Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 19
SERMON XIX.
Pſalm CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things: even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Am yet proceeding in recommending to you ſome further Obſervations I have made upon the motions of Actual Providence, in the execution of the eternal Counſels and Purpoſes of God; and fulfilling his Word, whether of Promiſe or Threatning. Four I have done with: A Fifth I ſhall now offer and diſcourſe a little upon it.
5th Obſerv. The Actual Providence of God, in the production of its great works, relating to his Church, or the particular members of it, doth ordinarily ſuit or fit the circumſtances of the world, or the circumſtrances of particular perſons, to the work he intendeth to produce.
I ſay Ordinarily. Every Rule muſt have ſome Exception: eſpecially ſuch Rules, as upon obſervation we fix concerning the methods of Divine Providence. The infinitely wiſe God treadeth not always in the ſame ſteps; I ſay, in his great works relating either to the Church, or to ſuch particular perſons as are members of it: Theſe two, I before told you were the great Objects of Special Providence. As Canaan of old was the Land which God cared for, upon which his Eye was, from the beginning of the year to the end of it: ſo his Church ſtill is, and to the end of the World will be the object of his more ſpecial care; and with reference to which, Providence produceth its moſt remarkable works: Hence you ſhall obſerve throughout all the Scripture, though mention be made of ſuch other Sons as the Patriarchs had, and other Nations and Princes contemporary with thoſe of the Jews, are named; yet very little of their ſtory is recorded, and that only ſubſervient to the ſtory that was to keep a Record of Gods dealings with his own people. This makes me reſtrain the Obſervation to the Church and Members of it; and that which I recommend to your remark is, Gods ordinary fitting the circumſtances of the adjacent world (which lyes round about the Church, as the mountains about Hieruſalem, or the Nations of old about Canaan) to what he is producing in his Church; and the particular circumſtances of perſons, to the work God hath to produce, more eminent with relation unto them.
1. I will ſhew you this, with reference to the productions of Providence, relating to the collective body of his people, which we call the Church.
2. With reference to particular perſons, that have relation to this body, in matters of an outward concern.
3. With reference unto the ſouls of his people, in matters of a more inward and ſpiritual concern.
1. With reference to the great products of Providence relating to the body of his people, called the Church.
1. The Jews (you know, under the Old Teſtament) were the only people that could lay claim to this great Name, To whom God was nigh, in the midſt of whom he dwelt, whom he ſo often delivered, and for whom he ſo ſignally engaged. Great works of Providence we read of relating to them: their deliverance out of Egypt, and conduct through the wilderneſs; their bringing out of Babylon after their ſeventy years Captivity, and re-building their Temple and City. The ſending of the Meſſiah. When the Providence of God ſets about theſe works, let us obſerve how God fitted circumſtances to theſe great products, making every thing beautiful in his time (as Solomon ſaith in Eccleſ. 3.11.) In the bringing of the Children of Iſrael out of Egypt, God did two things: 1. He brought out the Jews out of a Nation where they had been bred, and lived ſome hundreds of years: His Providence now fitteth circumſtances to this; it ſuffereth the King of Egypt moſt miſerably to oppreſs them, ſo as they were weary of their lives. It is hardly elſe conceivable, that they would willingly have quitted their poſſeſſions, and their Native-Countrey, to obtain a land promiſed 400 years before; and that not without overcoming the difficulties of an houling wilderneſs, and many years fighting. The Providence of God alſo deſtroyeth Egypt by Ten ſucceſſive plagues, elſe the King and his Servants would never have let ſo many 100000 perſons go out of their Dominions. Circumſtances were fitted by God to the deſign of his Providence: they muſt be grievouſly oppreſſed, that they may be made willing to go; and Pharaohs People and Nation muſt be deſtroyed, that he may ſuffer them to get into a body for a march, and furniſh them with a viaticum for their journey. Pharaoh and his Army muſt be deſtroyed; alas, the Iſraelites are in no circumſtances fit to fight them: the Sea ſhall divide it ſelf, they ſhall ſee the Iſraelites go through ſafely as on dry ground: this ſhall allure them to follow them, then the waters ſhall return and ſwallow them up.
2. God brings this people out of Babylon: he had promiſed, that after 70 years they ſhould come out; Cyrus, he conquers Babylon juſt at that time, and it was his intereſt to let them go, as much as it was the intereſt of the Kings of Babylon to keep them there: He thus endeared the Jews to him, and thus tranſplanted a Colony; yea, and ſecured Hieruſalem to his obedience, which was before under the Command of the Babylonians, who were his Enemies.
