Divine Conduct, Head 5 · Motive 9
The Ninth Motive.
DVe observations of the wayes of God in his Providences towards us, have an excellent usefulness and aptitude to advance and improve Holiness in our hearts and lives. For,
The Holiness of God is manifested to us in all his works of Providence, Psal. 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Instruments used by Providence may be very sinful & wicked, they may aim at base ends, & make use of wicked mediums to attain them; but it's certain Gods designs are most pure, and all his workings are so too. Though he permits, limits, orders and over-rules many unholy persons and actions; yet in all he works like himself; and his Holiness is no more defiled and stained by their impurity; than the Sun-beams are by the noisome exhalations of a dunghill, Deut. 32. 4. He is the rock, his work is perfect; for all his wayes are judgement, a God of truth, and without iniquity: just and right is he. So that in all his Providences he sets before us a perfect pattern of holiness, that we might be holy in all our wayes, as our Father is in all his wayes. But this is not all.
His Providences if duely observed, promote Holiness, by stopping up our way to sin. Oh if men would but note the designs of God in his preventive Providences, how useful would it be to keep them upright and holy in their wayes? For why is it, that the Lord so often hedges up our way with thorns, as it is Hosea 2. 6. but that we should not …ind our paths to sin? Why doth he clogg us, but to prevent our straying from him? 2 Cor. 12. 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure, there was given me a thorn in the slesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. O 'tis good to attend to these works of God, and study the meaning of them. Sometimes Providence crosseth a hopeful thriving project to advance our estate, and frustrates all our labours and cares; Why is this? but to hide pride from man. Shouldst thou prosper in the world, that prosperity might be thy snare, and make thee a proud, sensual, vain …oul; the Lord Jesus sees this, and therefore withdraws the food and fuel from thy corruptions.
It may be thou hast a crazy, diseased, weak body; thou labourest under often infirmities: in this, the Wisdom and Care of God over thy soul is manifested; for wert thou not so clogged, how probable is it, that much more guilt might be contracted? Your poverty doth but clog your pride; reproaches clog your ambition: want prevents wantonness: sickness of body conduces to the prevention of many inward gripes of conscience, and groans under guilt.
The Providences of God may be observed to conduce to our holiness, not only by preventing sin,God would no… …ub so hard, if … were not to fetch ou… the dirt that is ingrai…d in our natures:… loves purity so well, he had rath… see a hol… than a sp… in his childs ga…ment. G… …nalls Ch…stian Ar…mour, p. 2. p. 22▪ that we may not …all into it; but also by purging our sins when we are fallen into them, Isa. 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. So Dan. 11. 33, 34, 35. they are of the same use that fire and water are for 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 hear… 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 a…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 …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.