short sighted as they They have given it their hearty thanks for considering their Interest more than their Importunity and not suffering them to perish by their own desires The benefits of adverting the works of Providence are manifold and unspeakable as in its place we shall shew you But not to entangle the thread of the discourse I shall cast it into this method First I shall prove that the Concernments of the Saints in this world are certainly conducted by the Wisdom and care of special Providence Secondly I will shew you in what particular concernments of theirs this providential care is evidently discovered Thirdly That it is the duty of Saints to advert and heedfully observe these performances of Providence for them in all their Concernments Fourthly In what manner
parents were of the higher or lower Class and rank among men yet if they were such as feared God and wrought righteousness if they took any care to educate you religiously and trained you up in the nurture and admonitJon of the Lord you are bound to reckon it among your chief mercies that you sprung from the loins of such parents for from this Spring a double stream of mercy rises to you 1. Temporal and external mercies to your outward man You cannot but know that as Godliness entails a blessing so wickedness and unrighteousness a curse upon posterity An instance of the former you have in Gen. 17. 18 20. On the contrary you have the threatning Zech. 5. 4. and both together Prov. 3. 33. The Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked but he Blesseth the habitatJon of the just True it is that both these imply the Childrens treading in the steps of their Parents according to Ezek. 18. but how frequently is it seen that wicked men breed their children vainly and wickedly so that as it 's said of Abijam 1 Kings 15. 3. He walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him and so the curse is entail'd from generation to generation To escape this Curse is a choice Providence 2. But especially take notice what a stream of spiritual blessings and mercies â—lows from this Providence to the Inner man O it 's no common mercy to descend from pious Parents Some of us do not only owe our natural life to them as Instruments of our Beings but our Spiritual and Eternal life also It was no small mercy to Timothy to be descended from such Progenitors 2 Tâ—m 1. 5. nor to Augustine that he had such a Mother as Monica who planted in his mind the precepts of life with her Words watered them with her Tears and nourished them with her Example We will a little more particularly inspect this mercy and in so doing we shall find manifold mercies contained in it 1. What a Mercy was it to us to have Parents that prayed for us before they had us as well as in our Infancy when we could not pray for our selves Thus did Abraham Gen. 15. 2. and Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 10 11. and some here likely are the fruits and returns of their Parents Prayers This was that holy course they continued all their dayes for you carrying all your concerns especially your Eternal ones before the Lord with their own and pouring out their souls to God so affectionately for you when their eye-strings and heart-strings were breaking Oh put a value upon such Mercies for they are precious It 's a greater Mercy to descend from praying Parents than from the loyns of Nobles See Job's pious practice Job 1. 5. 2. What a special Mercy was it to us to have the excrescencies of corruption nipt in the bud by their pious and careful discipline We now understand what a critical and dangerous season Youth is the wonderful proclivity of that Age to every thing that is evil Why else are they called Youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. When David asketh Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way it's plainly enough implyed in the very Question that the way he takes lieth through the pollutions of the world in his youth Psal. 119. 9. When you find a David praying that God would not remember the sins of his youth Psal. 25. 7. and a Job bitterly complaining that God made him to possess the sins of his youth Job 13. 26. Sure you cannot but reflect with a very thankful heart upon those happy means by which the corruption of your nature was happily prevented or restrained in your Youth 3. And how great a Mercy was it that we had Parents who carefully instilled the good knowledge of God into our souls in our tender years How careful was Abraham of this duty Gen. 18. 19. and David 1 Chron. 28. 9. We have some of us had Parents who might say to us as the Apostle Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travail again in birth till Christ be formed in you As they longed for us before they had us and rejoyced in us when they had us so they could not endure to think that when they could have us no more the Devil should As they thought no pains care or cost too much for our bodies to feed them cloath and heal them so did they think no prayers counsels or tears too much for our souls that they might be saved They knew a parting time would come betwixt them and us and did strive to make it as easie and comfortable to them as they could by leaving us in Christ and within the blessed bond of his Covenant They were not glad that we had Health and indifferent whether we had Grace They as sensibly felt the miseries of our souls as of our bodies and nothing was more desirable to them than that they might say in the great day Lord here am I and the Children which thou hast given me 4. And was it not a special Favour to us to have Parents that went before us as Patterns of Holiness and beat the path to Heaven for us by their Examples Who could say to us as Phil. 4. 9. What things ye have heard and seen in me that do and as 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of us as we are of Christ. The Parents life is the Childs copy O 't is no common mercy to have a fair copy set before us especially in the moulding age we saw what they did as well as heard what they said It was Abraham's commendation that he commanded his Children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. And such mercies some of us have had also Ah my friends let me beg you that you will set special remarques upon this Providence which so graciously wrought for you and that your hearts may be more throughly warmed in the sense of it compare your condition with others and seriously bethink your selves 1. How many Children there be among us that are drawn headlong to Hell by their cruel and ungodly Parents who teach them to curse and swear assoon as they can speak Many families there are wherein little other language is heard but what is the Dialect of Hell These like the old logs and small spray are preparing for the fire of Hell where they must burn together Of such Children that Scripture Psal. 49. 19. will one day be verified except they repent They shall go to the generatJon of their fathers where they shall not see light 2. And how many families are there though not so prophane who yet breed up their Children vainly and sensually as Job 21. 11 c. take no care what becomes of their souls so they can but provide for their bodies If they can but teach them to carry their bodies no matter if the Devil act their souls If they can but leave them Lands or Moneys
and theirs alive Oh therefore if God have â—itted you with an honest Imployment wherein you have Iess toil than others and more time for Heavenly Exercises ascribe this benefit to the special care of Providence for you In setling you in such an Imployment and Calling in the world as possibly neither your selves nor Parents could ever expect you should arrive to There are among us such persons as on this account are signally obliged to Divine Providence God hath put them into such a way as neither they nor their Parents ever projected For look as the Flower-de-luce in the Campass turns now this way then that way and never ceases moving till it settle to the North point just so it is in our setlement in the world A Child is now designed for this then for that but at last setles in that way of Imployment which Providence designed him to How strangely are things wheeled about by Providence not what we or our Parents but what God designed shall take place Amos was very meanly employed at first but God designed him for a more honourable and comfortable Calling Amos 7. 14 15. David followed the Ewes and likely never raised his thoughts to higher things in the dayes of his youth but God made him the Royal Shepherd of a better flock Psalm 78. 70 71. Peter and Andrew were imployed as Fisher-men but Christ calls them from that to an higher Calling Matth. 4. 18 19. to be fishers of men Pareus when hâ— was fourteen years old was by the instigation of his Step-mother placed with an Apothecary but Providence so wrought that he was taken off from that and sitted for the Ministry wherein he became a fruitful and eminent Instrument to the Church James Andreas was by reason of his Fathers inability to keep him at School designed for a Carpenter but was afterwards by the perswasion of friends and assistance of the Church-stock sent to Stutgard and thence to the University and so arrived to a very eminent station of service to the Chruch A master builder OecolampadJus was by his Father designed for a Merchant but his Mother by earnest entreaties prevailed to keep him at School and this Man was a blessed Instrument in the reformation of Religion I might easily cite multitudes of such Instances but a taste may suffice In securing your Estates from ruine Job 1. 10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him and all that he hath This is the Enclosure of Providence which secures to us what by its favour we acquire in the way of honest industry In making your Calling sufficient for you It was the prayer of Moses fâ—r the Tribe of Judah Exod. 33. 