3. The ſending of the Meſſias was a great product of Divine Providence: he was to introduce a new way of worſhip, to preach (what to them in their corrupted ſtate) was a new Doctrine: had the Jews been in their heighth, this would by no means have been endured by them: See how God fitteth the worlds circumſtances, to this great product of Providence: The ſcepter is departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from his feet: the Jews are become Tributaries to the Romans, and under their power; ſo they were not ſo brisk as they would have been: There is a general peace over all the world, ſo as the Romans were not ſo jealous of making parties and factions: people were more at leiſure to liſten to the Goſpel, and Prince of peace. Now comes the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. If we ſhould carry the buſineſs a little further, What great work hath God ever done ſince, in which we may not ſee a remarkable fitting of the worlds circumſtances to the production of it? I will inſtance but in one or two things, referring to the Proteſtant-Reformation.
Our reformation you know was began in the time of Henry the Eight; How did God fit our circumſtances to it? King Henry ſhall fall out with the Pope, becauſe he will not allow his divorce, and ſo ſhall break with him, and ſet up a purer courſe of Religion; it was hardly to have been imagined, how England ſhould have been freed from Popery at another time, by the advantage of the chief Magiſtrates aſſiſtance.
There was a ſtrange concurrence of Divine Providences in the reformation which was begun in Germany. Luther was raiſed up, a man of a moſt invincible ſpirit and courage: Printing was found out a-few years before in that very Countrey, in 1440; by which means, Luther's, and others books were preſently diffuſed throughout all Europe, [V. Sculteti annales, l. 1. c. 1.] The knowledg of Arts and Learning, were juſt reſtored to the world, after the long darkneſs and ignorance in which Popery had muffled the world. Many ſecret favourers of Religion were admitted to great places in the Popiſh-Church, who either out of favour to the reformed Religion, or out of love to their learning, ſhewed great kindneſs to the firſt Reformers: ſeveral great Princes of Germany were alſo prepared; ſome poſſibly out of conſcience, others out of principles of honour, favouring and protecting Luther. In ſhort, the Providence of God hath hardly at any time produced any great work, in the change of the State of the Church, or of any Kingdom; but his fitting of the circumſtances of the world to it, have been ſtrangely obvious and remarkable to every obſerving eye.
2. Let us, ſecondly, take a view of the Providence of God working as to particular perſons, with reference to things of a more outward concern: take it in the inſtances of Joſeph, of David, of Haman, of the three Children, and Daniel. David was to be brought to be King over Iſrael and Judah; from a Shepherds boy, to be a great Prince; he ſhall firſt kill Goliah; he ſhall be ſent for to Court, to drive away Sauls evil ſpirit with his Harp; he ſhall marry, the Kings Daughter, and grow great with Jonathan. Joſeph is to become a great man in Egypt; he ſhall firſt be recommended to Pharaoh, grow great with him, a famine ſhall come, he ſhall ſave much people alive; and thus be in great honour, and in a capacity to ſerve his Fathers family. The Providence of God deſigns to preſerve the Jews, to advance Mordecai, to ruin Haman. An Hebrew Lady, by a ſtrange Providence ſhall come to be Queen, and one that ſhall be Mordecai's Neece. Haman ſhall be found upon the bed with Eſther, and miſtaken in his Complement to her, as if he had a deſign to force her, &c. Infinite are the inſtances which might be brought.
3. Let us conſider the motions of Providence with reference to the ſouls of people, as to their beſt and moſt ſpiritual concerns. If God hath much people in Macedonia, St. Paul ſhall be called thither: he ordereth Miniſters to places, or particular perſons to a Miniſtry proper for the work, in a ſtrange way many a time, when he hath a deſign to do good to particular ſouls. But here let me recommend one obſervation to you; When he deſigneth the tryal of a Child of his, with inward troubles and temptations, he uſually fits it with an unhealthy body, ſuted to ſuch impreſſions; and when he deſigneth the reſtoring of quiet and peace to the ſpirit, he ordinarily fits it with an healthy body: Not that all the trouble and diſquietudes of the ſpirit floweth from the indiſpoſition of the body; the contrary is evident enough to any who diligently obſerve Chriſtians at ſuch times, and may know many others under the ſame kinds, and poſſibly greater degrees of bodily diſtempers, whoſe minds are not ſo diſturbed, who have no ſuch temptations, &c. But ſeldom it is, but ſuch inward troubles are circumſtanced with bodily diſturbances; and ſo on the contrary, it is rare to find a peaceful, quiet, rejoycing ſpirit; but it is ſuited alſo with a freedom from bodily diſtempers, eſpecially ſuch as have an influence upon the head, and affect that. But I ſhall enlarge no further upon what is ſo evident to any who obſerveth any thing of the motions of Divine Providence.
