The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. God is moſt wonderfull in the works of his providence.
WE muſt meditate on the works of Providence. God is ſeen and manifeſted, not onelyonly in the making, but Duplex eſt in deo potentia, una quâ novit omnia; altera per quom foreign. Amm.in the governing of the world, not onelyonly in the power of his hand, but in the wiſdom of his head; he hath not onelyonly made the ſhip, but he ſits at the ſtern, and is the pilot to guide it. Divine providence will be more fitted and ſuited to holy meditation, if we trace providence
In its conſervation of all things in their beings. By Gods immutable and powerfull providence all things are ſuſtained Quomodo aut Sapiens eſſet deus mundi conditor, ſine ſciret, aut omnipotens ſi non poſſet aut bonus ſi nollet mundum quem condidit cur are & gubernare.and ſupported, Acts 17. 28. It is a good ſaying of a learned man, How could God be unſpeakably wiſe, if he knew not, be infinitely powerful if he could not, be admirably good if he would not govern, and take care of the world he hath created? A Maſter of a Family will take care for, and ſupport the Children of his loins, the ſervants of his houſe; and the place of his habitation where he himſelf hath taken up his abode.
That God rules and ſuſtains all things by his good Providence, is eaſily to be demonſtrated, if we look upon the world in general: He hangs the Earth upon no king, Job foreign.26. 7. And what then ſhould ſuſtain that great, vaſt, and maſſy body, but the ſupporting hand of the Almighty? He not only ſuſtains a Body of Earth, but gives life, and breath unto all things, Acts 17. 25. The World doth not only reſt ſteddy, as leaning upon the Pil…ar of Gods Power, but all creatures in the world have their life and motion from him; He puts a principle of life into them to travel, and flit Damaſcen. 1 Eph. 11.up and down the world; their ſteps are guided and given Acts 17. 24, 25, &c Prov. 15. 13. John 5. 17. Annon Dei manu omnia ſuſtentantur & reguntur? certe durare non poſſunt, preſertim tam diu, cum omnia ſint ex nihilo. Z…nch.by the Lord; Their locomotive power is from him. And God doth not only give breath, but bread to his creatures, Pſal. 33. 19. He ſpreads the Table for Man, his Vice-roy in the world; And the young Ravens cry to him, (all the fealty they can ſhew) they cry, and they have their ſupplies from him, Pſal. 147. 9. Luke 12. 24. And God doth not only make proviſion f…r man, but afford protection to him. His food ſhall ſuſtain him; and mans Sword ſhall not d…ſtroy him; God will not only exhibit ſupply, but keep off danger. This likewiſe is verified in inanimate things. He numbers the Stars, that one of thoſe gliſtring tapers ſhall not be miſſing, nay, he calls them by their Names, Pſal. 147. 4. to ſhew his exact providence for the conſervation of Job 5. 15.them; not one can be wanting, but the defect will ſoon appear, he hath an exact muſter roll of them: He calls them Job 5. 10.over continually, and every Star muſt anſwer to its Name. He convocates the Clouds, he ſummons them, and then m…lts them into ſhowers, and every drop of Rain alarms the Pſal. 147. 8.graſs to riſe, and ſpring, not only in the Fields, Job 5. 10. Tolle animam e corpore, quid fiet de corpore? Peribit, diſſolvetur: Quan…o magis ſi gubernationem de mundo tollas?but upon the lofty mountains, Pſal. 147. 8. So God preſerves the Earth; not only in its poyſe and Being, but in its feracity and plenty. And its obſervable, if God contract our time in the world, there is no warding off the ſtroke of death, Luke 12. 20. And if God lengthen out our days beyond what nature promiſes, then death hath no ſtroke to give, Iſa. 38. 5. In a word, he that made us in the womb, Job 31. 15. keeps us in the world, fixes our time both for our Job 31. 15. Pſal. 31. 15.abode and departure, Pſal. 81. 15. All things depend upon A deo mundum regi fateri oportet, etiamſi nulla haberemus ſacrarum literarum teſtimonia; Deus eſt quaſi anima illum ſuſtentans.Gods b…ck, hang upon his hand, live upon his bounty; If he hide his face they are troubled, and if he take away their breath, they die, Pſal. 104. 28, 29. It is Jehovah, who is the pillar to ſupport the world, who is the firſt being to give life to the world, who is the Soveraign to rule and govern the world, and who can not only untile, but caſt down this beautiful fabrick, when he pleaſes. Upon the Baſis of Divine All-ſufficiency the Univerſe reſteth.
