neque enim lutum figulo suo obstrepit atqui nos centuplo minus sumus quam lutum Calv. praelect in Ezek. c. 18. 3. What are parties like to get by contending but blows Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth c. Isa 45. 9. The same Soveraignty of God should be a sacred goad to quicken to the exercise of grace For 1. The influences that Soveraignty hath had on Saints in Scripture are recorded to this end and purpose That others should write after so good Copies It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal 39. 9. 2. God's Soveraignty casts its particular aspects on the graces of Christians As there is Soveraign Justice so there is Soveraign Mercy and each bespeak the exercise of grace according to the nature of the dispensation More particularly there are these Graces on which as on the Christians Garden Soveraignty like the North-wind and South-wind may blow that the Spices thereof may come forth to allude to that in Cant. 4. 16. 1. A sweet submission of spirit in opposition to our own judgment or prescribing to God The will of the Lord be done said they Acts 21. 14. 2. Contentation in opposition to discontent at our own condition and envy at others who may have more gifts of the mind higher degrees of graces or more of the good things of this life than we have That is a remarkable passage Mat. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own Is thine eye evil because mine is good 3. Hopefulness of spirit under the greatest distresses whether outward or inward May not God exalt Soveraign Mercy Are there dry bones yet may they not live Ezek 37. 12 13. Is the heart as low as Hell in regard of fears sorrows c yet will not he who dwelleth in the highest Heavens take up his habitation in the lowest heart Isa 57. 15 16. 4. Love and thankfulness and that 1. with respect to smiling-dispensations whether they respect soul or body Who am I Lord said David upon a view of his mercies and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto 1 Chron. 17. 16. See moreover Psal 116. 1 2 3. and 1 Tim. 1. 12 13. 2. With respect to frowning ones That there is any mitigation and sanctification of them is ground of love and thankfulness for God might have exalted Justice to its height in thy afflictive-dispensarions It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Lam. 3. 22. CHAP. II. 1. LET the meditation of God's Soveraignty be a soveraign allay to the breakings forth of ingratitude pride discontent envy dejection under his Administrations Consider 1. Is there not a â—wo unto them that go in the way of Cain Jude v. 11. And what was that which led Cain on in his way if it were not the first part of his way Was it not discontent at the Lord's Dispensation But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell Gen. 4. 5. 2. Whose judgment shall take place in matters the Lord 's who is infallible righteous supream or man 's who is made up of wants and weaknesses I know saith Job it is so of a truth but how should man be just with God if he will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Job 9. 1 2. 2. Exercise graces proper to be exercised with respect to God's Soveraignty Let the holding up of the finger of Soveraignty hush all noise and quicken you to your Lesson Be silent O all flesh before the Lord Zech. 2 13. Consider here three things 1. Is there any rational ground for a contrary carriage Behold he taketh away who can hinder who will say unto him What dost thou Job 9. 12. 2. Go down to the potter's house Jer. 18. 2 3 4. And what may you learn there Is not the Clay ductile pliable obediential to the hand of the Potter And should not a Christian labour more and more to have his Will moulded or fashioned to the Will of his Maker in point of holy submissions Carry back saith David to Zadock the Ark of God into the City if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. 3. The way to have God to be gracious is to exercise grace with respect to the Lord's Soveraignty to be displayed as he pleaseth There is a way of order though not of merit a way of our Duty though God doth sometimes notably exalt Soveraign Mercy when duty is neglected The Israelites provoked God at the sea even at the red-sea nevertheless he saved them for his Name 's sake that he might make his mighty power to be known Psal 106. 7 8. And though this be so yet men have no ground to neglect their duty Job his captivity is turned and God exalteth kindness to a wonder yet Job is reasoned first into an holy silence and sense of his failings see Job 42. OBSERVATION VIII There is a glorious display of the Power of God in the management of matters in the World CHAP. I. THE Power of God may here be considered four ways 1. In regard of God Himself 2. In regard of Human Power 3. In regard of the manner of being displayed 4. In regard of its extent or the various objects about which it is conversant First In the first place The Power of God may be viewed in regard of God himself and that 1. As a glorious Attribute of God As God is said to be Love 1 John 4. 