Reaſ. Now the Reaſon of this is evident; Becauſe, though the Providence of God ſometimes produceth things miraculouſly; yet it ordinarily produceth them by the way of means: ſome means, although poſſibly not adequate, and fully proportioned to the production. The Providence of God is a ſervant to his Glory: that is the end for which it works, for which it always worketh, and can work for no other end: but it doth not always work for the glorifying of God in the ſame Attribute: ſometimes it glorifieth his Power, ſometimes his Wiſdom, ſometimes his Goodneſs and Mercy, &c. It glorified Gods Power in the deſtruction of Pharaoh; he was ruined by the immediate ſupernatural hand of God; but ordinarily the Providence of God worketh by means, and the Wiſdom of God is moſt eminently ſeen, in contriving, and ordering, and diſpoſing means unthought-of; and yet ordinarily the Power of God is alſo glorified, the means being ſuch as are very unlikely, or improbable to produce ſuch an effect. Now this being granted, that the moſt ordinary way of Gods working is by means, little or much; there muſt be an ordering and preparation of them: and this is the reaſon of Gods fitting adjacent circumſtances to his work which he produceth; thoſe circumſtances, being the ordinary means, which God thinks fit to make uſe of, to work in, with, and by. And here the great Power and Wiſdom of God is ſeen, in ordering the affairs of the world, ſo as they ſhall ſute his great deſigns and purpoſes, that men ſee reaſon to cry out, O the depth of the wiſdom and of the Counſel of God! So that, look as God did not bring man into the World, till he had fitted the World for his uſe and Government; nor doth bring any creature (by his continued Creation) into the World, before its table is prepared: the Flie, the Silk-worm, &c. doth not prevent its meat; ſo neither doth Gods work prevent the means, by which he deſigneth the accompliſhment of it. Thus every thing is brought forth in its time, and every work of God is thus made glorious.
Secondly, God by this means, putteth a wonderful beauty upon his works of Providence. The beauty of any creature, you know, doth not only lie in the colour of it, and the lovelineſs of that; but in the Symmetry and proportion of all its parts. Hence our Eye judgeth ſometimes a perſon that is of a good complexion, to have little or nothing of beauty; but a good mixture of colour, with a good ſymmetry and proportion of parts, muſt concur to a perfect beauty. Gods work is perfect, and his ways are Judgment, Deut. 32.4, and he is excellent in working, Jer. 32.19. The glory of the Lord is much concerned, not only in the goodneſs of his works; but in the perfection and beauty of it. Now it adds much to the beauty of a work, when it is brought forth in a fit ſeaſon, and is as an apple of gold in a picture of ſilver. The unlook'd-for concurrence of all circumſtances to the production of any great work of God, makes it appear very admirable in our Eyes.