7. Let his hands be sufficJent for him and it is no small mercy if yours be so to you Some there be that have work but not strength to go through with it others have strength but no imployment for it Some have hands and work for them but it 's not sufficient for them and theirs If God bless your labours so as to give you and yours necessary supports and comfort in the world by it it 's a choice Providence and with all thankfulness to be acknowledged Object 1. IF any that fear God shall complain That although they have a Calling yet it is an hard and laborious one which takes up too much of their time which they would gladly imploy in other and better work I answer 1. It 's like Wisdom of Providence foresaw this to be the most suitable and proper Imployment for you and if you had more ease and rest you might have more temptations than now you have the strength and time which is now taken up in your daily labours wherein you serve God might otherwayes have been spent upon such lusts wherein you might have served the Devil 2. Hereby it may be your health is the better preserved and natural refreshments made the sweeter to you Eccleâ— 5. 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet to him whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep 3. And as to the service of God if your hearts be spiritual you may enjoy much Communion with God in your very Imployments and you have some intervals and respits for that purpose Have you not more spare hours than you imploy to that end Object 2. BVt all my labours will scarcely suffice to procure me and mine the Necessaries of life I am kept short and low to what others are and this is a sad affliction Though the Wisdom of Providence hath ordered you a lower and poorer condition than others yet 1. Consider how many there be that are lower than you in the world you have but little of the world yet others have less Read the description of those persons Job 30. 4 c. 2. If God have given you but a small portion of the world yet if you be godly he hath promised never to forsake you Heb. 13. 5 3. Providence hath ordered that condition for you which is really best for your eternal good If you had more of the world than you have your heads and hearts might not be able to manage it to your advantage A small Boat must have but a narrow Sail. You have not wanted hitherto the necessaries of life and are commanded having food and rayment though none of the finest to be therewith content A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal. 37. 16. better in the AcquisitJon sweeter in the FruitJon and more comfortable in the Account Well then if Providence hath so disposed of you all that you can eat your own bread and so advantagiously directed some of you to imployments that afford not only necessaries for your selves and families but an overplus for works of mercy to others and all this brought about for you in a way you did not project let God be owned and honoured in this Providence Will you not henceforth call him My Father the Guide of my youth as it is Jer. 3. 4. Surely it was the Lord that guided you to setle as you did in those dayes of your youth You reap at this day and may to your last day the fruits of those early Providences in your youth NOw see that you walk answerably to the obligations of Providence in this particular and see to it in the fear of God that you abuse not any of those things to his dishonour which he hath wrought for your comfort To prevent which I will here drop a few needful Cautions and shut up this particular Be not slothful and idle in your VocatJons It 's said Augustus built an Apragapolis a City void of business but I am sure God never erected any City Town or Family to that end The Command to Adam Gen. 3. 19. no doubts reaches all his posterity and Gospel-Commands back and second it upon Christians Rom. 12. 11. and 1 Thess. 4. 11. If you
even as others The blood that â—uns in our veins is as much tainted as theirs in Hell 2. Consider them in their ConstitutJon and â—atural temper and it is no better yea in many a worse temper than in Reprobates and though grace depose sin in them from the Throne yet Oh what offensive and God provoking corruptions daily break out of the best hearts 3. Consider them in their outward ConditJon â—nd they are inferiour for the most part to â—thers 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 28 c. and Matth. 1. 25. I thank thee O Father saith Christ that â—ou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent â—nd hast revealed them unto Babes And now let us consider and admire that ever his great and blessed God should be so much â—â—ncerned as you have heard he is in all his Proâ—â—dences about such vile despicable Worms as â—â—e are He needs us not but is perfectly blessed â—nd happy in himself without us We can add â—othing to him Job 22. 2. Can a man be profitable God No the holiest of men add nothing to him yet see how great account he makes of us For Doth not his eternal electing love bespeak the dear account he made of us Eph. 1. 4 5. How ancient how free and how astonishing is this act of grace This is that design which all Providences are in pursuit of and will not rest till they have executed Doth not the gift of his only Son out of his bosome speak this truth That God makes great account of this vile thing Man Never was man so magnified before If David could say Psal. 8. â— When I consider the Heavens the work of thy hands the Moon and Stars which thou hast ordained Lord what is man How much more may we say when we consider thy Son that lay in thy bosome his infinite excellency and unspeakable dearness to thee Lord what is man that such a Christ should be delivered to death for him for him and not for fallen Angels Heb. 2. 16. for him when in a state of enmity with God! Rom. 5. 8. Doth not the assiduity of his Providential care for us speak his esteem of us Isa. 27. 3. 〈◊〉 any hurt it I will keep it night and day Hâ— withdraweth not his eye from the righteous Job 36. 7. no not a moment all their dayes for did he so a thousand mischiefs in that moment woulâ— rush in upon him and ruine him Doth not the tenderness of his Providencâ— speak his esteem of us Isa. 66. 13. as one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you He comforts his viz. by refreshing Providences aâ— an indulgent Mother her tender Child So Isa 31. 5. As birds flying viz. to their nests when their young are in danger so he defends his No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tenderness in the Creature can shadow forth the tender bowels of the Creator Doth not the variety of the fruits of his Providence speak it Lam. 3. 23. Our mercJes are new every morning See Psal. 40. 5. It is a fountain from which do stream forth spiritual and temporal ordinary and extraordinary publick and personal mercies mercies without number Doth not the ministration of Angels in the Providential Kingdom speak it Heb. 1. ult Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth c. Doth not the Providence which this day calls us to celebrate the memory of bespeak the great account God hath for his people O if not so why had we not been given up as a prey to their teeth See Psal. 124. If the Lord had not been on our side then wicked men there compar'd to fire water wild beasts had devoured us O blessed be God for that teeming Providence that hath already brought forth more than seventy years liberty and peace to the Church of God I shall move in behalf of this Providence that you would do by it as the Jows by their Purim Esth. 9. 27 28. and the rather because we seem now to be as near danger by the same Enemy as ever since that time and if such a mercy as this be forgotten God may say as Judges 10. 13. I will deliver you no more The Third General Head HAving proved the Concernments of the people of God to be conducted by the care of special Providence and given Instances in the ten last named Heads what influence Providence hath upon those Interests and concerns of theirs among the rest we come in the next place to prove it to be the duty of the people of God to reflect upon these performances of Providence for them at all times but especially in times of straits and troubles This I will evidence to be your unquestionable duty by the following particulars This is our duty because God hath expresly commanded it and called his people to make the most serious reflections and animadversions upon his works whether of mercy or judgement So when that dreadfullest of all Judgements was executed upon his professing people for their Apostasie from God and God had removed the Symbols of his presence from among them the rest are bid to go i.e. by their meditations to send at least their thoughts to Shiloh and see what God did to it Jer. 7. 12. So for mercies God calls us to consider and review them Micah 6. 5. Remember O my people from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the faithfulness of the Lord q. d. if you reflect not upon that signal Providence my faithfulness will be covered and your unfaithfulness discovered So for Gods works of Providence about the Creatures we are called to consider them that we may prop up our faith by those considerations for our own supplies Matth. 6. 28. consider the Fowls and Lillies It 's plain that this is our duty because the neglect of it is every where in Scripture condemned as a sin To be of an heedless inobservant temper is very displeasing to God and so much appears by that Scripture Isa. 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see Nay it is a sin which God threatens and denounces woe against in his Word Psal. 28. 4 5. and Isa. 5. 12 13. Yea God not only threatens but smites men with visible Judgements for this sin Job 34. 26 27. And for this end and purpose it is that the Holy Ghost hath affixed those notes of attention to the narratives of the works of Providence in Scripture all which do invite and call men to a due and deep observation of them So in that great and celebrated work of Providence in delivering Israel out of EgyptJan bondage you find a note of attentJon twice affixed to it Exod. 3. 2 9. So when that daring Enemy Rabsheka that put HezekJah and all the people into such a consternation was defeated by Providence there is a note of attentJon prefixt to that Providence 2 Kings 19. â— Behold I will send a blast upon him c. So when God glorifies his wisdom and power in delivering his