16 so He is Power infinite God hath spoken once twice haâ—e I heard this That power belongeth to God Psal â—2 11. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him 〈…〉 â—s excellent in power and in judgment Job 37. â—3 The Apostle Paul speaks of the exceeding greatness of his Power Ephes 1. 19. 2. As conjoined with Wisdom According to this Consideration in regard of our apprehension God's Power is glorious in bringing matters to pass He is mighty in strength and wisdom Job 36. 5. Wisdom and might are his Dan. 2. 20. It is said That in Warlike affairs Policy surpasseth Power What cannot then both infinite Power and Wisdom accomplish though the Wisdom of Myriads of Achitophels assay the contrary Secondly The Power of God in regard of Human Power will appear the more transcendent if it be considered 1. That Human Power is derivative or borrowed from Him who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. Nebuchadnezzar was a great Monarch he had Kings subordinate to him
groan under their insolent Oppressions or oppressing Insolencies There are three ways how Providence bears down sin by bearing down the sinner to his grave 1. By his own hands The Lord arms sinners judicially against themselves They become their own Executioners Achitophel hangs himself 2 Sam. 17. 23. So Judas too Mat. 27. 5. 2. By the hands of others One wild beast gores another to death Belshazzar is slain and Darius the Median took the Kingdom Dan. 5. 30 31. 3. By a more immediate hand of God Dead they are and a Jury say something by saying nothing as to any visible-creature-hand by which death came God who gave life hath many ways to take what is given He hath his Quiver full of Arrows Not only a silent Arrow but a sudden one doth execution Psal 64. 7. God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded CHAP. II. 1. LEARN to whom the glory of hearing up the World is due God's Providence is the true Atlas which support the World that doth shoulder up the World whilst it treads on sin and sinners Upon a serious view taken of Providence on this wise displayed we may say as they said The Lord he is the God the Lord he is the God 1 King 18. 39. 2. Observe an Argument to confirm the truth of God's Providence in governing the World from the restraints put upon sin and sinners in the World The restraints do then bespeak the more remarkable hand of God 1. When parties restrain'd have power in their hand A wonder it was that none of Pharaoh's Life-guard did not knock in the head those saucy and busie fellows Moses and Aaron as they were look't on in the judgment of the Court Exod. 5. 4 5. 2. When there is an old grudg against parties Anger becomes canker'd malice and yet the Canker eats no farther As in Esau's inveterate hatred against Jacob Gen. 37. 41. with Gen. 33 3. When God shall step in in a nick of time and clap on the shackles of restraint The God of your fathers said Laban to Jacob spake unto me yester-night saying Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Gen. 31. 29. so in Esau's case who comes forth against Jacob with his four hundred men Gen. 32. 6. 4. When the Dogs are not only muzled but shall fawn upon the Children Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept Gen. 33. 4. God in his Providence doth wonderfully affect the hearts of Aliens from Religion so as they are kind Nostro quoque tempore factum est interdum ut praefecti alieni à nostra religione melius se gesserint erga Evangelicos quam illi ipsi qui eandem nobiscum doctrinam professi sunt Lavat in lib. Eld. Homil. 16. to the religious Tatnai and Sethar-bozni are not as the former Officers Ezra 5. compared with chap. 4. 3. Have recourse to the great God in prayer for the bearing down of sinners The Lord hath two Bitts the golden-one of Regenerating-grace and the iron-one of Restraints Stephen prays and Paul is converted Acts 7. 60. with Acts 9. Hezekiah prays and he hath tidings of an iron Bit there is an hook for the nose and a bridle for the lips of a menacing and thundering Senacherib 2 Kings 19. 14 15. with 28. 4. Take thankful-notice of God's restraining-Providence 1. The neglect may provoke God to let slip the Bridle of Restraint The Lord may teach the worth of a Mercy by the want of the said Mercy If the Lord do but hiss for the Fly of Egypt and for the Bee of Assyria they quickly come to the annoyance of people who were before free from annoyance Isa 7. 18 19 20. 2. There is much of God to be seen in the restraint of persons This Jewel is worthy of more than a single cast of the eye Saints owe their Estates Lives to restraining-Providence Jacob could see the face of God in the face of his brother Esau Gen. 33. 10. 