Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 21
SERMON XXI.
Pſal. CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe and will obſerve theſe things, even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Proceed yet in making ſome Obſervations upon the motions of Divine Providence. A ſeventh Obſervation I ſhall make, is this:
Obſerv. 7. It ordinarily enforceth wicked men, who mean nothing leſs, yet to do the Lords work.
It is the great art of a Politician to ſerve himſelf of every humor: A good Pen-man will write almoſt with any Pen, and a good work-man will work with any tool; and the great and wiſe God herein ſheweth the greatneſs of his Wiſdom, that he alſo works with any tools, and doth his buſineſs by any inſtruments. The Stars ſhall fight in their courſes, againſt Sizera; the Sun, and the Moon, againſt the Canaanites; the Frogs, the Lice, and the Flyes againſt Pharaoh; the Earth againſt Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. Now in this there ſhines forth a great deal of Divine Power; thus God ſheweth himſelf to the world, to be the Lord of hoſts, to have all the hoſts of Heaven and Earth at his command. So that as a great General, who hath ſeveral Regiments under his Command, at his pleaſure, he ſometimes commandeth out one, ſometimes another, as it pleaſeth him upon a particular ſervice: ſo doth our great and mighty God; and as that great Commander, ſhewing his vaſt Army to his friend, is reported to have ſaid, there is not one of theſe, but if I bid him throw himſelf down a Precipice, or into a River, he will do it: ſo there is not any company of inanimate, or brute Creatures, not one Company in the whole Army of the Lord of Hoſts; but like the Centurion's ſervants, if he ſaith unto them, Go, they go; if Do this, they do it. But though much of the Wiſdom and Power of God be ſeen in this, yet it is more eminently ſeen in the uſe he makes of wicked men, to accompliſh his deſigns, which is a thing very uſual in the motions of Divine Providence. As that Politician doth moſt ſhew his Wiſdom, that maketh his Enemies ſerve him; ſo God in this doth commend to us his infinite Wiſdom, to make uſe of the Sons of men, that have a perfect hatred and enmity to God, and all his holy deſigns, that they ſhall ſerve him, and accompliſh his deſigns. Now this Obſervation juſtifieth it ſelf by a great variety of inſtances. You have one in holy Writ very plain, Iſa. 10.5, 6, 7. O Aſſyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the ſtaff in their hand is mine indignation: I will ſend him againſt an hypocritical nation, and againſt the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the ſpoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them like mire of the ſtreets: Howbeit he meaneth not ſo, neither doth his heart think ſo. Aſſyria you ſee was the Rod of Gods anger: Gods indignation was his ſtaff: Thou couldeſt do nothing againſt me, ſaith Chriſt to Pilate, if it were not given thee from above. He went upon Gods errand, when he went againſt Gods People the Jews; they had proved an hypocritical people, and God had determined to make the people, that had been the dearly beloved of his ſoul, the people of his wrath: God gave him his charge to ſpoil, to take the prey, to tread down the people. O but how ſhould God perſwade the Aſſyrian to ſerve him? The Aſſyrians were Enemies to the true God; the Text telleth you, Howbeit he meaneth not ſo: neither is it in his heart to think ſo. He thought of nothing leſs than ſerving of Gods deſign, that which he thought of was plunder and ſpoyl, and prey for his Soldiers, as the Apoſtle ſaith of himſelf, 2 Cor. 12.16. Being crafty, I took you by guile; ſo we may ſay of God, being wiſe, infinitely wiſe, he took the Aſſyrian by guile; or rather by his infinite wiſdom. This is that which the Pſalmiſt ſaith Pſal. 76.10. Surely the wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee: The wrath of man ſhall praiſe God: How can that be! James tells us, That the wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſs of God: Well, but for all that it ſhall praiſe God; God will make uſe of their wrath and malice, to bring forth his great deſigns. Who would ever have thought, that Pharaoh the King of Egypt ſhould have been a great inſtrument to have brought the Children of Iſrael out of Egypt? Yet he was rather a greater inſtrument in it than Moſes was: Moſes did no more than lead out of Egypt a willing people, and ſollicit Pharaoh to give his conſent: Pharaoh was Gods inſtrument to make them willing; he meant nothing leſs, he ſaw the people grew great and mighty, Come on (ſaith he) let us deal wiſely (that is, ſubtilly) with them, leſt they multiply, and it come to paſs when there falleth out any war, they joyn alſo unto our enemies, and fight againſt us, and ſo get themſelves out of our land: here was all he aimed at in his oppreſſing them, to bring them low, and keep them ſtill under his ſubjection. Obſerve how God made uſe of this. The Children of Iſrael were now ſeated and ſettled, and multiplied in a fertile Countrey, and had it not been for the King of Egypt's oppreſſing them, would never have been willing to have left the fleſh-pots, and onions, and garlick of Egypt: but for this dealing of Pharaoh with them, making them to ſerve with rigour, ſlaying their male-children, &c. This quite tyred them, and made them willing to go out of Egypt towards Canaan. But let me a little ſhew you what a variety of luſts in wicked mens hearts, God hath from time to time made uſe of, to accompliſh the great deſigns of his Providence, with reference to his people: and indeed it is hard to ſay, what luſt in ſinners hearts God hath not made uſe of (at one time or other), and made it to ſerve the holy and wiſe deſigns of his Providence.
1. The luſts of the eye and fleſh, are of all other the moſt unmanlike brutiſh paſſions; yet the Providence of God hath ſometimes taken advantage of theſe for the glory of God. You all know what a ſtrange influence Eſther's being advanced to be Queen of Perſia, had upon Gods deſign for the building of the ſecond Temple in Ezra's time; ſhe was the great inſtrument to ſave the whole Church of the Jews (the only Church God had upon the Earth at that time) from utter ruin. God made uſe of the luſt of Ahaſuerus to bring this about; he takes a Teach to Vaſthi, for refuſing to come to him, to be ſhown to his Princes, and turns her away, and then muſt look for the greateſt beauty could be found: Eſther proveth to be ſhe. What a ſtrange inſtance of this had we of this in King Henry the Eighth of that name in this Nation? Thoſe who know any thing of the ſtory of thoſe times, know, that it was no abhorrence of the Idolatry and Superſtition of the Popiſh-Religion, that ſet him upon the work of Reformation. After ſome beginnings of it, the ſix Articles came out: Papiſts were burnt on one ſide of Smithfield, Proteſtants on the other: but the King was weary of his Wife, and had a mind to another. His wife indeed was one whom Proteſtant-Divines judged he could not keep (having been his brothers wife) without a continual living in inceſt; the Pope (who thinks he can diſpenſe with any thing) he thinks or decrees ſhe was his wife, and would give no diſpenſation for a divorce; the Popiſh-Univerſities, and Divines (who never fail to be on their holy Fathers ſide) all oppoſe the King in his deſire of change: This angers the King, and was the firſt motive to his buſineſs of Reformation, and caſting off the Pope's Supremacy. Nor is this any reproach at all to the Lords work of Reformation amongſt us; there's nothing more ordinary, than for God to make the wrath of man to praiſe him, and make uſe of the luſts of men, to bring about his own deſigns.
