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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A34921 Isagoge ad Dei providentiam, or, A prospect of divine providence by T.C., M.A. T. C., M.A. 1672 (1672) Wing C6818; ESTC R4623 270,847 560

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That is a notable caution given Exod. 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child if thou afflict them in any wise and they cry at all unto me I will surely hear their cry and my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless verse 22 23 24. II. In reference to Smiling-Retaliations of Providence remember the following Instructions 1. The less ground there is of dejection under straits by how much the more parties have been helpful to others under their straits For God saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the saints and do minister Heb. 6 10. Job was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame a father to the poor the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him Job 29. He hath experience after his sharp Winter-season of Retaliating-Smiling-Providence his Brethren Sisters and all that had been of his acquaintance afford him heart and hand for his supportation and consolation Job 42. 11. 2. Take notice how God hath been a gracious Pay-Master to you one way or other The debts of kindness are paid off in money or as good if not better than money Old Barzillai who had a loyal heart and a bountiful hand towards David in his flight from Absolom experienceth the King's favour to him and his see 2 Sam. 17. 27 28 29. 2 Sam. 19. 38 39. 3. Take encouragement then to put on bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering as is said Col. 3. 2. How many are there of whom it may be said They have guts but no bowels of compassion towards others afflicted Forget not more especially to have a respect to God's servants whether strictly or generally so termed It 's an encouraging meditation we have in 2 Kings 8. 4 5 6. compared with 2 Kings 4. 8 9 10. the good Prophet though dead is yet a virtual spokesman to the King for that woman who had been hospitable in entertaing him at her house her sparing the Prophet a little room is richly requited with the King 's restoring her the whole House Lands Profits or Issues thence arising from the time of her absence to the time of her address made to the King there Remember then that of Christ Mat. 10. 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward OBSERVATION XXXVII The Circumstances of Time and Place afford substantial Documents or weighty Instructions to the Observers of Providence CHAP. I. TIME and Place put weight into the Scale of Moral Actions Virtue and Vice have an aggravation according to the consideration of Time and Place And as Time and Place have their consideration in Moralities so in the Displays of Providence God who is the Author of Time and Place doth wisely govern Matters with respect to Time and Place To begin then with the first of these and so it will not be lost time to take a view of Providence about the timing of things And here three Positions offer themselves First It belongs to God as his Prerogative-Royal to Time Matters In Isa 60. 22. I the Lord will hasten it in his time And in Acts 1. 7. And he said unto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Secondly The Lord who is wise doth wisely Time matters This appears if it be considered 1. That the Scripture not only speaks of Time but of a fulness of Time which notes the mature exact or fit bringing-forth of matters on the stage of this world Our Saviour Christ came in the fulness of time as we read it asserted once and again Gal. 4. 4. and Eph. 1. 10. 2. There is no solid reason for man to object against the Lord's Timing of Matters For 1. Hereby folly is exalted Eccles 7. 10. Say not thou What is the cause that the former days were better than these for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this 2. Men have smarted for their folly when they will have other times or things timed according to their discontented humours The Israelites must have flesh-days they shall have them and enough of them see Numb 11. 32 33. 3. As there is reason so it 's man's wisdom to be calm and not foolishly stumbled at this or that about Times There are two ways how times may be said to be evil 1. In regard of the evils of Sin 2. In regard of the evils of Smart As for evil times in regard of Sin though it be our duty to groan yet not to grudg or mutter against the Lord because such times are Times are bad and by an undue discontent they are not made better but worse There is a wise and good Providence of God when Times are thus bad Divers things might here be insisted on I shall only point at one and that is The truth of his Word which hath foretold of such times and this if considered may not only break the force of temptation as if God did not govern the world at such times but likewise confirm us in the faith In the time of Pope Clement the fifth Frederick King of Sicily was so far offended at the ill government of the Church that he called into question the truth of the Christian Religion till he was better resolved and setled in the point by Arnoldus de Villa nova who evidenced to him That it was long since foretold of such days of defection and abomination when iniquity should abound 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 c. In the next place as for bad times in regard of the evil of Smart there is less ground for disquiet if sin be considered of as ordinarily preceding such evils of Smart The Scarlet and Crimson Sins make way for Garments rolled and dyed in blood It was a pious confession in Ezra 9. 23. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly And where the days are black and bloody ones notwithstanding they who are killed burned massacred keep their garments undefiled being persecuted for righteousness sake yet God is good in such bad times as these Much might be said in way of an apology for Providence here It may suffice That they who do suffer are sweetly satisfied as to what is their lot and portion in this kind In Rev. 13. 7. It was given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Mr. Mede interprets this place as having reference to the times of the Albigenses and quotes an observable reply of some of them to the Argument drawn from the success of the Popish
