lation, God has told us fo; and partly by our own experience we find it fo. (That all things) Not only things that lie in a natural and direct tendency to our good; as ordinances, promises, bleffings, &c. but even fuch things as have no natural fitness and tendency to fuch an end; as afflictions, temptations, corruptions, defertions, c. all thefe help onward. They (Work together) Not all of them directly, and of their own nature and inclination; but by being over-ruled and determined to fuch an iffue by the gracious hand of God: Nor yet do they work out fuch good to the faints fingly and apart, but as adjuvant causes or helps, ftanding under, and working in fubordination to the fupreme and principal caufe of their happiness. Now, the moft feeming oppofite things, yea, fin in itself, which in its own nature is really oppofite to their good, yet eventually contributes to it. Afflictions and defertions feem to work against us, but being once put into the rank and order of caufes, they work together with fuch bleffed inftruments, as word and prayer to an happy iffue. And though the faces of thefe things that fo agree and work together, look contrary ways; yet there are, as it were, fecret chains and connexions of providence betwixt them, to unite them in their iffue. There may be many inftruments employed about one work, and yet not communicate counfels, or hold intelligence with each other. Jofeph's brethren, the Midianites, Potiphar, &c. knew not one another's mind, nor aimed at one end, (much less the end that God brought about by them) one acts out of revenge, another for gain, a third out of policy; yet all meet together at laft, in that iffue God had defigned to bring about by them, even Jofeph's advancement. Even fo it is here, Chriftian, there are more inftruments at work for thine eternal good than thou art aware of. REFLECTION. Cheer up then, O my foul, and lean upon this pillar of comfort in all diftreffes. Here is a promife for me, if I am a called one; that, like the philofopher's ftone, turns all into gold it toucheth. This promife is my fecurity; however things go in the world, my God "will do me no hurt," Jer. xxv. 6. Nay, he will do me good by every difpenfation. "O that I had but an heart to make all things "work for his glory, that thus causeth every thing to work for my "good."- My God, doft thou turn every thing to my advantage? Ó let me return all to thy praise; and if by every thing thou work my eternal good, then let me in every thing give thanks. But ah! how foolish and ignorant have I been? even as a beast before thee. How hath my heart been difquieted, and apt to repine at thy difpenfations, when they have croffed my will? not confidering that my God faithfully purfues my good, even in those things that crofs, as well as in that which pleases me. Bleffed Lord! what a bleffed condition are all thy people in, whe are within the line of this promife? All things friendly and beneficial to them; friends helpful; enemies helpful; every thing confpiring, and conducing to their happinefs. With others it is not fo; nothing works for their good; nay, every thing works against it their very mercies are fnares, and their profperity destroys them; Prov. i. 32. even the bleffed gofpel itself is a favour of death to them when evil befals them, " it is an only evil," Ezek. vii. 5. that is, not turned into good to them; and as their evils are not turned into good, fo all their good is turned into evil. As this promife hath an influence into all that concerns the people of God, fo the curfe hath an influence into all the enjoyments of the wicked. O my foul, bless the Lord, who hath caft thy lot into fuch a pleasant place, and given thee fuch a glorious heritage, as this promife is. THE POEM. HEN once the dog-star rifes, many fay, WH Corn ripens then apace, both night and day. God's difpenfations to them then, fweet or four, Of his temptations, he would fcarcely tempt. CHAP. XXVIII. Storms make difcov'ry of the pilot's feill: OBSERVATION. 'N fair weather, when there is fea-room enough, then every com IN mon perfon can guide the fhip; the pilot may then lie down and take his reft; but in great storms and stress of weather, or when near the dangerous fhore, then the most skilful pilot is put to it; then he thews the utmost of his art and skill, and yet sometimes all is too little. They are (as the fcripture speaks) at their wit's end, know not what to do more; but are forced to commit all to the mercy of God and the feas. APPLICATION. In the ftorms and tempefts of affliction and trouble, there are the moft evident and full difcoveries of the wisdom and power of our God: it is indeed continually active for his people in all conditions, Ifa. xxvii. 3. "Left any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." Pfal. cxxl. 4. "He that keepeth Ifrael neither flumbereth nor fleepeth." His people's dangers are without intermiffion, therefore his prefervations are fo too. But now, when they come into the ftrait of affliction and deadly dangers, which threatens like rocks on every fide; now the wisdom of their God rides triumphantly and visibly upon the waves of that stormy fea: and this infinite wifdom is then efpecially difcovered in these particulars. 1. In leaving them ftill fomewhat in the lieu and room of those comforts that they are deprived of; so that they fee God doth exchange their comforts, and that for the better; and this fupports them. So John xiv. 1, 2, 3. Chrift's bodily prefence is removed, but the Spirit was fent in the room of it, which was better. 