The Art of Contentment, Section 7
SECT. VII.
Of Gods particular Providence.
1. IT is the imperfection of our finite nature that we cannot at once attend to divers things, but the more vehement our intention is upon one, the greater is our neglect of the rest. But Gods infinity cannot be so bounded; his eies at once see, and his providence at once orders all the most distant and disparate things in the world. He is not such an Epicurean Deity, as to sequester himself wholy to the enjoiment of his own felicity, and to despise the concerns of poor mortals; but tho he have his dwelling so high, yet he humbleth himself to behold the things in heaven and earth, Psal. 113. 5. Nor do's his providence confine it self to the more splendid and greater parts of managery, the conduct of Empires and states, but it descends to the lowest parts of his creation, to the foules of the air, to the lilies of the field, and then sure our Saviors inference as to mankind is irrefragable, are ye not much better then they? Mat. 6. 26. If a sparrow (as he elsewhere tells his disciples) cannot fall to the ground without Gods particular notice, surely no human creature is less considerable to him; nay if our very haires are numbred, we cannot think the excrescence is of more value then the stock, but must conclude that God with a particular advertence watches over the concerns of every man.
2. NOW God being infinitly good, cannot thus attend us upon any insidious design of doing us mischief, he watches over us as a guardian not as a spy; and directs his observation to the more seasonable adapting his benefits: and as he is thus gracious in designing our advantage, so is he no less wise in contriving it. All things saies the wiseman are not profitable for all men Ecclus. 37. 28. Indeed nothing is absolutly good but God, all created things are good or ill in reference to that to which they are applied. Meat is good, but to a surfeited stomach tis not only nauseous but dangerous. Fire is good, but if put in our bosoms, not only burns our cloths but flesh.
And as humane wisdom directs the right application of these and the like, so the supreme and divine orders events according to the disposition of the person concern'd; he knows our frame Psal. 103. 14. and discerns what operation such or such things will have upon us, while we who know neither our selves nor them can make but random guesses, and worse choices. And sure he that do's but thus in the general acknowledge Gods providence, goodness and wisdom (which he is, no Christian who do's not) has a sufficient amulet against all his solicitudes, much more his repinings. He cannot think he suffers unawares to him who sees all things. He cannot think his sufferings are design'd for ill to him because they are dispos'd by him who intends and projects his good. Nor can he fear those intentions can miscarry, which are guided by an infinit and unerring wisdom, and backt by an uncontrolable power. And sure this is as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. 18. strong consolation if we would but duely apply it.
3. YET because general notions do often make but light impressions on us, it may not be amiss to make a little more inspection, and to observe how applicable they are to the several kinds of our discontents. Now those may be reduced to two, for either we are troubled at the want of somthing we desire, or at the suffering of somthing we would avert; so that the two notions of privative and positive, divide between them all our affliction.
4. THE first of these is usually the most comprehensive, for there are few who have not more torment from the apprehension of somwhat they want, then from the smart of any thing they feel. And indeed whilst our desires are so vagrant and exorbitant, they will be sure to furnish matter enough for our discontents. But certainly there is not in the world such a charm for them, as the consideration that God is more wise to discern, and more careful to provide what is really good for us then we our selves. We poor purblind creatures look only on the surface of things, and if we see a beautiful appearance, somwhat that invites our senses, we court it with the utmost earnestness; but God penetrates deeper, he sees to the bottom both of us and those things we desire, and finds often that tho they may please our appetite, they will hurt our health: and will no more give them to us, then a careful father will to his child those gilded poisons he cries for. Perhaps this man is taken with the enchanting music of fame, likes not his own obscure station, but would fain present himself upon a more public Theater, come into the eie and croud of the world; but how little do's he know how he shall act his part there: whither he shall come off with a plaudite or a hiss? he may render himself but the more public spectacle of scorn; or if he do not that, he may by a better success feed up his vaine glory to such a bulk as may render him too great a weight for that tottering pinacle whereon he stands: and so after he has made a towring circle, he may fall back with more ignominy to his first point. Another it may be no less eagerly desires wealth, thinks (as once Cresus did) that he that abounds in tresure cannot be emty of felicity; but alas how knows he how he shall imploy it? There are two contrary temtations that attend riches; riots, and covetousness: and he is sure a little too confident, that dares promise himself that when there is such odds against him, he shall certainly chuse the one just mean, and if he do not, he do's only inflame his account at the great Audit: Besides the more wealth he has, the fairer booty he is to the avarice of others; and it has bin often seen, that many a man had not died so poor, if he had lived less rich. Another perhaps thinks not himself so much to want wealth as children to heir it, and complains with Abraham, Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless? Gen. 15. 2. yet how knows he whether that child he so much desires shall be a wise man or a fool, Eccle. 2. 19. a comfort or a vexation to himself if he live to see his proof? and if he do not, he do's but project for an access to his dying cares in what hands to leave him. Rachel sollicited this satisfaction with the greatest impatience, give me children or I die, Gen. 30. 1. and tis observable that the grant of her wish proved the loss of her life.
