A Difcourfe upo11 Provid&IIC&. and Period to their Rage and Mddnefs. Their Hands arc fettered by the Adamantine Chains of a moft ftrong Dcctee, which they can ncitAcr rC\'erfc nor exceed·; whatfoever they do, is but by Pcrmillion; a limited, and a limiting Permiffion. Our Saviour tells us, Pilute, tJJ?U C(JI.(Idrft have no power over n1c, c.wrpr it n;nc gi-vtn thee from, above. The ve1 y power that Men have to fin againft God, is from God; and therefore certainly he will withdraw it, when it doth not work our his own ends. This was it that fatisficd Dr.vid, when Shimei pelted him with Stones andCm:fes, 2S11m. 16. TO. Let him alone, let him Cur{e, becaufetheLord lwhfaid unto him, Curfc DmJid. Thirdly, Hence fee to what we on~ht to afcribc it, that there is nO more notorious Wickednefs committed in the World; when we hear of any prodigi0us Vil~ !any, we arc apt to wonder that ever fuch Abominations fhould be incident to the Sons of Men. Wonder not at the matter as if any ftrange thing were happened to thcrn, but rather-wonder at the goodncfs of God \'Vh ich is the fole Caufe that fllCh things as thcfe are Wonders. Were his pcrmiffive Providence as large as Mens Lufb arc outragious, thcfe things would fooa ceafe to be Wonders, and become the common and ordi nar y practice of all Men. Why arc not our Streets coo ti nuaily filled with Violence, Rapi ne, Murthers, and Out-cries? Whence is it that v. c enjoy our PofiCflion, and our Lives in Safety? The wickednefs of Men lies hard, and prelfeth upon God's Refl:raints, and wherefovcr there are any gaps in it, it brcJks forth naturally and violently, and if this Dam and Mound of Di· vine Providence, were but broken down, it would break out til1 it h<id ovcrflow'd t he whole Face of the Earth, and covered it with a Deluge of Impiety and Pro· p hancnefs. But that' God, who fets Bounds to the raging of the Sea, and filith hirhcrto Omll thy proud \o\'aves come and no farther, doth by the fame Almighty Providence, fct Bounds to the Lufts and Corruptions of Men, which arc altogether as unruly, and curbs in the Fmy of their Madncfs, which elfe would. drown the whole World in Perdition and DeftruCl:ion. Fourthly, and Laftly, This fhould teach us, to acquiefce and re!\: fatisficd in every Providence of God, as that wh ich will certainly in the end redound to his own Glory. . When we· fee Diforders and Confufions abroad in the World, we are apt to defppnd and to cry out, Lord, wha_t wilt thou do for thy great Name, thy . Honour, thy Glory lies bleeding, and rufferi through the Sins of Men?. Why, commit thy care to God: He will certainly fo wield their Lu!ls, as that they fha\l bring about and effeCt his own ends. God is Glorifying himfelf, even by thefe things· and why then lhould we be troubled? This Thought kept alive on our Hearts' would caufe us to reft fatisfied amidft all the Tumults we obferve and hear of in the World. For though we know not how to unwind thefe ra\•elled Difpenfations to the bottom of his Glory, yet he can and will. There is an invifible and wife Hand that moulds and fafhions a11; and though the parts by themfelves may appear rude and unpolifh'd, yet put the whole frame and feries of Providence together, and that will appear moft admira?Ie and glorious. . Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, Invtfible, the only wt(c God, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, be Honour and Glory for ever, and ever, .Amen. SERMON
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