(2.) Unbelief objects against the will of God, and questions, whether he will now be gracious, though he hath formerly been so. But after so many experiences of his readiness to help, what room for doubting remains.'' Thus Paul reasoned from the ex- perience of what he had done, to what he could do, 2 Cor. i. 10, and so did David, 1 Sam. xvii. 36. Indeed, if a man had never experienced the goodness of God to him, it were not so heinous a sin to question his willingness to do him good.^ But what place is left after such frequent trials .?
2. It gives great encouragement to faith, as it answers the ob- jections of unbelief drawn from the subject. Now these objections are of two sorts also.
(1.) Such aS are drawn from our great unworthiness. How (saith unbelief) can so sinful and vile a creature expect that ever God should do this or that for me ? It is true, we find he did great things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, &c. but these were men of eminent holiness, men that obeyed God, and denied themselves for him, and lived more in a day to his glory, than ever
Well, but wnat signifies all this to a soul, that, under all its sensible vileness and unworthiness, hath tasted the goodness of God as well as they ? As unworthy as I am, God hath been good to me notwithstanaing ? His mercy appeared first to me, when I was worse than I am now, both in condition and disposition ; and therefore I will still expect the continuance of his goodness to me, though I deserve it not. " If when we were enemies we were re- *' conciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, being " reconciled, shall we be saved by his life .?" Rom. v. 10.
(2.) Such as are drawn from the extremity of our present con- dition. If troubles or dangers grow to an height, and we see no- thing but ruin and misery, in the eye of reason, before us ? now unbelief becomes importunate and troublesome to tlie soul : now,
448 DIVIDE conduct; oe,
-where are tliy prayers, thy hopes, yea, where is now thy God ?
But all this is easily put by and avoided, by consulting our ex-^ periences in former cases. This is not the first time I have been in these straits, nor the first time I have had the same doubts and despondencies; and yet, God hath carried me through all, Psal. Ixxvii. 7j 8, 9, &c. This is it that suffers not a Christian to unravel all his hopes in an hour of temptation. O how useful are these things to the people of God ?
The recogmfion ofjbrmer providences will minister to your souls continual matter of praise and thanksgiving, which is the very erri^ ployment of' the angels in heaven, and the sweetest part of our lives on earth.
See Psal. Ixi. 7. 8. If God will prepare mercy and truth for David, he will prepare praises for his God, and that daily. So Psal Ixxi. 6. " By thee have I been holden up from the womb, thou art he that '' took me out of my mother's bowels ; (there, mercies from the be- " ginning are recognized.) My praise shall be continually of thee '^ (there the natural result of those recognitions is expressed.)
There be five things belonging to the praise of God, and all of them have relation to his providences exercised about us.
1. A careful observation of the mercies we receive from him, Isa. xli. 17, 18, 19, 20. This is fundamental to all praise: God cannot be glorified for the mercies we never noted.
S. A faithful remembrance of the favours received, Psal. ciii. S. " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.'"*
Hence the Lord brands the ingratitude of his people^ Psal. cvi. 16. " They soon forgat his works.*'
3. A due appreciation and valuation of every providence that doth us good, 1 Sam. xii. 24. That providence that fed them in the wilderness with manna, was the most remarkable providence to them ; but they not valuing it as its worth, God had not that praise for it which he expected. Numb. xi. 6.
4. The excitation of all the faculties and powers of the soul in the acknowledgment of these mercies to us. Thus David, Psal. ciii. 1. " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless " his holy name.** Soul-praise is the very soul of praise : this is the very fat and marrow of that thank-offering.
5. A suitable retribution for the mercies received. This David was careful about, Psal. cxvi. 1. And the Lord taxes good Heze- kiah for the neglect of it, 2 Chron. xxxii. 24, 25. This consists in a full and hearty resignation of all to him, that we have re- ceived by providence from him, and in our willingness actually to part with all for him when he shall remand it.
THE MYSTERY OF PROVIDIZXCE. 449
Thus you see how all the ingredients to praise, have respect to providence. But more particularly I will shew you, that as all the ingredients of praise have respect to providence, so all the motives and arguments obliging and engaging souls to praise are found therein also. To this end consider how the mercy and goodness of God is exhibited by providence to excite our thankfulness.
1. That the goodness and mercy of God is let out upon his peo- ple in his providences about them ; and this is the very root of praise. It is not so much the possession that providence gives us of such or such comforts as the goodness and kindness of God in the dispensing of them, that engages a gracious soul to praise, PsaL Ixiii. 3, " Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips *' shall praise thee." To give, maintain, and preserve our life are choice acts of providence : but to do all this in a way of grace and loving-kindness, this is far better than the gifts themselves ; life is but the shadow of death without it ; this is the mercy that croAvns all other mercies, Psal. ciii, 4. It is this a sanctified soul desires God would manifest in every providence about him, Psal. xvii, 7. and what is our praising of God else but our shewing forth that loving-kindness which he sheweth forth in his providences ? Psal, xcii. 1, %
2. As the loving-kindness of God manifested in providences is a motive to praise ; so the Jree and undeserved favours of God, dis- pensed by the hand of providence, oblige the soul to praise. This was the consideration that melted David''s heart into a thankful praising frame, even the consideration of the free and undeserved favours cast in upon him by providence, 2 Sam. vii. 18. " What " am I ? O Lord God : and what is my father^s house, that thou " hast brought me hitherto .?" i. e. raised me by providence from a mean condition to all this dignity : " From following the ewes to " feed Jacob his people,"*' Psal Ixxviii. 70, 71. O this it is that engages thankfulness ! Gen. xxxii. 10.