1. To some, all providences are over-ruled and ordered for good, according to that blessed promise, Rom. viii. 28. Not only things that are good in themselves, as ordinances, graces, duties, and m.ercies; but things that are evil in themselves, as tempta- tions, afflictions, and even their sins and corruptions shall turn, in the issue, to their advantage and benefit. For though sin be so intrinsicaUu diXidi formally evil in its own nature, that in itself it be not capable of sanctification ; yet out of this worst of evils God can Avork good to his people ; and though he never make sin the instrument of good, yet his providence may make it the occasion of good to his people ; so that spiritual benefits may, by the wise over-ruling of providence, be occasioned to the people of God by it.
And so for afflictions of all kinds, the greatest and sorest of them ; they do work, by the influence of providence, a great deal of good to the saints, and that not only as the occasions, but as the instruments and means of it, Isa. xxvii. 9. " By this shall the ini- " quity of Jacob be purged," i. e. by the instrumentality of this sanctified affliction.
2. To others nothing is sanctified, either as an instrument or accasion of any spiritual good ; but as the worst things are ordered
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to tlie benefit of the saints, so the best tilings wicked men enjoy do them no good. Their prayers are turned into sin, Psal. cix. 7. The ordinances are the savour of death,. 2 Cor. ii. 16. The grace of God turned into wantonness, Jude 4. Cln-ist himself a rock of offence, 1 Pet. ii. 8. Their table a snare, Psal. Ixix. 22. Their prosperity their ruin, Prov. i. 32. As persons are, so things work for good or evil, Tit. i. 15. " To the pure all things arc pure, but " to them that are defiled, and unbelieving, is nothing pure."
Seeing therefore the events of providence fall out so opposite to each other, upon the godly and ungodly ; every thing further- ing the eternal good of the one, and the ruin of the other ; it can- not but be acknowledged a most important case, in which every soul is deeply concerned, whether the providences under which he is, be sanctified to him or not ?
For the clearing of which, I shall premise two necessary consi- derations, and then subjoin the rules which will be useful for the determination of the question.
And first, Let it be considered, that we cannot know from the matter of the things before us, whether they be sanctified or un- sanctified to us ; for so considered, " All things come alike to all ; *' and no man knoweth either love or hatred, by all the things " that are before him," Eccl. ix. 1, 2. We cannot understand the mind and heart of God, by the things he dispenseth with his hand. If prosperous providences befal us, we cannot say. Herein is a sure sign that God loves me ; for who have more of those pro- vidences than the people of his wrath ? Psal. Ixxiii. 7. " They have " more than their heart can wish." Sure, that must be a weak evidence for heaven, which accompanies so great a part of tlie world to hell. By these things we may testify our love to God ; but from ten thousand such enjoyments we cannot get any solid assurance of his love to us.
And from these adverse, afflictive providences we cannot know his hatred. If afflictions, great afflictions, many afflictions, long continued afflictions should set a brand, or fix a character of God's hatred upon the persons on whom they fall, where then shall we find God's people in the world .^ We must then seek out the proud, vain, sensual wantons of the world, who spend their days in plea- sure, and say, these are the men whom God loves.
Outward things are promiscuously dispensed, and no man's spi- ritual estate is discemable by the view of his temporal. When God draws the sword, it may " cut off" the righteous as well as the " wicked," Ezek. xxi. 3.
2. Though the providences of God, materially considered, af- ford no evidences of God's love to us, yet the mannej' in which they befal us, and the effects and fruits they produce in us, do dis-
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tinguish them very manifestly ; and by tliem we may discern whether they be sanctified providencesj and fruits of the love of God, or not. But yet these effects and fruits of providences, by which we discern their nature, do not always presently appear ; but time must be allowed for the souFs exercise under them. As it is, Heb. xii. 11. " Now no affliction for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous : *' nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of riglite- " ousness unto them which are exercised thereby.'"*
The benefit of a providence is discerned as that of a medicine is ; for the present it gripes, and makes the stomach sick and loathing ; but afterwards we find the benefit of it in our recovery of health and cheerfulness. Now the providences of God being some of them comfortable, and others sad and grievous to nature, and the way to discern the sanctification and blessing of them, being by the manner in which they come, and their operations upon our spirits ; I shall consider the case as it respects both sorts of providences, and .shew you what effects of our troubles or comforts will speak them to be sanctified and blessed to us.
And first for sad and afflictive providences, in what kind or de^ gree soever they befal us, we may warrantably conclude they are blessings to us, and come from the love of God, when
1. They come in a proper season, when we have need of them, either to prevent some sin we are falling into, or recover us out of a remiss, supine, and careless frame of spirit into which we are fallen, 1 Pet. i. 6. " If need be, ye are in heaviness." Certainly, it is a good sign that God designs your good by those troubles which are so fitted and Avisely ordered to suit the opportunity. If you see the husbandman lopping a tree in the proper season, it argues he aims at the fruitfulness and flourishing of it; but to do the same thing at mid-summer, speaks no regard to it, yea, his design to destroy it.
^. When they are fitted both for quality and degree to work properly upon our predominant corruptions, then they look like sanctified strokes. The wisdom of God is much seen in the choice of his rods. It is not any kind of trouble that will work upon, and purge every sin ; biit when God sends such afflictions, as like physic, are appropriated to the disease the soul labours under ! this speaks Divine care and love Thus we may observe, it is usual with God to smite us in those very comforts which stole away too much of the love and delight of our souls from God ; to cross us in those things from which we raised up too great expectations of comfort. These providences speak the jealousy of God over us, and his care to prevent far worse evils by these sad, but needful strokes. And so for the degrees of our troubles, sanctified strokes are ordinarily
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