3. Did God make our bodies out of the dust, and that dust out of nothing ? Let this keep down pride. AVhen God would humble Adam he useth this expression, " Out of it (the dust) wast thou taken," Gen. iii. 19. Wliy art thou proud, O dust and ashes ? Thou art made but of course metal. Cum sift humi Ihmis, cur non JiumUhmis ? Bern. David saith, " I was curiously wrought," Ps. cxxxix. 15. Thy being curiously wrought, may make thee thankful ; but be- ing made of the dust, may keep thee hum- ble. If thou hast beautv, it is but well coloured earth. Thy body is but air and dust mingled together, and this dust will drop into the dus4;. Wlien the Lord had said of the Judges, they were gods, Ps. Ixxxii. 6. Lest they should grow proud, he tells them, they were dying gods, v. 7., " Ye shall die like men."
4. Did God create our souls after his im- age, but we lost it? let us never rest till we are restored to God's image again. We have now got the devil's image in pride, malice, envy; let us get God's image re- stored, which consists in knowledge and righteousness. Col. iii. 10. Grace is our best beauty, it makes us like God and angels ; as the sun is to the world, so is holiness to the soul. Let us go to God to repair his image in us. Lord ! thou hast once made me, make me anew; sin hath defaced thy image in me, O draw it again by the pencil of the Holy Ghost !
OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.
Quest. XL WHAT are God's works of Providence ?
Ans. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful ])n>s('rving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.
The work of God's providence, John v. 17., " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." The great God hath rested from the works of creation, he doth not create any new species of things, Gen. ii. 2., " He
rested from all his works :" and therefore this scripture must needs be meant of God's works of providence, " My Father work- eth, and I work " Ps. ciii. 19,, " His king- dom ruleth over all ;" i. e. His providential kingdom. Now, for the clearing of this point, I shall,
1. Show you that there is a providence. 2. "V^Hiat that providence is. 3. Lay down some maxims or propositions concerning the providence of God.
84
OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.
l5^ That there is a providence : there is no such thing as blind fate, but there is a providence that guides and governs in tlie world : Prov. xvi. 33., " The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing there- of is of the Lord."
2ahj. What this providence is? I an- swer, Providence is God's ordering all is- sues and events of things, after the counsel of his will, to his own glory. 1. I call providence God's ordering of things, to dis- tinguish it from his decrees : God's decree ordains things that shall fall out, God's providence ordereth them. — 2. I call pro- vidence the oi'dering of things after the counsel of God's will. — 3. God ordereth all events of things, after the counsel of his will, to his own glory ; the glory of God being the ultimate end of all God's actings, and the centre where all the lines of pro- vidence do meet. The providence of God is Regina mundi, — the queen and governess of the world ; it is the eye that sees, and the hand that turns all the wheels in the universe. God is not like an artificer that builds a house, and then leaves it, and is gone: but like a pilot, that does with a great deal of care, steer on the ship of the whole creation.
3fl/y. Positions about God's providence. 1. God's providence reaches to all places, persons, and occurrences. 1. To all places, Jer. xxiii. 23., " Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar off?" The diocese where providence visits is very large ; it reaches to lieaven, earth, and sea, Ps. cvii. 23, 24., *' They that go down to the sea, see the wonders of God in the deep." Now, that the sea, which is higher than the earth, should not drown the earth, is a wonder of providence; and the prophet Jonali, he saw the wonders of God in the deep, when the very fish which did devour him and swal- low liim, did bring him safe to shore. — 2. God's providence reaches to all persons, especially the persons of the godly, they are in a special manner taken notice of. God takes care of every saint in particular, as if lie had none else to take care for, 1 Pet. V. 7., " He careth for you," i. e. Elect in a special manner. Ps. xxxiii 18, 19., " The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him : to preserve them from death, and to keej)