to you ; if the glittering glories, the glorying pleasures he entices you by, and entertains you with, prove not trash and dirt, and mere lies in the end, then say, the devil hath for- gotten his trade of lying; the devil's works will be even like himself, false and deceit- ful. But God is true, and all his works are done in truth. 2d, In fidelity ; his works are according to his word, 1 Kings viii. 24., " Thou hast spoken with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled with thine hand," " in thy faithfulness thou hast afflicted me," Ps. cxix. 75. Not only in thy faithfulness thou hast saved me, in thy faithfulness thou hast comforted me, in thy faithfulness thou hast succoured me; but in thy faithfulness thou hast afflicted me ; in thy faithfulness thou hast humbled, and broken me, and cast me down. The promise of God is, that we shall want nothing ; we shall neither want his staff nor his rod, — neither comforts nor crosses, — neither joys nor sorrows; we can- not well want either, and we shall want neither, because God is faithful. You may not only write down with the apostle, " God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able to bear." But you may write also, God is faithful, and will not suffer you to fall in temptation. When it is seasonable, your hearts shall be glad ; and if need bo, for a season, you shall be in heaviness. God is faithful, he will ever be true to himself, and therefore to you : 2 Tim. ii. 13., " He abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself." Should he be false to his people, he cannot be true to himself, to his purpose and pro- mise ; his word is not yea and nay. God is not as a man, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should repent, — that he should say, and unsay, — that he should say, and not do, — you may write God's name upon every word he hath spoken, you may write his name, — I AM, — upon all that he hath said : It shall be.
Now Christians, put these three particu- lars together, and if you cannot spell out the conclusion out of them, the provi- dence of God will certainly accomplish his good purpose and promise concerning you, you are of little understanding as well as of little faith. If God governs the world, and nothing comes tq pass but by his pro-
ELL DISCOURSE ON HIS EJECTION.
673
vidence ; if providence governs according to God's purpose and promise, providence cannot fail of accomplishing both. If God be almighty and can, — if God be wise and knows how, — if God be faithful and true, — let the devil if he can Avith all his sophistry evade the conclusion, that he will certainly do all that good for you, which he hath purposed and promised. If God be not able to perform, he is not almighty ; if he mistake his way, if he use impertinent, im- proper means, he is not the all-wise God. If he do not actually perform what he is able, and knows how to do, when he hath Baid it, he ceases to be the true God : so that the matter is brought plainly to this issue ; if God be God, if God be the all- wise God, if God be the true and faithful God, this word which he hath spoken, " All things shall work together for good to those that love God," shall not fail of its accom- plishment in its season. Having thus proved the doctrine, I ^hall add a few words by way of caution.
Catdion 1. Limit not the Lord to your time and way. God will make good his word, but you must give him leave to take his own season. " He that believeth shall not make haste." Believe God, but do not prejudge nor precipitate, lest you fall into temptation. Put no more into the promise, neither for matter nor circumstance, than God hath put in it ; put not that into the promise, which God hath not put in it, lest you miss and come short of that which God hath put in it. Let others' mistakes and mis- carriages be warnings to you. Till God hath manifestly said, do you not say, " This is the time." Build not your con- fidence on conjectures, your faith on the strongest presumptions, lest your faith prove but a fancy, and your confidence I your confusion ; make not the promise of God of none effect, by looking for its ef- fect out of season. Believe not yourselves into infidelity. Consider, Acts i. 7., " It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which God hath put in his own power." Study the word, and its com- mentary, the works of God ; but be sober in your conclusions.
This you may safely depend upon, and tins will be enough, if you have no more.