expectations of prosperity dashed; if we see such or such an outward comfort removed, from which we promised ourselves much; why must God be accused for this? These things you promised yourselves; but where did God promise you prosperity and the continuance of those comfortable things to you? Produce his promise, and show wherein he hath broken it. It is not enough for you to say, there is a general promise in the scripture, that "God will withhold no good thing," for that promise has its limitations, it is expressly limited to such as walk uprightly." It concerns you then to examine whether you have done so, before you quarrel with Providence for non-performance of it. Ah! friend, search thine own heart; reflect upon thine own ways. Seest thou not so many flaws in thine integrity, so many turnings aside from God, both in heart and life, that may justify God not only in withholding what thou lookest for, but in removing all that thou enjoyest? And besides this limitation as to the object, this promise is limited in the matters or things promised, by the wisdom and will of God, which is the only rule by which they are measured out to men in this world; that is, such mercies, in such proportions as he sees needful and most conducive to your good; and these given out in such times and seasons as are of his own appointment, not yours. God never came under an absolute, unlimited tie for outward comforts to any of us; and if we are disappointed, we can blame none but ourselves. Who bid us expect rest, ease, delight, in this world? He has never told us we shall be rich, healthy, and at ease in our habitations; but, on the contrary, he has often told us, that we must expect troubles in the world, and that through much tribulations we must enter into his kingdom. All that he stands bound to us by promise for, is to be with us in trouble; and to sanctify all his providences to our good at last. But if you say you have long waited upon God for spiritual mercies, and still those mercies are deferred, and your eyes fail whilst you look for them; I would desire you seriously to consider of what kind those spiritual mercies are, for which you have so long waited upon God. Spiritual mercies are dence, in all that it performs for the people of God. This wisdom shines out to us in the unexpected, yea, contrary events of things. How often have we been courting some beautiful appearance that invited our senses, and with trembling shunned the formidable face of other things, when notwithstanding, the issues of Providence have convinced us, that our danger lay in what we courted, and our good in what we so studiously declined! The Christian knows not, but that his good may be imported in what seemed to threaten his ruin. Many a time have we kissed those troubles at parting which we met with trembling. The conjectures Christians may make of the way of Providence towards them, from what its former methods have been, are exceedingly quieting and cheering. Christian, examine thine own heart, and thou wilt find, that it is usually the way of God to prepare some smart rods to correct thee, when either thy heart has secretly revolted from God, and is grown vain, careless, and sensual; or when thy steps have declined, and thou hast turned aside to the commission of iniquity. And then, when those rods have been sanctified to humble and purge thy heart, it is usually observed, that those sad providences are upon the change, and then the Lord changes the voice of his providence towards thee. If therefore I find the blessed effects of the rod upon me, that it has done its work to break the hard heart, and pull down the proud heart, and awaken the drowsy heart, and quicken the slothful, negligent, lazy heart; now with great probability I may conjecture, a more comfortable aspect of Providence will quickly appear; the refreshing and reviving time is nigh.-It is usual with Christians to argue themselves into fresh reviving hopes, when the state of things is most forlorn, by comparing the providences of God one with another. It is a composing meditation to compare the providences of God towards the inanimate and irrational creatures, with his providences towards us. Doth he take care for the very fowls of the air, for whom no man provides, as well as for those at the door which we daily feed? Doth he clothe the very grass of the field? And can it be supposed that he should forget his own people who are of much more value than these? And it must surely quiet us when we consider what the Lord did for us in the way of his providence, when we ourselves were in the state of nature and enmity against God. Did he not then look after us when we knew him not? provided for us, when we owned him not in any of his mercies? bestowed thousands of mercies upon us when we had no title to Christ or any one promise? And will he now do less for us since we are reconciled and become his children? IX. A due observation of the ways of God in his providence will have an excellent usefulness and aptitude to advance and improve holiness in our hearts and lives. 1. His providences, if duly observed, promote holiness by stopping up our way to sin. O if men would but mark the designs of God in his preventive providences, how useful would it be to keep them upright and holy in their ways! For why is it that the Lord so often hedges up our ways with thorns, but that we should not find our paths to sin? Why does he clog us but to prevent our straying from him? |