Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 14
SERMON XIV.
Pſal. CVII. 43.
Who ſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things, even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
WHoſo wiſtly caſteth his eyes upon this Pſalm, will find it from firſt to laſt a Song of Providence, intermixed with frequent exhortations or wiſhes, That men would praiſe the Lord for his goodneſs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. My Text is the concluſion of this excellent Song, Whoſo is wiſe, obſerveth theſe things. The Prophet Hoſea hath much ſuch a concluſion of his Prophecy, Hoſ. 14.6. Who is wiſe, and he ſhall underſtand theſe things; prudent, and he ſhall know them? The Propoſition of the Text is plainly this:
Prop. It is an argument of ſpiritual wiſdom in men to obſerve the motions of Divine Providence: and thoſe that do it ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. The Propoſition you ſee hath two Branches.
1. That it is an argument of ſpiritual wiſdom, to obſerve the motions of Divine Providence.
2. That he who doth obſerve them, ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
The work commended to us, is the obſervation of Providence. The honour and reward of the work is expreſſed in two things: 1. It ſpeaketh a man wiſe, truly, ſpiritually wiſe. 2. He ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. The word which we tranſlate [obſerveth] is, foreign, a word that ſignifies to keep, and to obſerve: it is often uſed in Scripture to ſignifie a keeping ſafely, and tranſlated by the LXX by foreign. He ſhall keep me in the way wherein I ſhall walk: and he that keepeth Iſrael, neither ſlumbereth nor ſleepeth, Pſal. 121.4. And he ſhall give his angels charge over thee, and they ſhall keep thee, Pſal. 91.11. In all thoſe Texts the ſame word is uſed, ſometimes it is uſed to ſignifie ſuch a keeping of Gods Commandments, as ſheweth it ſelf in practice, as in Deut. 6.17. and chap. 8.2. ſometimes a keeping of them in our mind, as in that Text, Gen. 37.10. Jacob kept the ſaying, the LXX interpret it foreign. Pagnine ſaith of it, Curam, ſollicitudinem & diligentiam denotat, ne quid emittatur, elabatur aut excutiatur. It denotes care, ſollicitude and diligence, that nothing ſlip out, or be let go, or ſhaken out. In ſhort, I conceive this duty of obſerving the works of the Lord, his great and various works of Providence, may be diſpatched in three things:
1. In a conſiderate beholding and looking upon them: Works of Providence, paſs before our eyes every day, but the truth is, for the moſt part, we ſee, and do not ſee them, that is, we do not conſiderately, and deliberately fix our eyes upon them, and ſee them as the Lords works; we ſee them as events in the world, but conſider not the operation of Gods hands in them. This is no obſerving of them. Obſerving them argues a fixing of the eye of the mind, as well as the body upon them, without which, a tranſient view of them, is of very little ſignificancy and import unto men.
2. In a diligent repoſing them in our minds: this is that which we call a remembring of them. The Lord doth his great work to be had in remembrance. This is a conſequent of the other, we remember little of thoſe things we only curſorily view as they come before us: but when we ſix our eyes upon them, and apply our minds to the knowledg of them, then we remember them.
3. In a continued and repeated view of them, and reflexion upon them. That man that ſuffereth not the great and daily workings of Divine Providence to paſs by his eyes, as a tale paſſeth through his ears, which he heedeth not, nor applieth his mind unto, but fixeth his eye and mind upon them, lodgeth them in his memory, frequently reflecteth upon them, repeateth and re-conſidereth them in his thoughts; that is a wiſe man, and he ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord: And that brings me to the ſecond Queſtion in the Explication of the Propoſition.
Queſt. 2. How is he wiſe? how is it an argument of wiſdom? and doth he appear to be a wiſe man, who obſerveth theſe workings of Providence?
