YeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL 1.55
that God doth not mind the affairs of the world, will destroy all worship of God and respect to him. If there be no providence, then no worship, no prayer, no praise. The two fii'st motives that ordinarily induce men to worship are fear and hope ; fear that God will avenge their misdeeds, and hope of relief when they lie under straits and necessities. But now if God were mindless of the affairs of this lower world, and had left all things to their own way, we should have nothing to fear and nothing to hope for from his providence, and so God would not be regarded by us. The Epicureans indeed say that God is to be worshipped for the eminency of his dignity, and tbe excellency and greatness of his nature ; but alas! that would breed a faint resp-ct, for who regards those in whom they are not concerned ? Here in the world we hear of mighty kings and potentates, but we regard them not unless they govern and protect us ; then our peace and safety dej>ends upon them. I say we hear of great emperors and kings abroad in India and China ; what doth the interest of their courts, or the vastness of their armies move us ? Every mean gentleman that is able to do us either a good or bad turn is more respected than those mighty monarchs. And so God would not be respected if he should only shut up himself within the heavens, and not regard the affairs here below. Well then, God sees. The accurateness of his providence, of his seeing all things, is described to us by many metaphors in scripture. The most solemn and notable is that of a record. He so sees and regards all things as to write them in books to keep them upon record : Mai. iii. 16, ' The Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him.' God hath his registers and books of record, the counterpart of which is our conscience, where all things are written that we do think and say ; but this book is in our keeping, and there- fore it is often blurred and defaced ; but all is clear and legible in the book of God's remembrance. Certainly we would be more advised in our speeches and actions if we knew that there was a secret spy about us to write down all that we do : so Ps. Ivi. 8, " Thou tellest my wanderings : put thou my tears in thy bottle : are they not in thy book ?' God hath a bottle for all the tears of his people, — they are not as water spilt upon the ground, — and he has a book wherein he records all their sorrows. Many times books are wi-itten in their defence, and the memorials of their innocency here in the world are destroyed ; but all is entered in the records and rolls of heaven. Thus does God take notice of all the actions and affairs of the world. You must not think of him as of the Persian monarch living in ease and pleasure, and leaving the care of provinces to his sairapce, his deputies and vicegerents. No, his eyes run to and fro through the whole earth ; he observeth all. noteth all that is done here in the world. And — which is the other part of his providence — he judgeth accordingly. He is called : Jer. li. 56, ' The Lord God of recompenses/ because he does reward his friends, and punish his enemies. I say, God is not an idle spectator. Providence doth many times interpose notably now. We find sometimes obedience laden with blessings ; and vengeance treadeth upon the heels of sin, especially for some notable excess and disorder : Ps. Iviii, 11, ' So that a man may say. Yerily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth/ Many that
156 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XXXIII.
knew not what to tliink of God's providence before, that were at a Iops, yet when it is all brought about, they may see there is a reward for the righteous. We often, like ignorant and impatient spectators, will not tarry till the last act of the tragedy, till the way of God hath its course ; for if we did, we should soon find that all things are in the hands of a righteous judge. Now and then God will give the world a taste of his recompenses, as he did in the prosperity of Abraham and punishment of Cain, to show there is a providence. But at other times the wicked are prosperous, the godly are afflicted, to show that the last act of providence is yet behind, and that there is a judgment to come. As in the parable of Dives, he was happy till his death, and lived in luxury and pleasure, whilst Lazarus was humbled with poverty, and rough-cast with sores. But the great and solemn day is to come when God will call all the world to an account and general audit, and justice and mercy shall both have their solemn triumph ; and as our work hath been, so shall our wages be ; that which is good shall be found to praise and honour, and that which is evil lie under its own shame. Well then, he that cometh to God must believe that God is a rewarder, it implies his providence ; the Lord takes notice of human actions, and that he will judge accordingly.