5. THUS in these and innumerable other instances we drive on blindfold, and very often impetuously pursue that which would ruin us: and were God as shortsighted as we, into what precipices should we minutely hurry our selves? or were he so unkind as to consider our importunity more then our interest, we should quickly sink under the weight of our own wishes; and as Iuvenal in his tenth Satyr excellently observes, perish by the sucess and grant of our Praiers. I suppose there is no man that soberly recollects the events of his life, but can experimentally say, he has somtimes desired things which would have bin to his mischief if he had had them, and that himself has after lookt on the denial as a mercy: as on the other side when he has prosper'd in his aims, and had what his soul lusted after, it has bin but like the quailes to the Israelites, a conviction and punishment, rather then a satisfaction. And now surely God may complaine of us as he did of Israel, How loug will it be ere you believe me? Num. 14. 11. After all the attestations he has given of his care and Providence over us, after all the experiments we have had of the folly of our own elections, we cannot yet be brought either to distrust our selves, or rely upon him. We will still be chusing and look on him as no farther concern'd, then as the executioner of our designs.
6. THIS is certainly a strange perverseness, and such as no sensible man would be guilty of in any other instance. In all our secular affaires we trust those whom we have cause to think understand them better then our selves, and rely upon men in their own faculty. We put our estates in the Lawiers hand, our bodies into the Physicians, and submit to their advice tho it be against our humor, merely because we account them more competent judges. Yet this deference we cannot be perswaded to pay to God, but will still be prescribing to him, and are very angry if his dispensations do not exactly answer our fancies. And can we offer him a greater affront then thus to distrust him? What is it but interpretatively to deny either his wisdom, or his goodness, or both? and so derogate from him in two of his essential attributes. For there can be no rational account given by any who believe those, why they should not remit their whole concerns to him. So that the short account is, that in our distrusts we either deny him to be God, or our selves to be men, by resisting the most evident dictates of that reason which distinguishes us from brutes. For certainly there is not in human discourse a more irrefragable Maxim, then that we ought for our own sakes, to resign our selves to him, who we are infallibly sure, can, and will, chuse better for us, then we for our selves.
7. THIS was so apparent by mere natural light, that Socrates advised men to pray only for blessings in general, and leave the particular kinds of them to Gods election, who best knows what is good for us. And sure this is such a piece of divinity, as extremely reproches us Christians, who cannot match a Heathen in his implicit faith in God. Nay indeed tis the vilest defamation upon God himself, that we who pretend to know him more, should trust him less. So that we see our repinings do not terminate in their own proper guilt, but do in their consequences swell higher, and our discontents propagate themselves into Blasphemy. For while we impatiently complain of our wants, we do tacitly tax God to want either that wisdom, power, or love, whereby he should supply us. And sure he must be very Atheistical to whom this will not give a competent prejudice against this sin.
8. AND this very consideration will equally prejudge the other branch of our discontents, I mean those which repine at the ills we suffer. And not only our privative, but our positive afflictions may by it have their bitterness taken off: for the same goodness and wisdom which denies those things we like, because they are hurtful for us, do's upon the very same reason give us those distastful things which he sees profitable. A wise Physician do's not only diet, but if occasion be purge his patient also. And surely there is not such a purifier, such a cleanser of the soul as are afflictions, if we do not (like disorderly patients) frustrate their efficacy by the irregular managery of our selves under them.