people from their Enemies and ensnaring them in the works of their own hands a double note of attentJon is affixed to that double work of Providence Psal. 9. 16. higgaJon sâ—lah So at the opening of every seal which contains a remarkable series or branch of Providence how particularly is attention commanded to every one of them Rev. 6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Come and see come and see All these are very useless and superâ—luous additions in Scripture if no such duty lyes upon us See Psal. 66. 5. Without due observation of the work of Providence no praise can be rendered to God for any of them Praise and thanksgiving for mercies depend upon this act of observation of them and cannot be performed without it Psalm 107. is spont in narratives of Gods Providential care of men To his people in straits Ver. 4 5 6. To prisoners in their bonds Ver. 10 11 12. To men that lye languishing upon beds of sickness Ver. 17 18 19. To Seamen upon the stormy Ocean Ver. 23 c. To men in times of famine Ver. 33. to Ver. 40. Yea his Providence is displayed in all those changes that fall out in the world deâ—asing the high and exalting the low Ver. 40 41. and at every paragraph men are still called upon to praise God for each of these Providences but Ver. ult shews you what a necessary ingredient to that duty observation is Whosâ— it wiâ—e and will observe these things even they shall understandâ— the loving kindness of the Lord. So that of necessity God must be defraudedâ— of his praise if this duty be neglected Without this we lose the usefulness and beâ—neâ—it of all the works of God for us or others which would be an unspeakable loss indeed to us This is the food our â—aith lives upon in dayes of distress Psal. 74. 14. Thou â—rakest the heads of LevJathan in pJeces and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the Wilderness i.e. food to their â—aith From Providences past Saints use to argue to fresh and new ones to come So David 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lyon and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistin So Paul 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who hath delivered and in whom also we trust that he will yet deliver If these be forgotten oâ— not considered the hands of â—aith hang down See Matth. 16. 9. How is it that ye do not remember neither consider This is a Topick from which the Saints have used to draw their Arguments in prayer for new mercies As Moses Numb 14. 19. when he prayes for continued or new pardonâ— for the people he argues from what was past As thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now So the Church Isa. 51. 9 10. argues for new Providences upon the same ground Moses pleaded for new pardons It is a vile slighting of God not to observe what of himself he manifests in his Providences For in all Providences especially in some he comes nigh to us He doth so in his Judgements Mal. 3. 5. I will come nigh to you in judgement He comes nigh in mercies also Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him c. Yea he is said to visit us by his Providence when he corrects Hosea 9. 7. and when he saves and delivers Psal. 106. 4. These visitations of God preserve our spirits Job 10. 12. And it is a wonderful condescension in the great God to visit us so oâ—ten Job 7. 18. every morning and every moment But not to take notice of it is a vile and bruitish contempt of God Iâ—a 1. 3. Zeph. 3. 2. You would not do so by a man for whom you have any respect It 's the character of the wicked not to regard Gods favours Isa. 26. 10. or frowns Jer. 5. 3. In a word men can never order their addresses to God in prayer suitable to their conditions without due observatJon of his Providences Your prayers are to be suitable to your conditions sometimes we are called to praise sometimes to humiliation In the way of his Judgements you are to wait for him Isa. 26. 8. to prepare to meet him Zeph. 2. 1 2. Amos 4. 12. Now your business is to turn away his anger which you see approaching And sometimes you are called to praise him for mercies received Isa. 12. 1 2. but then you must first observe them Thus you find the matter of David's Psalms still varied according to the Providences that befell him but an inobservant heedless spirit can never do it And thus you have the grounds of the Duty briefly represented we pass on to The Fourth General Head LEt us next according to our method proposed proceed to shew in what manner we are to reflect upon the performances of Providence for us And certainly it is not every slight and transient glance nor every cold historical unaffecting rehearsal or recognition of his Providences towards you that will pass with God for a discharge of this great duty No no it is another manner of business than the most of men understand it to be O that we were but acquainted with this heavenly spiritual exercise how sweet would it make our lives how light would it make our burdens Ah Sirs you live estranged from the pleasure of the Christian life while you live in the ignorance or neglect of this duty Now to lead you up to this heavenly sweet and profitable exercise I will beg your attention to the following Directions The First Direction LAbour to get as full and through recognitJons of the Providences of God about you from first to last as you are able O sill your hearts with the thoughts of him and his wayes If a single act of Providence be so ravishing and transporting what would many such be if they were presented together to the view of the soul If one Star be so beautiful to behold what is a ConstellatJon Let your reflections therefore upon the acts and workings of Providence for you be full extensively and intensively 1. Let them be as extensively full as may be Search backward into all the performances of Providence throughout your lives So did Asaph in Psal. 77. 11 12. I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old I will meditate of all thy works and talk of thy doings He laboured to recover and revive the ancient Providences of God mercies many years past and suck a fresh sweetness out of them by new reviews of them Ah Sirs let me tell you there is not such a pleasant History for you to read in all the world as the History of your own lives if you would but sit down and record to your selves from the beginning hitherto what God hath been to you and done for you what signal manifestations and out-breakings of his mercy faithfulness and love there have been in all
a greater mercy to have an heart willing to refer all to God and be at his dispose than to enjoy presently the mercy we are most eager and impatient for In that God pleases you in this you please God A mercy may be given yoâ— as the fruit of common Providence but such a temper of heart is the fruit of special grace So much as the glorifying of God is better than the content and pleasure of the creature so much is such a frame better than such a fruition Expected mercies are never nearer than when the hearts and hopes of Gods people are lowest Thus in their deliverance out of Egypt and Babylon Ezek. 37. 11. So we have sound it in our own personal concerns at Evening time it shall be light Zach. 14. 7. When we look for increasing darkness light arises Our unfitness for mercy is the reason why they are delayed so long We put the blocks into the way of mercy and then repine that they make no more haste to us Isa. 59. 1 2. The Lords hand is not shortned but our iniquitJes have separated betwixt him and us Consider the mercies you wait for are the fruits of pure grace you deserve them not nor can claim them upon any Title of desert and therefore have reason to wait for them in a patient and thankful frame Consider how many MillJons of men as good as you by nature are cut off from all hope and expectation of mercy for ever and there remains to them nothing but a fearful expectatJon of wrath This might have been your case and therefore be not of an impatient spirit under the expectations of mercy Second Caution Pry not too curiously into the secrets of Providence nor suffer your shallow reason arrogantly to judge and censure its designs There be hard Texts in the Works as well as in the Word of God It becomes us modestly and humbly to reverence but not to dogmatize too boldly and positively upon them a man may easily get a strain by over-reaching When I thought to know this saith Asaph it was too wonder ful for me I thought to know this there was the arrogant attempt of reason there he pryed into the Arcana of Providence but it was too wonderful for me it was labor iâ—utilis as Calvin expounds it He pryed so far into that puzzling Mysterie of the AfflictJons of the Righteous and Prosperity of the wicked till it begat envy towards them and despondency in himself Psal. 73. v. 3. 13. and this was all he got by summoning Providence to the bar of reason Holy Job was guilty of this evil and ingenuously ashamed of it Job 42. 3. I know there is nothing in the Word or in the Works of God that is repugnant to sound reason but there are some things in both which are opposite to carnal reason as well as above right reason and therefore our reason never shews it self more unreasonable than in summoning those things to its bar which transeend its sphere and capacity Manifold are the mischiefs which ensue upon this practice By this we are drawn into an unworthy suspicion and distruct of the faithfulness of God in the Promises Sarah laught at the tydings of the Son of Promise because reason contradicted and told her it was natuâ—ally impossible Gen. 18. 13 14. Hence comes despondency of mind and saintness of heart under afflictive Providences reason can discern no good fruits in them nor deliverance from them and so our hands hang down in a sinful discouragement saying all these things are against us 1 Sam. 27. 1. Hence flow temptations to deliver our selves by indirect and sinful mediums Isa. 30. 