2. Ambition is another luſt, which fireth the heart of wicked men, eſpecially great men. It is an exceſſive deſire of Honour and Dominion. Poor wretches, born to, and brought up in little circumſtances, and low ſtations in the world, are ordinarily not ſo much infected with this; it is the great mans luſt. God makes an eminent uſe of this. See it in the caſe of Jehu, a proud ambitious man, that had in him a great luſt, and deſire of rule and honour; God had a quarrel againſt the houſe of Ahab, by his Providence he ordereth Jehu to the Kingdom, makes uſe of him to deſtroy Joram, the Son of Ahab, and Ahaziah, the King of Judah the Son-in law of Ahab, and Jezebel, Ahab's wife, whom God had threatned for the blood of Naboth, and his whole Family, until none remained, 2 Kings 8. verſ. 23, 24, 25. chap. 9. verſ. 9, 10, 24, 27, 35, chap. 10. verſ. 7, 11, 17. And thus he delivered his ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, that had not bowed knee to Baal, from the idolatry, cruelty, and oppreſſion of a vile and wicked Prince. Jehu indeed in all this, pretended a great zeal for God, and did deſtroy Baal from Iſrael, 2 King. 10.28; but yet ver. 9. Howbeit from the ſins of Jeroboam, the ſon of Nebat, who made Iſrael to ſin, Jehu departed not from after them; to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. Verſ. 31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the way of the Lord God of Iſrael, with all his heart, for he departed not from the ſins of Jeroboam, who made Iſrael to ſin. Hence it was, that though the Lord tells him, 2 King. 10.30. That he had done well in executing that which was right in the eyes of God, and had done according to all that was in Gods heart, as to the houſe of Ahab; and therefore promiſed him a reward for it, viz. that for it, his children of the fourth generation, ſhould ſit on the throne of Iſrael; yet God by the Prophet Hoſea told them, Hoſ. 1.4. Yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the houſe of Jehu: The buſineſs was no more than this. Jehu was an ambitious Prince, that loved honour and dominion, the Providence of God maketh uſe of this luſt of his, to bring about his holy and righteous deſigns upon that wicked family of Ahab, and for the delivery of his people from their oppreſſions. This was the caſe of Haman, a proud ambitious Courtier in the Court of Perſia; he had a mind to be great, this made him malice Mordecay, he would not bow his knee to him; this made him propoſe ſuch great things to be done, to the man whom the King ſhould pleaſe to ſhew favour and honour to; the Text tells you he ſaid, To whom will the King delight to do honour, more than to my ſelf? Eſt. 6.6.God maketh uſe of his ambition to bring Mordecay into honour, and to ſave the whole people of the Jews: and thus it ordinarily falls out in leſſer ſpheres; the humble diſpoſition of Gods People inclining them to give honour, to whom honour belongeth, and not to deny civil reſpects to the worſt of men, doth often commend them to thoſe that are ambitious of honour and reſpect, and maketh them their friends; God making uſe of his Enemies ambition for their ſake, which by the way commendeth to all that fear God, that Precept of the Apoſtle, Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to every one their dues, tribute to whom tribute, cuſtom to whom cuſtom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour.
3. Another luſt of men, which you ſhall find Gods Providence hath made great uſe of, is curioſity. A curioſity to know ſecrets: What ſhall come to paſs in after-times? or a curioſity to delight in rare workmanſhip of any ſort, &c? This is a great vanity of the heart of man; but the Providence of God hath made great uſe of it. Of the firſt ſort, there are in holy Writ the inſtances of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar; both of them dreamed dreams, wherein God revealed to them things that were to come to paſs in the world. Then God inſpireth Joſeph, a great friend to his people, and Daniel with wiſdom to interpret theſe dreams to them: this brought them both into high and great favour with thoſe mighty Princes, in ſubjection to whom the Jews at thoſe times were. This indeed is not an ordinary work of Providence, but what God hath done. The ſecond is more ordinary, men have a curioſity to ſee, and have fine pieces of work done, to hear rare muſick, to ſee fine mathematical operations. Indeed ſome of theſe things are very uſeful, but a curioſity in many of them, is but vanity; Solomon after a long experience, ſo concludes it: but the wiſe God often makes a moſt remarkable uſe of this luſt in mens hearts. David's skill at his harp brought him to Court. And many ſober perſons skill, dexterity, and activity in arts and ſciences, hath made them very acceptable to thoſe that have had the power of the world in their hands, and put them into great capacities to ſerve the intereſt of God in the world: where God hath both ſhewed his Wiſdom, in making uſe of mens luſt of curioſity for his own glory; and alſo in making his own common and ordinary gifts ſo ſerviceable alſo.