5. Secure a share in Regenerating-grace For 1. This is the kernel and cream of blessings Without Grace a man is but a tame Devil at the best Corn and Wine and Oil make men joyll but it 's the light of God's countenance which makes truly glad Psal 4. 6 7. 2. He who hath Regenerating-Providence for his portion will not be without a large share in Restraining-Providence for his protection I will saith David both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Psal 4. 8. Unde etiam justi taberna tygurium tentorium ad omnem adversam noxiam vim propulsandam plus virium habet quam improborum robustissimum firmissimum palatium arces propugnacula justorum papyracei parietes improborum ferreis aeneis illorum straminea lectorum integumenta horum laminis ac tegulis illorum ligamina horum seris pessâ—…sis Cartw. in Prov. p. 623. OBSERVATION XXI PROVIDENCE is the Bird of the Air which whistles deeds of darkness to light CHAP. I. BEFORE was shewed how Providence bears down sin in the world and one way amongst others was by way of detection or discovery Hereby sin intended is sometimes prevented as the killing of Paul by certain of the Jews who had banded together to do the fact Acts 23. 12 c. Hereby some are made examples of shame that so others may be deterred from giving way to like abominations as in Ananias and Saphira's case great fear came upon all the Church and upon as many as heard these things Acts 5. 11. Providence then is very remarkable in the dis-vizzarding men and this appears two ways 1. From express and implied assertions or cautions bottomed on assertions Job 12. 22. He discovereth deep things out of darkness and bringeth out to light the shadow of death And Eccles 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter So Luke 8. 17. For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be known and come abroad 2. From Exemplifications which may be distinguish't according to deeds of darkness which are so termed as sin within is compared to darkness and Satan the Prince of darkness are both Mother and Nurse to such deeds in the general But more particularly and to the matter in hand in regard of secrecy as affecting the dark Ephes 5. 11 12. These deeds of darkness do respect the first Table and second in a way of violation of duties commanded Now each of these sort of deeds of darkness are brought to light 1. Examples there are of the first sort Our first Parents sinned against God in eating the forbidden fruit the Lord himself plays the Anatomist and lays open the bowels of that fact Gen. 3.
err not knowing the Scriptures The Jews look for a Messiah they are zealous for Moses and hot against Christ What the Apostle said of the Jews in his days But even unto this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their heart 2 Cor. 3. 15. the same may be said of their posterity Others there are who through error fasten that on Providence to make good which may never be A pertinent passage for this purpose we have John 21. 23. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren That that disciple should not dye yet Jesus said not to him He shall not dye but if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee This then is another false Harmony of Providence and of this matter more is said elsewhere II. Learn to depart from evil and do good according to that in Psal 34. 14. The moving-consideration is drawn from the Harmony of Providence which is two-fold 1. Joyous sprightful or gracious 2. Doleful or grievous This double Harmony of Providence seems to be pointed at in the Psalm now mentioned for in the fifteenth verse it is said The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry They then who would have the eye of God on them for good and his ear open to their prayer must see they depart from evil and do good they are not to have a deaf ear to this voice of the Lord. Again in verse 16 it is said The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth Providence will frown on such who smile on sin There is then encouragement from the Harmony of Providence both in a way of Mercy and Wrath to depart from evil and do good And whatever seeming-contrariety there is in regard of the prosperity of sinners and the adversity of pious ones yet it is a standing-truth That Joyous or Gracious Providence is the portion of godly ones and Doleful or Grievous Providence is the lot of wicked ones The one have smiles in their frowns and the other real frowns in their smiles Consonant to this is that in the eighth of Ecclesiastes and the twelfth verse Though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him To this of the Preacher add that of the Prophet Say unto the righteous That it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo unto the wicked for it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Isa 3. 