Wiſdom is ſometimes taken in a larger ſenſe, ſo a knowing underſtanding man is a wiſe man; ſometimes in a ſtricter ſenſe, as it ſignifieth a practical habit, directing the life and converſation; ſometimes as comprehending both, and ſo I ſhall take it in the Propoſition. He is a wiſe man, he will have more knowledg and underſtanding than another man, and will know better how to order and direct himſelf in the ſeveral parts of his Converſation:
1. He will be a more knowing and underſtanding man. We uſe to ſay, Experience is the miſtris of fools: Experience maketh a fool wiſe, and indeed without it notions give little wiſdom; we ſpeak in the commendation of the ableſt perſons, in any art or profeſſion, ſuch a one is an experienced man; and the more experienced any one is in his art, or courſe, the better you account him in it. Nothing is ſo well learned by rule and precept, as by example and preſident. Hence it is a common maxim of theſe times, That the ſtudy of books accompliſheth none ſo much, as the ſtudy of men doth. Knowledg is much increaſed by experimental obſervation. By this, Much of the knowledg of God will be let into the ſoul. We cannot ſee God as he is, in his own light we muſt behold him, in his word, and in his works. From the Word of God we get a great knowledg of God, what he is as to his Divine Being, and in his glorious Attributes; but the knowledg which we have of God from his Word, is both confirmed in us, and increaſed by his works of Providence; and our obſervation of them, as well as of his great work of Creation. And that,
1. As they eſtabliſh the Propoſition of the word, and confirm our faith in it. Pſal. 48.8. As we have heard, ſo haeve we ſeen in the city of our God, God will eſtabliſh it for ever. Demonſtration confirms us in our notions. The Church had before learned it, that God would eſtabliſh his Church; but now they were confirmed in it, when they had ſeen it in the Works of Providence, what they had before heard from the mouth of Gods Prophets and Meſſengers: indeed a notion is but a probationer in our ſouls, until we come to have it eſtabliſhed by Faith and Demonſtration.
2. An obſervation of Providence doth alſo increaſe knowledg, as it expounds to us the word of God, and giveth us a more certain, clear, and diſtinct knowledg of the revelations of it. We do not know how to expound ſome words of God, but as we are taught the meaning of them by his Providential Diſpenſations in the fulfilling of it. Gods diſpenſations in the world, both toward his Church, and the enemies and perſecutors, help us to underſtand both his promiſes and his threatnings.
2. He who obſerveth the motions of Divine Providence, will alſo know better how to order and direct his life. I told you, that Wiſdom ſtrictly taken, is a practical habit directing this: He that thus obſerveth, will beſt know how to order his Converſation. But will ſome ſay, Is not this to make Providence our rule? I anſwer, It is one thing to make the Providence of God an argument to juſtifie our actions, which the word condemneth: Another thing to take occaſions from Providence for the performance of our duty. Providence alone is no rule of our actions; but the word, which is the rule of our actions, is more ſealed and confirmed to us by Providence. Though Providences give no rule, yet they wonderfully confirm and eſtabliſh a rule; when what we have read and heard in the word, we ſee in the dealings of God, it giveth a new life, and makes a new impreſſion of the rule upon our hearts. God hath ſaid, Blood-thirſty and deceitful men ſhall not live out half their days: and honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God give thee. Now when we ſee God cutting off cruel and bloody men in the ſtrength of their years, or cutting off a ſtubborn and rebellious Child in his youth; it wonderfully confirmeth the word to us, and helpeth us to guide our Converſation, ſo as we may not tread in their ſteps, and be partakers of their Judgments.