15 16. When our own reason fills us with a distruct of Providence it naturally prompts us to sinful shifts and there leaves us entangled in the snares of our own making Beware therefore you lean not too much to your own reasons and understandings Nothing is more plausible nothing more dangerous In other matters it is appointed the Arbiter and Judge we make it so here and therefore we are so diâ—â—ident and distrustful notwithstanding the fullest security of the Promises whilest our reason stands by unsatisfied The Fifth Head HAving given direction for the due management of this great and important duty what remains but that we now set our hearts to it and make it the constant work of every day throughout our lives O what peace what pleasure what stability what holy courage and confidence would result from such an observation of Providence as hath been directed to But alas we may say with reference to the voices of Divine Providence as it is Job 33. 14. God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not Many a time Providence hath spoken InstructJon in duty ConvictJon for iniquity Encouragement under despondency but we regard it not How greatly are we all wanting to our duty and comfort by this neglect It will be but needful therefore to spread before you the loveliness and excellency of walking with God in a due and daily observation of his Providences that our souls may be fully engaged to it First Motive ANd First Let me offer this as a moving argument to all gracious souls That by this means you may maintain sweet and sensible communJon with God from day to day And what is there desirable in this world in comparison therewith Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will trJumph in the works of thy hands Psal. â—2 4. Your hearts may be as sweetly and sensibly refresht by the works of Gods hands as by the words of his mouth Psal. 104. per totum is spent in the consideration of the works of Providence which so filled the Psalmist's heart that by way of ejaculation he expresses the effect of it Ver. 34. My MeditatJon of him shall be sweet Communion with God properly and strictly taken consists in two things viz. Gods manifestation of himself to the soul and the souls answerable returns to God This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship we have here with God Now God manifests himself to his people by Providences as well as Ordinances neither is there any grace in a sanctified soul hid from the gracious influences of his Providential manifestations Sometimes the Lord manifests his displeasure and anger against the sins of his people in correcting and rebuking Providences His rods have a chiding voice Micah 6. 9. Hear the rod and who hath appointed it This discovery of Gods anger kindly melts and thaws a gracious soul and produces a double sweet effect upon it namely repentance for sins past and due cautJon against future sins 1. It thaws and melts the heart for sins committed Thus David's heart was melted for his sin when the hand of God was heavy upon him in affliction Psal. 32. 4 5. Thus the Captive Church upon whom fell the saddest and most dismal Providence that ever befell any of Gods people in any age of the world
Babylonish captivity and the sweet effect thereof wherein the truth and righteousness of God in the promises did as it were kiss and embrace the mercy and peace that was contained in the performance of them after they had seemed for seventy years to be at a great distance from each other For it is an allusion to the usual demonstrations of joy and gladness that two dear friends are wont to give and receive after a long absence and separation from each other they no sooner meet but they smile embrace and kiss each other Even thus it is here The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be and by some is rendered have met us and that also is true for when ever these blessed Promises and Performances meet and kiss each other they are also joyfully embraced and killed by believing souls There is I doubt not a mediate reference of this Scripture to the MessJah also and our redemption by him In him it is that these divine Attributes which before seemed to clash and contradict one another in the business of our salvation have a sweet agreement and accomplishment Truth and Righteousness do in him meet with Mercy and Peace in a blessed agreement What a lovely sight is this and how pleasant to behold O if with Habbakuk chap. 2. v. 3. we would but stand upon our Watch-Tower to take due observations of Providence what rare prospects might we have Iâ—uther understands it of the Word of God q. d. I will look into the Word and observe there how God accomplisheth all things and brings them to pass and how his works are the fulfilling of his Word Others as Calvin understand it of a mans own retiring thoughts and meditations wherein a man carefully observes what purposes and designs God hath upon the World in general or upon himself in particular and how the Truth and Righteousness of God in the Word work themselves through all difficulties and impediments and meet in the mercy peace and happiness of the Saints at last Every Believer take it in which sense you will hath his Watch-Tower as well as Hâ—bbâ—kuk and give me leave to say it 's an Angelical employment to stand upon it and behold the consent of Gods Attributes the accomplishment of his Ends and our own happiness in the works of Providence For this is the very joy of the Angels and Saints in Heaven to see Gods Ends wrought out and his Attributes glorified in the mercy and peace of the Church Rev. 14. 1 2 3. 8. 2. And as it 's a pleasant sight to see the harmony of Gods Attributes so it is exceeding pleasant to behold the resurrection of our own prayers and hopes as from the dead Why this you may often see if you will duly observe the works of Providence towards you We hope and pray for such and such mercies to the Church or to our selves but God delayes the accomplishment of our hopes suspends the answer of our prayers and seems to speak to us as Hab. 2. 3. For the visJon is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry but we have no patience to wait the time of the Promise our hopes languish and dye in the interim and we say with the despondent Church Lam. 3. 18. Our hope is perished from the Lord but Oh how sweet and comfortable is it to see these prayers fulfilled after we have given up all expectation of them May we not say of them as the Scripture speaks of the restoration of the Jews it is even life from the dead This was David's case Psal. 31. 22. he gave up his hopes and prayers for lost yet lived to see the comfortable and unexpected returns of them And this was the case of Job chap. 6. 11. he had given up all expectation of better dayes and yet this man lived to see a resurrection of all his lost comforts with an advantage Think how that change and unexpected turn of Providence affected his soul it is with our hopes and prayers as with our Alms Cast thy bread on the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes Eccles. 11. 1. or as it was with Jacob who had given ovâ—r all hopes of ever seeing his beloved Joseph again but when a strange and unexpected Providence had restored that hopeless mercy to him again Oh how ravishing and transporting was it Gen. 46. 29 30. 3. What a transporting pleasure is it to behold great blessings and advantages to us wrought by Providence out of those very things that seemed to threaten our ruine or misery and yet by due observing the wayes of Providence you may to your singular comfort find it so Little did Joseph think his transportation into Egypt had been in order to his advancement there yet he lived with joy to see it and with a thankful heart to acknowledge it Gen. 45. 5. Wait and observe and you shall assuredly find that Promise Rom. 8. 28. working out its way through all Providences How many times have you been made to say as David Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted O what a difference have we seen betwixt our afflictions at our first meeting with them and our parting from them We have entertained them with sighs and tears but parted from them with joy blessing God for them as the happy Instruments of our good Thus our fears and sorrows are turned into praises and songs of thanksgiving 4. What unspeakable comfort is it for a poor soul that sees nothing but sin and vileness in it self at the same time to see what an high esteem and value the great God hath for him This may be discerned by a due attendance to Providence for there a man sees goodness and mercy following him through all his dayes as it is Psal. 23. 6. Other men prosecute good and it flyes from them they can never overtake it but goodness and mercy follow the people of God and they cannot avoid or escape it it gives them chase day by day and finds them out even when they sometimes put themselves by sin out of the way of it In all the Providences that befall them goodness and mercy pursues them O with what a melâ—ing heart do they sometimes reflect upon these things and will not the goodness of God be discouraged from following me notwithstanding all my vile aâ—â—ronts and abuses of it in former mercJes Lord what am I that mercy should thus pursue me when vengeance and wrath pursue others as good by nature as I am It certainly argues the great esteem God hath of a man when he thus follows him with sanctified Providences whether they be comforts or crosses for his good And so much is plain from Job 7. 18. Lord what is man that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment Certainly Gods people are his treasure and by