And Gods ſupporting power is not only evidenced in the world in generall, but his care and preſervation is moſt illuſtrious and conſpicuous in the keeping and defending of Haec eſt illa eccleſia, cujus cauſâ reliqua omnia condita ſunt, & gubernantur.his Church. Let us obſerve this,
Firſt, In ſingle perſons: Daniel is preſerved in the Den, Dan. 6. 22. Jeremy in the Dungeon, Jer. 40. 4. Paul and Silas in the Priſon, Acts 16. 39. Lot among the Sodomitical Rout, Gen. 19. 11.
Secondly, In leſſer numbers, the three Children are preſerved in the fire, Dan. 3. 25. O the admirable providence 1 Cor. 12. 6. Rom. 11. 35.of God! The Furnace ſhall be a field to walk in, and the flames ſhall ſuſpend their unkind heat, and not diſturb their recreation: Gods providence can ſhadow and ſhelter his precious ones, when deſigned for fuel and deſtruction.
Thirdly, In particular Churches, Rev. 3. 10. Temptations Rev. 3. 10.troop together and beſiege the Saints, but God in that hour breaks their ranks, and routs them, and reſcues his people from thoſe deſtructive Onſets.
Fourthly, In the Church in general. The Church of God was upon the brink of ruine in the time of Haman, the Bill for their execution was ſigned and ſealed, Eſth. 3. 12, 13. But then God tore the Bill, and brought the promoter of it Eſt. 3. 12, 13. Eſſe in Deo Providentiam, … ſu… …gare … qui… Ratio ejus ita cum Divinitate conju…cta eſt ut nullo pacto poſſu ſeparari. Leid. Prof.to ſhameful ruine and deſtruction, Eſth. 7. 10. God wounded the hairy ſcalpe of the Churches enemies. Let us further trace the providence of God towards his people, and it will appear nothing but a ſtock and treaſury of wonders.
Firſt, His earlieſt thoughts of love to his people, how are they a Morning ſtar to caſt light on the excellency of Divine providence? He loved his own f…m Eternity, Eph. 1. 4. Every Saint lay in the womb of Eternal love, before he lay in the womb of his Mother; God from all everlaſting laid his people near his heart.Joſh 21. 45. 2 Kings 9. 36. 2 Kings 10. 10 Jer 31. 3.
Secondly, In time God gives his precious ones a Being, to capacitate them for future good things. Non-entiti…s are incapable of good or evil. God creates his people, and ſo brings them upon the ſtage of the world to act thoſe parts foreign.of honor he hath deſigned them unto: He who hath reſerved love for his Saints, muſt give them a Being to be receptive of it.
Thirdly, In proceſs of time God calls and converts his people, and brings them home to himſelf by a work of Regeneration: They are not only born by Gods power, but Pſal. 113. 7. Luke 1. 52. …ob 5 12, 13. John 3. 5.new born by Gods grace; and ſo God qualifies them for glorious things which ſhall be revealed, 1 Pet. 5. 1. He gives them faith, John 1. 12, 13. And faith gives them power to be called the Sons of God. Now he adopts them In toto mundo nihil eſt … divinae providentiae legibus exemptum, fatendum tamen eſt, Major cura eſt de hominibus, maxim… de Sanctis.into his own Family. God doth not only bring them into the outward Court of the world, but into the inward Court of his own peculiar Houſhold, Gal. 6. 10. Eph. 2. 19. They are now his friends, John 15. 15. His Jewels, Mal. 8. 17. His Spouſe, Cant. 4. 9. The beloved of his Soul, Jer. 12. 7. His choſen ones, Iſa. 41. 8. Kings and Prieſts, Rom. 1. 6. Thus glori…us is Gods providence towards his people.
