5. At death we begin the Angelical life of praise and thanksgivj ing. We then enter upon that everlasting sweet employment; and as I doubt not but the providences in which we were concern- ed in this world will be a part of that song which we shall sing in heaven, so certainly it will become us to tune our hearts and tongues for it whilst we are here, and especially when we are rea- dy to enter upon that blessed state. O therefore let it be your daily meditation and study what God hath been to you, and done for you from the l^eginning of his way hitherto.
And thus I have spread before you some encouragements to this blessed work. O that you would be persuaded to this lovely and every way beneficial practice ! this I dare presume to say, that who- ever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him, shall never want new mercies to record to his dying-day. It was said of Claudian, that he wanted matter suitable to the excellency of his parts ; but where is the head or heart that is suitable to this matter ; " Who can " utter the mighty acts of the Lord ? Who can shew forth all his ♦' praise i*'' Psal. cvi. 2.
Thus I have, through the aid of providence, dispatched the main design I aimed at in the choice of this subject. All that remains ■will now be speedily finished in some few corollaries to be briefly noted upon the whole, and three or four practical cases to be stated. You have heai'd how providence jperformeth all things for you. Learn hence.
That God is therefore to he owned hy you in all that hefalsyou in this worlds whether it he in a way of success and comfort, or of trouble and affliction. O it is your duty to observe his hand and disposal: when God gives you comforts, it is your great evil not to observe his hand in them. Hence was the charge against Israel, Hosea ii. 8. " She " did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and mul- " tiplied her silver and gold," i. e. she did not actually and affec- tionately consider my care over her, and goodness to her in these mercies. And so for afflictions, it is a great wickedness, when God's hand is hfted up not to see it, Isa. xxvi. 11. " The ox knows " its owner, and the ass his master s crib," Isa. i. 3. The most dull and stupid creatures know their benefactors. O look to the hand of God in all, and know, that neither your comforts Bor afflictions do arise out of the dust, or spring up out of the ground !
If God perform all things for you, how great is his condescension
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to, and care over his people ? What is man (saith Job, chap, vii, 17, 18. J tluit thou sJiouldst magnify him, and set thine heart upon him? and that tltou shouldst visit him every mornings and try him every moment ? Such is his tender care over you, that he withdraws not his eye from you. See Job xxxvi. 7. Lest any hurt you, he himself will guard and keep you day and night, Isa. xxvii. 3. Should he withdraw his eye or hand one moment from you, that moment would be your ruin. Ten thousand evils watch but for such an op- portunity \o rush in upon you, and destroy you and all your com- forts. You are too dear to him to be trusted in any hand but his own. Deut. xxxiii. 3. " All his saints are in thy hand.""
Learn h£nce how you are obliged to perform all duties and services for God who peiformeth all things for you. It was the wish of a good man, Optarem id me esse Deo, quod est mihi manus mea ; — - O that I could be to God wliat my hand is to me, viz. a serviceable, useful instrument. Shall God do all things for you, and will you do nothing for God ? Is providence every moment at w^ork for you, and will you be idle ? To what purpose then is all that God hath done for you ? Is it not the aim and design of all to make you a fruitful people ? If God plant, and fence, and water you by provi- dence, sure he looks you should bring forth fruit, Isa. v. 1,2, 3, 4. O that ni return for all the benefits of providence, you would say to God, as grateful Elisha said to the Shunamite, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care, w^hat is to be done for thee ? 2 Kings iv. 13. and with David, Psalm cxvi. 12. " What shall I " render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me ?''' He is ever doing you good ; be you always abounding in his work. His providence stands by you in your greatest distresses and dangers ; do not you flinch from God, when his service and your duty is compassed about wuth difficulties. O be active for that God, who is acting every moment for you.
Doth God perform all things for his people 9 Do not distrust him, then, as often as new or great difficulties arise. Why should you think he that hath done so many things for you, will now do no more ? Surely the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save^ nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear ; if any thing put a stop to liis mercy, it is your iniquities, your distrust and infidelity. Isa. lix. 1. " How long will it be ere you believe him T"" If a thousand and ten thousand of trials and experiences of his tender care, faithful- ness, and love, will cure this distemper in you, you have them at hand to do it. If the frequent confutations of this your distrust.
•166 liiviNE coxi>tcT ; oi?,
by the unexpected breakings out of mercy for you under like dis- couragements, -will cure it, look back, and you may see them. Certainly you have been often forced by providence with shame and repentance to retract your rash censures of his care ; and yet will you fall into the same distemper again ? Oh ! that you would once learn this great truth, That no man ever w^anted that mercy, which he wanted not an heart to trust and wait quietly upon God for. You never yet sought God in vain, except when you sought him vainly.
Doth God perform all things for you ? Then seek God for all by prayer, and never undertake any design witliout him * ; cer- tainly, if he do not perform it for you, you can never have what you desire and labour for : and though he have designed to per- form this or that mercy for you, yet, for these things he will be enquired of that he may do it for you, Ezek. xxxvi. 37. I reckon that business as good as done, that mercy as good as if it were in hand, that trouble as good as over, for the doing, enjoy- ing, or removing whereof we have engaged God by pra3-er. It is our folly to engage this instrument, or that for us to attempt this way and that way to compass our design, and all the while forget him, upon whose pleasure all instruments and means entirely de- pend. That which begins not with prayer seldom winds up with comfort. " The way of man is not in himself;'"* if it were, prayer might then be reckoned lost labour. O let him that performs all, be owned and acknowledged in all !
Lastly, If God performs all things for iis^ then it is our great interest and concejiunent in all things to study to please him upon iihom zee depend for all things.