hath been in these things and that it is by his care alone you have been preserved When God had so signally delivered David from a dangerous disease and the plots of Enemies against him by this saith he I know thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not trJumph over me Psal. 41. 11. he gathered from those gracious protections the care God had over him 3. Have you not plainly discerned the hand of God in the returns and accomplishments of your prayers Nothing can be more evident than this to men of observation Psal. 34. 4 5 6. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears They looked unto him and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Parallel to this runs the experience of thousands and ten thousands of Christians this day they know they have the petitions they asked of him The Mercy carries the very impress and stamp of the Duty upon it So that we can say This is the Mercy the very Mercy I have so often sought God about O how satisfying and convincing are these things 4. Have you not evidently discerned the Lords hand in the guiding and directing of your paths to your unforeseen advantage Things that you never projected for your selves have been brought about beyond all your thoughts Many such things are with God and which of all the Saints hath not â—ound that word Jer. 10. 23. verified by clear and undeniable experience The way of man is not in himself I presume if you will but look over the mercies you possess thiâ— day you will find three to one it may be ten to one thus wrought by the Lord for you And how satisfying beyond all Arguments in the world are these experiences That there is a God to whom his people are exceeding dear a God that performeth all things for them 5. Is it not fully convictive that there is a God who takes care of you in as much as you have found in all the temptations and difficulties of your lives his promises still fulfilled and faithfully performed in all those conditions I appeal to your selves if you have not seen that Promise made good Psal. 91. 15. I will be with him in trouble and that 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptatJon also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Have not these been as clearly made out by Providence before your eyes as the Sun at Noon day What room then is left for Atheistical suggestions in your breasts The Fourth Motive THe Recording and Recognizing of the performances of Providence will be a singular support to faith in future exigencJes This excellent use of it lyes full in the very eye of the Text. There never befell David in all his troubles a greater strait and distress than this and doubtless his faith had staggered had not the considerations of former Providence come in to its relief From this Topick faith argues and that very strongly and conclusively So did David's faith in many exigencies when he was to encounter the ChampJon of the Philistins it was from former Providence that he encouraged himself 1 Sam. 17. 37. And the Apostle Paul improves his experiences to the same purpose 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. Indeed the whole Scripture is full of it What Christian understands not the exceeding usefulness of those experiences he hath had to relieve and enliven But I shall not satisfie my self with the common assertion than which nothing is more tritc in the lips of professors but will labour to shew you wherein the great usefulness of our Recorded Experiences for encouraging faith labouring under difficulties consists To this purpose I shall desire the Reader to ponder seriously these following particulars How much advantage those things have upon our souls which we have already felt and tasted beyond those which were never relished by any former experience What is Experience but the bringing down of the objects of faith to the dijudication and test of spiritual sense Now when any thing hath been once tasted felt and judged by a former Experience it is much more easily believed and received when it occurrs again It 's much easier for faith to travel in a path that is well known to it having formerly trod it than to beat out a new one which it never trod nor can see one step before it Hence it is though there be a difficulty in all the acts of faith yet scarce in any like the first adventure it makes upon Christ and the reason lyes here because in the subsequent acts it hath all its former experiences to aid and encourage it but in the first adventure it hath none at all of its own it takes a path which it never knew before To trust God without any tryal or experience is a more noble act of faith but to trust him after we have often tryed him is known to be more easie O'tis no small advantage to a soul in a new plunge and distress to be able to say This is not the first time I have been in these deeps and yet emerged out of them Hence it was that Christ rub'd up his Disciples memories with what Providence had formerly wrought for them in a day of straits Matth. 16. 8 9 10 11. O ye of little faith why reason ye among your selves because ye have brought no bread do ye not yet understand neither remember q. d. Were yo never under any strait for bread before now Is this the first difficulty that ever your faith combated with No no you have felt straits and experienced the power and care of God in supplying them before now and therefore I cannot but call you men of little faith for a very ordinary and small measure of faith assisted with so much experience as you have had would enable you to trust God There is as much difference betwixt believing before and after experience as there is betwixt swimming with bladders and our first venture into the deep waters without them What a singular encouragement to faith do former Experiences yield it by answering all the pleas and objections of unbelief drawn from the object of faith Now there be two things that unbelief stumbles at in God One is his Power the other his Willingness to help 1. Unbelief objects the impossibility of relief in deep distresses Psal. 78. 19. Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness can be give bread also can be provide flesh for his people O vile and unworthy thoughts of God! proceeding from our measuring the immense and boundless power of God by our own line and measure because we see not which way relief should come we conclude none is to be expected But all these reasonings of Unbelief are vanquisht by a serious reflection upon our own Experiences
heaped this way upon us strongly oblige the soul to thankfulness Thus David comes before the Lord encompassed with a multitude of mercies to praise him Psal. 5. 7. We have our loads of mercies and that every day Psalm 68. 19. O what a rich heap will the mercies of one day make being laid together 4. As the multitudes of mercies dispensed by Providence oblige to praise so the tenderness of Gods mercy manifested in his Providence leaves the soul under a strong obligation to thankfulness We see what tender resentments the Lord hath of all our wants straits and burdens Psalm 103. 13. Like as a Father pitJeth his Children so the Lord pitJeth them that fear him He is full of bowels as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in James 5. 11. signifies Yea there are not only bowels of compassion in our God but the tenderness of bowels like those of a Mother to her sucking child Isa. 49. 15. He feels all our pains as if the apple of his eye were touched Zech. 2. 8. and all this is discovered to his people in the way of his Providences with them Psal. 111. 2 3 4. O who of all the Children of God hath not often found this in his Providences And who can see it and not be filled with thankfulness All these are so many bands clapt by Providence upon the soul to oblige it to a liâ—e of praise Hence it is that the prayers of the Saints are so full of thanksgivings upon these accounts 't is sweet to recount them to the Lord in prayer to lye at this feet in an holy astonishment at his gracious condescensions to poor worms The Sixth Motive THe due observatJon of Providence will endear Jesus Christ every day more and more to your souls Christ is the Channel of grace and mercy through him are all the dâ—cursus recursus gratiarum all the streams of mercy that â—low from God to us and all the returns of praise from us to God 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. All things are ours upon no other title but our being his Now there be six things in Providence that are exceedingly endearing of the Lord Jesus Christ to his people and these are the most sweet and delicious parts of all our enjoyments The purchase of all those mercies which Providences convey to us is by his own blood for not only spiritual and eternal mercies but even all our temporal ones are the acquisition of his blood Look as sin forfeited all so Christ restored all these mercies again to us by his death Sin had so shut up the womb of mercy that had not Christ made an attonement by his death it could never have brought forth one mercy to all eternity for us It is with him that God freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. Heaven it self and all things needful to bring us thither among which is principally included the Tutelage and Aid of Divine Providence so that whatever good we receive from the hand of Providence we must put it upon the score of Christs blood and when we receive it we may say 'T is the price of blood 'T is a mercy rising up out of the death of Christ It cost him dear though it come to me freely It 's sweet in the possessJon but costly in the acquisitJon Now this is a most endearing consideration did Christ dye that these mercies might live Did he pay his invaluable blood to purchase these comforts that I possess O what transcendent matchless love was the love of Christ You have known Parents that have laid out all their stock of money to purchase Estates for their Children but when did you hear of any that spent the whole stock and treasure of their blood to make a purchase for them If the life of Christ had not been so afflictive and sad to him ours could not have been so sweet and comfortable to us 't is through his poverty we are enriched 2 Cor. 8. 9. These sweet mercies that are born of Providence every day are the fruits of the travel of his soul. The sanctification of all is by our union with Christ 't is by vertue of our union with his person that we enjoy the sanctified gifts and blessings of Providence All these are mercies additional to that great mercy CHRIST Matth. 6. 33. they are given with him as in Rom. 8. 32. this is the Tenure by which we hold them 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Look what we lost in Adam is restored again with Advantage in Christ immediately upon the fall that curse Gen. 2. 17. seized upon all the miserable posterity of Adam and upon all their comforts outward as well as inward and this still lyes heavy upon them All that Providence doth for them that are Christless is but to feed so many poor condemned wretches till the sentence they are under be executed upon them it is indeed bountiful and open-handed to many of them and fills them with Earthly comforts but not one special sanctified mercy is to be found among all their enjoyments these gifts of Providence do but deceive defile and destroy them through their own corruptions and for want of union with Christ Prov. 1. 