Divine Comforts, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The Subject of Comfort, Eyes God in all things.
7. THis Man of God enjoy'd and liv'd under much experience of divine Goodneſs and gracious Providence. Under all that happen'd he ey'd and own'd the Hand of God. 1. In Affliction. Ver. 17. Ʋnleſs the Lord had been my help, my Soul had almoſt dwelt in ſilence. Ver. 22. The Lord is my defence, and my God is the Rock of my Refuge. 2. In Temptation. When I ſaid my foot ſlippeth, thy Mercy, O Lord, held me up, ver. 18. 3. In both ver. 19. the Text, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul. A Man of common Principles would have look'd no farther than ſecond Cauſes, and the activity of Inſtruments and Means in his deliverance from Death, ver. 17. Than his own Prudence, Caution, Foreſight, Care, and Endeavour in preſervation from falling, v. 18. Than his own reaſonings and wiſe conduct of his Affections in the calm and ſerenity of his Mind, v. 19. But this Holy Soul aſcribes all to Divine Goodneſs. And indeed to ſuch a Man nothing is accidental; he is never at a loſs for the cauſe of any occurrent, when he has not the leaſt proſpect of the agency of any thing on Earth, he can find out a ſupreme mover in Heaven, to whom nothing falls out by chance, without either the foreſight of his Intelligence, or the conduct of his Wiſdom, or the determination of his Will, or the interpoſal of his Power, or the liberty of his Permiſſion, which though no cauſe at all properly, but only that called ſine quâ non, which is but Fatua, yet is governed by his Providence, and all the poſſibilities thereof viſible to his Preſcience. God is more concern'd in the World, than the Artificer in a Clock, who when 'tis ſet together, ſet up, and agoing, forſakes it. He is ſure little converſant in Scripture, that imagines the Deity only a general cauſe, who having conſtituted things with ſuch and ſuch particular Natures, Propenſions, Biaſſes, leaves them to run out their courſe without further Concurrence and Solicitude, than to preſerve them in the being, conſtitution and activity he firſt gave them. There's nothing ſo mean ſo fortuitous, but the Scripture intitles God to it, either in way of Efficiency, Direction, Ordination, or Permiſſion. If it be Good, Natural or Moral he is the doer; ſo if evil Natural, if evil Moral, though he abhor it, cannot effect it, or concur to it as ſuch, yet can he, does he direct and order it, to ſuch ends, as are conſiſtent with his Wiſdom, Juſtice, Holineſs and Goodneſs; which he well foreknows how to do, therefore hinders not its exiſtence, as he eaſily could do without any violence to Nature, blemiſh to his Government, or infringement of the Liberty of his Creatures. For to me 'tis no little Myſtery, that although God be able to form a Rational Nature, with liberty of Will and Prudence ſo to manage it, that it ſhall at no time be compell'd to offer violence to its own freedom, but in every act proceed with an even, gentle, ſweet Spontaneity, according to the dictates of its own finite Underſtanding; yet that the infinite Intelligence and Prudence of the Divine Nature, muſt be thought unable and inſufficient, by the reaſonable Underſtanding and Will, to elicite, manage and guide theſe very humane Actions ſo as to preſerve the ſame Liberty inviolable. Let ſomething be allow'd to Infiniteneſs; ſure it can do whatever Finiteneſs can, if it be not to its diſparagement. If I can bring about my own reſolute and fixed Purpoſes, without prejudice to my own or others Liberty, ſure boundleſs Wiſdom and Power can tell how to bring about its determinations by the liberty of the Creature. A Reverend Judicious Divine, my Relation, told me, that for experiment ſake, to try the power of an over-maſtering Imagination, he had oft requeſted ſuch things of ſome Perſons, in whom he had no Intereſt at all, which he knew they had an averſation to, uſing no Reaſons, Arguments, Motives, Importunities at all further than the bare propoſal; only engaging himſelf ſtrongly to fanſie, that he ſhould obtain his deſire, and he ſeldom fail'd to prevail. I never had the