Thirdly, God doth by this means wonderfully glorifie, both his Power and his Wiſdom, in the Eyes of the men of the World. 1. His power: when men ſee the whole Creation ſequacious to his Will and Counſel; that aſſoon as he begins, and ſets out in any work, there is a fudden change in the creature, and all of them follow him in his paths. As the power of a great Prince is herein magnified, all his Subjects poſſibly are ſecure and at quiet, and peace, and think nothing of the Prince's counſels: But no ſooner doth he ſet up his Standard, or cauſe his Drums to be beat up, but preſently all his Subjects are in arms, and ready to follow him, upon what deſigns he pleaſeth to lead them. This ſpeaketh now the great power and influence, this Prince hath upon his Subjects. So now, to obſerve the World as it were all at quiet, and minding no ſuch thing, and God then beginning ſome great work, and as it were ſetting up his Standard; and it is no ſooner up, but all men flock to it, as if it had been a deſign laid amongſt them. To make it plain by an inſtance; The whole World almoſt was in a dead ſleep of Popiſh-ignorance and ſuperſtition, and in all humane appearance, none thought or dream't of any Reformation: God no ſooner proclaimeth his deſign of Reformation, and uſeth Luther to ſet up his ſtandard at Wittenberg 1516; it was but by a pitiful Monk: but as if this had been a deſign of a long contrivance in the World, and laid in the ſeveral parts of Germany, Duke Frederick the Saxon-Elector, falls in with him; Franciſcus Picus Mirandula, at Rome perſwades a Reformation, Marqueſs Caracciolus, and Bernhardenus Bonifacius, Marqueſs of Oria turn Confeſſors at Naples: Zuinglius ſtands up for Reformation in Switzerland; Myconius, at Thuring (I think all in a year) and then other parts in Germany, till the Reformation had overſpread the greateſt part of Germany. What a wonderful Specimen was this of the power of God upon men, upon the hearts of men in the World? yea, and thus the Wiſdom of God is wonderfully magnified: for by this means all the World comes to be convinced, that God could not have begun, or done his work in a fitter time. Indeed, God could have done it with equal advantage at any time, having at all times the hearts of Princes, and of all men in his hand: but thoſe that do not ſo wiſtly conſider the influence of God upon mens hearts in the cauſe, and only view humane circumſtances, when they ſee God bringing forth his work, at a time when the World is prepared and fitted for it, muſt adore the wiſdom of God in it.
Fourthly, God doth by this means check the haſte and precipitancy, and raſhneſs of our ſpirits, and ſhew us our own folly. We are very prone to preſcribe to God, and to limit the holy One: Wilt thou at this time reſtore the kingdom to Iſrael (ſay the Diſciples)? Now when we ſee God diſappointing our hopes and expectations, and bringing forth his work in his own time; when the worlds circumſtances fit it, and all things concur to it; then we underſtand our own folly and raſhneſs, and that our ſpirits are too haſty; then we ſee, that if the work of God had been brought forth in our time, it had not been half ſo eaſily effected, nor half ſo beautiful. Methinks here we are like ſome fooliſh, ignorant children, that view the Carpenter at work about ſome goodly frame of an houſe: the Carpenter you know, doth his work by degrees; firſt he fitteth one piece, and layeth it by him, then another, and ſo a third: The child vieweth this, and not underſtanding the contrivance, he is every day crying to his father to ſet it up; Father, when do you ſet up the houſe? ſhall it not go up this day? to morrow, &c The child thinks that there is nothing to do, but to ſet up this piece, or that piece: but his wiſer Father, knows that he muſt have every piece fitted and prepared, the joints and the tenons ready to couple one piece to another; or it would be to no purpoſe to begin to ſet up the building, before it were framed, and one part coupled to the other: The child at laſt, when he ſeeth his Father ſet it up all, and the parts fitted one to another, then it begins to ſee its ſelf a fool, and to underſtand that its Father was wiſer than it; againſt another time it learneth wit, to let the Father alone to his own wiſdom, time, and contrivance. The Father might have loſt his pains, and ſpoiled ſome pieces of good timber, and done nothing elſe, in ſooner hearkning to the childs importunity. It may be the child in its haſte, hoiſts up a piece of timber, but it falls down upon him, and bruiſeth him, &c. It is much the ſame caſe with us: we look for a Reformation, we believe God will ſit as a Refiner upon Zion; we cannot let God alone to his own time, till he hath fitted the world's circumſtances to his deſign; but it may be we are haſtening of God, not only by modeſt prayers, ſubmitted to his will (which is our duty), but by murmurings and repinings at God: It may be we, like the haſty child, are hoiſting up ſome pieces of timber, encouraging ſome or other to begin it irregularly; and by that means get nothing but a knock, or a bruiſe, and loſe ſuch Inſtruments as might have been uſeful. But at laſt, we ſee God bring forth his work, the world is (as to its circumſtances) fitted to it: then we ſee our folly. David was anointed to the Kingdom of Iſrael and Judah; after this, he is called to Court, he is made the Kings ſon-in-law: If any one upon this ſhould have made a party for David, to have rent the Kingdom from Saul (a defenſive party he indeed had to protect him from Sauls rage, but no more), he had undoubtedly but made himſelf a prey. But David waiteth year after year, till God had fitted the circumſtances of that Kingdom to his deſign: till Saul and Jonathan were gone, and the peoples hearts were inamoured, and ſet upon David, and the Captain of the Army was turned alſo to him; and when theſe circumſtances concurred, then he brings forth his great work, and ſetteth his Servant David peaceably upon the Throne promiſed unto him. Thus far I have enlarged upon the Explicatory part of this Obſervation: I now come to the Application of it.
