X. SER M. the Book of Wisdom; (ch. ii. ver. 6, 35) Come on, let us enjoy the good things that are prefent, and let us speedily use the creat tures like as in youth; For our Life being extinguished, our body shall be turned into afkes, and our Spirit fhall vanish as the foft air. But in the days of Sorrow, he will be convinced of his Folly; and repent and groan for Anguifh of Spirit, when it be too late; and his Rejoicing will be turned into Defpair. His paft Pleafures will be remembered but as a Dream, and feem to him as a Shadow that departeth; his prefent Trouble will be infupportable; and his Fears of what may poffibly be to come, will be unmixt and without Hope. The pretences of Philofophy, of Fortitude and Firmness of Spirit, of defpifing Pain, and looking upon Death as Nothing, and as merely putting an end to our Being; will appear to be vain Words, and mere empty Delufion; and He only is capable of any true Comfort and Support, who is convinced that all things are directed well and to good Ends, by the All-wife Government of the Providence of God; and who, by a X.. life of Piety and true Holiness, has fe-SER M. cured to himself finally, the Favour of that Supreme Disposer of all things. THE fame Appearances of Nature, the fame Arguments of Reafon, which prove to us the Being or Existence of God; prove alfo his Providence in governing the World, and his infpection and directing of all Events: So that even from the Light of Nature itself, which to impartial and well-difpofed Perfons gives fuflicient Evidences of the Being and Providence of God, it is manifeft that no Affliction, no Trouble of any kind, can poffibly come upon us without his Appointment or Permiffion. And the Scripture, to confirm and ftrengthen our Faith and Dependence upon God at all times and under all circumstances, is very large and express in this particular. I am the Lord, and there is none else; I form the Light, and create Darkness; I make Peace, and create Evil, (not moral, but natural Evil;) I the Lord do all these things: If. xlv. 7; The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up: 1 Sam. ii. 6; He maketh fore, and R 3 bindeth X. SERM.bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole; Job v. 18: Out of the mouth of the most High, proceedeth not Evil and Good? Lam. iii. 38. And it is a very remarkable Expreffion in the Law of Mofes, that when a man was fmitten and killed by Accident, without any ill Intention at all in him that did it, his Misfortune is thus described: Exod. xxi. 13; If a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; To fignify, that even those things, which to Us feem the most cafual and merely accidental, yet in refpect of God are really Providential, and could not happen but by his fuffering them and (for wife reasons) permitting them to be done. That is; they are not indeed done always by his Direction and Appointment; but, because they could not come to pass at all without his Knowledge and Permiffion, therefore we may be affured that he intends them for good, and to make use of them to ferve fome wife and good Ends of Providence, in that it was not his pleasure, and he did not think fit to over-rule and prevent them. And accordingly the Prophet Amos puts the Question X. Question univerfally, not only concerning SER M. Judgments fent immediately by God's Command and Appointment, but concerning all, even thofe alfo which we call natural and accidental Evils; Shall there be Evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? ch. iii. ver. 6. Which Words some have been so very unreasonable as to interpret even of Sin itself or moral Evil; (which is the highest Absurdity and Blas phemy :) But with respect to all natural Evils, (fince fecond caufes have no Powers but from and in fubordination to the firft, it is ftrictly true: And therefore, even though we could not at all understand the reasons why God is pleased to permit them, yet fince we are sure they cannot but be of his permiffion, we have more reason with all Patience and Refignation to depend upon him that he intends and will direct them for good, than Pf. cxix. a Child can have, in things above its apprehenfion, to rely upon the Kindness of a most affectionate Parent. BUT 3dly, Though This might be a fufficient Satisfaction in general; yet further, We are able to inftance in many parti R 4 75. |