them alive in famine." God by his provi- dential care, shields off dangers from his people, he sets a life-guard of angels about them, Ps. xxxiv. 7. God's providence keeps the Aery bones of the saints, Ps. xxxiv. 10 It bottles their tears, Ps. Ivi. 8. It strength- ens the saints in their weaknesses, Heb. xi. 34. It supplies all their wants out of its alms basket, Ps. xxiii. 5. Thus providence doth wonderfully supply the wants of the elect. When the Protestants in Rochelle were besieged by the French king, God by his providence, sent in a great number of small fishes that fed them, such as were never seen before in that haven. So tlie raven, that unnatural creature tliat will hardly feed its own young, yet providen- tially brought sustenance to the prophet Elijah, 1 Kings xvii. 6. The virgin Mary, though by bearing and bringing forth the Messiah she helped to make the world rich, yet she herself was very poor, and now, be- ing warned of the angel to go into Egypt, Mat. ii. 13., the virgin had scarce enough to bear her charges thither : see now how God provides for her before-hand ; he, by his providence, sends the wise men from the east, and they bring costly gifts, gold, myrrh, and frankincense, and present these to Chri^, and now the virgin had enough to defray her charges into Egj'pt. God's children sometimes scarce know how thev ^ are fed, and yet providence feeds them, Ps. xxxvii. 3., " Verily thou shalt be fed." If God will give his people a kingdom when they die, he will not deny them daily bread while they live. — 3. God's providence reaches to all affairs and occurrences in the world; there is nothing that stirs in the world, but God hath, by his providence, the over-ruling of it. The raising of a man to honour: Ps. Ixxv. 7., " He putcth down one, and raises up another." Suc- cess and victory in battle is the result of providence : Saul had the victory, but (lod wrought the salvution, 1 Sam. xi. 13. That among all virgins that were brought before the king, that Esther should find fa- vour in the eyes of the king, was not with- out God's special j)rovi(lence ; for, by this means, the Lord saved the Jews alive that were destinated to destruction. Providence reaches to the least of things, to the Birds
OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.
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and pismires; providence feeds the yonno^ sees <rood sometimes that tlie worst of men raven, when the dam forsakes it, and will slumld be exalted ; they may do some work give it no food, Ps. cxlvii. 9. Providence to God, thouj^h against tlieir will, Isa. x, 7. readies to the very hairs of our head. Mat. God will be in no man's debt. God makes \. 30., " The very hairs of your head are all use of the wicked sometimes to protect and i,umbercd;"andsurelyif providence reaches shield his church : he makes use of them to our hairs then much more to our souls, ' to refine and ]>urify his people, Hab. i. 12., And thus you have seen tliat God's j)rovi- | " Thou hast established them for correc- dence reaches to all places, to all persons, j tion." As if the prophet had said, ' Thou to all occurrences and affairs. Now there ai'e two objections against this doctrine.
Ouj. 1. But some say. There are many things dime in the world which are eccentri- cal^ they are very disorderly and irreyular ; and surely God's providence doth not these thiniis.
J71S. Yes, these things that seem tons irregular, God makes use of to his own glory. For instance : suppose you were in a smith's shop, and there should see several sorts of tools, some crooked, some bo\ved, others hooked, would you condemn all these things for nought, because they do not look handsome ? the smith makes use of them all for the doing: of his work. Thus it is with the providences of God, they seem to us to be very crooked and strange, yet they all carry on God's work. I shall clear this to you in two particular cases :
1st. God's people are low; why, this
seems to be very much out of order, that
* these that are best should be in the lowest
condition ; but there is much wisdom t()
be seen in this providence, as appears thus:
1. Perhaps the hearts of the godly were lifted up with riches, or with success : now God comes with an humbling providence to afflict them and fleece them ; better is the loss that makes them humble, than the success that makes them proud. Again,
2. If the godly were not sometimes aftlict- td, and suffered an eclipse in their outward comforts, how could their graces be seen, their faith and patience? If it were al- ways sunshine, we should see no stars ; if we should have always prosperity, it would be hard to see the actings of men's faith. Thus you see God's providences are wise and i^gular, though to us they seem very strange and crooked.
2dly. Here's another case, the wicked flourish ; this seems to be very much out of order ; aye, but God, in his providence,