LV. bounds of common and special providence; or to SERM. discern what God performeth by natural instruments, what by superior efficacy; when the balance turneth from our inclinations, when it is cast from a grain thrown in by divine interposition; the management of these affairs being a concert, wherein God's wisdom beareth one part, man's free-will playeth another; fortune and occasion also do strike in; we, not seeing the first, are prone to ascribe all the harmony to the last, which are most obvious and visible. 1. 6. The more apt we are to do thus, because the manner of divine efficacy is ever very soft and gentle: God disposeth things fortiter et suaviter ; Wisd. viii. so as effectually to perform what he designeth, but i in the most sweet and easy way: his providence xenoTMãs. doth not hurry along like an impetuous rumbling torrent, but glideth on as a smooth and still current, with an irresistible but imperceptible force carrying things down therewith: without much ado, without any clatter, by a nod of his head, by a whisper of his mouth, by a turn of his hand, he doth effect his purposes: winding up a close spring, he setteth the T greatest wheels in motion; and thrusting in an in-sis θρώπω. sensible spoke, he stoppeth the greatest wheels in their career; injecting a thought, exciting an humour, presenting an occasion, insinuating a petty accident, he bringeth about the most notable events. He doth so fashion the hearts of men, so manage Psal.xxxiii. their hands, so guide their steps, that even who are acted by him cannot feel the least upon them. For, the king's heart is in the ἐμβάλλοντος Plut.Timol. 15. xlii. 6. they Isa. xli. 13. touch Prov. xvi. hand 9. xx. 24. Jer. x. 23. · Θεὸς μὲν πάντα, καὶ μετὰ Θεὸν τύχη καὶ καιρὸς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα κυβερνῶσι 14. xxiii. Eúμnarтa. Max. Tyr. diss. 3. e Plat. 8. Prov. xxi. LV. SERM. of the Lord, as the rivers of waters; he turneth it wheresoever he will; that is, by secret pipes, by obscure channels, God conveyeth the minds and wills of greatest persons (the chief engines of his providence) unto such points of resolution as he pleaseth, so that they seem to flow thither of their own accord, without any exterior direction or impulse hence do his most effectual operations slip by us without making impression on our minds, which are wont to apprehend things, as with a gross palpability they do incur the senses, so that the Preacher, comparing the methods of Providence with the most occult proceedings in nature, might Eccles. xi. well say, As thou knowest not the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all. Again, 5. 7. God, in his progress toward the achievement of any design, is not wont to go in the most direct and compendious ways, but commonly windeth about, and taketh a large compass, enfolding several other coincident purposes, some whereof may be no less considerable, than is that, which we deem most necessary, and affect to see despatched: but this course seemeth tedious to us, who have not the wit to perceive that complexion of ends, nor the temper to wait for the completion of them. If God, when we seem to need, doth not instantly appear in our favour and succour; if he doth not presently vindicate truth and right; if he doth not nip wicked designs in the bud, and repress the first onsets of outrageous violence; if for a while he suffereth the tabernacles of robbers to prosper, and iniquity to lift up its horn; then he is in a slumber, quite LV. unmindful or insensible of us; then he turneth aside SERM. his face, or doth behold what passeth as an unconcerned spectator; then he standeth aloof, unready to help us; then doth he hold off his hand, not meddling in our affairs: in such cases we are apt to cry out, Estis ubi? O superi! How long, Sil. Ital. O Lord, wilt thou forget; how long wilt thou hide thy face? Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? why standest thou afar off? why withdrawest thou thy hand? pluck it out of thy bosom: Return, O Lord, how long? Such are our prayers, such our expostulations; so is our blind impatience prone to muse and mutter; not considering how many good designs God is carrying on in a calm and steady pace, by well measured steps, all which, in due season, when they are ripe for accomplishment, shall undoubtedly be effected; for, The Lord, as St. Peter saith, is (Jer. xxiii. not slack concerning his promise, as some men 2 Pet. iii. count slackness; but is longsuffering toward all 9,10. men; that is, he certainly will express his faithful benignity toward good men, yet so as also to extend his merciful patience toward others; he so will tender the interests of some, as concurrently to procure the welfare of all, and accordingly will time his proceedings, allowing the leisure and opportunities requisite thereto: he can, although we cannot, wait Isa. xxx. to be gracious; for as in him there are no passions to precipitate action, so to him there are no sensible differences of time, one day being with the Lord d Psal. xiii. 1. lxxxix. 46. xc. 13. lxxiv. 10. xliv. 24. lv. 1. xciv. 3. xxxv. 17. xliv. 23. xxxv. 23. vii. 6. lxxiv. J 1. x. 1. xc. 13. vi. 4. vii. 7. lxxx. 14. xxii. 1. xi. 19. xxxviii. 2. lxxi. 12. Vid. 20.) 18. SERM. as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. LV. 8. Again, God (as is the property of every wise agent) is wont to act variously, according to the state and circumstances of things, or to the dispositions and capacities of persons; so as to do the same thing for different ends, and different things for the same end; to apply one instrument to several uses, and by several instruments to work out one purpose: so he afflicteth good men out of love, for trial and improvement of their virtues; bad men in displeasure, to illustrate his power and justice on them; he encourageth and blesseth the one, he punisheth and curseth the other with prosperity; he reclaimeth both from error and sin by either of those methods, as their temper and their circumstances do require. Whence it is very difficult for us ever from the kind of accidents befalling men, to divine how far God is concerned in them, or to what particular scope they are aimed; so that well might the Preacher, upon a careful observation of such occurrences, Eccles. ix. establish this rule, No man knoweth love or hatred (that is, the special regard of God toward men) by all that is before them; because, all things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. Further, I, 2. 9. There are different ends which Providence in Hab. iii. 6. various order and measure doth pursue, which we, by reason of our dim insight and short prospect, cannot descry: God, as the universal and perpetual Governor of the world, in his dispensation of things, respecteth not only the good of this or that person, of one nation or one age; but often in some degree waving that, or taking care for it in a less remark able way, hath a provident regard to the more ex- SERM. tensive good of a whole people, of the world, of LV. posterity; as he did order his friend Abraham to wander in a strange land for the benefit of his seed; Joseph to be sold, calumniated, and fettered for the preservation of his family; our Lord to suffer those grievous things for the redemption of mankind; the Jews to be rejected for the salvation of the Gentiles in such cases purblind men, observing events to cross particular and present ends, but not being aware how conducible they may prove to general, remote, and more important designs, can hardly be satisfied how God should be concerned in them; the present, or that which lieth adjacent just under our nose, is all that we can or will consider; and therefore must be ill judges of what is done by allprovident wisdom. 10. Again, God permitteth things, bad in their own nature, with regard to their instrumental use and tendency; for that often the worst things may be ordinable to the best ends; things very bitter may work pleasant effects; upon the wildest stock divine husbandry can ingraft most excellent fruit ; sin really, and suffering reputedly, are the worst evils, yet from them much glory to God and great benefit to men do accrue; even from the most wicked act that ever was committed, from the most lamentable event that ever did happen, fruits admirably glorious and immensely beneficial did spring; yet usually so blind are we as to be offended at such things, and from them to raise exceptions against Providence. 11. Also the expediency of things to be permitted or crossed, doth frequently consist, not in themselves |