(2.) There is much of providence seen in the harmony and agreeableness of tempers and dispositions ; from whence a very great part of the tranquillity and comforts of our lives result : Or at least, though natural tempers and educations did not so much harmonize before, yet they did so after they came under the or- dinance of God : Gen. ii. 24. " They two shall be one flesh ;" Dot one only in respect of God's institution, but one in respect of love and affection, that those who so lately were mere strangers to each other, are now endeared to a degree beyond the nearest re- lations in blood, as above, " For this cause shall a man leave fa- " ther and mother, and shall cleave to liis wife, and they two shall ^' be one flesh."
f3.) But especially, providence is remarkable in making one in-
THE MYSTERY OF TROVIDENCE. S9S
strumental to the eternal good of the other, 1 Cor. vii. 16. " How " knowest thou, O wife, but thou mayest save thy husband ? Or " how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save tliy wife ?" Hence is that grave exhortation to the wives of unbelieving hus- bands, 1 Pet. iii. 1. " To win them by their conversation, which *' should be to them instead of an ordinance."
Or if both be gracious, then what singular assistance and mutual help is hereby gained to the furtherance of their eternal good? whilst they live together " as heirs of the grace of life,'^ 1 Pet. iii. 7. O blessed providence ! that directed such into so intimate relation on earth, who shall inherit together the common salvation in heaven !
(4.) How much of providence is seen in children, the fruit of marriage ? To have any posterity in the earth, and not be left al- together as a dry tree. To have comfort, and joy in them, is a special providence, importing a special mercy to us. To have the breaches made upon our families repaired, is a providence to be owned with a thankful heart. When God shall say to a man, as he speaks in another case to the church, Isa. xlix. 20. " The chil- " dren which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other, shall " say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me," &c.
And these providences will appear more affectingly sweet and lovely to you, if you but compare its allotments to you, with what it hath allotted to many others in the woi'ld. For do but look abroad, and you shall find,
(1.) Multitudes unequally yoked, to the imbittering of their lives, whose relations are clogs and hinderances, both in temporals and spirituals. Yea, we find an account in scripture, of gracious persons, a great part of whose comfort in this world hath been split upon this rock. Abigail was a discreet and virtuous woman, but very unsuitably matched to a churlish Nabal; See 1 Sam. xxv. 25. What a temptation, to the neglect of a known, duty, pre- vailed upon the renowned Moses, by the means of Zipporah his wife, Exod. iv. 24, 25. David had his scoffing Michal, 2 Sam. vi. 20. And patient Job no small addition to all his other afflic- tions, from the wife of his bosom, who should have been a support to him in the day of his trouble. Job xix.- 17-
No doubt, but God sanctifies such rods to his people's good. If Socrates knew how to improve his affiiciion in his Zantippe, to the increase of his patience, much more will they who converse with God under all providences, whether sweet or bitter. Never- theless this must be ackowledged to be a sad stroke upon any person, and such as maims them upon the working hand, by un- fitting them for duty, 1 Pet. iii. 7, and cuts off much of the com« fort of hfe also.
S94f divine coNbircT ; ok,
(2.) How many are thei*e who never enjoy the comfortable fruits of marriage, but are denied the sight, at least the enjoyment of children ? Jer. xxii. 30. " Thus saith the Lord, write this man <' childless,'' &c. Or if they have children, yet cannot enjoy them, Hos. ix. 12. " Though they bring up children, yet will I " bereave them, that there shall not be a man left ;" who only bear for the grave, and have their expectations raised for a greater af- fliction to themselves.
(3.) And it is no rare or unusual thing to see children and near relations, the greatest instruments of affliction to their parents and fiiends : So that after all their other sorrows and troubles in the world, nearest relations bring up the rear of soitows, (as * one speaks) and prove greater griefs than any other. O how many parents have complained, with the tree in the fable, that their very hearts have been torn asunder with those wedges that were cut out of their own bodies ! AVhat a grief was Esau to Isaac and Re- bekah ? Gen. xxvi. 34, 35. What a scourge were Absalom and Amnon to David ?
Well then, if God have set the solitary in families^ as it is, PsaL Ixviii. 6 built an house for the desolate, given you comfortable re- lations, which are springs of daily comfort and refreshment to you, you are, upon many accounts, engaged to walk answerably to these gracious providences. And that you may understand M'herein that decorum and agreeable comportment with these providences con- sist, take up the sense of your duty in these brief hints.
(1.) Ascribe to God the glory of all those providential works which yield you comfort. You see a wise, directing, governing Providence, which hath disposed and ordered all things beyond your own projections and designs. " The way of man is not in " himself; nor is it in him that walketh to direct his own steps," Jer. x. 28. Not what you projected, but what an higher Counsel than yours determined, is come to pass. Good Jacob, when God had made him the father of a family, admired God in the mercy. Gen. xxxii. 10. " With my staff (said he) I passed over this Jor- '' dan, and now I am become two bands."" And how doth this mercy humble and melt him .^ " I am not worthy of the least of all " the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto ^' thy servant.""
(2.) Be exact in discharging the duties of those relations which so gracious a providence hath led you into. Abuse not the effects of so much mercy and love to you : The Lord expects praise, wherever you have comfort This aggravated David's sin, that ' ■ 11 1 1.1 - I 1 — .
♦ Mr, T. C. in his Isagogue.
THE MYSTERY OF PROVTDEXCF:. CQo
he should dare to abuse so great love and mercy, as God had shewn him in his family relations, 2 Sam. xii. 7, 8, 9.
(3.) Improve relations, to the end providence designed them : Walk together as co-heirs of the grace of life : Study to be mu- tual blessings to each other : So walk in your relations, that the parting day may be sweet. Death will shortly break up the fa- mily ; and then nothing but the sense of duty discharged, or the neglects pardoned, will give comfort.
The seventh performance of Providence.