2. Again, Though Providence be no rule as to particular actions, yet it is a great help to us, as to the three great principles of all our ſpiritual actions: which are Faith, Fear, Love. It is true, the Propoſition of the word is the object of our Faith; when a ſoul giveth aſſent to the Propoſition of the word, becauſe of the Authority of God, who hath revealed it: and this is the reaſon why wicked men, though they have the Scriptures as well as others, yet walk not in the light of them, becauſe they believe them not, they aſſent not to the Propoſitions of Truth that are revealed in them; but either ſay in their heart, That it is but the fancy and invention of men, or elſe flatter themſelves with the hopes of impunity, ſaying with thoſe in Deuteronomy, That they ſhall have peace, although they walk according to the imaginations of their own hearts. But now when a man obſerveth the Providence of God exemplifying, and verifying the Word of God; it much helps his faith in the word, eſpecially as to thoſe in whoſe heart God hath wrought a previous habit of Faith. It is true, in this caſe the Providences of God will do little alone: we have the words of Chriſt, They have Moſes and the Prophets: if they will not believe, they will not believe if one ſhould riſe from the dead: But where a ſoul is firſt taught of God to give a credit to his word, if his faith be weak and languid, the exemplifying of the thing revealed in the Word of God, by the iſſues of Providence, tendeth much to the confirmation of the ſouls faith and aſſent; and therefore it is laid to the charge of the Iſraelites, as a great aggravation of their ſins, That they believed not for all his wondrous works. And this was the great aggravation of the ſin of the Phariſees and the Jews, that lived in the time, when our Saviour was upon the Earth; that although the Providence of God had declared Chriſt to be the Son of God, by his doing ſuch works, as no man ever did, and by ſuch evident ſigns and tokens, as never before were declared as to any man, yet they believed him not to be the Son of God.
2. As Faith is one great principle of all our ſpiritual actions, ſo Fear is another. Now the obſerving of Divine Providences much conduceth to this: It is particularly remark't by the Holy Ghoſt, upon the ſudden death of Ananias and Saphira, That a great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard of thoſe things: And in the Law of Moſes you ſhall find God commanding exemplary Juſtice to be done upon ſome remarkable offenders for this very end, That all Iſrael might hear and fear. It is particularly ſaid, Jonah 1.16. When Jonah had told them the cauſe of the ſtorm, and they had thrown him over-board; Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered ſacrifices, and made vows. Severe Providences without the word make men ſtartle, and put them into a paſſion of fear; but when they follow a word of threatning, and they do but ſee God doing what in his word he hath ſaid he will do: this muſt needs have a great power and influence upon the heart, eſpecially upon the hearts of ſuch as before had an habit of Divine Fear wrought in them, though it were ſmothered with the aſhes of too much carnal ſecurity.
3. Love to God is a third principle of ſpiritual action: an habit wrought in the ſoul of every Child of God, but not at all times ſo lively, and quick, and working as it ought to be. Now the obſervation of Gods good and gracious Providences, ſerves hugely to excite it, and to blow up the Coals of it in the ſoul, Pſal. 37.23. O love you the Lord all his Saints! for the Lord preſerveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. But this will be further enlarged upon in my diſcourſe upon the ſecond branch of the Propoſition, which I now come to diſcourſe upon.
Mem. 2. Whoſo obſerveth the Providences of God, he ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I take the word underſtand here to ſignifie three things: 1. Knowledg. 2. A more clear and diſtinct knowledg. 3. A more demonſtrative and experimental knowledg.
1. He ſhall know the loving-kindneſs of the Lord; underſtand it with reference to the Church and People of God: for Gods Providence is like the Cloud, which conducted the Iſraelites out of Egypt, and through the Red-ſea; it hath a light-ſide, which hath an aſpect upon Gods Iſrael, and it hath a black and dark-ſide towards his enemies. Now he who obſerveth Divine Providence, will know this, That all the ways of the Lord are mercy, and truth to thoſe that fear God, Pſal. 25.10. A ſlight and tranſient view of Divine Providence, will not bring a man to the knowledg of this; but a wiſt view and obſervation of Divine Providence in the courſe and ſeries of it will do it. The word of God ſpeaketh much of the Love and Favour of God to his People. Providence to the ſtrict and conſtant obſerver of it, will confirm all theſe words: God himſelf (ſpeaking after the manner of men to Abraham) ſpeaks as if he had not known his love and obedience to him, till he had made an experiment of it, and ſaw that he would not have withheld from him his Son, even his only Son. We know nothing of the loving-kindneſs of God, before we ſee it experimented, and brought into demonſtration, in compariſon with what we know upon ſuch an evidence: and this we gain by our conſiderate obſervation of the motions of Divine Providence.
