over them for good. He is liberal and open-handed to all his creatures, hut uHich more to liis saints. There is not a poor worm but feeleth the benefit of his providence ; all the beasts of the field are provided for by him , he sendeth showers of rain and fiuilful seasons, and fiHeth the lap of the earth with blessings, that they may have food ; the fishes of the sea, that multiply in such fries and shoals, yet they are fed ; the fishes, that are but mute creatures, that camiot so much as make a sound, yet have a voice to proclaim a bountiiul God : Job xii. 7, ' Ask the beasts, and they shall tell thee ; the fowls of the air, and they shall teach thee.' Gotl sends us to school to the beasts of the field. Go and. ask them if God be not liberal and open-handed. St Luke instanceth in the ravens : Luke xii. 24, ' Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap, that have neither storehouse nor barns ; yet God feedeth tiiem. How nuich better are you than fowls ? ' Shall a kite be more dear to him than a child ? Bat why is the raven mentioned ? Some say it is animal cihi rapacissimwn, the most i-avenous fowl ; yet they are supplied. But there seems to be some other reason, for they are elsewhere instanced, in Job xxxviii. 41, ' Who provideth for the raven his food ? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat ; ' so Ps. cxli. 9, ' He giveth to tlie beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.' Why should the raven be pi'opouiided as the great instance ol providence? The naturalists tell us, T01/9 veoTToixi €7ril3dX\€L 6 Kopa^. that the ravens expose their young ones as soon as they are hatched, but they are fed either by the dew of heaven, or by a worm tliat breeds in the nest, one way or other they are provided for. Surely the Lord of hosts never overstocks his common ; where he sends mouths, lie will send supplies, but especially to his peo[)le : Ps. XXXV. 27. ' He taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants.' The Lord delights to see his servants do well in the world ; and it is no pleasing s])ectacle to him to see his people in a suff'ering, afflicted, ruinous condition. Oh then! why do not we rouse up our faith? If God hath said he takes pleasure in the prosperity of his people, shall we not rouse up ourselves, and wait upon him for these outward things ? [3.] When God withholdeth any degree or measure of earthly bless- ings from us, it is for our good : Ps. xxxiv. 9, ' Oh fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him ! They that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing.' They may lack many things which others enjoy, but no good thing ; so Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' The Lord will be a sun and shield, he will give grace and glory, and no good thing- will he withhold from them that waik uprightly.' Good is not to be de- termined by our fancies and distempered ap])etites, but God's wisdom. We say this and that is good for us, as children desire green fruit, but our Father saith not so. Every distemper aftecteth the diet that feedeth it, but we must be contented with God's allowance, who is faithful to our souls, and taketh away those comforts that would hurt us, and eclipse our graces, and hinder us in serving him in the way herequireth. EveiT man's present portion given him by providence is best ; not what we would have, but what God thinks irood to give us. That is best which is fittest for us, not that which is largest. If you were to choose a shoe for your child's foot, you would not choose the largest, but the fittest. A garment too short will not cover our nakedness, and a gar-
90 THE LIFE OF I'AITH.
ment too lono- will soon become a dangling dirty rag. Goliath's armour rany be too big for little David.
[4.] The best way to get and keep worldly blessings is to get and keep in witli God. This is a paradox to the world ; a strict, severe holding to the truth is the ready way to expose us to dangers, and doth often bring great loss and inconveniency upon those that do so ; and yet it is a truth for all that ; for sin bringeth a curse, and righteousness a blessing: Dent. v. 33, 'You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has conirnanded you, that ye may live, and that it may 1)6 well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.' Our reward lietli not in this world, and yet here God is not altogether wanting to his people.
[5.] There are certain qualifications wherein if we do excel we shall not want, as to instance in three, justice, mercy, and honoui'ing of parents. God, that is the patron of human societies, is so well pleased with the respects of inferiors to superiors, and with equity and justice between man and man, and relieving the indigent, b}' which the world is kept in order and harmony, that if the.se things be in you, and abound, you shall not want the comforts of this lite : Prov. xxi. 21, ' He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour ; ' ho Ps. xxxiv. 12, 13, ' What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.' But more particularly, see how the Lord doth reward justice: Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16, 'He tliat walketl) rigliteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppression, and shaketh his hands from holding of bi'ibes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evil, he shall dwell on high, his ])lace of defence shall be the munitions of rocks , bread shall be given him, his watei' shall be sure;' and Prov X. 6, ' Blessings are upon the head of the just, but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked ; ' and Deut. xxv. 15, ' But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight ; a perfect and just measure .shall thou have, that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' So for mercy : he that watereth shall be watered himself: Eccles. xi. 1, ' Cast thy bread upon the wateivs, and after many days thou .shalt find it ;' and Ps. cxii. 3, ' Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endureth for ever.' And this is spoken of the mei-ciiul man, for so the apostle doth apply it : 2 Cor. ix. 8, 9, ' And God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye, always having all-sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.* As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor , his righteousness remains for ever/ And so for honouring of parents ; Exod. .\x. 12, 'Honour thy father and mother, that thy days may belong in the land which the Jjord thy God giveth thee ' This is the way to live well and long in the ^v"orld. God having such a love to human .society hath made tliese pi-omises l^ere specified.