God, the author of these dispensations.

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II. Having seen the crook itself, we are in the next place, to consider of God's making it. And here is to be shown, 1. That it is of God's making. 2. How it is of his making. 3. Why he makes it

FIRST, That the crook in the lot, whatever it is, is of God's making appears from these three considerations.

First, It cannot be questioned, but the crook in the lot, considered as a crook, is a penal evil, whatever it is for the matter thereof; that is, whether the thing in itself, its immediate cause and occasion, be sinful or not, it is certainly a punishment or affliction. Now, as it may be, as such, holily and justly brought on us, by our Sovereign Lord and Judge, so he expressly claims the doing or making of it, Amos iii. 6. "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord has not done it?" Wherefore, since there can be no penal evil, but of God's making, and the crook in the lot is such an evil, it is necessarily concluded to be of God's making.

Secondly, It is evident, from the scripture doctrine of divine providence, that God brings about every man's lot, and all the parts thereof. He sits at the

helm of human affairs, and turns them about whithersoever he listeth. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places," Psal. cxxxv. 6. There is not any thing whatsoever befalls us, without his overruling hand. The same providence that brought us out of the womb, bringeth us to, and fixeth us in, the condition and place allotted for us, by him who "hath determined the times, and the bounds of our habitation." Acts xvii. 26. It overrules the smallest and most casual things about us, such as "hairs of our head falling on the ground," Matt. x. 29, 30. "A lot cast into the lap," Prov. xvi. 33. Yea, the

free acts of our will, whereby we choose for ourselves, for even "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water.” Prov. xxi. 1. And the whole steps we make, and which others make in reference to us; for" the way of man is not in himself; it is not man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer. x. 23. And this, whether these steps causing the crock be deliberate and sinful ones, such as Joseph's brethren selling him into Egypt; or whether they be undesigned, such as man-slaughter purely casual, as when one hewing wood, kills his neighbour with "the head of the axe slipping from the helve." Deut. xix. 5. For there is a holy and wise providence that governs the sinful and the heedless actions of men, as a rider doth a lame horse, of whose halting, not he, but the horse's lameness, is the true and proper cause; wherefore in the former of these cases, God is said to have sent Joseph into Egypt, Gen. xlv. 7, and in the latter, to deliver one into his neighbour's hand, Exod. xxi. 13.

Lastly, God hath, by an eternal decree, immoveable as mountains of brass, Zech. vi. 1, appointed the whole of every one's lot, the crooked parts thereof, as well as the straight. By the same eternal decree, whereby the high and low parts of the earth, the mountains and the valleys, were appointed, are the heights and the depths, the prosperity and adversity, in the lot of the inhabitants thereof determined; and they are brought about, in time, in a perfect agreeableness thereto.

The mystery of Providence, in the government of the world, is, in all the parts thereof, the building reared up of God, in exact conformity to the plan in his decree," who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Eph. i. 11. So that there is never a crook in one's lot, but may be run up to

Sinless and sinful crooks distinguished.

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this original. Hereof Job piously sets us an example in his own case, Job xviii. 13, 14. "He is ir one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with him."

SECONDLY, That we may see how the crook in the lot is of God's making, we must distinguish between pure sinless crooks, and impure sinful

ones.

First, There are pure and sinless crooks; which are mere afflictions, cleanly crosses, grievous indeed, but not defiling. Such was Lazarus's poverty, Rachel's barrenness, Leah's tender eyes, the blindness of the man who had been so from his birth, John ix. 1. Now, the crooks of this kind are of God's making, by the efficacy of his power directly bringing them to pass, and causing them to be. He is the maker of the poor, Prov. xvii. 5. "Whoso mocketh the poor, reproacheth his Maker;" that is, reproacheth God who made him poor, according to that, 1 Sam. ii. 7, "The Lord maketh poor." It is he that hath the key of the womb, and as he sees meet, shuts it, 1 Sam. i. 5, or opens it, Gen. xxix. 31. And it is "he that formeth the eyes," Psal. xciv. 9. And the man was born blind, that the works of God should be made manifest in him. John ix. 3. Therefore he saith to Moses, Exod. iv. 11. "Who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord ?" Such crooks in the lot are of God's making, in the most ample sense, and in their full comprehension, being the direct effects of his agency, as well as the heavens and the earth.

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Secondly, There are impure sinful crooks, which, in their own nature, are sins as well as afflictions,

20 God to be acknowledged in all afflictions

defiling as well as grievous. Such was the crook made in David's lot, through his family disorders, the defiling of Tamar, the murder of Amnon, the rebellion of Absalom, all of them unnatural. Of the same kind was that made in Job's lot by the Sabeans and Chaldeans, taking away his substance and slaying his servants. As these were the afflictions of David and Job respectively, so they were the sins of the actors, the unhappy instruments thereof. Thus one and the same thing may be, to one a heinous sin, defiling and laying him ander guilt, and to another an affliction, laying him under suffering only. Now, the crooks of this kind are not of God's making, in the same latitude as those of the former for he neither puts evil in the heart of any, nor stirreth up to it: "He cannot be tempted with evil, neither tenipteth he any man." James i. 13. But they are of his making, by his holy permission of them, powerful bounding of them, and wise overruling of them to some good end.

1st. He holily permits them, suffering men" to walk in their own ways." Acts xiv. 16. Though he is not the author of those sinful crooks, causing them to be, by the efficacy of his power: yet, if he did not permit them, willing not to hinder them, they could not be at all: for "he shutteth and no man openeth." Rev. iii. 7. But he justly withholds his grace which the sinner doth not desire, takes off the restraint under which he is uneasy, and since the sinner will be gone, lays the reins on his neck, and leaves him to the swing of his lust. Hos. iv. 17. "Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone." Psal. lxxxi. 11, 12. "Israel would none of me: so I them up to their own heart's lusts." happy situation the sinful crook doth,

gave In which unfrom the sin

Limited by his power and goodness.

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ner's own proper motion, naturally and infallibly follow; even as water runs down a hill, wherever there is a gap left open before it. So in these circumstances, Israel walked in their own counsels." ver. 12. And thus this kind of crook is of God's making, as a just judge, punishing the sufferer by it. This view of the matter silenced David under Shimei's cursings, 2 Sam. xvi. 10, 11. "Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him.”

2dly. He powerfully bounds them, Psal. lxxvi. 10. "The remainder of wrath" (that is, the creature's wrath) "thou shalt restrain." Did not God bound these crooks, howsoever sore they are in any one's case, they would be yet sorer. But he says to the sinful instrument, as he said to the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no farther; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." He lays a restraining band on him, that he cannot go one step farther, in the way his impetuous lust drives, than he sees meet to permit. Hence it comes to pass, that the crook of this kind is neither more nor less, but just as great as he by his powerful bounding makes it to be. An eminent instance hereof we have in the case of Job, whose lot was crooked through a peculiar agency of the devil; but even to that grand sinner, God set a bound in the case: "The Lord said unto Satan, Behold all that he hath is in thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand." Job. i. 12. Now, Satan went the full length of the bound, leaving nothing within the compass thereof untouched, which he saw could make for his purpose. ver. 18, 19 But he could by no means move one step beyond it, to carry his point, which he could not gain within it. And therefore, to make the trial greater, and the crook sorer, nothing remained but that the bound set should be removed, and the sphere of his agency