and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Divine Providence is not only a shield over the truly virtuous, to secure them from dangers, but a sun also continually shining on their heads, and sending forth upon them the comfortable beams and influences of his grace and favour. He not only removes evils from them, but supplies them with all good things that are indeed good for them. If they are fit for a wealthy prosperous condition, they shall have it, and that with God's blessing. But if a meaner condition be more convenient for them, they shall be made happy therein. If at any time afflictions be needful, (as they are often as necessary for our souls as physic is for our bodies,) they shall taste of the goodness of their heavenly Father even in them; they shall be supported under them, and made better by them, and in God's due time delivered from them. If God tries them, he will assist them in the trial, and crown them after it. And, in a word, divine Providence will so order all the occurrences of the good man's life in this world, as shall best conduce to his eternal happiness in the other; which is indeed the only main chance and great concern that we ought always and above all things to mind and think of. III. And this brings me to the third and last stage of my discourse, That therefore we ought, leaving all other earthly dependencies, to commit ourselves to the divine Providence, in the way of piety and sincere obedience to the divine commands, and firmly to rely and trust on it as our best, yea only security. Which being so plain a consequence from what hath been already delivered, I shall be brief in the handling of it, and so conclude. Trust and dependence on the divine Providence is every where in Scripture recommended as our great duty and only security; so that we can scarce open our Bibles but we meet with something that minds us of it. But of so great an abundance which might be produced, I shall select only two or three texts, that most plainly serve for this purpose. Hear the Psalmist, Psalm lv. 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Hear him again, Psalm xxxvii. 3, 4, 5. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Where, upon our trust in God, it is promised that God will give us even the desire of our hearts, i. e. if not the particular, yet the general desire of our hearts. For we all desire in general that which is good, though we too often err in the particular choice, taking that for good which is indeed hurtful for us. Now if God deny that particular thing which we think to be good for us, but is not, and gives us that which he himself knows to be indeed good for us, he deals with us as becomes a wise and gracious Father, and thus he always deals with them that trust and depend on him. It is a shame for us Christians to be ignorant of this, when the heathen poet could say, Si consilium vis, Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus, quid 66 66 i. e. "Our best way is to leave it to the gods (so he speaks in compliance with the custom of his countrymen) to judge and determine what is useful and "convenient for us. For they will certainly give us, " instead of those things that most please us, those "things that are fittest for us. For they have a " greater care of man than he hath of himself." But as to our duty of trusting in God, full is the expression of Solomon in the text we have more than once mentioned, Prov. iii. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Every man almost pretends to trust in God; but few trust on him in truth, and with the whole heart. Whereof this is a plain demonstration: no man heartily trusts in God, but he that doth every day commit himself and all his concerns in general to the divine Providence by serious prayer, and in every particular occurrence and business of moment makes his particular address to God, by humble supplication, for his direction and blessing. Now how very few are there, of those that pretend to trust in God, that do thus. And after all, we are still to remember the proviso already given, that our dependence on God's providence must be accompanied with a sincere obedience to his commands. Hence the Psalmist joins both together in the above alleged text, Psalm xxxvii. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good. And Solomon in the text last mentioned, Prov. iii. after he had said, ver. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, presently subjoins, ver. 7. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Our hope in God is presumption, without due regard to his laws, and an uniform obedience to his commands. And to convince us of the perfect vanity of such presumption, let us but attentively consider, what that providence of God is that we pretend to trust in. That special providence of God, which is man's only security, (as we have above described it,) is nothing less than his special love and kindness to man, whereby he hath a tender regard to all his concerns, and, as a signal expression thereof, sends his holy angels, those most glorious spirits, to pitch their tents round about him, and to take a singular care and tuition of him in all his ways. Now what an intolerable impudence is it in any wicked man to depend on such a providence of God over him? With what face canst thou expect God's special care and regard of thy concerns, that hast so little or no regard of his commands? Can the adulterer, the drunkard, the liar, the slanderer, the backbiter, the common swearer, the cheat, the unjust man, the covetous and worldly man, the spiteful and malicious man, or any man that continues in any wilful transgression of any known law of God, be a darling of divine Providence? Will the angels, the holy angels of God, those faithful ministers of his, attend on and do good offices for such as refuse to serve their great Lord and Master, yea live in downright rebellion against his government? Can the glorious host of heaven wait on the vassals of hell? This cannot be. Indeed who can be worthy of that providence of God which we have set forth? No man by a worthiness of merit. But yet there is a worthiness of meetness, fitness, and due disposition required in all that expect to be favourites of the Almighty, and objects of his more especial care and providence. And this worthiness consists in a firm belief of the special providence of God over good men, in a sincere and hearty endeavour to obey God in all things, i. e. to become ourselves good men, that we may be entitled to such his providence over us, and then in an entire trust and dependence on it. Wherefore (to conclude) let us all in good earnest make it our great business to serve God, to study to know his will, and to do it when we know it, and then we are safe. Whosoever thou art that hearest me this day, be persuaded presently to forsake thy sinful courses, and entirely to resign up thyself to the divine government, and then be secure of the divine protection and special providence over thee. Then let loose the reins of thy hope and confidence in God, and trust in his gracious providence as much as thou canst, and thou shalt never be confounded. God shall lead thee by a most gracious economy through this vale of tears the whole course of thy pilgrimage in this world; directing thee in all difficulties, comforting thee in all sorrows and distresses, blessing all earthly enjoyments that he gives thee, and supplying the want of those that he thinks fit to deny thee with greater blessings; and in the life to come he shall pour out the full riches of his grace and goodness on thee. For which blessed life God of his infinite mercy fit us, and thereinto in his due time admit us all, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and glory, might, majesty, and dominion, both now and for evermore. Amen. |