4. A fourth luſt, which you ſhall obſerve God to make an ordinary uſe of, is that of covetouſneſs. The People of God many times buy their peace and tranquillity; ſometimes they obtain it by their uſefulneſs in trade and traffick, and the detriment the publick revenue would have by rooting them out: ſometimes they make themſelves friends with their induſtrious hands, ſometimes with their liberal hand: This was but our Saviours counſel, Luk. 16.9. Make to your ſelves friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs. It is particularly ſaid of Joſeph, when he was a ſervant to Potiphar, Gen. 39.2, 3. That the Lord was with Joſeph, and he was a proſperous man.—And his maſter ſaw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to proſper in his hand: and Joſeph found grace in his ſight, and he ſerved him, and he made him overſeer over all his houſe, and all that he had he put into his hand. This was Gods firſt ſtep to bring Joſeph into a great capacity, that he might be able to protect his people.
5. I will inſtance but in one luſt more, that is, the malice, hatred, and cruelty of wicked men, Pſal. 76.10. Surely the wrah of man ſhall praiſe thee. Now this ſeems a ſtrange thing, but there is nothing more ordinary than this. The malice and cruelty of Pharaoh, contributed much to the Children of Iſraels coming out of Egypt: had they not been ſo cruelly dealt with, they would never have been ſo willing to have removed: it is no better than madneſs, not to be juſtified by Religion, nor yet by Reaſon, for private perſons to riſe up in arms againſt their rulers: but Solomon tells us, Oppreſſian makes wiſe men mad, and God ſometimes makes uſe of the madneſs, both of his Enemies, and of his own People, to bring about his own deſigns. Far be it from me, either to incourage, or to juſtifie ſuch actions; my buſineſs is only to ſhew you how far God makes uſe of mens luſts. But the moſt ordinary and regular way, which God maketh uſe of in this caſe, is by making the ſoberer part of the Princes and Rulers of a Nation, ſenſible of the greatneſs of their peoples ſufferings, and the unreaſonableneſs of the rage and madneſs of their adverſaries; and giving them bowels of compaſſion to their brethren, though it may be they be not of their minds. I remember I have ſomewhere read it in one of the French Hiſtorians, that a great Peer of that Nation (though a Papiſt) in the midſt of that woful havock, the fury of the Romiſh Prieſts were making, ſtood up in Counſel, and ſaid, He had no patience to ſee French-men ſo uſed. And this is very ordinary, the men of the world are not all of a complexion: ſome of them are men of Honour and Vertue, men of Juſtice, Charity and Mercy, perſons almoſt perſwaded to be Chriſtians, not far from the Kingdom of God; in ſhort, men of moral vertue, abhorring ſottiſhneſs and cruelty: others of them are men of blood, and violence, and cruelty. Theſe latter are they that make the great havock in the Church of God, breathing out (like Saul, Act. 9.) threatnings and ſlaughters againſt the Diſciples of the Lord; and commonly like Saul, they have letters from the high-prieſts, to Damaſcus, to the ſynagogues. It is much, but it is obſervable from the very beginning of ſtory—that the greateſt cruelty and rage which the People of God, that have deſired to walk more ſtrictly and holily with him have met with, hath been from the corrupt Prieſts and Miniſtry. It was thus upon the firſt general corruption of the Prieſthood in Iſrael: that was you know upon the revolt of the ten Tribes in Jeroboam's time: for though before that there were perſonal corruptions, as that of Hophni and Phinehas, yet (generally) they kept to the Law of God; but in Jeroboam's time, the body of the Prieſts was corrupt; for the Scripture ſaid, That Jeroboam made of the meaneſt people prieſts of the high places, whoſoever would, he conſecrated him, and he became one of the prieſts of the high places, 1 King. 13.33. It was not to be thought that ſo great