Fourthly, Further to trace Divine providence in reference to the Saints; God preſerves them in the world as a ſpark in an Ocean. When the whole world was drowned, God prepared an Ark for Noah and his F…mily; and when the Gen. 7 1,Inhabitants of the world had no peni-houſe to ſecure them, God provided a ſhelter for this holy Family: When all periſhed in the ſtorm, they had a Haven to put into. The Church of God in Egypt they were in bondage, but they were in Being. The Task-maſters had a hard hand over them, Annon hae mirabiles eccleſiae conſervationes aperte declarant Deum ſingulari Providentiâ illam tueri?but God ſpread a large wing over them, and brought them in time out of their ſervitude, in glory and triumph; and made their way through the waves, when the waters were their walls, their ſecurity, not their ruine. When God ſent his people into Babylon, it was to chaſtiſe them, not to confound them, to humble them under their ſin, not to ſink them under their burden; theſe Captives at laſt were Conquerors, Exod. 14. 29.and erected their Trophies in Jeruſalem: For he had thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give his people an Jer. 29. 11.expected end ſaith the Prophet Jeremy: And God ſeems to have tears in his eyes, when he hath a rod in his hand. And indeed how would Chriſts little flock ſurvive, if God by a Luke 12.wonderful act of providence did not rein in the Wolves, and put bounds to their brutiſh ſeverity?
Fifthly, God gives daily teſtimonies of his love to, and care over his people. He commands the Earth to nouriſh and ſuſtain their outward man; God provides flocks for Abraham, Corn for Jacob and his Family, and the Son Joſeph Pſal. 24. 1. Gen. 42. 25. Exod. 16. 13. Exod. 17. 6. 1 Kings 17. 4, 6.ſhall help to ſupport the Father. Nay rather than want ſhall befall his people, he will fetch water out of the Rock, ſhower down Manna, ſend Quailes from Heaven, prepare a Table in the Wilderneſs: The Empty cruſe ſhall 1 King… 17 14be filled to ſupport the Prophet, and the Ravens ſhall diſh in proviſions for Elijah. And God doth not only feed his people with bread that periſheth, John 6. 27. but with that Ne que corpori ne que animae ullâ in parte deeſt Deu… è terrâ nutrit corpora, è coelis animas verbo, ſpiritu, & donis innumerabil bus.which endureth to Eternal life. The Saint lives not by bread only, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, Mat. 4. 4. God feeds the weak Saint with milk, the ſincere milk of his word, 1 Pet. 2. 2. and thoſe who are grown to a higher ſtature in Religion, he gives ſtronger meat to. O bleſſed care of the great Jehovah towards his dear and precious people! Are they ſluggiſh, he excites them to work; Are they inſolent, he preſently humbles them; If Jeſurun wax fat, and kick, he turns them out of Canaan, which was both their Granary and Dairy. Do they indulge ſinful deſires, God mortifies them, and as the Gardiner prunes the Vines, weeds the Banks, and waters the Cant. 4. 16.flowers of the Garden to cauſe it to flouriſh; ſo God viſits his people with the North-wind of affliction, and with the South-wind of grace and favour, that its ſpices may flow out, that his Church may bud and bloſſom with happineſs and proſperity. But to wind up this particular: ſo tender and paſſionate is God in his providence towards his people; that he fixes his Church upon a rock, Mat. 16. 18. that it may be unmoved and unſhaken: He leaves heaven to come down to viſit it, and to lay down his life for it, John 10. 11. And after John 10 11.a little time he returns to glory again, but he will not leave them comfortleſs, John 14. 