10 11. OBSERVATION XXXIV PROVIDENCE hath its Contraries or There is a Checker-Table of Providence wherein are the Whites of Serenity and the Blacks of Adversity CHAP. I. THAT there is such a neighbourhood of Whites and Blacks in the Dispensations of the Almighty may be proved if consideration be had to the following heads of Discourse First There are Similies Allusions or Illustrations of this in Scripture The Wind of Providence keeps not at one point of the Compass So Eccles 1. 6. The wind goeth towards the south and turneth about towards the north it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits I saw saith Daniel in my vision by night and behold the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea Dan. 7. 2. That notion of a Wheel Ezek. 1. 15. doth set forth the rolling or turning-condition of things in the World How often likewise is there an allusion to the Sea Dan. 7. 2. Rev. 15. 2. We read of two notable Sea-voyages of the Disciples of Christ in which they might learn how the Church of Christ may have storms and calms Mat. 8. 24. and Mat. 14. 22. Secondly There are Cautions Dehortations Comminations on the one hand and Exhortations Encouragements Promises on the other which do imply this neighhourhood of Whites and Blacks of Providence So in Isa 1. 19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it I might be large here it may suffice to point at places see Deut. 28. Josh 24. 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. Psal 34. 11 12 13 14 15 16. â—uke 13. 34 35. Thirdly The Prayers of God's People in Scripture do declare this The 90 th Psalm is stiled A Prayer of Moses the man of God Observe passages there Return O Lord how long and Let it repent thee now concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast affâ—…cted us and the years wherein we have seen evil ver 13 14 15. Daniel's prayer chap. 9. looks backward on the Jews past both prosperous state and afflicted state for seventy years and looks forward on a merciful Dispensation at hand Fourthly There are certain Doxologies in Scripture which take in this as matter of celebration or acknowledgment So 1 Sam. 2. The bows of the mighty men are broken and they that stumbled are girt with strength they that were full have hired out themselves for bread and they that were hungry ceased so that the barren have born seven and she that hath many children is waxed feeble The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up he raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghil to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and he hath set the world upon them Thus Hannah in her Song of Thankfulness See likewise the Doxology of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 34 35 36 37. and of Mary the Mother of Jesus Luke 2. 48 49 50 51 52 53 54. Fifthly There is something as an adjunct oftentimes coupled with Adversity and with Prosperity by reason or order of which as precedaneous a door is thrown open both for the one and the other Here is indeed a Shop of Exchange Adversity through a gracious Providence makes way for Prosperity and Prosperity through a righteous Providence visiting for Prosperity-sins makes way for Adversity Manasseh a King sins himself from his Throne in his affliction he sought God was humbled greatly the Lord was entreated of him and brought him again to Jerusalem into his Kingdom 2 Chron. 33. 11 12 13. Pertinent for this purpose is that in Ps 107. Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw nearer to the gates of death then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble be saveth them out of their distresses v. 17 18 19. Sixthly There is
time to be strengthned in the faith of the Mâ—ssiah Go and shew John saith Christ those things which ye do hear and see Mat. 11. 5 6. Christ knew when to fill Peter's net with fish after they had toiled all night and caught nothing Luke 5. 5 6. Isaac hath a comfortable yoke-fellow after his Mother's death and was comforted Gen. 24. 67. 2. From God's Providence in reference to Places 1. Let men be afraid of sinning against God in places In the very places God can alarum them and punish them The King with his Carowsing-Courtiers are appaled with the fingers of a man's hand which came forth and wrote upon the plaister of the wall yea it is said In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain Dan. 5. 5 6 7 30. 2. Observe Place-Providences Let afflictions and mercies in respective places have one place more and that is the heart to think upon them and improve them Jacob was bid to mind Bethel a mercy of old there and a duty incumbent on him upon the account of mercy vouchsafed Gen. 35. 1. The same Jacob takes notice of his Wife Rachel's death where she dyed and tells Joseph of it Gen. 48. 7. Paul forgat not his Asian-trouble and mercy withal which whether it were a violent fit of sickness or hot persecution and deliverance from the one or other it matters not he observed the Providence of God there and improveth it see 2 Cor. 1. 