like, he hath laid in such provision of principles as may render the receiving of it sweet and easy to us. As,

1st. That he doth not correct us for his pleasure, but that he may make us partakers of his holiness: so that we are not in heaviness unless it be needful for us; which we may rest upon, when we neither see the cause, nor the particular of our visitation; then on this account we may rest on his Sovereign will and wisdom.

2dly. That he will make all things work together for our good. This takes the poison out of every cup we are to drink, yea, all the bitterness of it. We have concernments that lie above all that here we can undergo or suffer; and if all work for our advantage and improvement, why should they not be welcome to us?

3dly. That conformity and likeness to Jesus Christ is hereby to be attained; and sundry other principles there are given out, to prevail with our hearts to submit and humble our souls to this part of the law of God's grace, which is a thing that the devil never thought Job would have done, and was therefore restless until it was put to the trial: but he was disappointed and conquered, and his condemnation aggravated.

And this is the first thing required of us, namely, that we humble ourselves to the law of the grace of God.

Use 1. Let us now take some brief account of ourselves, whether we do so or no. We perform duties, and so seem to walk with God: but,

(1.) Is the bottom of our obedience, a deep apprehension, and a full conviction of our own vileness and nothingness, of our being the chief of sinners, lost and undone, so that we always lie at the foot of sovereign grace and mercy? Is it so? Then when, how, by what means, was this apprehen sion brought upon us? I intend not a general notion that we are sinners; but a particular apprehension of our lost undone condition, with suitable affections thereunto. Do we cry to the Lord out of the depths? Or is the end of our obedience to keep ourselves out of such a condition? I am afraid many amongst us, could we, or themselves, by any means dive into the depths of their hearts, would be found to yield their obedience unto God, merely on the account of

keeping them out of the condition which they must be brought unto, before they can yield any acceptable obedience to him. If we think at all to walk with God, let us be clear in this, that such a sense and apprehension of ourselves lies at the bottom of it: Of sinners I am chief.'

(2.) Doth this always abide in our thoughts, and upon our spirits, that by all we have done, do, or can do, we can not obtain righteousness to stand in the presence of God, so that in the secret reserves of our hearts, we place none of our righteousness on that account? Can we be content to suffer loss in all our obedience, as to an end of righteousness; and do we appear before God, simply on another head, as if there were no such thing as our own obedience in the world? Herein indeed lies the great mystery of gospel obedience, that we pursue it with all our strength and might, with all the vigour of our souls, and labour to abound in it like the angels in theirs, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord; and yet in point of the acceptation of our persons, to have no more regard unto it, than if we had yielded no more obedience than the thief on the cross.

(3.) Do we then humble ourselves to accept of the righteousness that God in Christ hath provided for us? It is a common working of the heart of them whom God is drawing to himself; they dare not close with the promise, they dare not accept of Christ and his righteousness, it would be presumption in them. And the answer is common, that indeed this is not fear and humility, but pride. Men know not how to humble themselves to a righteousness purely without them, on the testimony of God; the heart is not willing to it: we would willingly establish our own righteousness, and not submit to the righteousness of God. But how is it with our souls? Are we clear in this great point, or no? If we are not, we are at best shuffling with God; we walk not with. him. He admits none into his company, but expressly on the terms of taking this righteousness that he hath provided: and his soul loathes them that would tender him any thing in the room thereof, as men engaged to set up their wisdom and righteousness against his. But I must conclude.

Use 2. If all these things are required to our walking with God, where shall they appear, what shall be their lot and

portion, who take no thought about these things? Some we see visibly to walk contrary to him, having no regard to him at all, nor considering their latter end. Others have some checks of conscience, that think to cure these distempers and eruptions of sin, with a loose cry of God be merciful to them.' Some go a little farther, to take care of the performance of duties, but they seek not God in a due manner; and he will make a breach upon them. The Lord awaken them all before it be too late.

SERMON XXIII.

WHAT it is to humble ourselves to the law of God's grace, you have heard.

(2.) I come now to shew, what it is to humble ourselves to the law of his providence.

By the law of providence, I intend, God's sovereign disposal of all the concernments of men in this world, in the variety, order, and manner, which he pleaseth, according to the rule and infinite reason of his own goodness, wisdom, righteousness, and truth.

[1.] To evince what it is to humble ourselves to this law, some general observations must be given. And,

(1st.) There is, and ever was somewhat, very much, in God's providential administration of the things of this world, and the concernments of the sons of men therein, which the most improved reason of men cannot reach unto, and which is contrary to all that is in us, as merely men; of judgment, affections, or what else soever we are acted by.

Thy judgments,' saith David unto God, are far above out of his sight,' Psal. x. 53. that is, of the man he is speaking of; he is not able to see the ground and reason, the order and beauty of them. And Psal. xxxvi. 6. 'Thy righteousness is like a great mountain, and thy judgments are a great deep; that is, as the sea which none can look into the bottom of, nor know what is done in the caverns thereof. So that there is a height in the judgments of God not to be measured, and a depth not to be fathomed. Men cannot look into his ways. So also Psal. lxxvii. 19. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.' Men must be content to stand at the shore, and admire at the works of God; but as to the beauty and excellency of them, they cannot search them out. To this purpose discourseth Zophar, in Job xi. 7-13. It is of the excellency and perfection of God in his works of providence that he is speaking; in the consideration of whose unsearchableness, he closes with that of ver. 12. Vain man would know the secrets of the counsels of God, the reason

of his ways; but, in his attempts after it, he is as an ass, as a wild ass, as the colt of a wild ass; than which, nothing could be spoken with more contempt, to abase the pride of a poor creature.

The ways of God are, we know, all perfect: he is our rock, and his work is perfect: nothing can be added to them, nor taken from them; yea, they are all comely and beautiful in their season: there is not any thing comes out from him, but it is from wonderful counsel; and all his ways will at length be found to praise him: but, as Job speaks, ix. 11. we perceive it not, we take no notice of it. For who hath known his mind, or been his counsellor? Rom. xi. 33, 34.

Hence, not only the heathen were entangled in the consideration of the works of providence; some, upon it, turning atheists, most ascribing all things to blind, uncertain chance and contingency; and others, very few, labouring to set a lustre upon what they could not understand: but we have the people of God themselves disputing with him about the equality of his ways, bringing arguments against it, and contending against his wisdom in them. Ye say, the way of the Lord is not equal;' Ezek. xviii. 25. And again are they at it, xxxiii. 20. Yet ye say, the way of the Lord is not equal.' Yea, not only the common people, but the choicest of God's servants, under the old testament, were exceedingly exercised with this, that they could not oftentimes see the beauty and excellency, nor understand the reason or order of God's dispensations; which I might prove at large, in the instances of Job, David, Heman, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and others. Yea, there was nothing that God was more put to in dealing with his people of old, than to justify the righteousness and perfections of his providential dispensations, against their unjust, unbelieving complaints and manners.

This then being the condition of God's providential dispensations in general, that there is much in them, not only above us, and unsearchable to us, as to the reason and beauty of his ways, but also contrary to all that is in us of reason, judgment, or affections, there is surely need of humbling our souls to the law of this providence, if we intend to walk with him. Neither is there any other way to come to an agreement with him, or to quiet our hearts from repining.

2dly. There are four things in God's providential dis