18. but ſends the Infinitae ſ…nt promiſſiones, innumera exempla, quibus apertiſſimè demonſtratur, quanta ſi… providentia quâ ſuo… regit elect…s Deus, nihil ut ſit certius quam eccleſiam imprimis maximae curae eſſe Deo!Comforter in his room, John 14. 16. as his Delegate to refreſh and ſanctifie his people. Now he is in glory he commiſſionates his Angels to be the guard of his believing ones, Heb. 1. 14. and to Miniſter to their neceſſities. He leaves his promiſes to be his bond and ſecurity to his Saints, that their trembling faith may have ſomething to ſtay upon, 1 Cor. 1. 20. He vouchſafes his Ordinances to be marrow and fatneſs to them, Pſal. 63. 5. for their comfort and revival; And leaſt thoſe Ordinances ſhould be dry breaſts, and barren wombs, he promiſes his preſence to enliven and fructifie them, Mat. 18. 20. And if his people fall into perſecution, he will give them intereſt for their ſufferings; They Mat. 19. 29.ſhall have a hundred fold for the preſent, Mat. 19. 29. And if the penſion be ſo large, what will the portion be? And his Angels ſhall not only watch over them, but God will take care of them himſelf, he will not ſuffer their foot to be moved, Pſal. 121. 3. Not a foot, the loweſt member of the body, and not moved; it is not ſaid, not broken, but not moved. Zach 2. 8.He will keep his people as charily, as the apple of his eye, Iſa. 63 9.Zach. 2. 8. If they be over-taken with afflictions, he will be in the fire, and the water with them, Iſa. 43. 2. Nay ſo tender is Chriſt to his people, they muſt not diſturb themſelves Mat. 6 28.with any care, (that hair in the eye of the ſoul which makes it water, and is ſo troubleſome) 1 Pet. 5. 7. and it is Phil. 1. 29.not to be over-paſſed; God pours his ſpirit on his people, John 14. 26.and his people muſt caſt their care upon God: a rare Joel 2. 28.change! God ſheds his bleſſings on them, and they caſt Pſal. 55. 22.their burdens upon him, Pſal. 55. 22. And to conclude, if any attempt their hurt, They kick againſt the pricks, Acts 9. 5. And every wound is ſtruck at Jeſus Chriſt. Acts 9. 4. All their injuries are reflexions upon himſelf.
Gods providence is not only extended to precious Saints, but even to the vileſt ſinners. He keeps their breath in their noſtrils, Iſa. 2. 22. God ſuſtains and ſupports them; thoſe Vipers faſten upon the hands of providence, and it is often a Acts 28. 3.long time before he ſhakes them off into the fire.Pſal. 64. 8.
Firſt, He fills their belly with his hid treaſure, Pſal. 17. Acts 4. 27, 28.14. He ſends the Prophet to anoint Jehu, 2 Chron. 22. 7. Gen. 6. 7.and Hazael, 1 Kings 19. 15. God kept curſed Cham in the Prov. 8. 15.Ark. He ſet the Crown on Nebuchadnezzars head. Bad as well as good Kings reign by God, by his permiſſion and conſtitution, Rom. 13. 1, 2.
Secondly, As God gives wicked men temporal bleſſings, as he is the Author of their poſſeſſions; ſo he is the Over-ruler Lam. 2. 16, 10.of their actions. God bid Shimei curſe for the humbling of David. He calls Nebuchadnezzar out of Babylon to lead his Jer. 4. 6.people into Captivity, Jer. 4. 6. He checkt Laban, that he could not vent his rage and enmity againſt Jacob: he curbed him in, and reſtrained him, Gen. 31. 24. he muſt huſh, Gen 31. 24.and not ſpeak a diſtaſtful word to him. It was of God that Judas did act ſo treacherouſly, the Phariſees ſo blaſphemouſly, the Jews ſo inconſtantly, and the Souldiers ſo cruelly againſt Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 2. 23. Herod murders the innocents, and in it fulfills a Prophecy, Mat. 2. 28. The Romans deſtroy and burn Jeruſalem, and ſo fulfil what was foretold by holy Daniel, Mat. 24. 15.
