A Dzfcottrie upon Provzdntce. fpoil the flourifhing verdure and gc~.yety of the Grafs and Flowers. Why, that v<:.ry Dung which covers them, makes them afterwards fprout up more fair and frefh. So God permits wicked Men to Dung the Earth with their Filth, that thofe A~tribntes of his which feem to be buried under them, may afterwards fpring up with rh: greare: Luftre and ~lory. Frof!l hence he win reap the richer CroR of Pra1fe to h1mfelf. Somet1mes he glonlies the feverity of his Jufl:ice, by hardening them in their Sins to their own dcfl:ruCl:ion; fametimes the Riches of his Mercy, by calling the greatcll: and moft flagitious Sinners to Repentance, and granting them Pardon; and always his infinite p.atience aud forbearance in not executing prefent Vengeance upon thofc who fo dar ingly provoke him. But although we caunot now fo clearly comprehend the Ad·· vantages that God makes out of the Sins of Men) yet when we come to frand in the general Affcmbly at ~he Day. of Jud.gment ; God wil! then comment up· on and explain the Myftenes of h1s Provrdence, and make us und<'rfl:and how th~fe Sins for which he will then condemn the World, put a glofs and fhine upon his Attributes . Secondly, God by permitting Sin exercifcth ~he Graces of his People. The Sins of others give us matter for the exerc!fe of an Holy . Zc:1l~ for God who is d~ily affi·onted by them; of an Holy Puy and Comm1ferauon over tlJOfe who like Mad men wound, and gafu, and deftroy themfc\vcs ; for the exercifc of an H_oly Caution over our felves, left we be induced to fin after th'cir Example. Our own Sins give us. daily occafion to renew our Repentance, to humble our Souls before God, to forti fie our Refolutions, .to double the Guar~s we fet upon our own Hearts and Ways, to watch over onr felves more circumfpeetly, that we 1elapfe not into the qommiffion of them again. Thus a true Chriftian may gain fome advantage by hts very Falls. As Husbandmen make ufc of the. very Thorns and Briars that grow in their Fields to itop the Gaps, and and ftrengthen the Fen<..es about them, fo fuould we improv~ our very Sins and Failings, to fence our Souls that we h e not open to the llkG Temptations for the future. Thus, you. fee that G~d brings Good o.t~t of ~11 the Evil which he permits, he glorifies h1s own Attnbutes, and exercueth hts Peoples Graces. And thus you fee likewife, God's Providence both Proved and Vindicated ; afferted to be particular and punCtual over ~ll Occurr~nc~s that happen in the World, and cleared from all the Imputations of lnJnlbce, that the Folly or Atheifm of Man can lay ag.:linft it. I tha\l conclude with two or three Inferences or Corollaries. Firft, If the accuratenefs of God's Providence reach unto all the little Concernments of the World, we may be well affurcd, that thofe which arc the more confidcrable and important Occurrences of it, are all guided and governed by a fpecial Hand of Providence. And thus our Saviour himfelf mgeth as a itrQng lncouragement for our confidence and trult in God : Not a Sparrow falls'" the ground without your Ft~th~r; fedr not ye therefore,. you are of mo:e worrh than many Sparrorrn. Yea, not an Hair of your Head falls Without a Providence, and think ye that the Head it felf fball? Certainly, God doth not like Domition, bufie himfelf about Flies, and negleCt the great and weighty Affairs of his Government. And this is the reafon of that Qpeftion the Apoftle a~ks, t Cor. 9· 9· Dorh God take care for Oxen! Yes, certainly he doth, ijOr did the Apoftlc intend to deny it, but thereby to infer that certainly his Care is much more pOtrticular towards us. This then may cft.lblifu our Hearts under any perfonal Sulferings or publick Calamities, when Evil is upon our felves or the Nation, when Uproars and Confufions fcems to reduce the World back to its ancient Chaos; when Storms and \iVaves overwhelm the Ship, and we with the Difciples think our good God aOcep and begin to cry out with the Pfalmift, Awake, 0 Lord, why flecpcft t~ou / Our God is not fleeping, but even then at the Helm, he Steers, he Governs and Guides all thefe Diforders, and will conduCt the whole Tumult and Hurry of Af· fairs to his own Glory and our Good. Secondly, If God's Providence hath the Command and Sway even over the Sins of Men, this. then may be abundant matter of Peace and Satistaction in the worit of times, when Wickednefs doth moft of all rage and abound; let us then confider, that if God permits them, he alfo can when he pleafcth Check, put a Stop and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=