Ʋſe 1. In the firſt place, Let us learn from hence, to adore the wiſdom of God, in his great productions of Providence. There is much, very much of God to be ſeen, in his great products of Providence: but he is to be ſeen in them, in nothing more than this, his adopting and fitting the world to his deſigns. With how much blood muſt David have come to the Kingdom, the children of Iſrael been brought out of Egypt and Babylon, had it not been for this? Oh, the infinite, unſearchable wiſdom of God! his footſteps are not known, his ways are paſt a creature's finding out. Wiſdom in action is then much ſeen, when the action is not attempted, but at ſuch a time as it takes effect. The wiſdom of the Smith teacheth him to ſtrike, when the Mettal is hot and malleable. The wiſe General opens not his trenches, till all is ready to make the Sally, or aſſault: nor ſprings the Mine, till it be carried right under the wall. Herein is the infinite wiſdom of God ſeen, that he attempt… not a great work, until he hath accommodated circumſtances to it.
Ʋſe 2. Secondly, Obſerve from hence; That the miſcarrying of a good deſign, muſt be the product of mans improvidence; not of Gods directive Providence. There are many inſtances might be given of mens miſcarrying in a good deſign, that is, in the attempt of things which God will certainly bring to paſs. How many have periſhed, in their undertakings of works of Reformation, their works miſcarried? The Providence of God, is not indeed excluded out of theſe events: it permitted thoſe perſons ſo to act, it governed their action: But it was their own ungrounded zeal and ſinful paſſions, and undue precipitancy that cauſed their miſcarriage. God's effective Providence never miſcarrieth in its deſigns; for it always, either produceth a thing by an almighty-Power, miraculouſly; or elſe ſo fitteth the worlds circumſtances afore-hand, that if it be to be done mediately, it is certainly produced. It is only mans haſte and miſ-guided zeal, that makes any good work abortive. By a good work here, I underſtand, whatſoever is made the Object of a Divine Promiſe; and (by the way) this may teach us, not to let go our hold on the Promiſe, upon any ſuch diſaſter. If the work be of God, if it be any thing which God hath promiſed, it ſhall be effected, though it may miſcarry in a firſt, or ſecond undertaking; either becauſe the Providence of God is driving another deſign, viz. in the accompliſhment of it, firſt to puniſh ſome undertakers in it for their ſins, which was the caſe of the Iſraelites againſt Benjamin, and againſt Ai; or for their precipitancy, and raſh ſetting upon it out of Gods time; or their ill-managery of it: yet let not your faith fail in the Promiſe, for the work ſhall revive in Gods time, when he hath fitted the Worlds circumſtances a little better to it; it ſhall go on. But thirdly,
Ʋſe 3. Let me call upon you to Obſerve this in Gods providential Diſpenſations, both towards the Church, and towards your own Souls in particular: Whoſo is wiſe, obſerveth theſe things (ſaith the Text), and he ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord. This is a very obſervable thing, it will make us ſpiritually wiſe, it will make us to underſtand much of the Lords loving-kindneſs, in the products of his Providence. 1. I ſay firſt, it will give us ſpiritual wiſdom, and in a great meaſure make us to underſtand Gods time for the production of his great works; and very much guide us, as to our duty in the uſe of means: what, and of what nature is ſeaſonable, and proper for us to make uſe of. For Example, There is a great expectation of the Converſion of the Jews; whether the whole Body of them ſhall be converted, or no, and whether they ſhall return to Jeruſalem, and again build, and inhabit, that once holy City, I cannot ſay: But the Scripture ſeemeth to incline very much, That there ſhall be a far greater converſion of them, and calling of them in, than yet hath been. But to look for this ſuddenly, or to fix it upon any certain year, muſt needs be a very great, an idle and groundleſs vanity: we muſt firſt ſee the Worlds circumſtances much better fitted to it, than we yet do; whilſt either the lives, or blaſphemies of the Jews are ſuch, as it is not reaſonable that Chriſtian Princes ſhould endure them in their Territories; or the ſpirits of Chriſtians are ſuch, as they will not ſo endure them, or ſuch