the mercies of his whole life, the manifold receipts of favor for which he is to reckon with God speedily? And how shall this be done without a due and serious observation and recording of them now? 4. At death we owe an account also to men, and stand obliged, if there is opportunity for it, to make known to them who survive us what we have seen and found of God in this world, that we may leave a testimony for God with men. Thus the dying Jacob, when Joseph came to take his last farewell of him in this world, strengthened himself, and sat up in his bed, and related to him the eminent appearances of God to him, and the places where, as also an account of his afflictions. So Joshua, in his last speech to the people, makes it his business to vindicate and clear the truth of the promises, by recounting to them how the providence of God had fulfilled the same in his day, Josh. xxiii. 14. And certainly it is of great importance to the world to understand the judgments, and hear the experiences of dying men. They, of all men, are presumed to be most wise and most serious. Besides, this is the last opportunity that ever we shall have in this world to speak for God. O then what a sweet thing would it be to close our lives with an honorable account of the ways of God! to go out of the world blessing him for all the mercies and truth which he has here performed to us! How would this encourage weak Christians, and convince the atheistical world, that verily there is a reality and an excellency in the ways of God! 5. At death we begin the angelical life of praise and thanksgiving. We then enter upon that everlasting sweet employment; and as I doubt not but the providences in which we were concerned in this world will be a part of that song which we shall sing in heaven, so certainly it will become us to tune our hearts and tongues for it whilst we are here, and especially when we are ready to enter upon that blessed state. O therefore let it be your daily meditation and study what God has been to you, and done for you from the beginning of his way hitherto! O that you would be persuaded to this lovely and beneficial practice! This I dare presume to say, that whoever finds a careful and a thankful heart to record and treasure up the daily experiences of God's mercy to him, shall never want new mercies to record to his dying-day, CHAPTER VI. APPLICATION. THUS, through the aid of Providence, I have dispatched the main design I aimed at in the choice of this subject. All that remains will now be speedily finished in some few inferences to be briefly drawn from the whole, and three or four practical cases to be stated. Inferences. 1. If God performs all things for you, learn that God is to be owned by you in all that befalls you in this world, whether it be in a way of success and comfort, or of trouble and affliction. When God gives you comforts, it is your great evil not to observe his hand in them. Hence was the charge against Israel, Hosea ii. 8, "She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold;" she did not affectionately consider my care over her, and goodness to her in these mercies. And as for afflictions, it is a great wickedness, when God's hand is lifted up, not to see it, Isa. xxvi. 11. O look to the hand of God in all, and know, that neither your comforts nor afflictions arise out of the dust, or spring up out of the ground! you 2. Learn hence how you are obliged to perform all duties and services for God who performeth all things for you. Shall God do all things for you, and will you do nothing for God? Is Providence every moment at work for be idle? To what purpose and will you, then is all that God has done for you? Is it not the aim and design of all, to make you fruitful people? If God plant, and fence, and water you by Providence, sure he looks that you should bring forth fruit, Isa. v. 1, 4. 0 that in return for all the benefits of Providence, you would say with David, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" 3. Does God perform all things for his people? Do not distrust him then, as often as new or great difficulties arise. Why should you think that he who has done so many things for you, will now do no more? Surely "the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear." "How long will it be ere you believe him?" If a thousand and ten thousand of trials and experiences of his tender care, faithfulness, and love, will cure this distemper in you, you have them at hand to do it. If the frequent confutations of this your distrust, by the unexpected breakings out of mercy for you under like discouragements, will cure it, look back, and you may see them. Certainly you have been often forced by Providence with shame and repentance to retract your rash censures of his care; and yet will you fall into the same distemper again? O that you would once learn this great truth, that no man ever wanted that mercy, which he wanted not a heart to trust and wait quietly upon God for. 4. Does God perform all things for you? Then seek God for all by prayer, and never undertake any design without him. Certainly, if he do not perform it for you, you can never have what