2. He who obſerveth the motions of Providence, ſhall have a more diſtinct knowledg of the loving-kindneſs of God. He ſhall not only know that God is good to Iſrael, and to all that are of a clean heart; but he ſhall alſo ſee ſomething of the Methods of God in the exerciſe of his loving-kindneſs. When we ſpeak of the Love and Favour of God to his People, we are prone to underſtand by it, nothing but pleaſing Providences, grateful to our ſenſes: now the loving-kindneſs of God is not only ſeen in pleaſing diſpenſations, but in adverſe Providences alſo; Whom he loveth, he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every child whom he receiveth: All things are yours (ſaith the Apoſtle). This knowledg muſt be gained by obſervation. Senſe looks upon croſs diſpenſations of Providence, and it may be Reaſon judging of them from preſent appearances, and effects, cryeth out, All theſe things are againſt me: Here is nothing of promiſed loving-kindneſs in all this. Is his mercy clean gone? doth his promiſe fail for evermore? But whoſo obſerveth Divine Providence, will in theſe things alſo underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord, and know that it is the method of Divine Providence, to deal out the loving-kindneſs of God to the Souls of his People, through croſſes and tryals, and afflictions, in a way, which at preſent they do not underſtand and know, but ſhall know hereafter. No affliction (ſaith the Apoſtle) is joyous at preſent, but grievous; but it bringeth forth afterward, the peaceable fruit of righteouſneſs, to them that are exerciſed thereby, Heb. 12.11.
3. Ʋnderſtanding (thirdly) may ſignifie experience; and indeed, there is no ſuch underſtanding as experience gives. Every Child of God that obſerveth Divine Providence, ſhall find it (let the wind of it blow which way it will) giving him an experiment and demonſtration of the Love of God to his Soul. But thus much ſhall ſerve to have ſpoken to the Explication of this Propoſition in both branches. I come to the proof of it, to ſhew you how it appeareth, That he who obſerveth the motions of Divine Providence, and he alone ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. It will appear to you if you but conſider,
1. That however things go in the courſe of Providence; yet it is moſt certain that they are mercy, and truth to them who fear God. For this we have a certain word: Pſalm 25.10, All the paths of the Lord are mercy, and truth unto ſuch as keep his Covenant, and his Teſtimonies. And again, Pſalm 73.1, Truly God is good to Iſrael. In my former Diſcourſe, I ſhewed you three Objects of ſpecial Providence: 1. Rational creatures are a more ſpecial object of Providence, than either inanimate or brute creatures. 2. Amongſt rational Creatures, thoſe men and women in the World which make up the Church, are more peculiar, and ſpecial objects of Providence, than all others in the World. 3. Amongſt them ſuch as fear and love God in ſincerity, are yet the more peculiar objects of Divine Providence; and which God hath a moſt peculiar regard unto, which maketh a cogent argument to prove, That ſuppoſing the glory of God to be the great end of all his providential Diſpenſations; that the Providence of God muſt moſt eminently work for the good of theſe as being ſuch, who moſt eminently ſerve the great end of his Glory. So as he who obſerveth the motions of it, muſt needs by them underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord towards them.
Secondly, The mercy and truth of Gods ways towards them that fear him, are not to be read in the ſurface of preſent Providences. The dark ſide of the cloud, is ſometimes towards the Iſrael of God; and at ſuch a time it muſt be by Faith, that we underſtand that the ways, all the ways of the Lord, are mercy and truth toward his own people. Who could read the loving-kindneſs of the Lord towards Iſrael, while they were in Egypt, ſerving at the Brick-kilns, and under their great oppreſſion there? but he who obſerved the Providence of God, thus working to make them willing to go out, and take poſſeſſion of the promiſed Land, he might underſtand this. It is not every motion of Providence, but the iſſues of it, that demonſtrate all the ways of the Lord to be mercy and truth; and this evinceth to us, that an obſervation of the motions of Divine Providence, yea, and a wiſt, and diligent, and continuing, obſervation of them alſo, is neceſſary to make us underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. I come now to the Application of what you have heard upon this Argument.
