The ways of God are, we know, all perfect. He is our rock ; and his work is j^erfect : nothing can be added to them, nor taken from them; yea, they are all comely and beautiful in their season. There is not any thing comes out from him, but it is from wonderful counsel ; and all his ways will at length be found to praise him. But, as Job speaks, chap. ix. 11, we perceive it not, — we take no notice of it; for who hath known his mind, or been his counsellor? Rom. xi. 33, 34.
Hence, not only the heathen Were entangled in the consideration of the works of providence, — some, upon it, turning Atheists; most, ascribing all things to blind, uncertain chance and contingency; and others (very few) labouring to set a lustre upon what they could not understand, — but we have the people of God themselves disputing with him about the equality of his ways; bringing arguments against it, and contending against his wisdom in them : " Ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal," Ezek. xviii. 25. And again are they at it, chap, xxxiii. 20, " Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal." Yea, not only the common people, but the choicest of God's servants, under the Old Testament, were exceedingly exercised with this, that they could not oftentimes see the beauty and excellency, nor under- stand the reason or order, of God's dispensations; which I might
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prove at large, in the instances of Job, David, Heman, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and others. Yea, there was nothing that God was more put to, in dealing with his people of old, than to justify the righ- teousness and perfections of his providential dispensations against their unjust, unbelieving complaints and manners.
This, then, being the condition of God's providential dispensations in general, — that there is much in them, not only above us, and unsearchable to us, as to the reason and beauty of his ways, but also contrary to all that is in us of reason, judgment, or affections; there is surely need of humbling our souls to the law of this providence, if we intend to walk with him. Neither is there any other way to come to an agreement with him, or to quiet our hearts from repining.
'idly. There are four things in God's providential disposing of the things and concernments of men in the world that require this hum- bling of ourselves to him, as being no way able to grapple with him: — (1st) Visible confusion ; (2dly.) Unspeakable variety ; (3 dly.) Sudden alterations; (4thly.) Deep distresses.
(1st.) Visible confusion, — like that mentioned, Isa. viii. 22. He that takes a view of the general state of things in the world, will see nothing but trouble, darkness, and anguish ; " yea, darkness cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." The oppression of tyrants, wasting of nations, destruction of men and beasts, fury and desola- tions, make up the things of the past and present ages ; — the greatest and choicest parts of the earth, in the meantime, inhabited by them that know not God, — that hate him, that fill and replenish the world with habitations of cruelty, sporting themselves in mischief, like the leviathan in the sea. In respect hereof, God is said to make " dark- ness his secret place" and his pavilion, Ps. xviii. 11 ; and to " dwell in the thick darkness," 2 Chron. vi. 1 ; — and to wait for the issue of this dispensation, to humble themselves to the law of it, is the patience and wisdom of the saints. See Hab. ii. 1.
(2dly.) Unspeakable variety. Not to insist on particulars, the case of the saints throughout the world is the only instance I shall mention, and that on a twofold account : —
[1st.] Compared among themselves, in what unspeakable variety are they dealt withal ! some under persecution always, — some always at peace ; some in dungeons and prisons, — some at liberty in their own houses; the saints of one nation under great oppression for many ages, — of another, in quietness; in the same places some poor, in great distress, put hard to it for daily bread all their lives, — others abound- ing in all things; some full of various afflictions, going softly and mourning all their days, — others spared, and scarce touched with the rod at all; — and yet, commonly, the advantage of holiness and close walking with God lying on the distressed side. How doth God deal,
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also, with families in respect of grace, while he takes one whole family into covenant, and leaves out another whole family, whose heads and springs are no less holy? He comes into a house, and takes one, and leaves another; — takes a despised outcast, and leaves a darling. Of them, also, some are wise, endowed with great gifts and abilities ; — others weak to contempt and reproach. Who can, now, with an eye of reason, look upon them, and say they are all the children of one Father, and that he loves them all alike? Should you come into a great house, and see some children in scarlet, having all things need- ful, others hewing wood and drawing water, — you' would conclude that they are not all children, but some children, some slaves : but when it shall be told you that they are all one man's children ; and that the hewers of wood, that live on the bread and water of affliction, and go in tattered rags, are as dear to him as the other ; and that he intends to leave them as good an inheritance as any of the rest ; — if you intend not to question the wisdom and goodness of the father of the family, you must resolve to submit to his authority with a quiet subjection of mind. So is it in the great family of God ; nothing will quiet our souls, but humbling ourselves to the law of his providence.