A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 45 (Question 11 cont.)
SERMON XLV.
Secondly, THE Parts of Providence are alſo Two. vi…. Conſervation and …. Theſe are both pointed to …n the Anſwer. God both Preſerves the Creature in its Exiſtence, and G…ides it to its End; and in theſe Two, the whole of Divine Providence manifeſts it ſelf. The former of theſe is Conſervation; all things are made for an End; they are led to it by Gubernation; but they cannot be ſo led, unleſs they be continued or preſerved in their Being: Of this then take this Deſcription:
[1.] CONSERVATION is that Part of God's Providence whereby He upholds all things in the Hand of His Power. In the clearing of this Deſcription take theſe Concluſions,
(1.) THERE muſt be a Conſervation of the Creature by God. There is a Neceſſity of His Upholding all Second Beings; for if He did not hold them together, they would fall in pieces: If He did not bear up the World and all Beings in His Hand, they would Sink, and return to their Ancient Nothing. He is the alone Fountain of being; all the Being which the Creature hath, it received from Him, and it muſt be cont…ed by Him, it would elſe tire, give out, and never come at it Journey's End. The Influence of Providence, is the Maintenance of it's Being. This Part of God's Providence is by the Schools not unfitly call'd, God's Man…enency. It is His Hand underneath that holds it up; it depends upon Him for it's Continuance, Exiſtence and Operation. The bare Ceſſation of Divine Providence, reſpecting the Creature, without any other Operation, would reduce every Second Being again unto Nothing: If God puts His Hand from under, it falls and ſinks. Pſal. 104.29. Thou …ideſt thy face, they are troubled; thou take… away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Job 10.12. Thou haſt granted me life and favour, and thy viſitation hath preſerved my ſpirit.
(2.) THIS Preſervation which God affords to the Creature extends it ſelf,
1. TO the Eſſence of all things: i. e. The Matter and Form: This is it that holds them together: God ſuſtains the Cauſes and Operations of them by His Hand, upholds their Union, that they fall not aſunder; in which He makes uſe of a common Rule, or the Impreſſion of a Natural Appetency after Self-Preſervation, put into and maintained in the Creature, by which it avoids things Deſtructive, and craves ſuch as are Conſervative.
2. TO the Accidents & Qualities of things; the Faculties & Vertues of Second Beings. God hath united theſe to their Subjects by a neceſſary Connection, and holds them together, ſo as that they do not ſeperate; and this is according to an Ordinance or Decree, appointing to each it's ſeveral Nature and Qualities.
3. TO Univerſal Beings or Kinds. He keeps up all the ſeveral ſorts of Beings which He made at the Firſt; ſo as that there is no one of them that ever was, but ſtill is in the World; and ſhall be as long as the World ſtands, notwithſtanding all the Hazards which ſome of them do run of being utterly Extinct: And the Species world eaſily be loſt and no… He take Care of it by a wonderful Providence.
4. TO Singular & Individual Beings. Theſe He alſo looks after, and continues their Being to them by His Providence, during ſuch a Time and Seaſon as He ſees meet. He hath their Times in His Hand, and He hath bounded them; but ſtill He keeps their Matter and Form together, and preſerves their Natures and Operations ſo long as till His Good Pleaſure hath Determined that they ſhall ceaſe to be; until they have ſerved their appointed Time, and His Providence for the attaining of that End which He intended them for, and then they are Diſſolved.
(3.) THE Way in which God continues His Creatures in Being & Action is Varions. And here we may take notice of thoſe Two that are moſt obſervable:
1. SOME things God continues in a Permanent State. There are ſome Individuals which are to laſt from the Beginning of Time to the End of it, Permanent and without Succeſſion: There are the Conſtant Natures, viz. the Third Heaven and Angels, which are for Perpetuity; they are deſigned for an Aeviternity, and muſt be ſuch as they are for ever. And there are ſome Inconſtant Natures, which muſt endure as long as the Frame of them is to ſtand, until it be folded up as a Veſture, and the whole lower World be Changed, which is till the Day of Judgment; as the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the Bodies of the Elements: And theſe may be ſaid to be Preſerved more immediately, inaſmuch as we are not acquainted with any Secondary Cauſes or Mediate Helps in their Preſervation: They are Subject only to God, and there is no Second Cauſe, but only His own Almighty Power which continues theſe in Being and Act; Maintaining the Subſtance of them, ſo as that they abide: And tho' the Elements go through ſo many Changes by Generation and Corruption of Individuals that are Made out of them, there is not one Jo… of their Subſtance diminiſhed, from what it was at Firſt: And tho' Conſiſtent Natures endure ſo long, yet they do not wax Old or Decay.
