SERMON XXIX. A DISCOURSE UP 0 N PROVID,ENCE. M AT T H. 10. 29, 30. Are not tJVO sp.,ro•vs fold for. Farthing? And one of tbem fba/1 not faH on the grot~nd withottt your Father. But the very Hairs of your Head are aU nitmbred. T H E Myftry of God's Providence, next to that of Man's Redemption, is the moft Sublime and Infcrutable. 'Tis ea fie in both to run our felves off our Rcafon. For as Reafon confefreth it felf at a lofs when it at· tempts a fearch into thofe eternal Decrees of elcEting Sinners to Salvati~ on, and defigning Chrift to fave them, fo muft it likewife when it attemps to trace out all thofe entangled Mazes and Labyrinths wherein the Divine Providence walks. \Ve may fooner tire Reafon in fuch a purfuit than fatisfie it, unlcfs it be fome kind of fatisfaCtion when we have driven it to a Non· plus, to relieve our felves v. ith :10 0 r;Je®-; 0 the depth of the Wifdom and Knowledge of God! How unfearthoblc are his Judgments, and his Ways paft finding out! This Knowled?,e therefOte being too wonderful for us, 1 fual1 no~ prcfumc to condutt you into that fecret Place, that Pavillion of Clouds, and furrounding Darknefs where God fits holding the Rudder of the World, and ftcering. it through all the Floatings of Cafualty and Contingency to his own fore~ordainecl. Ends; where he grafps and turns the great Engine of Natme in his Hands, faftning one Pin and loafing o.nother, moving and removing the feveral Wheels of it, and framing the whole according, to the Eternal Idea of his own underft:anding. Let us content us, to confider fa much of God's 'Providence as may affeCt us with comfort in reflecting on that partic"lar Care which he takes of us. rather than with Wonder and A!tonilhment by tco bold a prying into_thofe hidden Methods whereby he exercifcth it. Our Saviour Chrift in this Chapter givio1g Commiffion to his Apoftlcs, and fend· ing them forth to preach the Gofpel, obviates an ObjeCtion they might make, concerning the great danger that would certail)lY attend fuch an Undertaking. To fend them upon fuch an hated Employment, would be no other than to thrnft them 11pon the Rage and Malice of the World, to fend them forth as Sheep into the rnidft of VVolves, who would doubtlefs worry and devour t hem ; fure we are to l1ave our Meffage derided, our Pcrfons injured, and that holy Name of thine on which we fummon them to believe, Blafphemed and Reviled ; and though,our Word may prove a Word of Life to fame few of the Bearers, yet to us who are the Preachers of it, it will prove no other than Death. A vile and wretched World the whilft, when the Gofpel of Peace and Reconciliation fhall thus ftir up Enmity and Perfecution againft t:he Embaffadors, who are appointed to proclaim it! Now to this our Saviour Anfwers, Firft,
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