Gods Three Arrows, Section 10 – Section 11
§. 10. Of ſubmitting all our purpoſes to Gods will.
VI. *See § 5.VVHatſover is by man intended, muſt be ſubmitted to Gods will. Without God a ſparrow falls not to the ground. And without God nothing can be effected by man. aProv. 16. 9.A mans heart deviſeth his way, that is, a man may with himſelfe plot and purpoſe this and that, But the Lord directeth his ſteps, and bringeth the purpoſes of man Quicun que hominum greſſus rectum iter incedunt, non ſit hoc libertate humani arbitrij, ſed gubernatione illius, cui dicit Eſaias, Omnia opera no ſtra operatus es nobis. Hier. Comment. l. 2. in Prov 20 Luke 12. 19.to what iſſue God himſelfe pleaſe: according to the proverbe, Man may purpoſe, but God will diſpoſe. So as the good ſucceſſe which men have, comes not from their projecting, nor from any freedome of mans will, but from the guidance of him, to whom the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith, Thou haſt wrought all our workes in us, or for us, Iſa. 26. 12.
Iuſtly therefore doth the Apoſtle (Iam. 4. 13, &c.) taxe their bold preſumption, who without thought of God, or of his over-ruling providence, peremptorily ſay, To day or to morrow we will goe into ſuch a city, and continue there a yeare, and buy and ſell, and get gaine, whereas ye know not what ſhalbe on the morrow, &c. This was the proud conceit of him, who by an heavenly voice is called Foole, for ſaying to his ſoule, Soule, thou haſt much goods laid up for many yeares, take thine eaſe, eate, drinke, and be merry. The doome which was denounced againſt him upon that conceit, giveth evidence that he was an egregious foole. It was this, This night thy ſoule ſhall be required of thee: then whoſe ſhall thoſe things be which thou hast provided? Thus we ſee what it is to purpoſe or promiſe any thing without the Lord.
On the contrary, they queſtionleſſe were well inſtructed in this all-ruling, and over-ruling Providence of God, who in all their purpoſes had ever a reſervation to God, as he that ſaid, e1 Chro 13. 2.If it be of the Lord let us ſend abroad, &c. and he alſo that ſaid, f1 Cor. 4. 19.I will come to you ſhortly if the Lord will. And againe, gAct. 18. 21.I will returne to you againe, if God will. St. Iames where he taxed the fore-mentioned profane and overperemptory ſpeeches, giveth this direction for ſubmitting our purpoſes to the divine Providence, Ye ought to ſay, if the Lord will, we ſhall live, and do this or that. This is not to be taken, as if we ſhould to every ſentence that we utter adde this clauſe, If God will, but that we ſhould be ſo well inſtructed in the divine Providence, as to know nothing can be done without the will of God, and thereupon ever to have in our minds that reſervation, If the Lord will. Thus by ſubmitting our wills to Gods will, we ſhalbe ſure both to have our wills effected, yea alſo that to be effected, which is the beſt. Gods will, will we, nill we, ſhalbe accompliſhed. If then we will nothing, but that which may ſtand with Gods will, in the effecting of Gods will, our will muſt needs be effected. And becauſe Gods will ordereth and diſpoſeth all things to the beſt, on the ſame ground, that which we will muſt needs fall out to the beſt. But ſuppoſe our will ſhould wiſh any thing that God would not have: what skilleth it? We may know what we would have: but God knoweth what we ſhould, and ſhall have. It is therefore much better that our purpoſe and deſire be croſſed, if at leaſt it be contrary to Gods, then effected. If Gods counſell and determination be accompliſhed (as accompliſhed it ſhalbe) it is enough. My will therefore ſhall take the pattern of our Saviours for her guide, and in all caſes ſay as he did in a moſt extreme caſe, O my Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt, Mat. 26. 39.
O how impious, ſacrilegious, and blaſphemous, yea, atheiſticall and Luciferian was that ſpeech of a Pope, who being forbid by his Phyſitian a meat that he liked, replied, that Iulius 3.he would have it in deſpite of God. Such are the thoughts (if not the ſpeeches) of many preſumptuous ſpirits.
§. 11. Of Contentedneſſe.
VII. *See §. 5.COntentedneſſe is requiſite in all eſtates. The extent of Gods Providence giving evidence to Gods diſpoſing and ordering all eſtates, if men reſt not content in their eſtate, they manifeſt a diſcontent at his Providence. Surely he had an eye on Gods Providence ordering his eſtate, who in his great affliction ſaid, aPſal. 39 9.I was dumbe and opened not my mouth, becauſe thou (Lord) diaſt it. And he, who having heard a judgement denounced againſt him, which would make a mans eare to tingle againe, replied, b1 Sam. 3. 18.It is the Lord, let him do what ſeemeth him good. In like manner, c2 Sam. 15. 26.—16. 11.David, dIob 1. 21.Iob, eIſa. 39. 8.Hezekiah, and others, manifeſted great contentednes in great extremities. But moſt pertinent to our purpoſe is this of S. Paul, fPhil. 4 11, 12.I have learned in whatſoever ſtate I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abaſed, and I know how to abound: every where, and in all things I am inſtructed both to be full and to be hungry: both to abound and to ſuffer need. g1 Tim. 6. 10. Heb. 13 5.To this contentedneſſe we are all exhorted by him that had ſo well learned it himſelfe.
Well it beſeemeth the ſonnes of God, children that have ſo high and heavenly, ſo potent, ſo prudent, ſo provident a Father, whoſe Providence extends it ſelfe, as to all creatures not the leaſt excepted, ſo to every thing that appertaineth to them (ſeeme it never ſo ſmall, as to their haire, the number and colour thereof, and to the juſt pitch of their ſtature) well (I ſay) it beſeemeth children that have ſuch a Father, to reſt contented with that eſtate wherein he ſetteth them. Whatſoever the preſent eſtate of Saints is, God hath ſet them therein. On this ground, as when we are in high and honourable places, when we abound in wealth, when we have good health, when we enjoy peace, or any manner of proſperity, we ought to be perſwaded that theſe are good for us: ſo on the other ſide, when we are in meane places, when we are pinched with poverty, when we are viſited with ſickneſſe, when we are moleſted with ſundry troubles, when we are preſſed with all manner of adverſity, to be perſwaded that even theſe latter eſtates are beſt for us, at that time when, and ſo long as we are in them. For our eſtate, of what kind or condition ſoever it be, is diſpoſed by our Father before mentioned; and he knoweth what is fitter for us, then we can know. Therfore the Lord here in this text, ſpeaking of the extent of the divine Providence, putteth them in mind of this Father, ſaying, A ſparrow ſhall not fall to the ground without YOVR FATHER. Faith herein will make us thankfull for all manner of proſperity, as proportioned out unto us in wiſdome and love by this our Father: and patient under all manner of adverſity, as laid upon us in like wiſdome and love by the very ſame Father. This is rightly and truly to be *foreign. praeſentibus.content with things preſent, or with ſuch things as for the preſent we have: or with the eſtate wherein for the time we are.