cxxxviii. in his wickedness, or to complain of his fufferings in SERM. this world. This is the firft, that God's providence governs the world, and interefts itself in the affairs of men, and difpofeth of all events that happen to them; and this is a very good reafon, why we should caft our particular cares upon him, who hath undertaken the government of the whole. 2. The providence of GoD is more peculiarly concerned for good men, and he takes a more particular and especial care of them. The apofle speaks this to Chriflians, "caft all your care on him, for he "careth for you." And this David limits in a more particular manner to good men; "caft thy "burthen upon the LORD, and he will fuftain thee; " he shall never fuffer the righteous to be moved." The providence of GOD many times preferves good men from thofe evils which happen to others, and by a peculiar and remarkable interpofition, refcues them out of thofe calamities which it fuffers others to fall into; and God many times blesseth good men, with remarkable profperity and fuccefs in their affairs. To which purpose there are innunumerable declarations and promifes in the holy fcriptures, fo well known, that I fhall not trouble you with the recital of them. Notwithstanding which, it cannot be denied, that good men fall into many evils, and are harraffed with great afflictions in this world: but then the providence of GOD usually ordereth it fo, that they are armed with great patience to bear them, and find great comfort and fupport under them, and make better ufe and improvement of them than others; fo that one way or other they turn to their advantage. So the apoftle affures us, Rom. viii. 28. we know "that all things work together for good to them K 2 "that cxxxviii. SER M." that love GOD." All the evils and afflictions, which happen to good men, conspire one way or other to the promoting of their happiness, many times in this world, to be fure they make a great addition to it in the other. So the apostle tells us, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. "Our light affliction, "which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far "more excceding and eternal weight of glory, whilft "we look not," &c. And can we fay GoD's providence neglects us, when he rewards our temporal fufferings with eternal glory: when through many hardships and tribulations, he at last brings us to a kingdom? Was Jofeph neglected by GoD, when by a great deal of hard ufage, and a long imprisonment, he was raised to the highest dignity in a great kingdom? Or rather, was not the providence of GOD very reniarkable towards him, in making those fufferings fo many fteps to his glory, and the occafion of his advancement? And is not God's providence towards good men as kind and as remarkable, in bringing them to an infinitely better and more glorious kingdom, by tribulations and fufferings; and making" our light afflictions, which are but for "a moment, to work for us a far more exceeding "and eternal weight of glory?" "our Thus you see what is implied in God's care of us in general; that he governs the world, and difpofeth all events; and particularly, that he is peculiarly concerned for good men, and takes a more especial care of them. Let us now fee of what force this confideration is, to perfuade to the duty enjoined in the text, "to caft all our care upon GOD;" that is, after all prudent care and diligence hath been used on our part, not to be anxious and folicitous about the event of things, but to leave that to God. Now this confideration, that "GoD cares for us," fhould SER M. be an argument to us, "to caft all our care upon “ him," upon these two accounts: 1. Because if "GOD cares for us," our concernments are in the best and fafeft hands. 2. Because all our anxiety and folicitude will do us no good. cxxxviii. 1. Because if "GOD cares for us," our concernments are in the best and fafeft hands, and where we fhould defire to have them; infinitely fafer, than under any care and conduct of our own. And this ought to be a great fatisfaction to our minds, and to free us from all difquieting thoughts; for if GoD undertakes the care of us, then we are fure that nothing fhall happen to us, but by the difpofal or permiffion of infinite wifdom and goodness. There are many things indeed, which to us feem chance and accident; but in refpect of God, they are providence and defign they may appear to happen by chance, or may proceed from the ill-will and malicious intent of fecond causes, but they are all wifely defigned; and as they are appointed or permitted by GoD, they are the refult of the deepest counfel, and the greatest goodness. And can we wish that we and our concernments fhould be in better or fafer hands, than of infinite power and wisdom, in conjunction with infinite love and goodnefs? And if we be careful to do our duty, and to demean ourselves towards GoD as we ought, we may reft affured of his love and care of us; and if we do in good earnest believe the providence of GOD, we cannot but think that he hath a peculiar regard to thofe that love and ferve him, and that he will take a peculiar care of their concernments, and that he can, and will difpofe them better for us, than we could manage them ourfelves, if we were left SER M. to ourselves, and our affairs were put into the hands of our own counfel. cxxxviii. Put the cafe we had the entire ordering and difpofal of ourselves, what were reasonable for us to do in this cafe? We would furely, according to our best wisdom and judgment, do the best we could for ourfelves; and when upon experience of our manifold ignorance and weakness, we had found our weightieft affairs and defigns frequently to mifcarry, for want of fore-fight, or power, or skill to obviate and prevent the infinite hazards and disappointments which human affairs are liable to, we fhould then look about us; and if we knew any perfon much wifer, and more powerful than ourselves, who we believed did heartily love us, and wish well to us, we would out of kindness to ourselves, ask his counsel in our affairs, and crave his affiftance; and if we could prevail with him to undertake the care of our concernments, we would commit them all to his conduct and government, in confidence of his great wifdom and good-will to us. Now God is fuch an one, he loves us as well as we do ourselves, and defires our happiness as much, and knows infinitely better than we do, what means are most conducing to it, and will moft effectually fecure it. And every man that believes thus of GOD, (as every man muft do, that believes there is a GOD, for thefe are the natural and effential notions which all men have of the Deity) I fay, every man that believes thus of GOD; the first thing he would do (if he knew not already that GOD had voluntarily, and of his own accord, undertaken the care of him and of his affairs) would be to apply himself to Gop, and to befeech him with all earneftness and importunity, that he would permit him to refer his concernments to to him, and be pleafed to undertake the care of SER M. them; and he would, without any demur or diffi- xxxviii. culty, give up himself wholly to him, to guide and govern him, and to difpofe of him as to him should feem beft. Now if GOD have prevented us herein, and without our defire taken this care upon himself, we ought to rejoice in it, as the greatest happiness that could poffibly have befallen us; and we should, without any further care and anxiety, ufing our own beft diligence, and studying to please him, chearfully leave ourselves in his hands, with the greatest confidence and fecurity, that he will do all that for us which is really beft; and with a firm perfuafion, that that con- ' dition, and thofe circumftances of life, which he fhall chufe for us, will be no other but the very fame which we would chufe for ourfelves, if we were as wife as he. And it is fo natural for men to think thus of God, Permittes ipfis expendere numinibus, quid Leave it, fays he, to the wifer gods, to confider and K 4 |