a body of that people ſhould all be corrupted, many there were that kept cloſe to the inſtituted worſhip of God at Hieruſalem, and would go thither: though abundance of the people, as Hoſea ſaith, Willingly walked after the Commandment, Hoſ. 5.11. The Commandment of Jeroboam, the ſon of Nebat, the Commandment of which you read, 1 King. 12.28, 29, &c. yet many would not. Now as to theſe, the Prophet Hoſea tells us, Hoſ. 5.1. The Prieſts were a ſnare on Mizpah, and a net ſpread upon Tabor, and the revolters were profound to make ſlaughter. So it was in our Saviours time, the Prieſts, and Scribes, and Phariſees, were the cruel Enemies of Chriſt, and his Diſciples, as you read in the Goſpels, and the ſtory of the Acts of the Apoſtles. And ſo it always hath been, and ſtill is in the Church of Rome, their Prieſts and Jeſuites are the bloody men, the cruel men againſt thoſe that cannot comply with them. But now there are a great many others, that are perſons of better nature and temper, that hate ſenſuality, and cruelty, and injuſtice, and oppreſſion. Now God often makes uſe of the immoralities of the Enemies of the People of God, to bring about his deſigns for their liberty and deliverance: men of honour and vertue, abhor the ſenſuality and beaſtlineſs of the great Enemies of the Church; and although themſelves (poſſibly) be not of the minds of the People of God, yet they abhor injuſtice, and oppreſſion, and cruelty, and ſenſuality; and this makes them favour the poor ſervants of God, as men that have done nothing worthy of ſuch deaths, or bonds, or to be ſo unreaſonably dealt with: and thus God maketh the wrath and rage of bloody men to praiſe him.
I might go on, and ſhew you how God makes uſe of the wars and fightings, the envy, emulation and ſtrife, which often ariſe amongſt the men of the world, (and James 3.1. Whence come all theſe, but from the luſts that war in our members?) to gain his people liberty and protection. But I have ſpoken enough to juſtifie this Obſervation: but it may be ſome will ſay to me, Why doth God do this? Could not God do his work by other inſtruments? And were it not more ſuitable to the Holineſs of God, to bring about his deſigns by better inſtruments? To which the anſwer were good enough to ſay, Who art thou that diſputeſt with God? It is enough for us, that thus it pleaſeth him, and that this is conſiſtent enough, both with his Holineſs and Wiſdom. It is not inconſiſtent with his holineſs, to mean, and to turn that for good, which men mean, and intend for evil, (as in Joſeph's caſe, Gen. 50.20.) for God doth not put this malice into their hearts, he only ſuffereth them to walk in their own ways, and then governeth their luſts to his own praiſe and glory. But I ſhall ſhew you, that this is a very reaſonable motion and working of Divine Providence, which will appear to you by the following Conſiderations:
1. That God by this ſheweth his infinite wiſdom and power, by how much there is the leſs aptitude and diſpoſition in a cauſe, to bring forth an effect; by ſo much muſt the power and wiſdom of the efficient cauſe be made more glorious. Now there is nothing in nature leſs diſpoſed to the Glory of God, nor that hath ſo much antipathy to the Glory of God, as ſin and luſt. What cannot that God do, that can make mens luſts to praiſe him? Luſt (of its own nature) oppoſeth God, nothing is ſo contrary to his deſigns; for God to make this now to ſerve his deſigns, and to bring about his Counſels; this muſt glorifie God, as an Almighty God, that can do whatſoever he pleaſeth, and by what means ſoever he pleaſeth; yea, and by this means God maketh his Wiſdom admirable. When he taketh the wiſe in their own craftineſs, Come (ſaith Pharaoh) let us deal wiſely with them: God makes Pharaoh's wiſdom to deſtroy his people, a great means to deliver his people. What an infinitely-wiſe God did he by this declare himſelf? Turning Pharaoh's wiſdom into folly, and making it to operate directly contrary to his deliberations.