be set on the door of the great working-house yet no reason to quarrel the Lord knows how and when to open the door or break it open as he did in his own time to his own glory It was Saul's fault that he would sacrifice before Samuel came and he smarted for it 1 Sam. 13. 8 9. Let men learn from Saul's folly to be wise let them not force themselves to this or that as a means for help under straits which God approveth not remembring withal how a Samuel may be a coming with help from the Lord when they are going from the Lord. 2. Watch against anxious and perplexing disquiet of heart under straits There is no ground for a Christian to distract his heart in the want of visible means or to distrust his God in the midst of visible dangers Remember who bids to take no thought that is not to be anxious distrustful disquieted under difficulties and withal what he saith further it shall be given you in that same hour Matth. 10. 19. Not only Years Months Weeks Days but even Hours for Heaven's help are contained in the Calendar of Providence 3. Treasure up the Experiences of Divine Help under Needs and Difficulties David had a signal appearance of Providence for his relief when Saul is on the one side of the Mountain and David on the other and this David forgets not for it is vertually contained in his deliverance out of the hand of Saul which deliverance he celebrates 2 Sam. 22. If thou hast a Mountain-Providence with David forget not the God of thy Mountain-Dispensation Remember two things 1. The more eminent thy Mercy the more reason to value it The depth of a Misery may well call for the admiration of the height of Divine Mercy see an instance Psal 116. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. 2 The laying up of such an Experience will be of great use for after-times Thou mayest be in regard of temporals or spirituals as is said Acts 27. 20. Now when neither Sun nor Starrs in many days appeared c. To look back on Providence in a sad Voyage before will be of use when the case is sad for the present The Meditation on former Experience may be a prop to the tottering-house of a weak faith see Psal 77. 5 10 11. OBSERVATION XXXIX At or nigh the same time there is a like face of Providence shewing it self in Places CHAP. I. HOW the Providence of God is displayed both as to Time and Place and particularly as to the so timing of Help under Extremities hath been insisted on The present Observation which hath some reference both to Time and Place is now to be spoken unto And here in the first place shall be shewed how the like work of Providence in Places may be consideredi and that three ways 1. In regard of Premonition or discovery of what is to take place in the world Thus when the Lord would take up Elijah into Heaven not only Elisha hath a discovery of what the Lord is about to do but the sons of the Prophets that were at Bethel 2 King 2. 3. and not only they but also the sons of the Prophets that were at Jericho v. 5. of the same chapter And so the hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel in the evening afore one that had escaped from Jerusalem brought tydings that the City was smitten Ezek. 33. 21 22. Peter at Joppa hath a Vision which holds correspondence with a work of Providence referring to the Gentiles particularly Cornelius at Cesarea who was bid to send to Joppa and call for one Simon whose fir-name was Peter Acts 10. 2. In regard of antecedent preparation disposition or qualification for what is to come forth on the stage of the World The Jews were awakened to prayer-work when the Seventy years were or nigh accomplished at Babylon Jer. 29. 12. Moses is to go on the Lord's Embassie to Egypt he wants a Spokesman and God brings one to his hand Exod. 4. 10 14 15 16 27. When Christ was brought to the Temple what a wonderful Providence was there in Simeon's coming thither at that time when Mary came thither and so in Anna's coming in that instant as it is said Luke 2. 27 38 Both Simeon and Anna were Witnesses to and for Christ they came seasonably to the Temple there to testifie of Him who was Lord of the Temple Ver. 29 to the 39. 3. In regard of the work it self which is the same or a like for kind And here we may consider it 1. As a Work of Mercy in it self considered 2. As a Work of Wrath. 1. As a Work of Mercy The Gospel of Grace was communicated to the Gentiles and the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on them Acts 10. 45. They at Corinth were enriched in utterance and knowledg as well as they at Jerusalem 1 Cor. 1. 5. In the times of the Reformation of Religion Zuinglius at the same time opposeth the Pope's Indulgences amongst the Helvetians at which Luther did amongst the Germans how did then Cities Towns Parishes fall off from Popery as leaves from the Trees in Autumn And so it is observed how Learning at one and the same time began to hold up its head and that in divers places as Scultetus hath it And as for Learning so for Peace and Tranquillity the Providence of God may be noted It is said Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest thorowout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria A time there is when Countreys have their worldly Jubilee All the earth sitteth still and is at rest is the report made Zech. 1. 11. Docebat hoc tempore in Tiguri Helvetiis Ulricus Zuinglius c. Sleid. com lib. 1 sub finem Et quod mireris uno codem tempore in diversis mundi regionibus intermortua pridem studia in Vitam revocabant Leo 10. Pontifex Romae apud Hispanos Cardinalis Toleranus apud Anglos Rex Henricus ejus nominis octavus apud Belgas Rex Catholicus Carolus apud Gallos Rex Franciscus Annal. dec 1. p. 3. 2. As a Work of Wrath or Severity and so there may be noted how a like face of things there is in places at or nigh the same time A time there was when the Lord suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Acts 14. 16. A time there was when ignorance and lack of learning did prevail to an astonishment at the stupidity of those in that time And as Ignorance had its time so Sophistry and unprofitable Subtilty instead of sound and savoury Divinity did abound in the Thirteenth Century It is observed how both Mahumetism and Papism did put forth themselves at or about the same time And as for external calamities they have been timed in divers places The Wine-cup of the Lord's fury hath passed from Nation to Nation as Jer. 25. 15. and not only so in the times before Christ but after that Rev. 6. tells a sad story of Red Black