This in the firſt place ſheweth us one great reaſon of that ignorance which is in men, both concerning God, and concernng their own duty. Men know little of God, and little, how to govern their actions according to any degree of Chriſtian prudence. As ignorance of, and unbelief in, the Word of God is one great cauſe; ſo their not obſerving the motions of Divine Providence, which have been in the World, is another no ſmall cauſe of it. Men are much ignorant of God; indeed there is but little of the knowledg of God in the World, eſpecially that knowledg, which floateth not only in the brain, but influenceth the heart and affections; and men know little how to govern their actions by any ſpiritual wiſdom, but live directly contrary to what they own, and pretend to as their higheſt end. And we underſtand as little of the loving-kindneſs of the Lord; I ſay, one great cauſe of this is mens not obſerving the workings and motions of Providence. They paſs before their eyes every day, but they obſerve them not: Non tantum oculis intueri, ſed animum ad hanc conſiderationem ita exuſcitare, ut meliores inde evadamus; To obſerve, ſignifieth not only with our eyes to behold it; but ſo to ſtir up our minds to the conſideration of a thing, that we may grow the better by it, (ſaith a grave Author). Now in this Notion of it, how few are they that obſerve theſe things? they ſee ſtupendious Providences, ſometimes, in the deſtruction of the Churches Enemies for the ſalvation of his people: it may be at firſt they (as all new things do) affect men with a little paſſion, according to the nature of them; but they are like a flaſh of lightning, which though at preſent it ſtartles us, yet the impreſſion is preſently off our ſpirits: and I ſay, this is one great reaſon why we are ſo ignorant of God, ſo unskilful in the government of our lives to his ends, and that we underſtand ſo little of his loving-kindneſs.
Hence it is, that we cannot underſtand how much good God doth his Church, and people by afflictions and trials. They are the ſenſible frowns of Providence which blind our eyes, that we cannot ſee the loving-kindneſs of God in all his ways. We think ſometimes we ſee God driving his Chariot in a direct road to his great ends, the glory of his holy Name, and the good and protection of ſuch as fear him, here we think we can eaſily diſcern Gods Wiſdom, and as eaſily underſtand his loving-kindneſs: But now when the Lord drives his Chariot out of our ſight, and exerciſeth his Church, or the particular ſouls of his people with long and tedious Afflictions, here we are at a loſs, and can neither read the wiſdom nor loving-kindneſs of God. But what is the reaſon of this, but only our ſuperficial view of Gods Providences without a wiſt, and diligent obſervation of them. If we would but bend our minds, to obſerve what a wholſom influence Afflictions and adverſe Providences have ordinarily both upon vvhole Churches, and upon particular Chriſtians, we ſhould even in them eaſily underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. The Husbandman can eaſily underſtand that he could as ill want the froſts and ſnows of Winter, as the warmth, heat and ſun-ſhine of the Summer. Gideon taught the men of Succoth with briars and thorns: and God ordinarily doth ſo teach his people. Bleſſed is he (ſaith the Pſalmiſt), whom thou chaſteneſt and teacheſt out of thy Law. David tells us, Pſalm 119.61, that before he was afflicted, he went aſtray; but ſince that he had learned to keep the ſtatutes of the Lord. It was an old ſaying, The blood of the Martyrs is the ſeed of the Church. The Church is bettered, and the Soul is bettered by adverſe Providences. That Text, Iſa. 27.9, is very remarkable: By this [that is, by this ſevere affliction, by this captivity] ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged: and all the fruit ſhall be to take away ſin, when the Lord ſhall make the ſtones of the altar as chalk ſtones that crumble in pieces, the groves, and the images ſhall not ſtand up. As an hard Winter keepeth under, and killeth the weeds: ſo the winter of Affliction much helps to the purging out of corruptions, both out of the Church, and alſo out of the particular Soul. Auguſtine (as I remember) ſomewhere lamenteth, That a Fever had done more with him to ſubdue, and mortifie a luſt than before the love of God could do with him. Now I ſay, our not obſerving this, which is matter of no difficult obſervation to him that wiſtly eyeth Divine Providence, is one great reaſon, that men do not underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