32. The prosperity of fools shall destroy them But when a man is once in Christ then all Providences are sanctified and sweet Tit. 1. 15. Vnto the pure all things are pure A little that a righteous man hath is better than the treasures of many wicked Psal. 37. 16. Now Christ becomes an head of Influence as well as of DominJon and in all things he consults the good of his own members Eph. 1. 22. The dispensation of all our comforts and mercies is by his direction and appointment It 's true the Angels are employed in the Kingdom of Providence they move the wheels i. e. are instrumental in all the revolutions in this lower world but still they receive directions and orders from Christ as you may see in that admirable Scheme of Providences Ezek. 1. 25 26 c. Now what an endearing meditation is this What ever Creature be instrumental for any good to you it 's your Lord Jesus Christ that gave the orders and commands to that Creature to do it and without it they could have done nothing for you It 's your head in Heaven that consults your peace and comfort on Earth these be the fruits of his care for you So in the prevention and restraints of evil 't is he that bridles in the wrath of Devils and men he holds the reins in his own hands Rev. 2. 10. 'T was the care of Christ over his poor Sheep at Damascus that stopt the raging Adversary who was upon the way designing to destroy them Acts. 9. The continuatJon of all your mercies and comforts outward as well as inward is the fruit of his Intercession in Heaven for you For look as the offering up of the Lamb of God a Sacrifice for sin opened the door of mercy at first so his
appearing before God as a Lamb that had been slain still keeps that door of mercy open Rev. 5. 6. Heb. 9. 24. By this his intercession our peace and comforts are prolonged to us Zech. 1. 12 13. Every sin we commit would put and end to the mercies we possess were it not for that caution which is put in for us by it 1 â—ohn 2. 1 2. ' If any man sin we have an Aâ—vocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitJatJon for our sins c. This stops all pleas and procures new pardons for new sins Hence it is he saves to the uttermost to the last compleating act Heb. 7. 25. New sins do not irritate our former pardons nor cut off our priviledges setled upon us in Christ. The returns and answers of all your prayers and cryes to Heaven for the removing of your afflictions or supply of your wants are all procured and obtained for you by Jesus Christ. He is the Master of your requests and were it not that God had respect to him he would never regard your cryes to him nor return any answer of peace to you how great soever your distresses should be Rev. 8. 3 4. 'T is his name that gives our prayers their acceptance John 15. 16. because the Father can deny him nothing therefore your prayers are not denyed Doth God condescend to hear you in the day of trouble Doth he convince you by your own experience that your prayers have power with God and do prevail O see how much you owe to your dear Lord Jesus Christ for this high and glorious priviledge The Covenant of Grace in which all your comfortable enjoyments are comprized and by which they are secured sanctified and sweetned to you is made in Christ and ratified by him betwixt God and you Your mercies are all comprized in this Covenant even your daily bread Psalm 111. 5. as well as your justification and other spiritual mercies 'T is your Covenant interest that secures to you what ever it comprizes Isa. 55. 3. hence they are called the sure mercies of David Nay this is it that sanctifies them and gives them 〈◊〉 nature of special and peculiar mercies One 〈◊〉 mercy is worth a thousand common mercies And being sanctified and special mercies they must needs be exceeding sweet beyond all other mercies On these accounts it was that David so rejoiced in his Covenant Iâ—teresâ— though laden with many afflictions â— Sam. 23. 5. But now all this hangs entirely upon Christ. The New Testament is in his blooâ— 1 Cor. 11. â—5 and whatever mercies you reap from that Covenant you must thank the Lord Jesus Christ for them Put all this together and then think how such considerations will endear Christ to your souls The Seventh Motive THe due observations of Providence have a marvellous efficacy to melt the heart and make it thaw and relent ingenuously before the Lord. How can a sanctified heart do less than melt into tears whilst it either considers the dealings of God from time to time with it or compares the mercies received with the sins committed or the different administrations of Providence towards it self and others Let a man but set himself to think deliberately and closely of the wayes of providence towards him let him but follow the Tract 〈◊〉 â—rovidence as it hath led him all along the way that he hath gone and if there be any principle of gracious tenderness in him he shall meet with variety of occasions to excite and draw it forth Reader go back with thy serious thoughts 1. To the beginning of the wayes of God with thee the mercies that brake out early in thy youth even the first born mercies from the womb of Providence and thou wilt say What need I go farther Here is enough not only to moves but overwhelm my heart May I not from this time cry unto thee my Father thou art the guide of my youth Jer. 3. 4. What a critical time is the time of youth it's the moulding age and ordinarily according to the course of those leading Providences after Providences do steer their course What levity rashness ignorance and strong propensions to sin and ruine accompanied that age How many being then left to the sway of their own lusts run themselves into those sins and miseries which they never recover themselves from to their dying day These like the errors of the first concoction are rarely rectified afterwards Did the Lord guide thee by his Providence when but a Child Did he then preserve thee from those follies and miscarriages which blast the very blossom and nip the bud so that no good fruit is to be expected afterwards Did he then cast thee into such families or among such company and acquaintance as moulded and formed thy spirit to a better temper Did he then direct thee into that way of employment wherein thou hast seen so large a train of happy consequents ever since following thee And wilt thou not from henceforth say My Father my Father thou art the guide of my youth Or 2. Let us but bring out thoughts close to the Providences of after times and consider how the several changes and removes of our lives have been ordered for us Things we never foresaw nor designed but much better for us than what we did design have been all along ordered for us The way of man is not in himself Gods thoughts have not been our thoughts nor his wayes our wayes Among the eminent mercies of thy life Reader how many of them have been meer surprizals to thee Thy own projects have been thrust aside to make way for better things designed by Providence for thee Nay 3. Do but observe the Springs and Autumns of Providence in what order they have flourished and faded with thee and thou wilt find thy self over-powered with the sense of Divine Wisdom and Goodness when necessity required such a friend was stirred up to help thee such a place opened to receive thee such a Relation raised up or continued to refresh thee and no sooner doth Providence deprive thee of any of them but either thy need of them ceases or some other way is opened to thee O the depth of Gods Wisdom and Goodness O the matchless tenderness of God to his people 4. Compare the dealings of Providence with you and others yea with others that sprang up with you in the same generation it may be in the same families and from the same Parents it may be in families greater and more flourishing in the world then yours and see the difference upon many great accounts it hath made betwixt you and them I knew a ChristJan who after many years separation was visited by his own Brother the very sight of whom wrought upon him much as the sight of Benjamin did upon Joseph so that he could not refrain to fall upon his neck and weep for joy but after a â—ew hours spent together finding the spirit of his
purging and cleansing not that they can purge us from sin in their own vertue and power for if so those that have most afflictions would have most grace also but it is in the vertue of Christ's blood and God's blessing upon afflictive Providences that they purge us from sin A Cross without a Crist never did any man good Now in God's afflictive Providences for sin there are many things that tend to the purging of it For 1. Such rebukes of Providence discover the displeasure of God against us the Lord frowns upon us in those Providences Our father is angry and these are the tokens of it and nothing works more to the melting of a gracious hearâ— than this Must not the heart of a Child melt and break whil'st the father is angry O this is more bitter to our Spirits than all the smart and anguish of the affliction can be to our flesh See Psal. 38. 1 2 3. O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure for thine arrows stick fast in me and thine band presseth me sore There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin 2. By these rebukes of sin the evil of sin is discovered more sensibly to us and we are made to see more clearly the evil of it in these glasses of affliction which Providence at such times sets before us than formerly we ever saw Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord of Hosts O the Gall and Wormwood that we taste in it under God's rebukes for it 3. Providence blasts and frustrates all sinful projects to the people of God whoever thrives in them they shall not Isa. 30. 1 2 3 4 5. And this also convinces them of the folly that is in sin and makes them cleave to the way of simplicity and integrity Holiness is promoted in the soul by cautioning and warning the soul against sin for time to come Job 34. 