Use 2. Learn to wait upon God, though you want an outward guard and veil of safety. Christ's corporal presence was removed, and s\i])- plied by the Spirit ; and if God can make us amends for Christ's company, certainly for an outward comfort and blessing. Do not limit God to one way of keeping ; he hangeth the earth upon nothing, how doth he keep the earth ? A feather will not stay in the air : ' Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,' Mat. iv. 4. Not only by the outward supply, but the promise and the sustentation of providence. God can bring
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII, 339
water out of the rock as well as out of the fountain. When we have outward sui)plies, we are many times worst. Oar well-being doth not lie in these things, but in God's care, which may be expressed in several ways. Christ may put that question to us that he did to the apostles : Luke xxii. 35, ' And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing.' God sendeth abroad his servants many times to make experi- ments of the care of his providence ; they are helpless and shiftless, but did ye lack anything ? The Lord can wonderfully incline the hearts of men, and dispose of the creatures for the supply of his people ; he Cometh in by wonderful and unexpected ways of supply. It were easy to give instances, if my intended brevity would permit. Merlin was hid in a hay-mow in the massacre of Paris, and a hen came con- stantly and laid an eg^ every day for a fortnight.
4. Observe, that Christ's keeping extendeth to corporal safety. So it is quoted, John xviii. 8, 9, ' If ye seek me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of those which thou gavest me, have I lost none.' God is in covenant with both body and soul, and he looketh after both ; for the body, as far as it is neces- sary for his service, and for our profit and salvation, as well as for the soul ; therefore it is but reason we should depend upon him for both. It is a pretty question, Which is more difficult, to believe in Christ for temporals or spirituals ? The reason of doubting is because promises for temporals are not so express, and so exactly accomplished in the letter, as they are in spirituals. But certainly heaven and pardon of sins are greater mercies ; and if conscience were opened and the heart serious, we should see the difficulty to obtain them to be greater. There are greater and more plausible prejudices against pardon of sins than against daily bread. God feedeth all his creatures, even the young ravens ; but he pardoneth but a few, and blesseth them with all spiritual blessings. But here is the mistake : bodily wants are more pressing, and here faith is presently to be exercised with difficulties ; and men are careless of their souls, and so content themselves with some general desires and loose hopes of ease and eternal welfare, which hopes import their security and presumption, not their gospel faith. But certainly, he that durst venture his estate into Christ's hands by a genuine act of faith, doth a less thing than he that by a genuine act of faith ventures his soul. They say they find no difficulty in believ- ing in Christ for salvation and pardon of sins, and yet cannot trust him for daily bread, for maintenance, which God giveth to the ravens, and bestowed upon them when they were children of wrath. Well, then, trust Christ for these common mercies. You shall have temporal safety as long as God hath a mind to employ you in his service, and as much as is necessary to glorify him and keep your hearts good. In other things we must moderate our desires ; God is a better judge than we are ourselves ; and then by an undisturbed faith, without doubts and carkings, wait upon him. When you cark, and run to unlawful means, you take Christ's work out of his hands, and put it into youi own ; yea, you put yourselves out of Christ's keeping, and put your safety into the devil's hands. Oh ! the children of God should consider this. Do you expect God should give you spiritual and eternal safety,
340 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIT. [SeR. XX.
and not temporal ? Shall he give the greater, and not tlie less ? Martha was of this temper : John xi. 23, 24, ' Jesus saith to her, Thy brother shall rise again.' Oh ! saith she, ' I know he shall rise again at the last day;' as if it were an easier matter to raise him up after so many years, than after four days. If you put your souls, which are the more excellent part, into Clirist's hands, will you not put your bodies ? Will you not trust him with all that you have ? You should make experiments this way. How are you temporally kept ? It is good to be acquainted with God by little and little ; to trust him with smaller matters, and then with greater. And what is this trust ? Leave all to God's disposal, having served providence in the use of means. It is a shame to see christians prole and shift, as if they had no Father in heaven, no Mediator to take care of them.