Another reaſon of mens not underſtanding it, is their making of a judgment of Gods works before they are perfect. If any of us ſhould go into a Limners ſhop, and ſee his firſt draught of a lovely picture; we ſhould diſcern little lovelineſs in it, which yet we ſhould eaſily diſcern if we would but ſtay until he had finiſhed his work, and laid on his life-colours. It is the ſame caſe with us as to works of Divine Providence; we look on them while the Lords work is yet upon the wheel, we ſee nothing in it that reſembleth God the great workman: we ſee in it nothing of the Divine Wiſdom, poſſibly nothing of the divine goodneſs and loving-kindneſs; but could we have patience till the Lords work came off the wheel, we ſhould eaſily ſee it in quite another repreſentation: we often ſee in Gods works of Providence nothing but confuſion, and blood, and trouble, and multiplied troubles, and diſturbances to thoſe who moſt fear him, and deſire to walk moſt cloſely with him: But in the evening of that day (ſaith the Prophet, Zech. 14.6,) it ſhall be light. The day neither light nor dark, but in the Evening it ſhall be light. Gods peoples days ſometimes are plainly darkneſs, thick darkneſs: but would we have patience to the evening of them, we ſhould ſee light. The Evening is the cloſe and making up of the day. When God cometh to cloſe up his days work, did we but obſerve Divine Providence, we ſhould eaſily underſtand that it would be light. Sorrow may be for a night, but joy ſhall be in the morning. So as I ſay again, This is one great reaſon, why at all times we cannot underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord to his Church and his people, becauſe we do not obſerve the motions of Divine Providence, but take only a ſlight and ſuperficial view of them.
I ſhall conclude this Diſcourſe with an Exhortation to the duty of the Text, The obſervation of the motions of Divine Providence. Ʋſe 2 In my laſt diſcourſe I diſcovered to you, ſome unſearchable things in Divine Providence, and cautioned you againſt too curious an Enquiry into them: My buſineſs now is to call upon you, non caecutire in revelatis, not to be blind as to thoſe things which God hath revealed. This alſo is your duty as well as the other: by the former you acquit your ſelves from an unwarrantable curioſity, by this from a wretched unthankfulneſs. The Providence of God is daily working, in order to the fulfilling of Gods great end, the glorifying of his great and holy Name, the eſtabliſhing of his people, &c.
1. Do not reſt in a meer view of what is done in the World, but fix your eyes upon it. Lay up the things in your heart, let your thoughts dwell upon them, the remarkable paſſages of them eſpecially. You ſee and hear of Wars, and rumours of Wars, inundations, fires, changes, and over-turning in Nations; of powers and Dominions: you at preſent underſtand not the tendencies and indications of them, you cannot make up a judgment of them, and prophecy what will and ſhall be from them; but yet obſerve them, lay up theſe things in your minds, yea, and let them not paſs out of your minds: as we are to hear for the time to come, ſo we are to behold and obſerve the motions of Providence with a reſpect unto a time to come too. Do not think, you can expound every Providence preſently; the viſion oft-times is for an appointed time, and is to be expounded by time; in the mean time, only to be diligently marked and obſerved, taken notice of as a great work of God, the meaning of which we ſhall underſtand hereafter. Divines ſay, That the meaning of many Providences, and our clear underſtanding of them, is one of thoſe things wherein our knowledg ſhall be bettered and perfected in the day of Judgment; and till that time, when the hidden things of God, as well as of men ſhall be made manifeſt, we muſt be content to know but in part.