curioſity to make a tryal, but am apt to think there may be ſomething in't, upon conſideration of the ſtrange effects of the Mothers imagination upon her enwombed Infant, as to both Impreſſions on its Body, and Antipathies in its Mind; the tranſpiring animal Spirits, modify'd and mov'd ſtrongly by a material Faculty, may intermingle with thoſe of a differing Body, and over-rule their weaker Modifications and Motions, and thereby the material Faculty that acted them, as in Sympathetick Cures, and the votatil Particles of Vitriol, &c. Crude or calcin'd, do mix with the extravaſated vital Spirits, and return with them to their Fountain. I confeſs theſe act only as Phyſical Cauſes, and cannot vary in their effects of themſelves, though other external Cauſes may thwart them. And what if a Man allow ſome ſuch like thing to Spiritual Natures. By what impreſſions they can communicate their Minds to one another, by what impulſes they bow one anothers Wills; we know not but only the Effects. God never fails to obtain the free voluntary Obedience of Angels. And the more determin'd their Wills are the more free. The Devil acts with leſs Liberty than a Glorified Saint; and a Holy Angel, with more than a ſelf-determining Man, who has both liberty of Contrariety and Contradiction, can do both Good and Evil, Act and not Act. Well if my Imagination further, if my ſhort defective Underſtanding can, the one make ſuch impreſſes, the other produce ſuch weighty momentous Reaſons as ſhall ſway my own and others Wills, to an inheſitant and free compliance, ſhall I not give that deference to the unfathomable Intellect and Reaſon of God, as to ſuppoſe it endued with Ability, to ſuggeſt ſuch things, as ſhall bow mine own or others Wills to a ready, ſpontaneous, ingenuous Concurrence, than any thing can, that is deduced merely out of the promptuary of mine own Mind. I find my freedom in acting is gradually more or leſs intenſe, according to the ſatisfaction of my Reaſon. And if the Reaſon of God which is boundleſs cannot induce a more ample ſatisfaction, than the Reaſon of a Creature which is but lame and imperfect; and if he cannot with as much Facility without all impeach to our Liberty, lead our Minds to the Contemplation thereof, as in the uſe of the empire our ſelves have over them, we can do; if he cannot alſo more throughly excite, acuminate, quicken and enlarge our conſidering Powers, freely to engage, I have done. 'Tis not ſtrange therefore that the Scripture aſcribes all to God as the Origin of every individual Motion. I find holy Men in every, though never ſo fortuitous an effect, of a ſpontaneous Agent, to look at God. I'll not inſtance in other than David. And, 1. for evil Events. As he intimates a poſſibility of Saul's being excited againſt him by God, 1 Sam. 26.19. and was foretold that the Lord would raiſe up evil againſt him out of his own Houſe, and take his Wives and give them to Abſalom, under the notion of his Neighbour, 2 Sam. 12.11. So even when he was curſed by Shimei, he owns it as from God, 2 Sam. 16.10. Not that he ſuppoſed God had a hand in the ſin of the Act, but order'd it as a part of the puniſhment threatned for his own Sin. 2. Good Events of all kinds he more frequently aſcribes to God. Does he conquer his Enemies? 'Tis the Lord that lets him ſee his deſire upon them, Pſal. 59.10. and ſubdueth the People under him, Pſal. 18.47, 48. See the whole Pſalm; and ſmites his Enemies in their hinder parts, Pſal. 78.66. Do his Friends own and anoint and crown him King? He entitles God to it, Pſal. 21.3. When his Father and Mother forſake him, the Lord takes him up, Pſal. 27.10. Is he ſecur'd in a ſtrong City? 'Tis the Lord's marvellous kindneſs, Pſal. 31.21. What do I enumerating Particulars? every Pſalm is an Inſtance. And indeed were it not ſo, Prayer would be mere Mockery, and Praiſe Hypocriſie; Epiſt. 31.and that of Seneca would be better Divinity, than we are taught by the Scriptures, (which yet to ſuppoſe is moſt horridly Blaſphemous) Per maxima acto viro turpe eſt etiamnum Deos fagitare. Quid votis opus eſt? Facte ipſe foelicem. Let thoſe Engliſh it that allow it.