2. OTHER Beings God continues by a more Mediate Providence in a Changable State; and that both with reſpect unto the Generals, and the Individuals.
1. RELATING to General Kinds: And theſe God continues by the Means of the Propagation of Individuals. God intending a Succeſſion of Individuals, and therein the Continuance of the Species of Beings, by Singulars taking their Turns, abiding their Generation, and then going off again to make way for Succeeding Generations. He hereupon left the Impreſſion of a Prolifical Vertue upon the Nature of ſeveral Beings, by Vertue of a Creating Word; See, Gen. 1.11, 22, 28. And upon account of this Generation it is, that the Corruptible and ſeen Dying Creature is Eternized; and the Kinds Live in thoſe Individuals which are upon the Stage, when innumerable of thoſe that formerly were of them, do now Ceaſe to be: One Generation goes, &c. for ever; i. e. Till the Laſt Generation; or till the Conſummation of all things.
2. AS for Individuals; God's Providence Preſerves and Continues them in a Treble manner, by Proviſion, by Influence, and by Protection.
1. BY Proviſion of Supplies for the Suſtentation of His Creatures. The Creature is a Dependent Being; it muſt be Maintained or elſe it would Periſh; and this Maintenance we are now in Conſideration of, is Mediate, it ſtands in need of a New Supply to be brought in unto it, that it may Live upon, and be Preſerved by: Now God takes Care that there be ſuch a Supply provided for, and afforded to the Creature in a way of Conſtancy and Continuance: And herein God's Providence appears Wonderfull b…th to Man and to B…ast. In the greateſt Famine that ever came upon the World, God hath laid up Store ſufficient in His Providence, for the Preſervation of every Kind, ſo as to keep them alive. There are many Creatures in the World which are very ſhiftleſs, and have no fore caſt of their own; they have not the Wiſdom of the An…, to lay up in Summer for the Winter-Si…; fore-ſee not hard Times, and therefore have laid in nothing before-hand; and yet God gives a Supply to theſe; that the Kind doth not Ceaſe, but the Individuals are Supplied, they find ſomething which may Uphold and Con…ue their Being unto them. There are ſome things that do not Spin and T…il; and are yet Richly Clothed, (Matth. 6.28.) That do not Plow nor Sow, and yet they Live, and how? Your Heavenly Father …eedeth them; (Ver. 26.) That do not lay in for themſelves; but only gather that which God hath made ready for them; (Pſal. 104.28.) That cannot lock after themſelves, and are caſt upon Providence, and yet they Live; (Job 38. ult.) And altho' Mankind are more Inſtrumental in the making of Proviſion for themſelves, in that God hath taught them to underſtand how to make uſe of the Means for a Livelihood; yet is the Succeſs of all their Labour entirely Subſervient to, and Dependant upon God's Providence, which only can give the Bleſſing to, or with-hold it from their Endeavours. He therefore is the Firſt in this Order of Cauſes; (Hoſ. 2.22.) Hence that Expreſſion, Hab. 2.13. Is it not of the Lord of boſts that the prople ſhall labour in the very fire, and the people ſhall weary themſelves for very vanity.