Thirdly, God doth not only over-rule the actions, but the words of wicked men. Balaam that curſed Miſcreant, ſhall pronounce a glorious prophecy concerning Jeſus Chriſt, Numb. 24 17.Numb. 24. 17. And Caiphas unawares ſhall foretell Chriſts death, the meritorious cauſe of Mans felicity, John 11. 50, 51. He ſpake not as byaſſed by his own judgment, but as over-ruled by Divine Providence. Though Princes wear their Crowns on their heads, yet their hearts are in Gods Prov. 21. 1.hand.
Fourthly, And God doth not only over-rule the actions Impii ſunt vaſa irae …daptata ad interitum & ruinam.and words, but he appoints the ends of wicked men: What ever glory beſpangles their paſſage, yet ſhame and confuſion ſhall be their end, Prov. 16. 4. They are fitted for deſtruction both by their own ſin, and Divine Juſtice, which will not be always dallied with. The wicked who here riſe up in Mat. 25. 41.Pride and oppoſition, ſhall at laſt go down into Hell and Exod. 14. 27, 28.damnation, Pſal. 9. 17. What fatal and tragical ends have over-taken inſolent and unbounded ſinners? Pharaoh drowned Heſt 7. 10.by a wave, Haman ſtrangled by a cord, Jezabel daſht in 2 Kings 9. 33.pieces by a fall, and proud perſecuting Herod eaten up by a worm, and Gods v…ſe and wonderful providence ſhines forth Acts 12. 23.in all their …x…cutions; the finger of God not only haſtned, Rom 9 …2.but ſpecified their diſpatch.
Nay the foot-ſteps of Gods providence are ſeen in the moſt minute and inconſiderable things of the world. He numbers Ab ipſis ſoltis arborum, …t que floſculi… providentià ſu… ad ima…ſ…p…rti…g … Deus. Plotin. foreign omnia diſponuntur, omnia ad ſuos d…ducuntur ſines & tandem …d ultimum qui eſt gloria Dei. Probrum non eſt, ea feciſſe, mult… minus facta dirigere, nec ſic humilis eſt, qui ad humilia attendit, nec altiſſimè habitare ceſſat, qui d…miſſiſſimè pr…ſp cit. Leid. Prof. Quis diſpoſuit membra culicis, aut pulicis, ut habeant ordinem ſuum, & vitam ſuam? Aug.our hairs, Mat. 10. 30. and not one of them ſhall ſhed without a providence: he keeps the Sparrows, thoſe little worthleſs birds, which feed mans ear, not his belly; and not one of them falls to the ground without a providence, Mat. 10. 29. He guided the bow which ſlew the King of Iſrael, 1 Kings 22. 24. He cauſed the Iron to ſwim, to evidence both his power and his providence, 2 Kings 6. 6. He takes care of Oxen, 1 Cor. 9. 9. and provides meat for the young Lions, Pſal. 104. 21. thoſe Beaſts of prey, whoſe Dens are their ſlaughter-houſe, and the Forreſt ſerves only for their deſtructive range. The eyes of all wait upon God, Pſal. 145. 15. And he lays in their proviſion. God prepared the goard to r…fr…ſh Jonah, and God prepared the worm to deſtroy the goard, Ion. 4. 6, 7. To ſuch minute things the providence of God ſtoopeth. God ſees to the bringing forth of the wild Goats, and to the calving of the hinds, Iob 39. 3. and when they are brought forth, God ſees to their growth and good liking, Iob 39. 4. God takes notice of humane contracts, who borrows, who lends, Deut. 28. 12. and his precious ones ſhall lend and not borrow. God by his providence quiets the Beaſts of the field, diſciplines and keeps under the fowls of the Heaven, and ſtills the creeping things of the earth from riſing, Hoſ. 2. 18. That as the greateſt things cannot diſannual, ſo the leaſt things cannot eſcape the providence of God.
