636 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.5,6.
itself in all the disjDensations of God, And if I would here enter upon the benefits that, through the sanctif3ang hand of God, do redound tmto believers by afflictions, calamities, troubles, distresses, tempta- tions, and the like eifects of God's visitations, it would be of use unto the souls of men in this case. But this subject hath been so often and so well spoken unto that I shall not insist upon it, I desire only that we would seriously consider how utterly ignorant we are of what is good for us or useful unto us in these outward things, and so leave them quietly unto God's disposal.
4. We may consider that all these things about which we are troubled fall directly within the compass of that good word of God's grace, that he will make " all things work together for the good of them that love him," E.om. viii. 28. All things that we enjoy, all things that we are deprived of, all that we do, all that we suffer, our losses, troubles, miseries, distresses, in which the apostle instanceth in the following verses, they shall all " work together for good," — together with one another, and all with and in subordination unto the power, grace, and wisdom of God, It may be, we see not how or by what means it may be effected; but he is infinitely wise and powerful who hath undertaken it, and we know little or nothing of his ways. There is nothing that we have, or enjoy, or desire, but it hath turned unto some unto their hurt. Riches have been kept for men unto their hurt. Wisdom and high places have been the ruin of man}'-. Liberty and ^^lenty are to most a snare. Prosperity slays the foolish. And we are not of ourselves in any measure able to secure ourselves from the hurt and poison that is in any of these things, but that they may be our ruin also, as they have already been, and every day are, unto multitudes of the children of men. It is enough to fill the soul of any man with horror and amazement, to consider the ways and ends of most of them that are intrusted with this world's goods. Is it not evident that all their lives they seem industriously to take care that they may perish eternally? Luxury, riot, oppression, intemperance, and of late especially, l)lasphemy and atheism, they usually give up themselves unto. And this is the tniit of their abundance and security. What, now, if God should deprive us of all these things? Can any one certainly say that he is worsted thereby? Might they not have turned unto his everlasting perdition, as well as they do so of thousands as good by nature, and who have had advantages to be as wise as we? And shall we complain of God's dispensations about them? And what shall we say when he himself hatli inidertaken to make all things that he fjuides us imto to work together for ^'nygood? Anxieties of mind and perplexities of heart about our lossbs is not that which we are called unto in oin* troubles. But this is that which is our duty, — let us consider whether we " love
Vfr.5,6.] SUPPORT IN TROUBLE FROM THE PROMISES. 637
God" or no, whether " we are called according to his purpose." If so, all things are well in his hand, who can order them for our good and advantage. I hope many a poor soul will from hence, under all their trouble, be able to say, with him that was banished from his country, and found better entertainment elsewhere, " My friends, I had perished, if I had not perished; — had I not been undone by fire, it may be I had been ruined in eternal fire. God hath made all to work for my good."
The end of all these discourses is, to evince the reasonableness of the duty of waiting on God, which we are pressing fr-om the psalmist. Ignorance of God and ourselves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments ; and this ariseth mostly, not from want of light and instruction, but for want of consideration and application. The notions insisted on concernins: God are obvious and known unto all; so are these concerning ourselves: but by whom almost are they employed and improved as they ought? The frame of our spirits is as though we stood upon equal terms with God, and did think, with Jonah, that we might do well to be angry with what he doth. Did we rightly consider him, did we stand in awe of him as we ought, it had certainly been otherwise with us.
Influence of the pi'omises into the soul's waiting in time of trouble — The nature
of them.
Having, therefore, laid down these considerations from the second observation taken from the words, — namely, that Jehovah himself is the proper object of the soul's waiting in the condition described, — I shall only add one direction, how we may be enabled to perform and discharge this duty aright, which we have manifested to have been so necessary, so reasonable, so prevalent for the obtaining of relief ; and this ariseth from another of the propositions laid down for the open- ing of these verses, not as yet spoken unto, — namely, that the tvord of promise is the soul's great supportment in ivaiting for God.