A Difcourfo upon Providente. Firft, By fhewing what the extent of thcir-Ad.vcrfJtics Power is, how tdr i~ reach, and wh~t mifchief. it can do when God permits ~t to r~ge to the very m~ moft. And th1s he doth 10 the 28th Verfe~ the Verfc Jmmedtately foreooinp: the Text: Fear not them who kill the Body, but arc not able to I: ill the Soul. Or as0 St. ~Luke exprelfcth it, Chap. 12. 4• They c:m kill the Body, but after thr.t, have no more thcJ c,m do. Alas, are fuch Men to be feared, who when they do their worJl, c:an only de~ fhoy your worft part, which if they do nor, yet Accidents or Difcafes will? What are your Bodies but Clogs to your Spirit, and PrifOns to your Souls? And certainly thofe Enemies are not very formidable, who ~hen they moft think to hurt you, only knock off your Clog, or break open your Pnfon and let your Souls efcapc to their de fired Liberty. Secondly, Our Saviour anfwers, that though they can kill the Body when God permits them ; yet they cannot fo much as touch it without his Permiffion. And this hcdoth in the \Vordsof my Text, by fhewing how punCtual and particular God's Providence is, even over the fmalleft, and thofe that feem the moft trifling Occurrences of the World; a Sparrow, whofc price is but Jltcan, two of them valued at a Farthing, which fame nllke to be the tenth part of a Rum"n Peny, and was certainly one of their lcaft Coins, whofe life therefore is but contemptible, and whofe flight fcems but giddy and at random; yet it falls not to the ground , neither lights an}' where without your Father. His all-wife Providence hath before appo inted what Bough it Jball pitch on; what Grains it Jball pick up, where it fhall Lodge , and where it Ihall Build; on what it ihall Live, and when it Jhall Die. And if your Father's Providence be fo Critical about the fma!J l.Oncernmcots, even of Sparrows; fe.1r not ye, fo r you are of more Value than many Sparrows, yea of more Value than many Men. dur ·saviour adds, The very Hairs l f your Head are all numbrcd : God keeps an account even of that ftringy Excrement; He knows how many fall ofl; and the precife number of thofe that remain; and no wonder that he knows tbe numbe1; -of our Sins, which arc far more, Hence we learn that God governs the meaneft, the moft inconfiderable, and contemptible Occurrences in the World by an exatl: and particular Providence. Do you fee thoufand little Motes and Attoms wandring up and down in a Sunbeam ? It is a God that fo peoples it ; and he guides their innumerable and irregular ftrayings. Not a Du!t 11ies in a beaten Road ; but God raifeth it, conduCts its uncertain motion, and by his particular care conveys it to the certain place he had before appointed for it, nor Jball the moll fierce and tern· pefiuous Wind hurry it any farther. And if God's Care and Providence reach .. eth thus to thefc minute Things, which are bur as it were the Circumftances of Nature, and little Acceffarics to the World; certainly Man who is the Head anc! Lord of it) for whofe fake and fervice other Creatures were formed, may very well be confident that God exercife an efpecial and m oft accurate Providence over Him and his Affairs. By this you fee what the Subject is intended to treat of, even theovcr-ruling and a11~difpofing Providence of God, not a Sparrow, not a H:~ir of your Heads /falls to the ground without your Father. But before I. proceed farther, I mufi:.take notice of two Thinzs in the VVords. Firfi:, That our Saviour fpeaking here of the Providence of God, afcribes to him the Name of our Father: God hath many Names and Titles attributed unto him in the Scriptures; as Father, Lord, Cn:ator, Redeemer, Judge, Ki:ng and God. But God is a word lhat denotes his Effence, Lord is a Title of his Dominion, Creator marks out his Omnipotence, RedCJemer commcnds his Love, Judge is a Name of fear and afi:oniJhmcnt, and King is a Title of Royal Majefty: Bnt eh is inde:tr~ ing Name of Father, fignifies unto us his Providence, for from him as from a Father do we expca and receive guidance and government. . Secondly, Whereas nothing comes to pafs without our Heavenly Father, tlm may be underftood three ways; without his permiffion; without his ordination, and concurrence; withOut his over~ruling and directing it to his own Enus. Firfi:, No Evil comes to pafs without his permiffive· Providence. . Secondly, No Good comes to pafs without his ordaining and concurring Provi- dence. Thirdly, Nothing, whether good or evil, comes to pafs without the over-ruling Providence
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=