As Gods providence is ſeen in the conſervation of all things in their beings, ſo in the direction of all things in their actions; Deus ſingularem rorum quarum cun que providentiam habet. Chryſoſt. Nihil planè in mundo eſt, quod ante mundi conſtitutionem, non ſuerit à dei praeſcientiâ praeviſum, à dei voluntate praeordinatum.The enmity of Joſeph's Brethren, is directed by God to the promotion of Joſeph's perſon; and therefore Joſeph ſaith, Gen. 50. 20. That providence was ordered by God; He was ſent into Aegypt by a barbarous ſale, but God brought him into Aegypt by a gracious hand. The Jews in their rage bring Chriſt unto the Croſs, but God in his love, makes that the way to bring us to the Crown; they ſhed, and we are waſhed in the ſame blood, Rev. 1. 5. Nebuchadnezzar in his fury marches againſt Jeruſalem, to revenge himſelf againſt a perfidious and fedifragous people, but he onelyonly executes Gods deſign to captivate a rebellious Nation, Jer. 6. 22. Ier. 10. 22. And therefore God calls that proud Prince his Servant, Jer. 25. 9. Jer. 27. 6. He onelyonly did the drudgeries of Divine diſpleaſure. Man may bring the Inſtrument, but God playeth what tune he pleaſeth.
God over-rules the moſt inconſiderable and ſmalleſt things to bring about the moſt material and important effects. The Gen. 39. 18, 19, 20.unridling of a dream promotes Joſeph to be the ſecond man in Aegypt. A lye throws Joſeph into priſon, and a dream Gen. 41. 14.brings him out.
God over-rules the moſt contingent and caſual things to bring about the moſt certain and infallible events, 1 Kings 1 Kings 22. 2422. 24. It was Gods hand guided the arrow, to make good the propheſie of holy and faithful Micah.
God can over-rule the very ſins of wicked men, for gracious and excellent events; ſo the perſecution of the Church Sanguis martyrum eſt ſemen eccleſiae.of Chriſt, is for the increaſe of the Kingdom of Chriſt. As black lines beautifie the Picture, and ſet it off the more: Wicked men bring Martyrs to the ſtake, and the ſtake becomes a pulpit wherein the Goſpel is propagated. It is very obſervable what the wiſe man takes notice of; Man in his own heart is full of contrivances, Prov. 16. 9. ſeveral Prov. 16. 9. Rerum omnium exitus in manu dei eſt; Lingua non ex…licar… poteſt ſine providentiâ dei lingu…m dirigentis. Zanch.things roule up and down in his mind, but at laſt all his wayes are directed by God, they hit the mark at which God levels; ſo that the heart cannot deviſe, nor the tongue ſpeak any thing which is not guided by God to fulfil his purpoſe. The Prophet Jeremy aſſerts, Jer. 10. 23. That the way of man is not in himſelf, it is not in man who walketh to direct his ſteps. Every way of man is byaſſed by the guidance of 2 Kings 6. 19.the Almighty, to arrive at that end which God hath determined. Prov. 21. 1.Nothing is in our power, as Zanchy well obſerves, but Deus flectit omnium hominum voluntates, quocur que vult. Auguſt. Omnia ducuntur ad finem à deo determinatum ſ…ientiſſimè, et juſtiſſ…rè ad ipſius gloriam. Leid. Prof.all our wayes, works and words depend wholly upon the providence of God. Kings, of all perſons are the moſt Arbitrary, yet their heart, which is the moſt arbitrary part of Kings, is in Gods hand, and is turned and diſpoſed as the rivers of w… ters, and run into what channel the Lord pleaſeth. Princes themſelves are not ſo ſwayed by their volatile fancies, or imperious luſts, but that all their counſels tend to, and all their proceedings end in, what God hath deſigned; the very traces and windings of all their roving progreſſes center and are fixed in Gods determinate purpoſe.
