Ofmurmuring. 63 leeuethat theLord madeall thingsofnothing, and fhaIl wee notbeleeue that he will pre- ferue them? Now feeingthey aremad4,doe weebeleeue that God madeall men,and iha11 we then ftandin &areofinen ? WhenGodcreated light,before theSunne,the Mooneand the Starres ; and when hee madegrade to grow vpon the eareh,before there was either raineordelve to water them, hedid thereby teachvs : firft,thatwe (hall not put toomuch trait in them whileft we hauetheiis : and againe,that rather thenweuliould falTer hurt by thewant of hght,graffe, or otherfuçh things, theLord both couldandwould provide for vs without them. Yet now ifwee lhould not haue theSunne,wee would thinke that light were taken from vs ; and ifwee wanted raine,wee would Toone thinkewe fhould neither hauegrade nor corne, nor .any fruite of the earth : but the Lord bath ordained thefe meanes to ferne his prouidence,not for himfelfe, for without thembee can aseafily belpe vs,butfor our weakenes,which otherwife couldnot eafily beaffuredof hisgoodneffe. Se_ condly,we mutt beleeue thatGodpreferueth all,asWell as hecreated them: yea the finall fparrowBoth not fall vpon the - earth, withouthisprouidence, and he bath agreat careo- uer the very beaftsof the field : doththe Lordprouideforthefe,andwillhenotahbpro- uideforman ?S3athbeecareofbeafts? yeaindeede hebath, becaufetheyweremade for man :and ihall bee not much ratherhaue care ouerman, forwhom things were made? Men faytheydoebeleeue allthis : bntwhileft there isfuckdoubtingof Gods prouidence, and fuck repining againftGod,they doeplainly fbewtheydoe not beleeuethis firft article of their faith, neither in creation, nor in the vniuerfall gouernment and preferuation of allthings. Hereunto weemutt ioynethe particular prouidence of God,which ifweecan beeonce ; throughlyperfwaded of,then Ihallwee eafily ouercome thegriefe ofall ourwants. Hatb Tarricurae theLordmadeanything in vaine?bath he notmade all thingsfor hisglorie ? Then ifwee Prouideme. beleeue that beebath made ourbodies, ¡hall wenot altobeleeue that he will prouide for them,feeingdiecreationthereof is more wonderful!,than the preferuation is? as appea- reth,Pfalm.ag.r 39.Hath hecare ouerthe wicked to doe themgopd,andwill knot much ïnorereioyce over his children to doe themgood? Ifthe Lord lotted vs when we were his enemies, will fleenot protiidefor vs being redeemed by the bloodof hisfonne ? Did lire Note. goodvnto vs when we lougbthim not, and'willhe notmuds more whenwe ±eeke himby prayer intheblood ofhis fonne,ashe bathcommanded ? If hehathdonevsgoodwhenhe might hauepuaifhedvs for ourfinnes,will henot bemuch more favourablevnto vs now, feeinghehull by-his holy fpirit fanfuifiedvs? Othat menhad hearts tobeleeuethis, they would thenglue glorie.vnto God in their diftrelfes,puitingtheirtruftin him,and looking for lelpeat hisbandsin hisconuenienttime. Titis pecuidrnceofGodmuff beconfirmed 4mPk0!f veto vs by the examplesofGods children in allAges; whole examples are fet downe in d dsjsasi- the Scriptures, that we by them might learne patience. Ifthe before thefloodea ting nothing but hearbes, yet hued Tome yoo:yeeres, fesne 800. Tome9oo.yeeres, and fomemore;fhall wee not leArne thereby, that man iiueth not by their locates? And a- gaine,ifhe oourifhed them 9oc.yeeres and that with hearbes, wemaybelure hewill feed vs 9o.yceres with flefhand fifh,and other greater meanes.Whenhe fed the Ifiaelttes for- tieyeeres withManna froin heauen,which after filchafort was neuer feenebcfore,where- ofifthey referued any without the Lords commandenient,it`Itraightway putrified and was corrupted : but when by the commandementof God it waskept beforethe tefhimo- nie,it was notcorrupted. TheLord leftvs a leffon thatwee muftlearnethereby ,namely, that it ;snot the meanes,but the blelfìng ofGod vpon themeanes,that nourifhethvs: and therefore ifwee have them, weemull notput our truft intheta : and ifwewant thent,wee muff not dillruft. Did MofesandEliah Iiueforcie dales without nieste ?and did the Ifiae- lites walke in the wilderneffe forcie yerres in thefame apparell winchwaxed' not olde; whereas otherfome havinglocate in abundance, yet arehunger-ftarued,and beingladen with cloches,yetquake forcold : Ihallwe notyet Iearnethat the bleilings ofGodareall in all,and that theocher are but meanes provided for our weaknes? Dauid proved by ex perience,tha: the righteous feede ofthe righteous parent wereneuer forfaken,nor begged theirbread. Ifwe nodoubt couldcane toluckmeafúreofobedienceas they did then,and G 2 if
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