must ascribe nothing to chance, and nothing to the creature, except as an instrument in the hands of God. If the folly or malignity of man injure us, or the wisdom or benevolence of man repair the injury, we must look through the second causes, and fix our eyes on God, as the first great Cause of all. If we see not God in the dispensations, of course we shall learn nothing of God from them : but if we behold his agency in them, then will our eyes be opened to see his wisdom and goodness also.]
2. His condescending attention to their prayers —
[In all the instances specified in this psalm, God's inter- positions are mentioned as answers to prayer : " They cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses." Many, alas! of the prayers which are offered in seasons of difficulty and distress have respect to nothing more than the particular occasion, and are accompanied with no real desire after God : yet even these prayers God often condescends to hear, just as he did the prayers in which Ahab deprecated the judgments denounced against him. But when the prayers proceed from a penitent and contrite heart, and are offered up in the prevailing name of Jesus Christ, God will hear them at all times and under all circumstances. We do not say that the precise thing which may be asked shall certainly be granted ; because God may see that, on the whole, that would not prove a blessing to the person who asks it : but no prayer that is offered up in faith shall go forth in vain: it shall surely be answered, if not in the way expected or desired, at least in a way that shall ultimately prove most conducive to the good of him that offers it.]
These things being matters of daily occurrence, we shall proceed to mark,
II. The benefit arising from an attentive consideration of them —
From these we shall be led to notice, not merely the agency of God in all the concerns of man, but especially, and above all, his "loving-kindness" also. This will be seen,
1. In the darkest dispensations of his providence — [God's dearest children are not more exempt from trials than others : on the contrary, they are often most subjected to them. But in this the loving-kindness of God is especially manifest : for by their trials he leads them to more fervent prayer; that prayer brings to them more signal interpositions; and those interpositions fill them with joy, far overbalancing all the troubles they have endured. Let any child of God look
683.1 god's love seen in all his dispensations. 249
back to his former life, and say, whether the events which once he regarded as the heaviest calamities, have not been overruled for his greatest good ? Yes : it is not David only, but every child of God, that must say, " It is good for me that I have been afflicted." We may indeed, like Jacob, say for a time, "All these things are against me :" but when we have seen " the end " and issue of the dispensation, we shall confess that " the Lord has been pitiful to us, and of tender mercy V If we view an insulated and individual occurrence, we may be perplexed respecting it ; but if we view it in connexion with all that has preceded and followed it, we shall be able to set our seal to the truth of that promise, "All things shall work together for good to them that love God." Whatever then be the affliction under which we are suffering, let us never for a moment lose sight of that truth, " Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."]
2. In the most painful operations of his grace — [The different circumstances adduced for the illustration of God's providence may not unfitly be regarded as images to shadow forth also the operations of his grace. Truly in them we may see the wants and miseries, the helplessness and terrors, of an awakened soul. Who that knows any thing of his own state has not seen himself a wanderer from the ways of God, and perishing for lack of knowledge ? Who has not groaned, and bitterly too, under the chains of sin by which he has been tied and bound ? Who has not felt his inability to help him- self, as much as if he had been dying of an incurable disorder? And who has not seen himself sinking, as it were, into the bottomless abyss, and been almost " at his wit's end," because he saw not how his soul could be saved ? We do not mean to intimate, that all converted persons have felt these things in an equal degree : but all have felt them sufficiently to see the suitableness of these images to their own experience. What then shall we say ? Does God, in suffering them to be so exercised, mark his displeasure against them ? No : it is love, and love alone, that he manifests. Multitudes of others he leaves to follow their own evil ways without fear, and with- out remorse: but those whom he loves he awakens from their security : he sends his Holy Spirit to convince them of sin ; he stirs them up to fervent prayer ; and then, in answer to their prayers, he speaks peace to their souls. " Those troubles were not at the time joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless, afterwards they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby."] Advice —