31 I have born chastisement I will not offend any more O happy Providences how smart soever that make the soul for ever aâ—raid of sin surely such rods are well bestow'd This gives God his end and if ever we sorrowed after a godly sort in the day of our troubles it will work this carefulness 2 Cor. 7. 11. Behold this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you c. O if ever a man have been under a sanctified rod which hath shewed him the evil of sin and kindly humbled him for it and a temptation should again sollicite him to the same evil Why thinks he what a madness is it for me to buy repentance at so dear a rate Have I not smarted enough already You may as well ask me whether I will run again into the â—ire after I have been already scorcht in it To conclude Providences do greatly improve and promote holiness by drawing the Soul into the presence of God and giving it the opportunity and occasion of much communion with him Comfortable Providences will do this they will melt a man's heart in love to the God of his mercies and so pain his bowels that he shall not be quiet till he have found a place to pour out his Soul in thankfulness to the Lord. 2 Sam. 7. 18. Afflictive Providences will drive us to the feet of God and there make us to judge and condemn our selves And all this hath an excellent use to destroy sin and promote holiness in the Soul The Tenth Motive LAstly The ConsideratJon and study of Providence will be of singular use to us in a dying hour Hereby we treasure up that which will singularly sweeten our death to us and greatly assist our faith in the last encounter You find when Jacob dyed what reflections he had upon the dealings of God with him in the various Providences of his life See Gen. 4. 8. 3 7 15 16. In like manner you â—ind Joshua recording the Providences of God when at the brink of the grave they were the subject of his dying discourse Josh. 24. And I cannot but think it a sweet close to the life of any Christian It must needs sweeten a death-bed to recount there the several remarkable passages of God's care and love to us from our beginning to that day to reflect upon the mercies that went along with us all the way when we are come to the end of it O Christians treasure up these instances for such a time as that is that you may go out of the world blessing God for all the goodness and truth he hath performed to you all your life long Now the meditations of these things must needs be of great use in that day if you consider the following particulars The time of Death is the time when Souls are usually most violently assaulted by Satan with horrid temptations and black suggestions We may say of that â—igurative as it 's said of the natural Serpent nunquam nisi morJens producitur in longum He never exerts his utmost rage till the last encounter and then his great design is to perswade the Saints that God loves them not hath no care nor regard for them nor their cryes though they pray for ease and cry for sparing mercy they see none comes He handles them with as much roughness and severity as other men yea many of the vilest and most dissolute wretches endure less torments and are more gently handled than they Psal. 73. 4. there are no bands in their death when as thou must go through a long lane of sickness to the grave and endure many deaths in one But what credit can these plausible tales of Satan obtain with a Christian who hath been treasuring up all his life long the memorJals of God's tender regard both to his wants and prayers and that hath careâ—ully remarked the evident returns of his prayers and gracious condescensions of God to him â—rom his beginning to that moment In this case his saith is mightily assisted by thousands of experiences which back and encourage it and will not suffer the soul to give up so easily a truth which he hath so often sensibly felt and tasted I am sure saith he God hath had a tender fatherly care of me ever since I became his he never failed me yet in any former strait and I cannot believe he will do so now I know his love is like himself unchangeable Job 13. 1. having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal. 48. 14. Did he love me in my youth and will he cast me off in my decrepit age O
God saith the Psalmist thou hast taught me from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works now also when I am old and gray headed O God forsake me not Psal. 71. 17 18. At death the Saints are engaged in the last and one of the most eminent works of faith even the committing themselves into the hands of God when we are lanching forth into that vast Eternity and entring into that new state which will make so great a change upon us in a moment In this Christ sets us a pattern Luke 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost So Stephen at his death Lord Jesus receive my spirit and immediately fell asleep Act. 7. 59. There be two signal and remarkable acts of faith both exceedingly difficult viz. its first act and its last The first is a great venture that it makes of it self upon Christ and the last is a great venture too to cast it self into the Ocean of Eternity upon the credit of a Promise But yet I know the first adventure of the Soul upon Christ is much more difficult than the last adventure upon death and that which makes it so is in great measure the manifold recorded experiences that the Soul hath been gathering up from the day of its espousals to Christ unto its dying which is in a sense its marriage day Oh with what encouragement may a Soul throw himself into the arms of that God with whom he hath so long conversed and walked in this world Whose visits have been sweet and frequent with whom the soul hath contracted so intimate acquaintance in this world whom it hath committed all its affairs to formerly and still â—ound him a faithful God and now hath no reason to doubt but it shall find him so in this last distress and exigence also At death the people of God receive the last mercies that ever they shall receive in this world by the hand of Providence and are immediately to make up their Accounts with God â—or all the mercies that ever they received from his hand What can be more suitable therefore to a dying person than to recount with himself the mercies of his whole life the manifold receipts of favour for which he is to reckon with God speedily and how shall this be done without a due and serious observation and recording of them now I know there are thousands of mercies forgotten by the best of Christians a memory of brass cannot contain them And I know also that Jesus Christ must make up the Account for us or it will never pass with God yet it is our duty to keep the Accounts of our own mercies and how they have been improv'd by us for we are Stewards and then are to give an Account of our Stewardship At death we owe an Account also to men and stand obliged if there be opportunity for it to make known to them that survive us what we have seen and found of God in this world that we may leave a testimony for God with men and bring up a good report upon his ways Thus dying Jacob when Joseph was come to take his last farewell of him in this world strengthened himself and sate upon the bed and related to him the eminent appearances of God to him and the places where Gen. 48. 2 3. as also an account of his afflictions Verse 7. So Joshua in his last speech to the people makes it his business to vindicate and clear the truth of the Promises by recounting to them how the Providence of God had fulfill'd the same to a tittle in his day Josh. 23. 14. And behold saith he this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof And certainly 't is of great importance to the world to understand the Judgements and hear of the Experiences of dying men They of all men are presumed to be most wise and most serious Besides this is the last opportunity that ever we shall have in this world to speak for God O then what a sweet thing would it be to close up our lives with an honourable Account of the ways of God! to go out of the world blessing him for all the mercies and truth which he hath here performed to us how would this encourage weak Christians and convince the Atheistical world that verily there is a reality and an excellency in the ways and people of God! At death we begin the Angelical life of praise and thanksgiving We then enter upon that everlasting sweet employment and as I doubt not but the Providences in which we were concerned in this world will be a part of that Song which we shall sing in Heaven so certainly it will become us to tune our hearts and tongues for it whil'st we are here and especially when we are ready to enter upon that blessed state O therefore let it be your daily meditation and study what God hath been to you and done for you from the beginning of his way hitherto And thus I have spread before you some encouragements to this blessed work Oh that you would be perswaded to this lovely and every way beneâ—icial practice This I dare presume to say that whoever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him shall never want new mercies to record to his dying day It was said of ClaudJan that he wanted matter suitable to the excellency of his parts but where is the head or heart that is suitable to this matter who can utter the mighty works of the Lord who can shew forth all his praise Psal. 106. 2. Thus I have through the aid of Providence dispatched the main design I aimed at in the choice of this subject All that remains will now be speedily finished in some few Corollaries to be brieâ—ly noted upon the whole and three or four practical Cases to be stated You have heard how Providence perâ—ormeth all things for you Learn thence First Corollary THat God is therefore to be owned by you in all that befalls you in this world whether it be in â— way of success and comfort or of trouble and afflictJon O 't is your duty to observe his hand and disposal When God gives you comforts 't is your great evil not to observe his hand in them Hence was that charge against Israel â—os 2. 8. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplJed her Silver and Gold i. e. she did not actually and affectionately consider my care over her and goodness to her in these mercies And so for afflictions 't is a great wickedness when God's hand is listed up not to see it Isa.
