[2.] Resignation is built upon dependence, and dependence goeth upon two principles — his fatherly care over us, and the particularity of his providence.
(1.) That God is a father. As the weaned child is left to the mother's care, so are we to the power and care of a father. God, that
446 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. [SeR. IV.
hath the wisdom of a father, hath the howels and tenderness of a mother : Isa. xHx. 15, ' Can a woman forget her child, her sucking chikl, her only child, the son of her womb? They may forget, but I will not forget you, saith the Lord.' Fix but this one principle, that God is a father and lovetli his children, and then you may easily depend upon him, and refer yourselves to him ; for the ground of this trust is founded in his fatherly relation and the love of God, and the comfort of it in the sense of our adoption : Mat. vi. 32, ' Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.' Christians should acquiesce in his love and care. Children of the family, whether infants or more grown, never take care for their food and maintenance, but naturally expect it from their parents. God's fatherly love will not suffer him to neglect his children, nor any of their concernments ; therefore the people of God, in all estates, do or may cheerfully refer themselves to him. They that believe God's fatherly providence may easily be persuaded that he will provide for them, and order all things for their good.
(2.) That particularity of God's providence which reacheth to all things, especially to those who have a care of his glory and seek his kingdom. Justin Martyi- telleth us that it is the opinion of some philosophers that God hath a care of the universe, but not of the kinds and species of all things, much less of the individuals, that is, of me or thee. If this were true, we were left to our own providence. This would destroy all prayer and praise, love and trust. No ; all things are subject to his providence. He ' upholdeth all things by the word of his power,' Heb. i. 3. All things are subject to his providence, and supported by the same word by which they were first created. _ He holdeth all things in his almighty grasp : Job vi. 9, ' That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off.' God could easily do it; all creatures are at his finding : Mat. x. 29, ' A sparrow shall not fall to the ground, without your heavenly Father.' The least of the creatures doth not die casually ; they cannot kill a sparrow more than God's providence seeth fit to permit and order. Now we may reason, as the apostle doth, ' Doth God take care of sparrows and of oxen? ' 1 Cor. ix. 9. * Ye are of more value than many sparrows ; ' much more believers in Christ! The hairs of your head are numbered, Mat. x. 30, 31. God hath the knowledge, and care, and overruling of all the least things that belong to you or shall befall you. They are the kernel of man- kind, the first-fruits of his creatures, for whose sake the world is con- tinued, and without whom it would be soon brought to an end. In a family, children are much more cared for than dogs and swine : 1 Tim. iv. 10, ' Especially of them that believe.* The Lord's portion is his people. God careth for them in a peculiar manner ; heareth their prayers, how despicable soever they are in the world : Ps. xxxiv. 6, ' This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.' He careth for all things wherein they are concerned : Job i. 10, ' Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about all that he hath on every side ? ' Providence doth so guard them, and everything that is theirs, that without God's permission Satan cannot touch them. He observeth their tears and telleth their wanderings : Ps. Ivi. 8, ' Thou tellest all my wanderings, put thou my tears in thy bottle ; are they not in thy
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book ? ' Now this is a mighty relief to faith. Can we be backward to trust him who hath such a particular care over us, our persons, name, and estate ?
Use. Of exhortation, to persuade us to this resignation of our wills to the will of God, and to put ourselves into the posture of weaned infants ; that is, with composedness of mind to wait for the issues of God's providence.
1. It is difficult to bring the heart to such an equanimity. Corrup- tions will arise ; we shall find distrusts when mercies fail ; and it \^ hard to persuade men against present sense that it is good to be pooi-, and sick, and imprisoned, and afflicted. A sanctified heart findeth it at last: Ps. cxix. 71, 'It is good for me that I have been afflicted. "^ But sense will not easily subscribe to it, that poverty is good, that we may not be proud ; diseases good, that we may learn patience ; troubles good, that we may have oftener recourse to God ; frowns of the world good, that we may have more familiarity with God ; that breaches made upon relations are good, that we may more entirely and more in good ear- nest seek our comfort and happiness in God ; that everything is good that leadeth to the best good ; that if thou hadst not lost an estate thou mightest have lost thy soul ; if God had not taken away thy health, thy wealth, these might have taken thee away from God ; that if he doth not add to thy estate, yet he diminisheth thy lusts. Surely to those that have chosen God for their portion, and do measure all things by their chief good and supreme happiness, it should not be so grievous. You must labour to get your hearts into this frame.