mind, that he knows not, but his good may be imported in what seemed to threaten his ruin. Many were the distresses and straits of Israel in the wilderness, but all was " to humble them, that he " might do them good in the latter end,'' Deut. viii. 16. Sad and dismal was the face of that providence that sent them out of their own land into the land of the Chaldeans ; yet even this was a pro- ject to do them good, Jer. xxiv. 5. How often have we retracted our rash and headlong censures of things upon experience of this truth ! and been taught to bless our afflictions and disappoint- ments in the name of the Lord. Many a time have we kissed those troubles at parting which we met with trembling. And what can promote peace under doubtful providences, more effectually than this ?
3. The experiences we have had throughout our lives, of the faithfulness and constancy of providence, are of excellent use to allay and quiet our hearts in any trouble that befals us. " Hitherto *' God hath helped,"" 1 Sam. vii. 12. We never found him wanting to us in any case hitherto : This is not the first strait we have been in ; the first time that our hearts and hopes have been low. Surely he is the same God now as heretofore, his hand is not shortened, neither doth his faithfulness fail. O recount in how great extremities former experience hath taught you not to despair!
4. The conjectures Christians may make of the way of provi- dence towards them, from what its former methods have been towards them, are exceeding quieting and comfortable. It is usual with Christians to compare times with times, and to guess at the issue of one providence by another. The saints do know what course providence usually holds, and accordingly, with great pro- bability, collect what they may expect from what, in like cases, they have formerly observed. Christian, examine thine own heart, and its former observations, and thou wilt find, as Psalm Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32. that it is usually the way of God, to prepare some smart rods to correct thee, when either thy heart hath sel cretly revolted from God, and is grown vain, careless, and sensual ; or when thy steps have declined, and thou hast turned aside to the commission of iniquity. And then when those rods have been sanctified to humble, reduce, and purge thy heart, it is usually ob- served, that those sad providences are then upon the change, and then the Lord changes the voice of his providence towards thee, Jer. iii. 12, 13. " Go and proclaim these words towards the north, " and say. Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I " will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, *' saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only ac- " knowledge thine iniquity,"" &c.
If therefore I find the blessed eff*ect& of the rod upon me, that it
458 DIVIXE CONDUCT ; oil,
hath done its work to break the hard heart, and pull down the proud heart, and awaken the drowsy heart, and quicken the sloth- ful, negligent, lazy heart; now, with great probability I may con- jecture, a more comfortable aspect of providence will quickly ap- pear, the refreshing and reviving time is nigh.
5. It is usual with Christians to argue themselves into fresh re- viving hopes, when the state of things is most forlorn, by compar- ing the providences of God one with another.
1. It is a mighty composing meditation when we compare the providences of God towards the inanimate and irrational creatures, >ith his providences towards us. Doth he take care for the very fowls of the air, for whom no man provides, as well as those at the door which we daily feed ? Doth he so clothe the very grass of the field? Hear the young ravens when they cry for meat.? And can it be supposed he should forget his own people that are of much more value than these ?
2. Or if we compare the bounty and care that providence hath expressed to the enemies of God, how it feeds, and clothes, and protects them, even whilst they are fighting against him with his owTi mercies, it cannot but quiet and satisfy us, that surely he will not be ^^'anting to that people, upon whom he hath set his love, to whom he hath given his Son, and for whom he hath de- signed heaven itself.
3. Or lastly. It must needs quiet us when we consider what the Lord did for us in the way of his providence, when we ourselves were in the state of nature and enmity against God. Did he not then look after us when Ave knew him not ? Provided for us, when we owned him not in any of his mercies ? Bestowed thou- sands of mercies upon us when we had no title to Christ or any one promise ? And will he now do less for us since we are reconciled and become his children ?
Surely such considerations as these cannot but fill the soul with peace, and preserve the tranquillity of it under the most distracting providences,
Due observations of the ways of God in his providences towards us have an excellent usefulness and aptitude to advance and improve holiness in our hearts and lives. For,
1 The holiness of God is manifested to us in all his works of providence, Psal. cxlv. 17. " The Lord is righteous in all his ways, " and holy in all his works." The instruments used by provi- dence may be very sinful and wicked, they may aim at base ends, and make use of wicked mediums to attain them : but it is certain God's designs are most pure, and all his workings are so too.
THE MYSTEllY OF rnoVTDKXCE. 4o9
Though he permits, limits, orders, and over-rules many unholy persons and actions; yet in all he works like himself; and his ho- liness is no more defiled and stained by their impurity, than tlie sun-beams are by the noisome exhalations of a dung-hill, Deut xxxii. 4. " He is the rock, his work is perfect ; for all his ways are "judgment, a God of truth, and without iniquity: Just and right *' is he." So that in all his providences he sets before us a per- fect pattern of holiness, that we might be holy in all our ways, as our Father is in all his ways. But this is not all.