2. In doubling their ftrength, as he doubles their burdens. It is obferved that the faints have many times very strong and sweet confolation, a little before their greatest trials: and this is fo ordinary, that commonly when they have had their extraordinary confolations from God, they have then looked for fome eminent trial. The Lord appeared to Abraham, and fealed the covenant to him, and then put him upon that great trial of his faith. So the difciples, Luke xxiv. 49. it was commanded them that they "fhould tarry in Jerufalem till they "were endowed with power from on high." The Lord knew what a hard providence they were like to have, and what great oppofitions and difficulties they must encounter in publishing the everlafting gofpel to the world; and therefore first prepares and endows them with power from on high, viz. with eminent measures of the gifts and graces of the Spirit ; as faith, patience, felf-denial, &c. So Paul had firft his revelations, then his buffetings. 3. In coming in fo opportunely in the time of their great diftress, with relief and comfort, 1 Pet. iv. 14. "Then the Spirit of glory and " of God refteth on them." As that martyr cried out to his friend Austin, at the very fake, He is come, he is come. 4. In appointing and ordering the feveral kinds of afflictions to feveral faints; and alloting to every one that very affliction, and no other, which is moft fuitable to his condition: which afflictions, like fo many potions of phyfic, are prepared for that very malignant humour that predominates moft in them. Peter's fin was felf-confidence, God permits him to fall by denying Chrift; which doubtless was fanctified to his good in that particular. Hezekiah's fin was vain-glory, therefore spoilers are fent to take away his treasures. 5. In the duration of their troubles, they fhall not ly always upon them, Pfalm cxxv. 3. Our God is a God of judgment, Ifa. xxx. 18. Knows the due time of removing it, and is therein punctual to a day, Rev. ii. 10. REFLECTION. If the wisdom of God do thus triumph, and glorify itself in the dif treffes of the faints, then why fhould I fear in the day of evil? Pfalm xlix. 4. Why doth my heart faint at the forefight and apprehenfion of approaching trouble? Fear none of thofe things that thou fhalt fuffer, O my foul; if thy God will thus be with thee in the fire and water, thou canst not perish. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet let me fear no evil, whilst my God is thus with me. Creatures cannot do what they please, his wifdom limits and over-rules them all to gracious and fweet ends. If my God caft me into the furnace to melt and try me, yet I fhall not be confumed there; for he will fit by the furnace himfelf all the while I am in it, and curioufly pry into it, obferving when it hath done its work, and then will prefently withdraw the fire. O my foul, blefs and adore this God of wifdom! who himself will fee the ordering of all thine afflictions, and not trust it in the hands of men or angels. THE POEM. HOUGH toft in greatest ftorms, I'll never fear, TH If Chrift will fit at th' helm to guide and steer: THE CHAP. XXIX. Things in the bottom are unfeen: no eye Can trace God's paths, which in the deeps do lie. OBSERVATION. HE ocean is fo deep, that no eye can difcover what lies in the bottom thereof. We ufe to fay, proverbially, of a thing that VOL. V. is irrecoverably loft, it is as good it were caft into the fea. What lies there lies obfcure from all eyes but the eyes of God. APPLICATION. Thus are the judgments of God and the ways of his providence profound and unfearchable, Pfal. xxxvi. 6. « Thy righteousness is like the great mountains, thy judgments are a great deep;" i. e. his providences are fecret, obfcure, and unfathomable; but even then, and in those providences, his righteousness stands up like the great mountains, vifible and apparent to every eye. Though the faints cannot fee the one, yet they can clearly difcern the other, Jer. xii. 1. Jeremiah was at a ftand; fo was Job in the like cafe, Job xii. 7. So was Afaph, Pfal. Ixxiii. and Habakkuk, chap. i. 3. Thefe wheels of providence are dreadful for their height, Ezek. i. 18. There be deep myfteries of providence, as well as of faith. It may be faid of fome of them, as of Paul's epiftles, That they are hard to be underflood, darknefs and clouds are round about the throne of God: no man can fay what will be the particular iffue and event of fome of his difpenfations. Luther feemed to hear God fay to him when he was importunate to know his mind in fome particular, providence, Deus fum, non fequax: I am a God not to be traced. Sometimes providences, like Hebrew letters, must be read backward, Pfal. xcii. 7. Some providences pose men of the greatest parts and graces. « His way is in the fea, his paths in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known," Pfal. lxxvii. 19. Who can trace foot-steps in the bottom of the fea? "The angels," Ezek. i. " have their hands under their wings." The hand is either, fymbolum roboris, The fymbol of strength, or infrumentum operationis, The inftrument of action: where these hands are put forth, they work effectually, but very fecretly; they are hid under their wings. There be fome of God's works that are fuch fecrets, as that they may not be enquired into; they are to be believed and adored, but not pryed into, Rom. xi. 33. Others that may be enquired after, but yet are fo profound, that few can underftand them, Pfal. cxi. 2. "The works of the Lord are great, fought "out of all thofe that have pleasure therein." When we come to hea ven, then all those myfteries, as well in the works as in the word of God, will lie open to our view. REFLECTION. O then, why is my heart difquieted, because it cannot fometimes difcern the way of the Lord, and see the connection and dependence of his providential difpenfations? Why art thou fo perplexed, O my foul, at the confusions and diforders that are in the world! I know that goodness and wisdom fits at the ftern: and though the veffel of the church be toffed and diftreffed in ftorms of trouble, yet it fhall not perish. Is it not enough for me that God hath condefcended fo far for my fatisfaction, as to fhew me plainly the ultimate and general iffue of all these myfterious providences, Eph. i. 22. Rom. viii. 28. unless I be able to take the height of every particular, fhall I presume |