2. BY Influence: I mean by the Commanding of His Bleſſing upon the Proviſion which He hath thus made for, and brought unto them, ſo as that it doth effectually reach the End it is appointed for. As there is a Creating Wiſdom of God appears in His putting the Vertue into Creatures ſuited to the End and Uſe they were deſigned for; ſo His Provi…ence further Works in cauſing the Creature to Exert the Vertue which is in it, and enabling all the Organs of Nutrition to perform their Functions, ſo as to derive that Vertue for the Preſervation of the Subject. Hence we read, Matth. 4.4. Man …al… not live by bread alone, but by every word that pr…ceedeth at of the month of God. And ſee the Expreſſion, Iſa. 3.1 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of coſts … take away from Jeruſalem, and from Juda…, the ſtay and the ſtaff, the whole ſtay of bread, and the whole ſtay of water. There is bread and there is the Staff of it. No Being can do us any Good further than He Influenceth it: There is a Vertue which goes from Him, that makes the Creature to Live by it. An Appent…te to Eat, is as much from God, as the Food it ſelf that is ſuited to it; and that it tur…s to Nutriment, and not to Putrefa…tion, is of His Care for us: He gives us Cloaths and makes them to Warm us.
3. BY Protection: i. e. Defending or Safeguarding us from thoſe Harms which would elſe overwhelm our Beings: The Individual Creatures are many ways expoſed to Deſtruction, eſpecially ſome of them. This Protection therefore is very Eſſential in the Conſerving Providence of God; and it exerts it ſelf in defending them,
1. FROM Natural Diſeaſes: All Living Creatures ſince the Fall, in this lower World, are become liable unto them; and by them they are uſually brought to their Diſſolution: Here therefore this Providence exerts it ſelf, Partly by Preventing theſe Maladies from ſi…ing them, Partly by Pr…ding and b…ſſing Means for that Recovery out of them; God Provides … ſick for His Creatures, as well as Food, and applies it to them: Partly by a Natural Sa…y put into the Brute Creatures to apply to their Remedies: Partly by giving Ski… to Rational Beings; and God's Providence is here often very Obſervable.
2. FROM Violence: The Creature is liable to Aſſaults, and it's Life is endangered thereby; and there are ſome that are a Prey to almoſt every thing; and yet there is ſuch a Care taken, that ſuch as theſe are Preſerved; this is of God; and He doth it, Partly by putting an Inſ… into the Creature it ſelf, ſo as to know ſuch Creatures as are Inimical to it, and ſeek its Life; and giving it Diſcretion to uſe Means to ſtay and get out of the Danger; yea and to … it ſelf from the Invaſion: Such a plece of Wiſdom is commended in a Brute; Prov. 30.26. T… Co…es are but a feeble folk, yet make they th… houſes in the rocks. Partly by Limiting and Reſtraining the Rage of Voracious Creatures, ſo as to keep it within their due Bounds: And there is an obſervable Paſſage in God's Providence of this Account, vi…. That Ravenous Creatures, are unaccountably ſtinted in their Increaſe, ſo that there are but Fe… of them in Compariſon of the Numerouſneſs of Innocent and Serviceable Creatures: And this is a Fruit of God's Care in preſerving of His Creatures in their Being.
(4.) THIS Conſerving Providence of God, is a Kind of Creation. Creation and Conſervation differ only in this reſpect. In Creation all things are New Made, and are conſidered as having no Pre-exiſtence; but they by it came Firſt out of the Hands of God; whereas it Conſervation they come under the conſideration of having a Preſent Exiſtence, which yet is ſo weak and inſufficient in …t ſelf, that it would every moment fall back again into Nothing, if it were not held up by a Divine Hand. The ſame Vertue which exerted it ſelf in it's …ro…u…tion, is always emanating from God unto it for S…ſten…tion; it is the Second Hand which God ſets to …s own Work; ſo that we may call this Preſervation a continued or extended Creation: Hence they are put together, Neh. 9.6. T…ou, even then art Lord alone, then baſt made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their beſt the earth and … things that are therein, the ſeas and all that is therein, and thou preſerveſt them all.