of the Spirit was engaged to go to Jerusalem Acts 20. 22. After a clear revelation of the mind of God to him in that matter how many difficult and discouraging Providences beâ—ell him in his way The Disciples at Tyre said to him by the Spirit though in that they â—ollowed their own spirits that he should not go to Jerusalem Acts 21. 4. Then at Cesarea he met Agabus a Prophet who told him what should beâ—all him when he came thither Chap. 21. 10 11. all this will not disswade him And after all this how passionately do the Brethren beseech him to decline that journey Ver. 12 13. Yet knowing his rule and resolving to be faithful to it he puts by all and proceeds in his journey Well then Providence in concurrence with the Word may give some encouragement to us in our way but no testimony of Providence is to be accepted against the Word If Scripture and Conscience tell you such a way is sinful you may not venture upon it how many opportunities and encouragements soever Providence may suffer to offer themselves to you for they are only permitted for your Tryal not your encouragement Take this therefore for a sure Rule That no Providence can legitimate or justifie any moral evil Nor will it be a plea before God for any man to say The Providence of God gave me encouragement to do it though the Word gave me none If thereâ—ore in doubtful cases you would discover Gods will govern your selves in your search after it by these Rules Get the true fear of God upon your hearts be really afraid of offending him God will not hide his mind from such a â—oul Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Study the Word more and the concerns and interests of the World less The Word is a light to your feet Psal. 119. 105. i. e. it hath a discovering and directive usefulness as to all duties to be done and dangers to be avoided it is the great Oracle at which you are to enquire treasure up its rules in your hearts and you will walk safely Psal. 119. 11. thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Reduce what you know into practice and you shall know what is your duty to practise Joh. 7. 17. If any man do his will he shall know of the doctrine Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do thereafter Pray for illumination and direction in the way that you should go beg the Lord to guide you in straits and that he would not suffer you to fall into sin This was the holy practice of Ezra chap. 8. 21. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava that we might afflict our selves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance And this being done â—ollow Providence so far as it agrees with the word and no farther There is no use to be made of Providence against the word but in subserviency to it And there are two excellent uses of Providence in subserviency to the word 1. Providences as they follow Promises and Prayer are Evidences of God's faithfulness in their Accomplishment When David languished under a disease and his Enemies began to triumph in the hopes of his downfall he prays Psal. 41. 10. that God would be merciful to him and raise him up and by that he saith he knew the Lord favoured him because his Enemy did not triumph over him ver 11. this Providence he looked upon as a token for good as elsewhere he calls it Psal. 86. 17. And 2. Providences give us loud calls to those duties which the Command lays upon us and tell us when we are actually and presently under the obligation of the Commands as to the performance of them Thus when sad Providences befall the Church or our selves they call us to humiliation and let us know that then the command upon us to humble our selves at the feet of God is in force upon us Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth to the City and the man of wisdom shall see thy name hear the rod and who hath appointed it The Rod hath a voice and what doth it speak Why now is the time to humble your selves under the mighty hand of God This is the day of trouble in which God hath bid you to call upon him And â— contra when comfortable Providences refresh us it now informs us this is the time to rejoyce in God according to the rule Eccles. 7. 14. in the day of prosperiâ—y be joyful These precepts bind always but not to always It 's our duty therefore and our wisdom to distinguish seasons and know the proper duties of every season and Providence is an Index that points them out to us Thus of the first Case The Second Case HOw may a Christian be supported in waiting upon God whil'st Providence delays the performance of the mercies to him for which he hath long pray'd and waited Two things are supposed in this Case 1. That Providence may linger and delay the performance of those mercies to us that we have long waited and prayed for 2. That during that delay and suspension our hearts and hopes may be very low and ready to fail Providence may long delay the performance of those mercies we have prayed and waited upon God for For the right understanding of this know that there is a two-fold term or season fixed for the performance of mercy to us One by the Lord our God in whose hand times and seasons are Acts 1. 7. Another by our selves who raise up our own expectations of mercies sometimes meerly through the eagerness of our desires after them and sometimes upon uncertain conjectural grounds and appearances of encouragement that lye before us Now nothing can be more precise certain and punctual than is the performance of mercy at the time and season which God hath appointed how long soever it be or how many obstacles soever lye in the way of it There was a time prefixed by God himself for the performance of that Promise of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt and it 's said Exod. 12. 41. At the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self same day it came to pass that all the host of the Lord went out of the Land of Egypt Compare this with Acts 7. 17. and there you have the ground and reason why their deliverance was not nor could be delayed one day longer because the time of the Promise was now come Promises like a pregnant woman must accomplish their appointed months and when they have so done Providence will Midwife the mercies they go big withal into the world and not one of them shall miscarry But for the seasons which are of our own â—ixing and appointment as God is not tyed to them so his Providences are not
governed by them and hence are our disappointments We looked for peace but no good came for a time of health and behold trouble Jer. 8. 15. And hereupon is it that we fret at the delays of Providence and suspect the faithfulness of God in their performance But his thoughts are not our thoughts Isa. 55. 8. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as men count slackness 2 Pet. 3. 9. It is slackness if you reckon by our own rule and measure but it is not so if you reckon and count it by God's The Lord doth not compute and reckon his seasons of working by our Arithmetick You have both these Rules compared and the ground of our mistake detected in that Scripture Hab. 2. 3. The VisJon is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry God appoints the time when that appointed time is come the expected mercies will not fail But in the mean time though it tarry saith the Prophet wait for it for it will not tarry Tarry and not tarry how shall this be reconciled The meaning is it may tarry much beyond your expectatJon but not a moment beyond God's appointment During this delay of Providence the hearts and hopes of the people of God may be very low and much discouraged This is too plain from what the Scriptures have recorded of others and every one of us may find in our own experiences We have an instance of this in Isa. 40. 13 14. in the 13. verse you have God's faithful Promise that he will comfort his people and have mercy upon his afflicted Enough one would think to raise and comfort their hearts But the mercy promised was long in coming they waited from year to year and still the burthen pressed them and was not removed And therefore ver 14. ZJon said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me q. d. It 's in vain to look for such a mercy God hath no regard to us we are out of his heart and mind he neither cares for us nor minds what becomes of us So it was with David after God had made him such a Promise and in the time thereof so faithfully performed it that never was mercy better secured to any man for they are call'd the sure mercJes of David Isa. 55. 3. yet Providence delayed the accomplishment of them so long and suffered such difficulties to intervene that he even despaires to see the accomplishment of them but even concludes God had forgotten him too Psal. 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever And what he speaks here by way of questJon he elsewhere turns into a positive conclusJon Psal. 116. 11. All men are Lyars I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul And the causes of these despondencies and sinkings of heart are partly from our selves and partly form Satan If we duly examine our own hearts about it we shall find that these sinkings of heart are The immediate effects of unbelief We do not depend and rely upon the word with that full trust and confidence that is due to the infallible word of a faithful and unchangeable God You may see the ground of this faintness in that Scripture Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had belJeved Faith is the only Cordial that relieves the heart against these faintings and despondencies Where this is wanting or is weak no wonder our hearts sink at this rate when discouragements are before us Our judging and measuring things by the rules of sense this is a great cause of our discouragements We conclude According to the Appearances of things will be their Issues If Abraham had done so in that great tryal of his faith he had certainly lost his footing but against hope i. e. against natural probability he belJeved in hope giving Glory to God Rom. 4. 18. If Paul had done so he had fainted under his tryals 2. Cor. 4. 16 8 we faint not saith he whil'st we look not at the things that are seen q. d. That which keeps up our spirits is our looking off from things present and visible and measuring all by another rule viz. the power and fidelity of God â—irmly engaged in the Promises In all these things Satan manages a design upon us Hence he takes occasions to suggest hard thoughts of God and to beat off our Souls from all confidence in him and expectations form him He is the great make-bate betwixt God and the Saints He reports the difficulties and fears that are in our way with advantage and labours to weaken our hands and discourage our hearts in waiting upon God And these suggestions gain the more credit with us because they are confirm'd and attested by sense and feeling But here is a desperate design carrying on under very plausible pretences against our souls It concerns us to be watchful now and maintain our faith and hope in God Now blessed is he that can resign all to God and quietly wait for his salvation To assist the soul in this difficulty I shall offer some farther help beside what hath been formerly given under the first CautJon pag. 158. in the following Considerations First Consideration Though Providence do not yet perform the mercies you wait for yet you have no ground to entertain hard thoughts of God for it 's possible God never gave you any ground for your expectation of these things from him It may be you have no Promise to bottome your hope upon and if so why shall God be suspected and dishonoured by you in a case wherein his truth and faithfulness was never engaged to you If we are crossed in our outward concernments and see our expectations of prosperity dashed if we see such or such an outward comfort removed from which we promised our selves much why must God be accused for this these thing you promised yourselves but where did God promise you prosperity and the continuance of those comâ—ortable things to you produce his Promise and shew wherein he hath broken it It is not enough for you to say There are general Promises in the Scripture that God will withhold no good thing and these are good things which Providence withholds form you for that Promise Psal. 84. 11. hath its limitations it is expresly limited to such as walk uprightly and it concerns you to examine whether you have done so before you quarrel with Providence for non-performance of it Ah friend search thine own heart reflect upon thine own ways seest thou not so many â—laws in thine integrity so many turnings aside from God both in heart and life that may justice God not only in withholding what thou lookest for but in removing all that thou enjoyest And besides this limitation as to the Object it 's limited as all other promises relating to externals are in the matter or things premised by the Wisdome and Will