2. A ſecond Conſideration is this, That it is but reaſonable that God ſhould make ſome uſe of the worſt of men. The worſt of men are the Lords creatures, he hath made them, he doth much for them, they live upon his hand of Providence; 'tis reaſonable they ſhould do him ſome ſervice: now, intentionally, and deſignedly, a wicked man will do God no ſervice at all; his heart is quite another way, his life is a purſuit of one luſt or other; if God did not get glory on him beſides his intention, he could have no ſervice at all from him. There is no reaſon that leud and wicked men, covetous, ambitious men, bloody and cruel men ſhould live in the world for nothing; and be maintained from Gods basket for nothing, without doing him any ſervice; they will not ſerve God, as reaſonable creatures ſhould do, offering up their bodies as a living acceptable ſacrifice to God, which the Apoſtle, Rom. 12.1, determines our reaſonable ſervice: The Apoſtle therefore to the Theſſalonians, calls wicked men unreaſonable. They ſhall therefore ſerve God, as brute creatures, as the beaſts of the field ſerve him; not knowing what they do, as a meer machine, and engine ſerveth us by the force of our hand; nay in a worſe degree quite contrary to their own counſels, intentions, and deſigns. God could have no ſervice from wicked men, if he did not get himſelf a glory from their luſts, as he got himſelf glory upon Pharaoh.
3. There is ſomething in Gods Counſels to be produced in the world, that is fit for no other hands, than the hands of ſinners, and is hard to be effected any way, but from their luſts. Theſe are the acts of his Punitive Juſtice upon his People. God is compelled by his Juſtice, ſometimes to kindle a fire in Sion, and to ſet up a furnace in Hieruſalem, to melt, and to try his people, in order to the purging out of their droſs, and taking away their tin. Now as it is luſt which kindleth all fires, ſo (ordinarily) it is the luſt of Gods Enemies, of wicked men, which bloweth up this fire. Sometimes indeed Ephraim is againſt Mamaſſes, and Manaſſes againſt Ephraim; but (ordinarily) it is the Aſſyrian, or Egyptian, or Babylonian, that muſt deſtroy Iſrael. Men do not uſe to ſet ſheep to hunt, and tear ſheep; but to make uſe of dogs for that work.
4. This is a reaſonable motion of Providence, to incourage the people of God, never to deſpair, but continually to hope in the Lords mercy. That which uſually diſcourageth our hope in God, for any good as to his Church, is the heighth of the rage of Enemies, the ſad and forlorn ſtate of things, the appearance of never an inſtrument like to do any ſervice for God, or for his People. But none of all this is a ſufficient ground for diſcouragement, if God can make uſe of the worſt of men, and make the luſts of people ſerviceable to his own wiſe counſels, and bringing about his purpoſes. I might alſo have added, that theſe motions of Providence are reaſonable to ſhew wicked men their folly, and how vainly they ſet themſelves againſt the counſels and purpoſes of God; who ordinarily taketh them by guile, and overthroweth them in their own craftineſs. But I have enlarged enough upon the doctrinal part of this Obſervation, I now come to the Application of it.
Ʋſe 1. In the firſt place let us here admire the infinite power, and the wiſdom of God, and learn at all times to truſt in his word. What cannot that God do? What will not the wiſdom of that God extend to, who can make the higheſt and proudeſt Enemies, which his glory hath, to ſerve the deſigns and counſels of his glory? The work of Creation, is not ſo much a work of infinite power and wiſdom, as this work of Providence. In Creation, God only produceth being out of not being: here God brings out his glory from that which hath an unmeaſurable contrariety to his glory: nothing is ſo deſperately oppoſite to the glory of God, as the ſordid luſts of mans heart: no creature is ſo oppoſite to the honour and glory of God, as a reſolved malitious ſinner is. Now for God to make ſuch a wretch to ſerve him, nay, to make ſuch a wretch in the hotteſt purſuit of his luſts to ſerve him; and by the ſatisfaction of his luſts, to ſerve the great deſign of his glory: O what an Almighty Power, what an infinite wiſdom muſt this ſpeak in God!