2. Do not ſecondly obſerve meer ſingle acts of Divine Providence, but let your Eye follow it in its motions. God ſometimes hath his works a long time upon the wheel, eſpecially thoſe relating to his Church. I will give you two famous inſtances: 1. The eſtabliſhing of his ancient Church of the Jews in Canaan. The promiſe was out for it, Gen. 12, to Abraham; it was more than five hundred years, before this work was off the wheel of Providence: four hundred years before they went out of Egypt, where they were in bondage; forty years they travelled in the wilderneſs, then during all the time of the Judges: yea, and in Sauls time too, they were but in a very unquiet condition. In David and Solomon's time, they came to a ſetled eſtate in the promiſed Land. There was a Promiſe given out unto Chriſt, for having the ends of the earth for his poſſeſſion: David mentioneth it; Iſaiah propheſieth much of it. After this Chriſt comes, was crucified, &c. And it was three hundred years after this, before theſe Promiſes had any conſiderable accompliſhment. Indeed as to particular perſons, their beings are of ſhorter duration, and the Providence of God brings about the promiſes to them, in much ſhorter periods, or they could ſee nothing of Gods loving-kindneſſes in the iſſues, or contextures of them: but take heed there of reſting your Eye upon the obſervations of ſome ſingle acts of providence relating to them; thoſe who ſhould thus have obſerved the motions of Providence with reference to Abraham, Jacob, Joſeph, David, Daniel, Job, would have ſeen little of that loving-kindneſs of the Lord to them, which yet is evident enough to all that keep their Eye upon their ſtory, to the winding up of their bottoms. Now to this obſervation of Providence, you have two great Arguments in the Text: 1. It is an Indication of ſpiritual Wiſdom. A wiſe man looketh not only at preſent things, but at things paſt, and yet to come. Now Wiſdom is a lovely thing; It is juſtified of her children (ſaith our Saviour). Every man deſireth the reputation of a wiſe man, and ſtudiouſly avoideth the reproach of a fool. Two things ſpeak a fool: 1. To obſerve and mind nothing. Or 2dly, Meerly to take notice of things preſent, and gather concluſions from them. 2. Thus you ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of God. Then you will ſee that all the paths of God towards his Church, are mercy and truth. Truth, not a word failing of the promiſe; and mercy, working for the good of them that love God: yea thus, you that fear the Lord ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs, and truth of God to your particular ſouls. A thing, the evidence of which is, and ought to be of more value to you than the whole World. I will conclude my Diſcourſe by giving you three Cautions to direct your obſervation.
1. Obſerve the Providence of God, when it ſeemeth to move contrary to his Word; but never determine the Indication of it without the Word. Indeed, the Providence of God never moveth contrary to the Word, it is always a ſervant to ſome Declaration of the will of God, in ſome promiſe, or threatning, but it often ſeemeth to us to move contrary: which made the Pſalmiſt cry out, Doth the promiſe fail for evermore? The reaſon of this foreign, that deceiveth us, is our imperfect knowledg, or underſtanding of the Word of God, and non-acquaintance with the Counſels of God, and contrivances of his Wiſdom, and the variety of thoſe deſigns which he carrieth on at the ſame time. God deſigns to bring the Jews into Canaan; but a-long with this to carry on the deſtruction of the Egyptians, the Amorites (whoſe ſins in Abrahams time were not come to the full): the deſtruction of the rebellious and diſobedient amongſt the Iſraelites. Now in order to this, the Egyptians muſt ripen themſelves for their ruin, by their oppreſſion of Iſrael: The Amalekites, and Amorites, and the other Nations by their falling upon them at their coming out of Egypt, and in their journey. Now upon theſe accounts, the Providence of God often ſeemed to move quite contrary to the word of Promiſe. The people of Iſrael at the Red-ſea, and in the Wilderneſs, looked very unlike a people that ſhould have a quiet poſſeſſion of Canaan: Therefore I ſay, Providence is to be obſerved in its Motions, which ſeem contrary to the Word; but the Indications of it are only to be determined from the Word. God hath appointed wicked men to ſlaughter; notwithſtanding this we ſee moſt vile and wicked men, thriving, proſpering, growing great in the World, and trampling the righteous ſervants of God under their foot. Obſerve this, but take heed of determining the Indication of this but from the Word, which ſaith, There is no peace to them: keep therefore thine Eye upon their Tabernacles, and thou ſhalt ſee the Lords Sun go off it, and the Threatning verified.