(5.) THE Preſervation of all things is an Act of Divine O…nipotency. Hence in the Deſcription it is called that … He up…o…ds them in the Hand of His Power. And indeed what leſs than an Increated Power can be acknowledged in it, by thoſe who ſeriouſly conſider and ponder it? When we look upon this great World, and the innumerable Beings that are contained in it, and conſider what an abſolute Dependance theſe all have upon God, and how …i…t…eſs they are all of them in themſelves, to that if they were not every moment underpropt and born up they would immediately be Annihilated; how ſtrong an Hand muſt we conceive that muſt be, which is always under them and holds them up, and neither faints not is weary under ſuch a weight? And therefore the Apoſtle takes notice of this … as ſhining out eminently in this reſpect; Heb. 1.3. … pholding all things by the … of his power. This Doctrine then affords as precious Matter of Contemplation, and there are ſeveral Uſeful, Practical Inſtructions that we may draw from it. To …e Four.
1. IT tells us the Reaſonablneſs of that Petition in our Prayer, Give us this Day our Daily bread. Whom ſhould we ask out Daily Proviſion from, but Him who keeps as in His continued Providence? It was that which preſerved us in the laſt Hour, and if it withdraw we cannot Live to the next Hour. Man is not his own Upholder, no not for one … not in try-reſpect▪ further than Inſtrumented: We have as exce…lent draught of this Providence is Pſal. 116.8. Thou hoſt delivered my ſoul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my … from falling. And 66. 9. Which holdeth out ſoul in …, and ſuffereth n…t our …eet to be moved. We could not have the next Meals Meat, …d not God make it ready for us: All our Labour and Pains would not do it; our own Comforts would all Steal away and be go…e from us if He did not keep them for us: He is our C…v…r and our Treaſurer too, we are of His Family and His …oking after: He ſpreads our Tables for us; and it is His Goodneſs that gives us Food and Ra…ment: He that Cloaths …, Cloaths us a ſo: He ſaves is and defends us from all Harm: We ſhould every moment run ourſelves into Miſchief, if He did not preſerve our ſteps for us: … many are there that would make an end of us, if He did not Preſerve us: And is there not good reaſon then, why we ſhould ask theſe Alms at his Hands, and beg of Him our Supply and Protection: If we knock at any other Door we may come away empty handed and aſhamed; for if He with-hold, none can ſhow any Favour to us: And if we have theſe things, yet He only can make them Serviceable unto us; ſo that we muſt be always going to Him: And it is his Honour to have all the World as ſo many little Children, continually coming to Him as their Father for all they Want: Other Creatures do ſo according to their Capacity, and ſo ſhould we; Job 38. ult. Pſal. 145.15.16. The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou giveſt them their meat in due ſeaſon. Them …p…neſt thine …and, and ſatisfeſt the deſire of every living thing.
2. IT tells us alſo how unreaſonable a thing …in is. Da…iel, when he would ſet forth Be…ar's horrid Iniquity, ſo as that it might appear more heinous, aggravates it from this Conſideration, That it was againſt God's Preſerving and Protecting Providence; Dan. 5.23.—And the God in whoſe hand thy breath is, and theſe are all thy ways, b…ſt thou not glorified. In ever Sin that you Commit, you A…m your ſelves in Rebellion, not only againſt your Maker, (and yet how grievous a thing is that) but againſt your Preſerver: You War againſt the God that gives you Life and Breath every moment: You ſet your ſelves in … againſt Him that Feeds and Cloaths you: That you N…w are, you are beholden to this Providence of His; and yet you deny and ſeek to rob Him of the Glory of it; tho' if He ſhould withdraw H… Ma…nency for the leaſt Inſtant, in that very Article of Time, you muſt needs periſh; yet by every Sin you are provoking Him, ſo to do. All Sin is an Abuſing of this Favour of God, which is our Life, to his Diſhonour? And what unaccountable Madneſs is this: Well may God Expoſtulate with Sinners on this Account, as Deut. 32.6. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh people and unwiſe? is not be thy …ather that hath bought thee? …ath be not ma… thee and eſtabliſhed thee? Sinners, Think of i…, there is none that ever did ſo much for you as God hath done, and none that ever you did …o much againſt, as Him: In every Sin, you ſet your ſelves to Deſtroy Him, who, if he did …ot Preſerve you, you could not be.
