[1.] God doth not love to let the creature look to the end of his designs, and skill the way of his providences ; therefore, he will try them by casting a veil upon his work, and hiding his glory in a cloud : Isa. xlv. 15, ' Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself, 0 God of Israel the Saviour.' He meant to be a Saviour, but they should know no such thing, a Saviour under a veil, a hidden Saviour. Providences are so disposed as if he meant to do quite otherwise ; so Isa. xlviii. 7, ' They are created now, not from the beginning, lest thou shouldst say, I knew them.' God speaketh concerning the matter of Babylon and the ruin of that empire, which should be effected so strangely that none should see which way providence tended, or say, Now I know what God will do. God loveth to hide the particular way and path of his providence, so that your times shall seem not to have the least con- nection or respect to your hopes ; it is so in all his dealings ; see John xi. 6. Jesus loved Lazarus, and when hie heard he was sick, he abode two days ; little love in that, to stand still when there was need of help ; yet that stay was for the advantage of the miracle and commendation of his love. So John ii. ; when Christ meant to give them wine he calleth for water-pots ; for God will not have you look to the way and end of his counsels ; Beus sum non sequax, as Luther seemed to hear God speak to him when he complained of some cross providences. The creatures aie not to teach God how to effectuate his promises ; there is encouragement enough to wait, even when the face of things doth most lour upon your expectations.
[2.] Because God will show you a point of divine skill, to make poison become your preservative, and your ruin your establishment ; he will unite you by your divisions, gather you by your own scatterings. Judas's treason was called felix scelus, a happy wickedness, because it occasioned Christ's death. Many times God maketh contentions happy in their issue and result, and though for the present their influence is very deadly to religion, yet their effect is confirmation to the truth, and, in the end, God's people are brought more firmly and sweetly to close wdth one another and their God. The noise of axe and hammers doth but square stones for the temple, that they may lie the more evenly in the buildings. Usually we find that religious controversies (like the knocking of flints) yield more light, and, by the providence
390 MEAT OUT OF THE EATER, [ZeCH. XIV. 9.
of God, occasion more sincere love. Before we had but a negative affec- tion to truth, and might rather be said not to hate than to love it. Every vulgar and low spirit will love truth when it is honoured and advantaged with common consent : true affections are ravished with the beauty of truth, and have some positive ground for which they can love truths ; yea. and the more when they are suspected and questioned, for then they shine with the greater lustre, as being able to endure contradiction, and as being more strongly vindicated and asserted. Thus, you know, trees shaken are the more firmly rooted, and dislo- cated joints, if well set again, prove the stronger, as in the point of as- surance. After doubtings, the soul doth most sweetly and closely repose itself in the bosom of Christ, so outwardly the more smoke there is in the temple, the greater glory afterward. In times of common consent men keep together as those that are bound with a chain ; but in times of difference and dissenting, God's people are at one with God and one another upon higher motives, and love truth for its own sake, it being, as I said, more cleared and vindicated, I have often wondered at that inference of the peoi^le of God, Micali iv. 5, ' All people will every one of them walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.' That which is a scandal to the world, is to them a motive and engagement to firmness in the truth and union with one another. There are different ways and per- suasions in the world, therefore let us the more cleave together in the right way ; the variety that was abroad made them more at one. So at that of David, Ps. cxix, 126, 127, ' They have made void thy law, therefore do I love thy commandments above gold.' When the waj's of God are questioned, nay, disannulled, exploded with contempt and scorn, the more precious to a gracious heart : therefore do I love them, saith David ; that was the very motive of his affection, ver, 127,
[3.] Because God loveth to bestow blessings when the creatures most want them, to give them the greatest unity after the greatest distractions, that their blessings may be according to the rate and degree of their miseries and abasement. God, I say, loveth to make ' consolations abound,' 2 Cor. i. 5, in the very degree of sufferings, and therefore you may bear up in the greatest breaches. When God meant them Canaan, he would first give them enough of the wilderness, enou2:h to carry some proportion with the futm-e happiness : Deut. ii, 3, ' Ye have compassed this mountain long enough, turn you northward.' They had been thirty-nine years compassing Mount Seir ; it might have been done in so many weeks or days, but the pillar of the cloud never went before them till now. God may make you fetch compass enough about this mountain, keep you in the wilderness of distrac- tions, ere you can see providence before you leading of you into better times. You shall see the people of God in the wilderness did plead the equity of this rule and course of heaven: Ps. xc. 15, 'Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afiiicted us, and the years wherein we have seen e%T.l.' It was the prayer of Moses in the desert, let Canaan countervail the wilderness. The longer in the distractions, the more abundance of honey and milk shall we find in that good land, more Sowings of grace, larger discoveries of the mind of God.