Idolatries and Superſtitions are amongſt Chriſtians, as are abomination to that people: the circumſtances of the World do not ſeem fitted to the production of ſuch a great and noble work. If we ſhould live to ſee the bitterneſs of the Jews againſt Chriſt abated, and the bitterneſs of Chriſtians Spirits againſt them more generally allayed; The lives, and worſhip of Chriſtians more reformed from ſuch ſuperſtitions as they abominate, and the lives of the Jews more reduced to rules of Chriſtians; we might then hope for ſomething of this nature, and judg Gods time at hand. To give another inſtance: Proteſtants do believe, or at leaſt did (till of late ſome have began to doubt it) That the Pope of Rome was the great Antichriſt: That wicked one, of whom the Apoſtle prophecied, 2 Theſſ. 2.8, that ſhould be revealed, whom God would conſume with the ſpirit of his mouth, and with the brightneſs of his coming: He it is, ver. 4, who oppoſeth, and exalteth himſelf above all that is called God, or that is worſhipped; ſo that he as God ſitteth in the temple of God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God. The myſterie of his iniquity began to work, even in the Apoſtle's time, though there was none of many years after owned the name of Pope; or arrogant title of Ʋniverſal Biſhop, or Vicar of Chriſt, &c. But the Apoſtle, ver. 6, tells us, there was ſomething which then hindered his being revealed, and would let, until he ſhould be taken away. The Roman Empire hindered, nor is that hinderance yet taken away. 'Tis true, there is but a ſtump of that Empire remaining in Germany, Spain, France, England, many other great boughs are lop'd off it; but moſt of them kept their Antichriſtian favour, though they changed their temporal Lords, and ſet up for, and by themſelves, as to temporal ſubjection and dominion. You ſee and hear how fierce, the French, the Spaniards, the Portugals, &c. the houſe of Auſtria, are for the Romiſh Religion. 'Tis true, England hath broke that yoke off its neck; ſo hath Holland: the Goſpel hath got a great foot in Germany, France, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Hungary; but yet the Devil hath a large Chappel in moſt of thoſe places. It is the National Religion of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Imperial Proper-territories. God is fitting the circumſtances of the World, much to his promiſed Work; of deſtroying this Antichriſt with the ſpirit of his mouth, with the brightneſs of his coming. England is fallen off, Holland is fallen off, a great part of Switzerland, many Cities and Territories in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark; great numbers in France. God is by degrees doing his work, and a great deal is done within the ſpace of a hundred and fifty years laſt paſt (for it is no longer ſince Luther began to ſhake his Throne): but yet the circumſtances of the World do not look, as if it were like to be a work we ſhould ſee in our age; nor it may be our childrens children. Methinks the Scripture looks, as if that man of ſin ſhould die a natural death, not a violent one. I mean, that that Religion ſhould be loathed out of the World, not fought out of it; God will conſume it with the Spirit of his mouth, and with the brightneſs of his coming: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit (ſaith the Lord). I tell you but my judgment, that before the fall of Antichriſt, you muſt yet ſee a greater falling off from Popery, by the Princes of other Nations and their people. The Worlds circumſtances do not yet ſeem fitted to that great Work: God may work Miracles in the caſe, but I know no ground we have to expect them. I am very confident that Antichriſt is in his wane, much paſt his full, declining every day; and therefore the fears of ſome, that that ridiculous Religion ſhould again over-ſpread England, or Holland, or any other reformed Church, do not much afflict me: I take that for granted, that Babylon is falling; but when we ſhall hear that joyful ſound, Babylon is fallen, Babylon is fallen, that I cannot tell you: but in the general I think, we muſt firſt ſee the World otherwiſe circumſtanced than it is.
2. By this obſervation of the motions of Providence, you ſhall alſo underſtand much of Gods ſet time, as to ſhewing mercy to your own particular ſoul: viz. when your bodily, or ſpiritual circumſtances are fitted for the deſired mercy.
