Works of Joseph Hall, Section 25
SECT. XXV.
Rules for eſtate. 1. Reliance vponupon the prouidence of God.FOr his eſtate, the quiet minde muſt firſt roll it ſelfe vponupon the prouidence of the Higheſt. For, whoſoeuer ſo caſts himſelfe vponupon theſe outward things, that in their proſperous eſtate he reioiceth, and (contrarily) is caſt downe in their miſcariage; I know not whether he ſhall finde more vncertaintie of reſt, or more certaintie of vnquietneſſe; ſince hee muſt needs bee like a light vnballaced Veſſell, that riſes and falls with eueryevery waue, and depends onelyonly on the merciemercy of wind and water: But who relies on the ineuitable decree, and all-ſeeing prouidence of God, (which can neither be croſſed with ſecond thoughts, nor with euents vnlooked for,) layes a ſure ground of Tranquillitie. Let the world toſſe how it liſt, and varie it ſelfe (as it euer doth) in ſtormes and calmes; his reſt is pitched aloft, aboue the ſphere of changeable mortalitie. To begin, is harder than to proſecute: What counſell had God in the firſt moulding of thee in the wombe of thy mother? what aid ſhall he hauehave in repairing thee from the wombe of the earth? And if he could make, and ſhall reſtore thee without thee, why ſhall he not much more (without thy indeuour) diſpoſe of thee? Is God wiſe enough to guide the Heauens, and to produce all creatures in their kindes and ſeaſons? And ſhall hee not bee able to order thee alone? Thou ſayeſt, I hauehave friends, and (which is my beſt friend) I hauehave wealth to make both them and me; and wit to put both to beſt vſe. O the broken reedes of humane confidence! Who euer truſted on friends that could truſt to himſelfe? Who euer was ſo wiſe, as not ſometimes to be a foole in his owne conceit? oft times in the conceit of others? Who was euer more diſcontent, than the wealthie? Friends may bee falſe: Wealth cannot but be deceitfull: Wit hath made many fooles. Truſt thou to that, which (if thou wouldeſt) cannot faile thee. Not that thou deſireſt ſhall come to paſſe; but that which God hath decreed. Neither thy feares, nor thy hopes, nor vowes ſhall either forſlow or alter it. The vnexperienced paſſenger, when he ſees the Veſſell goe amiſſe or too farre, layes faſt hold on the contrary part, or on the Maſt for remedie: the Pilot laughs at his folly; knowing, that (whateuer he labours) the Barke will goe which way the wind and his ſterne directeth it. Thy goods are embarked: Now thou wiſheſt a direct North-wind to driue thee to the Strayts; and then a Weſt, to runne in: and now, when thou haſt emptied and laded againe, thou calleſt as earneſtly for the South, and South-Eaſt, to returne; and lowreſt, if all theſe anſwer thee not: As if Heauen and Earth had nothing elſe to doe, but to wait vponupon thy pleaſure; and ſerued onelyonly, to bee commanded ſeruice by thee. Another that hath contrary occaſion, askes for winds quite oppoſite to thine. He that ſits in Heauen, neither fits thy fancie nor his: but bids his winds ſpet ſometimes in thy face; ſometimes to fauour thee with a ſide blaſt; ſometimes, to be boiſtrous; otherwhiles, to be ſilent, at his owne pleaſure. Whether the Mariner ſing or curſe, it ſhall goe, whither it is ſent. Striue, or lie ſtill, thy deſtinie ſhall runne on; and what muſt be, ſhall be: Not that wee ſhould hence exclude benefit of meanes (which are alwaies neceſſarily included in this wiſe preordinanon of all things) but perplexitie of cares, and wreſtling with prouidence. Oh, the idle and ill-ſpent cares of curious men, that conſult with ſtarres, and ſpirits for their deſtinies, vnderunder colour of preuention! If it be not thy deſtinie; why wouldſt thou know it, what needſt thou reſiſt it? If it bee thy deſtinie; why wouldſt thou know that thou canſt not preuent? That which God hath decreed, is already done in Heauen, and muſt be done on Earth. This kinde of expectation doth but haſten ſlow euils, and prolong them in their continuance: haſten them, not in their euent, but in our conceit. Shortly then, if thou ſwimmeſt againſt the ſtreame of this prouidence, thou canſt not eſcape drowning; eueryevery waue turnes thee ouer, like a Porkpiſce before a tempeſt: But if thou ſwimmeſt with the ſtreame, doe but caſt thine armes abroad, thou paſſeſt with ſafetie, and with eaſe: it both beares thee vp, and carries thee on to the Hauen (whither God hath determined thine arriuall) in peace.