Gods providence is ſeen in the deduction of all things to their appointed ends. Man when he breaks Gods Commands, Omnia deus quidem nectit, & ad ſuos trahit effectus. Boeth.he fullfills Gods Decrees, and when he runs counter to what God impoſes, he keeps pace with what God determines. That alwayes comes to paſs, which God, who exerciſeth an univerſal providence over the world, hath appointed to fall out and come to paſs. Thoſe who crucified Chriſt acted a Acts 2. 23.great ſin, yet they fulfill a certain decree, for the Lamb was ſlain before the foundation of the world, Rev. 13. 8. The divine purpoſe and determination, is the center to which the lines of occurrences and affairs are drawn. There was a medley and miſcellanious contrivance to bring Chriſt to the Croſs; There was Judas his treachery, the Phariſees enmity, the peoples inconſtancy, Pilates deſire to make himſelf popular, and the Souldiers cruelty; but all theſe different intereſts meet in the execution of Gods deſigned purpoſe, as Peter moſt excellently, Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counſel and fore-knowledge of God, ye have taken, Acts 2. 23. Exod. 2. 24. Exod. 7 22.and by wicked hands have crucified and ſlain. And thus Pharaoh, not onelyonly burdens Gods people, but hardens his own heart, both which carry on Gods end which he had 1 Sam. 6. 6.determined, (viz.) The delivery of the poor Jewes, and the drowning of Pharoah and his wretched Aegyptians. So Mat. 2. 15.Gods end and purpoſe is atchieved in every undertaking. Herod in his rage enforces Joſeph to carry Chriſt in his infancy Hoſ. 11. 1.into Aegypt, but Chriſts going into Aegypt did not ſo Verba haec ad Chriſtum referenda ſunt, quamvis judaeorum interpretationes ab hoc ſcopo l…ngè abeant. Riv.much decline Herods fury, as accompliſh a divine propheſie, Hoſ. 11. 1. Herod unwillingly fulfils what God wiſely had foretold. The Goſpel is the ſweeteſt means of ſalvation, yet it is a ſavour of death unto death to the reprobate world. They ſuck poyſon out of theſe flowers, becauſe they ſhall daſh upon their deſigned ruine: The Goſpel of life ſhall be a means to accompliſh their determined death. All things arrive at Sicut fragrantia unguenti columbam vegetat, ſcarabaeum necat, et ſicut lumen ſolis oculos ſanos recreat, debiles offend…t, ſic Chriſtus malis in ruinam eſt, bonis in reſurrectionem glorioſam. Theoph. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4.that end which God hath ſet them. Chriſt himſelf is for the ruine of ſinners which are appointed to miſery, for the joyous ſalvation of Saints, who are determined to glory: So the ſame fire purges the Gold▪ and conſumes the ſtubble. In a word; the works of providence,
Firſt, Sometimes how ſtrange are they, and miſteriouſly intricate, as in the caſe of Joſeph, through how many mazes and maeanders did that holy man paſs to his appointed principality.
Secondly, Sometimes how terrible are they, and tremendous, as in the caſe of Pharoah; his fatal and final deſtruction being uſhered in by ten preceding Judgements.
Thirdly, Sometimes how worthy and glorious are they, as in the caſe of Heſter, who was advanced by unexpected Eſt. 7. 3, 4.means to her ſoveraignty, for the preſervation of the Iſa. 44. 28.Church from ruine.Iſa. 45. 1.
Fourthly, And ſometimes how good and gracious, as in the caſe of Cyrus, who was raiſed by God for the returne of Iſrael to their beloved Country and Home.