5. To promote this faith and holiness, and to preserve them till their glorified estate, God's providence about them is very remark- able.
[1.] He contriveth means to bring them into the world. Many of their parents may be wicked, and deserve to be cut off for their sins, but because there is a blessing in some of the clusters, they are not destroyed. Many times a slip may be taken from an ill stock, and grafted into the tree of life ; though the gi-ace of the covenant runneth most kindly in the channel of the covenant — ' How much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive- tree ? ' Eom. xi. 24. But yet God will show the liberty of his counsels, and choose some out of families very opposite to his ways ; and there- fore many wicked men are spared, that they may be a means to bring into the world those that afterwards shall believe : Ahaz is let alone to beget Hezekiah, and a wicked Ammon Josiah ; and there was one in the house of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin, one child only, in whom was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, 1 Kings xiv. 13, a godly young man, that had in his heart the true seeds of religion.
[2.] When they are bom, God hath a special care of them, that they may not die in theii- unregenerate condition ; from the womb the decree beginneth to take place and be put in act : Gal. i. 15, ' It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace ;' Jer. i. 5, ' When thou earnest out of the womb, I knew thee.' He took special notice that that child was a vessel of mercy, and to be employed for his glory, and used for such and such purposes as he had designed themselves unto ; to fit them with such a constitution of body and mind, as might best serve for that use. If a man would trace the progress of providence, he would plainly see that
VbR. 28.J SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 297
God still hath been pursuing his choice ; and that that antecedent love, which is the fountain of all our mercies, is it which rocked you in your cradles, suckled you at your mother's breast, trained you up, and took care of your non-age, visited you with his early mercies, disposed of several providences for your safety and preservation. It is said in heaven — ' We shall know as we are known,' 1 Cor. xiii. 12 ; compare Gal. iv. 9, ' But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God.' Then we shall understand how many several circumstances concurred to bring us home to God, and how the goodness of God hath gone along with you from time to time, to preserve you till the time of grace was come, rescued you in imminent dangers, when the thread of your life was likely to be fretted asunder.
[3.] The dispensation of means, and the directing of means to such a place and people, where, and among whom, the course of your life fell. Not only the doctrine, but the journeys of the apostles were ordered by the Spirit : Acts xvi. 7, ' They assayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not ; ' Acts xiii. 26, ' To you is this word of salvation sent ;' not broilght by us, but sent by God ; not only in regard of his institution, but providential direction. Certainly there is a special providence goeth along with ordinances, and they are ordered and directed with respect to God's elective love ; he sendeth, furnisheth, continueth able instru- meilts : Acts xviii. 10, ' I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city.' Wherever God lighteth a candle, he hath some lost groat to seek. He had much people belonging to his election in Corinth. God doth not say. Because there are much people (though it is good casting out the net where there is store of fish), but, / liave much people. He understandeth not the Corinthians which were converted already ; so there were few or none at that time in Corinth, but to be converted. They were God's people, elected and redeemed by him, though as yet wallowing in their sins. Therefore the first moving-cause of all this business was the election of God, or his purpose to call them ; the persons never thought of seeking means for themselves, and have not a heart to entertain them for a long time ; but God is at work for their good, when they intended no good to themselves. We read of saints in Nero's house- hold, Phil. iv. 22. Who would look for saints in the family of so bloody a persecutor ? yet the gospel could find its way thither, and seize on some of Iris menial servants ; for God had strange ways and methods to convert those that belong to his grace. I cannot say to them, but to some others, Christ was made known to them by Paul's defence : 2 Tim. iv. 17, ' Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear.'