you desire and labor for and though he have designed to perform this or that mercy for you, yet, for these things he will be inquired of that he may do it for you. I reckon that business as good as done, that mercy as good as if it were in hand, that trouble as good as over, for the doing, enjoying, or removing whereof we have engaged God by prayer. It is our folly to engage this instrument or that, for us to attempt this way and that way to compass our design, and all the while forget him, upon whose pleasure all instruments and means entirely depend. That which begins not with prayer seldom winds up with comfort. O let him that performs all, be owned and acknowledged in all! 5. If God performs all things for us, then it is our great interest and concern in all things to study to please him, on whom we depend for all things. It is a weighty observation of Chrysostome, that "noNo. XX. Div. 2 G thing should be grievous and bitter to a Christian, but to provoke the displeasure of God." Avoid that, and no affliction or trouble whatever can cast you down. "It is with such a soul," says he, " as it is with the heavens. We think the heavens suffer when they are overspread with clouds, and that the sun suffers when it is eclipsed; but no such thing; they suffer not." Thus every thing is well, and shall be well, when all is well betwixt us and God. O that we would but steer our course according to those rare politics of the Bible, those divine maxims of wisdom. Fear nothing but sin. Study nothing so much as how to please God. Turn not from your integrity under any temptation. Trust God in the way of your duty. These are sure rules to secure yourselves and your interest, in all the vicissitudes of this life. Cases. 1. How may a Christian discover the will of God and his own duty, under dark and doubtful providences? In order to the clearing of this case we are to consider what is meant by the will of God, and what by those doubtful providences which make the discovery of his will difficult; and then what rules are to be observed for the clearing up of God's will to ourselves. As to the will of God, it falls under a twofold consideration, his secret and revealed will. The first is the rule of his own actions; the latter of ours: and this only is concerned in the question. This revealed will of God is manifested to us either in his word, or in his works. The former is his commanding will, the latter his effecting or permitting will. In these ways God manifests his will to men, but yet with great variety and difference, both as to the things revealed, the persons to whom he reveals them, and the degrees of clearness in which they are revealed. As to the things revealed, there is great difference; for the great and necessary duties of religion are revealed to us in the word, with great perspicuity and evidence, while things of a lower nature and less concern, are left more obscure. As to the persons to whom God reveals his will, there is great difference; some are strong men, others babes; some have senses exercised, others are of weak and dull understanding; and we know every thing is received according to the ability and measure of the person receiving it; hence it is, that one man's way is very plain before him, he knows what he ought to do; another is often at a loss. The manner of God's revealing his will to men is also very different. Some in ancient times have had special, personal, and peculiar discoveries of it made to them. But now all are tied up to the ordinary standing rule of the written word, and must not expect any such extraordinary revelations from God. The way we now have to know the will of God concerning us in difficult cases, is to search and study the scriptures, and where we find no particular rule to guide us in this or that particular case, there we are to apply general rules, and govern ourselves according to the analogy and proportion they bear towards each other.' But now it often falls out, that, in doubtful cases, we are entangled in our own thoughts, and put to a loss what course to take. We pray with David, that God would make his way plain before us; we are afraid of displeasing God, and yet are fearful we may do so whether we resolve this way, or that. And this comes to pass not only through the difficulty of the case, but from our own ignorance, and very frequently from those providences that lie before us, wherein God seems to hint his mind to us this way or that. That God gives men secret hints and intimations of his will by his providence, cannot be doubted; but yet providences in themselves are no sure rule of duty, nor sufficient discovery of the will of God; else a wicked undertaking would cease to be so, if it should succeed well: but sin is sin still, and duty is duty still, whatever the events and issues of either be. The safest way therefore to make use of providences, is to consider them as they follow the commands or promises of the word, and not singly and separately in themselves. If you search the scriptures with an unbiassed spirit, in a doubtful case, pray for counsel and direction from the Lord; attend to the dictates of conscience. When you |