3. IT tells us that we ought to ſee & acknowledge our Preſervation to be from God, and not from ourſelves. As he Made us, and not we; ſo be K…e…s us, and not we: He holds us up; he Defends us: All our Care and Prudence could not have kept us till now. He looks after us in the Womb; and when we hung on the Breaſ…s; and he hath not intermitted this Care to this Day. And whom is it that we Confeſs this to? Who hath the Thanks & Praiſe of it? Here's Conviction enough againſt Atheiſm if rightly conſidered. Let every one of us reflect and conſider, Had we been kept to this Day, through all the Changes that have gone over us, if there had not been a God that hath done it for us? And do we not Confeſs this unto Him? How Bruitiſh & Sordid a thing is this? God gives us every Day freſh Matter for Thanksgivings. And here we ſee the Reaſon why the World is yet ſtanding upon its Legs, and is not reduced to a Chaos, yea a Non-entity: Pſal. 103. beg. Bleſs the Lord, who bealeth all thy diſeaſes. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with loving kindneſs, and tender mercies. Who ſatisfieth thy mouth with good things—.
4. LEARN hence then, what Strong Engagements and Bonds there are lying upon us to Serve God: and to Devote our whole Life, and Time, and Subſtance, and all that we have, and are, to His Service. If we look over all the Paſſages of this Conſerving Providence which has been applied to us; we ſhall find our ſelves obliged to him, forever to be His: for whoſe ſhould we be, whom ſhould we Serve, but that God by whom we are what we are, and from whom we receive all that we have? Give me leave then to Preſs this upon Old and Young, as a Potent Argument to quicken us all to be Devoting our ſelves unto God. Conſider then,
1. DO you Live? Is the Breath of your Noſtrils continued to you? Is there any Difference between you and thoſe that are gone to the Place of Silence? Are you not to this Day cut off from the Land of the Living? You are beholden to God's Preſerving of you for it: It is in Him that you Live; your very Life depends on him; if He ſhould hide his Face, you would be Troubled, yea Deſtroyed; there would need no more to bring you to your Grave; you would Periſh without his ſtriking a ſtroke.
2. HAVE you Meat, Drink and Cloathing? Are you Maintained and Supplied? It is all His that you have, (Hoſ. 2.8.) It was he that ſat Second Cauſes on Work for the Producing of them, all thoſe Wheels had elſe ſtood ſtill; and he diſpoſed them to you by a particular Providence, or you had never had them: He ſpreads your Table and ſets on your Meat every Day.
3. DOTH your Food Nouriſh you? Do your Cloaths Warm you? Do you find theſe things Inſtrumental for your Preſervation? Do you feel any Comfort in and by them? Now remember, He put that Vertue into them, and he makes them to let it out to you; He could take it away, or bury it up, and then it ſhould do you no Good at all.
4. ARE you kept from Diſeaſes, or recovered out of them at any Time? It is He that doth it. Some of you have eſcaped when others have been overtaken: Sickneſs hath been round about you, and hath not come to you; others have been taken by it, and God hath Moderated it unto them, or ſhewn his Power in bringing them up from the Gates of the Grave. Theſe things as caſual as they ſeem to be, are the Diſpenſations of God's Careful Providence over you, elſe you were open to Sickneſs and Death.
5. ARE you kept from the Violence of Men or Beasts? This is alſo from Him; no thank to your ſelves: How many eminent Deliverances of this Kind have ſome of as enjoyed? And did not God Tye up the Mouths of Beaſts, and Curb in the Spirits of Men, what Deſtructions would be every Day? But God keeps us from Killing one another; and ſo He continueth our Lives: And now what is the Voice and Language of all this to us, but to aſhame us that we have done ſo little for, ſo much to the Diſhonour of, this God; and put us upon it the more earneſtly and early to engage our ſelves in his Service, and to do it with Joy and Chearfulneſs in conſideration of thoſe uncountable Benefits of his Conſerving Providence, that He is daily Lading us withal.
[AUGUST 11. 1691.]