1. I ſay firſt, when your bodily circumſtances are fitted to it. There is nothing more evident, than the dependance of our minds upon our bodies, and the influence that ſome bodily diſtempers (eſpecially) have upon our ſouls and minds: now although it be true, that God can work miraculouſly, and by light can break through a darkneſs, be it never ſo thick, and raviſh a Soul with unſpeakable joy and peace, though at that time it be yoked to a dark, cloudy, melancholick, diſturbed body: yet God uſeth not to work Miracles ordinarily, but to move in a more ordinary courſe of Providence, by the uſe and application of means that are proper: ſo that as it is ſeldom, but God uſeth the diſorders and diſturbances of the body, to influence and afflict the mind, and to be (at leaſt an adjuvant) cauſe, when he will trouble a Soul: ſo he uſually reſtoreth health, and a better conſtitution of body, when he intends to reſtore peace and quiet, and a compoſure of ſpirit; I ſay, ordinarily he doth ſo. And hence again in the next place,
3. We by giving attendance to this Obſervation, may learn our duty in reference to the uſe of Means, ſo as to uſe what is proper to its ſeaſon: for there is great wiſdom to be uſed in apportioning means. For Example: as to the bringing down of Antichriſt, if Gods time be not come, the means are not, girding our ſwords upon our thighs, &c. (I queſtion whether that will ever be a Mean proper to be uſed in that caſe); but endeavouring by all means poſſible, to loath the World of Popiſh ſuperſtitions and ceremonies, and all the idolatry of that Synagogue, and of all the cheats they put upon the World, and alienate the hearts of people from them. So for calling the Jews: the means to be uſed is not inciting them to get into a body, and heading them, &c. but to convince them of their errours, to endeavour the ſweetning of their ſpirits, the enlightning their minds with the knowledg of the truth of the Goſpel; and reconciling them to the Chriſtian Religion, and ſhewing them the Examples of an holy life and converſation. So in caſe of particular Souls, where the diſcompoſure of the mind, is originated in, or further advantaged by bodily diſtempers (which is a thing very frequently happening); I do not take it to be the duty of a Chriſtian, meerly to pray and hear, but alſo to uſe natural means proper for the abating of theſe diſtempers: yet not this, without Prayer and uſe of Ordinances, both for the bleſſing of God upon ſuch means, and for the further influences of his ſupernatural grace; for God fitteth the circumſtances of the perſon that is to receive the mercy, to the deſired mercy, when he intendeth the beſtowing of it; as well as the circumſtances of the World, to the mercy which in his ſet-time he intendeth for his Church: ſo, as I ſay, this obſerving of this method of Providence duly attended to, addeth ſpiritual Wiſdom to a Chriſtian, as in diſcerning of Gods time for mercy; ſo alſo in directing him to his duty, as to proper means to be uſed by him in the way of his duty, in order to the obtaining of the mercy; teaching him to know, what Iſrael ought to do: what a good Chriſtian ought to do under the circumſtances, under which God hath brought him.
2. By an attendance to this working of Providence, you ſhall underſtand much of the loving-kindneſs of the Lord; very much of the goodneſs and love of God to Nations and Churches, is ſeen in this his fitting of the worlds circumſtances to his deſigns, before he produceth them; as his deſigns are effected without tumult and bloodſhed, which otherwiſe through mens oppoſition to it, would not be avoided. With how much bloodſhed (in all humane probability) muſt the Children of Iſrael have firſt came out of Egypt, then out of Babylon, had not God fitted the circumſtances of the world, to thoſe deſigns of his Providence? Who could have imagined, either the firſt Plantation of Goſpel-Doctrine and Churches, or the after-reformation of it, when Popery had everywhere obſcured it, had not God by an infinitely-wiſe Providence, firſt fitted the circumſtances of the world to his own works? To give you an inſtance, ſo late, that it is in moſt of your memories. The Reſtauration of our preſent Soveraign, was a great work of Providence; had not God fitted the circumſtances of the three Nations for ſuch a work, with how much tumult, confuſion, and blood-ſhed muſt it have been effected? It were eaſie to make the ſame obſervation of particular Providences, relateing to our ſelves; we ſhall find that God brings forth his works in their ſeaſons, and his ſeaſon is always ſuch as the Wit and Wiſdom of Man, had it been to chuſe, could not have choſen a fitter: He maketh every thing beautiful in his time (ſaith Solomon). Indeed this is all the beauty of Providence (almoſt) which we diſcern: Beauty in perſons lyes much in ſymmetry, or proportion of parts, and mixture of colours: There is a Beauty of Providence, that lyes in the ſymmetry and proportion of it to the revealed Will and Promiſes of God: but the further beauty of Providence lyeth in the ſeaſonableneſs of it, and the fittedneſs of Gods work to the circumſtances of the world, or of our perſons at that time, when he produceth it. And herein we underſtand much of the loving-kindneſs of God. But I ſhall add no more to this Obſervation.