'7 he Great Duty of Refignation. Secondly, To thefe Motives I !hall add fome Directions for the Performance of this hard Duty. Direfl. '. A fl:edfafl: Faith in the Divine Providence and Promifes, will compofc the Soul to a quiet Submillion to God"s Pleafure in the flmpdl: Troubles. All things are tmder the intimate lnfpeCtion, the wife ConduCt, the powerful Innucncc of his Providence. This is one of rhofc prime, un.ivcdJl, rich Truths, from whence fo many practical Confequences are derived. By Virtue of it we may infallibly conclude that all things that come to pafs, arc difpofcd in rhc bcfl: Scafon, and bcO: Manner, fo; the bcfl: ends. If we were admitted to the Council of State above, and underflood the immediate Reafons of every particular Decree, we could not be more infallibly afltrr'd of the Wifdom and Goodnefs, the Rectirude and Equity of his Diipenfations, than by this univerfal Principle, that is applicable to all Evcnrs, as L1ght to every Colour, That ;~;'~~s~~~t.ar;~~'i~~i~~ P?;;~~d;~~c':?:f.~~~ ~~e t~;~~~f.~I~A~~~~~i~,; ,it , ~~;~~fi~~~~a;~;J over-ruling all things. God is plcafcd to rcprcfcnt it in Scripture, according to the narrownciS of our Capacity : As Elijha contraCted himfclf to the Stature of the Shuna· i Kings+· mite's Child, applying his Mouth to his Mouth, and his Hands to his Hands. Thus '~is fa id, He rides upon the heavens, t~ fignify his abfolut~ Power in ordering all the Menons of the mofl: high, vafl:, and glonous Part of the Vtfible Univerfc. He telleth tbe numher of the flars; he calleth them all hy tbeir names. The Stars are the brighrefr and mofi aChve Parrs of the vafr Region above us, and arc called the Hoil: of Heaven, wirlt refpcCt to their Number and Order.. God is their General; and. though tl~ey teem inau. merableroo_ur.,.Scnfcs,.yetthcMultttude is exactly known ~o ~11m, andyteld~ ready and i>r.L , 41 5 • ~:;~rif~~:~·;~~~rt,o h~~su~~~~~:din:~~:;:~~~~lCC the Pfalnnfl: mfcrs, Great IS the Lord, There i~ nothing in the lower World exempted fr01!1 the Empire and. ACtivity of God's Provtdence. He is ut~movabl~> an~ moves all; invtftble> yet appears 111 all. The . moft cafual things are not WI[hout lus Gu1dance. A ma~t drew a bow at a venture, widttlGngsu.H·out exprefs Aim, but God direCted the Arrow through the Joints of Ahal/s Armour, that penetrated to the Springs of Life. The minutcfl: and lcafl: confidcrable things are ordered by him. A Sparrow does not Ay or fall without his Difpofal. 'Tis not an HyMat. JO. re:~Oa~~a~!Xb~:J~~~l!o~~~e 5fa~~~~; ~~~t ;~~:,~J~~~~~O~r~~~ 'tic~:;~~ a~~::ev~h~~~a:{ a 0 :d mofl: indetermined Caufes of things ate under his Conduct. The hearts of Men even of Kings that arc moft abfolurc and unconfin'd, are in the Hand of the Lord, he turns them according to his Pleafure; as the Streams of Water are by fcveral Trenches conveyed to refrefl1 a Garden, by the skilful Husbandman. Sin> that is the moil: diforderly thing in the World , is not only within the Compafs of his Permilliou, but is limited and difpofcd by his Providence : And !itch is his Goodnefs> that he would not l:?ermit it> if his ~ower could nor over-rule that Evil, for a Good that preponderates the Ev1l. And all afR,ctivc Evils, by his own Declaration, arc the EffeCts of his juft and powerful Providence. Is there any f!'Vil in tbe city> and I ha-ve not done it? His Providence is comprehcnfivc and compleat; no unforefeen Accidents in the frceil: and mofl contingent Things, .no unvolunrary Obil:ruCt~on in rhc mofr ncceffary things, can break the Entircnefs, or cl.tfcompofe rhe Order of lus Providence. 7be Lord ~e~· ~I::S~' ~o~~t':::art~~:i ~~tf;a1~~:·1;~ea;:a~,:;:;~de~~:~~~ic'~f/~!,in~:~ al~j;~ whole World is hisHoufe, and all the fucceflivc Generations of Men his Family; fomc arc his Sons, and by voluntary Subjcchon; others his Slaves, and by jufl: Confl:rainr fulfil his Pleafure. 'Twas the Saying of a Wife King, infl:ructed by Experience, That the Art of Government was like the laborious Travel of a Weaver, that requires the Arren· tion of the Mind, and the Activity of the Body; the Eyes , Hands, and Feet, are all in Exercife : And how often is the Contexture of Human Counfcls, though woven wirh great Care, yet unexpeCtedly· broke? So many crofs Accidents interpofc, fo many Emcr· gencies beyond all Prevention il:arr up, that frufl:rate the Defigns and Hopes of the mofi Potent Rulers of this World. But God difpofes all rlljJ1gs wirh more Facility than one of us can move a Grain ofSa11;d: The Government of rhe World has a lcfs Propornon to his Infinite Wifdom and Uncontroulable Power, than a Grain of Sand hath to the Strength of a Man. His Cnunfel !hall always fl:and; all lecond Caufes depend upon him in their Beings, their Agency and Influences. Nothing is executed in this V11ible Kingdom below, but by exprefs Order from his invifible Court; and all Occurrence~:d~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=