And this I ſay ſhould recommend God to us, as a God that may at any time, under any face of things, be truſted. We cannot ſee a worſer face of things, than when wickedneſs is at the heighth, men in the heighth of rage and malice againſt the People of God: when all kind of filthineſs and ſenſuality abounds in a place; when the vileſt men are exalted, and the wicked walk on every ſide: they are put together, Pſal. 12.8. But under ſuch diſpenſations, Chriſtians, trouble not your ſelves as to Gods care of his Church: indeed it is, and ought to be an afflicting diſpenſation. 1. For the glory of God. Under ſuch a face of things, the holy Name of God is blaſphemed, the honour of God is at preſent laid in the duſt. 2. Such a time muſt needs be a time of great ſuffering to the holy and innocent ſervants of God. Many particular ſervants of God, muſt be made great ſufferers under ſuch a Providence: But yet incourage your ſelf in God; he that can bring light out of darkneſs, can, and will bring good out of ſuch an evil as this is. The Providence of God doth ordinarily compel even the worſt of men to do his work; howbeit that they mean not ſo: one way or other they ſhall do the Lords work; if no other way, yet by making their own folly manifeſt to all men: God often brings wicked men upon the ſtage, to make them more abominable. There are many in the world, men of ſobriety and vertue, would not have believed there had been ſuch horrible injuſtice, and oppreſſion, ſuch horrible, and inſatiable avarice, ſuch mercileſs cruelty in the hearts of many ſinners, if they did not ſee them play their parts upon a ſtage in the world. In the mean time know that you truſt in a God, that knoweth how to make uſe of mens malice, and to make the maddeſt and deſperateſt ſinner ſerve his purpoſes.
Ʋſe 2. In the ſecond place, what a foundation doth this notion lay, for an Exhortation to all, to break off their ſins by true repentance, and to give unto God a voluntary choſen ſervice.
1. To break off their ſins by a true repentance. I remember our Lords words to Saul, out of Heaven, Saul, Saul, (ſaith he) why perſecuteſt thou me? it is hard for thee to kick againſt the pricks. Suppoſe a perſon, whoſe heart the Devil hath filled with all malice, that if he could, he would pluck God out of Heaven, and root out the Name of God from the Earth: yet methinks this ſhould diſcourage him in his fulleſt career and madneſs; to think, that he that ſitteth in the Heavens, laugheth him to ſcorn; and when he hath done all he can, he ſhall but have effected the Lords counſels, and done the Lords work, although he meant not ſo. Let therefore the ſinners of the Earth be inſtructed, and learn wiſdom: they cannot do what they liſt, and many times, wherein they think, and talk proudly, God ſheweth himſelf above them, and they do Gods work quite beſides, and contrary to their own intentions. There is no encountring with a God, who can make the wrath of man to praiſe him, and reſtrain the remainder of it when he pleaſeth. 2. If this be ſo, certainly it is wiſdom in men, deſignedly and intentionally to ſerve God: otherwiſe they loſe their reward, at leaſt their ſpiritual and eternal reward. We find God with temporal rewards, ſometimes rewarding men, that do ſome things at his command, though their hearts in the action be not right with God: ſo Jehu was rewarded, his Sons inherited the Throne to the 4th generation; but God at laſt viſited the blood of Jezreel upon the houſe of Jehu. But no man hath a ſpiritual reward, inward joy. and peace of conſcience; nor ſhall have an eternal reward, but that man, who with purpoſe of heart ſerveth the Lord.