2. Compare preſent Providences with thoſe that are paſt. As thoſe who will underſtand the letter of Scripture, muſt compare Text with Text: ſo thoſe who will be wiſe by underſtanding the motions of Providence, muſt compare Providences of a preſent age, with Providences of former ages. Thou art offended poſſibly at the Providences of God towards wicked men: they thrive and proſper, they grow mighty and encreaſe, and do what they liſt. Or at the Providences of God towards thoſe, who (if thou canſt judg) are ſuch as walk cloſeſt with God, and are moſt ſevere worſhippers and ſervants of him: they are hated, maligned, expoſed to all manner of injuries, which may make their lives bitter to them. Thou cryeſt out here, O the depth! I cannot underſtand the ways of God, I cannot ſee his loving-kindneſs towards his people. Compare now (Chriſtian!) Gods dealing in thy age with his dealings both with wicked men, and with his ſincere ſervants in former ages, and ſee if they be not much alike with what they were: In Jobs time, and Davids time, and Jeremiah's time. Yet it is not hard for thee to underſtand how the ſervants of God in thoſe times found the loving-kindneſs of God, and experienced that all the ways of the Lord were mercy and truth: believe that the Hand of the Lord is not weakned, nor his Arm ſhortened, nor his Truth failed.
3. Laſtly, If you would by obſerving the Providence of God underſtand his loving-kindneſs, and gain a ſpiritual wiſdom, Let your eye affect your heart. I hinted to you before, that Mollerus telleth us, ſuch an obſervation of Providence is here intended, unde ad pietatem exuſcitemur, ut inde meliores evadamus, as will quicken us unto piety, and help to make us better. There are many careleſs obſervers of Providence, that indeed ſee Events rather than Providences; they ſee much that comes to paſs in the World, but conſider nothing of God in them: they ſee great fires laying populous Cities waſt, and poſſibly ſee a villain putting the firſt coal to them, or a careleſs perſon accidentally occaſioning them; but they do not ſee God, throwing ſuch a wretch off his hand of reſtraint, nor blowing the coals that turn the Cities into aſhes, by his winds, which men could not cauſe. Others are curious obſervers of Providences: theſe are wonderfully buſily employed in ſearching out the natural cauſes of ſuch thunders, lightnings, inundations, devouring peſtilences, &c. They do by the book of Providence, as Auguſtine complain'd of himſelf, that in his unregenerate ſtate he did by the book of Scripture; he rather brought to it diſcutiendi acumen, than diſcendi pietatem. So men bring to the great Works of God rather an acute Eye, and wit to find out the immediate cauſes, and reaſons natural or political, than a trembling, humble heart, that they might learn by them more to acknowledg, love, fear, adore, and revere the great and mighty God whoſe works theſe are: let not yours be ſuch an obſervation; but let your Eye beholding God in his providential Diſpenſations, affect your hearts with that adoration, and veneration, that love and fear of the great and mighty God, which ſuch works of God do call to you for.
But for the further hopes and conſolation of the people of God in their ſtates of affliction, I intend to commend to you ſome principal Obſervations upon the motions of Divine Providence; which ſhall be the work (if God pleaſeth) of ſome ſucceeding Exerciſes.