Now when a Man does thus in all Events take notice of the Finger of God, and thereby give him the glory of his Efficiency, he is in a diſpoſition for renewed Experiments of the Divine Power and Goodneſs in Peace and Joy. Where the Glory will be given to God he will grant the fulleſt and ſweeteſt taſts of his Graciouſneſs. But who will loſe a Benefit? 'Tis loſt where no likelyhood of any grateful Acknowledgement. Unthankfulneſs is the moſt hateful of Sins. Ingratum ſi dixeris, omnia dixeris. If God muſt not reap Praiſes, he will not ſow Mercies. Not that he needs our Gratitude, but that we muſt own our Benefactor, and teſtifie our advances in Love, when by new Inſtances he teſtifies his Love to us. Nevertheleſs this Love of ours is not profitable to God, but highly (as all other Graces) to our ſelves. Our own Advantage and Intereſt is alway at the bottom of our Duty; which indeed can add nothing to God,Job 34. is nothing to him, as neither can our Iniquity detract from him, or hurt him. His good will towards us moves him to take care, that it may be well with us, therefore doth he follow us with his tender Mercies, and richeſt Bleſſings, that we may proceed upon ingenuous Motives, in our obſervance of him, and obedience to him; and may not be obnoxious to the check of Satan, or our own Conſciences, for ſervility of Spirit in that work, wherein conſiſts our Liberty, Honour, and Happineſs. Indeed we are not really good if we be not ingenuouſly good; nor act at all for God if we act not from a filial diſpoſition. Love is every Grace and Virtue, that Spirit of Life which as an univerſal Cauſe diffuſes its benign animating Influences, through all the Regions of true Goodneſs and Honeſty. All in us that lives to God, every holy Diſpoſition, every gracious Habit, is only a diſtinct particular modification of Love. Even as the varieties of Nature, in thoſe innumerable differences of Plants, ſenſitive Creatures and Men in their Bodies, are but Earthly Particles diverſly modified, formed, faſhioned, and qualified. Hence Love is ſaid to be the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10. But without Love to be Good is impoſſible, 1 Cor. 13. Where this Grace dwells, God dwells alſo; and the Soul inſpirited by it dwells in God, 1 Joh. 4.8, 16. The more of Love therefore the more of God. He will never be out of our Eye if he be thus in our Hearts. Love there will command our Looks, 'Twas the dominion of this Grace in his Soul, that mov'd the Pſalmiſt to make ſuch honourable mention here of the Love and Graciouſneſs of God, in his aid and ſuſtentation; 'twas this that in his diſtreſs inclin'd him to take Sanctuary in God; and own all the Spiritual Refreſhments that ſolaced his Heart, as derivations from God; and engaged him to devolve all the Glory thereof upon God. And how ſhould that Soul do other that has all in God?
Haſt thou then, Oh my Soul, evermore and in every occurrent, an Eye toward Heaven, and by thy acknowledgement of the Finger of God in every thing that befalls thee, Doſt thou honour his Providence, indeavour to reliſh his Goodneſs, and make ſome progreſs in thine affectionate pantings after him, complacency in him, reſolution for him, and dutifulneſs to him? O let every thing remind thee of his everlaſting Commiſeration, that in thy loſt Eſtate remembred thee, gave Blood for thy Ranſom, the Blood of God. Acts 20.28. The time of thy lothing was the time of his Love, Eze. 16.5, 8. He loved thee out of the Pit of Corruption, Iſa. 38.17. He hath prevented thee with the Bleſſings of Goodneſs, Pſal. 21.3. He redeemeth thy Life from Deſtruction, and crowneth thee with loving Kindneſs and tender Mercies, Pſal. 103.4. He hath not dealt with thee after thy Sins, nor rewarded thee according to thy Iniquities, ver. 10. Therefore, ver. 1, 2. Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me Bleſs his Holy Name. Bleſs the Lord, Oh my Soul, and forget not all his Benefits. Hallelujah.