8 9 10 11. the same Apostle hath brief observations on what happened in divers places of his Apostolical-pilgrimage 2 Cor. 11. 23 to the end OBSERVATION XXXVIII Man's Extremity is Heaven's Time and Opportunity for Help CHAP. I. IT hath been discussed How God's Providence is seen in Timing of matters Now amongst other things not only the timing but so timing in regard of opportune help is to be touched And because the Providence of God is wonderfully displayed on this wise so that His actings of this nature are molded into a religious Aphorism or Sentence as Gen. 22. 14. In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen It will be very pertinent to insist on the seasonable display of Providence under Distress or Difficulty That passage in the Scripture quoted may be stiled A Providential Proverb for so the words as it is said unto this day in the Text there do imply The occasion of this Sacred form of speech was the Lord's stepping in for Abraham's help There are three things to be noted 1. That distress befalleth a person or a people For so it was here with Abraham Take now thy son thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of 2. That a distress proves an abiding-one so long as God pleaseth Abraham travelleth on the first and second day no release and on the third day he lifts up his eyes and saw the place afar off v. 4. The sight of the place must needs affect his heart this Golgotha or place of Skull might make him hang down his head with sorrow his head might well have aked on both sides had he not had a hand of faith to hold it and this he had as the Author to the Hebrews doth affirm ch 11. 17 18 19. 3. That Providence doth opportunely appear for distressed ones by way of release from troubles Abraham must have the sacrificing-knife in his hand to slay his son ere the Angel of the Lord call unto him saying Lay not thy hand on the lad neither do thou any thing unto him c. What here was Abraham's case is by way of proportion the cases of others who have their extremities as God hath his opportunities for help and that Providence hath thus its opportunities for help will appear if we consider 1. Promises which imply so much 2. Divine Performances or Exemplifications of this Truth 3. The variety of Ends which God hath in matters of this nature First Promises formally and properly so termed we have in Scripture Gen. 15. 13. compared with Exod. 3. 7. and Exod. 5. 7 8. doth give us to understand That God's Promise of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt was not the further off from fulfilling though the Israelites had been long under the Egyptian yoke and their yoke was made heavier a little before the Lord brake it to pieces The Promise stood still irreversible and in its full strength when the Israelites were weakest help was then nearest when they might think it furthest off in regard of the bricks doubled In Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judg his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left This is extensive to persons or people under heavy pressures and difficulties the more persons evidence themselves to be God's people the more they may find in the accomplishment of what is here promised Psal 9. 18. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not pâ—rish for ever Psal 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 72. 12 13. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth the poor also and him that hath no helper He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy be shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight Zech. 14. 7. It shall come to pass that at evening it shall be light that is Mercy then shall break forth when little expected they shall have a Morning of Mercy in their Evening of Difficulties That of Paul in 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. may be look't on as at least a virtual promise We had saith he the sentencâ— of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selvee but in God which raiseth the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver 2. Come we next to Performances or the Experiences of persons God remembred Noah after he had been shut up in the Ark Gen 8. 1. Lot is rescued timely by Abraham Gen. 14. 13. Sarah was taken into house Gen. 20. 2. and it is said God came to Abimilech in a dream and said Behold thou art but a dead man for the women which thou hast taken for she is a man's wife ver 3. Providence was seasonable for the preservation of Sarah's chastity The Israelites are at the Red-sea and the Egyptians at their backs they could neither drink up the one nor eat up the other no ordinary way of escape and yet then the Lord opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters Exod. 14. 21 22. Israel was sore distressed Judg. 10. 9. then the Spirit of